Home (Image 1 & 2)
Welcome to Sumas
This website will explore the many different aspects of Sumas. These range from the early foundations of what defines Sumas, and where Abbotsford envisions Sumas moving towards in the future. The first pages will attempt to elaborate on the early Indigenous Foundations and the beginnings of European settlement of Sumas. The pages following the early foundations of Sumas, will include sections on people’s everyday lives in Sumas as well as stories of how people were greatly impacted by Sumas Lake. Continuing after that will be a section on some select pieces of built heritage that are still standing in Sumas and how these pieces of history define many aspects of what Sumas was and still is today. The Final section will look at the 2016 Community Plan of Abbotsford and how this plan either includes Sumas and has a plan to further develop a growing historical part of Abbotsford, or if it is ultimately left out of the Community Plan of Abbotsford.
(Image 1) *Courtesy of The Reach Gallery Museum*
Background Information:
Throughout its history, Sumas has had a couple different spellings of its current name, an example of this is that it was once called “Sumass”. Another spelling that was commonly used in the mid-19thcentury was “Smess”. The Sumas area was originally inhabited by theSema:th people who were known as the fierce wolf people and were part of the larger Stό:lō Nation. The language that is traditionally spoken by the Stό:lō people is Halq’emeylem (Halkomelem).Sumas is a Halq’emeylem word meaning “a big level opening”. “A big level opening” is directly referring to the Sumas Prairie which was at one point known as Sumas Lake.
City of Abbotsford:
Sumas is part of Abbotsford British Columbia and is one the largest communities within Abbotsford. Originally, Abbotsford, Sumas, and Matsqui were divided into three separate entities. On July 9th, 1891 the Village of Abbotsford was created, and then on January 5th, 1892 the District of Sumas was incorporated. Finally, on November 21st, 1892 Matsqui was incorporated. The Village of Abbotsford and the District of Sumas amalgamated in 1971 to become the District of Abbotsford. This was the first step in creating what is now the City of Abbotsford. The final step in creating the city of Abbotsford was accomplished in 1995, when the District of Abbotsford amalgamated with the District of Matsqui and became the City of Abbotsford.
(Image 2)
*Plaque on Thomas York’s Original farmland, in front of Upper Sumas School 2019*
Home Page Sources:
Alphabetically Abbotsford: People Places Parks: Honouring the Pioneers and Builders of This Community. Abbotsford, B.C.: University of the Fraser Valley Press, 2010.
“Historic Abbotsford.” City of Abbotsford Economic Development. Accessed March 21, 2019. https://caed.abbotsford.ca/historic-abbotsford/.
“Home.” Sumas First Nation. Accessed March 21, 2019. http://www.sumasfirstnation.com/.
Reimer, Chad. Before We Lost the Lake: A Natural and Human History of Sumas Valley. Halfmoon Bay, British Columbia: Caitlin Press, 2018
“Sumas Mountain.” BC Geographical Names. Accessed March 21, 2019. https://apps.gov.bc.ca/pub/bcgnws/names/13328.html.
Indigenous Foundations (Image 3 – 5)
Sto:lo People’s Origin Stories
The origin stories of the Sumas area initially begins with the Stό:lō people who have many oral histories that have been passed down from generation to generation and help explain the history of their people in Sumas. The Stό:lō people’s oral history have no accounts of migration in or out of their homeland. They did not arrive from somewhere else, they were created here, and they were the first people to occupy the land. One Stό:lō leader asserted in a political manifesto that, “We are not the ‘first’ immigrants of this territory, we have always been here”.
Founding Fathers:
One example of an oral history of the Stό:lō people is how the world came to be. The story begins by introducing how the world was at the beginning. The world became a fluid place, populated by ‘mythic shape-shifting beings’. Historian Chad Reimer writes that, “More tribes were created, this time from ancestral animals, who, after finding a home in a particular area, were transformed into a tribe’s First Man. Sturgeon for the Lakahamen, black bear for the Chilliwack, mountain goat and sandhill crane for the Pilalt, and beaver for the Matsqui: these were the founding fathers of their people”.
(Image 3) *Sumas Lake Before Drainage, view of the vast water, trees and mountain range* Courtesy of The Reach Gallery Museum P5659.
History of the Xexa:ls:
The final age in early Stό:lō history was that of the Xexa:ls, three brothers and a sister who entered a world that was ‘not quite right’. As the siblings travelled through Stό:lō land, they transformed people, animals and landforms to make the world right again. They also created more tribes as good individuals were transformed into First Men. By the time that they were finished, they had arranged the earth as it is today.
Oral History Stories:
There are two other oral histories that describe the foundations of the Stό:lō people in Sumas. Floods were a major concern for the Sumas area and in many cases would destroy villages. According to Stό:lō oral history, one particular flood was so devastating that the Stό:lō people tied their canoes to the top of Sumas Mountain. When the flood began to subside, the canoes drifted gently down. People took refuge in a cave on the side of the mountain and waited for the water to completely recede. When they did, all of the different canoes floated to different parts of Sumas which made up the different Indigenous groups in the Fraser Valley. Xexa:ls visited these survivors and showed them the right way to live, work and pray, and in the case of the Ts’elxweyeqw (Chilliwack) people, taught them how to speak the Halq’emeylem language.
(Image 4)*View across Sumas Lake* Courtesy of The Reach Gallery Museum P1374
The other story is much shorter, but essentially occurs again because of a flood that caused a major drought in the area. The merciless drought left only two survivors, a man and a woman. Separated from each other by a great distance and weakened by profound hunger, they crawled on their bellies across the muddy lake floor until they eventually met in a small pool of water and founded the Sema:th.
The Importance of Sumas Lake
Sumas Lake was a central geographic feature that two societies were built around. The lower Sema:th occupied the wetlands northeast of the lake while the upper Sema:th occupied the prairie southeast of it. Historian Chad Reimer suggests that Sumas Lake did not divide the Sema:th but instead unified them. Both tribes would travel easily across the lake and would equally share in the valley’s abundant resources. The ancient Sema:th could feed off the abundant runs of salmon, eulachon and sturgeon along Fraser River. For countless generations, fish were the mainstay of the Sema:th and Sto:lo diet. They could also turn southward and follow the salmon and sturgeon up Sumas River into Sumas Lake, where an overflowing supply of plants, fish, waterfowl and game awaited them. The Sema:th reliance on Sumas Lake started at the most basic level as it provided the material resources that made their way of life possible. The resources fed them, clothed them, and gave them the ability to shelter themselves.
Resources Around the Lake:
Some of the many resources that surrounded Sumas Lake that helped the Sema:th people was the humble root vegetables which was an important part of the Sema:th diet. The ‘Indian swamp potato’ was a major source of starch for the Sema:th, while the sugars in blue camas provided much needed calories. Bush berries were important for teas, cake and sweeteners in other foods as well as being useful for medicinal effects. One of the most important resources for the Sema:th people was the western red cedar, known as “the mother tree of the forest”. The western red cedar’s wood was pliable yet easily split, its fibres were ideal for weaving and twining; and both wood and fibres were waterproof.
Negative Impact:
During the 1920s Sumas Lake underwent a game changing transformation that would inherently affect the Stό:lō people. An elaborate system of pumps, dykes and canals drained all the water from the lake, which had, up until this time, served as a spawning route and rearing habitat for salmon, provided an important stopover place for migrating birds, and supported many different kinds of fish, plants, and animals. The event took place without the consultation of those whose storied past was intrinsically linked to the lake. It is evident that Sumas Lake is an essential part of the lives of the Sema:th people and it was a huge loss for the Stό:lō people when the lake was drained during the 1920s.
(Image 5) *Sumas Prairie after Drainage* Courtesy of The Reach Gallery Museum P5664.
Indigenous Foundations Source:
Carlson, Keith, and Albert Jules McHalsie. A Sto:lo Coast Salish Historical Atlas. Vancouver: Douglas & McIntyre, 2001.
Reimer, Chad. Before We Lost the Lake: A Natural and Human History of Sumas Valley. Halfmoon Bay, British Columbia: Caitlin Press, 2018.
Sleigh, Daphne, and Sumas Prairie & Area Historical Society. One Foot on the Border: The Story of Sumas Prairie & Area. Abbotsford, B.C.: Sumas Prairie & Area Historical Society, 1999.
Beginnings of European Settlement (Image 6 – 11)
The First Settlers
The Beginning of Settlement in Sumas:
The Sumas Valley lies between Vedder Mountain on the east, Sumas Mountain on the north, Vedder River to the north east and the Nooksack River in the United States to the south. Much of the valley itself was under the waters of Sumas Lake, a 9000-acre body of shallow water that grew 20,000 larger in times of flood. Two of the original European settlers came to Sumas in 1862-63. They were Mr. Miller and Mr. Vedder who both had a vast amount of land. It was not until 1864-65 when a lot more people started noticing the fertile land that the Sumas area provided and decided to move into the area as well. Along with Mr. Miller and Mr. Vedder, Peter Lonzo Anderson was also one of the first pioneers to start up a large-scale farm and was one of the first real farmers on Sumas Prairie. Some of the earliest settlers who have left an intrinsic mark on the Sumas area are the York family. Thomas York and his family arrived to Sumas Prairie in 1865 and him and his family were truly pioneers of not only Sumas but a good part of the province. Even though many of these settlers came and ended up farming and settling in this area, there was one reason that most of these families were in the area to begin with. It was not the land initially, as many believe, but the actual reason that people were even in the area of Sumas was the Cariboo Gold Rush. The Cariboo Gold Rush lured many gold hungry people into the area but many ended up finding a home in the Sumas Prairie instead.
Thomas York:
Thomas York was the first to make his permanent home in Sumas and lived there until his death nearly 30 years later. The York family, like many others arrived in Sumas due to the Cariboo Gold Rush. For a short time, Tom tried his luck on the gold bars on the Fraser. However, it soon dawned on him that the better business opportunity was staring him in the face. The Sumas area was now teeming with thousands of miners on their way up the Fraser Canyon, yet there was nowhere to stay in the area through the long journey. Thomas and his wife Anna built the first boarding-house in town, allowing miners to make a pit stop on the way up or down to the Fraser Canyon. Providing this service was a smart decision for the York family because it made the family way more money to just supply provisions to the camps of the miners instead of doing the risky exercise of staking gold claims.
Thomas York was also a major influence on the area of Sumas. Being one of the original settlers in the area and having young children, Thomas donated land for the first school in the area to be created. The school was originally called the York School until 1896 when it was changed to Upper Sumas Elementary to coincide with the official name of the district and post office. The community hall also stood on his land very close to the school.
(Image 6)*Picture of Thomas York* Courtesy of The Reach Gallery Museum P131238.
Floods from 1876 to 1894
The flood of 1876 was a turning point in the history of Sumas Prairie, for it was a sudden revelation of the unsuspected power of the Fraser River. It triggered the first in a series of demands for dyking and draining of Sumas Lake. The settlers were used to regular summer overflow and knew how to plan for it, but what happened in 1876 was more extreme than anything they had experienced before, or even remotely imagined. The Flood of 1876 caused many to lose their homes and devasted all of their crops. The indigenous people of the land stated that they had not seen a flood like the 1876 flood in fifty years. The flood of 1876 had its first rise at the end of May when the river burst over the land. The water abated a little in early June until a second rise came, which seems to have been even worse than the first. The whole prairie was turned into one great lake, bridges were weakened and washed away, fences were levelled and crops were submerged.
(Image 7) *A house on the edge of Sumas Lake with the waters almost reaching the house* The Reach Gallery Museum P1104
Following this tragic flood, the farmers demanded that the government do something. The farmers constructed a meeting which resulted in a request for the government to send out an engineer to assess the problem. The authorities responded to this quite promptly by commissioning the well-known civil engineer, Edgar Dewdney, to prepare a report. Dewdney’s report envisioned two major dykes beside the Fraser, running from Chilliwack mountain to Sumas Mountain. The Easterly dyke would be 8’7″ high on average, but the Westerly one to the base of Sumas Mountain would be higher, with an average height of 14′. It would require detailed engineering specifications to contrast. Dewdney’s report was too expensive to implement and was never even put to the test.
1880 – 1882
Ellis Derby was the next person to attempt to dyke the Sumas River from affecting the people of Sumas Prairie. He agreed he would dyke not only Chilliwack and Lower Sumas but Matsqui prairie as well. On top of all of that, he even agreed to all this in the span of two years. He projected the dykes would all be in place and complete by July 1st, 1880. Unfortunately, in the next two years all he had built was the lower part of the Matsqui dyke and in 1880 high waters came and destroyed everything he had managed to build in those two years.
Colin Sword would follow Derby in attempting to build the dykes in Sumas. Sword was able to rebuild the dyke that was swept away in 1880 and received a 6000-acre plot of land as promised to Derby. However, just like in 1880, the flood of 1882 occurred and was even worse than the 1876 flood. It was a whole foot higher than the 1876 flood and destroyed Sword’s dyke. Sword gave up after seeing just how powerful the water was in Sumas.
(Image 8) *Sumas Dam and Pumping Station viewed from atop of Sumas Mountain* Courtesy of The Reach Gallery Museum P11815.
Flood of 1894:
The 1894 flood was the worst that had ever been known in the Fraser Valley since the days of record-keeping began. At 25.73 feet above the normal high tide mark at the Mission bridge, it was three feet higher than the flood of 1882. The enormity of damage was so much that from that time onward the people of Sumas never relaxed in their determination to see dykes built and Sumas Lake drained. When the Sumas municipality was incorporated in 1892, there was finally an official channel for discussions. The first official reeve (local official) of the Sumas municipality was Asa Ackerman. Ackerman was a leader in the movement to dyke Sumas Prairie and was also appointed as a ‘Dyking Commissioner’.
Pros and Cons of Draining Sumas Lake
Motivation to Drain the Lake:
The main reason to get rid of Sumas Lake was obviously the floods that devastated the people of the Prairie. However, there are other reasons that led to the eventual draining of Sumas Lake. According to One Foot On the Boarder by Daphne Sleigh, there are three other reason for the draining of Sumas Lake. Farming was the second reason because if the Sumas Lake was drained it would reclaim 10,000 acres of new farm land. The farmers were also tired of dealing with their houses and crops being destroyed every year. Another reason was the automobile, since it was growing in popularity and the people of Sumas wanted better roads in the area. The Yale road was regularly under water at certain times of the year and also was a winding route that veered a long way south to pass around the lake. If Sumas Lake did not exist the road could pass directly through to Chilliwack on almost a straight line, thereby saving much time and frustration for everyone who are traveling. The final reason was the pesky mosquito which made the lives for the Sumas Prairie settlers unbearable. It was especially bad during the summer months due to the mosquitos being around the Lake and going into the settler’s homes.
(Image 9) *Sumas Prarie flooded by about 8-10 feet of water* Courtesy of The Reach Gallery Museum P1703.
There was essentially zero debate regarding the draining of Sumas Lake. In all the months and years before the suction dredges began their work, not a single editorial in the Abbotsford Post ever questioned the merit of the proposal. In many cases it was hailed as a benefit and a mark of progress for the area. However, to drain this large body of water would necessarily involve the most radical changes to the surrounding vegetation and the wildlife inhabiting it. The draining of Sumas Lake would essentially be the destruction of the existing environment, which was one of the largest wetlands of the Fraser Valley with a teeming population of countless wildlife.
A Voice Against the Draining of Sumas Lake:
One voice of opposing views regarding the draining of Sumas Lake was from the Sumas Band, Chief Ned. He asserted that, “I am against the dyking because that will mean more starvation for us… the lake is one of the greatest spawning grounds there is, and this dyking would cut it off and, in that way, would cut off our fish supply”. He also pointed out that he and his people made half of their living from fish and ducks and other wildlife that surrounded the Sumas Lake and having it drained would inherently affect their lifestyle. For some people, the draining of Sumas Lake eliminated their picnics by the lake or boating and swimming during the summer, but for Chief Ned and his people it was something much more significant.
(Image 10) *Picture of Chief Ned* Courtesy of The Reach Gallery Museum P1410.
Goodbye Sumas Lake
Harvey Brice and Chester Smith:
Harvey Brice and Chester Smith were the two engineers who drafted the first Key Map of the Sumas Reclamation Area. This is where the Sumas Reclamation project got its name and would be used when referring to the drainage of Sumas Lake. According to historian Chad Reimer, Brice and Smith submitted their report in Janurary 1919 but it was Fredrick Sinclair’s report that was used for the Reclamation of Sumas Lake. Although both submitted reports were very similar, However, the reason that Sinclair’s report was chosen over Brice and Smith was due to cost. Brice and Smith gave a more realistic cost of the Reclamation whereas Sinclair did not and therefore his was chosen simply due to cost.
Steps Toward Reclamation:
The Marsh Bourne Company was officially chosen to tackle the reclamation of Sumas Lake. Fredrick Sinclair was the chief engineer chosen by the Marsh Bourne Company and Sinclair’s plan had begun in 1921. The first phase was the creation of the Vedder Canal to divert the Vedder river away from the lake. The Vedder river was the driving force behind many of the floods and was the most difficult part of the drainage. The first step was to block the old course of the Vedder and allow the water to flow into the new channel. In order to protect the diverted Vedder, Sinclair decided they would build dykes beside the new canal and also the Sumas River to protect against overflow. The next step was to build a large dam at the point where the Vedder canal funnels into the mouth of the Sumas River. By building the main pumping station at this spot and a second pumping station at McGillivray creek would hopefully allow for the Vedder to be fully moved. On May 5th 1922, was the big announcement in the Abbotsford Post stating that the Vedder river diversion had successfully taken place and the river was now flowing into its artificial channel.
Final Steps of Reclamation:
Following the major accomplishment of diverting the Vedder away from its original flow, the Marsh Bourne Company set its sights on the next stage; building the main dam and pumping station for Sumas Lake. The new pumping station was the largest of its kind in Canada with a full capacity of pumping over two million litres per minute which is equivalent to emptying an Olympic sized swimming pool in 20 seconds. On July 3rd 1923, was the official day that the pumps started pumping the water out of Sumas Lake. It was not until June 1924 when most of the land was considered ready for seeding and farming.
(Image 11) *Aerial view of inundated Sumas Prarie taken from Sumas Mountain* Courtesy of The Reach Gallery Museum P9201.
Sources for Beginning of European Settlement:
Alphabetically Abbotsford: People Places Parks: Honouring the Pioneers and Builders of This Community. Abbotsford, B.C.: University of the Fraser Valley Press, 2010.
Reimer, Chad. Before We Lost the Lake: A Natural and Human History of Sumas Valley. Halfmoon Bay, British Columbia: Caitlin Press, 2018.
Riggins, Loretta R., and Len Walker. The Heart of the Fraser Valley: Memories of an Era Past: An Illustrated Historical Account of the Matsqui/Sumas/Abbotsford (M.S.A.) Region in the Central Fraser Valley of British Columbia. Abbotsford, B.C.: Matsqui/Abbotsford Community Services, 1991.
Sleigh, Daphne, and Sumas Prairie & Area Historical Society. One Foot on the Border: The Story of Sumas Prairie & Area. Abbotsford, B.C.: Sumas Prairie & Area Historical Society, 1999. Chapters 3,5,9.
Typescript of family history for Thomas York, no author, no date, Folder York, Sumas Families Box, The Reach Gallery Museum Archives, Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada.
Sumas Lake (Image 12 – 15)
Stories About Sumas Lake
Interview with Myrtle Ferguson (The Reach Gallery Museum)
“Summer Memories at Grandma’s House”
Myrtle Ferguson was not from Sumas Lake, but her grandmother and grandfather lived there, and their family enjoyed many memories during their holidays there. She believed it was, “the most beautiful spot you could imagine. You looked out from their house across the lake to the far mountain and when we went on the Tram, we followed the lake shore and longed in and out and it was really lovely (AH #96)”. Ferguson’s grandmother was someone who helped many people during the floods by feeding them and letting people stay over to wait out the floods. People from Chilliwack would have their Sunday school picnics in front of the Bellerose house. Myrtle recalled that people would “come up to the house if there were things that they needed, and [her] grandma was always ready to give them what they needed (AH #96)”. Myrtle Ferguson showcases that many people came to this area to enjoy the beauty of the Lake and spent the day swimming and boating. When Myrtle was asked about being sad that the Lake was drained, she stated that, “We couldn’t imagine the house on the mountain not looking down on the lake because it had been so much a part of our lives. And I think for the Bellerose’s themselves much more so. But this was progress and now it… it’s still lovely to look out at and see all the nice farms and everything well taken care of. And put to good use so we had the joy of it when it was there (AH #96)”. This illustrates that for many it was an intrinsic part of their lives, but Ferguson has come to see the advantages of having farm land in its place while holding the memories of her summers at Sumas Lake.
(Image 12) *Three individuals with a large row boat on the shore of Sumas Lake* Courtesy of The Reach Gallery Museum P7702.
Interview with Edith Lamson (The Reach Gallery Museum)
“A Great Expense of Sand”
Edith Lamson was a settler who arrived at Sumas in 1925. In this interview, she is asked about what she remembers about the Sumas Lake after it being drained fully by 1924. Lamson was asked “What do you know about the Sumas Lake Reclamation?” Lamson asserted that, “The lake was drained when I came here and the first year I went across the lake. I went across the lake in an old model- t Ford and it was nothing but little ridgy sand. Just white sand the whole way. There wasn’t anything in sight. What I mean was there was no grass or bushes or anything. The way it was a couple of years after when the poplars took hold. You’d never believe it. But at that time, it was just a great expense of sand (AH #106)”.
(Image 13) *Reclaimed Sumas Lake ground, starting to be cleared and turned into a road* Courtesy of The Reach Gallery Museum P6999.
Following this question, Lamson was asked, “What do you remember seeing on the Sumas Lake. That grew after the Lake was drained?” Lamson responded, “The time we went across before there was anything there. I looked and looked to see if there was anything there that had floated or was left behind and there wasn’t one thing. I thought I’d see and old fish carcass or a bit of driftwood on something and I never seen a thing. And that was something that impressed me because I had expected to see something. But we just all could see was the deep ruts we made going across this sand” (AH #106).
The final question relating to the Sumas Lake that Lamson was asked was about the crops that were being cultivated once the land was ready. Lamson stated that, “The next year I guess they planted sweet clover which kind of grew up like a big weed but then that was all diced under and they put it into rye grass and then that was all diced under. This was to build up the soil. When they got the soil built up enough, they planted with red clover. My husband had a threshing machine and got a job threshing red clover. And they threshed clover seed there I guess a couple of years. After they got the soil built enough, they got it surveyed into lots and ready to sell which was all quite a busy thing (AH #106)”.
Sumas Lake Issues and Opposition
Land Reclaimed: The Government’s Part : by Bob Smith – Abbotsford, Sumas & Matsqui News – Wednesday Sept 7, 1983
One of the biggest stories that lasted for a lengthy period of time was the money that the landowners were willing to pay for the versus what the government wanted the landowners to pay for the draining of Sumas Lake. Local landowners agreed in 1919 to pay roughly one-half of the projects cost (1.5 million). Later on, the government had to change the amount it would cost to complete the draining, but the landowners agreed to the revised figure of 1.8 million. However, the government had to further hike the cost up, but this time did not ask the landowners for the assent but did not retreat from its position that the landowners would have to pay their full share (half of project). By 1924, when the construction was more or less complete, the bill stood at 3.5 million. This figure rose as the cost of reclamation work and interest was included. By the end of 1926, the cost stood at 4 million. The landowners of the area sued the Land Settlement Board saying that the Sumas Project was illegally carried out. By 1939 the bill stood at 7.6 million, double the original cost and quadruple the original amount approved by the landowners. Fortunately, the capital cost was forgiven and taken over by the senior levels of government, which have also underwritten the cost of additional construction such as the new pumphouse and related works at the Sumas Mountain damsite. This newspaper article showcases the issues that the landowners and the government had and also illuminates just how expensive the drainage of Sumas Lake truly was.
(Image 14) *ASM Newspaper* Courtesy of The Reach Gallery Museum
Mrs. Campbell Versus the Mosquitos
Sumas Prairie’s First White Women Tells of Conditions Over Half-a- Century Ago – Abbotsford, Sumas, and Matsqui News, May 20th, 1926.
Mrs. Campbell in this newspaper article describes some small aspects of her life in the Sumas area growing up. She focuses primarily on the Mosquitos and how awful they were, as well as the floods in Sumas. Campbell asserts that, “mosquitos caused much discomfort, on occasions the family being compelled to leave their home and camp upon the hillsides. Although doors, windows, and even bed-frames were carefully covered with small mesh cheesecloth, many of the insect pests managed to effect entry and torture their victims”. The Sumas Lake was notorious for having tons of mosquitos in the area and in drove the people living in this area mad. Campbell also illustrates a story of how bad the floods were in Sumas during the 1882 flood. She recalls that, in 1882, and also four years later, the lake waters rose to exceptionally high levels, flooding the few homes that had by then appeared upon the higher ridges. Myriads of fish swarmed the flood waters on those occasions, Mrs. Campbell recalls her father angling for the family dinner in the waters of the kitchen floor”. Due to the waters being extremely high levels, the homes of many were destroyed and, in this example, showcases that the families could even go “fishing” on their kitchen floor
(Image 15) *ASM Newspaper* Courtesy of The Reach Gallery Museum
Sources for Stories of Sumas
Smith, Bob. “Lands Reclaimed: A Historical Review.” The Chilliwack Progress, July 13th, 1983.
Smith, Bob. “Land Reclaimed: The Government’s Part.” Abbotsford, Sumas & Matsqui News, September 7th, 1983.
No Author. “Sumas Prairie’s First White Women Tells of Conditions Over Half-a- Century Ago.” Abbotsford, Sumas, and Matsqui News, May 20th, 1926
Typescript of Interview with Myrtle Ferguson, no author, no date, AH#96, Folder Myrtle Ferguson, The Reach Gallery Museum Archives, Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada.
Typescript of Interview with Edith Lamson, no author, no date, AH#106, Folder Edith Lamson, The Reach Gallery Museum Archives, Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada.
Built Heritage (Image 16 – 21)
Upper Sumas Elementary
(Image 16) *Class photo of the Upper Sumas School taken in 1952* Courtesy of The Reach Gallery Museum P12372.
Upper Sumas Elementary School is over 100 years old with its first classes being held at Upper Sumas in 1875. It was originally called York School, which was directly connected to the early pioneer Thomas York. Thomas York donated land for the first school in the area to be built. When the school first opened it was the only school in the area, so many students had to travel from afar to attend classes. They often encountered extreme conditions as the roads and trails were muddy and swampy in the rainy season and drifted with snow in the winter. However, the original school shut down in 1880 when many settlers left the area due to losses from severe flooding. The school reopened in 1882 but by 1888 a larger school was needed to accommodate the families of more settlers as more families were coming to the area of Sumas. Thomas York donated an acre of land at the corner of Nelles and Fadden Roads and the men in the community volunteered to build the 20’ X 32’ schoolhouse. The name remained York School until 1896, when it took on the official name of the district and the post office which was Upper Sumas.
(Image 17) *Upper Sumas Elementary 2019 36321 Vye Road*
In 1915, classes were moved from the building that was built in 1888 and instead held in the Sumas municipal hall at Whatcom and Vye Roads. A new school was built in 1919 on the site adjacent to the hall. With the draining of Sumas Lake, attendance at the school increased and buses were used to bring students in from the outer districts in an effort by the district to centralize education. For the next two decades the school underwent numerous additions and renovations to accommodate community growth. In 1938 a major expansion took place and it is that building that today serves as the Upper Sumas Elementary school for students from kindergarten to grade seven. After the Community Hall next to the school burnt down the School District purchased the property from the Sumas Municipality in 1952 with the concession that a clubroom be made available for the Upper Sumas Women’s Institute. This room is still in use today.
(Image 18) *Upper Sumas Women’s Institute Society at Upper Sumas Elementary 2019*
Sumas Substation Building
(Image 19) *Sumas Substation Building 2019*
The Sumas Substation building was originally a power house that controlled the electricity for one of Metro Vancouver’s longest traveling interurban streetcar lines. The mansion at 39623 Old Yale Road was built in 1906 by the B.C. Electric Corporation and was made of concrete, steel, and brick. This massive house held all of the equipment for powering the Fraser Valley Line of Vancouver’s vast interurban longer-haul commuter and cargo streetcar system, connecting Vancouver with Chilliwack and communities in-between.The Fraser Valley line went into service on Monday Oct 3rd, 1910 and was a great day for the families living on the isolated farms on Sumas Prairie for it was the day when they finally had a link to the outside world. However, in the 1948 the BCER launched the “Rails to Rubber” program which kicked off a decade of decommissioning the network of interurban streetcars and converting Vancouver’s web of streetcars into trolley bus lines. BCER ended up fragmenting its business after being taken over by the province in 1961 to create BC Hydro, and selling the rights to rail lines. Although the house was abandoned after the BCER was taken over by BC Hydro, the building has now turned into a luxary home that is on the market to be bought. Although the interior of the house has changed significantly, the rail tracks still sit right out in front of the home as well as the restored lettering spelling out “Sumas Substation” above the enormous front door. The exterior still looks almost identical to how it used to when it was built for its original use in 1910.
(Image 20) *BCER Railway line in front of the Sumas Substation Building 2019*
Sumas Lake Reclamation
The signs says:
“In 1924, by a system of stream diversions, dams, dykes, canals and pumps, 33,000 acres of fertile land were reclaimed from Sumas Lake. Few areas in B.C. have such rich soil with transportation and markets in close proximity. Produce of the mixed farming on this deep lake-bottom land is an important factor in the economy of our mountainous province. Province of British Columbia
1967″.
(Image 21) *Unveiling of Sumas Lake Reclamation Plaque* Courtesy of The Reach Gallery Museum P4673.
This sign is a British Columbia Heritage sign that is placed in Abbotsford and is currently an initiative to illuminate British Columbia’s history for the public. It is strategically placed on a highway rest stop to allow for people who are visiting the area to learn about Abbotsford as well as a major aspect of Sumas that has provided 33,000 acres of fertile land for British Columbia.
Sources for Built Heritage
Sleigh, Daphne, and Sumas Prairie & Area Historical Society. One Foot on the Border: The Story of Sumas Prairie & Area. Abbotsford, B.C.: Sumas Prairie & Area Historical Society, 1999.
Typescript of York Elementary, no author, no date, Education Box Folder: Sumas, The Reach Gallery Museum Archives, Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada.
William-Ross, Lindsay. “This Unique $3.75M Estate for Sale Was Once a Substation Powering Vancouver’s Interurban Streetcars.” Vancouver Is Awesome. June 05, 2018. Accessed March 21, 2019.https://www.vancouverisawesome.com/2018/06/05/sumas-substation-power-house-estate-for-sale/.
Community Plan
Abbotsford 2016 Community Plan
Examining the Community Plan of Abbotsford 2016 covers a variety of features regarding Abbotsford and the direction that the government would like to move towards. When this plan was created in 2016, the City of Abbotsford Council adopted a new and progressive Official Community Plan through a process called ‘Abbotsforward’ suggesting a plan to implement significant changes that will hopefully evolve Abbotsford. Although this plan is extensive in its multiple pages that demonstrates its overall process and goals there is a lack of acknowledgement of Sumas. One area where Sumas could have been mentioned was in the heritage conservation tab. Examples like Upper Sumas School is a vitally important part of Sumas and because it is an extremely old school it should be protected. Another area that could be looked at is that although there is mention of the new UDistrict that is being implemented around the University of Fraser Valley, there should be something involving the compensation of land and area lost to the Stό:lō people when the Sumas Lake was drained. The people that relied on it the most basically lost their main source of food through fish and wildlife surrounding the lake and when it was drained, got nothing from it. Furthermore, although the Community Plan does have several plans that will inherently enhance the city of Abbotsford, there is a lack of recognition towards the municipality of Sumas and the Stό:lō people.
(Image 22) Sources For Community Plan
City of Abbotsford. “Document Center.” Abbotsford. Accessed March 21, 2019. https://abbotsford.civicweb.net/filepro/documents/49158.