Photograph of a runner wearing a cow-spotted costume during a 24-hour relay race at Swangard Stadium. Other runners and participants with a banner are on the track behind the runner and many people are sitting in the stands in the background.
Photograph of a runner wearing a cow-spotted costume during a 24-hour relay race at Swangard Stadium. Other runners and participants with a banner are on the track behind the runner and many people are sitting in the stands in the background.
Photographs of the houses located between 4322-4342 Victory Street - addresses that no longer exist. The Skytrain Expo line is visible in the background of some photographs.
Photographs of the houses located between 4322-4342 Victory Street - addresses that no longer exist. The Skytrain Expo line is visible in the background of some photographs.
Photographs of the commercial properties located between 7641 and 7651 Royal Oak Avenue. Stores visible in the photographs include: Buy Low Foods, Mega Movies, and Chevron service station.
Photographs of the commercial properties located between 7641 and 7651 Royal Oak Avenue. Stores visible in the photographs include: Buy Low Foods, Mega Movies, and Chevron service station.
Photograph of Catherine Rees standing with her hand resting on Gwen Pitman's chair, as she sits, with both hands resting on her cane at the Metrotown Branch of the Burnaby Public Library.
Photograph of Catherine Rees standing with her hand resting on Gwen Pitman's chair, as she sits, with both hands resting on her cane at the Metrotown Branch of the Burnaby Public Library.
Photograph of an unidentified person, wearing a shirt that reads "Metrotower [illegible] Complex," cooking hamburgers at an outdoor charity event. A banner reading "Cookin for the Kids" is hanging behind the barbecues.
Photograph of an unidentified person, wearing a shirt that reads "Metrotower [illegible] Complex," cooking hamburgers at an outdoor charity event. A banner reading "Cookin for the Kids" is hanging behind the barbecues.
Photograph of Simon Mais, the Assistant General Manager of the new Hilton Hotel at the Crystal in the Metrotown area, posing in the hotel's Crystal Ballroom. Other Metrotown towers and a crane are visible in the view in the background.
Photograph of Simon Mais, the Assistant General Manager of the new Hilton Hotel at the Crystal in the Metrotown area, posing in the hotel's Crystal Ballroom. Other Metrotown towers and a crane are visible in the view in the background.
File contains photographs of an unidentified family in Central Park in the fog. The photographs depict sun coming through the trees and the fog and the family, in silhouette, by water with ducks.
File contains photographs of an unidentified family in Central Park in the fog. The photographs depict sun coming through the trees and the fog and the family, in silhouette, by water with ducks.
Photograph of Gwen Pitman sitting in a chair, smiling. She is inside the Burnaby South High School gym for the Kingsway West (originally named West Burnaby) School reunion.
Photograph of Gwen Pitman sitting in a chair, smiling. She is inside the Burnaby South High School gym for the Kingsway West (originally named West Burnaby) School reunion.
This portion of the interview is about Don Brown identifying old businesses and stores on Kingsway, and talking about the operation of the interurban, the lack of cars after the war, and the two vehicles used by the Burnaby police in 1948. He talks about the expansion of Burnaby in the 1950‘s and t…
This portion of the interview is about Don Brown identifying old businesses and stores on Kingsway, and talking about the operation of the interurban, the lack of cars after the war, and the two vehicles used by the Burnaby police in 1948. He talks about the expansion of Burnaby in the 1950‘s and the attempts to preserve heritage buildings and trees, historic records, and green space
Date Range
1947-1990
Photo Info
Royal Canadian Mounted Police Sergeant Don Brown, November 2, 1997. Item no. 535-0979
Recording is of an interview with Don Brown, conducted by Rod Fowler. Don Brown 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 Don Brown’s description of the changes in Burnaby’s built and natural landscapes and socioeconomic conditions, especially between 1947 and 1975, the strong impression made on him by those changes evident in the interview. He talks about his work and career as a police officer with the Burnaby Provincial Police and RCMP. The interview also details his involvement in Burnaby politics and volunteer community groups. To view “Narrow By” terms for each track expand this description and see “Notes”.
Biographical Notes
Donald Neil “Don” Brown was born in Birmingham, England May 4, 1919, and immigrated with his parents and siblings to Winnipeg in 1922. At the outbreak of WWII Don Brown left high school and enlisted in the 12th Field Company, Royal Canadian Engineers, serving six years in the army. Before going overseas he married Helen Birch in 1939. In 1947 Don Brown joined the B.C. Provincial Police which was absorbed by the RCMP in 1950. He worked as a police officer in Burnaby from 1947 to 1954, and then was transferred to Ottawa (with a stop in Regina) for nine and a half years where he attended Carleton University to study forensics. In 1963 Don Brown was transferred back to Vancouver and bought and moved into a house on Watling Street in Burnaby where he still lived in 1990. Another transfer took him to Edmonton for five years, returning to Burnaby in 1975. Following retirement in 1980 with the rank of Supervisor and after 22 years in forensic laboratories, Don Brown started his own business as a private document examiner. Don Brown was active in Burnaby politics, serving as Alderman from 1979-1985. He was also involved in many community groups including the South Burnaby Men’s Club, which he helped found in 1952, as well as active in the Burnaby Historical Society, and served on the Burnaby School Board, Burnaby Centennial Committee, and the Community College for the Retired. Don and Helen Brown had six children: Donna, Don, Gina, Patricia, Christopher and Susan. Don Brown died May 16, 2009.
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.