Mesqel AKA Big Rock AKA The Aldergrove Erratic — Abbotsford, BC
Posted by: 
Dunbar Loop
N 49° 00.519 W 122° 26.929
10U E 540307 N 5428563
A rock with three names, Mesqel is from the local First Nations meaning Big Nose. Commonly it is call Big Rock. And most geologists like to refer to it as the Aldergrove Erratic. Perhaps the best one is Big Rock because it is a big rock!
Waymark Code: WMNYTB
Location: British Columbia, Canada
Date Posted: 05/25/2015
Views: 11
On the highest side it measures around 20 to 25 feet high. Length is about 35 feet. Essential it is a big rock, which is it most common name. But each name gives another clue as to the significance of the rock.
To the local First Nations group, the Stó:lo, it is called Mesqel and is a transformer rock. Mesqel translates into English as Nose, a reference to the rough shape of the rock. In the Stó:lo tradition many large rocks and even mountains are to referred to as people or animals that the Xexá:ls or the transformers turned to stone to reflect a story or a value of great importance to the people involved. Mesqel is of great importance to the Stó:lo cultural and spiritual values.
According to Albert ‘Sonny’ McHalsie , Cultural Advisor/Historian at the Stó:lo Research and Resource Management Centre, in the Halq’emeylem language the name for ths erratic is “meqsel”, meaning “nose”. In the story, a man was constantly sneezing, which is a sign of impending disaster. Xexa:ls, who were the transformers (the 3 bear brothers and 1 sister who traveled through the land to make the world right) transformed his nose to stone. The Xexa:ls transformed the Sto:lo ancestors into mountains or rocks.
SOURCE: Northwest Geology Field Trips by Dave Tucker
For geologists Big Rock or the Aldergrove Erratic moved here with the vast ice sheets during last Ice Ago about 15,000 to 10,000 years ago. It most likely came from the Manning Park area, about 100 kilometres east of the current location.
Being the size of a small house it is difficult to imagine that Big Rock was moved this far, but throughout the areas that were covered by thick sheets of ice this is a common occurrence. Although few erratics are as big as Big Rock.