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“The
Front” the heart of old Whonnock in the years before the Lougheed
Highway and the supermarkets. To the left the post office and Showler’s
Red & White” store (both still there today). To the right
Graham’s store and in the background Luno’s store; both
long gone. Photo Whonnock Archives. |
| Whonnockians have a sense
of place and community derived from comparative isolation and shared
needs, often different from that of residents of urban areas. There
is a certain pride in Whonnock’s past; the Whonnock post office,
community organizations, and Whonnock Lake Centre add to the feeling
of community. Agriculture never played a large part in Whonnock life.
Today many people keep horses, and have poultry, sheep, goats and
llamas. Residents seem to enjoy life in the country even if the wells
may dry up in summer and in spite of the occasional power outages
in winter. |
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The
first permanent white settler and landowner in Whonnock was the
Scot Robert Robertson who settled in Whonnock in 1861. Few followed
his example until around 1885, when the railroad came to Whonnock
bringing new settlers. They adopted the name of its resident First
Nation for their community, Whonnock, in a variety of contested
spellings. From 1885 onward Whonnock rapidly became the focal point
for settlers all over the eastern part of Maple Ridge as well as
Glen Valley across the Fraser and on lands across the Stave River.
Whonnock boasted a railway station, a school, a general store and
a number of churches, amenities not available elsewhere for some
time. |
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Most
of the new residents were of British descent and came from other
parts of Canada, but other nationalities were also here. Norwegian
immigrants and their descendants played a significant part in the
history of the community. Most of the settlers made their livelihood
fishing and logging. Subsistence farming was essential in this typically
poor community. Some residents developed small-scale commercial
fruit growing and poultry farming as elsewhere in Maple Ridge and
Mission. From the 1920s until their expulsion in 1942, the Japanese
settlers made good use of the soil for berry farming. Lumber yards
and mills continue to be active on the waterfront until the present
day albeit on a smaller scale than before. Women, through the church
and other organizations, played an important part in the shaping
of community life. In 1912 they saw after the creation of a community
hall that remained the centre of social activities for some forty
years. It was the precursor of the present Whonnock Lake Centre.
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