This portion of the recording includes Alfred Bingham's continuation of reading his series of short stories. He reads; "The ICE AGE and other observations before Burnaby", "The Coming of the Great Trees in Burnaby", "AND THEN MODERN CIVILIZATION STRUCK BURNABY" each written in March of 1962.
This portion of the recording includes Alfred Bingham's continuation of reading his series of short stories. He reads; "The ICE AGE and other observations before Burnaby", "The Coming of the Great Trees in Burnaby", "AND THEN MODERN CIVILIZATION STRUCK BURNABY" each written in March of 1962.
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 nine of recording of Alfred Bingham's writings
Track nine of recording of Alfred Bingham's writings
Photographic postcard of men sawing down a tree at the Armstrong Avenue School site at 8757 Armstrong Avenue. The accompanying description refers to it as the "bee tree."
Photographic postcard of men sawing down a tree at the Armstrong Avenue School site at 8757 Armstrong Avenue. The accompanying description refers to it as the "bee tree."
Photograph of members of the Brown family standing in front of a large tree. Identified are Ed Brown (next to horse) with his wife Jennie and one of their children (in a baby carriage).The man to the left is unknown.
Photograph of members of the Brown family standing in front of a large tree. Identified are Ed Brown (next to horse) with his wife Jennie and one of their children (in a baby carriage).The man to the left is unknown.
File consists of photographs of Byrne Creek. The photographs depict the creek prior to clean-up with the water and paths littered with debris. Also included in the file are photographs of an unidentified man pulling a dead fish from the creek.
File consists of photographs of Byrne Creek. The photographs depict the creek prior to clean-up with the water and paths littered with debris. Also included in the file are photographs of an unidentified man pulling a dead fish from the creek.
File consists of scenic photographs of Deer Lake and Deer Lake Park, including closeup photographs of the lake and landscape photographs with the lake in the foreground and mountains and skyline visible in the distance. The photographs capture Deer Lake in the fall, winter, and spring. Also inclu…
File consists of scenic photographs of Deer Lake and Deer Lake Park, including closeup photographs of the lake and landscape photographs with the lake in the foreground and mountains and skyline visible in the distance. The photographs capture Deer Lake in the fall, winter, and spring. Also included in the file are four photographs of Deer Lake Park signs.
File consists of photographs of a rustic two-storey treehouse located in the forest at Eagle Creek. The treehouse is triangular in shape and constructed around three evergreen trees. The file also contains one photograph of a broken tree stump.
File consists of photographs of a rustic two-storey treehouse located in the forest at Eagle Creek. The treehouse is triangular in shape and constructed around three evergreen trees. The file also contains one photograph of a broken tree stump.
Photograph of (left) James Ker (maternal grandfather), (right) Robert Haddon (father), and Gordon Haddon (son), cutting firewood from a large fallen fir with a Wee MacGregor chainsaw on their Hastings Mill property south of the family home on Government Road.
Photograph of (left) James Ker (maternal grandfather), (right) Robert Haddon (father), and Gordon Haddon (son), cutting firewood from a large fallen fir with a Wee MacGregor chainsaw on their Hastings Mill property south of the family home on Government Road.