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Historic Trethewey House on Mill Lake in Abbotsford, British Columba is home to the M.S.A. Museum. An important community resource, the museum’s archives include more than 10,000 photographs, local history documents, and an exhaustive supply of library materials.

The restored home itself was originally the site of Abbotsford Lumber Co., at one time B.C.'s third largest forestry employer and a major entity in the local economy during the early part of the twentieth century. Bricks used in the construction of the house were made locally at nearby Clayburn, the province’s first company town that began an industry that continues today.

The Museum offers a wide array of programs such as guided tours of the house and lake; a slide show depicting Abbotsford then and now, including Mill Lake and Sumas Lake -- the lake that disappeared; interactive heritage house visits which allow visitors to experience hands-on history through the use of the stereoscope, browsing the historic photographs, or playing games in the activity room; and educational presentations, both on-site and in the classroom.

Other Museum attractions include period gardens and a gazebo for special family events, wedding photos, or club meetings; outdoor games equipment; day activities and week long camps for children in the summer; and many annual events including Heritage Day in February, Museums Day and Heritage Fair in May, the Garlic Festival in July, Medieval Fair and Ice Cream Social in August, Halloween House in October, a Craft Fair in November, and the Christmas Program in December.

The M.S.A. Museum has come a long way from its humble beginnings in the basement of a library in 1969, as it continues its work to a dynamic future of comprehensive community service in the area of recreation, culture, and heritage in the planned Mill Lake Centre in Abbotsford, British Columbia.