Month: October 2024

Your #communitymuseum holds a few hundred local family history stories. They are currently being digitized. These stories were gathered for The Place Between volumes 1 & 2, but many of these files haven't been viewed since the books were published in 1993 & 2001 respectively. Not everything in these files was included with the books, so who knows what treasures we may find! We're also working on a searchable index of the many obituary clippings we have in our paper and digital files.

#ACAHashtagParty #ArchivesBacklog #storiesmatter #localhistory

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Here's a look back at Hallowe'en 1987 with items from the Aldergrove Star for 29 October 1987 as well as a Top 10 Horror Films of 1987 list from IMDB.

The author of the Top 10 also added a "notable, but didn't make the cut" list:

Bad Taste, The Stepfather, A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors, Fatal Attraction, Prince of Darkness, Dolls, The Witches of Eastwick, In a Glass Cage, Anguish, StageFright: Aquarius, Creepshow 2, Street Trash, Wicked City, The Gate, Reflections, Faceless, The Believers, Scooby-Doo Meets the Boo Brothers, Dead of Winter, Flowers in the Attic,

The Offspring, Nekromantik, Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II, Devilman: Birth, Epidemic, My Best Friend is a Vampire, Blood Diner, The Kindred.

#happyhalloween #localhistory #storiesmatter #gomakesomememories #besafe

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The ghosts of Hallowe'en Past.

#storiesmatter #localhistory #haveasafehalloween

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HMCS Aldergrove and RCN news for the first third of 1965 - a new national flag, a new recruit, exciting adventures for local Sea Cadets and an active bowling team who had a firm grip on 3rd place in the Alder Lanes Bowling B League.

#storiesmatter #localhistory #royalcanadiannavy #seacadets

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How paper was made.

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It's #MapMonday and here is a 1918 map from the University of Toronto's Government of Canada Sessional Papers collection that explains the names and locations of BC's many mountain ranges. Knowing these are at times important in figuring out locations discussed in historical stories and accounts of events.

To see a larger version of the map, right click and open the image in a new tab (assuming you're using a computer, that is).

#storiesmatter #whereisthat

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We were very happy to welcome a group of heritage enthusiasts - the Langley Heritage Society CN Station volunteers - to our museum on Saturday for a private tour. Lots of great questions and discussion not only during the tour but at lunch afterwards. Thank you for visiting! =)

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Did you know, that lurking in the overgrown Bertrand Creek are the remnants of the GNR trestle pilings that once supported the tracks as they wound their way towards the old Fernridge Mill that once sat on the bank of the creek south of Fraser Highway before continuing on to the Aldergrove Train Station and off into Abbotsford?

#storiesmatter #localhistory

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This week's 1944 Victory Garden column discusses local 4-H kids as well as dealing with something many of us have - clay soil. I also came across an interesting article about the Aldergrove Agricultural Fair and kids, specifically the Junior Gardens that were carefully laid out, tended and then judged at our annual Fall Fair.

#localhistory #storiesmatter #foodsecurity

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What's happening this weekend in and around our fair community. Check back on Sunday to see what local events will be taking place on Hallowe'en.

#supportlocal #makesomememories #storiesmatter

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Lots of familiar names in this County Line School report from June 1961.

#storiesmatter #localhistory #familyhistorymonth

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Back in the early days of birth, marriage and death registrations, many events went without being registered. The 1896 birth of Lavina MacKenzie is one such example. She didn't obtain a certificate of birth until 1965. What is especially interesting to me, is that Lavina, who married Frederick Bird in 1918, was delivered by midwife Mrs. Swanson - one of my maternal great great grandmothers.

Fast forward many years when Fred & Lavina's son Ernie joined the Aldergrove Volunteer Fire Department and he, along with wife Sharon, became life long friends with my parents. Many of you will remember that Fred & Lavina built Bird's Store at 64th & 264th in 1946, which the family owned until its sale in 1959, shortly after Fred passed away.

#storiesmatter #localhistory #familyhistorymonth

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When the society's volunteers were conducting their research for our two local history books, they would often ask people to write down what they recollected about their neighbours - who were they, when did they arrive, etc. They were - and still are - very useful research tools. Here is one that was done in 1992 by Captain Al Gibson for Bradner Road north.

What do you remember/know about your neighbours past and present?

#storiesmatter #localhistory

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This week's Navy News, Sea Cadets and a Canada Day recruiting advertisement.

#storiesmatter #localhistory #royalcanadiannavy

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Over the weekend I found this 1898 Rand McNally map of British Columbia online. Interesting to see some older communities and even cities whose names have been changed.

#storiesmatter #localhistory #mapsareawesome

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This c. 1916 photo of telephone operator Phyllis Cuffley was taken inside the building that now houses our #communitymuseum. She is facing the front of the building, just beside right hand front door. The left hand front door enters the foyer seen behind Miss Cuffley's right shoulder, with the customer service door opening into the foyer, where customers could pay their bills, order service or make a telephone call from the public phone. Job bags for the linemen and other telephone employees are hanging on the wall.

#localhistory #storiesmatter

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What's happening around town this weekend - Music Bingo, Sports Day, Legion Breakfast, Langley Arts Council classes & exhibits to register for, household hazardous waste collection, and totally unrelated to the preceding, tomorrow is election day - if you haven't already, get out and vote.

#supportlocal #makesomemories

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Today we're going to see what some of Aldergrove's residents were up to 110 years ago, in March 1914. These regional news columns often have such great tidbits of information, and this one is no different.

#storiesmatter #localhistory

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Does your family have any Sasquatch stories (true or probably not true) - a certain parental unit of mine used to make up all kinds of stories to tell the grandkids. He told his eldest grandson that he used to have a cookout lunch with Sasquatch when he was fishing in the Hope area.

#storiesmatter #localhistory

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For the long-timers - here's a memory test with a 1989 Flashback - Fraser Highway just west of 264 Street, looking north. =)

#localhistory #storiesmatter

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HMCS Aldergrove Navy Log for May 1964 and a look back at construction progress in 1943.

#localhistory #storiesmatter #royalcanadiannavy

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We would like to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving, especially to our very small band of volunteers who give of their time and talents to keep your #communityarchives moving forward.

Today's post, although it's from December 1943, seems to offer some positive food for thought as we move into the 2024 holiday season.

#localhistory #storiesmatter #itsthesimplethingsinlife

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We love it when someone has identified the people in photographs. As many of you already know, the first telephone office was located inside Nan Gillette's Confectionary Store. Garland was a telephone agent/operator in Aldergrove for a short time, but then moved to the Abbotsford exchange.

Iola was daughter to Miles & Jessie Walker. Miles was a bookkeeper at the Otter Shingle Mill, where he also ran a small store. Verna Hamre was daughter to Goodman Hamre, jitney operator and service station owner.

#storiesmatter #localhistory

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It's Victory Garden Saturday, but unfortunately there wasn't a Victory Garden column for 12 October 1944, so instead we'll jump through time back to 1918 and have a look at the recommended budget for a Canadian family of five.

While ours was a community of productive, working farms, even the farmer's crops were governed by the rationing laws and the War Time Prices & Trade Board of Canada. All citizens were reminded that food was needed for the troops, so everyone was expected to do their part.

The original copy of this booklet is held by Library and Archives Canada.

#ww1 #rationing #storiesmatter #localhistory

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