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- Wednesday - Sept. 10 - Chilliwack seeks feedback on community plan
Wednesday - Sept. 10 - Chilliwack seeks feedback on community plan
Lubna El Elaimy
September 10, 2025
🌤️ High 24C
Good morning!
If you live in Chilliwack, you can have a say in your city’s future by contributing to the official community plan. The draft plan is currently online, and the city is actively seeking input from Chilliwack residents. Find out more in today’s Agenda.
When my beat was Burnaby municipal news, I extensively covered the City of Burnaby’s official community plan process and public engagement. I even participated in public engagement events, surveys, and open houses. I found the process enjoyable and an excellent learning experience that taught me a lot about the way city planners plan the future of a city.
It’s one of the few opportunities available to regular folks to have a say in the future of our communities. I highly recommend getting involved and being active in your community. You can still make a difference even if you’re just one person.
– Lubna
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News
The financial case for First Nation-first access to BC's parks
Upper Joffre Lake, British Columbia, Canada 📷 Giuseppe Milo/Creative Commons
British Columbia’s Crown land and parks belong to all the people of B.C. This fact—or notion—lies at the centre of some outrage that two busy provincial parks will be closed for several weeks over the summer to allow access to local First Nations for cultural uses.
The idea that “non-Indigenous” people aren’t allowed in certain parks has been called racist by a few people. And when the situation is phrased like that, you can kind of see the complaint.
There are important ethical and logistical reasons for these new arrangements. But even for those who want B.C. to shirk its moral obligations, there are a couple big problems with a reactionary response to temporarily closing parks to the general public.
One is linked to identity. The other is financial. The first is that the matter isn’t about race or identity, at least as most people perceive it. It’s about ownership. The parks aren’t being turned over to people who click “Indigenous” on a census form, but to specific First Nations for their members to use for specific traditional practices. The Nations receiving access are those that have a historic (and solid) claim on the land in question.
Which brings us to the other problem with the most reactionary response. It imagines that British Columbia indisputably owns all the land it says it owns.
Related
Need to Know
🏥 A 41-year-old Langley woman was apprehended under the Mental Health Act and taken to hospital after police responded to reports of a person in distress running naked in the Walnut Grove area on Saturday [Langley Advance Times]
☕ Ruth & Naomi's Mission plans to open Ruth's Coffee in Yarrow in 2026, which will provide job training and workforce experience for program participants while serving as a community gathering space [The Progress]
🌲 Mission's forestry department reported a net profit of over $301,000 in the second quarter of 2025 despite facing uncertainty from U.S. tariffs and market conditions [Mission City Record]
🎒 Abbotsford school district's Back to School program distributed 750 backpacks filled with school supplies and food hampers to students in need, marking the seventh year of the initiative [Abbotsford News]
🔫 A man was hospitalized with life-threatening injuries after a targeted shooting in Abbotsford on Saturday night near Nightingale Drive [Agassiz Harrison Observer]
⚽ UFV Cascades men's soccer team scored nine goals over two home games during their opener weekend [Hope Standard]
🏛️ The new OneBC party to host inaugural town hall meeting on Sept. 13 in Abbotsford, featuring interim leader Dallas Brodie [Hope Standard]
🚔 Abbotsford Police say no charges will be recommended after investigating allegations that a Fraser Valley man was physically assaulted by a security guard at Sevenoaks Shopping Centre [Fraser Valley Today]
⚖️ David Knox charged with manslaughter and indignity to human remains in the death of 37-year-old Chantelle Ruhl, whose body was found behind a building in Chilliwack [Fraser Valley Today]
🚗 A vehicle stolen from a Sardis home garage on Aug. 31 was found burnt at an intersection near Chilliwack farm fields [Fraser Valley Today]
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Your Council in the Community
Check out some of the important work being done by Abbotsford City Council over the summer in the latest update.
The Agenda
Aerial view of Chilliwack, British Columbia. 📸 Shutterstock
Chilliwack seeks feedback on community plan
The City of Chilliwack is seeking residents’ feedback on the official community plan, Chilliwack 2050, which will guide the city’s decisions for the next 25 years. The draft plan is available online for reading and download as a PDF file and is divided into several sections. Residents can provide feedback by Sept. 28, and if they have any questions or requests, they are encouraged to contact the city’s planning department at [email protected] or 604.793.2906.
“Through a phased process of planning, research, and community engagement, the updated plan will reflect a renewed vision for Chilliwack’s future,” the city said.
After reviewing the plan, Chilliwack residents can share their thoughts through the questionnaire on the city’s website, at an upcoming open house, or by filling in the questionnaire in person. Paper copies of the questionnaire are available at Chilliwack City Hall, recreation centres, and libraries.
The city will host two open houses for residents to learn more about the plan and provide feedback. The dates and times of the two open houses will be:
Thursday, Sept. 18, from 1 to 7 pm at the Sardis Library, 5819 Tyson Road
Saturday, Sept. 20, from 10 am to 6 pm at the District 1881 Courtyard
The draft plan’s largest sections are the policy and land-use frameworks. The policy framework outlines the plan’s objectives and supporting policies the city needs to implement to reach the official community plan’s goals. The land-use framework identifies and designates land for the uses and needs identified in the plan.
Housing and growth are the main priorities mentioned in both frameworks, with the 25-page policy framework focusing mainly on the expected increase in housing needs over the next 25 years. The land-use framework focuses primarily on meeting the demands of a growing population for housing and amenities and striking a balance between density and livability.
“As we near the end of the OCP process, I invite all residents of Chilliwack to provide feedback on the Draft Official Community Plan,” said Chilliwack mayor Ken Popove. “The draft plan continues to support housing options, safe and sustainable travel, as well as focuses on protecting natural areas and farmland, and strengthening relationships with neighbouring First Nations to promote a healthy community.”
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🗓 Things to do
Agassiz Farmers Market: Every Wednesday from 4:00-7:00 pm at Pioneer Park, 7011 Pioneer Avenue, featuring fresh produce, handmade goods, and a welcoming family-friendly atmosphere.
Friday Night Blues Jam: September 12 at Eagles Hall with doors at 7 pm and music from 7:30-11:00 pm, $10 cover at the door (free for playing musicians), hosted by Jamie Dale & Friends with full back line provided.
Family Nature Days: September 13 from 8:00 am - 5:00 pm, free event for youth aged 4-12 years and their families in the Hope, Cascades & Canyons region.
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