Pubdate: Tue, 10 Sep 2002
Source: Abbotsford News (CN BC)
Copyright: 2002 Hacker Press Ltd.
Contact:  http://www.abbynews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1155
Author: Russ Akins

SALVATION ARMY PROJECT DECLINED

A nine-bed bridge house for recovering addicts and a 12-bed emergency 
shelter will not be allowed at the Cyril Street centre of the Salvation Army.

Citing concerns over the downtown location - already plagued by addicts, 
petty thieves and prostitutes - and saying it was not the right one, the 
majority of city council voted yesterday to deny a development variance to 
allow it.

A bid by Coun. Chuck Wiebe to approve the variance was supported by 
councillors Ed Fast and George Peary and Mayor George Ferguson, but was 
voted down by the rest of council.

However, a committee tasked with finding an alternative to the Cyril 
proposal will continue its work - and may consider an offer from Central 
Heights Church to use some homes the church has acquired.

Said Wiebe in support of the variance: "We're fortunate that we have a 
caregiver who is willing to pick up the torch. Who among us would make that 
attempt, other than the people making this application?''

Salvation Army Major Ron Cartmell estimated about $60,000 was spent in 
trying to transform the bridge house and shelter into reality, which 
ultimately comes from donations.

He said the issue of the bridge house and shelter was first one of the Army 
attracting the wrong kind of people to downtown, now it appears to have 
become one of the Army using valuable commercial space.

He said 90 per cent of the people who eat at the meal centre live withing 
six blocks of the Army, and are not drug addicts: "They are the 
unfortunates of our community.

"The reality is, it's not much different on the other side of town. 
Addiction is a sickness, but it's not just the poor people who get 
addicted,'' he added.

Cartmell said three years are left on the Army's lease for the old shopping 
centre on Cyril. For most of the summer, they have had to turn people away 
from their existing shelter on Morey Avenue, because it has been full.

Opposing the bridge house and shelter as a citizen and on behalf of the 
Abbotsford Downtown Business Association was Mary Reeves, who said she had 
many calls of public support on the ADBA stance.

"What do we want downtown Abbotsford to look like,'' she asked councillors 
yesterday. "Downtown Vancouver's East Side or Fort Langley?''

Coun. Mark Warawa was voted among those who voted against the variance, 
said he was "leaning towards finding another location.''

"I pray for wisdom that we make the right decision around this table,'' 
added the councillor, saying Central Heights Church on McCallum Road is 
very interested in the situation faced by the Army.

He showed digital photos of several homes and a multi-bay garage recently 
acquired by the church that may fit in with the bridge house/shelter proposal.

Warawa's proposal will be referred to the committee charged with finding an 
alternative location.

The issue has wound its way through council for the last four and a half 
months.

After weeks of deferral, a visibly impatient Mayor George Ferguson last 
month set yesterday as the day for final debate.

Alternatives considered by the committee include the DeKwant property, 
rural acreage in Bradner, considered too far from transportation; the 
Strumpski property behind Red Robin, which was already leased; Abbotsford 
Christian School Heritage campus, of which the school was not in favour; 
land at the south end of the Mission Bridge, considered too remote; the old 
Homestead nurseries property and the Upper Fraser Valley Child Development 
Centre.

Fast said some committee members felt that in addition to the two 
alternatives of saying yes or no to the application, council may want to 
consider conditional or limited approval for several years, to "enhance the 
prospects of redevelopment'' of Cyril Street and area.

The bid by the Salvation Army to open a nine-bed bridge house residence and 
a 12-bed emergency shelter at its Cyril Street premises was adamantly 
opposed by many of those who spoke at a public hearing on the issue in May.

The Army planned to lease an additional 8,000 square feet in a former 
shopping centre at Cyril and Essendene (owned by 5 Diamonds Development 
Inc.) for offices, the emergency shelter and the bridge house.
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MAP posted-by: Jo-D