Chilliwack

History and Development

The archaeological record indicates the presence of Stó:lō peoples in the Fraser Valley, known as S'ólh Téméxw, for at least 10,000 years, with permanent structures in the Chilliwack area dating back about 5,000 years. European contact began in the mid-19th century as gold miners travelled through the region. Settlement soon followed, with farms established at various landings along the Fraser River. The area was officially incorporated as the Corporation of the Township of Chilliwhack on April 26, 1873, making it the third municipality in British Columbia. The original town centre was located at Chilliwack Landing, reliant on steamboat travel to New Westminster. Due to flood risks and limited space, the commercial centre relocated south in 1881 to the junction known as Five Corners, an area first called Centreville before adopting the name Chilliwack in 1887. The community has experienced several catastrophic floods, notably in 1894, 1935, 1948, and 2021.

The early 20th century brought further formalization and growth. The core settlement was incorporated as the City of Chilliwack by letters patent on February 20, 1908, under the Chilliwack City Incorporation Act. For much of the century, the City of Chilliwack and the surrounding Township of Chilliwhack existed as separate municipalities. Transportation improved with the start of British Columbia Electric Railway passenger service on the New Westminster-Chilliwack Interurban Line in 1910. During the Second World War, Camp Chilliwack was established in 1941 and later expanded for coastal defence. It became a permanent Canadian Forces Base (CFB Chilliwack) after the unification of the armed forces in 1968, housing key units like the Canadian Forces School of Military Engineering and the First Combat Engineer Regiment.

Modern municipal history was shaped by amalgamation. Following referendums in both jurisdictions, the Township of Chilliwhack and the City of Chilliwack merged on January 1, 1980, to form the District of Chilliwack. This entity was renamed the City of Chilliwack on July 16, 1999. The closure of CFB Chilliwack in 1997, after the end of the Cold War, led to the redevelopment of the site into the Canada Education Park. This campus now hosts several institutions, including the Justice Institute of British Columbia, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and the University of the Fraser Valley, while also maintaining a military presence for the 39 Canadian Brigade Group.

Geography and Climate

Chilliwack is situated in the Upper Fraser Valley, bounded by the Fraser River to the north and the Vedder River and the international border to the south. The cityscape is dominated by the tall peaks of the North Cascades, including Mount Cheam and Slesse Mountain. A significant geological feature is the Chilliwack Batholith, a large mass of intrusive rock that forms much of the local North Cascades. This batholith is part of the Pemberton Volcanic Belt and is estimated to be between 26 and 29 million years old. The city's terrain includes fertile floodplains and upland areas, with about two-thirds of its land protected for agriculture within the Agricultural Land Reserve.

The city experiences an oceanic climate with some continental influence, classified as Cfb under the Köppen system. It is known for mild conditions conducive to agriculture, with one of the warmest mean annual temperatures for a Canadian city when averaged from 1981 to 2010. Record extremes include a high of 43.7 °C recorded on June 28, 2021, during the Western North America heat wave, and a low of -21.7 °C on December 27, 1968. Precipitation falls mostly as rain, with limited annual snowfall in the city itself. Summers are typically sunny and warm, with long daylight hours. A 2011 World Health Organization study ranked Chilliwack's air quality among the best in the world, with particularly low levels of PM10 and PM2.5 particulates.

Neighbourhoods and Cityscape

The city is composed of numerous distinct communities amalgamated over time, broadly divided by the Trans-Canada Highway into north and south sides. The urban core follows a north-south axis. The north side, sometimes called Chilliwack Proper or Village West, stretches from the highway to the Fraser River and includes the historical downtown core, Chilliwack Mountain, Fairfield Island, Rosedale, and Popkum. Downtown Chilliwack is the original civic and cultural centre, housing city hall, the Chilliwack Cultural Centre, the Chilliwack Coliseum, and the Provincial Court of British Columbia.

The south side encompasses communities such as Sardis, Cultus Lake Park, Greendale, Promontory Heights, Ryder Lake, Vedder Crossing, Garrison Crossing, and Yarrow. Sardis functions as the primary urban and commercial hub for the south side. Agriculture remains a visible and vital part of the landscape, with 939 farms operating on approximately 17,322 hectares of dedicated farmland. The city manages numerous parks and natural areas, which include Bridal Veil Falls Provincial Park, Cheam Wetlands Regional Park, Chilliwack Lake Provincial Park, Cultus Lake Provincial Park, Great Blue Heron Nature Reserve, Salish Park, and Sardis Park. These green spaces provide recreational opportunities and protect significant ecological areas within the region.

Arts, Culture and Festivals

Chilliwack supports a diverse arts scene. Its music community includes active rock, punk, and metal bands such as These Kids Wear Crowns and Mystery Machine, alongside classical ensembles like the Chilliwack Symphony Orchestra and the Chilliwack Metropolitan Orchestra. The performing arts are anchored by the Chilliwack Cultural Centre in downtown, which hosts the Chilliwack Players' Guild and the Chilliwack Academy of Music. The Chilliwack School of Performing Arts offers training for youth, with annual mainstage productions. Public art has been significantly enhanced by the annual Chilliwack Mural Festival, co-founded by Amber Price and Lise Oakley, which has curated over three dozen large-scale murals in the historic downtown, forming a public art trail featuring works by artists like Emmanuel Jarus and Jason Botkin.

The city's calendar is filled with annual festivals and events that draw local and regional visitors. These celebrations highlight community spirit, agriculture, and the arts. Major recurring events include the Chilliwack Fair, Chilliwack Flight Fest, Chilliwack Independent Film Festival, Fraser Valley Culture and Craft Beer Festival, Sunflower Festival, Tulip Festival, and Pride Festival. Cultural heritage is preserved at institutions like the Chilliwack Museum and Archives, located in the 1912 former city hall building, which is a National Historic Site of Canada. Other museums include the Canadian Military Education Centre, located in the old CFB Chilliwack quartermaster warehouse, and the Chilliwack Sports Hall of Fame.

Local Government and 2026 Election

Chilliwack is governed by a mayor and six councillors who form the City Council. The mayor acts as the head of council and chief executive officer, providing leadership and presiding over meetings. Councillors participate in policy development and collective decision-making through resolutions and bylaws. The next general local election was scheduled for October 17, 2026, overlapping with the provincial election on October 24, 2026. In that municipal election, voters selected a mayor, six councillors, seven school trustees for School District 33, and two Cultus Lake Park Board commissioners for the Chilliwack jurisdiction.

The 2026 mayoral race was won decisively by Jason Lum, a former city councillor first elected in 2011. Lum received 15,525 votes, defeating challengers Martina Rosini, Gary Raddysh, and Farooque Syed. He succeeded Kenneth Popove as mayor. The six councillors elected alongside him were Chris Kloot, Nicole Huitema-Read, Trevor McDonald, Steve Czeck, Kevin Baarda, and Sue Attrill-Knott. Voter turnout saw 19,692 ballots cast, with 5,839 votes cast in advance. The full results for the 2026 Chilliwack City Council election are shown in the following table.

For the Board of Education, the seven elected trustees were Katie Bartel, David Swankey, Margaret Reid, Leah Kelley, Michael Carter, Willow Reichelt, and Cary Moore. The Cultus Lake Park Board commissioners for the Chilliwack jurisdiction were elected as Darcy Bauer and David Renwick. This information pertains to local governance structures within the city. The notes provided do not contain further details about these individuals or their specific roles.

Sports and Recreation

Chilliwack offers a wide range of sports and recreational activities for residents. In football, the Valley Huskers of the Canadian Junior Football League play their home games at Exhibition Stadium. The city has a strong hockey tradition, with the Chilliwack Chiefs of the British Columbia Hockey League playing at the Chilliwack Coliseum and the Chilliwack Jets of the Pacific Junior Hockey League based at the Sardis Ice Complex. The Chilliwack Minor Hockey Association was founded in 1958. In a significant development for major junior hockey, the Western Hockey League announced plans to establish an expansion franchise in Chilliwack starting in 2026. Motorsports are represented by Greg Moore Raceway, a karting facility located on Skwá Fi. The city's numerous parks and proximity to lakes and mountains provide ample opportunities for hiking, boating, fishing, and camping. Cultus Lake and Chilliwack Lake provincial parks are major summer destinations. The drumline from Sardis Secondary School gained recognition for its performances during the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

Notable Residents

Chilliwack has been home to many individuals who have achieved distinction in various fields. In academia and science, notable figures include ornithologist and artist Allan Brooks, biologist and television personality Carin Bondar, and former Chief Statistician of Canada Wayne Smith. The arts and entertainment community has produced Grammy Award-winning artist Bernie Herms, Juno Award-winning jazz musician Bria Skonberg, actor Patrick Gallagher, and model Tasha Tilberg. Author W.P. Kinsella, who wrote Shoeless Joe, was also from the area. In sports, the city is connected to professional soccer players like Jordyn Huitema of the Canada national team and Amber Allen, as well as former NHL players Dave Archibald and Zach Benson. The political sphere includes former British Columbia Lieutenant Governor Steven Point, former federal cabinet minister Chuck Strahl, and Dorothy Kostrzewa, the first Chinese-Canadian woman elected to political office in Canada. Military heroes from Chilliwack include Piper James C. Richardson, a recipient of the Victoria Cross, and United Nations peacekeeper Mark Isfeld.

Media and Education

Local media in Chilliwack includes the Chilliwack Progress, which holds the distinction of being British Columbia's oldest community newspaper, having been published continuously under the same name since April 1891. The Chilliwack Times ceased publication in December 2016. Radio service is provided by several stations, including CHWK-FM 89.5 and CKSR-FM 98.3. Television reception includes a rebroadcaster of Global TV on channel 11. Education is a major sector, significantly bolstered by the Canada Education Park on the site of the former CFB Chilliwack. This campus hosts the University of the Fraser Valley, the Justice Institute of British Columbia, and training facilities for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Public school education is delivered by School District 33, which is governed by an elected board of trustees. The institutions located at the Canada Education Park are a key part of the city's educational landscape.

• University of the Fraser Valley
• Justice Institute of British Columbia
• Royal Canadian Mounted Police training facilities
• Western Area Training Centre (WATC)

Historical Military Units at CFB Chilliwack

Following its establishment as Camp Chilliwack in 1941, the base became a key military installation for western Canada. After unification of the armed forces in 1968, it was renamed Canadian Forces Base Chilliwack. The base housed several important units until its closure in 1997. These units contributed to officer training, engineering, and infantry readiness during the Cold War period.

• Canadian Forces Officer Candidate School
• First Combat Engineer Regiment (1CER)
• Canadian Forces School of Military Engineering
• Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry 3rd Battalion (3PPCLI)

Questions about Chilliwack

Where is Chilliwack located?

Chilliwack is a city in the Canadian province of British Columbia. It is located about 100 kilometres east of the City of Vancouver in the Fraser Valley. The city is bounded on the north by the Fraser River and on the south by the Vedder River and the Canada-United States border. It is also 34 kilometres northwest of the Sumas-Huntingdon Border Crossing.

What is Chilliwack known for?

Chilliwack is known for its significant agricultural sector, with about two-thirds of city land protected as part of the Agricultural Land Reserve. Agriculture accounts for about thirty percent of the local economy. The city is also known for its natural setting, being surrounded by tall mountain peaks such as Mount Cheam and Slesse Mountain. It has an active arts and culture scene with events like the annual Mural Festival.

What is there to do in Chilliwack?

In Chilliwack, one can visit several parks including Cultus Lake Provincial Park, Bridal Veil Falls Provincial Park, and Chilliwack Lake Provincial Park. The city hosts annual festivals such as the Chilliwack Fair and the Mural Festival. Cultural attractions include the Chilliwack Cultural Centre, which is a performing arts venue. The Chilliwack Public Art Trail features murals by Canadian artists.

What is the origin of the name 'Chilliwack'?

The name Chilliwack originates from the Halq'eméylem word Tcil'Qe'uk, which means 'valley of many streams'. This term is used by the Stó:lō communities. It also lends its name to the Chilliwack River and a group of aboriginal people, the Ts'elxwéyeqw. Prior to the amalgamation of the City of Chilliwack and the Municipality of Chilliwhack, there were two different spellings, with the current spelling adopted at the time of unification.

What is the population of Chilliwack?

In 2025, the city had an estimated population of 112,500 residents. This figure represents significant growth, as the city added approximately 11,700 residents between 2020 and 2025, a growth rate of 11.6 percent. Chilliwack is located in the Fraser Valley about 100 kilometres east of Vancouver. The city is bounded by the Fraser River to the north and the Vedder River and Canada United States border to the south. This steady population increase reflects Chilliwack's ongoing development within the region.

Who is the mayor of Chilliwack?

The historical notes detail that the city was governed by a mayor and council following its incorporation. For example, the City of Chilliwack was proclaimed by letters patent under the Chilliwack City Incorporation Act in 1908. The notes also mention that the next general local election is scheduled for October 17, 2026, but they do not list the candidates or incumbent mayor for that election. Therefore, this specific question cannot be answered from the given factual notes.

Sources and further reading

• Chilliwack (Wikipedia)
• Elections (chilliwack.com)
• Chilliwack Election 2026: Candidates, Forums and ... (chilliwackchamber.com)
• Chilliwack Election: Jason Lum to be mayor (theprogress.com)

Checked by the Your Space Hamilton desk. Last updated 2026-10-30.