2 days Ago By Malin Jordan
Two events in the latter half of 2024 helped commemorate the 200th anniversary of the James McMillan Expedition. The Surrey Historical Society (SHS) recognized the 1824 expedition with a stage production in late September. The Living Arts Society and the Fort Langley Canoe Club commemorated the bicentennial with an event in December.
The SHS performed a play Sept. 21 at Elgin Heritage Park during Surrey’s annual Harvest Fair. Written by Cloverdale’s Roger Bose, the production ran about 20 minutes.
The SHS partnered with the Museum of Surrey to present the play in Elgin Heritage Park near the mouth of the Nicomekl River. This is where McMillan would have met Semiahmoo First Nations who helped them out by guiding them up the river. Evelyn Wedley, president of the SHS, said the weather cooperated and the society was able to get the play off without a hitch.
“A very small amount of rain happened in the morning to pay tribute to the weather that the expeditioners had to endure,” she said. “Otherwise, it was a gorgeous fall day.” Bose narrated the performance.
Jim Foulkes played James McMillan, the captain and leader of the expedition. own Frank Bucholtz played the role of John Work, who recorded a daily journal of the expedition’s activities. Rick Hugh portrayed Thomas McKay, a hunter with the party.
Michael Gibbs played Francis Annance, a navigator and translator who was of both English and Abenaki heritage. It was nearly an all-Cloverdale cast too, save for Gibbs who resides in Newton. “At the last minute, they discovered they had forgotten to bring paddles with them as part of the props,” she noted.
“Jim (Foulkes) managed to borrow a couple from a local paddling group that was nearby.” The play covered information about the expedition. Wedley said the SHS set up a booth and most board members were present that day.
She said Brenda Percell—a six-times great-granddaughter of James McMillan—came down from Kamloops and brought along a storyboard that noted her lengthy ancestry. Dawn Russell of also joined the commemorative event. “She wove a wall hanging in what would have been the method used in the past, with strips of cloth made from used clothing in the colours of the earth,” Wedley explained.
“She had her loom on site and did demonstrations for interested people.” Wedley said many helped with the event and the SHS is thankful for their support, including: staff of Museum of Surrey and Historic Stewart Farmhouse, staff at Parks Canada — Fort Langley (for providing costumes and artifacts), Nancy Marguerite Anderson — Author and blogger (for providing much of the historical information), Brenda Percell (for providing background information on James McMillan and for sharing her family ancestry), Dawn Russell from Della Terra Designs (for providing her wall hanging and for giving weaving demonstrations at the event), along with Frank Bucholtz, Bonnie Bucholtz, Jean Bose, and Jason Sveinson of EGX Photography. The reported that both the Living Arts Society and the Fort Langley Canoe Club recreated a part of the James McMillan Expedition in December to commemorate the bicentennial.
“Songs, readings from expedition journals and a brisk paddle on the Bedford Channel beside McMillan Island, (home to the Kwantlen people who first traded with the HBC) made for a memorable day,” noted the post on langleyheritage.ca. “The Langley Heritage Society was one of the sponsors of this event which included presentations from B.
C. and Washington State historians,” the post concluded. According to surreyhistory.
ca, the James McMillan Expedition was a surveying trip that sought to find a suitable site for a new Hudson Bay Company fort. In the winter of 1824, James McMillan headed up a survey party from Fort George (present-day Astoria, Oregon) on Nov. 18.
McMillan and his party of 40 travelled on Columbia boats. When the group reached Semiahmoo Bay on Dec. 11, they had to change their plan to sail around Point Roberts and up the Fraser.
“The weather was growing cold, the wind was blowing, and ahead of them was the wide open stretch of water and the rounding of Point Roberts. They decided to wait for the weather to clear and camped near the present site of White Rock.” Two days later, on Dec.
13, the expedition headed up the Nicomekl River. They had to portage over to the Salmon River before reaching the Fraser. The expedition sailed up the Fraser and went as far as Hatzic Slough before returning to Fort George.
Trace the 1824 expedition from Fort George to the Fraser River, based on the , in this created by René Digard. The next event connected to the James McMillan Expedition will be held in Fort Langley in 2027. The Fort is set to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the building of the trading post at what was then called Derby.
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