Explore the Steveston Tram with a new holiday scavenger hunt
New to Steveston’s Winter Tram this year – try our Holiday Scavenger Hunt for visitors who are young or young at heart. Discover the connections between childhood of the past, the trams, and winter celebrations, as you look for twelve holiday-themed items throughout the museum.
Each of the scavenger hunt items has a story to tell –
Back in the day, holiday celebrations may not have been a time for expensive shop-bought presents. Instead, children often received simple handmade toys such as wooden spinning tops , cup and balls (kendama) or handkerchief dolls and hand knitted hats and scarves as gifts.
Richmond families might have taken Tram Car 1220 into Vancouver to see the Christmas displays in shop windows at the downtown Woodward’s Department Store, dreaming of what it would be like to afford such things.
Children rode their bicycles to nearby bogs to dig up small fir trees. They dragged the trees back home through snow and ice, and decorated them with cranberry or popcorn garlands and handmade decorations.
Sometimes the Fraser River would freeze all the way to Shady Island across from Steveston Village. During these deep freezes, children would tie ice skates to their boots and skate on the river!
Just like today, children had chores to do. But the chores were very different in the past. Many families owned at least one pig. Sometimes this pig was brought home from market on the tram! Even young children learned quickly how to gather table scraps and milk slops to feed to the family pig.
Feeding chickens was also an important chore. Chickens laid eggs that fed families and some mothers sold eggs to help with household bills. Chickens often slow down or stop laying eggs in the winter, so they might end up on the table for Christmas dinner. In spring and summer, some people had live baby chicks delivered by Canada Post mail to them to expand their flocks (Canada Post still allows this today!)
In winter, while waiting for the next tram to arrive in the freezing little three-sided tram stop shacks, teenagers sometimes used this time to steal potatoes from nearby fields. They would light a fire and bake the potatoes, often saving a warm potato for the grateful tram Conductor who returned the favour by giving the teens a free ride.
Towards the end of winter, at Lunar New Year, some Richmond families exchanged festive cookies and nuts in red envelopes.
This year the Steveston Tram continues its holiday tradition of having the Richmond Public Library join us for story time readings of Chris Van Allsburg’s book The Polar Express aboard Tram Car 1220 for the enjoyment of visitors of all ages.
Find these items (in bold), and receive a Winter Tram ornament craft to colour and customize at home. Don’t miss all of Winter Tram programs and activities, from December 1 to 31. Drop in during open hours; admission is free.
What holiday memories and traditions do you remember from the past, and which do you hope will continue on 100 years from now?
