This portion of the recording includes Alfred Bingham's description of Commissioner Fraser taking power in Burnaby. Alfred mentions the Burnaby Housing Committee and the Willingdon Heights Subdivision before beginning reading his series of short stories. He reads "I ARRIVE IN BURNABY AND WE BUILD A…
This portion of the recording includes Alfred Bingham's description of Commissioner Fraser taking power in Burnaby. Alfred mentions the Burnaby Housing Committee and the Willingdon Heights Subdivision before beginning reading his series of short stories. He reads "I ARRIVE IN BURNABY AND WE BUILD A SHINGLE MILL/ 1919/ Burnaby Lake" as well as "WE BUILD A HOME AND DIG A WELL. 1920", both written in 1963.
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 six of recording of Alfred Bingham's writings
Track six of recording of Alfred Bingham's writings
Photograph of the village of Barnet at the mill. The caption stamped at the top of the card reads: "Barnet, B.C. from the Hill." The Barnet Mill was called the North Pacific Lumber Company from 1889 to 1914.
Photograph of the village of Barnet at the mill. The caption stamped at the top of the card reads: "Barnet, B.C. from the Hill." The Barnet Mill was called the North Pacific Lumber Company from 1889 to 1914.
Photograph of the Barnet Lumber Company mill in operation. C.P.R. railroad tracks are visible in the foreground and trees on the north shore of Burrard Inlet are visible in the distance. Plumes of smoke are rising from the mill chimneys.
Photograph of the Barnet Lumber Company mill in operation. C.P.R. railroad tracks are visible in the foreground and trees on the north shore of Burrard Inlet are visible in the distance. Plumes of smoke are rising from the mill chimneys.
Photograph of Barnet Mill, at one point the largest lumber mill in the British Empire. It closed in 1929. The Barnet Mill was called the North Pacific Lumber Company from 1889 to 1914.
Photograph of Barnet Mill, at one point the largest lumber mill in the British Empire. It closed in 1929. The Barnet Mill was called the North Pacific Lumber Company from 1889 to 1914.
Photograph of lumber piled up and the skeleton of a building being framed during the rebuilding of the Barnet Mill after the fire of 1909. The Barnet Mill was called the North Pacific Lumber Company from 1889 to 1914.
Photograph of lumber piled up and the skeleton of a building being framed during the rebuilding of the Barnet Mill after the fire of 1909. The Barnet Mill was called the North Pacific Lumber Company from 1889 to 1914.
Photograph of a beehive burner, a tall conical smoke stack with a steel half dome at the top, used to burn wood waste. The burner is located in an industrial area. These burners were banned from being used in the 1997 in British Columbia as they are considered to be a major source of air pollution.
Photograph of a beehive burner, a tall conical smoke stack with a steel half dome at the top, used to burn wood waste. The burner is located in an industrial area. These burners were banned from being used in the 1997 in British Columbia as they are considered to be a major source of air pollution.
Photograph of the Benson Bros. shipyard at the foot of Bidwell Street in Vancouver in Coal Harbour. The boat is a Fairmile submarine chaser, 122 feet long, being built for the war effort. Benson Bros. also built torpedo retrievers, minesweepers and, in peace time, fishing boats.
Photograph of the Benson Bros. shipyard at the foot of Bidwell Street in Vancouver in Coal Harbour. The boat is a Fairmile submarine chaser, 122 feet long, being built for the war effort. Benson Bros. also built torpedo retrievers, minesweepers and, in peace time, fishing boats.
Record appears to be a part of the Burnaby Centennial Committee or the Century Park Museum Associaton. Jon Newby was a board member of either of these committees.
Photograph of the exterior of Brantford Coach and Body Ltd. at 6055 Gilmore Avenue. Signs on the building show the business name and also read, "Sales" and "Service."
Photograph of the exterior of Brantford Coach and Body Ltd. at 6055 Gilmore Avenue. Signs on the building show the business name and also read, "Sales" and "Service."
Photograph of a group of fourteen people standing in a brickyard. This is believed to be one of the Brickyards co-owned by James Gilmore Ettinger (one was in Burnaby, the other in Surrey).
Photograph of a group of fourteen people standing in a brickyard. This is believed to be one of the Brickyards co-owned by James Gilmore Ettinger (one was in Burnaby, the other in Surrey).
Photograph of a large building at the site of the submarine works yard in Barnet. During World War One, the Royal Russian Navy contracted with a Seattle-based company to build submarines for Russia, but American neutrality in the war prevented the subs from being built in the United States. Instea…
Photograph of a large building at the site of the submarine works yard in Barnet. During World War One, the Royal Russian Navy contracted with a Seattle-based company to build submarines for Russia, but American neutrality in the war prevented the subs from being built in the United States. Instead, the company operated a facility at Barnet to complete the contract.
Photographs of the exterior of a single-storey industrial building and surrounding undeveloped property. A sign on the building reads "Bauer". The location of the building has not been identified.
Photographs of the exterior of a single-storey industrial building and surrounding undeveloped property. A sign on the building reads "Bauer". The location of the building has not been identified.
Newspaper clipping attached to verso of photograph reads: "BURNABY MILL BURNS ... Burnaby firefighters are silhouetted by flames ripping through a planer and chipper mill early this morning at 5744 Byrne Road. The fire was contained in the main building of the $500,000 mill. Damage has been estimated at $200,000. The cause of the fire is under investigation."
Photograph of the view from Burnaby Mountain of the Burrard Inlet, the oil refinery, and the mountains. The photograph is taken from Burnaby Mountain Park, facing north.
Photograph of the view from Burnaby Mountain of the Burrard Inlet, the oil refinery, and the mountains. The photograph is taken from Burnaby Mountain Park, facing north.