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It's a partly cloudy Wednesday in Langley with temperatures hovering around 11°C, but things should warm up nicely toward the weekend.
Langley City Council is moving forward with a new affordable housing fund tied to the SkyTrain stations at Willowbrook and City Centre, requiring developers to set aside below-market units for the life of the building. Council also tightened rules on vacant and derelict properties and streamlined approvals for smaller housing projects.
Meanwhile, Strong Towns Langley released a new video making the case for small scale multi-unit housing and calling out the Township's extra permit requirements as a barrier for families.
On the provincial front, The Tyee reports that the BC NDP broke its promise to close a property transfer tax loophole that lets billion-dollar corporate deals skip the tax that regular homebuyers can't avoid.
The B.C. Conservatives are also taking aim at union-only public project contracts, and the province has launched a task force in response to rising costs hitting Fraser Valley farmers.
On the community side, the Saran family's eighth annual bottle drive for the Canucks Autism Network is coming up April 25, and the Fraser Valley Regional Library is gearing up for Free Comic Book Day on May 2.
In sports, the Vancouver Giants have fired head coach Parker Burgess after one season, and Jake DeBrusk scored the overtime winner as the Canucks edged the Kings 4-3.
Langley City Council Advances Affordable Housing Fund, Tightens Rules on Vacant Properties
Langley City Council took several meaningful steps on April 13, including advancing a new affordable housing fund tied to development near the future Willowbrook and Langley City Centre SkyTrain stations. The fund would require all new residential projects within 800 metres of those stations to set aside at least 2.5% of units at rents 20% below market for the life of the building.
Crucially, the bylaw's language ensures the fund can only be used to create non-profit or government-owned below-market, non-market, subsidized, and special-needs housing. That is a welcome guardrail in a region where "affordable housing" commitments from developers too often come with loopholes.
Council also gave three readings to an updated Community Standards Bylaw that strengthens requirements for fencing and securing vacant buildings and properties, including those in a "derelict state or state of disuse." If property owners fail to comply, the City can now take remedial action and bill the owner directly.
In a separate move, Council finalized a bylaw allowing City staff to process smaller development applications, including residential projects of six or fewer units, without full Council approval. The goal is to speed up timelines for modest projects.
Small Scale Housing Could Keep Families Together. The Township Says Not So Fast.
The Province of B.C. wants families to build duplexes, triplexes, and fourplexes on lots they already own.
But the Township of Langley is adding potentially unnecessary hurdles that don't apply to other types of new housing.
A new video from Strong Towns Langley lays out how provincial Small Scale Multi-Unit Housing policy could transform neighborhoods for the better, and how local rules are getting in the way.
Under provincial law, homeowners can now build up to four units on a single-family lot with existing water and sewer service. That lets aging parents live near their kids, cuts housing costs by using land a family already owns, and gives each household its own mortgage on a stratified unit.
But the Township's new Development Permit Area bylaw requires homeowners to pay for a design consultant study before building small scale housing.
No other type of new home construction in the Township faces this requirement.
Strong Towns Langley argues the rule adds unnecessary cost and uncertainty, discouraging families from even starting.
The video also makes a strong fiscal case. Adding homes to existing neighborhoods uses roads, water, and sewer that are already paid for. That means more tax revenue without more debt.
Compare that to what Strong Towns Langley calls the "greenfield development cycle," where municipalities build new subdivisions on undeveloped land, underfund the infrastructure, borrow heavily to catch up, and rely on future growth to pay it all off. The result is incomplete neighborhoods and ballooning municipal debt.
So why would the Township resist a policy that saves money and helps families?
The video points to three reasons. First, some residents oppose any change to their street. Second, large developers see family-built housing as competition, since homeowners building on their own lots don't need a developer at all. And third, municipalities that depend on development fees lose leverage when families use existing infrastructure instead of requiring costly new builds.
Strong Towns Langley says small scale housing is how ordinary people shape their own communities, keep their families close, and let neighborhoods grow the way they always did, one home at a time.
Fraser Valley Regional Library Celebrates Comics for Free Comic Book Day on May 2
The Fraser Valley Regional Library is making a case for the humble comic book as a powerful literacy tool, and inviting the community to celebrate on Free Comic Book Day, Saturday, May 2.
Stop by any FVRL location to pick up a free comic while supplies last. The library is also launching a "Comic Clash Bookmark Battle" contest running throughout May, where participants can draw a three-panel comic about their favourite fandom with a book or library theme.
FVRL's graphic novel collections span all ages, from juvenile to teen to adult, and cover genres from memoir to horror to literary fiction. Comics build comprehension, visual literacy, and critical thinking, making them far more than "not real reading."
For a community institution that serves everyone for free, it is a reminder of what public libraries do best: make stories accessible to all.
Langley Family Hosts Eighth Annual Bottle Drive for Canucks Autism Network
The Saran family is hosting their annual bottle drive on Saturday, April 25 at the Langley School District office.
The event supports the Canucks Autism Network, which provides one-on-one support for children with autism.
This year's drive runs from noon to 3 p.m. and features a fire truck and police car for kids to explore, food trucks, and members of the Langley RCMP and Township fire department.
Donations of recyclable containers, cash, debit, credit, and online contributions are all accepted.
1,500 Guests Flock to Aldergrove Alpaca Shearing Event
An Aldergrove farm welcomed around 1,500 visitors over the weekend for its annual alpaca "fleece and greet," a two-day shearing event that doubles as a community fundraiser.
Guests got an up-close look at the shearing process while supporting local agriculture and community giving. It is exactly the kind of low-key, feel-good gathering that makes Aldergrove special.
If you missed this year's event, keep an eye out for next spring. The alpacas will be growing their fleece back in the meantime.
B.C. Conservatives Take Aim at Union-Only Contracts for Public Projects
B.C. Conservative MLA Kiel Giddens has introduced a private member's bill to end union-only requirements on public infrastructure contracts.
The bill is widely expected to fail, but it signals where the party intends to take the fight if it gains power.
Community benefit agreements, the target of the bill, are designed to ensure public projects create good jobs with fair wages, apprenticeship opportunities, and safer working conditions.
Framing these agreements as barriers to competition echoes longstanding corporate lobbying to drive down labour costs on publicly funded work.
For workers across the Fraser Valley, this is worth watching closely.
The outcome of this debate will shape whether public dollars continue to support decent working conditions or whether the race to the bottom on wages gets a legislative assist.
B.C. Launches Iran War Task Force as Fraser Valley Farmers Face Surging Costs
The provincial government has announced the creation of an Iran war task force in response to rising fertilizer and fuel costs hitting B.C.'s agricultural sector. So far, however, no new financial supports for farmers have been announced.
For Fraser Valley growers already squeezed by years of rising input costs and climate-related disruptions, the gap between a task force and actual relief is not a small one. Farmers need concrete help now, not just the promise of future study.
The cost pressures are being felt across the food system, and will inevitably be passed along to consumers, hitting lower-income households the hardest. How quickly the province moves from announcement to action will matter a great deal.
The BC NDP Broke Its Promise to Close a Tax Loophole That Lets Billionaires Skip Property Transfer Tax
A loophole lets corporations dodge B.C.'s property transfer tax by selling shares instead of property.
Regular homebuyers pay thousands, but billion-dollar deals pay nothing.
The BC NDP promised the BC Greens it would close the loophole in 2025. They didn't.
The developers' lobby group Urban Development Institute even celebrated the inaction as a win.
As The Tyee reports, the NDP doesn't even need new legislation to fix it. Existing law already lets the government act by regulation.
Vancouver Giants Fire Head Coach Parker Burgess After One Season
The Vancouver Giants, based at the Langley Events Centre, have parted ways with head coach Parker Burgess after just one season behind the bench. The club said results "fell short of expectations."
Burgess, 41, came to the Giants after leading the Muskegon Lumberjacks to a USHL championship and developing nine NHL Draft picks over two seasons. He was gracious in his departure, thanking the organization and the players.
The search for a new head coach is already underway as the Giants look to reset ahead of next season.
DeBrusk Scores Overtime Winner as Canucks Edge Kings 4-3
Jake DeBrusk netted two goals, including the overtime winner, as the Vancouver Canucks squeezed past the Los Angeles Kings 4-3 on Tuesday night.
The Canucks wrap up their regular season Thursday in Edmonton. It has been a turbulent year for the club, but the late-season energy has provided a few bright spots as the team closes things out.
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