Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023 edition - If they fund it, buses will come

Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023 | 🌧 High 17C

Good morning!

I really love autumn. I know that’s something my generation calls basic (read: lame, typical, or boring) but in northern BC the season lasted about 30 seconds. So, what I think I actually love is living somewhere with an autumn long enough to revel in. I’ve got apple-scented candles, a really great wool sweater, and a green-black tea blend called Paris Afternoon. I’m going to enjoy every last second.

Thanks again to all our Insider members! If you want to join them, you can 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

Fraser Valley to get regional transit boost—if province pays up

BC Transit wants to hand the Fraser Valley Express three more buses next year,—so long as the province provides enough funding—and buses—to go around.

The Fraser Valley Express runs between Chilliwack and Lougheed Town Centre with stops in Abbotsford and Langley. It has been a hit since its launch in 2015, but its popularity has posed recent challenges, with some buses reaching capacity at Abbotsford and leaving riders waiting for the next vehicle.

That problem was so severe that, earlier this year, BC Transit pulled money from its internal budget in order to add two more buses to the route.

Now, the provincial transit agency and the Fraser Valley Regional District have put together a plan to further boost BC’s most-popular inter-regional bus service. They also want to create a new regional route between Agassiz and Mission. But there are several potential roadblocks that could stall the buses before they ever hit the road.

• Today, Tyler writes about the next stage of regional transit in the valley, and the funding and storage issues that could complicate matters.

Need to know

🌲 The Village of Lytton is close to a deal to get fire victims cash to rebuild their homes up front [Radio NL]

🏒 Top Canucks prospect Vasily Podklozin will start the hockey season playing in Abbotsford [The Province]

🚑 A late-night car crash in Langley sent three people to hospital [CTV]

⚠ Abbotsford police issued a public warning about a sex offender living in the city; a photo was also released [Vancouver Sun]

💰 Two small properties located off of South Fraser Way in Central Abbotsford are for sale for $12 million [Redfin]

🗨 Langley City will hold community information meetings for six different neighbourhoods this month [Langley City]

✏ A Mission teacher wrote a book about her mother’s time at a residential school [Mission Record]

👉 Langley Township approved plans for a new daycare after councillors considered asking the developer to also build residential units [Langley Advance Times]

🐟 This year was a very good one for pink salmon; but that might not be good news for other salmon species [Business in Vancouver]

👮‍♂️ After crashing their car into a tree, a driver in Langley took off on foot; police think they were impaired [Langley Advance Times]

🌲 Abbotsford Tech District will mean high-quality education and well-paying jobs close to home. It will build up not out, preserving trails on Sumas Mountain.*

*Sponsored Listing

SPONSORED BY THE UNIVERSITY OF THE FRASER VALLEY

Experience all UFV has to offer at Open House 2023

On October 21, the University of the Fraser Valley is hosting an Open House for future students and their supporters (family members, educators, student counsellors, and friends) to enjoy an informative, fun-filled day on campus.

Whether you've already applied to UFV or are still exploring your options, this Open House is the perfect opportunity to:

• Ask faculty questions about programs and discover new paths

• Chat with current students to get first-hand insights into university life

• Tour the campus

• Connect with our student services and recruiters

• Win great prizes — including bookstore gift cards, surprise bags, and more!

RSVP before October 6 and be entered to win a $500 tuition credit and a first-year starter pack valued at $250! Find more details here.

The Agenda

Some Chilliwack roads to get speedier snow-clearing

The residents of 13 Chilliwack roads may see snow get cleared a little quicker this winter.

Every road is assigned a snow-clearing priority, that determines the order in which they are plowed following a snowfall. The city has decided to upgrade the priority levels of 13 different streets.

Three roads have been designated a top priority. They are Southlands Drive and Crescent—which service both an elementary school and Chilliwack City Hall—and Kiernan Drive, which provides access to the RCMP detachment’s parking lot. The other more-prioritized roads include the southern extent of Tyson Road, which connects to a new middle school, and several streets surrounding Sardis Pond.

You can see the full list of more prioritized roads here. You can find maps showing the priority level of every Chilliwack road here. (And if you live outside of Chilliwack and wonder about your community, Just Google "[Cityname snow priority]”)

Hemlock Valley volunteers prepare for isolation

With only one road into the Hemlock Valley, local property owners are banding together to prepare in case they lose access to the rest of the valley.

Homeowners in the valley—which is adjacent to Sasquatch Mountain Resort—have created a volunteer program that will work with the local volunteer fire department and the resort to provide help in case a disaster, landslide or other event cuts off the community.

The group—Hemlock Emergency Lookout Program—has received a $4,000 grant from the Fraser Valley Regional District to buy vests for volunteers, portable tents, hi-viz canopies, garbage cans, N95 respirators, and training resources. The group is also encouraging residents to prepare on their own.

The next speaker series from Vancouver Tech Journal!

After hosting project management tool Basecamp’s founder Jason Fried a couple weeks ago, our sister publication Van Tech Journal is at it again hosting Sahil Bloom on November 3 in Downtown Vancouver.

Sahil is a creator, entrepreneur, investor, and writer, and will spend the evening talking about strategies for scaling businesses, escaping from the daily grind, and leveraging frameworks to live a healthier and wealthier life.

Tickets available soon. Get on the waitlist so you don’t miss out.

🔓️ Become a Current Insider for 25% off today and get full access to this newsletter. Every Tuesday, members get exclusive information on events, food and drink, and local deals.

You’ll also get our weekly behind-the-scenes newsletter and roundup on Saturday. And most of all, your contribution will allow us to keep producing all the great journalism you already know and love.

🍴 Emilio Finatti Pizza. Langley. A big yellow building on the Fraser Highway, Emilio Finatti Pizza offers specialized pies in three sizes. Prices range from $11 for plain cheese to $30 for deluxe. Open 11am to 10pm Wednesday through Saturday, and 11am to 9pm Sunday to Tuesday.

🍴 Cookie's Grill. Chilliwack (off Lickman Road exit). Tucked away in an industrial area, Cookie's Grill has traditional diner food and opens early at 5:30am on weekdays. Breakfasts run between $15 and $20.

🍴 Brodeur’s Bistro. West Abbotsford. Well-known for its smoked-meat sandwiches and Cajun cuisine. Reservations are often needed. Most entrees between $20 and $30. Opens at 11am and closes late.

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