This portion of the interview is about Tony Fabian’s memories of his moving to Hardwick Street in Burnaby in 1957; his views about early attitudes toward clearing the land in Burnaby and how people’s attitudes changed with regard to protecting the environment; and his description of the “golden ye…
This portion of the interview is about Tony Fabian’s memories of his moving to Hardwick Street in Burnaby in 1957; his views about early attitudes toward clearing the land in Burnaby and how people’s attitudes changed with regard to protecting the environment; and his description of the “golden years” for park creation and planning in the 1970s.
Recording is of an interview with Tony Fabian conducted by Kathy Bossort. Tony Fabian was one of 23 participants interviewed as part of the Community Heritage Commission’s Burnaby Mountain Oral History Project. The interview is mainly about Tony Fabian’s part in park creation and protection of natural areas in Burnaby, particularly as a member of the Park and Recreation Commission in the 1970s; his childhood and how that contributed to his land ethic; and the history of the uses made of and setting aside parkland on Burnaby Mountain.
Biographical Notes
Tony S. Fabian was born in 1934 in north Saskatchewan. At less than a year old Tony, along with his siblings, was removed from his family home and eventually placed with an immigrant farm family. As a child he worked on the farm and witnessed what he considered abusive treatment of the land and farm animals. When he was about 12 years old his adoptive family moved to the BC coast where he went on his own, working for a variety of farmers in Richmond and Delta. At 19 he contracted polio, quit farm work, and found work with the telephone company. In 1956 Tony married, and in 1957 he and his wife moved to a home on Hardwick Street in Burnaby where he still lives. Tony entered civic politics in the 1960s when he objected to development on Hardwick Park and became concerned about the destruction of Burnaby’s natural landscapes. He became a life long advocate for preserving natural areas and helped to create large parks in Burnaby on the foreshore of the Fraser River and on Burrard Inlet. He served as a member of the Parks and Recreation Commission 1970-1975, is a long time volunteer with the Burnaby Lake Park Association, and continues to stay current on local and regional environmental issues. In 2008 Tony was presented with the City of Burnaby Environment Award for Community Stewardship.
Kathy Bossort is a retired archivist living in Ladner, BC. She worked at the Delta Museum and Archives after graduating from SLAIS (UBC) in 2001 with Masters degrees in library science and archival studies. Kathy grew up in Calgary, Alberta, and, prior to this career change, she lived in the West Kootenays, earning her living as a cook for BC tourist lodges and work camps. She continues to be interested in oral histories as a way to fill the gaps in the written record and bring richer meaning to history.
Photograph of members of Burnaby Centennial '71 committee (dressed in yellow jackets), officials and volunteers around a long table. chair James A. Barrington is standing behind committee members Mary Trainer (dressed in yellow jacket and wearing glasses) and Rose Bancroft. Alderman Vic Stusiak is …
Photograph of members of Burnaby Centennial '71 committee (dressed in yellow jackets), officials and volunteers around a long table. chair James A. Barrington is standing behind committee members Mary Trainer (dressed in yellow jacket and wearing glasses) and Rose Bancroft. Alderman Vic Stusiak is seated to the right of Rose Bancroft.
Photograph of members of Burnaby Centennial '71 committee (dressed in yellow jackets), officials and volunteers around a long table. chair James A. Barrington is standing behind committee members Mary Trainer (dressed in yellow jacket and wearing glasses) and Rose Bancroft. Alderman Vic Stusiak is …
Photograph of members of Burnaby Centennial '71 committee (dressed in yellow jackets), officials and volunteers around a long table. chair James A. Barrington is standing behind committee members Mary Trainer (dressed in yellow jacket and wearing glasses) and Rose Bancroft. Alderman Vic Stusiak is seated to the right of Rose Bancroft.
Photograph of members of Burnaby Centennial '71 committee, officials and volunteers around a long table.Rose Bancroft is wearing a yellow jacket (far left bottom corner of photo) and Sandy Stewart is wearing a black jacket and red shirt.
Photograph of members of Burnaby Centennial '71 committee, officials and volunteers around a long table.Rose Bancroft is wearing a yellow jacket (far left bottom corner of photo) and Sandy Stewart is wearing a black jacket and red shirt.
Photograph of officials in front of caterpillar at official sod-turning for Heritage Village (now Burnaby Village Museum), April 11, 1971. . From left to right are; Centennial Commitee members, chair, James Barrington; Mayor Robert Prittie; Joan Johnson; School Board representative on the Centennia…
Photograph of officials in front of caterpillar at official sod-turning for Heritage Village (now Burnaby Village Museum), April 11, 1971. . From left to right are; Centennial Commitee members, chair, James Barrington; Mayor Robert Prittie; Joan Johnson; School Board representative on the Centennial Committee, Gordon Skene; Vice chair of the Centennial Committee, Rose Bancroft; Fraser Wilson, and Alderman Warren Clark.
Photograph of officials in front of caterpillar at official sod-turning for Heritage Village (now Burnaby Village Museum), April 11, 1971. From left to right are; Centennial Commitee members, chair, James Barrington; Mayor Robert Prittie; Joan Johnson; School Board representative on the Centennial …
Photograph of officials in front of caterpillar at official sod-turning for Heritage Village (now Burnaby Village Museum), April 11, 1971. From left to right are; Centennial Commitee members, chair, James Barrington; Mayor Robert Prittie; Joan Johnson; School Board representative on the Centennial Committee, Gordon Skene; Vice chair of the Centennial Committee, Rose Bancroft; Fraser Wilson, and Alderman Warren Clark.
Photograph of Burnaby Centennial '71 Committee vice chair Rose Bancroft speaking to seniors inside of the James Cowan Centre on Pioneer Day. Pioneer Day was part of the Burnaby Centennial '71 celebrations and included entertainment, games, displays, dinner and dancing. A giant birthday cake was cre…
Photograph of Burnaby Centennial '71 Committee vice chair Rose Bancroft speaking to seniors inside of the James Cowan Centre on Pioneer Day. Pioneer Day was part of the Burnaby Centennial '71 celebrations and included entertainment, games, displays, dinner and dancing. A giant birthday cake was created for the occasion marking Burnaby's seventy-ninth birthday.