Galer Estate Vineyard & Winery Wine Club 08/30/2016 12:00AM The Galer Estate family invites you to join our Wine Club, a community of members who enjoy fine ...
Lt. Governor Forum 08/30/2016 06:30PM — 08:00PM Want to know the position of candidates running for office are on issues such as transportation, ...
Galer Estate Vineyard & Winery Wine Club 08/31/2016 12:00AM The Galer Estate family invites you to join our Wine Club, a community of members who enjoy fine ...
Pajama Storytime 08/31/2016 06:30PM — 07:30PM Wednesdays at 6:30 PM - Join us for an evening of stories, songs, crafts, and fun to end your day...
Pro-Act's Family Education Program 08/31/2016 07:00PM — 09:00PM When someone is addicted to drugs & alcohol, the diease affects the entire family. Each month PR...
Galer Estate Vineyard & Winery Wine Club 09/01/2016 12:00AM The Galer Estate family invites you to join our Wine Club, a community of members who enjoy fine ...
Clutterers Anonymous 09/01/2016 06:00PM — 07:00PM Clutterers Anonymous℠ (CLA℠) is a fellowship of men and women who share their experience, strengt...
Galer Estate Vineyard & Winery Wine Club 09/02/2016 12:00AM The Galer Estate family invites you to join our Wine Club, a community of members who enjoy fine ...
Galer Estate Vineyard & Winery Wine Club 09/03/2016 12:00AM The Galer Estate family invites you to join our Wine Club, a community of members who enjoy fine ...
Milburn’s U-Pick Apple Adventures! 09/03/2016 10:00AM — 05:00PM This unique Adventure begins on Labor Day Weekend, and runs every Sat & Sun through the end of Oc...
Galer Estate Vineyard & Winery Wine Club 09/04/2016 12:00AM The Galer Estate family invites you to join our Wine Club, a community of members who enjoy fine ...
Milburn’s U-Pick Apple Adventures! 09/04/2016 10:00AM — 05:00PM This unique Adventure begins on Labor Day Weekend, and runs every Sat & Sun through the end of Oc...
Steamin' Days at Auburn Heights 09/04/2016 12:30PM — 04:30PM Join us on the first Sundays, June through November for Steamin’ Days at Auburn Heights, when the...
Taste Kennett Food Tours 09/04/2016 01:00PM — 04:00PM Taste Kennett Food Tours, creators of memorable, unique and fun food experiences, offer three-hou...
Galer Estate Vineyard & Winery Wine Club 09/05/2016 12:00AM The Galer Estate family invites you to join our Wine Club, a community of members who enjoy fine ...
Debtors Anonymous 09/05/2016 06:00PM — 07:00PM In D.A., our purpose is threefold: to stop incurring unsecured debt, to share our experience wit...
Galer Estate Vineyard & Winery Wine Club 09/06/2016 12:00AM The Galer Estate family invites you to join our Wine Club, a community of members who enjoy fine ...
Evenings at the Museum 09/06/2016 07:00PM — 08:30PM Join us to explore the museum behind-the-scenes and get up close and personal with our historic c...
Galer Estate Vineyard & Winery Wine Club 09/07/2016 12:00AM The Galer Estate family invites you to join our Wine Club, a community of members who enjoy fine ...
Pro-Act's Family Education Program 09/07/2016 07:00PM — 09:00PM When someone is addicted to drugs & alcohol, the diease affects the entire family. Each month PR...
Galer Estate Vineyard & Winery Wine Club 09/08/2016 12:00AM The Galer Estate family invites you to join our Wine Club, a community of members who enjoy fine ...
Clutterers Anonymous 09/08/2016 06:00PM — 07:00PM Clutterers Anonymous℠ (CLA℠) is a fellowship of men and women who share their experience, strengt...
Galer Estate Vineyard & Winery Wine Club 09/09/2016 12:00AM The Galer Estate family invites you to join our Wine Club, a community of members who enjoy fine ...
Plant Disease Management 09/09/2016 10:00AM — 02:30PM Gardening with nature requires knowledge of the various pathogenic fungi, bacteria, and viruses t...
Parent's Night Out: Water Wise 09/09/2016 06:30PM — 08:30PM Enjoy an evening on Wilmington's Riverfront while the children have tons of fun at the DuPont Env...
Performance: Hay Fever 09/09/2016 08:00PM Four unsuspecting guests of the Bliss family discover that a weekend in the idyllic English count...
Galer Estate Vineyard & Winery Wine Club 09/10/2016 12:00AM The Galer Estate family invites you to join our Wine Club, a community of members who enjoy fine ...
Milburn’s U-Pick Apple Adventures! 09/10/2016 10:00AM — 05:00PM This unique Adventure begins on Labor Day Weekend, and runs every Sat & Sun through the end of Oc...
51st Annual Chadds Ford Days 09/10/2016 10:00AM — 07:00PM The 51st Annual Chadds Ford Days celebrates the Battle of the Brandywine, which occurred on Septe...
51st Annual Chadds Ford Days 09/10/2016 10:00AM — 07:00PM The 51st Annual Chadds Ford Days celebrates the Battle of the Brandywine, which occurred on Septe...
51st Annual Chadds Ford Days 09/10/2016 10:00AM — 07:00PM The 51st Annual Chadds Ford Days celebrates the Battle of the Brandywine, which occurred on Septe...
Propagating Native Ferns 09/10/2016 10:00AM — 12:30PM Discover how simple it is to grow ferns from spores. Steve Pyne, Greenhouse Assistant at Mt. Cuba...
Harvest Moon Festival 09/10/2016 10:00AM — 06:00PM Come spend the weekend enjoying nature and taking in great local art, music, and food. Local craf...
Barclay Friends 12th Annual Secret Gardens of West Chester Tour and Plant Sale 09/10/2016 10:00AM — 03:00PM Secret Gardens of West Chester is a walking tour of 10+ privately owned gardens located in the So...
Chadds Ford Days 09/10/2016 10:00AM — 07:00PM Chadds Ford Days is a deep-rooted event originally started over 50 years ago to commemorate the B...
Insects: Hunters, Gatherers, and Grazers 09/10/2016 01:00PM — 03:00PM Take a closer look at the world of insects living in your garden. Learn to distinguish the ones t...
Performance: Hay Fever 09/10/2016 08:00PM Four unsuspecting guests of the Bliss family discover that a weekend in the idyllic English count...
Galer Estate Vineyard & Winery Wine Club 09/11/2016 12:00AM The Galer Estate family invites you to join our Wine Club, a community of members who enjoy fine ...
Milburn’s U-Pick Apple Adventures! 09/11/2016 10:00AM — 05:00PM This unique Adventure begins on Labor Day Weekend, and runs every Sat & Sun through the end of Oc...
51st Annual Chadds Ford Days 09/11/2016 10:00AM — 07:00PM The 51st Annual Chadds Ford Days celebrates the Battle of the Brandywine, which occurred on Septe...
51st Annual Chadds Ford Days 09/11/2016 10:00AM — 07:00PM The 51st Annual Chadds Ford Days celebrates the Battle of the Brandywine, which occurred on Septe...
51st Annual Chadds Ford Days 09/11/2016 10:00AM — 07:00PM The 51st Annual Chadds Ford Days celebrates the Battle of the Brandywine, which occurred on Septe...
Chadds Ford Days 09/11/2016 10:00AM — 05:00PM Chadds Ford Days is a deep-rooted event originally started over 50 years ago to commemorate the B...
Taste Kennett Food Tours 09/11/2016 01:00PM — 04:00PM Taste Kennett Food Tours, creators of memorable, unique and fun food experiences, offer three-hou...
Galer Estate Vineyard & Winery Wine Club 09/12/2016 12:00AM The Galer Estate family invites you to join our Wine Club, a community of members who enjoy fine ...
Debtors Anonymous 09/12/2016 06:00PM — 07:00PM In D.A., our purpose is threefold: to stop incurring unsecured debt, to share our experience wit...
Galer Estate Vineyard & Winery Wine Club 09/13/2016 12:00AM The Galer Estate family invites you to join our Wine Club, a community of members who enjoy fine ...
Living History - Fair Hill 09/13/2016 06:00PM — 07:30PM The Fair Hill of yesteryear comes alive through the stories of its residents from the early 1700s...
Galer Estate Vineyard & Winery Wine Club 09/14/2016 12:00AM The Galer Estate family invites you to join our Wine Club, a community of members who enjoy fine ...
Native Plants of Fall 09/14/2016 10:00AM — 12:00PM As the days get cooler and nights grow longer, attractive fall plants offer captivating flowers, ...
Antique Car Cruise and Drive-in Pit Stop 09/14/2016 01:00PM — 03:00PM Join Brandywine Senior Living at Longwood for an Antique Car Show with cars from Chester County A...
Pro-Act's Family Education Program 09/14/2016 07:00PM — 09:00PM When someone is addicted to drugs & alcohol, the diease affects the entire family. Each month PR...
Galer Estate Vineyard & Winery Wine Club 09/15/2016 12:00AM The Galer Estate family invites you to join our Wine Club, a community of members who enjoy fine ...
Clutterers Anonymous 09/15/2016 06:00PM — 07:00PM Clutterers Anonymous℠ (CLA℠) is a fellowship of men and women who share their experience, strengt...
Tavern Talks: Creating the Perfect (Colonial) Selfie 09/15/2016 07:00PM — 09:00PM Today selfies may be all the rage, but in the 18th century portraits were the ultimate one! On Se...
Tavern Talks: Creating the Perfect (Colonial) Selfie 09/15/2016 07:00PM — 09:00PM Today selfies may be all the rage, but in the 18th century portraits were the ultimate one! On Se...
Tavern Talks: Creating the Perfect (Colonial) Selfie 09/15/2016 07:00PM — 09:00PM Today selfies may be all the rage, but in the 18th century portraits were the ultimate one! On Se...
Tavern Talks: Creating the Perfect (Colonial) Selfie 09/15/2016 07:00PM — 09:00PM Today selfies may be all the rage, but in the 18th century portraits were the ultimate one! On Se...
Galer Estate Vineyard & Winery Wine Club 09/16/2016 12:00AM The Galer Estate family invites you to join our Wine Club, a community of members who enjoy fine ...
Elkton Fall Fest 09/16/2016 05:00PM The Fall Fest weekend will be filled with a variety of food, crafts, games, and entertainment for...
Performance: Hay Fever 09/16/2016 08:00PM Four unsuspecting guests of the Bliss family discover that a weekend in the idyllic English count...
Galer Estate Vineyard & Winery Wine Club 09/17/2016 12:00AM The Galer Estate family invites you to join our Wine Club, a community of members who enjoy fine ...
Elkton Fall Fest 09/17/2016 08:30AM The Fall Fest weekend will be filled with a variety of food, crafts, games, and entertainment for...
Walk for Life! 09/17/2016 09:00AM — 12:30PM Join us for a day at the park at our 2.5 mile Walk for Life. Bring the whole family and spend som...
Milburn’s U-Pick Apple Adventures! 09/17/2016 10:00AM — 05:00PM This unique Adventure begins on Labor Day Weekend, and runs every Sat & Sun through the end of Oc...
Milburn’s Grandparent’s Weekend! 09/17/2016 10:00AM — 04:00PM INCLUDED WITH BASIC ADMISSION: Hayrides Corn Maze (Bigger maze for bigger kids & adults) Bo...
Rejuvenate Your Garden 09/17/2016 11:00AM — 12:30PM Early fall is a great time to take stock of your yard and make changes for next spring. Look for ...
Performance: Hay Fever 09/17/2016 08:00PM Four unsuspecting guests of the Bliss family discover that a weekend in the idyllic English count...
Comedy Explosion@ Thorndale Inn 09/17/2016 08:00PM — 11:00PM Join us for comedy explosion on Saturday Sept 17, 2016 9pm@ Thorndale Inn 430 Bondsville Rd Downi...
Galer Estate Vineyard & Winery Wine Club 09/18/2016 12:00AM The Galer Estate family invites you to join our Wine Club, a community of members who enjoy fine ...
Milburn’s U-Pick Apple Adventures! 09/18/2016 10:00AM — 05:00PM This unique Adventure begins on Labor Day Weekend, and runs every Sat & Sun through the end of Oc...
Milburn’s Grandparent’s Weekend! 09/18/2016 10:00AM — 04:00PM INCLUDED WITH BASIC ADMISSION: Hayrides Corn Maze (Bigger maze for bigger kids & adults) Bo...
Canoeing The Christina River And Marshes 09/18/2016 12:30PM — 03:30PM Explore the Christina River and its marshes. Watch for herons, ducks, beavers and more in the fre...
Taste Kennett Food Tours 09/18/2016 01:00PM — 04:00PM Taste Kennett Food Tours, creators of memorable, unique and fun food experiences, offer three-hou...
Performance: Hay Fever 09/18/2016 02:00PM Four unsuspecting guests of the Bliss family discover that a weekend in the idyllic English count...
Galer Estate Vineyard & Winery Wine Club 09/19/2016 12:00AM The Galer Estate family invites you to join our Wine Club, a community of members who enjoy fine ...
Debtors Anonymous 09/19/2016 06:00PM — 07:00PM In D.A., our purpose is threefold: to stop incurring unsecured debt, to share our experience wit...
Galer Estate Vineyard & Winery Wine Club 09/20/2016 12:00AM The Galer Estate family invites you to join our Wine Club, a community of members who enjoy fine ...

Buona Foods to sponsor mushroom eating contest


Popular event will take place on Sept. 10, beginning at 3 p.m. at the 31st annual Mushroom Festival in Kennett Square


Galer Estate Vineyard & Winery Wine Club 08/26/2016 12:00AM The Galer Estate family invites you to join our Wine Club, a community of members who enjoy fine ...
Galer Estate Vineyard & Winery Wine Club 08/27/2016 12:00AM The Galer Estate family invites you to join our Wine Club, a community of members who enjoy fine ...
Children’s I-Spy Birding 08/27/2016 09:00AM — 10:30AM The last Saturday of the month from 9am-10:30am. Join local birding expert and environmental edu...
Twistback Center For The Arts - Summer Arts Wine and Music Festival 08/27/2016 03:00PM — 09:00PM A fun filled day for the whole family featuring art and tasteful crafts on display and for purcha...
Galer Estate Vineyard & Winery Wine Club 08/28/2016 12:00AM The Galer Estate family invites you to join our Wine Club, a community of members who enjoy fine ...
Tinkergarten FREE Trial Classes for Families 08/28/2016 10:00AM — 11:15AM SIGN UP FOR A FREE TRIAL CLASS! Tinkergarten is not a typical kids' class--we share ideas with...
Taste Kennett Food Tours 08/28/2016 01:00PM — 04:00PM Taste Kennett Food Tours, creators of memorable, unique and fun food experiences, offer three-hou...
Galer Estate Vineyard & Winery Wine Club 08/29/2016 12:00AM The Galer Estate family invites you to join our Wine Club, a community of members who enjoy fine ...
Debtors Anonymous 08/29/2016 06:00PM — 07:00PM In D.A., our purpose is threefold: to stop incurring unsecured debt, to share our experience wit...
Galer Estate Vineyard & Winery Wine Club 08/30/2016 12:00AM The Galer Estate family invites you to join our Wine Club, a community of members who enjoy fine ...
Lt. Governor Forum 08/30/2016 06:30PM — 08:00PM Want to know the position of candidates running for office are on issues such as transportation, ...
Galer Estate Vineyard & Winery Wine Club 08/31/2016 12:00AM The Galer Estate family invites you to join our Wine Club, a community of members who enjoy fine ...
Pajama Storytime 08/31/2016 06:30PM — 07:30PM Wednesdays at 6:30 PM - Join us for an evening of stories, songs, crafts, and fun to end your day...
Pro-Act's Family Education Program 08/31/2016 07:00PM — 09:00PM When someone is addicted to drugs & alcohol, the diease affects the entire family. Each month PR...
Galer Estate Vineyard & Winery Wine Club 09/01/2016 12:00AM The Galer Estate family invites you to join our Wine Club, a community of members who enjoy fine ...
Clutterers Anonymous 09/01/2016 06:00PM — 07:00PM Clutterers Anonymous℠ (CLA℠) is a fellowship of men and women who share their experience, strengt...
Galer Estate Vineyard & Winery Wine Club 09/02/2016 12:00AM The Galer Estate family invites you to join our Wine Club, a community of members who enjoy fine ...
Galer Estate Vineyard & Winery Wine Club 09/03/2016 12:00AM The Galer Estate family invites you to join our Wine Club, a community of members who enjoy fine ...
Milburn’s U-Pick Apple Adventures! 09/03/2016 10:00AM — 05:00PM This unique Adventure begins on Labor Day Weekend, and runs every Sat & Sun through the end of Oc...
Galer Estate Vineyard & Winery Wine Club 09/04/2016 12:00AM The Galer Estate family invites you to join our Wine Club, a community of members who enjoy fine ...
Milburn’s U-Pick Apple Adventures! 09/04/2016 10:00AM — 05:00PM This unique Adventure begins on Labor Day Weekend, and runs every Sat & Sun through the end of Oc...
Steamin' Days at Auburn Heights 09/04/2016 12:30PM — 04:30PM Join us on the first Sundays, June through November for Steamin’ Days at Auburn Heights, when the...
Taste Kennett Food Tours 09/04/2016 01:00PM — 04:00PM Taste Kennett Food Tours, creators of memorable, unique and fun food experiences, offer three-hou...
Galer Estate Vineyard & Winery Wine Club 09/05/2016 12:00AM The Galer Estate family invites you to join our Wine Club, a community of members who enjoy fine ...
Debtors Anonymous 09/05/2016 06:00PM — 07:00PM In D.A., our purpose is threefold: to stop incurring unsecured debt, to share our experience wit...
Galer Estate Vineyard & Winery Wine Club 09/06/2016 12:00AM The Galer Estate family invites you to join our Wine Club, a community of members who enjoy fine ...
Evenings at the Museum 09/06/2016 07:00PM — 08:30PM Join us to explore the museum behind-the-scenes and get up close and personal with our historic c...
Galer Estate Vineyard & Winery Wine Club 09/07/2016 12:00AM The Galer Estate family invites you to join our Wine Club, a community of members who enjoy fine ...
Pro-Act's Family Education Program 09/07/2016 07:00PM — 09:00PM When someone is addicted to drugs & alcohol, the diease affects the entire family. Each month PR...
Galer Estate Vineyard & Winery Wine Club 09/08/2016 12:00AM The Galer Estate family invites you to join our Wine Club, a community of members who enjoy fine ...
Clutterers Anonymous 09/08/2016 06:00PM — 07:00PM Clutterers Anonymous℠ (CLA℠) is a fellowship of men and women who share their experience, strengt...
Galer Estate Vineyard & Winery Wine Club 09/09/2016 12:00AM The Galer Estate family invites you to join our Wine Club, a community of members who enjoy fine ...
Plant Disease Management 09/09/2016 10:00AM — 02:30PM Gardening with nature requires knowledge of the various pathogenic fungi, bacteria, and viruses t...
Parent's Night Out: Water Wise 09/09/2016 06:30PM — 08:30PM Enjoy an evening on Wilmington's Riverfront while the children have tons of fun at the DuPont Env...
Performance: Hay Fever 09/09/2016 08:00PM Four unsuspecting guests of the Bliss family discover that a weekend in the idyllic English count...
Galer Estate Vineyard & Winery Wine Club 09/10/2016 12:00AM The Galer Estate family invites you to join our Wine Club, a community of members who enjoy fine ...
Milburn’s U-Pick Apple Adventures! 09/10/2016 10:00AM — 05:00PM This unique Adventure begins on Labor Day Weekend, and runs every Sat & Sun through the end of Oc...
51st Annual Chadds Ford Days 09/10/2016 10:00AM — 07:00PM The 51st Annual Chadds Ford Days celebrates the Battle of the Brandywine, which occurred on Septe...
51st Annual Chadds Ford Days 09/10/2016 10:00AM — 07:00PM The 51st Annual Chadds Ford Days celebrates the Battle of the Brandywine, which occurred on Septe...
51st Annual Chadds Ford Days 09/10/2016 10:00AM — 07:00PM The 51st Annual Chadds Ford Days celebrates the Battle of the Brandywine, which occurred on Septe...
Propagating Native Ferns 09/10/2016 10:00AM — 12:30PM Discover how simple it is to grow ferns from spores. Steve Pyne, Greenhouse Assistant at Mt. Cuba...
Harvest Moon Festival 09/10/2016 10:00AM — 06:00PM Come spend the weekend enjoying nature and taking in great local art, music, and food. Local craf...
Barclay Friends 12th Annual Secret Gardens of West Chester Tour and Plant Sale 09/10/2016 10:00AM — 03:00PM Secret Gardens of West Chester is a walking tour of 10+ privately owned gardens located in the So...
Chadds Ford Days 09/10/2016 10:00AM — 07:00PM Chadds Ford Days is a deep-rooted event originally started over 50 years ago to commemorate the B...
Insects: Hunters, Gatherers, and Grazers 09/10/2016 01:00PM — 03:00PM Take a closer look at the world of insects living in your garden. Learn to distinguish the ones t...
Performance: Hay Fever 09/10/2016 08:00PM Four unsuspecting guests of the Bliss family discover that a weekend in the idyllic English count...
Galer Estate Vineyard & Winery Wine Club 09/11/2016 12:00AM The Galer Estate family invites you to join our Wine Club, a community of members who enjoy fine ...
Milburn’s U-Pick Apple Adventures! 09/11/2016 10:00AM — 05:00PM This unique Adventure begins on Labor Day Weekend, and runs every Sat & Sun through the end of Oc...
51st Annual Chadds Ford Days 09/11/2016 10:00AM — 07:00PM The 51st Annual Chadds Ford Days celebrates the Battle of the Brandywine, which occurred on Septe...
51st Annual Chadds Ford Days 09/11/2016 10:00AM — 07:00PM The 51st Annual Chadds Ford Days celebrates the Battle of the Brandywine, which occurred on Septe...
51st Annual Chadds Ford Days 09/11/2016 10:00AM — 07:00PM The 51st Annual Chadds Ford Days celebrates the Battle of the Brandywine, which occurred on Septe...
Chadds Ford Days 09/11/2016 10:00AM — 05:00PM Chadds Ford Days is a deep-rooted event originally started over 50 years ago to commemorate the B...
Taste Kennett Food Tours 09/11/2016 01:00PM — 04:00PM Taste Kennett Food Tours, creators of memorable, unique and fun food experiences, offer three-hou...
Galer Estate Vineyard & Winery Wine Club 09/12/2016 12:00AM The Galer Estate family invites you to join our Wine Club, a community of members who enjoy fine ...
Debtors Anonymous 09/12/2016 06:00PM — 07:00PM In D.A., our purpose is threefold: to stop incurring unsecured debt, to share our experience wit...
Galer Estate Vineyard & Winery Wine Club 09/13/2016 12:00AM The Galer Estate family invites you to join our Wine Club, a community of members who enjoy fine ...
Living History - Fair Hill 09/13/2016 06:00PM — 07:30PM The Fair Hill of yesteryear comes alive through the stories of its residents from the early 1700s...
Galer Estate Vineyard & Winery Wine Club 09/14/2016 12:00AM The Galer Estate family invites you to join our Wine Club, a community of members who enjoy fine ...
Native Plants of Fall 09/14/2016 10:00AM — 12:00PM As the days get cooler and nights grow longer, attractive fall plants offer captivating flowers, ...
Antique Car Cruise and Drive-in Pit Stop 09/14/2016 01:00PM — 03:00PM Join Brandywine Senior Living at Longwood for an Antique Car Show with cars from Chester County A...
Pro-Act's Family Education Program 09/14/2016 07:00PM — 09:00PM When someone is addicted to drugs & alcohol, the diease affects the entire family. Each month PR...
Galer Estate Vineyard & Winery Wine Club 09/15/2016 12:00AM The Galer Estate family invites you to join our Wine Club, a community of members who enjoy fine ...
Clutterers Anonymous 09/15/2016 06:00PM — 07:00PM Clutterers Anonymous℠ (CLA℠) is a fellowship of men and women who share their experience, strengt...
Tavern Talks: Creating the Perfect (Colonial) Selfie 09/15/2016 07:00PM — 09:00PM Today selfies may be all the rage, but in the 18th century portraits were the ultimate one! On Se...
Tavern Talks: Creating the Perfect (Colonial) Selfie 09/15/2016 07:00PM — 09:00PM Today selfies may be all the rage, but in the 18th century portraits were the ultimate one! On Se...
Tavern Talks: Creating the Perfect (Colonial) Selfie 09/15/2016 07:00PM — 09:00PM Today selfies may be all the rage, but in the 18th century portraits were the ultimate one! On Se...
Tavern Talks: Creating the Perfect (Colonial) Selfie 09/15/2016 07:00PM — 09:00PM Today selfies may be all the rage, but in the 18th century portraits were the ultimate one! On Se...
Galer Estate Vineyard & Winery Wine Club 09/16/2016 12:00AM The Galer Estate family invites you to join our Wine Club, a community of members who enjoy fine ...
Elkton Fall Fest 09/16/2016 05:00PM The Fall Fest weekend will be filled with a variety of food, crafts, games, and entertainment for...

Festival of Flight has thrills in the air and on the ground


Thousands flock to New Garden Flying Field to see flight demonstrations and antique cars


Welcome to WordPress. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start blogging!


Modified versions of the 1969 Camaro SS and other popular vehicles will soon be eligible for B.C. collector plates, allowing occasional use for parades and car shows.
The B.C. government is expanding its collector vehicle licence system to include eligible modified cars made between 1958 and 1974, to capture the popular "muscle car" era of the 1960s.
The ICBC collector plate program gives car enthusiasts a lower-cost licence plate that allows occasional use for parades and classic car shows. ICBC plans to take applications starting in 2017 for eligible modified vehicles up to 1974, and replica cars resembling North American production cars from 1942 and earlier.
With strict rules that the cars must be in "collectible condition," changes will take in modified popular cars from the Dodge Duster to the Chevrolet Camaro and Ford Mustang, as well as replicas of the popular Ford "deuce coupe" from the 1930s.
Premier Christy Clark announced a break for older cars this spring, allowing vehicles from 1940 or earlier and their replicas to run without fenders or mud flaps when the highway is dry and paved.
Transportation Minister Todd Stone said the collector car industry is significant for B.C., with registered collector vehicles having doubled to 26,000 in the past 10 years.
"We want to see this specialty vehicle program remain viable, preserve vehicle history and evolve with the times," Stone said. "That's why we are opening up the opportunity to owners of specialty cars within the 'muscle car' era."
Currently, the standard collector plate is available to cars 25 years or older, as well as discontinued or limited production vehicles 15 years or older. It requires a stock engine with no performance enhancements, no rust, dents or "significant wear and tear" of the interior.
Modified vehicles from 1958 or older are currently eligible for collector plates, if they retain the shell of the original body but have parts replaced or modified in the chassis, engine, suspension, steering or brakes.
Owners have to apply for a collector or modified collector plate, with purchase and parts bills, photos and inspection reports.
Applications for collector and modified collector programs are available on ICBC's website, www.icbc.com, and can be dropped off at Autoplan brokers.

Collector program expanding to 'muscle cars'


Collector plates will be available next year for modified as well as stock cars made between 1958 and 1974


Trinity Western University President Bob Kuhn practices for the Tour de Fox happening this Saturday, Aug. 20 in Langley.
Trinity Western University president Bob Kuhn will be one of the cyclists riding in the 2016 Pacific Northwest Tour de Fox fundraiser for Parkinson's research in Langley this Saturday.
The 64-year-old Kuhn, who was diagnosed with Parkinson's in 2006, at the age of 53, will ride 35 miles (about 56 km) in the Tour de Fox as the captain of Team TWU.
On his Tour de Fox page, Kuhn described some of the challenges he faces.
"Fighting bone-deep fatigue, trying to ignore the aching pain that develops in my shoulders and arms, and managing to eat with a fork despite its tendency to catapult its contents onto the table, floor, and the person seated next to me ..." Kuhn wrote.
"Many of the 5,000,000 plus people who have Parkinson's disease suffer a lot more than I do," Kuhn went on to say.
"Many feel hopeless and incredibly discouraged. They need to have hope. So it is for those people that I want to do all I can to help find a cure. I'm riding in the Tour de Fox as part of Team TWU because it reminds me that there is still much that I can do. It reminds me to appreciate that I am alive."
The Tour de Fox is a fundraiser of the Michael J. Fox Foundation.
Participants raise funds and choose either a 10-mile, 35-mile, or 70-mile bicycle loop, all of which begin and end on the TWU campus in Langley.
All funds will support programs to find a cure for Parkinson's disease.
Thus far, Team TWU, with 11 riders and counting, has raised over $7,000 — second place among the teams participating in the Pacific Northwest cycling event.
In 2014, Kuhn raised $24,000 for the Michael J. Fox Foundation through the 50 CC motorcycle ride by riding from California to Florida on his motorcycle in less than 50 hours.
About Parkinson’s disease (Courtesy Michael J. Fox Foundation)
1. Parkinson's disease is a chronic, degenerative neurological disorder that affects one in 100 people over age 60.
2. While the average age at onset is 60, people have been diagnosed as young as 18.
3. The exact cause of Parkinson's disease is unknown, although research points to a combination of genetic and environmental factors.
4. The single biggest risk factor for Parkinson’s disease is advancing age. Men have a somewhat higher risk than women.
5. Symptoms often, but not always, include tremors and shaking, fatigue, anxiety, depression and dexterity issues.
6. Parkinson’s symptoms are unique to each person: Some eventually have to use wheelchairs; others run marathons.

Langley university president rides for Parkinson's research


Trinity Western University hosts 2016 Pacific Northwest Tour de Fox this Saturday


Paul Calton was reported missing on Aug. 24 and has not been seen or heard from since. He was last seen in the morning in the 19100 block of 65 Avenue.
A 51-year-old man has gone missing near the Langley/Surrey border.
Paul Calton was reported missing on Aug. 24 and has not been seen or heard from since. He was last seen in the morning in the 19100 block of 65 Avenue.
Calton is described as a 51 year old Caucasian male, 5’10” tall, 185 lbs, with brown eyes and a bald/shaved head. He was last seen possibly wearing a dark T-shirt and jeans.
Police and family are concerned for his health and well-being.
Anyone with information about the whereabouts of this person is asked to contact the Surrey RCMP at 604-599-0502, or Crime Stoppers, if they wish to remain anonymous, at 1-800-222-8477 or go to www.solvecrime.ca quoting file number 2016-122732.

Missing man last seen near Langley/Surrey border


Paul Calton, 51, is missing and family is concerned for his health and well-being.


Revelstoke dam on the Columbia River is due to have a sixth water turbine added, but Site C is BC Hydro's priority today.
BC Hydro is going ahead with its planned four per cent rate increase this year and deferring more debt to future years as it revises its electricity demand forecast downward.
The provincially-owned utility has not asked for an increase in its government-imposed rate plan despite a revised demand forecast with $3.5 billion less revenue over the next 10 years. BC Hydro has filed a three-year plan with the B.C. Utilities Commission that would increase rates four, 3.5 and three per cent in the next three years. The four per cent increase is already showing up on customer bills as an interim increase.
With the Site C dam on the Peace River and other upgrades amounting to $2 billion a year, the plan includes additional deferred debt until 2023, when Site C is due to be completed. BC Hydro CEO Jessica McDonald said the long-term nature of capital projects means its capital cost savings don't start until the next decade.
BC Hydro has also cut some of its familiar Power Smart activities, such as the fridge buy-back plan and incentives for energy efficient light bulbs.
McDonald said BC Hydro is seeing lower revenues due to two warm winters and downturns in mining and forest products. It still projects growing overall demand as population and economic growth continue.
NDP energy critic Adrian Dix said the new deferred debt represents roughly $500 for each of BC Hydro's two million customers, and it is a political move to get the B.C. Liberal government past next year's election.
The 10-year rates plan imposed by Energy Minister Bill Bennett in 2013 overstated demand to justify the construction of Site C, and translates to a 28 per cent rate increase. It allows the utilities commission to regain control over approving customer rates by 2020, after five years of political direction.
Dix said with the new demand forecast and commodity prices expected to remain low, BC Hydro should have added a sixth turbine to its Revelstoke dam for $450 million before embarking on the $9 billion Site C project.


Four per cent rate hike already in effect, more to come as BC Hydro looks for savings to offset slow industrial demand


The Township of Langley has installed nine new “Speed Kills” signs along 16 Avenue to remind drivers to slow down.
With roughly 134 accidents occurring on the 16th Avenue corridor every year — including two deadly crashes so far in 2016 — the Township of Langley and RCMP have launched a new safety campaign to remind drivers that speed kills.
The Township has installed 33 new bright yellow signs along 16 Avenue, including “School Bus Ahead” and “Farm Vehicle” signs, along with nine “Speed Kills” signs, which were placed in close proximity to speed limit postings.
“Our message is clear: stop speeding now, before someone is killed,” said Langley RCMP Sergeant Alexandra Mulvihill.
“Those who choose to ignore the message can expect to face hefty fines and impounded vehicles.”
The goal of the campaign, which was developed in consultation with ICBC and the Langley School District, is to get drivers to slow down — and ultimately — to save lives.
“Through Speed Kills, we aim to educate the public about the need to observe posted speed limits, remind them of the dangers of speeding, and encourage drivers to respect other road users and the crash history of this particular roadway,” said Richard Welfing, the Township’s senior transportation engineer.
RCMP will be increasing patrols along 16 Avenue, proactively targeting those who choose to disobey the 60 km/h speed limit.
A traffic study by the Township showed that 85 per cent of drivers travel at 80 km/h along the two-lane road.
Truck traffic makes up around 14 per cent of the users of the street, which sees more than 14,500 vehicles per day. There were 673 car crashes over a five-year period between 2008 and 2012, which is roughly 134 accidents per year, or two accidents per week.
The most common type of crash is rear-end collisions; the second happens as people exit or enter driveways.
Dangerous 16 Avenue:
So far this year two deaths have been recorded along 16 Avenue in Langley.
A 79-year-old grandmother from Langley lost her life trying to cross 16 Avenue at 224 Street on Friday, April 8.
On March 10, Shaun Sutton was killed at the intersection of 16 Avenue and 197A Street, while on his way to visit his grieving aunt who had just lost her daughter, a Brookswood Secondary student, in a crash near Mission.
The eastbound Mustang had stopped at 197A Street to make a left hand turn and was rear-ended by a Dodge pickup truck. There were three occupants in the Mustang, including Sutton in the back seat.
• June 2015 a multi-vehicle collision on 16 Avenue near 226 Street sent several to hospital with serious injuries. The four-vehicle collision sent two people to hospital via Air Ambulance and two others by ground.
A small pickup truck travelling east had stopped to make a left hand turn into a driveway. Another vehicle had stopped behind the pickup truck. The second vehicle was rear ended by a dump truck starting a chain reaction, which pushed the small pickup truck into the oncoming lane. Once in the westbound lane, the pickup was struck by a westbound SUV.
• December 2013 A fiery crash on 16 Avenue sent five to hospital including a toddler.
The serious crash in the 26700 block of 16 Avenue caused a Camaro to burst into flames and left the driver of a pickup truck with life-threatening injuries. The Camaro, carrying a man, a woman and a toddler, was eastbound on 16 Avenue when a westbound pickup truck spun sideways and entered the oncoming lane. The Camaro driver attempted to avoid the collision and T-boned the pickup truck. Of the three adult male occupants of the pickup truck, one passenger was uninjured and the driver was taken to hospital by Air Ambulance.
• August 2013 an 80-year-old Langley woman died in a crash involving a dump truck, at 16 Avenue and 256 Street. Police said the woman failed to stop at the southbound stop sign, crossing directly into the path of the dump truck.
• September 2013 two people died after a head-on collision between a Jeep Cherokee and a gravel truck on 16 Avenue. The two killed were inside the Jeep. The investigation indicated the driver of the Jeep tried to pass another vehicle across a double solid line heading west, crossing into the path of an eastbound gravel truck between 200 and 208 Streets.
• 2012 A 47-year-old Delta man was killed at 240 Street and 16 Avenue after a pickup truck fleeing from police slammed into two vehicles.
Police have said in the past that the the lack of shoulder lanes on 16 Avenue makes it too dangerous for them to pull anyone over if they were to operate a speed trap along the route.
— with files from Monique Tamminga

Township's anti-speeding campaign ramped up on 16 Avenue


Signs bearing messages of warning being placed along route, which has claimed multiple lives and led to many more injuries


VANCOUVER – It took 100-year-old Indian runner Man Kaur almost a minute and a half to complete the 100-metre race, but she never broke her stride.
And when she finally crossed the finish line at the Americas Masters Games in Vancouver, her competitors – many of them two decades younger – were there to cheer her on.
Her son and fellow athletes say Kaur's energy and drive to compete has become an inspiration to participants in the unique international event for athletes over 30.
Kaur began running at age 93 at the suggestion of her son, 78-year-old Gurdev Singh, who also competes in the Masters Games and says he knew she could become a star in her age category.
She has won more than 20 medals, including snatching three golds this week as she is the only competitor in the category for women over 100.
If you're wondering whether she holds the elusive secret to a long life, Kaur says unfortunately it's what you might expect – a good diet and lots of exercise.
The Canadian Press

VIDEO: 100-year-old woman from India runs 100-metre at masters games in Vancouver


Centenarian Mana Kaur, who started running at age 93, crosses 100-metre finish line in Americas Masters Games


Canada Post and the Canadian Union of Postal Workers have reached tentative agreements, averting the prospect of a labour dispute that has loomed over the talks for months.
In a statement, Labour Minister MaryAnn Mihychuk says the agreements were reached "voluntarily," but provides no other details about the deals themselves.
The issue of differences in paycheques for rural mail carriers — most of whom are women — and urban letter carriers had been at the forefront of protracted contract talks between the two sides.
The negotiations were extended twice since the weekend, when a deadline expired on a 72-hour job action notice issued last Thursday by the Canadian Union of Postal Workers.
The two sides were in talks nearly around the clock at the request of a special mediator appointed Friday by Mihychuk.
Canada Post described the tentative agreements as short-term. It said they are for two years and that four-year contracts were typically negotiated in the past.
"The agreements will avert a work disruption, bringing much-needed certainty in the postal system for our employees and customers," said Canada Post in a statement. "Canadians can now use the postal system with confidence."
The tentative agreements, however, still must be ratified by the members.
The Canadian Union of Postal Workers is Canada Post's largest union, representing more than 50,000 postal workers
The Canadian Press

Canada Post, postal union reach tentative deals


Two sides avert job action that has loomed for months


Tessa Popoff had her right arm amputated below the elbow following a car accident when she was 18. Popoff is playing on the Canadian sitting volleyball team at the Paralympic Games in Rio.
Tessa Popoff doesn’t think she is anything special.
“I know I am a role model but I don’t see myself as a role model. I don’t think I am all that great,” she said.
“I am just an average person making it through life but I know I set the bar for certain people.
“I do a lot more with one hand than what some people do with two hands.”
The 31-year-old Popoff is one of a dozen women — and one of two from Langley, along with Danielle Ellis — who will represent Canada in sitting volleyball at the Paralympic Games in Rio next week (Sept. 7 to 16).
And this is a long way from where Popoff was when she was 18 years old and had her life changed dramatically.
On a road trip with friends, their vehicle failed to navigate a bend in the road, and the car rolled.
Sitting in the middle spot in the back seat, Popoff braced herself on the headrest in front of her. The car’s roof caved in and her hand was severed immediately.
Of the five in the vehicle, she suffered the most serious injuries, spending a week in hospital and having her right arm amputated below the elbow.
But rather than wallow in self pity, Popoff — who was right-hand dominant — set about learning to do things either one-handed or with her left.
Two years ago, she also discovered sitting volleyball and in that short time has risen to be among the top dozen from across the country in the game.
“It was always a dream, but it is one of those things you never know if it is actually ever going to happen,” Popoff said about being named to the team.
“And look now, here we are. It is time to step up and represent.”
Popoff was on the nine-player Canadian side which earned qualification for the Rio Games by winning bronze at last summer’s Parapan Games.
But that didn’t mean she was guaranteed one of the dozen roster spots for Rio. The program had 14 players in the mix and the final team wasn’t nominated until early July.
“You spend a year and a half, training and travelling with the team and then knowing that your spot can be taken by somebody else, especially with some of the ones who just joined the team this year, who are younger and with more volleyball experience, so it was nerve-wracking,” she said.
“It pushed us to train harder, to be the best that we can, knowing that if we don’t push ourselves and train that hard, we can be taken out by someone else.
“It motivated me, specifically, to do the best that I can.”
When she was named to the roster, Popoff said it was a sense of excitement, not relief, she felt.
Her first phone calls were to her parents, Al Sleighthome and Debbie Popoff.
Her emotions got the best of her.
“It was just tears of joy, something you have trained so hard for,” she said. “You are among the best dozen (in your country) in your sport.”
Since being named to the roster, Popoff said not a day goes by where she hasn’t thought about Rio.
“It is just such an honour to be chosen to represent your country, to wear the flag on your uniform and go compete against the world on national television,” she explained.
While she is excited for the Games, it has been a whirlwind past few months, especially since Popoff also owns her own business, the Learning Circle, a Langley childcare centre.
She uses her disability as a teaching tool with the children.
“I get to show them that if they can’t do it with two hands but I can do it with one hand, then it is not really an acceptable excuse for them and then they try harder,” Popoff said.
The majority of her spare time is used to train or stay in shape, playing drop-in stand-up volleyball whenever she can.
In the week leading up to her departure for Rio (the players left on Aug. 27) she went every day to see her physiotherapist, massage therapist and/or chiropractor.
Meal preparation can also be a challenge, especially when Popoff is shuttling between work, training, or taking care of her daughter, Ella, as she wants to make sure to eat as healthy as possible.
None of this could be done without the help of her friends and family.
“My whole family has come together to support me. I feel kind of selfish, it really is all about me,” she said.
Sponsors have helped as well.
Back in April, in the midst of a training camp with her spot still not secured, Popoff’s prosthetic hand snapped in half. But Kintec Footwear and Orthotics, came through and had a new prosthetic ready for her within a week and in time for a tournament the players were attending.

Missing a hand hasn't slowed Tessa Popoff in life


A car accident when she was 18 dramatically changed the life of Langley's Tessa Popoff


OTTAWA – Contract talks continue between Canada Post and its largest union, but neither side is hinting as to whether any progress has been made.
A federally appointed mediator has been meeting with the two sides since Friday to try to reach a deal.
The Canadian Union of Postal Workers says if there is no deal by midnight, it would begin job action on Monday by having its members refusing to work overtime on a rotating basis, starting in Alberta and the Northwest Territories.
CUPW served 72 hour strike notice Thursday night, accusing Canada Post of forcing a labour disruption by refusing to bargain in good faith.
The two sides have been deadlocked for months on the issues of pay scales for rural letter carriers and proposed changes to pensions for future employees.
A CUPW news release says the initial job action will cause little disruption to Canada Post customers and that its members will still be delivering mail every day.
The Canadian Press

Postal workers union give details of job action if no deal is reached Sunday


Talks continue, with rotating overtime ban set to begin Monday if no agreement by midnight Sunday


Students return to public school next week, with changes to curriculum and some provincial exams.
Students are returning to class next week in most of B.C.'s public schools, with enrolment expected to be up province-wide for the second year running.
Education Minister Mike Bernier says early forecasts show about 529,000 students, an increase of 2,900 from last year. But that increase is centred on fast-growing school districts, while many rural areas continue to struggle with declining student numbers.
Among changes that parents and students will see this year is a new curriculum in place up to Grade 9, with a test year for changes in the senior grades. Bernier said the new emphasis on collaboration and communication skills does not mean a watering down of the basic skills, and is designed to improve students' ability to work at modern jobs.
Report cards are to continue this school year, but the ministry is reviewing its system with an eye to providing more frequent updates. Parents are being consulted on the changes, Bernier said.
Foundation Skills Assessment tests in grades four and seven are also continuing after years of protests from teacher unions, but that program is also being examined for possible changes. FSA tests will be "enhanced" but not eliminated, Bernier said.
Provincial exams continue for graduates in math and English, but science and social studies will now be assessed at a classroom level rather than school-wide tests, Bernier said.
The ministry provided a series of top-ups to education funding this year, for bus service and to keep selected rural schools from closing. Applications are still being taken for a transportation fund until Sept. 30, requiring districts to drop across-the-board school bus fees to qualify.
Districts may still charge transportation fees for international students or those from outside a school catchment area.
NDP leader John Horgan highlighted the crowding in Surrey school district, where 7,000 students remain in portables despite an expansion program. The NDP says the B.C. government's claim of record per-student funding ignores a reduction of education funding as a share of the provincial economy.
"Since 2001, the B.C. Liberals have dragged public education funding in this province from the second best in Canada to the second worst," Horgan said.

B.C. school enrolment up for second year


Some urban districts struggle with overcrowding, special funds for declining rural schools, bus service to take effect


The B.C. government's plan B for income assistance cheques and other time-sensitive documents could be re-activated as the long-running Canada Post labour dispute reaches another deadline.
The Canadian Union of Postal Workers is in a legal position to strike as of Monday, but postponed threatened rotating strike action after weekend talks with a federal mediator. Its initial action would be an overtime ban rather than a full-scale walkout that would disrupt mail delivery.
Canada Post served lockout notice in July, with the two sides far apart on issues including pension changes for future employees and pay for rural carriers.
Income assistance, rent subsidy and other B.C. government payments are not affected if they are direct deposit. For mailed cheques and information, updates on possible postal strike effects to the Ministry of Social Development will be available as necessary at this website or at 1-866-866-0800.
Phone and online contacts are set up for questions about affected provincial departments:
• Ministry of Advanced Education and StudentAidBC online here.
• Ministry of Children and Family Development 1-877-387-7027
• Medical Services Plan payments online here or 1-877-405-4909
• ICBC inquiries 1-800-663-3051
• Family Maintenance and Enforcement program 604-660-2528
• Public Guardian and Trustee online here or 604-660-4444
• Vital Statistics 1-888-876-1633
• WorkSafe BC online here or 1-888-967-5377

B.C. prepares for possible postal disruption


Province has alternatives if Canada Post employees begin strike action


RCMP have released these pictures of the Good Samaritan and his truck taken at the scene of the Aug. 14 Hwy. 1 crash that injured an officer.
If your name is Earl and you are the man who pulled over his semi to help an injured RCMP officer, the police would like to talk to you.
The man with the truck is one of two Good Samaritans who stopped to provide assistance the morning of Sunday, Aug. 14 when an RCMP vehicle was rear-ended at the scene of a rollover accident in the westbound lane of Highway 1, near the 232 Street overpass in Langley.
"Earl" may have important information about the collision or its aftermath, RCMP said.
RCMP released photos of Earl and what is believed to be his truck, a greyish-blue Volvo tractor trailer, hauling a white 53’ refrigerated. There is a silver logo on the tractor’s door.
Earl has a tattoo on his right forearm.
The second witness was an Asian man in his 50’s. He is described as short, wearing a white button down shirt and tan pants.
He was driving a model year 2000 or newer tan or gold sedan in good condition .
Police believe the second witness was traveling behind the grey pick-up truck that collided with the police vehicle.
Anyone with any information on these individuals is asked to contact Sgt. Patrick Davies at 604-539-2730.

If this is you, please call police about Langley crash


RCMP release photo of Good Samaritan who stopped to help injured officer


It was the perfect debut for the Vancouver Whitecaps FC2 squad in their inaugural game at Langley’s McLeod Athletic Park.
Trailing 1-0, the team was able to take advantage of their opponent, Arizona United SC, being forced to play a man down for the final 30 minutes, by scoring three times in the game’s final 10 minutes.
Rookie striker Thomas Sanner scored all three goals in the 3-1 victory as the two United Soccer League rivals played in Langley on Sunday afternoon.
Sanner scored in the 84th, 87th and then in the fourth minute of added time as WFC2 improved to 11-6-7 and a share of top spot in the league.
“It was a great finish for our boys with three goals in the final 10 minutes of play,” said Rachel Lewis, the Whitecaps FC chief operating officer, who was in attendance for the match.
“(And) it was a fantastic crowd — thankfully the heat let up a little bit — it was a beautiful day out there.”
This was the first of three games WFC2 is scheduled to play at MAP.
And just over 2,100 fans — MAP’s capacity is 2,200 — were in attendance to watch the top affiliate team of Major League Soccer’s Vancouver Whitecaps FC.
“It was a terrific crowd, lots of energy, beautiful venue and setting and all-around a really nice day,” Lewis said.
“We always thought the support from the community was exceptional. And (Sunday) was just the same.”
She was referring to past events the Whitecaps women’s team had held in Langley.
WFC2 typically plays their home games out of UBC’s Thunderbird Stadium, but this year, scheduled two contests for Langley: Sunday’s game as well as another on Labour Day (Sept. 5, 3 p.m.) against the Seattle Sounders FC.
They added a third game for Sept. 21, against OKC Energy FC.
That game had to be rescheduled from earlier in the season when the team’s opponent could not make it to Vancouver because of weather-related delays, Lewis explained.
“When we looked at our options for rescheduling, we saw the support from Langley had looked exceptional and we thought it was a good opportunity to try a weeknight game in the community and see if we could garner the same kind of support,” she said.
“We are really pleased with the initial support of all the games and hopefully it becomes an annual tradition to play some games out here.”
Lewis said they would be considering hosting some games in Langley annually.
“This was the first step and we were very pleased with the crowd and how everything went.”
For tickets to either of the remaining WFC2 games in Langley, visit www.whitecapsfc.com/wfc2.
For highlights of the match, visit www.langleytimes.com.

Huge crowd takes in ’Caps Langley victory


Thrilling finish as 2,100 fans watch Whitecaps FC2 rally to defeat Arizona United SC at McLeod Athletic Park


Police arrested two men and seized drugs and guns during a check on two men connected with the ongoing Townline Hill conflict.
Two handguns, a mini assault rifle, a variety of ammunition and marijuana, heroin, fake oxycodone and cocaine were seized from a home in the 3200 block of Sisken Drive on August 25, according to the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit (CFSEU). Scales, packaging, cell phones, a laptop computer and brass knuckles were also seized, and two men have now been charged.
The CFSEU says members of its uniform gang enforcement team were checking bail conditions and curfews of individuals at the home when one noticed an assault rifle. Two men were arrested and a subsequent search yielded the various items.
RELATED: Abbotsford-Mission records 15 per cent hike in crime rate
Gagandeep Singh Sandhu, 23, faces a number of charges, including two counts of possession of a prohibited weapon with ammunition and one count each of possession of a controlled substance, possession of a restricted/prohibited weapon, and possession of a firearm knowing its possession is unauthorized.
Sukhvir Singh Sidhu, 24, has been charged with one count of possession of a controlled substance.
“If individuals show disregard for the law and the safety of the public, our officers will be there to ensure that these individuals are dealt with by disrupting their criminal activities and taking their guns and drugs off the streets,” Staff Sgt. Lindsey Houghton, spokesperson for the CFSEU-BC, said in a press release. “Having charges approved against these individuals will now hold them accountable for their actions which have negatively impacted the residents of Abbotsford.”
The conflict is named for Townline Road and adjacent neighbourhoods in which two groups of young men – primarily of South Asian descent – are battling for drug turf.
Three killings have so far been linked to the Townline Hill conflict – the October 2014 drive-by fatal shooting of 18-year-old Harwin Baringh on Sparrow Drive; the September 2015 death of innocent man Ping Shun Ao, 74, who was struck by a stray bullet which had been intended for his neighbour on Promontory Court; and the March 2016 shooting of a 22-year-old man while he was outside a home on Hawthorne Avenue.
In July, police said a shooting that left an SUV pockmarked with bullet holes and sent the occupant to hospital had "all the earmarks" of the conflict.

Guns and drugs seized, two arrested in connection to Townline Hill conflict


Police found two handguns, a mini assault rifle and a variety of ammunition and marijuana during a curfew check on Aug. 26 in Abbotsford.


Jordan Bateman, Canadian Taxpayers' Federation
The B.C. government is hearing objections from businesses and individuals faced with increasing Canada Pension Plan contributions in the coming years, and is the last province needed to ratify the increase.
Instead of joining other provinces in meeting the federal government's July deadline to adopt the change, the B.C. government launched a consultation phase expected to run through August. And they are getting push-back on a plan that would increase payroll deductions and employer contributions starting in 2019.
Jordan Bateman, B.C. director of the Canadian Taxpayers' Federation, said he's receiving hundreds of responses to his call to supporters to make their views known to the B.C. government. Most concerned are employers who would pay higher contributions for each of their employees.
Employer and employee contributions are to go up from the current 4.95 per cent of earnings to 5.95 per cent by 2023. For each employee earning $54,900, the employer contribution goes up $7 to $8 per month in each of the first five years of the phase-in.
"Obviously, lots of people are concerned about having to pay more," Bateman said. "But the interesting ones are the small business owners who talk about just how close to the edge they are financially."
B.C. Finance Minister Mike de Jong joined other provinces in agreeing in principle to the expansion in June. Federal Finance Minister Bill Morneau said he is concerned about the decline in workplace pension plans and wants the CPP to move from replacing one quarter of employment income to one third by 2025.
The Canadian Federation of Independent Business surveyed its members nation-wide when the CPP plan was announced, and more than 80 per cent wanted consultation and a delay of implementation. Morneau has indicated he plans to table legislation this fall.
B.C.'s refusal to sign on could derail the federal plan, but it shows little intention of doing so.
"British Columbia is committed to engaging with stakeholders in advance of ratifying the agreement in principle," said the statement from de Jong's office announcing the consultation.
The province's consultation website and feedback address can be found here.


B.C. stands in the way of Justin Trudeau government's plan to hike Canada Pension Plan contributions, but likely not for long


The B.C. government has approved a master development plan for a new year-round ski resort in the Cariboo Mountains west of Valemount.
Valemount Glacier Destination Resort is a $175 million project led by Oberto Oberti, who designed the Kicking Horse Mountain Resort near Golden and the controversial Jumbo Glacier Resort proposal west of Invermere.
The Valemount plan includes lifts and gondolas that would carry skiers and sight-seers to the summits of Mount Pierre Elliott Trudeau and Mount Arthur Meighen. Its vertical drop of 2,050 metres would be higher than Whistler-Blackcomb and the largest in North America.
"There are very few places in the world, and none in North America, where you go and ride a lift to the very top and the glacier is below you," said Jill Bodkin, a director of the company.
Valemount is a remote community of about 1,000 residents near the Alberta border east of Prince George. The region is west of Jasper National Park, which attracts visitors from around the world.
On the project's website, Oberti says people will travel to Switzerland for this kind of mountain resort experience, so a three-hour drive from Prince George isn't an obstacle to success.
Valemount Mayor Jeanette Townsend called the master plan approval "exciting news." She said the community attracts visitors who stay there to avoid the expensive accommodation in Jasper and the resort will take it to the next level.
Chief Nathan Matthew of the Simpcw First Nation said his community has been involved since the beginning, and he sees the project as an important economic development for the northern part of Simpcw's traditional territory.

B.C. approves Valemount glacier resort plan


Designer of Kicking Horse and Jumbo resorts gets approval to proceed with $175 million project east of Prince George


Danielle Ellis had her right leg amputated below the knee when she was just a couple months old. The 24-year-old is in Rio next week with the Canadian sitting women’s volleyball team.
Danielle Ellis never liked it when people stared at her, but she loved when they approached her and asked questions, especially when it was curious kids whose interest she had piqued.
The conversation starter — or in some cases the reason for the long glances — was the fact Ellis has a prosthetic leg.
“I always found that adults would more often sit there and stare, which for me when I was growing up, was frustrating,” she explained.
“I had always accepted my disability and I didn’t mind if people asked me what happened. It’s my story and I am doing great for myself — I have a job and a career and finished school and all this stuff,” she added.
“I would rather that kids know that even if something happens to you, you can do great things.”
And Ellis, who turns 25 in November, is doing something great: suiting up for Canada next week at the Paralympic Games (Sept. 7 to 16) in Rio de Janeiro as part of the women’s sitting volleyball team.
“Amazing is such a little word; it is exhilarating,” she explained.
“There is really nothing like being able to say you play for your country. Every athlete growing up wants to play for Team Canada and to be able to be here, to be working towards something and be going to the Paralympics and representing Canada, there are no words to describe the feeling.”
Diagnosed shortly after birth
Ellis was less than two months old when doctors had to amputate her right leg below the knee.
When she was two weeks old, her parents had discovered a lump on her right foot, no bigger than a quarter.
She was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma, a cancer of either soft tissue, connective tissue or bone.
“People always ask me my story and I say it is my parents’ story. I didn’t really go through much of it,” Ellis explained.
“They were strong and they had a really good support system.”
This was nearly 25 years ago.
“I remember always knowing that I had cancer. I was in the hospital for about a year, year and a half, going through chemo,” Ellis said.
She also remembers going for yearly check-ups at B.C. Children’s Hospital until she was 16.
Sports played big role
But her South Surrey childhood was no different than any other kid and sports were always a big part of it.
She did gymnastics, and then baseball, soccer and volleyball, always competing against able-bodied athletes.
It was at a volleyball camp in 2007 when she first learned about sitting volleyball. Sitting volleyball was different from what Ellis was used to, especially since she loved running around, whether on the volleyball court or on the soccer pitch.
“I definitely missed that aspect, but the more I played, the more the game evolved so it was really great to learn something new and I did fall in love with it,” she said.
This led to an opportunity to join the national women’s team program in 2008. And after graduating from Semiahmoo Secondary in 2009, Ellis put her studies on hold to move to Edmonton and train full-time — while taking post-secondary classes online — in an effort to help Canada qualify for the 2012 Paralympic Games in London.
The team was training six or seven days a week, with multiple workouts on most days.
Failure to qualify 'devastating'
When Canada failed to qualify, Ellis was devastated.
“I put my heart into it so when we (failed to qualify), it was pretty difficult for me. I tried to come back to the team but it just wasn’t the same for me,” she said.
“When you train all day, every day, and then you get to the competition and don’t succeed in your goals … for me, at that age, I couldn’t accept defeat.
“There was a lot of frustration and anger. I was a sore loser, in the most basic terms.”
Ellis returned home and shifted her focus to her career.
Since high school, the goal had been to become a paramedic, so she began working towards her Primary Care Paramedic licence, completing her studies last year.
With her focus on her studies, Ellis also turned an opportunity to rejoin the national team last year as Canada prepared for the Parapan Pan Am Games in Toronto since she knew she could not devote the necessary time to properly train while maintaining her coursework.
But after Canada finished third in Toronto to qualify for the 2016 Paralympics, Ellis was again invited to try out for the squad and was one of the dozen players named to the roster.
Ellis, who moved to Langley three years ago, is one of two Langley women on the roster, alongside Tessa Popoff. The roster was named back in July.
Ellis has spent the past few months juggling her time between training for Rio and working full-time as a dispatcher for the B.C. Ambulance Service.

Ellis thought national team days were behind her


After having to turn down an opportunity last year, Langley's Danielle Ellis determined to make most of second chance


Langley School District has announced students will no longer have to pay for transportation fees and it will refund families who have already paid for this school year.
The School District will no longer be charging transportation fees to students who take a bus to school.
The good news, announced two weeks before school starts, means the district will be providing families with a refund for the fees they paid for the upcoming school year.
"Because of the timing of the announcement many families had already prepaid their fees for the upcoming school year and those fees are being refunded," said Langley School District spokesperson Ken Hoff. "This is ongoing funding from the Ministry which will eliminate the need to have transportation fees for our families in the future."
Bus fees cost an average of $250 per student in Langley. There are about 1,500 students that access transportation services each year.
On Aug.10, the Ministry of Education made an announcement that it has established a $14.7 million provincial fund to make bus transportation for B.C. resident students and their families more affordable and accessible.
Langley’s portion of the provincial fund enabled the district to stop charging transportation fees.
“The funding announcement from the Ministry of Education is good news for families as fees for bus transportation will be discontinued," said David Green, District secretary-treasurer.
Families are reminded that registering for transportation is still required.
The annual cost for bus transportation in the District is about $2.2 million. Funding from the Ministry of Education for the Langley School District is $260,000, reducing the district cost to approximately $2 million.


The District has announced it will no longer be charging transportation fees and will refund those who have prepaid for this year.


Karlene Bullock (left) and her mother Delores Johns have been working together for years. The pair have 30 years in the industry.
The new Bagheera Boutique in Fort Langley aims to fill the fashion gap created when Ella’s Clothes Closet in Brookswood closed by bringing back top European brands to Langley, with names such as Laurel, Luisa Cerano, Marc Cain, Wolford, Brax and Vince, along with local Canadian accessories like Suzi Roher scarves, and Vancouver’s Sheereen De Roussea jewelry.
It also brings back Karlene Bullock and her mother Delores Johns, who have dressed the Fraser Valley for over 30 years, the last 10 of them working as a team at Ella’s.
When Ella Little shut down her namesake shop on 200 Street and 40A Avenue just over a year ago, it left a large hole in the market, Bullock said.
“We used to have women coming from Langley, Maple Ridge, White Rock, Chilliwack and all over Vancouver, to shop, and all of a sudden there were no options.”
When the owners of the Victoria-based Bagheera Boutique, Nataliia Bahirova and Anton Solonnikov decided to open their second store in Langley, they reached out to Bullock and Johns after hearing Ella’s had closed.
“They know the market,” Solonnikov — Bagheera marketing manager — said of the mother-daughter team.
“They have a following from 30 years.”
Bullock said she has been flooded with phone calls and emails from people excited that the new boutique is carrying the same lines.
“We want to be the go-to place for shopping for all women in the Greater Vancouver area,” Bullock said.
“Fort Langley is such a beautiful and quaint place, and the perfect getaway for the weekend.”
Johns said service is the key to keep customers coming back.
“It has to be honest service,” Johns said.
“Honest and continuous.”
Johns has been known to do things like drive to Harrison Hot Springs to ensure a bow on a customer’s bridal dress was properly tied for her wedding ceremony.
“Mom’s good at sales, she is good at talking to the customers,” Bullock said.
“There is no one in the valley who can do displays like she does.”
Johns gives her daughter high marks for bringing in the best of fashion.
“She’s very good at the buying,” Johns said.
The Fort Langley Bagheera Boutique is located in the new Coulter Berry building at Glover Road and Mavis Avenue.
Solonnikov said the store doesn’t only cater to the high-end shoppers, but carries low- to medium-priced brands from Europe as well.
Store phone: 604-371-2879.

Familiar faces at the new Bagheera Boutique in Fort Langley


Mother-and-daughter team bring experience and expertise in high-end fashion


Cathy Finley stands on the deck of a reclaimed tree house she and her husband, Ian, built on their property, Laurica Farms. On Sept. 11, the Finley’s will co-host the 22nd annual Metro Vancouver Feast of Fields.
They call themselves “accidental farmers.”
When Ian and Cathy Finley first moved to Canada from England in 2009, they were excited to raise their two daughters in the new Clayton Heights subdivision of Surrey, and progress their careers in both construction, for Ian, and social work, for Cathy.
Despite meeting many new friends and getting “immersed in Canadian culture” in that neighbourhood, the suburban sprawl was “too claustrophobic for us,” Cathy said.
“It was too high density … even when you have row houses in England, you’ve still got space, you’re not looking into each other's windows and things like that. We moved to Clayton Heights and I thought, ‘I can see into seven different people’s houses from my back door,’” she said.
“(We) realized that wasn’t necessarily what we wanted in the long-term quite early on, and then moved here accidentally — accidental farmers.”
By here, she means a quaint five-acre plot of land, located just off 256 Street at the end of 12 Avenue, where the road narrows to just one lane, and large trees hang across on either side.
They named their property Laurica Farm — after daughters Lauren and Jessica — and in three years have transformed it from a home in the country, to a viable business in B.C.’s emerging permaculture industry.
For Cathy, who admits she has only had one day off in the last 365 days, providing good, wholesome food to the community has become a passion.
“We were feeling just a bit disenchanted with the food industry,” Cathy explained.
“You’d go to the grocery store in England and know what brands you liked, and you’d buy the same sort of products every week that you were familiar with. And then you come to a new country and you’d have to start looking at labels. And all of a sudden I was like, ‘oh, I’m not sure if I like what’s in these labels — I’m not sure I’m enjoying this.’
“And I started learning a little bit more about the food system, generally, but particularly here in North America, and decided that I didn’t want to give up meat as part of my diet, but I certainly didn’t want to eat factory-farmed meat. It was very much about, ‘I don’t want to give my hard earned dollars to an unethical company.’ So I started cutting stuff out … and eventually I was like, ‘there is nothing I can eat. I’ve literally got to make my own food now.’”
In her first year of farming, Cathy decided to take some of her organic salads and eggs back to her old neighbours in Surrey, which quickly snowballed into a delivery route with 20 families per week. From there, she started going to local farmer’s markets, and hosting a couple of events at the farm, which leads up to today — year three — where Laurica now has a spot on the Circle Farm Tour, weekly farm gate sales, special events and a market every weekend during the summer, and even a petting zoo, complete with goats, ducks, chickens and “Rosie” the pot-belly pig.
“It’s gone crazy,” Cathy said.
“We had this philosophy about sustainability, but we didn’t really have a solid plan at that point. We knew what we wanted to do — we had to make it sustainable, we had to make it good. Everything after that kind of happened organically.”
‘A COMPLEX WEB’
On Sept. 11, the Finley’s will host one of their largest events yet. The 22nd annual Metro Vancouver Feast of Fields is setting up on the Laurica property and neighbouring Fraser Common Farm next door. As the oldest local food festival in B.C., the four-hour event gives both city folk, and country folk alike the opportunity to get up close and personal with their food producers.
Armed with a “wine glass and linen napkin in hand,” more than 1,000 guests will wander from tent to tent through the beautiful farms to taste creations from some of B.C.’s top chefs. With all food sourced locally, the event highlights the province’s small-scale producers, while raising money for the non-profit society FarmFolk CityFolk, whose mission is to create a local, sustainable food system in B.C.
Not only will Feast of Fields bring many new farm fresh foodies to the Finley’s farm, but the event also embodies the sustainability vision Ian and Cathy are trying to create.
“We talk about symbiotic farming, everything relies on one another. There’s not one thing here that is here just for its own good, apart from maybe Rosie,” Cathy laughed.
“Everything has a purpose and links into everything else. It’s a really complex web.”
Their pigs, for example, were purchased to help the topsoil, which was removed 40 years ago when the property was quarried.
“We figured out that we could either buy and ship the soil in, but again, the sustainability aspect of it, that didn’t make sense to me,” Cathy said.
“Or we could get pigs, who would turn it over and fertilize it as they go. And who eat the weeds by the roots and just bring all these great resources to the farm. And we get bacon as a delicious byproduct. So we started with four heritage pigs, and we’re near to 30 now. We found ways of farming them very sustainably. We call them carbon positive pork because they do so much on the farm and they don’t get any commercially made grain at all — we divert about 20 tons of food waste per week that would otherwise be destined for the landfill.”
The pigs till the fields, the chickens aerate the soil, the goats control the weeds, and the ducks, who eat the bugs and slugs, are natural insecticides.
All of their animals are also “heritage breeds,” meaning they are free from genetic modifications. Cathy’s rare pig breeds even attracted actress Isabella Rossellini to visit from New York.
“I think somewhere in the middle we’ve forgotten how to farm,” Cathy said.
“Permaculture is a lot about embracing those traditions. It’s about how our grandparents used to farm. It’s also about modern ideas and intuition as well. It’s really a merging of those two worlds. Let nature do the work for you. Don’t say, ‘I want to plant this crop here.’ Say, ‘where is this crop going to best benefit? Should I plant it in the shade?’ ... Utilize what you already have here.”
THE AGENDA
Make no mistake, starting a farm from scratch hasn’t been easy, especially since neither Ian nor Cathy have a background in agriculture. They have had to “pound the pavement” to get their Laurica name out in the public, and come up with creative solutions to stay true to their sustainable mandate.
“It was a bit overwhelming,” Cathy admitted.
“I thought I was well informed, but until you actually immerse yourself in the lifestyle, you can’t know. Farming, or farm-life, is not something you can learn in university. You can learn the theory and stuff, but actually living it is way different. And really, for us, it was never a plan that we’re going to have goats, and pigs and chickens, and this and this, it just happened step by step,” she said.
With many lessons learned, the Finley’s now want to pass that knowledge on to others, which is why they are doing everything they can to lure more and more people out to their farm.
They have built a secret fairy garden for children to explore, a reclaimed tree house where long table dinners and yoga classes are held, and frequently host tours and summer camps for youth.
“I think if people start coming to farms and enjoying being at farms and eating the food, seeing chefs produce great food from their area, it’s massive,” Cathy said.
“It’s massive for local farmers. A lot of the people that come to our events then go to other farmer’s events and are excited to pick up a Circle Tour brochure and go on a Circle Tour. It’s really beneficial to the local economy.”
But the reality is, successful small farming is difficult to achieve and is full of bureaucracy, Cathy said. There are many restrictions put in place by the Agricultural Land Commission and other industry changes, such as some chicken processors eliminating small flock orders.
“I think the potential reach of good small farms is huge, but we’re stumbling over these blocks all the time,” Cathy said.
“You solve one issue and another comes in. I just want to grow food, I just want people to eat well, I just want people to stop eating factory meat, I just want people to care about the Earth. That’s our agenda. We’re never going to get rich farming — ever — we know that.
“We just want to live well, but we keep finding these pieces of red tape that we have to navigate.”
‘YOU JUST HAVE TO LIVE IT’
Despite the road blocks, long hours, and even occasional animal rights protests at their gate, Cathy says she wouldn’t go back to her suburban life.
“I’ve given up on sleep, hygiene, friends and sex,” she said with a laugh
“It is a constant lifestyle everyday. It’s very full-on all of the time, especially in the summer. We get up and work early, then kind of siesta, if you like, during the afternoon when it’s too hot, and start again in the evening. But the rewards are — it’s not anything I can articulate well. The rewards are the lifestyle.
“When we sit down for dinner, for example, and we’re eating produce that we’ve raised or grown right here on our own — it’s so super fresh. And we sit here on this beautiful property, and the horses are galloping around over there, the chickens and the sheep are wondering around off over here. I don’t really have any free time, but it’s just something different about the way we live. It’s not easy to articulate well, you just have to live it.”
GET INVOLVED
Laurica Farm is open to the public on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. For more information on tours and weekend events, visit www.lauricafarm.com.
Tickets for Feast of Fields are $95 and are available online at www.feastoffields.com/metro-vancouver.
The event takes place from 1-5 p.m. at 25775 12 Ave.
The "Farmacy" at Laurica Farm contains edible flowers and herbs, and is all part of Ian and Cathy Finley's commitment to natural, sustainable food.


Feeling ‘disenchanted with the food industry,’ Ian and Cathy Finley started their own sustainable farm in the heart of rural Langley


V.I. Raiders linebacker Dexter Shea, left, closes in on Langley Rams opponent Nick Agnoletto during Saturday’s B.C. Football Conference game at Nanaimo’s Caledonia Park. The Rams won 29-14.
Much like their season, the Langley Rams are slow starters who are getting better later.
In week one, the Rams nearly came back from a double-digit deficit before ultimately falling 42-34 to the Westshore Rebels.
And this past weekend, Langley spotted the VI Raiders a 14-0 lead midway through the first quarter, before scoring 29 unanswered points to win 29-14 in week five of the BC Junior Football League.
The win was the team’s fourth straight following that season-opening loss.
The Raiders fell to 2-3.
“That is the most exciting part, that we haven’t even peaked yet. I think we are just starting to get rolling,” said Brendan Desjardine.
“Everything is starting to click and everyone is starting to understand how to play with each other and trust each other when we are all on the field. That is a dangerous thing when we play like that.”
Desjardine had a monster game against the Raiders.
In the third quarter, Isaiah Stewart came up with a strip-sack of quarterback Kevin Chopek and Desjardine scooped up the loose ball and ran 25 yards for the touchdown.
Desjardine also had an interception, knocked down a pass and two tackles.
“Just one of those games. The play-calling was right and I was put into position to make plays and I just made the plays when they were in front of me there,” he said.
The Rams defence — which is allowing a league-low 15.8 points per game — forced five turnovers and allowed just 226 yards of offence, including just 34 yards in the second half.
“It just clicked in what they needed to do,” said Rams coach Khari Joseph.
“They locked in, they calmed down, we made some adjustments and they just let it loose.
“Like I have said all long about these young men is that they never give up and regardless of how they start, they always finish strong.”
Stewart had two of the team’s three quarterback sacks with Carmelo Brancati and Jacob Dodd splitting the other. Dodd also led the team with four solo tackles.
Drew Belgrave had an interception, one pass knockdown and three solo tackles and John Beckerleg had the other fumble recovery. The defence also forced the Raiders to concede a safety.
The Rams passing game was held in check for much of the game with just 125 yards passing, more than a quarter of it on a 35-yard touchdown pass from Colby Peters to Khalik Johnson.
Langley’s ground game picked up the slack, churning out 121 yards on 25 carries. Joe Carter did the bulk of the damage with 86 yards on 15 carries. Jordan Fox had a three-yard touchdown run.
Tiernan Docherty — who kicked three converts and made field goals from 33 and 17 yards, respectively — earned the BCFC special teams player of the week award for the third time in five games.
Up next for Langley is a home game against the 5-0 Okanagan Sun on Saturday (Aug. 27) at McLeod Athletic Park.
Kick-off is at 7 p.m.
Rams hosting poker night
The Rams are hosting a poker night on Friday, Aug. 26 in the Rotary Field House Hall at McLeod Athletic Park.
Tickets cost $75 and include pizza, snacks and beverages. There will also be door prizes and the evening begins at 7 p.m.
For information or tickets, email poker@langleyrams.com.

Rams recover from slow start, win fourth straight


Langley erases 14-0 first quarter deficit to defeat VI Raiders 29-14 in BC Football Conference action


B.C. has 300 seniors' care facilities, and residents and their loved ones are to be surveyed on conditions.
More than 250 volunteers have signed up to compile a survey of seniors in residential care, and B.C.'s Seniors Advocate is looking for more.
The 27,000 seniors living in 300 residential care facilities around the province are being asked about their experience with care home staff, the quality of food, privacy, medications and other conditions.
It's the first comprehensive survey done in B.C., to measure resident satisfaction and provide a "roadmap" for improvements, said Seniors Advocate Isobel Mackenzie.
Interviews will be conducted in person by trained volunteers, and a matching mail-out survey will be sent to each resident's most frequent visitor.
The project is seeking volunteers with a range of professional backgrounds, ages and ethnicities. To apply as a volunteer, visit www.surveybcseniors.org or call the Office of the Seniors Advocate at 1-877-952-3181.


Volunteers to ask seniors about staff, food, privacy, medications and other conditions in residential care


The Pattullo Bridge will be reopened to all four lanes of traffic one month ahead of schedule, easing commutes in September when traffic volumes normally rise.
Rehabilitation work on the bridge deck has been underway since April 29 and TransLink had warned drivers to expect five months of delays until early October, with traffic reduced to one lane each way weekdays and complete bridge closures about two nights a week and one weekend a month.
"Despite wet weather in June, crews were able to get more done in a shorter period of time by scheduling additional weekend and overnight closures and reducing the number of concrete pours," TransLink officials said in a release.
The return to four-lane traffic during the day happens Monday, Aug. 29. Regular overnight lane closures that reduce the Pattullo to one lane each way at night for safety reasons will resume.
The final complete bridge closures were to be tonight, Thursday night and from 8 p.m. Friday Aug. 26 until 5 a.m. Monday Aug. 29.
Crews repaired 1,180 square metres of bridge deck. The work included milling off the asphalt surface, removing all deck concrete down to the top layer of rebar. repairing delaminated concrete and cleaning or replacing rebar, and repaving the deck area with a concrete overlay.
The aim was to extned the life of the bridge deck with minimal maintenance to keep the bridge open while a replacement is desinged and built, a project expected to take up to seven years.
The $10-million project was dramatically scaled down from what was originally intended to be a $100-million rehabilitation lasting 18 months.
TransLink officials last fall ruled out seismic rehab work – they decided it was too expensive if it was even possible – and opted to minimize spending since it intends to replace the Pattullo with a new bridge as quickly as possible.

Pattullo Bridge work finishes a month early


TransLink says bridge repair work was done faster than expected over the summer, avoiding the need to continue closures in September


A routine check-up at the hospital has turned into a nightmare for a Prince Rupert woman.
A month-and-a-half after having an endoscopy to inspect her nose and throat, Joan Dudoward received a letter from Northern Health stating that the endoscope used at the Prince Rupert Regional Hospital was not cleaned properly.
From April until the end of June 2016, the endoscope, which is a flexible tube with a light and a camera used in nonsurgical procedures, was being cleaned with the wrong cleaning solution to disinfect the equipment. There were 104 patients affected and Dudoward was one of them.
“I was majorly stressed out,” she said in an exclusive interview with the Northern View. “I'm a cancer survivor. I try to keep my health up for my mom, I'm a caregiver for a 95-year-old woman.”
Dudoward had gone to the Prince Rupert hospital for an endoscopy on June 29 at 3:30 p.m. after complaining to her physician about reoccurring plugged ears and a sore throat. She received the letter from Northern Health on Aug.24, which stated the error did not impact the diagnostic outcome of the tests and the process error has been corrected.
The letter also states that the BC Centre for Disease Control has been consulted and “the risk of a patient being exposed to a virus as a result of this process error is extremely low.” The contact number for the director of acute care services is offered in case she has any other questions or concerns. Dudoward has many.
She called to find out why the instrument wasn't cleaned, what had happened and how many people had gone through the procedure before and after her. “She said she's not permitted to tell me anything about this,” was the response Dudoward said she received.
The vice-president of medicine for the Northern Health authority, Dr. Ronald Chapman, was quick to respond to media inquiries and stressed the importance of transparency. He said, based on previous experience, once they realized the mistake had occurred they consulted the BC Centre for Disease Control as well as the Northern Health infectious disease specialist in Prince George.
“The risk for the patient is extremely low. We're not concerned that it will at all have any negative impact on their health,” Dr. Chapman said. He added that it's Northern Health's policy to make patients aware even if the risk to them is low. “We believe it's important to be open with those patients and to be fairly transparent so at least they are aware of the mistake. In this case, we don't recommend any particular follow up or tests for the patients.”
This type of process error has happened before, Dr. Chapman confirmed. Not with the same scope, but he said there are many different endoscopes used and each are made by different manufacturers that have various recommendations on how to clean the equipment.
“The health sector is run by human beings and it's fairly complex. If mistakes do happen what we encourage our staff to do is to make management aware so they can learn from that experience,” he said. “I'm happy to say where those mistakes have happened in our environment, a process has been put in place and we haven't had any repetitions after some of those learning experiences.”
For the 104 patients that were affected by this incident, Dr. Chapman said their general practitioners have been notified and if they have any questions they can speak to them and the infectious disease specialist. They can also contact Northern Health's Patient Care Quality Officeto register a complaint.
For Dudoward, who had a bone marrow transplant in 2011 to battle leukemia, she is concerned and has already scheduled a meeting with her physician in early September.
“I'm thinking that my body is not going to be able to fight off infection like I was able to before the cancer because chemo takes a lot out of your body so this is like a bomb exploding in my life,” she said.

VIDEO: Prince Rupert woman treated with unclean medical equipment, Northern Health, B.C. Centre for Disease Control confirms more than a hundred affected


Two months after having an endoscopy Joan Dudoward received a letter telling her that the endoscope used was not cleaned properly.


About 100 kids are taking part in Ukulele Camp at Belmont Elementary School.
The five-day event was organized by Langley Ukulele with support from Langley City and Langley Township.
It will wrap up with a concert Friday night.

Ukulele Camp for young musicians in the Langleys (with video)


Event to wrap up with concert at school Friday night


TORONTO – Few Canadian television events qualify as a momentous occasion for the nation, but Saturday's Tragically Hip concert promises to be special.
It seems like much of the country will be tuned into CBC's live broadcast of "The Tragically Hip: A National Celebration" from Kingston, Ont., when factoring in home screenings and community viewing parties.
Yet how many people will watch is anybody's guess at this point.
"This is an unprecedented event for us," said Jennifer Dettman, CBC's executive director of unscripted content.
The sentiment is true on many levels, she adds.
The last stop on the Hip's "Man Machine Poem" tour is widely expected to be their final performance, as lead singer Gord Downie is facing terminal brain cancer. After tickets to the tour sold out within minutes, fans launched a campaign urging the CBC to carry the band's Kingston show as a live TV event.
Dettman wouldn't speak to the contract negotiations that led to the Hip agreeing to the broadcast.
"CBC made both a competitive and financially responsible offer to acquire the broadcast rights, and we're thrilled to be able to offer this national celebration to as many Canadians as possible," she said.
The concert won't just be on the main CBC network, it will also be broadcast through various other platforms such as CBC Radio One, the CBC website and its YouTube and Facebook channels.
With so many viewing options, that will make it tough to capture how many eyes and ears are focused on the Hip this Saturday.
That's where ratings agency Numeris comes in. The Toronto-based company tracks viewership figures by using meters and viewing diaries prepared by a panel of Canadians representative of the population.
Their data shows that most huge audience draws are typically live programming, led by major sporting events.
The Super Bowl is the biggest TV event nearly every year â€” drawing about six million to eight million viewers in recent years â€” while a handful of other annual celebrations like the Academy Awards, the Golden Globes and Grammys are perennial favourites too.
The gold medal game of the men's hockey tournament at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics is considered to be the most-watched broadcast ever in Canada. It drew 16.6 million viewers, according to data from Numeris, about double the number of people who tune into most Super Bowls.
Those kinds of numbers will be hard to beat, even for a rock band with as much Canadian clout as the Hip.
Numeris spokesman Tom Jenks wouldn't guess how many viewers will tune into the CBC broadcast, but acknowledges it'll probably be a pretty big number.
The agency said it will be counting every public screening â€” from restaurants to movie theatres to community viewing parties â€” and each person streaming the concert on their phone. Viewers who playback the show on their DVRs within seven days will also be included in the final numbers.
"Our system captures all viewing," Jenks said.
Potentially driving those numbers higher is the decision make the Hip's concert a one-time broadcast, with no encore presentation and no availability on on-demand platforms.
"Our goal was to bring the experience of this live concert to Canadians in that moment," Dettman said.
"I'm sure the band will figure out what they will want to do with the concert afterwards."
She said the goal is to give all Canadians the same "crescendo" feeling that will ripple through the arena in Kingston.
"Our goal is to bring the experience ... to as many Canadians as we can," she said.
"The idea that we're all together experiencing this moment at the same time is really special."
Follow @dfriend on Twitter.
David Friend, The Canadian Press

Televised Tragically Hip show an 'unprecedented event:' CBC


Whether it's home screenings or community viewing parties, much of Canada will be tuning in for iconic rock band's final bow


Two men and a mining company in receivership have been charged with 18 pollution infractions related to their shut-down gold mine on an island near Prince Rupert.
Benjamin Mossman and Dirk Meckert are scheduled to appear in Prince Rupert provincial court Sept. 7. Also charged is Banks Island Gold Ltd., which went into receivership after being shut down last year for provincial permit violations.
The Yellow Giant mine was ordered shut down by the Ministry of Environment in July 2015 after a tailings spill was reported on a tip. There is one charge of failing to report a spill of a polluting substance, and the other 17 charges are for failing to comply with permits.
North Coast MLA Jennifer Rice raised the issue in the legislature this spring, after receiving a letter from the Gitxaala First Nation referring to two separate tailings spills. Rice said the ministry did not inspect the operation for 15 months, until receiving a complaint.
NDP mining critic Norm Macdonald told the legislature a worker at the mine "became fed up, put his job on the line, sent the ministry and me a tip and pictures that documented what was going on there."
Energy and Mines Minister Bill Bennett said the mine was shut down when the situation was brought to its attention. The mine's 90 employees lost their jobs.
The province has a $420,000 security bond from the mining company, to provide ongoing monitoring. In March the mines ministry and Banks Island Gold removed explosives from the mine site and in May ministry technical staff assessed the hazardous materials on site.
The B.C. Conservation Officer Service, which recommended the charges, would not comment on the current condition of the Banks Island site, because it is evidence for the prosecution.

Banks Island miners face 18 pollution charges


Gold mine near Prince Rupert shut down last summer for permit violations, owners charged for failing to report spill