Ruckle’s Addition and Firemen's Park - Grand Forks, British Columbia
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T0SHEA
N 49° 01.300 W 118° 24.388
11U E 397173 N 5430817
Ruckle’s Addition and Firemen's Park is on Hwy. 3 about 3 km SE of Grand Forks.
Waymark Code: WM14CAN
Location: British Columbia, Canada
Date Posted: 06/09/2021
Views: 0
Ruckle’s Addition and Firemen's Park
The area we now call the Ruckle addition is interwoven with the early agricultural settlement of the valley. The name Ruckle was the surname of three brothers, Edward, Francis and Charles who immigrated to Canada from Ireland. In 1891, Edward came to Grande Prairie (now Grand Forks) and purchased the land now known as Ruckle Addition where he built his home.
The Grand Forks Driving Park and Athletic Association was formed in 1901 to build a race track and grandstands. It had to be close enough to town that children could walk to events, and far enough from the smelter that the race horses would not be frightened by the sound of the engine whistles and escaping steam. What better place than Ruckle's Addition. Shares were sold for the venture, and in November of 1901, 25 acres of land was purchased from the Ruckle family. The new race track and grandstand was inaugurated on July 1, 1902 with much pomp and ceremony.
Today's Industrial Park was, from the early part of the century, known as Firemen's Park. Here a well maintained race track and large grandstand invited throngs of people to watch the exciting harness races. As well as the harness races, competitions and races for children of all ages took place in the morning on Bridge Street.
In 1954, buildings and corrals for the purpose of an annual Fall Fair were erected by the local firemen on the grounds. The fair was staged at this location annually until the property was taken over for an Industrial Park. Today the fair is held in the arena and curling rink and adjacent grounds. In 1903 the Grand Forks and Republic Railroad decided to build its depot in the Ruckle's Addition called Cuprum (MP93.3 ex CP Boundary Sub). Cuprum is currently the locomotive staging area for the Grand Forks Railway, possibly the shortest railway in B.C., operating approximately 5 1/2 kilometers of track.
During WW1, an Army Camp was built near today's industrial area, and when irrigation became a practical reality in the 1920's the cement pipes were made in Grand Forks Cement Works near the Ruckle swimming hole.
