About Abbotsford

The town of Abbotsford was established in 1858 when Royal Engineers surveyed the area in response to the gold rush along the Fraser River. Over the years the settlement grew and in 1889 Royal Engineer John Cunningham applied to obtain 160 acres that would become Abbotsford. The City of Abbotsford resulted from the unification of the Village of Abbotsford with the District of Sumas in 1971 and then combined with District of Matsqui in 1995 the year city of Abbotsford was incorporated.

Abbotsford is located on the south bank of the Fraser River about 76km east of Vancouver. The city is named after Harry Braithwaite Abbott, the general superintendent for the British Columbia division of the Canadian Pacific Railway.

Abbotsford is BC’s fifth most populous municipality and has a very diverse community. It has the third highest proportion of visible minorities among Census Metropolitan Areas in Canada. The largest ethnic group consisting of approx. 64% is Europeans (German, Dutch, British, Irish, Scandinavian and Slavic ethnic origins) Next largest ethnic group at 21.7% is South Asian (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Maldives and Sri Lanka). North America’s oldest Sikh temple, founded in 1908, is in Abbotsford and is now a national Historic Site.

Abbotsford is divided into three sections: West Abbotsford, Central Abbotsford and East Abbotsford. West Abbotsford is mixture of residential and commercial. Central Abbotsford is where City Hall and mainly commercial properties are. In East Abbotsford you will find lots of farm land, and large homes with great views.

Abbotsford has a diverse economy. Residents are employed in retail, health care and social assistance, manufacturing, construction, and transportation and warehousing. The agricultural sector is also especially important. The city is known as the “Raspberry Capital of Canada.”

Abbotsford has its very own airport. Abbotsford International Airport is a major flight-training facility as well an aerospace industry growth hub. The airport is also the location of the famous Abbotsford International Air Show.