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- Monday, April 10, 2023 edition - Reclaiming a name
Monday, April 10, 2023 edition - Reclaiming a name
Monday, April 10, 2023 | Today: š§ High 9C, Low 2C | 7-day forecast
Good morning!
For several months my siblings and I have been planning a special family trip for my parents. We didnāt get to celebrate their milestone birthdays/retirement during the pandemic like we wanted. And we didnāt want to let those occasions pass without commemorating them. So this weekend my family travelled to Banff. It was the first time for all of us. My parents have always encouraged us to travel and take-in new experiences. They didnāt get a chance to do that so much when we were kids because they were always working so hard to give us all the opportunities they didnāt have growing up. I think the surprise landed well because the first thing my mom said was, āThe best part is weāll all be together.ā I know my parents would always choose a family experience rather than a fancy giftāand this experience was definitely one for the books!
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NEWS
Reclaiming an Indigenous name
Alison Tedford Seaweed admires her grandfatherās photo hanging on the walls of the cultural centre in Alert Bay. š· Submitted
When Alison Tedford made the decision to change her name it was deeply personal.
Alison is a member of the Kwakiutl First Nation in northern Vancouver Island, near Port Hardy. As an Indigenous relations consultant she has spent years working with government and nonprofits to rethink Indigenous inclusion. (This year, she published a book about the topic.)
And it was important for Alison to first garner the support of her grandfather before she took the steps to take her family name: Seaweed.
In 2021, the federal government made it easier for Indigenous people to reclaim their traditional names. And as one Canadian university researcher told NPR, āmost First Nations tribal members have lost their original Indigenous names to history as a result of forced assimilation and poor government record-keeping.ā
Fortunately for Alison, she grew up with the knowledge of her ancestral name.
Today, Joti talks to Alison about reclaiming her family name and what it means to her.
Related story
Need to know
š” A āone-size-fits-allā approach to housing wonāt address homelessness in rural areas, the chair of the Fraser Valley Regional District says [Abbotsford News]
āļø A man who was suing the Langley Township after walking into a glass door at a rec centre had his case dismissed by the BC Supreme Court [Langley Advance Times]
š Two 18-storey towers with 300 rental units for seniors will be built in central Abbotsford [Abbotsford News]
ā· The group behind the proposed Bridal Veil Mountain Resort project says it has the support of most people it has surveyed [Fraser Valley Today]
āļø An Aldergrove man was found not guilty of alleged sexual touching in a case involving his step-daughter when she was eight years old [Aldergrove Star]
š£ Harrisonās mayor read an excerpt from an alleged āno confidence voteā letter, of which he previously declined to reveal the contents of [Agassiz Harrison Observer]
š A prominent Chilliwack gangster pled guilty to drug trafficking nine years after he was first caught handling cocaine [Chilliwack Progress]
š§ Harrison is one of many BC lakes with historically low water levels [Vancouver Sun]
š®š»āāļø A 42-year-old man returned to a Mission store to steal hockey cards after he was arrested for the same theft days earlier [Mission RCMP/Facebook]
š¼ The first red panda cubs born in BC were named Maple and Mei Mei, the Greater Vancouver Zoo announced [CityNews]
šØ Police are investigating troubling handwritten notes that were posted on doors and cars in Langleyās Walnut Grove neighbourhood [Langley Advance Times]
š Abbotsfordās police chief announced he will retire this year [Mike Serr/Twitter]
š° Income tax returns could be delayed from being process if Canada Revenue Agency union workers decide to strike this month [CityNews]
š The food court at Chilliwackās Cottonwood mall will close at the end of the month [Fraser Valley Today]
š Updates to a licensing policy could expand ride-sharing to Hope, Kent, and Mission [Daily Hive]
š Abbotsford police recovered a cowbell during an arrest and want to return it to its owner [Abbotsford Police Department/Facebook]
š A vehicle on fire at a Chilliwack gas station might have been stolen [Fraser Valley Today]
š A catalytic converter was stolen from a Langley non-profitās delivery van [Aldergrove Star]
š· Masks are no longer required at health-care facilities, BC officials announced [Global]
šļø M&M Food Market is undertaking an aggressive coast-to-coast expansion, wanting you to grow alongside with them. Learn more about opening a franchise in Abbotsford or Mission.*
*Sponsored Listing
The Agenda
Chilliwack council has approved a five-storey development on Woodbine Street. | City of Chilliwack
New five-storey apartment building approved in Chilliwack
A big development on a quiet street was approved by Chilliwack council on Tuesday.
The five-storey building on Woodbine Street will be within walking distance of downtown and house four levels of apartments. Parking will take up the ground floor and another underground level beneath it.
Design-wise, the building āhas the wow factor,ā Coun. Bud Mercer said.
The lot where the development is planned is currently empty and in a neighbourhood with mostly one- or two-storey homes. Two residents of the quiet street asked for more information about the building and future plans for the street at the meetingāone noted, though, that āyou canāt stop the tide from coming in.ā
Developers also plan to build a playground and community garden for residents on the property, and councillors applauded the design and outdoor add-ons it includes.
Home prices levelling off
Home sales in the Fraser Valley continue to be slow, but the price of housing appears to have stabilized after double-digit declines last year.
Benchmark house prices ticked upwards in Abbotsford, Mission and Langley last month and the number of sales also increased across the region, suggesting recovering demand, according to figures released by the Fraser Valley Real Estate Board. Townhouse and apartment prices have also levelled off and, in some cases, are rising again.
The chair of the FVREB pointed to stabilized interest rates and increasing numbers of offers on homes.
āThe pause in rate hikes has helped to restore a much-needed sense of predictability, which is building consumer confidence,ā Narinder Bains said in a press release. āAs a result, weāre starting to see more traffic at open houses along with more multiple offer situations.ā
Still, sales are well-below typical levels for this time of year. You can see the latest statistics release for the FVREB area (Abbotsford/Mission and areas west) here.
Correction
In our story last week about farming on airports, we incorrectly reported blueberries were grown on land at Abbotsford International Airport. In fact, the land is used for raspberriesāa reader wrote that blueberries attract too many birds, which is not something we had considered.
In fact, did you know that in the mid-90s, the airportās largest revenue source wasnāt from airlines but raspberry land rental?
COMMUNITY PROFILE
Meet Missionās Rocky Blondin
Rocky Blondin (right) is hard at work with his āteam.ā š· Submitted
Meet Rocky Blondin! He is a husband and father of two boys who currently lives in Mission. In 2020, he was named Missionās Citizen of the Year. He works as an industrial technology consultant for Blondin Enterprises Inc.
Favourite local restaurant: Bee Thai in Downtown Mission
Favourite hidden gem: Stave West - specifically the campground and day use area at Kearsley Creek. Paddle to the Island, hike to the Grind79 lookout, ride the pumptrack, or just go for a swim.
How long youāve been a local? I have lived in the Fraser Valley on and off since 1989. I live in Mission, BC and have since 2010.
Where can people find you? I use neither of those social media platforms (Twitter or Instagram) anymore due to the ownership and corporate negligence culture of both companies.
We want to profile you! Or someone you really, really like. Take a moment and fill this out (or tell a friend to do so) and be one of our first locals of the week.
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