The Chilliwack
Progress Thursday
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Chiefs
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Unexpected star leads Chiefs offence.
Singleton recognized for Liberal effort.
A special Steinway piano in CMO concert spotlight.
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B.C. pot reformers get whiff of weed victory in Washington
■ R EMEMBRANCE
Jeff Nagel Black Press
B.C. pot reform advocates are celebrating Washington State’s historic vote Tuesday to legalize and tax marijuana, saying it adds momentum to their campaign for change here. Initiative 502 passed with 55 per cent of voters in favour, making Washington the first U.S. state to legalize possession of up to an ounce of marijuana by adults, along with Colorado, where a similar vote also passed. “Tell everyone I’m elated – it’s the biggest day of our movement ever,” Marc Emery, B.C.’s imprisoned Prince of Pot, tweeted from his U.S. jail cell. His wife Jodie Emery celebrated the win in Seattle – where her husband was indicted for selling pot seeds – with Washington campaigners, including travel guru Rick Steves and the U.S. prosecutor-turned-reformer who put Marc behind bars. But U.S. authorities said their enforcement of national drug laws is unchanged – marijuana remains federally illegal – and it’s unclear how the state can carry out its plan to license marijuana farming and tax its sale in stores without federal consent. Negotiations are expected in a one-year rule-making period before pot there could be legally farmed or sold. Observers here say the political implications are huge for the debate on drug policy reform in B.C., even if Washington’s legalization plan is blocked. Continued: DEBATE/ p4
Kayden Gorden plays Last Post during his school’s Remembrance Day assembly at Chilliwack Middle School on Wednesday morning. This year’s Remembrance Day ceremonies will start around 10:30 a.m. on Sunday at Veteran’s Memorial Park (downtown cenotaph) and Sappers’ Memorial Park (Vedder cenotaph), as well as at 10 a.m. at the new Coqualeetza longhouse at Sto:lo Nation (7201 Vedder Rd.). JENNA HAUCK/ PROGRESS
Chamber backs B.C. tourism change Robert Freeman The Progress
Destination BC, the new tourism corporation announced this week by the Premier Christy Clark was welcomed by Chilliwack’s Chamber of Commerce. “Destination BC will ensure that the marketing of B.C.’s tourism sector will be led by tourism professionals in the private sector, in combination with protected funding from the B.C. Legislature,” said Patti
MacAhonic, executive director of the Chilliwack Chamber. She said the creation of Destination BC was “due to heavy lobbying” by Chambers of Commerce across the province for predictable, legislated funding for a destination marketing organization with leadership by tourism professionals. “The funding model and sector-based leadership of this new Crown corporation flow directly from policy of the BC Chamber of Commerce,” she said. Three years ago, the B.C.
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Liberal government scrapped Tourism BC, citing administrative costs and the coming Olympic Games. But on Monday, Premier Clark reversed that decision, apparently after complaints raised by the tourism industry. Clark said the new organization was designed by tourism operators “who know first-hand how a tourism marketing organization should be structured to help them grow their industry and create jobs. “With Asia’s middle-class rap-
idly expanding and becoming more and more interested in tourism opportunities, this is our time to get out there and start marketing British Columbia,” she said. Destination BC’s structure will provide more responsiveness to the tourism industry and increase accountability to taxpayers, according to a government news release. The Destination BC board will be required to establish a Continued: TOURISM/ p24