Traffic analysis
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Intersections can’t handle significant growth
Urban forest
Planting to begin soon on hospital grounds
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Garden tour
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Annual event benefits Delta Hospice
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YOUR SOURCE FOR LOCAL SPORTS, NEWS, WEATHER AND ENTERTAINMENT! WWW.DELTA-OPTIMIST.COM The Voice of Delta since 1922 SATURDAY, AUGUST 7, 2010
Provincial champs Tsawwassen Athletics win Mosquito “AA” title
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Wiener Walk
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Overwhelming response for fire victims
Movie night at Diefenbaker
Donations pour in and emergency housing found in wake of Evergreen Lane blaze BY
JESSICA KERR
jkerr@delta-optimist.com
PHOTO BY
JIM KINNEAR
The crew from FreshairCinema will be back at Diefenbaker Park tonight for the second installment of the Tsawwassen Outdoor Movie Nights series. Tonight’s film is Diary of a Wimpy Kid, which features 30 local youngsters. For more information, see Page 16.
Officer receives national bravery award BY
JESSICA KERR
jkerr@delta-optimist.com
A Delta police officer received a federal award for bravery this week. Const. Cal Traversy was among 17 honoured by Governor General Michaelle Jean on Tuesday. Traversy was awarded a Medal
of Bravery for rescuing his neighbours from their burning house in North Delta on Sept. 12, 2008. He had just completed his first day on the job with Delta police — he had transferred from Vancouver police department — and was offduty at the time. Hearing the sound of breaking glass, Traversy looked out his
window to see his neighbours’ sliding glass door explode as the house erupted in flames. Shouting to his wife to call 911, Traversy rushed over and pushed open the front door where he found a boy, the first of three people he would help out of the
See AWARD page 2
other local organizations to ensure everyone finds a place to live. Community support for the victims continues to abound. A fundraising barbecue is scheduled for Sept. 1 at Kirkland House from 5 until 10:30 p.m. The event will feature outdoor music, a 50/50 draw and hamburgers and pop by donation. Organizer Cassie Brown is looking for volunteers to help out.
Donations from the community for the victims of the Evergreen Lane apartment fire have poured in since last Friday night’s blaze. Deltassist has stopped accepting donations because of the overwhelming response from the community. “We’ve been absolutely overwhelmed,” said executive director Doug Sabourin. However, in the next three to four weeks the social services agency will be looking for household items, furniture and appliances. “A lot of these people have really lost everything,” Sabourin said. Due to health PHOTO BY JESSICA KERR reasons, mattresses Restoration work has begun on the Evergreen Lane cannot be accepted. apartment building badly damaged by fire last Friday. Anyone wishing She can be reached at 604-551to donate something is asked to 0524. call Deltassist at 604-594-3455. The blaze started at about 7 Donations of food and clothp.m. at a two-storey apartment ing are still being accepted at any complex in the 4600-block of Salvation Army depot. Ladner’s Evergreen Lane. It took The Delta Firefighters several hours and required 52 Charitable Society has set up an firefighters, including some from account at Envision Financial for Richmond, to extinguish the blaze monetary donations. However, that spread quickly in the 40-yeardonations will only be accepted old wood-framed building that into the account until Aug. 13. didn’t have a sprinkler system. Anyone wanting to make a More than 20 of the 66 suites financial donation should quote: in the complex were damaged in Delta Firefighters Charitable the fire and 22 residents, most of Society, Emergency Donations. them seniors, have been displaced. Sabourin said that emergency No one was injured. accommodations were found for The apartments are run by the everyone displaced by the fire. Delta Senior Housing Association The next step, he said, will be and managed by BC Housing. to find more permanent housThe cause of the fire is still ing for the victims. Sabourin under investigation, however, it said Deltassist is working with does not appear suspicious. emergency social services and