Grab the umbrella and keep it handy. Langley is in for steady rain today with a high near 10°C. Wednesday looks like the soggiest day of the week. By Friday, highs will barely reach 6°C and mornings will dip to around 4°C, so it's time to dig out the warmer layers.
Closer to home, Brookswood neighbours are rallying around a beloved local landscaper, and Langley students show how differently the election might have gone if kids held the ballots. A mother and her children were targeted in a racist attack in Langley City, and witnesses stepped in to help.
Across the province, BC's new government won a big majority with less than half the vote. A youth-led climate trial has opened in Vancouver, and a North Coast LNG project is moving closer to construction. Plus, Vancouver Rise FC are headed to the playoffs.
Langley News
🤝 Brookswood Neighbours Rally Around Injured Langley Landscaper
Brookswood landscaper Mark Rogers, 64, is in hospital after falling from a ladder while helping a neighbour trim hedges.
He broke his collarbone and three ribs and punctured a lung, and he faces months away from work and from his bass guitar.
The neighbours he has spent years helping are now returning the favour, and a GoFundMe has already raised over $11,000 of its $12,000 goal. (via Langley Advance Times)
🗳️ Langley Students Elect a Green MLA and a Divided Township Council
If Langley students had made the call, Green candidate Sam Meyer would represent Langley-Walnut Grove.
In the Township, students re-elected Mayor Eric Woodward but gave rival slate Langley Strong a five-seat majority on council.
Province-wide, students chose a Conservative minority, which suggests the kids prefer a few more checks and balances. (via Langley Advance Times)
🚫 Mother and Children Targeted in Racist Attack Near Douglas Park
A mother and her two children were allegedly assaulted and called racial slurs near Douglas Park in Langley City on Oct. 20.
Several bystanders saw what happened and called for help. A 23-year-old Langley man now faces three assault charges and three hate-motivated offence charges.
Racism has no place in Langley's parks, and the family deserves the community's full support. (via Langley Advance Times)
Fraser Valley & Lower Mainland
🪧 Fake Green Party Signs Flood Surrey-Fleetwood on Election Eve
Between 100 and 200 fake campaign signs for Green candidate Tim Binnema went up across Surrey-Fleetwood the night before the election.
The signs used his photo and falsely claimed approval from his financial agent.
Many were placed beside "Vote NDP out" signs, which looks a lot like an attempt to split the vote.
Binnema has reported the signs to Elections BC. (via Langley Advance Times)
💼 Abbotsford and Mission Employers Honoured for Inclusive Hiring
Five local businesses won awards for hiring and supporting people with disabilities in Abbotsford and Mission.
More than 200 people came out to celebrate, and the event drew a record number of nominations. (via Archway Community Services)
⚖️ Canada's First Youth-Led Climate Trial Opens in Vancouver
Fifteen young plaintiffs are taking Ottawa to federal court in Vancouver.
They argue the federal government should be held legally responsible for its role in the climate crisis.
It's the first trial of its kind in Canada, and it puts the generation that will live with the consequences in the driver's seat. (via CTV News)
📊 BC Conservatives Win Big Majority With Less Than Half the Vote
The Conservatives took 64 of 93 seats with 48.1 per cent of the vote. Turnout also hit a record low, at just over 48 per cent.
Fair Vote Canada is renewing calls for proportional representation and points to a poll showing 75 per cent of British Columbians support it. (via Langley Advance Times)
🏛️ Doerkson's Indigenous Relations Pick Will Signal His Path on DRIPA
Premier-designate Lorne Doerkson's choice of Indigenous Relations minister could set the tone for his whole government.
The Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act, or DRIPA, recognizes First Nations' rights to their lands and a say in decisions about them. First Nations leaders are already warning the new government that a "volatile situation" is brewing. (via The Tyee)
⛽ North Coast LNG Project Locks In German Buyer as Doerkson Vows to Triple Gas Output
Ksi Lisims LNG has signed a 20-year deal to sell gas to a German state-owned energy company. The floating export facility would be built on Nisga'a land north of Prince Rupert.
The Nisga'a Lisims Government is a co-developer alongside Western LNG and Rockies LNG. Other area First Nations are challenging the project and its pipeline in court.
Doerkson has promised to triple natural gas production by 2035, which raises a big question: who pays the climate bill for all that extra gas? (via Langley Advance Times)
National News
🏥 Ottawa Tables MAID Changes on Mental Illness and Advance Requests
The federal government is introducing a bill to change Canada's medical assistance in dying law.
It would bar people whose only condition is a mental illness from accessing MAID. It would also allow advance requests for people with conditions like dementia or ALS, with each province deciding whether to offer them.
The bill must pass before March 17. (via Fraser Valley Today)
🖥️ Report Warns Big Tech Data Centres Are Outpacing Public Oversight
A new report says Canada needs rules for AI data centres before it's too late. Most are backed by foreign capital, create few permanent jobs and leave communities to cover the power, water and environmental costs.
In Alberta, gas-powered hyperscale centres could erase emissions cuts from the coal phase-out.
Meanwhile, the industry lobby has already reversed a moratorium in Hamilton. (via Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives)
Sports
⚽ Vancouver Rise FC Clinch Playoff Spot, Host Montreal on Sunday
Vancouver Rise FC are headed to the playoffs.
They'll host Montreal Roses FC at home on Sunday, Nov. 1, so pack a rain jacket and cheer them on. (via OurSports Central)
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