Abbotsford

Fast-Growing Community

Its easy-to-reach location has made Abbotsford one of Canada's fastest growing rural communities and an all-things-to-all-people destination. Well-earned titles such as "Canada's Sport Town" and "Canada's Raspberry Capital" speak to its eclectic make-up while its 11,000 student-strong university campus and new $55 million hospital centre reflect its growing importance within the Fraser Valley. Its glorious landscapes have also reached further afield, as the backdrop to movies such as The Storm, Shooter, Space Buddies and Slither.

Ice Hockey & Canadian Football

Abbotsford's multi-sport-facility infrastructure attracts amateur and professional teams and tournaments from across the country. The NHL's Calgary Flames recently relocated their AHL affiliate here as the Abbotsford Heat. The CFL's BC Lions team holds its training camp at Abbotsford Exhibition Park every spring. And many regional teams make Abbotsford their home-base, as have star athletes Ken Ikeda and Sophie Schmidt.

Entertainment & Sports Centre

In addition, the community often hosts events such as Western Canada Summer Games, National Water Ski Championships and Canadian Mixed Curling Championships to name a few. Many come for the multi-purpose Entertainment & Sports Centre with its international sized oval, extensive fitness facilities and indoor track, 7-lane swimming pool and numerous outdoor grass fields.

Agricultural Abundance

With more than 70% of its land dedicated to farming, agriculture has always been Abbotsford's main economic driver whether in fresh produce and poultry or in related industries of fertilizer production and food storage. This close-to-the-land lifestyle translates into a community of strong family values where more residents live and work in their home city than any other region in British Columbia.

Circle Farm Tours

Earning the highest dollar per acre of agricultural land in the country, many farms now embrace agri-tourism by staging corn mazes, hosting berry festivals and opening up u-pick produce fields, all of which are on the self-guided Circle Farm Tour.

Multi-Cultural Art & Heritage

As the bounty of Abbotsford's fertile soils was first discovered, it attracted pioneer settlers from all over the world – immigrants who established the heritage and multi-cultural nature of the community. For example, sites such as Trethewey House were built by master craftsmen from India, immigrants who went on to construct Canada's oldest Gurdwara Temple, now a National Historic Site.

Although the population base has long since evolved, that diversity remains. Today, Abbotsford is the third most ethnically diverse city in Canada, after Toronto and Vancouver, and leads the country with the highest proportion of South Asian origin.

Clayburn Village & Historic Downtown

Abbotsford's early history is evident in turn-of-the-century farmhouses scattered across the countryside; in villages like Clayburn and in the Historic Downtown itself where refurbished buildings and facades now house specialty boutiques and tea shops. The Reach Gallery and Museum is another venue where old and new come together through its archival records, innovative community and international exhibits.

City in the Country

Like neighboring cities of Langley and Chilliwack, Abbotsford's pastoral landscapes are under constant pressure to urban development. But its pastoral vision holds strong. While it has enabled Abbotsford to diversify its economy beyond agriculture, its rooted heritage in the land and the renaissance of farm-to-fork values are equally securing its success in the future.

For more information about attractions in Abbotsford, pop into the Abbotsford Visitor Centre at 34561 Delair Road.

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