The history of how Mission came to be the town it is today
In 1861, Father Fouquet, a young Oblate Priest from France, chose the
site for St. Mary's Indian Residential School beside a small creek
entering the Fraser River just east of the present downtown core of
Mission. Living quarters, a church, workshops, a barn and grist mill
(grain mill) were set up along the Fraser River. Soon local farmers
were using the mill and picking up their mail at St. Mary's Mission.
The post office was known as "Matsqui P.O. St. Mary's Mission".
The advent of the Canadian Pacific Railway forced the Oblates to
rebuild their school on the plateau above the original site. Impressive
French Provincial styled buildings with Mansard roofs, one to house the
boys and the Fathers, one to house the girls and the Sisters of St.
Anne were erected with a church in between. A railway station was
opened in 1883 just below the new school. The arrival of the first
train in 1885 caused great excitement at the school.
This new mode of transportation plus the opening of a bridge across the
Fraser River (1891), connecting the east-west line to destinations
south, rapidly changed and expanded the settlement patterns. Small
communities were forming in the outlying area. Silverdale was settled
by mostly Italian settlers, Silverhill by Swedish. In Hatzic Prairie
there was a community of French speaking settlers.
James Welton Horne, a real estate broker, saw a potential boomtown
ahead. He purchased a large tract of land surrounding the bridge and
railway line. He had it cleared and surveyed into streets for a
townsite. He built stores, offices, and a hotel for prospective buyers.
On May 19th, 1891, he held his "Great Land Sale" - 300 city lots were
offered for sale as well as farm land. A special train was engaged to
bring out prospective buyers from Vancouver. Boats from Victoria
offered a round trip for $5. The St. Mary's Indian Band plus bands from
Vancouver entertained and refreshments were served. The day was a
success. The townsite and the area surrounding it grew overnight. The
area from the Stave River to Hatzic Lake was incorporated in 1892 as
the Municipality of Mission, with John McLean as the first Reeve of the
Municipality. The townsite chose to remain under the jurisdiction of
the Provincial Government.
The Board of Trade, established in 1893, played a large role in the
promotion of the town site which was called "Mission City", and the
Municipality of Mission. The CPR station, opened in 1891, was situated
in the "Y" of the tracks making it dangerous for the farmers crossing
with their wagons full of fruit to be loaded on the trains. The problem
was resolved with the building of a new station in 1910 on the north
side of the tracks. The early settlers knew the value of an education.
They donated land and built the first schools themselves. Burton
Prairie School in Dewdney opened in 1882, Stave River School in 1883.
Mission's first school was in a log cabin in the area of the old Royal
Canadian Legion in 1885. Other schools followed throughout the area.
The church played an important role in the community providing a social
environment as well as religious guidance. The first Protestant church
was the Trinity Methodist. It opened in 1892 on James Street and Second
Avenue (current Library site). A year later St. Andrews Presbyterian
Church and St. Stephen's Anglican Church in Hatzic were in operation.
The Fraser River was the lifeline for the early settlers, bringing in
supplies and taking out their fruit to markets in New Westminster. The
river brought disaster in 1892 when it over flowed its banks flooding
all the land up to the CPR tracks. The spring freshet had been a
problem before. Now the merchants decided to move north of the tracks
where Hori Windebank had his hotel, the Masonic Hall (1891) was
located, and two general merchants, Trethewey and Plumridge were
already established.
The reliable sternwheelers worked the Fraser until the turn of the
century. They were able to maneuver in very shallow water, making it
easy for them to pull up to the shore anywhere along the river. By
1920, they were used mainly for pleasure excursions.
From the dawn of the new century, the expansion of the town and
municipality was a minor explosion. A new business opened every week.
The farms were producing large quantities of fruits and vegetables and
everyone was prospering. The Agricultural Society, formed in 1895, held
a big fair each year where farmers displayed their fruits and
vegetables and livestock. Storage plants and jam factories were in
operation to take care of the surplus fruit not shipped to other
destinations. Mission became known as "The Home of the Big Red
Strawberry". The Kootenay Jam Factory (1913) ran into difficulties and
was taken over by the King Beach Co. in 1914. To keep the employees
working all year, chocolates were made in the winter. The Canadian
Canners followed in 1924, processing both fruit and vegetables until
1957.
The Pacific Co-op evolved from the Farmers Union Co-op (1919) and operated from 1932 to 1973.
The Japanese played an important role in the development of the fruit
and berry industry. They arrived early in the 1900's and by the end of
the 1930's they owned most of the berry producing farms. When they were
evacuated in 1942, the farms were left with no one to operate them. The
two world wars and the importation of fruits at lower prices, brought
the decline to the fruit industry.
Dairy farming along with poultry and hog farming were also proving
successful. The Turo Condensed Milk Co. operated from 1903-1910. In
1916 the Fraser Valley Milk Producers' Association was formed to assist
farmers in receiving fair milk prices. A special train called the
Agassiz Local ran into Vancouver every day, picking up milk along its
route. Later, trucks were used. Today the milk is pumped into large
holding tanks on the farms and picked up by milk tankers.
The forests provided warmth, shelter and a livelihood for the settlers.
They cut ties for the CPR and poles for hydro wires during winter,
while they were waiting for their fruit trees and berry crops to
mature. Small mills soon began to appear throughout the district. Shake
and shingle mills were established along the Fraser River. This new
industry attracted new immigrants from India.
To stabilize the economy and to provide revenue for the district and
logs for the sawmills, the Municipal Forest Reserve was organized in
1948. In 1958, royalties were paid to the Crown as the timber was cut.
A forestry program was started in the schools.
Canada's first and only train robbery took place in Mission in 1904. The perpetrator of the crime was the elusive Bill Miner.
The need for more electricity prompted the building of the Stave Falls
Dam and electric plant, opened in 1912. The construction of this and
the Ruskin Darn brought new people into the area, created employment,
and boosted the economy of the town of Mission. Mission's first source
of electricity was from a homemade generator built by Hori Windebank in
the basement of his cement block building on the corner of Grand Street
and First Avenue (Thomas Motel).
Telephone service began in 1907 with a line running from Mission to
Hatzic. Catherwood and Northcote took over the system in 1909 setting
up an office and switchboard in the Catherwood's real estate office on
First Avenue. In 1929 it was taken over by B.C. Telephone.
People were now demanding better and more roads. Farmers complained the
rough roads damaged their fruit on the way to the factory or shipping
point. In 1910 the first automobile arrived in Mission, creating a new
business, the "service station". The Mission Auto Club formed in 1915.
By 1916 the Dewdney Trunk had reached Deroche, but the Lougheed did not
appear until 1930. In 1927, the CPR bridge was planked for vehicle
traffic, eliminating long waits for the ferry. Mission's Main Street
(now First Avenue) was paved in 1929.
The Mission City News was published in 1893 from an office on Horne
Avenue. We do not know how long this operation lasted. The Fraser
Valley Record's first issue was in 1908. Their first location was in a
small room at the back of George Abbot's new building on the corner of
James Street and First Avenue. Later the same year, they moved into
their own building on the north side of the centre block. In 1949 they
moved into their present location.
The threat of fire was always a concern. In 1911 the Anglican Church
offered the use of its new bell to summon the volunteer fire brigade.
Their equipment was a chemical wagon on two wheels and a hose. In 1914
a water line was laid along First Avenue with a pipe and a length of
hose housed in a box in each block. The first fire hall was located on
the site of the present Museum. In 1934 they expanded on a lot behind
the present Bank of Nova Scotia and in 1974 to its present location on
Seventh Avenue at Murray Street. The first volunteer fire brigade was
organized in 1927. Today, volunteers are alerted by the page system
from the 911 dispatch office in Chilliwack.
In 1920, Mission's first official hospital was located in a house on
the corner of Birch Street and Third Avenue. In 1925, the hospital was
moved to the corner of Fifth Avenue and James Street, now the location
of Mission Community Services. This hospital was dedicated to the
memory of World War I servicemen and it served the community until the
present facility on Hurd Street was opened in 1965.
Veterans from W.W.I. formed an organization called the Royal Canadian
Legion. Mission Branch 57 was organized in 1927. They met In various
locations until 1930. The Acme Hotel was sitting on the road allowance
for the new Lougheed Highway. The provincial government offered to move
it to the present site of the Legion. In 1936 they had raised enough
money to build their present structure which has had many additions
over the years.
Arthur W. Lane was the first Provincial Constable in Mission, serving
from 1896 to 1910. The Provincial Police patrolled the village and the
unorganized territory. The Municipal Police patrolled the Municipality.
The RCMP gradually took over all policing duties. The first police
station was in the west block on First Avenue. Later buildings were
located on Welton Street and Second Avenue, then on Grand Street and
Seventh Avenue. The present Public Safety building on Oliver Street was
opened in 1984.
The first circulating Library was started by Mrs. P. Vogel and Mrs. H.
Abercrombie in 1912. above James Plumridge's store. It moved to the
basement of the Anglican Church, then on the corner of First Avenue and
James Street, with Mrs. Houlder as the volunteer librarian. Through a
gift from the Carnegie Foundation in 1930, the Library was able to
enlarge and become known as the Fraser Valley Union Library. Sam Smith
offered space for the library in his new building, which is still
standing today (centre block opposite Bank of Commerce). Through the
efforts of Tony Taulbut, the old Bank of Commerce was donated to the
town in 1941- for a library and moved up Welton Street on Second
Avenue. It is now the home of the Mission Museum and Archives.
The Chamber of Commerce continued the work of the Board of Trade in
promoting the area. In 1947 the Junior Chamber of Commerce was
initiated. Their first project was the promotion of the Soap Box Derby
and the Strawberry Festival, which brought fame to Mission for 26 years.
The David Spencer Store (later Eaton's Department Store), Mc & Mc
Hardware, the Bellevue Hotel and the Bank of Commerce were all
constructed in 1947.
In 1948 the Fraser River broke through the dykes flooding the entire
valley and paralyzing the community until the water subsided.
An outdoor heated swimming pool on Second Avenue at Horne Street, and a
Junior/Secondary School, on Seventh Avenue were opened in 1952.
Westminster Abbey was built on the hill overlooking Hatzic in 1954.
In the 1950's disaster struck again when the north end of the CPR
bridge collapsed, disrupting both rail and motor traffic for over a
year. Also during the 1950's, natural gas was brought to Mission. Our
first shopping plaza, the Rotary Health Unit (now the Central Fraser
Health Unit) and Pleasant View Senior Citizen's Home were all opened in
the 1950's.
The 1960's gave Mission a new Court House on Seventh Avenue, Mission
Oaks Shopping Mall, Turner's Building Products (took over the old Eddy
Match factory), and a new golf club was opened. The first golf course
opened in 1925 on the flats. The old St. Mary's residence was
demolished in 1965.
In the 1970's we saw a new Municipal Hall, a new four lane bridge
across the Fraser River, and the Leisure Centre. The Welton Towers
Apartments for senior citizens opened on Second Avenue and Welton
Street. The Downtown Business Association formed to meet the needs of
the store merchants.
The 70's also saw the beginning of the Citizen of the year award, Miss
Mission, and a new tourist bureau on the Lougheed Highway.
The growth of Mission continued during the 1980's. A new 75 bed
Pleasant View Intermediate Care Home facility and the Pleasant View
Apartments were completed. The Fraser River Heritage Park, a new indoor
swimming pool and the Mission Hills Shopping Plaza were also officially
opened. During the latter part of the decade, residential growth rates
brought approximately 1000 new people per year into the community. New
residential subdivisions and multi-unit residential buildings were
developed to accommodate the demands of growth.
The name of our town has gone through a series of changes. The name
"St. Mary's Mission" was deposited in the Land Registry Office on
August 28, 1884, Five years later, at the creation of the spur line
between Mission and Huntingdon, it became known as "Mission Junction".
In August 1891, we were known as "Mission City". On December 22, 1922,
the townsite was incorporated as the "Village of Mission". Then in
1957, the Village became the "Town of Mission". Finally, on November 3,
1969, the town and the municipality united to become the "District of
Mission".
Paraphrased from a summary by:
D. Crosby, March 14, 1988
Mission Museum and Archives
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