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Happy May 4, friends!
It's a mostly cloudy 25°C out there today, with the high climbing to about 27°C before things cool back down for the rest of the week.
Stage 2 water restrictions are now in effect across Metro Vancouver, banning all lawn watering .
Township road work continues, with major impacts on Fraser Highway, the 212 Connector, and a long list of other routes.
The Fort Langley Jazz & Arts Festival has unveiled its free July lineup, and a new multi-use path for Brookswood has been deferred to the 2027 budget.
The 64th annual Langley Walk drew more than double last year's crowd, HUB Cycling mapped out the gaps in Langley City's bike network, and Prime Minister Mark Carney told European leaders that Canada won't submit to a "brutal world."
On the sports front, the Whitecaps are flirting with Las Vegas, Vancouver FC picked up its first win of the season, Rise FC got blanked by the Montreal Roses, and the Bandits re-signed TWU alum David Mutabazi.
Lawn Watering Banned as Stage 2 Restrictions Hit Langley
Stage 2 water restrictions are now in effect across Metro Vancouver, including the Township of Langley, as of Friday, May 1.
All lawn watering is banned, even by hand, along with topping up fountains and washing driveways or decks.
Trees, shrubs, and flowers can still be watered by sprinkler between 5 a.m. and 9 a.m. at home, or any time using a hand-held hose, soaker hose, or drip line.
Metro Vancouver points to a below-normal snowpack and ongoing upgrades to the Stanley Park Water Supply Tunnel as reasons for the early start, and warns that higher stages are possible.
Properties caught breaking the rules face $250 fines per day, with more details at tol.ca/waterwise.
Township Road Work and Closure Updates
Drivers in Langley Township face a busy week of road work from May 4 to 10. Key impacts include:
- Highway 10 and Fraser Highway: Skytrain construction blocks left turns from Fraser Highway to Highway 10 and reduces the highway to single-lane traffic in each direction, 24 hours a day, through June 9. Pedestrians and cyclists are detoured around the work zone.
- 201 Street between 98A Avenue and 199A Street: Full overnight road closure from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. through May 4, with detour in effect.
- 80 Avenue between 202A Street and 206A Street: Single-lane alternating traffic from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Monday to Friday, May 4 to 19.
- 256 Street between 16 Avenue and 24 Avenue: Single-lane alternating traffic from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday to Friday, May 4 to 15.
- 86 Avenue between 200 Street and 202B Street: Road widening reduces traffic to single-lane alternating from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday to Friday, May 1 to 29.
- 212 Connector between 208 Street and 78 Avenue: Closed to traffic Monday to Saturday, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., now extended through November 27.
- 40 Avenue between 272 Street and 27500 Block: Single-lane alternating traffic from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday to Friday, extended to June 30.
- 201 Street between 102 Avenue and 102B Avenue: Single-lane alternating traffic from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. through July 3.
- Crush Crescent between Smith Crescent and 21400 Block: Single-lane alternating traffic from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday to Friday, through May 31.
- 205 Street between 32 Avenue and 36 Avenue: Single-lane alternating traffic from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday to Friday, through May 31.
- Walnut Grove Community Park: Baseball fields and some walking paths remain closed during construction, until further notice.
- Nathan Slough Bridge at 272 Street: Southbound lane closed with single-lane alternating traffic via temporary signal, until further notice.
Fort Langley Jazz Fest Returns With Two Free Days in July
The Fort Langley Jazz & Arts Festival is back from July 23 to 26, with two full days of free live music on July 25 and 26 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The free weekend kicks off with the Mardi Gras Strolling Parade from the Fort Langley Farmers Market to the Community Hall, where artists like The Lawless Firm, Curbside Collective, and a Joni Mitchell tribute project will play.
A second free stage at the Heritage CNR Station gardens will spotlight youth and emerging acts, and the entire free lineup is fully Canadian.
Last year's festival drew more than 12,000 people, but rising costs and tighter funding have pushed the arts and culture zone to a new home at the Post Office greenspace on Mary Avenue.
Donations to keep the free stages running can be made through the Fort Langley Legacy Foundation at fortlangleyjazzfest.com/donate.
Brookswood Multi-Use Path Plan Deferred to 2027 Budget
A new separated multi-use pathway along 40 Avenue in Brookswood is moving forward, but the final call has been pushed to next year's council.
Township staff want to build the path along the south side of 40 Avenue from 204 Street to 216 Street, separated from cars by an asphalt curb and rolled out in three phases.
That stretch is a busy through-route for drivers heading to Murrayville and beyond, but it's also a daily walking and cycling corridor and home to Belmont Elementary, where physical separation matters most.
Total construction is estimated at $8.3 million plus $670,000 in engineering.
At the April 27 meeting, Mayor Eric Woodward asked council to refer the project to the 2027 budget, where the next council, elected this fall, will weigh in with detailed designs in hand.
Langley Walk Turnout More Than Doubles to 1,310
An estimated 1,310 people joined the 64th annual Langley Walk on Sunday, more than double last year's turnout of around 500.
Walkers set off from Bedford Plaza in Fort Langley, crossed the Jacob Haldi bridge, and travelled through Brae Island Regional Park under low-twenties heat.
The event was started in 1963 by Township recreation director Pete Swensson to encourage residents to be more physically active.
That goal still holds up: regular walking lowers the risk of heart disease, supports mental health, and helps people stay mobile as they age.
Turnouts like this one also point to something else worth noticing, that people show up when their community is built for walking.
Cyclists Map Langley City's Bike Network Gaps on Guided Ride
HUB Cycling Langley took a guided tour of Langley City's bike infrastructure on April 26, the third in a series testing local routes.
Riders started at the Timms Centre and looped through downtown, Brydon Lagoon, City Park, and the Nicomekl floodplain trails.
Ride leader Rainer Fehrenbacher (yes, c'est moi) said the City's cycling network "has good bones," but connections between the good pieces are often missing.
Riders pointed to disappearing bike lanes on Douglas Crescent and the 204 Street overpass as examples, and reminded one of the bicycle advocacy's oft-repeated mantras: paint is not infrastructure.
HUB Langley is now eyeing Brookswood for the next ride.
Carney Tells Europe Canada Won't Submit to a "Brutal World"
Prime Minister Mark Carney became the first non-European leader to attend the European Political Community summit, held Monday in Yerevan, Armenia.
He told the room that the international order will be "rebuilt out of Europe," a clear signal that Canada is no longer counting on Washington to anchor the rules-based world.
The trip matters at home: with the Trump administration pulling 5,000 troops from Germany, threatening more withdrawals from Italy and Spain, and continuing to muse about Canadian annexation, leaning into European partnerships is one of the few real levers Canada has to defend its sovereignty.
Carney's message lands alongside warnings from UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer that strained alliances will define "arguably a generation," and from French President Emmanuel Macron that Europeans are now "taking their destiny into their own hands."
Whitecaps Future in Doubt as Owners Eye Las Vegas Payday
The Vancouver Whitecaps' future in BC is in question, with owners signalling a possible sale and Las Vegas dangling a major payout.
As Tyler Olsen lays out in a fantastic piece for The Tyee, the team isn't going broke, it just isn't keeping pace with newer MLS clubs in purpose-built soccer stadiums, and the league's expansion fees have pushed franchise values past $500 million.
That's the figure owners are now measuring against, not the $35 million they paid in 2009.
A planned Hastings Park stadium with the City of Vancouver was supposed to be the path forward, but the Whitecaps appear less interested in that than in cashing out.
Olsen's full piece is essential reading for anyone trying to make sense of the back-and-forth between the team, the province, and the league.
Vancouver FC Picks Up First Win of the Season
Vancouver FC finally got into the win column, with Terran Campbell scoring twice in a victory over Pacific FC.
It has been a long wait for supporters of the Canadian Premier League side, but Campbell's brace made for a convincing performance.
The club will look to build on the momentum heading into its next fixture.
Rise FC Drops 4-0 Decision to Montreal Roses on the Road
The Vancouver Rise FC fell 4-0 to the Montreal Roses on Saturday at Stade Boréale in Laval.
Former Rise player Lisa Pechersky set up the opening goal in the 12th minute, with Tanya Boychuk adding two and Noémi Paquin rounding out the scoring.
Vancouver controlled 56 per cent of possession but managed just three shots, with only one on target.
Josie Longhurst nearly broke through late, but her shot from the edge of the box was blocked.
The Rise next travel to face the Ottawa Rapid FC at 4 p.m. PT on May 6.
Bandits Re-Sign TWU Alum David Mutabazi for 2026 Season
The Vancouver Bandits have re-signed guard David Mutabazi for the 2026 CEBL season.
The 6-foot-5 Trinity Western alumnus made his pro debut last May, posting a game-high plus-44 in a 41-point win over Saskatchewan.
Head coach Kyle Julius praised his defensive instincts and said the team is now counting on him to step into a leadership role.
Fans can catch Mutabazi and the rest of the new-look roster in a charity preseason game against the Sikh Warriors on Saturday, May 9 at Langley Events Centre.
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