Friday August 28, 2015 (Vol. 40 No. 69)
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
Safely in, safely out: History teacher Mark Figueira says that after hearing Holocaust survivors’ stories firsthand – during 20 days in Israel – he will bring a fresh approach to the sensitive subject when school reopens next month. i see page 11
Shoulder harnesses would endanger aircraft passengers, victim’s parents advised
Anger over Transport Canada reversal Tracy Holmes Staff Reporter
As a South Surrey couple’s push for smallaircraft safety reforms continues to gather support, officials with Transport Canada now say a key request for change – for the use of shoulder harnesses to be mandated in older planes – is “not practical or feasible,” and would endanger passengers. “Most of these aircraft structures are not
robust enough to support shoulder restraints in the event of a crash,” senior communications advisor Mélany Gauvin told Peace Arch News by email this week. “In addition, research has demonstrated that shoulder harnesses would introduce new and unanticipated safety hazards, such as hindering evacuation during an accident.” Greg Sewell – who, with his wife, Fran, has been pushing for changes since their daugh-
ter Lauren died in a small-aircraft crash three years ago – was livid at the response. “This is a bunch of garbage,” Sewell said Wednesday. “For this individual to say it’s not practical or feasible, that’s reprehensible.” The Transport Canada statement was received Tuesday, after PAN requested clarification on the agency’s position with regard to the shoulder harnesses. Previous statements have noted that Transport Canada
encourages use of the harnesses “where available.” They are mandated in small aircraft (with nine passenger seats or less) manufactured after Dec. 12, 1986, but have been recommended for older aircraft repeatedly over the past two decades in both Transportation Safety Board and coroners’ reports. A service bulletin issued 20 years ago by the manufacturer of the plane Lauren Sewell and i see page 4
Roadwork end in sight
Smoother travels ahead Tracy Holmes Staff Reporter
Motorists frustrated by the bumpy drive along several blocks of South Surrey’s 24 Avenue this year are starting to feel some relief. Long-anticipated paving of the roughly patched thoroughfare between King George Boulevard and 148 Street got underway last week. Its completion – along with that of 152 Street between 20 and 24 avenues – is expected in mid-September, Scott Neuman, Surrey’s manager of design and construction in engineering, told Peace Arch News. “We all want to get this area finished,” Neuman said. “We’ve had calls and emails regarding the road condition, and asking us to get the paving done as soon as possible.” After driving the area himself last week, Neuman said he “was happy to know they were going to be moving ahead.” Work on the two roads started in early December, but was delayed first by water main leaks, and then by a request from Fortis for time to redo gas mains. “We deferred the paving for a couple months (for the Fortis work),” Neuman said. i see page 4
Summer school Landen Gagné, 3 (above right) looks into the rabbit pen at the Urban Safari Rescue Society’s open house last Sunday. The rabbits were brought to the open house by Kathy Lucier of Rabbitats, a Richmond-based rabbit rescue society. At right, Bonnie the pot-bellied pig gets the helping hand of volunteer Ryan Avery, 15, and, above, a turtle surfaces. Urban Safari cares for abandoned and surrendered exotic animals and educates the public about them. Boaz Joseph photos
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