The Vancouver Province is reporting that the city of Burnaby is ordering a buddhist Temple destroyed because they didn't have a building permit. The Province also points out they need a permit to tear it down as well so the irony is shameful.
How many times have dirty politicians flipped agricultural land into industrial to pay off their dirty campaign contributors? Lets start with the Campbell Heights money laundering centre in Surrey. Then let's look at the proposed Mega Casino in South Surrey all the residents freaked out about. The plan was to build the mega casino on agricultural land and have the city flip it into industrial so their dirty campaign contributors could make a fortune just like they did in Campbell Heights. They are rezoning a huge amount of agricultural land in Delta for a freaking shopping mall destroying migratory bird habitat forever and thay's OK.
So now the dirty politicians won't make any concessions for something as positive as a Buddhist temple. Anyone who has studied martial arts knows that Buddhist Temples are a sacred positive influence in society. Much more so than a casino that launders drug money for organized crime.
if the mall you are talking about in Delta is the new huge mall on the way to the ferry terminal, its on band land and the band is not constrained by the ALR. They can do with it as they please.
ReplyDeleteThe was land owned by farmers. It was expropriated for the Port out there. When it was determined the Port didn't need the land, the farmers were willing to purchase it back. They were told no, the land would be used to settle land claims with the First Nations.
The First Nations see the mall as a long term investment. They need to make money and farming isn't going to do it. The Port of Vancouver ought never have expropriated the land to begin with. (after all of this I do hope we're talking about the same mall)
Tearing down a Buddist Temple is a tad over board. It would simply be better to insist that they farm the land around it.
In Richmond on No. 5 Rd., nicked named the highway to heaven for all the temples, churches, etc. built there, all of them are on ALR land. All promised to farm, but didn't. Nothing happened in Richmond. The only group who built a temple who also farmed the land is the Buddist Temple on Steveston Highway in Richmond.
Some one must have a pickle up their butt because it doesn't seem to make sense to have to tear the building down. Talk about not being environmental. All that stuff would then have to go to the dump. there needs to be a compromise reached.
On the other hand the City of Burnaby might be wanting to send a message, that they are not Richmond and you will have to obey the game rules. One Buddist group opened a "monostary" on No. 6 rd. Richmond , in a residential farming area. No notices, no re-zoning,.
For some groups it is better to do and ask forgiveness later because the reward for doing what you want is greater than the punishment for not getting permission/re-zoning, etc. and the Burnaby council may just need to send a message.
Now as to Surrey and Campbell heights, that's one story and not to be confused with Burnaby. Burnaby never has been on the top 10 parade for the B.C. Lieberals, but Surrey, well I'm sure that was a cozy little arrangement.