March 7, 2023: Fraser Valley Current newsletter

Tuesday, March 7, 2023 | Today: 🌤 High 8C, Low -2C | 7-day forecast

Good morning, there!

You might notice this newsletter looks a little different. That’s because we have started using a different program. Hopefully, you’ll barely notice the transition. (We will conveniently blame any problems the next little bit on technology and not, you know, the humans using the technology.) In the long-term, we hope this transition saves us a bit of time on cumbersome lay-out jobs while setting us up to better connect with readers—especially the most engaged of you. But right now, as I write this at midnight after adding the outcome (none!) of Monday’s marathon public hearing in Abbotsford, I just hope it gets to you tomorrow morning!

In the meantime, this is a decent time to remind you: if sometimes these emails end up in your trash, junk, or promotions folder, a good way to avoid that is to drag the email into your main inbox folder and/or add us to your contacts. Or just keep opening it every day. That helps too.

Today, though, tell us what you think about our layout and design. Is something useful? Is something annoying? Be nice, but your feedback helps! Thanks.

NEWS

End of the line for a century-old Masonic lodge?

One of Abbotsford’s oldest buildings could be headed for demolition.

One hundred eleven years ago, dozens of freemasons donned suits and masonry regalia, including skirt-like aprons, and gathered in a vacant lot in the centre of town. They had assembled to witness the laying of a cornerstone for the Masons’ new lodge (and to pose for the photo commemorating the event).

Over the next couple years, the Abbottsford Lodge (the town’s spelling had an extra T at the time), would welcome doctors, engineers, farmers, electricians, railroad workers, labourers and others. The lodge was their home, the site of funerals, weddings, celebrations, and dances. And though freemasonry declined in popularity through the latter half of the 20th century, the building remains standing today.

But maybe not for long.

Today, Tyler writes about the lodge’s history and plans to redevelop its property. He also reports on two other Gladys Avenue properties that may see changes in the coming years—and one developer’s promise to set up a unique car share for its strata dwellers.

Need to know

🏒 Langley Mounties are investigating after a referee was allegedly hit by a former NHL player [Global]

👍 A huge crowd of around 7,000 people took in Mission’s Shine Bright event Friday night [City of Mission]

🎾 A Langley tennis centre sponsored a Ukrainian teen and his family to enable them to come to Canada [CBC]

✈ Swoop airline announced new flights from Abbotsford to Puerto Vallarta and Los Cobos in Mexico; you can also fly to London (Ontario, not England, sorry) for under $50 [Daily Hive]

📚 History: Deroche’s first post office opened in 1891 in the home of Ernest Derochers, who raised livestock and then used his horses to build local roads [Mission Community Archives]

👉 A man who killed his girlfriend and dumped her body near Mission has applied for refugee status in New Zealand [CBC]

🚓 Abbotsford police are discouraging young people from sharing nude photos online [Global] ; The provincial government introduced a new law to protect people from intimate images being shared without consent [BC Government]

💰 An Abbotsford woman won $1 million in the lottery [Abbotsford News]

⚖ The trial of an accused Chilliwack drug dealer began Monday, with testimony focusing on a stolen chainsaw [Chilliwack Progress]

📃 A diary with an account of the 1858 Fraser gold rush is up for auction [Vancouver Sun]

🏚 The province wants to seize the home and vehicle of a Chilliwack man who allegedly sold drugs to two people who died on the same day [Chilliwack Progress]

👀 Harrison Hot Springs is looking to spend up to $20,000 to hold council meetings in the village office and make it more accommodating but many residents are not happy [Agassiz-Harrison Observer]

🦙 Kensington Prairie Farm is a family-run Alpaca Farm in Langley BC, dedicated to educating the public on fibre and farming. To learn more, visit KensingtonPrairie.ca.*

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The Agenda

No decision yet on McKee Peak plan after marathon public hearing

After dozens of speakers and more than four hours of public comments, Abbotsford council refrained from making a decision Monday on its controversial McKee Peak Neighbourhood Plan.

The plan aims to lay out the blueprint for the development of a huge swath of mostly forested land around Ledgeview Golf Course. The plan sets the stage for new homes that could accommodate more than 10,000 people living in the area. But the hillsides are home to a sprawling network of trails that are some of the most popular in the province and while planners say it would aim to embrace those amenities, recreational groups have said they are worried that development would cut off their use.

Some of those worries seem to have been eased, with the Fraser Valley Mountain Bike Association giving the plan’s intentions a cautious endorsement, while calling for the creation of an endowment fund to develop future trails.

But environmental groups like the Fraser Valley Conservancy have continued to warn that the plan would result in the loss of large tracts of animal habitat.

A public hearing for the plan took place last night and lasted more than four hours—the longest such hearing in years. At the conclusion, Mayor Ross Siemens said council would process the feedback and vote on the plan in three weeks, at its March 27 meeting. The public hearing can be viewed here.

Bars, gates, and grills: downtown Chilliwack businesses may be able to use uglier-but-more-secure window coverings

Businesses in downtown Chilliwack may soon be able to put bigger, better bars on their windows and doors.

Proposed changes to Chilliwack’s community plan will allow external security window shutters and guidelines for fixed gates, grills, and bars. (It will encourage better-looking transparent options first.) The new rules would also allow awnings and canopies on businesses in the urban area and downtown core.

The suggested changes comes after three years of on-and-off consultation. Originally, there was little support from both council committees and Chilliwack’s downtown businesses for allowing often-ugly security shutters.

The question of security vs. aesthetics in window coverings first came to council in 2019. But when city staff revisited the question last year they found a variety of opinions remained and reopened the discussion. The revised rules would prioritize transparency (see-through window security measures) while “allowing flexibility for business owners to secure their property.”

The business association was okay with allowing external shutters but encouraged the installation of shatterproof glass instead—noting that the transparent, prettier option is about half the price of a gate.

The proposal will go to a public hearing this evening.

Around town

🗓️ THIS WEEK

🍝 The Mt. Lehman Community Association hosts its 13th annual spaghetti dinner March 10 from 6 to 8pm. Cash only, details online.

👉 Magician Chris Funk performs at the Chilliwack Cultural Centre on March 10. Tickets online.

🗓️ COMING UP

🍀 Pat Chessel will play a Mission Coffee House Concert at the Clark Theatre on March 18. Tickets are available at the door.

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

Catch up

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