Author Archives: Chris Faber

The Vancouver Canadians are set to return home this summer after dealing with a COVID curveball

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During a global pandemic, we have seen sports leagues that have had to adjust to different league divisions, different schedules and a whole new format of approaching coming to the rink, stadium or field.

One of the local sports teams that were affected the most over the past 18 months has been the Vancouver Canadians.

The Canadians are a minor league affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays and recently moved up to high-A after spending years in low-A summer ball. This season, the Canadians were given some of the Blue Jays’ top prospects and have a history of consistently developing MLB talent.

With the COVID restrictions on cross-border travel, the Canadians were forced to migrate down to Hillsboro, Oregon this past summer. With all of their opponents in the Pacific Northwest of the United States, it was the easiest way for the Canadians to not cancel their season and still be able to continue developing the Blue Jays’ prospects.

The team had to share Ron Tonkin Field with the Hillsboro Hops and had many #BattleOfTheBoro nights when the two teams matched up throughout the season. 

The worst part about the experience down in Hillsboro had to be a year lost out at Nat Bailey Stadium. 

When it comes to ballparks, The Nat is an iconic baseball stadium in the lower mainland. The ballpark is well known for having one of the best sports atmospheres in Vancouver as well as minor league baseball across the world.

Vancouver was the recipient of the John H. Johnson President’s Award back in 2013. The John H. Johnson Award honours a “complete” baseball franchise that has demonstrated franchise stability, and significant contributions to its community, league and the baseball industry.

The ballpark does an amazing job of creating a fun environment where it’s more about having a day out with friends than going to a baseball game. On occasion, you’ll get to see some future MLB players make some great plays on the diamond but it’s more about the three-foot hotdogs and Hey Y’all porch that makes The Nat so special.

As the team was situated in Hillsboro last year, they were still partnered with Sportsnet 650 here in Vancouver and did broadcast all of their games on the radio station or on the alternate stream on the occasion that the Blue Jays were playing at the same time.

Listeners and followers of the team got to watch the evolution of some of the top prospects in the Blue Jays’ system.

This includes starting pitcher Adam Kloffenstein. They call him Kloff and he struck out 107 batters over 23 starts this season for the Canadians. Kloffenstein is the Blue Jays’ second-best pitching prospect according to the MLB website. 

He was a team leader last season and made tough pitches throughout the season as he develops his arm for the next level of baseball that he will play in.

CJ Van Eyk is the fourth-best pitching prospect in the system and he struck out 100 batters in 19 starts last season with the Canadians. Van Eyk had some amazing performances throughout the season including four of his nineteen starts having a minimum of eight strikeouts in a game. In late July, Van Eyk struck out nine of the 19 batters he faced over five innings of work.

Both of these two top prospects are expected to make their way to the majors someday and the experience of watching such live arms is worth the price of admission to a Canadian’s game.

The top prospect to play with the Canadians last season was shortstop Orelvis Martinez. According to the MLB website, Martinez is the 44th best prospect in baseball and had a solid season with the Canadians last year.

Martinez smacked nine home runs in 27 games with the Canadians last season. Many sources project that he will begin next year with the Canadians and that is good news for local baseball fans.

The best news about the Canadians is that after a year away from The Nat, they are coming back bigger and better than ever.

The C’s will play a full high-A season next year and will feature better prospects, with more games than they had in the season before the pandemic hit.

Baseball is coming back to Vancouver and the stadium is expecting a triumphant return to their Ontario Street location. 

The crack of the bat echoing through the stands, the smell of popcorn and hotdogs filling the summer air—there’s not many better atmospheres in sports than what you find at a ball game.

One of the most exciting parts about next season is the movement from low-A to high-A. Now, instead of playing approximately 75 games, the Canadians are excited to play almost double that.

They recently announced their 2022 schedule on their website.

“The Vancouver Canadians Baseball Club has announced its 2022 Schedule that includes all home and away dates. It features 66 home games at Nat Bailey Stadium as part of a 132-game season slate, headlined by Opening Day on April 19 and Canada Day on July 1.”

After a summer without baseball in Vancouver, the Canadians should have no problems filling Nat Bailey Stadium this summer. It is expected to be much easier to cross the border for them and their opponents by then and those who I have spoken with in the Canadians’ organization are extremely excited to get back to Vancouver and play in front of their great fans. 

By the time that the Canadians return to Nat Bailey Stadium for their home opener on April 19th, it will have been 963 days since the Canadians played a professional game at The Nat.

It is expected to be a massive event when pro baseball returns to the lower mainland and if you know anything about the Canadians, and how they operate their organization—I’d expect April 19th to be a show that you do not want to miss.

The Canadians have one of the best sporting environments in Vancouver and are the place to be for a famous Nooner at The Nat.

We will see you there this summer!

The Botchford Project is an amazing way to honour what the late Jason Botchford did for aspiring sports journalists

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If you followed the Canucks online for the last decade, you surely were aware of the great Jason Botchford.

Botch was an absolute triple threat in the Vancouver sports media landscape. He was the best writer, he was the best guest on radio and brought absolute fire every time he went on television.

He was what everyone wanted to aspire to. He captured the Vancouver Canucks’ fanbase through his excellent reporting of the organization and ability to entertain with each form of content that he created.

Through his rise to success, he helped out aspiring journalists along the way. Including the likes of Ryan Biech, who now works for the Canucks. Harman Dayal, who is one of the youngest, brightest minds in sports media. Wyatt Arndt, who has taken over the post-game “Armies” and is one of the most fun writers to read across all markets.

Botch knew talent when he saw it and he made sure that those people earned the right platform.

Jason Botchford passed away in April of 2019 due to an accidental overdose of fentanyl and cocaine. He was 48 years old and has three children.

The passing of Botchford shocked the sports world. An entire day was spent on TSN 1040 radio station where the hosts looked back, while fans and friends called in to tell stories of the legendary content creator.

Botch had a reputation in the online community. He was always there for people when they needed advice or a helping hand when it came to sports journalism. Botch had an eye for talent and knew that the Canucks’ market had a bevy of great blogs, podcasts and overall smart hockey minds.

Though he is now gone, his memory lives on through those whose lives he has changed.

“I really can’t say enough about how much he helped me on my way up,” said Harman Dayal. Who is now a full-time reporter for TheAthletic in Vancouver.

“I essentially went from a nobody to a guy that had a voice in this marketplace. A huge reason for that was because of the support that Botch gave me,”

Botch chose Wyatt Arndt to work alongside him in his final year of covering the team. Arndt was the backup when Botch needed a night off and learned first-hand that it was about bringing a community together as much as it was about writing on a sport.

“Part of his legacy was how he got everyone involved. He didn’t just make it about hockey, he made it about everything,” said Arndt. “The Legacy of Tony Gallagher was passed on to Jason Botchford and Jason passed it on to others. If you wanted to write or get into sports and you had a passion for it. He would help you as far as he could and if he found out you didn’t love it; he’d be like well go chase your passion then. He was all about making sure you did what you wanted to do.”

Even with Botch gone from us, his passion for helping others lives on with The Botchford Project.

The Botchford Project is an effort put together by the Vancouver Canucks and TheAthletic to give aspiring sports journalists a chance to experience a night in the spot of Jason Botchford–as a professional sports journalist.

There are six spots this season and two separate groups of three will get to go to a morning skate, have a one-on-one interview with a Canucks player and then experience the game that night from the press box alongside Vancouver’s top media members.

David Quadrelli was the first recipient of the Botchford Project back in November of 2019.

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I’d encourage everyone who has even a slight interest in sports media to apply,” said Quadrelli in a recent post at CanucksArmy. “It might just change your life, the same way it did mine. You likely already know this — but for those that haven’t seen or heard any of my colleagues’ playful digs at me — I’m considered young for somebody in sports media. And that’s almost entirely because I got a major boost to my career in the form of the Botchford Project.”

The platform that you can get from being a recipient of the Botchford Project is enormous. Those who are selected get to write a paid article for the Canucks’ website that will be seen by tens, if not hundreds of thousands of people.

Aside from the article, those selected get to meet with those in the media and ask as many questions as possible. It is an entirely different experience from any other form of working in sports media.

I was one of the recipients in the first year of the project and also attended Canucks training camp that year. At training camp, I was just a random face with a microphone, trying to get quotes through my nervous shaking of the hand and overbearing shyness to ask a question.

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At my Botchford Project night, everyone was incredibly nice to me and was rooting for me to have success and wanted to support me in any way possible. I learned so much about sports media that night. I made connections with others in the industry that ultimately led me to be part of Canucks media today.

Botch was the reason for my success in the podcasting world. I had 10-20 listeners for the first four episodes of my show and when he came on as a guest for episode five, the show blew up and I had thousands of new listeners.

One thing he said on that podcast episode was, “Woah, we should do a radio show together,” before he historically laughed after I went on a rant about a Canucks goaltender.

That clip of him saying that we should do a radio show together begins every single radio show of mine that I do Saturdays on Sportsnet. I wish Botch was here to see what I have been able to accomplish since that podcast episode with him or where I grew after getting the Botchford Project experience.

He inspired me and the Botchford Project launched me into fully committing, and now have a job in sports media.

I highly recommend that anyone reading this applies to the Botchford Project.

It changed my life and it could change yours as well.

Moving their AHL team to Abbotsford was a great move from the Canucks organization

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For the first time since 2014, the city of Abbotsford is home to an AHL team and the city is embracing the hometown connection.

One of the biggest announcements of the summer for the Fraser Valley was news that the Vancouver Canucks were going to be moving their AHL minor league affiliate from Utica, New York back home to Abbotsford.

The Abbotsford Centre used to be home to the Abbotsford Heat, who were the minor league affiliate of the Calgary Flames. The city of Abbotsford never really had a connection with the Heat. It was a minor league affiliate with a team that was somewhat of a rival to the local NHL team.

Now, the Abbotsford Canucks are feeling full support from the locals as they consistently ice the Vancouver Canucks’ prospects who could be in the NHL very soon.

Mixed in with those young prospects is a local kid, who grew up playing his minor hockey in the city of Abbotsford. Noah Juulsen is a former first-round pick who the Canucks traded Olli Juolevi for just before the regular season kicked off.

“I think it’s awesome,” said Juulsen when asked about what his initial thoughts were when he heard about AHL hockey coming to Abbotsford.

“Obviously, when the Abbotsford Heat were here, it’s not the same vibe for local fans when you’re going to watch the Calgary Flames farm team and now I think with the team being the Abbotsford Canucks, the minor league team for the Vancouver Canucks, I think it’s awesome for the city. There’s a need to have more sports going on in Abbotsford and we have this beautiful rink here, it’s nice to finally get some use out of it.”

It’s clear to see that the city of Abbotsford is in full support of having the AHL team in their beautiful arena that was without any type of high-level professional hockey for seven years.

Ashton Sautner is a part of the leadership group in Abbotsford and wears a letter on his chest as the team currently skates without a captain. Sautner has been with the Vancouver Canucks’ organization since 2015 when he was signed after ageing out of the WHL.

Sautner was only able to play in one game last season as he spent almost the entire season on the Vancouver Canucks taxi squad. The taxi squad was set in place to help NHL teams have extra players close to their organization in case COVID were to hit the team.

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“We didn’t have fans in a long time and it’s an energy that we missed so much,” said Sautner. “Just to have that type of support on top of coming into a new arena, a new city and building a new fan base will be exciting. I think we’re going to have a good team that is super-competitive and hopefully we’re going to give the Abbotsford fans something to cheer about here.”

The fans have come back in droves and are showing support for the Vancouver Canucks through their support to the minor league team. Tickets are much cheaper out in Abbotsford and you get to see some great hockey.

The Abbotsford Centre has a low roof and when it’s packed with rabid fans, it’s quite the deafening atmosphere.

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The team is expected to have a very competitive season as the NHL team went out and made a lot of acquisitions to bolster the depth on the NHL team. The runoff of that depth is that many of the borderline NHL players will end up with the Abbotsford Canucks in the AHL.

The Abbotsford Canucks have some extremely talented players who have NHL skills such as Phil Di Giuseppe, Noah Juulsen, Justin Bailey, Sheldon Dries and Madison Bowey.

On top of the highly skilled veterans, the Abbotsford Canucks have been given a handful of skilled young prospects who could be making a difference on the NHL in a few years.

Danila Klimovich is the youngest player on the team at just 18 years old. He was selected in the second round of the 2021 NHL Entry Draft. An 18-year-old rarely makes it into the AHL but Abbotsford fans have a chance to see the talented Belarussian.

Will Lockwood is a 23-year-old winger who will be a part of the Vancouver Canucks at some point this season. He is a tenacious forechecker who will get the call up to the NHL at some point this season.

The team’s top prospect is their goaltender Mikey DiPietro. After barely playing last season due to COVID affecting the rosters and schedule, DiPietro is not the team’s starter and projects to be the Vancouver Canucks’ backup goalie next season. DiPietro was Canada’s goalie at the 2019 World Junior Championships and was a part of Canada’s gold-medal-winning World Championship team last year.

The Abbotsford Canucks are coached by Trent Cull, who is in his fifth year as the head coach of the AHL affiliate for the Canucks.

The move to Abbotsford from Utica made so much sense.

Having the minor league team so close to home allows the NHL squad to call up or send down players without much travel needed. The teams can make a quick swap down Highway-1 when a transaction between the NHL and AHL is needed.

The move to Abbotsford is also great for local fans of the Canucks organization. It’s an expensive night for Canucks fans in the Fraser Valley if there were to travel into Vancouver to watch the NHL team. Now, they have the AHL team right at home in the Fraser Valley.

It’s some of the best hockey you will see with a lot of future or past NHLers playing in the AHL.

The Abbotsford Canucks currently sit with a 4-5-3 record and had last weekend’s games cancelled due to the flooding in the Abbotsford area. The team is back in action next week and has a ton of games at the Abbotsford centre over the next handful of months.

Through a year where things are going bad for the Canucks’ organization as a whole, the minor league team is doing things right and it’s all happening close to home.

The Vancouver Canucks continue to lose and change needs to happen

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To call the Vancouver Canucks’ season crappy would be a massive understatement.

The local NHL team has now reached the quarter mark of the season and they are one of the worst teams in the league. After 20 games, the team has won six games and lost 14 with two of their losses being in overtime or a shootout.

Their best players aren’t playing like their best players and the team is spinning out of control like a tire filled with firecrackers rolling down Mount Everest. As the days go by, the team is losing fans and clearly not picking up any new followers of the team.

Years from now, we will be seeing teenagers representing out of market teams as it seems near impossible that kids nowadays would be able to fall in love with this team in a similar way that I did during the era of the Sedins, Alex Burrows, Roberto Luongo, Ryan Kesler and others.

The team looks to have some key pieces that could help them have a run towards the Stanley Cup and potentially go on a deep run if they were to get lucky in the playoffs.

The problem is, they already used up all of that luck during the bubble playoffs of 2020. The team went on a miracle run that saw them beat a damaged St. Louis Blues team before getting run out of the building against a much stronger Vegas Golden Knights team. The Canucks were able to scrape themselves into a seven-game series against the Golden Knights on the back of some of the most amazing goaltending that this franchise has ever seen.

They had their luck and they wasted it.

Now, the Canucks are a rudderless ship that is in a worse position than the Sunset Beach barge.

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Fans are turning on the coach, the general manager and the owner of the team.

People are angry with how bad the team is and have been letting their voices be heard in Rogers Arena with chants to fire the general manager in the upper bowl and screams to sell the team in the concourse.

There is no quick fix anymore, even if general manager Jim Benning told fans that at the beginning of his tenure as the Canucks’ general manager more than seven years ago. The team has now sacrificed the future to give them a shot at winning right now. they traded away two of their last three first-round picks, multiple second-round picks and other late-round picks so that they could ice a team that Benning believed was a playoff calibre team.

He is wrong. The Canucks have the worst penalty kill in the NHL, they struggle to score goals and the only thing that has been at a playoff level is their goaltender Thatcher Demko, who has to come out in the media to show his support for his goalie coach that was signed at the last minute.

This franchise is in a really bad place.

One of the more vocal Canucks who is emerging as a leader more and more each game with his effort level is a part of trade rumours.

J.T. Miller’s silence spoke at a decibel level that would have given a Tsunami emergency horn a run for its money.

Miller was asked if everyone is buying in, after a 3-1 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on the back of the Canucks having two wins in their last 10 games.

The struggles in the organization don’t stop at the management or coaching level, they seem to be seeping into the locker room and onto the ice.

Miller has been nearly a point per game player and the look on his face as he attempted to answer told the story. This Canucks team is lost, does not have an identity and is snowballing out of control.

This season is quickly becoming a write-off.

If the organization were to make a smart move, it would begin to plan for the future tomorrow. They have budding young stars like Elias Pettersson, Vasily Podkolzin, Nils Höglander and Quinn Hughes. There is still time to not waste their talent.

The team needs to bring in a competent management group that has a vision, a plan and a new outlook on the team that the fanbase can buy into.

Vancouver has extremely engaged fans who aren’t fooled by throwing dollar-store duct tape on every problem that arises. They are well aware of this team’s dysfunction and are ready for real change no matter where it comes from.

The team could still go on a miraculous run and make the playoffs. That’s a possibility.

It’s also a possibility that aliens come down from space and decide to give me the remote from Click and I can rewind time or fast forward through my homework.

For the Canucks to be in the playoff conversation, they are going to need at least 93 points this season. If they finish the season on a run where they go 37-20-5, they have a 60% chance of making the playoffs according to Sports Club Stats.

To go on a run of that calibre would be astonishing.

Right now, the Canucks are just trying to tie together a run where they can win more than two out of ten games, let alone have a record that would blow away anything that has happened in the seven years of Jim Benning as the general manager.

This city craves a winner and it’s been so close on multiple occasions. This current management group appears to have lost the confidence of the fanbase and we’re getting to a point where people are just going to stop caring anymore. You see it more and more every day that people don’t care about the Cnaucks like they used to. Bar’s aren’t playing audio to the games and instead are running “Hot in Herre” by Nelly.

Change needed to come yesterday but the Canucks cannot continue to go down this road of losing being a consistently acceptable outcome.

This hockey market deserves better.

Something has to give before the fans give up.

Vancouver’s Christmas Market is back to bring jolly cheer to patrons

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Jack Poole Plaza has been taken over by Christmas cheer with the return of the Vancouver Christmas market.

After launching in 2010, the Vancouver Christman market is a live showing of Christmas cheer while German delicacies fill up the downtown Vancouver area in which sounds of live music and bright lights fill the area with a traditional Christmas vibe.

According to their website, “the Vancouver Christmas Market brings this festive Old World tradition to Vancouver. This cherished holiday event offers an authentic German feast for the senses. Stroll the twinkling pathways of a European-inspired Christmas village in the crisp winter air.”

The market is filled with over 80 European and local artisan shops. These shops vary from Christmas ornaments to a mushroom vendor and everything in between. Now, in its 11th year, the market has grown into a mainstay in the downtown Vancouver area. They were forced to skip last year due to COVID-19 but already have lines extending onto the sidewalks.

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The market is well known for its German food that is at the heart of the market. A combination of freshly made pretzels and pork schnitzel is sure to cut through the cold winter air.

Malte Kluetz is the CEO and FOunder of the Vancouver Christmas Market. Malte spoke with voiceonline and has this to say about the growth of the market.

“We have really worked to bring a traditional German Christmas Market to Vancouver,” said Kluetz. “Each year, we add new elements and experiences to make the market a more enjoyable meeting space for friends and family members alike. From sparkling photo opportunities to festive spots to enjoy a drink, there’s something for everybody at the Vancouver Christmas Market.”

The longest lineup at the market came from Traditional Spanish Churros, which come from Spain. The churro spot has a variety of toppings for their churros which include dark chocolate drizzle, Nutella and Oreo crumble.

Traditional Spanish Churros suggests dipping their specialty dessert in coffee, egg nog or hot chocolate. Traditional Spanish Churros say that their product is, “satisfyingly crunchy and tantalizingly sweet, these traditional Spanish fried-dough pastries are the perfect indulgent treat.”

The one food vendor that was drawing a crowd as they prepared their food was Cheese Me Raclette. Their melted cheese on top of a charcuterie plate had people salivating and lining up to experience the raclette on their own.

Raclette is a type of Swiss cheese that is designed to be melted and poured on top of snacks such as charcuterie or bread.

Cheese Me Raclette brings a slice of Switzerland to the Vancouver Christmas Market. They are the only vendor currently serving delicious raclette in the city of Vancouver. Cheese Me Raclette’s menu items are all served with freshly melted cheese scraped from the wheel that has found the balance between practical and over-the-top.

One of the new vendors at the Christmas Market is Perfectly Nuts. Perfectly Nuts brings a wide variety of flavoured nuts to the market. Their combinations of smoky and sweet have been a big hit at the market.

When you are indulging in salty nuts, a quality Bavarian beer is a perfect beverage to wash them down. The Christmas Market is home to Bavarian Beer Hause, the perfect place to share a Bavarian brew with friends and family. They have a half-dozen options for beers and will help wash down whatever German snack you are munching on.

Speaking of German snacks, my personal favourite at the market was the freshly made German pretzels.

The market has two different options for pretzels. They have the smaller hard-baked pretzels at THOSE Pretzels.

If you’re looking to try before you buy, THOSE Pretzels is perfect because they have a ton of free samples available before you decide on your favourite flavour.

THOSE Pretzels are a favourite for at-home snacking but when you’re in the thick of it at the market, you’ve got to try the freshly made soft-baked pretzels over at Mr. Pretzel.

Mr. Pretzel has original butter-covered pretzels and dessert pretzels that are covered in cinnamon sugar. Their pretzels are fresh out of the oven and were my personal favourite at the market. They are covered in just the right amount of butter and salt and can come with a dip to complete the perfect snack.

Aside from food, the Vancouver Christmas Market has a variety of beautiful Instagram-able photoshoot areas. The Market is shaped around a massive Christmas tree that has an astonishing 36,000 lights on it. You are also able to enter the base of the tree to snap the perfect photo.

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When you’re ready for a little bit of a break, the Alpine Lounge is the spot for you. The Alpine Lounge is a large, heated tent with water views and plenty of tables to sit around at.

The other centrepiece of the Market is the floating stage in the centre court of the market. The floating stage features live music for you to tap your toes along with your favourite holiday tunes. The Christmas Market calls it their pyramid, which has decorations throughout the three floors around the performers who sit on the floating stage at the second level.

Lineups are much busier on weekends than weekdays but speaking from experience, we only waited about 15 minutes in the line to get in on a Sunday evening. The market is definitely going to busy all the way up to Christmas and should become even busier once the month turns over to December.

The Vancouver Christmas Market is open now and will stay open until December 24th. It is located at the Jack Poole Plaza in downtown Vancouver and you need to buy tickets online to secure your time and spot for the market. A season’s pass is available for only $19.99 and makes it worth your money if you plan on visiting more than once this winter.

All guests, vendors and employees must be fully vaccinated, and show proof of vaccination along with valid government identification if born in 2009 or earlier to access the Market. 

Public Safety Minister limits Southwest BC residents to 30 litre per gas station visit

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After many loaded-up jerry cans and other forms of fuel storage, the B.C. government is stepping in to help make sure every British Columbian can have access to fuel.

Public safety minister Mike Farnworth has set a limit at the pumps for those in southwest B-C.

“People in Southwestern British Columbia, Vancouver Island and the sunshine coast will be limited to 30 litres per visit,” said Farnworth on Friday during a press conference. He went on to say that it is impossible for every gas station to have a police officer but instead, trusts British Columbians to do the right thing.

The fuel shortage comes from the November 14th halt of the Trans Mountain pipeline after the BC storm ravaged the province. 

Trans Mountain expects the pipeline to be up and running by the end of next week but until then, minister Farnworth hopes that British Columbians will look out for each other.

We have already seen photos across social media of people hoarding gas.

Minister Farnworth is pleading with the federal government to allow Canadians to travel to the United States and back to Canada without a PCR test requirement.

Right now, the expensive test is still in effect.

Man flips multiple times in Jeep after mudslide hits near Houston, BC

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During a drive home from a funeral, Noah Morse and his brother-in-law were caught in Mother Nature’s deadly wrath on Monday morning.

“It’s a sound that I can’t really describe, it’s something I will never forget, it’ll be with me forever,” said Morse as he tried to remember what his first thoughts were when the mudslide began.

Morse’s Jeep was caught in a mudslide that sent him flipping multiple times before coming to a rest upside down against trees.

“The memory of it is a force that throws you down and then just the mud,” said Morse. “I don’t know how to explain it, it’s hard to come to words. Every day is a little bit different, there’s healing to do.”

The ground moved a little bit more and gave him and his brother in law just enough space to escape. 

A fellow family and an off-duty firefighter were there to help Morse who escaped the wreck with minor bruises and scratches. He was given a rope to escape the mudslide and was lucky to be helped by a family that had first aid knowledge and helped Morse and his brother-in-law stay safe.

500 pipeline workers receive water and other supplies after a protest’s blockade was cleared

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An access road that has been blockaded by protesters since Sunday has now been cleared to bring water and other supplies to over 500 pipeline workers.

After the elected leaders of the Haisla nation as well as 20 councils signed on for the pipeline, we are seeing a struggle between those who wish for careers and jobs and those who want to protect the land. 

“We empathize with the community, unfortunately, most first nations communities do endure those types of disagreements when it comes to leadership,” said Haisla Nation Chief Councillor Crystal Smith back in 2020.

Smith has been supportive of the pipeline and what it can do for the community for years.

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The pipeline is set to create a massive amount of new, good-paying careers, as it sends liquid natural gas to Kitimat where it will be processed and sent to Asian markets.

Jim Benning speaks to media after fans voice their displeasure with the Vancouver Canucks’ dismal start to the season

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Canucks fans are not happy with Jim Benning and they made it known on Wednesday.

Vancouver Canucks general manager Jim Benning spoke to the media on Thursday afternoon after what has been a horrible start to the season for the Canucks.

He was saddened by the boos and chants for his firing that filled the arena during Wednesday night’s loss to the Colorado Avalanche.

“The fans are frustrated,” said Benning. “I get their frustration, we’re frustrated. We need to figure this out, get back on track, start winning hockey games and play like I believe we are capable of.”

The fans are concerned for the long-term success of the team after a busy offseason that saw Benning trade away draft picks that would have bolstered the prospect pool.

Some even brought signs to the game but many of the negative signs were confiscated by arena staff. That forced some fans to get creative.

In Benning’s eighth season as the GM, The Canucks currently sit with a 5, 10 and 2 record and have the third-worst record in the Western Conference.

Evacuations continue in Sumas Prairie due to flooding

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The water continues to rise in the flooded valley surrounding Abbotsford and Mission.

Abbotsford Mayor Henry Braun is calling for all Abbotsford residents to leave with massive flooding coming to the Sumas prairie.

“If you are still there, please leave,” said Braun on Tuesday evening. “Your life is more important to me than livestock. And that’s not to diminish livestock in any way.”

The city is dealing with some of the worst floodings that the area has ever seen. The mayor is pleading with residents to evacuate their homes immediately.

The mayor says that he believes as of Tuesday night, there are still 300 residents in their homes who need to evacuate from the flooded area. Braun is pleading with residents of the Sumas prairie to leave their homes immediately.