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.
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.
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.
Photograph of Burnaby RCMP officer Doug Wright posing outside of the new community police station in the Metrotown neighbourhood, located in the bottom of a tower on Kingsborough Street. The station officially opened on October 6, 1999.
Photograph of Burnaby RCMP officer Doug Wright posing outside of the new community police station in the Metrotown neighbourhood, located in the bottom of a tower on Kingsborough Street. The station officially opened on October 6, 1999.
Collected by editorial for use in a September 1999 issue of the Burnaby NewsLeader
Caption from metadata: "Doug Wright, of Burnaby RCMP, says he'll face unique challenges policing the Metrotown area from the department's newest community policing office in The Crystal."
File contains photographs of the Eaton's in the former Eaton Centre, now Metropolis at Metrotown, preparing to close. Photographs depict unidentified shoppers in the store with signs advertising the store closing and sale prices, and an unidentified person posing in the mall in front of a sign of t…
File contains photographs of the Eaton's in the former Eaton Centre, now Metropolis at Metrotown, preparing to close. Photographs depict unidentified shoppers in the store with signs advertising the store closing and sale prices, and an unidentified person posing in the mall in front of a sign of the Eaton's logo.
Photograph of Krystian Litwinski, a foreman for Concord Painting, painting the awning of the Hilton Hotel in the Crystal in Metrotown before its opening.
Photograph of Krystian Litwinski, a foreman for Concord Painting, painting the awning of the Hilton Hotel in the Crystal in Metrotown before its opening.
Collected by editorial for use in an October 1999 issue of the Burnaby NewsLeader
Caption from metadata: "Krystian Litwinski, a foreman for Concord Painting, gets the awning over the entrance to the new Hilton Hotel at the Crystal, ready for its opening."
Photograph of an unidentified person speaking to an unidentified Burnaby RCMP officer in the Metrotown area. Two towers and the SkyTrain tracks are visible behind the two people.
Photograph of an unidentified person speaking to an unidentified Burnaby RCMP officer in the Metrotown area. Two towers and the SkyTrain tracks are visible behind the two people.
Photograph of an unidentified person viewing two large knives and a pole laying across a garbage can in the Metrotown area. Two towers and the SkyTrain tracks are visible behind the person.
Photograph of an unidentified person viewing two large knives and a pole laying across a garbage can in the Metrotown area. Two towers and the SkyTrain tracks are visible behind the person.
Photograph of staff member Kimberly Barwich posing outside the South Burnaby Neighbourhood House with a handful of literature on the occasion of its opening.
Photograph of staff member Kimberly Barwich posing outside the South Burnaby Neighbourhood House with a handful of literature on the occasion of its opening.
File contains photographs of people waiting in line for advance tickets for "Star Wars: The Phantom Menace" at the Silver City Metropolis. Photographs depict a group of teenagers playing a board game as they wait and a long line of seated movie-goers in the Metrotown mall with a sign noting the beg…
File contains photographs of people waiting in line for advance tickets for "Star Wars: The Phantom Menace" at the Silver City Metropolis. Photographs depict a group of teenagers playing a board game as they wait and a long line of seated movie-goers in the Metrotown mall with a sign noting the beginning of the line.
Collected by editorial for use in a May 1999 issue of the Burnaby NewsLeader
Caption from metadata for 535-3175-1: "Ashley Simmons, 16, passes the time in line for advance tickets to the opening of Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, at Silver City Metropolis, by playing the Star Wars edition of Trivial Pursuit with some of her friends. She says she's seen the three previsions editions of the movie "at least a hundred times each, on video." She says she joined the lineup at about 9:15, three hours before tickets went on sale, because "you wanna go (see the movie) on the first day when everybody's happy and looking forward to it." She says her enthusiasm hasn't been dampened by some of the lukewarm reviews already circulating, "they're not real Star Wars fans." "
File contains photographs of the Terry Fox Run event at Swangard Stadium. Photographs depict runners Shawna Soles and Kevin Smyth warming up before the race and unidentified participants starting the race on the stadium's track.
File contains photographs of the Terry Fox Run event at Swangard Stadium. Photographs depict runners Shawna Soles and Kevin Smyth warming up before the race and unidentified participants starting the race on the stadium's track.
Collected by editorial for use in a September 1999 issue of the Burnaby NewsLeader
Caption from metadata for 535-3342-1: "Shawna Soles and Kevin Smyth stretch prior to the Terry Fox run. Shawna and Kevin were part of a group of over 100 who took part in the run"
Caption from metadata for 535-3342-2: "Start of Terry Fox run at Swangard Stadium"
Caption from metadata for 535-3342-3: "Start of Terry Fox run at Swangard Stadium"