Before We Lost the Lake: A Natural and Human History of Sumas Valley

by Chad Reimer

For thousands of years, the broad expanse between Sumas and Vedder Mountains east of Vancouver lay under water, forming the bed of Sumas Lake. As recently as a century ago, the lake’s shores stood four miles across and six miles long. During yearly high water, the lake spilled onto the surrounding prairies; during high flood years, it reached from Chilliwack into Washington State. Then, through the 1920s, a network of dykes, canals, dams and pumphouses was erected and the lake drained—“reclaimed” in the words of projects supporters. A new landscape was created, a seemingly ‘natural’ prairie carved up into productive farmland.

Today, few people are aware that Sumas Lake ever existed. The only reminder is a plaque erected on the old lakeshore, at a rest-stop along the Trans-Canada Highway just east of Whatcom Road, on the historic trail blazed to BC’s gold fields. Yet for millenniums, Sumas Lake was a dynamic, integral part of the region’s natural and human landscape.

In his new book, BEFORE WE LOST THE LAKE, Chad Reimer sets out to truly reclaim Sumas Lake, to restore it to its proper place in the history of the Fraser Valley, BC and the Northwest Coast. Drawing on extensive primary material, Reimer reconstructs the life history of Sumas Lake from the glacial age through the lake’s demise and after. BEFORE WE LOST THE LAKE examines the lake’s natural history and ecology, its occupation and use by the Sema:th and other First Nations, its colonization by White immigrants, the environmental changes brought about by introduced plants and animals, and the campaign to drain it. Drainage proponents had their way and gradually the promised benefits were realized. But these benefits came at a heavy cost to the environment and for the Sema:th, whose traditional way of life was irretrievably lost.

Genres: Nonfiction, History

272 pages, Paperback

Published October 19, 2018

Reviews

[Susannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was difficult to read because it’s so frustrating how unkind, self interested and generally clueless white settlers were. How disconnected they were from the land and distrusting if Indigenous knowledge.
White settlers took so much from the Indigenous communities who lived and shared these spaces prior to their arrival. Settlers had the nerve to call the land their own after ‘claiming’ or ‘buying it’ from the government and scooping it away from people who literally lived on it.
Now we’re faced with the housing crisis that is the making of our own community members greed.
Those in power of land and wealth are not smart or kind but just as short sighted and greedy as the original settlers.
I am an educator and will pass on the knowledge I’ve learned from this book and keep finding ways to make change/make amends for my clueless ancestors and challenge my own beliefs so I don’t show up as some complete jerk in the history books like a number of the white men listed in this book.

If we can remember to be kind, generous and curious of people different from ourselves rather than angry or fearful we can form better, more informed and happier communities (I hope!!)

[Deb · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finally finished this book. Actually, I finally STARTED this book. It was really fascinating and a little depressing. I have strong ties to the Sumas prairie and family history relating to the draining of Sumas Lake.

[Richard Janzen · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a pleasure to come across this book. The protagonist of the story is the Sumas Lake, from natural beginnings to the ending by draining by the hands of human settlers.

Growing up in the Fraser Valley, I am shocked at how little I ever heard about Sumas Lake. And my ancestors were beneficiaries of getting land in yarrow that would've been either lake or transitional lake area.... without draining the lake, my people would most likely not have even come to British Columbia.

The detail about planning for, and executing the drainage was interesting. But probably the aspect of the book that was most impactful for me was the relationship between the lake and the first nations groups who lived here before the white settlers. And subsequently, the way that life for the first nations groups changed during white settlement and during the planning/draining of the lake.

I am very thankful that the author wrote this book- just what I was looking for.

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting book describing the history of Sumas Lake and how it was drained. Covers the First Nations that lived here with lots of food from the lake, the arrival of traders then settlers to reserves and many years of failed plans to drain the lake until finally completed in 1924. The lake used to support a rich ecosystem of fish (sturgeon in abundance) and vast clouds of waterfowl plus providing and overflow for Fraser River (and the Chilliwack) high water. Like a lot of humans ideas there are unintended consequences making this a mixed tale of history.

[Linda Toews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very well researched. This book is of particular interest to those of us living in the Sumas Valley. Highly recommend.

[Morgan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having grown up in Chilliwack I was aware of Sumas Lake, but not of the particulars of having it drained, nor what its existence looked like prior to that. I did find that this book was very thorough although sometimes I got hung up on the figures and technicalities (it was sometimes difficult to keep costs, engineers, plans, and companies straight). There was also a strong focus on the indigenous perspectives of Sumas Lake and its draining, more than I expected. It made for an interesting read, but I would have also liked more insight from the community as a whole, which would include more of the pioneers and farmers, as well as details up to the current day.
As someone who avidly searches out Chilliwack history as a personal passion, I give this a rating of 3/5 and would reccomend to others with an interest in the era and area.

[Rogi Bones On the Mo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to read this book for work! I can't believe how clueless I was to the history of Sumas Prairie and the lower mainland in general. It is clear that extensive research and Indigenous accounts were collected for the writing of this, and it is probably the most comprehensive piece of literature I've read regarding both pre- and post-colonial history in the Lower Mainland. While information-dense, I actually appreciate that this read more like a textbook.

Everyone who lives in the Lower Mainland should read this book.

[Carson Olafson · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone who grew up in the Sumas area, this book provided fascinating and detailed answers to so many questions I have long held about the area's history. Thank you to the author for giving the gift of this knowledge!

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Local history at its finest.
Dense read.

[Emma Dunbar · Rating 1 out of 5]

The loss of Sumass Lake is a colonial tragedy, and this book fails to properly center Indigenous perspectives, and in fact hardly mentions local Indigenous peoples, especially the impact of displacement, after the first few chapters.