FVC History Edition - June 27, 2025 - Border crossings key at Huntingdon

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Good morning!

What a day of mixed emotions. I am so grateful for the time I have spent at The Current, and for the stories I have been able to write. It is not often you get a job where the work is both valuable and fun—and in journalism, it’s even more rare to find a place where you don’t dread emails from readers. Some of those emails even helped me bring my upcoming book to life, for which I am very grateful! If you want to get updates on my book when it comes out, you can check out my website or follow me on Bluesky or Instagram. (You can also give Tyler a shout—he knows where I live.)

Now to the History Edition. This has been my baby for the past year—something I dreamed up while on maternity leave and convinced Tyler to let me pursue when I returned to work. I am so proud of each edition we have sent, and am grateful to have had the opportunity to discover so many interesting facets of the Fraser Valley’s history. Although I am leaving, you won’t be without history content: Tyler has a great story coming soon about local author Loghan Paylor, and how fiction can help fill gaps in our historical record.

All that is left to say now is thank you. Thank you for the support you have given both Tyler and myself. Thank you for trusting me with your stories. And thank you for making the Fraser Valley such an amazing place to be a journalist.

– Grace

HISTORY

Year in review

Over the past year, the Fraser Valley Current has published more than a dozen stories on various aspects of the valley’s history. FVC’s History Edition began in June of 2024, with Tyler’s story about two murders a century earlier at rail power stations in Abbotsford and Langley. (Tyler also interviewed the grandson of one of the victims for the story.)

• The Powerhouse Murders: A headless corpse, a burning room, and two trials at the start of BC’s electric age

Here's a look at the other history stories we published over the past year.

In his bestselling book Untold Tales of Old British Columbia, author Daniel Marshall wrote about lawyer William Kelly, who travelled the world in search of gold. Tyler also talked with Marshall about studying history, and why Marshall thinks people need to chill out.

• The lawyer who pursued golden dreams across the globe, and what he left behind

Grace travelled to Stave Falls to talk to tour guide Janis Schultz, whose family had been making power at the BC Hydro station for generations. She continues to keep that legacy alive.

• Generations: One family’s history at the Stave Falls Powerhouse

As part of our in-depth look at the region's rail system, Grace answered readers questions about the history of railways in the Fraser Valley.

• Who built BC’s railroads? A Fraser Valley train history Q&A

Grace sat down with centenarians Vic and Jean Arnold, who shared their memories of life, war, love, and play during their time in Abbotsford.

• ‘We just went on and one’: Love, play, war, and a century of living

The Current turned to the Chilliwack archives and Marie Weeden’s diary to learn about the joy and heartaches of the holiday season in Chilliwack a half century ago.

• ‘Notes on Christmas’: One Chilliwack family’s holidays through the years

Grace interviewed Agassiz museum curator and manager Maria Martins about the importance of digitizing Agassiz’s many newspapers, and the challenges of getting all those papers onto the internet.

• Ushering Agassiz’s history into the digital age

With help from local teachers, we dove into the histories of Abbotsford school names, from the poignant story behind Irene Kelleher Totí:ltawtxw Elementary to the farcical reveal of W.J. Mouat Secondary.

• The fascinating, sometimes ridiculous, history of Abbotsford's school names

With the Hudson’s Bay Company’s declaring bankruptcy, we wrote about HBC’s long history in Fort Langley, from the company’s arrival by boat in 1827, to its gold rush decline. We also considered the more modern history of The Bay, from the store’s revival in the Willowbrook Mall to its final death this year.

• Not just fur: How the Hudson's Bay Company built a BC outpost on salmon, butter, and gold

• The death of The Bay

Tyler wrote about Stó:lō defensive fortifications in the Fraser Canyon, drawing on research to learn what old rock walls say about how society was organized hundreds of years ago.

• The walls of Xelhálh

Finally, Grace revisited the career of legendary Stó:lō historian Sonny McHalsie on the eve of his retirement. McHalsie’s career spanned four decades, and was centred around the Halq'eméylem place names shared with him by elders. (Grace also talked to him about his plans now that he is retired.)

• Names of a Sxweyxwiyam: How legendary historian Sonny McHalsie changed the Fraser Valley's understanding of itself

⛏ June 18, 1866: Big Bend’s mines appeared to have a promising amount of gold, despite early challenges [British Columbia Tribune]

🍒 June 8, 1907: Chilliwack’s fruit crop fared relatively well after a spring frost destroyed nearly all the cherries in BC [The Fraser Advance]

🚗 June 11, 1924: Construction on a new road between Agassiz and Vancouver was expected to be completed by September [Agassiz Record]

🛶 June 14, 1932: A ride down the Harrison River nearly ended in disaster after the boat hit some rapids and sank in the river [Agassiz Advance]

🥎 June 10, 1959: The newly formed Bradner Housewives softball team trounced local teenagers in a game [Aldergrove News]

🌲 June 26, 1974: Four Canadian Forces planes were involved in the search for missing pilot Roy Mills, who disappeared during a flight from Lillooet to Chilliwack [Chilliwack Progress]

🌱 June 16, 1982: Vancouver agrologists worried that turning Gloucester properties into industrial land violated the integrity of the agricultural land reserve [Aldergrove Star]

New in history

⚾ Chilliwack Slo-Pitch is looking for old photos, uniforms, and memorabilia as the league nears its 50th anniversary [Chilliwack Progress]

👉 A 96-year-old Langley man is the last survivor of the 1958 Second Narrows Bridge collapse [Langley Advance Times]

⛪ A Chilliwack church celebrated the 100th anniversary of the United Church of Canada this month [Chilliwack Progress]

Border crossings key to Huntingdon development

Throughout the early 1800s, the border between what would become the United States and Canada was murky, shifting based on political challenges and geographic surveys. The Oregon Treaty of 1846 solidified the border in the west, extending the 49th parallel from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific. Although the border divided some First Nations, it helped spur the development of new communities centred on the movement of goods and people over the border.

Huntingdon was one of those communities. Established in 1891, Huntingdon has long relied on the connections between north and south. The town was described in Hebert Legg’s book Customs Services in Western Canada as an “enterprising town consisting of railways, residential homes, commercial facilities, customs and immigration offices, and hotels.” In its early days, the border was still porous, with many people passing back and forth without inspection. But that soon changed, with a Canadian customs office built for the railway in 1897, and the British Columbia Electric Company constructing its own customs facility in 1910.

Border security increased during the 1920s, as Americans travelled to Canada to procure liquor during the US prohibition. In 1936, a new customs building was established at the Huntingdon border, and each car passing by needed to be documented and its contents written down. By 1946, the border was open 24 hours a day, with 27 staff checking the vehicles passing through.

Today, people travelling through the Huntingdon-Sumas border crossing towards Canada are experiencing additional checks from American border patrol officers. The American border building was most recently replaced in 1998, and there had been plans to expand and modernize the building. Those plans were recently delayed, however, with construction on the crossing not expected to begin until 2028.

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SPONSORED BY YOU

HMCS Aldergrove ceramic badge

The ceramic badge represents the HMCS Aldergrove, a navy communications station located in Aldergrove. The radio receiving station was built in 1942, with a transmitting station set up in Sumas. HMCS Aldergrove handled most of the naval communications traffic for the Pacific coast during the Second World War. After the war, the station continued to act as the Pacific naval communications centre. In 1956, the station was officially designated Her Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS) Aldergrove, which gave the radio station its own ship’s badge.

The badge represents Aldergrove with the image of two red Alder leaves. The station’s importance as a communications centre is represented by a caduceus, the staff with two snakes entwined around it, that represents the Greek messenger Hermes. The radio waves are represented by the three flashes of lightning at the top of the staff.

This particular badge was given to Aldergrove resident Fred Dams. Dams was a mechanic and gas station owner in Aldergrove, and was the fire chief for many years. He was part of the Elks Lodge, Chamber of Commerce, and the Board of Trade. He died in 1977 at the age of 70.

This artifact is courtesy of Aldergrove Museum and Community Archives.

Curious curators: The Agassiz-Harrison Museum hosts a behind-the-scenes tour for kids on Friday, July 4 at 1pm. Learn how a museum works and create your own artifact. Snacks included. Details online.

Archeology camp: Langley’s salishan Place by the River hosts three archeology camps for kids aged seven to 12 in July. The camps are from 10am to 3pm each weekday. The first week-long camp begins Monday, July 7. Details and registration online.

Collecting memory: The Chilliwack Pride Society and the Chilliwack Museum and Archives are partnering to put Chilliwack’s 2SLGBTQIA+ history on the record on Wednesday, July 9. Two-spirit, trans, and queer Chilliwack residents are invited to share their memories of living in Chilliwack, and loan personal artifacts for the upcoming exhibition. Details online.

Social dining: The Kilby Historic Site hosts GATHER: A Social Dining Experience on Sunday, July 13. The three-course dinner will include live music in the rose garden. Details and tickets online.

That’s it!

Thanks for reading Fraser Valley Current ♥️ 

It’s been a pleasure reporting on the Fraser Valley for you.