The Langley Christmas Wish Breakfast Was a Success, but More Support Is Needed

Yesterday was the third Christmas Wish Breakfast at Newlands Golf & Country Club, supporting the Langley Christmas Bureau. The Bureau provides a food hamper, toys, and books for families in Langley City and Township who otherwise could not afford it. The goal of the Christmas Bureau is to raise $250,000 this year to support Langley families this holiday season as the number of families accessing the Bureau is growing.

The Christmas Wish Breakfast started at 6:30 am yesterday with the RCMP and Langley City Fire Rescue Service piping in Mr. and Mrs. Claus. Newlands Golf & Country Club management and staff had a hot breakfast buffet ready. It was amazing to see all the support of businesses both locally and throughout Metro Vancouver to make the event possible. Even the paper plates and cultural (which came from Langley City based manufacture) were donated.

Mr. Claus, who looks very similar to former Langley City Councillor Rudy Storteboom

People enjoying the breakfast buffet.

Beyond the tasty breakfast, people could enjoy live music and entertainment.

Live entertainment from the Langley Ukulele Ensemble

The Langley Christmas Bureau is an official committee of Langley City. Langley City staff and volunteers put in countless hours to make sure everything runs smoothly from the breakfast, to finding sponsors, to helping family signup, and to distributing the food, toys, and books. It is genuinely a whole community effort.

Some of Langley City Council in front of the Holiday RMC Readymix Truck, one of the sponsors of the breakfast

The generosity of our community was on full display yesterday, with people dropping off a mountain of toys and providing donations.

One of the many toy Christmas Trees full of donated gifts

If you want to support the Langley Christmas Bureau, there is still time. Visit the Bureau's website today and learn how you can help make Christmas a little bit merrier for every family in Langley.

Yes, We Need the Lawn Watering Police in Metro Vancouver

With winter weather, summer water usage is likely the furthest thing from people's minds. Still, the Metro Vancouver Regional District recently evaluated this summer's water utilization and the effectiveness of water restrictions to plan for next summer and the future.

The following graph shows that overall water availability in Metro Vancouver reservoirs was within normal ranges this past summer. However, water utilization was 5.4% higher in 2023 compared to 2022, so the Regional District activated Stage 2 water restriction in August.

Total Source Water Storage for Metro Vancouver Over Summer Months. Select the chart to enlarge.

While Stage 2 water restrictions did help lower water utilization, the data showed that people were still watering their lawns, which is banned in Stage 2 water restrictions. The Regional District noted that it will need to enhance education, and municipalities will need to increase enforcement to help further limit water utilization when restrictions are in place. It might sound silly, but lawn watering is a significant threat to the availability of drinking water.

The Regional District is looking at increasing the water reservoir capacity, but this is a costly process that takes many years to build out. Even with reservoir expansion, population growth and climate change mean that water conversation will continue to be critical during summer, and our conservation efforts will need to increase.

I'm from the Okanagan, and many people replaced classic grass lawns with native and drought-tolerant landscaping to help converse water. This change in landscaping will likely be something that people will need to consider in our region over the coming decades to help ensure the availability of drinking water.

Magic of Christmas Fevistal and Artisan Craft Market This Weekend

December is just around the corner, meaning the Langley City Magic of Christmas Festival is happening this weekend!

Come by Timms Community Centre on Saturday, December 2, from noon to 6:00 pm. There will be activities and entertainment for everyone.

Activities include seeing Bruce Waugh create a snow sculpture, kids' crafts, and carnival games.

Food trucks like Big Chip Truck, Beavertails, and Greater Vancouver Beer Truck will also be there.

You can also check out the Langley Arts Council's Artisan Craft Market from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm on Saturday and 10:00 am to 4:00 pm on Sunday inside Timms Community Centre. There will be over 30 local artisan booths.

Rain, snow, or shine, you don't want to miss Langley City's official kick-off to the Christmas season!

For more information, including details about the entertainment schedule and artisans, please visit Langley City's Magic of Christmas webpage.

What Bus Rapid Transit Means for Langley City, Township, and Maple Ridge

A few weeks ago, the TransLink Mayors' Council announced the first three Bus Rapid Transit routes we will build in Metro Vancouver.

Learn more about Bus Rapid Transit in Langley City, Township, and Maple Ridge, including how it will support fast, frequent, affordable travel options, giving people and businesses more opportunity.