Wednesday - Dec. 27, 2023 - Year in Review: Politics

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Good morning!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas over the weekend and is still having a lovely holiday season! Everyone has their different family events and special ways to celebrate the season. My family goes caroling with a church group every year on or around the 23rd. It’s a lovely tradition of bringing Christmas cheer to nearby neighbours—and one that I have tried desperately to escape every year since I was old enough to stay home alone (rarely with any luck.)

It’s not that I don’t like the concept. I really do. But I also really shouldn’t be allowed to sing in public.

– Grace

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NEWS

Year in Review: Politics

At the end of 2023, we’re recapping the most significant news stories of the past year, and trying to sum up why they’re important, and what they mean for the future. 

Today, we’re focusing on the top political stories of 2023. Tomorrow, we’ll look at our environment, and how humans and our natural world co-exist. And on Friday, we’ll take a look at four big stories with ramifications for the coming year.

• First: the political stories of 2023.

Related

Need to Know

🌲 Two Langley parks are getting federal funding to build new amenities including a spray park and a new playground [Langley Township]

👉️ A 19-year-old man was stabbed on Friday morning in Abbotsford [Abbotsford News]

🚑 A pedestrian was struck and killed in Abbotsford two days before Christmas; another was seriously injured in a separate collision [CityNews]

👉 A ceremony was held to mark the return of Indigenous artifacts to the Yale Historic Site [Hope Standard]

🔉 Harrison Hot Springs is seeking input about a proposed lakefront dike [Agassiz-Harrison Observer]

💦 A beach in Yale was closed due to ‘potential contamination’ affecting the water [Hope Standard]

🧶 A quilt celebrating Mission’s 125th birthday has moved to a new location [Mission Record]

📰 100 years ago, the Abbotsford, Sumas & Matsqui News printed its front page with colour for the first time [Abbotsford News]

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The Agenda

Pre-Christmas water equipment failure to cost Abbotsford homeowners

Dozens of Abbotsford homeowners are facing huge plumbing bills after a vital piece of city equipment failed four days before Christmas, causing high water pressure to burst pipes and hot water tanks in homes around the Sandy Hill neighbourhood.

The city says it was notified of "water pressure issues" in the neighbourhood. By noon the following day, around 80 residents had contacted the city, a spokesperson said. One Sandy Hill neighbourhood suggested the true figure may be closer to 200. The water was so high, it burst pressure release valves in Sandy Hill homes.

But while many will now need to spend thousands of dollars on plumbing fixes and to repair any resulting damage, the city says it's not on the hook for the cost.

“We acknowledge the situation is upsetting, especially given the time of year, and apologize for the inconvenience and trouble this may have caused,” city spokesperson Aletta Vanderheyden wrote in an email to The Current. But Vanderheyden said the Local Government Act exempts the municipality from “nuisance claims that arise out of the breakdown or malfunction of a water system.” The city’s bylaw also exempts the city from liability for any damage or injury caused by “either excessive pressure or lack of pressure.”

Although that’s the city’s formal position, Vanderheyden said residents can still choose to file a claim online.

Milton Groening, a Sandy Hill resident, said he has been told by a plumber that he’ll need to replace all the piping in his home at a cost of around $10,000. Speaking to The Current the afternoon following the incident, Groening said his neighbours on either side of his home have both told him they’ll need to replace their own hot water tanks. Various plumbing trucks had been called to the area as residents scramble to fix their water systems. But with so many Abbotsford residents suddenly in need of plumbing services, Groening said he has heard of equipment and supply shortages. 

“Although it’s a negative for all the homeowners, it’s a plus for the plumbing industry,” he said wryly. “The timing isn’t the best.”

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🗓 Things to do

🏒 Hockey: The Vancouver Giants host the Edmonton Oil Kings Friday, Dec. 29 at the Langley Events Centre. Tickets online.

🦃 Classic Christmas: The Fort Langley National Historic Site is hosting Humbug Holidays, a Christmas celebration with make-your-own ornaments, from Dec. 16 to Dec. 30. Details online.

👗 School Musical: The Chilliwack School of Performing Arts presents Disney's Descendants: The Musical at the Chilliwack Cultural Centre from Jan. 10 to 21. Tickets online.

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Catch up

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