Chilliwack | |||
---|---|---|---|
City | |||
City of Chilliwack | |||
|
|||
Nickname(s): The Wack | |||
Motto: "Cor Viride Provinciae" (Latin) "The Green Heart of the Province" |
|||
Location of Chilliwack in British Columbia | |||
Coordinates: 49°09′27.8″N 121°57′03.3″W / 49.157722°N 121.950917°WCoordinates: 49°09′27.8″N 121°57′03.3″W / 49.157722°N 121.950917°W | |||
Country | Canada | ||
Province | British Columbia | ||
Regional District | Fraser Valley | ||
Founded | 1873 | ||
Incorporated | 1908 | ||
Government | |||
• Mayor | Sharon Gaetz | ||
• Governing body | Chilliwack City Council | ||
Area | |||
• City | 261.65 km2 (101.02 sq mi) | ||
Elevation | 10 m (30 ft) | ||
Population (2016) | |||
• City | 83,788 | ||
• Density | 320.2/km2 (829/sq mi) | ||
• Metro | 101,512 | ||
• Metro density | 70.2/km2 (182/sq mi) | ||
Time zone | PST (UTC-8) | ||
• Summer (DST) | PDT (UTC-7) | ||
Postal code span | V2P to V2Z | ||
Area code(s) | 604 / 778 / 236 | ||
Highways |
BC 1 BC 9 |
||
Waterways | Chilliwack River, Vedder River, Fraser River | ||
Website | www |
Chilliwack /ˈtʃɪləwæk/ is a city in British Columbia, Canada. It has long been a predominantly agricultural community, but with an estimated population of 80,000 people, it has become more urban. Chilliwack is the seat of the Fraser Valley Regional District and its second largest city. This city is surrounded by mountains and recreational areas such as Cultus Lake and Chilliwack Lake Provincial Parks. It is located 102 kilometres (63 miles) southeast of Vancouver. There are many outdoor activities in the area, including hiking, horseback riding, biking, camping, fishing, and golf.
In Halq'eméylem, the language of the Stó:lō communities around Chilliwack and Sardis, Tcil'Qe'uk means "valley of many streams". It also lends its name to the Chilliwack River, and group of aboriginal people, the Ts’elxweyeqw. The spelling of Chilliwack is sometimes a matter of confusion. Prior to the amalgamation of the City of Chilliwack and the Municipality of Chilliwhack, there were two different spellings. Upon amalgamation, the current spelling of the city was adopted. Anglicized spellings include "Chilliwhyeuk" and other versions closer to the original Halq'eméylem.
The archeological record shows evidence of Stó:lō people in the Fraser Valley, or S'ólh Téméxw, 10,000 years ago. Permanent structures in the Chilliwack area date from around 5,000 years ago. At the time of the first contact with Europeans it is estimated that there were as many as 40,000 people living within Stó:lō territory.