Photograph of two Boy Scouts and a Scout leader. The leader is explaining something and gesturing; eggs and an egg carton are in front of the two Boy Scouts. The photograph is from Burnaby Today.
Photograph of two Boy Scouts and a Scout leader. The leader is explaining something and gesturing; eggs and an egg carton are in front of the two Boy Scouts. The photograph is from Burnaby Today.
Photograph of members of the North Burnaby chapter of the Order of Royal Purple, the female auxiliary of the Elks of Canada. The three women in front are holding a book open in front of them.
Photograph of members of the North Burnaby chapter of the Order of Royal Purple, the female auxiliary of the Elks of Canada. The three women in front are holding a book open in front of them.
Note on recto reads: "Rear - Rebecca Delaferaude - Loyal Lady / Mary Levesque - Lecturing Lady / Eleanor Holvick - Pianist / Peg Spencer - Member / Nell MacLellan - Conductress / Front - / Carrie Hertner - Honoured Royal Lady / Mary Davie - Supreme Honoured Royal Lady / Betty Rowell - Secretary"
Note on verso reads: "C-1 Friday reduce 62% / special guest / PMT 80% / page 7 / Burnaby Today"
Photograph of protestors outside of Black Cat Video, demonstrating against the sale of pornography. They are walking and holding up signs. The photograph is from Burnaby Today.
Photograph of protestors outside of Black Cat Video, demonstrating against the sale of pornography. They are walking and holding up signs. The photograph is from Burnaby Today.
This portion of the interview pertains to W.H. "Harry" O'Brien's involvement with the formation of the Army of the Common Good Credit Union (now the South Burnaby Credit Union).
This portion of the interview pertains to W.H. "Harry" O'Brien's involvement with the formation of the Army of the Common Good Credit Union (now the South Burnaby Credit Union).
Date Range
[1932]-1936
Photo Info
Harry and Gertrude (Sutherland) O'Brien on their wedding day, October 12, 1940. Item no. 315-005
Recording is a taped interview with W.H. "Harry" O'Brien by SFU (Simon Fraser University) graduate student Bettina Bradbury. Major themes discussed are: the Army of the Common Good, the Union of the Unemployed and the Common Good Credit Union (now the South Burnaby Credit Union). To view "Narrow By" terms for each track expand this description and see "Notes".
Biographical Notes
W.H. “Harry” O’Brien was born in the coal mining town of Nanaimo, British Columbia on October 20, 1914. He came to Burnaby with his parents and five siblings in 1927. Harry’s mother, a school teacher, wanted her children to live closer to school in order to obtain a better education, so the O’Brien family settled at Inman Avenue, Burnaby. Harry's mother, Mary Anne Crossan, was Gilmore Avenue School's first teacher.
Harry left school in June of 1929. Harry’s father worked as the caretaker at Central Park around this time and Harry helped him to clear brush, plant trees and enforce the land clearing and wood cutting permit regulations held by men who were on script.
Although too young to vote by just over a week, Harry O'Brien worked as a scrutineer for the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) during the 1935 Federal Election.
On October 12, 1940 Harry O'Brien married Gertrude Sutherland at St. John the Divine in Burnaby. The Sutherland family came to Burnaby from Winnipeg in 1933 and settled at Nelson Avenue.
Harry began his involvement with the Unemployment Organization in Burnaby by participating in an organised protest against the municipality for homeowner evictions brought on by unpaid taxes. The South Burnaby Union of the Unemployed organised in order to protest rules around receiving Relief. Harry became involved, eventually becoming one of the spearheads of the organization, taking over as secretary by 1936.
Harry was an original member of the Army of the Common Good, helping to produce over one hundred and twenty-five tons of vegetables from its own gardens to feed Burnaby citizens suffering from the lack of resources during the Depression years. The members of the Army of the Common Good who cut wood for consumption or worked in the gardens were given credit for their work through LU (Labour Units) which they could then use to buy groceries and that at the Army's Cooperative stores, one of which was at McKay Avenue, where Harry began working as Manager of Groceries in 1937. The Credit Union movement of British Columbia was also organized by Harry O'Brien and his fellow Army of the Common Good members.
W.H. "Harry" O'Brien died July 1, 1992.
Bettina Bradbury teaches history and women's studies at York University. She is the author of Wife to Widow. Lives, Laws and Politics in Nineteenth-century Montreal. (Vancouver: University of British Columbia Press, June 2011), 520p; Working Families. Age, Gender and Daily Survival in Industrializing Montreal. (Toronto: Canadian Social History Series, McClelland and Stewart, 1993); (Republished Toronto: Oxford University Press, 1996) (3rd edition, Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2007). These interviews were undertaken after she completed her MA at Simon Fraser University in 1975 with the support of an LIP grant.
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.
Pin, round, enamelled brass. Wide blue border around outside with thin gold edges and gold lettering "INTERNATIONAL. BOWLING. TEAM. / VISIT. 1927. TO. CANADA". Inner part of pin is cruciform, with round centre connected to outer edge with four arms, open cut-out areas between. Each arm shows a coloured enamel floral symbol. At top is the rose, at right are shamrocks, at bottom is the lily, at left is the thistle. At the centre of the pin is the Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom in red and blue with gold. Locking pin back on reverse, open loop. "R. SCOTT / GLASGOW" in raised letters near bottom edge. Some discolouration on back, very slight wear on front.
"INTERNATIONAL BOWLING TEAM", embossed gold lettering in half circle along top of pin
"VISIT 1927 TO CANADA", embossed gold lettering in half circle along bottom of pin
The Memorial fountain is made of British Columbia granite. The fountain is currently three courses of rough stone, leading up to the smooth water bowl. Two side pillars carry the memorial stone and the peaked cap stone at the top.
The memorial stone's face is smooth, to present the cut text of the memorial. There is a maple leaf cut into the face of the cap stone. The text and the maple leaf are highlighted with black paint.
There is a small block at the rear of the fountain to allow children easy access and there is a smooth stone drinking bowl for animals at the proper right of the base of the fountain.
The fountain on its original site was four courses high. In its current site the bottom course is set level with the ground. The main bowl is supplied with running water but the animal bowl is dry.
Object History
The fountain was erected by the Burnaby Civic Employees Union (now CUPE Local 23) and is dedicated to Union members who died in the Great War. Local stonemason, William Williamson, constructed the fountain in 1923 and it was unveiled on June 17, 1923. In 1977, the fountain was moved and rededicated from the old Burnaby Municipal Hall site to its current site at Burnaby Village Museum. On November 23, 1992, the fountain was given official Heritage Designation by Bylaw # 9807, Municipality of Burnaby
Marks/Labels
"IN MEMEORY / OF OUR FELLOW WORKERS WHO FELL IN THE WAR / 1914 - 1918 / ERECTED BY / THE CIVIC EMPLOYEES UNION - BURNABY - 1923", cut into the smoothed face of the memorial stone on the fountain.
There is a maple leaf cut into the face of the cap stone on the top of the fountain. The maple leaf motif is also used on veteran grave stones.
Pin; gold, white, blue, red; gold bar with writing engraved; had two chains from which the oval hangs; oval has crown on top and British flag in centre; flag is overtop of white star on blue background; gold writing along outside edge. "PRIMARY / LIFE MEMBER / IMPERIAL ORDER / DAUGHTERS OF / THE EMPIRE"
Object History
The Imperial Order of the Daughters of the Empire (IODE) is a Canadian women's charitable organization. Founded in 1900 during the Second Boer War in patriotic support of the British Empire.
The New Vista Society - Program -- [1955]. Program for the official opening of The New Vista Society Senior Citizen Housing Project No. 7. The front cover has a photograph of the new buildings being opened. The event took place on Wednesday, September 14, 1955. The reverse side of the program outlines the different parties involved in the organization of the new buildings including the Burnaby Municipality, Burnaby Lions Club and others.
Museum & Art Notes - Booklet -- [1951]. The Art Historical and Scientific Association publication of Museum & Art Notes. This is Volume 1, Number 4 of the Second Series, March 1951. The front cover features a picture of the front entrance of the Association's building. This issue has articles on:
Our Business Premises
Autobiography of a Great Anthropologist
The Pleistocene Age of British Columbia
The Tuatara
The Flora of Fairmont Hot Springs
The Passenger Pigeon
Reverend Jonathan Green
The Burnaby Lodestone
The Totem Poles in Stanley Park - Booklet -- [194-?]. Created by The Art, Historical and Scientific Association in Vancouver BC. The booklet was created by John C. Goodfellow. The cover is brown with and illustration of a totem pole on the left side.
Museum & Art Notes - Booklet -- [1949]. The Art Historical and Scientific Association publication of Museum & Art Notes. This is Volume 1, Number 1 of the Second Series, September 1949. The front cover features a picture of the Dimorphodon Macronyx model made by Madam Erna C. von Engel-Baiersdorf. This issue has articles on:
The Method of Reconstructiong Human and Animal Remains in Sculpture and in Paintings
Early History of the Burnaby Family
Indian Native Art
Sundews
The Aleuts of Attu
The Trumpeter Swan
Achatina Fulica, The Great African Snail
Some Field Work of the Curator
Palomar's Giant Eye, the Hale Telescope
The Directors, Life and Honorary Members of the Art, Historical and Scientific Association.
Museum & Art Notes - Booklet -- [1951]. The Art Historical and Scientific Association publication of Museum & Art Notes. This is Volume 2, Number 1 of the Second Series, November 1951. The front cover features a picture of the "Melanope" ship and the "Empress of Russia" ship in Vancouver 1930. This issue has articles on:
"Melanope," The Ship of Tragedy
Time, and the Indian
Panechates, Son of Hatres
The Pleistocene, or Ice Age of South West British Columbia
Birds in the Cariboo
The Fine Arts
The Museum is a School of Visual Education
The Cinder Cone Buried Forest
Pioneer Wesleyan Missionaries in British Columbia