Shape the Regional Growth Strategy

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  Country life

  by Sonogirl , about 5 years ago
  I moved to chilliwack from Coquitlam in the early 80’s. the idea of a quiet country life is what drew me here. I’ve worked in healthcare my whole career. I’ve seen chilliwack change from a beautiful country town to an extension of Vancouver. It is no longer the gem it once was. Safety has become a prime concern and crime has spiked.

  the farmland is disappearing, replaced by large mansions and non ALR land use . What will we do when we have to import all of our food because we paved over our crops

  I miss the quiet life... Continue reading

  I moved to chilliwack from Coquitlam in the early 80’s. the idea of a quiet country life is what drew me here. I’ve worked in healthcare my whole career. I’ve seen chilliwack change from a beautiful country town to an extension of Vancouver. It is no longer the gem it once was. Safety has become a prime concern and crime has spiked.

  the farmland is disappearing, replaced by large mansions and non ALR land use . What will we do when we have to import all of our food because we paved over our crops

  I miss the quiet life that drew me here

  
  
  
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  Looking for quiet country

  by German lady, about 5 years ago

  We settled in the eastern Fraser Valley in 1989, as we were looking for an acreage to raise kids and have a garden in a quiet country community. After my husband passed away I raised my daughter as a single parent and continued planting many , many flowers and creating a botanical garden with around 150 rhododendrons and azaleas. I grow most of our food and have a few chickens. The yard and garden definitely became a retreat for all kinds of wildlife as latest developments have robbed them from their habitats . Over time I have seen a lot... Continue reading

  We settled in the eastern Fraser Valley in 1989, as we were looking for an acreage to raise kids and have a garden in a quiet country community. After my husband passed away I raised my daughter as a single parent and continued planting many , many flowers and creating a botanical garden with around 150 rhododendrons and azaleas. I grow most of our food and have a few chickens. The yard and garden definitely became a retreat for all kinds of wildlife as latest developments have robbed them from their habitats . Over time I have seen a lot of changes as more forests and meadows got turned into subdivisions.The road along the back side of our property became so noisy that sitting on our patio for quiet time is not possible anymore. I have also noticed a huge spike in crime, break ins into my shed, garage, and stealing. Another problem is the amount of garbage dumped along the road and into our property since some fast food chains and a liquor store opened not far from us. We chose this place once to be rural and now I feel this has all changed for the worse. I am still holding on to our oasis, but I don't know for how long I can. Farmland needs to stay put and growth and development must be stopped. The infrastructure (highway) can not take that much anymore. Everything is getting congested. We must protect the farmland for food .
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  Moving out of the City

  by ismission, about 5 years ago
  We have moved out of the City 17yrs ago, to be able to afford a home. We have loved Mission ever since: the outdoors, the community, the schools. Moving on to a new stage in life, where children are growing up and wanting to be more independent, FVRD could use better transit access, as it is not easy to travel out to the Lower Mainland, and it seems car travel is still necessary. Better bus/train connectivity other than just super early hours during the week would be helpful to many.

  We have moved out of the City 17yrs ago, to be able to afford a home. We have loved Mission ever since: the outdoors, the community, the schools. Moving on to a new stage in life, where children are growing up and wanting to be more independent, FVRD could use better transit access, as it is not easy to travel out to the Lower Mainland, and it seems car travel is still necessary. Better bus/train connectivity other than just super early hours during the week would be helpful to many.
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  Retiree Heaven

  by KLG, about 5 years ago
  After living in Port Coquitlam for over 30 years, my husband and I decided to move into a single level home. We were retired and were tired of up and own stairs, inside and out. During many travels through the Fraser Valley and the Okanagan, we decided Chilliwack was someplace we would like to live in. The qualifications were:

  lots of single level homes, NOT ANYMORE.

  close to the freeway for travel to the interior and the U.S.

  near an airport and Costco - in Abbotsford.

  a decent number of grocery stores, drug stores, clothing stores, etc.

  and last but... Continue reading

  After living in Port Coquitlam for over 30 years, my husband and I decided to move into a single level home. We were retired and were tired of up and own stairs, inside and out. During many travels through the Fraser Valley and the Okanagan, we decided Chilliwack was someplace we would like to live in. The qualifications were:

  lots of single level homes, NOT ANYMORE.

  close to the freeway for travel to the interior and the U.S.

  near an airport and Costco - in Abbotsford.

  a decent number of grocery stores, drug stores, clothing stores, etc.

  and last but not least, weather. The weather is great here.

  The downside is that everytime we need something it seems we have to go to Abbotsford to get it. The TRAFFIC has become ridiculous. We need more roads in and out of this place. We would love to see a passenger train connect us to other areas. NOT SKYTRAIN.

  Businesses have declined, more homeless people have come or been dumped here, the hospital is too small with the growing number of people not to mention a lack of doctors in all classifications.

  There is a lack of space to expand due to ALR restrictions, and rightly so. We need to keep all our farm lands, but let them diversify so farmers can stay. Let them do events, have B & B's, or restaurants and wineries on sight.

  Let's build up, not out. We already have lovely parks, lakes, and a river.

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  
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  Single mother creates a beautiful home for her family

  by ccavanaugh, about 5 years ago
  I had worked very hard at two jobs and saved some money as a single mom. We lived at the time in Vancouver but where could we afford to buy? Chilliwack. I found a heritage home on a lot large enough to plant fruit trees, have a garden, build a tree fort. It was a dream come true. My kids could walk to school, whatever their age, walk to a fishing hole, walk to the library, walk to a cow field. It was heaven on earth.

  I had worked very hard at two jobs and saved some money as a single mom. We lived at the time in Vancouver but where could we afford to buy? Chilliwack. I found a heritage home on a lot large enough to plant fruit trees, have a garden, build a tree fort. It was a dream come true. My kids could walk to school, whatever their age, walk to a fishing hole, walk to the library, walk to a cow field. It was heaven on earth.
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  Grew up here, Raising family here

  by DJS, about 5 years ago
  I remember when the Chilliwack mall was built, and the Sheffield plaza was a corn field. This town has changed so much since those days you wouldn’t recognize it now. I used to think, when I was a kid, that Chilliwack was a hole! But then I travelled the world a bit and realized we are truly spoiled to live here. My kids are attending my old high school, and my old school friends are their teachers! Chilliwack is a big town now, but we still have small town ties that keep our communities together. I know we can’t keep... Continue reading

  I remember when the Chilliwack mall was built, and the Sheffield plaza was a corn field. This town has changed so much since those days you wouldn’t recognize it now. I used to think, when I was a kid, that Chilliwack was a hole! But then I travelled the world a bit and realized we are truly spoiled to live here. My kids are attending my old high school, and my old school friends are their teachers! Chilliwack is a big town now, but we still have small town ties that keep our communities together. I know we can’t keep this place to ourselves, and thanks to the marvels of social media our little “hole” has been discovered. It seems there are so many people flocking to live here, how on earth can we have bidding wars on houses in Chilliwack??? Anyway the main concern I have for the future is public safety. People don’t realize that if you live on the south side of the freeway and your house is on fire, only 2 firefighters can show up. That’s a fact. We rely way too heavily on our auxiliaries, it’s not fair to them, and it’s not safe for us. Promontory needs its own full time fire hall, and we need a full truck in Sardis, Yarrow, not to mention a full time crew in Rosedale.

  I know I know, fire fighters are expensive. And nobody wants to pay more property tax right? But think about all these new homes being built, all these new dwellings, each one is paying property tax. So believe me the money is there. I’d be willing to shave off some of the parks and Rec budget too if it meant I had a full truck show up to my property fire. Just sayin.
• Share Admit that Chilliwack is no longer a small town on Facebook Share Admit that Chilliwack is no longer a small town on X (formerly Twitter) Share Admit that Chilliwack is no longer a small town on Linkedin Email Admit that Chilliwack is no longer a small town link

  Admit that Chilliwack is no longer a small town

  by NFS, about 5 years ago

  There needs to be more than two ways to Promontory, more major roads out of the city, extend the parallel roads from Abbotsford all the way to Chilliwack so there are more routes off of Hwy1 when there is the inevitable crash. Add more police officers and clean the streets so that people can feel safe. And for the love of all that is holy please add a Costco.

  There needs to be more than two ways to Promontory, more major roads out of the city, extend the parallel roads from Abbotsford all the way to Chilliwack so there are more routes off of Hwy1 when there is the inevitable crash. Add more police officers and clean the streets so that people can feel safe. And for the love of all that is holy please add a Costco.
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  Ryder Lake

  by c_joy, about 5 years ago
  We live in the beautiful mountainous farming community of Ryder Lake. We love the peace and quiet and the beautiful forests and animals. We farm goats That we use for milk and meat and we have a herd of Angus cows. Our LGD protects all our animals which enables us to live happily with wild creatures. Our son is building a home to live here with us and help us farm as we age. We also make lots of small hay bales for sale and to winter our own herds. It is a wonderful life that we hope to pass... Continue reading

  We live in the beautiful mountainous farming community of Ryder Lake. We love the peace and quiet and the beautiful forests and animals. We farm goats That we use for milk and meat and we have a herd of Angus cows. Our LGD protects all our animals which enables us to live happily with wild creatures. Our son is building a home to live here with us and help us farm as we age. We also make lots of small hay bales for sale and to winter our own herds. It is a wonderful life that we hope to pass on to our children. We are attempting to help our son get into the housing market which is crazy in Chilliwack hence we are sharing this land.
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  Less traffic

  by Amanda, about 5 years ago
  We Moved from Langley out to mission because we were looking for property. We found 5 acres eight years ago at a price we could afford, and a house we could rely on as an investment 30 years down the road. Part of our retirement plan.

  
  While that was one factor, we were also looking for less traffic. Langley’s traffic problem even in the late 90s was horrendous and while there are some improvements it is still bad. While my commute has gotten better (I now work and live in mission) my partners is worse it was 35 minutes and... Continue reading

  We Moved from Langley out to mission because we were looking for property. We found 5 acres eight years ago at a price we could afford, and a house we could rely on as an investment 30 years down the road. Part of our retirement plan.

  
  While that was one factor, we were also looking for less traffic. Langley’s traffic problem even in the late 90s was horrendous and while there are some improvements it is still bad. While my commute has gotten better (I now work and live in mission) my partners is worse it was 35 minutes and is now 50 minutes each way to work. More industry will need to come to Mission/Abbotsford in order to improve his commute and employment opportunities.

  
  we chose to move to mission for affordability, traffic, privacy. The schools in mission have a bad reputation I’m hoping that the high school will be okay as my oldest starts soon the elementary schools and middle schools have been great. I hope a new high school is built in the near future and good planning will result in a new high school in the silverdale development before Mission secondary is busting at the seams.

  
  At the time we had to remain in the Fraser Valley due to family obligations. But mission was attractive because it has better air quality than Chilliwack, lower housing costs than Abbotsford and Langley. We knew it was a growing community and it would not have all the services that we would want but it was a sacrifice we were willing to make. I would like more playgrounds, established walking hiking trails, more community programs and safer multi-use roadways.

  I love the mountains and the forests of mission! whatever development plans for silverdale there should be large swathes of greenways and forest left in tact that is managed by our indigenous community partnerships. For both economic and environmental sustainability. Silverdale needs a long term plan that has both high density, and low density that reflects the needs of the environment and the community. For the low density lower property taxes for those who maintain forests and wooded areas. Rather than cleared land.
  
  

  We need to plan for city development long term traffic/busses/trams/ trains or other transit methods. Multiple community hubs that make walking distance an option for daily shoppers. Currently 98% of the residents of mission need to rely on a vehicle/taxi or bus to do their shopping.
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  Moving eastwards and eastwards for lifestyle and sense of community.

  by Terry W, about 5 years ago
  I was born and raised in New Westminster, in a time where New Westminster was a bedroom community of Vancouver and Skytrain was not even in the most far-reaching futurist's thoughts. It was a busy community but had a sense of identity with families attending festivals and events and knowing their neighborhoods. The regions were built on the concept of families and jobs being reasonably close by. Workers seldom had multiple-hour daily commutes. Greenspace was plentiful, even if it was not a park, it was vacant or undeveloped areas that held natural buffers to the hectic pace of daily life... Continue reading

  I was born and raised in New Westminster, in a time where New Westminster was a bedroom community of Vancouver and Skytrain was not even in the most far-reaching futurist's thoughts. It was a busy community but had a sense of identity with families attending festivals and events and knowing their neighborhoods. The regions were built on the concept of families and jobs being reasonably close by. Workers seldom had multiple-hour daily commutes. Greenspace was plentiful, even if it was not a park, it was vacant or undeveloped areas that held natural buffers to the hectic pace of daily life. Development was allowed to grow virtually unchecked until the ALR was brought in to conserve farmland and halt the rubberstamping of almost any development proposed. Through all this the concept developed of densification. A wonderful idea that if implemented well, should in theory free up room for community spaces. However, the densification in the case of New Westminster was not well thought out, in return for developer's fees, the city grew vertically, without any amenities and with no thought as to the after-effects. People were packed in like lemmings and with that, cars, visitors, visitors cars and more and more people. Naturally, they build in space for residents' cars in the buildings but imagine hundreds of units and the potential for all the added crowds when friends drove over to visit . Each visitor looking for a parking spot, finding none as the developers and city either did not care or didn't consider it. Spillover went into single-family neighborhoods or wherever a spot to park could be found. Then Skytrain came in, and the commuters were looking for park and ride facilities, where there were few in any . They would park anywhere they could near a bus stop and hop on a bus to get to the station. Residents were greeted by lines of cars on their streets, sometimes creeping over into driveways. Eventually, urban sprawl resulted in New Westminster becoming the parking lot of the lower mainland . I moved my family to Maple Ridge to get away. Life was going well until I saw Maple Ridge start copying the master plan so sadly dropped on New Westminster . I then came to Mission. Here, a sense of community still persists. I can enjoy going out and visiting the local shops without having to listen to a traffic report to plan my route. I can see valleys and mountains without having to circle around high rises and driving to a viewpoint in some select park. I hope that the people here don't follow Maple Ridge and New Westminster in their OCP . We still have a chance to build smartly, creatively, and with an eye to keeping nature close to our hearts.