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It's a partly cloudy Wednesday in Langley with temperatures hovering around 8°C.
Today's roundup leads with the tragic news from the north, as a mass shooting at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School has left eight people dead, including five students and one educator.
Closer to home, there's good news: a missing Langley teen has been found safe after a brief search.
TransLink is asking for public input on the next 15 years of transit planning for the South Fraser region, and the Aldergrove Community Market is gearing up for another season.
On the sports front, Blue Jays pitchers and catchers have reported to spring training, and Team Canada is chasing multiple medals at the Milano Olympics.
Langley Teen Found Safe After Going Missing Earlier This Week
A 14-year-old Langley resident who had been reported missing has been located and is safe, RCMP confirmed Tuesday evening.
The teenager was initially reported missing on Monday, February 9, prompting local police to issue a public appeal for assistance in locating them.
The RCMP thanked the community for their help and vigilance during the search, which concluded successfully just over a day after the initial report was filed. Fortunately, the teen appears to be in good health and has been reunited with their family.
While specific details about the circumstances surrounding the disappearance have not been released to protect the minor's privacy, authorities have confirmed that there are no suspicious circumstances involved.
TransLink Wants Your Input on the Next 15 Years of Langley Transit
TransLink launched a public survey this week to shape transit planning for Langley and surrounding areas through 2040.
The South of Fraser East Area Transport Plan will guide decisions on bus routes, cycling infrastructure, and how the Surrey-Langley SkyTrain connects to the broader network when it opens in late 2029.
The region has grown significantly since the last plan in 2007, and transit needs to catch up.
The online survey runs until Feb. 27 at translink.ca/sofe.
Aldergrove Community Market Gears Up for Another Season
The Aldergrove Community Market is officially calling for vendors as organizers prepare for another vibrant season of local shopping and community gathering.
This year's market dates have been set, and organizers are looking to fill vendor spots with a diverse mix of local artisans, farmers, food producers, and craftspeople. The popular community event has become a staple of Aldergrove's social calendar, drawing shoppers and families looking for locally-made goods, fresh produce, and that special small-town market atmosphere.
Vendors interested in participating can expect the same welcoming environment that has made the Aldergrove market a favorite among both sellers and shoppers alike. Whether you're selling homemade preserves, handcrafted jewelry, fresh vegetables, or baked goods, the market offers an excellent opportunity to connect directly with the community.
Those interested in securing a vendor spot are encouraged to reach out to organizers sooner rather than later, as spaces typically fill up quickly once the word gets out.
Langley Lodge Seeks Community Leaders for Board Positions
The Langley Care Society, which operates Langley Lodge, is recruiting dedicated community members to join its Board of Directors.
Founded in 1971, the non-profit organization provides long-term complex care for 139 seniors, focusing on both physical and emotional well-being through a compassionate care model. The organization is seeking individuals with leadership experience and a genuine commitment to supporting high-quality care for older adults in the community.
Board members will provide governance oversight, contribute to strategic planning, and serve as ambassadors for residents and their families—a role that carries both responsibility and deep community impact. The commitment involves attending six board meetings annually, participating in committees and strategic planning sessions, and engaging in key events, totaling approximately 5-10 volunteer hours per month.
The society welcomes applicants from diverse professional backgrounds including healthcare, finance, legal, fundraising, and human resources. Interested candidates should submit their resume and cover letter to Gabriela Matute at gmatute@langleylodge.org with the subject line "Board Recruitment Application – Your Name."
Groundbreaking Kelp Restoration Project Launches in Tofino Waters
A pioneering $240,000 kelp restoration project in Clayoquot Sound aims to rebuild vital salmon habitat and restore marine ecosystem health.
The initiative represents a partnership between the Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation and conservation organizations, focusing on re-establishing kelp forests that provide crucial habitat for juvenile salmon and countless other marine species. Kelp forests serve as underwater nurseries, offering shelter and food sources that are essential for healthy salmon populations—which have declined dramatically in recent decades.
By restoring these underwater forests, the project hopes to create a cascade of positive ecological effects that will benefit not just salmon, but the entire marine food web, including orcas and other species that depend on healthy salmon runs. The work involves careful cultivation and transplanting of kelp, along with monitoring to ensure the restoration efforts take root successfully.
This groundbreaking approach to salmon recovery represents a shift toward addressing habitat loss rather than simply managing fish populations, tackling one of the root causes of declining salmon abundance in B.C. waters.
Eight dead in mass shooting at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School
An 18-year-old woman named Jesse Van Rootselaar opened fire at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School on Tuesday, killing five students, one educator, and two family members before dying from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Most of the student victims were between 12 and 14 years old.
The tragedy is one of the worst mass killings in Canadian history and has shaken the small northeastern BC community of 2,400 people to its core.
Right-wing online accounts deliberately spread false images of an unrelated trans woman in the hours after the shooting, a wave of misinformation that authorities and journalists have worked to correct.
BC climate risk report draws on Haida wisdom to sound the alarm on interconnected disasters
A new "British Columbia Disaster and Climate Risk Assessment" warns that floods, wildfires, extreme heat, and a potential megathrust earthquake pose serious threats to the province in a warming world.
The report opens with a Haida proverb, "everything depends on everything else", and that principle runs through every page, exploring how overlapping disasters can compound each other's damage.
Crawford Kilian argues the report is too optimistic about warming timelines, noting that current UN data puts BC on a path to significantly higher temperatures sooner than the report assumes.
Kilian also points out a key blind spot: BC will face not just its own disasters, but the ripple effects of global catastrophes, from Siberian wildfire smoke to Prairie droughts to waves of climate migrants.
Quebec's Historic Churches Face Uncertain Future Amid Funding Cuts
The loss of government funding combined with Quebec's increasingly secular society is putting many historic churches "on the brink" of closure or radical transformation.
The Ste-Marie-de-l'Isle Maligne church in Alma, Quebec, exemplifies this trend, having completed its transformation in 2023 into the St-Crème, which is a combination hotel, ice cream parlor, and event space.
This creative repurposing represents just one of many Quebec churches seeking new identities as religious attendance plummets and maintenance costs for aging buildings skyrocket.
Quebec's "Quiet Revolution" of the 1960s began the province's shift away from the Catholic Church's dominant role in society, but the current crisis facing church buildings represents a new chapter in that ongoing transformation.
Many of these structures are architectural treasures with significant heritage value, making their potential loss concerning to preservationists even as congregations dwindle.
Communities across Quebec now face difficult decisions about whether to invest scarce public funds in preserving religious buildings that no longer serve their original purpose, or allow them to be demolished or converted to secular uses, a cultural shift that would have been unthinkable just a generation ago.
Blue Jays Spring Training Gets Underway in Dunedin
Pitchers and catchers officially reported to the Toronto Blue Jays' training facility Wednesday, marking the beginning of another spring training season in Dunedin, Florida.
While the official reporting date applies specifically to pitchers and catchers, it's likely that several position players will also arrive early, eager to get a jump on preparations for the upcoming season. This annual ritual signals the end of baseball's off-season and the return of hope for fans dreaming of playoff success.
Spring training provides crucial time for players to shake off the rust, work on mechanical adjustments, and build the chemistry that will carry them through the grueling 162-game regular season. For pitchers especially, the gradual ramp-up in throwing volume and intensity is essential to preventing injuries and ensuring they're ready for opening day.
Blue Jays fans will be watching closely to see how new acquisitions mesh with returning players and whether the team can build on last season's performance as they chase another postseason appearance.
Team Canada Eyes Multiple Medals on Day 5 of Milano Olympics
Canada has set its sights on multiple podium finishes today, with potentially storybook endings brewing in both figure skating and speedskating on Day 5 of the Milano Olympics.
The figure skating competition promises particular drama, with Canadian athletes positioned to potentially deliver memorable performances that could define their careers. Meanwhile, Canada's speedskating contingent continues to be one of the team's most reliable medal sources, with several athletes capable of reaching the podium.
Day 5 represents a crucial point in the Games where Canada hopes to build momentum and add to its medal count, setting the tone for the second half of the competition. The team has been performing well but knows that every podium finish matters in the overall standings and national morale.
Canadian fans back home will be watching closely, hoping to wake up to news of our flag being raised during medal ceremonies in Milan.
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