Thursday - April 18, 2024 - Why a local First Nation must pay back Elders

☀️ High 15C | Forecast

Good morning!

The backpack I’m taking on my trip this summer came in the mail yesterday. My mom, who also repeatedly took off for several months at a time in her mid-twenties, gave it to me for my birthday, but I picked it out. It’s this one, if you want to see for yourself.

However, picking my favourite colour has put me in a mildly ridiculous situation: a few years ago, several clothing brands decided that burgundy would start being a large part of their lines. I love burgundy. So whenever I needed something new for the last five years, I could (and did) get it in burgundy. Now I have running shoes and nice sweaters and shorts that are all the exact same colour as my big backpack. Wearing clothes that match is one thing. But one specific colour, all the time, is a little excessive. At this point, I’ve resigned myself to the fact that I’m going to be a berry-flavoured popsicle all summer. But a very happy, well-traveled popsicle.

– Grace Giesbrecht

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NEWS

‘Enough is enough:’
Court rulings stack up against a band council

A tiny Fraser Valley First Nation that has barred dozens of members from voting in elections has now been told it owes four Elders hundreds of thousands of dollars each.

Over the last four years, a series of judges have described the handling of finances and members by the leaders of Peters First Nation as “abusive” and “purposefully repugnant.”

• Today, we have a story from our friends at the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN) about how a recent court ruling could bring justice for four local Elders.

• You can read APTN’s follow-up story on the closing of a related police investigation here.

• In Saturday’s Insiders newsletter, we’ll share a conversation with Kenneth Jackson, the APTN reporter who broke the story, about reporting on First Nations governance, the federal government’s absent role, and more. Become a member here to get our weekend round-up newsletter.

Related

Need to Know

🗳️ Long-time Abbotsford MLA Mike de Jong will run for the federal Conservative Party [CTV]

👮 Correctional officers are planning to protest in Abbotsford about rising violence and drone deliveries at BC prisons [Fraser Valley Today]

🌸 BC gardeners are having trouble adjusting to climate change [CTV]

👉️ The City of Mission has approved a controversial industrial park on Dewdney Trunk Road [Mission Record]

🐶 A woman lost her bid for sole ownership of a golden retriever under BC’s new pet custody laws [Vancouver Sun]

📽️ Langley’s Martini Studios bought a Vancouver production company as part of a plan to make more original shows and movies [Langley Advance Times]

🌍️ Hope residents have been invited to join in the fourth annual Earth Day clean-up [Hope Standard]

🔥 A second small wildfire has been reported west of Agassiz [Agassiz-Harrison Observer]

⚽️ Abbotsford’s city and school district have agreed to split responsibilities for four synthetic turf fields [Fraser Valley Today]

🚓 The Chilliwack RCMP nabbed $5 million in drugs and weapons after a seven-month investigation [Chilliwack Progress]

🎡 The carnival will return to the parking lot at the Sevenoaks Mall in Abbotsford on April 25 [Abbotsford News]

📷️ CURRENT CAM: Congratulations to Brent, who was the first to correctly identify that yesterday’s Current Cam was taken at the Muskwa Gallery in Hope.

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The Agenda

Grass-fed dairy cows wanted

More and more people want grass in their milk—indirectly that is. The demand for grass-fed dairy products is surging, and the BC Milk Marketing Board is now looking for more dairy farmers to make the switch to become an official grass-fed farm. 

Dairy cows that get the majority of their food from a pasture typically produce less milk than grain-fed cattle, making it a traditionally less lucrative option for many farmers. But some studies have shown that a grass diet can improve the nutrient profile of the milk, making it more desirable for some health-conscious consumers. 

As of last year, there were only five farms in the Lower Mainland producing conventional grass-fed milk. (There were seven other farms focused on organic grass-fed milk.) Those five farms produce roughly 1,900 kilograms of butterfat a year—less than half a percent of the total production in BC. To meet increased demand, the BC Milk Marketing Board is looking for more conventional producers to switch to grass-fed milk, and is offering an additional 10 cents per litre to farmers who join. Because of existing transportation routes, only Fraser Valley farms will be considered. 

SPONSORED BY THE CHILLIWACK PLAYERS GUILD

A hilarious comedy by the Chilliwack Players Guild

A jug of wine, a loaf of bread, and hilarity ensues! Accusations, mistaken identities, and romances run wild in this laugh-out-loud farce. Don't miss it! Presented by the Chilliwack Players Guild at the Chilliwack Cultural Centre. Tickets online or call 604.391.SHOW.

Drinking Habits is presented by special arrangements with PlayScripts.

🗓 Things to do this week/end

🎸 Sixties grooves: Backbeat, a Canadian musical tribute to the ’60s, will perform at the Chilliwack Cultural Centre on Saturday, April 20. Their act features multi-media and live performance elements celebrating six infamous sixties bands. Details online.

🌱 Earth Day: Celebrate Earth Day with the City of Mission at Fraser River Heritage Park on Saturday, April 20. Free admission to the festival includes guest speakers, family activities, and live performances. Details online.

🍷 Reading and wine: Local wine author Nelson Boschman will host a wine tasting and reading at Open Space in downtown Abbotsford on Friday, April 19. Details 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

That’s it!

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