The Chilliwack
Progress Tuesday
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Chilliwack on ‘high alert’ to catch tire slasher
■ C RAZY F OR Q UILTS
Robert Freeman The Progress Chilliwack city officials announced plans Friday to counter the recent rash of tire slashing incidents that appear to be targeting U.S. anglers. The plans include beefing up patrols by Citizen On Patrol volunteers in the affected areas, and a $3,000 reward put up by Chilliwack businesses and the Fraser Salmon Society for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible for the vandalism. “We feel terrible that these visitors had their property and stays in our city ruined by one thoughtless individual,” Mayor Sharon Gaetz said in a statement announcing the plans. “Our entire community is on high alert and watch for suspicious behaviour,” she said. City and tourism officials met with police, the salmon society, area businesses and provincial and regional government agents Friday following the incidents which garnered headlines across Canada and drew angry threats by U.S. anglers never to return to Chilliwack. “I belong to a fly fishing club in the Everett, Washington area, and I’m spreading the word to all the other members who fish the Harrison about this incident,” said one angler whose tires were slashed in the Kilby Park boat launch. And it wasn’t the first time this angler had encountered anti-American sentiment. Continued: TIRE/ p13
People have a look at some of the many pieces on display during the Chilliwack Quilters’ Guild Quilt Show at the Chilliwack Alliance Church on Saturday afternoon. JENNA HAUCK/ PROGRESS
Candidates make their mark at first election meeting Jennifer Feinberg The Progress Pressing issues facing Chilliwack were front and centre at Friday’s all-candidates’ meeting at the Coast Chilliwack. Sixteen of 20 council candidates jockeyed for position at the head table, presenting ideas on job creation, downtown revitalization or balancing growth. They were asked about marijuana grow-op proliferation, and weighed in on protecting the Agricultural Land Reserve. A job creation question kicked off the meeting, and Mitchell Nosko suggested setting up “mentoring programs” for small business operators to help create jobs, while Rob Stelmaschuk’s idea was attracting the movie and film industry to town.
Candidate Jason Lum said keeping tax rates “fair and equitable” was key to job creation, since maintaining a low business tax multiplier would in turn attract “job creators.” Brenda Currie, whose election tagline is “Brenda Means Business” said “we need to keep promoting business” and encouraging businesses to come to Chilliwack. When candidates were asked how they’d balance Chilliwack’s growth, while staying true to its grass-roots nature, two incumbent councillors reinforced the importance of agriculture to the city’s economy. Sue Attrill said that because agriculture accounts for almost 70 per cent of the activity, it creates a “challenge” for council, in terms of land-use, hillside development, density and infilling. Stewart McLean said that with
65 per cent of the land base zoned agricultural, there’s only about 35 per cent available for any future growth. “We have to continue to look a vision for growth that’s both sustainable and appropriate.” On the topic of how to manage growth, Lum said: “Become engaged. That’s how,” and advised citizens to take part in upcoming discussions about the official community plan. Ken Huttema offered the Webster Block development as “a good example” of Chilliwack planning for balanced growth, with its mixed use plan and variety of housing, since each community in the region has to plan for managing its share of regional growth. Gerry Goosen recommended a population cap of 200,000 on Chilliwack to control growth.
Visions for Chilliwack’s downtown core included an idea by Stelmaschuk to create a covered shopping area near Five Corners, similar to the one in Las Vegas. “Why not create a conversation piece?” he said. “Everything else has failed.” Gord Kornelsen said the downtown area to date has been the “squeaky wheel,” in need of grease, but funding for improvements should not be paid out of the city coffers. “You want to revitalize the downtown? Stop developing everywhere else,” was Mike Britton’s take on the issue. Garth Glassel wants to see lower tax rates which in turn would create more “police resources to clean up the vagrants” in the downtown. “We’ve been throwing money at this every year but it’s not doing
anything,” Glassel said. “Small businesses need a break.” Lum said he’s anxiously awaiting recommendations to be made public from a new report by the city’s Downtown Task Force, of which he was a member. “I think we have to look at land use decisions through the lens of how it will affect the downtown,” Lum said, adding that a lot of the problems in the core were “systemic.” “Want to help the downtown?” he asked. “Go shop there.” Phill Bruce’s take on the problem was that people were not going downtown because they’re “scared,” adding the recent police sweep of sex trade workers and johns showed that addictions and crime were part of the “cold, hard facts” of the downtown core. Continued: CIVIC/ p31
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