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On Sept. 26, B.C. Premier David Eby announced that the province will add 100 new beds for involuntary care in Surrey and Prince George. In June 2025, a new involuntary care facility opened in Maple Ridge.

Involuntary care facilities, according to the province, are for people with severe mental health challenges and addictions. They are meant to help reduce crime as well.

According to the province, there are several criteria for admitting someone into involuntary care:

• the person has a mental disorder which requires treatment;

• the disorder seriously impairs their ability to react appropriately to their environment or associate with others;

• they require care, supervision and control in or through a designated facility to prevent their substantial mental or physical deterioration, or for the protection of the person or for the protection of others;

• the person requires treatment in or through a designated facility; and

• they cannot suitably be admitted as a voluntary patient.

Some advocates disagree with the approach and say it causes more harm than good.

What do you think of involuntary care? Should the province expand it? Will it truly help people with severe mental disorders? Or will it make things worse?

– Lubna

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News

Spooktacular events in the Fraser Valley this October

It’s finally here: sweater weather, pumpkins and pumpkin-inspired beverages, cooler days, and longer nights. Of course, October isn’t just the time when leaves change colour and start falling, it’s also the start of the Halloween season, which has grown from a one-day event to a month-long celebration of all things spooky and fun. Here are some ideas to make the most of October in the Fraser Valley! 

Trick or Treat in Abbotsford

On Oct. 25, you can head to the Clayburn Village Church for the Halloween Carnival. Dress in your best spooky outfit, decorate pumpkins, and pick up treats. 

Downtown Abbotsford’s family-friendly Treat Trail may be the best place to collect treats in the city, where there will be free candy, photo booths, and more from 1 pm to 4 pm on Oct. 31. The trail starts at Unit A, 33765 Essendene Avenue. 

Read more here

Related

Need to Know

🥧 A local real estate agent is hosting a Thanksgiving celebration at Aldergrove Legion on October 11, offering free full-size pies to the first 300 attendees along with seasonal refreshments and activities [Langley Advance Times]

🐀 Pest management expenses at a Langley-Surrey border condominium have jumped 800% over four years as mice and rats replace squirrels, forcing the strata to budget $20,000 annually for control efforts [Langley Advance Times]

🏠 Municipal officials eliminated thousands of dollars in municipal fees for a downtown women's recovery facility that will increase treatment capacity by nearly double when renovations complete [Chilliwack Progress]

📮 Postal employees in Mission walked picket lines seeking contract improvements including competitive salaries and enhanced protections as part of a coast-to-coast work stoppage [Mission City Record]

👥 A telecommunications foundation grant will fund after-school programming at a regional youth facility serving dozens of children monthly in Kent and Harrison communities [Agassiz Harrison Observer]

🚛 Authorities arrested an elderly commercial driver on suspicion of operating while impaired after his tractor-trailer veered across Highway 1 barriers and overturned in Abbotsford [Abbotsford News]

💔 A pedestrian who sustained serious injuries in a downtown Chilliwack intersection collision succumbed to her wounds at hospital days after the incident [Chilliwack Progress]

⚠️ Local police are alerting community members about telephone fraudsters posing as authorities to extract emergency funds from worried family members through fabricated legal scenarios [Fraser Valley Today]

🆘 Rescue volunteers recovered a stranded backcountry traveller whose electronic devices failed during poor weather, highlighting the unreliability of technology under heavy forest cover and adverse conditions [Fraser Valley Today]

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The Agenda

Construction starts on 250 rental homes in Township of Langley

The B.C. government announced that construction has started on almost 250 rental homes in the Township of Langley. According to the Township’s official press release about the project, 70% of the homes will be offered at market rates, with 30% offered at below-market rates.

Two sites are included in this project. The first site will be at 20230 72B Ave., adjacent to the Willoughby Fire Hall, and the second site will be at 272nd Street and Fraser Highway, in Aldergrove. The new homes are expected to be complete in the summer of 2027.

“The homes will follow a 70/30 rent model, where 70 per cent of units are offered at market rates and the remaining 30 per cent at 20 per cent below market rent – ensuring homes remain attainable for middle-income households. All tenants will be income tested at move-in, with rental rates aligned to local affordability,” the Township said.

The project is a partnership between the Township, the B.C. government through B.C. Housing and the Township of Langley Housing Trust Society. The province is contributing $14,459,837 in capital funding through BC Builds towards the homes being built at the site near Willoughby Fire Hall and $27,946,372 for the homes in Aldergrove.

“These homes are for the people who keep our communities running – teachers, tradespeople, health-care workers and others, so they have a place to live close to their jobs, communities and loved ones,” said Christine Boyle, minister of housing and municipal affairs. “We’re working together with municipalities to build homes people need, and we’re doing it faster than ever.”

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🗓 Things to do

Youth Night Program: Abbotsford's non-competitive recreation program for ages 12-16 runs Tuesday evenings October 7 - December 2 and Thursday evenings October 9 - November 27 from 7:00-8:30 PM, featuring activities like bowling, rock climbing, and mini golf for $50 per session.

Paint n' Sip Fall Pumpkin Workshop: The Clay Cottage leads a ceramic pumpkin painting class on October 8 from 6:30-8:30 PM at 125-1828 McCallum Road in Abbotsford, with wine pairings, snacks, and glazing service included for $45 plus GST.

Dracula: The Chilliwack Cultural Centre presents a dark theatrical adaptation of Bram Stoker's classic from October 8-19 at 9201 Corbould St, with evening performances at 7:30 PM and matinees at 2:00 PM featuring strobe effects and mature themes.

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