🌄 Where to mark Remembrance Day

Thursday, Nov. 10, 2022 | Today’s weather: 🌤 3 C

Good Morning, Reader!

Next week is the anniversary of the start of last year’s flooding and landslides. In general, I’m not a big fan of tying stories to arbitrary milestones or proclaimed days or months. If it’s a story, it’s a story.

Goodness knows we’ve written about the aftermath plenty over the last 12 months. But a year since the storms hit is as good an opportunity as any to figure out just how prepared we are for the next devastating weather event. I'll be chatting with provincial leaders over the next few weeks while also trying to take a step back and analyze where we are in our post-disaster response. That’s still in the works though. Today, we have information on local Remembrance Day ceremonies and a pair of thought-provoking conversations about service. We will be off tomorrow and return to your inbox Monday morning.

—Tyler Olsen, managing editor

Need to know

🚓 A hammer attack in Abbotsford last week left the victim with minor injuries; police are investigating [Abbotsford Police]

💰 A $1 million lottery ticket was bought in Deroche [Surrey Now-Leader

🌲 Work is now underway to build stairs on Little Mountain in Chilliwack to provide public access to new parkland [Chilliwack Progress] ; We wrote in June about the decades-long efforts to maintain greenspace on the mountain [FVC]

📉 Langley home prices continue to decline [Langley Advance Times]

🏠 Census data confirmed that Mission continues to have relatively few renters [Mission Record]

📷 CURRENT CAM: Congrats to Bob Lounsbury, who was the first to identify yesterday’s Current Cam photo of the light fixtures outside of the Chilliwack Coliseum.

Chilliwack will soon open three new shelters for people without houmes. 🗺 Grace Giesbrecht

CHILLIWACK COUNCIL GIVES THUMBS UP TO HOMELESS SHELTERS
Chilliwack council approved three temporary winter shelter spaces for people experiencing homelessness at a specially convened meeting Wednesday morning.

One of the shelters is a daytime wellness centre that will open on Trethewey Avenue. It will provide a location for the city’s homeless population to find help during the day, when most temporary shelters are closed.

The city received one-time funding through several organizations to address the gap, and enlisted the Pacific Community Resources Society to operate the wellness centre through the winter.

Two new overnight shelters were also approved in a similar manner to ease the overwhelming strain and crowds at existing shelters in the area. Operated by Ruth and Naomi’s Mission, one will add 20-plus temporary beds on the property next to the non-profit’s existing homeless shelter, and another will add 20-25 beds at the Cheam View United Church for use during extreme weather only.

Council decided to not enforce zoning bylaws at the sites, which aren't currently zoned for such a use.

"Council acknowledges how important it is for people experiencing homelessness to have a safe, warm indoor space to go during the winter. In order to help get everyone through the winter safely, council has resolved to not enforce zoning bylaws in this location for six months," Chilliwack Mayor Ken Popove said. "We hope that BC Housing and Fraser Health will look into long-term solutions for a daytime wellness centre in our community in the near future."

Though BC Housing and Fraser Health helped fund the first season of the wellness centre, a long-term commitment has yet to be made.

DOES MISSION NEED ITS OWN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMPANY?
Mission will be the latest community to consider starting its own economic development corporation. Some municipalities use such free-standing corporations to raise money and promote business development. Locally, the best example is the Chilliwack Economic Partners Corporation (CEPCO). It is incorporated as a private company, but with a goal to further the city’s economic interests. CEPCO was heavily involved in both the current District 1881 project and the redevelopment of the CFB Chilliwack lands.

Abbotsford considered such an approach in 2015, but decided to keep economic development activity within its internal city hall departments. Now it’s northern neighbour appears set to consider the approach. Mission has an economic development committee, and now, minutes of a recent committee meeting show that members will create a working group to explore the idea of creating a development corporation.

The members of the working group will be able to make recommendations to council. But council will retain the final say (only one council member—Mayor Paul Horn—is part of the committee). Members of the working group include: Edgar Sarfeld, Ethel Lariviere, Jack Davidson, Chris Hartman, and Glen Robertson.

NEW BREWS

A NEW IMPERIAL AND PORTER
Locality Brewing has released several new beers over the last month. Locality has tapped its Into The Woods Imperial, an 8.5% / 28 IBU opaque dark brown stout. It also released its Owl Train Vanilla Porter (5%) on tap and in cans. And it’s now done the same for its Haywire Valley Cherry Sour (5.8%), a dry-hopped mid-level sour.

Releasing a local beer of your own? Fill out this form.

The 6th edition of the Chilliwack Independent Film Festival returns in-person Nov. 18 to 20 at the Cottonwood Cinema. The festival then goes virtual from Nov. 21 to Dec. 4.

Watch feature films, documentaries, short films, creator panels, and more, from across BC and the world. With 64 films curated across 15 screenings, there's also food trucks, popcorn, craft beer, and wine. Explore the full program and choose what you want to see.

Get your tickets today at CIFF. ca and celebrate the arts in your community.

Cpl. Huron Brant was decorated for bravery in Sicily. He would die a year later. 📸 Library and Archives Canada; Ref number: PA130065

In the mid-1990s, Canadians and people across the world celebrated the 50th anniversary of the major World War II victories that led to the end of one of humanity’s most calamitous eras. The war's ramifications are widely known and discussed. But the ramifications of those anniversaries are still being felt, particularly in Canada, according to a prominent military historian.

"All of a sudden, not just in Canada, but all across the western allied countries, there’s an explosion of remembrance," UFV history professor Dr. Scott Sheffield says.

And that renewed veneration of Canadian soldiers—all Canadian soldiers—also shone a spotlight on the fight many Indigenous veterans faced when they returned to their home country.

Yesterday was Indigenous Veterans Day in Canada. Sheffield spoke last year to podcaster Aaron Pete about Canada’s Indigenous veterans, the true meaning of Remembrance Day, and other topics. We excerpted parts of their discussion for a story and are re-running it today. You can read read it here.

Around town

THIS WEEKEND

🎄 The Christmas in the Country market at 6800 Pioneer Ave. in Agassiz runs Nov. 12 and features local artists and prize draws.

❄ Tis The Season Christmas Market at Chilliwack's Evergreen Hall runs from 10am to 4pm on Nov. 12. Details online.

COMING UP

🎄 The Mennonite Christmas Market runs from Nov. 14 to 20 at the Mennonite Heritage Museum on Clearbrook Road in Abbotsford.

❄ One Night Out, a fundraiser for vulnerable youth, takes place Nov. 18 outside Langley Events Centre. Participants will spend the night outside on cardboard sleeping mats. Join a team in advance or start your own. Details online.

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