FRUSTRATED FELGER FEELS CITY IS 'PICKING' ON HIM

The federal Marijuana Party candidate for Abbotsford is feeling
"singled out" by Abbotsford City Hall.

Tim Felger applied for a business licence for his Da Kine
bookstore/political office in downtown Abbotsford on June 26 and says
since then, he has had 24 bylaw and building inspections, five visits
from the fire department and 44 visits from the Abbotsford police.

"I think they're being a little bit heavy-handed with me," Felger
said, pointing out a local sweet shop applied for a business licence
after him and opened for business before him.

Abbotsford city staff have said in the past Felger has not complied
with certain requirements, but Felger feels that some of those
requirements are "ludicrous."

For example, he says he is supposed to ensure his emergency lights
come on when regular lights are turned off - not just when the power
goes out.

"This is the last issue. They're saying I need to pull an electrical
permit and do this, but if it wasn't necessary before, why is it now?
I should be grandfathered," Felger said, and added sometimes he might
want a dark room to show political videos - which is impossible if
there are always lights on.

"If they don't give me my licence, I'll take them to court and ask the
judge to declare [the lights] grandfathered."

Felger was in court last Wednesday with City of Abbotsford
representatives in relation to a different issue - the signs on the
top of his building, which he says he removed in November.

"[The city] was basically given an injunction for me to take down
signs that are no longer there," Felger said.

He is hoping his lawyer will help ensure he eventually gets a licence
for the building, which may become the Marijuana Party of Canada
headquarters.

"We're going to have to squeeze them like a pimple to get a business
licence," he said.