By the time you get a judgement, the facility will probably already be in place. What are you going to do then? Buy it back from them? And at what cost?
The judge is wrong, there are institutional facilities throughout this city all smack dab in the middle of residential neighbourhoods. Group holmes and halfway houses abound in this troubled city; it’s called being part of a community.
The proponents are trying to reach out and lessen their impact on the area and appease your concerns and you’re behaving like spoiled children.

If this facility was only going to be for local residents I would be all for it, but, I heard it is not, that people province wide will use it? So I have to question why the province is not releasing a patch of provincial land that does not boader onto someone’s home, for the contruction of such a useful filcility for the province of British Columbia. You can drive in any direction out of the city of Prince George and find land that is in a unhabited area. Christy step up to the plate!

Sine Nomine says: “By the time you get a judgement, the facility will probably already be in place. What are you going to do then?”

The answer is – you tear the facility down, make the land into a park and send the bill to the owners of the building.

Yeah right Cheetos…not gonna happen…good grief…that’s a terrible idea. You really want to kick out the people that want & need the help. Sine Nomine is absolutely right and I agree totally. And what’s wrong with anyone from BC or for that matter Walter, anyone from Canada using it. It doesn’t just have to be locals. That’s absurd. So what you are saying is people from outside PG shouldn’t use our facilities…hmmmmmm… what about our hospital…should that only be PG residents???? Nope, we should help those that need it & want it.

Actually Sine it is the city that is acting like a spoiled child. This facility isn’t about helping all women it is about helping rich women to the tune of 6500.00 a month. Someone promised someone something and now they are forcing these people into action again.

The Haldi road people should set up tables like the dike people did to raise awareness of the bullying tactics of the city with a “donations accepted” sign.

Are they still going to join the regional district?

This is more about fighting the process and the back-door deals than fighting a rehab center for women. Like NoWay says, someone (cough*Green*cough) promised someone something and Haldi is fighting. Green (and her minions) have now royally ticked off an entire neighbourhood and they aren’t stepping down.
I believe they are still looking at rejoining the regional district and I don’t blame them. The city isn’t providing adequate services for the taxes paid – much like the rest of the city.

No I am not saying not to build a facility, I think that it is a wonderful idea, the location is the point I am trying to make, lets contruct it where it does not disturb the tranquility of a Neighbourhood. Maybe it should be built in the downtown core, any where but but not in such close proximity to a residential Neighbourhood.

NOT IN MY BACK YARD

The facility will not have zoning or OCP changes until the court case has been herd by a Supreme Court judge.

I want to believe in our justice system and the laws that have been in place long before my time on this earth. When elected officials slap the law in the face it just became matter of principle.

It is a sad case when our City’s elected officials do things to bend the law. This city is making it an impossible task to teach our youth that laws were put in place to protect us and need to be upheld at whatever the cost.

Haldi neighbourhood residence did prove that City and council do not respect what our forefathers have put in place with countless hours of planning when the OCP and zoning bylaws were introduced to protect its citizens and property owners.

This used to be the back bone of our economy (Get a stable job, buy a home, good car, food and pay your taxes). Now things have some how changed with our elected officials. It seems that they all want is to achieve power and eat at the table of the most fortunate’s of society.

The fortunate’s somehow forgot the principles of society and abuse what the working men and women gave them. Brian Fehr and Craig Wood do not have the courage to address the people but wood rather hide under the skirt of our mayor.

The only thing mayor and some councillors can see is the need to appease the big players. These big players are nothing more than bullies and some how have convinced council to bend laws and do what it takes to put this through. The message council and these bullies are sending to my children is wrong.

I am grateful that we have a community like Haldi in our City. They are not afraid to stand up to the bullies of our society and uphold laws that have been the foundation of our Country.

I agree with 57chevy. This is now a matter of principle. Who do the Mayor, and Council think they represent. Business interests only, or all the citizens of Prince George.
The establishment of this Treatment Centre at Haldi Road, at this point in time in a Business venture. Why should the people of Haldi Road have their area changed to accommodate these business people??

The proponents should not be using the need for this type of facility as a wedge to get it established where they want it.

As I mentioned before we had a treatment centre for men and women attached to the Regional Hospital for 30 years (Nechako Treatment Centre). This was an 18 bed facility and a 28 day program. The Provincial Government closed this facility a few years ago. The obvious question is why???

The Provincial Government is in the process of changing the model on how it delivers treatment for addictive people, and this type of model (Haldi Road) is part of that.

The silence of the Government should be your first hint that something is amiss.

I support the Haldi Road people and their fight to keep this facility out of their area.

They should fight this issue to the bitter end as a matter of principle, and to hell with the cost. We need to get the attention of elected officials, that WE THE PEOPLE are entitled to due consideration on these types of issues, rather than being kicked aside with distain.

Sine Nomine, you are absolutely correct. How refreshing to read sensible comments on this website!

This is not a city council and mayor who have established an attitude of listening and then NOT compromising, in my opinion. It is not only a problem at the municipal level but at provincial and federal levels too.

What to do? Beats me! Once elected they put up a wall of superiority. The *common folks* are only needed at election time…

Let me re-phrase that: They listen alright but will not consider any compromise. Reminds me of the battle against city water fluoridation which 98% of the province has abandoned already. Here, it stays, no matter what the argument.

Good dialog can only happen when people are educated in the true facts. Refreshing is when you look at undisputed facts. The fact here at $6500 per month, this Northern Betty Ford Recovery Centre does not benefit Prince George addicts or street prostitution. The irony is the proponents sucked in the native community into thinking it would. Lies Lies Lies. Both City and the proponents should be ashamed of themselves.

Ashamed of themselves? Before or after a select few of them check the interest in their bank books?

Mayor and Council allowed rezoning and OCP amendments for the purpose of setting up and running a for profit women’s addiction treatment centre and in doing this our city also fills a gap because there is a shortage of such facilities throughout BC. IMHO this is a provincial Heath care matter and it does not fall under the jurisdiction of the municipal government, and local gov’t should not be seen as favoring or changing OCP policies to benefit private enterprise while at the same time going against the wishes of the public and especially when the Public were led to believe this would be a facility that would provide treatment to women in PG and the north, not many women in need of drug and alcohol addiction treatment in PG or the north can afford $6500 a month to go to the Haldi Center.

This proposed facility is a private operation, correct? It also would be considered as healthcare correct? In Canada we are bound by the Canada Health Act which prohibits private healthcare facilities, correct?

After this “treatment centre” is a done deal and up and running for a while I have this cynical feeling that the proponents will hum and haw and decide to sell it to an arm of the provincial government for a gazillion dollars. A year or two after the government finds out that it costs too much money to run it, it will then de-commission it. With applause from taxpayers, of course. This is what I think will happen.

To Sine Nomine – just think about it….what smart businesman would go ahead and invest any more in this building before the next decision is made in the courts as to whether this is a legal OCP amendment and rezoning or not…dream on Sine Omine. The last time this went to court things on the Recovery Centre Site came to a standstill so what’s different this time?

As far as NIMBY’s at Haldi….I see them as victims of extreme BULLYING by the city who is more interested in helping their business friends make good on a bad investment. They are in fact standing up against the city for the good of all the residents of Prince George because their fight is against tactics used by Council to override the OCP process which was set up as a blueprint to ensure there would be well thought out and controlled development of the city….not spot zoning as we will have now that the OCP amendment has passed and City is free to put whatever they want any place they like for whatever reasons they chose…forget about listening to the neighbourhood’s concerns, they are only NIMBY’s.

The people of Prince George should fight against this by supporting the Haldi Road residents with their fight in court. I recall seeing an email advising where donations can be made, it was haldiroad64@gmail.com

Dragonmaster.

I think they get around the Canada Health Act, etc; by having these facilities set up as Societys under the Societys act, as non profit organizations.

The Society pays the wages, and the lease payments etc;, and the Government would pay a portion of the cost for the clients.

Highglen school has lots of water and a perfectly good sewer system as well. The rehab facility should be built there.

I think there are some serious misunderstandings going on here. Some things seem to be being taken for granted as facts, that I don’t think are. Correct me if I’m wrong.

An Official Community Plan is really a brand new thing here in Prince George (not crafted by our forefathers as someone suggested), and as I understand it, it’s meant to be an overarching guide, not set in stone. Cities are living breathing entities, that change and morph just like any other microcosm of life. As the Cities needs and dynamic changes, so too should the OCP. That only makes sense. Nobody could anticipate everything in regards to a Cities growth and structural needs. At least I don’t expect that. It’s not for the courts to decide how communities are to be formed and in what manner, this is what we elect representatives for. We may not always agree with what they decide, but that’s why we have elections every 3 years.

Clearly, Council made a mistake by changing the zoning without amending the OCP first and I bet you they would admit that now. I think a solid lesson was learned there. They absolutely, after exercising due diligence, can amend and change the OCP and zoning in general. That’s what they and City staff have been hired to do. They do it everyday. This is their job, to shape this City.

I think people are forgetting too that it was a unanimous decision (excepting Skakun who is just a rogue element, so I don’t consider him and neither obviously does Council.) 8 Councilors agreed to do this as individual representatives. They clearly think this it is the best thing for this City. If you don’t agree with their logic, you’re free to vote your conscience next time out. I know I will.

I’m not all that fond of a lot of Council members myself. Most of them I did not vote for, because I don’t particularly think they’re suited to the job. I can find no fault with what they did, other than the original blunder of not amending the OCP to allow the rezoning they approved prematurely. That cost all of us in untold hidden costs. This leads me to my next point.

The Haldi residents can continue to fight this, that’s their right. I won’t support them though, because for starters I think they’re wrong and secondly because the more they fight, the more this is going to hurt all of us in the pocketbook. We’re all paying for the costs associated with defending the decision, in lawyer costs and other associated fees.

Private ownership does not exist in the country, it just doesn’t. We all forget that, but all levels of government can use the power of “eminent domain” I believe and displace us if they think it’s in the interest of the greater good. This is part of the deal of living here. It’s seldom used on people, that’s why we “plan” the best we can. We’re really all just renters. Don’t think that’s true, try not paying your property taxes for a few years and see how much claim you have to your property.

The proponents have put it out there to develop a good neighbour agreement, they have addressed the water usage issue. I see people who have dug in their heels, not to do with principles, but because they feel abused. Rationally, the placement of this facility makes sense. It used to be a school, an “institutional” type use. Nobody squaked about that though did they. It was serving your needs, so it made sense. This is serving your needs to, you just can’t see it right now because you’re angry. This will bring tax revenue and good paying jobs to our community and hopefully in the process, will help women get clean and become productive members of society and solid mothers.

Sine Nomine. You need to take a rest.

As I stated before, this facility will be operated by a Society under the society act, and therefore in all probability not pay any taxes.

Secondly when an application was made by proponents to establish a health centre in North Nechako they were turned down by the City Administration because??? YES Because the project did not fall within the OCP. The City had no intentions of changing the OCP to facilitate this venture.

So you can see that we have two similar applications with two entirely different outcomes. One rejected out of hand, and the other molly coddled, and then having the OCP changed to suit their needs.

Surely you can see there are some problems here.

This facility can be located anywhere in Prince George and the proponents should have dropped the application as soon as they were aware of the overwhelming opposition to it. However they and the City chose to bulldoze it through at the expense of the people who live in the area.

This is the matter of principle that is being talked about. Not only are things being changed to help the proponents, but there is also some question of conflict of interest.

If you want to have a fair and democratic society you cannot have your elected representatives only looking after those with vested interests at the expense of the rest of the City.

Sooooooo. Take them to court, get this issue as much air time as possible, and have this issue settled once and for all.
Then at the next election get rid of those who did not stand up for the average tax paying citizen.

Have a nice day,.

To Sine Nomine – Strange logic you have to point the finger of blame for wasting taxpayers money at the Haldi Residents when they are only going through the courts in order to get the city to abide by their own Official Community Plan (which is a law and not just a guideline) and which incidentally is not NEW, it has been around for many years. It has served the city well until this council started tinkering with it. It was City Council’s error that cost the taxpayers the court costs the first go around on this and now, rather than give consideration to the Haldi neighbourhood as to what is compatible in their neighborhood, the city is again ignoring the Haldi residents and using social justification, rather than land use arguments to force this into the Haldi neighborhood. City Council was advised the first time around by Haldi’s lawyer that this could be challenged and they ignored that. The same advice was given in the 2nd go around and again they have ignored it, knowing very well that this would likely go back to court..so who is wasting the taxpayers dollars…is it the Haldi community in their valiant efforts to defend what’s right by getting the city to abide by the Official Community Plan or is it City Council who is ignoring the Haldi neighborhood. The Haldi neighbourhood were advised by Mayor Green at the public hearing to stick to land use arguments while others used social arguments and guess what….each one of the councillors that voted to change the OCP used SOCIAL ARGUMENTS because there is no other argument, they all voted to amend the OCP and the rezoning “because it (recovery centre) is so badly needed in the community”. This is the unjust process that was used to amend the OCP which allowed for the investor to proceed with the Recovery Centre project. Unfortunately, the neighborhood is being called NIMBY instead of being viewed as victims of City Council BULLYING and the investor, by having this zoning approved has already made bundles of money on his land while the homeowners in the Haldi area are watching their property values drop. So, since you asked to be corrected, these are the facts. City Council by their actions is wasting more of the taxpayers dollars and it is clear that more and more residents are getting fed up with it. What a waste!!!

I also do not agree with the logic of Sine Nomine.

The vision is reflective of Council’s own mission statement and priorities which echo many of the key points reflected in the long-term community planning objectives.
1.3.1 Significant Planning Issues
During each of the public Open Houses, workshops and surveys, some key issues and concerns were frequently mentioned by residents. Also evident were those aspects that residents did like about living in Prince George – characteristics such as the friendly people, recreational opportunities, closeness to nature, community spirit and “small town atmosphere” were often mentioned. The concerns and issues most often cited as priorities for the future were:
• A desire for a high “quality of life” with emphasis on retention of the friendliness and opportunities that characterize the city
• Need for significant improvement in air quality
• Revitalization of the downtown, which was considered very unattractive
• Need for job creation and economic vitality
• Continued emphasis on parks and recreation
• Avoid proliferation of strip malls
• Prevention of urban sprawl
• Balance between the built environment and open space; need to maintain the closeness to nature and the recognition that we are a community with distinct seasons

1.1 What is a Community Plan?
This Official Community Plan (OCP) establishes a framework for directing future growth and land use in the City of Prince George. The city’s Community Plan gains its “official” status once Council has adopted it through enactment of a bylaw. The Plan provides for long-term land use, such as residential, commercial and industrial development, greenspace, and comprises background information, policies and maps. The material in this document thus provides a long-term outlook and plan for the future of the city.
1.2 Our Destiny as BC’s Northern Capital
Council has established a Mission Statement and a series of strategies that define the priorities for community development over the next few years. The Mission of the City of Prince George is “to fulfill our destiny as B.C.’s ‘Northern Capital’ through:
• The development and enhancement of opportunities for employment, investment and reward; and
• The provision of an excellent quality of life.”
This mission statement is supported by strategies that offer a foundation for the community plan process, and chart

 Community Involvement
Has the community been given full information on this decision, have they been consulted, and does the decision have the understanding of the community?
 Build Strong Neighbourhoods
Does this decision respect the character and nature of the local neighbourhood? Does it make this neighbourhood a better place?

Sine Nomine needs to read up on the OCP before pointing at the people upholding it.

Once an Official Community Plan (or simply the Plan or Community Plan) is adopted as a bylaw, all future land use decisions made by Council must be consistent with the objectives and policies outlined in the OCP.

The OCP was blended with the MyPG this time around. Under the Social Development section is: Supportive and Engaged Community with Strong Neighbourhoods.

Strategic Framework
1. myPG Goals

Prince George is a friendly and engaged community with strong social connections that recognizes, celebrates, and protects neighbourhood identities.

So tell me Sine Nomine – have you read the OCP or are you like many of the Councillors that have not?

Kudos to the Haldi people and the rest of the city for fighting. This council needs to have a mind set change.

Haldi Road residents = a bunch a NIMBY crybabies

I agree with Sine Nomine.

Sine Nomine writes:”The proponents have put it out there to develop a good neighbour agreement, they have addressed the water usage issue.”

If I am not mistaken it was the Haldi people that actually brought up this item at a public meeting informing all of which other cities actually have in their little bibles…..

Apparently the water issue is also not resolved as the facility requires water to be hauled in and after watching the 3rd reading – the applicants are not being true to how many trucks a day or required – never mind the fire protection…..

I would not trust the applicants either, each time they speak through the media their story changes…liked speaking with a forked tongue.

Summit – your poor me attitude will not get you anywhere…..

In the context of the Haldi road situation, the OCP is suppose to regulate the type and usage of buildings…..buildings and their usage are not to be used to regulate the OCP…this present city council save one Brian Skakun are being manipulated to not think clearly..:(

Sine Nomine writes I can find no fault with what they did, other than the original blunder of not amending the OCP to allow the rezoning they approved prematurely. That cost all of us in untold hidden costs. This leads me to my next point.

This is an interesting statement to make and I agree that in particular one councillor should have known better than to vote in favour.

We would assume and trust a lawyer to have put in a little time and reading before voting. If I was to cast a vote in the next civic election, these would be my observations of one councillor in particular, whom I would assume could and should advise his constitutes and fellow council and mayor of mistakes.

Wilbur, who is a lawyer and voted both times to pass the Zoning bylaw,. Wilbur had a few comments for Roy Stewart at 3rd reading that belongs back in kindergarten of law school. Wilbur passed the bar exam but has no clue about a simple OCP. This would indicate to me that he is on council simply to top up his pension. Like many other politicians. This is one time Wilbur needed to more than just a yes man with his smile and nice compliments. Does he even read what is before council or does just vote as Shari Green would have him vote?

some of these posts miss the issue…council is once again doing what they want to and ignoring all of the people who elected them. Haldi road residents are stepping to the plate to fight the big boys who have been running this town with the help of the mayor. Ask BBK and a few other recent dirty deals. Court cases are expenses and few have the money or steam to fight city hall. You have to give the Haldi group credit for putting their money where their mouth is. Most recently a well respected lawyer from Victoria agreed with their cries of dirty deals. Do you homework before you beak the Haldi residents Sine Nomine because you clearly don’t know what your talking about

I get it, it is not the land or location it is the building! Without it there well be no women centre for northern Bc

Don’t get me wrong I am glad to see the hospital get the new wing for training. But what concerns me is this project has been worked on for over a decade. The Nechako Treatment centre building will be torn down and so will the nursing blocks.

“Northern Health’s Board Chair, Dr. Charles Jago, admits the centre has been a long time coming, saying it’s been in the plans for the NMP since about 2002”

Did they actually require the Nechako Treatment Centre to be shut down in the meantime? Was not being able to find qualified trained people for the centre the reason it was shut down?

If my memory serves me right it was in the media that the Nechako Treatment Centre was to be replaced by a “30” bed facility. Just seems wrong to me they could not do it back then – no money available?