🌄 People killed 50 BC cougars last year

Monday, July 11, 2022 | Today’s weather: ☀ 29 C

Good Morning Reader!

Perhaps, on the weekend, some of you readers visited a farmer’s market. It is the season for it after all: warm afternoons, fresh fruit and vegetables, handmade knick knacks like soaps or mugs. While I can think of a handful of farmer’s markets off the top of my head, we would love it if you could share your favourite ones. That way, we can put together a list of all the outdoor markets in the valley, and share them with you before the nice weather runs out. There are so many, though, we don't want to miss any. So reply to this email with your favourite!

—Grace Kennedy, reporter

In the early 2010s, roughly 100 cougars were killed each year by conservation officers and others. In 2021, that number was closer to 50. 📸 Finn Steiner/Shutterstock

NEWS
Why cougar killings are on the decline

In the last decade more than 1,200 cougars have been killed by conservation officers or others in BC—but the last three years have seen a steep decline in the number of big cat killings.

According to data included in the BC Conservation Service’s human-predator conflict update, 1,241 cougars have been killed between 2011 and 2021. About two-thirds of those cougars were killed by conservation officers, who are responsible for helping residents deal with cougar-related conflicts. The remainder were by others: members of the public or other agencies who may also interact with the wild cats. (These numbers do not include hunting deaths.)

On average, roughly 73 cougars have been killed each year. But since 2019, there has been a major decrease in the number of cougars killed by humans. Last year, 50 cougars were killed, while 10 years earlier the number was over 100.

Today, Grace talks with a conservation officer to find out what has changed for human-cougar conflicts in the last three years, and why people-caused cougar deaths are now less common.

Related story: The secret lives of the Fraser Valley's wild cats

Need to know

⚠ A tanker truck tipped on its side after trying to navigate a Langley roundabout Friday [Aldergrove Star]

🌿 Hope has received its first application for a pot shop in the community; a public hearing is on the way [Hope Standard]

⚖ Two people who broke into an Abbotsford hog farm in 2019 have been found guilty of mischief, as well as breaking and entering [Chilliwack Progress]

🏃‍♀️ Chilliwack runner Kalyn Head is once again running 100km on her birthday to support the Special Olympics [Chilliwack Progress]; The Current chatted with her during her last birthday run

🍿 Langley is the second spot in BC to get a 270-degree panoramic movie theatre [Daily Hive]

🏆 Abbotsford may just have the best municipal flag in Canada, according to a national contest that is now in the final stages of voting [Municipal World]

💧 All flooding-related evacuation alerts in the FVRD have been rescinded thanks to lowering water levels [Fraser Valley Regional District]

🚧 Repairs to Langley's 232 Street overpass won't be finished until next year; damage was caused by a truck that slammed into the underside of the structure [Langley Advance Times]

😷 COVID: BC will be rolling out another booster shot this fall; officials also hope a vaccine for children aged six months to four years will be approved by the end of July [Global News]

📝 ELECTION SURVEY: We are planning our coverage for this fall’s local elections and want to hear about your priorities and interests. If you haven’t taken our survey yet, you can find it here. You can read our early preview of stories to watch here.

A public hearing will be held tonight for a proposed 334-home development in Willoughby. 📸 Township of Langley

THE AGENDA

LANGLEY CONSIDERS NEW DEVELOPMENT WITH PARK AND SCHOOL
A predominantly rural Langley neighbourhood might have a substantial development project in its future. Qualico Mitchell Williams has proposed 334 homes for the Williams neighbourhood located in the northeastern area of Willoughby, directly adjacent to Highway 1 at the 216 Street Interchange. Township council gave first and second reading to amend the community plan to rezone the 32 acres of land to accommodate the development of seven single family lots and 327 townhouse units. (Council had concerns about the required road realignment.) The corner lot at 212 Street hasn’t been purchased by the developer. Should the developer not be able to acquire the property, they will need to work out an agreement with the landowner. The development proposal is one of the first residential applications being considered by the Township in the Williams neighbourhood. Included in the proposal is a required five-acre school and park site. A public hearing is scheduled for today at 7pm at the Langley Township Civic Facility.

LOCAL EMERGENCY OPERATIONS TO GET FUNDING BOOST
Two municipalities and two First Nations will be receiving provincial money to enhance their emergency operations centres (EOC). The province announced the Spuzzum First Nation and the Kwantlen First Nation will each receive $25,000. Spuzzum, in the Fraser Canyon, will use it for EOC development, while Kwantlen will use the funds for training development. The Fraser Valley Regional District and the District of Kent will also be receiving $25,000 each. The FVRD funds will go to create a disaster emergency dashboard, which will help the regional district see what exactly is going on across its large area. The hope is that it will make decision-making easier for the FVRD and improve communications with the public. Kent will be using its money to upgrade emergency technology, as well as install mobile cell boosters in emergency vehicles. You can read about the challenges small communities faced during November’s emergency here.

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Around town

💻 The Alzheimer Society of BC is holding a free webinar aimed at helping people with dementia navigate the Fraser Valley transit system. The event takes place on July 13 at 2pm. Register online.

🌈 The 10th annual Fraser Valley Pride Celebration is happening at the Fraser River Heritage Park in Mission on Saturday, July 16. The celebration kicks off with a visibility walk at noon.

🎊 Join the University of the Fraser Valley for the 6th annual Town and Gown event this fall. Every ticket purchased supports bursaries and scholarships for UFV students.*

*Sponsored Listing