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Good morning,

Hockey is coming back to Chilliwack. Fifteen years after the Bruins left town, the city is getting a new WHL team, and it already has a head coach in Jeremy Colliton. There’s no team name or roster yet, but the games will be at the Chilliwack Coliseum starting in the 2027-28 season.

Also in today’s Current, you’ll find a quick rundown of the weekend’s news. And since the holiday season is creeping in, there are a few events to plan around, including a Christmas market in Abbotsford, pet photos with Santa in Chilliwack, and Fog Fest in Hope.

– Emily

P.S. Know of an event or story we should feature? Send it my way at [email protected].

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Fifteen years after the Western Hockey League (WHL) left Chilliwack, the city is set to rejoin with a new team, backed by NHL veterans and business leaders.

Starting in the 2027-28 season, the team will play home games at Chilliwack Coliseum. The arena is already WHL-ready and has been approved for "substantial upgrades" ahead of the team's first season.

It will be the first time Chilliwack has had a WHL team since 2011, when the Chilliwack Bruins relocated to become the Victoria Royals after five years in the Fraser Valley.

The team doesn't have a name or any players yet, but it does have its head coach: Jeremy Colliton.

Keep reading»

🐔 B.C.’s first avian influenza detection of the season was confirmed in a commercial poultry flock in Chilliwack on November 6, according to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. [Chilliwack Progress]

🏠 Langley’s asking rents continued to slide, with the city now the 19th most expensive place to rent in Canada, while Vancouver and Toronto saw their first annual rent increases in more than two and a half years. [Langley Advance Times]

🏒 Five former Abbotsford Canucks, including Jonathan Lekkerimäki and Tom Willander, are trying to establish themselves in Vancouver under head coach Manny Malhotra, who coached the Abbotsford team to its 2025 Calder Cup. [The Hockey News Network]

🎓 UFV’s School of Education is holding an open house at its Mission campus on November 12 from 5 to 7 p.m. [UFV]

🌶️ Hope’s first chili cook-off is set for November 28 as part of Fog Fest, with the District of Hope Fire Department among the competitors and the public invited to taste and vote. [Hope Standard]

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St. Ann’s Christmas Market: St. Ann’s Roman Catholic Church in Abbotsford hosts its Christmas market on November 13 and 14, with vendors, pies, raffle baskets, a 50/50 draw, and baking, plus a Friday night dinner and a Saturday breakfast and lunch served by the Knights of Columbus.

SPCA Pet Photos with Santa: Chilliwack BCSPCA volunteers set up Santa at Minter Country Garden on November 14, with photos by donation.

Fog Fest: Hope’s misty festival returns November 20 to December 6 with three themed weekends: Romance in the Mist, Girls Gone Foggy, and The Foggy Little Christmas.

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