For the Wright siblings, New Year’s in Canada in 1897 meant new beginnings with the neighbours and friends, farming adjustment to make it through the winter, and hopes for their future in Canada
This post explores how the Wright family experienced their first New Year’s season in Canada in 1897, which brought reflection, visitors, difficult travel conditions, and relentless domestic and farm labour.
How New Year’s Was Celebrated in Canada in the 1890s
As the Wright siblings settled into their first winter at Hazeley Ranch, New Year’s in Canada in 1897 revealed just how quickly daily life in British Columbia reshaped familiar traditions. Through letters written home from Agassiz, the Wright family described farm labour, harsh winter weather, community gatherings, church life, and the constant work required to keep a homestead running.
These New Year letters capture the moments of excitement such as their tradition for good luck on new years, meeting new people, and visiting old friends. Like others in Canada, the Wright siblings also gathered to ring in the new year with friends and family.
Women’s Domestic Labour During New Year’s in Early Canada
The New Year celebrations described in May Wright’s letters make visible the heavy domestic labour required to sustain both everyday life and social rituals on a pioneer farm. While visitors arrived, games were played, and the New Year was “rung in,” the work behind these moments fell overwhelmingly on women.
May describes rising early after very late nights to wash, scrub floors, prepare meals, bake bread, and clean the sitting room before others woke. Hosting neighbours required not only food and space but time, energy, and constant preparation. Even following nights with little sleep, domestic labour continued uninterrupted. These letters demonstrate how women’s work made celebration possible while remaining largely invisible within the narrative of social life.
New Year’s increased this labour rather than offering respite from it. The letters show how celebration and exhaustion coexisted, revealing the gendered expectations placed on women in settler households during the winter months.
Historical Context: Mining, Money and Economic Hopes in British Columbia
Cecil Wright’s letter situates Agassiz within the broader economic currents of late nineteenth-century British Columbia. Mining speculation dominated conversations, and stories of sudden wealth circulated widely. Cecil recounts how men arrived with little money, secured mining claims, and quickly became wealthy through speculation and investment rather than sustained labour.
At the same time, agricultural losses caused by early frost pushed food prices upward, with potatoes becoming increasingly valuable. These letters show how farming and mining economies intersected, shaping expectations for the coming year. Hope for improved conditions in Agassiz rested not only on agriculture but on the success of distant mining ventures that promised renewed economic activity.
Mining also created new businesses to support the miners, but it also drew people near that did not want to come by the money honestly.
Letters
May’s Letter to Father – December 29th, 1896
In this letter, May offers her father birthday wishes while proving a detailed snapshot of daily life at the Hazeley Ranch during the week between Christmas and New Year’s. She describes farm routines such as trading wheat for pigs, managing livestock after the flood, and hauling wood. She also reports on a nearby railway accident which brought new passengers temporarily to Agassiz.
Rec’d Jan 14, 1896
Hazeley, Agassiz, B.C. December 29, 1896
My dearest Father,
Very many happy returns on your birthday; I am afraid the letter will arrive late, I did intent to sent it on Saturday & when the time came I forgot, but some of the letters have come very quickly lately so this have luck.
We have Leonard Bealty with us, he keeps us pretty —, only he begins too early in the morning to suit us, yesterday he woke Cecil at quarter to five; this morning he didn’t layin to talk till half past six, but he got up early & fed all the horses & cleaned the stable before the boys were up; they have been hauling wood to-day, & yesterday. Cecil took wheat to the Springs, he has been trading some of the wheat for pigs of which he has a big herd, they pick up nearly all they want on the potato patch where there are quantities of rotten potatoes that were drowned in the high water. I think he has about thirty pigs now, which will make three dollars a head in the spring.
There was an accident up the line on Sunday, a rock fell on a freight train & sent the three middle cars into the river, but no one was hurt; the passengers stopped at Agassiz for dinner int he evening as the line was not clear.
Mrs. Probert has gone to Victoria for two months & Miss Probert has been away for a night, the whole family are very friendly, especially Mrs. Inkman, she is a very nice woman & the most dependable member of the choir we have.
Will you ask Dorothy to be very kind as to send me a copy of those two photographs of us as children in fancy dress, unmounted. I wonder what you have thought of my photographs. I am sure Mother can’t find any fault with them as to my looking well.
With much love to all,
Your affectionate daughter,
May Wright.
May’s Letter to Mother – January 3, 1897
May’s New Year letter to her mother vividly captures how the Wrights marked the arrival of 1897 through social visits, late-night gatherings, and the constant domestic labour. She recounts hosting neighbours, playing games into the early hours, and ringing in the New Year with a pig brought indoors for good luck.
Hazeley Agassiz, B.C. January 3, 1897
My dearest Mother,
Miss Woodward is here she came on Thursday. I have been very busy for some time now, I had a very big wash on Monday, Cecil & Leonard & I had breakfast at seven as they are going to the Springs with a load of wheat.
On Thursday Minnie, Nellie, & Edith Agassiz came to tea also Mr. Arthur Agassiz, we played games all the evening, at evening, at eleven we had coffee & cake; at five minutes to twelve the boys turned Leonard out to ring in the New Year, & they told him to bring in some back animal with him for luck, he brought in a very young, black pig, w3hich he let loose int he house, but he soon caught it again, they went before one o’clock but we were late as I did some cleaning up before going to bed.
On Friday evening we all went to Mrs. Brown’s at the springs, it was supposed to begin at eight o’clock but the roads were so bad & of course so very dark we didn’t get there until nine, & they were not really read for us then. There was a christmas tree for the children, after which we played hide & seek & such like games we had supper at twelve & left soon after one. We didn’t get to bed till four, Leoonard was tired out, I got up at eight & cleaned & scrubbed the sitting room, before the others woke up, they all had breakfast at eleven & I was just washing up when Mrs. Jemmett arrived for lunch, she stopped till four& took Leonard home with her, Cecil drove them home.
Miss Woodward & I walked in to church this morning & found the service to be this afternoon so we came straight back as if we had stopped till after the service we would not have got home till have past five or perhaps later.
I have meat to cook for tea & bread to knead up. Miss Woodward says she never realized before how hard it is for people on a farm to get to church, they boys had not begun breakfast when we left this morning, so I could no do the bed rooms or anything before starting, only just my own room; but when we got back I found Mr. George had done everything, he is very good & helps me so much.
One day he backed for me as I wanted to go out. I am so very sorry too see the death of Dr. Thright-Bruce, he was such a nice man, if you see the Torrs will you tell them they have my most sincere sympathy, I keep thinking of it continually, he will be very much missed. I have two notes to write, one to thank for a bag of pototoes, Captain Jemmett sent me as a New Year’s present; & the other to ask Mr. Dale to come to sea next Sunday.
With very much love,
Your affectionate daughter,
May Wright.
May’s Letter to Mother – January 16, 1897
This shorter letter reflects a quieter moment after the New Year festivities. May describes attending choir practice, visiting neighbours, and admiring a fresh snowfall that transformed the landscape around Agassiz and Harrison Hot Springs.
Hazeley Agassiz, B.C. January 16, 1897
My dearest Mother,
I must write my letter to-night as I believe I am going to the Springs to-morrow.We are going to drive in to church in the morning, then the boys are going to the Agassiz’s & I am going to the Bella Vista where Mr. George will meet me & drive me out to the Springs in my new cart to see Mrs. Brown & Mrs. Farwell.
I went to choir practice yesterday & stopped that night at the Agassiz’s, there was quite a snow in the evening, & this morning everything looked lovely, it has been a most beautiful day.
I have been very busy all week, & yesterday Mrs. Farwell, Mrs. Brown, Mr. Arthur Agassiz, & Nellie and Edith came to call. It is after eleven now so I really must go to bed or I shall never be up in proper time to-morrow.
With much love,
Your affectionate daughter,
May Wright.
Harold’s Letter to Mother- January 25, 1897
Harold’s letter emphasizes the harsh realities of winter farming in British Columbia. He describes the extreme cold and the near loss of cattle trapped in the frozen mud. He also explains why his family was forced to dry up the cows due the limited hay supplies and his careful resource management.
Hazeley Ranch Agassiz, B.C.
January 25, 1897
Dear Mother,
We got the 20£ all right yesterday, thank you very much for it. We have been having very cold weather here, it has blown a gale for three days, and freezing all the time. We very nearly lost ne of calves yesterday, he had got into a mud-hole and had broken through the the top crust of frozen mud, and could not get up, he had been there sometime when I found him, but he is all right again to-day.
Father asked in his last letter why it was all our cows had gone dry! We had to dry them up because we have only got enough good hay for horses, and they must have good hay or they would not work, we have got a lot of wild hay we cut on the prairie which is good enough to winter them through, but they would get thin and give very little milk we tried to milk the on it. We are milking our cow now and we have to buy oil cakes for her.
With heaps of love from
your affectionate son,
Harold P. Wright.
Cecil’s Letter to Father- January 26th, 1897
Cecil’s letter focuses on the economic landscape surround Agassiz in early 1897. He discusses the recent mining successes, local rumours, and men who rapidly accumulated their wealth through mining claims and investments.. Cecil also notes the rising potato prices following crop losses from frost as well as the previous flooding.
Agassiz, B.C. Hazeley Jan 26, 1897
Dear Father,
Thank you for very much for the £20. We were very much glad to get it and May & I went to call on the Smith’s yesterday they are the people who have bought the Suches place. He is rather a funny man he is very pleasant as long as you do not ask him any questions, but the moment he is asked the most ordinary question he refuses to say another word. He like a good many men here has made a lot of money in the mines this last year. When he came here he had just made his first good thing and since then he seems to have made a lot of money. But before that he had not got a cent in fact, it was reported that he was in actual want. Of course he had shares in one or two mines.
There was another man who went up to the mines from Vancouver who had to borrow money to pay his expenses. When he got there he bonded as many claims as he could get hold of he — he was a large capitalist & offered much higher prices than anybody else only he said he made one rule never to pay and cash down.Then he went back to Vancouver and started several companies. Now he is a very rich man.
We hear ofa great many men who have made fortunes in the mines. Smith says that he is sure thatthere will better times in Agassiz next summer on account of the mines. I should think it is very likely there will be loads of potatoes going up in price here anybody who has got any are holding them at $20 a ton they say that they will very likely go up to $40 before the spring. As nearly everybody lost all their potatoes in the first frost. It is very good of you to let us have the money to run the place next year because I know how very hard it must be for you to spare us so much money.
I remain,
Your affectionate son,
Cecil Wright.
Why Letters Like These “New Year’s in Canada in 1897” Matter to British Columbia History
The Hazeley Letters offer a rare and unusually detailed record of everyday settler life in Agassiz during the late nineteenth century. Unlike official records, newspapers, or promotional literature, these private family letters capture how ordinary people experienced migration, work, weather, community, and celebration in real time.
The Wright family’s first New Years in Canada reveals how British traditions were preserved, adapted, and reshaped under frontier conditions. Church services attended, food required significant effort to obtain and prepare, and holidays increased domestic labour, particularly for women. These letters remind us that settler life was not defined solely by hardship or optimism, but by constant negotiation between familiarity and adaptation.
Importantly, the Wrights were not prominent figures. They were neither politicians nor major landowners. Their significance lies precisely in their ordinariness. Through descriptions of walking miles along muddy railway tracks, sewing worn clothing, hosting neighbours for tea, and speculating about mining ventures, the letters illuminate how communities functioned at a human scale in the Fraser Valley.
Preserved today at the Agassiz-Harrison Museum & Archives, the Hazeley Letters survived only narrowly. Their survival allows historians like myself to reconstruct aspects of local history that would otherwise remain invisible. By transcribing and contextualizing these letters, we gain insight not only into the Wright family’s experiences, but into the broader rhythms of settler life in British Columbia in 1897.
The letters reproduced in this post are transcribed verbatim from original manuscripts held at the Agassiz-Harrison Museum & Archives. Spelling, grammar, and punctuation have been preserved to maintain the integrity of the original documents. Editorial introductions and historical context have been added to assist modern readers and to situate the letters within the broader social and historical landscape of nineteenth-century British Columbia.
This post forms part of an ongoing research and transcription project examining the Hazeley Letters and the Wright family’s settlement in the Fraser Valley.
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
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