Table of Contents
The best way to help The Langley Union grow is simple: share this newsletter. Forward it to a friend, mention it to your family, or post it on social media and encourage others to subscribe.
It's a mostly sunny Tuesday in Langley with temperatures around 10°C, a nice break from winter grey.
Today's roundup covers significant local developments, including Langley City Council endorsing all seven recommendations from the Citizens' Assembly on community safety and a new 302-unit affordable housing project getting the green light.
In sports, Langley curler Donna Mychaluk swept her way to the BC Masters title, while the Vancouver Giants are warning fans about phishing scams using the team's name.
Provincially, the BC Greens have ended their support agreement with the NDP, and former Conservative leader John Rustad drew sharp criticism for inflammatory comments about First Nations at a DRIPA town hall.
Langley City Citizens' Assembly Delivers Seven Recommendations for Community Safety and Wellbeing
Primary and Supporting Recommendations from the Citizens' Assembly
Langley City Council officially endorsed all seven recommendations from the City's inaugural Citizens' Assembly on Community Safety, Wellbeing, and Resilience on Monday.
As a participant in the assembly, I witnessed 29 residents and business representatives come together over months of learning, listening, and deliberating to develop practical, evidence-based solutions that address complex community challenges.
The assembly engaged over 3,100 people through community forums, solution labs, public dialogues, and the Village Café Series, demonstrating that collaborative, data-informed governance can produce actionable recommendations that reflect diverse perspectives.
The assembly produced three core recommendations and four supporting recommendations that together create an integrated approach to community safety.
Core Recommendations
The assembly produced three core recommendations that together create an integrated approach to community safety:
- Resilient Neighbourhood Networks: Establishing people-first neighbourhood hubs and connectors to build social connection, emergency preparedness, and inclusion through connected neighbourhoods
- Advocacy and Service Navigation Framework: Creating integrated service access with trained navigators providing trusted pathways and warm hand-offs to housing, health, and income supports while informing municipal advocacy to senior government
- Balanced Safety Strategy: Pairing community safety visibility with prevention and early intervention guided by real-time data and community feedback to align enforcement with prevention
These recommendations recognize that safety depends not just on enforcement, but on belonging, trust, housing, health, and communication.
Supporting Recommendations
The four supporting recommendations address critical gaps in current systems:
- Mobile Integrated Crisis Response: Continued municipal advocacy to the Province of BC for secured funding to pair Fraser Health psychiatric nurses with RCMP mental health officers for coordinated crisis response
- Housing as an Anchor: Treating housing, especially affordable, supportive, and rent-geared-to-income options, as core community infrastructure by aligning City policy tools with senior government funding programs
- Citizens' Assembly on Housing: Establishing a future Citizens' Assembly to co-design practical, evidence-informed housing solutions that balance neighbourhood viability with realistic housing delivery across the continuum
- Responsive Communication System: Implementing plain-language, accessible information systems with multiple communication channels and a single front door for service requests with status updates
Together these seven recommendations address the fragmented systems that residents and frontline workers described, where people fall through cracks and repeat their stories to multiple agencies without receiving coordinated support.
Members developed guiding values of respect, inclusion, collaboration, learning, integrity, compassion, and courage that shaped their work. Council's endorsement moves these recommendations into Phase 1 implementation in 2026, with progress reported at three, six, 12, and 18 month intervals through the Healthy City Data Dashboard.
The assembly's work aligns closely with priorities identified at the June 2025 Community Forum on Community Safety, Wellbeing, and Resilience, where over 45 organizations identified wrap-around supports, coordinated services, homelessness response, risk data analysis, and food security as implementation priorities.
The recommendations demonstrate that Langley City's role is to convene partners, align policy tools and resources, facilitate sustainable solutions, and report outcomes rather than controlling work that sits within senior government mandates.
Standalone articles covering individual recommendations and implementation details will follow throughout the week.
Langley City Approves 302-Unit BC Builds Rental Project with 30% Below-Market Housing
Langley City Council greenlit a major affordable rental development at 49th and 200th that will deliver 302 units with 91 guaranteed below-market homes.
The BC Builds project includes ground-floor childcare, commercial space, and community amenities made possible through provincial funding and land donations from the Church of the Nazarene and Langley City.
Instead of a $1.2 million cash payment, the developer will provide a community hub offering 25 hours weekly of city programs including food security initiatives and recreation activities.
The updated design replaces institutional-looking metal cladding with standard residential cement fibre-board after community feedback.
Langley Curler Mychaluk Sweeps to Victory at BC Masters Championship
Langley's own curling champion has done it again, with a commanding victory at the BC Masters competition.
The local athlete demonstrated exceptional skill throughout the tournament, securing the provincial title in impressive fashion. Mychaluk's win showcases the high level of competitive curling talent emerging from the Langley area. The victory isn't just a finish line—it's a stepping stone to even bigger things.
The champion will next represent British Columbia at the 2026 Canadian Masters Curling Championships, scheduled for April. It's sure to be an exciting opportunity to watch Langley talent compete on the national stage.
Scammers Target Vancouver Giants Fans in Phishing Scheme
Hockey fans, beware: someone's playing dirty off the ice with a new scam targeting supporters of the Vancouver Giants.
The Langley-based Western Hockey League team has issued a warning about attempted phishing schemes using the team's name and branding. Scammers are apparently trying to trick fans into providing personal information or financial details by impersonating the organization.
The Giants want to make sure their loyal fanbase doesn't get caught in the net of these fraudulent activities.
As always, fans should verify any communications claiming to be from the team through official channels before clicking links or providing sensitive information. Stay safe out there, Giants nation!
Pender Island Fire Department Reaches 200,000 Followers with Viral Safety Videos
Pender Island Fire Rescue has built a social media following of nearly 200,000 people despite serving just over 2,000 permanent residents, surpassing major departments in Miami, San Diego, and Chicago.
Captain Todd Bulled transformed the department's approach in 2018 after realizing traditional safety posts were getting lost in the noise, pivoting to entertainment-focused content that pairs fire safety messages with humor and trending formats.
The breakthrough came in summer 2024 with a "Butt Patrol" mini-series featuring Canadian actor Bruce Greenwood tracking down a serial cigarette flicker during BC's devastating wildfire season, followed by a Twilight recreation that went viral internationally with nearly two million likes.
Bulled credits his 23-year-old son Hayden as the "secret weapon" behind the camera, bringing Gen Z understanding of social media algorithms and trends that have put the small Gulf Islands community on the global map while spreading fire safety messages worldwide.
Vancouver Makes Its Play for NATO Defence Bank Headquarters
British Columbia is throwing its full support behind Vancouver's ambitious bid to host a major NATO financial institution.
The city is competing against other Canadian and international locations to become the headquarters for NATO's defence bank, a move that would bring significant international prestige and economic activity to the region.
Provincial backing adds considerable weight to Vancouver's proposal, demonstrating coordinated government support. The competition is fierce, with multiple cities vying for the honour of hosting this important international institution.
If successful, the win would further cement Vancouver's status as a globally significant city and strengthen Canada's NATO ties. Fingers crossed that the West Coast charm wins the day!
Highway 1 On-Ramp Closure Began Monday Night in Abbotsford for Tree Clearing
The Highway 11 southbound on-ramp to Highway 1 westbound in Abbotsford will close nightly starting just before midnight Monday, February 9 through Thursday, February 19 as part of ongoing highway widening construction.
The BC Ministry of Transportation says closures will run from approximately 11:59 PM until 4:30 AM each night to facilitate safe tree clearing, with traffic diverted south and motorists facing short detours and minor delays to return to westbound travel.
Highway 11 speed limits will drop to 50 km/h during construction, with additional intermittent lane closures on Highway 1 eastbound from 9 PM to 4:30 AM on weekdays (7 AM weekends) and westbound from 8:30 PM to 4:30 AM on weekdays (9 PM to 7 AM weekends).
The ministry notes some work is weather-dependent and timing may change, urging drivers to allow extra travel time and watch for roadside workers during this phase of the Fraser Valley highway widening project.
Stranded Canadian Tourists Await Evacuation as Cuba Energy Crisis Deepens
Canadian vacationers in Cuba are facing an anxious wait for flights home as a severe energy crisis grips the island nation.
A US oil blockade has triggered widespread fuel shortages, causing cascading disruptions throughout Cuba's infrastructure and economy.
Major Canadian airlines have already begun adjusting their flight schedules in response to the deteriorating situation on the ground.
Tourists are dealing with power outages, limited services, and uncertainty about when they'll be able to return home.
Global Affairs Canada is monitoring the situation, and affected travelers are being advised to stay in contact with their airlines and register with the government.
It's an unfortunate reminder of how quickly political tensions can impact ordinary people just trying to enjoy a vacation.
Ukrainian Refugees Push for Permanent Status as War Continues
Thousands of Ukrainians who fled to Canada are now seeking permanent residency as Russia's brutal invasion grinds on with no end in sight.
Roksolana Kryshtanovych, like many others, never imagined leaving her homeland until Russian aggression made returning impossible. The ongoing war has transformed what many expected to be temporary refuge into long-term displacement.
These people have built new lives in Canada, finding jobs, enrolling children in schools, and integrating into communities, but they remain in immigration limbo.
Advocates are urging the federal government to create a clear pathway to permanent residency for these displaced Ukrainians.
After rebuilding their lives here, they deserve the security and stability that comes with knowing Canada is truly their new home.
Rustad Claims "First Nations Wouldn't Exist Without Canada" at DRIPA Town Hall
Former BC Conservative leader John Rustad drew gasps and accusations of fearmongering at a Smithers town hall Saturday when he claimed First Nations "wouldn't exist without Canada."
He suggested Americans would have invaded without British support. Rustad held the event alongside MLAs Sharon Hartwell and Bruce Banman to criticize BC's Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act despite voting for the unanimous 2019 legislation.
About 100 people packed the legion hall while a dozen more were turned away, including former MLA Nathan Cullen.
Wet'suwet'en Hereditary Chiefs, Witset First Nation Chief Elgin Cutler, and community members strongly defended DRIPA.
Speakers called out Rustad's "hateful rhetoric" and misinformation. Tahltan Nation senior executive Nalaine Morin emphasized the legislation addresses harms from colonization rather than creating division.
The anti-Indigenous fearmongering continued as Rustad falsely claimed Aboriginal title and private property "cannot coexist" regarding the Cowichan Tribes decision.
He suggested renewing Confederation to change Section 35 constitutional protections.
Audience members corrected him when he misrepresented the first-ever DRIPA joint decision-making process that reopened the Eskay Creek mine last month.
BC Greens End Support Deal with NDP, Citing Policy Failures and Corporate Influence
The BC Green Party terminated its formal legislative support agreement with the NDP on Monday, accusing the government of ceding values to corporate interests and failing to support workers or challenge wealth inequality.
Green Leader Emily Lowan criticized the NDP for not fighting for unions or standing up to the one percent, while MLAs Rob Botterell and Jeremy Valeriote cited broken 2025 commitments on regional transit, public mental health coverage, community health centres, and social assistance reviews.
The move came just 15 minutes after Premier David Eby told reporters the government was working to renew the Cooperation and Responsible Government Accord, which had guaranteed Green support on confidence votes in exchange for progress on health care, climate change, and affordable housing.
Despite ending the formal agreement, this does not signal an imminent election as the NDP holds 47 of 93 legislative seats and will continue working with the Greens on an issue-by-issue basis, though the abrupt reversal from October's praise for the accord signals the party's renewed effort to position itself as a legitimate policy alternative offering stronger challenges to corporate power than either major party.
Doctors Sound Alarm on AI-Generated Health Misinformation
The Canadian Medical Association is raising red flags about a troubling trend: patients increasingly turning to artificial intelligence for health advice.
Physicians across the country report growing concerns that AI-generated medical information is leading patients astray, sometimes with dangerous consequences. While AI can be a useful tool when properly applied, these systems can also generate convincing-sounding but completely incorrect medical advice. Doctors worry that patients may delay proper treatment or make harmful decisions based on AI recommendations that lack the nuance and expertise of trained medical professionals.
The CMA is urging patients to view AI health information with healthy skepticism and always consult with actual healthcare providers. Remember, folks: Dr. Google is bad enough, but Dr. ChatGPT might be even worse!
Canada Claims Silver in Olympic Short-Track Speedskating Team Relay
Team Canada has added another medal to its tally at the Milan Cortina Olympics with a silver in short-track speedskating.
The Canadian mixed team relay squad delivered a strong performance to secure second place on the podium in this exciting event. This marks Canada's third medal overall at these Winter Games, building momentum for the home team.
Short-track speedskating has long been a strength for Canada, with the thrilling, fast-paced racing producing numerous Olympic heroes over the years.
While gold would have been sweeter, silver is still a tremendous achievement at the Olympic level. Congratulations to the team for representing Canada with skill and determination!
What did you think?
Help us improve! Take a quick 60-second survey to share your thoughts on this article.
Take the Survey