The District of Kent is a district municipality located east of

Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

. Part of the

Fraser Valley Regional District The Fraser Valley Regional District (FVRD) is a regional district in British Columbia, Canada. Its headquarters are in the city of Chilliwack. The FVRD covers an area of 13,361.74 km² (5,159 sq mi). It was created in 1995 by ...

, Kent consists of several communities, the largest and most well-known being Agassiz—the only town in the municipality— Harrison Mills,

Kilby Kilby is a village and civil parish in the Blaby district of Leicestershire, England. Kilby is the easternmost village in the district, and is south east of Leicester. Kilby civil parish includes the former parish of Foston and it's deserte ...

, Mount Woodside, Kent Prairie, Sea Bird Island and Ruby Creek. Included within the municipality's boundaries are several separately-governed

Indian reserve In Canada, an Indian reserve (french: réserve indienne) is specified by the '' Indian Act'' as a "tract of land, the legal title to which is vested in Her Majesty, that has been set apart by Her Majesty for the use and benefit of a band." Ind ...

s, including the

Seabird Island First Nation The Seabird Island First Nation, or Seabird Island Band ( hur, Sq'éwqel), is a band government of the Sto:lo people located on Sea Bird Island in the Upper Fraser Valley region, 3 km east of Agassiz, British Columbia, Canada. They are a me ...

's reserves on and around the island of the same name. Kent's only incorporated municipal neighbours are

Chilliwack Chilliwack ( )( hur, Ts'elxwéyeqw) 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 ...

, to the south across the Fraser, and

Harrison Hot Springs The Village of Harrison Hot Springs is a small community at the southern end of Harrison Lake in the Fraser Valley of British Columbia. It is a member of the Fraser Valley Regional District; its immediate neighbour is the District of Kent and i ...

which is an enclave on the north side of the municipality at the south end of Harrison Lake.

Chehalis Chehalis may refer to: People * Chehalis people, a Native American people of Washington state **Lower Chehalis language **Upper Chehalis language * Sts'Ailes people (Chehalis people), a First Nation in British Columbia * Chehalis First Nation, Bri ...

, to the west across the

Harrison River The Harrison River is a short but large tributary of the Fraser River, entering it near the community of Chehalis, British Columbia, Canada. The Harrison drains Harrison Lake and is the ''de facto'' continuation of the Lillooet River, which feeds ...

from Harrison Mills, is unincorporated and largely an Indian reserve community of the

Chehalis First Nation The Sts'ailes Nation formerly known as Chehalis First Nation ( hur, Sts'a'í:les) is the band government of the Sts'Ailes people, whose territories lie between Deroche and Agassiz, British Columbia. The Sts'Alies are a Halkomelem-speaking people ...

of the Sts'Ailes people.

Neighbourhoods

Located north of Chilliwack and south of Harrison Hot Springs, Kent is made up of several communities. Agassiz is the district's commercial and industrial centre, and also the largest community. Harrison Mills in western Kent consists of mainly agricultural land and is home to the British Columbia Heritage Kilby Museum and Campground. Harrison Highlands (formerly known as

Mount Woodside Mount is often used as part of the name of specific mountains, e.g. Mount Everest. Mount or Mounts may also refer to: Places * Mount, Cornwall, a village in Warleggan parish, England * Mount, Perranzabuloe, a hamlet in Perranzabuloe parish, C ...

, which is still the name of the mountain Harrison Highlands is located on) is a residential resort development located in central-west Kent targeted towards residents from Vancouver. Ruby Creek to the northeast is a mixed rural-residential community. Rockwell Drive, at the eastern shore of

Harrison Lake Harrison Lake is the largest lake in the southern Coast Mountains of Canada, being about 250 square kilometres (95 mi²) in area. It is about 60 km (37 mi) in length and at its widest almost 9 km (5.6 mi) across. Its so ...

, serves as a residential and commercial resort-like community.

Climate

Like the rest of southwestern

, Kent enjoys a wet but moderate to mild climate in the wintertime with drier summers, with very few major temperature fluctuations. The warmest months are usually July and August, with an average of 23 degrees Celsius (74 degrees Fahrenheit); its coldest month is normally January, averaging 2.5 °C (35 °F).

History

Kent's growth was initiated by the

Fraser Canyon Gold Rush The Fraser Canyon Gold Rush, (also Fraser Gold Rush and Fraser River Gold Rush) began in 1858 after gold was discovered on the Thompson River in British Columbia at its confluence with the Nicoamen River a few miles upstream from the Thompson's c ...

about fifty years later in 1858. Among the first European settlers to settle in Kent in the 1860s include T.B. Hicks and the Agassiz family. Shortly after, the first commercial activity in the area took place between the local

First Nations First Nations or first peoples may refer to: * Indigenous peoples, for ethnic groups who are the earliest known inhabitants of an area. Indigenous groups *First Nations is commonly used to describe some Indigenous groups including: **First Natio ...

people and the

Hudson's Bay Company The Hudson's Bay Company (HBC; french: Compagnie de la Baie d'Hudson) is a Canadian retail business group. A fur trading business for much of its existence, HBC now owns and operates retail stores in Canada. The company's namesake business div ...

fur traders. Rapid commercial growth followed as boats started to routinely stop in the area en route to the

Fraser Canyon The Fraser Canyon is a major landform of the Fraser River where it descends rapidly through narrow rock gorges in the Coast Mountains en route from the Interior Plateau of British Columbia to the Fraser Valley. Colloquially, the term "Fraser Ca ...

. The construction of the

Canadian Pacific Railway The Canadian Pacific Railway (french: Chemin de fer Canadien Pacifique) , also known simply as CPR or Canadian Pacific and formerly as CP Rail (1968–1996), is a Canadian Class I railway incorporated in 1881. The railway is owned by Canadi ...

around 1881 introduced more development along areas in Kent near the

Fraser River The Fraser River is the longest river within British Columbia, Canada, rising at Fraser Pass near Blackrock Mountain in the Rocky Mountains and flowing for , into the Strait of Georgia just south of the City of Vancouver. The river's annual d ...

and

. In 1895, the District of Kent was incorporated, taking the name of the English county where hops were also an important crop. Shortly after the incorporation, the Canadian Pacific Railway opened, bringing along more commercial activity to the area. While the traditional economic merchandise in the area are agriculture-related, there has been a diversification since the 1900s. Roads started to be built between 1901 and 1940, becoming one of the major sources of employment. A bridge crossing at the Harrison River opened in 1926, creating the first-ever road connection to the west of Kent. This connection is often credited for making Agassiz a market-friendly agricultural centre. In 1948, the Fraser River Flood struck and wiped out Kent's hop industry. However, this disaster unexpectedly benefited Kent as

corn Maize ( ; ''Zea mays'' subsp. ''mays'', from es, maíz after tnq, mahiz), also known as corn (North American and Australian English), is a cereal grain first domesticated by indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 10,000 years ago. Th ...

became the new primary agricultural product of the region, leading to Agassiz's claim as the "Corn Capital of BC"; this claim is still used today.

Mountain Institution Mountain Institution is a medium security federal penitentiary operated by the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC). It is located in the town of Agassiz, District of Kent, British Columbia, approximately 115 kilometres east of Vancouver, Britis ...

, formerly known as Agassiz Mountain Prison, which was torn down on the same site, is a federal maximum-security prison at the western end of Kent Prairie, just north of the foot of what is known as Agassiz Mountain, the mountainside grade of BC Highway 7 which rises over the south side of Mount Woodside and descends into Harrison Mills to the Harrison River Bridge. It was constructed in the 1960s to house 400 Sons of Freedom in the wake of their arrest for various bombings in the

Kootenay Kootenay, Kootenai, and Kutenai may refer to: Ethnic groups *The Kutenai, also known as the Ktunaxa, Kootenai, or Kootenay, an indigenous people of the United States and Canada **Kutenai language, the traditional language of the Kutenai **Ktunaxa ...

region and became the site of a large temporary tenement camp of their followers and supporters. A research farm run by the federal government Department of Agriculture is located to the northwest of the town of Agassiz, and was formerly a private estate.

Demographics

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by

Statistics Canada Statistics Canada (StatCan; french: Statistique Canada), formed in 1971, is the agency of the Government of Canada commissioned with producing statistics to help better understand Canada, its population, resources, economy, society, and cultur ...

, Kent had a population of 6,300 living in 2,351 of its 2,518 total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of 6,067. With a land area of , it had a population density of in 2021. The majority of Kent's residents live in Agassiz. It is the fifth most populated municipality in the Fraser Valley Regional District, after Abbotsford (115,711), Chilliwack (64,898),

Mission Mission (from Latin ''missio'' "the act of sending out") may refer to: Organised activities Religion *Christian mission, an organized effort to spread Christianity *Mission (LDS Church), an administrative area of The Church of Jesus Christ of ...

(31,272) and Hope (6,313). Only one incorporated municipality,

, has fewer residents (1,343).

Religion

According to the 2021 census, religious groups in Kent included: *

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global pop ...

(2,810 persons or 50.3%) *

Irreligion Irreligion or nonreligion is the absence or rejection of religion, or indifference to it. Irreligion takes many forms, ranging from the casual and unaware to full-fledged philosophies such as atheism and agnosticism, secular humanism and a ...

(2,595 persons or 46.5%) *

Sikhism Sikhism (), also known as Sikhi ( pa, ਸਿੱਖੀ ', , from pa, ਸਿੱਖ, lit=disciple', 'seeker', or 'learner, translit=Sikh, label=none),''Sikhism'' (commonly known as ''Sikhī'') originated from the word ''Sikh'', which comes fro ...

(50 persons or 0.9%) *

Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...

(30 persons or 0.5%) *

Buddhism Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and gra ...

(20 persons or 0.4%) *

Hinduism Hinduism () is an Indian religion or '' dharma'', a religious and universal order or way of life by which followers abide. As a religion, it is the world's third-largest, with over 1.2–1.35 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global p ...

(10 persons or 0.2%) *Other (65 persons or 1.2%)

Government and politics

In federal elections, Kent is part of the

Chilliwack—Fraser Canyon Chilliwack-Fraser Canyon was a federal electoral district in the province of British Columbia, Canada, that was represented in the House of Commons of Canada from 2004 to 2015. Geography The district includes the City of Chilliwack, the Districts ...

riding, which has existed since 2004. The riding's current

Member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...

is Mark Strahl, a member of the ruling

Conservative Party of Canada The Conservative Party of Canada (french: Parti conservateur du Canada), colloquially known as the Tories, is a federal political party in Canada. It was formed in 2003 by the merger of the two main right-leaning parties, the Progressive Con ...

. In provincial elections, Kent lies within the

Chilliwack-Kent Chilliwack-Kent is a provincial electoral district for the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, Canada that first existed from 2001 to 2009, when it was replaced by the Chilliwack-Hope riding. In the 2015 redistribution, the eastern por ...

riding. The current

Member of the Legislative Assembly A member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) is a representative elected by the voters of a constituency to a legislative assembly. Most often, the term refers to a subnational assembly such as that of a state, province, or territory of a country. S ...

is Kelli Paddon of the

British Columbia New Democratic Party The New Democratic Party of British Columbia (BC NDP) is a social-democratic provincial political party in British Columbia, Canada. As of 2017, it governs the province. It is the British Columbia provincial arm of the federal New Democrati ...

. The current mayor of Kent is Sylvia Pranger.

Transportation

Several highways run through Kent. Highway 7 (also known as the Lougheed Highway) runs the entire length of the district, connecting Kent to much of the Fraser Valley and Greater Vancouver. Highway 9 connects Highway 7 to the

Trans Canada Highway The Trans-Canada Highway ( French: ; abbreviated as the TCH or T-Can) is a transcontinental federal–provincial highway system that travels through all ten provinces of Canada, from the Pacific Ocean on the west coast to the Atlantic Ocean o ...

. Agassiz-Harrison Transit operates a single bus route (No.11) from the

downtown exchange to Rosedale, Popkum, Agassiz and

Economy

Kent's economy has traditionally relied on agriculture. However, it has diversified in recent years by ways of tourism and recreation. Nearby Harrison Hot Springs is a big tourist draw for the area, and many adventurers take advantage of the lakes and rivers in and around Kent. A major employer of the region is the

Correctional Service of Canada The Correctional Service of Canada (CSC; french: Service correctionnel du Canada), also known as Correctional Service Canada or Corrections Canada, is the Canadian federal government agency responsible for the incarceration and rehabilitation of ...

. Both

(medium security) and

Kent Institution Kent Institution (french: Établissement de Kent) is a Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) facility located in Agassiz, British Columbia. Opened in 1979, Kent is the only maximum security federal penitentiary in the CSC's Pacific region, which in ...

(maximum security) are located within the district. Agassiz bills itself as the 'Corn Capital of BC'.

Education

Kent is served by School District 78 Fraser-Cascade. Its schools within Kent include Agassiz Elementary Secondary School, Kent Elementary School, McCaffrey Alternative School, and the Agassiz Continuing Education Centre provides education for adults. There is also a private K-7 school, Agassiz Christian School.

Sports and recreation

While Kent has no big sports teams, it is a hub for recreational activity due to its proximity to major rivers and lakes; Harrison Lake and Harrison River is often used for water sports.

Sasquatch Provincial Park Sasquatch Provincial Park is a provincial park in Kent, British Columbia, Canada. History The park was established 1968, in its present condition. It actually began in 1959 as a 20 hectare inland fjord called Green Point Park, which was expanded ...

in northern Kent, next to Harrison Lake, provides camping areas and offers hiking and fishing opportunities.Sasquatch Provincial Park
- British Columbia Adventure Network

Media

References

External links

* * {{Subdivisions of British Columbia, district=yes District municipalities in British Columbia Lower Mainland Populated places on the Fraser River Populated places in the Fraser Valley Regional District