Chilliwack joins West Coast Corridor Resiliency Partnership to call for key investments as a bloc
Published 8:47 am Thursday, May 28, 2026
FILE - Chilliwack Mayor Ken Popove at flooded intersection of No. 5 and Boundary roads on Wednesday, Nov. 24, 2021. (Jenna Hauck/ Chilliwack Progress file)
Chilliwack has joined the West Coast Corridor Resiliency Partnership in order to press for critical infrastructure investment as a bloc.
The five communities – Abbotsford, Chilliwack, Hope, Merritt and Princeton – announced May 27 they had joined forces to issue a call for much-needed infrastructure investment to ensure economic resilience, supply chain security, and flood-mitigation.
The partnership forged was based on their common ground – namely the transportation, energy, agriculture, and trade corridors they share – which were “significantly impacted” in the catastrophic atmospheric river events of November 2021 and again in December of 2025.
Mayor Ken Popove said it’s hard to understand why Highway 1 corridor in particular was not given the post-flooding recognition and funding it needs and deserves in the wake of the climate-driven weather disasters, and given the highway’s central role in the region and beyond.
“In 2021, when Highway 1 closed on either side of Chilliwack due to flooding, transportation systems and supply chains were heavily disrupted, which had a profound effect not only on our community, but on everyone who relies on the passage of goods through this area,” Popove said.
“With our municipal partners in the West Coast Corridor Resiliency Partnership, we look forward to advocating to senior levels of government to come to the table and support necessary flood mitigation infrastructure projects in our communities.”
The “resiliency partnership” was purposefully cemented ahead of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) Conference June 4-7 in Edmonton, in the hopes that focused discussions and strategic engagement with municipal, provincial, and federal leaders will yield results.
“Protecting these corridors means protecting communities, supply chains, agriculture, transportation networks, and economic stability for British Columbia and Canada as a whole,” the release from the WCCRP said.
“Together, these communities are advocating for long-term investments that strengthen public safety, protect economic stability, and improve the resilience of nationally significant infrastructure systems,” the release said.
Following the FCM conference, the five participating mayors are expected to hold a press conference announce their shared regional priorities, and outline the next steps.
“This partnership recognizes that the resiliency challenges facing our communities do not stop at municipal boundaries,” the release continued.
The partnership will also serve as a platform for continued collaboration, advocacy, and information sharing between participating municipalities and supporting organizations.
Ultimately they’re seeking funds for flood-mitigation and climate-adaptation infrastructure projects that support:
• Interprovincial/international trade continuity and transportation corridor resilience;
• Protection of energy and utility corridors; and
• Agricultural/food security transportation.
See more on the partnership at www.wccrp.ca
