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From the meeting held on October 23, 2023.
Mayor’s Update
Mayor Pranger attended the business mixer hosted by Sqéwqel Development Corporation and commented on the large turnout. She was grateful for the opportunity to meet new members of the business community and to speak to community leaders, and industry representatives, such as FortisBC.
On October 20th, Mayor Pranger attended the memorial service for Mrs. Ann DeJong, who was an active member of the Fraser Valley community and predeceased by her husband Mr. Harry DeJong, who was the former Mayor of Matsqui and the MLA for Abbotsford. Our sincere condolences to the DeJong family.
Mayor Pranger concluded her report with her ongoing request that everyone be kind, be safe and shop local!
Fraser Valley Regional District Future Growth Strategy - Delegation
Mr. Robin Beukens and Ms. Alison Stewart from the Fraser Valley Regional District (FVRD) presented Council with their organization’s final draft of the “Fraser Valley Future 2050” plan, which is a full update of the “Choices for our Future” Regional Growth Strategy approved in 2004.
The FVRD expects an increase in population to approximately 500,000 people by 2050. This increase is likely to impact regional air quality, outdoor recreation, and transportation. Their main goal with regards to their growth strategy is to make the region, “…a network of healthy, vibrant, distinct, and sustainable communities that accept responsibly managed growth while being committed to protecting the land resources and natural environment to ensure that a high quality of life is accessible to all.”. Their eight specific areas of focus to achieve this are: Collaboration, Economic Strength and Resiliency, Living Well, Community Building, Ecosystem Health, Transportation and Mobility, Infrastructure and Services, and Energy and Climate Change.
After the presentation, Councillor Watchorn asked the delegates to expand on their statements regarding the diminishing construction footprint that is leading to more compact developments in the region, and specifically if this applies to the entire region or to an individual community. Mr. Beukens replied that it’s contextual and relative to how large the urban area is within that municipality, meaning that the more urban an area is, the more likely newer construction is to grow up instead of out in footprint. The upgrade of the Agassiz Rosedale Bridge was also mentioned in the presentation and Councillor Watchorn added that the District of Kent would like to see a bike lane or sidewalk added to the future upgrade for safety reasons, and asked the FVRD delegates if they foresee getting more leverage as a larger organization to enhance the proposal. Mr. Beukens stated that one of the benefits of the updated regional growth strategy is that when multiple municipalities are advocating for a common issue, such as the bridge upgrade, it lends more weight to the issue and by highlighting it as an infrastructure priority, brings it to the attention of the Provincial government, which looks very closely at regional growth strategies when planning future projects.
Mayor Pranger thanked the FVRD delegation for their presentation and committed to continue working with the FVRD as we go through the process of updating the regional growth strategy.
It is expected that the FVRD Board will consider second reading of the Regional Growth Strategy in November, which will start the 60-day referral period for local governments.
If you would like to learn more about the FVRD’s Regional Growth Strategy Update or view their draft document, you can visit their website at: https://www.fvrd.ca/EN/main/about-the-fvrd/regional-growth-strategy/regional-growth-strategy-update.html
Restricting the Use of Herbicides in the District of Kent - Delegation
The second delegation of the evening to speak to Council was Ms. Pauline Carey of Agassiz and her presentation regarding the use of herbicides in the District. Ms. Carey was specifically requesting a ban on the cosmetic use of herbicides on District properties be included in the District’s climate action plan. A future consideration is to extend the ban to residential properties. She mentioned that a local strata has already implemented a ban on herbicides as an example of the willingness of some residents to see this policy implemented.
Ms. Carey spoke about several of the major herbicides she would like to see banned based on the listed chemicals and outlined the documented effects to human health and the environment. She also presented examples of other municipalities that have already banned either cosmetic herbicides or pesticides, and the documented positive long-term outcomes from these bans. She concluded her presentation with the observation that the District already limits its use of herbicides, practices sustainable groundworks, and keeps public areas such the sports fields and parks in excellent condition, and asks that Council take it one step further by eliminating the use of cosmetic herbicides altogether.
Mayor Pranger thanked Ms. Carey for her presentation and her dedication to this cause and opened the floor to questions and comments from Council. Councillor Post mentioned that he did some research into the products and volume used by District staff and reported that they use approximately 10 litres of eco-friendly horticultural vinegar to mark the lines on the baseball and soccer fields per year. As well, there are herbicides used on some medians and public garden beds for weed control, and that the application is done by a licenced applicator. Councillor Post’s main concern was the estimated additional cost to the District if these products were not in use, by his calculations roughly $200,000 a year (or an almost 3% tax increase) in extra labour and equipment to maintain the current quality. Councillor Schwichtenberg acknowledged the efficacy of using these products but also voiced her concern for the human, animal, and environmental impacts of herbicide use, and the cumulative effects the toxins may produce, and supported the idea of not putting additional chemicals into the environment that are not essential to human or animal health. Councillor Watchorn advocated for public education and reduced usage, as opposed to a mandated ban, and Mayor Pranger concluded that it is a topic worthy of future debate within Council and that they will seriously take it into consideration.
Harrison Highlands Open House
Mayor Pranger, Councillors Schwichtenberg and Spaeti attended the Harrison Highlands Community Park Open House on October 21st. Councillor Schwichtenberg reported that she was very impressed with the presentation from District staff, as well as very encouraged by the involvement of the local community in the project. She mentioned that the activities to identify top priorities were fun and engaging, and she enjoyed interacting with the residents. Councillor Spaeti also commented on the size of the crowd for the open house, and was encouraged by their input and engagement. She also thanked District staff for managing and attending the event to share potential park designs with the community.
First Poppy of 2023
The Royal Canadian Legion #32 (Agassiz) has invited Mayor Pranger to receive the “First Poppy” this year in the District of Kent as they kick-off their 2023 Poppy Campaign. Follow the District on social media to see photos of the Mayor receiving the poppy on October 26th:
https://www.facebook.com/DOKAgassiz/
https://www.instagram.com/kent_bc/
If you would like to learn more about the 2023 Royal Canadian Legion Poppy Campaign, you can find lots of great information and “Poppy Stories” on their website: https://www.legion.ca/remembrance/the-poppy-campaign
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