UPDATED – Dave Holmberg, who was given the ‘Community Builder Award‘ in 2012 by Abbotsford Community Services (ACS), appears to be taking a public stance as a representative of the Mennonite Educational Institute (MEI) against the ACS/BC Housing Supportive Housing Proposal.
In a comment on a fiery letter by downtown landowner Bob Bos, published in the Abbotsford News February 3, 2014, Holmberg agrees with Bos that the housing project is being proposed for the wrong location.
The letter has drawn criticism for it’s tone and many of the statements Bos makes about the poor and the homeless [ Bob Bos Is Just Plain Wrong, Open Letter To Robert Bos ].
If Holmberg is speaking on behalf of MEI it would mark a significant step by the school, which has not spoken nor taken a position on either the Abbotsford Homeless Crisis or the ACS Housing Proposal.
In fact the school seldom involves itself in politics and Holmberg’s use of the school’s name to identify himself has puzzled some.
It isn’t the first time Holmberg has commented publicly on controversial political issues using the Mennonite Educational Institute name with his comment. On December 12, 2012 he commented on the resignation of former City Manager Frank Pizzutto saying, “Frank will be missed. A good leader a good man” signed Dave Holmberg, Mennonite Educational Institute (see below).
Abbotsford Today has asked both the school and Holmberg about the post. We will publish their responses as and when received.
2/12/2014, 11:30 – From Dave Holmberg: “I am not a member of MEI, and never have been”
Come on Mike: You, of all people know how things like the Facebook medium works.
I barely know Dave Holmberg, but you’re just being silly when you suggest that he claims to represent MEI on his Facebook posts. When you sign into Facebook they want you to give all your schools, and then the system decides what to slap above your name. I’ve taken a lot of courses at UFV, but I don’t have a BA, yet my comments on blogs loudly proclaims, ‘University of the Fraser Valley, which looks ostentatious to me. So knowing a lot about social media, why are you making an issue about a non-issue? And I would suggest that a guy like Holmberg has more than proven that he does care about others. Not only has he provided decent jobs for a lot of men in this town, his good deeds are evident in Abbotsford.
Hi Gerda,
Perhaps you’re right. But certainly, for such a well known member of the community to allow Mennonite Educational Institute’s name to continue to be attached to his comments on controversial issues, would it not be appropriate for Mr. Holmberg to find a more appropriate manner of commenting.
Mike
Laura Klassen Say: “My children attend MEI and I have never heard of any affiliation with Mr. Holmberg. Nor has the School come out on a position on this issue. So I don’t think it is fair that Mr. Holmberg link himself to MEI saying that the School supports it when we don’t really know where they stand.”
From Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Today-Media/447088788677534?ref=hl
Laura: Holmberg does not make any claim about MEI in his post. This is a spurious, contrived charge, and Mike, go hang your head in shame. You are far too bright to misuse your writing skills this way. Nor should MEI be asked to take a public ‘position’ on the ACS proposal for a low-barrier home within the C7 zone. Parents, who pay tuition hail from an array of political and philosophical leanings. An appalling example of misuse of educational facilities for indoctrination is the growing ‘Israel Apartheid Week’ at universities in Canada. The Middle East is torn by strife and killings, but these places of ‘higher learning’ see fit to officially criticize the only democracy to be found among those countries. Use schools to teach foundational knowledge, and give kids all sides on all kinds of issues, so that hopefully they can also learn to discern truth for themselves. Then as clear thinkers, they can become informed, engaged citizens.
When I first saw Holmberg’s comment on this most contentious city issue, I was actually surprised to see MEI attached to his user name.
My first thought was,he must be somehow associated with MEI but I have never seen their name attached to any political comments made in the city.
After doing abit of investigating, I came to realize Dave Holmberg had attended MEI and it appears he is promoting the school and perhaps
his associations to the school and perhaps Mennonite church community.
I would say it is fair of the editor to ask this question, since Dave Holmberg is very connected politically to City Hall and issues within the
community.
One does not have to look far to know his associations with the
powers that be within the city, his outspoken tone on important
community issues, his seat on the Abbotsford Airport Authority,
city’s economic development commission, who make decisions on
important issues facing the taxpayer.
Dave Holmberg has made donations to the community for several projects linked to various people within the community, who are involved in dictating the direction of growth in the city and has used his
influence many times to push for key projects such as Plan A and P3 Water.
The bottom line, Holmberg has used his credibility and charity efforts
as a vehicle to tout his opinion on various contentious issues and I would say it is fair to ask his associations with MEI, a religious private school within the community.
I would say his attaching his name to MEI further reinforces his connections to the Mennonite community members, who are trying to dictate the direction of growth in this city.
I believe the editor is questioning Holmberg’s reason or perhaps motive for attaching MEI’s name to his name on the contentious low barrier housing issue.