Tuesday - March 11, 2025 - Development comes to north-side neighbourhoods

🌧 High #5C

Good morning!

Can paying for journalism be an act of international resistance? Well, it is for at least one of our newest Insider Members.

On Sunday, we got a great email from a new member named Laurel, who having first heard about FVC from a journalist friend in Port Angeles, said she found it an interesting way to learn about the differences and similarities between her region and ours.

She continued: “I was content with the free FVC version until the recent insulting actions of my country’s administration. I and most of those I know are deeply ashamed and embarrassed at the terrible way you, our neighbors to the north, have been treated. I wanted to find a way to show my support for the great nation of Canada, and it seems to me that becoming a member of FVC is a perfect way to do that. In a way it’s a two-fer: it also enables me to support local journalism, which in my view is vital to free speech and civic health.”

Well… how about that, eh? Obviously it makes us feel good and helps support us. But it is also a very nice reminder of how many normal, real Americans perceive their country’s shifting rhetoric toward Canada. So thanks again Laurel. If any other Americans (or Canadians) want to follow suit and become a member, you can do so here. And although I don’t exactly expect a flood of far-off people to support a very local publication, hopefully we can all find ways to build new bonds between our countries, even as old ones seem to fray.

– Tyler

Keep local journalism alive by supporting The Current. Become a Current Insider member today and help bring local stories to life.

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

Fraser Valley home prices—February 2025

After a relatively strong February, home prices in the Fraser Valley continue to yo-yo, with increasing evidence that more people are looking to sell than buy.

Today we have our monthly look at home prices in the Fraser Valley. They now include tables with raw data so you can easily see the monthly benchmark prices for each community.

Related

Need to Know

❓ The future of Hudson’s Bay stores in Langley and elsewhere is uncertain after the chain filed for creditor protection [Langley Advance Times]

🤼‍♂️ An Abbotsford wrestler was named BC’s top high school male athlete [Abbotsford News]

🍺 All American alcohol has been removed from the shelves of BC Liquor stores amid ongoing US tariff threats [CityNews]

🔥 The manager of a Chilliwack apartment building hailed firefighters as ‘heroes’ for their quick response to a blaze [Chilliwack Progress]

📉 Rents in Canada have now dropped to an 18-month low [Global] / Langley saw BC’s largest month-over-month decline [Rentals.ca]

🗳 A young farmer won the federal Conservative Party nomination in the Abbotsford-South Langley riding [Langley Advance Times]

🚑 A Mission teen who was hit by a car while riding a scooter was hospitalized [Mission Record]

🥽 An Abbotsford resident who was charged $16 to use Vernon’s pool says entry fees based on where a user lives create resentment [Abbotsford News]

🚒 Langley City and its firefighters union are in mediation to agree upon a new contract [Langley Advance Times]

👉 Two Abbotsford school trustees were censured for online statements regarding trans athletes; one apologized [Abbotsford News]

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The Agenda

Multi-family projects plotted for Chilliwack’s north side

Two proposed developments on the north side of Chilliwack hint at future growth in neighbourhoods that have so far seen relatively little change over the past decade.

Today, Chilliwack council will consider a plan to build a 15-unit townhome complex at the corner of Ashwell Road and Bernard Avenue. The project would replace an existing single-family home that occupies the corner lot at the relatively busy intersection. The site would be accessed off of Bernard and the project would include a small playground for kids. Staff have recommended council support the project, which aligns with existing zoning and just needs a development permit. You can see the staff report and developers’ plans here.

Council will also consider an application to build a four-storey, 78-unit apartment building on Woodbine Street, just to the east of downtown. The developer is looking for several small alterations to development guidelines to be able to proceed. Staff have recommended a permit be issued. You can see the full plans here.

Both projects are in older neighbourhoods that have seen occasional, but relatively sparse redevelopment projects. Although townhouse projects on single-family lots are relatively common across the city, few have been built in Ashwell Road area. Such projects are more common to the east, around Woodbine. But that area hasn’t yet seen many new apartment buildings constructed.

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