Tuesday December 2, 2014 (Vol. 39 No. 96))
V O I C E
O F
W H I T E
R O C K
A N D
S O U T H
Back-to-back banners: s: A year after claiming victory at volleyball provincials, Earl Marriott’s senior boys have done it again, capturing a second ond straight championship banner. r. i see page e 11
S U R R E Y
w w w. p e a c e a r c h n e w s . c o m
Terrorist propaganda blamed amid reports of White Rock pilot’s kidnapping by ISIS
‘Ignore the reports I’ve been captured’ Tracy Holmes
afternoon, purportedly by Rosenberg, unequivocally refutes the claims. “Guys, I’m totally safe and secure. I don’t have Internet access or any communication devices with me for my safety and security,� notes the status update. “I can’t reply regularly and only happened to have a chance to log in and see these (inaccurate) news stories. Ignore the reports I’ve been captured.
Staff Reporter
Gillian Rosenberg
A former White Rock resident described as the first foreign woman to join in the fight against ISIS was reportedly captured over the weekend. But proof that Gillian Rosenberg, 31, is in the custody of the Middle East extremists is yet to emerge. And a Facebook post early Monday
Yalla, Acharai!� Various media had been reporting that Rosenberg was captured by members of ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) in Syria. However, links and comments on Rosenberg’s Facebook page were also quick to dispute the claims. “As I said before Gill Rosenberg is safe and all the allegations about her kidnap are unfounded,� writes Oliver Brimo
early Dec. 1. “A short time ago the head of #YPG forces in #Kobani refuted categorically these allegations.� Late Monday morning, Chris Levy writes, “She is safe!!!!! Friends and family of Gill Rosenberg you can breath a sigh of relief that she is alive and well.� ISIS has been designated a terrorist organization by the United Nations. i see page 2
Surgery delays
Fraser tries to sidestep fines over wait times Jeff Nagel Black Press
Fraser Health is under fire for ordering its surgeons to reassess patients in an attempt to avoid steep fines for failing to complete surgeries within one year. Leaked documents released by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) show Fraser is already facing fines of more than $2.5 million for 650 scheduled surgeries that were waiting more than a year as of Oct. 9, while another 4,124 surgeries have Surgery waits of waited six to more than a year *as of Oct. 9 12 months. A Nov. 4 Surrey Memorial 226 Burnaby 143 memo to surPeace Arch 128 geons directs Pattison Outpatient 70 them to reasAbbotsford Region 32 sess patients Royal Columbian 20 who have Delta 11 waited more Eagle Ridge 8 Chilliwack General 6 than 40 weeks. “It is imperaRidge Meadows 4 Langley Memorial 1 tive for the interest of all, including our patients, that we use every available strategy to avoid penalties,� Dr. Peter Blair, Fraser’s medical director for surgery, states in the memo, which is also signed by the executive director for surgery. i see page 4
HEARING AIDS
City of Surrey Mapping Online System (COSMOS) images
On the left, a satellite image of the Campbell Heights area of South Surrey in 2003. On the right, a satellite image of the same region in 2014.
New developments retaining far less tree cover, city told
Surrey’s losing its tree canopy: report Kevin Diakiw Black Press
Surrey has lost almost one-fifth of its tree canopy in just over a decade, according to a recent study commissioned by the city. The report shows stark differences between the amount of tree cover in existing developments to that provided in new construction. The city hired North Surrey’s Urban Systems this year to provide an analysis of the city’s existing tree canopy. A tree canopy (the above-ground portion of a
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tree) is a measure of plant cover and is a major indicator of environmental health. A canopy of 40 per cent is considered one aspect of being an environmentally friendly city. Surrey is short of that and heading in the wrong direction. In 2001, 33 per cent of Surrey was covered by tree canopy, the report shows. By 2009, that dropped to 30 per cent, and four years later the figure had sunk to 27.17 per cent. The numbers represent a decline in tree canopy of 17.66 per cent over those 13 years. Surrey is aiming to be at 40 per cent by 2058,
but it will require some significant changes to turn things around. New developments are a large contributor to canopy loss, according to figures in the report. The average existing single-family residential development (city-wide) in 2009 had 23.5-percent tree canopy. Now, the average new home construction has a 2.6-per-cent tree canopy. The figure is even more stark in South Surrey, where it dropped from 47.8 per cent in 2009 to 7.7 per cent in new-construction areas. i see page 4
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