Mission's Oblate mission of 1861 made it one of BC's earliest European settlements — and its courthouse has served Fraser Valley families for generations. Here's what that heritage means for families today.
## Mission: The Oblate Mission and the Upper Fraser
Mission takes its name from St. Mary's Mission, an Oblate of Mary Immaculate mission established in 1861 on the north bank of the Fraser River. The Oblates, a Roman Catholic religious order, established the mission to serve the Stó:lō people of the upper Fraser — and it became one of the most significant Catholic mission stations in BC's colonial history, operating a residential school that, like others across Canada, caused profound and lasting harm to Indigenous children and families.
The townsite of Mission City grew beside the mission, its growth accelerated by the arrival of the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1886 and the construction of the Canadian Northern Pacific Railway bridge across the Fraser — for a time the longest railway bridge in Canada. Mission was incorporated as a district municipality in 1892.
Mission Provincial Court at 7337 Welton Street serves as the courthouse for Mission and surrounding communities. BC Supreme Court family matters — divorce, property division, and contested parenting orders — are heard at New Westminster Law Courts for Mission residents.
Mission's position at the edge of Metro Vancouver's commuter belt — accessible by the West Coast Express commuter rail — gives it a dual identity: rural Fraser Valley community and bedroom suburb of Vancouver, creating a family law caseload that reflects both characters.
## Mission's Family Law Landscape in 2026
Mission has a population of approximately 40,000 and a predominantly rural and semi-rural character, with residential areas in the townsite and extensive acreage, lake properties, and forested lots throughout the municipality.
Key family law issues for Mission families:
- Acreage and rural property division: Mission has extensive rural residential and hobby farm properties that require specialist appraisal
- Stave Lake and recreational properties: Lake properties and recreational cabins on Stave Lake are common family assets requiring valuation and clear planning at separation
- West Coast Express commuting: The West Coast Express rail connection to Vancouver shapes parenting plans — drop-off timing, commute days, and rail access all factor into workable parenting arrangements
- Modest incomes and cost-consciousness: Mission's income profile makes cost-effective dispute resolution — mediation, collaborative divorce — particularly valuable for local families
- Indigenous family law matters: Mission's proximity to Stó:lō territory and the history of St. Mary's Mission residential school create a context where cultural sensitivity in family law matters is essential
Andrew Liggett has served Mission and upper Fraser Valley families since 1991 — providing accessible, cost-effective family law and estate services to a community that too often finds downtown Vancouver lawyers out of reach.
Mission Provincial Court is at 7337 Welton Street, Mission. BC Supreme Court family matters — divorce, property division — are heard at New Westminster Law Courts. The West Coast Express connects Mission to New Westminster in under an hour.
A recreational property acquired during the relationship is family property subject to equal division under the Family Law Act. Lake properties require specialist recreational property appraisal. We help Mission families decide whether to sell, buy out, or share continued use of recreational properties.
St. Mary's Mission was established in 1861 by the Oblates of Mary Immaculate on the north bank of the Fraser River. It became one of BC's most significant Catholic mission stations and operated a residential school. The mission gave the community its name and shaped its early development.
Yes — and it is often the most practical and affordable option for Mission families. Andrew Liggett is LSBC-designated as a Family Law Mediator and Arbitrator, providing mediation by phone and video to Mission and upper Fraser Valley families.