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Where You Can Vacation And Be Home The Same Day

 

 

 

 

TNT The Naked Truth

Don Pitcairn

 

Christmas Gift List 2024


If there's one thing I love about Christmas it's the annual traditions and in the White Rock Sun this holiday TNT is always special.  Here's the list of naughty and nice gifts we hope Santa left under the tree for the movers, shakers and decision makers from the Semiahmoo peninsula, listed alphabetically so as to not offend anyone.

Diana Barkley, Semiahmoo Fish & Game Club President - Funding for a brand new state-of-the-art fish hatchery placed high above the Little Campbell river flood plain.  As a stocking stuffer, Club membership hitting 1,000 members in 2025, which currently sits at over 700 people.

Brent Chapman, MLA Surrey South - A loaf of bread he can break with any Jews, Muslims, Palestinians, indigenous peoples, mass-shooting survivors, or anyone else he has offended while asking for their forgiveness.  For a stocking stuffer a MAGA hat.

Dave Chesney, WR Councillor - For the editor of the WR Sun and veteran WR Councillor, a jar of his favourite Holy Smoke Coffee Holiday Blend coffee beans.  As a stocking stuffer, the title of "Your Worship" after the next civic election.

Kerry Lynne Findlay, South Surrey-White Rock M.P. - For the first woman in the Conservative Party to hold the office of Chief Opposition Whip, a black leather dominatrix outfit plus bull whip and gag ball to use on her husband MLA Brent Chapman.

Trevor Halford, South Surrey-White Rock MLA - For the Shadow Minister for Transportation, a season's pass to the B.C. Ferries for when he travels to Victoria after jumping ship from the B.C. Liberals to the B.C. Conservatives. As a stocking stuffer, a reversible jacket.

Norm Lipinski, Chief Constable, Surrey Police Service - For Surrey's top cop now that the SPS have taken over from the RCMP, a copy of every Kevin Bacon movie ever made (over 30!).  As a stocking stuffer, the Super Troopers comedy trilogy.

Brenda Locke, Mayor of Surrey - For this perpetual early riser, a jar of Holy Smoke Holiday Blend coffee beans to help her rise and shine, plus the board game Surreyopoly to play with her grandkids.  For a stocking stuffer, a return to the Chair of the Surrey Police Board.

Suzanne Smith, Clean Air Alliance White Rock - For the head of the group that is still fighting the proposed bio-fuel plant on SFN land, a case of Febreze.  For a stocking stuffer several cans of "Perri Air" from the movie Spaceballs.

Eleanor Sturko, MLA Surrey Cloverdale: For this openly gay Conservative, the newest more inclusive version of a pride flag to wrap herself in.  As a stocking stuffer, a 45 rpm record of Brenda Lee's song "I'm Sorry" to give to ex-VPD Board member Comfort Sakoma-Fadugba.

Towley, social media star:  In a TNT first, it's not a person but a thing.  The iconic blue beach towel that was stuck atop a pole near the White Rock pier, which finally blew down after many storms gets a good cleaning from Time 2 Dry Clean plus some Snuggle fabric softener.

Harley Xwopoton, Chief of Semiahmoo First Nation - For the hardest working man in the Semiahmoo peninsula, an appointment with Dr. Neil Pollock.  For stocking stuffers a pamphlet from planned parenthood and a Brave Man reusable condom.  . 

Merry Christmas everybody and have a happy New Year!

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

I wish to acknowledge we live work and play on the traditional lands of the Semiahmoo People.

 

A dressed up lie when exposed and stripped to the bare facts will reveal the naked truth.

Ann Landers

DISCLAIMER

The views and opinions expressed by DON PITCAIRN are his and his alone personal opinions.

 

 

 

 

Local News

December 23, 2024

Bright Walk in White Rock Lights Up the Waterfront

Experience the magic of the holiday season at White Rock’s Bright Walk in White Rock!

From December 7, 2024, to January 12, 2025, Memorial Park along White Rock’s beautiful waterfront will be transformed into a dazzling display of holiday lights, offering a magical evening for all ages.

This free, light-filled event invites you to take a festive stroll by the sea, with stunning displays that include a majestic 20-foot Christmas tree and over 50,000 twinkling lights illuminating the promenade. The iconic White Rock Pier will be aglow with holiday colours each night, creating a picture-perfect backdrop for the season.

Bright Walk in White Rock continues through January 12, 2025, giving you plenty of time to visit and soak in the holiday ambiance. Complete your holiday experience with a hot chocolate from one of White Rock’s cozy coffee shops before strolling down to the waterfront. Many local restaurants offer heated, covered patios, so you can enjoy a delicious meal with a view of the lights and the scenic Semiahmoo Bay and historic pier.

The lights will sparkle from dusk till dawn on weekdays, and all day on weekends and holidays.

 

December 22, 2024

Green Wet Christmas

Environment Canada is forecasting a very strong storm to accompany all the rain.

High winds and heavier rain arrives on Christmas Day.

 

December 20, 2024

Rail Line Closed Due To Hillside Slide

Landslide onto BNSF Railway tracks!

Amtrak Cascades trains will not run between Seattle and Vancouver, B.C., Thursday and Friday morning after a landslide in Canada near the U.S. border.

The landslide covering the railroad tracks near White Rock, B.C., led BNSF Railway to place a 48-hour moratorium on passenger service, starting Wednesday afternoon.

The city of Surrey has been very diligent with homeowners along the bluffs that adjoin the rail line, in maintaining vigilance with homeowners who remove trees from the bluff simply for view purposes. The removal of the trees greatly hamper slope stability.

Conversely in White Rock last year at the request of 4 residents concerned about their views, the city removed a large amount of trees from the hillside along Marine Drive in the area called The Hump that divides east and west beach.

 

If Wishes Were Horses

The High Speed Rail Project linking Vancouver to Seattle and Portland has just received nearly $50 million in funding from the US Feds this week. It will be supported with $5.7 million from Washington State for the second stage of corridor identification and development.

When constructed the HSR will be on an inland corridor, possibly allowing for the realignment of the BNSF Railway tracks at that time away from the shoreline of White Rock and Crescent Beach.

 

Help The Less Fortunate in Our Community

Hillcrest Bakery & Deli 15231 Thrift Ave, White Rock

Have you heard about our Hanging Coffee Program?

    We have items like sandwiches, coffee, soup & more available for free for customers who need them.

    Simply visit us in-store to see a wall of receipts highlighting what products are pre-paid and select the item you wish to redeem. No questions asked. We all need a pick me up once in a while

    If you’d like to pre-pay for an item you are welcome to visit us in store and we will add your receipt to the wall of available items.

    Please share this post to help us reach more people in need

If you see someone who is obviously living on the street please direct them to our DAYTIME WARMING CENTRE.

Also inform them they can stop into Hillcrest Bakery for a warm meal. While we are at it, stop into HILLCREST BAKERY and make a donation for a warm meal.

 

December 19, 2024

Waste Collection Changes & Sorting Tips during the Holidays

This holiday season don’t miss a collection day as waste collection will not take place on December 25, December 26 or January 1.

Plus, here’s some tips on how to sort wrapping paper, plastics, and more.

Waste Collection Changes

The following waste collection changes are in place the week of December 23.

  • Tuesday, December 24 will pick up on Monday, December 23

  • Wednesday, December 25 will pick up on Tuesday, December 24

  • Thursday, December 26 will pick up on Friday, December 27

  • Friday, December 27 will pick up on Saturday, December 28

The following waste collection changes are in place the week of December 30.

  • Tuesday, December 31 will pick up on Monday, December 30

  • Wednesday, January 1 will pick up on Tuesday, December 31

Collection resumes as normal on Thursday, January 2, 2025. Please have your waste collection ready curbside by 8 a.m.

Never miss a collection! Sign up for collection change notifications with Recollect at whiterockcity.ca/waste

Put Waste in Its Place

Make this holiday season more sustainable by sorting your waste properly with these easy tips:

  • Plain wrapping paper can go into the yellow paper recycling bag, but wrapping paper with foil, glitter cannot be recycled and belong in the garbage.

  • Soft plastics and overwraps, plastic bags, or large bulky plastic items can be taken to a Metro Vancouver Recycling & Waste Centre for recycling. The City only collects rigid packaging containers.

  • Remember to empty out and rinse containers before putting them in your blue recycle bin.

  • Only glass goes into the red glass bin - Please remove metal lids and place them in your blue recycle bin.

  • Hazardous/flammable waste containers, and scrap metals don’t belong in curbside recycling – Instead, they’re accepted for recycling at Return-it Depots and Metro Vancouver Recycling & Waste Centres 

Not sure where something should be sorted? Try the Put Waste in its Place wizard at whiterockcity.ca/waste

If you have a question about waste collection, contact operations@whiterockcity.ca or call 604-541-2181.

 

December 17, 2024

Conservative candidate wins in Cloverdale-Langley City byelection

Tamara Jansen

Former Conservative MP Tamara Jansen has won the federal byelection in Cloverdale-Langley City by a significant margin  Jansen, who previously held the seat from 2019 to 2021, earned 9,931 votes, or 66.5 per cent of the total vote share, once all 122 polls had finished reporting.

Liberal candidate Madison Fleischer, a local business owner, received 16.0 per cent of votes, while NDP candidate Vanessa Sharma received 12.5 per cent. The byelection loss caps off a tumultuous day for the Liberal party and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland resigned from cabinet earlier Monday and criticized what she referred to as “costly political gimmicks” in her resignation letter shared on social media.

Get Lucky @ The Red Rooster

A local grandmother who won a $500,000 jackpot plans to celebrate the win with her family, who she says worried for her health when they heard her shouting in their home last month.

Magdalena Gonzalez matched all four Extra numbers in the Nov. 26 LottoMax draw, according to a news release form the B.C. Lottery Corporation.

Gonzales is taking some time to decide what’s next but told the BCLC the win feels “amazing” and that she plans to share the windfall with her daughter and her grandson.

Gonzales purchased the winning ticket at Red Rooster Food Store on Stayte Road and Russell avenue here in White Rock.

The odds of matching all four extra numbers are one in 3,764,376, according to the BCLC.

 

Going Away For The Holidays?

A business who's time has come. If you would like to ensure your property is looked after during your absence a local based business BC HOME WATCH might be just the ticket you are looking for.

Imagine leaving your home for a neighbor to watch while you're away and a vandal breaks a window? What is your neighbor required to do in an emergency? Don't put the stress on them. Our client is grateful and relieved to have hired us while away for 5 months. BC Home Watch assessed the damage, filed a police report, boarded up the window and secured the home. A new window has been ordered and we will install it on Monday. All by our professionals while the owner enjoyed their vacation home in the US. Peace of mind anytime you're away from your home! We'd love to work with you. Call us for more information. 604-319-0732

 

Newton Shootin'

Surrey Police Service (SPS) is investigating a shooting that happened just before 6 pm on Monday, December 16 that has left two people injured.

Shortly before 6 pm on Monday, December 16, Surrey Police Service frontline officers responded to a call from a woman saying that she and her husband had been shot while outside in the 12600 block 67B Ave, Surrey. In their car nearby, was a young child who was unharmed. Both victims have been taken to hospital for treatment of serious injuries.

Two suspects, described as adult South Asian men, were last seen driving away in a dark-coloured sedan.

The investigation is in its early stages and is being supported by RCMP Surrey Provincial Operations Support Unit Serious Crime Unit and General Investigation Unit officers, as well as Surrey Police Service’s Frontline Investigative Support Team (FLIST).

Anyone with information is asked to please call Surrey Police Service at 604-599-0502 and quote file 2024-5300 (SP) or contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or www.solvecrime.ca. if you wish to remain anonymous.

 

December 15, 2024

SOUTH SURREY WINDSTORM FATALITY

A SOUTH SURREY woman lost her life yesterday in the windstorm.

Surrey emergency crews responded to a home near 176th street and 29th avenue yesterday afternoon where they found a woman who had succumbed to her injuries when a large branch broke loose from a tree in her yard and struck her down.

No names have been released.

 

Bright Walk in White Rock Lights Up the Waterfront

Experience the magic of the holiday season at White Rock’s Bright Walk in White Rock!

From December 7, 2024, to January 12, 2025, Memorial Park along White Rock’s beautiful waterfront will be transformed into a dazzling display of holiday lights, offering a magical evening for all ages.

This free, light-filled event invites you to take a festive stroll by the sea, with stunning displays that include a majestic 20-foot Christmas tree and over 50,000 twinkling lights illuminating the promenade. The iconic White Rock Pier will be aglow with holiday colours each night, creating a picture-perfect backdrop for the season.

Kick-Off Celebration: December 7, 2024, from 4 pm to 8 pm Don't forget to explore the Christmas Market at the White Rock Museum, featuring over 30 vendors offering unique, hand-crafted items.

The festivities begin at 4:30 pm when City of White Rock Council members officially light the Christmas tree, marking the start of the holiday season.

Bright Walk in White Rock continues through January 12, 2025, giving you plenty of time to visit and soak in the holiday ambiance. Complete your holiday experience with a hot chocolate from one of White Rock’s cozy coffee shops before strolling down to the waterfront. Many local restaurants offer heated, covered patios, so you can enjoy a delicious meal with a view of the lights and the scenic Semiahmoo Bay and historic pier.

The lights will sparkle from dusk till dawn on weekdays, and all day on weekends and holidays.

 

(click here for archived news stories)

 

 

 

Yell It Like It Is

David Chesney/Editor

 

Here we are again. Christmas time. Everywhere we turn we are being urged to share our love, give to those less fortunate than us, peace around the world and dreams of a better life.

Great.

But what about the rest of the year? Do you not think the food bank needs our help year round.

Don't get me wrong I love love love Christmas. It kicks us all in the ass to pick up the phone and call an old friend we have not talked to for months. For some it means burying the hatchet with a family member we may have fallen out with. Tomorrow is not promised, everyday is a gift and that is why we call it the present.

I have reached that age where I beginning to fear answering the phone or opening and email, in fears it will bring devastating news of the loss of another loved one. I take some consolation in that to date I have not lost anyone that did not leave this world knowing how much they meant to me and how I cherished their friendship and love. I hope you can say the same. If not...start dialing.

While I am dishing out life advice, I urge you to turn what my parents called "the idiot box." Television has digressed to the point where I find it virtually impossible to watch. I couldn't tell you anything about any of the current sitcoms. But try as I might I do see the news far too often for my liking. It feels like a giant sewer pipe of negativity flowing into my life. Oh but wait, if you can endure 58 minutes of people being bad to each other, we have a cute story about a dog in Saskatchewan.

Our brains are in my humble opinion the most incredible computers ever created. As I sit here typing away my body is pumping blood, my heart is beating, my eyelashes somehow know enough to keep my eyeballs lubricated and on and on. What a joy. Be very selective about the information you download on to you computer brain. You know how your computer runs better and faster if you get rid of a bunch of useless files. Ditto.

Sadly we take our health for granted far too often. Until we suffer a medical emergency we merrily go through life not giving it one single thought.

This morning I heard a doctor talking on morning radio how important it is for us humans to have social interaction, and by that I sure as heck don;t mean social media.

Pull on your shoes and jacket and step outside your front door. Go left, go right, it doesn;'t matter. There is a wonderful world awaiting you and I out there.

Stop and talk to a stranger, hold the door open for someone, let someone into traffic, and random act of kindness will fuel this old world and fill it full of love.

Believe me it works. I know because I try to do it everyday.

Not just at Christmas.

PAY IT FORWARD!

David Chesney

 

 

Sunday Funnies

(click here for more smile inducing quotes/posters)

 

 

History Lesson

Who knew the popular Christmas movie ELF was filmed right here in our backyard.

 

Elf is a beloved Christmas classic.

Like with many other Christmas movies, there are quite a few Canadian connections to it. From a haunted former mental hospital in BC to the famous Buddy burp...all Canadian!

So let's learn more about Elf and Canada!

While the main cast is made up of Americans, and it was directed by an American, much of the supporting cast and the shooting locations are Canadian.

For the North Pole scenes, The Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver was used as the filming location due to the large size.

One of the major filming spots for the movie was the closed Riverview Hospital in Coquitlam, BC.

The former psychiatric facility was also used for filming Walter's Office at Greenway Press, the police station, the Hobbs apartment and the orphanage scene.

Other scenes shot at the hospital included most scenes at the Gimbels store, including where Buddy tells the fake Santa that he sits on a throne of lies.

Production designer Rusty Smith called the hospital one of the creepiest places he had ever been.

Riverview Hospital was a major help to filming because of how versatile the property was.

For some Central Park scenes, where Santa crashes and is chased by the Central Park Rangers, the grounds of Riverview Hospital were used as the filming location.

Other productions that used the Riverview Hospital for shooting include Deadpool 2, Riverdale, The X-Files, Freddy vs Jason and Watchmen.

The World's Best Coffee location was filmed at 20 E. Hastings Street in Vancouver.

With filming so much in the Lower Mainland, there are naturally a lot of Canadian actors in the film.

The most prominent Canadian actor in the film was Mark Acheson.

He played the Mailroom Guy who befriends Buddy and drinks with him.

David Paul Grove played Pom Pom in the film. He also had a role as the waiter in The Santa Clause.

Michael Roberds played the Disgruntled Cobbler Elf in the film.

The Elf Teacher at the North Pole was played by Canadian Richard Side.

The famous belch by Buddy after he drinks all that Coke? Well that comes famous Canadian voice actor Maurice LaMarche.

LaMarche was also the voice of The Brain on Pinky and The Brain, Chief Quimby on Inspector Gadget, and Kif, Calculon and Morbo on Futurama.

I hope you enjoyed looking at the Canadian connections to Elf!

If you enjoy my Canadian history content, you can support my work with a donation at 👇

 

Video Of The Day

 

13 dogs and 1 lucky cat enjoy a holiday feast together at the dinner table.

They have a nice turkey to eat and plenty of vegetables and other sides to fill their bellies.

The cat doesn’t seem too excited about the holiday meal so perhaps it’s wondering what’s for dessert. 

 

Joke Of The Day

  • What happened to the man who stole an Advent Calendar? He got 25 days.

  • A gingerbread man went to the doctor’s complaining of a sore knee. The doctor asked him. “Have you tried icing it?”

  • What do you get when you cross a snowman with a vampire? Frostbite.

 

Thought For The Day

 

 

 

 

 

Community Events

 

CHRISTMAS ON THE PENINSULA

Dec 25, 2024 45th Annual COMMUNITY Christmas Day MEAL Weds. at White Rock Baptist Church, 1657 140th St. Surrey, BC on BUS Route on 16th Ave., Doors open 11:30, meal at noon - Reserve a seat &/or ride from Nov 12 on CALL 778-809-9984. To SUPPORT this event contact SOURCES at 604-542-4357 donors & more
& Note: VOLUNTEER CREW - Please register here: https://forms.office.com/r/KkVDHgzJNT
And share the link across your network.

 

 

Holiday Skates are Back at Centennial Arena!

Get ready to lace up your skates and join us at Centennial Arena starting December 21 for our Holiday Break Skates! Enjoy a different theme every day, including Frozen Winter Wonderland, Skate with Santa, Superhero Skate and much more!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Check the waterfront weather in White Rock in real time.

It's always sunny in White Rock 

 

West Beach Camera

   

East Beach camera 

   

 

 

 

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