INSIDE: Old-timey arrival for UFV’s high-tech agricultural school Pg. 3
T H U R S D A Y
June 20, 2013
Festival celebrates 35th 29 Harrison N E W S , S P O R T S , W E A T H E R & E N T E R T A I N M E N T chilliwacktimes.com
Falls Resort financier accused of fraud BY TYLER OLSEN tolsen@chilliwacktimes.com
A
major financier of the The Falls Resort fraudulently used investors’ money to buy himself a home and his wife a $24,000 diamond ring, the BC Securities Commission alleges. The commission has issued a notice of hearing against Rodney Jack Wharram, who presided over three different companies that raised money to help finance the resort’s development. As president of Deercrest Construction Fund Inc., Wharram raised nearly $4 million to build townhomes and a clubhouse at the See THE FALLS, Page 18
City targets vacant lots
Want owners to clean up empty buildings and core properties BY PAUL J. HENDERSON phenderson@chilliwacktimes.com
C
ity hall has taken two steps towards developing unsightly, underutilized and vacant buildings and lots, particularly in the downtown core. City council directed staff to research and develop bylaws to crack down on the owners of vacant buildings who let their properties become overgrown, damaged and covered with graffiti. Elected officials were also present-
Paul J. Henderson/TIMES
The vacant and derelict old courthouse building is an example of one of the downtown’s eyesores the city would like cleaned up. ed with a brownfield redevelopment document to be distributed at city hall to developers.
“Aside from vacant buildings being an eyesore, they also represent significant health and safety
See VACANT, Page 4
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concerns to the general public, first responders and other neighbouring buildings,” a staff report presented at Tuesday’s city council meeting stated. “Vacant buildings often draw on [the] city’s resources including fire, police, paramedics and bylaw enforcement.” Two obvious examples of boarded up, derelict buildings downtown mentioned by Coun. Ken Popove were the old Safeway building on Main Street and the old courthouse at the corner of College and Victoria. “They are the biggest white elephants we got out there,” Popove said. Director of development Lisa Thompson told council the city did not have“enough teeth” through legislation to make unused buildings as aesthetically pleasing as possible.
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