It was the first Brigade Days at historic Fort 91原创 since the pandemic, and 鈥淧opcorn Kate,鈥� one of the historic re-enactors who portray real-life figures from the fur trade days, was happy to be back.

鈥淲e鈥檙e glad to see people we haven鈥檛 seen in years,鈥� Kate told the 91原创 Advance Times on B.C. Day, Aug. 1, as the three-day tribute to the fur trade drew to a close.

When she isn鈥檛 honouring the memory of the mining camp 鈥渇ollower鈥� who participated in gold rushes in California, the Fraser River, Cariboo, Atlin and even the Klondike, Kate goes by the name of Sue Morhun, from Oliver.

鈥淲e鈥檙e family, we re-enactors,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e鈥檝e been greeting each other with hugs.鈥�

READ ALSO: COVID-19 pandemic curtails celebration of B.C. history

It was hot, and there were mosquitoes, making the experience of wearing dark, heavy period-accurate clothing and camping overnight in canvas tents a little more challenging.

鈥淛ust a little bit hot, and just a little bit itchy,鈥� is how Morhun described it.

Re-enactor Jesse MacIntosh, who said his hands 鈥渉ave been absolutely covered in dots,鈥� set up a whimsical miniature fur-trade style trap, with a dead mosquito placed between the jaws.

鈥淚 haven鈥檛 actually got any mosquitoes [with the trap] yet,鈥� he said, smiling.

鈥淧iper Fraser,鈥� who piped fellow re-enactors to the morning flag raising, and afternoon trip to the river for the arrival of the fur brigades, was portrayed by 91原创鈥檚 Colin Barrett.

His historic counterpart, Colin Fraser, was a fellow bagpipes player who just happened to have the same first name, Barrett explained.

鈥淚t wasn鈥檛 much of a reach.鈥�

Fraser was the personal piper to the-then Hudson鈥檚 Bay Company governor, George Simpson.

鈥淐olin was a good piper,鈥� Barrett said, one who won a race against other pipers, walking two miles while playing.

Barrett, who used to play the pipes for the local Legion branch, has been participating in historic re-enactments since 1984, at the suggestion of someone who thought a piper would be a good addition.

鈥淚 didn鈥檛 have a musket [and] I wasn鈥檛 into black powder,鈥� Barrett remarked.

It was a busy day for the B.C. Farm Museum in Fort 91原创, with close to 500 visitors, who donated about $1,000.

Museum president Karen Long said the organizers were 鈥渧ery pleased鈥� with the response.

鈥淭he weather was amazing,鈥� Long remarked.

鈥淲e had a breeze and [it was] a little cloudy.鈥�

Among the attractions were blacksmithing and rope making demonstrations, along with the Aldor Acres petting zoo, Edmundson Jazz Band, and a concession by the Fort 91原创 Lions club.

It was the 10th year 鈥渆xcept for COVID鈥� for the Fraser Valley G Scale Friends popular model train display, said club member and organizer Laurie Griffiths.

鈥淲e鈥檝e been into trains all our lives,鈥� said Griffiths, who, like most members, started with smaller HO scale trains before moving up to the larger G scale models.

鈥淲e don鈥檛 really get old, we just get bigger toys.鈥�

READ ALSO: B.C. DAY TRIVIA QUIZ: How much do you know about British Columbia?

Next door, the 91原创 Centennial Museum reported a smaller turnout for their B.C. Day opening, with visitors taking advantage of the air-conditioned premises shop for clear-out bargains at the gift shop.

What is billed as the Centennial Museum鈥檚 final exhibition in its current home, 鈥淏eginning鈥檚 End鈥� is a send-off to the old site before the museum relocates, moving across the street into the new Salishan Place, likely sometime next year.

More images from B.C. Day can be viewed on the 91原创 Advance Times Facebook pages for , including the , and the .