File consists of Victorian Order of Nurses (VON) annual reports from Burnaby and Windsor Ontario, as well as one from the Director and Chief of the VON.
File consists of Victorian Order of Nurses (VON) annual reports from Burnaby and Windsor Ontario, as well as one from the Director and Chief of the VON.
143 cm of textual records (14 boxes) and 74 photographs (23 med. sepia prints; 15 small sepia prints; 6 small b&w prints; 7 med b&w print; 21 med. col. prints).
Scope and Content
Records consist of newspaper clippings, photographs, reports, minute books, correspondence, financial records, newsletters, promotional materials, membership lists, bylaws and scrapbooks related to the history and work of the VON (Victorian Order of Nurses) in Burnaby.
143 cm of textual records (14 boxes) and 74 photographs (23 med. sepia prints; 15 small sepia prints; 6 small b&w prints; 7 med b&w print; 21 med. col. prints).
Description Level
Fonds
Accession Number
2010-09
Scope and Content
Records consist of newspaper clippings, photographs, reports, minute books, correspondence, financial records, newsletters, promotional materials, membership lists, bylaws and scrapbooks related to the history and work of the VON (Victorian Order of Nurses) in Burnaby.
History
The Victorian Order of Nurses (VON) for Canada is a non-profit charitable organization created for the purposes of home care and social services established in 1898 to perpetuate the memory of Victoria the Good. Lady Aberdeen, founding president of the National Council of Women (and wife of Canadian Governor General Lord Aberdeen) was a great believer in the need for a nursing service in Canada, particularly for the less fortunate and recommended the organization be established. The Burnaby Branch of the Victorian Order of Nurses was established in 1912 with Miss Colhoun as its first nurse.
File consists of twenty promotional pamphlets pertaining to the Victorian Order of Nurses. Included in the file is a pamphlet entitled "Historical May Day / Pictures from the files of the / Columbian."
File consists of twenty promotional pamphlets pertaining to the Victorian Order of Nurses. Included in the file is a pamphlet entitled "Historical May Day / Pictures from the files of the / Columbian."
File consists of papers pertaining to the Victorian Order of Nurses (VON), including newsletters and type-written excerpts of their history. Also included in the file is a photocopied letter that describes a humorous Christmas dinner.
File consists of papers pertaining to the Victorian Order of Nurses (VON), including newsletters and type-written excerpts of their history. Also included in the file is a photocopied letter that describes a humorous Christmas dinner.
Subseries consists of papers and photographs related to the history and work of the Victorian Order of Nurses in Burnaby.
History
The Victorian Order of Nurses for Canada is a non-profit charitable organization created for the purposes of home care and social services established in 1898 to perpetuate the memory of Victoria the Good. Lady Aberdeen, founding president of the National Council of Women and wife of Canadian Governor General Lord Aberdeen, was a great believer in the need for a nursing service in Canada, particularly for the less fortunate and recommended the organization be established. The Burnaby Branch of the Victorian Order of Nurses (VON) was established in 1912 with Miss Colhoun as its first nurse.
Hadwritten note on verso of photograph identifies the staff members by listing them: "Mr. Harris, Mr. Kaye, Mr. Wilson, Mr. Matheson, Mr. Johnson, Mrs. McGregor (Nurse), Mrs. Hune, Mrs. Schawalder, Mrs. McCanty, Mrs. Kulla, Miss Gray, Mrs. Guggishberg, Mrs. Lewis, Mrs. DeRidder, Mrs. Tweedy, Miss Johnstone, Miss Wadden, Mrs. Cook"
Recording is an interview with (John) Gordon Davis conducted by Mabel F. Nichols with her husband Jack Nichols. Mabel is interviewing Gordon as part of a research project to provide background information to the Burnaby Village Museum who are accepting a donation of Gordon's wife Anne's World War I…
Interviewer: Mabel F. Nichols and husband Jack Nichols
Interviewee: John Gordon Davis
Location of Interview: New Westminster
Interview Date: November 21, 2002
Total Number of tracks: 2 (side A & B of audio cassette)
Total Length of all Tracks: 50 min., 53 sec.
Scope and Content
Recording is an interview with (John) Gordon Davis conducted by Mabel F. Nichols with her husband Jack Nichols. Mabel is interviewing Gordon as part of a research project to provide background information to the Burnaby Village Museum who are accepting a donation of Gordon's wife Anne's World War II nursing uniform. Gordon provides background information on his family history and describes his experiences while serving overseas during World War II (WWII) including his experiences as a radar operator and working at a military air squadron repair depot. Gordon also provides biographical information about his wife Anne Davis (nee Williams) and her experiences serving as a military nurse during WWII and their life in Burnaby. Interviewer, Mabel and Jack Nichols also provide anecdotal stories about their own life in Burnaby during the interview.
Track 1 - Side A (30:34)
00:00 - 30:34 Interview opens with discussion between interviewer Mabel F. Nichols and Gordon Davis about his wife, Anne Davis' experience working in the nursing corps. Mr. Davis provides background information about working in mining between 1933 and 1940 before training in Ontario to become a radar operator during World War II. Gordon also describes his parents origins and how they moved to Burnaby in 1940 while Gordon headed off to Nova Scotia to serve with the RCAF. Gordon also shares information about his sister Anne Davis who married George L. Davis from Kirkland Lake and how they lived with Gordon's parents in the auto court in Burnaby. He tells of how George L. Davis worked for Dominion Bridge Co. and later as a meat cutter for Safeway near 6th Avenue and Kingsway in Burnaby. Mabel shares her own husband Jack's experiences growing up in Burnaby as the son of butcher, George Nichols, his career as a deisel mechanic and later in the GVRD Engineering Department. Gordon shares that his father, Gilbert died in 1957 and his mother Elizabeth died in 1968 and his older sister Ruth died in 1990. Gordon recollects his wedding day and honeymoon in North Wales in 1945 with his wife Anne.
Track 2 - Side B (29:19)
00:00 - 14:37 Gordon continues with his recollections about his wedding and honeymoon in North Wales in 1945. The interviewers, Mabel and Jack discuss the geography of the area sharing their own experiences travelling in 1981 and try to get an idea of where Gordon and his wife were married. They agree that the place was Llandudno. He tells of signing up for another year of Military Service since his wife was still serving in the nursing corps. and describes working North of London at a Military facility to repair aircraft including mosquito bombers.
14:38 - 21: 53 Gordon shares information about working in the Middle East in 1943 while his wife Anne survived the bombing of the Dutch passenger ship, the Marnix that she was travelling on. Gordon tells of how Anne couldn't swim but had a life jacket on and was picked up by a life boat. Anne corresponded with Gordon to let him know that she was alright but had to be cryptic since all letters were censored. Gordon tells of how Anne then travelled to India. Interviewer, Mabel, speaks of her own brother Bill who was picked up in Gibralter and taken to England.
21:54 - 26:18 Gordon recollects first meeting his wife Anne in London and the bombing that occurred during WWII. He tells of how Anne trained as a midwife at the Royal College of Midwives in Yorkshire and how he attended Radio college in Ontario.
26:19- 29:19 Gordon speaks about his experience travelling east on the Queen Mary in World War II and how full the ship was. He says that they were 30 days at sea from May to June in 1942.
History
Interviewee biography: John Gordon Davis was born to Elizabeth Ann Vert (nee Eyres) and Gilbert Davis on September 13, 1913 in North Cobalt, Ontario. Gordon was the second youngest of six children. After graduating from high school he attended Radio College in Toronto. He spent two years prior to World War II working in radio on British ships. In 1940, after retiring, his parents moved to British Columbia. They purchased the Flowerland Auto Court in 1941 at 4212 Douglas Road, Burnaby. During this time, Gordon moved to Ontario and sought employment in radio range stations that were dealing with new technology throughout Europe. He joined the RCAF in 1941. While in London, in May of 1941, he met his future wife Anne Williams. In World War II, Anne served as a nurse in Queen Alexandra's Imperial Army Nursing Corps. In November 1943, Anne survived the bombing of the Dutch passenger ship, SS Marnix while it sailed in a convoy from England to the Mediterranean. Gordon did many tours throughout the Middle East, Turkey, Egypt, Italy, the Battle of the Bulge, Sarnia before he was known as “surplus to requirement”. Since Anne was still in the nursing corps, Gordon signed on for another year and was sent north of London to a Repair Squadron where he worked on operational repairs of Mosquito bombers which were manufactured in Canada. Anne and Gordon continued their correspondence and eventually married in North Wales on January 23, 1945. Gordon was shipped back to Canada in October of 1945 and moved in with his parents at their auto court on Douglas Road in Burnaby. Anne joined Gordon in Burnaby in April 1946 when her mission was completed. Anne packed up her things in a large trunk that she addressed to Gordon’s parents on Douglas Road. Gordon moved around British Columbia in his work for BC Electric and eventually retired with HB Contracting Ltd. in Surrey working on the BC pipeline between 1953 and 1954. In the late 1950s, Gordon and Anne purchased a home in Burnaby at 1508 6th Street (now 7591 6th Street) which they lived in until 1984. In 1985, Anne and Gordon sold their house in Burnaby and moved to Hyack House in New Westminster. Anne Davis died in 1989 at the age of 76 years. Gordon's father, Gilbert died in 1957 and his mother Elizabeth Ann Verta died in 1968.
Interviewer biography: Mabel F. Nichols (nee Lawrence) was one of six children born in Hope [ca.1932] to Elmer E. Lawrence and Louise (nee Pennier). Elmer and Louise married in Yale B.C. in 1916. Mabel’s mother, Louise Pennier was part of the Sts'ailes Nation (Chehalis First Nation). Elmer and Louise had three sons and three daughters. Both of Mabel’s parents died in Langley in 1960. Mabel married Jack (John) Nichols [between 1959 and 1960]. They lived at 6004 Wilson Street, Burnaby in 1959; 4910 Willingdon Avenue [between 1960 and 1962] and 4662 Hazel Street [between 1963 and 1987] before moving to Surrey. Jack Nichols' parents, George and Alma Nichols owned and operated Nichols Family Meat Market at 4018 Kingsway (later renumbered 4500 Kingsway). The family lived behind the butcher shop.