Good morning, Langley!
If you're looking for something to do tonight, head down to McBurney Plaza from 6-8 p.m. for the kickoff of the summer concert series!
Jazz-folk duo His | Hers and the Cassandra Maze Band will be performing free shows with gourmet treats courtesy of local businesses. It's the perfect way to enjoy a Tuesday evening in the downtown core.
Meanwhile, BC Hydro is moving forward with plans to clear significant forest area near Brydon Lagoon for their substation expansion, despite efforts by local naturalists to minimize the environmental impact.
Across the region, we're seeing familiar patterns of corporate interests taking priority over environmental concerns, from pipeline companies dodging cleanup responsibilities to shipping expansion threatening killer whale populations.
On the political front, Conservative Leader John Rustad continues to face internal challenges as grassroots members clash with those pushing for a more business-friendly approach.
Local Langley News
Free Summer Concert Series Kicks Off Tonight at McBurney Plaza
The McBurney Plaza Summer Series launches tonight from 6-8 p.m. with performances by jazz-folk duo His | Hers and the Cassandra Maze Band, offering Langley City residents free live music and gourmet treats in the heart of downtown.
The family-friendly event series, presented by the Downtown Langley Business Association and City of Langley, will continue on select Tuesdays throughout July to create vibrant community gathering spaces during summer evenings.
Tonight's performers bring a diverse mix of cross-cultural sounds and contemporary grooves, featuring the husband-and-wife team His | Hers blending jazz, folk, and African influences alongside Cassandra Maze's polished band delivering soulful summer anthems.
BC Hydro Plans Major Tree Removal Near Brydon Lagoon for Substation Expansion
BC Hydro's expansion of the McLellan Substation will require clearing significant forest area near the ecologically sensitive Brydon Lagoon, with the Crown corporation retaining only 550 square meters of trees and a narrow buffer zone along their property line.
Langley City staff and the Langley Field Naturalists have been working with BC Hydro to minimize environmental impacts, though the utility's current plan still involves substantial tree removal in an area that supports local wildlife habitat.
BC Hydro has committed to landscaping and natural restoration work following the substation construction, but the immediate loss of mature forest cover represents another reduction in green space bordering one of the region's important wetland ecosystems.
Man Shot Near Willoughby Park as Police Investigate Motive
A 48-year-old man was hospitalized with non-life threatening injuries after being shot near Meadows Edge Park on Monday evening, with Langley RCMP still working to determine the motive behind the attack.
The incident, which occurred around 5:32 p.m. near 200 Street and Willoughby Way, led to significant road closures that disrupted evening rush hour traffic and forced commuters into residential neighborhoods.
Police are asking residents with dashcam footage from the area between 5:15 and 5:45 p.m. to contact investigators as the investigation continues.
Aldergrove Celebrates 50 Years as Birthplace of Ringette
Aldergrove is marking a significant milestone as the birthplace of ringette, celebrating the sport's 50th anniversary.
The popular ice sport, which was rooted in feminism and created as an alternative to hockey for women, first took off in this Fraser Valley community five decades ago.
It's a reminder that sometimes the most revolutionary ideas start in the most unexpected places.
Langley Little Theatre Showcases Working-Class Stories in New Playstorm Festival
Five original plays by emerging local playwrights will take the stage at Langley Little Theatre from July 16-26, featuring stories that reflect the struggles of ordinary people including a senior climate activist, a financially desperate birthday party performer, and a Canadian writer fighting cultural gatekeeping.
The new Playstorm Drama Festival provides an affordable platform for working artists to develop their craft and tell authentic community stories, moving away from the elitist theater traditions that often exclude grassroots voices.
With tickets at just $15 per show or $50 for a festival pass, the event prioritizes accessibility and community engagement over profit, creating space for both veteran performers and newcomers to collaborate in developing local theatrical talent.
Regional Vancouver / Fraser Valley News
Vancouver Building Inspector Scandal Exposes Decade of Conflicts and Bribery
A Vancouver building inspector spent a decade personally profiting from inspecting work done by a company he part-owned, while city management failed to document or address the obvious conflict of interest despite multiple warnings from staff.
The city's auditor general found that inspectors routinely receive bribe offers from contractors, with evidence suggesting the employee in question gave preferential treatment to certain developers while never making unfavorable decisions about their work.
The scandal highlights systemic failures in municipal oversight that allow corruption to flourish unchecked, putting public safety at risk while protecting the interests of developers and contractors willing to pay for favorable treatment.
BC Conservative Party Showing Fractures as Rustad Faces Leadership Crisis Over "Big Tent" Direction
BC Conservative Leader John Rustad is battling internal rebellion from grassroots members who accuse him of abandoning the party's populist principles in favor of a centrist "big tent" approach that mirrors his former BC Liberal affiliations.
Three former Conservative MLAs have left the party and formed their own organization after alleging Rustad "rigged" the party's annual general meeting with paid supporters, while riding association executives demand an external audit of the controversial proceedings.
The leadership crisis reflects a broader struggle between far-right populist members who want to maintain the party's anti-establishment stance and business-friendly moderates pushing for a more corporate-acceptable platform to appeal to centrist voters.
Corporate Shipping Interests Push Southern Resident Killer Whales Closer Toward Extinction
Southern resident killer whales face imminent extinction with only 73 individuals remaining, driven to the brink by corporate shipping expansion that prioritizes profit over marine ecosystem health.
Scientists have identified clear solutions including salmon habitat protection, noise reduction, and contaminant cleanup, but government recovery efforts have been hijacked by industry stakeholders who treat whale survival as a negotiable business interest rather than an ecological emergency.
The Trans Mountain pipeline expansion and Roberts Bank Terminal 2 project will dramatically increase tanker traffic through critical whale habitat, adding more underwater noise that disrupts the whales' echolocation hunting abilities and creating greater risk of oil spills in their feeding areas.
Unfortunately, federal working groups dominated by whale-watching operators and recreational fishers have reduced species recovery to a profit-balancing exercise that ignores the urgent scientific evidence for immediate action.
National Canadian News
Ruby Liu's Retail Revolution Targets Young Shoppers
BC billionaire Ruby Liu has ambitious plans to revitalize up to 28 former Hudson's Bay retail locations across Canada.
Liu is promising to share profits with landlords while specifically targeting younger consumers who have largely abandoned traditional retail spaces for online shopping.
Her strategy involves dragging digital natives back to physical stores, which is either brilliant or completely delusional.
Oil Giant CNRL Violates Environmental Deal, Faces No Penalties Despite $41 Billion Revenue
Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. broke its agreement with BC's energy regulator to deactivate thousands of environmentally hazardous pipelines, missing cleanup targets for three consecutive years while posting massive profits that could easily fund proper environmental remediation.
The BC Energy Regulator's toothless response of simply renegotiating the deal rather than imposing financial penalties reveals how corporate-friendly regulators prioritize industry relationships over environmental protection and public safety.
This pattern of regulatory capture allows oil companies to treat environmental laws as optional suggestions, leaving communities to bear the costs of contamination while corporations privatize profits and socialize cleanup responsibilities onto taxpayers.
Sports News
⚽ Young Vancouver FC Player Hospitalized After Head Injury in Professional Soccer Match
Seventeen-year-old Vancouver FC Eagles midfielder Emrick Fotsing was taken to hospital by ambulance after suffering a head collision during Saturday's match against Forge FC in Hamilton, though he had regained consciousness before leaving the field.
The Langley-based team rallied around their injured teammate, with coach Afshin Ghotbi praising the players' determination to honor Fotsing by fighting back from a 2-0 deficit, though they ultimately fell 2-1 in the away match.
The Eagles now turn their focus to Tuesday's crucial Canadian Championship quarter-final second leg against Cavalry FC in Calgary, where a victory would secure their first-ever semifinal appearance in the competition.
Events Happening Today
McBurney Plaza Summer Series
- Time: 6:00 - 8:00 pm
- Location: McBurney Plaza - 20518 Fraser Hwy, Langley, BC V3A 4G2
- Description: Join us on select Tuesday evenings in July for amazing live music in the heart of downtown Langley – McBurney Plaza.
Enjoy free, delicious, gourmet treats, sponsored by Discover Langley City. Events are family friendly and free to attend.
What did you think of this story?
Take our quick 2-minute survey to let us know how we're doing and what topics you'd like to see The Langley Union cover next.