Sunnyside Acres demonstration forest / JON LAVOIE photo
Where You Can Vacation And Be Home The Same Day
TNT The Naked Truth
Don Pitcairn
Feb. 23, 2026
Don't Kiddie Around
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 24 2026
White Rock Council Rewind
Question & Answer Period
Local resident STEVE HERRINGER appeared before council wondering why he had to pay a full replacement cost for an annual parking decal he misplaced. HERRINGER identified he had been a resident in White Rock for 38 years and had purchased a parking decal annually. He indicated he and the city had copies of his receipt and that he felt the city in charging him full replacement of $65.00 made him feel like the city was accusing him of something illegal?
Staff was asked to follow up.
Delegations
White Rock Museum staff and directors were in attendance for an annual update on the waterfront facility. The presentation reconfirmed the absolute need for assistance in the creation of storage space for archives. Plans for the proposed Community Hub include a storage area for the museum.
RCMP Quarterly Report
Staff Sergent ROB DIXON appeared before council to update the activity of the local detachment. In the last quarter the detachment responded to 1580 calls. The annual total was 6870 calls for service. DIXON was asked to comment on the major news item of extortion and subsequent homes targeted with shootings. DIXON indicated there had been isolated incidents in White Rock but due to ongoing investigation no further details would be forthcoming. DIXON was also asked the possibility of updates on foot patrols and bicycle patrols when he returns to council for the next quarterly update in May. DIXON indicated he would be happy to respond to the request.
UTILITY FEES
Finance requested the ability to transition utility fees from annual property tax notice to quarterly utility bills. Approved unanimously
Information Plaques In City Parks
Staff will update and create a clearer guideline for the naming of public spaces within the city's boundaries.
Oxford Comfort Station
Council approved a $25,000.00 budget for the creation of a mural on the the city building located on Marine Drive @ Oxford Street.
MOTION
A motion to have staff investigate the cost and possibility of a waterfront custom car/hot rod show was approved unanimously. The proposed car show could possibly be staged on the Sea Fest weekend. Initial concerns was the car show would be held in two of the waterfront parking lots which would caused a lost of revenue.
Local Open House - Today
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.
Note: Live stream is only visible once the meeting has started. If the meeting has started and you are unable to view, please refresh your browser or reload the page.
February 23, 2026
Police Investigating Overnight Fatal Collision
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.”
Lest we forget
