To many, Chilliwack is an inconveniently smelly blip on the map as they pass through it on the way to their destination, usually the surrounding campsites or lakes. But for those of us lucky (or maybe unlucky) enough to call it home, we know Five Corners to be the heart of the historic downtown area, known for The Book Man, the clock tower, and the nearby schools. Although it’s an iconic intersection, it’s also well known as a high crime area with one too many “For Lease” signs that you avoid walking past at night. Anna Irwin, curator of the new Five Faces, Five Corners exhibit at the Chilliwack Museum, pushes the boundaries of what we know Five Corners to be, and transports us to a different era in its history.
A short opening ceremony and speech took place with speakers including executive director of the Chilliwack museum, Shawna Maurice, Chilliwack mayor Ken Popove, and Irwin. Museum goers were then welcomed to wander amongst beautifully laid out artifacts like vintage signage for the courthouse, memorabilia from the annual Cherry Carnival, and restaurant menus boasting 10 cent beverages. The walls displayed text and photos of the famous faces of early Chilliwack, and a black-and-white film played silently on a wall, showcasing a local outdoor performance. Mixed in were interactive activities to stimulate thought and discussion; an artist booth was set up to encourage passersby to design their own business sign and a poster of pictures of common grocery goods with coin magnets you could assign to each and guess how much the item cost a hundred years ago.
“We went with a little bit of a timeline but interspersed with faces. The interactives, they plunked in where they felt natural and where they felt right. For example, when we were transitioning between Merchant’s Stream — Merchant’s Stream talks about … 1910s to like 1930ish — having a game in the middle that’s “Guess that Price” made a lot of sense. That was all the work of Sarah Belley, our education coordinator who put that one together,” Irwin said.
The exhibit elicited curiosity and surprise even in those, like myself, who have lived in Chilliwack longer than they care to admit. Although it may not be considered the most exciting town today, Five Faces, Five Corners brings to life a Chilliwack where bowling was considered a risqué activity along with billiards and gambling, a Miss Chilliwack was crowned annually, and a church building was relocated via canoe and river. It was a bustling farm town with more character and sense of community than we give it credit for. Although now demolished, the Paramount Theatre used to sell out with hundreds of cinephiles lined outside to snag a seat in what later became an unprofitable relic of the past. The theater even had a riot of teenagers who “slashed seats, threw chestnuts, and overturned ashtrays” after a showing of Rock Around the Clock.
Chilliwack’s downtown will be undergoing new development in the near future, having piqued the interest of Algra Bros Development Inc., a company specializing in commercial development. Algra Bros have presented a proposal to rejuvenate the area with a balance of urban design and community. Renderings for the development depict trendy citizens marching down spacious, cobblestone walkways across from brightly accented, asymmetric shops and cafés. This is a stark contrast from the current downtown area’s homeless shelters, Food Bank, and opioid overdose crisis. Will these needs be addressed and fit into the vision of the future Five Corners or will it be expected that the fashionable awnings and cityscape design will solve the problems? Five Faces, Five Corners is a timely exhibition, since discussion about Chilliwack’s downtown is more relevant and essential than ever.
“I want people to reflect on what Five Corners means to them personally — to think about what would they like to see out of Five Corners, to situate [themselves] in the history of Five Corners. … We wanted to do a look back to see where we’ve been, look where we are now, and then go, where are we going in the future?” Irwin said.
Images: Chandy Dancey/The Cascade
Chandy is a biology major/chemistry minor who's been a staff writer, Arts editor, and Managing Editor at The Cascade. She began writing in elementary school when she produced Tamagotchi fanfiction to show her peers at school -- she now lives in fear that this may have been her creative peak.
