Good morning, Langley! We've got a sunny start to the week with temperatures climbing toward a high near 25°C, so a good day to soak up some patio time or find some time to be outdoors.
The Township is opening the public comment window on a liquor primary licence application for The Arenas at Langley Events Centre, the new $149-million complex on track to open this September. Residents within 800 metres of 7888 200 St. have until August 15 to weigh in.
Further west along the Fraser, crews are about to begin a months-long dike upgrade that will close a section of the Fort-to-Fort Trail from July 20 through October 30. A detour will route pedestrians and cyclists onto 96 Avenue.
In Langley City, Globe Fest drew a record 2,100 people to Douglas Park on Saturday for its fourth annual celebration of diversity. And on the campaign trail, independent candidate Jami Watson is launching a second run at a Township council seat, centring her platform on accessibility after successfully pushing council to add closed captioning to livestreams earlier this year.
Elsewhere in the province, wildfire crews at the Brunswick Complex fire had to ground aerial operations after an illegal drone flight, BC nurses expanded their strike to Vancouver Island, and a tiny farming community in Dunster is pressing Victoria to restrict the foreign ownership of BC farmland after two US billionaires quietly amassed 3,500 acres of local land.
On the sports front, the Vancouver Bandits closed out their road trip with a 112-98 win in Edmonton, Vancouver Rise FC earned their first-ever win in Calgary with a 4-2 late comeback, and Vancouver FC bowed out of the Canadian Championship after a 2-1 loss to CF Montréal.
Arenas at LEC apply for liquor licence as $149M facility nears open
The Arenas at Langley Events Centre are applying for a liquor primary licence as the Township's new $149-million arena complex prepares to open this fall.
The application, filed with BC's Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch, would allow event-driven alcohol service daily from 9 a.m. to 2 a.m. at 7888 200 St.
Capacity under the proposed licence would be capped at 5,446 people inside and 500 outside, reflecting the scale of the new facility.
Announced by Township council in October 2023, the complex adds three ice arenas and two dry floor arenas for lacrosse, ice hockey, and ball hockey, with a distinctive stacked design that places dry floors above two of the ice sheets.
The main arena will seat 1,000 with suites above the ice, while the additional sheets and dry floors will each hold about 350 seats. Construction has stayed on schedule for a September 2026 opening, with permanent power now active and the first refrigerated arena floor underway.
Residents living within a 0.5-mile (0.8-kilometre) radius of the site can weigh in on the licence application by writing to the Senior Licensing Analyst in Victoria or emailing LCRB.SLA@gov.bc.ca before August 15.
The province has noted that petitions and form letters will not be considered, and that comments may be shared with the applicant or local officials as part of the licensing process.
Fort-to-Fort Trail partial closure begins July 20 for Salmon River dike upgrade
A section of the Fort-to-Fort Trail and Salmon River Natural Area Park will be closed from July 20 to October 30 while crews upgrade the Fraser River dike.
The Township of Langley says the work will widen and raise the existing dike to improve flood protection during spring freshet conditions.
Construction must happen in summer to allow proper compaction of dike materials and to take advantage of low river levels, while staying inside the fisheries window to protect fish habitat.
Erosion and sediment control measures will be in place throughout the project.
A pedestrian and cyclist detour will run along nearby residential roads and 96 Avenue, and more information is posted at tol.ca/salmonriverdike.
Record 2,100 turn out for Langley City's Globe Fest at Douglas Park
Globe Fest drew a record 2,100 visitors to Langley City's Douglas Park on Saturday.
The fourth annual celebration of diversity featured music, art, and interactive experiences. Food vendors sold out and community organizations ran out of giveaways.
Organizer Antonio Hakko, youth immigration advisor with Langley Local Immigration Partnership, told the Langley Advance Times the event has grown significantly since its launch four years ago.
"There's a lot of people here today compared to four years ago," Hakko said.
The festival relocated to Douglas Park this year for its central location and Spirit Square stage, and to align with other weekend events, including a Pokemon Go Fest happening at the park as part of a global series.
Watson runs again for Township council on accessibility platform
Jami Watson is running for Langley Township council this fall, her second bid after falling short in the October 2025 byelection won by Blair Whitmarsh.
The independent candidate, who has been hard of hearing all her life, is making accessibility the centre of her platform.
Earlier this year, Watson successfully petitioned council to add automatic closed captioning to meeting livestreams, a change she said benefits seniors, English learners, and residents with hearing loss.
She also wants to tackle low voter turnout and bring a more positive tone to local politics, pointing to her enthusiasm for projects like the new Fernridge Nature Park.
Watson acknowledged that running as an independent against the Progress for Langley and Langley Strong slates will be tough, saying individual voices risk getting lost in a slate-dominated race.
"It's a very scary thing for me," she said, but added that she decided to run "because I love Langley."
Drone interference grounds aerial crews at Brunswick Complex wildfire
BC Wildfire Service says a drone flown into restricted airspace forced crews to suspend aerial operations at the Brunswick Complex fire, a dangerous setback while the blaze continues to burn out of control.
Flying a drone near an active wildfire is illegal, and officials note it can carry fines and jail time.
Every grounded helicopter or air tanker means more work for exhausted ground crews and more time for fires to spread toward homes and habitat.
The incident lands amid a broader plea from the wildfire service for public compliance, including reports of speeding through active fire zones in the Fraser Canyon.
B.C. nurses extend picket lines to Vancouver Island as strike widens
Striking members of the B.C. Nurses' Union set up a picket line at Victoria General Hospital on Sunday, expanding the labour action to Vancouver Island.
Nurses are pressing for wages and working conditions that reflect the reality of a health system stretched thin by chronic understaffing.
The union has repeatedly linked the dispute to patient safety, arguing that burnout and turnover are direct consequences of employer inaction.
The expanding pickets signal a hardening standoff as the province's public health workforce demands the province act on longstanding commitments.
US billionaires buy up Dunster farmland as locals push back
A tiny BC farming community is calling for tougher rules on foreign farmland ownership after two US billionaires quietly bought up roughly 3,500 acres of local land.
Since 2008, Fraser River Landholdings Ltd., co-owned by Los Angeles Dodgers owners Bobby Patton Jr. and Mark Walter, has acquired 25 properties in Dunster, an unincorporated community of about 240 people north of Valemount.
Sixteen of those properties include homes, and nearly all now sit vacant. Locals say the population has dropped from 350 to 240 as neighbours disappear and gates, locks, and security cameras replace open farmland.
BC is one of five provinces with no restrictions on foreign ownership of agricultural land, even as speculative buying drives up prices and squeezes out working farmers.
Dunster residents, backed by BC Green Party Leader Emily Lowan, are urging the province to follow Quebec's lead by capping foreign ownership and taxing farmland left idle for speculation.
Bandits defeat Stingers 112-98 to close out road trip
The Vancouver Bandits closed out their three-game road trip with a 112-98 win over the Edmonton Stingers on Saturday night.
Mychal Mulder led the way with a season-high 25 points, draining six three-pointers in just 16 minutes off the bench.
Vancouver controlled the game from start to finish, outscoring Edmonton in every quarter and building a lead as large as 31 points.
The bench was the story, pouring in 52 points and fuelling a 30-21 edge in fast-break scoring.
Shamar Givance added a season-high 20 points and six assists, Tevin Brown chipped in 20, and Tyrese Samuel posted 17 points with 13 rebounds.
The Bandits return to Envision Financial Court at Langley Events Centre on Friday at 7 p.m. to host the Montreal Alliance for Country Night.
Rise FC score late to earn first-ever win in Calgary
Vancouver Rise FC picked up their first-ever win in Calgary on Friday, edging Calgary Wild FC 4-2 at McMahon Stadium.
Mia Pante opened the scoring in the eighth minute, but Calgary hit back with goals from Meggie Dougherty-Howard on a penalty and Jorian Baucom to lead 2-1.
Mariah Lee converted a penalty of her own in the 37th minute to level the match before the break.
The game stayed tight until Josie Longhurst headed home a Maithé López cross in the 86th minute to put Rise FC ahead 3-2.
López then sealed the win in stoppage time, hammering in a 4-2 clincher after a scramble at the goal line.
Vancouver Rise FC next travel to face AFC Toronto on Saturday, July 18, before returning home to host Halifax Tides FC at Swangard Stadium on July 25.
Vancouver FC fall 2-1 to CF Montréal, exit Canadian Championship
Vancouver FC are out of the 2026 TELUS Canadian Championship after a 2-1 loss to CF Montréal at Stade Saputo on Sunday night.
The Eagles could not capitalize on playing more than a half with a man advantage, after Efrain Morales was sent off for Montréal in the 43rd minute.
Brendan Craig broke the deadlock with a curling free kick in the 56th minute, and Daniel Ríos doubled the lead by chipping keeper Callum Irving in the 68th.
Morey Doner pulled one back with a sharp volley in the 79th, but Vancouver could not find an equalizer.
The loss ends a disappointing quarterfinal run for the club that reached last year's final.
CF Montréal advance to the semifinals, where they will face either the four-time defending champion Vancouver Whitecaps or CPL side Cavalry FC.
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