I want to thank everyone who came out today to hear a bit about the story behind the Heights, and to mingle with neighbours. It was an absolute pleasure to share history with such a warm group of people. So, onto some housekeeping. I want to share a few items that we discussed along the way.
First off, is a link to the Heights Neighbourhood Association’s (HNA) facebook page where you can find information about the Neighbourhood Association, and more photos from this walk and other HNA events. Click below:
So, on that, thank you to Margie, Barb, Paula, Lawrence and I forgot to mention Laura – all from the Heights Neighbourhood Association, who each helped to make the event an absolute success.
I also want to thank Arilea and Rebecca at the Burnaby City Archives, for helping me to source a lot of images and rich histories on each of the locations. Please do not hesitate to contact Arilea or Rebecca if you need any help finding material, or if you would like to donate your personal archive for the benefit of all Burnaby residents for ages to come. To contact them and/or to do a bit of your own research on Burnaby, please visit the Heritage Burnaby website by clicking below:
I promise that you won’t find a better online archive anywhere in the region. The Burnaby Archive was recognized a few years ago for sharing a nomination with the Smithsonian Insitution for “best re-purposing of descriptive data.” Basically, they have an excellent search tool to find photographs, written work, information on landmarks, old Council reports, and even recorded conversations with some of Burnaby’s notable ‘old-timers’! And if you need any help – don’t hesitate to call the Archives directly, or visit them at the McGill Library – information can be found on the website (click on above image).
I’d like to end by thanking others who helped provide some of the research for the walk, including Mrs. Collins from St. Helen’s Elementary, and Irma Taylor from Seton Villa for shedding some light on the stories that followed the Sisters of Charity of Halifax and the St. Helen’s Church & School, and Seton Academy. And thank you to former Concillor Celeste Redman and her daughter Mondee, for helping me to make sense of some of the nuances of the history of the Heights.
Last but not least, thank you to the wonderful, helpful teachers and staff of the other schools along our walk, including those at Gilmore, Rosser, Burnaby North Secondary, and Confederation Park Elementary. And of course, thank you to the Burnaby Now, for helping to promote the walk with a featured news article.
Please stay tuned for photos from the walk. I will also try and post videos on YouTube from the walk as they become available, thanks to the efforts of Mrs. Collins for recording my presentation at each stop. If you would like to contact me directly, please click on the “Contact” link above which will send an email directly to my inbox. Otherwise, please feel free to leave a comment below, and again, check back soon for more pictures as they become available.
Starting in about the early 1960s with her first book, “