Wednesday May 6, 2015 (Vol. 40 No. 36)
V O I C E
O F
W H I T E
R O C K
A N D
S O U T H
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
Colour code: Paige Glazier put a positive spin on negative energy when she created Team Orange to inspire elementary age children to interact with respect, loyalty and inclusion – and her efforts are attracting national and international attention. i see page 11
Fundraising gala adds $1 million to Peace Arch Hospital foundation coffers
$20m hospital expansion celebrated Tracy Holmes Staff Reporter
The much-anticipated expansion of Peace Arch Hospital’s emergency department is finally – officially – moving ahead. The $20-million project was celebrated Friday in an announcement at Peace Arch Hospital that also included news of a planned residential-care and hospice facility. “It certainly is a good morning,� said Ellen Kennett, a longtime member of the hospital’s auxiliary society. “(It) will benefit so many in the coming years.� It was the ladies auxiliary that, in 1947, kick-started the effort that resulted in the hospital being built. Surrey-White Rock MLA Gordon Hogg (whose father, Dr. Al Hogg, was the community’s first doctor) said he was at the auxiliary’s firstever meeting, as an infant, with his mother, Kay. He doesn’t recall the occasion, he told the crowd of dignitaries and guests who turned out for Friday’s announcement – but he grew up well-aware of the facility’s significance. i see page 2
Gemini Visuals photo
From left: Surrey-Cloverdale MLA Stephanie Cadieux, Health Services executive director Rhonda Veldhoen, Fraser Health board member Deanie Kolybabi, Surrey-White Rock MLA Gordon Hogg, auxiliary member Ellen Kennett and foundation chair Art Reitmayer unveil plans for an expanded ER.
Second councillor secures independent legal counsel, as allegations abound in White Rock
Fathers disputes mayor’s claim of privilege breach Melissa Smalley Staff Reporter
A second White Rock city councillor is disputing a statement made by the mayor last week in regards to allegedly defamatory online comments that led to the censure of Coun. David Chesney. After Mayor Wayne Baldwin told Peace Arch News that information published on Chesney’s website was “a matter of privilege� – an allegation Chesney denied – Coun. Helen Fathers said she was “upset by the changing stance� of the mayor. Fathers told PAN that Baldwin made no prior mention to council about privileged information being published, which would have led to harsher consequences for Chesney. “If that would have happened, we would have actually been in an in-
camera meeting, which we weren’t,� Fathers said Monday. “This council would for sure be following process if Coun. Chesney had released privileged information. There’s a process attached to that. It doesn’t make a lot of sense to me.� Baldwin did not return PAN’s
calls by press deadline. Fathers confirmed that – like Chesney – she’s secured legal counsel, following events that unfolded after she was the lone council member to vote against the deputy-mayor rotation list on April 13. “All I can tell you is that circum-
stances arose after the item on the open-council agenda, and it led me to seek legal advice,� she said. It was after the April 13 vote that speculation began as to why Chesney was not included on the deputy-mayor rotation. Baldwin later revealed publicly, on April 27,
Maternity criticisms draw fire David Chesney councillor
A White Rock councillor who said in an online interview early last month that tight clothing on pregnant women looks like “sausage casing� and that expectant mothers want to delay maternity leave “until their water breaks� has apologized following a firestorm of criticism last week. But while the Friday morning post to
David Chesney’s White Rock Sun website was initially to “any women that may have been offended by comments that were taken out of context,� it was later revised to address “anyone that may have read the statements I made that were taken out of context to whip up some (attention-grabbing) headlines.� i see page 5
4th Annual
50 + EXPO! Explore. Learn. Connect. 6DWXUGD\ 0D\ Date: DP SP Time: Location: 6WDU RI WKH 6HD +DOO 3DFLĂ€F $YH :KLWH 5RFN Expires May 31, 2015
that council had voted to censure Chesney, and as a result he had been removed from “external representations,� committees and the deputy-mayor rotation until 2016. Last week, Chesney posted a lengthy entry on his website – www.whiterocksun.com – detailing what he described as his version of the events leading up to Baldwin’s censure announcement. Chesney said that shortly after the November election, he met with Baldwin privately, who “urged me to divorce myself from the White Rock Sun.� When Chesney refused, he said, the mayor told him to “be careful and that he would be watching me.� In the website post, Chesney linked to a Feb. 9 column – with i see page 5
Admission is Free. Over $7,000 in prizes to be won! 'URS E\ IRU D free coffee & cookie FRPSOLPHQWV RI 0F'RQDOG¡VŠ 5HVWDXUDQWV IURP 9:30am to 11:30am RXWVLGH 6WDU RI WKH 6HD +DOO
Russ
Hiebert Member of Parliament Working Hard for You!
Booth Topics Include: ‡ +RPH &DUH 6HUYLFHV ‡ 5HWLUHPHQW /LYLQJ ‡ 7UDYHO ‡ )LQDQFLDO $VVLVWDQFH ‡ +HDOWK :HOOQHVV ‡ *RYHUQPHQW 6HUYLFHV ‡ 5HFUHDWLRQDO *URXSV ‡ 3ODQQLQJ IRU WKH )XWXUH Phone: Email: 2IÀFH
& E! MOR
LQIR#5XVV+LHEHUW FD $ QG 6WUHHW