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Happy Hump Day, friends!
It's a cloudy 15°C in Langley today, with sunnier and warmer days ahead this weekend.
The big local headline is the launch of Langley Strong, the Township slate led by mayoral candidate Jay Lundgren that will challenge Mayor Eric Woodward's Progress for Langley in October.
Climate news is heating up too, with 19 daily temperature records smashed across BC this week and electricity demand hitting an all-time May high.
On the lighter side, the Aldergrove Community Centre waterpark reopens May 15 with Dive-In Movies and adults-only Sips 'n Dips nights.
Plus: Campbell Valley and Derby Reach were among Metro Vancouver's most-visited regional parks last year, the Canucks slipped to third in the NHL Draft Lottery, and the Vancouver Giants make their picks at today's WHL Prospects Draft.
Jay Lundgren to Lead Langley Strong Against Woodward in Township Election
Langley Township is heading into its first two-slate municipal election since 1999.
Langley Strong has named Jay Lundgren as its mayoral candidate, with all four sitting opposition councillors running under its banner.
Margaret Kunst, Barb Martens, Kim Richter, and Blair Whitmarsh are joining the new team, which describes itself as a team rather than a slate. The group will face off against Mayor Eric Woodward and his Progress for Langley slate, which currently holds the majority with five of nine council seats.
Lundgren is vice-president of business development and partnerships at Agency Media. He is also a volunteer coach in youth basketball, ball hockey, and baseball. He has framed the campaign around fiscal responsibility, transparent governance, and community well-being.
He pointed to the Township's rising debt, which has climbed from $3,348 per household in 2022 to an estimated $10,754 in 2025. That works out to a 221 per cent increase in three years.
Progress for Langley has overseen a busy infrastructure agenda since taking power. That includes widening 208 Street, building a new Brookswood firehall, and adding major sports facilities in Willoughby. Those projects have driven much of the recent debt growth.
Voters across BC head to the polls on October 17.
Aldergrove Waterpark Reopens May 15 With Dive-In Movies and Adult Nights
The Aldergrove Community Centre waterpark reopens for the season on May 15. The Township-run facility is home to the only swimming theatre in Metro Vancouver, where guests can watch movies from an inner tube.
Dive-In Movie Nights run on three Thursdays this summer:
- Thursday, July 9: Zootopia (7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.)
- Thursday, August 6: Hoppers (7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.)
- Thursday, September 3: Goat (6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.)
Tickets are $8.70 plus tax.
Adults can also book Sips 'n Dips nights, a 19+ event with craft beer, wine, and seltzers, running on six Thursdays from July through September.
Advance registration is required for all events and spots often fill up quickly, so it's a good idea to plan ahead!
B.C. Smashes 19 Daily Temperature Records, Including Some Standing for 128 Years
Nineteen daily temperature records fell across British Columbia this week, with some standing for 128 years. Pemberton hit 31.5 C, the hottest reading in the province.
This is not just quirky weather trivia. Record-smashing heat events are becoming routine in B.C., and each one is a reminder that the climate crisis has arrived, and its destructive affects are rapidly accelerating on our doorstep.
The costs of these extremes, from wildfire risk to agricultural stress to heat-related health emergencies, land hardest on rural communities, outdoor workers, seniors, and people without adequate cooling in their homes.
Meanwhile, the fossil fuel industry continues to extract and export from this province with insufficient accountability for the damage its products cause. Residents are left to cope with the consequences and foot the bills.
B.C. Hits Record May Electricity Demand as Cooling Costs Rise
British Columbians pushed electricity demand to the highest level ever recorded for the month of May, a stark indicator of how extreme heat is reshaping energy use in the province.
BC Hydro is responding with limited-time rebates on energy-efficient cooling and air quality equipment, which is welcome but also raises a deeper question about who can afford to stay cool in the first place.
Renters, in particular, often have no control over whether their buildings have adequate ventilation or cooling, and landlords face few obligations to address it.
As summers grow hotter, access to cooling is becoming a basic health and safety issue. It should be treated as essential infrastructure, not a luxury upgrade left to individual purchasing power.
Langley's Campbell Valley and Derby Reach Among Metro Vancouver's Most Visited Regional Parks
Metro Vancouver's regional parks drew 14.7 million visits in 2025, well above pre-2020 levels, and Langley's own Campbell Valley Regional Park (887,600 visits) and Derby Reach Regional Park (881,700 visits) were among the busiest in the system.
Aldergrove Regional Park also drew a healthy 464,600 visitors, while Brae Island Regional Park welcomed 227,900. A new three-kilometre greenway opened in Campbell Valley last year, adding even more reason to visit.
These parks are vital public assets: free, accessible green space in a region where development pressure is relentless and affordable recreation options matter deeply to working-class families.
The 2025 annual report is a good reminder that investing in public parks pays off in community wellbeing, and that protecting these spaces from encroachment should remain a non-negotiable priority.
Fraser Valley Volunteer Reconnects With Punjabi Roots Through South Asian Seniors Program
Jasneet, a volunteer with Archway Community Services' South Asian Day Program for Older Adults, has found that giving back to seniors in the Fraser Valley also deepened her connection to her own Punjabi heritage.
Her mornings are spent greeting participants, helping with meals, and leading brain-stimulating activities conducted in Punjabi. Afternoons bring bingo, card games, and the kind of spirited competition that fills the room with laughter.
"My communication skills have improved so much. I used to be shy, but now I'm more comfortable speaking with everyone. Being here feels like being with my own family," Jasneet shared.
Programs like these are quiet but essential pieces of community infrastructure, keeping seniors socially connected while creating intergenerational bonds that strengthen cultural identity across the Valley.
Canucks Slip to Third Overall Pick After Leafs Win NHL Draft Lottery
The Vancouver Canucks had the best odds heading into Tuesday's NHL Draft Lottery, but hockey's chaos engine had other plans: Toronto landed the No. 1 overall pick, bumping Vancouver down to third.
Canucks fans, well acquainted with draft lottery heartbreak, may need a moment.
The Leafs, a franchise not exactly lacking in national attention, will now dominate the offseason draft conversation. The third pick still holds significant value, but it stings when the top spot was so close.
Vancouver Giants Set for 2026 WHL Prospects Draft This Afternoon
The 2026 WHL Prospects Draft takes place today, with the Vancouver Giants among the clubs making selections.
The pre-show begins at 4:30 p.m. PT on Victory+.
Real-time results will be available at whl.ca/draft, on the Giants' website at https://chl.ca/whl-giants/article/live-tracker-2026-whl-prospects-draft/, and across the team's social media channels.
Fans can join the conversation using #WHLDraft.
Correction: An earlier Langley Union story incorrectly stated that the 2026 WHL Prospects Draft was taking place on May 5. The draft is actually scheduled for today, May 6. We regret the error.
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