Photograph of a scene from the First Impressions Theatre production of A Christmas Carol. Linden Banks as Ebenezer Scrooge, left, with Evan Arntzen as the young Scrooge.
Photograph of a scene from the First Impressions Theatre production of A Christmas Carol. Linden Banks as Ebenezer Scrooge, left, with Evan Arntzen as the young Scrooge.
Photograph of a scene from JumpStart Performance Society's "Matters of the Flesh". The photograph includes performers Jennifer Simons-Ferguson, Sheena Anderson, Rita Bozi, Sylvain Brochu, Kathleen McDonagh and Raymond Milne.
Photograph of a scene from JumpStart Performance Society's "Matters of the Flesh". The photograph includes performers Jennifer Simons-Ferguson, Sheena Anderson, Rita Bozi, Sylvain Brochu, Kathleen McDonagh and Raymond Milne.
Note in black ink on verso of photograph reads: "Jennifer Simons-Ferguson (Alone) / 1st Row left to right, Sheena Anderson + Rita Bozi / 2nd Row left to right Sylvian Brochu, Kathleen McDonagh, Raymond Milne. Bby 4/7 Cont. / Matters of the Flesh JumpStart Performance / Photo by Deborah Dunn"
Photograph of a scene from the play "The Road to Mecca" at the Vagabond Theatre in New Westminster's Queen's Park. The scene includes actors Alan Costar, Colleen Bignell (left) and Pyhllida Pearce.
Photograph of a scene from the play "The Road to Mecca" at the Vagabond Theatre in New Westminster's Queen's Park. The scene includes actors Alan Costar, Colleen Bignell (left) and Pyhllida Pearce.
Photograph of theatre students Chelle Tanner (top left), Tina Djuretic (top right) and Yolanda Buchan (bottom). They are appearing in Douglas College's production of Steel Magnolias.
Photograph of theatre students Chelle Tanner (top left), Tina Djuretic (top right) and Yolanda Buchan (bottom). They are appearing in Douglas College's production of Steel Magnolias.
Note in black ink on verso of photograph reads: "Theatre students Chelle Tanner of Surrey (top left), Tina Djuretic of New Westminster (top right), and Yolanda Buchan (bottom) of New Westminster appear in Douglas College's production of Steel Magnolias from March 8 - 16"
Photograph of Enric Magoo dressed up as Frankenstein during Murrary Hatfield's Illusions 1996 "Magic and Miracles" at the Massey Theatre in New Westminster.
Photograph of Enric Magoo dressed up as Frankenstein during Murrary Hatfield's Illusions 1996 "Magic and Miracles" at the Massey Theatre in New Westminster.
Note in black ink on recto of photograph reads: "2203 A / Bby Simone / - 9 1/2 -"
Trim marks and/or reproduction instructions on recto (scan is cropped)
Accompanying caption reads: "Nov 15, 1998 2203A: / New Westminster residents Ian Paul, left, and [M]ark Hopkins play real life Characters from the Royal City history in new musical A Time to Remember."
This portion of the interview is about Merrill Gordon’s work on the Parks Board and involvement in the arts community. He talks about developing an art policy for Burnaby, the conflicting views about building a theatre at Metrotown, and the establishment of the Arts Centre at Deer Lake
This portion of the interview is about Merrill Gordon’s work on the Parks Board and involvement in the arts community. He talks about developing an art policy for Burnaby, the conflicting views about building a theatre at Metrotown, and the establishment of the Arts Centre at Deer Lake
Date Range
1987-1990
Photo Info
Burnaby Alderman Merrill Gordon (second from right) following a candidates' meeting, 1973. Item no. 480-263
Recording is of an interview with Merrill Gordon, conducted by Rod Fowler.Gordon Merrill 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 about Merrill Gordon’s childhood in the Depression, including his story about the family’s difficult trek to Burnaby from Alberta; his education, teachers and first volunteer activities at Grandview High School; his career at Fleck Brothers and the start of his own company Blaze Industries and later work in India; and his many volunteer activities in Burnaby. He describes how he started the Cliff Avenue United Football Club, the soccer club's subsequent growth and development, some of the people involved, and the founding of the youth soccer exchange. He also describes his work on the Parks Board and in the arts community, including the 1987 arts centre referendum, and involvement with the Burnaby Mountain Preservation Society (1988- ), and mentions his work for other groups including the New Vista Society, library board, and Burnaby Mental Health Committee. He also talks about his political career with the Better Burnaby Committee and Burnaby Voters Association, resulting in his 1972 election to Burnaby’s 1973 council. To view “Narrow By” terms for each track expand this description and see “Notes”.
Biographical Notes
Merrill M. Gordon was born in Saskatchewan in 1929 to parents farming north of North Battleford. After a fifth year of crop failure the family of four left the farm in 1934 to join relatives living near the corner of Union and Sperling in Burnaby. With little resources the family adapted as well as possible in the Depression years, moving often in the East Vancouver/North Burnaby area in an attempt to better their situation. Merrill’s father obtained work at sawmills including Kapoor’s Sawmill at Barnet, walking to work over Burnaby Mountain. After attending numerous public schools, Merrill Gordon eventually spent three years at Templeton School and then completed his education at Grandview High School of Commerce, majoring in accounting and commercial law. He worked a few years at Canadian Industries Ltd., then joined Fleck Brothers. In 1965 Merrill Gordon and his wife started their own company Blaze Industries of Canada that manufactured wood burning fireplaces, selling the company to AB Electrolux in 1980. After a short retirement, Merrill Gordon went back to work in 1981 for a company manufacturing solar panels, one project taking him and his wife intermittently to India over a four year period. Merrill Gordon helped found the political group Better Burnaby Committee, later the Burnaby Voters Association, with Alan Emmott and Bill Lewarne, ran for Burnaby Municipal Council and served one year as councillor in 1973. Merrill Gordon is well known for his over 40 years of volunteer work in Burnaby, particularly as founder in 1956 and director of the Cliff Avenue United Football Club, one of the largest soccer clubs in BC. He was also the founder of Burnaby Youth Soccer and the first youth soccer exchange with Washington State. His other volunteer work includes library trustee, Parks Commissioner (1987-1992), Director of New Vista Home for Seniors, Chair of campaign raising funds for building Shadbolt Arts Centre, and Chair of the Burnaby Mental Health Committee. In 1988 Merrill Gordon, Betty Gordon, Dean Lamont and several others formed the Burnaby Mountain Preservation Society, which advocated for the return of unused land to Burnaby from SFU and the subsequent creation of Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area. Merrill Gordon and Elizabeth Balfour (nee Leitch) (1926-2012) married in 1953 and had two children.
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.
Note in black ink on verso of photograph reads: "Two small actors with big parts presents Origin of the Species at the 1996 Vancouver Fringe Festival (Sept 5-15). L. Taylor Stutchbury R. Krista Wallace."
Note in black ink on verso of photograph reads: "Lesley Ewen and Alex Ferguson in The Relationship Book of the Dead / A Playwrights Theatre Centre Production / Photo Credit: Tim Matheson / Photo Tim Matheson / "The Relationship Book of the Dead / Lesley Ewen / Alex Ferguson / Playwrights Theatre Centre"
Photograph of Lindsay Hamilton, Sheila Calder, Jordana Pratt and Sarah Ueland in a scene from “The Man in the Chair”, a Burnaby Central Secondary School production.
Photograph of Lindsay Hamilton, Sheila Calder, Jordana Pratt and Sarah Ueland in a scene from “The Man in the Chair”, a Burnaby Central Secondary School production.
Photograph of a scene from the Vagabond Players of New Westminster performance of "Chorus of Disapproval" with actors Lisa Shepherd, Tony Warburton and Nina Shoroplova.
Photograph of a scene from the Vagabond Players of New Westminster performance of "Chorus of Disapproval" with actors Lisa Shepherd, Tony Warburton and Nina Shoroplova.
Photograph of musical director Lloyd Nicholson playing the piano while dancers are in the background auditioning for "Guys and Dolls" at Douglas College in New Westminster.
Photograph of musical director Lloyd Nicholson playing the piano while dancers are in the background auditioning for "Guys and Dolls" at Douglas College in New Westminster.