Mission, British Columbia
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Mission is a Canadian city, in the province of British Columbia and is situated on the north bank of the Fraser River, overlooking the Fraser Valley. Mission is the twenty-third largest municipality in British Columbia, with a population of 31,272 (2001). Mission was incorporated in 1892 and is 225.78 km² in size.
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Government
The District of Mission uses the current Council-Manager system of local government. The present Mayor and Council, was elected in November 2002. The current mayor is Abe Neufeld.
Living
Housing prices in Mission are some of the lowest in the Fraser Valley. Mission also has over 200 acres (0.8 km²) of municipal parks; and a provincial park, Rolley Lake. The city receives an average annual precipitation of 1,631 mm a year, with average temperatures ranging from 24 C in July, to 5 C in January.
People
Mission has a low volume of new local employment opportunities and a high proportion of residents (nearly 6 out of 10) who commute to work in other locales. The community has a young population, 73% of which is under 35.
Mission's largest religious group is Christianity at 55.1%, of which the largest denomination is Protestant. The second largest religious group is Sikh, comprising 5.1% of the population.
The largest ethnic group is Caucasian, comprising approximately 91.6% of the population. The largest ethnic minority group in Mission are South Asians, primarily Indo-Canadians comprising 5.1% of the population.
Industry
Forestry and agriculture are Mission's chief resource sectors and provide the basis for varied related retail and service activities. Over the past few years, transportation improvements have enabled the manufacturing sector to expand beyond sawmilling and food processing.
Forest and wood related industries dominate the manufacturing sector, with an emphasis on redcedar shake and shingle mills. Mission also holds the only municipal tree farm license in British Columbia.
Agriculture is restricted to a narrow belt along the Fraser River, and the unincorporated Dewdney-Deroche district east of Mission contains the majority of the farms in the area. There are about 96 commercial and hobby farms in the area. Dairy is the chief agricultural enterprise; other income sources include poultry, hogs, beef and vegetables.
Transportation
Mission is served by a regional transit system that connects the District of Mission with the City of Abbotsford. The service is operated by BC Transit, the City of Abbotsford and the District of Mission. Transportation infrastructure includes Abbotsford-Mission Highway 11, and the Lougheed Highway. Mission is also accessible through commuter rail, the "West Coast Express", which runs from Vancouver to Mission.
External links
- District of Mission (http://www.city.mission.bc.ca)