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 Fort Langley British Columbia Canada V0X-1J0 Phone: 604-888-2273 Email: bcfarm@vcn.bc.ca |
Short History: How it all began. In the fall of 1957 Bruce Coleman of Ladner presented to the University of British Columbia a high cut plow on behalf of his family in memory of his father R.A. Coleman. Mr. Coleman, a noted plowman, had placed first, second or third in thirteen provincial plowing matches using his high cut plow built to his order in Bruce County, Ontario. Professor Emeritus Lional Coulthard, then head of the Agricultural Engineering Department of the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, accepted the acquisition on behalf of the University. Tom Leach, at the time Director of the C.B.C. Farm & Fisheries Department was on hand to cover the event. He asked Professor Coulthard what he planned to do with the acquisition. Lional replied that for some time he had been contemplating putting together a collection of early farm machinery pieces that could be used to demonstrate to students changing technology that lead up to the development of the modern farm implements. It just happened that Professor Coulthard and Tom Leach were brothers of Sigma Tau Upsilon Honourary Agricultural Fraternity. Tom suggested why not a Provincial Farm Machinery Museum located on the university endowment grounds. He further proposed presenting the idea to the fraternity as a worthy project requiring some initial funding. They bounced the idea off another fraternity brother, Mills Winram of B.C. Agricultural Consultants Ltd. and Winram Finance. The trio thus became the founding directors of the museum. Sigma Tau Upsilon rose tot the challenge and put up sufficient sedd money for a museum society to become registered under the Societies Act of B.C. In February, 1958 an exploratory meeting was held in the hospitality room of Dairyland's old 5th Avenue plant to which prominant leaders of the agricultural community were invited to attend, among them Dean Blythe Eagles, Harry Bose then president of the Surry CO-OP, Alex Mercer, General Manger of the F.V.M.P.A., Alex Hope chairman of the B.C. Coast Marketing Board, etc. A decision was made that notice be served to the agricultural community that a B.C. Farm Machinery Museum Association was being formed with the intent of funding and operating a museum to be located on the university endowment lands and solicited financial support. A meeting was called for mid June. Harry Bose of Meadow Brook Farm, Surrey Centre was elected president and Alex Hope of Ft. Langley vice president. The three founding members then became founding directors. From those humble beginnings the sed sprouted and prospered despite drought from want of funds. All this occured during a time of rapid expansion at the the university. It soon became apparent that a site off campus would be desirable if the association were to circumvent the very real possibility of having to relocate a museum on the endowment lands from time to time. Consequently, a site was chosen in Ft. Langley near the Hudson Bay Post and farm which provided the first export of agricultural comodities from the B.C. mainland to supply the Russians in Alaska and the export of dried salmon to Hawaii. A site was secured on along term lease, but before a museum could be built the Federal Government decided to restore historic Ft. Langley. This required the relocation of the Glen Valley road right through the proposed site for the B.C. Farm Machinery Museum. Other arrangements were made. The association purchased a double lot adjacent to the property of their Centenial Museum. The municipal council deeded a thirty-three foot lot over to the association. Phase I of the Farm Machinery Museum's development followed. It took very nearly nine years to acquire a site and raise sufficient capital to erect the original building. The Federal Government provided $15,000 and the PRovincial Secretary's office $25,000. An additional $25,000 was raised by private subscription from individuals and the agricultural processing industries. The museum was officially opened on November 19, 1966 by Sir Robert Billinger, Lord Mayor of London. Within a very short time a second building was erected to house the growing collection of farm artifacts. One of the Association Directors, Ken Hay of Sunny Brook Dairy put up the capital as a non interest loan to purchase adjoing property as it came on the market(in his name) to provide room for the museum's future expansion. A second fund drive raised some $85,000, of which $10,000 was contributed by the Federal Government and $50,000 by the Provincial Government. With two new buildings taxed as commercial enterprises municipal taxes were approaching $13,000 annually. This was alleviated in 1984 when efforts by the executive witht he encouragement of late Mayor Bill Blair resulted in the museum being exempted from property and school taxes. To qualify for exemption under the Provincial Assessment Authority the Association's name was changed to the B.C. Farm Machinery and Agricultural Museum Association. The Board of Directors of the Museum Association welcome the opportunity of co-operating with it's members and others who may become involved with the Tired Iron Restoration New Horizons Project. A majority of those involved in this enterprise are directors of the parent body and are the most part retired mechanics, machinists, millwrights, etc. They have expressed an interest in utilizing their skills to restore acquisitions housed in the museum so that they may be properly displayed. To hire this kind of expertise is beyond the financial means of the museum association. The directors of the museum association would hope that at the end of the New Horizons Project any acquisition of shop equipment would be turned over to the museum. If this initial project proves successful, it is further hoped that a further grant might be made available to the restoration group to carry on this project. It will not only be of benefit to parent body, but will provide a place for the retired members to meet socially on a fairly regular basis and hopefully give them a sense of making a worthwhile contribution to society. Should you require any further information the Museum Association will be happy to supply some. Don Merkley, President, B.C. Farm Machinery & Agricultural Museum Association. |
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