In Derby Reach Regional Park on Thursday, dozens of children of H.D. Stafford Middle School were enjoying a lazy day in near-perfect early summer weather.
In warm weather and under blue skies dotted with fluffy clouds, students and parents enjoyed games and picnics on the grass.
Closer to the Fraser River, other people gathered around picnic tables not yet submerged in the surging river that was steadily rising from melting snow and plenty of spring rainfall.
The Edgewater camping grounds were out of bounds, some of them under inches of water. Only pedestrians were allowed to walk on the path.
Closer to Fort Langley, the Fort to Fort trail was cordoned off, but some people were ignoring the warnings, a Township official noted.
The trail immediately east of the Bedford House restaurant was also closed off as the Bedford Channel waters inched further and further inland.
At the site of the former Fort Langley-Albion Ferry, a security guard was preventing the curious from venturing down the boat ramp.
"It's for their own safety," said the guard, who would only allow boat owners access.
On June 20, the rising level of the Fraser River prompted the Township to put approximately 150 Glen Valley households on evacuation alert.
An evacuation alert was jointly issued by the Township and the City of Abbotsford Wednesday to those living in the flood plain area of Glen Valley, which is not protected by dykes.
Residents in areas of Northwest Langley, Brae Island, and McMillan Island that are not protected by dikes were also put on alert.
The alert was issued so that people in at-risk areas have time to make preparations, should conditions change and they need to leave their homes on short notice, said Roeland Zwaag, who heads the public works department.
Metro Vancouver recommended that residents on evacuation notice be prepared to move quickly if the alert becomes an order. The district urges residents to gather these essential items and have them ready for a quick departure from their homes:
* medications
* eyeglasses
* valuable papers
* immediate care needs
* valuable keepsakes such as photos.