There are two versions of the book: English and Simplified Chinese (left, below) and the other in English and Traditional Chinese (right, below).
From the late 1800s to the present day, Chinese Canadians have made Burnaby into a more vibrant and livable city. Rooted: Chinese Canadian Stories in Burnaby brings together a collection of diverse stories and photographs from the community, celebrating the legacy and contributions of Burnaby’s Chinese Canadian community spanning over a century. This coffee-table book features oral histories and interviews with descendants of multigenerational family farms, green grocers, corner stores, restaurants, and places of worship. Also included are archival research and community perspectives on anti-Asian racism, community activism, courage, and resilience.
The publication has been timed to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the introduction of the Chinese Exclusion Act by the Government of Canada in 1923. This federal legislation followed decades of discriminatory legislation by Canada’s federal, provincial and municipal governments that targeted Chinese Canadians by limiting opportunities to live, work and raise families in Canada. The Chinese Exclusion Act banned almost all migration from China and remained in place until 1947. Publishing this book in 2023 is an effort by the City of Burnaby to recognize the impact of discriminatory legislation on Chinese Canadians in our community, including discriminatory bylaws and practices implemented by Burnaby’s early municipal government.
Edited by Denise Fong (Lead Researcher), Jane Lemke (Burnaby Village Museum Curator) and Lisa Codd (City of Burnaby Heritage Planner).
Collection consists of photographs taken by Nakita Cheung for her "Disappearing Burnaby" project, in which she photographs buildings and structures that she finds aesthetically and historically interesting before they are lost to time and/or development in the changing urban landscape of Burnaby. F…
Collection consists of photographs taken by Nakita Cheung for her "Disappearing Burnaby" project, in which she photographs buildings and structures that she finds aesthetically and historically interesting before they are lost to time and/or development in the changing urban landscape of Burnaby. For this collection, Cheung selected 33 photographs that she felt represented Burnaby in a time of transition. These photographs document single-family homes, low-rise apartment buildings, commercial buildings, signage, and street scenes, often at night and in the rain.
History
Nakita Cheung is an amateur photographer located in Burnaby, B.C., near Metrotown. She was born on July 3, 1994, and grew up in Burnaby. In her "Disappearing Burnaby" project, which is also published on her blog "Disappearing Burnaby" (https://disappearingburnaby.wordpress.com), Cheung is creating a "photo journal of Burnaby’s disappearing low-rise apartments, bungalows, and buildings."
Photograph of the COVID-19 testing station located in the Central Park parking lot off Boundary Road. A sign in the foreground reads "Covid-19 Care Site by Referral Only / Walk in Access". In the background, the white tents of the testing station are visible.
Photograph of the COVID-19 testing station located in the Central Park parking lot off Boundary Road. A sign in the foreground reads "Covid-19 Care Site by Referral Only / Walk in Access". In the background, the white tents of the testing station are visible.
A history of the Burnaby school district and individual school buildings in Burnaby, BC, between 1893 and 2013.
The “First Nations cemetery” described on page 109 in Mary Johnson’s recollections was originally written as “Indian” and may refer to the Khalsa Diwan Society’s Sikh cremations at the Vancouver Cemetery.
Recording is an interview with Howe Lee conducted by BVM researcher Denise Fong. Mr. Lee describes growing up in Armstrong in the 1930s and 1940s, leaving to attend university, and becoming a teacher in Burnaby. He discusses his community involvement and the creation of the Chinese Canadian Militar…
Interviewer: Denise Fong
Interviewee: Howe Lee
Location of Interview: Burnaby Village Museum
Interview Date: February 20, 2019
Total Number of tracks: 1
Total Length of all Tracks: 1:18:41
Scope and Content
Recording is an interview with Howe Lee conducted by BVM researcher Denise Fong. Mr. Lee describes growing up in Armstrong in the 1930s and 1940s, leaving to attend university, and becoming a teacher in Burnaby. He discusses his community involvement and the creation of the Chinese Canadian Military Museum Society.
00:00 – 20:39: Mr. Lee describes his family’s origins in China. Denise shows him a photograph of Armstrong and he uses it to show the location of his family’s property and other landmarks. He talks about his family’s life in Armstrong, their farm’s place in the Chinese produce supply system of the time, and the presence and life of Chinese people in British Columbia generally. Mr. Lee also relates how the Interior Vegetable Marketing Board’s policies affected the farm and his future prospects.
20:39 – 32:40: This portion of the recording pertains to Mr. Lee’s involvement with the Chinese Cultural Centre and how he developed an interest in commemorating and honouring Chinese pioneers and military veterans. He recalls his education in Armstrong and at U.B.C. and the community of Chinese students which first drew him to Vancouver’s Chinatown.
32:40 – 51:24: Mr. Lee describes his family and the Chinese community in Armstrong, using the photo to show the locations of the businesses. He recalls his involvement with youth groups, particularly the Cadets, and with local sports, noting that he faced very little discrimination there. Denise asks about the family’s farm and Mr. Lee identifies the family’s house in a drawing.
51:24 – 1:02:18: This portion of the recording pertains to Mr. Lee’s education and career. He describes his enjoyment of being a leader in various groups and activities, and his interest in the local Chinese community. He explains the structure and operation of the cadets and shares his perspective of its value in leadership training.
1:02:18 – 1:18:46: Mr. Lee recalls how he became involved with veterans and with the Chinese Cultural Centre in Vancouver. He talks about bringing his parents to Burnaby to live. Mr. Lee describes how he persuaded some veterans to reorganize their group under the Army, Navy & Air Force Veterans in Canada. He discusses the importance of documenting and passing on the legacy of the Chinese veterans’ contribution and tells how he convinced some of them to create The Chinese Canadian Military Museum Society. Mr. Lee relates how his involvement with the local society led to involvement with a national group.
History
Howe Lee has worked in education, business, military and within the community. He has taught Science and Mathematics in several Burnaby Secondary Schools and was head of the Science Department and Edmonds Secondary School. Lee was appointed Honorary Colonel in 2012. He has been active within the Chinese-Canadian community including working with the Chinese Canadian Military Museum, Vancouver Chinatown Memorial Square, Asian Heriage Month Society and the Chinatown Revitalization.
Interviewer biography: Denise Fong is a historical researcher at Burnaby Village Museum. She has degrees in Anthropology (BA) and Archaeology (MA), and is completing her doctoral degree at UBC in Interdisciplinary Studies. Her primary research interests are in Chinese Canadian history and critical heritage studies. She is the co-curator of BVM’s “Across the Pacific” exhibition, and the Museum of Vancouver’s “A Seat at the Table – Chinese Immigration and British Columbia”.
Available as an eBook online at HeritageBurnaby.ca
Available at Burnaby Public Library: 971.133 Int
Available at Burnaby Public Library: 971.133 Lux
Burnaby’s Heritage: An Inventory of Buildings and Structures.
Donald Luxton and Jim Wolf. Burnaby: City of Burnaby, c2007.
Available at the Burnaby Village
2019 version of working document developed by Burnaby Village Museum in collaboration with a number of First Nations partners over the course of several years.
We recognize that Burnaby falls within the shared, ancestral and unceded territories of the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm and Sḵwx̱wú7mesh speaking people. We equally respect each of the Nations who share territory in Burnaby, and invite and welcome their ongoing participation in developing the contents of the Indigenous History in Burnaby Resource Guide.