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GOAL 1
MANAGE
GROWTH
RESPONSIBLY
Maintain an urban growth boundary, den-
sify, comprehensively plan sustainable
communities, selectively develop hillsides,
ensure development pays for itself, and pro-
vide required infrastructure capacities.
The City of Chilliwack is the urban centre of the up-
per Fraser Valley. In the past 30 years its population
has doubled from 41,000 to 84,000 – through sev-
eral housing and economic cycles, and expansions
on the valley floor and hillsides. While the current
slower pace of growth will likely accelerate once the
economy and residential construction sector fully
recover, the next 30-year period will see moderate
growth due to economic changes, a diminishing land
supply, and demographic trends such as a declining
birth rate and aging. By 2040, the City’s population
is expected to reach 132,000, an increase of 58% (av-
eraging 1.6% p.a.) Over this period, the City will be
transformed into a census metropolitan area and its
socio-economic and physical structures and cultural/
community identity will undergo dramatic changes.
This Plan helps anticipate what those changes might
be, how the City should influence those changes to
realize its aspirations, and which actions the munic-
ipality should take to ensure a smooth and effective
growth and transition process.
Chilliwack’s growth management strategy was first
fully formed in its 1983 Official Community Plan.
Through two successive OCPs (1989 and 1998), the
strategy has solidified and this Plan continues to
build on that growth framework, adding clarity as
new challenges arise and the community vision ex-
tends into the social, economic, cultural and com-
munity health realms. The following long-standing
principles of growth will continue:
•
Respect the integrity and boundaries of
the Agricultural Land Reserve
•
Recognize the established Urban Growth
Boundary
•
Concentrate growth within the urban
corridor of Chilliwack Proper-Sardis-Ved-
der for an effective urban form and struc-
ture
•
Promote densification, urban design and
planning best practices
•
Protect the environment and direct de-
velopment away from natural hazards
•
Ensure a prudent financing/funding
strategy that emphasizes the principle
of development paying for itself in infra-
structure expansions
In addition, this plan provides a clear direction, pro-
moting and fine-tuning the urban corridor focus
growth strategy, and defining the roles of other parts
of the municipality (rural communities and hillsides)
under such growth strategy. This informs future
planning for servicing and parks and recreational
facilities; addresses all aspects of community devel-
opment (social, economic, and cultural and healthy
community development); and supports the Fraser
Valley Regional District’s Regional Growth Strategy,
provincial GHG emission and other legislative re-
quirements.
OBJECTIVES
1. Protect agricultural land by clearly establishing
how and where future urban growth will occur.
2. Promote effective and efficient community
building by reinforcing the development of the
Chilliwack proper-Sardis-Vedder urban corri-
dor.
Goal 1 - Manage Growth Responsibly