The environment was incredibly rich. The rivers were full of salmon while the lakes provided refuge for all manner of bird and fish life. The mountains, valleys, forests and swamps were all used by the Sto:lo. All of this changed in 1858 when word of gold finds in the canyons of the Fraser River filtered to California and the Eastern United States and Canada. Between June and December of 1858 30,000 gold seekers found their way to the area. Most passed through the Chilliwack area but some remained.
Those that stayed took on the task of altering the landscape to meet their needs. Since 1858, the landscape of the area has been altered beyond any recognition. Rivers have been diverted, lakes drained, forest cover removed and swamps eliminated. Dykes, drainage ditches and a canal have been imposed on the land. When we look at a modern day landscape we tend to think that it has been there forever and changes only occasionally. The truth however is that the scale of the changes has been monumental with the transformation taking only100 years. For the Sto:lo and the earlier colonial settlers present day Chilliwack of today would not be recognizable.
