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Sardis Fliers at the Canadian Short Track Speed Skating National Qualifiers.
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Traders Inn property on city’s radar Jennifer Feinberg The Progress
Continued: TRADERS/ p5
Shine Antome (left) and Meagan Mucha tend to some of the hundreds of poinsettia plants a Little Mountain Greenhouse on Wednesday. Every year Little Mountain grows 15,000 on the iconic Christmas plants. They began growing them in July, including seven new varieties like Princettia Pink and Jingle Bells. Most are sold locally and many are part of school fundraisers. However, some are shipped as far away as Alberta. GREG KNILL/ PROGRESS
Incinerator idea flames out for now Jennifer Feinberg The Progress It’s a bit of an early Christmas present for those trying to protect the Fraser Valley air shed. “It looks like Metro Vancouver has abandoned its incinerator project at this point,” said Sharon Gaetz, chair of the Fraser Valley Regional District, and Chilliwack Mayor. “We just got the news at FVRD, and everyone is taking a moment to let the good news sink in.” Metro Vancouver put out a press release Thursday morn-
Boarded up Traders Inn Motel.
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“We just got the news at FVRD, and everyone is taking a moment to let the good news sink in.” ~ FVRD chair Sharon Gaetz ing announcing changes its waste-to-energy plans, pledging to direct $30 million at the existing incinerator in Burnaby, for emission control upgrades, and not move forward with building a new one.
“Due to uncertainty around future waste volumes and continued reduction in residual waste, Metro Vancouver has discontinued its current wasteto-energy (WTE) procurement process,” reads the release
from MetroVancouver.org. A large regional incinerator is still part of Metro’s provincially approved Integrated Solid Waste and Resource Management Plan — but it’s not known if one will ever be built now. “Metro Vancouver remains committed to waste-to-energy as the most sustainable technology solution for deriving benefits from residual waste after all efforts to reduce, reuse and recycle,” said Greg Moore, chair of Metro Vancouver. Continued: INCINERATOR/ p7
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It’s an unsightly property in downtown Chilliwack that’s changed hands several times in recent years. The Traders Inn Motor Hotel is looking a little worse for wear these days, with peeling paint, broken windows and damaged signs. Fencing went up around the 32-unit motel more than a year ago at 45944 Yale Road. A thick file is growing on the dilapidated property, listing a range of health and safety concerns compiled by City of Chilliwack enforcement staff, with complaints from neighbouring business owners. Dave Van Dongen, franchise owner of Mr. Lube, which backs onto the old motor hotel, said “Something definitely has to be done about it.” Ideally it would be completely renovated, or demolished. “It has been a problem in the past, but we’ve had no real issues with it since it was bought and the fence went up,” he said. “Still it would be nice to have it dealt with, and make it productive again.” A water leak last summer did some damage, and the motel is empty, except for a caretaker since police initiated a drug raid and arrests in late 2013. The property, owned by Surrey-based Chilliwack Country Inn Ltd., is considered derelict, unsightly, a nuisance, and