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WIN! P3 water project in Mission rejected

AbbyNews.com reports, “The Abbotsford-Mission Water and Sewer Commission will not be proceeding with a private-public partnership option to develop a new water supply source for the two communities. In a close four-part vote, Mission council rejected a plan to apply for a grant from Public Private Partnerships Canada which could have provided up to 25 per cent of the cost for the $300-million Stave Lake water source project. …Close to 100 concerned residents, mostly members of Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) and Citizens Against Urban Sprawl Society (CAUSS), filled council chambers and the lobby of municipal hall as elected officials in Mission listened to speakers for more than four hours.”

Council of Canadians BC-Yukon organizing assistant Ava Waxman was there too – both for the midnight vote at Mission council chambers noted above on April 4 and at a planning meeting for it on March 30 at the CUPE office. Waxman was registered to speak at the council meeting on Monday, but the Mayor cut off the speakers list around 11 pm.

The news report continues, “Councillors unanimously approved two of the four recommendations that night which called for Mission and Abbotsford mayors to pursue provincial grant funding and receive a report and business case analysis for the Stave Lake project. Council agreed to submit a grant request to PPP Canada in a close 4-3 vote, with Couns. Jenny Stevens, Heather Stewart, and Mike Scudder opposed, but the proposal for a P3 project which included a referendum on the issue in November was refused with a 3-4 vote. Coun. Danny Plecas, in addition the other three previously named councillors, objected to the referendum. PPP Canada won’t support the grant application unless the issue goes out to the electorate, said Jim Gordon, AMWSC general manager. Cheers erupted after the decision.”

The news report is at http://www.bclocalnews.com/fraser_valley/abbynews/news/119234199.html.

Update – Abbotsford P3 water vote, April 18: The newspaper article above reported after the Mission vote, “Abbotsford council had deferred its decision for two weeks, but their vote is now irrelevant because both communities must agree on the plan for it to proceed.” But the news today says, “Abbotsford Mayor George Peary said council will vote on the proposal during its next scheduled meeting on April 18. If Abbotsford succeeds in creating its own water treatment plant, Peary said he would continue to do business with Mission, if they wanted some of the water.” The Council of Canadians is intending to take action to stop the P3 at this April 18 meeting.