Chilliwack
 

Hello,

My wife and I are looking to move out to Canada in next year or so - looking at verious places. My wife is a nurse and there is a hospital in Chilliwack recruiting - does anyone know what it's like as a town? I can find a few things off net but nothing that gives a decent picture of what it would be like to live there. Of particular interest would be stuff like house prices, weather, things to do for kids (ours will be 13 and 11) - any info would be great.
Many thanks
Bert

Re: Chilliwack
 

It's like watching someone about to sit in wet paint. :ohmy: :rofl:

Re: Chilliwack
 

very informative

Chilliwack
 

Chilliwack is a small community of about 80,000 and growing. It is still extremely rural, with spectacular mountain views. Close to city life and close to wide open spaces. Property prices are reasonable by today's standards, less than half that of Vancouver.

By road, the US border is 45 minutes away, Vancouver 90 minutes (a bit more in traffic). Victoria by road 5+ hours (incl. ferry time), by air 45 minutes tops. Manning Park for Skiing is 90 minutes away, way less crowded than the resorts close in to Vancouver.

Weather is similar across the Fraser Valley, from Vancouver to Chilliwack, interspersed with the occasional micro climate. The Eastern end of the Valley is a bit cooler in winter and warmer in summer than coastal areas. Chilliwack gets a bit more snow than Vancouver, right now Chilliwack is white and Vancouver wet.

For recreation, there is a relatively new leisure centre & ice arena, a pro hockey team, lots of outdoor activities, for kids and adults. My kids are into horses, ice skating, basketball, competition skipping, swimming and 4H (bit like like Young Farmers in the UK). I'm the taxi driver.

Re: Chilliwack
 

Go for it. Still very rural, and growing. Schools seem fine, great family areas, house prices still very reasonable. Nice areas, some not so nice areas, just like everywhere else. Close to Cultus Lake, lots of recreation, outdoorsy stuff. If we ever get round to selling our present house we plan on living in Sardis, which is a suburb of Chilliwack.

Re: Chilliwack
 

Thanks very much really appreciate your comments ! Sounds good.
Bert

Re: Chilliwack
 

Hi Bert, here is a website where you may be able to find some info for Chilliwack http://www.gov.chilliwack.bc.ca/main/ There is also the Chilliwack School District website http://www.sd33.bc.ca/

Hope these help.:)

Re: Chilliwack
 

thankyou !!!

Re: Chilliwack
 

I promise to keep quiet. ;)

Re: Chilliwack
 

We have been doing a bit of research on Chilliwack and it looks great, but below from Wikipedia has put us off slightly. We are going to visit and take a look anyway - can't believe all that you read!

As Chilliwack is situated at the end of the Fraser Valley, it is one of the wettest cities in the valley. Rain clouds funnel to the end of the valley and, as they are pushed over the mountains, drop their cargo. This occurrence is most frequently seen in November and December, when locals claim that it is not uncommon for it to rain during the entire month. Despite the region's reputation for rain, most of it falls in the rather extensive winter months. Summers are usually sunny and pleasant, with long days (light out until well after 10pm in June with dusk that lasts for hours), little rain, comfortable daytime temperatures, refreshing nights, and minimal humidity.

Due to its location at the eastern end of the Fraser Valley, there is some debate about Chilliwack's air quality. It is often said that air pollution from Vancouver and other "up wind" cities accumulates at Chilliwack, particularly during the summer months.

Re: Chilliwack
 

:eek::rofl: You beat me to it - I was just about to post "Where's Dingbat, when you need her?" :rofl:

Re: Chilliwack
 

We live in Chilliwack and if you can avoid it I would.

In summer the air quality is not the best and the haze can block the mountain views at times, if you have any breathing issues summer in Chilliwack can be dreadful.

I find the city to be a dump and petty crimes can be an issue in all areas, the shopping, cinema, eating out is all outdated and not modern and you end up driving to Abbotsford or Langley to find what you are looking for.

The area can be pretty but Chilliwack itself is a dump.

Winter's can be depressing with weeks on end of rain, 11 of the next 14 days is forcast for rain/snow and I can't recall the last day where it wasn't cloudy, rainy or snowing this month.

Re: Chilliwack
 

For a moment there I thought you were talking about UK or Sweden as that is pretty much how it has been the past 12 months, apart from snow. Haven't had any snow.

Anyway - I thought Chilliwack was a band and not a city.

Must check the wikipedia. Not That I'd want to move there but always fun to learn about new places.

Re: Chilliwack
 

'Extremely rural' is a relative term - in my opinion it's Vancouver suburb commuter belt. If you're within an hour of such a major city, I'm not sure the phrase is really very accurate. Granted there's lots of rural land surrounding it, and a great deal of farming, but the term used implies to me it's quite isolated, which it really isn't in Canadian terms.

Re: Chilliwack
 

It's got the cheapest petrol in BC http://www.bcgasprices.com/

Re: Chilliwack
 

There are those who don't like Chilliwack, however there are also those who do. We moved here 7 years ago from Abbotsford and prefer it hands down. Air quality can be an issue at times, as it is in many centres, when the easterlies blow, it all goes back to Vancouver. The air problems start in the west, and they don't magically funnel down the valley without affecting other communities on the way and those that emit it.

Chilliwack gets its fair share of rain, however less than many other communities in the lower mainland. We still go to Abbotsford and Langley (rarely) shopping, and then when we're done can leave all the hustle behind. On one occasion we went shopping for some descent furniture, West Vancouver, Vancouver and all over, ended up finding what we wanted in Chilliwack, the last place we looked. We had to wait for it to come in, but the price was a lot better than big city stores.

Chilliwack downtown is a quaint little town, almost out of a time warp. Frequently used as a film set. The attached view is looking east from overhead Sardis in October.

Re: Chilliwack
 

This is true, very true. It's worse than Toronto by a mile.

Re: Chilliwack
 

Not even close to Toronto than goodness. Air quality in Chilliwack is not much of an issue in Winter, not at all when easterlies blow and not much of a problem when an unstable air mass predominates in the summer. Westerlies bring in pollution from Vancouver in the summer and a stable air mass reduces its ability to pass over the mountains. However other communities have a similar problem as they are emitting pollutants much of the time.

http://www.toronto.ca/health/smog/faq.htm
http://www.chilliwack.com/main/page.cfm?id=1243

Re: Chilliwack
 

September 2001. Doing research into air pollution in the Fraser Valley.

http://www.pyr.ec.gc.ca/georgiaBasin...ciTech09_e.htm

Re: Chilliwack
 

This study is for a short period only and corresponds to the patterns of stability and instability in the weather pattern, diurnal & seasonal changes . The air conditions mentioned affect the whole valley, from Vancouver to Hope, not just Chilliwack.

To imply that this condition pertains to Chilliwack only is misleading.

Re: Chilliwack
 

Oh,. for heavens sake, no-one implied it pertains to Chilliwack it particular. It applies to the whole Fraser Valley.

Errr? Would you like to clarify?

Novo.

Re: Chilliwack
 

When a stable air mass sits over the area, it prevents polluted air moving over the mountains, trapping it in the valley, likewise an unstable air mass allows the air to rise over the mountains and reduces the build up of pollutants in the valley. During each season different air masses predominate, a winter easterly wind will take pollutants out to the Straight of Georgia and to the Island, bringing fresher arctic air over the Upper Fraser Valley.

Diurnal changes, day and night, create different circulatory patterns, during the day the breeze moving out to the ocean and conversely at night on shore.

Re: Chilliwack
 

As per earlier post, some like it, some don't, and those that don't live anywhere near it have opinions they insist are fact. Whatever. Air quality is not as bad as some seems to think. Spent 20 summers in the area, O/H with respiratory and heart problems, and the air quality was never an issue, which is why we plan on moving there.

For someone who has never been there, I would say listen to the positives and negatives of those who have lived there, and/or still do, then do a visit and make up your own mind. Novo, not to be rude, but I think when you live on the other side of the country you really can't give an informed opinion. I wouldn't attempt to tell anyone what Toronto is like, based on reports or statistics. I could only comment on my own experience.

There are posters on this board who have lived in or near the area and hate it, and others who love it. It all depends on what you are looking for, came from, whatever. To the original poster, good luck whatever you decide on.

Re: Chilliwack
 

We have lived in Chilliwack for 1 month, coming from the south of England. We had to wait 2 1/5 years to get here and it was definately worth the wait. All we can add so far is the people are Incredibly friendly and helpful, which was a real culture shock, the views are outstanding. It's a very relaxed attitude no hussle and bussle like the UK. The people are really genuine and take you as you are. If you like the country life and friendly people (young and old) Chilliwack is the place to be! My Wife says, "It's a little piece of Heaven in a mad crazy World"

Pay a visit and decied for yourselves.

Re: Chilliwack
 

I think that Novo's opinion, as a professional measurer of shit in the air, must carry some weight but what's really of interest here is that the air quality in many parts of Canada is poor; this isn't a place to go if you just want to escape Lowry scenes.

Re: Chilliwack
 

We moved from Scotland (Glasgow) over 15 years ago and have never lived anywhere else but in the Chilliwack area, people are great! There weather is far better than Glasgow yes we get snow in the winter some years more than others always have had at least one snow day off from work per year. The springs and falls (Autums) are beautiful and the summers are to die for really hot. We have not found the air to be a problem maybe because we live near lots of trees. But it's the heat that may stop you going out not the air. We have one of the best drinking waters in Canada and just a couple of years ago Chilliwack was found to have the average weather throughout Canada. Hi Carl & Wendy keep in touch and give us a call we would love to see you soon, I don't have your number at home!! If you are who I think you are. Also for any new Brit coming to Chilliwack. Chilliwack Employment Services are free to all new immigrants and help find people jobs sometimes very quickly. Good Luck to all , but do give Chilliwack a chance we have never looked back as Chilliwack has been good to us even when we went through a bad patch. Happy New year to all.

Re: Chilliwack
 

Anyone else recently moved to chilliwack.

As a carpenter who is failing brilliantly on getting a PNP sponsor:frown: were just starting to consider a business visa instead.

We know abbotsford very well, 5 years ago, and jan 2008, amazed at how its grown, does chilliwack have much development in the pipeline? from the way vancovuer and abbotsford have gone in the last 5 years it makes you wonder? Friends in abbotsford, mentioned chilliwack as starting to develop when we were there but never took much notice as at the time we didnt see getting a employer prepared to do PNP as that difficult.

I am taking a rough guess it may be like abbotsford was 5 - 10 years ago or am I wrong here and its far more 'country town' for want of a better phrase.

Re: Chilliwack
 

Chilliwack has the same population Abby had 10 years ago. Loads of development going on, industrial and residential. One of, if not the most active community in BC going after businesses to come to the city. It is the eastern end of what has become know as the diamond triangle, expecting the highest population growth in the next 10 years.

Hopefully Chilliwack is unlikely to get up to the size of Abby as it is a bit too far to commute to Vancouver, although some hardy souls do.

There are a few new arrivals in Chilliwack from this forum.

Re: Chilliwack
 

Was just looking at that exact link :D then see your reply.

Abbotsford's change has been amazing, think we first went there in 2001 remember how quiet it was compared to van couldnt believe how it had changed by this year. Friends out there on acerage, its now probably worth the 1.5 m mark, they bought it 10 years ago for 400.

The commute was something I had heard about but the reality was a shock! Did one journey at 4.30 friday afternoon the traffic coming in from abbs to vancouver was at a complete standstill, can only imagine what it must be like in the mornings.

If anyones wondering why were considering chilliwack, basically on the visa weve looked at it has to be outside of the van/abbs areas.