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Happy Monday, friends!
This morning's roundup brings a mix of local celebrations and concerning national developments, from Mayor Pachal's new historical video exploring Langley City's Indigenous roots and spirit of independence to troubling revelations about Canadian companies profiting from human rights abuses.
As extreme heat warnings blanket the region, we're also seeing inspiring examples of labor solidarity with historic union victories at Amazon and Uber, while locally we gear up for downtown's Fork & Finger festival and youth entrepreneurship through Lemonade Day.
Remember that today and tomorrow are going to be hot, so please make sure to drink lots of water and limit your time in the direct sun (if possible).
Please remember to check in on family, friends and neighbours, who are at higher risk, particularly if they live alone, to make sure they have a cool space. If they don't, consider taking them on a trip to one of the drop-in Library events listed below!
Local Langley News
Mayor Pachal releases historical video celebrating Langley City's spirit of independence
Langley City Mayor Nathan Pachal has released a new video exploring the fascinating history of how the former Langley Prairie became a key crossroads for diverse communities seeking connection and autonomy.
The educational piece traces the area's evolution from its origins as a vital First Nations portage route through its colorful past involving gold smugglers, railways, and the Michaud family. The video culminates with the promise of a follow-up video on the city's incorporation and its history of urban progress (namely, it's insistence on paying for street lights).
The video promises to answer residents' questions about why the city's roads don't follow perfect cardinal directions and how landmarks like Portage Park and Glover Road got their names.
This historical storytelling represents an important step in recognizing the Indigenous history of the area while celebrating the working-class spirit of independence and urbanism that has defined Langley City's character from its earliest days.
Downtown Langley's Fork & Finger festival will bring record number of restaurants to McBurney Plaza
Downtown Langley's beloved Fork & Finger food festival returns August 23 with a record-breaking 30 participating restaurants offering special $5 and $10 features throughout McBurney Plaza.
The annual event promises live cooking demonstrations from local chefs, prize draws totaling $2,500 in Downtown Dollars, and for the first time, special $5 "Fetch & Feast" treats for four-legged friends.
Visitors can explore diverse cuisines from lamb koobideh to shrimp ceviche while enjoying live music from Ryan McAllister, making it the perfect celebration of downtown's thriving local food scene.
The festival represents exactly the kind of community-focused programming that makes walkable downtown cores vibrant gathering spaces for residents.
Young entrepreneurs get taste of business ownership through Lemonade Day Langley
Local youth will learn essential business skills through hands-on lemonade stand operations when Lemonade Day Langley returns Saturday, August 16, offering free participation thanks to sponsorship from Vitrum Glass Group.
The program teaches kids budgeting, marketing, customer service, and financial literacy through the MyLemonadeDay digital platform, with organizers emphasizing how participants gain confidence and leadership skills while earning their own money.
While the initiative celebrates youth entrepreneurship, it represents the kind of business-focused education that could benefit from incorporating cooperative models and community ownership principles rather than purely individual profit-driven approaches.
Langley Township revives 16 Avenue safety study to address dangerous corridor
Langley Township council unanimously approved a motion to examine implementing medium-term improvements from a 2016 corridor study for 16 Avenue, including traffic signals at major intersections like 224th and 196th streets and access lanes for high-traffic destinations.
The busy route, which connects to Highway 99 and serves as a major commuter and truck route to the U.S. border, has seen numerous serious crashes over the years, with vehicles regularly leaving the roadway despite a 60 km/h speed limit.
The study will explore costs and timelines for multi-year implementation of safety improvements, with council also considering whether Surrey or Abbotsford might contribute funding given the road's regional importance.
The report will be considered in the 2026 budget process as the municipality works to improve safety along this critical transportation corridor.
Regional Vancouver / Fraser Valley News
Environment Canada issues heat warnings across Metro Vancouver and Fraser Valley
Environment Canada has issued heat warnings across Metro Vancouver, the Fraser Valley, and much of southern B.C., with temperatures expected to reach 33°C in urban areas and 35°C in interior regions over the next two days before cooling Wednesday.
Local municipalities are responding with cooling centers at community facilities, libraries, and recreation centers, while health authorities emphasize checking on vulnerable neighbors including seniors, people living alone, and those with disabilities or chronic conditions.
The heat event underscores the growing frequency of extreme weather due to climate change, with WorkSafeBC reporting 315 heat-related workplace injuries between 2020-2024, particularly affecting outdoor workers in construction, transportation, and public works.
As Dr. Maulik Baxi from Fraser Health noted, this represents an opportunity for communities to practice solidarity by looking out for one another, encouraging the kind of mutual aid networks that will become increasingly vital as climate impacts intensify.
BC's pro-worker laws fuel historic union victories at Amazon and Uber
British Columbia witnessed two landmark labor victories this summer as over 500 Uber drivers formed Canada's first app-based driver union and Amazon workers successfully organized despite the company's illegal anti-union tactics.
These breakthroughs stem from BC's progressive labor framework, particularly single-step "card check" certification that allows unions to form when 55% of workers sign cards without employers getting time to run intimidation campaigns against organizers.
The province's reclassification of gig workers as employees rather than independent contractors has also proven crucial, though it exposes how platform companies still exploit workers by refusing to pay for the 40-60% of time spent waiting between jobs.
While these certifications represent major wins for precarious workers, both unions now face the tougher challenge of negotiating first contracts against corporations known for closing facilities rather than bargaining.
This highlights the need for even stronger protections like sectoral bargaining to prevent multinational giants from abandoning worker-friendly jurisdictions.
National Canadian News
Canadian company GardaWorld is staffing Trump's concentration camp
Montreal-based GardaWorld has secured an $8 million contract to staff Florida's "Alligator Alcatraz" detention facility, where experts say immigrants are held in concentration camp conditions without due process.
Despite whistleblower reports of detainees kept in "oversized kennels" without sunlight or regular showers, Prime Minister Mark Carney's government refuses to comment on whether it will continue the company's $100 million in Canadian contracts awarded since March.
This silence contrasts sharply with Carney's vocal criticism of Chinese ferry purchases, revealing how the Liberal leader keeps his "elbows down" when big business profits from human rights abuses.
The government's refusal to distance itself from a company operating what immigration lawyers recognize as a modern concentration camp exposes how corporate interests consistently override moral obligations under neoliberal leadership.
Air Canada flight attendants picket and threaten strike over poverty wages and unpaid labor
CUPE flight attendants are picketing airports to protest what they call "poverty wages" and unpaid work time, with 99.7% voting for strike action that could begin August 16.
The union highlights how Air Canada refuses to pay workers for time spent on aircraft when not airborne, representing a form of wage theft that keeps essential aviation workers in precarious financial situations despite the airline's massive profits.
Flight attendants could walk off the job as early as Friday after providing 72 hours' notice, as the union returns to bargaining talks with the corporate giant that prioritizes shareholder returns over fair compensation for the workers who ensure passenger safety.
Canada's Income Gap Widens as Low-Wage Workers Turn to Recycling to Survive
As Canada's income inequality reaches unprecedented levels, more people are turning to collecting bottles and cans just to make ends meet.
Vancouver's binning community reports seeing significantly more people recycling bottles and cans this summer, a trend that economists say reflects how low-wage workers are disproportionately affected by economic downturns.
The growing number of people sorting through trash to survive highlights the harsh reality that Canada's income gap has never been wider.
Members of the Binners' Project, which supports people who collect recyclables for income, say the increase in participants tells a troubling story about economic inequality in one of Canada's most expensive cities.
Sports News
⚽ Langley's Avery Dionne Leads Canada to U12 Soccer World Championship
Local soccer star Avery Dionne helped guide the Canadian U12 team to an undefeated world championship victory.
Dionne and his Nike Elite XI Academy teammates dominated the international tournament, going a perfect 6-0 in matches to claim the gold medal.
The young athletes showcased exceptional skill and teamwork throughout the competition, representing Canada with distinction on the world stage.
This achievement highlights the strength of youth soccer development in the Langley area and bodes well for the future of Canadian soccer. It also demonstrates the high level of coaching and training available to young players in the region.
⚽ Langley Considers Hosting World Cup Watch Parties for 2026 Tournament
Township officials are exploring the possibility of hosting public World Cup viewing events when Vancouver becomes a host city for the 2026 tournament.
With Vancouver set to host multiple games during the North American World Cup, Langley could capitalize on the soccer fever by creating community viewing experiences.
The 2026 World Cup represents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for local soccer fans to be part of the global celebration.
Community watch parties would allow residents to come together and support their favorite teams while building local excitement around the world's most popular sporting event.
Events Happening Today
Stitch Happens at Muriel Arnason Library
- Time: 9:30am to 12:00pm
- Location: Muriel Arnason Library, 130 20338 65 Avenue
Langley BC V2Y 2X3 - Description: Pack up your needles, yarn, crochet projects, or any other textile work, and head to Muriel Arnason Library.
Join members of all ages and abilities to share ideas, techniques, and good conversation!
Babytime at Langley City Library
- Time: 2:00 to 2:30pm
- Location: City of Langley Library, 20399 Douglas Crescent
Langley BC V3A 4B3 - Description: Make language fun! Start early with Babytime.
Help your baby develop speech and language skills. Enjoy bouncing, singing and rhyming with stories. Babytime is a fun, social bonding activity for babies and caregivers. This program is best suited to children ages 0 to 2.
Fuse Bead Creations at Murrayville Library
- Time: 2:00 to 3:00pm
- Location: Muriel Arnason Library, 130 20338 65 Avenue Langley BC V2Y 2X3
- Description: Join us to make your own fuse bead creation. Choose from provided templates or make your own fuse bead design!
Fuse beads are small, colorful plastic beads that can be arranged on a pegboard to create designs and then fused together using heat to create a solid piece. - Suitable for ages 8+.
LEGO® & More Builder's Club
- Time: 3:30 to 4:30pm
- Location: Muriel Arnason Library, 130 20338 65 Avenue Langley BC V2Y 2X3
- Description: We provide the LEGO®, KEVA Planks and Magformers and you bring your imagination!
Test your engineering skills and build amazing structures.
Drop-in fun for all ages.
Monday Crafternoon: Sock Puppets
- Time: 3:30 to 4:30pm
- Location: Aldergrove Library, 26770 29 Avenue Aldergrove BC V4W 3B8
- Description: Let your imagination lead the way. Get creative with a new craft project each month.
This month we will be making sock puppets with special guest puppeteer, Elspeth!
LEGO® Club at Langley City Library
- Time: 4:00 to 5:30pm
- Location: City of Langley Library, 20399 Douglas Crescent
Langley BC V3A 4B3 - Description: Love LEGO®? We provide the LEGO®, you bring your imagination! Come play, experiment and create. LEGO® Club is a fun afternoon program for all.
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