Author: AGHS

New numbers, new systems...updated telephone procedures for 1959.

#advancedtechnology #localhistory #storiesmatter #ourcommunity

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One of the best things about our early Aldergrove Star editions are these in-person memory interviews. They give us such insight into our community's early days and can even add weight to stories told by ancestors.

For example, there is a tale for another settler family who was encouraged to move here from the Lynden area by DW Poppy, who was on his way to Lynden for a dentist visit. It was raining, so the settler invited Mr. Poppy in for tea. As the conversation progressed, Mr. Poppy convinced the settler that Aldergrove was the place he wanted to live, and soon thereafter land was taken up along the Yale Wagon Road between 256th and 260th. This news story demonstrates that the story could plausibly be true.

#storiesmatter #localhistory #ourcommunity

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I remembered the house that was there, but couldn't remember what happened to it; found the answer while looking in the paper for something else. Does anyone have a photo of this house or farm before it burned?

#storiesmatter #localhistory #ourcommunity

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Get out there and #makesomememories Aldergrove.

#supportlocal #takelotsofphotos #storiesmatter

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Today is the 81st Anniversary of VE Day. Here is a look at how our Township marked the end of WW2 in Europe.

#localhistory #storiesmatter #lestweforget #wewillrememberthem #ourcommunity #VEDay

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This week in 1998, Aldergrove's teens were celebrating the official launch of Aldergrove Neighbourhood Service's Nights Alive and Wired Teen Coffeehouse activities.

#teenlife #storiesmatter #ourcommunity #localhistory #communityspaces

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Practical school curriculum 106 years ago.

#SD35 #schooldays #countryschools #storiesmatter #localhistory #ourcommunity

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Today marks the 81st anniversary of Liberation Day (Bevrijdingsdag) in the Netherlands, and we're celebrating with a look back at the Liberation Parade held in Lynden, 1990.

#LiberationDay2026 #localhistory #ourcommunity #storiesmatter

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A fond but sad look back at Aldergrove Elementary which, along with the recent loss of our 1912 Presbyterian Church building, serves as a stark reminder that buildings with any level of heritage status are only safe until they become inconvenient and hinder someone's plans.

#oldplacesmatter #ourcommunity #localhistory #storiesmatter

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Most of you have already established which school this was, but here's the last set of interior photos. The library in this school, which used to be along the main hall that ran east-west was moved to the old gym when the new gym was constructed. The preschool looks like it was in what we 1970s students called "The Annex" which was south of the original gym and where many of us who were in Grade 5 at the time went for "Metric Lessons".

#aldergrovelementarymemories #storiesmatter #ourcommunity #localhistory #SD35 #shouldhavebeensaved

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Continuing our walk down memory lane in one of Aldergrove's schools. Many of you have already figured which school this is (was). Tomorrow we'll post the final set of interior photos from this file, and they will provide a definitive answer, although many who attended this school in prior to it receiving a new gym might not recognize it from tomorrow's photos.

#SD35 #schooldays #ourcommunity #localhistory #storiesmatter

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Well there's certainly no shortage of things to do this weekend or in the coming weeks! We know that some of these events are a couple of months away, but registration and/or tickets are required so avoid disappointment and do it now. If there is no registration information, please contact the organizers directly for more information, such as for the Langley RCMP Youth Camp.

#supportlocal #ourcommunity #makesomememories #takelotsofphotos

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A walk down memory lane with "Name the School" - testing the knowledge of some of our long-timers. 😛

More photos will be shared tomorrow.

#SD35 #schooldays #ourcommunity #localhistory #storiesmatter

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Two pages from the County Line Elementary Scrapbook - Christmas 1974 and 1975

#SD35 #schooldays #localhistory #storiesmatter #ourcommunity

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Today is the conclusion of the Charles Richards family. Charles and Elizabeth's youngest son Alfred seems to have lived a very quiet life. He moved to Burnaby with his mother after the death of Charles, marrying Dora Dixie in 1935. Alfred and Dora moved out to White Rock, living near the western end of Marine Drive. Dora passed away in 1978 and Alfred moved to an apartment on Martin Street. He passed away in 1983.

Charles’ eldest son Charles Vernon did not come with the family to Canada, opting to remain in England. Through various documents – census returns, passenger lists, voter lists & news items, I was able to learn a fair bit about him. He and Frederick lived for a time in Melbourne, Missouri, New Jersey, Jamaica, Bermuda & Menorca and held various jobs including commercial photographer, merchandise shipper & secretary. Charles never visited his family in Canada …

Welcome to Part 2 of the Charles Richards story. From published newspaper accounts, we know the Richards family was living in Aldergrove prior to September 1912. We also know that Charles Richard was a petitioner for & a charter member of the Aldergrove Farmers' Institute & was responsible for hiring the AFI Store Manager. Despite the feature article about the Richards men during the war, I have thus far only found proof of 2 of Charles' 5 sons serving in the armed forces.

When war broke out, both Reginald & Cecil enlisted in the Canadian Expeditionary Force & served overseas. Charles & Elizabeth received notification at the end of December 1917 that Reginald had died of wounds received in November - to then find out that the army had made a mistake, he actually lived & returned to active duty, only to receive more wounds a few months later. Reginald …

Something I bet no one has on their “Aldergrove History” bingo card: A former Scotland Yard inspector & his family living on a farm near the former Jackman BCER station who was also a charter member of the Aldergrove Farmers’ Institute. Here is Part 1 of the story, which is rifled with very deep rabbit holes.

Charles Richards was born in June 1856 in Staplehurst, England. He joined the Metropolitan Police in 1875 & married his 1st wife, Harriet, in 1885. Their son Charles Vernon was born in October 1886. Sadly, Harriet died in 1887. Charles then married Elizabeth Farrer in 1889 & they had 4 sons: Thomas (1891), Cecil (1892), Reginald (1898) & Alfred (1904).

In 1895, Charles was the arresting officer of Oscar Wilde at London’s Cadogan Hotel, but this was not his only famous case. Early in his career he came face to face with master of …

Happy 153rd birthday to the Township of Langley 🎂

Today we've got coverage of the formation of the Township - first was the 1872 announcement that the Yale Road was finally under construction - and here we are 154 years later with the SkyTrain being built along the (mostly) same corridor. Then came the proclamation of The Langley Fence District in January 1873 (should anyone want to read the 1869 Fencing Ordinance, I can post it in the comments if requested) and finally on 26 April 1873, Langley was declared a municipality.

This was followed by the first call for an election, the first election results, the first time a Langley politician's name was spelled wrong by the press and the first council meeting. Incidentally, 19 years later was the first time some of the residents of Aldergrove tried to separate from Langley Township.

#storiesmatter #localhistory #ourcommunity

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Two sports pages from the County Line Elementary School scrapbook.

#storiesmatter #schooldays #SD35 #localhistory #ourcommunity

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Your weekly community events calendar, brought to you by the volunteers at Alder Grove Heritage Society.

#makesomememories #ourcommunity #takelotsofphotos

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I came across this nice feature article that was written about Norm Green when he retired from teaching in 1980, so I put together a few other articles including his obituary. I wasn't in Mr. Green's Grade 5 class at Aldergrove Elementary, but I remember he visited student gardens as part of his judging duties for the Aldergrove Agricultural Association Fall Fair. Here is the story that was published in The Place Between:

County Line 1951 - GREEN, Norman & Margaret (Kellett) – written by Connie Petersen for The Place Between Volume 2

Norman & Margaret settled on County Line North in 1951, with Norman becoming principal of County Line School from 1951-1957, when the school was only 4 rooms. When he first arrived in the District, Norman didn't own a car. As he lived only a short distance from the school, he overcame this problem by walking.

Norman was …

Are you one of the Cubs in this December 1970 photo?

#storiesmatter #ourcommunity #localhistory

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Before my time at Aldergrove Elementary, perhaps dissecting chickens was no longer in the curriculum for Grade 6....

#countryschools #SD35 #storiesmatter #localhistory #ourcommunity

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The article on the left is a rabbit hole creator, not because it tells how many were stationed at each base, but because of the other bases in BC that I didn't know about. This happens when the primary focus of your research is your local community. 😉

The article on the right shows how having a military base in town can be good for the community, it can also have an adverse, unintended effect.

#storiesmatter #localhistory #ourcommunity

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