The Abbotsford News kicked off its 90th anniversary festivities by welcoming thousands of people to its open house held earlier today (May 26).
The event began at 11 a.m under sunny skies at the News office (34375 Gladys Ave.).
A wide variety of family-friendly activities were located on-site. They included a display of classic cars, a bouncy castle, live music, and a barbecue.
A number of community groups had booths set up, including Agrifair, where people had the chance to register to be part of the summer festival's second annual Amazing Race.
Additionally, the News launched several major contests today, including giveaways of a Harley Davidson motorcycle and a tent trailer valued at $10,000 from Fraserway RV.
Abbotsford South MLA John van Dongen was in attendance, and called the News a "great community partner."
"I've always been impressed by the level of community engagement by the News," van Dongen said, mentioning newspaper's sponsorship of many local events, along with award-winning coverage of stories including the SE2 battle and the avian influenza outbreak.
"People rely on it for current information and human-interest stories."
Mayor Bruce Banman said Abbotsford is "very fortunate to have a strong newspaper presence."
"What a fantastic area to have a car show and gathering like this," he said.
News publisher Andrew Franklin noted the open house is just one of several 90th anniversary events which will be hosted this year.
Upcoming functions include a history exhibit at the Reach Gallery Museum in the summer; a gala evening at the Reach on Sept. 8; and a special edition of the newspaper which will be published in December.
"We're really excited to be able to welcome the community," Franklin said.
For streaming video of the newspaper office tours, click here.