This home was built by Captain William J. Eyres. In 1912, it was reported in The British Columbian: “Captain Eyres of Seattle is remodelling the front of his house on Douglas Road and otherwise improving it.” The house was later sold to William A. Mawhinney, who subsequently built houses at 6011 Buckingham Avenue and 7616 Burris Avenue. This spacious, high-quality Craftsman bungalow remains in excellent condition. It features a cross-gabled roof with multiple half-timbered front gables with large exposed purlins, in contrast to the shingle cladding on the rest of the house. At the front corner is a glazed sun-room. The entrance porch features tripled square columns. The property still has a beautiful garden, but once included large vegetable gardens, an orchard, and a large chicken house.
Along with logging and sawmills, Burnaby became known as a prime agricultural area and the Burnaby Lake Neighbourhood saw the development of many vegetable and fruit farms. Growers in the Burnaby and Deer Lake districts took their produce to the tram line on Edmonds Street and shipped it to markets in New Westminster and Vancouver on a specially designed interurban freight car that was open-sided for easy loading. The car's canvas curtains which sometimes came loose and flapped like wings in the wind led people to dub it "the flying dutchman." Most Burnaby fruit and vegetable growers depended on seasonal Chinese work forces and other local Chinese farm residents to oversee operations; these workers being recruited from New Westminsters' Asian community. Besides being good farmers, Burnaby Lake's early residents fostered a strong sense of community. Both L. Claude Hill and his brother Bernard were elected to Burnaby Municipal council and Bernard was the one who knocked on doors to find enough children to meet the qualifications for establishing a school in the district.
1 photograph : b&w ; 2.7 x 4.9 cm print on contact sheet 20.5 x 26.7 cm
Scope and Content
Photograph of the Pontifex children standing outside of 4006 Douglas Road (old numbering) and Gilpin Street. Left to right: Helen, Vivien, Audrey, and Bob Pontifex.
1 photograph : b&w ; 2.7 x 4.9 cm print on contact sheet 20.5 x 26.7 cm
Description Level
Item
Record No.
370-521
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Accession Number
BHS1999-03
Scope and Content
Photograph of the Pontifex children standing outside of 4006 Douglas Road (old numbering) and Gilpin Street. Left to right: Helen, Vivien, Audrey, and Bob Pontifex.
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 Price son and father, (left to right) Bert and Herbert Price at the Price Raspberry Farm, Royal Oak Road standing beside a mule deer that has been shot, and is now tied to their front porch, hanging upside down. Their english foxhound is sitting beside the deer, at Herbert's feet, an…
Photograph of Price son and father, (left to right) Bert and Herbert Price at the Price Raspberry Farm, Royal Oak Road standing beside a mule deer that has been shot, and is now tied to their front porch, hanging upside down. Their english foxhound is sitting beside the deer, at Herbert's feet, and Bert is holding a shotgun.
1 photograph : b&w ; 4.5 x 2.9 cm print on contact sheet 20.7 x 26.5 cm
Scope and Content
Photograph of the Pontifex family mother and children at their house at 4006 Douglas Road (old numbering) and Gilpin Street. Left to right: Bob, Helen, Vivien, and (standing behind) Beatrix Pontifex (mother).
1 photograph : b&w ; 4.5 x 2.9 cm print on contact sheet 20.7 x 26.5 cm
Description Level
Item
Record No.
370-517
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Accession Number
BHS1999-03
Scope and Content
Photograph of the Pontifex family mother and children at their house at 4006 Douglas Road (old numbering) and Gilpin Street. Left to right: Bob, Helen, Vivien, and (standing behind) Beatrix Pontifex (mother).
Photograph is a panorama of Deer Lake Drive, including the Ceperley mansion and the surrounding grounds of the home to the left of the picture. The photograph, taken from the water tower, with Burnaby Lake in the background. In the midground, following the horizon line, power poles can be seen. Far…
Photograph is a panorama of Deer Lake Drive, including the Ceperley mansion and the surrounding grounds of the home to the left of the picture. The photograph, taken from the water tower, with Burnaby Lake in the background. In the midground, following the horizon line, power poles can be seen. Farm lands are visible leading down to the homes of the Andersons. An annotation on the back of the photo in pencil reads, "Deer Lake Dr." and an annotation in blue pen reads, "1918."
1 photograph : b&w ; 8 x 13.5 cm on page 14 x 17.5 cm (pasted in album)
Scope and Content
Photograph of Claude Hill (in military uniform), John P. Kenrick (Claude's brother-in-law) and Edith Clayton standing in front of the Clayton house on Buckingham Avenue in the Burnaby Lake area.
1 photograph : b&w ; 8 x 13.5 cm on page 14 x 17.5 cm (pasted in album)
Description Level
Item
Record No.
477-213
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Accession Number
2007-12
Scope and Content
Photograph of Claude Hill (in military uniform), John P. Kenrick (Claude's brother-in-law) and Edith Clayton standing in front of the Clayton house on Buckingham Avenue in the Burnaby Lake area.