Thursday - Nov. 9, 2023 - The state of the prairie

🌦️ High 10C

Good morning!

I asked you guys last week what I should do when my parents come to town. Thank you for all the great responses! There were lots of good ideas, and I’ve now got a decent idea of the itinerary (it includes the Lynn Canyon Suspension Bridge). Also, thank you to everyone who reminded me that there were definitely hockey games going on. There’s a chance I had only checked Vancouver Canucks schedule before I asked.

– Grace

Traffic & Weather

🌤 Local forecast: Langley | Chilliwack | Abbotsford | Hope

🚘 Driving today? Check the current traffic situation via Google, and find DriveBC’s latest updates.

🛣 Click here for links to road cameras across the Fraser Valley, including those for the Coquihalla, Highway 7, Hope-Princeton, Fraser Canyon, and Highway 1 in Langley and Abbotsford.

NEWS

The state of the prairie, two years later

Through a combination of temporary and small-scale improvements and better awareness of the danger posed by the Nooksack, Sumas Prairie is better protected from flooding today than in 2021.

At the same time, the area remains incredibly vulnerable and the improvements made so far have been modest and incremental.

Those two, somewhat contradictory, facts are acknowledged by local officials and governmental leaders. Over the last two years, Abbotsford has done much of the short-term, small-scale work that is possible in a couple years with limited budgets.

But true protection will take billions of dollars and help from all levels of government.

It will require residents and owners of some land on Sumas Prairie to reconsider their future. The floodways mapped out by the City of Abbotsford would likely result in limits being placed on building activity within their borders. Existing structures could remain, but new builds could be limited or—if done like in the United States—be required to be constructed on raised ground or platforms.

The future also requires rethinking how humans co-exist with floodwaters.

• On Tuesday, we looked at the reasons Sumas Prairie is more prepared for a Nooksack River flood than in 2021.

• Yesterday, we examined the massive vulnerabilities that remain.

• Today, we consider the implications of a changing climate and the political obstacles to safeguarding the prairie.

This work would not be possible without the support of The Current’s Insider members. Insider Members can read the three stories as a single comprehensive piece. Just check your last two newsletters for the member-specific link. You can become a member for just $2/week. New members will find the link in your welcome email.

Next week we will look at other places that were affected by 2021’s atmospheric rivers, including Hope, Clayburn Village, and the Fraser Canyon.

Related

Need to Know

🐔 Avian flu is on the rise in commercial flocks in the Fraser Valley [Global News]

📔 A Langley family rediscovered their grandfather’s diary from World War 2 [Langley Advance Times]

➡️ The City of Mission voted to censure Councillor Ken Herar; Herar filed a civil suit over a code of conduct complaint in September [City of Mission; Mission Record]

👉️ Peer support workers are connecting with substance users in a new pilot program at Chilliwack General Hospital [Chilliwack Progress]

🐱 Fraser Valley fur farmers are suing the provincial government for its ban on mink farming [Langley Advance Times]

🚘️ A fallen light pole disrupted traffic on the Agassiz-Rosedale bridge yesterday morning [Agassiz-Harrison Observer]

👮‍♂️ Abbotsford police arrested a man with a knife and an imitation gun [Abbotsford News]

🧥 Two Langley organizations are collecting warm blankets and clothing for charity [Langley Advance Times]

🏫 Longstanding plans to redevelop Cheam View United Church in Chilliwack into an Indigenous housing project is finally moving forward [Fraser Valley Today] / We wrote about the plans more than two years ago [FVC]

⛪️ Chilliwack’s oldest church is celebrating its 150th birthday [Chilliwack Progress]

➡️ Abbotsford is planning a workshop on emergency engagement for local businesses [Abbotsford News]

The Agenda

Mission approves body armour for firefighters

Mission council gave the green light Monday to its fire department to buy body armour for its firefighters.

The city’s fire department had requested the body armour in the wake of a series of threatening incidents, including a reported attempted axe attack on a firefighter responding to a call and a recent standoff. The Current wrote about the request on Monday.

Fire chief Mark Goddard told council Monday that the body armour would be generally worn if and when firefighters respond to “high-risk” medical calls.

Mayor Paul Horn said that while he wasn’t convinced the armour would help in close-quarter medical calls, he added the usefulness of armour was revealed in a recent standoff in which a man set a fire then barricaded himself in a nearby home.

“The idea they had to stand by and watch that unfold was tragic.”

SPONSORED BY ABBOTSFORD TECH DISTRICT

Tech District bringing housing, education, and jobs

People are feeling the affordability pinch.

An upcoming Official Community Plan amendment will enable Abbotsford Tech District to deliver affordable housing for young people and families in a complete community with high-quality education and well-paying jobs - and it will build up not out to preserve Sumas Mountain nature and trails.

🗓 Things to do this week/end

💡 Diwali: The Mission Punj-Aab Cultural Club will host a Diwali celebration at the Clark Theatre on Friday, Nov. 10. Details online.

🪖 Remembrance Day: Aldergrove's Remembrance Day parade and ceremony on Nov. 11 will include military vehicles from the Museum of the Armed Forces. Details online.

🥁 Musical: Matilda, the Musical will hit the stage at the Chief Sepass Theatre in Langley. Tickets online.

Want even more? Insider members get a comprehensive events listing every Thursday, plus a weekly Saturday round-up edition with behind-the-scenes content. Becoming a member costs less than $2 a week and helps support the ongoing production of The Current’s newsletters and in-depth journalism. Become a member here.

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

Catch up

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