The Hall - The Social Centre of a Rural Community

Pitt Meadows Municipal Hall (1931) | Pitt Meadows Heritage Hall (2005)

The original Pitt Meadows Municipal Hall, a single-story building, was constructed shortly after Incorporation in 1914 on land purchased from Frank V. Harris, an early Pitt Meadows settler. A recreation hall annex was added to the back of the building in the early 1920s. This original Municipal/Community Hall was destroyed by a fire that started in its kitchen area on December 17, 1930. After the fire only the building’s vault was left standing, its contents intact. As well, one office chair survived the blaze and is now housed at the Pitt Meadows Museum.

The building that occupies the site today is the second Municipal/Recreation Hall. It was constructed in 1931 and underwent significant upgrading in 1977. Up until 1948 the Pitt Meadows Women’s Institute oversaw the Hall, but they were replaced that year with a Hall Committee of which their group was a part. Today the Pitt Meadows Parks and Leisure Services Department oversees the Hall.

Before the arrival of water mains in 1948, Pitt Meadows relied on well water. A community well was located on the front lawn of the Hall and serviced residents who did not have access to good well water on their properties. During the 1930’s dances were held at the Hall with proceeds going towards the purchase of a furnace and other equipment for the building. Starting in 1938 the Pitt Meadows Athletic Association held dances to raise funds for a park, playground and lacrosse box as well as to purchase sports equipment. One major accomplishment of this group was the building of the Harris Road Park pool which opened for swimming in 1947. The same pool is still in use today.

In the 1970’s the Municipal Offices moved further south on Harris Road into a small building on the present City Hall site. Public works functions were relocated to a site at the bottom of Harris Road, and in 2001 many of the recreation functions, including the senior’s lounge, were moved into the new Family Recreation Centre. The old Hall is still owned by the Municipality and is heavily booked for community and private functions. In the spring of 2005, to reduce confusion about the location of the new and old recreation halls, it was suggested the Old Hall be given a new name. The name chosen was the Pitt Meadows Heritage Hall, and on October 6, 2005, the Hall was dedicated in its new name.

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The Peoples Hall (The Social Centre of a Rural Community)

This multi-purpose building has lived up to that name. With indoor sports happening, yearly concerts (many have fond memories of the children’s Christmas concerts),Pitt Meadows Day activities, a refugee site during the floods, and dances, the list could continue and we still wouldn’t scratch the surface of everything that this hall has been a part of.

Perhaps the fondest memories for some are the dances that used to be held in the Hall. These dances were used as fundraising activities (usually organized by the Farmers Institute or Women’s Institute) for any number of causes within the community. The dances had their own notoriety and if you ask anyone who attended a smile would probably pass their lips.

Even more recently, Pitt Meadows Day celebrations were still held in the Hall with the parade route ending there, and the Lions having their pancake breakfast in the Hall. Let’s not forget the BBQ dinners on Pitt Meadows Day that were at the Hall as well. Just thinking about all the good food and good memories is enough to make one miss those days.

Although the Hall has since long passed its “heyday” with events being held often, politicians arguing in its chambers, and the community coming together for celebrations, it is still a wonderful reminder of community.

Heritage Hall is a place where we as a community came together. In good times and in bad, it is where we rallied together and made our community ours.