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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
Family tension was high as not everyone was pulling their own weight to make their farm run smoothly. The Wright letters from Agassiz April 1897 show us what life was like for those settling in the Fraser Valley. This post examines a series of letters written in April…
In May’s letters from December 1896, she shares how settlers in Agassiz, British Columbia gathered for the Odd Fellows Ball: an all-night social event that offered warmth, music, and connection during a long Fraser Valley winter. In two letters home, May Wright describes dancing until dawn, winter travel…
This post is all about the Wright trans-Atlantic journey from England to Canada. The Hazeley Letter Series The Wright Family In February 1896, four young British settlers wrote to their parents back in England, describing their new life in Agassiz, British Columbia. These pioneer letters offer a rare…
Want to know why these Victorian siblings have journeyed from England to Canada? These are their heartfelt letters home to their parents, chronicling their journey across the ocean and their days in Canada. Through their letters, we glimpse a world of adventure and hope in 1896. Separated by…
It is winter after the New Year for the Wright family in Agassiz, British Columbia. Continuing their story from New Year in Canada, 1897, these letters show how daily routines, winter labour, and community life resumed as January turned into February. This post explores This post explores how…
May, Cecil, Jack, and Harold arrived in New York City on March 5th, 1896, and stayed at the Grand Union Hotel. The Grand Union Hotel was located directly across from Grand Central Station at 4th Avenue and 42nd Street in New York City.