Friday, June 16, 2023 - How to waste $200,000

Friday, June 16, 2023 | 🌦 High 18C

Good morning!

Some time ago I shared with you my love of interior design. It’s been suggested the best place to source items is from thrift shops. I know Vancouver doesn’t have a shortage of places to shop, but I’ll admit I don’t know where to look in the valley. What are the go-to places in the Fraser Valley for decor and furniture?

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WORTH KNOWING

🌤 Local forecast: Langley | Chilliwack | Abbotsford | Hope

⚠️ Here’s the current smoke forecast / Check the BC Wildfire Dashboard here

🚘 Driving today? Check the current traffic situation via Google, and find DriveBC’s latest updates.

NEWS

A cycle of failure

The Agassiz-Rosedale Bridge’s new $200,000 cyclist safety system isn’t working.

But just how frequently the system is failing is still shocking.

The system was installed last year and is supposed to automatically notify drivers when a cyclist is on the bridge, which lacks bike lanes, shoulders, or even sidewalks. But in early March, The Current reported that local cyclists described the system as ‘useless’ and prone to failure.

On Wednesday, Current editor Tyler Olsen saw just how frequently—and why—the system is failing. And dozens of Current readers suggest the system wasn’t just having a particularly bad day.

• Today, Tyler writes about a $200,000 project that, a year after construction, is clearly not working.

Need to know

🐶 Abbotsford inmates are providing doggy daycare in partnership with a Langley animal shelter [North Shore News]

⚖️ A sentencing hearing has begun for Lake Errock foster parents who pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the death of an 11-year-old boy in their care [Chilliwack Progress]; The Current previously wrote about the case and the difficulty in finding out whether the parents were property vetted [FVC]

🏠 A lack of permanent housing is forcing women leaving transition homes to return to abuse or become homeless [The Tyee]

🚓 An impaired driver forced their child to blow into a breathalyzer test to start a vehicle; the driver was later stopped by Abbotsford police [Abbotsford Police Department/Facebook]

💧 Harrison council approved $550,000 in funds to upgrade a dike around Harrison Lake [Agassiz Harrison Observer]

🐟 Young salmon trapped in stagnant waters in Langley’s Little Campbell River were saved thanks to a local resident and an environmental group [Vancouver Sun]

🗳 Lytton council voted to end its local state of emergency [CBC]

💍 A Chilliwack woman is searching for the owner of an engraved, white-gold ring [Chilliwack Progress]

🥪 US-based chain Earl of Sandwich is opening in Langley this fall [Daily Hive]

👎 A Chilliwack mural was vandalized with graffiti and ‘slurs’ [Amber Price/Facebook]

⚖️ A Mission man was found guilty of sexually assaulting a woman in North Vancouver [North Shore News]

📝 A nonprofit is hosting a disaster planning and preparedness workshop for businesses on June 22 [Abbotsford Community Foundation/Twitter]

👮🏻‍♀️ Langley Mounties were not at fault after a suspect broke their leg during an arrest, the police watchdog found [IIO]

✍️ BC residents have until today at 2pm to submit feedback for the next provincial budget [Legislative Assembly]

🔥 The Chehalis River fire west of Harrison Lake is still out of control; 92 firefighters and four helicopters are responding [BC Wildfire]

🏘 Monday is the deadline for Langley City resident to share their thoughts on how to best integrate new townhomes and ‘plex-homes’ into neighbourhoods south of the Nicomekl River [Langley City]

💙 Get together with family and friends to experience an unforgettable weekend of live blues music at the Fort Langley Jazz & Arts Festival. Grab your tickets today!*

*Sponsored Listing

The Agenda

Mission brewery looks to increase capacity

HUBco Brewing is looking to boost the amount of customers it can serve at any one time.

The popular downtown Mission brewery was given the go-ahead to start serving customers several years ago. But despite its building having capacity for 110 customers, it accidentally applied for permission to serve 90. Now it’s looking to remedy that error.

Mission council will hold a public input meeting at its Monday council meeting.

Chilliwack School District issues statement in support of Pride

A discussion about a new flag pole and a statement of support for the LGBTQ+ community at a Chilliwack School Board meeting led one trustee to call the rainbow Pride flag “offensive to Christians.”

Trustee Heather Maahs said the number of colours in the flag was one of the problems with it.

“The pride flag with six colours is actually an offence to Christians,” Maahs said. “The Christian flag is seven colours, this one is six and it is considered to be offensive to Christians.”

It’s unclear what ‘Christian flag’ Maahs was referring to, nor the significance of the number of colours on each flag. (It could relate to biblical numerology.)

The board voted to support posting the statement on the website and the third flag pole.

The third flag pole can be used to fly flags celebrating different holidays and heritages, board Chair Willow Reichelt said. Putting a statement of support online could be repeated for other causes, she added.

“I would be fine with our district website recognizing all the various days and months. But the reality is we have one group in our district that is the target of pretty relentless discrimination in our community.”

Things to do

🎟 Live theatre: Wild Light will be performed at Langley’s Bez Arts Hub Friday and Saturday. The play, about a family’s second chance at life, takes places off the coast of Prince Rupert and is inspired by true stories of BC lighthouse keepers. Tickets online. 

🎉 Indigenous Peoples Day: Celebrate Indigenous culture and commemorate National Indigenous Peoples Day at a free, family-friendly event in Mill Lake on Saturday. More online. 

🎣 Fishing: The Fraser Valley Trout Hatchery is hosting a free open house and family fishing day on Saturday with interactive family activities, fishing for kids (all equipment provided), and hatchery tours. More online.

🏎️ Father’s Day (cars): Mission’s Old Car Sunday in the Park will return for Father’s Day this year in the Fraser River Heritage Park. Admission by donation. More online.

🎈 Bouncy castles: The Abbotsford Tradex is hosting “The Monster,” 300 metres of bouncy castle chaos, until Sunday. Adults welcome. Tickets online.

🍺 Father’s Day (history): Celebrate Father’s Day at the Kilby Historic Site with craft beer, hands-on homesteading, and water witching (whatever that might be) on Sunday. More online.

🎶 Father’s Day (music): A Juneteenth and Father’s Day afternoon parking lot party and music festival at Bez Arts Hub in Langley on Sunday will feature music, fried chicken dinner, and an outdoor bar. Tickets online. 

🛫 Father’s Day (airplanes): The Canadian Museum of Flight is offering free admission for Dads on Father’s Day Sunday. Classic airplanes will be open for sitting in. More online. 

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