Community

Communitas resource development coordinator Sarah De Klein (centre) receives self-care packages from Yale leadership students Cristina Simpson and Lesina Lapa. (Submitted photo)

Yale leadership students donate self-care packages to Communitas

Abbotsford organization receives baskets filled with handwash, slippers and more

Communitas resource development coordinator Sarah De Klein (centre) receives self-care packages from Yale leadership students Cristina Simpson and Lesina Lapa. (Submitted photo)
Rocky LaRock takes to a scaffold to cut away the first slices of his piece at the 2019 Chainsaw Carving Competition in Hope in 2019. This weekend’s event will be a much smaller carving event, featuring carvers including Ryan Villiers who has designed Hope’s newest work ��� a carving of John Rambo. (Jessica Peters/ Black Press)

Sts’ailes carver Rocky LaRock honoured by Canada Council for the Arts

The artist’s work is being featured at Abbotsford’s The Reach through May 8

Rocky LaRock takes to a scaffold to cut away the first slices of his piece at the 2019 Chainsaw Carving Competition in Hope in 2019. This weekend’s event will be a much smaller carving event, featuring carvers including Ryan Villiers who has designed Hope’s newest work ��� a carving of John Rambo. (Jessica Peters/ Black Press)
Slay the Mic CEO Jam Gamble is the keynote speaker at the virtual Fraser Valley Cultural Diversity Awards on March 10.

Annual Fraser Valley Cultural Diversity Awards go virtual for 2021

Slay the Mic CEO Jam Gamble is keynote speaker for event on March 10

Slay the Mic CEO Jam Gamble is the keynote speaker at the virtual Fraser Valley Cultural Diversity Awards on March 10.
Rocky LaRock takes to a scaffold to cut away the first slices of his piece at the 2019 Chainsaw Carving Competition in Hope in 2019. This weekend’s event will be a much smaller carving event, featuring carvers including Ryan Villiers who has designed Hope’s newest work – a carving of John Rambo. (Jessica Peters/ Black Press)

Sts’ailes carver Rocky LaRock honoured by Canada Council for the Arts

The artist’s work is being featured at Abbotsford’s The Reach through May 8

Rocky LaRock takes to a scaffold to cut away the first slices of his piece at the 2019 Chainsaw Carving Competition in Hope in 2019. This weekend’s event will be a much smaller carving event, featuring carvers including Ryan Villiers who has designed Hope’s newest work – a carving of John Rambo. (Jessica Peters/ Black Press)
Former Abbotsford city councillor Wendy Lee died on Feb. 7 at the age of 71.

Former Abbotsford city councillor Wendy Lee dies

Lee served on council before and after amalgamation in 1995

Former Abbotsford city councillor Wendy Lee died on Feb. 7 at the age of 71.
The Abbotsford Lions Club recently donated almost $2,700 to the Fraser Valley Health Care Foundation for items for Abbotsford Regional Hospital. (Submitted photo)

Abbotsford Lions Club donates almost $2,700 to local hospital

Funds presented recently to Fraser Valley Health Care Foundation

The Abbotsford Lions Club recently donated almost $2,700 to the Fraser Valley Health Care Foundation for items for Abbotsford Regional Hospital. (Submitted photo)
Liam Presnilla received a surprise birthday parade on Saturday (Feb. 6) that included members of the Abbotsford Police Department. (Submitted photo)

Abbotsford boy’s birthday parade includes Abbotsford Police

Liam Presnilla, who battled leukemia for 2 years, turns 3

Liam Presnilla received a surprise birthday parade on Saturday (Feb. 6) that included members of the Abbotsford Police Department. (Submitted photo)
DJ Rossco is among the curators of the TURN IT UP playlists that will be available through The Reach Gallery Museum in celebration of Black History Month.

The Reach celebrates Black History throughout the month and beyond

Abbotsford gallery-museum features several activities, including virtual events

DJ Rossco is among the curators of the TURN IT UP playlists that will be available through The Reach Gallery Museum in celebration of Black History Month.
Appointments are being taken starting Feb. 22 for income tax returns to be prepared for free in Abbotsford for low-income people. (Pixabay stock photo)

Appointments taken for free income-tax service in Abbotsford

Spots open in March and April for program for low-income people

  • Feb 7, 2021
Appointments are being taken starting Feb. 22 for income tax returns to be prepared for free in Abbotsford for low-income people. (Pixabay stock photo)
From left, Brinley Carey, Ella Lemieux and Mila Morelli (all seven years old) with the 3rd Sardis Brownies are asking people to buy cookies which will be given to seniors in Chilliwack care homes. (Jenna Hauck/ Chilliwack Progress)

Fraser Valley Girl Guides asking folks to buy cookies for seniors in care homes for Valentine’s Day

Chilliwack Girl Guides of Canada members are asking people to adopt a senior by buying them cookies

From left, Brinley Carey, Ella Lemieux and Mila Morelli (all seven years old) with the 3rd Sardis Brownies are asking people to buy cookies which will be given to seniors in Chilliwack care homes. (Jenna Hauck/ Chilliwack Progress)
Dozens of people attended LIFE Recovery Association’s gala fundraiser in February 2020, but this year’s event has been cancelled due to the pandemic. Instead, supporters are encouraged to contribute online. (Catrina Scott Photography)

Online support replaces LIFE Recovery gala in 2021

Abbotsford organization forced to cancel annual fundraiser due to pandemic

Dozens of people attended LIFE Recovery Association’s gala fundraiser in February 2020, but this year’s event has been cancelled due to the pandemic. Instead, supporters are encouraged to contribute online. (Catrina Scott Photography)
Lukah Owen of Abbotsford died of leukemia in March 2020 at the age of four. His grandmother is now asking people to donate blood to commemorate what would have been his fifth birthday on Feb. 7.

Abbotsford woman urges blood donations in grandson’s memory

Lukah Owen died of leukemia in March 2020 at the age of four

Lukah Owen of Abbotsford died of leukemia in March 2020 at the age of four. His grandmother is now asking people to donate blood to commemorate what would have been his fifth birthday on Feb. 7.
Sandy Phillipps has authored a new book, The Voice of Love: Hope Breaking Out of Shattered Pieces, which is available at House of James in Abbotsford.

Local author releases memoir about wellness journey

Sandy Phillipps releases The Voice of Love: Hope Breaking Out of Shattered Pieces

Sandy Phillipps has authored a new book, The Voice of Love: Hope Breaking Out of Shattered Pieces, which is available at House of James in Abbotsford.
Ernie Poignant, with wife Rose, celebrates his 102nd birthday on Feb. 4. (Submitted photo)

Abbotsford pioneer and historian Ernie Poignant turns 102

Cartoonist was born in a Matsqui farmhouse on Feb. 4, 1919

Ernie Poignant, with wife Rose, celebrates his 102nd birthday on Feb. 4. (Submitted photo)
Siyamtelot Shirley Leon is the co-author of a new book on the history of written Halq’eméylem: Courage to Speak (right). (Grace Kennedy/The Observer)

New book honours elders who first wrote down Halq’eméylem

Siyamtelot Shirley Leon and Sharon Syrette share stories of the elders in “Courage to Speak”

Siyamtelot Shirley Leon is the co-author of a new book on the history of written Halq’eméylem: Courage to Speak (right). (Grace Kennedy/The Observer)
Micah Reimer of Communitas Supportive Care Society in Abbotsford holds his business card, the back of which uses a simple mental-health tool as a reminder for people in a moment of crisis. (Communitas photo: Krista Petrie)

Abbotsford mental-health worker encourages the practice of ‘just noticing’

Concept uses all five senses during a mental-health challenge

Micah Reimer of Communitas Supportive Care Society in Abbotsford holds his business card, the back of which uses a simple mental-health tool as a reminder for people in a moment of crisis. (Communitas photo: Krista Petrie)
TWU men’s and women’s basketball teams will each host an intrasquad skills competition on Thursday, Feb. 4, 2021 at the Langley Events Centre as part of the Shoot for the Cure campaign against breast cancer (Pixabay.com)

Battling breast cancer: TWU basketball players take part in Shoot for the Cure

Annual event at the Langley Events Centre raises funds for Canadian Cancer Society

TWU men’s and women’s basketball teams will each host an intrasquad skills competition on Thursday, Feb. 4, 2021 at the Langley Events Centre as part of the Shoot for the Cure campaign against breast cancer (Pixabay.com)
From left, Ed Campbell with Unitech, and Janet Carroll and Brooke Haller with Imagine High, stand in the gym of the new arts and technology school on Friday, Jan. 22, 2021 which is currently under construction. (Jenna Hauck/ Chilliwack Progress)

Chilliwack’s new arts and tech school taking shape at old UFV site

Light, large rooms, state of the art equipment all support student learning at Imagine High

From left, Ed Campbell with Unitech, and Janet Carroll and Brooke Haller with Imagine High, stand in the gym of the new arts and technology school on Friday, Jan. 22, 2021 which is currently under construction. (Jenna Hauck/ Chilliwack Progress)
White Rock’s Bob Jadis began painting and selling wine bottles to raise money for the food bank. (Contributed photos)

White Rock man selling ‘Firefly Lanterns’ to feed the hungry

100 per cent of profit goes to Sources South Surrey/White Rock Food Bank

White Rock’s Bob Jadis began painting and selling wine bottles to raise money for the food bank. (Contributed photos)
Chef Trevor Randle will be leading an online cooking class in support of Canadian Agriculture Day. (BC Agriculture in the Classroom/Contributed)

Fraser Valley organization invites people to cook up excitement for Canadian Agriculture Day

BC Agriculture in the Classroom is hosting an online cook-along on Feb. 23

Chef Trevor Randle will be leading an online cooking class in support of Canadian Agriculture Day. (BC Agriculture in the Classroom/Contributed)