Welcome to Abbotsford, British Columbia, population just over 123,000. It's the fifth largest municipality in British Columbia and the 37th largest in Canada. It's located directly adjacent to Vancouver, which is one of those world cities I really hope to visit before either I die, or World War Three levels every city with a population of one million or more.
The average low in Abbotsford is 40.7 degrees (F), bottoming out at 30.2 in January and peaking at 51.6 in July and August. The average high is 58 degrees, ranging from 41.7 (January) to a balmy 74.5 in July.
Abbotsford has one of the most diverse economies in Canada. It's got one of the highest violent crime rates in the country. It was the home of Gladys Powers, believed to be the last surviving female World War One veteran. It also directly borders the U.S. state of Washington. Sixty-one-point-four percent of the population is Christian.
The city is also going to have their own American Hockey League team next season, the new minor-league affiliate to the Calgary Flames. (It seems British Columbia is closer to Calgary than Illinois is. Who'd have thought?) The team recently held a "name the team" contest...sort of. See, they said they'd already decided on the team name, but they gave the good people of Abbotsford the four finalists to see how many people would vote for the name that had already been chosen.
Curiosity, I guess.
The name for the team that will represent this fine city to the rest of North America?
The Abbotsford Heat.
Because, when I think British Columbia, I definitely think "Heat."
TEAM NAME FAIL!
