The Delta Heritage Society is once again diving into North Delta’s history through a series of presentations at the George Mackie library next month.
The topics of the of the second annual installment of the animated talks are Annieville’s Fraser River fishing fleet; the people after whom places, streets and schools in Delta were named; as well as the history of the city’s South Asian community.
Nancy Demwell, member of the DHS’s North Delta advisory group and history columnist for the North Delta Reporter, said last year’s events were a hit and the society is expecting a similarly large turnout of people wanting to learn about Delta’s history this year.
“It is my strong belief that what brings a community together is also knowing about heritage,” Demwell said.
“We tend to be fractured by the roads that are going through [North Delta] and tend to be a little bedroom community. So this brings it forward and the people begin to think about people that are actually living here.”
On Feb. 2, attendees can expect a history lesson on the South Asian community by KP Aujula as he talks about his experience living Delta. Demwell said there is a big difference between the 1960s and 1970s in Delta when it comes to the South Asian population and their lives here.
“Multiculturalism came in, there was much less of a prejudiced environment,” she added.
RELATED: North Delta history: South Asian settlement throughout the 20th century
There will also be a run-down of the histories behind names such as Chalmers and others that pop up around town, as well as the stories of some of the community’s heritage homes.
On Feb. 9, the series will take a look at the Annieville fishing dock, which Demwell said was the best spot for fishing and was home to a vibrant Japanese community prior to the Second World War.
READ MORE: SERIES: Commemorating North Delta’s lost Japanese-Canadian community
SEE ALSO: North Delta history: The eulachon, a part of our past
Because the dock has since turned into mainland, local historian John Macdonald, author of Kennedy’s Trail, has tracked down the location where fishing boats were once moored and will present a map of his findings.
The talks run from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., and all events are free.
RELATED: North Delta’s history set to take centre stage at George Mackie Library
editor@northdeltareporter.com
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