History of Mission...
A priest from France named after the first and largest mission
in the Pacific Northwest, the Roman Catholic St. Mary's Indian Mission, founded in 1861.
Dubbed the Gateway to the Fraser River, Mission was a popular stopping place for
trappers, settlers, and other river travellers, and remains an important junction to this day. When the original site became
part of the Canadian Pacific Railway right of way in 1895, the mission was moved, and the school, convent and church were
constructed at what is now the Fraser River Heritage Park.
Mission is the site of Canada's first train robbery, B.C.'s first rail link to the United States, the first bridge across the Fraser River, one
of the earliest Hydroelectric dams, and is also the home of the Western Canadian Soap Box Derby.
The first inhabitants of this area were the people of the Sto:lo First Nations. For over 20 years, the
Sto:lo people have joined with tribes and bands from both sides of the border for annual powwows. Held each July, these important
and dramatic cultural events offer visitors to Mission an excellent opportunity to admire and learn more about some of British
Columbia's First Nations people.
Mission is a paradise for anyone who loves the recreational outdoors,surrounded by forests, hills,
lakes and streams, boasting two golf courses, 32 parks and dozens of hiking trails. Mission is alive with a community spirit,
growing with vision and fiercely proud of its heritage.
Population: 35,418
+ 2005
Location: Mission is located on the Lougheed Highway (Highway
7), on the north bank of the Fraser River in the Central Fraser Valley, 44 miles (70 km) east of Vancouver.
To the south of Mission, across the Fraser River, is the town of Abottsford. If
you want to soak in a nature jacuzzi just an hour drive is Harisson Hot Spring.
