Friday in the rain, and the weekend's already on the doorstep

Morning, Vancity. It's Friday, and the weekend's basically here. Expect light rain and 10 degrees this morning, the kind of soft, drizzly day where a proper raincoat and a good umbrella will do more for you than any forecast. The UV is barely there at 1.0, so sunglasses can stay in the bag. Sunset comes at 5:43 PM, so you'll get a decent stretch of daylight to run your errands, but plan on the lights being on by the time you're heading out for dinner.

If you're riding the Expo Line, give yourself a few extra minutes. The centre escalator at Granville Station is out of service starting at 5:35 AM for repairs, so expect to take the stairs or the other exits. The down escalators at Commercial-Broadway (from the platforms to the Compass vending machine level) and at Metrotown (from platform level to the McKay Ave entrance) are also down from 5:25 AM. Next week, keep in mind that the 23 English Bay bus takes a detour on Tuesday, November 10, from start to end of service, running via Abbott, W Pender, Cambie and Pacific Blvd because of filming, so if that's your route, check your stop before you head out.

In the news, the big one for the province is the federal Budget 2026, which pledges $6.5 billion for forestry, though there's no word yet on what B.C. will actually get from that. Closer to home in Surrey, a security guard was stabbed in a parking lot. The suspect has been charged and the victim is in serious condition. Over in White Rock, RCMP are asking anyone with video from the Sunset Drive home invasion to come forward, file 2026-6298. And there's a nice bit of good news from the airport: a great blue heron survived a plane strike and has been released back into the wild.

For lunch or a bite before the evening, the big food news is Pax Romana's new Commercial Drive location, which reopens today behind Loula's. A tapas bar is also back in the alleyway behind Loula's, so if you're on the Drive, you've got a couple of good reasons to wander back there. Out in Richmond, Wabi Izakaya and Sushi Bar is taking over the former Manzo space on Capstan Way. And if you want a coffee with a bit of a story, Strange Fellows has opened Creatures Coffee with a refillable tin program for its premium beans.

This afternoon, the CW Playoffs bring a double-header to Thunderbird Stadium at UBC, with women's soccer bronze and gold and the men's final kicking off at 2:00 PM. Tonight, you have a lot of options. Sammy Virji plays the PNE Forum at 6:30 PM, and the Tallest Man On Earth and Skydiggers both start at 7:00 PM, at the Commodore Ballroom and the Hollywood Theatre respectively. Teddy Swims brings his UGLY Tour to Rogers Arena at 7:00 PM too. Since it's raining, the indoor shows are a pretty easy call tonight. The weekend is shaping up nicely for a good binge-watch on the couch, too, if the rain keeps up.

Enjoy the weekend, Vancity. Bring a jacket, leave a little extra time for the Expo Line, and I'll see you around town.