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- Friday - January, 19, 2024 - What creditor protection means for Black Press
Friday - January, 19, 2024 - What creditor protection means for Black Press
Grace Giesbrecht
January 19, 2024
🌧 High 5C
Good morning!
Driving in the winter in the Lower Mainland is very different than in other parts of BC. And it’s not just because no one has snow tires or no one knows how to drive in the snow (even though that’s what I hear a lot of people complain about). It’s the weather itself. Cold snow isn’t too slippery. And as long as it stays below freezing, it stays that way.
Wet, warm snow is different. It’s slushy. And then it melts. And then it rains. And then it freezes again. And you’re suddenly in a whole different, icy, ugly ball game. Be safe and careful out there today if you need to go anywhere.
– Grace
Traffic & Weather
🌤 Local forecast: Langley | Chilliwack | Abbotsford | Hope
🚘 Driving today? Check the current traffic situation via Google, and find DriveBC’s latest updates.
🛣 Click here for links to road cameras across the Fraser Valley, including those for the Coquihalla, Highway 7, Hope-Princeton, Fraser Canyon, and Highway 1 in Langley and Abbotsford.
NEWS
What creditor protection means for Black Press, its papers, and its readers
On Monday, the owner of dozens of BC community newspapers—including those in Langley, Chilliwack, Abbotsford, Mission, Hope and Agassiz—filed for creditor protection.
In court filings, the company declared that it didn’t have the means to pay back huge debts—many incurred while buying an American newspaper in 2006.
Yesterday, we wrote about Black Press’s history, how it ended up losing more than $150 million on an Ohio newspaper, and how technological changes have left it unable to come back from its costly mistake.
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Need to Know
⚖ The two groups claiming Kwantlen First Nation’s leadership presented their cases to a judge in court Thursday [Langley Advance Times] / The Current first covered the case last year, following a vote held by a group claiming the First Nations’ chief and council no longer had the authority to lead the band [FVC]
‼ If you rely on buses in Langley or Metro Vancouver be ready: the union representing some Translink bus supervisors warned that a strike may stop service as early as Monday; (the strike wouldn’t impact service in Abbotsford, Mission and communities further west) [CityNews]
👉️ A man allegedly stole firearms and rammed into a car in Mission [Mission Record]
👉 A rally to protest for peace in Gaza is planned for Jubilee Park in Abbotsford on Saturday [Abbotsford News]
🎒 International students are struggling as provincial and federal governments promise change [The Tyee]
🤑 Abbotsford will receive $911k to help the city implement new housing legislation [Abbotsford News]
💰️ Chilliwack and Kent will also get funds to help handle provincial housing legislation [Chilliwack Progress]
🦠 Higher-than-average cases of strep throat and related infections have been recorded among kids in BC this winter [Global News]
⛄️ Abbotsford received its heaviest snowfall in 16 years on Wednesday [Abbotsford News]
💵 The pandemic loan repayment deadline has hit for BC businesses [Global News]
🦆 Last year’s Christmas bird count saw increased participation of both birders and birds [Chilliwack Progress]
➡️ A man died after being struck by a privately-operated snowplow in Abbotsford [CTV]
The Agenda
Freezing rain is forecast for the Fraser Valley, but it won’t be the first time an ice storm hit. Layers of freezing rain accumulated on this fallen wire in January, 1935. 📷️ BC Hydro/Twitter
Freezing rain warnings in place for Fraser Valley
If you haven’t taken a look outside yet this morning, maybe do that now. Forecasters have warned that the Fraser Valley could receive buckets of freezing rain. And it doesn’t take a lot of freezing rain to cause chaos (or knock out power).
According to Environment Canada, a warmer weather system moving in combined with lingering cold air from the recent arctic outflow could create a longer period of freezing rain across the Fraser Valley.
“Surfaces such as highways, roads, walkways and parking lots may become icy and slippery. Take extra care when walking or driving in affected areas," the warning says. Freezing rain can do a lot more damage than that, however. Ice storms hit the valley every few years and have caused extensive and long-lasting power outages in recent years. The power can go out after the rain stops falling, as trees snap and fall onto power lines. So make sure you have your batteries charged (and maybe a plan for a way to cook food without the power).
Check your school or school district’s website for information on possible closures. Even if your street or driveway looks fine, that might not be the case elsewhere in your community.
BC Transit has warned of impending service cancellations due to freezing rain starting Thursday afternoon and asked riders to check the BC Transit website for more information.
BC’s Department of Transportation took to Twitter to warn drivers about freezing rain on highways. It asked drivers to check Drive BC for conditions if they had to travel, go slow, and carry an emergency kit and warm clothes.
The freezing rain is expected to last longer in Abbotsford and Chilliwack, and move east as Friday continues. Langley’s freezing rain was expected to turn into rain by this morning. The freezing rain could abate in Abbotsford this morning but is expected to continue in Chilliwack through the afternoon. Hope could see freezing rain last from Friday morning until Friday evening.
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💾 Flashback Friday
Ice covering a car in January, 1935. 📷️ BC Hydro/Twitter
The early part of the 20th Century saw two major ice storms hit the Fraser Valley. In the photo pictured above, layers and layers of ice accumulated on a car in Chilliwack during a storm of freezing rain on Jan. 21, 1935. The storm stalled street cars, brought down power lines and caused outages, and took out phone lines in Chilliwack, Mission, and Abbotsford. The storm and its effects lasted for days, almost exactly 89 years ago.
🗓 Things to do
🎶 Live music: Cannery Row, a west-coast folk music trio, will play at Bozinni’s Restaurant in Chilliwack tonight, Jan. 19. Details online.
🤣 Comedy tour: Four Canadian comedians will present the Snowed In Comedy Tour at the Chilliwack Cultural Centre on Tuesday, Jan. 23. Details online.
🎻 Metis music: The Fort Langley Historic Site’s annual Vive les Voyagers festival is happening this weekend Jan. 20 and 21. Experience Metis and French-Canadian culture and music of the 19th century. Details online.
That’s it!
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