Tsawwassen, British Columbia - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Tsawwassen is a suburban, mostly residential community located on a peninsula

Peninsula

A peninsula is a piece of land that is bordered by water on three sides but connected to mainland. In many Germanic and Celtic languages and also in Baltic, Slavic and Hungarian, peninsulas are called "half-islands"....

in the southwestern corner of the Corporation of Delta

Delta, British Columbia

Delta is a district municipality in British Columbia, and forms part of Metro Vancouver. Located south of Richmond, it is bordered by the Fraser River to the north, the United States to the south and the city of Surrey to the east...

, British Columbia

British Columbia

British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...

, Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

. Tsawwassen provides the only road access to the community of Point Roberts, Washington

Point Roberts, Washington

Point Roberts is an unincorporated community in Whatcom County, Washington, United States. It has a post office, with the ZIP code of 98281, whose ZIP Code Tabulation Area had a population of 1,314 at the 2010 census.A geopolitical oddity, Point Roberts is a part of the United States that is not...

via 56th Street. It is also the location of BC Ferries

BC Ferries

British Columbia Ferry Services Inc. or BC Ferries is a de facto Crown Corporation that provides all major passenger and vehicle ferry services for coastal and island communities in the Canadian province of British Columbia...

' Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal

Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal

The Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal is a major transportation facility in Delta, British Columbia. It is located on a three kilometre man-made causeway off the mainland at Tsawwassen and is less than 500 metres from the 49th parallel, Canada's border with the United States...

, built in 1959 to provide foot-passenger and motor vehicle

Motor vehicle

A motor vehicle or road vehicle is a self-propelled wheeled vehicle that does not operate on rails, such as trains or trolleys. The vehicle propulsion is provided by an engine or motor, usually by an internal combustion engine, or an electric motor, or some combination of the two, such as hybrid...

access from the Lower Mainland

Lower Mainland

The Lower Mainland is a name commonly applied to the region surrounding and including Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. As of 2007, 2,524,113 people live in the region; sixteen of the province's thirty most populous municipalities are located there.While the term Lower Mainland has been...

to the southern part of Vancouver Island

Vancouver Island

Vancouver Island is a large island in British Columbia, Canada. It is one of several North American locations named after George Vancouver, the British Royal Navy officer who explored the Pacific Northwest coast of North America between 1791 and 1794...

and the Southern Gulf Islands

Gulf Islands

The Gulf Islands are the islands in the Strait of Georgia , between Vancouver Island and the mainland of British Columbia, Canada....

. Because Tsawwassen touches a shallow bank, the ferry terminal is built at the southwestern end of a 3 km-long causeway that juts out into the Strait of Georgia

Strait of Georgia

The Strait of Georgia or the Georgia Strait is a strait between Vancouver Island and the mainland coast of British Columbia, Canada. It is approximately long and varies in width from...

. The ferry dock and causeway are part of Highway 17, and the ferry terminal is the largest in North America. Boundary Bay Airport

Boundary Bay Airport

Boundary Bay Airport is located beside Boundary Bay and east of Ladner in Delta, British Columbia, Canada, south of Vancouver and close to the U.S. border. The airport, which opened 11 July 1983, serves mostly general aviation and includes facilities for aircraft maintenance, flight training,...

, one of the busiest general aviation

General aviation

General aviation is one of the two categories of civil aviation. It refers to all flights other than military and scheduled airline and regular cargo flights, both private and commercial. General aviation flights range from gliders and powered parachutes to large, non-scheduled cargo jet flights...

airports in Canada, is located ten minutes away. The Roberts Bank Superport

Roberts Bank Superport

Roberts Bank Superport is a twin-terminal port facility located on the mainland coastline of the Strait of Georgia in Delta, British Columbia. Opened in 1970 with Westshore Terminals as its only tenant, Roberts Bank was expanded in 1983–84, and in June 1997 opened a second terminal, the Deltaport...

is also located near Tsawwassen.

A large, mostly undeveloped but agricultural part of northwest Tsawwassen is designated as the Tsawwassen Indian Reserve

Tsawwassen Indian Reserve

The Tsawwaseen Indian Reserve is the sole Indian reserve of the Tsawwassen First Nation, and is located in Delta, British Columbia, Canada, adjacent to the causeway of the Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal, bounded on the south by the Canada-United States border and on the north by Canoe Pass, an arm of...

, where members of the Tsawwassen First Nation

Tsawwassen First Nation

The Tsawwassen First Nation is a First Nations government whose only Indian reserve is located in the Greater Vancouver area of the Lower Mainland of British Columbia, Canada, adjacent to the South Arm of the Fraser River and the Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal and just north of the international...

have a Coast Salish

Coast Salish

Coast Salish languages are a subgroup of the Salishan language family. These languages are spoken by First Nations or Native American peoples inhabiting the territory that is now the southwest coast of British Columbia around the Strait of Georgia and Washington state around Puget Sound...

ancestry. This land is bounded by the Strait of Georgia on the west, the 2600 block to the north, the 4800 block to the east, and the 1200 block to the south. A condominium development (Tsatsu Shores), the Tsawwassen First Nation Reserve longhouse, a church, cemetery, and several entertainment facilities - the Splashdown Waterslide Park, F440 Grand Prix Race Track, and Parkcanada RV Park - are located on the land, along with the residential Stahaken subdivision of Tsawwassen, leased to Delta in 1989 to use for 99 years.

Tsawwassen had a population of 20,933 in the 2006 census.
'

Location

Tsawwassen is situated on the northern end of a peninsula flanked by the Strait of Georgia to the west and Boundary Bay

Boundary Bay

Boundary Bay is situated on the Pacific coast of North America on the border between the Canadian province of British Columbia and the U.S. state of Washington....

to the east. Boundary Bay is an important stopover for migratory birds on what is known as the Pacific Flyway

Pacific Flyway

The Pacific Flyway is a major north-south route of travel for migratory birds in America, extending from Alaska to Patagonia. Every year, migratory birds travel some or all of this distance both in spring and in fall, following food sources, heading to breeding grounds, or travelling to...

. Tsawwassen has recreational access to Boundary Bay at Centennial Park, and there is an extensive bike/foot path running along the edge of the Bay, known as the Dyke.

The southern boundary of Tsawwassen is the border with the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

, following the 49th parallel

49th parallel north

The 49th parallel north is a circle of latitude that is 49 degrees north of the Earth's equatorial plane. It crosses Europe, Asia, the Pacific Ocean, North America, and the Atlantic Ocean....

of north latitude. To the north, Tsawwassen's nearest neighbour is the town of Ladner

Ladner, British Columbia

Ladner was created as a fishing village on the banks of the Fraser River. It is a part of the Municipality of Delta, British Columbia, Canada, and a suburb of Vancouver....

, which is also part of the Corporation of Delta. Together, Ladner and Tsawwassen make up the area known as South Delta. Ladner is the site of the Delta Municipal Hall. Both the police station and hospital serve Ladner and Tsawwassen.

Tsawwassen's lowest altitude is just below sea level, and its highest is at approximately 50 metres along English Bluff spanning from the Stahaken subdivision to the American border; this height is verified by signage at Fred Gingell Park.

History

Tsawwassen is home to the Tsawwassen First Nation

Tsawwassen First Nation

, a Coast Salish people, who may have lived in the area for over 4,200 years, the age of the oldest archeological site found on English Bluff. Eight different prehistoric villages have been unearthed around Tsawwassen.

The first group of Europeans to see Tsawwassen was the expedition of Spanish explorer Jose Maria Narvaez Gervete in 1791. Narvaez named the Point Roberts peninsula Isla de Zepeda and wrote that "there is an incredible quantity of rich salmon and numerous Indians... They speak an entirely different language."

The history of Tsawwassen, and the municipality of Delta, is on display at the Delta Museum and Archives, in the original city hall building, on Delta Street in Ladner Village

Ladner

Ladner may refer to:Family name* Benjamin Ladner, an academic philosopher and theologian* Don Ladner , a New Zealand rugby league player , Austrian sculptor , Austrian sculptor...

Transportation

Tsawwassen is divided up into a grid with streets running north/south and east/west. Running east/west are the avenues, numbered with 1st Avenue closest to the Canadian/American border. Running north/south, the streets are numbered following the grid laid out for the municipality of Delta. This grid is part of the greater street grid set out by the British Royal Engineers

Royal Engineers

The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers , and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army....

in the 19th century.

The main arterial street in Tsawwassen is 56th Street, which connects Highway 17 with the exclave of Point Roberts, in Washington, USA (upon which it becomes Tyee Drive). It runs through the main commercial area. This border crossing is the westernmost border crossing on the 49th parallel

49th parallel north

The 49th parallel north is a circle of latitude that is 49 degrees north of the Earth's equatorial plane. It crosses Europe, Asia, the Pacific Ocean, North America, and the Atlantic Ocean....

between Canada and the USA.

In 2007, a contest was held to rename 56th Street. Suggested names include "Sunshine Drive" and "Tsawwassen Boulevard". While there is no projected time at which such a renaming may occur, the street will also retain the name of "56th Street", so as not to confuse non-locals.

Tsawwassen is serviced by buses from TransLink. Buses serve the main bus loop at the South Delta Recreation Centre, where many terminate at Bridgeport Station in Richmond

Richmond, British Columbia

Richmond is a coastal city, incorporated in the Canadian province of British Columbia. Part of Metro Vancouver, its neighbouring communities are Vancouver and Burnaby to the north, New Westminster to the east, and Delta to the south, while the Strait of Georgia forms its western border...

.

Tsawwassen is also served by the Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal

Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal

, which is served by BC Ferries

BC Ferries

. The ferries go to the following destinations:

Route			Destination
	Route 1		Swartz Bay Swartz Bay, British Columbia Swartz Bay, located on the north end of the Saanich Peninsula on Vancouver Island, is primarily known for being the location of one of BC Ferries' main terminals, the Swartz Bay Ferry Terminal. Swartz Bay was named after a man named Swart - i.e. it was meant to be Swart's Bay.-External links:... , Victoria Victoria, British Columbia Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia, Canada and is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of about 78,000 within the metropolitan area of Greater Victoria, which has a population of 360,063, the 15th most populous Canadian...
	Route 9		Southern Gulf Islands
	Route 30		Duke Point Duke Point, British Columbia Duke Point is a geographical location in the extreme southeastern part of the city of Nanaimo in British Columbia. It is located on a thin peninsula to the east of the Nanaimo River estuary, just across the Northumberland Channel from Gabriola Island. Located at Duke Point is a major industrial... , Nanaimo Nanaimo, British Columbia Nanaimo is a city on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. It has been dubbed the "Bathtub Racing Capital of the World" and "Harbour City". Nanaimo is also sometimes referred to as the "Hub City" because of its central location on Vancouver Island and due to the layout of the downtown...

Holidays & events

Since 2001, Tsawwassen has played an integral part of the Tour de Delta, a bike race that happens over a weekend in July. The racing weekend culminates in a race from North Delta, through Ladner, and then finally to Tsawwassen, where the men and women do various laps around Tsawwassen's perimeter until finishing in either Diefenbaker or Winskill Park. This race is growing in popularity and coverage with every year.

For many years, people selling their cars parked and displayed them in the east parking lot of Town Centre Mall on Sunday mornings and afternoons, where they can be seen by people passing through on the way to Point Roberts. For several years, the mall has charged a small fee and provided signage and a large designated area in which to display the cars. Dozens of cars and hundreds of shoppers now come from all over the Lower Mainland each Sunday.

In keeping with its reputation as the sunniest spot in the Greater Vancouver Region, every year on the August long weekend (for B.C. Day), Tsawwassen hosts the Sun Festival, which usually includes a parade, a variety of live music events and activities, such as children's games, food tents, and sporting events. There is often a specific theme to each year's event, and people are encouraged to dress the part.

Neighbourhoods and communities

On the southeast corner of the peninsula is the community of Boundary Bay also known as Boundary Beach, which originated in the 1890s as a seaside summer community for wealthy Vancouverites. Some of the original cottages still stand, many as renovated and updated homes, as well as modern contemporary single family homes and waterfront architectural residences. To the south, "The Bay" as it is referred to by residents, borders on the neighbourhood of Maple Beach in Point Roberts, WA. A Canada/US customs checkpoint joined the two communities (at the foot of 67th Street) until it was closed in the 1970s. Currently, Boundary Bay Road provides the only access route.

Other areas within Tsawwassen which have names but are not necessarily distinct communities include:

Beach Grove, which is situated on the edge of Boundary Bay, further north from the community of Boundary Bay. It is located on the east side of 56th Street, between 12th and 17A Avenue.
The Highlands, which is the area just to the northwest of Downtown Tsawwassen, behind the Town Centre Mall and situated around Highland Park.
Pebble Hill, which is the area surrounding Diefenbaker Park and Pebble Hill Park.
Tsawwassen Heights, a small area located on English Bluff Road, south of 1st Ave. Two totem poles stand on either side of the road here as its official gateway.
The Terrace, a terraced subdivision located between 56th Street, the Tsawwassen Nature Reserve, and the American border.
English Bluff, which refers to the area along English Bluff Road, where many of the most expensive homes in the community enjoy commanding ocean views.
Stahaken, which refers to a large area of houses built on land belonging to the Tsawwassen First Nations Tribe. This land is leased to the Town of Tsawwassen on a hundred year basis; the current lease expires in 2089.
The Village; adjacent to Stahaken, it is a wealthy subdivision built on the west side of English Bluff Road, overlooking the Strait of Georgia. Another totem pole stands at its entrance at Wesley Drive.
Tsatsu Shores, a large apartment complex beneath English Bluff, on the shores of the Pacific Ocean. This is also built on land leased from the Tsawwassen First Nations Tribe.
Imperial Village, a large subdivision located east of 52nd Street at 16th Avenue.
Forest-by-the-Bay, which refers to a housing development off 56th Street and 6th Avenue beside Tsawwassen's only cemetery.
Boundary Bay, a quiet beach-side community situated on Boundary Bay between Boundary Bay Regional Park and the US border.

Schools

Public schools in Tsawwassen are part of School District 37 Delta

School District 37 Delta

School District No. 37 is a school district in British Columbia south of Vancouver. The district serves the Municipality of Delta includes the three communities of Ladner, Tsawwassen, and North Delta.-Schools:...

. Tsawwassen has only one public high school

High school

High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....

, South Delta Secondary School

South Delta Secondary School

South Delta Secondary is a public high school in Tsawwassen, British Columbia, Canada. There are approximately 1250 students enrolled in each grade 8 through 12...

(SDSS), formerly South Delta Senior Secondary.

There are five public elementary school

Elementary school

An elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...

s in Tsawwassen. These are Cliff Drive, Pebble Hill, South Park

School District 37 Delta

, English Bluff, and Beach Grove. A sixth school, Boundary Beach (Grades K-3), closed in June 2009. There is also a small French programme cadre school, Ecole Du Bois-Joli, for students with French language spoken at home.

Boundary Bay Elementary School, formerly located on 56th Street south of 12th Avenue, served grades K-7. With usually one class per grade, it was a small school, and shared a principal with Boundary Beach Elementary School. Grades 3-7 students from Boundary Beach were bussed daily to attend the school. The school was closed in the early 1990s, and the land sold. It is now a residential development. There was also a middle school called Tsawwassen Junior Secondary (TJS), but low enrolment led to its closure in 1994. This land was also sold by the school district and re-developed into a housing subdivision.

Private schools in the Tsawwassen area include Southpointe Academy, a private K-12

K-12

K–12 is a designation for the sum of primary and secondary education. It is used in the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand where P–12 is also commonly used...

school; Delta Christian school in Ladner, a Christian private school offering grades K-8; and Sacred Heart Elementary in Ladner, a Catholic school offering Grades K-7.

Parks

Tsawwassen contains many community and regional parks; Boundary Bay Regional Park (home to Centennial Beach) is run by the GVRD. The following parks are maintained by Delta Parks & Recreation, an arm of the municipal government:

Diefenbaker Park - located at the intersection of 56th Street and 1st Avenue, named after former Canadian prime minister John Diefenbaker
John Diefenbaker
John George Diefenbaker, PC, CH, QC was the 13th Prime Minister of Canada, serving from June 21, 1957, to April 22, 1963...

. One of the largest parks in the area, it has many features - open spaces and large hills, a waterfall, dock, and pond, a very large forest, playgrounds, restrooms, and many gardens. The steep grade from the surrounding streets into the centre of the park makes it especially popular during Tsawwassen's rare snow falls, for sledding and tobogganing. In Summer 2011, the Rotary WaterWorks Playground was built. This water playground was created with environmentally friendly materials. The WaterWorks project was a collaborative partnership of the Corporation of Delta and the Rotary Club of Tsawwassen. The concept draws on the history of the site, a former gravel mining operation that, at one time, supplied much of the gravel for the development of Tsawwassen.
Pebble Hill Park - located west of 52nd Street between 2A Avenue and Milsom Wynd. This park features large fields used for sports (baseball and soccer), tennis courts built atop a pair of water reservoirs, and many forest trails.
Fred Gingell Park - Tsawwassen's newest park, located on English Bluff Road just south of 3rd Avenue. It is named after the former MLA who represented South Delta in BC's legislative assembly. Built on a BC Hydro
BC Hydro
The BC Hydro and Power Authority is a Canadian electric utility in the province of British Columbia generally known simply as BC Hydro. It is the main electric distributor, serving 1.8 million customers in most areas, with the exception of the Kootenay region, where FortisBC, a subsidiary of Fortis...

right-of-way, this park sits on the top of a high bluff overlooking the Strait of Georgia, the ferry terminal, and Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island is a large island in British Columbia, Canada. It is one of several North American locations named after George Vancouver, the British Royal Navy officer who explored the Pacific Northwest coast of North America between 1791 and 1794...

. An observation deck is built on this bluff, and a stairway and trail have been built down the bluff to Tsawwassen Beach below. It is the first (and only) public access to the beach, creating controversy as semi-private beach access contributed a great deal to the area's property values.
Winskill Park - located at 56th Street and 9th Avenue, named after the land's donor and one of the first families to live in Tsawwassen. This is Tsawwassen's all-purpose sports park, featuring numerous baseball diamonds, soccer fields, and field hockey fields. A fenced artificial-turf outdoor soccer field is currently (as of May 2007) in construction. Also features a walking trail, disc golf
Disc golf
Disc golf is a disc game in which individual players throw a flying disc into a basket or at a target. According to the Professional Disc Golf Association, "The object of the game is to traverse a course from beginning to end in the fewest number of throws of the disc." Of the more than 3000...

course, restrooms, youth centre, playground, and the Winskill Aquatic Centre.
Dennison Park - located across from the high school at the corner of 53rd Street and 7A Avenue. This park used to feature an outdoor pool, but is now primarily used as a sports park for the high school football team. Also used for soccer and baseball. A forest grows on the northern half of the park.
Village Park - a very small community park located on Wesley Drive at Skana Drive. Mostly green space, but also features a playground.
Brandrith Park - another sports park, adjacent to Cliff Drive Elementary school, at the corner of 12th Avenue and Winskill Drive. The focus here is primarily on its baseball diamond, but a soccer field and tennis courts are present as well. A forest can be found to the rear of the park; a large playground can be found at the adjacent schoolyard.
Highland Park - mostly open green space with a light forest, located at the corner of 55th Street and 13A Avenue, in the heart of downtown Tsawwassen.
Grauer Park - another heavily used park, located at 56th Street and 18th Avenue. Greenspace here is minimal. The park is best known as home to the South Delta Rec Centre (featuring an ice rink, curling rink, and gymnasium). The Kiwanis Longhouse (once the South Delta library) is in this park, and is now an art gallery. Also featured here is parking for the Tsawwassen Park and Ride, the Tsawwassen Skate Park, and a lacrosse box.
Jackson Way Park - a grassy greenspace, found at the southern end of Jackson Way.
Beach Grove Park - mostly forest, found at the corner of Braid Road and 17A Avenue, adjacent to Beach Grove Elementary school. This park once featured a giant checker board and checker pieces visitors could play with. Also features tennis courts.
Imperial Park - an open field underneath the BC Hydro right-of-way in Imperial Village, at the corner of Spyglass Crescent and Silverado Place. Features a baseball diamond, playground, and a decent hill used for sledding/tobogganing in the winter.
Beach Grove Mini-Park - a very small community park on Beach Grove Court, featuring a small playground.
View Crescent Park - a very small greenspace joining the southeast corner of View Crescent with the north end of Hunter Road, located behind a commercial complex in downtown Tsawwassen.

The following parks aren't officially recognized by the municipality, but still exist within Tsawwassen's boundaries:

Wildwood Crescent Mini-Park
Woodland Park
Tsawwassen Nature Reserve

Telecommunications

Tsawwassen, like the whole of the Municipality of Delta, is serviced by Delta Cable for TV and cable internet services.

As in all of British Columbia, telephone services are run primarily by Telus

TELUS

Telus is a national telecommunications company in Canada that provides a wide range of telecommunications products and services including internet access, voice, entertainment, video, and satellite television. The company is based in Burnaby, British Columbia, part of Greater Vancouver...

; the area codes serving Tsawwassen are 604 and 778

Area code 778

Area code 778 is an overlay area code for the Canadian province of British Columbia. It was created on November 3, 2001 as a concentrated overlay of area code 604...

- though the latter is primarily used for cell phones. The CO Code servicing Tsawwassen for years has been 943, but as the population expanded, a new number, 948, was introduced in the early 1990s. Phone calls within Tsawwassen or the entire 604/778 region must adhere to the process of 10-digit dialing

10-digit dialing

In the United States and Canada, 10-digit dialing is a popular term used to refer to the practice of including the area code of a phone number when dialing...

Business

Tsawwassen is home to the largest shopping centre in South Delta (Tsawassen Town Centre Mall). Other businesses in Tsawwassen are Safeway

Safeway Inc.

Safeway Inc. , a Fortune 500 company, is North America's second largest supermarket chain after The Kroger Co., with, as of December 2010, 1,694 stores located throughout the western and central United States and western Canada. It also operates some stores in the Mid-Atlantic region of the Eastern...

, Tim Hortons

Tim Hortons

Tim Hortons Inc. is a Canadian fast casual restaurant known for its coffee and doughnuts. It is also Canada's largest fast food service with over 3000 stores nationwide. It was founded in 1964 in Hamilton, Ontario, by Canadian hockey player Tim Horton and Jim Charade, after an initial venture in...

/ Cold Stone Creamery, McDonalds, White Spot

White Spot

White Spot is a Canadian restaurant chain based in Vancouver, British Columbia, best known for its hamburgers, Pirate Pak children's meal, and other home-style food, as well as its "carhop" drive-in service and "Triple O" burger sauce...

, Thrifty Foods

Thrifty Foods

Thrifty Foods is a chain of supermarkets located in British Columbia, Canada. It was founded by Alex Campbell and Ernie Skinner in 1977 when the first store was opened in Victoria's Fairfield neighbourhood. As of October 2011, the chain operates . It is the largest supermarket chain on Vancouver...

, Shoppers Drug Mart

Shoppers Drug Mart

Shoppers Drug Mart Corporation is Canada's largest pharmacy chain with more than 1,241 stores operating under the names Shoppers Drug Mart in nine provinces and two territories and Pharmaprix in Quebec as well as in Hawkesbury, Ontario....

, Dairy Queen

Dairy Queen

Dairy Queen, often abbreviated DQ, is a chain of soft serve and fast food restaurants owned by International Dairy Queen, Inc, who also owns Orange Julius and Karmelkorn. The name "Dairy Queen" is taken from the name of their soft serve product, which the company refers to as "Dairy Queen" or...

, Jack's TV, Jsu Design, Indian Restaurant called Connaught Place Restaurant, Mario's Kitchen, JohnMichael Menswear, two Starbucks

Starbucks

Starbucks Corporation is an international coffee and coffeehouse chain based in Seattle, Washington. Starbucks is the largest coffeehouse company in the world, with 17,009 stores in 55 countries, including over 11,000 in the United States, over 1,000 in Canada, over 700 in the United Kingdom, and...

and many more . On April 29, 2009, the Tsawwassen Town Center mall experienced a fire, closing a large percentage of the mall, as a result of complications involving a roofing contract. Anonymous management in the complex claims the delays in reconstruction of the damaged areas are due to asbestos insulation.

Climate

Tsawwassen is known to receive only one third of the rainfall that the rest of Metro Vancouver does, which is why it has been commonly referred to as "Sunny Tsawwassen".

In film

Due to being part of the Greater Vancouver area, which is the third-largest film and television production centre in North America after New York and Los Angeles, Tsawwassen has also appeared in numerous high-profile movies and television shows over the years. These include:

Shooting location for films

Shoot to Kill (1988)
Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey (1991) - the indoor section of the Town Centre Mall was used for this film.
The X-Files
The X-Files
The X-Files is an American science fiction television series and a part of The X-Files franchise, created by screenwriter Chris Carter. The program originally aired from to . The show was a hit for the Fox network, and its characters and slogans became popular culture touchstones in the 1990s...

(1993–2002) - various episodes had portions filmed in Tsawwassen.
Jumanji
Jumanji (film)
Jumanji is a 1995 American fantasy-comedy film about a supernatural board game that makes wild animals and other jungle hazards materialize upon each player's move. It was directed by Joe Johnston and is based on Chris Van Allsburg's popular 1981 picture book of the same name...

(1995) - all of the sequences shot at "Sir Saves-A-Lot" were filmed at an unused supermarket space (Super-Valu) in at the Delta Fair Mall, which used to be located at the southwest corner of 56th Street and 12th Avenue. This has since been demolished and replaced with the new Safeway and Bayside Village shopping centre. An intersection near Diefenbaker Park was used for a scene of an animal stampede.
Da Vinci's Inquest
Da Vinci's Inquest
Da Vinci's Inquest is a Canadian dramatic television series that aired on CBC Television from 1998 to 2005. Seven seasons of thirteen episodes each were filmed for a total of ninety-one episodes....

(CBC, 1998) Various locations
Smallville
Smallville (TV series)
Smallville is an American television series developed by writers/producers Alfred Gough and Miles Millar based on the DC Comics character Superman, originally created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. The television series was initially broadcast by The WB Television Network , premiering on October...

(2001–present) - various episodes were filmed in Tsawwassen, as well as just outside of Tsawwassen on Deltaport Way near the Deltaport container port.
Insomnia
Insomnia (2002 film)
Insomnia is an American psychological thriller film directed by Christopher Nolan and starring Al Pacino, Robin Williams, and Hilary Swank. The film, released on 24 May 2002, is a remake of the 1997 Norwegian film of the same name.-Plot:...

(2002) - the sequences filmed in the lodge in which Al Pacino was sleeping were actually filmed in an unused space previously occupied by the restaurants Timothy's, the Manor, and others. It is located at the northeast corner of 12th Avenue and 55th Street; it is now the location of Century Holdings, a real estate agency.
X-Men: The Last Stand
X-Men: The Last Stand
X-Men: The Last Stand is a 2006 superhero film and the third in the X-Men series. It was directed by Brett Ratner and stars an ensemble cast including Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Famke Janssen, Kelsey Grammer, Anna Paquin, Shawn Ashmore, Aaron Stanford, Vinnie Jones,...

(2006) - the location of Jean Grey's childhood home is located in the subdivision of Imperial Village, on Golf Club Drive.
Snakes on a Plane
Snakes on a Plane
Snakes on a Plane is a 2006 American horror-action-thriller film directed by David R. Ellis and starring Samuel L. Jackson. It was released by New Line Cinema on August 18, 2006 in North America...

(2006) - the location of the illegal snake-dealer's greenhouse/barn is shot on the Tsawwassen/Ladner boundary near Deltaport Way and Arthur Drive.
Are We Done Yet?
Are We Done Yet?
Are We Done Yet? is a 2007 family comedy film starring Ice Cube. The film is both a remake of the classic Cary Grant comedy Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House and a sequel to 2005's comedy Are We There Yet? The film was directed by Steve Carr from a screenplay by Hank Nelken...

(2007) - a portion was filmed on Pacific Drive near Wesley Drive.
The Sandlot 3 (2007) Filming in Dennison Park
Kickin' It Old Skool (2007) - an outdoor scene was shot in the Thrifty Foods parking lot (off 12th Avenue), and several indoor scenes were shot at the Tsawwassen Town Centre Mall (56th Street and 12th Avenue) and the Pacific Rim Performing Arts Studios in Century Square (56th Street and 18th Avenue).
Juno
Juno (film)
Juno is a 2007 comedy-drama film directed by Jason Reitman and written by Diablo Cody. Ellen Page stars as the title character, an independent-minded teenager confronting an unplanned pregnancy and the subsequent events that put pressures of adult life onto her. Michael Cera, Olivia Thirlby, J. K....

(2007) - the scenes where Juno pulls over on the side of the road in tears were filmed along Deltaport Way near the 46A Street farm overpass; the "Summer" title screen is filmed at Diefenbaker Park.
Battlestar Galactica - The final scene of the midseason finale, Revelations
Revelations (Battlestar Galactica)
"Revelations" is the tenth episode in the fourth season of the reimagined Battlestar Galactica. It first aired on television in the United States on June 13, 2008. The episode serves as the mid-season finale of the fourth season, with the concluding episodes of the series airing after a hiatus...

showed the remnants of a seaside city devastated by a nuclear war. It was shot on the Boundary Bay side of Tsawwassen, at Centennial Beach.
"Hellcats" (2011) - Pharmacy scene took place at Wellspring Health.

Setting for films

Scorn (2000) - a Canadian made-for-TV movie that aired on CBC
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...

, was a movie that prominently focused on Darren Huenemann, and his actions that would eventually lead to what would become a very high-profile murder that happened in Tsawwassen in the early 1990s.

In music

North Vancouver
North Vancouver, British Columbia
There are two municipalities in the Greater Vancouver region of British Columbia, Canada, that use the name North Vancouver. These are:*The City of North Vancouver...

punk band d.b.s.
D.b.s.
d.b.s. were a punk rock band from North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. From their beginnings in 1992 to their eventual breakup in 2001, they gained popularity in the Canadian punk rock scene d.b.s. were a punk rock band from North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. From their beginnings in...

named a song "Tsawwassen" on their 1999 album If Life Were a Result, We'd All Be Dead
If Life Were a Result, We'd All Be Dead
If Life Were a Result, We'd All Be Dead is the fifth and final full-length album released by the North Vancouver punk band d.b.s. It was released by Crap Records in February 2000. Although their final full-length, the songs on this album were actually recorded in 1997, before their previous album...

.

In The News

1989 - Tsawwassen residents, furious with the proposed development of the agricultural Southlands, became a part of the longest public hearing in Canadian history in order to defeat it. Their attempts to "SAY NO TO TDL" were successful. However, a new development proposal has been on the table since 2008.
October 5, 1990 - Darren Huenemann's mother and grandmother were murdered in their Tsawwassen home by he and two friends from Saanich
Saanich
The Saanich or W̱SÁNEĆ are indigenous nations from the north coast of the Olympic Peninsula in Washington, the Gulf and San Juan Islands, southern Vancouver Island and the southern edge of the Lower Mainland in British Columbia.*BOḰEĆEN – Pauquachin...

in an attempt to inherit their fortunes. Huenemann and one of the accomplices are currently serving time for this crime; one of the friends from Saanich who physically carried out the murder was released on parole in the early 2000s.
August 19, 2009 - Tsawwassen became a focal point in the manhunt of suspected killer Ryan Jenkins, as he escaped across the Canadian/American border between Tsawwassen and Point Roberts. Jenkins has been accused of the murder of Jasmine Fiore
Murder of Jasmine Fiore
The murder of Jasmine Fiore occurred on August 15, 2009. Fiore was a model from Santa Cruz, California, United States. Her body was discovered on August 15, 2009, strangled and stuffed into a suitcase. Her remains had been mutilated to prevent recognition; she was eventually identified by the...

.

Famous Residents/Former Residents

Brent Seabrook
Brent Seabrook
Brent Seabrook is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman playing for the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League . He was selected 14th overall by the Blackhawks in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft out of the Western Hockey League . He played four seasons of junior with the Lethbridge...

, defenceman of the Chicago Blackhawks
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...

of the NHL
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
Brandon McMillan
Brandon McMillan
Brandon McMillan is an Canadian professional ice hockey player who currently plays for the Anaheim Ducks of the National Hockey League . He was drafted by the Anaheim Ducks in the third round of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, 85th overall.-Playing career:McMillan began his major junior career with...

, forward of the Anaheim Ducks of the NHL
Evander Kane
Evander Kane
Evander Kane is a Canadian professional ice hockey left wing with the Winnipeg Jets of the National Hockey League . Selected fourth overall in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft by the Thrashers, he was drafted from the Vancouver Giants of the Western Hockey League .During his major junior career, he won...

, forward of the Winnipeg Jets
Winnipeg Jets
The Winnipeg Jets were a professional ice hockey team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. They began play in the World Hockey Association in 1972, moving to the National Hockey League in 1979 following the collapse of the WHA...

of the NHL
Milan Lucic
Milan Lucic
Milan Lucic is a Canadian professional ice hockey left winger of Serbian origin currently playing for the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League . He played major junior with the Vancouver Giants in the Western Hockey League for three seasons and captured a Memorial Cup, while being named...

, forward of the Boston Bruins
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...

of the NHL
Bronwen Thomas
Bronwen Thomas
Bronwen Thomas is a Canadian freestyle skier. She was born in Richmond, British Columbia. She competed at the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville, and at 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, where she placed 9th in aerials.-References:...

, 1994 Olympic moguls skier in Lillehammer, Norway, was raised in Tsawwassen. She attended the former Boundary Bay Elementary School and the former Tsawwassen Junior Secondary, now both closed.