Wednesday - June 18, 2025 - Pedestrian upgrades for rural Langley

🌩 High 19C

Good morning!

I have been employed by The Current for four years, one month, and 29 days. I have written more than 270 feature stories, plus countless event briefs, agenda items, and newsletter introductions. I have loved writing about the Fraser Valley and working at The Current more than I can say.

And now, it is time for me to go.

Don’t worry—I’m not leaving right this second. You still have two more weeks of me, including the one-year-anniversary edition of the FVC History Edition. I have a handful of important stories I need to write. And even after my time at The Current is finished, you’ll still likely see me around. (I do have my book, Canada’s Endangered Animals, that I will be feverishly promoting before it comes out next year.)

As Tyler said earlier this month, you guys are what makes working at the Fraser Valley Current so special. We consistently receive kind messages, great story tips, and moral support when we need it most. Thanks to all of you for making the Fraser Valley such a great place to be a journalist.

– Grace

The Fraser Valley Current is an Overstory Media publication. Click here to subscribe to our sister publication, the Georgia Straight.

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

Can kids understand ownership?

Two pairs of childish hands pull at the toy truck. “That’s my truck!” “No, that’s my truck!”

It passes between them several times before finally ending up in one child’s lap. The victor begins playing. The loser runs off to sob in their parent’s lap.

Watching the tussle, you may shake your head and think, “They just don’t know any better.”

But is that really the case?

UFV psychologist Madison Pesowski isn’t so sure.

“When you walk into a toddler’s room, and one kid's fighting another kid because he wants the toy, maybe it's not about a lack of understanding of ownership,” Pesowski said. Instead, she believes there may be limitations to how kids can act on their complex understanding of yours, mine, and ours.

“There was a meme going around about toddler property rules: if it's in my hand, it's mine. If I like it, it's mine. If I need it, it's also mine,” she said. “But … two-year-olds actually expect people to be upset when their property is taken by other people without permission or if it's lost, suggesting that they actually understand the consequences of what happens to owners when property rights are violated.”

Now, Pesowski is undertaking new research with kids in the Fraser Valley to figure out exactly how kids learn about property rules, and how sophisticated their understanding really is.

• Today, Grace shares what Pesowski is hoping to discover in her research around kids and concepts of ownership, and what she has already learned.

Related

Need to Know

🗳 A Langley Township by-election to replace former councillor and current MLA Misty Van Popta will likely take place this fall [Langley Advance Times]

🥾 Three of the five Othello Tunnels will be open this summer, with the whole provincial park expected to reopen next spring [Hope Standard] / The Current reported that re-opening Othello Tunnels after the 2021 atmospheric river would be a multi-year process [FVC]

⚖ A 43-year-old man has been charged more than a year after a two-vehicle crash killed former Abbotsford school trustee Phil Anderson [Abbotsford News]

🔥 The BC Wildfire Service was dispatched to a small fire just north of Harrison Mills Tuesday [Agassiz Harrison Observer]

🏠 Abbotsford’s first independent homelessness count found 465 people in the city were without homes [Abbotsford News]

🚒 A van caught fire in Langley’s Willowbrook Mall parking lot Monday [Langley Advance Times]

💬 UBC researchers found that Indigenous language revitalization can reduce suicide risk, improve educational outcomes, and increase social connection [CTV]

🎤 The Harrison Festival of the Arts is back this summer in Harrison Hot Springs. Packed with music and art from around the world!*

🪕 Don’t miss the Mission Folk Music Festival, July 25-27 in Fraser River Heritage Park. Early Bird Day, Evening, Weekend and Weekend+Camping discounts end June 30!*

*Sponsored Listing

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.

SPONSORED BY YOU

Your ad can be here

Advertising in The Current is easier than ever and supports our journalism. Just shoot us an email to learn how you can advertise.

The Agenda

Langley plans pedestrian upgrades for Salmon River area

The Township of Langley may spend nearly half a million dollars on short- and long-term upgrades to pedestrian infrastructure in a rural Langley neighbourhood near the Salmon River.

The Salmon River Uplands includes several schools, including DW Poppy and North Otter Elementary. In September of last year, council asked staff to review pedestrian and active transportation infrastructure in the area. The review found significant issues for pedestrians and cyclists along 56 Avenue, which is winding, with narrow sidewalks and steep hills. Although some upgrades had been considered for pedestrians in 2015 and again in 2021, the high cost of construction meant the township never pursued them.

Township staff have now suggested $475,000-worth of short- and long-term improvements that will be considered during the 2026 budget process. If they are approved, short-term improvements would begin that year.

In the short-term, council will spend $25,000 to improve the traffic signal on 248 Street and 56 Avenue, as well as incorporate rumble strips on the centre and edge lines of 56 Avenue in places where the road curves.

Long-term improvements would include adding better active transportation infrastructure, like sidewalks in high traffic areas or widening the Salmon River bridge to include sidewalks, as well as installing street lighting and adding crosswalks. (Staff suggested that design process begin in 2026 alongside the short-term improvements.)

If council approves the improvements, the township would also assess the stability of the Salmon River bridge. Although council may budget for the assessments, the cost of actually fixing the crossing could cost millions. Staff say they would be able to provide a more detailed estimate when the design work is finished.

Staff also considered potentially spending $235,000 to add a signalized crosswalk at 56 Avenue and 250 Street, but concluded a crosswalk was “not justified at this location” because there were enough gaps in traffic for people to cross.

Share

You can share this newsletter by forwarding it or by copy and pasting this link—https://fvcurrent.com/p/june-18-2025/—into a social media post.

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!

📸 Current (Satellite) Cam

Can you find the location depicted in this satellite image? You can use Google here, if you need help. If you find the location, copy the URL and paste it into the form here. Or just tell us the location in your own words. We’ll share the location in tomorrow’s newsletter.

Classifieds

• Garage Sale 63a Ave Surrey. Sat. June 21 & 28

• Online Auction & 50/50 Raffle Supporting Community Programs at Archway

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

Car show: Downtown Chilliwack hosts its 20th annual classic car show on Sunday. Check out more than 500 vehicles. Details online.

Indigenous celebration: Sq'éwqel (Seabird Island) First Nation hosts an Indigenous Peoples Day Celebration Saturday, featuring dancing, dreamcatcher-making, weaving, and more at Mill Hall on Sqewqel Drive. The event runs 11am to 3pm, with a traditional lunch at noon. Details online.

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

Catch up

That’s it!

Thanks for reading Fraser Valley Current today ♥️ 

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