Fort Langley - Birthplace of B.C.

My neighbour and I went to the National Historic Site of the original Fort Langley today. As we stepped through the high log palisade built on the banks and overlooking the Fraser River, we joined a guide enacting the early fur trade days. She got 2 boys to don Hudson Bay coats and tie the red sashes on the left as they weren't married. They pretended to paddle their large Voyaguer bateau as we all sang Allouette marking the beat of 45 strokes per minute. Next, one fellow hoisted a 95lb pack of furs by a headband which was used to carry 200 lbs on the portages from Ft. St James down the Fraser to St. Langley. (think Hell's Gate)
Next was a visit to the cooperage where the guide was a Sto'lo native born in Hope. He showed the cutting, planeing and curving of the boards used to make the barrels which were used to ship salmon and cranberries to California and Honolulu primarily. He told about the native women who did all the picking, curing and packing of the exports. There is a huge stuffed sturgeon in the background.
They staged a fur trade wedding where the Fort Manager acted as the priest and the couple had to get married again whenever a cleric came along. The HBC encouraged the men to marry native Kwantlen women from across the river on McMillan Island and both parties gave gifts to the other to show their worth.
We even tried our hand a gold panning but didn't strike it rich. The guides had really researched the history and told us many amazing facts.