Friday - July 11, 2025 - Home prices slide

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Good morning!

The community discussion in Mission about borrowing money for a new city hall reminds me of something I’ve observed about local political discourse and general social media use. Social media can be a toxic place—but it also provides a very distorted impression of how normal people act and discuss these issues.

The people who comment on something online are not what a statistician might call a representative sample of a community. They are more tuned in—sometimes for better, sometimes for worse—to political discourse. And their personalities and lives are more shaped by online activity. This group is not necessarily bad or maladjusted. You might be an online commentator. Sometimes I am myself. But most people are not. If 1,000 people read a story, less than 5% will feel so passionate (or have so much time on their hands) to share their own opinion.

Within this small, anomalous group, there is an even smaller group that is responsible for the vast majority of toxic and angry behaviour online. You know the type. They are akin to the “energy vampires” in the comedy What We Do In The Shadows. Because these folks are so loud, and because their rhetoric is so heated, they drive a huge proportion of online discussion in a community. Although it is a shame that this small group of folks can negatively impact so many, it’s also worth keeping in mind during those dark moments when we think about the broader public. Most people aren’t spewing hate or lobbing baseless allegations online. They’re just trying to get by.

– Tyler

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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

The outburst flood threat

Imagine arriving at the Chilliwack River one morning to find it has seemingly dried up overnight.

Would you take a picture? Inspect the puddles for signs of life? Start looking for fish to save?

Here’s what you should do: run for higher ground.

• Today, Tyler writes about new research into a landslide threat in the Chilliwack River Valley that has worried officials for decades.

Related

Need to Know

👉 An Abbotsford woman killed in late June was one of three killed in the span of a few days in BC, prompting calls for action on femicide [Surrey Now Leader]

👉 A massive fire engulfed a house that had been under construction in Langley [Global]

👉 Langley council approved the construction of a pair of seven-storey buildings [Langley Advance Times]

👉 Wildfire crews helped Abbotsford firefighters extinguish a blaze on Sumas Mountain [CityNews]

👉 Mission’s mayor says circumstantial evidence suggests a councillor has leaked information that has driven up property prices for the city [Mission Record]

👉 A Chilliwack home built on a slow-moving landslide and later bought by the municipality will be demolished [Chilliwack Progress]

👉 Aaron Pete has been elected chief of Chawathil First Nation [Hope Standard] / We profiled Pete and his podcast in 2022 [FVC]

👉 The NDP’s interim leader was set to visit striking Rogers workers in Abbotsford [iPolitics]

👉 The government has fined an Abbotsford composter for processing far more waste than allowed [Abbotsford News]

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The Agenda

Home prices continue to dip in Abbotsford and Langley

Detached home prices in Abbotsford and Langley have dipped to the lowest levels in 18 months, with buyers reluctant to purchase new homes.

The benchmark price of a single-family house in Langley has dipped to its lowest point since February of 2024, according to new figures released by the Fraser Valley Real Estate Board. That benchmark price has plunged by $50,000 in just two months. It’s a similar, though less pronounced, story in Abbotsford where the benchmark price is also at its lowest level since the start of 2024. Chilliwack house prices have yet to see a similar drop, with prices actually increasing over the last six months.

You can see the latest stats for Abbotsford, Mission and Langley here. You can see the Chilliwack-area stats here.

🗓 Things to do

Hospitality fun: Castle Fun Park is hosting an event in appreciation of hospitality and tourism workers, with four hours of unlimited play for $20, from July 15 from 5 to 9pm. Workers must show proof of employment at the door, but can bring one non-industry guest each. Details online.

Berry fest: Downtown Abbotsford hosts the 42nd annual Berry Fest on Saturday, July 12. Check out a vendor market, enjoy live entertainment, and feast on local berries. Details online.

Pride festival The Chilliwack Pride Society hosts its annual festival on Sunday, July 13 in downtown Chilliwack. The theme this year is Bloom with Pride, and the festival will include local vendors, live entertainment, a kid zone, and a quiet room for people who need a break. The festival runs from 11am to 5pm. Details online.

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

SPONSORED BY FORT LANGLEY JAZZ & ARTS FESTIVAL

Celebrate music, art, and culture in Fort Langley!

Join in July 24–27 for the Fort Langley Jazz & Arts Festival—featuring three incredible ticketed concerts over three nights, plus two days of FREE music on three outdoor stages, art workshops, Indigenous cultural demonstrations, a Mardi Gras strolling parade, and more. Fun for all ages in historic Fort Langley!

Catch up

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