I had the distinct pleasure of watching council give approval to the Spirit Bear Centre Society proposal for a detox/recovery facility for female youth.

Personal experience has taught me that detox/treatment/recovery for youth is non-existent in this area. In truth, services for youth are virtually non-existent in this province.

Councillor Lowen was accurate about the quality of the people involved when he spoke in support of the proposal . Councilor Smith was correct when he said that we are deceiving ourselves if we do not think we have youth in our community who need this type of mentoring and recovery. He was also right that there is a need for a variety of facilities to address our communities addiction, recovery and homeless issues.

Councilor Smith was also quite correct in his statement that we want to attract and support responsible groups that are going to provide services that benefit our community. It is by welcoming and supporting people such as those at Spirit Bear that we ensure that our detox/recovery facilities are world class. As a city we have have seen what happens when you do not support good facilities and organizations.

It was positive to hear that Councillor Ross took the time to meet and inspect the premises. On the other hand it was unfortunate to hear Councillor Gill give in to the NIMBYs.

The citizens of the neighbourhood should not feel as though they have been singled out. The harsh, sad reality is that with the number of issues and thus facilities needed to address and reduce Abbotsfords social problems, all neighbourhoods in the city will be host to facilities. Reality is that the need for recovery and transition facilities in this city is deep and we want not only to put in place the structures needed, but to attract the best people and societies to be running these programs.

Bravo for council for approving this proposal and setting a precedent for approving projects filling community needs and involving good people. I would ask that council direct city staff to extend a welcome to Spirit Bear and to facilitate any needs they may have. I would also ask citizens who have the opportunity to both say “Well done” to council and lend support to Spirit Bear.

I do have a question/challenge for those who signed the petition against this proposal, a paraphrasing of John F. Kennedy. Ask not what your community can do for you, but what you can do for you community. What are you going to do to make this facility a success? They say it takes a community to raise a child. It definitely takes a community to reclaim a child or person from drugs.

This question/challenge is important not only for those of the neighbourhood, but as a question/challenge for all citizens. For in the answer lies the truth of whether Abbotsford is merely a collection of buildings? Or is Abbotsford a Community?

Mr. Beck’s return to OZ.

In the Abbotsford News of November 22/07 revisiting of Plan A one year later, City Councillor Beck is at least consistent on one matter: he obviously still inhabits the utopian dream world originally conjured up for Plan A.

What else but living in a dream world would explain Mr. Beck claiming “The worst case in Abbotsford is that the building will be self-sufficient.” Facing over $3 million per year in interest payments, hundreds of thousands of dollars for maintenance and operating costs, Mr. Beck’s “worse case” is $0? It would seem that any prudent businessman or citizen with common sense would rationally see and be concerned about taxpayers easily being out of pocket a figure with up to six zeros behind it.

Living in a world of pipe dreams would also explain how Mr. Beck “highlighted Elton John, Billie Joel …” when speaking of other entertainment possibilities for the facility. I do not feel it appropriate to comment on a hockey tenant that at this time continues to be an insubstantial figment of the council’s imagination.

In reference to capital projects in Langley and Chilliwack, it should be noted that in cities other than Abbotsford, capital projects are part of a capital planning process and there is opportunity and time for the public to express concerns and get answers. Abbotsford is the city where major capital projects are hastily thrown together into one big lump and rushed through with out due diligence, care or public consultation.

Council and its members had a right to express a position on Plan A and to promote their position. It did not have a right to abuse the power and position of the city and council to deny access and expression of their point of view to those who opposed Plan A. It did not have a right to recklessly spend city a large amount of funds to win the referendum. Most of all it did not have a right to lie to the citizens of Abbotsford about the amount being spent to promote Plan A.

It is a matter of public record that Mr. Beck and council insisted that they only were spending $40,000 on promoting Plan A. It was only through the filing of a Freedom of Information request that the actual spending of $140,000, 250% more than claimed and attested to by Mr. Beck and fellow councillors, was revealed to the public as the actual costs.

The old scare tactic of Mr. Beck’s “an extra $6.5 million to build the facility” is, given the way the economy is going, looking less and less likely a realistic scenario and that in reality there will savings and bargains available to prudent project developers and builders as the peak building boom passes and construction companies search for work.

The real point is that in light of the increased cost we know of, approximately $23 million revealed so far, $6.5 million looks like a real steal of a deal. Because, despite Mr. Beck’s glib assurances otherwise, we have no solid or real idea of what the final bill for this botched mess will be.

One can only hope that the final cost of Plan A does not include paying the costs of boondoggles such as the trip for Mr. Beck and the approximately 50 businessmen going to the Everett Events Center. Whether those costs are paid directly by the City or an attempt is made to hide the costs in Global Spectrum by ignoring the fact the City is already paying Global Spectrum.

If those going to Everett are not paying their way, then we taxpayers are and those costs are part of the cost of Plan A. At least in the real world; in the utopian dream world conjured up by council for Plan A …??