
Chilliwack North MLA says 2025 B.C. budget falls short on infrastructure, public safety needs
CHILLIWACK — Chilliack North MLA Heather Maahs says the 2025 B.C. budget as introduced by the governing New Democratic Party falls woefully short on critical infrastructure and public safety projects.
According to a statement, Maahs, who was elected in October 2024 with 54 per cent of the vote, says the budget neglects the pressing needs of Chilliwack and doesn’t go far enough to improve life in Chilliwack.
“This budget completely fails Chilliwack and my riding of Chilliwack North,” said Maahs. “Despite rapid growth in our community and urgent infrastructure needs, the NDP government has chosen to prioritize urban centres while leaving families, businesses, and vulnerable people in Chilliwack behind.”
For example, Maahs says one of the most notable omissions in the budget is what she considers a continued failure to deliver supportive housing with detox beds. There are currently only 12-16 recovery beds servicing 1.5 million people in the Fraser Valley, with the next closest centre in Surrey. A project for 22 complex care beds and 27 supportive housing units is already four years behind schedule, Maahs says, yet there is no new funding or commitment in this budget to address the delay.