Interview de DeLeea
https://archivesshsb.mb.ca/link/archives223062
- Fonds / Collection
- Cornelius Jaenen
- Description Level
- Document
- Document Type
- documents sonores
- Date
- 1981?-12-22
- Scope and Content
- Enregistrement par Cornelius Jaenen d'un interview avec DeLeea.
- Date
- 1981?-12-22
- Document Type
- documents sonores
- Fonds / Collection
- Cornelius Jaenen
- Description Level
- Document
- Fonds No.
- 0646
- Series
- Interviews
- Reference No.
- C2015; Serveur W0947
- Creator
- Cornelius Jaenen
- Physical Description
- document sonore: cassette audio ; 00:45:43
- Language(s)
- English
- Custodial History
- Ce document a été traité le 10 octobre 2019 dans le cadre du projet de numérisation des enregistrements sonores par Sarah Story. Story a créé le journal d'enregistrement sonore en 2020.
- Le projet de numérisation a été financé par Bibliothèque et Archives Canada.
- Scope and Content
- Enregistrement par Cornelius Jaenen d'un interview avec DeLeea.
- This recording in an interview with [?] DeLeea of St. Boniface, Manitoba. DeLeea is the founder and owner of [Buckstael Construction?]. The interview includes DeLeea’s memories about land and housing development and the growth of infrastructure in St. Boniface overtime. He begins the interview by outlining his personal history. He then moves into a discussion about his work in the construction industry, sharing stories and firsthand experiences about homes and buildings that he built in St. Boniface and Winnipeg. He ends the interview by sharing immigration stories and talking about his family in the United States.
- [-45:30] Interview begins.
- [-45:27] DeLeea stated the names of his mother (Buckstael) and father (DeLeea) names and talks about his siblings. At the time of interview, he is the sole surviving member of his immediate family.
- [-44:50] DeLeea talks about his arrival to St. Boniface in 1906 at the age of 20. He outlines the arrival dates of his family and wife to Manitoba, his marriage, his children and grandchildren.
- [-43:15] DeLeea outlines his employment history. His first job in Manitoba was building the tower on City Hall and fire hall. He also worked on the Provencher School. He also built the Belgian Club in 1907. He has been in the building industry his entire life. He employed as many as 100 to 150 people in the building industry. He says that he built “quite a number of schools”, the largest being the King George School in Norwood. He built the arts building and apartment blocks. He later went into the building supply business. He employed thousands of people, “mostly French Canadians who came from outside of Winnipeg and St. Boniface by car from Lorette, St. Anne, St. Claire, St. Malo, St. Jean Baptiste, the majority were French Canadian employees and Belgians.”
- [-41:43] DeLeea describes the state of development upon his arrival to St. Boniface from Belgium in 1906, noting the mud roads, water pumps, and the general poverty of the St. Boniface district. He compares it to today.
- [-40:40] DeLeea states that he was not involved with the building of the Belgian church but remarks on his positive relations with the Belgian priests. He built the grotto.
- [-39:20] DeLeea explains his trades education. He was originally trained as a wheelwright then later became a carpenter and contractor in Canada.
- [-38:44] DeLeea explains that the first house he built was on DesMeurons Street. He talks about undeveloped lands owned by the Archbishop of St. Boniface and church, and how it was lost. He talks about a convent and a school run by the Oblates no longer in existence. He talks about a fire at the school and fireproofing his home. He also talks about moving homes.
- [-35:34] DeLeea talks about the slow development of St. Boniface and depression caused by WWI and the Great Depression in housing and land development.
- [-34:50] DeLeea speaks about the membership of the Belgian Club and describes the land purchase and the construction of the club, also commenting on the other building in the same area.
- [-33:08] DeLeea describes the building of City Hall and its tower.
- [-32:26] DeLeea talks about his love of St. Boniface.
- [-32:05] DeLeea speaks about one of his brother’s life in Belgium and immigration to St. Boniface. He then talks about his youngest brother who came to St. Boniface at the age of 18 and worked first as a butcher for J.B. [?] and then Burn’s Abattoir. He was killed on the job. DeLeea describes his brother’s death. The other brother who immigrated to Edmonton and became a gravel contractor was also killed on the job. He discusses the lack of workers compensation and its impact.
- [-27:40] DeLeea discusses the poor education in St. Boniface. He states that there was no English spoken in St. Boniface.
- [-26:45] DeLeea states that he was building a dancehall at Winnipeg Beach during the 1919 Strike. He talks about coming into Winnipeg station and his walk home being diverted due to the strike. He then talks about the bridge toll, and the construction of new bridges. He describes the court case between the City of Winnipeg and the Foley Brothers who built the bridges.
- [-23: 52] DeLeea talks about his involvement the Belgian Club. He built the club and church buildings around the club.
- [-23:18] DeLeea discusses the building of the Marion apartments. He say, “This is the biggest mistake I ever made in my life. We made a terrible mistake.” He then talks about insurance protection and business.
- [-19:44] DeLeea explains that the archbishops in St. Boniface would not sell any land to Protestants and describes the long-term impact of this.
- [-17:39] DeLeea details the moving of a chapel off the Grand Trunk Railroad track. Then he moves into a description of the Royal Bank in St. Boniface.
- [-13:18] DeLeea explains that he built houses in his spare time and that by the time he had been married 10 years, he owned 10 houses with no mortgage in St. Boniface. He talks about the forced sale of the houses during WWI at a low cost. He comments on the housing prices.
- [-11:16] DeLeea shares stories about his immigration journey to Canada. He also shares a story about travelling to Europe on vacation, then visiting relations in New York and the United States. He talks about his American family and their relations.
- [-2:00] DeLeea describes the speed of immigrant trains and travelling by rail.
- [-1:28] DeLeea explains where he was born in Belgium. He describes Walloon culture and language, noting that he “speaks Walloon just as good as he speaks Walloon.” He outlines the boundaries of where Flemish was once spoken in St. Boniface.
- [-0:00] Recording ends.
- Scope and Content (English)
- Keywords: Belgian-Canadian history, Francophone Manitoban history, local history, church history, construction industry, urban development, housing and housing development, housing market and prices, workers compensation, building insurance, WWI
- Names (business): Buckstael Construction, Foley Brothers Construction
- Names (people): Archbishop of St. Boniface
- Names (places): Belgium, Winnipeg, St. Boniface, Norwood, Lorette, St. Anne, St. Claire, St. Malo, St. Jean Baptiste, DesMeurons Street, Winnipeg Beach
- Names (other institutions and associations): King George School, Provencher School, City Hall, Belgian Club, City of Winnipeg, Grand Trunk railroad, Oblates, Archdiocese of St. Boniface
- Geographic Access
- Saint-Boniface
- Access Restriction
- Ouvert. Ce document est disponible sans restrictions.
- Reproduction Restriction
- L'autorisation du service des archives est requise pour toute reproduction.
- Physical Condition
- Bon état.
Audio Tracks
Interview de DeLeea
Interview de DeLeea
https://archivesshsb.mb.ca/media/0646/Audio/W0947-C2015.mp3