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Good morning, Langley!
Today brings cloudy skies with light showers and temperatures reaching around 12°C, perfect weather for gossiping with your coworkers and/or neighbors about the AWS outage that crippled major parts of the internet this morning.
This Monday's roundup covers crucial local democracy with the Township by-election happening Saturday, community support for Aldergrove businesses facing trade pressures, and breaking down the manufactured crisis at Canada Post that reveals how privatization schemes hurt workers while enriching Liberal-connected insiders.
Plus, the Vancouver Giants delivered a thrilling victory over the defending WHL champions, while both the Canucks and Blue Jays are keeping fans busy with exciting matchups throughout the week.
Langley City Residents Asked to Weigh In on New Parking Rules
Langley City is seeking community input on managing on-street parking in apartment and townhouse neighborhoods, a decision that could shape how residents access their streets while potentially addressing the hidden costs of car-dependent development.
The survey, running until October 31, offers three options: keeping things as they are, introducing resident-only parking based on ICBC registration, or implementing a permit system that could include time-limited parking for non-residents.
While the city frames this as a matter of fairness and access, the real question is whether Langley will continue prioritizing public storage space for private vehicles over creating walkable, affordable neighborhoods where people don't need to own multiple vehicles just to get around.
Township of Langley By-Election Set for Saturday, October 25
Langley Township residents head to the polls this Saturday to elect one new councillor in a by-election.
Voting runs from 8:00am to 8:00pm at nine locations across the township, including schools in Aldergrove, Fort Langley, Walnut Grove, and Willoughby.
Due to the ongoing Canada Post labour disruption, voter notification cards won't be mailed out, but residents don't need them to cast their ballot.
Advance voting wrapped up on October 22 after running for a week at five locations.
This election comes at a crucial time for the township as it grapples with development pressures, housing affordability, and infrastructure needs that affect working families across Langley.
Aldergrove's Small Businesses Navigate Trade Wars, Look to Local Support
Aldergrove's small business owners are feeling the squeeze from U.S. tariffs and trade uncertainty, but community solidarity offers a path forward.
Jodi Steeves, president of the Aldergrove Business Association, says local producers in wood products, mushrooms, and produce are absorbing costs to stay competitive while trade tensions disrupt sales cycles.
The solution isn't waiting for politicians to fix broken trade deals, it's building economic resilience right here by supporting businesses like Champ's Mushrooms and Krause Berry Farms instead of feeding corporate supply chains that ship profits elsewhere while local entrepreneurs struggle to keep their doors open.
Vancouver's Housing Bubble Shows Cracks as Speculation Meets Reality
Metro Vancouver's housing market is finally facing the consequences of treating homes like investment vehicles instead of places for people to live.
After years of speculators flipping tiny condos and developers building overpriced shoebox apartments, prices are sliding as immigration targets drop and buyers realize they no longer need to panic-buy into an overheated market.
Matthew Claxton of the Langley Advance Times reminds us this has happened before, pointing to Toronto's 1989 crash where prices didn't recover for seven years after speculation dried up.
The real question is whether we'll learn the lesson this time: housing should serve communities, not enrich speculators and developers who've spent decades treating our neighborhoods like casino chips.
Giants Defeat Defending Champions in Thrilling Home Victory
The Vancouver Giants wrapped up their weekend in spectacular fashion, taking down the defending WHL Champion Medicine Hat Tigers 3-1 at Langley Events Centre.
The victory capped off an impressive three-games-in-three-days stretch that saw the Giants collect five of six possible points, improving their overall record to 5-6-0-1.
Goals from Tyus Sparks, Jakob Oreskovic, and Cameron Schmidt, combined with a stellar 29-save performance from goaltender Burke Hood, propelled the home team to victory against a Tigers squad that entered the game with a 7-3 record. The Giants' penalty kill was particularly impressive, going 2-for-2 and extending their recent strong special teams play to 13-for-14 over their last four games. Head coach Parker Burgess praised his team's resilience and commitment to their game plan throughout the demanding weekend schedule.
Langley Events Centre Hosts Busy Week of Hockey and Basketball
The Langley Events Centre is packed with home team action this week and into early November. Here's what's on the schedule:
Vancouver Giants (WHL)
- Portland Winterhawks: October 24, 7:00pm
- Kamloops Blazers: October 26, 4:00pm
- Kelowna Rockets: November 1, 7:00pm
- Prince George Cougars: November 2, 4:00pm
Trinity Western Spartans Hockey
- MacEwan Griffins: October 24, 1:00pm (women)
- MacEwan Griffins: October 25, 3:00pm (women)
- Alberta Golden Bears: October 31, 7:00pm (men)
Trinity Western Spartans Basketball
- UBC Thunderbirds: October 25, 6:00pm (women) and 8:00pm (men)
- UFV Cascades: October 31, 6:00pm (women) and 8:00pm (men)
- UFV Cascades: November 1, 4:00pm (women) and 6:00pm (men)
CCA Division II Canadian Tip-Off Classic
- October 31 through November 2
Canada Post Under Siege: How the Liberal Government Enables Privatization Through the Back Door
Canada Post Crisis Reveals Liberal Government's Privatization Agenda
Canada Post is facing a manufactured crisis designed to justify privatization, and Liberal insider connections run deep.
Industry Minister MĂ©lanie Joly's brother Jean-SĂ©bastien Joly owns Intelcom, a package delivery company that purchased itself back from Canada Post in 2007 after controversy over Liberal Party connections.
With backing from the Caisse de dépôt and the Business Development Bank of Canada, Intelcom has exploded to handle 500,000 packages daily through 2,500 employees and 3,000 gig workers earning as little as $1.60 per package with no benefits or vehicle insurance.
The government's claim that Canada Post is broke doesn't hold up to scrutiny.
Canada Post owns 91 percent of Purolator, which generates roughly $2.5 billion annually, and executives continue collecting millions in bonuses while management cries poverty.
During the December 2024 strike, Canada Post hired strikebreakers and used subcontractors like Intelcom to deliver packages, revealing the true agenda: transferring public services to private companies where workers have no collective bargaining power and face precarious conditions.
The Liberal strategy mirrors what happened with Amazon in Quebec, where 2,000 workers were laid off after unionizing, with Intelcom eagerly stepping in to take over deliveries through subcontractors who won't rehire those workers.
Canada Post's latest contract proposals include abolishing job security, creating 60-kilometer redeployment zones, and direct job cuts, offers that Union President Jan Simpson says are worse than what members rejected in August.
Meanwhile, proposals that could strengthen Canada Post and serve communities remain buried by political inaction and financial sector resistance.
Postal banking would provide financial services in underserved areas, last-mile delivery consolidation would improve efficiency, community hubs could anchor local economies, and rural EV charging stations would support the green transition.
These solutions would benefit working people instead of corporate shareholders, which is precisely why the Carney government refuses to consider them while dismantling one of the last nationwide public infrastructures capable of countering corporate monopoly and serving people where they live.
Canucks Continue Strong Road Performance with Victory Over Capitals
The Vancouver Canucks are making their current road trip look like a victory tour, extending their perfect start with a 4-3 win over the Washington Capitals.
Three first-period goals provided the foundation for what turned into a nail-biting finish, as the Canucks had to hold on against a late Washington rally to secure their third consecutive road victory. The early offensive explosion gave Vancouver the breathing room they needed, though the Capitals' third-period push made things interesting down the stretch.
This latest win improves the Canucks to 3-0 on their current road swing, demonstrating the kind of away-from-home consistency that could prove crucial as the season progresses.
The team's ability to score early and then weather opposing teams' comeback attempts suggests they're developing the mental toughness needed for sustained success.
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