Viewing Object

John Walter Berry was born on December 18, 1869 in Bruce County, Ontario to parents William Berry and Susanah (Sterne) Berry. In 1890 he married Lydia Bowman of Mannheim, Ontario. They had 7 children: Edith (b. 1891), Edward (b. 1894), William (b. 1900), Harold (b. 1901), Anne (b. 1903), John (b. 1905), and Thomas (b. 1910). John moved his family to Langley in 1897 to help long-time friend David Moss Coulter open a general store. The pair opened two stores, one in Murrayville (managed by Berry) and one in Fort Langley (managed by Coulter). In 1904 John sold his store to Hugh A. MacDonald. During the time he owned the store, John purchased a 135 acre price of land and went on to build a successful dairy farm (Belmont). In 1910 he helped form the Fraser Valley Milk Producers Association. John was a prominent Langley citizen. He served as Municipal Clerk in the Township of Langley from 1899-1909, as Chairman of the Langley School Board from 1912-1936, and as MLA for the Delta Riding (which consisted of Delta, Surrey and Langley) from 1928-1932. He also served as an auctioneer and valuator. John died at his home on Old Yale Road after a lengthy illness on September 5, 1943 at the age of 74. He is buried in the Murrayville Cemetery.

See Also: Coulter & Berry Store
Term Source: The Langley Story, pg. 249 (Waite) ; From Prairie to City, p. 85 (Sommer).

Fort Langley established its May Day in 1922, and it continues to be an annual tradition (2003). In Langley, May Day refers to the 24 of May, the date of the birth of Queen Victoria. The first May Day was held in Fort Langley, then the event moved to Langley Prairie from 1923-1957. In 1958 the Langley Kinsmen gave up the event, and it returned to Fort Langley where it was organized by the Community Improvement Society and the Fort Langley Lions club, and finally a community committee. May Day celebrations include the crowning of the May Queen and the May pole dancing.

Superbase See Also: May Day Celebrations - Langley Prairie
Term Source: Warren Sommer's "From Prairie to City", p. 154.

Term Source: HPC Record (HPC-230/1026)