The Chilliwack
Progress Thursday
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Day at the Fair
Crash
Football
The 141st Chilliwack Fair through the lens.
Series of events leads to fatal motorcycle crash.
Huskers earn an unorthodox win.
Scene
News
Sports
Y O U R C O M M U N I T Y N E W S PA P E R • F O U N D E D I N 1 8 9 1 • W W W. T H E P R O G R E S S . C O M • T H U R S D AY, A U G U S T 1 5 , 2 0 1 3
Pot petition coming to Chilliwack Alina Konevski The Progress A group of Chilliwack residents are preparing for a massive street campaign to gather signatures in support of marijuana decriminalization. “I personally think we’re just misinformed...I don’t think it (marijuana’s) being illegal is justified,” said local volunteer coordinator Ceara Sinead Doyle. About 40 Chilliwack volunI think teers have so far signed on to a prothat we’re vincial campaign coming to an to gather 400,000 signatures, rep- understanding resenting 10 per now cent of B.C. voters. This would trigger ~ Ceara a provincial referendum in 2014 to Sinead Doyle decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana. The organizing group, Sensible B.C., wants the province to pass a so-called Sensible Policing Act, which will stop police from searching or arresting people in B.C. for small cases of possession. The group terms the amendment “sensible” because it would purportedly save police time and resources. Doyle believes there is “definitely” a strong pro-decriminalization undercurrent in Chilliwack. “I think that we’re coming to an understanding now. We’re not in the dark ages anymore. We have the internet. We can do our own research, instead of just believing the stuff you hear,” she said. Doyle has witnessed the beneficial side of light marijuana use, such as when her grandmother used pills derived from the main chemical in cannabis to manage pain related to ovarian cancer.
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A forestry airtanker dumps fire retardant on a wildfire that got uncomfortably close to homes along Rockwell Drive in Harrison Hot Springs Monday. PAULINE BECHTEL PHOTO
Forest fire threatens Harrison homes Jessica Peters Black Press
fire starting at the roadside of Rockwell Drive and likely caused by people, said Fire Chief Wayne Dyer. He added that afternoon south winds resulted in the fire being carried up towards the homes. Investigators from the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations and the District of Kent fire department will continue their investigation in the morning. About an hour after the fire started, the water bomber flew in and doused the flames with red retardant twice. Rockwell Drive was temporarily closed
off as the fire was being contained. Homeowners and campers converged in parking lots, on the docks, and in the road, all cut off from their homes and campsites. One woman worried whether her husband could secure the house, and if she could get her medication for the evening. Campers wondered whether they would be left to sleep in their vehicles in Harrison. One Agassiz man noted that the same side of the mountain burned back in the late ‘50s or early ‘60s, and that his father fought that fire.
DLN 8692
Fire crews were back on the scene of a small forest fire along the edge of Harrison Lake Tuesday. The fire broke out just after 4 p.m. Monday, and was threatening at least four homes along Rockwell Drive, about one kilometre from the Village of Harrison. Fire crews quickly got the blaze under control, with a total of 17 firefighters on the ground, four engines and a tender, four helicopters with monsoon buckets and an airtanker
with retardant. The fire covered about .3 hectare, and on Monday evening was about 80 per cent contained. While a 24 hour fire watch was in place overnight, fire fighting operations were ceased overnight due to darkness. Tuesday morning, the District of Kent fire department is on scene with ground crews from Wildfire Management. Both the District and the Village fire departments responded to the fire, however, the fire is in the District of Kent. Preliminar y investigation points to the location of the
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