The Chilliwack Corn Maze at Greendale Acres – Canada’s very first corn maze – opens for its 25th season on Aug. 10, and they’re celebrating with a special kick-off party Saturday, Aug. 12.
This year’s maze design is a celebration of the relationships and memories that have been made on the farm and in the community over those years.
“In preparation for this year we have gone back into the storage and memory boxes shoved into corners of the basement,” says co-owner Vanessa Oddy.
In 1997, John Bruinsma (Oddy’s father) read a magazine article about a student in Utah who set up a corn maze to help families experience farm life in a fun way. This concept appealed to Bruinsma and his wife, Diane, as they recognized that fewer and fewer people had access to family farms. They believed in the importance of connecting our community with agriculture.
Two years later, the Bruinsmas along with partners Lloyd and Wendy Taekema, opened the first corn maze in Canada.
Through years of hard work, the two families transformed an old dairy farm on Cannor Road into the Chilliwack Corn Maze, but the roots of the farm have remained the same.
The old barn and bunker and the apple orchard that the Bruinsmas cultivated previously are still there and land was cleared to make room for pumpkin patches. The field that previously rotated crops became dedicated primarily to corn.
Agricultural attractions and educational programs were added and new life and energy were brought to the farm. It quickly became a popular destination for families, schools and various community groups to share memories and traditions.
Today the farm is operated by the Bruinsmas’ three daughters along with their husbands.
Oddy says she, along with her sisters and families, are “excited and honoured to have the opportunity to carry on this beautiful legacy in our community.”
As the Lower Mainland becomes increasingly urbanized, the desire to reconnect people with nature and agriculture remains a core motivation on the farm.
Each year the design of the maze changes.
“Our goal in the creation of each design is to make sure that the message in our field is something positive that helps encourage and spread light throughout our community. It’s a labour of love and we get excited every year to share it with our guests,” Oddy says.
In past years, they’ve paid tribute to Terry Fox, Canuck Place and the RCMP. They’ve had themes based on a children’s book, the 2010 Olympic Games and Science World.
This year’s design is simple: a barn sits in a field surrounded by corn and pumpkins with the sun radiating in the background. A winding road leads to the front door of the barn.
For the team at Greendale Acres this is the road back home, Oddy says.
They’ve all spent time living away from the farm but have always been brought back. That’s their hope for their guests.
“No matter where you go or how busy life becomes you’ll always have a family farm to call home.”
Plan your visit:
The Chilliwack Corn Maze at Greendale Acres opens on Thursday, Aug. 10.
The Corn Maze Kick Off Concert featuring the Tanner Olsen Band is on Aug. 12. This all-ages event starts at 5:30 p.m. with opening acts Geoff Moore and Tony Stevens, followed by the Tanner Olsen Band from 8 to 10 p.m. Tickets are $20.
Regular admission to the corn maze is $16 online and $18 at the door. Children aged two and younger and people aged 75+ are free to attend.
Special dates include Oct. 6 and 21 – Grandparents Day, when all grandparents visit for free – and Thursdays in August and September, offering $12 admission at the door only from 2 to 6 p.m.
Find Greendale Acres at 41905 Yale Road W., Chilliwack. For more information and to buy tickets, visit greendaleacres.ca.