Abbotsford, British Columbia
Encyclopedia
Abbotsford is a Canadian city located in the Lower Mainland
of British Columbia
, adjacent to Greater Vancouver
. It is the fifth largest municipality in British Columbia, home to 123,864 people (2006). Its Census Metropolitan Area, which includes the District of Mission
, is the 23rd largest in Canada, with 159,020 people (2006). Abbotsford has the third highest proportion of visible minorities among Census Metropolitan Areas in Canada
, after the Greater Toronto Area
and Greater Vancouver
.
Abbotsford is the largest municipality by area in British Columbia
. It is home to the University of the Fraser Valley, TRADEX
and Abbotsford International Airport
, which hosts the Abbotsford International Airshow
.
The municipality's southern boundary is the Canada–United States border, across which is Sumas, Washington. In Canada, it is bordered by Langley
to the west, the Fraser River
and Mission
to the north, and Chilliwack
to the east. Much of Abbotsford has dramatic views of Mount Baker
(to the southeast) and the Coast Mountains
(to the north).
Abbotsford's colonial development began when the Royal Engineers
surveyed the area in response to the Gold Rush
along the Fraser River
in 1858. This led to the building of Yale Road (today Old Yale Road), the first transportation route to link the Fraser Valley
. Settlement grew and the production of butter, milk and tobacco began by the late 1860s. In 1889 former Royal Engineer John Cunningham Maclure applied for a crown grant to obtain the 160 acre (0.6474976 km²) that would become Abbotsford.
The Maclures named the land Abbotsford after family friend Harry Abbott, the Western Superintendent of the Canadian Pacific Railway
. The title passed hands to Robert Ward, who filed a town site subdivision on July 9, 1891. Also in 1891, the CPR built a railway line through the area that connected Mission
with Sumas. This route was the only rail connection between Vancouver
and Seattle until 1904.
The Village of Abbotsford was incorporated in 1892. At that time Robert Ward sold many of the lots to private investors, but also sold off a significant portion to the Great Northern Railway’s subsidiary company the Vancouver, Victoria and Eastern Railway. The British Columbia Electric Railway
(BCER) arrived in 1910. The Interurban, as the BCER tram linking Abbotsford with Vancouver
and Chilliwack
, was called, was discontinued in 1950, but BCER's successor BC Hydro
retains the right to re-introduce passenger rail service. Service to Vancouver
currently runs from neighbouring Mission
by way of the West Coast Express
.
The most notable natural disaster to hit Abbotsford was a major flood of the Fraser River
in 1948.
1972 saw the amalgamation of the Village of Abbotsford and the District of Sumas into the District of Abbotsford. The District of Abbotsford amalgamated with the District of Matsqui in 1995 to become the City of Abbotsford.
The City of Abbotsford uses a Council-Manager system of local government. The current Mayor and Council were elected on November 19, 2011. The current mayor is Bruce Banman. Councillors elected in 2011 are: Patricia Ross (10.6% of popular vote), Henry Braun (8.5%), Les Barkman (6.6%), Simon Gibson (5.5%), Bill MacGregor (5.5%), John Smith (5.3%), Dave Loewen (5.3%), Moe Gill (5.2%). School trustees elected are: Cindy Schafer, Stan Petersen, Korky Neufeld, Shirley Wilson, Rhonda Pauls, John Sutherland and Preet Rai.
The Abbotsford flag and coat of arms are the same, featuring straight, diagonal crosses representing Abbotsford as at a "crossroads". At the centre is a strawberry blossom to symbolize the local berry industry. The flag of Abbotsford was originally blue in colour. The change to green was initiated in 1995 when the District of Abbotsford and the District of Matsqui
amalgamated to create the City of Abbotsford.
, after the Greater Toronto Area
and Greater Vancouver
.
The largest racial group is European Caucasian, comprising approximately 73.6 percent of the population. This group includes German, Dutch, British, Irish, Scandinavian and Slavic ethnic origins. The next largest racial group in Abbotsford is South Asian (countries of India
, Pakistan
, Bangladesh
and Sri Lanka
) comprising 19.1 percent of the population. This is followed by Aboriginals at 2.9 percent of the population (which includes indigenous peoples from other parts of Canada and the United States) and Chinese at 1.69 percent.
26.1 percent of the city's population was born outside of Canada
. Of that percentage, a majority is from South Asia, followed by groups from China
, South Korea
, Southeast Asia
and Latin America
. English
is the primary language spoken, with 78.7 percent of the population having it as their first language.
Abbotsford's largest religious group is Christian
at 61.4 percent of the population. The Lutheran and Anabaptist
(Mennonite Brethren and Mennonite Church) denominations make up the largest congregations. The next largest religious group is Sikh
, comprising 13.4 percent of the population. The city contains the first Sikh Gurdwara
built in Canada (in 1911), which is also the oldest in North America
. It is now a historic site in Abbotsford. It is now over 100 years old.
Spring
Spring starts out cool and generally showery before gradually turning warmer and drier. Below freezing temperatures may occur overnight into May, and snow may fall until the end of April, but it normally melts quickly. Normal daytime highs range from near 10 °C in March to the low 20's in June. During periods of warmth, temperatures can reach into the mid 20's C during March and April, and can exceed 30 °C from May onwards.
Summer
Summer on the west coast is known for its relative dryness. It is not uncommon to receive little or no rainfall for weeks at a time. August averages only 20% of November's rainfall, and only about 16% of annual precipation falls between June 1 and October 1. Un-watered grass often turns brown in July, and may not need to be cut until September, when significant rains become more likely.
Rain that falls during summer is normally quite light, but can occasionally come in the form of thunderstorms. Thunderstorms typically signal the end of a period of hot weather and a return to cooler, cloudier conditions.
Summers in Abbotsford are relatively warm compared to Vancouver, and can become quite hot on occasion. The average daily high in August is 23.8 °C, but highs over 30 °C are not uncommon. The highest temperature ever recorded was 38.0°C on July 29, 2009 at Abbotsford Airport.
Nights are usually fairly comfortable, even when the days are hot. It is rare for the temperature to stay above 20 °C at night, often falling as low as 10 °C. During warm spells, the temperature may range by as much as 20 °C in 12 hours (for example; a morning low of 11°C and an afternoon high of 31 °C).
Autumn
Autumn is characterized by increasingly unsettled and cooler conditions. Temperatures may still reach the mid or even upper 20's C at first, but rainfall becomes more frequent and temperatures drop in October. Frost may occur in late September, and at any time during October.
October 1 heralds the unofficial start of the rainy season, but the heaviest rains occur in November, which averages 234.3 mm of rain and 6.3 cm of snow (240.9 mm combined). According to Environment Canada, Abbotsford is the fourth wettest of 100 major cities in Canada, with 1573.2 mm of combined rain and snow annually. A weather pattern known as the Pineapple Express often brings significant rainstorms in autumn and winter.
The earliest snowfall has been known to occur at the end of October, but more frequently occurs in November. In milder years, there may be no snow until December. Occasionally, there will be a spell of sub-freezing weather in late November or early December. This may be accompanied by snow and high winds, but is usually short-lived.
Winter
With a mean temperature of about 2.5 °C in January, Abbotsford's winters are cool, but relatively mild compared to most of Canada. However, the overcast and damp conditions may be subjectively less pleasant than colder sunny weather.
The coldest month on record at Abbotsford International Airport is January 1950, with a mean temperature of -8.6 °C (an average high of -4.7 °C and an average low of -12.4 °C). It was during this time that Abbotsford also set its all-time record low temperature of -21.1 °C, on the 18th of that month.
Snow occurs frequently in the surrounding mountains, but less often closer to sea level. There is a general misconception by visitors and residents in other parts of the country that the area does not receive any snow at all, but the truth is that Abbotsford averages 63.5 cm of snow per year, and there has never been a winter when traceable snow has not been observed at both Abbotsford International Airport and Vancouver International Airport. As a matter of fact, Environment Canada currently ranks Abbotsford 44th and Vancouver 59th under the category "Most huge snowfall days (25 cm or more)" out of 100 major Canadian cities, placing them above cities such as Calgary (74th place) and Toronto (99th place).
Snow in Abbotsford tends to be quite wet, which when combined with typical winter temperatures rising above and falling below freezing throughout the course of the day, can make for unusually slippery road conditions. Years or even months with snowfall surpassing the 100 cm mark are also not completely exceptional; the former occurred twice in the 1990s, while January 1954 saw more than 140 cm of snow. Snow can fall at any time between October and May.
Snowfall accumulations tend to vary greatly by year and season. During the winter of 1990-1991, 152.3 cm fell; the next winter, only a trace of snow was recorded. In the year 1996, 199.2 cm (over six feet) was recorded; the next year, only 6.2 cm fell. Serious snow storms occurred most recently in December 2008, when as much as 60 cm fell in the days leading up to Christmas. Abbotsford can expect a White Christmas once every five years on average.
, Chilliwack
or to Vancouver
and its suburbs (primarily Surrey
and Langley
).
More than 25% of Abbotsford's work force commutes to Abbotsford from other municipalities.
The Conference Board of Canada has identified the local economy as one of the most diverse in the country. Abbotsford's main industries are agriculture
, transport
ation, manufacturing
and retail
. The city earns the highest dollar per acre of agricultural land in the country, greater than the Niagara Region and the North Okanagan
. The city is home to three federal prisons, each of which employs between 200 and 500 officers and support staff. There is also a growing aerospace
industry led by Cascade Aerospace
and Conair Group Inc.
. Private schools include St. John Brebeuf Regional Secondary
, Mennonite Educational Institute
, Abbotsford Christian School and the Dasmesh Punjabi School.
Post Secondary institutions in the city include the University of the Fraser Valley, religious institutions such as Columbia Bible College
and Summit Pacific College
, as well as career colleges such as Career Gate Community College, Sprott-Shaw Community College, Vancouver Career College, Métis Skills & Employment Centre, and CDI College.
There is also a virtual school
called "Abbotsford Virtual School
" that offers more than 30 semestered online courses. This school offers a unique Animation and Modeling program that teaches students aspects of the video gaming industry.
. Passenger rail service to Vancouver
currently runs from nearby Mission
by way of the West Coast Express
.
Air links are provided by the Abbotsford International Airport
. The airport is one of the fastest growing commercial airports in western Canada, and acts as a reliever airport for Vancouver International Airport
. WestJet
provides regular scheduled service from the airport, due to its proximity to Vancouver's eastern suburbs. The airport is also the home of the annual Abbotsford International Airshow
.
Major transportation routes leading into Abbotsford are the Trans-Canada Highway
(#1), Abbotsford-Mission Highway (#11) and the Fraser Highway (#1A). Access to the United States
is via the Huntingdon
border crossing.
have relocated their AHL
affiliate to Abbotsford. The American Hockey League approved the franchise relocation on April 28, 2009, and on May 14 of that year, the team name was announced as the Abbotsford Heat
.
Abbotsford's Jane and Gerry Swan Track at Rotary Stadium
is home to the Valley Royals Track & Field Club
, who have produced numerous Olympians including two for the 2008 Olympics
. Rotary Stadium is also home to the Canadian Junior Football League's Abbotsford Air Force
; however, the Air Force fell into non-playing status for the 2007 and 2008 seasons.
The Abbotsford Pilots
of the Pacific International Junior Hockey League
(Junior B level) play at MSA Arena, which is Abbotsford's 2nd largest arena at just over 400 seats. Abbotsford was considered as a possible home for the Chilliwack Chiefs (Junior A), who were forced to move in 2006 when the Chilliwack Bruins
(a WHL expansion team) took over their arena, Prospera Centre. Abbotsford would have become the home of the Chiefs if the city had supported them in building a new arena; instead, the Chiefs moved to Langley. Ironically, construction has now been completed in Abbotsford on a far bigger sports & entertainment centre (with 7,500 seats).
Abbotsford Minor Hockey is one of the largest associations in British Columbia with more than 1000 players registered from the ages of 5 through 18 years old. This association is recognized by many as a model and a leader in the development of minor hockey programs, and several Abbotsford-raised players have gone on to the highest levels of this sport. In the 2005-2006 hockey season, Abbotsford's Bantam AAA team were ultimately the Western Canadian Bantam Champions, and eight individual players from this team (the most ever) were selected in the 2006 WHL Bantam Draft.
Abbotsford has a superior Youth soccer program, winning 2 national titles, and numerous provincial titles. It is also home of soccer all stars Sophie Schmidt, Brad Petoom and Adam Lang. Abbotsford is home to the Abbotsford Mariners of the United Soccer Leagues
Premier Development League, the highest level of amateur soccer in North America.
Abbotsford is home to many high school sports, with Abbotsford Collegiate
, W.J. Mouat Secondary
, Rick Hansen Secondary
, Robert Bateman Secondary, St. John Brebeuf Secondary, Yale Secondary
, and the Mennonite Educational Institute
, among others, doing very well in track and field, volleyball, basketball, and football. These schools have consistently ranked among the highest in the province. The Yale Secondary Senior Boys Basketball Team, under Coach Al Friesen, won the 2008 ‘AAA’ provincial boys' basketball championship.
Abbotsford's rugby club
supports three men's teams, two women's teams, U19 men's and women's, U15 U16 and U17 men's, and a great mini rugby program. Many of Abbotsford's players have gone on to play for Canada, such as Erin Lockwood, Ryan McWhinney, Scott Hunter, Bryn Keys, and Brodie Henderson.
In Olympic sports, Abbotsford's Alana Kraus has won medals in short-track speed skating.
) had the highest property crime rate and the second highest violent crime rate for cities with a population of 100,000 to 500,000 in Canada.
Additionally, as of October 26, 2010 the metropolitan area had the highest rate of homicides nationally for two years running with a rate of 5.22 homicides per 100,000 population. (Versus the national average of 1.81 per 100,000.)
The City of Abbotsford has its own municipal police force, one of eleven municipal police forces in British Columbia. It is the third largest municipal police force in British Columbia (behind Vancouver
and Victoria
). As of 2006, the Abbotsford Police Department employed nearly 200 officers and 80 civilian employees.
The Abbotsford Police Department was officially formed in 1995 when the District of Matsqui
and the District of Abbotsford amalgamated to become the City of Abbotsford. Prior to the amalgamation, the District of Matsqui was patrolled by the Matsqui Police and the District of Abbotsford by the RCMP. During the referendum citizens elected to keep a municipal police force.
The Abbotsford Police Department were involved in the investigation and arrest of the "Abbotsford killer" Terry Driver
.
Lower Mainland
The Lower Mainland is a name commonly applied to the region surrounding and including Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. As of 2007, 2,524,113 people live in the region; sixteen of the province's thirty most populous municipalities are located there.While the term Lower Mainland has been...
of British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, adjacent to Greater Vancouver
Greater Vancouver
Greater Vancouver is the metropolitan area centred on the city of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, roughly coterminous with the Greater Vancouver Regional District, which is governed by a body known as Metro Vancouver...
. It is the fifth largest municipality in British Columbia, home to 123,864 people (2006). Its Census Metropolitan Area, which includes the District of Mission
Mission, British Columbia
Mission, the core of which was formerly known as Mission City, is a district municipality in the province of British Columbia, Canada. It is situated on the north bank of the Fraser River overlooking the City of Abbotsford and with that city is part of the Central Fraser Valley. Mission is the...
, is the 23rd largest in Canada, with 159,020 people (2006). Abbotsford has the third highest proportion of visible minorities among Census Metropolitan Areas in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, after the Greater Toronto Area
Greater Toronto Area
The Greater Toronto Area is the largest metropolitan area in Canada, with a 2006 census population of 5.5 million. The Greater Toronto Area is usually defined as the central city of Toronto, along with four regional municipalities surrounding it: Durham, Halton, Peel, and York...
and Greater Vancouver
Greater Vancouver
Greater Vancouver is the metropolitan area centred on the city of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, roughly coterminous with the Greater Vancouver Regional District, which is governed by a body known as Metro Vancouver...
.
Abbotsford is the largest municipality by area in British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
. It is home to the University of the Fraser Valley, TRADEX
Fraser Valley Trade and Exhibition Centre
The Fraser Valley Trade and Exhibition Centre or TRADEX is the second largest facility of its kind in Abbotsford, British Columbia. It is operated by the Tourism Abbotsford Society and hosts around 90 events every year. These events are run by independent companies or people who are subject to...
and Abbotsford International Airport
Abbotsford International Airport
Abbotsford International Airport is located in the City of Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada, southwest of the city centre.The airport is classified as an airport of entry by NAV CANADA and is staffed by the Canada Border Services Agency...
, which hosts the Abbotsford International Airshow
Abbotsford International Airshow
The Abbotsford International Airshow is held annually on the second Friday, Saturday and Sunday in August at Abbotsford International Airport in Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada....
.
The municipality's southern boundary is the Canada–United States border, across which is Sumas, Washington. In Canada, it is bordered by Langley
Langley, British Columbia (district municipality)
The Township of Langley is a district municipality immediately east of the City of Surrey in southwestern British Columbia, Canada. It extends south from the Fraser River to the U.S. border, and west of the City of Abbotsford...
to the west, the Fraser River
Fraser River
The Fraser River is the longest river within British Columbia, Canada, rising at Fraser Pass near Mount Robson in the Rocky Mountains and flowing for , into the Strait of Georgia at the city of Vancouver. It is the tenth longest river in Canada...
and Mission
Mission, British Columbia
Mission, the core of which was formerly known as Mission City, is a district municipality in the province of British Columbia, Canada. It is situated on the north bank of the Fraser River overlooking the City of Abbotsford and with that city is part of the Central Fraser Valley. Mission is the...
to the north, and Chilliwack
Chilliwack, British Columbia
Chilliwack is a Canadian city in the Province of British Columbia. It is a predominantly agricultural community with an estimated population of 80,000 people. Chilliwack is the second largest city in the Fraser Valley Regional District after Abbotsford. The city is surrounded by mountains and...
to the east. Much of Abbotsford has dramatic views of Mount Baker
Mount Baker
Mount Baker , also known as Koma Kulshan or simply Kulshan, is an active glaciated andesitic stratovolcano in the Cascade Volcanic Arc and the North Cascades of Washington State in the United States. It is the second-most active volcano in the range after Mount Saint Helens...
(to the southeast) and the Coast Mountains
Coast Mountains
The Coast Mountains are a major mountain range, in the Pacific Coast Ranges, of western North America, extending from southwestern Yukon through the Alaska Panhandle and virtually all of the Coast of British Columbia. They are so-named because of their proximity to the sea coast, and are often...
(to the north).
History
Royal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers , and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army....
surveyed the area in response to the Gold Rush
Gold rush
A gold rush is a period of feverish migration of workers to an area that has had a dramatic discovery of gold. Major gold rushes took place in the 19th century in Australia, Brazil, Canada, South Africa, and the United States, while smaller gold rushes took place elsewhere.In the 19th and early...
along the Fraser River
Fraser River
The Fraser River is the longest river within British Columbia, Canada, rising at Fraser Pass near Mount Robson in the Rocky Mountains and flowing for , into the Strait of Georgia at the city of Vancouver. It is the tenth longest river in Canada...
in 1858. This led to the building of Yale Road (today Old Yale Road), the first transportation route to link the Fraser Valley
Fraser Valley
The Fraser Valley is the section of the Fraser River basin in southwestern British Columbia downstream of the Fraser Canyon. The term is sometimes used to refer to the Fraser Canyon and stretches upstream from there, but in general British Columbian usage of the term refers to the stretch of the...
. Settlement grew and the production of butter, milk and tobacco began by the late 1860s. In 1889 former Royal Engineer John Cunningham Maclure applied for a crown grant to obtain the 160 acre (0.6474976 km²) that would become Abbotsford.
The Maclures named the land Abbotsford after family friend Harry Abbott, the Western Superintendent of the Canadian Pacific Railway
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
. The title passed hands to Robert Ward, who filed a town site subdivision on July 9, 1891. Also in 1891, the CPR built a railway line through the area that connected Mission
Mission, British Columbia
Mission, the core of which was formerly known as Mission City, is a district municipality in the province of British Columbia, Canada. It is situated on the north bank of the Fraser River overlooking the City of Abbotsford and with that city is part of the Central Fraser Valley. Mission is the...
with Sumas. This route was the only rail connection between Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
and Seattle until 1904.
The Village of Abbotsford was incorporated in 1892. At that time Robert Ward sold many of the lots to private investors, but also sold off a significant portion to the Great Northern Railway’s subsidiary company the Vancouver, Victoria and Eastern Railway. The British Columbia Electric Railway
British Columbia Electric Railway
The British Columbia Electric Railway was a historic Canadian railway which operated in southwestern British Columbia.Originally the parent company, and later a division, of BC Electric, the BCER operated public transportation in southwestern British Columbia from its establishment in the...
(BCER) arrived in 1910. The Interurban, as the BCER tram linking Abbotsford with Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
and Chilliwack
Chilliwack, British Columbia
Chilliwack is a Canadian city in the Province of British Columbia. It is a predominantly agricultural community with an estimated population of 80,000 people. Chilliwack is the second largest city in the Fraser Valley Regional District after Abbotsford. The city is surrounded by mountains and...
, was called, was discontinued in 1950, but BCER's successor BC Hydro
BC Hydro
The BC Hydro and Power Authority is a Canadian electric utility in the province of British Columbia generally known simply as BC Hydro. It is the main electric distributor, serving 1.8 million customers in most areas, with the exception of the Kootenay region, where FortisBC, a subsidiary of Fortis...
retains the right to re-introduce passenger rail service. Service to Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
currently runs from neighbouring Mission
Mission, British Columbia
Mission, the core of which was formerly known as Mission City, is a district municipality in the province of British Columbia, Canada. It is situated on the north bank of the Fraser River overlooking the City of Abbotsford and with that city is part of the Central Fraser Valley. Mission is the...
by way of the West Coast Express
West Coast Express
West Coast Express is the interregional commuter railway in British Columbia, Canada. Opened in 1995, it links Mission, Maple Ridge, Pitt Meadows, Port Coquitlam, Coquitlam, and Port Moody with Waterfront Station in Downtown Vancouver, where it interchanges with SkyTrain rapid transit, SeaBus and...
.
The most notable natural disaster to hit Abbotsford was a major flood of the Fraser River
Fraser River
The Fraser River is the longest river within British Columbia, Canada, rising at Fraser Pass near Mount Robson in the Rocky Mountains and flowing for , into the Strait of Georgia at the city of Vancouver. It is the tenth longest river in Canada...
in 1948.
1972 saw the amalgamation of the Village of Abbotsford and the District of Sumas into the District of Abbotsford. The District of Abbotsford amalgamated with the District of Matsqui in 1995 to become the City of Abbotsford.
Government
The Abbotsford flag and coat of arms are the same, featuring straight, diagonal crosses representing Abbotsford as at a "crossroads". At the centre is a strawberry blossom to symbolize the local berry industry. The flag of Abbotsford was originally blue in colour. The change to green was initiated in 1995 when the District of Abbotsford and the District of Matsqui
District of Matsqui
Matsqui is a former District Municipality in British Columbia, Canada. It was incorporated in 1892, and merged with the District Municipality of Abbotsford in 1995 to create the new City of Abbotsford. Matsqui used to be the west part of what is now Abbotsford...
amalgamated to create the City of Abbotsford.
Demographics
| Census | Population |
|---|---|
| 1911 | 300 |
| 1931 | 510 |
| 1941 | 562 |
| 1951 | 785 |
| 1961 | 888 |
| 1971 | 706 |
| 1981 | 12,745 |
| 1991 | 18,864 |
| 2001 | 115,463 |
| 2006 | 123,864 |
| Est. 2007 | 131,827 |
Ethnicities and visible minorities
Abbotsford has the third highest proportion of visible minorities among Census Metropolitan Areas in CanadaCanada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, after the Greater Toronto Area
Greater Toronto Area
The Greater Toronto Area is the largest metropolitan area in Canada, with a 2006 census population of 5.5 million. The Greater Toronto Area is usually defined as the central city of Toronto, along with four regional municipalities surrounding it: Durham, Halton, Peel, and York...
and Greater Vancouver
Greater Vancouver
Greater Vancouver is the metropolitan area centred on the city of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, roughly coterminous with the Greater Vancouver Regional District, which is governed by a body known as Metro Vancouver...
.
The largest racial group is European Caucasian, comprising approximately 73.6 percent of the population. This group includes German, Dutch, British, Irish, Scandinavian and Slavic ethnic origins. The next largest racial group in Abbotsford is South Asian (countries of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
, Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
and Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
) comprising 19.1 percent of the population. This is followed by Aboriginals at 2.9 percent of the population (which includes indigenous peoples from other parts of Canada and the United States) and Chinese at 1.69 percent.
26.1 percent of the city's population was born outside of Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Of that percentage, a majority is from South Asia, followed by groups from China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
, Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
and Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
. English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
is the primary language spoken, with 78.7 percent of the population having it as their first language.
| Ethnic Origin | Population | Percent of 156,640* | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cornish Cornish people The Cornish are a people associated with Cornwall, a county and Duchy in the south-west of the United Kingdom that is seen in some respects as distinct from England, having more in common with the other Celtic parts of the United Kingdom such as Wales, as well as with other Celtic nations in Europe... |
10 | 0.01% | |
| English English people The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens... |
42,190 | 26.93% | |
| Irish Irish people The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha... |
21,430 | 13.68% | |
| Manx Manx people The Manx are an ethnic group coming from the Isle of Man in the Irish Sea in northern Europe. They are often described as a Celtic people, though they have had a mixed background including Norse and English influences.... |
40 | 0.03% | |
| Scottish Scottish people The Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,... |
28,695 | 18.32% | |
| Welsh Welsh people The Welsh people are an ethnic group and nation associated with Wales and the Welsh language.John Davies argues that the origin of the "Welsh nation" can be traced to the late 4th and early 5th centuries, following the Roman departure from Britain, although Brythonic Celtic languages seem to have... |
3,665 | 2.34% | |
| misc. British Isles British people The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants... , n.i.e.** |
2,265 | 1.45% | |
| Acadian | 55 | 0.04% | |
| French French people The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups... |
13,725 | 8.76% | |
| Inuit Inuit The Inuit are a group of culturally similar indigenous peoples inhabiting the Arctic regions of Canada , Denmark , Russia and the United States . Inuit means “the people” in the Inuktitut language... |
50 | 0.03% | |
| Métis Métis people (Canada) The Métis are one of the Aboriginal peoples in Canada who trace their descent to mixed First Nations parentage. The term was historically a catch-all describing the offspring of any such union, but within generations the culture syncretised into what is today a distinct aboriginal group, with... |
2,670 | 1.70% | |
| North American Indian | 5,335 | 3.41% | incl. First Nations First Nations First Nations is a term that collectively refers to various Aboriginal peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit nor Métis. There are currently over 630 recognised First Nations governments or bands spread across Canada, roughly half of which are in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia. The... , Native Americans Native Americans in the United States Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as... and Alaska Natives Alaska Natives Alaska Natives are the indigenous peoples of Alaska. They include: Aleut, Inuit, Tlingit, Haida, Tsimshian, Eyak, and a number of Northern Athabaskan cultures.-History:In 1912 the Alaska Native Brotherhood was founded... |
| American Demographics of the United States As of today's date, the United States has a total resident population of , making it the third most populous country in the world. It is a very urbanized population, with 82% residing in cities and suburbs as of 2008 . This leaves vast expanses of the country nearly uninhabited... |
2,320 | 1.48% | |
| Canadian Demographics of Canada This article about the demographic features of the population of Canada, including population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population, the People of Canada.... |
30,415 | 19.42% | |
| Newfoundlander | 65 | 0.04% | |
| Québécois Quebec Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level.... |
55 | 0.04% | |
| Barbadian | 15 | 0.01% | |
| Carib | 15 | 0.01% | |
| Guyanese | 20 | 0.01% | |
| Haitian | 135 | 0.09% | |
| Jamaican | 305 | 0.19% | |
| Kittitian/Nevisian | 10 | 0.01% | |
| Puerto Rican Puerto Rican people A Puerto Rican is a person who was born in Puerto Rico.Puerto Ricans born and raised in the continental United States are also sometimes referred to as Puerto Ricans, although they were not born in Puerto Rico... |
15 | 0.01% | |
| St. Lucian | 10 | 0.01% | |
| Trinidadian/Tobagonian | 95 | 0.06% | |
| Vincentian/Grenadinian | 15 | 0.01% | |
| West Indian | 35 | 0.02% | |
| Caribbean, n.i.e.** | 15 | 0.01% | |
| Aboriginal from Central/South America | 40 | 0.03% | |
| Argentinian | 35 | 0.02% | |
| Belizian | 20 | 0.01% | |
| Brazilian | 130 | 0.08% | |
| Chilean Chilean people Chilean people, or simply Chileans, are the native citizens and long-term immigrants of Chile. Chileans are mainly of Spanish and Amerindian descent, with small but significant traces of 19th and 20th century European immigrant origin... |
110 | 0.07% | |
| Colombian Colombian people Colombian people are from a multiethnic Spanish speaking nation in South America called Colombia. Colombians are predominantly Roman Catholic and are a mixture of Europeans, Africans, and Amerindians.-Demography:... |
150 | 0.10% | |
| Costa Rican | 55 | 0.04% | |
| Ecuadorian | 10 | 0.01% | |
| Guatemalan | 85 | 0.05% | |
| Hispanic | 10 | 0.01% | |
| Honduran people | 25 | 0.02% | |
| Maya | 30 | 0.02% | |
| Mexican Mexican people Mexican people refers to all persons from Mexico, a multiethnic country in North America, and/or who identify with the Mexican cultural and/or national identity.... |
475 | 0.30% | |
| Nicaraguan | 35 | 0.02% | |
| Panamanian | 10 | 0.01% | |
| Paraguayan | 195 | 0.10% | |
| Peruvian Peruvian people Peru is a multiethnic country formed by the combination of different groups over five centuries, so people in Peru usually treat their nationality as a citizenship rather than an ethnicity. Amerindians inhabited Peruvian territory for several millennia before Spanish Conquest in the 16th century;... |
10 | 0.01% | |
| Salvadoran | 540 | 0.35% | |
| Venezuela Venezuela Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south... n |
65 | 0.04% | |
| misc. Latin, Central or South American, n.i.e.** | 160 | 0.01% | |
| Austrian | 1,500 | 1.00% | |
| Belgian | 620 | 0.40% | |
| Dutch (Netherlands) Dutch people The Dutch people are an ethnic group native to the Netherlands. They share a common culture and speak the Dutch language. Dutch people and their descendants are found in migrant communities worldwide, notably in Suriname, Chile, Brazil, Canada, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, and the United... |
16,645 | 10.63% | % not incl. Frisians or Flemish |
| Flemish Flemish people The Flemings or Flemish are the Dutch-speaking inhabitants of Belgium, where they are mostly found in the northern region of Flanders. They are one of two principal cultural-linguistic groups in Belgium, the other being the French-speaking Walloons... |
110 | 0.07% | |
| Frisian | 160 | 0.10% | |
| German Ethnic German Ethnic Germans historically also ), also collectively referred to as the German diaspora, refers to people who are of German ethnicity. Many are not born in Europe or in the modern-day state of Germany or hold German citizenship... |
32,580 | 20.80% | |
| Swiss | 1,215 | 0.78% | |
| Finnish | 1,210 | 0.77% | |
| Danish | 1,950 | 1.24% | |
| Iceland | 930 | 0.59% | |
| Norwegian Norwegians Norwegians constitute both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway. They share a common culture and speak the Norwegian language. Norwegian people and their descendants are found in migrant communities worldwide, notably in United States, Canada and Brazil.-History:Towards the end of the 3rd... |
4,715 | 3.01% | |
| Swedish | 4,240 | 2.71% | |
| misc. Scandinavian, n.i.e.** | 310 | 0.20% | may include Sami Sami people The Sami people, also spelled Sámi, or Saami, are the arctic indigenous people inhabiting Sápmi, which today encompasses parts of far northern Sweden, Norway, Finland, the Kola Peninsula of Russia, and the border area between south and middle Sweden and Norway. The Sámi are Europe’s northernmost... and Kven |
| Estonian | 175 | 0.11% | |
| Latvian | 40 | 0.03% | |
| Lithuanian | 130 | 0.08% | |
| Byelorussian | 70 | 0.05% | |
| Czech Czech people Czechs, or Czech people are a western Slavic people of Central Europe, living predominantly in the Czech Republic. Small populations of Czechs also live in Slovakia, Austria, the United States, the United Kingdom, Chile, Argentina, Canada, Germany, Russia and other countries... |
590 | 0.38% | |
| Czechoslovakian | 230 | 0.15% | |
| Slovak | 190 | 0.12% | |
| Hungarian (Magyar) | 2,150 | 1.37% | |
| Polish Poles thumb|right|180px|The state flag of [[Poland]] as used by Polish government and diplomatic authoritiesThe Polish people, or Poles , are a nation indigenous to Poland. They are united by the Polish language, which belongs to the historical Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages of Central Europe... |
4,940 | 3.15% | |
| Romanian | 1,065 | 0.68% | |
| Russian | 7,420 | 4.73% | |
| Ukrainian Ukrainians Ukrainians are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Ukraine, which is the sixth-largest nation in Europe. The Constitution of Ukraine applies the term 'Ukrainians' to all its citizens... |
8,090 | 5.16% | |
| Albanian | 135 | 0.09% | |
| Bosnian | 10 | 0.01% | |
| Bulgarian | 60 | 0.04% | |
| Croatian | 245 | 0.16% | |
| Greek | 655 | 0.42% | |
| Italian Italian people The Italian people are an ethnic group that share a common Italian culture, ancestry and speak the Italian language as a mother tongue. Within Italy, Italians are defined by citizenship, regardless of ancestry or country of residence , and are distinguished from people... |
3,675 | 2.35% | |
| Kosovar Kosovar Kosovar/Kosovan may refer to:* Something of, from, or related to Kosovo, a landlocked region in the Balkans, the majority of which is governed by the partially-recognised Republic of Kosovo.... |
25 | 0.02% | |
| Macedonian Macedonians (ethnic group) The Macedonians also referred to as Macedonian Slavs: "... the term Slavomacedonian was introduced and was accepted by the community itself, which at the time had a much more widespread non-Greek Macedonian ethnic consciousness... |
45 | 0.03% | |
| Maltese Maltese people The Maltese are an ethnic group indigenous to the Southern European nation of Malta, and identified with the Maltese language. Malta is an island in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea... |
55 | 0.04% | |
| Portuguese Portuguese people The Portuguese are a nation and ethnic group native to the country of Portugal, in the west of the Iberian peninsula of south-west Europe. Their language is Portuguese, and Roman Catholicism is the predominant religion.... |
745 | 0.48% | |
| Serbian Serbs The Serbs are a South Slavic ethnic group of the Balkans and southern Central Europe. Serbs are located mainly in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and form a sizable minority in Croatia, the Republic of Macedonia and Slovenia. Likewise, Serbs are an officially recognized minority in... |
100 | 0.08% | |
| Sicilian Sicily Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,... |
10 | 0.01% | |
| Slovenian | 125 | 0.08% | |
| Spanish Spanish people The Spanish are citizens of the Kingdom of Spain. Within Spain, there are also a number of vigorous nationalisms and regionalisms, reflecting the country's complex history.... |
1,600 | 1.02% | |
| Yugoslav, n.i.e.** | 290 | 0.19% | |
| Basque Basque people The Basques as an ethnic group, primarily inhabit an area traditionally known as the Basque Country , a region that is located around the western end of the Pyrenees on the coast of the Bay of Biscay and straddles parts of north-central Spain and south-western France.The Basques are known in the... |
10 | 0.01% | |
| Gypsy (Roma) | 35 | 0.02% | |
| misc. Slav (European) | 40 | 0.03% | |
| Ethnic groups in Europe, n.i.e.** | 260 | 0.17% | |
| Afrikaner Afrikaner Afrikaners are an ethnic group in Southern Africa descended from almost equal numbers of Dutch, French and German settlers whose native tongue is Afrikaans: a Germanic language which derives primarily from 17th century Dutch, and a variety of other languages.-Related ethno-linguistic groups:The... |
25 | 0.02% | |
| Bantu | 10 | 0.01% | |
| Black Black people The term black people is used in systems of racial classification for humans of a dark skinned phenotype, relative to other racial groups.Different societies apply different criteria regarding who is classified as "black", and often social variables such as class, socio-economic status also plays a... |
140 | 0.09% | |
| Congolese (Zairian) | 20 | 0.01% | |
| Congolese, n.o.s.*** | 15 | 0.01% | |
| Dinka | 40 | 0.03% | |
| Ethiopian Ethiopian people Ethiopian people or Ethnic Ethiopians are an ethnic group found in the horn of African country of Ethiopia.-Origins:Ethnic Ethiopians are one of the nearly 80 ethnic groups of the horn of Africa country and are found in every regional state of Ethiopia... |
10 | 0.01% | |
| Ghanaian | 50 | 0.03% | |
| Kenyan | 35 | 0.02% | |
| Mauritian | 20 | 0.01% | |
| Nigerian | 50 | 0.03% | |
| South African | 415 | 0.26% | |
| Sudanese | 20 | 0.01% | |
| Tanzanian | 15 | 0.01% | |
| misc. African African people African people refers to natives, inhabitants, or citizen of Africa and to people of African descent.-Etymology:Many etymological hypotheses that have been postulated for the ancient name "Africa":... , n.i.e.** |
130 | 0.08% | |
| Egyptian | 25 | 0.02% | |
| Iraqi Iraqi people The Iraqi people or Mesopotamian people are natives or inhabitants of the country of Iraq, known since antiquity as Mesopotamia , with a large diaspora throughout the Arab World, Europe, the Americas, and... |
15 | 0.01% | |
| Lebanese Lebanese people The Lebanese people are a nation and ethnic group of Levantine people originating in what is today the country of Lebanon, including those who had inhabited Mount Lebanon prior to the creation of the modern Lebanese state.... |
85 | 0.05% | |
| Maghrebi origins Maghreb The Maghreb is the region of Northwest Africa, west of Egypt. It includes five countries: Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, and Mauritania and the disputed territory of Western Sahara... |
10 | 0.01% | |
| Palestinian Palestinian people The Palestinian people, also referred to as Palestinians or Palestinian Arabs , are an Arabic-speaking people with origins in Palestine. Despite various wars and exoduses, roughly one third of the world's Palestinian population continues to reside in the area encompassing the West Bank, the Gaza... |
65 | 0.04% | |
| Syrian Syrian people The Syrian people are the inhabitants and citizens of Syria. Syrians are tied together by geography, linguistic heritage, religion, and similar Eastern Mediterranean ethnicities... |
50 | 0.03% | |
| misc. Arab, n.i.e. | 75 | 0.05% | |
| Afghan | 50 | 0.03% | |
| Iranian | 185 | 0.12% | |
| Israeli | 15 | 0.01% | |
| Kurd Kurdish people The Kurdish people, or Kurds , are an Iranian people native to the Middle East, mostly inhabiting a region known as Kurdistan, which includes adjacent parts of Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey... |
35 | 0.02% | |
| Tatar | 10 | 0.01% | |
| Turk Turkish people Turkish people, also known as the "Turks" , are an ethnic group primarily living in Turkey and in the former lands of the Ottoman Empire where Turkish minorities had been established in Bulgaria, Cyprus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Greece, Kosovo, Macedonia, and Romania... |
120 | 0.08% | |
| India India India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world... n |
23,445 | 16.47% | |
| Goa Goa Goa , a former Portuguese colony, is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in South West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its... n |
15 | 0.01% | |
| Nepali Nepali people Nepali people can refer to:*People of Nepal*Ethnic Nepalis of Indian citizenry residing in Gorkhaland area of West Bengal, Sikkim, Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram and other parts of India.* Indian Gorkhas*Lhotshampas of Bhutan.*Nepali diaspora the world over.... |
45 | 0.03% | |
| Pakistani | 195 | 0.12% | |
| Punjabi Punjabi people The Punjabi people , ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ), also Panjabi people, are an Indo-Aryan group from South Asia. They are the second largest of the many ethnic groups in South Asia. They originate in the Punjab region, which has been been the location of some of the oldest civilizations in the world including, the... |
2,040 | 1.30% | |
| Sri Lankan Sinhalese people The Sinhalese are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group,forming the majority of Sri Lanka,constituting 74% of the Sri Lankan population.They number approximately 15 million worldwide.The Sinhalese identity is based on language, heritage and religion. The Sinhalese speak Sinhala, an Indo-Aryan language and the... |
50 | 0.03% | |
| Tamil Tamil people Tamil people , also called Tamils or Tamilians, are an ethnic group native to Tamil Nadu, India and the north-eastern region of Sri Lanka. Historic and post 15th century emigrant communities are also found across the world, notably Malaysia, Singapore, Mauritius, South Africa, Australia, Canada,... |
10 | 0.01% | |
| misc. South Asian, n.i.e.** | 820 | 0.52% | |
| Cambodian | 50 | 0.03% | |
| Chinese Han Chinese Han Chinese are an ethnic group native to China and are the largest single ethnic group in the world.Han Chinese constitute about 92% of the population of the People's Republic of China , 98% of the population of the Republic of China , 78% of the population of Singapore, and about 20% of the... |
2,585 | 1.65% | |
| Filipino Filipino people The Filipino people or Filipinos are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the islands of the Philippines. There are about 92 million Filipinos in the Philippines, and about 11 million living outside the Philippines .... |
740 | 0.47% | |
| Indonesian Demographics of Indonesia The population of Indonesia according to the 2010 national census is 237.6 million, with 58% living on the island of Java, the world's most populous island.... |
205 | 0.13% | |
| Japanese Japanese people The are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries... |
890 | 0.57% | |
| Korean Korean people The Korean people are an ethnic group originating in the Korean peninsula and Manchuria. Koreans are one of the most ethnically and linguistically homogeneous groups in the world.-Names:... |
1,665 | 1.06% | |
| Laotian | 240 | 0.15% | |
| Malaysian | 50 | 0.03% | |
| Taiwanese Taiwanese people Taiwanese people may refer to individuals who either claim or are imputed cultural identity focused on the island of Taiwan and/or Taiwan Area which have been governed by the Republic of China since 1945... |
75 | 0.05% | |
| Thai Thai people The Thai people, or Siamese, are the main ethnic group of Thailand and are part of the larger Tai ethnolinguistic peoples found in Thailand and adjacent countries in Southeast Asia as well as southern China. Their language is the Thai language, which is classified as part of the Kradai family of... |
100 | 0.06% | |
| Vietnamese Vietnamese people The Vietnamese people are an ethnic group originating from present-day northern Vietnam and southern China. They are the majority ethnic group of Vietnam, comprising 86% of the population as of the 1999 census, and are officially known as Kinh to distinguish them from other ethnic groups in Vietnam... |
1,150 | 0.73% | |
| East or Southeast Asian, n.i.e.** | 85 | 0.05% | |
| Australian Australian people Australian people, or simply Australians, are the citizens of Australia. Australia is a multi-ethnic nation, and therefore the term "Australian" is not a racial identifier. Aside from the Indigenous Australian population, nearly all Australians or their ancestors immigrated within the past 230 years... |
265 | 0.17% | |
| New Zealander | 145 | 0.09% | |
| Fijian Fijian people Fijian people are the major indigenous people of the Fiji Islands, and live in an area informally called Melanesia. The Fijian people are believed to have arrived in Fiji from western Melanesia approximately 3,500 years ago, though the exact origins of the Fijian people are unknown... |
100 | 0.06% | |
| Hawaiian | 50 | 0.03% | |
| Samoan | 10 | 0.01% | |
| *Percentages total more than 100% due to multiple responses e.g. German-East Indian, Norwegian-Irish-Polish. | |||
| **Not included elsewhere. | |||
| ***Not otherwise specified. |
| Ethnic Origin by Regional grouping | Population | Percent of 156,640 |
|---|---|---|
| British Isles origins | 65,495 | 41.81% |
| French origins1 | 13,745 | 8.77% |
| Aboriginal origins2 | 7,860 | 5.02% |
| Other North American origins3 | 31,870 | 20.34% |
| Caribbean origins | 665 | 0.43% |
| Latin, Central and South American origins4 | 2,070 | 1.32% |
| Western European origins5 | 46,395 | 29.62% |
| Northern European origins6 | 12,140 | 7.75% |
| Eastern European origin7 | 21,765 | 13.89% |
| Southern European origins | 7,470 | 4.77% |
| Other European origins8 | 840 | 00.54% |
| African origins9 | 990 | 0.63% |
| Arab origins10 | 320 | 0.20% |
| West Asian origins11 | 410 | 00.26% |
| South Asian origins | 25,800 | 16.47% |
| East and Southeast Asian origins | 7,375 | 4.71% |
| Oceania origins12 | 565 | 0.36% |
| Footnotes to Ethnic Origin by Regional Grouping |
|---|
| 1Census Canada does not distinguish between European and North American French origins. This category includes Acadians; Québécois-only (not multiple responses) are in North American origins. |
| 2Métis, First Nations, Inuit, Native Americans, Alaska Natives |
| 3American, Canadian, Québécois, Newfoundlander, does not include aboriginal peoples |
| 4Including aboriginal people of South and Central America |
| 5Germany, Austria, Benelux, Switzerland |
| 6Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Iceland |
| 7Slavic and Baltic countries, plus Hungary and Albania |
| 8Roma (Gypsy), Jewish, Basque, misc. Slav |
| 9Excluding Arab countries of the Maghreb, including Afrikaners and other white South Africans |
| 10Including the Maghreb/North Africa |
| 11Afghan, Iranian, Azerbaijani, Kurdish, Turkish, Georgian, Armenian |
| 12Pacific Islands, Australia, New Zealand |
Abbotsford's largest religious group is Christian
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
at 61.4 percent of the population. The Lutheran and Anabaptist
Anabaptist
Anabaptists are Protestant Christians of the Radical Reformation of 16th-century Europe, and their direct descendants, particularly the Amish, Brethren, Hutterites, and Mennonites....
(Mennonite Brethren and Mennonite Church) denominations make up the largest congregations. The next largest religious group is Sikh
Sikh
A Sikh is a follower of Sikhism. It primarily originated in the 15th century in the Punjab region of South Asia. The term "Sikh" has its origin in Sanskrit term शिष्य , meaning "disciple, student" or शिक्ष , meaning "instruction"...
, comprising 13.4 percent of the population. The city contains the first Sikh Gurdwara
Gurdwara
A Gurdwara , meaning the Gateway to the Guru, is the place of worship for Sikhs, the followers of Sikhism. A Gurdwara can be identified from a distance by tall flagpoles bearing the Nishan Sahib ....
built in Canada (in 1911), which is also the oldest in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
. It is now a historic site in Abbotsford. It is now over 100 years old.
Quick facts
- Population (2007): 131,827
- % Change (2001–2006): 7.2
- Resident labour force (2001): 58,140
- Dwellings (2006): 45,286
- Area (km2): 359.36
- Density (persons per km2) (2006): 344.7
- Gross income of population (2002): $2,337,376,686
- Average household income (2001): $56,165
- Average individual income (2001): $26,794
Climate
Like many locations of a similar latitude, Abbotsford has four distinct seasons. However, the proximity to the Pacific Ocean provides milder winters, along with much greater rainfall than inland areas of the country. The influence of the Pacific also makes the transition between seasons more gradual compared to locations further inland.Spring
Spring starts out cool and generally showery before gradually turning warmer and drier. Below freezing temperatures may occur overnight into May, and snow may fall until the end of April, but it normally melts quickly. Normal daytime highs range from near 10 °C in March to the low 20's in June. During periods of warmth, temperatures can reach into the mid 20's C during March and April, and can exceed 30 °C from May onwards.
Summer
Summer on the west coast is known for its relative dryness. It is not uncommon to receive little or no rainfall for weeks at a time. August averages only 20% of November's rainfall, and only about 16% of annual precipation falls between June 1 and October 1. Un-watered grass often turns brown in July, and may not need to be cut until September, when significant rains become more likely.
Rain that falls during summer is normally quite light, but can occasionally come in the form of thunderstorms. Thunderstorms typically signal the end of a period of hot weather and a return to cooler, cloudier conditions.
Summers in Abbotsford are relatively warm compared to Vancouver, and can become quite hot on occasion. The average daily high in August is 23.8 °C, but highs over 30 °C are not uncommon. The highest temperature ever recorded was 38.0°C on July 29, 2009 at Abbotsford Airport.
Nights are usually fairly comfortable, even when the days are hot. It is rare for the temperature to stay above 20 °C at night, often falling as low as 10 °C. During warm spells, the temperature may range by as much as 20 °C in 12 hours (for example; a morning low of 11°C and an afternoon high of 31 °C).
Autumn
Autumn is characterized by increasingly unsettled and cooler conditions. Temperatures may still reach the mid or even upper 20's C at first, but rainfall becomes more frequent and temperatures drop in October. Frost may occur in late September, and at any time during October.
October 1 heralds the unofficial start of the rainy season, but the heaviest rains occur in November, which averages 234.3 mm of rain and 6.3 cm of snow (240.9 mm combined). According to Environment Canada, Abbotsford is the fourth wettest of 100 major cities in Canada, with 1573.2 mm of combined rain and snow annually. A weather pattern known as the Pineapple Express often brings significant rainstorms in autumn and winter.
The earliest snowfall has been known to occur at the end of October, but more frequently occurs in November. In milder years, there may be no snow until December. Occasionally, there will be a spell of sub-freezing weather in late November or early December. This may be accompanied by snow and high winds, but is usually short-lived.
Winter
With a mean temperature of about 2.5 °C in January, Abbotsford's winters are cool, but relatively mild compared to most of Canada. However, the overcast and damp conditions may be subjectively less pleasant than colder sunny weather.
The coldest month on record at Abbotsford International Airport is January 1950, with a mean temperature of -8.6 °C (an average high of -4.7 °C and an average low of -12.4 °C). It was during this time that Abbotsford also set its all-time record low temperature of -21.1 °C, on the 18th of that month.
Snow occurs frequently in the surrounding mountains, but less often closer to sea level. There is a general misconception by visitors and residents in other parts of the country that the area does not receive any snow at all, but the truth is that Abbotsford averages 63.5 cm of snow per year, and there has never been a winter when traceable snow has not been observed at both Abbotsford International Airport and Vancouver International Airport. As a matter of fact, Environment Canada currently ranks Abbotsford 44th and Vancouver 59th under the category "Most huge snowfall days (25 cm or more)" out of 100 major Canadian cities, placing them above cities such as Calgary (74th place) and Toronto (99th place).
Snow in Abbotsford tends to be quite wet, which when combined with typical winter temperatures rising above and falling below freezing throughout the course of the day, can make for unusually slippery road conditions. Years or even months with snowfall surpassing the 100 cm mark are also not completely exceptional; the former occurred twice in the 1990s, while January 1954 saw more than 140 cm of snow. Snow can fall at any time between October and May.
Snowfall accumulations tend to vary greatly by year and season. During the winter of 1990-1991, 152.3 cm fell; the next winter, only a trace of snow was recorded. In the year 1996, 199.2 cm (over six feet) was recorded; the next year, only 6.2 cm fell. Serious snow storms occurred most recently in December 2008, when as much as 60 cm fell in the days leading up to Christmas. Abbotsford can expect a White Christmas once every five years on average.
Economy
62% of Abbotsford residents work in the city of Abbotsford itself. Most of the remaining 38% commutes to MissionMission, British Columbia
Mission, the core of which was formerly known as Mission City, is a district municipality in the province of British Columbia, Canada. It is situated on the north bank of the Fraser River overlooking the City of Abbotsford and with that city is part of the Central Fraser Valley. Mission is the...
, Chilliwack
Chilliwack, British Columbia
Chilliwack is a Canadian city in the Province of British Columbia. It is a predominantly agricultural community with an estimated population of 80,000 people. Chilliwack is the second largest city in the Fraser Valley Regional District after Abbotsford. The city is surrounded by mountains and...
or to Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
and its suburbs (primarily Surrey
Surrey, British Columbia
Surrey is a city in the province of British Columbia, Canada. It is a member municipality of Metro Vancouver, the governing body of the Greater Vancouver Regional District...
and Langley
Langley, British Columbia (city)
The City of Langley is a municipality in Metro Vancouver. It lies directly east of the City of Surrey, adjacent to Cloverdale, and surrounded on the north, east and south by Township of Langley.-History:...
).
More than 25% of Abbotsford's work force commutes to Abbotsford from other municipalities.
The Conference Board of Canada has identified the local economy as one of the most diverse in the country. Abbotsford's main industries are agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
, transport
Transport
Transport or transportation is the movement of people, cattle, animals and goods from one location to another. Modes of transport include air, rail, road, water, cable, pipeline, and space. The field can be divided into infrastructure, vehicles, and operations...
ation, manufacturing
Manufacturing
Manufacturing is the use of machines, tools and labor to produce goods for use or sale. The term may refer to a range of human activity, from handicraft to high tech, but is most commonly applied to industrial production, in which raw materials are transformed into finished goods on a large scale...
and retail
Retail
Retail consists of the sale of physical goods or merchandise from a fixed location, such as a department store, boutique or kiosk, or by mail, in small or individual lots for direct consumption by the purchaser. Retailing may include subordinated services, such as delivery. Purchasers may be...
. The city earns the highest dollar per acre of agricultural land in the country, greater than the Niagara Region and the North Okanagan
North Okanagan
North Okanagan was the name of a provincial electoral district in the Canadian province of British Columbia beginning with the election of 1916. Following the 1975 election boundary revisions accompanied the riding's renaming to Okanagan North...
. The city is home to three federal prisons, each of which employs between 200 and 500 officers and support staff. There is also a growing aerospace
Aerospace
Aerospace comprises the atmosphere of Earth and surrounding space. Typically the term is used to refer to the industry that researches, designs, manufactures, operates, and maintains vehicles moving through air and space...
industry led by Cascade Aerospace
Cascade Aerospace
Cascade Aerospace Inc. of Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada is a privately-held Canadian specialty aerospace and defence contractor focused on providing long-term integrated aircraft support programs for Original Equipment Manufacturers , military, government and commercial customers...
and Conair Group Inc.
Education
Public elementary, middle, and secondary schools are administered by School District 34 AbbotsfordSchool District 34 Abbotsford
School District 34 Abbotsford is a school district in the Fraser Valley of British Columbia. The district is located in the city of Abbotsford.It has seen steady growth as a result of Abbotsford's place as one of the fastest growing cities in North America....
. Private schools include St. John Brebeuf Regional Secondary
St. John Brebeuf Regional Secondary
St. John Brebeuf Regional Secondary is a Catholic school, under the administration of CISVA school board....
, Mennonite Educational Institute
Mennonite Educational Institute
Mennonite Educational Institute is an independent school consisting of four day schools — a preschool, elementary, middle, and secondary school — in the city of Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada...
, Abbotsford Christian School and the Dasmesh Punjabi School.
Post Secondary institutions in the city include the University of the Fraser Valley, religious institutions such as Columbia Bible College
Columbia Bible College (Abbotsford, British Columbia)
Columbia Bible College is an institution of higher education in Abbotsford, British Columbia. The college states that its mission is to prepare people for a life of discipleship, service and ministry...
and Summit Pacific College
Summit Pacific College
Summit Pacific College is an undergraduate seminary, or Bible college, on a foothill of Sumas Mountain in the Clayburn Village of Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada...
, as well as career colleges such as Career Gate Community College, Sprott-Shaw Community College, Vancouver Career College, Métis Skills & Employment Centre, and CDI College.
There is also a virtual school
Virtual school
A virtual school or cyberschool describes an institution that teaches courses entirely or primarily through online methods. Though there are tens of thousands of commercial and non-accredited courses available online, the term "virtual school" is generally reserved for accredited schools that teach...
called "Abbotsford Virtual School
Abbotsford Virtual School
Abbotsford Virtual School is a Distributed Learning school, located in Abbotsford, British Columbia, that provides collaborative educational programs for Kindergarten to Grade 12 students and any BC resident wanting to complete courses to graduate...
" that offers more than 30 semestered online courses. This school offers a unique Animation and Modeling program that teaches students aspects of the video gaming industry.
Transportation
Public bus transportation is provided by the regional transit system ValleyMAXValleyMAX
ValleyMAX is a public transit system which provides bus services in the Central Fraser Valley area of British Columbia, Canada...
. Passenger rail service to Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
currently runs from nearby Mission
Mission, British Columbia
Mission, the core of which was formerly known as Mission City, is a district municipality in the province of British Columbia, Canada. It is situated on the north bank of the Fraser River overlooking the City of Abbotsford and with that city is part of the Central Fraser Valley. Mission is the...
by way of the West Coast Express
West Coast Express
West Coast Express is the interregional commuter railway in British Columbia, Canada. Opened in 1995, it links Mission, Maple Ridge, Pitt Meadows, Port Coquitlam, Coquitlam, and Port Moody with Waterfront Station in Downtown Vancouver, where it interchanges with SkyTrain rapid transit, SeaBus and...
.
Air links are provided by the Abbotsford International Airport
Abbotsford International Airport
Abbotsford International Airport is located in the City of Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada, southwest of the city centre.The airport is classified as an airport of entry by NAV CANADA and is staffed by the Canada Border Services Agency...
. The airport is one of the fastest growing commercial airports in western Canada, and acts as a reliever airport for Vancouver International Airport
Vancouver International Airport
Vancouver International Airport is located on Sea Island in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada, about from Downtown Vancouver. In 2010 it was the second busiest airport in Canada by aircraft movements and passengers , behind Toronto Pearson International Airport, with non-stop flights daily to...
. WestJet
WestJet
WestJet Airlines Ltd. is a Canadian low-cost carrier that provides scheduled and charter air service to 71 destinations in Canada, the United States, Mexico and the Caribbean. Founded in 1996, WestJet is currently the second largest Canadian air carrier, behind Air Canada, operating an average of...
provides regular scheduled service from the airport, due to its proximity to Vancouver's eastern suburbs. The airport is also the home of the annual Abbotsford International Airshow
Abbotsford International Airshow
The Abbotsford International Airshow is held annually on the second Friday, Saturday and Sunday in August at Abbotsford International Airport in Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada....
.
Major transportation routes leading into Abbotsford are the Trans-Canada Highway
Trans-Canada Highway
The Trans-Canada Highway is a federal-provincial highway system that joins the ten provinces of Canada. It is, along with the Trans-Siberian Highway and Australia's Highway 1, one of the world's longest national highways, with the main route spanning 8,030 km...
(#1), Abbotsford-Mission Highway (#11) and the Fraser Highway (#1A). Access to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
is via the Huntingdon
Huntingdon, British Columbia
Huntingdon is a community within Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada. It is located immediately north of the Canada - US Border. The main road through the community is Highway 11. The name of the community is also the present name of the border crossing connecting to Sumas, Washington...
border crossing.
Media
Due to its proximity to Vancouver, most Vancouver television and radio stations are also available throughout the Fraser Valley, although in a few cases there are repeater stations licensed to different centres in the region. Some stations from Washington, USA is also available in the Fraser Valley due to its proximity to the border.Sports
The NHL's Calgary FlamesCalgary Flames
The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is the third major-professional ice hockey team to represent the city of Calgary, following the...
have relocated their AHL
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...
affiliate to Abbotsford. The American Hockey League approved the franchise relocation on April 28, 2009, and on May 14 of that year, the team name was announced as the Abbotsford Heat
Abbotsford Heat
The Abbotsford Heat are a professional ice hockey team based in Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada. The Heat began play during 2009-10 season, and are the affiliate of the National Hockey League's Calgary Flames...
.
Abbotsford's Jane and Gerry Swan Track at Rotary Stadium
Rotary Stadium
Jane & Gerry Swan Track at Rotary Stadium is a fully lighted, multi-purpose stadium located in Abbotsford, British Columbia. It features a rubberized 400 metre running track with wide turns and full field event facilities...
is home to the Valley Royals Track & Field Club
Valley Royals Track & Field Club
The Valley Royals Track & Field Club is an athletics club based out of Abbotsford, British Columbia. Their uniforms are royal blue, red, and white, and their head coach is the legendary Gerry Swan...
, who have produced numerous Olympians including two for the 2008 Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
. Rotary Stadium is also home to the Canadian Junior Football League's Abbotsford Air Force
Abbotsford Air Force
The Abbotsford Air Force was a Canadian Junior Football team based in Abbotsford, British Columbia. The Air Force played in the eight-team B.C. Football Conference, which itself is part of the Canadian Junior Football League and competes annually for the national title known as the Canadian Bowl...
; however, the Air Force fell into non-playing status for the 2007 and 2008 seasons.
The Abbotsford Pilots
Abbotsford Pilots
The Abbotsford Pilots are a Junior "B" Ice Hockey team based in Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Harold Brittain Conference of the Pacific International Junior Hockey League...
of the Pacific International Junior Hockey League
Pacific International Junior Hockey League
The Pacific International Junior Hockey League is a Junior "B" Ice Hockey league in British Columbia, Canada, sanctioned by Hockey Canada. The winner of the PIJHL playoffs competes with the champions of the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League and the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League...
(Junior B level) play at MSA Arena, which is Abbotsford's 2nd largest arena at just over 400 seats. Abbotsford was considered as a possible home for the Chilliwack Chiefs (Junior A), who were forced to move in 2006 when the Chilliwack Bruins
Chilliwack Bruins
The Chilliwack Bruins were a major junior ice hockey team in the Western Hockey League, based out of Chilliwack, British Columbia. The 2006–07 season marked the Bruins inaugural season in the WHL. The team played at Prospera Centre, which was expanded to 5,386 seats for the arrival of the Bruins...
(a WHL expansion team) took over their arena, Prospera Centre. Abbotsford would have become the home of the Chiefs if the city had supported them in building a new arena; instead, the Chiefs moved to Langley. Ironically, construction has now been completed in Abbotsford on a far bigger sports & entertainment centre (with 7,500 seats).
Abbotsford Minor Hockey is one of the largest associations in British Columbia with more than 1000 players registered from the ages of 5 through 18 years old. This association is recognized by many as a model and a leader in the development of minor hockey programs, and several Abbotsford-raised players have gone on to the highest levels of this sport. In the 2005-2006 hockey season, Abbotsford's Bantam AAA team were ultimately the Western Canadian Bantam Champions, and eight individual players from this team (the most ever) were selected in the 2006 WHL Bantam Draft.
Abbotsford has a superior Youth soccer program, winning 2 national titles, and numerous provincial titles. It is also home of soccer all stars Sophie Schmidt, Brad Petoom and Adam Lang. Abbotsford is home to the Abbotsford Mariners of the United Soccer Leagues
United Soccer Leagues
The United Soccer Leagues is the organizer of several soccer leagues with teams in the United States, Canada and the Caribbean. It includes men's and women's leagues, both professional and amateur. Leagues currently organized are the USL Pro, the USL Premier Development League, the W-League, and...
Premier Development League, the highest level of amateur soccer in North America.
Abbotsford is home to many high school sports, with Abbotsford Collegiate
Abbotsford Collegiate
Abbotsford Collegiate formerly Abbotsford Senior Secondary is a public high school in Abbotsford, British Columbia part of School District 34 Abbotsford. The school name was changed over the summer of 2006, as part of the school district merging Abbotsford Senior Secondary and the Career Technical...
, W.J. Mouat Secondary
W.J. Mouat Secondary School
W.J. Mouat Secondary is a secondary school located in Abbotsford, B.C. The school was recognized in the August 23, 2004 edition of MacLean's magazine as one of the “Ten Most Innovative Schools in Canada.”W. J...
, Rick Hansen Secondary
Rick Hansen Secondary School (Abbotsford)
Rick Hansen Secondary is a public high school in Abbotsford, British Columbia part of School District 34 Abbotsford.Rick Hansen Secondary School is named after Rick Hansen, an athlete who won all-star awards in five sports when he was paralyzed at the age of 15 after being thrown from the back of...
, Robert Bateman Secondary, St. John Brebeuf Secondary, Yale Secondary
Yale Secondary School
Yale Secondary is a public high school in Abbotsford, British Columbia part of School District 34 Abbotsford. There are approximately 1200 full-time students in grades 9 through 12. The current principal is Jay Pankratz, who has been the principal since the middle of the 2009-2010 school year. He...
, and the Mennonite Educational Institute
Mennonite Educational Institute
Mennonite Educational Institute is an independent school consisting of four day schools — a preschool, elementary, middle, and secondary school — in the city of Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada...
, among others, doing very well in track and field, volleyball, basketball, and football. These schools have consistently ranked among the highest in the province. The Yale Secondary Senior Boys Basketball Team, under Coach Al Friesen, won the 2008 ‘AAA’ provincial boys' basketball championship.
Abbotsford's rugby club
Abbotsford RFC
The Abbotsford Rugby Football Club is a Canadian rugby union club based in Abbotsford, British Columbia.The Abbotsford RFC was founded in 1972. There are three men's sides, a women's team, and youth teams for under 19 men, under 18 women, under 17 boys, under 16 boys, under 15 boys, under 14 boys...
supports three men's teams, two women's teams, U19 men's and women's, U15 U16 and U17 men's, and a great mini rugby program. Many of Abbotsford's players have gone on to play for Canada, such as Erin Lockwood, Ryan McWhinney, Scott Hunter, Bryn Keys, and Brodie Henderson.
In Olympic sports, Abbotsford's Alana Kraus has won medals in short-track speed skating.
| Club | League | Sport | Venue | Established | Championships |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abbotsford Heat Abbotsford Heat The Abbotsford Heat are a professional ice hockey team based in Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada. The Heat began play during 2009-10 season, and are the affiliate of the National Hockey League's Calgary Flames... |
American Hockey League The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League... |
Ice hockey Ice hockey Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take... |
Abbotsford Entertainment & Sports Centre Abbotsford Entertainment & Sports Centre The Abbotsford Entertainment & Sports Centre is a 7,046-seat multi-purpose arena in Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada. The arena was expected to cost $64.7-million. Construction began on September 24, 2007... |
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| Abbotsford Pilots Abbotsford Pilots The Abbotsford Pilots are a Junior "B" Ice Hockey team based in Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Harold Brittain Conference of the Pacific International Junior Hockey League... |
Pacific International Junior Hockey League The Pacific International Junior Hockey League is a Junior "B" Ice Hockey league in British Columbia, Canada, sanctioned by Hockey Canada. The winner of the PIJHL playoffs competes with the champions of the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League and the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League... |
Ice hockey Ice hockey Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take... |
MSA Arena | |
|
| Abbotsford Mariners | USL Premier Development League The USL Premier Development League is the amateur league of the United Soccer Leagues in the United States, Canada, and Bermuda, forming part of the American Soccer Pyramid... |
Soccer | Bateman Park Bateman Park Bateman Park is a soccer stadium located in Abbotsford, British Columbia. It is the home venue for the Fraser Valley Cascades soccer team.... |
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|
| Abbotsford RFC Abbotsford RFC The Abbotsford Rugby Football Club is a Canadian rugby union club based in Abbotsford, British Columbia.The Abbotsford RFC was founded in 1972. There are three men's sides, a women's team, and youth teams for under 19 men, under 18 women, under 17 boys, under 16 boys, under 15 boys, under 14 boys... |
Fraser Valley Rugby Union The Fraser Valley Rugby Union is the administrative body for rugby union in the Fraser Valley of British Columbia. The FVRU currently consists of 10 rugby clubs.The Fraser Valley senior men's representative team is known as the Venom.... |
Rugby Rugby football Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:... |
CFV Exhibition Park | |
|
Crime
As of July 20, 2006, the Abbotsford metropolitan area as defined by Census Canada (which includes MissionMission, British Columbia
Mission, the core of which was formerly known as Mission City, is a district municipality in the province of British Columbia, Canada. It is situated on the north bank of the Fraser River overlooking the City of Abbotsford and with that city is part of the Central Fraser Valley. Mission is the...
) had the highest property crime rate and the second highest violent crime rate for cities with a population of 100,000 to 500,000 in Canada.
Additionally, as of October 26, 2010 the metropolitan area had the highest rate of homicides nationally for two years running with a rate of 5.22 homicides per 100,000 population. (Versus the national average of 1.81 per 100,000.)
The City of Abbotsford has its own municipal police force, one of eleven municipal police forces in British Columbia. It is the third largest municipal police force in British Columbia (behind Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
and Victoria
Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia, Canada and is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of about 78,000 within the metropolitan area of Greater Victoria, which has a population of 360,063, the 15th most populous Canadian...
). As of 2006, the Abbotsford Police Department employed nearly 200 officers and 80 civilian employees.
The Abbotsford Police Department was officially formed in 1995 when the District of Matsqui
District of Matsqui
Matsqui is a former District Municipality in British Columbia, Canada. It was incorporated in 1892, and merged with the District Municipality of Abbotsford in 1995 to create the new City of Abbotsford. Matsqui used to be the west part of what is now Abbotsford...
and the District of Abbotsford amalgamated to become the City of Abbotsford. Prior to the amalgamation, the District of Matsqui was patrolled by the Matsqui Police and the District of Abbotsford by the RCMP. During the referendum citizens elected to keep a municipal police force.
The Abbotsford Police Department were involved in the investigation and arrest of the "Abbotsford killer" Terry Driver
Terry Driver
Terry Driver, aka the Abbotsford killer is a convicted Canadian murderer who attacked two teenage girls with a baseball bat, killed one, then taunted police with letters and phone calls....
.
Areas
These places represent parts of the city that have more than one neighbourhood in them.- Abbotsford East
- Abbotsford West
- Aberdeen
- Bradner
- Central Abbotsford
- Matsqui
- Poplar
- Sumas Mountain
- Sumas Prairie
Neighbourhoods
- Aberdeen
- Arnold
- Auguston
- Blueridge
- Bradner
- Clayburn
- Clearbrook
- Downtown
- Eagle Mountain
- Gifford
- Glen Mountain
- Huntingdon
- Kilgard
- MatsquiDistrict of MatsquiMatsqui is a former District Municipality in British Columbia, Canada. It was incorporated in 1892, and merged with the District Municipality of Abbotsford in 1995 to create the new City of Abbotsford. Matsqui used to be the west part of what is now Abbotsford...
- McKinley Heights
- Mount Lehman
- North Poplar
- Peardonville
- Sandy Hill
- South Poplar
- Straiton
- Townline
Neighbouring communities
Notable residents
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