Photograph of Bob Prittie sitting in a excavator with YMCA (Young Men's Christian Association) President George McNeil standing next to him, holding an architectural drawing. They are at the site of the "new" Burnaby YMCA.
Photograph of Bob Prittie sitting in a excavator with YMCA (Young Men's Christian Association) President George McNeil standing next to him, holding an architectural drawing. They are at the site of the "new" Burnaby YMCA.
Photograph of a building under construction at the Simon Fraser University site. A label on the photograph reads in part: "Women's residence. Erickson-Massey Architects. Laing Construction and Equipment Ltd. General Contractors."
Photograph of a building under construction at the Simon Fraser University site. A label on the photograph reads in part: "Women's residence. Erickson-Massey Architects. Laing Construction and Equipment Ltd. General Contractors."
This portion of the recording pertains to Ron Smitherman's memories of his early years in construction. Ron discusses what it was like to be in construction during the postwar era. He also discusses his father's work as a carpenter and the changes that occurred with the introduction of electric car…
This portion of the recording pertains to Ron Smitherman's memories of his early years in construction. Ron discusses what it was like to be in construction during the postwar era. He also discusses his father's work as a carpenter and the changes that occurred with the introduction of electric carpentry tools.
Recording is an interview with Ron Smitherman conducted by Burnaby Village Museum employee Eric Damer, November 15, 2012. Major theme discussed: building construction and development in Burnaby.
Biographical Notes
Born in 1933 and raised in Vancouver, Ron Smitherman learned the construction trade from his father, upgrading his knowledge and skills as techniques and materials changed and improved. Ron built houses and commercial buildings in Burnaby and elsewhere during the nineteen-forties, fifties and sixties.
In 1969 Ron and his family settled in Burnaby where he shifted his business to real estate.
Eric Damer is a lifelong British Columbian born in Victoria, raised in Kamloops, and currently residing in Burnaby. After studying philosophy at the University of Victoria, he became interested in the educational forces that had shaped his own life. He completed master’s and doctoral degrees in educational studies at the University of British Columbia with a particular interest in the history of adult and higher education in the province. In 2012, Eric worked for the City of Burnaby as a field researcher and writer, conducting interviews for the City Archives and Museum Oral History Program.