Skip to content
  1. Home
  2. Community

VIDEO: Trains and canoes and ducklings for B.C. Day

Fort Langley marks last day of busy long weekend
Dan Ferguson
Dan Ferguson

It was the first time two-year-old Rowan from Coquitlam had ever seen an electric model train.

As her son focused intently on the moving miniature trains traversing a large tabletop display at the B.C. Farm Museum, Mom Laura explained his love of trains started with the unpowered variety.

“He has the little ones he pulls [at home],” she told the Langley Advance Times.

Rowan, 2, from Coquitlam was enthralled by the model train display at the B.C. Farm Museum on B.C. Day, Monday, Aug. 7. Mom Laura explained it was the first time he’d seen one. (Dan Ferguson/Langley Advance Times)
Rowan, 2, from Coquitlam was enthralled by the model train display at the B.C. Farm Museum on B.C. Day, Monday, Aug. 7. Mom Laura explained it was the first time he’d seen one. (Dan Ferguson/Langley Advance Times)

Fraser Valley G Scale Friends club member and organizer Laurie Griffiths spent two days setting up the model train display at the museum.

“I feel it’s worthwhile,” Griffiths commented.

“I live in a modular home, so they [usually] live in a box, unfortunately.”

It was one of several attractions in Fort Langley on Monday, Aug. 7, B.C. Day, the close of the busiest long weekend of the year in the village.

Just outside the museum, Melissa Anderson from Aldor Acres farm had brought a travelling petting zoo of cute critters, including bunnies, goats, an Emu named Eggo, and just-hatched ducklings with their mom, Duck-duck.

“They’re one day old,” Anderson explained. “They had their first swim [in a pan of water] about 10 minutes ago.”

Inside, in addition to the train display, the museum featured demonstrations of old-time rope making, blacksmithing, and woodworking along with a scavenger hunt and the promise of goodie bags for every kid.

Over at the Fort Langley National Historic Site, the finale for the long weekend was the Brigade Days procession by historical re-enactors to greet three canoes and a York boat – of the kind favoured by fur traders back when the fort was the centre of the trade.

Murrayville resident Jonathan Wilkins was chef de Voyageur, in charge of one of the arriving canoes.

He estimated it was his “eighth or ninth time.”

“Too often, I’ve been standing on the shore watching people in the boat,” Wilkins recalled. “To see the people on the shore from the boats is a great thrill.”

Wilkins is hoping the event will resume the longer trips that used to be commonplace.

“I’m looking forward to when we do the re-enactment from Mission, or even Yale,” Wilkins said.

“We’ve come down from Yale before, camping a few times on the way. That’s always good fun. And we enjoy bringing members of the public with us. We had many guests today who are not regulars.”

READ ALSO: VIDEO: B.C. Days sees re-enactors reunite at historic Fort Langley, while farm museum draws hundreds

READ ALSO: Farm museum opens for its summer season

Have a story tip? Email: dan.ferguson@langleyadvancetimes.com
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
Dan Ferguson

About the Author: Dan Ferguson

Best recognized for my resemblance to St. Nick, I’m the guy you’ll often see out at community events and happenings around town.
Read more
Pop-up banner image