Friday
June 19, 2015 (Vol. 40 No. 49)
V O I C E
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W H I T E
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S U R R E Y
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Recipe for success: South Surrey’s Sara Wang transformed her passion for the art of cooking to represent Canada on the world stage last month, and came home a winner. i see page 11
RCMP deployment delay prompts more questions
‘Positive step’ yet to set foot in Surrey Alex Browne & Kevin Diakiw Staff Reporter / Black Press
Steven Blaney federal minister
The boots of 20 new RCMP officers bound for Surrey may be “on the ground,” as Public Safety Minister Steven Blaney assured Surrey-White RockCloverdale MP Russ Hiebert in the House of Commons last week. It’s just not Surrey ground. A check with Surrey Mayor Linda Hepner this week – who, in turn, checked with Surrey RCMP Officer-in-
Charge Bill Fordy – confirmed the current complement of officers in the city is 703; exactly where the figure stood on April 1 before Blaney’s announcement. Now Jasbir Sandhu, NDP MP for Surrey North – among party MPs who have been hammering the government for weeks for a date of deployment for the 100 new officers promised for the city – is accusing the Conservatives of playing pre-election politics with Surrey. “I think the Conservatives are playing
games with the safety of people in Surrey,” Sandhu said. “That’s shameless.” During question period on June 11, Hiebert asked Blaney to confirm that the first 20 of the new 100 had already been posted to Surrey. “The people of my community want to be able to enjoy life without fear of gang-related violence in their neighbourhoods, and they know that only our Conservative Government can deliver on a solid tough-on-crime agenda,”
Hiebert said. “Can the Minister of Public Safety update this House, as to the situation on the ground in Surrey?” “I am pleased to announce that the deployment of the first 20 members committed to Surrey is underway and that boots are already on the ground,” Blaney replied. In a news release following the exchange, Hiebert said “I’m pleased to be part of a government that lisi see page 4
Nick Greenizan photo
White Rock’s Memorial Park could see a million-dollar upgrade after council voted to apply for a federal grant that would see the unsuccessful 2008 Spirit Square proposal revived.
White Rock bureaucrats scramble to shift focus of federal-grant request to waterfront
Civic leaders resurrect plans for Spirit Square Melissa Smalley Staff Reporter
The City of White Rock is resurrecting previously abandoned plans for a million-dollar Spirit Square at Memorial Park on the waterfront, in light of a grant opportunity from the federal government. City staff presented a report at Monday’s council meeting, outlining options for projects the city could use to apply for a Canada 150 Community Infrastructure grant –
a program celebrating the country’s 150th anniversary that offers federal grants of up to $500,000 for “projects that celebrate our shared heritage, create jobs and improve quality of life for Canadians.” Based on criteria for applications – due to be submitted within two days – staff recommended council endorse three proposals, in order of priority: a civic-plaza upgrade near city hall, a Centre Street walkway and parks-trail signage replacement.
Members of council, however, had other plans. Coun. Grant Meyer said he had “a bit of a problem” including the Centre Street walkway project – which is already a part of the city’s financial plan at a cost of $800,000 – noting that preliminary discussions have already taken place for a “funicular” (hillside people-mover) that would negate the need for the walkway. “I don’t think it would be wise to
invest any money in a walkway until we get some initial planning and reports on (the funicular),” Meyer said. “I would like to include… a renovation and rehabilitation of Memorial Park down on the waterfront. We all know White Rock’s waterfront is the jewel of the city.” Coun. Lynne Sinclair agreed with Meyer’s suggestion of a waterfront project on the grassy area near the pier, pointing out that several community festivals use the site.
Sinclair said that when she heard days earlier about the grant opportunity, she spoke with SurreyWhite Rock MLA Gordon Hogg about a previous proposal for a Spirit Square at Memorial Park that never came to fruition. “It seemed natural to me, if there was already work done on such a plan – and it turns out there is, there’s an architectural beautiful plan,” Sinclair said. i see page 8
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