Tuesday, February 15, 2011 More and more kids are flocking to Pitt Meadows Museum on Sundays for fun and educational programs.
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Albion Flats
Plan inches forward
Council will seek more public input for development in east Maple Ridge.
there has to be an offset if land is pulled out of the agricultural land reserve, otherwise “we won’t get it.” “We have to ask for something that we can prove out,” Morden said. by Maria Rantanen Morden suggested a potential offset mrantanen@mrtimes.com could be Jackson Farm, which the District of Maple Ridge has just acquired. The Albion Flats plan moved one step The public has indicated they want jobs forward on Monday with council pulling and shopping in Albion, but it has to be together pieces they liked of various condone in a respectful way, Morden added. cept plans. Councillor Craig Speirs said he felt District of Maple Ridge staff will come scenario two would mean “death to back to council within a few weeks with downtown.” more suggestions on how to develop Because the two plans under considerathe Albion Flats, integrating pieces that tion on Monday had little agricouncil felt were important to cultural land left in them – half include in scenario two of four a hectare in one and just over developed by an outside cona hectare in the other – Speirs sultant. said the Agricultural Land Daykin said after the meetCommission would “laugh in ing he’s pleased that council is your faces” if they proposed continuing to move forward on those plans, adding that it’s not the Albion plan “respectful.” “If we hadn’t come out with Councillor Judy Dueck said a plan, that wouldn’t have been council can come up with a a good scenario,” he said. plan for the area, but in the end Three pieces will be inteMichael Morden it’s the people who own the grated into scenario two: a strip Maple Ridge councillor property who will build on it. of agricultural development Daykin said council has to – including small enterprise look through the lens of what will benefit farms, an industrial kitchen and a farm agriculture, for example, a park protects and food education institute – which agricultural land, but he questioned would go onto the eastside of 105th Avenue, a mixed residential and commer- whether it’s a benefit to agricultural land. After council looks at the revised scencial development, and a pub/restaurant ario two, it will go out to a public infordevelopment. He added that how agrimation session and then be forwarded culture will benefit has to be part of the to the agricultural land commission for conversation council has. Council was dealing with mainly two of comment. After the ALC has commented, council will develop an application to four scenarios that were developed by an exclude the land from the agricultural outside consultant based on consultation land reserve, a process that has to include with stakeholders in the community. a public hearing. Councillor Michael Morden pointed out
Nick Procaylo/Postmedia Network Inc.
Twin actors nail it in reality reno show Brothers and partners, Drew (left) and John Scott get their hands dirty in their home-buying series, Property Brothers on the W Network. Find out more about what these Maple Ridge grads are up to now, including a Vancouver promotional tour, in a web-exclusive story at www.mrtimes.com, click on “Entertainment.”
Investigation
G20 officer scrutinized for alleged shooting
Toronto police say they are investigating claims a Maple Ridge woman was shot with rubber bullets. by Maria Rantanen mrantanen@mrtimes.com
A police officer who allegedly shot a Maple Ridge woman with rubber bullets at the G20 summit in Toronto last summer is being
criminally investigated. Natalie Gray, who was allegedly shot with rubber bullets while at a protest against the G20 summit, filed a $1 million civil suit against the Police Services Board and unnamed officers, but last week her lawyer asked for an officer to be investigated, and police confirmed one is underway. An investigation is “a small comfort, considering how much they had to be pressured into investigating this,” Gray said.
Maple Ridge’s Natalie Gray was at a protest at the G20 summit where she claimed she was shot with rubber bullets. There was no justification for use of force in that situation — near the holding centre where detained protesters were being held — since those gathered out-
side were behaving peacefully, claims Gray’s lawyer, Clayton Ruby. Gray said because there is video evidence of her being allegedly shot with rubber bullets, her lawyer believes her case should be fairly straightforward. Gray said she was protesting at the G20 summit in solidarity with the victims of other G20 summits. “Most victims of police brutality lack access to the media and high-profile lawyers who can
force the police to take action,” Gray said. “White middle-class people aren’t usually the victims of police violence. Indigenous peoples, poor people, migrants ... and others take the brunt of it.” Gray filed a lawsuit claiming damages against Toronto police in September. In a defence statement dated Jan. 28, the Toronto Police Services Board asked for the action to be dismissed. Gray is currently living in Montreal.
-With files from Postmedia Network, Inc.
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