604 465 4322General Store Site 12294 Harris Road Pitt Meadows, B.C.
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History of Blueberries
Blue boy Blueberry Company
The Historical Story of Pitt Meadows writes this about the company: J.K. Austring has made a name for himself with his Blue Boy Blueberries. It all started in 1942 when a young man came and asked him if he had any place to plant 100 blueberry bushes that he wanted to save from destruction by calves which were eating them. These bushes were set out on the Alouette Peat land eventually purchased when the Blue Boy Blueberry Company Ltd. purchased the first approximately 40 acres of land from Alouette Peat. John Kildahl Austring was a pioneer resident who worked in Peat farming and then turned land over to blueberries by the late 1940s. He established the industry in Pitt Meadows. He also served the community as an alderman. During the 1960s and 70s, the farm was a large employer, especially during the summer blueberry picking season. John Austring along with his sons (Oscar and John O.) were involved heavily in the formation of the B.C. Blueberry Cooperative Association.
The Blueberry Festival
Virtually everyone who lives in Pitt Meadows and Maple Ridge knows that these two communities are predominantly agricultural. However, while residents of Pitt Meadows and Maple Ridge in the 1950s enjoyed freshly picked blueberries every summer, few of them knew that the area was also among North America’s largest producers of blueberries with an annual production of eight million pounds. In order to raise awareness of the blueberry industry in the region, the co-operative of blueberry growers of BC, headed by Mr. Oscar Austring, started the blueberry festival tradition.
The first blueberry festival (called Blueberry Field Day) took place on Mr. Austring’s farm in 1957 and all of the blueberry growers in the Ridge-Meadows region were invited to set up stalls at the festival. The blueberry festival included both educational presentations on blueberry growing and processing as well as entertainment and fun activities.
The Blueberry Queen Beauty Contest
Since the late 1950s, the blueberry festival in the Ridge-Meadows area has been incorporating its well-known beauty contest – the selection of the blueberry queen. The seven participants of the beauty contest are the ‘blueberry princesses’ initially chosen by the Ridge-Meadows Women’s Liberal Association, the Canadian Legion Auxiliary, the Pitt Meadows PTA, the Maple Ridge Rod and Gun Club, the Yennadon Community Club, Canada Order Foresters, the Ruskin Community Club, and Legion LA.
After being chosen as ‘blueberry princesses’, the ladies, with little or no preparation, appear at the Haney Odeon Theatre parading in shorts and blouses. Judges from other municipalities asked them questions about current events and political information, such as the names of their Reeve and MLA. After a few days, they then made speeches and had personal interviews in the Agricultural Hall. Since they all competed to be the “Blueberry Queen”, the contestants also had to familiarize themselves with the trade of blueberry picking by interning in the local Blueberry farms. The farm owners then comment on the skills they developed. Furthermore, these blueberry princesses also had the responsibility to advertise ticket sales for that year’s blueberry festival.
The final announcement of the selection of the annual Blueberry Queen took place in the Aggie Hall, Port Coquitlam, and was usually celebrated with the Maple Ridge Junior Band. The Blueberry Queen then received gifts from local stores and then received the honour to represent the Ridge-Meadows Region in the Miss P.N.E. contest. The Blueberry Queen, and the blueberry princesses to a lesser extent, also take the role of representing the Ridge-Meadows community in regional events. For example, a few blueberry princesses of 1958, Eda Douma, Joy Simonds, and Gladys Wiseman, represented the community during Princess Margaret’s visit in 1958 by accompanying her to various locations throughout her visit to BC.
Activities at the Blueberry Festival
Blueberry Pie Eating Contest
Both kids and adults participate in this fun activity as they have a taste of the tasty blueberry pies baked by local housewives! The winner of the contest receives a prize from local stores.
Blueberry Cooking Contest
Local housewives brought samples of blueberry pies, jams, and cakes to exhibit during the festival. A board of judges examines each product based on its smell, look, and taste and chooses the best product of each kind. The winners of the contest receive gifts from local stores.
The evolution of the blueberry festival
Through the increasing need for awareness of other agricultural industries around the Ridge Meadows region, the blueberry festival started to amalgamate with other country festivals in the 21st century. In 2006, Honeyland Canada, a bee-breeding company that also plants blueberries, started to host the annual Honey-Blueberry Festival. Country Fest also incorporated aspects of the blueberry festival into its festivities.
The Historical Story of Pitt Meadows writes this about the company: J.K. Austring has made a name for himself with his Blue Boy Blueberries. It all started in 1942 when a young man came and asked him if he had any place to plant 100 blueberry bushes that he wanted to save from destruction by calves which were eating them. These bushes were set out on the Alouette Peat land eventually purchased when the Blue Boy Blueberry Company Ltd. purchased the first approximately 40 acres of land from Alouette Peat. John Kildahl Austring was a pioneer resident who worked in Peat farming and then turned land over to blueberries by the late 1940s. He established the industry in Pitt Meadows. He also served the community as an alderman. During the 1960s and 70s, the farm was a large employer, especially during the summer blueberry picking season. John Austring along with his sons (Oscar and John O.) were involved heavily in the formation of the B.C. Blueberry Cooperative Association.
The Blueberry Festival
Virtually everyone who lives in Pitt Meadows and Maple Ridge knows that these two communities are predominantly agricultural. However, while residents of Pitt Meadows and Maple Ridge in the 1950s enjoyed freshly picked blueberries every summer, few of them knew that the area was also among North America’s largest producers of blueberries with an annual production of eight million pounds. In order to raise awareness of the blueberry industry in the region, the co-operative of blueberry growers of BC, headed by Mr. Oscar Austring, started the blueberry festival tradition.
The first blueberry festival (called Blueberry Field Day) took place on Mr. Austring’s farm in 1957 and all of the blueberry growers in the Ridge-Meadows region were invited to set up stalls at the festival. The blueberry festival included both educational presentations on blueberry growing and processing as well as entertainment and fun activities.
The Blueberry Queen Beauty Contest
Since the late 1950s, the blueberry festival in the Ridge-Meadows area has been incorporating its well-known beauty contest – the selection of the blueberry queen. The seven participants of the beauty contest are the ‘blueberry princesses’ initially chosen by the Ridge-Meadows Women’s Liberal Association, the Canadian Legion Auxiliary, the Pitt Meadows PTA, the Maple Ridge Rod and Gun Club, the Yennadon Community Club, Canada Order Foresters, the Ruskin Community Club, and Legion LA.
After being chosen as ‘blueberry princesses’, the ladies, with little or no preparation, appear at the Haney Odeon Theatre parading in shorts and blouses. Judges from other municipalities asked them questions about current events and political information, such as the names of their Reeve and MLA. After a few days, they then made speeches and had personal interviews in the Agricultural Hall. Since they all competed to be the “Blueberry Queen”, the contestants also had to familiarize themselves with the trade of blueberry picking by interning in the local Blueberry farms. The farm owners then comment on the skills they developed. Furthermore, these blueberry princesses also had the responsibility to advertise ticket sales for that year’s blueberry festival.
The final announcement of the selection of the annual Blueberry Queen took place in the Aggie Hall, Port Coquitlam, and was usually celebrated with the Maple Ridge Junior Band. The Blueberry Queen then received gifts from local stores and then received the honour to represent the Ridge-Meadows Region in the Miss P.N.E. contest. The Blueberry Queen, and the blueberry princesses to a lesser extent, also take the role of representing the Ridge-Meadows community in regional events. For example, a few blueberry princesses of 1958, Eda Douma, Joy Simonds, and Gladys Wiseman, represented the community during Princess Margaret’s visit in 1958 by accompanying her to various locations throughout her visit to BC.
Activities at the Blueberry Festival
Blueberry Pie Eating Contest
Both kids and adults participate in this fun activity as they have a taste of the tasty blueberry pies baked by local housewives! The winner of the contest receives a prize from local stores.
Blueberry Cooking Contest
Local housewives brought samples of blueberry pies, jams, and cakes to exhibit during the festival. A board of judges examines each product based on its smell, look, and taste and chooses the best product of each kind. The winners of the contest receive gifts from local stores.
The evolution of the blueberry festival
Through the increasing need for awareness of other agricultural industries around the Ridge Meadows region, the blueberry festival started to amalgamate with other country festivals in the 21st century. In 2006, Honeyland Canada, a bee-breeding company that also plants blueberries, started to host the annual Honey-Blueberry Festival. Country Fest also incorporated aspects of the blueberry festival into its festivities.
