Hatzic Real Estate & Homes For Sale
Hatzic is a historic community located along the north bank of the Fraser River, on the east end of the District of Mission. Mission is a district municipality in British Columbia. Sometimes referred to as the jewel of the valley, it's the 23rd largest municipality in the province, with a population of 38,833 (2016). It is located on the north bank of the Fraser River and overlooks the City of Abbotsford.
Hatzic extends eastward, beyond the municipal boundary, into unincorporated Hatzic Island. Downtown Mission is located to Hatzic's west and Dewdney to the east. To the north of Hatzic Lake are the farming communities of Hatzic Prairie and Durieu, and Allan Lake, McConnell Creek and Miracle Valley, which together make up Hatzic Valley. And south, across the Fraser River from Hatzic, are the northeast floodplains of Matsqui Prairie.
Some people will include Hatzic Valley when speaking of Hatzic. For our purposes, Hatzic is divided into two areas: the suburban benchland region southeast of Westminster Abbey, along Highway 7; and Hatzic Island, a mix of industrial and suburban development, with lakefront properties lining the shores. Hatzic Lake was once a meander of the Fraser River, but when abandoned, became cut off from the main channel to form an oxbow lake. The resulting Hatzic Island has become a densely populated suburban and recreational community. The west shore of Hatzic Lake is in the District of Mission, while the rest is an unincorporated area, including Hatzic Island. Municipal-type services for Hatzic Island are administered by the Fraser Valley Regional District.
Hatzic Slough is home to one of the world's largest dry sorting yards for raw timber. The slough facilitates the drainage of Hatzic Lake to the Fraser River. The ground rises above the Hatzic Slough and the elbow of the Fraser River, creating the benchland upon which most of residential Hatzic was built. The Hatzic Bench offers outstanding views of the Fraser River and Matsqui Prairie, and Westminster Abbey, a Benedictine monastery established in the 1950s. The green space of the benchland is protected, nestled below the 70 hectare Abbey grounds, between Fraser River Heritage Park on the west, and Neilson Regional Park/Hatzic Lake on the east, and the Fraser River below.
Hatzic is growing, with new subdivisions springing up. Meadowlands is a new development on the Hatzic Bench, that compliments the existing Ferncliff Estates. The subdivision offers generous lot sizes, semi-custom homes, design guidelines, top of the line builders, mountain views and pristine green belt. Located right next to Hatzic Elementary School, Meadowvista Estates is a new development that backs onto greenspace. Hatzic Ridge phase one has sold out, but phase two is on the way. Hatzic Ridge offers a high end gated community with a choice of 1/4 acre to 2-acre estate homes.
Mission's unemployment rate is 5.6%, which is below that of the province, at 6.0% (2016). The median household income is $65,411. The median age is 39, making Mission a young population; 23.5% are 14 years and under, 20.8% are 15 - 34, and 5.2% are 75 years and older.
Mission has an oceanic climate and residents enjoy relatively mild winters and warm summers. The average January temperature is 3°C, with a July average of 17°C. The average rainfall is 2,387 mm, with 130cm snowfall.
Hatzic Homes For Sale
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Employment Opportunities
Forestry, hydroelectricity and agriculture were historically Mission's primary resource sectors. These provided the economic base for local retail and service businesses. Sawmills and food processing were the main Mission industries for quite a few years. Forest and wood-related industries continue to dominate Mission's manufacturing sector, and Hatzic's dry sorting yards are part of that. Leading employers include School District #75, the municipality itself, BC Frozen Foods and T-Lane, a trucking firm.
Most of Mission's workforce is involved is involved in construction, manufacturing, retail, transportation, education and health care. Roughly 60% of the population works in outlying areas, with a median commute time of 26 minutes (2011 household survey).
Mission holds the only municipal tree farming license in the province, and this provides some jobs. In the neighbouring Ferndale community in Mission, the federal government developed two large penal facilities; one minimum security and the other medium security. There is still some agriculture, but it's restricted to the Dewdney-Deroche district east of Mission, Hatzic Valley and a fairly narrow belt along the Fraser River. Dairy is the primary agricultural enterprise, but there is also some hog, poultry, beef and vegetable farming.
Education
Hatzic residents have several excellent schools, administered by School District #75. Hatzic Elementary is a full-service public school, with an enrolment of about 300 students, kindergarten through grade 6. The school is centrally located, in the midst of Hatzic's old and new subdivisions. In 2011 Hatzic Elementary turned 100, and some students now walk down the same halls their grandparents did. Additions to the school were made in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s.
Located two blocks from the elementary school, Hatzic Middle School enrols about 720 students grades 7 through 9. Hatzic Middle offers a wide range of extracurricular activities and specialty courses that include Concert Band and Choir, Environmental Club, Hockey Academy, Musical Theatre, Robotics and Volleyball Leadership.
École Mission Senior Secondary School is a dual track school providing Regular and French Immersion programs and enrols students grades 10 through 12. The school was established in 1952 and is the longest-serving secondary school in the District of Mission. Mission Senior's Applied Design, Skills, and Technologies (ADST) curriculum is an experiential, hands-on program of learning through design and creation that includes skills and concepts from traditional and First Peoples practice, and from the existing disciplines of Business Education, Home Economics and Culinary Arts, Information and Communications Technology, and Technology Education.
Mission also provides some private school options. Valley Christian School enrols students kindergarten through grade 12, and offers a Distributed Learning program, with an interdenominational Christian focus. Khalsa School – Mission is part of the oldest, largest and most reputable Sikh institutions of learning in BC.
University of the Fraser Valley Mission Campus, at Heritage Park Centre, offers a high quality, career-focused education that takes learning outside the classroom. Riverside College offers an apprenticeship trades program, designed to lead graduates directly into employment opportunities. There are currently over 150 apprenticeable trades in BC. Summit Learning Centre operates across the province providing Home Education and Virtual Education to students in all grades including individual secondary school courses.
Shopping/Dining
Hatzic doesn't have any shopping centres, but there are several restaurants and coffee shops at the outer fringes of the community. For a quick bite, there's a Subway at the Co-op convenience store on the Lougheed Hwy. Sisto's Pub offers great pub fare, with appetizers, burgers, sandwiches, soups and salads, wraps, pizza... the list goes on. If you're hungry for Asian cuisine, Young's Kitchen Sushi, Mission Hills Sushi and Sangam Restaurant & Catering are just west of Hatzic. For coffee and a treat, Galley Girls Coffee House and Grab-A-Java Roasterie are 2 minutes away.
Downtown Mission is 6 minutes (5.7 km) away from the Hatzic Bench, and 9 minutes (8.7 km) from Hatzic Island. Mission's downtown core offers an abundance of locally owned restaurants, retail stores and services. In addition to the small shops dotting downtown, there are several shopping centres.
The Shops at Mission plaza has 13 stores, including a Walmart Supercentre, Safeway and Shoppers Drug Mart. Heritage Park Marketplace plaza is conveniently located across from the UFV Campus and offers a Mac's convenience store, pharmacy, coffee shop, Subway, Bosleys, nail salon, dental offices and more. The Junction Shopping Centre has 39 stores, including Staples, London Drugs, Save-On-Foods. There are well-known restaurants like Boston Pizza, Tim Hortons, Mr Mikes Steakhouse and White Spot, and a Cineplex Silvercity Cinema.
There is no shortage of fast food establishments, family restaurants, bars and even fine dining options in Mission. For a quick bite or pub fare, you might like Black Sheep Pub, Kingfishers Waterfront Bar & Grill or Character’s Pub & Grill. Popular dinner spots include Eleni's Restaurant, Embers BBQ House, Mission Station Grill, and U & I Thai Restaurant.
Located in the beautiful setting of the Fraser River Heritage Park, just west of Hatzic, The Blackberry Kitchen is considered by many to be Mission's finest dining experience. After 30 years of experience in many of Vancouver’s and Lower Mainland’s finest restaurants and golf courses, chef Kerry D. Martin brings her passion for food to this lovely setting. Enjoy stunning panoramic views of the Fraser Valley and Mt. Baker, as you dine in a cozy log building. Blackberry Kitchen offers tempting menus that feature in-season, locally-grown ingredients, sustainable meat, fish, and poultry. They even grow their own herbs right beside the restaurant to provide the freshest flavours.
Transportation
Mission's transportation infrastructure centres around two highways and a commuter express train. Highway 7 follows the northern bank of the Fraser River and is 118 km (93 mi) in length. The highway connects Mission with Maple Ridge, Port Coquitlam, Coquitlam and Vancouver, to the west, and with Highway 1 to the east, connecting near Hope. Highway 11 is a flat 17 km (11 mi) expressway that literally slices Abbotsford down the middle, connecting motorists with Abbotsford and Washington State Route 9, by way of the Huntingdon Canada–US border crossing.
Abbotsford is about a 15-minute drive from Mission. For Vancouver commuters, there are two route options, and both involve about 86 minutes from Hatzic Island or 74 minutes from the Bench. The more popular route takes Highway 11 south from Mission to Highway 1 in Abbotsford and then follows the divided highway west directly into the city. The scenic route follows Highway 7 west, through various urban centres.
Mission is a stop on the West Coast Express rail service route. Service is available Monday through Friday during peak morning and evening periods, between Downtown Vancouver and Mission City. A one-way trip takes roughly 75 minutes, making the Express a bit faster than driving into Vancouver's Downtown. Alternately, the 67.9 km bus trip from Vancouver-Mission is 1 hour and 21 minutes. Bus service is provided by the Central Fraser Valley Transit System, and it connects Mission with the City of Abbotsford, as well as TransLink, with service to the Coquitlam Central Station.
Arts and Entertainment
There are two important historical sites in the Hatzic area. Xá:ytem / Hatzic Rock is a valuable place that includes an archaeological habitation site and an ancient Sto:lo transformer stone. The transformer stone sits on sloping, low-lying ground that was once part of a beach on the bank of the Fraser River. Xa:ytem is considered very significant in the preservation of Sto:lo history, culture and spirituality. The Stó:lō people believe their ancestors were transformed to stone, and there are more than 100 of these sites.
The grounds of the St. Mary's Indian Residential School are now a part of Fraser River Heritage Park. The school itself has been destroyed, but the Catholic Mission is an important chapter in the area's history, and the namesake of the District of Mission. The school was opened in 1863 by the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate. In the earlier days, academics and Catholic catechism were emphasized, but later a more practical outlook was adopted, and the education shifted towards agricultural and industrial skills. Parents would visit the students, and often camped around the school. In 1961 the students were moved to a government-run residential school of the same name. When the residential school closed in 1985, it was the last functioning residential school in BC.
Westminster Abbey is a community of Benedictine monks, established in 1939. The abbey's spire is one of Mission's icons, and the community is self-sustaining, with its own farm to raise the cattle, chickens and produce. The lovely Abbey, tower, church and seminary were designed by the Norwegian architect, Asbjørn Gåthe. And the abbey has a resident artist in Father Dunstan Massey. His beautiful frescoes adorn the walls, and his concrete bas-reliefs are affixed to pillars in the church. Every year, visitors come to attend mass, tour the monastery and take a reflective walk of the grounds, with breathtaking views of the Fraser River Valley.
Mission Museum has been recording the district's history since the late 50s, educating its community and preserving the area's rich heritage. The museum arranges historic walking tours and hosts exhibits dedicated to the Sto:Lo first inhabitants, the arrival of the Oblates in 1861, the Great Land Sale of 1891, the Billy Miner train robbery of 1904, The Curious Collection of Anthony Taulbut, and much more.
Located in the Mission Arts Centre, The Rock Family Gallery gives local emerging artists the opportunity to display their work. Artists and artisans not already represented by a professional gallery are welcome to submit their 2D and 3D media and techniques. Since 1972, Mission Arts Council has been cultivating and nurturing awareness, and a commitment to the arts and culture in Mission. A variety of art classes, workshops, programs and special events are provided by the council throughout the year.
The Clarke Theatre is a 702 seat multi-purpose venue that hosts local and touring events. The theatre has become the cultural hub for the District of Mission, with hundreds of live performances. Every summer the Mission Folk Music Festival Society hosts the annual Folk Music Festival, showcasing emerging local and BC musicians. The Nutcracker, presented by the Fraser Valley Academy of Dance is winter tradition in Mission.
The Stage at the Bellevue Hotel can accommodate up to 215 guests and features performances of The DRAG Show, live music events, burlesque, male exotic dancers, murder mystery events, and more.
Sports and Recreation
Neilson Regional Park borders Hatzic Lake on its western shore. In the summer months, the beach area is very popular. It's also the usual spot for holding large family picnics and community gatherings, with plenty of picnic tables, a shelter and large grassy areas. The trails and wooded areas in the park make wildlife viewing productive. Deer, black bears and bald eagles are often seen. There's a small run of chum and coho salmon that spawns in Draper Creek, which runs through the park, and they arrive early in November. Hatzic Lake is very shallow and warm, so it's popular for swimming, water-skiing and water sports.
Fraser River Heritage Park is the largest park in Mission. It incorporates lands once belonging to the Oblate mission, including the foundations of the original St. Mary's school. The park has picnic tables and a shelter, a gazebo, a rose garden, walking trails, and the Blackberry Kitchen restaurant. The park treats visitors to spectacular views of the Fraser River, mountains and farmland.
The Fraser River is one of Mission's greatest recreational assets, availing residents of many enjoyable water-based activities, great fishing for salmon and green sturgeon, and plenty of unspoiled green spaces. Mission has four golf courses, and Mission Raceway Park offers spectators the thrill of motorsport, with drag racing, road racing, motorcycle road racing and motocross events.
In Downtown Mission, the Mission Leisure Centre offers length swims, a leisure pool, water slide, swirl pool, steam room, and sauna. Lifeguard training and swimming lessons are available. The centre also has a strong health and wellness program, with youth fitness opportunities, spin, cross training, aquafit, trx, a weight room and personal training. There are soccer fields, and a drop-in gym, with basketball, floor hockey, racquet courts. The ice arena provides public skating, hockey, spring break camps and ringette.
Investing in Hatzic
Mission is located in the heart of the Fraser Valley, and Hatzic Bench is approximately 1 hour and 10 minutes east of Vancouver, and 20 minutes north of the US border.
Mission has all the amenities and convenience of its larger surrounding municipalities but has not lost its small-town feel. Hatzic's new subdivisions have been built on the benchlands, overlooking the Fraser River, with breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains, farmlands and pristine greenbelts.
Mission has seen a steady annual growth rate over the last 35 years, averaging over 3% annually. Housing prices on average have been lower than the rest of the Fraser Valley, and this makes Mission one of the most affordable places to live; an area particularly attractive to first-time homeowners.
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