JANUARY
• Alex Willness of Nelson was sentenced on Jan. 11 to five years in prison for manslaughter in relation to the 2020 death of Abbotsford Police Const. Allan Young, 55. Young was off duty at a restaurant in Nelson on July 16 of that year when he confronted Willness, who was walking down the street drunk, yelling, swearing and threatening to kill someone. Willness hit Young twice over the head with a skateboard. Young died of his injuries five days later in hospital.
• Tyrel Nguyen received a life sentence on Jan. 12 for killing Surrey gangster Randy King, 27, on Oct. 27, 2017 and Jagvir Malhi, 19, of Abbotsford on Nov. 12, 2018. Malhi, who was not involved with gangs, was driving on Ross Road in Abbotsford on his way to University of the Fraser Valley, where he was a student, when he was gunned down. The investigation determined that Malhi had been the “unintended victim” and that his brother had been the target.
• The B.C. Court of Appeal on Jan. 12 upheld the break-and-enter convictions of two animal-rights activists – Amy Sorrano and Nick Schafer – who participated in a 2019 protest at the Excelsior Hog Farm in Abbotsford. The pair later successfully appealed their 30-day jail sentences, which were each reduced to a 120-day conditional sentence followed by one year of probation. The two are now taking an appeal of their convictions to the Supreme Court of Canada.
• Abbotsford’s first homicide of 2024 took place Jan. 20. Gangster Amritpal Saran, 25, was gunned down in the covered parade outside of the Best Buy at Sevenoaks Shopping Centre. He had been scheduled for sentencing on Jan. 23 in relation to two gun charges from August 2020. In court documents from Saran’s bail hearing, the judge wrote that Saran appeared to be “entrenched in a gangs-and-guns lifestyle.” Nobody has yet been charged with Saran’s killing.
• The province released its statistics for fatal drug poisonings in 2023, which showed they were the second-highest number recorded in the last 10 years. Across the province, 2,511 such deaths were recorded. Of those, 90 were in Abbotsford, compared to 92 in 2022.
FEBRUARY
• Former Abbotsford school trustee Phil Anderson, 84, was killed in a two-car crash in the 31000 block of Old Yale Road on Feb. 3. The circumstances of the collision were not released, but police said the male driver of the “offending vehicle” was detained on scene. To date, no charges have been laid. Anderson was first elected to the board of education in 2014 and was re-elected in 2018, but did not retain his seat in 2022.
• Long-time Abbotsford West MLA Mike de Jong (Liberal/BC United) announced on Feb. 14 that he would not be seeking re-election in the fall after 30 years in the legislature. But the former lawyer confirmed he was considering running for federal office after being approached by the Conservative Party of Canada to become a candidate.
• Premier David Eby was in town on Feb. 14 to announce $76.6 million in provincial funding for upgrades to the Barrowtown pump station. Eby said the 2021 Sumas Prairie floods could have been much worse if the pump station had failed, but upgrades were needed to ensure its longevity.
• Matsqui First Nation announced on Feb. 21 that it had received a $59 million settlement from the federal government for reserve lands that were taken more than 115 years ago. The settlement was in relation to Canada granting the Vancouver Power Company rights of way in 1908 for a tramway across two Matsqui First Nation reserves.
• The Abbotsford Police Department held a press conference on Feb. 23 to announce that three men had been charged in relation to a murder plot against rival gangsters. Anmol Sandhu, Navdeep Dhaliwal and Gavinder Siekham were each charged with two counts of conspiracy to commit murder. Sandhu and Dhaliwal were also charged with drug offences. All charges are still making their way through the courts.
MARCH
• Abbotsford MP Ed Fast (Conservatives), who has served the city in the role for 18 years, announced on March 14 that he would be retiring from federal politics as of the next election (slated for Oct. 20, 2025). Fast had co-chaired former Quebec premier Jean Charest’s unsuccessful bid for party leader in September 2022, when he lost to Pierre Poilievre. Fast stepped down as the Conservatives’ finance critic in May of that year.
• Jagpreet Singh, 50, was arrested and charged with second-degree murder in relation to the death of his wife, Balwinder Kaur, 40, on March 15. Kaur was found with life-threatening stab wounds by police officers and later died in hospital. Singh has not yet gone to trial in the case.
• A federal investigation concluded that management at Matsqui prison complex in Abbotsford failed to adequately respond to a serious leak, resulting in millions of litres of chemically treated water leaching chemicals into the soil for almost four years. The report made several recommendations. Correctional Service Canada responded, saying environmental assessments had concluded that no contamination had occurred.
• The province announced on March 27 that it had purchased 36 hectares (89 acres) of a sacred site for the Sumas First Nation so that it could be permanently protected. The undeveloped property at the end of Atkinson Road in east Abbotsford is the site of Lightning Rock, believed to be the burial site of hundreds, if not thousands, of Sto:lo peoples. The property had been owned by Cold Water Ranch, which intended to develop it for an industrial project until learning about its history. The cost of the land purchase was not released.
• Cade Smith on March 30 became the first Abbotsford resident to take the mound and throw a pitch in a Major League Baseball game. Smith struck out five batters in two innings to help his Cleveland Indians earn a 12-3 win over the Oakland Athletics at Oakland Coliseum.
APRIL
• The engineer who first reported to authorities a leakage of chemically treated water at the Matsqui prison complex came forward. Dan Fowle said almost nine million litres of water had been leaked since the investigation into the matter had concluded and he was worried about the impacts to adjacent farms. Correctional Service Canada said environmental assessments had concluded that there was no contamination in the groundwater and that the February 2024 report determined the site as a “low priority for action.”
• An agreement was reached between the city and the board of education for the ongoing maintenance – and eventual replacement – of four synthetic turf fields on school district property. The agreement has the city covering 65 per cent of the costs to replace any of the fields, with the school district incurring the remaining 35 per cent. Both parties agreed to evenly split an annual maintenance cost of $40,000 per year per field, with any costs above that to be covered by the city.
• Abbotsford West MLA Mike de Jong confirmed on April 17 that he would be seeking the Conservative Party’s nomination to be their candidate in Abbotsford-South Langley in the next federal election. Four others also announced they would seek the candidacy, but the nomination vote has not yet taken place.
• Premier David Eby visited Vitalus Nutrition on April 23 to announce that the province was providing up to $25 million for its expansion to a 143,500-square-foot state-of-the-art milk production plant at its existing location on Mt. Lehman Road. The project is expected to be complete in 2026.
• Wesley Bosman, 27, was reported missing from his family's home in Abbotsford on April 23. His family made a public plea on April 26 urging the public to keep an eye out for him and for anyone with information to come forward. Several searches were launched to help find Bosman, but he has not been located.
MAY
• After defeating the Colorado Eagles 2-1 in a best-of-three play-in series, the Abbotsford Canucks were swept 3-0 by the Ontario Reign in the Pacific Division semifinal round. The Canucks dropped game three 4-3 to the Reign on home ice on May 8. Abbotsford finished the season in fifth place in the Pacific and had to win the series against Colorado on the road. Abbotsford’s 2023-24 regular season record was identical to 2022-23, as both seasons the team finished with 87 points. The club was also eliminated in the semifinal round both seasons.
• A pair of W.J. Mouat students were accepted into the House of Commons page program in Ottawa. Michael Donohue and Marianne Garza were both chosen for the program and will work there while they complete their first year of studies at the University of Ottawa. Only 40 high school graduates from across the country are annually selected, so more than one from the same high school is quite rare.
• Hotdog vendor Skully White announced his intention to earn the Conservative Party of Canada’s nomination for the Abbotsford-South Langley riding. The spot was made available after the retirement of longtime MP Ed Fast. White stated that he would use the position to promote his passion – kidney transplants – and make changes to improve the process. White added that he is dissatisfied with the way Canada is currently being run and that he said that Pierre Poilievre would be the right person to lead the country. White removed himself from the running later in the year, citing the need to make more time for family.
• B.C. Premier David Eby spoke at the inaugural Fraser Valley Economic Summit on May 21. He discussed transit, agriculture, industrial land use and the election while fielding questions from Abbotsford Chamber of Commerce CEO Alex Mitchell. The FVES brought together business, community and government leaders to look into the future for the region and celebrate local success stories. It’s expected to become an annual event.
• Abbotsford West MLA Mike de Jong delivered his final speech in the legislature on May 16. The 60-year-old made his MLA retirement announcement in February and then revealed he was seeking the federal Conservative nomination for the Abbotsford-South Langley riding. He left as the second-longest serving MLA of all time after 30 years in the position.
• Manny Malhotra was named the new head coach of the Abbotsford Canucks on May 24. He replaced Jeremy Colliton after the Canucks and Colliton could not agree on a new contract. Colliton later accepted an assistant coach job with the New Jersey Devils in June. Malhotra had been an assistant coach with the Toronto Maple Leafs since 2020 and played 18 seasons in the NHL.
• Flood mitigation applications for Abbotsford, Merritt and Princeton were rejected by the federal government, with the three mayors holding a press conference in Abbotsford to express their disappointment. Former mayor Henry Braun was also on hand for the press conference and stated that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who visited Abbotsford during the 2021 floods, promised him that local residents can count on his government. All three mayors said they did not receive much information explaining why the funding was rejected.
JUNE
• The City of Abbotsford announced that a new splash pad would be installed at Crossley Park. The new splash pad is expected to be open to the public in spring of 2025 and will be the fourth of its kind in Abbotsford.
• Abbotsford’s Nick Taylor was named to the Team Canada golf team for the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics. Taylor qualified for the event due to his standing on the Official World Golf Rankings. Taylor went on to finish tied for 30th at the event in August.
• A consulting engineering firm hired on behalf of the City of Abbotsford stated that a report suggesting that Sumas Lake be returned to its natural state had grossly underrepresented the costs of doing so. The firm said the cost of buying out properties for the return of the lake was underestimated by about 50 per cent. The farmland loss, infrastructure costs and jobs lost also would be significant, the city report said.
• The Abbotsford Tech District development proposal was shelved indefinitely after city council rejected it in its current form during a meeting on June 25. City planners stated that the development’s density and scale were not consistent or congruent with the city’s urban structure. The 90-acre proposal was planned for Sumas Mountain and would have taken 30 to 40 years to complete.
• A homeless encampment that originally began at Babich Park was moved to Abbotsford City Hall on June 29. Seven tents and a trailer moved from Gladys Avenue to Babich Park on June 25, but residents in the area were unhappy of their presence and helped them move to city hall. The protest camp, formed by the Abbotsford Drug War Survivors, distributed a letter to Babich Park residents urging them to sign a petition to tell the city to designate undeveloped municipal land for their use. The campers remained near city hall and still had a presence by the end of the year.
• The University of the Fraser Valley celebrates its largest-ever graduation class, with more than 2,800 graduating in 2024. A total of 1,399 students walked across the stage during in-person ceremonies from June 11 to 13.
JULY
• More than 1,000 fish died following a spill that contaminated water at Stoney Creek on July 3. Around 1,200 fish were moved to fresh water in the days that followed. The City of Abbotsford stated that the spill was the result of firefighting foam from a disconnected hose. The Ministry of Environment, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and several local groups helped with clean-up and moving the fish.
• Local gymnast Zachary Clay received a surprise birthday celebration at his longtime gym Twisters in Abbotsford, ahead of his journey to the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics. Clay was met by family, friends, teammates and local dignitaries who wished him well at the Games. Clay competed in the artistic gymnastics team event, where the team placed eighth in the world.
• Abbotsford’s Callum Pilgrim hit the game-winning grand slam to help Canada defeat the Netherlands to capture the bronze medal at the 2024 WSBC Women’s Softball World Cup in Italy on July 20. The W.J. Mouat grad was one of two Abbotsford talents on the team, as pitcher and Yale Secondary grad Katie Korstrom pitched for the team and earned one save.
• The BCHL announced that the league’s annual showcase would run in Abbotsford and Chilliwack from Oct. 13 to 17. Games featured all 21 teams and would occur at the Abbotsford Centre and Chilliwack Coliseum. It marked the first time the event had ever taken place in Abbotsford.
AUGUST
• Abbotsford’s Shalaya Valenzuela and the Canadian women’s rugby sevens team captured a silver medal at the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics. The Yale Secondary grad made the team as a reserve, but saw action during pool play and earned the medal. Valenzuela played for both the Yale Lions and Abbotsford Rugby Football Clu before playing with the UFV Cascades and Victoria Vikes. She made her national team debut in 2022 and has made several international appearances for Canada.
• The Abbotsford Outlaws 2009A softball team became the first-ever Abbotsford Minor Fastball Association club to capture a national crown with a big win on Aug. 18. Abbotsford beat Waterloo 1-0 in the title game. It capped off an excellent 2024 for the AMFA, as three teams won provincial titles to go with the national crown.
• A total of $2.65 billion in funding was announced by the provincial government towards the Fraser Valley Highway 1 Corridor Improvement Program. The money will improve Highway 1 between Mt. Lehman Road and Highway 11 in Abbotsford. Elements include widening to include HOV/electric-vehicle lanes, a new Highway 11 interchange and a crossing replacement at Peardonville Road. Procurement starts in 2025, major construction in 2026 and completion is estimated for 2031.
• Abbotsford BC United candidates reacted to the news on Aug. 28 that the party was pulling out of the provincial election. No longer running in the race in local ridings were Dave Sidhu, Marcus Delves and Merrick Matteazzi. Langley-Abbotsford candidate Karen Long opted to run as an independent.
SEPTEMBER
• Michael Brian Gerty was charged on Sept. 4 with one count of dangerous driving and three counts of assault with a deadly weapon after intentionally hitting two teenagers with his vehicle. The incident was believed to have sprouted from three teens playing Nicky Nicky Nine Doors on Gerty’s residence, resulting in him getting into his vehicle and striking two of the teens. The charges are still making their way through the courts.
• Mennonite Education Institute Secondary held a ground-breaking ceremony on Sept. 24 to mark the beginning of the construction of a 20,000-square-foot expansion. The first phase of the project is currently underway, with the entire renovation including a new theatre, gym, outdoor running track, turf field, and much more.
• A motorcycle crash on Sept. 17 claimed the life of a 22-year-old Abbotsford resident. The incident occurred in the 26900 block of Fraser Highway in Aldergrove when a pickup truck collided with a motorcycle, causing the rider to sustain fatal injuries.
OCTOBER
• Dustin Born of Abbotsford was sentenced on Oct. 3 to four years in prison for the break-and-enter of a Maple Ridge couple’s home, which led to Born shooting and killing the family’s dog. Born forcefully entered the home on Oct. 5, 2022, and shot the wife in the abdomen and fatally shot their dog before fleeing the scene. The incident arose from a legal dispute between Born and the couple when he was contracted to build a turkey barn on the Maple Ridge farm.
• Sarah Macdonald and Lance Charles spoke to the federal Standing Committee on Health on Oct. 8 about the death of their 13-year-old daughter Brianna Macdonald. Brianna fatally overdosed in an Abbotsford encampment on Aug. 23 after enduring a string of previous suicide attempts. Her parents petitioned the federal government to create more mental health support programs for youth.
• Four new MLAs won seats in the Oct. 19 provincial election, making all of Abbotsford’s MLAs members of the Conservative Party of British Columbia. Bruce Banman was the sole incumbent to retain his seat in the city’s five provincial election ridings, while political newcomers Korky Neufeld, Reann Gasper, Heather Maahs, and Harman Bhangu all won their respective ridings.
• Occupants of the encampment outside of city hall avoided arrest on Sept. 23 after refusing to vacate the area despite being issued an eviction notice by the city on Sept. 19. Several members of the encampment still remain, although the group has significantly shrunk in size since September.
• Tanner Fox of Abbotsford pleaded guilty on Oct. 21 in connection to the killing of former Air India bombing suspect Ripudaman Singh Malik. Fox and Jose Lopez were both charged with second-degree murder of Malik, who was acquitted in the 1985 bombings that killed 331 people. Fox and Lopez later pleaded guilty to shooting Malik in his vehicle outside of his business on July 14, 2022.
NOVEMBER
• The Royal Canadian Legion announced on Nov. 4 that this year’s Remembrance Day service would be altered due to the presence of the homeless encampment outside of city hall. Due to the dozens of tents that bordered Thunderbird Memorial Square, only a small group of parade members, veterans, and dignitaries were involved in the typical ceremony, with everyone else forced to watch the livestream of the service or attend a separate ceremony at the Army Navy and Air Force Veterans cenotaph.
• Taylor Claggett, head coach of the women's basketball team at Columbia Bible College, was accused of hateful behaviour toward Vancouver Island University trans athlete Harriette Mackenzie. A video by Mackenzie circulated online after she experienced an intentional foul and alleged intimidating behaviour during the Oct. 25 match between the two teams. Claggett disputed the claims and remains the CBC team’s head coach. VIU and CBC will face each other again in a doubleheader on Jan. 10 and 11.
• A City of Abbotsford report named affordable housing as the biggest concern among residents, with 39 per cent of locals concerned about it. This marked the first time that unaffordable housing had been so highly ranked, surpassing the previous top concern of homelessness. According to the study, benchmark house prices for Abbotsford increased by 7.5 per cent from 2022.
• The city removed eight occupants from the city hall homeless encampment on Nov. 19. Police and bylaw officers evicted several people from the encampment due to what the city said were attempts to expand the ongoing tent area despite a B.C. Supreme Court ruling that prohibited such actions. The City of Abbotsford also appealed the court ruling, claiming that it doesn’t possess the funding or resources to carry out the requirements mandated by the court. The appeal is still currently working its way through the court system.
• The Robert Bateman Timberwolves won the first junior football provincial title in the school’s history on Nov. 29. The Abbotsford team went up against Nanaimo’s John Barsby Bulldogs at BC Place in the Junior AA provincials and got the dominant 50-8 win to secure the the championship.
DECEMBER
• City council approved in principle a temporary-use permit on Dec. 3 for a new 30-bed emergency shelter downtown. The Abbotsford Downtown Business Association voiced concerns about the project, but the permit for the Montvue Avenue project was still moved forward and will come back to council in the new year for final approval.
• The Abbotsford school district released a statement on Dec. 3 regarding the passing of longtime Abbotsford Senior Secondary teacher and basketball coach Prentice Lenz. He passed away on Nov. 30 after suffering a heart attack while cycling. Lenz spent nearly 30 years with the school district and helped bring two provincial girls basketball titles to the school during this time.
• Two suspects were arrested on Dec. 5 in connection to a shooting incident in Abbotsford. A house on Holly Street was shot up on the morning of Dec. 5, with the suspects fleeing the scene in a vehicle. Abbotsford police later found and arrested two men in connection to the shooting.
• Ander Walker-Huria was charged on Dec. 17 with seven offences related to a takedown the previous day outside of the Sandman Hotel on Mt. Lehman Road. Walker-Huria allegedly rammed several police vehicle and was eventually subdued with the use of a beanbag gun and police dog.
