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Good morning, Langley friends!
Tonight brings some exciting energy to Langley as Vancouver FC hosts a crucial Canadian Championship semi-final at Willoughby Stadium, marking a potential breakthrough moment for grassroots Canadian soccer.
Meanwhile, the broader Fraser Valley is watching developments in the FortisBC workers' vote to strike, where nearly 800 electrical workers are fighting for fair contracts after more than a year without agreements.
Closer to home, our community continues to show its heart through local fundraisers like Veronica's Gourmet Perogies supporting kids with cancer and the sold-out butterfly release at Krause Berry Farms.
With everything from adults-only pool nights to free outdoor movies happening this week, there's plenty to connect us as neighbors even as larger economic and political currents shape our region.
Local Langley News
Vancouver FC Hosts Championship Semi-Final at Willoughby Stadium Tonight
Vancouver FC takes on Atlético Ottawa tonight at 7 PM at Willoughby Stadium in a crucial Canadian Championship semi-final that could make history for Canadian Premier League clubs.
This marks a significant moment for Langley's soccer community, as our local stadium hosts one of the biggest matches in Canadian soccer.
Vancouver FC faces off against the capital city's team in front of what promises to be a passionate home crowd.
No CPL club has ever won the Voyageurs Cup, making tonight's match a potential breakthrough moment for grassroots Canadian soccer against the traditionally dominant MLS clubs.
Blueberry Perogies Power Community Support for Kids Fighting Cancer
Aldergrove's Veronica's Gourmet Perogies turned their weekend into a community rallying cry, with every blueberry perogie sold on August 9th supporting the Cops for Cancer fundraiser for pediatric research and Camp Goodtimes.
Owner Veronica Cave, who has organized this grassroots effort for 12 years, exemplifies how small businesses become pillars of working-class solidarity when the community needs it most.
The event demonstrates the power of local enterprise working hand-in-hand with public institutions to ensure kids facing cancer get the childhood experiences that money can't usually buy.
Happening Tomorrow: Township Offers Adults-Only Pool Night at Aldergrove Community Centre
The Township of Langley's "Sip 'n Dip" event tomorrow night (August 14) at 7 PM provides working adults a rare chance to unwind without kids at The Outdoor Experience pool facility.
For just $19.20 including a drink ticket, residents can enjoy a community-organized evening that recognizes the need for affordable recreation options for adults in our region.
The Township's Summer Nights programming demonstrates how public recreation services can serve diverse community needs beyond traditional family-focused events.
Free Family Movie Night This Friday Under the Stars in Fort Langley
The Township of Langley presents a free outdoor screening of "Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle" this Friday (August 15) at 8:45 PM at Fort Langley Community Park.
Families are invited to bring blankets and chairs for an evening of community entertainment that costs nothing but delivers the kind of shared experiences that strengthen neighborhood bonds.
This accessible programming exemplifies how public services should work, providing quality family recreation without financial barriers that exclude working families.
The Township's commitment to free outdoor movies demonstrates that entertainment doesn't need to be commodified to bring communities together under the summer sky.
DQ's Miracle Treat Day Turns Ice Cream into Hospital Support
Every Blizzard sold at Langley's five Dairy Queen locations tomorrow (August 14) sends proceeds directly to BC Children's Hospital Foundation as part of the chain's 23rd annual Miracle Treat Day.
The campaign demonstrates how corporate partnerships with non-profits can channel consumer spending toward genuine community benefit, with DQ Canada raising over $55 million since 1984 for children's hospitals across the country.
While the individual act of buying ice cream might seem small, the collective impact funds critical medical research and child-focused healing environments that serve over three million young patients annually.
Butterfly Release Brings Community Together to Honor Loved Ones at Krause Farms
More than 400 butterflies filled the sunny skies at Krause Berry Farms on August 9th as the Langley Hospice Society and Langley Lodge held their annual butterfly release fundraiser that sold out completely.
The annual event provides a meaningful way for community members to process grief and celebrate life, with participants like retired nurse Janet Dysart releasing butterflies in memory of close friends lost.
Organizer Kelly McClendon, who released a butterfly for his own mother who passed last year, emphasized how the fundraiser serves dual purposes of supporting local hospice care while offering healing rituals for those dealing with loss.
Regional Vancouver / Fraser Valley News
FortisBC Workers Vote Overwhelmingly to Strike Over Contract Disputes
Nearly 800 skilled electrical workers at FortisBC have voted to strike, with 84% support from electric workers and 99% from gas workers, after working without contracts for over a year while negotiations stalled.
The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 213 members have been without collective agreements since February 2023 for electric workers and April 2024 for gas workers, despite multiple rounds of mediation attempts.
Workers report becoming some of the lowest-paid utility employees in the province while facing increasingly demanding working conditions, even as FortisBC reported $300 million in profits in 2024 and its parent company distributed over $1 billion to shareholders.
The union says multiple trade organizations across B.C. have pledged to respect picket lines, reflecting broad support for the workers' push for fair compensation that keeps pace with industry standards.
BC's Most Successful Regional Development Program Seeks Expansion After 18 Years of Growth
Thirty-three First Nations have unanimously endorsed transforming the Island Coastal Economic Trust into a permanent, co-governed fund with genuine Indigenous leadership after nearly two decades of proven community-led success.
The Indigenous-led report reveals that ICET has contributed $67 million to hundreds of local projects since 2006, leveraging over $370 million in additional investment while supporting everything from food security to renewable energy initiatives at a community scale.
Despite three independent reviews praising ICET's impact and urging expanded investment, the BC NDP has repeatedly overlooked permanent funding, instead offering modest $10 million top-ups while pouring hundreds of millions into fossil fuel subsidies and large-scale extraction projects.
The First Nations recommendations call for real reconciliation through shared governance, guaranteed Indigenous representation, and sustainable funding that puts community-controlled economic development ahead of top-down government programs that fail to serve rural and coastal communities.
National Canadian News
Air Canada Flight Attendants Serve 72-Hour Strike Notice
The union representing around 10,000 Air Canada flight attendants has signaled its intent to strike Saturday by serving a 72-hour strike notice.
The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) component representing Air Canada flight attendants is now in a legal position to strike as of 12:58 a.m. Saturday, August 16. Contract negotiations have reached an impasse, with the union rejecting the airline's proposal for binding arbitration. Air Canada has announced it will begin cancelling flights starting Thursday to prepare for a potential work stoppage.
CBC Bows to Israeli Censorship on Gaza Coverage During Aid Drop Flight
Canada's public broadcaster agreed to Israeli demands not to film Gaza's destruction during a recent aid drop flight, while British outlet ITV defied the same censorship order and broadcast stark footage of the devastated landscape.
The CBC's compliance with Israeli restrictions represents another troubling example of Canadian media self-censorship that serves foreign military interests over public information, particularly as over 200 journalists have been killed by Israeli forces since October 2023.
While ITV showed viewers the reality of a territory where 69% of structures have been destroyed, CBC viewers were told they couldn't see "what's happened down on the ground" due to Israeli prohibitions.
Aerial footage filmed by ITV News shows the scale of Gaza's destruction | ITV News
This editorial capitulation undermines the CBC's mandate to serve Canadian taxpayers with independent journalism, instead prioritizing diplomatic relations over the public's right to witness the ongoing genocide that 52% of Canadians recognize as such.
Analysis: Canada's Labour Movement Faces Reckoning As Working Class Shifts Right
Canada's 2025 federal election exposed a troubling reality for organized labour: significant portions of the working class, including union members, abandoned traditional left-wing parties for Conservative populism, with some building trades unions even formally endorsing Tory candidates.
Despite extensive union mobilization campaigns like "Workers Together" and "Unifor Votes," the labour movement failed to prevent a measurable shift toward right-wing politics in working-class constituencies, particularly among skilled trades workers who backed Conservatives in 23 of 25 heavily trades-concentrated ridings.
The NDP's devastating losses and reduced influence in Parliament have left unions scrambling for relevance in Mark Carney's Liberal government, where they compete as just another interest group rather than wielding the political power their membership numbers should command.
Unless Canada's labour movement undertakes a fundamental overhaul of its political strategies and directly confronts the rise of working-class conservatism through education and grassroots organizing, the next electoral "bullet from the right" may not miss its target.
Sports News
âšľ Township Blue Sox Take Silver at B.C. Championships
The Township Blue Sox delivered an impressive performance at the British Columbia championships, earning a silver medal finish.
Despite falling short of the gold medal, which went to the Cloverdale Rangers, the Blue Sox demonstrated exceptional skill and teamwork throughout the tournament. The silver medal represents a significant achievement for the local baseball team and caps off what has been a successful season for the organization.
Events Happening Today
Fort Langley Knitting Group
- Time: 12:30 to 2:30pm
- Location: Fort Langley Library, 23430 Mavis Avenue
Fort Langley BC V1M 2S2 - Description: Pack up your needles, yarn, crocheting — or any other lap handicraft — and head to the library.
Join members of all ages and abilities to share ideas, techniques and good conversation.
Lazy Crafternoon
- Time: 1:00 to 3:00pm
- Location: City of Langley Library, 20399 Douglas Crescent
Langley BC V3A 4B3 - Description: Let your imagination run wild! Join us for an afternoon of cool DIY crafts for all levels of skill and creativity.
All are welcome, best suited for children ages 7 to 14.
Scrabble Club
- Time: 1:30 to 3:30pm
- Location: City of Langley Library, 20399 Douglas Crescent
Langley BC V3A 4B3 - Description: Come join us for a rousing game of Scrabble in the library. Friendly environment that welcomes new players.
All Ages Chess Club
- Time: 6:00 to 7:30pm
- Location: Aldergrove Library, 26770 29 Avenue
Aldergrove BC V4W 3B8 - Description: Calling chess players of all ages - those who want to learn, improve, meet other chess players, or just have fun!
Young children must be accompanied by a caregiver.
Canadian Championship: Semi-Finals, Vancouver FC vs Atletico Ottawa
- Time: Doors open at 6:00pm, Game starts at 7:00pm
- Location: Willoughby Stadium at Langley Events Centre, 7888 200 Street, Langley
- Description: Join us tonight when doors open at 6 PM, as Vancouver FC hosts a massive knockout clash at Willoughby Stadium. The Canadian Championship is where Canada's top professional clubs – from the Canadian Premier League to Major League Soccer – battle for the Voyageurs Cup and a spot in the prestigious CONCACAF Champions Cup.
Straight Speed Dating | Ages 27-36
- Time: 7:00 to 10:00pm
- Location: Farm Country Brewing, 20555 56 Avenue #5 Langley, BC V3A 3Y9
- Here’s what to expect:
🎟️Purchase your ticket! A ticket confirmation will be sent to your inbox.
🤩Dress code: Dress to impress - Our best advice is to dress in something you'll feel comfortable and confident in.
⏰Be on time! We recommend arriving 15 minutes early to check in with our host. Take this time to mingle, grab a drink, and meet the other singles. - So…how does speed dating work?
đź’¬Each speed dating event starts with a quick and fun game to help everyone meet and break-the-ice.
⏳In 8 minute intervals you’ll spend time getting to know each potential match.
📝Once you’ve spoken to everyone, you’ll fill out your scorecard and hand it back to our host.
❤️‍🔥Within 48 hours our team will reach out via email with exciting news about your potential matches from our event.
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