The man behind a proposed spiritual retreat in Britannia Beach has no qualms discussing the centre's affiliations with the Catholic prelature Opus Dei. Although any talk of religion was strictly prohibited from a January Squamish Lillooet Regional District (SLRD) public hearing on the proposal, Fadi Sarraf said he's hoping to resolve outstanding fears by tackling the issue head-on."We have nothing to hide," he said. "If we can really show [the community] there is no hidden agenda - and there is no hidden agenda - I'm confident we could get support."Sarraf is president of the Institute for Research Communication and Development, a registered charity that provides spiritual retreats primarily for Opus Dei.Sarraf, an Opus Dei member, has submitted a proposal to the SLRD requesting a 33-acre parcel of land overlooking the Howe Sound be rezoned from "Resource" to "Institutional Retreat Centre" to accommodate a retreat.This winter, several communitymembers in Britannia Beach voiced their opposition to the project, even launching a petition against the rezoning.On Feb. 18, SLRD staff recommended the rezoning application be denied based on public opposition, but board members rejected the advice, suggesting religious fears had crept into the community input process."There was quite a movement that was based on the fact that the proponent had Opus Dei connections," said Area D director John Turner during a February interview. "And at the public hearing I made it perfectly clear that any religious comments that came out over what was really a land zoning decision would be considered out of order. Coming out of that, then we were unsure - they didn't want to say it was Opus Dei, so they said there was too much traffic in the plan?"Sarraf is now tying to make the most of this extended window for comment. With the help of planning consultant Michael Rosen, Sarraf said he would like to mobilize discussion through information sessions, informative mail-outs, emails and a phone line connecting the public to people involved in the project.Sarraf and Rosen recently approached The Chief to clear up misconceptions about Opus Dei and the centre, which would not be exclusively for Opus Dei, Sarraf said. Other religious groups can use the facility as well, and it could be a site for non-denominational seminars on issues such as family development, so long as those seminar fit in with centre's mission to "promote the pursuit of personal excellence among persons of all backgrounds and social conditions."The proponents themselves intend to use the centre to promote these values through their own classes and seminars.Those signing up to such retreats would stay at the centre an average of about three to five days in length, said Sarraf, noting they would have little impact on the surrounding community. When participants are not in the seminar's classes, he said they would likely be reading, meditating or enjoying the property's trail network, part of which would also be open for the public to enjoy.He also responded to suspicions expressed by Britannia Beach resident Ralph Fulber that Opus Dei is a highly political and secretive group."I think that with the Da Vinci Code, a lot of misconceptions were spread," Sarraf said, referring to the blockbuster movie and best selling novel, which gave a dark and mysterious portrayal of the group. He emphasized Opus Dei is not a secret society, nor does it have a political agenda."There are about 600 members of Opus Dei in Canada," he said. "It's far from having any political structure."He said the central purpose of Opus Dei is to incorporate God into everyday life, rather than leaving it out of day-to-day activities. He provided an example of that philosophy in action in the workplace."If someone interrupts you at work, it might be easy to be curt [but] smiling at that person doesn't really affect productivity," Sarraf said. "It's so easy to lose sight of those little touches and little details.""So now I know why you were smiling at the public hearing," laughed Rosen. "OK, now it makes sense."But not all those opposed to the retreat are concerned with its religious ties. Local resident and Britannia Beach Community Association member Bernie Caufield said the proponents have failed to answer questions about taxation, traffic and water use.By choosing to extend the input period, rather than acting on already expressed opposition, Caufield said the community was being "railroaded.""[Turner] knows the community's feeling, and then for him to go on top of thatwell that's not a very smart thing for a politician to do," he said.Turner was not available for comment, and it's unclear whether the community is willing to consider more information during the extended comment period.Sarraf said those opposed to the project have been unresponsive to his requests to meet. Fulber acknowledged he's ignored Sarraf's requests. "It's too late," said Fulber, "I've done a lot of research on Opus Dei."The creation of an information line, website or informative mail out would likely happen in the near future, Sarraf said.
