The Chilliwack
Progress Thursday
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Huskers versus Rebels as football season starts
Hope slough is in for a cleaning
Gospel blues is back in Chilliwack
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WTE approval: ‘Their worst nightmare come true’: Les Robert Freeman The Progress Chilliwack MLA John Les lambasted the B.C. environment minister’s decision to approve incineration of garbage by Metro Vancouver, and warned that the people of the Fraser Valley won’t stand for it. “I think the minister’s approval is regrettable and wrong,” Les said in a telephone interview Tuesday. But he added that there are many steps yet between the minister’s approval and the construction of any waste-to-energy incineration sites in the region. “Obviously, people in the Fraser Valley will be MLA John Les fully engaged every step of the way,” he said. “The people of the Fraser Valley will be their (Metro Vancouver’s) worst nightmare come true.” Opposition by Fraser Valley residents - and the B.C. government at the time - was largely behind the defeat of the Sumas II natural gasfired energy plant in Sumas, Washington. The minister’s approval comes with conditions for “consultation” by Metro Vancouver with the Fraser Valley Regional District before any sites are approved. But Les called that “cold comfort” given Metro Vancouver’s past record of consultation with FVRD officials and at public meetings held in the Fraser Valley. “I don’t put a lot of faith in the consultation (by) Metro Vancouver,” he said. “To them, consultation is holding a meeting, and then doing what they want anyway.” Chilliwack-Hope MLA Barry Penner, a former environment minister and currently Attorney-General, was less critical of his fellow cabinet minister’s decision. “I’ve spoken to (Terry) Lake many times and I’ve always repeated the message that I don’t want to see our air quality negatively impacted in the Fraser Valley,” Penner said in a voicemail to The Progress. Continued: METRO/ p5
Erik Stephany, 16, is a local magician who busks at Salish Park nearly every morning, depending on the weather. JENNA HAUCK/ PROGRESS
Buskers to draw downtown crowds Jennifer Feinberg The Progress Busker Erik Stephany could hardly wait to bring his magic act to the streets of downtown Chilliwack. Dressed in a lab coat, oversized sun glasses and a bike helmet, he was doing his thing yesterday as Dr. Magicals, a “magically entertaining” character he created. “Has anyone seen my invisible dog?” he mugged for the wide-eyed crowd of kids gathered at Salish Park. Several were mesmerized by his schtick, and dropped coins into the black hat at the end of the show. The 16-year-old performer is one of only three acts that applied this spring to be part
of the city’s brand-new 2011 street entertainment program. The pilot program for buskers was approved by Chilliwack council in April and runs until October. Street performers pay $40 for a seasonal permit that allows them to perform in four-hour shifts at one of the three locations: Salish Park, Central Community Park and under the Clock Tower at Five Corners. Stephany is trying to earn enough money through busking this summer to take him to the Canada’s Got Talent auditions in Vancouver on Sept. 19-20. “It’s been really fun so far,” he explained. He heads out to Salish Park
most mornings for 10 a.m. and then hits Central Community Park in the afternoon. “It gives me a chance to perfect my routines, and watch people’s reactions,” said Stephany. Rather than sitting around and waiting to be booked for birthday parties, he figured he could get a busking permit, go out and greet his audiences on the streets. He’s been plucking items out of midair with some sleight of hand ever since. But getting enough foot traffic is the key to really making it. “In big cities, it’s the tourists you want to attract since it means a fresh crowd every time. But in Chilliwack we hardly have any tourists, and
they’re not found in just one location.” So how are his audience driven revenues going? “It’s going pretty well. I’m not making as much as I originally thought I would. But when people see my show, they often throw a handful of change or a bill in.” It’s been like a good testing ground for the teenage performer. “I’ve seen how some magicians make their living in places like Montreal, Vancouver and Ottawa, by performing in the street,” he said. “There were some amazing performers doing it. “I decided I wanted to get out there myself and perform for the community of Chilliwack.”
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