Hatzic

Area description

Hatzic is the stretch of land fronting on the Fraser River east of Mission, and extending as far east as Hatzic Lake.  Within the lake lies Hatzic Island, a long narrow island about a mile in length.

The name ‘Hatzic’ is a historical reminder of the Hatzic people, a First Nations band which is now extinct. They are believed to have had a substantial village, and excavations indicate that it was on the sloping ground beside today’s Dewdney Trunk Road. Today this site is a grassy field and its main natural feature is a large rock, considered to be a ‘transformer’ stone.  Museum buildings stand on the site (now named Xa’ytem which was given national heritage status in 1992 and in 2009 was among the first properties to be listed in the District of Mission Community Heritage Register.

In colonial days the settlement was called ‘Wells Landing’, after the early pre-emptor and orchardist Joshua Wells, but it became ‘Hatzic’ in 1891 when the post office went in.  The early residents were a well-educated and well-to-do group, whose talents made them prominent in the community. One wealthy resident even built himself a 16-room mansion on a rocky hill.  Several were successful fruit-growers. The berry fields are gone from the area now, and Hatzic is very much a residential area, though denser than before.  Hatzic Island and Hatzic Lake continue to offer the elements of  recreational activities.

One of the best-known features in Hatzic today is the Benedictine monastery, Westminster Abbey, established here in 1954. It is known for its unique and beautiful architecture and it has become Mission’s most important tourist destination.