Wednesday - May 1, 2024 - More deaths than babies

🌤 High 15C

Good morning!

I went over the border last weekend. If you make the trip just twice a year or so, like me, it’s a relatively nerve-wracking experience. It’s not like I have anything to worry about. But no other moment in my life allows someone to look me up and down and just deny (or delay) all my weekend plans on a whim. In a way, it makes the inevitable wave into the states more enjoyable.

The return trip is always very different. You’re coming back from your destination, into your home country. Tomorrow is probably Monday. They can’t keep you out. And so, all you can be is annoyed: at the end of the weekend; at the two measly lanes open; at the guard taking a long time with the vehicle in front of you; at yourself for forgetting about that chicken sandwich in the cooler.

— Tyler

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Traffic & Weather

🌤 Local forecast: Langley | Chilliwack | Abbotsford | Hope

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NEWS

Deaths continue to trump births in BC

British Columbia’s population might be growing, but fewer and fewer new residents are arriving directly from the womb.

Two years ago, The Current broke the news that, for the first time in history, the number of deaths in the province had exceeded the number of births. That grisly gap held firm in 2023, data confirms, as the number of babies born plunged even further. But there has also been a change, with the number of deaths dropping for the first time in years.

• Today, we revisit a story from two years ago in which we revealed that births had exceeded deaths in BC for the first time in modern history.

• Tomorrow, we’ll look at birth and death rates across the Fraser Valley.

Related

Need to Know

⚖ The man accused of killing Naomi Onotera told police he struck his wife during an argument over when to put their daughter to bed [Global]

🐻 Mission officials are urging residents to keep waste inside after a bear was spotted near downtown [City of Mission]

👶 A donation has helped purchase a ventilator for Abbotsford Regional Hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit [Abbotsford News]

🔎 An inmate who escaped from a Chilliwack River Valley prison on Monday has been captured [Chilliwack Progress]

🚆 A company was selected to build the tracks for the Surrey Langley SkyTrain project [BC Government]

💧 Some Mission homes have murky water and residents are being told to run their taps to clear the system [City of Mission/Facebook]

🚨 A man shot in Langley Tuesday morning is expected to survive [Global]

🦆 Langley Township firefighters rescued two ducklings from a storm drain [Aldergrove Star]

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The Agenda

Township residents to get golf discount

The Township of Langley has decided that locals should get to play golf for less at a golf course recently purchased by the municipality.

Starting this season, Langley golfers at Redwoods Golf Course will get discounts on green fee rates and ball buckets, and a 15-day advance tee time booking, rather than the standard 10-day booking. Residents will need to register at the gift shop for $20, and renew their registration each calendar year. Langley businesses can also participate.

The Township of Langley bought the course in February of this year. The course itself is still closed due to pipeline construction, although the driving range is open. The golf course is expected to open in late spring.

This isn’t the first “local discount” council has considered. Council previously considered a tiered access policy for Aldergrove’s ultra-popular waterpark, giving Aldergrove residents priority access to the facility, but ultimately voted against the idea.

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🗓 Things to do

MMIW: The Fraser Valley Métis Association and the City Of Abbotsford are holding a Red Dress Day event at Abbotsford's old courthouse on South Fraser Way to bring awareness to the over-representation of Indigenous Women and Girls within our justice system on May 5. Details online.

Chorus concert: Langley Community Chorus will be performing their spring concert "Where the Heart Is" with conductor Anita Comba on May 3, 5, and 11 in Langley and Aldergrove. Tickets online.

Stained glass artist: Stained glass artist Emma Vince will demonstrate how she creates her pieces at the Ruby Creek Gallery between Agassiz and Hope on May 4. Details online.

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Catch up

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