Langley Times, January 21, 2003
by Natasha Jones

As recently as last October, the SPCA expressed willingness to extend its animal control contract with Langley Township and Langley City beyond the contact’s June 30, 2003 expiry date.

The information was contained in an Oct. 10 letter from Doug Brimacombe, the SPCA’s provincial CEO, to the Township’s chief inspector of licences and permits.

The letter, contained in Monday’s council meeting package, made reference to the animal agency’s wish “to promote stronger, long-term relationships with communities.”

With this in mind, Brimacombe wrote, “our society recently adopted a framework for establishing new relationships with municipalities.”

Last week, the SPCA announced it would close the Langley shelter, located at 26603 13 Ave., on March 31, saying the 10-year-old facility does not meet its standards for animal care.
Brimacombe’s letter noted that “the current facility in southeast Langley is grossly inadequate.”

He added, “Our medium term goal is to acquire an appropriate site and build a state-of-the-art facility which will be seen as an outstanding community asset.”

Brimacombe, the Township’s former parks and recreation director, said that the SPCA anticipates building a full-service centre on the south side of the Fraser River where it will serve several municipalities.

The SPCA’s contractual obligation to the Township, and the repercussions if it is broken, will be analyzed in a report, administrator Mark Bakken told council on Monday.

He said that the SPCA has been asked to send a representative to speak to council.

Both the Township and the City’s five-year contract with the SPCA expires on June 30. The issue has not yet been discussed by City council, said finance director Darrin Leite.

The city has paid about $47,500 a year, while the Township’s annual share hovers between $132,000 and $144,000, depending on the cost of living.
Kim Capri, the SPCA’s chief operations officer, told The Times on Tuesday that the SPCA does not want to break the contract.

She said she hoped that the period from March 31 to June 30 would be a transitionary one, giving Langley an idea of how the Abbotsford shelter operates.

Ideally, she said, the SPCA wants one “fairly large” regional facility south of the Fraser River, with satellite adoption centres in each municipality.