Chilliwack is going to continue to grow. Growth can create new housing, jobs, businesses and opportunities. But it also puts pressure on roads, infrastructure, neighbourhoods, farmland and public services.

Jason believes growth should be thoughtfully planned, supported by the infrastructure it requires and considered in the context of the entire community—not one development at a time.

AS MAYOR, JASON WILL

Introduce a Growth & Infrastructure Check

Major growth decisions should clearly identify the infrastructure and service impacts associated with them. Where are we growing? What infrastructure will be required? When will it be needed? And how will it be paid for? Residents should be able to see those connections.

Keep Growth Contributing to Infrastructure & Amenities

Continue reviewing Development Cost Charges and other growth-related funding tools so new development contributes appropriately toward the infrastructure and amenities it requires while recognizing the impact those charges can have on housing affordability.

Expand Housing Choice—Thoughtfully

Continue creating opportunities for different forms of housing while focusing significant growth in locations where infrastructure, transportation and services can support it.

Build Strong Government-to-Government Partnerships

Chilliwack's future is closely connected to the neighbouring Stó:lō First Nations whose communities share this land and region.

As Mayor, Jason will continue building respectful government-to-government relationships focused on practical cooperation—including infrastructure and servicing, transportation, emergency management, economic development and the challenges and opportunities that come with growth.

Strong relationships are built through trust, regular communication and working together on issues that affect our communities.

Protect Chilliwack’s Agricultural Land Base

Continue supporting efficient urban development while protecting agricultural land and improving planning at the urban-rural interface. Agriculture isn’t simply part of Chilliwack’s history. It’s part of our future.

Plan For Future Needs

Continue long-range infrastructure, transportation, utility and community planning that looks decades ahead rather than stopping at the next election cycle.

Chilliwack should be a community where families can put down roots, young people can see a future, seniors can afford to stay, and people feel safe in their homes, neighbourhoods, parks and downtown.

Families are feeling the effects of rising costs. Residents and businesses are also concerned about crime, homelessness, addiction and disorder. There are no simple answers, but local government has an important role to play.

AS MAYOR, JASON WILL

Keep Affordability at the Budget Table

Every City budget should begin with a simple question: What does this mean for the taxpayer? Continue scrutinizing spending, finding efficiencies and prioritizing essential services before asking residents and businesses to pay more.

Maintain Chilliwack’s Strong Financial Position

Continue long-term financial planning and responsible capital investment while avoiding debt and ensuring future generations aren’t left paying for decisions made today.

Match Public Safety Resources to Growth

Regularly review RCMP, fire and emergency-response capacity against population growth, calls for service and changing community needs.

Push Senior Governments on Repeat Offenders

Continue advocating for changes to the justice, corrections, mental-health and addiction systems when municipal tools aren’t enough. City Hall shouldn’t pretend it controls the Criminal Code or provincial health system—but it shouldn’t be silent either.

Take a Compassion + Accountability Approach to Homelessness

Continue working to connect people with shelter, housing, treatment and support while ensuring parks, sidewalks, businesses and public spaces remain safe and accessible to everyone. Compassion and accountability aren’t opposites.

The infrastructure decisions we make today will shape Chilliwack for decades. Roads. Water. Sewer. Drainage. Flood protection. Fire halls. Parks. Recreation.

Many of these projects take years to plan and millions of dollars to deliver. We can’t wait until infrastructure fails or congestion becomes unbearable before responding.

AS MAYOR, JASON WILL

Make Infrastructure a Growth Decision

Infrastructure planning should be integrated directly into decisions about development and population growth—not after growth happens, but before.

Develop a Transportation Action Plan

Identify the intersections, corridors and transportation bottlenecks creating the greatest pressure today—and those likely to emerge over the next decade. Set priorities and publish the sequence for addressing them.

Protect Water and Sewer Capacity

Continue investing ahead of demand in drinking-water supply, wastewater treatment, sewer capacity and drainage. These systems aren’t glamorous, but they’re fundamental to whether a city works.

Continue Investing in Flood Protection

Use Chilliwack’s experience with flooding and extreme weather to continue strengthening dikes, drainage, pump stations, emergency planning and regional flood resilience.

Plan Public Safety Infrastructure Ahead of Population Growth

Ensure fire halls, equipment, firefighters and emergency-response resources are planned alongside future neighbourhood growth.

Plan Infrastructure Across Boundaries

Work with neighbouring First Nations, the FVRD and senior governments on transportation, water and sewer servicing, flood protection, emergency planning and other infrastructure that crosses jurisdictional boundaries.

Build a Chilliwack Infrastructure Funding Strategy

Maintain a pipeline of engineered, costed and shovel-ready projects so Chilliwack is positioned to compete aggressively for provincial and federal infrastructure funding. When funding programs open, we should already know what we’re asking for.

Report Progress Publicly

Create an easy-to-understand public infrastructure dashboard showing major projects, timelines, budgets and progress. Residents should be able to see where their money is going and what is being built.

Infrastructure builds a city. People build a community.

As Chilliwack grows, success shouldn’t be measured only by population, construction permits or economic activity. It should also be measured by whether this remains a great place to start a family, go to school, run a business, enjoy the outdoors, participate in community life and retire.

AS MAYOR, JASON WILL

Plan Community Amenities Alongside Growth

When we’re planning thousands of new homes, we should also be asking: Where will kids play? Where will people gather? Where are the trails, parks, recreation facilities and community spaces? Community amenities should be planned alongside neighbourhood growth.

Create a Long-Term Parks & Recreation Investment Plan

Identify where population growth is creating pressure on sports fields, recreation facilities, playgrounds, trails and community spaces and establish clear priorities for future investment.

Support a Strong Local Economy

Continue working with local businesses, CEPCO, the Chamber, tourism partners and others to attract investment, support local employers and make Chilliwack a place where entrepreneurs can succeed.

Make City Hall Easier to Work With

Continue modernizing permitting and municipal processes, improving communication and looking for practical ways to make interactions with City Hall faster, clearer and more predictable.

Keep Agriculture Part of Our Economic Strategy

Treat agriculture as an economic sector—not simply a land-use designation. Support agricultural innovation, food processing, agri-tourism and opportunities that strengthen the economic viability of farming.

A Community Where Everyone Belongs

Chilliwack is home to people from different backgrounds, cultures, generations and walks of life.

As our community grows and becomes more diverse, Jason wants Chilliwack to remain a place where everyone is treated with dignity and respect and has the opportunity to participate fully in community life.

That means building an inclusive and welcoming community for everyone and standing against discrimination and hate when it occurs.

Make Heritage Park an Even Stronger Community Asset

Use the City’s transition into operating Heritage Park as an opportunity to strengthen its role in agriculture, tourism, major events and community life.

Build for Every Generation

Look at parks, recreation, accessibility, public spaces and community facilities through the needs of children, young people, families and seniors. A growing Chilliwack should work for all ages, and all abilities.