Newspapers played an important role at the time in keeping small communities such as Cloverdale informed of key events not just on a global scale, but also on a very local one. The newspaper frequently served as a social board, keeping tabs on the community’s prominent figures, letting people know about the comings and goings of residents’ travels, and printing opinion articles in which they expressed their enthusiasm, grievances, or general comments on town affairs. As a result of all of this, newspapers were the major means of disseminating any and all events in that community, and they had a large influence on the people’s participation or excitement for these events.
Surrey’s local newspaper, the Surrey Leader, played the most important role in the preparation, advertisement, and reporting of the local fairs, particularly the 1938 Fall Fair. It served as a means of notifying residents about the upcoming events, where and when they would take place, and how much admission to the fair would cost. It would also list all of the prize recipients and the occasions on which they were awarded. It also served as a reminder to community members of the value of reputation and how everyone wants to be on their best behaviour while out-of-town guests attend the fair. Fairs were frequently used by municipalities to win public support from neighbouring communities and local governments, which made it easier to obtain financial support from the provincial government for the associations that planned these events. Following the 1938 fair, it was reported that the Minister of Agriculture in British Columbia at the time spoke at the fair. He requested that neighbouring districts work with Surrey to further grow the Fair and build an even larger event in the future.
Fairs, as noted in (“Fall Fairs”), were away for colonial communities to demonstrate their success and advancement since their pioneer roots. An article published in the Surrey Leader in 1938, shortly after the 1938 Fall Fair in Cloverdale, describes how the new fairgrounds for the fall fair were dedicated to the Surrey Pioneers, who founded the fair 50 years before. The old town hall relocation was also dedicated to the pioneers for their hard work in developing the city that was now Surrey. The Canadian ensign was also flown in front of the historic town hall as part of this. These actions indicate the fairs’ significant emphasis on European Canadian principles and on showcasing white Canadian culture to those who attended.