Thursday, July 27 2023 edition - A mega-dump near Hope?

Thursday, July 27, 2023 | 🌤️ High 23C

Good morning!

I play a lot of soccer. It’s fun. It’s also super-cheap, for some obvious reasons. All you need to do is rent a field from the city and kick a ball around with your friends. We pay no more than $150 a year and that covers fields, referees, jerseys and everything.

Which is partly why I’m stunned when I hear how expensive non-competitive kids soccer is in some places. In Chilliwack, the cost nearly $500. In Langley and Abbotsford, it’s even higher. I know the people running the organizations are doing their best and insurance is expensive. But I also think many youth sports organizations in this country don’t focus enough on keeping things accessible for families—even if that means maybe not producing high-level talent.

And it is possible to keep fees down. The Killarney Youth Soccer Association in Vancouver has all its fees under $400. Other programs in other parts of the province have fees under $300. Expensive kids sports can defeat the purpose of them in the first place.

Thanks to members like Susan and Michele! We couldn’t do this without you. Join them and become a member here!

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

Construction company plots massive new landfill near Hope

A private company wants to create a large landfill for construction waste in a rural area outside of Hope. And they say doing so would actually be good for the global environment.

But the scale of the facility is potentially so big that local officials are asking the province to step in and provide guidelines for how it might begin to evaluate the proposal.

• Today, Tyler writes about a proposal for a huge landfill site that would dwarf anything previously seen in the Fraser Valley.

Need to know

🧑‍🚒 The Davis Lake wildfire north of Mission is being held [BC Wildfire Service]

🔥 The Chehalis River fire is out of control at 767 hectares and still out of control [BC Wildfire Service]

👩‍🚒 Crews also have a handle on the five-hectare Hunter Hill fire 14 km north of Mission [BC Wildfire Service]

⚽️ Abbotsford's Sophie Schmidt was hailed for leading Canada to a World Cup victory over Ireland [One Soccer]

💰️ Brothers from Langley and Surrey are alleged to have masterminded a $46 million scam [Langley Advance Times]

🐕️ Chilliwack’s Fairfield Island is getting a dog park [Chilliwack Progress]; The Current wrote about the dog-park-to-dog ratio in the Fraser Valley, read that story here [FVC]

🧓 A Langley senior shares about his stressful and fruitless hunt for housing [Langley Advance Times]

👉️ The case against an Abbotsford cop and hockey coach accused of sexually assaulting minors was dismissed [Abbotsford News]

🧼 Abbotsford’s Foundry location got new cleaning equipment [Abbotsford News]

🛋️ A “sofa scam” is making the rounds on Facebook Marketplace in Mission [RCMP]

💥 A welding truck exploded in Willoughby Wednesday morning [Langley Advance Times]

🌃 The Fort Langley Night Market has opportunities for volunteers [Langley Advance Times]

📷 CURRENT CAM: Congrats to Marion Robinson, who was the first to identify The Hougen Block building in Mission as the location of yesterday’s Current Cam photo.

⚕️ What’s important for your health and community? Complete the BC SPEAK Survey by July 31 for a chance to win prizes. Full contest rules, regulations at FraserHealth.ca*

*Sponsored Listing

The Agenda

Langley mayors on opposing ends of Surrey police debate

The Surrey policing debate has spilled into the Langleys.

Last week, Langley mayors made it known they are on opposing ends after BC’s solicitor-general ordered Surrey to continue transitioning away from the RCMP and to a municipal police force.

In a social media post, Langley Township Mayor Eric Woodward called the province’s decision “very troubling” and wrote that Surrey is within its right to “determine its own direction to provide for policing within its own borders.”

Later that same day, Langley City Mayor Nathan Pachal wrote that he supported the decision. 

“For Langley, it means that we will have stability in attracting new RCMP members to our community as we compete with other municipalities throughout Canada, and supply isn’t keeping up with demand.”

Woodward’s reaction shouldn’t come as a surprise as the Township is at the mercy of the province to finalize its police divorce from the City.

In May, Township council voted to stop partnering with the City on policing citing it was subsidizing law enforcement for its close neighbour. Pachal posted a statement following the Township’s vote stating the City was not consulted or provided any information that it was not paying its share. At the time of the announcement the Township said it would take two years to split the Langley RCMP detachment.

Abbotsford residents file petition asking police to deal with speeders

Residents of an Abbotsford neighbourhood are calling on police to do more to prevent speeders after a neighbour was struck by what they say was a car travelling too fast.

In a petition submitted to the city, resident Tony Mayo writes that a stretch of Blueridge Drive “has become a dragstrip for fast cars and motorcycles.” Mayo writes that a neighbour was hit by a speeding car last October, leaving him with severe and life-long injuries

He wrote that another neighbour heard a car accelerate and roar past the complex immediately before the victim was hit. Mayo also writes that the noise from speeding traffic is “unbearable and frightening.”

The residents want police to set up more regular speed traps in the area to deter drivers. They’re also asking for the addition of two crosswalks with lights on the stretch of road.

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Throwback Thursday

These caches on the Fraser River were used to keep and store salmon caught in its waters and beyond. Members of Indigenous communities—like those shown in the photo—kept the caches full. The photo also shows the nets, spears, and other equipment necessary to pursue the fish.

🗓 Things to do

Ongoing, July 27 to August 2

💛 Dr. Seuss Musical: The Chilliwack Cultural Centre presents The Seussical, a musical featuring the characters of Dr. Seuss. It will run from July 28 to August 6. Find tickets online.

🏃 Track meet: The Canadian Track and Field Championships take place from July 27 to 30 at McLeod Athletics Park in Langley. Competitors include Langley long-jumper Django Lovett and local hepathalon athlete Georgia Ellenwood. Tickets online.

📜 Shakespeare: Bard in the Valley will present Shakespeare’s Cymbeline at Bakerview Farms in Abbotsford from July 27 to 29. Tickets online.

Thursday, July 27

🎹 Outdoor concert: Jam in Jubilee, Abbotsford’s series of outdoor concerts, continues in Jubilee Park this Thursday, July 27. Details online.

🎺 Another outdoor concert: Blues Hoodoo will play in Langley Township’s festival series at the Willoughby Community Park amphitheatre on Thursday, July 27. Details online.

🧀 Cheese truck: Creekside Cheese and Creamery in Harrison is running a food truck on Thursday, July 27 and Friday, July 28. More info online.

Friday, July 28

🦇 Bat watching: Spend an evening with bats at the Kilby Historic Site on Friday, July 28! Bring a chair and watch as mothers and their pups emerge at dusk to feed on mosquitoes. No pets. Registration is $5/person. Details online.

🏎️ Car race: The West Coast Classic Bracket Race will go down at the Mission Raceway starting Friday, July 28 and running until Sunday, July 30. The race has some of the most prize money in Canada. Details online.

🧀 Cheese truck: Creekside Cheese and Creamery in Harrison is running a food truck on Friday, July 28. More info online.

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