Photograph of two actors from a production of "Twouble at Twy's Cwossing." The actors are in costume and in character, as one actor in a top hat points a gun into the nose of the other, dressed as a sailor. The photograph is a promotion for the opening of the production at Raymond Burr Hall in New …
Photograph of two actors from a production of "Twouble at Twy's Cwossing." The actors are in costume and in character, as one actor in a top hat points a gun into the nose of the other, dressed as a sailor. The photograph is a promotion for the opening of the production at Raymond Burr Hall in New Westminster, BC.
Collected by editorial for use in a December 2000 issue of the Burnaby NewsLeader
Caption from metadata: "Terry Wade, as "Andover Thelot," and Martin Shepherd, as "Zebediah Dooda," enact a scene from Twouble at Twy's Cwossing, the first play to be performed at Raymond Burr Hall, opening December 22."
Photograph of the cast of Alpha Secondary School's production of Aladdin and His Wonderful Magical Lantern, including J-ann Capila and Jonah Fernandez, posing in costume.
Photograph of the cast of Alpha Secondary School's production of Aladdin and His Wonderful Magical Lantern, including J-ann Capila and Jonah Fernandez, posing in costume.
Collected by editorial for use in a November 2002 issue of the Burnaby NewsLeader
Caption from metadata: ""Princess Jasmine" (J-ann Capila) and Aladdin (Jonah Fernandez) express their love for each other, in a scene from Alpha Secondary School's presentation of Aladdin and His Wonderful Magical Lantern. The play runs December 4-7."
Photograph of Anthony Mason seated in the auditorium of West Burnaby United Church as promotion for Mason's theatre company's production of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf. Audience seats and a theatre setting on the stage are visible behind Mason.
Photograph of Anthony Mason seated in the auditorium of West Burnaby United Church as promotion for Mason's theatre company's production of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf. Audience seats and a theatre setting on the stage are visible behind Mason.
Collected by editorial for use in a March 2004 issue of the Burnaby NewsLeader
Caption from metadata: "Anthony Mason sees a bright future for live theatre in Burnaby's Metrotown area, as he prepares to launch his new theatre company's first production, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf, at West Burnaby United Church."
File contains photographs of the Burnaby Arts Council's Showcase 2002 at the Shadbolt Centre. Photographs depict Mas Hori demonstrating Japanese Sumi brush painting and a performance by The Maple Leaf Singers chorus.
File contains photographs of the Burnaby Arts Council's Showcase 2002 at the Shadbolt Centre. Photographs depict Mas Hori demonstrating Japanese Sumi brush painting and a performance by The Maple Leaf Singers chorus.
Collected by editorial for use in a February 2002 issue of the Burnaby NewsLeader
Caption from metadata for 535-1989-1: "Mas Hori demonstrates Japanese Sumi brush painting at the Burnaby Arts Council's Showcase 2002, at the Shadbolt Centre over the weekend."
Caption from metadata for 535-1989-2: "The Maple Leaf Singers perform at the Burnaby Arts Council's Showcase 2002, at the Shadbolt Centre over the weekend."
Photograph of Burnaby North Secondary School students Silvana Lovera, Acca Yeung, Ashley Chow, Alyssa Murdocco, Dorothy Kuk, and Monica Simone, posing and dressed in costume for the school's production in Annie.
Photograph of Burnaby North Secondary School students Silvana Lovera, Acca Yeung, Ashley Chow, Alyssa Murdocco, Dorothy Kuk, and Monica Simone, posing and dressed in costume for the school's production in Annie.
Collected by editorial for use in a February 2003 issue of the Burnaby NewsLeader
Caption from metadata: "Annie (Silvana Lovera) revels in her new lifestyle, much to the dismay of some of her friends from the orphanage, Acca Yeung, Ashley Chow, Alyssa Murdocco, Dorothy Kuk and Monica Simone, in Burnaby North's production of Annie."
Photograph of Anthony Johnson performing in the play "The Princess Who Never Laughed" outdoors in Deer Lake Park, in front of an audience of unidentified children seated on the grass.
Photograph of Anthony Johnson performing in the play "The Princess Who Never Laughed" outdoors in Deer Lake Park, in front of an audience of unidentified children seated on the grass.
Collected by editorial for use in a July 2001 issue of the Burnaby NewsLeader
Caption from metadata: """Waldo Wienerhead," played by Anthony Johnston, and his pet pig, "Stinky," plot a way to make Princess George laugh, in an outdoor performance of "The Princess Who Never Laughed" at Deer Lake Park."
Collected by editorial for use in a March 2000 issue of the Burnaby NewsLeader
Caption from metadata: "Kelt Eccleston, one of the Fairy Tale Players, livens up a story for an audience of kids at the Spring Ding concert at the Shadbolt Centre."
Photograph of actors Maurice Hudon, Kathleen Driscoll, and Donna Soares, acting in costume in a scene from Footlight Theatre's production of "Once Upon a Mattress."
Photograph of actors Maurice Hudon, Kathleen Driscoll, and Donna Soares, acting in costume in a scene from Footlight Theatre's production of "Once Upon a Mattress."
Collected by editorial for use in a November 2001 issue of the Burnaby NewsLeader
Caption from metadata: "The philandering King, Maurice Hudon, is trying to catch the wench, Kathleen Driscoll, with a little help from the Jester, Donna Soares, in a scene from Footlight Theatre's production of "Once Upon a Mattress.""
File contains photographs of Burnaby North Secondary Students taking part in a production of the musical Grease. Photographs depict the students posing in their costumes and holding up their teacher.
File contains photographs of Burnaby North Secondary Students taking part in a production of the musical Grease. Photographs depict the students posing in their costumes and holding up their teacher.
Photograph of Burnaby South Secondary School students Eddie Bilalovic, Sarah Johnson, Mike Hammer, Shadi Maceal, and Ally Sheane in costume and in character, as promotion for Burnaby South's production of Grease.
Photograph of Burnaby South Secondary School students Eddie Bilalovic, Sarah Johnson, Mike Hammer, Shadi Maceal, and Ally Sheane in costume and in character, as promotion for Burnaby South's production of Grease.
Collected by editorial for use in a March 2004 issue of the Burnaby NewsLeader
Caption from metadata: "Danny (Eddie Bilalovic) and Sandy (Sarah Johnson) get to know each other better while hanging out with Kenickie (Mike Hammer), Rizzo (Shadi Maceal) and Frenchie (Ally Sheane), in a scene from Burnaby South's production of Grease."
Photograph of Burnaby North Secondary School students Geoff Nickerson, Amanda Reid, and Elizabeth May posing in costume and in character, as promotion for the school's production of Guys & Dolls.
Photograph of Burnaby North Secondary School students Geoff Nickerson, Amanda Reid, and Elizabeth May posing in costume and in character, as promotion for the school's production of Guys & Dolls.
Collected by editorial for use in a February 2004 issue of the Burnaby NewsLeader
Caption from metadata: ""Nathan Detroit" (Geoff Nickerson) seems confused by "Adelaide's" (Amanda Reid) declaration of love, as Sister Sarah (Elizabeth May) is caught up in the romance of the moment, in a scene from Burnaby North Secondary School's production of Guys & Dolls. It's the school's 35th annual spring musical."
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.
Photograph of Jaimie Turkington, who is leaning against a tree and posing in character as a promotion for the play Careless Love. Turkington is the producer and a performer in the play.
Photograph of Jaimie Turkington, who is leaning against a tree and posing in character as a promotion for the play Careless Love. Turkington is the producer and a performer in the play.
Collected by editorial for use in a February 2005 issue of the Burnaby NewsLeader
Caption from metadata: "Jaimie Turkington is producing and performing in Careless Love, a romantic comedy about a couple who meet on the set of a Shakespeare play, A Midsummer Night's Dream, have a brief relationship and get pregnant."
Photograph of Lindsay Kinghorn and Anna Krol, actors with the Junior Theatre Company, rehearsing a scene from the play "Camp" on stage at the Shadbolt Centre. They and the other unidentified actors in the background are pretending to sleep, standing up.
Photograph of Lindsay Kinghorn and Anna Krol, actors with the Junior Theatre Company, rehearsing a scene from the play "Camp" on stage at the Shadbolt Centre. They and the other unidentified actors in the background are pretending to sleep, standing up.
Collected by editorial for use in an April 2001 issue of the Burnaby NewsLeader
Caption from metadata: "Lindsay Kinghorn, 13, and Anna Krol, 12, aren't really napping standing up; they're rehearsing a scene from the Junior Theatre Company's presentation of "Camp," at the Shadbolt Centre."
Photograph of Karen and Blair Laramee, of Cliff Productions, repairing a 12-foot-tall puppet ahead of a presentation for "Weedless Wednesday," at Seaforth Elementary School.
Photograph of Karen and Blair Laramee, of Cliff Productions, repairing a 12-foot-tall puppet ahead of a presentation for "Weedless Wednesday," at Seaforth Elementary School.
Collected by editorial for use in a January 2000 issue of the Burnaby NewsLeader
Caption from metadata: "Karen and Blair Laramee, of Cliff Productions, do some emergency repairs to one of their 12-foot tall rapping puppets before presenting a no-smoking message to students at Seaforth Elementary on Weedless Wednesday. One of the troupe's puppets was damaged when its head rolled out of their pickup truck onto the highway en route to the school."
Photograph of members of the Qun Ying Athletic Club from Gilmore Community School performing the lion dance under the Convocation Mall roof at Simon Fraser University, as part of Lunar New Year celebrations.
Photograph of members of the Qun Ying Athletic Club from Gilmore Community School performing the lion dance under the Convocation Mall roof at Simon Fraser University, as part of Lunar New Year celebrations.
Collected by editorial for use in a February 2005 issue of the Burnaby NewsLeader
Caption from metadata: "Members of the Qun Ying Athletic Club from Gilmore Community School perform the Lion Dance to bring in the Chinese New Year at Simon Fraser University on Wednesday afternoon."
Photograph of students Trevor Alexander and Jennifer Guglielmucci posing in character and costume with the "Audrey II" plant prop. They are promoting Cariboo Hill Secondary School's production of Little Shop of Horrors.
Photograph of students Trevor Alexander and Jennifer Guglielmucci posing in character and costume with the "Audrey II" plant prop. They are promoting Cariboo Hill Secondary School's production of Little Shop of Horrors.
Collected by editorial for use in an April 2001 issue of the Burnaby NewsLeader
Caption from metadata: ""Seymour" (Trevor Alexander) prepares to feed "Audrey" (Jennifer Guglielmucci) to the man-eating plant, Audrey II, in Cariboo Hill Secondary School's spring production of Little Shop of Horrors."
File contains photographs of Lunar New Year celebrations at Lougheed Town Centre. Photographs depict performers from the Yuen's Family Martial Arts Centre demonstrating traditional Chinese swordplay and the Lion dance, as a crowd looks on in the mall's atrium.
File contains photographs of Lunar New Year celebrations at Lougheed Town Centre. Photographs depict performers from the Yuen's Family Martial Arts Centre demonstrating traditional Chinese swordplay and the Lion dance, as a crowd looks on in the mall's atrium.
Collected by editorial for use in a February 2005 issue of the Burnaby NewsLeader
Caption from metadata for 535-1928-1: "A performer from Yuen's Family Martial Arts Centre demonstrates traditional Chinese swordplay during Chinese New Year celebrations, Saturday at the Lougheed Town Centre."
Caption from metadata for 535-1928-2: "Having awoken the Lion, the "Buddha" tries to tame the angry beast so that it may bring luck instead of terror, in a reenactment of the origins of the traditional Chinese Lion dance, performed by the Yuen Family Martial Arts Centre, at Chinese New Year celebrations, Saturday at the Lougheed Town Centre."
File contains photographs of Marlborough Elementary School students who produced a musical about peace. Photographs depict the group of students together, holding up their hands in peace signs, and portraits of some of the unidentified students.
File contains photographs of Marlborough Elementary School students who produced a musical about peace. Photographs depict the group of students together, holding up their hands in peace signs, and portraits of some of the unidentified students.
Photograph of Gareth Wagner, Suzy Sabla, Andrew Job, Alex Parra, and Christina Lovatt, who are members of Moscrop Secondary School's improv team. The students are posing on the edge of a concrete barrier.
Photograph of Gareth Wagner, Suzy Sabla, Andrew Job, Alex Parra, and Christina Lovatt, who are members of Moscrop Secondary School's improv team. The students are posing on the edge of a concrete barrier.
Collected by editorial for use in a March 2005 issue of the Burnaby NewsLeader
Caption from metadata: "Gareth Wagner, Suzy Sabla, Andrew Job, Alex Parra and Christina Lovatt are members of Moscrop Secondary School's improv team, which came in sixth place at the recent provincial improv tournament."