Wednesday September 16, 2015 (Vol. 40 No. 74)
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
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Eagle season: The Surrey Eagles got the BC Hockey League season started on a sour note last weekend, losing twice, but they’ll aim for a win when they hit the ice again Friday. i see page 25
South Campbell Heights examined for locations for business park
Ecological area eyed for development Kevin Diakiw Black Press
A pristine area in South Surrey, teeming with fish and at-risk species of wildlife, is being examined for development potential as a future business park. South Campbell Heights, near 16 Avenue and 192 Street, is more than half the size of Vancouver’s Stanley Park and is abundant with salmon, 100-year-old trees, an
immense aquifer and many animals, including 13 species considered at risk. The 245-hectare (600-acre) expanse of land is roughly bordered by 8 Avenue to the south, 20 Avenue to the north, 188 Street to the west and Langley border (196 Street) to the east. It has been identified in several City of Surrey documents as an ecologically sensitive area. The particularly sensitive area south of 16 Avenue is called a “Special Study Area”
Jamming for a friend
Melissa Smalley photo
Mayor Baldwin stands by controversial letter
A city in turmoil Melissa Smalley
(604) 535-8118 www.insighteyecare.ca
Q rally for mayor to resign
Staff Reporter
It was an evening full of surprises, outbursts and calls for the mayor’s resignation at White Rock city council Monday, as the Metro Vancouver Regional Growth Strategy (RGS) took centre stage before an overflow crowd at council chambers. One of the biggest revelations, that appeared to take many on council by surprise, was Metro’s proposed amendments – outlined at meetings in July – to the population projections laid out in the RGS, which would cut White Rock’s intake in half from 7,000 to 3,500 new residents by 2041. The issue of the RGS has been much-debated in the community in recent weeks, since Mayor Wayne Baldwin wrote a public letter to Peace Arch News stating the
Boaz Joseph photo
(Grandview Corners - across from Best Buy)
The study indicates the area includes tree stands between 50 and 100 years old, which “dominate the forested landscape.” Some of those trees are 100 centimetres (more than three feet) in diameter at chest height. The study also notes there are 13 at-risk wildlife species identified in the area, including the Pacific water shrew, Trowbridge’s shrew and two species of bat. i see page 2
Nearly 100 residents rally on the lawn of White Rock City Hall Monday.
White Rock’s Carson Scheifner, 17, performs stunts with his pro scooter at Dario Jam Sept. 12, an event organized by friends of Dario Bartoli, a South Surrey teen and BMX/ skateboarding enthusiast who was murdered last December. Proceeds from the event, held at the South Surrey skate park, will go to local youth programs.
#50 - 2285 160th Street, South Surrey
which is defined as “an area where future land planning is projected, potentially leading to land use changes.” An environmental study commissioned by the city this year indicates the area is home to the Brookswood Aquifer which is “highly vulnerable to contamination.” The study notes the aquifer is “nearing or at (development) capacity” to provide domestic water “without decreasing the water table.”
Q councillors trade shots city was “required by provincial law” to follow the RGS and “take its share of the forecast growth within the region.” The amendments – as well as how the RGS aligns with the city’s Official Community Plan, currently under review – were discussed at length by Allan Neilson, Metro Vancouver’s general manager of planning, policy and environment. Neilson described the RGS as a “high-level vision piece” that identifies how the region will accommodate growth over the next 25 years. i see page 4
South Surrey & White Rock Artists’ Open House
• Comprehensive Eye Exams • Children & Senior Vision Care • Digital Retinal Imaging • Contact Lenses • Glaucoma & Cataract Evaluation • Designer Eyeglasses & Sunglasses • Laser Surgery Co-Management NEW PATIENTS WELCOME
Q population forecast missed
Saturday, September 26 and Sunday, September 27 Map and info at www.peninsulaarttour.com Special thanks
DR. AVI SAHOTA
DR. KAREN SAHOTA
19 A R T I S T S - 1 1 LO C AT I O N S to our sponsor
CIBC Wood Gundy