Dear Mission–Matsqui–Abbotsford,
I’ve been thinking a lot about the importance of food preservation!
As some of you who know my personal story, my parents divorced, and I grew up in a very modest household in Abbotsford. Before it was the ‘cool’ thing to do, my mom canned out of literal preservation of our family finances. As a kid I took for granted the ‘canning room’ in our basement and the massive freezer we kept stocked full of local produce.
Every year, our shelves would be stocked with canned beans, apple sauce, pears, cherries, plums, peaches, homemade relishes and so much more. Our freezer would be stocked with zucchini cakes, frozen berries, apple pies any anything else my mom could get her hands on.
We also kept a dehydrator for copious amounts of dried fruit and even wild game a few times! Even when these things were more common, I didn’t appreciate how unique and cost-saving my mother’s frugalness was.
Today she continues the tradition and is passing on these memories to my own kids. This year, she canned salmon from the Fraser River my son caught, and made local strawberry pie filling just this week. She’s canned jalapeno peppers, onions and all sorts of amazing concoctions like her Punjabi inspired chutneys.
She’s even ventures into wild libations like rhubarb and blackberry hootch!
This summer, I encourage you to buy produce direct from a local farmer. It usually costs a lot less and the quality is second to none!
If you’re courageous, give canning a try. Many of the supplies can be found at MCC, Bibles for Mission, Value Village or other thrift stores at very little cost.
In other news, keep an eye out for my Canada Day mailer, which includes a cutout Canadian flag to help you celebrate our great nation on July 1st! I look forward to seeing everyone proudly wearing red and white at the local parades.
Below is a list of local celebrations happening on July 1st:
Abbotsford
- Canada Day Parade- 11am
- South Fraser Way from Bourquin Cres, down Tretheway St. ending at WJ Mouat Secondary School.
- Family Festival- 1pm-10pm
- Rotary Stadium and Abbotsford Exhibition Park
Mt. Lehman
- Pancake Breakfast- 8am
- Lehman Community Association
- Parade 9:30am start, speeches and festivities to follow
Mission
- Pancake Breakfast- 8am
- Heritage Park
- Festival- 10am-2pm
- Heritage Park
Harrison Hot Springs
- Celebration & activities- 8am-1pm
- 499 Hot Springs Rd.
- Parade starts at 5pm
Committee of the Whole- Abbotsford Floods
- It’s critical for me to stand up for Abbotsford, especially after the lack of federal funding the city has received since the devastating floods in 2021. That’s why I questioned the Minister of Housing and Infrastructure on whether additional support would be provided. I was encouraged to hear him acknowledge that Abbotsford deserves more from the federal government. I will continue to speak out on this issue till Abbotsford receives the support it deserves. You can watch my full intervention on the Abbotsford flood here.
Bill C-5
In the House, I spoke on the Liberals' new Bill C-5: An Act to Enact the Free Trade and Labour Mobility in Canada Act and the Building Canada Act. Rather than tabling a budget, the Carney government chose to present Bill C-5 in a weak attempt to fulfill its campaign promises. The bill aims to reduce interprovincial trade barriers and streamline infrastructure funding—but it lacked the clarity and accountability Canadians deserve.
Ultimately, we voted in favour of the bill with amendments, but I emphasized the need for those critical changes. You can watch my full speech in the House here.
Extortion
Extortion is up by 375%, and it is happening in our own community. In January, the Lehman family from Mission lost $300,000 to extortion. Not only were they traumatised by the extortion they are now required to pay income tax on the money they withdrew to the criminal in distress. During question period I had an opportunity to question the Minister of Justice—you can see that clip here.
Petitions are a great way to raise an issue you care about to be read in the House of Commons and receive a government response. You can visit our office to sign active petitions or visit our website to print off petitions.
BC Ferries
All week, my colleagues and I representing BC have been calling out recent announcement that BC Ferries awarded a massive shipbuilding contract to have four ships built in China.
Despite Premier David Eby saying that he’s “disappointed,” he hasn’t done anything to change this. We need to keep jobs within Canada or at least make deals with one of our trading partners—not China. Watch me address this issue with the Minister of Housing —I also posted a short video on social media addressing this.
Small Businesses
This week, it was exciting to visit the new Totally Bookish location in Downtown Abbotsford! I’ve always loved their location in Mission so big thanks to Ami Krahn for making this investment and doing something awesome in Abby!
I also celebrated 100 years of business at Rex Cox Men’s Wear in Mission! Not many small businesses survive for this length of time, and it’s wonderful to see them continue providing top quality service under the new owners, les Rimar & Irene Barles-Rimar.
I’m going to be visiting local businesses throughout the summer. Please reach out to my office at [email protected] if you interested in having me check out your business!
Local Podcast
I had the opportunity to speak on the Fraser Valley podcast—Bigger Than Me. I’m grateful for all the positive feedback I’ve received on my post-election reflections. You can watch the podcast here.
Survey
Thanks to everyone who filled out my survey on what I should focus on in the 45th Parliament. See summary of results below:
🔹 Immigration & Public Safety
- A temporary pause on immigration to address systemic issues.
- Enforcement of visa expiration and illegal overstays.
- Greater action on homelessness—not through enabling, but by ensuring public safety and cleanliness.
🔹 Seniors & Healthcare
- Major frustration with the federal dental care program—seen as poorly designed and inaccessible for those in long-term care.
- Calls for more efficient systems and less bureaucratic red tape for seniors' benefits.
🔹 Affordability & the Middle Class
- Emphasis on affordable housing, small business support, and job creation.
- Desire for a serious, realistic climate policy that supports both environmental goals and Canada’s industries.
🔹 Leadership & Tone
- Some respondents want to see stronger leadership within the Conservative Party.
- Feedback suggests a desire for more constructive solutions and fresh messaging.
As we wrap up this session, I’m interested in hearing if you think that the government should have tabled a budget before rising for the summer? In addition, earlier this week I rose in the House of talk about public safety. Do you feel safe in your community? Do you think the government needs to crack down with tougher rules and repeal their laws which let repeat violent offenders back on the streets?
Click here to fill out the survey.
Your feedback is valued. Please do not hesitate to contact my office to voice your concerns or seek assistance with any federal government programs at 604-814-5710 or [email protected]. I also encourage you to follow me on Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram, and YouTube, where I post more frequent updates on my work as your MP.
Thank you,
Brad Vis, MP
Mission—Matsqui—Fraser Canyon