Wednesday, May 17, 2023 - Building with (local) bamboo

Wednesday, May 17, 2023 | Today: 🌤 High 29C, Low 14C | Forecast 

Good morning!

With the increasing concern about wildfires, floods, and heat waves there have been recurring messages from the province asking residents to be prepared. There was a time when emergency preparedness messaging seemed to be usually only reserved for earthquakes like the annual Shake Out campaign. But all of this got me thinking about whether the frequency of messages has encouraged more people to prepare. So let us know in today’s poll whether you have always had an emergency kit and plan in place or if the recent rise in reminders has prompted you to do so.

Thanks to our newest members Joanne and Linda for supporting The Current. Learn how you can become an Insider here.

NEWS

Bamboo-for-building facility planned near Hope

A Vancouver-based researcher wants to use a rural Fraser Valley property to grow grass not for feed or lawns, but for construction. Bamboo, though, is not your ordinary BC grass.

But before Sol Rodriguez can build one of the country’s first bamboo-to-board facilities, he’ll need to persuade the overseers of BC’s farmland that his idea is good for BC agriculture.

• Today, Tyler writes about a unique plan to plant, harvest, and process bamboo for construction—and why some believe bamboo could help solve two major global crises.

Need to know

💨 The FVRD cancelled the air quality advisory for the central and eastern Fraser Valley [FraserValleyRD/Twitter]

💨 Hazy conditions are expected in Metro Vancouver Wednesday due to wildfires, watch here for updates [Metro Vancouver/Twitter]; or you can check this interactive smoke forecast map [Firesmoke.ca]

🔥 A wildfire broke out in the Chilliwack River Valley but was quickly brought under control after burning about two hectares; A wildfire north of Mission is still classified out of control [BCWS]

🦟 A mosquito contractor will be treating Langley’s Brae Island area Wednesday morning [Langley Township]

👮🏻 RCMP issued 11 tickets in less than two hours to drivers in Aldergrove [Aldergrove Star]

🚐 Fraser Valley transit workers are accusing their employer of prolonging the strike by negotiating with their union in bad faith [CBC] / We wrote about this in last Friday’s newsletter [FVC]

🗓 The RCMP is hosting two community meetings over the next week in Chilliwack to shape future policing priorities [Chilliwack Progress]

🎰 To support people addicted to gambling, BC casinos will require people to show government ID beginning this summer [CTV]

⚖️ The man who allegedly held people hostage in a Chilliwack bank last month was released on bail [Chilliwack Progress]

☎️ Calls to 9-1-1 have risen dramatically during the ongoing heat wave [CTV]; The Current recently reported how E-Comm is struggling to keep up with call volumes, read that story here [FVC]

⚖️ An Abbotsford man who held an individual down on a train track while a rail car approached last year plead guilty in court [Abbotsford News]

🎧 An Abbotsford teen created a podcast about the post-traumatic stress kids face following the 2021 floods; listen to the podcast here [Abbotsford News]

🚒 A fire caused extensive damage to a Chinese restaurant in Chilliwack [Fraser Valley Today]

🛍️ M&M Food Market is undertaking an aggressive coast-to-coast expansion, wanting you to grow alongside with them. Learn more about opening a franchise in Abbotsford or Mission.*

⛰️ Whistler is more than just a winter destination. Hike, bike, ski, and more at Whistler’s famously scenic multi-sport playground this spring. Learn more.*

*Sponsored Listing

The Agenda

Mosquito 101

Not all mosquitoes are the same.

That was the messaging from Morrow BioScience Ltd (the contractor used by the Fraser Valley Regional District and Metro Vancouver) during an information session in Fort Langley last week. Dirk Lewis spoke to a crowd about the biology of mosquitoes and how to control the insect population.

“There’s nothing effective that kills the adult mosquitoes without killing everything else in the environment,” he said. Instead of targeting adult mosquitoes, the company seeks to stop their eggs from hatching by applying a larvicide they say is harmless to non-mosquitoes.

Last year, the most problematic areas in the Langley Township were in Fort Langley and Walnut Grove, Dirk told The Current in an email. Nearly three-quarters of all mosquito complaints in the Metro Vancouver Regional District came from those areas.

The presentation was organized in response to last year’s particularly problematic mosquito season. You can watch Dirk’s presentation, where he provides tips on personal protection and answers questions from the public.

Fraser to rise, but expected to remain below flood levels

The latest river forecast for the Fraser River expects the water to rise significantly over the coming days. As of Monday afternoon, the water is expected to peak during the upcoming long weekend. You can check the latest forecast here.

While water levels are expected to be higher than the normal river peak, they aren’t expected to approach heights likely to trigger a significant flood.

A high streamflow advisory has been issued warning people to stay clear of potentially unstable riverbanks. Such advisories are common and mean no major flooding is expected.

🤝 Now hiring

• Veterinary assistant/receptionist at Langley Animal Clinic

• Letter carrier in Abbotsford at Canada Post

• General manager in Chilliwack at Fortitude Wine Bar

• Teacher on call at Mission Public Schools

• Lakeside Cafe host at Harrison Hot Springs Resort

Hiring in the Fraser Valley? Reply back and let us know!

📸 Current Cam

Each week we showcase a different photo from across the valley and invite readers to share their best guesses about where it was taken.

Any guesses as to where this week’s Current Cam was taken? Fill out this form with your best guess—or with a picture we can use in a future edition.

Things to do

🛶 Paddle the Slough Challenge: Friends of the Camp/Hope Sloughs are hosting their 2023 Paddle the Slough Challenge beginning Friday until June 18. Participants are encouraged to travel the sloughs, snap pictures or take video, and enter them for a chance to win prizes. Maps will be provided. Register online.

🎨 Design submissions: The City of Langley is accepting design submissions from emerging or established artists for street banners that will go up this fall. Deadline for submission is Friday. Details online. 

🖼 Art show: The Agassiz-Harrison Historical Society is hosting an art show and sale for Bulgarian artist Jordanka Yaretz until Friday. Details online. 

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