Abbotsford Times September 24 2013

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INSIDE: Homelessness documentary in the works T U E S D A Y September 24, 2013

 N E W S ,

SPORTS,

WEATHER

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UFV golfers on a roll

E N T E R T A I N M E N T  abbotsfordtimes.com

Halfway house opening downtown

JHSLM to open transition home for former inmates before Christmas CHRISTINA TOTH CToth@abbotsfordtimes.com

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he John Howard Society of the Lower Mainland plans to open a 20-bed facility for inmates on statutory release on West Railway Street in Abbotsford by December, at the site of the former Sunrise Community Centre. The house will not be a correctional centre, but a place where men can transition slowly back into society after release from prison,

said Tim Veresh, the executive director for JHSLM. “This is to fill the gaps,” between prison and integrating back into the community, he said. The society has been talking with the City of Abbotsford and the Abbotsford Police about such a site since it opened Tims Manor, a 10-bed affordable housing facility for men on full parole or statutory release. At the time, JHSLM agreed to provide problem-free housing and

build the trust of the community for five years before expanding its services. The non-profit society conferred with the city and the police before it purchased the West Railway Street site, said Veresh. He noted there is a need for transitional housing in Abbotsford for men leaving prison who have families and jobs in the area. JHSLM is under contract with Correctional Service of Canada to run the community-based residential home at 2411 West Railway, which has been vacant since June 2012, when a Fraser Health housing program for people with concurrent

“We don’t expect open arms [from the community] but when you have the supports in place . . . gradual release is the best way to introduce people back into the community after a period of incarceration.” – JHSLM executive director Tim Veresh

disorders ended. “We intend to reopen the building under a similar purpose; providing support services to persons on

Cannabus kerfuffle

More than 3,000 new jobs in declining market

ROCHELLE BAKER RBaker@abbotsfordtimes.com

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see PETITION, page A4

see HOUSING, page A5

Dairy, poultry farms buck job trend

Pot bus causes bit of a stir downtown

he Sensible BC “cannabus” caused somewhat of a commotion when it arrived in Abbotsford’s downtown historic core on Saturday morning. The silver coach adorned with marijuana leaves parked on Essendene Avenue to draw a crowd so the group could collect signatures to force a referendum to decriminalize marijuana possession. The petition, which would function the same way as the HST referendum campaign, has 90 days to collect signatures from 10 per cent of the voters in every B.C. riding, or 40,000 signatures, starting from Sept. 9. However, the Abbotsford Downtown Business Association called out the police after a local merchant complained the bus was violating parking bylaws and disrupting business.

conditional release, specializing in concurrent disorders,” said Veresh. The society operates two other similar houses in contract with the CSC, one in Surrey since 1984, and one in Vancouver since 1997. “We’re not a new kid on the block,” he said. “The population we have tends to be very stable. We don’t tolerate problems, we encourage responsible behaviour.” Since the West Railway site already meets the P4 zoning definition of Personal Care Use, the facility doesn’t require a public hearing.

CHRISTINA TOTH CToth@abbotsfordtimes.com

D

– JEAN KONDA-WITTE/TIMES

The Sensible BC ‘cannabus’ came to Abbotsford Saturday to sign people up for a marijuana referendum. Abbotsford Police Sgt. Pete Quaglia was called by Abbotsford Downtown Business Association executive director Tina Stewart, centre, who said the bus took up two parking stalls and was a hardship for local business.

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with every large bag of petfood purchased! Contest ends Nov. 24, 2013 ABBOTSFORD 103-34150 South Fraser Way 604.746.1410 MISSION 103-32670 Lougheed Hwy 604.820.2727 • CHILLIWACK 45844 Yale Rd 604.392.5515

airy and poultry farms in the Fraser Valley and the province saw continued job security and even job growth during a period when the rest of the British Columbia agriculture sector lost jobs, according to a new study. A PricewaterhouseCoopers review found that while B.C.’s overall farming sector lost 9,400 jobs between 2007 and 2011, its dairy, poultry and egg producer industries created nearly 3,350 new jobs in the same period. As a result, 45 per cent of B.C. agriculture employees now work on these supply-managed farms, up from 25 per cent in 2007, the study found. see JOBS, page A4

Book Your Bottle Drive Now! Full Refund Paid | Free Pick-up | Immediate Payment Free Bottle Drive Kit Book on line at www.regionalrecycling.ca or call 604.852.9152 750 Riverside Road, B.C. Abbotsford


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Abbotsford Times September 24 2013 by Abbotsford Times - Issuu