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Happy Friday, Langley! It's a cloudy one out there with temperatures hovering around 11°C, but at least the rain is holding off for now.
Langley City Council is speeding up approvals for smaller development projects while pushing back against efforts to weaken Metro Vancouver's urban containment boundary.
The BC Conservative caucus lost another member after Richmond Centre MLA Hon Chan was charged with domestic violence.
B.C.'s Seniors Advocate is sounding the alarm on long-term care wait lists that have tripled in six years.
AFN National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak gave Prime Minister Carney a "mixed" report card on reconciliation, and Olympic gold medalist Quinn is speaking out as anti-trans legislation spreads across North America.
On the sports side, the Vancouver Giants landed the second and fourth overall picks in the WHL draft lottery, and the Bandits added NBA veteran Mychal Mulder ahead of the 2026 CEBL season.
Plus, Farm Country Brewing has an open mic night tonight if you're looking to cap off the week.
Langley City Speeds Up Small Development Permits, Pushes Back on Sprawl
Langley City Council gave three readings to a bylaw that would let staff approve smaller development projects without going through the full council process.
The change covers residential projects with six units or fewer, small commercial projects outside Downtown, and development variance permits.
Council also responded to a push from the mayors of Delta, Surrey and the Township of Langley to loosen Metro Vancouver's urban containment boundary, sending a letter urging the regional district to delay changes until the next Regional Growth Strategy process.
The boundary exists to protect agricultural and rural land from sprawl, and weakening it would undermine decades of regional planning.
Farm Country Brewing Hosts Open Mic Night Tonight
Farm Country Brewing in Langley is hosting an open mic night tonight starting at 6:30 p.m.
Local performers each get up to 15 minutes on stage to showcase their talents.
Registration is required in advance through the sign-up link on the brewery's page.
Ukrainian Newcomer Finds Community and Career Growth Through Volunteering at Archway
Olena arrived in Canada in 2023 after fleeing the war in Ukraine, and quickly began rebuilding her life in the Fraser Valley.
After a short-term data entry job ended, she turned to volunteering at Archway Community Services in Abbotsford, where she now helps other internationally trained professionals find employment.
The role has strengthened her English, expanded her understanding of the Canadian job market and given her a sense of purpose.
Olena is currently awaiting a work permit and hopes to pursue a career in HR or employment services.
Chilliwack Mayor Says City Is 'Full' as Homeless Drop-offs Continue
Chilliwack Mayor Ken Popove is pushing back against what he calls unauthorized drop-offs of unhoused people from other communities.
Chilliwack now has the most shelter beds per capita in the Lower Mainland, and its homeless population grew from 642 to 738 between 2024 and 2025.
Popove pointed to Vancouver's lack of a real plan ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, suggesting the city's strategy amounts to moving people out of sight.
The issue highlights a regional failure to share responsibility for supportive housing, something Langley City's Citizens' Assembly on Community Safety has also been working to address through its own recommendations on well-being and resilience.
BC Conservative Caucus Shrinks Again After MLA Charged with Domestic Violence
BC Conservative MLA Hon Chan has been removed from caucus after being charged with assault, assault by choking and uttering threats stemming from an alleged January 2024 incident in Richmond.
Both the BC NDP and Greens are calling on Chan to resign his seat entirely, with NDP MLA Grace Lore noting the charges predate his nomination as a Conservative candidate.
Chan's removal drops the Conservative caucus to 38 MLAs, down from 44 elected in October 2024, as the party continues to hemorrhage members through expulsions and resignations.
B.C. Seniors Are Waiting Longer Than Ever for Long-Term Care
Wait lists for long-term care in B.C. have grown 200 per cent over the past six years, with more than 7,000 people now waiting for a bed.
Seniors Advocate Dan Levitt's annual report shows average wait times have climbed from 144 days to 277, jumping 34 per cent in the last year alone.
Levitt points to a simple fix: making home care free for all seniors, as Alberta and Ontario already do, which could keep more people out of costly hospital beds.
With one in four British Columbians expected to be over 65 within a decade, the province can't afford to keep ignoring the problem.
AFN National Chief Gives Carney a 'Mixed' Report Card After One Year
Assembly of First Nations National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak says Prime Minister Mark Carney "is at a crossroads" in his relationship with First Nations.
While she credited Carney for being accessible and appointing two First Nations women to Cabinet, she criticized the fast-tracking of the Building Canada Act, $563 million in annual cuts to Indigenous services ministries and ongoing delays to clean water legislation.
Woodhouse Nepinak also warned against sidelining First Nations on resource mega-projects, including a proposed new oil pipeline to the B.C. coast that drew unanimous condemnation from the AFN.
Olympic Gold Medalist Quinn Speaks Out as Trans Rights Face Growing Threats
Vancouver Rise midfielder Quinn is calling for stronger protections for transgender athletes as restrictive laws spread across North America.
Alberta passed three anti-trans laws in 2025, including a ban on transgender athletes in female amateur sports.
he IOC has also barred transgender women from the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics under a new policy aligned with a Donald Trump executive order.
Quinn's advocacy carries local weight as trans communities in B.C. and the Fraser Valley continue to face rising hostility, making visibility and allyship more urgent than ever.
Vancouver Giants Win Draft Lottery, Will Pick 2nd and 4th Overall
The Vancouver Giants will hold the second and fourth overall selections in the 2026 WHL Prospects Draft after winning Thursday's draft lottery.
The Giants moved up from fourth to second overall with a pick acquired from the Wenatchee Wild, marking just the second time in franchise history they've picked that high.
The last time Vancouver held two top-four picks was in 2002, when they selected Gilbert Brulé and Dan Bertram first and second overall.
Bandits Add NBA Veteran Mychal Mulder for 2026 CEBL Season
The Vancouver Bandits have signed guard Mychal Mulder for the 2026 CEBL season.
The Windsor, Ont. native brings 84 games of NBA experience from stints with the Golden State Warriors, Orlando Magic and Miami Heat between 2019 and 2022.
Mulder also represented Canada at the 2019 FIBA World Cup Qualifiers and the 2021 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament.
He joins reigning CEBL Canadian Player of the Year Tyrese Samuel on the Bandits roster ahead of their season opener on May 14 in Saskatoon.
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