YARROW FIGHTING BACK

The proliferation of grow ops in Yarrow-from two last year to 10
currently-has motivated residents against what's seen to be a growing
trend in the rural community.

Chilliwack RCMP released the numbers at a forum held Tuesday evening
at the Yarrow Community Hall. The forum, attended by city officials,
the RCMP and representatives of non-profit agencies who work with
drug users, gave information primarily on the City of Chilliwack's
newest weapon against the drug trade, the Nuisance, Noxious,
Offensive Trades Health and Safety bylaw and the levying of heavy fines.

The 60 residents in attendance wanted to know how to do their part in
keeping the community safe.

Arlene Onderwater, a forum co-ordinator, said the next step is
forming a Block/Grow Watch program in Yarrow. Volunteers are being
sought and the first round of training will take place Oct. 17.

"We need more eyes and ears on deck to assist police in what they
do," Onderwater said.

There is little concern that programs where neighbours watch each
other will breed suspicion.

"I think the difficulty is being spies on each other. That has a
whole negative association with it," she said. "If nobody is doing
anything suspicious there is no reason to be concerned. It's when
things are sort of out of the norm when you have an increased inflow
of traffic coming at all hours of the day and night."

City officials trumpeted the effectiveness of their bylaw noting
other communities had used it as a model in the creation of their own
anti-grow-op bylaws.

In 2005 the city collected $224,370 in fees and fines related to
grow-op activity.

Onderwater hopes that with a local Grow/Block Watch program potential
grow ops will be deterred from setting up in Yarrow.

"The question is does Yarrow want to be a grow-op welcoming
community. Are we grow-op friendly or are we anti-grow-op?"

* Block/Grow-Op Watch training sessions will be held Oct. 17 from 7
to 9:30 p.m. For more information contact Arlene Onderwater at 604-823-7140.