Photograph of four women at the wedding of Akemi Jordon (bride). From Left to Right: Yoshino Yamamoto (nee Tamura), Reiko Moizumi (nee Yamamoto), Akemi Jordan (nee Yamamoto), Ella Jordan (nee Richmond). Group is standing outside in front of trees.
Photograph of four women at the wedding of Akemi Jordon (bride). From Left to Right: Yoshino Yamamoto (nee Tamura), Reiko Moizumi (nee Yamamoto), Akemi Jordan (nee Yamamoto), Ella Jordan (nee Richmond). Group is standing outside in front of trees.
Photograph of Simon Fraser University biology professor Peter Frankboner examining a pair of giant clams native to the South Pacific atolls. "It is believed that unless killed by some outside cause, the giant clams live forever. Frankboner hopes to gain information about aging from the clams."
Photograph of Simon Fraser University biology professor Peter Frankboner examining a pair of giant clams native to the South Pacific atolls. "It is believed that unless killed by some outside cause, the giant clams live forever. Frankboner hopes to gain information about aging from the clams."
Newspaper clipping attached to verso of photograph reads: "SOME CLAM, SOME CHOWDER...SFU biology professor Peter Frankboner examines a pair of giant clams native to the South Pacific atolls. The clams, which he describes as 'miraculous creatures' grow to 4 1/2 feet and can weigh 1,000 pounds. It is believed that unless killed by some outside cause, the giant clams live forever. Frankboner hopes to gain information about aging from the clams."
File consists of photographs compiled by Doreen Lawson for a slideshow presentation about Burnaby Lake. Slideshow primarily depicts the wildlife and foliage of Burnaby Lake, including: the American coot, green-winged teal, bufflehead, heron, american bittern, barn swallow, barn owl, painted turtle,…
File consists of photographs compiled by Doreen Lawson for a slideshow presentation about Burnaby Lake. Slideshow primarily depicts the wildlife and foliage of Burnaby Lake, including: the American coot, green-winged teal, bufflehead, heron, american bittern, barn swallow, barn owl, painted turtle, muskrat, Canadian goose, beaver, wood duck, bullrushes, yellow and white waterlilies, yellow iris, and loosestrife. Also included in the slideshow are photographs of the BC Wildlife rescue and fisherman working in the Brunette River.
File consists of photographs compiled by Doreen Lawson for slideshow presentations about Burnaby Lake. Slideshow primarily depicts the wildlife and foliage of Burnaby Lake, including: the painted turtle, heron, American coot, coyote, barn owl, rainbow fry, Canadian goose, and beaver, as well as a v…
File consists of photographs compiled by Doreen Lawson for slideshow presentations about Burnaby Lake. Slideshow primarily depicts the wildlife and foliage of Burnaby Lake, including: the painted turtle, heron, American coot, coyote, barn owl, rainbow fry, Canadian goose, and beaver, as well as a variety of scenic photographs of the Burnaby Lake shoreline with mountains and the Metrotown skyline in distance. Also included in file are photographs of people canoeing, kayaking, feeding geese, and participating in conservation activities including fencing trees and testing water levels. Photographs also depict the pipeline leading into Burnaby Lake, lake dredging equipment, and an oil slick.
This portion of the interview is about Toki Miyashita’s memories of the internment, separation of her father from the family to work on road camps, where she was born in Richmond at the Nelson Brothers “fishery”, confiscation of home in 1942, eventual Redress, and lingering feelings of fear and dis…
This portion of the interview is about Toki Miyashita’s memories of the internment, separation of her father from the family to work on road camps, where she was born in Richmond at the Nelson Brothers “fishery”, confiscation of home in 1942, eventual Redress, and lingering feelings of fear and distrust in her family. She also talks about visiting Hiroshima on her trip to Japan in 1980
Recording is of an interview with Toki Miyashita, conducted by Rod Fowler. Toki Miyashita was one of eleven participants interviewed as part of the SFU/Burnaby Centennial Committee's oral history series titled, "Voices of Burnaby". The interview is about Toki Miyashita’s family’s internment during WWII, her awakening interest in Japanese culture after the war, her subsequent interest in teaching others about Japanese crafts and arts, and becoming a helpful intermediary between Burnaby and visitors from Japan. The interview explores her interest in the Ainu of Japan and their possible link to the aboriginals of BC, her impressions of the Ainu carver Nuburi Toko, and her involvement in the events surrounding the creation of the sculpture “Playground of the Gods” for Burnaby Mountain. The interview also contains interesting details about the art of Japanese flower-arranging. To view “Narrow By” terms for each track expand this description and see “Notes”.
Biographical Notes
Toki Miyashita was born in Richmond B.C., ca. 1935, at the Nelson Brothers “fishery”, a second generation Canadian descended from the Oikawa family who settled on Don and Lion Islands (Oikawa-shima). In 1942 the Japanese Canadians in BC were forcibly moved from the coast and their belongings confiscated. Toki Miyashita, her parents, two brothers, and grandparents were first taken to Hastings Park where her father was separated from the family to work in road camps, and the rest of the family were interned in New Denver. Her resourceful grandmother moved the family to land outside the internment camp, growing a large garden from seeds brought with her. In 1946 the family moved to Kamloops and in 1958, after finishing high school, Toki Miyashita moved to Montreal to be with relatives and a small Japanese community. At this time she became interested in Japanese culture and took a Japanese language course at age 22. She learned about Japanese flower-arranging (Ikebana), paper folding (Origami), silk doll making (from a Russian Jew), and how to wear a kimono. She began demonstrating these arts in schools and to other groups, which she continued doing when she, her husband and two young children moved to Burnaby in 1969. Toki Miyashita has been called an unpaid “ambassador” of Japanese culture to the Lower Mainland. She has acted as liaison between Burnaby and her sister city Kushiro in Japan, which involved her in the creation of the Ainu sculpture “Playground of the Gods” on Burnaby Mountain for Burnaby’s Centennial. Toki Miyashita is a recognized Master in Ikebana Sogetsu, a school of flower-arranging, and has served on the board of the Vancouver Ikebana Association. She also served on Burnaby’s Family Court in the 1980s.
Rod Fowler returned to university as a mature student in the 1980s after working about twenty years in the field of economics and computerization in business in England, Europe and Western Canada. He graduated with a BA from SFU in both History and Sociology in 1987, his MA degree in Geography in 1989, and his PhD in Cultural Geography at SFU. He taught courses in Geography, Sociology, History and Canadian Studies at several Lower Mainland colleges, before becoming a full time member of the Geography Department at Kwantlen University College.
Interviews were digitized in 2015 allowing them to be accessible on Heritage Burnaby. The digitization project was initiated by the Community Heritage Commission with support from City of Burnaby Council.
Photograph of (left to right) the Kokuryos, Sukegoro Yasui and Louise Irwin standing on the former site of the Barnet Mill. The north shore of Burrard Inlet is visible in the distance.
Photograph of (left to right) the Kokuryos, Sukegoro Yasui and Louise Irwin standing on the former site of the Barnet Mill. The north shore of Burrard Inlet is visible in the distance.
Photograph of prospector and crew during the shooting of Lotto BC commercial "The Pick" filmed at Burnaby Village Museum. The prospector and crew are standing next to two donkeys loaded with packs filled with prospecting tools and equipment. Actor, Chris Wiggins starred as the prospector.
Photograph of prospector and crew during the shooting of Lotto BC commercial "The Pick" filmed at Burnaby Village Museum. The prospector and crew are standing next to two donkeys loaded with packs filled with prospecting tools and equipment. Actor, Chris Wiggins starred as the prospector.
Note in blue ink on verso of photograph reads: "Star is "Chris Wiggins"? from Toronto / as the Prospector / Lotto BC Commercial for "The Pick" / Filmed at Burnaby Village Museum / 76381-12A / 14 May 1987"
Caption on recto reads: "Robert Adam / Brenda Adam / Doug + Harold Robinson / Remove netted fish from holding tanks. All are members of Sapperton Fish & Game Club"
Photographer's stamp on verso
Note on verso reads: "BUrnaby Today / 83% / A-1 / Fish"