INSIDE: Locally shot gang film airs nationwide tonight on CBC Pg. 4 F R I D A Y
March 25, 2011
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A new home for justice Modern courthouse worth upwards of $50 million ROCHELLE BAKER RBaker@abbotsfordtimes.com
T
he City of Abbotsford has made a new justice centre, to replace its aging and inadequate courthouse and police station, one of its top priorities in 2011. Mayor George Peary said Abbotsford is in dire need of a new courthouse, the cost of which is estimated to be least $50 milFirst reported @ abbotsfordtimes.com lion, not including the desired expan“Our court facili- sion of the police headquarters. ties are grossly “Our court facilit i es are grossly inadequate . . .” inadequate by any objective measure. – Mayor George Peary They simply don’t serve our citizens well,” said Peary, adding the new justice centre is an old idea. The city identified the need for a new courthouse as early as 1996. The city and the Abbotsford Police Department (APD) envision a complex that would allow all the players involved in the justice system, such as police, Crown counsel, sheriffs’ services and corrections to work more effectively together within the same building, said Peary. It would also relieve the pressure on the APD, which has badly outgrown its current headquarters. “All these different stakeholders have a role in the administration of justice but work in separate silos,” said Peary. “Co-location would lead to efficiencies and improve communication between the various people involved.” The bug in the ointment is, as always, funding, Peary said. “The issue is what we’d like and what we can afford,” he said, noting council has no appetite to go to a public referendum to ask taxpayers to take on more debt. see JUSTICE, page A7
WEATHER
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E N T E R T A I N M E N T abbotsfordtimes.com
NDP’s Murray: election avoidable
Liberal says Fast is “complacent” CAM TUCKER camtuckertimes@gmail.com
A
s the Conservative’s minority government in Ottawa stands on the brink of collapse, the Abbotsford-Mission Times has been told the federal NDP is not seeking an election. Talk of a federal election began heating up this week, however David Murray, the NDP candidate for the Abbotsford riding for more than a year, told the Times the his party will choose not to bring down the minority Conservatives, despite rejecting the budget that was tabled on Tuesday.
MADELEINE HARDIN
ED FAST
Murray said there is leeway to find a common ground on certain issues, which would – for now – postpone the prospect of an election. “I think they’d rather see Par-
liament work,” said Murray. “I don’t think we want an election at this point but if we have no other alternative, we certainly are ready for it. “At last point that I heard was
that [Jack Layton] even at this late stage would still be willing to listen to some kind of budget increase to what we were looking at.” It was reported Wednesday, however, the NDP would support a motion of non-confidence. The coalition government, led by Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff, needs support of both the NDP and the Bloc Québécois in order to bring about a no confidence vote, which would force Harper to dissolve parliament. The debate on whether to bring down the minority Conservatives is scheduled for today. Madeleine Hardin, who was see ELECTION, page A12
BETTER WEATHER SPRINGING FOR AN OUTDOOR EDUCATION
– JEAN KONDA-WITTE/TIMES
Spring is in the air, especially at the University of the Fraser Valley Abbotsford campus, as some classes were held outside in the sunshine on the green and students came and went on their bikes. It won’t last though, as more rain is predicted for the weekend.
SPRING CLEANING?
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