INSIDE: Special Live Green section recognizes enviro youth Pg. 16-22 T U E S D A Y
April 19, 2011
23 N E W S ,
Valley men nabbed in huge bust
SPORTS,
WEATHER
&
Chasing down rugby dreams
E N T E R T A I N M E N T abbotsfordtimes.com
VAISAKHI WE ARE ALL CANUCKS
Weapons, drugs and cash seized ROCHELLE BAKER RBaker@abbotsfordtimes.com
T
wo Fraser Valley men a l re a d y f a c i n g d r u g charges in Abbotsford were busted in Quesnel after police broke up what they believe is a cocaine-trafficking ring. Officers found ammunition, Tasers and hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash on April 12. Kelly Edward Champagne, 34, of Abbotsford, James Darren Peacock, 36, of Chilliwack and 43-year-old David George Massey, 43, are facing a host of charges. see BUST, page A6
– ROCHELLE BAKER/TIMES
Ryan Wood attended intercultural Vaisakhi celebrations at the Khalsa Diwan Society temple on Friday wearing festive wear of his own in support of the Vancouver Canucks playoff run. For more on the annual Vaisakhi business luncheon, see page A5, and catch our upcoming photo gallery at www.abbotsfordtimes.com.
Another vote as P3 water debate trickles along ROCHELLE BAKER RBaker@abbotsfordtimes.com
Reshaping project that originally included Mission
A
The scope of the project delayed a year and is now – which includes a Stave Lake Read more @ expected to be operating by the pump station and treatment abbotsfordtimes.com summer of 2016. plant and transmission mains If council votes to submit the – is largely the same, except for the scrapping proposal to PPP Canada, it will seek approxiof an expansion of the Maclure Reservoir. mately $66.5 million, 25 per cent of the costs, The move will reduce the project’s cost by in federal funding for the project. $16 million to a total of $284 million, and the The citizen’s group Water Watch Mission reservoir, a regional facility, will be expanded Abbotsford, which supports a public regional when required by the Abbotsford/Mission water system, planned to rally at city hall Water Sewer Commission (AMWSC) at a later yesterday night to oppose the P3 water date, stated a staff report. project proposal. Originally the new plant was also going Lynn Perrin, WWMA spokesperson, said to treat the suboptimal water for Mission Abbotsford was dividing the two communiderived from Cannell Lake. ties with its move to proceed with the new However, now the AMWSC will have to con- proposal, particularly without seeking public sider a separate small water treatment facility, input first. possibly using UV technology, at Cannell Lake “Before the public even had an opporin the future. tunity to think about the consequences of The project’s completion date has been privatizing their water services for 25 years,
bbotsford council faced a public protest and a revised P3 water project proposal during its meeting at city hall last night. Council was expected to vote about whether to submit a revised proposal to Public Private Partnerships Canada (PPP Canada) despite Mission’s recent vote not to support the joint P3 proposal as a means to design, build, finance and operate (DBFO) a $300 million project to create a future water source at Stave Lake. The result of the vote was not available before the Abbotsford-Mission Times press deadline (visit www.abbotsfordtimes.com for the results). Abbotsford has opted to reshape the project as a city initiative rather than a regional proposal that includes Mission.
Today’s
SWARMJAM DEAL “Get in on the Buzz” SEE PAGE 22
Mayor Peary was out there in the media declaring war on any person or organization that believes water is a sacred trust that must not be left in corporate hands,” said Perrin. The revised P3 proposal involves Mission’s Stave Lake water, which the city has stated will then be sold back to Mission at a premium, she noted. With the exception of Moncton, N.B., Abbotsford is virtually the only city considering privatizing water services, said Perrin. “Water is far too vital, precious and scarce to sacrifice any loss of control, accountability or transparency to a private corporation driven by profit,” she said. The final decision about whether Abbotsford and Mission will undertake the P3 project lies in the hands of voters. ◗ A public referendum on the project will occur during the upcoming municipal elections in November.
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