Happy Friday! We've got clear skies and about 27 C in Langley today, with Saturday looking nearly as good at 26 C and only a slight chance of rain. Good weather for a busy weekend.
The Township election race is heating up, as Langley Strong has filed complaints with the chief election officer over Progress For Langley campaign videos shot at facilities under construction, along with signs it says went up before the legal sign period. Mayor Eric Woodward calls it a stunt. The underlying question of whether the rules land the same way on everyone is a real one, and voters go to the polls Oct. 17.
Saturday is stacked. Langley Pride Day runs noon to 9:30 p.m. at the Langley Seniors Resource Society, free and all-ages, with 30-plus vendors, live music, drag performances, and access on the 560 and 564. A short drive away, the Vancouver Bandits host the Winnipeg Sea Bears at 12:30 p.m. at Langley Events Centre with a trip to the CEBL championship on the line. And if that wasn't enough, the Vancouver Rise are hosting Calgary at Swangard Stadium for their annual Pride Match.
In regional news, the Langley Arts Council and stal̕əw̓ Arts and Cultural Society each landed $7,000 from Metro Vancouver, out of a pot that turned away most applicants. Local cat shelters say they are clear of a deadly virus spreading elsewhere in Metro Vancouver, and are urging vaccinations.
Nationally, Canada added 75,000 jobs in July but wage growth slowed to a four-year low. Ottawa is preparing to give ground on booze, autos and dairy before Wednesday's tariff deadline, and the dairy piece has direct implications for Fraser Valley farms.
Rival Township slates clash over construction site campaign videos
The Township election is two months away, and the two main slates are already fighting over the rules.
Langley Strong filed formal complaints on Aug. 6 with the Township's chief election officer. The complaints target Progress For Langley, the slate led by Mayor Eric Woodward.
At issue are a series of campaign videos posted to YouTube. Langley Strong says some were filmed at Township facilities that were still under construction, including the new Brookswood firehall and the soccer facility at Smith Athletic Park.
The Township's own bulletin on campaign use of its locations says public areas are fine during regular hours. Restricted spaces are not, and the guidelines specifically name areas under construction.
The complaints also flag Township logos appearing in the videos, footage of Coun. Steve Ferguson at his desk in the civic facility, and a staff-produced rendering of the future arena complex that allegedly turned up on a Progress sign. Township rules prohibit both logo use and staff-created images in campaign material.
The second complaint concerns signs placed on private property in Fort Langley around B.C. Day. The Township's bylaw only allows election signs from 21 days before voting day until four days after.
Langley Strong knows that bylaw well. Its own ads attacking Progress over municipal debt were pulled from bus shelters on June 25 for the same reason.
Woodward called the complaints an election stunt and said the other side only attacks and mocks. Campaign manager Derek Robson framed it differently, saying the question is whether the rules apply to everybody.
Strip away the slate rivalry and there is a real governance question underneath. An incumbent majority has something challengers do not: access to buildings, projects, and imagery paid for by taxpayers.
That advantage exists regardless of who holds the seats. It is exactly why the Township wrote those guidelines in the first place.
The test now is enforcement. Langley Strong's ads came down within weeks of going up, and the public will notice if a complaint against the governing slate moves more slowly or lands more softly.
The chief election officer is a Township staff position, which puts a civil servant in the awkward spot of ruling on the conduct of the mayor and four sitting councillors. Whatever the finding, it should be published in full and explained plainly.
Voters go to the polls on Oct. 17. Between now and then, both slates will keep testing where the lines are, and residents deserve to know the lines mean the same thing for everyone.
Langley Pride returns to Senior Resources Society on Saturday
Langley Pride Day is tomorrow!
The free festival runs Saturday, Aug. 8, from noon to 9:30 p.m. at the Langley Seniors Resource Society (LSRS) on 51B Avenue.
More than 30 local vendors and community groups will be on site. The day includes drag bingo, face painting, a photo booth, educational panels, and a lineup of live music and drag performances.
Food stalls open at noon and run until 7 p.m. A 19-plus beer garden opens at 5 p.m. and closes at 9:30 p.m.
Music comes from The Unbranded out of Chilliwack, Victoria pop-punk band Disaster in a Dress, Vancouver singer-songwriter Connor Roff, and Ernestine Day. Hosts Barb Snelgrove and Dandy will run the stage, with DJ Krista Mac on the decks.
There is no on-site parking, drop-offs only. Overflow parking is available at Blacklock Fine Arts Elementary on 206 Street, and the 560 and 564 buses stop nearby.
That parking setup is worth noting. A community event of this size leaning on transit and a neighbouring school lot, rather than a sea of asphalt, is what a walkable Langley actually looks like in practice.
Indoors you will find drag bingo, an "ask an elder" session, BIPOC and queer panels, accessible and gender-neutral single-stall washrooms, and a quiet sensory-friendly room supported by LET'S. Outdoor areas sit on generally even pavement with shaded seating, and people are welcome to bring their own chairs.
Organizers have a zero-tolerance policy for hate speech, harassment, and discriminatory remarks. Volunteers in green shirts are the people to flag if anything feels off.
Leave the pets at home unless they are service animals, since hot pavement is hard on paws.
Worth saying plainly: a free, accessible, all-ages Pride festival in Langley is not a small thing. It exists because people here built it, year after year, in a community where that welcome has not always been guaranteed.
Metro Vancouver grants bring $14,000 to Langley arts
Two Langley arts organizations are getting a boost from the region.
The Langley Arts Council and stal̕əw̓ Arts and Cultural Society will each receive $7,000 through Metro Vancouver's cultural grants program. The region handed out $300,000 in total, split among 40 projects.
Demand far outpaced the money available. Metro Vancouver received 129 applications asking for more than $1.1 million, which means most groups walked away with nothing.
The program runs off a dedicated reserve fund, so it does not touch the regional tax requisition. That makes the shortfall a choice about how much the region sets aside for culture, not a question of whether taxpayers can afford it.
Langley shelters watching closely as deadly cat virus spreads in Metro Vancouver
Two Langley cat shelters say they are clear of a deadly virus spreading in Metro Vancouver.
A Richmond animal charity warned this week about feline distemper, also called panleukopenia. The illness can kill kittens within days, and there is no medicine that wipes out the virus itself.
The Langley Animal Protection Society says it has not seen any cases in its animals, and CARES in Milner reports the same. Both shelters vaccinate new arrivals on intake and monitor them before they move into adoption spaces.
Vaccination remains the best protection, and the virus can survive on surfaces for up to a year without proper disinfecting. Owners who spot sudden lethargy, vomiting, or loss of appetite should phone a vet before showing up, so the clinic can prepare.
Pilates in the Park returns to Abbotsford in support of Best for Babies
Archway Community Services is bringing back Pilates in the Park on Saturday, August 29, from 11 a.m. to noon at Mill Lake Park in Abbotsford.
The outdoor fitness fundraiser, led by Club Pilates Abbotsford, raises money for Archway's Best for Babies program.
Best for Babies provides culturally sensitive prenatal and early parenting support, filling gaps in a health system that often leaves new parents scrambling for consistent, respectful care.
A minimum $10 donation is required to attend, and organizers say community pledges have been a key part of past years' success.
Canada adds 75,000 jobs as wage growth slows
Canada added 75,000 jobs in July, and the unemployment rate fell to 6.4 per cent.
That is the lowest rate in two years, and the third straight month of gains. British Columbia picked up 18,000 of those jobs, while Ontario led the country with 52,000.
The headline number hides some uneven results. Unemployment for Black youth sat at 22.6 per cent last month, compared with 11.6 per cent for youth who are not racialized or Indigenous.
Wages are also not keeping pace. Average hourly pay rose 2.8 per cent year over year, the slowest in four years, which means more people are working but their paycheques are stretching less far.
The bigger risk is still ahead. U.S. tariffs of up to 50 per cent on a wide range of Canadian goods are set to take effect Aug. 19, and any hit to trade-exposed industries would land on workers first.
Dairy on the table as Ottawa seeks tariff relief
Ottawa is preparing to give ground to Washington before an Aug. 19 tariff deadline.
Sources say Canada is willing to end provincial bans on American alcohol, lift retaliatory tariffs on U.S. autos, and make unspecified changes on dairy. In return, Canada wants the threatened 50 per cent tariffs dropped and relief on steel, aluminum and lumber.
The dairy piece is the one to watch here. The Fraser Valley, including Langley, holds a large share of British Columbia's dairy farms, and supply management is what keeps those family operations viable against far larger American producers.
No one has said what a dairy concession would actually look like.
B.C. Premier David Eby has flatly refused to restock American alcohol, and Prime Minister Mark Carney says that call belongs to the provinces.
Bandits defeat Edmonton, host Western Conference Final on Saturday
The Vancouver Bandits are one win from the CEBL final.
Vancouver beat the Edmonton Stingers 92-83 on Thursday night at Langley Events Centre, surviving a rough third quarter and a five-point deficit in the fourth. Mychal Mulder ended it with a corner three during Target Score Time.
General manager Kyle Julius was back on the bench for the playoff run, and he credited a sold-out crowd for the late push. Shamar Givance led the way with 20 points and seven assists, while Mitch Creek and Tyrese Samuel both posted double-doubles.
The Bandits host the Winnipeg Sea Bears in the Western Conference final on Saturday, August 8 at 12:30 p.m., with a trip to the championship game on the line.
Rise host Calgary Wild on Saturday for annual Pride match
Vancouver Rise FC are back at Swangard Stadium on Saturday for their second annual Pride match. The match is scheduled for a 4:00 pm start.
Calgary Wild FC are the visitors, and it is the third straight home game of an extended stretch. The last meeting between these clubs was a 6-0 win for Rise last September, one that helped set up their run to the NSL title.
Rise are looking to bounce back from a 4-3 loss to Montreal Roses last week. They led twice through Maithé López and Anaïs Oularbi before a rough 20-minute spell around halftime turned the game, and head coach Anja Heiner-Møller says the side needs more courage on the ball.
Saturday's match features drag performances, Pride-themed food, and local 2SLGBTQIA+ community groups on site. Kick-off streams on CBC Gem and YouTube, with tickets available through the Rise FC website.
What did you think?
Help us improve! Take a quick 60-second survey to share your thoughts on this article.
Take the Survey