All posts by James W. Breckenridge

Business, Caveat emptor, Homeless, Issues

BC Hydro’s Choice

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BC Hydro’s newly appointed [July 2014] President and CEO Jessica McDonald,  BC Hydro’s Board of Directors [Appendix 1 below] and BC Hydro – a Crown Corporation – have chosen to become directly, personally involved in/with homelessness in Abbotsford.

They have chosen to pre-empt a question currently before the BC Courts – if not Jubilee, if not Gladys then where do the homeless go?

They have chosen to ignore questions raised by a BC Crown Corporation, an instrument of the BC Government and the citizens of BC, acting to pre-empt a matter currently before the BC Courts; not next year or at some indefinite point in the future but before the Courts NOW.

They have chosen to become involved directly with homelessness in Abbotsford and to pre-empt the question of the Charter Rights of homeless Canadians currently before the BC Courts, without a clear, demonstrable, imminent risk that required or demanded they act now and prevented them from waiting another month or two [or three] for the BC Courts to adjudicate the question of: Where do the homeless go?

In choosing to pre-empt the BC Courts on the question of the Charter Rights of Canadians  CEO Jessica McDonald, Stephen Bellringer [Chair of the board], Bill Adsit, W.J. Brad Bennett, O.B.C., Larry Blain, James M. Brown, James P. Hatton, Q.C., John Knappett, Tracey L. McVicar, Janine North, ICD.D, John Ritchie, Jack Weisgerber and the Crown Corporation  BC Hydro have, in addition to the disturbing precedent of a Crown Corporation usurping a matter before the Courts, taken on personal responsibility for answering the question Abbotsford City Council has never answered: Where do the Homeless Go?

Since, by their own choice and of their own free will, CEO Jessica McDonald, the Board, employees of BC Hydro and the Crown Corporation BC Hydro have chosen to become involved in homelessness in Abbotsford and pre-empt the BC Courts on the question of the Rights of Canadians and where are the homeless to go they have, as a consequence, made themselves responsible for – and to – the homeless in Abbotsford for answering where the homeless are to go………

“When you choose an action, you choose the consequences of that action.”
Lois McMaster Bujold, Memory

“A responsible choice is a choice that creates consequences that you are willing to assume responsibility for.”     Gary Zukav

……We [I, the homeless, citizens of Abbotsford] await the unveiling of BC Hydro’s plans for the relocation of the homeless from Gladys, and BC Hydro’s answer – and plans – to the thorny question of where the homeless are suppose to relocate to.

 

 

Appendix 1

BC Hydro Board of Directors: 

Stephen Bellringer, Chair of the board

Bill Adsit

W.J. Brad Bennett, O.B.C.

Larry Blain

James M. Brown

James P. Hatton, Q.C.

John Knappett

Tracey L. McVicar

Janine North, ICD.D

John Ritchie

Jack Weisgerber

Homeless, Issues, Media, Municipal, Politics

What a Concept – Homeless Have Rights!

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Yes Andrew, the homeless – being Canadians – have Rights that are protected by the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

And as anyone who is following the matter knows, The Abbotsford News obfuscation notwithstanding, the case is about the Rights and Freedoms all Canadians are entitled to and protecting the Rights and Freedoms of Canadians.

Anyone even moderately informed is aware the court case is not focused on the right of the homeless to camp in city parks. The right to camp in a city’s parks is a right only as a consequence of and in redressing the city’s violation of the Charter Rights of the homeless. As Section 24 states:

  • 24. (1) Anyone whose rights or freedoms, as guaranteed by this Charter, have been infringed or denied may apply to a court of competent jurisdiction to obtain such remedy as the court considers appropriate and just in the circumstances.

As to the question of the need to go to Court……..where else, how else, would Mr. Holota have us, have Canadians, settle fundamental questions about Charter Rights and Freedoms and questions concerning the violation of those Rights and Freedoms by governments [in this case the municipal government of the City of Abbotsford]?

Pistols at dawn in front of City Hall?

Unfortunately it is highly unlikely that the question of whether the factual errors, lies of omission and disinformation written, printed and disseminated by Black Press and Andrew Holota about homelessness, the homeless and the actions of the City of Abbotsford are a violation of the Rights and Freedoms of the homeless or simply served to abet the City of Abbotsford in its continuous violation of the Rights and Freedoms of homeless Canadians will be asked or answered.

As a result, although they may be culpable, neither Black Press nor Andrew Holota are likely to suffer any consequences for contributing to the violation of or violating the Rights of homeless Canadians in Abbotsford.

Mr. Holota’s editorial is rife with statements demonstrating the part Black Press and Mr. Holota have played in creating conditions in Abbotsford where going to court to protect the Rights of homeless Canadians from the City of Abbotsford is not a matter of choice but of necessity.

“....the homeless issue in this town got hijacked by special-interest groups.”

Pivot is a non-profit Society [supported by the community through thousands of donations] whose purpose is to represent and defend the marginalized and disenfranchised by defending their human rights through the provision of access to the legal system. In doing this Pivot also protects the Rights and Freedoms of all Canadians.

Perhaps to Black Press, Andrew Holota and the City of Abbotsford a non-profit Society widely supported by its community, a Society that defends the Human Rights, the Charter Rights of the disenfranchised, is a special interest group.

To the marginalized, the disenfranchised, the powerless, the poor, to all those without the resources to defend their Rights Pivot is a Champion who fights for and defends the oppressed.

It is understandable why, as the oppressors, the City of Abbotsford, Black Press and Editor Holota would view anyone, anything or any group that would fight for and/or defend a class/group of people that the City of Abbotsford, Black Press and Editor Holota wish to oppress, harass, persecute and victimize as a ‘special-interest’ group. In protecting the interests of the homeless Pivot acts against the interests of the oppressors, threatens to force an end to the oppression and drags the oppressors into court, out of the shadows, into daylight and makes a public display of them.

It would be interesting, potentially entertaining, to see by what convoluted process Editor Holota came to label the Abbotsford chapter of the Drug War Survivors, whose membership consists almost entirely of those who have been homeless, are homeless or in the process of becoming homeless as a special interest group vis-à-vis the subject of homelessness in Abbotsford.

To the Homeless in Abbotsford the motivation of Barry Shantz in founding the Abbotsford chapter of the BC/Yukon Drug War Survivors is moot.

What matters to the homeless and all others who are powerless in Abbotsford is that the involvement of Mr. Shantz and the DWS solved a years old dilemma, a dilemma not limited to just the homeless – the barrier raised to holding the City of Abbotsford accountable for its actions by prohibitive legal costs.

Whether it was/is the City of Abbotsford’s violation of the homeless and powerless or the costly illegal subsidy agreement with the Heat, bottomless taxpayer pockets, at least from the view of Abbotsford’s municipal government and politicians, has been an insurmountable barrier to those seeking Justice.

Until Pivot, and the community that supports them, stepped forward to say ENOUGH to the City of Abbotsford and its politicians.

Pivot a special interest group? I suppose if you consider an interest in Human Rights, in protecting the Charter Rights and Freedoms of all Canadians [not just those of the privileged or wealthy], in standing up for the marginalized and disenfranchised as a ‘special’ interest.

Personally, irregardless of what the City of Abbotsford, its’ politicians, Black Press or Andrew Holota obviously believe I do not regard the behaviour of Pivot as ‘special’; to me Pivot’s behaviour is simply the behaviour of the ethical, behaviour the City of Abbotsford – although highly unlikely to – could learn a great deal from.

As English philosopher Edmund Burke stated “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”

Life, Mental Health

By George! Freed from Durance Vile

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It was exactly two weeks that I was trapped without a car; it was a Wednesday afternoon when my car plunked itself down and refused to move and it was on a Wednesday afternoon 1,209,600 seconds later that I started up the engine, eased out the clutch and took the Breckenridge Transport Machine [BTM} for a test drive down, around the cul-de-sac and back home. Towards the end of those 1,209,600 seconds even the nanoseconds were dragging by.

The danger during a period where the BTM’s status is non-operational lies in being trapped at home with me……myself and I.

One of the strategies incorporated into my Wellness Recovery Action Plan concerns what to do when being by myself inside my head without adequate adult supervision would be hazardous to my mental well-being. The strategy is to leave so I am not isolated with myself and seek out adult supervision; or, alternatively, have adequate adult supervision come to my place.

Obviously, escaping myself and finding adequate adult supervision becomes a great deal more difficult when the BTM is non-operational.

When Sunday found me in conversation with a Scarecrow [Brain Quest] a strong suspicion formed that I needed to get the BTM’s status changed to operational ASAP. When, towards the end of the conversation, the White Rabbit joined the Scarecrow and I in our conversation suspicion became certainty.

Faced with certainty I called my friend Mike to express my strong need for an operational BTM. Mike stated he would get in touch with his friend and encourage him to perform his magic on the BTM.

Thus it came to pass that on Wednesday morning Mike and his friend were at my abode to ascertain what issue the BTM was suffering from.

So we pop the hood, I get behind the wheel and start the car and engage the clutch George, after telling me to disengage the clutch for a moment, repositioned himself to the drivers side of the engine and had me ease the clutch out again. Telling me to disengage the clutch and leave it disengaged George disappeared from eyesight, getting down and looking under the BTM.

Mere seconds later George returned to my sight holding what looked like a strip of grease in his hand; which proved to be a piece of rubber coated in grease. CV joint is gone George informed me, as he also informed me he had replaced thousands of them.

Having determined what needed to be done George headed home for the tools he would need and to wait for the car to be in shade late in the afternoon. Mike dropped George off and returned to take me to CanWest to procure a replacement CV shaft.

I did have to replace the driver side CV shaft on a previous vehicle of mine so I knew it was far easier and more efficient just to pull the old shaft and plug in a new one than anything else one might do. I didn’t beat myself up over, having previously needed to change a CV joint, not realizing it was the CV joint that had gone because this CV joint gave no warning it was about to go. Normally when a CV joint is getting ready to go they warn you with a clicking sound that gets progressively worse.

With the car shaded by a tree and the house – with the added bonus of a nice breeze blowing – George returned and began the necessary disassembly to access the CV shaft. As he progressed George got a look at the disc pads of my front brakes and dispatched me back to CanWest to procure a set of new brake pads as the pads could do with replacing and with the driver side wheel already going to be off it only made sense to do the brake pads now rather than a short time latter.

Returning I sat quietly in the shade, giving George the courtesy of my silence to allow him to focus on what he was doing without distraction or interruption by me.

As George began work on replacing the passenger side brake pads his concentration increased as he began to work on part of the braking mechanism itself. It was sticking, not moving as freely as it should, which George considered an unacceptable condition for it to be left in. So he sat there, not simply replacing the brake pads, but patiently working on the braking mechanism until it was in what he considered acceptable condition.

With the passenger side wheel back on the car, George gathered his tools back up and then, just before he closed the hood back up checked the fluid levels telling me I was down a litre of oil. I got out the engine oil [checking the oil level and adding oil if needed is among the limited auto repair/maintenance skills I have], a litre was added, the hood closed and it was time for a test drive.

I fired up the engine, put it in gear, sloooowly eased out the clutch and headed off down my street, around the cul-de-sac and back to my place; such a short drive to put such a cheek stretching grin on my face.

Getting out of the car with that huge grin on my face I heartily thanked George, although words couldn’t/can’t express the gift that having the BTM operational was/is to me.

It is not simply that George is such a highly skilled and experienced mechanic, but that he is a craftsman. A man who does a superb job because of the pride he takes in the work he does. It is always a pleasure to watch a craftsman work, especially if it is your vehicle he is working on.

And thanks Mike for the original ride home when the BTM became non-operational, for transportation to purchase the necessary parts, but a far bigger thanks for freedom from Durance Vile by George!

Consider, Municipal, Politics

All Ideas Are Welcome

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Ken Wuschke’s “Moving Forward Requires Open And Frank Dialog” calls to mind courses and trainings in Communication, that Listening is vital to Communication and that both are necessary to facilitating the setting of goals and moving forward.

With all the diversity found in a Canadian city the size of Abbotsford ensuring all the participants have a clear understanding and agreement about what is being discussed, and ensuring all the participants have a clear understanding of what each other means by what they are saying, clear communication is a complex challenge.

One of the first things basic communications courses make sure participants understand is how often people are talking of apples and oranges when both are operating under the mistaken impression they are discussing bananas. The two people, supposedly speaking the same language, are in fact hearing something different from what the speaker was [or thought they were] saying.

Ensuring clear understanding of all aspects of the conversation, by all parties to the conversation, is fundamental to building trust.

Complicating clear communication and understanding is the need, often either unrecognized or ignored, to establish which facts are fact and which fall into the category ‘what ain’t so’.

As Mark Twain said: “It ain’t what you don’t know that gets you into trouble. It’s what you know for sure that just ain’t so.”

Mr. Wuschke’s statement: “It seems that every council out of the past three terms have had their lightening rod issue” implies that we are talking about separate and distinct councils.

However, an examination of the members of these councils reveals that the core voting majority is the same for the councils elected in 2005, 2008 and 2011. Thus to me it has been, in a very real sense, the same council since 2005.

That the majority of council has been the same since 2005 explains the continued growth of the disconnect and distrust between council and many citizens that Mr. Wuschke writes of.

Mr. Wuschke’s statement ‘…..and now the homeless issue. It seems that every council out of the past three terms have had their lightening rod issue’ demonstrates the importance understanding the history of the councils, mayors, councillors and an issue such as homelessness; and the need to establish or at the very least explore the history of the issue[s] if clear and effective conversation is to take place.

Abbotsford Community Services was not the first BC Housing proposal to pay for construction of affordable housing and – more importantly – to fund programs and supports that significantly raise the probability of resident being sober a year after treatment from the 3% of the traditional approach. Council also blew off the September 2008 proposal – $11,000,000.00 for the capital costs and $22,700,000.00 for programs and supports.

The approach to homelessness, and the excuses, has remained the same over the years that the core of council has remained the same. Over that period of time we have experienced the misnamed ‘Compassion Park’ and its consequences; watched affordable housing being built in Mission and Chilliwack but not Abbotsford; could stand beside Highway 1 and watch modular housing from the 2010 Olympics trucked through Abbotsford to provide affordable housing in Chilliwack; been through numerous city pogroms against the homeless; watched the city ignore the negative consequences of their behaviours and actions, then repeat the same behaviours and actions over and over again as though next time the outcome would be different.

Homelessness is not simply an issue of the current council; it was an issue when I became involved with poverty, affordable housing, mental illness, substance use 12 years ago.

!2 years of council’s politically correct spin on the homeless issues; of councils taking actions that steadily worsened the issue homeless, ignoring advice and actions that had been demonstrated elsewhere to be effective in addressing homelessness; actively blocking resources and services that would have served to reduce homelessness.

The current council, the majority of the current councillors, are now reaping what they sowed in previous terns on previous councils.

The fact the core of the council in 2005 remains the core of the council in 2014 is also the reason it will be difficult, if not impossible, to achieve Mr. Wuschke’s call for “The community needs to have open and effective communication to city council” and “One where everyone’s ideas are welcome”.

However, faced with homelessness and other social issues, the economic and financial realities facing the city, the OCP, city services, infrastructure, Abbotsford Centre…….

…….neither the city nor its citizens can afford the current state between city hall, the politicians and citizens.

Moving forward does not require unanimous consent. It does require citizens take the actions necessary for them to be able to give informed consent and avoid the negative consequences of decisions based on Mark Twain’s “what ain’t so”. Moving forward also requires that decisions made by the city be based on reasons that are clearly set out, understood and rational.

Communication and trust are two way streets, must be two way streets if they are to exist and function.

APPENDIX 

City of Abbotsford Council 2011 – 2014

Mayor B. Banman, and Councillors L. Barkman, H. Braun, S. Gibson, M. Gill, D. Loewen, B. MacGregor, P. Ross, and J. Smith

City of Abbotsford Council 2008 – 2011

Mayor G. Peary; and Councillors L. Barkman, S. Gibson, M. Gill, L. Harris, D. Loewen, B. MacGregor, P. Ross, and J. Smith

City of Abbotsford Council  2005 – 2008

Mayor G. Ferguson; Councillors B. Beck, C. Caldwell, S. Gibson, M. Gill, L. Harris, D. Loewen, P. Ross, and J. Smith