Wednesday February 3, 2016 (Vol. 41 1 No. 9)
V O I C E
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W H I T E
R O C K
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Taking care of business: ness: The Peninsula’s brightest business usiness talents were in the spotlightt at the South Surrey and White te Rock Chamber of Commerce’ rce’s annual excellence awards. i see page 11
White Rock purchase of water utility doesn’t eliminate GVWD possibility
Metro water hookup ‘not off table’ Melissa Smalley Staff Reporter
It would cost the City of White Rock $27 million over the next decade to join the Greater Vancouver Water District, according to a recently released report on the option, which the mayor said this week is not “off the table” just yet. The April 23, 2013 report – released publicly by Metro Vancouver on Friday – out-
lines the costs, infrastructure and time frame associated with White Rock joining the GVWD. The report was requested by the city in March of that year, a month after council voted to explore purchasing the water utility from Epcor. Because the report had been the subject of in-camera discussions at Metro Vancouver, it was kept confidential until White Rock made a formal request Nov. 27 for the information
to be made public, the same day Peace Arch News published a news article about residents seeking the projected cost details. The estimated $27-million cost outlined in the report comprises $12 million in capital costs – additional facilities required include a pump station adjacent to the Sunnyside Reservoir, the closest GVWD reservoir to White Rock, and approximately three kilometres of water main.
Incremental costs to the city – to pay for upgrades required to GVWD facilities as a result of the “additional demands” of having White Rock connected – were estimated to be $13.1 million over a nine-year period. The report estimates a cost of $2 million for the city to twin the water-main connections to “increase system resiliency” and projected the process would take two to three years. i see page 4
Documenting devotion
A love to remember Tracy Holmes Staff Reporter
Every day, Stan Fryer sings Anne Murray’s Could I Have This Dance to his wife, Shirley. It’s a reminder of when they met, back in 1946, and how they danced the night away. “I really feel that song was sung for us,” the White Rock senior said Monday. “I think we knew right from the start when we danced, that we were going to spend the rest of our lives together. “I can still feel us dancing on the floor. When you have memories like that, that’s what keeps you going.” Stan, 89, has told the story of his wife’s Alzheimer’s disease many times since she was diagnosed in 2002. At the time, they had Arun Fryer been married 54 years. filmmaker And while the news was “absolutely devastating”, Stan said Shirley made the decision to face the disease head-on and talk openly about it. So, he made the decision to make sure she never had any stress, supporting and caring for her as the disease took its progressive
Jon Ornoy photo
Stan Fryer shares his love for wife Shirley, during filming for a documentary Fryer’s grandson is doing on the couple’s journey with Alzheimer’s disease. toll, slowly stealing her memories and abilities. “I never realized how much I love my wife until I began to see her die in front of me,” he said. It’s a love that Stan’s grandson, Arun, is confident is the reason his grandmother has done as well as she has over the years. And, it’s a story the filmmaker is determined to share, through a documentary he hopes will show a different side to the heartbreaking
disease. Arun, 40, admits that Before She’s Gone didn’t start out as a love story; he had simply wanted to celebrate his grandfather as a caregiver. The idea evolved with the help of his fiancée, Ana Carrizales, who saw something more in the footage. “This is not a preconceived notion that we had for the film, it sort of grew organically,” he said. “The more we dove into how he
cares for her… it just kept coming back to how much he loves her.” Stan cared for Shirley at home until just over a year ago, when he was hit with a bout of viral pneumonia, and warned by his doctor that his days were numbered if he continued on as-is. “I took all the stress, and that’s what runs you down,” Stan said. “But it was worth it, still worth it. I’ve given her a few more years.” Stan continues to visit Shirley
every day, telling her he loves her dozens of times each visit, because she forgets. And while Shirley doesn’t recall their 67 years of marriage, she still lights up at the sight of her husband. Arun believes the message in Before She’s Gone will resonate with many. “It’s really the patience that he shows, that’s what we’re trying to pitch,” Arun said. i see page 2
Surrey Fire Fighters’ Charitable Society and Semiahmoo Shopping Centre invite you to a formal evening of wine tasting, culinary delights & silent auction.
Saturday, February 20, 7pm - 10pm Semiahmoo Shopping Centre
Expires Feb 29, 2016
2421 KING GEORGE BLVD., SOUTH SURREY 604-536-4011 • www.surrey.wbu.com Open Mon - Sat 9:30-5:30 Sun 11-5