This portion of the interview pertains to Minard Gerald "Gerry" Hill's memories of the Royal Oak Hotel and his former neighbours at the south side of Deer Lake.
This portion of the interview pertains to Minard Gerald "Gerry" Hill's memories of the Royal Oak Hotel and his former neighbours at the south side of Deer Lake.
Date Range
1902-1920
Photo Info
Minard Gerald Hill in uniform, 1914. Item no. 477-926
Recording is of an interview with Minard Gerald "Gerry" Hill conducted by Colin Stevens, February 9, 1978. Major themes discussed are: the Burnaby Lake Neighbourhood, Gilley Brothers Logging Company and his father, Bernard Hill.
Biographical Notes
Minard Gerald “Gerry” Hill was born in Burnaby on July 31, 1893 to Marian (Berkeley) and Bernard Richard Hill. He was the youngest child in the family with older siblings Frank, Claude and Winnie.
Bernard R. Hill was born in Bengal, India while his father worked for the East Indian Railway. He and his older brother Claude became strawberry farmers in Burnaby despite their years of training as engineers. Between them, the Hill brothers owned all the land between Burnaby Lake and Deer Lake where Deer Creek runs, and half way around Deer Lake. Bernard built his family home at Douglas Road near Deer Lake in 1892. After the decline in the strawberry industry, Bernard worked as a surveyor for the municipality. He also served as Burnaby Councillor and School Trustee.
Gerry attended Miss Harriet Woodward’s kindergarten class, and went on to Edmonds School with Miss Ellen Lister as his teacher. He later went to Central high school in New Westminster, often on horseback.
Gerry served in World War I, signing his recruitment papers November 9, 1914. When he returned home, he worked felling trees, then as an apprentice surveyor and finally as a carpenter.
Minard Gerald “Gerry” Hill married Charlotte Elizabeth “Elizabeth” Vidal on September 28, 1920 and single-handedly built a house for him and his wife about a thousand feet from his parents’ home. He also bought property at Yellow Point, Vancouver Island around this time.
By the early 1930s Gerry had moved to Yellow Point permanently and begun work building the lodge. Elizabeth and Gerry’s child, Richard Grant McEwan Hill was born at Ladysmith hospital.
Charlotte Elizabeth “Elizabeth” (Vidal) Hill died February 11, 1984 at the age of eighty-seven.
Minard Gerald “Gerry” Hill died January 30, 1988 at the age of ninety-three.
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.
1 photograph : b&w ; 12.5 x 17.5 cm on page 21.5 x 28 cm (pasted in album)
Scope and Content
Photograph looking towards the Pole Line Road (later Sperling Avenue) from the farm belonging to Claude Hill and known as Broadview on Buckingham Avenue. This property formerly belonged to Malcolm Nicholson. A fence can be seen dividing the garden from the field and two men are standing alongside…
1 photograph : b&w ; 12.5 x 17.5 cm on page 21.5 x 28 cm (pasted in album)
Description Level
Item
Record No.
477-869
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Accession Number
2007-12
Scope and Content
Photograph looking towards the Pole Line Road (later Sperling Avenue) from the farm belonging to Claude Hill and known as Broadview on Buckingham Avenue. This property formerly belonged to Malcolm Nicholson. A fence can be seen dividing the garden from the field and two men are standing alongside with a horse and carriage nearby. Four children are walking in the field - from left to right, Kitty Hill, Ed Clayton, Gerry Hill and Florence Hart . A house can be seen in the background, this is most likely the cottage belonging to Harriet Woodward which served as the first school and post office at Burnaby Lake. To the right of the Woodward house can be seen the roof of the Claude Hill house known as Brookfield which was at 6501 Deer Lake Avenue and above that is a house on a hill which was the George Clayton home (on what later became the Henry and Grace Ceperley Fairacres estate at 6344 Deer Lake Avenue).
Photograph is a portrait of a man, a boy and a group of women. The woman second from the left in the front row is identified as Marian Hill. The others are unidentified.
Photograph is a portrait of a man, a boy and a group of women. The woman second from the left in the front row is identified as Marian Hill. The others are unidentified.
Photograph shows a man, three women and two children at Alouette Lake. The man is identified as Minard Hill. The woman on the far right is identified as Charlotte Hill.
Photograph shows a man, three women and two children at Alouette Lake. The man is identified as Minard Hill. The woman on the far right is identified as Charlotte Hill.
Photograph is a portrait of Minard Gerald Hill, son of Bernard and Marian Hill, in uniform. Minard later went on to build the Yellow Point Lodge on Vancouver Island.
Photograph is a portrait of Minard Gerald Hill, son of Bernard and Marian Hill, in uniform. Minard later went on to build the Yellow Point Lodge on Vancouver Island.