The Chilliwack
Progress Wednesday
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CSO has your ‘Bach’ for spring concert.
RCMP find plenty of distracted drivers.
All-American acclaim for Unity grad.
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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 • W E D N E S D AY, A P R I L 1 , 2 0 1 5
Chilliwack offers the big picture on its diking system City makes its case through video Jennifer Feinberg The Progress A new video released online by City of Chilliwack explains the critical role the local diking system plays in protecting the community from catastrophic flooding. “Creating a video like this was seen as the most concise and effective way to get our message across,” said acting mayor Sam Waddington. Over four and half minutes long, the video was uploaded from city hall Friday at the www.chilliwack. com site, and is found on the flood information page. The video is not geared to countering any arguments in particular — such as those held by some residents opposing the Young Road dike upgrade as a group, he said. The impetus of the new city video is to clarify the intent of the project, and put it in context to in the face of some inaccurate details being shared in discussions, the city councillor said. “We understand it’s the right of residents to disagree with us, but we are compelled to clarify some of the facts around this project to avoid the any misunderstandings.” The video offers visually stunning aerial views of the Fraser River along with views of the existing and future diking infrastructure shot by drones. There is some historical context provided, with archival flood photos, and river graphs added to the mix. It’s important that people see the dike upgrade in the context of adding protection to the larger system, and especially in the context of historical disasters such as the floods of 1894 and 1948. Continued: DIKE/ p6
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Dignitaries and representatives from BC Transit wait for the 10:15 Fraser Valley Express #66 bus to depart from Spadina Avenue in Chilliwack on Tuesday. JENNA HAUCK/ PROGRESS
FVX rolls out with VIP launch on Tuesday Jennifer Feinberg The Progress All aboard the Fraser Valley Express! The new express bus rolled out from Chilliwack to points west for the first time Tuesday morning. The new FVX bus route linking the communities of Chilliwack, Abbotsford and Langley saw an inaugural VIP ride that morning with local MLAs, city council and BC Transit reps climbing aboard to test it out. Mayor Sharon Gaetz is thrilled to see the FVX finally coming to fruition. “It is really happening! It doesn’t seem that long ago we were at UFV to receive an armload of peti-
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It will help people think about their transportation choices and offer an economic alternative to driving ~ Sharon Gaetz
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tions asking for this bus service,” she remembered. “We knew there was very strong demand for it from the university, and from the community in general.” Suddenly there are so many options. Some will take the bus to work, or access medical services at the
Abb Abbotsford Regional Hospital. “I think people will use it for pleasure to head to Abbotsford or elsewhere by bus to go shopping or see a movie,” said Gaetz. “A lot of people will choose not to drive their cars, for a variety of reasons. It’s a whole new opportunity to get out of the commu-
nity and go the big city, or to the Abbotsford Airport.” Funding shared by BC Transit, and the cities of Chilliwack and Abbotsford, mean the route is heavily subsidized. “We could not be doing this without our partners, like BC Transit.” The community has been waiting patiently for the bus to start rolling. “It will help people think about their transportation choices and offer an economic alternative to driving. “People in the community are saying, ‘It’s about time!’ and they are excited.” Continued: BUS/ p7
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