According to the 1911 December 26 edition of The British Columbian: Optimism is the word that applies to the whole community of East Burnaby. The many improvements carried out by the council during the past two years had been the means of making East Burnaby a thriving settlement, and hence one and all are optimistic as to its future. In the clearing and building line, many fine new homes are being erected...Real estate values have advanced with the times, and a notable feature is the number of better-class houses that are being built in this locality, which proves that East Burnaby is becoming very much alive and elevated.
From The British Columbian, March 19, 1912: "On the fringe of New Westminster there is…a suburban townsite in Edmonds. During the past eighteen months it has grown and prospered quite phenomenally. It is ideally situated, is in easy communication with New Westminster by two car lines. Its climate is clear and bracing, being exceptionally free from the fogs that are more or less prevalent along the river section and gulf shore...Edmonds, in fact, is one of the finest residential parts of the province. This is fast becoming known and appreciated beyond its borders. Elegant and substantial residences are being erected in various parts, and stores are being put up in convenient localities. The new municipal building is one of the finest in British Columbia for so young a municipality."
St. Albans Anglican Church is one of the landmarks of the historic Edmonds district, and has many ties to its neighbourhood history and prominent families of Burnaby. The site was purchased in June 1907 and presented to the congregation by Mr. Walter James Walker that August. Walker, a real estate developer and former Surrey Reeve, donated money for the construction of a number of Anglican churches, including three in North Surrey in 1910. Construction on St. Albans began in November 1908 by contractors Wright & Tucker, and was completed in March 1909. The first vicar was Rev. D. Dunlop, who was also the rector of St. Mary’s in Sapperton. Pre-eminent Vancouver architects Dalton & Eveleigh provided the design. William Dalton (1854-1931) and Sydney Eveleigh (1879-1947) formed their partnership circa 1902, and the firm was highly regarded for the high quality of its commercial and institutional buildings.
Photograph of Evelina Ettinger holding a bouquet of flowers (to her nose) taken in a photographic studio.
History
Evelina Ettinger was born on August 8, 1891 in Port Kells to James Ettinger and Martha Hembrough. The family was living on 19th Avenue in the Edmonds neighbourhood of Burnaby at the time of her birth. Evelina later worked as a clerk until her marriage to Donald Digby, an electrician and truck driver, in 1930. She died in 1976.
Note written in pen on verso of photograph reads: "EVELINA ETTINGER/ (EVA)/ MARRIED MR. DON DIGBY/ BURNABY LADY/ EDMONDS AREA/ BORN EARLY 1880's ?/ PHOTO C. 1905 ?"
Photograph of a house identified as belonging to Mr. Patterson. There is a discrepancy as to which Mr. Patterson the house belongs to. The accession register suggests the house is D.C. Patterson's house, while the inscription on the photograph suggests it is B. (Bruce) Patterson's. The house is two…
Photograph of a house identified as belonging to Mr. Patterson. There is a discrepancy as to which Mr. Patterson the house belongs to. The accession register suggests the house is D.C. Patterson's house, while the inscription on the photograph suggests it is B. (Bruce) Patterson's. The house is two storeys tall, with a balcony on the second floor. There are long cloth blinds on the second floor windows, and two people on the balcony. One of them (identified as B. Patterson) is holding the lower cloth blinds. There is a foot path lined with rocks winding around the house. There is also a discrepancy as to where the house is located. The inscription suggests the house was at Patterson Avenue, while the catalogue record suggests that the house was in the Edmonds area. An annotation on the back of the photo reads: "B. Patterson's 1st house at Patterson Ave: holding lower cloth blinds."
Photograph of an Edmonds Street School class lined up in rows outside of their classroom. All of the children have their arms folded in front of them, with the first two rows sitting cross-legged, and the last two rows standing on their feet.
Photograph of an Edmonds Street School class lined up in rows outside of their classroom. All of the children have their arms folded in front of them, with the first two rows sitting cross-legged, and the last two rows standing on their feet.
Photograph of the George Leaf general store, at 7745 6th Street. Identified are: (left to right) Andy Johnston, Bill Bailey, Harry Archibald, Ed Harris, Bob Burgess (George Leaf's half-brother), and Tom Breen. All were staff members of the store, which was one of the earliest businesses in Burnaby…
Photograph of the George Leaf general store, at 7745 6th Street. Identified are: (left to right) Andy Johnston, Bill Bailey, Harry Archibald, Ed Harris, Bob Burgess (George Leaf's half-brother), and Tom Breen. All were staff members of the store, which was one of the earliest businesses in Burnaby. In the reflection of the store window at the right is the streetcar station on the opposite side of the street. This store burned down in 1913, and a second one was built on Keefer Road (now McKay Avenue).
Photograph of the inside of the George Leaf General Store and post office at 12th Avenue and 6th Street, 7745 6th Street. This was one of the earliest businesses in Burnaby. This store burned down in 1913, and a second one was built on Keefer Road (now McKay Avenue).
Photograph of the inside of the George Leaf General Store and post office at 12th Avenue and 6th Street, 7745 6th Street. This was one of the earliest businesses in Burnaby. This store burned down in 1913, and a second one was built on Keefer Road (now McKay Avenue).
Photograph of the inside of the George Leaf General Store and post office at 12th Avenue and 6th Street, 7745 6th Street. This was one of the earliest businesses in Burnaby. This store burned down in 1913, and a second one was built on Keefer Road .
Photograph of the inside of the George Leaf General Store and post office at 12th Avenue and 6th Street, 7745 6th Street. This was one of the earliest businesses in Burnaby. This store burned down in 1913, and a second one was built on Keefer Road .
This portion of the recording includes Ada Evelyn (Lewis) Groves memories of her family life during the early days of Burnaby. She mentions the East Burnaby Fruit Farm (her family's farm) and the George Leaf General Store. She also talks about her brothers and her father, the first typesetter for t…
This portion of the recording includes Ada Evelyn (Lewis) Groves memories of her family life during the early days of Burnaby. She mentions the East Burnaby Fruit Farm (her family's farm) and the George Leaf General Store. She also talks about her brothers and her father, the first typesetter for the Columbian newspaper. Ada is being interviewed in front of an audience at Heritage Village (now Burnaby Village Museum).
Recording is of interviews with Lillian May (Davies) Jones, Ada Evelyn (Lewis) Groves, Lillian Frederica (Lewis) Porter, and Elsie Wilson during the Pioneer Days celebration at Heritage Village (now Burnaby Village Museum) on September 22, 1971. Major themes discussed are: personal memories and occupations of interviewees family members.
Biographical Notes
Lillian May Davies was born June 28, 1891 to George and Rachel (Mills) Davies. She was one of four children.
George Davies married Rachel Mills September 12, 1888 in Winnipeg and headed west to make their home. George’s brother Richard Davies had already bought property at the corner of 16th Street and 3rd Avenue (now 12th Avenue) when Rachel and George moved in and built a house next door. George Davies went to work for Gilley Bros. Logging Co. in Burnaby.
Lillian May Davies married John Henry Jones on July 29, 1909 at the Methodist Church in Burnaby which had opened only a few weeks before (the Joneses were the first couple to be married there). Their reception was held in the Davies’ family garden.
On June 3, 1910, Lillian and John’s first child, Arnold Jones was born. In 1919 they adopted their second child, John Sheldon Jones whose birth parents had died of influenza.
John and Lillian built a home on the lot next to Lillian’s parents and lived there for forty-eight years. After her husband’s death in 1956, Lillian moved one lot over and remained living there for over twenty years.
Lillian May (Davies) Jones died in Surrey on June 24, 1981 at the age of eighty-nine for over twenty years.
Lillian May (Davies) Jones died in Surrey on June 24, 1981 at the age of eighty-nine.
Ada Evelyn Lewis was born on September 11, 1899. She was one of nine Lewis children.
Ada's father came to Victoria BC from San Francisco. He met his wife in Victoria and moved to New Westminster where he was a typesetter on the first edition of the Columbian newspaper. He continued to work for the Columbian until his retirement.
Her family owned the East Burnaby Fruit Farm at 17th Avenue between 2nd and 4th Street where they harvested apples, plums and pears. Ada attended East Burnaby School in 1905 and remembers being a pupil of Miss Draper.
Ada E. Lewis married and became Mrs. Ada Evelyn Groves.
Lillian Frederica “Lillie” Lewis was born in 1896 to William Henry and Emma (Smith) Lewis at the family farm at 4th Street and 18th Avenue. The family grew to nine, eldest to youngest; Albert, Lizzie, Minnie, Walter, Ernest, Lillie and Evelyn.
Lillie’s mother, Emma (Smith) had the distinction of being the first girl of European descent to be born at Fort Victoria. Lillie’s father, William Henry Lewis helped to print the very first edition of the Vancouver Province in 1898.
Lillie attended Douglas Road School and remembers being a pupil of Ellen Lister.
Lillian Frederica “Lillie” Lewis married Bertie Blaine Porter at Lulu Island on November 7, 1918. They lived in Vancouver for a short time before returning to Burnaby to raise their four children. For most of his working life Bert operated a steam roller for the municipality.
Lillian Frederica (Lewis) Porter died May 18, 1988 at the age of ninety-two.
Elsie Wilson was born August 16, 1898 to Annie and her second husband William Wilson.
Annie’s first husband Samuel W Walmsley died December 20, 1895 at the age of thirty-five, leaving Annie a widow at twenty-seven with two young children Annie age four and Samuel age six.
Annie Walmsley married her second husband William Wilson on April 17, 1897.
Elsie attended West Burnaby public school (later Kingsway West elementary) and remembers picking raspberries at various Burnaby farms for seven seasons.
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.
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 29 / Group One / New Westminster District / Scal…
4 plans : blueprint ink on paper mounted on 2 sides of cardboard 76 x 102 cm
Material Details
Scales [between 1:600 and 1:7920]
Index number on edge of board reads: "15"
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 29 / Group One / New Westminster District / Scale 4 chs = 1 in. / Map No 564, Depostd '91". "Reichenbach", dep. Aug. 1891. (Geographic location: Burnaby)
2. Blueprint "Plan / of Subdivision / of / Lot 93 / Group One / New Westminster District / Scale 4 chs = 1 in. / Map No 284". (Geographic location: Burnaby)
Side B:
1. Blueprint "Plan / of Subdivision / of a Portion / of / [Lot A of ] Lot 29 / Group One / New Westminster District / Scale 50 ' = 1"" Plan is bordered by Douglas Road to the east, False Creek Trail to the south and Lot 30 to the north. (Geographic location: Burnaby)
2. Blueprint "Plan / of Central Park / and Vicinity / Scale 10 chs = 1 in." (Geographic location: Burnaby)
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 a British Columbia Electric Railway Company tramline track on Sixth Street and Twelfth Avenue. George Leaf's General Store, located at 7745 Sixth Street is visible on the left and Cliff's Car Factory located at 7730 Sixth Street is visible on the right. George Leaf's store burned down…
Photograph of a British Columbia Electric Railway Company tramline track on Sixth Street and Twelfth Avenue. George Leaf's General Store, located at 7745 Sixth Street is visible on the left and Cliff's Car Factory located at 7730 Sixth Street is visible on the right. George Leaf's store burned down in 1913. The Car factory was established in 1902 and sometime in the 1920s, it became James Brookes Woodworking Plant.