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BC History Diary

  • Agassiz experimental farm 1888

    August 1896- The Great Excursion to Agassiz, British Columbia

    November 9, 2025April 20, 2026 Agassiz-Harrison Museum & Archives (Source), The Hazeley Letters

    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…

  • steam train in the forest

    Disasters and Daily Life in Agassiz, BC, 1896: Floods, Train Crash, Wagon Accident, and Mosquito Plague

    August 18, 2025April 20, 2026 Agassiz-Harrison Museum & Archives (Source), The Hazeley Letters

      Between a train crash, a wagon accident, dances, and flooding. July 1896 proves to be an unusually eventful month for the Wright Siblings and the other settlers in Agassiz. This post is all about the train crash, raising waters, a wagon accident, and too many mosquitos. The…

  • agassiz-train-station-1890s

    Harold Wright’s July 1896 Letter: A Drowning in the Prairie

    August 16, 2025April 20, 2026 Agassiz-Harrison Museum & Archives (Source), The Hazeley Letters

    Life in Agassiz was never dull for the Wright family. In this July 1896 letter, Harold describes rushing to aid a drowning man, a close encounter with a bear, and the everyday challenges of pioneer life. This post is all about Harold’s attempt to save a drowning man….

  • haying season

    Skunk Trouble, Haying Season, and Angels on Mt. Cheam

    August 15, 2025April 20, 2026 Agassiz-Harrison Museum & Archives (Source), The Hazeley Letters

    This post captures Mother and Father Wright’s silver anniversary and the unforgettable night a skunk took up residence under the Wright family’s home. Written in Agassiz, British Columbia in June 1896, the Wright siblings paint a vivid picture of life in the Fraser Valley. Between the summer heat,…

  • image of Mt Cheam

    Picking Fruit and Raising Rafters: May’s Letters from 1896 Agassiz

    August 14, 2025April 20, 2026 Agassiz-Harrison Museum & Archives (Source), The Hazeley Letters

    From getting caught in the rain, to organizing dances and plays to fundraise for the church, the Wright siblings enjoy their first June at their Fraser Valley farm. This post is all about the fundraising efforts for the new church being built and harvesting the fruit on their…

  • Small anglican church with rectory next to it

    Repairing the Farm, Building the Church, and Picnics in the Harrison: Hazeley Letters from June 1896

    August 8, 2025April 20, 2026 Agassiz-Harrison Museum & Archives (Source), The Hazeley Letters

    From building the new church to repairing the farm buildings,  the Wright siblings take you along during their first June in Agassiz, British Columbia. This post is all about building a community, exploring Vancouver, and working on their farm in Agassiz, British Columbia In these letters, Cecil and…

  • girl with cow in field

    Letters from Hazeley Ranch 1896

    July 26, 2025April 20, 2026 Agassiz-Harrison Museum & Archives (Source), The Hazeley Letters

    Have you ever wondered what life was really like for British settlers in British Columbia during the 1890s? These letters give us a rare, personal look at the daily life in the Fraser Valley. During the most transformative period in Canadian settler history. This post looks at the…

  • Life in 1896 Agassiz: Mining Hopes, Farming Plans, and the Mysterious Sister Francis

    Life in 1896 Agassiz: Mining Hopes, Farming Plans, and the Mysterious Sister Francis

    July 6, 2025April 20, 2026 Agassiz-Harrison Museum & Archives (Source), The Hazeley Letters

    Follow along with the British Columbian settlers,  Wright siblings, as they build a new life in Canada while farming on the land their parents had rented. Each week, they write back to their parents in England, updating them on how farming is going and everyday lifein Agassiz, British…

  • buttercups

    Gold Fever, Church Building, and Pioneer Life in Agassiz, BC 1896

    June 21, 2025April 20, 2026 Agassiz-Harrison Museum & Archives (Source), The Hazeley Letters

    Follow along with the Wright siblings as they build a new life in Canada while farming on the land their parents had rented. Each week, they write back to their parents in England, updating on how the farming is going and everyday lifein Agassiz, British Columbia, Canada. This…

  • planting season

    The First Planting Season in Canada 1896

    June 16, 2025April 20, 2026 Agassiz-Harrison Museum & Archives (Source), The Hazeley Letters

    As the first signs of spring begin to emerge and the soil becomes warmer, the planting season officially begins. It is a time of new growth, fresh opportunities, and deep-rooted traditions. For farmers, it marks the start of a long days in the fields and hope for a…

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Hi, I’m Jodie! Historian, Archives Assistant, and researcher in British Columbia's Fraser Valley. I bring forgotten Canadian stories to life through archival letters and local history. Learn more here.

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  • Places
    • 153 Mile House, British Columbia
      • 153 Mile House History
    • Agassiz, British Columbia
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  • Series
    • William McRae WWI Letters
    • The Hazeley Letters (1896 – 1897)
      • Those Named in the Hazeley Letters
  • British Columbia History
    • Mount Cheam Hike: A Historic Climb from Agassiz, B.C. (1914)
    • When the SS Tynemouth Arrived in Victoria: The Story of B.C.’s Most Famous Bride Ship
    • The Early History of Harrison Hot Springs (Part 1)
    • The Early History of Harrison Hot Springs (Part 2): Pioneer Life, Port Douglas, and Harrison Lake Adventures
    • What It Was Like Picking Hops in Agassiz, BC in the 1930s
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