Tuesday, June 27, 2023 - Communications breakdown

Tuesday, June 27, 2023 | 🌤 High 28C

Good morning!

My kids wrapped up their soccer season over the weekend with a tournament and it was tiring in all the ways you might expect. (I’m the coach.) But I can’t complain because it was also a blast and one of those things that will stick with both kids and parents. I was just thinking about how the most fulfilling things are always the most exhausting. And yet, there are exceptions! I’ve been playing catch regularly with the kids. They love it. It’s extremely fulfilling and pleasurable and not at all stressful. There’s something about a baseball and a glove that is magic. Once a bat becomes involved though…

Thanks to new members Jolyn and Agnes. You can support our journalism 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

Communications breakdown

Communication struggles and a lack of experience in dealing with wildfire emergencies could have had serious repercussions if last year’s wildfire near Hope had spread faster.

That’s one of the takeaways from a post-fire review of the fire response and comments from those who participated in it.

The review says more work needs to be done to prepare local governments and officials for when wildfires threaten their communities.

• Today, Tyler looks at the Flood Falls Trail wildfire post-mortem, and what it reveals about our governments’ preparedness for a major wildfire.

Need to know

👉 BC’s Child and Family Development Minister should resign after a neglected foster child was killed in the Fraser Valley, First Nation leaders say [CityNews]

🔎 The province’s child advocate is now investigating the case [Agassiz-Harrison Observer]

🗳 A Langley couple who complained about the bass on their neighbours’ sound system will receive about $3,500 in compensation [Global]

‼ Four bottle-flipping Abbotsford kids hope to win a popular YouTube show’s contest [Abbotsford News]

🐶 A dog that disappeared two months ago was caught in Chilliwack with the help of a drone [Chilliwack Progress]

🍞 The shelves at Mission’s food bank are increasingly bare after demand increased and donations declined [Mission Record]

🛌 A 150-room Marriott hotel will be built in Chilliwack [Fraser Valley Today]

🕕 A proposed Langley cannabis store won’t be able to open until the Township finalizes a neighbourhood plan [Langley Advance Times]

👉 Residents of Abbotsford’s Lonzo Road encampment packed up as security fencing was erected [Abbotsford News]

🔥 A new wildfire broke out along the Coquihalla Highway [Castanet]

🚑 A man died following a truck crash in Chilliwack Monday morning [Fraser Valley Today]

📚 The Tyee has a great list of recommended summer books, including one set partially in BC, in a Fraser Valley-like suburb [The Tyee]

SPONSORED BY HARRISON FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS SOCIETY

The Harrison Festival of the Arts

Enjoy indoor performances including a film night, theatre, a slam poetry night, and seven amazing concerts. Plus there’s free music on the beach, Children’s Day for the kids, art exhibits, and a renowned artisan market right on the beach!

Head to HarrisonFestival.com for all the info.

The Agenda

Abbotsford council approves controversial McKee Peak plan

Abbotsford council has finally approved a controversial planning project three decades in the making. Council unanimously* voted to approve the McKee Peak neighbourhood plan, which provides a guide to how thousands of homes will be built on lower Sumas Mountain over the coming decades. The plan had drawn criticism from recreation and conservation groups and individuals. Sema:th First Nation had also opposed the plan, saying it was created without sufficient consultation.

Abbotsford has long suggested the area would be developed; the new plan formalizes those plans and will shape the types of developments planned for the area in the years to come. We wrote a long story earlier this year on why the city has pursued the plan in the face of opposition. You can read our most recent story on the Sema:th opposition here.

We’ll have more in Wednesday’s newsletter.

*(This Agenda piece originally incorrectly said all eight councillors voted for the plan. In fact, Coun. Mark Warkentin recused himself from the matter and did not vote.)

Climate Disaster Project and FVC named finalist for international award

The Climate Disaster Project, along with the Fraser Valley Current and three other Canadian news organizations, has been named a finalist for an international journalism award for its coverage of climate disasters across Canada. The project has been nominated for a Covering Climate Now Journalism Award in the Engagement category for its work telling the first-hand stories of disaster survivors—including those in the Fraser Valley.

Those stories included a collection of 10 eyewitness narratives that recounted the traumatic 2021 landslides and floods. The stories were published in The Current last year. You can read them here.

The winners will be announced in September. Other finalists include major outlets including the BBC, CBS News, Los Angeles Times, and Reuters, along with smaller publications across the globe.

Thanks to FVC members for supporting our journalism!

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