Calling All Early Birds
THURSDAY December 26, 2013 • www.langleytimes.com
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NEWS Millions in Border Tolls?
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BUSINESS Overpass on Track
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SPORTS Behind the Mask
Shelter sought for homeless youth in Langley SOCIAL WORKER SEEK TOWNSHIP ASSISTANCE FUNDING FIVE BEDS DAN FERGUSON Times Reporter
The lack of an emergency shelter for homeless youth in Langley is forcing help agencies to send them to other municipalities, depriving them of support in their own community. “We are losing a lot of youth,” said Alison Cartier, the youth homelessness initiative supervisor at Aldergrove Neighborhood Services. “We have to send them away . . . to where they can access a bed.” Cartier was speaking to an afternoon meeting of Township council on Dec. 9. At that time, she said, there were
five homeless youth from Langley who were living in emergency shelters outside the Township, one as far away as the North Shore. Cartier and community support worker Melody Leskun were making a case for two youth emergency shelters with five beds in the Township, one in Aldergrove and one in the City of Langley. There would be two permanent beds and one “swing bed” in each location that would be available as needed. The Township’s share of the cost of the proposed two-year, $148,000 pilot project would be $2,000 a month. Continued Page 4
Too many participants delay cannon summit RESIDENT WHO CAMPAIGNED FOR SUMMIT EXPRESSES ‘HORROR’ AT DELAY D AN FERGU SO N Ti m e s Re po r t e r
A Langley resident was surprised to learn why a meeting to press the provincial government to get tougher with propane cannons hasn’t happened yet. When John Beaman emailed to ask about the meeting in November, he was told Township staff have been unable to arrange a meeting that would accommodate the schedules of more than 20 people including the provincial agriculture minister, all of Township
council, the full agricultural advisory committee and the entire Langley propane cannon task force. The emailed reply said “schedule conflicts” made it difficult to arrange a time for a “large group of people” this year. One might be possible in the New Year, Beaman was told. “My reaction was horror that staff had taken this literally,” said Beaman. Continued Page 3
A LY S S A O’ D E LL Langley Time s
The recent cold snap didn’t keep local river-lover, Hershey, from enjoying the water at Brae Island Regional Park.
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