I will no longer sit back and watch the local media play fast and loose with the truth at my expense. Today’s feature article by Mathew Claxton is a perfect example of the one sided inference journalism that has been a feature of our local media for years. They are feeding their influential masters, otherwise known as the Township of Langley. So to the truth….
For many years residents (not developers) in Brookswood have been asking for their Community Plan to be updated primarily for reasons of security, wanting to know in advance what was going to become of their community. They wanted their community protected. This was primarily motivated to fend off the speculators that were and still are rampant and threatening in their community. It was pointed out to me frequently at my monthly Mayor’s Forums that it was becoming like Willoughby with empty homes boarded up becoming nothing more than drug dens, something none of us could or would tolerate. Kurt Alberts was on record for years, saying he would not address the Brookswood Fernridge Community UNTIL Willoughby was built out. In my opinion this position was totally unfair to residents of Brookswood Fernridge which if not addressed would exasperate the problems for the community that they face today.
I am on record of initiating and supporting the review of the Brookswood Fernridge Community Plan. A further impetus that was behind this move was the petition that was received although the dates and chronological order of events provided by the Advance are wrong. The next issue, a problem with the funding source for expenses related to revisiting the plan. Staff were going to come forward with a plan for funding consideration by Council.
Now remember I have been off Council for 2 ½ years during which time it appears that all of this was foisted on the Brookswood Fernridge community by the current Council. The first time I have heard of the Griffith Neighborhood Advisory Corporation and the $500K loan to the Township of Langley was recently through the media with respect to the issue/plan currently being considered. It is also the first time I had heard of the Griffiths Neighborhood Advisory Board made up of these same developers. By the way who are these ten developers? Their names should be front and center.
It was also, the first time I heard about it when I read it in the local media, the fact the Township went back to its process of top down planning. For the record, and staff know this only too well, I was, am and always will be adamantly opposed to their method of Community Planning. I am in favor of the Community Planning Committee Model which embraces residents (not developers) in the community driving the planning initiative. I have written extensively on this model. We introduced it in the Aldergrove Core Community Plan and it worked very very well.
So the Langley Advance says the process was approved by the previous Council – WRONG!!! This is just an effort by this Mayor and Council with the help of senior staff to try to deflect blame for the outrage they are now facing from the community. They have themselves to blame, nobody else!!!!!
Black Ribbon Campaign!
Irene McKaig, one of the people campaigning against the Brookswood plan, says for many residents, the Brookswood and Coulter Berry battles are the same fight, one over preservation of community character.
“It’s not just Brookswood,” McKaig told The Times.
McKaig believes momentum is building against both proposals. “It [the campaign] has taken on a life of its own,” McKaig said. A bulletin being circulated in Brookswood says the call to wear black ribbons was inspired by the green ribbon campaign against the Mufford Overpass, where opponents wore green to “help draw and focus attention upon the imminent destruction of prime farmland.”
The emailed message goes on to say that the proposed new community plan “will further destroy our history and rural essence and forever change the face of the communities in which we live.”
Urgent Reminder!!!
Community Rally PLEASE attend – Leave Brookswood & Fernridge alone RALLY to Save Your Community – Sunday March 30th, 12 NOON at Noel Booth Community Park (36th & 202nd at the Batting cage). From there we walk to Brookswood Park. Bring your signs! Arrive at Brookswood Park – 1 PM (200th & 40th)
Council Meeting PLEASE attend – Council Decision 7:00 PM Monday March 31st.
Venue change – Christian Life Assembly for the Council meeting and to observe Council’s decision.
RG
I am working on a few posts at present that I believe should be of significant concern and interest to residents of the Township of Langley.
Protect your Democratic Rights – Protect your NEIGHBORS Democratic Rights – stay informed, stay involved and VOTE!!!
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langleywatchdog.... and more! 
Glad to see this clarified. Did you write the Advance as well? It seems they still have an axe to grind with you.
No Shon I haven’t. Unfortunately this is something I have come to expect from our local media. They have made half truths and inference an art form. I wish I had a dollar for every story / editorial I have been the subject of to ingratiate themselves with the Township and the Old Boys Club. I have had interesting conversations with reporters in the Major Regional Media who are blow away what they have been printing. This is why this BLOG got started. It is interesting that we are pushing 35,000 views with over 3,000 per month the last couple of months. RG