For years now a lone Canadian Maple Leaf flag has withstood the wind and waves out on the breakwater at the end of the White Rock pier. It has become so well known that a picture of it adorns the top of the White Rock/South Surrey Community Group Facebook page. Made with a long piece of driftwood shoved in between several of the rough granite boulders, the flag is held on by rope and duct tape. It regularly gets shredded by winter storms and miraculously gets replaced with a new flag before the busy summer season when hundreds of thousands of people get to see it. This flag with a view of Mount Baker in the background was even featured on Global National's "Your Canada" segment that gets seen across the country.
So what is the history of this community landmark, what was the original intent and who was responsible for placing it into the jagged boulders on the breakwater? A little internet sleuthing and digging through old Facebook posts show it was three 15 year-old boys from South Surrey, Owen Pinto, Evan Slofstra and jacob Niblett who first erected the flagpole back in 2019 and were joined soon after by their buddy Trevor Symons. The story goes that these friends took to fishing off the pier dock and the rocks of the breakwater when it was inaccessible due to the pier damage from the storm in Dec. 2018. They would use a canoe to reach the deserted end of the pier and have it all to themselves that summer. It was decided in 2019 to put up the first flag as an act of patriotism and the bond that the young men had formed that summer. It was replaced several times and when they all went off to university, they vowed to keep maintaining it when they returned home.
Of course Mother Nature does not follow the timetable of university students and the flag would get damaged when the young men were not around. Well, it turns out that the fathers of these fine lads stepped up to carry on the family and White Rock tradition with Joel Slofstra, Shawn Pinto and Nick Niblett returning time after time to install new flags when the previous one had been shredded by wind and waves. Recently the flag was once again hanging in tatters and Ray Anderson took it upon himself to purchase a new flag, swim out from the pier dock to the breakwater and single-handedly pull out the pole, attach a new Canadian Maple Leaf flag and put the pole back in its place between the rocks. There is a story and picture of him performing this feat in the White Rock|South Surrey Facebook page on May 27th. I should note here that the naturists using Crescent Rock beach have a Canada flag flying proudly that is on a long stick jammed into a huge stump.
Looking at the various flag-raising ceremonies on the breakwater over the years makes you realize how dangerous this job really is. Considering how rough the boulders are and the open spaces between them, it is a miracle that nobody has been seriously hurt climbing on these rocks. I imagine it is even more difficult when carrying a thick log doubling as a flagpole that looks to be more than 6 metres long. Several years back, a lady trapped on the beach by a rising tide in Ocean Park tried to climb up the rip-rap boulders there to access the BNSF tracks. Her foot slipped between the rocks, she lost her footing and fell back, breaking her femur in the process. Emergency Services rescued her, roped her up to the tracks and she was transported on the back of a BNSF hi-railer to a waiting ambulance in Crescent Beach. The Coast Guard hovercraft Visay was also on the scene but could not access the beach due to off-shore boulders.
So here's an idea.
How about the City of White Rock consider erecting four flag poles at the end of the pier. They could then fly the Canadian, British Columbia, White Rock and Semiahmoo First Nation flags. It would look awesome at the end of the pier and be a great tourist attraction with pictures being posted online and seen across the planet. I should note here that the City of Surrey has four flag poles on Hwy. 99 at 8 Ave. with the Canada, British Columbia, United States and Surrey flags on them. The old Visitor Centre on Hwy. 15 at 8 Ave. also has four flag poles in front of it that used to carry the same flags on them when it was open. Flagpoles attached to the pier would save residents from having to climb up onto the breakwater, would make maintenance safe and easy plus would be a hit with visitors and residents alike. While they are doing this, adding three "DANGER - KEEP OFF" signs to the breakwater rocks would also be advisable.
Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn
Local News
June 03, 2026
Surrey Police Board (SPB), Harley Chappell Follows Chief Lipinski Out The Door
Semiahmoo First Nations leader and head of Surrey Police Board HARLEY CHAPPELL has resigned as a result of the ousting of SPS chief NORM LIPINSKI.
Chappell explains that the board decided to ask Lipinski to resign or face involuntary termination during a meeting on May 29, which he did not attend.
He says that nobody in attendance had reached out to him afterwards to inform him about the motion.
Chappell says he did not find out what took place during Friday’s meeting until Monday.
“I will choose to step aside and allow them to tidy up this mess." Chappell’s resignation is effective immediately.
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June 02, 2026
Surrey Police Services Chief Norm Lipinski Out
The Surrey Police Board has announced that Chief Constable Norm Lipinski has left Surrey Police Service (SPS), and Deputy Chief Constable Todd Matsumoto has been appointed Interim Chief Constable.
We want to assure our partners and all community members that we remain focused on protecting public safety and providing uninterrupted service delivery to the community. We are confident in the leadership team of SPS, and in the continued professionalism of all SPS personnel.
The Board will shortly initiate a recruitment process for a new permanent Chief Constable and will share further information regarding that process in the coming weeks.
We appreciate the ongoing support and collaboration of all partners and community members. Your support is invaluable towards helping make SPS make the most modern, trusted, and responsive police service in the country.
Hanne Madsen
Leadership Transition Committee (on behalf of the Surrey Police Board)
Statement from the Mayor: Police chief transition
I want to thank Chief Lipinski for his service to the City and the Surrey Police Service over the last five years. As mayor, my focus remains public safety, and I look forward to working with Interim Chief Todd Matsumoto during this transition period.
I am confident that the Surrey Police Board has a plan in place that will continue to prioritize keeping our neighbourhoods safe, while supporting the SPS to become a Canadian leader in trusted, modern, and responsive policing.
Mayor Brenda Locke / City of Surrey
May 31, 2026
Kerry Lynne For The Win
Former federal MP Kerry-Lynne Findlay has won the race to replace former British Columbia Conservative leader John Rustad on the fourth ballot, beating commentator Caroline Elliott.
KERRY-LYNNE defeated ELLIOTT 51-49% on the fourth ballot of the Provincial Conservative party members which culminated yesterday in the early evening.
In her acceptance speech in front of the party faithful last evening FINDLAY set out her vision for British Columbia
"So, what am I fighting for?" she said. "I'm fighting for nothing less than the future of British Columbia, our way of life. Mine is a grand vision of fundamental change. Our homes, our individual rights, our properties are at stake. We need hope and prosperity."
"We can be a powerhouse in our nation, a powerhouse no longer denied by Eastern and global elites, predatory foreign nations and our own constitution," she said. "(B.C. NDP) radical ideology has devastated property rights, back room side agreements, and the NDP's economic vandalism has to end."
Suspect Fatally Shot by Police
Surrey Police Service (SPS) has notified the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) of an incident in Surrey, where a suspect stabbed two people and one of the victims died from their injuries. SPS members confronted the suspect who was then injured in an officer-involved shooting. The suspect has now been pronounced deceased at hospital. The Independent Investigations Office of British Columbia (IIO BC) has been engaged to review police actions.
At approximately 1:00 pm on May 29, 2026, SPS Frontline members attended a building in the 13300 block Old Yale Road for a report of an assault. Police arrived on scene and located two victims suffering from stab wounds. The male suspect was no longer on scene.
SPS members and BC Emergency Health Services (BCEHS) administered emergency medical interventions to both victims. Regrettably, one was declared deceased at scene. The other was transported to hospital where they remain in hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. IHIT will be assuming conduct of this investigation.
A male suspect was located a short distance away. There was a confrontation with police that resulted in officers firing their service-issued duty pistols. The suspect was seriously injured and transported to hospital. The suspect has since been pronounced deceased
The police actions are now under investigation by the IIO BC, therefore no further information will be released or confirmed by police. Please contact IIO BC with any inquiries. For more information about IIO BC and media updates, you can visit its website at www.iiobc.ca
Anyone with information regarding the stabbing incidents is asked to contact IHIT at 1-877-551-IHIT (4448) or via email at ihitinfo@rcmp-grc.gc.ca.
If You Build It They Will Come
.....and come they did
White Rock city councillor CHRISTOIPHER TREVELYAN had a vision for a community garden in his neighbourhood. He put the word out to local service groups and White Rock Rotary responded.
Friday a work crew joined TREVELYAN along with two members of the HOGG family (Gordie and John) to construct a half a dozen community garden boxes in DR. AL HOGG Park located on Buena vista Avenue.
Proving it is not really that hard when everyone pulls together.
May 29, 2026
Early Morning White Rockers Got A Free Light Show
While it is not unusual for residents of White Rock to see a glow in the Southern skies as slag is being burned off at Cherry Point refinery in Ferndale, Tuesday morning's light show was something quite different.
Fifty Seven Years Ago This Month - We Showed Woodstock How to Do It
Posters courtesy NEPTOON Records Vancouver
Months before the legendary Woodstock rock festival in upstate New York, right here in our backyard in Aldergrove one of the very first rock festivals in North America took place.
The festival took place in the forest surrounding Aldergrove man made lake which was part of the Langley Township parks inventory. Local bands like Papa Bears Medicine Show, Mother Tuckers Yellow Duck and the Black Snake Blues Band performed at the three day weekend festival on two main stages.
The Aldergrove Beach Rock Festival took place over the May long weekend in 1969 and attracted about 30,000 people from across the Lower Mainland and the U.S. It cost $5 to attend.
The event was many parents' worst nightmare, local promoter Godin recalls. Nudity, drugs and hippies were seen as threats to many. At the time, CBC News reported that about 30 people were arrested on narcotics-related charges and for intoxication.
Brown remembers facing a lot of prejudice as he and his pals traveled across the continent. As he drove through Calgary, he remembers police there would arrest hippies and cut off their hair.
Godin says all the fear about the festival was for naught. There was music, face-painting and even an impromptu petting zoo. And the weather was nice enough for people to swim in the lake — naked, much to the concern of police.
According to many accounts at the time, the "Aldergroovy" festival was a smash hit. It set off a summer of outdoor festivals across Canada and the U.S. that summer.
May 28, 2026
New Agreement for City Of White Rock Workers
The City of White Rock and members of CUPE 718, representing municipal workers, have ratified a new three year collective agreement.
White Rock City Council approved the agreement at its Monday, May 25 Council meeting. CUPE 718 members voted in favour of the agreement earlier this month.
The settlement includes wage increases of 3.5 per cent in each year of the agreement, retroactive to January 1, 2025.
CUPE 718 represents approximately 156 municipal workers who provide essential public services to the community.
Surrey updates bylaw to improve city's flexibility on water restrictions
Surrey Council has amended Surrey’s Drinking Water Conservation Plan bylaw to provide greater flexibility in implementing water conservation measures while continuing to balance community needs and conditions. The updates maintain alignment with the Greater Vancouver Water District’s regional water conservation framework, while allowing the City to better respond to local circumstances during periods of high-water demand.
Key bylaw updates include:
Expanding residential lawn -watering hours under Stage 1 from 5a.m. to 7a.m. to 5a.m. to 8a.m.
Allowing special sprinkling permits during Stage 2, with extensions permitted in Stage 3
Allowing filling and topping up of small residential pools (≤5,000 litres) during Stage 3
Maintaining access to cooling measures, including spray parks, misting stations, and municipal pools at all stages
Clarifying exceptions for municipal operations and construction activity during Stages 1,2, 3
The updated bylaw clarifies that the City has the authority to activate water restriction stages to reflect local conditions.
Residents and businesses found in violation of the restrictions will receive warnings. Repeat or serious offenders will be issued fines in accordance with established bylaw procedures to ensure water is preserved for essential uses, including firefighting.
BC Hydro will being doing upgrades to the newly completed uptown section of Johnston Road between Thrift and Russell.
May 25 – 28 from 7:30 am to 5:00pm – Single lane alternating traffic
May 29 and June 1 from 2:00pm to 12:00am – North bound road closure
June 2 – 3, and June 5 from 7:30am to 5:00pm – Single lane alternating traffic
June 4 – BC hydro power outage at the Russell/Johnston intersection (blinking traffic lights will be in effect, follow a 4-way stop procedure)
June 8 – 19 from 7:00am to 5:00pm - Restoration of concrete
May 26, 2026
White Rock Council Rewind
Highlights of last evening's regular council meeting:
DELEGATIONS
Resident PETER ZHANG appeared before council requesting the sidewalk on the south side of Russell Avenue to Foster street be extended. Staff reported the work is scheduled for 2027
CANCELLED
West Beach Ocean View Citizens & TRANSLLINK Rapid Bus report
RCMP Staff Seargent ROB DIXON reported on progress for a summer time satellite/trailer office on the waterfront. The command post will be located in the waterfront parking lot just East of the pier head.
OXFORD Street Comfort station mural was approved by council.
Beach wheelchair program was approved. Beach wheelchairs will be available this summer from the paddle board rental kiosk which will be located next to the Oxford Street comfort station on the promenade.
Council approved two decorative benches to be located at Five corners. The eye catching new benches are being supplied to the city free of charge by a local resident.
Council heard local artist ALLAN TURTON will be touching up the existing world famous WYLAND whale wall mural on Russell avenue.
Staff will be bringing back a report on the beautification of the two block stretch on Johnston road between Thrift Avenue and Five Corners/Buena Vista avenue
Surrey Police Service Officer Involved in Shooting
Police Service has notified the Independent Investigations Office of British Columbia (IIO BC) of an incident in Surrey where an individual has been injured in an officer-involved shooting.
At approximately 7:34 p.m. on Monday, May 25, Surrey Police attended a residence in the 12200-block of Southpark Crescent for a report of a suspicious male. Police arrived on scene and the man reportedly confronted police, with police firing their service-issued duty pistols.
SPS officers and BCEHS paramedics administered emergency medical interventions, and the affected person was transported to hospital, where they were last reported as receiving treatment for injuries of unknown severity.
The IIO BC was notified by SPS. It has asserted jurisdiction and is investigating police actions in the incident. As the matter is now under investigation by the IIO BC, Surrey Police said no further information will be released or confirmed by police.
Monday May 25, 2026
THE SNOWBIRDS are coming back to White Rock - Farewell Tour
The Snowbirds' aerobatic shows will be suspended from the end of the 2026 flying season until the early 2030s when the government said it plans to have new Swiss-made planes in service.
First though the precision Canadian military flight team will set out a Good Bye Cross Canada tour.
It is our good fortune the team will arrive over Semiahmoo Bay on August 12 in the dinner hour.
What Others Think of US
Betty McLean Love that place. I lived close by and went there alot in summertime.
Johanna Scholten Grew up in White Rock and at times miss walking along the pier!
Connie Parminter Grassl Beautiful! My grandpa owned a garage in th 70's in whiterock , us kids were always out their.
Pamela Nikolakis That is beautiful. I remember going clamming there when I was young. I had forgotten how beautiful it is.
A number of months back I received a phone call from a gentleman who knew me by association from my wife Gayle and her involvement with the founding the White Rock Pickleball Club. The caller asked me if I would be willing to meet with him and a resident of White Rock who would like to talk to me. Nothing unusual in that, it happens all the time.
We met in South Surrey at an out of the way restaurant and it was there that I first met a gentleman by the name of BRUCE BUCHANAN.
After the pleasantry greetings were exchanged BRUCE regaled me with the results of a recent meeting he had with White Rock mayor MEGAN KNIGHT. According to BRUCE he informed the mayor he had recently relocated to White Rock from Alberta and had found a home of very welcoming locals a the White Rock Curling club in Centennial Park. Bruce quickly learned the facility was on its last legs and was in need of a new refrigeration unit. When they met Bruce informed the mayor how important the curling club had become to him and he was interested in donating a million dollars to help secure a new refrigeration unit for the curling rink. According to Bruce much to his surprise the mayor informed him she was more interested in having him donate the million dollars to the proposed Community Hub or perhaps to the restoration of the pier.
Bruce informed the mayor he was not sure she fully understood his offer, it would be only for the curling rink. Again according to Bruce he left that meeting very confused on why the mayor would not take him up on his offer or at the very least enter into further discussions.
EXCERPT FROM THIS WEEK'S PEACE ARCH NEWS FULL PAGE AD
"So what's going on?
We have a city manager who is patronized by the mayor. The city manager has a big dream to go with the big salary, and the seniors of White Rock are going to pay for it.
It was a big surprise to the Mayor and her bobbing head councillors that four new independent thinks showed up on council and ruined her party"
To say the least I was taken back by the story I had just heard. I felt in my position as a city councillor I would be well advised to have Bruce proceed with his offer from a different angle than having me champion his goal. It is my belief there still very much exists an ABC (Anybody But Chesney) attitude at city hall. I gave him former councillor/mayor/MLA and short lived MP for White Rock Gordie Hogg's phone number and urged him to meet with Gordie. Given the many years of government positions and the fact Gordie's wife Laverne was an active member in the local curling club, to me it seemed like a good fit.
Since that time there has been much back and forth between the city and Bruce on how to proceed. It is only my personal opinion, but when Bruce proceeded and bought the refrigeration unit and had it installed in the curling rink with his own money, it left him in a very difficult position for negotiation. We as a council have had a number of IN CAMERA meetings regarding staff reports that have gone back and forth with Bruce, to no avail to this point. Meanwhile Bruce for the past couple of months has taken out full page ads in the Peace Arch News criticizing staff, the mayor and to a certain extent the council.
So here we sit. The latest news I have heard is Bruce has secured a consultant to debunk the offers of settlement presented to him by the city which he is very unhappy with. I have not as a councillor or a resident had any interaction with Bruce since our first meeting.
I sincerely hope cooler heads will prevail and this standoff can be solved in the very near future.
David Chesney
Editor/Publisher
Third term White Rock City Councillor
Thought For The Day
THE NIGHT MARKET Returns to The Waterfront Friday
June marks the 20th anniversary of the WHITE ROCK SUN publishing daily.
Posters courtesy NEPTOON Records Vancouver 
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