PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE Steady industrial growth, strong residential and commercial development and a billion-dollar agricultural sector contribute to Abbotsford’s economic vitality. The city is not only in the geographic centre of the Fraser Valley, it is also a transportation hub, featuring key highways, railways and a major airport. The News focuses on the importance of transportation in this 5th annual edition of Abbotsford in Action 2014.
Transcript
PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURESteady industrial growth, strong residential and commercial development and a billion-dollar agricultural sector contribute to Abbotsford’s economic vitality. The city is not only in the geographic centre of the Fraser Valley, it is also a transportation hub, featuring key highways, railways and a major airport. The News focuses on the importance of transportation in this 5th annual edition of Abbotsford in Action 2014.
roots in 1889 as a small logging, sawmilling, and brick manufacturing village, to the fifth largest city in British Columbia.
“In the past 125 years, Abbotsford’s population has increased to
approximately 140,000 people,” said Mayor Henry Braun. “In fact today, our size as a community means that high-density planning is now a major consideration for ensuring our city remains liveable, walkable and attractive to newcomers.”
And as the population increases, so does the demand for services – which include schools, housing, recreational opportunities and facilities as well as artistic and cultural experiences.
“With the growth of our city comes the need for us to update our planning at city hall in order to be responsive to the needs of our community,” says Braun. “One of the key undertakings for us at this point is the update of our Official Community Plan or OCP. An OCP is one of the city’s most
important land use tools. It helps influence the way our community grows and develops by guiding how land can be developed and used across the city.”
Each municipality is required under provincial law to create an OCP. Abbotsford’s OCP Citizen Advisory Commission, an appointed resident group, will help guide the project and shape the future of the city by reviewing land use policy, helping with community engagement and giving feedback on new planning ideas.
“Land use and development influence all parts of our daily lives: where we live, work and play,” says Braun. “Updating the OCP will help provide citizens, developers and the City with greater clarity about the future of Abbotsford as we continue to grow.”
Abbotsford boasts a high ratio of people who both live and work in the community, as well as a population that’s projected to remain relatively young while becoming more diverse.
“As a long-time resident, business owner and now as mayor, I am extremely proud of Abbotsford. I welcome everyone to visit our community and see for themselves all that we have to offer.”
In a recent study by CMHC (Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, the benefi ts Habitat for Hu-manity homeowners receive are:
• Homeowners pay no more than 30% of the family’s income. Th is ensures that they have the money to provide a proper diet and pay their utilities.
• Habitat homeowners are building equity with
every mortgage pay-ment due to Habitat’s no-interest home loan.
• 58% reported that they are better off fi nancially in all areas.
• Homebuyers’ com-ments highlighted their previous poor quality, unhealthy and crowded living conditions. Th e homebuyers also noted the positive impacts for their families of obtain-ing good quality hous-
ing. In addition, they commented on the im-portance of the security, stability and sense of control that comes with homeownership.
• Among the homebuyers surveyed, 39% report-ed that their previous housing was in need of major repairs — 36% noting overcrowding and 41% citing that their previous housing was too costly.
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Habitat for Humanity ReStore sells home improvement merchandise to the public at up to 75% off retail prices. We provide a source for home improvement donations by wholesalers, manufacturers, renovation specialists, demolition companies, retailers, individuals and others.
Businesses eliminate the costs of disposal of merchandise, surplus sales, storage and re-stocking fees by donating merchandise to Re-Store.
We off er tax receipts for donated goods and incorporate volunteers into the daily routine, making them a vital component of the operations.
Th e best part is ReStore sales generate much needed funds for all administration costs and provides money to help us build more homes and help more families.
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The rush that created the Village of AbbotsfordAbbotsford’s history was contoured by the
gold rush. In the mid-1800s, fortune-seeking European settlers arrived here
after gold was discovered along the banks of the Fraser River, just south of Yale.
The Sto:lo people were the area’s original inhabitants, whose traditional territory spanned the lower Fraser River, from Richmond to Yale.
By 1858, gold-rush fever had attracted nearly 30,000 new inhabitants, which included the early European pioneers and a contingent of miners who had migrated north from San Francisco.
That population boom would spur the development of towns in the Fraser Valley — including one dubbed the Village of Abbotsford. The new town would be situated on a 160-acre swath of land that was purchased in 1889 by John Cunningham Maclure, a former Royal Engineer who’d survey the area for Britain during the early days of the gold rush.
In a letter written with a dateline of 1924, Maclure explained to the Abbotsford Board of Trade how the name “Abbotsford” was decided upon.
It was combination of a pair of ideas: Partly an homage to a longtime friend of the Maclure family, Harry Braithwaite Abbott and partly a nod to the Scotland home of Sir Walter Scott — Abbotsford Castle.
While gold started the rush to Abbotsford, the logging and sawmill industry enabled the growth spurt to continue.
The Abbotsford Lumber Company, owned by the Trethewey family, was the new village’s first major industry, and it would have a significant influence on the burgeoning town – both in terms of its economic growth and ethnic diversity because it attracted workers from China, Japan, Europe and India.
Steamships off ered an early form of mass transit in the 1890s. Pictured here: Orange Lodge, local 1450, picnic aboard the river boat “Transfer” at Mt. Lehman landing. THE REACH P200
Communities amalgamateImmigrants from India’s Punjab province first
arrived in Abbotsford in the early 1900s and the first gurdwara (temple) was constructed in 1911 on South Fraser Way.
The temple was built with lumber donated by the Trethewey family – the largest employer of Sikhs in the city at that time.
Today, Abbotsford is one of the most ethnically diverse cities in Canada with one of the highest proportion of people of South Asian origin per capita of any city in Canada. It also has a significant Mennonite population, which dates back to the early 1920s when members of Christian Anabaptist denominations migrated to Abbotsford from the Prairies and Russia. The first Mennonite church was built in the 1930s using lumber from the dismantled mill at Mill Lake.
Abbotsford’s rich soil, mild climate and enviable water resources have made it one of Canada’s agricultural capitals.
That agricultural might was helped along in mid-1920s when the Sumas Lake drainage project was completed to reclaim more than 30,000 acres of fertile land on the Canadian side of the border.
But in 1948 disaster struck. Although a new dike system had been started to limit any potential threat posed by the mighty Fraser River, a major flood occurred with more than 200 square kilometres of territory being submerged during the height of the flood. More than 16,000 residents had to be evacuated and $20 million in damages were suffered during the flood.
To prevent a similar disaster, there are now over 300 kilometres of dikes between Agassiz and Delta to protect the surrounding cities.
Of course, Abbotsford’s historical narrative is also filled with a large cast of community-
minded leaders, none of them more influential than George Ferguson, who began his political career in 1969.
That year he was elected as an alderman for the District of Sumas. Ferguson would become of the longest-serving civic leaders in Canada, with his tenure as Abbotsford mayor spanning four decades (1972-2002 and 2005-08).
During his time as mayor, Ferguson went through a pair of amalgamations: In 1972, the Village of Abbotsford and the District of Sumas joined to form the District of Abbotsford.
Then in 1995, the neighbouring districts of Abbotsford and Matsqui amalgamated to form the City of Abbotsford.
David and Julie DePape, children of Mr. and Mrs. John DePape, examine the 1858 Gold Rush exhibition of the Centennial Caravan, with what appears to be a huge gold nugget suspended in a large pan. The Centennial Caravan told the story of British Columbia. THE REACH P21113
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ABBOTSFORD IN ACTION / November 2014 7
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Abundance of commercial space
In Abbotsford, the city had 258,728 square feet of commercial fl oor space under review at the end of the third quarter of 2014. It had already approved in principle 134,220 square feet of additional commercial fl oor space.
MCC project
The Mennonite Central Committee also undertook a major construction project on Gladys Avenue to consolidate all of its offi ces in the area. The MCC is amalgamating its two thrift shops into one larger store at the facility. The building will also include a home offi ce, local programs, Ten Thousand Villages, a cafe and more.A second building on the property features offi ce lease opportunities.
The Mark development on South Fraser Way is one of the latest major commercial projects in Abbotsford, featuring offi ce and retail space. JOHN MORROW PHOTO
Commercial growth changing with the times
City seeing more mixed-use developments
As Abbotsford continues to grow and welcome new residents, its commercial sector is also expanding
in ways that mirror trends across the Lower Mainland and all of North America.
Ten years from now, the population of the Abbotsford-Mission area is expected to grow past 200,000.
Those tens of thousands of new residents aren’t just living locally, but also shopping and working in the region.
Meanwhile, to Abbotsford’s east, Surrey is expected to overtake Vancouver as British Columbia’s most populated city. Those forces, along with an increased focus on density, will continue to change the face of Abbotsford.
“The market trend is more towards mixed-use developments, where you’ll see some opportunity for commercial on the first floor with residential above,” said city manager George Murray.
In Abbotsford, the city had 258,728 square feet of commercial floor space under review at the end of the third quarter of 2014. It had already approved in principle 134,220 square feet of additional commercial floor space.
The majority of under-review commercial floor space is in mixed-use developments in the university district and West Abbotsford, while much of the rest is in the East Townline area. Two-thirds of the space approved in principle is in Clearbrook Centre, with most
of the rest in West Abbotsford.
Many other projects have started to come online, including on Hillcrest Avenue.
Quantum Properties also anticipates breaking ground soon on its long-awaited 26-storey Mill Lake tower, which will feature commercial and retail spaces on its first three floors.
At the same time, Abbotsford has seen other, more-traditional commercial projects come online, grow, or begin construction over the past year.
Shape Properties’ 600,000-square-foot Highstreet project is now near capacity and
established, with tenants like Walmart, London Drugs, Marshalls and
Cineplex. The shopping complex opened in early 2013 and quickly
saw tenants begin to fill dozens of retail spaces. With an urban
design, the three-level project features main-street-style shopping, situated above covered parking.
The Whatcom Road area on Sumas Mountain has also seen more commercial development, as the area continues to grow. The area is expected
to continue to expand as the Vicarro Ranch housing
development, with a total combined potential density of
1,400 units, comes online.
And The Mark, an office and retail complex in the heart of South
Fraser Way’s commercial strip, with two buildings, each with three floors, is
under construction and expected to open in the spring of 2015.
The Mennonite Central Committee also undertook a major construction project on Gladys Avenue to consolidate all of its offices in the area.
The project is located on 8.5 acres of land
CONTINUED ON 9
“ The market trend is more towards mixed-use developments, where you’ll see some opportunity for commercial on the first floor with residential above.”
George Murray
ABBOTSFORD IN ACTION / November 2014 9
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next to the federal corrections facility that opened in 2012. The MCC will amalgamate its two thrift shops into one larger store at the facility. The building will also include a home office, local programs, Ten Thousand Villages, a cafe and more.
Tradex, a major trade and exhibition centre located at Abbotsford International Airport and boasting 120,000 square feet of floor space, draws a broad range of commercial and industrial shows and thousands of attendees each year. It is the second-largest facility of its kind in British Columbia.
Murray said the city’s location continues to be a main factor in its appeal for developers and the businesses looking to buy or rent space.
“We’re the hub of the FV,” he said. “We have the international airport, we have the university, we have the major hospital and cancer centre.”
There is also land that remains available, with areas along the Clearbrook and McCallum Road corridors suitable for growth and accessible both to locals and to the arterial Trans Canada Highway, which continues to bring shoppers from
around the region, and particularly from the east.
The city has also promoted the idea of a proposed University District in the area that includes the University of the Fraser Valley and the Abbotsford Entertainment and Sports Centre.
The city has also begun a review of its Official Community Plan, which serves as a master plan for land use, and overhauled its zoning bylaws, which Murray predicts will also spur growth.
“I think that’s going to open up all sorts of different opportunities in terms of residential, commercial and industrial development,” he said.
Last year, council passed its economic development action plan, which listed 10 initiatives to make the city even more business-friendly.
The approach seems to be working.
The Colliers 2014 Lower Mainland study noted that Abbotsford was the second least expensive place in the region to acquire land, and design and build a benchmark facility.
FROM 8
10 ABBOTSFORD IN ACTION / November 2014
“ I think the more compact your community, the more we can serve you better and provide things like transit...”
George Murray
Densification isan important focus
With approximately three-quarters of the city’s territory protected by the Agricultural Land Reserve and much of the remainder either already built upon or mountainous terrain, densifi cation is becoming a key strategy for increasing the amount of housing available in the city.
Residential projects refl ecting city growth
The city has 425 townhouse units under review and approved in principle. Forty per cent of the under-review units are in West Abbotsford, 34 per cent are in the Whatcom area, and 19 per cent are in the Old Clayburn area. Of those approved in principle 36 per cent are in Old Clayburn, 33 per cent are near Mill Lake, and 22 per cent are in the McMillan area.
The Hudson’s Loft project on Gladwin Road is the fi rst phase of a $250-million mixed-use development. JOHN MORROW PHOTO
Developers building up, rather than out
As land base shrinks, builders explore new strategies
Abbotsford might boast the largest land area of any city in British Columbia, but it can still be tough to
find a place to build.
With about three-quarters of the city’s territory protected by the Agricultural Land Reserve and much of the rest either already built upon or mountainous terrain, densification is becoming a key strategy when it comes to increasing the amount of housing available in the city.
“We’ve seen a lot of types of projects that you see in Vancouver, where the lot lines are tighter, where there’s not such a large footprint of land,” said city manager George Murray.
He said developers and residents are building carriage homes, which are secondary residential units away from the main home. Often the units are built over garages. While such homes have sparked debate in some communities, they’ve been embraced in Abbotsford, with the Auguston development on Sumas Mountain marketing them to customers.
Elsewhere, Abbotsford continues to see multi-family developments, including condominium projects and townhouses. Mahogany at Mill Lake, a 26-storey residential/commercial complex is still in the marketing phase. When completed, the tower will be the tallest structure in the city.
Construction is also underway on the Hudson’s Loft project on Gladwin Road. The buildings are the first phase of the $250-million mixed-use development and sold out in two and a half hours. The
six-storey buildings will house 67 units with a combined value of $18 million. The entire project is designed to augment the downtown core in Abbotsford with upscale shops, fresh-food markets and restaurants.
Other residential developments are also underway.
The city has 425 townhouse units under review and approved in principle. Forty per cent of the under-review units are in West Abbotsford, 34 per cent are in the
Whatcom area, and 19 per cent are in the Old Clayburn area.
Of those approved in principle 36 per cent are in Old Clayburn, 33 per cent are near Mill Lake, and 22 per cent are in the McMillan area.
A total of 568 apartment units are under review or approved in principle, Of those
under review, 72 per cent are in mixed use developments in the university
district and West Abbotsford.
Of those approved in principle, 61 per cent are in the
Clearbrook area.
The city also has 347 single-family lots under review and approved in principle, with 95 per cent of the lots within the city’s urban development boundary.
“We’ve seen a certain amount of development in the McCallum corridor
as well as the central core,” Murray said. “We’ve
seen a number of multi-family developments on
James Street, on Gladwin, on Marshall.”
A denser city is no longer seen as just a way to increase Abbotsford’s
population as its available land base shrinks.
Instead, developers, and especially residents, are increasingly seeking out homes in areas close to amenities. And a denser city also enable planners to provide more services.
“I think the more compact your community,
CONTINUED ON 11
ABBOTSFORD IN ACTION / November 2014 11
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Commuting distances are becoming shorter, as more people are now travelling to Surrey and Langley to work instead of Vancouver, which was the standard of previous decades. ALEX BUTLER PHOTO
Economic centre moving toward Abbythe more we can serve you better and provide things like transit and some of the look and feel people like when they visit other communities,” said Murray.
According to figures from the Fraser Valley Real Estate Board, the benchmark price for the average detached home in Abbotsford, as of September 2013, was $446,600. That compares to $583,000 in Surrey, $574,800 in Langley and $599,700 in Cloverdale.
Bargains can still be found in the townhouse market, with a benchmark price of $219,900 and the apartment market, with a benchmark of $143,600, the lowest in the FVREB area.
Abbotsford also saw an innovative new project open its doors this year to provide affordable housing for seniors.
In April, the Lynnhaven Society officially opened its Braun Avenue building, which features “micro-suites.”
The project consists of two four-storey wood-frame buildings – called McCargar and McMath – with 32 studio units each. Each suite is about 280 square feet and comes furnished. The project replaces a former development on Lynn Avenue which was built in the 1950s to supply housing for veterans.
And while density is the name of the game in town, Sumas Mountain continues
to be an attractive location for residential developers.
Earlier this year, council approved the Vicarro Ranch project, which would see the construction of about 1,400 residential units over 383 acres in the McKee Peak Mountain and Eagle Mountain Area. The project would be the largest development in over a decade, with 580 single-family homes, 120 duplexes, 260 townhouses and 260 apartment units planned.
And a proposal to build up to 555 townhouses on another Sumas Mountain property is currently before council.
Such developments wouldn’t be occurring if there were not a market for them.
Murray says Abbotsford’s location at the heart of the Fraser Valley, along with its strong industrial base, continues to entice people to the region. And as Surrey outpaces Vancouver, the Lower Mainland’s economic centre will only drift further towards Abbotsford.
“Abbotsford has actually got a significant number of people who work and live in the region or who are commuting for shorter and shorter distances,” Murray said. “People are now commuting not to Vancouver from Abbotsford but to Surrey or Langley. The commuting distance is shorter and there’s more and more people who are living and working in our community.”
FROM 10
12 ABBOTSFORD IN ACTION / November 2014
“ We are very close to the gateway to the Interior of the province so we’re in that beautiful hub.”
George Murray
Land available for industrial development
The City of Abbotsford has more than 1,700 acres of industrial land ready for development in seven main locations. Most of those include prime access to a nearby highway. The city currently has 150,405 square feet of industrial fl oor space under review, and 277,285 square feet approved in principle.
Airport asset
In Abbotsford International Airport, the city boasts an asset that few other communities in Canada possess. That has allowed it to create a business hub that employs more than 1,500 workers.
Well connected
Abbbotsford has a key border crossing into the United States, and is an hour’s drive from one of North America’s largest ports.
Cascade Aerospace employs more than 650 workers at its aircraft maintenance facility at Abbotsford Airport. JOHN MORROW PHOTO
Industry well-positioned for decades of growth
Location and people key for employers
There are a wealth of reasons why Abbotsford has become one of British Columbia’s industrial hubs.
Not only is Abbotsford the fifth-largest city in B.C., but its location and transportation options make it appealing to industries that need to be able to buy and sell with partners in our increasingly globalized world.
The city is home to an international airport with connections throughout North America, shares Canada’s border with the United States, and is an hour’s drive from one of North America’s largest ports. But it also is well-connected to the interior of British Columbia with the Trans-Canada Highway providing an open corridor to natural resource industries that help drive the Canadian economy.
“We are very close to the gateway to the Interior of the province so we’re in that beautiful hub,” said city manager George Murray. “We’re close to everything and in the centre of everything.”
But location is just one element that brings business to Abbotsford.
“The price of land is still very reasonable,” Murray said. “The cost of development is still very reasonable and we also have an extremely well-qualified group of professionals and trades who work in commercial, residential and industrial development.”
In Abbotsford International Airport, the city boasts an asset that few other communities in Canada possess. That has allowed it to create a business hub that employs more than 1,500 workers.
Abbotsford’s largest private-sector employer is Cascade Aerospace, which
employs more than 650 workers at its YXX aircraft maintenance facility. In 2012, Cascade became one of two Lockheed-Martin authorized C-130 Heavy Maintenance Centres in the world.
In August, Marshall Aerospace bought a 4,000-square-foot-plus building at YXX that will become the company’s Canadian head office for its air, land and sea engineering and maintenance services.
“That’s one of those aerospace companies
that’s international and we’re really happy to have them,” Murray said.
The airport also boasts businesses like Chinook Helicopters, which has offered flight training at the airport for more than 30 years. One quarter of Canada’s certifications in helicopter training come out of Abbotsford.
“There’s a lot of activity going on in terms of not only businesses but people
who support the aviation industry,” Murray said.
Beyond the airport, Abbotsford boasts several
other large employers and the city is working to expand its industrial base.
The city has more than 1,700 acres of industrial land ready for development in seven main locations. Most of those include prime access to a nearby highway.
The city currently has 150,405 square feet of
industrial floor space under review, and 277,285 square feet
approved in principle. All of the under-review developments are
located north of the airport, while 95 per cent of the industrial space approved
in principle is either in the same area, or in the Sumas Way corridor.
Last year, the city forwarded an application for a 225-acre industrial park to the Agricultural Land Commission (ALC) for review. The proposal remains in front of the ALC, but proponents projected that if approved, the plan could create 5,000 full-time permanent jobs.
CONTINUED ON 14
ABBOTSFORD IN ACTION / November 2014 13
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Historic Trethewey House on Mill Lake in Abbotsford is home to the MSA Museum. The museum’s archives include local history documents and an extensive reference library. The Museum offers a wide array of programs such as guided tours of the house, period gardens, Mill Lake, and educational presentations, both on-site and in the classroom.
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ANNUAL EVENTS• Wine Festival• Christmas Market• Mill Lake Cruise-In• Halloween Haunted House• Fraser Valley Regional Heritage Fair
O T H E R S . . . O U R C A L L I N G , O U R M O T I V A T I O N , O U R C O M M I T M E N T
Part of every vibrant, healthy community is a commitment to ensuring every individual’s needs are met. The Salvation Army offers advocacy and support through a wide range of vital services and programs to our community.
For more information about these services, to donate, or to learn about our many volunteer opportunities, please call 604.852.9305.
www.careandshare.ca
Like us on Facebook at The Salvation Army Centre of Hope Abbotsford.
Follow us on Twitter @AbbySallyAnn
TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
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Call Butch about your vehicle needs today. Call Butch about your vehicle needs today
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Butchs Brake & Muffl er Ltd. is family owned and operated. Butchs opened in Surrey in November of 1994 and opened their second location in Abbotsford in April of 2009.
Being residents of Abbotsford they thought it would be a wonderful opportunity to show the Abbotsford community that the business of repairing their vehicles didn’t have to be a stressful experience. When customers are armed with the knowledge they need to make an informed decision about their repair, the stress disappears!
Butchs often supports local churches, agencies and associations that have members requiring help to get their broken vehicles back on the road, allowing them to get their life back
to normal. Butchs is greatful to have been making these friends in the community.
Butchs Mechanics are regularly sent for training courses and have some of the most highly trained professionals in the Lower Mainland. From Diagnostic technicians to oil change technicians, all of their staff are trained to the highest standards.
Referrals are always appreciated and are a large part of our success. Thank you to all our customers that have sent a friend or family member to see us.
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Wide range of employersOther large industrial employers include
Dynamic Windows & Doors, which is North America’s largest manufacturer of custom wood windows and doors and Vedder Transportation Group, which specializes in food transportation.
Unsurprisingly for an agriculture hub like Abbotsford, food production is also big business, with Sunwest Food Processors and
Lilydale ranking among the city’s biggest private employers.
The city also has natural resources that attract industry, with some of the largest sand and gravel deposits in the region. Sumas Mountain is the site of some of the largest quarries in the region. That business has attracted companies that generate tens of millions of dollars each year, along with spin-off jobs including mechanics and fuel sales.
The gravel and quarrying industry provides jobs for hundreds of workers and truckers in the area, along with spin-off business such as mechanical maintenance and fuel sales. FILE PHOTO
FROM 12
ABBOTSFORD IN ACTION / November 2014 15
British Columbia
Relief, Development and Peace in the name of Christ
Relief – MCC is concrete and hands on. MCC addresses basic human needs such as water, food, and shelter in times of disaster. Over-seas, much of this work is done through local churches and groups that are rooted in the local community and have a good sense of whatʼs needed.Here at home, it includes volunteering at our Material Resources Centre, making a blanket or assembling the contents of a kit for people in need.
Development – MCC helps people help themselves. A success story for us is when a community no longer needs us. Over theyears MCC has learned that there is not one, simple solution. Issues like poverty, oppression, injustice and climate change must be addressed.Weʼve learned that relationships matter and so we work with partner organizations and the church, building bridges that connect people andideas across cultural, political and economic divides. Here at home, that includes serving people with HIV/AIDS, building relationships with ouraboriginal neighbours, addressing issues surrounding homelessness and poverty and more.
Peace - MCC values justice and peace. MCC is committed to Christʼs call to non-violent peacemaking. This includes loving thosewho might be considered the enemy. MCC works with local churches and community groups to enable them to better respond to the needswithin their own communities. Whether overseas or here at home, we consider all of what we do to be peace-building work – feeding the hungry,enabling a child to go to school, supporting people in abusive relationships or exploring what it means to be a people of peace.
You can help change lives!Find ways to give at:
mccbc.caor call 604-850-6639
toll free 1-888-622-6337
We’ve moved!Come visit the new MCC Centreat 33933 Gladys Avenue. OurThrift Shop, Common PlaceCafé, and Ten Thousand Villagesstore are open for business!
Agriculture is one of the key economic engines in Abbotsford, involving dairy, poultry, berries and field crops. JOHN MORROW PHOTO
Past and present, agriculture drives Abbotsford’s economy
City has built a foundation on agriculture of all forms
Before the establishment of Abbotsford and into its present, this community continues to be driven forward by its
focus on agriculture and is recognized as the most productive farm community in all of Canada.
The Fraser Valley is known as the bread basket of B.C., and this city is the epicentre of production.
The Valley produces more than 70 per cent of B.C.’s dairy products, berries, vegetables, poultry, eggs, pork, mushrooms, floriculture and nursery products.
The basis of Abbotsford’s productivity is its fertile soil found on Matsqui Prairie in the historic Fraser River flood plain, and Sumas Prairie – which was mostly a lake bottom before Sumas Lake was drained in 1924 to create more farmland.
Modern producers continue to work hard to build on and preserve the city’s agricultural foundation while developing new ways to keep Abbotsford as the most productive farm community in the country.
A 2008 study by the Abbotsford Chamber of Commerce pegged the earnings at $7,410 per acre. It found that farming supports more than 11,000 jobs, and generates $1.8 billion in annual economic activity.
One in four private sector jobs in the city relies on agriculture.
Mayor Henry Braun said the value and
impact agriculture has on Abbotsford’s local economy cannot be overstated.
“I look at agriculture as a renewable resource of the land vital to our ongoing economic sustainability. We need to maintain our strong agriculture base, in part by protecting our agriculture lands, so that future generations can receive and enjoy the same benefits we have.”
Proximity to such agricultural resources has developed Abbotsford into a hub for B.C. agriculture’s office jobs. There are 25 different producer associations, which
concern themselves with the promotion and marketing of these food products, located in Abbotsford.
The provincial government also houses a Ministry of Agriculture office in the community, which employs more of this sector’s experts.
BerriesA drive through Abbotsford’s beautiful
farmland makes evident the dramatic rise in blueberry crops. Consumer demand has spiked after researchers found they have
anti-cancer, anti-aging and heart-health properties. There are now 25,000 acres of blueberry plants in the Fraser Valley. The B.C. Blueberry Council predicts B.C. will have produced about 150 million pounds in 2014, an estimated 40 per cent of that is grown in Abbotsford – with a local farm gate value of about $91 million.
The Fraser Valley once produced more than 40 million pounds of raspberries – most of it from Abbotsford. However, that is slowly being replaced by more lucrative blueberry production, and has been reduced to about 25 million pounds – 20 million from Abbotsford.
PoultrySome of Abbotsford most important
agricultural endeavors don’t begin in the ground – they are found in barns and hatcheries stretched along Sumas and Matsqui prairies.
Abbotsford’s poultry industry which supplies one-third of the province’s poultry business and chicken, turkey and egg production generate about a quarter billion dollars every year.
According to government statistics, the Fraser Valley provides 87 per cent of the province’s broilers (chicken meat), 98 per cent of the turkeys, 100 per cent of the broiler breeders (hatching eggs) and 79 per
CONTINUED ON 16
16 ABBOTSFORD IN ACTION / November 2014
Greenhouses provide approximately 700,000 square metres of growing space in Abbotsford, which represents about 13 per cent of the province’s total greenhouses. JOHN MORROW PHOTO
Mild climate supports a rich variety of crops
cent of the eggs – and about half of that is coming straight out of Abbotsford.
This is due in part to Abbotsford’s central location and the producers’ close proximity to local processing plants and markets.
The city is home to hatcheries and supply businesses and companies that provide services such as hauling and cleaning. The net result is the poultry business makes up more than 40 per cent of the agricultural job market.
Dairy production Dairy is not just important
component of many people’s diet, its a key economic generator in Abbotsford’s agricultural production.
There are 96 dairy producers in Abbotsford, who ship approximately 145 million litres of milk per year – about 21 per cent of the province’s production. They are part of a strong Fraser Valley milk business. The province as a whole has about 70,000 cows that produce almost 700 million litres of milk, and the Fraser Valley produces approximately 76 per cent of that.
On the growAbbotsford, which enjoys a mild
climate by Canadian standards, gives farmers an opportunity to grow a rich variety of field crops. There are significant quantities of broccoli, brussels sprouts and cauliflower. Heppell’s Potato Corp. plants 650 acres of potatoes on Sumas Prairie. Almost half of the province’s mushroom crop is grown in Abbotsford, with 106,000 square metres in production here.
There has also been a recent boom in the greenhouse industry, producing cucumbers and peppers. Greenhouses offer about 700,000 square metres of growing space in Abbotsford, which represents about 13 per cent of B.C.’s greenhouses.
Few crops in Abbotsford share the eye-catching beauty of its famous daffodil drops.
The Bradner area has a rich heritage in the bulb-growing industry. Abbotsford’s daffodils alone are estimated at being worth $3.5 million per year, and the total bulb industry a blooming $6.5 million.
Poultry and livestock have to eat, and the feed business in Abbotsford is worth between $250 and $350 million per year, led by Ritchie Smith Feeds, the largest local supplier.
FROM 15
ABBOTSFORD IN ACTION / November 2014 17
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The Fraser Valley Auto Mall Dealers are your best source for analyzing the performance and drivability to keep
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18 ABBOTSFORD IN ACTION / November 2014
Now in our 47th year of business serving the Fraser Valley, Unger’s offers a great selection of major home appliances and home furnishings that meet all budgets and needs. Customer custom orders are always welcome, as we offer a great selection of locally built living room, dining room and bedroom furniture available in a large selection of fabrics and finishes.
With a number of people downsizing and moving into condos and senior housing, we offer smaller sofas and chairs to meet all your needs. Drop by and check out our showroom located on 2 floors across from London Drugs on South Fraser Way in Abbotsford.
We also carry Whirlpool and Danby Major Home Appliances.
32661 South Fraser Way32661 South Fraser WayAbbotsford, BCAbbotsford, BC
You see our fl eet of courtesy vehicles on the road every day and we are here when you need us the most! We offer you the choice of two locations while providing you with the peace-of-mind FIX AUTO NETWORK GUARANTEE!
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While being a vibrant, busy city, Abbotsford has many parks and green spaces that allow its residents to relax, including Mill Lake Park in the centre of the community. See the city’s website at abbotsford.ca for a list of recreational opportunities and facilities. JOHN MORROW PHOTO
ABBOTSFORD IN ACTION / November 2014 19
Building a sustainable, vibrant and prosperous community
planning, logistics, financing and services, and quality of life.”
In the coming year, Wendy hopes to develop a small business support team in the City, launch an economic development brand, develop a formal business retention and expansion program, complete an international attraction strategy and launch a highly innovative, interactive website.
“We plan to use all of the tools at our disposal”, she notes, siting targeted videos, infographics, dedicated websites, and sector specific information packages as some of the key assets needed for a successful economic development attraction strategy. “With so much to offer, Abbotsford is just beginning to realize its full potential.”
Wendy Dupley has over 25 years’ experience in the public, private, and international sectors, and was previously the Executive Director of the Economic Development Alliance of Southeast Alberta. She has also held a position with the Government of Alberta as the Executive Director of Labour Attraction for the Ministry of Employment and Immigration. Wendy’s international experience is also vast; having been the Regional
Abbotsford is one of the best cities in the world, and as Mayor, I intend to help make it even better.
As an Abbotsford resident of 60 years, a City Councillor for three years, the former CEO of Canada’s largest privately held railway and transit construction company, and now as your Mayor, I not only understand the issues that face our city but I deeply care about the long-term health of our community.
Building a Better City
Contained in this insert is some excellent information on where Abbotsford is today, and some of the exciting undertakings that we are currently focused on.
Over the next four years, I will remain focused on ensuring that Abbotsford continues to grow and thrive for generations to come, and I’d love to hear your ideas for making Abbotsford an even better place to live, work, learn, and play.
I am committed to:
1. Forward thinking2. Fiscal responsibility3. Government transparency and
accountability4. Community safety
I look forward to working with Council and with the people of this great City in ensuring that Abbotsford continues to grow and prosper in a positive responsible way.
Regards,Mayor, Henry Braun
Wendy Dupley joined the City of Abbotsford as Economic Development Director in September 2014.
In her role as Economic Development Director with the City of Abbotsford, Wendy works with local businesses to help them grow and thrive; she also works to connect potential clients who are interested in investing in Abbotsford with the qualified professionals, with specific site selection information and the resources that they need to be successful.
“Investment Attraction is a strategy that focuses on bringing in new business investment to a community or region”, says Dupley. “It involves targeted, responsive, well-researched and planned approaches to attract companies and inform them about niche opportunities. In order to be successful, we need to be able to provide up-to-date information on key criteria such as labour, real estate, land availability, infrastructure and
Meet the City’s Economic Development DirectorWendy Dupley
Executive Manager in the Department of Immigration and Citizenship for the Australian Government located in Washington DC, working throughout the Americas region. She has also held various management and leadership roles in the United Kingdom private sector. Wendy was recently nominated to the Economic Development Association of Canada’s Board of Directors.
ABBOTSFORD: A GREAT place to live!
• 157 parks with 2,585 acres of green space
• 6,420 business licences issued in 2013
• 98 kilometres of trails
• building permit value of $208,878,798 in 2013
• 22 land development applications received
• 23 community parks with playgrounds and 71 neighbourhood parks
ABBOTSFORD IN ACTION / November 2014 21
Business Retention and Expansion is a program that works to provide assistance and improve the competitiveness of local businesses by identifying and addressing their specific needs and challenges, while building on business development opportunities. This community-based strategy focuses on supporting businesses that already exist in the community. By using multiple channels of two-way communication, the intent is to identify issues, concerns and potential opportunities. The information that is shared during this process remains confidential. The program is essential since
Business Retention and Expansionbusinesses that remain competitive are more likely to remain and expand in the community. Statically, 75% of business growth within Canada comes from existing businesses expanding.
What does this look like?
• Have regular contact with the business community through networking and one-on-one on site visitation
• Facilitate introductions, connections and business linkages
• Work with key partners and across all levels of government to align objectives and goals, and to gather information on other current initiatives
Short-term Objectives
• Develop closer relationships with existing businesses
• Demonstrate and provide a community support system for local business
• Address urgent business concerns and issues
• Equip businesses with the information and tools they need to meet the demands of a dynamic business environment
Economic Development: What is it all about?
Economic Development is a term most people have heard of, but many never really understand what it truly is. The City’s Economic Development Department supports successful local business growth while attracting new investments to the community. The Department’s current Action Plan focuses on key strategic sectors, including agriculture, aviation/aerospace, and manufacturing. In order to continue to stimulate economic growth, the Economic Development Department provides a variety of services to not only existing businesses, but also potential businesses looking to come to Abbotsford.
Some of the resources currently available for both existing and potential businesses include one-on-one mentoring, connection to funding, industry-specific reports and research, and other cross-government resources that are available to support economic growth. By providing information, advice and facilitating and connecting businesses with potential opportunities, industry leaders and funding partners, the City’s department will provide support for successful business growth within the community.
Looking to the future, there are two organizational models for municipal economic development functions; one model resides within city departments such as Maple Ridge and Coquitlam, the other model resides outside of City Hall (a stand-alone economic development corporation) such as Chilliwack, Pitt Meadows and Nanaimo. Abbotsford City Council has not yet had the opportunity to consider either option. The Economic Development Department is currently exploring the feasibility of an Economic Development Corporation for City Council’s consideration. The mechanisms behind the economic development function in addressing business retention and expansion and investment attraction marketing initiatives to promote job growth and diversification of the tax base, will not change regardless of the organizational model that is selected.
• Improve communication across the community and local businesses to identify synergistic opportunities for growth
Long-term Objectives
• Increase the competitiveness of local business
• Support job creation and new business investment and development
• Establish and implement strategic actions for local development
• Strong viable sustainable local economy
OpportunitiesBC is an online searchable database of business and project opportunities throughout British Columbia that are suitable for investment.
At no cost, businesses can submit opportunity profiles to the database where they will be featured on British Columbia’s official Trade and Investment websites and picked up by key provincial representatives, including those in B.C.’s trade and investment offices across the globe, who will work with their network of stakeholders to help make business matches.
The Economic Development Department at the City of Abbotsford will soon be set up with administrative access to OpportunitiesBC which will allow us to monitor and promote the types of opportunities available in our community. Contact the City’s Economic Development Department for more information and for assistance in getting your opportunity onto the database.
Existing Programs that Support Business: OpportunitiesBC
22 ABBOTSFORD IN ACTION / November 2014
based on information from the Background Research Report.
How to be involvedIn Stage 2 Abbotsforward will talk about the Background Research Report observations and new ideas with residents. Abbotsforward will be out in the community and at events in early 2015, and will also be starting other engagement activities that will give you a chance to have your say about the Abbotsford of the future!
Why it’s importantAbbotsforward is an initiative to update one of our City’s most important tools – one that influences the way our community grows and develops. That tool is the Official Community Plan. In short, the OCP sorts out where people will live, work, shop and play in the city.
Where we are in the processStage 1 was completed in November 2014 when the Background Research Report was presented to Council. Stage 2 begins with a discussion of the observations made about Abbotsford
65% of our citizens
LIVE +
WORK in Abbotsford
or
+
23%
7%
24%
32%14%
2.8averagehousehold
size
46, 455households
Household Size
motor vehicle(driver)
public transit walk
85%
bikemotor vehicle(passenger)
8% 2% 3% 1%
Modes of Travel to Work
Abbotsforward: The City’s Official Community Plan update
Wills and CodicilsProbating EstatesPower of AttorneysDisability Trusts
Representation AgreementsCohabitation Agreements
Business SuccessionsNotarizations and more...
Daniel Grice • Joshua Bach • Clayton Loewen
No Will? Old Will? Contact Us
101-2776 Bourquin Crescent W., Abbotsford integralaw.ca | 604.859.7187
a small firm with great service
Abbotsford is at a bit of a crossroads right now. The key . . . is providing choice for how to get around.
Mike Smith
Auto dominance
In the last traffic study – conducted in 2011 before the widening of Highway 1 – more than 70,000 cars travel daily on the Trans-Canada Highway east to Langley, 51,000 enter and leave Abbotsford into Chilliwack, and another 42,000 cross the Mission bridge.
Tens of thousands of vehicles travel on the major highways through Abbotsford, with widening in the near future identifi ed as a priority project. FILE PHOTO
Abbotsford at a crossroadsTransportation assets give city an edge
A growing and changing city demands a vibrant and evolving transportation system.
Fortunately, Abbotsford already has assets that set it apart from other cities in Canada.
With one border crossing (and another nearby in Aldergrove), a bustling international airport, and two major highways including the Trans-Canada Highway flowing through its heart, the city could hardly be more connected to the rest of B.C., Canada and the world.
Abbotsford’s location is also ideal.
“We’re at the crossroads of the Fraser Valley,” said Chamber of Commerce executive director Allan Asaph. “With the growth of business in the Fraser Valley, the transportation of both people and goods is of vital importance.”
Abbotsford’s transportation system needs to grow, according to both Asaph and Mayor Henry Braun, a former railway executive. But improving a system which must accommodate the needs of industries and workers, seniors and schoolchildren, apartment-dwellers and farmers is easier said than done.
According to the last traffic study – conducted in 2011 before the widening of Highway 1 – more than 70,000 cars travel daily on the Trans-Canada Highway east to Langley, 51,000 enter and leave Abbotsford into Chilliwack, and another 42,000 cross the Mission bridge.
The city and the Chamber of Commerce have both called for the widening of Highway
1 and Fraser Highway, new overpasses spanning rail lines, and improvements to Mt. Lehman Road to Abbotsford International Airport (YXX). The chamber has also called for the upgrading of 16th Avenue from the airport to Highway 99.
Major stakeholders are also examining their own transportation strategies. The University of the Fraser Valley is creating its own strategic transit plan to improve the way students get to class, said Mike Smith, a geography instructor at the school who’s taking part in the initiative.
Smith said the hope is that changing students’ commuting behaviour will create a more vibrant university culture.
“We see a lot of low-hanging fruit in terms of how we can improve,” he said.
And he hopes the university can provide a model that the city can learn from.
“Abbotsford is at a bit of a crossroads right now,” he said. “The key … is providing choice for how to get around.”
Smith said it’s important for cities to consider how transportation decisions affect communities at their core.
“Transportation and the movement of goods is big for our region, but there are consequences,” he said.
As the city’s newly elected mayor, Braun is also looking at the big picture.
Abbotsford has long been known as a city built around the car.
But Braun has said Abbotsford needs to densify in order to allow mass transit
options to become more viable.
The Abbotsford-Mission transit system had a total ridership of 2.4 million in 2013, at a total cost of $12.26 million. Braun would like to see BC Transit run smaller buses more often in Abbotsford to give residents more reason to leave their cars at home.
Two railways run through the city, including the Southern Railway of BC, which operates tracks that cut through downtown. That line has seen increased traffic over the past year, and that has attracted more attention.
“That has implications for us … because we only have two overpasses that connect east and west Abbotsford,” Braun said.
At the same time, the railway provides a way for companies to efficiently get their goods to market while at the same time avoiding – and not adding to – traffic on the Lower Mainland’s ever-busier roads and highways.
“The movement of goods is an important aspect of our economy and we need to pay attention to it,” Braun said. “It affects our economy, it has financial implications in ways we don’t fully understand.”
Meanwhile, at YXX, which accommodates nearly half a million passengers and sees 100,000 aircraft movements each year, reduced fees for carriers like WestJet have led to more flights.
“The airport is probably our biggest diamond in the rough,” Braun said. “It’s incredible. We have … assets that other jurisdictions don’t have.”
24 ABBOTSFORD IN ACTION / November 2014
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community and together we will be “Helping Kids Shine”.
HHELPING KIDS SHINE
Developmental needs and disabili es come in many forms. They are visible, they are
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Developmental needs and disabilities come in many forms. They are visible, they are invisible, they cross all ethnicities. They can be overwhelming for children who live with them. We walk beside these families on their journey, so they know they are not alone.
We care for a child’s growth and development, providing services that are community-based, accessible, inclusive and responsive to the needs of children at all stages of their development.
Your gift will support the young children, youth and their families in our community! Together we are “Helping Kids Shine”.
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FOR MORE INFORMATION:www.meischools.com4081 Clearbrook RoadAbbotsford, BCV4X 2M8604-859-3700
Abbotsford’s rail lines connect the city and its businesses to the trans-continental rail system and consumers and businesses across North America. ALEX BUTLER PHOTO
Rail connects businesses and communitiesIncreased use of local tracks by major railway companies
The rail tracks that run through Abbotsford connect the city and its businesses with points east, west, north and south on
lines operated by Canadian National Railway (CN), Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) and the Southern Railway of BC (SRY).
SRY tracks run from Langley in the east, through Abbotsford and its downtown, to the Sumas border crossing and to Chilliwack. CP operates a branch line between Mission and the Sumas border crossing. And the CN main line runs for 21 kilometres through Abbotsford, carrying westbound trains that emerge from the northern edge of Sumas Mountain across the Matsqui Prairie, and then again along the Fraser into Langley.
Between two and four trains make their
way on the CP line each day, according to the company. The line serves several local businesses.
While CN’s track mainly carries long trains at relatively high speeds, SRY has 40 km of track through Abbotsford that serves as the final link between the continental carriers like CP and CN, and local industries in the Fraser Valley, including Abbotsford. It also boasts around 11 km of additional tracks including sidings, spurs and a classification yard in Huntingdon.
“We are what is considered the first mile and the last mile of the transcontinental railway,” Biln said. “There’s no point in North American that can’t be reached by rail.”
SRY serves the region, and is an important
transportation supplier to Fraser Valley grain, feed and chemical operations. Its major grain customers in Abbotsford, including Ritchie-Smith Feeds, Excel Feeds, Parrish & Heimbecker, Clearbrook Grain & Milling and Univar Canada, receive around 3,800 carloads of grain and other agriculture products every year and collectively employ 175 people.
The company has 20 employees who work in Abbotsford, and spent $920,901 on goods and services in the city last year.
Over the past year, SRY has been contracted by American carrier BNSF to haul empty coal trains southeast through Abbotsford to the Sumas border crossing.
Biln said the railway will continue to take
contracts and that it acknowledges that it must work closely with the communities it operates in to minimize conflicts.
There have also been occasional calls for an “interurban” passenger rail link between Chilliwack and Abbotsford to Metro Vancouver’s TransLink system.
The plan calls for the use of SRY’s track. Biln said such passenger lines usually require a subsidy, but that the company is open to all ideas.
“Passenger operations are always a challenge because there’s a significant cost to it,” he said. “If there was a viable operation, we’d certainly look at it.”
ABBOTSFORD IN ACTION / November 2014 25
ATTRACTING PATRONS FROM THROUGHOUT THE FRASER VALLEY, Historic Downtown Abbotsford is a pedestrian-friendly people place offering free parking. A thriving neighbourhood alive with unique and eclectic shops: vintage, sporting goods, arts, gifts and clothing.
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Truck transportation is a billion-dollar industry in British Columbia, with trucking companies annually generating more than $2 billion in revenue. JOHN MORROW PHOTO
Trucking an important driver of local economyAbbotsford’s Vedder Transportation Group among
the largest of B.C.’s 23,000 registered trucking companies
Trucking is an integral part of the economy of Abbotsford.
Goods need to be transported from farms and a variety of other industries and manufacturers to the market — and trucks are a primary mode of shipping everything from blueberries to dairy products.
Overall, truck transportation is a big driver of the British Columbia economy, with trucking companies annually generating more than $2 billion in revenue.
There are approximately 23,000 registered
trucking companies in B.C. and Abbotsford-based Vedder Transportation Group is among the largest.
The family-owned-and-operated business started in 1956 with one truck and today it runs a pair of trucking companies – Vedder Transport Ltd. and Can-Am West Carriers Inc. — that provide freight service across Canada and the United States.
Vedder’s diverse fleet includes 300 tractors and more than 800 semi-trailers, that deliver everything from raw milk to spirits.
As well as being an industry leader in freight-moving technology and equipment, Vedder is also a leader in reducing transportation-related emissions. The company is in the process of switching its fleet over to Liquiduified Natural Gas (LNG) engines that reduce fuel emissions and lessen the carbon footprint — something that earned the company an Abbotsford Environmental Leadership Award in 2012.
But they aren’t the only trucking company that calls Abbotsford home.
From 1997 to 2006 the B.C. industry grew
by 42 per cent and in 2013 ICBC reported that there were approximately 15,200 actively insured commercial vehicles (over 5,500 kg GVW) here in Abbotsford.
Across the province, the industry employs approximately 30,000 people annually and in 2010 trucking accounted for nearly 58 per cent of the value of trade with the U.S. in 2010 ($292 billion). In 2011, the Lower Mainland’s three commercial border crossings saw a steady stream of commercial trucks, registering 522,095 trips into the U.S. and 497,645 trips into Canada.
26 ABBOTSFORD IN ACTION / November 2014
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Despite efforts to give commuters and travellers other options, Abbotsford remains a city where the car remains the dominant means of
transportation.
Indeed, despite efforts to increase density, the number of vehicles on Abbotsford’s roads has increased steadily.
According to the most recent Fraser Valley Regional District’s regional trip diary survey, conducted in 2011, the number of daily trips by cars had increased substantially over the previous three years, while the number of trips conducted either by transit, bicycle or on foot had all decreased.
Four of every five trips within Abbotsford are by car, the report found. And vehicles are also used to reach neighbouring communities, where 38 per cent of Abbotsford residents work. In a 2011 traffic study – conducted before the completion of Highway 1 improvements – more than 70,000 cars travel on the Trans-Canada Highway east to Langley, 51,000 enter and leave the city via Highway 1 to Chilliwack, and another 42,000 cross the Mission Bridge every day.
The most recent Vital Signs report also suggests that 73.2 per cent of people get to work as the single occupant of their vehicles.
With more traffic on the roads, Mayor Henry Braun says he would like to see Fraser Highway and Highway 1 widened through Abbotsford.
This year the city submitted both projects to the provincial government for consideration in its 10-year transportation plan.
The new Port Mann Bridge and the widening of Highway 1 through Surrey and Langley have drastically
decreased the time it takes to drive into Vancouver.
“Folks who live in Abbotsford are now 45 minutes to an hour … from downtown Vancouver,” said city manager George Murray. “It’s pushing more and more traffic into our neck of the woods. That’s both a very good thing, but it’s also very challenging in terms of traffic management.”
Abbotsford has proposed to widen Highway 1 to six lanes between 264th Street in Langley and Whatcom Road.
They have also requested improvements to Mt. Lehman Road between Highway 1 and Abbotsford International Airport and a railway overpass at an urban arterial road.
In October, a 1,600-signature petition called for the widening of Fraser Highway, and that request has also been cited as a city priority.
The local highway project furthest along is a $25 million plan to upgrade Highway 11 and build a new overpass across Vye Road, near the U.S. border.
While construction of the project was expected to begin in 2014, it has been delayed as the city negotiates agreements with CP Rail and Southern Railway.
The highway also provides a thoroughfare that brings shoppers into the city. Abbotsford’s car dealers are concentrated in the Fraser Valley Automall, located just off Highway 1 in the city’s west. Taking into account wholesale pieces, fleet, leases, dealer trades and general retail sales, it’s estimated that the Automall’s numerous dealers move 9,500 pieces each year.
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The Abbotsford-Mission Transit Future Plan was completed in January 2013. JOHN MORROW PHOTO
Public transit plan for Abbotsford
Looking ahead to commuter transit 25 years from now
Abbotsford’s steady growth continues, and with more residents come more vehicles – and potential traffic
gridlock.
The City of Abbotsford and the District of Mission have been working with BC Transit on a Transit Future Plan that focuses on investment in local transit and also includes regional and inter-regional transit connections.
To help craft the plan, more than 1,500 Abbotsford and Mission residents – transit users and non-users – provided feedback through attending public meetings, taking surveys and submitting comments.
The Abbotsford-Mission Transit Future Plan was completed in January 2013 and the city, District of Mission, and BC Transit are now developing route and schedule changes for the Central Fraser Valley Transit System.
The proposed changes are based on public input and have been guided by the following objectives:
• Improve system performance: improved efficiency and increased ridership
• Service equity: similar neighbourhood densities equal similar service levels
• Budget-neutral planning: changes must work within the existing budget
One of the goals of the plan is to reach a transit ridership goal of 15 million annual passengers by 2036 — which amounts to a six-fold increase from the 2.4 million annual passengers in 2013.
“In the spring of 2015, short-term or quick wins – based on recommendations from the Transit Future Plan and the 2014 Service Efficiency Review – will be implemented in the Abbotsford-Mission system that will improve access to popular destinations such as Highstreet shopping centre,” said BC Transit spokesperson Meribeth Burton.
Also in spring 2015, the new Fraser Valley Express service will be introduced. It will provide regional connections between Chilliwack, Abbotsford and Langley. A firm date has not been set for those service expansions and improvements, Burton added.
Abbotsford city manager George Murray noted, “In effect, in the not too distant future, you will be able to take transit from Chilliwack through Abbotsford to Langley with very few stops, and find yourself connected to the TransLink system.”
ABBOTSFORD IN ACTION / November 2014 29
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More local residents are taking to bikes as a means of transportation. STOCK PHOTO
Growing acceptance of transportation choices
A growing number of Abby residents are commuting by bike
Orlando Schmidt is a self-described “hardcore” cyclist.
So, it’s not surprising that on this dark, rain-soaked day in November, Schmidt made his regular nine-kilometre commute to work decked out in a bright-coloured rain jacket, water-resistant pants and zip-up booties that slip over his work shoes.
Here’s what is surprising: he encountered other riders making the commute on this gloomy day.
“I never used see [other riders] this time of the year when the rain starts falling,” he explained.
Schmidt, who is chair of Cycling Abbotsford and president of Bike to Work BC Society, says he’s counted even more riders making the daily commute in the summer months.
And that means fewer cars on the road.
That’s important because with Abbotsford and area’s population expected to grow to 220,000 by 2036, alternative
forms of transportation need to be adopted to alleviate potential traffic snarls.
Schmidt started regularly commuting to work back 13 years ago because he and his wife wanted to be a single-car family. This year Schmidt has a goal of riding to work 100 times — and he’s just completed ride 87 today.
Over the past decade he says the number of bike commuters has increased.
There’s also been bike lane infrastructure added by the city during that time.
“It’s an improvement,” he said.
Still, there’s always room for more lanes and greater infrastructure connectivity for riders.
“Traffic is really scary for a lot of people so they end up on the sidewalks,” Schmidt said.
Schmidt says would-be riders would also benefit from education and safety seminars, similar to those available in Vancouver.
The interest in bike commuting is definitely there, says Schmidt, who is also involved in the annual Bike to Work Week in Abbotsford.
“We’ve definitely been growing, especially the last couple of years.”
This year 316 riders participated in the ride. Of that number, 156 were new riders. In total, the riders logged 9,461 km.
Across the Fraser Valley, a total of 588 riders participated in the event.
“[There’s been a] really good response during Bike to Work,” he said.
The next step is carrying that momentum throughout the years. “The numbers are still pretty low,” he said.
“We want to see it grow.”
The benefits of biking to work are different for each rider, says Schmidt.
“It’s really nice break between home and work – fresh air… And having a little fun. It’s enjoyable.”
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“ We have a world-class aviation community … We have smart people in the area that these companies are drawing on.”
Parm Sidhu
International airshow
The Abbotsford International Airshow is heading into its 53rd year and has been labelled one of the top 10 airshows in the world. It regularly draws tens of thousands of people to witness airborne aerobatics and take in many static displays.
Nearly half-a-million people fl ew into and out of Abbotsford International Airport last year. JOHN MORROW PHOTO
Airport scaling up with communityYXX continues to welcome new flights and employers
Abbotsford International Airport (YXX), long one of Fraser Valley’s key economic generators, continues to
expand along with the region it serves.
With nearly half-a-million passengers already passing through YXX every year, the airport will see even more activity next year with the addition of an extra daily WestJet Encore flight to and from Edmonton beginning in June.
Earlier this year, the airport cut its airport improvement fee in half and eliminated aircraft parking, bag-handling and bridge fees.
Those moves helped spur the new daily service and draw raves from WestJet, which said YXX’s move sets a standard they hope other airports follow.
Parm Sidhu, the YXX director of airport operations, said the relationship with WestJet remains a key asset.
“It has been a partnership for 17 years and the partnership is very strong,” he said. “It’s probably one of the strongest airport-airline relationships out there.”
As more people have moved to the Fraser Valley, the airport has also grown.
In recent years, the airport has seen over 100,000 aircraft movements (take-offs and landings).
“As the region grows, there’s going to be more opportunities for people to fly out of here,” Sidhu said. “It’s a regional asset.”
But it’s not just the growth of the population that has led to the development
of the airport. Industries big and small have flocked to the airport and turned it into a major aerospace hub, employing around 1,500 workers on the airfield.
Businesses include Cascade Aerospace, one of two Lockheed-Martin authorized C-130 heavy maintenance centres in the world; Conair, which supplies forest firefighting aircraft; Chinook Helicopters, a helicopter training company; Alpine Aerotech, a helicopter maintenance company; Westview Aviation, which provides aircraft storage hangars; and Marshall Aerospace, which recently purchased a large building at the airport to become its new Canadian head office.
“From Cascade to Conair to Alpine to WestJet, we have some great partners,” Sidhu said. “The population is growing in the area, but it really is the partners and that relationship that will grow the airport.”
Part of the airport’s attraction comes from its location.
“It’s a very livable area. The proximity to the U.S. border, to Asia, to downtown Vancouver is here.”
The people who live in and around the Fraser Valley are also a key draw for businesses looking to set up shop at YXX.
“We have a world-class aviation community … We have smart people in the area that these companies are drawing on,” Sidhu said.
The result is positive for the businesses, the airport, and the City of Abbotsford and its taxpayers.
“Airports are used for economic development purposes and the jobs that aerospace usually attracts are well paying.
“It’s like an engine, and the better the airport does, the better the community’s doing the better chance you have of attracting light rail and more ground transportation and so on.”
The airport also provides the venue for the event that many people most closely associate with the City of Abbotsford – its annual airshow.
The Abbotsford International Airshow is heading into its 53rd year and has been labelled one of the top 10 airshows in the world. It regularly draws tens of thousands of people to witness airborne acrobatics and take in many static displays.
“If you go anywhere in Canada and say, I’m from Abbotsford, a lot of people will say ‘Airshow, right?’ ” Sidhu said.
Attendance at the 2014 airshow was up by as much as 25 per cent.
“We’ve seen teams from around the world come and participate in the show and it’s a great avenue for people from around the world to come and showcase aviation and our airport and our industry.”
In recent years, the airshow has been held at the same time as the Aerospace, Defence and Security Exposition, a trade show that has drawn hundreds of industry insiders and dozens of exhibitors.
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ABBOTSFORD IN ACTION / November 2014 33
DIGITAL X-RAY ULTRASOUND MAMMOGRAPHY
Valley Medical Imaging has been operating in the Fraser Valley since 1958. We operate three fully accredited diagnostic medical imaging clinics in Abbotsford, Chilliwack, and Langley with a team of highly skilled, qualifi ed and registered Radiologists, Sonographers, and Radiographers.
As one of the largest private medical imaging service providers in BC, our goal is to provide exceptional patient care to the resident patients of the growing Fraser Valley Region. Valley Medical Imaging is dedicated to preserving the trust and confi dence that our patients and referring physicians have in our professional services.
All of our clinics feature complete digital technology, which reduces radiation exposure while providing the highest quality imaging. In addition, all clinics are linked electronically via PACS (Picture Archive and Communication System), allowing correlation of examinations performed at various locations.
Our friendly and competent employees ensure effi cient and pleasant service, with special attention given to patient privacy and comfort. Our highly trained Radiologists offer prompt and professional reporting of studies.
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• Immediate, on-line viewing of reports and images available to Referring Physicians/Specialists to instantly see their patients’ results
• Fully digital diagnostic medical imaging services
Country superstar Brad Paisley was one of the high-profi le acts performing at the Abbotsford Centre in 2014. He took to the stage there in October. JOHN MORROW PHOTO
High-calibre arts and entertainmentAbbotsford attracts some of the top acts in the country
With Abbotsford’s high-calibre music and art venues, the long list of local, national and international talents
that have performed in the city just keeps getting longer.
As the Abbotsford Centre (renamed this year from the Abbotsford Entertainment and Sports Centre) continues to grow its reputation as a first-class facility, more and more big-name acts are adding the city to their concert tour schedule.
Ten years ago, the idea that Abbotsford could host country stars like Reba McEntire and Carrie Underwood or rock legends KISS and ZZ Top would seem next to impossible.
But now the centre located on King Road
has hosted those stars and more. Capable of seating up to 8,500 for concerts, top show business names can be attracted. Since opening in 2009, the venue has hosted the Tragically Hip, Maroon 5, Megadeth, and the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, as well as family-oriented shows such as the Harlem Globetrotters, Sesame Street Live and Disney on Ice.
This year brought in top acts such as Florida Georgia Line, Hedley, TobyMac, Alan Jackson, Brad Paisley, Alice Cooper, the Doobie Brothers, John Fogerty, and Casting Crowns.
Abbotsford Centre was also picked as one of only two Canadian stops on the latest tour of Cirque Musica – a circus accompanied by a 40-piece orchestra.
Abbotsford doesn’t just host stars; it has plenty of its own. Singers like Jacob Hoggard of the band Hedley and Mission’s Carly Rae Jepsen turned their appearances on Canadian Idol into music careers.
While the performing arts has a top-notch local facility, Abbotsford also has an artistic gem in the community.
The Reach Gallery Museum Abbotsford opened its doors in the fall of 2008. Located on Veterans Way, the Reach is a 20,000-sq.ft. building containing an exhibition hall, archives, two multi-purpose studios, two community exhibition spaces, art collection storage and museum artifact collection storage. It is capable of hosting world-class travelling exhibits.
The Reach hosts exhibitions such as “Chinese Legacies: Building the Canadian Pacific Railway,” exploring the story of the Chinese labourers who contributed to the building of the CPR and of their work in communities along the route, including Abbotsford.
This year, Sheila Perry was named as The Reach’s new executive director, taking over from Suzanne Greening, who left for a similar role in Whistler.
The MSA Museum Society helps preserve Abbotsford’s fascinating heritage. Based in the historic Trethewey House on Mill Lake, the museum’s archives include local history
CONTINUED ON 34
34 ABBOTSFORD IN ACTION / November 2014
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Theatre, music and artdocuments and an extensive reference library. The museum offers a wide array of programs and educational presentations, both on-site and in the classroom.
For years, Kariton Gallery was the main outlet for artistic expression. The Ware Street gallery is operated by the Abbotsford Arts Council and hosts as many as a dozen shows a year.
Other local venues include the Abbotsford Arts Centre and the Matsqui Centennial Auditorium, which have showcased community theatre and concerts for years.
Fraser Valley Stage, a non-profit theatre group with a membership of more than 60 performers, has been presenting musical theatre for almost four decades.
Another local theatrical group, Gallery 7 Theatre, presents its shows at the Abbotsford
Arts Centre.
The Valley Concert Society brings classical music to life with a series of shows at Matsqui Centennial Auditorium, a site that also hosts the Fraser Valley Symphony performances.
For those looking for outdoor performances in the summer, the Envision Financial Concert in the Park Series hosts a variety of musical acts at Mill Lake Park. For intimate fall/winter performances, the Envision Financial Coffee House Concert Series brings the audience and performers together at local coffee shops.
Jam in Jubilee is another popular outdoor concert series, running in July and August at Jubilee Park.
Violinist Calvin Dyck’s popular Songs Strings and Steps concert series combines music and the visual arts, and the Valley Festival Singers present concerts in the fall, at Christmas and in the spring.
The Square Foot Art Auction was part of After Dark at The Reach at The Reach Gallery Museum. FILE PHOTO
FROM 33
ABBOTSFORD IN ACTION / November 2014 35
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Abbotsford Regional Hospital and Cancer Centre opened in 2008 on Marshall Road and serves a regional population of 330,000 people. FILE PHOTO
Leading-edge health care facilitiesAbbotsford Regional Hospital and Cancer Centre serves 150,000 residents
A growing, vibrant community requires a state-of-the-art health care facility that can keep up with demand.
The Abbotsford Regional Hospital and Cancer Centre (ARHCC) is such a place, serving 150,000 residents in the immediate area and a regional population of 330,000.
The 300-bed facility opened Aug. 24, 2008 on Marshall Road, replacing the 55-year-old MSA Hospital and becoming the first integrated hospital and cancer centre in Canada.
At about 660,000 square feet, ARHCC includes MRI services, general surgery, nuclear medicine, renal dialysis, specialized obstetrics, a special care nursery area, pediatric services, critical care and cardiac care, and regionalized psychiatry in- and out-patient care and other specialized services.
The Abbotsford Cancer Centre is the fifth of BC Cancer Agency’s cancer centres and provides treatment and care for the region, including chemotherapy, radiation therapy, patient and family counselling, nutrition, genetic counseling, and pain and symptom management.
The project is the first acute-care hospital and cancer centre to be built in B.C. using a public-private partnership model, at a cost of $355 million for construction and equipment and with an annual budget of $171 million.
The hospital is managed by Access Health Abbotsford (AHA) Ltd., which is jointly owned by Fraser Health and the BC Cancer Agency – an agency of the Provincial Health Services
Authority – with facilities management provided by three private partners.
Recent program expansion includes housing the Abbotsford Youth Health Clinic, the Psychiatric Outpatient Day Care program, and a provincial pilot program supporting stroke patients in the START (Stroke Assessment, Rehabilitation and Transitions) clinic.
If the program is successful, it will become a permanent addition to the wide array of services provided at ARH.
The UBC Family Practice Program has expanded its residency program. There are
currently 13 family-practice residents at ARH, of whom two or three will look at starting their own practices in Abbotsford.
Developments include an expansion of the seniors’ clinic and the addition of the Breast Health Clinic that opened its doors in June 2011 and which has already seen more than 800 patients.
In addition, clinical programs are expanding, including the emergency program with the introduction of expanded trauma services, and the critical care programs with the introduction of renal replacement therapy treatments for the critically ill and 24/7
intensivists (specialized ICU physicians).
“The expanding role of ARH has made it part of the three largest centres for acute care service delivery in Fraser Health, next to Royal Columbian Hospital and Surrey Memorial Hospital,” said Dr. Shallen Letwin, executive director for ARH at Fraser Health.
Abbotsford residents and hospital staff are fortunate to have access to the latest in health care technology. When the hospital was built, 11,000 new pieces of equipment were added, including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), two computed tomography (CT) scanners that were better and faster than earlier models, and updated computer technology to enable more efficient access to patient records.
The new hospital has also benefited the community from an employment standpoint, including 400 additional nursing jobs and 400 extra support positions.
In total, about 2,500 people are employed at the hospital and 120 at the cancer centre. This is in addition to about 400 employees with private partners including Sodexo, Johnson Controls Inc., Intercon and Impark.
Heather Findlay, director of site operations; medical co-ordinator Dr. Michael Newton, and Letwin provide overall executive leadership for the care and services at ARH, while Dr. Nick Foster, chief operating officer at BC Cancer Agency, provides leadership for the cancer services.
36 ABBOTSFORD IN ACTION / November 2014
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The University of the Fraser Valley has more than 15,000 students at its fi ve campuses. DARREN MACDONALD / UFV
Community support powers UFV’s impact, locally and beyond
For 40 years, the University of the Fraser Valley has been changing lives and building community.
The Fraser Valley has shown significant community support for its local post-secondary institution throughout the past four decades. Local communities rallied for Fraser Valley College to be established in 1974, for university-college status in 1991, and again for full university status in 2008.
With more than 15,000 students including 900 international students from 45 countries, more than 30,000 alumni, 1,500 employees and countless community supporters, UFV’s greatest strength is its people. UFV boasts thriving campuses in Abbotsford, Chilliwack, Mission, Hope, and Chandigarh, India, and now offers 100 programs spanning master’s and bachelor’s degrees, diplomas, certificates, apprenticeship and trades training, and continuing studies.
Research activity has faculty and students working together on partnerships, including those with NASA, the Surrey Fire Service, and Natural Resources Canada.
UFV Cascades athletics teams have won national medals, such as gold in CCAA women’s volleyball in 2013, silver and bronze in CCAA men’s and women’s golf in 2014, and bronze in CIS women’s basketball in 2014.
Those teams are supported by UFV’s workforce, many of whom live and shop locally, boosting the real estate and retail sectors.
With all avenues combined, from employees investing in housing and vehicles, to international students spending an average of $40,000 a year, a conservative estimate of UFV’s overall
economic impact on the Fraser Valley is half a billion dollars annually.
And once UFV’s graduates – more than 2,100 of them last year – hit the employment market, they have an additional impact on the local economy.
Chances are there are many alumni among the business people, teachers, nurses, farmers, social workers, tradespeople, childcare workers, and other professionals residents encounter on a daily basis.
UFV’s current student body recently endorsed two expansion proposals for the Campus Connector shuttle bus program run by the Student Union Society and UFV. Starting in January, an additional bus will be on the road between Abbotsford and Chilliwack from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. – increasing daily capacity by 200 seats during peak hours, and bringing the total number of busses to four. Additionally, a new connection between downtown Langley and Abbotsford will be added, with up to six roundtrips daily from 6 a.m. to 6:45 p.m.
Students voted online from Oct. 30 to Nov. 4 on both proposals. Expansion of the Abbotsford-Chilliwack route had 70 per cent support for a cost of $3.50/semester, and creation of the Langley-Abbotsford route had 53 per cent support for $5.45/semester. The Abbotsford-Chilliwack route saw a significant increase in ridership this year, with about 2,200 riders and 85 turn-aways each week, ultimately leading to this referendum.
For more information on UFV’s 40th anniversary, including a historical timeline, photos, and stories visit ufv.ca/40.
ABBOTSFORD IN ACTION / November 2014 37
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Canuck Place Children’s Hospice is one of three facilities situated on the Campus of Care. CANUCK PLACE PHOTO
Dave Lede Campus of Care brings together three innovative health-care agencies on one property
One of the nation’s most innovative health projects brings together three dynamic health-care partners on one
site.
The Dave Lede Campus of Care – named for the project’s biggest donor – is located on Marshall Road adjacent to Abbotsford Regional Hospital.
It includes Canuck Place Children’s Hospice, the Abbotsford Hospice Society’s Holmberg House, and Matthew’s House, a respite facility for kids with severe disabilities.
The City of Abbotsford contributed the land, and all three facilities have conducted extensive fundraising campaigns for capital and operating costs.
Canuck Place Children’s Hospice, which also has a location in Vancouver, completed construction in December 2013 and began offering community-centred services in spring 2014.
The 20,000 sq.ft. $13-million facility is slated to have all its services fully operational – including 10 beds for children under the age of 19 who have life-threatening illnesses – by 2017.
The facility provides specialized pediatric palliative care and support for families, backed by a diverse group of health-care professionals, support staff and volunteers.
An individual program is designed for each child to best meet the needs of the family. Services include 24/7 doctor and nursing
support; end-of-life care; pain and symptom management; respite care; school, music and play therapy; counselling services; and more.
For information, visit canuckplace.org.
The Abbotsford Hospice Society (AHS) is building a 20,000 sq.ft. resource centre and adult hospice and is currently in the midst of a campaign to raise the $4.3 million needed
to complete the facility.
The home-like facility will offer programs and services to people 19 years and older who are dying and to their families.
It is named for Dave Holmberg Jr., who passed away in March 2011 at the age of 48.
For more information, visit abbotsfordhospice.org.
Matthew’s House, a program of Communitas Supportive Care Society, opened in November 2013.
The 4,000-sq.ft. state-of-the-art residence provides a home away from home for up to five kids at a time who have complex physical needs.
Medical necessities such as overhead tracking systems for transferring and full wheelchair accessibility are complemented by a multi-sensory playroom and an outdoor playground.
Overnight guest suites allow family members to remain close while taking a step back to refuel themselves.
The home is funded completely through the generous support of individuals and community partners.
Matthew’s House is named in memory of Matthew Froese, who had severe disabilities and died in August 2010 at the age of nine.
For more information, visit www.mattshouse.ca.
38 ABBOTSFORD IN ACTION / November 2014
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Abbotsford athletes excel in a wide range of sports, and have access to state-of-the-art facilities. JOHN MORROW PHOTO
Athletes in motionAbbotsford: A sports community
With a rich history of sport excellence and inter-city competition, Abbotsford’s thriving
athletics scene has something for everyone.
The University of the Fraser Valley is the epicentre of elite sport in Abbotsford, fielding CIS (the highest level of Canadian inter-university competition) teams in basketball, soccer, and wrestling, as well as PacWest (B.C.’s college conference) volleyball and golf programs. The UFV Cascades have proven themselves to be national competitors in a number of arenas, winning CIS bronze medals in women’s basketball (2014) and women’s soccer (2010), as well as fourth-place finishes in men’s basketball (2012) and women’s soccer (2014).
Across the street from UFV is the Abbotsford Centre, which seats 7,046 fans for hockey. The facility, which opened in the spring of 2009, has hosted a variety of sporting events including the AHL Heat, Harlem Globetrotters, motocross, monster trucks, and the Masters Grand Slam of Curling.
Other local sports facilities include Exhibition Park, a 23,000-sq.ft. recreational area which features the 5,000-seat Rotary Stadium, along with facilities for baseball, soccer, rugby, rodeo, cricket and BMX. Rotary Stadium has hosted an abundance of major sporting events, including a B.C. Lions training camp, several national track and field championships and the B.C. Summer Games.
Other key city-operated facilities include MSA Arena, a 900-seat ice rink that hosts the Abbotsford Pilots junior B hockey
team; Abbotsford Recreation Centre, which features an Olympic-sized ice sheet, an indoor pool, and two gymnasiums; and Matsqui Recreation Centre, home to a wave pool and ice rink.
Columbia Bible College provides a crosstown rivalry for UFV in volleyball, and fields its own PacWest basketball program.
In the high school realm, Abbotsford is home to perennial powerhouse programs in nearly every sport, including basketball, football, volleyball, wrestling, rugby and track and field.
Ledgeview Golf and Country Club has proven to be a continuous producer of golf greatness, sending forth the likes of former PGA Tour pro Ray Stewart, 2005 NCAA champ James Lepp, and current PGA Tour players Nick Taylor and Adam Hadwin. Taylor, the world’s former No. 1-ranked amateur, earned his first PGA Tour win at the Sanderson Farms Championship in November 2014.
Among Abbotsford’s elite sports clubs, the Valley Royals track and field program, Abbotsford Magnuson Ford Soccer Club, Matsqui Blades speed skating club and Twisters Gymnastics have all sent athletes to the Olympic Games.
Other high-calibre sports associations train athletes in hockey, baseball, fastpitch, swimming, football, rope skipping, figure skating, cheerleading, rugby and lacrosse, to name a few.
Abbotsford also offers plenty of choices in terms of recreational leagues for adults, with options ranging from curling to basketball to slo-pitch to touch football.
ABBOTSFORD IN ACTION / November 2014 39
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