langleywatchdog…. and more!

In an on-line Langley City All-Candidates Meeting moderated by former Editor of the Langley Times Frank Bucholtz candidates were asked about their position on the question of support for the Reactivation of the Interurban Corridor – Mary Polak’s answer showing her ignorance of the issue was on display in full color. What it shows that many of us have known for some time, is that the B.C. Liberals are in support of CP Rail not having to live up to the signed terms and obligations of their $6.3 Million purchase of freight rights over what is known as the Pratt Livingston Corridor in 1988! This attitude of working against the public’s protected passenger rights is fitting with the title of my last blog post –

Is this deliberate or are they just ignorant of the facts!

“When the B.C. Liberal Party tells you who they are…. Believe Them!

The Master Agreement that represents the freight rights sale and obligations over this corridor was uncovered and its renewal led by me as Mayor of the Township of Langley in 2009. This renewal was supported in writing by the Mayors and Councils of City of Delta, City of Surrey, City of White Rock, City of Langley, Township of Langley, and the City of Abbotsford. It was renewed a short 6 weeks BEFORE we lost it forever. Since that time, the Mayor and Council of the City of Chilliwack are registered in unanimous support! So, let us set the record straight shall we:

Master Agreement Synopsis

Introduction – Press Release: 2:00 PM July 27^th, 1988

B.C. Government names ITEL Rail Corp. as successful bidder in sale of B.C. Hydro’s Rail Freight Division. C.P. Rail acquires operating rights to strategic trackage for Roberts Bank Coal Port.

NOTE: 

Sale of FREIGHT operating rights on entire corridor to Itel of Chicago for a price of approx. $32

Million. (These FREIGHT rights are now owned by Southern Rail)

Sale of FREIGHT operating rights on the joint section (Pratt Livingston corridor) to CP Rail for a

price of $6.3 Million.

The Master Agreement is an agreement made between the British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority and Canadian Pacific Limited on the 29^th day of August 1988 covering what is known as the Pratt-Livingston corridor, or otherwise known as the Joint Section. (This section is roughly from 232^nd Street through the Langleys to Cloverdale). This agreement was for 21 years as well as the renewal clause, both permitting renewal at either party’s option.

What are the key points of interest found within this agreement? Excerpts follow –

Page 2 – E.

“CP Rail has also agreed to grant Hydro running rights over certain tracks owned by C.P. Rail.”

Page 3 Part 1

Pratt Livingstone 1.01 – Sale of Assets on Pratt Livingston Line to C.P. Rail. “Hydro agrees to

sell, and C.P. Rail agrees to purchase the Tracks and Equipment free and clear of all liens,

charges and encumbrances.”

Page 4 1.02    

Grant of Statutory Right of Way over Pratt Livingstone to C.P. Rail.

“Hydro agrees to grant to C.P. Rail on the closing date a statutory right of way over the Railway Operations Easement Area in the form attached hereto as Annexure III.”

Page 4 1.03

Survey of Railway Operating Easement Area

“The Railway Operations Easement Area shall encompass the Tracks and an area sufficient to enable C.P. Rail to double track, construction of such double track to be at the sole cost of C.P. Rail including the cost of removal and relocation of the works of any other party on the lands required to double track.”

Page 5 1.05

Running Rights over Pratt-Livingstone Tracks to Hydro

“Hydro hereby reserves unto itself the right in perpetuity to operate a railway on the Tracks and Equipment and on the double track, when constructed. The reservation shall be in the form of running rights agreement attached hereto as Annexure V.”

Page 5 1.05(b)

“if the railway operations of Hydro are sold to and operated by the Successor Rail Company,

provided it is not owned or controlled by Canadian National Railway Company (“CN”) or

Burlington Northern Inc. (“BN”), on a without charge basis, so long as the use thereof by the

Successor Rail Company does not exceed 33% of the total annual wheelage of all trains

operating trains in the Railway Operations Easement Area.”

Page 12 5.03  

Regulation “C.P. Rail will not take any action intended to bring Hydro or Successor Rail

Company under the jurisdiction of the Railway Act R.S.C. 1970, c. R-2, as amended or the

National Transportation Act, 1987 S.C. 1987, c. 34, as amended.”

P. 21               

Entire Agreement

Section 10.07 “Each of the parties hereto acknowledges that there are no covenants,

representations, warranties, agreements, or conditions expressed or implied, collateral or

otherwise, forming part of or in any way affecting or relating to this agreement save as

expressly set out in this Agreement and this Agreement constitutes the entire agreement

between the parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof.”

Annexure V     Page 2 Sect. 1.2         

“Hydro shall have the exclusive right to operate upon any Hydro trackage connected with the

Joint Section to serve present or future industry from the Joint Section, to pick up or discharge

passengers, freight, or express business upon the Joint Section or to handle directly any

passenger, freight, or express business originating at or destined to points on the Joint

Section.”

Page 3 Article II Section 2.4  

“CP Rail shall initially at its sole cost and expense, maintain and keep the Joint Section,

including all mainline turnouts, in good condition and repair suitable for use by all parties.”

Section 2.5     

“CP Rail shall make such reasonable rules and regulations as are from time to time customary

among railways for the operation of the Joint Section. All train schedules, rules and

regulations shall be reasonable among all railway companies using the Joint Section and shall

not reasonably discriminate against any of them.”

Section 2.7     

“This agreement does not contemplate the operation of passenger trains upon the Joint

Section by any railway company other than Hydro. Hydro shall have the right to operate

passenger trains over the Joint Section. The cars and engines of such passenger trains shall be

included in the wheelage count made pursuant to Section 4.4.”

Summary:

The Master Agreement lays out in very specific terms the rights and conditions of the sale of the freight rights over the Joint Section (known as the Pratt Livingston Corridor) by all parties concerned. A review of the B.C. Government Press Release spells out the intent of the then B.C. Government to #1 – Continue ownership of the full Interurban Corridor in the right of the people of B.C. and #2 – protect corridor for passenger rights on said corridor. The rights were renewed by B.C. Hydro in June of 2009, two months prior to the 21-year term of expiry.

The Master Agreement and relevant additional pages number 88.

IMPORTANT – A full copy of this Master Agreement is available for review to substantiate its authenticity, but it will not be released from our possession.

RG

I am working on a few posts at present that I believe are of significant concern to Township of Langley Residents, come back often for news of interest to Township residents.

Anti LGBTQ decisions or sexist comments are not acceptable.

Political campaigns have a way of exposing candidates and political parties, good or bad. What we are seeing exposed in this-years provincial campaign are telltale signs of what those involved in the B.C. Liberal Party are really all about. Our elected representatives MUST be held to a much higher standard in public discourse than the general public – tweeting an apology by the leader of the party does not cut it! As I said, when a Political Party or Candidate tells you who they are…. Believe them!

The B.C. Liberal Party has for years sent a message to the people of B.C. about who they are, their 16 year deplorable record has been laid out in spades; from extensive give away land deals on Burke Mountain and Little Mountain; to a promise not to sell B.C. Rail BUT after winning the election they awarded CN with a 999 year lease option deal followed by extensive court proceedings surrounding this debacle that stunk; to robbing ICBC of over $1.2 Billion dollars to balance their budget, the B.C. Liberals have told all of us who they are! The list of lies and corruption are extensive throughout their time in power.

Check out the Tyee feature 117 BC Liberal Falsehoods, Boondoggles and Scandals over 16 years of governance –

https://thetyee.ca/Opinion/2017/04/10/BC-Liberal-Falsehoods-Scandals-Whole-List/

So now we are faced with the real social views that underpin the B.C. Liberal Party. In June of this year it was discovered and published that 14 B.C. Liberal MLAs had expensed more than $1,700 (in public constituency funds) to advertise in The Light Magazine. They describe themselves as a “free monthly Christian lifestyle magazine”.

However, the magazine also promotes highly controversial views, including something called the “West Coast Christian Accord” on “gender identity and human sexuality”, which condemns “homosexual, polygamous, or polyamorous” marriages and those who “adopt a homosexual or transgender self-perception.”

According to constituency expense receipts, B.C. Liberal MLAs Laurie Throness (Now resigned!), Rich Coleman, Shirley Bond, Marvin Hunt, John Martin, Joan Isaacs, Todd Stone, Mike deJong, Simon Gibson, Michael Lee, Sam Sullivan and Mary Polak have each disclosed that they have billed taxpayers varying amounts for ads placed with Light Christian Media Inc.

In answer to this revelation, B.C. Liberal Leader Andrew Wilkinson, when confronted by the media he states that the B.C. Liberal Party are inclusive as are all members and will not be advertising in any of these identified periodicals. This apparently, by his lack of action or comment, did not impress MLA Laurie Thrones, he has refused comment or assurance that he believes in the words and stated position of leader Wilkinson. He resigned today. Why wasn’t he fired?

So now, at virtually the start of the election campaign, the B.C. Liberal candidate for Langley East, Margaret Kunst as a councillor was one of three members of Council who voted against endorsing the installation of a Rainbow crosswalk between the RCMP headquarters and the School Board offices.

During the 30-minute debate on the issue she did not comment once – which stands out as someone who wanted to slide below the surface as far as media is concerned. This was no-cost to the residents of the Township of Langley; it is a show of support for the LGBTQ community and it was supported by the RCMP and school board. She claimed she was only against the process.

Really? That has proven to be incorrect since that vote and that excuse! – The Langley Chapter of the Association of Reformed Political Action Canada which encourages Reformed Christians to get involved in political issues sent out a questionnaire to all candidates prior to the last Municipal Election.

Question – Langley Township has painted a rainbow crosswalk within the last few years. Would you support the painting of such crosswalks – Margaret Kunst Answer WAS NO! She believes our Canadian Flag represents freedom and inclusivity for all in Canada. Fact – The Rainbow Flag is a widely displayed symbol (internationally) of support for the LGBTQ community.

So, this crosswalk is to be between the SD35 headquarters and the RCMP detachment in Murrayville supported by both organizations to signal inclusiveness to all visitors and had been in the works for about a year! Clearly Margaret Kunst, based on the uncovering of her answers to the questionnaire, did not tell the truth when asked for the reasons behind her vote by the media. Therefore the only possible conclusion is this is her personal view, and the leader, Andrew Wilkinson did nothing about it and has shown ZERO leadership in the matter!

So in the face of wide criticism from all corners of British Columbia of support ads in a slanted religious magazine and now of the Langley East candidate which has displayed such bias, we have a Leader in Andrew Wilkinson who has shown demonstrably poor leadership in dealing with these issues.

If all of that was not bad enough, we now have a Zoom MLA retirement / roast of Ralph Sultan that has been posted extensively on-line showing MLA Jane Thornthwaite making sexist and suggestive accusations against NDP MLA Bowinn Ma. In the aftermath of this telling debacle the B.C. Liberal leader Andrew Wilkinson was seen as a party to this retirement function and was seen laughing at the remarks by Jane Thornthwaite. An apology via Twitter from Wilkinson was all that was received until the day of the Leaders Debate. In the view of most, Andrew Wilkinson and the B.C. Liberals have clearly sent a message to the people of B.C., they are out of touch with today’s societal expectations – they are a dinosaur.

As I have said in earlier BLOG Posts, my decision to support the NDP and Megan Dykeman has not been made lightly but is being made in what I believe to be in the best interest of the Township of Langley and our Province. In my view, given the reality of politics in our province, a vote for the Green Party would be a vote for the B.C. Liberals. The reality is, regardless how you cut it, the Green Party cannot reach the numbers required to have any significant impact this time around on the political scene in British Columbia or our community.

A Vote for Megan Dykeman in Langley East is a vote for our community that will serve the Township of Langley well.

RG

I am working on a few posts at present that I believe are of significant concern to Township of Langley Residents, come back often for news of interest to Township residents.

Protect your Democratic Rights – Protect your NEIGHBORS Democratic Rights – stay informed, stay involved and VOTE!!!

Share this BLOG; forward it to your friends, neighbors, and relatives!

To comment on this post – Click on this Post, top left-hand corner under recent posts.

To Respectful and Effective Representation…. For Langley East Vote for Megan Dykeman…. We are!

It is no-secret, over the best part of 45 years I have been actively involved in free enterprise politics. An activist, life member, Constituency Vice-President, President, Candidate and Provincial Convention Plenary Chair, an Alderman in Delta, and Mayor of the Township of Langley. Throughout my political life I thought I had seen everything – the good, the bad and the ugly side of politics – until we moved to Langley. A fantastic and great community, one that our family loves deeply, but a community with a sleazy political underbelly of political control that I have written about earlier on this BLOG. This cadre of power brokers has held us back in so many ways to benefit themselves. It is our time to turn the page, break loose and move forward in a positive way. Let us break free of the past deplorable political representation at the provincial level towards a progressive representative and political party that meets the needs of 2021!

I do not make my decision of support lightly, without very-serious thought and weighing what is in the best interest of our Province and our community! We need the strong visionary leadership of John Horgan as well as that of a very bright and compassionate individual, currently the Chair of our Langley School Board, Megan Dykeman who is proud to be part of Premier John Horgan’s NDP Team! Her background in leadership is extensive, impressive, and very worthy of being our MLA!

Megan is very qualified to represent you – An experienced leader who has served 6 years as Community Chair of the Langley Agricultural and Economic Advisory Committee and Chair of the Blueberry Cannon Taskforce. As a Trustee, she has also served on the Provincial Conflict of Interest Committee and various BCSTA committees, including the Finance and Audit Committee.

Active in her community, Megan is the President of the Langley Farmers Institute and the Parliamentarian’s Association of British Columbia. She is a founding “A” leader of ‘Otter Flying Feathers’ 4-H club, the first 4-H poultry club in the Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley in over 25 years.

While raising her two kids and running her business, Megan studied Farm Business Management at the University of Saskatchewan, completed her Bachelor of Professional Arts in Governance, Law and Management from the University of Athabasca, and obtained her Masters in International Relations from Macquarie University. Her thesis focused on food security, an international and local issue that she is passionate about. There is no question, she is very bright and articulate, a Provincial MLA we could all be proud of, someone who will fight for the Township of Langley’s present needs and its future!

While most of us will know and understand our past, with very polarized politics in British Columbia, there comes a time in my view where, regardless of left, right or center, bad government is bad government. Regardless of a particular philosophical bent, sometimes it makes abundant sense to stand against that bad government. A few key things have happened to change my mind in reaching our decision today.

Being very politically involved all of my life I have watched the progression of the B.C. Liberal Party since its inception and growth coming out of the 1991 election. I ran for Social Credit for Delta North in that election and know that transition very well, I will not regurgitate any of that here, possibly in a later Blog Post. My point is, I have been up close and personal with the growth of the B.C. Liberals from Gordon Wilson, to Gordon Campbell, to Christy Clark and now Andrew Wilkinson. Unfortunately, thanks to the likes of Gordon Campbell and then Christy Clark and their collective gang (a number still hanging around), the B.C. Liberal Party began to pull off a number of stunts. Check out the Tyee feature 117 BC Liberal Falsehoods, Boondoggles and Scandals over 16 years of governance.

https://thetyee.ca/Opinion/2017/04/10/BC-Liberal-Falsehoods-Scandals-Whole-List/

I do not like who they are, what they stand for, the decisions they have made and their lack of any ethical standards? They have had a chance to rebuild and renew and they chose the route of “don’t worry the public will forget”. Our old Social Credit Party chose the same course of inaction – they are no longer in existence and rightfully so.

Then something happened, John Horgan was elected leader of the NDP. A group of us had a chance to have a 2-hour meeting with then candidate John Horgan in March of 2017, and I was very-impressed. In my opening introduction I stated – “Well hell has frozen over; Rick Green is in an NDP office”. Based on our meeting and conversation I felt he deserved a chance to form government. I am 74 years old and the 2017 election was the first time our family has ever voted NDP and I have to say we have not regretted that for one minute. Shocking to some, we have also donated to the NDP in each year John has been Premier. We will get into their record of achievement in future posts during this election.

An MLA must represent all of his or her constituents, regardless of who that may be. It should never be based on some kind of hierarchical ranking of citizens within their constituency, based on some kind of perceived inner circle. That is exactly how the Township of Langley has been controlled, for the best part of two decades.

With Megan Dykeman we will have an MLA who is deeply committed to serve all of our residents regardless of their position or who they are within our community. The Township of Langley deserves so much better and we have many needs that can only be delivered from our Provincial Government as lobbied and fought for by our MLA.

We believe Megan Dykeman is the only choice in Langley East to serve ALL of us in the Township of Langley in Victoria!

RG

I am working on a few posts at present that I believe are of significant concern to Township of Langley Residents, come back often for news of interest to Township residents.

Protect your Democratic Rights – Protect your NEIGHBORS Democratic Rights – stay informed, stay involved and VOTE!!!

Share this BLOG; forward it to your friends, neighbors, and relatives!

To comment on this post – Click on this Post, top left-hand corner under recent posts.

Langley Politics has a terrible reputation province wide, and the Langley East Liberal Constituency Association and its past small cabal of leaders and hangers-on are at the center of everything political – Provincial and Municipal within the Township! All of this at our expense, do not believe me, the latest plus a few stories that should disgust all taxpayers.

We moved to Langley from Delta in 1997, bought our farm, our horses and settled into semi-retirement. A condition of our move, I stay out of politics. Free enterprise politically very active in Delta dating back to 1975 unelected and elected. The issues I uncovered in the Township after 10 years of living here changed all of that. There were about 9 major issues, so I started my campaign for Mayor, we worked for 1 ½ years and we won! Be careful what you ask for?

What I uncovered during the 2008 campaign and after our swearing in were bombshells, one after the other. I uncovered them through challenging staff with questions – from the Financial Boondoggle with the Langley Events Center, to numerous questionable development approvals, to landfill on agricultural land – there were many areas where those responsible should have been dealt with severely and legally; however it certainly didn’t take long to realize who most of those elected owed their election success to. I have written a lot about many issues, over 120 posts since 2013, so I will not get into any of that here. This is important, Mark Bakken, Township of Langley CAO, is Rich Coleman’s very-good friend, as told to me directly by Rich in Feb. of 2008! In that same meeting he advised me that “they were OK with the land sales that were going on”, I was making noise about them at the time. Do we have to say any more?

So, what is the real story behind the almost launched Eric Woodward BC NDP Campaign? The HIT job that just happened?

First, the announcement of Eric’s candidacy leaked out prematurely on Saturday which left everyone scrambling, nevertheless everything was quickly put together. The Langley East B.C. Liberals freaked out at their serious prospects of losing the Rich Coleman “FIEFDOM”! Everything was looking very-positive for Eric in this constituency that to-date has been considered the exclusive domain of one Rich Coleman! But they would not let that happen!

The just announced HIT job on Councillor Eric Woodward, is despicable by any measure. There is a Cabal of Fort Langley residents who have had it out for Eric Woodward for some time. It is no secret that I have published a few BLOG posts against Eric a number of years ago; having said that I also met with Eric a few times prior to the last Municipal Election and we had a good discussion about the Township, his ideas and his vision. Remember he did not support my campaign in 2011, however I was only interested in what he would do to help correct the ills of the Township. I liked what he had to say, endorsed him along with 4 other Councillors in this BLOG prior to the last election and in my opinion, Eric has performed head and shoulders above anyone else on Council, and he has only been there for two years.

I have to point this out – Prior to the last election and before I published any endorsements, I received very inflammatory statements and commentary about Eric of a personal and slanderous nature from a few in Fort Langley – and they know who they are. I would never entertain anything against anyone that is based loosely on rumor, gossip, and innuendo. I have been in politics too long and have seen what unfounded rumor, gossip, and innuendo can do. I was the target of a few of the same people directly tied to the Langley East B.C. Liberal Cabal (See below)! These people and their leader do not take kindly to threats to their power base.

The interesting part of this HIT job comes from those directly connected to the B.C. Liberals in the Township of Langley, non-other than Jordan Bateman (Liberal spokesperson with the ICBA, former President of Rich Coleman’s Constituency Association and now identified as the Treasurer of said Association) who has been spreading unfounded gossip, rumor, innuendo or suggestions against Eric Woodward with his media buddy contacts; in their effort to protect a fledgling new candidate Margaret Kunst and the B.C. Liberals in Langley East who was in clear trouble, potentially losing this previously safe B.C. Liberal seat and they knew it!

Through an endless number of Tweets from Jordan Bateman to all his media buddies and everyone political stating “there was a big reveal coming” and “just wait until the media finds out what the real story is”, you can see why Eric, due to past rumor, gossip and innuendo he faced in the Municipal Campaign, his responsible action was to withdraw. The reality is, due to a short campaign period, and what he has faced before which was spread by word of mouth, he could not effectively respond in such a short time frame to effectively correct any misinformation! While not appropriate at this time, I would be preparing a lawsuit for defamation of character if this ever raised its head again! Let us not lose sight of the fact that all of this is tied directly to the B.C. Liberals in Langley East, to deny this is to deny the facts.

The latest just in: (Mathew Claxton Sept. 28^th, 2020) Jordan Bateman in the Langley Advance Times sounding like he is still a spokesperson for the Langley East Constituency Association. “He filled out Liberal Nomination Papers” – really Jordan, that is the best you can do? Now given his track record of this whole saga I wouldn’t believe a word he says! But all of that aside, let me see if I have this straight – If I take the B.C. Liberals at their word and they didn’t want Eric as a candidate, they are coming unglued that he was going to run for another party? Really? So, in the face of that reality you go out and spread unfounded rumor, gossip, innuendo plus that infamous political line “if you knew what I knew or something similar” garbage. Absolutely despicable, there is no other word for it. You are a coward Jordan. If you have something to say go for it – let the chips fall where they may, and you will be seen for who you really are!

Further evidence, if we needed any, is laid out within the following issues that I experienced during my three years in the Mayor’s Office! I remember a candidate for Township of Langley Municipal Council in a Municipal Election past received a call from one Rich Coleman requesting he come in for an interview. What? Really? This is what is really happening, if you don’t fall in line you had better rethink your position!

Issue of interest – In 2010, I had numerous breakfast meetings with citizens throughout the Township. Through those meetings I was advised numerous times of a company called Brownshack Developments, with well-connected owners of the day. Per the Community Charter my responsibility was to keep members of Council informed which I did.

A meeting, no staff present, no accusations, the political HIT job commenced. A Complaint to the RCMP was made by Councillor Grant Ward (former RCMP) and Joel Schacter that I released in-camera information; it clearly was not. This resulted in over $150,000 in Township legal bills and $25,000 for me personally, defending myself. A 7-month RCMP investigation through 2 Crown Counsels and finally a Special Prosecutor, releasing his report 2 months before the 2011 election. I was cleared, but I paid a high price politically and financially. That was their plan!

Another Issue of interest – As published in my March 23^rd, 2013 BLOG Post, leading up to the 2011 election campaign, we received a thread of emails from a Realtor in Joel Schacter’s Real Estate Office which we found very-interesting. The full email thread is available on the above post so I will just highlight items of interest – This is just another example of interference for dubious reasons by those connected with the B.C. Liberal Langley East Constituency Assoc.!

1^st email – from Joel Schacter – Tuesday 11/15 2011 3:00 PM

“I have had discussions with some of the senior management at the hall as well as our MLA Rich Coleman and 2 former mayors…. they are all suggesting Mel has the best chance of taking Green out.”

He goes on to list all candidates for Mayor, Councillor and School Trustee that he recommends.

2^nd Email – The response from Glenn Duff (Then Langley Realtor) –

“It is likely, that most of the people in the office are not aware of your behind the scenes smear campaign against what I consider to be ………..a very intelligent, honest and fair guy who is being slammed by a bunch of self-serving idiots that have their own hidden agendas…..just like you do.”

“Are you scared of losing your inside connections to all of the Township and School Board real estate deals? Pretty easy to prove my point.”

3^rd Email – Further response from Glenn Duff (Then Langley Realtor) –

“Why is it, that you and Rich Coleman and Mark Bakken all hang out together and scheme about how to “take out” Green??  What is it really about Rick Green that has got your collected attention?”

“I was told a long time ago, to find the truth……. simply follow the money.”

“It seems however, that you have a lot more energy than me……… as I see various political figures in your office at the end of the day……….  You seem to be very-popular, so you should try closing your office blinds when nighttime arrives.”

In Summary:

The unfortunate part of this whole story is the charade that has been perpetrated on the residents of the Township of Langley.

I would suggest that the vast majority of those who take out a membership in the B.C. Liberal Party are just not aware of the ulterior motives of those in leadership roles. I understand that in everyone’s busy lives and basic trust that they put in the hands of those elected wonder, how can any of this be true? Why would anyone have such a lust for power and control?

In the world we are living in, and in the Municipality, we are living in, with our developable land base, trust me it is NOT a conspiracy theory! Quite frankly, it all makes me sick, we can only hope it has the same affect on the citizens of the Township of Langley in future elections.

RG

I am working on a few posts at present that I believe are of significant concern to Township of Langley Residents, come back often for news of interest to Township residents.

Protect your Democratic Rights – Protect your NEIGHBORS Democratic Rights – stay informed, stay involved and VOTE!!!

Share this BLOG; forward it to your friends, neighbors, and relatives!

To comment on this post – Click on this Post, top left-hand corner under recent posts.

Unbeknown to most residents of the Province of British Columbia, your rights municipally took a serious hit, a serious blow to your ability to file a complaint of wrongdoing against your Municipal Government, staff and/or Council Member, to have a respectful hearing and have something done about it. Be wary of any government that tells you they are going to make your life easier and less complicated. The date was May 29^th, 2003 when the Liberal Government of the day under Premier Gordon Campbell, after a few years of promotion with the then Municipal Politicians across the province, irreversibly changed Municipal governance in B.C… They introduced and passed legislation introducing the B.C. Municipal Community Charter which replaced in large part the former Municipal Act. Let’s be clear there was a need to look at some revisions, however not a virtual rewrite of everything that governs you as a citizen within any community, municipality and/or city in the Province of B.C…

Now don’t get me wrong, not all changes are bad, BUT I urge you to review this BLOG Post through the eyes of what these changes have meant to you and all residents of our province. You see if we were going to believe that all staff and elected mayors and councilors within the province were going to act responsibly, honourably and with integrity, a rewrite of this legislation would be fine, BUT folks, that thinking is both naïve and unrelated to what happens in real life. Where there is a will there is a way. I am not targeting all municipal and City staff or all politicians, but I am referring to the need for oversight of all actions and decisions of those involved. No different than anyone who owns and operates a business, you have security as well as checks and balances. Even at that we hear horror stories daily.

The Old Municipal Act

I was an Alderman in Delta from 1986 – 1989 and we operated under the rules and legislation of the then Municipal Act. There was available to all municipalities, elected politicians and citizens of those municipalities an opportunity to register complaints to the Minister of Municipal Affairs in Victoria who would have their various audit personnel investigate the complaint(s) to ensure staff and elected representatives were acting within the framework of provincial legislation. They had the authority to issue penalties and changes.

I can recall (a councilor who shall remain nameless) in the early to mid-80s before I was elected who took exception to the actions and the directions of the Mayor of the day with respect to a budget issue and the Ministry sent over an audit team to investigate. That would not happen under today’s rules. This oversight was available to residents and elected politicians on everything covered by the then enacted provincial legislation.

The B.C. Community Charter

I can only offer my opinion that under this legislation (circa 2003) it is a license for abuse and corruption in the hands of the wrong people, and there lies the problem, I want to repeat that “It is a license for abuse and corruption in the hands of the wrong people.”

Now there will be many out there who will dismiss my suggestion as something that could not or would not happen, you know, a conspiracy theory, really? Tell me what a thief looks like or someone with detrimental ulterior motives? Anyone who has been in business knows what I am talking about. The problem in government, especially municipally (I would suggest senior levels of government have processes in place for checks and balances) is your elected politicians are part-time at best subjected to having to trust a wide variety of staff that spend their time steering their elected masters in whatever direction they want to. I have been there, and to-date have written over 100 BLOG Posts on issues that Township residents didn’t know anything about. Many of these were uncovered by doing some due diligence – you know, common sense.

As I have said, the Community Charter in principle is fine but in reality, it does not deal with the real world and the potential for, and the reality of corruption. I am sure they said they removed oversight due to cost, there is a cost to governance and democracy! Besides it would have been a convenient excuse in the day, but I would suggest it was done for ulterior motives.

Overview of the Community Charter (Taken from the Discussion Paper for Community Charter 2001.)

The Charter will be based on the principle of respect and recognition for communities and their local governments. It will enable municipalities to become more self-reliant by providing them with greater autonomy, independence, new powers and better financial and other tools for governing communities and delivering services. It will also create a new accountability framework for citizens to make sure government remains accessible and accountable in every community. Its vision continues to be based on principles of open, accountable and financially responsible municipalities. The Charter itself will be shorter and easier to read than existing legislation and will eliminate red tape for citizens and municipal councils alike.

Sounds great doesn’t it! Now read that carefully, it is a disaster for residents who are now told in the face of Municipal wrongdoing, including breaches of the Charter, sue us! This is the answer frequently received and obviously in the eyes of most citizens, this is a non-starter.

The Township of Langley – Why should we be concerned? Check out langleywatchdog, here is just a small cross section of important items we have covered, you should be concerned. If you want to refer to any BLOG Posts listed below go to archives on left side of page under the date you wish to review:

February 2013

Township Muzzles and banishes citizens from Council

Wall Townhouse Development vs Metro Vancouver court fight (despite previous TOL approval)

The Mufford Crescent Diversion (Your municipal Council lied to you)

March 2013

Langley Events Center – A project long past in need of a Forensic Audit, The Inconvenient Facts!

Development in the Township of Langley – The Inconvenient Facts!

Soil Deposits on Agricultural Land – It’s about money, for who?

April 2013

Soil Deposit on Agricultural Land – It gets more interesting!

Wall Townhouse Development – Closing comments speaks volumes!

Township residents denied just benefits in land sales!

May 2013

Is Township of Langley Council morally bankrupt?

Municipal Finances – The truth in Langley!

September 2013

Township of Langley sues citizen over FOI request. Facts!

November 2013

Township of Langley property deals – The stench is palpable!

December 2013

Township of Langley – Out of control taxation and spending!

January 2014

Township of Langley pays Trinity University 80% over assessed value!

February 2014

Brookswood Plan – A sadly failed effort by Council.

March 2014

Brookswood Plan – Don’t accept referral!

Brookswood Community Plan – The inconvenient facts and the truth!

May 2014

Township of Langley sues citizen – Loses badly!

Transportation needs South of the Fraser – Council fails badly!

June 2014

Metro FOI – Breaking News Coleman email!

July 2014

Township of Langley politics, more interesting – Liberal Poll!

Move along, nothing happening here!

September 2014

UPDATE BREAKING NEWS – Langley Events Center, the financial reality – An outrage!

(I have skipped all campaign related Posts)

June 2015

Aldergrove gets a pool – Promised Indoor during campaign receives an outdoor pool!

July 2015

Mayor Froese’s Public Engagement Committee – Nothing but a charade!

November 2015

Township of Langley Council executes ALC Memorandum of Understanding!

January 2016

Township of Langley Development is out of control. OCP and zoning not safe. Vesta?

March 2016

Aldergrove gets Pool – An insulting shaft by Council.

November 2016

After the calamity in the U.S. can we now agree that politics is important! Every vote counts!

December 2016

Achieving something while on Council requires determination and commitment.

Is it Dirty Politics or Corruption in the Township of Langley Part 1 of 4

Is it Dirty Politics or Corruption in the Township of Langley Part 2 of 4

Is it Dirty Politics or Corruption in the Township of Langley Part 3 of 4

Is it Dirty Politics or Corruption in the Township of Langley Part 4 of 4

January 2017

CFIB Municipal Spending Watch – The Township of Langley is the worst offender in B.C.

216^th St Overpass in Walnut Grove – “It’s not my job to do what my constituents want” Froese

January 2018

Breaking News – The Railway through the Langleys… History revealed – just the facts!

NEW CFIB Municipal Spending Watch Survey – Township still the worst performing.

August 2018

The Smart and Only Way to solve the South of Fraser’s Transportation and Transit deficit.

October 2018

Township of Langley Election 2018…. Remember “Change Begins with Choice”!

January 2019

Well it’s been three months since our Municipal Election, Interesting results…. My thoughts?

February 2019

UPDATE! We Won! – Fraser Surrey Docks will NOT be using the Fraser Surrey Docks for Coal transfer!

March 2019

Urgent Plea to TransLink Mayors Council and Board members.

May 2019

The Truth about TRANSLINK SURVEY RESULTS EXPOSED…. Misrepresentation, it’s startling!

October 2019

BREAKING NEWS – CTV Investigative report on the actions of three current members of Council.

Just before I was elected plus while I was in office, there were a number of issues which I uncovered frankly just by asking questions of senior staff. I asked questions because common sense told me this just did not make any sense. Be careful the questions you ask, the answers in many cases add to the conundrum you are facing! The Council majority of the day were not prepared to acknowledge the problem, let alone act on them:

• Park Lane Condo development in Fort Langley – Just prior to my election in 2008 the Council of the day had approved a three-story Condo development on the waterfront of Fort Langley. They gave 1^st, 2^nd, Public Hearing, and 3^rd reading on this development when out of the blue comes the addition of a fourth story at 4^th reading and Development Permit stage. Well FYI, you are only allowed to change form character and design after 3^rd reading, NOT adding density. This was clearly a breach of the Community Charter, so what recourse did the public have – sue (using your money) or forget about it.
• The Athenry Development up behind the renovated Willoughby Hall – After our election in 2008 we had the Athenry proposal brought before our Council by staff, a proposal that the previous Council dealt with at 1^st, 2^nd, Public Hearing and 3^rd Reading, we were to consider 4^th reading and obviously the Development Permit. As we had not dealt with it before we had to review all of the detail the previous Council dealt with and it was clear to me and the probably 30 residents with homes backing onto the development that the development had changed dramatically. Five buildings, not one, 15 foot set back from back fences and not the 40 feet originally proposed and it went downhill from there. Once again this resulted in a dramatic increase in density when only form, character and design were permitted to be dealt with. There were threatened lawsuits because the Township Council would not listen, some homeowners lost close to $100K in home value, there were family breakups over it and more. Again, with the Community Charter your only recourse is to sue.
• Landfill on Agricultural Land – A runaway practice in the Township was what we called landfill farming. Prior to my election the Township on receipt of a complaint would refer all complaints to the Agricultural Land Commission to deal with the issue. Those referrals were automatic when in fact by Provincial Legislation every application called for a site-specific resolution by Council in support or opposition before sending that application to the ALC. This grew into a major issue in rural TOL when I uncovered a memo from the Township CAO to the ALC in 2005 advising that a resolution of Council had been passed to send all applications to the ALC when in fact, after asking to see that resolution, found that there was no such resolution. This should have resulted in some sort of legal action, but without the resulting support legislation that was available under the old Municipal Act our hands were tied, especially with the majority on Council being opposed to any action. Why, good question.
• The Langley Events Center – Please review my BLOG Post on this issue, there should have been a Forensic Audit but with the Community Charter Legislation and Council opposition that would be impossible. This was and is a very serious financial boondoggle.

Summary:

So, as the saying goes you get the government you deserve. I have said many times that politics is not a spectator sport, it is a participation sport, that is if you truly care about how your government is managing your community. For those that think we can do politics differently today, I have news for you, outside of Social Media (which I agree is a big difference), politics today is as much a war as it has ever been. Obviously, I don’t mean that in a violent way BUT I do mean it as a serious fight of ideas and ideals and for honesty and integrity in government.

So, if you look at the reality of the Community Charter and its complete lack of oversight, add to that a weak and submissive (and/or controlled) Council from outside influencers coupled with the fact we now have FOUR year terms, the prospect of change is not great. What is even of greater concern is that senior staff in the Township of Langley have been in place for the best part of 19 years and I can tell you that IS NOT normal in Municipal and City Administration in British Columbia. It is very unhealthy in simple terms.

To put things in perspective I will repeat a comment made to me by Rich Coleman our MLA about 9 months before the election I won in 2008 (previously published in my BLOG). In a meeting we had in February of 2008 in his Board Room in Aldergrove he stated, “so what’s this meeting about”, I answered “I just wanted to come by and introduce someone who is running for Mayor” – his comment “We are OK with the job the Mayor is doing” my response, “well we are not”. He immediately went on “I want you to know two things, the CAO is a good friend of mine and you have been making noises about some land deals and we are OK with them”. For the record, I leaned across the table and stared at him and stated, “well we aren’t, it’s bullshit and it’s going to stop.” You don’t have to be a genius to read the message and to know what is going on and it isn’t very pretty.

When are we going to say enough is enough and elect members of Council that will put an end to this nonsense. The next election is only three years away (a very short amount of time in the world of politics), lets encourage strong, high profile members of our community to run for office who are willing to change our direction for the better. As a community we need to pay attention to the actions and or inactions of Council, our community depends on it.

We at langleywatchdog.com would like to extend our warmest wishes for a Merry Christmas and a healthy, happy and prosperous New Year! See you in 2020!!!!

RG

I am working on a few posts at present that I believe are of significant concern to Township of Langley Residents, come back often for news of interest to Township residents.

Protect your Democratic Rights – Protect your NEIGHBORS Democratic Rights – stay informed, stay involved and VOTE!!!

 

Share this BLOG; forward it to your friends, neighbors and relatives!

 

To comment on this post – Click on this Post, top left-hand corner under recent posts.

The TransLink Survey results just released by TransLink yesterday exposes this organization for what it does very well, they are irresponsible with your tax dollars, conduct one sided Open Houses with only ONE option, conduct in-house on-line surveys with only ONE option and conduct market research offering only ONE option with ONE Question – Add all of this up, you get a ONE sided result surprised!
IMPORTANT – Added to the above is the fact the area being surveyed is absolutely starved for Transportation of any kind. In Langley/Surrey you get the results that have been published, all manufactured by TransLink for your pleasure. Wasting tax dollars is something they do very well.

Real Market Research seeks out the public’s views on a selection of issues, providing a variety of options to select from. Conducting telephone market research and asking the question ‘would you be in favor of SkyTrain to Langley City down the Fraser Highway” with no other option – WHAT DO YOU THINK IS GOING TO BE THEIR ANSWER? Especially, as stated above, they are starved for a transit option of any kind! It is an insult to the intelligence of the region, all designed with a preset answer.

On telephone market research, let’s break down their numbers:

In Surrey a sample size of 595, a margin of error of +/-4%, 85% support and in numbers 505.

In Langley City a sample size of 67, a margin of error of +/-12%, 90% support and in numbers 60.

In Township Langley, sample size of 180, a margin of error of +/-8%, 92% support and in numbers 165.

IMPORTANT NOTE: This phone call research again asked one question with only one option and you get 90%-92 %? In a transportation starved community, how did they not get 100%?

On Open House, filled out survey forms?

Pouring an endless amount of taxpayer dollars towards and into promoting; the website, Digital ads (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google Search network, Google Display Network, G mail ads), Surrey Now Leader banner ads, advertorial, Facebook Posts, Langley Advance Times Banner ads, advertorial, Facebook Posts, SMS NextBus alert ads, eNewsletters, Social Media using Facebook and Twitter (Facebook events were created for each open house), Direct Outreach through corporate, business and community organizations, Mail out postcards to Surrey and Langley businesses and residents, Street teams (staff) distributing postcards at transit hubs, Community Events in Surrey, Information Boards at Surrey City Hall, Langley City Hall and the Township of Langley City Hall and finally transit ads! And you are Surprised at the result?

The level of awareness seems to have been the question of the day!

With the money poured into this one-sided Public Engagement Campaign the results are not at all surprising. Throughout the survey they talk about the plan for the South of Fraser – Surrey is NOT the South of Fraser region, it is a small part of it! Once again asking residents ONE question on ONE option in a region starved for any Transit Option does not constitute a survey of ANY value.

Seriously consider the following –

 Doug McCallum got elected with only 13.50% of the eligible voters in Surrey!
Promised SkyTrain at a cost of $1.65 Billion, actual cost will be $3 + Billion!
Promised City Police Force @ 10% cost increase– Increase will be substantially greater!

 The Safe Surrey Coalition has disbanded, Doug McCallum is the lone remaining voice and will cost the residents throughout the region increased TransLink taxation costs PLUS increased Surrey taxation for increased Policing costs. This financial irresponsibility has got to stop! Check out the Per Capita Costs below on all options:

 Original LRT, Guildford, Surrey Center to Newton Pop. 312,340 @ $1.65 Billion = $5,122. Per capita
o 11 kms in length 104th Guildford to Surrey Center down King George Blvd to Newton

 SkyTrain Surrey Center to Fleetwood Population 62,735 @ $1.65 Billion = $25,504. per capita.
o 7 kms in length down Fraser Highway to Fleetwood

 SkyTrain Surrey Center to Langley City Population 157,618 @ $3.2 Billion = $20,302. per capita
o 16 kms in length down Fraser Highway (About $800 million thru a Dead Zone, 25% no population)

The solution for our region follows and the questions regarding this option were not asked? WHY?

 Scott Rd SkyTrain to Chilliwack, Population 852,846 @ $1.250 Billion = $1,465. per capita
o 99 kms in length

The Interurban State-of-the-Art Hydrail Passenger Rail proposal makes sense for 1.2 million people! Why wasn’t this option offered in their survey? Cost would be pennies on the dollar and would serve 14 Post Secondary Institutions, 7 First Nations Communities and 16 Cities, towns and municipalities!
Let’s stop insulting the intelligence of the Public. Let’s start by conducting a balanced survey that will MEAN something, save Billions of dollars and provide far better service at a fraction of the cost while we are at it!

It would be laughable IF it wasn’t so serious! TransLink continues to waste an immense number of tax dollars while the regions (1.2 million residents) are losing out on a FREE for use corridor.

For more detail from the South Fraser Community Rail Group – Contact Rick Green – 604 866-5752
Website http://www.southfrasercommunityrail.ca
Email address southfrasercommunityrail@shaw.ca

All of you are charged with the responsibility to set in place a transportation plan that is effective and is financially / fiscally and environmentally responsible, in other words a plan that is practical for our region and delivers value for our tax dollars. While I fully understand your regional responsibility is for Metro Vancouver, a truer look at our region extends out to Chilliwack, in other words, like West Coast Express there is a crossover responsibility from the Langleys into Abbotsford and Chilliwack. The effective population catchment North of the River is about 320,000 for WCE while South of the Fraser that catchment is a population of some 1.2 million today with NO similar transportation options available.

I have been in your shoes…. By way of introduction my name is Rick Green, 10 years ago I served on the Mayors Translink Council as the Mayor of the Township of Langley. I know very well the responsibility each of you carry in your role as a member of the Council and-also of those on the Board. I was on the Council when we had to deal with the negotiations with the Provincial Government for our $400 + Million share of the Evergreen Line Funding, so I understand the issues you are going to have to deal with in a profound way. With respect to options, LRT, Skytrain or something already in place, lets speak to value for money, if we want to maximize the benefits for all residents in the region. I certainly hope that is our goal!

With respect to the selection of options and then key to that is what does each option cost? I have found all too often we (staff/mayors/Board members) have overlooked the most viable and practical for an unrealistic and impractical option just because we have it on our system (Skytrain). If you didn’t know prior to being in your position, you do by now or will find out shortly that available funding is and will be in very very short supply.

Your responsibility (a matter of fact your provincially mandated responsibility through legislation) is not a parochial one with parochial interests always being pushed by the large communities, it is what is in the best interest of the region, that is what you are responsible for doing. I hate to say it, and you have found out, the weighted vote gets in the way of that mandate so therefore the majority must rely on the issue of quorum. No quorum no vote, that generally wakes up those that are driven by parochial interests. I can say, in my experience we never really had that issue, but apparently it is back, and must be dealt with IF we are to respond in the best interests of ALL concerned.

So what am I asking for? A little background first! In 2009 I set up and chaired the “South of the Fraser Community Rail Task Force” endorsed and with elected members of the Councils of the day, Delta, Surrey, White Rock, City of Langley, Township of Langley, Abbotsford plus two community groups and a representative of Trinity University, University of the Fraser Valley and Kwantlen Polytechnic University. Our Task Force worked with Shaw Cable to produce a 25 minute documentary video that all members of this Council should view through this link https://langleywatchdog.com/topics/ . We have continued our efforts (post elected office) in a variety of ways to promote this option through the South Fraser Community Rail committee, effectively an extension of that Task Force without elected Council members.

As a member of the Translink Council we had Tom Prendergast and his management group, then CEO of Translink, out to our board room on two occasions to present what we believe is the Smart and Only solution for passenger rail South of the Fraser. He was strongly in favor of taking a serious look, unfortunately he was attracted by the bright lights of Broadway and headed back to New York to chair the New York Transit commission, the largest transit network in the world shortly after our discussions. After Tom had left we held a few meetings with the incoming senior staff and presented our thoughts and plan to an education session of the Translink Mayor’s Council.

Back to our ask…. We would appreciate an opportunity to show all members of the Mayors Translink Council, and Board Members if at all possible, a presentation representative of about 12 years of work by elected and non-elected members of our communities South of the Fraser. We will confront and effectively answer all questions related to history, rights, legal authority (uncovered during my term as Mayor) and much much more. This presentation has been given to Premier John Horgan and others in the Provincial Cabinet.

To move this along we are asking to inform all of you about an option that, as we say above, is THE SMART AND ONLY WAY to repair our transit deficit South of the Fraser. At the very least, given it’s and our past history you should be aware of all pertinent detail.

Just imagine….

The Plan to Reestablish Community Light Rail Passenger Service connecting communities between the Pattullo Bridge and Chilliwack!

o To utilize the 99 KM rail line between the Pattullo Bridge in Surrey and Chilliwack at NO COST for passenger corridor use.

o To establish a Spine (main rail line) and Rib (road network) feeding the rail line by a bus system between the Pattullo Bridge and Chilliwack in the same fashion as the current road system feeds Skytrain by bus.

o To establish a state-of-the-art Hydrogen Powered system that is environmentally clean serving and saving the very difficult Fraser Valley Airshed. A technology introduced in Germany 2 years ago!

o To dramatically reduce traffic congestion from all major east west highways throughout the South of the Fraser.

o To provide affordable, reliable and safe transit and transportation to a population of over 1.2 million people for employment, shopping and air travel through the Abbotsford Int. Airport. Not available today.

o To provide affordable transportation for students and faculty accessing FOURTEEN University Campuses South of the Fraser. Increase access, increase enrollment!

o To provide an extension of lower mainland public transportation that would run from West Vancouver to Chilliwack.

o To provide tourism access throughout the Fraser Valley!

o To provide public transportation that would serve the exponentially growing population up the valley due to housing costs.

o To establish an affordable system that according to three engineering studies is 7.9% the cost per KM of the Surrey LRT line – Or

o To establish an affordable system that according to three engineering studies would create 99 KMs of passenger service for 48% of the cost of the 16.6 KMs Surrey to Langley proposed LRT line! Far less if it is a Skytrain proposal!

o All at an affordable cost, convenient to use that makes SENSE!
Strong statements, you bet. Let us put our money where our mouth is. The South of the Fraser is not the only part of the region underserved, lets be smart with the limited funds available!

Special Note: Go to our NEW website http://www.southfrasercommunityrail.ca

RG
I am working on a few posts at present that I believe are of significant concern to Township of Langley Residents, come back often for news of interest to Township residents.
Protect your Democratic Rights – Protect your NEIGHBORS Democratic Rights – stay informed, stay involved and VOTE!!!
Share this BLOG; forward it to your friends, neighbors and relatives!
To comment on this post – Click on this Post, top left hand corner under recent posts.

The following BLOG Post was issued in June of 2013 in support of thousands, including our Metro Vancouver Directors of the day, insisting that the Fraser Surrey Docks reject this proposed Coal transferring proposal for the their property…. Here is that post again so lets learn from our experience, we can win!

June 2013 we wrote…..

It is hard to imagine a more inappropriate use for this port facility in the virtual center of Metro Vancouver. Fraser Surrey Docks say there business is down by 75% due to it being a shallow draft port. With the greatest of respect, rescuing Fraser Surrey Docks at the serious health and quality of life expense of residents of the lower mainland is not a trade-off we want. Let us learn from experience!

Let us start off with a little bit of history that I would bet nobody currently sitting on the Metro Board of Directors is aware of, (That includes Langley City and Township Directors) a bill of goods sold to the innocent people of the Township of Langley 45 years ago.

On September 24th, 1968, Hunter Vogel MLA, emissary for the late Premier WAC Bennett, William Mearns President of B.C. Hydro and Mr. King and Mr. Martin of B.C. Hydro came to as Special Meeting of the Township of Langley Council with a very serious request. They explained the proposal to run a fly over rail line from Fort Langley up over Rawlison Crescent, onto the joint section (part of the Interurban Corridor) and continuing onto the new Roberts Bank Rail Corridor at Cloverdale through to the NEW Roberts Bank seaport. The Township Council was reassured by this delegation, in writing, that there would be one coal train a day each way. Quote “Mr. Martin stated that the trains will be one mile in length and there will be one train per day each way at a maximum speed of 35 miles per hour. It would take approximately two minutes for a train to cross any road.” That was it, guaranteed! (We have a copy of the meeting minutes)

For the record, WAC’s vision for Roberts Bank as a seaport was definitely a forward thinking and visionary move, unfortunately they missed the boat back in the day for a far more appropriate location for a rail line. This decision for a rail line was in direct contravention to the recommendations of the Lower Mainland Planning Board, which was fired by WAC Bennett for making their recommendation.

Well the Township and City of Langley now see 14 – 18 trains a day, (Coal and Container) up to 12,000 feet in length. Those trains take about 15 minutes to pass a given spot. Despite the 9 overpasses that are being built between Delta and the Township of Langley, there are NO overpasses at 200th and the By-Pass and the By-Pass and Glover Road, the two heaviest congestion points. That is where it is today – with the expansion of Roberts Bank we will see 35 – 38 trains a day a few years from now. I have said many times before, in the future you will have two Langleys – one North of the Tracks and one South of the Tracks. It is all because nobody had a vision for the future and what the future was going to look like.

OH, and by the way, despite CN and CPs commitment to spray each train twice, once loading as well as once in Kamloops, I would suggest you ask anyone living in the Township and/or City within 100 yards of either side of the tracks and ask if they have a problem with coal dust? The Township of Langley has a Municipal Committee, the CP Community Advisory Committee that meets about four times a year. The issue of Coal Dust is brought up frequently due to resident complaints; the answer more often than not was there was an equipment break down in Kamloops, so they just let the trains pass. Residents of Chilliwack are severely aggravated by the dust from Coal Trains going through their community EVERY day! Coal dust is a serious issue and problem.

Talking to a prominent resident of the Township who just drove back from Calgary last week, he commented on seeing coal trains with this absolute cloud of coal dust that was visible above and on each side of the coal trains on their way to the coast.

So back to the proposal being considered by all of you this coming Friday, my point is very clear, you are not making a short term decision but one that will grow and expand exponentially. They openly admit to wanting to ship 4 million tonnes per year with room to grow to 8 million tonnes. Exponential growth beyond these numbers is a fact of life and history tells us that in spades – lets learn from it.

What is even more distressing is we are going through this process for U.S. Coal because it has already been rejected by a few locations across the border. Why would we do this to the City of White Rock (a Metro member), it’s citizens and summer tourism population, right on the waterfront? Why would we do this to the City of New Westminster situated so close to this activity? According to news reports the U.S. will be building two ports for this use, but they will not be open for about 8 – 10 years. Why are we going through this for a stop gap U.S. solution? What happens next? The number of jobs to be created are a drop in the bucket compared to other solutions for their economic problem.

I have heard a number of comments in the media from elected municipal/city representatives that it is not our decision (Municipal/City) but a Provincial and/or Federal decision? I absolutely beg to disagree; the Directors of Metro Vancouver have a fiduciary responsibility for air quality in the Lower Mainland. Everyone was up in arms over SE2 and the incinerator up the valley. So why are we even considering this proposal?

Despite and beyond the serious health / air quality issue how about trying something unique, SAY NO on the part of Metro Vancouver and send our senior levels of government and their agency a message. They can override your decision and approve it if they wish, but they do so at their peril. Let them the public know you are fighting for their best interests. They can take the heat if they overrode your decision. They would deserve it!

In the Township and City of Langley, thanks to the Social Credit Government who in 1988 sold the B.C. Hydro rolling stock and rails of the Interurban Corridor BUT had the foresight to protect passenger rights at no cost to the taxpayer. Thanks to this action we have a light at the end of the tunnel that would allow for a passenger service from Chilliwack through to Scott Road Station. This is due to an agreement that we forced renewal of (another 21 years) during my term as Mayor, 4 months before it would have been lost forever. CP and the Liberal Government were not at all happy with me, another anchor I am proud to carry! It is now up to a future Provincial Government to permit that passenger service which CP and CN would be contractually obligated to provide room for on that line. This would have the cause and effect of reducing heavy rail traffic on this corridor and provide for very low cost light rail passenger service, again from Scott Road Station through to Chilliwack.

It is long past time that our municipalities and cities have the courage to stand up to our senior levels of government and their agencies in cases that are demanded by our taxpayers. As I said earlier, IF a senior level of government wants to trample on decisions of local government, they do so at their peril. You don’t have to be complicit in their bad decisions.

On behalf of the residents of the lower mainland we THANK ALL CONCERNED FOR THEIR DUE DILIGENCE IN MAKING THIS DECISION TO REJECT THIS PROPOSAL!

Rick Green
___________________________________________________________________

I am working on a few posts that have been asked for by readers – Interesting content to come, stay tuned.

Protect your Democratic Rights – Protect your NEIGHBORS Democratic Rights – stay informed, stay involved and VOTE!!!

Share this BLOG; forward it to your friends, neighbors and relatives!

To comment on this post – Click on this Post, top left hand corner under recent posts.

Deliberately, I have stayed away from commenting on the results of last years’ Municipal Election, deciding instead on watching the live streaming of Council Meetings, watching interactions and how prepared our Councilors are in preparation for the task at hand. It is no secret who I endorsed and some (I guess now some former) friends were mad about my choices? To them I say grow up and get over it, on balance I was pleased with the results; four out of seven I endorsed got elected.

Now, I am looking at the results objectively hoping that those I didn’t support will take a renewed look at the opportunities that exist by maybe viewing the issues and problems within the Township of Langley through a different lens. That lens is the lens of opportunity that every member of Council has within it’s grasp, specifically the change that is possible!

Through my past-experience, both as an Alderman in Delta and much later in my life as Mayor of the Township of Langley I have found a profound reluctance on the part of so many Councilors and Mayors to be willing to change. I believe much of that is driven by staff who are in their comfort zone and for the most part drive the agenda, and in some cases long term members of Council look at any suggestion of change as being somehow a slight against their past performance. I can’t understand that thinking but I have some facts to back up my belief. I am not looking to embarrass anyone, so I am not mentioning names, but it is interesting to look back at a few incidents that occurred.

My personal experience and reason – So right off the top why did I decide to run for public office? It wasn’t in anyway a wish for increased community profile or somehow a wish for any kind of power; but in both cases, for Alderman and Mayor, I ran because I didn’t agree with some decisions of the current council, in my view I had a better idea. As the old saying goes, if you don’t like what is happening step forward and get involved. Politics is all about the competition of ideas and I was always driven to bring about what I perceived to be positive change to the community in which I lived. From setting up and establishing the Toll Free Calling Task Force in and around 1988 (Yes it used to be long distance between Delta and Langley not that long ago) that was changed thanks to the support we received on that Task Force to a number of issues and accomplishments in the Township of Langley.

So what were the couple of experiences as referenced above?

Mayor’s Standing Committee of Finance – Shortly after I was elected in 2008 in preparation of and in support of budget discussions, I set up the Mayors Standing Committee of Finance as a result of, in my opinion, the poor record of tax increases and spending, for a number of years prior, by the Councils of the day. In a an In-Camera Meeting when Council was informed of my initiative, I received a very negative reaction by the majority of Council. One Councilor stated out loud, I don’t understand why you are doing this, we have been doing a good job? In this case the majority of Council responsible for the past record of taxation and spending approached this change as a slight against their record as opposed to jumping on-board and being a part of bringing progressive change to how the Municipality was being run.

Introduction of CACs – Early in my term I brought in a Mr. Bruce Maitland who was the just retired head of the Real Estate Department with the City of Vancouver who happened to move into Willoughby at the time. CACs? They are otherwise known as Community Amenity Contributions which are known in some circles as voluntary Bonus Density payments negotiated and paid for by developers for a wide variety of additional costs incurred because of development. They could be fire halls, rec centers, police stations and many more that are not covered by DCCs (traditional Development Cost Charges) which are covered by Provincial Legislation and have very specific rules governing them. I believe Bruce spoke to a couple of Council work sessions, where, and I remember it well, a Councilor spoke up and said well that is great for Vancouver, but we don’t do that out here in Langley. Surprising but true, the idea was defeated in a vote at a future Council meeting. Our past Council has just initiated them. I can tell you in the roughly 10 years since that day the taxpayers have relinquished Millions of dollars and many municipal services have relied on ever increasing taxes that would otherwise not be necessary!

The NEW Council, what are the early observations?

I am looking for members of Council, if incumbents, to take the opportunity to change and be willing to look at NEW ideas, theirs or from other members of Council. As I used to say to Council, we can disagree without being disagreeable but to my point be willing to look through the lens of change. To NEW Councilors – how are they willing to embrace change?

I have been watching the Live Stream of Council Meetings since their swearing in and I would suggest, while it is early, Eric Woodward is the one member of Council that is most effective! Eric is appearing to be well organized, seems to have new ideas at every meeting, posts Notices of Motion on NEW ideas, is debating in a controlled and responsible fashion and yet is having difficulty in getting the necessary support by the majority of Council. Now, are Eric’s Notices of Motion too technical for some members of Council, possibly, are they all great ideas, possibly not, but many of them should be supported and/or amended or at the very least go to staff and/or a works session of Council.

I know members of Council traditionally don’t like to come off and admit to not understanding especially in a public forum, but they have ample time to investigate and understand it by asking questions of Councilors and staff prior to going into a Public Meeting.

Frankly there has not been enough of a sample size to draw any conclusion on other members of Council. I would strongly encourage other members of Council to be more open in their participation at the Council table. We could go on and on and on about history, god knows I have done that. It is now time to be positive moving forward and call a spade a spade as this year moves on!

Message to the Township of Langley Mayor and Council, please take a step back, think about what positive change you can bring to the Council table and/or at least what changes can you support that other Council members bring to Council. Remember, it takes a good deal of time, effort, money and volunteer hours to get elected, when you leave Council, and you will one way or the other, do so being able to look back at what you have accomplished! It is a great feeling, even when you leave as the result of an election, you have done your part, be proud of it!

RG

I am working on a few posts at present that I believe are of significant concern to Township of Langley Residents, come back often for news of interest to Township residents.

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