Friday February 19, 2016 (Vol. 41 N No. o. 14 14) 4))
V O I C E
O F
W H I T E
R O C K
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S O U T H
Paddling south: A group of breast-cancer survivors from the Semiahmoo Peninsula have headed to Argentina, where they’ll be sharing their passion for dragon boating. i see page 11
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
Surrey boarding facility the subject of SPCA warrant
Two of 82 seized animals have died Tracy Holmes Staff Reporter
Officials with Surrey SPCA say one cat and one kitten in “critical distress” had to be euthanized Tuesday evening following a massive seizure of 82 animals from a breeding/boarding facility. The pair were among 67 cats, 12 dogs and three puppies seized under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act during execution
of a warrant Feb. 16 at a property near the Surrey/Langley border. Marcie Moriarty, chief prevention and enforcement officer for the BCSPCA said all of the animals were deemed in distress, a term that can describe everything from physical condition of the animals themselves to the conditions in which they are being looked after. Moriarty told Peace Arch News that “bio-
security issues” – the potential for spread of contagious diseases – were a concern in this case. The pets are being held under a protective hold – the cats are at Surrey’s new seizure facility, the dogs are being held in Chilliwack – and cannot be viewed or adopted at this time. The seized cats were primarily Persians and i see page 4
SPCA photo
A Boston terrier seized Tuesday in Surrey.
Epcor ‘had no plans’
Sinclair praises arsenic response Melissa Smalley Staff Reporter
Contributed photo
Members of Gracepoint Community Church’s Refugee Family Team welcome the Al-Gburi family in the arrivals area at Vancouver Airport Tuesday.
Refugee family welcomed by South Surrey congregation
A journey from persecution to peace Alex Browne Staff Reporter
A family of refugees from Syria is settling into a rental home in White Rock’s east end this week, following months of preparations by their sponsors, Gracepoint Community Church. Yaseen Al-Gburi, 41, his wife Hana Alizzi, and their three daughters and three sons (all
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aged between six and 13) arrived at Vancouver Airport just before noon Tuesday, where they were greeted by more than 30 of the congregation plus two other recently arrived Syrian refugees and an Arabic-speaking pastor who acted as translators. Following initial discussions last September, Gracepoint raised $35,000 to sponsor the family, which had fled persecution and violence in
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their native Iraq and later in Syria. “For the last two years they have been waiting in Syria, struggling to survive and hoping to start life in another nation,” Gracepoint pastor Steve Bains told Peace Arch News, adding that the family had been interviewed several times by UN representatives and Canadian authorities before being granted refugee status. i see page 4
A White Rock official said Monday that high levels of arsenic and manganese in the city’s water supply would not have been addressed had the city not taken ownership and operation of the utility last fall. Following a presentation from director of engineering and municipal operations Greg St. Louis at Monday’s council meeting – during which he highlighted the city’s accomplishments since the Oct. 30 takeover – Coun. Lynne Sinclair said previous owners Epcor “had no plans to treat for arsenic and manganese.” “Now that we own the water we are fully in charge of that and I think that’s a huge benefit to our community to... be able to address those issues, rather than leave it in the hands of a private company.” For several years, levels of arsenic and manganese have been near the maximum allowable levels, as determined by Health Canada, at some of the city’s seven wells. However, prior to selling the utility to the city last fall – for a yet-toi see page 8
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