Photograph of Burnaby's first Council members on the steps of Sample's Boarding House, 6850 Beresford Street, near Griffiths Avenue and Kingsway. Left to right: L.C. Hill, William Brenchley, Alex Philip (clerk), Charles R. Shaw (Reeve), William McDermott, John Woolard, and Arthur de Windt Haszard.
Photograph of Burnaby's first Council members on the steps of Sample's Boarding House, 6850 Beresford Street, near Griffiths Avenue and Kingsway. Left to right: L.C. Hill, William Brenchley, Alex Philip (clerk), Charles R. Shaw (Reeve), William McDermott, John Woolard, and Arthur de Windt Haszard.
1 photograph : sepia ; 10 x 13.8 cm on page 21.5 x 28 cm (pasted in album)
Scope and Content
Photograph of the first meeting of Burnaby Council, taken at the Sample Boarding House. Left to right: L.C. Hill, William Brenchley, Alex Philip (clerk), Charles R. Shaw (Reeve), William McDermott, John Woolard, and Arthur de Windt Haszard.
1 photograph : sepia ; 10 x 13.8 cm on page 21.5 x 28 cm (pasted in album)
Description Level
Item
Record No.
477-901
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Accession Number
2007-12
Scope and Content
Photograph of the first meeting of Burnaby Council, taken at the Sample Boarding House. Left to right: L.C. Hill, William Brenchley, Alex Philip (clerk), Charles R. Shaw (Reeve), William McDermott, John Woolard, and Arthur de Windt Haszard.
This portion of the recording includes Alfred Bingham's essay entitled Stump Rangers, a listing of early settlers that includes addresses and short descriptions, essays on Confederation Park, land clearing and on Burnaby's first Council meeting.
This portion of the recording includes Alfred Bingham's essay entitled Stump Rangers, a listing of early settlers that includes addresses and short descriptions, essays on Confederation Park, land clearing and on Burnaby's first Council meeting.
Recording is of Alfred Bingham's writings, as read by Alfred Bingham. Major themes discussed are: Pioneers, early days in Burnaby and the Co-op Movement. To view "Narrow By" terms for each track expand this description and see "Notes".
Biographical Notes
Alfred "Alf" Bingham was born in England in 1892 and moved to Canada in 1912. His first job in Canada was laying track for the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway (GTPR) from Edmonton to McBride in 1912. His second was in Vancouver at the Rat Portage Mill on False Creek, working on the Resaw machine. He quit after one week due to poor working conditions.
After taking part in the 1919 Winnipeg General Strike as a delegate of the Retail and Mailorder Union (A.F.L.) on the Winnipeg Trades and Labour Council, Alfred moved to Burnaby where he and fellow Burnaby residents Aungus McLean and Percy Little worked ten hour days to build a Shingle Mill on the edge of Burnaby Lake for Simpson & Giberson. George Green, carpenter and millwright (author of “The History of Burnaby”) also helped in the construction of the mill. Alfred built his own home from lumber cut from the mill in the Lochdale area on Sherlock Street between Curtis Street and Kitchener Street.
On April 10, 1920 Alfred married Mary Jane “Ada” Reynolds. Alfred and Ada often took in foster children during their marriage. Due to her nursing experience, Ada was often called upon to deliver babies in the Burnaby area.
Alfred and Ada Bingham were instrumental members of the Army of the Common Good, collecting vegetables and grains from growers in the area and even producing over 125 tons of vegetables from its own gardens to feed children and youth suffering from the lack of resources during the Depression years. The army was in operation for ten years and during that time the members organised the Credit Union movement of British Columbia and drew up the Credit Union act thorough the Vancouver Co-operative Council. They also started Co-Op stores and the Co-Op Wholesale Society.
Alfred was also Secretary of the Burnaby Housing committee and in 1946 he became the Secretary of the North Burnaby Labour Progressive Party (LPP).
Mary Jane “Ada” (Reynolds) Bingham died on August 9, 1969. Her husband Alfred died on April 29, 1979.
Interview was digitized in 2010 allowing it to be accessible on Heritage Burnaby. The digitization project was initiated by the Community Heritage Commission with support from City of Burnaby Council and the BC History Digitization Program of the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre, University of British Columbia. It was recognized by the Heritage Society of BC with an award in 2012.
Images
Audio Tracks
Track one of recording of Alfred Bingham's writings
Track one of recording of Alfred Bingham's writings
Photograph of school officials standing on the steps of the first public school in Burnaby, Douglas Road and Edmonds Street. Left to right: William McDermott (school trustee), Ethel Lepage (first teacher), Lancelot Grimmer (school trustee), and Bernard Hill (school board chairman and secretary). Th…
Photograph of school officials standing on the steps of the first public school in Burnaby, Douglas Road and Edmonds Street. Left to right: William McDermott (school trustee), Ethel Lepage (first teacher), Lancelot Grimmer (school trustee), and Bernard Hill (school board chairman and secretary). The school was called Burnaby School from 1894 to 1896, and then East Burnaby School from 1896 to 1907. The present day address of the site is 7376 Canada Way.
Photograph of Frederick Thrussell in a three-piece suit and hat, standing in front of a large stump. A small dog stands in front of him, and a crosscut saw is to his left, propped up vertically against the stump. Peter Byrne stands on a spring board protruding from the stump, and holds on to the en…
Photograph of Frederick Thrussell in a three-piece suit and hat, standing in front of a large stump. A small dog stands in front of him, and a crosscut saw is to his left, propped up vertically against the stump. Peter Byrne stands on a spring board protruding from the stump, and holds on to the end of a second crosscut saw. On the other side of the stump, a man balances on a second spring board while holding on to the opposite end of the horizontal crosscut saw with this right hand. Peter Byrne went on to serve as a member of Council from 1894 to 1895 and from 1898 to 1906, and was Reeve of Burnaby from 1906 to 1910.
Photograph of Frederick Thrussell, unidentified, and Peter Byrne standing in front of a large fallen tree. A crosscut saw is propped up vertically against the end of the felled tree. Peter Byrne was Reeve of Burnaby from 1906 to 1910. Earlier, he also served as a member of Council from 1894 to 1895…
Photograph of Frederick Thrussell, unidentified, and Peter Byrne standing in front of a large fallen tree. A crosscut saw is propped up vertically against the end of the felled tree. Peter Byrne was Reeve of Burnaby from 1906 to 1910. Earlier, he also served as a member of Council from 1894 to 1895 and from 1898 to 1906.
1 photograph : b&w ; 13 x 18 cm on cardboard 22 x 27.5 cm
Scope and Content
Photograph of a group of farmers loading their crates onto a railway car. Identified (left to right), Bernard R. Hill, Louis Claude Hill, Charles Frederick Sprott, George E. Clayton, and Louis "Edgar" Sprott, who are loading up their strawberries on a street car.
The farmers are lined up in a row,…
1 photograph : b&w ; 13 x 18 cm on cardboard 22 x 27.5 cm
Description Level
Item
Record No.
477-938
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Accession Number
2007-12
Scope and Content
Photograph of a group of farmers loading their crates onto a railway car. Identified (left to right), Bernard R. Hill, Louis Claude Hill, Charles Frederick Sprott, George E. Clayton, and Louis "Edgar" Sprott, who are loading up their strawberries on a street car.
The farmers are lined up in a row, each sitting in their own horse and cart as they bring their strawberries to the station.
Photograph of five men standing on a flat-bottom vessel on the Fraser River. A label accompanying the photograph reads: "1st threshing outfit in Burnaby, about 1892. Owned by Pat Byrne, brother of Peter. Sold to Peter when Pat returned to Ireland to live. On Fraser River. L. to R.: Pat Byrne, C…
Photograph of five men standing on a flat-bottom vessel on the Fraser River. A label accompanying the photograph reads: "1st threshing outfit in Burnaby, about 1892. Owned by Pat Byrne, brother of Peter. Sold to Peter when Pat returned to Ireland to live. On Fraser River. L. to R.: Pat Byrne, Capt. Stewart of "Alice", Peter Byrne and another (unknown)." Peter Byrne was a member of Burnaby's municipal council from 1894-1895, 1898-1906 and served as Reeve from 1906-1910. The threshing machine (visible behind the side paddle of the scow) was loaded onto this scow for transport from New Westminster to the Byrne farm in Burnaby.