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 : sepia ; 12.8 x 17.7 cm mounted on grey card 15.0 x 20.0 cm
Scope and Content
Photograph of immigrant workers in the field picking strawberries on the farm belonging to Claude Hill. On the left, the Hill family home, Brookfield, can be seen. Claude Hill's daughter, Kitty Hill, is sitting on the steps of the house. The property is the current site of the Burnaby Village Muse…
1 photograph : sepia ; 12.8 x 17.7 cm mounted on grey card 15.0 x 20.0 cm
Scope and Content
Photograph of immigrant workers in the field picking strawberries on the farm belonging to Claude Hill. On the left, the Hill family home, Brookfield, can be seen. Claude Hill's daughter, Kitty Hill, is sitting on the steps of the house. The property is the current site of the Burnaby Village Museum.
Inscribed on the negative and (therefore) printed on recto of photograph reads: "L.C. Hill's Strawberry Farm, Burnaby, B.C." and "W.T. Cooksley, New Westminster, B.C."
Note written in red pencil on the card reads: "1902 - Grandview H.WAY"
Photograph of Deer Lake, looking southeast. Three men are standing by a boatshed on the left, a group of people (men, women and children) are standing on a dock, and other people can be seen on the beach in the background.
Photograph of Deer Lake, looking southeast. Three men are standing by a boatshed on the left, a group of people (men, women and children) are standing on a dock, and other people can be seen on the beach in the background.
Photograph of students of Harriet Woodward's private school, at Deer Lake. Front row, left to right: Bob Peers, Arthur Peers, Kitty Hill, Florence Hart, Geoff Peers, and Walter Gordon. Back row, left to right: Melvin Mawhinney, Beatrice Clayton, and Muriel Sprott.
Photograph of students of Harriet Woodward's private school, at Deer Lake. Front row, left to right: Bob Peers, Arthur Peers, Kitty Hill, Florence Hart, Geoff Peers, and Walter Gordon. Back row, left to right: Melvin Mawhinney, Beatrice Clayton, and Muriel Sprott.
1 photograph : b&w ; 5.7 x 8.2 cm on page 11.5 x 14 cm (pasted in album)
Scope and Content
Photograph shows a young girl (probably Kitty Hill) being helped to ride a bicycle by Claude Hill, Kitty's father. The girl standing in the background is unidentified. Photograph appears to have been taken at the Hill family home, Brookfield, in the Burnaby Lake area.
1 photograph : b&w ; 5.7 x 8.2 cm on page 11.5 x 14 cm (pasted in album)
Description Level
Item
Record No.
477-146
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Accession Number
2007-12
Scope and Content
Photograph shows a young girl (probably Kitty Hill) being helped to ride a bicycle by Claude Hill, Kitty's father. The girl standing in the background is unidentified. Photograph appears to have been taken at the Hill family home, Brookfield, in the Burnaby Lake area.
1 photograph : sepia ; 5.7 x 8.2 cm on page 11.5 x 14 cm (pasted in album)
Scope and Content
Photograph of Kitty Hill (right) sitting with an unidentified girl on the front lawn of the Hill family home, Brookfield. The property is the current site of the Burnaby Village Museum.
1 photograph : sepia ; 5.7 x 8.2 cm on page 11.5 x 14 cm (pasted in album)
Description Level
Item
Record No.
477-147
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Accession Number
2007-12
Scope and Content
Photograph of Kitty Hill (right) sitting with an unidentified girl on the front lawn of the Hill family home, Brookfield. The property is the current site of the Burnaby Village Museum.
1 photograph : b&w ; 5.7 x 8.2 cm on page 11.5 x 14 cm (pasted in album)
Scope and Content
Photograph of the front garden of Brookfield, the house belonging to Claude Hill and his family in the Burnaby Lake area. The family's house servant, Sing Duck, is shown mowing the lawn while Kitty Hill can be seen in the foreground with her back to the camera. The property is the current site of…
1 photograph : b&w ; 5.7 x 8.2 cm on page 11.5 x 14 cm (pasted in album)
Description Level
Item
Record No.
477-148
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Accession Number
2007-12
Scope and Content
Photograph of the front garden of Brookfield, the house belonging to Claude Hill and his family in the Burnaby Lake area. The family's house servant, Sing Duck, is shown mowing the lawn while Kitty Hill can be seen in the foreground with her back to the camera. The property is the current site of the Burnaby Village Museum.
1 photograph : b&w ; 5 x 5.5 cm on page 11.5 x 14 cm (pasted in album)
Scope and Content
Photograph of Brookfield, the home of Claude and Annie Hill in the Burnaby Lake area, covered with snow. The property is the current site of the Burnaby Village Museum.
1 photograph : b&w ; 5 x 5.5 cm on page 11.5 x 14 cm (pasted in album)
Description Level
Item
Record No.
477-149
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Accession Number
2007-12
Scope and Content
Photograph of Brookfield, the home of Claude and Annie Hill in the Burnaby Lake area, covered with snow. The property is the current site of the Burnaby Village Museum.
1 photograph : b&w ; 5.5 x 5.5 cm on page 11.5 x 14 cm (pasted in album)
Scope and Content
Photograph of Kitty Hill crossing a footbridge, behind the family home. The house, known as Brookfield, can be seen in the background. It belonged to Claude Hill and his wife Annie, Kitty's parents. The property is the current site of the Burnaby Village Museum.
1 photograph : b&w ; 5.5 x 5.5 cm on page 11.5 x 14 cm (pasted in album)
Description Level
Item
Record No.
477-150
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Accession Number
2007-12
Scope and Content
Photograph of Kitty Hill crossing a footbridge, behind the family home. The house, known as Brookfield, can be seen in the background. It belonged to Claude Hill and his wife Annie, Kitty's parents. The property is the current site of the Burnaby Village Museum.
1 photograph : sepia ; 5.5 x 6 cm on page 11.5 x 14 cm (pasted in album)
Scope and Content
Photograph of Kitty Hill playing in the front garden of her family home, known as Brookfield. Kitty was the daughter of early Burnaby Lake residents Claude and Annie Hill. The property is the current site of the Burnaby Village Museum.
1 photograph : sepia ; 5.5 x 6 cm on page 11.5 x 14 cm (pasted in album)
Description Level
Item
Record No.
477-151
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Accession Number
2007-12
Scope and Content
Photograph of Kitty Hill playing in the front garden of her family home, known as Brookfield. Kitty was the daughter of early Burnaby Lake residents Claude and Annie Hill. The property is the current site of the Burnaby Village Museum.
1 photograph : sepia ; 5.5 x 5.5 cm on page 11.5 x 14 cm (pasted in album)
Scope and Content
Photograph taken looking north from the home of Claude Hill (known as Brookfield). Claude can be seen at the far right of the photograph. A road (probably Douglas Road) can be seen in the background. This property is currently the site of the Burnaby Village Museum.
1 photograph : sepia ; 5.5 x 5.5 cm on page 11.5 x 14 cm (pasted in album)
Description Level
Item
Record No.
477-152
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Accession Number
2007-12
Scope and Content
Photograph taken looking north from the home of Claude Hill (known as Brookfield). Claude can be seen at the far right of the photograph. A road (probably Douglas Road) can be seen in the background. This property is currently the site of the Burnaby Village Museum.
1 photograph : b&w ; 5 x 7 cm on page 11.5 x 14 cm (pasted in album)
Scope and Content
Photograph of an unidentified man riding a horse - most likely taken at the home of Claude Hill in the Burnaby Lake area. The man may be E.B. Wetenhall, friend of the Hill family.
1 photograph : b&w ; 5 x 7 cm on page 11.5 x 14 cm (pasted in album)
Description Level
Item
Record No.
477-154
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Accession Number
2007-12
Scope and Content
Photograph of an unidentified man riding a horse - most likely taken at the home of Claude Hill in the Burnaby Lake area. The man may be E.B. Wetenhall, friend of the Hill family.
1 photograph : sepia ; 7 x 10 cm on page 11.5 x 14 cm (pasted in album)
Scope and Content
Photograph of Kitty Hill holding two kittens, most likely at the family home known as Brookfield, in the Burnaby Lake area. A grindstone can be seen in the background.
1 photograph : sepia ; 7 x 10 cm on page 11.5 x 14 cm (pasted in album)
Description Level
Item
Record No.
477-161
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Accession Number
2007-12
Scope and Content
Photograph of Kitty Hill holding two kittens, most likely at the family home known as Brookfield, in the Burnaby Lake area. A grindstone can be seen in the background.