Friday - Feb 20 - Postpartum exercise gap

🌥️ High 3C

Good morning,

Chambers of commerce across the Fraser Valley had sharp criticism for BC's 2026 budget this week, with business leaders from Langley, Abbotsford, and Chilliwack all expressing concern that the province's record $13.3 billion deficit and lack of a clear economic growth plan will hurt competitiveness and long-term prosperity in the region.

In other news, a UFV kinesiology professor is helping new mothers navigate postpartum exercise with realistic, inclusive resources after discovering a severe lack of support when she had her first child nine years ago

– Emily

Keep local journalism alive by supporting The Current. Become a Current Insider member today and help bring local stories to life.

Traffic & Weather

🌤 Local forecast: Langley | Chilliwack | Abbotsford | Hope | Mission

🚘 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 & Features

UFV professor creates realistic postpartum exercise resources after finding gap in support

When Dr. Iris Lesser had her first child nine years ago, she discovered how little support existed for postpartum women trying to return to physical activity — even with a PhD in exercise physiology.

"I was absolutely shocked at how little support there was for moms," said Lesser, an associate professor of kinesiology at the University of the Fraser Valley. "I asked myself questions such as, can I be running? Should I not be running? Do I need to do rehabilitation? How do I deal with the fact that I'm not sleeping at all, but I need to move my body for my mental health?"

Now, Lesser is filling that gap. With the help of UFV kinesiology students, she's been running studies, workshops, and movement interventions, and creating reference materials to help other mothers navigate postpartum exercise.

Keep reading»

Need to Know

💰 The Langley Chamber of Commerce expressed concern about BC's 2026 budget, which projects a record $13.3 billion deficit despite expanding PST to professional services and increasing personal income tax rates, saying the province needs to improve competitiveness and control deficit spending. [Langley Chamber of Commerce]

💼 The Abbotsford Chamber criticized Budget 2026 for lacking a clear growth plan, noting the province has yet to present a decisive strategy to restore fiscal balance or improve competitiveness despite record deficits and rising debt. [Abbotsford Chamber of Commerce]

📊 The Chilliwack Chamber echoed BC Chamber concerns about Budget 2026's lack of a meaningful economic plan, noting the roughly seven-to-one ratio of spending between social services and economic development shows growth is not being treated as an urgent priority. [Chilliwack Chamber of Commerce]

🌊 The Lower Fraser Floodplains Coalition criticized BC Budget 2026 for failing to fund the BC Flood Strategy despite three major flood events in five years, calling the lack of regional flood mitigation investment a mistake that defers costs to future budgets. [Lower Fraser Floodplains Coalition]

🌾 Abbotsford's Make a Difference Auction returns March 7-11 with a goal to raise $550,000 for the Canadian Foodgrains Bank's Nature+ program, which supports over 75,000 small-scale farmers in rural Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe. [Make a Difference Auction]

🎓 Chilliwack Senior Secondary's Class of 1976 is searching for missing classmates ahead of their 50th reunion on September 19 at the Chilliwack Curling Club, having found 308 of 378 graduates with over 200 already confirmed to attend. [CSSS Class of '76]

🪖 Army Reserve units from 39 Canadian Brigade Group will conduct earthquake response training in Hope from February 20-22, simulating a magnitude 6.2 earthquake centred near the Fraser River Valley. [Canadian Armed Forces]

🏥 The Chilliwack Dogwood Monarch Lion's Club donated funds from their weekly online bingo to purchase a vein viewer, pressure mapping system, and mobile lift for Chilliwack General Hospital through the Fraser Valley Health Care Foundation. [Fraser Valley Health Care Foundation]

🎓 UFV's Chilliwack campus hosts a free open house on February 26 from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM showcasing programs in Trades and Technology, Health Sciences, and Agriculture with live demonstrations and campus tours. [UFV]

🌰 BC Ferries now carries Fraser Valley Hazelnuts products in onboard gift shops starting with the Spirit of Vancouver and Spirit of British Columbia, supporting local agriculture and BC's food economy. [BC Hazelnut Growers Association]

Enjoying our newsletter? Help us make it even better!

Become an Insider member and help keep local journalism and storytelling alive in the Fraser Valley.

🗓 Things to do

Fruit Tree Pruning Workshop: PNW ISA hosts a workshop on modern fruit tree pruning techniques aligned with ANSI standards and tree biomechanics on Saturday, February 21 from 8:30 AM to 3:00 PM at Angus Campbell Location in Abbotsford, with hands-on practice using 10-year-old trees at the municipal orchard.

Four Season Gardening: Andrew Couzens of Terra Flora Organics shares tips on year-round organic food growing on Saturday, February 21 from 11:00 AM to 11:45 AM at Minter Country Garden, free with registration required in-store or by calling 604-792-3799.

Chunky Knit Blanket Workshop: Learn to create a chunky knit blanket with no needles required on Sunday, February 22 from 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM at Marion Estates in Abbotsford, with chai tea, coffee, and snacks provided, ages 18+.

Have an event to tell us about? Fill out this form to have it highlighted here.

Community journalism needs the entire community for it to succeed.

Become a Current member today and join 1,400+ other local supporters who help keep our lights on.

As part of a membership, you get our special weekend roundup of all the things you might’ve missed each week!

Catch up

That’s it!

Thanks for reading Fraser Valley Current today ♥️ 

If you found something useful, consider forwarding this newsletter to another local.

Help share The Current

Wouldn’t the Fraser Valley be better if more people had access to local, quality news – and didn’t have to rely on social media? Share The Current with your friends and help us build better communities.