The Ardingley-Sprott Neighbourhood is primarily non-residential and developed in the 1970s west of the Burnaby Lake park area. It grew to include a large recreational component in the form of the Burnaby Lake Sports Complex and playing fields.
Burnaby Central School became the third high school to be built in Burnaby (following Burnaby North and Burnaby South). The increased school enrolments due to the rapidly growing population in Burnaby meant that the School District required this third high school to be placed between the other two. In its first year, 719 students attended Burnaby Central.
After World War I and the Great Depression of the 1930s, more homes were constructed and subdivisions created in the Burnaby Lake district. The area around Deer Lake gained a reputation for being an "artistic development of commodious homes with park-like grounds."
In 1966 Burnaby Lake was identified as a key potential regional park in the GVRD ’s Regional Park Plan for the Lower Mainland. The lake was to be developed for nature study, strolling, trail riding, canoeing, sightseeing and picnicking. It was formally recognized as a regional nature park in 1979, at which time the GVRD assumed management of the park through a lease agreement with the City of Burnaby. In 1993 Burnaby Lake was selected by the City of Burnaby to be included in Greater Vancouver ’s Green Zone, and was identified as a key component of the GVRD ’s Park and Outdoor Recreation System (PORS) for the Burrard/Peninsula/Richmond sector, which includes Burnaby, Vancouver, New Westminster, and Richmond.
When staff outgrew the municipal buildings at Edmonds and Kingsway, a debate erupted over where to build a new municipal hall. North Burnaby residents argued against the Kingsway and Edmonds site as it was too removed for their needs, but South Burnaby residents were not prepared to accept a hall in North Burnaby. The debate was finally resolved when it was suggested that the new civic centre for the municipality be in the exact geographic centre of Burnaby. Fortunately, this meant that the new hall was to be built near Deer Lake, in the beautiful Central Valley setting. Burnaby voters accepted this decision and approved the $625,000.00 it would take to build the new structure and the official opening ceremony was held June 22, 1956 when then Reeve Charles MacSorley received the keys to the hall from the contractor.
Skating on Deer Lake and Burnaby Lake was the inspiration to form the Burnaby Winter Club in the 1950s. In 1958, the volunteer group opened an indoor ice facility, still operating today at 4990 Canada Way. Originally, the facility boasted 8 sheets of curling ice, that were used to capacity by the more than 500 family and individual members in the heyday of the Club. The Winter Club was a social centre: in addition to curling, it was a popular place for banquets and dances, and a place for families to spend time together. In the 1960s, the eight sheets of curling ice were reduced to five, to make room for a sheet of hockey ice for the members’ children. Volunteer coaches were committed to excellence, and the Club produced many professional hockey players. By 1964, the Club’s first future NHL player was playing: Pee Wee player Jack McIlhargey.
The Douglas-Gilpin Neighbourhood developed into a diverse area incorporating residential, business, educational and park districts in the period after 1955. The BCIT site was built in the early 1960s, shortly after the Burnaby Municipal Hall was located on Canada Way near Deer Lake in 1956. The construction of the Municipal Hall at this location fostered the creation of an administrative and business centre adjacent to the park, while the northern and central areas of the neighbourhood retained their primarily residential character.
The Burnaby School Inspector's report of 1955 estimated that by 1960, the total enrolment in Burnaby would go up by over 8000 pupils. As a result, new schools needed to be built to manage this increase, Lakeview being only one of many. Lakeview opened in 1958 with 193 students. Additions to the school were made in 1965 and 1969.
In the 1980 "Residential Neighbourhood Environment Study," the Morley-Buckingham Neighbourhood is described as "perhaps Burnaby's most prestigious residential area. The lots are larger than most other areas of the Municipality and this, along with the new expensive housing developed over the past 10 years, has created a very desirable residential neighbourhood...The older area of Buckingham lies at the lower edge of the slope and here the homes and streets are more uniform and aged between 20 and 25 years old...to the east of Canada Way lies...a cluster townhouse development."
In 1955 Morley Elementary School opened with 292 pupils, an indication of how quickly the residential areas around the Morley area were growing in the post-war period. Similar to other elementary schools built in Burnaby at the time, Morley was constructed on one level with classrooms in a line that could be added to as the need arose. Additions were made to the school in 1956, 1960 and 1969.
Was used by Burnaby resident Barbara Copan when she taught typing at Burnaby Central circa 1963-65. It may have originally belonged to Barbara's mother who also taught typing at Burnaby South High School circa 1957 to 1965. She mainly taught typing in night school.
Notes
Authors' given name and date as follows: Lessenberry, D.D. (David Daniel), 1896-
Crawford, T. James (Thomas James)
Photograph of a single-storey house with unpaved driveway located at 5486 Dominion Street. In 1954, John Roberts sold this lot to a builder who constructed the house and sold it.
Photograph of a single-storey house with unpaved driveway located at 5486 Dominion Street. In 1954, John Roberts sold this lot to a builder who constructed the house and sold it.
This portion of the recording includes Alfred Bingham's reading of an essay written by Captain Thomas S. Guns describing the Lozells district, as well as quoting single sentences of various other writers on the topic of Deer Lake and the Burnaby Lake District. Alfred mentions the first schools of B…
This portion of the recording includes Alfred Bingham's reading of an essay written by Captain Thomas S. Guns describing the Lozells district, as well as quoting single sentences of various other writers on the topic of Deer Lake and the Burnaby Lake District. Alfred mentions the first schools of Burnaby Lake and the "pleasure walk" along Douglas Road, from Vancouver to New Westminster.
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 four of recording of Alfred Bingham's writings
Track four of recording of Alfred Bingham's writings
1 photograph : b&w ; 4.2 x 3.5 cm print on contact sheet 20.2 x 25.3 cm
Scope and Content
Photograph of the Anderson family in front of the Anderson family home at 3908 Norland Avenue (previously numbered 4437 Norland Avenue). Left to right: Mrs. Anderson (grandmother), Madelaine Anderson (mother), Janet Anderson (daughter), and Cliff Anderson (son).
1 photograph : b&w ; 4.2 x 3.5 cm print on contact sheet 20.2 x 25.3 cm
Description Level
Item
Record No.
370-028
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No restrictions
Accession Number
BHS1999-03
Scope and Content
Photograph of the Anderson family in front of the Anderson family home at 3908 Norland Avenue (previously numbered 4437 Norland Avenue). Left to right: Mrs. Anderson (grandmother), Madelaine Anderson (mother), Janet Anderson (daughter), and Cliff Anderson (son).
1 photograph : b&w ; 3.9 x 4.3 cm print on contact sheet 20.2 x 25.3 cm
Scope and Content
Photograph of the Anderson family in front of their home at 3908 Norland Avenue (originally numbered 4437 Norland Avenue) after a snowfall. Left to right: Cliff Anderson (son), Janet Anderson (daughter), and Robert "Bob" Anderson (father). To the side is a 1959 Galaxie car.
1 photograph : b&w ; 3.9 x 4.3 cm print on contact sheet 20.2 x 25.3 cm
Description Level
Item
Record No.
370-031
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No restrictions
Accession Number
BHS1999-03
Scope and Content
Photograph of the Anderson family in front of their home at 3908 Norland Avenue (originally numbered 4437 Norland Avenue) after a snowfall. Left to right: Cliff Anderson (son), Janet Anderson (daughter), and Robert "Bob" Anderson (father). To the side is a 1959 Galaxie car.
Photograph of the backyard and screened summer house at 5118 Douglas Road after a snowfall. The summer house was used by the Roberts children for sleeping outdoors in the summertime and by the Small children as a playhouse. It rotted and collapsed in the 1960s, likely following the "Big Snow" of …
Photograph of the backyard and screened summer house at 5118 Douglas Road after a snowfall. The summer house was used by the Roberts children for sleeping outdoors in the summertime and by the Small children as a playhouse. It rotted and collapsed in the 1960s, likely following the "Big Snow" of December 1964.