Chilliwack—Hope

Anchored by the city of Chilliwack in the eastern Fraser Valley, this riding extends northeast through the Fraser Canyon to the mountain gateway town of Hope at the confluence of the Fraser and Coquihalla rivers. Chilliwack, with a population exceeding 83,000 by 2019, was one of the fastest-growing cities in British Columbia, while Hope (population roughly 6,000) served as a junction point for Highways 1, 3, and 5 leading to the province's interior.

Candidates

Mark Strahl (Conservative) — The son of former Conservative MP and federal cabinet minister Chuck Strahl, Mark Strahl was born in Chilliwack in 1978 and first won election in 2011 in the predecessor riding of Chilliwack—Fraser Canyon. He served as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development and as British Columbia caucus chair under Prime Minister Stephen Harper, and was serving as the Conservative Party's Chief Opposition Whip heading into the 2019 election.

Kelly Velonis (Liberal) — A longtime Chilliwack resident and youth advocate, Velonis managed programs for at-risk youth at the YMCA of Greater Vancouver before serving as executive director of the Chilliwack and District Seniors' Resources Society. She had previously run for school trustee in the 2018 municipal election.

Heather McQuillan (NDP) — A Vancouver-based film industry professional, McQuillan grew up in Saskatchewan and worked as a member of IATSE, the film and theatre technicians' union. She described herself as a progressive Christian whose faith drew her to the party's platform of social justice and affordability.

Arthur Green (Green Party) — A Hope resident and longtime Green Party activist in the riding since 2014, Green had previously run federally in the riding of Mission—Matsqui—Fraser Canyon. He campaigned primarily on addressing climate change and its effects on the local environment and economy.

Rob Bogunovic (People's Party), Daniel Lamache (Christian Heritage Party), and Dorothy-Jean O'Donnell (Marxist-Leninist) also stood for election.

About the Riding

Chilliwack's economy blends agriculture with a growing service and retail sector. The fertile Fraser Valley floodplain supports dairy farming, berry production, and corn cultivation, making the surrounding area one of British Columbia's most productive agricultural zones. The former Canadian Forces Base Chilliwack, which closed in 1997, was redeveloped as the Canada Education Park, now home to a University of the Fraser Valley campus and other educational institutions.

Hope sits at the eastern entrance to the Fraser Valley and serves as a gateway to the BC interior. Forestry remains an important part of Hope's economy, though outdoor recreation and tourism in the surrounding Cascade Mountains have grown steadily. The Fraser Canyon portion of the riding carries the Trans-Canada Highway, national rail lines, and transmission corridors through steep terrain vulnerable to landslides and flooding.

Flood protection along the Fraser River, agricultural support programs, the opioid crisis affecting both Chilliwack and Hope, and transportation infrastructure through the Fraser Valley corridor were prominent federal concerns during the 2019 campaign.