Photograph of the May Queen Suite on stage at the May Day Celebrations in New Westminster. The May Queen with a crown of flowers is at the microphone set up on the stage with her first maid standing beside her. The other girls in the Suite are seated on their chairs on the stage. Men in suits with …
Photograph of the May Queen Suite on stage at the May Day Celebrations in New Westminster. The May Queen with a crown of flowers is at the microphone set up on the stage with her first maid standing beside her. The other girls in the Suite are seated on their chairs on the stage. Men in suits with a flower and ribbon on their lapel are seated in front of the stage. There is a Union Jack hung in the centre of the wall behind the stage. Inscribed in the negative and printed on the photograph, bottom front: "The 66th May Day Celebration / New Westminster, B.C., May 1st, 1936 / Photos by the Stride Studios / 6."
The photographs in the accession HV976.143 are thought to be by the Stride studio, as the donor indicated in her letter that the Stride family were personal friends of her great-aunt and her husband, who resided in Edmonds. She wrote that she received a picture of the New Westminster or Burnaby May Day celebrations each year.
Photograph of a pillar topped by a circle with what appears to be a neon sign tubing writing out "1936". There is an insignia with two men on top of the circle [perhaps the Vancouver coat-of-arms]. As well, a Red Ensign and a Union Jack each hang from the pillar. Two streetcars and an apartment bui…
Decorative border printed around the photograph on recto
Faint circular stamp mark of "Vancouver Drug Co." on verso, and gummed paper on each corner
Stamp reads, "Come to Vancouver's Golden Jubilee 1936/ 50 Years of Progress" outside its circular seal for "Vancouver Drug/ Co. Ltd./ Nu-Gloss/ PHOTO FINISH"
Scope and Content
Photograph of a pillar topped by a circle with what appears to be a neon sign tubing writing out "1936". There is an insignia with two men on top of the circle [perhaps the Vancouver coat-of-arms]. As well, a Red Ensign and a Union Jack each hang from the pillar. Two streetcars and an apartment building are all visible in the background. The pillar is believed to be a commemorative pillar marking Vancouver's Golden Jubilee in 1936.
Item consists of a recording of part one in a series of three “Back to the Roots” podcasts about the history of Chinese-Canadian farming in Burnaby and the lower mainland. Part one is titled “A Family Farm”. The podcasts were created by students Rose Wu and Wei Yan Yeong from the Faculty of Land an…
Podcasts hosts: Rose Wu; Wei Yan Yeong
Persons from recorded extracts: Denise Fong; Josephine Chow
Music: prod. riddiman
Podcast Date: October 2020
Total Number of tracks: 1
Total Length of all tracks: 00:13:57 min
Photograph info: Store front of Way Sang Yuen Wat Kee & Co in Victoria, B.C., 1975. BV017.7.191
Scope and Content
Item consists of a recording of part one in a series of three “Back to the Roots” podcasts about the history of Chinese-Canadian farming in Burnaby and the lower mainland. Part one is titled “A Family Farm”. The podcasts were created by students Rose Wu and Wei Yan Yeong from the Faculty of Land and Food Systems at the University of British Columbia Faculty and while student interns at Burnaby Village Museum. In this series the students connect their knowledge of food systems to their shared Chinese heritage in order to discover how Chinese Canadian history is rooted in their local food systems.
00:00-02:21
The podcast opens with Wei Yan Yeong and Rose Wu introducing themselves and their topic- the Chinese Canadian experience in Burnaby and the people who have made important contributions to the city’s development. “A Family Farm” talks about Chinese-owned businesses which are family run.
“The family-oriented nature of Chinese-owned businesses also extend to many of the early (and current) Chinese-owned farms in the Burnaby Big Bend area. When Chinese men first began farming in BC in the 1860s, a lot of them worked as labourers because they weren’t allowed to own land. After World War II many of these farmers were allowed to purchase lots, thanks to the Veterans Land Grant. These grants allowed returning veterans to purchase small parcels of land with government loans. Eventually, these men would start families on the farm, and many Chinese-owned farms became family-operated businesses where every member, male, female, child, and extended relatives were enlisted to work the grounds. And it was hard work, often from dawn to dusk, 6-7 days a week.”
02:23 – 07:50
This portion includes excerpts from Oral History interview with Josephine Chow (nee Hong) of Hop On Farms in the Burnaby Big Bend area. The interview was conducted by Burnaby Village Museum researcher Denise Fong. Josephine recalls growing up on the family farm with her six siblings. She tells of how the family pulled together money to purchase twelve acres along Marine Drive in 1951, her family’s background, daily life on the farm , responsibilities on the farm for her and her siblings and of how her mother had to balance working on the farm and providing for a family of ten to twelve people.
07:51 – 08:10
In this portion, hosts comment and reflect on their own experiences. “While it’s likely that a lot of this was done out of necessity and not being able to afford additional paid labourers, having grown up in Chinese households ourselves, we can definitely understand the rationale for these family-operated businesses and how it connects back to the Chinese understanding of family and kinship.”
08:11 – 09:06
In this portion, Rose and Wei provide information on the roots of the Chinese character for family “jia” in mandarin or “gah” in Cantonese. They explain that the term family is composed of two parts: the upper element is like a roof, symbolizing shelter, and the bottom part represents a pig which symbolizes food, whereby the Chinese character for family represents that of a farm.
They provide a quote from the writings of Francois de Martin-Donos “In ancient China, the farm is an enterprise, a shelter that insures one food and work. The farm is a place to rely on, but in return, needs to be maintained, including a set of responsibilities. In other words, “family” is the insurance of a stable life.”
09:07 – 10:27
In this portion, the hosts speak about how traditional Chinese thought is heavily influenced by the teachings of Confucius and Confucius philosophy. They explain how Confucius emphasized five sets of human relationships that form the basis for society: ruler and minister, husband and wife, parents and child, sibling and sibling, friend and friend. Of these five, three are familial relationships also known as Filial piety – the respect and care for one’s familial superiors (such as parents, elders, and ancestors). They speak of how this is one of Confucianism’s main teachings and in this respect caring for family members is seen as a moral obligation. In China housing arrangements are in the form of siheyuan”s — a type of residence that featured a courtyard surrounded on all four sides with buildings. These traditionally housed one large extended family if they were wealthy enough.
10:28 – 13:08
In this portion, hosts provide further information on Josephine Chow’s family experience working and living on the “Hop On” family farm through the decades. An excerpt from the interview with Josephine Chow conducted by Denise Fong is included. In this excerpt, Josephine reflects on her past experiences on the farm and her present day experiences of her siblings running the farm.
13:09 -13:56
Final summary, credits and acknowledgements.
History
Podcast hosts, Rose Wu and Wei Yan Yeong are University of British Columbia students in the Faculty of Land and Food Systems and student interns at Burnaby Village Museum.
See also Interview with Josephine Chow by Denise Fong February 7, 2020 - BV020.6.1
Compilation of Research Resources used by authors Rose Wu and Wei Yan Yeong include:
Why is family important in China?
https://medium.com/@francois_dmd/why-is-family-so-important-in-china-1617b13a67
Burnaby Village Museum - Interview with Josephine Chow by Denise Fong Feb. 7, 2020. BV020.6.1
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/permalink/museumsoundrecording12337
Covered Roots: The History of Vancouver's Chinese Farms https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4WHS2Uf3JU
Burnaby Village Museum Shares Chinese-Canadian Farming History This Summer https://westcoastfood.ca/burnaby-village-museum-shares-chinese-canadian-farming-history-this-summer/
Chinese Market Gardeners in the City of Burnaby BC Continue to Practice Urban Agriculture https://cityfarmer.info/chinese-market-gardeners-in-the-city-of-burnaby-bc-continue-to-practice-urban-agriculture/
Chinese Market Gardening in BC https://www.bcfoodhistory.ca/chinese-market-gardening-bc/
Collected by editorial for use in a March 2002 issue of the Burnaby NewsLeader
Caption from metadata: "Agatha Van Der Starre admires some of the medals she's won throughout her long speedskating career. At 71, she's still going strong, having just set four records in the short track provincial championships in Burnaby last weekend."
The video depicts the challenges of film maker Alfred Woo’s physical, social, and cultural transformation to a foreign country. Sentimentally prior to departing Hong Kong in 1954, Alfred was presented a fountain pen by some of his grade two classmates, a souvenir that he has cherished all these yea…
The video depicts the challenges of film maker Alfred Woo’s physical, social, and cultural transformation to a foreign country. Sentimentally prior to departing Hong Kong in 1954, Alfred was presented a fountain pen by some of his grade two classmates, a souvenir that he has cherished all these years despite losing contact with them long ago. In his seniority, he muses poignantly about the symbolism of this writing instrument and shares his wonderment about the destiny of these childhood benefactors.
History
Immigrating from Hong Kong to Canada as a child, Alfred Woo easily assimilated into the Canadian way of life at an early age and has enjoyed the best of both worlds. A law graduate, his professional career included service as a Crown Counsel, securities administrator, corporate executive, and as private practitioner. He also served in the Canadian Army (Reserve Force) as a legal officer and an artillery officer before being honorably discharged at the rank of Major. A Burnaby resident for over 30 years, and now retired, he continues to volunteer helping seniors, a community service club, and a veterans group.
armband, Girl Guides; black felt armband with a gold trefoil with "G" "G" on either side of a gold ribbon of courage with a reef knot at bottom and a trefoil in the center.
Photograph of World War I veteran Arthur W. Mawbey sitting in front of the Union Jack in uniform during a Remembrance Day observance ceremony. He is smoking a pipe, with one hand resting on his cane, and the other hand holding a white wooden cross with maple leaf resting on it.
Photograph of World War I veteran Arthur W. Mawbey sitting in front of the Union Jack in uniform during a Remembrance Day observance ceremony. He is smoking a pipe, with one hand resting on his cane, and the other hand holding a white wooden cross with maple leaf resting on it.
award, Girl Guides; All Round Cord; blue and white twisted silken cord with blue tassels at either end. Worn threaded through the right tab epaulet of the uniform dress and then hooked behind the button of the right breast pocket flap.
award, Pathfinders; Canda Cord; red and white twisted silken cord with red tassels at either end. Worn threaded through the right tab epaulet of the uniform dress and then hooked behind the button of the right breast pocket flap.
Photograph of three boys in front of a piano, holding trophies. The two boys seated in front are identified only as the Mandy brothers and the third is unidentified.
Photograph of three boys in front of a piano, holding trophies. The two boys seated in front are identified only as the Mandy brothers and the third is unidentified.
Photographs in this collection were taken and compiled by Norah Code, former editor of the "Burnaby Courier" newspaper during the course of her work for the newspaper.
Badge, round; yellow, green, black; yellow background with black edging, six black circles each with green stiched design, clockwise from top: sun and sunbeams, whale, E=mc2, dog, moon, centre: log and axe with lettering
Marks/Labels
"GILLWELL 1990", stitched, green in centre of badge
"BURNABY REGION", stitched, green in centre of badge
"E=mc2", stiched, green in one of the circles
Badge, round; brown, yellow, green, off-white; machine-embroidered; picture in centre of sailing ship with scout logo on sail.
Marks/Labels
"FIRST BURNABY JAMBOREE", stitched, green at top
"CAMP BYNG", stitched, green at bottom
"1970", stitched, brown at bottom
"DISCOVERY", stitched, white on boat