Photo Credits: Cover: Flikr (Abbotsford); Page 1: Downtown Abbotsford; Page 2: Stock photos; Page 3: Downtown Abbotsford, stock photo; Page 4: Stock photos; Page 5: Gateway Medical Clinic, Abbotsford, Foundry Abbotsford; Page 6: Stock photo; Page 7: Abbotsford Police Department; Page 8: Abbotsford Police Department, stock photo; Page 9: Stock photos; Page 10: Stock photo, Abbotsford Airshow; Page 11: Quantum Properties – Mahogany at Mill Lake and Onyx condos; Page 12: Huffington Post, Cyrus Centre; Pages 13/14: Stock photos; Page 15: Stock photo, Archway Seva Food Program, Archway food map courtesy of Archway Community Services; Page 16: local Gurdwara courtesy of the Patrika; Page 17: Abbotsford Tourism; Page 18: The Fraser Valley Gleaners; Page 19: Stock photo; Page 20: Artistic rendering of concept for ‘WeTown’ by Auguston Developments – Avoid Obvious Architects; Page 21: Semá:th – Sumas First Nations, Lower Fraser Fisheries Alliance; Page 23: Stock photo; Back page: Abbotsford Farmers’ Market.
Page 3: Abbotsford: A Snapshot of our Community
Visible Minority, Indigenous identity, Ethnicity, Languages spoken: Statistics Canada, 2021 Census of Population for Abbotsford (City), British Columbia [Census subdivision]
Population, Population by age, Median age: BC Stats, Population Estimates and Projections for British Columbia
Your Voice: Abbotsford Community Foundation, “Vital Signs Survey 2024.” Via SurveyMonkey. Open June 2024.
Page 4: Our Sense of Community Belonging
Sense of community belonging (12+, 12-17 years, 65+): Statistics Canada, Health Characteristics, two-year period estimates, census metropolitan areas and population centres
Community philanthropy, Median charitable donations per capita: Statistics Canada, Summary of charitable donors
Number of registered charities: Government of Canada, Canada Revenue Agency, Charities directorate [advanced search]
Voter turnout: Civic Info BC, Election Results look-up for the City of Abbotsford, Fraser Valley Regional District, and British Columbia
Your Voice: Abbotsford Community Foundation, “Vital Signs Survey 2024.” Via SurveyMonkey. Open June 2024.
Page 5: Health & Well-being
Perception of health, very good or excellent: Statistics Canada, Health Characteristics, two-year period estimates, census metropolitan areas and population centres.
Alcohol consumption: University of Victoria, Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research, Annual per capita alcohol consumption for Fraser East.
Incidence of substance use disorder: British Columbia Centre for Disease Control, Chronic Disease Dashboard, for Fraser East.
Life expectancy: Global News (Kathy Michaels), “Average life expectancy lower in B.C. Interior towns than provincial average”.
Patient attachment (new attachment, waitlist): Abbotsford Division of Family Practice, 2023 Annual Report.
Unregulated toxic drug deaths: BC Coroners Service, “Unregulated Drug Deaths – Summary” for Abbotsford.
Foundry Abbotsford youths served: Personal correspondence with Cindy Walker, Manager of Philanthropy, Archway Community Services.
Page 6: Health & Well-being
Incidence of chronic disease: British Columbia Centre for Disease Control, Chronic Disease Dashboard, for Fraser East. Cumulative Covid-19 cases: British Columbia Centre for Disease Control, Cumulative Cases January 2020 to October 2022. Covid impacts: British Columbia Centre for Disease Control, BC Covid-19 SPEAK Dashboard.
Covid vaccination rates: British Columbia Centre for Disease Control, Covid-19 Vaccination Coverage Dashboard .
Page 7: Safety, Crime and Perceptions
Overall crime rate, Property crime rate, Sexual assault rate: Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, Incident-based crime statistics, by detailed violations, Canada, provinces, territories, Census Metropolitan Areas, and Canadian Forces Military Police.
Crime severity rate: Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, Crime severity index and weighted clearance rates, Canada, provinces, territories, and Census Metropolitan Areas.
Shelter beds and second-stage housing for women and children: SARA for Women, “Housing + Shelter” webpage, accessed July 2024.
Hate crimes: Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, Police-reported hate crime, number of incidents and rate per 100,000 population, Provinces, Territories, Census Metropolitan Areas and Canadian Forces Military Police.
Your Voice: Abbotsford Community Foundation, “Vital Signs Survey 2024.” Via SurveyMonkey. Open June 2024.
Page 8: Safety, Crime and Perceptions
Victims Services: 2022 Abbotsford Police Department Annual Report, page 8.
Your Voice (includes summary materials and quotes about perceived increase in crime): Abbotsford Community Foundation, “Vital Signs Survey 2024.” Via SurveyMonkey. Open June 2024.
Page 9: Income, Work and Economy
Tax filers (individual) by income bracket: Statistics Canada, 2021 Census of Population for Abbotsford (City), British Columbia [Census subdivision].
Child poverty: First Call Child and Youth Advocacy Society, “2023 BC Child Poverty Report Card”.
Living Wage: Living Wage for Families BC, “Living Wages in BC and Canada” webpage, accessed June 2024.
Employment and unemployment rates: Government of British Columbia, Labour Force Statistics Data.
Your Voice: Abbotsford Community Foundation, “Vital Signs Survey 2024.” Via SurveyMonkey. Open June 2024.
Page 10: Income, Work and Economy
Your Voice: Abbotsford Community Foundation, “Vital Signs Survey 2024.” Via SurveyMonkey. Open June 2024. Top employment sectors: Statistics Canada, 2021 Census of Population for Abbotsford (City), British Columbia [Census subdivision].
Tourism statistics: https://tourismabbotsford.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/TA_StoryAnglesList_20240509.pdf
Airport takeoffs and landings: Abbotsford International Airport, “Abbotsford International Airport on track for record-breaking year” webpage, accessed July 2024.
Page 11: Housing
BC Assessment average assessed value: BC Assessment, “Lower Mainland 2024 Property Assessments in the Mail” webpage, accessed June 2024.
Benchmark home prices: Fraser Valley Real Estate Board, Monthly Statistics Package, May 2024.
New housing starts, Vacancy rate, Average rent: Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation, “Housing Information Highlights – Abbotsford-Mission CMA” webpage, accessed June 2024.
Your Voice: Abbotsford Community Foundation, “Vital Signs Survey 2024.” Via SurveyMonkey. Open June 2024.
Page 12: Homelessness
Homeless count, Reasons for homelessness: Fraser Valley Regional District, 2023 Point-in-Time Homeless Count and Survey Regional Report . Your Voice: Abbotsford Community Foundation, “Vital Signs Survey 2024.” Via SurveyMonkey. Open June 2024. Emergency shelter beds (year-round), Winter shelter beds: City of Abbotsford, Coordinated ACCESS Data Program.
Cyrus Centre information: Personal correspondence with Fify Loewen, Digital Engagement Specialist.
Page 13: Spotlight: Food Insecurity: Introduction
Food security definition: United Way British Columbia, “Understanding and addressing food security in British Columbia” webpage, accessed June 2024.
National statistics re food insecurity: PROOF Canada, “New data on household food insecurity in 2023” webpage, accessed June 2024. Provincial statistics re food insecurity: United Way British Columbia, “Food Security” webpage, accessed June 2024. National and provincial food bank usage: Food Banks Canada, Hunger Count 2023: When is it enough? webpage, accessed June 2024.
Cost of healthy eating, Fraser Valley: BC Centre for Disease Control. (2023). Food Costing in BC 2022: Assessing the affordability of healthy eating. Vancouver, B.C.: BC Centre for Disease Control, Population and Public Health Program. Food insecurity in Fraser Valley East: University of the Fraser Valley, Community Health and Social Innovation Hub, “Addressing the challenges of food insecurity” webpage, accessed June 2024. Archway Food Bank usage: Archway Community Services/Abbotsford Food Bank, “Increasing Access to Food Amongst Record-high Food Insecurity” webpage, accessed June 2024.
Agriculture in Abbotsford: http://www.bccdc.ca/about/news-stories/stories/2023/new-data-highlights-cost-healthy-eating#:~:text=According%20to%20the%20latest%20data,for%20Disease%20Control%20(BCCDC). https://growthzonecmsprodeastus.azureedge.net/sites/92/2023/11/Canadas-Agricultural-Hub_One-Pager_May-25-2022.pdf.
Page 14: Spotlight: Food Insecurity: Your Voice
Your Voice: Abbotsford Community Foundation, “Vital Signs Survey 2024.” Via SurveyMonkey. Open June 2024.
Page 15: Spotlight: Food Security: Community Programs
Cyrus Centre: Personal correspondence with Fify Loewen, Digital Engagement Specialist. Gathering Markit: Personal correspondence with Hieke Morton, Founder & Executive Director. Salvation Army Meal Centre:
Inasmuch Society: Personal correspondence with Kelly Radar, Executive Director & Tammy Johnson, Community Engagement & Housing Manager. School Meal program: https://lss.abbyschools.ca/sites/default/files/School%20Meals%20Program_0.pdf . Starfish Backpack program: Personal correspondence with Cindy Walker, Philanthropy Manager at Archway Community Services. Archway no/low-cost food map: https://archway.ca/community-resources/food-resources/. Seva Food Program: Personal correspondence with Rebecca Thuro, Manager Food Security at Archway Community Services.
Page 16: Spotlight: Food Security Case Study: Seva
Archway food bank usage: Archway Community Services Food Bank summary document LINK Interview with Arshveer Kaler, member of Khalsa Diwan Society, with fact checking completed by Maninder Singh Gill, President of Khalsa Diwan Society (Abbotsford), September 2024.
Page 17: Spotlight: Food Security: Legislation
Your Voice: Abbotsford Community Foundation, “Vital Signs Survey 2024.” Via SurveyMonkey. Open June 2024. City of Abbotsford AgRefresh project: AgRefresh. Fraser Valley Regional District, Regional Growth Strategy Update . Provincial food safety legislation: Province of British Columbia, Food Safety Legislation. Federal food safety legislation: Government of Canada, Canadian Food Inspection Agency, List of acts and regulations.
Page 18: Spotlight: Food Security Case Study: Fraser Valley Gleaners
Interview with Joel Pasma, General Manager, Fraser Valley Gleaners, April 2024. British Columbia food waste stats: Province of British Columbia, Residential food waste prevention. City of Abbotsford’s Love Food, Hate Waste project: Waste Reduction Initiatives.
Page 19: Spotlight: Food Security: Agriculture
Abbotsford’s agricultural lands/land use: City of Abbotsford, Business Development department. Abbotsford Chamber of Commerce: The Abbotsford News, “Abbotsford in Action: Chamber taking a future-looking approach to agriculture,” March 14, 2024.
BC Centre for Agritech Innovation: SFU BC Centre for Agritech Innovation, “The B.C. agriculture sector continues to face relentless challenges, one after another,” April 18, 2024.
University of the Fraser Valley’s Food and Agriculture Institute: The Abbotsford News, “Bitter Harvest: Tech helping B.C. grain farmers confront weather woes,” March 13, 2024.
Page 20: Spotlight: Food Security Case Study: The Hub
Interview with Gavin Dew, former Chief Strategy Officer of Abbotsford Tech District, March 2024. Economic impact of agriculture: Abbotsford Chamber of Commerce, “Canada’s Agricultural Hub: An Economic Impact Analysis of Agriculture in Abbotsford,” March 2022.
Page 21: Spotlight: Food Security Case Study: Semá:th
Climate impact on agriculture: Government of British Columbia, Emergency Management BC, “City of Abbotsford: Atmospheric River Impacts and Recovery”. Interview with Troy Ganzeveld, Councillor, Sumas First Nation and Murray Ned, Executive Director, Lower Fraser Fisheries Alliance, June 2024.
Additional Sources:
We are grateful to the following community members* that provided information, insights, and experience related to food security and agriculture in Abbotsford. Jasmine Bhambra, Community Builder, Community Impact & Investment, United Way British Columbia; Matthew Brown, Community Health Specialist, Fraser Health; Susan Byrom, Executive Director, Community Investment and First West Foundation; Dr. Justin Carruthers, Lead Pastor, Gateway Church; Gavin Dew, Chief Strategy Officer, Abbotsford Tech District; Troy Ganzeveld, Councillor, Sumas First Nation; Maninder Singh Gill, President of Khalsa Diwan Society, Abbotsford; Arshveer Kaler, member of Khalsa Diwan Society, Abbotsford; Vicki Lin, Food Justice Supervisor, Archway Community Services, Murray Ned, Executive Director, Lower Fraser Fisheries Alliance; Dr. Lenore Newman, Director, Food and Agriculture Institute, University of the Fraser Valley; Joel Pasma, General Manager, Fraser Valley Gleaners; Ross Siemens, Mayor, City of Abbotsford.
*We did reach out to multiple farmers and food producers in the spring & summer of 2024 but we were unable to conduct interviews with any of those contacted.