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Gordon Baron and Cindy Phillips
Clayburn Village, BC
Pieces of Clayburn Bricks from the early 1900s.
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Gordon Baron and Cindy Phillips
Clayburn Village, BC
Location and history of the Clayburn Brick Factory. The Clayburn Brick factory in Abbotsford closed in 2005.
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Gordon Baron and Cindy Phillips
Clayburn Village, BC
The Old Brick Plant's manager house, built in 1906, is now Clayburn Village Bed and Breakfast.
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Gordon Baron and Cindy Phillips
Clayburn Village, BC
Sue Kavelman of Clayburn Comforts Soaps and Body Wash.
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Gordon Baron and Cindy Phillips
Clayburn Village, BC
Clayburn Village Store, built in 1912.
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Gordon Baron and Cindy Phillips
Clayburn Village, BC
Clayburn School built in 1907-1908.
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Gordon Baron and Cindy Phillips
Clayburn Village, BC
Clayburn’s School history.
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Gordon Baron and Cindy Phillips
Clayburn Village, BC
Replica of Clayburn Church from 1912.
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Gordon Baron and Cindy Phillips
Clayburn Village, BC
Clayburn Village Sign, established in 1905.
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Gordon Baron and Cindy Phillips
Clayburn Village, BC
Know as Green Houses, they were once used to house employees from Clayburns Brick Factory.
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Gordon Baron and Cindy Phillips
Clayburn Village, BC
The Foreman Cottages on Clayburn Road.
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Gordon Baron and Cindy Phillips
Clayburn Village, BC
Walking in the Matsqui Trail Regional Park looking northwest at the Mission Bridge over the Fraser River.
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Gordon Baron and Cindy Phillips
Clayburn Village, BC
Matsqui Trail Regional Park is a popular dog walking area.
Story & photos by Gordon Baron & Cindy Phillips
British Columbia’s Oldest Company Town encompasses charm and character dating back to more than a century.
On one of our trips travelling north on BC's Central Coast, we took a side trip into Rivers Inlet for some salmon fishing. Cruising east towards the end of the 42 km (30 mile) Inlet, we noticed multi-coloured bricks on the shoreline. We quickly learned that in the early 1900s, 14 salmon canneries processed salmon here, and every cannery had boilers lined with bricks. Intrigued by this historic fact, we decided to embark on a tour through the nearby old towns and villages, which is how we discovered Clayburn.
After leaving Vancouver, we travelled north along the old Lougheed highway (Scenic Highway 7) towards Hope. Just before entering the old town of Mission, we turned right onto the Abbotsford-Mission Connector Highway (Hwy 11). From Hwy 11, we headed south for a few kilometers until arriving at the traffic lights where Clayburn Road crosses Hwy 11, then turned left.
From here, it is only two km (1.2 mi) to the picturesque little place called Clayburn. The setting reminded us of a small country village in England, with brick and Victorian-style houses, white picket fences, flowered entrance ways, beautiful gardens and a local General Store.
The company town, built around a brick factory, started in the early 1900s when Charles Maclure found high-quality clay on the west side of Sumas Mountain. In 1905, the Vancouver Fire Clay Company Limited built a brick manufacturing plant, followed by company houses for employees. The name brand Clayburn was used on all their products from the very beginning, and the name of the town Clayburn Village soon followed.
The factory closed in 1930, moving to the nearby Kilgard brick plant at the base of Sumas Mountain. By the Second World War, most of the town was idle. It wasn't until the 1960s that the public took more interest in historic buildings, and the newer residents of Clayburn began bringing the village back to life.
Today, Clayburn has become one of Abbotsford's top tourist attractions. In 1996, Clayburn Village became designated a Heritage Conservation Area. At that time, Clayburn was only the third to receive the honour, just behind Vancouver's notable Gastown and Victoria's downtown.
The Clayburn Village Community Society has guidelines for new owners to keep or obtain heritage status on the buildings. Residents have spent many hours and dollars restoring their homes and new businesses have come to Clayburn and some even operate out of their heritage homes.
The Brick Plant's Manager House, built in 1906, has been converted into Clayburn Village Bed and Breakfast. Leslie and Ramsey Oren are very proud of their Victorian home and would like to share the vintage décor with the public.
Just a few houses west is Clayburn Comforts Soap and Body Works. Sue Kavelman has a studio of handcrafted organic soaps, some in the shape of bricks with Clayburn engraved on the front. Her 1906 brick home is one of five brick houses known as Foreman Cottages.
The Clayburn Village Store is the town's main attraction. Except for the aging on the outside of the building, the general store is almost identical to when it was built in 1912. Visiting inside was a step into the past – by about 100 years. When we were there, it was packed with people. One half of the store is shelves, counters and old glass showcases full of deli foods, colourful candies, chocolates, and souvenirs.
The other half of the store is their famous tea room. People were waiting to try their fresh daily specials and taste their teas from around the world. We were very impressed. We learned that we were not the only ones who were wowed – The Hallmark Family Channel has made a series of movies here, including Santa's Gift, The Christmas Note, Julius House and A Fool and His Honey.
Just behind the store, on Wright Street are two other attractions – the school house, built in 1907, and the church, built in 1912, which have been restored and are available to rent for weddings and social gatherings. The school also has a museum in the basement with a model of the old Clayburn Village.
The town of Abbotsford has no RV camping within the city limits, so we travelled twenty minutes east on the Trans Canada Highway and stayed at the Royalwood Golf and RV Resort. This was a vacation into British Columbia's heritage right from the beginning of our trip. It is amazing how it started with some bricks on a beach.
- Tourism Abbotsford, 604-859-1721 - www.tourismabbotsford.ca
- Royalwood Golf and RV Resort, 1-866-895-7590 - www.royalwoodgolf.com
- Clayburn Village B&B, 604-755-4664 - www.clayburnvillagebb.com