August 1896- The Great Excursion to Agassiz, British Columbia
This post covers postal delays and the Agassiz Dominion Experimental Farm.
It also looks at the Canadian Pacific Railway excursion to Agassiz in August 1896.
Postal Delays & Lost Letters
There is a gap in the Hazeley letters until October 1896. During this time there were significant postal issues in British Columbia that contributed to the lack of letters. Residents complained about delays, separated and lost parcels and letters. One resident stated that mail.
“has arrived in Vancouver so late in the morning that the Victoria mail has not been sent out until afternoon delivery.”
“Thereby causing serious inconvenience to those who desire to answer their correspondence by return steamer. “
We don’t know for sure what May, Cecil, and Harold were up to during these lost months.
Nor do we know how Jack’s journey home to his parents went. We can however, explore what was going on in the town of Agassiz during this lost time.
Canadian Pacific Railway Excursion to Agassiz
The event of the summer was the joint annual excursion of the British Columbia Fruit Growers; the British Columbia Dairymen’s Associations, and Farmer’s Institutes. Newspapers ran advertisements for months ahead of this grand excursion. People came as far as Vancouver and the surrounding Fraser Valley and got special ticket rates for the journey.
Agassiz Dominion Experimental Farm
Agassiz is home to the Experimental Farm, established in 1886 and officially opened in 1889 as one of five agricultural research stations in British Columbia. Over the years, the facility has changed its name and is now called the Agassiz Research and Development Centre. Today, it operates as part of a national network of 20 research and development centers across Canada. The “Experimental Farm,” as it was commonly known at the time, hosted the great excursion of August 1896. Located in the Fraser Valley, an agriculture-focused region, it was the ideal place to study and research livestock and crops.
All the hype and advertising paid off! In August 1896, the town experience a large one-day influx of people when 1,000 people from Vancouver and across the Fraser Valley boarded 14 train cars to Agassiz for the big excursion. Joining 200 people from Agassiz and Harrison, this event was hailed as the most successful event of its kind in British Columbia.
Why These Letters Matter
These letters were nearly destroyed as they were passed through multiple sets of people to tell the story of the Wright family. After arriving at the Agassiz Harrison Museum, it was clear that these letters were rich in local history, captured the early years of the town with great specificity, and offered a peek into the family and settler life in 1896. Letters like these humanize the settler experience. They show the daily lives of the people who lived during this time and make it more relevant to people today.
Through transcription and research of these letters, new insights into settler life and the town have been discovered.
Explore More Pioneer Letters and Stories
If you enjoyed these letters from May 1896, you might also like:
- The Superintendents of the Agassiz Research Station’s Scientific Hike of Mount Cheam (1914)
Springtime in the Fraser Valley: Gold, Gardens, and Settler Life
These firsthand settler letters offer a rare look at daily life in 1890s British Columbia—from gold mining rumors to cattle ranching, hospital work, and the realities of farming on the frontier.
Follow @BCHistoryDiary to get the latest letters, stories, and behind-the-scenes research.
Jodie Foerster is a history student at the University of the Fraser Valley and a Museum Assistant and Researcher at the Agassiz-Harrison Museum and Archives. She specializes in British Columbia's settler history and archival storytelling. Learn more on the About page
