Broke & Bougie
A tiny brick company town from the early 1900s on the edge of Sumas Mountain: a 1912 church, an old schoolhouse and a heritage candy store.
Clayburn Village, east Abbotsford
More infoClayburn calls itself Canada's first company-built town, and it still looks the part. The village grew up around the Clayburn brick plant, and its brick buildings, the 1912 Clayburn Church and the schoolhouse from 1907 to 1908 still line a few quiet lanes. The Clayburn Village Store, restored in 1987, anchors the stroll as a candy shop. Twenty minutes of walking, a century of backstory.
Park near the Clayburn Village Store on Clayburn Road and walk the loop of lanes around it; the whole village takes about twenty minutes on foot. Look for the 1912 Clayburn Church, built from locally made Clayburn brick, and the schoolhouse from 1907 to 1908, which now houses the village society's artifacts and photos. Many of the village's homes are lived in, so admire from the sidewalk. Then duck into the Clayburn Village Store, open Tuesday to Saturday from 10 am to 5 pm, for its candy shop. Short on time? Church, store, done.
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