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Hello, friends! Happy Friday!
Apologies for missing yesterday's roundup. I was traveling all day and couldn't find the time to write, but we're back on track now.
It's a cool and cloudy Thursday in Langley with temperatures hovering around 5°C and rain showers in the forecast, so grab a jacket and some gloves if you're heading out.
This morning's roundup brings important opportunities for civic engagement, with both Langley Township seeking public input on their 2026-2030 financial plan and Langley City recruiting volunteers for council committees (application deadline is January 9).
Meanwhile, Castle Fun Park is bouncing back from recent flooding and reopening on Boxing Day, legal organizations are condemning Premier David Eby for attacking Indigenous rights court decisions, and BC Assessment has cancelled a controversial tax break for pipeline companies that would have shifted millions onto homeowners and small businesses.
We've also got updates on a retracted study on Roundup's safety, and Vancouver Giants forward Cameron Schmidt lighting the lamp four times in their victory over Victoria.
Please note that December 23 will be our final roundup post of the year, and we'll be taking a break until 2026.
Township of Langley Opens Doors for Public Input on 2026-2030 Financial Plan
Langley residents have an opportunity to shape their community's financial future as Township Council deliberates the 2026-2030 Five-Year Financial Plan.
The deliberations focus particularly on the 2026 Operating and Capital Budget, which will determine how taxpayer dollars are allocated across municipal services, infrastructure projects, and community programs over the coming years.
Council is actively seeking input from residents to ensure the budget reflects community priorities and needs.
This public consultation process represents a crucial moment for Langley residents to voice their opinions on spending priorities, from road maintenance and parks to emergency services and recreation facilities.
The Township is encouraging all interested residents to learn more about the proposed financial plan and provide their feedback before final decisions are made.
Langley City seeking volunteers for council committees
Langley City is looking for residents to join various council committees that shape everything from environmental policy to arts programming and urban design.
If you care about parks, community safety, accessibility, economic development, or local history, volunteering on a committee gives you direct influence over your community's direction.
The application deadline is January 9, 2026, so there's still time to get involved.
This is real democratic participation, not just token consultation.
One former Environmental Sustainability Committee member even went on to run for city council after seeing how much impact volunteers can have. After winning a seat on council, he successfully ran for mayor and has (obviously) had a significant impact on the direction of our community.
(Hint: this person is Mayor Pachal).
If you want a say in how Langley City develops and want to meet other community-minded people, this is your chance to step up!
White Christmas unlikely for Lower Mainland
Don't expect a white Christmas in Metro Vancouver this year.
While there's a slight chance of wet snow flurries Tuesday night into Wednesday morning, they'll likely only show up at higher elevations like Panorama Ridge, the Surrey highlands, and the usual spots on the North Shore.
Environment Canada meteorologist Brian Proctor says the region is transitioning to more typical winter weather, which means rain showers and breezy conditions rather than the heavy downpours we've been seeing lately.
Vancouver has about an 8 percent chance of seeing snow on Christmas Day, so let's temper our expectations for seasonal rain and wind instead.
🏒 Vancouver Giants' Cameron Schmidt Lights the Lamp Four Times in Victory over Victoria Royals
The Langley Events Centre's home team celebrated a stellar performance as forward Cameron Schmidt netted four goals in a commanding 7-4 win over Victoria.
Schmidt's career-high four-goal night included markers at even strength, on the power play, and even a spectacular shorthanded breakaway goal that sealed his hat trick.
The Dallas Stars prospect has been on fire lately, extending his point streak to 14 games while climbing to third place in WHL goal-scoring with 22 tallies this season. His 94 career goals now tie him with teammate Ty Halaburda for fifth place in franchise history.
The Giants dominated from start to finish, building leads of 2-1 after the first period and 4-2 after forty minutes before putting the game away with three third-period goals.
Goaltender Kelton Pyne made 35 saves in the winning effort, while teammates Tyus Sparks, Brett Olson, and Aaron Obobaifo also found the back of the net. The victory improves Vancouver's record to 15-17-1-1 as they prepare for their final two games before the holiday break.
Castle Fun Park reopens after flood, ready for Boxing Day
Castle Fun Park is bouncing back from the recent floods and reopening on Boxing Day, December 26.
The popular Abbotsford amusement centre was devastated by the 2021 floods and spent years rebuilding, but this time around, a protective concrete wall and dedicated volunteers with sump pumps kept the damage minimal.
Owner Brian Wiebe says the arcade, bumper cars, and go-karts will all be ready to go, and we can all breathe a collective sigh of relief that these floods didn't hit nearly as hard as the catastrophic ones four years ago.
If you're looking for a fun way to spend time with family or friends this holiday season while keeping your money in the Fraser Valley, Castle Fun Park is exactly the kind of local business worth supporting.
The reopening comes as a relief to both businesses and residents who rely on these facilities for accommodation, entertainment, and employment, with both venues aiming to be fully operational before the new year begins.
The swift recovery demonstrates the resilience of Fraser Valley businesses and the hard work of cleanup crews who worked tirelessly to restore these facilities.
While the flooding brought back painful memories of past disasters for many in the region, the community's response has once again shown the strength and determination that characterizes the Fraser Valley spirit in times of crisis.
Fraser Valley Regional Library Reveals 2025's Most Popular Books, Movies, and Music
The 2025 reading, watching, and listening habits of Fraser Valley library patrons have been revealed, offering fascinating insights into what captured the community's imagination this year.
Mel Robbins' self-help guide "The Let Them Theory" topped the adult books category, inspiring readers to focus on what truly matters while letting go of things beyond their control.
Young adult fans flocked to Suzanne Collins' "Sunrise of the Reaping," a gripping Hunger Games prequel set during the 50th Games, while children couldn't get enough of Dav Pilkey's "Dog Man: Big Jim Begins."
Meanwhile, "A Minecraft Movie" dominated video checkouts, and Canadian icons Blue Rodeo's "Greatest Hits, Volume 2" proved most popular with music lovers.
The popularity lists were compiled based on actual library circulation and checkout data from materials released in the past twelve months.
FVRL's reading advisers have also curated additional year-end recommendations, all available for borrowing.
The library thanks the community for another wonderful year of reading, watching, and listening, encouraging everyone to keep exploring their collection in 2026.
Abbotsford's Archway Community Services Reflects on Challenging Yet Hopeful 2025
The CEO of Archway Community Services has shared a heartfelt message reflecting on a year marked by both significant challenges and inspiring triumphs for the Abbotsford organization.
Rod Santiago's year-end message acknowledges the devastating impact of December's flooding on displaced families and the painful closure of Archway's recycling program, which resulted in 62 employees losing their income and meaningful work when the contract wasn't renewed.
Despite aggressive job-seeking support from Archway, the closure represents a significant loss for both workers and the community.
The organization has also seen unprecedented demand at their food bank as families struggle with high costs of living, though community generosity has remained strong.
However, 2025 also brought remarkable victories, including the July opening of the Montvue Shelter providing 30 people with nightly accommodation and support, with plans underway for a second Hearthstone building offering long-term supported housing.
The hiring of an Indigenous Knowledge Keeper ensures culturally relevant programming, while countless behind-the-scenes successes have helped clients with housing, anxiety management, English learning, legal issues, and escaping violence.
Santiago expressed gratitude for the community's unwavering support, noting that together, the community remains strong enough to weather any storm while looking forward to continued growth and connection in 2026.
Legal Groups Condemn Eby for Attacking Indigenous Rights Court Decisions
Premier David Eby is facing sharp criticism from legal organizations after calling recent court rulings on Indigenous rights "unhelpful" and "dramatically overreaching."
The B.C. Trial Lawyers Association and Canadian Bar Association say his public attacks on judges undermine the rule of law and threaten judicial independence, particularly after decisions on the Cowichan Nation's Aboriginal title case and the province's mineral claim staking system.
Eby, a former civil liberties lawyer himself, defended his right to comment on court decisions and rejected claims that his criticism weakens public confidence in the courts.
Meanwhile, Conservative opposition leader Trevor Halford says Eby created the problem by passing the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act in 2019 and now refuses to fix it.
The political attacks on these rulings represent a troubling retreat from reconciliation that, combined with growing residential school denialism, has made it politically acceptable again to strip Indigenous peoples of their rights in order to soothe the anxieties of the country's most privileged landowners.
BC Assessment cancels pipeline tax break after local government pushback
BC Assessment has backed down from a controversial plan to slash how much pipeline companies pay in property taxes, a move that would have shifted millions of dollars in tax burden onto homeowners and small businesses.
As we've been following for months, pipeline companies spent nine years lobbying to update their cost model, which would have cut their assessed values by up to 30 percent starting next year.
The Thompson-Nicola Regional District led the charge against the changes, warning that residents and businesses in their area alone would have been hit with an extra $1 million in taxes to make up for lost pipeline revenue.
Instead of dropping by $300 million as proposed, pipeline values in the TNRD will now increase by about seven percent.
This is a rare win for local governments standing up to the interests of large fossil fuel corporations and protecting working-class people from having to subsidize tax breaks for pipeline companies.
Study claiming Roundup is safe retracted after 25 years amid ghostwriting allegations
A foundational research paper that declared the weed killer glyphosate safe for humans has been retracted after evidence emerged that Monsanto may have ghostwritten parts of it and paid the authors.
The 25-year-old study was cited more than 700 times by scientists and regulators, including Health Canada, which used it to approve glyphosate use until 2032.
Environmental groups are now demanding that Health Canada review the science on the chemical, which is sprayed on 50 million kilograms worth of Canadian crops every year.
Health Canada is refusing, claiming they relied on other studies too, even though the World Health Organization classified glyphosate as "probably carcinogenic to humans" back in 2015.
This is yet another example of how corporate influence often attempts to shape the scientific research that's supposed to protect public health, and why we need stronger safeguards against industry ghostwriting and regulatory capture.
People who are actively employed now make up nearly one in five food bank visits across Canada, more than people reporting no income at all.
The Archway Food Bank in Abbotsford serves over 6,200 people each month (including 38% children) and needs to raise $1.3 million before year's end to keep providing nutritious food hampers to neighbours who've exhausted every other option.
Please donate to ensure no family in our community goes hungry this winter.
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