INSIDE: Fraser River Heritage Park gets its own defibrillator
Pg. 3
T U E S D A Y
July 16, 2013
12 N E W S , CAR SHOW
SPORTS,
WEATHER
&
Special weekend for Olympians
E N T E R T A I N M E N T abbotsfordtimes.com
Fast stands pat as trade minister
ALL BUFFED UP
Cabinet shuffle does not affect local MP CHRISTINA TOTH CToth@abbotsfordtimes.com
A
“I encourage people to use lawful ways of talking through the issues and coming up with solutions together,” said Santiago. The incident follows ADBA’s public opposition to the ACS proposal to build a low-barrier, supported housing project where men who are homeless or at risk of being homeless can live for up to two years. The ‘housing first’ initiative fills a gap between a shelter bed and permanent homes in the Abbotsford’s range of housing needs, said Santiago.
b b o t s f o rd M P E d Fa s t retained his portfolio as Minister of International Trade and Minister for the Asia-Pacific Gateway when Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced his mid-mandate cabinet shuffle on Monday, “I’m very, very pleased, as we’ve got some unfinished business and I’d like to move ahead on this with our team,” he said Monday. Fast, first elected federally in 2006, has held the international trade post since May 2011. In that role, the for mer Abbotsford city councillor is responsible for the oversight of brokering international bilateral trade deals. These include agreements with the European Union, now underway for four years; deals in the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which involves 12 countries including Canada; trade pacts with India and an economic partnership agreement with Japan this spring. He said a key priority for his ministry and the government is to update its Global Commerce Strategy, a comprehensive trade and investment framework that will help open new markets for Canadian and local entrepreneurs, investors and sectors. “A very local example are B.C. blueberries,” he said.
see PROJECT, page 4
see SHUFFLE, page 4
– JEAN KONDA-WITTE/TIMES
There was plenty of spit and polish used on Saturday, as beauties like this one were on display at the Mill Lake Cruise-In Classic Car Show. There were between 400 and 500 cars from throughout the province and up from the United States. Approximately $20,000 was raised, to be shared between the MSA Museum Society and the Abbotsford Arts Council. Organizers say the positive feedback has them optimistic of the event growing even larger in the future. Elvis impersonator Jeff Bodnar wowed the crowd with his performance. See page 19 for more photos from the event.
Housing project sparks vandalism ROCHELLE BAKER RBaker@abbotsfordtimes.com
T
ina Stewart was dismayed to find a threat scrawled in black marker on the front door of the Abbotsford Downtown Business Association on Thursday morning. “You need to shut up or else,” stated the message. The threat was written on the glass over top of a notice the business association had posted, calling on its members to oppose a proposal by Abbotsford Community Services (ACS) to develop a
Threat to ADBA a sign of rising community tension over homeless housing project
20-unit supported housing project for homeless men not far from the downtown core. “I was a little angry and disturbed,” said Stewart. “It’s obviously somebody opposed to our petition [against the homeless project]. Somebody who doesn’t understand open and transparent communication is a better way of
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dealing with issues.” Stewart said she doesn’t believe anyone with ACS is responsible for the vandalism. “Abbotsford Community Services has nothing to do with this. It’s not their tactics at all,” she said. ACS Executive director Rod Santiago said the graffiti message was unfortunate.
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