VIVO Media Arts Centre Archive > Pearl Barrington

Pearl Barrington

Pearl Barrington was born about 1909 in Battle Creek, Saskatchewan, near Maple Creek. She was raised on her grandfather’s large cattle and horse ranch with her aunts and three brothers.  Her responsibility was “riding the fences”, making sure everything was tight to hold the cattle. At 14-years-old she went to hairdresser school in Calgary, working in the trade for fourteen years. She was married  in 1938 in Senate, Saskatchewan. The couple moved to Admiral, Saskatchewan, however her husband enlisted in WWII shortly after their marriage and was killed overseas. She moved back with her grandfather for a short time before moving to Vancouver in 1944. She became a “conductorette” on B.C. Electric streetcars, eventually becoming a driver and a job steward for the women. She worked for the company (also as B.C. Hydro) for 28 years. Pearl remarried in the early 1970’s.

Audio Interview 1982

Description

Barrington describeds her life on a large ranch in southern Saskatchewan; leaving to attend hairdressing school in Calgary; her decision to move to Vancouver; being one of B.C. Electric Railways conductorettes, conditions of hiring, description of job; training to be a bus driver; building the bus drivers’ union; solidarity among women drivers.

Transcription

Full interview: Barrington, Pearl

 

Title: [Pearl Barrington – 1/2]

Creator: Diamond, Sara

Contributor: Barrington, Pearl

Subject: Women–Employment–British Columbia ; Women labor union members–British Columbia ; Women–Employment–British Columbia–History–20th century

Date Created: 1982

Type: Audio recording

Genre: Interviews

Extent: 1 audio cassette

Format: audio/mp3

Language: English

Identifier: SD-WLHP_450_03A

Is Part Of: Sara Diamond fonds

Series: Women’s Labour History Project

Source: Original Format: The VIVO Media Arts Centre. Crista Dahl Media Library & Archives. Sara Diamond fonds.

Rights: Media provided for research and reference use only. Permission to publish, copy or otherwise use of this media must be obtained from the Crista Dahl Media Library & Archives.

Title: [Pearl Barrington – 2/2]

Creator: Diamond, Sara

Contributor: Barrington, Pearl

Subject: Women–Employment–British Columbia ; Women labor union members–British Columbia ; Women–Employment–British Columbia–History–20th century

Date Created: 1982

Type: Audio recording

Genre: Interviews

Extent: 1 audio cassette

Format: audio/mp3

Language: English

Identifier: SD_WLHP_450_03B

Is Part Of: Sara Diamond fonds

Series: Women’s Labour History Project

Source: Original Format: The VIVO Media Arts Centre. Crista Dahl Media Library & Archives. Sara Diamond fonds.

Rights: Media provided for research and reference use only. Permission to publish, copy or otherwise use of this media must be obtained from the Crista Dahl Media Library & Archives.

Photographs

Courtesy of Pearl Barrington. Sara Diamond fond.