Early attempts to drain the swamps and bogs were largely limited to localized efforts. Community wide drainage schemes did not take shape until after the 1894 flood. East Chilliwack, one of the wetter areas, is today criss-crossed by a network of ditches, collecting water from nearby fields or from streams running off the nearby mountains. Perhaps the oldest ditch dates to a time before 1900. The 'Big Ditch' runs beside Upper Prairie Road draining areas that were once bogs and swamps. Over the last 100 years, the process of ditch digging has continued.
Close view of dredger in operation, a. 1920s. P6698
Crane driving piles in drainage ditch, ca. 1931. P6700
Drainage ditch in progress, ca. 1920s. P6699
The Big Ditch 1999 - Ron Denman photo
