Few tricks

Halloween night was largely uneventful for the Abbotsford Police and fire department.

While there were a higher number of calls, police officers did not attend any incidents that would be considered out of the ordinary, said Const. Ian MacDonald. Abbotsford Fire Rescue Service confirmed there were no structure fires or

serious injures linked to

fireworks. Fire inspectors teamed up with bylaw and

police officers to enforce the city’s fireworks ban.

About 17 tickets were

issued for the illegal possession and discharge of fireworks on Halloween night.

Fire damage

An Abbotsford home suffered around $100,000 in damage after a water heater set

materials in the basement on fire Sunday morning.

Fire crews arrived to find to find flames spreading through the lower level of a house at 3576 Crestview Avenue at 11:40 a.m.

Firefighters were able to

extinguish the fire, but the house suffered structural and smoke damage. The occupants of the home did not have

insurance.

More homes

The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) is expecting to see an increase in residential construction in 2010.

According to the agency’s Market Outlook Report released Monday, CMHC expects the

construction of between 20,200 and 26,800 new homes across B.C. next year. CMHC is

pointing to an increase in home sales in mid-2009 and predicts that trend to continue in 2010, particularly if mortgage rates remain low. In the Abbotsford Census Metropolitan Area, which includes Mission, there were 1,285 new housing starts in 2008 compared to an

anticipated 350 in 2009. CMHC expects that number to grow to 500 in 2010.