Mayor's Office fonds
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1828 (date of original) -2015
- Collection/Fonds
- Mayor's Office fonds
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Physical Description
- 1 m of textual records and photographic material
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of those records created by the office of the Mayor during the administrations of Robert W. Prittie (1969-1973), Thomas W. Constable (1973-1979), David M. Mercier (1979-1981), William A. Lewarne (1981-1987), William J. Copeland (1987-1996), John Douglas Drummond (1996-2002) and Derek…
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1828 (date of original) -2015
- Collection/Fonds
- Mayor's Office fonds
- Physical Description
- 1 m of textual records and photographic material
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Access Restriction
- Subject to FOIPPA
- Reproduction Restriction
- Reproductions subject to FOIPPA
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of those records created by the office of the Mayor during the administrations of Robert W. Prittie (1969-1973), Thomas W. Constable (1973-1979), David M. Mercier (1979-1981), William A. Lewarne (1981-1987), William J. Copeland (1987-1996), John Douglas Drummond (1996-2002) and Derek Corrigan (2002-2018).
- History
- On September 22, 1892, the Corporation of the District of Burnaby was established by letters patent. An integral component of this incorporation was the creation of the office of the Reeve (later called Mayor). The Reeve was to serve as the Head and Chief Executive Officer of Burnaby and was to lead the City Council in the governing of the Corporation. Burnaby’s first Reeve and Council were elected by acclamation on October 15, 1892, with formal elections held by ballot three months later. From 1893 until 1977 the Reeve and Council were elected for one-year terms, but the practice of annual elections was abandoned in favour of two-year terms in 1977. The current practice of holding elections every three years was begun in 1987. Elections of Reeve and Council were suspended altogether in 1933. However, as a financial crisis in the Corporation resulted in the Province intervening and assuming control of the local government. For ten years, Commissioners were appointed by the Provincial Government to manage the affairs of the Municipality, but by January 1943, the situation had been remedied and local elections were once again held.
From 1892 until 1968, the Chief Executive Officer in Burnaby was known as “Reeve,” but this nomenclature changed with revisions to the Local Government Act in the latter part of the twentieth century. In 1968, the Province altered the Act and abolished the practice of assigning different titles to the members of Council based on Municipal Classification and introduced "Mayor" and "Alderman" as terms applicable in all Municipalities not just those of a certain size or with a certain number of citizens. From that point on, the CEO of Burnaby has been referred to as the Mayor of the City.
Despite these changes in election procedures, naming protocols, and the disruption caused by the financial crisis in the 1930s and 1940s, the roles and responsibilities of the Mayor have remained relatively stable throughout the years. As Head and Chief Executive Officer of the City, the Mayor is responsible for ensuring that the principles of law and good government are enforced in Burnaby. This includes the task of overseeing the conduct of officers and employees and directing the management of municipal business and affairs as well as chairing the meetings of Council and appointing Council Committee members. The Mayor is also charged with the duty of representing the City at public functions, in meetings with visiting dignitaries, and in participating in local community and fundraising events.
Initially, the Municipal Clerk assisted the Mayor in his work by handling most correspondence and clerical tasks of the office. Today, however, the Mayor’s office retains its own administrative staff who are responsible for facilitating all schedules and arrangements for the Mayor along with coordinating their internal and external contacts and events.
The following individuals have served as Reeve or Mayor of Burnaby:
Charles R. Shaw 1892
Nicolai C. Shou 1893-1903
Charles F. Sprott 1904-1905
Peter Byrne 1906-1910
J. W. Weart 1911-1912
D. C. McGregor 1913
Hugh M. Fraser 1914-1918
T. Sanderson 1919-1920
Alexander K. McLean 1921-1926; 1928-1929
Charles C. Bell 1927
W. L. Burdick 1929
W. A. Pritchard 1930-1932
William Tate Wilson 1943-1944
George A. Morrison 1945-1949
William R. Beamish 1950-1953
Charles W. MacSorely 1954-1957
Alan H. Emmott 1958-1968
Robert W. Prittie 1969-1973
Thomas W. Constable 1973-1979
David M. Mercier 1979-1981
William A. Lewarne 1981-1987
William J. Copeland 1987-1996
Douglas P. Drummond 1996-2002
Derek Corrigan 2002-2018
Mike Hurley 2018-present
The following individuals have served as provincially appointed Commissioners for the Corporation of the District of Burnaby:
John Bennett 1932-1933
John Mahony 1933-1934
Hugh M. Fraser 1934-1940*
R. S. Gilchrist 1941*
B. C. Bracewell 1942*
*Richard Bolton was Acting Commissioner for most of 1940-1942. He refused to be a full-fledged Commissioner.
- Media Type
- Textual Record
- Photograph
- Creator
- City of Burnaby
- Notes
- Title based on contents of fonds.
Less detail
Mayor's Office subseries
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1828 (date of original)-2001
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Description Level
- Subseries
- Physical Description
- Textual records and photographs
- Scope and Content
- Subseries consists of records and photographs created and collected by the City of Burnaby Mayor's Office and desposited into the Burnaby Historical Society's community archive. The records include research files on Robert Burnaby and the city of Loughborough, UK; administrative papers and reports…
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1828 (date of original)-2001
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Series
- Community Archives Collection series
- Subseries
- Mayor's Office subseries
- Physical Description
- Textual records and photographs
- Description Level
- Subseries
- Accession Number
- BHS1986-34
- BHS1988-03
- BHS1989-02
- BHS1991-11
- BHS1994-08
- BHS2001-13
- BHS2002-14
- BHS2003-03
- BHS2007-04
- Scope and Content
- Subseries consists of records and photographs created and collected by the City of Burnaby Mayor's Office and desposited into the Burnaby Historical Society's community archive. The records include research files on Robert Burnaby and the city of Loughborough, UK; administrative papers and reports; and photographs of Burnaby Councils and Municipal Hall among other subjects.
- Media Type
- Textual Record
- Photograph
- Creator
- Mayor's Office
- Notes
- Title based on creator of subseries
- PC185, PC185, PC252, MSS042, MSS113
Less detail
Portrait of Mrs. William Holmes
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- [between 1841 and 1860]
- Collection/Fonds
- William Holmes fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph (calotype) : b&w ; 49.5 x 39.5 cm (sight) in frame 75 x 65.5 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph portrait of Mrs. William Holmes. Portrait could be of either, Mary (Richardson) Holmes who married William Holmes in 1841 or Charlotte (McCullough) Holmes who married William Holmes between 1848 and 1854. Both marriages took place in Huron County, Ontario.
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- William Holmes fonds
- Series
- William Holmes family photographs series
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph (calotype) : b&w ; 49.5 x 39.5 cm (sight) in frame 75 x 65.5 cm
- Material Details
- The photograph is a calotype print, which has been enhanced using charcoal and paint.
- Scope and Content
- Photograph portrait of Mrs. William Holmes. Portrait could be of either, Mary (Richardson) Holmes who married William Holmes in 1841 or Charlotte (McCullough) Holmes who married William Holmes between 1848 and 1854. Both marriages took place in Huron County, Ontario.
- History
- Mary (Richardson) Holmes was the first wife of William Holmes and Charlotte (McCullough) Holmes was the second wife of William Holmes of Huron County, Ontario . William Holmes was the first non-Indigenous resident of Burnaby in 1860.
- Names
- Holmes, Mary Richardson
- Holmes, Charlotte McCullough
- Accession Code
- HV971.46.2
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No known restrictions
- Date
- [between 1841 and 1860]
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Related Material
- Portrait of William Holmes, HV971.46.1
- Notes
- Title based on contents of photograph
Less detail
Portrait of William Holmes
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- [between 1841 and 1860]
- Collection/Fonds
- William Holmes fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph (calotype) : b&w ; 50 x 39.5 cm (oval, sight) in frame 66 x 56 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph portrait of William Holmes.
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- William Holmes fonds
- Series
- William Holmes family photographs series
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph (calotype) : b&w ; 50 x 39.5 cm (oval, sight) in frame 66 x 56 cm
- Material Details
- The photograph is a calotype print, which has been enhanced using charcoal and paint.
- Scope and Content
- Photograph portrait of William Holmes.
- History
- William Holmes was the first non-Indigenous resident of Burnaby.
- Names
- Holmes, William
- Accession Code
- HV971.46.1
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- May be restricted by third party rights
- Date
- [between 1841 and 1860]
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Related Material
- Portrait of Jane Holmes, HV971.46.2
- Notes
- Title based on contents of photograph
Less detail
William Holmes family photographs series
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- [1841-1860]
- Collection/Fonds
- William Holmes fonds
- Description Level
- Series
- Physical Description
- 2 photographs (calotype) + 1 photograph : b&w
- Scope and Content
- Series consists of photograph portraits of William Holmes and Mrs. William Holmes.
William Holmes fonds
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- [1841]-1994
- Collection/Fonds
- William Holmes fonds
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Physical Description
- 2 photographs (calotype) + 1 photograph : b&w + 6 photographs : col. + 5 p. textual records + 1 newspaper clipping
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of photographs pertaining to the William Holmes family, family grave markers in cemetery in Ireland along with original correspondence, land title certificates and a newspaper clipping.
Fonds is arranged in series:
1) William Holmes family photographs series
2) William Holmes family…
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- William Holmes fonds
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Physical Description
- 2 photographs (calotype) + 1 photograph : b&w + 6 photographs : col. + 5 p. textual records + 1 newspaper clipping
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of photographs pertaining to the William Holmes family, family grave markers in cemetery in Ireland along with original correspondence, land title certificates and a newspaper clipping.
Fonds is arranged in series:
1) William Holmes family photographs series
2) William Holmes family records series
3) Holmes family cemetery photographs series
- History
- William Holmes was the first non-Indigenous resident of Burnaby and was born in Kilkenny Ireland January 4, 1812. In 1833, at the age of 20 yrs, William Holmes immigrated to Canada from Ireland in with his parents, Joseph and Jane (McCullough) Holmes and ten other family members including two of his married brothers and their wives, two sisters with their husbands and two unmarried brothers. This was the first group of thirteen to leave Ireland and set up homesteads in Canada near the shores of Lake Huron. The family settled on land concessions in Huron County, Ontario about 14 km southeast of Goderich.
The area in Huron County was first founded in 1832 by John and Samuel Holmes and the community was known as Holmes Hill before becoming Holmesville [ca. 1850]. In 1837, William Holmes is noted as owning Lot 23, Concession IX, Goderich Twp. Much of the village of Holmesville grew up around the five road concession near the border of his brother’s farm so William decided to open a store. The Holmesville post office opened on March 1, 1855 and William was appointed the first post master which he operated until May 1857. William met and married Mary Richardson in 1841 and the couple had three daughters: Jane (1844-1926) (married Charles Studdert Finlaison in New Westminster in 1863); Anne Maria (Annie) (1846-192?) (married John Gunther Jennings in New Westminster in 1865 and married Robert Johnson in New Westminster in 1877) and Elizabeth (1848-1934) (married Thomas Carrington of Lakes District in 1867). William’s wife, Mary (Richardson) Holmes died in Holmesville sometime between 1848 and 1853.
Following the death of his first wife, Mary, William married Charlotte McCullough (McCulloch). The couple had four daughters; Arabella Charlotte Amelia (1854-1943) (married Arthur Robert Green in 1887); Laura (1855-1867); Arabella Henrietta (1857-1929) (married Clark Wesley Gillanders in 1880) and Mary (1863-1864). During the late 1850s, William became aware of the gold rush and opportunities opening up in British Columbia so left for the west coast in 1858 at the age of 46 yrs. In preparation for his move to the west coast of Canada, William obtained a letter of introduction from top government officials of Canada.
William Holmes arrived in British Columbia in 1859. Upon arriving, he first worked running pack trains from Harrison Mills to Lillooet. After earning some money, he decided to re-invest it in land. His first pre-emption of land occurred on January 21, 1860 for 160 acres situated on North Road from the Military Camp to Burrard Inlet and distancing 25 chains south of the Brunette River and 20 chains south of the river with the land extending in a westerly direction. On March 17, 1860, Holmes received a Crown Grant for this and other land in the immediate area totalling 415 acres of which was known as Lot No. 1, Group 1, Rural Land, New Westminster District. The balance of land was situated on the east side of the Brunette River – Lot 13, with 344 2/3 acres of which he made an application to purchase on June 26, 1860, and a Crown Grant dated March 16, 1861 covering 86 acres. Holmes also pre-empted land in Port Moody and Pitt Meadows in 1860 and 1861. The name of “Brunette River” is officially attributed to William Holmes who referred to the river as “Brunette” due to it’s dark colour originating from the peat lands above the lake.
Following his purchase of property, he sent for his wife Charlotte, their three daughters and her three step daughters (from William’s first marriage). Charlotte and the six children made the long trip to B.C. by ship and rail, crossing the Isthmus of Darien at Panama. They arrived in B.C. in October 1861 and moved into a one room log cabin built by William. The cabin stood on the North Road at the foot of Sapperton, on a bluff overlooking the Brunette River. Eventually the family moved to a larger dwelling but the original cabin remained on the site until the 1890s when it was burned after being used as a sick house.
Mr. Holmes was instrumental in organizing the first Orange Lodge in British Columbia. He was a prominent Orangeman who joined the order in 1840 and was the first master in the order of the City of New Westminster when the Lodge No. 1150 was established there. Charlotte Holmes died in New Westminster in 1893 at the age of 70 years and William Holmes died in New Westminster September 11, 1907 at the age of 95 years.
- Responsibility
- Holmes, William
- Accession Code
- HV971.46
- BV997.50
- Date
- [1841]-1994
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Textual Record
- Related Material
- See also: Reference file: Persons - Holmes, William
- Notes
- Title based on contents of fonds
Less detail