The Sumas Clay Products Ltd. Site will be up for discussion on April 22, with an opportunity to provide input on preservation and a future direction for the company.
The discussion will be held on April 22, at 7 p.m., at The Reach Gallery Museum.
Sumas Clay Products Ltd. has a long history in Abbotsford, starting in 1913. It has operated under several owners and names over the past 100 years.
In 1978 Flex-Lox Industries, which owned the operation at Kilgard, closed the clay plant, focusing instead on the production of plastic pipe and pipe fittings.
The move put many of the Sumas First Nations out of work so the band incorporated as Sumas Clay Products and purchased the clay plant to provide economic stability for its people. The plant was in disrepair and the first few years the Band struggled with financial problems.
For several years sales improved and the company prospered but the site’s future is now in question.
Annie Silver, a Sumas First Nations band member and business administration student, will facilitate the evening. Please join the discussion to provide input into the preservation of an important heritage site and the future of the operation that will drive its preservation.
For more information contact Annie at annie.silver33@gmail.com. To pre-register email kfoulds@thereach.ca.