Greendale Acres

Greendale Acres, family farm and corn maze in Chilliwack

Greendale Acres is a working farm located in the Fraser Valley, near Highway One, in Chilliwack, British Columbia. The project combines farming activity with seasonal experiences open to the public, built around a corn maze, a pumpkin patch, and spaces for gatherings and celebrations. The farm itself presents itself as a place designed to reconnect with nature and the rhythm of the seasons.

Origins and history: Canada's first corn maze

The farm's story goes back to 1997, when John Bruinsma read an article about a student from Utah who had created a corn maze to bring rural life closer to families. The idea connected with his and his wife Diane's ties to the farming community of the Fraser Valley, in a context of growing urbanization and reduced access to family farms.

Two years later, in 1999, John and Diane Bruinsma, along with partners Lloyd and Wendy Taekema, opened Canada's first corn maze. Over time they transformed the old dairy farm on Cannor Road into the Chilliwack Corn Maze. The old barn, the bunker, and the apple orchard cultivated by the Bruinsmas were preserved, and land was prepared for the pumpkin fields. The plot that once rotated crops became mainly dedicated to corn. Farm attractions and educational programs were added, turning the place into a destination for families, schools, and community groups.

Today, the farm is managed by John and Diane's three daughters along with their husbands and nine young children, who continue the family legacy. The corn maze is redesigned every year; the 2023 one was conceived as a tribute to the 25 years of relationships and memories created on the farm and in the community, with a barn surrounded by corn and pumpkins and a winding path to its door.

Seasonal experiences on the farm

The offerings are organized around the farming calendar. In autumn, the farm focuses its activity on the corn maze, the great pumpkin patch, bonfires, and hot apple cider. The site indicated that the great pumpkin patch runs from September 19th to October 31st and that the corn maze remains open with free corn maze tractor rides on weekends.

Other attractions follow throughout the year: tulip fields in spring, the summer sun, corn stalks growing, and a quiet fall walk to close the cycle. The farm offers a seasonal membership, the All-Seasons Pass, designed for those who want to return at different times of year. Regular activities include wandering the corn maze, picking flowers, meeting the farm animals, and choosing a pumpkin.

Farm Shop and own products

The Farm Shop brings together products linked to the farm's activity: orchard cider pressed on site, honey from its own hives, and, in autumn, pumpkins harvested from its fields. The farm also has its own orchards and hives, and offers products under the Greendale Goods name, aimed at everyday life, gifts, and gatherings.

Education and bee observation

The educational program includes a visit to The Hive, a space with a live observation hive where the life cycle of the honeybee and its role as an essential pollinator for the farm are explained. A Pollinator Trail allows visitors to watch bees at work in the gardens before buying Greendale honey in the shop.

Group visits, celebrations, and event spaces

Autumn is the busiest season for groups. The farm organizes school trips, birthday parties, and corporate outings around the pumpkin patch, the corn maze, and a bonfire reservation to close out the day. It is possible to book ahead a covered table or your own fire pit. The group offering is completed with firepit rentals, pavilion rentals, and its own food policy. The farm also has a membership program and an events calendar.

Setting and land acknowledgement

The farm is set among the fields of the Fraser Valley and acknowledges its activity on the traditional, ancestral and unceded territory of the Stó:lō Coast Salish peoples. The page includes an employment section, a donations section, and materials about its history, with an account written by William Johnson.