Abbotsford

The city of Abbotsford is located along the Fraser River and on the Canada-United States border.  Situated in the Fraser Country region of Vancouver, Coast & Mountains it is one of the fastest growing regions in British Columbia.

Today, the City is known as the ‘City in the Country’ and despite it’s ongoing growth maintains small town charm, surrounded by rolling hills, mountains and farmlands. The area offers agricultural tours through farms and award-winning wineries, numerous hiking trails, and golf. The key attractions include Castle Fun Park, the Fraser Valley Trout Hatchery, and an internationally renowned airshow.

Location

Located in the Fraser Valley, 75 km (47 mi) east of Vancouver and 7 km (4.5 mi) north of the US/Canada Sumas border crossing on Hwy 11. There are seven convenient exits off the Trans-Canada Highway and daily flights to and from the Abbotsford International Airport.

A Step Back in Time

Abbotsford’s colonial development occurred when the Royal Engineers surveyed the area in response to the Gold Rush along the Fraser River in 1858. Settlement grew and butter, milk, and tobacco production were key to the agricultural development that started in the late 1860s. In 1889 former Royal Engineer John Cunningham Maclure applied for a crown grant to obtain the 160 acres that would become Abbotsford. In 1891, the Canadian Pacific Railway built a railway line through the area that connected to Sumas, Washington in the U.S.

The Village of Abbotsford was incorporated in 1892 and the British Columbia Electric Railway arrived in 1910, ensuring a rapid rate of growth that has continued to this day. It became a city in 1995.