Kevin Gillies is quite correct “What we need here – dare I say it – is a little more nightlife”.

Regrettably for we citizens of “Boredomtown” and our pocketbooks, council refuses to see this reality because they do not want any nightlife they do not approve of. Unfortunately they disapprove of any nightlife that falls into the fun category.

When columnist Ed Willes wrote “… as thrilling as a weekend in Abbotsford” he was making reference to an NHL playoff hockey game being played in a huge arena. Abbotsford can spend its current $108.6+ million, plus $100”s of millions more and it will not change its province wide status as “Boredomtown”.

NHL playoff hockey games are not what make Vancouver or Montreal fun cities to live in; it is the day in and day out availability of entertaining nightlife.

Which is why come the end of hockey season Vancouver will still be fun and even once all the construction for Plan A is complete Abbotsford will still be the butt of hockey columnist’s humour and boredom will still be defined by BC residents as “a weekend in Abbotsford”.

Thinking about it, those who claim Plan A will make Abbotsford a fun place may have a point, just not quite the point they think. It may just be that the best chance we have to stop being Boredomtown lies in the effect of the huge costs and tax burden of Plan A.

In an ironic twist of fate, faced with a desperate need of cash flow from new sources to avoid cutting more City services and maintenance, a financial crisis or astronomical (20%) tax hikes, the lure of casino $$$ may prove irresistible to City Hall. Once started down that slippery slope who knows where the unintended fallout of Plan A could lead – theatre? Or – gasp – a comedy club? Later club hours and new clubs? Even normal city nightlife?

Because in the end fun is about a city’s attitude and behaviours and until Abbotsford City Hall changes its attitudes and behaviours, or voters change those who inhabit City Hall, Abbotsford will not offer the entertainment choices that make a City come alive, hum and be a fun place to live.