Monday, April 10, 2023 edition - Reclaiming a name

Monday, April 10, 2023 | Today: 🌧 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 didn’t get to celebrate their milestone birthdays/retirement during the pandemic like we wanted. And we didn’t 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 didn’t 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 didn’t have growing up. I think the surprise landed well because the first thing my mom said was, “The best part is we’ll all be together.” I know my parents would always choose a family experience rather than a fancy gift—and this experience was definitely one for the books!

Also, we’re still working to make The Current financially sustainable. Thanks to Fran, Cindy, and Andy for becoming members and helping us work towards our goal. Learn how you can become an Insider Member here. 

NEWS

Reclaiming an Indigenous name

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, “most First Nations tribal members have lost their original Indigenous names to history as a result of forced assimilation and poor government record-keeping.”

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.

Need to know

🏡 A ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach to housing won’t address homelessness in rural areas, the chair of the Fraser Valley Regional District says [Abbotsford News]

⚖️ 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]

🛠 Two 18-storey towers with 300 rental units for seniors will be built in central Abbotsford [Abbotsford News]

⛷ The group behind the proposed Bridal Veil Mountain Resort project says it has the support of most people it has surveyed [Fraser Valley Today]

⚖️ 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]

🗣 Harrison’s mayor read an excerpt from an alleged ‘no confidence vote’ letter, of which he previously declined to reveal the contents of [Agassiz Harrison Observer]

🚓 A prominent Chilliwack gangster pled guilty to drug trafficking nine years after he was first caught handling cocaine [Chilliwack Progress]

💧 Harrison is one of many BC lakes with historically low water levels [Vancouver Sun]

👮🏻‍♀️ 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]

🐼 The first red panda cubs born in BC were named Maple and Mei Mei, the Greater Vancouver Zoo announced [CityNews]

🚨 Police are investigating troubling handwritten notes that were posted on doors and cars in Langley’s Walnut Grove neighbourhood [Langley Advance Times]

👋 Abbotsford’s police chief announced he will retire this year [Mike Serr/Twitter]

💰 Income tax returns could be delayed from being process if Canada Revenue Agency union workers decide to strike this month [CityNews]

🍔 The food court at Chilliwack’s Cottonwood mall will close at the end of the month [Fraser Valley Today]

🚗 Updates to a licensing policy could expand ride-sharing to Hope, Kent, and Mission [Daily Hive]

🔔 Abbotsford police recovered a cowbell during an arrest and want to return it to its owner [Abbotsford Police Department/Facebook]

🚒 A vehicle on fire at a Chilliwack gas station might have been stolen [Fraser Valley Today]

🚔 A catalytic converter was stolen from a Langley non-profit’s delivery van [Aldergrove Star]

😷 Masks are no longer required at health-care facilities, BC officials announced [Global]

🛍️ 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

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 “has the wow factor,” 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 meeting—one noted, though, that “you can’t stop the tide from coming in.”

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.

“The pause in rate hikes has helped to restore a much-needed sense of predictability, which is building consumer confidence,” Narinder Bains said in a press release. “As a result, we’re starting to see more traffic at open houses along with more multiple offer situations.”

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 raspberries—a 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 airport’s largest revenue source wasn’t from airlines but raspberry land rental?

COMMUNITY PROFILE

Meet Mission’s Rocky Blondin

Meet Rocky Blondin! He is a husband and father of two boys who currently lives in Mission. In 2020, he was named Mission’s 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 you’ve 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.

Become a paying subscriber of Premium to get access to this post and other subscriber-only content.

Already a paying subscriber? Sign In.

A subscription gets you:

• • ♥️ Pride in supporting independent, local journalism
• • 🔓 Full access to every story we publish and every newsletter we send
• • 🎁 Local events, restaurants, discounts and perks
• • 💌 Weekend roundup newsletter
• • 🔑 Exclusive content
• • 🗓 VIP access at future events
• • 🎉 Special shoutouts from Tyler, Joti, and Grace