Pacific Highway looking north at Cloverdale commercial buildings and stores. Dann’s in the foreground and a man riding a bicycle on left. 1930

Cloverdale is a Canadian town located in Surrey, British Columbia. Cloverdale was the original town centre in Surrey as it was founded in 1879 on the famous 60 Avenue and Old McClellan Road intersection. It has agricultural beginnings, and it still maintains that image, since it is well known for its annual rodeo in May. Cloverdale was not always the thriving suburban community it is today. Cloverdale was among the small towns scattered throughout the lower mainland in the 1930s. The population was mostly made up of farmers and small business owners. The Great Depression had an impact on the inhabitants of Cloverdale, as evidenced by articles published in the Surrey Leader, the local newspaper, throughout the 1930s. However, not to the same extent as the people of the Canadian prairies or the American midwest. British Columbia’s climate was considerably wetter than the rest of Canada, allowing farmers to continue producing their products. This allowed these farmers to make a profit from their products, maybe not as much as in past years, but enough to keep and manage their land. This allowed agricultural towns in British Columbia, such as Cloverdale, to continue to grow their communities at a time when other provinces were severely struggling.

Cloverdale – McLellan Road with Liquor Store and Overwaitea, 1930

Although unemployment was relatively low in Surrey because many residents worked in agriculture rather than in large urban factories, money was still limited. Often in the newspaper, it was discussed how to practice excellent budgeting, or it was joked about to lighten the mood. According to one article in The Surrey Leader from 1933, the Fall Fair was a means for Surrey to demonstrate its fortitude in the face of the Great Depression, as many other cities elected to forego their fall fairs in the early 1930s. The choice to keep fairs open in the 30s in Surrey was deliberate as it was thought that the fair could be used to attract buyers for the town’s businesses.

“The fall fair is Surrey’s shop window.”

The surrey leader

The entire article emphasizes that, while prizes were less expensive than in previous years, the importance of making money is an aside from the fact that the community must remain positive and strive to continue producing agricultural goods. Knowing this makes the 1938 Fall Fair even more impressive, as it shows the communities of Surrey banding together in spite of the economic hard times.