Mission Visitor Guide 2018

HISTORY
OUR STORY
In 1891, the Townsite of Mission is laid out
by land-developer James Welton Horne (after
whom three downtown streets are named).
Horne arranges an auction for these properties
and dubs it the “Great Land Sale”.
The following year, the Corporation
of the District of Mission is formed. The
“Corporation” surrounds but does not include
the Townsite of Mission (the area spanning
the Fraser River up to 14th Ave. and from
Heritage Park to Cedar Street.)
In 1922, the Townsite of Mission is renamed
the Corporation of the Village of
Mission. As a Village, it will now be run by
an elected Board of Commissioners.
The first Municipal Hall is built (in 1929)
on Main Street (present-day First Avenue).
This building housed both branches of local
government at the time: the Corporation of the
District of Mission and the Corporation of the
Village of Mission.
Fast forward to 1950 and the Corporation
of the Village of Mission becomes the
Corporation of the Village of Mission City.
Eight years later, in 1958, the Corporation
of the Village of Mission City becomes
Photos courtesy of Mission Community Archives
the Corporation of the Town of Mission
City. It is one of the first Villages in B.C. to
change status from a Village to a Town. As a
Town, Mission City may now elect a Mayor
and council.
In 1969, the Corporation of the District
of Mission and the Corporation of the Town
of Mission City amalgamate to become the
District of Mission.
In 1974, a new Municipal Hall is built at
the current location on Stave Lake St., where
local government operations continue today.
Simon Gibson
MLA ABBOTSFORD - MISSION
SILVERDALE
Silverdale is a semi-rural neighbourhood
of the District of Mission, British Columbia,
Canada c. 40km east of Vancouver on the
east bank of the Stave River at its confluence
with the Fraser. Noted for its historic Italian
Canadian community, its economy was farming,
fishing and logging based until the general
suburbanization of Fraser Valley life in the
1960s and ‘70s.
Of its Italian community, notable offspring
include Phil Gaglardi, former BC Highways
minister, and speed-skater Eden Donatelli.
Silverdale is also notable as the site of Canada’s
first train robbery, by the “Gentleman Bandit”
Billy Miner, and it is there he is supposed to
have first used the polite “Hands Up!” in the
course of the robbery.
Welcome to Mission!
Our constituency
office is here to
assist you with:
33058 First Avenue Mission BC, V2V 1G3
Phone: 604-820-6203 Toll Free: 1-866-370-6203
email: simon.gibson.mla@leg.bc.ca
www.simongibsonmla.ca
• Government
related issues
• Information
on Provincial
programs
• Arranging
congratulatory
messages
www.tourismmission.info
TOURISMMISSION.INFO 7