Friday - Sept. 20, 2024 - Local disaster artifacts heading to New York

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Good morning!

As a journalist, my job is to tell people things. I like telling people things. I like to think I’m pretty good at it. So when I am told a bit of juicy news in my personal life, and then asked to keep it a secret, I am affronted.

What you do you mean I cannot share this news? I am a professional news-sharer. I tell people the news for a living!

Of course, like any good journalist, I abide by the rules of confidentiality—especially when they were discussed by both parties beforehand. That means I am holding on to two exciting pieces of personal news, which I will share with the appropriate audiences when the embargo is lifted.

– Grace

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Traffic & Weather

🌤 Local forecast: Langley | Chilliwack | Abbotsford | Hope (We have had to temporarily change our forecast links to the Weather Network due to a technical error.)

🚘 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

BC’s Greens hope for an independent boost

The leader of BC’s Green Party won’t only be cheering on her own party’s candidates this fall.

With BC United’s collapse leaving several incumbent MLAs running as independents, Sonia Furstenau said she hopes the election brings a wave of unaligned MLAs who could empower individual politicians (and, uncoincidentally, her own party) with much more law-making power.

Without a real shot at forming government, BC’s Green Party must continually make the case to voters that ballots cast for its candidates can still have a positive impact on the province.

In an interview with Chilliwack podcaster Aaron Pete on Sept. 14, Furstenau alluded to those challenges, while suggesting that this election has a potential to return the party to the height of the influence it wielded when former-leader Andrew Weaver held the balance of power following the 2017 election.

• Today, we’re highlighting a conversation between podcaster Aaron Pete and Furstenau.

• Pete, a frequent FVC collaborator, has also interviewed the leaders of the province’s other major parties. You can find those here: David Eby | John Rustad | Kevin Falcon.

Related

Need to Know

🚓 A motorcyclist died during an early morning crash on Highway 1 in Langley Thursday [Langley Advance Times]

⚽ An anonymous petition is asking the Abbotsford Soccer Association to release certain documents in a bid for more transparency from the group [Abbotsford News]

🌊 The dike protecting Harrison’s waterfront will get upgrades after $5 million in funding was approved [Agassiz Harrison Observer]

🌲 Chilliwack’s newest Little Free Library features artwork by students at Stitó:s Lá:lém Totí:lt [Fraser Valley Today]

🌕 An asteroid will come close enough to Earth to become a mini moon until late November [CBC]

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The Agenda

New York exhibit featuring relics from Fraser Valley disasters

Items recovered from the 2021 Sumas Prairie flood and Lytton wildfire are on their way to New York.

The artifacts will be included in a one-day exhibition by Sierra Club Canada that coincides with Climate Week. The exhibition will feature artifacts from disasters across Canada, including a life preserver rescued from Hurricane Fiona, a dollhouse saved from a Montreal flood, and charred garden gnome from a Kelowna wildfire. The exhibit will also include two items from the Lytton wildfire, and one from the Sumas Prairie flood.

Lytton Chinese History Museum operator Lorna Fandrich has contributed two teacups from her museum. One survived the town-destroying fire mostly intact; the other was melted by the fire. Lytton poet and business owner Meghan Fandrich contributed the burnt doorknob salvaged from her cafe. (The Current has interviewed both Lorna and Meghan about their experiences after the fire. You can read those stories here and here. Lorna says her museum is set to welcome guests soon, with a grand opening planned for the spring.)

Sumas Prairie resident Cindy Dueck is also sharing an artifact from the flooding that affected her home in 2021. She is sending an heirloom doll which was passed down through generations, and was damaged in the flood. (You can read our stories about the Fraser Valley floods here.)

The exhibition, called Protect What We Love, opens on Tuesday, Sept. 24 in New York. Some artifact donors will be at the site to talk about their experiences during Canada’s natural disasters.

Harrison by-election this weekend

The Harrison Hot Springs by-election will be taking place this weekend, with voters casting their ballots on Saturday, Sept. 21. Harrison residents will choose a new mayor and councillor to replace former mayor Ed Wood and former councillor John Allen. Allen is now running for mayor, alongside retired NWT negotiator Fred Talen and former RCMP officer Greg Dykstra. Wood is running for a councillor spot, alongside retired nurse Teresa Omelus, local chocolatier Mark Schweinbenz, and blockwatch leader Gary Webster.

The Current will report on the outcome of the election in Monday’s newsletter. People wanting to follow along on Saturday can check out the Agassiz Harrison Observer. You can read our past stories about Harrison council here, and find our look at an investigation that found some council members harassed staff and broke confidentiality agreements.

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As part of a membership, you get our special weekend roundup of all the things you might’ve missed each week!

Classifieds

• COLLECTIBLES Beswick Bunnykins Beatrix Potter Fenton Shoes Doulton Animals [EMAIL]

• ATA Yard Sale Sept. 21-22, 8-3, 44146 Luckakuck, behind Tourist Bureau

Annual FVC members can find a link to submit their annual classified in the weekly FVC Insiders Edition. Become a FVC member here.

🗓 Things to do

Boot sale: St. Andrew’s Anglican Church on Old Yale Road in Langley hosts its monthly boot sale on Saturday, Sept. 21 from 9am to 2pm. Check out crafters, home businesses, and garage items for sale. Book an appointment to have your small items repaired at the boot sale by calling Rob at 778-773-3140.

Rivers day: The Langley Environmental Partners Society hosts Langley's World Rivers Day on Sunday, Sept. 22 from 11am to 2pm. Head to Williams Park to celebrate the importance of water. Admission is free, and there are free hot dogs and kettle corn for the first 100 people. Details online.

Garlic fest: Chilliwack's Fantasy Farms hosts the Stinking Rose Garlic Festival on Saturday, Sept. 21 and Sunday, Sept. 22. Get tickets for just the garlic harvest, just the evening music festival on Saturday, or both. Details online.

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Catch up

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