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Clifford Olson’s lawyer speaks out.
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120 YEARS YOUR COMMUNITY
NEWSPAPER
1891-2011
Y O U R C O M M U N I T Y N E W S PA P E R • F O U N D E D I N 1 8 9 1 • W W W. T H E P R O G R E S S . C O M • T U E S D AY, O C T O B E R 1 1 , 2 0 1 1
Popkum ‘poppin’ with proposals for development Robert Freeman The Progress
Cambodian rep said. “The seasonal use of land resources and livestock raising methods leads to better production,” he noted. “The way agriculture is run here is based more on technology.” The tour was part of a capacity-building mission launched by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities with SIDA funding. Chilliwack was specifically chosen by FCM to be part of Municipal Partners for Local Economic Development (MPED) program. The delegates also got a tour of UFV’s Trades and Tech Centre, RCMP scenario training at PRTC, Tourism Chilliwack, Heritage Park and City Hall. “They’re trying to match up
Commercial development projects are poppin’ up all over in Popkum. Construction is about to get underway in one project north of the traffic roundabout at Highway 9 and Yale Road, while another commercial-residential project south of the roundabout is still in its early stages and must yet go through a public hearing for rezoning. And across the Trans-Canada Highway in nearby Bridal Falls, redevelopment of the former Dinotown theme park is getting renewed interest at the Fraser Valley Regional District. “It’s going to make a real difference to the look of Popkum,” Bill Dickey, the area’s director at the FVRD board, said. A soundwall to reduce traffic noise is also in the works north of the roundabout, and a pedestrian tunnel south of the roundabout is a “desirable” feature mentioned in the official community plan for PopkumBridal Falls. “More and more people in the community are walking,” Dickey said, and the idea is to make pedestrian linkages to allow that to happen, with connections to trails leading to the Cheam Wetlands Regional Park. “All of those developments ... will add to our tax base,” Dickey said. North of the roundabout, The Popkum Country Market and Esso Gas Station is expanding to include a Tim Horton’s drivethru, a liquor store, and an “On The Run” convenience store. Maria Mendes, assistant manager at the Country Market, said construction is expected to start “any day now” with a target opening sometime next spring. “It will be bigger, better, newer,” she said. “I think it’s going to be great, we expect everybody to come visit.” A public hearing was not required because the property at 52855 Yale Rd. is already zoned commercial, but neighbours were notified for their input.
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CIty officials are briefed during a visit last week from a delegation from Cambodia. The tour was part of a capacity-building mission launched by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities. JENNIFER FEINBERG/ PROGRESS
Chilliwack sharing knowledge with Cambodia Jennifer Feinberg The Progress Chilliwack has been sharing its economic and agricultural expertise with struggling communities in Cambodia. A Cambodian delegation arrived in Chilliwack last week, and spent four days touring success stories on the economic development front. CEPCO president John Jansen, the lead Chilliwack rep, travelled to Cambodia twice so far, and officially hosted the visiting delegates last week with City of Chilliwack. “What we wanted to demonstrate on the tour is what is possible in their own communities,” Jansen said. The Cambodian delegation got to explore a state-of-the art
dairy farm, a busy greenhouse, an innovative poultry farm, a large manufacturer and some world-class show gardens. “Farming is one of their big challenges,” Jansen said. Environmental sustainability and gender equality are a couple of other goals, along with updating their agricultural tools. The Cambodian economy is 60 per cent driven by agriculture, but the farming practices haven’t changed in decades. The poverty level is so extreme it’s measured by what people earn and how many calories that can buy. Jansen learned that $2 a day can buy the equivalent of 1500 calories, but 27 per cent of the people can’t even afford that. “Cambodia used to be one of the largest exporters of rice, but now they are net importers. So
there are lots of issues.” Some of the delegates were from the Municipality of Kampom Cham, while others hailed from the Municipality of Takhmao. Ev Bunthol, deputy director general in Cambodia’s Ministry of the Interior, told The Progress he was surprised by several things he saw in Chilliwack. “I was surprised by how well the city is managed, by the living standard of the people, and the good heart of the people,” he said. He expressed appreciation for the support and knowledge extended by the City of Chilliwack to the Cambodian people, through the FCM program. But what was most impressive was learning about Chilliwack’s agricultural practices, the
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