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Oral Histories

Online Transcripts and Summaries

Alphabetic Listing of Persons Interviewed

    Allegretto, Adrian
    Nakade, Shin

      Interviewed on: October 2, 1991.
      Adrian Allegretto and Shin Nakade discuss some of the individuals who worked at Britannia like Ed Ljunggren and George Shorey. They also talk about Adrian's Dog, Jiggs, and the repair work that was done on the pilings under the building.
      Summary available - Online (4.2K) and Hardcopy (3 pages).

    Barnes, Irvin

      Interviewed on: October 2, 1991.
      Irvin Barnes speaks about his experiences working as a blacksmith and welder at the Britannia Shipyard.
      Transcript available - Online (49K) and Hardcopy (35 pages).

    Birkedal, Leif

      Interviewed on: October 3, 1991.
      Leif Birkedal discusses where he ended up after Britannia Shipyard Closed and the fact that he and John Robertson stripped the machinery out of Britannia and shipped it to other work sites such as Paramount Cannery and Namu.
      Transcript available - Online (4.2K) and Hardcopy (3 pages).

    Forsyth, Doris

      Interviewed on: August 29, 1991.
      Tape # 17.
      Doris Forsyth discusses her experiences as the sole female employee working at Britannia Shipyard between 1972 and 1980. Doris worked as the Bookkeeper at Phoenix Cannery prior to becoming the Stockman at Britannia.
      Transcript available - Online (37.6K) and Hardcopy (24 pages).
      Interview Duration: 48 minutes.

    Hall, Bert

      Interviewed on: February 9, 1972.
      Tape # 9.
      Bert Hall discusses his working life as an employee at the Eburne Sawmills and as a Motorman and Railroad Engineer on the B.C. Electric interurban trams. The interview also touches on policing, fire protection, road construction, agriculture and general pioneer life.
      Transcript available - Online (32K) and Hardcopy (16 pages).
      Interview Duration: 41 minutes.

    Heeren (nee Shorey), Barbara

      Interviewed on: September 12, 1991.
      Tape # 19.
      Barbara Heeren discusses her childhood memories of Britannia Shipyard, her father, George Shorey, foreman at Britannia, and other individuals who worked at the site. During the interview, Mrs. Heeren recalls specifics about the physical layout of the Shipyard, her father's strong devotion to his work, and the lifestyle of those living down on the waterfront.
      Transcript available - Online (51K) and Hardcopy (29 pages).
      Interview Duration: 60 minutes.

    Hing, Jimmy
    Kishi, Jim

      Interviewed on: August 15, 1991.
      Tape # 12, 13.
      Jimmy Hing and Jim Kishi discuss their experiences growing up near Britannia Shipyard. During the interview they relate what it was like to live and play around the waterfront, and what the quality of life offered people, especially the Chinese and Japanese cannery workers. While walking through the site and looking at historic photographs, they discuss the physical layout of the Britannia site as well as some of the individuals that used to work at the Shipyard.
      Transcript available - Online (64.3K) and Hardcopy (42 pages).
      Interview Duration: 70 minutes.

    Kishi, Jim

      Interviewed on: September 11, 1991.
      Tape # 18.
      Jim Kishi focuses his discussion on his working life at the Kishi Boatworks, but also discusses his family and his childhood growing up near the Britannia Shipyard site. The interview also features Kishi's recollections of the Steveston area in general and some of the people that lived and worked at the Britannia Shipyard.
      Transcript available - Online (33.1K) and Hardcopy (25 pages).
      Interview Duration: 41 minutes.

    Kobayashi, Yutaka (Coby)
    Kobayashi, Yone

      Interviewed on: September 17, 1991.
      Tape # 20.
      Yone and Coby Kobayashi discuss their recollections of the Britannia Shipyard site and their experiences growing up and living in the area. The interview also focuses on their family's activity in the farming and fishing industry.
      Transcript available - Online (37.9K) and Hardcopy (28 pages).
      Interview Duration: 36 minutes.

    Mackenrot (Shorey), Dorothy

      Interviewed on: September 23, 1991.
      Tape # 21.
      Dorothy Shorey discusses her experiences living at the Britannia Shipyard site from 1921 to 1965. Her husband, George Shorey, was the foreman at Britannia from 1920 until he died in 1966. During the interview, various local individuals are recalled and stories are told of the working and social life on the waterfront.
      Transcript available - Online (37.4K) and Hardcopy (19 pages).
      Interview Duration: 44 minutes.

    McKenzie, Buster
    Miller Gerry

    Miller, Gerry

      Interviewed on: July 17, 1991.
      Tape # 10, 11.
      Gerry Miller speaks about his experiences as Shipwright and Manager at the Britannia Shipyard from 1951 to 1969. During a tour through the Britannia site, Mr. Miller focuses on the work processes, boat building techniques and the machinery that was in use at the Shipyard. The interview also touches on the history of the site and the area in general, the individuals who worked at Britannia, as well as numerous memorable experiences.
      Transcript available - Online (63.2K) and Hardcopy (30 pages).
      Interview Duration: 105 minutes.

    Mizuguchi, Lanky

    Nariiwa, Saki
    Hiroshi, Nogami

    Sparrow Sr., Edward
    Cook, Harriet

    Steves, Allen

      Interviewed on: July 13, 14, 1991.
      Tape # 14.
      Allen Steves discusses his working life, particularly his experiences as a boat builder at Britannia Shipyard. The interview touches on the details of the work at Britannia, the people he worked with, and various incidents such as floods, storms and work-related mishaps.
      Transcript available - Online (32.7K) and Hardcopy (16 pages).
      Interview Duration: 60 minutes.

    Steves, Harold L., Sr.

      Interviewed on: February 7, 1972.
      Tape # 6, 7.
      Harold Steves Sr. discusses his experiences including his years growing up on a farm in Steveston during the early 1900s. A broad range of topics are discussed such as agriculture, livestock, school life, clearing land, local commercial activity, the Fraser River, the local fishing economy, the Steveston fire of 1918 and fire fighting generally, various ethnic groups and ethnic relations, the construction of roads and dykes, the introduction of electricity, the natural topography of Richmond, and the flood of 1948.
      Transcript available - Online (67.4K) and Hardcopy (40 pages).
      Interview Duration: 86 minutes.

    Upshall, Muriel

      Interviewed on: February 4, 1972.
      Tape # 1.
      Muriel Upshall discusses her experiences as a public health nurse in Richmond during 1936 and 1937 when public health programs were first established for the schools in Richmond and for the local residents.
      Transcript available - Online (31.4K) and Hardcopy (17 pages).
      Interview Duration: 46 minutes.

    Weinrauch, Jack

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