Luisa Giles always feels unsettled when wildfire smoke starts drifting into the Fraser Valley. She knows that the sun will be turning red, the blue sky will turn grey and soon she’ll be spending a lot more time indoors.  “When I’m stuck inside my motivation for anything, especially physical activity plummets,” Luisa says. “And during…

A partnership between the University of the Fraser Valley and FortisBC will showcase cutting-edge gas absorption heat pump (GAHP) technology at UFV Chilliwack’s Trades and Technology Centre (TTC).  Made possible by a significant contribution from FortisBC, seven GAHPs have been installed at the TTC. They are estimated to save 860 gigajoules of natural gas, and…

Nearly 1,000 members of the Fraser Valley community visited the Abbotsford campus on Saturday, Oct 26 for the third annual UFV Open House. Greeted cheerfully by 250 dedicated UFV students, employees, and alumni, they arrived at the Student Union Building (SUB) before branching out to imagine what their futures might look like at UFV.  The…

Students from UFV’s School of Health Studies and School of Kinesiology are inviting the community to visit UFV’s Chilliwack campus for the UFV Health Sciences Fall Health Fair.  The campus will be buzzing Nov. 4, from 9 am to 3 pm, with UFV Health Sciences students interacting with fellow students, UFV staff and faculty, and…

“You’ve got to have some skin in the game,” said Jasmit Singh Phulka’s high school wrestling coach. It wasn’t enough to just show up for practice. Being part of a team meant being part of a community -- taking care of your space, taking care of each other, and investing in the things that you…

Hometown hero Nick Taylor took a trip to Paris this month; the University of the Fraser Valley (UFV) honorary degree recipient represented Team Canada at the 2024 Olympics.   Nick won the RBC Canadian Open in 2023, slingshotting himself all the way to the Olympic golf team. The 36-year-old Abbotsford local was the first Canadian to…

When UFV departments want to buy or move goods, they turn to Jason Cherkas and the Supply Chain team. His exceptional work as Director has been recognized with an Award of Distinction for Supply Chain Innovation, granted at the National Institution of Supply Chain Leaders conference last month. Cherkas has worked in the procurement sector…

An exciting partnership between BMO and the University of the Fraser Valley’s Peace and Reconciliation Centre (PARC) is set to benefit the Collaboratorium — providing UFV students with research training and practical experience in a way that benefits the communities around them. At a celebration on Tuesday, June 25, on the UFV Chilliwack campus, BMO…

UFV’s CIVL Radio station 101.7 celebrates local talent this summer by collecting submissions for its ninth annual Fraser Valley Music Awards. Any musicians, bands, or singer/songwriters who live or work in the area are eligible to apply with three original recordings. Winners will be selected in multiple categories for part of a $10,170 cash prize.…

Abbotsford community members converged at UFV’s Evered Hall on May 23 for the inaugural Mayor’s Luncheon with Mayor Ross Siemens. He shared anecdotes from his education and professional experience and illuminated his upcoming plans and priorities for Abbotsford, before sitting down for a question-and-answer period hosted by UFV president Joanne MacLean. See photos of the…

Ground has officially broken on a new 398-bed Student Housing building on UFV’s Abbotsford Campus. UFV President Dr. Joanne MacLean was joined by student leaders, senior administration, and construction and design partners for the Feb 6 event. Slated for completion in summer, 2025, the six-storey building will feature a variety of living arrangements, with accessible…

For too many decades, forces of colonization actively worked to deny young Indigenous people access to their own language. And language is critical to culture.  Reconciliation with Stó:lō people is a significant priority for UFV, and a diverse group of donors have played a role in funding the preservation of Halq’eméylem language, and supporting Indigenization…

Near the top of each on-air interview, Victoria Surtees, the host and creator of the new UFV Ekta podcast series, asks each guest the same two-part question: “What is one time you have felt powerful and one time you have felt powerless?”  For the UFV students on the other end of those questions, it has…

Four weeks before Creativity Lab for Climate Resilience events were set to begin at UFV in May, organizers received an email from the UFV Office of Sustainability. Attached was an Excel spreadsheet with a self-reporting checklist listing more than 50 line items with several different categories to abide by — from Event Materials to Waste…

  Susan Mide Kiss has been named Vice-President, Community Engagement at the University of the Fraser Valley. She replaces VP External, Craig Toews, who retired July 31. Mide Kiss brings a wealth of community and post-secondary experience to UFV. Originally from Maple Ridge, she spent the last 15 years working with the University of Calgary,…