Coquitlam's history is deeply rooted in the tradition of farming, both of produce and animals.
Farms have dotted the Coquitlam landscape for more than a century, including Colony Farm, which supplied Essondale with produce; the Asian produce gardens near Schoolhouse; the Edgar's chicken farm in the Blue Mountain area; the Stickney Farm at Cameron and North Road; the Hobbis duck farm on Clarke Road; the Booth and Brehaut farms; and the Whiting and Pollard greenhouses on Rochester - and that's to name only a few.
The hard work, ingenuity and determination of Coquitlam's early residents, and this area's warm summers, mild winters and fertile soil were factors that led to suitable land for both animal and vegetable farming.
Farming histories and stories have shaped the Coquitlam we know today - economically, geographically and socially.
Agriculture is not unique to the Coquitlam community and neither is its significance in supplementing income and providing food. But our city's economic development and urbanization can be traced back in part to farming ventures.
Spring is upon us and gardeners are busily preparing their gardens, so let us reflect on backyard gardens and their smaller scale but valuable contribution to a family's survival and economy. Most early Coquitlam families had a garden in their backyards, with either fruits or vegetables, and frequently both.
Another common practice to access land for gardening was to cultivate a designated allotment nearby. The text in the book Coquitlam 100 Years flourishes with memories of backyard gardening. Florence Seguin recalls the challenge of tending to the family's vegetable garden and encountering huge rocks in the soil because the area was a gravel pit before it was settled. Irene Burslem remembers with great pride that her family "had a good garden with vegetables and fruit" that were entered into the Agricultural Hall competitions. Alvin Antonson describes the arduous process of clearing land, something his family learned to do in order to garden. The Antonson family had along with some animals "a big garden and lots of raspberries and strawberries."
Gardening was also part of the long list of chores for both adults and children. Lillian Emerton retells the gendered division of labour: "The boys would be outside working with my dad and the girls would be helping mother mostly in the house." Then, with seemingly subtle subservience, notes, "I worked outside weeding gardens. We all had to dig in and do our bit." Zelire Van Nerum described how she and her sister would sell their family's produce door-to-door for some extra income.
A substantial amount of time and energy were poured into dealing with harvested produce. Women learned the skill of preserving, with required supplies sold in local stores and through catalogues.
When the time came to preserve, the work and quantity were immense. Caroline LeClair, like many, recalls that her mother "used to can a lot. She didn't have a summer kitchen but she did have what she called her fruit room and, in that, she would put down between 700 and 1,000 quart jars of produce from the garden." That's impressive production.
The reality that successful gardening supplied families with food makes it life-sustaining. Lillian Emerton tells that her family never went hungry because of shelves full of canned produce from the family garden.
Gardening also had a role in building community and spirit. Albertine Sauve remembers that during the 1931 Fraser Lumber Mill strike, the family had no money and, when her husband joined the picket line, homegrown produce was given to him.
The longstanding barter system also grew because of gardening. Alice Lefebvre says her Uncle Tom had a large farm and recounts how his harvest was brought into Port Moody to trade for other groceries.
Having a garden enabled for some a supplementary income. Dorothy Davidson reminisces on how her father went to market in New Westminster every Friday to sell eggs and chickens.
Gardening embodies Coquitlam's beginnings of land cultivation but also of the unbreakable spirit of its pioneers.
"Everybody kind of kept their own, subsisted on their own. Just about everyone grew his own vegetables and had fruit trees," said Elsie Van Leeuwen.
Your History is a column in which representatives of the Tri-Cities' heritage groups write about local history. Sandra Isabel Martins is museum manager of Mackin House, which is operated by the Coquitlam Heritage Society.
