BC Hydro Assumes Legal responsibility For Abbotsford’s Homeless
By James Breckenridge. 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 preempt 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 preempt 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: [https://www.bchydro.com/about/who_we_are/board_of_directors.html]
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
B.C. Hydro’s is responsible for safety of the public on BC Hydro lands .
Having said that, if safety is a concern, which it should be, why did
they wait until about one month ago to put up no trespassing signs?
It should have been done right after the first move in January 2014, if they areinterested in protecting their risks of liability and public safety on BC Hydro Land.
BC Hydro is not responsible for where the homeless go but where was BC’S Ministry of Community and Social Development, Ministry of Human Resources in this entire move?
are specifically involved in dealing witht he needs of the homeless