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Mostly sunny skies and around 23°C in Langley today, with the warm stretch set to push into the high 20s by Friday.
On the local front, Langley City Council has adopted a 10-year accessibility plan with 29 objectives aimed at removing barriers for residents with disabilities. salishan Place is hosting a free interactive performance for National Indigenous Peoples Day this Sunday, and Civic Plaza is gearing up for a summer of free FIFA World Cup watch parties starting with Canada vs. Qatar on Thursday afternoon.
Beyond the city limits, B.C. is re-tendering the long-delayed George Massey Tunnel replacement in a move that could open the door to more local contractors. Canada's opioid deaths fell 23% in 2025, though the Fraser Valley remains one of the harder-hit regions.
Federal legislation on clean drinking water in First Nations communities is finally expected to be tabled, and Canada's largest tenant union marched on Parliament Hill demanding that renters get a seat at the National Housing Strategy table.
Langley City Council adopts 10-year accessibility plan
Langley City Council has adopted a 10-year accessibility plan with 29 objectives aimed at removing barriers for residents with disabilities.
The plan builds on 20 years of accessibility work in the City. It meets requirements under the Accessible British Columbia Act, which became law in 2021 and requires municipalities to develop and update accessibility plans.
The objectives cover the City's built environment, services, communications, and internal operations. Goals include strengthening the pedestrian network, developing an accessible parking strategy, reviewing public washrooms through an accessibility lens, and improving parks, plazas, paths, and playgrounds.
Other priorities include recreation programs designed for blind and visually impaired residents, programs for the Deaf, deaf, Hard of Hearing, and Deaf-Blind communities, public notice of construction detours and moved bus stops, and local representation of people with disabilities in City communications. Staff training on disability awareness and the barriers people face is also part of the plan.
The plan reflects the disability rights principle of "nothing about us, without us," and was shaped with input from people with disabilities. It sets short, medium, and long-term goals.
Next, staff and the Accessibility Advisory Committee will update existing City policies and work plans. Some objectives carry budget implications and will return to council in future budget cycles.
Celebrate National Indigenous Peoples Day at salishan Place This Sunday
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This Sunday, June 21, the Township of Langley is marking National Indigenous Peoples Day with an interactive performance of How Raven Stole the Sun by 3 Crows Productions at salishan Place, starting at 1 p.m.
The high-energy, family-friendly show invites audience members on stage to take part in the retelling of this classic Indigenous story.
Advance registration is required. The event is free.
salishan Place by the River is also opening a new exhibit, Langley: Many Voices, Shared Place, on June 27 with free admission on opening weekend, exploring stories of belonging and connection across the community.
Langley City hosts free FIFA World Cup watch parties
Langley City will host free FIFA World Cup watch parties at Civic Plaza this summer.
Fans can catch four matches on the big screen outside Langley City Hall, 20399 Douglas Crescent. Each event features a food truck, entertainment, crafts, and pre-game activations 45 minutes before kickoff.
Canada plays Qatar on June 18, with activations at 2:15 p.m. and the match from 3 to 5 p.m. The Round of 32 follows on July 2 (8 to 10 p.m.), the Round of 16 on July 7 (1 to 3 p.m.), and the Final on July 19 (12 to 2 p.m.). Teams for the later rounds are still to be announced.
Bring your own chair.
B.C. Moves to Re-Tender George Massey Tunnel Replacement
The B.C. government is re-tendering the construction contract for the George Massey Tunnel replacement, saying a revised procurement strategy aims to "strengthen competition and allow for more local contractors."
The tunnel replacement has been one of the region's most delayed and politically fraught infrastructure projects, with costs ballooning across multiple governments and procurement rounds.
Opening the bidding to more local firms is a welcome shift from the mega-project contracting model that tends to favour a small number of large, often international construction corporations.
Whether this translates into good local jobs and a project that actually gets built on schedule remains to be seen.
Canada's Opioid Deaths Fell 23% in 2025, but Progress Remains Uneven
Opioid deaths across Canada dropped 23% in 2025, with naloxone access receiving some credit for the decline.
Progress is uneven among provinces, and the numbers still represent thousands of preventable deaths in communities that continue to lack adequate harm reduction services, safe supply, and housing.
The reduction is encouraging, but it is worth remembering that the toxic drug crisis has always been a policy failure, not a personal one. People die when governments choose enforcement over care.
Locally, the Fraser Valley remains one of the harder-hit regions in B.C., and sustained investment in community-based health infrastructure is what will save lives going forward.
Federal Legislation on First Nations Drinking Water Expected Today
Indigenous Services Minister Mandy Gull-Masty is expected to table long-awaited legislation governing clean drinking water in First Nations communities today.
The fact that this legislation is still being described as "long-awaited" in 2026 speaks volumes. Boil water advisories have persisted in First Nations communities for years, sometimes decades, while municipalities and suburban developments get reliable water infrastructure as a matter of course.
Clean drinking water is not a privilege. It is a basic right, and Canada's failure to guarantee it for Indigenous communities is one of the clearest markers of ongoing colonial neglect.
The substance of the bill will matter more than its introduction. First Nations have been clear that they need enforceable standards and funding commitments, not just legislative symbolism.
Renters demand seat at federal housing policy table
Canada's largest tenant union marched on Parliament Hill on June 8.
More than 300 ACORN members descended on the federal housing ministry, demanding that renters be included in consultations for the renewed National Housing Strategy. The group says the process has happened entirely behind closed doors, with developers and corporate landlords at the table while tenants are shut out.
ACORN points to a leaky bucket problem: Canada loses roughly 46,000 affordable rental units every year to demolitions, renovictions, and loophole-driven rent hikes, while federal dollars flow to provinces with almost no strings attached.
The union wants Prime Minister Mark Carney to tie housing funding to national tenant protections, including real rent control, an end to fixed-term lease abuse, and a ban on no-fault evictions.
Housing Minister Gregor Robertson's office refused to meet with ACORN leaders and threatened arrests before the group delivered a formal letter of demands.
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