"No Dig - No Ride"

This Sunday was a “Trail Day” for the mountain-biking community. Riders were invited/encouraged to join in to volunteer a few hours for maintaining the trails. There is a saying in this community – “No Dig – No Ride”! Chris Friesen invited me to join them for a little digging on the Sumas Mountain trails. I don’t ride, but on Sunday I did some digging – and I enjoyed it.

The weather was beautiful; we met at the parking lot, just inside the gate, at 9 am. We were about 15, including two young lads from Chilliwack. A canteen of piping hot, Starbucks coffee sat on the back of the Life Cycles truck for everyone to help themselves. After some preliminary instructions, we broke into small groups, each attacking a different trail, equipped with shovels, rakes, chain saws, weed wackers, and pails. Chris and I headed for “Squid”, a 6-kilometre trail, one of the favourite Sumas Mountain trails.

We filled in dips in the trail that turn to puddles or mud-traps when the weather turns to rain. Pails of rocks carried in and topped with dirt. In other places a narrowing trail was widened. On other trails, fallen trees were cut and brush cleared away from trail’s edge. The morning passed quickly and we headed back to the parking lot. The BBQ was hauled out of a truck and soon smokies were sizzling on the grill, and the crew was enjoying a cold brew.

While we are having our lunch break, cars continue to come and go with riders who enjoy Sumas Mountain. Among them, a young couple from Victoria, for whom Squamish and Whistler are familiar rides, but having heard about Sumas Mountain, they decided to stop in for a three-hour ride enroute to Vernon. That’s not unusual, I’m told by Chris. Riders from Washington State send enquiries, and during the winter, when other mountains are under snow, Sumas Mountain attracts riders from around the Lower Mainland.

Next week, the trail runners will be taking over, as a major event is planned for the mountain – a 16 km and a 25 km run, most of it uphill. Sumas Mountain is an amazing recreational resource right here in our own back yard. For many residents, it is their gym.

Who Is Dave Loewen - My Bio

I was born and raised in Abbotsford; attended South Poplar Elementary, MEI, and Abbotsford Secondary schools. I am a retired educator, having taught two years in Australia, three in Manitoba, and 32 at MEI, including three years as Principal of the secondary school and two years as principal at MEI Chilliwack.

I hold a B.A. (Sociology) from Simon Fraser University, and a M.Ed. (Administration) from the University of Victoria.

   

Following high school, I volunteered two years with MCC in the Democratic Republic of Congo; here I managed of a Guest House for one year (at age 19), and did community development work for one year in a remote part of the Kivu Province, near Bukavu.

I have served on numerous boards and committees over the years:

• ·         MCC BC Board member for 10 years, including vice-chair and chair positions,
• ·         National and local church boards,
• ·         Chair of the Canadian Mennonite University Council, Winnipeg;
• ·         Director on the B.C. Federation of Independent Schools Associations Board;
• ·         Director on the Heart2Heart (Haiti) Board; and
• ·         Director on the Mennonite Historical Society of B.C. Board.

I am a member of Level Ground Mennonite Church, and am proud to serve our community as a member of the Rotary Club of Abbotsford; I am a recipient of a Paul Harris Fellow.

First elected to City Council in 2005, I am now serving in my fourth term. My responsibilities on Council have included most committees including:

• ·         Mission-Abbotsford Transit Committee;
• ·         Abbotsford Social Development Advisory Committee;
• ·         City Industrial Development Advisory Committee;
• ·         City Economic Development Advisory Committee;
• ·         Environmental Advisory Committee;
• ·         Abbotsford Youth Commission;
• ·         Matsqui Dyking, Drainage and Irrigation Committee;
• ·         Audit Committee;
• ·         Mayor’s Task Force on Economic Development;
• ·         Business, Innovation, Growth & Attraction Advisory Committee
• ·         Abbotsford Chamber of Commerce (Council Liaison)
• ·         Abbotsford Local Immigration Partnership Council
• ·         Abbotsford Arts Council
• ·         Homelessness Action Advisory Committee, Chair (2014-16)
• ·         Parks, Recreation, and Culture Committee, Chair (2016-18)
• ·         Fraser Valley Regional District Board. 
• ·         Abbotsford’s Canada 150 Community Leader

I am married to Grace, a registered nurse, and we have two married sons and seven grandchildren, all living in Abbotsford. We enjoy traveling, which has taken them to five continents (some with student groups on service assignments), and to many parts of North America.

I have a keen interest in family history and genealogy, both of which occupy some of my leisure time. I enjoy the outdoors (hiking, snowshoeing, canoeing), as well as fitness-related activities (I have competed in Seniors’ Swimming; Sprint-Triathlons, GranFondos, Half-Marathon, numerous 5k & 10k runs, including all Run For Water events.).

Abbotsford's Mountain People

Sumas Mountain is widely-regarded within the mountain-biking community as one of the best. This setting is unique in that the local climate allows for year-round riding and running. When magnet destinations like Whistler and Squamish are under metres of snow, die-hard riders can still find a place to ride.

Not all recreation is equal. If the purpose of recreation is to provide opportunities for as many residents as possible to engage in an active lifestyle that will result in a healthier population, where is it that the City will get the most “bang for its buck”? Recreational assets can be costly; costly to develop, to maintain, and to operate. One of the costliest components of any major asset is the land. The City of Abbotsford is land-poor. That is to say, the city does not possess a large portfolio of land holdings that are available for development. This and the fact that 75% of our municipality lies in the Agricultural Land Reserve means that the challenge of even finding available land will be difficult at best.

If one begins to analyze the cost per user for major recreational facilities, one begins to realize where the “biggest bang for buck” does not lie. Prime examples are ice sheets and ball fields. The sports that use these facilities are age-specific, seasonal, and the numbers involved pale in comparison to some other recreational “user groups”. This is a prime reason why the city chooses to rent ice time at Centre Ice, rather than build another arena. Even pools, which are costly to build and maintain, have a much larger and non-age-specific user group. Additionally, it is not a seasonal facility unless it happens to be an outdoor pool.

I haven’t done the math myself but have borrowed it from someone who has experience working in recreation. His conservative estimates have ice costing $35,000/user for capital alone. Baseball costs about $4,500/user. His research shows that the recreation with the lowest cost per user is disc golf, followed by trails. Based on this very informal analysis, it would appear that a strong case can be made for the funding of trail-related recreation.

Let’s be clear, I’m not about to advocate for diversion of funds from the above-mentioned recreational pursuits. Abbotsford needs more playing fields (baseball, field hockey, soccer, rugby, etc.) and pools, but I am saying that there is a case to be made for funding mountain-based recreation as well. As one mountain-biker told me, “the mountain is my gym”. He chooses not to use our recreational centre for his fitness-related activities; he chooses the mountain. It’s a personal choice that allows him to include his children in year-round outdoor activities, as well as developing in them an appreciation for this beautiful environment we call Sumas Mtn.

Then there are the runners. Formed in 2016, the Abbotsford Trail Running Club has as its mission, “To promote fitness and community through trail running and to advocate for our local nature trails.” Together, these two recreational communities were instrumental in halting the commencement of gravel mining on one of the Fraser Valley’s most pristine mountain environments. I’ve written about this elsewhere (see Article). This user group advocates for mountain trails and the preservation of this beautiful resource in much the same way as the mountain bikers do. Together, they represent a significant group of residents whose dream is to enjoy our mountains, with the support of local government.

At this point, the Recreation budget has no line item for trail riders and runners. Several months ago, Metro Vancouver transferred a large parcel of land on Sumas Mtn to the City of Abbotsford, which will be under the management of the Fraser Valley Regional District. City staff are presently engaged in negotiations with their staff and with the Sumas First Nations to work out a mutually-beneficial plan for its maintenance and development. Following that, we will be in a better position to consider the needs of the mountain-biker and trail-running communities, to consider options for resourcing this recreational pursuit.

It is my understanding that at present, Sumas Mountain sees thousands of riders on an annual basis riding its trails. Furthermore, all construction and maintenance of trails is done by an army of volunteer mountain bikers. The Fraser Valley Mountain Bikers Association has been formed to organize and direct the activities and use of trails in the Fraser Valley. In short, this non-profit association acts as the voice of the mountain-biking community. The trails referred to are used by runners and hikers as well, although those numbers are not clear to this writer.

So, while I believe that mountain recreation could provide more “bang for our buck”, and that these user groups need to be included at our Parks & Recreation table, I am not suggesting that other recreational pursuits are less important, nor that their resources are in any way in jeopardy.

I’ve been to the mountain; I’ve seen the results of their volunteer labour, and I’ve heard their appeal for modest assistance. I don’t think their ask is unreasonable, and I’m excited about the potential of this natural capital asset we have in our backyard called Sumas Mountain.

Abbotsford - The Best Place To Live

Shortly after the last election, council adopted a strategic plan to guide it in the four years ahead. That plan was built on four cornerstones: a vibrant economy, a complete community, fiscal discipline, and organizational alignment. These would be the guideposts for consideration of everything we were to do in the next four years.

During the space of this term, much has been accomplished in terms of anchoring those four cornerstones. Without a doubt, the City’s fiscal outlook is much more positive than four years ago; our accumulated surplus now gives the City more options for addressing the needs of our community. Organizationally, the City has become much more efficient and effective in delivering services because of organizational alignment. The days of individual departments operating in silos have passed. Two recognitions are a testimony to this fact: “The community with the least red tape” (Fraser Institute, 2015), and “The Most Business-Friendly City in BC” (NAIOP, 2017).

With respect to “A Vibrant Economy” and “A Complete Community”, the City has relatively more work to do. An important aspect of an economy that is “vibrant” is one with a wide tax base. The uptake on our industrial lands has occurred in recent years, and within the near future, the full employment of those lands plus the attraction of higher-paying industries will have an impact on tax revenues, which in turn will provide financial resources to provide the quality of life that our residents require and deserve.

Building that “Complete Community” is perhaps one of the more challenging, in that social infrastructure is typically not the highest priority in many cities. A community that is “Complete” will not only offer amenities to the widest range of interests, but will make it an enjoyable experience to get there – transit, walking, cycling – as well as a pleasant environment in which to experience it – “people places”, trails, parks, etc. The “Culture” component of Parks, Recreation, and Culture has been the “poor cousin” of the other two since joining about 10 years ago. Increased attention to the Arts and Culture in our community is only beginning to achieve some degree of momentum, which the next council needs to build on.

While we focus on building a better community, we cannot lose sight of pressing issues that concern our residents daily, and for which municipal governments are not adequately resourced. Two that immediately come to mind are Homelessness and Affordable Housing. Both are provincial government mandates, but both have and are receiving City attention. I’ve written elsewhere on Homelessness (see: Article), and with respect to Affordable Housing, the City is presently updating its Affordable Housing Strategy, which outlines the tools (albeit limited) available to the city to affect supply. Community safety, whether Fire or Police, is important; the police portion of our budget is the single largest slice at 21%. Having said that, I know and most everyone knows that more resources would give the police more tools and staff to do their job. Both the police board and Council have exercised prudence in budget-setting and tried to be as responsive to police needs as possible. With regards to Fire Rescue, I believe we will have to review our short-term financial plan with a sharpened mind. Given our growth in recent years and the increased demand on their time (steep incident call rise), our budget allocation for Fire Rescue may have fallen behind. We have had and continue to have strong leadership in both departments.

The next council will have opportunities to continue focusing on the four cornerstones, but in particular, to advance the agendas of the last two. They are foundational to a better quality of life. I was born and raised in Abbotsford; my children and grandchildren all live here. I want to make Abbotsford a place that others envy; I want to make Abbotsford the best place to live!

The Changing Face of The Historic Downtown Abbotsford

When the municipalities of Abbotsford and Matsqui amalgamated in the mid-1990s, the historic downtown area was a place few were attracted to for establishing a business or for shopping. Fast-forward 20 years and the demand for space is high, and the arrival of new business establishments is clearly evident, with names like ‘Montrose & George’, ‘Yes, Chef’, ‘Bureaux’, ‘Polly Fox’, and ‘Field House Brewing’, to name only a small number.

Essendene Ave Shop

The growth over the last four years has been both exciting and encouraging. A quick survey of the owners quickly reveals a young demographic; one that brings with it an atmosphere/culture that sets it apart as unique from other parts of our city. These entrepreneurs are also unique in that they bring a collaborative spirit, rather than a competitive one. If one can share a business practice that has proven successful, he/she is quick to do so with others in this business community.

Josh Vanderheide of Fieldhouse Brewing is one such entrepreneur. His vision for Abbotsford extends beyond the boundaries of the historic downtown, however, that may be the subject of a future article. Josh has been an integral part of mobilizing fellow entrepreneurs into breathing new life into the historic downtown. An exciting part of his vision revolves around the newly-established Valley Food and Farm Collective’s Rail District Community Market, which is open every Thursday late afternoon and evening.

  

Josh Vanderheide

Rail District Community Market

One of the keys for continued growth in this part of Abbotsford will be residential development. Such development is presently under construction on South Montrose and on George Ferguson Way & McCallum and will soon begin at the north end of Montrose, on the former Clayburn Brick Factory property. The completion of these properties will mean that additional hundreds of residents will consider the Historic Downtown as their ‘Go To’ place for shopping and eating.  

The annual ‘Wine & Art Walk’ is harbinger of great and exciting things to come for the Historic Downtown. Within days, the event sells out; this year 450 tickets were sold. On a nice day, this is where people want to come to browse, shop, and socialize. And come they will.

South Fraser Way 

The City of Abbotsford is now in Stage 4 (Final) of adopting a plan for reshaping the Historic Downtown to reflect the input of thousands who responded to the City’s surveys. The residents of Abbotsford put people-friendly streetscapes and the preservation of its historic character at the top of their list of priorities, with respect to any future development. The top three projects the public would like to see the city embark on are: Gateway Plazas (people places), the redesign of Essendene Avenue, and Trails & Paths.

One Gateway Plaza now under construction is the reconstruction of Jubilee Park. Once completed, it will mark a southwest entrance into the downtown, as well as allow for a more efficient use of that green space. Once the Centennial Library is rebuilt, including a park-side bistro, this plaza will become a hub of activity, year-round. Reconfiguring Essendene will provide for more people-friendly sidewalk spaces, will slow down the traffic, and will draw even more people into the Historic Downtown.

The Historic Downtown is described in the City’s literature as “…the soul of Abbotsford. The historic buildings and streets offer a glimpse into the past, reinforcing a sense of shared history, identity, and civic pride.” We want to make it into a place that will be best experienced on foot that includes unique experiences for residents.

One of the best things that could happen would be for the repatriation of this C.P. Rail Station to its original location, along the tracks on Railway Street in Abbotsford.

Homelessness in Abbotsford, Four Years Later

Since the fall of 2014, significant progress has taken place in this city’s efforts to address homelessness. The memories of the years just prior to 2014 would recall several unpleasant and confrontational exchanges between the homeless, their advocates, and the City, culminating in a court challenge that wound its way to the Supreme Court, concluding during this term.

As the result of recommendations from the Task Force on Homelessness, 2014, an Action Plan with Five Strategic Directions resulted. The first and most important step was the hiring of a full-time Coordinator of Homelessness (Housing added later to her portfolio), and together with a newly-created Homelessness Action Advisory Committee, launched an ambitious program to address homelessness. A critical factor in determining the effectiveness of this committee was the invitation to key players to sit at this table – Fraser Health, BC Housing, Salvation Army, MCC, Abbotsford Community Services, and several local service providers. I was honoured to chair this committee for the first two years, and I’m sure I speak for Councillor Siemens in saying he too considered it an honour to chair it in the last two years.

The federal government granted the city $400K to apply towards research and development of a Homelessness Prevention and Response System for addressing homelessness, which will be a pilot for eventual application across Canada. This system “…is not solely owned, managed or funded by one level of Government, one agency, or sector. The System is a community resource system comprised of the collaborative efforts, projects, initiatives and programs with aligned purpose to respond to and prevent homelessness.”

Collaborative Stakeholder mapping for the Homelessness Prevention and Response System

Since the fall of 2014, the collaborative impact has provided for the following changes through policy advocacy, collaboration, alignment of activities across sectors, shared funding, and coordination:

System Component	2014	2018
Extreme Weather Mat	-20	-175 -We succeeded in having the definition of extreme weather changed to include cold wet weather
Outreach Services	-Salvation Army – Homelessness Prevention Program (HOP)	-Salvation Army -HOP -ACS – Homelessness Prevention Program (HPP) -Look Out Society – HPP -Ministry of Social Development – Integration Workers Inter-Agency Care Team supporting Integrated Outreach activities
Integrated Health and Housing Outreach and Wrap-Around Support		-Assertive Community Treatment -Inter-Agency Care Team (Fraser Health Authority, City of Abbotsford (Service Canada funded)
Enhanced Health Linkages	-Abbotsford Hospital -Primary Health Services -Abbotsford Mental Health and Substance Use -Home Health Care	-Abbotsford Hospital -Primary Health Services -Abbotsford Community Hub Centre (feasibility study nearing completion) -Integrated health services and linkages across divisions -Opioid response activities (Community Action Team, Project Angel Initiative, Peer Network and Engagement activities
Housing	-70 units of supportive housing	-100 units of supportive housing -80+ units now in City review process -60 units in process (First Nations project) -Housing with Abbotsford Rental Connect (securing rental units in the private market) Additional rent subsidies from BC Housing
System Sustainability		Collaborative Stakeholder mapping for the Homelessness Prevention and Response System; -Harm Reduction Strategy -Affordable Housing Strategy update -Exploring Abbotsford Housing Foundation -Affordable Housing Strategy Update -Shared Outcome and Measurement and Data Management
Community Capacity Building		-Community of Integrated Practice -Curriculum development -Virtual Platform Development

40-Bed Emergency Shelter on Riverside Road.

Announcing 80 Modular Housing units for Abbotsford, 2018

Councillor Loewen, Shane Williams (Ex. Director, Lookout Society), & Minister Selina Robinson, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing.  

The following is taken from a recent report tabled by the City’s Coordinator of Housing and Homelessness.

The Abbotsford Homelessness Prevention and Response System pilot is continuing.

1)      Housing with Abbotsford Rental Connect has fully launched and has completed 20 pre-screens for housing applicants, 3 intakes and the age of participants ranges from the majority being below 50 years of age to the oldest participant being 80 years old.

2)      The Inter-Agency Care Team/Intake Function are currently providing intensive support for 37 participants,

3)      The Intake Function for the Coordinated Intake and Referral for housing, health, income assistance, and community support has received close to 256 referrals into the system since September 1, 2017, and are working closely with the inter-agency outreach collaborative, Ministry of Social Development, health service networks, and local agencies to support individuals who may be experiencing homelessness to strive towards accessing services, wellness, and housing readiness;

4)      Twelve of the 37 individuals receiving intensive support from the Team are currently housed and others are working towards housing readiness and individual wellness goals.

5)      Abbotsford Housing Endowment Fund/Foundation exploration is continuing.

6)      The Civic Mobile Application is being reviewed for potential to be utilized as a virtual platform for public and stakeholder communications and the City’s web-page is being updated to include a resource repository.

Hearthstone Place, Gladys Ave.
31-Unit, Long-term Housing

An “Abbotsford Stories Project” is underway, which will produce video-based, personal stories and resources for workers in this field. In addition, the City is collaborating with University of Fraser Valley to develop on-line, web-based curriculum for the Community of Practice resources. Annual community forums are held for a wide variety of stakeholders and people working in the field, for professional development in this field of work. The most recent one was attended by over 140 participants, and the major focus was on peer voice and engagement.

The task of addressing homelessness is complex with multiple facets. The increasing number of those who find themselves homeless in our community can be discouraging, and it is certainly cause for concern. The city is in a much better position today than it was four years ago. The city and its partner organizations have accomplished more than all previous councils combined and have laid a solid foundation for continued work at addressing homelessness, notwithstanding the growth in homeless numbers. Today, Abbotsford is regarded as a leader within the municipal community across BC. I believe that momentum is now in our favour in the goal of providing a home for everyone.

Transparent & Effective Government

Stemming from last evening’s All-Candidates forum and some posts on social media, this article is written partially in response to two concerns raised: Closed meetings and Unanimity on council.

There is a misconception about “Closed” council meetings; that they are attempts to hide information from the public and that they reflect a council that is less than transparent. The Community Charter stipulates that with respect to a variety of topics, meetings must be closed to the public. The more common ones are: contract negotiations, personal information, matters relating to litigation, labour & employee relations, and land transactions, the disclosure of which may harm the interests of the municipality.

It should interest the public that on more than one occasion, individual council members have challenged the basis for discussing certain items in “Closed”, upon which a “Community Charter” rationale is provided. The principle of open government is taken seriously by all council members, and rationale for discussing matters in “Closed” session is always scrutinized by members.

Several weeks ago, the Abbotsford News published an article on the degree of unanimity on Council. Since then, I have heard much public feedback and have also been personally challenged on this matter. At last evening’s “All Candidates” forum, this issue was highlighted by one candidate in his opening remarks as a criticism of this council’s record. I have responded to this some weeks ago in my blog, but will repeat some of those comments here for your benefit.

I shall preface my comments by saying this is my fourth term on council; I have served under four different mayors. At times, my experience was that we were quite dysfunctional and unable to move forward with important agenda. In contrast, this council has been the most effective and efficient in use of time.

Shortly after the last election, council and senior staff gathered for several days to develop and adopt a strategic plan for this term. This plan was built on four cornerstones: a vibrant economy, a complete community, fiscal discipline, and organizational alignment. These would be the guideposts for consideration of everything we were to do in the next four years. Staff understood that new planning initiatives would have to align with this strategy, and departmental business planning and budgeting would be guided by it. This was very significant in making our time more productive.

The second piece was the adoption of alternating Council meetings and Committee of the Whole (COW) meetings. All major initiatives and any challenging proposals came to COW before it was considered at our formal Council meetings. These informal meetings were not decision-making meetings, and they were open to the public. Council members were given a first glimpse of the draft report and the opportunity to critique and provide constructive feedback to staff. This feedback was then considered in shaping final reports that came to Council. For Council not to approve at that stage would be quite unusual, unless extenuating circumstances were encountered at that stage. This process has enabled council to be much more effective in achieving the strategic plan we set out to pursue four years ago. The plan is in progress and will continue into the next term, subject to the wishes of the next council.

Ad Hoc Planning or Master Planning?

A city's OCP is a 30,000 ft view that lays out, in broad strokes, how the city is intended to grow or develop. It identifies land use and density. Master Plans are ground-level views that lay out in detail how that OCP will be executed. From water and sewer to transit, transportation, and parks, these plans prioritize action plans based on a number of factors, including needs, wants, and costs. 

The Parks, Recreation, and Culture Master Plan is a good example. Through extensive public engagement at two stages in the 4-stage process, staff learned what was important to the residents of Abbotsford, and the final draft reflected that to a great extent. Priorities were set accordingly, but not overlooking ongoing maintenance, population growth demands, and certainly financial feasibility. Priorities were organized into "Short", "Medium", and "Long-Term" action plans.

The master plan includes a 25-year financial plan that charts a path that can deliver an affordable plan that does not become a financial burden for taxpayers. As mentioned in the plans, if at any time grant funds become available, certain projects may be advanced more quickly. It must also be noted that master plans are always open for review and revision.

In the same way, each of the other eight master plans have been designed to facilitate more certainty and stability in how the city manages the financial and physical resources for its residents.

When candidates promise that upon election, they will deliver certain capital projects or programs, you need to ask them if and how it fits in the Master Plan, and how they propose to finance it. With respect to Parks, Recreation, and Culture, they also need to be asked how they will defend their decision before the public, whose input has greatly determined the priorities as set out in the master plan. And if they are willing to do this with one of the master plans, will they also apply that to the other eight? 

Will it be Ad Hoc Planning or Master Planning?