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Berry production plant brings jobs to Chilliwack fruit,” he said, explaining the process behind ‘individually quick frozen’ berries. A well-established berry pro“We take them from the field, cessing business is expanding its wash and inspect them and then operations into Chilliwack. flash freeze them,” he said. “They Prep work has already begun get laser sorted and metal detectat the Kerr Avenue ed and packaged Food Processing destined for market Site, where Berryhill in Asia, the United Foods will build a States and Canada.” S 35,000 square foot Chilliwack and We’re excited facility. Construction Abbotsford are in is expected to begin the heart of the largto get going in October, with the est blueberry growout there first phase of the ing region in North project completed by America, he said. next June, said gen~ Tom Phillips, “It’s the weather eral manager Tom conditions here, Berryhill Foods the mild climate,” Phillips. “The first year it’s Phillips explained. a bit of a task to get “It really works well this all put together,” for growing blueberhe said. ries.” The first stage will But the quality be a cold storage facility, where of the berries is just one reason Berryhill will be able to store five the Fraser Valley blueberry busimillion pounds of blueberries. The ness. The berry growers here have second phase will be to complete played a big part in promoting the a processing plant, projected to be industry, said Brian Coombes, completed and operating for the president of Chilliwack Economic 2017 berry season. Partners Corporation. “We’re excited to get going out “They’ve spoken highly about there,” Phillips said. The Chilliwack the quality of growers in Chilliwack site will be in addition to their facil- and its agricultural families that ity at Mt. Lehman in Abbotsford, have made a commitment to the where they run about 20 million blueberry industry,” Coombes pounds of berries. The majority of said. “There’s no question it’s going their crop is blueberries, he said, to have a really positive impact, along with a smaller crop of rasp- and that this is good news for berries. Chilliwack and the Fraser Valley. “Our business is all freezing Continued: BERRYHILL/ p5
Jessica Peters The Progress
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The Children’s Art Festival took place on Saturday at GW Graham, where kids were invited to try out different arts and crafts, watch performances, and even meet Disney princesses. JESSICA PETERS/ PROGRESS
Sardis town hall meeting: From grow ops, to bad drivers The Progress Chilliwack city council faced questions ranging from safety and security, to roadwork and traffic congestion at the second of two urban town hall meetings Thursday. But while those who packed the meeting room at the Sardis
Library had plenty of concerns, council made clear there was only so much a municipal government could do. That frustration was evident as councillors answered questions about a private, not-for-profit corrections facility operating in the Chilliwack River Valley. VisionQuest, which opened in 2013, offers addictions treatment
as part of a prison diversion program. Similar programs have been successful elsewhere, said Mayor Sharon Gaetz, however this one has drawn the ire of neighbours, politicians and local RCMP. “Your council does have a serious concern,” said Gaetz. RCMP inspector Davy Lee agreed. “This is causing us a lot of grief,” he said, citing an estimat-
ed 200 calls each year for police attendance – calls that require the response of at least two RCMP members. Those are resources that could be better spent elsewhere, he said. The problem, said Gaetz, is not with the concept of drug rehabilitation, but with the management of the facility. If the centre were within the City
of Chilliwack, council could pull its business licence. But because it is in the Fraser Valley Regional District, options are more limited. She urged those attending the town hall meeting to contact their MLA and pressure them for changes. Detox and drug treatment programs in Chilliwack remain an Continued: CONCERNS/ p7
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