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- Thursday - Jan. 30, 2025 - FVRD checks into forever chemical use
Thursday - Jan. 30, 2025 - FVRD checks into forever chemical use
Grace Kennedy
January 30, 2025
🌧 High 5C | Special weather statement: winter weather
Good morning!
You guys, our readers, have always been so supportive of our work. You keep our lights on with your membership dollars, and you share our stories through word of mouth. And now—after months in the works—we have another way you can do both at the same time.
Today, we have finally cobbled together our first collection of merchandise that subscribers (and non-subscribers) can buy. It includes clothing, coffee cups, tote bags, and more—all featuring our logo and our favourite colour (green). And even Tyler, who is super-cheap, thinks the prices ($40 for a hoodie!) are reasonable.
If you want to show your support for our journalism (and make your friends jealous of your fancy new hat), you can check out our merch page here. If you have any thoughts on our foray into swag, let us know by replying to this email. The first few products are on their way to my house as I type, so I’ll let you know if the water bottle is all it’s cracked up to be.
– Grace
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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
Chilliwack’s big sports tent
Chilliwack’s future Landing Sports Centre Annex will be built with a $2 million fabric roof. 📸 Grace Kennedy
Pickleball enthusiasts, ball hockey players, and roller skaters will be working up a sweat under a $2 million tent roof in Chilliwack’s newest arena when it is finally complete.
Related
Need to Know
🛵 A Langley woman who was struck and run over by a mobility scooter on a sidewalk last week wants new rules about their use [Langley Advance Times]
🚒 Mission’s fire department is giving away more than a thousand smoke alarms [Mission Record]
⚖ A Chilliwack man accused of stealing a truck from a Mission auto shop and hitting the owner won’t be released on bail [Mission Record]
📈 Langley Township is considering a 4.5% property tax increase [Langley Advance Times]
🛏 Chilliwack’s mayor says more shelter beds should be built in other communities, and warned his city is becoming a ‘destination’ for homeless people [Chilliwack Progress]
🥇 An Agassiz RCMP officer is being recognized for his dedication to traffic enforcement [Agassiz Harrison Observer]
🩺 Medical misinformation experts say Langley MLA Jody Toor misrepresented herself as a medical doctor both before and during last year’s election campaign [The Tyee]
⏳ BC has assembled a ‘war room’ to respond to proposed US tariffs, which could come into effect as early as Saturday [CTV]
🦠 Tuesday marked five years since BC recorded its first COVID-19 case [Global]
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The Agenda
Artificial turf is one of many products that contain ‘forever chemicals,’ which are not found in nature and do not degrade. 📸 simkoe/Shutterstock
FVRD to look into ‘forever chemical’ use
The Fraser Valley Regional District is checking to see how many “forever chemicals” it uses in a year.
As of this year, Environment and Climate Change Canada is now requiring companies and some local governments to report on their use of polyfluoroalkyl chemicals—synthetic compounds made of carbon and fluoride. (These chemicals have been dubbed “forever chemicals” because they are not found in nature and do not degrade.)
The reports for 2024 were due yesterday (Jan. 29), but the FVRD has asked for more time to find out if they have used enough forever chemicals to need to submit a report.
Forever chemicals can be found in fire retardant, sewage treatment mediums, de-icing products, artificial turf, and roofing supplies. The FVRD is looking at its activities from 2023 to see whether the new reporting rules apply. Organizations need to have used more than 10 grams of specific types of ethanol, acetic acid, and other projects, or to have imported a certain amount of different compounds.
Organizations who don’t report their forever chemical use—if they are supposed to—can face a $500,000 fine.
The FVRD has yet to hear back from the Minister of Environment on its extension request. Other local governments have also requested extensions.
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🗓 Things to do
Stargazing: The Hope Mountain Centre and the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada host a stargazing session in the Sunshine Valley on Friday starting at 7pm. Details and registration online.
Watershed day: The Great Blue Heron Nature Reserve celebrates World Watersheds Day on Sunday with a guided hour-long nature walk around the reserve. The event is free but space is limited. Details and registration online.
Symphonic concert: The Fraser Valley Symphony performs with soprano Melanie Krueger in their concert Czech-Mate at the Matsqui Centennial Auditorium on Sunday. Details and tickets online.
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