After Royal Flying Corps pilot William McRae is reported missing, his family entered a period of agonizing uncertainty. Letters, telegrams, and official correspondence with military authorities, the Red Cross, and other organizations became their only means of learning what had happened to them. Each new communication brought hope,…
William McRae is eager to complete his squadron training for the Royal Flying Corps so that he can go on active service to France. Read his candid letters home to his mother for an insightful look at what life was like away from home. These letters are part…
These letters from William McRae, a Royal Flying Corps pilot from Agassiz, British Columbia, offer a glimpse into his daily life during wartime training. Writing to his mother from Oxford, England, William shares moments that are surprisingly ordinary. He talks of baseball games, bicycle rides, canoe trips, and…
William McRae’s WWI letters home to his parents describe his journey across Canada as he heads to England to finish his aero training and join the Royal Flying Corps. These letters from William McRae, a Royal Flying Corps pilot from Agassiz, British Columbia, offer a glimpse into his…
In 1916, William McRae made the decision to combine his passion for flying with his duty as a soldier. He left his family’s farm in Agassiz, British Columbia, and travelled to Vancouver to begin his military training. These letters from William McRae, a Royal Flying Corps pilot from…
A handwritten account of a Mount Cheam hike isn’t something you expect to find on official government letterhead, but that’s exactly what I came across in the archive at the Agassiz-Harrison Museum. At first it seemed to be a simple story of a hike of Mount Cheam, however,…
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…
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…
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…
This post is all about the Wright siblings first Christmas in Canada in 1896 and how they brought their English traditions to their small community. The Wright’s First Christmas in Canada Christmas in Canada in 1896 looked very different for the Wright siblings than what they had known…