Monday - Dec. 4, 2023 - What's up in December?

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Good morning!

I helped my sister and my friend decorate their apartment for Christmas last week. We made little garlands out of homemade pompoms (it involves wrapping lots of yarn around a fork). I’ve since learned that it’s a little bit hard to have fun making art with someone whose day job is teaching first grade. I thought the pompoms I made had a cool, modern, avant-garde look. She pointed out that pompoms should usually be round.

We chose colours that we thought would be nice and festive for the pompoms: red and white. It was only after we hung up the garland we realized it looked more like we were celebrating Canada Day than Christmas.

– Grace

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NEWS

Lights, ice, and Santa parades: What’s up in December

Kids dig mittens and toques out of drawers. Parents tug big parkas from closets and foist them on grouchy teenagers. Scarves are spun stylishly around bare necks and tucked into wool jackets.

December dawns cold and rainy in the Fraser Valley. But its residents aren’t the only ones dressing up warm for the coming month. The valley itself is getting dressed up, too, but instead of scarves and gloves, its buildings are festooned with ribbons and lights—and its calendar bedecked with the baubles of festive December events. 

• Today, Grace writes about December’s best events.

Related

Need to Know

🚑 A crash between a truck and a train sent one person to hospital [Global]

🚓 Impaired driving checks were set up at every Highway 1 exit between North Vancouver and Hope [CBC]

⚽ Abbotsford’s Sophie Schmidt is playing her final game tomorrow for the national women’s soccer team alongside Christine Sinclair [Sportsnet]

📰 A century ago, the budget to dam the Sumas River was set; the cost would be $667,600 [Abbotsford News]

🚨 A pedestrian was struck and seriously injured Friday morning in Abbotsford [Abbotsford News]

🏒 BC Hockey has threatened minor hockey teams in Chilliwack and Langley with ‘serious penalties’ if they take part in any activities with their local BCHL clubs [Chilliwack Progress]

🌲 The District of Hope has hired a new ‘systems analyst and communications advisor’ [Hope Standard]

❄ Snow is expected to turn to heavy rain on the Coquihalla today [Castanet]

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The Agenda

New SkyTrain station names announced in Langley

Eight SkyTrain stations on the new route to Langley now have official names. 

The monikers were announced on Friday in Langley, and were lauded as one more step closer to the line’s construction, scheduled to begin in 2024. The stations, which will line the Fraser Highway, will be named after their cross streets and nearby neighbourhoods.

In order, from west to east, the stations will be:

• Green Timbers Station (140 Street and Fraser Highway)

• 152 Street Station (152 Street and Fraser Highway)

• Fleetwood Station (160 Street and Fraser Highway)

• Bakerview-166 Street Station (166 Street and Fraser Highway)

• Hillcrest-184 Street Station (184 Street and Fraser Highway)

• Clayton Station (190 Street and Fraser Highway)

• Willowbrook Station (196 Street and Fraser Highway) 

• Langley City Centre Station (203 Street and Fraser Highway)

• The 16-km expansion of the line will end in Langley and, eventually, carry passengers from the suburban city to Vancouver in just over an hour.

Officials currently expect service to begin in late 2028.

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🗓 Things to do

🎻 Festive performance: Resident companies and feature ensembles at the Chilliwack Cultural Centre will come together for a holiday show, Winter Fantasia, on Monday, Dec. 4. Details online. 

🥁 Christmas show: Buddy’s Holly Jolly Christmas show will be on stage at the Chilliwack Cultural Centre on Tuesday, Dec. 5 and at the Clark Theatre in Mission on Monday, Dec. 4.

🕊️ Celebrating peace: Abbotsford’s Spiritual Path to Awakening will celebrate 100 Tuesdays of Peace at the Abbotsford International Friendship Garden on Tuesday, Dec. 5. Details online.

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Catch up

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