Photograph of Robert W. Prittie, New Democratic Party's Member of Parliament (MP) for Burnaby-Richmond from 1962 to 1968. He was a Burnaby Councillor from 1959 to 1962, and served as Mayor of Burnaby from 1969 to 1973.
Photograph of Robert W. Prittie, New Democratic Party's Member of Parliament (MP) for Burnaby-Richmond from 1962 to 1968. He was a Burnaby Councillor from 1959 to 1962, and served as Mayor of Burnaby from 1969 to 1973.
Photograph of Robert W. Prittie, New Democratic Party's Member of Parliament (MP) for Burnaby-Richmond from 1962 to 1968. He was a Burnaby Councillor from 1959 to 1962, and served as Mayor of Burnaby from 1969 to 1973.
Photograph of Robert W. Prittie, New Democratic Party's Member of Parliament (MP) for Burnaby-Richmond from 1962 to 1968. He was a Burnaby Councillor from 1959 to 1962, and served as Mayor of Burnaby from 1969 to 1973.
Photograph of Burnaby Citizen's Association candidates; school board trustee Caroline Prior, Mayor Bob Prittie, and aldermanic candidate Del Carrell filing civic election nomination papers at City Hall.
Photograph of Burnaby Citizen's Association candidates; school board trustee Caroline Prior, Mayor Bob Prittie, and aldermanic candidate Del Carrell filing civic election nomination papers at City Hall.
Newspaper clipping attached to verso of photograph reads: "Filing civic election nomination papers at municipal hall are BCA candidates Mrs. Caroline Prior, incumbent school board trustee; mayoralty [sic] candidate Robert Prittie, and aldermanic candidate Mrs. Del Carrell."
Photograph of all of the Burnaby Citizen's Association candidates taking over the bandstand at the Burnaby Citizen's Association (BCA) dance at James Cowan Memorial Centre (now the James Cowan Theatre at The Shadbolt Centre for the Arts). The 'vocal trio' of School Board candidates; Bill Burke, Car…
Photograph of all of the Burnaby Citizen's Association candidates taking over the bandstand at the Burnaby Citizen's Association (BCA) dance at James Cowan Memorial Centre (now the James Cowan Theatre at The Shadbolt Centre for the Arts). The 'vocal trio' of School Board candidates; Bill Burke, Caroline Prior, and Cliff Murnane. Candidates for council; Joe Corsbie on drums, Dave Herd on saxophone, Jim Lorimer on piccolo, and Del Carrell on piano, with mayoral candidate Bob Prittie as conductor. Robert W. Prittie was Mayor of Burnaby from 1969 to 1973.
File consists of two booklets and a newsclipping. The first booklet entitled "Pertinent Portraits" by Barry Mather and Fraser Wilson was originally published in The Commonwealth newspaper in 1934 and re-published by the Boag Foundation in 1978. It contains biographies of CCF members and is signed b…
File consists of two booklets and a newsclipping. The first booklet entitled "Pertinent Portraits" by Barry Mather and Fraser Wilson was originally published in The Commonwealth newspaper in 1934 and re-published by the Boag Foundation in 1978. It contains biographies of CCF members and is signed by Harold Winch. Second booklet entitled "Canadian Labour and Politics" by Clifford A. Scotton provides a short history on the Canadian Labour movement with a chapter focusing on the CCF and the NDP. The newsclipping is from the Seattle Post Intelligencer, dated November 1, 1956. It features an article of President Eisenhower claiming the United States will not get involved in Middle East issues.
Photograph of Cliff (C.J.) Murnane, taken in a photographic studio. Cliff Murnane was on the Advisory Planning Commission from 1969 to1972, and on the Burnaby School Board from 1965 to 1968, 1973 to 1976 and 1980 to 1983.
Photograph of Cliff (C.J.) Murnane, taken in a photographic studio. Cliff Murnane was on the Advisory Planning Commission from 1969 to1972, and on the Burnaby School Board from 1965 to 1968, 1973 to 1976 and 1980 to 1983.
This portion of the interview is about Bill Lewarne’s discussion of the attitudes, energy and time commitment required for operating a seasonal business and needed for politics. He mentions the Nelson Avenue family home, still lived in by his mother
This portion of the interview is about Bill Lewarne’s discussion of the attitudes, energy and time commitment required for operating a seasonal business and needed for politics. He mentions the Nelson Avenue family home, still lived in by his mother
Date Range
1937-1990
Photo Info
Burnaby Alderman, Bill (William) Lewarne, [1973]. Item no. 231-012
Recording is of an interview with former Mayor William “Bill” Lewarne, conducted by Rod Fowler. Bill Lewarne 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 Bill Lewarne’s business and political careers, and memories of growing up in South Burnaby in the 1930s. Bill Lewarne talks about his parent’s origins, his family and community struggles during the Depression, the interurban, his education, war service, and joining his father's business. He describes the start, operation and expansion of the family ice cream business, and how business life compared to political life. The interview explores the role of politics in community affairs, his political activities, the history of the BVA, and his involvement in various community organizations. To view “Narrow By” terms for each track, expand this description and see “Notes”.
Biographical Notes
William Alfred “Bill” Lewarne was born in Burnaby in 1926 to Ethel Cecilia Leer (1899- ) and Alfred Lewarne (1893-1962). The family, Ethel, Alfred and their three children Patricia, Beverley and William, moved to a house on Nelson Avenue in Alta Vista in 1931. Ethel still lived in the family home in 1990. Bill Lewarne attended Nelson Avenue School and South Burnaby High School (1932-1944). His father Alfred worked at Colony Farms as a dairy inspector and then for the Port of Vancouver Dairy before being laid off early in the Depression. The family struggled until in 1936 Alfred started his own ice cream business. After graduation Bill was in the army for two years, taking a refrigeration course under the veteran’s training benefit, before joining his father’s business. Three generations of the family operated the successful company, expanding from wholesale, retail and distribution of ice cream products into refrigerated warehouses and the wholesale ice business, until the business was sold to its competitor Dairyland in 1989. Bill Lewarne entered politics in 1965, first with the Nonpartisan Association (NPA) and then as a founder of the Burnaby Citizens Association (BCA). He served as an alderman on Burnaby Council 1973-1975 and 1977-1981 and as Mayor 1981-1987. In 1979 he ran for provincial office for the Social Credit Party against Rosemary Brown but lost.
Bill Lewarne married June Lawrence and they had three children Robert, Leslie and Janice. He was active in many organizations: Burnaby/Willingdon Liberal Association, Seton Villa, Irish Fusileers of Canada, Lions Club, Rotary Club, Burnaby Association for Community Inclusion, and the Burnaby Hospital Foundation, and continued to be active on the Board of the BCA. Bill Lewarne died in 1995.
Rod Fowler returned to university as a mature student in the 1980s after working about twenty years in the field of economics and business computerization 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 Jim Lorimer upon winning the Burnaby-Willingdon by-election. He is standing in front of the poll results with then NDP Provincial Leader Robert Strachan, and both men are smiling. Jim Lorimer represented the provincial constituency of Burnaby-Willingdon from 1969 to 1975, and again fr…
Photograph of Jim Lorimer upon winning the Burnaby-Willingdon by-election. He is standing in front of the poll results with then NDP Provincial Leader Robert Strachan, and both men are smiling. Jim Lorimer represented the provincial constituency of Burnaby-Willingdon from 1969 to 1975, and again from 1979 to 1983 for the New Democratic Party. Before that he was a Burnaby Council member from 1966 to 1968, and in 1990 he was awarded the status of Freeman, the highest award to be bestowed by the Municipal government.
Newspaper clipping attached to verso of photograph reads: "Hand aloft, New Democrat Jim Lorimer, left, candidate in the Burnaby-Willingdon byelection claims victory as the final poll results come in. NDP Provincial Leader Robert Strachan, right, was at campaign headquarters to congratulate Lorimer on his almost 2-1 victory over nearest contestant Dr. John Playfair, Social Credit. Liberal Jim Clark came in close behind Playfair and Progressive Conservative Reg Grandison trailed the field. Lorimer will take the seat left vacant by the death of NDP MLA Fred Vulliamy Oct. 20."
Stamp on verso of photograph reads: "Do Not Use / Reference Only"
Photograph of Jim Lorimer who represented the provincial constituency of Burnaby-Willingdon from 1969 to 1975, and again from 1979 to 1983 for the New Democratic Party. Before that he was a Burnaby Council member from 1966 to 1968, and in 1990 he was awarded the status of Freeman, the highest award…
Photograph of Jim Lorimer who represented the provincial constituency of Burnaby-Willingdon from 1969 to 1975, and again from 1979 to 1983 for the New Democratic Party. Before that he was a Burnaby Council member from 1966 to 1968, and in 1990 he was awarded the status of Freeman, the highest award to be bestowed by the Municipal government.
Photograph of Jim Lorimer and his wife Cicely dining at a formal occassion. Jim Lorimer represented the provincial constituency of Burnaby-Willingdon from 1969 to 1975, and again from 1979 to 1983 for the New Democratic Party. Before that he was a Burnaby Council member from 1966 to 1968, and in 19…
Photograph of Jim Lorimer and his wife Cicely dining at a formal occassion. Jim Lorimer represented the provincial constituency of Burnaby-Willingdon from 1969 to 1975, and again from 1979 to 1983 for the New Democratic Party. Before that he was a Burnaby Council member from 1966 to 1968, and in 1990 he was awarded the status of Freeman, the highest award to be bestowed by the Municipal government.
Photograph of John Chalk, taken in a photographic studio. He was a teacher and was on the Burnaby school board from 1969 until 1972, when became the Social Credit candidate for Burnaby-Edmonds.
Photograph of John Chalk, taken in a photographic studio. He was a teacher and was on the Burnaby school board from 1969 until 1972, when became the Social Credit candidate for Burnaby-Edmonds.
Photograph of federal election candidates and Burnaby officials having a look at the architectural model for the (then soon to be constructed) Burnaby Aquarium of Ecology. Identified (from left) are; architect-designer Peter F. Smith, chairman of the Burnay parks commission A.B. "Sandy" Stewart, Li…
Photograph of federal election candidates and Burnaby officials having a look at the architectural model for the (then soon to be constructed) Burnaby Aquarium of Ecology. Identified (from left) are; architect-designer Peter F. Smith, chairman of the Burnay parks commission A.B. "Sandy" Stewart, Liberal candidate Ray Perrault, mayor Alan Emmott, and Aquarium promoter and president Don Spiegel.
Series consists of records related to CFF, Tommy Douglas, the Century Park Museum Association, Burnaby Advisory Planning Commission, NDP, and Elections BC.
Series consists of records related to CFF, Tommy Douglas, the Century Park Museum Association, Burnaby Advisory Planning Commission, NDP, and Elections BC.