National Historic Sites in the Fraser Valley

The modern, post contact history of the Fraser Valley is not very long, but there are some interesting National Historic Sites in the Fraser Valley worth checking out.  Here they are:

Abbotsford Sikh Temple  South Fraser Way in Abbotsford, BC opened in 1912 (constructed from 1908).  It was expanded several times before being replaced in 1983 by a new temple across the street.  The Abbotsford Sikh Temple served not only as a place of worship but as an anchor point for the early East Indian community of men (and only men) who came to work in agriculture and the forest industry in the Fraser Valley.  The building itself is a two story structure with a false front typical of the pioneer western era.  Inside, however, the temple reflects traditional temple design and furnishings. A small museum complements the site.

Old Chilliwack City Hall  Main Street, Chilliwack BC was completed in 1912. This small small Beaux-Arts style building that served as city hall until 1980. Today the building houses the Chilliwack Museum.  Chilliwack City Hall is a monument to civic pride at the time of its construction and it is the only pre-1930 town hall in Canada constructed entirely of reinforced concrete.  A veterans memorial and a statue of VC Piper Richardson complement the triangle shaped site in downtown Chilliwack.

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Christ Church in Hope, BC is a wooden Anglican parish church in the Gothic Revival style built at the height of the Gold Rush era.  It is the oldest church in British Columbia on its original foundation and still holds services weekly.  File:Hope, 7 juillet 2008.jpg

Fort Langley NHS in Fort Langley, BC is a Parks Canada operated site housing the remains of and reconstructed portions of the 3rd Hudson’s Bay Company trading post in the Langley area.  At this site the Colony of British Columbia was proclaimed. Established in 1839, Fort Langley is well worth a tour.File:Fort langley nhs 3.jpg

Fort Hope was founded in 1848 as a Hudson’s Bay Company Trading Post. Today the town of Hope remains a travel and recreation hub at the end of the Fraser Valley.

Xá:ytem / Hatzic Rock just east of Mission BC is an important spiritual site for the Sto:lo First Nations.  A visitor center focuses on aboriginal history and spirituality.

Stave Falls Hydro-Electric Installation north of Mission. BC is a well-preserved example of a typical hydro-electric plant of the early 20th century (1912), the core period of hydro-electric technological development, composed of three dams, a powerhouse, a switchyard and associated equipment.  The old powerhouse currently serves as a tourist attraction known as the Stave Falls Visitor Centre.It features exhibits about the construction of the dam, hydroelectric generation, renewable and non-renewable resources, hydroelectric generation, human and natural heritage, and conservation.

Britannia Shipyard is a boatworks and shipyard located along the south arm of the Fraser River and part of Steveston’s historic “Cannery Row”.  It is noted for its historic association with the construction and repair of salmon fishery boats for Canada’s Pacific Coast salmon fishery.

So get that RV from storage and go experience some history in the Fraser Valley.

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