In December 1995, the Fraser Valley Regional District (FVRD) was formed by the amalgamation of Central Fraser Valley, Dewdney-Alouette, and Fraser Cheam Regional Districts. The Fraser Valley Regional District is a partnership of local government members, including the Cities of Abbotsford and Chilliwack, the Districts of Mission, Kent and Hope, the Village of Harrison Hot Springs, and eight electoral areas.
Fraser Valley Regional District residents currently enjoy a high quality of life. The region offers beautiful scenery and many recreational opportunities. Most valley residents also benefit from growing employment opportunities close to home, and housing costs which are more affordable than many other parts of British Columbia’s Lower Mainland. Rapidly growing urban centres have brought a broad range of services and employment opportunities to local residents; and the region’s productive farmland, historic rural communities, and large resource and wilderness areas combine to make the it one of the most liveable environments in North America. (Map 1)
To ensure that valley residents continue to enjoy a high quality of life, we need to jointly develop a framework to guide growth in the municipalities and unincorporated areas of the region. There are many important choices to be made regarding how the region can grow in a sustainable way. To begin with we need to develop an understanding of how some valley communities have been coping with the pressures and prospects of growth and change while other valley communities have experienced decline in population and economic growth. What compromises are valley communities willing to make to accommodate growth? What aspects of community, environment, and quality of life must be protected? These fundamental choices will guide the land use, transportation, economic development, and other decisions that will shape the future for the Fraser Valley Regional District.
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