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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 2 2 , 2 0 1 5
Chilliwack says no to $800K but KM still optimistic Jennifer Feinberg The Progress
Continued: PIPELINE/ p5
Megan Tibbles, 9, is donating the money from her lemonade stand sales to Nepal earthquake relief. JENNA HAUCK/ PROGRESS
Helping Nepal, one glass of lemonade at a time Jennifer Feinberg The Progress The dream of one Chilliwack family is that kids everywhere will be setting up lemonade stands to help earthquake victims in Nepal on Friday, May 22. People will hopefully come out in droves to donate on the day they have designated as International Lemonade Stand Day, says organizer Cathy Tibbles. Tibbles, a Chilliwack mom of three, said it all started as a discussion around the dinner table, about the desperate state of earthquake victims in Nepal. “At dinner, my 11-year-old offered $10 from her piggy bank. Not to be outdone, the eldest,
postponing her cell phone purchase, offered $15. “And Megan, my youngest, turned to me and asked for a lemonade stand.” They’d been talking about a letter they’d received from World Vision outlining the urgent need in Nepal. “Megan had been bugging me for a lemonade stand for more than a year.” That was it. She mulled over some charity ideas, and a way to maximize donations through matching them came to her. “To encourage them along, my boyfriend and I have provided sponsorship through our companies to match all donations up to $900.”
The Canadian government will also be matching all donations to registered charities until May 25, Tibbles said. “What this means is your little kiddos’ $10 in earnings will equal $40 in aid,” she wrote on the website. The whole project serves as a valuable teaching tool for them. “Children will learn that they too can make a difference,” said Tibbles. Kids like hers, who go to Central Elementary, are sometimes on the receiving end of charity. “But this makes it clear they can do stuff, too.” When she asked her daughter, without prompting, how much she wanted to offer from the
lemonade proceeds, the answer from nine-year-old Megan was: “All of it!” Tibbles then contacted Mayor Sharon Gaetz to see if May 22 could be declared International Lemonade Stand Day at Chilliwack City Hall. The reply from the mayor was: “City of Chilliwack Council appreciates and supports the effort made in this regard, and offers best wishes in achieving enormous success. “Please let Megan know how very proud I am of her compassion and ingenuity!” Register at https://www.facebook.com/IntlLemonade or call Tibbles at 604-703-8608. jfeinberg@theprogress.com twitter.com/chwkjourno
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The $800,000 offer by Kinder Morgan to offset the inconvenience of pipeline construction in Chilliwack was turned down Tuesday afternoon by city council. But a spokesperson for the energy giant says the company remains hopeful a deal can be reached. All five members of council in attendance voted to defer signing a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Kinder Morgan, after some spirited discussions. The money was to help pay for a $1 million pedestrian bridge project under the Community Benefit Program, but it is now deferred until after National Energy Board makes its decision about twinning the 60-year-old pipeline. Some critics called the cash “a bribe,” while others questioned the timing of the offer, before final routing is approved, and the idea that the Texas energy giant might leverage these approvals for its own gain. “Until a decision has been made, we won’t be entering into a memorandum of understanding,” said Coun. Jason Lum, who introduced the idea to defer the signing. Some councillors worried that deferring the MOU, which had a deadline of May 29, would mean forfeiting the money entirely. Staff said the decision might reduce the amount of the grant, but it was not known by what amount. Mayor Sharon Gaetz said the word “bribe” went too far, and Coun. Sue Attrill agreed it certainly was not a bribe. “Someone used the word bribe,” said Mayor Gaetz. “I think it’s offensive. Council does not accept bribes and never has.”