In 1921, the pamphlet "Beautiful Burnaby" was produced and it described the Burquitlam neighbourhood as such: "No part of Burnaby has more consistently laboured to advance its prosperity than Burquitlam. Enterprise and intelligence has hewn homes from the forest and developed land into highly productive gardens and poultry ranches. Burquitlam is the growing suburb to the north of the City of New Westminster. It is reached by the Sapperton carline direct from Edmonds being only a few minutes ride from New Westminster market. It is also served by the B.C.E.R. Burnaby Lake line and adjoins on the best golf links in Greater Vancouver."
The increasing density of housing around the Lougheed Shopping Centre area resulted in a spike in enrolment at Lyndhurst Elementary School. As a result, in 1965, Cameron Road Elementary was built to alleviate overcrowding issues. The school opened with 151 pupils. The school was expanded in 1969 when three classrooms were added and again in 1971 when eights more rooms and a library were built.
The Cameron Neighbourhood falls within the Lougheed Town Centre area - one of four Town Centres in Burnaby. The Cameron Neighbourhood - while containing significant high-density residential components - is also home to the Town Centre's office and commercial core. The Lougheed Mall is situated in this neighbourhood, which is served by the Millennium Line SkyTrain.
Photograph of the garage where Jack Stiglish repaired machinery and housed his tools, and the mushroom house beside it. A sign propped up between the two buildings reads "manure" with an arrow pointing to the right.
Photograph of the garage where Jack Stiglish repaired machinery and housed his tools, and the mushroom house beside it. A sign propped up between the two buildings reads "manure" with an arrow pointing to the right.
Note in blue ink on verso of photograph reads: "view of father's garage where his tools were + he repaired the machinery / sign saying bags of manure this way / mushroom house next to garage"
This portion of the interview is about Al Nixon's father Basil Nixon, who was Provincial Fire Marshall, and his mother Agnes, whose father Thomas Douglas was murdered in 1934, perhaps for political reasons. He also talks about the Burquitlam neighbourhood where his Douglas grandparents lived in the…
This portion of the interview is about Al Nixon's father Basil Nixon, who was Provincial Fire Marshall, and his mother Agnes, whose father Thomas Douglas was murdered in 1934, perhaps for political reasons. He also talks about the Burquitlam neighbourhood where his Douglas grandparents lived in the heritage home "Seven Gables" on Sullivan Street. He relates some childhood events, including the train wreck on Burnette Creek in 1936.
Recording is of an interview with Al Nixon, conducted by Rod Fowler. Al Nixon was one of eleven participants interviewed as part of the SFU/Burnaby Centennial Committee's oral history series titled, "Voices of Burnaby". The interview is mainly about the history and operations of the Burnaby Fire Department from its beginning in 1911 to 1990, and Al Nixon’s stories about the various ways photographs, records and artifacts about the department were collected and saved. The interview takes place while looking at photographs, but the information is clear nonetheless (His photographs have been deposited in the Burnaby Archives). Al Nixon also talks about his father's career as a firefighter, and about his Douglas grandparents and their home “The Gables” [Seven Gables] and neighbourhood in Burquitlam. To view “Narrow By” terms for each track expand this description and see “Notes”.
Biographical Notes
Al Nixon was born in New Westminster Feb. 8, 1936, the son of Provincial Fire Marshal Basil Nixon (1904-1975) and Agnes Douglas (1909-?). His mother’s family immigrated to Canada from Scotland in 1922 and lived in a large ca. 1900 home in Burquitlam at 9957 Sullivan Road called “Seven Gables” (recently demolished). His grandfather Thomas Douglas, a Coquitlam Councillor and Socialist, was murdered in 1934 in his North Road service station. Al Nixon began his career as a firefighter with the Burnaby Fire Department in 1957, eventually becoming Deputy Fire Chief Operations in 1987 and Fire Chief in 1991, before retiring in 1993. In the mid 1980's Al Nixon became interested in the department’s history after finding a photograph scrapbook at one of the firehalls. It was in very bad condition but he recognized its value and began a project to collect and save photographs, artifacts and stories about the Burnaby Fire Department, a 6 month project that turned into years. The photographs and information gathered by Al Nixon became part of Douglas Penn’s book “Follow that Fire: the history of the Burnaby Fire Department”.
Rod Fowler returned to university as a mature student in the 1980s after working about twenty years in the field of economics and computerization in business in England, Europe and Western Canada. He graduated with a BA from SFU in both History and Sociology in 1987, his MA degree in Geography in 1989, and his PhD in Cultural Geography at SFU. He taught courses in Geography, Sociology, History and Canadian Studies at several Lower Mainland colleges, before becoming a full time member of the Geography Department at Kwantlen University College.
Interviews were digitized in 2015 allowing them to be accessible on Heritage Burnaby. The digitization project was initiated by the Community Heritage Commission with support from City of Burnaby Council.
Photograph of Burnaby Mayor Robert Prittie, with Miss PNE, Patsy McPhee, cutting the ribbon at the opening of Lougheed Mall (now Lougheed Town Centre).
Photograph of Burnaby Mayor Robert Prittie, with Miss PNE, Patsy McPhee, cutting the ribbon at the opening of Lougheed Mall (now Lougheed Town Centre).
Photograph of Dinah, the Stiglish family's Rough Collie on the family property (this property included the F.J. Stiglish mushroom farm). Mushroom houses are visible in the background.
Photograph of Dinah, the Stiglish family's Rough Collie on the family property (this property included the F.J. Stiglish mushroom farm). Mushroom houses are visible in the background.
Note in blue ink on verso of photograph reads: "F.J. Stiglish mushroom farm / 3782 Keswick Ave / Burnaby 3 / before changed address 1050 Keswick Ave / probably 1960s / mushroom houses in background garage with a suite above it, used for parties."
Note in blue ink on verso of photograph reads: "our house / 3782 Keswick Ave Burnaby / top floor window hugh [sic] bedroom / bottom left windows bedroom parents / front door leading into living room"
4 plans : blueprint ink on paper mounted on 2 sides of cardboard 76 x 102 cm
Scope and Content
Item consists of a large board of two New Westminster District Gp 1 - subdivision plans mounted on one side and two New Westminster District Gp 1 - subdivision plans mounted on the other side.
Side A:
1. Blueprint "Plan / of Subdivision / of / Lot 6 / Group One / New Westminster District / Scale…
4 plans : blueprint ink on paper mounted on 2 sides of cardboard 76 x 102 cm
Material Details
Scales [between 1:1584 and 1:3960]
Index number on edge of board reads: "16"
Scope and Content
Item consists of a large board of two New Westminster District Gp 1 - subdivision plans mounted on one side and two New Westminster District Gp 1 - subdivision plans mounted on the other side.
Side A:
1. Blueprint "Plan / of Subdivision / of / Lot 6 / Group One / New Westminster District / Scale 5 chs = 1 in. / Map No 748" (Geographic location: Burnaby)
2. Blueprint "Plan / of Subdivision / of a Portion / of / Lot 29 / Group One / New Westminster Dist. / Scale 2 chs = 1 in. / Map No." Name identified in Block H is "Reichenbach" (Geographic location: Burnaby)
Side B:
1. Blueprint "Plan / of Subdivision / of North 1/2 of Lot 80 / Group One / New Westminster District / Scale 3 chs = 1 in. / Map No 719" Plan is signed by: "Garden, Hermon & Burwell P.L.S. / Vancouver Jan. 23rd, 1893" (Geographic location: Burnaby)
2. Blueprint "Plan / of Subdivision / of Lot 79, Gr.1 / New Westminster Dist. / Scale 4 chas = 1 in. / Map No 536" Plan is signed by "Garden Hermon & Burwell / Provincial Land Surveyors". (Geographic location: Burnaby)
Photograph of the overflow of Jehovah Witness convention goers staying on the Stiglish property because the four acre trailer park, in Coquitlam, British Columbia that Jack Stiglish owned, was full.
Photograph of the overflow of Jehovah Witness convention goers staying on the Stiglish property because the four acre trailer park, in Coquitlam, British Columbia that Jack Stiglish owned, was full.
Note in blue ink on verso of photograph reads: "father owned four acre Trailer Court in Coquitlam / Jehovah Witness convention overflow from trailer park"