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[] | 2016-08-27T16:47:22 | null | null | Opening reception on Saturday, Sept. 3 at Abbotsford facility | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.abbynews.com%2Fentertainment%2F391440691.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/16873abbotsfordWatermediaartshowweb3.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | Watermedia Society hosts art show at Kariton Gallery | null | null | www.abbynews.com | The Fraser Valley Watermedia Society hosts an art show starting Saturday, Sept. 3 at Kariton Gallery (2387 Ware St.).
The theme of the show is With a Muse on My Shoulder and will feature a wide range of watermedia paintings by local artists.
The artists will be present at the opening on Sept. 3 from 6 to 8 p.m.
The show runs until Sept. 27 and is open to the public Tuesdays to Fridays from noon to 5 p.m., Saturdays from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Call Sophia Suderman at 604-852-9358 for more gallery information.
For more information regarding the show or membership, contact Carol Portree at 604-850-9694 or visit myartclub.com | http://www.abbynews.com/entertainment/391440691.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.abbynews.com/57eb70d7efc990cca2ab60a268c17d46a3b7f2501f9d61f2bba3dae9e1625202.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T22:51:52 | null | null | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.abbynews.com%2Fopinion%2Fletters%2F391797571.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/BlackNewsMedia-CLR.png?t=12345? | en | null | LETTER: Fighting homelessness | null | null | www.abbynews.com | I find the notice, "In as much as ye have done it unto one of the least, you have done it unto Me", Matthew 25:40, posted on the fence by the old hospital grounds, captivating. The same Bible states, " If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat" 2 Thess. 3:10.
Posting such signs, does not do much to tackle the root causes for homelessness, does it?
Harsh reality is that current statistics portray a woeful picture indeed.
Here are just a few - a quarter of homeless are children. Why? More than 90 per cent of homeless woman are victims of severe physical or sexual abuse. Fifty percent of young people report their parents knew they were leaving but did not care. Another 21 to 40 per cent are sexually abused, while 41 per cent are abandoned by their parents.
Many are run away's, and the HIV rates for homeless are three to nine times higher then normal. Homelessness in BC costs $1 billion per year. The main causes for homelessness stem from physical, sexual and emotional abuses.
I am totally convinced that the root causes of these problems need to be addressed first.
One sure way to lend help is by the likes of the Abbotsford Life Recovery Association who do make a big difference in the lives of desperate souls. Life recovery supplies housing, a must to attend educational classes each week for three months. Another three month of housing is provided for those who do need it. Then there is the 2nd stage housing program for one year so that clients can find themselves a job and housing for themselves.
I believe programs like these truly is addressing the root of their problems. Encouraging the homeless to continue wallowing in their present unhealthy noxious conditions is not the way to go. Finding ways to get them out of there to start living a more healthy life style is. That's where our focus should be.
Don't you agree?
Gertie Pool
Abbotsford, BC | http://www.abbynews.com/opinion/letters/391797571.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.abbynews.com/b6e5395be2e6ef122801cff706ad9ff7adb51957ed7e02e0b07daf3f0199fd2e.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:02:14 | null | null | Fourth annual fundraiser takes place at Abbotsford gallery-museum on Saturday, Sept. 10 | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.abbynews.com%2Fentertainment%2F391304281.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/52904abbotsfordAfterDarkatTheReachfile.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | After Dark at The Reach returns with 1950s theme | null | null | www.abbynews.com | An artists' 'paint-off' was held during last year's After Dark at The Reach fundraiser and returns for the event this year, taking place Sept. 10.
The Reach Gallery Museum Abbotsford (32388 Veterans Way) hosts its fourth annual After Dark at The Reach fundraiser on Saturday, Sept. 10.
This year’s event has a 1950s Some Like it Hot theme and features Vancouver’s premier boogie woogie pianist Mike Van Eyes, who has played with The Epics, rockers The Trespassers, the Herald Nix band and Colin James.
He shares the spotlight with the Langley Ukulele ensemble and Suburban Swing dancers Jason and Crystal Warner and friends.
Fraser Valley artists Cynthia Frenette, Chelaine Neufeldt and Shannon Thiesen will participate in a 20-minute paint-off, creating original works of art that guests may vote for and bid on.
Also on hand will be a jukebox and some pinball machines from the Ivan Lalonde collection and a classic photo booth that will snap poses and spit out an old-fashioned four-strip photo.
Artistic foods will be presented throughout the evening, and guests can place their bids on original works of art created by young Fraser Valley Emerge artists, other works and a suite of silent auction packages.
These packages include a paint party night for 15 guests with artist Shannon Thiesen and some food and wine at Singletree Winery, and a trip for two travellers to ride the VIA rails.
Participants also have a chance to win a trip for two to any WestJest destination in the My Dream WestJet Destination Escape game.
After Dark at The Reach starts at 7 p.m. Tickets are available online at thereach.ca, through email at info@thereach.ca or by calling 604-864-8087. | http://www.abbynews.com/entertainment/391304281.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.abbynews.com/0b39098afd20694a5752cc16a7d74b2ada707283b0d62b3a2615d07f100dbca7.json |
[
"Ben Lypka"
] | 2016-08-26T13:13:38 | null | null | Bronze medal winning soccer star makes a stop in Abbotsford | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.abbynews.com%2Fsports%2F390878491.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/75939abbotsfordschmidweb.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | VIDEO: Abbotsford's Sophie Schmidt comes home with medals | null | null | www.abbynews.com | In front of her friends, family and fans, Abbotsford's Sophie Schmidt got a few moments to take it all in.
Just days after winning the Olympic bronze medal as a member of the Team Canada women's soccer team, Schmidt made a brief stop in Abbotsford to give locals the chance to celebrate at a private party.
Those in attendance had the chance to get up close and personal with the medals, chat with the Olympic star and celebrate her achievements.
It's a short stop in Abbotsford for Schmidt, who returns to play professionally in Germany later this week.
For more on this story, and comments from Schmidt herself, read Wednesday's print edition of The Abbotsford News. | http://www.abbynews.com/sports/390878491.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.abbynews.com/1750054a38ca0836aa451ea49d9b5ad1ad0b684c39e9b6f1a834f18dc26624df.json |
[
"Canadian Press"
] | 2016-08-26T12:58:12 | null | null | Whether it's home screenings or community viewing parties, much of Canada will be tuning in for iconic rock band's final bow | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.abbynews.com%2Fentertainment%2F390688221.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/56997CPT122356039.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | Televised Tragically Hip show an 'unprecedented event:' CBC | null | null | www.abbynews.com | TORONTO – Few Canadian television events qualify as a momentous occasion for the nation, but Saturday's Tragically Hip concert promises to be special.
It seems like much of the country will be tuned into CBC's live broadcast of "The Tragically Hip: A National Celebration" from Kingston, Ont., when factoring in home screenings and community viewing parties.
Yet how many people will watch is anybody's guess at this point.
"This is an unprecedented event for us," said Jennifer Dettman, CBC's executive director of unscripted content.
The sentiment is true on many levels, she adds.
The last stop on the Hip's "Man Machine Poem" tour is widely expected to be their final performance, as lead singer Gord Downie is facing terminal brain cancer. After tickets to the tour sold out within minutes, fans launched a campaign urging the CBC to carry the band's Kingston show as a live TV event.
Dettman wouldn't speak to the contract negotiations that led to the Hip agreeing to the broadcast.
"CBC made both a competitive and financially responsible offer to acquire the broadcast rights, and we're thrilled to be able to offer this national celebration to as many Canadians as possible," she said.
The concert won't just be on the main CBC network, it will also be broadcast through various other platforms such as CBC Radio One, the CBC website and its YouTube and Facebook channels.
With so many viewing options, that will make it tough to capture how many eyes and ears are focused on the Hip this Saturday.
That's where ratings agency Numeris comes in. The Toronto-based company tracks viewership figures by using meters and viewing diaries prepared by a panel of Canadians representative of the population.
Their data shows that most huge audience draws are typically live programming, led by major sporting events.
The Super Bowl is the biggest TV event nearly every year — drawing about six million to eight million viewers in recent years — while a handful of other annual celebrations like the Academy Awards, the Golden Globes and Grammys are perennial favourites too.
The gold medal game of the men's hockey tournament at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics is considered to be the most-watched broadcast ever in Canada. It drew 16.6 million viewers, according to data from Numeris, about double the number of people who tune into most Super Bowls.
Those kinds of numbers will be hard to beat, even for a rock band with as much Canadian clout as the Hip.
Numeris spokesman Tom Jenks wouldn't guess how many viewers will tune into the CBC broadcast, but acknowledges it'll probably be a pretty big number.
The agency said it will be counting every public screening — from restaurants to movie theatres to community viewing parties — and each person streaming the concert on their phone. Viewers who playback the show on their DVRs within seven days will also be included in the final numbers.
"Our system captures all viewing," Jenks said.
Potentially driving those numbers higher is the decision make the Hip's concert a one-time broadcast, with no encore presentation and no availability on on-demand platforms.
"Our goal was to bring the experience of this live concert to Canadians in that moment," Dettman said.
"I'm sure the band will figure out what they will want to do with the concert afterwards."
She said the goal is to give all Canadians the same "crescendo" feeling that will ripple through the arena in Kingston.
"Our goal is to bring the experience ... to as many Canadians as we can," she said.
"The idea that we're all together experiencing this moment at the same time is really special."
Follow @dfriend on Twitter.
David Friend, The Canadian Press | http://www.abbynews.com/entertainment/390688221.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.abbynews.com/ab1cbbc113785625f47f1cf9b19d0466177a8aebfabb034e7f8808d003f8fc83.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T22:45:46 | null | null | An event last weekend celebrated the $5,600 that the Canadian Tire in Abbotsford has raised for Jumpstart | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.abbynews.com%2Fcommunity%2F391453051.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/20612abbotsfordCanadianTireRoadtoRioConsumerevent-1-MORROW.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | PHOTO: Jumpstart Event | null | null | www.abbynews.com | Paralymic gold medalist Brandon Wagner (left) watches as his shot falls in a pick-up basketball match against Patrick Sullivan, who took up the challenge against the master. The two played during an event on Sunday celebrating the $5,600 raised by the Abbotsford Canadian Tire location for Jumpstart, a charity that helps kids get into sports. | http://www.abbynews.com/community/391453051.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.abbynews.com/dafebbfa24e513117681a734569566ff07b9aa874b72ed35f78b6db835deb421.json |
[
"Tom Fletcher"
] | 2016-08-29T18:50:22 | null | null | Province has alternatives if Canada Post employees begin strike action | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.abbynews.com%2Fnews%2F391636531.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/40679BCLN2007CanadaPostMailboxwikim7web.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | B.C. prepares for possible postal disruption | null | null | www.abbynews.com | The B.C. government's plan B for income assistance cheques and other time-sensitive documents could be re-activated as the long-running Canada Post labour dispute reaches another deadline.
The Canadian Union of Postal Workers is in a legal position to strike as of Monday, but postponed threatened rotating strike action after weekend talks with a federal mediator. Its initial action would be an overtime ban rather than a full-scale walkout that would disrupt mail delivery.
Canada Post served lockout notice in July, with the two sides far apart on issues including pension changes for future employees and pay for rural carriers.
Income assistance, rent subsidy and other B.C. government payments are not affected if they are direct deposit. For mailed cheques and information, updates on possible postal strike effects to the Ministry of Social Development will be available as necessary at this website or at 1-866-866-0800.
Phone and online contacts are set up for questions about affected provincial departments:
• Ministry of Advanced Education and StudentAidBC online here.
• Ministry of Children and Family Development 1-877-387-7027
• Medical Services Plan payments online here or 1-877-405-4909
• ICBC inquiries 1-800-663-3051
• Family Maintenance and Enforcement program 604-660-2528
• Public Guardian and Trustee online here or 604-660-4444
• Vital Statistics 1-888-876-1633
• WorkSafe BC online here or 1-888-967-5377 | http://www.abbynews.com/news/391636531.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.abbynews.com/456ec3202bfe352e9a0c3ad307c54c1934789ba7915bf369bc2f258ab47582e8.json |
[
"Tom Fletcher"
] | 2016-08-26T13:12:30 | null | null | Finance Minister Mike de Jong found an extra half billion from property transfer tax last year, with much more to come | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.abbynews.com%2Fopinion%2F388964181.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/3081BCLN2007clarkdejongrealestatetaxwide7web.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | BC VIEWS: Real estate tax increases windfall | null | null | www.abbynews.com | Using a backdrop of new construction in Victoria, Finance Minister Mike de Jong and Premier Christy Clark announce a new property transfer tax on foreign buyers that took effect this week.
The lights came back on in the B.C. legislature last week to reveal the government’s sudden decision to impose a 15 per cent tax on foreign property purchases in Metro Vancouver.
This came after months of government refusal to intervene in a heated urban market in ways that might devalue properties for people whose homes represent a large chunk of their life savings.
It remains to be seen whether this large wrench applied to the problem will cool the market, or trigger declining property values as similar efforts have done in other major cities. The extent of the ripple effect on B.C. communities outside Metro Vancouver is also something that will be closely watched.
Premier Christy Clark and Finance Minister Mike de Jong announced the tax with a week’s notice, leaving realtors and developers scrambling to close deals before thousands more in property transfer tax was imposed on foreign buyers.
This dramatic intervention was based on less than five weeks of information on the nationality of buyers. Early results showed foreign buyers represented five per cent of Metro Vancouver real estate sales. Another two weeks of data showed a spike to nearly 10 per cent, and suddenly the big wrench came out.
Housing Minister Rich Coleman acknowledged that the surprise tax left the real estate industry “taken aback and a bit grumpy.” They worried foreign buyers might back out of deals after sellers have bought another home. They also fear that the tax might pop the real estate bubble, causing a rapid reversal of the long sellers’ market that has taken on a life and a psychology of its own.
One thing is certain. The province’s windfall from the property transfer tax can only grow even further as foreign buyers pay up.
The size of this windfall was shown in the government’s audited public accounts for the 2015-16 fiscal year, which de Jong released just days before announcing the new real estate tax.
The property transfer tax has been a cash cow for the province since Bill Vander Zalm introduced it in the 1980s, and by 2015-16 it had reached about $1.5 billion. For comparison purposes, that’s almost twice as much as total provincial revenue from the forest industry.
The current B.C. budget had forecast that property transfer tax revenues would decline this year and next year. The public accounts showed that for 2015-16, the government took in $468 million more than expected, meaning real estate accounted for most of the provincial surplus.
How much more is raked in by the new transfer tax on foreign buyers remains to be seen, but it will be substantial. And Coleman allows that he has been developing “a really cool plan” to use that money to improve the housing situation for lower-income people.
A couple of weeks ago I described the clamour of urban protesters demanding that governments build thousands of units of social housing. Coleman has long rejected the idea of social housing projects that create clusters of poverty, and he assured me last week that isn’t going to change.
B.C. has 20,000 low-income households getting a rent subsidy today, and Coleman suggested that will be increasing. He’ll be announcing new measures in September to stimulate construction of new rental housing.
It remains to be seen how that will work as well. But it gives the B.C. government lots more money to spend in an election year.
This is the latest of a string of Clark’s election-year fixes. I’ll look at some others in a future column.
Tom Fletcher is B.C. legislature reporter and columnist for Black Press. Email: tfletcher@blackpress.ca Twitter: @tomfletcherbc | http://www.abbynews.com/opinion/388964181.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.abbynews.com/3835834e16b73473b79d268b772a4f2b0700a1e62f88bbd0096fc0b9024cf015.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T12:52:31 | null | null | Event takes place this weekend at the facility in Abbotsford | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.abbynews.com%2Fcommunity%2F391304671.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/53060abbotsfordElizabeth-sWildlifeCentreopenhouse-MORROW.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | Elizabeth's Wildlife Center hosts annual open house | null | null | www.abbynews.com | Elizabeth Melnick shares information about birds with Kayla, 6, during last year's annual open house for Elizabeth's Wildlife Center. The event returns again on Aug. 27 and 28.
Elizabeth’s Wildlife Center (32508 Verdon Way) hosts its annual open house on Saturday, Aug. 27 and Sunday, Aug. 28 from noon to 4 p.m.
Visitors can see some of the wild babies and recovering “patients” during a tour of the facility.
The open house also includes train rides for the kids and a tarot card reader.
Admission is free, but donations are accepted.
The centre cares for hundreds of injured/orphaned wild birds and small animals each year. For more information, visit elizabethswildlifecenter.org | http://www.abbynews.com/community/391304671.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.abbynews.com/8457a7d105a1fdb033767205db507bc9ad177e90784f7e7d568c5a8c1334922d.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:11:42 | null | null | We could give up on the Olympics. We could say countries such as Brazil shouldn’t be allowed to hold such a lavish affair ... | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.abbynews.com%2Fopinion%2F389879611.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/BlackNewsMedia-CLR.png?t=12345? | en | null | EDITORIAL: Oympians deserve support | null | null | www.abbynews.com | We could give up on the Olympics. We could say countries such as Brazil shouldn’t be allowed to hold such a lavish affair if they can’t afford it, if they have mosquitoes that carry disease and if they have political problems, pollution and serious security concerns.
We could say, for example, that the Olympics are too big and have become too rich, too much of a spectacle. Some might also say it is nothing but a proxy war between Russia and the rest of the world, with the result being that blood doping is still a problem.
Should we then simply give up on the famous flag, held up as an example of harmony in sport between the world’s nations, becoming so self-satisfied in our cynicism that the Olympics is destroyed or is reduced to being a club that only wealthy can join?
Certainly, there has been enough controversy to sink this elite event over the years – from the Munich 1972 massacre to today’s concern over the Zika virus.
But in all the blame, finger-pointing, handwringing and grief, what people tend to forget is how important it is for young athletes to have something to strive toward.
The ideals of the Olympics uniting people in the brotherhood and sisterhood of sport is still a cause worth supporting as fans and funding with taxpayers’ dollars.
Giving up on the Olympic dreams of young athletes through our own arrogance, cynicism and distrust sends a poor message. It tells them that excellence is not worth striving for because the obstacles are not worth overcoming.
A better way would be to honour and support athletes such as Abbotsford soccer star Sophie Schmidt, volleyballer Steve Marshall and field hockey player Adam Froese.
They are shining examples of perseverance and excellence, along with their families, supporters, teammates and coaches who have helped them along the way.
Regardless of where they stand on the podium, let’s give them our support.
– Black Press | http://www.abbynews.com/opinion/389879611.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.abbynews.com/c0200ae8b8bcfa6334f23754142a12d9c0d5a34ba9859b7c7b3d1dae98717a5e.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T18:46:19 | null | null | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.abbynews.com%2Fcommunity%2F391632601.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/39264abbotsfordMaanFarmsAnimalEducationDay-1-MORROW.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | PHOTO: Animal Education at Abbotsford's Maan Farms | null | null | www.abbynews.com | Brendan Baarski from Freshwater Fish Society shows visitor to Maan Farms the different types of fish.
Abbotsford's Maan Farms hosted its first annual day dedicated to Animal Education on Saturday.
Visitors to the farm had the opportunity to learn about all different types of animals, see live demos, meet some cool guest animals, and get hands on experiences. | http://www.abbynews.com/community/391632601.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.abbynews.com/d3d4c62e8cfd9de77b412c625c83c48f85b5ddd64f6d732c0e0aa445e83065d7.json |
[
"Dan Ferguson"
] | 2016-08-26T13:05:36 | null | null | Mother-and-daughter team bring experience and expertise in high-end fashion | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.abbynews.com%2Fbusiness%2F389208801.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/24223langley0729Bagheerastore.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | Familiar faces at the new Bagheera Boutique in Fort Langley | null | null | www.abbynews.com | Karlene Bullock (left) and her mother Delores Johns have been working together for years. The pair have 30 years in the industry.
The new Bagheera Boutique in Fort Langley aims to fill the fashion gap created when Ella’s Clothes Closet in Brookswood closed by bringing back top European brands to Langley, with names such as Laurel, Luisa Cerano, Marc Cain, Wolford, Brax and Vince, along with local Canadian accessories like Suzi Roher scarves, and Vancouver’s Sheereen De Roussea jewelry.
It also brings back Karlene Bullock and her mother Delores Johns, who have dressed the Fraser Valley for over 30 years, the last 10 of them working as a team at Ella’s.
When Ella Little shut down her namesake shop on 200 Street and 40A Avenue just over a year ago, it left a large hole in the market, Bullock said.
“We used to have women coming from Langley, Maple Ridge, White Rock, Chilliwack and all over Vancouver, to shop, and all of a sudden there were no options.”
When the owners of the Victoria-based Bagheera Boutique, Nataliia Bahirova and Anton Solonnikov decided to open their second store in Langley, they reached out to Bullock and Johns after hearing Ella’s had closed.
“They know the market,” Solonnikov — Bagheera marketing manager — said of the mother-daughter team.
“They have a following from 30 years.”
Bullock said she has been flooded with phone calls and emails from people excited that the new boutique is carrying the same lines.
“We want to be the go-to place for shopping for all women in the Greater Vancouver area,” Bullock said.
“Fort Langley is such a beautiful and quaint place, and the perfect getaway for the weekend.”
Johns said service is the key to keep customers coming back.
“It has to be honest service,” Johns said.
“Honest and continuous.”
Johns has been known to do things like drive to Harrison Hot Springs to ensure a bow on a customer’s bridal dress was properly tied for her wedding ceremony.
“Mom’s good at sales, she is good at talking to the customers,” Bullock said.
“There is no one in the valley who can do displays like she does.”
Johns gives her daughter high marks for bringing in the best of fashion.
“She’s very good at the buying,” Johns said.
The Fort Langley Bagheera Boutique is located in the new Coulter Berry building at Glover Road and Mavis Avenue.
Solonnikov said the store doesn’t only cater to the high-end shoppers, but carries low- to medium-priced brands from Europe as well.
Store phone: 604-371-2879. | http://www.abbynews.com/business/389208801.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.abbynews.com/3a277de8bcf459747dc1b18a58d37dac086117c451b64c04772e040e8389397a.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:07:48 | null | null | It’s with great sadness that we learned last month about Muhammad Ali passing, one of the best boxers of all time | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.abbynews.com%2Flifestyles%2F385485211.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/BlackNewsMedia-CLR.png?t=12345? | en | null | COLUMN: Muhammad Ali was more than a boxer | null | null | www.abbynews.com | On the Spot by Ken Herar
It’s with great sadness that we learned last month about Muhammad Ali passing, one of the best boxers of all time. I recall listening to the radio on many occasions to legendary radio broadcaster Howard Cosell announcing the blow by blow actions.
Ali, who only lost 5 times in his career, was a controversial figure in and outside the boxing ring and never short of words. At the tender age of 12, Ali discovered his talent for boxing through a police officer after his bike was stolen. Ali told the police officer, that he wanted to beat up the thief. “Well, you better learn how to fight before you start challenging people”, said the officer.
Ali famous saying was, “Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee” and he did just that and had tough words on diversity and social integration, which could be considered as racist to some. Aligning himself with the Nation of Islam and its leader Elijah Muhammad, he had tough words about the white folks.
Going through many YouTube videos and seeing his interviews during the civil rights movement in the 1960’s, Ali took a tough stance on how a black person should live their life and reject outside influences. Ali said, “We who follow the teachings of Elijah Muhammad, don’t want to be forced to integrate. Integration is wrong. We don’t want to live with the white man; that’s all.”
And in relation to inter-racial marriage: “No intelligent black man or black woman in his or her right black mind wants white boys and white girls coming to their homes to marry their black sons and daughters.”
But, let’s not lose perspective of the era that Ali was speaking. Many blacks were treated as “second class” citizens throughout the United States and the hard stance was sometimes needed to capture the attention. In 1960, he was turned away from a “whites-only” restaurant and in 1967 Ali refused induction into the US Armed Forces due to his religious beliefs and as a result, he was arrested and fined. Just recently, his hometown paper apologized 50 years later for continuing to refer to Ali in the press as Cassius Clay and not by his Muslim name.
He always wanted to more than a boxer and he proved to be more than just that. He devoted his time to helping charities, Special Olympics and creating world peace when he flew to Lebanon to secure the release of four hostages. He also made goodwill missions to Afghanistan and North Korea and delivered medical aid to Cuba and secured the release of 15 US hostages during the first Gulf War. In 1981, he helped save a man from jumping out of a ninth-floor building in Los Angeles. In 1985, he and his wife Lonnie opened the Muhammad Ali Center in their hometown of Louisville, Kentucky, which inspires with an educational and museum experience.
He leaves us with some special words, “Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth.” | http://www.abbynews.com/lifestyles/385485211.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.abbynews.com/c6c7d30212d412a2cd941548a57f9e516c72e6b0e4d4e184784ba96dbd15fa46.json |
[
"Tyler Olsen"
] | 2016-08-26T22:50:26 | null | null | Steve Marshall was part of Canada's surprising men's indoor volleyball squad, which finished fifth in their first Olympics in 24 years | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.abbynews.com%2Fsports%2F391451731.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/20017abbotsfordstevemarshall.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | Abbotsford volleyballer reflects on Olympic adventure | null | null | www.abbynews.com | Canada’s Steven Marshall receives a serve in play during quarterfinal volleyball action against Russia at the Olympic games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Wednesday, August 17, 2016.
Abbotsford’s Steve Marshall is back in the Fraser Valley but still riding high after helping Canada’s men’s indoor volleyball squad to a surprising fifth-place showing at the recently concluded Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
The games were Canada’s first in 24 years, but the “Maple Volleys” surpassed all expectations by knocking off two powerhouses, advancing to the quarterfinals and finishing fifth in the world.
“It was amazing,” said Marshall. “Everything was more than I expected … It was kind of overwhelming.”
The Canadians entered the tournament ranked 12th in the world and having played in the second tier of the summer’s World League. But it didn’t take long for them to make an impact, as they beat the fifth-ranked Americans in three straight sets. Back in Canada, viewers took notice, and Marshall said the team felt that support grow.
“The game against USA was huge,” he said. Suddenly, though, average sports fans were taking notice. “I think we got a lot of fans for that.”
The Canadians dropped their next match to 11th ranked France, but followed that loss with wins against Mexico and fourth-ranked Italy to book a spot in the quarterfinals.
There they lost to third-ranked Russia, but by then the Canadians had already shown the world – and themselves – that they could compete with the globe’s best volleyballers. Indeed, Italy and the United States – teams the Canadians had beaten – claimed the silver and bronze medals at the games.
“I think we rose to the level of play,” he said, noting that there was a mental shift among his teammates as they pushed the world’s top squads.
Marshall came off the bench as a substitute during the tournament, recording nine spikes and one block.
Marshall said walking into the Olympic Stadium with the rest of Team Canada was a highlight of the games. He is now back in Abbotsford for a couple days, visiting family and training with the squad at Trinity Western University, where he refined his game as a college player. On Sunday, he will be back on a plane, this time headed for Germany, where he will line up for Berlin’s Recycling Volleys in the Bundesliga, the top level of volleyball in the country. | http://www.abbynews.com/sports/391451731.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.abbynews.com/d37bf4a3a7b8c37fd86ed2b3a629bf00ac9ad23d71df2e0852668fdd3307997b.json |
[
"Tom Fletcher"
] | 2016-08-26T13:08:51 | null | null | Small communities have more than 400 doctor vacancies, with 'telehealth' and visiting specialists filling gaps | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.abbynews.com%2Flifestyles%2F385489111.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/32759BCLN2007Kelly-Doug15-2.4.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | Video links grow as rural health care shrinks | null | null | www.abbynews.com | Doug Kelly, chair of the B.C. First Nations Health Council
With patients in urban areas having difficulty finding a family doctor, the situation in rural B.C. is going from bad to worse, MLAs on the province's health committee were told Monday.
Ed Staples, a member of the B.C. Health Coalition, described his efforts to improve the situation in Princeton, a community of about 5,000 people that four years ago was down to one doctor providing on-call service.
Princeton now has four full-time doctors and two nurse practitioners, but there are still people who can't find a doctor in the region, including Penticton an hour and a half away. A recent search of the College of Physicians and Surgeons website turned up the nearest doctor accepting patients in Courtney on Vancouver Island, Staples said.
Health Match BC, the province's web portal for recruiting doctors, nurses and other health professionals, currently has more than 400 general practitioner vacancies, with 37 communities seeking 85 doctors. The result is "bidding wars" between communities to offer incentives to relocating doctors, and foreign doctors using a rural community as an entry point before relocating to the Lower Mainland, he said.
The B.C. government has announced its latest videoconferencing service for health care, linking psychiatrists with young people in Cranbrook. The service is available twice a month at the local Children and Family Development office, supplementing visits by specialists in communities such as Cranbrook and Princeton. Health Minister Terry Lake says video conferencing and electronic health records are a key part of the solution for reaching patients across B.C.
Doug Kelly, chair of the B.C. First Nations Health Council, told the committee of an Abbotsford doctor who travels to Carrier Sekani territory around Prince George for part of his practice, in a pilot project with Northern Health.
Kelly said video links and nurse practitioners are part of the solution to delivering rural and remote care, but the main obstacle is the business model for doctors that has them cycling through as many as 20 patients an hour to bill enough to cover their office overhead.
Committee members were also reminded that graduating doctors are increasingly reluctant to take on the demands of family practice, especially in smaller communities where they may find themselves on call around the clock. | http://www.abbynews.com/lifestyles/385489111.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.abbynews.com/9b012e096e4ea17ebab04ffcb1a93ac9cf99ffbc7f9b3aebb21fe8e0e50cb9a2.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:11:26 | null | null | Smoke spotted rising from blaze appears on American side of border | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.abbynews.com%2Fnews%2F391344921.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/69247abbotsfordforestfireweb.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | Forest fire on Vedder Mountain | null | null | www.abbynews.com | A fire was spotted near Vedder Mountain on Thursday afternoon.
A forest fire appears to be burning on the American side of Vedder Mountain near Abbotsford.
Smoke was spotted rising from the area around 3 p.m. on Thursday afternoon.
More to come. | http://www.abbynews.com/news/391344921.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.abbynews.com/af20f261c7db4f018c7e8a7823a90b676150a5d84490bfd72466a26d0a456a4e.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T12:54:36 | null | null | Campbell's Gold Honey Farm and Meadery in Abbotsford held Family Fun Day on Saturday | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.abbynews.com%2Fcommunity%2F391089611.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/57646abbotsfordCampbell-sGoldFreeFamilyDay-1-MORROW.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | PHOTO: Bee Education Day | null | null | www.abbynews.com | Judy Campbell shows visitors honeycomb taken from a hive during the 10th annual Family Fun and Bee Education Day on Saturday at Campbell's Gold Honey Farm and Meadery on Lefeuvre Road. The event included opportunities to look at the bee nursery, view marking of the queens, participate in general bee education and trips to the live hive, and view an extraction demonstration. | http://www.abbynews.com/community/391089611.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.abbynews.com/0601e1ae0dc481ed987603195272e078b07e69c75aa7c24e1f0a98000e2fe402.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T18:45:46 | null | null | Event takes place Sept. 17 at Sevenoaks Shopping Centre in Abbotsford | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.abbynews.com%2Fcommunity%2F391303581.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/52728abbotsfordKristalBarrett-Stuart.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | BeYou Girl trade show designed to boost self-esteem | null | null | www.abbynews.com | Sevenoaks Shopping Centre and Big Brothers Big Sisters Canada celebrate the uniqueness of every girl across Canada with the BeYou Girl Trade Show on Saturday, Sept. 17.
The event runs from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Sevenoaks (32900 South Fraser Way) and includes interactive programs for all ages.
All events are free and are designed to provide young females better access to developmental tools that will help increase self-esteem, personal growth and self-worth and empower young women who are coming of age in a media- and technology-driven time.
Live entertainment and demonstrations such as yoga and local dance groups will be on site.
Visit various passport destinations such as: journaling stations, mindfulness space, vision boards, healthy skin care consultations, mini makeovers and more. Participants can also enter to win a $500 Sevenoaks gift card.
“We designed our BeYou Girl campaign to reach out directly to young girls in the Abbotsford area to support them during their formative years and encourage them to express themselves and reach for the stars,” said Tricia Schmuland, marketing director of Sevenoaks Shopping Centre.
A number of local ambassadors will join the trade show to share their stories and encourage girls to get involved in this positive empowerment campaign.
Kristal Barrett-Stuart is a country singer-songwriter, entrepreneur, public speaker, and founder of the Sparkle Project BC.
She leads women in distilling their most important life lessons into resources that can inspire and empower a new generation of female visionaries and leaders.
Also on hand will be Ashley Wiles, founder and Head Coach of Sole Girls, a program for girls to build their confidence, connect with mentors and combine that with a love for physical activity.
Wiles is also a Ironman world championship competitor and mental health advocate.
Visit shopsevenoaks.com for more information, event schedules and registration. | http://www.abbynews.com/community/391303581.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.abbynews.com/9828444a46908d8d6a5e6ba88f324e7cd84209b57b13f3ef7b2b09ce81c507e7.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:12:40 | null | null | The government of Canada’s ministerial panel on the Kinder Morgan pipeline proposal is holding a public meeting in Abbotsford on July 26. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.abbynews.com%2Fopinion%2F387876332.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/BlackNewsMedia-CLR.png?t=12345? | en | null | LETTER: Opportunity to speak up on proposed pipeline | null | null | www.abbynews.com | The government of Canada’s ministerial panel on the Kinder Morgan pipeline proposal is holding a public meeting in Abbotsford on July 26.
On that same date, residents of Calhoun and Kalamazoo counties in Michigan will be remembering their harrowing experiences from when a similar pipeline ruptured, making residents ill and throwing their lives into chaos.
On July 26, 2010, they awoke to discover that a pipeline had ruptured, spilling between three and four million litres of diluted bitumen into their communities and the Kalamazoo River.
Can you imagine the fear and confusion of waking up in the morning to find the fresh Fraser Valley air suddenly full of toxic fumes? Or the desperation as you, your children, your parents, friends, neighbours and pets develop headaches and begin to cough and feel nauseous, dizzy and fatigued?
How about your anger, grief and worry upon learning that you have to evacuate your homes because the fumes to which you and your family have been exposed include cancer-causing benzene?
Maybe you would join hundreds of volunteers in a largely futile effort to remove toxic bitumen from the Fraser River or clean it off of hundreds of contaminated birds and animals?
Some Abbotsford residents have already lived through similar experiences with the existing Kinder Morgan pipeline. In 2005, local residents were directly affected when roughly 210,000 litres of crude oil leaked into the pipeline right-of-way and Kilgard Creek. Clean-up workers were unnecessarily put at risk of carcinogenic benzene exposure because Kinder Morgan was slow to notify that the spilled crude oil contained it. Ten years later the riparian area has not been remediated.
In 2012, a 110,000-litre spill at Kinder Morgan’s Sumas terminal created concern for local residents and particularly for students at Auguston Traditional School, who were kept inside the school for the day.
We don’t ever want the people of the Fraser Valley to suffer through a much larger disaster of the type residents of Calhoun and Kalamazoo counties have had to deal with.
Unfortunately, the proposed Kinder Morgan pipeline would put Fraser Valley residents, the salmon-rich Fraser River and the local economy at increased and unnecessary risk of something very similar.
You have an opportunity to raise these and other concerns at the public meetings. The Kinder Morgan pipeline proposal has not been approved and can be stopped. The sparse and fleeting benefits it might bring to Fraser Valley residents are far outweighed by the risks.
Please take action now to defend your community and environment.
The Abbotsford meeting takes place in Hall A at Tradex. The exact schedule for the meetings in Fraser Valley and other B.C. communities can be found at http://mpmo.gc.ca/measures/272
Michelle Borland Smith, former resident of Calhoun County, Michigan and Lynn Perrin, Pipe Up Network, Abbotsford | http://www.abbynews.com/opinion/387876332.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.abbynews.com/872fb987685c6fc24915740c153caf75bd73993afea03b873a7b611f847c2a3e.json |
[
"Shannon Lough"
] | 2016-08-26T13:11:09 | null | null | Two months after having an endoscopy Joan Dudoward received a letter telling her that the endoscope used was not cleaned properly. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.abbynews.com%2Fnews%2F391353941.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/73852princerupertWEB.Joan-Dudoward.SL.35.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | VIDEO: Prince Rupert woman treated with unclean medical equipment, Northern Health, B.C. Centre for Disease Control confirms more than a hundred affected | null | null | www.abbynews.com | A routine check-up at the hospital has turned into a nightmare for a Prince Rupert woman.
A month-and-a-half after having an endoscopy to inspect her nose and throat, Joan Dudoward received a letter from Northern Health stating that the endoscope used at the Prince Rupert Regional Hospital was not cleaned properly.
From April until the end of June 2016, the endoscope, which is a flexible tube with a light and a camera used in nonsurgical procedures, was being cleaned with the wrong cleaning solution to disinfect the equipment. There were 104 patients affected and Dudoward was one of them.
“I was majorly stressed out,” she said in an exclusive interview with the Northern View. “I'm a cancer survivor. I try to keep my health up for my mom, I'm a caregiver for a 95-year-old woman.”
Dudoward had gone to the Prince Rupert hospital for an endoscopy on June 29 at 3:30 p.m. after complaining to her physician about reoccurring plugged ears and a sore throat. She received the letter from Northern Health on Aug.24, which stated the error did not impact the diagnostic outcome of the tests and the process error has been corrected.
The letter also states that the BC Centre for Disease Control has been consulted and “the risk of a patient being exposed to a virus as a result of this process error is extremely low.” The contact number for the director of acute care services is offered in case she has any other questions or concerns. Dudoward has many.
She called to find out why the instrument wasn't cleaned, what had happened and how many people had gone through the procedure before and after her. “She said she's not permitted to tell me anything about this,” was the response Dudoward said she received.
The vice-president of medicine for the Northern Health authority, Dr. Ronald Chapman, was quick to respond to media inquiries and stressed the importance of transparency. He said, based on previous experience, once they realized the mistake had occurred they consulted the BC Centre for Disease Control as well as the Northern Health infectious disease specialist in Prince George.
“The risk for the patient is extremely low. We're not concerned that it will at all have any negative impact on their health,” Dr. Chapman said. He added that it's Northern Health's policy to make patients aware even if the risk to them is low. “We believe it's important to be open with those patients and to be fairly transparent so at least they are aware of the mistake. In this case, we don't recommend any particular follow up or tests for the patients.”
This type of process error has happened before, Dr. Chapman confirmed. Not with the same scope, but he said there are many different endoscopes used and each are made by different manufacturers that have various recommendations on how to clean the equipment.
“The health sector is run by human beings and it's fairly complex. If mistakes do happen what we encourage our staff to do is to make management aware so they can learn from that experience,” he said. “I'm happy to say where those mistakes have happened in our environment, a process has been put in place and we haven't had any repetitions after some of those learning experiences.”
For the 104 patients that were affected by this incident, Dr. Chapman said their general practitioners have been notified and if they have any questions they can speak to them and the infectious disease specialist. They can also contact Northern Health's Patient Care Quality Officeto register a complaint.
For Dudoward, who had a bone marrow transplant in 2011 to battle leukemia, she is concerned and has already scheduled a meeting with her physician in early September.
“I'm thinking that my body is not going to be able to fight off infection like I was able to before the cancer because chemo takes a lot out of your body so this is like a bomb exploding in my life,” she said. | http://www.abbynews.com/news/391353941.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.abbynews.com/32fbb22a47bfb7a28f870b014bb4d6be002f816574c17c55b5d3d324db3ae7e3.json |
[
"Tom Fletcher"
] | 2016-08-26T13:06:30 | null | null | Vehicle traffic up 5% with no net fare increase and discounts offered for vehicles pulling boats and travel trailers | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.abbynews.com%2Fbusiness%2F391094851.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/59772BCLN2007ferrySpiritofBC7web.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | More discounts coming as BC Ferries traffic rises | null | null | www.abbynews.com | BC Ferries sailings have been busier this year, thanks in part to strong tourist traffic and no net fare increase.
BC Ferries plans to continue its campaign of price promotions this fall and next spring in an effort to maintain increased passenger and vehicle traffic.
First-quarter results for the Crown corporation show passenger traffic up 2.5 per cent and vehicle loads up 5.1 per cent for the three months ended June 30, compared with the same period in 2015.
Buoyed by a strong tourist year for B.C. and no net fare increase, BC Ferries carried 5.3 million passengers and 2.1 million vehicles in April, May and June. The 1.9 per cent average fare hike was erased by a reduced fuel surcharge due to long-term contracts for cheaper diesel fuel.
Helped by reduced operating costs and higher retail sales from terminals and on-board gift shops, net earnings were $27 million for the quarter, up from $18.8 million in the same period last year. Revenues were up 4.9 per cent to $219 million, while costs for the quarter went up 1.5 per cent to $178.6 million.
BC Ferries CEO Mike Corrigan released the first-quarter results at the corporation's annual meeting in Victoria, where he also announced that unspecified pricing promotions will be offered this fall and next spring. This year BC Ferries has been offering discounts on over-length vehicles pulling boats or travel trailers.
Corrigan also announced he will be stepping down as CEO at the end of the fiscal year next March. He was promoted in 2012 to replace former CEO David Hahn, and presided over a controversial service review that saw sailings reduced on money-losing routes.
Transportation Minister Todd Stone praised Corrigan for reducing operating costs and embracing new technology, including three new medium-sized ferries using liquefied natural gas fuel that have been built in Poland.
LNG retrofits are also scheduled for the Spirit of B.C. and the Spirit of Vancouver Island, the workhorses of the main Tswassen-to-Vancouver Island route.
Corrigan's term also saw the first cable ferry in the BC Ferries fleet, the Baynes Sound Connector to Denman Island. Stone said the cable ferry cut fuel costs by half. | http://www.abbynews.com/business/391094851.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.abbynews.com/ad3322c52dc027e62b8dce1cca82bb225a3724feb3036201b464d6d5dc27b070.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:14:28 | null | null | Canada in general, and B.C. in particular, have a serious lack of affordable housing | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.abbynews.com%2Fopinion%2Fletters%2F388692831.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/BlackNewsMedia-CLR.png?t=12345? | en | null | LETTER: Housing needed | null | null | www.abbynews.com | Canada in general, and B.C. in particular, have a serious lack of affordable housing. Our senior levels of government either don’t understand the need, or really don’t care.
On a recent radio sound-bite, it was reported that our federal government was getting back into the housing business. Tax dollars will be available to “train social agencies to get people off the street.”
What? “Social agencies” do not – I repeat – do not need more training. Instead individuals – both those already without shelter, and those in danger of losing their homes – need affordable choices.
Until a few years ago, social housing was provided through B.C. Housing. Yet that entity has recently sold 350 properties (for $505 million). Will the new owners of those properties be able to keep rents at an affordable level? And when we hear that there is an increased surplus at the provincial level – due predominately to increased property sales taxes – will those funds be directed to housing or increased disability and welfare rates?
Apparently not. Instead, a chunk of the “windfall” will go to increased wages for top-level bureaucrats.
Our senior levels of government either don’t understand the need, or really don’t care.
Regina Dalton, Abbotsford | http://www.abbynews.com/opinion/letters/388692831.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.abbynews.com/b9498b5ebbc19f8eb4b840840765e160522b00fab667a84cabc3fc31e54c19b5.json |
[
"Tom Fletcher"
] | 2016-08-26T13:07:19 | null | null | Gold mine near Prince Rupert shut down last summer for permit violations, owners charged for failing to report spill | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.abbynews.com%2Fbusiness%2F390008831.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/31694BCLN2007minebanksislandgold7web.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | Banks Island miners face 18 pollution charges | null | null | www.abbynews.com | Two men and a mining company in receivership have been charged with 18 pollution infractions related to their shut-down gold mine on an island near Prince Rupert.
Benjamin Mossman and Dirk Meckert are scheduled to appear in Prince Rupert provincial court Sept. 7. Also charged is Banks Island Gold Ltd., which went into receivership after being shut down last year for provincial permit violations.
The Yellow Giant mine was ordered shut down by the Ministry of Environment in July 2015 after a tailings spill was reported on a tip. There is one charge of failing to report a spill of a polluting substance, and the other 17 charges are for failing to comply with permits.
North Coast MLA Jennifer Rice raised the issue in the legislature this spring, after receiving a letter from the Gitxaala First Nation referring to two separate tailings spills. Rice said the ministry did not inspect the operation for 15 months, until receiving a complaint.
NDP mining critic Norm Macdonald told the legislature a worker at the mine "became fed up, put his job on the line, sent the ministry and me a tip and pictures that documented what was going on there."
Energy and Mines Minister Bill Bennett said the mine was shut down when the situation was brought to its attention. The mine's 90 employees lost their jobs.
The province has a $420,000 security bond from the mining company, to provide ongoing monitoring. In March the mines ministry and Banks Island Gold removed explosives from the mine site and in May ministry technical staff assessed the hazardous materials on site.
The B.C. Conservation Officer Service, which recommended the charges, would not comment on the current condition of the Banks Island site, because it is evidence for the prosecution. | http://www.abbynews.com/business/390008831.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.abbynews.com/007acb1760ca12727305d56b30d18dd0c924f6ea5b7816ae920044e964b192c7.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T12:54:07 | null | null | 11th annual event today (Saturday) at Essendene and Montrose from 9-3 | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.abbynews.com%2Fcommunity%2F390633791.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/14559abbotsfordDSC_9036.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | Historic Downtown Abbotsford Car Show underway | null | null | www.abbynews.com | The 11th annual Historic Downtown Abbotsford Car Show takes place this Saturday, Aug. 20.
The event runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the area of Essendene and Montrose avenues.
The event is free to spectators and features collector vehicles, classic cars and hot rods.
The day begins with a $5 pancake breakfast from 7:30 to 10:30 a.m. hosted by Legal Grounds Coffeehouse.
Entertainment runs throughout the day on the community stage and includes the Soul Men with their tribute to the Blues Brothers and the band Double Overtime performing your favourites from the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s.
Proceeds go to Matthew’s House, which provides respite care in a homelike environment for children with complex care issues.
Visit downtownabbycarshow.com for more information. Registration is not required for people wanting to display their vehicles. | http://www.abbynews.com/community/390633791.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.abbynews.com/1f7a837b0a3d3a8f04ffd13f2d46a205caa7aa8caef3e9cb9246546de05bddda.json |
[
"Canadian Press"
] | 2016-08-31T00:50:43 | null | null | Two sides avert job action that has loomed for months | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.abbynews.com%2Fnews%2F391803281.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/18051BCLN2007Canada_Post_TruckWikimediaCommons.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | Canada Post, postal union reach tentative deals | null | null | www.abbynews.com | Canada Post and the Canadian Union of Postal Workers have reached tentative agreements, averting the prospect of a labour dispute that has loomed over the talks for months.
In a statement, Labour Minister MaryAnn Mihychuk says the agreements were reached "voluntarily," but provides no other details about the deals themselves.
The issue of differences in paycheques for rural mail carriers — most of whom are women — and urban letter carriers had been at the forefront of protracted contract talks between the two sides.
The negotiations were extended twice since the weekend, when a deadline expired on a 72-hour job action notice issued last Thursday by the Canadian Union of Postal Workers.
The two sides were in talks nearly around the clock at the request of a special mediator appointed Friday by Mihychuk.
Canada Post described the tentative agreements as short-term. It said they are for two years and that four-year contracts were typically negotiated in the past.
"The agreements will avert a work disruption, bringing much-needed certainty in the postal system for our employees and customers," said Canada Post in a statement. "Canadians can now use the postal system with confidence."
The tentative agreements, however, still must be ratified by the members.
The Canadian Union of Postal Workers is Canada Post's largest union, representing more than 50,000 postal workers
The Canadian Press | http://www.abbynews.com/news/391803281.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.abbynews.com/d3f9ca617066d9197a3dbceaf0003d88da5b33730d68194066c5552d49d2430c.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:14:11 | null | null | Reader believes Liberals have already decided on ranked ballot electoral reform because it will keep them in power | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.abbynews.com%2Fopinion%2Fletters%2F390960841.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/3463abbotsfordThinkstockPhotos-83273505.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | LETTER: Preferential voting will lead to a one-party system | null | null | www.abbynews.com | On Aug. 17, I attended our local MP Jati Sidhu's town hall meeting on climate change and electoral reform.
There are a number of observations I'd like to pass along to our community.
Our riding has almost 100,000 citizens in it. Holding a meeting at the height of summer is begging for a low turnout, which of course we duly got – I counted roughly 30 people there.
To call these summer town hall meetings a process of "consulting Canadians" is preposterous – "insulting Canadians" would be more like it.
I've been to three of these meetings now. The largest in Surrey probably had about 100 people turn out, then about 70 people in Maple Ridge's around, and finally Abbotsford's at 30.
So if there's around one meeting per riding and, say, an average of 100 people at each, that means 338 (ridings nationwide) X 100 = 33,800 people will have been consulted. Heck, let's be generous and round up, call it 100,000 even.
Out of 36 million Canadians. Let that sink in for a moment.
And some people actually argue against holding a referendum on this issue because of lower voter turnout. If only half turned out for a vote that would be 18 million Canadians having their say.
Of the three meetings I attended, I'm proud to say our Mission-Matsqui-Fraser Canyon one was the only one that actually called for votes. About 15 of the 30 wanted to change to a proportional representation system and only four wanted a ranked or preferential balloting system (where the voter marks the candidates in order of his preference).
The reason I think those meeting votes are important to note is a unique quirk of our Canadian makeup: voters for our main opposition parties (the NDP and Conservatives) would likely both pick the Liberal candidate as their second choice.
So while many NDP voters are supporting the Liberals' bid to change our voting system, I don't think they realize they're about to cut their own throats. When both opposition parties have the same second choice, that latter party will always form government. By changing to a Preferential system, we would ensure perpetual Liberal governments.
So now the haze lifts and we know the following: Why Justin Trudeau is on the record as wanting a preferential system, although he pretends to be ambivalent; why the government won't hold a referendum; and why they're going through this charade of dead-of-summer town hall meetings.
Mark my words, the final piece of the puzzle will fall into place in the coming months when some excuse is given as to why proportional representation just won't work. 'It's too complicated' and 'there's not enough time to implement it' are two of my current favourites.
And then it will be checkmate: preferential voting and a one-party state till kingdom come.
History does not report favourably on one-party countries.
– Marc Vella | http://www.abbynews.com/opinion/letters/390960841.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.abbynews.com/fd2d54968885a6f136c6ee05a568b44528d3722950f3d79c3acc4098183a24f5.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:14:15 | null | null | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.abbynews.com%2Fopinion%2Fletters%2F389662321.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/BlackNewsMedia-CLR.png?t=12345? | en | null | LETTER: Hurting barking dogs not the answer | null | null | www.abbynews.com | To the Editor,
I think we all realize the frustrations we feel when living close to irresponsible owners who allow their dogs to bark for long periods.
Getting support or help from the law to stop the problem is almost impossible.
But the answer to this problem is certainly not to hurt the dog or cat, but to train the owner to have a little consideration for other people.
Little time is needed to train and animal not to bark.
Ted Driscoll, Abbotsford | http://www.abbynews.com/opinion/letters/389662321.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.abbynews.com/a07d2e9ffd96e481b8fdd5e0020037b62faa334e0e1de324684735541226f988.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:13:56 | null | null | This past weekend in Abbotsford, participants and their families were treated to a sport event like no other ... | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.abbynews.com%2Fopinion%2Fletters%2F388692781.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/BlackNewsMedia-CLR.png?t=12345? | en | null | LETTER: Abbotsford should be proud | null | null | www.abbynews.com | This past weekend in Abbotsford, participants and their families were treated to a sport event like no other, and all served with a large helping of Abbotsford hospitality.
Thank you so much to the City of Abbotsford, School District 34, and the University of the Fraser Valley and the almost 3,000 volunteers who contributed to the best ever BC Summer Games. Wherever I was over the weekend, volunteers were beaming and offering their services; athletes were thrilled as they competed on and in your first-class facilities; and families enjoyed the valley atmosphere.
While the BC Summer Games are about athlete and sport development, they have a profound effect on a city in terms of building capacity and confidence. Abbotsford has used past BC Games and other sport events to build a solid foundation of skilled volunteers, coupled with the important investments in sport infrastructure.
As residents of the City of Abbotsford, be very proud of your city and of your neighbours. Many thousands of people will long remember these BC Summer Games. I know I will.
Kelly Mann, President and CEO, BC Games Society | http://www.abbynews.com/opinion/letters/388692781.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.abbynews.com/691221a3e5b3880b2081a1a731136c8523fefb881d68a0be19003cff7e3e32f5.json |
[
"Laura Baziuk"
] | 2016-08-26T18:50:26 | null | null | Police also found bag of tomatoes, skateboard at the scene | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.abbynews.com%2Fnews%2F391420301.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/8296BCLN200753181_Skateboard_1__large_.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | Taxi driver hurt after gin bottle thrown through cab window in North Van | null | null | www.abbynews.com | Mounties are looking for whoever threw a gin bottle at a taxi, breaking a window and hitting the cab driver in the head Thursday night in North Vancouver.
Police say the driver was heading east on East 29 Street toward Lynn Valley when the bottle smashed into the cab, cut up the man's face and broke his tooth.
His passenger was also hit by flying glass shards, police say, but she was not hurt.
Officers found a bag of tomatoes near the scene and believe the culprit may have been throwing them before trying the 375ml Bombay Sapphire gin bottle.
Police recovered that, as well as a skateboard.
"Throwing anything at moving traffic, whether it be bottles or tomatoes, is incredibly dangerous," said Sgt. Doug Trousdell. "Fortunately this didn't turn out to be even more serious."
Anyone with information is asked to contact RCMP at 604-985-1311 or CrimeStoppers at 1-800-222-8477, quoting file number 2016-22114. | http://www.abbynews.com/news/391420301.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.abbynews.com/63b2624a9fc76dee18b6cd9e52becea1dfb40831eaa3ec28ed77aab39d856391.json |
[] | 2016-08-28T16:50:07 | null | null | From the city's parks to its streets, there is no shortage of challenges for the arbourists who strive to keep Abbotsford green. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.abbynews.com%2Fnews%2F391454751.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/21263abbotsfordtreetrouble.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | TREE TROUBLE, FOREST FIXES: City looks to protect its urban forest before it's | null | null | www.abbynews.com | Clearbrook Park’s towering birch and maple trees cast cool shadows on Ken Snowden as he walks beneath the forest canopy.
To a casual observer, the forest looks healthy and vibrant. But Snowden, Abbotsford’s urban forester, is less pleased with what he sees.
Years ago, towering 200-year-old evergreens would have dominated here, but today the park is dominated by non-native “pioneer” trees that sprung up after the area was logged and today are nearing the end of their lives.
“These are not long-lived trees,” Snowden says. “We don’t expect this forest to be looking the way it does now in 20 years.”
The hope is that the park will one day revert to its natural state, but of the few smaller trees poking up from the forest floor, few are of the Douglas fir and western hemlock that should naturally dominate such a park.
Only in the last decade or so has work been undertaken to renew the city’s parks to try to restore them to a semblance of their natural state.
Fixing the Clearbrook forest and others like it will take decades, but it’s far from the only to-do item on the agenda for the city’s tree division.
But it’s not just the city’s parks that concern Snowden. All around the city, he and other parks staffers are in a constant battle to keep a fast-growing city as green as possible while balancing the needs of decade-old infrastructure, independent property owners, busy developers and new cultural groups. To do so, the city is looking at updating its tree bylaw. And if the past is any indication, the public will have plenty to say on the topic.
• • • • •
As Snowden drives around central Abbotsford, he sees issues everywhere. Where a novice may appreciate trees planted in the strips of grass that separate roads from sidewalks, Snowden sees trouble, noting that such pedestrian-friendly buffers often don’t have enough soil to support the trees that were once planted there.
Elsewhere, well-meaning developers have tried to retain existing trees that won’t survive changes to the property, or planted new trees not suited to their location. Some time later, a request inevitably comes to the city to remove the now-dying trees.
Snowden and his team have found that decades ago the city was frequently planting “the wrong tree in the wrong place.” Often, that meant large species being planted in areas where they had little room to grow, or where the soil conditions would either result in them dying, or cause their roots to grow straight down, making them more prone to toppling over in windstorms.
Other neighbourhoods feature almost no tree cover.
Just a couple blocks from Clearbrook Park, Snowden steers his city truck through a 20-year-old subdivision shimmering in the sun. There are few trees here, and despite the age of the homes, none mature enough to reach above the two-storey houses.
Changing that won’t be easy, but the signs of progress are already evident, with buy-in from both private residents and builders.
The area boasts a sizable South Asian population, an ethnic group that Snowden said hasn’t traditionally shown a preference towards leafy neighbourhoods. But the city hopes to change that, as trees bring a range of benefits, from mitigating the ‘heat island’ effect that builds up in cities, to improving public health and walkability of neighbourhoods.
Last year, the city employed Punjabi-speaking youth to go door-to-door to offer residents the opportunity to have street trees planted on the road outside their homes. Today, dozens of such trees line the streets, and parks director James Arden said the department heard for weeks from residents wondering when they were going to get their own trees.
Elsewhere, instead of being required to plant their own street trees, developers are now providing money to the city – and sometimes work closely with arbourists and planners – to ensure newly planted trees can thrive for decades to come.
• • • • •
But in many places, trees are coming down.
Across Abbotsford, developers and property owners are felling hundreds of trees on their properties, according to numbers obtained by a freedom of information request. To cut a tree, one must apply for a permit that typically requires a replacement to be planted. But it can take decades until the new trees grow to replace the mature pine, cedar, hemlock and douglas firs being taken down. Pests too, are taking a bite out of the city’s urban forest.
The city’s current tree bylaw dates back to 2010, and stems from a decade-old worry that the city had to do more to protect its trees.
While initial consultation suggested most favoured stronger rules to protect trees, when the new bylaw was adopted, it met with opposition from some property owners, especially Sumas Mountain residents who complained that it limited what they could do with their land, and that the $300 fee to obtain a tree-cutting permit was too steep.
In 2012, the city reconsidered its rules, and council voted to make it cheaper to obtain a tree removal permit, and exempted a large chunk of rural Sumas Mountain properties from the bylaw’s provisions. The amendments also excluded strata properties from the provisions of the bylaw, and permitted the removal of cottonwood, alder, sumacs and hedgerows, without a permit.
Couns. Moe Gill and Henry Braun, now the city’s mayor, were among those opposed to the amendments, while current Couns. Les Barkman, Patricia Ross and Dave Loewen voted in favour. Ross and Loewen had proposed a rejected motion that would have seen tree permit cost reduced but the Sumas Mountain area still included in the bylaw.
Since the amendment was passed, the number of trees felled with permission from the city has dramatically increased.
Statistics obtained by The News through a freedom of information request show that by mid-May property owners were on track to cut down a record number of trees in 2016.
A little more than a third of the way through 2016, permits had already been issued for the removal of 759 trees on 75 different properties, with exemptions issued for another 407 trees. The combined total of 1,166 already exceeded last year’s number of 1,080 and was on pace to surpass the record set in 2014, when 1,412 trees were permitted to be cut down, 908 of those with a permit.
Prior to that year, the city had issued far fewer tree permits or exemptions, with just 305 tree cuttings approved in 2013, 288 in 2012 and 194 in 2011.
Arden and Snowden note that large windstorms last fall and this spring will have contributed to many of those recently felled trees. The 2014 numbers, meanwhile, were augmented by one developer who received a permit to fell 320 trees alone. Other changes, including to the personnel administering the program, may also affected the figures, the city noted.
Fear of future danger or damage drives many people to ask to start cutting. And while permits are needed to cut most trees, the city only objects if it would breach water protection laws, or if the tree is on city property.
However, when residents or developers do hope to drop trees that lie on city property – often because they have grown to obstruct views or pose a nuisance to development – Snowden and his team can play hard ball.
Earlier this year, a developer asked to remove a massive tree on the edge of a central Abbotsford property where a new home was being built. Over decades, the large Douglas fir had grown into a neighbourhood landmark. And over time, the tree had thickened so much that, while it was originally planted on private property, a portion now stood in the city’s right-of-way, giving it partial ownership and a say into whether the tree came down.
Arden says neighbours had come to the city, promising to chain themselves to the massive tree to prevent its cutting, and in the end, the city took a firm stand and denied the request to fell it.
Often though, the city is more understanding and gives the thumbs up, particularly if the trees are a real nuisance, as in the case of leafy tilias that release a syrup that coats any car parked underneath.
“We have to balance life and reality and what’s going on,” Arden said.
Pests and fungi – some of which are thriving as the climate changes – are claiming other trees. The city’s water-loving birches have been stressed by drought in recent years. As they have yearned for water, they give off a pheromone that has attracted a ravenous bug called the bronze birch borer. The result has been devastating, and Snowden expects the city to lose all of its birches by the time the bug is through here.
However, as an example of the constant challenges facing arbourists, two prominent 100-plus-year-old Douglas firs recently had to be felled near Trethewey House after an inspection revealed a wood-eating fungal pathogen.
“I had never seen this on a living tree,” an expert from the ministry of forests told the city. It’s thought the pathogen may have migrated from the nearby house. Two other Douglas firs at the site were saved, and are being monitored.
• • • • •
“We know we’re losing a large volume of trees,” Snowden said.
The hope is to change that.
The city plans to take another look at its tree protection bylaw this fall, a process that it says will include extensive consultation with the public. What exactly the new bylaw will look like will be shaped by that public input and the councillors they elected, Snowden and Arden note. But the important thing, they say, is acknowledging the need for an urban forest while one still exists. Further west, in Surrey, thousands of trees are being chopped down each year and the city has lost 17 per cent of its tree canopy over the last 13 years.
“They’re chasing their tree canopy because they’ve lost it,” Arden said
As part of preparation for its new bylaw process, the city has commissioned a survey to put a number on its tree canopy. From there, the city will look to set a goal to preserve, or increase, that canopy.
Although Arden said it may seem like the city has many trees, “actually we don’t in the right areas.”
The pair say they expect a range of views on how the city should look at its tree canopy, and how pro-active it should be in protecting it.
“The bylaw can be contentions; people are so passionate on both sides,” Snowden said.
“Last time it was more like Game of Thrones,” Arden added. | http://www.abbynews.com/news/391454751.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.abbynews.com/302882834c3aaabd8b2eda1bfb40d90e628ae44ea95ccff1e779321de53c884f.json |
[
"Tom Fletcher"
] | 2016-08-26T13:06:48 | null | null | No permit required for weddings, festivals on farms if fewer than 150 people attend, says Agriculture Minister Norm Letnick | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.abbynews.com%2Fbusiness%2F388995481.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/15664BCLN2007farmWeddingCarriagewikim7web.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | Brides, bands allowed back on farmland | null | null | www.abbynews.com | Almost a year after B.C. farm weddings were banned due to a crackdown on agricultural land use rules, the B.C. government has clarified what commercial activities are allowed on farmland.
Farmers can host up to 10 commercial weddings, concerts or non-agricultural events per year without a permit from the Agricultural Land Commission. Farmers can take payment to host a wedding or other event as long as no more than 150 guests attend and a list of conditions are met, according to regulations that took effect Tuesday.
To qualify, event hosts must provide all parking on the farm rather than along roads, with no permanent parking lots or structures, and the event must end in less than 24 hours. For more than 10 events a year or exceeding 150 guests, properties with farm tax status must apply to the ALC for a permit.
The new regulation also clarifies ALC policies to allow, with no permit, farm tours and demonstrations, hayrides, corn mazes, pumpkin patch tours, harvest and Christmas fairs and special occasion events to promote farm products.
Agriculture Minister Norm Letnick said the regulation requiring farms to generate at least 50 per cent of its revenue from farm products is also scrapped, after consultation in the past year suggested the new rules instead.
The crackdown on farm weddings came last fall, when the ALC issued stop-work orders to B.C. farms including the Fraser Valley, Kelowna and Vancouver Island.
The restriction came after the province expanded farm uses to allow breweries and distilleries to operate on protected farmland with the same rules used to permit wineries. The rules allowed for processing of farm crops into products such as juice or jam for commercial sale. | http://www.abbynews.com/business/388995481.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.abbynews.com/f5d85ceb4fa60af70dabbf9a93ff46c5d355ba474b02c25bdecb12ffbae82124.json |
[
"Tom Fletcher"
] | 2016-08-26T13:12:25 | null | null | Premier Christy Clark has pulled out the duct tape to fix up rural schools, school buses and the minimum wage | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.abbynews.com%2Fopinion%2F390325601.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/3565BCLN2007ClarkOakesruralschools7web.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | BC VIEWS: Premier Red Green’s fast fixes | null | null | www.abbynews.com | A totally spontaneous expression of gratitude breaks out for Premier Christy Clark and Cariboo North MLA Coralee Oakes at the Quesnel rodeo after a rural school fund was announced in June.
Comedian Steve Smith, better known as Red Green, is touring B.C. in September, reprising his popular TV series in which he fixes every conceivable problem with duct tape.
Green’s “I’m Not Old I’m Ripe” tour hits Chilliwack, Victoria, Nanaimo, Courtenay, Surrey, Vernon, Kelowna and Prince George.
His formula for deploying the handyman’s secret weapon has proven so popular that Premier Christy Clark may have been inspired. She’s had quite a flurry of hasty repairs in the last few months. Here’s a recap.
The B.C. minimum wage was starting to lag behind other provinces, even after the overhaul it received in 2015, where annual increases are tied to inflation.
Like Red’s truck tires, there has been a lack of inflation, and a surge of government spending back east leaving B.C. in the dust. B.C.’s wage rose 20 cents last year and was set to go up by another whole dime this fall.
There was that familiar ripping sound in May as Clark and Jobs Minister Shirley Bond announced the September increase will be patched up to 40 cents, with another 40-cent increase next fall. Two wraps should hold it until after the election.
Remember the episode where Red taped two old Hyundai Ponies side by side to make a handyman’s Hummer? The school system has seen that kind of work in recent months.
The first roll was applied by Education Minister Mike Bernier when he announced in March that the ministry’s “fix-it fund” was going from $35 million to $40 million. Then in mid-May, he announced 80 successful projects. The “fix-it fund” had fattened to $45 million, and Bernier was just getting his sleeves rolled up.
Hey school districts, remember the $25 million in “administrative savings” the ministry demanded for the second year in a row? Now that you’ve squeezed that from your budgets, Bernier’s good news at the end of May was that the government’s giving it back to use for “front line services for students.”
One of those services could be “maintaining schools despite falling enrolment in certain regions,” Bernier announced May 31, foreshadowing the next layer of repairs.
Sure enough, a “rural schools fund” was rolled out on June 15. Clark and Cariboo North MLA Coralee Oakes made the announcement in Quesnel, where Kersley and Parkland elementary schools were going to close.
Also eligible for a special fund was Okanagan-Similkameen, where Osoyoos high school students were going to be bused a half hour to Oliver. This is hardly unusual in rural schooling around B.C., but these are swing ridings, you see.
Kootenay Lake district declined the opportunity to keep Yahk elementary open, with an anticipated fall enrolment of zero students. This all comes during the annual ritual combat between the ministry and Vancouver school board over keeping half-empty schools open.
Bernier had one more roll in his overalls. School bus service, one of those things jettisoned or saddled with hundreds of dollars in fees per student as districts scraped up those “administrative savings,” was selectively saved with another $15 million fund announced last week.
There have been a few other country fixes. They’re not going to ban weddings on farms any more, for instance.
That old jalopy in the back yard you’ve been trying to soup up and get back on the road? Soon you can get a collector plate for that thing, which is perfect if you can only get it running once or twice a year.
To paraphrase Red, if the voters don’t find you handsome, they should at least find you handy.
Tom Fletcher is B.C. legislature reporter and columnist for Black Press. Email: tfletcher@blackpress.ca Twitter: @tomfletcherbc | http://www.abbynews.com/opinion/390325601.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.abbynews.com/dbf12eb2d78abe8a3e52638772040ebe813b008d4f71c8493ef7995887ab9dc1.json |
[
"Tyler Olsen"
] | 2016-08-30T18:50:39 | null | null | With 1,400 residential units, Vicarro Ranch project will be Abbotsford's largest development in more than a decade. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.abbynews.com%2Fnews%2F391768561.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/354abbotsfordvicarroweb.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | Massive Sumas Mountain development given go-ahead | null | null | www.abbynews.com | Plans for the Vicarro Ranch project would see hundreds of units of single-family, townhouse and apartments built.
Abbotsford’s largest development in more than a decade received the go-ahead from council Monday evening nearly three years after a public hearing on the project.
The Vicarro Ranch project proposed 1,400 residential units, including single-family homes, duplexes townhomes and apartment units, over a 383-acre area on each side of Whatcom Road on Sumas Mountain.
The project had been given third reading in 2013, but final adoption of the necessary bylaw amendments had been held up, while various issues and conditions were resolved.
The plan would see 580 single-family homes, 120 duplex units, 260 townhouse units and 440 apartment units built in five separate areas over the site, which has been ranched by the Trethewey family for decades.
The project would also see the a series of trails and three neighbourhood parks created, along with the preservation natural open spaces in the area, which is frequently used by mountain bikers and hikers.
A public hearing in November of 2013 saw people register concerns about traffic on Whatcom Road and local streets, as well as the plan’s effect on the environment and wildlife. A report from 2013 documented several observations of species-at-risk in the area, along with multiple “veteran trees.”
The site also sits just south of the “Thunderbird Caves,” an archaeological site interest historically known to local First Nations.
The project, as laid out in 2013, envisioned traffic-calming measures on local streets, along with traffic signals at the intersections of McKee Road and McMillan Road; McKee Road and Cassiar Avenue; and the Whatcom Road access points to the development. Retail outlets are also planned for along Whatcom Road.
A traffic report from 2012, however, recommended the replacement of the Whatcom Road with a four-lane overpass in order to keep up with traffic demands as the area is developed over the next decade. | http://www.abbynews.com/news/391768561.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.abbynews.com/a73770cc56a3042ce7173ffeebf683e8500302362c1ed2a6723fd8bd1817a2f9.json |
[
"Sports Reporter"
] | 2016-08-26T13:12:46 | null | null | Three-month run for the sport at Abbotsford Centre starts on Saturday | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.abbynews.com%2Fsports%2F390709681.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/63548abbotsfordkabaddi.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | Champions Kabaddi League comes to Abbotsford | null | null | www.abbynews.com | The Champions Kabaddi League comes to Abbotsford for a three month run starting on Saturday.
The Champions Kabaddi League is coming to Abbotsford for a run of matches starting this Saturday at the Abbotsford Centre.
Kabaddi, which originated thousands of years ago, has been played all over India and South Asia since 1930.
The sport is played with 10 players on each aside for a period of 40 minutes with a five-minute break.
The core idea of the game is to score points by raiding into the opponent's court and touching as many defensive players as possible without getting caught. One player, chants 'kabaddi' and charges into the opponent's court and tries to touch the opponent closest to him, while the seven opponents maneuver to catch the attacker.
"We've hosted Kabaddi events in the past with great success, but to become the main venue for the Champions Kabaddi League for the next three months in a great privilege," stated Andrew Nash, general manager at the Abbotsford Centre.
"The inclusion of Champions Kabaddi League further expands our robust events schedule this fall and brings new fans into the venue."
Five teams, including hometown Paar Abby Fighters of Abbotsford will compete for Champions Kabaddi League supremacy against the Richmond Raiders, Surrey Superstars, Toronto Young Panthers and the Toronto-based Canadian Punjabi Tigers.
The competitors of the Champions Kabaddi League are from India, Pakistan, as well as Canada.
Champions Kabaddi League Matches:
Saturday, August 20 – 6PM
Friday, August 26 – 7PM
Saturday, September 3 – 6PM
Saturday, September 10 – 6PM
Saturday, September 17 – 6PM
Saturday, September 24- 6PM
Monday, October 3 – 6PM
Saturday, October 8 – 6PM
Sunday, October 16 – 6PM
Tickets to Kabaddi matches are $20 and can be purchased at the Prospera Centre Box Office at the Abbotsford Centre and online at Ticketmaster.ca | http://www.abbynews.com/sports/390709681.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.abbynews.com/544942b67b42e92266e9e4a77edfdb461ca365292945b38bffd884f6f96fd614.json |
[
"Kelvin"
] | 2016-08-26T16:48:29 | null | null | Mark Thiessen excited to bring his family to Abbotsford and start new job | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.abbynews.com%2Fnews%2F391325991.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/62326abbotsford89732tribuneThiesseamilypicweb.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | Williams Lake superintendent taking over as MEI principal | null | null | www.abbynews.com | Incoming MEI principal Mark Thiessen (second from right) and his wife Tracey (third from right) and their children Sam, 15, (from left), Brooklyn, 20, Eli, 10 and Jonah, 17, are moving to Abbotsford.
Mennonite Educational Institute's incoming principal, Mark Thiessen, says moving to Abbotsford is "like coming full circle" back to the town where he met his wife Tracey at Columbia Bible College.
Thiessen is leaving his post as superintendent in the Williams Lake school district to take the helm at MEI this fall.
"While the world may see a move from a school district superintendent to a school principal as a step down, we don't see it that way," he said in an email. "I have moved between administration jobs and teaching jobs in the past and have never tried to look at my career as moving in one direction only."
Thiessen said he had originally planned to spend his entire educational career in the secular public system but saw the benefits of a religious education when his children attended a Christian school for 18 months in Rwanda.
"I truly came to appreciate the privilege of teaching and learning in a Christian setting," he said. "Being able to provide a quality education while also preparing students for life as a Christian in today's world is both an honour and a huge responsibility."
Thiessen first worked for the Williams Lake district as an intern at age 15 and has since done everything from custodial and grounds maintenance to teaching and finally leaving the district as a superintendent, a role he filled for four years.
Thiessen said he is looking forward to implementing a new curriculum at MEI, as well as being in more direct contact with students than his last job.
"I'm a big believer in equipping and supporting teachers," he said.
Thiessen said his wife Tracey is looking forward to working as a nurse in the area and his three youngest children are sad to leave their friends behind but, like their parents, they are excited for a new beginning in Abbotsford. The move will also bring the Thiessen family closer together, as their eldest daughter, Brooklyn, already attends Trinity Western University in Langley.
"Mark was the unanimous recommendation of the secondary principal search committee and affirmed, also unanimously, by the MEI board of directors," said Vijay Manuel, head of schools at MEI, in a press release announcing Thiessen's hiring. | http://www.abbynews.com/news/391325991.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.abbynews.com/8a19499c79e6ee4483879c4558a256268206bc61cdfa354c0e88f10e3a934d47.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T12:50:22 | null | null | Abbotsford 4-H Beef Club member sells champion steer | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.abbynews.com%2Fcommunity%2F391100621.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/62594abbotsfordchampmarketsteer01.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | Young Abbotsford farmers participate in 4H competition at PNE (with gallery) | null | null | www.abbynews.com | Abbotsford's Paige Thompson of the 4H Beef Club with her champion steer, which sold for $12,210 at the PNE 4H Competition.
Abbotsford's Paige Thompson had the champion steer at this year's Pacific National Exhibition 4-H Competition, with an impressive $12,210 sale.
The 1,480-pound (671kgs) animal was bought by the Fox and Hound Pub at $8.25 per pound.
Thompson is a member of the Abbotsford 4-H Beef Club. 4-H is an international agriculture youth program which aims to extend agricultural education to rural youth by organizing boys and girls clubs and through "learning and doing." It dates back to Hastings Park in Vancouver to the very first PNE in 1910.
Since its inception, the PNE has supported 4-H in British Columbia, welcoming over 450 young people from 4H clubs from across the province to the Fair for the popular 4-H Festival annually. This year's competitions include beef, dairy, dog, llama, poultry, swine, sheep, rabbit, sewing, crafts, and photography.
The annual 4-H auction marks the culmination of a years' work by the young participants, who raise their project animals from birth, learning important agricultural business lessons by monitoring costs and selling their animal in hopes of earning a profit. The PNE also salutes the many local individuals and businesses who attend the auction annually in support of these future BC farmers.
Full Results from the competition are below:
Beef:
Champion Steer - Paige Thompson of the Abbotsford 4-H Beef Club - sold for $8.25/lb to Fox and Hound Pub. Final selling price: $12,210
Reserve Champion Steer - Amanda McGillivray of Yale County Beef and Lamb Club - sold for $4.25/lb to Bonnetti Meats. Final selling price: $6141.25
Sheep:
Champion Lamb - Shea-Lynn Seaman, from Langley Lamb and Woolcraft - sold for $7.75/lb to Pacific National Exhibition. Final selling price: $1038.50
Reserve Champion Lamb - Sarah Maloney, of the Saanich 4-H Lamb Club - sold for $6.25/lb to Hurstmount Farm. Final selling price: $675
Swine:
Champion Swine - Monica Romeyn of Fraser Valley Beef and Swine - sold for $5.25/lb to Geoffrey and Catherine Kieft. Final selling price: $1443.75
Reserve Champion - Gabriel Camparmo of Pitt River 4-H Swine Club - sold for $5.00/lb to Johnston Packers. Final selling price: $1295
Goat:
Champion Goat - Donovan Perry of the Fraser Valley Footprints 4-H - sold for $7.50/lb to Meadow Valley Meats. Final selling price: $570
Reserve Champion Goat - Darla George of the Pitt River 4-H Swine Club - sold for $7.25/lb to Bonnetti Meats. Final selling price: $471.25 | http://www.abbynews.com/community/391100621.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.abbynews.com/50fbe7e071f7fa299e7faec0902c6861a2daf184acd2ef07b4cd002267dc5298.json |
[
"Tom Fletcher"
] | 2016-08-30T18:50:38 | null | null | Some urban districts struggle with overcrowding, special funds for declining rural schools, bus service to take effect | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.abbynews.com%2Fnews%2F391773061.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/2045BCLN2007Schoolstudentblurwide-BJ7web.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | B.C. school enrolment up for second year | null | null | www.abbynews.com | Students return to public school next week, with changes to curriculum and some provincial exams.
Students are returning to class next week in most of B.C.'s public schools, with enrolment expected to be up province-wide for the second year running.
Education Minister Mike Bernier says early forecasts show about 529,000 students, an increase of 2,900 from last year. But that increase is centred on fast-growing school districts, while many rural areas continue to struggle with declining student numbers.
Among changes that parents and students will see this year is a new curriculum in place up to Grade 9, with a test year for changes in the senior grades. Bernier said the new emphasis on collaboration and communication skills does not mean a watering down of the basic skills, and is designed to improve students' ability to work at modern jobs.
Report cards are to continue this school year, but the ministry is reviewing its system with an eye to providing more frequent updates. Parents are being consulted on the changes, Bernier said.
Foundation Skills Assessment tests in grades four and seven are also continuing after years of protests from teacher unions, but that program is also being examined for possible changes. FSA tests will be "enhanced" but not eliminated, Bernier said.
Provincial exams continue for graduates in math and English, but science and social studies will now be assessed at a classroom level rather than school-wide tests, Bernier said.
The ministry provided a series of top-ups to education funding this year, for bus service and to keep selected rural schools from closing. Applications are still being taken for a transportation fund until Sept. 30, requiring districts to drop across-the-board school bus fees to qualify.
Districts may still charge transportation fees for international students or those from outside a school catchment area.
NDP leader John Horgan highlighted the crowding in Surrey school district, where 7,000 students remain in portables despite an expansion program. The NDP says the B.C. government's claim of record per-student funding ignores a reduction of education funding as a share of the provincial economy.
"Since 2001, the B.C. Liberals have dragged public education funding in this province from the second best in Canada to the second worst," Horgan said. | http://www.abbynews.com/news/391773061.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.abbynews.com/8b49ca65933bda071275eb87281534a9bf31291a41049b8b3f4181f8b0d748be.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:12:19 | null | null | Another phone scam has surfaced, this time targeting the South Asian community ... | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.abbynews.com%2Fopinion%2F390629891.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/BlackNewsMedia-CLR.png?t=12345? | en | null | EDITORIAL: Don't fall for the scam | null | null | www.abbynews.com | Another phone scam has surfaced, this time targeting the South Asian community, and once again using intimidation to pry out personal and financial information – undoubtedly to be used in some sort of fraud.
The caller – claiming to be a police officer – says the family has failed to file immigration documentation, and then fishes for family names and other personal data.
This resembles the bogus Canada Revenue Agency calls which recently swept across the country, in which the scammers posed as federal tax authorities, claiming the recipient of the call had not filed proper income tax information and could face huge fines or prison if money was not sent immediately.
The families getting the immigration con did the right thing by refusing to answer questions, and contacted the police.
Unfortunately, that’s not always the case. More than a few folks targeted in the tax scam were frightened enough to comply with the money demands, and were taken for thousands of dollars.
That’s why these phone scams – and there are dozens of them – are constantly circulating. The con artists always have a degree of success. If they make enough calls, they’ll find someone who will bend to extortion, fears for a “relative in trouble,” or falls for a promise of lucrative “winnings.”
All too often the victims are elderly. They are not scam-savvy, either because they haven’t heard of the latest fraud, or they’re frail and vulnerable to threats.
For those who have elderly parents, or work closely with seniors, ensure you’ve had a discussion, repeated if needed, about protecting against phone scams.
If you’ve not had such a call personally, be prepared. Don’t believe what you hear over the phone. No government agency or bank demands personal and financial information, or money, by phone.
Be suspicious, don’t comply, hang up, and call the real police. | http://www.abbynews.com/opinion/390629891.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.abbynews.com/5b66d75c25d3d1788d6067b72d08d11dee949a550e52365e65a220bb81b3a4e7.json |
[
"Jeff Nagel"
] | 2016-08-30T00:50:38 | null | null | Chronic wasting disease is similar to mad cow disease but infects and kills deer, elk and moose | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.abbynews.com%2Fnews%2F391677361.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/56631BCLN2007Chronic_Wasting_Disease_Map.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | B.C. wary of deadly deer disease in Alberta | null | null | www.abbynews.com | Known infections of chronic wasting disease in deer and other wildlife as of 2014.
Provincial wildlife officials are concerned that a disease killing deer and elk on the prairies could soon spread into B.C.
Chronic wasting disease, a degenerative nervous system condition similar to so-called mad cow disease, has been discovered in an animal 30 kilometres southeast of Edmonton.
That's the furthest west – by about 100 kilometres – that biologists have detected the deadly disease and the discovery intensifies concerns that infected deer may make their way to B.C.
No infected animals have been found yet in B.C. but wildlife health staff are stepping up monitoring efforts in the Peace and Kootenay regions, where deer are most at-risk.
Hunters are being asked to help by donating deer, elk and moose heads for analysis. Drop-off locations are listed at www.stopchronicwastingdisease.ca.
Anyone who encounters a sick or dead deer is urged to report it to B.C.'s wildlife health program by emailing wildlifehealth@gov.bc.ca.
Although chronic wasting disease is similar to bovine spongiform encephalopathy, Alberta's agriculture and forestry ministry says there's no evidence it can infect humans, but notes the World Health Organization advises against allowing any meat source possibly infected by prions into the human food system.
It's thought to be unlikely that the disease could spread to domestic cattle or bison.
Outbreaks on game farms typically result in quarantines and culls.
Transmission is through saliva, urine and feces and is thought to be more likely to occur where elk and deer are crowded or congregate at man-made feed and water stations, according to the Alberta ministry.
Most of the Canadian cases have been in Saskatchewan. | http://www.abbynews.com/news/391677361.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.abbynews.com/ddecd3894d35ffb10cf32f417c5bfeb4b1956fe46ed3743d796ac8225f9c33c9.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:08:02 | null | null | I was recently told by someone after a brief discussion that I am an East Indian sympathizer in reference to my columns ... | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.abbynews.com%2Flifestyles%2F390636901.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/BlackNewsMedia-CLR.png?t=12345? | en | null | COLUMN: Gentle, equal and balanced | null | null | www.abbynews.com | On the Spot by Ken Herar
I was recently told by someone after a brief discussion that I am an East Indian sympathizer in reference to my columns.
I don’t mind criticism as long as it’s accurate. The only thing that is correct about this statement is, yes, I am East Indian – actually South Asian is the proper term to use.
For me being a South Asian sympathizer is the furthest from the truth.
Over the past two decades, I worked tirelessly with many community members to create dialogue and find ways where we can encourage diverse activities and relationships.
It’s not about favouring one cultural group over another, but rather looking at our community as one diverse city.
Readers might sometimes automatically assume that when they see my South Asian face on this page that I am voicing something on East Indian topics or criticizing the mainstream community on racism issues. Get your facts correct on what is actually being discussed and the foundation that is being created.
In order for us to move forward, I discovered a formula that has assisted me on how we can be more interconnected. It is called: (GEB) Gentle, Equal and Balances. By being Gentle, we actually get to listen and respect each other. When it comes to the diversity family, everyone is Equal despite our obvious differences. In order to discover diversity we need to have Balances in terms of our friendships and activities.
Diversity can be a difficult term for some to understand, yet they claim to practice it. Then there are those who think it is just a word and never publicly admit they don’t believe in it. Whatever side of the fence you’re on, these three terms will provide an important self-guide, and it’s more than just about differences. Actually, we have more in common than you may believe.
My mother Kuldip shared a story with me that captures these three terms all in one package. When my mom came to Canada in the mid 1960s, her English was limited and it was the kind people of Mission and members from the Mission Rotary Club who stepped up and took her out to get groceries and assisted her with daily activities.
Mom always says: “I will never forget those people who welcomed me with open arms.” | http://www.abbynews.com/lifestyles/390636901.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.abbynews.com/2d98eeca7ea368532fb8bf70448b79b2fa27615a43013460a8abefa216c43da1.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T16:48:27 | null | null | Blaze broke out Thursday evening at the Sumas Way exit off Highway 1 | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.abbynews.com%2Fnews%2F391414881.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/6701abbotsfordSemi-truckfire.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | Crews quickly extinguish semi-truck fire in Abbotsford | null | null | www.abbynews.com | A truck caught on fire at the Sumas Way exit off Highway 1 in Abbotsford on Thursday evening.
A semi-truck fire was quickly extinguished by Abbotsford Fire Rescue Service crews last night (Thursday) at the Sumas Way exit off Highway 1.
The fire broke out at about 8:15 p.m. as the truck was heading eastbound.
The cause of the blaze is not known at this time.
Nobody was injured in the incident. | http://www.abbynews.com/news/391414881.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.abbynews.com/c09bf38033a59133204f4102bd4ebb642c0e0a77759c96a3abf042d1161193eb.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:10:12 | null | null | Incident took place Wednesday at Highway 11 and Bateman Road | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.abbynews.com%2Fnews%2F391179251.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/99772abbotsfordCrashsceneHighway11web.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | 14-year-old driver crashes stolen car in Abbotsford | null | null | www.abbynews.com | A 14-year-old driver hit two signs and a light standard on Wednesday morning at the corner of Highway 11 and Bateman Road.
A 14-year-old boy was arrested following a crash in Abbotsford on Wednesday morning.
Abbotsford Police Const. Ian MacDonald said the investigation is still in its early stages, but it appears the teen took car keys and a Volkswagen Jetta from a residence where he was a guest.
Just before 7 a.m., police received a call that the boy had crashed into a light pole, two signs and another vehicle – an Acura MDX (an SUV) – at the corner of Highway 11 (the Abbotsford-Mission Highway) and Bateman Road.
MacDonald said there was only one occupant in each vehicle, and nobody was injured.
The teen was arrested for possession of stolen property, although it is not yet clear what specific charges he could face.
The owner of the vehicle contacted the Abbotsford News, saying the boy was her daughter’s boyfriend, and her daughter had snuck him into the house overnight.
The mom said she didn’t know what had occurred until police were knocking on her door about an hour after the crash.
She then discovered that the boy had been in her home and left with the vehicle after he had a fight with his girlfriend.
The woman said police told her that her vehicle had been totalled, although she hasn’t yet had confirmation from ICBC about the damage.
“It’s scary. I’m so glad nobody got killed,” she said.
The mom said she has now taken steps to keep the boy away from her residence and her daughter. | http://www.abbynews.com/news/391179251.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.abbynews.com/c0d54518336a8a0c736d4625fe0e5bd897c52f342f4e8ef7adf1e78d896e75c5.json |
[
"Staff Writer"
] | 2016-08-28T22:50:59 | null | null | The University of the Fraser Valley men’s soccer team flexed its muscles during a recent preseason trip through the northwest U.S. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.abbynews.com%2Fsports%2F391451831.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/20065abbotsford23528827582_0e6949e97c_o.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | Cascades undefeated in stateside trip | null | null | www.abbynews.com | James Najman and the University of the Fraser Valley men’s soccer team flexed its muscles on offence during a recent preseason trip through the northwest United States
The University of the Fraser Valley men’s soccer team flexed its muscles on offence during a recent preseason trip through the northwest United States.
The Cascades racked up 13 goals while picking up two wins and a draw against a trio of National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) programs: the Corban University Warriors, the Warner Pacific College Knights, and the Evergreen State College Geoducks.
“Overall, I’m happy with how the trip went,” Cascades head coach Tom Lowndes said. “Preseason isn’t necessarily about results, it’s about how well you play. But to score that many goals, it was some quality stuff. In all three of the games, minus 15 or 20 minutes, we passed the ball really well. We created a lot of opportunities, caused a lot of problems, and looked really dangerous.”
The Cascades opened the jaunt on Saturday, Aug. 13 with a dominant 7-1 victory over the Corban Warriors in Salem, Ore. Third-year forward Daniel Davidson led the offensive onslaught with two goals, while James Najman, Jun Won Choi, Connor MacMillan, Justin Sekhon and Jassi Mann added singles.
On Monday, Aug. 15, the Cascades visited the campus of Warner Pacific College in Portland, Ore., and came away with a 2-2 draw with Najman and Sekhon supplying the goals.
The UFV side wrapped up the journey with a Tuesday afternoon tilt at Evergreen State College in Olympia, Wash. A pair of first-half goals from fifth-year midfielder MacMillan put the Cascades firmly in control, and rookie forward Nate Trampleasure made it 3-0 on a penalty kick in the 74th minute after Najman was taken down in the box. Mann rounded out the scoring in the 88th minute, and keeper Arturo Ortiz picked up the clean sheet.
While the Cascades got predictably strong performances from veterans like MacMillan, Sekhon, Najman and Davidson, Lowndes was equally pleased with the development of his young players. Rookie defender Ryan Donald was a standout, and fellow first-years Trampleasure, Mann and Choi showed their ability to contribute on the scoresheet.
“The first-years that have come in, they all played really well and played big minutes,” Lowndes noted. “They adjusted really well to the level of competition. It was neat to see the group bond throughout the trip. If everybody buys into the way we want to play and we stay healthy, I think we can have a really good season.”
The Cascades men played two more games on their preseason slate, and both were against NCAA Div. II squads.
They headed to Bellingham, Wash. last Saturday to take on the Western Washington University Vikings (see page 27 for results) and hosted the Simon Fraser University Clan on Thursday, Aug. 25 at MRC Sports Complex, but results were not available before press deadline.
The UFV soccer teams open the Canada West regular season with a home doubleheader on Friday, Sept. 2. The women take on the Trinity Western Spartans at 5:30 p.m., and the men face the Thompson Rivers WolfPack at 8 p.m. The men have a second game on opening weekend, hosting the UBC Okanagan Heat on Saturday, Sept. 3 at 8 p.m. All Cascades home games are at MRC Sports Complex, Field 4. | http://www.abbynews.com/sports/391451831.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.abbynews.com/94d581ab4c17f5aef08fb393746cf6529367326dbca0acc25c7a8ab130a7dfea.json |
[
"Canadian Press"
] | 2016-08-29T16:50:21 | null | null | Forest fires tore through northeastern B.C., but then cooler weather took over June into July. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.abbynews.com%2Fnews%2F391429961.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/27526BCLN2007FireTangoLookout.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | B.C. wildfire costs top $100M, but still less than in 2015 | null | null | www.abbynews.com | B.C. has spent $103 million fighting wildfires across the province since the fire season began April 1.
Information officer Claire Allen of the BC Wildfire Service says that is less than half the amount spent in B.C. over the same period last year.
She says $232 million was spent battling 1,772 fires between April and the end of August in 2015, while just 936 blazes have scorched about 990 square kilometres of B.C. woodland this year.
That compares to the nearly 3,000 square kilometres of bush burned across B.C. in 2015.
This year's fire season began early and aggressively with several huge wildfires in northeastern B.C.
But Allen says cooler weather in late June and throughout July dampened the fire danger, and a recent heat wave is also expected to be checked by lower temperatures this weekend.
"That's going to bring showers beginning in the northern portions of B.C. and coming into the southern half by the end of the weekend," she says.
"That's going to bring variable amounts of precipitation, cloudier skies, cooler temperatures, higher levels of humidity and all those things work together to reduce the fire danger rating across the province."
Sixty wildfires are currently burning in B.C., with eight new fires in the last 24 hours, most of those in the Coastal Fire Centre, where the fire danger rating is ranked high to extreme.
(CHNL)
The Canadian Press | http://www.abbynews.com/news/391429961.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.abbynews.com/f6c75c0203a18a93bf7fee3d47b1c605494ceba4ccc48351bac53f3bf2a972ef.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T18:46:18 | null | null | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.abbynews.com%2Fcommunity%2F391634881.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/40037abbotsfordElizabeth-sWildlifeCentre-1-MORROW.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | PHOTO: Elizabeth's Wildlife Center | null | null | www.abbynews.com | Volunteer Chris watches over an opossum at Elizabeth's Wildlife Centre during the open house on Saturday and Sunday.
Elizabeth's Wildlife Center hosted its annual open house event on Saturday and Sunday at their facility on Verdon Way.
The event allows patrons a chance to see what the center is all about, and participate in face painting, games and snacks. | http://www.abbynews.com/community/391634881.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.abbynews.com/0734ac4d6a8e0e6ee1deb70e2f417c67a8c02e237c48cf11d73a5d8446bf5aa6.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T12:57:47 | null | null | The following is a list of just some of the activities taking place in Abbotsford over the following week | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.abbynews.com%2Fcommunity%2F390636821.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/BlackNewsMedia-CLR.png?t=12345? | en | null | SLICE OF LIFE: Aug. 19 to 26 | null | null | www.abbynews.com | ART SHOW
An art show featuring artists Jane Anne Lawson, Darrell Swanson and Jack Ferguson takes place Saturday, Aug. 20 at the Fraternal Order of Eagles Hall, 33868 Essendene Ave., from noon to 6 p.m. The show and sale also includes prize draws. Info: 778-347-4440
VICTORY WALK
The Abbotsford Women’s Centre for Adult and Teen Challenge BC holds its annual Victory Walk/Run-athon fundraiser on Saturday, Aug. 27 at Mill Lake Park. The event starts at 9:30 a.m. See how many times you can go around Mill Lake in 90 minutes. Visit teenchallengebc.com and go to the events page to register or for more information.
FAMILY CELEBRATION
Mosaic Church holds a family celebration on Saturday, Aug. 20 from 6 to 9 p.m. at 2940 Clearbrook Rd. Pop in between 6 and 9 p.m. for a night of fun that includes face painting, games, food and more.
NAVY LEAGUE
The Central Valley branch of the Navy League of Canada, located at 3900 272 St. in Aldergrove, is recruiting officers for its Navy League program. Call 604-309-5664 to assist as a civilian volunteer or to enroll and become an officer. Free training is provided. Volunteers will be required to complete a screening process, including a criminal-record check.
CLAYBURN MUSEUM
Clayburn Museum (4315 Wright St.) historic site is open every Saturday from 1 to 4 p.m. through August. Info: Helene at 604-854-3960
CARPET BOWLING
Carpet bowling takes place every Tuesday and Thursday from 2 to 4 p.m. at Garden Park Tower, 2825 Clearbrook Rd. Cost is $1.25. Info: 604-853-5532
ALATEEN MEETS
Alateen, a part of Al-Anon Family Groups, is for young people whose lives have been affected by someone else’s drinking, whether it’s a parent, sibling or friend. The group meets every Tuesday in Abbotsford at the Home Society (31581 South Fraser Way), starting at 7:15 p.m. Info: 604-855-1942 or 604-826-5100
FOR SEXAHOLICS
Sexaholics Anonymous is a 12-step program of recovery for men and women who want to stop their sexually self-destructive thinking and behaviour. Abbotsford SA meets every Saturday at 8 a.m. For information and location, email abbotsfordsa1@gmail.com. See also www.sa.org. | http://www.abbynews.com/community/390636821.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.abbynews.com/09a2bee3a91bad51d7268ddc3e69fa43a264450e22ad44c0ea2c3a7d2f580a09.json |
[
"Tom Fletcher"
] | 2016-08-26T13:07:35 | null | null | Designer of Kicking Horse and Jumbo resorts gets approval to proceed with $175 million project east of Prince George | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.abbynews.com%2Fbusiness%2F390477731.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/66407BCLN2007Oberti-Oberto7web.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | B.C. approves Valemount glacier resort plan | null | null | www.abbynews.com | The B.C. government has approved a master development plan for a new year-round ski resort in the Cariboo Mountains west of Valemount.
Valemount Glacier Destination Resort is a $175 million project led by Oberto Oberti, who designed the Kicking Horse Mountain Resort near Golden and the controversial Jumbo Glacier Resort proposal west of Invermere.
The Valemount plan includes lifts and gondolas that would carry skiers and sight-seers to the summits of Mount Pierre Elliott Trudeau and Mount Arthur Meighen. Its vertical drop of 2,050 metres would be higher than Whistler-Blackcomb and the largest in North America.
"There are very few places in the world, and none in North America, where you go and ride a lift to the very top and the glacier is below you," said Jill Bodkin, a director of the company.
Valemount is a remote community of about 1,000 residents near the Alberta border east of Prince George. The region is west of Jasper National Park, which attracts visitors from around the world.
On the project's website, Oberti says people will travel to Switzerland for this kind of mountain resort experience, so a three-hour drive from Prince George isn't an obstacle to success.
Valemount Mayor Jeanette Townsend called the master plan approval "exciting news." She said the community attracts visitors who stay there to avoid the expensive accommodation in Jasper and the resort will take it to the next level.
Chief Nathan Matthew of the Simpcw First Nation said his community has been involved since the beginning, and he sees the project as an important economic development for the northern part of Simpcw's traditional territory. | http://www.abbynews.com/business/390477731.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.abbynews.com/65f3f62d81c00826d5a6613bd156d48d593e0e337356190916a2eda49dfd83a4.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:04:37 | null | null | Excavation work has begun at The Residences on Marshall Road | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.abbynews.com%2Fbusiness%2F388693321.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/12758abbotsfordBoulevardTheResidences.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | New condominium project under development in Abbotsford | null | null | www.abbynews.com | The former building was demolished this week at the site of a new condominium project called The Residences on Marshall Road.
Work began this week on a new condominium project on Marshall Road.
Excavators were on site as the Boulevard Group undertook the demolition of the existing structure on the future site of the 48-unit project known as The Residences, located at 33553 Marshall Rd., just west of McCallum Road.
Construction trailers have now been moved onto the site, and Boulevard Group president Karen Matty said local residents will witness a flurry of activity over the next year.
“Having only launched for sales two months ago, we are pleased with the success and how quickly these homes are being spoken for,” she said.
J. Floris Construction Ltd., the general contractor for the development, handled the demolition.
Once the site trailers are up, the next step in construction is to establish grades and prepare footings for the buildings.
The property was previously proposed as the location for the 174-unit 28-storey Brio high-rise tower, which did not proceed in 2008 due to a lack of luxury condominium buyers.
The Residences is a six-storey project described on its website as an “exclusive collection of 48 contemporary homes” that are “timeless in design” with “well-thought-out floor plans, light-filled kitchens and large patios and decks.” | http://www.abbynews.com/business/388693321.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.abbynews.com/fa22c562382fd5149fbb074c72a2d5929e11d4b31f2f9b3f10f3165f3cc0dce1.json |
[
"Canadian Press"
] | 2016-08-26T13:10:31 | null | null | Notice means delivery could be cancelled as early as Monday | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.abbynews.com%2Fnews%2F391302051.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/68221BCLN200782072cranbrookdailyCPweb.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | Postal union issues strike notice after it says Canada Post refused special mediator | null | null | www.abbynews.com | The union representing most workers at Canada Post has issued a 72-hour notice of job action as it tries to bargain a collective agreement with the Crown corporation.
The Canadian Union of Postal Workers says the notice spells out what actions it is planning, but stops short of a full-blown walkout.
CUPW national president Mike Palecek says Canada Post forced the labour disruption by refusing to accept a request from the federal labour minister to continue negotiations with the help of a special mediator.
But a spokesman for the agency says that's not the case.
The union's strike mandate was set to expire at midnight.
The two sides have been in negotiations for more than nine months but are far apart on key issues including pay equity for rural carriers and proposed changes to the Canada Post pension plan.
The Canadian Press | http://www.abbynews.com/news/391302051.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.abbynews.com/0a2cd0d377c7a0d43fee2f1b1ad7c51449c3082c4966dc6e5d609c600d6c8833.json |
[
"Tyler Olsen"
] | 2016-08-30T00:50:36 | null | null | Hundreds of Abbotsford residents painted hundreds of tiles as part of public art project for nation's 150th birthday. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.abbynews.com%2Fnews%2F391675421.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/55459abbotsfordmuralmosaic.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | VIDEO: Community mural project unveiled | null | null | www.abbynews.com | A public art project created by hundreds of Abbotsford residents was publicly unveiled for the first time Monday.
The Canada 150 Mural Mosaic project saw hundreds of people paint tiles between May and July. Those 350 tiles were paired with 226 more painted by organizers. When assembled together, they created a single image that would represent Abbotsford. The mural mosaic is one of dozens being created throughout the country as part of a project commemorating Canada's upcoming 150th birthday.
“It’s extremely exciting to see this mural fully assembled and to see the final mural design,” said Mayor Henry Braun. “Each of the 350 individually painted tiles in the mural are so unique since residents painted what is symbolic and important to them in our community. This truly is a legacy art piece for our community to enjoy now, and for generations to come.”
The mural is now fully assembled and displayed in the Matsqui Centennial Auditorium. This mural will preserve Abbotsford’s legacy and commemorate Canada’s 150th birthday.
The Mural Mosaic project will ultimately create a national virtual mural that includes over 80,000 paintings and 150 individual murals from all provinces and territories. All the artwork will be joined together to form one massive virtual mural mosaic. | http://www.abbynews.com/news/391675421.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.abbynews.com/a3c6f436d7721c5a368efcf7b9ed50f3443dec1131b5bce75c8fbd92ac978b1f.json |
[
"Tom Fletcher"
] | 2016-08-26T13:12:07 | null | null | Expo 86, and later the Vancouver Olympics, were designed to put B.C. and Vancouver on the world map | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.abbynews.com%2Fopinion%2F388303171.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/32900BCLN2007colbertmoose7web.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | BC VIEWS: Housing ‘crisis’ decades in the making | null | null | www.abbynews.com | Stephen Colbert records an episode of his U.S. comedy show from Vancouver during the 2010 Olympics, expressing amazement about the lack of igloos in February. Expo 86 and the Olympics were designed to put Vancouver on the world map, and it seems to have worked.
With a bit of grumbling behind the scenes, our 85 MLAs have trekked back to Victoria this week to deal with an emergency summer legislature sitting.
The stated purpose of this brief session is to comply with a demand from Vancouver city council for the ability to impose additional property tax on vacant residential properties.
Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson, a former NDP MLA who likes to direct provincial affairs when he isn’t issuing instructions to Ottawa on pipeline policy, should be careful what he wishes for. B.C. Finance Minister Mike de Jong was happy to drop this hot potato in his lap, and now Vancouver city hall can try to determine who’s vacationing for a few months and who’s holding an investment property while living somewhere else.
When NDP leader John Horgan began calling for a “speculation tax” of 1.5 per cent on “offshore” investments, de Jong cited a Vancouver survey that showed the number of vacant properties in the city was declining, even as prices were climbing rapidly.
Horgan argues that Metro Vancouver is in the grip of a housing “bubble” that must be caused by foreign money.
“If wages have been stagnant for a decade, which they have, where is the revenue coming from to inflate these prices?” Horgan said last week. “It’s coming from somewhere else. And that’s not sustainable over the long term.”
Another point likely to be made repeatedly this week is that the province stopped collecting citizenship and residency data on real estate purchases back in the late 1990s. De Jong changed that this spring and with great fanfare rolled out the first three weeks of sales data from June.
They showed that only three per cent of purchases of B.C. residential real estate were from foreign buyers, mostly from China. They were concentrated in Metro Vancouver, and accounted for about five per cent of the total value, which suggests they were for higher-end properties.
This was assailed from all sides. Not a big enough sample size, doesn’t prove anything, etc.
(De Jong abruptly announced on Monday that they were imposing a 15 per cent additional property transfer tax on foreign buyers. On Tuesday he released another few weeks of foreign buyer data.)
We have one of those situations I call coffee shop consensus. Everybody “knows” it’s Chinese money pouring into B.C., and that many homes are being left empty, even if the actual evidence doesn’t show that.
Seattle has a similar problem with real estate in choice locations, by the way. Down there, the coffee shop consensus seems to be that it’s those darn San Francisco and Silicon Valley grillionaires who are driving up prices beyond the reach of working folks.
Blaming foreigners is a great narrative. We saw the same thing with B.C. campgrounds. Utter nonsense, but it has “truthiness,” as U.S. comedian Stephen Colbert says. Truthiness comes from the gut, not the brain.
In a recent radio interview with CKNW’s combative talk show host John McComb, de Jong put forward another theory. He mentioned that the aim of hosting Expo 86 and the 2010 Winter Olympics was to put Vancouver on the global map, and it seems to have worked.
Whistler has worked as a world destination too, as galling as it may be to those who insist these were all costly failures.
The real estate boom has had ripple effects in Victoria and other urban centres, with bidding wars for choice homes.
And it’s beginning to reverse a long trend of depopulation from small communities and rural areas, as people are forced to look for something they can afford.
And it’s produced an urban building boom, including the rental market. There are worse problems to have.
Tom Fletcher is B.C. legislature reporter and columnist for Black Press. Email: tfletcher@blackpress.ca Twitter: @tomfletcherbc | http://www.abbynews.com/opinion/388303171.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.abbynews.com/b6a0e41974e0e4db068d172c1bd45becec42116384690bc2ca31e4f9e1b46edc.json |
[
"Tom Fletcher"
] | 2016-08-26T13:12:35 | null | null | Indigenous Affairs Minister Carolyn Bennett's position boils down to blaming racist, indifferent cops | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.abbynews.com%2Fopinion%2F389749591.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/20136BCLN2007Bennett-Carolynswear-in7web.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | BC VIEWS: Missing women inquiry pre-determined | null | null | www.abbynews.com | Toronto MP Carolyn Bennett is sworn in as Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs, November 2015.
The federal government’s National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls is preparing to get underway in September.
With five commissioners led by B.C. judge Marion Buller and a budget that has swelled by a third to $54 million before it even starts, this inquiry has one big advantage over all the previous studies of Canada’s intractable problems of poverty and violence in aboriginal communities.
In this case, the politicians all agree what the outcome is going to be. They’ve been saying so for months, since the Justin Trudeau government got elected on this and other passionate, if questionable, promises.
Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould, a member of the We Wai Kai Nation on the B.C. coast, a former Crown prosecutor and chair of the B.C. Treaty Commission, announced the terms of reference last week. She stressed that the inquiry will not attempt to retry cold cases, but to examine the “root causes” of the high numbers of missing and murdered women.
Next up was Indigenous Affairs Minister Carolyn Bennett, who has no doubt at all what those “root causes” are: racism, sexism and the lingering effects of colonialism. Bennett has been meeting steadily with grieving families since being appointed, and now accepts that racist, indifferent cops are the main “root cause.”
Bennett explained this conclusion from New York in April, while attending a “Women of the World” summit. It’s an “uneven application of justice,” she told The Globe and Mail, a phrase we’ll hear again and again.
“You end up with people who have been told it’s an overdose, or a suicide or an accident,” Bennett said.
RCMP have reported close to 1,200 unsolved cases of murdered or missing indigenous women since 1980, a figure that Bennett scoffs at. What’s her evidence? She’s talked to families, and knows it’s “way more” than that.
One of the previous inquiries was by a United Nations official, James Anaya, in 2014. He noted the alarming statistics of education outcome and violent offences against women, and referred to 660 cases documented by the Native Women’s Association of Canada. He also described being besieged by demands for a national inquiry, as he went through the stacks of studies that have already been done.
“Since 1996,” Anaya wrote in his UN report, “there have been at least 29 official inquiries and reports dealing with aspects of this issue, which have resulted in over 500 recommendations for action.”
As the latest inquiry was being launched, Perry Bellegarde, the current Assembly of First Nations national chief, recited Bennett’s speaking points about the conclusions it will reach.
Bellegarde told CTV the problem is vastly under-reported because “…oh, it’s an accidental death. Oh, it’s a suicide.” Then he called for more money for housing and other programs via the failed Indian Act system.
There are several glaring factors that apparently will not be discussed, because they fall outside the politically correct boundaries of this pre-determined narrative.
One is the even more alarming number of aboriginal men and boys who are victims of violent crime.
Another is the rate of domestic abuse reported by indigenous women, which Statistics Canada estimated this year at about 10 per cent of their population. That’s three times the national average, but it was not mentioned amid the demands for justice at the inquiry.
Another key issue that is forbidden from discussion is the social and economic viability of remote communities. Some of them haven’t been able to maintain clean water and safe housing, much less education and employment, despite billions in spending every year.
Tom Fletcher is B.C. legislature reporter and columnist for Black Press. Email: tfletcher@blackpress.ca Twitter: @tomfletcherbc | http://www.abbynews.com/opinion/389749591.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.abbynews.com/82f33239d17b72d90efe3d712624af868904d97f73a0984277cf1167c957c490.json |
[
"Jeff Nagel"
] | 2016-08-26T13:10:50 | null | null | $60 a year increase for most drivers once optional auto insurance increase is included | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.abbynews.com%2Fnews%2F391304001.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/52753BCLN2007CarcrashLangleyfile.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | ICBC seeks 4.9 per cent basic rate hike as crashes, costs climb | null | null | www.abbynews.com | ICBC wants to increase basic auto insurance rates by 4.9 per cent – the fifth straight annual increase – as it continues to grapple with rising numbers of crashes, claims and dramatically increasing costs.
The typical driver will pay $3.50 a month or $42 a year more for basic insurance if the hike is approved.
But the corporation is also raising optional rates by 2.8 per cent so the average customer who buys both basic and optional insurance with ICBC will see their insurance bill rise $5 a month, or $60 a year.
ICBC CEO Mark Blucher said the basic rate hike would have been much worse – 15.5 per cent translating into a $130 annual premium increase – had the province not approved another major transfer of $472 million from the optional to the basic side of operations.
A compounding factor has been the long decline of interest rates, which result in less investment income revenue to ICBC.
"These external pressures have really created a perfect storm and it's a really significant challenge for the organization," Blucher said in an interview Thursday.
ICBC had raised rates 5.5 per cent a year ago, and the province's rate smoothing policy requires the annual change be within 1.5 per cent of the previous year's increase.
The number of crashes has climbed 15 per cent in two years and damage claims are up 11 per cent.
Vehicles are increasingly reliant on technology and expensive materials that have become more costly in recent years as the loonie sagged against the U.S. dollar.
Despite much safer vehicles, injury claims have soared to $2.4 billion, up 60 per cent from $1.5 billion in 2008.
"We've seen no evidence that these strong trends are abating," Blucher said. "In fact, if anything, they're continuing to escalate going forward."
Blucher also noted there are more cars on the road in B.C. today – 3.1 million up from 2.8 million in 2011 – and people are driving more because of cheaper gas, contributing to more accidents, particularly in densifying urban areas.
And he pointed to personal injury lawyers as an aggravating cause of ICBC's spiralling claims costs.
"B.C. is the only province in Canada where you can sue another motorist for even a minor traffic accident," Blucher said, noting an increase in lawyer-represented claims and advertising by injury law firms.
Internal operating costs have been cut by $186 million a year, and ICBC is counting on more savings ahead, through its modernization program, by more aggressively combatting insurance fraud and from a hoped-for drop in distracted driving as motorists respond to stiffer penalties.
But transfers from the optional side to bolster the basic side will likely be needed for the foreseeable future, Blucher said, because basic premiums can't keep up with rising costs.
In a surprise move, the B.C. government will this year forgo extracting its usual $160-million annual dividend from ICBC's optional side into general revenue.
"Forgoing the dividend this particular year is one strategy amongst a litany of others we're employing to get that basic trate increase down," Transportation Minister Todd Stone said.
Stone said the $514 million the province has transferred out of ICBC in dividends since 2012 is small compared to the $1.4 billion over the same period that has been shifted from the competitive optional side to basic to apply downward pressure on basic rates.
The minister would not say if the government would permanently give up the ICBC dividend.
Adrian DIx, the NDP critic for ICBC, said the dividends to government have exceeded $1.2 billion since 2010 and predicted they'll resume after next year's election because the BC Liberals are "addicted" to using ICBC as a "profit centre."
Dix said the reliance on shifting huge amounts of capital from optional to basic raises troubling questions.
"Next year they've got to find that $472 million," Dix said. "What they've done is create a disaster at ICBC and their only hope is to deceive the voters until after the election."
He said ICBC's new move to hire more claims staff underscores problems with completing the computer modernization that was supposed to make operations more efficient.
"The transformation project has taken longer than World War 2 and is not close to finished."
ICBC's basic rates rose 11.2 per cent in 2012 and at least five per cent every year since.
The new rate hike is subject to B.C. Utilities Commission approval.
ICBC Rate Pressure Charts | http://www.abbynews.com/news/391304001.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.abbynews.com/2d5333a2e2e5371dd0bd5957cc9fa9580be9d4d1fe768604bafec49665c9dee9.json |
[
"Tom Fletcher"
] | 2016-08-26T13:12:51 | null | null | Premier Christy Clark isn't going into next year's election with a promise to jack up Canada's only significant carbon tax | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.abbynews.com%2Fopinion%2F391051701.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/42735BCLN2007ClarkPolakNissanLeaf7web.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | BC VIEWS: B.C. fails to save the planet | null | null | www.abbynews.com | Premier Christy Clark and Environment Minister Mary Polak plug in an electric car at an announcement of the government's latest climate change plan in Richmond Aug. 19.
A B.C. Liberal operative was out with the online spin hours before Premier Christy Clark confirmed the much-leaked news in a Friday afternoon announcement at an obscure location in Richmond.
The, er, freeze is continuing for B.C.’s ground-breaking, world-saving carbon tax, which hasn’t changed since before Clark was elected in 2013.
The spin was Olympic-themed, with a picture labeled to show B.C. as a swimmer far out in the lead in the pool, to symbolize that it’s the other provinces that need to catch up in the race to save the planet.
Clark has been saying that for years, and there is merit to it. Even without a tax on “process emissions” such as from cement kilns, B.C.’s carbon tax encourages imports of non-taxed cement from the U.S. and China.
Alberta business professor Andrew Leach, who advised the Stephen Harper and then Rachel Notley governments on greenhouse gas policies, summed up the problem this way.
“Until the rest of the world has policies that impose similar cost, you’re not actually reducing emissions to the extent you think,” Leach said. “You’re just displacing the emissions and the economic activity to other jurisdictions.”
Alberta is moving to join B.C. with a modest carbon tax, but the NDP government plans to spend the proceeds rather than return them in income tax as B.C. has done. And Washington state and most of the rest of the world have no carbon tax as such, so their businesses benefit from B.C.’s “climate leadership.”
B.C.’s foreign-funded eco-radical community was, needless to say, appalled. The Pembina Institute’s Matt Horne and career protesters Tzeporah Berman and Merran Smith were named to the premier’s advisory committee last year, along with business, academic and aboriginal representatives.
They concluded that increases to B.C.’s broad-based tax on carbon fuels should resume its upward march in 2018.
Other committee members, including the mayors of Surrey, Comox and Burns Lake, were not heard from. Public discussion on this issue is now reduced to a staged conflict between those who demand a holy war on deadly carbon dioxide “pollution,” and those who don’t care if their grandchildren perish in a hell-fire of fossil fuel use.
We’ve just come off another El Nino year, like the hot year of 1998. Regular readers will recall the last time I discussed this topic was this spring, where I questioned the premier’s dire warnings of another horrendous forest fire season.
What followed has been one of the slowest forest fire seasons in the last decade, although dry conditions have finally emerged this month. Climate predictions, like next week’s weather forecast, are less than consistent.
I am regularly sent messages calling me a “climate change denier,” the nonsense term that continues to be used by federal Environment Minister Catharine McKenna among many others. I know of no one who denies that climate is always changing, at times dramatically.
If you wish to believe that paying an extra seven cents a litre for gasoline in B.C. is helping to slow the very gradual increase in temperatures we’re seeing in the northern hemisphere, you are free to do so.
You may even be persuaded to take a government subsidy and buy an expensive, short-range electric car. Me, I’m off to Prince Rupert and Revelstoke pretty soon, so I’ll stick with my little four-cylinder gas sipper for now.
Hydro-powered B.C. represents a small fraction of the less than two per cent Canada contributes to global greenhouse gas emissions. We’re not the problem, and no, the world is not looking to us for guidance.
Tom Fletcher is B.C. legislature reporter and columnist for Black Press. Email: tfletcher@blackpress.ca Twitter: @tomfletcherbc | http://www.abbynews.com/opinion/391051701.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.abbynews.com/072e98935e28eea9f5314370960f7ea08431f11e734961d38c3a99396aa87cfb.json |
[
"Ben Lypka"
] | 2016-08-26T13:13:11 | null | null | Canada defeats Brazil 2-1 to earn second straight bronze at the Olympics | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.abbynews.com%2Fsports%2F390727811.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/70973abbotsfordschmidt.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | Abbotsford's Sophie Schmidt, Canadian women soccer win bronze | null | null | www.abbynews.com | Abbotsford's Sophie Schmidt (left) celebrates with her teammates after winning bronze at the 2016 Summer Olympics earlier today.
Abbotsford’s Sophie Schmidt and the Canadian women’s soccer team is heading back to the podium.
Team Canada defeated Brazil 2-1 in the bronze medal game today (Friday) to earn their second straight bronze medal in soccer at the Olympics.
Canada’s Deanna Rose opened the scoring in the 17th minute after receiving a perfect cross from teammate Ashley Lawrence.
Burnaby’s Christine Sinclair then put Canada up 2-1 in the 52nd minute. Brazil scored in the 79th minute to close the gap to one, but Canada held on for the win.
Schmidt played 24 minutes in the win, and was inserted in the game in the second half.
Canada finished the tournament with five wins and one loss, falling only to Germany in the semi-final game on Tuesday.
Schmidt now owns two Olympic bronze medals, after earning a bronze in the 2012 Olympics in London.
Read Wednesday’s print edition of the Abbotsford News for more on this story. | http://www.abbynews.com/sports/390727811.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.abbynews.com/ac80b2f75fc0f14bc8f54a87b828e84635edb61bcd02e546ec035e0eed49a939.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:12:13 | null | null | Peace. It’s an ever-more elusive commodity, or condition, these days. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.abbynews.com%2Fopinion%2F389879561.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/BlackNewsMedia-CLR.png?t=12345? | en | null | COLUMN: Afloat on an ocean of peacefulness | null | null | www.abbynews.com | On Point by Andrew Holota
Peace.
It’s an ever-more elusive commodity, or condition, these days.
I don’t mean world peace. I’m pretty sure that never existed in the history of the human race, and in all likelihood, never will, unless we are all wiped off the planet by some super virus. And then peace would be rather moot, except for Mother Nature, who I’m sure would heave a great sigh of relief.
No, I mean peace and quiet. Peace within oneself.
Here’s a little secret. That sort of peace actually does exist. The wild west coast of this province is actually awash in it. You just have to go far and work hard to find it.
And when you do, the peace is so big, so all-encompassing, so unthinkable, you sometimes realize you’ve spent hours not really thinking at all – or at least, just thinking about mundane things, like what that eagle thinks about when it sits half the afternoon on the same tree branch.
One such place is the untrammelled coastline of Vancouver Island, reachable only by boat, or better yet, unmotorized craft such as a kayak.
Oh sure, even far away from the small communities and popular fishing spots, you can find people easily enough. But you can also unfind them.
That was the point of the exercise for my wife and me last week. Ocean kayaking is not for the unfit and faint of heart. But if you’re the adventurous sort, and thrive on spartan outdoor living conditions, you can float on an ocean of peace, shared only with whales, and sea otters and the odd bear. Bears like their peace too, so with some assertiveness, you can come to a mutual, occasionally adrenaline-filled agreement on sharing a beach.
What you don’t have to share is your thoughts. Nor do you have to put up with cellphone calls, pesky texts and torrents of inane Tweets. Actually, you have no choice. There are none.
Much of the wild west coast of this country can be counted among the last remaining places on Earth that do not have cell service.
What a blessed, wonderful thing.
Many people would not agree. Especially the majority of young folks, who rarely can be spotted without a cellphone grafted to a hand.
I couldn’t stand that. I like to have my hands free, ready to do something useful, like holding a paddle ... or a fork.
The concept of mobile devices being utterly inoperable is clearly something that does exist in young people’s frame of reference.
A case in point: We take a satellite phone on our paddling expeditions, in case something goes badly wrong. That, and to assure family members – every other day or so – that we have not been swallowed by an orca, or blown offshore by gale force winds, on an irreversible course to Japan.
Even satellite service can be spotty, though, and the signal was poor on our first call home. Our teen daughter had trouble hearing, and told us to call her on our cell.
Under the circumstances, that was pretty funny.
There’s little to no commercial radio reception out there either. So, for however long we are gone, the world will go about doing whatever it does, without us having a clue.
For a journalist, you’d think that would be highly unsettling.
In fact, I apply an old expression to that. No news is good news.
I mean, what could happen, anyway? War breaks out in the Middle East? Olympic athletes are caught doping? Donald Trump is elected president of the United States?
If the latter does actually occur, I’m loading up the kayak and heading back out to the wild west coast. Way out.
Don’t try to call.
Andrew Holota is the editor of The Abbotsford News | http://www.abbynews.com/opinion/389879561.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.abbynews.com/15ca5562a6abc2d767c48694dfd69dd9227f96b74f2198024cb301a86d5f7dca.json |
[
"Vikki Hopes"
] | 2016-08-26T13:10:01 | null | null | Small celebration with family and friends was held on Monday | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.abbynews.com%2Fnews%2F391303241.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/52379abbotsfordNellHaagen105thbirthday.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | Nell Haagen of Abbotsford celebrates 105th birthday | null | null | www.abbynews.com | Nell Haagen celebrates her 105th birthday on Monday surrounded by her children (from left) Peter Haagen, Jenny Moedt and Lex Haagen.
Pietertje “Nell” Haagen has family genetics to thank for her longevity.
Her mom passed away just two months short of her 100th birthday, an aunt lived to age 96, and other family members lived into their 90s.
But Nell surpassed these milestones on Monday, Aug. 22, when she reached her 105th birthday.
Family members gathered that afternoon for a small celebration at The Mayfair, an Abbotsford nursing home where Nell resides and which previously operated as Ebenezer Home. Her family and church helped build the Marshall Road facility.
During the celebration, her daughter Jenny Moedt – one of Nell’s five children – asked Nell to what she credits all her years.
“The Lord gave me a long life and blessed me with a nice family,” she replied.
Haagen is one of Abbotsford’s most senior residents. (At least two others in Abbotsford are 106 and 105 years old.) The former title holder, Nora Deadman, passed away in February 2014, just short of her 108th birthday.
Nell was born Aug. 22, 1911 in Friesland, Holland. She trained as a nurses’ aide and worked in a local hospital with patients who had disabilities.
She married Jack Haagen, who was a baker, and they had five children.
In 1956, the family travelled by boat from Holland to Quebec, and then by train to Alberta.
There, they purchased bakeries in Bellevue and Edmonton, with the entire family working together to run the bakeries.
They relocated to B.C. after Jack retired, and settled in Ladner and later Abbotsford.
Nell has always loved music, and played the organ in church.
She has 17 grandchildren, 27 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandson. | http://www.abbynews.com/news/391303241.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.abbynews.com/edb3e99af10c9a6637f9f20acab3f25ceef51ebd9e6d337ecb25c3a28419d79c.json |
[
"Tom Fletcher"
] | 2016-08-26T13:05:56 | null | null | B.C. stands in the way of Justin Trudeau government's plan to hike Canada Pension Plan contributions, but likely not for long | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.abbynews.com%2Fbusiness%2F389123291.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/82199BCLN2007Bateman-Jordan13-2.4.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | Business pushing back on CPP expansion | null | null | www.abbynews.com | Jordan Bateman, Canadian Taxpayers' Federation
The B.C. government is hearing objections from businesses and individuals faced with increasing Canada Pension Plan contributions in the coming years, and is the last province needed to ratify the increase.
Instead of joining other provinces in meeting the federal government's July deadline to adopt the change, the B.C. government launched a consultation phase expected to run through August. And they are getting push-back on a plan that would increase payroll deductions and employer contributions starting in 2019.
Jordan Bateman, B.C. director of the Canadian Taxpayers' Federation, said he's receiving hundreds of responses to his call to supporters to make their views known to the B.C. government. Most concerned are employers who would pay higher contributions for each of their employees.
Employer and employee contributions are to go up from the current 4.95 per cent of earnings to 5.95 per cent by 2023. For each employee earning $54,900, the employer contribution goes up $7 to $8 per month in each of the first five years of the phase-in.
"Obviously, lots of people are concerned about having to pay more," Bateman said. "But the interesting ones are the small business owners who talk about just how close to the edge they are financially."
B.C. Finance Minister Mike de Jong joined other provinces in agreeing in principle to the expansion in June. Federal Finance Minister Bill Morneau said he is concerned about the decline in workplace pension plans and wants the CPP to move from replacing one quarter of employment income to one third by 2025.
The Canadian Federation of Independent Business surveyed its members nation-wide when the CPP plan was announced, and more than 80 per cent wanted consultation and a delay of implementation. Morneau has indicated he plans to table legislation this fall.
B.C.'s refusal to sign on could derail the federal plan, but it shows little intention of doing so.
"British Columbia is committed to engaging with stakeholders in advance of ratifying the agreement in principle," said the statement from de Jong's office announcing the consultation.
The province's consultation website and feedback address can be found here. | http://www.abbynews.com/business/389123291.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.abbynews.com/9e1e50273d167dad20b078354ea68babc1274a6dab674d33c7fa5dddeb6203ec.json |
[
"Tom Fletcher"
] | 2016-08-26T13:09:38 | null | null | Few BC Parks bookings going to commercial operators, solution is more campsite spaces, Environment Minister Mary Polak says | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.abbynews.com%2Flifestyles%2F385640471.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/18489BCLN2007CampingBarriereLakeJasonKoppwiki7web.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | Provincial campsite rush mostly B.C. residents | null | null | www.abbynews.com | Solitude in the wilderness is still available in B.C., between holiday weekends when demand peaks at B.C.'s most popular parks.
Foreign visitors and those on package tours are a small fraction of the demand for B.C. Parks campgrounds around the province, but B.C. resident campers are still using a few tricks to get spaces for high-demand parks.
Some have protested the use of online reservations by motorhome tour operators who sell them as part of a package for tourists.
"Our provincial campsites are not products to be sold, they belong to the people of B.C.," Green Party leader Andrew Weaver said this week.
Environment Minister Mary Polak told Black Press numbers are being tracked for the current year, and the proportions haven't changed much. In 2015, fewer than one per cent of reservable B.C. Parks spaces were booked by tour operators, who also use private camping facilities.
Three quarters of reservations are from within B.C. The second highest share is from Alberta at 14 per cent, the U.S. accounts for 3.6 per cent, the rest of Canada 2.8 per cent, and all European countries combined are 6.6 per cent of the total.
The BC Parks system has 10,700 camping spaces in total, and 5,600 are reservable, to manage demand for the most popular spots.
First-come, first-served sites are kept out of the reservation system in some popular locations to accommodate travellers who drop in along the road. For high-demand periods like the recent Canada Day weekend, savvy campers work the reservation system.
At Golden Ears Provincial Park, one group booked for two weeks as soon as the 90-day eligibility window opened, then dropped the first week, giving them the coveted Canada Day weekend dates before they were generally available.
"Every year we look to change things to keep people from cheating, and every year they find new ways," Polak said. "Really the only answer is going to be finding a way to expand the number of sites that we have available."
It's shaping up as a record year for the Discover Camping reservation service, with 92,000 bookings so far this year.
B.C. Parks has added four new sites for this summer. Reservations can be made for Garibaldi Provincial Park in the Whistler area, Ruckle Provincial Park on Saltspring Island, Okanagan Falls Provincial Park, Inland Lake Provincial Park near Powell River and Dry Gulch Provincial Park near Radium Hot Springs. | http://www.abbynews.com/lifestyles/385640471.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.abbynews.com/033dcb4501871e0dcffbf07e09b9748116a7b5fa1cb7ca67b41be3594c58ea21.json |
[
"Canadian Press"
] | 2016-08-29T16:48:25 | null | null | Federal labour minister advised to allow temporary foreign workers as a backup to Canadians as B.C. aims to build LNG plants | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.abbynews.com%2Fbusiness%2F391580541.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/BlackNewsMedia-CLR.png?t=12345? | en | null | Libs looking at foreign workers for liquefied gas projects | null | null | www.abbynews.com | OTTAWA – The federal labour minister was told earlier this year to give a positive signal to liquefied natural gas companies on the use of temporary foreign workers, but only if Canadians were considered first for jobs.
Labour Minister MaryAnn Mihychuk's officials told her in February that it was inevitable that companies would need temporary foreign workers to proceed with energy projects in Western Canada.
In a Feb. 1 briefing note, Mihychuk's officials write that the federal government can speed up how quickly it processes applications for temporary foreign workers, but couldn't waive requirements for liquefied natural gas projects.
The briefing note, prepared ahead of Mihychuk's meeting with David Keane, president of the BC LNG Alliance, recommends "signal support" for temporary foreign workers "on the condition that Canadians are considered first for available jobs ... and only used as a measure of last resort."
The Canadian Press obtained a copy of the briefing note under the Access to Information Act.
In an interview, Keane said Mihychuk didn't give any indication of how the government would decide on the issue of foreign workers involved in projects. He said the message Mihychuk provided was that the government wanted to review the temporary foreign worker program.
He didn't want to speculate about what the message from department officials may mean for the fate of projects that require federal approval.
Thousands of temporary foreign workers are expected to be needed to work on any of the 20 separate liquefied natural gas projects being reviewed in British Columbia, including the Pacific Northwest LNG project that the federal cabinet has to decide on this fall.
The briefing note says unions are unlikely to speak out publicly about the use of temporary foreign workers because they know the majority of jobs will go to union members and that Canadians will be first in line for jobs.
Keane said the plan is to hire a workforce derived from local aboriginal communities and provincial residents before looking across Canada.
"There will be probably a requirement, and I think everybody recognizes this, for temporary foreign workers to be able to build this industry, but we have a plan in place and are developing the plan and refining the plan to make sure that we look at Canadians first before we bring in temporary foreign workers," Keane said.
Jordan Press, The Canadian Press | http://www.abbynews.com/business/391580541.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.abbynews.com/81152371d742f830f8fb074b90388f821186133b661b1f1fa4c072dc9654b9b1.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:14:19 | null | null | Letter-writer, education consultant and former assistant deputy minister Jim Dueck raises a couple of good points ... | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.abbynews.com%2Fopinion%2Fletters%2F389879921.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/BlackNewsMedia-CLR.png?t=12345? | en | null | LETTER: 10-month school year is archaic | null | null | www.abbynews.com | Letter-writer, education consultant and former assistant deputy minister Jim Dueck raises a couple of good points (“Semester system needed,” The News, Aug. 5) but fails to suggest a much more fair way of learning for our children.
Yes, our school system is causing our students to fall behind, retained (a fancy term for having to repeat an entire year) or socially promoted. His research and extensive explanation reveals that the education system needs to adopt a semester system to prevent students from being penalized. But that is not the way to improve the school system.
Our current schooling model wastes tax dollars, by the millions, due to the current form – age, and not ability – of assessing student readiness to enter the system.
And, secondly, and far more important, by retaining the archaic agrarian-based system of a 10-month school year.
It is that which needs to be fixed, from kindergarten to post-graduate levels at university throughout the province – and the provincial government, school districts and post-secondary institutes need to examine the overwhelming benefits of year-round education both pedagogically and financially.
We need to more seriously review and assess the benefits of a year-round educational system that minimizes the length of time that students are out of school, as eight to 12 weeks actually reduces the real teaching period down to eight months and not 10.
Such a system would eliminate the issue that Dueck raises – students being born before Jan. 1 and those after that date and how entry into the system can affect their ability to learn. Entry must be premised on ability and not age and could happen at any time of the year’s four quarters.
Our multi-million dollar schools sit empty for two to nearly three months, and universities and other post-secondary institutes operate at 30 per cent student attendance for up to four months while administrative costs still function on a 12-month basis – something I have learned while visiting UFV in July.
Eight to 12 weeks is too long for parents who, in many cases, have to work to provide shelter, food and clothing what with the exorbitant cost of housing and day care to also have to take care of children under 12. For high school students, the fall or Christmas retail season is by far a better time to work as most retailers make more than 50 of their annual revenue during that period.
Our provincial government, all educational institutes and all school boards need to look at year-round education with a fresh eye and put aside the complaints of a small group of vocal opponents whose criticisms can be shot down in a public debate.
G.E. MacDonell | http://www.abbynews.com/opinion/letters/389879921.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.abbynews.com/ca404a0734b03234dd575003cfd77f4ab64007d501f054b86b26d9a557123c68.json |
[
"Staff Writer"
] | 2016-08-29T20:50:23 | null | null | Mahogany at Mill Lake tower will be 26 storeys tall when complete. It's one of a number of major projects now under construction. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.abbynews.com%2Fnews%2F391644401.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/43678abbotsfordMahogany-2-MORROW.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | Abbotsford's tallest building to begin rising above city as crane moved to site | null | null | www.abbynews.com | A crane started work last week on the site of what will become the tallest building in Abbotsford.
Cranes have gone up at a pair of major development sites, including the site of what will become Abbotsford’s tallest building.
A crane was installed last week at the site of the future Mahogany at Mill Lake tower, at the intersection of Gladwin Road and Bevan Avenue.
Construction on the 26-storey residential tower is expected to likely last into 2018. When completed, the tower – which will also included commercial spaces on the bottom floors – will be the tallest in Abbotsford. The building – developed by Quantum Properties – will eventually also be joined by a second low-rise apartment building. Quantum’s Diane Delves says the building will be the tallest tower between Surrey and Calgary upon completion.
In the historic downtown, a crane recently went up as construction continues on the Flatiron Building at the intersection of South Fraser Way and Montrose Avenue. The Algra Bros. building, when complete, will house 12,000 square feet of office and retail space.
Further west along South Fraser Way, construction has started on the second phase of The Mark, a three-storey commercial building by Diverse Properties.
And on Marshall Road, just east of McCallum, construction is continuing on a new six-storey residential condominium project by Boulevard Group.
Darren Braun, Abbotsford’s director of development planning, said the second quarter was the busiest ever for development inquiry meetings, in which developers meet with the city to learn how its plans and policies may affect proposed new buildings. Meetings are up 54 per cent through the first half of 2016 compared to the previous year. | http://www.abbynews.com/news/391644401.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.abbynews.com/58e7e52294d4ad98d19fefd0a30c9c4d1490e5181c26c9a5cb7d1d555ce7d51c.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:09:15 | null | null | View the 76-page online interactive edition for the latest weddings tips and ideas. Soulmates contest winners announced tonight | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.abbynews.com%2Flifestyles%2F374822551.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/BlackNewsMedia-CLR.png?t=12345? | en | null | Image Magazine: Wedding Edition 2016 | null | null | www.abbynews.com | Watch abbynews.com for the winners of the 'Soulmates' Contest, sponsored by Lanka Jewels, is announced tonight. The winning couple will receive $3,000 in jewelry. For contestant information check out this year's Image Wedding Magazine.
Click here for immediate link to interactive special edition - Image Magazine: Wedding Edition 2016
The Abbotsford News has launched its second “Image Magazine: Wedding Edition.”
Not only is the magazine posted online in a 76-page interactive version, but a 32-page glossy magazine will be distributed on Monday, April 11.
This online bridal guide will be available for a full 365 days, with a new update in 2017.
The online edition features numerous articles of interest to brides- and grooms-to-be on topics such as Fraser Valley weddings, gorgeous gowns, how to be photogenic, top 10 photo locations, tips for choosing your wedding hairstyle and planning the after party.
Readers will be able to view several videos and click on dozens of helpful links, as well as access full-colour images and useful tips.
Readers can also find out more about local vendors by simply clicking the links within their advertisements.
Another special feature in "Image Magazine: Wedding Edition" is a look at the seven finalist couples in the reality-based Soulmates contest.
The couples were selected from among those who responded to a post on the Abbotsford News' Facebook page.
A select few were then asked to email their responses to 33 questions, and an Abbotsford News panel selected the finalists.
A profile on each couple is included in the wedding publication, with access to a video of them.
Readers are invited to participate in online voting – which is already underway at abbynews.com/contests – to eliminate the contestants.
The couple with the lowest number of votes at the end of the five-week voting period wins $3,000 in jewelry from Lanka Jewels in Mission.
The contest closes at midnight on May 11. | http://www.abbynews.com/lifestyles/374822551.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.abbynews.com/5cd7b188e209aec6a4c4c3c6c8dbe0fd9135033fb36f8627254b3fa7c9f8de0c.json |
[
"Sports Reporter"
] | 2016-08-26T13:13:29 | null | null | Team BC reps defeat Prairie foes to win title | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.abbynews.com%2Fsports%2F390711911.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/64575abbotsford160819-ABB-angels.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | Abbotsford Angels win 13U Western Canadian gold | null | null | www.abbynews.com | The Abbotsford Angels baseball club are 13U Western Canadian champions.
The Angels represented B.C. at the 13U Western Canadian championships in Saskatoon from Aug. 11 to 14, and played some of their best baseball of the year at the event.
The team opened the tournament with an 11-2 win over North Winnipeg. Micah Bucknam and Noah Thomas were strong on the mound, with Thomas also contributing offensively with a home run. Maguire Wakelyn was four for five with three doubles.
Abbotsford then defeated St. Albert 7-2 in their second game. Brady Fehlauer scored the win on the mound, while Trey Smith and Aaron Vulcano both drove in two runs.
The Angels then dropped their first game of the tournament to Saskatchewan 3-2 to finish second in their pool heading into the playoff round.
In the semifinals, the Team BC bats caught fire. In the first inning the team sent 10 batters to the plate and scored five runs, en route to an 11-0 win over Manitoba. Pitchers Thomas and Dakota Janzen combined for the shutout. Trey Smith was equally impressive at the plate going three for five with two doubles, a home run and seven runs batted in.
In the finals, Team BC took on the number one team in Saskatchewan, and their offensive prowess led them to a 9-2 win. Smith smacked a three-run home run in the first inning, which proved to be all the Angels would need. Pitcher Max Yuen picked up the win, and Thomas was four for four with two triples and a double.
Players on the gold-medal-winning team were: Jack Taylor, Cardell Dick, Joel Robinson, Nick Rabinovitch, Maguire Wakelyn, Aidan Koetsier, Max Yuen, Aaron Vulcano, Connor Krahn, Jack Neil, Noah Thomas, Micah Bucknam, Brady Fehlauer, Dakota Janzen and Treyson Smith.
Coaches for the team are: Tim Smith, Dan Dick, Rob Taylor and Richard Rabinovitch.
For more information on the team and minor baseball in Abbotsford, visit abbotsfordbaseball.ca. | http://www.abbynews.com/sports/390711911.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.abbynews.com/29b81f487b2d1d49d2d54cc3d59b92ab2a6414045ff6ac48364918975a079e7f.json |
[] | 2016-08-27T18:45:59 | null | null | Pair enjoy being role models for younger kids through Big Brothers Big Sisters | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.abbynews.com%2Fcommunity%2F391451311.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/19861abbotsfordBigBrothersBigSisters.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | Rewarding experience for 'Big' volunteers | null | null | www.abbynews.com | Gabby Lidder (right) is shown with her in-school mentee Olivia. The two were matched up through the Big Brothers Big Sisters program.
When you give back as a volunteer, sometimes you receive things in return that you don’t expect.
For Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) mentors Gabby Lidder and Subaj Rakkar, their experience gave them a new perspective – and empowerment.
“It’s fun, it’s rewarding. It’s a break from the regular,” Lidder, 20, said. “You get to do different things that you won’t do at home – like crafts. Here’s a perfect excuse to do that.”
Like many BBBS volunteers, Lidder and Rakkar are currently enrolled at University of the Fraser Valley (UFV). They also both work part-time retail jobs, but they have carved out some time each week to meet with their little “siblings.”
Sixty-nine per cent of Abbotsford school-based mentorship volunteers are UFV students, BBBS coordinators say.
UFV has partnered with BBBS to include volunteer mentor hours in their co-curricular record program, which recognizes students’ out-of-classroom leadership and volunteer roles.
Rakkar, 19, has been a community mentor to his little brother David since this past spring.
“I decided I wanted to give back to the community, and be a good role model and put myself out there, and to [get experience] for my future career.”
Rakkar, who has his sights set on police work, said he didn’t expect much from being a mentor at first; he simply wanted to be a good role model.
They’d go to the park, play basketball, or go to Castle Fun Park. But as Rakkar spent time with David, he found mentoring to be something special.
“I started to develop a bond. I could see a difference in him and myself at the same time … We’d just laugh at like the littlest things. But it’s those little things that make that moment so great.”
Rakkar said that David, 13, reminds him of himself at that age.
“I see myself. And I was kind of lost when I was young, and confused, and when you’re going through puberty and stuff you just don’t know what’s going on.”
Lidder has been working with BBBS since high school. She began in the teen mentoring program, and continues to mentor in-school.
“At first it was just volunteer hours. And then I just kind of stuck with it … Honestly, it keeps getting better. You just get closer each time you see them. And it’s really comfortable.”
Lidder, who wants to become an elementary school teacher, said that working with her little sister, Olivia, offers a glimpse into what’s important for a Grade 7 girl.
“It’s a new perspective. And it’s nice to have someone who looks up to you, to be able to help someone like that – it’s nice to be able to be there for someone.”
Visit mentoringworks.ca for more information about BBBS or about becoming a mentor, or call 604-852-3331. | http://www.abbynews.com/community/391451311.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.abbynews.com/d13019a287503a7670133d7e9242912819e3d18dfa2ad3ea014a62a74e676c0f.json |
[] | 2016-08-27T16:49:21 | null | null | It’s a pretty basic principle for most financially prudent people – don’t spend money on something you don’t really need | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.abbynews.com%2Fopinion%2F391453601.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/20855abbotsfordHolotaSH-5web.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | COLUMN: Financial fundamentals vs. government protocols | null | null | www.abbynews.com | On Point by Andrew Holota
It’s a pretty basic principle for most financially prudent people – don’t spend money on something you don’t really need.
Hence, the recent announcement of a $22 million project to widen a short stretch of Mt. Lehman Road leading to Abbotsford International Airport has quite a few folks questioning the sensibility of such an expenditure.
When it comes to traffic chokepoints and capacity congestion, those two kilometres of Mt. Lehman feeding the airport don’t exactly leap to most minds as a priority ... and that’s being kind.
Fraser Highway is in the top category, with Highway 1 widening from Aldergrove to Abbotsford or even Chilliwack, in neck-to-neck, or bumper-to-bumper competition for big bucks.
So why Mt. Lehman? The answer is in the complex machinations of three levels of government – and even when explained, still is confounding to the layman.
In 2014, the Abbotsford Chamber of Commerce, in conjunction with the city, compiled a list of five infrastructure priorities. The fundamental was feasibility, as opposed to immediate need, taking into account funding availability, development and land issues, and other factors.
Using that criteria, Mt. Lehman Road improvement was ranked second. Fraser Hwy. was at the bottom, preceded by Hwy. 1 widening and a Vye Road railroad overpass.
How Mt. Lehman even made that list at all is puzzling to me, but ostensibly it was seen as important to improve traffic flow to and from the airport. I wasn’t aware that was a big issue, except during major Tradex events, but moving on...
It is important to understand that Mt. Lehman Road is a provincial highway. (Who knew?) Fraser Hwy., on the other hand, is a municipal roadway, and therefore expansion costs fall to the city.
So, along comes the provincial government last week with $12 million in hand for four-laning a couple of kilometres of Mt. Lehman. The feds are kicking in $8 million, and the city ponies up $2 million.
By comparison, upgrading Fraser Hwy. would be in the range of $40 million, all borne by Abbotsford taxpayers. As Councillor Dave Loewen points out, that type of capital cost is generally covered by developers, who pay fees when they invest in projects along a roadway. That isn’t about to happen anytime soon on Fraser, and the city isn’t just sitting on that kind of cash, so such funding would have to be borrowed, or property taxes increased.
I can hear the howls of protest now. People want new pools and parks and road improvements, but usually sing a different refrain when tax hikes are associated.
And inevitably, the mayor gets blamed for it, one way or another.
In this case, online comments suggest hapless Henry Braun “has his priorities mixed up.” It’s unfair, since the mayor doesn’t decide by himself what gets built in town. That’s a council decision. And when it comes to road funding, senior levels of government play major roles.
What still doesn’t make much sense to a simple-thinking non-politician like me, is why the city shouldn’t be able to take that nice combined contribution of $22 million, and salt it away for a future Fraser Hwy. upgrade. Does either senior government really care what chunk of road in Abbotsford gets widened and paved?
After all, ultimately, it’s all taxpayers’ money.
And to repeat the principle, why spend money on something that’s not really needed, especially when so many other priorities can be identified?
Sometimes, it seems that common sense and government spending protocol are not words often found in the same sentence.
Andrew Holota is the editor of The Abbotsford News | http://www.abbynews.com/opinion/391453601.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.abbynews.com/0cae705f2669486c7b905af4b6dfd22eb2ddf90e9286ba05fc73416580779676.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T12:49:49 | null | null | Clinics will operate starting Aug. 31 from location at Maclure and Townline | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.abbynews.com%2Fcommunity%2F391307281.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/54224abbotsfordyouthhealthcentre.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | Abbotsford Youth Health Centre to move locations | null | null | www.abbynews.com | The Abbotsford Youth Health Centre (AYHC) will move to a new location starting at the end of this month.
The centre will move from its current location at 1945 McCallum Rd. to #201-31205 Maclure Rd. (corner of Maclure and Townline).
The clinic, which is open three days a week, will be closed Aug. 25, 29 and 30, and will re-open at the new location on Aug. 31.
The new days and hours of operation are Tuesdays from 3 to 7 p.m. and Wednesdays/Thursdays from 3 to 6 p.m.
This is the centre’s fifth location since opening in November 2010.
The AYHC is a free drop-in clinic for youth ages 12 to 24 who need help with anything from the common cold to mental-health concerns.
The centre is a program of Abbotsford Community Services, and in June of this year it was selected to be the Fraser Health region’s pilot site for the B.C. Integrated Youth Services Initiative – a network of health and social services to meet the needs of youth and young adults.
As part of this initiative, the AYHC will move to a new “youth hub” sometime in 2017.
Five “working groups” – space and work flow, branding, youth and family engagement, fundraising and communication – are currently meeting for ideas on how the youth hub should operate.
Anyone interested in joining one of the groups is asked to call Christina Henderson at 604-615-9033.
Visit ayhc.ca for more information on the youth health centre. | http://www.abbynews.com/community/391307281.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.abbynews.com/d737f4faf67eabfb6b633c7e2caa6ef61c1dc76f90de468a4e483bd01443611b.json |
[] | 2016-08-28T20:46:09 | null | null | Alzheimer Society hosts weekly sessions for fitness and socialization | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.abbynews.com%2Fcommunity%2F391438731.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/52816abbotsfordAlzheimerSocietylogo.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | Minds in Motion program seeks volunteers | null | null | www.abbynews.com | The non-profit Alzheimer Society of B.C. needs several volunteers in Abbotsford for the fall session of its Minds in Motion program.
The fitness and social program helps Abbotsford residents who have early symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease or another dementia. Participants can enjoy a weekly morning or afternoon session with a friend, family member or care partner.
“It's very rewarding work,” says Danielle Duvauchelle, the society's Minds in Motion coordinator for Abbotsford and the South and East Fraser. "You're enriching the lives of others."
A certified fitness instructor conducts the fitness portion of the program. A facilitator ensures participants are involved in activities, or just enjoying social time and light refreshments in a relaxed atmosphere.
In addition to helping others, volunteers have the opportunity to spend rewarding one-to-one time with participants and see first-hand how people’s lives are enriched by this program.
Some experience working with older adults and basic knowledge of, or experience with, dementia would also be helpful.
Minds in Motion takes place on Tuesdays from 10 to 11:45 a.m. at Clearbrook MB Church, 2719 Clearbrook Rd.
For information on volunteering, contact the Alzheimer Resource Centre at 604-449-5000 or info.southfraser@alzheimerbc.org. | http://www.abbynews.com/community/391438731.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.abbynews.com/10c4c1c1a17f684527eee2edac09dfbb0030288eca4abd1c9363a8501e35b137.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:09:03 | null | null | Win a $25 gift certificate in contest | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.abbynews.com%2Flifestyles%2F386988331.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/12918abbotsfordRoastedGreenBeans.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | Roasted green beans recipe from Lepp Farm Market | null | null | www.abbynews.com | Lepp Farm Market in Abbotsford is holding a contest to win a $25 gift certificate.
To enter, find the related post on the Abbotsford News Facebook page and then comment with one ingredient and #BetterWhenShared.
Only one entry is permitted per person, but you can double your entry by sharing the contest with friends.
The contest ends at noon on Friday, Aug. 12.
The recipe below is featured on Lepp Farm Market's website and is a featured page in the Abbotsford News' My City publication from July 15.
Crispy Parmesan Roasted Green Beans
Provided by Lepp Farm Market
Sometimes the simplest recipes are the best, especially in the summer when the produce is fresh and local! This recipe is easily adaptable to however many green beans you have on hand or the number of guests joining you for dinner, and so I won’t include any exact measurements. Just remember to use freshly picked Lepp Farms green beans!
Ingredients:
4 cups Lepp Farm’s fresh green beans, ends snipped. Use thicker beans, rather than very young, slender beans
1 - 2 tsp Olive oil per large cookie sheet
1/4 cup Freshly grated parmesan cheese, approximately
1/2 tsp Garlic salt I love Farmer’s Dotter Organic Garlic Scape Salt
Directions:
Preheat oven to 425°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or tin foil.
Lay green beans on a baking sheet in a single layer, which ensures they get crispy, rather than steam.
Very lightly drizzle with olive oil, and using your hands, toss and turn the beans around a bit, so all sides become coated with a very light layer of oil.
Sprinkle with Parmesan Cheese and garlic salt seasoning of choice.
Roast for 10-15 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy. If you feel like the cheese isn’t crispy enough, turn the broiler on for 1-2 minutes. Watch carefully so they don’t burn! These are delicious on their own as a side dish but would make an easy appetizer served alongside a creamy aioli for dipping. And if you love the added crunch of a flaky salt, sprinkle with a bit of Maldon’s Flaked Sea Salt just before serving. | http://www.abbynews.com/lifestyles/386988331.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.abbynews.com/340ff9b038166dfc9a7ff5c01d77a82c66e20a35caaa511ad7f2e6ec4e65b5ab.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:14:08 | null | null | About two weeks ago my husband tripped on a rough sidewalk and fell | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.abbynews.com%2Fopinion%2Fletters%2F389087681.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/BlackNewsMedia-CLR.png?t=12345? | en | null | LETTER: Thanks for the help | null | null | www.abbynews.com | About two weeks ago my husband tripped on a rough sidewalk and fell. A young man on a bike who was riding towards us stopped, parked his bike against a tree and began flagging down passing vehicles.
The first gentleman had an unlimited amount of paper towels and tissues, the next one had a phone and called an ambulance. A lady appeared from nowhere and administered first aid to my husband’s bleeding face. A compassionate policewoman monitored the situation and gave the ambulance another call and they were there shortly. They were kind and efficient and in no time we were at the ER at the Abbotsford Hospital.
Heartfelt thanks to all these wonderful people who came to our aid that day.
Dorothy Spenst | http://www.abbynews.com/opinion/letters/389087681.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.abbynews.com/fab7eb80d138119afff4f754daffec12dd3d5356ea77e096f347933003584d78.json |
[
"Ben Lypka"
] | 2016-08-26T13:13:06 | null | null | Team Canada soccer player meets with local supporters, before going back to play in Germany | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.abbynews.com%2Fsports%2F391341081.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/67734abbotsfordSophiefront1.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | Abbotsford's own Olympic medalist Sophie Schmidt comes home for special celebration | null | null | www.abbynews.com | For most guests at Sophie Schmidt's celebration party Sunday night, it was the closest they will ever be to an Olympic medal.
For others, it may have fully ignited the fire inside to chase an Olympic dream.
In front of her friends, family and fans, Abbotsford's Schmidt had a few moments to take in her big victory.
Just days after winning an Olympic bronze medal as a member of the Team Canada women's soccer team, the W.J. Mouat Secondary grad made a brief stop at a private party in Abbotsford to give invited locals an opportunity to celebrate her achievements at the Olympics.
Guests lined up to soak in a little bit of Olympic greatness in their own backyard. Schmidt said it's nice to be able to bring the bronze home again.
"We did an event like this four years ago after London and it's an opportunity for people to see me in person and it's a way for me to give back because of all they've done to support me through the years," she said. "I'm very proud to have come from Abbotsford and develop my game here."
Schmidt was on the field the moment Canada clinched bronze for the second straight Olympics by downing Brazil 2-1 on Friday. She entered the game in the 66th minute.
"I was pumped," she said. "We always felt calm and never felt like we were going to lose, but in that situation there's the excitement of wanting the final whistle to blow and also wanting to score another one. When you come in as a substitute you want to fight for your teammates."
When that final whistle blew, Schmidt said the team breathed a collective sigh of relief and the emotions came forth.
"I stopped and looked at my teammates and we all just let our guard down," she said. "I looked over at Sincy (Christine Sinclair) and just all she's gone through this year and it was so rewarding for all of us. It's moments like that you cherish forever."
But it wasn't all triumph for Schmidt and the Canadian team in Rio. They fell 2-0 to Germany in the semi-final to erase chances of winning gold. The expectations were high for Canada in Rio, and Schmidt said it was a lost opportunity for the team.
"With that game against Germany we felt like we were so close and it slipped through our fingers," she said.
Schmidt said the young players on the team felt responsible for the loss, and hated the fact that veterans moving on wouldn't get the chance to win a colour other than bronze.
"Some of the girls on the team in London really inspired the younger players on this year's team," Schmidt said. "They wanted to do something special for us and they felt like they let us down after that game. It wasn't the case at all. It would have been nice to have a different colour, but that's soccer."
After the crushing loss to Germany, Canada could have packed it in, and let the host country Brazil and their fans walk away with bronze. But Schmidt said an inspiring speech by head coach John Herdman rallied the troops.
"We were very emotional before the bronze medal game," she said. "Coach brought up how girls like Rhian Wilkinson and Melissa Tancredi have fought so hard for Canada and told us to go out there and play for them."
Schmidt said the difference between the 2012 and 2016 teams was simple.
"Last Olympics we fought so hard for that medal but this year we deserved it and really earned it," she said. "We only lost one game and we might have won that one if we had buried our chances."
Another connection from Abbotsford to Schmidt was the Fraser Valley girls soccer team, who captured gold at the event held in Abbotsford in July.
The entire team was invited to Schmidt's private party, and the entire relationship come about from home renovations.
Schmidt was recognized buying paint at the Abbotsford Benjamin Moore paint store, and signed a jersey for a fan. That turned out to be Jayden Gill, a player on the Fraser Valley team.
The team had the jersey on their bench during the entire BC Games tournament, and it proved to be a lucky charm as they won top spot.
"They sent me some messages letting me know how they were doing and it was great to hear they won gold," Schmidt said.
As for Schmidt's immediate future, she returned to Germany and re-joined her professional club team in Frankfurt.
At just 28, she said she definitely wants to suit up for Canada at the 2020 Summer Games in Tokyo.
"That's the plan, body willing," she said, when asked about her future Olympics potential. "I want to stay involved in the national team. There will be some turnover, but it's exciting because there's so much young talent out there, and I think we will just keep getting better as a country." | http://www.abbynews.com/sports/391341081.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.abbynews.com/a2ff041a167f9965682e5065516e58a6863f8940e7c87dc438b319318fe10830.json |
[
"Staff Writer"
] | 2016-08-26T13:13:25 | null | null | Saskatchewan team unbeatable at Senior B Women's Western Canadian Softball Championships held last weekend in Abbotsford. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.abbynews.com%2Fsports%2F390969591.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/6686abbotsfordWesternCanadianSoftballfinals-3-MORROW.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | Steelers roll to victory at Western Canadians | null | null | www.abbynews.com | A Carnduff Southeast Steeler slides into base during the final of the Western Canadian Softball Championships on Sunday.
Nobody could touch the Carnduff Southeast Steelers, as the team from the tiny southeastern Saskatchewan town rolled to gold at the Senior B Women’s Western Canadian Softball Championships held over the weekend at Exhibition Park in Abbotsford.
The Steelers needed just four and a half innings to down the runner-up Calgary Red Sox 7-0 in a final ended by the mercy rule.
Lydia Niemegeers homered in the final, and won the batting award, having hit .533 through the round robin.
Pitcher Jana Sittler was dominant for the Steelers, pitching 19 innings and winning three games while allowing just a pair of earned runs on seven hits. She struck out 21 over the tournament en route to the tournament’s award for best pitcher.
The Victoria Aces finished third by beating the Delta Sunfire 1-0 in their first playoff game before losing out to the Calgary Aces 4-0 in a semifinal.
The MVP award went to Alana Westerhoff of the Sunfire. Westerhoff pitched 25 1/3 innings, allowing just two earned runs on 16 hits and 29 strikeouts. She also batted .350.
Seven women’s teams from B.C. Alberta and Saskatchewan competed at the event, which saw each team play all six other teams in a round robin prior to semifinals on Saturday afternoon and finals Sunday.
The city had previously hosted the event in 2012. | http://www.abbynews.com/sports/390969591.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.abbynews.com/050f29fc1255214a940db4969986f8f62870f210dc07ba068b393f3bbdf1d910.json |
[
"Sue Reid For The Daily Mail"
] | 2016-08-30T08:50:16 | null | null | Laisvas Laikrašis | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.laisvaslaikrastis.lt%2Findex.php%3Foption%3Dcom_content%26view%3Darticle%26id%3D2726%26catid%3D31%26Itemid%3D101.json | http://www.laisvaslaikrastis.lt/templates/theme2090/favicon.ico | lt | null | Italai nusprendė perkelti visą Afrikos žemyną į Europą | null | null | www.laisvaslaikrastis.lt | Italai nusprendė perkelti visą Afrikos žemyną į Europą
Aurimas Drižius
Iš tiesų neįtikėtina britų išmintis – jie laiku pabėgo iš skęstančio Europos Sąjungos laivo, kuris bando savo mokesčių mokėtojų sąskaita apgyvendinti ES Afrikos ir Azijos žemynus.
Šiandien paskelbta tokia naujiena: Prie Libijos krantų išgelbėti apie 6,5 tūkst. migrantų. AFP-BNS pranešė, kad apie 6,5 tūkst. migrantų pirmadienį buvo išgelbėti prie Libijos krantų, pranešė Italijos pakrančių apsaugos tarnyba po vienos iš labiausiai įtemptų operacijų Viduržemio jūroje.
Vienos operacijos vaizdo įraše matomi apie 700 migrantų sausakimšame žvejybos laivelyje. Kai kurie tų gelbėjimosi liemenes dėvinčių žmonių šoko iš laivo į jūrą ir plaukė gelbėtojų link.
Tarp išgelbėtųjų buvo penkių dienų amžiaus kūdikis ir keli kiti mažyliai. Jis buvo išskraidintas sraigtasparniu į vieną Italijos ligoninę, nurodė nevyriausybinė organizacija „Gydytojai be sienų“ (MSF), dalyvavusi operacijose.
„Vadavietė koordinavo 40 gelbėjimo operacijų“ kartu su Italijos laivais, humanitarinėmis organizacijomis ir Europos Sąjungos sienų apsaugos agentūra „Frontex“, sakoma pakrančių sargybos „Twitter“ pranešime. Buvo išgelbėta iš viso apie 6,5 tūkst. žmonių.
Sekmadienį tame pačiame rajone buvo surinkta per 1,1 tūkst. migrantų.
Šiais metais į Italiją atvyko jau 112,5 tūkst. migrantų, nurodė Jungtinių Tautų pabėgėlių reikalų agentūra. Jų buvo šiek tiek mažiau negu atvykėlių, užfiksuotų per tą patį laikotarpį praeitais metais.
Beveik visi šie migrantai kilę iš Vakarų ir Rytų Afrikos šalių. Jie dažnai masiškai išplaukia iš Libijos, kai jūra nurimsta ir pučia pietų vėjas, greitai nustumiantis laivus į tarptautinius vandenis.
Šiemet per pirmuosius šešis mėnesius Europą per Viduržemio jūrą pasiekė apie 204 tūkst. migrantų ir pabėgėlių, nurodė JT pabėgėlių reikalų agentūra, žemyne tęsiantis didžiausiai migracijos krizei nuo Antrojo pasaulinio karo“.
Šis pranešimas nepasako to, kas jau seniai nervuoja britus – užtenka pilnai juodaodžių sukiužusiai valčiai atsistumti nuo Afrikos krantų ir vienas raštingesnis pabėgėlis skambina pagalbos telefonu. Į pagalbą atskuba netoliese plaukiojantis Italijos pakrančių apsaugos laivai. Tiesa, britai sako, kad tokia praktika skatina afrikiečius sėsti į valtis ir plaukti į jūrą – ten juos būtinai paims italai ir atsigabens į savo gražiąją tėvynę. Tiesa, gelbėtojai kažkodėl neveža pabėgėlių atgal į Afriką, kuri dažnai būna už kelių šimtų metrų ar kilometrų, tačiau kažkodėl veža juos per visą Viduržemio jūrą šimtus kilometrų į Italiją ir Siciliją. Tada juos apgyvendina pabėgėlių stovyklose, iš kurių jie laisvai keliauja po visą ES, ir dažniausiai keliauja į Didžiąją Britaniją arba Švediją, nes girdėjo, kad ten didžiausios pašalpos. Anglai laiku susizgribo, balsavo už išstojimą iš tokio beprotnamio, kaip tolerantiškoji Europa, ir bando apsaugoti savo išorės sienas.
Todėl viso pasaulio padugnės buriasi tokiose stovyklose, kaip vadinamuose Kalė džiunglėse – iš ten sklinda nusikaltimų ir ligų epidemija, nes tolerantiškieji prancūzai niekaip negali tos problemos išspręsti. kas yra Kalė džiunglės, neseniai rašė mailonline:
Many had made journeys from countries such as Iraq and Afghanistan
Migrants arrived at the ferry port when Tony Blair came to power in 1997
The Jungle in Calais, France, is just 21 miles across the Channel from Kent
For nearly two turbulent decades Calais, on France's northern coast, just 21 miles across the sea from Kent, has been a focus for migrants dreaming of one thing: a new life in Britain.
They first arrived unannounced at the ferry port in 1997, just as Tony Blair's New Labour government — with its laissez-faire immigration policies — came to power. Sleeping on streets and in parks, these hopefuls waited to slip inside lorries or on to Channel Tunnel trains heading for the UK.
They had made arduous journeys from unstable Iraq and Afghanistan, where the tea houses were already abuzz with news of a French staging post leading to the new 'promised land'.
And, as if drawn by a magnet, more and more started to come — and they have never stopped. Soon, they were joined by Kurds, Kosovans, Africans, and South Asians who had heard the news, too.
+11 Migrants set up camp at the site known as 'The Jungle' in Calais where people were desperately trying to get to the UK
+11 A migrant brandishes a knife during a scuffle as demolition continues at the Calais migrant camp, known as The Jungle in March this year
+11 Migrants continued to flock to Calais to attempt to try and board lorries bound for England
+11 The migrant camp, known as 'The Jungle', was set up by those wanting to get to Britain
Calais refugee camp gets bulldozed to replace 'jungle' Loaded: 0% Progress: 0% 0:00 Play Mute Current Time 0:00 / Duration Time 1:17 Fullscreen Need Text
In 1997, net migration to this country was 48,000. Over the next 12 months it almost trebled to 140,000, and has never since fallen below 100,000 annually, despite the Cameron government's promises to get it down to 'tens of thousands'. Office for National Statistics numbers have shown the figure reached a record 336,000 in the year to June 2015.
The figure — the difference between the number of people arriving and leaving — was 82,000 more than the previous year.
Many have claimed asylum, while thousands more — and it may be more than one million — have arrived illegally. Others, of course, will be EU migrants, here under right-to-free-movement laws.
Yet even back in the early days of 1999, Calais was so overwhelmed that a Red Cross reception centre, on a hill in the nearby village of Sangatte, was established to give sanctuary to migrant families.
From here, on a clear day, the white cliffs of Dover can be seen enticingly across the Channel. Soon enough, this charity centre had 1,800 'guests' and was overflowing.
Which was when the then French interior minister Nicolas Sarkozy said enough was enough (closing it abruptly in a deal with our Home Secretary of the time, David Blunkett, to let Kurds and Afghans waiting in Calais come to Britain).
Blunkett trumpeted: 'From today, the Sangatte centre will no longer draw would-be illegal immigrants to northern France, and traffickers will no longer be able to use it to ply their evil trade in human life.'
Some hope! Nothing could have been further from the reality.
No one, particularly the traffickers who make millions of euros from their odious trade, was going anywhere. The migrants simply set up their own camps instead, living under plastic sheeting and driftwood shelters on rough scrubland near the beaches, from where even more continued to get to Britain.
Today, the camps have morphed into one giant shanty town known simply as The Jungle. Thousands of migrants live here with their own ethnic shops and restaurants, law centre, school, nursery, church, a mosque, and even, it is said, a brothel.
+11 This is the a general view of a warehouse accommodating refugees in Sangatte near Calais in 2000
+11 Four years after the closing of the Sangatte immigrant detention centre, migrants continued to flock to Calais
+11 A makeshift camp in the woods near Calais was photographed in November 2007
Numbers are expected to reach 10,000 within a month, a French police union boss said yesterday. Jean-Claude Delage said the shanty town is turning into a 'disaster zone' because of escalating violence and chronic overcrowding.
He warned that 'policemen may die' if reinforcements are not sent into the area to protect their colleagues.
He added: 'Members of the CRS [elite riot police] have pretty much become regular security guards and are in charge of making sure the migrants have been given food, and if they have had a shower. Is this really their job?'
When I went to see the conditions there for myself this year, I was invited into an Afghan restaurant to sip tea with the migrants. 'The Jungle is a good place to be, better than home,' said one of them, a 36-year-old from Kabul.
Around me, Afghans puffed on cigarettes ('we can get a pack for three Euros on the black market', explained another young man) breaking French laws on smoking indoors with impunity.
In three days, I never saw a French policeman in The Jungle, but there were plenty of charity workers handing out food parcels, and No-Borders activists (many on day trips from British universities) advising migrants on their Human Rights, including their 'rights' to enter Britain illegally.
One astonishing scene sticks in my mind, from a visit two years ago. I watched and took photographs of migrants hurling plastic boxes of rice and chicken to the ground.
When I asked a group of them why they were throwing away a meal given to them by charity workers five minutes before, I was told: 'It is an insult to our culture. It is not spicy enough for us. We have said we will not eat it.'
As The Jungle gets ever more sprawling, it also becomes more violent and anarchic.
This summer, the situation has reached crisis point. Rioting migrants have attacked British-bound lorries with wooden bats and knives, even chainsaws.
+11 An encampment of makeshift tents, home to migrants of mainly Syrian origin, near to the Calais ferry port in 2013
+11 Migrants trying to get to Britain, mostly from Afghanistan, are pictured in 2009 in 'The Jungle'
+11 'The Jungle' is a makeshift refugee camp inhabited by illegal Afghan immigrants in Calais, northern France
+11 Migrants of Sub-Saharan origins rest for a while by the fire in the small forest known as 'The Jungle'
Tragic scenes from Calais 'Jungle' shows camp full of dump Loaded: 0% Progress: 0% 0:00 Play Mute Current Time 0:00 / Duration Time 0:46 Fullscreen Need Text
In sinister masks, they have set up road blocks which force traffic to stop, and then try to climb on board vehicles, including cars. It is a frightening place to be.
The Mail has published pictures of knife fights in The Jungle, and battles between rival gangs from different nations and religions are common. Only yesterday, French police admitted The Jungle is close to being a lawless 'no-go' area. 'Soon there will be so many people in the place that each passing day makes a mass evacuation all the more risky,' said a spokesman.
According to the Mayor of Calais, Natacha Bouchart, migrants want to reach Britain because our generous welfare payments, including £36-a-week hand-outs to asylum-seekers.
It may not sound much, but if you come from the world's poorest countries it could look like a fortune. If you add in the promise of free health care, free education for any children — it might seem a nirvana. And thanks to mobile phones, the news has spread far and wide.
I have met migrants in Italy who have simply walked out of reception centres there clutching pieces of paper with one word written on them: 'Calais'.
Now the French are at breaking point. There is pressure to let migrants apply for UK asylum at 'hot spot' application centres on Gallic soil.
The unsuccessful migrants would, say France, be deported straight back to their home countries. Just how this would work is anyone's guess. For the Calais migrants, wherever they hail from, are determined souls.
The southern half of The Jungle was closed down by the French authorities earlier this year, but for now the rest remains, a miserable home to a shabby population among which you will find everything from armed and angry young men to despairing families.
And the one thing that unites them is a steely resolve to make it to the shores of the UK.
You cannot over-estimate their determination. I once stood with an Afghan family of four, including a baby and a toddler, in the pouring rain on a winter's day overlooking the grey sea at Calais.
Beside us was a bus — chock full of uniformed immigration officials — on which, as a short-lived experiment, migrants were being invited to claim asylum in France.
The head of the family, Abdul, aged 38, refused to do so. He was preparing to spend the night, in freezing conditions that surely threatened his children's lives, under the trees in the Calais public park.
He said stoutly: 'We go to England or we die here.'
And there was nothing I, or the charity workers trying to help the family, could do to stop him. | http://www.laisvaslaikrastis.lt/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2726&catid=31&Itemid=101 | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.laisvaslaikrastis.lt/d0a1ed5e381d0881b8489649216ccf188a0148c122ecba25231a63e0b920268c.json |
[] | 2016-08-27T12:47:07 | null | 2016-08-27T16:13:00 | ASTANA. KAZINFORM Prime Minister Karim Massimov congratulated the participants of the Charity Tour de Burabay today. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.inform.kz%2Feng%2Farticle%2F2942292.json | http://www.inform.kz/fotoarticles/20160827151338.jpg | ru | null | Prime Minister congratulates Charity Tour de Burabay participants | null | null | www.inform.kz | null | http://www.inform.kz/eng/article/2942292 | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.inform.kz/1ccc753b61732e7c239e124afb9ccba6b62f0f91fa6f520003b91b22066afb29.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T16:46:46 | null | 2016-08-26T20:33:00 | ASTANA. KAZINFORM A 4.4-magnitude rocked today near Almaty. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.inform.kz%2Feng%2Farticle%2F2942036.json | http://www.inform.kz/fotoarticles/20160826202933.jpg | ru | null | 4.4M earthquake rocked in 149 km from Almaty | null | null | www.inform.kz | null | http://www.inform.kz/eng/article/2942036 | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.inform.kz/12e344715365711a829df598f5a91d2db7f0503c8442debc1c0352291ae6f11f.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:02:18 | null | 2016-08-26T09:54:00 | ASTANA. KAZINFORM - After a draw in a match against Belarus BATE and advance to the group stage of the UEFA Europa League Astana FC moved from the 118th up to the 116th place in the UEFA club rankings, Sports.kz informs. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.inform.kz%2Feng%2Farticle%2F2941697.json | http://www.inform.kz/fotoarticles/20160826081641.jpg | ru | null | Astana FC moved up to 116th place in UEFA club rankings | null | null | www.inform.kz | null | http://www.inform.kz/eng/article/2941697 | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.inform.kz/653a0a05fabc38c3176075f33bf85ace1186fc725127cdac4127f2252e39ef04.json |
[] | 2016-08-27T08:47:00 | null | 2016-08-27T13:23:00 | SCHUCHINSK. KAZINFORM Rio Olympics champion Dmitriy Balandin and world's undefeated boxer Gennady Golovkin are going to put their personal items on auction in Borovoye resort area today. Thus, Balandin offers his T-shirt and Golovkin will sell his boxing gloves, Kazinform reports, | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.inform.kz%2Feng%2Farticle%2F2942215.json | http://www.inform.kz/fotoarticles/20160827105536.jpg | ru | null | Balandin’s T-shirt and Golovkin’s boxing gloves to be auctioned in Borovoye | null | null | www.inform.kz | null | http://www.inform.kz/eng/article/2942215 | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.inform.kz/4bfeffaaf2ea4b52dfee228b1a4b1cb95911356699d91adc7eb3470423388715.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T06:48:16 | null | 2016-08-29T10:59:00 | TOKYO. KAZINFORM Japanese and African leaders pledged to fight terrorism and emphasized the importance of rule-based maritime order as they wrapped up a Japan-led international conference on the continent's development on Sunday. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.inform.kz%2Feng%2Farticle%2F2942698.json | http://www.inform.kz/fotoarticles/20160829111646.jpg | ru | null | Japan, Africa vow to fight terrorism, stress rule-based order at sea | null | null | www.inform.kz | null | http://www.inform.kz/eng/article/2942698 | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.inform.kz/421b4964a1599f8408422fe8280db07eb94e79a277c95f4d1358cb72998db459.json |
[] | 2016-08-28T16:47:51 | null | 2016-08-28T20:29:00 | BAKU. KAZINFORM The first phase of Iran's National Information Network (National Internet) was launched on August 28 during a ceremony attended by First Vice-President Eshaq Jahangiri, Tasnim news agency reported. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.inform.kz%2Feng%2Farticle%2F2942536.json | http://www.inform.kz/fotoarticles/20160828203348.jpg | ru | null | Iran launches its national internet | null | null | www.inform.kz | null | http://www.inform.kz/eng/article/2942536 | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.inform.kz/e02b1923faab71920886de16f5a6a410ea7f7593c697f32fc66e6c0c8883ff64.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T14:46:27 | null | 2016-08-26T18:54:00 | ASTANA. KAZINFORM Head of State Nursultan Nazarbayev has awarded silver and bronze medalists of the 2016 Rio Olympics with Parassat and Kurmet orders. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.inform.kz%2Feng%2Farticle%2F2941995.json | http://www.inform.kz/fotoarticles/20160826154634.jpg | ru | null | Olympic champions and prizewinners awarded with Parassat and Kurmet orders | null | null | www.inform.kz | null | http://www.inform.kz/eng/article/2941995 | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.inform.kz/c790e932e882ba51e4be0305683c5d446b6e1d3b72e60f72f10d85cc6a7fce89.json |
[] | 2016-08-28T12:48:00 | null | 2016-08-28T16:22:00 | LONDON. KAZINFORM Germany expects up to 300,000 migrants to arrive in the country this year, the head of its Federal Office for Migration and Refugees said. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.inform.kz%2Feng%2Farticle%2F2942511.json | http://www.inform.kz/fotoarticles/20160828165752.jpg | ru | null | Europe migrant crisis: Germany expects 'up to 300,000' this year | null | null | www.inform.kz | null | http://www.inform.kz/eng/article/2942511 | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.inform.kz/360c48406673c1cfd83c9b624159aad6ee5b4423c7927d7514e4fb09003f6bee.json |
[] | 2016-08-27T10:47:07 | null | 2016-08-27T15:25:00 | ASTANA. KAZINFORM Undefeated boxer Gennady Golovkin told about his soccer favors in an interview with Sky Sports . | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.inform.kz%2Feng%2Farticle%2F2942275.json | http://www.inform.kz/fotoarticles/20160827104241.jpg | ru | null | Golovkin on why he is a fan of Real Madrid | null | null | www.inform.kz | null | http://www.inform.kz/eng/article/2942275 | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.inform.kz/60d006cf8fd54a674c0b2423eea471d17a0fbdf2a536fd907925825ef0a63a8d.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T08:48:25 | null | 2016-08-29T12:46:00 | ASTANA. KAZINFORM Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev announced what problems it will focus on while working as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.inform.kz%2Feng%2Farticle%2F2942765.json | http://www.inform.kz/fotoarticles/20160829122127.jpg | ru | null | President criticizes dual standard policies in nuclear disarmament | null | null | www.inform.kz | null | http://www.inform.kz/eng/article/2942765 | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.inform.kz/1e9d112bf964b1ecfabb70952730aeed0ec804c76b82be64d9c5b05c0a33b6ba.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T08:48:19 | null | 2016-08-29T12:59:00 | ASTANA. KAZINFORM Prime Minister Karim Massimov expressed condolences to the people of Kyrgyzstan over the tragic event which occurred Saturday and led to death of 14 nationals, pm.kz reported. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.inform.kz%2Feng%2Farticle%2F2942768.json | http://www.inform.kz/fotoarticles/20160628093636.jpg | ru | null | PM condoles with Kyrgyzstan over Moscow warehouse fire victims | null | null | www.inform.kz | null | http://www.inform.kz/eng/article/2942768 | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.inform.kz/43094d75b8518ec267b000803a79651bbd3bb97d8c4723eee95d843dd089f08e.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T08:48:28 | null | 2016-08-29T12:29:00 | ASTANA. KAZINFORM President Nursultan Nazarbayev offers to start a new stage in fight on reduction and full prohibition of nuclear weapons. He said it today at the International Conference on | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.inform.kz%2Feng%2Farticle%2F2942756.json | http://www.inform.kz/fotoarticles/20160829124752.jpg | ru | null | Nazarbayev offers to start new stage in fight on reduction and full prohibition of nuclear weapons | null | null | www.inform.kz | null | http://www.inform.kz/eng/article/2942756 | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.inform.kz/1da7391f074634eb76049b4d8ee972cf4f1a7f985983c1f6646617d5c1126ae4.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:07:58 | null | 2016-08-26T00:08:00 | LONDON. KAZINFORM Arsenal are set to trump Everton by signing the Deportivo la Coruña forward Lucas Pérez as they seek to bolster the attacking ranks at the Emirates Stadium. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.inform.kz%2Feng%2Farticle%2F2941524.json | http://www.inform.kz/fotoarticles/20160825191903.jpg | ru | null | Arsenal set to beat Everton to signing of Lucas Pérez from Deportivo la Coruña | null | null | www.inform.kz | null | http://www.inform.kz/eng/article/2941524 | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.inform.kz/89607daa326aaa7fc5e3e695fbb14437b69e67a43089cf6d5ae7f8139728c40d.json |
[] | 2016-08-28T20:47:52 | null | 2016-08-29T00:39:00 | ASTANA. KAZINFORM On August 29, the Palace of Peace and Reconciliation of Astana will host an International Conference on 'Building a Nuclear-Weapon-Free World' dedicated to the 25th anniversary of closure of the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Testing Site. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.inform.kz%2Feng%2Farticle%2F2942579.json | http://www.inform.kz/fotoarticles/20160828123158.jpg | ru | null | Astana to host Intl Conference on 'Building Nuclear-Weapon-Free World' Aug 29 | null | null | www.inform.kz | null | http://www.inform.kz/eng/article/2942579 | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.inform.kz/2a6b0c3b0fd171c60093b017b129ef7059f311fb62d8c3cf4a8039b13354200f.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T16:47:03 | null | 2016-08-26T19:58:00 | MOSCOW. KAZINFORM Russian scientists have successfully tested the first detonation liquid rocket engine (LRE) which uses next-generation clean fuel, according to the Foundation for Advanced Studies (FPI). | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.inform.kz%2Feng%2Farticle%2F2942030.json | http://www.inform.kz/fotoarticles/20160826203517.jpg | ru | null | Russia first to succeed in test of ecologically clean rocket engine | null | null | www.inform.kz | null | http://www.inform.kz/eng/article/2942030 | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.inform.kz/ed238ab16434eee583cb2c60dde893c36df3066ba5fee8d77084a7e161ab3031.json |
[] | 2016-08-28T06:47:38 | null | 2016-08-28T11:32:00 | ASTANA. KAZINFORM The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kyrgyzstan confirms death of 14 Kyrgyz nationals in the fire in Moscow. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.inform.kz%2Feng%2Farticle%2F2942439.json | http://www.inform.kz/fotoarticles/20160827192744.jpg | ru | null | MFA confirms death of 14 Kyrgyz nationals in Moscow warehouse fire | null | null | www.inform.kz | null | http://www.inform.kz/eng/article/2942439 | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.inform.kz/58c3c371d98d2cde5976ae3621620c6274a895356c4d5022880e4a0f7af5842c.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T10:48:28 | null | 2016-08-29T14:18:00 | ASTANA. KAZINFORM The terrorists detained in Alamty region are the followers of salafism, according to Chairman of the National Security Committee Vladimir Zhumakanov. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.inform.kz%2Feng%2Farticle%2F2942805.json | http://www.inform.kz/fotoarticles/20160829141135.jpg | ru | null | Terrorists detained in Almaty region are salafis - National Security Committee | null | null | www.inform.kz | null | http://www.inform.kz/eng/article/2942805 | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.inform.kz/c7fc4a2d7cee0c457b95c1770d96bbab515d80dc567a2f4fcbc3bd34b3580fe3.json |
[] | 2016-08-27T14:47:08 | null | 2016-08-27T19:44:00 | BAKU. KAZINFORM Oil prices will not exceed $60 a barrel in the short-term perspective, according to the forecasts of the British economic research and consulting company Capital Economics, Trend.az reported. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.inform.kz%2Feng%2Farticle%2F2942325.json | http://www.inform.kz/fotoarticles/20160816194459.jpg | ru | null | Oil prices won’t exceed $60 in short-term - analysts | null | null | www.inform.kz | null | http://www.inform.kz/eng/article/2942325 | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.inform.kz/d99f2f30d0748578112348bb43e19c72444dfe66f255c06bc6f696d9c8bf6810.json |
[] | 2016-08-28T12:47:52 | null | 2016-08-28T16:57:00 | BEIJING. KAZINFORM Ambassador of Kazakhstan to China Shakhrat Nuryshev met with Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs of China Li Huilai. The sides discussed the state and prospects of cooperation in political, economic and cultural-humanitarian spheres as well as the ways of implementation of the agreements reached at the highest level. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.inform.kz%2Feng%2Farticle%2F2942519.json | http://www.inform.kz/fotoarticles/20160828134108.jpg | ru | null | Preparation for Kazakh Leader’s visit to China for G20 Summit discussed in Beijing | null | null | www.inform.kz | null | http://www.inform.kz/eng/article/2942519 | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.inform.kz/bb880b98610c25031e10258c0d9a1d2347e786ee2a390e1b8a97161d29ea1e01.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T10:48:13 | null | 2016-08-29T14:52:00 | ASTANA. KAZINFORM Kazakhstan is debating the issue of banning radical religious movements, Chairman of the National Security Committee Vladimir Zhumakanov says. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.inform.kz%2Feng%2Farticle%2F2942820.json | http://www.inform.kz/fotoarticles/20160829143329.jpg | ru | null | Kazakhstan debates ban of Salafi movement | null | null | www.inform.kz | null | http://www.inform.kz/eng/article/2942820 | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.inform.kz/a1502ce8ade5ecac48099a391c6a43791500458a81deb8af82467579228c20d6.json |
[] | 2016-08-27T16:47:09 | null | 2016-08-27T21:41:00 | ASTANA. KAZINFORM Astana's Barys Hockey Club has lost to Omsk's Avangard in a Kontinental Hockey League match 1:3, Kazinform reports citing Sports.kz. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.inform.kz%2Feng%2Farticle%2F2942346.json | http://www.inform.kz/eng/article/2942346 | ru | null | Barys lost to Omsk's Avangard in KHL match | null | null | www.inform.kz | null | http://www.inform.kz/eng/article/2942346 | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.inform.kz/c32ad11c3d0a0276b8e1c498940b351f01f4800a63a85a9b68d2b967b094bca1.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T12:51:23 | null | 2016-08-26T17:24:00 | ASTANA. KAZINFORM Head of State Nursultan Nazarbayev named the medals won by Kazakhstani sportsmen at the Rio Olympic Games a worthy present to the 25th anniversary of the country's independence. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.inform.kz%2Feng%2Farticle%2F2941934.json | http://www.inform.kz/fotoarticles/20160826155712.jpg | ru | null | Nazarbayev called Olympic medals a worthy gift to 25th anniversary of Kazakhstan’s Independence | null | null | www.inform.kz | null | http://www.inform.kz/eng/article/2941934 | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.inform.kz/6bde12eb3dcbbd13d13bdfc0f7036523c7f2a964111bb6ff97409646b917426f.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T10:48:34 | null | 2016-08-29T15:28:00 | ASTANA. KAZINFORM - Rain, thunderstorm and wind are expected in northern, central and eastern parts of the country tomorrow. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.inform.kz%2Feng%2Farticle%2F2942826.json | http://www.inform.kz/fotoarticles/20160829143547.jpg | ru | null | Warm weather forecast for most regions of Kazakhstan | null | null | www.inform.kz | null | http://www.inform.kz/eng/article/2942826 | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.inform.kz/f82442b3d6c434b3d21671e51073156901ed8263087da67d97b686f115a52e12.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:00:54 | null | 2016-08-26T11:34:00 | ASTANA. KAZINFORM - A draw in the Astana-BATE football match, which was held within the UEFA Europa League playoff, allowed Astana FC to earn some good money, Sports.kz informs. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.inform.kz%2Feng%2Farticle%2F2941751.json | http://www.inform.kz/fotoarticles/20160826081504.jpg | ru | null | Astana FC earned EUR 3.35 mln in EUFA matches | null | null | www.inform.kz | null | http://www.inform.kz/eng/article/2941751 | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.inform.kz/d2882519e74e555930a1f7a232dd42d74da405955865b30564f24d71d1506044.json |
[] | 2016-08-27T14:47:11 | null | 2016-08-27T18:30:00 | WASHINGTON, DC. KAZINFORM It's been a | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.inform.kz%2Feng%2Farticle%2F2942324.json | http://www.inform.kz/fotoarticles/20160827184017.jpg | ru | null | Roger Federer targeting Australian Open return after 'painful' 2016 | null | null | www.inform.kz | null | http://www.inform.kz/eng/article/2942324 | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.inform.kz/2fb2237a4a71d0823052de211b5b502434c67b28db080a5ebcc9e5db5ca61f5f.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T04:48:18 | null | 2016-08-29T07:25:00 | BISHKEK. KAZINFORM President of Kyrgyzstan Almazbek Atambayev signed a decree on declaring 29 August 2016 the Day of Mourning in the Kyrgyz Republic. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.inform.kz%2Feng%2Farticle%2F2942615.json | http://www.inform.kz/fotoarticles/20160829084748.jpg | ru | null | Kyrgyzstan declared Aug 29 Day of Mourning | null | null | www.inform.kz | null | http://www.inform.kz/eng/article/2942615 | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.inform.kz/84d620a2165556c63918e755ded180d6268ecb32e7e018a336d7b8cd624cd323.json |
[] | 2016-08-27T22:47:17 | null | 2016-08-28T02:55:00 | ANKARA. KAZINFORM Turkey has opened a massive $3-billion suspension bridge that links the European and Asian sides of Istanbul. The relative of the Golden Gate, Akashi Kaikyo, and Moscow's Crimean Bridge was unveiled by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.inform.kz%2Feng%2Farticle%2F2942362.json | http://www.inform.kz/eng/article/2942362 | ru | null | Turkey opens 3rd bridge linking Europe to Asia | null | null | www.inform.kz | null | http://www.inform.kz/eng/article/2942362 | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.inform.kz/8cb2984fdcda61707f7182dbcc0440c6e3b7c60befd6d1b86f8f7951d193f105.json |
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