History - Did you know?
Supplied by your local White Rock Real Estate agent Jacquie Darmanin
A 490 ton white rock first spotted by Spanish explorers has given its name to this beach side city. Just 60 minutes away from downtown Vancouver on Highway 99, close to the US/Canada border, White Rock's almost 5 km (3 miles) of sandy beaches on Semiahmoo Bay are a popular summer attraction. The sand, stretching out into the Bay at low tide, is moist and perfect for creating sand castles.
Marine Drive, running parallel to the beach, is where you'll have fun looking through the stores and galleries that showcase local artists. There is a museum in the former train station and the famous pier where you can cast a line or crab trap with local fishermen. Along the same street you'll soon discover that seafood is the specialty of many restaurants and cafes here. Nearby Crescent Beach, in Surrey, is equally charming and popular with families for day trips. The area truly has the feel of a resort.
Restless after all the eating and casual strolling? Why not swing through one of 16 golf courses in nearby Surrey.
Did You Know?
- A pier was built to provide a deep-water wharf facility that extended almost 2000 feet from the shore. The pier was officially opened on the 14th of November in 1914. Since then, White Rock has continued to grow as a residential area and resort for summer vacationers.
- In 1994 the Morgan Creek Development began which was going to become a retirement community of large homes built around the Morgan Creek Golf Course. There are currently 325 homes in the development. The Morgan Creek Development is located in Rosemary Heights in the South end of Surrey.
- There are plans concerning the area running along the Western boundary of the Sekhon family farm that are under development. The plan is referred to as phase six and calls for the building of 950 homes to this area.
- In 1911 a rapid increase of summer cottages were being built along the coast of Semiahmoo Bay, which was due to the completion of the Great Northern Coastal Line.
- The opening of the White Rock Hotel, which held fifty rooms, was built and opened in 1912. Following the great success of this hotel, the community built a second one in 1914 located across the Great Northern station. Unfortunately though, the hotel burnt down after a horrible fire destroyed it in 1931.