Kilby Museum - Between the Bridges

Take a day trip to the Kilby Museum, Harrison Mills BC in the northeast corner of the Fraser Valley, and you will be glad you did. This is a fun trip for kids big and little. The museum’s 5 acre site hosts an authentic 1906 general store and portrays farm life at a time when 70% of the Canadian population lived on farms.

Take a moment to imagine the days that paddle wheelers made their way up the rivers to the former Alice Springs Hotel (now the Harrison Hotel) and a CPR railway station across the street brought passengers into the area from all corners of the country. This rail line is still very much in use but the station house is long gone. You will notice that the main floor of the Kilby Hotel and General Store is surprisingly high and connected to the ground by a big wooden ramp. Why? The height of the Store made it possible to provide a level crossing via an overpass walkway to the railway station across the street and gave some protection when the rivers were flooding.

Step into the Store and it is like stepping back into the 1920s.

For history buffs like myself there is a connection with the many fine exhibits within the Kilby Hotel and General Store. In particular I enjoyed the photographs of days long ago and the chance to ruminate about a time when the province of British Columbia had a population of 178,000 and Harrison Mills only 200. The general store portion of the building is full of a thousand things that the local people needed and a few things perhaps they didn’t. Did women really need hair nets made out of real human hair? There is also a fine First Nation exhibit of the local Sto: Lo people.

The five acres shows what farm life near the turn of the 1900s must have been like. It has a number of farm animals that freely walk the grounds to amuse and delight the kids. Be sure to check out the “Beau” the bronzed turkey and “Brother” the goat. These farm critters are introduced as babies so that they can learn to be comfortable around the museum’s guests. This is a good chance to get the kids some exposure to livestock. The on-site staff dress in period clothing and are friendly and helpful with the children.

The museum opens at 11 am and closes at 5 pm so I would suggest that you get there at the opening and pack a lunch to enjoy in the cool shade of the orchard. For a special treat let me suggest that you have a piece of pie the way that mother made it, at least mine did. Fresh bread, scones, pie (is there a better dessert than pie?) soup and jams are all made on site by “Vera”. I ordered a piece of Vera’s apple pie and was going to take a photograph of it but got distracted eating it; Mmmm. I can tell you that the apples were crisp, the pastry just right my only complaint was that it disappeared too quickly.

Now while you are there here are couple of things to do:

1. Coordinate your visit to take in one of the many special event days the Kilby has posted on their website for example August 30th is the Annual Kids Festival. Or pick a quieter mid-week day and enjoy a more relaxing visit.

2. Buy a postcard or a card to write a note to a friend or yourself about your Kilby adventure and then mail it from the Harrison Mills Post Office and community Hall located just around the corner as you head back to the highway. Ask “Kim” the postal worker there for the special commemorative Harrison Mills postmark. This is a good way to occupy the kids and a nice memento of the day.

3. Finally if the weather is warm pack a swim suit and take a dip into Harrison Bay it is just a couple of minutes past the Museum site but be careful and water safe.

4. Harrison Lake, about 10 minutes east is another option for a swim, stroll or ice cream.

5. You will probably notice that the Kilby museum is in need of some work so if you can afford it why not slip a few dollars in the donation pot located at the front door of the store. Donations of larger sizes can be tax receipted through the District of Kent 604-796-2235 located at 7170 Cheam Ave. in Agassiz.

6. For more online information about life in Canada in 1900 I refer you to this site Human Rights in Canada a historical perpective.

I hope you have enjoyed this post and feel a little better acquainted with this wonderful area, if you have a story to share I would look forward to hearing from you. In particular I am looking for local stories on Sasquatches.

The next post will talk about the real estate opportunities in the Harrison Mills area you might be surprised at the quality level and the prices.

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Stephen Mullock is a full time local area real estate associate broker with 29 years of experience.