Friday, July 14, 2023 edition - How to race a pigeon

Friday, July 14, 2023 | ☀️ High 28C

Good morning!

NASA launched the largest, most powerful space telescope ever built in December 2021. The James Webb Space Telescope set out on a mission to help scientists understand galaxies, stars, and the atmospheres of planets outside of our solar system—and it didn’t disappoint. Earlier this week, NASA released an image captured by Webb that is truly out of this world! The image is of the Rho Ophiuchi cloud complex, which scientists says is the closest star-forming region to Earth. The $10 billion space telescope has provided visuals of the earliest galaxies ever seen by humanity—and it’s just getting started. The mission is said to last five to 10 years.

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

How to race a pigeon

Mountains loom ahead of the small bird. Fields spread out beneath her. She flaps her wings, and sails upwards against the pale blue of the early-morning sky.

The long trip in a pen, tucked into the dark back of a vehicle, is quickly forgotten. The world consists solely of her wings, the wind, and the hundreds of other pigeons spilling into the air around her as the race begins.

• Today, Grace writes about the world of pigeon races.

Need to know

🔥 The Davis Lake wildfire north of Mission remains out of control; an additional helicopter has been deployed [BC Wildfire]

🚔 Abbotsford police are searching for two men seen illegally dumping drywall suspected of containing asbestos into a school dumpster [AbbyPoliceDept/Facebook]

🚐 TransLink has introduced free Wi-Fi on its express buses in Metro Vancouver [CTV]

🚑 One man was taken to hospital after a report of stabbing in Mission Thursday night [Mission Record]

🤝 BC port workers and their employer reached a new deal ending a 13 day strike [CBC]

👮🏻 Langley City is taking steps to hire six additional Mounties [Langley Advance Times]

☕️ Abbotsford’s original Starbucks is closing Friday [Abbotsford News]

😠 Chilliwack’s mayor is not happy with the province’s decision to offload highway patrol services onto local RCMP members [Fraser Valley Today]

🏘 Density, tree protection, and housing affordability were at the centre of the latest Brookswood neighbourhood plan hearing [Langley Advance Times]

✅ Hope will welcome a new director of community development in September [Hope Standard]

👉 Some residents are increasingly frustrated by the lack of action to address the environmental impact of homeless camps in the Chilliwack River Valley [Fraser Valley Today]

🏒 The Vancouver Giants head coach took a new job with the Toronto Maple Leafs farm team [Aldergrove Star]

🩺 An anonymous donor’s generosity could help the Abbotsford hospital save millions of dollars each year [Abbotsford News]

SPONSORED BY FORT LANGLEY JAZZ FESTIVAL

Jazz legends open Fort Langley Jazz Fest

Kick off the 2023 Odlum Brown Fort Langley Jazz & Arts Festival with a concert you won’t forget, featuring Phil Dwyer’s Connections Quartet.

Phil Dwyer’s Connections Quartet brings together premier musicians in a one-of-a-kind concert including JUNO-award winner, saxophonist and pianist, Phil Dwyer; Juno-award winner Brad Turner on trumpet and piano; renowned international drummer Alan Jones; and Phil’s son, Ben Dwyer on bass.

The quartet will perform new and other works from over 40 years of playing in various configurations together. This illustrious group of artists will perform as two trios and a quartet, all in one with Phil and Brad taking turns at the piano with their alter egos performing on saxophone and trumpet.

Thursday, July 20, 7-10pm at Chief Sepass Theatre! Get your tickets today!

The Agenda

Drought conditions worsen

The province is urging residents to conserve water as drought conditions worsen.

The current drought situation “kick started” in May after BC hit record temperatures across the province, said Jonathan Boyd with the River Forecast Centre. That led to the earliest melt of the mountain snowpack the province has ever seen.

“With less precipitation and a fairly rapid and early melt we’re seeing the response in stream flows and it’s very low,” Boyd said during Wednesday’s provincial update on drought conditions.

Water level data for the Fraser River at Hope dates back 110 years. Looking at a graph of the data, Boyd pointed out that the streamflow is currently “well below anything that has ever occurred this early in the season.” Last year, the province didn’t see these levels until September.

BC uses a six-level classification (zero to five) to explain the severity of drought conditions. Currently, Metro Vancouver is at level four and the Fraser Valley at level three.

“What’s unusual [about the severity of drought levels] this year is how early it is and how widespread it is.”

Watch the full drought update online.

Things to do

💃🏻 Movement and the Market: Pack a picnic, bring a blanket and enjoy a showcase of local Mission dance groups Friday night at Fraser River Heritage Park. Details online.

🎶 Harrison festival: The 44th annual Harrison Festival of the Arts concludes this weekend on Sunday. View the schedule online.

🍿 Outdoor movie: Dive-in movie nights begin at the Aldergrove outdoor pool on July 20 with a screening of The Super Mario Bros. Float around or relax poolside while enjoying a movie on the big screen. View upcoming movie nights and register online.

Find more events in our members-only weekly calendar.

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

Want to promote your business to 30,000+ engaged locals?

Contact our partnerships team today

Have a tip? Email us