In 1861, Reece pre-empted 270-acres of land, the first pre-emption in the Crown Colony of British Columbia. For a time his cousins, Isaac and James Kipp worked for him, caring for the cattle. In 1869, he sold the butcher shop and took up residence on his farm in Chilliwack.
In 1865, Reece returned to Ontario and in January 1866 married Lucinda Lewis (1844-1909). The couple had four daughters and one son.
Chilliwack's first agricultural exhibition, in 1873, was held in his barn. The Fair has been a tradition in the community since that date and Reece served as the first President of the Agricultural Association. Reece was active politically, acting as Warden of the Township of Chilliwhack in 1874 and 1875 and a councillor during the 1880s and 1890s. A cairn, located in front of A.D. Rundle Middle School in Chilliwack, commemorates the location of the Reece farm.
