Agassiz (/ˈæɡəsi/ AG-ə-see)[1] is a small community located in the Eastern Fraser Valley region of British Columbia, Canada, about 97 kilometres east of Vancouver and 24 kilometres north-east of the city of Chilliwack.[2] Home to the Kent District Hall Agassiz is the only town centre within the jurisdiction of the District Municipality of Kent. The majority of Kent's population resides in the Agassiz area.
Agassiz | |
|---|---|
 A view of the mountains from the street | |
  Agassiz Location in British Columbia | |
| Coordinates: 49°14′20.19″N 121°45′57.18″W / 49.2389417°N 121.7658833°W | |
| Country | Canada |
| Province | British Columbia |
| Regional district | Fraser Valley |
| Named for | Lewis Nunn Agassiz, a member of the Agassiz family |
History edit
The land on the Fraser that is now called Agassiz was once the location of villages of the First Nation Steaten people that had been wiped out by smallpox starting in 1782.[3] Later, another village of former First Nation slaves settled there called Freedom Village (Halkomelem: Chi'ckim).[3]
Modern day Agassiz was founded by Lewis Nunn Agassiz, a member of the Agassiz family. Agassiz (1827-1880) was born in Essex, England, and immigrated to PEI after retiring as an officer from the British Army. He moved to Ontario with his wife, Mary Caroline Schram (1829-1921) and children, then left them to chase gold in California and BC. The family reunited at Victoria in 1862 and lived for a time at Hope and then Yale, where Agassiz was constable and postmaster. In 1862 he pre-empted land in the east Fraser Valley, where he and his family took up residence in 1867, calling their home Ferney Coombe. Agassiz left Canada again in 1875 to embark on a solo world tour, dying in Constantinople while visiting his brother. After the arrival of the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1885, a community grew up around Ferney Coombe and the name was changed to Agassiz [4] by Sir Joseph Trutch, the Dominion agent in BC.[5]
Climate edit
Agassiz has an oceanic climate (Cfb) with warm summers with cool nights and cool, rainy winters.[6] Mid-summer to early fall is generally the driest time of the year, with only 1 out of every 3 days on average having precipitation.
| Climate data for Agassiz, British Columbia | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 17.2 (63.0) |
21.7 (71.1) |
25.8 (78.4) |
32.2 (90.0) |
36.0 (96.8) |
41.4 (106.5) |
38.3 (100.9) |
39.4 (102.9) |
36.8 (98.2) |
29.6 (85.3) |
21.1 (70.0) |
17.2 (63.0) |
41.4 (106.5) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 6.2 (43.2) |
8.5 (47.3) |
11.6 (52.9) |
15.0 (59.0) |
18.5 (65.3) |
21.1 (70.0) |
24.0 (75.2) |
24.6 (76.3) |
21.3 (70.3) |
15.0 (59.0) |
8.9 (48.0) |
5.8 (42.4) |
15.0 (59.0) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 3.4 (38.1) |
5.1 (41.2) |
7.5 (45.5) |
10.4 (50.7) |
13.6 (56.5) |
16.2 (61.2) |
18.5 (65.3) |
18.7 (65.7) |
15.9 (60.6) |
11.0 (51.8) |
6.1 (43.0) |
3.2 (37.8) |
10.8 (51.4) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 0.5 (32.9) |
1.6 (34.9) |
3.4 (38.1) |
5.6 (42.1) |
8.8 (47.8) |
11.3 (52.3) |
12.8 (55.0) |
12.8 (55.0) |
10.3 (50.5) |
6.9 (44.4) |
3.2 (37.8) |
0.5 (32.9) |
6.5 (43.7) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −25.0 (−13.0) |
−24.4 (−11.9) |
−14.4 (6.1) |
−3.9 (25.0) |
−1.1 (30.0) |
1.7 (35.1) |
3.3 (37.9) |
1.7 (35.1) |
−1.1 (30.0) |
−8.5 (16.7) |
−19.0 (−2.2) |
−21.1 (−6.0) |
−25.0 (−13.0) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 240.8 (9.48) |
142.1 (5.59) |
154.7 (6.09) |
125.9 (4.96) |
103.0 (4.06) |
92.2 (3.63) |
66.6 (2.62) |
58.2 (2.29) |
87.6 (3.45) |
191.7 (7.55) |
285.0 (11.22) |
206.1 (8.11) |
1,754.1 (69.06) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 220.8 (8.69) |
131.1 (5.16) |
148.8 (5.86) |
125.5 (4.94) |
103.0 (4.06) |
92.2 (3.63) |
66.6 (2.62) |
58.2 (2.29) |
87.6 (3.45) |
191.6 (7.54) |
275.8 (10.86) |
187.7 (7.39) |
1,688.9 (66.49) |
| Average snowfall cm (inches) | 20.3 (8.0) |
12.5 (4.9) |
5.8 (2.3) |
0.4 (0.2) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0.2 (0.1) |
9.2 (3.6) |
19.0 (7.5) |
67.4 (26.6) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.2 mm) | 19.2 | 17.3 | 19.9 | 17.8 | 17.1 | 15.0 | 10.4 | 10.1 | 11.7 | 17.1 | 21.3 | 20.0 | 196.9 |
| Average rainy days (≥ 0.2 mm) | 16.8 | 15.8 | 19.6 | 17.8 | 17.1 | 15.0 | 10.4 | 10.1 | 11.7 | 17.1 | 20.7 | 18.1 | 190.1 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.2 cm) | 4.6 | 2.8 | 1.0 | 0.2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.07 | 1.3 | 3.9 | 13.87 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 57.8 | 85.7 | 127.7 | 163.9 | 194.2 | 195.6 | 255.8 | 242.2 | 196.8 | 122.2 | 60.2 | 53.6 | 1,755.6 |
| Source: Environment Canada[7][8][9] | |||||||||||||
Arts and Culture edit
TV shows filmed in Agassiz edit
The television drama Wayward Pines (2015–2016) was filmed on location in the community. The series finale episode, unintentionally harking back to the annihilation of the Steaten people by smallpox, ends with the last few hundred humans on Earth in the 39th century deciding to commit genocide of the entire intelligent, yet simple, new Homo species that has evolved on an Earth decimated by humans in the 21st century – by infecting the new species with typhoid, Marburg virus, and the bubonic plague.
Winter Night Lights edit
Running through November and December, Winter Night Lights is an annual Christmas lights display at the Agassiz Harrison Museum, Historic Aberdeen building and Pioneer Park.[10]
Government and infrastructure edit
Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) Kent Institution is in Agassiz.
Gallery edit
-
The Agassiz-Harrison Museum -
District of Kent District Hall and Public Library, Agassiz, BC.
See also edit
References edit
- ^ The Canadian Press (2017), The Canadian Press Stylebook (18th ed.), Toronto: The Canadian Press
- ^ "Agassiz (Community)". BC Geographical Names.
- ^ a b Carlson, Keith Thor (2010). The Power of Place, the Problem of Time: Aboriginal Identity and Historical Consciousness in the Cauldron of Colonialism. Toronto: University of Toronto Press. p. 142. ISBN 978-0-8020-9564-0. Retrieved 2024-02-27 – via Google Books.
- ^ Scott, Andrew; "The Encyclopedia of Raincoast Place Names"; Harbour Publishing, Madeira Park, 2009.
- ^ Nelson, Denys; Place Names of the Delta of the Fraser River; 1927, unpublished manuscript held in the Provincial Archives
- ^ "Agassiz, Bc Climate Agassiz, Bc Temperatures Agassiz, Bc Weather Averages". www.agassiz.climatemps.com. Retrieved 2023-03-22.
- ^ "Canadian Climate Normals 1981-2010 at station AGASSIZ CDA". Environment Canada. 2013-07-01. Retrieved 2014-01-02.
- ^ "Daily Data Report for September 2017 - Climate - Environment and Climate Change Canada".
- ^ "Daily Data Report for June 2021 - Climate - Environment and Climate Change Canada".
- ^ https://www.kentbc.ca/en/explore-and-play/Experience_Agassiz.aspx
