Abbotsford-Mission

Abbotsford-Mission spans both banks of the Fraser River, linking the northern agricultural and suburban reaches of Abbotsford with the former mill town of Mission on the river's north side. The riding encompasses berry farms, dairy operations, and poultry barns on the fertile Abbotsford flats alongside Mission's growing residential subdivisions that have absorbed families priced out of Metro Vancouver. Highway 1 bisects the southern portion, and the single bridge connecting Mission to Abbotsford defines the riding's geography and commuter patterns. The 2021 census recorded Abbotsford's population at approximately 153,500, with Mission adding roughly 41,500 more, and both communities continued to grow rapidly through the inter-election period.

The riding had been won by the NDP's Pam Alexis in 2020, flipping it from the BC Liberals for the first time. Alexis was appointed Minister of Agriculture and Food, making this a cabinet seat the NDP needed to defend. Redistribution altered the boundaries modestly, but the riding retained its core identity as a Fraser Valley battleground where suburban growth, agricultural heritage, and commuter economics converged.

Candidates

Reann Gasper (Conservative Party) — Gasper is a licensed real estate agent with the Fraser Valley Real Estate Board. She holds a diploma in interior design from LaSalle College and a bachelor of arts in Christian ministry. She has been active in raising funds and awareness around human trafficking, supporting organizations assisting at-risk women and families, and has volunteered at Lydia House events in Mission.

Pam Alexis (BC NDP) — Alexis was the incumbent MLA, elected in 2020 after stepping down as Mayor of Mission, a position she had held since winning the 2018 municipal election. Her career in local government began with a term as a Mission school trustee starting in 2005, followed by election to Mission council in 2014, where she received more votes than any other council candidate. She studied at the University of Victoria, earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts. As a cabinet minister under Premier Eby, she held the Agriculture and Food portfolio with a mandate focused on disaster preparedness and food security.

Local Issues

The November 2021 atmospheric river flooding was the defining event of the inter-election period for this riding. The rain-swollen Nooksack and Sumas rivers inundated the Sumas Prairie, causing an estimated $2 billion in damage across the region, killing more than 600,000 farm animals, and forcing the evacuation of 1,100 homes in Abbotsford. The Sumas Prairie produces approximately half of British Columbia's dairy, poultry, and eggs, and the flooding severed highway connections isolating Chilliwack, Hope, and several Indigenous communities. Recovery and flood mitigation became central preoccupations for the riding. The provincial government committed funding to pump station improvements and dike upgrades, but residents questioned whether the pace of rebuilding matched the scale of the disaster. A class-action lawsuit against the City of Abbotsford was certified in court over allegations of inadequate flood protection infrastructure.

Housing affordability intensified as a concern throughout the 2020–2024 term. Abbotsford's benchmark detached home price climbed sharply through the period, while rental vacancy fell below one per cent. The provincial government purchased the former Red Lion Inn and Suites in Abbotsford to provide shelter spaces and partnered with the city on three supportive housing projects totalling more than 150 units along Gladys Avenue, Trethewey Street, and West Railway Street. In Mission, approximately 50 new supportive homes were approved with services including daily meals, employment assistance, and access to mental health and addiction treatment. Despite these investments, a 2024 survey of Abbotsford residents ranked affordable housing as the top community concern at 39 per cent.

Healthcare access emerged as the riding's third-most pressing issue in local polling, rising from 13 per cent concern in 2022 to 24 per cent in 2024. The Fraser Valley faced the same physician shortages affecting much of British Columbia, with family doctor waitlists growing and walk-in clinic capacity stretched thin. The NDP government's expansion of team-based primary care clinics had begun to reach the Fraser Valley, but residents in both Abbotsford and Mission reported difficulty finding a regular family physician.

The opioid and toxic drug crisis affected communities across the riding. British Columbia's drug decriminalization pilot, which took effect on January 31, 2023, permitted adults to possess up to 2.5 grams of certain illegal drugs. Public concern about open drug use led Premier David Eby to announce in April 2024 that the province would seek to recriminalize drug use in public spaces including parks, hospitals, and transit. The reversal reflected a broader political tension that shaped the campaign, with Conservative candidates calling for a harder stance on enforcement and NDP candidates defending the harm-reduction framework while acknowledging public frustration.