Thursday, July 20, 2023 edition - A river of rain

Thursday, July 20, 2023 | 😎 High 26C

Good morning!

We’re planning the next instalment of our “tourist-in-your-town” series and looking for your recommendations! Next week, I’m driving out to Clearbrook in Abbotsford. Let me know your favourite things to do, places to see, and spots to eat in the neighbourhood by filling out this form. 

Tyler has also added some context for an upcoming story we have on human-caused fires. Members can read that at the bottom of the newsletter.

WORTH KNOWING

🌤 Local forecast: Langley | Chilliwack | Abbotsford | Hope

⚠️ Here’s the current smoke forecast / Check the BC Wildfire Dashboard here

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

NEWS

A river runs above us

Today: drought. This winter: atmospheric rivers.

They might seem like opposites from one another, but they’re actually connected, says Michael Dettinger, a hydroclimatologist who’s been studying atmospheric rivers since the mid-2000s. “One is just the flip side of the other.”

• Today, we’re sharing a feature story by Hakai Magazine’s Serena Renner who recently travelled to California to find out how scientists and officials in that state are trying to strike a better balance—and maybe use rain from megastorms to help solve its water crisis.

Need to know

🔥 A wildfire south of Hope that was first detected in early July saw significant activity Wednesday [FIRMS/NASA} / You can see the latest from the BCWS here [BCWS]

🔥 The Davis Lake fire north of Mission has grown to the east [NASA/FIRMS] You can read the latest from the BCWS here [BCWS]

☀️ A heat warning has been issued for the Fraser Canyon [Global News]

🟨 The Surrey RCMP issued an Amber Alert for two missing kids: an eight-year-old girl and a ten-year-old boy [BC RCMP]

⛴️ The Canadian Coast Guard is planning a new way to handle abandoned boats—including a derelict ferry on the Fraser River in Mission [CTV] / Tyler wrote about the Queen of Sidney and failed efforts to remove it nine years ago [Mission Record]

➡️ A year after a mass shooting in Langley, the investigation remains ongoing [Langley Advance Times]

🚗 A car show fundraiser is being held to support a family who lost its automotive shop in Yarrow to fire last month [Chilliwack Progress]

👮 Chilliwack RCMP are looking for witnesses to an axe attack at a 7-Eleven [Chilliwack Progress]

🚓 A prolific thief in Abbotsford has been charged with four more robberies [Abbotsford News]

➡️ A pedestrian was struck and killed on Lougheed Highway Wednesday [Mission City Record]

👉️ A Chilliwack massage therapist is no longer allowed to treat women [Chilliwack Progress]

⛸️ The Starlight Skating Rink in Harrison lost $17,000 last year; it won’t reopen next season [Agassiz-Harrison Observer]

🚨 The victim of a homicide in Abbotsford was identified as a retired farmer [Abbotsford News]

🚰 Chilliwack will limit lawn watering during the drought [City of Chilliwack]

📷 CURRENT CAM: Congrats to Adam Roberts, who was the first to identify Non-Slip Tile Solutions in Abbotsford as the location of yesterday’s Current Cam photo.

📈 The Fraser Valley's new inaugural Digital Marketing Conference is happening this September. Get your ticket and check out this a prime opportunity for professional growth.*

*Sponsored Listing

SPONSORED BY FORT LANGLEY JAZZ FESTIVAL

Jazz legends open Fort Langley Jazz Fest

Kick off the 2023 Odlum Brown Fort Langley Jazz & Arts Festival with a concert you won’t forget, featuring Phil Dwyer’s Connections Quartet.

Phil Dwyer’s Connections Quartet brings together premier musicians in a one-of-a-kind concert including JUNO-award winner, saxophonist and pianist Phil Dwyer; Juno-award winner Brad Turner on trumpet and piano; renowned international drummer Alan Jones; and Phil’s son Ben Dwyer on bass.

The quartet will perform new and other works from over 40 years of playing in various configurations together. This illustrious group of artists will perform as two trios and a quartet, all in one with Phil and Brad taking turns at the piano with their alter egos performing on saxophone and trumpet.

Thursday, July 20, 7-10pm at Chief Sepass Theatre! Get your tickets today!

The Agenda

Proposed apartment complex and park near Langley bus exchange heads to future public hearing

A new apartment complex and park adjacent to Langley’s Carvolth Exchange is one step closer to fruition.

Langley Township supported a proposal to develop nearly five acres of land at the corner of 202 Street and 86 Avenue for two six-storey apartment buildings with a combined 223 units. The apartment complex would also result in a half-acre Township-owned park.

Council unanimously supported the project (Coun. Steve Ferguson was absent). The project will head to a public hearing some time in September.

Designs selected for beginning pump tracks in Chilliwack

Two new pump tracks will be built for beginners in Chilliwack.

Designed for higher skill levels, Chilliwack’s first pump track has been popular since its construction in 2020. The city decided to build two tracks with more cyclical cycling-and-skating features better suited for newer riders and skaters.

Vedder Park will be home to the larger and more complicated of the two tracks, with 84 metres of pavement. Jinkerson Park will get a slightly smaller loop, at 73 metres.

SPONSORED BY MISSION FOLK FEST

Mission Folk Music Festival starts Friday!

Follow your Folk to the 36th annual Mission Folk Music Festival, July 21-23 at Fraser River Heritage Park in Mission. Experience over 20 music acts from North America and beyond, including Korea’s Donyang Gozupa, David Francey, Haitian artist, Wesli, the Cajun/Zydeco music of Cedric Watson & Jourdan Thibodeaux and more!

Throwback Thursday

Donn Williams snapped this photograph in 1949. It shows several cars on an unnamed highway near Langley. If you squint at the horizon, you can see Mt. Baker in the distance.

I (Grace) originally guessed that was the Pacific Highway (or Highway 15) heading to the US border. Highway 15 was originally opened in 1913 and it has hills that steep. But after spotting Baker in the picture, I’m not so sure. I don’t think you can see the mountain from that road (it’s further east) and, while it has been over a hundred years, mountains don’t usually move too much. Fraser Highway might be more likely (it points east).

Tyler determined it must be a road on a northwest-to-southeast trajectory like Fraser Highway. And he seems to have found the location: just outside of Langley in Surrey.

🗓 Things to do

Ongoing, July 20 to 26

🟡 Disc golf: The BC Open Disc Golf Tournament will take place this weekend from Friday, July 21 to Sunday, July 23 in Langley. Some of the rounds will happen on a temporary course set up at Campbell River Regional Park. Find more details online.

Thursday, July 20

🎹 Live music: Abbotsford’s Jam in Jubilee continues this Thursday, July 20 with a free concert featuring Sharuk in Jubilee Park at 7:30pm. Details online.

👉️ Historic tour: The Fort Langley Historic Site’s Hidden Histories tour will happen on Thursday, July 20. Heritage interpreters will tell stories from the early days of the trading post. Find more information online.

🎶 Free concert: Boxcar Campfire will play in Langley’s Summer Festival Series at Willoughby Park on Thursday, July 20. More info online.

Friday, July 21

🧺 Picnic fundraiser: Islamic Relief Canada is holding a family picnic fundraiser to support displaced Palestinian families on Friday, July 21 at Cultus Lake. Pre-packed baskets will be available for purchase. Find more info online.

🏀 Basketball: The Vancouver Bandits will play the Edmonton Stingers at the Langley Events Centre on Friday, July 21. Find tickets online.

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