The Fraser Valley along the Fraser River in British Columbia was a rich and fertile area. Logging and sawmills dotted the Valley until the depleted forests and depressed markets closed the mills. The Japanese who used to work in these industries decided to stay and farm as well as wanting to own their own land. Often the only available land was marginal or on sloped land that was difficult to cultivate. It was cleared stump by stump, stone by stone, a patch at a time. Japanese farmers in the Fraser Valley helped each other to clear virgin land. Credit: University of British Columbia Archives / Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre Archives