Collected by editorial for use in a June 2001 issue of the Burnaby NewsLeader
Caption from metadata: "Ken Smibert, a horticulture subforeman for the City of Burnaby, is in charge of keeping the new Millenium Garden, at City Hall, looking its best. The garden officially opened on Saturday."
Collected by editorial for use in a September 2000 issue of the Burnaby NewsLeader
Caption from metadata: "Tony Guerriero, a groundsman at Burnaby Village Museum, checks the progress of the Atlantic Dill pumpkins, as the Museum gets ready for its second annual Fall Fair, Sept. 16."
Collected by editorial for use in a March 2004 issue of the Burnaby NewsLeader
Caption from metadata: "Andrew O'Keeffe, of the Burnaby Parks and Recreation Department, tends to some of the 2500 daffodils in the gardens of Kensington Park, along Hastings St."
This portion of the interview is about Al Nixon describing the importance of good record keeping, using an example of an 1936 fire record used in a civic law suit. He expressed concerned about the lack of museum and archives facilities in Burnaby.
This portion of the interview is about Al Nixon describing the importance of good record keeping, using an example of an 1936 fire record used in a civic law suit. He expressed concerned about the lack of museum and archives facilities in Burnaby.
Recording is of an interview with Al Nixon, conducted by Rod Fowler. Al Nixon 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 mainly about the history and operations of the Burnaby Fire Department from its beginning in 1911 to 1990, and Al Nixon’s stories about the various ways photographs, records and artifacts about the department were collected and saved. The interview takes place while looking at photographs, but the information is clear nonetheless (His photographs have been deposited in the Burnaby Archives). Al Nixon also talks about his father's career as a firefighter, and about his Douglas grandparents and their home “The Gables” [Seven Gables] and neighbourhood in Burquitlam. To view “Narrow By” terms for each track expand this description and see “Notes”.
Biographical Notes
Al Nixon was born in New Westminster Feb. 8, 1936, the son of Provincial Fire Marshal Basil Nixon (1904-1975) and Agnes Douglas (1909-?). His mother’s family immigrated to Canada from Scotland in 1922 and lived in a large ca. 1900 home in Burquitlam at 9957 Sullivan Road called “Seven Gables” (recently demolished). His grandfather Thomas Douglas, a Coquitlam Councillor and Socialist, was murdered in 1934 in his North Road service station. Al Nixon began his career as a firefighter with the Burnaby Fire Department in 1957, eventually becoming Deputy Fire Chief Operations in 1987 and Fire Chief in 1991, before retiring in 1993. In the mid 1980's Al Nixon became interested in the department’s history after finding a photograph scrapbook at one of the firehalls. It was in very bad condition but he recognized its value and began a project to collect and save photographs, artifacts and stories about the Burnaby Fire Department, a 6 month project that turned into years. The photographs and information gathered by Al Nixon became part of Douglas Penn’s book “Follow that Fire: the history of the Burnaby Fire Department”.
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 the view of the mountains and park from a hill on Burnaby Mountain Park. The photograph is taken facing north. The photograph shows the parking lot and the Burnaby Mountain Centennial Pavilion.
Photograph of the view of the mountains and park from a hill on Burnaby Mountain Park. The photograph is taken facing north. The photograph shows the parking lot and the Burnaby Mountain Centennial Pavilion.
Photograph of "Normanna," the Brookes family residence. This new Brookes family home was built in 1927 on the same site as the original house at 441 12th Avenue (later renumbered 7979 12th Avenue). Eventually, this became Normanna Norwegian rest home. The original house was built by Burnaby's firs…
Photograph of "Normanna," the Brookes family residence. This new Brookes family home was built in 1927 on the same site as the original house at 441 12th Avenue (later renumbered 7979 12th Avenue). Eventually, this became Normanna Norwegian rest home. The original house was built by Burnaby's first Reeve, Charles Shaw, and is now a designated heritage site at 7725 4th Street.
Photograph of Drs. Blythe and Violet Eagles' Estate, taken looking north. The British Arts and Crafts inspired house is covered in ivy and surrounded by a carefully planned yet informal garden.
Photograph of Drs. Blythe and Violet Eagles' Estate, taken looking north. The British Arts and Crafts inspired house is covered in ivy and surrounded by a carefully planned yet informal garden.
Photograph of Drs. Blythe and Violet Eagles' Estate, taken looking east. The British Arts and Crafts inspired house is covered in ivy and surrounded by a carefully planned yet informal garden.
Photograph of Drs. Blythe and Violet Eagles' Estate, taken looking east. The British Arts and Crafts inspired house is covered in ivy and surrounded by a carefully planned yet informal garden.
Photograph of the Eagles' Estate overlooking Deer Lake. The Eagles designed the house as a romantic cottage inspired by the British Arts and Crafts style and surrounded it with a carefully planned yet informal garden.
Photograph of the Eagles' Estate overlooking Deer Lake. The Eagles designed the house as a romantic cottage inspired by the British Arts and Crafts style and surrounded it with a carefully planned yet informal garden.
Photograph of a mannequin, sitting in a reconstructed British Columbia Police office with handcuffs around his wrists (representing a convict). This was part of a museum display in Osoyoos (in the Okanagan Valley).
Photograph of a mannequin, sitting in a reconstructed British Columbia Police office with handcuffs around his wrists (representing a convict). This was part of a museum display in Osoyoos (in the Okanagan Valley).
Photograph of two mannequins in a reconstructed British Columbia Police office. One is sitting in a chair with handcuffs around his wrists (representing a convict). The other is wearing a British Columbia Police officer uniform and standing in the doorway with a cow hide slung across his arm. This…
Photograph of two mannequins in a reconstructed British Columbia Police office. One is sitting in a chair with handcuffs around his wrists (representing a convict). The other is wearing a British Columbia Police officer uniform and standing in the doorway with a cow hide slung across his arm. This was part of a museum display in Osoyoos (in the Okanagan Valley).
Photograph of a mannequin in a reconstructed British Columbia Police office. He is wearing a British Columbia Police officer uniform and sitting at a desk at a typewriter. This was part of a museum display in Osoyoos (in the Okanagan Valley).
Photograph of a mannequin in a reconstructed British Columbia Police office. He is wearing a British Columbia Police officer uniform and sitting at a desk at a typewriter. This was part of a museum display in Osoyoos (in the Okanagan Valley).