Fraser Valley Current

Friday - August 7 - The next great wine destination

Emily Edwards — Fri, 07 Aug 2026 13:00:00 +0000

☀️ High 27C

Good morning,

Worth keeping an eye on air quality this weekend — conditions have been variable across the Fraser Valley due to wildfire smoke, so check the Air Quality Health Index before heading out.

Wine lovers will be hoping things clear up well before the Fraser Valley Wine Collective's Summer Sampler at Chapter Estates on August 22. We sat down with Bobbi-Rhea Mackie from the Collective to talk about why she thinks the Fraser Valley deserves a bigger seat at the BC wine table.

– Emily

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Traffic & Weather

🌤 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.

News & Features

The Fraser Valley has great wine. Not enough people know it yet.

Photo: Fraser Valley Wine Collective

The Okanagan gets most of the attention when people talk about BC wine. Bobbi-Rhea Mackie thinks the Fraser Valley deserves a closer look — and she's working to make the case.

Mackie is the director of business development at the Fraser Valley Wine Collective, an organization bringing together local wineries, producers, and hospitality businesses to build a more cohesive wine culture in the region. On August 22, the Collective is hosting its second Summer Sampler at Chapter Estates Winery in Langley Township, with a mix of local and BC wineries, cideries, breweries, distilleries, and non-alcoholic beverage producers gathered for an afternoon of tastings on the winery's lawn.

The first Summer Sampler confirmed something Mackie had suspected: people aren't just looking to taste wine, they want to meet the people behind it.

"To us, wine culture isn't just about what's in the glass," Mackie says. "It's about the people, the land, the stories, the hospitality, and the relationships that bring a region to life."

Keep reading»

Summer Sound Off at Thunderbird Show Park, August 29

The Summer Sound Off is an all-ages live music event taking place from 5:30 to 11 pm at Thunderbird Show Park (6975 248 St., Langley). Enjoy an unforgettable lineup of country music featuring Brett Kissel and Chad Brownlee, along with special guests Karen Lee Batten and Morgan Griffiths. Tickets at tbird.ca/summer-sound-off.

Need to Know

😷 An air quality warning is in effect across the Fraser Valley due to wildfire smoke and elevated smog. An orange warning — very high health risk — covers Chilliwack, Agassiz, and Hope, while a yellow warning covers Abbotsford and Mission. [Fraser Valley Today]

⚖️ An Aldergrove man has been charged with dangerous and impaired driving causing death in connection with a 2025 collision on Highway 97 near Quesnel that killed a motorcyclist. [Langley Advance Times]

🔥 Around 70 firefighters responded to a second-alarm blaze at a Chilliwack apartment building on August 5, displacing dozens of residents. One resident and one firefighter were injured, and a cat was rescued from the building. [CityNews]

💔 Two people are dead after a collision between a commercial truck and an SUV at 256 Street and 16 Avenue in Langley on August 4. [CTV News]

🏊 The Cheam Leisure Centre pool in Chilliwack will be closed for scheduled maintenance until August 30, following an earlier closure in July due to glass in the pool and a boiler failure. [Fraser Valley Today]

🎨 Get hands-on at the Chilliwack Mural Festival, paint the Graffiti Jam Wall, explore the Mural Cube and visit the interactive AR installation.*

🏡 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.*

_{*Sponsored listing}

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🗓 Things to Do

Market at the Coliseum: A community farmers' market outside the Chilliwack Coliseum every Tuesday from 3–7 PM, with fresh local produce, artisan goods, and small businesses.

Wheel Throwing Classes at Stable Hands Pottery: A new six-session beginner wheel throwing course starts at Stable Hands Pottery Studio in Abbotsford, running Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday evenings over seven weeks. $350, all materials included.

The Golden Archies in Sunshine Valley: A 50s-themed community day in Sunshine Valley on August 8, with diner fun at Holiday Trails Resort starting at 11 AM and The Golden Archies taking the stage at Sunshine Valley Community Centre at 5:30 PM.

Community journalism needs the entire community for it to succeed.

Become a Current member today and join 1,400+ other local supporters who help keep our lights on.

As part of a membership, you get our special weekend roundup of all the things you might’ve missed each week!

Catch up

At The Offy, Hanna Budny built more than a restaurant

Nearly four years after opening her European-inspired Chilliwack gathering place, Budny reflects on hospitality, mistakes, community, and the connections that give food its meaning.

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The Fraser Valley has great wine. Not enough people know it yet.

Emily Edwards — Fri, 07 Aug 2026 10:45:16 +0000

The Okanagan gets most of the attention when people talk about BC wine. Bobbi-Rhea Mackie thinks the Fraser Valley deserves a closer look — and she's working to make the case.

The first Summer Sampler confirmed something Mackie had suspected: people aren't just looking to taste wine, they want to meet the people behind it.

"To us, wine culture isn't just about what's in the glass," Mackie says. "It's about the people, the land, the stories, the hospitality, and the relationships that bring a region to life."

The Summer Sampler is one piece of a larger vision. The Collective is working toward a seasonal series that follows the rhythm of the wine industry — a summer gathering, a close-of-season event, and a harvest celebration — hosted at different venues across the Fraser Valley to showcase the region's hospitality scene more broadly.

The Fraser Valley already has the ingredients, Mackie says. Exceptional wineries, talented food producers, craft beverage makers, and beautiful landscapes are all here. The gap is in how the story is being told.

"When people visit one great winery, discover another local producer, stay for dinner, return for another event, or make a weekend of exploring the Valley, that's how a destination grows," she says. "Building wine culture happens one relationship and one memorable experience at a time."

Wednesday - August 5 - The Offy is about more than food

Emily Edwards — Wed, 05 Aug 2026 13:00:00 +0000

🌤️ 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

Keep local journalism alive by supporting The Current. Become a Current Insider member today and help bring local stories to life.

Traffic & Weather

🌤 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.

News & Features

At The Offy, Hanna Budny built more than a restaurant

Photo: The Offy

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»

Experience Two Days of Live Music at the Chilliwack Mural Festival

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.

Need to Know

✈️ 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.*

_{*Sponsored listing}

The Future of BC Fruit

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.

Enjoying our newsletter? Help us make it even better!

Become an Insider member and help keep local journalism and storytelling alive in the Fraser Valley.

🗓 Things to Do

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

Community journalism needs the entire community for it to succeed.

Become a Current member today and join 1,400+ other local supporters who help keep our lights on.

As part of a membership, you get our special weekend roundup of all the things you might’ve missed each week!

Catch up

Langley City voters will weigh in on two facility expansions this fall

A non-binding community opinion vote will accompany the October 17 municipal ballot

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At The Offy, Hanna Budny built more than a restaurant

William Johnson — Fri, 31 Jul 2026 22:30:50 +0000

Hanna Budny, owner of The Offy in District 1881. (Credit: Havens House Photographic)

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

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

That idea is visible throughout The Offy. During the day, it operates with the brighter energy of a café and brunch spot. At night, it shifts into a dinner restaurant and cocktail bar. Its menu moves through European influences without committing itself entirely to one country, while the room is filled with unusual paintings, cheeky glassware, and objects that seem designed to make people ask questions.

Budny describes the restaurant almost as a living ecosystem: staff, customers, suppliers, friends, and strangers all contributing to the atmosphere and forming relationships around food and drink.

The Offy is approaching its 4th anniversary. (Image Supplied)

“It’s like a little world,” she says. “Everyone is part of it.”

It is a deeply personal vision, but Budny arrived at it through years spent inside much larger hospitality operations.

Born in Poland, she eventually immigrated to Canada with her family after an early and difficult attempt to establish themselves in Athens. Her parents were entrepreneurial out of necessity. In Poland, they found ways to make extra money by selling fruit. In Canada, her mother built a cleaning business and her father started a flooring company.

Budny began working in restaurants at 14. While studying food science at UBC, she continued serving before joining Browns Socialhouse, where she moved through nearly every conceivable position: host, expo, server, bartender, general manager, and eventually a regional role.

During her years with the company, she helped open more than 30 restaurants across Canada and the United States. She worked on training systems and helped guide incoming owners, operators, and chefs through the company’s pipeline. Later, she worked with Tap & Barrel as it opened Brehall in Vancouver.

She became fascinated by the discipline required to build not merely one restaurant, but an entire organization.

“There’s a level of skill that comes along with that,” she says. “A level of tenacity, perseverance, focus, intentionality. It’s a machine—but a human one.”

“I’ve never made so many mistakes in my life,” Budny says. “I think people on the outside see success or branding or social media, but it’s really hard. We’re humans too, as entrepreneurs.” (Credit: Havens House Photographic)

Outside work, Budny pursued a different kind of hospitality education.

She lived in Vancouver for more than a decade, immersing herself in the city’s restaurant culture. After completing clusters of openings, she would take extended trips abroad. She spent time in Chianti learning about wine and lived with a family at a Piedmont winery during harvest season, learning about Barolo and truffles.

Her travel was frequently organized around restaurants, cafés, bakeries, and wineries, although “organized” may be too strong a word. She preferred allowing one encounter to lead to another.

On her first adult trip to Europe, at 18, she and a high-school friend travelled to Spain. They would visit a local restaurant, ask where its owners liked to eat, follow the recommendation, and then ask someone there where they should go next.

“We didn’t plan anything,” she says, laughing. “We just followed people.”

A plan for dinner could turn into a seven-hour journey ending in a friendship that lasted years.

“That’s what food does,” she says. “It opens doors you didn’t know were there.”

It could provide a reason for people to sit together for hours. It could create a path into a culture. It could connect a traveller to a restaurant owner, who connected them to a bartender, who connected them to someone else.

This European understanding of hospitality—long meals, multiple courses, sustained conversation—would later become foundational to The Offy. But Budny had to leave the restaurant industry before she fully understood why she belonged in it.

Around seven years ago, she left her corporate job and bought a one-way ticket to Bali. She stayed for four months, completed yoga-teacher training, and learned to surf, partly because she could not stand that she had failed to get onto the board during her first attempt.

“I heard no a lot,” Budny says. “A lot.” (Imaged Supplied)

“I’m very stubborn,” she says. “If I can’t do something, I have to figure it out.”

She intended to leave hospitality behind. She launched an e-commerce company selling products such as scrapbooks online and returned to Canada to establish its banking and operations.

Then the pandemic arrived, and Budny discovered that the freedom of an online business came with a major drawback: she did not want to spend her life alone in front of a computer.

“I love people,” she says simply. “I really do.”

The detour gave her skills that would later help her operate The Offy, but more importantly, it clarified what she had been missing. She did not simply love restaurants because she was interested in wine, food, or service. She loved what happened between people inside them.

Opening one herself, however, was far harder than helping other owners open theirs.

Budny approached nearly every bank she could think of. Nearly all of them rejected her. Restaurants were an especially difficult proposition in the period following the pandemic, and lenders had become even more cautious about new hospitality businesses.

“I heard no a lot,” she says. “A lot.”

Eventually, a woman at BMO took the time to look further into Budny’s plan and experience. She called references, considered Budny’s history in the industry, and helped move the application through a rigorous process.

Financing from the bank and a government-backed program covered much of the build. Budny also borrowed from her parents’ retirement savings.

She now recognizes that a degree of naïveté may have been necessary.

“If I knew all the things that would come along this journey,” she says, “I don’t necessarily know if my brain would have the capacity to sit with all that and then be like, ‘Can I handle all these things?’”

Her experience had taught her how restaurants function. Ownership taught her what it feels like when every decision, mistake, conflict, expense, and livelihood ultimately arrives at your feet.

Budny calls the restaurant an “earth school.”

“I’ve never made so many mistakes in my life,” she says. “I think people on the outside see success or branding or social media, but it’s really hard. We’re humans too, as entrepreneurs.”

She pauses again. “And it’s humbling. Every day.”

It took time for Budny to warm up to Chilliwack, but now the city has impacted her just as much as she has impacted it. (Credit: Havens House Photographic)

The result has been professional growth, but Budny describes the change in more expansive terms: learning, healing, and a transformation of beliefs that once protected her but no longer served her.

Her relationship with Chilliwack has undergone a similar transformation.

“When I first moved here, I hated it,” she says, frankly.

Having grown accustomed to Vancouver’s restaurants, cafés, fitness studios, events, bike rides, and constant activity, she struggled to understand what people did in Chilliwack. The city was also different six or seven years ago. District 1881 did not yet exist in its current form, and many of the businesses that now make Chilliwack’s food and drink scene feel dynamic had not opened.

Budny had initially viewed the move as temporary. She would develop her e-commerce business and eventually return to Bali.

Instead, she met someone, remained in the community, and eventually opened The Offy. She now says she would not return to living in the city.

Instagram post

Chilliwack forced her to slow down. She began sitting by the river and walking the dike. She noticed the trees, berries, farms, and natural abundance around her. Without the same constant motion, she began hearing her own thoughts more clearly.

“The slower pace forced me to become more present,” she says. “And when I become more present, or I am more present, I am more free.”

Chilliwack changed Budny. Through The Offy, she has also helped change Chilliwack.

The restaurant introduced a European-style experience that did not neatly resemble what already existed in the city. Early guests encountered spritzes, wine flights, unfamiliar products, and a room that felt both elevated and deliberately strange.

Budny was determined to create something European-inspired, even if she did not know whether Chilliwack was ready for it.

“I just wanted it to feel like somewhere else for a moment,” she says.

The menu has included Polish dishes such as schnitzel and pierogies alongside ideas gathered from Italy, France, Spain, and elsewhere. Approximately 99 per cent of what the restaurant serves is made in-house, Budny says, and its bar program prioritizes quality spirits, including local producers when possible.

The Offy’s patio is a popular and scenic rendezvous for locals and visitors alike. (Credit: William Johnson)

Yet The Offy does not treat that quality with solemnity.

“We’re not saving lives,” she says with a smile.

The restaurant may serve serious cocktails, but it might serve one in a mug shaped like certain body parts of woman. The design is intended to create curiosity rather than intimidation. Budny wants staff to guide guests through an experience, not simply take an order and deliver a bill.

Instagram post

“People should feel taken care of,” she says. “Not processed.”

She has also learned when to adjust. The menu has evolved according to what the community responds to, requiring her to separate her own ego from the realities of operating a business.

Her method, she jokes, has often been to throw things against the wall, see what sticks, and repeat the process.

“That’s kind of my strategy,” she says. “Try it. Learn. Adjust.”

That process has sustained The Offy as it approaches its fourth anniversary this November. Budny can imagine opening another location—perhaps even two—but she does not yet know exactly what that would look like. Any future Offy would have to retain its individuality rather than becoming a copy of the original.

“I don’t want clones,” she says. “That would defeat the purpose.”

She is comfortable not having the answer.

“Maybe I’ll figure it out on a walk,” she says.

Perhaps, she suggests, it will come to her while she is walking along the dike.

After four years spent learning to make mistakes, listening to herself, and remaining open to where one connection might lead, that seems appropriate.

Friday - July 31 - Langley City voters get a say this fall

Emily Edwards — Fri, 31 Jul 2026 13:00:00 +0000

🌤️ High 28C

Good morning,

Abbotsford Agrifair opens today at Exhibition Park — stop by for pig races, the RCMP Musical Ride, a demolition derby, and more through Sunday. If the fair isn't your thing, there's also a free outdoor movie at Cultus Lake tonight and live music at Greendale Acres tomorrow.

– Emily

Keep local journalism alive by supporting The Current. Become a Current Insider member today and help bring local stories to life.

Traffic & Weather

🌤 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.

News & Features

Langley City voters will weigh in on two facility expansions this fall

Photo: Unsplash

When Langley City residents head to the polls on October 17, they'll be asked to share their views on two proposed community facility expansions alongside their regular election ballot.

The Community Opinion Vote — which is non-binding and separate from any official referendum — will ask eligible voters whether they support the city continuing planning work on two projects: expanding Timms Community Centre combined with a new Performing Arts and Cultural Centre, and expanding Al Anderson Pool to provide year-round access.

The vote is being held because both projects would involve long-term investments with property tax implications. The incoming council will use the results to understand community priorities before deciding whether to move forward with further planning, seek other funding sources, or take any other steps.

Keep reading»

Need to Know

🎰 A consortium of communities from the Ts'elxwéyeqw Tribe has completed the acquisition of Elements Casino Chilliwack from Great Canadian Entertainment, marking what the tribe calls a transformational milestone in its economic development. [Business Wire]

🔍 IHIT is seeking information after 75-year-old Larry Greig was found seriously injured in Langley on Canada Day following an altercation outside a licensed establishment. He died in hospital on July 9. [Canadian Press]

🛴 Chilliwack is reminding parents that e-scooters are illegal for anyone under 16, after reports of accidents involving children and a doubling of e-scooter-related emergency room visits at BC Children's Hospital over the past year. [City of Chilliwack]

🚤 Chilliwack RCMP used a drone to deliver a life jacket and a jet boat to rescue a man trapped in the swift-moving waters of the Fraser River on July 28. [Fraser Valley Today]

🔥 The Brunswick Complex wildfires near Boston Bar are not currently growing at a significant rate, though both the Ainslie Creek and Brunswick Creek fires remain out of control. Highway 1 remains closed between Spuzzum Creek Road and Jackass Summit. [Chilliwack Progress]

🎨 Discover the Chilliwack Mural Festival's live music lineup featuring local and touring performers, alongside murals, food, and family-friendly fun.*

🌿 New from Mateína: A zero sugar, organic yerba mate that delivers clean energy — no crash, no weird ingredients. Just plant-powered fuel that works.*

_{*Sponsored listing}

Enjoying our newsletter? Help us make it even better!

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🗓 Things to Do

Spencer Jo at JuveeSkate Night: Acoustic folk punk artist Spencer Jo plays a live set at HMI Skate Park tonight, as part of JuveeSkate Night. Free community event starting at 2:30 PM.

Abbotsford Agrifair: The beloved country fair opens tomorrow at Abbotsford Exhibition Park, running July 31 to August 2 with the RCMP Musical Ride, demolition derby, pig races, farm animals, and more.

Petersen Duo at Greendale Acres: The Petersen Duo plays a live evening set at Greendale Acres as part of the Sundown Music Series on August 1, with flower fields, food, and lawn chair-friendly vibes.

Community journalism needs the entire community for it to succeed.

Become a Current member today and join 1,400+ other local supporters who help keep our lights on.

As part of a membership, you get our special weekend roundup of all the things you might’ve missed each week!

Catch up

Wednesday - July 29 - A new Abbotsford park opens today

Plus, lane closures begin today on Chilliwack Lake Road.

Thanks for reading Fraser Valley Current today ♥️

If you found something useful, consider forwarding this newsletter to another local.

Help share The Current

Share via email

Langley City voters will weigh in on two facility expansions this fall

Emily Edwards — Thu, 30 Jul 2026 16:57:29 +0000

When Langley City residents head to the polls on October 17, they'll be asked to share their views on two proposed community facility expansions alongside their regular election ballot.

"This is an opportunity for voters to review what is being considered and provide input through the election process," said Mayor Nathan Pachal.

It's worth noting what the vote is not: it's not a referendum, and a yes vote does not authorize construction of either project. If a future council decides to proceed and borrowing is required, a separate binding approval process — either an Alternative Approval Process or a referendum — would still be needed.

The Community Opinion Vote follows several rounds of public engagement through the city's Invest Langley City initiative since 2025. Advance voting days will also include the separate ballot.

Wednesday - July 29 - A new Abbotsford park opens today

Emily Edwards — Wed, 29 Jul 2026 13:00:00 +0000

🌤️ High 23C

Good morning,

A new park opens in Abbotsford this morning: Cooper Hill Park on McKee Road, built around a natural ridge with panoramic views of the mountains and city. There's a ribbon-cutting celebration from 10 AM to noon if you’re free to stop by.

On a practical note, lane closures begin today on Chilliwack Lake Road for bridge remediation work running through August 17. And looking ahead, Hope RCMP is hosting its first ever open house on August 15.

– Emily

Keep local journalism alive by supporting The Current. Become a Current Insider member today and help bring local stories to life.

Traffic & Weather

🌤 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.

News & Features

A new Abbotsford park opens today

Photo: City of Abbotsford

y opens this morning in Abbotsford, and it's a little different from your average neighbourhood park.

The 3.3-hectare park on McKee Road was built around the site's natural topography, with an elevated gravel trail running along a scenic ridge with panoramic views of the mountains and city. Four benches are spaced along the trail for anyone who wants to stop and take it in.

The park was created by Polygon Homes as part of the development of the neighbouring Cooper Meadows community, and both are named after the Cooper family, who farmed the land from 1926 to 2020.

"From the beginning, Polygon's vision for this community has been to honour the natural beauty of the site while creating places where families can connect, explore and feel at home," said Neil Chrystal, president and CEO of Polygon Homes.

To mark the opening, the city is hosting a ribbon-cutting celebration from 10 AM to noon today, with the Brownie Bakers food truck, a StoryWalk along the trail, a scavenger hunt, mini golf, lawn games, and complimentary giveaways.

Cooper Hill Park is the latest in a series of new parks across the city, following the recent openings of Gilmour Park and the Crossley Park splash pad.

RibFest Langley, August 14-16

RibFest Langley is a summer favourite featuring award-winning barbecue from world-famous "Ribbers," live entertainment, a KidZone, and adult beverages. Admission is by donation, with 100% of net proceeds supporting Langley service organizations and Rotary projects. Join the fun at McLeod Athletic Park for one of the Township's tastiest annual events.

Need to Know

🚧 Lane closures are planned on Chilliwack Lake Road from July 29 to August 17 for erosion remediation work on the Tamihi Bridge, with single-lane alternating traffic during weekday working hours. [BC Government]

🔫 B.C.'s Independent Investigations Office is investigating after an Abbotsford police officer shot at a fleeing suspect during a property crime investigation on July 26. The man was later found dead in a Langley driveway. A second suspect remains at large. [CBC News]

🚓 Hope RCMP is hosting its first annual open house on August 15 at the Hope detachment, with cell block tours, police dog services, emergency response team demonstrations, and a free community BBQ. [Hope RCMP]

💧 Abbotsford and Mission will move to Stage 2 water restrictions on July 31, prohibiting lawn watering as dry conditions persist across the region. [City of Abbotsford]

🎡 A free shuttle will run between Cottonwood Mall and the Chilliwack Fair from August 7 to 9, with regular fares applying on all other routes. [Fraser Valley Today]

🏘️ Mission council has approved a development permit for a 156-unit townhome complex in Silverdale's Loftus Village, the second of six planned complexes in the development. [Mission City Record]

Enjoying our newsletter? Help us make it even better!

Become an Insider member and help keep local journalism and storytelling alive in the Fraser Valley.

🗓 Things to Do

Brews + Bouquets at Sidekick Brewing: Frankie's Flower Farm hosts a bouquet-building workshop at Sidekick Brewing in Chilliwack on July 30. All flowers and supplies included, no experience needed.

Abbotsford Agrifair: The beloved country fair returns to Abbotsford Exhibition Park July 31 to August 2, with the RCMP Musical Ride, demolition derby, pig races, farm animals, rides, and more.

Outdoor Movie Night at Cultus Lake: A free screening of E.T. at Main Beach, Cultus Lake on July 31. Bring your own chairs and blankets

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Catch up

Rosedale market closes temporarily

Xwchíyò:m Market will cease retail operations, but the building may be used for other community initiatives in the future.

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Monday - July 27 - Cheam First Nation's community market takes a pause

Emily Edwards — Mon, 27 Jul 2026 13:00:00 +0000

🌧️ High 23C

Good morning,

Chilliwack is mourning the loss of John Jansen, a former mayor, MLA, and decades-long community advocate who passed away this week. Flags at Chilliwack City Hall flew at half-mast in his honour.

On a lighter note, there's free youth basketball in Mission and a salsa class in Chilliwack on Tuesday if you're looking for ways to stay active this week.

– Emily

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Traffic & Weather

🌤 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.

News & Features

Rosedale market closes temporarily

Photo: Cheam Enterprises

Xwchíyò:m Market, an Indigenous community market in the Rosedale area, has been shut down temporarily. The market’s operator, Cheam Enterprises Inc., says the decision was made as part of its commitment to the Cheam First Nation’s economic development.

“When the market was established, the vision extended beyond retail operations,” Cheam Enterprises said in a statement last week. “We hoped to create a welcoming gathering place for community members while providing access to local products, services and employment opportunities.”

“Over the past several months, our team has worked hard to support that vision and provide a positive space for the community.”

Cheam Enterprises says that, despite these efforts, the market had “not achieved the level of financial performance required to operate sustainably.”

Keep reading»

Need to Know

⚖️ A hit man already serving life in prison for the 2022 murder of former Air India suspect Ripudaman Singh Malik has been sentenced to an additional 15 years for the unrelated manslaughter of an Abbotsford man earlier that same year. [Canadian Press]

🚨 Abbotsford police have released a composite sketch of a man who allegedly tried to lure two girls under 10 into his vehicle outside a Marshall Road apartment complex on July 22. Anyone with information can call 604-859-5225. [CBC News]

📊 Chilliwack has again ranked highest in Canada on Statistics Canada's Crime Severity Index, with a score of 134.3 in 2025 — well above the national average of 75, driven primarily by property crime, assaults, and drug offences. [Daily Hive]

🌻 A Langley farm owned by fourth-generation Ukrainian-Canadian Blake Venechuk has become a gathering place for Metro Vancouver's Ukrainian community over the past two years. [Vancouver Sun]

🕊️ Chilliwack City Council has expressed condolences following the passing of former Mayor and MLA John Jansen, who served the community for four decades across roles in local government, health care, and economic development. [City of Chilliwack]

🏆 The City of Abbotsford has been named a Best Place to Work 2026 by HRD Canada, achieving an 84% employee satisfaction rating. [City of Abbotsford]

✈️ A 53-year-old Abbotsford man was arrested after driving a motorhome through the fence and onto an active runway at Abbotsford International Airport on July 25. No injuries were reported. [Fraser Valley Today]

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🗓 Things to Do

Mill Lake Music — Unbranded Duo: The Unbranded Duo plays a free outdoor concert at the Kariton Art Gallery Stage in Abbotsford on July 28, part of the weekly Mill Lake Music series running Tuesdays in July.

Free Youth Basketball in Mission: A free drop-in basketball session for ages 12–18 at Mission Leisure Centre on July 28, supervised by Youth Engagement workers.

Salsa & Merengue Class in Chilliwack: A beginner-friendly drop-in salsa and merengue class at The Grand Hall in Chilliwack on July 28. $15 drop-in.

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Catch up

The Fort Langley Jazz & Arts Festival is back — but its free days may be on borrowed time

The ninth annual festival runs July 23–26, with free programming Saturday and Sunday.

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Rosedale market closes temporarily

Robyn Bell — Sun, 26 Jul 2026 05:07:48 +0000

“Over the past several months, our team has worked hard to support that vision and provide a positive space for the community.”

Cheam Enterprises says that, despite these efforts, the market had “not achieved the level of financial performance required to operate sustainably.”

“This decision was made as part of CEI's ongoing commitment to focusing resources on sustainable economic development opportunities that create long-term value for the Nation.”

The market’s retail operations have been paused, but the space will continue to be used by the First Nation for future community initiatives—it’s currently exploring new ideas, partnerships and entrepreneurial ventures for the building.

“CEI has invested significant capital into improving and maintaining the facility, and those investments will continue to benefit the community for years to come,” said Cheam Enterprises.

“Although this chapter has closed, we remain optimistic about the future.”

The company did not say when—or if—the market would reopen.

Friday - July 24 - Fort Langley's jazz festival is back for its ninth year

Emily Edwards — Fri, 24 Jul 2026 13:00:00 +0000

🌤️ High 27C

Good morning,

Fort Langley is buzzing this week. The Jazz & Arts Festival is in full swing, and the free weekend programming starts tomorrow — grab a blanket, head to the village, and stay for as long as the music keeps you there.

– Emily

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Traffic & Weather

🌤 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.

News & Features

The Fort Langley Jazz & Arts Festival is back — but its free days may be on borrowed time

Photo: Fort Langley Jazz & Arts Festival

The Fort Langley Jazz & Arts Festival opened its ninth year yesterday, bringing four days of music, art, and culture to the historic village. Two of those days — Saturday and Sunday — are entirely free, with live performances on two outdoor stages expected to draw thousands of visitors.

This year's free lineup is all-Canadian, featuring nine bands at the Fort Langley Community Hall Main Stage spanning gypsy jazz, Indigenous contemporary music, soulful grooves, and a Joni Mitchell tribute. The Youth and Emerging Artist Stage in the gardens of the Fort Langley Heritage CNR Station will showcase the festival's 2026 Rising Stars, Bea Lagrisola and Rowan, alongside other emerging Canadian musicians.

Beyond the music, the weekend includes face painting, a colouring station, an art show from the Fort Langley Artists Group, and paid workshops in acrylic painting, Salish weaving, and Mehndi.

What’s on»

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Need to Know

🫐 For the second time in a month, crates of blueberries spilled onto a Mission road during harvest season. The driver was ticketed for operating with insecure cargo. [Global News]

🚨 A 94-year-old Hope resident was defrauded by a man in a parking lot selling fake gold jewellery, the latest in a string of similar scams targeting seniors across the region. [Fraser Valley Today]

🚗 BC Highway Patrol is seeking witnesses and dash cam footage after a woman was killed and a man seriously injured in a single-vehicle crash on Highway 1 near Abbotsford early Monday morning. [Hope Standard]

🔥 The Brunswick Complex wildfires have grown to over 27,000 hectares combined, with 12 evacuation orders and four evacuation alerts in effect across the Fraser Canyon. Highway 1 remains closed for 45 kilometres between Spuzzum Creek Road and Jackass Summit. [Hope Standard]

🏡 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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🗓 Things to Do

Abbotsford Flea Market: A flea market runs every Sunday at Rogers Forum in Abbotsford on July 26, hosted by Lully's.

Sweet Summer Fun at Chilliwack Museum: Free daily drop-in programming at the Chilliwack Museum from July 28 to August 8, with hands-on activities, storytelling, and crafts inspired by Chilliwack's film and theatre history.

Mission Twilight Concert Series — The South Central Orchestra: The South Central Orchestra brings authentic 1920s New Orleans jazz to Fraser River Heritage Park in Mission on July 29, part of the free weekly concert series running every Wednesday through September 2.

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Catch up

Wednesday - July 22 - What $5M built in Chilliwack

Plus, a butterfly release and breathwork morning at two Chilliwack-area wineries this Saturday.

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The Fort Langley Jazz & Arts Festival is back — but its free days may be on borrowed time

Emily Edwards — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 17:05:04 +0000

The Fort Langley Jazz & Arts Festival opened its ninth year today, bringing four days of music, art, and culture to the historic village. Two of those days — Saturday and Sunday — are entirely free, with live performances on two outdoor stages expected to draw thousands of visitors.

Beyond the music, the weekend includes face painting, a colouring station, an art show from the Fort Langley Artists Group, and paid workshops in acrylic painting, Salish weaving, and Mehndi.

Ticketed headliner shows run across all four days. Thursday opened with the Daniel Hersog Orchestra alongside vocalist Joanna Wallfisch, followed by a sold-out Amy Winehouse tribute. Friday and Saturday feature the expanded Cool Blues Show at Fort Langley Community Park, now running two nights after last year's sellout. The festival closes Sunday night with Grammy-nominated, multi-Juno Award-winning vocalist Laila Biali performing alongside emerging artists.

The festival's free programming is at risk, however, if the current funding model remains unchanged. Rising operational costs, complex event planning requirements, and growing competition for sponsorship dollars are putting pressure on the festival.

"Whether you're attending a headline concert, discovering an emerging artist, or simply wandering through the village and taking in the music, art and culture, there's something for everyone," said Karen Zukas, executive director of the festival. "Keeping a festival like this accessible takes a community."

Wednesday - July 22 - What $5M built in Chilliwack

Emily Edwards — Wed, 22 Jul 2026 13:00:00 +0000

⛈️ High 28C

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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Traffic & Weather

🌤 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.

News & Features

Federal funding helped Chilliwack build roads, bike lanes, and a fire training tower in 2025

Photo: Unsplash

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.

Need to Know

👦 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]

Enjoying our newsletter? Help us make it even better!

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🗓 Things to Do

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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As part of a membership, you get our special weekend roundup of all the things you might’ve missed each week!

Catch up

Corn mazes, flower workshops, and live music: Greendale Acres has a big summer planned

The Chilliwack farmstead opens its new corn maze on July 29, with a full season of events to follow

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Monday - July 20 - Summer is officially on at Greendale Acres

Emily Edwards — Mon, 20 Jul 2026 13:00:00 +0000

🌤️ High 27C

Good morning,

Langley RCMP are asking for the public's help locating four-year-old Ryan Atlas Andrews, last seen Wednesday and believed to be travelling with his mother. If you spot a black 2021 Nissan Qashqai with plate RV003L, contact police immediately rather than approaching.

On a lighter note, summer is in full swing across the Fraser Valley — Greendale Acres opens its new corn maze on July 29, there's a free concert in Hope on Friday, the Yarrow Farm Market runs Friday evenings in Chilliwack, and a New Orleans jazz night in Mission next Wednesday.

– Emily

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Traffic & Weather

🌤 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.

News & Features

Corn mazes, flower workshops, and live music: Greendale Acres has a big summer planned

Photo: Greendale Acres

Summer at Greendale Acres officially kicks off July 29, and this year the Chilliwack farmstead has a new addition: the GOT CORN? Corn Maze, a family-friendly wander through towering acres of corn with hidden checkpoints and clues along the way.

The maze is included with regular farm admission and is designed to be enjoyed by all ages. It joins the farm's existing lineup of flower fields, train rides, fresh-roasted corn, and family activities that have made Greendale Acres a summer tradition for many Fraser Valley families.

The farm opens Wednesdays through Fridays from 10 AM to 6 PM and Saturdays from 10 AM to 8 PM, with extended hours for special events. Admission is $17 online or $20 at the door on weekdays, and $19 online or $22 at the door on weekends.

"The corn maze has always been more than an attraction for us," says Vanessa Oddy. "It's the moment that summer truly begins. Families return year after year, and every journey through the maze becomes part of their story."

What’s on this summer»

The Mission Folk Music Festival starts this weekend!

Come Find Your Folk this weekend at the 39th Mission Folk Music Festival, July 24-26 in beautiful Fraser River Heritage Park. Get your day, evening and all-weekend passes online now, or walk up to the gate. Gather your friends and family - a sublime summer weekend of brilliant music awaits!

Need to Know

🔍 Langley RCMP are asking for help locating four-year-old Ryan Atlas Andrews, last seen July 16 and believed to be travelling with his mother in a black 2021 Nissan Qashqai with licence plate RV003L. [CBC News]

🎷 The Fort Langley Jazz & Arts Festival returns July 23–26, but organizers warn its free programming could be eliminated from next year's 10th anniversary event without increased funding from grants, sponsors, and ticket sales. [Langley Advance Times]

🏒 The Abbotsford Canucks have named Ryan Papaioannou as their new head coach, following Manny Malhotra's promotion to head coach of the NHL Vancouver Canucks. [Sportsnet]

🚁 A large police presence including helicopters and an Emergency Response Team descended on parts of Maple Ridge on July 18, with RCMP confirming there was no threat to public safety. [Fraser Valley Today]

🔍 A cedar hat made in memory of a wildfire evacuee's late mother went missing during a hotel transfer in Chilliwack. Carol Sankey is asking anyone with information to call 604-860-9260. [Hope Standard]

🏡 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.*

_{*Sponsored listing}

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🗓 Things to Do

Six Gun Romeo at Memorial Park: Rock, blues, and outlaw country band Six Gun Romeo plays a free concert at Memorial Park in Hope on July 24, part of the weekly Concerts in the Park series running every Friday evening.

Yarrow Farm Market: The Yarrow Farm Market runs every Friday evening at Yarrow Pioneer Park through the September long weekend, with local food, flowers, wine, cheese, and handcrafted goods.

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As part of a membership, you get our special weekend roundup of all the things you might’ve missed each week!

Catch up

Langley City is looking for an artist to design its fall street banners

Gilmour Park brings a parkour structure, fitness stations, and a carousel to the.

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Corn mazes, flower workshops, and live music: Greendale Acres has a big summer planned

Emily Edwards — Mon, 20 Jul 2026 10:29:56 +0000

Beyond the maze, summer at Greendale Acres is packed with events worth planning around. The Chilliwack Corn Festival returns for two weekends — August 1 to 3 and August 8 to 9 — with corn-shucking and corn-eating contests, face painting, and live music. The Sundown Music Series runs every Saturday in August and into September, with local musicians and bands performing in the evenings.

For those looking for something more hands-on, Golden Hour Flower Workshops on August 20 and 27 offer a guided walk through the flower fields followed by a flower arranging session led by Greendale Acres owner and florist Vanessa Oddy ($45). Golden Hour Painting Workshops on the same evenings, led by local artist Silvana Kulyk, offer a step-by-step outdoor painting experience on the farm ($65).

The season wraps up with the Summer Send Off over the Labour Day long weekend, September 5 to 7, with a Watermelon Eating Competition, the corn maze, U-pick flowers, and the biggest concert of the season featuring Josh Petersen, The Rundown, and the Tanner Olsen Band.

Friday - July 17 - For the artists

Emily Edwards — Fri, 17 Jul 2026 13:00:00 +0000

🌧️ High 23C

Good morning,

Two Fraser Valley communities are looking for a little help this week. Langley City is searching for an artist to design its fall street banners — a paid opportunity with an $1,000 honorarium — and Chilliwack is hiring temporary election officials ahead of the October 17 municipal vote at $23/hour. Both deadlines are still a ways off, so worth a read if either sounds like your kind of thing.

– Emily

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Traffic & Weather

🌤 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.

News & Features

Langley City is looking for an artist to design its fall street banners

Photo: Langley City

If you're a creative based in the Lower Mainland, Langley City wants to hear from you. The city is accepting submissions for its Fall Street Banner Program, looking for two complementary designs that capture the feel of fall and the spirit of the community.

Selected artwork will be printed as street banners and displayed throughout downtown Langley City during the fall season, starting in Fall 2027. Themes of connection, local stories, landscapes, culture, and shared experiences are all welcome — the city is looking for designs that are bold, visually engaging, and work well at large scale.

The program is part of Langley City's broader investment in public art, using the downtown streetscape as a canvas to reflect the community's creative and cultural identity. For artists, it's a chance to have their work seen by residents and visitors on a daily basis for years to come.

Keep reading»

Need to Know

⚖️ An 18-year-old Chilliwack man has been charged with assault with a weapon and assault causing bodily harm in connection with the May 3 attack on Wells Road that left a youth with serious injuries. [CTV News]

🔍 Remains found in 2024 have been identified as those of Mary Gadbois, a Mission woman reported missing last month. Police say no criminality is suspected. [CTV News]

🌿 Seabird Island's Sq'éwqel First Nation has opened Thíytelh, a new 90-day bed-based substance use treatment centre for Indigenous and non-Indigenous young people ages 19 to 26. [Chilliwack Progress]

🗳️ The City of Chilliwack is hiring temporary election officials for the October 17 municipal election at $23/hour, with applications due July 29. [Fraser Valley Today]

🚗 A driver stranded for more than two days north of Harrison Lake after a single-vehicle collision was rescued by Agassiz RCMP and Kent-Harrison Search and Rescue. [Chilliwack Progress]

🌿 New from Mateína: A zero sugar, organic yerba mate that delivers clean energy — no crash, no weird ingredients. Just plant-powered fuel that works.*

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🗓 Things to Do

Franklyn Woods at Mill Lake Park: Alternative country artist Franklyn Woods plays a free concert at Mill Lake Park in Abbotsford on July 21, part of the Abbotsford Arts Council's annual Mill Lake Music series.

Community Creating at Sidekick Brewing: An all-levels watercolour workshop at Sidekick Brewing in Chilliwack on July 21.

Silverdale Creek Wetlands Audiowalk Unveil: Fraser Valley artist Maddi Krulicki unveils a public audio art piece at Silverdale Creek Wetlands in Mission on July 21, blending storytelling, field recordings, and meditation. Bring headphones and a device.

Community journalism needs the entire community for it to succeed.

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Catch up

Abbotsford's new Gilmour Park opens with a block party on July 25

Gilmour Park brings a parkour structure, fitness stations, and a carousel to the neighbourhood.

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Langley City is looking for an artist to design its fall street banners

Emily Edwards — Thu, 16 Jul 2026 12:45:17 +0000

The selected artist receives a $1,000 honorarium, with fabrication, printing, and installation covered by the city.

The program is open to artists 18 and older working in any medium — illustration, painting, photography, printmaking, mixed media, digital art, and more. Artists of all backgrounds and experience levels are encouraged to apply, with particular welcome extended to those from communities underrepresented in the arts.

The submission deadline is October 29, 2026.

Wednesday - July 15 - Abbotsford block party

Emily Edwards — Wed, 15 Jul 2026 13:00:00 +0000

☀️ High 28C

Good morning,

Abbotsford is opening a new park later this month — and throwing a block party to mark the occasion. Gilmour Park in the Marshall McCallum neighbourhood opens July 25 with lawn games, face painting, a food truck, and a scavenger hunt.

This week, there's a free outdoor screening of How to Train Your Dragon at Cedarbrook Park in Chilliwack on Friday evening and a brunch crawl at Ripples Winery in Abbotsford on Saturday — paired with a massive blowout sale of 20 years of décor and plant surplus. If you're in Langley, the Downtown Mural Walk is always there when you need a reason to wander.

– Emily

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Traffic & Weather

🌤 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.

News & Features

Abbotsford's new Gilmour Park opens with a block party on July 25

Photo: City of Abbotsford

A new park is opening in Abbotsford's Marshall McCallum neighbourhood later this month, and the city is marking the occasion with a block party.

Gilmour Park, located at 33932 Gilmour Road, officially opens on Saturday, July 25, with a community celebration running from 11 AM to 1 PM. The event will include lawn games, face painting, a food truck, a park-wide scavenger hunt, and complimentary giveaways.

Keep reading»

See you next week at the Mission Folk Music Festival!

Festival time is almost here! Gather your family and pals for a summer weekend full of brilliant music and friendly vibes. Come Find Your Folk at the 39th Mission Folk Music Festival, July 24-26 in beautiful Fraser River Heritage Park. Hear everything from Celtic and folk tunes to vintage bluegrass, Kyiv soul, fiery Métis fiddling, a dance-inducing Chicago street-style brass band, and so much more.

With over 25 acts on 5 stages (many shaded), there’s something for every ear plus the popular Festival Choir (join in!), Wee Folks activities, jams, dances, participatory workshops, Artisan Market, Food Court, and the Festival Bistro beer garden. There’s on-site camping and easy parking, too. It’s affordable and fun for the whole family – click HERE to find out more!

Need to Know

🎓 UFV's Peace and Reconciliation Centre has received a Silver Award from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education, recognized as the highest-ranked initiative of its kind from Western Canada and the Pacific Northwest. [UFV]

🚂 Two 18-year-old passengers escaped uninjured after their car crashed onto train tracks in Deroche on July 12 and was struck by a freight train less than a minute later. [Fraser Valley Today]

⛺ Sweltzer Creek Campground near Cultus Lake will not open to the public for the second year in a row, citing staffing challenges. [Fraser Valley Today]

❤️ An Agassiz family has raised more than $22,000 in two days for their three-year-old niece Callie Wouda, who was recently diagnosed with leukemia. [Hope Standard]

🌾 Langley's Woodlands 4-H Club will take part in the Aldergrove Fair from July 17–19, with educational displays, demonstrations, and public speaking highlighting members' year-long projects. [Langley Advance Times]

Enjoying our newsletter? Help us make it even better!

Become an Insider member and help keep local journalism and storytelling alive in the Fraser Valley.

🗓 Things to Do

Downtown Langley Mural Walk: A self-guided walk through more than 25 murals by local artists in Downtown Langley, available anytime with a map from the Downtown Langley Business Association.

Outdoor Movie Night at Cedarbrook: A free outdoor screening of How to Train Your Dragon (2010) at Cedarbrook Park in Chilliwack on July 17. Free entry and popcorn, with Beaver Tails on site from 8 PM.

Mini Brunch Crawl at Ripples Winery: Five brunch-inspired food stations paired with cocktail and mocktail samples at Ripples Winery in Abbotsford on July 18, alongside a massive blowout sale of 20 years of collected décor and plant surplus. $25 at the door.

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Catch up

Fraser Health records highest number of toxic drug deaths in May, but sees downward trend in 2026

Fraser Health was the only authority in the province to record a higher death toll in May 2026 than in May 2025.

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Abbotsford's new Gilmour Park opens with a block party on July 25

Emily Edwards — Tue, 14 Jul 2026 07:00:00 +0000

A new park is opening in Abbotsford's Marshall McCallum neighbourhood later this month, and the city is marking the occasion with a block party.

The 1,300-square-metre park was designed through two rounds of public engagement and sits on a previously undeveloped site surrounded by single-family homes, manufactured housing, and an apartment complex. It's designed for all ages and abilities, with a playground featuring a parkour-inspired agility structure, hill slide, universal carousel, and spinner, alongside three outdoor fitness stations and a shade shelter with a picnic table. New trees, rain gardens, and landscaping round out the space.

"This park creates a place where people can get active, spend time outdoors, and build connections with family, friends and neighbours," said Mayor Ross Siemens.

Gilmour Park is the latest in a series of recent park investments in Abbotsford, following improvements at Engineer Park and the new splash pad at Crossley Park.

Monday - July 13 - Fraser Valley drug deaths up

Emily Edwards — Mon, 13 Jul 2026 13:00:00 +0000

🌤️ High 24C

Good morning,

Hope is going all out for the FIFA World Cup Final this weekend with a free community celebration running July 17–19: concerts, live painting, football matches, and more.

There's also a night market in Abbotsford on Friday. And if you're already thinking about the following weekend, Chilliwack Ribfest returns to Vedder River Park July 24–26. UFV alumni should also read on for a community event later this month.

– Emily

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News & Features

Fraser Health records highest number of toxic drug deaths in May, but sees downward trend in 2026

Fraser Health recorded the highest number of toxic drug deaths in BC in May, according to new data from the BC Coroners Service (BCCS). Thirty-five people died in the health authority that month—12 more than the second-highest total, recorded in the Island and Vancouver Coastal health authorities.

Fraser Health was the only authority in the province to record a higher death toll in May 2026 than in May 2025.

However, the number of deaths so far this year is significantly lower than the first five months of 2025. From January to May, 166 people (25 female, 141 male) died from toxic drugs in the Fraser Health region, compared with 223 over the same time frame last year.

This downward trend was seen across BC, where 109 people died of toxic drugs in May—an average of 3.5 deaths a day. This marked the lowest monthly death toll in the province since February 2020.

So far in 2026, 630 British Columbians have died of toxic drugs—nearly 20 per cent fewer than the 775 deaths recorded from January to May last year.

The two substances most linked to drug deaths in Fraser Health are fluorofentanyl (a synthetic opioid more potent than fentanyl) and methamphetamine.

The BCCS says the death rate among people aged 19 to 59 has declined significantly in the province since 2021, while the death rate among people 60 and older has remained “relatively stable.”

Need to Know

🔫 A year-long Abbotsford drug investigation ended with 12 kg of drugs, a handgun, body armour, and $60,000 in cash seized. A 36-year-old man faces multiple charges. [CTV News]

🚰 A boil water advisory remains in effect for Hope's Silver Creek Water System after E. coli was detected, pending further test results. [District of Hope]

⚽ UFV is hosting an Alumni Night at the Langley Events Centre on July 24, with alumni invited to watch Vancouver FC take on Cavalry FC. [UFV]

👨‍⚕️ Abbotsford welcomed 26 new family doctors in 2025, with 80 per cent of residents staying local after training — a bright spot amid a broader provincial physician shortage. [Fraser Valley Today]

🔍 Abbotsford police are asking for help locating 32-year-old Ksenia Horsley, last seen July 11 near Sevenoaks Shopping Centre. Call 604-859-5225. [Fraser Valley Today]

🚁 A drone near the Brunswick Complex wildfire temporarily grounded all aerial firefighting operations on July 11. Flying drones within five nautical miles of a wildfire can result in fines up to $25,000. [Hope Standard]

Enjoying our newsletter? Help us make it even better!

Become an Insider member and help keep local journalism and storytelling alive in the Fraser Valley.

🗓 Things to Do

Kickin' It in Hope: A free weekend of community events in Hope from July 17–19, featuring concerts, live painting, a movie screening, community football matches, and a late-night shopping stroll along Wallace Street — all leading up to the FIFA World Cup Final.

Foodie Fest Night Market: A free evening market at 2884 Gladys Ave in Abbotsford on July 18, with local food vendors, shopping, and live entertainment from 4–9 PM.

Chilliwack Ribfest: The fourth annual Ribfest returns to Vedder River Park in Chilliwack from July 24–26, with BBQ, local artisans, and community entertainment. Admission by donation, with proceeds supporting the Chilliwack Huskers.

Community journalism needs the entire community for it to succeed.

Become a Current member today and join 1,400+ other local supporters who help keep our lights on.

As part of a membership, you get our special weekend roundup of all the things you might’ve missed each week!

Catch up

Friday - July 10 - Fraser Valley gets a slice of $9M housing fund

Plus,

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Fraser Health records highest number of toxic drug deaths in May, but sees downward trend in 2026

Robyn Bell — Mon, 13 Jul 2026 08:50:24 +0000

Fraser Health was the only authority in the province to record a higher death toll in May 2026 than in May 2025.

This downward trend was seen across BC, where 109 people died of toxic drugs in May—an average of 3.5 deaths a day. This marked the lowest monthly death toll in the province since February 2020.

So far in 2026, 630 British Columbians have died of toxic drugs—nearly 20 per cent fewer than the 775 deaths recorded from January to May last year.

The two substances most linked to drug deaths in Fraser Health are fluorofentanyl (a synthetic opioid more potent than fentanyl) and methamphetamine.

The BCCS says the death rate among people aged 19 to 59 has declined significantly in the province since 2021, while the death rate among people 60 and older has remained “relatively stable.”

Fraser Valley Current

Friday - August 7 - The next great wine destination

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The Fraser Valley has great wine. Not enough people know it yet.

SPONSORED BY TOURISM LANGLEY

Summer Sound Off at Thunderbird Show Park, August 29

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The Fraser Valley has great wine. Not enough people know it yet.

Wednesday - August 5 - The Offy is about more than food

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At The Offy, Hanna Budny built more than a restaurant

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Experience Two Days of Live Music at the Chilliwack Mural Festival

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The Future of BC Fruit

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At The Offy, Hanna Budny built more than a restaurant

Friday - July 31 - Langley City voters get a say this fall

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Langley City voters will weigh in on two facility expansions this fall

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Langley City voters will weigh in on two facility expansions this fall

Wednesday - July 29 - A new Abbotsford park opens today

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A new Abbotsford park opens today

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RibFest Langley, August 14-16

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Monday - July 27 - Cheam First Nation's community market takes a pause

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Rosedale market closes temporarily

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Rosedale market closes temporarily

Friday - July 24 - Fort Langley's jazz festival is back for its ninth year

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The Fort Langley Jazz & Arts Festival is back — but its free days may be on borrowed time

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Energy that hits different.

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The Fort Langley Jazz & Arts Festival is back — but its free days may be on borrowed time

Wednesday - July 22 - What $5M built in Chilliwack

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Federal funding helped Chilliwack build roads, bike lanes, and a fire training tower in 2025

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Monday - July 20 - Summer is officially on at Greendale Acres

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Corn mazes, flower workshops, and live music: Greendale Acres has a big summer planned

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The Mission Folk Music Festival starts this weekend!

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