Recording is of an interview with former Mayor William “Bill” Lewarne, conducted by Rod Fowler. Bill Lewarne was one of eleven participants interviewed as part of the SFU/Burnaby Centennial Committee's oral history series titled, "Voices of Burnaby". The interview is mainly about Bill Lewarne’s business and political careers, and memories of growing up in South Burnaby in the 1930s. Bill Lewarne talks about his parent’s origins, his family and community struggles during the Depression, the interurban, his education, war service, and joining his father's business. He describes the start, operation and expansion of the family ice cream business, and how business life compared to political life. The interview explores the role of politics in community affairs, his political activities, the history of the BVA, and his involvement in various community organizations. To view “Narrow By” terms for each track, expand this description and see “Notes”.
Biographical Notes
William Alfred “Bill” Lewarne was born in Burnaby in 1926 to Ethel Cecilia Leer (1899- ) and Alfred Lewarne (1893-1962). The family, Ethel, Alfred and their three children Patricia, Beverley and William, moved to a house on Nelson Avenue in Alta Vista in 1931. Ethel still lived in the family home in 1990. Bill Lewarne attended Nelson Avenue School and South Burnaby High School (1932-1944). His father Alfred worked at Colony Farms as a dairy inspector and then for the Port of Vancouver Dairy before being laid off early in the Depression. The family struggled until in 1936 Alfred started his own ice cream business. After graduation Bill was in the army for two years, taking a refrigeration course under the veteran’s training benefit, before joining his father’s business. Three generations of the family operated the successful company, expanding from wholesale, retail and distribution of ice cream products into refrigerated warehouses and the wholesale ice business, until the business was sold to its competitor Dairyland in 1989. Bill Lewarne entered politics in 1965, first with the Nonpartisan Association (NPA) and then as a founder of the Burnaby Citizens Association (BCA). He served as an alderman on Burnaby Council 1973-1975 and 1977-1981 and as Mayor 1981-1987. In 1979 he ran for provincial office for the Social Credit Party against Rosemary Brown but lost.
Bill Lewarne married June Lawrence and they had three children Robert, Leslie and Janice. He was active in many organizations: Burnaby/Willingdon Liberal Association, Seton Villa, Irish Fusileers of Canada, Lions Club, Rotary Club, Burnaby Association for Community Inclusion, and the Burnaby Hospital Foundation, and continued to be active on the Board of the BCA. Bill Lewarne died in 1995.
Rod Fowler returned to university as a mature student in the 1980s after working about twenty years in the field of economics and business computerization in England, Europe and Western Canada. He graduated with a BA from SFU in both History and Sociology in 1987, his MA degree in Geography in 1989, and his PhD in Cultural Geography at SFU. He taught courses in Geography, Sociology, History and Canadian Studies at several Lower Mainland colleges, before becoming a full time member of the Geography Department at Kwantlen University College.
Interviews were digitized in 2015 allowing them to be accessible on Heritage Burnaby. The digitization project was initiated by the Community Heritage Commission with support from City of Burnaby Council.
Photograph of members of the Love and Stanley families together at Pitt Lake. Family members are gathered together on a steep rocky shore while two men are standing on the bow of a boat. The boat and a canoe are tied to the shore with ropes.
Photograph of members of the Love and Stanley families together at Pitt Lake. Family members are gathered together on a steep rocky shore while two men are standing on the bow of a boat. The boat and a canoe are tied to the shore with ropes.
Photograph of three boys in the snow in front of a house. One of the boys is being pulled on a sled. These may be three of the Grant family children. Alice and George A. Grant had four sons: William (Bill), George, Heriot (Harry), and Alastair.
Photograph of three boys in the snow in front of a house. One of the boys is being pulled on a sled. These may be three of the Grant family children. Alice and George A. Grant had four sons: William (Bill), George, Heriot (Harry), and Alastair.
Photograph of two men with two young girls seated in a Model T Ford automobile parked outside of a house. Man seated in the rear of the car is identified as Jesse Love.
Photograph of two men with two young girls seated in a Model T Ford automobile parked outside of a house. Man seated in the rear of the car is identified as Jesse Love.
Photograph of Thomas Robert "Bob" Love and Charles Deacon on a hunting trip. The men are posed with rifes and a dog in front of Bob Love's Ford automobile.
Photograph of Thomas Robert "Bob" Love and Charles Deacon on a hunting trip. The men are posed with rifes and a dog in front of Bob Love's Ford automobile.
Photograph of Thomas Robert (Bob) Love and another man with two dogs standing on a small boat. The men are holding rifles. The boat is floating in the water alongside piles and a dock. Dead water fowl and pheasants are hanging off the side of Bob's boat "Burnaby Kid".
Photograph of Thomas Robert (Bob) Love and another man with two dogs standing on a small boat. The men are holding rifles. The boat is floating in the water alongside piles and a dock. Dead water fowl and pheasants are hanging off the side of Bob's boat "Burnaby Kid".
Photograph is a portrait of Charlotte and Dorothy Vidal and six unidentified women and four unidentified men. Charlotte Vidal is sixth from the left and Dorothy Vidal is fourth from the left.
Photograph is a portrait of Charlotte and Dorothy Vidal and six unidentified women and four unidentified men. Charlotte Vidal is sixth from the left and Dorothy Vidal is fourth from the left.
Photograph is a portrait of Charlotte and Dorothy Vidal and six unidentified women and four unidentified men. Charlotte Vidal is sixth from the left and Dorothy Vidal is fourth from the left.
Photograph is a portrait of Charlotte and Dorothy Vidal and six unidentified women and four unidentified men. Charlotte Vidal is sixth from the left and Dorothy Vidal is fourth from the left.
Photograph of four men on board a boat and posing with three dead deer suspended from the mast. The men are unidentified, name visible on the bow of the boat reads "AREA". The boat is tied to log boom alongside boat and in the foreground of photograph.
Photograph of four men on board a boat and posing with three dead deer suspended from the mast. The men are unidentified, name visible on the bow of the boat reads "AREA". The boat is tied to log boom alongside boat and in the foreground of photograph.
Photograph of members of the Love family at Pitt Lake. Women are identified left to right as; Phoebe Love Feedham, Esther Love Stanley and Martha "Dot" Love Brandrith. The three women are sitting on a large piece of driftwood. One man is standing behind them and two men are paddling a canoe on th…
Photograph of members of the Love family at Pitt Lake. Women are identified left to right as; Phoebe Love Feedham, Esther Love Stanley and Martha "Dot" Love Brandrith. The three women are sitting on a large piece of driftwood. One man is standing behind them and two men are paddling a canoe on the lake behind.
Photograph of two men, two dogs and dead fowl on board Bob Love's boat "Burnaby Kid". Bob Love is seated at the rear of the boat and unidentified man is standing and holding a rifle. Dead fowl are hanging off the side of the boat cabin.
Photograph of two men, two dogs and dead fowl on board Bob Love's boat "Burnaby Kid". Bob Love is seated at the rear of the boat and unidentified man is standing and holding a rifle. Dead fowl are hanging off the side of the boat cabin.
Photograph of Bob Love and unidentified man holding their fish catch on board Bob's boat "Burnaby Kid". Fishing baskets are at their feet and the boat is moored or anchored in front of a bridge.
Photograph of Bob Love and unidentified man holding their fish catch on board Bob's boat "Burnaby Kid". Fishing baskets are at their feet and the boat is moored or anchored in front of a bridge.
Photograph shows a group of thirteen people posed in front of a tent and holding a pole with a line of fish strung acrossed it. A label accompanying the photograph reads: "The campers, Parksville." Identified in the photograph are, standing (l to r): Francis Peers, Mr. Robert Travers, Mrs. Robert…
Photograph shows a group of thirteen people posed in front of a tent and holding a pole with a line of fish strung acrossed it. A label accompanying the photograph reads: "The campers, Parksville." Identified in the photograph are, standing (l to r): Francis Peers, Mr. Robert Travers, Mrs. Robert Travers, Mike Peers, unidentified man, Bob Peers, unidentified woman, Betty Peers. Seated in front on the left is Maude Travers, second from the right is Dick Peers, and to his right is Robbie Travers the son of Robert. This photograph was taken while the Peers family and friends were camping in Parksville, Vancouver Island.
Photograph shows a group of thirteen people posed in front of a tent and holding a pole with a line of fish strung acrossed it. A label accompanying the photograph reads: "The campers, Parksville." Identified in the photograph are, standing (l to r): Francis Peers, Mr. Robert Travers, two women u…
Photograph shows a group of thirteen people posed in front of a tent and holding a pole with a line of fish strung acrossed it. A label accompanying the photograph reads: "The campers, Parksville." Identified in the photograph are, standing (l to r): Francis Peers, Mr. Robert Travers, two women unidentified - one is Mrs. Alice Travers, Mike Peers, unidentified man, Bob Peers, Annie Elizabeth Peers, Betty Peers. Seated in front is Maude Travers, second from the right is Dick Peers and to his right is Robbie Travers. This photograph was taken while the Peers family and friends were camping in Parksville, Vancouver Island.