Tuesday - June 3, 2025 - Opposition puts Popkum development in question

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How one makes journalism financially sustainable is a key question for anyone who thinks a free press is an important part of our society, democracy, and culture. But beyond the pure finances, our sector faces another massive, less-appreciated challenge: how do you convince journalists to stay journalists?

Our entire industry has seen an exodus of talented reporters over the last two decades. But many people still don’t really recognize how bad journalism’s talent crunch is. Although layoffs have forced some great reporters out of the sector, more have left on their own accord. Believe it or not, it’s easier to get a job at a prominent media outlet than it was 20 years ago.

Middling pay isn’t the biggest culprit. (This job has never paid great.) The larger challenge is that, in most newsrooms, being a reporter is less fun and fulfilling than it once was. And the job brings more and more points of friction. This includes abuse on social media, the twisting of facts by bad-faith politicians, and the time-sucking nature of various technology-related tasks. Yesterday morning, for instance, I spent an hour trying to log in to the website I run.

The fact that The Current is still going comes down to you, the readers. I’ve previously written how the financial support of readers has been critical to keep The Current going. But just as important—maybe more, to be honest—has been readers’ goodwill, good humour, and encouragement. We don’t get abuse. We just mainly get friendly emails from familiar faces. In the grand scheme of things, this job isn’t that hard. But when I do want to hurl my computer into the wall and apply for a job at the local grocery store, it’s the support of readers that keeps me writing. So thank you for that.

– Tyler

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News

Boston Bar landslide investigation gets funding

A historic landslide looming above Boston Bar will get a closer look, but the local government isn’t allowed to say anything yet about funding for a new study into the recently discovered threat.

In February, The Current broke the news that engineers were worried about unstable land above Boston Bar. Now, the province has quickly greenlit a new study into the local landslide threat.

• Today, Tyler writes about the study—and why the Fraser Valley Regional District can’t say anything about it yet.

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Need to Know

❓ A BC government policy suggests Chilliwack River Valley property owners whose homes have been deemed worthless could qualify for funding they have been denied [Vancouver Sun]

🍁 Chilliwack’s Canada Day celebrations will include a drone show at Exhibition Field [City of Chilliwack]

👉 Fraser Valley MP Brad Vis asked in the House of Commons when Abbotsford will receive better flood protections, but a Liberal MP gave only a vague response [Brad Vis/X]

🗳 Langley Township has increased the number of dogs residents are allowed to keep on their properties [Langley Advance Times]

❌ Spuzzum First Nation has removed its chief, James Hobart, after he pleaded guilty to assault and missed several meetings [Hope Standard]

🚔 A group of Abbotsford teenagers made-off with a parent’s vehicle, took it on a joy ride, and crashed it into a FedEx truck [CityNews]

🚔 A man has been charged with assault after a person was injured and hospitalized Sunday morning [CTV]

🚫 A Chilliwack restaurant will be closed after its Luckakuck Way property was sold for $5 million [Fraser Valley Today]

🖼️ Chilliwack Mural Festival has announced the lineup of performers for the free street party in Downtown Chilliwack on August 15 and 16. Musicians include Mark Ledlin, BAWAH, Black Pontiac, the della kit, and more.*

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The Agenda

Resident oppositions put Popkum development plans in jeopardy

The would-be builders of a large subdivision in Popkum have been told to scale back their plans to construct hundreds of homes in the rural community.

Norah Properties applied to build 265 homes, along with an RV storage facility, on a set of Yale Road properties just outside Chilliwack’s city limits. The developer hoped to build 99 townhomes and 83 single-family homes with secondary units. The land is just west of the Highway 11/Yale Road roundabout and located in the Fraser Valley Regional District’s Electoral Area D. To proceed, the subdivision would require significant adjustments to the FVRD’s official community plan for the area.

Locals, though, say the project is too big for the area, which has already seen considerable growth in recent years. The FVRD held a public information meeting in April attended by around 100 residents, many of whom expressed concern about the project’s scale and potential impact on local infrastructure.

The FVRD’s board of directors voted on May 22 to direct staff to ask the developer to revise its application to respond to residents’ concerns. Staff suggested the developer reduce the number of homes planned for the site.

If the project’s density isn’t reduced, FVRD staff wrote that the proposal isn’t likely to be approved. Staff wrote that the developer’s initial response to the public information meetings “did not indicate a willingness to reduce the proposed density, despite clear community opposition.”

If the developer amends its plans, FVRD staff say another community information meeting will be held to gauge the public’s reaction.

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