Eric Welsh

Elizabeth and Kevin Sawatzky on their wedding day. They were happy and looking forward to a long life together, but a drug overdose took all of that away. (submitted photo)

Chilliwack drug overdose victim leaves grieving family behind

Elizabeth Sawatzky dreamed of a long life with husband Kevin until toxic drugs took him away

Elizabeth and Kevin Sawatzky on their wedding day. They were happy and looking forward to a long life together, but a drug overdose took all of that away. (submitted photo)
Joanne Pederson as she looked when she disappeared in 1983 (left) and how police suggested she might have looked as a 45-year-old woman in 2018 (right).

40 years later, RCMP say the search continues for missing Chilliwack girl

Joanne Pederson disappeared from the Sardis area in February of 1983 and would be 50 years old today

Joanne Pederson as she looked when she disappeared in 1983 (left) and how police suggested she might have looked as a 45-year-old woman in 2018 (right).
The Chilliwack Coliseum was built to house a Western Hockey League team, and the Chilliwack Bruins called it home from 2006 to 2011. But for now, the prospect of a WHL return is unlikely.

WHL’s Winnipeg Ice unlikely to find a new home in Chilliwack

Chilliwack Chiefs ownership say they’re committed to the BCHL and junior A hockey

The Chilliwack Coliseum was built to house a Western Hockey League team, and the Chilliwack Bruins called it home from 2006 to 2011. But for now, the prospect of a WHL return is unlikely.
Tony Gore with children Naomi (left) and Wyatt (right). Tony and his sister, Jill Hall, started sounding the alarm about radon after he found alarming levels of the radioactive gas in Naomi’s second-floor bedroom. Naomi is seen here holding a home radon test. (submitted photo)

Chilliwack brother and sister wage war against radon

Jill Hall’s push for radon awareness has found allies with the City of Chilliwack and FVRD

Tony Gore with children Naomi (left) and Wyatt (right). Tony and his sister, Jill Hall, started sounding the alarm about radon after he found alarming levels of the radioactive gas in Naomi’s second-floor bedroom. Naomi is seen here holding a home radon test. (submitted photo)
A Chilliwack doctor has been disciplined by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of B.C. (Stock photo by Marcelo Leal on Unsplash)

Fraser Valley doctor suspended after sending inappropriate messages to patient

The College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia handed Dr. Rafet Jhameel a 3 month ban

A Chilliwack doctor has been disciplined by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of B.C. (Stock photo by Marcelo Leal on Unsplash)
Kimberly Polman left Canada in 2014 to join Islamic State. Eight years later she’s being repatriated, and she’ll be living in Chilliwack. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo, File)

Former Islamic State member released on bail to live in Chilliwack

Kimberly Polman will live with her sister and she will have to adhere to 25 conditions

Kimberly Polman left Canada in 2014 to join Islamic State. Eight years later she’s being repatriated, and she’ll be living in Chilliwack. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo, File)
Still from a 2014 video by science educator Carin Bondar who is running in the 2022 Chilliwack school board election. In the video, Bondar talks about evolution through a parody video of Miley Cyrus’s song, Wrecking Ball. (YouTube)

Chilliwack school board hopeful suing fellow candidate for calling her ‘a striptease artist’

Carin Bondar says the comment made during a Zoom meeting amounts to defamation

Still from a 2014 video by science educator Carin Bondar who is running in the 2022 Chilliwack school board election. In the video, Bondar talks about evolution through a parody video of Miley Cyrus’s song, Wrecking Ball. (YouTube)
Pamela Garrity, 77, has been confined to a wheelchair since falling out of bed in late September, and relies on a Sarastand (right) to get in and out of bed, get on and off the toilet and do other things. (Eric J. Welsh/ The Progress)

Chilliwack senior felt ‘absolute despair’ after Fraser Health no-show

Confined to wheelchair, woman was twice left sitting in incontinence underwear for 20-plus hours

Pamela Garrity, 77, has been confined to a wheelchair since falling out of bed in late September, and relies on a Sarastand (right) to get in and out of bed, get on and off the toilet and do other things. (Eric J. Welsh/ The Progress)
Lt. Clinton Morgen, played by actor Patrick Stack, leads an ill-fated pursuit of Rambo during the film Rambo: First Blood. Stack is coming to Hope to take part in Rambo 40th anniversary celebrations. (YouTube screenshot)

Patrick Stack brought humour to heavy Rambo film as Lt. Clinton Morgen

Hope celebrates the 40th anniversary of Rambo: First Blood over the Canadian Thanksgiving weekend

Lt. Clinton Morgen, played by actor Patrick Stack, leads an ill-fated pursuit of Rambo during the film Rambo: First Blood. Stack is coming to Hope to take part in Rambo 40th anniversary celebrations. (YouTube screenshot)
BCHL

BCHL says Hockey Canada is biased towards major junior

A 35-page paper suggests Hockey Canada needs to recognize junior A as a legit development path

BCHL
A Chilliwack psychiatric nurse has accepted a 12-month suspension after engaging in an intimate relationship with a former client.

Chilliwack psychiatric nurse suspended after violating professional boundaries

Ashley Grittner engaged in an intimate relationship with a vulnerable former client

A Chilliwack psychiatric nurse has accepted a 12-month suspension after engaging in an intimate relationship with a former client.
The view from a woman's car after she was forced to stop on Bailey Road while driving home early Saturday morning (Sept. 17). A man had placed large orange pylons in the middle of the road, and was later arrested by RCMP. (Facebook Messenger screenshot)

Chilliwack women frightened by unexpected road block

Driving home just after midnight, they came across a man placing pylons in the middle of Bailey Road

The view from a woman's car after she was forced to stop on Bailey Road while driving home early Saturday morning (Sept. 17). A man had placed large orange pylons in the middle of the road, and was later arrested by RCMP. (Facebook Messenger screenshot)
A Cultus Lake Fire Department engine tries to thread the needle through traffic and parked cars on a busy day last weekend. (Cultus Lake FD screenshot)

VIDEO: Illegal parking at Cultus Lake causes problems for first responders

Cultus Lake Fire Department has to creep through traffic on Columbia Valley Highway

A Cultus Lake Fire Department engine tries to thread the needle through traffic and parked cars on a busy day last weekend. (Cultus Lake FD screenshot)
Crews work at the Othello Bridge on the Coquihalla on Wednesday, Dec. 1, 2021. (B.C. Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure)

Permanent repairs coming for Othello stretch of Coquihalla Highway

Work is expected to begin in early August and be completed sometime in the fall

Crews work at the Othello Bridge on the Coquihalla on Wednesday, Dec. 1, 2021. (B.C. Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure)
Classroom chairs. (Photo: Pixabay)

Chilliwack teacher suspended after ‘crossing personal boundaries‘ with students

Sheldon Lyle Nickel admitted to inappropriate conduct, including sending personal text messages

Classroom chairs. (Photo: Pixabay)
Eric John Shestalo, 50, has been identified as the alleged shooter in the July 21, 2022, attack in Chilliwack, B.C. (IHIT photo)

Man ‘armed and dangerous’ at large after shooting that left 2 dead, 1 injured in Chilliwack

Police believe Eric John Shestalo was the alleged shooter and knew the victims

Eric John Shestalo, 50, has been identified as the alleged shooter in the July 21, 2022, attack in Chilliwack, B.C. (IHIT photo)
Colleen Frank loves cats. She holds a pillow with the image of her former cat Stanley while current cat Ozzie investigates a moving box. After 20 years in her apartment building, Frank is being evicted and may have to be out on July 29. (Eric J. Welsh/ Chilliwack Progress)

Chilliwack senior fears homelessness as she faces rental crisis head on

Colleen Frank is being forced out of the apartment building she’s lived in for 20 years

Colleen Frank loves cats. She holds a pillow with the image of her former cat Stanley while current cat Ozzie investigates a moving box. After 20 years in her apartment building, Frank is being evicted and may have to be out on July 29. (Eric J. Welsh/ Chilliwack Progress)
B.C. Health Minister Adrian Dix speaking at the May 13, 2022 opening of the new Primary Care Centre in Chilliwack. (Jenna Hauck/ Chilliwack Progress)

Brand new B.C. primary care centre can’t find doctors to staff it

The clinic opened in May, but the province and Fraser Health can’t find people to work there

B.C. Health Minister Adrian Dix speaking at the May 13, 2022 opening of the new Primary Care Centre in Chilliwack. (Jenna Hauck/ Chilliwack Progress)
Eight rare-breed Alapaha puppies were stolen from the Kamloops home of a dog breeder shortly after her unexpected death, and her Chilliwack-based sister has vowed to not give up until the dogs are returned. (submitted photo)

B.C. woman pleads for return of puppies stolen from deceased sister

“This is the last thing that we have of my sister’s that she put her heart and soul into.”

Eight rare-breed Alapaha puppies were stolen from the Kamloops home of a dog breeder shortly after her unexpected death, and her Chilliwack-based sister has vowed to not give up until the dogs are returned. (submitted photo)
Geoff Edwards lost his Facebook account to a hacker, and has found it impossible to get it back.

Chilliwack man loses years of contacts after Facebook hack

Geoff Edwards had his account suspended and cannot find a way to get it back

Geoff Edwards lost his Facebook account to a hacker, and has found it impossible to get it back.