When I was younger myself and friends seemed to have a preoccupation with blowing stuff up or burning things down. Fortunately we grew out of these destructive habits before anyone got arrested or blown to smithereens. As I got older and hopefully a little smarter, I started to pay attention to safety, especially fire safety, after being at the scene of a few house fires. To date I have been to three residential fires before the fire trucks arrived, including one several years ago where I alerted the startled owners that their house was on fire. You get a real sense of the power and energy from a house fire when you watch as it burns through the roof and starts blowing flaming shingles into the air. Fortunately in all of these cases, either nobody was home or the people got out of the building safely and without injury.
A buddy of mine with young children had a fire in his kitchen last week that started when a guest left a candle lighter on the counter and one of the kids found it and accidentally lit a towel hanging off the cupboards. Fortunately it was discovered immediately before the smoke detectors even went off and this burning rag was thrown into the yard and extinguished. Years ago a girlfriend of mine had a sister who also got a hold of a lighter and lit the clothes in her closet. The fire was contained to the one bedroom but it was eerie to open the door several days later to see the room blackened, the window smashed out and paint hanging like stalactites from the ceiling. Many years later after the birth of her child, she was awakened to a sound from the kitchen that turned out to be the cabinets catching fire after a faulty Proctor Silex coffee machine shorted out and caught fire. We even had a kitchen fire at our house from a bubbling blueberry pie that overflowed while cooking and caught fire during a family dinner.
After our fire incident and discovering that it was difficult to find a fire extinguisher in a room full of smoke, we purchased several large 5 lb dry chemical fire extinguishers rated for A, B & C fires. These were positioned throughout the house near exit doors in plain sight plus one in the bedroom. There is no point in having fire extinguishers pushed to the back of cabinets or closets. While many house fires originate in the kitchen, you don't want a fire extinguisher too close in case flames or boiling oil make retrieving it dangerous or impossible. This happened to a friend named Steve who deep-fried his house after a pot of oil caught fire and he could not get the extinguisher due to the flames. Other than a chemical fire extinguisher, the other indispensable fire safety product everyone needs in their kitchen is a fire blanket. These are usually made from Kevlar or fiberglass and they work by placing them over a small fire and removing the oxygen fueling the flames. These you do need in the kitchen close to the stove as they are often the easiest to use for putting out a cooking fire.
The big issue with fire extinguishers is that they need regular maintenance and to be recharged or replaced over time. We discovered that all of our fire extinguishers were now well beyond the point they should have been refilled and recharged. Talking to a fireman buddy of mine, he recommended checking them every six months at time-change when battery operated smoke detectors and CO detectors should get checked or have batteries changed. Simply check the pressure gauge to ensure it is in the green range then hold the extinguisher upside down and shake vigorously to keep the chemical from settling, lumping or caking. The cylinder and valve mechanism should both be cleaned and checked for any corrosion or damage. Smaller non-refillable fire extinguishers should be disposed of after 10-12 years. Larger refillable ones should be emptied and tested every 6 years with 20 years as a retirement age. The age of these can be found either on the label or the year will be in raised raised on the bottom of the tank.
What we learned from all of this is that while we were always testing our smoke detectors, we never gave the fire extinguishers a second thought. The smallest one we have (a 2.5 lb Kiddie) was 18 years old, undercharged and well beyond when it should have been replaced. The 5 pounders we have were all dated 2011 or 15 years ago and have never been maintained or recharged. Due to their age and lack of maintenance we are going to retire them as well and start with all new extinguishers. To stop this from happening again, the purchase date plus the 6, 12 and 18 year recharge dates are being written on the cylinders with a permanent felt marker. There is no point in having a fire extinguisher sitting in your house and not having it work properly when you need it the most. If you ever do have a fire in your house, remember the golden fire extinguisher rule: Only attempt to use an extinguisher if you can confidently tackle it with the right equipment. Otherwise, if in doubt, get out and stay out.
Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn
Local News
February 23, 2026
White Rock Council - Today's Agenda
IN CAMERA 3 p.m. Closed to the public
REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING - 4 p.m.
Monday, February 23, 2026
Gallery Room, White Rock Community Centre Council Chambers
Surrey Police Service (SPS) is investigating a fatal overnight single-vehicle collision in South Surrey that has claimed the life of the driver.
At approximately 9:37 pm on February 22, 2026, Surrey Police Service, Surrey Fire Services (SFS), and BCEHS received calls for a vehicle that had rolled over into a water-filled ditch on 168 Street north of 40 Avenue. SFS firefighters were able to remove the driver, a man in his 20’s and the lone occupant of the car, and they, along with BCEHS paramedics, administered life saving measures. Sadly, the driver later succumbed to his injuries in hospital.
SPS’s Collision Investigation Unit (CIU) were called to the scene, and they have assumed conduct of the investigation. At this early stage, the cause remains under investigation.
Surrey Police Service is asking anyone who witnessed the collision, or who may have been driving in the area of 168 Street and 40 Avenue at approximately 9:30 pm on February 22, 2026, and is in possession of dashcam footage, to contact the SPS non-emergency line at 604-599-0502 and quote file number 25-17735 (SP).
New stal̕əw̓asəm Bridge fully open as Pattullo Bridge demolition begins
First Nations bridge name - The stal̕əw̓asəm name can be understood as “a space where you can view the river.” The English name is Riverview. The name recognizes First Nations’ historical and current connections to the area. Former Musqueam Indian Reserve No. 1 and Kwantlen Indian Reserve No. 8 were in qiqéyt, an important village site near the base of the bridge in Surrey. The hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ name is featured on the bridge’s crossbeam, and First Nations art is being installed across the project.
Pattullo Bridge demolition
With the stal̕əw̓asəm Bridge open, deconstruction of the Pattullo Bridge is now underway.
This is necessary to complete construction of the Columbia Street on-ramp, Highway 17 off-ramp and some connections for the new multi-use paths.
Crews have mobilized equipment and are conducting preparatory activities ahead of concrete and steel removal.
Removal of the Pattullo Bridge will take approximately two years to complete.
The stal̕əw̓asəm Bridge is a vital link for people in the regional transportation network, and an important component of the goods movement network, serving local and national needs.
Quick Facts:
The stal̕əw̓asəm Bridge is a single tower cable-stay bridge, which differentiates it from the Alex Fraser and Port Mann bridges. Each cable has up to 80 strands, and the longest cable on the main span is approximately 300 metres.
The total length is 1,235 metres, equivalent to more than 12 Canadian football fields.
There are approximately 62,400 cubic metres of concrete in the bridge, enough to fill 25 Olympic swimming pools.
February 21, 2026
Why we can’t have nice things
The Pattullo Bridge was originally supposed to stay open for cyclists and pedestrians until the morning of February 17. Unfortunately, those plans changed when the bridge had to be shut down earlier than expected this Monday evening.
According to Staff-Sgt. Lindsey Houghton, Senior Media Relations Officer for Surrey Police Service, on-site security contacted police after people were seen attempting to climb the bridge’s arch.
When officers arrived, two individuals had already climbed partway up and were instructed to come down safely.
What made things worse? About 30 more people were reportedly lined up, waiting for their turn to climb. For safety reasons, authorities decided to close the bridge entirely.
Here’s a quick breakdown of what happened:
Security called police after spotting people climbing the arch
2 individuals were told to come down
Around 30 people were waiting to climb next
Bridge closed early for public safety
A situation that could have been avoided ended up cutting access short for everyone. Safety always comes first.
Notice of Public Hearing for the Official Community Plan amendment bylaw
On Monday, March 2 at 4 p.m. Council will hear and receive submissions regarding the draft OCP amending Bylaw No. 2511 in the Council Chambers, at the White Rock Community Centre at 15154 Russell Avenue.
Surrey urges residents to avoid pruning City trees and heavy fines
With pruning season approaching, the City of Surrey is reminding residents not to prune or cut trees on City property. Damaging and cutting these trees is an offence under Surrey’s Tree Protection Bylaw and carries fines of up to $20,000.
“Pruning cuts made at the wrong time or the wrong place can permanently damage and weaken a tree,” said Rob Landucci, Surrey’s urban forestry manager. “This reduces its ability to provide shade, manage rainwater and provide clean air, which all help to increase property values and support our mental and physical wellbeing. Properly caring for our trees ensures that these benefits continue for our community.”
The City manages more than 115,000 shade trees on public property. Certified arborists follow proper pruning practices to support the long-term health of our trees. Each year, arborists inspect and prune more than 20,500 trees – about 1,700 per month – to keep Surrey’s urban forest green and thriving.
If you believe a City tree near your home or business needs attention, please call 604-501-5050 or submit a report online. To check if a tree is on City property, check out COSMOS, the City of Surrey Mapping Online system, and search for “Park Specimen Trees.”
The South of Fraser East Area Transport Plan (ATP) will help shape the future of transit, cycling, walking, and goods movement within communities southeast of the Fraser River over the next 15 years.
Guided by our regional transportation strategy,?Transport 2050, and its vision of ‘Access for Everyone’, the South of Fraser East ATP will help TransLink prioritize future investments in the transportation network, so that everyone can easily connect to the people, places, and opportunities they want to. We want to hear from you!
Phase 1 Public Engagement
We’re inviting anyone who lives, works, or travels through the cities of Surrey, White Rock, and Langley, the Township of Langley, and North Delta to help shape your community’s transportation future.
Take the South of Fraser East ATP Phase 1 survey from February 9 to March 1, 2026.
Growing up in "North" Surrey in 50's and 60's the Patullo Bridge truly was "our" bridge to another world.
In those days most residents in our area (which is now the Guildford area) had a couple of acres. For the most part between business centres Whalley and Cloverdale we had all we needed to exist.
Rare trips into Vancouver were facilitated by one way and one way only, the Patullo. Though I don’t actually remember toll booths on the Patullo I do have a vivid memory of the little yellow plastic coin holder my dad had hanging on the dash of our Hillman car, which when I questioned what the pennies were for he explained they were for the bridge tolls.
My most vivid memory of the Patullo Bridge though involved my mother Peggy Chesney. In the mid 50’s there was one year where all the kids in the neighbourhood had gone off to school leaving me with only my Mom to hang out for the entire year. Mom’s routine was pretty basic, breakfast for my father and sister who would dutifully head off to work and school respectively. I would then normally head outside for the rest of the morning to explore our five acres of bush, while Mom did the housework, baked, ironed and readied supper plans.
After lunch we were off and running in the family’s second car a 1953 Mercury, a boat of a vehicle. Our travels took us to church bake sales, Avon house parties, blood donor clinics at our local church and a variety of other destinations that have faded with time.
But back to “The Patullo.” On rare occasions there was a need for Mom and I to navigate the Patullo Bridge to get to New Westminster. My mother feared those trips, she was terrified of crossing the bridge given its narrowness and close proximity to other vehicles. The curving bend on the Surrey side of the bridge meant if you were in the centre lane (there were 4 lanes) it almost appeared you were going to hit the oncoming traffic head on. As a result of this malady Mom would always choose the outside lane along the rail, which was seemingly dangerously close to my window on the passenger side. My mother’s solution to her fear to crossing the bridge was to get across as fast as she felt comfortable driving. Exiting on the New West side always caused a sigh of relief from both of us.
I couldn’t help but smile when I saw the artist’s rendition of how the old bridge could be re jigged to mirror the High-line Bridge in New York that connects two Burroughs in New York City.
The High Line provides a unique way to experience the city, enabling visitors to catch unexpected views while wandering from Greenwich Village, through West Chelsea and into Hudson Yards.
Artist rendering of reimagined Patullo
I smile because proponents of this idea have not thought this one through or have no idea of the topography. It would be quite walk from the residential area of New West to get to the bridge, and once you landed on the Surrey side you would have the option of a beer at the Turf Hotel, a trip to Felix Salvage up the road or if you were really adventurous you could hike up Scott Road and visit any on of a number of auto wreckers.
For me I plan on making the trip soon across the newly opened replacement bridge.
I plan on nudging up to the rail lane and thinking of how I would love to have been making the trip with.....“Peggy”.
David Chesney
Editor / Publisher
Video of the Day
This Saturday SOURCES BC hosts their annual fundraiser - The Coldest Night of the Year.
Lest we forget
Artist rendering of reimagined Patullo
