Jan. 31, Silencing the Surrey Ethics Commissioner: Mayor Doug McCallum and his Safe Surrey Coalition look to silence the Surrey Ethics Commissioner by cancelling his tenure nine months before the next civic election.

Kerry-Lynne Findlay, S. Surrey-White Rock MP�- A dominatrix outfit along with a fine assortment of torture devices to inflict pain and suffering on Justin Trudeau's Liberals.� As a stocking stuffer, a copy of "50 Shades of Grey" for the lady who is now the Conservative Opposition whip.

Ivan Scott, Keep the RCMP in Surrey - For the KTRIS leader, a cheque to cover their $50,000 legal bill to go along with the apology they have already received from the city of Surrey for trampling on their democratic rights and banning seven of their members from City Hall.

Sean Whyte, BC Lions placekicker - The real gift here is watching Sean play another year since returning to the BC Lions and recently signing a new contract extension.� For White Rock's returning prodigal son, a robe, a ring, new shoes and a fatted calf (Luke 15:22) left under the tree.

Harley Xwopoton, Chief of Semiahmoo First Nation�- The gift of good health after Harley recently announced he has a serious dose of the flu after burning the candle at both ends finally caught up with him. As a stocking unstuffer, a box of Neo-Citran Ultra Strength Total Flu.

The Magnificent Surrey Seven

It took the removal of Doug McCallum from Surrey City Hall, the end of the Safe Surrey majority on council and a big change of heart from City Hall for "The Magnificent Surrey Seven" to receive an apology for the treatment they have endured.  Late last year, Surrey Council voted to ban seven Surrey residents, Annie Kaps, Debi Johnstone, Colin Pronger, Ivan Scott, Merle Scott, Marilyn Smith and Linda Ypenburg from attending council chambers.  They were members of the Keep The RCMP In Surrey (KTRIS) group that were a serious burr under the saddle of then Mayor Doug McCallum and his efforts to bring in the Surrey Police Service.   The new Mayor Brenda Locke had this to say about this assault on civic democracy, “As mayor of the city of Surrey I want to extend our sincerest apologies to the seven individuals who were prohibited from attending council meetings in person by a council resolution adopted on Sept. 13, 2021.  As mayor of the city of Surrey I want to extend our sincerest apologies to the seven individuals who were prohibited from attending council meetings in person."

The City of Surrey hired Lidstone & Company Law Corp. to file a petition to the BC Supreme Court on Oct. 18, 2021 asking that the seven be prohibited from "physically attending City of Surrey Council and Committee meetings in person, until Council determines otherwise.”  These seven residents hired their own legal team and filed a petition in BC Supreme Court on Dec. 14, 2021 to have the ban on them attending council chambers overturned.  Feeling the public heat and likely realizing they did not have a legal leg to stand on, council then rescinded the ban six days later without offering an apology for the pain and suffering the Mag 7 had endured.  Now that the new Surrey council has rectified this past mistake by issuing a formal apology, maybe it is time to put their money where their mouth is.  In order to fight City Hall, "The Magnificent Surrey Seven" had to hire lawyers to represent them, which racked up a $50,000 legal bill.  If Surrey taxpayers can pay for Doug McCallum' legal dream team with Richard Peck to fight his Public Mischief charge that involved several members of KTRIS, then City Hall should buck up and reimburse them for their legal costs.

On the subject of Doug McCallum, three of his 4'x8' Safe Surrey election signs are still posted up on 16th Ave. in south Surrey (the photo is from 172 St.).  These signs should have been removed no later than two weeks after the election as per Surrey sign bylaws and here we are over a month past the election date.  Knowing of Doug's penchant for eliminating election signs from boulevards and city property plus directing the Bylaw Dept. to confiscate Surrey Connect election signs before the civic election, I decided that turnabout was fair play.  I reported these signs to Surrey Bylaws and received word a file had been generated for an officer to investigate and hopefully issue fines.  McCalllum's election slogans were "Doug gets it done" and "Doug delivers."  Well, it's time to get your sign clean up DONE and DELIVER them to the dump.  Just because you lost and were kicked out of office doesn't mean that the bylaws don't apply to you.  I have run for public office twice and been the sign manager for both a Surrey mayoralty candidate and a South Surrey-White Rock MP.  In all of these cases, the election signs were collected within three days after the ballots had been counted.  

Maybe Doug McCallum has not bothered with this cleanup because his foot was still sore from where one of "The Magnificent Surrey Seven" Debi Johnstone allegedly ran it over with her Mustang at a KTRIS event.  I don't believe a word about what Doug McCallum had to say to the police about this incident and CCTV footage in the Save-On-Foods parking lot shows the former Mayor never looking down at his feet and walking briskly without a limp after their encounter.  By chance, Monday, Nov. 21st, the day this column was posted, is verdict day at the Surrey Provincial Courthouse.   Judge Reginald Harris will be announcing his decision based on the evidence that was presented at trial, an explanation of which should last about two hours.  Special Prosecutor Richard Fowler had this to say to the judge about Doug McCallum, “This is not a trial about whether or not Mr. McCallum's foot was run over.  This is a trial about whether or not Mr. McCallum, with the intent to mislead, made false statements to the police, with the intention of causing Ms. Debi Johnstone to be suspected of having committed offences she had not committed.”  It will be interesting to see if the high-priced legal team that Surrey taxpayers are footing the bill for manages to get Doug McCallum off the hook.

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

Locke In Your Vote

Tuesday night saw the Surrey Connect team's kick-off at Northview Golf & Country Club with a packed room of supporters and donors.  Starting with a land acknowledgement to First Nations, Surrey Mayoral candidate Brenda Locke promised to bring ethics, integrity, public safety and fiscal responsibility back to Surrey City Hall.  Her vision for Surrey is a city that is modern, diverse and liveable with fairness at city hall and doing the right thing for residents.  

Brenda then went on to introduce the eight other Surrey Connect candidates that she hopes will be the future Surrey City Council.  In total the Surrey Connect candidates speak six different languages and have twelve different cultures.  They are the only party backed by residents, not developers or special interest groups, and noted that unlike Safe Surrey none have ever been arrested and charged with a criminal offence in reference to Doug MacCallum's upcoming trial on public mischief.  here are the great eight:

For more information, to read the party platform, get to known their candidates, order lawn signs or make a donation please visit the following:

Website:  https://surreyconnect.org/

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/surreyconnect

Email:  info@surreyconnect.org

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

What makes White Rock beach in Ireland so unique is the hard rock mine it has.  There is an old shaft that is visible at low tide on the north end of the beach. The mine extends under the hill to a total length of some 350 metres. The mine has a long history and was fist recorded back in 1751. It was known them as the Mount Mapas Mine.  It was closed in the late 18th century with the lead mined there transported by barge to Liverpool in England for making paint.

The Surrey Fire Service revealed some of the details of the technical rescue that happened north of Ocean Park on Saturday evening.

A heavy set woman in her early 40's was trying to climb from the Crescent Rock shoreline up onto the railway corridor.  She slipped on the boulders, jammed her leg between the rocks and fell backwards breaking her femur bone, not ankle as previously reported.  

Rescue personnel from Hall 5, Hall 12 and others descended the 1,001 Steps in Ocean Park and walked to her location with climbing equipment, ropes and rescue gear.

After stabilizing her injury she was attached to a backboard, strapped onto a litter and raised onto the railway corridor.

The BNSF Railway had stopped their trains by this time and a hi-rail truck was used to transport the victim by rail to the end of Beecher St. In Crescent Beach where an ambulance was waiting.  Because of shoreline boulders it was decided not to use the hovercraft for the extraction.

The lady will be off her leg for a while but should fully recover from this painful experience on what was the hottest day of the year to date.

A Bridge Too Far

Definition - "A bridge too far":  A step or action that is too ambitious; an act of overreaching

It was a hallelujah moment when it was finally announced that the venerable bailey bridge and other King George Blvd bridge were finally going to be replaced with a new modern concrete and steel structure.  The bailey bridge was put in as a temporary measure back in the 1970's and after doing my own inspection of the structure several years ago I refused to drive over it for good reason.  You knew it was shot when large trucks and buses were redirected to the other side that was built back in 1959.  It really was amazing that with all of the development and growth in the Semiahmoo peninsula that these dilapidated structures were allowed to remain in place for so long.  Construction is expected to reach completion by late 2022 or early 2023 with a construction zone speed limit of 30 kmh.  During this time, drivers are urged to consider alternate routes due to the anticipated traffic delays.

Odd that they would flying in formation, considering all that's going on in the world today and considering their main mission is to refuel other aircraft in flight. 

In the gulag formerly known as Canada, a family member of ours left home at 6 a.m. on Sunday morning to drive from Surrey to Winnipeg to visit their aged and ailing parents.  They would have taken an Air Canada flight from YVR late last month and been there in only a few short hours instead of being forced to drive to the heart of the continent.  Because they refused the experimental and now relatively ineffective COVID-19 vaccine for personal medical reasons, they are still not allowed to fly within Canada, or to leave the country for that matter.

They are now facing a gruelling 25-hour drive after waiting two weeks for it to finally stop snowing on the mountain passes and in parts of the prairies.  For safety reasons and fatigue concerns, this long trip will also require an overnight hotel stay in Calgary both going to Winnipeg and driving back home.  With luck, they will arrive in Winnipeg at 8 p.m. on Monday, 36 hours after leaving Vancouver on what is a 2,500 km trip with current road closures.  That is if everything goes well, the weather holds, they don't break down, get a flat tire, hit a deer, have roads flooded, or be involved in a collision.

A return flight to and from Winnipeg was only $435.  With record gas prices, it has been estimated the fuel cost alone for this forced journey by car will be $1,200 with plenty of CO2 greenhouse gas emissions along the way.  Including hotel and food stops, it adds up to $1,600 and that is without wear and tear on the car plus depreciation from this long drive.  My guess is the total cost for this government forced trip will be around $2,000 plus three days of highway travel in total.  Unfortunately, you cannot apply for government help with the bill even though it is their continued mandates that caused this expense.

Thank you Prime Minister Trudeau and your Liberal/NDP regime for ignoring fundamental Charter Rights allowing for freedom of movement within Canada.  They are so cruel that you can't even fly home to attend a loved one's funeral.  Of course, anyone can go to a hockey game and sit shoulder to shoulder with 28,000 drunken fans screaming at the top of their lungs "Go Leafs go!"   What a national disgrace when you realize Canada is the only country in the western world that still has this control measure that is not backed by science but meant as a continued punishment for those concerned with what they put in their own bodies.

I know several unvaccinated people that would fly out of this God forsaken country and never come back, except they can't leave because they are not allowed to board a plane.  The countries they want to escape to will welcome them with open arms but Canada is holding these people hostage for their personal health decisions.  This is even more ridiculous when you look at how the Omicron variant is spreading in people who have been triple jabbed.  I am personally aware of a dozen people who are currently sick with COVID including a couple who just came back from a cruise with this disease.  Ever wonder what happened to herd immunity?  I haven't heard about it for some time now as public health messages morph almost as fast as the new variants.

Does any of this sound like freedom to you?  More like North Korea, China or Cuba, all repressive non-democratic regimes with no concern for human rights.  That is what Canada has become in just two years' time with Trudeau using the Emergencies Act to crush dissent from folks protesting against vaccine mandates and for their fundamental freedoms guaranteed in the Canadian Charter.  Is it any wonder why various Freedom Convoy protests like the one at YVR on Saturday are still being held across this country to bring attention to this ongoing travesty of 3.57 million Canadians finding themselves on a do-not-fly list for not being fully vaccinated.   I'd like to know at what point is this travesty going to end or will it become a life-sentence against further travel?  

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

Since that time, Green Over Grey has been busy showcasing their living creations in other parts of Surrey.  Inside the Guildford mall there are a couple of living walls titled "Celebration (of Nature) that together measure 1,380 square feet of planted area with over 8,000 plants from 59 different species.  This was good practice for their massive "Mountains & Trees, Waves and Pebbles (MTWP) installation located on the exterior of the mall walkway and bus exchange overpass above 104 Ave.  Both sides of the mall measuring a colossal 10,150 square feet were covered with more than 45,000 plants from 110 different species.  Completed in 2018, to date it is the largest green wall ever built in North America as measured by both overall size and number of plants.

You can check out a tie-lapse Youtube video of the installation of MTWP (link below), which includes an aerial trackway that carries an elevated cart needed for workers to safely install the plants and perform routine maintenance above the busy 104 Ave.  Since this project was completed for the Ivanhoe Cambridge real estate company who manages the Guildford mall the installation prize has never been revealed but when compared to other large public works that were much more accessible, a price tag approaching a million dollars would not seem unreasonable.  One thing is for certain, this Green Over Grey installation on the Guildford mall overpass is a visually stunning piece of living art that showcases the unlimited possibilities of this technology for one of Canada's greenest companies.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&v=CU-z_JAzNg4&feature=emb_title

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

• Residential lawn watering is permitted one day a week. 

• Automatic watering is allowed 5 a.m. to 7 a.m.

• Manual watering is allowed 6 a.m. to 9 a.m.

• Even numbered addresses: Saturdays

• Odd numbered addresses: Sundays

• Non-residential lawn watering is permitted one day a week:

• Automatic watering is allowed 4 a.m. to 6 a.m.

• Manual watering is allowed 6 a.m. to 9 a.m.

• Even numbered addresses: Mondays

• Odd numbered addresses: Tuesdays

Here is a paragraph taken from my last TNT on this topic at the end of January.  "Attempting to shut down the Office of the Ethics Commissioner is a direct attack on freedom and democracy in the city of Surrey.  Surrey was the first city in BC with an Ethics Commissioner whose position was formed on June 10, 2019 by the very same people now trying to dismantle it.  It's a desperate attempt by tyrants looking to close down opposition to their abhorrent behaviour that is both outrageous and immoral.  I should mention that it's hard to believe Mayor McCallum is facing serious criminal charges about lying to the RCMP and is still the Chair of the Surrey Police Board.  The outlandish political games being played in Surrey by our so-called leaders are making us all a laughing stock and the butt of "Surrey jokes" yet again."   On some TNTs, I feel all that I have to do is simply change the date and give it a new title, kind of like White Rock and the Hump saga.

Bob Pitcairn is one of the most successful shooters in our history.  He has qualified for the Bisley Team a record 41 times.  He has won the Canadian Fullbore Rifle Championship once and has been third once.  He took the Governor General’s Prize twice and came third twice.  He took the Grand Aggregate on one occasion and was second once.  At Bisley, he won the Grand Aggregate in 1965 and came second in 1981.  He has made the Queen’s Prize Final eleven times and has been in the top 50 of the Grand Aggregate five times.

Naturally yours,

Don PItcairn

Recently there have been freedom rallies centred around the rural intersection of Hwy. 15 and 8 Ave. in the Hazelmere Valley in support of the Freedom Convoy 2022 that was in Ottawa, and against the evoking of the Emergencies Act to deal with this protest.  Some of these rallies attracted thousands of people from across the Lower Mainland, many with vehicles adorned with Canadian Maple Leaf flags.  You need to realize that contrary to what you may have heard on various corporate media reports, these protestors only had a few vehicles parked near the Pacific Highway crossing for eight hours several weeks ago, with the RCMP blockading all entrances to the border for five days in total and still limiting access even today.

With yet another freedom rally planned for last Saturday, somebody at the City of Surrey decided it would be a good idea to post "Temporary No Parking - Tow Away Zone - Until March 6, 2022" signs in the area.  Not just a few near this normally quiet corner but a total of approximately 250 stretching a mile in length on Hwy. 15 from 8th to 16 Ave, and a further mile and a half on 8 Ave. from before 172 St. to 184 St.  These printed coreplast signs were done in two colours on a reflective background and bolted onto 4-foot-long 2"x2" stakes driven deep into the ground every 25 metres on either side of the road.  With no public transit in the area, it  was a blatant attempt to stop this political protest from happening, in direct defiance of most of the Charter's fundamental freedoms.

Now here is the really funny part.  You'd think that the Surrey Engineering Dept would realize that most of these roadways with their wide shoulders offering safe and ample parking were under the jurisdiction of the BC Ministry of Highways and Infrastructure.   Only 8th Ave stretching from Hwy. 15 to 184 St. is under the control of the City, meaning that the bulk of these signs were not even enforceable.  Even worse, many were screwed onto BC Hydro utility poles, another big no-no as these are private property that city crews regularly remove other signs from.  These nonsensical signs did not deter the protestors who took great glee in promptly removing most of them from the protest site.  I heard that several men were arrested for this defiance but I informed the RCMP that since they were illegally placed and an assault on the Charter Rights, taking them down was like picking up litter from the side of the road.  I should note here that not one car was ticketed, not one truck was towed.

The big question is who at Surrey City Hall thought this was a good idea?  Did they not realize it was an overt attack on freedom of conscience, thought, peaceful assembly and association as protected under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms?  Did they not realize that Hwy. 15 plus 8 Ave from Hwy. 99 to Hwy 15 were not their jurisdiction?  Was this illegal signage done at the request of the Surrey RCMP and Surrey Police Service in a vain attempt to quash protesting by eliminating parking for a mile away from the rallying point?  Also, what did it cost to have these signs printed, purchase all the lumber required for stakes plus the labour of the crews needed to install them?  The person at the Engineering Dept. responsible for this debacle should be reprimanded, unless this stupid order came from higher up the chain of command.

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

Those responsible for this bizarre debacle should hang their heads in utter shame and disgrace for this disipicable and cowardly act.  If we need to fill Council chambers on Monday night with freedom lovers and supporters of democracy to stop this vote from occurring, I say we do our best to make this happen.  I have never seen such a flagrant abuse of power and corrupt actions by elected officials and it makes me absolutely sick to my stomach.  BC has a recall process for MLA's and I believe it is time they now bring in this power for people to remove civic officials who have failed their constituents.  Hopefully, many people will take the time to attend Council chambers in person to show their displeasure, voice their anger and hopefully end this debacle.  I'll see you there on Monday night!

Note:  If you wish to attend this Council meeting in person the public are strongly encouraged to register for in-person attendance.  Please call the Clerk's Office at 604-591-4132 to register.  If you cannot make the journey to Walley but still want to watch the proceedings which start at 7 p.m., they are on the Surrey.ca website at the following web address with the live link located at the bottom of the page.  

https://www.surrey.ca/news-events/events/regular-council-meeting-public-hearing

“A lot of mayors and councillors have their legal bills paid for by the city for different legal matters.  It’s pretty common for all cities, to be honest with you, that the legal bills are paid for anybody that’s a member of council, in most cities, if not all cities."  What is interesting about this is that only six years ago when it was decided that the City of Surrey would pay for the legal bills for a civil court case involving then Councillor Tom Gill and public statements he had made to a local newspaper, McCallum had this to say at that time,

"I don’t think the taxpayers should be paying for that, because it doesn’t to me fall under ‘the performance or exercise of duties’ of the council."

Doug McCallum is not the first mayor of Surrey wanting the taxpayers to pick up the tab for their legal troubles.  It was back on April 23, 2010 that Surrey Mayor Dianne Watts and her husband Brian were involved in a late night t-bone collision with Shawnene Redekopp at the intersection of 128 St. and 24 Ave in south Surrey.  Originally it was claimed by representatives of Surrey City Hall that the mayor was on "official duties" that night and that the city would pay for her legal bills.  When it was revealed that the "official duties" was a simple house party at a rather swanky Ocean Park mansion, Dianne Watts instead opted to pay her own lawyer.  This included being sued over four years later in civil court for driving without due care and attention when the crash happened and causing Mrs. Redekopp injuries that caused pain and suffering, loss of income and loss of potential future income.  This matter was settled out of court with the findings and any financial settlement being hiden by multiple confidentiality agreements.  

Surrey bylaw 15912 states that councillors should have their legal costs covered if the case is “in connection with the exercise or intended exercise of the person’s powers or the performance or intended performance of the person’s duties or functions.”  Going shopping for food and then causing a scene with members of the public legally collecting signatures for a referendum is not part of his duties.  Just as with Dianne Watts, Mayor Doug McCallum needs to be held responsible for his actions while on personal business.  In this case it was more of a dereliction of duties, with the focus on the word derelict.  Instead of allegedly having his food run over in the parking lot (which led to his being charged for public mischief), what if Doug mcCalllum had instead gotten into his own vehicle and ran down those people collecting signatures.  If the shoe was on the other foot, would Surrey taxpayers have to pay for his illegal actions?  Highly unlikely.

I'm not the only one who thinks that Mayor McCallum should pay for his own legal bills for this Save-On-Foods fiasco.  Surrey resident Dave Langlands started the Change.org online petition titled "Stop the City of Surrey From Paying for Mr McCallum's Legal bills shortly after it was announced that Surrey taxpayers would be paying for his high-priced Vancouver lawyer.  You can find it at this web address:  https://www.change.org/p/city-of-surrey-bc-stop-the-city-of-surrey-from-paying-for-mayor-mccallum-s-legal-bills?utm_content=cl_sharecopy_31692438_en-CA%3A3&recruiter=816915472&recruited_by_id=aeb3d800-b620-11e7-835f-0b86ff1f96e3&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink&utm_campaign=psf_combo_share_initial

The following paragraph contains the full text contained in this Change.org petition concerning McCallum's legal bills and who should pay for them.

"It's scary that this man 'allegedly' made false accusations against his own citizens who were simply exercising their right to free speech.  He's unfit to be mayor and needs to resign. It's pretty low to utilize taxpayers money to defend against actions that can not be excused. We need a complete audit done of his office."

"Angry that SPS is being forced through with no transparency. Now, you have a mayor who mislead the RCMP and is now charged. This mayor should pay his own legal fees, not the tax payers."

"Doug McCallum.. 1st - if you're going to "steal" taxpayers' money to pay for your illegal activities - use a public defender, not a $1500/hr lawyer. You were on personal time, harassing the KTRiS group. You're a liar, cheat, deceptive and in someone's back pocket. The "TRUMP" of Surrey, BC. Not only do I strongly hope that you are found guilty, both with the mischief charge, as well as the ethics committee!!!"

In case you were wondering, yes, I signed this Change.org petition as soon as I heard about it.  I encourage every Surrey resident to do the same and to inundate the Mayor and Council email accounts with personal correspondence on how these charges should be fought with Doug McCallum's personal funds and not be paid for with taxpayer's dollars for the best legal firm that money can buy.  Please spread the word about this petition and this TNT to your friends, family, colleges and those on your social media platforms.   As Frederick Boyd so eloquetly stated in my favourite petition comment of all, "He committed the crime, taxpayers shouldn't pay the dime."

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

Chumps With Stumps

I want to take you for a trip down memory lane back to March 5, 2018 when I penned a TNT tiitled "A Clear-Cut Job." This column detailed the chain-sawing of over 50 Johnston Road street trees under the cover of darkness early on the Sunday morning of February 5, 2018.  You can scroll on down into the archives to read it but I must warn you that it may cause indigestion and a gag reflex.  This hatchet job followed the cutting down of trees on Royal Ave at the Ellerbeck's residence, the defacto clear-cutting of the forest on the Hump hillside for views, followed by the cutting down of the Empress tree at Memorial Park.  At that time, I warned "the city's administrators are doing a great job in ensuring that possibly everyone on the current White Rock Council connected to these fiascos will be out voted out of office on October 20th."   I believe these logging practices were mainly responsible for former Mayor Baldwin and the White Rock Coalition council members getting decimated in the polls and kicked out of office as I predicted.

At that time White Rock released a "Statement from the City on Tree Removal, Relocation and Replacement on Johnston Road." claiming in it that "the current street trees on Johnston Road could pose a risk to the public" due to the tripping hazard from raised bricks in the sidewalk.   As to their dubious claim "And, yes, trees will be replaced", you need to realize that they lied about the Hump clear-cutting back in 2016 and to date not a single tree, shrub or flower has been planted to replace the logging that was done. The trees on Johnston Rd. towards North bluff have been replaced as part of the redevelopment in this area but once past Russell Ave. it is another story.  I must admit that I drive through this area on a weekly basis and did not notice anything amiss but I think the last time I walked on the sidewalk in this uptown area was likely when the clear-cutting took place.  Now imagine my surprise when I learned from Facebook last week that the City of White Rock was finally getting around to removing the last of the stumps from the "Clear-Cut-Job" that happened three years and nine months ago.

When these six cherry trees were cut down it should have been job one to remove the stumps and level the brick sidewalks since if they were a tripping hazard when the trees were there, the risk and danger increased exponentially once the trees were removed and low stumps left on the pedestrian area.  Originally the stumps on Johnston Rd. were sprayed with day-glow orange fluorescent road marking paint with small orange traffic cones nailed on top for visibility.  Gradually most of these were taken out and replaced but for some reason those south of Russell on the east side of the road seem to have been forgotten.  Now I can understand how this can happen with officials getting ready for an election, then getting voted out of office and a new mayor and much of council installed to their positions.  Ditto for those working at city hall with people leaving and new hires maybe not aware of the previous history of this project or the fact these relics were still in place jeopardizing public safety.

I work in and visit various cities throughout the Lower Mainland and I have to tell you that pedestrian safety and level sidewalks are always of great concern.  When sidewalks sink they can be jackhammered out and replaced or raised using either pressurized concrete or expanding foam that is pumped underneath the slab.  When tree roots lift sidewalks, most cities use concrete cutting wheels to trim down the raised concrete so that the slabs are once again level.  Sometimes the entire slab will be lifted, the root cut out, plastic root barriers installed and the slab repositioned.  Another remedy I have also seen is asphalt used to build ramps on concrete sidewalks to help smooth out the surface.  From my experience it would appear that most cities inspect their sidewalks on a yearly basis, making repairs as needed.  For those tripping hazards that I have reported directly to various Engineering Departments, they tend to get corrected within a few weeks.  Only in White Rock would you find raised bricks left around sidewalk trees for years, let alone large stumps sticking out of sidewalks left to rot.

I am glad to report that the White Rock Parks Dept. was involved with removing the interlocking bricks around these six stumps on Johnston Rd. and that Bartlett Tree Service were the arborists who ground out the old stumps.  Now that the stumps are finally gone, the chips and dirt will need to be removed, a new layer of crushed gravel installed and compacted and the bricks replaced in their original position.  What I was not able to find out is whether new street trees will be planted at this time or if the holes will be bricked level with new trees likely coming during redevelopment.  Personally, I think it would be a waste of time and money to plant new trees in this area only to have them cut down again in the near future, pissing off White Rock residents yet again for no reason.  Besides, if it took almost four years to get rid of the stumps on Johnston Rd. so how long would it take for new trees to actually be planted?   A simple walk along the promenade between West and East Beach looking up at the Hump hillside should give you the answer of "likely never."

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

"Track Watch" Videos to Watch

Over time I've come to realize that when we receive rainfall over 2 inches, this threshold of precipitation is when we can expect to see landslides onto the BNSF tracks between White Rock and Crescent Beach.   Two weeks ago, the record rainfall of 6.5 inches in Semiahmoo resulted in several landslides that closed the rail corridor to freight train traffic, one near Kwomais Point in south Surrey, the other a kilometer west of West Beach in White Rock.  This came as no surprise to me at all considering the historical relationship that exists here between rainfall rates and slide activity.  

This weekend there was yet another atmospheric river, formerly known as a pineapple express.  Once again, the rain gauge went out and by Sunday at noon it registered over 3 inches of precipitation.  Even though this was half the rainfall amount that we received from the storm that flooded the Fraser Valley and damaged roads and bridges throughout southern BC, I knew that it was more than enough to once again cause problems on our local train tracks.  Armed with that knowledge, a walking stick, hiking boots, reflective vest and road flares I decided it was once again time to do a "Track Watch" inspection of the train corridor. 

I started this adventure at the Christopherson Steps (formerly 101 Steps) at the west end of 24 Ave. by walking down the staircase and onto the pedestrian overpass above the tracks.  It affords a great view of the railway without trespassing on the corridor or playing chicken with oncoming freight trains.  The area near the Crescent Rock boulder has been the scene of countless slides over the years but the Ocean Park bluff at this spot had held its own over the past two months when we have received double our regular rainfall.  Seeing nothing amiss after walking up and down the beach, I marched back up the stairs and drove the mile to the 1001 Steps staircase in Ocean Park where there had been a landslide onto the tracks two weeks before.

I'd just descended the 347 stairs of the 1001 Steps staircase when my phone rang and it was the White Rock Sun's editor Dave Chesney calling to let me know that there were flashing yellow lights visible on the tracks west of White Rock.  Knowing that this likely meant BNSF crews were working on the tracks, I immediately turned around, trudged back up the stairs and headed off to White Rock's West Beach boat ramp where I parked my car and headed to the shoreline.  Fortunately, the tide was on its way out so there was some beach available for walking on, even though I knew that the rail corridor was obviously closed to train traffic with vehicles parked on the railway.

In the roughly one-mile walk, I came across several new landslide sites from the storm two weeks ago where debris from the bluff had been excavated onto the waterfront.  Left hanging on the stripped hillside above plus trapped in the muddy debris below were the remains of trees that had obviously been butchered for views in the past, a practice that causes the tree roots to rot and retract.  Of course, the people living above on Marine Drive seem to not care about slope stability affecting safe rail operations or that the land in question is BNSF property.  I took pictures of the slides and debris fields along the way, drawn like a moth to the flashing lights on the far-away point.

I was almost at the spot where the BNSF crews were working when I came across the largest of the slide sites I had encountered.  I took some pictures and was shooting a short video when the BNSF crews, led by a Gradall excavator on railway wheels, came down the tracks and stopped directly in front of me.  After talking to the operator and ensuring him that I would stay well back, I shot another video of the last of the slide debris being scooped up and deposited on top of the rip-rap boulders that protect the tracks.  Because of the muddy consistency of this soup, it does pour down onto the shore covering the rough and rocky beach that exists in this area.

It did not take the Gradall operator long to finish this final cleanout and when done, the excavator and several support vehicles made their way down to White Rock, exiting the tracks at the boat launch.  Were it not for COVID, I probably would have asked for a ride but instead I had the long walk back into White Rock as darkness fell.  Needless to say, after tackling both staircases and about three miles of rough boulder strewn beaches in several hours, I was exhausted.  I have done the 6.5 km. Track Walk from Crescent Beach to White Rock many times in the past and would not recommend it to anyone, especially through the hostile terrain that exists around Kwomais Point.

Here are links to the Youtube videos of the BNSF Gradall in action at this slide site, listed under the title of "BNSF White Rock mudslides."   You can expect even more slope failures from the Ocean Park bluff and mudslides onto the train tracks on Tuesday and Wednesday this week.  That is when the next atmospheric river, the last of three in a row that saw Environment Canada issue a red alert for the very first time, will likely bring even more rainfall than the storm that hit us this weekend.  Let's hope that the BNSF Railway closes these waterfront tracks to freight train traffic during the next storm instead of waiting for the inevitable landslides to block the rails with trees, boulders, mud and debris that threaten a possible derailment.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ybxwAyDBp0U

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yuCpqx4Vw2A

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

Save Surrey From Safe Surrey

It is absolutelyappalling to me the war on words that has suddenly erupted between members of the Safe Surrey Coalition members (Mayor Doug MacCallum an d the majority of Council) and the RCMP who still police Surrey. The fur started flying on Saturday, Nov. 20th when the Safe Surrey Coalition posted an ad to Twitter with the following caption "A new survey shows only 6% of #SurreyBC residents support keeping the @SurreyRCMP & their cardboard cutouts. In spite of the efforts of a bitter minority, it's clear that the city's anxious for a local, accountable & responsive police force.  It's time to move forward."  The posting included a photo of an RCMP officer holding up a radar gun along with the disclaimer "Cardboard cutout used by Surrey RCMP to deter speeding."  These cut-outs were part of the 2019 City of Surrey’s Vision Zero project along with ICBC to reduce speeding on city roads. 

Surrey RCMP Assistant Commissioner Brian Edwards broke three years of silence on the higihly polarized subject of police transision in Surrey and issued the following statement on Sunday morning about the SSC posting, believing it undermined public safety in Surrey.  

“Recently, several communications have been released to the public, which I believe have been a deliberate attempt to undermine public safety in Surrey, by eroding public confidence in policing at the current time.” 

Open Letter to Close the Tracks

The TNT this week features an open letter I've sent to the Mayors and Council of Surrey and White Rock plus the Chief of the Semiahmoo First Nation.  It's time the BNSF Railway stopped shipping dangerous goods and trainloads full of petrochemicals along our waterfront tracks during severe rain storms that are known to cause landslides from the bluff hillsides onto the rail corridor.  On Sunday during an "atmospheric river" the BNSF was shipping a unit train full of crude oil across the Semiahmoo waterfront when mudslides onto the track could be expected.  This is risky business that needs to be stopped.

The Bridge to Crescent Beach

If you first don't succeed, try, try again.  This well-known proverb from American educator Thomas H. Palmer's "Teachers Manual" can be used to describe the various proposals put forward to stop BNSF trains from blocking access to Crescent Beach, sometimes for hours on end.  Here is the news release from the City of Surrey about this continuing problem and their shiny new idea on how to fix it. 

It's Salmon Spawning Season

The Semiahmoo Fish & Game Club is quite different from most outdoor enthusiast groups that exist throughout the province of BC.  Besides having a large hall, indoor range and outdoor archery, the property consists of 30 acres in the Hazelmere valley of South Surrey with the Little Campbell (Tah-tu-lo) River running through it.  The true gem of this property is the Little Campbell Hatchery, the first all-volunteer fish hatchery in British Columbia built back in 1983 shortly after the property was purchased in 1979.  It is maintained on a continuous basis by members of the Semiahmoo Fish & Game Club along with assistance from Department of Fisheries and Oceans personnel.  

The hatchery building contains multiple tanks where fish eggs are hatched and raised for eventual release back into the wild.  Outside of the hatchery are rearing ponds for Coho salmon, Steelhead and Cutthroat trout.  While situated on the banks of the Litle Campbell river, the large amounts of fresh water needed to maintain the fish brood is pumped from a deep inground well on the property.  In order to ensure its purity, the water is put through an extensive filtration system and aerated before being piped to the various locations it is needed.  As you can imagine, skilled commercial plumbers and electricians are always valuable club members due to the extensive mechanical systems in place.

A steel fish fence originally designed by a SFGC member and used throughout the province runs across the river directly in front of the hatchery.  The fence blocks the passage of the fish, funneling the into a trap where club volunteers and DFO staff can identify the species, determine their sex and count them before releasing the fish upstream into the river so they can spawn.  A selected number of wild Chinook and Coho salmon plus Steelhead trout are kept as breeding stock with their egg sacs and seminal vessels removed for later fertilization.  So far this year approximately 3,000 Coho and 1,000 Chinook salmon have already crossed the fish trap, with almost 60,000 eggs collected.

In an average year the Little Campbell Hatchery produces 100,000 Coho and 35,000 Chinook salmonoids along with 10,000 Steelhead and previously 15,000 Cutthroat trout.  The hatchery area and the Semiahmoo Fish & Game Club property with its system of nature trails are open to the public daily from dawn to dusk.   You can drop by and view the spawning salmon in the river and if the hatchery is open watch as fish are counted and collected.  The bridge over the Little Campbell River makes for a great viewing platform and you can see salmon actively spawning in the gravel bars on the river that runs throughout the property.  If you have kids, they will love this experience and a chance to see spawning salmon up close.

Now until the end of November is a great time to view the bulk of the salmon run that happens close to home for many people in White Rock, Surrey and Langley.  Further salmon runs will continue to enter the Little Campbell River until the beginning of April next year.  The SFGC property is located at 1284 184 St and is marked with a large sign out front including a cast concrete salmon that is a metre and a half long.  The best fish viewing is the day after a heavy rain when river levels rise and the salmon make their way upstream.  One look at the long-term weather forecast tells me there will be lots of those days upcoming during the month of November.

For more information on the Little Campbell Hatchery and the Semiahmoo Fish & Game Club, please visit the SFGC.info website or their page on Facebook.  Should you wish to join the club or volunteer, pro-rated memberships are available for this year and you can already sign up for 2022. The Little Campbell Hatchery now has charitable status and can issue tax deductible receipts for donations that help fund their important environmental operations.

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

Keep Off My Lawn McCallum

Having run for public office several times and also volunteered to put up election signs for a former MP, I have done my share of political sign posting in Semiahmoo (aka South Surrey).  It was only four years ago that the City of Surrey allowed political signs on both city lands and private property.  The first restriction brought in by Surrey Council was that election signs could not be within 25 metres of an intersection, with the rational of not wanting to distract drivers.  This resulted in over 1,800 signs being collected by city work crews in 2018 during the last civic election.  Then the sign by-law was changed in May of 2019 with Surrey Council voting unanimously to ban election signs on public lands and boulevards, doing a great disservice to independent candidates and democracy on the whole.  This meant that private lawns were the only game in town, ensuring well financed campaigns had an unfair advantage in promoting name recognition over independent candidates.  

Mayor Doug MacCallum and his Safe Surrey members used their slim majority on council last week to change Surrey's sign law yet again with respect to political signage.  The definition of "political sign" has now been changed to include signs related to political issues, referendums, plebiscites, petitions, plus those either approving or opposing candidates and issues.  Where this really gets disturbing is these are not only banned from public lands but from PRIVATE PROPERTY!  There is no doubt in my mind that this disturbing change was made in the middle of a citizen's initiative by the Keep The RCMP In Surrey and Surrey Police Vote group to force a referendum on the policing change away from the RCMP to the Surrey Police Service.

It is obvious that Mayor MacCallum will do anything in his power and beyond to handcuff, muzzle and intimidate those trying to stop his police transition plans.  It was in June of 2020 that Surrey work crews began removing Keep the RCMP in Surrey signs from both public and private property under the guise they were somehow interfering with the Highway Traffic Bylaw.  Then came the Save-On-Foods incident on Sept. 4th where Mayor McCallum allegedly threatened to have referendum workers removed by by-law officers before he claimed to have had his foot run over by a car, leading to a public mischief probe against him by the RCMP.  Only a week later, folks collecting signatures for the police referendum at Dogwood Park were fined by Surrey bylaw officers for "advertising" by getting people to sign their Elections BC authorized petition drive.

The biggest problem I and most Canadians have with this change to the political signage bylaw in Surrey is that we have a Charter of Rights and Freedoms.  The bylaw officers should not be acting like brownshirts by attacking democracy and going onto private property to confiscate people's possessions in what should be a free and democratic society.  We are guaranteed freedom of thought, belief and expression that includes freedom of communication and association.  This is vital to our democracy where people are free to discuss matters of public policy, criticize governments or provide one's own solutions to societal problems.  The changes to Surrey's sign bylaw are an attack on our freedom, an affront to democracy and the actions of a tyrant, dictator and despot.  Anyone caught trying to steal political signage from my lawn will find themselves face down in the grass with big zap-straps on their wrists and charges pending for theft under $5,000.

Here is why these sign bylaw changes are so disturbing, dangerous, vile and repugnant.  What if you wanted to put up a "Gay Pride" sign on your lawn along with a rainbow flag?  Would the bylaw thought police pull on their jackboots and storm over onto your property to confiscate them?  How about if you were a person of colour and put out a "Black Lives Matter" sign, which is a political statement.   I'm sure City Hall could round up a few caucasian officers to assist on the raid, trampling your sign along with your civil rights.  Don't you dare put up an "Every Child Matters" sign on Truth and Reconcilliation Day without bringing home threats and retaliation from bylaw goons.  The same goes for "Stop Clear Cutting", "Save the Whales", "Say No to Fracking",   "No Coal Trains", "No More High-rises" or the one I recently saw on the side of Crescent Road, "MacCallum Is A Bully." 

You have to wonder where this will go from here if this draconian sign bylaw is not confronted and challenged.  How long will it be before you cannot post any message on the windows inside of your own home without fearing a knock on your door and invasion by officers without warrant?  How soon until they ban flags and banners, except for approved ones which can only be flown where you live with a permit from City Hall?  Will bumper stickers or t-shirts with political statements be outlawed in our new fascist State of Surrey, in which case I'm seriously busted?  I haven't gotten involved in the police transition fight but I'm now firmly behind the Surrey Police Vote campaign because of the bylaw sign amendment Safe Surrey members voted for that directly targets their initiative.  

Do you feel as strongly about this attack on our democratic principles and personal freedoms as I do?  Make sure you send Mayor MacCallum plus his Surrey Safe Councillors Allison Patton, Laurie Guerra, Mandeep Nagra and Doug Elford your thoughts on this issue and the draconian changes they voted for.  Rather than direct you to the Surrey.ca website, here are their email addresses; simply cut and paste with your message about how the Charter of Rights and Freedoms is important both in Surrey and across Canada.  Hopefully they won't try to put forth a bylaw to censor me and the White Rock Sun after reading this TNT.

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

Slow Streets of Surrey

In the middle of June this year the City of Surrey launched its Surrey Slow Streets - Residential Speed Limit Reduction Pilot project in six residential neighbourhoods.  Three of these saw speed limit reductions to 40 km/h and the other three were lowered down to 30 km/h.  The only one of these in the Semiahmoo region is between Rosemary Heights Crescent and 40 Ave, and between just west of 153 St/152B St and just east of 156B St.  The neighbourhood where I took the photo of the new street sign at the top of this TNT is located in Cloverdale between 56 Ave (Hwy 10) and 60 Ave, and between 180 St and 184 St.  Not surprisingly, the others are in Newton and north Surrey neighbourhoods with higher densities and a history of speed related crashes.

As a buddy of mine with plenty of driving experience always says, "The faster you drive, the harder the crash."  There are more deaths and injuries from car crashes in the summer than in the winter with much of this being attributed to the higher speed of driving in good weather.  Accidents involving pedestrians go up in winter due to decreased visibility from darkness and rain plus the wearing of dark clothes.  Road safety research has concluded that a pedestrian hit at 30 Km/h has a 90% change of survival, while speeds of 50 Km/h result in only a 15% chance of survival, much of this due to severe head trauma.  This explains why schools and parks have 30 Km/h limits, with reduced speeds near schools from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and park zones from dawn to dusk. 

From the surreyca website:  "The purpose of the Surrey Slow Streets pilot project is to study how lower speed limits affect driver behaviour, and ultimately the safety on our roads. We will also compare the impacts that 30 km/h verses 40 km/h speed limits have in neighbourhoods. Following the lowering of speed limits in the pilot project areas, we will monitor vehicle speeds, crashes and perceptions of safety among residents."  If after this one-year study the research shows an improvement in lowering vehicle speed, crashes and improved resident safety, it will likely be extended to other neighbourhoods.  This study should also lower greenhouse gas emissions, reduce vehicle noise and increase feelings of safety for residents out walking the streets of their neighbourhoods. 

While this experiment plays out in select neighbourhoods, it seems that Surrey is not waiting for the results before making changes in other areas.  I live in Crescent Heights and several years ago Surrey installed speed bumps to put an end to rat-racing on our street that is also a bus route.  They do a good job of keeping speeds down but we have the tolerate the occasional crunch of a car from an idiot driver going too fast who failed to notice them in time.  Also, in the past month much of the roads in this area that are narrow or do not have street lights including Seabrook Dr., Cedar Dr. and Crescent Dr. were suddenly posted to 30 Km/h down from 50 Km/h.  This really was a no-brainer and I'm sure the residents of this neighbourhood welcome the change where walking is a pastime enjoyed by many.  

I have long believed that the blanket policy of 50 Km/h for most streets in Surrey needs an overhaul and should be changed to this easy-to-follow system.  Post freeways at 100 Km/h, highways at 80 Km/h, arterial roads at 60 Km/h (up 10 Km/h), residential roads with painted centre lines at 50 Km/h and residential roads with no painted centre lines at 30 Km/h (down 20 Km/h).  These speeds keep traffic moving while improving safety in residential areas with plenty of pedestrians, children and pets that often do not have proper sidewalks separating them from vehicles.  These are the speeds I usually adhere to and you will never catch me racing around in quiet residential streets, especially in the neighbourhood where I live.  

You can read the full details about Surrey Slow Streets pilot project on the city website at this link:  https://www.surrey.ca/services-payments/parking-streets-transportation/vision-zero-surrey/what-we-are-doing/safe-speeds/slow-streets

Where do I live?  Semiahmoo

I have to admit, growing up in North Delta I always hated the name for that portion of the municipality.  To me, it's not really a name but more like giving someone directions on how to get there.  Even those directions are off base since it really should have been called East Delta, which is actually the name for the farmland region south of North Delta.  Interestingly, the village of Ladner has an actual given name after the brothers Thomas and William Ladner who first came to the area back in 1868 and set up farming and fishing operations there.  Though it sits on the western shore of Delta, nobody calls it "West Delta."  On the southwest corner of Delta, we have what is called South Delta but more commonly known as Tsawwassen, meaning "land facing the sea" in the Coast Salish language.  In fact, Wikipedia has a full dossier with everything you could ever want to know about Tsawwassen, but the listing for "South Delta" does not exist.

All of this brings me to my home here in South Surrey, once again not a real name but directions on how to get here (go to Surrey, head south, you can't miss it).  At least White Rock has an actual name that comes from the 460 tonne white granite boulder, which sits on the shoreline of Semiahmoo Bay.  Most people do not realize that this giant rock also has an indigenous name "P'Quals" and a lover's legend on how it got to its current resting place (see http://www.whiterockmuseum.ca//wp-content/uploads/2018/01/The-Legend-of-PQuals.pdf).  White Rock of course, used to be part of Surrey until it separated in 1957 but it and the rest of South Surrey are collectively described as the Semiahmoo Peninsula, or my shortened version, the Semi-Pen.  The Semiahmoo peninsula is named after the Semiahmoo First Nation, just as Tsawwassen (aka South Delta) is named after their indigenous people the Tsawwassen First Nation.  In fact, the word Semiahmoo means "half-moon" describing the shape of the shoreline of Semiahmoo Bay.

On Thursday, Sept. 30, Canadians from coast to coast got to recognize the first ever Truth and Reconciliation Day, also known as Orange Shirt Day.  This annual statutory day is meant to commemorate the history and ongoing trauma caused by residential schools and to honour those who were lost, the survivors, families and communities affected by our colonial past.   In White Rock this was observed with the first ever Semiahmoo First Nation Walk for Reconciliation that started at the Grand Chief Bernard Robert Charles Plaza and ended at the SFN Spirit Stage in Semiahmoo Park.   Thousands of people, many wearing orange shirts and attire. showed up to support the Semiahmoo First Nation, Elders, youth and indigenous people.   Unlike our Prime Minister who embarrassed himself by holidaying in Tofino, many Canadians wish to address our colonial past and the treatment of indigenous people here and this crowd showed the level of community support for this cause.

So now it's time for me to do my part for Truth and Reconciliation and to help honour the people on whose ancestral land we now call home.   We live in the Semiahmoo Peninsula, with the Semiahmoo First Nation located on the shore of Semiahmoo Bay as they have been for generations.  We have the historic Semiahmoo Trail running from White Rock to the Nicomekyl River, the Semiahmoo Fish & Game Club, the Semiahmoo Secondary School and even the Semiahmoo Shopping Centre.  Before the Peace Arch news and the original White Rock Sun, the first newspaper in these parts was called the Semiahmoo Sun.  So the big question is, why do we continue to call this place South Surrey?  Once again, this is only a directional name with no historical context other than it reminded a homesick Englishman of a county in South-East England.  Why not call it Semiahmoo, just as the folks across Mud Bay call their home Tsawwassen, after the Tsawwassen First Nation.  

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

Danger - Quicksand!

On Saturday afternoon around 3 o'clock I was headed east along Crescent Road when a large ladder equipped fire truck drove by with lights and sirens on.  I knew was not the one that runs out of Hall 12 near Crescent Park so this seemed rather odd to me.  A little further along Crescent another fire engine went by in full emergency mode piquing my interest even more as to what was going on in my little corner of the Semi-pen.  On King George Blvd I saw yet another fire truck heading in the same direction, this one with the words "Tactical Rescue" written on it.  It was about then that I decided my chore list would have to wait and when I hit Colebrook Road I looped around and headed back towards home. 

The problem I faced is that I had no idea where all of these fire trucks had been heading but thinking about areas where somebody might need a technical rescue, I drove into the Crescent Beach Marina driveway.  It turned out my instincts were correct for as I got to the end of the road there were half a dozen Surrey Fire Service vehicles on scene and around two dozen firemen.  I parked my vehicle and made my way to towards the BNSF Railway trestle leading to the swing bridge where a large group of firemen were walking out escorting out a woman caked with black muck up to her waist along with her son and husband who had noticeably dirty pants.  They directed the lady to sit on the back of a fire truck, assessed her injuries (a sore ankle) and started to clean her off with a trickling fire hose.

Talking to the lady and her husband I learned that their family had driven from New West to go explore Crescent Beach, including the Blackie Spit area.  They had crossed the grassy area by the train bridge and headed out onto the sand flats.  They told me that the ground seemed hard and sandy, similar to what you would expect along Crescent Beach.  The tide had turned and was coming in when their son ventured near the water and had the ground suddenly give way under his feet, getting himself stuck in the process.  The mother went to his rescue and managed to get him out of the sticky situation he had found himself in, but she also sank into the goo and also stuck.  Her husband then tried to free her without success and with the sea water getting higher, decided it was time to call 911 for help.

The firemen arrived on scene and after locating the woman reached her by placing sections of ladder onto the now muddy beach.  They walked out on top of the ladders and used shovels to dig around the woman's legs, releasing her from the quicksand hole she had fallen into.  The Fire Captain I walked to about this incident told me that when the tide recedes the sand flats drain and firm up but as the tide comes back in the beach saturates ahead of the advancing tide.  With the right mixture of sand, mud and water, the beach turns into pockets of quick sand that can quickly trap anyone unaware of the danger.  We did talk about the lack of signage around Blackie Spit warning of quicksand conditions and for people to avoid the foreshore and stay on designated trails.

It is not as if this is a new phenomenon on the shores of Mud Bay.  Three years ago, a youth in Delta not far from Centennial Beach sunk up to his waist in quicksand and had to be rescued by a quick-thinking Delta police officer using a piece of driftwood and a rope.  Delta Mayor had this warning after this incident, “Please stay safe and close to shore. There are muddy areas around Boundary Bay that can be just like quicksand."  In 2013 a man had to be rescued at Blackie Spit after he walked out to take pictures of birds and got stuck in mud over his boots during an incoming tide.  By the time Surrey Fire Services arrived and used a boat to reach him, the man was already up to his waist in water before being dug out. 

I have had my own Mud Bay experience, walking into the shorefront off the Delta Dyke Trail a couple of decades ago trying to access a small shelf island.  It was less than a hundred feet offshore and I only made it halfway there before turning back with my boots sinking deeply with every step.  Talking with friends this weekend I learned that my friend Kenny had gotten stuck in the waters off Blackie Spit years ago and needed help from a friend to free himself from quicksand he had sunk into up to his knees.  Another buddy of mine Ricardo told me a story of how his daughter got stuck in quicksand not far from Elgin heritage Park, losing her boots in the mud when he pulled her out.  I was also told a story about a man whose dog got stuck in the mud off Blackie Spit years ago and when he went to free his pet, both of them needed to be rescued.

If you do find yourself stuck in sinking mud or quicksand, do not panic and take the following steps to free yourself.  Move slowly and don't panic as quick motion leads to air pockets that can create suction and pull you down deeper.  Shed any extra weight such as backpacks of purses to make yourself as light as possible.  If your legs are stuck, you can free them one by one by wiggling them in circles to allow water to flow in and slowly pulling upwards.  Sitting down and leaning back while spreading your arms creates more surface area allowing you to float instead of sink.  When your feet are free slide horizontally across the quicksand until you reach firm ground.  You might get dirty but if stuck on a tidal flat, it's much better than drowning.

Rather than allowing people to blindly stumble into these dangerous and difficult situations, it might be advisable for the City of Surrey to post "DANGER - QUICK SAND - KEEP OUT" signage showing a person sinking.  These should be placed around the portions of Blackie Spit where muddy shores are prone to liquefaction, pockets of quicksand or where rescues have already happened.   Many jurisdictions around the world do this including the City of Port Moody who have posted signs around their estuary warning people to not venture onto the mud flats for their own safety.  When people come to visit Crescent Beach, we want them to have a good time and not get trapped, needing to be rescued to either the Surrey Fire Service or Coast Guard hovercraft.  

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

September 27, 2021

Let's Go Falcon, Let's Go!

The federal election is over, the Liberals are back with another minority government and slowly but surely candidate signs are being taken down or picked up from front lawns across the South Surrey-White Rock riding.  So, try to imagine my surprise driving through Ocean Park on Friday night when I came across a pair of newly posted election signs at the ritzy corner of Indian Fort Dr. and Ocean Park Rd.   I thought I was having a political flashback for there in both red and green (stop & go?) were signs endorsing Kevin Falcon who was the MLA for Surrey-Cloverdale for 12 years before exiting from politics in 2013.  During that time Mr. Falcon was the Minister of State of Deregulation, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure, Minister of Health Sciences, Minister of Finance, plus the 12th Deputy Premier of BC under Premier Christy Clark. 

It is said that you can't keep a good man down and on May 17, 2021 Kevin announced his candidacy for the 2022 BC Liberal Party leadership election that will be held on February 5, 2022.  Now unfortunately yours truly did not get invited to that evening's soiree but from the parade of high-end luxury vehicles leaving the property on Friday I believe it's safe to say that Kevin Falcon was on hand likely fundraising and getting people to join his leadership team.   You can find out plenty of in-depth information about Kevin on his kevinfalcon.ca webpage that is dedicated to his leadership run.  In case you were wondering, Mr. Falcon made the move from Cloverdale to South Surrey a few years back so if he gets elected as the new Liberal leader, we would have a local guy leading the opposition with eyes on becoming the Premier of BC in the future.

Mr. Falcon is the presumptive front-runner in this campaign but he will have plenty of competition for the job as the top Liberal.  There are five other candidates running for the Liberal party leadership:  Gavin Dew (gavindew.ca), Michael Lee (joinmichael.ca), Val Litwin (vallitwin.ca), Ellis Ross (ellisrosscampaign.ca) and Renee Merrifield (reneemerrifield.ca).  You can check out their bios and political platforms on their websites not to mention donate money, volunteer or sign up to become a Liberal party member giving you a vote on Feb. 5th.  If you want to check out these leadership hopefuls in action, the first leadership debate is scheduled for this Tues., Sept. 28 from 7-8 p.m. that is being live streamed on the BC Liberal Party website (https://www.bcliberals.com/) and Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/BCLiberals/).

So, the question needs to be asked, "Are you ready to go with Kevin?"  Don't blame me, that is his campaign slogan, shorted to a simple "Let's Go!" for lawn signs and other promo material.  The MLA for Surrey - White Rock, Trevor Halford, is endorsing Mr. Falcon along with Mike Morris, MLA for Prince George MacKenzie (former Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General), MLA Ian Paton from Delta South, along with Kamloops - South Thompson MLA Todd Stone (former Minister of Transportation & Infrastructure).  The real heavyweight in Kevin's corner has to be former Surrey Mayor Dianne Watts who was also the MP for South Surrey-White Rock and who placed second in the 2018 BC Liberal leadership election to Andrew Wilkinson.

If Kevin Falcon does win the Liberal leadership election, it is likely that the party which is a Conservative/Liberal coalition designed to keep the socialist horde (read NDP) at bay will opt for a name change.  This is not too surprising considering how the federal Liberals under Justin Trudeau do not enjoy a wave of support in the west, having just scraped together another minority in Ottawa.  There is no way the BC Liberals would rebrand under the Conservative banner either and the "People's Party of BC" is a non-starter.  I don't think the BC Dogwood party (think the Wild Rose party in Alberta) would work after the Dogwood Initiative public interest group in Victoria changed their name to Dogwood BC.  The return to the BC Social Credit party is also unlikely along with their old nickname, the Socreds.  It could be that the "BC Coalition party" name suggested by former Premier Christy Clark will become the new free-enterprise moniker.  

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

The Vote Is In!

No, not the Federal election even though the timing for this TNT is rather appropriate falling on the day that we get to cast our ballots for the party we hope will rule Canada.  On Tuesday last week the members of the Semiahmoo Fish & Game Club got to vote for a new board of directors that many hoped would change the future direction of the club.  On Thursday the results were released and as expected The Friends of Semiahmoo Fish & Game Club took the bulk of the positions and votes, garnering 75 percent of all the ballots.  New club president Diana Barkley welcomes 12 new directors into the fold along with 4 former members, myself included.

If you have never been there, the Semiahmoo Fish and Game Club (formed in 1957) sits on 29 forested acres with the Little Campbell River running through the property located at 1284 184 St. in Hazelmere, south Surrey.  The club operates a fish hatchery releasing hundreds of thousands of young fish into the Little Campbell every year.  There is a large hall with seating for 200 people that can be rented for weddings, meetings, dances, parties or a variety of functions.  They have both indoor and outdoor archery depending on the weather and season plus a basement range with a full ventilation system for both rimfire rifle and handgun shooting.  The jewel of the club is the many trails criss-crossing throughout the forested rear of the property along the idyllic river setting, which is open to the public dawn to dusk.

The reason for the dissension in the club was due to the previous board's proposal to donate the property to the City of Surrey due to less than rosy financial projections and future repairs and upgrades to the hall and hatchery.   The property transfer agreement was twice put to a vote and both times was rejected by the membership without a noticeable change in the board's attempt to give the club to the city of Surrey.  The board's failure to accept membership fees this year in a year when COVID-19 reduced hall revenues to zero plus cancelling most events, while spending money to have the range professionally cleaned riled the membership.  Many people, myself included, felt that after the land transfer was twice rejected, that the President and the Board of Directors should have resigned because of non-confidence in their continued guidance. 

So where does the storied Semiahmoo Fish & Game Club go from here?  First and foremost, will be to finally begin to sell memberships for 2021, something that I believe should have been done nine long months ago.  Secondly will be to solicit donations, apply for grant money, build corporate partnerships and look for any financial assistance to help rebuild the club's revenue stream, including opening up to hall rentals and events as COVID restrictions are removed.  Just as there is now new blood in the club's executive, there is hope that renewed optimism will results in a wave of new people signing up to be part of the SFGC as it moves into the future.  The SFGC is a volunteer organization and it requires its members to help complete tasks, do required maintenance, and keep the club running smoothly.

If you are an angler or environmentalist worried about the health of the Little Campbell River, please arrange for a visit to check out the hatchery, fish fence and ponds where the fish rearing takes place.  If you are an archer or are interested in trying your hand at this rapidly growing sport, contact the club to find out their fall schedule of events.  The basement range was used for rimfire rifle several days a week and handgun shooting on Wednesday nights and hopefully with the new change in executive, these will soon reopen.  Lastly, the Little Campbell River with its spawning beds flows through the property and the forested trails are a beautiful walk that is open to the public from dawn to dusk.  If you are a club member, you can even bring your dog along with you.

You can expect to be hearing from and reading about the Semiahmoo Fish & Game Club plenty in the near future as they make their presence and history known.  You can find more information about the club at their website (sfgc.info) or the Facebook page titled Semiahmoo Fish & Game Club (https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Gun-Range/Semiahmoo-Fish-Game-Club-414639185230130/).  The Friends of Semiahmoo Fish & Game Club group that have now assumed control of the club's executive also have a website (friendsofsfgc.ca) and operate a Facebook page as well (https://www.facebook.com/FriendsofSFGC).  The new President, Diana Barkley, had this to say about the future of the SFGC, "A key goal is to rebuild the club and stay true to the original founder's dreams.  We're up for the challenge."

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

Purple People Beater

Here we are with a week to go before we find out the results of the 2021 Canadian federal election.  The highlight of the campaign so far had to be the televised leader's debates last week that was held over two nights in both French and English.  It appears the election will likely go down to the wire with polls showing the Conservatives and Liberals in an apparent dead heat followed by the NDP, BQ, PPC and the Greens in that order.  As part of the democratic process, it is important to hear from the leaders of all of the prominent parties that are running candidates across Canada.  With this in mind, I am questioning the rationale behind the Leaders' Debates Commission excluding People's Party of Canada leader Maxime Bernier?

Liberal leader Justin Trudeau, Conservative leader Erin O'Toole, NDP leader Jagmeet Singh, Bloc Quebecois leader Yves-Francois Blanchet and Green Party leader Annamie Paul all appeared in both leaders debate with the People's Party of Canada leader left outside in the cold, metaphorically speaking.  Now, I must admit I am not a fan of much of the PPC platform but to be honest i don't shoehorn well into any of the established party platforms either, choosing to vote strategically for what I believe will be the best outcome for Canada.  Love him or loathe him, Maxime Bernier, who came within a whisker of winning the Conservative leadership four years ago is a political animal to be reckoned with.  

Now I realize that the Bloc Quebecois are a political force in this country, holding 32 seats in the House of Commons before Parliament was dissolved for this election.  They are currently the third largest political party in Canada having regained official party status.  That being said, the BQ are a regional party, operating only in Quebec where the majority of Canadians cannot vote for them.  Even if they were to win all 78 seats in Quebec, they would never achieve majority status of 170 seats in Ottawa.  In the last federal election held in 2019 the BQ ended up with only 7.6% of the Canada wide vote but their leader still gets invited to both the French and English debates.  The Greens received only 6.6% of the vote and their leader gets invited to both debates, while the upstart PPC gets shut out and doesn't get to get to play ball with the more established parties, including the regional BQ.

In this election the People's Party of Canada has fielded candidates in 311 of the 338 ridings across Canada, while the Greens after much political infighting involving their new leader only managed to field candidates in 252 ridings.  The PPC have Gary Jensen as their candidate in South Surrey-White Rock, while the Greens do not have a name on the ballot this time around.  Current vote projections at 338Canada.com have the Bloc at 6.7%, the PPC at 6.2% and the Greens way back at a measly 3.2% and yet Maxime Bernier gets excluded from both leader's debates?  The Leaders' Debate Commission decided to limit participation to the leaders of parties with at least one sitting MP, or 4% of the vote in the last election, or 4% support in polls 5 days before the writ was dropped.  In this case, it seems the lines were drawn purposely to keep the ultra-conservative People's Party out of the media spotlight.

Regardless of your political beliefs or affiliation, the exclusion of Maxime Bernier and his Purple Peeps Party from the leader's debate should be viewed as a travesty of the democratic process.  Whether you agree with their leader or any of their platform, they are a recognized political party that is quickly making inroads on the older established political organizations.  Excluding them on the whim of a faceless commission does not serve our democracy or the voters of Canada.  This decision apparently has backfired since support for the PPC has risen sharply since just before the leader's debates were held.  With only a week to go before the election and public discontent on the rise, it is possible for the PPC to receive more of the popular vote than the Bloc.  If the PPC is not invited to the next leader's debate, it will confirm their suspicions that the fix is indeed in.

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

Like Father, Like Son

This federal election that nobody other than our Prime Minister and the Liberal Party brass wanted, has got me deeply concerned for the economic future of our country.  Unfortunately, it seems that there is no party to vote for that has a realistic plan for reigning in Canada's massive debt problem, which has ballooned to record levels due to lavish COVID-19 spending.  The Liberals under Justin Trudeau are completely ignoring the rising debt levels and are expected to put us further into the red by an estimated $381 billion this year.  The O'Toole Conservatives are talking about balancing the budget in 10 years but this means holding the reins of power for a decade to accomplish this feat.  The NDP platform is big on ways to spend your money but I have still not seen a costing of all of their promises.

No matter what the politicians are peddling, data recently released from the Parliamentary Budget Officer predicts that the federal government will not balance its budget until the year 2070.  This information was part of the most recent Fiscal Sustainability Report, which is a misnomer as this kind of fiscal planning is anything but sustainable.  By that time, I will definitely be dead and it is likely that my kids may have joined me in the after-life or be sitting in a rocking chair at the old folk's home.  I can guarantee by that then the days of record low interest rates will be long over and the servicing costs for the nations trillions of dollars of debt will be siphoning off much of our tax base that should be used for essential services instead of loan payments.  

I decided to look at the Trudeau family record of financial management going back to Prime Minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau who held office from 1968 to 1979 and then from 1980 to 1984.  In 1967 before PET took power, Canada had $27 billion in debt meaning a federal debt per person of $1,420.  By 1976 that had jumped to $55 billion or $2,600 per Canadian.  Amazingly with Pierre's "Just Society" spending policy, this number had jumped to a then whopping $90 billion in 1979 with the individual debt ramping up to $4,130.  After less than a year of the Conservative's Joe Clark running the country PET took over again ramping up Canada's debt from $98 billion up to $210 billion in this short time frame with the debt hitting a record 58.4% percentage of the GDP.  Personal Canadian debt in those four years rose from $5,000 per person to $9,570 in that time frame before PM Pierre Trudeau took his walk in the snow and retired. 

When son Justin was first elected in Nov of 2015 in a second wave of Trudeaumania, he promised to balance the budget by 2019.  To be quite honest he did a little better than the old man but continued to increase the national debt and ramp up spending in a time of economic prosperity.  In 2016 under the Liberals the debt jumped by $34 billion, increasing everyone's personal federal debt by $750 to $29,760 (as you can tell there had been plenty of deficit financing in a little over 30 years).  Our debt cracked the one trillion-dollar mark in 2018, climbing to $1,084 billion in 2020 thanks in large part to the beginning of COVID spending.  It is predicted to reach $1,453 billion in 2021 a nearly $10,000 increase for every man woman and child in Canada up to $42,000 per person.  The projected 73% debt to GDP ratio is also a new record high, or low depending on your viewpoint.

At some point in time our politicians need to address the elephant in the boardroom.  If i were to manage my household finances the way our political parties manage their budgets it would not be long before the bank would foreclose and I'd be forced to declare bankruptcy.  Heaping debt onto the younger generation that must pay these bills in the future is a form of fiscal child abuse.  Growing the economy and having the budget balance itself sounds so easy but it is not a stable economic platform since there are no spending or loan controls in place.  Canadians need to know that our government deficit has ballooned by the most of any G-20 country during the COVID-19 pandemic.  Hopefully this spending spree will stop once the virus has been controlled but I fail to see anyone on the ballot that is promoting fiscal prudence anytime in the future.

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

May these Gates Ever Re-open?

It has now been two weeks since Canada reopened its land border crossings to American citizens, albeit ones that had been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and possessing a recent PCR test showing they were free of the virus.  Strangely, on a shared border with two friendly neighbouring countries, the US government decided to hold off their border reopening with Canada until August 21, 2021.  As of last Friday, that date has now been rolled back by the US Department of Homeland Security to the final day of summer, September 21st, meaning that by that time it will have been six weeks that the land border crossings were open to Americans heading north, but not for Canadians heading south.  

You have to ask yourself how any of this makes sense?  While the border was closed to non-essential travel for 16 months, air travel continued as is the case today with Air Alaska selling return flights from Vancouver to Seattle for $268, requiring only a negative Coronavirus test taken at least 72 hours prior to departure.  You can fly to the land of the free in a packed airplane sitting elbow to elbow in cramped seats but not in the comfort of your own vehicle away from the great unwashed hoard with the windows open for plenty of fresh air.  Even more asinine is that Point Robert residents are now allowed to travel into Tsawwassen or Ladner without being vaccinated or having a negative Covid test and yet double vaccinated Canadians can still not head south to check on their properties there just across the line from Tsawwassen.

All of this is happening during the rise of the fourth wave of COVID-19 across America involving many of the unvaccinated (read Trumplicans if you wish).  To date only 51% of Americans have received their two vaccine shots, compared to 65% in the Great White North.  The Delta B.16 variant is now taking America by storm, accounting for more than 86% of new infections according to the CDC.  This should come as no surprise considering that the Delta variant has shown it is more than twice as contagious as the original COVID-19 strain.  Community transmission is now rated as "High" in all of the continental states except for the north-east states of Maine and Vermont.  Covid transmissions and hospitalizations in Washington state are at an all-time high according to their state’s Department of Health with transmission and hospitalizations at record levels from the Delta variant that is reported to be 98% of their new cases.

So, the Canadian land border is open to Americans experiencing a surge of COVID-19 related infections but their land crossings are closed to Canucks with higher rates of vaccination and much less Covid infections or community transmission.  Am I the only one who thinks that the situation at the US\Can border should be reversed with the Yanks allowing us down to the States but Canada not allowing Merikans to head north?  To be quite honest, I would not consider visiting the USA right now no matter the reason and the Canadian Government travel website continues to warn against non-essential travel to the US at this time.  I should also note that on Sept. 7th Canada will also welcome overseas tourist travellers to enter Canada provided they have been fully vaccinated and have a negative coronavirus test taken at least 72 hours prior to arrival.  

All of this brings us to a special upcoming date that you should circle on your calendars.  Sept 6, 2021 marks the 100th year anniversary of the dedication of the Peace Arch Monument at the Douglas land crossing.  Though a century old, this 67-foot-tall monument that was one of the first earthquake proof structures in North America, is in beautiful shape after being clean, primed, painted and fully restored last year.  Inscriptions on the Peace Arch read "Children of a common mother" and 

"Bretheren dwelling together in unity" but obviously this close-knit family has now become dysfunctional during the world-wide pandemic with one brother closing the door on the other.  Most ironic has to be the wrought iron gates with an inscription that reads "May these gates never be closed", which is what will have happened for 18.5 months if the opening date for the US border is not rolled back even further into the Fall of 2021 as I expect.

Unfortunately, just as many other activities and celebrations have been cancelled due to COVID-19 over the past year and a half, the Sept. 6th 100th year anniversary of the Peace Arch will not be honoured.  The Canadian side of Peace Arch Park is still closed and while the American portion is accessible to Canadians from Zero Avenue by jumping a ditch, it was decided to delay the festivities until September of 2022.  Information about this iconic monument can be found on the International Peace Arch Association website at peacearchpark.org, including plans to put two new 100-year time capsules into it that will be opened in 2121, barring any future global pandemic of course.   I'm thinking a surgical mask, bottle of hand sanitizer, roll of toilet paper and a MAGA cap would be rather fitting considering the historic times we continue to find ourselves in.

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

The Naked Truth - August 16, 2021

And They're Off!

I knew that the rumors about the Liberals calling a fall election were true when Prime Minister Justin Trudeau shaved off his grey beard, cut his famous flowing locks, got a new hair dye job and started rolling up the sleeves of his light blue shirt again.  Two years after being reduced to minority government status and with nationwide polling showing that a renewed majority might be within their grasp, the Liberals threw caution to the wind and rolled the dice, calling for the shortest allowable election campaign of 36 days.  You can review the entire Elections Canada calendar at the following link, with local Elections Canada offices opening here on Tuesday (day 34):  https://www.elections.ca/content.aspx?section=vot&dir=bkg&document=ec90795&lang=e

Call me jaded but there are some things I really hate about the federal electoral process.  The one that really burns me is the federal government spending taxpayer money hand-over-fist on program advertising pre-writ that should be viewed somewhere between election campaign material and plain old propaganda.  Case in point is all of the Liberal gun control advertising that has flooded both TV and radio over the past few weeks.  I can't even blame the Liberals because the Conservatives do this type of thing too when they are in power.  The fact that a Prime Minister can ask the Governor General to dissolve parliament at any time they chose during their four-year mandate only serves their political purposes, not the good of the country.  Do we really need a federal election during the 4th wave of the COVID-19 pandemic and at an estimated cost of a record $610 million (It was $540 million in 2017)?  Put these questions on a ballot and I will check NO and NO.

So now it's time to pull out the crystal ball and look at who might be the next MP for South Surrey-White Rock.  In the right corner wearing blue trunks it is the incumbent Conservative Kerry-Lynne Findlay who has been our MP for the past two years.  In the left corner sporting red trunks it's Liberal Gordie Hogg, our previous MP who lost his title to Kerry-Lynne in the last election.  In this grudge match of King Kong vs Godzilla proportions, it should be one of these two who is still standing when the ballots are counted for the fourth federal election here in the past six years.  The NDP who improved their third place standing last time still has to name a candidate and the Green Party EDA is debating on whether or not to even run a Green candidate given their discord with the governing council in Ottawa.

Here is a historical perspective on election results for the Semi-Pen going back for a decade.  In 2011 Russ Hiebert won the riding yet again with a commanding 53% of the votes, with the NDP and Liberals in a virtual dead heat at 19%, Greens at 6% and others at 3%.  Four years later in 2015 and with former Surrey Mayor Dianne Watts taking over for Heibert, the Conservatives won with 44% of the vote (-9% from the previous election), the Liberals with Judy Higginbotham close behind at 41.5% (+22.5%), the NDP falling to 10.5% (-9%) and the Greens at 3.5%.  With Dianne Watts resigning two years after the Liberal majority win, a by-election was held in 2017 where with star candidate Gordie Hogg and help from Trudeaumania, the Liberals finally broke the Conservative decades of dominance taking 47.5% of the vote with Conservative Kerry-Lynne Findlay not far behind at 42%, the NDP way back at only 5% and the Greens at 4%.  In the 2019 Canadian federal election, Kerry-Lynne Findlay won back this riding for the Conservatives getting 42% of the vote (same level as in 2017), Liberal Gordie Hogg slipped to 37.5% (-10%), the NDP at 11.5% (+ 6.5%) and the Greens at 7.5% (+3.5%).  I should note here that the 2017 by-election saw only 30,250 ballots cast or 38% of eligible voters, while the 2019 election saw 58,000 ballots cast equating to 69.5% of eligible voters.

The 338Canada.com polling\research website that has proven itself to be relatively accurate in the past currently has the Liberals with a projection average of 19 seats for BC versus 11 in the last election (2019).  The NDP are continuing strong at a projected 12 seats versus 11 they won here in 2019.  The Conservatives with new leader Erin O'Toole appear to be the big losers dropping from 17 seats to a projected 9 seats, with the Greens scraping up 1 or 2 seats.  The Federal vote projection in BC from 338Canada is 34.2% for the Liberals, 28.1% for the NDP, 27.2% for the Conservatives, 7.9% for the Greens and 2.8% for others.  By far the most interesting projection on their website for residents of the Semi-Pen has to be for the riding of South Surrey-White Rock as leaning Liberal Party of Canada.  Country wide on the first full day of the election campaign 338Canada projects 166 (+/- 38.1) seats for the Liberals, 108 (+/- 29.3) seats for the Conservatives, 35 (+/- 15.3) seats for the NDP, 26.7 (+/- 9.8) seats for the Bloc Quebecois and 1.8 (+/- 1) seats for the Greens.  It takes 170 seats to form a majority in parliament and with the large margin of error, these early results need to be taken with a big lump of rock salt.

One thing is for sure, this is likely to be a nail-biter of a finish here and with lots of mail-in ballots expected, counting them by hand will be a daunting job that will take time.  The official results may not be known on election night and Canada-wide it may take days for a final tally to be announced and a winner crowned.  In South Surrey-White Rock the Green Party EDA may actually play spoiler if they chose not to run a candidate and their voters show up to cast ballots for other parties.  The Greens got 4,458 votes in the last election or 7.7% of the total.  While I realize that some of these Green votes would likely flip to NDP orange, it is likely a large portion would also consider voting Liberal, who finished only 2,618 behind the Conservatives in 2019.  Based on historical election results, current voting trends, COVID-19 influences, party leaders and our local candidates, I believe a return back to the Liberals for South Surrey-White Rock is probable, just as 338Canada is predicting.  The funny thing is if this happens, Gordie Hogg would never qualify for the gold-plated MP pension; at 75 years-young he would be too old!

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn 

August 10, 2021

One-Way Border Disorder

I apologize for being a day late with this TNT but with my wedding anniversary falling on a Sunday when I normally pen this tome, well let's just say that some things take priority over this column.  It actually worked out perfectly since the topic was going to be the one-way opening of the Canada/USA border that closed to non-essential travel on March 20, 2020, for exactly 505 days.  With a 24-hour delay in this column, we got to see how things were actually going to work with American visitors and tourists once again welcome to cross into Canada as of 9 p.m. Sunday.  Unfortunately US President Biden has failed to reciprocate with an opening of the US border to neighbouring Canadians who are substantially healthier than those down south. 

Early Monday morning I ended up on 176 St, also known as Hwy. 15 heading north from Cloverdale.  It was truly remarkable seeing all of the US plates on vehicles, including one with a Washington vanity plate that read PMBRTON.  Now I'm going to go out on a limb on this one and say that I believe this gentleman was likely on his way north of Whistler to a property in Pemberton, aka Pemby to those who have spent time there.  The radio was also reporting that there were many full sailings crossing towards Vancouver Island and on a Monday my money says that plenty of Americans who crossed the border early in the morning headed directly to the ferry terminals with summer holiday plans.

Fortunately, Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) employees had agreed to a new contract on Friday that was hammered out in a 36-hour negotiation marathon, which ended an 8-hour work-to-rule campaign that snarled commercial truck traffic at border crossings across Canada.  This certainly helped on the first day of crossings after COVID-19 travel bans were lifted, even if things are still far from normal.  US citizens and legal residents have to provide proof of full vaccination plus have documents for a negative PCR COVID test performed within 72 hours of crossing.  Adding to the border burden, all visitors to Canada must also fill out the information required in the ArriveCAN app available online. The three lanes open at the Peace Arch Crossing were busy most of the day on Monday with wait times fluctuating between 30 minutes and several hours.  

For once, it seems that Point Roberts finally got a break from all of the COVID-19 controls that have crippled this enclave that relies heavily on Canadian visitors.  Since the start of the pandemic Point Roberts did not have a single case of COVID-19 in its residents, who have also received vaccinations in record numbers.  It was only recently that the first cases of this disease were detected, likely find its way to this bastion via boats entering the marina.  Even with COVID-19 now in Point Roberts, US residents and permanent residents, regardless of their vaccination status, can now enter Canada as long as they stay within the communities of Tsawwwassen and Ladner "to carry out everyday functions and access goods and services."  This information was released in an August 5th announcement by the CBSA with no explanation on how local shopping rules would be enforced.

It is expected that on August 21, Canadians will likely be allowed to enter into the USA for nonessential travel but with similar restrictions as Americans heading north.  A tentative date of September 7th has been announced allowing foreign nationals to enter Canada for discretionary travel.  It is going to be interesting to see what low vaccination rates across parts of the US plus the spread of the more contagious delta variant are going to do to these dates and plans.  Our American neighbours are barely above the 50 percent threshold for full vaccination with cases of COVID-19 now topping over 100,000 a day and hospitalizations along with deaths increasing steadily.  France and the UK are experiencing even greater new outbreaks of COVID-19 than America, making it likely that flights from these countries may be halted sometime in the near future.  My best travel advice is stay close to home and don't throw that face mask away just as it appears COVID-19 won't be over for some time.

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn. 

Green Grass, Brown Grass, No Grass

Whew, am I ever glad that is over!  We had a garden party wedding at our house this weekend and it was a wonderful time and a great success.  Unfortunately, this meant working to keep all of our plants and lawns lush and green, requiring constant watering.  Of course, mother nature has not been helping with the last precipitation we have seen falling way back on June 15th, a week before the official start of summer.  We are now at Stage 3 drought conditions, the fire danger rating signs are posted at extreme, and there is no rain in sight.  We stuck to Metro Vancouver sprinkling regulations but since we have a water meter and pay for what we use, we are looking forward to turning down the taps.

If you look around the Semi-pen neighbourhoods you will see that brown is the new green, with most lawns now fried to a light straw colour.  This is actually part of the grass lifecycle and you know that when the rains begin here in late August they will magically green up again.  The issue these days with drought stressed lawns is that it weakens the rooting system and provides an opening for invasive European Chafer beetles to lay their eggs.  These hatch into larvae that munch away on the remaining grass roots, becoming big, fat, and a tempting morsel for crows and every nocturnal animal we have.  A hungry family of racoons can easily rototill a lawn in one evening as they tear back the sod looking for these tasty grubs.  

So, If you have better things to do during the summer months than water your grass and have to mow it but still want a lawn, what is a homeowner to do?  The magic bullet these days is to introduce micro clover into your lawn.  Now this may seem counterproductive; why would somebody put weeds into their lawn?   What you need to realize is that before the 1950s when herbicides were invented to kill clover, it was considered an essential part of a healthy lawn.  Clover has a dark green leaf that retains its colour long after grass has turned brown.  Its thick web of roots also helps to hold a lawn together during drought.  Clover also has nodules in its roots that fix nitrogen out of the atmosphere, providing free fertilizer that won't wash into streams.   

Overseeding with hardy tall fescue grass in the fall will provide a much thicker lawn with deeper roots, making beetle or racoon damage much less likely.  I have had boulevard lawns in Richmond get absolutely torn apart by crows, opossums, skunks and racoons right own to dirt.  Adding a fresh layer of organic soil to help retain moisture, we reseeded with tall fescue and two varieties of clover seed.  The grass and clover mix filled in quickly and stayed green without any watering until very recently.  It still remains to be seen if it will be ripped apart again but considering the thickness of the new grass and the tangled web of clover it is highly doubtful this will happen.  Hopefully the hungry wildlife they will find greener pastures (with brown dead grass) somewhere down the street.

There are other low maintenance and drought tolerant ground covers that can be used in the place of lawns, something that is becoming more appealing after dealing with deadly heat domes and record temperatures.  Pink chintz creeping thyme likes full sun, needs little water and attracts bees to its salmon pink flowers in the spring.  Turkish speedwell is a similar groundcover with low water needs that provides an evergreen backdrop along with a carpet of blue flowers in the late spring.   If you want to really make a splash of colour, try goldilocks creeping jenny that has a bright yellow leaf.  In shaded areas a mix of various mosses works well where grass never properly grows.   Since these options are not as tolerant to foot traffic as grass, consider stepping stones or using them between flagstones in high traffic areas.

Even though we live in a temperate rainforest, we have dry summers here that thanks to climate change are forecast to get hotter with more drought and heat waves.  You can expect Metro Vancouver sprinkling restrictions to become much tighter in the future as water becomes a scarcer resource.  The water hungry landscapes we have today may need to be modified, replacing thirsty plant with those that can survive more arid conditions and warmer temperatures.  With low reservoirs and dwindling aquifers in California, it might be time to considering ripping up some of that prized lawn and planting vegetable gardens as produce prices rise and food scarcity becomes a global issue.

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

July 19, 2021

Humm Dinger of a Bird

"Legends say that hummingbirds float free of time carrying our hopes for love joy and celebration.  The Hummingbirds delicate grace reminds us that life is rich, beauty is everywhere, every personal connection has meaning and that laughter is life's sweetest creation." - 

Anonymous

I don't consider myself a "birder" but I spent a lot of time outdoors and do get to see plenty of our feathered friends up close and personal.  Besides raptors of any kind, my favourite bird has to be the hummingbird simply because they are so unique.  In these parts Anna's hummingbirds will stay overwinter providing they have an adequate supply of nectar, especially when it is cold and freezing.  The Rufous hummers migrate here from Mexico usually appearing in mid-march and staying until late August when they begin their journey south.  We have two hummingbird feeding stations at our house along with a collection of handblown glass hummingbirds adorning the chain for our kitchen table stained-glass light.  

It is a very rare event to find a hummingbird nest simply because they are so small, they are easily overlooked.  They can also be found anywhere from a small bush all the way up to the top of a large tree.  The very first hummingbird nest I ever saw was when I was climbing a Douglas fir in Sunshine HIlls, North Delta at around ten years old.  Carefully perched on the top of a branch not far from the trunk was this miniature nest made up of wispy moss and lichen.  The inside of the nest was not much bigger than a toonie and lined with soft silky strands that I now understand consist mainly of spider webbing.  There was nothing in the nest but I left it where it sat, keeping its location secret so it would not be grabbed by one of my goofy friends.

Over the years I have found an old hummingbird nest here and there, usually in somebody's garden.  By far the most fascinating was the one I found was a couple of years ago only four feet off the ground in a photinia bush in Steveston, Richmond.  What made this nest so fascinating was not its design or construction, but the two small white eggs it contained that were not much bigger than Tic-Tac mints.  It was only mid-March when I first noticed the tiny nest and over several weeks I checked it but never saw an adult hummer sitting on the eggs.  I don't know what happened to the mother bird but the eggs never hatched and eventually they disappeared, likely being eaten by another bird (cue the music to Disney's "The circle of life").

So just when I thought I knew everything about hummingbird nests, my wife and I end up going for a walk in Crescent Beach and finding ourselves at the front door of local artist Helen Downing-Hunter who was holding an at home art show.  I commented to her on the beauty of her acrylic ink paintings including some very colourful hummingbird prints.  It was then that she pointed over to a hanging lamp in her porch by the front door, showing me where she got her inspiration.  Sitting on top of the metal cage meant to protect the lightbulb was a hummingbird nest, with two baby Anna's hummingbirds perched inside of it.  I did not have my cell phone to take a picture and when I went back the very next day the babies had already taken wing.  Helen was nice enough to provide me pictures of the chicks that a friend had taken that you see with this TNT.

We purchased a booklet from Helen that she had produced featuring prints of many of her hummingbird paintings plus a fascinating and informative story that went with it.  Rather than me regurgitate hummingbird facts gleaned from the internet, here is the storyline from Helen's book:

Over 300 species of hummingbirds make their homes exclusively in the Western hemisphere from Alaska to southern Chile.  In the wild hummingbirds live 3-12 years. The female can lay 1-3 jellybean sized eggs several times a year.  A day after hatching they will have enough feathers to regulate their body temperature.  At three weeks they will take their first flight!

It is remarkable that hummingbirds have the largest brain per body size of any bird!  They also have the largest heart size of any animal.  These amazing little birds have eyes that can see ultraviolet light and a third eyelid for protection when flying at speed.  Hummingbirds feed on the nectar from pollen, tree sap flowers and insects with tongues like elastic micropumps they can drink 10 drops of nectar in 15 milliseconds.

Amazing Facts:

Fastest bird in the world for its body size!

Can fly 385 times their body length in one second, 30 mph, 90 feet/sec

Can fly left to right, upside down, backwards, on their side and hover!

They are not so well-equipped for walking or hopping however as they have very weak feet, but they can shuffle sidewalks while perched.

Their throat colour is not the pigment of feathers but rather an incandescent arrangement of feathers.  

Hummingbirds have amazing memories!  They can remember the location of every flower in their neighbourhood and how long it takes to refill its nectar.  They will return to the same feeder every year.  Like our fine feathered friends on Agar Street in Crescent Beach, some will return to the same nest!  This beautiful little nest has been home to the same hummingbird "Honey" for three years.  Seven chicks (and counting) have been hatched here!  Helen Downing-Hunter.

You can reach Helen on Instagram or simply follow here at @helendowninghunterart where you can enjoy her paintings and limited edition prints that feature a lot more than hummingbirds.  The baby hummers may have flown the coop but the nest will remain above the front door waiting for Honey's return next year to add to her growing family that now stands at nine chicks and counting.

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

​Crescent Beach is always a busy place with many modes of transportation passing by the shoreline on a constant basis.  There are the BNSF trains consisting of mixed freight, coal cars and crude oil tankers that are rolling by in ever-increasing numbers.  Since the US/Canada border was closed due to COVID-19 restrictions the Amtrak passenger train that formerly ran four times a day has unfortunately become a distant memory.  The airspace above Mud bay is very busy with small planes from Boundary Bay Airport, Canada's second busiest airport but commercial jets are still a relatively rare phenomenon.  Of course, the water is always full with a flotilla of various boats and watercraft, including the occasional visit from the Canadian Coast Guard hovercraft responding to medical distress calls.   

Just when you think you have seen it all, you look up and realize there is a new kid on the block, this one flashing red and blue lights.  The RCMP does patrol the BNSF Railway, accompanying the railway's police officer in their white high-railer truck.  They are on the lookout for people trespassing on the rail corridor ($115 fine) plus those having beach fires ($1,150 fine) during a time when outdoor burning is banned throughout the Province of BC due to the threat of wildfires.  It turns out that Surrey RCMP officers have a new tactic for controlling fires and alcohol fuelled parties down at Crescent Beach.  The Surrey detachment has been utilizing Polaris 4X4 quads throughout the city core to fight crime and maintain the peace but now these all-terrain vehicles have made their way to south Surrey.  

I've been informed these quads have been seen around the Semiahmoo mall recently helping to combat auto crime.   Now imagine my surprise when quietly relaxing at Crescent Rock beach this weekend when I heard the unmistakable sound of ATVs on the shoreline.  I quickly got up out of my lawn chair to see what was happening and spotted two uniformed officers nearby turning their quads around on the beach in front of the Crescent Rock boulder that serves as a gatepost for the start of the clothing-optional beach.  They paid no heed to the elderly couple nude sunbathing near them and began driving back towards Crescent Beach.  At the spot where the Jack Stroud memorial is for the teen struck and killed by the Amtrak three years ago, they stopped to talk to several people and I managed to catch up to them.

The police officers were very engaging and obviously quite happy to be patrolling the beach where most people welcomed them and their machines.   These ATVs are equipped with emergency lights plus an onboard computer system allowing the cops to check ID's for outstanding warrants and criminal history.  The officers were nice enough to allow a lady to sit on one of their machines and have her picture taken with them.  I chatted the boys in blue up about their quads and they told me they would be doing beach patrols with them during the summer months looking for a variety of violations such as open liquor, public drunkenness and of course fires.  I asked whether they were patrolling White Rock and they informed me that while both cities have the RCMP, the two detachments do not share resources.  

Knowing they had turned around directly in front of a couple that were nude sunbathing not far down the beach, I asked the senior officer if he had asked the folks there to get dressed or move further along the shoreline.  He informed me that the Surrey RCMP was well aware of the clothing-optional beach and that it was perfectly legal under Canadian law.  This office also told me that a tourist had recently seen a naked man at Crescent Rock beach and reported it to E-Com 911 where it was mistakenly forwarded to the Surrey RCMP for investigation.  He questioned why the City of Surrey was so reluctant to put up signage indicating where the boundary for the nude beach was and alerting residents and visitors alike to its clothing-optional status.  He also indicating that the RCMP had contacted the City about this issue without the problem being addressed.

You only need to look at Vancouver to see how they sign the world-famous Wreck Beach.  Metro Vancouver has posted large green and yellow signs stating "Clothing Is Optional at Beach ahead" at the many trails leading down the bluff, plus "Clothing is required beyond this point" at the top of the trails for people leaving the beach.  Other signs read "Welcome to Wreck Beach, a clothing-optional beach in Pacific Spirit Park" along with several etiquette rules, "Please respect people's privacy, photos or video only with consent, don't stare and/or gawk."  These signs also implore people to "Please carry out all garbage" and to "Keep the beach safe and clean."  In Surrey there are two dilapidated signs near the Christopherson Steps and 1001 Steps reading "Please keep your park clean, carry out what you carry in" but both of these were cut down years ago and are now simply laying in the bush.

I think that the addition of having police officers on ATV's patrolling the waterfront will greatly reduce the problems at Crescent Beach, especially after dark when alcohol-fuelled bonfire parties often happen.  It is a waste of police resources to have officers respond to reports of nude people at the clothing-optional Crescent Rock beach.  Proper signage for the buff beach in both Surrey and White Rock would greatly reduce nuisance calls about folks getting an all-over tan.  I simply do not understand why the City of Surey refuses to deal with this issue as with more people utilizing Crescent Rock as Surrey's version of Wreck Beach, those not aware there is a nude beach in south Surrey will continue to be in for an eyeful when they discover it.

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

Let's Murder These Hornets

Sometimes you report the news, other times you are the news.  The later was the case last week when one of my crew sighted an Asian giant hornet in Steveston on the banks of the Fraser River.  Here is the story below by Richmond News reporter Alan Campbell who formerly worked at the Peace Arch News in South Surrey - White Rock.

So, there you have it folks, my worst nightmare is coming true and it looks like we will add yet another flying insect to the list of those that love to sink their stingers into me.  I have made a half dozen Asian giant hornet traps (not "murder" hornets, a sensational name created by a New York Times reporter) that will be filled with orange juice and rice wine bait and hung this week in various locations in Steveston around where this huge black and orange hornet was seen.  I've been contacted by the ISCBC and provided them with the details of this sighting on Tuesday, June 29th so that it can be further investigated.  My suspicion is that these invasive insects have a nest either in the Britannia Heritage Shipyard or on nearby Shady Island at the mouth of the Fraser River.  

Please spend the time to become familiar with the appearance of the Asian giant hornet that has been seen in White Rock before and as far north as Strawberry Heights in Langley.  Keep an eye out for them, especially if you are near flowering shrubs or plants frequented by honeybees that these hornets are fond of feeding on.  They are a very menacing looking bug with a bright orange head, big black eyes and large jaws.  The usual reaction for most people seeing one for the first time is to scream, jump back and yell "WTF?"  I know it sounds funny but my sister and buddy had the exact same reaction to spotting an Asian giant hornet.  They both described their chance encounter exactly the same also, "It scared the hell out of me!"  When you spot one you'll know it, and if you do, please report it to the ISCBC and the news media immediately.  A photo, a dead hornet, or possibly a live one (scary) is needed for positive identification.

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

Putting the Breaks on Tax Hikes

BLUE FROG owners Juanita Moffat / Kelly Breaks

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected businesses to varying degrees since health orders began closing doors early last year.  While some businesses thrived, especially those in the online delivery business, others such as airlines, cruise ships, tourism plus arts and entertainment suffered huge losses of revenue.  The Blue Frog Studios in White Rock that records music and holds concerts was basically shuttered for the past 15 months.  Just as they prepared to open up at 50 percent capacity, they received their property tax notice from the City of White Rock that had jumped nearly 50 percent, from $18,000 to $26,800, an increase of $8,800. 

The reasons for this massive tax hike are numerous but they all added up to a bitter pill that Kelly Breaks, the President of Blue Frog Studios, could not stand to swallow.  Most of the property tax hike came from the elimination of a school tax subsidy that was implemented in 2020 when COVID-19 shut down much of the economy.  The loss of this tax break for 2021 resulted in an increase in the school tax from $2,685 to $9,590, a whopping 357 percent increase.  Metro Vancouver, who can never seem to hold tax increases to the rate of inflation, increased its municipal tax 12 percent, sewer and water taxes an further 12 percent, while taxes for Translink and regional libraries increased 18 percent.  The studio's property value only increased by 4 percent but BC Assessment had changed the studio's classification from residential-business to business, further increasing the taxes owing.

Dan Hill on stage @ Blue Frog

Mr. Breaks had reached his breaking point with this huge increase in the studio's property tax bill and he decided to fight back.  He sent out a news release to various media outlets about the plight of not only Blue Frog but other businesses receiving increases in property tax that they could not afford due to the effects of the pandemic.  Well. it turns out that the squeaky wheel does get the grease because on Friday after receiving inquiries from multiple media outlets, the City of White Rock quickly let Mr. Breaks know that suddenly his tax bill was being reduced by $5,220, leaving him with a new tax bill of $21,580 that represents an increase of close to 20 percent over what Blue Frog paid in 2020.  Kelly is much happier with this new property tax bill and the speed at which it was reduced but believes the tax increases for his studio are only the tip of the iceberg for businesses across BC.

This fear is shared by the Surrey Board of Trade that has been swamped with calls from businesses in surrey complaining about large increases in property tax bills.  The SBT did a survey of their members property taxes and found that a majority of manufacturing business were reporting 20 percent increases, most construction companies' taxes were going up 30% and the bulk of real estate businesses tax bills increased by 35 percent.  SBT spokesperson Anita Huberman is on record as stating that "Businesses should pay their share of taxes but facing such significant increases in one year is simply unfair" and equating it to "Gut-punch taxation."  They are planning a grassroots letter writing campaign next moth that will target local, regional and provincial governments about how their tax increases are negatively affecting many businesses bottom lines. 

It may be that a tax revolt is what is needed to let all levels of government know that they cannot be constantly jacking up commercial property taxes with impunity.  The distribution of taxes between residential and commercial properties needs to reflect the consumption of services and not just the whim of politicians hungry for more funds.  It remains to be seen if this will mean the return of giving business owners a vote in BC municipal elections, something that happened until 1993 when this practice was scrapped by the NDP government.  Politicians are always wary of large increases to homeowner's property tax bills and they might be more concerned about businesses if they had the power to influence elections.  The battle cry for this change should be the slogan used before the American Revolution; "Taxation without representation is tyranny."

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

June 14, 2021

A Fox in the Dog House

Several years ago, the Richmond News broke a story about how foxtail barley (hordeum jubatum), aka foxtail grass or spear grass, was injuring pets after they encountered this plant at the Dyke Trail Dog Park.  Foxtail has seed awns with sharp barbed needles that help it to burrow into the ground along with the seeds and this innovative adaptation helps it to prosper and multiply.  Unfortunately, these awns can just as easily penetrate into a dog's skin, usually in the nose, ears, belly and paws where they can cause serious health issues.  This invasive weed was causing such a problem with people's pets that the Island Veterinary Hospital issued a warning to Richmond residents to keep an eye out for this grass that is conspicuous by its light feathery seed awns in early summer.  For a detailed look at the medical problems this can cause your dog, Google search "foxtail barley pet danger" or visit this Dogheirs link:  https://www.dogheirs.com/foxtail-grass-can-kill-your-dogs/

Earlier this month I noticed that foxtail grass had infested an area along Westwater Drive in Steveston, Richmond next to a walking path that everyone and his dog literally walks down.  I reported this to former PAN reporter Alan Campbell who now works at the Richmond News plus sent an email to the Richmond Parks Department about my findings.  You can read Alan's recent article on this plant versus pet problem at https://www.richmond-news.com/in-the-community/landscaper-warns-of-dangerous-spiky-grass-in-steveston-3852462   Richmond Parks Dept. quickly came to mow the offending weeds down but missed half of the grass that was waving in the breeze and also failed to collect any of the sharp seed heads.  On our next visit a week later, I cut down the remaining foxtail and carefully raked up all of the debris, filling two 6x8' tarps in the process.   Unfortunately, it will survive and grow new seed heads again next spring. 

Of course, after all of this I now have foxtail grass on my radar and am keeping an eye out for it in my travels.  I went to Blackie Spit this weekend sleuthing out another story (more on that in another TNT) and to check out a wildlife area that I must admit I am not really familiar since I'd much rather be relaxing at the beach.  Walking from the north-east tip of the park to the south-east corner I got some interesting photographs of Canada geese swimming through the pilings from an old dock along with reading signage from the City of Surrey pointing out that native cow parsnip is not giant hogweed.  Going back to my car I got to a place where several trails intersect by a very large mound in Blackie Spit park.  It was there that I noticed several clumps of foxtail grass with their dangerous seed heads waving in the wind.  A couple with a border collie was at the top of the hill and I went up to introduce myself and warn them about the spiky threat to their dog below.

From my vantage point I could see the Blackie Spit Off-Leash Area and knowing about the problems with the foxtail grass at the Dyke Trail Dog Park in Richmond, I decided to go check it out.  I really could not believe my eyes when I found foxtail grass growing all along the front fence separating the pathway from the dog park.  Heading to the entrance, I noticed the garbage can, which most people use for disposing of their poop bags, was circled with foxtail grass that was growing thick and long from the many dogs who had used it as a urinal.  Going into the double gated dog park entranceway I photographed foxtail grass on all four sides of this pinch point enclosure.  As if this was not bad enough, there were clumps of foxtail grass within the off-leash area that had obviously been trampled by running dogs.  Heading back to the parking lot in fading light, I noticed several other areas of Blackie Spit that had foxtail grass growing wild.

Obviously, I will be contacting the City of Surrey Parks Department first thing on Monday morning to report my findings and alert them to the contents of this TNT column.  With the risk to pets, I believe the Blackie Spit Off-Leash Area should be closed immediately until this barley plant and its needle-sharp seed awns can be safely removed.  Since foxtail barley is currently in seed, I think the best way to do this this would be to hoe or dig the grass out and collect all of the plant material from in and around the dog park for disposal.  For other areas of Blackie Spit the seed heads could be carefully cut off and the plants either dug out or fenced off and treated with herbicide.  Surrey still uses herbicides to control invasive or noxious plants such as Japanese knotweed and knapweed, marking these areas with signs.   Once the foxtail barley has been eradicated these spots could later be seeded with pasture grass or wildflower mix. 

City of Surrey crews need to be educated about this problem and be on the lookout for foxtail grass, especially when it is easy to spot with its light green feathery seed heads visible this time of year.  There are 14 off-leash dog parks in Surrey and all of these need to be checked to see if they are infested with foxtail grass like at Blackie Spit.  Parks Department grass cutting crews need to be educated not to mow this invasive plant down which helps to disperse its seeds to other parks.  I would suspect that the Serpentine Fen, with its long trails beside grassy meadows is another dog-friendly area that should be inspected for the aptly named spear grass.  The same can likely be said for the popular Mud Bay Trail that runs from Surrey into Delta along the shores of Mud Bay.  

If you are a dog owner who frequents Surrey parks with your four-legged friend, please familiarize yourself with foxtail barley's characteristics and report it with an exact location to any of the following contacts:  

Email to:  parksrecculture@surrey.ca

Message on Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/TheCityofSurrey

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

June 7, 2021

Let's Talk Turkey

As someone who spends much of their time outdoors, I tend to find all sorts of interesting natural phenomenon simply by keeping my eyes open.  Case in point, last week I was visiting a friend of mine in south Surrey when I noticed a bizarre looking ring nestled in tall grass under some trees.  A closure inspection revealed what I instantly identified as turkey tail mushrooms (Trametes versicolor), likely growing on top of an old tree stump or a rotting root.  These were rather striking with the small cluster of overlapping fans featuring light cream edges with alternating rings of tan, brown and vivid shades of green that actually are algae.  My buddy was surprised to see such an interesting fungus growing in his yard and was even more impressed that I actually knew what it was.  I took a few photographs including the one posted with this TNT that I submitted for the coveted WR Sun front page photo.

I have often come across turkey tail mushrooms quite often as this common variety can be found consuming rotting wood in countries around the world.  Where I usually find it is growing on dead standing or fallen hardwoods but it can appear on the forest floor attached to any kind of decaying wood.  After taking my colourful photo of this fungi I went home to learn more about this mushroom, referencing my copy of The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Mushrooms.  In case you are not familiar with these books, they are a great field guide to everything from spiders to insects, birds to mammals and trees to weather with 20 topics about the natural world in print.   While I may bring home chicken mushrooms, morels or chanterelles when in season, it was not surprising to learn that while not poisonous these tough as nail turkey tails are not a choice edible mushroom.

What is rather interesting about this beautiful polypore fungus is that it has been used in eastern medicine in many Asian countries including China and Japan.  It is consumed as a tea for cleansing and detoxifying effects, to boost the immune system and to promote general health and longevity.  Researchers have identified more than 40 different naturally occurring antioxidants in turkey tail fungus including baicalein found in thyme and used in hematological cancer treatments, flavonoids like in kale and strawberries believed to be heart healthy, phenols that promote anti-inflammatory response and quercetin found in green tea and red wine consumed widely as a supplement.  Taking note of the use of turkey tail in fighting disease across Asia, the Food and Drug Administration in the USA has funded research into its use for lessening the effects of cancer treatment like chemotherapy and to help control prostate cancer in men and breast cancer in women.

There is a wide array of health claims posted on the internet about the benefits of turkey tail mushrooms, which I believe must be taken with a grain of salt.  That being said, there are thousands of turkey tail products available for sale including a wide variety of teas, powders, extracts, capsules, tinctures, gummies and even grow-your-own terrarium kits.  I'm hoping there is some truth to the health benefits associated with this very common fungus but for me, I simply enjoy finding them in the natural environment and checking out their concentric rings and vivid colours.  I have seen much larger colonies of turkey tails in the past but the one at my buddy's place in south Surrey only a block from North Bluff Rd./16 Ave. and Johnson Rd./152 St. was the first one I've ever taken a picture of.  I guess I could have collected it and chopped it up to make tea but it still remains growing slowly on the Semi-pen stump where I found it.

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

One Way Ahead

Many jurisdictions across the Lower Mainland have taken steps to help restaurants expand their outside patio space to increase the number of tables available for diners with social distancing measures in effect.  Tents have been sprouting like mushrooms in parking lots, public walkways have been set aside for tables and parking areas have become patios in order to expand seating while indoor dining is restricted.  White Rock is about to take a page out of the Star Trek handbook and "boldly go where no man has gone before" by closing down one lane of their waterfront main drag, making it a one lane, one way street, so that local restaurants can dramatically increase their patio space.

Under this plan posted on the whiterockcity.ca website, the formerly two-way traffic on Marine Drive will be one way from Vidal Street on the west side of White Rock to Maple Street on the east side.  There will be one lane of traffic heading eastbound from Vidal St. to the Little India Restaurant near the pier.  Across the Hump hillside traffic will be two lanes including north side parking but only in the eastbound direction.   Heading into East Beach, Marine Dr. will once again merge into one lane at Balsam St. near Moby Dicks Fish & Chips and stay one lane eastbound until past each beach at the start of the Semiahmoo First Nation land with traffic returning to two-way at Maple Street.  You can see proposed traffic change maps on the whiterockcity.ca website at this link:  https://www.whiterockcity.ca/DocumentCenter/View/6266/On-Table-Item-62a---Marine-Drive-West-Bound-Lane-Closure

So, you're probably wondering how does traffic get from the east end of Marine Drive back to the west end for those cruising the strip or looking for a prime parking spot?  Simply go north on Maple Street then turn left onto either Victoria Ave. or Columbia Ave. heading westbound.  At Johnston Rd. Columbia veers south and joins up with Victoria at Foster St. and a block from there you turn left on to Vidal, rejoining traffic heading east on Marine Drive including that funneling down Oxford Hill or from Marine Drive heading east.  It is estimated that both Victoria and Columbia will see increased traffic volume of more than 250 cars per hour during peak times (read sunny weekends).  For anyone who has witnessed the Marine Drive traffic jam when it is two lanes, just try to imagine what it will be like when it becomes one way and single lane.

It was the White Rock BIA that brought forth this plan to assist the restaurants along Marine Drive with extra patio seating utilizing the westbound lane of Marine Drive until Covid-19 restrictions ease.   City Council made the decision at a May 10 Council meeting voting 6-1 to “direct staff to close the north lane of Marine Drive until September 2021."   The rental of the orange plastic water-filled barricades needed for this plan will cost an initial $50,000 to install and a further $40,000 a month for the three months they are needed.  Traffic control personnel will be needed for this temporary change, estimated to cost $1,000 a day or more while the one-way Marine Drive diversion is in effect.  Of course, much of the existing road signage will need to be changed or modified plus new signage created and posted with no word on these costs.

This plan carries some additional problems that have yet to be addressed.  First off, it has not been announced what they will do about Translink bus service across the waterfront and how public transit will operate with the proposed one-way zone.  How will city staff empty garbage cans, water hanging baskets and perform other work with nowhere to park and only one lane of traffic allowed?   While this concept is being driven by the need to help the restaurants along Marine Drive, they receive deliveries in the morning with large 5-tonne trucks blocking the westbound lane, which of course will now be occupied by patio space.  Most concerning is how this change will affect the response time for emergency services during what is likely to be gridlock during summer weekends, a public safety question that has yet to be answered.

I know from talking to various White Rock employees that many of them believe the one-way Marine Drive concept will be a fiasco, with words like "SNAFU" and "trucked-up" (or something like that) being commonly used.  Social media comments and online polls point to an overwhelming disapproval of this plan, especially from residents in White Rock.  I understand that members of Council are being inundated with emails and calls from people concerned about the direction that City Hall is taking on this issue.  I should note here that Councillor Dave Chesney who is also the editor of the WR Sun was the one lone dissenting vote when this motion was passed.  This matter will come before Council soon to pass a budget for this project and if costs balloon, maybe it will give those who originally voted for this scheme time for some serious reflection as to whether it's a good idea or not.

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

The Dirty Dozen Revisited

A few years back I had a plethora of story ideas I had accumulated from around the Semiahmoo peninsula, twelve to be exact.  Since none of them really jumped off the page at me I decided to hit the reset button and dump them all at once, penning the original "The Dirty Dozen" that was twelve short paragraphs on the various topics I had compiled.  With a cover picture featuring a dozen white and brown speckled quail's eggs, it made for one of the more unique The Naked Truths I have written over the past decade writing for the White Rock Sun.  This TNT does not feature twelve different topics, only one, but there are exactly one dozen similar items that will be the focus of this TNT.

Along the length of Crescent Road from King George Blvd. to Crescent Beach are a dozen old fashioned park benches featuring heavy concrete bases with green painted 2x4s bolted onto them.  You can find them at most of the bus stops with the majority of these benches positioned on the south side of the street and only a few on the north side.  They all sport a plaque with the old Surrey municipal logo featuring 5 stars for the town centres, a beaver and the peach arch plus the saying "Designated Heritage Site, City of Surrey."  I'm quite familiar with them as there is one in front of a friend's property not far from Crescent Beach that I see every time I stop in for a visit.  To be quite honest, other than reading the plaque and wondering how a street bench became a heritage site, I had never given them a second thought.

That changed last week when I headed off to work down Crescent Road as I often do.  There were several people standing next to the bench by Crescent Park and 128 Street and I realized that I had never seen anyone ever sitting at any of these benches.  Driving by I noticed that one of the concrete supports was leaning at a crazy angle and I wondered if the reason this one was never used was because it was unsafe.  As I headed towards King George, I quickly scanned the rest of the south side benches to check out their condition.  Even while driving it was plainly obvious that these benches had fallen into a serious state of disrepair.  Coming home that evening after a hard day's work I looked at the ones at the north side and was equally appalled by what I saw.

It wasn't until the weekend when I took the time to visit all of these street benches, check out their condition and take pictures that I realized these "Designated Heritage Sites" had been long forgotten by the City of Surrey.  Some of the concrete bases were not sitting level with one looking like it has been damaged some years ago.  The heritage plaques were either faded (on the north side) or covered in algae (on the south side) plus the bolts that held them in place were rusted.  Many of the 2x4 board (there are 7 on each bench) were rotten or broken on the lower portion that you actually sit on.  The once bright green paint was peeling from most of the boards or they were covered in thick green algae that you could see visible slug and snail trails on.  Besides having ivy and blackberries growing through them, the bench in front of the Elgin Heritage Park had thick grass growing up through the seat that was as tall as the back of the bench!

The 4.5 kilometre length of Crescent Road was constructed back in 1882 linking the original Peach Arch Highway and Semiahmoo Trail wagon road to the emerging community at Crescent Beach, more than two decades before the Great Northern Railway line was opened.  Crescent Road's heritage value was formally recognized in 1983 on the City of Surrey Heritage Register #7716 and placed on the Canada's Historic Places registry in 2005.  It is likely that the heritage benches were installed in the mid 1980's, which would explain their current dilapidated state after more than 35 years of being outside.  The original Heritage Marker sign for Crescent Road that was a yellowish orange was replaced several years back with the new white and black version.  For more information on Crescent Road and its heritage value visit this link on the historicplaces.ca website: https://www.historicplaces.ca/en/rep-reg/place-lieu.aspx?id=2591

Currently these dozen benches are un-usable and possibly dangerous.  If you were to sit on any of them, you would get covered in green algae slime and flakes of paint and primer.  Worse yet, you might break one of the remaining rotten boards or possibly get a big splinter in your butt.  The only bench that is in reasonable condition is the one closest to Crescent Beach by Tulloch Road that has signs of a previous repair but it is greener than my lawn (and that's green).   The City of Surrey needs to address this issue immediately and I will ensure the proper department receives the 12 damning photos I took.  It is possible these could be rebuilt using green composite 2x4s (see lumberrock.com) that are extremely durable and easy to clean.  Another option is to simply replace them with new bus stop ad benches.  Of course, the vegetation around them still needs to be trimmed down on a regular basis since nobody wants to sit down on a blackberry.

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

So many nights I'd sit by my window
Waiting for someone to sing me his song
So many dreams I kept deep inside me
Alone in the dark, but now you've come along

Lyrics to "You Light Up My Life", written by Kasey Cisyk for the song track album to the 1977 film of the same title.

Made famous as a cover song by Debby Boone, daughter of Pat Boone, becoming a No. 1 song for ten weeks, also in 1977.

I'm not sure where the trend first started but it seems that more and more new homes are being built with a stunning array of outdoor lighting.  This usually includes recessed soffit lighting often installed around the entire outside of the building, plenty of driveway lights, lights built into stairways and landscaping lighting.  There are now large homes throughout Surrey that are lit up at night like it was the middle of the day.  Making this obnoxious trend even more disturbing is the fact that these nocturnal light shows are usually tied to a light sensor so they remain on all night long.  When the McMansion was built next to our house, we lost all of our privacy in the back yard but fortunately they didn't ring their house with soffit lighting so our place fortunately still remains dark at night.

Light pollution from neighbours can become a serious problem, especially when one neighbour's lights illuminate their next-door property.  Case in point, a friend of mine had a hot tub in their back yard that they used without swimsuits under the cover of darkness.   This was not a problem for anyone until the neighbours placed a motion activated light on the side of their house to light up their walkway, equipped with a 100-watt halogen bulb.  The light shone over the fence and left the naked folks in the hot tub as exposed as a deer in the headlights.   Needless to say, they were not pleased with their loss of privacy and talking to the neighbours about this problem went nowhere.  My buddy eventually resorted to unscrewing the light bulb, which would be screwed back in again by the next night.  This led to the bulb mysteriously disappearing several times, culminating with the light sensor being broken by forces unknown.  

Darkness is a natural part of our ecosystem and light pollution can cause many problems far beyond never getting to see the Milky Way galaxy if living anywhere near an urban centre.  Light pollution poses a threat to nocturnal wildlife, confuses the migratory flights of birds and alters predator-prey relationships.   Humans also suffer adverse health effects with nighttime light affecting the circadian rhythm during sleep that reduces melatonin production, leading to sleep disorders, stress, fatigue and anxiety.  It has been estimated that lighting is responsible for at least one-quarter of the electricity used world-wide, wasting money and adding to our carbon footprint.  It is easy to reduce light pollution by shielding bulbs, only using lights when needed, using energy efficient bulbs and ensuring the colour of light and lumen output is not excessive for the job that is required.

The City of Surrey has been working to upgrade their street lights from yellow coloured high-pressure sodium (HPS) bulbs to the newer light emitting diode (LED) bulbs.   Because of the longevity and durability of the LED lights there is expected to be big savings in maintenance and the replacing of dangerous sodium bulbs.  Once the conversion is complete it is expected the switch to LEDs will save the city $1 million in annual costs and reduce energy consumption for road lighting by approximately 30 percent.  The focus on this program is to first upgrade areas with traffic signals and pedestrian crosswalks in order to reduce accidents.   To date almost half of the 38,800 city owned lights have been changed over to LED, including 16 percent of the lights in south Surrey.  You can check out their progress and compare the Semi-pen to other centres in Surrey (City Centre at 91%) at this rather enlightening website:  https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/1a32d6db6d724dc19b60ba1b49982914

So here is where the street light changing program hits close to home for me.  While I live in yellow glow HPS neighbourhood that has not yet been converted to LED, my next-door neighbour's light was recently changed over after it burned out.  You cannot help but notice it for the dazzling bright light illuminates the roadway and front yards for 75 metres, showing colours that are not visible with HPS.  The problem I have with this new street light is that it is extremely bright and glaring, to the point that you cannot look directly at it.  (NOTE:  I had to take an overnight break from writing this TNT as the power went out while I was writing about street lights!)  Walking down the street I found myself squinting and wishing I had worn my ballcap with its trusty brim, either that or having brought along my sunglasses.  Sorry to say but I think the city could have saved more money on both the LED fixtures and power consumption by using lights that were a little less glaring.  The overall effect looks to be that they have turned night into day on the mean streets of Surrey.

In a TNT first, I leave you with a second set of musical lyrics that I think are rather fitting, this time courtesy of Canadian rocker Corey Hart with his song "I Wear My Sunglasses at Night" from the 1983 album First Offense.

And I wear my sunglasses at night

So I can, so I can

See the light that's right before my eyes

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

Passing Over the Overpass Protesters

" I asked my doctor today how long he thinks this COVID-19 thing will last.  He responded with "How the hell should I know?  I'm a doctor, not a politician."

Things That Bug Me (Part 3)-

Mason Bees

To be perfectly honest, mason bees don't bug me but sometimes when they're in my face I still wish they would buzz off.  My first encounter with this native North American bee that is a prolific pollinator was years ago at the front door of my house in Brookswood, Langley.  I had red brick at the front entrance and the mason who installed them decided that it would be interesting to top the doorway with bricks that had their drying holes facing outwards.  In the spring after I moved in, I noticed these large black flies all hovering around the entrance going in and out of the holes in the bricks.  I quickly realized that they were not flies at all but a small black bee that was busy filling up the holes with muddy plugs.  A little research introduced me to the interesting world of the mason bee that continued to colonize my front door bricks for years.

If you are not familiar with mason bees (Osmia Megachilidae), the first thing you need to know is that they do not make honey.  There are over 150 types of mason bees in North America and most of these are native species.  They are avid pollinators and less than 300 adult females can pollenate an entire acre of plants, bushes and trees more efficiently than honey bees.  Mason bees are solitary insects with females making their own nest and not producing workers as in a honey bee hive.  Eggs are laid on pollen rich masses in small cracks or dark voids that are separated with mud into chambers until they are full with female eggs laid at the back and male eggs at the front.  In the spring mason bees emerge from cocoons from their winter hibernation with males waiting at the nesting site for females to emerge.  After mating the males all die and the females begin building nests for the next generation, living 4-6 weeks.  

I went to visit David Hutchinson, a well-known medical marijuana advocate from south Surrey, who was looking for advice with his landscaping.  Near the front door of his house in Ocean Park was a box that I knew was a commercially produced mason bee nesting box.  To say it was a beehive of activity would be an understatement and a lively pun at the same time.  There were smarms of black female mason bees coming and going, working on filling up the many tubes in the box.  I should note that the males do not have a stinger and the females rarely sting and if they do it's like a mosquito bite.  Forgetting that I was there to talk about gardening, our conversation revolved around his bees and the necessary steps you need to take to have them every year.  Much to my surprise David gave me an older mason bee box that he was no longer using plus some of the larvae that he had overwintered in paper coin tubes placed in his fridge.  Eventually we got to talking about his garden but not before I had suddenly become an amateur apiarist yet again.

Arriving at home my first task was to inform my honey that I was now raising bees that did not produce any honey.  I found a sunny spot on our deck to place the nesting box and put the sleeves of mason bee cocoons in the fridge as I had been instructed.  David told me to wait a week or two for warmer weather then to put the packages of adults outside where they would hatch.  Well, the bees had different ideas and within a few days we noticed a black bee inside our kitchen and found another one crawling inside of our fridge!  Needless to say, all of the bees went outside immediately and by the very next day we already had bees going into the nesting tubes.  Once you get used to them buzzing right by your face, these busy little mason bees are quite entertaining and we already have over 10 nesting tubes filled with eggs.  As a bonus, our fruit trees plus raspberry and blueberry bushes should be very well pollenated this year, hopefully producing a bumper crop for us.

You can purchase mason bee boxes, also called bee hotels, at the local Art Knapps nursery or at Wild Birds Unlimited.  These stores also stock and sell mason bee cocoons in the early spring that you can buy to ensure you hotel gets occupied.  It is also easy to make a DIY mason bee box simply by drilling holes into a thick non-pressure treated piece of wood and ensuring that it is covered and out of the rain.  You will find plenty of ideas on the web plus lots of information about how to care for the many types of mason bees that live in Canada.  What I like about the box I got from Mr. Hutchinson is that the block of tubes can be easily taken apart for access the cocoons and for yearly cleaning and light sanding.  The easiest mason bee house has to be small sections of bamboo stalks 5 inches long closed at the back end, dried out and tied together with rubber bands.  Unfortunately, these bamboo tubes cannot be reused but if you have a bamboo grove with thin stalks, then you have an inexhaustible supply of nesting tubes. 

For more information about mason bees and their care, check out this article from the David Suzuki Foundation:

https://davidsuzuki.org/queen-of-green/how-to-care-mason-bees-year-round/

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

The Naked Truth - April 25, 2021

Things That Bug Me (Part 2) - Asian Giant Hornet

Spring is in the air and it is time for the overwintering Asian Giant Hornet queens to emerge from their winter slumber and take up new nesting sites for this year.  In case you know them only as so-called "Murder Hornets" you need to realize that this name was first coined by New York Times reporter Mike Baker back in November of 2020 in a rather sensationalized article from the east coast written about these introduced pests here in the Pacific Northwest.   I wrote a TNT on May 11 last year titled "Stop The Asian Invasion" where if you scroll down you can read details about their background facts including a memo released by the BC Ministry of Agriculture how sightings can be reported to the invasive Species Council of BC at 1-888-933-3722, via the council's "Report Invasives" mobile phone app, or online: https://bcinvasives.ca/report

At the end of last year, I was visiting with Pixie Hobby, an environmentalist lawyer from whose name you might recognize from previously running here in the Semi-pen for both the BC Green Party and federal NDP.   I popped in to her place in Crescent Beach to return some election signs and noticing her ripped up front lawn gave her a crash course about Chafer beetles, how to fix the damage and the steps needed to keep it from happening in the future (the same info as last week's TNT, Things That Bug Me (Part1) - Chafer Beetle).  What I found interesting was the two honey bee hives that Pixie was overwintering on the front patio of her house.   She informed me that the honeybee boxes are usually found at the Dunsmuir Community Garden in Crescent Beach to help with pollination and are kept at her house for safe-keeping and supervision during the winter months.  

Officials in B.C. and Washington state are teaming up this year to battle this common enemy with plenty of traps, both installed and monitored by government employees and those built and installed by individuals looking to do their part in eliminating this threat.  The queens are likely to already have emerged from winter hibernation and begun looking for nesting sites for this year.  Catching queens in traps will ensure they do not get to make new colonies, while catching workers will let government officials know where Asian Giant Hornets are active so that their nests can be located and destroyed as happened several years ago in Nanaimo and in Blaine.  If this pest cannot be eradicated it poses a threat to our agriculture businesses by possibly killing bee hives that work to pollenate our fruits and vegetables, leading to reduced crops and decreased yields. Keep in mind that my sister squashed on of these queens in her Langley yard last March near 56 Ave. and 248 St. in Strawberry Heights showing that they can be found many miles north of the US/Canada border.

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

Things That Bug Me Part 1- Chafer beetle

Spring is in the air and by that, I mean the sound of lawn mowers being brought out of hibernation and grass being given its first cut of the year.  Unfortunately for some folks living in the Semi-pen, the winter has been cruel and they now don't have lawns to mow.  The main culprit is the European chafer beetle (Rhizotrogus majalis) that is an introduced species first discovered in the Lower Mainland back in 2001 in New Westminster.  Since that time they have spread and now can be found throughout the Lower Mainland including South Surrey and White Rock.  The larvae of these brown beetles are white grubs 1-2 cm. in length with brown heads that damage lawns by eating away at the roots of the turf, leaving brown or dead patches in lawns.  

The chafer grubs may damage grass but at least they don't rototill it down to bare earth.  These larvae are an irresistible high-protein snack that many of our native animals find irresistible.All of our nocturnal animals feed on chafer beetle grubs but it is the racoon with its size, strength and sharp claws that can tear apart and quickly roll back the turf while having a feast.   Opossums and skunks also have the keen sense of smell needed to locate chafer beetle larvae and they too can quickly dig multiple holes in a lawn in their search for these tasty morsels.  During the day crows descend on these damaged lawns and continue to rip them into smaller pieces by pulling on old synthetic turf netting that remains buried just under the ground.  

If your lawn has been torn to shreds, there are a variety of ways to combat this problem in the future.  The easiest method is to simply rake up the destroyed turf and reseed with a mixture of tall fescue and micro clover that are grub resistant and help hold the lawn together.  Usually, nutrient poor well-drained soil is part of the problem allowing chafer beetle grubs to overwhelm a lawn, so laying down a thick layer of organic topsoil before seeding is a definite improvement.  Should you really want to stop all creatures great and small from feasting on your lawn, landscapers can cut out the old grass, excavate the sub-soil, install new topsoil and re-turf.  If you are going through with this expense, an underground irrigation system is also a good idea.  Lastly, having artificial lawns installed or getting rid of lawns all together is always an option.

The easiest way to avoid chafer beetle damage is to keep your lawn healthy in the first place.  This means applying dolomite lime in the fall and overseeding bare spots in the spring once it is warm enough for the seed to germinate.  Aerating to relieve compaction, help control moss and provide air to lawn roots can be beneficial.  A comprehensive fertilizer program designed to help keep grass thick and lush will keep adult chafer beetles out and grow roots faster than the grubs can eat them.  Mowing at 6-8 cm. or 2.5 to 3 inches in height will make for a healthier lawn as will mulching your lawn and allowing the cuttings to build up the organic matter in the lawn instead of filling up your green bin.  Most importantly, in the summer when it is hot, do not mow your lawn, especially when it is sunny as this will put it into drought stress.  Water your lawn deeply when allowed to under Met-Van sprinkling regulations to keep grass green and healthy.

There are no pesticide sprays that can be used under municipal bylaws to help kill chafer beetles and do you really want to poison your lawn?  There are a few more natural ways to help control chafer grubs that are not toxic to pets, animals or the environment.  Beneficial nematodes, small parasitic worms that enter beetle larvae, can be purchased from local garden stores in the late spring and put onto the lawn in July once chafer beetle eggs have hatched.  These have to be watered in and kept moist and you can apply at City Hall for an exemption to sprinkling restrictions during this time.  Another natural alternative is Scots Grub-B-Gone MAX with the pet safe and naturally occurring bacteria Bacillus Thuringiensis (Bt) that infects the gut of underground larvae.   It can be used in spring to control over-wintering grubs, in July or August to control newly hatched grub larvae or in the fall to control new grubs hatched from eggs laid in the summer.  

Having a nice lawn is not rocket appliance, or something like that.  You simply have to follow the suggestions listed above, especially if you have had chafer beetle damage or racoon rototilling.   A healthy lawn does not take a lot of time for upkeep and with mulching instead of bagging, there is much less work involved.  The big trick is finding the right medium of watering and fertilizing where the lawn is thick and green without growing so fast that cutting it becomes a real chore.  These days with Covid-19 stay at home health orders and concerns about food quality and availability, many people are getting rid of their lawns and putting in vegetable gardens instead.  Not only do you get a bountiful harvest that you grew yourself, you don't have to worry about those damn chafer beetles.

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

Surrey Real Estate Board

I really could hardly believe my eyes when a friend sent me a picture last week of a new board game that a buddy of his had found at a Surrey Wal-Mart.  There in the toy section among the hundreds of different board games was one that stood out above the rest.  We are all familiar with Monopoly, a game first created in 1933 by Charles Darrow based on Atlantic City, New Jersey.  Well folks living in Surrey, B.C.'s second largest city, can now play their own version of Monopoly titled Surreyopoly created under license by Onset Media Games in Victoria (https://www.outsetmedia.com/).

This new board game released April 5th is totally Surrey.  The name even features a beaver in the middle (Surrey's old mascot) along with the slogan "A fun game celebrating BC's City of Parks!" and the Canadian maple leaf flag.  The GO corner space where you collect $200 for passing reads "Go Surrey!" along with a smiling arrow.  While the regular monopoly game's cheapest properties are the initial Mediterranean and Baltic Avenue in brown, in Surreyopoly they feature the 1001 Steps (in Ocean Park) and Crescent Beach, costing $70 and $80 respectively.  If only properties in this real neighbourhoods close to the waterfront in south Surrey were so cheap.  Further along the light blue Oriental, Vermont and Connecticut Avenues have been replaced by the Guildford Golf & Country Club, Morgan Creek Golf Course and the Northview Gold & Country Club.  At the corner where the Monopoly's jail is situated, the Surrey version has a Traffic Jam with a Detour taking the place of the Just Visiting.  

Three Skytrain stations, Gateway, Surrey Central and King George take the place of the purple St. Charles Place, States and Virginia Avenues.  Three of Surrey's parks, Surrey Bend, Darts Hill Garden and Bear Creek take the place of the orange St. James Place, Tennessee and New York Avenues.  The Free Parking corner that is used to acquire penalty money paid to the centre of the board instead features an "I Love Surrey!" with a big read heart.  Rounding the corner halfway through the board, the red Kentucky, Indiana and Illinois Avenue squares instead feature the Surrey's International Children's Festival, Surrey Vaisakhi Parade and the Cloverdale Rodeo & Country Fair.  The regular yellow squares for Atlantic and Ventnor Avenues plus Marvin Gardens have been replaced by the Historic Stewart Farm, Barnston Island Ferry and the Museum of Surrey.  

The corner square heading into the final stretch features "Exit to Traffic Jam" instead of the "Go to Jail", which I think would have been much funnier if it was the Surrey Pre-trial jail.  The hoity-toity green squares of the high rent Pacific, North Carolina and Pennsylvania Avenues are instead the Centre Stage at Surrey City Hall, the Bell Performing Arts Centre and the Surrey Art Gallery.  Last but not least the royal blue of Park Place and Boardwalk (my favourites) are the South Surrey Arena and Downtown Surrey in the Surreyopoly game.  The four railroads that occupy the centre position on each side of the board are now highways featuring 176 Street, South Fraser Perimeter Road, Fraser Highway and King George Boulevard.  Lastly the utility companies Water Works and Electric Company are instead the Peace Arch Border Crossing and Surrey Memorial Hospital.  

It is not only the City of Surrey that now has its own Monopoly styled board game created by Late For the Sky in Ohio that prints custom Monopoly versions.   Marketed by Onset Media and sold in Canadian Wal-Marts, versions for Burnaby, Chilliwack, Langley, Maple Ridge, Penticton, Port Coquitlam, Prince George and Richmond were released last week with 720 copies in each of these municipalities.  There is also Vancouveropoly, Saskatoonopoly, Whitehorseopoly, Trailopoly, Victoriaopoly, Edmontonopoly, Calgaryopoly, Oakvilleopoly and Canadaopoly with more towns across Canada on the drawing board.  If you cannot make it to your nearest Wal-Mart of want to buy one as a gift for distant friends or relatives, these games can be purchased online on the Walmart.ca website.  

https://mashable.com/2015/01/21/monopoly-facts/

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

The Naked Truth - April 6, 2021

Douglas Fir McCallum

A week ago Sunday, I was busy in my front yard doing my best impersonation of Paul Bunyan, chopping up logs into firewood and stacking it into a large pile of cordwood that we burn in our firebox to heat our home in the winter months.   The weather that day had already been all over the map with sun, rain, hail and wind, similar to a usual day in Calgary.  All of a sudden there was a distant roar and I realized the noise was wind coming towards our Crescent Heights home off Mud Bay.   It didn't take long for the big evergreens to start waving down by the beach and as the first blast of wind reached our property, I took shelter inside and watched the neighbour's Douglas fir frees shed branches and pinecones all over the roadway and our yard. 

This same freak windstorm was also to blame for a tree falling over several blocks away from a home sandwiched between Crescent Road and 28 Ave. not far from the Chevron gas station.  An evergreen just inside the white picket fence bent over and fell into the side of the road that is City of Surrey property.  Not exactly an emergency situation considering that the street isn't an arterial road and that it was not blocked to vehicular traffic either.  Normally in this situation it is up to the homeowner to deal with the fallen tree since it originated from inside their property.  At most the city might clear the road of tree debris and possibly put up a couple of traffic cones to alert people to the obstruction.  Where things get a little weird is when the home in question is owned by the City of Surrey's playboy mayor Doug McCallum and his estranged wife.

Neighbours across from McCallum's former family home told me that the tree in question was blown over during the same wind storm that chased me indoors from my hatchet job on Sunday afternoon.   At 11:30 p.m. on Sunday night arborist crews arrived on site and began chain sawing the tree that had fallen down, cutting off the branches and sawing the trunk into firewood sized chunks that are still visible in a pile in the Mayor's yard.  With all of the racket and unnecessary noise the neighbour's phoned 911 to reach the Surrey RCMP and were told to phone the incident in to the non-emergency reporting desk (604-599-0502, a number you should have on your cell phone).  The arborist work completed at 1:30 a.m. and later that morning a chipper trunk showed up to deal with the branches and clean up the mess.  I should note here that the neighbour did not identify whether the arborists were city crews or hired contractors.

Normally city crews or their hired contractors do not deal with trees that fall from private property.  The White Rock arborist told me that city crews will only clear trees and branches from city property, usually cutting them back to either the side of the roadway or edge of the sidewalk to not impede traffic or pedestrians.  Trees fell across our roadway on 124 St. a year ago and crews only cut them back to the centre lane, putting traffic cones around them where they stayed for almost a week before being removed.  Sunday's storm also felled a cedar tree onto Crescent Road near the Elgin Hall and it still sits there today a week later marked off with traffic cones.  A big leaf maple tree recently fell across 140th St just south from Crescent Road and while the road was cleared, the tree was left on either side, which is where I got the wood that I was chopping last Sunday.  It took almost two weeks for city crews or contractors to clean up what was left of this debris on what is an arterial road.

So, this leaves us with some rather interesting questions about why the evergreen falling out of Mayor McCallum's property necessitated a Sunday night response from arborists who were likely charging double or triple time for their nocturnal services.  I'm going to go out on a limb and ask why was this tree not left until the following morning since it was not blocking traffic and fell into a boulevard on a quiet residential street, not a trunk road?  It needles me as to who was responsible for ordering arborists crews to attend to this tree in the middle of the night, likely at a high cost to Surrey taxpayers?  On a similar branch of thought, why were arborists cutting down a non-hazardous tree after midnight in a residential neighbourhood when people were trying to sleep?  Most importantly, even though he reportedly no longer lives at this property, did Surrey Mayor Doug McCallum get preferential treatment and receive arborist services that would normally be the responsibility of the homeowner?  Well, an FOI request is going to be filed with these questions because I'm stumped and would really like to get to the root of this problem.  Hopefully I'm not barking up the wrong tree.

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

March 29, 2021

Open & Shut Case for Opening Shut Staircases

It wasn't long after the stair closures that the City of Surrey placed gigantic signs all through the western end of the Semi-pen announcing "Important Notice, Stairs Closed, No Access, and in bold print (for no apparent reason) LOCAL TRAFFIC ONLY.  What was really galling about this was that for years Surrey has refused to place signage pointing the way to any of these staircases or to Crescent Rock Beach.  You can find the 1001Steps and Christopherson Steps passageways listed online on the Surrey.ca website but the only roadway sign is an antiquated and faded "1001 Steps" marker near these stairs that is small and almost invisible.  The Olympic Trail also known as Stoner's Point and Pot Point because of the large wooden viewing platform that is a popular smoking spot is also missing from the city's website.  The same goes for the Sandy Trail that runs from the Crescent Heights neighbourhood off Crescent Drive down the bluff to Bayview Ave. where McBride Street crosses the BNSF Railway tracks.   As luck would have it, I have one of these huge signs directly across from my driveway that serves as a constant reminder of the year-long closure of all these staircases.

Now when COVID-19 was first rearing its ugly head there were many restrictions put in place on the side of caution without much thought to whether they were actually needed or helped stop the spread.  As science on the pandemic virus has improved and we know more about how it operates and is transmitted, there have been changes to health orders that have been implemented as a hap-hazard patchwork across much of Canada.  Something that is banned in one community can be completely ignored in the jurisdiction right next door.  Case in point is the difference in staircases between Surrey and the City of White Rock.  I should note here that this comparison was brought to light when I realized that Sandy Trail leading to Crescent Beach has a wooden staircase that is the same width (less than 2 metres) as the 1001 Steps, Olympic Trail and Christopherson Steps staircases and yet it has amazingly been left open to pedestrians heading to and from Crescent Beach for the past year.

The City of White Rock has numerous staircases across the hillside that rises from Marine Drive towards uptown.  Many of these are the same size and construction as the wooden staircases in Surrey leading to Crescent Rock Beach.  There are five road-end staircases west of Oxford south of the Centennial Arena plus many more wooden stairs within the confines of Ruth Johnson Park that are all open to the public without restrictions.  Closer to the famed White Rock pier there are seven more city staircases open to the walking public plus twenty more above east beach allowing access to Marine Drive from as far up the hill as Royal Ave.  It would have been quite easy to block access to any or all of these stairs using temporary metal fencing as was done last year to close the pier and promenade to pedestrians.  I know several people living in White Rock who use these road-end staircases to exercise, something that the Surrey Parks Board used as justification to close the staircases leading to the rugged and remote Crescent Rock beach shoreline.

The new BC Public Health Orders list "going for a walk or hike" as their prime example of activities allowed under the order that is not considered a social gathering.  For outdoor gathering where up to 10 people can now get together outdoors, their example is "up to 10 people can gather at a park or beach."  Well in my neighbourhood it is hard to go for a walk or a hike when the gates to the ocean staircases are locked shut with now rusty chains making it impossible to gather with 10 of my closest friends at the beach.  Yet amazingly in White Rock, using staircases to go up and down the hill to and from the beach have been open for the past year.  Instead of closing down the staircases on the Ocean Park bluff, Surrey should instead have simply mandated the use of masks on the staircases since they are less than 2 metres wide and banned stairclimbing for exercising.  Of course, they could have followed White Rock's lead and with these stairs being outdoors having very low potential for COVID-19 transmission, simply kept them open.

Over the past year Canadians have been told to stay home and self-isolate to help "stop the spread" and help "flatten the curve."  With nowhere to go and public access to areas such as Crescent Rock beach being blockaded, people's butts have been spreading and they have been fattening their curves.  This of course leads to many other medical health issues not related to COVID-19, one of which recently put a friend's wife into Peace Arch Hospital.  The mental health aspect of having an entire society cooped up and isolated is being ignored too, something that could be greatly improved by allowing people the simply act of going for a walk at the beach and giving them some time in the natural environment to relax and take a break from all the COVID-19 hysteria.  It has been a year since the staircases were locked and it's time for Surrey to take a look across 16th Ave. into White Rock and see that having open staircases leading to the waterfront has not killed anybody or caused a COVID-19 outbreak among a population known to be a little long-in-the-tooth.

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

Semiahmoo Yes, Surrey No

The Semiahmoo Fish & Game Club has been a focal point for Semi-pen conservationists, environmentalists and nature lovers since it was formed back in 1957 on the banks of the Little Campbell River at 1284 184 St in the Hazelmere Valley.  It consists of 29 acres of land with accessible trails, a fish hatchery, club house plus both archery and gun ranges.  You can read all about the history of the SFGC, the Little Campbell hatchery, efforts to protect the Little Campbell river, its archery and range programs plus hall rentals at https://www.sfgc.ca/   I should note here that I have been a club member for a few years now and am also the director in charge of landscaping around the hall.  Because of this I have refrained from writing about the following topic for some time due to ethical and legal reasons.

With aging buildings and infrastructure, concerns started to be raised about upcoming maintenance bills that would likely have a major financial impact on the club and its long-term viability.  Further exacerbating financial concerns was the decrease in the number of weddings booked at the hall on a year-to-year basis, events that previously brought in plenty of revenue.  Even with a sizeable contingency fund, the club's executives began to worry about the long-term viability of the club that would threaten the hatchery and the hundreds of thousands of fish they raise every year.  This was well before the COVID-19 pandemic and with Dr. Bonnie Henry's health orders in place for a year, many of the activities and bookings that would normally have taken place were cancelled with 2021 memberships also being put on hold.

Under the Societies Act, a special resolution vote was needed in order to facilitate the SFGC land transfer to the city of Surrey plus activate the agreement that would be in place.  Unlike budget votes where a simple 50% majority would pass, a two third majority of 66.7% was needed in order to allow Surrey to take control of the property and its operation.  With COVID-19 protocols making a regular meeting impossible, a Zoom meeting was held on Sunday, March 21st where 129 people voted on the proposal to give up control of the 64-year-old club.   Of the 129 SFGC members who voted, 76 voted yes with 53 voting no, resulting in 58.9% in favour, far short of the two third majority needed to approve the land transfer.

It will now be back o the drawing board for the SFGC and it would not surprise me to see a number of the executive move on after their plan for the cub was defeated.  It did not surprise me that the motion to give the $4.5 million SGFC property at no cost to Surrey failed.   In February, PM Trudeau announced plans to introduce legislation allowing cities across Canada to ban hand guns.  In the 2018 civic election Doug McCallum said  “I fully realize (a ban) doesn’t do anything to prevent the gang violence that we’re seeing in Surrey because they operate with illegal guns no matter what you do."   Now in 2021, Major McCallum had this to say on the subject, "That is why I wholeheartedly support a handgun ban for the City of Surrey and I am directing staff to immediately begin work on a bylaw for Council approval as quickly as possible."

There are a lot of shooting sports enthusiasts who are members of the SFGC and considering Mayor McCallum's flip-flop on gun control, it is unlikely they would want to give the city of Surrey their gun range, knowing it would likely be shut down soon after the city took control of the facility.  It seems difficult for politicians to do anything about illegal guns and criminal gangs but law-abiding citizens with legally owned and registered firearms are always easy to put in the cross-hairs.   With a new lease on life and the COVID-19 pandemic near an end, there is hope that the SFGC can begin the process of rebuilding and finding new sources of revenue.  I would think that renting range time to members of the new Surrey Police Service for pistol practice is something to aim for.

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

Time For Change

I awoke from my slumber on Sunday mornig like Bill Murray in Groundhog Day to face the prospect of yet another time change day, springing forward to Daylight Savings Time (DST), losing an hour of sleep, and spending time adjusting clocks.  I had hoped we would have put our twice annual time change into the dust bin of history but unfortunately COVID-19 reared its ugly sphere last year and suddenly governments around the world had more important things on their agenda.  This is now the fourth TNT column I've touched on this subject over the years, the last time being March 11, 2019 titled "Ditch The Switch" that you can scroll down for more insight on this timely topic.  It is getting to the point on this subject that I am now hoping I live long enough to see the day when we can "set it and forget it" as the saying goes.

There has been some movement on this issue with BC introducing legislation in 2019 to get rid of the season time change but only if the western states of Washington, Oregon and California all do the same.  These three states have passed bills to stay on Daylight Savings Time but these need to be ratified by the US Congress where bills have stalled due to COVID-19 and the 2020 US election.  Ontario passed legislation last year to stay on DST but following BC's shining example of leadership, only if Quebec and New York State joined them in doing the same.  Alberta Premier Jason Kenning announced last week that they are considering holding a referendum on the issue of time change after 91 percent of Albertans expressed a desire in a government poll to stay on summer time.   What a waste of time, just do it (apologies to Nike).

While other jurisdictions take their sweet time deciding what to do on this issue, our neighbours to the north decided to make their own move last year, COVID-19 be damned.  Following a motion brought forth in 2017 the Yukon government surveyed their residents and found that 93 percent wanted this archaic time change practice to stop, with 70 percent expressing their desire to stay on DST.  As of March 8, 2020, the Yukon ditched the switch, showing leadership on this issue and listening to the will of the people instead of dithering like many other jurisdictions.  It is interesting to note that the Province of Saskatchewan has not bothered with the bi-annual tie change since way back in 1959, keeping their clocks on Central Standard Time (CST) all year long.  

On the subject of time and change, I read an article on a well-known business news website this week about many companies now considering going to a four-day work week.  This started from COVID pressures and the huge increase in working from home.  Some businesses started giving their employees Friday afternoon off to deal with the stress from the pandemic and noticed an increase in overall weekly productivity.  Four-day weeks mean less commuting, less energy consumption, less transportation infrastructure, plus more time at home with loved ones.  The five days a week, 8 hours a day grind makes about as much sense as the antiquated twice-yearly time change when you start to look at how we can do business differently.  

My sister-in-law works at a manufacturing plant that has their unionized employees work an extra half an hour every work day but they get off every second Friday at noon, days that are also arranged to coincide with long weekends for an early getaway.  My son-in-law runs his landscaping company utilizing four ten-hour days per week, with one crew working Mon-Thurs and the other Tues-Fri.  This keeps his employees happy with a three-day weekend every week plus still operating during a 5-day work week to get all of his jobs done.  Other companies are now having employees take a mid-week break from Tues-Thurs as a way to reduce mental stress and fatigue, allowing them to work more effectively with limited time. 

For over 35 years now I have worked 4-10 hour days per week so this concept is not new.  This means an hour early to start and later to finish but it also means not getting caught in the worst of rush hour traffic.  Of course, the bonus is that every weekend is a long weekend, with Mondays being my extra day off.  Where this gets really interesting is on a real long weekend where the three-day holiday weekend suddenly becomes a four-day weekend, meaning no long lines of traffic coming home on Monday not to mention having campsites all to yourself on the Tuesday.  Often, we will work a standard two-day weekend before the long weekend (it really sucks), shifting our work schedule, taking off the Friday and enjoying a five-day long weekend.  The following week is then only a 3-day work period followed by the usual 3-day weekend.   Needless to say, employee retention at my business is not a problem with everyone loving the extra time off, while still getting in their 40 hours and a full paycheck.

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn 

Night and Day - Day at Night

Lyrics to "Signs", The Five Man Electrical Band, 1971 and included on the
1990 compilation album "Made In Canada - Volume Three 1965 - 1974"

It took only a few trips to Mexico to realize just how horrible our road signage and safety systems really are here in the Lower Mainland.  With three members of my Mom's family perishing in automobile accidents and driving plenty of miles myself, I take road safety very seriously, especially after being at several gruesome crash scenes over the years.  I regularly send emails to various engineering departments, Mainroad Group and the BC Transportation and Infrastructure Ministry about glaring deficiencies I notice or safety recommendations that could save lives.  Case in point was myself campaigning for median cable safety barriers along Highway 99 through Delta and Surrey a decade past, which since installation have stopped cross lane accidents and the injuries and deaths that resulted.

Needless to say, I took pictures of plenty of the offending signs, some of which were so rotten and faded it was a miracle they were still standing.  These signage pictures along with detailed photo explanations and signage locations were sent to Mainroad Group, the Ministry and local MLA offices since this is an area of Provincial concern outside of Surrey's jurisdiction.  Slowly but surely, I started to see some action on this issue starting with some of the more tattered blue information signs that were flapping in the wind being taken down from the side of Hwy. 99.  Still the big green and white direction signs had not been touched and rather than resend my previous emails, I decided that if these signs were not replaced by spring, I was going to run a "Sign Shame" program, attaching my own very visible signs with this slogan to the highway's relics to help draw people's attention and media scrutiny to this issue.

Some of the wording on these signs has even changed.  At King George and the 99, the left sign had a small directional triangle pointing ahead to Hwy. 99A leading to New Westminster.  The Hwy. 99A name was decommissioned in 2006 and it is likely this sign was posted long before the Alex Fraser Bridge opened and that was in 1985 before EXPO 86.  The new replacement signage has a large straight-ahead arrow that points the way to "Surrey City Centre" that you might know formerly as Whalley.  Other sign changes are more subtle, like the one exiting from Hwy. 99 southbound onto the KGB that used to direct traffic to White Rock and Crescent Beach (with a previously blanked out Cloverdale) now being replaced with White Rock (ahead) and Crescent Road (right).   It will be interesting to note if any of this new signage is changed again when the new four-lane bridge over the Nicomekyl River is built.

Even though this problem has now been fixed in our neighbourhood there are still many highway sign relics that have lost their shine and are slowly fading away.  I have seen glaring examples that no longer glare at night in Delta, Richmond, Vancouver and Burnaby.  My favourite is the Hastings Street exit off Hwy. 1 heading northbound where the massive signage overhead is almost as bad as the ones just replaced at King George Blvd.  Keep an eye open as you move about the Lower Mainland and if you notice one of these relics, please take the time to report it to the proper authorities.  Close to home, the "White Rock - Next 5 Exits" sign southbound on Hwy. 99 before the Serpentine River corner fades from green to black at night since the background is no longer reflective.   It is hard to believe that this kind of thing is so common here, yet you never see it in Mexico where their highway signage is up to date, modern and easy to follow.

Don Pitcairn

The Naked Truth - February 22, 2021

Border Disorder

One of the craziest things about the COVID-19 pandemic has been the considerable conspiracy theories superspreading like a plague on anti-social media.  This "plandemic" has been blamed on 5G cell phones, Bill Gates' Dr. Evil-like plan to control the world, COVID-19's creation as a biological weapon, part of a scheme involving big pharma, the deep state and GMO multinationals, or my favourite that COVID-19 is not real apparently because you can't see it.  I used to laugh off many of these bizarre assertions that have no claim in science or fact, until I saw the TV footage of large green army trucks and tents taking up position at the Douglas border crossing eleven months after the world's longest unprotected border was first closed.

With an interest in oversized military trucks and army tents going way back to my cadet days and time spent on Department of National Defence property, I decided to venture down highway 99 to the once bustling land crossing between BC and Washington State.   I must admit, it was a pretty weird scene with no cars on the highway as I drove by Beach Road and the Duty-Free store with its signage now missing a few letters.  Pulling into the Canadian Border Services parking lot, there were 3 sets of modular olive drab army tents straight out of a military bivouac along with a very large six wheeled support vehicle and plenty of other trucks with Canadian military plates.  Throughout this area where plenty of men and women wearing green relish fatigues or black clothing sporting badges from their respective military units.

For a minute it looked as if Hollywood North was filming yet another sci-fi pandemic movie, which considering the times we find ourselves living in would not be a big stretch of the imagination.  It resembled scenes you might have seen in Contagion, Pandemic, Outbreak, The Andromeda Strain, I Am Legend, every zombie movie ever made, mixed in with Rambo First Blood.  The difference was that there were no cameras, no crews, no movie trailers, food trucks or overhead lights you would regularly find on a movie set.  Also missing were men marching with guns, soldiers with German Shepherds barking wildly and helicopters flying low overhead while orders blared from loud speakers.  Donning my black coat, black hat and black face mask in order to blend in and armed with a clipboard and pen to try and look important, I made my way into the enemy encampment.

The first two soldiers I met were quite personable, identifying themselves as reserve members from HMCS Discovery in Vancouver who were at the Douglas Crossing to support the installation of the army tents and associated materials.  Walking down the 50 metres long row of tents I made my way to the Canadian Border Service Agency offices where I was intercepted by two female officers who were also Canadian nice and chatted with me for a while as it appeared they were lonely and bored to tears.  Circling through the parking lot taking pictures I was met by a smiling man who introduced himself as a member of the Canadian Red Cross who was working with the Canadian Armed Forces and he put me in touch their Senior Communications Manager who helped fill in the pieces to this military mystery. 

The Public Health Agency of Canada has enlisted the Canadian Armed Forces to help establish a COVID-19 testing site at the Douglas border crossing and four other high-volume land ports of entry as of February 22, 2021 and eleven additional ports of entry as of March 4, 2021.  This is in response to new COVID-19 variant detections increasing and concerns over entry through land ports spreading the mutated virus.  Besides having to present proof of a negative COVID-19 molecular test result taken in the United States within 72 hours before entry to Canada, those who are not exempted must also now take a test using a self-swab kit.  The Canadian Red Cross personnel will be on scene to help provide information and guidance about these tests, manage traffic flow and deal with sample collection, storage and transfers.  A second self-swab kit will be provided so people can collect a second required test on day 10 of their 14-day quarantine.

There is one very big problem with the way the government is trying to tighten up testing for variants at our land border crossings.  Only a short walk away at the US side of Peace Arch Park, people are still meeting and mingling freely with over 60 tents pitched on the lawn at this park this weekend.  I saw four RCMP officers, two Canadian Border Services agents and several US Customs Service & Border Protection agents on scene, checking ID's of the hundreds of people entering and leaving this bizarre little enclave.  Multiple family gatherings are reportedly happening routinely at this park including birthday parties, romantic hookups and even weddings.  The western side of the park was closed to visitors back on June 18, 2020 so why is the eastern section still open eight months later and allowing cross-border intermingling of people during a global pandemic?

Dr. Bonnie Henry, Premier John Horgan, Governor Jay Inslee, Prime Minister Trudeau plus US Presidents Trump & Biden have all failed to properly address this issue.  If people are seen mingling with others in Peace Arch Park, spending time indoors in tents and hosting large gatherings without masks, when they cross back over the ditch into Canada, they should be taken on the short two-block walk up the street to the Douglas land crossing, tested for COVID-19 and forced into a 14-day quarantine like the rest of the people crossing the border.  It would take only a few hours to erect temporary fencing to secure the border at Peace Arch park and close this loophole that makes variant testing for people at the Douglas crossing a complete waste of time and money.   The federal Minister of Health Hon Patty Hadju who is responsible for the Public Health Agency of Canada and its $700 million budget needs to be held accountable by all Canadians for allowing this flagrant disregard of Public Health Orders to continue.

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

Boardwalk To Nowhere

If you live in the Semi-Pen, I would suggest that you join the Facebook group "If you live in South Surrey / White Rock."  It is a great way to meet your neighbours, get answers to questions concerning this little corner of the world, learn what is going on in your neighbourhood and a place to add your two bits worth.  It is also where you can become aware of such things as a local dog poisoning with a cocaine and marijuana cookie, coyotes running wild in Dunsmuir Gardens and an unusual number of vertigo cases.  It was this posting by John Bogar with a rather interesting picture taken at Blackie Spit in Crescent Beach that really caught my attention.  "Can someone please explain to me why a boardwalk to nowhere was built on the previous section of beachfront at Crescent Beach??  This narrow obstruction cuts off the beach and the entire structure makes no sense??!  We all paid for this sadly with our taxes, but who thought it up and approved it???"  This post attracted 111 responses; this TNT now makes it 112.

- What a waste. / Paint it green. / Make work project.

- Someone could place a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow and someone on Facebook would complain about it.

A quick search of the City of Surrey's surrey.ca website for Blackie Spit Park provided the following explanation for this project:  Construction is underway on a 107-metre boardwalk at Blackie Spit, which will provide an accessible route and a designated pedestrian corridor through the sensitive environmental area.  Armed with this information and a tape measure in hand, I made my way down to Blackie Spit during the weekend snowstorm to take a look at our tax dollars at work.  The boardwalk is past the Swim and Sail Clubs between the gravel parking lot and the entrance to the dog off-leash swimming beach before the entrance to the Spit and its environmentally sensitive foreshore areas.  Until recently this new wooden walkway was closed to the public but the gates at either end are now down and there are small arrow signs on the structure indicating one way travel west to east due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Not bothering to bring my measuring wheel with me, I will accept that the boardwalk is 107 metres long and mainly straight with four angled corners along the way.  My tape measure showed it is 51 inches wide with wooden planks and 4"x4" borders on each side.  The boardwalk is elevated with open space beneath allowing for water egress during storms or king tides and it sits 20 to 32 inches above the uneven ground below it.  There is galvanized mesh on one side of the boardwalk surface closest to the parking lot for traction during frost, snow, or when wet from rain or waves, plus 25 inches of bare wood towards the water providing a smooth walking surface.   The west end of this structure is approximately 25 metres from the end of the pavement heading towards McBride Avenue and 100 metres from the eastern end of the Crescent Beach Shoreline Walk.  The eastern end terminates adjacent to the entrance gate for the dog off-leash swimming beach not far from the entrance to the Blackie Spit environmental area.

So here we go, time for me to drop my drawers, bend over and take a big crap in that rainbow pot of gold.   While this boardwalk does provide an accessible route and designated pedestrian corridor from end to end, it blocks access to the shoreline from the nearby parking lot.  It also covers a large portion of the supposedly sensitive environmental area while cutting a swath directly through the middle of this already narrow grassy area.  People walking their dogs towards the off-leash area can still stroll along the grassed area as they head back and forth from the Crescent Beach Shoreline Walk.  Boaters hoping to go kayaking or canoeing will now have to walk around this structure or likely drag their watercraft over it to access the waterfront.   There is no fencing along the parking lot or on either end to stop people from walking on what was previously a flat lawn mowed down by the feet of thousands of people and their pets.

Currently, due to COVID-19 restrictions, access is only permitted from west to east on the new boardwalk but I have to ask what happens after that?  At 51 inches wide there is not a lot of room to maneuver on this platform for two people walking beside each other.  I measure 25 inches across shoulder to shoulder so imagine another gentleman walking towards me on this boardwalk; it does not leave any elbow room.  This will make people walk along the edge where there is an average of a two to a two and a half foot drop-off.   According to BC Building Code all decks/balconies that are higher than 600mm (24”) above grade must have guards to mitigate fall hazards.  In order to minimize the risk of children and pets bypassing guardrail assemblies, all openings must be designed to prevent the passage of a 100mm (4”) diameter object or must demonstrate that the opening in question is not hazardous.  You would think that city owned structures in public parks would have to adhere to the BC Building Code for safety.

I am bewildered that in an age where we are ensure access for those with mobility issues that this boardwalk is only wide enough for one wheelchair.  Most wheelchairs are 28-30 inches wide with the minimum width for one wheelchair ramp set at 32 inches and 75 inches to allow the safe passage of two wheelchairs.   Even the surface of this boardwalk does not make sense because it currently means that anyone in a wheelchair will have one set of wheels on bare wood and the other riding over wire mesh.  The same goes for anyone using a walker and if they take a spill, it could be a very hard landing two feet down on hard ground.  At the west end of the boardwalk it is 25 metres of gravelled parking lot to get to the asphalt pavement where a large speed bump awaits.  If a mobility challenged person wants to get to the Crescent Beach Shoreline walk from the new boardwalk, it is 100 metres on uneven gravel that slopes noticeably towards the shoreline

A much better option instead of this bizarre boardwalk would have been to extended the flat gravelled surface of the Crescent Beach Shoreline Walk the entire 200 metre distance alongside the parking lots behind the pollards and boulders that already protect people from cars.  This would have been cheap and easy to do, matched the existing walkway and connected the entire waterfront from one end of Crescent Beach to the other.   If Surrey wanted to protect the small grassy area near the off-leash dog-swimming beach, which is actually designated as a "park natural area" for some strange reason, it would have made much more sense to fence it off from people and pets.  As it is now configured there is nothing natural about this dangerous and skinny boardwalk that does nothing to protect the small grassy area between a busy parking lot and a popular shoreline.  

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

DPD, SPS, TNT, WTF?

"Delta Police Chief Neil Dubord and his wife Lorraine"

I grew up in North Delta and let me tell you from experience that with the private police force in Delta and officers that lived and worked in the community, they were quick to know where problem areas were and to identify troublemakers plus known criminal elements.  No, not me, my social provocateur activities started much later in life, hitting stride when I started penning this column.  I've talked to members of the Delta Police Department (DPD) who believe that they offer a superior policing model to the RCMP, mainly because they are proactive with targeting criminals and gang members, either arresting them, forcing them to quit their lifestyles, or simply getting them to move to another jurisdiction (hello Surrey).

All of this cop talk takes us back to June 6, 2020 when a Surrey woman, Kiran Sidhu, was walking along Centennial beach in south Delta during on incoming tide.  Coming across large rip-rap boulders placed along the beach for erosion control, she climbed onto the jagged rocks to escape the water, using the fence of the nearby house for support.  This led to an alleged confrontation with the homeowner who angrily warned her not to touch the fence.  After Mrs. Sidhu almost tripped on the rocks this woman reportedly said, "Ha, that would be so funny if you fell, but then again we have enough beached whales around here.”  To make matters worse Mrs. Sidhu alleged that this incident then escalated with the lady in the yard grabbing a hose and spraying Mrs. Sidhu in the face with water, after being warned that doing so would be assault.  The lady of the house was identified as Lorraine Dubord, the wife of Delta Police Chief Neil Dubord.

As if this incident didn't stink enough already, it was recently revealed last week by Global TV that the Delta Police Force had hired a high-priced communications consulting firm to deal with this issue that also included accusations of racism.  The Freedom of Information request failed to reveal the name of the PR firm or the amount that had been paid, with Delta brass claiming the release of this information would be against the Protection of Privacy Act.  After several days of intense media, constituent and councillor pressure, the Delta Police reluctantly admitted that the total cost had been $42,000.  DPD Deputy Chief Harj Sidhu also revealed that the bill for this service had been covered by the 2020 operational budget.  You need to realize that the Delta Police Dept. already has a Public Affairs Manager whose job it would normally be to handle questions from the media and public.  Apparently since this incident involved the Police Chief's wife, someone decided to hire professional flim-flam artists to help massage the narrative. 

Now you may be wondering why this Delta story is so fascinating to myself and hopefully the residents of the Semi-pen and readers of the WR Sun.  Well, back in 2020 the unnamed high-powered PR firm related to this case was hired by the Delta Deputy Chief.  This was not Harj Sidhu (no close relation to Kiran Sidhu) but their former Deputy Chief Norm Lipinski.  If this name sounds familiar get used to it, he is the officer who Surrey Mayor Doug McCallum the Surrey Police Board hand-picked to hire as the Chief Police Constable for the new Surrey Police Service.  No word yet whether blowing $42,000 of Delta taxpayer money was Lipinski's decision alone of if he was acting on orders from his superior Delta Chief Police Neil Dubord, hubby of hose-happy Lorraine Dubord.  One thing is for sure, this issue will be front and Center in Delta City Hall chambers on Monday night.  With the fight over keeping the RCMP in Surrey, I would expect the same at Surrey City Hall with the new Police Chief apparently coming to town with some rather smelly baggage.

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

On Monday, members of the Delta Police Force received a memorandum about the $42,000 of taxpayer money being spent on crisis management.  Officers were told in part "the department engaged external consultants to assist with a communications strategy during a period when there was widespread distrust with the police as a result of the George Floyd situation, mounting allegations of systemic bias within policing, and public demand for defunding police.

Members of the rank and file are not happy with the memorandum or the fact that it references George Floyd because the $42,000 was spent during Chief Dubord's wife Lorraine being investigated, allegedly for hosing down Surrey resident Kiran Sidhu.  Delta officers say that until now they have never been told why a PR firm was hired and they have not received any special training as a result.

While serving as the Deputy Chief of the Delta Police Department, I secured an external communications firm to assist in the matter surrounding Chief Dubour.  This was done to ensure the public was aware that all necessary steps were being taken to address this matter in an appropriate and transparent manner.  This course of action was taken with the full knowledge, support and consent of the Delta Police Board.

Taking the "Car" Out of Carnage

It's been a couple years of waiting but finally this week a big step is being taken in fixing one of the most dangerous intersections in this region.  On February 3rd, the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure will announce the contracting company that has been selected to upgrade the intersection of Highway 15 and 40 Avenue.  The planned changes and safety improvements should start in the spring of 2021 and hopefully end its history of violent and deadly crashes.  I previously explored safety concerns at multiple intersections along 40 Ave. in south Surrey in a TNT on September 09, 2019 titled "40th Avenue Fiasco" that is posted below in the archives if you wish to scroll down for some history on this subject. 

Knuckle Buster

Over the years plenty of people have asked me where I get my ideas for he Naked Truth topics.  I usually respond that all you have to do is to keep your eyes and ears open for anything strange, new, or out of place.  Sometimes though, it is simply a matter of not watching where you are going and tripping over a story.  That was the case with this TNT where a walk down Crescent Beach, made possible only because the Christopherson staircase has been locked closed for 10 months due to COVID, led to my find of a rather unique hunk of rusted steel.

There are plenty of old chunks of rusting iron to be found down at the beach, most which are castoffs from the adjacent BNSF Railway corridor.  Old sign posts, tie spikes, tie plates, rail joints and even chunks of cut rail can be found on the shoreline or sticking out of the rip-rap boulders than line the shoreline between White Rock and Crescent Beach.  These are very common and when I find them, I usually pick them up and dispatch them into the nearest blackberry thicket where they can continue to oxidize and rust away out of sight.  This was not the case in December when on the south end of Crescent Beach where I literally stumbled upon a solid piece of forged iron with two holes through it.

I'm reasonably sure that most people walking on the shoreline would not have given this rusted relic a second glance but I immediately knew what it was from and likely why it was there on the beach.  With having worked at the CN yard in North Vancouver, doing stupid things like climbing on board freight trains as a kid, plus walking beside trains stalled on our tracks due to mudslides from the Ocean Park bluffs, I knew the metal was from part of a train boxcar coupling unit.  A quick phone call to a friend at Fraser Valley Rail confirmed that it was indeed what is known as a "knuckle" and the one I had found had been broken in two.

Today's standard freight car coupler is the Type E - Janney "clasped-hand" device that couples automatically when one or both knuckles on the coupler are open and the cars are pushed together.  Upon impact, the knuckle swings into the closed position and a lock drops in place, securing the coupling, connecting the cars and holding the train together.   If either of the two knuckles on the coupler are to fracture on the swing pin and break, the train will come apart between the two freight cars where the failure has occurred.   The only reasonable explanation as to how a broken knuckle ended up on the shores of Crescent Beach is that it came from a train on the tracks above that would have immediately stopped once the air brake line was disconnected.

BNSF freight trains breaking down and blocking the only two access points to Crescent Beach has been an ongoing problem for years.  In 2019 Doug McCallum was on record saying that there had been 5 train blockages of Crescent Beach in the preceding 5 years.  In the "An Update on Rail Safey" report on the Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities from 2016, White Rock was featured as a case study (along with the Lac-Megantic train crash disaster in Quebec) for glaring safety deficiencies associated with crossing blockages that had been ongoing here for years.  While the Railway is supposed to clear road blockages within 5 minutes as per the Stopped Train Protocol, BNSF freight trains have been stalled blocking Crescent Beach for hours at a time, with Surrey installing CCTV cameras to monitor the Beecher St. crossing.  

Having talked to railroad maintenance crews, train engineers and local BNSF staff, I understand the problem of stalled and broken-down trains at Crescent Beach is the large curve near the Christopherson Steps at the west end of 24th Ave.  Coupled with a 10-mph speed restriction in place for the 114-year-old swing bridge at the Crescent Beach Marina, this corner puts extra pressure on the Janney knuckles connecting increasingly longer and heavier trains, causing them to crack and the trains to then come to a grinding halt when the cars separate.  The chunk of knuckle I found on the shoreline not far from the pedestrian overpass likely came from a broken-down freight train that in all probability was one of the ones that blocked off Crescent Beach in the last decade.

"An Update on Rail Safey" report on the Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities from 2016 is available online at the following link, with the White Rock and Crescent Beach portion on pages 21-24 under the heading "Rail relocation in urban areas and community impacts: Case 2https://www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Committee/421/TRAN/Reports/RP8359147/tranrp06/TRANrp06-e.pdf     It is interesting to note that White Rock received plenty of safety upgrades along their waterfront including 8 new pedestrian crossings that led to whistle cessation almost a year ago on Jan. 29, 2020. 

The risk of a BNSF train breaking down and blocking all access to Crescent Beach in Surrey still remains the same as does the constant barrage of 130 dB train horn noise.

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

Our Home On Native Land

Last Monday Surrey Council voted on a motion put forward by Councillor Jack Hundial before the Christmas holidays, for Surrey Council to include an indigenous land acknowledgement before each meeting.  This is to recognize that the City of Surrey is on the unceded traditional territories of the Coast Salish; namely the Katzie, Kwantlen, Kwikwetlem, Qayqagt, Semiahmoo and Tsawwassen First Nations.  Such acknowledgements are becoming customary between governments and First Nations as a show of respect and in the spirit of reconciliation, especially since Canada's adoption of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.   The actual narrative of the motion was to acknowledge "the land we are on is the traditional territory of the Coast Salish people."

Pretty tame stuff these days as we now usually acknowledge the people who lived on the lands of what is now British Columbia long before Spanish and English explorers arrived and colonization began.   This topic should have been discussed and quickly adopted, allowing Surrey to join with both the Provincial and Federal governments in acknowledging our historical neighbours and recognizing the role of indigenous people in Canada.  Instead, discussion on this motion quickly deteriorated with Councillor Lauire Guerra not supporting this concept because she has a "problem with legislating speech" and adding "...I don't think we should be forced to."  Surrey Mayor Doug McCallum did not support the idea either, later saying this about indigenous people, "we treat them better in Surrey literally than anywhere.”

When the time came to vote on what had suddenly become a contentious issue, the Surrey Safe Coalition members voted as one, defeating the motion 5-4 with Doug McCallum, Allison Patton, Doug Elford, Mandeep Nagra and Rableen Rana voting against, with Jack Hundial, Brenda Locke, Steven Pettigrew and Linda Annis voting in support.   After the meeting Councillor Hundial expressed his disgust saying he was "shocked and surprised" that the acknowledgement of the traditional territories was shot down, believing it is "just the right thing to do" and noting "six other communities in the Lower Mainland do a progressive acknowledgement of where we are today."  Surrey has a sizeable number of indigenous people living here, believed to be around 13,500 souls; 56 percent who are First Nations, 40 percent who are Metis and 4 percent who are Inuit.  Collectively this is about 2.6% of the Surrey population with half of this indigenous population under the age of 27.

Arbutus Abundance

Living in the Semiahmoo Peninsula surrounded on several sides by the waters of the Pacific Ocean, we enjoy a niche ecological zone where we get more sun, less rain and warmer temperatures that most of the communities in the Lower Mainland.  This allows us to get up close and personal with a rather unique tree, which is the only native broadleaf evergreen that grows in Canada; the Arbutus tree (Arbutus Menzeisii) also known as the Pacific Madrone, a close relative of the Spanish Strawberry tree.  

These beautiful and magnificent trees can be found in the dry areas of the southeastern part of Vancouver Island, throughout the Gulf Islands and in pockets of the Lower Mainland.  Covered in older bark that is often a smooth rusty red, it peels away as the tree grows revealing fresh chartreuse green bark underneath.  Their crooked and leaning trunks often divide into several twisting upright branches covered in dark glossy leaves that have a leathery texture.  They flower in the spring with thick clusters of white waxy flowers, which turn into small reddish-orange berries that attract many native songbirds.   These stunning and colourful trees are often the subject of local artists who incorporate them with ocean backdrops, including one painting done by Emily Carr in 1922. 

While the south-wst corner of BC is the northern end of the Arbutus tree's range, they are found along the west coast of the USA down to Mexico, giving them one of the longest north-south ranges of any North American tree.  It is often said that the Arbutus tree is usually found within five miles (8 Km) of the Pacific Ocean.  Besides a dry and warm climate, they prefer sunny open forests, well-drained and nutrient poor soils, often on exposed rocky outcroppings or next to a beach.  Because of their dense and strong wood, they are resilient against storm and wind damage, with wet heavy snow known to break branches off in the winter.  The bark of this unusual and visually striking tree can be used for tanning hides and it is prized by woodworkers for creating fine furniture or turning exotic wooden bowls.

Unfortunately, the Arbutus tree is slowly declining in numbers throughout its coastal rage in this province.  Development along the desirable shoreline where it likes to grow results in many of these trees being cut down to make way for large luxury homes and beachfront mansions.   Global warming with climate change is believed to be responsible for warmer dry winters that also lead to longer periods of drought in summer for trees that already prefer well-drained soils.  There are a number of funguses that are affecting their leaves, causing damage and leaf-fall along with branch death.  To make matters worse a root-rot fungus is now spreading throughout the Arbutus' range, weakening these amazing trees and causing their premature death.

The largest Arbutus tree in B.C. is believed to be one with a circumference of over 6 m. and reaching a height of 35.5 metres on Thetis Island scoring 398 AFA Champion Tree Points.   Another giant Arbutus with a circumference of 7.8 metres graces the front of the CFB Dockyards in Esquimalt on Vancouver Island.   Several years ago, I was camping on Texada Island at Shingle Beach and found a very large Arbutus growing next to an old cabin at the far end of this 2.5 km. long beach.  The tree was oval shaped at the bottom of the trunk measuring an astonishing 2 m. wide by 3 m. long.  It gradually tapered inwards and at half a metre off the ground split into two massive trunks that were 1.25 m. in diameter each.  I would guess it stood over 30 m. high and at least 20 m. across, covering much of the clearing where the cabin stood.   I will be measuring it the next time I'm there, hoping its the biggest Arbutus in B.C.

.

A little closer to home you can find two Arbutus trees growing in Crescent Beach, one at the south end of Maple Street just as you walk out onto the dyke walkway, one house away from the very last home.  There is an even larger example that is north of Beecher street at one of the waterfront houses on O'Hara Lane.  It is unknown if these trees were planted or occurred naturally, as Arbutus are notoriously difficult to transplant.  I understand that there are several Arbutus down near the water in West Vancouver in rather high-end neighbourhoods where viewing them is best done by boat.   Breaking the 5 mile rule, there is an Arbutus tree growing on the NW corner of 200 St. and 44 Ave. in Langley, 10 miles away from Crescent Beach.  It appears to be quite healthy and somehow withstandsthe icy out-flow winds that sometimes happen during our winters.

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

Christmas Gift List 2020

If there's one thing I love about Christmas it's the annual traditions and in the White Rock Sun this holiday TNT is always special.

Here's the list of naughty and nice gifts we hope Santa left under the tree for the movers, shakers and decision makers from the Semiahmoo peninsula, listed alphabetically so as not to offend anyone.

The Permanent Temporary Bridge

It is embarrassing how dilapidated and dangerous portions of our highways south of the Fraser have become.  While new infrastructure has been built over the past few decades, relics of our past have been allowed to decay and rot without maintenance or attention, regardless of the danger they pose.  The King George Boulevard overpass crossing Hwy. 99 northbound is an easy example with the direction signage alerting motorists to which lane to be in now totally worn out and faded so that they are completely invisible at night.  Also missing are any right hand turn only warning signs, or painted arrows on the pavement that have been scraped away by snowplows during winters long ago.  This is not only a problem in south Surrey; I have witnessed the same issues on our highways throughout the Lower Mainland.  It likely is also an issue on our out-of-town highways but I don't get out as much as I used to thanks  to Dr. Bonnie Henry and Covid-19.

The burr under my saddle which has gone from an irritable itch to a bloody red sore that I can't stop picking at is the state of the Nicomekl River Bailey bridge.  This temporary bridge that was developed by the British for use in World War 2 was installed on what was then King Geoge Highway in the early 1970s according to City of Surrey records.   Back on Sept 25, 2017, I featured problems I saw first-hand with the Nicomekl bailey bridge after it had been suddenly closed for emergency repairs.  This piece titled "Bailey Bridge Blockade" detailed a Jenga-like set of boards and timbers holding up the south end of the bridge, signs of corrosion and metal fatigue plus creosoted posts so rotten I could put my foot inside of one.  Since public safety and transportation systems have become somewhat of a hobby for me, I forwarded a copy of my column along with a series of photos of what I had seen under the bridge off to the BC Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (MoTI) plus Mainroad Highway Asset Management.

Life in the Slow Lane

The City of Surrey is looking at reducing residential speed limits in order to stop rat-racing through residential neighbourhoods and to reduce or eliminate injuries and deaths on Surrey Streets.   This is a safety initiative that is part of the Vision Zero Safe Surrey Mobility Plan 2019-2023 that was launched in February of last year.  This comprehensive plan whose goal is "safe streets for everyone" is available on the Surrey.ca website at: https://www.surrey.ca/sites/default/files/media/documents/VisionZeroPlan.pdf

Of these eight zones, three will have the speed limit reduced to 30 km/h, three zones will have the speed limit reduced to 40 km/h, and two zones will be control sites that will remain at 50 km/h.  In looking at literature and approaches taken by other municipalities across Canada to improve road safety, a “Slow Zone” approach was selected as the most appropriate for Surrey’s pilot project. Changes to default speed limits are currently not possible for municipalities in British Columbia (currently set at 50 km/h for unmarked roads), and the corridor speed limit approach is best suited for major roads rather than residential areas with few long stretches of roadway.  You can read all of the details of Surrey's Residential Area Speed Limit Reduction Pilot at: https://www.docdroid.net/xnN8R6Q/cr-2020-r182-pdf

It is not like lowering speed limits for certain roads is a new thing.  It is widely acknowledged that a pedestrian struck at 30 km/h has a 90 percent chance of survival , while a pedestrian struck at 50 km/h has just a 15 percent chance of survival.   As we are well aware, the 4 km. long stretch of Marine Drive in White Rock along the waterfront is all posted as 30 km/h due to the large number of pedestrians who regularly cross this roadway.  Crescent Road at Elgin Road is a 30 km/h zone because of the dangers posed by the old ESSO station on the corner and the new pedestrian crossing in the S bend.  Crescent Beach is now posted as a 30 km/h zone with a large flashing sign before you cross the tracks into the seaside village.  In nearby Delta, both Beach Grove in Tsawwassen and Sunshine Hills in North Delta have blanket 30 km/h speed limits with signs posted on roads throughout these neighbourhoods. 

In Beach Grove last month, a group of citizens who were concerned about people speeding through the hamlet banded together to help slow traffic to the posted 30 Kmh speed limit.  Their idea was to produce and post "It's Always 30 in Beach Grove" lawn signs with the slogan "We like life in the slow lane."  They produced 100 small signs that cost $16, selling each of them for $20 to help pay for four 4'x4' larger signs at the entrances to the neighbourhood that have now been erected on private property.  Using social media including Nextdoor where they post at "always30inbeachgrove" to help spread the word, they were able to quickly sell out of the small lawn signs that are now posted on one out of every four homes in Beach Grove.   Delta's Mayor, Council, Police and Fire Departments plus the Engineer Department all endorsed their initiative that has helped foster a closer sense of community for its residents while noticeably reducing speeding there. 

Narrow residential roads with cars parked on them, kids running around or riding bikes and folks out for a walk would benefit by having motorists slow down to 30 km/h for the safety of everyone.  We already have 30 km/h zones for schools and playgrounds, why not 30 km/h speed limits for quiet residential streets where people live?  With increasing urban density, more and more vehicles on our roads plus increasing numbers of electric cars making little noise, this simple idea is one that needs to be adopted sooner than later.

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

Reflecting on Winter Sunbathing

"The Missus"

So here we are at the beginning of December with the solstice only a couple of weeks away and a long hard winter awaiting us.  Because of the COVID pandemic many snowbirds have been grounded, deciding to stay home to avoid the plague or not being able to afford travel insurance at this time.  With winter getaways to tropical paradises only a pipe dream this year, what are sun-worshippers to do?   Well folks, my wife and I just spent last Saturday relaxing in the sun on a beach in 26 C weather, enjoying ourselves while getting a nice bronze tan and a jolt of natural vitamin D.   No, we did not jump on a plane, sneak across the border or pirate a sailboat to the South Pacific.  The answer to this little mystery can be found much closer to home.

Down at Wreck Beach in Vancouver there are many naturists who use reflective tarps to prolong sunbathing into the so-called shoulder seasons.  A cheap and easy method is to use reflective emergency blankets available at London Drugs, Canadian Tire, or online for around $20.  These 5'x7' blankets have red rip-stop nylon on one side, a shiny reflective surface on the other and grommet holes on each corner.  A couple of these placed behind you will greatly increase the warmth, reflect UV rays so you heat from both sides, plus cut the wind.  For the serious beach pro, Deakins Equipment in Vancouver on Powell Street (deakins.com) sells Silvacool forestry tarps with heavyweight white vinyl on one side and a mirror-like reflective surface on the other, available in 6'x9' for $35, or even larger if you really want to get cooking.

On Saturday we set up a few of these reflectors on our sun deck, exploiting the 3-hour window of sunshine we have that exists between our neighbour's tall trees.  The temperature on the far side of the deck was 12 C, 22 C in the shade near the tarp and 26 C in the sunshine.   As an extra heat source near chilly toes, we used a propane fire bowl in the middle of the deck but on this day it was really not needed.  With sunglasses on and housecoats nearby in case of clouds blocking the sunshine, we soaked up the heat that was as warm as the Palm Springs desert this time of year.  The sun was strong enough that we had to apply sunblock to our noses, cheekbones and foreheads plus chests that would have definitely turned red by the end of the day without solar protection.

We finally packed up our gear and left the beach as the sun was getting low in the sky around 4 o'clock, with a colourful sunset happening as we got back to Crescent Beach.  Without our reflective tarp, the latest we had ever been at the beach for sunbathing was Oct. 6th a couple of years ago.  We have now gone to Crescent Rock Beach twice in Nov. with Dec. 5th setting a new late season record and those are just the weekend days when the weather was sunny and we had nothing on our busy schedules.   As the winter progresses, we will look for those blue-bird days when Cresent Rock beckons and a small campfire can also be used to help take the nip out of frosty temperatures.  See you down at the beach!

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

Racial Divide in Surrey

I was shocked and dismayed to learn last week that a Surrey Councillor, Jack Hundial, had received a death threat last Monday from somebody over so-called social media.  The message, that also made reference to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, threatened to put a bullet in him.  With Mr. Hundial's 25 years as a police officer and the plague of shootings in Surrey, he immediately contacted the Surrey RCMP to report the incident.  A police cruiser was parked outside his home while the threat was investigated and three days later a 42-year-old man from Surrey was taken into custody, later to be released with non-contact provisions, with charges pending of uttering threats.  

Mr. Hundial has been on a political roller-coaster ride in Surrey since first getting elected on Doug McCallum's Safe Surrey Coalition in the last previous civic election in 2018.  He quit the Safe Surrey coalition in July of 2019 citing the lack of community input over the proposed replacement of the RCMP by a new Surrey Police Department and the dissolution of the public safety committee as the final straw.  In January of 2020 Jack Hundial joined forces with previous Safe Surrey Coalition member Brenda Locke to form the upstart Surrey Connect (surreyconnect.org).  Needless to say, with his change of opinion on the Surrey police force transition, public rebuke of Mayor McCallum's actions and direction, plus quitting the Surrey Safe Coalition, Jack has garnered him a fair number of detractors since he was elected.

It would appear that a recent Facebook post may have initiated the threat of violence against Councillor Hundial.  On the Safe Surrey FB page, a Nov 20 post stated "An elected official should never put their political ambitions ahead of the commitments they made to get elected.  But this is exactly what Councillor Jack Hundial has done with his flip flop on Surrey's transition to our own Surrey Police Service.  Surrey's electorate deserves better."  This post was accompanied with a poster titled "The Two Faces of Councillor Jack Hundial" with a picture of his face in the middle.  On the left side it states:  Jack "I'm joining the Safe Surrey Coalition to get elected" Hundial and on the right side it states:  Jack "Now that I'm elected I'm ignoring my promises" Hundial.

Using the same two-faced analogy in the text of this poster, the left side states:  "Moving forth with our own Surrey police force, and I say this as a retired RCMP member for 25 years...., it's the time..., it's the right time", city Council Candidate Jack Hundial, Oct. 11, 2018.  On the right side his change of heart is noted with the following text:  "This will make Surrey less safe.  This is the opposite of what people want." Councillor jack Hundial, July 18, 2019.  At the bottom of the poster it states:  The only thing that has changed is Councillor Hundial's political ambitions.  WHICH JACK SHOULD SURREY RESIDENTS TRUST?

As greasy and unsavoury as this US-styled attack ad appears, it is the photo of Jack Hundials's face in the middle of it that is cringeworthy.  On the left-handed positive side, Mr. Hundial is printed in full colour, highlighting his rich brown facial colour as an indo-Canadian man.  On the negative right-handed side Mr. Hundial's face is shown in subdued black and white, making him appear to be Caucasian.  At its best this picture reeks of covert racism, but in reality, it is full in-your-face racism that was done on purpose and for effect.  This poster highlights the racial divide in Surrey and takes direct aim at Jack Hundial that portrays him as a Canadian version of an Uncle Tom.

Late last week after the suspect in the death threats had been arrested, I sent an email to Jack Hundial thanking him for his years of public service as an RCMP officer and Surrey Councillor, commending him for his dedication and sacrifice for our community.  I ended my note saying "For all that you do, I just wanted to say thank you."  I should note this was long before I found out about the unsettling racist attack ad posted on the Safe Surrey Coalition FB page and days prior to considering doing an article on this story.  I did receive a note back from Mr. Hundial thanking me for my concern and support of Canadian values.

Regardless of political leanings or whether you agree with their decisions, I believe that everyone who runs for office and is elected deserves our respect for joining the political process and representing their constituents in our democracy.  I don't think that negative attack ads with racist rhetoric have any place in social media posts from political parties, especially at the civic level in Surrey.   It is interesting to note that the following comment was posted on the Safe Surrey FB page about the two-faced Jack Hundial poster days before he received the death threat stating:  "Way to incite violence against this man Safe Surry Coalition!  Not impressed."

So dear readers, I have a couple favours to ask of you today.  Please take the time to email Councillor Hundial at jack.hundial@surrey.ca and send a note giving him and his family our support in this trying times.  Most importantly, please report the anti-Jack Hundial poster from Nov 20 that is still posted on the Safe Surrey Coalition FB page to Facebook as both overtly racist and inciting violence.  If Surrey Mayor McCallum won't take this offensive post down, maybe Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg finally will.

Christmas Lights Not So Bright