Kilby Provincial Park
Encyclopedia
Kilby Provincial Park is a provincial park
in British Columbia
, Canada
. Kilby Park is located in Harrison Mills, on the Harrison River overlooking Harrison Bay in the Upper Fraser Valley
of southwestern British Columbia. It comprises 3 hectares with 22 camp sites and a boat launch. The park offers a sandy summer beach and fall/winter viewing of bald eagle
s and migrating trumpeter swan
s from Alaska.
Thomas and Eliza Kilby converted it to a general store in 1906. Their son, Acton, took over the reins in 1922 and inherited the store when Thomas died in 1928. He and his wife Jessie would continue to operate and manage the store until 1977. In 1926, automobiles began to appear at Harrison Mills, and the Kilbys installed gravity-fed gas pumps that served travellers till 1977. In 1973, Acton received a plaque from Imperial Oil, rewarding him for fifty years of service.
Situated on a flood plain, the General Store and other buildings were elevated and connected with boardwalks. Today, visitors can see a fascinating gallery of store products and enjoy firsthand involvement with the intriguing artifacts of the farm and its current livestock.
Provincial park
A provincial park is a park under the management of a provincial or territorial government in Canada.While provincial parks are not the same as national parks, their workings are very similar...
in British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Kilby Park is located in Harrison Mills, on the Harrison River overlooking Harrison Bay in the Upper Fraser Valley
Fraser Valley
The Fraser Valley is the section of the Fraser River basin in southwestern British Columbia downstream of the Fraser Canyon. The term is sometimes used to refer to the Fraser Canyon and stretches upstream from there, but in general British Columbian usage of the term refers to the stretch of the...
of southwestern British Columbia. It comprises 3 hectares with 22 camp sites and a boat launch. The park offers a sandy summer beach and fall/winter viewing of bald eagle
Bald Eagle
The Bald Eagle is a bird of prey found in North America. It is the national bird and symbol of the United States of America. This sea eagle has two known sub-species and forms a species pair with the White-tailed Eagle...
s and migrating trumpeter swan
Trumpeter Swan
The Trumpeter Swan, Cygnus buccinator, is the largest native North American bird, if measured in terms of weight and length, and is the largest living waterfowl species on earth. It is the North American counterpart of the European Whooper Swan.-Description:Males typically measure from and weigh...
s from Alaska.
Kilby Historic Site
Kilby Historic Site is a living history site bringing early life in the Fraser Valley to light. The 3-hectare heritage farm includes the 1906 General Store Museum and Manchester House Hotel & Post Office, as well as costumed interpreters, friendly farm animals and an orchard playground. The focal point is the General Store, once a temperance hotel built on pilings and linked to the railway station by a ramp to its second storey.Thomas and Eliza Kilby converted it to a general store in 1906. Their son, Acton, took over the reins in 1922 and inherited the store when Thomas died in 1928. He and his wife Jessie would continue to operate and manage the store until 1977. In 1926, automobiles began to appear at Harrison Mills, and the Kilbys installed gravity-fed gas pumps that served travellers till 1977. In 1973, Acton received a plaque from Imperial Oil, rewarding him for fifty years of service.
Situated on a flood plain, the General Store and other buildings were elevated and connected with boardwalks. Today, visitors can see a fascinating gallery of store products and enjoy firsthand involvement with the intriguing artifacts of the farm and its current livestock.