Chilliwack ( )( hur, Ts'elxwéyeqw) is a city in the province of

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, ...

, Canada. Chilliwack is surrounded by mountains and home to recreational areas such as Cultus Lake and

Chilliwack Lake Provincial Park 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, British Columbia, Cultus Lake and Chilliwack Lake Provincial Park ...

s. There are numerous outdoor activities in the area in which to participate, including hiking, rock climbing, mountain biking horseback riding, whitewater kayaking, camping, fishing, golf and paragliding. Chilliwack is known for its annual corn harvest, and is home to the Province's second largest

independent bookstore An independent bookstore is a retail bookstore which is independently owned. Usually, independent stores consist of only a single actual store (although there are some multi-store independents). They may be structured as sole proprietorships, cl ...

br>The Book Man
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 ...

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 The 2021 Canadian census was a detailed enumeration of the Canadian population with a reference date of May 11, 2021. It follows the 2016 Canadian census, which recorded a population of 35,151,728. The overall response rate was 98%, which is sl ...

, with a

census metropolitan area The census geographic units of Canada are the census subdivisions defined and used by Canada's federal government statistics bureau Statistics Canada to conduct the country's quinquennial census. These areas exist solely for the purposes of sta ...

population of 113,767 people.

Etymology

Halq'eméylem Halkomelem (; in the Upriver dialect, in the Island dialect, and in the Downriver dialect) is a language of various First Nations peoples of the British Columbia Coast. It is spoken in what is now British Columbia, ranging from southeastern ...

, the language of the Stó:lō communities around Chilliwack and Sardis, ''Tcil'Qe'uk'' means "valley of many streams". It also lends its name to the

Chilliwack River 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 outdoo ...

, and group of aboriginal people, the ''Ts'elxwéyeqw'' (also spelt ''Ts'elxwíqw'' or ''Sts'elxwíqw''). 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. Anglicized spellings include "Chilliwhyeuk" and other versions closer to the original Halq'eméylem.

History

Yale Road Chilliwack - 1908 - Site of City Hall

The archaeological 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. It is estimated that at the time of the first contact with

European European, or Europeans, or Europeneans, may refer to: In general * ''European'', an adjective referring to something of, from, or related to Europe ** Ethnic groups in Europe ** Demographics of Europe ** European cuisine, the cuisines of Europe ...

s, there were as many as 40,000 people living within Stó:lō territory. By 1859, over 40,000 gold miners had trekked to the

goldfields Goldfield or Goldfields may refer to: Places * Goldfield, Arizona, the former name of Youngberg, Arizona, a populated place in the United States * Goldfield, Colorado, a community in the United States * Goldfield, Iowa, a city in the United State ...

of the upper Fraser River, many travelling through the Chilliwack area. By the mid-1860s, several farms had grown up around the steamboat landings on the Fraser River called Miller's Landing, Minto Landing, Sumas Landing and Chilliwack Landing. The Township of Chilliwhack was incorporated in 1873, the third municipality in British Columbia. The initial settlement was along the Fraser River at Chilliwack Landing. Steamboats were the main mode of transportation, carrying goods and passengers between Chilliwack and

New Westminster New Westminster (colloquially known as New West) is a city in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia, Canada, and a member municipality of the Metro Vancouver Regional District. It was founded by Major-General Richard Moody as the capita ...

. After 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 ...

in 1885, many residents began to cross 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 ...

at Minto Landing to catch the train at Harrison Mills. With little room for expansion along the river, the commercial area of the town moved south to the junction of the New Westminster-Yale Wagon Road, Wellington Avenue and Young Road, called "Five Corners". A large subdivision called Centreville was built in 1881. The name "Centreville" was replaced In 1887 by the more popular "Chilliwack." The Chilliwack area experienced extensive flooding in the 1894 Fraser River flood. The Chilliwack (formerly Centreville) area was incorporated in 1908 as a separate municipality, the City of Chilliwack. The city and the township co-existed for 72 years. The Chilliwack area again experienced extensive flooding in the

1948 Fraser River flood The Fraser River is the longest river within British Columbia, Canada, rising at Fraser Pass near Blackrock Mountain (Canada), Blackrock Mountain in the Rocky Mountains and flowing for , into the Strait of Georgia just south of the City of Van ...

. In 1980, the Township of Chilliwhack and the City of Chilliwack merged to form the District of Chilliwack. The District of Chilliwack became the City of Chilliwack in early 1999. Chilliwack has the largest number of rainbow crosswalks in BC despite City Council's decision not to install more. In November 2021, an

atmospheric river An atmospheric river (AR) is a narrow corridor or filament of concentrated moisture in the atmosphere. Other names for this phenomenon are tropical plume, tropical connection, moisture plume, water vapor surge, and cloud band. Atmospheric river ...

caused widespread flooding in Chilliwack, forcing major roads, including Highway 1, to close indefinitely. The Highway has since been reopened for traffic in this area.

Geography

Chilliwack is located in the Upper

Fraser Valley The Fraser Valley is a geographical region in southwestern British Columbia, Canada and northwestern Washington State. It starts just west of Hope in a narrow valley encompassing the Fraser River and ends at the Pacific Ocean stretching from the ...

, 100 kilometres (60 mi) 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 ...

on 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 ...

. The city is bounded on the north by the

, and on the south by the Canada-United States border. Chilliwack is surrounded by tall mountain peaks, such as Mount Cheam and

Slesse Mountain Slesse Mountain, usually referred to as Mount Slesse, is a mountain just north of the US-Canada border, in the Cascade Mountains of British Columbia, near the town of Chilliwack. It is notable for its large, steep local relief. For example, its w ...

, and large rivers (the

Fraser Fraser may refer to: Places Antarctica * Fraser Point, South Orkney Islands Australia * Fraser, Australian Capital Territory, a suburb in the Canberra district of Belconnen * Division of Fraser (Australian Capital Territory), a former federal ele ...

and Vedder).

Geology

The Chilliwack

Batholith A batholith () is a large mass of intrusive igneous rock (also called plutonic rock), larger than in area, that forms from cooled magma deep in Earth's crust. Batholiths are almost always made mostly of felsic or intermediate rock types, such ...

forms much of the

North Cascades The North Cascades are a section of the Cascade Range of western North America. They span the border between the Canadian province of British Columbia and the U.S. state of Washington and are officially named in the U.S. and Canada as the Cascad ...

in southwestern

, Canada and the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sover ...

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered on ...

. 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 The Pemberton Volcanic Belt is an eroded Oligocene-Miocene volcanic belt at a low angle near the Mount Meager massif, British Columbia, Canada. The Garibaldi and Pemberton volcanic belts appear to merge into a single belt, although the Pemberton ...

and is the largest mass of exposed intrusive rock in the

Cascade Volcanic Arc The Cascade Volcanoes (also known as the Cascade Volcanic Arc or the Cascade Arc) are a number of volcanoes in a volcanic arc in western North America, extending from southwestern British Columbia through Washington and Oregon to Northern Califo ...

. The age of the Chilliwack batholith ranges from 26 to 29 million years old. In 2013, ''

Maclean's ''Maclean's'', founded in 1905, is a Canadian news magazine reporting on Canadian issues such as politics, pop culture, and current events. Its founder, publisher John Bayne Maclean, established the magazine to provide a uniquely Canadian perspe ...

'' reported that, with an average annual temperature of , Chilliwack is the warmest city in Canada.

Cityscape

The city is made up of several amalgamated villages and communities. The urban core follows a north–south axis bisected by the

. The city is bounded in the north by the

, 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 of dedicated farmland, farming remains an important part of the Chilliwack landscape.

Neighbourhoods

Neighbourhoods on the north side

Also referred to as "Chilliwack Proper Village West", the north side covers the area from the

in the south, to the

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 Coliseum (formerly known as Prospera Centre) is a 5,000-seat multi-purpose arena in Chilliwack, British Columbia, Canada, built in 2004 as a replacement of the former Chilliwack Coliseum. It is the home of the Chilliwack Chiefs (2011-), ...

, 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 The Provincial Court of British Columbia (BC Provincial Court) is a trial level court in British Columbia that hears cases in criminal, civil and family matters. The Provincial Court is a creation of statute, and as such its jurisdiction is lim ...

Neighbourhoods on the south side

The south side includes the communities of

Atchelitz Atchelitz is a rural community within the City of Chilliwack in the Fraser Valley, Eastern Fraser Valley region of British Columbia, Canada. It is located southwest of the city core, to the north of the Vedder Canal. Atchelitz Pioneer Village, lo ...

, Cultus Lake Park, Greendale, Promontory Heights, Ryder Lake,

Sardis Sardis () or Sardes (; Lydian: 𐤳𐤱𐤠𐤭𐤣 ''Sfard''; el, Σάρδεις ''Sardeis''; peo, Sparda; hbo, ספרד ''Sfarad'') was an ancient city at the location of modern ''Sart'' (Sartmahmut before 19 October 2005), near Salihli, ...

, Vedder Crossing, Garrison Crossing and

Yarrow ''Achillea millefolium'', commonly known as yarrow () or common yarrow, is a flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. Other common names include old man's pepper, devil's nettle, sanguinary, milfoil, soldier's woundwort, and thousand seal. The ...

is the urban core of the south side and is a popular shopping destination.

Parks

Bridal Veil Falls Provincial Park Bridal Veil Falls Provincial Park is a BC Parks, BC Park located on the Trans-Canada Highway just east of Rosedale, British Columbia, Rosedale, British Columbia, Canada, part of the Chilliwack, City of Chilliwack. The community of Bridal Falls, B ...

* Cheam Wetlands Regional Park * Chilliwack Heritage Park *

* Cultus Lake Provincial Park * Fairfield Park * Great Blue Heron Nature Reserve * Gwynne Vaughn Park * Island 22 * Salish Park * Sardis Park * Townsend Park

Arts and culture

Music

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 These Kids Wear Crowns is a six-member Canadian power pop and pop-rock band, formed in 2009 in Chilliwack, British Columbia, Canada. They were "discovered" on MuchMusic's '' disBand'' and signed to a contract with Capitol Records/ EMI. They have ...

Mystery Machine ''Scooby-Doo'' is an American animated media franchise based on an animated television series launched in 1969 and continued through several derivative media. Writers Joe Ruby and Ken Spears created the original series, ''Scooby-Doo, Where Are ...

, and

The Darkest of the Hillside Thickets The Darkest of the Hillside Thickets is a rock band from Chilliwack, British Columbia, Canada. Their music largely consists of often tongue-in-cheek homages to the works of H. P. Lovecraft, specifically the Cthulhu Mythos. History Band formatio ...

. Chilliwack also has a thriving

classical music Classical music generally refers to the art music of the Western world, considered to be distinct from Western folk music or popular music traditions. It is sometimes distinguished as Western classical music, as the term "classical music" also ...

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 )'' , nations = 82 , athletes = 2,626 , events = 86 in 7 sports (15 disciplines) , opening = February 12, 2010 , closing = February 28, 2010 , opened_by = Governor General Michaëlle Jean , cauldron = Catriona Le May DoanNancy GreeneWayne Gretz ...

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 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 ...

was actually formed, and is based, in nearby Vancouver.

Performing arts

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 In theatre, a thrust stage (also known as a platform stage or open stage) is one that extends into the audience on three sides and is connected to the backstage area by its upstage end. A thrust has the benefit of greater intimacy between performe ...

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 Capilano University (CapU) is a teaching-focused public university based in North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, located on the slopes of the North Shore Mountains, with programming that also serves the Sea-to-Sky Corridor and the Sunshin ...

Thompson Rivers University Thompson Rivers University (commonly referred to as TRU) is a public teaching and research university offering undergraduate and graduate degrees and vocational training. Its main campus is in Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada, and its name c ...

University of Victoria The University of Victoria (UVic or Victoria) is a public research university located in the municipalities of Oak Bay and Saanich, British Columbia, Canada. The university traces its roots to Victoria College, the first post-secondary instit ...

UBC The University of British Columbia (UBC) is a public research university with campuses near Vancouver and in Kelowna, British Columbia. Established in 1908, it is British Columbia's oldest university. The university ranks among the top three ...

and

Douglas College Douglas College is the largest public degree-granting college institution in British Columbia, Canada. Close to 17,000 credit students, 8,500 continuing education students and 4,210 international students are enrolled here. Douglas College o ...

. As of 2021, the theatre is part of the Imagine High public high school. 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. Many different programs are available, including a Junior Musical Theatre and Summer Break Camps.

Public Art

Th
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, Jason Botkin and Chris Perez can be found along with other public art via th
Chilliwack Public Art Trail

Festivals

Annual events and festivals include: * Chilliwack Bluegrass Festival (ended in 2013) * Christmas Craft Market * Chilliwack Art of Wine Festival * Fraser Valley Culture and Craft Beer Festival * Fraser Valley Women's Expo * Party in the Park * Chilliwack Canada Day * Chilliwack Mural Festival

Museums

* Chilliwack Sports Hall of Fame * Canadian Military Education Centre * Chilliwack Museum and Archives, located in the 1912 former Chilliwack City Hall on Spadina Avenue, is a

National Historic Site of Canada National Historic Sites of Canada (french: Lieux historiques nationaux du Canada) are places that have been designated by the federal Minister of the Environment An environment minister (sometimes minister of the environment or secretary of t ...

. The Chilliwack Museum and Archives are a non-profit organization operated by the

Chilliwack Museum and Historical Society The Chilliwack Museum and Historical Society is a registered non-profit society that operates the Chilliwack Museum and Archives located in Chilliwack, British Columbia, Canada. Location The Chilliwack Museum and Historical Society operates two ...

which began in 1958 by brothers Oliver and Casey Wells.

Notable people

;Academics: *

Rita Steblin Rita Katherine Steblin (April 22, 1951 – September 3, 2019)
obituary, ''Figures of Speech'' was a

and

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

Homer Thompson Homer Armstrong Thompson (September 7, 1906 – May 7, 2000) was a Canadian classical archaeologist of the twentieth century, specializing in ancient Greece. While studying for his doctorate at the University of Michigan, Benjamin Dean Mer ...

, Ph.D., classical archaeologist and excavator of the

Ancient Agora of Athens The ancient Agora of Athens (also called the Classical Agora) is the best-known example of an ancient Greek agora, located to the northwest of the Acropolis and bounded on the south by the hill of the Areopagus and on the west by the hill kn ...

* Wayne Smith, M.Econ,

Chief Statistician of Canada The chief statistician of Canada (french: statisticien en chef du Canada) is the senior Civil service, public servant responsible for Statistics Canada (StatCan), an agency of the Government of Canada. The office is equivalent to that of a Deputy m ...

Allan Brooks Allan Cyril Brooks (February 15, 1869 Etawah – January 3, 1946) was an ornithologist and bird artist who lived in Canada. His father William Edwin Brooks had been a keen ornithologist in India but growing up in a farming household in Canada ma ...

, Ornithologist and distinguished wildlife artist *

Charlotte Froese Fischer Charlotte Froese Fischer (born 1929) is a Canadian-American applied mathematician and computer scientist noted for the development and implementation of the Multi-Configurational Hartree–Fock (MCHF) approach to atomic-structure calculations an ...

, Ph.D., mathematician and computer scientist * Dr. Carin Bondar, Ph.D., biologist and celebrity Science Communicator ;Activists: *

Betty Fox Betty Lou Fox (née Wark; November 15, 1937 – June 17, 2011) was a Canadian cancer research activist, the mother of Terry Fox and founder of the Terry Fox Foundation. She was the most prominent figure in Terry Fox's legacy. Biography Fox w ...

, cancer research activist, mother of

Terry Fox Terrance Stanley Fox (July 28, 1958 June 28, 1981) was a Canadian athlete, humanitarian, and cancer research activist. In 1980, with one leg having been amputated due to cancer, he embarked on an east-to-west cross-Canada run to raise money ...

. *

Tony Clarke Anthony or Tony Clarke may refer to: * Tony Clarke (British politician) (born 1963), English Labour Party politician, MP for Northampton South from 1997 to 2005 * Anthony Clarke (judoka) (born 1961), Australian athlete *Tony Clarke (activist) (born ...

, activist, who graduated from Chilliwack Senior Secondary. ; Arts and entertainment: * Patrick Gallagher, actor from ''Glee'', ''True Blood'' and ''Night At The Museum''. Graduated from Chilliwack Senior Secondary. *

Tasha Tilberg Tasha Tilberg (born August 26, 1979, in Chilliwack, British Columbia) is a Canadian fashion model. Modeling Tilberg has appeared in advertisements for Alberta Ferretti, Bloomingdale's, Comma, Fendi, Esprit, Gucci, Mango, Missoni, Moschino, Ve ...

, Covergirl model. Born in Chilliwack on July 23, 1979. Appeared on the covers of magazines such as ''Vogue'', ''Harper's Bazaar'' and ''Marie Claire''. *

Jim Vallance James Douglas Vallance (born May 31, 1952) is a Canadian songwriter, arranger and producer. He is best known as the songwriting partner of Canadian musician Bryan Adams. Vallance began his professional career as the original drummer and main song ...

, , musician, songwriter, composer, arranger and producer * Bernie Herms, Grammy Award-winning artist *

Bria Skonberg Bria Skonberg is a Canadian jazz trumpeter and vocalist. Early life Skonberg was born in Chilliwack, British Columbia; her great-grandparents on her father's side came from Sweden. She took piano lessons in elementary school, switching to trumpe ...

, jazz musician, Juno Award winner for Vocal Jazz Album of the Year in 2017 ; Athletes: *

Dave Archibald David J. Archibald (born April 14, 1969) is a Canadian professional ice hockey coach and former player. Archibald played for the Minnesota North Stars, New York Rangers, Ottawa Senators, and New York Islanders of the National Hockey League (NHL) ...

, a former professional hockey player with the

Minnesota North Stars The Minnesota North Stars were a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League (NHL) for 26 seasons, from 1967 to 1993. The North Stars played their home games at the Met Center in Bloomington, Minnesota, and the team's colors for ...

and

Ottawa Senators The Ottawa Senators (french: Sénateurs d'Ottawa), officially the Ottawa Senators Hockey Club and colloquially known as the Sens, are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a membe ...

. *

Rick Klassen Richard Danny "Rick" Klassen (July 25, 1959 – December 10, 2016) was a defensive lineman who played in the Canadian Football League for the BC Lions from 1981 to 1987, 1989–1990 and Saskatchewan Roughriders in 1988. In 2003, Klassen was vote ...

, former professional football player with the

BC Lions The BC Lions are a professional Canadian football team based in Vancouver, British Columbia. The Lions compete in the West Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL), and play their home games at BC Place. The Lions played their first season ...

and

Saskatchewan Roughriders The Saskatchewan Roughriders are a professional Canadian football team based in Regina, Saskatchewan. The Roughriders compete in the Canadian Football League (CFL) as a member club of the league's West Division. The Roughriders were founded in 1 ...

. *

Amber Allen Amber Allen (born October 21, 1975) is a professional Canadian soccer player. She led the Vancouver Whitecaps team in goals (23) and points (48) in the 2005. This earned her the W-League All-Conference honours. She was named for the national s ...

, a former professional soccer player with the

Vancouver Whitecaps Vancouver Whitecaps Football Club is a Canadian professional soccer team based in Vancouver. They compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member club of the league's Western Conference. The MLS iteration of the club was established on March ...

. *

Jordyn Huitema Jordyn Pamela Huitema ( ; born May 8, 2001) is a Canadian professional soccer player who plays as a forward for National Women's Soccer League club OL Reign and the Canada national team. She scored her first national team goal at the age of 16 ...

, a soccer player for Paris Saint-Germain. ; Canadian Military: * Piper James C. Richardson, recipient of the

Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previously ...

; Journalists: *

Jack McGaw John Howard David "Jack" McGaw (May 22, 1936 – October 18, 2012) was a Canadian journalist and radio operator. He was a cohost of the consumer newsmagazine '' Live It Up!'' in the early 1980s, and subsequently produced and hosted freelance documen ...

, journalist and radio operator. *

Diana Swain Diana Swain is the executive producer of CBC's investigative documentary program ''The Fifth Estate''. She has held various roles at the public broadcaster, including most recently as the senior editor of the network Investigative Unit. Before t ...

, television journalist. Graduated from Chilliwack High School in 1983. ; Justices: * William H. Davies ,

Supreme Court A supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts in most legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, apex court, and high (or final) court of appeal. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...

Justice and Chair of the

Davies Commission Inquiry The Davies Commission Inquiry or Davies Commission Inquiry into the Death of Frank Paul (2007 - 2011) was an inquiry under Commissioner William H. Davies a retired Justice of the Supreme Court of British Columbia (BCSC), Canada. The final report w ...

;Politicians: *

Barry Penner Barry Penner, is a Canadian licensed lawyer and former politician in the province of British Columbia. He served as a Member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia (MLA) for Chilliwack-Hope for 16 years. He also served as Attorney Gener ...

, former

Attorney General In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general or attorney-general (sometimes abbreviated AG or Atty.-Gen) is the main legal advisor to the government. The plural is attorneys general. In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have exec ...

* Chuck Strahl, former member of Parliament and cabinet minister * Dorothy Kostrzewa, first Chinese-Canadian woman elected to political office in Canada * Steven Point, , first aboriginal Lieutenant-Governor of British Columbia. ;Writers: * Allan Fotheringham, columnist. Worked for ''The Chilliwack Progress'' as a student. * W.P. Kinsella, , author of ''Shoeless Joe (novel), Shoeless Joe'', lived in Chilliwack. * Gayle Friesen, novelist ; Others: * Prest Family - One of the pioneer Chilliwack families * Keith Hunter Jesperson, serial killer who committed crimes in Canada and the U.S

Media

Newspapers

*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.

Radio

*FM 89.5 - CHWK-FM *FM 91.7 - CBU (AM), CBYF-FM *FM 98.3 - CKSR-FM *FM 99.9 - CBU-FM, CBU-FM-7 *FM 102.1 - CBUF-FM, CBUF-FM-1 *FM 107.5 - CKKS-FM

Television

*Channel 11 CHAN-DT, CHAN-TV-1 Global Television Network, Global

Sports

The British Columbia Hockey League's Chilliwack Chiefs (2011-), Chilliwack Chiefs, play at the

. 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 (city), 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), 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. 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.

Climate

The climate is typical Oceanic climate, oceanic (Köppen climate classification, 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). 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. Jozina Slegh said The highest temperature recorded within the city of Chilliwack is on June 28, 2021, which was set during the 2021 Western North America heat wave, 2021 Western North America Heat wave, beating the old mark of recorded on July 21, 2006. The lowest recorded temperature was on Dec 27, 1968. 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 Squamish (wind), artic outflow occurs. In 2013,

wrongly reported that with an average annual temperature of , Chilliwack is the warmest city in Canada. The actual warmest city in Canada is Victoria, British Columbia, Victoria, with an average annual temperature of . 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 . 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 (PM_2.5), "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."

Demographics

City of Chilliwack

In the 2021 Canadian census, 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Chilliwack had a population of 93,203 living in 35,758 of its 37,124 total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of 83,788. With a land area of , it had a population density of in 2021.

Ethnicity

*Note: Totals greater than 100% due to multiple origin responses.

Religion

According to the 2021 Canadian census, 2021 census, religious groups in Chilliwack included: *Irreligion in Canada, Irreligion (45,475 persons or 49.4%) *Christianity in Canada, Christianity (41,875 persons or 45.5%) *Sikhism in Canada, Sikhism (1,570 persons or 1.7%) *Islam in Canada, Islam (750 persons or 0.8%) *Buddhism in Canada, Buddhism (575 persons or 0.6%) *Hinduism in Canada, Hinduism (575 persons or 0.6%) *Judaism in Canada, Judaism (120 persons or 0.1%) *Mythologies of the indigenous peoples of the Americas, Indigenous Spirituality (105 persons or 0.1%)

Chilliwack CMA

At the

(CMA) level in the 2021 census, the Chilliwack CMA had a population of living in of its total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of . With a land area of , it had a population density of in 2021.

Economy

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

Canadian Forces Base Chilliwack

Second World War

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

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

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 Canada, 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.

Transportation

Airports

Vancouver International Airport is located about 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 west of Downtown Chilliwack and offers scheduled service to Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto and Victoria, where passengers can connect to anywhere.

Chilliwack Airport is a small regional airport located in Downtown Chilliwack. It has 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.

Bicycle lanes

There are about of bike lanes throughout the city with additional lanes being added every year.

Highways

A British Columbia Highway 1, four-lane to six-lane expressway from Horseshoe Bay, British Columbia, Horseshoe Bay to Hope, British Columbia, Hope runs through Chilliwack on the Lower Mainland section of the

. The British Columbia Highway 9, Agassiz-Rosedale Highway is a north–south route in the eastern part of Chilliwack that acts as the last connection between Highways British Columbia Highway 1, 1 and British Columbia Highway 7, 7 eastbound before Hope, British Columbia, Hope, and is the main access to the resort village of Harrison Hot Springs, British Columbia, Harrison Hot Springs. The highway first opened in 1953, originally going between Yale Road in Rosedale, British Columbia, 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

Paddlewheelers at Chilliwack Landing near the present day end of Wellington Street

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

Rail

Chilliwack Railway Station

Education

Post-secondary

Canada Education Park (CEP) is an 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 "E" Division, 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 enrollment. 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

Public

The ''Conseil scolaire francophone de la Colombie-Britannique'' operates one Francophone school: ''école La Vérendrye'' primary school.Carte des écoles
." ''Conseil scolaire francophone de la Colombie-Britanique''. Retrieved on 22 January 2015.

Notes

References

External links

* * {{authority control Chilliwack, Cities in British Columbia Populated places on the Fraser River