Milk, Cream, and Community: Chilliwack’s Dairy Story

If Chilliwack agriculture has a “flagship” sector, it’s dairy. What began with early settlers keeping a cow or two quickly grew into an organized, community-shaping industry—one that built creameries, formed producer associations, relied on rail connections, and kept families working the land for generations. The archival photos in this feature trace that evolution: from the first butter shipments and the earliest creameries, to large-scale processing and distribution, and even the extraordinary measures taken to protect dairy herds during the 1948 flood. Together, these snapshots remind us that dairy wasn’t just a product—it was (and remains) a pillar of local life.

Ayrshire dairy cattle and farmhands at Edenbank Farm, date unknown. Photograph courtesy of the Chilliwack Museum and Archives 1981.002.121

Dairy farming has been the flagship sector of Chilliwack’s economy, and it started with early settlers who had a cow or two. By 1865, the Chadsey family were shipping butter to the gold fields. As organized systems emerged, the Edenbank Creamery—based in Sardis—began in 1896, an indicator of the strengthening dairy industry in Chilliwack. People felt that a creamery was needed closer to town, so a second creamery, the Chilliwack Creamery, was built at Young Street and Cheam Avenue and later moved further south. Creamery Road can still be found off Young Street South, close to the Chilliwack Airport.

Workmen standing in front of the in progress Fraser Valley Milk Producer's Association utility plant in Sardis, ca. 1904.. Photograph courtesy of the Chilliwack Museum and Archives P1398.

Starting with 30 farmers, the Fraser Valley Milk Producers’ Association was formed in 1913 to ensure fair pricing and orderly marketing. Their plant was constructed on Wells Road in Sardis, situated next to the railway. The Association grew to over 400 farming members and distributed milk and dairy products throughout B.C.

About 1910, the British Columbia Milk Condensing Company Ltd. building was located on South Sumas Road, next to the railway. The long, low building had three smokestacks and a sign on the roof that read “B.C. Milk Condensing Co. Ltd.” It was run initially by Mr. Chevaly, then sold in 1916 to the Borden Company.

British Columbia Milk Condensing Company Ltd. building on South Sumas Road ca. 1910's. Photograph courtesy of the Chilliwack Museum and Archives P5141.

During the flood in Chilliwack in 1948, dairy cattle were rescued and brought to the Department of Defense rifle range at Vedder Crossing (later known as Garrison). Volunteers came to feed and care for the 400 head of cattle because these cattle still needed to be milked, regardless of the circumstances!

Volunteers during the 1948 Flood in Chilliwack. Photograph courtesy of the Chilliwack Museum and Archives. P670

Today, dairy farming remains a significant employer in the Chilliwack area, with many farms specializing in high-volume, quality dairy products. We’re fortunate to live in a region where farm services, local products, and agricultural knowledge are still close at hand—and where some farms even offer tours that make for a fun, educational family outing. During Heritage Week, these stories and images give us a chance to look back with appreciation: at the farms, facilities, and people who built the dairy sector here, and at the resilience it has always required—whether in everyday routines or in extraordinary moments like the flood of 1948.

If this post sparked a story at your kitchen table, we’d love to hear it. Comment with a memory, a farm name, or a “this reminds me of…”—it all helps keep Chilliwack’s past present.