Chilliwack council to consider proposed pain clinic by local physician at Lickman/Progress

CHILLIWACK – Chilliwack councillors are set to review a medical pain and rehabilitation clinic proposed for an industrial area near Lickman Road north of Highway 1 at their meeting today.

According to item 7.5 on today’s Chilliwack City Council agenda (Tuesday, July 21), PainScape Pain and Rehabilitation Clinic has applied to amend the text of the CD-10 (Comprehensive Development) zone to include a medical clinic as a permitted use at 205-43995 Progress Way in Chilliwack.

City staff are recommending that council give first and second reading to the proposed zoning amendment bylaw and call a public hearing for Tuesday, August 4.

City planner Sean Rofosse noted in his report to council that the addition of a medical clinic at 205-43995 Progress Way is consistent with the overall intent of the CD-10 (Comprehensive Development) zone and reflects the type of commercial uses currently supported in the zone. If approved by council, the zoning bylaw amendment will support the expansion of the existing pain clinic.

Dr. Petrus J. Retief is the founder of PainScape Pain and Rehabilitation Clinic and a GP anesthesiologist who has full licensure to practice in B.C. under the College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia. He graduated as a GP anesthetist in South Africa in 1993.

After working as full-time GP anesthetist, pain practitioner and family physician for 12 years in Pretoria, South Africa, he immigrated to Canada in 2005. Since immigrating 21 years ago, he has worked as a full-time anesthetist and pain physician at Chilliwack General Hospital, accumulating over 30 years of anesthesia and pain management experience.

According to his company website, over the last six years, Dr. Retief has spearheaded a regional initiative to upgrade, integrate and streamline the chronic and transitional pain services in the eastern Fraser Valley.

​”Due to significant budget constraints implemented by Fraser Health Authority at Chilliwack Hospital, Dr Retief made the strategic decision to follow his dream and passion by developing PainScape – a non-Health Authority Interventional Pain Medicine Service which provides a high level, personal care to patients suffering with chronic pain, and effective collaboration with their referring and treating healthcare providers,” the PainScape website stated.

PainScape’s current address is listed as suite 203 at 7408 Vedder Road in Sardis.