Alta Vista, named for its high views of the Fraser Valley, rapidly grew during the period 1910-1912, seeing its settlement jump from about a dozen buildings in 1910 to about four hundred by the end of 1912. Home-seekers were attracted to its location just a short walk from the B.C.E.R. line at Royal Oak and Highland Park and easily accessible to both New Westminster and Vancouver.
The Buena Vista neighbourhood (so named for its wonderful views) grew out of its proximity to Edmonds and New Westminster and was developed in the period 1911-1912. By the 1950s, the area had been further subdivided and in 1986, Burnaby Municipal Council adopted the Cariboo Hills Development Plan for the neighbourhood to maintain its character as a residential area of the city.
Recording is of an interview with Catherine Bertha "Cathy" Rees by fellow Burnaby Retired Teacher's Association member Alf Evans, March 14, 1990. This interview was prepared for the Burnaby School History Committee of the Burnaby Retired Teacher's Association. Major themes discussed are: the Depression.
Biographical Notes
Catherine Bertha “Cathy” Rees was born in Greenwood, British Columbia on March 30, 1903. Her mother died when she was four years old and her younger brother Lloyd was only a few months old.
Catherine’s family moved regularly because her dad was continually transferred. She attended a two room school in Greenwood until grade four, then to school in Kamloops until grade 8, graduating from Duke of Connaught High School in New Westminster in 1919. One of her brothers won a lacrosse championship while at Nelson Avenue School.
Catherine started at the University of British Columbia in 1919 and went to Normal School in 1923 (she belonged to the first teacher-training class). Upon graduating, Catherine was offered a position at Revelstoke High School for Physics, French and Latin which she took for a brief period of time. She then taught for one year in Victoria, traveling from one school to the other in a one ton truck to teach languages. For the next two years, she worked at Cloverdale High School.
By 1929 Catherine began working in Burnaby where her father and two brothers were living. She taught at Burnaby South for her entire career in Burnaby, from 1929 to 1964. Catherine taught French and Latin as well as physical education to the girls (in the basement with two other teachers) and lived at the corner of Nelson and Victory (she still lives there at the time of this interview).