Heritage Week 2026 invites us to “Stir the Pot” and to explore how food connects us to land, culture, memory, and community. In Chilliwack and across the Fraser Valley, that story cannot be told without recognizing the contributions of early Chinese vegetable farmers around the turn of the 20th century. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, Chinese immigrants played a vital role in shaping British Columbia’s agricultural landscape. Facing significant legal and social barriers in

For this year’s BC Heritage Week theme, “Stir the Pot,” We’ve been thinking about the crops that quietly shaped Chilliwack’s everyday food culture—what grew well here, who grew it, and how those seasons still show up in our memories. Chilliwack’s crop history is, in many ways, a story of soil and water. As the Sumas Lake was drained and the resulting land cultivated, parts of the valley became famously productive—supporting vegetables and small fruits that still feel like

Agriculture is one of the oldest threads in Chilliwack’s story, and it continues to shape who we are today.