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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…

Several weeks ago, I read a book entitled “The Big Thirst” written by Charles Fishman. The Big Thirst is a fascinating read and brilliantly explores our strange and complex relationship with water. Fishman contends that, for the past 100 years, the western world has been living in a kind of aquatic paradise: Our water has…

Sometimes, our tendency when confronted with important issues is to react emotionally. Certainly, the upcoming referendum on the potential P3 Stave Lake Water supply is one of those important community issues. But as emotional as we might be tempted to be in response to this issue, it is important to be fully informed That is…

My nomination papers have now been signed and delivered to City Hall. A special thanks to my two nominators, Balbir Singh (Bill) Khangura, P. Eng., a professional engineer whom I have known for over 30 years, and Karen Matty, a good friend of the family for over 25 years. The issues facing the Abbotsford community…

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Abbotsford, BC – Abbotsford’s Voice for Mayor, the campaign for Henry Braun, will see its official office opening on Oct 4. Visit the office on the corner of South Fraser Way and W Bourquin Crescent from 10AM to 4PM for an opportunity to meet Henry and bring your voice to the table.…

My desire to run for City Council goes back twenty years, when I was first asked to consider serving on Council for the former District of Matsqui. As President and CEO of Pacific Northern Railroad Contractors Corp. (now known as PNR Railworks), my responsibilities took me across Canada and a commitment to serve as a…