Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada

Trethewey House, a heritage site in Abbotsford
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Trethewey_House_Front_Enterance.jpg
Author: DerrickSwallow


Abbotsford is a city in British Columbia, Canada. It is in the Lower Mainland next to Greater Vancouver. Covering 375.55 sq km (145 sq mi), it has a population of 133,000 people (2012 estimate), making it the 5th largest municipality in British Columbia and the 23rd largest in the country.

Abbotsford is on the international border between Canada and the United States. On the other side of the border is the city of Sumas in Washington.

Although Abbotsford was incorporated in 1892, the history of European settlement in the area goes back to 1858, when the site was surveyed by Royal Engineers due to the Gold Rush on the Fraser River. It was named after Harry Abbot, a superintendent of the Canadian Pacific Railway which built its line through the site the year before. Abbot was the friend of John Cunningham Maclure, the pioneer who founded the village.

Mission Bridge, Abbotsford, British Columbia
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Missionbridge.jpg
Author: B-columbia


While European Caucasian forms the largest racial group in Abbotsford, people of South Asian background forms the next largest racial group, comprising some 19% of the population. This gives Abbotsford the third highest proportion of visible minorities in Canada, behind the Greater Toronto Area and Greater Vancouver.

Visiting Abbotsford

The Abbotsford International Airport (YXX) is the second largest airport in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia. It receives flights from Edmonton, Calgary and Victoria, and serves as an alternative to Vancouver International Airport.

Places of Interest in Abbotsford

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