Cloverdale’s unique history will come to life in a virtual talk to be held by the Surrey Archives.
Called “Communities Histories: Cloverdale,” the free online chat will be held Feb. 10.
“Although most think of Whalley as the commercial and civic centre of Surrey, that role was originally held by Cloverdale,” says archivist Chelsea Christensen. “Whether you have just moved to Cloverdale or lived here all your life, you will learn something new!”
The virtual talk will be an hour long and feature photos, audio recordings, and film from Cloverdale’s history. A press release about the event notes that participants will be able to reminisce about the people and events that shaped one of Surrey’s oldest communities.
“For 50 years between 1912 and 1962, civic business was conducted out of this neighbourhood,” according to the release. “The area around 176th Street and 56th Avenue served as home to many locally renowned businesses, including Dann’s Electronics, the Clova Theatre, and Duckworth’s to name a few. Many of the structures in today’s downtown Cloverdale serve as a lasting testament to that history.”
The virtual chit chat will also highlight the history of the Scott family, one of Surrey’s first known Black settler families. Originally hailing from Texas, Henry Houston & Amy Scott moved their family to Cloverdale in 1912.
“Henry Houston Scott’s participation in local council meetings is documented in council minutes housed at Surrey Archives,” notes the release. “The family-owned land at 64 Ave. and 181A Street, which was designated a park site by the City of Surrey and officially opened in an event hosted by the Surrey Historical Society in 2019.”
SEE ALSO: Cloverdale’s newly named Henry Houston Scott Park opens
Surrey Archives announced that recent digitization efforts have “unearthed” new photos of Cloverdale’s recent past, including shots from the 1990s and the 2000s, which included photos from the construction of Kwantlen Polytechnic University, Canada Day festivals, and Cloverdale’s iconic flea market.
More than 81,000 historical images can be viewed via the archives’ online catalogue. To access the catalogue, visit surrey.ca/archives.
The hour-long online history session will begin at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, February 10 and it will be held via Microsoft Teams. For more information, or to register for chat, call 604-501-5100 or visit surrey.ca/archives.
editor@cloverdalereporter.com
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