This last year, I've become far more interested in eating healthy. To that end, I find I frequent a lot more farmer's markets out here in Chilliwack, and spend a bit more time shopping for quality food as opposed to cheap food. The other day I drove out to Mt. Lehman Farm in Abbotsford and bought my first batch of beef directly from the farm. That's a luxury that's not available to most people in Vancouver, and something I think more people should take advantage of. In a supermarket, you rarely know where any food is ... Read more...

There's a new group in town for young professionals (23 - 39ish) who are looking to meet like minding people and socialize. If you're a business owner, entrepreneur, or a wanna be business owner in Chilliwack or Abbotsford, then you should definitely check it out. The website is cayp.wordpress.com, or you can follow along on Facebook. There should hopefully be at least one event a month, and it'll be a great chance to pick the brains of other people who and moving and shaking in Chilliwack or Abbotsford. The first event will probably be sometime in the near ... Read more...

For those of us in British Columbia, a new law is coming into affect on December 31st that will restrict the usage of cellphones in vehicles to only those people who have hands-free gear. The B.C. government is reminding drivers that on New Year's Day it will become illegal to drive in the province while using a hand-held cellphone or other electronic device. Under the changes to the Motor Vehicle Act effective Jan. 1, most drivers will be allowed to use hands-free units with earpieces or speaker-phone functions. But talking, texting or gaming on a hand-held device will no longer ... Read more...

Last night I rented "Food Inc", a pretty startling movie about the sad state of food in the world. One of the main consultants for the movie, Michael Pollon, argues that what we eat today isn't really food -- it looks like food and sort of tastes like food, but it has been manufactured on assembly lines and is a really pale representation of what food used to actually be like. Chickens are raised on farms and are grown so quickly that their legs can't support their weight -- after walking only a few steps most of ... Read more...

Most of the units still are in the process of being leased it looks like, but progress is definitely being made on the new Garrison Village. I've been trying to determine when places will start opening up in there, but so far it's not obvious to me. While some commercial units have signs indicating what will be going in there (so far I'm pretty excited about Waves Coffee opening up, since I spend so much time in coffee shops), most units are still pretty bare inside, which leads me to believe they are targeting a spring opening. There'a sushi ... Read more...

The new overpass (linking Evans road with the Industrial park area) has officially opened. Yesterday mayor Sharon Gaetz was on hand to do the official unveiling. Yours truly came back from yesterday afternoon, and was quite happy taking the new Evans road exit to take me home. The only unfortunate aspect of the new overpass is that it cuts off access from Luckakuck way and Evans road (which was a really popular route before). Because of that, you see a lot of people doing an illegal turn from Luckakuck onto Evans, even though the sign ... Read more...

The other day I suddenly had the urge to make homemade poutine at home. For those of you who aren't familiar with it, poutine is a Quebec-based food invention consisting of french fries smothered in cheese curds and gravy. While many restaurants serve poutine with cheddar or mozzarella cheese, the original uses fresh cheese curds, and it tastes so much better. I tried various establishments throughout Chilliwack, and none of them had what I was looking for. I was told about a smaller cheese shop on Barrow road in Sardis called Heavenly Cheese, so I decided to go ... Read more...

Given my recent troubles with regards to a certain barking dog, I thought I'd do a quick post regarding some of the local noise bylaws. Here are a few quotes from the official Chilliwack noise bylaw page: No person shall make, or cause or allow to be made, in or on a highway or elsewhere in the City, any noise or sound which disturbs or tends to disturb the quiet, peace, rest, enjoyment, comfort or convenience of the public, neighbourhood or persons in the vicinity. No person shall cause, permit or allow the following noises or sounds: ... Read more...

Shhh. Did you hear that? That was the cheering of the die-hard campers down at Cultus Lake, who have been living without campfires for nearly the entire 2009 camping season. The ban has been lifted! The ban has been lifted! With the local forests being a virtual tinderbox this summer, banning open fires from all campgrounds in the province was a prudent move on behalf of BC Parks & BC Forest Service. Necessary or not, putting the kibosh on campfires seriously detracted from the ambiance and tradition of  campfire cooking. Who doesn't cherish the memories of  speared hotdogs on pointy sticks, seared to ... Read more...

Chilliwack is an obscenely beautiful city. Graced with soaring mountains, pastoral fields, crystalline lakes and rivers - the environment around us is the envy of many. The Wack is an attractive playground for people from around the world, and they come here to frolic in our backyard. Tourism Chilliwack's billboards along Highway 1 beckon motorists to come and play in the "great outside" and depict the pristine eco-wonderland that surrounds us. So why is our city so dirty? A quick drive down any of the major roadways in the city is telling. Litter is strewn along the sidewalks and curbs. Plastic bags ... Read more...