Last
chance
Local Harvest ordered to close doors by city council BY PAUL J. HENDERSON phenderson@chilliwacktimes.com
A
s greenhouse produce is harvested, seeds are planted outside and spring approaches, vegetable farmers Dan and Helen Oostenbrink need to find another way to sell their wares after Chilliwack city council issued a ‘no occupancy’ order for their business effective 60 days from Tuesday. The Local Harvest Market will be fined $500 every two weeks they stay open after that date. For those unfamiliar, The
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Just a small tax hike 1.89 Policing remains the biggest service cost, but our taxation still among B.C.’s lowest BY PAUL J. HENDERSON phenderson@chilliwacktimes.com
each year from 2017 to 2025. Fire protection accounts for 10 per cent of taxation dollars, and the 2016 budget allows ew Mounties, firefighters, police and for the addition of one firefighter. Bylaw enforcement, too, will get a boost fire vehicles, an organics transfer with one additional full-time officer this year, station, road improvements and a and two part-time seasonal officers to provide new Vedder Bridge. weekend and after hours enforcement. Those are just a few of the items slated for A 1.89 per cent property tax increase 2016 as part of the City of Chilliwack’s is the second lowest in 20 years. Last financial plan given introduction and year’s 1.49 per cent property tax first readings at city council’s meeting increase was the lowest. Tuesday with a public hearing schedThe increase compares to 2014’s uled for Feb. 16. The annual city budget includes EB IRST hike of 2.44 per cent. Years 2011 to a proposed tax increase of 1.89 per First reported on 2013 saw increases just below 3.5 per cent to pay mostly for inflationary chilliwacktimes.com cent, and from 2006 to 2010 it was just under four per cent. increases with labour, contracts and As is done every year, city staff materials. remind council and the public that the municiPublic safety continues to be the largest area pality’s taxation is among the lowest in 19 simiof expense at city hall, with 41 per cent of tax lar Lower Mainland communities. dollars going to police, fire and bylaw services. “When adding water, sewer, garbage collecOf that, policing is the single largest service tion and other taxes collected for other levels component at 30 per cent of the budget. This of government, the gap increases even greater,” year’s budget covers inflationary increases to the RCMP contract and two more RCMP mem{ See BUDGET, page A7 } bers. Two further members are to be added
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%
Proposed property tax increase for 2016
$12.5M for Vedder Bridge replacement
$6.5M for Lickman Road interchange
$3.7M
for organics transfer station
$1.5M
for city fleet vehicle replacements
Vidal gets eight years in prison BY PAUL J. HENDERSON Chilliwack Times
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ocal drug dealer and self-described gang member Curtis Vidal was sentenced to eight years in jail in BC Supreme Court in Chilliwack Tuesday for a violent home invasion that traumatized four young residents. Vidal’s co-accused Travis Soderstrom was sentenced to seven years for the Dec. 16, 2013 incident at a McIntosh Avenue apartment. Crown counsel Henry Waldock had asked for eight to 10 years for Vidal and eight to nine years for Soderstrom. During sentencing submissions on Feb. 2 for Vidal, his lawyer Darcy Lawrence argued that Crown’s position was too harsh and that despite
Curtis Vidal his client’s approximately 55 convictions over the last 20 years, he hasn’t been convicted of a violent offence in a decade, which would be an aggravating factor. “It is clear Mr. Vidal has a significant history,” Lawrence told the court, but added, “there are very few offences of violence.” Justice Brian Joyce { See VIDAL, page A4 }
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{ See HARVEST, page A13 }
Two out of three ain’t bad for Chiefs
Chilliwack
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2016
Local Harvest Market is a 30-acre farm and produce seller on Lickman Road just south of Highway 1. Running out of a refurbished barn structure since late 2013, they have sold what they grow on the farm in addition to, more recently, product from nearby Anita’s Organic Mill, Magpie’s Bakery and some other local producers. They also run a bistro, Curly Kale Eatery. At its meeting Tuesday, city council did not go ahead with a staff recommendation to
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