Chilliwack

Coordinates: 49°09′27.8″N 121°57′03.3″W / 49.157722°N 121.950917°W / 49.157722; -121.950917
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Chilliwack
City of Chilliwack
Flag of Chilliwack
Official seal of Chilliwack
Nickname: 
The Wack
Motto(s): 
"Cor Viride Provinciae"  (Latin)
"The Green Heart of the Province"
Chilliwack is located in British Columbia
Chilliwack
Location of Chilliwack in British Columbia
Chilliwack is located in Fraser Valley Regional District
Chilliwack
Chilliwack (Fraser Valley Regional District)
Coordinates: 49°09′27.8″N 121°57′03.3″W / 49.157722°N 121.950917°W / 49.157722; -121.950917
CountryCanada
ProvinceBritish Columbia
Regional districtFraser Valley
Settledc. 3,000 BCE
Incorporated1873; 151 years ago (1873)
Amalgamated1980; 44 years ago (1980)
Government
 • MayorKen Popove
 • Governing bodyChilliwack City Council
Area
 • City261.34 km2 (100.90 sq mi)
Elevation
10 m (30 ft)
Population
 (2021)
 • City93,203
 • Density356.6/km2 (924/sq mi)
 • Metro
113,767
 • Metro density78.8/km2 (204/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC−08:00 (PST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−07:00 (PDT)
Forward sortation area
Area code(s)604, 778, 236, 672
Highways Hwy 1 (TCH)
Hwy 9
WaterwaysChilliwack River, Vedder River, Fraser River, Hope River
Websitewww.chilliwack.com Edit this at Wikidata

Chilliwack (/ˈɪləwæk/ CHIL-ə-wak) is a city in the province of British Columbia, Canada. Chilliwack is surrounded by mountains and home to recreational areas such as Cultus Lake and Chilliwack Lake Provincial Parks. There are numerous outdoor activities in the area in which to participate, including hiking, rock climbing,[1] mountain biking[2] horseback riding, whitewater kayaking,[3] camping, fishing, golf, and paragliding.[4] Chilliwack is known for its annual corn harvest, and is home to the Province's second largest independent bookstore The Book Man. The Fraser Valley Regional District is headquartered in Chilliwack, which is the Fraser Valley's second-largest city, after Abbotsford.

The city had a population of 93,203 in the 2021 Canadian census, with a census metropolitan area population of 113,767 people.[5]

Etymology[edit]

In Halq'eméylem, the language of the Stó:lō communities around Chilliwack and Sardis, Tcil'Qe'uk means "valley of many streams".[6] It also lends its name to the Chilliwack River, and group of aboriginal people, the Ts'elxwéyeqw (also spelt Ts'elxwíqw or Sts'elxwíqw).[7] The spelling of Chilliwack is sometimes a matter of confusion. Prior to the amalgamation of the City of Chilliwack and the Municipality of Chilliwhack, there were two different spellings. When amalgamated, the current spelling of the city was adopted.[8] Anglicized spellings include "Chilliwhyeuk" and other versions closer to the original Halq'eméylem.

History[edit]

Yale Road Chilliwack c. 1908 at the present-day site of City Hall museum

The archeological record shows evidence of Stó:lō people in the Fraser Valley, or S'ólh Téméxw, 10,000 years ago. Permanent structures in the Chilliwack area date from around 5,000 years ago.[9] It is estimated that at the time of the first contact with Europeans, there were as many as 40,000 people living within Stó:lō territory.

In the mid-nineteenth century, thousands of gold miners transited the area en route to the goldfields of the upper Fraser River. By the mid-1860s, settlers had established farms around Codville's Landing, Miller's Landing, Minto Landing, Sumas Landing, and Chilliwack Landing along the Fraser River.

On 26 April 1873, the "Corporation of the Township of Chilliwhack" (note the variant spelling) became the third municipality incorporated by the Province of British Columbia. The town centre at the time was concentrated at Chilliwack Landing along the Fraser River.[10] Steamboats were the main mode of transportation, carrying goods and passengers between Chilliwhack and New Westminster. After the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1885, many residents began to cross the Fraser River at Minto Landing to ride the train from Harrison Mills.[11][12]

In 1881, with little room for expansion and the threat of floods constantly looming, the town centre was moved south to "Five Corners" at the junction of the New Westminster-Yale Wagon Road, Wellington Avenue and Young Road. This subdivision was initially named "Centreville", but later was renamed "Chilliwack", as it was more commonly referred to by locals in 1887. The area would experience catastrophic flooding in 1894, 1935, 1948 and 2021.[13][14]

On 20 April 1891, Richard Plunkett Cooke, George de Wolf, and Walter E. Graveley established the Chilliwhack Railway Company.[15]

On 20 February 1908, the area that was then known as Chilliwack, i.e., the subdivision within the greater Chilliwhack Township, was proclaimed as the City of Chilliwack by letters patent issued by the provincial government under the Chilliwack City Incorporation Act. The City of Chilliwack and the Township of Chilliwhack co-existed as separately administered municipalities until 1980.[16]

On 4 October 1910, the British Columbia Electric Railway began operating regularly scheduled passenger service on the New Westminster–Chilliwack Interurban Line.[17]

On 1 January 1980, the Township of Chilliwhack and the City of Chilliwack amalgamated to form a single municipality styled the District of Chilliwack, following the passage of referenda in both municipalities.[18] On 16 July 1999, the District of Chilliwack, once again, was renamed the City of Chilliwack.[19] To the present day, locals idiosyncratically use the same name to refer to the city as a whole, and to the old city centre. It is also the name of the greater metropolitan area encompassing adjacent sovereign indigenous nations, municipalities, and unincorporated areas.

Geography[edit]

Vedder River Campground near Cultus Lake, located just south of Chilliwack
Vedder River

Chilliwack is located in the Upper Fraser Valley, 100 kilometres (60 mi) east of Vancouver on the Trans-Canada Highway. The city is bounded on the north by the Fraser River, and on the south by the Canada-United States border.

Chilliwack is surrounded by tall mountain peaks, such as Mount Cheam and Slesse Mountain, and large rivers (the Fraser and Vedder).

Geology[edit]

The Chilliwack Batholith forms much of the North Cascades in southwestern British Columbia, Canada and the U.S. state of Washington. The geological structure is primarily named after the City of Chilliwack, where it is the most notable geological feature.

The Chilliwack Batholith is part of the Pemberton Volcanic Belt and is the largest mass of exposed intrusive rock in the Cascade Volcanic Arc. The age of the Chilliwack batholith ranges from 26 to 29 million years old.

In 2013, Maclean's reported that, with an average annual temperature of 10.5 °C (50.9 °F), Chilliwack is the warmest city in Canada.[20]

Cityscape[edit]

Bridal Veil Falls near the Village of Popkum

The city is made up of several amalgamated villages and communities. The urban core follows a north–south axis bisected by the Trans-Canada Highway. The city is bounded in the north by the Fraser River, in the east by the Eastern Hillsides, in the south by the Canada–US border, and in the west by the Vedder Canal. With 939 farms on approximately 17,322 hectares (42,800 acres) of dedicated farmland, farming remains an important part of the Chilliwack landscape.[21]

Neighbourhoods[edit]

Neighbourhoods on the north side[edit]

Also referred to as "Chilliwack Proper Village West", the north side covers the area from the Trans-Canada Highway in the south, to the Fraser River in the north, and includes the communities of Camp River, Chilliwack Mountain, Downtown Chilliwack, East Chilliwack, Fairfield Island, Rosedale and Popkum. Downtown Chilliwack is the historical urban centre of the city. Several cultural attractions, such as the Chilliwack Coliseum, Chilliwack Cultural Centre, The Book Man and the Eagle Landing Shopping Centre are located there, as well as key government buildings, such as city hall, FVRD offices, and the Provincial Court of British Columbia.

Neighbourhoods on the south side[edit]

The south side includes the communities of Atchelitz, Cultus Lake Park, Greendale, Promontory Heights, Ryder Lake, Sardis, Vedder Crossing, Garrison Crossing and Yarrow. Sardis is the urban core of the south side and is a popular shopping destination.

Parks[edit]

Arts and culture[edit]

Front view of the newly constructed Chilliwack City Hall in 1912. The building later became the Chilliwack Museum and Historical Society.

Music[edit]

Chilliwack has an active rock music scene, centering mostly around young ska and punk rock bands. Bands originating in Chilliwack include: These Kids Wear Crowns, Mystery Machine, and The Darkest of the Hillside Thickets.

Chilliwack also has a thriving classical music community, featuring the Chilliwack Symphony Orchestra and the Chilliwack Metropolitan Orchestra.

The drumline from Sardis Secondary School played at several venues during the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

Chilliwack also offers many other community events and classes throughout the year. The Downtown Chilliwack Business Improvement Association is hosting music in Central Park on Saturdays for the month of August 2022.

Despite their name, the band Chilliwack was actually formed, and is based, in nearby Vancouver.

Performing arts[edit]

The Chilliwack Cultural Centre is a performing arts venue located in downtown Chilliwack. The building is home to the Chilliwack Players' Guild (the resident theatre company), as well as the Chilliwack Academy of Music.

The UFV Theatre is a 206-seat thrust stage venue formerly belonging to the University of the Fraser Valley (UFV) Theatre Department. Until 2017, UFV produced three or four mainstage shows each year, as well as the annual Directors' Festival, which featured student directors and performers from UFV, Capilano University, Thompson Rivers University, University of Victoria, UBC and Douglas College.[22] As of 2021, the theatre is part of the Imagine High public high school.[23]

The Chilliwack School of Performing Arts provides pre-professional training in acting, singing and dancing to children ages 3–18 at their downtown location. The mainstage show performs a two-week run every January at the Chilliwack Cultural Centre, and a Spring Festival featuring performances from many age groups in late May. Programs at the Chilliwack Performing Arts can be registered for at.[24] Many different programs are available, including a Junior Musical Theatre and Summer Break Camps.

Public Art[edit]

Use Your Voice, Kevin Ledo 2020 for Chilliwack Mural Festival

The Chilliwack Mural Festival occurs annually. Co-founded and directed by Amber Price and Lise Oakley, their volunteer team has curated and directed the installation of over three dozen works of large scale original art in Historic Downtown Chilliwack.

Murals by Canadian Artists Emmanuel Jarus,[25] Jason Botkin[26] and Chris Perez[27] can be found along with other public art via the Chilliwack Public Art Trail.

Festivals[edit]

Tulip Festival 2018

Annual events and festivals include:

  • Art of Wine Festival
  • Canada Day
  • Chilliwack Fair
  • Chilliwack Flight Fest
  • Chilliwack Independent Film Festival
  • Christmas Craft Market
  • Fraser Valley Culture and Craft Beer Festival
  • Garlic Festival
  • Lunar New Year
  • Mural Festival
  • Music and Dance Festival
  • Party in the Park
  • Pride Festival
  • Sunflower Festival
  • Tulip Festival
  • Yarrow Days

Museums[edit]

Notable people[edit]

Piper James C. Richardson was awarded the Victoria Cross for gallantry at the Battle of the Somme
Former lieutenant governor Steven Point hails from Chilliwack
Academics
Activists
Athletes
Arts and entertainment
Journalists
Jurists
Military
Politicians
Writers
Others

Media[edit]

Newspapers[edit]

  • Chilliwack Progress - British Columbia's oldest community newspaper, published continuously with the same name in the same community since April 1891

Chilliwack Times published its final edition on December 28, 2016.[35]

Radio[edit]

Television[edit]

Sports[edit]

Team League Sport Venue Established
Chilliwack Chiefs BCHL Ice hockey Chilliwack Coliseum 2011
Chilliwack Jets PJHL Ice hockey Sardis Sports Complex 2020
Valley Huskers CJFL Football Exhibition Stadium 1999
Chilliwack Crusaders RFC Third Division Rugby union Yarrow Sports Field 2012
Sports clubs in Chilliwack

The British Columbia Hockey League's Chilliwack Chiefs, play at the Chilliwack Coliseum. The team used to be the Quesnel Millionaires. The franchise was purchased and moved to Chilliwack by the Chiefs Development group. They started in the BCHL's Interior Conference for the 2011/2012 BCHL Season. While the original Junior "A" team, the Chilliwack Chiefs, plays in Langley, British Columbia, as the Langley Rivermen (the Chiefs Development Group sold their interest in the Langley Chiefs but retained the 'Chiefs' name and history). The Western Hockey League's Chilliwack Bruins used to play at the Prospera Centre. The expansion franchise began to play in 2006 and ended when the team was sold at the end of the 2011 season. It became the Victoria Royals WHL hockey team in 2011.

Community sports include hockey, lacrosse, softball, soccer, football, baseball, field hockey and swimming. The Canadian Junior Football League's Chilliwack Huskers play at Exhibition Stadium.

Chilliwack Turbo Fastball club won the 1997 Canadian Jr. Men's National Championships. In 2013 the team was an inaugural induction into the Chilliwack Sports Hall of Fame.

Chilliwack's minor baseball Cougars were the 2003 Midget AAA Provincial champions as well as the 2006 Western Canadian tier 2 champions.

Sardis Flyers Are a speed skating club based out of Sardis Sports Complex

Chilliwack Hawks Field Lacrosse Are a field lacrosse team that play at Chilliwack Secondary School

Chilliwack Minor Lacrosse Mustangs Founded In 1994 but having roots since 1912 are a minor league lacrosse team that play in Sardis Sports Complex

Chilliwack Cougars College Prep Baseball Team won the Provincial Championship in 2016, 2017 and 2019. Most recent title against the Ridge Meadows Royals

Chilliwack hosted the 2007-2008 Synchronized Skating Canadian Championships at the Prospera Centre.

Chilliwack Minor Hockey Association was organized in 1958 with the opening of the Chilliwack Coliseum.[36]

Climate[edit]

The climate is typical oceanic (Köppen: Cfb) but with some influence of the land mass being some distance from the sea, similar to Orléans, France (although the former has a precipitation more than twice as long and with a tendency towards the Mediterranean pattern).[37][38][39] Chilliwack's mild climate with limited extremes provides excellent growing conditions for a wide variety of crops and agricultural products. In fact, when averaged from 1981 to 2010, Chilliwack had one of the warmest mean temperatures for any city in Canada.[40]

The highest temperature recorded within the city of Chilliwack is 43.7 °C (110.7 °F) on June 28, 2021,[41] which was set during the 2021 Western North America Heat wave, beating the old mark of 38.0 °C (100.4 °F) recorded on July 21, 2006.[42] The lowest recorded temperature was −21.7 °C (−7.1 °F) on Dec 27, 1968.[42] Precipitation falls mostly as rain, with snow limited to the surrounding mountains, except for two or three weeks per year generally in December or January when artic outflow occurs. In 2013, Maclean's wrongly reported that with an average annual temperature of 10.5 °C (50.9 °F), Chilliwack is the warmest city in Canada.[20] The actual warmest city in Canada is Victoria, with an average annual temperature of 11.2 °C (52.2 °F).[42] Chilliwack enjoys some of the warmest average high temperatures in Canada, with 15.5 °C (59.9 °F) being the yearly average high.

Chilliwack receives nearly the same number of days of precipitation (184.6 days at greater than 0.2 mm) as comparable local communities nearer Vancouver such as Maple Ridge (185.8 days) and the City of Mission (186.0 days) (Environment Canada Statistics). Summers in Chilliwack are usually sunny and warm, with long days (light out until well after 10 pm in June with dusk that lasts for hours) and with occasional stretches of heat where temperatures rise above 30 °C (86 °F).

Due to its location at the eastern end of the Fraser Valley, there has been some debate about preserving Chilliwack's air quality. However, the 2011 World Health Organization's study of air quality shows that Chilliwack enjoys air quality among the best in the world. For PM10 (10 µm) size particulates, Canada averaged third best in the world (along with Australia) at an average of 13 micrograms per cubic metre. The City of Chilliwack and the Greater Vancouver Regional District were tied at a low 8.0 MPCM. For smaller particulate of 2.5 µm size (PM2.5), "the City of Chilliwack averaged 4.9 micrograms per cubic metre. Vancouver also had 4.9, Calgary had 5.6, Winnipeg had 5.6, Toronto had 7.9, Montreal had 11.2 and Sarnia had 12.7."

Climate data for Chilliwack Airport - Cultus Lake, British Columbia
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 18.3
(64.9)
20.6
(69.1)
25.8
(78.4)
32.2
(90.0)
34.5
(94.1)
43.7
(110.7)
38.0
(100.4)
38.2
(100.8)
36.5
(97.7)
27.8
(82.0)
21.1
(70.0)
19.0
(66.2)
43.7
(110.7)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 6.1
(43.0)
8.8
(47.8)
11.8
(53.2)
15.8
(60.4)
19.1
(66.4)
21.7
(71.1)
25.0
(77.0)
25.3
(77.5)
22.3
(72.1)
15.3
(59.5)
9.3
(48.7)
6.0
(42.8)
15.5
(59.9)
Daily mean °C (°F) 3.3
(37.9)
4.9
(40.8)
7.3
(45.1)
10.5
(50.9)
13.7
(56.7)
16.4
(61.5)
18.8
(65.8)
18.7
(65.7)
15.7
(60.3)
10.8
(51.4)
6.2
(43.2)
3.3
(37.9)
10.8
(51.4)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 0.4
(32.7)
1.0
(33.8)
2.8
(37.0)
5.2
(41.4)
8.2
(46.8)
11.0
(51.8)
12.5
(54.5)
12.1
(53.8)
9.1
(48.4)
6.4
(43.5)
3.1
(37.6)
0.5
(32.9)
6.0
(42.8)
Record low °C (°F) −20.6
(−5.1)
−16.7
(1.9)
−14.4
(6.1)
−6.1
(21.0)
−1.7
(28.9)
1.1
(34.0)
3.3
(37.9)
2.8
(37.0)
−2.8
(27.0)
−7.2
(19.0)
−14.4
(6.1)
−21.7
(−7.1)
−21.7
(−7.1)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 233.5
(9.19)
125.8
(4.95)
154.7
(6.09)
116.3
(4.58)
93.1
(3.67)
91.7
(3.61)
48.1
(1.89)
56.7
(2.23)
75.2
(2.96)
178.5
(7.03)
283.8
(11.17)
210.1
(8.27)
1,667.5
(65.65)
Average rainfall mm (inches) 206.9
(8.15)
114.7
(4.52)
143.7
(5.66)
115.2
(4.54)
93.1
(3.67)
91.7
(3.61)
48.1
(1.89)
56.7
(2.23)
75.2
(2.96)
178.4
(7.02)
272.7
(10.74)
185.8
(7.31)
1,582.2
(62.29)
Average snowfall cm (inches) 26.6
(10.5)
11.2
(4.4)
11.0
(4.3)
1.1
(0.4)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.1
(0.0)
11.2
(4.4)
24.3
(9.6)
85.3
(33.6)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.2 mm) 20.6 15.9 19.7 17.5 15.8 14.6 8.7 8.5 9.9 17.1 21.5 20.1 189.9
Average rainy days (≥ 0.2 mm) 18.6 14.6 19.2 17.5 15.8 14.6 8.7 8.5 9.9 17.1 20.9 18.4 183.8
Average snowy days (≥ 0.2 cm) 5.0 2.9 1.9 0.2 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.1 2.0 4.8 16.8
Source: Environment Canada[43][44][45]

Demographics[edit]

Metropolitan Area[edit]

According to the 2021 census, the Chilliwack Census Metropolitan Area (CMA) has a population of 113,767 living in 44,365 of its 46,708 total private dwellings, a change of 12.1% from its 2016 population of 101,512. With a land area of 1,444.02 km2 (557.54 sq mi), it has a population density of 78.8/km2 (204.1/sq mi).[46]

City of Chilliwack[edit]

According to the 2021 census, the City of Chilliwack has a population of 93,203 living in 35,758 of its 37,124 total private dwellings, a change of 11.2% from its 2016 population of 83,788. With a land area of 261.34 km2 (100.90 sq mi), it has a population density of 356.6/km2 (923.7/sq mi).[47]

Ethnicity[edit]

Panethnic groups in the City of Chilliwack (2001−2021)
Panethnic
group
2021[48] 2016[49] 2011[50] 2006[51] 2001[52]
Pop. % Pop. % Pop. % Pop. % Pop. %
European[a] 73,865 80.3% 69,810 84.92% 67,210 87.37% 62,205 90.59% 57,020 91.52%
Indigenous 7,255 7.89% 6,585 8.01% 6,030 7.84% 3,400 4.95% 2,550 4.09%
South Asian 3,025 3.29% 1,260 1.53% 715 0.93% 555 0.81% 465 0.75%
Southeast Asian[b] 2,425 2.64% 1,250 1.52% 855 1.11% 340 0.5% 580 0.93%
East Asian[c] 2,215 2.41% 1,580 1.92% 1,100 1.43% 1,070 1.56% 910 1.46%
Latin American 1,015 1.1% 500 0.61% 370 0.48% 475 0.69% 295 0.47%
African 1,005 1.09% 685 0.83% 325 0.42% 250 0.36% 270 0.43%
Middle Eastern[d] 510 0.55% 200 0.24% 75 0.1% 110 0.16% 65 0.1%
Other[e] 675 0.73% 345 0.42% 245 0.32% 260 0.38% 150 0.24%
Total responses 91,985 98.69% 82,210 98.12% 76,930 98.71% 68,670 99.21% 62,300 99%
Total population 93,203 100% 83,788 100% 77,936 100% 69,217 100% 62,927 100%
  • Note: Totals greater than 100% due to multiple origin responses.

Religion[edit]

According to the 2021 census, religious groups in Chilliwack included:[48]

Economy[edit]

Chilliwack is part of the Lower Mainland-Southwest economic region. Chilliwack's service and retail sectors account for approximately 50% of GDP. Other growing industries include manufacturing accounting for 13%, construction at 8% and agriculture and forestry at 5% of Chilliwack's GDP.[53]

Industry Est. % of GDP
Agriculture & Forestry 5%
Construction 8%
Education 6%
Finance, Insurance & Real Estate 11%
Health 6%
Manufacturing 13%
Public Administration 9%
Retail/Wholesale Trade 12%
Technology 6%
Tourism 9%
Other 15%

Canadian Forces Base Chilliwack[edit]

Second World War[edit]

CFB Chilliwack was established in 1941 as Camp Chilliwack following Canada's entry into the Second World War in 1939. After the outbreak of the Pacific War the camp was expanded to garrison Canadian Army units for the defence of Canada's West Coast. The base was also a training facility: 112 Canadian Army Basic Training Centre and A6 Canadian Engineering Training Centre were housed at Chilliwack until the war's end in 1945.

1945–1997[edit]

During the Cold War, the base was used as a permanent training facility and the garrison for the Canadian Army units of British Columbia. The base housed the Royal Canadian School of Military Engineering, formerly A6 Canadian Engineering Training Centre and 58 Field Engineer Squadron which was transferred from CFB Esquimalt on Vancouver Island.

Following the unification of the Canadian forces in 1968, the base was renamed Canadian Forces Base Chilliwack (CFB Chilliwack). The base housed the following units:

  • Canadian Forces School of Military Engineering (CFSME—formerly Royal Canadian School of Military Engineering)
  • Canadian Forces Officer Candidate School (CFOCS) (transferred in 1971 to CFB Chilliwack)
  • First Combat Engineer Regiment (1CER—formerly 58 Field Engineer Squadron)

In 1994, the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry 3rd Battalion (3PPCLI) was transferred from CFB Esquimalt to CFB Chilliwack, the last unit to be transferred to the base.

Due to Department of National Defence cutbacks at the end of the Cold War, the base was closed in 1997. CFOCS was transferred to Area Support Unit St-Jean in Quebec (ASU St-Jean), CFSME transferred to CFB Gagetown, 3PPCLI and 1CER were transferred to CFB Edmonton.

Legacy[edit]

Part of CFB Chilliwack became a residential subdivision known as Garrison Crossing, and its training facilities became the Canada Education Park, a campus for a number of post-secondary schools. The Chilcotin Training Area, better known as Area C, is still operational and is part of the Western Area Training Centre (WATC). Area C is used by the Primary Reserves units of British Columbia for field training and for the use of its firing ranges. The ASU is also used by Cadets for field training. The ASU also houses supply depots for the Canadian Army units of 39 Canadian Brigade Group and the cadet units of BC. The old quartermaster warehouse is now the Canadian Military Education Centre Museum.[28]

Transportation[edit]

Airports[edit]

Vancouver International Airport is located about 113 km (70 mi) from downtown Chilliwack and has non-stop flights daily to Asia, Europe, Oceania, the United States, and Mexico, and other airports within Canada. Abbotsford International Airport is located about 42 km (26 mi) west of Downtown Chilliwack and offers scheduled service to Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto and Victoria, where passengers can connect to anywhere.

Chilliwack Airport

Chilliwack Airport is a small regional airport located in Downtown Chilliwack. It has 1,219 m (3,999 ft) of paved and lit runway that includes a parallel taxiway. Approximately 70% of the estimated 60,000 annual air traffic movements are itinerant traffic that consists of both pilot training and recreational flights from all around BC and south of the border.

Active transportation[edit]

There are 673 km (418 mi) of active transportation throughout the city, the most per capita of any municipality in the Lower Mainland.[54]

Highways[edit]

Trans-Canada Highway at dawn in Chilliwack

A four-lane to six-lane expressway from Horseshoe Bay to Hope runs through Chilliwack on the Lower Mainland section of the Trans-Canada Highway.

The Agassiz-Rosedale Highway is a north–south route in the eastern part of Chilliwack that acts as the last connection between Highways 1 and 7 eastbound before Hope, and is the main access to the resort village of Harrison Hot Springs. The highway first opened in 1953, originally going between Yale Road in Rosedale and Highway 7, with a ferry across the Fraser River. A bridge replaced the ferry in 1956. When the section of Highway 1 east of Chilliwack opened in 1961, Highway 9 was extended south to a junction with the new Highway 1 alignment, which replaced Yale Road as the main route between Chilliwack and Hope.

Mass transit[edit]

Until the railway and road access were built most travel to Chilliwack was done via paddlewheelers

Chilliwack Transit System consists of a fleet of 9 buses that operate along regularly scheduled routes throughout the metropolitan area.

Passenger rail[edit]

British Columbia
Electric Railway
city lines
interurban lines

North Vancouver
Vancouver
Burnaby
New Westminster
Surrey
Langley
Abbotsford
Chilliwack
Richmond
Deep Cove
North Saanich
Saanich
Esquimalt
Victoria

Chilliwack historically was served by the British Columbia Electric Railway New Westminster–Chilliwack interurban line. The company announced its "Rails-to-Rubber" conversion programme in 1944, and the Chilliwack line ceased service in 1950.[55]

In 2019, the South Fraser Community Rail Society was launched by former BC premier Bill Vander Zalm and former mayor of Langley Township Rick Green, to resurrect passenger service using the former BCER right-of-way. The proposed light-rail line would be 103 km (64 mi) long.[56][57]

Education[edit]

UFV Campus at Canada Education Park

Post-secondary[edit]

Canada Education Park is an 86-acre (35 ha) campus in the Vedder Crossing neighbourhood on the south side of Chilliwack that houses several post-secondary institutions, including the University of the Fraser Valley, the RCMP Pacific Region Training Centre, and the Justice Institute of British Columbia.

The University of the Fraser Valley (UFV) is the largest post-secondary school in Chilliwack, and the seventh largest in British Columbia in terms of full-time enrolment. It offers master's degrees, bachelor's degrees, associate degrees, diplomas, certificates and citations across a range of programs in fine arts, humanities, science, social sciences, applied communication, business, nursing, as well as technical and trade programs. Its campuses are located in Abbotsford, Chilliwack, Hope and Mission.

Private[edit]

Independent schools in Chilliwack
School Level Grades
Saint Mary's Elementary K-7
Unity Christian School Elementary-Secondary K-12
John Calvin School Elementary K-7
Timothy Christian School Elementary-Secondary K-12
Highroad Academy Elementary-Secondary K-12
Mount Cheam Christian School Elementary-Secondary K-12
Chilliwack Adventist Christian School Elementary-Junior secondary K-7
Cascade Christian School Elementary-Junior secondary K-12

Public[edit]

Public schools in Chilliwack[58]
School Level Grades
Bernard Elementary Elementary K-5
Central Elementary Community School Elementary K-5
Cheam Elementary Elementary K-5
Cultus Lake Elementary Elementary K-5
East Chilliwack Elementary Elementary K-5
Evans Elementary Elementary K-5
F.G. Leary Fine Arts Elementary Elementary K-5
Greendale Community Elementary Elementary K-5
Little Mountain Elementary Elementary K-5
McCammon Traditional Elementary Elementary K-5
Promontory Heights Elementary Elementary K-5
Robertson Elementary Elementary K-5
Rosedale Traditional Community Elementary, Middle K-8
Sardis Elementary Elementary K-5
Strathcona Elementary Elementary K-5
Tyson Elementary Elementary K-5
Unsworth Elementary Elementary K-5
Vedder Elementary Elementary K-5
Watson Elementary Elementary K-5
Yarrow Community Elementary Elementary K-5
A.D. Rundle Middle Middle 6-8
Chilliwack Middle Middle 6-8
Mt. Slesse Middle Middle 6-8
Rosedale Traditional Community Middle 6-8
Vedder Middle Middle 6-8
Chilliwack Secondary Secondary 9-12
G.W. Graham Secondary Secondary 9-12
Imagine High Integrated Arts and Technology Secondary Secondary 9-12
Sardis Secondary Secondary 9-12
CHANCE Alternate Alternative SU
Education Centre Alternative 8-12
Fraser Valley Distance Education Alternative K-12
Shxwetetilthet: Sto:Lo Alternative

The Conseil scolaire francophone de la Colombie-Britannique operates one Francophone school: école La Vérendrye primary school.[59]

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ Statistic includes all persons that did not make up part of a visible minority or an indigenous identity.
  2. ^ Statistic includes total responses of "Filipino" and "Southeast Asian" under visible minority section on census.
  3. ^ Statistic includes total responses of "Chinese", "Korean", and "Japanese" under visible minority section on census.
  4. ^ Statistic includes total responses of "West Asian" and "Arab" under visible minority section on census.
  5. ^ Statistic includes total responses of "Visible minority, n.i.e." and "Multiple visible minorities" under visible minority section on census.

References[edit]

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External links[edit]