Friday, August 25, 2023 - Life as a Canadian author

Friday, August 25, 2023 | 🌦 High 28C

Good morning!

We recently published a story about Yale buying air conditioners to help vulnerable residents. Afterwards, some readers pointed out that have survived without cooling devices previously and wondered why they’re necessary now. I get that point of view. I grew up in the Okanagan without an air conditioner. But here’s the thing: what might be fine for you or I very much might not be for others. While one reader pointed out that Germans have no air conditioning at all and seem to do fine, that’s not entirely accurate. It turns out Germans die from heat in huge numbers—last year, more than 8,000 Germans died from heat-related causes.

The point here is not really just about air conditioning, but about the need to think about things from other perspectives. There are times when we can just suck it up and deal with an unpleasant or irritating situation. But there are frequently things we can do to improve not just our own safety, but that of the most vulnerable among us. It’s worth striving to do better. It’s why we have seat belts in cars and clean water in our taps.

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

Life as an author

Harrison Mooney’s Invisible Boy has been a Canadian publishing success story.

It has been nominated for awards, garnered critical plaudits, and has generated enough sales to keep its publisher interested in what Mooney does next.

But penning a “successful” Canadian book doesn’t mean a one-way ticket to easy street and fortune.

• Yesterday, we wrote about how Mooney’s book was unexpectedly welcomed by the Fraser Valley. Today, we have a story about the challenge of making a living as an author in Canada, and what comes next after a successful book that still leaves its author ‘broke as hell.’

Need to know

💨 The air quality in the eastern Fraser Valley is expected to deteriorate Friday due to smoke [Chilliwack Progress]

⚖️ A 22-year-old Abbotsford man pled guilty to charges in connection to a shooting two years ago [Abbotsford News]

🐻 A wooden bear carving on Hope’s Wallace Street has been named Bart [Hope Standard]

👮🏻 One man was arrested by RCMP after stealing a bait car in Chilliwack [Fraser Valley Today]

💧 Harrison Hot Springs has implemented stiffer water restrictions [Agassiz Harrison Observer]

🚓 Officers seized a firearms license and weapons from three men reportedly shooting guns in a Stave Lake campground [Mission RCMP]

🛠 Three buildings in Langley City were destroyed to make way for new developments [Langley Advance Times]

🎥 Four youth were caught on camera vandalizing buildings in Kent [Agassiz Harrison Observer]

🚫 The artificial turf field at Mission Sports Park was damaged by the extreme heat and is temporarily closed to the public [Mission Record]

🤿 Decade-old footage was recovered from a GoPro discovered in Cultus Lake [Chilliwack Progress]

The Agenda

Controlled burn ignited in effort to control Kookipi Creek wildfire

Firefighters on the Kookipi Creek wildfire north of Boston Bar have started fighting fire with fire.

The controlled burn was started with an aerial ignition at noon on Thursday. The burn, located on the northeastern flank of the fire, had been planned for days and crews on the ground were waiting for acceptable weather conditions to begin the operation.

Covering about 90 hectares (the Kookipi Creek fire is currently 14,426 hectares in size), the controlled burn will run along the east edge of Highway 1 (the side opposite the wildfire). Firefighters will use the highway, Siska Creek, an old burn scar and an already established control line north of Kanaka Bar to handle the new fire.

The purpose of the ignition, the BC Wildfire service explained on Twitter, is to remove existing fuel between the wildfire and the communities and structures nearby. Smoke will be highly visible to nearby residents in Kanaka Bar, Siska, Lytton First Nation, and the surrounding area. View a map of the current air quality here. 

SPONSORED BY SUSTAINABLE CONNECTIONS

From Pastures to Plates: A Gourmet Adventure in Whatcom County's Food and Farming Culture

Visit Whatcom County for a month-long celebration of local food and those who grow, raise, fish, make, and cook it! All month long Sustainable Connections will be highlighting opportunities to meet chefs, farmers, fishers, and grocers to experience the unique flavors of our region.

Things to do

🎶 Live DJ: Townhall Abbotsford is hosting country night Friday, August 25 at 9pm. Reserve a spot online.

🌽Corn maze: The corn maze at Eagle Acres in Langley opens Saturday, August 26. Details online.

🚜 Farm knowledge: Abundance Community Farm near Agassiz is hosting a tour of the site on Sunday, August 27 where visitors can learn about local community farming. Details online. 

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