
While we may know this area as Chilliwack, the more accurate name before this modern pronunciation is the Halq’eméylem word, Tcil’Qe’uk, which means “valley of many streams” or “going back upstream, as far as you can, in a canoe.”
For us, this original pronunciation serves as a reminder that our organization stems from a lineage of settlers and visitors to this area, the traditional, ancestral land that was first home to the Stó:lō (people of the river) and associated tribes, in particular the Pelólhxw and Ts’elxwéyeqw peoples.
As settlers and visitors, we therefore acknowledge our duty to treat this land and its first people with the utmost respect and gratitude. When you visit, we hope you’ll show that same respect and encourage those who come after you to do likewise.