Photograph of Bob Prittie sitting in a excavator with YMCA (Young Men's Christian Association) President George McNeil standing next to him, holding an architectural drawing. They are at the site of the "new" Burnaby YMCA.
Photograph of Bob Prittie sitting in a excavator with YMCA (Young Men's Christian Association) President George McNeil standing next to him, holding an architectural drawing. They are at the site of the "new" Burnaby YMCA.
Photograph of garbage trucks, other City vehicles, and construction equipment in a parking lot at the Laurel Street Works Yard. The photograph is taken facing north, from a high point.
Photograph of garbage trucks, other City vehicles, and construction equipment in a parking lot at the Laurel Street Works Yard. The photograph is taken facing north, from a high point.
Photograph of the Laurel Street Works Yard. The photograph is taken from a high point, facing southwest. The photograph shows pipes and other pieces of construction materials stacked on a paved area, with the residential neighbourhood visible in the background.
Photograph of the Laurel Street Works Yard. The photograph is taken from a high point, facing southwest. The photograph shows pipes and other pieces of construction materials stacked on a paved area, with the residential neighbourhood visible in the background.
Photograph of caterpiliar operator Casey Logan moving a large pile of earth to build a sound barrier for the British Columbia government housing project at MacInnis Place.
Photograph of caterpiliar operator Casey Logan moving a large pile of earth to build a sound barrier for the British Columbia government housing project at MacInnis Place.
Newspaper clipping attached to verso of photograph reads: "BIG BARRIER Mountain of earth is moved by 'cat' operator Casey Logan to build a sound barrier for the new B.C. government housing project at MacInnis Place in Burnaby."
Photograph of two men working on a garage identified as belonging to Sean Pepere. Construction material and debris are visible around the worksite The photograph was most likely taken in the Venables Street area of Burnaby.
Photograph of two men working on a garage identified as belonging to Sean Pepere. Construction material and debris are visible around the worksite The photograph was most likely taken in the Venables Street area of Burnaby.
Photograph of Health Minister Dennis Cocke wearing a suit and waving his hard hat at the camera while he sits in the bulldozer that "broke the ground" at the Burnaby General Hospital construction site.
Cocke was a provincial minister of health in Dave Barrett's New Democratic Party government, whic…
Photograph of Health Minister Dennis Cocke wearing a suit and waving his hard hat at the camera while he sits in the bulldozer that "broke the ground" at the Burnaby General Hospital construction site.
Cocke was a provincial minister of health in Dave Barrett's New Democratic Party government, which ran the province from 1972 to 1975, and was the Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) representing New Westminster from 1969 to 1986.
This portion of the recording pertains to Ron Smitherman's memories of his early years in construction. Ron discusses what it was like to be in construction during the postwar era. He also discusses his father's work as a carpenter and the changes that occurred with the introduction of electric car…
This portion of the recording pertains to Ron Smitherman's memories of his early years in construction. Ron discusses what it was like to be in construction during the postwar era. He also discusses his father's work as a carpenter and the changes that occurred with the introduction of electric carpentry tools.
Recording is an interview with Ron Smitherman conducted by Burnaby Village Museum employee Eric Damer, November 15, 2012. Major theme discussed: building construction and development in Burnaby.
Biographical Notes
Born in 1933 and raised in Vancouver, Ron Smitherman learned the construction trade from his father, upgrading his knowledge and skills as techniques and materials changed and improved. Ron built houses and commercial buildings in Burnaby and elsewhere during the nineteen-forties, fifties and sixties.
In 1969 Ron and his family settled in Burnaby where he shifted his business to real estate.
Eric Damer is a lifelong British Columbian born in Victoria, raised in Kamloops, and currently residing in Burnaby. After studying philosophy at the University of Victoria, he became interested in the educational forces that had shaped his own life. He completed master’s and doctoral degrees in educational studies at the University of British Columbia with a particular interest in the history of adult and higher education in the province. In 2012, Eric worked for the City of Burnaby as a field researcher and writer, conducting interviews for the City Archives and Museum Oral History Program.