Image: MLA Heather Maahs

By Mike Vanden Bosch

Provincial budget

Chilliwack North MLA says 2025 B.C. budget falls short on infrastructure, public safety needs

Mar 12, 2025 | 12:53 PM

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.

“Our community has one of the highest per capita rates of homelessness and addiction in B.C., rivaling even Vancouver,” Maahs said. “Yet there is nothing in this budget to support involuntary care or recovery options. The promised treatment centre is still behind schedule.”

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Morever, transportation remains a major concern for residents and businesses in Chilliwack North. The government’s approach to the Highway 1 project is making things worse: the planned expansion stops just before the Sumas Flats, creating yet another bottleneck in an already congested corridor.

“Chilliwack is a growing city, and we need infrastructure that supports that growth, not half-measures that create more traffic headaches,” Maahs stated. “The government’s failure to complete this expansion properly will hurt commuters and businesses alike. The people of Chilliwack North deserve a government that listens to their needs and acts. Instead, the BC NDP’s 2025 budget continues to leave our community behind. I will not stand by while the government neglects our infrastructure, our most vulnerable citizens, and our hardworking families. Chilliwack North deserves better, and I will keep fighting to ensure our voices are heard.”