Archive for October 2011

There are many things we can do without. Water is not one of them. Dr. Richard Wolfenden, professor of biochemistry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill put it this way, “To say that water is essential hardly covers it.” Over the past weeks, I have been listening, gathering information and learning about our water…

Abbotsford City Council candidate Henry Braun announced today that he will be voting ‘No’ on the Stave Lake Water question on the November 19 referendum ballot. Since declaring his candidacy, Braun has been seeking answers to his questions about the proposed P3 water deal. ‘Over the past weeks I have been listening, gathering information and…

During my campaign travels, numerous people have shared their confusion with me that, while they agree with some portions of the referendum question, they disagree with other portions. The following guide may be helpful in working through that process. Step 1: Carefully Read the Referendum (note that each underlined portion is in fact a separate…

Everyone knows that young adults (those under 30) are often unable to afford the price, or the rent, for reasonable housing. There is, however, a local Abbotsford effort that seems to have proven that young people can live responsibly together in community and, in the process, have affordable housing. A few days ago, I received…

Today, I was invited to lunch by a group of young voters. By that I mean quite a bit younger than me; half of them being in their early to mid-30s. Having been invited to the luncheon, I was keen to know their thoughts on the upcoming election, so I kept my opening to a…

One of the many joys of being a grandfather is to take time to be with grandchildren. While I dearly love my children, there is something extra special when it comes to grandchildren…and mere words don’t fully express what I feel about them Friday night was the first time that I had taken my youngest…

Are the City’s Regular Council meetings scripted? That was the question that was posed to me by one of the other Council candidates during the third Stave Lake Open House held at Rick Hansen School. A bit taken aback, my reply was that this was not an accurate reflection of how City Council normally operates.…

If small business can’t fight City Hall, then City Hall should not be fighting small business. While I celebrate a new major employer relocating to Abbotsford, research indicates that the vast majority of jobs are created by small, local businesses. Small business is the heartbeat of our community. Yet many times City Hall forgets how…

Abbotsford is not an island. Realizing that we are part of a global community is essential to making wise decisions as a member of the City Council. Tuesday, I attended the RBC Royal Bank’s Fall 2011 Economic Forum to hear what their Vice-President and Chief Economist, Craig Wright, had to say about the global economic…

The Stave Lake Water Project continues to be a ‘hot button’ issue. I attended Monday’s Regular Meeting of Council. The meeting began with a delegation presentation that was punctuated with a host of questions about the project. Some were good, and others were more statements of opinion than helpful in shedding light on what is…