--- title: "Abbotsford South: candidates, history and census, BC provincial 2026 | voche.me" canonical_url: "https://voche.me/bc/provincial-2026/races/mla/abbotsford-south" last_updated: "2026-10-10T04:05:13.952Z" meta: description: "3 candidates in Abbotsford South for the BC provincial 2026 election. The history of the area, every result since 2009, past MLAs and the 2021 census profile." "og:description": "3 candidates in Abbotsford South for the BC provincial 2026 election. The history of the area, every result since 2009, past MLAs and the 2021 census profile." "og:title": "Abbotsford South: candidates, history and census, BC provincial 2026" "twitter:description": "3 candidates in Abbotsford South for the BC provincial 2026 election. The history of the area, every result since 2009, past MLAs and the 2021 census profile." "twitter:title": "Abbotsford South: candidates, history and census, BC provincial 2026" --- ** MLA · BC PROVINCIAL 2026 # Abbotsford South.
3 candidates, one seat. This district elects one MLA. Voters mark one name on Saturday, October 24, 2026, and the candidate with the most votes wins the seat. Abbotsford South is a provincial electoral district in the Fraser Valley. It takes in Abbotsford's city centre, the neighbourhoods of Aberdeen, Poplar and Kilgard, and Sumas Mountain, with the Canada-U.S. border as its southern edge. The 2021 census counted 60,630 people in it, and the Electoral Boundaries Commission gives its area as 174 square kilometres. ## The candidates In alphabetical order [![Bruce Banman, from his Conservative Party of BC candidate page.](https://voche.me/bc/provincial-2026/images/candidates/bruce-banman-640.webp)MLA · Abbotsford South**Conservative Party of BC**

Bruce Banman

Researched by voche.meExplore the profile ](https://voche.me/bc/provincial-2026/candidates/bruce-banman) [MLA · Abbotsford South**BC NDP**

Leah Ballantyne

Researched by voche.meExplore the profile ](https://voche.me/bc/provincial-2026/candidates/leah-ballantyne) [![Robin Roy, from the OneBC candidate page.](https://voche.me/bc/provincial-2026/images/candidates/robin-roy-640.webp)MLA · Abbotsford South**OneBC**

Robin Roy

Researched by voche.meExplore the profile ](https://voche.me/bc/provincial-2026/candidates/robin-roy)
People, 2021 census
60,630
Area
174 km²
Registered voters, 2024
41,068
Turnout, 2024
51.72%
Median age
40.0
Median household income, 2020
$83,000
THE DISTRICT ## Where Abbotsford South is 174 km² · 60,630 people Abbotsford South lies in the southern part of the City of Abbotsford, in the Fraser Valley of British Columbia. The Electoral Boundaries Commission's 2023 final report says it includes Abbotsford's city centre and the neighbourhoods of Aberdeen, Poplar and Kilgard. The Canada-U.S. border forms its southern boundary and the City of Abbotsford's border forms its eastern boundary. Bradner Road marks the west. The commission gives the district an area of 174 square kilometres and counts 60,624 people in it, which is 12.7% from the average district. The northern boundary follows Highway 1 and South Fraser Way, and then Old Yale, Marshall, Whatcom, McKee and Sumas Mountain Roads. The commission's map labels Clearbrook, Poplar, Kilgard and Huntingdon, along with roads such as Clearbrook Road, McCallum Road, Sumas Way and Huntingdon Road. The commission moved the Sumas Mountain neighbourhood into this district from Abbotsford-Mission. It also moved the northwestern parts of the earlier Abbotsford South into Langley-Willowbrook and Abbotsford West. Highway 1 and South Fraser Way run along the northern boundary. The Province says the Sumas River begins in Whatcom County, Washington, and flows north into British Columbia. The Canadian Pacific Railway built a branch line from Mission to the border at Huntingdon in 1889, according to the Encyclopedia of British Columbia. - Abbotsford city centre - Aberdeen - Poplar - Kilgard - Clearbrook - Huntingdon - Sumas Mountain Sources: [British Columbia Electoral Boundaries Commission (opens in a new tab)](https://elections.bc.ca/docs/rpt/BCEBC-Final-Report-April-3-2023.pdf), [Province of British Columbia (opens in a new tab)](https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/environment/flood-projects/sumas-river-and-canal), [KnowBC (opens in a new tab)](https://knowbc.com/limited/Books/Encyclopedia-of-BC/H/Huntingdon) HISTORY ## The history of the area Checked Wednesday, October 7, 2026 ### Semá:th territory and Sumas Mountain The Sumas First Nation, whose people are the Semá:th, says on its website that they have lived on and cared for the lands and waters around what is now Abbotsford since time immemorial. The Nation describes its traditional territory as stretching between the Sumas and Vedder mountains and including Semá:th Xó:tsa, the former Sumas Lake. It says the territory once reached south across the present border into Washington State, and that it overlapped in part with the territory of the Máthxwí and Leq'á:mel First Nations. The Nation's territory page says seven villages were part of Semá:th and that its lands covered more than 20,000 acres. The main upper village, Kw'ekw'e'i:qw, stood at the site of the present reserve, which the Nation calls only a fraction of its traditional territory. Kw'ekw'e'i:qw is also the Nation's name for Sumas Mountain. The page adds that neighbours called this area Kilgard, a name that refers to a kiln brickwork factory. It describes Thunderbird Caves on the south-facing side of the mountain, where the Nation's oral history says people took refuge during a great flood. The Nation's timeline says that in 1953 the Semá:th and the Leq'á:mel separated under the Indian Act, and the Semá:th received Indian Reserve 6, their current reserve. It records that in 1919 another Sumas reserve, number 7, was sold to the Soldier Settlement Board. Sources: [Sumas First Nation (Semá:th) (opens in a new tab)](https://sumasfirstnation.com/about/our-territory/), [Sumas First Nation (Semá:th) (opens in a new tab)](https://sumasfirstnation.com/about/our-history-and-culture/) ### Railways reach the border, 1889 to 1955 The Encyclopedia of British Columbia says the Canadian Pacific Railway built a branch line from Mission to the United States in 1889. Huntingdon takes its name from Huntingdon, Quebec, the home of Benjamin Douglas, the first settler in the area. Douglas and a partner laid out a townsite at the border, and it became a port of entry with a hotel and a customs office. The entry says the neighbouring town of Sumas, on the American side, grew more than Huntingdon did. An electric line followed. The Fraser Valley Heritage Railway Society, which restores cars of the British Columbia Electric Railway, says the company's Fraser Valley line was completed in 1910 and that passenger service began on October 3, 1910. The line ran from downtown Vancouver to Chilliwack, and Abbotsford and Sumas were among the settlements it served. The society records that the line last carried passengers in 1955, on a special trip from Chilliwack for a Grade 3 class from Yarrow. Sources: [KnowBC (opens in a new tab)](https://knowbc.com/limited/Books/Encyclopedia-of-BC/H/Huntingdon), [Fraser Valley Heritage Railway Society (opens in a new tab)](https://fvhrs.org/history/) ### Place names and the City of Abbotsford, 1890 to 1995 Aberdeen lies on the west side of Abbotsford, and BC Geographical Names adopted the name in 1951. The Abbotsford School District says Hugh Currie, who donated land for the school and the cemetery, named the school Aberdeen because many Scottish immigrants had settled in the area. The first school building went up in 1890. In 1900 the school moved to Fraser Highway and Bradner Road, which was then called Aberdeen Road. The district adds that the area around the school took its name from the school. Bradner Road is now the western boundary of the electoral district. BC Geographical Names says the name Abbotsford first appeared on John Charles Maclure's map on July 9, 1891, and that the post office opened on January 1, 1892. Abbotsford was incorporated as a village on February 22, 1924. On November 17, 1972 it amalgamated with the District of Sumas to form the District of Abbotsford. On January 1, 1995 that district merged with the District of Matsqui, and the City of Abbotsford was created. The same office records that the word Sumas comes from an Indigenous word meaning a big level opening. The earliest record is the 1808 journal of Simon Fraser, who described a round mountain that Indigenous people called shemotch. The name Sumas Mountain was adopted on December 12, 1939. Sources: [BC Geographical Names Office (opens in a new tab)](https://apps.gov.bc.ca/pub/bcgnws/names/136.html), [Abbotsford School District (opens in a new tab)](https://aberdeen.abbyschools.ca/school-name-history-1), [BC Geographical Names Office (opens in a new tab)](https://apps.gov.bc.ca/pub/bcgnws/names/752.html), [BC Geographical Names Office (opens in a new tab)](https://apps.gov.bc.ca/pub/bcgnws/names/13328.html) ### The Sikh temple, Mennonite farms and Kilgard, 1911 to 1957 Parks Canada says Sikh pioneers from India built the Abbotsford Sikh Temple in 1911, using lumber from a nearby sawmill where many of them worked. The Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada designated it a national historic site in 2002. Parks Canada gives the reason as the oldest surviving example of the temples that played a religious, social and political role in the first period of Sikh immigration to North America. The temple stands at 33089 South Fraser Way, one of the roads that form the district's northern boundary. The Canadian Encyclopedia says Mennonites settled the low-lying farmland of Matsqui in the late 1920s, largely in Clearbrook. The Encyclopedia of British Columbia says the Clearbrook post office was first named Pinecrest in 1952, after the Pinecrest Auto Court. Residents complained, the name changed to North Clearbrook, and in 1957 it became Clearbrook. The same encyclopedia says Sumas Clay Products, a brick factory formerly at Clayburn, has been based at Kilgard since 1920. Sources: [Parks Canada (opens in a new tab)](https://parks.canada.ca/culture/designation/lieu-site/temple-sikh-abbotsford-sikh-temple), [The Canadian Encyclopedia (opens in a new tab)](https://thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/matsqui), [KnowBC (opens in a new tab)](https://www.knowbc.com/limited/Books/Encyclopedia-of-BC/C/Clearbrook), [KnowBC (opens in a new tab)](https://www.knowbc.com/limited/Books/Encyclopedia-of-BC/K/Kilgard) ### Sumas Lake is drained, 1920 to 1925 Sumas Lake lay between the Sumas and Vedder mountains, in the area now called the Sumas Prairie. The Semá:th say the lake gave them food, a home and a route for travel, and that it was a sacred place in their oral histories. Their timeline says pressure from farmers and railway companies led the provincial government to build canals, dikes and pumping stations between 1920 and 1925. It says the work created 33,000 acres of farm land, and that it ended a way of life the Semá:th had relied on for thousands of years. The territory page gives 1924 as the year the lake was drained. The Province says Sumas Lake was drained in the 1920s for several purposes, including farming. A provincial news release of February 14, 2024 says the Barrowtown Pump Station opened in 1983. It pumps water from the low prairie through the Sumas Canal and into the Fraser River. Sources: [Sumas First Nation (Semá:th) (opens in a new tab)](https://sumasfirstnation.com/about/our-history-and-culture/), [Sumas First Nation (Semá:th) (opens in a new tab)](https://sumasfirstnation.com/about/our-territory/), [Province of British Columbia (opens in a new tab)](https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/environment/flood-projects/sumas-river-and-canal), [City of Abbotsford (opens in a new tab)](https://www.abbotsford.ca/node/10113) ### The 2021 floods and Lightning Rock, 2021 to 2025 The provincial news release of February 14, 2024 says flood water broke through the Sumas River dike during the heavy rain storms of November 2021, which the release calls atmospheric rivers. A dike is an earth bank built to hold water back. The release says the Barrowtown Pump Station was nearly overwhelmed. It lists upgrades that include a six-metre floodwall and new pump motors, and says the Province committed $76.6 million to pay for them. In April 2023 the Province, the Semá:th, Matsqui and Leq'á:mel First Nations, and the cities of Abbotsford and Chilliwack set up the Sumas River Flood Mitigation Collaborative Framework. On March 31, 2025 the Province returned the 36-hectare Lightning Rock site on Sumas Mountain to the Semá:th, according to a joint news release of that date. The site holds a stone known as Lightning Rock, which Stó:lō history counts among more than 100 places where ancestors were transformed into stone. It also holds the burial place of smallpox victims from the 18th century. The release says the Province and the Semá:th signed a memorandum of understanding in 2017 and that the Province announced its purchase of the site in March 2024. It also says the Province, the Nation and the City of Abbotsford agreed to hire a third party to study other routes for the quarry road that crosses the site. Sources: [City of Abbotsford (opens in a new tab)](https://www.abbotsford.ca/node/10113), [Sumas First Nation (Semá:th) (opens in a new tab)](https://sumasfirstnation.com/news/sacred-land-returned-to-semath/) THE SEAT ## Who has held the seat Legislative Assembly records, 39th Parliament onward Elections BC's volume for 2002 to 2013 first prints Abbotsford South at the 39th general election, held on May 12, 2009. Under the Electoral Districts Act (SBC 2008 c. 14), which the volume says set 85 districts, the new boundaries took effect on April 14, 2009, the day the 38th Parliament was dissolved. John van Dongen of the Liberal Party won Abbotsford South in 2009 with 9,566 votes (58.47%). Bonnie Jasiver Rai of the New Democratic Party received 4,197 (25.65%). Earlier volumes print districts with other Abbotsford names. Elections BC's volume for 1987 to 2001 prints a district named Abbotsford at the 35th general election on 17 October 1991, won by Harry De Jong of the Social Credit Party with 6,647 votes (36.12%). De Jong resigned on 1 November 1994. At the by-election on 3 May 1995 John van Dongen of the Liberal Party won with 10,998 votes (50.25%), and the volume lists him for Abbotsford in 1996. He won Abbotsford-Clayburn in 2001 with 12,584 votes (72.51%) and in 2005 with 11,047 votes (59.95%). Van Dongen sat as a Conservative Party member from March 26, 2012 and as an Independent from September 22, 2012, according to the 2002 to 2013 volume. In 2013 Darryl Plecas of the BC Liberal Party won with 9,563 votes (47.74%), ahead of van Dongen, who ran as an Independent and received 5,586. Plecas won again in 2017 with 11,683 votes (52.48%). The legislature's record lists him as an Independent in the 41st Parliament. Bruce Banman was elected in 2020 for the BC Liberal Party with 9,730 votes (44.69%), and the legislature lists him as a member of the Conservative Party of BC in the 42nd Parliament. In 2024 Bruce Banman of the Conservative Party won with 13,053 votes (61.61%). Sarah Kooner of the BC NDP received 7,454 (35.18%) and Amandeep Singh, an Independent, received 681 (3.21%). Turnout was 51.72% of 41,068 registered voters. The legislature's record lists Banman as an Independent for 2025 to 2026. Elections BC's conversion table places the new district's 85 voting areas in the 2017 to 2024 districts as 65 in Abbotsford South, 17 in Abbotsford-Mission and 4 in Abbotsford West. Sources: [Elections BC (opens in a new tab)](https://elections.bc.ca/docs/rpt/2002-2013-ElectionHistory.pdf), [Elections BC (opens in a new tab)](https://elections.bc.ca/docs/rpt/1987-2001-ElectionHistory.pdf), [Elections BC (opens in a new tab)](https://catalogue.data.gov.bc.ca/dataset/44914a35-de9a-4830-ac48-870001ef8935), [Elections BC (opens in a new tab)](https://elections.bc.ca/docs/rpt/statement-of-votes-2024-provincial-election.pdf), [Legislative Assembly of British Columbia (opens in a new tab)](https://www.leg.bc.ca/members), [Elections BC (opens in a new tab)](https://catalogue.data.gov.bc.ca/dataset/fb26db04-780c-4229-a147-da4fd5311d36), [British Columbia Electoral Boundaries Commission (opens in a new tab)](https://elections.bc.ca/docs/rpt/BCEBC-Final-Report-April-3-2023.pdf) Members for Abbotsford South | Parliament | It sat | Member | Elected as | Party on the legislature’s record | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 43rd | 2025 to 2026 | Bruce Banman | Conservative Party | Independent | | 42nd | 2020 to 2024 | Bruce Banman | BC Liberal Party | Conservative Party of BC | | 41st | 2017 to 2020 | Darryl Plecas | BC Liberal Party | Independent | | 40th | 2013 to 2017 | Darryl Plecas | BC Liberal Party | BC Liberal Party | | 39th | 2009 to 2013 | John van Dongen | BC Liberal Party | Independent | Members for Abbotsford-Mission, which covered 17 of this district’s 85 voting areas before 2024 | Parliament | It sat | Member | Elected as | Party on the legislature’s record | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 43rd | 2025 to 2026 | Reann Gasper | Conservative Party | Conservative Party of BC | | 42nd | 2020 to 2024 | Pam Alexis | BC NDP | BC NDP | | 41st | 2017 to 2020 | Simon Gibson | | BC Liberal Party | | 40th | 2013 to 2017 | Simon Gibson | BC Liberal Party | BC Liberal Party | | 39th | 2009 to 2013 | Randy Hawes | BC Liberal Party | BC Liberal Party | “Elected as” is the affiliation Elections BC printed with the winning result. The last column is the party the legislature’s records give for that parliament, which differs when a member changed party while in office. A row with that column empty is a winner Elections BC prints whom the legislature’s records leave out. Source: [Legislative Assembly of British Columbia (opens in a new tab)](https://www.leg.bc.ca/members) ### Boundaries since 2024 Abbotsford South has 85 voting areas. 65 of them overlap the district of the same name used from 2017 to 2024. Others overlap these districts from 2017 to 2024: Abbotsford-Mission (17), Abbotsford West (4). The commission that drew the boundaries counted 60,624 people in the district, 12.7% above the average for a district, over 174 km². Sources: [British Columbia Electoral Boundaries Commission, Final report, April 3, 2023 (opens in a new tab)](https://elections.bc.ca/docs/rpt/BCEBC-Final-Report-April-3-2023.pdf), [Elections BC, Voting area conversion table, 2017 to 2024 (opens in a new tab)](https://catalogue.data.gov.bc.ca/dataset/fb26db04-780c-4229-a147-da4fd5311d36) PAST RESULTS ## Every result since 2009 From Elections BC
**2024 Provincial General Election**Bruce Banman, Conservative Party, 61.61% | Candidate | Affiliation | Votes | Share | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Bruce BanmanElected | Conservative Party | 13,053 | 61.61% | | Sarah Kooner | BC NDP | 7,454 | 35.18% | | Amandeep Singh | Independent | 681 | 3.21% | 21,188 valid votes · 54 rejected ballots · 41,068 registered voters · 51.72% voted
**2020 General Election**Bruce Banman, BC Liberal Party, 44.69% | Candidate | Affiliation | Votes | Share | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Bruce BanmanElected | BC Liberal Party | 9,730 | 44.69% | | Inder Johal | BC NDP | 7,706 | 35.39% | | Aird Flavelle | BC Green Party | 2,617 | 12.02% | | Laura-Lynn Thompson | Christian Heritage Party of B.C. | 1,720 | 7.90% | 21,773 valid votes · 210 rejected ballots
**2017 General Election**Darryl Plecas, BC Liberal Party, 52.48% | Candidate | Affiliation | Votes | Share | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Darryl PlecasElected | BC Liberal Party | 11,683 | 52.48% | | Jasleen Arora | BC NDP | 6,297 | 28.29% | | William Aird Flavelle | BC Green Party | 3,338 | 15.00% | | Ron Gray | Christian Heritage Party of B.C. | 942 | 4.23% | 22,260 valid votes · 174 rejected ballots
**2013 General Election**Darryl Plecas, BC Liberal Party, 47.74% | Candidate | Affiliation | Votes | Share | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Darryl PlecasElected | BC Liberal Party | 9,563 | 47.74% | | John van Dongen | Independent | 5,586 | 27.89% | | Lakhvinder Jhaj | BC NDP | 4,210 | 21.02% | | Steve Finlay | BC Marijuana Party | 417 | 2.08% | | Patricia Smith | BC Excalibur Party | 256 | 1.28% | 20,032 valid votes · 202 rejected ballots
**2009 General Election**John van Dongen, BC Liberal Party, 58.47% | Candidate | Affiliation | Votes | Share | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | John van DongenElected | BC Liberal Party | 9,566 | 58.47% | | Bonnie Jasiver Rai | BC NDP | 4,197 | 25.65% | | Daniel Stephen Bryce | BC Green Party | 1,244 | 7.60% | | Gurcharan Dhaliwal | Conservative | 1,019 | 6.23% | | Tim Lee Felger | Independent | 334 | 2.04% | 16,360 valid votes · 205 rejected ballots
### Abbotsford-Mission, 2009 to 2024
**2024 Provincial General Election**Reann Gasper, Conservative Party, 55.38% | Candidate | Affiliation | Votes | Share | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Reann GasperElected | Conservative Party | 13,523 | 55.38% | | Pam Alexis | BC NDP | 10,894 | 44.62% | 24,417 valid votes · 98 rejected ballots
**2020 General Election**Pam Alexis, BC NDP, 41.07% | Candidate | Affiliation | Votes | Share | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Pam AlexisElected | BC NDP | 10,364 | 41.07% | | Simon Gibson | BC Liberal Party | 9,620 | 38.12% | | Stephen Fowler | BC Green Party | 2,667 | 10.57% | | Trevor Hamilton | Conservative | 1,989 | 7.88% | | Aeriol Alderking | Christian Heritage Party of B.C. | 595 | 2.36% | 25,235 valid votes · 152 rejected ballots
**2017 General Election**Simon John Gibson, BC Liberal Party, 51.19% | Candidate | Affiliation | Votes | Share | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Simon John GibsonElected | BC Liberal Party | 12,879 | 51.19% | | Andrew Murray Christie | BC NDP | 7,339 | 29.17% | | Jennifer Holmes | BC Green Party | 4,297 | 17.08% | | Dan Cameron | Christian Heritage Party of B.C. | 644 | 2.56% | 25,159 valid votes · 135 rejected ballots
**2013 General Election**Simon Gibson, BC Liberal Party, 50.67% | Candidate | Affiliation | Votes | Share | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Simon GibsonElected | BC Liberal Party | 10,417 | 50.67% | | Preet Rai | BC NDP | 5,591 | 27.20% | | Don Stahl | Conservative | 1,946 | 9.47% | | Aird Flavelle | BC Green Party | 1,865 | 9.07% | | Wendy Bales | Independent | 415 | 2.02% | | Roman Bojczuk | Independent | 204 | 0.99% | | Marcus Halliday | BC Excalibur Party | 119 | 0.58% | 20,557 valid votes · 117 rejected ballots
**2009 General Election**Randy Hawes, BC Liberal Party, 58.36% | Candidate | Affiliation | Votes | Share | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Randy HawesElected | BC Liberal Party | 10,371 | 58.36% | | Lynn Perrin | BC NDP | 5,788 | 32.57% | | Bill Walsh | BC Green Party | 1,611 | 9.07% | 17,770 valid votes · 160 rejected ballots
The boundaries changed before the 2009, 2017 and 2024 elections, so a result under the same name can cover a different area. Sources: [Elections BC, Provincial Voting Results (opens in a new tab)](https://catalogue.data.gov.bc.ca/dataset/44914a35-de9a-4830-ac48-870001ef8935), [Statement of Votes, 2024 Provincial General Election (opens in a new tab)](https://elections.bc.ca/docs/rpt/statement-of-votes-2024-provincial-election.pdf) PEOPLE · 2021 CENSUS ## Who lives in Abbotsford South 60,630 residents · British Columbia beside each figure ### Age
Median age
40.0BC 42.8
- Under 1515.8%BC 14.3% - 15 to 6464.4%BC 65.3% - 65 and over19.8%BC 20.3% - 85 and over3.3%BC 2.4% ### Households
Households
22,015
People per household
2.7BC 2.4
#### Who lives together - Couples with children22.4%BC 22.7% - Couples without children23.1%BC 26.4% - One-parent families7.8%BC 7.6% - Multigenerational households6.7%BC 3.7% - People living alone28.6%BC 29.4% #### Household size - 1 person28.6%BC 29.4% - 2 persons31.5%BC 35.3% - 3 persons13.2%BC 14.5% - 4 persons12.9%BC 12.6% - 5 or more persons13.8%BC 8.2% ### Homes
Median home value
$800,000BC $785,000
Median monthly rent and utilities
$1,210BC $1,370
Median monthly cost for owners
$1,370BC $1,320
#### Own or rent - Own their home61.9%BC 66.8% - Rent their home38.0%BC 32.8% - Home provided by a local government or First Nation0.1%BC 0.5% #### Type of home - Single-detached house36.0%BC 42.4% - Semi-detached house1.6%BC 3.1% - Row house8.0%BC 8.3% - Apartment or flat in a duplex18.3%BC 12.2% - Apartment in a building that has fewer than five storeys34.1%BC 20.4% - Apartment in a building that has five or more storeys1.5%BC 10.9% - Movable dwelling0.5%BC 2.5% #### When the home was built - 1960 or earlier6.7%BC 12.5% - 1961 to 198030.4%BC 27.0% - 1981 to 199018.3%BC 14.2% - 1991 to 200017.3%BC 16.5% - 2001 to 20054.6%BC 6.0% - 2006 to 20108.0%BC 8.0% - 2011 to 20154.8%BC 6.6% - 2016 to 20219.8%BC 9.1% ### Housing costs - Renters paying 30% or more of income on housing35.0%BC 37.8% - Owners paying 30% or more of income on housing19.5%BC 19.3% - Renters in core housing need20.5%BC 24.7% - Owners in core housing need6.1%BC 8.0% - Renters in subsidized housing9.8%BC 11.0% - Owners with a mortgage62.6%BC 57.5% ### Income Income is for the year 2020.
Median household income
$83,000BC $85,000
After tax
$74,000BC $76,000
Median income per person
$37,600BC $40,800
#### Living on a low income (after-tax measure) - All ages9.7%BC 10.8% - Under 1811.0%BC 11.3% - 18 to 647.3%BC 9.7% - 65 and over16.0%BC 13.8% ### Languages #### First language learned - English66.7%BC 67.1% - Punjabi (Panjabi)16.5%BC 4.9% - German2.2%BC 1.0% - Spanish1.1%BC 1.2% - Tagalog (Pilipino, Filipino)0.8%BC 1.7% - Korean0.8%BC 1.2% - French0.7%BC 1.2% - Dutch0.7%BC 0.4% - Mandarin0.7%BC 4.1% - Vietnamese0.6%BC 0.7% #### Spoken most often at home - English76.7%BC 78.5% - Punjabi (Panjabi)13.8%BC 3.8% - Korean0.6%BC 0.9% - Spanish0.5%BC 0.6% - Mandarin0.5%BC 3.3% - Arabic0.4%BC 0.3% - Hindi0.3%BC 0.3% - Vietnamese0.3%BC 0.4% #### English and French - English only91.6%BC 90.1% - English and French4.0%BC 6.6% - Neither English nor French4.4%BC 3.3% ### Immigration
Born outside Canada (immigrants)
25.3%BC 29.0%
Non-permanent residents
3.2%BC 3.5%
#### Where immigrants were born - India46.4%BC 13.8% - United Kingdom6.7%BC 8.2% - Philippines5.1%BC 9.2% - United States of America4.0%BC 4.2% - Netherlands2.5%BC 1.1% - Germany2.4%BC 2.2% - China2.1%BC 15.3% - Viet Nam1.9%BC 2.3% - Korea, South1.8%BC 3.3% - Pakistan1.8%BC 0.9% #### When immigrants arrived - Arrived before 198020.5%BC 19.7% - 1980 to 199011.6%BC 11.5% - 1991 to 200020.1%BC 21.0% - 2001 to 201021.7%BC 22.2% - 2011 to 202126.1%BC 25.6% #### Generations in Canada - First generation29.3%BC 33.7% - Second generation24.0%BC 21.7% - Third generation or more46.7%BC 44.5% ### Identity and origins
Indigenous identity
6.2%BC 5.9%
Visible minority
33.8%BC 34.4%
#### Visible minority groups - South Asian23.5%BC 9.6% - Filipino1.9%BC 3.5% - Chinese1.5%BC 11.2% - Black1.5%BC 1.3% - Southeast Asian1.3%BC 1.5% - Latin American1.1%BC 1.3% - Korean0.8%BC 1.5% - Multiple visible minorities0.7%BC 1.2% - West Asian0.6%BC 1.4% - Arab0.5%BC 0.6% - Japanese0.2%BC 0.9% - Visible minority (other)0.2%BC 0.4% #### Ethnic or cultural origins reported most often - English17.9%BC 20.7% - German14.9%BC 11.0% - Indian (India)12.8%BC 5.6% - Scottish12.6%BC 15.8% - Canadian10.8%BC 9.3% - Irish10.2%BC 12.8% - Dutch7.9%BC 3.9% - Punjabi6.2%BC 1.9% - French5.4%BC 6.4% - Sikh4.9%BC 1.4% ### Religion - Christian41.2%BC 34.3% - No religion34.4%BC 52.1% - Sikh19.2%BC 5.9% - Hindu1.9%BC 1.7% - Muslim1.8%BC 2.6% - Other religions0.7%BC 1.0% - Buddhist0.6%BC 1.7% - Jewish0.1%BC 0.5% - Traditional Indigenous spirituality0.1%BC 0.2% ### Education Highest level completed, ages 25 to 64. - No certificate, diploma or degree12.1%BC 8.0% - High school diploma33.8%BC 25.8% - College, trades or other certificate below a bachelor’s degree30.9%BC 31.2% - Bachelor’s degree or higher23.2%BC 35.0% ### Work
In the labour force
64.4%BC 63.3%
Employed
59.1%BC 57.9%
Unemployment rate at the census
8.2%BC 8.4%
#### Industries with the most workers - Retail trade11.8%BC 11.6% - Health care and social assistance11.5%BC 12.3% - Construction11.3%BC 9.0% - Manufacturing9.0%BC 5.9% - Transportation and warehousing8.7%BC 5.5% - Educational services6.5%BC 7.4% - Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting6.5%BC 2.3% - Accommodation and food services5.6%BC 7.0% #### Kinds of work - Sales and service occupations24.5%BC 25.6% - Trades, transport and equipment operators and related occupations23.7%BC 18.0% - Business, finance and administration occupations14.6%BC 17.1% - Occupations in education, law and social, community and government services10.8%BC 11.9% - Health occupations7.6%BC 7.7% - Natural resources, agriculture and related production occupations5.8%BC 2.8% - Occupations in manufacturing and utilities5.7%BC 3.4% - Natural and applied sciences and related occupations4.2%BC 8.0% - Occupations in art, culture, recreation and sport2.3%BC 4.2% - Legislative and senior management occupations0.8%BC 1.2% ### Getting to work #### Where people worked - Worked at home14.4%BC 22.6% - Worked outside Canada0.4%BC 0.4% - No fixed workplace address19.2%BC 15.3% - Worked at a usual workplace66.0%BC 61.6% #### How commuters travelled - Car, truck or van90.5%BC 79.9% - Public transit2.5%BC 9.3% - On foot4.5%BC 6.5% - Bicycle0.4%BC 2.0% - Other method2.0%BC 2.3% #### Length of the trip - Less than 15 minutes39.9%BC 31.8% - 15 to 29 minutes29.4%BC 34.0% - 30 to 44 minutes15.1%BC 19.7% - 45 to 59 minutes7.5%BC 7.3% - 60 minutes and over8.1%BC 7.2% ### Moving Where residents lived five years before the census. - Lived at the same address52.9%BC 56.2% - Moved within the same municipality24.2%BC 16.1% - Moved from elsewhere in BC14.0%BC 17.0% - Moved from another province3.7%BC 4.6% - Moved from another country5.2%BC 6.1% Counts in the census are rounded to the nearest 5, and shares are worked out from those counts. Source: [BC Stats, from Statistics Canada tabulations, 2021 Census Profile for BC Provincial Electoral Districts (2023 Redistribution) (opens in a new tab)](https://catalogue.data.gov.bc.ca/dataset/census-profiles-for-bc-provincial-electoral-districts) QUESTIONS ## Questions about Abbotsford South 10 answers ### Where is Abbotsford South? Abbotsford South is a provincial electoral district in the southern part of the City of Abbotsford, in the Fraser Valley of British Columbia. The Electoral Boundaries Commission's 2023 final report gives its area as 174 square kilometres. The Canada-U.S. border is its southern boundary, the City of Abbotsford's border is its eastern boundary, and Bradner Road marks the west. ### Which communities are in Abbotsford South? Abbotsford South includes Abbotsford's city centre and the neighbourhoods of Aberdeen, Poplar and Kilgard, according to the Electoral Boundaries Commission's 2023 final report. The report also moved the Sumas Mountain neighbourhood into the district. The commission's map labels Clearbrook and Huntingdon, the border community where a railway branch line reached the United States in 1889. ### Who won Abbotsford South in the 2024 provincial election? Bruce Banman of the Conservative Party won Abbotsford South in 2024 with 13,053 votes, 61.61% of the valid vote. Sarah Kooner of the BC NDP received 7,454 votes and Amandeep Singh, an Independent, received 681. Turnout was 51.72% of 41,068 registered voters, and the district's 21,188 valid votes were counted by Elections BC. ### Who represented Abbotsford South before 2024? Bruce Banman represented Abbotsford South before 2024. He was elected in 2020 with 9,730 votes, 44.69%, running for the BC Liberal Party. Darryl Plecas won the district in 2013 and 2017, and John van Dongen won it in 2009, the first election at which the name Abbotsford South was used. ### When was Abbotsford South first created? The name Abbotsford South was first used at the 39th general election on May 12, 2009, under the Electoral Districts Act (SBC 2008 c. 14), which set the number of districts at 85. John van Dongen of the Liberal Party won it that year with 9,566 votes, 58.47%. Elections BC's volume for 2002 to 2013 prints the result. ### Were there earlier districts in Abbotsford before Abbotsford South? Yes. Elections BC's volume for 1987 to 2001 prints a district named Abbotsford in 1991 and 1995, and one named Abbotsford-Clayburn in 2001. The 2002 to 2013 volume prints Abbotsford-Clayburn again in 2005. John van Dongen of the Liberal Party won Abbotsford-Clayburn in 2001 with 12,584 votes and in 2005 with 11,047, before he won Abbotsford South in 2009. ### How did the boundaries of Abbotsford South change in 2023? The Electoral Boundaries Commission's 2023 final report moved the Sumas Mountain neighbourhood from Abbotsford-Mission into Abbotsford South. It also moved the northwestern parts of the earlier Abbotsford South into Langley-Willowbrook and Abbotsford West. Of the district's 85 voting areas, 65 were in Abbotsford South, 17 in Abbotsford-Mission and 4 in Abbotsford West. The report counts 60,624 people, which is 12.7% from the average district. ### How many people live in Abbotsford South? The 2021 census counted 60,630 people in Abbotsford South, with a median age of 40 compared with 42.8 across British Columbia. English was the first language of 66.7% of residents and Punjabi of 16.5%. Immigrants made up 25.3% of the population, and the median household income was $83,000. ### Whose traditional territory is Abbotsford South on? The Sumas First Nation, whose people are the Semá:th, describes its traditional territory as stretching between the Sumas and Vedder mountains and including the former Sumas Lake. Abbotsford South takes in the Sumas Mountain neighbourhood, and the Nation calls the mountain Kw'ekw'e'i:qw. The Nation's own pages, listed under sources, give its account of the territory, and the Province returned the 36-hectare Lightning Rock site on the mountain to the Nation on March 31, 2025. ### What was Sumas Lake near Abbotsford South? Sumas Lake was a lake between the Sumas and Vedder mountains, in the area now called the Sumas Prairie. The Sumas First Nation's timeline says the provincial government built canals, dikes and pumping stations between 1920 and 1925 to drain it, and that the work created 33,000 acres of farm land. The Semá:th say the draining ended a way of life they had relied on for thousands of years. SOURCES ## Where this page comes from Figures read Thursday, October 8, 2026 1. [2021 Census Profile for BC Provincial Electoral Districts (2023 Redistribution) (opens in a new tab)](https://catalogue.data.gov.bc.ca/dataset/census-profiles-for-bc-provincial-electoral-districts)BC Stats, from Statistics Canada tabulations · read Thursday, October 8, 2026 2. [Provincial Voting Results (opens in a new tab)](https://catalogue.data.gov.bc.ca/dataset/44914a35-de9a-4830-ac48-870001ef8935)Elections BC · read Thursday, October 8, 2026 3. [Statement of Votes, 2024 Provincial General Election (opens in a new tab)](https://elections.bc.ca/docs/rpt/statement-of-votes-2024-provincial-election.pdf)Elections BC · read Thursday, October 8, 2026 4. [Voting area conversion table, 2017 to 2024 (opens in a new tab)](https://catalogue.data.gov.bc.ca/dataset/fb26db04-780c-4229-a147-da4fd5311d36)Elections BC · read Thursday, October 8, 2026 5. [Final report, April 3, 2023 (opens in a new tab)](https://elections.bc.ca/docs/rpt/BCEBC-Final-Report-April-3-2023.pdf)British Columbia Electoral Boundaries Commission · read Thursday, October 8, 2026 6. [Members of the Legislative Assembly, 35th to 43rd Parliament (opens in a new tab)](https://www.leg.bc.ca/members)Legislative Assembly of British Columbia · read Thursday, October 8, 2026 7. [Final report, April 3, 2023 (opens in a new tab)](https://elections.bc.ca/docs/rpt/BCEBC-Final-Report-April-3-2023.pdf)British Columbia Electoral Boundaries Commission · read Wednesday, October 7, 2026 8. [Electoral History of British Columbia, Supplement, 1987 to 2001 (opens in a new tab)](https://elections.bc.ca/docs/rpt/1987-2001-ElectionHistory.pdf)Elections BC · read Wednesday, October 7, 2026 9. [Electoral History of British Columbia, Supplement, 2002 to 2013 (opens in a new tab)](https://elections.bc.ca/docs/rpt/2002-2013-ElectionHistory.pdf)Elections BC · read Wednesday, October 7, 2026 10. [Provincial Voting Results (opens in a new tab)](https://catalogue.data.gov.bc.ca/dataset/44914a35-de9a-4830-ac48-870001ef8935)Elections BC · read Wednesday, October 7, 2026 11. [Statement of Votes, 2024 Provincial General Election (opens in a new tab)](https://elections.bc.ca/docs/rpt/statement-of-votes-2024-provincial-election.pdf)Elections BC · read Wednesday, October 7, 2026 12. [Voting area conversion table, 2017 to 2024 (opens in a new tab)](https://catalogue.data.gov.bc.ca/dataset/fb26db04-780c-4229-a147-da4fd5311d36)Elections BC · read Wednesday, October 7, 2026 13. [Members of the Legislative Assembly (opens in a new tab)](https://www.leg.bc.ca/members)Legislative Assembly of British Columbia · read Wednesday, October 7, 2026 14. [Our Territory (opens in a new tab)](https://sumasfirstnation.com/about/our-territory/)Sumas First Nation (Semá:th) · read Wednesday, October 7, 2026 15. [Our History and Culture (opens in a new tab)](https://sumasfirstnation.com/about/our-history-and-culture/)Sumas First Nation (Semá:th) · read Wednesday, October 7, 2026 16. [Sacred Land Returned to Semá:th, joint news release of March 31, 2025 (opens in a new tab)](https://sumasfirstnation.com/news/sacred-land-returned-to-semath/)Sumas First Nation (Semá:th) · read Wednesday, October 7, 2026 17. [Improvements to Abbotsford pump station build resilience, make people safer, Province of BC release of February 14, 2024 (opens in a new tab)](https://www.abbotsford.ca/node/10113)City of Abbotsford · read Wednesday, October 7, 2026 18. [Sumas River and Canal (opens in a new tab)](https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/environment/flood-projects/sumas-river-and-canal)Province of British Columbia · read Wednesday, October 7, 2026 19. [Sumas Mountain, BC Geographical Names record (opens in a new tab)](https://apps.gov.bc.ca/pub/bcgnws/names/13328.html)BC Geographical Names Office · read Wednesday, October 7, 2026 20. [Abbotsford, BC Geographical Names record (opens in a new tab)](https://apps.gov.bc.ca/pub/bcgnws/names/752.html)BC Geographical Names Office · read Wednesday, October 7, 2026 21. [Aberdeen, BC Geographical Names record (opens in a new tab)](https://apps.gov.bc.ca/pub/bcgnws/names/136.html)BC Geographical Names Office · read Wednesday, October 7, 2026 22. [Aberdeen Elementary school name history (opens in a new tab)](https://aberdeen.abbyschools.ca/school-name-history-1)Abbotsford School District · read Wednesday, October 7, 2026 23. [Abbotsford Sikh Temple National Historic Site of Canada (opens in a new tab)](https://parks.canada.ca/culture/designation/lieu-site/temple-sikh-abbotsford-sikh-temple)Parks Canada · read Wednesday, October 7, 2026 24. [History (opens in a new tab)](https://fvhrs.org/history/)Fraser Valley Heritage Railway Society · read Wednesday, October 7, 2026 25. [Huntingdon, Encyclopedia of British Columbia (opens in a new tab)](https://knowbc.com/limited/Books/Encyclopedia-of-BC/H/Huntingdon)KnowBC · read Wednesday, October 7, 2026 26. [Clearbrook, Encyclopedia of British Columbia (opens in a new tab)](https://www.knowbc.com/limited/Books/Encyclopedia-of-BC/C/Clearbrook)KnowBC · read Wednesday, October 7, 2026 27. [Kilgard, Encyclopedia of British Columbia (opens in a new tab)](https://www.knowbc.com/limited/Books/Encyclopedia-of-BC/K/Kilgard)KnowBC · read Wednesday, October 7, 2026 28. [Matsqui (opens in a new tab)](https://thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/matsqui)The Canadian Encyclopedia · read Wednesday, October 7, 2026 ## Official information From Elections BC Your district ### [Check which district an address is in](https://elections.bc.ca/resources/maps/find-your-district/) Look up your address to be sure this district is yours. [Look it up (opens in a new tab)](https://elections.bc.ca/resources/maps/find-your-district/) Candidates ### [The official candidate list](https://www.elections.bc.ca/docs/fin/GE-2026-10-24-Candidate-Website-Report.PDF) The list this page is built from, published by Elections BC. [Open the list (opens in a new tab)](https://www.elections.bc.ca/docs/fin/GE-2026-10-24-Candidate-Website-Report.PDF) Voting ### [Where and when to vote](https://elections.bc.ca/2026-provincial-election/where-to-vote/) Voting places and hours for general voting day and advance voting. [Find your voting place (opens in a new tab)](https://elections.bc.ca/2026-provincial-election/where-to-vote/) ## Sitemap See the full [sitemap](/bc/provincial-2026/sitemap.md) for all pages.