We like to get out for a walk throughout the year in any weather, and because people know that we walk a lot we get many questions.
Recently, we had a question about walking in early B.C. and several others about our walking and cemetery tours for 2013.
First, a little about "historical" walking. Did people really walk the long distances that they seem to have covered?
In the early days of the Colony of B.C. and the gold rush on the Fraser, New Westminster was an expensive place to be, especially if you hadn't yet "struck it rich."
Transportation from this city to the gold diggings near or in the Fraser Canyon was by sternwheeler - and that was costly.
People coming from Victoria to the Fraser River often tried to paddle across the Strait of Georgia and many did not make it.
If you were able to get to the mainland, you then needed to get to the area near Yale and for many people the only option was to go on foot.
There were small boats, a few wagons, and even some horses, but with limited funds for your quest for gold, that's not where you would spend your money.
Your choice would have been between transportation and supplies to allow you to set up at the diggings.
While many gold seekers, homesteaders, other travellers and even a "tourist" or two used the vessels, many others walked.
The exploration of the region around New Westminster, the Fraser Valley into the interior and beyond, included folks heading off into the forests and creek or river valleys, either bushwhacking or using First Nations trails, to see what the area had to offer.
An interesting method of carrying supplies while walking the "road" through the canyon was a double-ended wheel barrow - two people shared the load and hoped they would walk straight to their fortune.
Our own program of public New Westminster area walking and cemetery tours for 2013 will begin at the end of April.
While many of our tours are privately offered to schools, other groups and so on, we will again offer seven walks for the general public.
A change to note this year - there will be a fee of $10 per person for each tour.
The themes of the cemetery tours will include Colonel Moody and friends, local writers, the Regiment and local museums' connections.
Other walks will include the downtown area focusing on the Westminster Club, gas stations and car firms; the changing neighbourhood around Irving House; and along the river front for the port's 100th anniversary.
We have lots of new stories and information to talk about.
Watch for an announcement soon about how to find our tour and program information online and on social media.
You will be able to find out all about our tours, programs and other presentations.
