The University of the Fraser Valley celebrated its connection to community on September 14 with a special event at Abbotsford’s EcoFarm that welcomed more than 250 friends and partners of the university. Showcasing community-engaged UFV initiatives and partnerships, St’elt’elawtexw: a Celebration of Community also launched UFV’s immersive St’elt’elawtexw: UFV Community Report, highlighting many projects and…

November 14, 2022, marks the one-year anniversary of the start of the extraordinary two-day rainstorm that pushed the Nooksack River through its banks and caused flooding across the Fraser Valley. Over 3,300 people were evacuated from their homes during the disaster. Farms, businesses, and infrastructure were heavily damaged or destroyed completely.    In the immediate…

  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,…

Receiving and using an employee card is generally a standard, non-glamorous formality for new hires in any company or organization. The card’s functions are transactional, typically used to access buildings, take out library books, and perform other routine tasks. But for many, an employee card can also represent a sense of identity, belonging, and a…

Convocation was back with a bang at the University of the Fraser Valley on June 14 and 15 as graduates celebrated their achievements with their families, friends, and faculty in four ceremonies at the Abbotsford Centre. A total of 2,617 students graduated this year, with 1,168 of them attending Convocation ceremonies and crossing the stage.…

A lifetime of forward-thinking leadership and commitment to improving the lives of those around him has led Mark Goudsblom to receive UFV’s 2022 Inspirational Leadership Award. Now Associate Vice President, Campus Planning and Facilities Management, Goudsblom was originally a nurse by profession, coming to Canada from his native Holland on a honeymoon with wife Mirjam.…

Free meals for families whose homes were damaged. Mental health and financial support to local farmers and businesses. Technical support for those affected and who are seeking critical information on shelter and resources. These are just a few of the ways the more than $3.7 million received by the Abbotsford Disaster Relief Fund is helping…

The Community Health and Social Innovation (CHASI) Hub at the University of the Fraser Valley (UFV) has received $225,000 over three years from the TD Bank Group to use artificial intelligence and social companion robots to reduce social isolation and loneliness in youth and older adults during the pandemic. The TD Ready Commitment funding will…

There is a correlation between a city with a strong not-for-profit culture and a thriving community with a robust economy, according to a new study released by the Abbotsford Chamber of Commerce (ACOC) and the University of the Fraser Valley (UFV). The economic and social impact of 278 Abbotsford not-for-profit organizations is highlighted in The…

A fund created by a trio of local organizations to help Fraser Valley flood victims has received $1.5 million in donations in its first 17 days and is now distributing funds to on-the-ground relief agencies. The Abbotsford Disaster Relief Fund (ADRF) was established on Nov. 17 by Abbotsford Community Foundation (ACF), the Abbotsford Chamber of…

On Sunday night, Mike Teigen and his family were inside their Honda Pilot just outside of Hope, BC, staring ahead at a highway submerged in water, when they realized they were out of options. They couldn’t go west on Highway 7 towards their home in Mission, as they had tried to 90 minutes earlier, because…

ABBOTSFORD, BC — In response to the devastating damage caused by the mass flooding and mudslides in the Fraser Valley over the last week, the Abbotsford Community Foundation (ACF), the Abbotsford Chamber of Commerce (ACOC) and the University of the Fraser Valley (UFV) have jointly established the Abbotsford Disaster Relief Fund. With homes, businesses, and infrastructure…

Joan Goosen believes that everyone deserves the chance to live a life of dignity. And she knows that when a woman wants to leave a life on the streets and/or as a sex-trade worker, it can be very difficult. So she helped found an organization, PEARL (which stands for prostituted women exiting and renewing life),…

We’ve all heard of COVID hair. A certain segment of the population saw the pandemic as an opportunity to unleash their 1980s hair-band or 1970s prog-rock look as people worked from home and were reluctant to venture out to the hairdresser or barber shop. Now as people gradually return to the office, some come with…

  Mallory Manley and Glen Schwarzfeld of Chilliwack have lived through every parent’s worst nightmare. Just over a year ago, they lost their son, Weston, in an accident while he was on a day-camp outing. Weston had recently completed kindergarten and was excited about his upcoming sixth birthday. There was a groundswell of community support…