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- Thursday - June 12, 2025 - Kent plans new nature park
Thursday - June 12, 2025 - Kent plans new nature park
Grace Kennedy
June 12, 2025
🌧 High 19C
Good morning!
As some of you may remember from last year, I am a big fan of local fairs. And now that the Chilliwack Fair has released its prize book, I have a big decision to make: what will I enter in the fair?
My husband’s best friend gave me his advice. His family enters upwards of 30 vegetables and flowers in the fair each year—and they win an astonishing number of their categories. (Seriously, so many ribbons.) He said they put their names down for pretty much anything they know is growing in their garden, and if it’s no good when fair time arrives, they call it a write off.
I need to be a little more strategic. Will I have time to bake a pie on Saturday morning when I am alone with two munchkins? Probably not. Will I have time to make a loaf of bread in my bread machine the night before? Potentially.
If you are thinking of entering the fair, check out this article from last year with tips and tricks for your entries—and a particularly mouthwatering pie recipe.
– 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
Car seat recycling on the way
Every year, thousands of car seats end up in BC’s landfills. 📷️ Grace Kennedy; Pixabay
For many parents, recycling is a way of life. On Craigslist and Facebook, huge groups of parents buy and sell second-hand clothes, toys, and gear to reduce the costs of outfitting their children.
But even the thriftiest of parents is unlikely to buy a used car seat. That means thousands of car seats are bought new, spend a few years in the backseat covered in kid detritus, and are then thrown in the garbage when the child outgrows it. Soon, though, a new program may stem the flow of car carriers to local dumps.
Related
Need to Know
👀 Chilliwack soccer star Jordyn Huitema was home alone during an armed burglary in Seattle last month and said she had to lock herself in a bathroom to avoid discovery [Sounder at Heart]
🏫 Hope Secondary is considering changing its name to Shxwelí:s te Ts’qó:ls — Spirit of Hope Secondary School [District of Hope/Instagram]
⛔ Get ready for a traffic jam: Highway 1 will be reduced to single-lane traffic near 264th Street this weekend [BC Gov News] / The lane closure is for construction of a new diamond interchange; The Current reported on what that interchange will look like in May [FVC}
🏒 Abbotsford’s mayor will need to publicly don a Charlotte Checkers jersey if the Abbotsford Canucks lose the Calder Cup this month [Abbotsford News] / You can find details on the AHL’s Calder Cup online [AHL]
🕳 Abbotsford crews are working to patch up a sinkhole on Tolmie Road [Abbotsford News]
🚧 Repairs to Othello Road near Hope will begin next Wednesday, fixing damage that occurred during the 2021 atmospheric river [Hope Standard] / The Current reported on the FVRD’s challenges getting funding to shore up the road during the disaster, as well as the bureaucratic system that prevented help from reaching homes on the road quickly [FVC]
🥾 The Bay may be officially closed, but the HBC Heritage Trail between Hope and Tulameen is still open for intrepid backpackers [Explore]
📸 CURRENT CAM: Congratulations to Ron and Dianne who were the first to correctly identify yesterday’s Current Cam as Eaton Lake near Hope (also the location of one of the Fraser Valley’s most unappreciated hikes).
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The Agenda
The proposed plan for Kent’s Hammersley Nature Park, which will be constructed in stages using climate-related funding. 📷 District of Kent
District of Kent to create nature park by pump station
The District of Kent plans to spend up to $40,000 to build a new nature park beside the district’s Hammersley Pump Station this year.
The Hammersley Pump Station is located at the base of Mount Woodside, and includes a two fish-friendly screw pumps to move water out of the Mountain Slough during freshet. The district-owned property surrounding the pump station includes a large tract of undeveloped land that can be accessed from Lougheed Highway.
The district had previously set aside $40,000 in a fund intended to support nature-based projects. The money came from a provincial grant that must be used for climate-related projects. Staff said in the report that they would prefer to do other, more long-term projects, but that they wouldn't be able to get those done before the grant money expires. (The district has until the end of this year to spend $168,000 of its climate grant.)
The district will plant a number of trees near the Hammersley Pump Station to create a low-maintenance park with the $40,000. The goal is to plant large, high carbon-sequestering trees—such as western redcedar, Sitka spruce, bigleaf maple, and black cottonwood) in several areas around the property. As more funding becomes available in future years, staff suggested a small pond, riparian plants, and a trail could be developed on the site.
Staff noted the land is undevelopable because it floods every five years. Council approved the idea at the end of May. Staff said the trees could either be planted by a contractor (simplifying coordination) or district staff could prepare the site and local volunteers could participate in the planting.
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From forest floor to farmers market
Craig Gingras, founder of Sea to Sky Mushrooms, turned a passion for wild foraging into a thriving indoor farm. He’s part of a new generation of B.C. farmers finding creative, sustainable ways to grow food. At farmers markets, he educates customers and proves young farmers can thrive—despite rising challenges. Read more here.
Classifieds
Happy Birthday to my amazing granddaughter Sophia, Love Grandma
Annual FVC members can find a link to submit their annual classified in the weekly FVC Insiders Edition. Become a FVC member here.
🗓 Things to do
Community babysitting: The Matsqui Recreation Centre hosts a kids night out on Friday. Parents can drop off their kids (ages seven to 12) at the recreation centre for a night of pizza, swimming, and games, while the adults can take a date night out. Details and registration online.
Ryder ramble: The Ryder Lake Ramble takes place on Saturday from 10am to 4pm. The self-guided tour gives visitors a chance to check out local farms and some craft vendors. Details online.
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