Cloverdale Walking Tour
A Cloverdale public art and heritage walking tour.
Explore Culture on Foot
Featured in this walking tour are a selection of public art and heritage sites in downtown Cloverdale. Start your tour at Museum of Surrey. In addition to the sites listed here, Cloverdale has many more historic buildings and locations to explore.
What to Expect
The flat terrain walk should take between 30-60 minutes with a distance of 2.4km.
Instructions
Follow the walking tour map and then scroll through each corresponding stop below as you walk. You may also print the map and take it with you.
Step by Step of the Sites
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1 - 1881 Town Hall
The District of Surrey was incorporated in 1879 with no official municipal building from which to operate. The Town Hall was built in 1881, and the first meeting was held on May 2 of that year. It was later home to Surrey’s first museum.
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2 - Anniedale
The school was built in 1899 for $750 and was originally located near today’s 96 Avenue and 182 Street. With a curriculum for grades 1-8, there were 12 students enrolled its first year.
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3 - Anderson Cabin
Surrey's oldest existing building, the hand-hewn log home was built in 1872 by Eric Anderson. It was donated to the Museum of Surrey in 1970 and is open as an exhibit during Museum operating hours.
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4 - Paddles
The Rivers That Connect Us - The illuminated paddles are raised to the sky, recalling a traditional Coast Salish gesture indicating peace and respect made when a canoe traveler approached a village. The artwork’s welcoming gesture honours the diversity of newcomers arriving in Surrey and the traditional lands of the Salish peoples. By kʼwyʼiʼyʼe Spring Salmon Studio.
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5 - Cenotaph
The cenotaph was first dedicated in 1921 to commemorate soldiers fallen in the Great War of 1914–18. The monument was rededicated in 2006 to also commemorate those who have served in World War II, Korea, and UN peacekeeping missions. The statue "Kneeling in Remembrance" honors those who lost their lives in battle. By André Gauthier.
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6 - 1912 Hall
Made of locally sourced brick, the 1912 Hall was built to house a quickly expanding Municipal operations, including the Town Clerk, Council Chambers, Public Works, Surrey Police and Jail, Court House, School Board, and Health and Welfare. Today it is home to the Surrey Archives.
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7 - BC Heritage Rail
Across Highway 10 is a replica of the Cloverdale Station of the B.C. Electric Railway (BCER). The BCER was an interurban line ran from Chilliwack to downtown Vancouver from 1910-1950.
Note: If crossing Highway 10, use the crosswalk at 176 Street -
8 - HWY Marker
Connecting Cloverdale to the American border, Clover Valley Road was graveled in 1913 and renamed the Pacific Highway. Ten years later, it became Surrey’s first paved highway, as is commemorated by the stone monument erected in 1923.
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9 - Train Conductor
The Train Conductor signifies Cloverdale’s transportation history. The Moments in Time art series celebrates aspects of Cloverdale’s past. By Frank Thorn.
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10 - Storyboard
This storyboard explores the ways in which this area has always been a transportation hub.
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11 - Dann's
Originally built in 1920 to house a branch of the Royal Bank of Canada, the building was also home to a BC government liquor store 1923-1931 and the longstanding Dann’s Electronics 1932-2013. Today it is a popular location for TV and movie filming.
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12 - BMO
Built 1912 to house the Bank of Montreal, it is one Surrey’s oldest surviving commercial buildings in Cloverdale. It was an important asset in the development of Cloverdale as the commercial centre of Surrey.
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13 - The Farmer
The Farmer represents Cloverdale’s agricultural history. The Moments in Time art series celebrates aspects of Cloverdale’s past. By Frank Thorn.
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14 - Surrey Leader
Built in 1925, the building was operated by the Surrey Leader Newspaper, making it the base for reporting Surrey’s most important news and events, from 1945 until 1983.
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15 - Clova Theatre
The Clova was the area’s first theatre. The Grand Opening on 26 May 1947 showed the movie "Dead Reckoning" with Humphrey Bogart & Elizabeth Scott. Though it closed as a theatre in 2014, it is still available for rent or special occasions.
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16 - The Cowgirl
The Cowgirl celebrates the enduring tradition of the Cloverdale Rodeo. The Moments in Time art series celebrates aspects of Cloverdale’s past. By Frank Thorn.
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17 - Storyboard
This storyboard highlights the ways in which Cloverdale welcomes people
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18 - Storyboard
This storyboard looks at the long history of this area as a place of trade and commerce.
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19 - Cloverdale United Church
Across Highway 15, the Cloverdale United Church is an example of a transitional style of Gothic Revival and Modern architecture, common to when it was built in 1949/50. It remains a place of worship and congregation today.
Note: If crossing Highway 15, use the crosswalk at 58 Avenue -
20 - Sinclair House
Dr. Sinclair was appointed the Municipal Medical Health Officer in 1911 until his death in 1952, and officiated the sod turning of Surrey Memorial Hospital in 1948. The house was originally located near today’s Museum of Surrey but was moved shortly after Dr. Sinclair died in 1952.
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21 - Storyboard
This storyboard explores the many ways that people are connected to this land.
Contact
For more information on these sites or the history of Cloverdale and Surrey itself, visit:
Museum of Surrey
17710 56A Avenue, Surrey
604-592-6956
Surrey Archives
17671 56 Avenue, Surrey
604-502-6459
Land Acknowledgement
Surrey is situated on the unceded, and ancestral lands of the Salish peoples, including the q̓ic̓əy̓ (Katzie), q̓ʷɑ:n̓ƛ̓ən̓ (Kwantlen), and se’mya’me (Semiahmoo) Nations.