Cloverdale

The town of Cloverdale is located within the bigger city of Surrey, British Columbia. It is a historic town east of Vancouver and neighboring Langley. In the year 1870, the town of Cloverdale was established as a smaller farming community. The temperate weather conditions and fertile land made it a great location for farming. Ever since that time, it has become enveloped by suburban area of Surrey and has grown into a small town within the suburbs.

Cloverdale is home to numerous heritage sites and some individuals refer to it as the historic centre of Surrey, BC. The City of Surrey's official Museum is situated here as well as the Christ Church, one of the area's oldest buildings. The church was constructed in 1882 and although it is no longer used for worship, it is still a famous place for weddings.

Cloverdale was originally settled around 1870 by the Shannon brothers, William, Joseph and Thomas. William was the one who gave the place its name "Clover Valley" based on the wild clover that was growing all over during that time.

Surrey Centre was the home of the first settlement. It is situated about 1 mile west of the current "downtown" area. The tiny community was centered on the Town Hall which was constructed in 1879. The Town Hall is currently a part of the Surrey Museum. The Christ Church Anglican can still be situated down Old McLellan Road.

The name "Cloverdale" came about when the New Westminster-Southern Railway pushed through the valley during the year 1891 connecting New Westminster to Bellingham. A station was built beside the present day town center and given the name Cloverdale. With the station in place, the town of Cloverdale became a main transportation center. In its' heyday, there were 3 railways running through it. A couple of these railways are still in use.

A significant land boom occurred in the region in 1910-1911. Many of the buildings within the downtown core region are from this time. For instance, during 1912, a new Municipal Hall was constructed that has ever since been converted to the Surrey Archives.

There is a colourful and unique community in Cloverdale, now. Not too many of the Greater Vancouver area communities have a genuine "main street." Within Cloverdale however, it is common to see people gathering together for a cup of coffee and pedestrians window shopping.

The television show Smallville utilized Cloverdale as the main "downtown" and "Main Street." There is a billboard saying "Destination Cloverdale - Home of Smallville" on the outskirts of the community. Other filming has taken place in the community such as one of the Coca-Cola's Christmas commercials. The town was decked out with plenty of Christmas decorations and fake snow despite filming in the summer months.