Heritage Week

Heritage Week in British Columbia is celebrated annually during the third full week in February. First celebrated in 1989 with its official opening, the Archives has since staged a broad range of events to showcase the community’s diverse heritage and storied past, including: exhibitions, open houses, educational programs, videos and its first online exhibit in 2021. Explore your local heritage and celebrate Mission’s uniqueness through the Archives during Heritage Week! Connect with us on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.


Heritage Week: February 16th to February 22nd, 2026

For 2026 Heritage Week, the Mission Community Archives presents a NEW online exhibit showcasing materials from the Archives documenting the evolution of food shopping  opportunities in the community.  

GROCERY STORIES features historic photographs selected by Archivist Val Billesberger from the Community Archives extensive holdings for the Fraser Valley Record newspaper – known today as the Mission City Record – along with images donated by individuals and  families who once lived here.  

Dating between the 1890s and 2018, the photographs have been organized into 4 virtual  albums that illustrate the transformation from personal, local, clerk-assisted service by  family-owned businesses during the pioneer era to the emergence of the first chain stores  Overwaitea and Safeway followed by the establishment of a privately-owned independent  grocery store called Country Foods that fought against the “big guys.”  

This glimpse into Mission’s food shopping reveals not only where people shopped but how  technology and convenience highly influenced the development of grocery stores and their  services in the community spanning more than 125 years.


Heritage Week: February 17th to February 23rd, 2025

The Birth of Mission City

Operated by the Mission District Historical Society, this year the Archives and Museum are staging new exhibits for Heritage Week that each highlight different aspects of the community’s storied past…

Among the many things that makes the City of Mission unique is its rich historic character that include its origin.

You can discover the captivating story of how Mission came to be through two versions of an exhibit by the Mission Community Archives titled: The Birth of Mission City. 

Centered on a replica of a rare 1891 Plan of Mission City (132 X 96.5 cm) donated to the Archives in 2024, a pop-up display at the Mission Leisure Centre features historic images corresponding with the milestone events surrounding the birth of Mission City in 1891.  

Scroll below to view the online version of the exhibit which tells the story behind Mission’s origin, spearheaded by Vancouver land developer James Welton Horne.  Organized into two parts: The Plan and The Outcome, this audio story-telling slideshow highlights pivotal events that dramatically impacted the birth of Mission City, including some of the setbacks.   

After viewing either exhibit, you can test your knowledge by scanning the QR Code to take The Birth of Mission City Fun Trivia Quiz

A very special thanks to Wes Yeomans who donated the 1891 of Mission City for preservation in the Community Archives and to The McPherson Family Foundation & Top Producers LTD. for sponsoring the restoration of the highly-treasured document.

To find out more about Mission’s heritage you can book a visit HERE