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Y O U R C O M M U N I T Y N E W S PA P E R • F O U N D E D I N 1 8 9 1 • W W W. T H E P R O G R E S S . C O M • F R I D AY, M AY 8 , 2 0 1 5
Aevitas dumps plan to build plant in Chilliwack Jennifer Feinberg The Progress
Continued: AEVITAS/ p5
Chilliwack RCMP escort residents of a notorious drug house on Rotary Street to awaiting police vehicles during a raid on Wednesday. Police say 10 people were taken into custody and four are facing charges after drugs, weapons and other paraphernalia were found. ERIC WELSH/ PROGRESS
Nightmare over for Rotary Street residents? Eric Welsh The Progress Years of frustration and fear may finally be at an end for Rotary Street residents after RCMP raided a problem property Wednesday afternoon. Around 1:30 p.m. officers stormed into the house at 9562 Rotary Street, located just a stone’s throw from Chilliwack secondary school. Over the next two hours they escorted several people outside. A handful were loaded into squad cars and taken into custody. Others were allowed to leave, but not without giving the middle finger to police and
assembled media first. Ten were arrested with six of them released at the scene. The remaining four were set free Thursday morning, with charges pending. Officers remained in the house well into Wednesday evening, collecting evidence, while neighbors peeked out their windows and huddled on front lawns. RCMP said they collected a small quantity of drugs believed to be methamphetamine and MDMA (commonly known as ecstasy or molly) as well as needles, pipes packaging, weigh scales, weapons, and other property were seized.
“We thoroughly investigated vocal neighbor. all reports of illegal activity in Many of the same people the Rotary Street area which RCMP took out of this house resulted in the execution of this once lived right next to her, until search warrant.” said RCMP Cpl. a hash-oil fire burned them out Mike Rail.”We encourage the and forced them to public to continue relocate. Walker’s to report all suspispent countless video-online] hours defending cious incidents to ensure they can be her neighborhood, promptly investi- www.theprogress.com boldly confronting gated.” unwanted visitors. This house and “There are 11 its tenants/visitors have been kids on this street who need to a nightmare for Rotary Street’s be protected,” she said. residents, and four homes withShe installed security cameras in 50 yards of it are for sale. and pointed them at the house, Debbie Walker, who lives counting 160 people coming and across the street and three going in just one day. doors up, has been the most Continued: CHEER/ p10
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Aevitas Inc. has pulled the plug on plans to build a hazardous waste recycling plant by the Fraser River. Aevitas president Byron Day said in a letter sent Wednesday it was “with great disappointment,” that he had to make the decision about the Chilliwack project. “I regret to inform all interested parties that Aevitas Inc. is no longer pursuing the development and building of a state of the art special waste management facility in Chilliwack,” said Day in the statement. The “multiple hurdles” thrown in the way of the project amounted to “a neverending uphill battle,” he said. Mayor Sharon Gaetz held a press conference at City Hall on Thursday morning to “respectfully inform” the community of Chilliwack, and was critical of the way Aevitas communicated, with city officials, and the community. “The company did not call to provide us with any additional information and simply cited ‘multiple hurdles’ as their reason for discontinuing the project,” Gaetz said. “We wanted to ensure that the public was aware of the proponent’s decision. The mayor underlined that despite a “restrictive covenant and multiple levels of protection,” in place, there were still many who could not be convinced the facility would be safe. “It was unfortunate that Aevitas did not take the time in the beginning to speak to those concerns. We have been disappointed in the proponent’s lack of engagement with not only the City, but also, and more importantly, with our citizens.” “Despite all that, we still believe such a recycling facility is needed in the Lower Mainland,” she added. “I hope Aevitas has learned a valuable lesson about communication.” The “comprehensive” engagement or consultation efforts with the community