Sumas was a

district municipality A district municipality is a designation for a class of municipalities found in several locations, including Canada, Lithuania, and South Africa. Canada British Columbia Under provincial law, municipalities in British Columbia are to be desig ...

in the

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 ...

region 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, located between the then-Village of Abbotsford (W) and

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 ...

(E). It was amalgamated with the Village of Abbotsford in 1972 into the District of Abbotsford.BCGNIS entry "Sumas (district municipality)
/ref> It, prior to amalgamation and after, was a part of the

Central Fraser Valley Regional District The Central Fraser Valley Regional District was a regional district in the province of British Columbia, Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region, south of the Fraser River and west of Chilliwack. It comprised the Township and City of Langley ...

until the district's abolition in 1995. Notable distinct communities with the municipality were Kilgard and

Huntingdon Huntingdon is a market town in the Huntingdonshire district in Cambridgeshire, England. The town was given its town charter by King John in 1205. It was the county town of the historic county of Huntingdonshire. Oliver Cromwell was born there ...

, the latter being the Canadian side of the

Sumas Border Crossing Sumas () is a city in Whatcom County, Washington, United States. It had a population of 1,307 as of the 2010 census. Sumas is located adjacent to the Canada–U.S. border and borders the city of Abbotsford, British Columbia. The Sumas-Huntingd ...

into the United States. Most of the municipality was farmland - its dominant landform was the rich agricultural land of Sumas Prairie, which was created through the draining of Sumas Lake early in the 20th Century.

Incorporation and amalgamation history

District of Sumas

*Incorporated in 1892, (34,000 acres) Municipal Hall located at the NW corner of Vye and Whatcom (approx.. 36300 Vye). *1972, District of Sumas amalgamates with Village of Abbotsford to become District of Abbotsford, move to Sumas Municipal Hall at 33914 Essendene Ave. (now the Food Bank Building)

District of Abbotsford

*incorporated as a village in 1924, (old downtown area, section, 160 acres) Municipal Hall located at 2420 Montrose Ave. *1972, amalgamation with District of Sumas, Municipal Hall moved to 33914 Essendene Ave. (now the Food Bank Building) *1995, amalgamation with District of Matsqui, District of Abbotsford staff move to 32315 South Fraser Way (District of Matsqui Municipal Hall, the newer and large facility at the time.)

District of Matsqui

*incorporated 1892, (54,145 acres) Municipal Hall located at 6418 MtLehman Rd. *1951, move to a new facility at 32383 South Fraser Way (then the Trans Canada Highway) **Building renovated to a larger municipal hall in 1967 and converted to Clearbrook Library in 1982, now APD annex. **1982, move to a new facility at 32315 South Fraser Way (current City of Abbotsford City Hall)

City of Abbotsford

- 1995, District of Abbotsford staff move into the District of Matsqui municipal hall at 32315 South Fraser Way, still City Hall for the City of Abbotsford today.

References

Former municipalities in British Columbia Fraser Valley Regional District Populated places disestablished in 1972 {{BritishColumbiaCoast-geo-stub