Friday October 16, 2015 (Vol. 40 No. 83 )
V O I C E
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W H I T E
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On home turf: Cloverdale-based Surrey United captured a boys national U16 soccer championship Monday in South Surrey, while Coastal FC’s girls squad finished fourth in the country. i see page 31
Countdown to Oct. 19
Last call Nick Greenizan Staff Reporter
In what was one of the last opportunities to debate publicly prior to Monday’s federal election, five of six candidates vying for the South Surrey-White Rock riding touched on a range of topics during an allcandidates forum Tuesday evening. The meeting, held at Southridge School, saw candidates Pixie Hobby (NDP), Judy Higginbotham (Liberal), Dianne Watts (Conservative), Larry Colero (Green) and Brian Marlatt (Progressive Canadian) answer questions on issues ranging from supporting small business and balancing the budget, to a national housing strategy, pension benefits for seniors, Bill C-51, legalizing marijuana, Surrey’s gang problem and environmental protection, among others. (A sixth candidate, Libertarian Bonnie Hu, did not take part in the debate because she could not be reached by event organizers, South Surrey & White Rock Chamber of Commerce executive director Cliff Annable told Peace Arch News.) The questions were pre-submitted by attendees and vetted by a threeperson panel before being approved, moderator Gary Hollick told the crowd of approximately 250. On the subject of whether they’d
Lance Peverley photo
Moderator Gary Hollick (far left) listens as five of six South Surrey-White Rock candidates take turns addressing submitted questions. support a supplementary pension for seniors, all candidates – who each had one minute to respond – agreed seniors’ support is integral. Marlatt said his party would support such a plan, while Watts pointed to work the Conservatives have done on the issue, including tax credits for seniors and pension income-splitting. Colero said “I honestly don’t know” if his party would support a supplementary
pension plan but suggested implementing a “guaranteed livable income” for seniors as an alternative to multiple pension programs, which he said “could overlap.” Hobby used the question to address various seniors issues, suggesting an “overhaul” of the national health-care plan and a seniors-housing strategy is necessary, and also pushing for the cancellation of the i see page 8
Advance voting way, way up Early birds were out in force for the Oct. 19 federal election, with an estimated 71 per cent more voters Canada-wide making it to advance polls last weekend than in the 2011 election. Elections Canada estimates that 507,920 people voted in B.C. polling stations, up from 259,278 in the 2011 vote. In South Surrey-White Rock, 12,105 (16% of eligible voters) voted early, compared to 7,635 (9%) who used the advance poll in 2011 prior to redistribution of South Surrey-White Rock-Cloverdale. In Surrey-Newton, 10,658 (17%) voted last weekend, compared to 5,781 (8%) in the previous Newton-North Delta riding.
Stolen pickup trucks alleged by integrated auto-crime team
Police swarm property in ‘chop shop’ probe Tracy Holmes Staff Reporter
Tracy Holmes photo
Investigators cordon off property Tuesday.
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A ‘chop shop’ investigation led officers from multiple police units to flood a rural South Surrey property this week. Two men, aged 34 and 43, were arrested in connection with the operation, located in the 2300-block of 176 Street, which police say was being used to dismantle stolen pickup trucks.
“Most vehicles stolen in B.C. are recovered so it is unusual to find an operation like this where stolen vehicles are being dismantled and reassembled to appear as a legitimate vehicle,” Insp. Peter Jadis of the Mounties’ Integrated Municipal Provincial Auto Crime Team said. The investigation came to the public’s attention on Tuesday afternoon, when officers with IMPACT, Surrey’s RCMP Auto
Crime Target Team, Lower Mainland District Police Dog Services, LMD Integrated Forensic Identification Services, the Urban Patrol Helicopter and ICBC’s Special Investigation Unit converged on the property to execute a search warrant. They blocked off a portion of one lane just south of 24 Avenue and, just after 2 p.m., cordoned off the area with yellow police tape. i see page 8
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