Chilliwack
Minter Gardens, Tourism Chilliwack photo
Chilliwack (population: 80,000) is located south of the Fraser River in the Fraser Valley, 105km/65mi east of Vancouver.
The Great Outside
The community bills itself as "The Great Outside," and lives up to that claim with a wide variety of outdoor recreational opportunities.
For both the down-to-earth citizens of Chilliwack and visitors from around the world, activities like golf, world-class freshwater fishing, hiking, and river-rafting are perennial favourites.
Things to Do
Whether it's admiring flowers at the internationally renowned Minter Gardens, watching birds at the Great Blue Heron Reserve, boating on Cultus Lake, or catching a rodeo show at the Chilliwack Heritage Park, there are plenty of attractions. In the historic downtown core, a selection of stylish dining and shopping options is also emerging.
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Chilliwack offers visitors and locals a diverse range of festivals and events, ranging from the Gospel Blues Festival (July) and the Chilliwack Bluegrass Festival (Labour Day weekend) to an annual Classic Car Show in Minter Gardens (July). There's even a Slow Food Cycle Tour in July, which attracts hundreds of cyclists to Fraser Valley farms.
Chilliwack History
With the Cascade Mountains as its backdrop, this scenic, rural community was originally incorporated as a township in 1873 and then as a city in 1908.
The name "Chilliwack" comes from a local aboriginal word that means "quieter water at the head" or "going back up the river," according to various sources. Enjoy this slower pace and stay at any number of Chilliwack's B&Bs, guest houses or camp sites.
With more than 900 farms spread out over 100sq mi/259sq km, Chilliwack has also remained true to its agricultural roots as a major British Columbia producer of dairy products, corn, and honey. See and hear an antique steam engine in action at Atchelitz Threshermen’s Antique Powerland.
Chilliwack Visitor Centre
For additional information contact Tourism Chilliwack. The Visitor Centre is located at 44150 Luckakuck Way (next to Exit 116 off the Trans-Canada Highway). It's open from 9am to 5pm everyday in the summer, and Monday to Friday the rest of the year.
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