This portion of the interview pertains to John Burton's explanation of the connection between printers and unions throughout history. He also tells the story of the cylinder press being smashed by handpress workmen to protect their jobs at the London Times as well as his own experiences learning on…
This portion of the interview pertains to John Burton's explanation of the connection between printers and unions throughout history. He also tells the story of the cylinder press being smashed by handpress workmen to protect their jobs at the London Times as well as his own experiences learning on the Linotype.
Recording is of an interview with John Burton at his residence in Surrey by Lynda Mauve Orr, August 24, 1989. This interview focuses on the history of newspaper and printing presses in Canada.
Biographical Notes
John Burton was born in 1912 in New Westminster. He went to Second Street School, then Edmonds, then Saint Anne's Convent, and St. Louis College and Connaught before graduating from Burnaby South School in 1930.
While at High School, John worked at Cowan's Music Store at 716 Columbia Street in New Westminster on Saturdays and after school.
John Burton's grandfather John Foley was the founder of the Orangeville Sun newspaper in Orangeville, Ontario, established in 1861. He ran the paper until his death in 1882, when his son, John Foley Jr. took over as editor and publisher at the age of sixteen. Two of his daughters were involved in the newspaper; Margaret Foley was a regular contributor to the paper, and John Burton's mother was a typesetter.
When John Burton was a teenager, he went to Orangeville to learn the trade from his uncle. Unfortunately, he was only there eighteen months when his uncle died December 21, 1932. The family was unable to hold on to the business and the paper amalgamated with the Orangeville Banner newspaper in 1933.
Interview was digitized in 2010 allowing it to be accessible on Heritage Burnaby. The digitization project was initiated by the Community Heritage Commission with support from City of Burnaby Council and the BC History Digitization Program of the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre, University of British Columbia. It was recognized by the Heritage Society of BC with an award in 2012.
Images
Audio Tracks
Track six of interview with John Burton by Lynda Maeve Orr
Track six of interview with John Burton by Lynda Maeve Orr
Photograph of Reverend George Morrison of the United Church, Reverend Donald Grayson of the Anglican Church, and Father Dennis Luterback of the Catholic Church with hard hats on and shovels in their hands. They were participating in the sod turning ceremony for the then new combined care facility f…
Photograph of Reverend George Morrison of the United Church, Reverend Donald Grayson of the Anglican Church, and Father Dennis Luterback of the Catholic Church with hard hats on and shovels in their hands. They were participating in the sod turning ceremony for the then new combined care facility for seniors being built by St. Michael's Centre Society in South Burnaby.
Newspaper clipping attached to verso of photograph reads: "DIGGING IN ... Sod turning ceremony for new 80-bed combined care facility for seniors being built by St. Michael's Centre Society was held recently. Participating in ceremony were, from left to right, Rev. George Morrison of United Church, Rev. Donald Grayson of Anglican Church, and Father Dennis Luterback of Catholic Church."
Photograph of an excavator dumping dirt into an awaiting dump truck parked at Lillian Mann's property. Lillian Mann was a war widow who fought for ownership of her property but the City of Burnaby eventually successfully expropriated the land to be used as part of Cameron Library and Recreation Com…
Photograph of an excavator dumping dirt into an awaiting dump truck parked at Lillian Mann's property. Lillian Mann was a war widow who fought for ownership of her property but the City of Burnaby eventually successfully expropriated the land to be used as part of Cameron Library and Recreation Complex.
Photograph of an excavator at Lillian Mann's property. Lillian Mann was a war widow who fought for ownership of her property but the City of Burnaby eventually successfully expropriated the land to be used as part of Cameron Library and Recreation Complex.
Photograph of an excavator at Lillian Mann's property. Lillian Mann was a war widow who fought for ownership of her property but the City of Burnaby eventually successfully expropriated the land to be used as part of Cameron Library and Recreation Complex.
Photograph of Lillian Mann standing outside her home on Cameron Street, as an excavator dumps dirt into an awaiting dump truck parked on her property. Lillian Mann was a war widow who fought for ownership of her property but the City of Burnaby eventually successfully expropriated the land to be us…
Photograph of Lillian Mann standing outside her home on Cameron Street, as an excavator dumps dirt into an awaiting dump truck parked on her property. Lillian Mann was a war widow who fought for ownership of her property but the City of Burnaby eventually successfully expropriated the land to be used as part of Cameron Library and Recreation Complex.
Item consists of a documentation photograph of a framed panel of fourteen photographs of an unidentified correctional officer demonstrating weapon and firing stances used in firearms training. Photographs within panel are arranged in three rows with various positions of stances identified under eac…
Item consists of a documentation photograph of a framed panel of fourteen photographs of an unidentified correctional officer demonstrating weapon and firing stances used in firearms training. Photographs within panel are arranged in three rows with various positions of stances identified under each (from left to right, top row) "Port Arms"; "Easy Ready" ; "Kneeling"; "Standing"; "Hip"; (from left to right middle row) "Easy Ready"; "Standing"; "Unloading"; "Instinctive "Chest""; "Instinctive Hip"; (from left to right bottom row)"Kneeling Tradional"; "Kneeling Variation"; "Kneeling Variation"; "Sitting".
Panel with 14 photographs was originally enclosed within a thin wood frame with glass (60 x 74 cm) with photographs adhered to a blue sheet of poster board (56.2 x 70.8 cm - poster board was extremely faded; original colour can be seen as residue on backs of photographs); 14 colour photographs : 8.89 x 12.7 cm. Frame, glass and poster board disposed of due to poor condition. A reference photograph was created prior to destruction of frame and dismantling of photographs on board.
Individual photographs were removed from board and described at item level BV991.45.595 to .BV991.45.606
Photograph of the interior of the Land Surveyor's office "Hill & Burnett" inside of Burnaby Village Museum. The exhibit includes a roll top desk, a pendulum wall clock as well as land surveying equipment.
Photograph of the interior of the Land Surveyor's office "Hill & Burnett" inside of Burnaby Village Museum. The exhibit includes a roll top desk, a pendulum wall clock as well as land surveying equipment.
Photograph of the land being cleared at 5496 Dominion Street in order to create a path to move the Roberts' house onto the property. The old garage was demolished, the area dug out and made level for the foundation. The house at 5493 Dominion Street is visible in the background.
Photograph of the land being cleared at 5496 Dominion Street in order to create a path to move the Roberts' house onto the property. The old garage was demolished, the area dug out and made level for the foundation. The house at 5493 Dominion Street is visible in the background.
Photograph of an excavator making a pathway to move the Roberts' house from 5538 Dominion Street to 5496 Dominion Street. A second excavator works in the background.
Photograph of an excavator making a pathway to move the Roberts' house from 5538 Dominion Street to 5496 Dominion Street. A second excavator works in the background.
Photograph of the Roberts' house jacked up and supported by iron beams underneath. Three labourers work beneath the lifted house. In order to raise the house, some of the foundation was knocked down. A rear end of a flat bed truck is parked on the grass to the right.
Photograph of the Roberts' house jacked up and supported by iron beams underneath. Three labourers work beneath the lifted house. In order to raise the house, some of the foundation was knocked down. A rear end of a flat bed truck is parked on the grass to the right.
Photograph of the Roberts' house being moved from 5538 Dominion Street to 5496 Dominion Street. Wheels were attached to both ends of the iron beams supporting the raised house and one set of wheels was attached to a swivel on a flatbed truck to facilitate the move. The furnishings and appliances …
Photograph of the Roberts' house being moved from 5538 Dominion Street to 5496 Dominion Street. Wheels were attached to both ends of the iron beams supporting the raised house and one set of wheels was attached to a swivel on a flatbed truck to facilitate the move. The furnishings and appliances were left inside the house during the move.