Start the first weekend of May with Jane’s Walk throughout Abbotsford!
The second annual Jane’s Walk in Abbotsford is scheduled from May 4 to 6, 2018 at various locations throughout the Abbotsford community. Jane’s Walk, inspired by internationally renowned visionary planner, Jane Jacobs, is a series of free neighborhood walking tours that help people get in touch with each other and where they live. It’s about bridging social and geographic gaps and creating space for cities to discover themselves.
This year’s citizen-led walking conversations start on Friday, May 4th at 10am when Sharanjit Kaur Sandhra, co-curator and co-manager of the Sikh Heritage Museum will tour with you through the museum, a National Historic Site of Canada on South Fraser Way, the current Desis in the Diaspora exhibit, and the Gur Sikh Temple.
At 1 pm on May 4th, Patrick Oystryk, City of Abbotsford planner and urban designer, will meet you at the Abbotsford Arts Council on Ware St, and walk you through an area that will be transformed into a more populated, attractive and walk-able neighbourhood. Together you will discover and explore the concept of the recently created City Centre Neighbourhood Plan.
The official launch of Jane’s Walk Abbotsford is on the same day, May 4th at 3 pm at Trethewey House, 2313 Ware Street. This is followed at 3:30 pm by a Sketch and Walk through part of Mill Lake Park led by Glenn Tait, an avid sketcher, illustrator, graphic designer and art instructor who has spent hundreds of hours sketching at the lake.
At 4 pm, a Heritage Abbotsford Society representative will engage you in a fun, heritage themed Try and Learn of the Society’s award winning Agents of Discovery Mill Lake Walking Tour Mission. Bring your mobile device to tap into this fun app while learning about the history of the area around Mill Lake.
On Saturday, May 5th at 10 am, Brian Kingman will start at Mount Lehman Community Hall, then walk along Taylor Road to Mount Lehman Cemetery, including the history of the community’s school from 1884, and the old BC Electric Railway Station thought to be the Gifford Station.
At 1 pm on May 5th, join Cyril Holbrow at Clayburn Village Schoolhouse to learn about the village’s history. This designated Heritage Site (1996), located at the foot of Sumas Mountain in Abbotsford-Clayburn, was the first” company town” in BC built by the Clayburn Company to provide housing and services for the workers at the large brick manufacturing plant.
At 5 pm on May 5th, Jess Delves will connect with you at Oldhand Coffee on Pauline Street to explore how Downtown Abbotsford’s food and drink scene is growing. It’s the era of people craving and loving everything made locally by the locals.
On Sunday, May 6th at 11 am, join a meet and greet informal Alexander Community Walk – Mid-Century Modern Meets Today, at 2298 Clarke Drive, with urban historian Marianne Fedori and Joanne Puffalt. Chat about mid-century architecture, residential patterns and neighbourhood change, and view some of Abbotsford’s fine cutting edge residences of the 1950’s and 1960’s.
At 11:30 am on May 6th, Connie Hackett will meet up with you at the Abbotsford Downtown Business Association, 2633-C Montrose Ave, to find out Who doesn’t love those cool Insta-worthy Walls? Downtown Abbotsford has a ton of really great walls for snapping that perfect Instagram photo and Connie will take you to her favorite spots with your smartphone or camera.
At 12 noon on May 6th, John Vissers hopes to see you at the Fraser River parking lot, Matsqui Trail Park, very end of Riverside St. under the Mission Bridge. This “out and back” walk combines local history and the science of flood/river management with historical events from the 1894 and 1948 floods, and how these shaped Abbotsford’s Fraser River dyking and drainage plans. Walk under the Mission Bridge, then the old railroad bridge (once used by cars as well as trains) and east along the river on the dyke trail, to view river bank erosion areas and some bank stabilization efforts now underway.
By 1 pm on Sunday, May 6th, Kris Foulds, curator of historical collections at The Reach, will wander with you through parts of Musselwhite Cemetery, 35298 Marshall Rd. The name Musselwhite was given to the community that grew up around the John Brinton Musselwhite property. Although the cemetery bears his name, Musselwhite did not provide the land nor is he buried there, but many significant Abbotsfordians are.
Engage in civic change and growth, discover diverse layers of urban place, learn about your local history, all during Jane’s Walk Abbotsford May 4th to 6th. For more details visit janeswalk.org/canada/abbotsford or connect with organizers, Connie Hackett or Marianne Fedori at janeswalkabbotsford@gmail.com.
Jane’s Walk Abbotsford is a partnership between The Reach Gallery Museum, Trethewey House Heritage Site, Tourism Abbotsford, City of Abbotsford – City Hall, University of the Fraser Valley, Downtown Abbotsford (ADBA), and other partners.
