🌤️ High 30C

Good morning,

It's been a heavy few days in the Fraser Valley. A fatal mid-air plane collision near Chilliwack Airport, a deadly house fire in Mission, and ongoing air quality warnings across the eastern Fraser Valley due to wildfire smoke. On a lighter note, Langley Pride Day is this Saturday and Teen Daze plays at Sidekick Brewing on Friday.

– Emily

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🌤 Local forecast: Langley | Chilliwack | Abbotsford | Hope | Mission

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

🛣 Click here for links to road cameras across the Fraser Valley, including those for the Coquihalla, Highway 7, Hope-Princeton, Fraser Canyon, and Highway 1 in Langley and Abbotsford.

A conversation with Hanna Budny rarely stays on one subject for long.

A fig becomes an ecosystem. A restaurant becomes a school. A move to Chilliwack becomes a lesson in presence. A relationship that has ended becomes an opportunity to think about love without reducing it to success or failure.

The connections might initially seem unexpected, but Budny sees them everywhere. It is also the best way to understand The Offy, the playful European-inspired restaurant she opened in Chilliwack’s District 1881 nearly four years ago.

The food and drinks matter deeply to her, of course. But they are also the beginning of something larger.

“I think it’s not necessarily food and drink, although I love and I’m obsessed with food and drink,” Budny says. “It really is about the power of food and drink and how it has the power to actually connect people.”

Keep reading»

The Chilliwack Mural Festival returns August 14–15 with 28 local and touring musicians performing across three free stages in Downtown Chilliwack, plus one ticketed, 19+ event on Saturday night.

From indie folk and rock to Latin, hip-hop, and soul, artists from Chilliwack, the Fraser Valley, and Metro Vancouver will keep the festival buzzing all weekend long. The free weekend celebration also features mural tours, local vendors, food trucks, family activities, and the festival's newest murals throughout the downtown core. Every corner offers something new to experience, with live performances, interactive art, and fun activities for all ages to enjoy.

✈️ One man was found dead after a mid-air collision between two Cessna 172 aircraft near Chilliwack Airport on August 3. Occupants of the second plane were uninjured. The Transportation Safety Board is investigating. [CBC News]

🔥 An air quality warning is in effect for Chilliwack, Agassiz, and Hope due to wildfire smoke from the Brunswick Complex and Southern Interior fires. Residents are advised to limit outdoor activity and keep windows closed. [CityNews]

🏠 One man and multiple pets died in a house fire in Mission on July 31. Three people and additional pets escaped after a Good Samaritan spotted smoke and woke the sleeping residents. The fire is not considered suspicious. [CTV News]

🏘️ A new 64-unit affordable housing building called Cedar Lá:lém has opened in downtown Chilliwack, prioritizing low-income individuals and families, including Indigenous people and Elders. [BC Housing]

💧 The District of Hope has received $175,000 in federal funding to support long-term planning for its wastewater infrastructure, originally built in the early 1960s. [District of Hope]

🏗️ Chilliwack is again calling on the province to count housing units built on First Nations land toward its provincially mandated housing targets, after the city exceeded its Year 2 target of 1,404 units by delivering 1,781 — 499 of which were on First Nations land. [City of Chilliwack]

🏡 Seniors and their families are thinking ahead about a home’s long-term fit for aging in place. This free screening guide helps with the process.*

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Across B.C., young orchardists are choosing to invest in farming, family, and their communities. Meet the people behind BC's tree fruit industry and learn how they're helping shape a resilient future for local fruit production.

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Teen Daze at Sidekick Brewing: Mellow indie artist Teen Daze plays a live set at Sidekick Brewing on August 7 as part of the Sidestage Live Music Series.

Live Music with McKai at Stallone's: McKai plays a live set at Stallone's on August 7.

Langley Pride Day: The Langley Pride Society hosts a free all-ages festival at Creekside Hall on August 8, with 25+ vendors, drag bingo, educational panels, live music, and performances. A 19+ ticketed evening concert and dance follows at 6 PM

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