The Naked Truth

Don Pitcairn

“The naked truth is always better than the best dressed lie”
Ann Landers

 

 

 

Feb. 7, 2011

Clear-Cut Case of Bullying

I really enjoyed my week away from the Semi-Pen, quietly relaxing on the Pacific coastline of Mexico with my wife Sheryl, making sure that I left my cell phone and computer behind so that I could not be reached or informed on events in south Surrey and White Rock. Good thing I did because I think if I'd heard of the idiotic events at White Rock city hall involving a property at 15140 Royal Ave. and plans for more tree removal for views sanctioned by Council, I think I would have jumped on the next plane home.

Long term residents Doug and Karen Ellerbeck who live there have been putting up with a neighbour across the street, one Mrs. McGinn, who for over 10 years has been asking them or the city to trim trees at the front of their house for views. In July of 2006 while they were away, a city recommended arborist entered their property and butchered the trees in question, reportedly with official permission. As a commercial landscaper, after looking at the old cuts and faded photographs of the last hack job, I can report that this pruning was destructive and non-aesthetic, leaving ugly branchy stumps for when these people returned home. Other trees have since been damaged by someone's failed attempt to kill them also while they were away, actions which in Vancouver have led to large putative fines being imposed on nearby homeowners who were found at fault. The White Rock RCMP now regularly patrol their property to stop any more vandalism from happening to their trees while they are not home for extended periods.

Last Monday, White Rock Council including CPR members voted unanimously to remove the boulevard trees in front of the Ellerbeck's house (Note: Helen Fathers was away on vacation and did not participate in this travesty), bowing to the pressure from the neighbour across the street. In explaining their decision Councillor Lynn Sinclair stated that there was, "an obligation on the part of the city to preserve what people had when they came here." Councillor Campbell added his two cents worth saying that he viewed the tree removal request as, "common sense" and explained further that he did not think that, "anyone's views should be impeded by a renewable resource." Adding to the CPR's rather myopic views, Coun. Doug McLean suggested the city should, "share the cost of the work", estimated at up to $15,000 including a geotechnical survey to determine the slope's stability. Really folks, I'm not making this stuff up - this is your Council hard at work!

What is truly asinine about all of this is that the removal of the three trees in question, a weeping cherry, flowering Japanese plum and a young cedar will do nothing to improve the views from across the street. The weeping cherry which flowers in the spring and has beautiful yellow, orange and red fall colours is a maximum of 8 feet tall and because of its growing habit will not get any larger. Removing this beautiful tree will simply expose other shrubs in the yard and the Ellerbeck's house, carport and driveway to scrutiny. The Japanese plum has a dark purple leaf, light pink flowers, edible plums and red fall foliage, reaching a maximum height of 20 feet. If removed, the Jap. plum behind it on private property will still remain and it barely covers the neighbours view of the roofline anyways. The cedar at the roadway if removed will not offer any more views as behind it are several large Douglas firs reaching over 80 feet tall. Why White Rock Council would all vote to have these three small trees removed is completely beyond rational thinking. Check the photos out for yourself or drive by to look at this debacle with your own eyes. You'll walk away shaking your head at the insanity.

The Ellerbecks have enjoyed their home and these trees since 1987, which using Coun. Sinclair's own thinking should obviously be retained as they were originally there. In a written submission to council that reportedly was never presented to them as promised, the Ellerbecks stated the following, "The trees on the hillside provide slope stability from flooding and landslides, light diffusion, noise abatement, dust supression, privacy and security, ...they are beautiful and are the only flowering trees on this block." They believe that White Rock Council has disregarded their privacy and property rights, capitulating to the bullying and lobbying efforts of people who now want ocean views from their bottom floors after installing suites, many of them illegal or rented to strangers. Of note, they pointed out several of the neighbours across the street have large hedges, tall shrubbery or planted boxes giving privacy to lower suits from the busy roadway which will likely remain while their yard gets razed.

While White Rock and the BNSF have succeeded in clear-cutting much of the Hump hillside, regardless of the landslide risk to passing BNSF freight trains carrying volatile chemicals and dangerous goods, this is the first time that trees are planned to be removed from city lands effecting bordering private property. Expect to see bright pink ribbons attached to the trees in question to mark the ones planned for removal as pink is the colour for the anti-bullying movement that includes the upcoming Pink Shirt Day on Apr. 12th. Public protests are being planned should arborists show up with chain saws and chippers, including the use of passive resistance and dare I say "tree hugging." The Ellerbecks feel that the removal of their small trees are the first step in having the large firs removed from the property further down the street, which they believe is the real driving force behind the planned clear-cutting of trees in front of their yard.

This issue is now being appealed to White Rock city hall by the Ellerbecks who feel that Councillors "Merry-Glade" Anderson, "Dug Mc-Clean", "Lynn "Seeing-Clear", "Ashphalt Al" Campbell and "Alder-man?" Grant Meyers along with Mayor "Cut-n-run" Ferguson have set a precedence where money and lobbying can buy a view, even at the expense of someone else's property. As far as I'm concerned, White Rock's new Tree Management bylaw is a joke and I wouldn't wipe my ass with it, even if it was printed on paper made from the last remaining trees in the city. You can expect events like this to be just another nail in the coffin of CPR during the next municipal election when signs reading "CPR tree policy - Chop, Pile, Remove" will likely show up on city streets. Given their recent decision and bizarre explanations that were given, I think that CPR doesn't stand for "Citizens for Positive Renewal" anymore but instead for "Crazy, Psycho, Retarded."

California redwoods

On a final note, after speaking with the Ellerbecks, I have offered to help them re-plant their yard should their trees on city property be removed from the roadside. They have decided that they have room on either side of their driveway for a couple of "Sequoia sempervirens", more commonly known as California redwood or giant redwood. The biggest of all trees on earth, they regularly reach heights of 200-300 feet, with the world record holder "logging in" at 379 feet and living for up to 2,000 years. They grow very quickly here with large impressive groves in south Surrey's Redwood park and near Fort Langley on 96 Ave. should you care to see some locally. With White Rock's warm sunny climate, relatively heavy precipitation and often humid conditions, I would expect these monuments to CPR's stupidity to be around long after we close the book on their term in office or dare I say White Rock's history before it re-amalgamates with Surrey because of continued stupid and unjust Council decisions such as this.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

Jan. 24, 2011

Fences Don't Make For Good Neighbours

Further chain link fencing circling the west end of Semiahmoo Park that was announced by the Semiahmoo First Nation band councillor Joanne Charles last week has already been installed which means that access to the entire area will now be limited during daylight hours through several gates. This follows fencing in December that first sectioned off the east side of the Park with the presence of a sinkhole and off-leash dogs along with their left behind feces being used as the rational for this sudden enclosure. While this prime ten acre piece of property will still be open to the public on a "trial basis", if new posted rules prohibiting pets are not obeyed a warning has already been given by the Semiahmoo band that the park will likely be closed for good to anyone not aboriginal.

You have to wonder how many people will visit Semiahmoo Park anyways now that it resembles a prison with wall-to-wall chain link fencing? The six foot tall wire runs adjacent to the BNSF Railway corridor, blocking all access to the waterfront from the grassy fields. Gone are the days when you could throw a frisbee, fly a kite, or kick around a soccer ball before returning to your blanket at the beach unless you now go for a hike around the length of the property. As far as a sinkhole being used as an excuse for this fencing, would it not have been easier to hire a backhoe for a couple of hours to examine the problem rather than spend upwards of $30,000 on unsightly chain-link that has industrialized this formerly pastoral setting? Hell, why not spend a few more bucks and throw a row of barbed wire across the top to complete the scene right out of Stalag 13 that now welcomes visitors to White Rock?

It is interesting to note that the fencing of Semiahmoo Park comes at the same time when municipal leaders in the Lower Mainland are expressing fear that long-awaited reforms could see tens of thousands of non-aboriginals residents move into developments on first nations reserve land over next 20 years. This scenario was highlighted in a draft discussion paper by the Lower Mainland Treaty Advisory Committee (LMTAC) which considered the effects of the First Nations Commercial and Industrial Development Act and the First Nations Certainty of Land Titles Act. What is of concern is that local governments cannot collect property tax and utility fees from these reserve land developments, meaning that neighbouring municipalities may end up subsidizing regional services such as Translink for this influx of nearby residents. The Squamish First Nation is already planning to develop residential towers on their property, particularly in West Vancouver and Vancouver with projected populations of up to 25,000 people.

White Rock councillor Mary-Wade Anderson who is a member of the LMTAC has given credit to the Tsawwassen First Nation, which after years of fighting with the Corporation of Delta over services has now signed on as a member of the Metro Vancouver Regional District and collects regional taxes from its non-aboriginal residents that help to fund Translink and Met-Van coffers. This differs from many other First Nations reserves which do not have a treaty framework and instead negotiate so-called "good neighbour" agreements with local governments for the provision of utilities and other city services, often at reduced rates. If you want to view an example of non-aboriginal housing developments on nearby reserve land, simply drive to the Tsawwassen First Nation located beside the B.C. ferry terminal causeway and check out the four-story tall 86 unit Tsatsu Shores sitting on the waterfront along with the nearby Stahaken development across the road that consists of 91 lots including 23 select waterfront building sites.

Tsatsu Shores

Could it be that the fencing of Semiahmoo Park is but the first step towards a waterfront development possibly being built on what has been considered shared park land between Surrey, White Rock and the Semiahmoo First Nations for the past 50 years? There is much talk on the streets of the Semi-pen of apartment buildings or oceanfront condos. This might explain the band council's sudden desire to, "preserve and strengthen our ownership of the land" after years of allowing unfettered public access and use of this desirable seaside property. Of course, this would likely seriously impact the wonderful shoreline vistas enjoyed for decades by people living above Marine Drive across from the now fenced off compound while putting additional pressures on nearby city services in both White Rock and Surrey.

Time will tell if these rumours become reality but it's important to remember that it was back in the 1970's when the Semiahmoo First Nation first brought forth a proposal to build a shopping centre on the land now suddenly fenced off. Stay tuned to find out if this "park" soon becomes a "parking lot" for an upscale commercial or residential development that would no doubt bring substantial financial payoffs to Semiahmoo First Nation band members.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

Jan. 17, 2011

The Daily Double - Semi-pen Style

Unlike the long-running T.V. game show Jeopardy, you don't get a chance to double your money by reading the following TNT but I hope you'll get twice the bang for your buck in this column that focuses on several prominent figures in our community. Hey Alex, I'll take "A-holes" for $200!

M.P. Ru$$ Hiebert

In case you missed it, telephones will be ringing at 25,000 households across south Surrey, White Rock and Cloverdale on Monday evening as our M.P. Ru$$ Hiebert invites everyone to join in a "Telephone Townhall Meeting" to discuss federal Conservative government strategy in a so-called " live interactive conversation" with special guest Finance Minister Jim Flaherty. Watch for Hiebert's name on your call display if you want to avoid this hour long self gratifying love-in.

Nothing I like better than receiving phone messages during the dinner hour as 6:30 p.m. is usually when my family sits down to eat. I hope Ru$$ Hiebert checks Canada's no-call registry before his auto diallers are programmed as I'm on the list of people across the country who don't want to be bothered with unsolicited calls. I hope this will finally end the bulk mail outs that have not stopped including a useless black and white 2011 calendar adorned with Ru$$'s smiling face and yet another bogus questionnaire which arrived at my door this week including an extra one for a now deceased former owner (yet again). It makes you wonder why these were necessary and how much they cost as the questions posed in this questionnaire are the same ones being dealt with in this e-meet-n-greet?. Don't forget to scrawl your comments on the latest propaganda mail out that can be sent back to Ru$$'s office free of charge if you have not yet tossed it in the blue box.

While this communication exercise is touted as allowing people to pose questions or comments on the upcoming federal budget, don't expect too many disparaging comments or tough questions for Ru$$ or his good buddy Jim. The company that runs these eTown Halls proudly boasts on their website, "You can have a call screener who sorts questions and provides you a real time list of the questions that are in queue. If there's an important issue you want to focus on, you can go directly to the caller who is asking a question on that topic. You control the pace, the timing, and the questions you answer." Another statement is all too true, "Participants in your live forum will be eager to engage in personalized contact that contrasts sharply with the junk mail that they are accustomed to receiving." Once more it sounds like Ru$$ will be campaigning on the taxpayer's dime, avoiding an actual face-to-face meeting with his pissed off constituents where he wouldn't have the opportunity to cherry pick ripe questions.

If Ru$$ Hiebert really wants to find out what residents here think then why not solicit emails with suggestions to his constituency office or put an electronic questionnaire on the www.russhiebert.ca website? How about asking Conservative Party members in South Surrey/White Rock/Cloverdale for their input that is unlikely to change existing federal policy anyways? Better yet, have P.M. Stephen Harper call a spring election so we can really find out what people living in the riding think of Mr. Hiebert since his high-flying expenses were revealed (reviled?) during a time when the common folk were suffering through an economic recession.

*EDITOR'S NOTE

Who Can Still Call You?

Consumers should understand that registering on the National DNCL will reduce but not eliminate all telemarketing calls. There are certain kinds of telemarketing calls that are exempted from the National DNCL Rules.

The exemptions include telemarketing calls made by, or on behalf of:

Canadian registered charities;
Political parties, riding associations and candidates; and
Newspapers of general circulation for the purpose of soliciting subscriptions.

 

$urrey Now Editor Beau Simpson

I was wondering why all of the landslide activity in south Surrey onto the BNSF railway tracks, the eight days of AMTRAK passenger train cancellations through the Semi-pen, tree chopping for views including mistaken clear-cutting by the city of Surrey at Kwomais Point park and the recent storm drain destruction on the bluff near Crescent Beach has been completely ignored by the $urrey Now? Does it take a derailment of a freight train carrying HAZMAT, the rupture of a 90 tonne Chlorine gas car on the jagged boulders lining Crescent Rock beach or the blockade of Crescent Beach roads during an emergency evacuation to get their attention? After all, they are a so-called "news" paper.

These issues pose the greatest public safety risk in Surrey and are the most serious environmental threat to the sensitive marine environment of Boundary Bay. As Surrey's largest community newspaper with a circulation of 115,000, is it not Mr. Simpson's responsibility to report such news that has recently captured the front page of the Vancouver Province, been featured in this month's MacLean's magazine, shown on Global T.V. News and covered extensively in the local Surrey Leader, Peace Arch News and White Rock Sun? Its not like they don't know about this story, especially with a noted Semi-pen community activist and known rabble-rouser (hi there) sending them detailed news releases on the subject including photos of the recent destruction. I guess when it comes to the $urrey Now, no news is good news.

I'm starting to question if Mr. Simpson wants to keep Surrey residents in the dark on this danger and not embarrass the Surrey First ($urrey 1$t?) politicians running city hall? After all, he probably doesn't want to jeopardize the lucrative city of Surrey advertising contract that the Now has enjoyed for years or to piss off our teflon Mayor Dianne Watts. Flipping through the $urrey Now, you can't help but notice page after page of brightly coloured city of Surrey ads, many of them full page. Of course, with the city ad contract other advertisers follow the money, fattening this bloated corporate fish wrap even further. Wouldn't want to anger the political power brokers and kill the goose that lays the golden egg, an explanation that might be behind several of the Now's editorials over the past years that took a swipe at yours truly for bringing public exposure to various issues in our community.

I sent an email to Beau last week with these concerns about how the $urrey Now's coverage on these important subjects is conspicuous by its absence, which as expected has gone unanswered. Maybe the newspaper's name needs to be changed to the "South Surrey Never" to reflect their coverage of important events affecting the Semiahmoo peninsula. If this is the case, then all the more reason to tell your friends to visit the White Rock Sun where we don't play favourites or edit content for fear of possible reprisals, either from advertisers or political elites.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

January 10, 2011

Calling the BNSF's Bluff

You know I hate beating a dead horse, repeating myself like a broken record and running around like Chicken Little screaming, "The sky is falling, the sky is falling" but there are times when my hand is forced. I was trying to decide between a couple of great environmental topics to cover in this week's "The Naked Truth" until the phone started ringing with members of SmartRail, the Semiahmoo peninsula's community railway safety group, calling about a Gradall excavator rolling down the BNSF Railway line. If you noticed that the AmTrak passenger train hasn't been around here this weekend, there's a very good reason for its mysterious disappearance. The fourth and fifth mudslides in the past month alone from the Ocean Park bluffs onto the BNSF tracks once again cancelled all Amtrak service, ensuring that these other stories would have to be put on the back-burner while the landslide threat to passing freight trains would again take centre stage in my sometimes explosive "TNT"

Last week's "The Naked Truth" (see below) column dealt with the city of Surrey mistakenly cutting trees on the slide-prone hillside below the new Kwomais Point Park lookout and how an area just down the street where 36 alders had been razed several years ago had failed and slid onto the tracks. Showcasing the reality of this threat, recent heavy rains saturated this previous slide site and once again it has let loose and buried the railway just south of the 1001 Steps in Ocean Park, bringing down with it a very large cedar tree, roots and all. The plastic drain line that was partially responsible for the earlier slide is now broken again with gallons of water pouring down the deep scar in the hillside leading up to the houses on top. Unfortunately this wasn't the only slide in the region, with a much larger and more dangerous slope failure taking place south of Crescent Beach just past the Crescent Rock boulder that serves as a sign post for the start of the naturist beach.

The hillside below a house located at 2175 123 St. suffered a major slide on Friday afternoon, tearing out mature Douglas fir, Western Red cedar, Alder and Big Leaf maple trees from the face of the bluff along with a large volume of soil. Much of this debris that covered the tracks over 4 feet deep was excavated from the rails onto the waterfront by BNSF crews (in defiance of earlier DFO warnings) but a large fir tree with root ball intact still lays precariously on the middle of the now denuded slope. Of serious concern, a city of Surrey storm drain line which was located in this vicinity was torn out during the slide and the open end of the ruptured pipe continues to release volumes of water onto the bank. A tall Douglas fir tree standing at the crest of the hill next to this spewing outflow pipe has been completely limbed by city crews in order to reduce its weight and wind load as engineers were concerned this tree might topple over at any time, taking more of the bluff down with it.

 

The back yard of the house in question has suffered a partial failure with a portion of the lawn and landscape breaking away and sliding downhill. An in-ground concrete swimming pool now sits no more than 20 feet from the landslide hole, with cracks reportedly appearing in the concrete decking surrounding it. Whether this heavy structure and the thousands of gallons of water it contains is in danger of sliding down the hill onto the rails still remains to be ascertained. Surrey Engineering crews have been busy this weekend trying to redirect run-off water away from the slide site with generators, pumps and hoses and they hope to install a new drain pipe down a neighbouring property early this week where it will be connected to the existing culvert under the tracks. I couldn't help but notice that this property which has been previously cleared for views also shows signs of slumping with fissures in the soil near the bluff and a wide bowl excavation that is likely from former slide activity years ago.

Had a southbound freight train struck this latest mudslide it is likely that it would have blocked all roadway access to Crescent Beach, including emergency services as has often happened in the past. While the tracks were declared off-limits to the Amtrak passenger train for 48 hours because of the slide risk, BNSF freight trains which often carry hazardous goods including poisonous chlorine gas were cleared to pass only hours after the trees and debris were cleared from the rails. Why this was allowed when a neighbourhood storm drain continued to pour water onto the slope above the tracks is unclear since Transport Canada has warned in the past that drain water directed onto the steep bluff was one of the main causes of mudslide activity in this region. A geologist from England who I happened to meet on the shores of Crescent Rock beach on Sunday was aghast that trains would be allowed to pass such an unstable site while water continued to flow onto the slide face, threatening further soil movement.

This latest mudslide activity may be the proverbial "straw that breaks the camel's back" as many residents of Crescent Beach, aware of this newest slide and the danger that it poses are now openly talking about taking action including holding public protests including possible civil disobedience. After having evacuation sirens turned down, promised emergency phone notification service cancelled and plans for an escape roadway under the train trestle shelved, community anger is growing that their legitimate safety concerns are being ignored. Talk about the town is that property owners in this seaside hamlet believe when the BNSF tracks in the Semiahmoo peninsula are closed to passenger rail service due to landslide activity that hazardous goods should not be shipped through this unstable area. Forces are being mobilized and a track blockade has been mentioned as a distinct possibility the next time the AmTrak is cancelled because of mudslides onto the tracks.

In the interest of public safety and the protection of the fragile marine environment of Boundary Bay, I believe that when the BNSF line is closed to the AmTrak that shipments of toxic or flammable materials should either be postponed or rerouted inland through the Sumas crossing in Abbotsford rather than exposing them to unnecessary landslide risks here. Submissions to the Railway Safety Act Review Panel several years ago by SmartRail and Surrey's United Naturists (SUN) which detailed the derailment threat here along the Ocean Park bluffs resulted in no change in railway protocol in this historically dangerous transportation corridor. Since railways are under federal jurisdiction, it is time that our M.P. Russ Hiebert invites Canadian Transportation Minister Chuck Strahl to come out from his Chilliwack riding to see the risks first hand and to hopefully stop dangerous goods from rolling along our waterfront railway during periods of heavy precipitation or slide events. Mr. Strahl would no doubt be instrumental in possibly having the BNSF railway relocated to a safe inland corridor with the planned Vancouver to Seattle high-speed rail line that will bypass White Rock, a concept which needs to be seriously considered.

If its too dangerous for the Amtrak, then its too dangerous for HAZMAT. Bottom line, end of story, Chicken Little - out.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

January 03, 2011

You Can't See the Forest for the Seas

The recent slide activity on the Ocean Park bluff which blocked Amtrak passenger rail service but not hazmat freight deliveries highlighted the stability issues of this steep slope and how the cutting of trees for views increases the slide threat to the railway tracks below. Besides the large slide near the Olympic Trail, there was another smaller slide near Kwomais Point Park that was brought to my attention by a member of SmartRail. I visited the bottom of this slide site before climbing the 1001 Steps staircase and hiking through dense vegetation at the end of 126 A St. to investigate the reasons for slope failure. While no man-made cause for this small slide at the last house on the street was found, I was shocked when I witnessed what had recently transpired at Kwomais Point Park. The city of Surrey has just completed the installation of a promised public lookout point at the corner of 14 Ave. and 126A St. with amazing views of Boundary Bay, Tsawwassen and distant Gulf Islands. Unfortunately this view comes at a terrible environmental and public safety cost.

For reasons unknown, B.C. Plant Health Care arborists hired by the city of Surrey to improve the view from the lookout ventured onto the steep slopes of the bluff and cut down any and all trees that were in the way. In total, 9 mature alder trees were destroyed with one measuring 2 feet in diameter, two more being 1.5 feet across, four more measuring 1 foot across, with two others between 8-10 inches. All of these trees were healthy with no signs of outward defects and after being sawed down they showed no internal signs of rot or disease either. These trees could have easily been climbed and drop-crotch pruned, effectively lowering height while keeping them healthy and secure. Instead they were chain sawed to the ground and felled towards the railway tracks without being limbed or any of the firewood removed. Many other smaller saplings that were beginning to take hold on the steep slope below the view point were also cut down or trimmed to ensure they would not be a problem in the future.

Even more distressing is that Surrey failed to ensure that these trees were on their parkland and the city has already admitted that the 7 biggest trees taken down from this slide prone slope were in fact on BNSF Railway property. These large trees had grown up on a steep slope that shows signs of past soil movement. In fact, several of these now dead stands were surrounded by very recent slide debris, much of it which has originated at the edge of the Kwomais lookout where erosion control fabric had been placed with little effect. As the roots of these formerly large trees slowly rot, there will be nothing in this area to hold the unstable strata of the bank together and it is highly likely that a slide, possibly onto the tracks, will result. It was not long ago that neighbours only a half a block away from the new lookout cut down 36 alder trees on the BNSF owned bluff and several years later this same slope then failed with the mudslide debris blocking the tracks and stopping train traffic. At that time the BNSF Railway promised to hold the homeowner accountable for any costs incurred from this slide and it is likely that the city of Surrey could be liable for any damage if slides from this destabilized hillside hit the tracks in the future.

In May of 2007 after a dozen landslides had buried the BNSF rail lines, Transport Canada geologists inspected the area from Crescent Beach to White Rock to determine what was responsible for the rash of slide activity. Three main causes, all of them man-made, were identified which were the cutting of trees on the bluff for views, hill-top homeowners draining run-off water from their properties into the steep slopes above the tracks, and the presence of antiquated septic or drain water fields near the hillside. It was recommended that tree protection bylaws be toughened to outlaw cutting on the slope and that all run-off and drain water be redirected to city services at curb side. Unfortunately this letter has been all but ignored and the city has turned a blind eye to this problem that threatens BNSF trains and the fragile marine ecology of Boundary Bay. Now the city has gone out on a limb and clear-cut the bank below Kwomais Point Park, improving views while ignoring not only warnings from Transport Canada but nearby neighbours who are acutely aware of the dangers that this activity poses. It should be interesting to see the response from the BNSF Railway who are already aware of Surrey's tree cutting incursion onto their property.

I've received the following email from the acting head of the Surrey Parks Department responding to my concerns over this tree cutting and the increased slide threat to the trains:
"Don, I have now received our survey results for the tree removals on the slope below Kwomais Point Park. As you correctly suggested in your previous e-mail, (most of the) alder trees were on the BNSF Right of Way, ranging from 1.2 to 4.8 meters from the property line. It is unfortunate that this situation has occurred, apparently it results from a misunderstanding between one of our Parks staff and the contractor who performed the work. Our normal procedure would have been to first conduct a survey to determine the location of trees and then once that had been done, trees located on Park land would be “drop-crotch” pruned to allow for improved site-lines, yet still allow for retention of the trees. We are very cognizant of the need to retain trees and other vegetation for slope retention purposes and are therefore disappointed with the outcome. Although there is evidence that the trees had been previously pruned prior to the City acquiring the property, it would not be our normal procedure to remove such trees, modifying the canopy to accommodate viewing opportunities would be our typical course of action. A Geo-technical firm has already been retained to conduct further evaluations of the slope directly in front of the lookout to again assess if the City should take any additional steps to address slope retention issues."

While the city has a tree protection by-law for property owners, it would seem that it is above this law that requires permits for tree removal. Maybe Surrey crews or any arborists hired to perform work for them need to be subject to the same controls that residents here face so that mistakes like this do not occur again? Imagine what would happen if you ventured onto your neighbours property and cut down a mature stand of trees to improve your views? In places like North Vancouver, this has resulted in serious fines and offending parties having to replace trees at great expense. Will anyone in the Surrey Parks Department be held accountable for the snafu at Kwomais Point Park or the resulting geological instability that will likely result from this clear-cutting? Hopefully Mayor Watts will look into this matter, give it the attention that it rightfully deserves and ensure that heads roll (don't expect me to hold my breath on this one). As to what Surrey will now do to attempt to correct the damage, this still remains to be seen. My guess is nothing except to hope that the deforested slope doesn't fail in heavy rains. One thing is for sure, if this occurs I know of a great vantage point to survey the damage. If a freight train happens to be passing at the time, make sure to yell down at the engineers, "Lookout!"

It's high time that the cit of Surrey take the landslide threat to passing BNSF trains seriously rather than waiting for a disaster like the Berkley Escarpment slide in North Vancouver to occur. Satellite photos on Surrey's COSMOS system show many bluff properties where homeowners have landscaped far out onto BNSF property, cutting down offending stands of trees and replacing them with manicured lawns and shrubs, a practice that needs to be stopped. This appears to be the case at the recent Olympic Trail slide site where hedges, fence panels and pieces of a retaining wall that were on BNSF land now sit beyond the train tracks on the shoreline of Crescent Rock beach. These same satellite photos of the bluff forest should be analyzed every year to help spot illegal tree removal and for heavy fines based on a percentage of property value to be levied against residents who continue to chop bluff trees, either on BNSF property or private land. Surrey also needs to implement a 24 hour "Stop-Chop" hotline where concerned neighbours can report illegal tree cutting which now often occurs on the Ocean Park bluff after office hours or on weekends. If the city wants to make amends for their mistake at Kwomais Point Park, this is the least they should do along with replanting some new trees below the lookout.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

December 27, 2010

If there’s one thing I love about Christmas, it’s the annual traditions including this one in The Naked Truth. Here’s the list of gifts we hope Santa left under the tree for the movers and shakers from the Semiahmoo peninsula.

White Rock Mayor Catherine Ferguson - A bottle of Advil pain killer because it’s rumoured that after Dianne Watts was asked when Surrey would take over White Rock she responded, “Why would I want anything to do with that headache down there?” Ouch, that alone will give you a migraine.

Surrey Mayor Dianne Watts – A yellow ribbon for placing fourth (yes, that’s the colour for Canada) in the 2010 World Mayor Prize. Looking at the top three mayors from Mexico City, Oklahoma and Riace in Italy, you have to wonder about the final decision. Without a doubt, Watts is number one around here with members of "Surrey First" following her lead.

White Rock Council – An attraction or development that would bring people to East Beach and raise its profile from the ugly sister lovingly referred to in the past as the “Armpit.” Same could be said for the uptown ghost town which continues to suffer business losses to the surrounding death star known as Surrey.

MLA Gordon Hogg – The well liked George Abbott becoming leader of the B.C. Liberals so that Hogg can once again return to a Cabinet seat after being pushed to the sidelines by Premier Campbell when he failed to grovel at his feet like so many others afraid of his angry spittle and dictatorial one-man rule in Victoria.

MLA Kevin Falcon – A pair of track shoes from Peninsula Runners as the newly labelled "Mini-Me" tries to continue Gordon Campbell’s Liberal legacy by becoming the province’s next Premier. If Clive Cussler’s epic novel “Raise the Titanic” ever becomes a reality, look for Kevin to audition for the part of the Captain.

MLA Stephanie Cadieux – More B.C. Commissioners to patrol parking lots throughout Surrey and White Rock looking for able-bodied sleaze balls who park their vehicles in handicap parking stalls. A black chunk of coal in the stockings of these scum bags who are too lazy and inconsiderate to walk a few extra feet at the mall.

MP Russ Hiebert – A giant shredder so that he can recycle his ongoing bulk mail-outs including the recent microscopic black and white 2011 calendar with the misspelt slogan, “Working Hard For You” that should have read, “Hardly Working For You.” This will save Semi-pen residents from having to blue-box this propaganda masquerading as junk mail.

Senator Gerry St. Germain – A box set of Quinten Tarentino’s “Kill Bill” movies after Harper’s Conservatives used their new majority in the Ottawa Senate to defeat the Climate Action Accountability bill without any debate, ensuring the appointed upper house quashed legislation put to it by the elected representatives in the House of Commons, effectively eliminating democracy in Canada.

EPCOR – A year’s supply of clean bottled water delivered by Canadian Springs for their offices plus a big jug of Clorox bleach for these protectors of White Rock’s artesian well water system that made this quaint seaside town the talk of Walkerton, Ontario because of pigeon poop in the pipes. What 5 letter words start with the letter "E", have "CO" in the middle and are bad for your health? EPCOR & E.Coli.

Translink – Instead of getting a gift this year they gave the Semi-Pen an early Christmas present by extending the Cranley Shuttle bus service to the Grandview Heights/Morgan Crossing retail area on Dec. 13th, more than two years after the Wal-Mart first opened. Maybe for next Xmas they’ll reinstate the South Surrey to Langley express bus down 24th Ave. that was cancelled this spring.

B.C. Lions place kicker Sean Whyte – After veteran “Mr. Automatic” Paul McCallum finally hangs up his cleats, the B.C. Lion’s young kicker should be rewarded for following in Lui Passaglia’s and McCallum’s rather large footsteps by having his hometown’s name changed from White Rock to “Whyte Rock.” Look for crowds at B.C. Place to start yelling "Seannnn..." when he splits the uprights.

NHL’er Colin Fraser – For this Surrey native and Chicago Black Hawks player who unlike 40 years of Canuck teams managed to bring Lord Stanley’s mug to town this summer, a bottle of silver polish and a box of soft rags to help wipe fingerprints and champagne residue off the Canadian Holy Grail. Lets pray that the 3-0 shutout for the Canucks over the Hawks on Dec. 3rd was a sign of things to come.

Singer Mark Donnelley – A box of Halls throat lozenges to ensure that his voice still rings loud and clear, either at his home in White Rock, at the renamed Rogers Arena for the Canucks games, during Canada Day celebrations in Cloverdale, or anywhere else he chooses to belt out the Canadian national anthem while also inviting us to sing along to the suddenly cool O Canada.

Blues musician Jason Buie – For the Semi-pen’s resident blues master, let’s hope that the Grinches who stole his Fender Stratocaster this summer can give his electric guitar back for Christmas. While they’re at it, the laptop computer with all his music that also went missing would be appreciated if it hasn't already been traded for meth or crack by these low-life's.

Meteorologists & Weathermen - For weather gurus Mark Madryga, Wayne Cox, Russ Lecate and now retired Phil Reimer who all live in the Semi-pen along Kristie Gordon who grew up in Crescent Beach, some sun tan lotion for the summer and a gag-ball for the rest of the year so they don't tell everyone how nice it is to live in the warmest, driest and sunniest part of the Lower Mainland.

White Rockers - After the success of Trooper's recent sold-out charity show for the Coast Guard Auxiliary at the Star of the Sea in White Rock, lets hope that rockers Ray McGuire from Trooper, Doug Johnson from Loverboy, Robbie Bachman from BTO, metal queen Lee Aaron and Paul Rodgers from Free, Bad Company and now Queen, who also have homes in the Semi-Pen can work together to put a show on here to help put the "Rock" in White Rock.

BNSF Railway - A new inland railway route away from the Semi-pen waterfront, hopefully in the same safe and secure corridor as the planned high-speed rail allowing for the safe movement of dangerous goods. These are now shipped along a boulder strewn shoreline at the base of a landslide prone bluff where hill-top residents still insist on cutting down trees for views regardless of the threat to passing trains.

WR Sun columnist Doug E Lachance – A doctors stethoscope so he doesn’t have to keep his finger on the pulse of live music in the Semi-Pen but instead can simply listen to the beat and enjoy the vibe like the rest of us. Doug’s gift to all those fortunate enough to be living in the Semi-Pen is “The Night Owl” entertainment listing that appears weekly in the White Rock Sun.

WR Sun Publisher/Editor Dave Chesney – Had to save the best one for last. A big hug from your friends, followers and even those turkeys with ruffled feathers for having the drive, determination and balls to publish Canada’s first internet community newspaper. A special thanks from me for letting the “Pitbull” take off the muzzle every week to prove that my bark is indeed worse than my bite.

Merry Christmas everyone! Have a happy New Year and all the best to you and yours in 2011.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

December 20, 2010

Muddy Tracks Lead to Trouble

While it was reported on Dec. 12 by the BNSF Railway and Amtrak that passenger rail service between Seattle and Vancouver had been cancelled because of mudslides in Washington State, slides from the Ocean Park bluff onto tracks here were strangely omitted from media releases. There was a small slide near Kwomais Point that filled the ditch beside the rails without reaching the tracks and endangering rail operations, while a much larger slide near the Olympic Trail on 13 Ave. and 131 St. ripped out the landslide detector fence (LDF) and covered the rails with a couple feet of muddy debris over an 18 metre stretch of track. Fortunately no trains were passing by at the time and with this important track safety system activated, all rail traffic was suspended.

pacific terrace homes

This bigger slide came from the Pacific Terraces neighbourhood and originated at the crest of the hill in several residence's back yards. Approximately 300 cubic yards of the bluff or the equivalent of 20 full dump truck loads crashed to the bottom of the hill and onto the rails, removing a large swath of vegetation. From the material that the BNSF Railway crews excavated off the tracks onto the shore of Crescent Rock beach, it would appear that dumping of debris over the bluff edge may have been a contributing factor as yard waste and garbage was contained in the slide material. There was little evidence of trees coming down with this mudslide, possibly indicating that they'd previously been removed for view improvement of hill-top houses without consideration for the increased slide threat it creates.

At the top of the slide site a gaping hole remained where it had swallowed portions of a hedge, fence and landscape tie wall from the yards in this exclusive subdivision. While no drain lines leaking water onto the slope were noted, ground water continued to drip from stratified layers contained within the remaining soil. Underground springs are common in this area, bringing water onto the steep bluff from uphill properties. Development tends to change the hydrology of the hillside, often focusing water into certain channels while diverting it from others, ensuring variations in flow rates that can increase the risk of slides. A neighbour near this mudslide is a retired engineer and stated to a member of SmartRail that he had talked to the city of Surrey many times about the drainage in the area after seeing water spurting out of the ground from springs on a nearby lot.

Surrey engineering crews were on scene on Friday, surveying the damage, looking for signs of ground instability, while placing caution tape across backyards at the top of this latest slide site. They refused to answer any questions regarding this mudslide or ongoing landslide threats, advising me to contact their boss Vince Lalonde at city hall who was not available. They did warn me not to go anywhere near the origin of the slide as it had already collapsed further several days after the original mudslide. This information was confirmed with the second cancellation of the Amtrak through the White Rock rail corridor that was announced on Thursday. Residents living in the homes in question were either away for winter holidays or not interested in talking to anyone about the slide that had damaged their yards and put them under geotechnical inspection.

debris covered the tracks and swept out on to the beach

I wonder if it will take a calamity involving a BNSF freight train or a house sliding down the bluff before the city of Surrey starts taking this public safety and environmental threat seriously. Transport Canada has already warned the cities of Surrey and White Rock that tree cutting on the bluff along with the draining of water onto the steep slope are the main causes of slides threatening passing trains with derailment. While enacting tough tree protection bylaws prohibiting any cutting of trees on the bluff along with redirecting run-off and drain water to city services at curb side would drastically reduce the slide risk, nothing has been done. It seems that million dollar views are worth protecting but the safety of trains carrying hundreds of passengers along the waterfront or freight trains with hazardous goods rolling next to a boulder lined beach are not a concern.

slide cut through trees creating a massiv ditch

With the winter solstice occurring this week, there is still plenty of precipitation coming to this region over the next few months. We'll have to cross our fingers and pray that passing trains with the strong vibrations that they produce don't shake down more landslides. Unfortunately the chances of this happening are slim as the Bellingham Herald reported on Sunday that the Amtrak had been cancelled for an additional 48 hours from yet another slide that hit the BNSF tracks sometime this weekend. Hopefully a track inspection I'm planning for Monday morning will reveal which bank failed and whether it was one of this week's previous slide sites or a new area that has fallen onto the tracks. Keep in mind that while it is deemed too dangerous for the passenger train, BNSF freight trains that often carry hazardous goods continue to roll along the Semi-pen tracks in a practice I refer to as "railway roulette."

Naturally Yours

DON PITCAIRN

Updates Tuesday A.m.

While the BNSF railway in the Semi-pen was closed to the Amtrak on Monday morning because of continuing slide action near the Olympic Trail, at 10 a.m. a southbound freight train carrying one tank car each of caustic Hydrochloric acid and Sodium Hydroxide, multiple tankers of flammable liquified petroleum along with 9 tank cars of inhalation hazardous Chlorine gas rolled through White Rock past the recent bluff slide sites. If unsafe for passenger trains because of the landslide threat, you have to wonder why this line is open for the shipping of dangerous goods including poisonous gas?

 

Response from GUS MELONAS the local rep for BNSF Rail.

If BNSF's Engineering Dept and inspectors determine operation unnsafe for freight, then we would halt freight traffic as well. At this point, freight movements are determined safe.

Passanger equip is not built like freight equip and operate at dif speeds.
--------------------------
Sent from my BlackBerry Wireless Handheld 4 p.m. December 20

 

Surrey's Reply To DON PITCAIRN'S inquiry regarding recent slides.

December 20, 2010

Hi Don,

This is to give you an update on the slide/slides that have been occurring adjacent to 13188 – 13 Avenue. As of Friday last week, the area was still showing signs of movement.

I first visited the site on Monday December 13 after the Sunday slide. The City has some infrastructure near the slide area so has retained Thurber Engineering to conduct a geotechnical assessment of the site to determine if the infrastructure is safe or if its compromised.

When on site on Monday BNSF staff were also in attendance. They brought in their specialists from Seattle last week. At the present time, the slide is fully on BNSF lands. One neighbour to the south (1291- 132A) has encroached onto the BNSF lands. This is the fence, hedge, log-rail wall you see in the slide debris. We have placed flagging at key points in yards and walkways to warn the public of the danger.

No homes are in danger from the slide. They are all set back far enough. Our geotechnical consultant has confirmed this with us. Our infrastructure appears far enough setback also and we are confirming that it was not a trigger to the slides.

There is substantial seepage coming out of the bank about midway. The source has not been determined but is likely naturally occurring. This area has a history of slides in the past, with the last one occurring in about 1996/1997.

Surrey staff will continue to monitor the site to see that the sanitary and storm mains are safe. BNSF staff are aware of the situation and have specialists monitoring from the railways’ perspective. Pictures of the site throughout the week are available. I can also forward a copy of the Thurber report when it is completed.

Please call if you would like to discuss this further
Carrie Baron, P.Eng |Drainage & Environment Manager

 

 

 

 

 

AMTRAK rail service timeline this past week due to landslides

Wednesday December 16

THE PROVINCE announce White Rock slide December 16 (READ MORE)

 

Yesterday Sunday December 19

SEATTLE Radio Station announces closure of rail tracks through White Rock due to slide (CLICK HERE)

 

December 13, 2010

I'm MADD as Hell (and I'm not Going to Take it Anymore!)

Of all the things that make me see red, drinking and driving tops the list especially during the holidays. I'm doing my part to support Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) and their 2010 Project Red Ribbon Campaign that runs for two months during the Christmas season. While October is the interestingly the worst month for drinking and driving accidents, November and December with office parties and year-end celebrations follow close behind. MADD has joined forces with Mayor Dianne Watts, the city of Surrey and emergency services personnel here to ask residents here to display a red ribbon on their vehicle, keychain or personal item like a purse or backpack. The ribbon sends a message to drive sober during the holidays and throughout the rest of the year, while serving as a memorial to the many innocent victims of impaired driving.

I've managed to put a few miles on the old odometer over the years and have unfortunately been witness to the carnage and destroyed lives that drinking and driving can cause. On a trip up north during the winter a decade ago, I came across a Ford Bronco that had recently passed me at high speed before failing to negotiate a sharp curve in the road near Spences Bridge. The truck had rolled several times before flipping end over end and finally crashing into some trees. The three occupants, a mother, father and their eleven year old daughter, were not been wearing seatbelts and all had been ejected and crushed to death by the out-of-control 4X4 vehicle. Their crumpled bodies, covered in blotches of bright red, lay across the crash site in the pure white snow. Christmas packages that would never be delivered were strewn around along with empty and full cans of Molson Canadian beer, some still spirting foam. I will never forget the smell of gasoline, blood and alcohol that drifted across this rather grisly accident scene or the vacant dead stare of the young girl as I checked her neck for the pulse that was no longer there.

Drunk driver crashes like this don`t always happen far away from home or late at night. Several years back I was driving near the intersection of 152nd St. and King George Hwy. when I heard the unmistakable sound of a serious car crash. As luck would have it, my passenger was a former ambulance attendant who still lives in White Rock. We circled through the nearby Mazda dealership, being the first ones on the scene to a multi-car rear-end collision involving five vehicles. When I first got out of my truck, I saw what I thought was a baby dressed in a woollen snuggie jumper lying on the street, its head covered in blood and convulsing in death throes. My friend rushed to the infants side and discovered much to both of our reliefs that it was not an infant but a small white dog. It had been ejected through the back window of a car by the force of the collision and its head was crushed by either the road or the vehicle behind it. The passengers in the cars that had been accordioned from behind all suffered minor injuries, especially whiplash. The vehicle that had caused all of this destruction was an older model Ford pickup truck that was quickly surrounded by a swarm of irate motorists who had been dangerously passed by this truck moments before the impact. The young male driver reeked of alcohol and could not even stand on his own two feet. The angry mob held him until police arrived where he was placed under arrest for suspicion of drunk driving. The time of this accident was only one p.m. on a Friday afternoon.

I received a subpoena this week, requesting myself to be a witness for the Crown in a drunk driving trial scheduled for next year in Pemberton. While driving through Whistler this summer, I noticed a Chevy truck driving rather strangely. The driver stopped a full car length into the intersection for a red light, almost running down a pedestrian who jumped back to the curb to avoid being struck. Not five minutes later, after performing a variety of other interesting driving manoeuvres, the same truck drove two feet across the centreline of Highway 99, almost colliding with a passing motorcyclist who gave him the finger while veering out of harms way. I called the local RCMP, gave them the particulars of the truck and reported what I had seen along with my suspicion that the driver was possibly impaired. It was not too far down the road that the vehicle in question was pulled over by a marked police cruiser and I honked in support of the investigating officer as I passed by. This marks the third time that I have taken drunk drivers off our roads, twice before using my cell phone to call about vehicles that were being driven in a dangerous manner. I believe that it is possible these phone calls saved lives, either of the impaired drivers behind the wheel or anyone unlucky enough to get in their way.

On average their are 5,100 alcohol related collisions every year in B.C. that cause 3,200 injuries and 115 deaths. Think about that last stat, this is enough dead people to fill two passenger buses every year in this province alone. Of these booze fuelled crashes, over 60 percent occur on weekends (Friday, Saturday and Sunday) with almost half happening between 9 p.m. and 3 a.m. The 16-25 year old age group is most likely to drink and drive, accounting for 35 percent of all alcohol related crashes, with males making up 80 percent of drunk drivers. Alcohol is still one of the top five contributing factors in fatal crashes with 26 percent of motor vehicle fatalities being linked to drinking and driving. Across this country, every day on average four Canadians are killed and 200 more injured as a result of alcohol and drug-related crashes. These obscene numbers need to be dramatically decreased as every accident, every life snuffed out unnecessarily and the grievous bodily injuries suffered by those who survive cause immeasurable pain and suffering that often lasts a lifetime. We only need to look at the tragic case of four-year old Alexa Middelaer who was killed while her Aunt was seriously injured in Ladner by Carol Berner in May of 2008 to see the terrible costs associated with drinking and driving.

There has been much written lately about the 0.05 blood alcohol limit that is now being used for driving licence suspensions, along with the 0.08 limit used for DUI criminal charges. Let me tell you about my own personal experience with drinking and blowing into police breathalysers. Years ago when I was living at UBC, I attended a party where the university RCMP detachment brought along a breathalyser machine. After consuming beers to the point that I would never even consider driving an automobile, I blew a reading of only 0.05. I could not believe that I was still well under the legal limit of impairment for operating a motor vehicle and expressed this to the officer conducting the test. He informed me that at 0.08, a person wasn`t just feeling the effects of alcohol but would be quite drunk with slurred speech, loss of balance and impaired judgement. Since that time over 30 years ago, I have ignored what I think might be a safe limit of alcohol or ever tried to calculate what my blood alcohol reading might be. Instead I use a very simple strategy, if I can feel any booze in my system, I refuse to drive. My limit is zero as I consider driving as the most dangerous thing I do and take steps to ensure that my reaction time is not slowed by the effects of alcohol. After all, I might need quick reflexes to avoid an accident with someone who is impaired behind the wheel and putting my life in jeopardy.

So tie a red ribbon onto the antennae of your car or truck, letting everyone know that you are one of the many people like me who are sick of drunks on our roads. If you see a suspected drunk driver, call 911 and report them to to the police, following them at a safe distance if you can. Don`t worry about being on your cell phone if you don`t have a hands-free device as calling the police exempts you from this ban. If every car on our streets was sporting a red ribbon, drunks who are not worried about the 0.05 blood alcohol limit might be concerned about being reported by an army of sober citizens. If we all see red over drinking and driving, then hopefully you won`t end up like me and seeing blood splattered bodies of victims at drunk driving crashes. If you are going to be out partying where alcohol will be consumed this holiday season, make sure you plan your safe ride home, using transit, taxi, driving service or a designated driver. Promise yourself to never drink and drive as the life you save just might be your own.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

December 06, 2010

Where There's Smoke - There's Fire

The house fire in Surrey earlier this week that killed two young children along with injuring five other people including a fireman should serve as a wakeup call to the community on the importance of smoke detectors. Investigators now believe this fatal fire resulted from either a burning cigarette or untended candle. While the house had three smoke detectors, two of them were not working delaying the warning time that a fire had started. In a T.V. interview about this fire, a Surrey fire chief revealed some shocking statistics regarding smoke detector use in this city. He reported that while 85 percent of homes here have smoke detectors (you have to wonder why this is not 100%) only 35 percent of these important safety units are operational. This translates to half of the smoke detectors in Surrey not working, greatly increasing the threat of injury or death during a house fire.

If you believe that a fire couldn't happen in your house, think again. While nobody in my home smokes cigarettes and candles are only burned in secure holders, we've had the men from Fire Hall 12 visit here twice in the past six months because of fire and smoke. In the first instance, an overflowing pie being baked in the oven ignited while we were in the middle of a family dinner. Flames erupted all around the bottom element while thick black smoke poured out of the stovetop vent quickly filling the room with soot and heat, forcing everyone to evacuate the house before a fire extinguisher was located and the fire snuffed out. The second incident involved toxic smelling smoke, most likely from neighbours burning plastic garbage, being sucked into the house through the cold air intake into the furnace. In both of these cases, our smoke alarms sounded a piercing warning to the danger.

There are a large variety of smoke detectors available with many different capabilities and attributes. The best has to be a hard-wired detector, powered by the house electrical system with a back-up battery for when power goes out. This is important as candles are often used as a light source during blackouts leading to elevated fire threat. The more common smoke detectors utilize 9 volt alkaline or carbon-zinc batteries which should be replaced at a regular interval to ensure that they function properly. It is recommended that home-owners replace smoke detector batteries with a new one at least once per year, when it starts chirping signalling that its charge is low, or when it fails a test which should be carried out at least once a month by pressing the "test" button on the alarm.

Smoke detectors use two different technologies to detect fires with each having bonuses and potential drawbacks. An optical detector uses an infrared photo sensor to detect smoke particles in the air. They are far less to produce nuisance alarms (eg. burning toast) and excel in detecting smouldering fires while reacting slowly to fast growing flames. An ionization detector uses radioactive particles travelling between two electrodes to detect smoke particles. While effectively sensing open flame fires, they have a delayed response in detecting smouldering fires and are more prone to nuisance alarms. Fire safety experts recommend installing what are called combination alarms which detect both heat and smoke, or use the optical and ionization processes together in one unit. No matter what kind of smoke detector is being used it must be kept clean and vacuumed on a regular basis for dust and cobwebs along with being replaced every ten years to ensure their reliability.

Proper placement of smoke detectors throughout the house is essential to provide maximum fire protection for occupants. Health Canada recommends you install smoke detectors outside each bedroom and sleeping area and on every level of your home including the basement. By utilizing different types of detectors or having them wired to all simultaneously ring at once when a single unit is activated, you can minimize your family's risk of fire-related injury or death. It is also a good idea to develop a "family escape plan" in case of fire in your home and to ensure that children understand what they should do if they hear warning sounds from smoke detectors. The escape plan should be practiced with all family members and include a pre-selected meeting point outside the home.

Besides having smoke detectors to sense fires, homeowners should also ensure they have easily accessible fire extinguishers to put out any flames. Make sure you have the proper extinguisher as they are rated differently for different types of fires with Class A being for ordinary combustibles, Class B for flammable liquids and Class C for electrical with some extinguishers working for multiple kinds of fires. Have these securely mounted in high visibility locations away from likely sources of ignition and in multiple locations throughout the building. There is no point in having a fire extinguisher sitting on the counter next to the stove where you might not be able to access it in case of a flaming pot that is spraying burning oil. You also don't want your extinguisher being out of sight or sitting on a shelf where it will eventually get pushed to the back corner and forgotten over time.

It has been estimated that house fires double in size every 30 seconds. It doesn't take long for a small fire to quickly get out of control and the sooner it can be located and either extinguished or the home evacuated the better. A house and its contents can always be replaced but people's lives cannot and unfortunately it is youngsters who are the most risk of dying during a fire. Taking precautions against this threat, installing and servicing smoke detectors, having a family escape plan along with multiple fire extinguishers might not only save your home, it just might save your life and those of your loved ones.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

November 29, 2010

You Dirty #$@& Rat!

Last week's cold snap and early snowfall brought to my attention an ongoing problem that continues to plague the Semiahmoo peninsula. After the first skiff of snow fell, I walked around my property looking for footprints in the snow that would show what kind of nocturnal animals were roaming the yard. While expecting evidence of racoons, skunks or even the lowly possum, imagine my surprise when I noticed small tracks on the ground coming from under my gazebo/hot tub. At first I thought these might be from one of the many squirrels that manage to entertain our little dog for hours on end but they were a little too small. With the extreme cold, rats had moved into this shelter, taking up residence under the decking surrounding the nice warm tub.

Now don't get me wrong, I don't mind sharing my hot tub and spending time there relaxing with friends and family but I draw the line with having large gnawing rodents running around, chewing everything in sight while urinating and defecating on every surface they can put their grubby paws on. I purchased a large Victor snap trap, baited it with a raisin smothered with peanut butter and over the next few days caught not one but three large adult rats that had set up shop in the gazebo. Hopefully that will be the end of the problem but having now lived in three houses in the Semi-pen, I know too well the full scope of the on-going rat infestation here.

If you've ever taken in a sunset on any of the more rugged beaches of White Rock or south Surrey, especially those next to the boulder lined BNSF Railway, it is likely you have experienced this problem first hand. As soon as the sun goes down and it starts to get dark you can hear faint rustling and scratching sounds from between the rip-rap, often catching furtive glances of rats running between the rocks and blackberries as they prepare for a night-time snack of food washed ashore by the tide. Grains that fall between the train tracks from leaking rail cars only add to the buffet at the beach. Moving inland, residential neighbourhoods with open compost boxes, unsecured garbage cans, untended vegetable gardens, fallen fruits and nuts along with pet food left outside for dogs and cats only adds to the smorgasbord dined on nightly by these disease and vermin carrying rodents.

Rats are more of a problem in homes during winter months but they can enter dwellings at any time of the year. Around here we have two different species of rats, the most common being the roof rat, so called because it is an excellent climber. These live in trees and frequently enter homes to nest in attics where they rip up insulation and often chew on electrical wires raising the risk of fire. The other species is the Norway Rat which tend to live in basements and crawlspaces, outdoors in wood piles and sheds, in underground burrows or in sewers. Rats are amazingly agile animals, being able to climb almost any rough surface including stucco or wood, jump more than a metre either straight up or sideways, pass through any opening more than 1.5 cm. square, climb the inside or outside of most vertical pipes including downspouts, reach up to 35 cm. above a flat surface plus walk or climb any wires strung either vertically or horizontally.

Besides damaging dwellings and food stores, rat droppings and their urine can contaminate a wide area while causing odour problems. They spread diesease through bacteria and viruses carried in their urine, droppings, saliva and hair which include Hantanvirus Pulmonary Syndrome, Salmonella typhimurium and Lepospirosis that left untreated can all cause death. Fleas carried by rats are are responsible for deadly Murine typhus and the well known Bubonic plague which killed 75 million people in 14th century Europe and was found this fall in Oregon. Adding to the misery is the brain infection Eosinophilic meningitis which is spread by parasitic worms carried in rat lungs. Should you ever corner a rat (never a good thing to do) you could catch Rat-bite fever from their sharp teeth and claws. This disease can also be acquired by drinking water contaminated with rat feces which might make you welcome a little chlorine in White Rock's well water that recently contained E.coli from pigeon poop.

As if these medical concerns weren't enough of a problem the old saying, "breeding like rats" should be heeded as a warning to their reproduction rates. Rats have between 4 and 7 litters per year with an average brood size of 8 to 12 young, reaching sexual maturity in only 2 and 4 months of age with an average lifespan of 3 to 4 years. Under ideal situations with no population control, a single pair of rats and their offspring can potentially produce up to 20 million young in only 3 years. It has been estimated that a colony of 100 rats will consume over one tonne of food in a year creating 2.5 million droppings. Without limiting their breeding potential, you can easily imagine the Semi-pen being over run with rats, possibly looking like a scene out of the horror movie "Willard." For those suffering from "Musophobia", the irrational or obsessive fear of rats or mice, this isn't a pretty picture to consider.

The best way to control rats is to start by rat-proofing your home and taking away their food and shelter. In the yard, keep garbage cans securely covered and reduce any trash lying around. Thin or remove any dense low-lying shrubs or hardy groundcovers like English ivy. Use only rodent-proof composters while keeping garden sheds tightly closed and high off the ground. Pick up dropped fruits and nuts from trees while ensuring that branches are at least 1.5 metres away from the siding and roof. Only feed pets outdoors if they can eat all the food at once and ensure their feces is removed promptly. For your house, seal openings around pipes and cables while and weather-stripping garage doors so they close tightly. Keep shrubs a minimum half metre away and never grow vines or ivy against siding. Screen with 3/8" wire mesh all attic and crawlspace vents plus openings under overlapping roof lines where rats can push soffits open. If you must feed birds, do so far from any building, sweeping up extra seed on a daily basis. Stack all stored firewood off the ground away from exterior walls. These simple precautions will greatly reduce your chances of attracting rats to your property.

If you find that you have rats, noticed by gnawing marks, droppings the size of thin raisins, strong urine odours or their rub marks which are dark smudges on surfaces from their oily fur as they travel, then control measures will be needed. Snap traps for rats, large versions of the ones usually used on mice are best while preventing the problem of dead rodent odours. Because rats are wary of new items in their environment, it is best to bait traps without actually setting for 5 days to help habituate them. Traps should not be placed in the open but against walls and in dark corners where rats usually travel for safety. Openings into structures and near rub marks also make excellent trap locations. When removing dead rats from traps, always use gloves and either bury or dispose of carcasses. Keep all traps out of reach of children as they can easily break finger bones. Remember the diseases listed above and keep in mind that fleas on dead rats will be looking for a new host to call home.

Rodenticides or bait can also be used but great care must be taken to avoid accidentally poisoning pets, wildlife or children. The rodenticide should always be placed in a protective container, usually a tamper proof rodent bait station specifically designed for this purpose. Solid bait blocks are secured inside the station with a rod while bags of bat are tied to the bottom and the entire station is then closed and cannot be opened without a special key. Often these stations have a large bolt that can secure it to the ground ensuring that children and pets cannot reach inside and get the bait. Dead rats that have been killed in this manner must be located and disposed of to avoid odours resulting from decomposition and so that they are not eaten by other animals including dogs and cats which can then be accidentally poisoned. Whenever possible trapping is always preferrable to baiting because of the environmental and safety risks associated with the use of poison.

Remember, the best way to not have a rat problem is to keep them from happening in the first place. If everyone living in the Semiahmoo peninsula were to follow these simple steps, the ongoing rat infestation we have here could be eliminated. As long as we keep inviting rats onto our property, either by ensuring their food supply or providing them shelter, then these damaging and disease ridden rodents will continue to be a problem from the beaches to our back doors.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

November 22, 2010

Clearing the air about AirCare

With AirCare's contract coming up for review there have been renewed calls to quash this program that appears to be a victim of its own success. Originally created as a way to reduce air emissions from automobile tailpipes, with yearly testing and technological advancements in car exhaust systems, air quality in the Lower Mainland and especially the Fraser Valley have dramatically improved over time. With new cars exempt from testing for the first seven years and only 5,000 cars a year now receiving failing grades, many are questioning whether AirCare is worth the money that motorists are continuing to spend on it.

The AirCare Review Committee, a multi-agency review looking at the relevance of this program has recently announced that they believe it should be renewed and extended until at least 2020 with air quality benefits justifying its continuation. “Termination of the AirCare program would result in increased emissions that would cause negative health impacts on all residents of the Lower Fraser Valley,” the report states while noting that the $45-million annual cost of running AirCare testing centres is paid for entirely by motorists through fees so that dismantling the program would not save TransLink or governments any money. I know many Semi-pen residents were not happy about the decision several years ago to shut down the local AirCare centre in south Surrey, forcing motorists to spend time and money to drive to Newton or Langley for vehicle testing.

Instead of cancelling this important environmental protection program, I think its scope should be broadened rather than being cancelled or simply extended. The name should be changed to "EcoCare" and besides checking tailpipe emissions, vehicles should also be examined for oil and other fluid leaks. Most of our cars and trucks spew a variety of petroleum products plus glycol antifreeze that poisons pets and wildlife, with some being currently turned away from AirCare centres because of excessive leaks. Waste oil dripping from vehicles accounts for an estimated 10 million barrels of oil lost worldwide that grease our streets causing accidents every time it rains before washing into streams, rivers, lakes and aquifers as Storm Water Urban Run-off Pollution or "SWURP."

You don't need to go far to see the effects of leaking oil on our streets and the environment. The next time you're at one of our local malls, simply take note of the damage to the asphalt of the parking lots stalls from oil and gas dripping out of leaking automobile engines. If it happens to be raining you can watch this petroleum rising from these greasy spots where it is then washed away into the nearest sewer grate often marked "Leads to Fish Habitat." The greasy strip down the centre of our roads is also visible every time it rains and it is this oil that causes many summertime accidents, especially involving motorcycles that are especially vulnerable to oil slicked streets. The B.C. Used Oil Management Assn. warns us that one litre of used oil can contaminate a million litres of ground water, with only 71% of used oil in the province ever being collected. Ever wonder what happens to the other 29 percent?

While in the proposed "EcoCare" testing station, vehicles could also be inspected for the decibel rating of modified exhaust systems, eliminating noise pollution on city streets from loud cars and trucks and maybe even Harley-Davidson motorcycles with their obnoxious straight pipes. I'm pretty sure that many White Rock residents wouldn't mind the return of peace and quiet in the summer when their windows are often rattled by choppers roaring up and down the hillsides. I know that White Rock Sun editor Dave Chesney whose home sits on Columbia St. would appreciate turning down the volume on these bikes that are presently exempt from AirCare testing and often ignored by the RCMP. I realize some bikers believe that "loud pipes save lives" but not when the entire neighbourhood you have just woken up at night wants to kill you.

The older generation will likely remember back in the 1970's when the former NDP government at that time brought in mandatory motor vehicle inspection to B.C. where automobiles and trucks were tested yearly for a variety of mechanical defects. It was the Socreds who dismantled this program because of the testing and repair costs to motorists, ignoring the safety benefits while allowing dangerous vehicles to roll on our streets. It is worth noting that you can pass AirCare with flying colours and still drive out of the testing facility with a vehicle that has bald tires, no brakes, worn out suspension, burnt out lights or a rusted out frame. Just as AirCare shouldn't be cancelled to save money at the expense of the environment, safety testing of vehicles that currently is done to commercial vehicles should be reinstituted for all passenger cars and trucks.

Lets turn AirCare into "EcoCare" to protect the environment and reduce all forms of pollution that are being released from the millions of automobiles on our streets and highways. If we value public safety as much as Mother Earth, maybe its time to turn back the clock and consider having certified mechanics check vehicles for road worthiness, saving lives while taking more old clunkers and junkers off the road to be replaced with safer and cleaner models. You also have to wonder if these initiatives should be applied across B.C. instead of solely in the Lower Mainland as pollution control and safer roads is important province-wide and not just in our main population centre.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

Editor's Note:
Met-Van voted on Friday November 26 to extend AirCare to 2020 but will urge the B.C. government to expand it to include heavy duty vehicles such as semi-trailer trucks, aiming to reduce harmful diesel particulate matter in the air.

 

November 15, 2010

Shred it and Forget it

Get ready for big changes coming to your garbage and recycling pick up in Surrey. The city is now testing a pilot program that will see residents using three large supplied totes, one with a green lid for organics including kitchen scraps, another with a blue lid for recyclables, and a third with a black lid for garbage. When fully implemented on July 1st, 2012, this new system will see weekly pickup of the green products with alternating weekly pickups of either recycling and garbage. This should result in a 70% reduction in household waste, one third less garbage trucks on the streets of Surrey and a hopefully a decrease in the contract price leading to lower property taxes. A townhouse and apartment organics collection program is also in the works along with future plans for office buildings. To see all the detailed information on this ambitious project, visit the following link to the City of Surrey website: http://www.surrey.ca/bylawsandcouncillibrary/CR_2010_R229.pdf

This is not the first TNT dealing with the subject of organic waste collection, with my March 22nd, "Put You Waste on a Diet" (scroll down), showcasing the benefits of backyard composting. Information in the above corporate report reveals that a surprising one third of Surrey residents already compost their organic waste in their backyards for the environmental benefits, convenience, free humus and the reduced impact on the landfill. The new organics collection service will allow these people to now dispose of other materials such as meats, fat, bones and soiled paper products (excluding toilet paper) in the curb side collection program. While I support efforts to reduce the solid waste being land filled or incinerated, unfortunately I don't know if organics collection as planned for Surrey really follows the premise of the "5-R's" of recycling, namely to "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Renew and Respect."

Back yard composter

Instead of putting so much focus and energy into the curb side pickup of all organics, I believe that Surrey (and White Rock) first needs to promote its backyard composting program, alerting residents to the black plastic earth drums that can be purchased from city hall to decompose most food scraps and yard waste at home. This would dramatically reduce the volume of organics needed to be collected on a weekly basis while providing homeowners with a rich source of humus that can be used as an organic fertilizer and topsoil for their gardens, flowers and shrubs. An educational program informing residents how to properly compost and the environmental benefits associated with it should be a priority before any full spectrum organics collection is contemplated. I personally compost almost all of my kitchen and yard organics produced from five adults and my quarter acre property without ever utilizing Surrey's current collection program.

Besides this age-old method of at-home carbon sequestering, Surrey should play a lead role in encourage the use of mulching mowers that do not bag grass clippings or fallen leaves from lawns. My commercial gardening company now employs this technology, drastically reducing the amount of organics that we collect which then needs to be driven to processing sites such as the Vancouver landfill in Delta to be turned into topsoil. The other bonus of this mulching program is that it improves soil quality by constantly topdressing with a fine layer of organics, decreasing or eliminating the need for chemical fertilizers that can wash into fish-bearing streams or leach into aquifers. Where I formerly removed truckloads of fall leaves per day from the large strata complexes that I maintain, all of these are now placed on lawns and shredded along with the grass clippings creating dark green lawns that are lush, thick and drought resistant. An once a year application of dolomite lime, preferably in the fall, helps to break down this organic matter so that thatch build-up never becomes a problem.

Recycling mower in action

By ensuring that residents mulch grass clippings and leaves into their lawns, Surrey could also cut the fleets of exhaust spewing garbage trucks needed for organics collection, especially during the busy gardening times of spring and fall. This organic matter can instead be "Reduced" from curb side pickup, "Reused" as an organic soil amender on resident's lawns, "Recycling" nutrients directly back into the earth as a "Renewable" fertilizer, while "Respecting" the environment and leaving the smallest footprint possible. I have cut my company's organic waste removal by an amazing 90% simply by utilizing this eco-friendly practice along with reducing my regular fertilizer use by almost two thirds. I'd suggest that banning the sale and use of old fashioned and outdated bagging mowers in the city of Surrey be instituted in their by-laws and that residents be educated about the benefits to their lawns, soil and the environment from using recycling mowers to mulch grass clippings and leaves.


Lawn before leaf mulching..., ...and after recycle mowing

So this fall instead of raking leaves into big piles that then need to be stuffed into kraft bags or using bagging mowers to collect debris, simply shred them on lawns and leave them to be absorbed into the soil. Even if you currently don't have a mulching mower, just remove the bag secure the safety flap closed with wire or bungee chord, and raise the front wheels slightly before cutting up leaves into confetti that will be blown deep between the blades of grass. There is no need for putting useful organics at the curb side for collection and then later paying big bucks for bags of black topsoil and chemical fertilizers. Recycle this carbon and free nutrients back into your landscape and reap the benefits of eco-friendly gardening while lowering your work load including having to lug heavy wet bags of leaves and and trimmings to the curb on garbage day.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

UPDATE - White Rock Councillor HELEN FATHERS replies to the above article.

Hello Don;

I am also happy to announce the same for White Rock, at this evenings agenda the recommendations are as follows:

6.5 PROPOSED CHANGES TO THE SOLID WASTE COLLECTION Page 58
PROGRAM – THE FIRST STEPS IN MEETING THE 70% DIVERSION
Report dated November 15, 2010 from the Director of Engineering and Municipal
Operations titled “Proposed Changes to the Solid Waste Collection Program”.
RATE BY 2015
RECOMMENDATION #1
THAT Council receive the November 15, 2010 report from the Director of Engineering
and Municipal Operations titled “Proposed Changes to the Solid Waste Collection
Program – the First Steps in Meeting the 70% Diversion Rate by 2015”.
:
RECOMMENDATION #2
THAT Council direct staff to implement changes to the garbage collection schedule from
weekly collection to bi-weekly collection beginning March 2011.
:
RECOMMENDATION #3
THAT Council direct staff to implement changes to the recycling collection schedule
from bi-weekly collection to weekly collection beginning January 2011.
:
RECOMMENDATION #4
THAT Council direct staff to implement changes to the yard waste collection to include
kitchen food waste and the schedule from bi-weekly to weekly and increase the limit of
kraft bags/cans/bundles from 10 to 11 beginning January 2011.
:
RECOMMENDATION #5
THAT Council direct staff to begin a public education/engagement process regarding the
changes in solid waste collection.
:
AGENDA
Page 3
City of White Rock Regular Agenda – November 15, 2010
Page No. 4
RECOMMENDATION #6
THAT Council direct staff to report back to Council on the feasibility and financial
implications of implementing a waste management utility based on the principle of userpay.


Best Regards
Councillor Fathers

 

November 09, 2010

The Good The Bad & The Ugly

November 3, 2010 was a very important date for me because it just so happened to be my one and only sister's 50th birthday. Trust B.C. Premier Gordon Campbell to ruin the party by announcing his resignation that day. How could I possibly compete with that? This was the best present my sister could have ever asked for and it came without having to pay the HST! While my paltry gift paled in comparison, I'm reasonably sure she liked my new birthday song, "The Big 5-0" sung to the theme from Hawaii 5-0 ("To-day is your birthday, its the big 5-0"). Unfortunately in less than a year and a half she'll probably sing it back to me when I join her in the half-century club. "Paybacks are a bitch you know", she warned me, just as Premier Campbell has found out over his bungled introduction of the HST that led to his political downfall.

There has been much written in newspapers and the internet in the past few days on Gordon Campbell since his announced resignation. Many of these articals, blogs and comments have looked back at his political history and whatever legacy he might command in the future. Here is a list of Gordon Campbell's good, bad and ugly decisions, with many of these - except for the ugly - likely to be in the wrong column depending on your personal perspective and political views.

THE GOOD
Improved First Nations negotiations and respect with treaty referendum.
Preserved the 64,000 square kilometre Great Bear Rain Forest.
Implemented fixed election dates and budget dates, a first in Canada.
A 25% income tax break when first elected, 15% tax cut just before resigning.
Low unemployment rates even with the all-important forest sector struggling.
Stopped political feuding with Ottawa leading to millions of dollars of funding flowing to B.C.
Megaprojects - Canada Line, Port Mann bridge, Island & Sea-to-Sky Highways, Convention Centre, Gateway Project, B.C. Place roof.
Announced plans to build the Site C dam, calling it a clean energy project on the Peace River in northeast B.C.
Promoted green energy independent power projects including run of river, wind farms and solar power.
Removed the hated toll booths from the summit of the Coquihalla Highway before Merritt.
Wildly successful 2010 Winter Olympics with Canada receiving record gold medal haul.
Kept economic downturn kept to a minimum as compared to other jurisdictions.
Fiscally conservative policies stabilized the province and attracted investment.

THE BAD
Implemented $6 training (slave) wage for businesses like McDonalds.
Pushed people off welfare rolls and out into the streets increasing homelessness.
Banned teachers from striking, declaring educators as an essential service.
Ripped up health care contracts when first elected and privatized 8,000 jobs.
Sold NDP's Fast-Cat ferries for scrap metal costs to Washington Marine Group.
Dictatorial control of decisions, making the Premiers office more powerful than ever.
Convicted of drunk driving while on holidays in Maui, blowing .149 on breathalyser.
Selling B.C. Rail for $1 billion to CN soon after after campaigning he would not privatize it.
RCMP raid on the legislature leading to Basi/Virk trial with $6 million paid in their legal fees.
Highest minimum wage in country when first elected, now left as the lowest at $8.
Highest child poverty rate in all of Canada for the last seven years in a row.
Increased government secrecy and slowed FOI requests despite a pledge for openness.
Post secondary tuition fees have climbed for 9 years in a row since first elected.
Vastly expanded gambling, betting increases and the introduction of internet gambling.
Cutting of gaming revenue to charities from 33% to 10% while government profits soared.
Whopping 53% increase in pay for Campbell along with 29% for M.P.'s who voted for this raise.
Gutted funding and staff of B.C. Environment Ministry, cutting budget in half since taking power.
Funding for Ministry of Parks cut yearly with new fees being charged for camping and parking.
"Fudge-it-budget" fiasco revealed after last election that $495 million deficit was really $2.8 billion.
Deficit financing for the province for 8 of the past 9 years in power leading to record debt.

THE UGLY
Dishonest imposition of the HST with $2 billion tax shift from corporations to citizens leading to anti-HST referendum and recall.

Other than speculation on how long Campbell will remain at the helm of the Liberals, most of the public interest has now focused on who will be the new leader of the Liberals. The race to succeed him is already heating up and low and behold, the two most likely candidates, one from within cabinet and the other from outside of the Liberal party, live right here in south Surrey. Could it be that the next Premier of British Columbia could be none other than Liberal Health Minister Kevin Falcon or Surrey Mayor Dianne Watts?

Because he is already an elected Liberal, Surrey-Cloverdale MLA Kevin Falcon (who has a new home in south Surrey) is on the top of most lists to take the top job in the province. He is regarded by most as extremely ambitious and with having the high profile portfolios of Transportation Minister, where he oversaw the Sea-to-Sky highway expansion plus the $3 billion Gateway project, and now Health Minister he has to be considered the current front-runner should he care to throw his hat into the ring. Drawbacks are that he is often seen as abrasive and sitting too far to the right for most of the close-to-centre Liberal party faithful. Falcon's wings are tied to the HST so it is unclear if he can soar with the eagles or be stuck with the turkeys that brought in this unpopular tax. Thought to be Campbell's favourite choice for a successor, a rumour he might want to quash if he has serious leadership ambitions. Kevin is believed by many to be already organizing his leadership campaign.

The bright light or dark horse depending on how you want to look at her is non other than Surrey's popular and outgoing Mayor Dianne Watts. It doesn't hurt that a recent Ipsos Reid poll put her at the top of the list of politicians that residents of B.C. would like to see as Premier. While admitting to being focused on the job at hand at Surrey city hall, Dianne has not denied her interest in possibly making the jump from municipal to provincial politics. She is also not tarred-and-feathered by being connected to the botched HST that continues to drag the Liberals down into the abyss. If anyone can right the Liberal ship and sail it off the rocks, first by axing the HST and then leading with charm and charisma, it is the first lady of Surrey. One drawback might be the possible backlash over yet another big-town B.C. Mayor becoming premier like Campbell, the NDP's Mike Harcourt, or the Socred's Bill Vanderzalm who for those who remember was mayor of Surrey way back in the 1970's.

With the Liberal's reliance on gambling revenue in this province, they might want to start taking bets on who will eventually be the new premier. While they haven't yet shown their cards, preferring to play them close to the chest, my money is on Falcon or Watts. As to which one will win - flip a coin - its a pick 'em bet.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

November 02, 2010

Hiebert Turns The Other Cheek

"Pitbull" Pitcairn Before RU$$ ROA$T

While South Surrey/White Rock/Cloverdale M.P. Russ Hiebert ducked questions put forth by media and his constituents last July when it was revealed that he had the highest office expenses of any able-bodied Canadian M.P., this time the publication of yearly M.P. expense documents was accompanied by a news release from Mr. Hiebert's offices on the very same day with Russ taking credit for reducing costs. "I heard clearly how many in the community felt about my operating costs this Spring," said Mr. Hiebert in a media release posted on his website. "My office operating costs have been reduced substantially, led by a reduction of $51,000 in travel costs. Clearly, some of these office operating costs are fixed or subject to inflation. Even so, I recognized last Fall, when the figures for 2008-2009 were first published, that my office operating costs for that year had grown and I began to review these costs to see where I could find savings." It looks as if Mr. Hiebert now "clearly" knows that the electorate is in no mood for their tax dollars being wasted and realized that his political days were likely numbered unless his costs could be restrained.

Hiebert's new numbers speak for themselves. Travel costs fell from $214,000 to $163,000, a reduction of $51,0000 as he stated. Office printing costs went from $82,000 to $47,000, saving another $35,000. Total office spending for Mr. Hiebert went from $637,000 down to $527,000, a yearly savings of $110,000. Hiebert’s office operating costs are now slightly below the provincial average of $528,000 for B.C M.P.'s. The newest big spender is Nathan Cullen from Skeena-Bulkley Valley who racked up office costs of $637,000, the same amount as Hiebert's last years total. Of note in Russ's expences was $16,000 for household flyer printing along with $21,000 for the hated "10 percenters", flyers that are distributed to nearby ridings, but it is likely these costs were incurred before July of this year. For a full disclosure of Mr. Hiebert's expenses and to see where your money is being spent, check out the following parliamentary link (CLICK HERE)

Mr. Hiebert has admitted that his travel expenses were reduced by limiting the number of times he flew his wife and two children on business class to Ottawa while Parliament was in session. No word on whether Russ flies economy class now with his family or if he sometimes pays for their flights out of his own pocket like Newton-North Delta M.P. Sukh Dhaliwal does. His printing costs were cut almost in half by eliminating household newsletters which have not been seen around here since Hiebert's spending habits became a national story and local disgrace. "I will continue to be vigilant in ensuring that taxpayers get the best value for their dollars while striving to maintain a high level of service to our community," said Mr. Hiebert in the last statement of his recent release. For a guy who promised to hold the Liberals "feet to the fire" over government waste before he was elected, he now has to control his own office spending knowing he will eventually get burned if he doesn't. Not to mention, someone might just put those embarassing dollar signs back up on his constituency office awning, turning "Russ" to "Ru$$."

Unfortunately Hiebert's boss Prime Minister Stephen Harper has not bothered to remove his snout from the taxpayer trough. Last week it was also revealed that the P.M.'s office expenses have soared to nearly $10 million, an increase of 30 percent in the past two years alone. Government House Leader john Baird has defended these costs, explaining that they are mainly due to an increase in the communications staff in the PMO and by increased travel needed by Harper to explain his government's policies. "The Prime Minister and our entire government believe we have an important responsibility to communicate with Canadians," said Mr. Baird in response to a report on these expenses. "This requires some fair and reasonable resources and that is one of the reasons why we have seen an increase in spending in this regard." You have to wonder how an increase in expenses of this magnitude during a time when many Canadians are finding it hard to make ends meet constitutes "fair and reasonable" and instead is looked on simply as a way to spread political propoganda to the nation?

The Conservative government in Ottawa is faring no better than their fearless leader when it comes to controlling expenses. After Canada’s federal debt peaked in 1997 at a record $563 billion it slowly declined over the next decade to $458-billion in 2008, two years after the Conservatives were first elected. Now this has all changed with the federal debt growing almost $6 billion in 2008-09, by over $55 billion in 2009-10 to fuel the economic recovery and it is expected to grow by over $45 billion in 2010-11. Recent economic forecasts have Canada not going back into the black until the fiscal year 2015-2016. Currently each and every Canadian is $16,082 in debt and we are paying $84 million per day just to service the interest costs of our accumulated debt of $545,705,350,000 (as of Sunday night at 10 p.m.). If you want to see a glaring example of this spending excess, check out the debt clock website at www.debtclock.ca (CLICK HERE) and try not to be amazed at how fast the numbers fly by at close to $1,000 per second along with the amount the total has grown since this column was written.

If Hiebert can roll back his office expenses by a whopping 17 percent in one year, maybe other politicians can follow his lead and reduce their costs as well. I think it is important for Stephen Harper to set an example and address the sudden and dramatic cost increases of the PMO along with overall government spending. Eventually the debt will need to be dealt with through spending reductions, fiscal restraint, government layoffs, spending freezes, job cuts, reduced entitlements, tax increases and lower benefits as has now been already instituted in the countries of Britain, France and Greece. With Mr. Hiebert's high regard for family values he must realize that the country's debt will need to be serviced by the next generation of tax payers. This is the worst kind of child abuse, one that is forced onto our sons and daughters by parents who are not only spending their inheritance but also bankrupting their kids future. Hopefully the next time Russ flies to Ottawa he can take this important economic lesson to the House of Commons to share with the other M.P.'s, whether they are Liberals, NDP, Bloc or Conservative.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

October 25, 2010

God 101

Can I See Your Passport?

Last week saw the end of the trial of Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) customs guard Daniel Greenhalgh who was found guilty of three counts of sexual assault and one count of breach of public trust. He had been charged with illegally strip-searching four young women at the Douglas or Peace Arch crossing, using his authority and position to force women into taking off their clothes and then touching them inappropriately for his own sexual gratification. The women in question had agreed to be strip-searched by Greenhalgh under the threat of lengthy delays, denied entry to Canada and possible arrest. In the trial it was shown that none of these women would have consented to these illegal searches but they believed that Mr. Greenhalgh had the power to make their lives miserable. While attempting to portray his victims as untrustworthy, in the end Mr. Greenhalgh was exposed in court as the real liar and is now waiting to be sentenced for his crimes.

This is the problem when we innocent travellers arrive at the border. You never know when you are going to be subjected to random searches of your vehicle, belongings, pockets, body, or even internal cavities. I knew a border guard formerly employed by the CBSA who liked to brag that the very first thing they taught you in training was a course he jokingly referred to as "God 101." Many of the border guards we deal with are probably rational people trying to get folks moving through the lineups or turnstiles as quickly and efficiently as possible but you have to wonder how many have applied for this position so they can exercise power and control over people without probable cause? At least with the police they need reason to pull you over and ask questions, and if they want to search your vehicle they have to apply to a judge for a warrant. At the border this is not the case and many of your Canadian rights and freedoms go out the window the moment you cross this arbitrary man-made line between countries.

Personally I try to minimize my trips across the border to reduce my chances of being scrutinized or hassled by overzealous border guards who are either working on a misguided hunch, possible prejudice or bigotry, or selecting potential victims at random for systematic abuse. I've been subjected to a variety of follies at the border (on both sides might I add) while doing nothing illegal, unscrupulous or underhanded as have many of my friends, relations and acquaintances. Because of this I've decided that I'd rather spend my money at home instead of putting myself in a position where I can be delayed, scrutinized, screwed over, strip searched or possibly have some sick sexual pervert like Daniel Greenhalgh stick an inquisitive rubber-gloved finger up my puckered anus. I'm sorry but there are some things I just won't do for an inexpensive block of American cheddar cheese or cheap jug of milk. Here is a taste of only a few of these stories and if you ask around the Semi-pen or cross the border on a frequent basis, I'm sure you'll come up with plenty of your own.

While still living in south Langley I entered the States to go shopping near Lynden for the usual milk, butter, cheese and tank of gas. All of this took a little more than half an hour and I was back at the Canadian border crossing with groceries beside me and receipts in hand. For reasons unknown I was detained, asked many questions about my time spent in the U.S., who I had met while there, where I had been and so on. I kindly explained that I had done my usual gas and dairy dash and that the time spent away from Canada precluded any other activities, whether legal or otherwise. The guards placed my bags of food from Edaleen Dairy on the roof of the car and searched the vehicle physically and with sniffer dogs, finding nothing. I had to smile as I eventually drove away realizing that if this was how they searched vehicles, hiding contraband in blocks of cheese or in milk jugs painted white on the inside would be the way to go on future trips.

Just after the passport rule came into effect White Rock Sun editor Dave Chesney managed to enter the U.S. without his passport that he'd forgotten at home. The American border guard was nice enough to admit him because he was a nearby White Rock resident. After several hours visiting a close friend in Blaine, when Mr. Chesney went to re-enter Canada the CBSA guard would not let him back into the country without first seeing his passport, even though Dave explained the situation and offered a driver's licence, birth certificate and other I.D. It took three hours of questioning before they realized he might be telling the truth about leaving his passport on the kitchen table and getting into the U.S. without it. After correctly answering the skill-testing question, "Who is the Prime Minister of Canada", he was finally allowed to return home. Chesney will confirm this story - I'm not making this stuff up. Good thing he said "Stephen Harper" and not "Don Cherry" like I would have.

Another editor I know also had problems at the Douglas border crossing. I'd agreed to meet Tara Nelson, the editor of Blaine's Northern Light newspaper, at the Peace Arch during a long weekend when delays were lengthy. She was detained for an hour while trying to explain to CBSA staff why she had decided to walk across the border instead of driving. After our interview, I dropped Tara back off at the Peace Arch crossing and when I went to turn around was instructed by a border guard that the lane I'd previously used was closed and that I had to make use of the lane beside the U.S. Customs offices. This necessitated a trip into the States, a further delay of an hour and a half plus inspection at the Canadian border. Needless to say I was not impressed, documented all of this incident and was at my "Pitbull" best when I got to the booth, refusing to answer any questions or produce I.D. over my unintended trip into the U.S. before ripping into the superintendent in charge. I wouldn't recommend this course of action for the average resident but I got away with it by being more belligerent than they were.

While the CBSA does security checks for all of those people interested in working for the border agency, they should also do psychological testing of all prospective employees in order to weed out those like Daniel Greenhalgh attracted by the power and control that comes with this vaulted position. To protect the public from overzealous guards and unreasonable behaviour, they need an independent body such as the Office of the Police Complaints Commissioner who apply impartial civilian oversight to investigate complaints regarding officer misconduct. Currently you are able to appeal decisions to the CBSA regarding their decisions but not the actions of individual border guards. In Mr. Greenhalgh's case, his appalling abuse of authority and sexual transgressions were reported to the Surrey RCMP who started a criminal investigation into reports of improper strip-searching and groping. Of course, his CBSA co-workers at the Douglas crossing could not believe that a man known for his strong faith and religious convictions could be guilty of such heinous crimes that occurred right under their noses. I guess this wasn't part of the "God 101" curriculum they were originally taught. Let's all have some faith and pray that this will soon change. Amen to that.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

October 18, 2010

The Dirty Dozen

I'm often questioned by people if I have trouble coming up with ideas for my weekly TNT or if writer's block is ever a problem. On the contrary, the opposite is often true and this week is no exception. That being said, I've decided to break from my usual mould and shake off the yoke of editorial restraint to bring you something completely different. Rather than one topic, I bring you this week's "dirty dozen" from the Semi-pen and beyond.

Those of you who visit the White Rock Sun on a frequent basis and read Doug LaChance's Night Owl entertainment listings know what a hot bed of live music this little corner of the world really is. This weekend featured three must see events with The Stellar Group of Neighbour's CD release party at the Crescent Beach Legion, the Mountain Ridge Bluegrass Band plus the Bullfrogs at the Elks Hall in White Rock and the White Rock Blues Society holding their 1st annual Blues Challenge at the Rumba Room in the Pacific Palace Hotel. If you missed these amazing gigs don't despair, I was out of town visiting family and feel your pain. No word yet if my busking blues buddy Jordan McNeil-Bobb won the contest for best solo or duo act to represent B.C. in Memphis, Tennessee next year at the International Blues Challenge.

David Hancock of Hancock's Wildlife Foundation (www.handockwildlife.org) announced this week that it had found a location for one if its amazing web cams that will stream live video of an active eagle's nest on the Ocean Park bluff to the internet where it can be enjoyed by millions of viewers across the globe. Since Mr. Hancock lives in south Surrey it seems logical to have an eagle cam close to his home and in an area known to attract many of these large raptors, especially during their breeding season. Now if only we can find a company in south Surrey, preferably one using an eagle as its logo, who would like to contribute funds towards building a nesting platform next to the famed "Eagle Tree" on the Hump hillside in White Rock. Hello Surrey Eagles Hockey Club..., knock, knock..., hello..., anyone there?

Concerns were raised this week regarding the city-owned Surrey City Development Corporation which is now heading into direct competition with major developers after purchasing industrial land in Campbell Heights. This corporation, the only one if its kind in the Lower Mainland, manages city owned lands and hopes to create revenue through its real estate investments and partnerships with the private sector. Surrey has signed a purchase agreement with the B.C. government to buy 250 acres of land over the next five years in Campbell Heights North where it wants to develop a clean energy and technology centre, adding to the hundreds of acres it already owns in Campbell Heights East. Where Surrey taxpayers might start feeling uneasy is when they look at Vancouver Council's recent foray into real estate development and the unfolding financial disaster that is the 2010 Olympic Village now known as Millennium Water.

Speaking of Campbell, the latest Angus Reid poll has pegged Liberal leader and B.C. Premier Gordon Campbell's approval rating at a measly 9%, down from the last poll where he at least managed to stay out of single digits at 12 percent. This gives Gordo an approval rating even lower than Glen Clark's before the NDP last imploded in rather spectacular fashion after the fast ferry fiasco. Kind of makes you wonder how low Mr. Campbell can go eh? Are negative numbers a real possibility in the near future I wonder? This should make for a rather interesting Liberal Party convention upcoming in mid-November in Penticton where many expect Campbell will resign after managing to surviving a drunk driving arrest in Hawaii in Jan. 2003, allegations of corruption involving the sale of B.C. Rail to CN, and the RCMP raid on the legislature in Dec. of 2003. Now you know why Carole James is feeling the hounds nipping at her heels as leadership of the provincial NDP is something suddenly worth fighting for.

Back to the other Campbell..., that's Campbell Heights again..., with the rapid pace of development in Surrey, site servicing with miles of fresh water and drainage pipes are being put into the ground at construction sites across Surrey. What many here don't realize is that Mayor Watt's husband Brian is vice president of Le-Ron Plastics Inc., a manufacturing company based in Surrey that creates plastic pipe and pipe fittings. How many of this company's products are being purchased for installation at new developments in Surrey remains to be seen but you have to wonder if Surrey's First fondness for developers goes beyond the election fund contributions they receive? Still, even if this is the case, better to support jobs in our community and a local manufacturing plant rather than shipping in goods of dubious quality from the human rights disaster known as communist China that continues to imprison this year's Nobel Peace Prize recipient Liu Xiaobo while detaining his wife Liu Xia so she cannot accept his award in Oslo.

If Mayor Watts thought she was ill while resting at home on Thursday, she must have really felt sick when hearing the news that Translink dropped a proposal on a meeting of regional mayors for raising property taxes to pay for the $1.4-billion Evergreen Line. The transit authority has served notice that it wants to take an extra $5.20 per $100,000 of assessed property value to help cover its $412 million share of the Evergreen Line and the initial phase of the South Fraser Perimeter Road, adding $31 to the tax bill for an average Metro Vancouver home. Surrey's mayor has dismissed this proposal, believing that Translink should not be funded with property taxes which she sees as non-sustainable. Considering the inefficient transit system we have south of the Fraser River, it is unlikely that funding proposals for Translink will be warmly received by Surrey's mayor as the Morgan Crossing/Grandview Heights complex in south Surrey that features Western Canada's largest Wal-Mart store is still not serviced by buses after being open for business over two years.

Amazingly it would appear that politicians on this side of the border gave their heads a collective shake and managed to realize that the second daily Amtrak from Seattle to Vancouver was worth saving (see Naked Truth, Sept. 27, Double-cross for Amtrak). Federal Public Safety Minister Vic Toews announced that the Canada Border Services Agency has agreed to cover the annual border-crossing costs with a $800,000 contribution that ensures the passenger train will run for another year. B.C. Transport Minister Shirley Bond who is a long-time supporter of the second daily Amtrak stated, “In the interim, we would obviously work with the federal government to try to find a more long-term solution.” Now if only they could figure out how to have the Amtrak stop in White Rock at the old train station, allowing people from here to commute by rail to Vancouver and for tourists from the U.S. to come visit our lovely beaches and bistros. An open border policy like what they have in Europe would help but this is hard to imagine with the security obsessed Americans.

A three-car pile up on Hwy. 99 last weekend saw close to 30 posts holding the new cable barrier south of #10 highway ripped out of the ground. Fortunately none of these vehicles ventured into oncoming traffic, showing yet again how valuable this safety system is in stopping deadly head-on crashes that have become too common on this busy stretch of highway. Unfortunately this crash area and two other smaller ones have not yet been repaired as the maintenance of phase two is still in the hands of the contractor, not Mainroad who handles maintenance for the Ministry of Transportation. Large stretches of cables that were removed after it was found that the anchoring posts were defective have still not been reinstalled even though it was earlier promised this system would be back up and fully operational by the first week of October. Had the three-car crash happened in an area where the cables are now lying on the ground, it is likely the results could have been catastrophic.

Prostitution in Canada was front and centre in the news last week with Ontario Superior Court Justice Susan Himel ruling to strike down three key sections of the Canadian Criminal Code dealing with this divisive issue. The three federal laws removed pertained to operating brothels, procuring a prostitute or earning money off prostitution, and communicating in public places for prostitution as they were deemed to contribute to the danger faced by sex-trade workers and violate rights guaranteed under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. While this decision is being appealed by the federal Conservatives to the Supreme Court of Canada, a decision this week by the BC Court of Appeal will allow another group of sex workers here to also challenge Canada's laws on prostitution. Don't worry that this will mean brothels springing up across the Semi-pen as word on the street here is that several of the many spas in town already offer services that go beyond what is openly advertised.

The new drinking and driving laws in B.C. with their rather draconian punishments that are dished out by officers on the beat instead of judges in courts appears to be having a rather severe effect on local bars and restaurants who are already reeling from the HST. Folks need to realize that the .05 and .08 figures for breathalysers have not changed, it is the response when you are caught driving over these levels that has. Prior to the changes, you could be given a 24 hour suspension for being over .05 and be charged with a DUI for over the .08 limit. What the new regulations are trying to impose is to make us all RESPONSIBLE for our alcohol consumption and ability to drive. You can still go to the bar and drink but have a designated driver, take a taxi, take transit, drink in moderation, or call for a ride. Most importantly, DON'T DRIVE DRUNK or you will suffer the consequences. Our local watering holes and haunts still need your business, just make sure that drinking and driving isn't part of your evening's plans.

The B.C. Lions may be looking like a team destined to miss the CFL playoffs, but White Rock's Sean Whyte, the backup kicker for the Lions, is looking more and more like he will eventually step up and fill the large shoes of Lui Passaglia and Paul McCallum. Last weekend with McCallum nursing a sore leg, Whyte kicked the football with authority, piling up the points while booming punts deep against the sidelines, allowing the Lions to tie the game in regulation before losing in overtime to Winnipeg Bluebombers. This weekend, due to a clerical error, Whyte had to dress for the game wearing McCallum's shoulder pads and in a sad case of deja vu, got the Lions into overtime with the Edmonton Eskimoes before losing yet again. While the Lions may be a joke this year, expect Sean to put the "Whyte" in White Rock if he continues with his stellar kicking that may put the boots to veteran McCallum.

For those of you who think with the fall equinox passing that there is nothing worth going to the beach for, think again. Grey whales were spotted last Thursday in Boundary Bay, swimming half-way to Tsawwassen, spraying mist from their blow holes and lobtailing their flukes against the surface of the water. This creates a loud slapping noise that could be heard from Crescent Beach to Kwomais Point. For your best view, check out the high points at Kwomais Park near Marine Dr. and 128 St., the small viewing park on Ocean Park Blvd. across from 18 Ave., or the top of the elevated metal staircase at the "101 Steps" at the west end of 24 Ave. If you care to experience this spectacle from the shore, bring binoculars and a blanket to the rugged Crescent Rock beach and listen for the far away deep slapping noise to locate these large cetaceans.

That's it folks. Kind of gives you an idea what crosses my desk in a week. With luck there might be a story or two that comes along before next Monday that is worthy of being stripped down for closer scrutiny.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

October 11, 2010

Lots About Parking

With the possible exception of the creation of separated bike lanes in Vancouver, I don't think there is any more contentious community issue than the installation of parking meters and pay parking for motorists. While not causing the level of controversy recently seen regarding plans for Hornby Street, changes to pay parking in the cities of Surrey and White Rock are certainly raising public concern.

The city of White Rock has decided that businesses along Marine Drive will no longer receive the benefit of free Monday to Thursday parking along Marine Drive during the winter months from Nov. 1 to Feb. 28 with the new rate being set at $1 per hour for all times and days. This will actually cause a reduction from the previous $2 per hour charged during winter weekends which should be a relief and blessing to some. Because of increasing BNSF land lease payments (the railway owns most of the waterfront) the eight month summer rate will be raised to $3 an hour, with all of these changes estimated to boost city coffers by $70,000 a year. There have been no announced changes to pay parking at Centennial Arena ($2 day or $1 hr.) or the Peace Arch Hospital ($2.50 hr.) parking lots. The effects on tourism and visits to businesses and restaurants along White Rock's beaches will still remain to be seen but you can expect plenty more discussion on parking prices and their economic consequences.

Surrey is slowly but surely expanding its pay parking system with meters springing up throughout this ever growing metropolis. Taking a cue from White Rock they have meters of their own along Marine Drive east of East beach, looking to take advantage of those people not wanting to pay $5 to park on Reserve land at Semiahmoo Park. More have sprung up along both sides of 152nd St. near Semiahmoo Mall as a way to not only increase revenue but to help increase vehicle turn-over for area businesses. Surrey Memorial Hospital features enough parking meters circling its property to make most drivers sick to their stomachs. Surrey's new town centre also sports parking metres strategically placed around the Gateway towers on 108 Ave. where the passport office was previously causing parking issues for surrounding streets. At a buck an hour, Surrey's meters are reasonably priced with revenue being used to help fund the meters, collections, enforcement and future expansion.

While the need for meters in some areas is common sense, others fly in the face of practical reason. Large orange signs which went up on Newton streets east of the KGB last week warning of future pay parking came as a shock to local businesses and residents. While Surrey's Mayor Dianne Watts is on record stating that these new meters were needed in order to turn over parking, merchants in the area knew nothing of this plan and had not received any prior notification from the city. Nearby condo owners who rely on street-side parking for their vehicles and those of guests were equally aghast at this proposal that was not featured during several city open houses during the summer where future plans for the Newton business district were being discussed. Due to this lack of notification or public input, a petition is now being circulated throughout the neighbourhood asking for Surrey to stall their parking plans for this district. Many of the area merchants these new meters were supposed to help are opposing their installation and supporting the petition drive.

The South Surrey Park & Ride is a victim of its own success and free parking is partially to blame for problems there. Now that the rainy season is upon us, many transit users are driving to this lot instead of first catching a bus, only to find it jammed full with cars by 7 a.m. Not to be discouraged by the lack of stalls, people are parking in laneways, blocking access and making through travel difficult or impossible. Some vehicles park in the same illegal spot day after day, aware that enforcement by Translink is non-existent. This situation is so out of control that you can now see cars parking on the outskirts of the bus loop itself in an area specifically reserved for buses. Considering that fire trucks could not drive through the Park & Ride lot or that ambulances can't squeeze through car-clogged lanes, it is surprising that this situation has been allowed to deteriorate to this level. Unfortunately it looks as if pay parking at this lot, similar to what is done at Scott Road and the KGB near the Skytrain will be needed to correct this situation.

While there is always a tendency by local governments to install parking meters simply as a way to generate extra revenue, they need to be sensitive to the concerns of local businesses and nearby residents when considering expanding pay parking. In places such as White Rock where business is cyclical, parking rates need to reflect the seasons and not drive away customers when they are most needed. Businesses should never be punished by having parking meters installed at their front doors, especially when other nearby competitors benefit from having free parking. Instead of a heavy hand, city halls throughout this region needs to use care and finesse to ensure that parking rates are not onerous and that meters are needed, necessary and wanted.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

October 04, 2010

Go West Young Man- Don't Try Going South

No "south" in South Surrey

With my business I spend a lot of time driving and never cease to be amazed by the stupidity of some of the drivers that I encounter on our roads and highways. Why just last week I had a lady in a Jeep pass me on the right side of the King George Boulevard (KGB) near Choices Market and then abruptly change lanes (without signalling of course) in front of my one tonne truck and trailer as I braked for a red light. I guess she must have been deaf as well as dumb since my air horns seemed to have little effect on this person who I almost drove over. In another hysterical display of ignorance I noticed a car almost driving off the asphalt surface of Hwy. 99 onto the grassy shoulder. I wondered if this person was suffering from a medical condition but imagine my surprise when I passed and saw a young lady chatting the phone with one hand, stuffing a half-eaten hamburger into her mouth with the other while attempting to steer with her left knee oblivious to her car's wanderings. More air horn along with some well deserved finger and at least she dropped the remains of her burger onto her lap. Unfortunately these kinds of occurrences are commonplace but what is unusual is when you see someone perform a driving manoeuvre that at first glance looks incredibly stupid but when examined in detail, you suddenly realize that what you have witnessed is brilliance overcoming a ludicrous obstacle.

Case in point, recently I was heading north on the KGB just past the south Surrey Park n' Ride when the vehicle in front of me signalled a left turn and did a modified U-turn onto the Hwy. 99 southbound onramp. I had never witnessed this particular technique before and quickly wondered why this driver had chosen to perform this interesting stunt. A little light went on when I realized that if one wanted to get onto Hwy. 99 heading southbound from south Surrey there were only two choices; either drive all the way to 8th Ave. or do the modified U-turn onto the one and only 99 southbound on-ramp in this region. While much of the Semiahmoo Peninsula is classified as South Surrey, if you want to head south towards the border on the main freeway, unless you have a serious 4X4 truck you are completely out of luck. I had to tip my hat to the ingenuity of the person who rather than drive up the KGB and turn around in the Art Knapp parking lot (another dangerous move if you've ever tried it) they figured a quick and easy way around this roadblock that didn't endanger anybody as it was performed when traffic was clear.

It would seem that the B.C. Ministry of Transportation has failed to realize that south Surrey is a fast growing part of what is B.C.'s second biggest city and they don't undestand the need for allowing proper unfettered access to Hwy. 99. While it would be relatively easy to install an on-ramp for northbound traffic on the KBG allowing traffic to flow southbound onto the 99, or putting in a left hand turn lane so that traffic could legally perform the modified U-turn that I witnessed, nothing is being planned. At the 32nd Ave. interchange, traffic can exit the 99 southbound but vehicles wishing to join them heading south have no way to go. The opposite is true with northbound traffic on the 99 with no exit onto 32 Ave. but mercifully there is an on-ramp allowing cars from Morgan Heights and surrounding neighbourhoods access to the 99 northbound. Further south, the 152nd St. off-ramp from the 99 southbound offers drivers an exit into south Surrey (as long as they want to head north that is) but again there is no way to drive towards the border for those people stuck on 152 St. Of course for traffic northbound on 99 there are is no exit or entrance ramps at 152nd St. onto this main arterial road towards Guildford and the Port Mann Bridge.

Even closer to the border at 24th Ave. infrastructure insanity that would amaze even the most pathetic transportation engineer abounds with no access whatsoever to Hwy. 99. I would love to hear an urban planner explain why the Morgan Heights/Grandview Crossing shopping area that features one of Western Canada's largest Wal-Marts along with a multitude of large retail centres is not connected to the local highway system? When plans for this region were being put onto the drawing board, why was roadway access to the 99 not included? Instead of having traffic flowing freely down this highway it now circles neighbourhoods throughout the vicinity that features traffic light after light after light. If you've ever had the masochistic pleasure of driving along 24th Ave. at around 4 o'clock on a Saturday afternoon, you know that this entire area is gridlocked while traffic zooms by unimpeded on Hwy. 99. Sixteenth Ave. is no better with this main east-west arterial road again featuring no access at all to the main highway system. Compare this to what happens as soon as you cross the border in Washington State where neighbouring communities all have easy access to the I-5 both north and southbound.

Some of the long-standing transportation difficulties in this region eventually need to be addressed instead of being forever ignored. The "temporary" three lane bailey bridge on the KGB over the Nickomekyl River that is a dilapidated relic and a community embarrassment needs to be replaced instead of being constantly serviced by maintenance crews like last week when the south side railings were replaced. Proper transit service that was cancelled by Translink for the Morgan Heights/Grandview Crossing area needs to be instituted ASAP as it should have been there the day Wal-Mart's doors first opened. Why anyone thought it was important to put money into a bus lane on Hwy. 99 northbound from the KBG to Hwy. 91 is beyond me when much more pressing roadway issues still remain unresolved. More than anything, linking the main arterial roads of the Semiahmoo peninsula to Hwy. 99 and allowing traffic to flow in all directions is needed to reduce congestion, improve travel time and reduce green house gas emissions. Expecting the residents of the Semi-pen to drive all the way to 8th Ave. in order to have complete multidirectional access to Hwy. 99 is unrealistic and unreasonable. I know it, people here know it, and its high time that the politicians who are responsible show leadership and do something about it.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

September 27, 2010

Double Cross For Amtrak

One of the benefits of the 2010 Winter Olympics was the doubling in Amtrak passenger rail service from Vancouver to Seattle and Portland during the Games. This pilot project was launched a year ago in August and then extended from March to September of this year due to ever increasing ridership and the provision of Customs clearance from the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) to the American rail carrier. The second daily train attracted almost 25,000 riders in July with a second-quarter total of 215,000 passengers, with total ridership hitting almost 400,000 for the first half of 2010, an increase of 17.3 percent over the same period in 2009. Because of ever increasing demand, Amtrak's long-range plans are for four daily Amtrak trips through the Cascadia corridor by 2030. Unfortunately these plans might be derailed with the CBSA announcing last week that they will end the free border service for the second train on Oct. 31st unless Amtrak pays the annual $550,000 fee for border services for the night time train which arrives in Vancouver at 10:50 p.m.

While a tad over half a million dollars might sound like a lot of money to most, its peanuts when compared to the infrastructure investment and economic benefits associated with passenger rail in this region. The second Amtrak train was financed with a $2.9 million investment from the province and publically endorsed by B.C. Premier Gordon Campbell and Washington State Governor Chris Gregoire when it was launched. Previously the B.C. government had invested an additional $3.5 million (a quarter of the $14 million cost) to install a rail siding on the BNSF line at the base of Panorama Ridge in Surrey, allowing for freight and passenger trains to pass each other without excessive time delays. It is estimated that the second Amtrak into Vancouver currently produces nearly $12 million in annual tourist spending and economic benefits in our region and is an important link in B.C./Washington tourism. American president Obama included $8 billion for high-speed rail in last year's stimulus bill to help fund a national network of 13 corridors including up the western side of the States from San Jose to Seattle and Surrey/Vancouver that will likely cost hundreds of billions of dollars to fully implement.

It is interesting to look at the tax dollars being spent on land crossings here to allow for greater road traffic while the CBSA tries to pin the costs on Amtrak for checking its rail passengers. The main Douglas (Peace Arch) crossing saw an investment of $44 million in the replacement and expansion of the port-of-entry facilities including the NEXUS lane on Hwy. 99. The Pacific Hwy. (Truck) crossing received a total of $18 million to enlarge their plaza facilities and to construct dedicated FAST/NEXUS/bus lanes from the border to 8th Ave. along with an expansion of their commercial truck and bus processing capacity. The Peace Arch and Truck crossing access roads have been earmarked for a $30.5 million investment to improve roadways that will see the widening and other improvement of projects on 8th Ave., Highway's 10, 15, 91A and 99 plus Knight St. along with the installation of an advanced traveller information system. A little further east, both Aldergrove (Lynden) and Huntington (Sumas) have seen a further $23 million spent in upgrading their border facilities and highway systems with more investment being planned in the near future. Of course these figures do not contain the multi-million dollar costs to actually run and staff these important land entrances into Canada.

Passenger rail service is the most economical, safest and environmentally friendly way to move people from city to city and across the continent, reducing traffic on our highways along with emitting far less planet warming greenhouse gases and pollutants. The Amtrak train here relieves congestion at the roadway border crossings with the second train alone already carrying 27,000 people across the U.S./Canada border in its first year of operations. Had these people got in their cars and drove across the border, they would have been inspected free of charge by the CBSA. Does it make sense to expect Amtrak passenger rail travellers to shell out the expected $20 cost each to have the night-time train in Vancouver met by Customs agents? Hopefully this will not be the case and our politicians will come to their senses realizing that the economic and environmental benefits of having passenger rail service up and down the West Coast are worth sustaining. B.C. Transportation Minister Shirley Bond has already publically stated this week that she is not prepared to "write it (the second train) off" and has announced her intention to pressure the federal government to save the nightly Amtrak. She won't have far to travel to find an ally as the new federal Transportation Minister is non other than Chilliwack's M.P. Chuck Strahl who hopefully will put Conservative party pressure on the CBSA to keep their service and absorb the costs.

Locally SmartRail, a local rail advocacy group with members from the Semiahmoo peninsula, has been working behind the scenes to encourage the Federal Minister of Transport and the Minister of Public Safety Vic Toews who has responsibility for Border Security, to support the continuation of the successful trial service for the second Amtrak. Smartrail's president Ken Jones has recently attended meetings in both Bellingham and Blaine of the Rail Sub-Committee of the International Mobility & Trade Corridor Project (IMTC), where he liaised with government, business (tourism) and community leaders from both sides of the border advocating for railway relocation away from White Rock's waterfront that will be essential to the establishment of high speed rail in our area. At these meetings it was made clear that Washington State DOT, the Cascadia Group and Amtrak would all like to see more passenger trains on the Seattle/Vancouver corridor but until a faster route can be established it is unlikely that any additional trains will be added with time traveled being the primary determinant. Plans are for any high speed rail project to bypass White Rock and there is additional public pressure being mounted to reroute the century old BNSF freight line into this same safe and secure corridor away from the Ocean Park bluff slide zone, the ecologically sensitive marine waters of Boundary Bay and the busy beaches of White Rock and south Surrey.

Until the bullet train shoots across the border, our current passenger rail service needs to be properly funded with a portion of the tax dollars that are used for infrastructure upgrades and staffing at roadway border crossings being utilized for sustaining cross-border rail traffic. The increasing numbers of tourists and travellers who are "getting on track" shows that the option of using rail to travel from Vancouver to Seattle and Portland is needed while it has the additional benefit of taking pressure off our busy land border crossings and highway systems. Expecting Amtrak train passengers to foot the bill for Custom services in Vancouver while allowing millions of cars and commercial vehicles to travel through the Peace Arch and Truck crossings without charge is asinine. Hopefully those responsible for providing CBSA funding will realize that more than anyone, it is the Amtrak passengers who should be getting a free ride.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

September 20, 2010

The Naked Long Gun

On Wednesday this week our so-called elected "representatives" in Ottawa will vote on bill C-319, a private members bill put forward by Candace Hoeppner, a Conservative MP from rural Manitoba to end the Long Gun Registry (LGR). This contentious piece of social engineering was supposed to help keep Canadians safer from gun crimes and was instituted after several high profile killings that occurred in Quebec. Unfortunately this bureaucratic boondoggle has done little to control the illegal use of firearms as evident by the wave of gang-land killings which have rocked the Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley over the past few years including the "Surrey Six" massacre, not to mention the tit-for-ratta-tat-tat gang shootings rocking Toronto. What the registry has done though is swallowed up over two billion dollars of Canadian taxpayer money since its introduction by the federal Liberal party fifteen years ago.

Many of the long guns in the registry are hunting rifles, target rifles and shotguns, most which are single shot, obviously hard to conceal and not favoured by those with criminal intent. Included in this list are brands of pellet rifles, muskets, muzzle-loaders and antique collector pieces that have not been fired in decades. Most of the gun owners across this country are law-abiding citizens who use firearms for target practice, hunting or livestock protection. While the registry is welcomed by leftist elites in highly-populated urban centres, it is viewed with contempt by those in rural Canada who view it as an unnecessary intrusion into their lives and a complete waste of money and time. Many have ignored calls to register their long guns and now view the police with mistrust and fear as the legislation behind the LGR is backed by the Canadian Criminal Code which can lead to arrest, incarceration, confiscation of firearms and a ban on the possession of guns. Because of their ease is concealment and the danger they pose, handguns have been registered in Canada since 1934 with short barrelled models outlawed or grandfathered several years ago as they are ineffective for sporting competition and a danger to the public.

The Canadian Association of Police Chiefs (CAPC) has come out in favour of the registry advocating for its continued existence as a way to give officers the most information they can have about gun ownership to ensure their safety. This position is not held by the rank and file police officers who distrust the information in the database and the false sense of security that comes along with the registry. In fact a recently conducted internal police survey revealed that 92 percent of officers want to see the registry scrapped, an outcome completely opposed to the CAPC's position. For an interesting insight into police officers emails and comments on the ineffectiveness of the LGR, visit Sask. M.P. Garry Breitkreuz's website at www.garrybreitkreuz.com and read the section in bold range type, "WHAT POLICE HAVE SAID ABOUT THE GUN REGISTRY." You should also be aware that the CACP is funded by the same software contractor used for the gun registry which is not only a blatant conflict of interest but which puts the credibility of this non-governmental association in a very questionable light. I myself believe that the police agencies should focus on law enforcement and leave politics and changes to the criminal code in the hands of those elected to the House of Commons.

Prime Minister Harper has announced that the Conservatives who support the private members bill that is aiming to shoot down the registry will vote in favour of it as they promised during the last election. Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff has decided to whip his party faithful on this vote and to ensure that all members are present to vote against the demise of their LGR rather than giving them a free vote to represent the wishes of their ridings. The Bloc Quebecois will support the LGR which makes sense politically for them because it is in their province where two of the most high profile gun rampages in Canadian history occurred; Marc Lepine who gunned down women at Ecole Polytechnique in Montreal and Denis Lortie, a soldier who shot up the Quebec National Assembly with an army sub-machinegun. Jack Layton finds himself bent over a gun barrel as many of the NDP M.P.'s from rural ridings are under intense pressure, both from constituents who elected them to kill the registry and party brass who are trying to encourage support for the LGR without actually taking a firm stand on this issue.

So what does all of this have to do with south Surrey and White Rock? You might be surprised to know that one of the best full-bore rifle shots this country has ever produced lives here in the Semiahmoo peninsula. Jim Paton shoots for the British Columbia Rifle Association (BCRA) and has won at the highest levels of target rifle competition around the planet, having won the Queen's Prize in Bisley England, the Governor General's Prize in Ottawa, the B.C. Target Rifle Championship along with representing Canada at the Commonwealth games. The current BCRA B.C. Target Rifle Champion who is given the title of "Tiger" that began long before Mr. Woods ever picked up a golf club, is none other than myself having taken first place during the international shooting match held at Volkes Range in Chilliwack this summer that attracted competitors from the U.S., England and Australia. For more information on the BCRA that was formed long ago in 1874, please visit their website at www.bcrifle.org. For shooting that is a little closer to home, the Semiahmoo Fish and Game Club sits on the banks of the Little Campbell River on 184 St. in the Hazelmere Valley. For those aspiring marksmen or people who have never used a firearm but would like to give it a shot, they have a rifle range in the basement of the building that accommodates .22 long rifle and smaller calibres of pistols. You can check them out at www.sfgc.ca.

For myself and others in the shooting community, gun control is a steady hand, a skilled eye and the slow squeeze of the trigger followed by a bulls-eye on the target. The long gun registry does nothing to stop the crooks and gang-bangers running around on our streets with unlicensed and unregistered handguns, most imported illegally from the United States. Instead of targeting law-abiding citizens with an ineffective and wasteful registry, the money used on this program would be better spent putting more cops on the beat and putting violent criminals in jail plus keeping them there. If politicians in Ottawa really want to curb gun violence then impose mandatory minimum sentences for gun crimes, eliminate plea bargaining of these charges, cancel parole eligibility for gun offenders and ensure gun sentences run consecutively, not concurrent with other sentences. Turning responsible gun owners into paper criminals does nothing to make Canadians safer and is of no help to police officers on the street. Thanks for letting me shoot my mouth off on that one and we'll see on Wednesday if the M.P.'s in Ottawa listen to the wishes of their constituents and kill the LGR or follow party lines on what should be a free vote.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

September 14, 2010

 

Gordon's Gotta Go

Gee, I guess I should get out of this wacky province more often. While away for the weekend in Manitoba and enjoying the Winnipeg Blue Bomber's demolition of the Saskatchewan Rough Riders (31-2) in what is now known as the CFL's "Banjo Bowl", the body blows for the Provincial Liberal Government just kept on coming. Thank god I managed to find an unsecured wireless internet connection in the centre of the continent in order to keep me abreast at the news, regardless of the laughter and crass remarks that media reports from B.C. brought to the good people of the "Peg." Congrats to my Mom-Outlaw Phyllis and her new Husband Tony who tied the knot without the need for a loaded 12 gauge as is usual there.

First it was revealed on Friday that the rebellious Cariboo Region Liberal Riding Association had called a meeting of party faithful to draft a resolution calling for Premier Gordon Campbell to walk the plank of the sinking Liberal ship over the hated HST. Steve Forseth, the B.C. Liberal's Cariboo-Chilcotin Executive Secretary who helped organized this mutiny, also quit the party in order to show his disgust with Mr. Campbell and for not wanting to drink poisoned political Kool-aid before the next election. The resolution they penned called for the Premier to resign due to record low popularity and asked the party president to call for a leadership convention. Liberal Executive Director Kelly Reichert, drove to 100 Mile House to put out this grass-roots fire arguing that the resolution was out of order but the motion was voted on anyways in defiance of one of Gordo's main henchmen before being made public.

As if this bit of bad news wasn't enough for Gordon Campbell and his Liberal Party, an Angus Reid poll was released the same day with startling figures concerning popularity of their leader and that of the party. The premier's approval rating has now fallen to a mere 12%, the lowest for any Provincial leader across Canada and similar to numbers which ended former premier Glen Clark's political career. This steady slip at the polls started after the introduction of the HST and the successful efforts of Bill Vanderzalm and his supporters to petition for its withdrawal. Without boring you to death with too many stats, the main damaging points this survey revealed are that 83% of respondents distrust Mr. Campbell along with 69% for Finance Minister Colin Hansen. Other numbers revealed that if an election were launched today the NDP would likely win a comfortable majority with 48% of decided voters to 25% for the Liberals, 13% for Greens and 8% for the fledgling Conservatives. As to a proposed referendum question on the HST, 70% said they would vote to abolish it while only 18% were in favour of this combined sales tax.

After a weekend of licking their wounds, the self-inflicted blood-letting of a party in a downward spiral to political disaster (hello Social-Credit?) continued unabated. In a 6 to 4 decision by the Liberal dominated Committee on Legislative Initiatives that were looking at whether to recall the house in the fall for a vote on the HST Extinguishment Act or to put this to a non-binding referendum before the people of B.C., the later was chosen. We can now look forward to spending between 13 to 30 million dollars depending on the voting mechanism chosen while having to wait a whole year, yes that is right, to have our say in this historic vote scheduled for Sept. of 2011. Of course this did not sit well with the Fight-HST folks and Bill Vanderzalm who derided it as "The most expensive stall tactic in the province's history" along with pointing out that this non binding referendum needs more than half of all voters to vote against the HST in a system designed to fail. As expected, rather than wait, the Zalm has decided that unless the decision is a binding referendum with a simple majority of votes cast, his anti-HST forces will move forward with its recall plans for Liberal members.

All of these problems for the B.C. Liberals leads us directly to our own South Surrey-White Rock riding and M.L.A. Gordon Hogg's office door on 152nd Street. Mr. Hogg has been identified by the anti-HST team as one of the top 24 sitting Liberals that will likely be targeted for recall. For those of you who attended the anti-HST event at the Star of the Sea in White Rock when Vanderzalm and company rolled into town, you will know that resentment to the HST runs very high in this elderly demographic riding. While Mr. Hogg has a long history of public service in the Semiahmoo peninsula and is generally well-liked and respected, if he continues to support Mr. Campbell and his arrogant Liberal party while ignoring the wishes of his constituents it is entirely likely that he will soon be shown the door. With the Premier also expected to be target early with recall legislation, it is possible that we can get two Gordy's for the price of one, Gordon Campbell and Gordon Hogg. Either way, Gordon's gotta go and if the B.C. Liberals aren't smart enough to read the writing on the wall, you can expect a political massacre that will make the score of this week's "Banjo Bowl" blowout in the prairies look like a close game.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

Editors note: This is the 80th season for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and the 100th anniversary of the Saskatchewan Rough Riders whose famed "S" logo will be adorning this year's $1 "loonie" coin that has just been released to commemorate their "100 Years of Pride." See www.mint.ca/roughriders for more details.

 

September 07, 2010

Surrey Clear Cut

 

Sign of Incompetence

The City of Surrey last year saw fit to replace the original carved wooden "Welcome to Surrey" freeway entrance signs throughout the city that featured an outline of a beaver, along with getting rid of the previous motto, "The City of Parks." They replaced these with new metal signs which were coloured olive drab and grey along with the new city slogan "The Future Lives Here" and several stylized concrete towers that looked like a developer's real estate sign for Whally..., oops I mean Central City condos. Unfortunately there were some early problems with the new signs, the first being that olive green and dark grey are commonly used as colours for camouflage and concealment by hunters and the military. While these signs might have looked great on the drawing board and maybe even in the warehouse, when mounted in the outdoor landscape they disappeared from sight. Adding to their uselessness, the raised metal lettering that was used on them cast large shadows across the background making the words illegible in angled sunlight.

With Surrey paying big bucks to become an official partner for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games, it was decided that these ineffective signs needed an early facelift to fix the wrinkles that had suddenly become glaringly apparent. All of these signs were removed from the various entrances to the city and taken back to the shop where they were recoloured with a new light tan power-coat baked on finish along with low-profile lettering that would not create the earlier shadow effect. At this time, in-ground lighting was also added to ensure that visitors entering the city after dark would be able to see the new signs especially during long winter nights. No word on what all of this extra work cost Surrey taxpayers, much of which was wasted by not picking appropriate colours and an eye-catching design in the first place. Didn't anyone at Surrey city hall realize that army green and drab grey might not be the best colour choices for welcoming visitors and residents returning home? If these same geniuses were working for the Army, you'd expect to see our soldiers wearing uniforms made with fluorescent orange and yellow, similar to the vests worn by traffic control personnel.

While complimentary landscaping around these Surrey signs featuring colourful shrubs and flower beds was to have been part of the original installation, many of the "The Future Lives Here" signage still does not have anything planted around them. I watched one of these signs at the main U.S. entrance on 176 St. at the Pacific Highway border crossing sprout a healthy crop of weeds which was allowed to grow unattended throughout the year until the sign was completely obscured by eight foot tall plants. Even after pictures of this weed garden were posted on the White Rock Sun last month, nothing was done to clean up this mess. Finally fed up with inaction from the city, I took it upon myself with help from a friend to remove this vegetation several weeks ago, using brush cutters and industrial weed-eaters to mow them down in front of the sign and around the light. As to whether the city will eventually get around to finishing the landscaping there or maintaining these important signs, this remains to be seen. At least for now, people coming into Surrey from the U.S. at the "Truck" crossing will actually know what city they are entering.

Imagine my surprise last week when I saw construction workers building new concrete forms apparently for another sign base near the existing Surrey sign at 120th St. and #10 Hwy. on the Delta/Surrey border. I stopped to chat with these men who informed me that the city had found that many of these new signs were too small to be read by passing motorists so bigger signs of the same design were now being installed. Besides building new concrete bases and removing the "old" The Future Lives Here signs the in-ground lighting will also have to be relocated to the location that is ten metres closer to the intersection and the original concrete and steel base then removed. Supposedly the smaller signs will be repositioned at other locations in the city rather than sending them to the scrap heap, further inflating the bill for this project. Hopefully the third time will be the charm and these signs will finally be finished instead of being a perpetual expense which some common sense at the beginning could have easily avoided. As for the total cost for this fiasco, I will be making an official inquiry with city hall and posting the results here once I have the final tally along with the name of the person ultimately responsible.

What is tragically funny about this entire story is that the Corporation of Delta has recently started installing its own city signage at freeway entrances including near the George Massey Tunnel, Alex Fraser Bridge, Hwy. 99 at Hwy. 91. and directly across the street from the Surrey sign at Scott and #10 Hwy. Delta's sign features large formed letters that are easy to read with a bright blue border along with a stylized bulrush forming the letter "T". Crews working on these have informed me that the area around the signs which has been covered with a thick layer of black topsoil will soon be landscaped to help further attract attention to them. For a good chuckle, visit this busy intersection and check out the difference for yourself between the Delta's and Surrey's signs. For me to say that it is night and day difference would be a compliment even after the Surrey sign has already been replaced twice in less than a year without much noticeable improvement.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

August 30, 2010

Water, Water Everywhere..., and Not a Drop to Drink

The recent contamination of White Rock's untreated municipal water with e-coli bacteria shouldn't come as a big surprise as in a previous Naked Truth column on July 27, 2009 (White Rock's Craziness - It's the Water), I documented the presence of dangerous levels of DHMO in the EPCOR Utilities system (scroll to the bottom to view this article). While this tongue-in-cheek column was meant to bring some humour to the questionable political decisions being made in this seaside community, there is nothing funny about the dilemma now facing White Rock as front page news stories across Canada compare it to its new sister city, Walkerton, Ontario that suffered a much more serious water supply contamination a decade ago which directly killed seven people. This hasn't stopped the gallows humour though and of the many jokes I've heard about White Rock's water woes the best one is that, "People there have to look at the bright side - you can now water and fertilize your lawn at the same time."

Giving a whole new meaning to the term "stool pigeon", it appears that bird droppings might be responsible for E-coli bacteria somehow entering the Merklin St. reservoirs where it mixed with the untreated well water before being delivered to homes across White Rock and the Semiahmoo First Nation Reserve in south Surrey. Routine water quality testing revealed the contamination and EPCOR immediately took steps to address the problem rather than hiding the positive test results as happened in the Walkerton tragedy. Unfortunately public notification was not rapid enough for most and efforts to communicate the danger with the public were seen as woefully inadequate. In this modern age of wireless internet technology and cell phone communication, it took a day for water warnings to be posted on both the EPCOR and White Rock city hall websites while contaminated water flowed through city pipes. Bowing to public pressure, EPCOR has now announced that it plans to institute an automatic voice messaging service as one of its ongoing efforts to update customers during the current boil water advisory in White Rock, using account holders telephone numbers to contact affected residents and landlords.

Eventually the reservoirs will be disinfected, the pipes flushed clean and the system finally free of contamination resulting in the three bacterial-free tests that are needed to lift the boil water advisory. While hopefully this will happen in the very near future, the days of White Rock bragging about its clean chlorine-free artesian well water are now over. It is very likely that the Fraser Health Authority will order the city to begin treating its tap water to ensure that water borne micro-organisms and disease causing parasites are not free to flourish in the EPCOR system. While White Rock is a member of the Metro Vancouver Regional District, it is not part of the Greater Vancouver Water District, an affiliated organization that operates Met-Van's water system and cannot easily tap into the clean drinking water flowing from North Shore reservoirs that include the new state-of-the-art $820 million Seymour-Capilano Filtration plant. This means that any water disinfection system costs for the EPCOR system will have to be paid for by White Rock residents, resulting in increased municipal taxes that are already much higher than neighbouring Surrey.

The most common public water disinfection method is of course chlorination which is a strong oxidant that rapidly kills many harmful water-borne pathogens. Unfortunately many people do not like the smell or taste associated of chlorine and either purchase purified drinking water or use home filters to remove it. Chlorine can also react with natural organic compounds in the water to form potentially cancer causing chemicals trihalomethanes (THMs) and haloacetic acids (HAAs) and is limited in protecting against protozoa that form cysts such as Giardia or Cryptosporidium. The use of chloramine is becoming more common as a public water disinfectant, providing a longer lasting residual than free chlorine which won't form THMs or HAAs but is harmful to aquatic life in the case of a pipe rupture. Ozone is widely used in Europe, providing effective oxidization of waterborne organisms including cysts but without any residual disinfection protection once water leaves treatment plants. Ultraviolet light is also very efficient at killing all micro-organisms and cysts but again like ozone leaves no residual disinfectant in the water. Several of these treatments can also be combined together, resulting in safe and clean water delivery that cannot be compromised on its journey from source to sink.

On Monday night, there will be an emergency meeting of White Rock council that has been requested by councillors Lynne Sinclair, Grant Meyers and Doug McLean who have publically stated their dissatisfaction with the way the boiled water advisory was handled by the city and EPCOR. Unfortunately and for reasons unknown this meeting is being held "in-camera" behind closed doors away from public scrutiny. Word on the street is that this decision is not sitting well with White Rock residents who have reached their boiling point with this continuing nightmare and never-ending city hall secrecy. Expect an over-flow crowd of angry people who want to know why White Rock's image has again been tarnished, this time at the end of the busy summer tourist season, and why many including seniors with suppressed immune systems were left in the dark sipping shit water? Its fortunate that the RCMP detachment is located just behind city hall because if the politicians are foolish enough to exclude White Rock residents, I wouldn't be at all surprised to see the doors get kicked down. I'll be wearing my size fifteen work boots to this meeting just in case.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

August 23, 2010

Blockheads

Drive anywhere throughout the city of Surrey and you will see signs of "blockheads" living among us as evident by how they mark their territory along our roadways and thoroughfares. By this I mean those property owners who feel justified in placing a variety of obstacles, either rocks, concrete blocks and even boulders on the edge of their lawns directly next to the asphalt surface of the street. While protecting their lawns and landscape from the occasional tire print, they unfortunately pose a serious safety hazard to passing motorists along with bicyclists and pedestrians either riding or walking along road allowance property that is owned by the city.

These "rocks-n-blocks" often make it impossible to completely pull one's vehicle off the asphalt surface in the case of breakdown or for other reasons such as wanting to safely answer the cell phone, thus blocking the free flow of traffic. During winter these rocks-n-blocks become invisible in snow where they are driven into or struck by snowplough blades and sent flying as I have personally witnessed. If you happen to be careless enough to accidentally drive near these obstacles, a flat tire, bent rim or front end damage to your car's suspension is the likely end result. If you have the misfortune of hitting some of the larger boulders such as the ones at a particular property on Crescent Road in south Surrey whose lawn must obviously be extremely valuable, you can expect to see what an air bag looks like close up.

I assumed (we all know what happens when we do that) that since the road allowance was city property that these rock-n-blocks were probably not allowed under their by-laws. Imagine my surprise when I contacted Surrey's Engineering Department and found out that this was not necessarily the case. The following are the questions I posed to staff members along with their informative and timely responses on this road safety topic:

Q. Is putting rocks, blocks and other barriers on roadway allowance property a violation of any Surrey by-law?

A. The Bylaws prohibits the construction and installation of anything within the right of way without a permit. It also requires adjacent property owners to maintain the boulevard area from property line to the edge of the road. This is where the enforcement requires leeway as vehicle driving on the boulevard causing damage results in the City requiring the property owner to reinstate the boulevard to its previous condition. Due the number of complaints and the resistance to remove the obstruction(s), a guideline was developed for staff to follow. The guideline specifies that the rock/block must be min. 1.2 metres back from the edge of pavement and that it cannot be higher than 0.35 metre. This is similar to our landscaping within the right-of-way which restricts planting to 0.5 metres in height to ensure proper sightlines.

Q. Can residents request that these rocks-n-blocks be removed from city property for safety reasons?

A. Residents may and do request removal of rocks/blocks from the boulevard. A supervisor will visit the site and assess the placement in accordance with the guideline. A letter is then issued to the property owner informing that the placement of the obstruction is contrary to the Bylaw, may require to be moved back from the edge of pavement and that the resident could be held liable for any claims arising out of the obstructions on the boulevard.

Q. Who do people contact at Surrey city hall in order to request roadside rock/block removal and are they allowed to remain in place unless a complaint is received?

A. Residents can call either the Service Request line at 604-591-4152 or contact the City through the www.surrey.ca website. Action will be as per above.

Q. Is the removal of roadside rock/blocks the responsibility of property owners or city work crews?

A. The responsibility of the property owner and if considered an immediate hazard would be removed by the City.

So there you have it folks, even though roadsides are city property you are allowed to line the street edge with rocks-n-blocks as long as they are four feet back from the asphalt and no more than a foot tall. Unfortunately Surrey's guidelines do not include a minimum separation between these barriers meaning residents are free to create what amounts to curbing at the front of their properties on land they do not own. Still, if you feel these obstacles are a driving danger or public safety menace that don't conform to the guidelines, simply contact the City of Surrey to have them dealt with.

If you happen to wreck your vehicle or get injured because of these rocks-n-blocks, keep in mind that the homeowners or their insurance companies could be held liable for any claims for damages that you may wish to pursue. Next time I get a flat, bent rim or need an alignment, I think I'm going to blame it on my neighbour.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn,

 

 

August 16, 2010

Shining Light on the "Sunshine Vitamin"

During the previous weekend's Spirit of the Sea festival in White Rock, several young ladies volunteering for the Canadian Cancer Society gave out "UV bracelets" to crowds on the beach, featuring white beads that turned colour in the sun alerting people of ultraviolet light exposure. Unfortunately these "White Rock/South Surrey Sun Ambassadors" as they called themselves only gave one side of the argument against sun tanning, focusing on the dangers of the skin cancer Melanoma while ignoring the positive health benefits of sunbathing that includes decreasing other deadly forms of deep body cancer and reducing a variety of serious and lethal diseases.

Sunlight is the best natural source of vitamin D, which is produced in the skin by exposure to ultraviolet light. People living in northern climates or those with darker skin are often chronically vitamin D deficient due to a lack of exposure to sunlight especially during winter months. Our natural tanning process provides skin protection against sun burning and serious dermal damage that greatly increases the odds of developing skin cancer. Unlike some sunscreens, a natural tan provides reliable full-spectrum (UVA & UVB) protection from burning that doesn't rub, wash, sweat or wear off the way sunscreen lotion can. New research is now questioning if sunscreen can actually cause cancer through toxic chemicals in the form of artificial colours and fragrances plus the petroleum products used as fillers and stabilizers that are absorbed through our skin.

People who live in regions with more sunlight have been found to have a much lower incidence of death from a variety of lethal cancers including ovarian, pancreatic, breast, prostate and colon cancer when compared to those who live in places with less sunshine. Recent research at Harvard University has suggested that having sufficient vitamin D due to UV exposure may prevent 30 deaths for each one caused by skin cancer. High levels of vitamin D have also shown to be beneficial for those recovering from cancer while reducing the incidence of over 25 chronic diseases including cardio vascular disease, high blood pressure, rheumatoid arthritis, juvenile diabetes, Osteoporosis, Tuberculosis, Multiple Sclerosis and Parkinson's disease.

Sunlight and simulated sunlight doses are prescribed treatment for Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) also known as the "winter blues." Sunshine and natural vitamin D production in summer is believed to be associated with decreased influenza rates during this time of the year. Exposure to UV-light is commonly prescribed by doctors to reduce the unsightly appearance and discomfort of Psoriasis and to treat a variety of fungal infections affecting the skin and nails. Bright light has been found to help alleviate some symptoms of Pre Menstrual Syndrome such as mild depression, mood swings, physical discomfort and social withdrawal. Lack of vitamin D also appears to be associated with the mental disorders Schizophrenia and Alzheimer's whose incidence is increasing rapidly in our aging population.

Our modern lives where we spend much of our time inside or wearing clothing completely covering our skin is mainly to blame for our lack of vitamin D production. The overuse of sunscreen in the failed attempt to not contract melanoma is likely a cure that might result in an even worse disease. To ensure optimum levels of vitamin D to promote optimum health we need to sunbathe responsibly whenever we can, wearing as few clothes as possible especially during the darker days closer to winter. Vitamin D supplements available in pill form should be considered during winter months when sunlight exposure here in Canada is not strong enough or of suitable duration to affect production in the skin. Proper diet alone is not enough as you should realize that food only provides about 10% of our needs for the "sunshine vitamin."

So take care of your skin, avoiding sun burns and over-exposure especially in the middle of hot summer days but also enjoy the healthy benefits of a safe tan. While you may be encouraged to "slip, slop, slap" in messages on signs along White Rock's waterfront telling you to "slip on a shirt, slop on sunscreen and slap on a hat", don't be afraid to have some "fun in the sun." See you at the beach where this dedicated vitamin D junkie will be be doing my best to avoid cancer, disease and those ugly tan lines.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

Editor's note: Don Pitcairn is president of Surrey's United Naturists or SUN and knows a few things about the subject of responsible sunbathing.

 

The Naked Truth - Aug. 9, 2010

Salmon in the Semiahmoo

While the weekend's rains might have put an end of our month long dry spell, they have done little to improve drain water flow into the tributaries throughout south Surrey. Not to worry though as the ditch on the south side of 24th Ave through Sunnyside Acres Park has been pouring with water for the past two weeks even during the prolonged drought. While this might have appeared as though it was the result of a broken water main or a leaking reservoir, it is due to the efforts of a local stream keeper group called RESCUE - Residents of Elgin Saving Creeks from Urban Effects, who lobbied Surrey city hall several years back to get more water diverted into the creek during dry summer months.

 

With increasing land development in south Surrey, more and more of the run-off and ground water which used to flow into Elgin Creek has been diverted into storm drains resulting in very low summer water levels, high water temperatures and resulting salmonid kills in the natural waterway. In 2006 the city and Federal fisheries invested a total of $200,000 to build a stream flow augmentation system that pumps water from deep wells near Softball City into the stream during the dry months at a rate of about 6,000 gallons an hour. Estimates from the Surrey engineering department are that this salmonid saving program costs an additional $10,000 a year to operate but without this timely injection of fresh water, Elgin Creek would not support salmon reproduction on a year round basis.

In an effort to keep sediments from washing from construction sites into fish-bearing streams, the city of Surrey has enacted an Erosion and Sediment Control (ESC) bylaw that protects sensitive salmon eggs from being smothered. The recent dike raising along the Nicomekyl River in south Surrey next to the Park and Ride lot is a prime example of this environmental protection. Because the site was more than 2,000 square metres and located next to a major salmon bearing river, an ESC plan was needed and put in place before construction began and an ESC supervisor hired from an independent company was on site to monitor the work ensuring that erosion of sediments into the Nicomekyl would not cause environmental problems. It is worth noting that this project was timed for the driest time of the year to reduce erosion and that covering of this new fill and seeding will likely mean little or no sedimentation during the wet winter months when heavy run-off would be expected.

Of course the Little Campbell hatchery in south Surrey operated by the Semiahmoo Fish and Game Club plays one of the most important roles in salmon reproduction in this region. Purchased in 1979, this 29 acre property at 1284 184th St. in the Hazelmere Valley had spawning channels dug and a hatchery built which first opened in 1983. In a typical year this local hatchery produces an average of 10,000 Steelhead, 30,000 Chinook, 40,000 Coho along with 15,000 Cut-throat trout and they are now raising Chum salmon on an experimental basis. By hatching eggs in a controlled environment and raising the young fry free of predation and disease, they are able to substantially increase the survivability of these fish with vastly improved return rates after they are released into the wild. You can join the SFGC to help at the hatchery or the Little Campbell Watershed Society who meet to discuss watershed stewardship opportunities for the Little Campbell River.

Unfortunately all of the news regarding salmon here is not good with the Stokes Pit and the Campbell Heights Development near 192 Street and 24 Avenue being listed as one of the worst cases of salmon habit destruction ever seen in B.C. by the David Suzuki Foundation. Excavation for drainage pipes was believed to be responsible for the “dewatering” of Latimer Lake that saw its water level drop to the point that this well known fishing hole became a muddy pond. Thousands of feet of nearby streams were stripped of riparian vegetation and silt and sediment were allowed to drain into these ecologically sensitive areas from property cleared all around them for the new businesses. This resulted in damage to the aquifer and affected the fisheries values of the Little Campbell River downstream from this large industrial park that has still to recover from the damage and was listed as one of B.C.'s most endangered rivers in 2008 by the Outdoor Recreation Council of British Columbia.

So when you think of salmon in the Semi-pen, don't just think of the piece of fish cooking on your barbecue this summer or the tasty morsel at your favourite sushi restaurant (hello Taka's). The streams and rivers here need to be protected from over development while the water that flows into them has to be controlled and kept clean. Familiarize yourself with your local waterway, whether it be the larger Nicomekyl, Serpentine or Little Campbell rivers, or the smaller tributaries including Elgin, Chantrell, Morgan, Anderson and others. Keep an eye out for pollution, sediment run-off, low water levels, fish kills or other problems affecting these sensitive aquatic ecosystems and report any concerns to the Surrey Parks Department or the Department of Fisheries and Oceans. While most people look to B.C.'s larger waterways such as the Fraser River when they think of wild salmon runs, it is important to understand that this natural resource is also worth protecting in our own back yard.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

August 2, 2010

Any Time is Train Time

Surrey has once again let down the residents of Crescent Beach who are being held hostage by BNSF freight trains blocking access to Crescent Beach, stopping emergency response vehicles or the speedy evacuation by residents. Staffers at city hall have rejected a plan to build a road under the BNSF trestle next to the Crescent Beach marina that would connect to a roadway beside the Dunsmuir community garden on the south portion of Blackie Spit Park. Cost estimates of approximately $500,000 for a one lane road and over $1 million for a two lane street were given as reasons for shelving this plan along with the frequency and repetition of track blockages. Instead they are calling for a "Stopped Train Protocol" that would halt trains outside the community during emergency situations and create strategies to deal with broken down trains blocking roadways.

While the cutting off of police, fire and ambulance emergency services along with disasters like tsunamis were considered in the scenarios involving trains blocking the two roadway entrances that are only 500 metres apart, the threat posed by the trains themselves seems to have been all but ignored. BNSF freight trains regularly carry dangerous goods and toxic chemicals along the base of the landslide prone Ocean Park bluffs where there have already been nine previous derailments, all from mudslides. Of these chemicals, the most lethal are the inhalation hazardous gases including chlorine, ammonia and sulfur dioxide which are carried above the jagged rip-rap boulders lining the shore. Poisonous chlorine gas, used during WW1 and outlawed as a weapon by the Geneva Convention was deemed such a high terrorist threat by the RCMP that shipments of it on the BNSF line through south Surrey were canceled during the recent 2010 Winter Olympics.

Last year's slide along the Crescent Bluffs south of Crescent Beach

Most of the concern over unimpeded access to Crescent Beach stems from an incident in the summer of 2007 when a freight train suffered a mechanical failure blocking Crescent Road and Maple St. for several hours, but there was another incident earlier that year which was far more dangerous. In March of 2007 a BNSF freight train that was stopped for a large landslide which buried the tracks near the Crescent Rock boulder just south of Crescent Beach, was hit by a smaller mudslide from the bluff fortunately without serious damage or derailment. This train blocked all access to Crescent Beach for 45 minutes until it was backed up through the muddy debris containing boulders and logs, finally clearing the roadways. While this train was witnessed to be carrying several tanker cars, freedom of information requests that I filed at that time with Transport Canada and the Canadian Border Services Agency failed to answer whether poisonous gas was part of the cargo.

The frequency of landslides between Crescent Beach and White Rock along with the BNSF's operational procedure of shipping dangerous goods through this landslide prone corridor even when it is closed to the Amtrak passenger train because of the slide risk was what prompted the formation of SmartRail, a community rail safety group several years back with several members from the Crescent Beach area. With their active public awareness campaign, they put the BNSF Railway on notice not only for glaring safety deficiencies but the deteriorated condition of their tracks along Crescent Rock beach. Since that time the BNSF, much to their credit, have replaced all of the decrepit segmented track with stronger and safer continuous weld rail while strengthening the shoreline defenses that protect the rail bed from wave erosion. Unfortunately there are still serious safety threats affecting safe rail operations in this region which are being continually ignored by all levels of government.

The presence of antiquated drainage fields at hilltop properties, the practice of draining run-off water onto the steep slopes above the tracks and residents cutting down trees for views continues unabated and ignored by Surrey even after dire warnings from Transport Canada that these are the three main causes of landslides onto the BNSF railway. Worse still, there is 400 metres of track not protected by the Landslide Detector Fence at the south end of Bayview St., even after repeated slides in this area including one which destroyed the last home on the street two decades ago. It was at this spot just south of Crescent Beach where the mudslide in 2007 impacted the stalled freight train and yet Transport Canada has done nothing about extending this safety system that would alert train engineers to slope failure and the possibility of the rails being buried by tonnes of rock, trees, mud and debris. Another concern that no one has yet to considered is the ever increasing coal train traffic involving long trains carrying up to 144 cars that because of their extreme length have a greater chance of blocking roads.

It is interesting to note that while there are two roadway entrances to Crescent, there is also a pedestrian crossing which cannot be blockaded by trains. Because of liability concerns and trespassing on the BNSF rail corridor, Surrey was forced to build an elevated metal walkway at the base of the "101 Steps" at the western end of 24 Ave. at the cost of approximately $100,000. This ensures that people can safely access the southern portion of Crescent Beach and the naturist Crescent Rock beach without crossing through BNSF property and possibly being struck by passing trains. If Surrey can put money into a structure such as this for a few pedestrians, surely they can do something about the safety of the approximately 400 households in Crescent Beach and the thousands of other Surrey residents who descend on these sandy shores to relax in the sun and enjoy the waterfront? Let us not forget that several years ago Surrey already canceled a planned emergency siren system for the Crescent Beach area which would have alerted residents in the case of a HAZMAT incident involving BNSF trains, citing costs as the main factor for their decision.

A permanent roadway underneath the BNSF tracks is needed to ensure that emergency personnel can get in to Crescent Beach and that residents can get out, especially if there is a train derailment involving dangerous goods. Better yet would be to relocate this antiquated and dangerous railway to a safer inland location with the planned high-speed rail that will bypass White Rock's beaches and the south Surrey shoreline. Mayor Watts needs to personally address all of the glaring safety issues involving freight trains in the south Surrey region while also using this opportunity to get on board with the planned high-speed rail. Surrey has the most to gain from the bullet train that will connect what will soon be B.C.'s largest city to Seattle, Portland and beyond while allowing the old rail bed to become a waterfront nature trail that is already being called the "Surrey Seawalk."

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

July 26, 2010

The Run Down on Cross-walks

Those who know me or who read this column on a regular basis will know that environmental protection and public safety are at the forefront of my community service activities. In the past few years I've been personally responsible for the installation of several intersection traffic lights and three cross-walks with flashing lights which I initiated because of safety concerns involving pedestrians unfortunately after people were hit or killed in these locations. Some of these are in the Semiahmoo Peninsula, while others can be found on Scott Road on the Delta/Surrey border. Others that I've brought to the attention of various councils are still waiting to be addressed.

The fragile human body is no match for a 1,500 kg. automobile hurtling down the road even at posted speed limits. These accidents can cause catastrophic life-altering injuries that often require years of rehabilitation which cost our Medicare system millions of dollars. I believe that pedestrian safety is of the utmost importance and anything that we can do as a society to stop needless accidents at cross-walks should be a top priority. I'm sick and tired of seeing crosses from roadside memorials appearing next to marked pedestrian crossings. That being said, there is a very simple change that would save many lives and the earlier that is it initiated the better.

Back in 1993 the old blue coloured, house shaped, school zone signs were changed to the current yellow-green high visibility fluorescent colour, using a newly designed prismatic vinyl that is much more reflective than former models. This change was done as the blue signs were hard to see, especially when it was dark or raining meaning drivers would be speeding through school zones filled with children. The yellow-green high-vis fluorescent colour is now mandated for most safety clothing, including flagging personnel who work in traffic and police officers who wear these coloured jackets while stepping in front of speeding cars in radar traps. I believe that all signage involving pedestrians which include both the rectangular cross-walk sign with the "walking-man" figure and the diamond shape playground sign featuring the "boy chasing ball" figure should be the same colour as the improved school zone sign.

The current cross-walk signs are white with black lettering simply because they are what is known as a regulatory sign, allowing police forces to enforce the Motor Vehicle Act and ticket infractions. Unfortunately they are hard to see in the urban environment with plenty of white buildings, other white background signs and light coloured concrete. Throw in clouds, fog, rain or even worse snow as often happens in many parts of the Great White North, and these signs become all but invisible. I had to laugh when I spotted a poster at an ICBC office showing a pedestrian whose clothes matched the colours of her surroundings. The pedestrian crossing sign in the picture was against a white wall with dark trim, making it blend into the background as much as the model in question.

The present playground signs are no better as they are the same shape and colour as regular yellow traffic hazard warning signs. In fact, these signs are often used to warn of an upcoming playground and then the same sign with a white "30 kmh dawn to dusk" regulatory sign below it is used to lower speed limits. Using the same background colour as signs which warn of an upcoming curve, a bump in the road, or deer ahead endangers pedestrians especially vulnerable youngsters playing in our parks. As to why this is the case, my guess is the mindless bureaucrats in charge of traffic signage across Canada would probably answer, "That's the way we've always done it" instead of coming up with a better solution.

Certain jurisdictions are not waiting for the slowly turning wheels of bureaucracy to catch up with the problems on these pedestrian signs. While the Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Canada dictates how road signs are to appear, I am starting to notice a change across this land. Last summer I flew to Manitoba and to my surprise saw yellow-green pedestrian crossing signs at both the Vancouver International Airport and the Winnipeg International Airport. They are also in use at the University of British Columbia (higher learning has its benefits I guess) and the lovely and obviously progressive town of Squamish. Going one step further, Squamish has also added yellow-green "bright sticks" to the poles made of the same reflective material printed with the words "Slow Down."

Even Surrey and White Rock have gotten somewhat involved in this change that I'd like to think is a sign of the times (yup, pun intended). On busy Johnson St. White Rock has installed yellow-green bright sticks to the pedestrian crossing sign poles to make them more visible. Surrey replaced several playground signs at Bakerview Park in South Surrey with ones featuring the yellow-green background last year and when I congratulated them on this change replaced them again with the yellow warning background but in the brighter prismatic film. I think they would have been better off leaving them as they were the first time because using the warning sign colour for playground sign backgrounds is beyond stupid, its dangerous.

I've previously forwarded this simple idea to B.C's Transportation Minister and the Minister for Public Safety, along with the B.C. Attorney General and politicians at all levels of government cashing paycheques in the Semiahmoo peninsula. They all got on board with the concept I advanced of installing cable barriers on Hwy. 99 to stop deadly cross-over accidents and I now hope they will push for changing all pedestrian signage across Canada to one simple and safe colour. There is another small change that also needs to be made though, a reflective red triangle with the word "Yield" needs to be added to the bottom of the new cross-walk signs so that idiotic drivers might finally realize that you have to stop for people waiting to cross the street.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

July 19, 2010

"The Nudie Guy"

Anniversary Edition

This column marks an important milestone as it is now one year that I've been penning the Naked Truth for the White Rock Sun after a writing gig I was offered by the Surrey Now fell apart when their stock price tanked and they had to apply for bankruptcy protection. Their loss was WR Sun editor Dave Chesney's gain and hopefully yours as well with all 52 previous editions of the Naked Truth still posted here for your viewing pleasure. For those of you who have been along for the ride from the very beginning, I hope in the future to continue to inform, educate, enlighten and entertain, while promoting discussion and engaging commentary on events and circumstances affecting the community in the Semiahmoo peninsula and beyond. For those who might have missed a column or two or possibly be new to this online newspaper, since there are as many stories as cards in a deck I suggest that you read 'em and weep.

I felt it was appropriate in my very first Naked Truth column a year ago to write about the Guinness World Record skinny-dip attempt at the nude-friendly Crescent Rock Beach in south Surrey. After that I tended to shy away from subjects involving naturism or nudism as I felt it was simply too self-serving and to be honest would have been easier than shooting fish in a barrel. The Polar "Bare Plunge" on New Year's Day and a recent piece about the "Nudie Guy" (speaking of self-serving) got some attention but otherwise TNT topics were spread across the spectrum with the environment and local politics dominating the storyline. Unfortunately due to circumstances beyond my control, nudes are now back in the news and once again forcing me to speak my mind in on this subject that as president of Surrey's United Naturists (SUN) I happen to know plenty about.

The Naked Truth - July 19, 2010

The New "N-word"

Acceptance and tolerance may have been celebrated during the Gay Pride festival several weekends ago at Holland Park in Whalley in an event supported by the City of Surrey, but community events elsewhere were being subject to harassment, discrimination, open hostility and police action. During the fourth annual Crescent Rock Beach Day where another attempt was being held to set a new world record for most people skinny-dipping, nudists and naturists were subjected to taunts, slander, degrading comments and finally police intimidation including the threat of arrest. This culminated in an RCMP officer at the beach infringing on the Canadian Charter Rights of several top-free women peacefully relaxing there who were ordered to cover their breasts. It should be noted that the same clothes-free event held at Wreck Beach in Vancouver, which included uniformed RCMP members in attendance, was peaceful and suffered none of these problems.

Many naturists are wondering if the city of Surrey's reluctance to recognize Crescent Rock as clothing-optional or to post nude beach boundary signs are a simple case of prejudice against a visible minority group? Others are unsure if the use of this nude-friendly beach by members of Surrey's gay community is responsible for the unbridled hatred expressed towards those sunbathing? According to police reports it was a complaint of nudity on the beach involving two men walking together that was phoned into the 911 emergency line by a male complainant. Adding to this concern it has been voiced to me several times that the vandalizing of the Crescent Rock boulder with several gallons of pink house paint in an attack last year might have been intended as a homophobic act. Regardless, the mass skinny-dip event that attracted 28 participants this year was well publicized in a half page article that appeared in the Vancouver Sun, attracting many gymnophobic (nude-fearing) folks who went well out of their way to purposely be offended.

Whether or not homophobia is responsible for the hostile public and police response to those residents quietly sunbathing or skinny-dipping at Crescent Rock, naturists have decided to not take this abuse lying down and are now drawing their line in the sand. People and the police both need to realize that simply being au' natural at a quiet secluded beach is not lewd behaviour and is specifically exempt from public nudity statues in the Canadian Criminal Code as it is not an indecent act. For those RCMP officers and members of the public who are not yet aware, a woman's right to go top-free in public is the same as a man's in Canada and guaranteed under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms due to a landmark decision several years ago involving Linda Meyers versus the District of Maple Ridge. Not only does this mean the nude-friendly Crescent Rock, it also applies for Crescent Beach, White Rock's beaches, public parks and pools, and anywhere else you might find a man with his shirt off. For those who can't resist using supposed moral superiority to trample the rights of nudists, remember that Pope Paul II said, "Because God created it, the human body is not, in itself, shameful."

In response to the police incident on Saturday and the promise of further daily harassment by the RCMP to quash nudism, Surrey's United Naturists (SUN) executives have paid a visit to Surrey RCMP headquarters to alert them to Charter violations and public nudity laws as written. Further to this an official complaint has been filed with the Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner about the conduct of the lone female officer who attended including statements she made that women being naked on Crescent Rock beach were inviting rape from men who would get erections because of their clothes-free appearance. It should be noted that since Wreck Beach was officially recognized, there has not been any case of sexual assault having occured there. A report is also being compiled by SUN, the Skinnydipper Recreation Club and Van-Tan Nudist Club who organized last week's nude swim, for submission to the Canadian Human Rights Commission in Ottawa in order to end the constant prejudice and bigotry that naturists and nudists, both straight and gay, are being forced to endure in the City of Surrey.

Residents of Surrey may not realize how deeply rooted and long-standing city hall's objection to the normal human body really is. The Sunny Trails nudist club that was established in north Surrey in 1952 was forced to sell its land under the threat of expropriation for Tynehead Park in the early 70's. When the owners bought new property in Campbell Valley on 8th Ave., Surrey's then mayor Bill Vanderzalm ensured that they were not issued building permits for change-rooms and a clubhouse, effectively running them out of town. Zalm also fought against exotic dancing (to no avail) when it originally came to Surrey in the Turf Hotel where it still continues to this day. The Skinnydipper Recreation Club has to resort to expensive legal action to force Surrey to rent them the Newton Wave Pool for their monthly nude swims. Of course several years ago when Crescent Rock beach was first widely publicized, Mayor Dianne Watts originally promised to shut it down and city crews cut down several naturist beach signs outside of its jurisdiction because of one mere complaint. Even when Mayor Watts capitulated and threw in the towel on the clothing-optional use of this rugged and secluded piece of shoreline her statement, "People can stand on their heads naked down there for all I care", showed her contempt and arrogance towards naturists and nudists.

I look forward to the day when those in our society practicing body acceptance through communal nudity are shown the respect and tolerance that the gay community now enjoys after suffering through decades of systematic abuse. Prejudice and bigotry are not only about the colour of ones skin but the amount of it showing with "Nudist" being the new "N-word" and an open target for prejudice and discrimination. Naturists and nudists will be asking for their rights to be respected and for Crescent Rock beach to be officially recognized by Surrey and the B.C. Environment Ministry as clothing-optional for residents of Surrey and the Fraser Valley. The east end of Barnston Island in the Fraser River known as "Barnston Bare Beach" which was purchased last year by Metro Vancouver is accessible to those who are mobility challenged and also needs official protection for naturist use. Think this is funny or absurd, then shame on you. Paul Andreassen, President of the Skinnydippers and Judy Williams, Chairperson of the Wreck Beach Preservation Society both have various degrees of mobility impairment limiting their access to hard to reach naturist beaches. Just as society is striving to ensure that mobility challenged people are allowed access to all public areas, both Paul and Judy deserve a shoreline they can easily access to enjoy naturally. Now you might understand how designating some beach space as clothing-optional is a human-rights issue and deserves to be treated as such.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

July 12, 2010

 

Something's Rotten in Crescent Park

Recently while driving by Crescent Park elementary on 24th Ave. in south Surrey I noticed a large dying Douglas fir tree standing in the urban forest next to the elementary school's all weather playing field. Concerned that a dead standing tree would pose a danger to students when they returned in the fall and wondering what environmental problem was ultimately responsible, I decided to take a closer look at this tree and its surrounding neighbours.

This small portion of Crescent Park has several patches of dead fir trees plus many more which had previously blown down and others that had been cut up or turned into wildlife trees that are home and feeding areas for burrowing birds and woodpeckers. Walking further into the park, there were numerous other areas where stands of Douglas firs were either dead or dying in noticeable clumps, creating open windows in the forest canopy. Unfortunately I have seen this pattern before, when laminated root rot (LRR) - Douglas fir form, was detected up the hill at Sunnyside Acres Urban Forest several years ago.

The initial infection and spread of the LRR fungus occurs in a stand of trees when healthy roots come in contact with ones that are diseased. The fungus can remain viable in stumps and rotten roots for many decades after trees die thus serving as a source of inoculum for subsequent forest rotations. The spreading threads of fungal mycelia do not grow freely through the soil and spores are not believed to be important in disseminating the infection. Disease centres in the forest floor develop around infected stumps and expand radially at rates of about 30 cm per year spreading to healthy trees in ever widening circles of death.

Laminated root rot poses a major threat to its most important host, second-growth Douglas-fir that grow extensively in urban forests throughout south Surrey. The disease causes root decay which can cause significant growth reduction and makes trees susceptible to blow down especially during winter wind storms when the ground is soft and saturated. While Douglas firs are the main hosts, this fungus also affects secondary hosts of grand fir, noble fir, white fir, western hemlock, western larch, Sitka spruce and others. Fortunately western red cedar that grows throughout this region is rarely killed by LRR, with damage being confined to butt rot that is customary in old-growth cedar.

Surrey Parks Department confirmed that LRR is present in many areas of Crescent Park and that warning signs indicating the blow-down danger during windstorms have been posted at several park entrances. I located one of these bright yellow signs off 24th Ave. that reads, "CAUTION - You Are entering a forest with areas infected with laminated root rot. Please be advised that trees infected by laminated root rot can uproot and fall during moderate winds. Park users must excercise caution and avoid entering forest areas during wind events." This problem is not isolated to parks in south Surrey as I have also learned that the Watershed Park in North Delta, a forest I spent much of my childhood exploring, is suffering from the same fungal malady.

LRR was contained and hopefullly eradicated at Sunnyside Acres by logging the affected areas, utilizing funds created by the sale of harvested timber to pay for tree replanting of resistant species in the clear-cut areas. It is likely that this is the same fate that awaits portions of Crescent Park but no plans have yet been put in place. Instead Surrey Parks Department plans to develope a disease management plan, holding public meetings to take suggestions and inform the public on what steps will be needed to ensure the future health of this important urban forest.

Until that time, when you walk through the many trails in Crescent Park, take note of all of the dead or dying fir trees and realize that these areas will probably be clearings in the near future in order to stop the spread of the LRR. If the wind is blowing, better to take a stroll down at the beach or promenade instead as these trees with their weakened root structures, some over a hundred feet tall with trunks two feet in diameter, are likely to fall across pedestrian paths. While some question, "If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around does it make a sound?", you probably wouldn't hear a thing is one of these giants happens to land on your head.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

Editors Note:
It appears that LRR may still be present in Sunnyside Acres Urban Forest as one of the Surrey signs warning of this disease and the blowdown danger is still posted at the southwest corner of this park even after the clear-cutting that was done in affected areas.

 

July 05, 2010

Making dollars and cents of the HST

I hope everybody enjoyed Canada Day this year, with the B.C. Liberal's Carbon Tax increasing on all energy products such as gasoline, diesel, natural gas and home heating oil, plus the implementation of the Harmonized Sales Tax or HST on almost all goods and services. Coupled with municipal property taxes payable the very next day, it made for a rather expensive week for most residents of B.C. While Gordon Campbell and his lap-dog Finance Minister Colin Hansen like to trumpet how the HST will be good for businesses in B.C. and ultimately the consumer with savings being passed along, the stark reality is that it is likely that people will end up being taken for a ride twice while businesses enjoy a double whammy profit.

Here's an example of how this double fleecing of the taxpayer/consumer will work in the real world. I have a friend who runs a coffee shop here, formerly charging $2.20 for a cup of his wonderful free-trade, organic, shade-grown coffee before July 1st. With HST being brought in, he now has to charge 12% HST instead of the 5% GST he formerly paid to the federal government. For sake of easy math lets say that the coffee cost $2.10, with 10 cents GST. With the new HST this same cup of joe now goes for $2.35, with 25 cents payable to the taxman. Because his business operates with plenty of cash and most of it coinage, for ease of operations especially through the drive-thru he now plans on charging $2.50 a cup. Instead of the HST causing a 7% increase in his prices that were originally only charged the 5% GST, the consumer is seeing a further increase of 7% or 14% total on top of the new tax due to price changes and ease of operations. This adds up to a tidy sum when multiplied by the thousands of cups of coffee that are sold to a long line of happily addicted customers that now have to pay more for their morning fix.

For business such as mine that never charged the PST, there is a quick and easy way to profit from the HST. Service industries now will charge the 12% HST on their invoices, while being able to suddenly deduct the former 7% PST payments that previously were paid for by business. With customers on yearly contracts there is no incentive to give relief until the next season and once consumers have become used to paying the increased rate, it is unlikely that businesses will drop their prices, preferring to pocket the savings that this new tax have suddenly brought to their operations. Many businesses that never charged the 7%PST raised their prices at the beginning of the year to account for inflation (say 3%) and how that the HST is in effect, the consumer gets dinged with a 10% increase in costs. In case you were wondering I did not raise prices for my customers, knowing that the 3.5% net increase from half a year's HST would impact people's budgets enough without me gouging them even further. This flies in the face of the Liberal government's own behaviour with the liquor tax when they increased the price of booze rather than passing on the 3% decrease in sales tax. If the politicians won't give you a penny in savings, why do they believe that business will be so generous?

With increasing prices for consumers and windfall profits for business, it is not surprising that the HST is being resisted by voters from across B.C., especially low wage earners and those on pensions or fixed incomes, while embraced by certain businesses that will profit from this $2 billion tax shift. The last minute application by a new business group called the "Smart Tax Alliance" is set to test the validity of the anti-HST petition that Bill Vanderzalm filed with Elections B.C. on June 30th. Made up of of 30 industry associations including the B.C. Business Council, Coastal Forest Products Association, Independent Contractors and Business Association, Mining Association of B.C., Western Convenience Store Association and chaired by the B.C. Chamber of Commerce president John Winter, they will try to use the courts to kill the Fight HST campaign. Not surprisingly, the Zalm and his counterpart Chris Delaney see this challenge as a desperate attempt by a government in crisis using their friends and political donors to block what many see as an important democratic process.

The truckload of over 700,000 petition signatures contained in 85 boxes have been dropped off and will now be painstakingly counted to ensure that Fight HST received over 10% of the necessary votes from all 85 riding across B.C. After that if the B.C. government fails to rescind the HST, Vanderzalm's army of loyal supporters plan to start recalling selected MLA's. Though well liked here, MLA Gordon Hogg made the top 24 of the so-called "hit list" of provincial Liberals that will be targeted for recall because of the staunch opposition in this riding to the HST. Could the high proportion of seniors living on fixed income pensions here have anything to do with the over 25% of voters in White Rock/South Surrey who signed this petition? From the abundance of silver hair in the audience at the Fight HST rally held in White Rock several months ago, you can bet that grey power is on the rise and that boomers are going to let their numbers be felt. With M.P. Hiebert's high-flying spending habits and M.L.A. Hogg supporting the Liberal's HST, it is possible we may see a wholesale change in local leadership here when the next elections are called.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

June 28, 2010

Today Surrey - Tomorrow The World

It looks like people across the globe have woken up to what many residents of Surrey already know. Dianne Watts, love her or loathe her, is one of the most popular and successful mayors this city has ever had. Her contributions in turning Surrey from the biggest hick town in B.C. that was the butt of off-colour jokes to a burgeoning metropolis have now put her on the short list of finalists for the World Mayor 2010 event. This contest, started by an organization called City Mayors, was established in 2003 and according to their website (www.worldmayor.com), "intends to raise the profile of mayors worldwide as well as honour those who have served their communities well and who have contributed to the well-being of cities, nationally and internationally. Above all, World Mayor wants to show the world what great mayors can achieve."

In early voting, more than 118,000 people from around the globe nominated a total of 840 mayors for this year's World Mayor title. From this 25 have been selected to proceed to the final round, with four from North America including our very own Dianne Watts and Calgary Mayor Dave Bronconnier as the Canadian contingent. Watts was no doubt picked as a finalist for World Mayor 2010 due to her non-stop promotion of economic growth and development in the city, notably the creation of the Surrey City Centre that includes a new city hall in what will be located in the future downtown core. Her inclusion of Surrey as a destination for the 2010 Winter Olympics and the success of Holland Park that was packed nightly with residents and visitors alike raised the profile of both the city and Mayor Watts to a global audience. Her collaborative approach differentiates her from many other mayors where councils are often split into political encampments voicing their own partisan rhetoric (hello Vancouver) instead of looking after the best interests of the city and its residents. Were it not for the last minute inclusion of long-time dissident Murray Weisenberger into the mayoralty race during the last civic election, Dianne would have been acclaimed Mayor, running unopposed instead of winning as she did in a virtual landslide.

While the love-in continues with many who admire the Mayor's ability to work with many people and to look at both sides of the equation, attracting such personalities as long-time councillor Judy Villeneuve to the Surrey First team, Watts has also had notable struggles with the environment and nature. Surrey received a black eye when the Suzuki Foundation called the Campbell Heights development that saw the draining of Latimer Lake and damage to the Upper Campbell River as one of the worst cases of environmental devastation they had ever witnessed. Mayor Watts and Surrey Council got their nose bloodied when it was later revealed that beavers, the iconic symbol of canada and wetland facilitators, were being culled throughout the city resulting in notices being added to city signage decrying, "The Beaver Dies Here" in reference to the new city slogan. Watts also ended up in an untenable situation by taking a stance against naturists and nudists utilizing Crescent Rock beach in south Surrey and the Newton Aquatic Centre, a position not favoured by the newly enlightened masses in Surrey. Many questions also remain unanswered about the late night car crash near Crescent Park in the Semiahmoo peninsula several months ago that injured not only the Mayor and her husband but put the other woman driver in hospital with severe internal injuries and broken bones.

That being said, politics is not a perfect science and you can never please everybody all of the time. For her hard work, dedication and perseverance benefiting the city of Surrey, I believe that Dianne Watts deserves to be given credit where credit is due. You can visit the www.worldmayor.com website and vote for Mayor Watts including posting positive comments about why you think she deserves the title of "World Mayor 2010". Support your mayor who was surprised and humbled by this nomination and boost the emerging city of Surrey by taking the time to fill out this on-line ballot with the final results being announced in the fall. You can also spread the word about this contest by joining the Facebook group "Dianne Watts for World Mayor 2010" and helping to make voting for Mayor Watts go viral across Surrey, the province of B.C. and the rest of Canada with the possible exception of Cow-Town that has their own fine mayor. Just try not to read too much into who was behind the creation of the pro-Watts Facebook group otherwise you might just learn that the saying "politics makes strange bedfellows" is more true than you think.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

The Naked Truth - June 21, 2010

The "Nudie Guy"

Over the past few years I've almost lost track of all of the various labels that local media organizations, politicians from various levels of government and misinformed residents have tried to stick to me. "Community advocate", "environmental extremist", "graffiti vandal", "disgruntled resident", "political opportunist", "tree hugger" and "anti-rail activist" are the more frequent ones but the most common of all is the "Nudie Guy."

I became a naturist quite by accident when attending UBC and living in residence known as Totem Park. Always an avid beach-goer and sunbather, Wreck Beach was the local beach for those living on campus. I remember my first trip down Trail #6 off Marine Drive to the sandy shores of Wreck, hitting the bottom of the stairs and walking out into this world famous clothing-optional beach. It was a hot weekend in early September and there were well over a thousand naked people enjoying themselves in the late summer sun. Feeling a little odd and somewhat out of place, I kept my nylon swim trunks on that day as I felt like a stranger in a strange land. My next visit I decided that "when in Rome, do as the Romans do" and for the first time clothes would definitely be optional in a public place. By the end of the day, I had a head-to-toe tan that went well with my new found belief that there were times when clothes weren't always necessary.

I guess I'm somewhat to blame for the "Nudie Guy" label as my first foray into the public spotlight was when I formed Surrey's United Naturists or SUN, excavated the 120 tonne Crescent Rock boulder south of Crescent Beach and posted outdoor signage declaring it a clothing-optional shoreline similar to Wreck Beach. Of course this had the desired effect of bringing massive media attention to Surrey's defacto naturist waterfront. Mayor Dianne Watts, bless her heart, first saw fit to threaten to close the nude beach, making this a front page story that just wouldn't go away during the summer of 2006. It was only after she realized it was outside of city jurisdiction and that public nudity on a secluded beach was not illegal that Watts threw in the towel sort of speak, stating that "People can stand on their heads naked down there for all I care." For those of you who haven't visited it yet, the SUN website can be found at www.crescentrockbeach.org giving plenty of information about naturism in Surrey and across the Lower Mainland.

What is rather amusing is that the creation of SUN and Crescent Rock Beach were done with the intent on bringing media attention to the public safety and environmental danger posed by the BNSF Railway that runs beside the shore of the Semiahmoo peninsula, along with the concept of relocating this railway back inland in a safe corridor with the proposed high-speed rail. SmartRail, a local community rail safety group, found that unless a train crashed onto the beach the frequent landslides from the Ocean Park bluffs onto the tracks weren't sexy enough to garner media attention. Knowing that "If it bleeds - It leads" and "If its nude - Its news", the same press release from SmartRail that wouldn't get a sniff from the media would instead make the phone ring off the hook if Surrey's nude beach group was involved. Sex sells and since SUN and SmartRail started making waves about the BNSF corridor here, the railway has responded by repairing the rip-rap boulders that protect the rail bed along with replacing the old segmented track with stronger and safer continuous weld rail, spending millions of dollars in the process.

Besides putting the spotlight on the freight trains and the dangerous chemical cocktail cargos they frequently carry plus the known landslide derailment threat, the other purpose of creating SUN was to promote body acceptance in our modern society obsessed with sex and so-called perfection. I have two young daughters who had been exposed to the effects of eating disorders at an early age and who I did not want going down this same dark and self-destructive road. By encouraging healthy body acceptance, a well-balanced diet and the rejection of the modern media's portrayal of women as emaciated, silicon filled, air-brushed Barbies, I hoped to give a more realistic approach not only to my daughters but to all women in our society that may feel dejected and unworthy because they don't live up to the Playboy lie. I like to say that "every-body" is perfect and that the body you have is the one that's just right for you. Enjoy and embrace it for the most beautiful body in the entire world is the one that you are lucky enough to call home.

What's funny is now that my various social and environmental activities have taken my attention far from the Semiahmoo peninsula, the "Nudie Guy" label still follows me around wherever I go. It seems that I can't be interviewed for radio or appear on T.V. without being introduced as the head of SUN, regardless of whether this is relevant or not. Even when I broke the story about a proposal for half a million barrel oil tankers filled with jet fuel entering the Fraser River destined for YVR (known as the Vancouver Airport Fuel Delivery Project), I was introduced as the nude beach president from south Surrey. I have to laugh though because when the words "nude beach", "nudist" or "naturist" get mentioned, everyone's ears automatically perk up to pay attention to the topic at hand. That's one of the reasons why this column is titled "The Naked Truth", hoping that readers of the White Rock Sun will visit this column weekly to get (dare I say) the bare facts on titillating events happening in our community.

If I have to go on forever being the "Nudie Guy", so be it as long as this label doesn't leave a tan line on my backside. I might even have to update my "Thinker" pose photo if the sun ever reappears and I get a chance to work on my suntan this year. I'm probably a little pudgier, a bit more wrinkled and my hair definitely a lot greyer since editor Dave Chesney was brave enough to take my picture in the buff down at Crescent Rock beach. At least White Rock Sun readers should be able to tell that even though I'm getting older, I've still got nothing to hide and lots of things left to expose in the Semiahmoo peninsula and beyond.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn
a.k.a. the "Nudie Guy"

 

June 14, 2010

BUS LANE TO NOWHERE

Besides writing and reporting for the White Rock Sun, running for public office as a Greenie, working to protect the environment in the Semiahmoo peninsula and attempting to hold our elected officials accountable, few here realize that I'm intently focused on improving traffic safety in this neck of the woods. Only a week after the first phase of the median cable barrier was finished on Hwy. 99 in Delta, an important safety initiative which I extensively lobbied for that will stop deadly cross-over accidents, large concrete curbs were added last week to three off-ramps leading from Hwy. 91 in Delta because of my rather vocal concerns over road safety in this area.

The asphalt edge of these ramps were extended a month ago and several weeks back heavy concrete barriers were placed on the off-ramps from the 91 onto Hwy. 10 and Hwy. 99 both north and southbound. This was in response to several incidents last year that showed the lack of these important safety devices allowed out of control vehicles to cross directly into traffic. In particular, a high-speed crash involving a car northbound on Hwy. 99 that barrel-rolled over the Hwy 91 onramp like a scene out of the Dukes of Hazzard plus another wipe-out where a car southbound on Hwy. 91 went directly across the southbound lanes of Hwy. 99 highlighted the danger. I alerted the B.C. Highway Ministry, local MLA's, plus Delta's Mayor and Council and while the wheels of bureaucracy moved ever so slowly, eventually this important road safety change was made.

It did not take long for these new concrete blocks to prove their worth. On last Monday at 12:30 p.m. an out of control semi-truck southbound on Hwy. 91 knocked twelve of these newly installed blocks over before rolling onto its side in the curb lane of Hwy. 99. Without them being in place to slow this rig down and absorb kinetic energy it is likely this large truck would have careened directly through traffic, possibly crossing both lanes of this busy highway. Fortunately the only injury was the driver who was cut from the wreckage and air lifted to hospital with injuries that were not life threatening. Traffic was snarled for hours as many who live in the Semiahmmoo peninsula experienced, with the highway finally reopening at around 7 p.m. The cause of this accident was investigated by member's of the RCMP's Freeway Patrol detachment and their report is still pending.

If you commute from here into Vancouver, you may have noticed the beginnings of the bus lane widening projects on Hwy. 99 from King George Blvd north to Hwy. 91 and from Steveston Hwy towards the Canada Line in Richmond. Unfortunately the government brain trust behind this grandiose scheme failed to realize that their are congestion points which will render this lane widening useless, specifically the two lane stretch that will remain from the Hwy. 10 overpass to the "dump curve" and the pinch point at the north end of the tunnel where buses have to exit to connect to one lonely bus stop in this area. Bus drivers on this route have told regular riders that these changes are not needed and wonder why two regular lanes plus a bus lane southbound through Richmond on Hwy. 99 is sufficient, yet three lanes plus a bus lane are somehow needed northbound rather than simply making one of these an HOV lane?

Instead of wasting taxpayer dollars on unnecessary road widening (see Dave Chesney's April 13, 2010 "Yell It Like It Is" column titled "Highway to Hell") I think this money would be better spent improving the remaining danger points on this antiquated freeway system. The Serpentine corner, one that I call "dead man's curve" because of the many crosses adorning the roadway shoulders is long due for important safety upgrades. This entire curve that has a history of horrific crashes needs to have overhead street lighting installed, giving motorists improved visibility at night. Northbound there needs to be improvements to the signage showing an upcoming curve, more signs warning of restricted vision and to watch for congestion, and for large yellow and black arrow signs posted along the corner alerting motorists to this curve in the road. Southbound, the large concrete curb that is frequently impacted by vehicles should be painted yellow with bigger reflectors and the same yellow/black arrow signs showing the road turning in this section. The complete lack of signage warning of a curve ahead needs to be addressed to further improve this crash prone stretch of road.

Even more dangerous than "dead man's curve" is the Steveston Hwy. off-ramp just north of the George Massey Tunnel. Because of a short traffic light sequence onto Steveston coupled with only one left hand turning lane, traffic frequently backs up during the morning commute onto Hwy. 99. This puts stopped cars into the right-hand through lane with traffic often whizzing by at 80 kmh in the left lane. There are times when traffic actually backs up into the tunnel itself, creating an even more dire problem where you sit stranded in your vehicle waiting to be rear-ended by someone not paying attention or a semi-trailer that cannot stop in time. People familiar with this bizarre situation often exit the tunnel early, driving through the long driveway leading by the Richmond tourist information kiosk, a stretch of pavement that would be better suited to instead removing stopped traffic from the highway as a lengthened off-ramp. As for B.C. Transit buses, they have to sit in this long line-up often for ten to twenty minutes simply to reach the single bus stop located on this off-ramp before rejoining traffic northbound on Hwy. 99.

So instead of building bus lanes to nowhere why not correct these glaring safety deficiencies that would not only speed up the flow of traffic but would also decrease the accident rate, preventing injuries and saving lives? To me that would seem to be a better use of taxpayer's funds instead of building bus lanes that many who actually ride the bus believe are not needed. If you think this is a smarter idea than simply adding more asphalt to the Hwy. 99 just for the hell of it, then give MLA's Gordon Hogg and Stephanie Cadieux a phone call or send them an email to let them know there is a better way to spend our money. As for myself, a more detailed report outlining the above remaining safety concerns on Hwy. 99 will be forwarded to B.C. Transportation Minister Shirley Bond for her perusal and consideration.

+Here is a picture from 204 St. and 8 Ave in Langley that I believe Hwy. 99's "dead man's curve" should look like.
If we can do with for a crash prone country road, surely we can do it for a main highway.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

June 07, 2010

The Two Faces of Russ Hiebert

Over the past three weeks, this column has delved into the first annual Canadian Adult Entertainment Awards (The Naked Truth on the Naked Truth), marijuana prohibition and legalization efforts (Mary Jane's Last Dance) and the live music scene in the Semiahmoo Peninsula (White Rock n' Roll). So now that I'm done with sex, drugs and rock n' roll, I finally get to return to my favourite bloodsport and by that I don't mean the Stanley Cup Finals (Chicago in seven) or the human pit-bull fighting known as Mixed Martial Arts. Time to roll up the sleeves and take a swing at our M.P. Russ Hiebert with his over-blown sense of entitlement.

After the all-party parliamentary committee in Ottawa called the Board of Internal Economy refused to release M.P. office expense figures to Auditor General Sheila Fraser, it was revealed that Mr. Hiebert was the highest spending M.P., not only for B.C. but tops for any able-bodied person voted to the House of Commons. Hiebert claimed $637,093 in expenses for the 2008-09 fiscal year, well above the $432,728 average of his Parliament Hill associates which also included $214,360 spent on travel expenses with a further $81,888 for office printing. For a close to home comparison, fellow Conservative M.P. John Cummins in the nearby riding of Delta-Richmond East spent $435,446 on office expenses with $127,986 on travel and only $8,031 on printing. The extra spending difference for Mr. Hiebert are as follows: office + $201,647, travel + $86,374, printing +$73,857. How many here think we`re getting our money`s worth from Hiebert, a backbencher that is blowing more dough than any federal cabinet minister?

in 2004 when he was running for federal office in South Surrey-White Rock-Clovedale, Russ Hiebert said that he would hold the Liberals' "feet to the fire" over government waste. Now that he has been spending time in the halls of power on Parliament Hill, Russ seems much more intent on bellying up to the trough than holding the line on spending even during these tough economic times when the deficit is growing by $153 million a day. While not breaking any parliamentary rules regarding travel, ones that were put in place by M.P.`s themselves without oversight, it was the revelation that Russ was flying his wife and kids back and forth to Ottawa in business class on the public's dime that caused an uproar from his constituents. By a stroke of coincidence, the latest of Mr. Hiebert`s costly newsletters that are thinly disguised as Conservative Party propaganda were delivered to the riding last Friday. As if to rub salt on the wound, Mr. Hiebert claimed that his expenses were the so-called "price of democracy" with his strong family values meaning that his wife and kids needed to travel with him to Ottawa and the contentious newsletters necessary to get his message out to his constituents regardless of the cost to taxpayers.

This story on Russ Hiebert's high-flying travel expenses might still be far from over. It turns out that MP's and senators from all parties have applied to spend nearly $1.5 million in taxpayer funds in the next year to attend meetings in such exotic locations as Swaziland, Seychelles, Kenya, Trinidad, Indonesia and India. Part of this is for the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association whose mission is "to promote the advancement of parliamentary democracy by enhancing knowledge and understanding of democratic governance", which is chaired by none other than Mr. Hiebert. No word as to whether Russ and his family will be the lucky ones invited on these tax-payer funded junkets that are regarded by many M.P.'s to be the ultimate perk. Expense claims about homes owned by M.P.'s in Ottawa are being further investigated by reporters back east, resulting in a gag order being issued this week by the Prime Minister's office to Conservative M.P.s. According to news reports, Mr. Hiebert owns homes in both Cloverdale and Ottawa but it is still unclear if he is involved in this story being researched by the Citizen and Cronicle-Herald newspapers who last year revealed that billions of dollars worth of federal stimulus spending were being directed toward Tory M.P. ridings.

What many constituents here do not realize is that Mr. Hiebert's claim of having strong family values seems to wilt under the bright glare of public criticism. On April 28 of this year, Russ and his fellow Conservatives voted no against bill C-343, which amends the Canada Labour Code to allow employees to take unpaid leave from work for the following family-related reasons:
(a) the inability of their minor child to carry on regular activities because the child suffers a serious physical injury during the commission or as the direct result of a criminal offence, (b) the disappearance of their minor child, (c) the suicide of their spouse, common-law partner or child, and (d) the death of their spouse, common-law partner or child during the commission or as the direct result of a criminal offence. The bill also amends the Employment Insurance Act to allow these employees to receive benefits while on compassionate family leave. Fortunately the Liberals, NDP and even the Bloc voted yes on this important piece of family focused legislation that passed second reading before being sent back to committee for further study. Only a real S.O.B. would vote for leaving sobbing parents without the necessary financial means while they are dealing with their grief over injured, missing or killed children. Is there not enough money in federal coffers to fund this program that would have benefited the parents of Matthew Martin (killed at the Whalley SkyTrain) or Alexa Middalaer (run down in Delta while petting a horse) yet there`s enough to jet M.P.`s families across the country in expensive first-class seats?

If there is one thing that is becoming very apparent here in B.C., it is that voters are demanding that their politicians not only do their bidding but that they stay true to their word, especially on promises and claims made during election campaigns. No where is this more evident than in the anti-HST campaign being waged against the provincial Liberals by Bill Vanderzalm and folks from across the political spectrum after the Libs flip-flopped on initiating this value added tax. Closer to home, former Councillor James Coleridge was given the boot from White Rock council after lying about dirty tricks linked with his campaign, being replaced by Grant Meyer thanks to court action initiated by Matt Todd. With Mr. Hiebert saying one thing and then doing another, you have to wonder if he has a Jeckyl and Hyde personality or is more closely related to the sinister Two-Face character from the Spider-Man comic books? Either way, unless conservative voters here decide to hold their noses at the polling booth during the next election, it is likely that Russ Hiebert will find out that the real price of democracy is being kicked out of public office for lying and overspending.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

May 31, 2010

White Rock n' Roll

People living in the Semiahmoo peninsula might not realize what a hotbed of musical talent, live music venues and recording studios that this little corner of the world contains. It is this musical legacy that brightens our cultural and artistic mosaic, giving us all plenty of opportunities to enjoy the benefits of having live music performed across White Rock and south Surrey.

While most of us know either their voices or their songs that play on the radio, here is a list of some of the more notable musical personalities that call this corner of the world their home and walk-n-roll amongst us often without being noticed:

DOUG JOHNSON - Keyboardist for Loverboy and Ocean Park resident.

RA MCGUIRE - Lead singer for TROOPER and long time resident of White Rock.

PAUL RODGERS - The voice of Bad Company & Free. Owns a number of homes in White Rock/South Surrey. Spends his winters here and lives in the Okanagan in the summer.

LEE AARON - Canada's reigning Heavy Metal Queen. Makes her home in the Hazelmere Valley.

RYAN VIKEDAL - Former drummer for NICKELBACK. Lives in Morgan Creek operates a home studio there.

ROBBIE BACHMAN - Drummer for BTO. Calls North Morgan Creek home.
.

Playing music is one thing but the Semiahmoo peninsula and in particular White Rock is also home to not one but two commercial recording studios that have cranked out albums for artists from around the world. Turtle Studios at the foot of Victoria Drive is the oldest commercial studio in White Rock and its storied interior is decorated with gold records of various bands and other awards from its long history of top-notch music recording. Blue Frog, formerly known as Rockbeach, is a recording studio housed in the old location of Zorba's Greek restaurant on Johnson Road in uptown White Rock and is one of the largest studios located on the West Coast. Not bad for a small seaside city measuring only three square miles and having just over 18,000 residents.

The White Rock Sun also has its finger firmly on the pulse of music in these quarters. The editor Dave Chesney has a storied background in the music industry, being the former music director for radio station CFOX and previously working for CBS Records along with a host of other gigs too long to mention here. For years he penned "Canada Calling", an extensive musical listing for the Surrey Now newspaper before being unceremoniously dropped during CanWest Global's recent financial crisis. There loss is your gain as fortunately "Canada Calling" continues here now with frequent postings by Chesney along with Doug E. LaChance's "Night Owl" listing, both found in the entertainment section of this on-line newspaper. Make sure to visit both of these on a frequent basis so that you don't miss your favourite artists coming soon to a close-to-home venue for your listening pleasure and viewing enjoyment.

The locations supporting live music on the Peninsula vary widely with some well known and others a little more tucked away. The White Rock and Crescent Beach legions along with the Elks Hall on George St. frequently attract fantastic bands offering a wide variety of music taste for every palate. The Ocean Beach Hotel (better known as the OB), Sandpiper Pub, Sawbucks and now the Black Forest Pub are all watering holes where you can enjoy a cold one while often taking in some hot licks. Many restaurants throughout the region offer live bands as a way to tantalize your musical taste buds including the Washington Avenue Grill or WAG, Beecher St. Cafe, West Beach Bar & Grill, Slaintes By the Pier, Five Corners Bistro and more. History is now repeating itself with the re-opening of the Sanford Hall at Kwomais Park and the return of the Crescent Moon Coffee House, a Thursday evening musical gathering since 1979 that has been instrumental in providing committee members and musicians for the In Harmony Music Festival.

If you dig the blues, then make sure you join the White Rock Blues Society (www.whiterockblues.ca) in order to receive their emailed newsletter about upcoming events, many of which are showcased at the Rumba Room located at the Pacific Inn Resort Hotel and Conference Centre better known to locals as the "Pink Palace". The next party there is not even a week away with James Harman and the Steve Kozak Westcoast Blues Review playing on Friday, June 4th with tickets $20 in advance or $25 at the door. You can think of the Rumba Room as the Yale Hotel of south Surrey, for those familiar with this famous Vancouver rhthym and blues bar that will soon close for major renovations. It was at the Rumba where I first saw famed White Rock guitarist Jason Buie who many place in the same rarified stratosphere as the late great Stevie Ray Vaughn. You haven't really lived in White Rock unless you've seen Jason bending the strings, working on the reverb and blowing away crowds with his slick and sick guitar work.

So if you're sitting at home bored and wondering what to do, rather than going to the local video store for yet another lame direct to DVD movie, check out what's happening here and get out there and enjoy live music. It is only with the support of businesses and audiences here that the artists who make up the music scene in the Semiahmoo peninsula will stay alive and thrive. Make sure you do your part to keep the "rock" in White Rock. I've just done mine.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

May 24, 2010

Mary Jane's Last Dance

Thursday was an epic day in Surrey concerning the rights and freedoms of Canadians involving the lowly and much maligned marijuana plant.

The morning started with the self-titled "Prince of Pot" Marc Emery being loaded into a police transport vehicle and then moved to the Peace Arch border crossing for extradition to the United States. His crime was selling marijuana seeds over the internet to customers including those living in the so-called "Land of the Free". While there have been plenty of other businesses and individuals selling marijuana seeds to Americans, Mr. Emery was singled out by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency because of his political stance on ending prohibition of pot by "Over-Growing the Government". He is now incarcerated in the SeaTac Federal Detention Center in Seattle, a political prisoner of the U.S. war on drugs, sent from Canada shackled together with our judicial sovereignty that was given up without a fight by the federal Conservatives. Emery apeared before a U.S. judge over the weekend in Seattle and entered a plea of guilty to distributing marijuana products to Americans. The judge will impose the 5 year sentence Emery agreed to prior to being extradited to the U.S. The sentencing will take place August 27. Until then Emery will be held in custody in a facility near Seattle. Emery will apply to have his sentence served in Canada.

Mr. Emery sold marijuana seeds in an open and public manner, reporting his income to the authorities, paying income taxes and using profits from his business to promote the ending of marijuana prohibition world-wide through his Cannabis Culture magazine and website (www.cannabisculture.com) plus Facebook listing. Because of his political stance, Mr. Emery soon found himself on America's top-ten list of most-wanted drug czars along with South American cocaine cartel barons. While Vancouver Police could not be goaded into arresting Marc, a charge which would have at most resulted in a $200 fine, the local DEA office that operates in Vancouver ensured that he was arrested on their behalf to face charges in the States. Mr. Emery eventually resorted to a plea bargain to avoid anywhere from a 25 to 50 year sentence in a federal penitentiary that could have been given him in a U.S. court. It is expected that Mr. Emery will soon apply to be returned to this country so that he may serve his time at a Canadian jail in a cross-border prisoner exchange program with taxpayers here footing the bill for his incarceration.

Later in the day a five-member panel of B.C.'s Appeal Court struck down Surrey's Electrical Fire Safety Inspection program that the city uses as an anti-grow op inspection tool, ruling it violated Section 8 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. This program was formed back in 2004 to combat the spread of marijuana grow-ops in Surrey with residents having high hydro bills being given a 72 hour notice of an upcoming inspection where police would first enter the home, followed by electrical and fire inspectors along with bylaw officers. Section 8 of the Charter provides everyone in Canada with protection against unreasonable search and seizure, ensuring constitutionally enforced privacy rights against intrusion from the state. Unfortunately Surrey's Mayor Dianne Watts, now back at work after recovering from her injuries sustained in a late night car crash, has already stated that the city will simply alter its procedures, ignoring individual privacy concerns in their continued quest for indoor marijuana gardens.

On Thursday afternoon supporters of Marc Emery occupied the offices of Surrey North M.P. Dona Cadman's Whalley office for several hours as part of a Canada-wide effort specifically targeting Conservative M.P's who failed to stop his extradition to America. Marijuana activists rolled joints, played music, put up posters and made themselves at home while members of the Surrey RCMP detachment attended to ensure that the protest remained peaceful. No pot was toked inside the building as this would have contravened B.C. smoking laws, even though several of the protestors had medical exemptions from doctors to legally use marijuana for their various illnesses. A similar office occupation by pot activists occurred on Wednesday at Prime Minister Stephen Harper's Calgary offices in order to bring media attention to Mr. Emery's plight. No word yet on whether M.P. Russ Hiebert's offices in south Surrey will be targeted for a smoke-in but considering that Mr. Emery was forced to leave Canada through this riding, it shouldn't come as a surprise if marijuana activists decide to pay him a visit.

We need to question why we are wasting our time with marijuana prohibition which drains important police resources that could be used more effectively elsewhere. When alcohol was banned in the U.S. during the 1920's the Semiahmoo peninsula became a hot bed of rum running across the border on the water of the bay and through inland trails, scenes now being replayed here with bales of pot instead of kegs of booze. Outlawing marijuana creates a black-market for this herb with high levels of profits for growers, dealers and smugglers, attracting criminal and gang activity along with related violence. Many do not realize that marijuana can now be legally grown in Canada in legitimate grow-ops that are government regulated and inspected and then distributed through licenced compassion clubs to those who use it as a herbal medicine for a variety of ailments. The government already controls and taxes the sale of tobacco products and alcoholic beverages and it is high time that marijuana was given the same treatment.

In November, residents of California will be voting in a referendum to legalize pot and allow individual growers to cultivate their own personal supply of marijuana with local governments controlling and taxing the sale of cannabis. The B.C. bud industry is estimated to be worth up to $8 billion and if decriminalized would present significant taxable revenue to the provincial government. Maybe we should be the first jurisdiction in North America to legalize pot, reaping a bountiful harvest of valuable tax income that could be used to help finance our public health care and education systems, pay down our burgeoning debt and possibly allowing us to scrap the incoming HST.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

*Editor's Note - My wife Laurie as you may or may not be aware, was diagnosed with cancer in 2008. Medical experts predicted she had a life expectancy of 3-6 months. She beat all odds and lived for two year. Laurie reached the point where she knew it was time "to go" this past October. In her final days her membership in the Compassion Club in Vancouver brought her a great deal of comfort and ease of pain through the use of medical marijuana.

I will forever be in debt to the Compassion Club and natural health practioners that aided and assisted us during this very difficult period of our lives.

Dave Chesney

Editor/Publisher

White Rock Sun

 

 

May 17, 2010

The Naked Truth on the Naked Truth

It turns out that the Semiahmoo peninsula seems to be a hot bed these days for nudes in the news and those offering the "truth" of the naked variety. The inaugural Canadian adult entertainment awards ceremony will be held on June 9th at the Rio Theatre at 1660 East Broadway in Vancouver, with south Surrey's Annie Temple organizing the Naked Truth Adult Entertainment Awards.

Annie Temple is a former exotic dancer, sex industry business owner and a member of the West Coast Cooperative of Sex Industry Professionals and the Canadian Union of Naked Trades. She runs the Naked Truth website (www.nakedtruth.ca) that is a social community site for adult entertainers and those involved with the many aspects of the sex industry. She also pens the Yonolicious blog (www.yonilicious.blogspot.com) providing adult entertainment views and news.

This is not the first time that Annie Temple has been in the news for it was her Exotic Dancers for Cancer of Vancouver fundraiser that originally brought her public attention and notoriety. After several years of donating funs collected collected by strippers wishing to promote breast cancer research, their funds were refused by directors of the Breast Cancer Society of Canada who thought that the stigma was too much for their charity, resulting in vocal negative publicity for this organization. The seventh annual strip-a-thon, merchandise sale and silent auction was held last month at the Cecil Hotel, with proceeds now benefiting Rethink Breast Cancer which supports young adults concerned about or affected by breast cancer through education and research.

Winners of the awards have been selected via online voting at NakedTruth.ca by members of the website and were submitted from across the globe. Local winners include those for favourite adult film, favourite female striptease artist and favourite sex worker advocate. Categories include all adult entertainment participants including coworkers such as photographers, costume designers, agents, advocates of sex industry workers rights, sex industry business owners and their patrons. A complete listing of all 45 winners including Favourite Porn Bloopers, Favourite Fetish Film and Favourite Strip Club can be found on the Yonolicious blog. Temple feels that the many people involved in adult entertainment and the sex trade worker movement deserve recognition for their safe and ethical business practices, talent and dedication to social change.

The general public is invited to join with porn stars in this historic event and attend the first ever Naked Truth Adult Entertainment Awards ceremony. Tickets are $50 with discounts being given for multiple purchases. Email annie@nakedtruth.ca to order your advance tickets for this event with doors opening at 7 p.m. Until then, enjoy the Naked Truth from the Semiahmoo peninsula, no matter if it is myself or Annie Temple bringing you the news.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

May 10, 2010

Tax the Tax

I really hate to beat a dead horse with a stick but this HST has really "PST" me off. Remember when Canada Day used to be a fun event where you would don the red and white, wrap yourself in the Maple Leaf and hit the streets with other Canadians to celebrate living in this great land of ours? On July 1st this year you might want to consider parking the car, turning down the heat and staying home in order to save your money.

This date of course is when the HST becomes fully implemented in B.C. on almost all goods and services, unlike the advance HST on future sales currently that started being collected on May 1st. Many companies that currently do not charge the 7% PST are advertising for business, now allowing consumers to pay the 5% GST tax instead of the 12% HST that is coming soon. The funniest one of all of these has to be the Victory Memorial Park Cemetary and Crematorium in south Surrey that has a sandwich board on their boulevard stating "Beat the HST - Plan Ahead." It turns out that funerals are exempt from the early collection period even if you happen to require this service beyond July 1st. After that date, death and taxes will be more certain than ever in this province with the tax man picking your bones.

What most people fail to realize is that Canada Day this year will bring with it a double kick to the groin of B.C. taxpayers. As luck would have it, this is the same day that the Liberal's Carbon Tax will also be increased on a wide variety of carbon based fuels and energy products. This tax currently sits at 3.33 cents per litre of gasoline but will jump to 4.45 on July 1st followed by increases to 5.56 and 6.67 on Canada Day for the next two years. The gouging continues on natural gas that many of us use to heat our homes with Carbon Tax rates over the next two years also set to double from 2.85 cents per cubic metre to 5.70 cents/m3. Similar levels of Carbon Tax increases also apply to propane, jet fuel, diesel, heating oil, coal and even shredded tires.

In the Lower Mainland, the cost of oil accounts for 32% of the price of a litre of gasoline, refining for 22% and marketing a further 9%. The remainder is a myriad of gas taxes including a 10 cent/litre federal excise tax, a 6.75-cent British Columbia Transportation Authority tax, the 3.33 cent carbon tax, a 1.75 cent provincial tax and the biggest of them all, a 12 cent TransLink tax. To top off all of these taxes and levies, drivers here will pay the 5% federal portion of the HST on the entire pump price, including these embedded taxes, allowing the Canadian government to siphon off even more hard earned cash from your wallet. Gasoline and diesel will actually be exempt from the 7% provincial portion of the upcoming HST, but this will be offset over the next two years by the rising B.C. Carbon Tax rate at the gas pump.

You've got to wonder when enough will be enough and the taxpayers of this province will begin to revolt against the constant increase in taxes they are being forced to pay. Maybe we are now at the tipping point which explains the success of Bill Vanderzalm's Fight HST petition that has already collected over 300,000 signatures including the 15% they were seeking in south Surrey and White Rock. It should be interesting to see how many more signatures this campaign can collect after Canada Day 2010 when people here realize they are being hit with two taxes at once and having to pay extra tax on other taxes.

 

 

 

May 03, 2010

White Rock's Tree "Bye-Law"

Depending on where you live in White Rock, the new Tree Management By-law is either a "good-bye law" or a bad by-law with loopholes big enough to drive a fully loaded logging truck through. Instead of putting a blanket policy in place for this seaside city that measures only three square miles, Mayor Catherine Ferguson and her Council have seen fit to impose a patchwork of different zones, protecting trees in some neighbourhoods while paving the way for clear-cutting for views in others. Bylaw 1813 that prohibits the cutting, removal and damage of trees, sets fee and permit requirements, plus outlines the provision and maintenance of replacement trees should be passed at Monday night's Council meeting at City Hall where it will receive its fourth and final reading.

While many hoped the city would be mature enough to take a stand for the urban forest they instead unfortunately chose to create wide confusion among the public with various zones having different responsibilities. There will soon be a mosaic of lands including the Ecosystem Enhancement Areas, Ravine Lands, Significant Stands of trees, City Owned Properties and areas outside of the Tree Management Bylaw's jurisdiction. Depending on what side of the street you live on, you'll either have to jump through the proverbial hoops at city hall in order to have tree work done, or simply pick up the phone and call your local arborist. If you Google the "City of White Rock", the top search result contains information on Thompson's Tree Service, a local arborist company, possibly showing why areas of the city now resemble a concrete, stucco and glass jungle like Mary Hill at the north end of the Port Mann bridge in Coquitlam.

Internationally acclaimed and localy famous White Rock horticulturalist Barry Belec is disgusted by this new by-law that he believes is not concerned with tree preservation but is a social-economic based tree policy which shows favoritism privileging those properties with views on hillsides above Marine Drive. He notes that while Council has expressed concerns about trees impacting views of area residents, they do not show similar reservations about new monster houses destroying views for their neighbours still living in smaller older homes. Mr. Belec thinks that White Rock should begin protecting their trees at either 10 or 15 cm. diameter rather than the 30 cm. caliper contained in the new bylaw and their Tree Management Bylaw should be a blanket policy for all areas. He firmly believes that we are all socially responsible to have trees on our properties in order to clean the air, capture carbon, assist with drainage and that a list of trees with controlled height and spread should be developed for each geographical location of the city.

Of special concern to myself is that City Hall has once again has ignored the slope stability and landslide issue on the Hump hillside between East and West beach, leaving the BNSF Railway free to continue with their program of tree clearing simply for view improvement at the request of wealthy Marine Drive residents. This unstable hillside could easily have been listed as Ravine Lands, similar to the other slopes above the tracks in White Rock that have been the scene of slope failure onto the tracks that frequently carry dangerous goods and toxic chemicals next to the fragile marine waters of Semiahmoo Bay. I fear it will be only a short matter of time before more clear-cutting is done and that eventually all the trees on the Hump including the "Eagle Fir" will be turned into chord-wood regardless of the environmental impact or railway safety implications.

It should be noted that Surrey's Tree Management By-law covers all areas of their very large land mass without making exceptions for various wealthy neighbourhoods at the expense of those who cannot afford ocean views. Imagine Dianne Watts and her Surrey First Council putting a tree bylaw into place that excluded Panorama Ridge, Ocean Park or Crescent Beach which are lucky enough to look over the waters of Boundary Bay and the San Juan Islands? You have to ask yourself if views are more important in White Rock than in Surrey which does not show favouritism towards the privileged few and protects trees equally and fairly? As if we needed another reason why White Rock should be reamalgamated with a real city, their new Tree Management Bylaw is yet another shining example of what's wrong with the small-minded small-town politics here.

 

+EDITOR'S NOTE - Monday May 3 White Rock Council voted 6-1 to adopt the tree by-law. The only disenting vote was cast by Councillor Helen Fathers

 

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

April 26, 2010

"Car-nage" on the streets of the Semi-Pen

Late on Friday night I heard sirens again up the street towards Crescent Park. Living near Surrey Fire Hall 12, this is a regular occurrence but a trained ambulance chaser like myself knows the difference when the sirens stop close to home, joined in by the different wails of police cars and meat wagons coming to an emergency scene. Shortly after this time my youngest daughter arrived after stepping off a transit bus near the Crescent Park Elementary school telling me there had been a bad motor vehicle accident at the corner of 128 St. and 24 Ave. While these events rarely make headline news, they do when it involves Surrey's Mayor Dianne Watts and her husband Brian.

Both vehicles that had crashed in this intersection were extensively damaged, with police at the scene saying that seat belts and airbags prevented serious injuries or even death. Mayor Watts reportedly suffered cracked ribs and possible internal bleeding, her husband a strained neck and shoulder, with the lone occupant of the other vehicle also broke several bones. A white Cadillac Escalade SUV reportedly owned by the Watts suffered front end damage spinning 180 degrees in the intersection while a black sedan was t-boned on the driver's side and then crashed into a brick retaining wall at the corner of the school. An investigation is continuing to determine which driver was at fault while Surrey RCMP Insp. Paulette Freil has stated that it is not believed alcohol was a factor in this accident. I wish the Watts a speedy recovery from their injuries, while Crescent Beach resident and Surrey councillor Judy Villeneuve takes over the duties as acting Mayor.

For a quiet sleepy hollow, the Semiahmoo Peninsula sees its share of spectacular spills, crashes, injuries and deaths happening on local roads from busy highways to mundane neighbourhood intersections. While driving home on Sunday evening, I came across Surrey Fire Service trucks blocking Crescent Road because of downed overhead wires. A mini-van had failed to negotiate one of the sweeping corners of this scenic street, mowing down several utility poles before skidding to a stop. This is not the first time I have witnessed a crash of this type on this meandering throughfare. A speeding red Honda with two young men skidded out of control on the very same road just over a year ago hitting a pole broadside, killing the passenger 20 year old Tony Blackburn. A roadside memorial to him remains there to this day with fresh flowers being recently added on Feb. 15th, the one year anniversary of his untimely death. This accident was only one of many over the years on Crescent Road that have involved fatalities due to the combination of speed, alcohol, testosterone, inexperience and sheer stupidity.

Highway 99 didn't fare any better this week with yet another median crossover accident causing serious injuries and snarling the commute home for many residents of the Semiahmoo peninsula on Wednesday afternoon. In this crash that involved a 20 year old man and a 51 year old woman who were both residents of Surrey, a southbound Honda Civic veered across the grass median into a northbound Volvo station wagon just south of the Highway 91 overpass. The resulting impact destroyed both vehicles with the drivers suffering massive contusions and lacerations and the 20 year old being airlifted from the scene with fractured ribs and internal injuries. This is the second crossover accident on Hwy. 99 since it was announced last November that cable median barriers would be installed throughout Delta and Surrey, with a previous wreck several months ago killing another young man now featured on a plain white cross that was erected at the crash site only last week. Construction on the first phase of this important safety system has now begun on the stretch from the so-called Dump Curve to Highway 10.

For reasons unknown, several other corners of the Semi-pen seem to be hotbeds of MVA's, injuries and death. The corner of 24 Ave and 140 St. that is controlled by a traffic light has been the scene of many accidents, a couple of which I have unfortunately attended. From flowers and crosses attached to a nearby utility pole, I know that several of these car crashes have involved a fatality, even though the posted speed limits for these residential streets is only 50 kmh. The intersection of 20 Ave. and 136 St. just east of Dogwood Park has seen its share of spectacular wipe outs, with residents of nearby Chantrell Estates calling for a traffic light at what should be a quiet neighbourhood crossroad. Driving through the streets of south Surrey and White Rock you often see pieces of broken glass and shattered plastic left on the road, remnants and reminders of car crashes that happen here with alarming frequency.

While steps are being taken to make our roads safer, people here need to realize that driving automobiles is the most dangerous thing that we do. We all need to take driving more seriously and pay much more attention to the 3,000 lb. missiles we guide at speed through the streets of the Semi-Pen. The 60's rock group the Doors said it best in their song Roadhouse Blues with the line "keep your eyes on the road, your hands upon the wheel." Slowing down, unplugging the cell phone from your ear (even hands-free units), not fiddling with car stereos or GPS units and never/ever drinking and driving would make our streets much safer for everyone. Most importantly, when travelling through an intersection with a green light, quickly scan first left and then right for vehicles that might be running the red. This simply practice could allow you to avoid a crash, possibly saving a life that might even be your own.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

April 19, 2010

T.N.T. & Tankers

On Wednesday of the past week, an open house by the B.C. Environmental Assessment Office was held in Richmond to review the Vancouver Airport Fuel Facility Corporation's (VAFFFC) Vancouver Airport Fuel Delivery Project (VAFDP). For a full rundown on this project and its plans that include half a million barrel ocean-going oil tankers filled with jet fuel coming into the Fraser River, I'd ask you to scroll down through the previous Naked Truth columns to Oct. 12, 2009 and first read "Fuelling a Controversy."

The Environmental Assessment Office or EAO manages the assessment of proposed major projects in B.C. as required by the Environmental Assessment Act. They examine major projects for potentially adverse environmental, economic, social, heritage and health effects which may happen during the life of the proposed project. While the VAFDP did not meet certain criteria which would have triggered an EAO review under provincial guidelines, the VAFFC applied for an examination of this project knowing that it would be controversial due to its potential for environmental harm in the Fraser River estuary system not to mention digging a new jet fuel pipeline across much of populated Richmond.

By September, the VAFDP application will have been submitted by the VAFFC and evaluated by the EAO for completeness, which is then followed by an application review, assessment report and project decision by Ministers that should take us to May or June of 2011. At this point either a certificate will be issued allowing this project to proceed or it will be refused and the VAFDP will be scrapped or have to go back to square one. For the sake of the Fraser River, let's hope that sanity prevails over the all mighty dollar and that for the third time in 50 years, plans to bring tankers filled with jet fuel into the mouth of B.C.'s biggest and most important river are scuttled. Let's pray this will be "three strikes and you're out" and not "the third time's the charm."

Since breaking this story several years ago, I have followed the VAFDP with great interest knowing that the report justifying this project was flawed from the onset to favour tankers in the Fraser River at the expense of all other delivery methods including utilizing rail from the Cherry Point refinery in Washington State on the BNSF line through the Semiahmoo peninsula which was purposely ignored. Even much of the data supporting the need for increasing the airport's fuel supply capacity appears to be skewed towards the taps at YVR running dry and planes being left on the tarmac. From my extensive research, the VAFDP project seems necessary only to eliminate fuel delivery and storage charges payable to other firms, allowing the VAFFC to move out from its current base at the airport and acquire the cheapest fuel available for the airlines that are its only shareholders.

Mainstream media seems to be finally waking up to the environmental threat posed by this project and the dubious claims supporting the need for tankers in the Fraser, a large fuel tank farm upstream from the Massey tunnel and a 15 km. pipeline across Richmond. The EAO open house that I attended attracted quite a crowd including Richmond Councillor Harold Steves who expressed his adamant opposition to this project, having helped to sink two previous attempts at plans less audacious than this. Judy Williams from the Fraser River Coalition was also on hand to ask pointed questions to EAO officials and VAFFC staffers as to whether there was any justification to this project other than the profit for airlines. As for the tough questions I put to the VAFFC regarding inconsistencies in the report outlining the VAFDP, they were not able to answer them knowing full well that honesty on their part would likely terminate their pet project.

After the event concluded, Councillor Steves met with me, wondering why someone from South Surrey would be so keenly interested in an industrial project in Richmond? I let him know that of all the environmental projects I have been involved in over the years, stopping the VAFDP was more important than everything else combined. While there is nobody in the Semiahmoo peninsula less likely to want rail cars with jet fuel rolling along the BNSF railway tracks, the hazards posed by this delivery method pale in comparison to the Panamax class tankers being planned for the Fraser River. I ran for the Green Party of B.C. in last year's provincial election to ensure that the VAFFC's VAFDP was given as much media attention as I could possibly muster and if a federal election is called this year, expect me to be the Green Party of Canada Representative for South Surrey/White Rock/Cloverdale so I can once again loudly voice my concerns about plans for oil tankers in the Fraser River that hold as much fuel as was spilled by the Exxon Valdez into Prince William Sound in Alaska 20 years ago. While this may sound alarmist, it is worth noting that the EAO wants spill modelling for the VAFDP to include the release of 10,000 barrels of jet fuel into the Fraser during vessel transit and 1,000 barrels during fuel off-loading.

Hopefully people will wake up before it's too late and torpedo the tanker plans by letting the EAO know there is a safer and more environmentally responsible option that still is waiting to be explored. The big question needing to be answered is why rail from Alberta refineries that tied for the number one option was considered, but not Washington State that currently supplies over 20% of YVR's fuel? You can examine the VAFDP yourself on the EAO website at www.eao.gov.bc.ca and submit your comments or objections by online form, fax or by mail until May 27 when the public comment period into the application information requirements or AIR for this project officially ends. In October, there will be another short public comment period on the VAFDP application review at which time you can make your opposition to this dangerous and unneccessary plan known before it is forwarded to B.C. government Ministers for a final decision.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

April 12, 2010

HST, GST, PST, you & me

In case you missed it, Friday evening's Fight HST campaign held at the Star of the Sea community centre in White Rock was a standing room only affair with people lined up for a block down Pacific Avenue waiting patiently to sign the petition. Even the all-candidates meeting for the last Provincial election couldn't attract this type of crowd or generate interest across all political party lines that the opposition to the B.C. Liberal's and federal Conservative's HST has created. It was estimated that over 500 people filled the hall while hundreds more showed up simply to sign the petition for a total of approximately 800 registered voters, including many seniors who fear being hurt by this consumer tax.

Former B.C. Premier, past Social Credit leader, and long ago Surrey Mayor Bill Vander Zalm and the rest of his Provincial Strategy Team or PST (just like the Provincial Sales Tax) were on hand to welcome the masses, share their experiences and explain the details of their campaign. Bill's wife Lillian helped greet people at the door and was still immediately recognizable even without her trademark headband from earlier times. Regardless of what you think of Bill Vander Zalm, his politics or methods, this man knows how to give a passionate speech and keep a crowd spellbound, receiving plenty of applause and accolades for his fight against the upcoming Harmonized Sales Tax.

The "Zalm" outlined his PST's three pronged strategy to rid B.C. not only of the hated HST but of the present provincial Liberal government if they do not wish to listen to the will of the people:

1. The Initiative Petition:
The first phase of the strategy is to successfully complete the first Citizen Initiative in BC and Canadian history by obtaining the required signatures of 10% of registered voters in every riding, with 15% being targeted to ensure compliance. Once that is completed, the government has two options, either vote on the PST's proposed legislation (the HST Extinguishments Act) or to conduct a province wide referendum (Initiative Vote) on the question of eliminating the HST in BC. If the government tries to use its majority to vote down the successful initiative petition legislation, phase two of the plan will then be initiated.

2. Recall:
Recall can only be conducted 18 months after an election, starting in November of 2010. If MLAs vote against the wishes of their constituents as expressed in the petition, they will then be targeted for Recalls at this time. A successful Recall requires 40% of registered voters to sign a Recall petition. Once the signatures are collected, the MLA is automatically recalled and his seat is vacated forcing a by-election. By the time the HST repeal petition is completed, there will be a throng of volunteers (5,000 already signed up and climbing) that can mobilize in selected ridings to effect Recalls. Some have suggested targeting Premier Gordon Campbell himself with Recall in order to make a political point.

3. Legal Challenge:
The third component of the strategy may involve a legal challenge to the HST. Several lawyers have voiced an opinion that the HST contravenes the Constitution Act of 1867, which gives exclusive authority for direct taxation within the provinces for the raising of a provincial revenue to the provincial Legislatures only. The HST might also contravene the Excise Tax Act which forbids the federal government from implementing an “unequal” tax (ie: 12% in BC, 15% in Nova Scotia, 13% in Ontario) within the provinces. A legal challenge to the HST would be accompanied by an application for an injunction to stop the tax until the court can determine its legality.

Besides taking care to explain the anti-HST strategy, Vander Zalm and lead organizer Chris Delaney paid special attention to members of the mainstream media, including Vancouver Sun columnist Vaughn Palmer, for what they see as biased reporting regarding their campaign. While Palmer believes that the federal government will not extinguish the HST regardless of a petition in B.C., members of the PST are of the opinion that without the consent of both parties the HST deal will not be enforceable. As Chris Delaney stated, "Vaughn Palmer's a great writer, but he's not a lawyer". Considering that there is a minority government in Ottawa, it would likely be political suicide for Harper's Conservatives to attempt to forward this agenda against B.C. voter's wishes.

While Zalm and company might have an uphill battle before them, it appears that momentum is definitely on their side. For those who think that Billy-boy is swimming upstream against the political current, they should know that Vander Zalm is Dutch for "from the salmon". For more information on the Citizen Initiative Petition to repeal the HST or to join their volunteer canvasser drive to collect signatures, visit the www.fightHST.com website. You can also make plans to attend the ongoing Fight HST road show when it comes to Newton in Surrey next weekend with details soon to be announced.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

April 05, 2010

HST Tax and the "4-H Club"

British Columbia's Liberal government tabled legislation in the Victoria legislature on Tuesday, March 30, to scrap what it calls a "job-killing" provincial sales tax in favour of a levy harmonized with the federal GST. Finance Minister Colin Hansen introduced the controversial bill that will blend the 5% per cent federal GST with the 7% provincial tax, creating a single 12% sales tax that will apply to a much wider array of goods and services. Of note is that the governing Liberals did not even have the balls to mention the HST in the enabling legislation, referring to it instead as the "Consumption Tax Rebate and Transition Act" and continuing their pattern of dishonesty with regards to this tax.

The provincial Liberals have a fight on their hands with this new consumption tax that was supposedly "not on the radar" as part of the platform they used to win the last provincial election. That whopper is about as believable as a similar lie they told about not realizing the deficit was ballooning out of control to a record $2.8 billion. On Tuesday, former Socred premier Bill Vanderzalm kicks off his "Fight HST" citizen initiative campaign to repeal the tax at Kitsilano Secondary School in Vancouver, which by no coincidence is located in current Liberal premier Gordon Campbell's Vancouver Point-Grey riding. This campaign needs to collect signatures from at least 10% of the voters registered in all 85 B.C. riding within 90 days, no small feat as this means a total of over 300,000 people province wide.

As a self-employed businessman who runs a commercial gardening operation that does not charge the current PST, I thought it would be interesting to let people know the personal effects of the HST which are already being felt. Earlier this year I lost several long-term contracts, even though I did not raise my prices from the previous year. The councils at these strata properties did not want to absorb the added 7% tax that the pending HST would bring to the current 5% GST currently charged and found cheaper services to match their previous budget. Another contract appears to be considering having their own employees now maintain the grounds, thereby bypassing the HST all together with this contract likely to soon be terminated. Some of my private residential customers have also cancelled my services, saying that an additional 12% tax on top of what I charge for maintaining their properties meant that they would instead return to cutting their own lawns. Others have been questioning me whether they could pay cash to avoid the HST while I do not be involved with the underground economy. All told, the pending HST is directly responsible for a drop of approximately 30% in my business sales from the previous year three months before it is even implemented, meaning that two of my employees, including my eldest daughter currently enrolled in university will not be rehired for this summer.

Here in the Semiahmoo peninsula we have our very own "4-H Club" to thank for the HST. On the federal political scene, we can include Conservative Prime Minister Steven Harper along with local M.P. Russ Hiebert who bribed the B.C. government with a $1.6 billion bonus to implement this tax. Provincially we have Finance Minister Colin Hansen along with our M.L.A. Gordon Hogg who have sold out our provincial sovereignty over sales taxes to the federal government. The members of our "4-H Club" are all involved in shoving the hated HST down our throats, something I look at as the "Harper/Hiebert/Hansen/Hogg Semiahmoo Tax." While our "4-H Club" is not related to a well known agricultural youth group or involved with raising barnyard animals, expect plenty of hogwash, bullcrap and horseshit as these politicians try to explain why this hated tax is needed and good for you. Needless to say most people are not buying this ruse and in an on-line poll in a local Semiahmoo peninsula newspaper that asked, "Will the Harmonized Sales Tax benefit B.C. residents?", 91% of respondents voted no.

You can look forward to celebrating Canada Day this year by having your pocket picked when the HST law is due to come into effect on July 1st, 2010. For most people in South Surrey and White Rock, this will mean that between income tax, sales tax, property tax, gas and liquor tax plus other government fees and levies, over half of your income will now return directly to government coffers. While many are worried about the effect it will have on their businesses, employment and personal finances I'm already experiencing the negative effects from this poorly timed and ill-conceived plan. Whether Bill Vanderzalm's movement to kill the B.C. Liberals proposed Harmonized Sales Tax will ultimately be successful remains to be seen, but I for one will be signing his petition and ensuring that in future elections that members of the Semiahmoo "4-H Club" are also affected economically by voting them out of office and eliminating their rich government pay checks. Hiebert and Hogg need to know that paybacks are a bitch and even changing their last names won't save their political careers if the HST comes into effect. Don't forget that the 4-H Club were all "4-the-HST" the next time you enter the polling booth and vote accordingly.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn.

 

March 29, 2010

The Surrey "Seawalk"

Sitting at the window seat of a nearby restaurant on Crescent Beach, I recently had a chance to enjoy a fine meal, take in a beautiful sunset and watch the world go by while celebrating yet another birthday with a glass of Zinfandel in one hand and my loving wife in the other. Looking at the crushed gravelled walkway that runs along Crescent Beach from Blackie Spit to Maple St., I wondered what this beautiful oceanfront path was actually called. Imagine my surprise when I found out that the walkway is named just that, the Crescent Beach "Walkway."

I cannot think of a more mundane, unimaginative description for this prime piece of shorefront recreational real estate. My guess is that nobody ever thought about giving it a proper name which reflected its beauty and character, let alone tying its name into the fact that it runs along the ocean waters of Boundary Bay. Well, just as Mayor Dianne Watts and Surrey council have recently changed the name of the venerable King George Highway to King George Boulevard to help brighten the city's image and bring it in line with the ambitious "The Future Lives Here" slogan, I suggest that its high time to rename the Crescent Beach Walkway.

We don't need to look very far to see the results of proper naming for a beautiful seaside walking path. White Rock has the Promenade as part of their Pier & Promenade centrepiece which is used to market this waterfront resort community as a tourist destination. The 2.2 km of public walkway attracts people from across the Lower Mainland, many who also take the stroll on the historic 1550 foot long pier, originally constructed in 1915 and rebuilt as a federal landmark in the 1980's. Even high parking fees and exuberant by-law enforcement of parking regulations cannot persuade many from visiting White Rock to enjoy the ocean views, brisk seaside breeze and the abundance of nature that exists along Semiahmoo Bay.

Vancouver got into the seaside stroll business at an early date, with the first 4,000 feet of the famous Vancouver Seawall being built around Stanley Park between 1914 and 1916. Construction was intermittent for decades with the final section of this 10 km public walkway being completed in 1980. The Vancouver Seawall has become one of the most used features of Stanley park by both locals and tourists making it the city's most popular park facility. Due to conflicts and accidents between bicyclists, in-line roller bladers, skateboarders and pedestrians, the Seawall was expanded in width in the late 1970's to make it more user friendly. It is now divided into two lanes, one for pedestrians and the other which operates as a one-way bike path going counter-clockwise around the park.

The walkway around Crescent Beach is actually as "esplanade", which is defined as a long open level stretch of ground for walking along, especially beside the seashore. What is interesting is that White Rock's Promenade (a public area set aside as a pedestrian walk or mall) is really an esplanade but city founders obviously thought that "Pier and Promenade" had a nice ring to it. Crescent Beach "Esplanade" doesn't sound particularly impressive and to be quite honest, there are few people who have ever heard of the esplanade term. While many still think of White Rock as the seaside of Surrey, I believe that the 1.5 km Crescent Beach walkway should be renamed the "Surrey Seawalk", coinciding with the Nov. 2009 name change by the United States and Canada that collectively names the Strait of Juan de Fuca, the Strait of Georgia and Puget Sound the "Salish Sea."

This idea also ties in perfectly with White Rock councillor Grant Meyer's concept of linking the White Rock Promenade and the Crescent Beach Walkway with a waterfront trail system on the BNSF lands known as the "Semiahmoo Seawalk." Mr. Meyers has formed the Semiahmoo Seawalk Society whose plan is to build a pathway next to the train tracks, extending the promenade from the Peace Arch to Crescent Beach. This is similar to the goals of SmartRail, a community based rail safety group that endorses relocating the BNSF railway to a safer inland location with the proposed high-speed train, then building a sea walk around the peninsula on the old rail bed. Personally I prefer the bigger picture and completing Metro Vancouver's Greenway Vision Plan of having the Semiahmoo Seawalk link with the Delta Dike Trail system, creating a marathon length waterfront pathway from Tsawwassen to the Peace Arch with a branch to the Fraser River along the western edge of North Delta.

Hopefully Surrey's Mayor and Council along with the Crescent Beach Property Owner's Association will see the benefit in this proposed name change to the "Surrey Seawall" and take the steps to adopt it. As time moves on the concept of linking the two waterfront pathways in the Semiahmoo peninsula will eventually have to become a much needed reality. Just as the ashes of James "Jimmy" Cunningham, a master stonemason who spent 32 years building the Vancouver Seawall are scattered around Siwash Rock, I trust that by the time I've passed on and my cremated remains are placed around the Crescent Rock boulder, that the Semiahmoo Seawalk, joining the White Rock Promenade with the proposed Surrey Seawalk in Crescent Beach will be enjoyed as a tourist attraction and recreational site for what will likely then be B.C.'s largest city.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

March 22, 2010

Put Your Waste on a Diet

After reading that the City of Richmond was going to start allowing table scraps to be added to its yard clipping collection program on April 1st (no, this is not an April Fool's joke), I asked Metro Vancouver's former Solid Waste Committee chairperson, Surrey Councillor Marvin Hunt, when those living in south Surrey could expect the same. Imagine my surprise when he informed me that people can add their kitchen scraps to their yard waste right now. It turns out Surrey is running trials to make sure they get kitchen composting right the first time out as some cities have found that the "yuck factor" for many folks is a major hurtle in any food recycling program. Unfortunately White Rock does not have posted plans to accept food scraps in its organic recycling program at this time and apartment buildings throughout the region are also not yet included.

Table scrap collection is part of Metro Vancouver’s Zero Waste Challenge to divert hundreds of thousands of tonnes of organic materials that can be composted away from our landfills. We already recycle 55% of all our garbage but a further improvement to 70% is the targeted goal for future waste reduction. Food scraps and other organic material make up more than half of the garbage presently still thrown away in the region. Participating in the composing of kitchen refuse will create high-grade organic soils for landscapers and farmers while decreasing the amount of garbage we landfill, reducing resulting greenhouse gases. Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas that is produced as food breaks down in our garbage dumps, while trucking waste to landfills especially the long distance to Cache Creek generates tonnes of carbon dioxide.

Home composting is still the best way to recycle organic materials that can then be utilized as soil conditioner and a natural fertilizer used to grow strong plants, beautiful flowers or tasty vegetables around your property without the need for curb side pickup. This "black gold" as it is often referred to, is full of vital nutrients and valuable organics which replenish spent earth and increase the soil’s water holding capacity. The City of Surrey sells Earth Machine Back Yard Composters to Surrey residents for only $25.00 with payment being made at the Engineering Front Counter at Surrey City Hall and the composter then picked up from the Engineering Operations Works Yard at 6645 148 Street. Similar composting units are also available to White Rock residents at a cost of $55.72 and these can be purchased and collected from the Municipal Operations Department at 877 Keil Street.

Although home composting is the best way to recycle most organic materials, certain items such as meat and dairy are difficult to safely compost at home. Curb side collection can keep these items out of the landfill and allow those who don’t have space to compost to participate in this important program. Simply keep your kitchen scraps in lidded pail under the counter (ice cream buckets work great) and then add these organics to your yard clippings and trimmings on your recycling day. Because of the high amount of water found in table scraps plus increased odours that attract animals and rodents, it is advisable not to use paper kraft bags but to instead utilize a sealed garbage can with the proper decals identifying it as organic waste.

It is not only vegetable, fruit, nut and grain food scraps that can now be added to your yard trimmings for collection. Coffee filters and tea bags, dairy products and eggs, all meats including bones, fats and oils, soiled napkins/paper towels/facial tissues, pizza box liners, dirty paper plates, popsicle sticks/toothpicks, cold fireplace ashes (in paper bags) and potted house plants are all okay. No need to pour hot grease down the drain anymore, which clogs pipes and interferes with municipal water treatment systems. Items not accepted include any plastics/foil wrap/styrofoam, lined bags or waxed containers, cotton swabs/cotton balls/make-up remover pads, cigarettes and butts, vacuum contents and bags, baby wipes or soiled diapers plus pet feces and cat litter.

By reducing the amount of garbage which needs collecting along with removing the kitchen waste which account for most of the offensive smell, it is hoped that the pickup of trash in the Lower Mainland can be greatly reduced. I monitored my neighbourhood's trash habits last year and found that half of all households only put out one can of garbage, a quarter put out two cans while a mere three percent put out three cans or more for pickup. Most surprisingly, twenty-two percent of all homes did not have any garbage cans outside but many of these still had their blue boxes at the curb. I have proposed a so-called "Toucan" system to Met-Van and Surrey politicians where trash is only brought to the curb when there are two full cans, decreasing the need for garbage trucks to stop at every driveway while encouraging more recycling.

For more detailed information on this environmentally responsible program and the benefits of composting, visit the Metro Vancouver and City of Surrey websites or simply Google the following:
Metro Vancouver Zero Waste Challenge
Metro Vancouver Food Scraps Recycling
City of Surrey Backyard Composing
City of Surrey Yard Waste Collection

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

March 15, 2010

Where Eagles Dare

The recent tree clearing of the Hump hillside between the West and East beaches of White Rock has focused attention on the famed "Eagle" tree and the many Bald eagles that perch there. There has always been a strong connection between the environment of the Semiahmoo peninsula and the Bald eagle that takes various forms throughout White Rock and south Surrey for those of us possessing an eagle eye for detail.

Many do not realize that the stately Douglas Fir on the Hump is not preserved either by White Rock's archaic tree management by-law or under provincial wildlife regulations. As it is not a nesting site but rather a roosting tree, the forest around it is not included in the buffer zone usually reserved for eagle nests. Of course, this only is pertinent when eagles are actually residing in the nests raising their young. This was painfully evident several years ago in Ocean Park when a long used eagle's nest in a fir was cut down in a development site after it was confirmed there were no birds living in it. While this tree was being removed by crane, a half dozen eagles circled overhead crying in alarm at the loss of their nesting habitat so that yet another house could be added to the human breeding ground below.

Eagle nests in our city parks fare no better as a known nesting site identified in the environmental report done for the City of Surrey when Kwomais Point was being planned called for a buffer zone excluding people and pets from an area near where eagles breed. Once the park was opened to the public it became obvious that this portion of the environmental study was ignored and residents were free to walk their dogs or play sports near the tall Douglas fir that still holds this large eagle nest. Fortunately there are many other fir trees on the oceanside bluff throughout Ocean Park away from the effects of human habitation that serve as nesting and roosting sites for these majestic birds of prey.

The Semi-Pen has its very own resident eagle biologist whose life mission is to protect our Bald eagle population and bring world-wide publicity to their nesting sites and the raising of their young. David Hancock who lives on the U.S./Canada border in South Surrey is responsible for the Hancock Wildlife Foundation (www.hancockwildlife.org) that focuses attention on Bald eagles by placing web cams next to nests and beaming the streaming video to the internet where it is viewed by millions around the world. He is also a renoun lecturer, educator and the author of several wildlife books including "The Bald Eagles of Alaska, B.C. and Washington." His current study on the urban Bald eagle of Vancouver B.C. has turned up over 300 nesting pairs in the greater Vancouver area.

The Bald eagle also holds a proud place in the history of the Semiahmoo First Nation which can be viewed in several locations throughout the peninsula. Two totem poles erected at East Beach in White Rock proudly display eagles commemorating the RCMP's 125th Anniversary and represent the bridging of the two cultures of the Semiahmoo First Nations and the RCMP. The 10th anniversary of this plaza was celebrated last spring where it was rededicated the "Chief Bernard Charles Plaza" after the passing of the long-time hereditary chief of the Semiahmoo people. At the new traffic circle located on 20 Ave. at 144 St., two large upright cedar disks carved by Semiahmoo artists Leslie and Leonard Wells have recently been erected. One of these carvings, "Under the Double Eagle", shows two eagles with wings touching, symbolizing friendship between the Semiahmoo First Nation and the City of Surrey.

Bald eagles have also attracted the attention of the arts community and charity organizations with the B.C. Lions Society's "Eagles in the City" project (www.eaglesinthecity.com). Local artists in partnership with sponsoring individuals or organizations have created unique designs applied to the surface of a 7 ½ foot custom formed fibreglass Bald Eagle that serves as a canvas. These highly decorated creations have been positioned throughout the province to raise donations through an April auction to be held at the Westin Bayshore in support of the BC Lions Society’s Easter Seal Services and the Canucks for Kids Fund. One of these painted eagles titled "Celestial Messenger" is on display at the A & A Custom Brokers Ltd. offices in south Surrey near the Pacific Highway border crossing and they invite residents to come view it.

Sports teams in the Semi-Pen also borrow from the Bald eagle's statement of strength, grace and most importantly freedom. Our local Junior A hockey team, the Surrey Eagles have an image of this ferocious bird emblazoned on their uniforms, no doubt hoping to soar all the way to the top of the hockey world. Not to be outdone, the White Rock Eagles baseball team also uses this majestic raptor as their namesake, signifying this bird's importance not only to the environment of the Semi-Pen but to sporting teams from throughout this region.

Should you care to observe these beautiful birds in the wild, there is no better spot than on Crescent Rock beach in south Surrey, midway between the 1001 Steps (15A Ave.) and 101 Steps (24 Ave.) staircases in late May or early June. This is the time when Bullhead spawning season is in full swing and these small bottom feeding fish are busy laying their eggs under the rocks of this rugged and secluded shoreline. Giant Blue Herons use their long beaks to skillfully catch these fish which the Bald eagles then attempt to steal. The resulting fighting and aerial combat between these two large birds is intense and very noisy. I personally have counted 85 Bald eagles sitting on the sandy shoals of this area when the tide was out with many more roosting in the nearby trees of the bluff. A note to all birders; you may see more than bald eagles when visiting this stretch of nude beach utilized by naturists.

While Bald eagles may be beautiful and interesting to watch, I must caution readers that they are a powerful predator which should not be underestimated. If you take small dogs to the shoreline of Crescent Rock or Semiahmoo beach, it would be wise to keep them on a leash and close to your side. Recently our "Peek-a-pom" cross was targeted by a Bald eagle that seemed intent on making it its next meal. This bird flew down from its perch in a nearby fir just south of Crescent Beach and hovered only metres above our alarmed children and terrified pet. Friends of mine who have a cabin near Princeton had their small dog snatched off their front porch by an eagle which then dropped it from height onto the nearby roadway before carrying it away. Groundskeepers at the Morgan Creek golf course in south Surrey have also reportedly found a collection of cat collars under an eagle nest bordering on nearby residential neighbourhoods.

The Bald eagle can be seen so often in the skies above the Semiahmoo peninsula that I'm sure there are some people who take it for granted. Unfortunately this wonderful bird is under stress from declining habitat, destroyed nesting sites and diminishing food sources, namely our failing wild salmon stocks. Every winter up to a thousand Bald eagles now congregate at the Vancouver Landfill in Delta to scavenge scraps of meat from the garbage piles, a behaviour never seen before. While it is amazing to see up to thirty of these raptors sitting in one single birch tree there, they often fly to their perches with trash bags tangled in their talons or trailing lengths of tattered plastic. No doubt the rancid food possibly mixed with toxic chemicals from the dump heap will have long-term negative effects on their survivability. Because of this we need to ensure that Bald eagle nesting sites, roosting trees and feeding areas are protected in the Semi-Pen, doing all we can to guarantee that the Bald eagle will always fly free over the beaches of White Rock and South Surrey.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

March 08, 2010

Gone But Not Forgotten

After learning that the BNSF Railway was once again considering cutting more trees on the slide prone Hump hill above the BNSF tracks in White Rock simply for views from nearby residences, I decided to contact Transport Canada's geologist Geoff Anderson in New Westminster. I voiced my concerns to him about further tree removal affecting slope stability on this steep hillside above these railway tracks which frequently carry dangerous goods along the public promenade and Semiahmoo Bay waterfront. Now this tree cutting, which was earlier promised before the 2010 Winter Olympics, has been mostly completed by Tall Timbers Tree Service.

A further 36 trees have now been chopped down, adding to the 40 clear-cut during the first round of so-called "vegetation control" when it was promised that not a single tree would be removed. Many of these were located directly in front of the Top of the Rock development, including ones marked with orange spray paint from the last felling which were to have been retained on this old landslide site to ensure soil stability. Adding to the carnage, three groves of Big Leaf Maples, Canada's national tree, have been turned into tall stumps and then girdled around the base, removing strips of the bark's cambium layer effectively killing them. Nowhere in the arborist report completed by Vanderzalm and Associates is clear-cutting of the Hump or the killing of these stately mature maples included in the scope of work.

While Mr. Anderson was given copious amounts of information about the previous slide history of this hillside by myself, including archival photos of slide events which occurred there the last time this slope was cleared (see Oct. 19, 2009, Naked Truth, "Clear-Cut Case of Negligence'), this evidence was subsequently ignored and all I received back from T.C. offices was a letter pertaining to the known slide threat near Crescent Beach. Transport Canada has allowed this tree clearing to proceed even though in a letter sent to Surrey and White Rock in May of 2007 after a dozen slides had buried the tracks, they warned these cities and the BNSF that the cutting of trees on the steep bluff slopes above the railway was one of the main causes of landslides threatening safe rail operations in the corridor.

There have already been nine previous derailments along these tracks, all from mudslides from the bluffs. The Hump hillside where the recent tree removal was performed suffered a 150m long lateral slump slide the last time trees were removed along with four other vertical slope failures. Illegal tree cutting in Ocean Park several years ago resulted in a landslide there which closed the BNSF tracks only last spring. Shipments of bulk chlorine on BNSF lines below the Hump were halted during the 2010 Olympics because of the terrorist threat they posed, showing how dangerous this poisonous gas is regarded. Why Transport Canada and the BNSF Railway have chosen to stick their heads in the sand on this blatant safety issue in White Rock remains a mystery. During an emergency White Rock council meeting held on Friday evening that I attended, many councilors voiced concern over a lack of notification regarding more tree cutting, even though these plans were made public and a highway's use permit was issued by the city allowing arborist's trucks to block Marine Drive last week.

The City of White Rock could have easily stopped this tree removal by simply classifying the hillside below Marine Drive as "Ravine Lands" or "Significant Stands of Trees", giving this area protection from clear cutting. The city's tree by-law (bye-law or buy-law maybe?) is currently under a lengthy review, leading to a flurry of tree removal for views, regardless of the increased landslide risks to the railway tracks. If White Rock was still part of Surrey, their tree management by-law would not have allowed such unnecessary destruction and the resulting eyesore now visible on the main drag. While White Rock's OCP states the Hump is to be left in a "natural state", the city is doing nothing about tree cutting on this park-like waterfront green space. It is worth noting that the safety railings along the sidewalk of Marine Drive which were leaning steeply towards the Hump hill due to soil movement were replaced late last year by the city of White Rock, with new upright ones firmly placed in concrete.

Transport Canada needs to be questioned why this tree work was allowed to proceed when they were fully aware of the risks involved. They need to answer why they warned the cities of White Rock and Surrey to stop tree cutting because of the slide threat to passing trains and yet allow the BNSF Railway to wield chainsaws on steep bluff slopes with impunity. The BNSF Railway needs to be asked when cutting trees for views of residents of Canadians in White Rock became part of this U.S. railway's environmental policy. As for the City of White Rock, a recent FOI filed at city hall asking to review any and all correspondence between the city and the BNSF Railway over the past six months regarding tree removal on the Hump hillside came up surprisingly empty.


For those individuals interested in stopping any more clear-cutting of the Hump, protecting the remaining large stands of Big Leaf Maple trees plus the famed "Eagle" fir, along with ensuring railway safety under this slide prone slope, you can join the Facebook group aptly named "Maple Leaf Forever." Members of this group will be hanging Canadian Maple Leaf flags on the girdled stumps and remaining trees of the Hump on Monday with such slogans as, "No More Stumps - On the Hump", "Maple Leaf Forever - Clear Cuts Never!", "Don't Let Americans - Kill the Maple Leaf", and "Protect the Eagles - Save the Hump." If nothing is done to stop more clearing by the BNSF, pretty soon the only eagles you will see on the Hump will be the ones stamped in the new concrete sidewalk installed along Marine Drive.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

March 1, 2010

Our "Golden Games"

The Olympic flame was snuffed out on Sunday night bringing to a climatic close the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympic Games but the fire that it has lit in the hearts and minds of Canadians from coast to coast will likely burn bright for decades. For those of us who were alive when Paul Henderson scored against Vladislav Tretiak to win the Canada versus Russia Summit Series in 1972, these Games and the dramatic 3-2 overtime win for Canada in men's ice hockey over the U.S.A., coming off the stick of golden boy Sidney Crosby, will be a defining moment in Canadian sports history.

While the "Own the Podium" program became "Blown the Podium", with no chance of Canada achieving its lofty goal of leading all countries in the medal count, the final tally sets the new standard for host countries to strive for. These truly were our "golden games", with Canada winning 14 gold medals, the most by any nation at the Winter Games and the one the IOC and everyone on the planet outside of North America recognizes as the true measure of sporting nations. We finished third in the final standings with our 26 total medals following the U.S. at 37, Germany at 30, and ahead of Norway at 23 and Austria at 16. Looking at the numbers a little more closely we ended with 50 top-5 finishes, tied for first place with the U.S. and 72 top-8 finishes, the most of any country. Of the 206 member Canadian team, 86 went home with at least one Olympic medal hanging around their necks.

It was not only the gold medal count for Canada that made these games so special. While the unfortunate and gruesome death of Georgia luger Nodar Kumaritashvili cast an early pall on the festivities along with some erectile dysfunction involving one of the mechanical legs of the cauldron, the winning ways of our athletes soon began to brighten the mood. On the first day of competition Jennifer Heil got things warmed up, capturing silver in women's moguls. The "golden games" started on day two with Alexandre Bilodeau's win in men's moguls, bringing home the first ever gold medal on Canadian soil ending our dubious record of being the only host nation to have never won gold. Maelle Ricker was the next person to get the Midas touch, leading from start to finish in ladies Snowboard Cross. Christine Nesbitt then took the women's 1000m Speed Skating at the beautiful Richmond Oval. Jon Montgomery roared down Whistler's dangerous sliding track, taking the gold in Skeleton. Tessa Virtue and Scott Moire wowed the world, skating for gold in Ice Dance with a flawless and amazing program. Ashleigh McIvor won an Olympic medal in her own backyard, going golden in the ladies Ski Cross on Cypress mountain. Canada 1 and Canada 2 came first and second in the women's 2-man Bobsled, making up for the men who crashed out of contention.

The final four days of competition really got the blood pumping and the high-fiving started when Canada's storied women's hockey team sealed the deal with a 2-0 victory over the rival American girls. Charles Hamelin then blazed his way around the short-track to take the men's 500m speed skating before joining his brother Charles along with Oliver Jean and Francois-Lois Tremblay to win the men's 5000m relay later that same day for a double-gold victory. The second to last day of competition saw a parade to the podium with golds in the Men's Team Pursuit finals in speed skating giving redemption to Denny Morrison, Men's Parallel Giant Slalom Snowboard with Jasey-Jay Anderson emerging first from the fog, and Men's Curling with Kevin Martin's rink beating the fancy pants off of Norway in a 6-3 victory. All of this paved the way to the storybook finish in Men's Hockey that transformed Vancouver, Whistler and cities across Canada into a surreal horn-blaring, flag-waving display of patriotism. IOC President Jacques Rogge acknowledged our country's accomplishments saying, "You have done it - you have won - you have made us all proud."

Our spirit was also showcased with Joannie Rochette overcoming the untimely death of her mother in Vancouver, forcing back tears on her way to a bronze medal in Ladies Figure Skating. Jon Montgomery dusted off the podium with a two-footed leap to receive his gold medal before weaving through the crowds in Whistler with a beer pitcher in hand. Charles Hamelin warmed hearts around the world by running across the ice and leaping into the arms of his girlfriend and teammate silver medalist Marianne St. Gelais for an emotional track-side embrace. Cerebral palsy could not mask the joy in Frederic Bilodeau's face as his brother hugged him in the stands following his historic mogul's win. Clara Hughes, who carried the Maple Leaf into the Opening Ceremonies, ended her storied Olympic career with a gutsy bronze medal performance in the ladies 5000m Speed Skating to add to her five-medal résumé that includes two bronze medals in cycling from the Summer Games. Several members of Canada's Women's Hockey team took to centre ice after their victory, smoking cigars, sipping champagne and chugging beer in a celebration frowned on by officials but embraced by Canucks. The opening and closing ceremonies were seen by most to be electrifying, technologically brilliant, humorous and truly Canadian, with television audiences in the billions from across the planet tuning in to watch these amazing spectacles.

So for the pompous and arrogant British bastards toiling at the Guardian newspaper who tried to drag Vancouver's Olympics down in the international media, let me pull their snotty noses out of the air and rub them in a steamy pile of dog-doo, because for Vancouver, B.C. and all of Canada these were the "BEST GAMES EVER!" Britain did enjoy medal success at these games, with their 52 athletes receiving a single gold medal won by Amy Williams in the women's Skeleton, giving them the same total medal result as world sporting powers Estonia and Kazakhstan. I can only hope that jolly old England enjoys the same measure of success and level of excitement we have experienced here when they host London's 2012 Olympic Summer Games where Canadian athletes will once again test their metal against the world's finest.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

 

 

February 22, 2010

"Killaz" Among Us

The Surrey School Board, in a bulletin sent to staff several weeks ago, has banned clothing produced by Guildford's Ephin Apparel including the "Stompdown Killaz" logo accusing them of promoting gang violence. This is not the first time that the board has enacted a ban of this sort, formerly removing books depicting same-sex parenting in a decision several years ago which brought accusations of homophobia from the gay community and condemnation from civil liberty groups.

Ephin and Stompdown (SDK) are at the forefront of an underground street-wise subculture in Surrey, with several members of SDK living in the south Surrey and White Rock region. Ephin Apparel started producing its distinctive and edgy clothing brand almost ten years ago as a way to cash in on the growing public interest in hip-hop music, graffiti art and tattooing. It is connected at the hip with the Stompdown Killaz, a graffiti art crew with over twenty members using nom de plume`s such as Lesen, Keep6, Crave and Nacs. Utilizing high-definition videos crafted and edited by Capitol Q Productions, both Stompdown and Ephin feature images of graffiti being created on their high profile websites (www.ephin.com & www.stompdown.ca) plus on social networking sites Facebook and MySpace.

It is not only clothing and artwork which links these two companies and their highly polished professional websites. Both are part of the hip-hop music scene here, promoting local artists that include well-known Caspian, Joey Stylez, Snak the Ripper and other up-and-comers from the Fraser Valley. These musician’s rap videos appear Canada-wide on MuchMusic television with Ephin/Stompdown clothing, low-riding cars, tattoos and graffiti artists at work prominently featured, giving a voice and commercial exposure to our home-grown musical talent. Professional skateboarders, snowboarders and local mixed martial art fighters from throughout Surrey and surrounding municipalities round out those promoted and endorsed by Ephin and Stompdown.

It`s the image of SDK’s newest logo which has stirred up controversy resulting in Surrey’s ban on all of Ephin’s clothing line. It features a balaclava clad face with a Canadian Maple Leaf on the forehead, framed by two crossed baseball bats giving it a similar look to a pirate’s Jolly Roger with the skull and crossbones, along with the words "Stompdown Killaz." The Surrey school board looks at this figure as sending a violent message and yet a SDK member told me with a smile, "It’s just a bunch of snowboarding baseball players trying to blend in with society.” While there was no doubt some humour in this statement, SDKs Lesen wants Surrey residents to know that, “We’re not criminals or gang-banging dope dealers..., we’re artists. The Killaz terms refers to exceeding one's craft as in, 'He killed it.' Kids here understand this."

Though graffiti is often seen as anti-social and destructive, SDK and Ephin have brought this art form into the mainstream consciousness and helped spread information on techniques, applications and details of their tags, bombs and pieces to a worldwide audience. Paint companies such as Montana and Belton are now producing spray cans and products specifically designed for the graffiti art market. Ephin will soon be adding an art gallery to its website where local graffiti artists will be able to sell painted canvases along with advertising for commercial painting work. Their inaugural fine art show was held at the Ephin store (15290 103A Ave.) on Sat., Feb. 20th featuring the combined works of graffiti artists from across greater Vancouver and the Fraser Valley along with live music from several local rappers.

If the Surrey School Board doesn't tolerate SDK and Ephin apparel, you have to wonder why it still allows other clothing directly tied to gangs and violence. Tap-Out shirts promote choke holds and knock-outs in mixed martial art cage-match fighting, which until recently was banned in the City of Vancouver due to its violent and often bloody nature. Christian Audigier and Ed Hardy gear is also popular with our youth but is now outlawed at most nightclubs in the Lower Mainland as it is known to be favoured by local gangsters including those in the UN and Red Scorpions. SilverStar MMA shirts feature the similar skull and crossbones as the SDK logo along with images of handguns and weapons and yet they are still welcomed to be worn by students in Surrey schools.

Unless we are going to introduce uniforms to our school system, banning certain articles of clothing while allowing others that are similar does nothing but bring free advertising to the banned apparel, promoting it even further. The SDK logo was meant to attract attention and be easily identifiable, not to glorify violence or gangs but to promote graffiti art and hip-hip music in Surrey. Until all apparel featuring skulls, bones, weapons, fighting and drugs are excluded from our schools, selectively banning an entire clothing line because a single shirt is thought to be offensive by some serves no purpose. Hopefully the Surrey School Board learn from this “Lesen” and rethink its ill-advised ban that appears to be more about attacking graffiti than ensuring student safety.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

Fewbruary 15, 2010

Even a technical glitch that resulted in only three of four legs of the futuristic cauldron rising from the floor of B.C. Place on Friday night during the opening ceremonies for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games couldn't snuff out the excitement after wheel-chair athlete Rick Hansen rolled into the building with the Olympic flame. The lighting of the Olympic cauldron by Canadian sport stars Catriona Lemay-Doan, Steve Nash, Nancy Green-Raine and Wayne Gretzky was the culmination of a 45,000 km odyssey with over 12,000 people having carried the torch across Canada during the past 106 days. According to television network reports, 3.5 billion people across the planet watched the opening ceremony spectacle that begins this global sporting event.

Earlier this week I decided that work would simply have to wait and on Tuesday morning joined those along the route for the Olympic torch relay as it wound its way through the streets of White Rock. I stood shoulder to shoulder in the cold and dark with Canadians of all ages decked out in red and white who lined the sides of Marine Drive to be part of the Olympic experience and get a glimpse of the passing flame. Considering the early hour and the relatively small population of this sea-side city, it was quite amazing to see how many people came out to see the torch relay.

With the passing of several RBC and Coca-Cola vehicles equipped with loud music, neon lights and enthusiastic dancers, the torch could be seen in the distance, being carried aloft as it bobbled and weaved along the street to thunderous approval, raucous applause and strains of "O Canada" from the assembled crowd. After a ceremonial passing of the flame in front of assembled dignitaries including Mayor Ferguson and M.P. Russ Hiebert at the waterfront train station, the torch made its way past me directly in front of the White Rock pier that was lit up with red lights featuring our nation's chant, "Go Canada Go."

While the morning was cold and actually frosty for once, the passing of the Flame could not help but warm one's heart with pride and love for this great country of ours. Suddenly I realized that the Olympics were really here, that the start of this international spectacle was only days away and that Vancouver, B.C. and Canada had now become the centre of the sporting universe and world-wide attention. VANOC's decision to use the words taken from our national anthem "With Glowing Hearts" as the motto for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games could not have been any more appropriate.

While the flame burned brightly, I couldn't help but wonder how many of those cheering its passage were aware of the dark history of the torch relay? The flame was a symbol of the ancient Olympic Games in Greece where a fire was kept burning throughout this contest commemorating the theft of fire from the Greek God Zeus by Prometheus who gave it to mortals. The flame was reintroduced at the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam, Netherland where the "Parade of Nations" starting with Greece and ending with the host country also began. The torch relay with the flame being lit by the sun in Greece and ending at the games site had no historic precedent but was introduced at the 1936 Berlin Summer Olympics.

The Nazis had taken power several years after the Olympics were awarded by the IOC to Germany in 1931. Hitler tried to use these games to promote his ideological belief of racial supremacy allowing only members of the Aryan race to compete for Germany. The torch relay was used as a propaganda tool by the Third Reich to promote this concept, introduced by their sporting secretary Carl Diem and captured in film by Leni Riefenstahl in her 1938 documentary on the Berlin Games "Olympia". To avoid an international boycott, Jews and non-white athletes were allowed to compete for other countries, allowing black American track and field star Jesse Owens to achieve international fame by winning four gold medals.

Fortunately since that time the torch relay for the Olympic Games has continued without being used as an ideological tool for racial superiority by tyrannical governments, while racism and anti-semitism has been quashed by the modern ideals of acceptance, tolerance and equality for all. The flame now symbolizes not only national ambitions and pride but a dedication to sport, fair play and athletic excellence. You didn't need to stand close to the passing torch to feel the warmth and share in the glow that not only tugged on heart-strings but left many in attendance wiping tears from their eyes.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

February 08, 2010

Safety in W.R. "Not a Priority."

A year ago in a detailed email (posted below this week's TNT for your perusal), I alerted Mayor Ferguson and White Rock council to the traffic hazard posed by utility poles left in the roadway, intersections, bus stops and driveways along North Bluff Road that have existed for many years since this main artery was widened. In order to give this community safety issue needed publicity, I then embarked on my "100 Yellow Ribbon" safety campaign, attaching caution tape to the offending poles which posed the safety threat.

In April of 2009 I appeared before council to again voice my concerns and lobby for utility pole relocation, similar to what Surrey had done for hydro poles on 24th Ave. At that time, W.R.'s council requested a safety report be done on this situation, promising that I would receive a copy when it was completed. Since then I have waited patiently for this report to materialize, sending city hall the occasional email reminder that I was still interested in obtaining a copy of it. Finally in January of this year I filed a Freedom of Information Request with the City of White Rock for this report, believing it had been completed but not fowarded to myself as requested.

Imagine my surprise when I recently received an answer from the City of White Rock to my FOI stating as follows:
"Council did request a report from staff on the subject of safety involving utility poles on the roadway of North Bluff approximately six months ago, but there was no time limit set by Council and was not identified as a priority by Council. A report on this subject has not yet been written." While shocking, this response should come as not surprise considering the slow or non-existant response to many inquiries residents of the Semiahmoo peninsula put to City Hall.

These utility poles represent a traffic safety hazard to passing cars and trucks, especiallly at night when the dark poles are almost invisible. Transit buses regularly collide with these utility poles which are found in bus stops including directly in front of some transit benches. The four poles found in intersections are a menace not only to vehicles turning the corner but also to pedestrians stepping into traffic from behind these obstructions, especially the ones across the street from Earl Marriot Secondary school. Lastly, these poles and their guide wires occur in a marked bicycle lane, completing the public safety menace.

To date the only response from White Rock to this problem has been the installation of four rectangular yellow and black striped warning signs which were attached to four poles at the Central Plaza bus stop. The remaining poles along North Bluff still stand as before with their safety threat being completely ignored. Mayor Ferguson this week informed me, "I am having staff check into the history of this and the City Manager will give you an update" while Councillor Sinclair wrote, "My understanding from our infrastructure committee is the technology to put wiring underground is right now being put in by B.C. Hydro." I did not receive any answer from the rest of White Rock's council as to when the safety report would be written or this problem finally dealt with.

While White Rock may be a seaside community, the Mayor and council cannot be allowed to stick their heads in the sand on issues affecting public safety. Ignoring a problem won't make it go away and once it is on the public record, accidents involving utility poles left on the asphalt surface of roads throughout White Rock leave the city liable. The poles on 24 Ave. in south Surrey have now long been removed after Mayor Dianne Watts lit a fire under B.C. Hydro to address this situation. We're now left waiting and wondering when White Rock will follow suit and do something about this problem.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

TRAFFIC HAZARD ALERT - North Bluff Ave., White Rock, Feb. 20, 2009
Re: Utility poles left in roadway, intersections, bus stops and driveways

Dear Mayor Ferguson and White Rock council,

Besides endorsing naturism, promoting and preserving Crescent Rock beach and protecting the marine environment of Boundary Bay, I am also keenly interested in public safety, ensuring that residents of the Semiahmoo peninsula and visitors to its shores are kept from harms way. This email is to alert you to a hazard along North Bluff Avenue in White Rock that has unfortunately existed for quite some time.

I'm sure you are aware of the safety problems associated with the widening of 24th Ave. near King George Hwy. in south Surrey that resulted in many utility poles being left in the roadway including near corners of intersecting streets. This condition is now being rectified after Surrey Mayor Dianne Watts publicly campaigned to have B.C. Hydro and Telus expedite the transfer of overhead wires to new poles placed beyond the edge of the asphalt. What you may not realize is that the same problem exists on your northern border with the city of Surrey from Bergstrom St (136 St.) to Stayte St. (160 St.).

When North Bluff (16 Ave.) was widened years ago, for reasons unknown, the utility poles were never moved from the edge of the roadway. There are a grand total of 71 poles buried in the asphalt along this three mile stretch of White Rock with 54 being wood and another 17 made from cast concrete. While some of these poles are located next to the curb, many are out into the parking lanes and road edges at distances of 1 - 1.5 m. out into the street, creating a hazard to motorists and bicyclists throughout this area.

Unfortunately this isn't the only problem with these relics from when North Bluff was only a two lane street. There are 15 of these poles located directly next to or partially blocking driveways from houses on North Bluff Ave. Not only are these poles an obstacle, they also impede driver's vision as they attempt to back out onto this busy arterial road from their homes. Adding to this problem, there are 5 other poles supported by metal guide wires attached directly to the road surface. None of these are properly marked and many have abrasions consistent with impact from automobiles.

The stretches of North Bluff near the hospital and tennis courts that have parking meters are not immune to this problem either. Unfortunately people paying to park in these metered spots do not get a discount when their vehicle is forced to share space with a utility pole. The Telus building at Oxford St. has a large pole collared with concrete holding several conduits containing telephone cables that service surrounding neighbourhoods, making it vulnerable to service disruption.

In 5 other locations along North Bluff Rd., utility poles block public bus stops, making it impossible for these large vehicles to fully pull over to the curb or else impeding their safe return into traffic. I talked to a Translink bus driver at the White Rock exchange about these errant poles and he assured me he would love to see them removed from the roadway to a safer location. He went on to say that the only other time he'd seen utility poles left in a street was while vacationing in Mexico.

Lastly and by far the most dangerous, 4 poles can be found in the roadway in the middle of corners at intersecting streets. These are located at Cory St., Everall St., Maple St., and Kiel St. Of particular concern is that Maple and Kiel are across from Earl Marriott Secondary School where large numbers of students walk to class. While hard to believe, old and/or vehicle damaged poles were recently replaced at both Everall St. and Kiel St., with the new poles being put back into the original dangerous location!

I would ask you to review the pictures attached with this email and to drive the stretch of North Bluff to view this untenable situation with your own eyes. If you also plan a trip down 24 Ave. from Peninsula Village to Morgan Crossing, you will see how similar this problem is to the cities of Surrey and White Rock. The only difference now is that the poles on 24th Ave are marked with brightly coloured reflective signs and protected by large orange cones with crews working to complete their removal.

I believe the time has come for White Rock to follow Surrey's example and have the utility companies either move these poles from North Bluff Ave. or have the services placed underground where they are no longer a hazard to motorists and pedestrians. In the meantime, all poles in the roadway through this area need to be marked with coloured reflectors and traffic cones so that drivers are aware of the danger both day and night. The guide wires should have concrete curbs placed near them to keep drivers from accidentally hitting them while parking.

The 4 poles located in the corners of intersections need to be removed as soon as possible, especially the ones across the street from Earl Marriott Secondary school. The 5 bus stops that are now blocked or hampered by utility poles need to be cleared as well. I'm sure residents living with poles at the edges of their driveways would welcome having them finally relocated. Eventually all utility poles should be removed from the asphalt surface of North Bluff Road.

I trust you will deal with this matter in a timely fashion now that you are aware of the problems associated it. In the future I would recommend that road widening projects in the city of White Rock include proper safety markings for hazardous utility poles left in the roadway and a timetable for their prompt removal and relocation by the utility companies that own them.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn, SUN.

 

 

February 1, 2010

Lighting a Flame for Fonyo

Last week Governor-General Michaelle Jean saw fit to strip one-legged cancer survivor Steve Fonyo Jr. of his Order of Canada because of repeated criminal convictions including those for DUI, fraud and assault. Steve Fonyo, born in Vernon B.C., also lived in White Rock, attended Earl Marriot Secondary School and has resided for much of his adult life in Surrey. Currently he is incarcerated in the Surrey Remand Centre where he is serving the balance of his sentence for an assault charge after breaching conditions of his parole.

While it is unlikely that there is not a Canadian alive today who does not know who Terry Fox was, or has even participated with people from around the world in the Terry Fox Run to raise money for cancer research, it is surprising how many people are ignorant of Steve Fonyo or his accomplishments. After Terry Fox had to abandon his "Marathon of Hope" in Thunder Bay, Ontario after his cancer returned, invading his lungs leading to Terry's early demise, Steve Fonyo picked up the torch after Fox declared, "Even if I don`t finish, we need others to keep going."

Steve Fonyo, who like Terry Fox had lost a leg to cancer as a child, bravely followed in Terry Fox's footstep four years later. At the age of 18 he embarked on his cross-Canada "Journey for Lives" marathon on March 31 of 1984, starting in St. Johns, Nfld. and ending over a year later on May 29, 1985 in Victoria, B.C. Along the way he battled indifference, being seen as a copycat to the heroic Terry Fox, while enduring prairie blizzards which saw the Canadian Red Cross withdraw their support when they feared for his safety. Eventually he received public recognitions for his efforts, especially here in B.C. as his run neared completion, raising $14 million for his almost 8,000 km. journey. In 1986 Steve Fonyo went on a similar cancer research marathon crossing England from the north tip to the South Coast of this island nation in an event most have long forgotten.

Mr. Fonyo was named an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1985, the youngest Canadian ever given this status at the time. He now becomes only the fourth person to have been ejected. He joins disgraced NHL hockey guru Alan Eagleson, former aboriginal leader and hate monger David Ahenakew and disbarred lawyer T.Sher Singh. Not many realize that there is an even rarer award which Fonyo received that he won't be forced to relinquish, one he shares with the likes of Sir Winston Churchill, Dr. Albert Schweitzer, Sir Edmund Hillary, Dr. Henry Kissinger and Bob Hope. This is the Variety International Humanitarian Award, given annually by Variety's Children Charity (you might have watched the telethon this weekend) to someone who has shown "unusual understanding, empathy and devotion to mankind."

There are those who are calling for Terry's Fox's mother Betty Fox to be the one designated to light the 2010 Olympic and Paralympics Winter Games torch on Feb 12th. I think its time that Steve Fonyo finally got some long overdue recognition, not only for his accomplishments but as a way to give him a "leg up" sort of speak, rather than kicking the man when he's down. Instead of having the mother of the man who only half completed his cross-Canada expedition, why not have the one and only person who actually finished this one-footed feat limp up to the cauldron to fire up the flame? Coming on the 25-year anniversary of Steve dipping his artificial toe in the water of the Pacific Ocean it would seem the time is right to make amends for the pain and suffering he has gone through trying to deal with the fallout from fame while fighting his personal demons.

Let's do the right thing and remove the statue of Terry Fox standing at Fonyo Beach in Victoria and put one of Steve Fonyo on the waterfront instead. Has anyone thought about holding a "Steve Fonyo Run" on May 29th of each year to benefit cancer research in Canada? I know the perfect person to lead the procession, providing he's cleaned up his act by then and not still languishing in a Surrey jail cell. We all need to remember that our heroes are human and like the rest of us have weaknesses and make mistakes. Terry Fox died and became a Canadian saint, Fonyo had to live with his fame and it consumed him over the years as surely as the cancer that took his leg.

To hell with the Order of Canada, because for all his warts and blemishes Steve Fonyo doesn't deserve to be included with the likes of $6 million con-artist Conrad Black, disgraced former P.M. "Lyin" Brian Mulroney, and especially Olympic steroid cheat Ben Johnson, all of whom still have their awards. With his OC medal now forever tarnished by political correctness, Fonyo should sell this trinket on Craig's List and give the money he receives to charity funding even more cancer research, while giving our Governor-General the bitch-slap on the face that this pretentious wanna-be-monarch so richly deserves.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

January 25, 2010

An Idea Ready to Take Flight

It seems that Nav Canada's May 2007 flight path changes to Vancouver International Airport (YVR) that put commercial airplanes into airspace over residential neighbourhoods in Delta, Surrey and White Rock are coming back to haunt them. It was this unilateral decision enacted without any public consultation that raised the issue of airplane noise and the lack of governmental controls over the monopolistic Nav Canada. This resulted in the creation of Surrey's Airspace Task Force and Richmond's Airport Noise Citizens Advisory Task Force to look at the problem of commercial aircraft noise pollution.

Last week Richmond's task force tabled their report containing 22 recommendations to combat aircraft noise with the central idea of banning all aircraft movements at YVR from 12 midnight till 6:30 a.m. with the exception of modern planes having Chapter 4 designation which are much quieter than older jets. This concept was also put forward by members of Surrey's Airspace Task force in a report tabled last year and subsequently endorsed by Surrey council in December calling for quieter skies while residents are trying to sleep.

Delta is now getting into the act after changes to the "GRIZZ STAR" originally put this GPS guided flight path directly above Tsawwassen several years ago before it was eventually moved over the waters of Boundary Bay after public opposition. They are holding an open workshop at Delta City hall on Monday, Jan. 25th at 5:00 p.m. to discuss the concept of the suspension of night flights at YVR with representatives of YVR and concerned citizens affected by commercial aircraft noise. Members of AANOID (Against Aircraft Noise in Delta) will be in attendance after learning that Delta Council has recently accepted an invitation from Surrey Mayor Dianne Watts to join the Surrey Airspace Task Force.

It is not only local governments that are responding to this problem and calling for change that will put YVR on the same level as Pearson International Airport in Toronto which has had a night-time flying ban in place for years. Montreal`s Marlene Jennings, Liberal MP for Notre-Dame-de-Grace-Lachine, put forward a private member's bill in the House of Commons last year to suspend aircraft operations between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. at Canadian airports until the public can be consulted to determine the impact of these flights on health, environment and the economy.

Delta-Richmond East Conservative M.P. John Cummins agrees YVR should be more accountable to surrounding communities and is supporting the Vancouver Airport night-time flying ban proposal. As an M.P. in the 1990’s, Cummins would regularly take the "red-eye" evening flight from Vancouver to Toronto that was often intentionally delayed because they didn't permit arrivals before 6 a.m. He is on record as stating, "Toronto has had for years restrictions on overnight flights into the airport. If you can do it in Toronto, which is a very very busy airport, probably the busiest in Canada, then we should be able to do it in Vancouver."

Unfortunately South Surrey-White Rock-Cloverdale M.P. Russ Hiebert is refusing to support M.P. Marlene Jennings’s motion, believing that Nav Canada and the Vancouver Airport Authority will take the needed steps to reduce aircraft noise without placing controls on their activities. While he was helpful in having Webtrak launched here, an on-line tracking system allowing residents to identify noisy aircraft in the region http://yvr.webtrak-lochard.com/template/index.html this does nothing to eliminate these flights or keep the airlines and Nav Canada accountable for jet airplane noise pollution.

If you think that the issue of aircraft noise is not important to the people in Surrey and in particular the Semiahmoo peninsula, the following are a number of statements by area residents taken from letters recently published in a local newspaper which all show a similar concern:
"Complaints to Nav Canada fall on deaf ears – just like Russ Hiebert’s."
"Restricting noisy night flights is a worthy goal. Hiebert needs to quit stalling and acknowledge this."
"We still get woken up at night by planes overhead. Our peace and quiet has been greatly disturbed."
"Some believe the airplane traffic over South Surrey has been reduced greatly. There has been little change."
"I am not saying I don’t appreciate receiving the recent Russ Hiebert photo-op calender, it can be wadded up for earplugs."

The upcoming 2010 Winter Olympic Games ìn Vancouver will see a rapid increase in flights arriving and departing YVR during February from destinations around the globe. It will be interesting to see the results of this 24 hour commercial aircraft traffic and how it affects the peace and quiet during the night-time hours in the Lower Mainland. If the jet noise disturbs enough Surrey and White Rock residents, maybe our M.P. Russ Hiebert will finally listen to the demands of his constituents and take a lead role in championing this just cause.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

January 18, 2010

Coming only weeks after it was revealed that the city of White Rock is considering contracting out its fire services to the City of Surrey as part of its core service review, the announcement that White Rock is closing its RCMP call centre and transfering services to the Surrey RCMP's Operational Communications Centre (OCC) came as a shock to most residents. The funny thing is that this partnering of services is nothing new and that the White Rock Fire Department first consolidated dispatch services with the City of Surrey way back in 1978.

The Surrey Fire Dispatch Centre services seven other local jurisdictions, primarily south of the Fraser River, answering 911 emergency calls to ensure rapid deployment of fire fighting equipment and personnel. The White Rock city charter allows Council to enter into contracts with another public authority for the provision of such services. According to information obtained from the City of White Rock website the last five-year contract expired on Dec 31, 2009. It contained increases of 2.5% per year during the life of the contract and included the costs of a new CAD dispatch system and use of compatible Fire RMS systems. No word on if it has been renewed for another five years but it is highly doubtful that the city would suddenly end this long-term relationship that it believes in its best financial interest.

It turns out that combining the WR-FD dispatch with the WR-RCMP dispatch system was considered in 2004 but for a number of reasons including practical and economic factors this was precluded as a viable option. A stand alone fire dispatch system operated by the White Rock RCMP would have needed an initial investment of $250,000 for the hardware alone. Adding to the costs, additional telecommunication upgrades and reserve funds for requipment replacement every seven years would have raised this figure substantially. To get an understanding on the savings that can be realized by outsourcing such services, using the Surrey RCMP dispatch system for White Rock 911 emergency and non-emergency calls police calls will save the city an estimated $300,000 per year.

It seems rather hypocritical that members of White Rock's Fire Department are so concerned about amalgamation of services with the Surrey Fire Service when their emergency calls have been dispatched from Surrey for decades. Have they ever voiced concern about this arrangement, or gone to Council meetings on mass to demand that White Rock emergency calls be received and dispatched from within city borders? Of course not, the savings are too great and the service works as intended for both Surrey and White Rock. If dispatch services for emergency services can be consolidated, why not the Fire and Police departments for various municipalities or cities from across the Lower Mainland. Imagine if the cities of Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, Port Moody and the Villages of Belcarra and Anmore, which together occupy a space smaller than the city of Vancouver, were to combine forces for both their police and fire departments? Not only would they save millions of dollars, it is highly likely that they would receive a much higher standard of emergency services across this region.

Having two fire halls and two police departments within a mile of each other servicing White Rock and south Surrey makes no "cents" when its costing millions of taxpayer dollars. If both fire and police dispatch for the Semiahmoo peninsula can be done through a central location, then why not entertain the concept of having one Fire Department and one RCMP Department for the region, avoiding the duplication of manpower, equipment and services? White Rock Council should realize that having shared emergency services doesn't threaten its existance, having much higher property taxes than neighbouring Surrey in order to maintain this outdated status quo certainly does.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn.

Editor's Note January 19, 2010

Regarding the dispatch which I sent earlier we have had fire dispatch since 1978 from Surrey and we did renew the contract in December (2009) for another 5 years.

Peggy Clark
City Manager
City of White Rock

 

 

January 11. 2010

"Standing On Guard"

 

Better Red Than Dead

For those of you that missed it, there was a sombre repatriation procession along Hwy. 99 to the Semiahmoo peninsula on Saturday evening. The body of 21 year-old Pte. Garret Chidley of Langley, one of the four Canadian Forces personnel killed on Dec. 30th in Afghanistan by a roadside bomb, was flown to YVR and then brought to the Victory Memorial Park in South Surrey. On overpasses along Hwy. 99 from Richmond to White Rock, firefighters, policemen and civilians of all ages showed their respects by silently saluting or slowly waving the Maple Leaf as the hearse carrying Pte. Chidley passed by, reminiscent of the "Highway of Heroes" tribute on Hwy. 401 in Ontario when fallen soldiers are returned home. It should also be noted that the body of 34 year-old Vancouver native Michelle Lang, a journalist for the Calgary Herald who was also killed in the blast, was flown to Vancouver on the same plane, with her funeral service planned for Monday, Dec. 11 at 2 p.m. at the Italian Cultural Centre.

What many Canadians fail to realize is that there is a very visual campaign to recognize the contribution and sacrifice of our men and women in uniform. The Red Fridays Foundation of Canada (www.redfridays.ca) encourages us to support our troops and to show that we care by wearing red apparel on Fridays. This website also contains a memorial for all of the soldiers who have lost their lives during the Afghan mission. While many legion members are well aware of this cause, it seems that the mainstream media has been reluctant to spread the word about this longstanding tradition that goes back to 2002 when wearing red became much more than just a fashion statement. Since that time, 138 soldiers have paid the ultimate price for doing their duty for our country, including 130 lost in the past four years in Afghanistan alone. Acknowledging them by wearing red once a week is the very least that we Canadians can do, ensuring the slogan "lest we forget" never loses its significance.

No matter what your beliefs are on the Afghan battle, the war on terrorism, or sending our armed forces personnel overseas into harm's way, those who give their lives in service for Canada and their grieving family members who are left behind deserve our unconditional support. Whether you agree with the Conservative government's military strategy or not, all politics need to be put aside when coffins draped with the Maple Leaf arrive back on Canadian soil. These men and women who volunteered for this dangerous mission have given all they had and all they ever will be, with the belief that their cause was noble, justified and important. It truly is the ultimate sacrifice that a person can make and this needs to be recognized by all Canadians who owe a serious debt of gratitude to those who are willing to put their lives on the line representing our country.

Pte. Chidley's funeral service will be held at the Victory Memorial Park Funeral Chapel on Tuesday, Jan. 12th, 1 p.m. at 14831 - 28 Ave, South Surrey (604-536-6522) and the public are welcome to attend. It would be a heart-warming tribute to this young man and his grieving friends and family to have an overflow crowd show up to pay their respects. You can also join the hundreds of people on a new Facebook memorial page called R.I.P Private Garrett William Chidley if you wish to leave your thoughts, prayers and condolences.

On a final note, the Bay and Zeller's are currently selling 2010 Winter Olympic clothing, many in red prominently featuring the maple leaf with CANADA emblazed across them. This might be an opportune time to purchase one of these stylish garments, supporting our athletes during next month's Olympics while also giving yourself something red to wear on fridays to support our troops. One thing is for sure..., I'll be wearing mine.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

January 04, 2010

Happy “Nude” Year!

While this column may be titled the “Naked Truth” and I do appear in the buff emulating Rodin’s classic “The Thinker” sculpture pose, with the exception of my first article dealing with the Guinness World Book Record skinny-dip attempt at Crescent Rock beach last summer, I have purposely avoided the subject of public nudity and naturism focusing my attention on other issues affecting the Semi-pen community. Not so for my first column of 2010, where I would like to wish everyone who visits the electronic pages of the White Rock Sun a happy “Nude” Year!

For those of you sleeping in on Jan. 1st, nursing a foggy hang-over from the previous night’s alcohol-fuelled festivities, or possibly participating in one of the many traditional textiled polar bear swims that were held across the Lower Mainland, the fourth annual Polar “Bare” Plunge, co-hosted by the Skinnydipper Recreation Club and Surrey’s United Naturists (SUN) was held at Crescent Rock beach. Twenty-one naked or scantily clad nudists and naturists braved the elements and the assembled crowd of onlookers and well-wishers to take this annual baptism at what is widely known as Surrey’s clothing-optional beach.

The reasons for holding Canada’s first and only organized nude polar bear swim are many. Naturists and nudists use this rather unique event to attract attention to Crescent Rock beach’s long history of clothing-optional use, hoping that eventually it will be officially recognized as the Fraser Valley’s nude beach, similar to what world-famous Wreck beach is for Vancouver and the Lower Mainland. The swim is a charity event with donations collected for the War Amps CHAMPS and PLAYSAFE childhood amputee programs, highlighting the dangers to pedestrians utilizing the waterfront tracks as an esplanade connecting Crescent Beach to White Rock. This year’s collection totalled $210 which will be donated to this worthy cause.

What many are not aware of is that SUN was originally formed not to promote the naturist use of Crescent Rock beach but as a way to bring attention to the landslide threat from the Ocean Park bluffs to the BNSF tracks and the history of nine previous derailments on this dangerous corridor. SmartRail, a local community group focused on safe rail transportation, were the first to highlight the slide threat and the BNSF Railway’s practice of shipping highly volatile or toxic dangerous goods along this tracks during heavy rains when slides are common. These include tankers of poisonous chlorine, ammonia and sulphur dioxide gas, some of which originate at the Canexus chemical plant in North Vancouver. After SUN alerted VANOC’s counter-terrorism unit to the dangers of these chemicals last summer, it was announced that this plant would be closed for “routine maintenance” during the month of February and that the rail tankers would be stored in Belmont Washington during the upcoming Winter Olympics.

The Polar Bare Plunge also brings media and public attention to the concept of relocating the BNSF Railway to a safer inland location away from the jagged boulder lined location on the shores of Boundary Bay. The high-speed rail endorsed by U.S. President Obama will avoid the Semiahmoo peninsula on the planned White Rock bypass. With the three rail bridges over the Serpentine, Nicomekyl and Little Campbell rivers all in need of replacement, this would provide the perfect opportunity for building a new freight line in the same safe and secure corridor as the proposed bullet train, eliminating the environmental and public safety threat that these trains currently pose.

When the BNSF Railway is removed from the waterfront of Boundary Bay, the old rail bed could then be developed into a nature trail similar to Vancouver’s Seawall morphed with the Okanagan’s Kettle Valley Railway. Retaining the existing bridges for pedestrians would allow a marathon length trail system running from the Peace Arch to Mud Bay and on to both Tsawwassen and the Fraser River as part of the GVRD’s Greenway Vision Plan. While there are some who would question how a public nature trail and nude beach would co-exist, there are areas of Crescent Rock beach not visible from the tracks and in Whistler/Blackcomb the Lost Lake trail goes by the nude-friendly Secret Dock without raising eyebrows or concerns from locals or visitors.

If running naked into the frigid waters of Boundary Bay every January 1st can help accomplish any or all of these ambitious goals, then I say “hats off” to all of those taking the Polar “Bare” Plunge at Crescent Rock beach. Plan ahead for New Year’s Day 2011 when folks will once again doff their duds for charity and ”BRRR-ring in the Nude Year” in the chilly waters off the coast of the Semiahmoo peninsula. You might even want to consider joining in on the fun, wearing your one-button bathing suit and taking the Plunge.

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

 

Decemeber 28, 2009

Christmas Wish List - 2009

In alphabetical order, here are some gifts for under the Christmas tree for the movers and shakers of the Semiahmoo peninsula.

Larry Anschell - Owner of Turtle Record Studios, director of the new White Rock BIA:
The keys to the BIA offices and the society records, access to which first started the battle for control over the WR-BIA. Don't be too surprised in the future to see court action make Larry's Christmas wish come true.

Warren Buffet - Owner of BNSF Railway:
A cord of wood to burn in his fireplace so that he'll be warm this winter and not have to chop down any more trees on the Hump in White Rock. For his accomplice and BNSF spokesperson Gus Melonas, a saw to cut off his Pinocchio nose for an endless supply of firewood that he can burn instead of the trees from this unstable hillside that are being removed solely views for Marine Dr. residents.

Dave Chesney - Editor of the White Rock Sun:
A firm pat on the back and a tall can of Colorado Kool-Aid for having the drive and determination to publish Canada's first on-line newspaper dedicated to citizen journalism that offers a different perspective from the corporate run community newspapers which often kowtow to the political masters at City Hall and their large advertising budgets.

James Coleridge - former White Rock councillor:
A $50,000 gift certificate from the City of White Rock to help pay for his fines and legal bills associated with being removed from his elected position by the B.C. Supreme Court, forcing this year's by-election that saw Grant Meyer added to the White Rock council.

Kevin Falcon - B.C. Minister of Health:
A welcome mat to place at his front door if reports on his new house currently under construction in the Semiahmoo peninsula and plans to possibly run here as the B.C. Liberal candidate are true. Of course he might have this yanked out from under his feet if rumours to shut down the Palliative Care unit at Peace Arch Hospital turn out to be true.

Catherine Ferguson - Mayor of White Rock:
An effective Tree Management by-law that puts an end to the clear-cutting of trees for views in White Rock including those stabilizing the steep slide-prone slopes above the BNSF Railway tracks. As a stocking stuffer, a racoon fur coat.

Russ Hiebert - South Surrey/White Rock/Cloverdale M.P.:
A padded seat that can be nailed to the top of the fence where Mr. Hiebert can usually be found sitting on many of the issues affecting the Semiahmoo peninsula. Also a snare drum for when he marches to the beat of Mr. Harper's Conservative Party, voting against his constituent's wishes on such contentious issues as the hated HST, pa-rum-pa-pa-pum.

Gordon Hogg - South Surrey/White Rock M.L.A.:
A golden watch and a plump pension after retiring as one of White Rock's longest serving politicians. Hopefully rumours about a return to challenge for the job as White Rock's mayor are unfounded and he will instead sail off into the beautiful sunsets over Semiahmoo Bay with his image and reputation as a community stalwart intact.

Doug McLean - White Rock Councillor:
An Amtrak stop at the historic waterfront train station to reintroduce passenger rail service from the Semiahmoo peninsula and help put White Rock back on the map as it struggles for survival against the Death Star known as Surrey. Unfortunately post 9-11 border customs and previously issued cost analysis studies by Amtrak will probably sidetrack this ambitious plan.

Grant Meyers - White Rock Councillor, founder of the Semiahmoo Seawalk Society:
A nature trail on the old BNSF Railway rail bed from the Peace Arch to Crescent Beach and possibly on to Mud Bay Park connecting with the Delta Dike trail system to Tsawwassen and the Fraser River. Of course, the BNSF Railway would have to be moved first but with the three bridges over the Serpentine, Nicomekyl and Little Campbell Rivers in need of replacement and high-speed rail coming that will bypass White Rock, hopefully the time will come when the railway becomes a walkway.

Lance Peverley - Editor, Peace Arch News:
A new larger office for the growing staff of the Peace Arch News which would be located in south Surrey in the bustling Grandview Heights district away from the sleepy little seaside town of White Rock. Oops, my mistake, some people are lucky enough to get their Christmas wishes granted early.
Colten Teubert - Team Canada junior hockey player:
A World Junior Hockey Championship gold medal to hang around the neck of this White Rock born defenseman who now plays for the WHL's Regina Pats after being drafted in the first round of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft by the Los Angeles Kings. Go Canada go!

Dianne Watts - Mayor of Surrey:
A membership card to the B.C. Liberal Party so she can take the first step forward into provincial politics, which many believe is eventually destined to lead to the Premier's office in Victoria. Also a big thank card from residents for transforming Surrey from a red-neck hick town that was the butt of off-colour jokes into a thriving metropolis that will soon be B.C.'s largest city.

White Rock Firefighters:
Employment just up the street with the Surrey Fire Service which will still be able to provide excellent fire protection and emergency services to the residents of White Rock at a greatly reduced rate without the unnecessary duplication of facilities, equipment and personnel that currently exists.

Sean Whyte - placekicker, B.C. Lions:
A stronger leg and more accurate toe so that this rookie kicker from the Semi-pen who also played for the Junior South Surrey Rams can take over the B.C. Lions placekicking duties from wiley veteran Paul McCallum.

Merry Christmas everyone and have a happy New Year!

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn.

 

December 21, 2009

Carbon, Climate Change & Copenhagen

Last week’s candlelight vigil on the south Surrey/White Rock border in support of the U.N. Convention on Climate Change being held in Copenhagen shone a light on the demands of the public for politicians from countries across the planet to do something about greenhouse gases and global warming.

You can forget about the recent headlines involving hacked scientists emails that were used to try and discredit the well documented global warming phenomenon. This same kind of smear tactic was also used by the tobacco industry when cancer rates and smoking were first being linked. Don’t be too surprised if it is uncovered that oil and gas companies were responsible for funding this smokescreen that was deliberately timed to confuse the public during this important meeting of world leaders.

The debate on whether global warming is real and if human activity is indeed the root cause of melting icecaps, retreating glaciers and rising sea levels is long over. Scientists across the globe are reporting fundamental shifts in weather patterns and seasonal temperatures, with CO2, methane and other gases produced mainly by man’s burning of fossil fuels being responsible. The only question that remains is what are we, the people of planet Earth, going to do to combat this ever growing threat and its broad environmental repercussions?

Unfortunately as CO2 pollution is invisible and global warming’s effects more prevalent far from home, most folks do not want to change their personal habits or to have to pay for the steps needed to corral carbon release into the atmosphere. The B.C. Liberal’s carbon tax was not well received by the electorate here when it was introduced and as its rates increase in the next few years, I wouldn’t be surprised to see anger against this necessary tax showing up in polls and at the election booth. Federal Liberal Stephan Dion found out how unpopular saving the planet can be when his “Green Shift” was soundly rejected by Canadians from coast to coast including the far North.

What the world needs is leaders with some backbone and resolve that are willing to work together as one to tackle this enormous problem. Industrialized countries that reaped the benefits of cheap energy to build their economies must now play a leadership role in reducing their emissions while still allowing developing countries to play catch-up with their richer neighbours. Only by focusing a set amount of the world’s economic output towards climate change technologies can we expect to avert the devastating environmental scenarios associated with global warming.

While it’s doubtful that Prime Minister Harper or President Obama will suddenly become Al Gore supporters, it is up to them and the other leaders of the industrialized world to put together an agreement on reducing CO2 levels that not only works but has real teeth necessary to ensure compliance. The children and young people who stood with their lit candles beside the older generation at the corner of 152 St. and 16 Ave. will inherit the world we leave them. Let’s ensure that it’s still a planet worth having.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

December 14, 2009

 

 

Things Are Just Ducky At The Fen

On Saturday, Dec 12, it warmed my heart and the tips of my freezing toes to drive by the Serpentine Fen and see over a hundred folks of all ages skating, playing hockey and having fun on the icy surface of one of Surrey's last ponds. Unfortunately a long Christmas shopping list and a pair of ice skates that are now a few sizes too small for my size 15 feet kept me from joining in on the activities.

The recent fencing off of the easy access points to stop public skating there must have struck a nerve as plenty of media were on hand to record the event. CBC TV were filming the proceedings along with another television crew and there were several other people with rather expensive looking cameras that were no doubt professional photographers for various newspapers who had been alerted to the "Free The Ice" protest. Marty Vanderzalm (bless his heart) was on the corner of the ice sheet near his office being interviewed as I passed and I honked to give him and the others my support.

While the governmental powers behind the decision to fence the Fen may now state that the protection of the environment was the rational behind it, make no mistake that it was liability and the protection of the public that was the initial and main reason why they spent thousands of dollars on chain link fencing. Not that anybody would ever drown at the Fen if you happened to venture onto the ice too early and broke through. The water is so shallow there that the worst thing that would probably happen would be a frigid soaker of ditch water.

I swear that the bureaucrats were concerned that someone might slip on the ice and fall, as if nobody realizes that being on a sheet of ice comes with certain risks. It's like they think us Canadians never watch NHL hockey, speed track and figure skating, or even "Skating with the Stars." They are so consumed with liability and the threat of being sued that they feel it is their mandate to protect the public against themselves no matter what the cost. No, I'm not talking about the money spent to fence the Fen but what could have been the loss of this outdoor ice sheet to public access.

What is interesting about all of this is that back in the late 1970's I was seriously hurt on the frozen flooded fields of Fry's Corner at the junction of Pacific and Fraser highways in Surrey. A family friend was nice enough to take me skating there and after lacing up the skates and grabbing my Coho (no, not the fish) I ventured onto the vast expanse of ice. Unfortunately the fields were frozen for some time and unlike the Fen had continued to slowly drain. The unsupported ice suddenly cracked under my feet and the blade of my skate went into this small fissure. The blade was held upright like in the jaws of a vice as I slipped and fell from my one leg unexpectedly stopping.

Unfortunately something had to give and the ligaments in my ankle stretched and tore along with of one of my lower leg bones snapping from the strain. Lightning bolts of pain shot through my leg which had a very unhealthy looking angle to it. Because we had crossed a frozen ditch to enter the ice sheet, I needed to be transported with a toboggan to the main parking area where an ambulance then took me to Surrey Memorial hospital for repairs and a cast. Certainly not the best way to spent a Sunday and not what I had bargained for when I first slid onto the ice at Fry's.

Did I consider suing the property's owners for my mishap or look for someone to blame for my injuries? Of course not, for what happened to me was a freak accident and plain old bad luck. Should government agencies have responded to my problem and either drained the field or fenced it off, stopping the thousands of people skating there from gaining access? I don't think so. Did I go skating at Fry's Corner once my leg had healed? Your damn right and my friends and I had lots of fun doing so, ignoring the minor risks associated with skating on this frozen pond.

The problem today is government trying to protect us from life and the so-called risks associated with everyday living. For the few times that the Fen is frozen to the point it is skatable, was installing fencing to keep people out really warranted? In a few days with warm wet weather in the forecast the ice will melt, the Fen will once again become a refuge for waterfowl and the "Free The Ice" campaign quickly forgotten. The fences will remain though as a reminder to everyone how all risks, however minor, must seemingly be addressed by our nanny state.

We'll have to wait and see if by the time of the next freeze up this winter if the Ministry of the Environment has come to their senses and removed the fences that serve no purpose other than forcing people to walk around them so they can enjoy what to many is a long cherished Canadian tradition. As far as the ducks go, the tall grass and ditches behind the fences are now off-limits for next spring's nesting season. Makes me wonder how Ducks Unlimited will feel about the Ministry of the Environment limiting the ducks?

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn.

 

 

December 7, 2009

HOV - Halt Our Vehicles

It seems the last few weeks that road safety and public transportation have been hot-button issues, with the announcement of median safety barriers for Highway 99 and the removal of bus shelters throughout Surrey garnering much media and public attention. This week will be no exception as I'm questioning the wisdom for closing down much of the HOV lane northbound on Hwy. 99 towards the George Massey tunnel in Delta.

Construction of the South Fraser Perimeter Road (SFPR) has been ongoing for some time now with mountains of sand being delivered by truck to be used as pre-load for this new mega-freeway that is part of the Gateway Project. A while back an off-ramp from Hwy. 99 was constructed near the Vancouver Landfill in Delta at an area known as the "dump curve." The purpose of this laneway was to allow truck access to the SFPR without having trucks travel to Hwy 17 and then loop back towards the landfill. Unfortunately while they have shortened the dump truck driver's route, recent changes have put a roadblock in commuter travel plans.

A few weeks ago road crews removed the HOV signs all along the start of the bus/carpool lane on Hwy. 99, placing hundreds of large orange traffic barriers in the middle of the road, effectively closing this lane to all traffic for a distance of 2.3 km. from 80 St. to a point past the dump curve. During the day the half kilometre off-ramp to the SFPR at the dump curve is manned by flagging personnel who allow dump trucks on Hwy 99 to exit the roadway and access the construction site. It has been reported that this situation is to remain until the end of March, well after the Winter Olympics are over.

I have to wonder why this road closure was needed or how it was even allowed by the B.C. Ministry of Transportation. By closing the HOV lane, buses and carpoolers are now forced into the regular two lanes of traffic along with the many dump trucks working on the SFPR pre-load material. If traffic backs up down the highway from the George Massey tunnel due to an accident, stall, or just heavy volume, commuters in high-occupancy vehicles will be stuck in traffic with single-driver vehicles until they finally pass the dump curve where the HOV lane is still open.

Not only is this an annoyance to those wanting to get to work on time, it poses an unneeded safety risk to those using Hwy. 99 by increasing traffic congestion and forcing transit buses to drive with cars that can stop on a moment’s notice in heavy traffic. Wouldn't it have been better to leave the HOV signs alone, instead adding another sign stating "SFPR trucks" to the overhead poles, allowing dump trucks to blend in with commuter traffic in this lane? The half kilometre off-ramp at the landfill would provide plenty of room for these trucks to safely exit the HOV lane without slowing down and affecting the transit buses or carpoolers who should have priority on the road.

If you think this situation is bad now, just wait until the Winter Olympics come to town along with plenty of visitors driving north from the U.S. to visit Vancouver. I'm sure they'll be sitting stopped on the highway wondering what the delay is for and why one lane is closed to traffic. Tour bus drivers heading north from Seattle will be thinking the same thing as they check their watches, realizing that they'll be late arriving in Vancouver because of this bureaucratic incompetence. Hopefully they'll all enjoy the rotten aroma wafting from the bog along with the flocks of seagulls flying overhead as they leave the garbage dump with full bellies.

The Corporation of Delta along with the City of Surrey need to address this untenable situation with the B.C. Ministry of Transportation and reopen this important roadway to three full lanes of traffic. Leaving the HOV lane closed for no reason whatsoever will only increase traffic congestion, cause accidents, and slow down public transportation. There is no rational explanation why the HOV lane was blockaded in the first place as allowing SFPR dump trucks access would have been preferable to closing this important lane to all vehicles.

Hopefully this decision can be reversed and changes made before the Winter Olympics begin, otherwise visitors to our city will have a bottleneck to endure well before they get to Vancouver or the Sea-to-Sky corridor. I would like to think that in the interest of public safety, efficient mass transportation and plain old common sense that the Highway 99 HOV lane will be cleared of its large orange traffic cones before the start of the New Year.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn.

 

November 30, 2009

Stopping the BNSF in their Tracks

Those who know me realize that issues affecting public safety and environmental protection in the Semiahmoo peninsula and beyond are very important and that I'm fully committed to both. Its for this reason that the BNSF Railway's decision to clear-cut more of the Hump hillside in White Rock has me breathing fire and spitting tacks.

I can't believe that the Railway would consider such action, given the public uproar the last time Tall Timbers razed the Hump simply to improve views from condos sitting empty across the street at the `Top of the Rock` development. Now Barb Mallard, who has been waving her chequebook in the air ever since, has stepped up to have the BNSF remove trees blocking her vaulted Marine Dr. views. I guess a few spindly branches are too many for this self-serving citizen to deal with. If she wants an unobstructed view of Semiahmoo Bay, I'd like to suggest either moving further up the hill away from the forested Hump or preferably across the border to Blaine where I'm sure she would be welcomed with open arms.

Coming only a week after yet another mudslide buried the BNSF tracks closing the rail corridor to freight and passenger traffic, the decision to clear the Hump during the rainy season when slides are likely is beyond absurd, its absolute madness. The proposed logging area was the sight of a 150m. long lateral slump landslide back in the early 1900's the last time this slope was clear-cut. There is a picture at the WR City Hall front desk taken from the pier which shows this horizontal slide and several vertical ones east of the WR boulder that end on the beach. Quite simply, the trees are the glue that hold the slope together, stabilizing the soil and removing water during the summer months. Cutting down the trees while disturbing the ground and the slope above the tracks is likely to fail. The forest on the Hump is also home to a variety of animals and birds, including the stately Grand Fir that is used as a roost by many bald eagles that is not protected under provincial legislation.

Of course Cat-Fer & Co. have decided to stay well away from this fight, even though they know full well that the removal of trees on the Hump violates the city's OCP which says that the Hump shall remain in a "natural state." What Mayor and Council should realize is that "forested" is this hillside's natural state, not "clear-cut" for the sake of a few wealthy resident's views. I'd like to think that the fact one of Mrs. Mallard's neighbour is none other than WR Councillor Doug McLean has nothing to do with their decision to sit on their hands. Their conduct in this affair and others such as the Everall St. fiasco makes me wonder why people in White Rock pay an average of $1,500 more per house in property taxes than residents of Surrey, while receiving inferior services from their elected politicians.

If the BNSF can cut down trees on this steep bluff hillside to improve views then I guess it's also okay for hill-top residents to take chainsaws to the forest of the Ocean Park bluffs, regardless of the threat of this activity causing landslides that threaten passing BNSF freight trains carrying dangerous goods along these waterfront tracks. The landslide this May that originated in a previous clear-cut in Ocean Park, burying the BNSF tracks near Kwomais Point, was obviously worth the risks considering the million dollar views which resulted for Paul Hough and his next-door neighbour. As to the BNSF's claims that they would hold these people responsible, the drain pipe which leaked water onto the slope saturating the clear-cut and causing the slide has been reinstalled on railway property, running in plain sight down the muddy scar on the hillside to the tracks.

So what are irate environmentalists and worried safety advocates to do, knowing that the BNSF is ready to chop trees on the Hump down regardless of the landslide threat, and that White Rock City Hall is once again showing us why this dying seaside town needs to be dissolved and reamalgamated with Surrey? Do we have to chain ourselves to trees on the hillside in order to halt logging when the arborists return? Do we instead cut down the boulevard trees in front of White Rock city hall as a form of retribution? How about parading naked in front of the White Rock boulder in a "Buff by the Bluff for Buffet" protest designed for CNN viewers?

In the past I've always found that the best way to deal with a bully is to stand up and bloody their nose, usually with a quick left cross. For the likes of the BNSF's spokesperson Gus Melonas, WR's Cat-Fer & Co. and resident Barb Mallard, this is the only way to shock these people of their sense of self-importance and to make them realize that there are folks on the planet that care for more than just themselves. Now that I've gotten a little older and hopefully a lot wiser, I realize that there are other avenues available rather than complaining to the deaf ears at City Hall or protesting to no avail to heartless corporations like the BNSF. While I normally would resort to publicity stunts and tactics ensuring broad media interest and public exposure, in this case the final result would once again be the reporting on trees being cut down on the Hump with me taking another load of firewood in my dump truck to the Railway's offices.

Instead I've contacted Geoff Anderson, a geologist at Transport Canada in New Westminster, giving him full details on the slide risks and the BNSF's plans. Mr. Anderson has the power to stop the Railway in their tracks if he finds that this tree clearing on the Hump would reduce soil stability and increase the risk of a mudslide derailing trains at the bottom of the hillside. He has been informed that the last time the BNSF did so-called "vegetation control" on the Hump that 40 trees were sawed to the ground even though the Railway had promised not a single tree would be cut down. I also let him know that in May of 2007, Transport Canada asked the cities of White Rock and Surrey to work with the BNSF to stop hill-top residents from cutting trees on steep hillsides above the tracks, which TC`s own geologists identified as one of three main contributors to the landslides from the bluffs affecting rail safety.

If Mr. Anderson cannot complete his geological inspection of the Hump before BNSF tree crews arrive to clear-cut more of the Hump, I'm prepared to take the BNSF Railway, City of White Rock, Transport Canada, and any arborist company crazy enough to attempt this work to B.C. Supreme Court, asking for an injunction to stop this project until all of the geotechnical safety and environmental risks can be ascertained and reviewed before a judge. Rather than being forced into taking this pending legal action, I think that Transport Canada and the area politicians whose jobs it is to protect public safety and the environment in the Semiahmoo peninsula need to stand up and take a position against any more tree cutting on steep forested slopes above the BNSF tracks. Failing that, I`ll see them in court.

For those who believe that safe rail transportation of dangerous goods through our community, the public safety of those walking on the promenade and living in White Rock, and protecting the marine ecology of Semiahmoo Bay are more important than the views of a few dillusioned people living on Marine Drive, I ask you good folks to do the following: Contact TC geologist Geoff Anderson by phone at 604-666-0011 or email him at geoff.anderson@tc.gc.ca to let him know of your concerns and the history of slides onto the train tracks in this region. Don't forget to email M.P. Russ Hiebert (hiebet.r@parl.gc.ca), M.L.A.’s Gordon Hogg (gordon.hogg.mla@leg.bc.ca) and Stephanie Cadieux (stephanie.cadieux.mla@leg.bc.ca), asking them to stop the BNSF's dangerous plans. I wouldn’t bother with Mayor Ferguson and the rest of Council as they've once again shown they are content to do nothing about tree cutting and resulting landslides in the city of White Rock.

For further information and some history on this seemingly never ending Hump story, read my Oct 19, 2009 `Naked Truth`column titled `Clear-Cut Case of Negligence`and the Sept. 21, 2009 column titled `Stumps on the Hump` found further down in the Opinion section of the White Rock Sun. Stay tuned for more in this continuing saga.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn.

 

November 23, 2009

The Middle of the Road

I may not be Irish but I was certainly dancing a jig with a smug little smile on my face on Friday when I learned that the B.C. and Canadian governments had announced plans for building a 20 km. cable barrier down the middle of the Highway 99 grassy median. It was nice to know that I played a lead role in improving the safety of residents of White Rock, Surrey and Delta who use this dangerous stretch of roadway with a history of head-on crashes.

This safety initiative has been a pet project of mine since bringing it to the public consciousness and the attention of our elected officials several years ago. I have a personal connection with this danger after a family friend's son was seriously injured and his roommate killed in a median cross-over accident in Chilliwack several years back. I've also been at the scene of one of these types of collisions on Hwy. 99 where people had to be airlifted from their wrecked cars to trauma hospitals. Two winters ago, I counted 36 separate incidents where vehicles spun out across the grass of the median into oncoming traffic, leaving frightening tire marks torn into the muddy sod.

This year, two median cross-over crashes focused my attention on what I've long felt was an accident waiting to happen. The first was a fiery crash this spring once again in Chilliwack involving two semi-trailers and a car where four people died. This happened just past the area where crews were installing a cable barrier in the median to separate traffic. The second involved a wrong-way driver this summer which resulted in a fatal head-on crash on Hwy 99. While much of the media attention focused on the 84 year-old driver who died in this accident, another driver swerving to miss the oncoming car crossed the median resulting in a three car accident that seriously injured a Richmond Fire Chief leaving him paralyzed.

With each of these incidents, I sent emails to local politicians at all three levels of government alerting them to the danger and asking that something be done about this problem before a further rise in the body count. In particular the Ministry of Transportation and then Minister Kevin Falcon were the main recipients of my communications regarding the median cross-over threat. Much to my surprise, the Ministry informed me that Hwy. 99 was scheduled for safety upgrades involving the installation of a cable barrier once Hwy. 1 in Chilliwack was completed. While thanking them for the update, I suggested that this project should be fast-tracked considering the grave threat that it posed to the many motorists using the Hwy. 99 corridor.

I even had a chance to talk directly to then Transportation Minister Kevin Falcon about this problem when we met at an all-candidates meeting in Whalley. He was unaware that a cable barrier was in the works for this highway in his own riding but was pleased with the idea as he seemed to have knowledge of the risks. I told him that since he was working on such mega-projects as the Sea-to-Sky upgrades (another major safety improvement), the Golden Ears bridge and the twinning of the Port Mann bridge that it was not surprising he didn't know about the future plans for the Hwy. 99 median barrier.

Residents of White Rock, Surrey and Delta will benefit from $2.5 million in federal and provincial infrastructure funding that will see 20 km. of cable barrier installed along Hwy. 99 from approximately 24 Ave. to 80 St. While M.P. Russ Hiebert and MLA's Gordon Hogg and Stephanie Cadieux had much to say in the news release about creating jobs, stimulating the economy and improving infrastructure, the bottom line for me is preventing injuries and saving lives. With this in mind, there is another desperately needed safety upgrade on Hwy 99. which is still being ignored.

Traffic heading south on Hwy. 91 circles an on-ramp onto Hwy. 99 southbound with no concrete barriers along the outside of the curve to stop vehicles from spinning out and driving directly across the passing freeway traffic. Earlier this year, this was the case when an out of control car failed to negotiate the turn, driving straight across two lanes of traffic before ploughing into the median. Fortunately a slight dip in the grass kept this car from continuing further across the two northbound lanes. While all levels of government and local newspapers were made aware of this threat by me, nothing has been done to correct this glaring safety deficiency. I'd like to suggest that when the median barrier is being installed on Hwy. 99 that the Ministry of Transportation address this dangerous situation on this on-ramp before someone is seriously injured or killed.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn.

 

 

 

 

November 16, 2009

Wal-Mart or Bust (bussed?)

You've got to wonder why Surrey residents and especially those people living in the Semiahmoo peninsula have to pay Translink's ever increasing fees and taxes when we seem to be getting less and less for our money these days? While bus service south of the Fraser and in the Valley would best be described as abysmal compared to Vancouver, recent changes and cancellations have made the situation even worse.

This started of course with the opening of the $1.9 billion Canada Line in Richmond which led to the demise of the 351 direct bus service from south Surrey to Downtown Vancouver. The private-public-partnership that was needed to construct this new Skytrain also ensured ridership, funnelling bus traffic to this line regardless of public needs or demands. To say there are many transit users living in the Semiahmoo peninsula who don't like the new route to the downtown core would be an understatement, but Translink's hands were tied and the direct 351 bus was doomed when the Canada Line opened.

Two new buses promised by Transink last May connecting White Rock with Langley and Guildford have also recently been cancelled. The 399 B-Line which was to have run as an express service with limited stops starting in March after the Winter Olympics, connecting Surrey's major transit centres of White Rock, Newton, Whalley and Guildford, in a 45 minute circuit running 8 times an hour. The 531 bus that was to have started operation in December and run directly between White Rock centre and Langley along 24th Ave. was also cut, eliminating future transit service to Grandview Heights, Morgan Crossing and the Campbell Heights Industrial Park off 192nd St.

While I realize that with Translink's well-publicized financial troubles, expanding public transportation services is basically out of the question and that new bus routes will possibly be delayed for years. That being said, there is a transportation problem that exists in the peninsula that should have been dealt with long before major retailers began opening their doors along 24th Ave in south Surrey. Can any of the brain trust at Translink's head office tell me why there is no bus service to the new Wal-mart Store in Grandview Heights? In most jurisdictions the day one of these mega-retailers opens their doors transit service is altered in order to allow bus passengers to easily access these giant stores.

It's not only the Wal-mart that is suffering from the lack of transit service to 24th Ave. The Home Depot, Future Shop, The Brick and other retailers in this commercial area cannot be reached by bus, along with the many townhouse and apartment complexes springing up from the lands around this centre. The closest transit service is the C53 Cranley shuttle that circles the south Surrey neighbourhoods south of 24th Ave. and west of Hwy. 99. If you want to get to Grandview Heights or Morgan Crossing, you need to depart the C53 at 157 St. and hike east on 24 Ave. over the Hwy. 99 overpass until you finally reach this newly constructed commercial and residential complex.

Since Translink has killed the 351 Vancouver and cancelled the new 399 B-line and 531 bus services that were to connect our major transit centres, how about throwing the poor citizens of the Semiahmoo peninsula a bone and rerouting the C53 Cranley so that it heads east on 24th Ave over Hwy. 99? Is it too much to ask that people who rely on transit can actually reach this new retail destination in south Surrey? I'm sure there are a few elderly or mobility challenged people living in White Rock who would appreciate being able to use the bus to reach the new Wal-mart or the many other stores located in this vicinity. I also believe the business there might also welcome having bus service finally bring paying customers to their front doors.

It ain't rocket science folks, it's public transportation. Adding an extra kilometre of distance to the C53 Cranley route so that it circles through Grandview Corners and Morgan Crossing won't make any difference to Translink's bottom line, but it might improve that of the businesses throughout this now bustling commercial area. Tranlink's customer relations line is 604-953-3040 if you care to share this idea with them, as a bus driver has told me they've already received many calls on this subject and are considering making this change to the C53 Cranley route if enough people express an interest.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

November 9, 2009

Wild Times At Redwood Park

The City of Surrey’s Parks, Recreation and Culture Department will be holding an open house on Tuesday, Nov. 10th to reveal the details for WildPlay’s proposed tree-to-tree aerial obstacle course in historic Redwood Park at 17900- 20 Ave. This plan includes the installation of zip lines, suspension bridges and scramble nets in the tree canopy similar to the WildPlay Element Parks in Nanaimo and Whistler.

Redwood Park was the historic homestead of David and Peter Brown, two deaf brothers given this land by their father as a 21st birthday present. In the late 1800’s these brothers with an interest in foreign evergreens brought tree seeds from around the world and planted them on the property. This park now includes 32 species of trees from Japan, France, Italy, Austria and Russia, along with their most notable feature, a grove of giant redwoods grown from seeds from California. It also boasts a two-storey tree house the Brown brothers originally constructed to live in (rebuilt several times because of fires) before donating the land to the City of Surrey.

This proposed adventure park will be located in 15% of Redwood’s total of 32 forested hectares, which will not include the Brown brother’s homestead site or impact the heritage trees and existing trails according to city officials. WildPlay literature says their “concept is not a theme park, rather it is focused on bringing adventures play in natural settings to urban areas.” Other promotional material states: “This form of nature based recreation is popular in Europe and other parts of North America. This courses allow children and youth to connect with nature in a fun and playful way and is also for families, adult friends and groups.”

Whether this type of commercial usage is suitable for parkland in Surrey or if it should instead be installed in other areas is open for public discussion. Do we want to see our parkland, especially that bequeathed to the city, being used for this kind of business endeavour? Would the Brown brothers or their surviving relatives approve of this application or rather see the park kept in a more natural state? What is the economic benefit to the City of Surrey for allowing this development and will profit sharing or a lease agreement with the city be part of the proposal?

These are important questions that need to be carefully considered and hopefully answered by WildPlay and city staffers. Surrey residents should also realize that this is not the only aerial course being planned for the Lower Mainland. Whistler based Ziptrek Eco-tours has just announced plans for zip-lines to be installed downtown near Robson Square, allowing dare-devil riders to swoop like Spiderman between Vancouver’s high-rise buildings during the 2010 Olympics. It’s interesting to note that Ziptrek did not propose to install zip-lines in the tree-tops of nearby Stanley Park.

I believe whether you support or reject this concept that it is important for residents of Surrey attend Tuesday’s meeting to review the background information on this conceptual plan that will impact Redwood Park both now and into the future. The open-house is scheduled from 6 to 8 p.m. in the gym at Hall’s Prairie Elementary School, 18035 - 8 Ave. with a presentation planned for 6:15 p.m. I hope to see you all there to get the details on this proposed high-wire project.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn.

November 2, 2009

 

The Island of Crescent Beach

Deputy Fire Chief Dan Barnsher

A public safety meeting for Crescent Beach residents was held this week at Beecher Place featuring the Surrey Fire Department (SFS), Surrey Emergency Program (SEP) and the BNSF Railway. This was to address community concerns regarding freight trains sometimes blocking vehicle access to Crescent Beach including all emergency services personnel. While a small gathering was expected, the full house in attendance showed that this subject is of grave concern to the people who find themselves living on the wrong side of the tracks.

Problems with the Nicomekl River train bridge, mechanical troubles on locomotives, pedestrians getting hit on the tracks, or landslides burying the rails and threatening derailments are the main causes of trains blocking the two roadway entrances of Crescent Road and McBride Ave. While regulations are in place allowing only a 5 minute road blockage, there have been instances where vehicle access to Crescent Beach has been impossible for hours at a time because of stopped freight trains. If you need an ambulance, police cruiser or fire truck during these occurrences you might as well be living on an island in Boundary Bay.

In this meeting Surrey’s Deputy Fire Chief Dan Barnsher announced that the SFS was addressing these concerns and looking at ways to possibly put an underpass below the BNSF railway presumably under the trestle bridge. He also informed the crowd that when any emergency services are now called to Crescent Beach, they immediately contact the BNSF to stop all train traffic across the road access points. Further to that, RCMP cruisers are also dispatched when trains block egress to Crescent Beach to ensure that they are removed in the regulated five minute period or that train cars get separated over the roadways. While these changes are sure to improve the situation, the landslide threat affecting the BNSF tracks that poses the greatest risk of blockade and possible train derailment through this area was completely ignored.

Just south of Crescent Beach, the unstable Ocean Park bluffs are a constant source of slides onto the BNSF tracks, especially during wet weather. Several years ago a dozen mudslides buried the rail bed, closing these historically dangerous tracks until debris was excavated and the slope given time to drain. Transport Canada geologists inspected this hillside after the slides and determined that most were triggered by human activities. These were identified as the presence of antiquated drainage and septic fields on hill-top properties, the draining of run-off water from these lots onto the steep slope and residents cutting down or severely pruning trees for views. In a letter sent in May of 2007, Transport Canada asked the cities of Surrey and White Rock to work with the BNSF railway to reduce this threat, instructing that all drain water be redirected to city services at curb side and that the cutting of trees be curtailed by tree protection bylaws and enforcement by the Railway. Unfortunately, to date this problem has been ignored by all parties involved and nothing has been done.

South of Bayview St., there is currently 400 m. of bluff that are not protected by the Landslide Detector Fence system (LDF), even though this was the same location where a BNSF freight train stopped for a large landslide near the Crescent Rock boulder was hit by a mudslide several years ago. Showing the potential threat, witnesses confirmed that the train which was struck by the flow of mud and debris contained tanker cars carrying either chemicals or petroleum products. Bayview has been the scene of four slides in the past 25 years, including one which destroyed the last home on the street that was never rebuilt because of slope instability. While the LDF is cheap to install, consisting of metal posts strung with two thin sensor wires, the BNSF has resisted calls to extend this safety fence through the slide-prone area.

Tree cutting on the slope above the tracks has continued unabated with views from the bluff being given more importance than slope stability or railway safety, even though the BNSF railway regularly carries dangerous goods across these waterfront tracks. A landslide this May from a previous clear-cut in Ocean Park that was saturated by a leaking drain pipe (see photos) clearly shows the threat that tree cutting and run-off water poses to the tracks and passing freight trains. Unfortunately the BNSF is adding to this problem by not adhering to the Transport Canada edict and allowing arborists to remove trees from the bluff including former slide sites on the Hump hillside in White Rock at the request of wealthy Marine Drive residents.

I’m left wondering if it will take a train derailment possibly blocking access to Crescent Beach for days or the release of deadly toxins into the sensitive marine environment of Boundary Bay for the slide risk to the BNSF tracks to be taken seriously. Will the cities of Surrey and White Rock, along with the BNSF railway, continue to ignore this threat, choosing instead to stick their collective heads into the sand at Crescent Beach? Most importantly, when will Transport Canada hold these parties responsible and ensure that they take the steps they’ve outlined to improve rail safety and reduce the human caused landslides that bury these tracks? Our elected officials, M.P. Russ Hiebert, M.L.A. Gordon Hogg and the mayors and councils of Surrey and White Rock need to be told to stop dithering and do something about this dangerous problem before disaster strikes.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn.

 

 

October 26, 2009

Cheque It Out

It's not very often that an editorial in a local newspaper gets my goat, but a recent editorial in the Surrey Now (Is this our money, Russ?, Surrey Now, pg. 3, Oct. 16) was so slanted and unobjective that it now finds itself the subject of a Naked Truth column.

Last week this op-ed appeared prominently displayed in the front pages of the Now deriding south Surrey/White Rock/Cloverdale M.P. Russ Hiebert for having the unmitigated gall to sign his name to a large photo-op cheque giving money to the City of Surrey, not only for refurbishing the dilapidated buildings at Kwomais Park but also for putting in new tennis court surfaces in Cloverdale. Of the approximately $150,000 involved, $82,500 was earmarked for Kwomais Park's Sanford Hall and Lodge buildings restoration. This amounts to one third of the total cost of renovations that would have normally been at Surrey taxpayer expense.

This money is from the Conservative's Recreational Infrastructure Canada (RINC) program that is part of the federal government's economic stimulus plan for getting our battered economy back on track. While tax payer's money, either from Surrey residents or Canadians from coast to coast still comes out of the same pocket, isn't it nice to have federal funds flowing into our community for a change? Wouldn't it have been nice for the Feds to buck up a third of the cost when Surrey City Hall shelled out $20 million dollars to the United Church of Canada to buy this prime piece of Semiahmoo peninsula real estate whose very name means "Place of Vision"?

I am very proud that Kwomais Park was saved instead of being sold off to the highest bidder for development and because of this, took time off from work to be at the ceremony in the park where Mr. Hiebert presented the large cheque in question to Surrey's acting Mayor Mary Martin. There were a few humorous moments when Russ let it be known that there were no Conservative logos on the cheque, something they had been previously raked over the coals for on national media. Russ Hiebert's name and signature were part of this photo-op cheque symbolically passed from the Canadian to Surrey governments. After all, as everybody knows a cheque that is not signed cannot be cashed and is not worth the paper it’s printed on.

Sure this is Canadian tax payer money but it is the Conservative Party and our M.P. who created this program and are the ones now dishing out the dough. I don't see any problem with Russ Hiebert's name and signature appearing on the cheque that was handed over during this public relations exercise. Who would the Now have rather signed this big cheque, Prime Minister Stephen Harper? Politicians are always going to use these appearances to further their careers and to expect them not to is ridiculous bordering on asinine.

I would like to personally thank the federal government and Russ Hiebert for this money that will allow the Sanford hall and Lodge buildings to reopen to the public sometime next summer. You can expect me to be there for the ribbon cutting ceremony to commend all of those who helped to make Kwomais Park and the preservation of its historic buildings a reality. As for the Surrey Now their editorial staff would be wise to remember the old proverb, ”Don't look a gift horse in the mouth.”

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn.

 

 

October 19, 2009

Clear-cut case of negligence

I`m still shaking my head with disbelief upon hearing that the BNSF is once again considering cutting down trees on the Hump hillside in White Rock for Marine Drive resident`s views, instead of retaining the vegetation that stabilizes this hillside from sliding onto the rails below.

Since the Railway and White Rock seem unwilling or unable to stop this risky behaviour that increases the landslide risk, I`ve written the following letter that was forwarded to Securitas, the reporting arm of Transportation Safety Board and Transport Canada, where you can alert them to dangerous situations affecting railway safety.

I would ask residents of White Rock and Surrey who are aware of the bluff landslide risk that threatens passing freight trains to alert Securitas to the BNSF`s plan so that it may be stopped in its tracks. Their website address is http://www.tsb.gc.ca/eng/securitas/#reporting and their direct email is securitas@bst-tsb.gc.ca . Also let our M.P. Russ Hiebert know about this threat by copying him at info@russhiebert.ca so that he may help stop this insanity.

Rail Safety Threat Report - BNSF Railway, White Rock, B.C.
This email is to notify Securitas, the Transportation Safety Board and Transport Canada to an ongoing safety threat affecting the BNSF Railway in White Rock B.C. that is being ignored by the Railway and the Cities of White Rock and Surrey.

An article in a local newspaper recently announced that the City of White Rock has received word from the BNSF Railway that it will consider allowing further trimming of trees and vegetation on the steep "Hump" hillside above their railway tracks for the sole purpose of view improvement benefiting nearby residences. This comes a year after defacto clear-cutting authorized by the BNSF on the same slope resulted in the loss of 40 mature wild cherry and big leaf maple trees from the area of a previous 150 m long slump landslide that occurred the last time this hillside was cleared of vegetation. This area is not protected by White Rock's present Tree Management Bylaw which is currently being reviewed, resulting in a concerted push to have offending trees cleared regardless of the increased slide threat.

After a dozen landslides buried the BNSF tracks throughout the Semiahmoo peninsula in the winter of 2006/2007, Transport Canada geologists surveyed this line and identified the cutting of trees by residents as one of the three main causes of landslides threatening rail safety through this historically hazardous corridor that has already seen 9 landslide caused derailments. In a letter sent in May of 2007, Transport Canada asked the cities of White Rock and Surrey to work with the BNSF Railway to stop tree cutting on these unstable slopes along with removing antiquated drain fields and run-off drain pipes, with this water being redirected to city services at curbside. To date this request has been ignored by all parties and the BNSF Railway continues to entertain demands from residents to cut trees on this slope regardless of the threat this activity poses to slope stability above their train tracks.

The BNSF Railway regularly carries dangerous goods including chlorine and ammonia gas plus large quantities of petroleum products on their rails along the base of the slide prone "Hump" hillside, located next to the White Rock pedestrian promenade and the shores of Semiahmoo Bay. Because of this railways proximity to the ocean waters, densely populated residential subdivisions and the public shore-front walkway, slope stability of the "Hump" should be a high priority due to the slide risk from the steep hillside above the tracks. Since the BNSF Railway seems to not care about the landslide risk that tree cutting poses to safe rail operations in this area, I believe it is time that Transport Canada address this serious safety threat.

I am requesting that Transport Canada inform the BNSF Railway that vegetation control or tree removal from the slide prone "Hump" hillside in White Rock and Ocean Park bluff in south Surrey should only be done to ensure rail safety and not for views from hill-top properties. Cutting of trees for views on steep slopes above the tracks increases the threat of landslides endangering passing BNSF freight trains, AmTrak passenger trains, local residents and the environment of Semiahmoo Bay and this risky practice needs to be stopped.

I ask that the cities of White Rock and Surrey be reminded of Transport Canada's earlier request to address the man-made landslide triggers including tree cutting on the oceanfront bluffs above the BNSF Railway and that they be held responsible for ensuring this demand is met. In May of this year, a property in Ocean Park in Surrey that had been the scene of a previous clear-cut several years ago was the site of a landslide which closed the BNSF Railway. This slide originated from a run-off water drain that had leaked saturating the area around the clear-cut, initiating the landslide that covered the rail bed resulting in track closure.

Your immediate response to this railway safety threat report would be greatly appreciated. Public protests against any future tree cutting on the 'Hump" are being planned by environmental groups and rail safety advocates to bring media and public scrutiny to this ongoing problem. I trust you will give it this information the attention that it rightfully deserves and inform me of what steps are being taken to reduce the landslide risk to the BNSF Railway tracks in White Rock and south Surrey.

photos courtesy white rock museum

Slides clearly visible along "the hump"

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

 

October 12, 2009

Fueling A Controversy

Last week’s jet fuel tanker crash on Highway 99 near the Serpentine River that blocked both north and southbound lanes, creating traffic chaos for much of Monday morning, was an accident waiting to happen. Unfortunately these rolling Molotov cocktails are being used as a reason to instead allow large ocean-going tankers to ship bulk jet fuel into the south arm of the Fraser River upstream of the George Massey tunnel, regardless of the environmental risks to wild salmon stocks and the world-renowned estuary system.

The Vancouver Airport Fuel Facility Corporation (VAFFC) has announced a plan to use 500,000 barrel oil tankers to supply a proposed 15 km. pipeline running from the shore of the Fraser River in Richmond to the Vancouver International Airport in order to service YVR’s future fuel needs. Currently jet fuel is either pumped to YVR via the Trans Mountain Jet Fuel (TMJ) pipeline or delivered with road tankers from Cherry Point in Washington State. This U.S. refinery already supplies 40% of YVR’s fuel, either by these trucks or via fuel barge into Burrard Inlet to the Westridge Marine Terminal before being pumped through the TMJ pipeline.

As part of the VAFFC’s Vancouver Airport Fuel Delivery Project, the 20 to 30 road tanker trucks per day currently rolling on the asphalt of the I-5/99 corridor were listed as a threat not only to motorists but also the environment due to the large vehicle emissions from moving fuel in this inefficient manner. The VAFFC considered 14 different options for meeting YVR’s future fuel needs, with two of these ending up tied for the number one choice. These were the favoured oil tankers in the Fraser River and the concept of using rail from refineries in Alberta to deliver jet fuel to the Vancouver Airport. The rail option was discredited by the VAFFC but unfortunately their rational was a smokescreen to conceal another possibility which they chose to ignore.

The BNSF Railway that runs along the shores of the Semiahmoo peninsula already brings a large portion of the Lower Mainland’s gasoline and diesel fuel supply north from Cherry Point Refinery on these rails. For reasons unknown, the simple idea of utilizing this railway for bringing jet fuel to YVR was never considered by the VAFFC. Making this option even more appealing is that large ocean-going tankers identical to the ones they would like to put into the Fraser River already dock at Cherry Point where this fuel is then shipped with trucks to YVR. Moving jet fuel with railway tankers would be safer than by road, eliminating the chance of a catastrophic petroleum spill into the fast moving waters of B.C.’s largest river upstream from the George C. Reifel, Sturgeon’s Bank, and Alaksen wildlife preserves.

While I do not wish to see any more train traffic across White Rock’s beaches, the environmental risks associated with putting tankers into the Fraser River holding as much fuel as what the Exxon Valdez spilt into Prince William Sound in Alaska are just too great. The Ocean Park bluffs do pose a landslide risk to passing trains but mainly during winter months when heavy winter rains saturate the slope leading to failure. The last derailment on this line happened in the 1950’s and even in the event of a crash on the shores of Boundary Bay, it is unlikely any spill would be anywhere near what could be expected from an oil tanker. The reduced water flow across our shores as compared to the Fraser would also make cleanup easier, faster and with far less ecological damage.

For those worried about a fuel release into the waters off the peninsula, consider that in 1972 there was already an oil spill here that fouled the beaches from Crescent Beach to the Peace Arch. The source of this petroleum was an oil tanker offshore from the Cherry Point refinery that accidentally spilled 22,000 gallons of crude oil into the ocean. Without any proper containment equipment, this slick drifted north into Canadian waters where it came ashore during a hot summer afternoon. Most of this gunk was cleaned up by volunteers from the Crescent Beach and White Rock beaches, but Crescent Rock beach was heavily fouled and attempts to clean this rugged and secluded shoreline were quickly abandoned.

Let’s not allow the VAFFC to use last week’s jet fuel tanker accident on Highway 99 as a way to justify putting half a million barrel jet fuel tanker ships into the Fraser River. Utilizing the BNSF Railway along with the existing TMJ pipeline would meet YVR’s future fuel needs without imperilling the Fraser River and its important estuary system that is part of the Pacific Flyway. When the high-speed rail that B.C. and Washington State are working towards is finally built, the BNSF rails can be relocated away from the beach and put in a safer inland location, allowing the old rail bed to become our version of Vancouver’s Seawall. Until then, using the BNSF Railway to ship jet fuel to YVR is a safe and environmentally sensitive option that needs to be explored in order to protect the mighty Fraser River.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn.

October 5, 2009

Park the Car, Don’t Carve the Park

Rather than considering extending 84th Ave. through the middle of Bear Creek Park, Surrey Council should instead install “No Thru Road” signs around this centrally located green space found in the heart of the city. This is the third time that this subject has been approached by City Hall in the past decade and the same reasons why this plan was adamantly opposed by residents and rejected by previous councils still remain.

Bear Creek Park and the wild salmon bearing stream running through it that gave it its name are as important to Surrey as Stanley Park is to Vancouver. Would anyone in that city ever imagine widening the causeway to the Lions Gate Bridge in order to ease traffic congestion in the downtown core? Surrey city council seems intent on cutting off a large portion of the park, separating this sizeable green space into two smaller sections regardless of the environmental consequences road building would surely bring.

Biologists know that large continuous land masses are required to maintain a healthy biodiversity in any park land or nature preserve. The proposed extension of 84th Ave. will see it changed from a quiet arterial road servicing surrounding neighbourhoods into a busy four lane truck route that is very likely to affect creek habitat no matter what environmental mitigation efforts are planned. After the fiasco at Campbell Heights where Latimer Lake was drained and the Little Campbell River damaged, Surrey should not be trusted to preserve the environment of such a sensitive ecosystem as Bear Creek Park.

We should park the car instead of carving the park. Creating a large connector route through the heart of Bear Creek Park will only serve to put more vehicles on the road, further increasing congestion and the accident rate along King George Highway. Has anyone considered how the opening of the equally environmentally destructive South Fraser Perimeter Road that is already going ahead will likely decrease traffic on 88th Ave., especially the heavy truck traffic? I believe that the idea of extending 84th Ave. should be put on the back burner until the SFPR opens and resulting traffic flow patterns across Surrey can then be analyzed.

When Surrey killed off the beaver as their mascot and dropped the “City of Parks” motto, replacing it with a stylized representation of concrete skyscrapers and the ubiquitous “The Future Lives Here” slogan, it should have served as a warning to the good people of Surrey that ram shod development and the paving of parks and farmland would be the inevitable result. One only needs to look at the hundreds of acres of farmland being swallowed by recent highways widening across the city and the placement of the SFPR next to the Surrey Bend bog to realize that the natural environment of Surrey should itself be considered an endangered species.

Remember the bumper sticker from a few years ago satirizing a noted environmental group that stated “Earth First – We’ll get the other planets later”? If the 84th Ave. extension through Bear Creek Park is approved, we’ll have to produce an updated version reading “Surrey First – We’ll Pave the Other Cities Next.” Hopefully Mayor Watts and her Council will once again reject this plan and not turn parkland into yet another car park.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn.

 

 

September 28, 2009

$urrey Cash-in-owe

$urrey Council is now rolling the dice and entertaining proposals to bring destination casinos into the city including one planned for the Semiahmoo peninsula near the Peace Arch border crossing. What they should realize is that $urrey doesn’t need another vice to add to the ones already plaguing our community. Instead of supporting this idea they should tell the developers that under the current gaming policy these types of projects are not allowed in the city. Our MLA Gordon Hogg needs to call $urrey's bluff and ensure that a casino doesn't come to south $urrey and White Rock

While Mayor Watts has done her best to crack down on the cocaine trade in Whalley and marijuana grow-ops sprouting like weeds in basements across the city, she’s following the B.C. Liberal lead in promoting gambling regardless of its addictive qualities and accompanying social problems. $urrey’s “Worst” must have reviewed the income sheets from nearby casino operations in Richmond, Langley and New Westminster to realize what a great cash cow they are to milk revenue from. Anyone want to bet that the developers who have submitted casino plans for review were also contributors to $urrey’s First campaign coffers?

Just as there are many people who are addicted to drugs and their narcotic effects, problem gamblers cannot resist the rush and high they get from these games of chance. The money from casinos doesn’t grow from trees but is instead fleeced from these customers who blindly believe their luck will change and that a big payday is just around the corner. The real numbers from these games tell a different story with the edge always heavily favoring the house. Play long enough and the casino will win, while you’ll eventually lose everything. Unfortunately I’ve had the opportunity to witness this firsthand and seen the devastating effects caused by chronic gambling.

A family friend was one of those who couldn’t resist the lure of the casino. He had a beautiful house on acreage complete with a meandering creek, large fish ponds and a flourishing home-based business. When his gambling days were over after a family intervention finally stopped his destructive habit, it cost him his house and the business that was tied to it. The total amount of money lost to the casino was over $500,000 and that was just the financial figure. The personal cost to this man and the damage done to his wife and family cannot be measured with a simple dollar symbol.

Don’t believe Rich Coleman, the B.C. Minister for Gaming, when he said that the provincial government won’t be awarding any more casino licenses soon. That promise should be flushed down the same toilet bowl with the lie they told before the election about not implementing the hated HST. Remember that it was the Liberals who recently allowed the B.C. Lottery Corp. to raise the weekly limit on their gambling website from $120 to $10,000 a week for bingo, poker and sports wagering. Barely a whisper of objection by the government was heard out of Victoria, showing their cards as they look to cash in on online betting.

If Watts and her cohorts want to roll the dice and allow a casino in $urrey, don’t expect Gordon Campbell’s bunch to stand in the way of this license to print money. When the chips are down they’ll be “all in” to receive their share of the pot. While the Mayor professes to not being a gambler but instead would “like to see shows, theatre and music” I’d suggest she take her Council and drive a few blocks north from $urrey City Hall and visit the Bell Centre for the Performing Arts. They won’t get any culture by sliding into the gutter with the B.C. Liberals and replacing bookies, loan sharks and organized crime bosses as the one’s benefiting from gambling while the rest of us pay the price.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn.

 

September 21, 2009

Stumps on the “Hump”

The city of White Rock is in the process of drafting a new tree management bylaw to replace the current one that protects trees in areas classified as “ravine lands” or having “significant stands of trees.” At a recent meeting in White Rock City Hall concerning this new bylaw, a large map of the city was on display, showing the previously protected areas colour coded green for ravine lands and blue for the significant stands. Much of the hillside to the west of West beach are under this protective umbrella, with all of the BNSF Railway lands on the hillside beside the tracks falling into the ravine lands classification.

It was surprising to find out that the Hump hillside above the railway tracks between West and East beach was not protected as neither ravine lands or having significant stands of trees. I found this rather odd as this property contains very large mature trees including the Grand fir locally known as the “eagle tree” for the bald eagles that often perch there. The Hump is also extremely steep with a history of previous landslide activity and should be classified as ravine lands because of the slide threat that such a steep slope poses to the railway below that often carries dangerous goods and petroleum products next to the shores of Semiahmoo Bay.

When I inquired with City Hall as to why this hillside was not protected under the current tree bylaw, I was informed by staff that this was because it was formerly classified as parkland when this property was leased by the city from the BNSF Railway. Unfortunately when White Rock decided not to renew the lease for this forested piece of property several years back, this land was not protected unlike the other areas of the oceanfront bluff. It was because of this oversight that the BNSF Railway was able to proceed with their so-called “vegetation control” in front of the Top of the Rock development on Marine Drive where they were paid to remove 40 trees up to 2 feet in diameter from this slide prone slope to improve the view and property value of the unsold condos sitting vacant across the street.

Now that the City of White Rock no longer leases the Hump, it’s time that this hillside was protected from tree cutting which reduces water uptake and soil stability. There is no reason why the bluffs to the west of White Rock should be classified as ravine lands while the Hump is excluded from protection. Since White Rock’s OCP states that the Hump should remain in a “natural state”, classifying this slope as ravine land will preclude any more tree clearing by the BNSF. This is needed as a Transport Canada geologist has identified tree cutting on the slopes above the tracks as one of the main causes of landslides threatening safe rail operations in this historically dangerous corridor.

Ever since last year when the Hump in front of the Top of the Rock was cleared, calls from other property owners along Marine Drive in White Rock have been loud and vocal that trees in front of their houses should also be trimmed or removed. Both of the recent tree bylaw meetings were packed with these residents demanding that their views be improved by cutting down the trees on the Hump, regardless of the increased landslide risk and threat to rail safety this would cause. While many voiced that they were all for preserving trees and stabilizing this slide prone slope, this was only if it didn’t affect the unobstructed views in front of their homes. It was rather disconcerting that only myself and well-known environmentalist spoke up in favour of tree preservation.

We need to change our collective mindset to realize that trees, even in White Rock, are part of the view and serve an integral part of the natural landscape. They also provide shade, wildlife habitat, soil stability, cleaner air and a cooler earth. I believe that the city of White Rock should consider adding to its meagre supply of parkland and approach the BNSF about the possibility of purchasing the Hump to create a shoreline park as a forested backdrop for the famed White Rock boulder. If this does not happen, demands to clear-cut the Hump will continue until a future council agrees to remove these trees, regardless of the environmental consequences or the landslide risks associated with this deforestation.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

September 14, 2009

 

5% Democracy

The by-election results for White Rock are in and Grant Meyer, who narrowly missed being voted in during the last civic election, is now the new councillor joining those already sworn in last fall at City Hall. While I have to commend Mr. Meyer on his campaign and election victory, the figures associated with this attempt at democracy are best described as abysmal and at worst disgraceful.

B.C. Ferry worker Grant Meyer received 705 votes, followed by White Rock Sun editor Dave Chesney at 449, with Sandpiper Pub owner Bill Lawrence rounding out the top three at 307. The rest were as follows: Roger Emanuels - 297, Bruce Kleeberger – 292, Theresa McFadden – 208, Tom Corless - 134, and David Mensour – 51. It is interesting to note that Mr. Meyer’s winning total represents less than half of the 1589 votes he received during the last election when he was not one of the top six named to council.

The total number of eligible voters in White Rock is 15,050. Of these only 2,443 or a mere 16% exercised their democratic right to vote in this by-election. This was down considerably from the last year’s civic election where 37% of eligible voters cast their ballots, compared to 40% in 2005 and 51% in 2002. Hopefully I am not the only one who sees a disturbing trend in these figures. While Mr. Meyer won by a fairly wide margin over the next closest challenger (256 votes), when you look at the numbers compared to the eligible voters, this lead decreases dramatically.

Votes for Grant Meyer correspond to 29% of the total ballots that were cast. Dave Chesney came second with 18 % and Bill Lawrence received 13% to finish third. While Meyer’s victory does not come close to a 50% threshold a true democracy requires, it still sounds relatively respectable until you look at the bigger picture. The votes Mr. Meyers received as a percentage of the total eligible voters in the city of White Rock is just under 5%. Dave Chesney’s results are 3%, while Bill Lawrence’s votes equal 2%. David Mensour who finished dead last received a token one third of 1% of all eligible ballots.

This by-election should have been important as it was necessitated by Councillor James Coleridge being removed from public office because he lied and used deceit and fraudulent means to gain public office. This amazing decision by the B.C. Supreme Court should have empowered the community as it suddenly appeared that constituents would now be able to hold their elected officials accountable, at least on the civic level during election campaigns. The fact that an alarming 84% of residents failed to make it to a polling station to cast their ballots on Saturday is a black mark on White Rock.

I live in Surrey but still followed the court proceedings between Matt Todd and James Coleridge closely and was surprised and thrilled with the verdict, believing this would strengthen our political system and restore faith in democracy. I researched the eight candidates who were running and attended an all-candidates meeting in White Rock, even though I was not eligible to vote. While I may be more interested in politics than most people living in the Semiahmoo peninsula, could this by-election not have garnered more public support in the community?

Traditionally the Semiahmoo peninsula and White Rock in particular have had a high voter turnout for both provincial and federal elections. It is surprising that so many failed to practice their democratic right to vote in this civic by-election, especially with the many contentious issues (high-rise heights, tree cutting, pesticide use) that are facing White Rock’s Mayor and Council. While I wish Mr. Meyers the best and hope that he holds firm to his election promises, when he walks through the doors of City Hall he should remember that only 5% of the people living in White Rock voted for him and that this realization tempers his politics.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn.

 

 

September 8, 2009

White Rock Rejoining Surrey

I realize that for many living in the city of White Rock the topic of amalgamation with Surrey is taboo but considering the upcoming by-election vote on Sept 12th what better time to look at the possibility? The heights of high-rises in the town centre is the number one concern being voiced by people on the street to those vying for office, while the concept of amalgamation is running a very close second in the hearts and minds of White Rock residents.

Back in 1957 when it was part of the ward system governing Surrey, White Rock (Ward 7) broke away as many residents felt they were not being properly represented at Surrey city hall. At that time, White Rock was the most populated area of the Semiahmoo peninsula next to the small summer cottage enclave of Crescent Beach. Since then, development across south Surrey has changed the landscape from that of rural farms and tracts of forest to a thriving community more than double the population of White Rock and featuring large retailers such as Wal-Mart and Home Depot. White Rock, constrained by its borders and the ocean, has nowhere to grow but up, with many seeing the new twenty story Miramar Village/Bosa towers as too drastic a change from the twelve story developments formerly allowed.

At an all-candidates meeting in White Rock that I attended during the previous civic election last fall, the question was put to mayoralty hopefuls Stewart Peddemor and Catherine Ferguson whether they would consider amalgamation with Surrey. Peddemor’s response was that he’d read several letters in the local newspapers from Surrey residents wanting White Rock to join them, but none from White Rock residents wishing to rejoin Surrey. While I thought the standing-room-only crowd would have supported his stance, the wave of discontent that went through the room was loud and clear that many would favour reversing history and once again become part of Surrey. Catherine Ferguson also did not support this premise as it was doubtful she wanted to rock the boat on this rather controversial subject.

With the high property taxes in White Rock and the lack of an industrial or commercial tax base as compared to Surrey, is there any realistic chance of White Rock surviving far into the future? Much of this extra cost is due to the current duplication of city services in the Semiahmoo peninsula, such as the two fire and police departments servicing the same area that could easily be covered by one. What is the response time from the south Surrey fire hall and RCMP substation to the White Rock fire hall and cop shop, maybe a minute? I guess this is why several White Rock firemen in attendance at last week’s all-candidates meeting were very vocal when the question was asked to the eight councillor hopefuls whether they supported amalgamation with Surrey (all said no).

Considering the crumbling infrastructure in White Rock and the rising costs for its replacement, the longer that these necessary repairs are delayed the higher the eventual bill will be. This price tag will of course be passed along to residents, many who are senior citizens and on fixed incomes. With the demographics of the baby boomer generation meaning White Rock’s senior population will continue to increase, coupled with the BNSF Railway’s lease rate for the waterfront parking lots going up by $50,000 every 5 years, the city is soon going to face a cash crunch that can’t be financed by parking meters at the beach. As it is right now, pay parking at the waterfront is driving customers out of the area to the new shops and restaurants springing up along both sides of 24 Ave. in south Surrey, forcing Marine Drive businesses to relocate, further exacerbating the financial problems facing city hall.

Don’t be surprised to see a referendum question on White Rock amalgamating with Surrey being part of the ballot decision residents will have to make in three years time. Failing that, it is likely that a slate running on an amalgamation platform will be assembled by those looking to reduce their property tax burden. Unlike Catherine Ferguson or the current eight candidates running for council, there are those in the community that would like to go down in history as the last Mayor and Councillors of White Rock as it retakes its former position as the sunny seaside of Surrey .

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn.

 

August 31, 2009

White Rock “Memorial” Pier

The recent discovery of three piles of ashes on White Rock’s West Beach that are assumed to be cremated human remains is evidence of a common occurrence across the waterfront of the Semiahmoo peninsula. While these ashes are usually not carelessly deposited in piles along the shoreline as apparently happened in this case, the practice of scattering loved one’s remains into the waters of Boundary Bay is very common.

With the increasing use of cremation instead of burial, the spreading of ashes in areas of remembrance is steadily rising. The growing population of South Surrey and the aging demographics of White Rock’s residents mean many are now releasing human ashes into the waters off the pier or across the shoreline from Crescent Beach to Peace Arch Park. If you look down from the sides of the pier as you walk the length of the boardwalk, you can often see small white pieces of bone and ash lying on top of the wave rippled sand below.

There is no doubt that the White Rock boulder is also a focal point for the scattering of cremated remains. This local landmark that the city is named after has drawn the attention of residents and tourists for decades. Because of the large number of broken shells mixed in with the course sand around the rock, it is likely that human remains when properly spread to the wind would ever be noticed. That being said, it would be interesting to know how many people’s final resting place is within the shadow of this famed rock.

I’ll eventually have a personal connection to the releasing of cremated remains on the shoreline of the Semiahmoo peninsula. Several years ago I excavated the 120 tonne Crescent Rock boulder, found just south of Crescent Beach. I named this large glacial erratic along with the rugged naturist shoreline beside the train tracks. On August 8, 2008 I married my wife Sheryl in a ceremony held on top of the Crescent Rock. When I pass on, I have instructed that my body will be cremated and my ashes scattered around this boulder and Crescent Rock beach.

So many people are laid to rest off the White Rock pier, why not turn it into a memorial for those souls released into Semiahmoo Bay? There are currently several park benches bolted to the sides of the pier with plaques for deceased family members already in place. Let’s allow visitors and residents of White Rock to purchase small commemorative plaques with personal engravings for their loved ones who have been scattered into these waters, which would be attached to the railings along the length of the pier. This would make for an interesting walk reading the various inscriptions, ensuring those who have released ashes at this seaside location could properly remember those who have gone before us.

Through White Rock’s “Train Campaign” you can now purchase brass plaques in the shape of a steam locomotive embedded in paving stones with the inscription of your choice for $600. These are being placed in front of the old train station with funds raised used for the revitalization of this historic waterfront building that now serves as White Rock’s Museum and Archives. Why couldn’t simpler “Pier Plaques” that would cost less than the ones for the Train Campaign be created, ensuring that those with limited funds or on fixed budgets could afford them? Profits from this program could also be put towards the revitalization plan for the historic White Rock train station, boosting the revenue needed for its eventual restoration.

For more information on the Train Campaign and plans for the Museum/Archives building, visit White Rock’s Museum and Archives Society’s website at:
http://www.whiterock.museum.bc.ca/campaign/index.html

Information on White Rock’s dedication programs that includes bench or picnic table plaques, tree base plaques plus drinking fountain and light stand plaques can be found on the city’s website at:
http://www.city.whiterock.bc.ca/2005Parks/Dedication-Program.html

 

 

 

The Naked Truth – August 25, 2009

 

Liars, cheats and your elected representatives

With the White Rock by-election to find a replacement for disgraced former councillor James Coleridge now in full swing, I’m left wondering why politicians at the civic level of government seem to be held at a higher level of personal conduct than those in both the Provincial and Federal governments.

Mr. Coleridge lied about his so-called “real estate slate” and of having knowledge about the emails sent from his computer during the last election that led to his downfall. When Matt Todd took Coleridge to court on this issue, there were few in the community that felt what was viewed as a frivolous suit had any merit or chance of success. The surprising ruling against Mr. Coleridge that stripped him of his elected title forcing this by-election came as a shock to most but a pleasant surprise to those wishing for more honesty and representation from our elected officials.

There is a reason why politicians of all stripes are now looked down on with the same distain usually reserved for used car salesmen. What they say during an election and the promises that they make usually go out the window the moment they gain power. The joke “Q. How can you tell when a politician is lying? A. Their lips are moving”, is no longer humorous and now appears to be standard operational procedure used by politicians at all levels of government.

The problem with our elected officials these days is that they are politicians and not statesmen. Instead of representing the people who elected them, they ignore their constituent’s wishes and blindly follow party policy or that dictated by their leader. Nowhere is this more evident than at the Provincial and Federal levels of government. While we may not be able to directly vote for our Premier or Prime Minister, their offices effectively control party doctrine, no matter what platform is put forward or the promises made during an election race.

Look at the parade of fabrications, mistruths or outright lies now emanating from the “Fib-eral” government in Victoria for an example of how election promises are forgotten once in power."A deficit of no larger than $495 million suddenly balloons to a reported $2 billion or more."
We'll hopefully find out next week what the real number is.

Good thing they didn't buy the vote with these ficticious figures. A promise of no health care cuts translates into millions of dollars of underfunding for our operating rooms and hospital wards. The leaky condo financial aid that was to sunset in 2012 is cancelled without any warning on the Friday of a long weekend. The HST (“Hated Sales Tax” or “Horse Shit Tax, take your pick), is announced without any public consultation or input after we were told there were no plans to introduce it.

The same litany of lies and excuses coming out of Ottawa is no better, regardless of whether the federal “Lie-berals” or “Con-servatives” hold the reins of power. It might be easier to list campaign promises actually kept than to detail all of the changes in policy that have occurred soon after an election campaign. My favourite whopper of them all has to be when Jean Chretien proclaimed to Canadians years ago, “Vote for me and I will eliminate the GST!” While Chretien’s days as PM may be long over, this consumer tax lives on and will soon be duplicated by the Province of B.C. as the HST to help finance our growing debt including that from the upcoming Olympics which will likely be our version of Montreal’s “Big Owe.”

The only way to bring accountability and responsible government back at both the Provincial and Federal levels is to institute the same controls over politicians contained in the Local Government Act that calls for those running for civic office to conduct themselves in an open and honest fashion. With recall legislation proving to be completely inept, unless we start dragging these bastards from their government offices to tar and feather them in the streets, they can now only be held accountable during election campaigns. There they can blatantly lie to our faces with impunity while preparing to stab us in the backs for another four years once elected.

This has to change. Just as James Coleridge was removed from office in White Rock for using deceit and fraud to win re-election, MLA’s and MP’s that knowingly deceive the public to gain votes during campaigns should be tossed from office in both Victoria and Ottawa. They should also be made to pay all legal bills and be fined to cover the cost of by-elections, as was done for Mr. Coleridge. We have to protect the principles of democracy and ensure that those who chose to lie and cheat to get elected never prosper at our expense. Coleridge's lesson needs to be taught to those in the upper echelons of government in order to keep their thirst for power in check.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

Monday August 17, 2009

Sign Of The Times

When you went outside on the morning of Thursday, Aug. 13th you might have noticed something different in the neighbourhoods throughout White Rock. For the third time in only a year, election signs have once again sprouted
like mushrooms from lawns and boulevards across this seaside city in preparation for the Sept 12th civic by-election vote. Unlike the last White Rock civic election that featured 23 hopefuls vying for 6 councillor positions, this time there are 8 people who have thrown their hats into the ring trying to fill the position vacated by James Coleridge who was removed from office by a B.C. Supreme Court ruling that nullified his election.

While outdoor signs serve an important purpose in informing the electorate of an upcoming election and the candidates who are running, they are a form of visual pollution and a blight upon the landscape. If positioned improperly, they can block views of traffic and road safety signage putting the public at risk. While there are some civic controls on election sign size and placement, there is nothing stopping any potential candidate from flooding their community with as many of these signs as they can afford to print.

Some Lower Mainland communities such as Burnaby and New Westminster have banned this form of advertising from their city’s property, a move which many believe is rather heavy-handed and an impediment to the principles of democracy. Considering that voter turnout in the last White Rock civic election was only 37 %, we need to get as many people to cast their ballots as possible and election signage serves to increase voter knowledge and participation.

With White Rock measuring only 3 square miles and with 8 candidates running for office this time, if each person was to post 100 signs in the city, this would mean a total of 270 per square mile. Since the largest sign can be 4’x4’ square this would be the equivalent of 400 sheets of plywood placed in highly visual locations throughout the town. While limited election funds will hopefully not allow for this type of public display, it is entirely possible as there are no rules governing this behaviour.

When I created my B.C. Green Party signs for the last provincial election, I gave thought to their impact on the community and the environment. I decided to produce a maximum of 100 signs for the entire Surrey-White Rock riding using only recycled materials from previous campaigns. I settled on 30 - 4’x4’ signs and 70 - 2’x2’ signs, which were more than enough to cover the entire 15 square mile riding with a large sign at every major intersection and many of the smaller versions strategically placed on boulevards and lawns. The provincial Liberals and NDP candidates with their larger advertising budgets used more signs and posted many of the larger ones.

I would suggest that for a city the size of White Rock, candidates should be limited to a maximum of 50 signs on public property, with 10 of these being the 4’variety and 40 being the smaller 2’ ones, having the total surface area as 10 sheets of plywood. This would still mean a maximum of 400 election signs throughout the city for this by-election, or over 130 per square mile. Candidate’s names would likely be evenly represented on the street corners and boulevards while ensuring that the person with the deepest pockets didn’t simply overwhelm their more fiscally restrained opponents.

Elections B.C. and Elections Canada should consider putting controls on the number of signs that potential political candidates from civic, provincial and federal elections could place in their ridings. This would level the playing field between various candidates and their political parties while ensuring that cities are not simply buried in election signs. Nowhere is this more needed than in White Rock, where if the rumours out of Ottawa about a pending fall election are true, it is quite possible that there will be four elections in only one year.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

August 10, 2009
The Naked Truth

$20 Million Dog Park

The City of Surrey’s $20 million purchase of the Kwomais Point campsite from the United Church of Canada last year was greeted with much fanfare and approval from those who believed that this so-called “jewel of the peninsula” should be preserved as a park. While the environmental protection of this ecologically sensitive area was supposed to have been of paramount importance, it would now appear that it is going to the dogs.

Surrey commissioned Diamondhead Consulting to complete an extensive environmental overview assessment of Kwomais Point as part of its redevelopment plan. They identified 23 distinct ecotypes present on this 5.6 hectare piece of property along with two dozen bird species, over 30 possible mammals, plus 6 amphibians and reptiles. Wildlife species of concern listed for Kwomais Point were the Western Screech Owl, Band-tailed pigeon, Trowbridge’s shrew and Pacific Sideband mollusc along with the Bald eagle nesting site that was to have been protected by a 100 m. exclusion zone during breeding season.

Kwomais Point is the Moist Marine, Coast Douglas Fir (CDFmm) variant of the Biogeoclimatic Ecosystem Classification of B.C. Unlike most exposed coastal areas, this region experiences long and dry summers that are a major determinant of its ecology. These forests are considered sensitive not only because they are rare but contain specific habitat features required by a rich diversity of plant and animal species that include mature Douglas Firs averaging 100 years or older.

Now that Kwomais Point Park is open to the public, it’s quickly becoming the new dog park in south Surrey. Canines running around unleashed through the grassy fields and forested underbrush are a common sight, while wildlife including Eastern Grey and Douglas squirrels along with Townsend chipmunks have all but disappeared. Stinky garbage cans are overflowing with bags of dog excrement and unscooped poop can be found throughout the property. This in turn leads to an infestation of biting flies that have hatched from maggots feeding on the mess. By-law officers who might control such behaviour are rarely seen at this new park whose very name means “place of vision.”

The following passage taken directly from Diamondhead’s February 2008 study needs to be considered: “Kwomais Point has been extensively disturbed in the past by camp activities and will continue to face a number of biological and physical stresses in the near and long term. These stresses can potentially compromise the ecological integrity of the park and limit opportunities for safe and adequate public recreation. Initiating strategies for protecting, maintaining and enhancing existing habitat is critical for ensuring the long-term ecological integrity and sustainability of Kwomais Point.”

The waterfronts of both White Rock and Crescent Beach are dog-free zones from May 15 to Sept 15 to help keep them clean of pet feces for people utilizing these areas for recreation, while protecting the sensitive marine environment from fecal contamination. Go for a picnic at Kwomais Point Park after the extended hot and dry spell we’re experiencing and you will likely spread your blanket on urine soaked ground, smears of dog feces still on the lawns after removal, piles of crap left to rot in the sun by inconsiderate dog owners, along with unwanted visits from four-legged friends and clouds of black flies.

With nearby Dogwood Park and Blackie Spit both being designated dog parks, why not make Kwomais Point Park an official dog-free zone, especially during the summer months when there is little rain to wash away the animal waste that accumulates during this time? Considering the money spent to purchase this prime piece of peninsula property and its historical, cultural and environmental significance, is Surrey city hall going to continue to let Kwomais Point Park turn into a dog’s toilet? I certainly hope not.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

Liberal MLA Gordon Hogg - South Surrey White Rock

When you keep your ears open for the political rumours quietly being whispered by those in the know around the Semiahmoo peninsula, you’ll often hear some rather interesting gossip about the local power brokers and their future plans. Here’s the one being talked about in the coffee shops, bistros and down at the beach in south Surrey and White Rock.

While long-term politician Gordon Hogg was recently returned as the Liberal MLA for our region as expected, he did not come out of the election unblemished. Lost in all of the poll numbers and related hubris associated with the provincial election, many residents are unaware that Hogg received a demotion of sorts, being removed from the cabinet where he held the Ministry of Mining portfolio before being returned to the back bench. Some folks living in the Semi-pen thought this may have been a slap on the wrist due to the failure of the Spirit Square and the $500,000 stipend from the Provincial government that was turned down by White Rock council after vocal opposition by residents, local businesses and railway safety advocates.

The rumour going round the Rock is that Mr. Hogg may be getting ready to scale back his political life a notch, having secured his golden pension out of Victoria for 12 years and counting of faithful public service. Word on the street is that this will be Mr. Hogg’s final term as our MLA but that he is not going to be sailing off into the sunset over the serene waters of Boundary Bay. Instead, he plans on challenging Catherine Ferguson and all other mayoralty hopefuls to once again assume his former preordained position as Mayor of White Rock.

Sound far-fetched? Don’t worry, for this is only half of the grist that this rather intriguing rumour mill is turning out. With Gordon Hogg stepping down, this safe Liberal seat would then open up in the ultra-conservative Surrey-White Rock riding. That is when Mayor Dianne Watts will resign her post at the City of Surrey and announce her intentions to take over the Liberal reigns from the departing Mr. Hogg. There are many who believe this is but the first step for Mrs. Watts in her eventual rise in power to becoming the premier of the province of B.C.
Don’t blame me if you don’t believe this scenario as I am but the fly on the wall bringing you the buzz. While it may sound somewhat far-fetched, consider the following. It is widely believed that Dianne Watts is being groomed for the premier position when Campbell steps aside after securing his Olympic legacy. Most also realize that you now need to have been the mayor of either Vancouver (Gordon Campbell, Mike Harcourt) or Surrey (speaking of flies, did someone really say Bill Vanderzalm?) to be considered for the job. What better riding for Dianne Watts to run in than the one she calls home and where she’s well known, liked and respected by a large portion of the electorate?

Dianne Watts as the Surrey-White Rock MLA and Premier of B.C., Gordon Hogg back at his old desk as White Rock’s mayor bringing order to the three-ring circus currently operating at City Hall, with councillors Tom Gill or Barinder Rasode being the most likely to run to become the first Indo-Canadian mayor of Surrey, which is another story for some other day. Whether any of this will transpire is simple conjecture and anyone’s guess, but the fact that people here are talking about it makes you want to doff your duds, assume the sitting position on a solid piece of granite, put a fist under your chin and contemplate the possibilities.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

White Rock Craziness - It's The Water

 

The Naked Truth - July 27, 2009

Drink it in

There are many people who move to the City of White Rock, not only for the temperate climate, oceanfront living and unobstructed views of Semiahmoo Bay, but for its renown water. The city’s water system is famed to be the best in the Lower Mainland, drawn from artesian wells drilled deep into the Sunnyside Uplands aquifer and delivered pure and untreated to neighbourhood taps free of chlorine and impurities by EPCOR White Rock Water Inc.

Unfortunately it appears that there may be trouble brewing in paradise. While White Rock used to be a sleepy seaside town, in the past few years it has been rocked by scandals, questionable dealings and a parade of bizarre decisions from city hall. These include the passing of the 20 story Bosa twin towers development, the unauthorized purchase of the nauseating Spirit Bear statues by the former mayor, the “Silver Beach” and “Island of White Rock” branding exercise, the Spirit Square fiasco , Councillor James Coleridge’s email scandal and subsequent expulsion, the recent takeover of the local BIA by members fed up with a lack of accountability, plus a list of other less notable but equally disturbing follies.
A group of concerned citizens, sensing a pattern in these seemingly unrelated events became concerned that they may be somehow linked and began to investigate for sources of this strange and irrational behaviour. They focused on possible environmental contamination suspecting that White Rock’s water system might be to blame. Testing of water samples taken from across the community including the water fountain located in City Hall showed high levels of the chemical Dihydrogen Monoxide.

DHMO as it is known is a colourless, tasteless and odourless liquid that is often overlooked as a possible contaminant in regular water quality testing. It can result in death due to accidental inhalation even in small quantities and is found in biopsies of pre-cancerous tumours and lesions. Its industrial use as a universal solvent and coolant in nuclear power plants, in biological and chemical weapons manufacture, as a spray-on fire suppressant and retardant, plus pesticide production and distribution are well documented.

Whether this chemical is responsible for the erratic behaviour that is bringing much media attention and negative publicity to this formerly quiet seaside community of White Rock is still unknown as research continues into DHMO’s effects on the human body. What is certain is that in the City of Surrey, which is supplied by the GVRD with treated water from the Seymour, Capilano and Coquitlam Lake reservoirs, this erratic behaviour demonstrated by community leaders is relatively unknown. There are even some who believe that this year’s racoon attack on White Rock’s Mayor Ferguson was not the result of rabies or distemper but possibly from DHMO being ingested by wildlife drinking from the municipal water source.

Hopefully White Rock’s Engineering Department will take steps to ensure that this chemical is not unduly affecting the actions of those responsible for running the city and that normal relations and common sense will return to this formerly quiet corner of the Semiahmoo peninsula. Until then, White Rock’s Mayor and Council would be best to use bottled water in their homes, offices, and especially when making important decisions at city hall so as not to risk impaired judgement.

For more information on DHMO and the dangers associated with it, visit the Dihydrogen Monoxide Research Division website at www.dhmo.org which serves as an international clearinghouse, sharing research and data on this substance that is more commonly referred to as H2O. When people ask you to explain, “What the hell’s going on with politics in White Rock?” remember to tell them, “It’s the water!”
Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

The Naked Truth - July 20, 2009

With the success of last weekend’s Crescent Rock Beach Day and the Guinness World Record attempt for most people skinny-dipping that attracted 46 nude swimmers, isn’t it time to now consider officially recognizing Crescent Rock beach as a clothing-optional shoreline for White Rock, Surrey and the rest of the Fraser Valley?

The waterfront of the Semiahmoo peninsula serves as the main marine recreation site for almost a million residents, who if not for Crescent Rock beach would have to travel to Wreck beach in Vancouver for the simple pleasure of getting an all-over tan. Is it responsible, as Surrey mayor Dianne Watts suggested a few years ago, to force all of these people to travel to the far end of Point Grey considering the increase in traffic, exhaust emissions and contribution to greenhouse gases that are warming our planet?

The shoreline between Crescent Beach and White Rock is protected by the Ocean Park bluffs, ensuring that this rough and rocky coastline remains isolated and relatively unused compared to the inviting flat sand beaches found elsewhere in the peninsula. Naturists who were aware of this former neighbourhood secret have been using this secluded shore for decades to sunbath and skinny-dip. Officially designating this nude-friendly shore as clothing-optional would not change the beach or its naturist usage. What it would do is inform the public of its use as a nude beach, letting people know they should not be shocked or surprised to see the natural human form if they chose to venture into this region.
Currently there is no signage to alert residents and visitors alike to the fact that on warm summer days they may encounter folks relaxing on Crescent Rock beach without clothes. Most naturist beaches have beach boundary signs allowing for nude use beyond a certain point, with clothing being required past these signs near more populated or public shorelines. Having proper signage at the two shoreline and four staircase entrances to Crescent Rock beach would educate and inform the public as to this rugged shoreline’s traditional nude usage and naturist etiquette.
Consider that there are many parks in Surrey which are set aside for our four-legged friends, allowing dogs to roam free and unrestrained. They even have their own ocean playground, with Blackie Spit being designated as a dog park where our pets can enjoy their own beach. Surely if we can give animals a piece of shoreline to call their own, the rough, rocky, inaccessible and secluded shores at the base of the Ocean Park bluffs can be designated clothing-optional for those members of society who reject the negative culture of body shame.

Wreck beach in Vancouver got its recognition over 20 years ago, giving the City of Vancouver and the communities around the Lower Mainland its first official nude beach. This world famous naturist shoreline now attracts visitors from around the globe, with Metro Vancouver estimating that on hot days in the summer over 10,000 people per day visit this coastline to enjoy it with or without clothing. The same world record skinny-dip attempt held at Crescent Beach attracted over 320 nude participants at Wreck that competed in this North American wide event.

The B.C. provincial government has jurisdiction over Crescent Rock beach and it will require their approval to designate this shoreline as clothing-optional. Unfortunately our local MLA Gordon Hogg has recently questioned the validity of Crescent Rock’s nude history and need for its protection. What he cannot ignore is the naturist use it is now receiving which is increasing as more and more people find out about this nude-friendly beach from the SUN website (www.crescentrockbeach.org), Facebook groups and Twitter. Mr. Hogg can’t stick his head on the sand on this issue hoping that it will simply go away.

This genie isn’t going to go back into its little bottle and as part of both the cities of White Rock’s and Surrey’s maturing process, Crescent Rock beach will inevitably be officially recognized as a clothing-optional shoreline as naturist use steadily increases. Why not do it now, avoiding unnecessary confusion as to the nude use boundaries while reaping the recreational, fitness and tourism benefits along with corresponding property value increases that this nude beach would bring to the peninsula?

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn,
The Naked Truth

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