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Good morning,

Federal funding helped Chilliwack pave roads, build bike lanes, and construct a fire training tower last year — we've broken down exactly where the $5 million went. On a lighter note, there are some lovely ways to spend this Saturday in the Fraser Valley, from a butterfly release at Taves Estate Cidery to a breathwork and yoga morning at Whispering Horse Winery.

– 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.

More than $5 million in federal funding went toward Chilliwack infrastructure projects last year, with the results now visible across the city.

The $5.08 million came from the Community stream of the Build Communities Strong Fund, administered through the Union of BC Municipalities. The largest share — $3.14 million — went toward repaving and rehabilitating 21.5 lane kilometres of roads across 15 locations, including Yale Road, Boundary Road, Prairie Central Road, and Elk View Road. The work also added 6.8 kilometres of delineated bike lanes and multi-use pathways and 1.5 kilometres of new sidewalk.

The Chilliwack Fire Department received a new four-storey situational awareness training facility on Wolfe Road, built with $1.22 million of the funding. The building includes a multipurpose training area and adaptable training aids that allow firefighters to practice techniques for a range of building types they might encounter in the community.

At Townsend Park, a 4,600-square-foot storage building was converted into a community amenity space with accessible washrooms, a potable water station, sport training equipment storage, and multi-use areas that can serve as changerooms or meeting space. That project used $375,800 of the funding.

The remainder went toward capacity-building studies and the early stages of projects set for substantial construction in 2026.

👦 Good news: four-year-old Ryan Atlas Andrews, who was reported missing from Langley on July 16, has been found safe. [Global News]

🔥 A new 300-hectare wildfire ignited south of Boston Bar on July 21, prompting urgent evacuation orders for residents in the Fraser Canyon. Highway 1 was closed and evacuees are being directed north. [Fraser Valley Today]

🏠 Court documents have revealed that RCMP officers intentionally set a Chilliwack home on fire during a 2023 armed standoff, marking the first and only time in Canada the tactic has been used. The BC Civil Liberties Association has called it "beyond reckless." [CTV News]

🚇 The public is invited to sign a time capsule concrete segment for the Surrey-Langley SkyTrain extension at Hillcrest Village Shopping Centre in Surrey on July 25. [Daily Hive]

💛 United Way BC is accepting donations to its wildfire recovery fund, which is supporting nearly 10,000 people affected by wildfires across the province, including evacuees from Boston Bar being received in Chilliwack. [Chilliwack Progress]

🏗️ Mission council has endorsed plans to rebrand the Mission Youth Centre as "The Forge," a youth hub for ages 12-24, with construction expected to begin in January 2027. [Mission City Record]

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Butterfly Release at Taves Estate Cidery: Pick up a butterfly pack and release it at Taves Estate Cidery in Abbotsford on July 25, with cider, mini horses, alpacas, and goats on site.

Breathe and Bloom at Whispering Horse Winery: A morning of breathwork and gentle yoga at Whispering Horse Winery in Chilliwack on July 25, followed by time to explore the winery's natural and biodynamic wines.

Hope Farmers Market: The Hope Farmers Market runs every Sunday at Memorial Park, with local growers, makers, bakers, and artists.

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