Friday, December 10, 2010 Mounties sell cookbooks to raise money for local youth diversion programs.
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Municipal affairs
New park almost in District’s hands
Fourth reading of controversial land deal is set for Tuesday’s council meeting. by Maria Rantanen
mrantanen@mrtimes.com
This story first appeared as breaking news at www.mrtimes.com
Teija Beck/TIMES
Christy Clark spoke to a group of about 50 supporters at the Pitt Meadows Family Recreation Centre on Wednesday night.
Provincial politics
Pitt stop for premier hopeful Before a small crowd of supporters, Christy Clark shared her views on recall and referendum. by Teija Beck
editorial@mrtimes.com
One of Christy Clark’s first stops on her quest to become leader of the BC Liberals came the night of her announcement when she made a surprise visit to Pitt Meadows. “Let our MLAs vote down the HST ... Get it over with, and get on with life in British Columbia,” Clark told a group of about 50 supporters in Pitt Meadows Wednesday evening. Just hours after announcing she would seek leadership of the BC Liberal party, Clark spoke to a receptive audience at the Pitt Meadows Family Recreation Centre about her
“family first” platform and her plans for the much-maligned HST. Pitt Meadows is part of what’s considered a potential swing riding. Presently, NDP MLA Michael Sather represents Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows. Clark, who previously served as a MLA for nine years – including time as education minister and deputy premier – said holding a referendum on the HST is unnecessary since 75 per cent of B.C. is opposed to the tax and is determined to kill it in the vote. “I think we need to start thinking about a plan B,” she said. “Because it’s 30 million bucks for a referendum. How many ice rinks does that build? How many heart operations does that do? How many special needs teachers does that pay for?” Unlike other Liberal candidates who have promoted moving up the referendum date, Clark proposed having only MLAs vote on the issue, and soon.
She does not believe the MLAs will vote to keep the HST against the wishes of their constituents, thus settling the matter without the high price tag of a referendum. Clark said she intends to put families first if she is elected as leader, and wishes to promote dialogue between the government and the people of B.C. “For me, that’s a vision to support families, and that’s a vision to support rural economies, and that’s a vision to support communities,” Clark said. She said she spoke in Pitt Meadows at the urging of her close friend Sandy Wakeling, who signed up more than 1,000 people to a Facebook page supporting Clark’s bid for Liberal leader. “I have a lot of supporters here, and chief among them are the Wakelings,” Clark said. “I wanted to come here and see them and see some of the people they’d encouraged to sign up for the page.”
Final reading of the Jackson Farm agreement is scheduled for Maple Ridge council’s Tuesday night meeting. If approved on Tuesday, the parkland will come into District ownership. There was “no shortage of passion” in the community over Jackson Farm, said Maple Ridge Mayor Ernie Daykin, but he said this was a good decision in the end. “I’m sure that people will look back in 20 or 30 years and judge us kindly,” Daykin said. With the new park, the area will now have two good parks, Albion and Jackson Farm, he added. He said some “exciting planning” could take place if the park comes into District ownership. Jackson Farm was the centre of heated debate for several years as the owners wanted to develop the land. The owners agreed to dedicate Jackson Farm to the district for a park if they got approval for a 113-lot subdivision on the 8.9-hectare Upper Jackson Farm, which is in the Thornhill urban reserve. Council gave the land exchange third reading in September 2009 after a divisive public hearing, which was so packed participants spilled out into the hallway of council chambers. On March 26, Metro Vancouver voted 66 to 49 in favour of allowing urban development in the Thornhill urban reserve on Upper Jackson Farm in exchange for the District getting Jackson Farm for a park. The development goes against Maple Ridge’s Offic ial Community Plan, as development isn’t supposed to happen in Thornhill until its population reaches 100,000, an area plan is completed, and other triggers are in place. If the development had been further into Thornhill, Daykin said he would not have supported it. The District didn’t have the money to buy Jackson Farm, therefore, getting the park for the District was “worth the effort” that was put into the issue, Daykin said.
Greybrook Academy
Time to settle
Staff and parents from a former Pitt Meadows private school were in court Thursday to settle with the society over lost tuition and severance pay.
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