Friday
May 29, 2015 (Vol. 40 No. 43)
V O I C E
O F
W H I T E
R O C K
A N D
S O U T H
Home base: Special Olympian Stacey Kohler is looking forward to living in a South Surrey rental apartment project planned by Semiahmoo House Society. i see page 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
‘Engineering project’ not a ‘beautification project,’ petitioners told
Residents demand plans for hillside Melissa Smalley Staff Reporter
Emotions ran high at White Rock City Hall Monday, when a resident addressed council and staff about the “devastating” tree removal on the Marine Drive hillside. Speaking on behalf of a delegation called ‘Friends of the Hump on Marine Drive,’ Monica Contois peppered civic officials with questions about the work – described by the
city as “vegetation removal” – which began earlier this month. “What is your plan for the next phase of this project, and do you plan on informing the citizens of White Rock in a timely manner?” Contois read from a prepared statement. “What is your plan for the eagle tree and will it remain standing? How do you plan on stabilizing the area that has been clearcut?” Contois, a 35-year White Rock resident,
told council she has collected more than 300 signatures from residents and visitors who don’t approve of the clearing work. She spent much of the day May 14 speaking with passersby to garner support, and said she has only encountered three people who were happy with the removal of foliage. “Not surprisingly, those people owned and/or resided in the condos directly across the street, thus enhancing their ocean view,”
she said. Greg St. Louis, the city’s director of engineering and municipal services, disputed that the hillside had been “clearcut,” and said the removal of trees and shrubs was necessary to allow for repairs of the retaining wall at the top of the bluff. “This is not a beautification project, it’s an engineering project,” St. Louis said. i see page 4
Feedback heard
Dog-park plan gets rethink Alex Browne Staff Reporter
Surrey’s parks department appears to have had second thoughts about the potential location of new fencing in South Surrey’s Dogwood Park, a favourite off-leash park for the dog-owning community. Ted Urich, manager of parks planning, research and design told Peace Arch News this week that revised plans will actually increase – rather than reduce – the off-leash area of the park. Signs posted in the park earlier this month had seemed to suggest that fencing improvements in the park to be completed by “summer 2015” would whittle down the area for exercising dogs off-leash – prompting a chorus of disapproval from dog owners. At the time, parks manager Owen Croy insisted the city was merely seeking feedback on the idea. “We got a lot of feedback on the proposed location of the fence,” Urich confirmed Tuesday. “We heard loud and clear. We’re redrafting plans to take into account the feedback, and the reworked plans will be posted at the park and on the city’s website.” i see page 4
Melissa Smalley photo
Participants in Elgin Park’s Cycle4:ER take turns on stationary bikes during the 10-hour cycle-a-thon Wednesday, which raised more than $46,000.
Elgin Park student project now in fourth year
School effort spins $46,000 for ER Melissa Smalley Staff Reporter
Hundreds of students, teachers, doctors and other community members came together for an “electrifying” day at Elgin Park Secondary Wednesday, raising money for Peace Arch Hospital’s emergency department. The fourth-annual Cycle4:ER – a 10-hour cycle-a-thon that saw 48 teams ride on dozens of stationary bikes in the school’s gym – brought in more than $46,000. Funds raised from the event will go towards
the expansion of PAH’s ER, a $15-million project that will nearly triple the size of the facility. “What you guys are doing today, is saving many lives,” Dr. Amir Behboudi, head of PAH’s ER department, told the excited crowd. “You should be very proud of yourselves.” The fundraiser, organized by a group of Grade 12 students, reached far beyond the walls of Elgin Park, and included teams of medical staff, business owners and elementary students. The event included food, entertainment, prizes, giveaways and presentations.
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Though the funds raised were short of this year’s goal of $68,000 – based on the statistic that last year 68 per cent of the community visited PAH’s ER – the faculty and students had plenty to be proud of. “Seeing these kids and their amazing leadership abilities, and the outpouring of community support, we were all very proud to be a part of this community event,” PE teacher and co-organizer Sue Janzen told Peace Arch News. To date, Cycle4: events have raised close to $200,000 for local projects and charities.
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