URGENT:   Please Attend TRAHVOL’s APPEAL…..
 
March 26^th (Monday) and March 27^th  (Tuesday)
(starting at 10:00 am at the Provincial Court House)
 
Everyone who is potentially impacted by this should attend at least part of these hearings!
 
As you are probably aware, on March 13^th, a panel of 3 judges ruled in favour of our appeal variance and consequently we now will be arguing on the issue of the “Precautionary Principal” as well as the previously accepted one concerning  the legality of the existing Right of Way. We all agree that having this additional ground greatly increases our chances of success
 
If you would like to read the impressive document of arguments that our lawyers have submitted for the appeal, you can find it on our TRAHVOL site.
 
 Our lawyers stated that our presence at the Variance argument HAD a positive impact on the Judges who stated that they could tell this was an important case to us and wanted to give it a fair hearing.
We need to pack the court room.   
 
Update
March 5, 2007
 
PLEASE READ as there is important information below!  WE NEED YOUR HELP!
 
Leave to Appeal- a WIN for us!
As you are probably aware, on January 25^th, our lawyers Joseph Arvay and Mark Underhill argued in the Provincial Court of Appeal, to have Justice Levine’s decision on our appeal be expanded to include arguments concerning the “Precautionary Principal”.  On March 13^th, the panel of 3 judges ruled in our favour and consequently we now will be arguing the appeal on this issue as well as the previously accepted one concerning  the legality of the existing Right of Way.
 
This is good news!  Our lawyers have been very busy researching and drawing up a very impressive 55 page document of arguments for the appeal.  Click here to view the document.   The very recent development of the Attorney General’s office wanting to intervene is proof that our appeal is threatening!  Watch the papers for more information on this as it unfolds.
   
Our lawyers stated that our presence at the Variance argument HAD a positive impact on the Judges, who stated that they could tell this was an important case to us and wanted to give it a fair hearing.
We need to pack the court room. 

I  Love TSAWWASSEN” Valentine Gala
 
STOP’s Valentine Gala was a great success!  We would like to thank the over 125 people who came out to support us and in turn had a wonderful night of delicious gourmet food, great music by the Jared Burrows trio and lots of laughter compliments of Tsawwassen’s own Billy Mitchell.  Both the silent and live auctions were also a success raising over $15,000 between them and thanks to the many very generous donations of not just our own fellow residents but also many local businesses.   Our local papers carried ads last week thanking all of those generous people as well as our 3 sponsors: The Century Group, The RiverHouse, and Liquor Quicker.  STOP has given us $18,000 of their proceeds  towards our legal fight.
 
We would also like to thank the many people who helped out with planning, organizing, canvassing for auction items, decorating, working the night and cleaning up.  It was a great community effort for a good cause.
Financial Status:
As we outlined in our last newsletter, we need ~$58,000. to fight the appeal on the 2 grounds that we have been awarded.   Of this, we have collected $18000. from the gala and an additional ~$10000 from donations from people along the Right of Way and our neighbors across the street.  Unfortunately this is only half of what we need.
 
We are very appreciative of all of the people who have come through and supported us, BUT there are still many, many people who we have not heard from yet.  To those people we would like to say that you simply cannot sit back and let your neighbors bear all the costs.  Some people have already contributed in the thousands of dollars. 
 
So, if you have not yet donated to this cause or were unable to do so in early January, please consider doing so now.  We have asked for $300 or whatever amount you can afford to help us fight the construction of these overhead lines.  We all stand to lose tens of thousands of dollars in property value alone if this project goes through, and so $300 is a very small investment into your own welfare.  Please make your cheques payable to TRAHVOL and drop them off at B. Kudzin (267 Murphy Dr.) , J. Berks (504 Shannon Way) or C. Dunn (1558-53a St) or attach it in an envelope to your food order for pick up on the weekend of March 24^th and 25^th.  We cannot emphasize enough that this may be our last legal opportunity to stop the lines. 

Fundraising Initiatives:
In an effort to offset the money that we need to raise, we have planned the following 2 fundraising activities.  Please support us and consider volunteering if you can help with the work load as well. 

1. Frozen Chicken/meat/fish and Frozen Desserts Sale!  (It works for the sports teams so why not for usJ)  Everyone needs to eat so why not buy your next few months frozen foods from us.  The quality is exceptional (just ask anyone who has bought it before) plus we make a decent percentage.   Please look over the attached order forms and fill them out.

• To make this successful, we need EVERYONE’S help as outlined below:

• Ask your family, friends, and colleagues if they would buy too.  Take their orders, cheques

• Either drop the order forms and cheques off at B. Kudzin (267 Murphy Dr.) , J. Berks (504 Shannon Way) or C. Dunn (1558-53a St)  by March 26^th (Appeal day!) OR put them in the attached envelop and leave them in your mailboxes on the weekend of March 24^th and 25^th. (If you forget to leave it out, we’ll knock on your door

• Food pick up will be at 1558-53a on Thursday, April 12^th, between 5:00 and 8:00 pm.

2. We are presently planning this for early in April, (tentatively set for April 14^th) before Spring clean up.  It will be held at a central location.  We are asking everyone to clean out their garages and home of any treasures fit to be sold again.  Let’s make this the biggest garage sale  Tsawwassen has ever seen!   If you can help out with the planning and organizing of this, please call Bernadette (604-948-2720) or e-mail her at bkudzin@dccnet.com

We hope this brings you up to date on our situation and our efforts.  As always, please phone or email if you have questions or ideas to either Julie Berks (943-7046, hberks@dccnet.com )or Bernadette Kudzin (948-2720, bkudzin@dccnet.com).