Haldi Road Area Residents to File Court Action Against Recovery Centre
Tuesday, December 13, 2011 @ 4:02 AM
Prince George, B.C.- Residents of the Haldi Road area, who oppose the development of a recovery centre for women in their neighbourhood, will have their court action against the rezoning filed before Christmas.
“We will be filing our legal action within the next week” says Tracey Kettles one of the Haldi Road area residents who opposes the facility. The residents had hired legal counsel prior to the public hearing on the rezoning that will allow the residential facility to proceed.
Residents were caught off guard last night when they got wind of the fact the fourth and final reading of the bylaw had been added to the City Council agenda at the last minute. “We know this was not a reading that would allow us to speak,” says Tracey Kettles, one of the area residents who has opposed the facility “We just wanted to make sure we were here, that Council could see that it is something that matters to us.”
Kettles says the way it was handled, it is clear to her that Council did not want the residents there “On a controversial issue the public should be fully informed, that’s our right as voters and its clearly been side stepped. It was the intent for us not to be here. It is just fortunate that we found out about it at the very last minute and were able to be here and that we are able to show we are not happy and that the manipulation of the voting public is just not acceptable.”
There is no legal requirement for Council to advise proponents or those who oppose an issue, that fourth reading is scheduled. But residents of the Haldi Road area had been watching the Council agendas which are published on the City’s website and this item was not on the agenda.
It was an add-on and handed out minutes before the Council meeting.
“This is hardly the open and transparent government the members of Council had promised during the election campaign” says Haldi Road area resident Jan Severn.
Mayor Green excused herself from the issue, as she had promised she would, after it became clear, Marshall Smith, the project manager for the planned women’s recovery centre, was heavily involved in her election campaign.
The incumbents who had rejected the first three readings and who were re-elected, (Murry Krause and Brian Skakun ) remained opposed to the project, and new comer Lyn Hall joined that group.
Those in favour were Councillors Dave Wilbur, Frank Everitt, Garth Frizzell , Albert Koehler, and Cameron Stolz.
Comments
How dare anyone try to help people… what kind of person wants to help someone else.. we cant allow that.
All the Haldi road people against this should hang their heads in shame and hope that none of their family members or friends never need help like this..
NIMBY pinheads. None of you are worth a damn.
Totally agree with both of you. I have experienced first hand the good a facility like this & how it can help someone in need. My brother was given back to me because of a place like this and guess what…it was right smack in the middle of a very nice neighbourhood just like Haldi Road. Imagine that & the residence there don’t object.
Of course you three agree with each other because it’s not in your backyard. I’m sure if the whole process wasn’t crammed down their throats they would of been alittle more receptive.
[url]http://www.simonhouse.com/contact.html[url]
This is a similar centre in Calgary. As you notices, it is at the intersection of a collector road and an arterial road which converge at a bridge. The housing which is located close to the facility is in keeping with the multiple housing characteristic of such a facxility – duplex, townhousing, low rise apartments.
That does not describe the Haldi Road neighbourhood, irrespective of what goes on in the facility. On top of that, the facility is, in fact, an institutional business which happens to have a live in component to it.
http://www.simonhouse.com/contact.html
Why not put this downtown where it can be easily accessed by the people who need it the most?
Right project, wrong location.
P Val :) It’s what we need.
“Mayor Green excused herself from the issue, as she had promised she would, after it became clear, Marshall Smith, the project manager for the planned womenâs recovery centre, was heavily involved in her election campaign.”
Was there any relationship between these two individuals during the first three readings? Forth reading is essentially a formality.
Brian Skakun, You mentioned you did not want to hold up the project but felt it was not appropriate the amount of time given to council to review. Brain this is why the last council spent the tax money foolishly because of this type of approach. If you make rash quick decisions, this council will keep making bad decisions at the expense of the tax payers, and voters. You are a business mans best friend with that attitude. I will sell council a bridge cheap. As long as I have the right last name
Don’t hesitate to vote all these clowns in again in three years. It seems PG folks are gluttons for punishment. Enjoy. These elected folks know what is best for you. To paraphrased an Old English saying, “Just lay back and think of Prince George.”
Personally, I am in favor of the project but I whole heartily agree with residents of Haldi Road legally challenging the decision based on the OCP conflict.
PG has a history of changing the OCP to meet their desires with little regard to the extensive expenditures it has attached to developing an OCP. The city of PG’s OCP is a joke.
I hope the court challenge stands up and the city gets a slap in the face. In doing so, they may be a more cautious allowing changes to this ‘precious’ document.
Shari! I guess all of Marshall Smiths “in kind” work he did for you is now paid off. Glad now you have nothing hanging over your head. Way to go Shari Green
Noseverence I have a group home in my neighbourhood that I support. So guess your NIMBY statement holds no water.. anything else ??? Or are you done looking like a bit of a fool ?
Ya got to be a pretty cold hearted bugger to say no to treatment centre’s. Makes me wonder whom are the folks on this site anyways. Sounds like they get off on negative comments everyday. It must be dis grunted seniors that long for the good old days that never really were.
This whole year many homes where bought and sold in the Haldi area just like any other year. MLS stats show no negative other than the neighbours comments in the area. There is not one home in eye/view shot of this great location. Just typical NIMBY syndrom sorry to say.
Free Enterprise – Guess you didn’t take a drive out there because your statment is false.
gus – You are right.
NoSeverance – don’t bother with them. They are part of the 4% that are for the centre……
lonesome sparrow – I just can’t understand why someone would have a person working so closely on their campaign if they had not ever met before???
Monday, December 12, 2011 – 10:31 PM
By Jeff Sargeant
Prince George, B.C.
Prince George council has given final approval for the re-zoning of the former Haldi Elementary school which is set to become home to the Northern Supportive Recovery Centre for Women.
Fourth and final reading for the re-zoning saw council vote 5-3 in favour with councillors Skakun, Krause, and Hall voting against while mayor Shari Green excused herself from the discussion due to potential conflicts of interest.
Project Manager Marshall Smith says there’s still plenty of work ahead until the Centre can become a reality.
“We’re going to spend the next several months raising funds and making applicaitons to various levels of government to ensure that we have the things in place to bring this project to fruition,” said Smith.
Smith says there is an on-going dialogue with residents near the Haldi road site, except for a select group of homeowners who are considering legal action against the City.
Wow…”a select group of homeowners”? It has been in the media that 96% are against the rezoning and 4% for? Some select group with that size of numbers. So did Marshall Smith ever contact this “select Group” betcha he did not.
So people hang onto your wallets as here comes another Legal bill and monies coming out of your pockets. It was in the media previously this centre was to be publically funded – not government funded! and since the start if I am not mistaken the costs of beds has risen from $900 to close to $4,000?
Look out neighbourhoods cause with figures like these there will be some competition in your neighbourhood soon. ;)
dissident: “Ya got to be a pretty cold hearted bugger to say no to treatment centre’s.”
As many have already stated, right facility, wrong location. I do not comprehend what is so difficult to understand about that simple concept.
Such a facility belongs in either one of two types of locations:
1. remote as in a haven from the world around them – farm, ranch, fishing lodge, converted seaside mansion, etc.
2. close to a collector or arterial road which has other multiple dwelling unit facilities, small convenience retail and services,etc.
Let us face facts, this City was not and looks like it may still not be ready accommodate these new type of privatized institutional facilities in areas where there are complimentary land uses.
This centre will be a failure over time. The world runs on greed, not altruism. (look up altruism). Sad to say, but after a while the return on investment divided by hours out of some investors lives just won’t cut it. I predict the Haldi Road folks will get their neighbourhood back in a year or two. Too bad the whole neighbourhood got besmirched, bad mouthed and had venom heaped on them. Maybe the reader will have this heaped on them sometime too down the road. It’s a small town.
What I don’t get is Marshall Smith stating he still doen’t know where the fund’s for this project will come from ? With planning like that this centre should have been built at the airport.
We had a perfectly good 18 Bed Treatment Centre at the Nechako Treatment Centre, attached to the hospital on Alward St.,
The Government closed it down, a few years ago. So once Baldy Hughes was established as a treatment centre for men, why would the Government not re-open the Alward Street facility as a treatment centre for women.
The Nechako Centre was a functioning treatment centre for over 30 years, with a 28 day treatment program, and was co-ed.
I would suggest that they did not use the Nechako Centre, because the Government is changing how they deliver this service, and will in the future have these centres run by charitable societys, beholden to the Government for funding, with some highly paid administrators. This model will be much cheaper than the old model.
If anyone cared to look closely at what is taking place you would see that the Liberal Government is closely associated with what is happening with the treatment facilites in Prince George.
ie; Lorne Mayenthorpe who started the facility at Baldy Hughes, was a Liberal MLA at the time.
Marshall Smith used to work for the Campbell Government.
The Minister of Housing Coleman has provided huge funding for Baldy Hughes, and no doubt will also provide funding for Haldi Road.
The fine hand of Kevin Falcon, is also involved in these projects.
So, the question is. Are the people of Haldi Road getting a womens centre in their area, as a direct result of the BC Government changing how they deliver treatment in the Province??. If so, then is it the change of the model that is important, (because it is much cheaper) or is it their concern about treatment facilities for women. I suggest it is the former. If not then they could have located this facility at the Nechako Centre, at the hospital, rather than in a rural setting.
Someone who has the time and patience to look real close at what is taking place here, should be able to determine what the hell is going on. I suspect that you will find that both Baldy Hughes, and Haldi Road will be receiving inmates from the Provincial, and Federal penitentaries, to finish their sentences in a rehab setting. Again, finishing your sentence in rehab is much cheaper than staying in prison, and saves the Government big money. While I fully support the need for these types of facilities, I seriously question the Governments intention. I suspect it is more about money than about concern for patients.
In the meantime I fully support the Haldi Road people taking the City to Court. It is unfortunate that people have to take on City Hall on all sorts of issues, because they refuse to listen to the taxpayers.
1. Community Energy System. If it was not for Pacha, and the residents of the Miller Addition the City would have built this facility at the East end of 4th Ave., and basically polluted the Churches, and residential area to the South.
2. The facility for the homeless that was built on Queensway and 17th even though it was opposed by a large number of people in the area.
3. The expansion of the bottle depot on Range Road. People were totally against this expansion, however it was pushed through.
4. Now we have the Haldi road project being pushed through even though the majority of people in that area oppose it.
Seems to me that the City just does whatever the hell they want, and citizens have to take them to court if they dont like it.
Have a nice day.
According to previous postings in past news articles from media websites back in May 2011 – Mentions in the lines of: If I am not mistaken a woman asked the same question at the original meeting at the centre. How many beds will be government funded and appointed by the judicial system. Apparently the first woman did not get an answer to her question.
It is just my opinion but what Palopu brought up about the politics of all this looks more in line of the truth. Articles put out about the government saying just that but in political correct words….missing information….
Why was Smith removed (or left) from Baldy Hughes? Does this person have a criminal record? Who wrote the editorial in the Citizen slamming NIMBYs and the one about Baldy Hughes leaving PG out of the loop in regards to the fundraiser? The list of questions goes on and on. How do you put someone on your campaign that you do not know? Last but not least – Why does the City not get that they have a problem with the OCP? Don’t forget the City cannot guarantee they will monitor the covenants as they do not have the manpower.
Free Enterprise – Got ahold of a realtor friend today and found out there are houses that have been taken off of the market in the Haldi area and a few more houses have been up for sale for a while.
I like to do some research before I spout off ;) Looking at this from the outside I hope the Haldi Group wins their case if they take it to court. As said many times in various posts on Haldi Road – wrong place – right type of facility. No Transperancy.
A similar event happened in my neighbourhood the Millar Addition in 2007 when the Friendship Lodge was appearance wise crammed down our throats. I supported the project despite my neighbours’ opposition to it. I had threats made against me and people literally hating my guts. But I believed in the project because folks deserve a chance to turn their lives around and have a place to live.
Friendship Lodge has turned out to be an asset I think. The building looks loads better than that horrible Backpacker Motel that was there before.
I do think that the Haldi Rd. area was targetted because it’s out of the downtown core. Out of sight, out of the business district, out of mind?
Why would some of you want it downtown? That’s where all the drugs are pushed from.
Most everyone knows the downtown is finished anyway. I go down quite a bit and every second building appears to be some level of government or was a government building and is now closed. Lets not build another 8 mil residence for 30 people please. Haldi Road is a good place for this centre and there is a building sitting there to be used.
July 2, 2004
CKNW legislative reporter Sean Leslie has just filed a story reporting that provincial ministerial assistant Marshall Smith, 32, was arrested yesterday by Victoria police in the so-called Red Zone, an area frequented by drug dealers and prostitutes. The charge: possession for the purpose of trafficking. Police allege he was found with a saleable amount of crystal meth, a scale, a wad of cash and a radio scanner. Public Eye has learned Mr. Smith, who previously worked for former Community Aboriginal and Women’s Services Minister Ted Nebbeling and former Minister of State for Immigration and Multicultural Services Gulzar Cheema, has been on a leave of absence since June 8 to seek treatment for a substance abuse problem.
We also know Mr. Smith’s uncle is Tourism Victoria’s chief executive officer Lorne Whyte. His parents, one of whom works in the Los Angeles film industry, are divorced. And he is related to ex-Toronto-Danforth Liberal MP Dennis Mills. Mr. Mills was recently unseated by New Democrat leader Jack Layton. Acquaintances say Mr. Smith, who was the first openly gay corrections officer in the province, reportedly became involved in politics after campaigning for Vancouver-Burrard MLA Lorne Mayencourt in the last provincial election. The acquaintances add that he is a regular at Prism (a local gay nightclub) and has lost a substantial amount of weight over the past year.
After being arrested, he was held in custody overnight but was released pending a court appearance next Friday. Crown attorney Michael Mark is prosecuting the case. Mr. Smith has been suspended without pay.
By Sean Holman | Posted in Provincial | Comments (2)
Looks like some people don’t have to network. They’re born into it. Cool, eh?
Good find guesswhat!
16,000 bucks isn’t going to go far! Hali residents are wasting their time and money. This will be a non issue this time next year. The Hali rednecks will Once again be happily driving their tractors, riding their horses and quads, without fear of some drug addicted women breaking into their homes. I hope they don’t have any black people in thei neighborhood either, then their property values would really decrease. Could you imagine if they tried to build a mosque in the haldi area, next thing you know the place would be full of suicide bombers!
uppercanadian – obviously you haven’t thought things through before you spout. The women themselves may in fact be wanting change, and they should be given every chance to do so if they are so inclined.
That said, it is a well known fact that women face a lot more barriers than men do. They tend to have more ‘baggage’ (for lack of a better word) and tend to have folks who want to hang on to them in the state they are in as opposed to their male counterparts.
That said, there are a host of reasons the neighbourhood is against the facility, your issue is only one of a pile of issues…get a bit better educated next time before you go and toss a bunch of slurs out.
The Citizen was scooped on this story but have dug up a new angle on what happened to have this issue brought before council at the eleventh hour…the plot thickens
guesswhat
I am beside myself with disgust at what you have done on your post.
I find it a cheap shot, a two bit, mickey mouse way of pulling some one down…
I have known Marshall for some time now and have known that about his past, because he told me so. It is all very public, and I respect him for who he is now.
How about posting what he has done in the few years as a recovering addict…..Baldy Hughes for a start.
I find your actions in this regard abbhorent. And just in case you don`t know what that word means, follow this link.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/abhorrent
Oh and by the way,my name is Ron J Davis
Runner46
So, I guess Palopu has taken a cheap shot also?
Why are you so offended if it is public knowledge?
You are entitle to your opinion as well as I am to mine.
“How about posting what he has done in the few years as a recovering addict…..Baldy Hughes for a start.” That can be your job if you like. :) Enough said.
Runner46
Maybe Smith should go back and learn some more things he forgot in his own re-hab before you spout off. We have a right to know who’s moving into our neighbour hood and you seem smart enough to know what those are. Shame on you.
uppercandian
Yes I have a tractor & a quad but i’m not a redneck, their are a lot of well respected people in the HALDI area ,Doctors ,Lawyers & Business People just to name few.
$16,000 not enough their is plenty more where that came from.
When you are paying $5,000 a year in property taxes then you can have your say, til then maybe you should keep a lid on it.
Very interesting how this continues to have a political agenda that is way past a treatment center. Good on the Haldi community for standing up for their rights. City hall expects everyone to fold under the pressure or give up as the old saying goes ‘you can’t fight city hall”. Well you can and their have been many a group in the past years that wishes they could have done the same. Of course a treatment center is needed but right idea in the wrong place doesn’t mean a neighborhood should be sacrificed at their expense!
From the outside looking in – I certainly will be there if they take it to court. Glad to see somepeople in this fine city of ours have some Christmas balls..:)LOL
sickofit – Hope some of those groups you talk about in the past years show up. Hey, I wonder if we can get enough people for the book of Guiness in a court room? I guess not, City my put a bylaw against vagrancy…or standing up for your rights. LOL
Your response to my post regarding Marshall Smith misses the mark altogether.
Just a reminder that this website is a forum of news and views. The âpostâ in question is nothing but a cut and paste of a seven year old post from the Public Eye.comâ¦.No comment, nothingâ¦..why oh why would someone do that? Personal gain, no! To bring new information to the table of a valid cause? You got me there?
Tell me, either of you, what good did that post do to further the cause of the anti-Haldi Road Treatment Centre?
Yes sickofit I totally concur, it reeks of politics. No transparency of any kind.
Smith publishes booklet weeks before 1st reading on the dates of second and third reading…lucky guess
Green introduces 2nd and 3rd reading dates at council stating that water will be the only remaining issue…lo and behold the dates are one and the same…coincidence
Smith removes water issue a few days before 2nd and 3rd reading…
3rd reading passes
2 days later Smith contacts Green’s campaign manager and volunteers for her campaign
Green removes herself from 4th reading when Meisner asks her about Smith’s involvement in the campaign
Covenant is filed on a friday afternoon (be interesting if it actually states “facility disconnected from all wells” as was stated or rather “wells connected to flow meter”)
4th reading is shuffled in the next monday so it misses the agenda
No politics here
Harbinger “This centre will be a failure over time”
Isn’t this the reason for opening it? Fail and have BC Housing and the Provincial Government open their purses to buy it out like the financial windfall of Baldy Hughes? Actually very smart to have the Gov pay for the facility through donations and then buy the facility when finished
Before Smith resigned from Baldy Hughes did he not say he was going to run for mayor of our little podunk town? Maybe you will see Green vs Smith on the next ballot in 2 and a half years when he leaves this facility to hang dry…or maybe out of courtesy he will run for council instead?
Slinky,Gus or guesswhat
Question? Is a person aloud to run for public office with a criminal record? Totally platonic question with respect to 46er.
Posted by: Runner46 on December 14 2011 4:07 PM
guesswhat
I am beside myself with disgust at what you have done on your post.
I find it a cheap shot, a two bit, mickey mouse way of pulling some one down…
I have known Marshall for some time now and have known that about his past, because he told me so. It is all very public, and I respect him for who he is now.
How about posting what he has done in the few years as a recovering addict…..Baldy Hughes for a start.
I find your actions in this regard abbhorent. And just in case you don`t know what that word means, follow this link.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/abhorrent
Oh and by the way,my name is Ron J Davis
——————————————–
Ron. You think Mr Smith has not given the Haldi road residence a few cheap shots on many occasions? Smith invented cheap shots and if you have paid attention to any details you will know what I mean. A few come to mind are lie, cheat and deception. Recovery programs teach is to be honest with oneself right?
007 – Yes, a person with a criminal record can run. There have been many times over the years where there have been outcrys on this topic. Here is just one sample:
http://online.cle.bc.ca/CourseMaterial/pdfs/2009/213_8_1.pdf
I have concerns when someone with a long arm of convictions (record) as recently as 2008 looks like a hero but someone with only a couple of convictions such as the gentleman in the news just a few days ago is condemned. People appear to want to ship him home to a country he has not seen since he was a year or younger. As with both cases not everyone knows the full story……It would also depend on who it is told by and people’s perceptions………
Harbinger- Mr Smith has stated in the media (in regards to a Baly Hughes article)
in the lines of: he starts things up and moves on, I do not think he will stay long at the centre or in a council for long.
Just one person’s opinion.
My experience with addicted people and employing them was that money was the enemy to them. I was requested by the employee to send his pay to another family member so that this person could not have easy access to his/her money. Now with this case in question is the only reason I would be inclined to always move on. But it is only my opinion but in most cases is the reason. Relapse is so common and stats show clearly only 2% make it out of addiction and money seems to be the route of the problem. This is not just as easy to overcome as Smith would like to have us believe. But what irks me is his first ploy to the residence was the cost per bed was $900 per month and private funding; now he has turned it around to looking for government for funding at a whopping $4000.00 per bed. First made a false water study that said the well could support over 14000 litres per day and now he is to trucking the water. And to add insult to injury he said he was going to truck water to please Haldi folks. I looked at the actual water study done by a professional who is retired from this exact field (Denis) is his name and it proved the recovery centres water study to be false. So I concur with 007 comments about cheap shots, unprofessionalism and council and staff are out to lunch in so many ways that the public only understands the half of it.
slinky…As I have earlier stated,”The world is run on greed, not altruism”. If ya think different, don’t hesitate to knock yerself out donating to this centre.
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