INSIDE: City still waging battle with infamous giant hogweed Pg. 5 July 20, 2010
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blanked in exhibition 10 Huskers 1985-
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LOCAL NEWS, SPORTS, WEATHER & ENTERTAINMENT chilliwacktimes.com
Black colours city as biz savvy Liberal cabinet minister says we’re doing things right locally BY PAUL J. HENDERSON phenderson@chilliwacktimes.com
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group of Chilliwack entrep re n e u r s g o t t o b e n d the ear of the minister in charge of small business on Friday and topics ran the gamut
from access to training to the HST. Iain Black, the minister of small business, technology and economic development, met with business owners at the Coast Hotel as part of the ongoing small business roundtable meetings the ministry has held across the province since
2005. This was the first visit of the roundtable to Chilliwack and Black said he enjoyed the clarity he sees from Fraser Valley small business owners. “If you’re trying to really succinctly define what the government’s role is in the small business community: to equip them with some tools, assist them in being successful and to get out of the way . . . there are very few places in the
HST A GOOD THING? ◗ Local MLAs defend much-hated HST for business and the economic future of our province. See Page 6
province where that is as clearly and decisively communicated as in Chilliwack,” Black said. Chamber of Commerce president Jason Lum said the visit was a good opportunity “to speak direct-
ly and cordially to the people in charge.” As a small business owner himself, Lum said one topic of concern is access to grants for training, which are available to employees but not the owners themselves. “There are grants up to $5,000 to train employees even though a lot of small business owners are employees,” he told the Times. See BLACK, Page 6
Arrests made in theft of dirt bikes
HERON RESERVE IT’S NOT EASY BEING GREEN
But many items still missing
P
Neve and Isabelle take a good long look at a frog on display at the Great Blue Heron Reserve Saturday as part of Canada Parks celebrations.
Ken Goudswaard/TIMES
olice have arrested three people and recovered two of the dozen-plus dirt bikes stolen last week. The bikes, along with a trailer and a white E450 Ford utility truck, were stolen last Thursday morning, just hours before they were to be used in a dirt bike camp for kids as young as six years old. The trailer was found Thursday morning but the bikes were gone. Police recovered two of the bikes, along with some of the stolen equipment, on Friday and arrested three people. All three have since been charged with possession of stolen property. The truck, which police say is adorned with Honda stickers, and 15 more dirt bikes are still at large. “We’re still investigating and we still welcome any more information the public may have,” said RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Lea-Anne Dunlop.
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