In a battle that has been escalating over the last five years, the residents of Area ‘H’, on top of Sumas Mountain have decided to bring their case directly to the taxpayers of Abbotsford.

“I don’t think most Abbotsford taxpayers know their municipality is engaged in a process that will cost them a great deal of money for very little in return,” says Area ‘H’ Director Keith Warrener, adding, “I don’t think most [Abbotsford] taxpayers even know they have a say in the matter.”

In a last-ditch attempt to stop the annexation process, the Electoral Area ‘H’ Ratepayers Association has purchased advertising to ask Abbotsford taxpayers to petition against the annexation.

“Thursday, May 24 is the end of a 30-day consultation period after the City of Abbotsford voted, once again, to proceed with boundary extension.

“If 10 per cent of the residents of Abbotsford petition the City of Abbotsford against this action, they will be telling council they don’t want to pay the huge costs of servicing Area H for which they will get very little in return,” Warrener told The Post.

Electoral Area H is an unincorporated part of the Fraser Valley Regional District that has never been absorbed into the City of Abbotsford. It consists of roughly 10,000 acres on Sumas Mountain, which is comprised, of the following: 3,500 acres of private residential property, 3,500 acres of crown land, the 3,500-acre Sumas Mountain Regional Park.

The residents of Area ‘H’ pay their municipal taxes to the provincial government and receive police services from the Mission RCMP detachment. Area ‘H’ also has a seat on the Fraser Valley Regional District.

“They have tried three times in the last five years to annex Area ‘H’ and each time the Ministry of Community, Aboriginal and Women’s Services has turned down Abbotsford’s request,” according to Warrener.
“Over 80 per cent of the people on Sumas Mountain oppose the annexation and Abbotsford has simply never made a viable case for the idea,” says Waggener.

“Abbotsford already has gravel quarries and has not been successful in controlling approval nor curtailing blasting, crushing, noise, or transportation problems.”
In February 2007 (The Post, Feb. 9 edition), it was revealed that the City of Abbotsford would appeal a B.C. Supreme Court decision rendering a municipal bylaw regarding a contract over a private road that was built for gravel trucks a few miles east of the road the trucks previously used that was blockaded by Sumas First Nation. That decision could cost the taxpayers of Abbotsford as much as $3 million in lost fees and additional costs for the roads usage.

Warrener says the residents of Sumas Mountain are hoping the residents of Abbotsford will agree with their position and mail in copies of the petition before next Thursday’s deadline.


Download the Petition to help Sumas Mtn residents.

Few Abbotsford citizens have heard about the City's desire to annex an 2600 people living on the top of Sumas Mountain known as Area H. Completion of this process will mean, among other things, a substantial rise in property taxes for both Abbotsford and Area H residents and the strip mining of Sumas Mountain for its gravel.

Below is a summary of the situation by Area H Director Keith Warrener. If you'd like to get involved, please , download the Petition to stop this by clicking here or look for the form in last Friday's issue of The Post.

Abbotsford City Council will vote on this year's budget on Monday. One faint hope of putting an end to Plan A is to have the budget voted down on that day.

If you can attend, please do and lend your voice to the growing group of citizens who feel hoodwinked by the entire Plan A process.

For information on the budget, you can download a PDF document by clicking here. This document includes a Plan A budget analysis from the City Finance Department.

You don't really think that an ECHL Hockey Team will be the financial saviour of Plan A do you? Do You???

Evidently in Abbotsford hunger takes the last summer long weekend off. What else explains the “meal gap” from lunch Saturday August 4th through lunch Tuesday August 7th, a gap of 72 long hungry hours - if hunger was not taking a Holiday that is?

Usually lunch is available Sundays and Mondays, but with hunger on Holiday the fellowship of the organizations that had taken responsibility for serving lunch on those days joined hunger on Holiday.

Imagine my surprise at finding Hunger on Holiday, as my personal experience with homelessness was that hunger was a pretty constant companion, a gnawing worry.

A simple phone call was all that was needed to set in motion the provision of lunch on Monday, that and a willingness to ask some people to volunteer some time to set up and serve lunch.

Which is what made Hunger Sunday so frustrating – another simple call and Sunday 41 for the year could have been covered with those simple, but hunger appeasing bagged lunches.

I suppose that if the sacrifice to serve lunch on this holiday weekend was to much, I should not expect the effort to give warning so those who understand the meaning of commitment could step in and serve lunch.

Hunger, need, suffering and our host of other social ills take no Holidays.

denouement

It was not unexpected for me in the course of this week to today, Friday August 10, 2007, be given a letter from the Salvation Army serving notice to move from residence at the Salvation Army.

My biggest worry about moving on is that at my car is not running well. So if you know someone would could donate their time to get my VW running at least semi-well and passing Air Care or has a station wagon or van (I am not a small person) for sale cheap .... send me an email at homelessinabbotsford@hotmail.com.

Better yet if you know someone who has a place to rent our at a low rental price OR someone who has an employment need for a literate, computer friendly ex-accountant with a passion for bringing about social change. Send them my way or my email address.

Why?

Why is the City of Abbotsford dragging its heels over giving support to an initiative to help some of the homeless through a card program modelled on Mission’s successful Red/Gold card programs?

Is it not disgraceful enough that once again an initiative to supply basic humanitarian aid in meeting fraction of the life sustaining needs of the homeless and poor in Abbotsford has to be carried forward by so very few caring citizens?

Through the hard work and inspiration of the few involved with gathering the support and resources to launch even this limited, but so badly needed program, a hundred meals a month will be added to the battle against hunger in our city. The program will also provides some other acutely needed items, but will not at this time be able to provide showers.

A proposal, a request, that the city support this program by providing a hundred showers a month has apparently fallen on deaf ears. Not only has the city failed to grant this request, they have failed to grant the courtesy of a reply on the matter to the hard working citizens who are seeking to contribute to the spirit and well being of Abbotsford.

With two recreation centres in the city it would cost the city… nothing but the political will to act in providing showers to the homeless.

A simple, effective action and yet the city does nothing. Why?