Agassiz is a small community located in the Eastern Fraser Valley region of British Columbia, Canada, about 97 kilometres east of Vancouver and 24 kilometres north-east of the city of Chilliwack. Agassiz is the only town centre within the jurisdiction of the District Municipality of Kent. The majority of Kent's population resides in the Agassiz area.

History

The land on the Fraser that is now called Agassiz was once the location of villages of the First Nation Steaten people that had been wiped out by smallpox starting in 1782. Later, another village of former First Nation slaves settled there called Freedom Village (Halkomelem: Chi'ckim). Modern day Agassiz was founded by Lewis Nunn Agassiz, a member of the Agassiz family.

Climate

Agassiz has an oceanic climate (Cfb) with warm summers with cool nights and cool, rainy winters. Mid-summer to early fall is generally the driest time of the year, with only 1 out of every 3 days on average having precipitation.

Arts and Culture

TV shows filmed in Agassiz

The television drama Wayward Pines (2015–2016) was filmed on location in the community. The series finale episode, unintentionally harking back to the annihilation of the Steaten people by smallpox, ends with the last few hundred humans on Earth in the 39th century deciding to commit genocide of the entire intelligent, yet simple, new Homo species that has evolved on an Earth decimated by humans in the 21st century – by infecting the new species with typhoid, Marburg virus, and the bubonic plague.

Winter Night Lights

Running through November and December, Winter Night Lights is an annual Christmas lights display at the Agassiz Harrison Museum, Historic Aberdeen building and Pioneer Park.

Government and infrastructure

The Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Agassiz Research and Development Centre, which leads integrated research on peri-urban agriculture in Canada, and the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) Kent Institution is in Agassiz.

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