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November 21, 2024, 6:41 am |
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October 24, 2024
In My Opinion
Surrey EWR shelters operate from October 15 to April 15 when weather is extreme (feels like temperature is at or below 0 degrees Celsius, significant snow, freezing rain, sustained high wind, and/or temperatures near zero with rain).
Due to the heavy rains last weekend, the city of Surrey activated their Extreme Weather program. This triggered opening a shelter in the lower level of the South Surrey Rec Centre. Given I knew the topic of a Warming Centre was back on the agenda for Monday's council meeting I decided to educate myself more on the matter of the unhoused in our community.
I made a point of visiting the centre each morning at 6 a.m. an hour before the scheduled closing time. I learned a number of things.
1. On average there were less than 10 users nightly.
2. Many used the facility on more than one night.
3. A van was utilized to drive around the south Surrey/White rock footprint of land to pick up anyone that looked like they may be unhoused. the same van at closing time @ 7 a.m. then distributes the individuals to wherever they would like to be dropped off. Tim Hortons? McDonalds? Or anywhere they can get warm and stay in out of the weather.
4. All of the users of the facility were adults.
Fast forward to Monday evening's council meeting. to say we wet the bed on this topic this year would be an understatement. I believe the two constants over the back and forth of approving the Warming Centre, were my opposition to the expenditure and creation of a Warming Centre, and Councillor Ernie Klassen's support to open and operate a Warming Centre again this year. In the past three years the facility was operated I voted in opposition. Not to be cruel or uncaring. I consistently asked "So what happens at 10 p.m. when the Warming Centre is closed" The hours of operation for those not aware were 7 a.m. - 10 p.m. daily. The cost of operating the Warming Centre is roughly $400,000.00.
The council chambers were packed with advocates for the Unhoused. When the dust cleared after discussion and a vote, myself, Councillor Trevelyan and Mayor Knight voted in opposition. the vote being 4-3 in favour means the Warming Centre will operate again this year. Knight, myself and Trevelyan advocated a nightly operation that would mirror when Surrey has their Extreme Weather shelters are open for overnight service. An added feature this year of our Warming Centre will be an expenditure of $30,000.00 to have a security person patrol the surrounding area after closure. It was also stated a group of volounteers would come forth to help sweep the area clean in the morning to pick up any drug paraphernalia, evidence of drug use and anything else that would impact the nearby daycare centre and sports fields used by many young members of our community.
It is shameful the Provincial and Federal government will not participate and support our efforts. It is also disgraceful we are unable to have an open dialogue with the city of Surrey to work together to solve this problem. I do not know what the answer is to this serious problem in our community, I simply don';t believe the operation of the Warming Centre as it exists...is the answer.
That is MY OPINION
David Chesney
Editor/City Councillor White Rock
IN MY OPINION
David Chesney
July 19, 2024
I would like to get a few things off my chest today.
I love White Rock, it has been my home for nearly 40 years, prior to that I grew up in the Guildford area, though it was not called that back in those days. Due to Surrey’s size when asked where we lived we simply said North Surrey.
Back to White Rock. As most of you that are reading this know I am a third term city councillor in this City by the Sea..
Have you noticed the increase in homeless that have like us, decided it would be great to live in White Rock. Council for the past three years have elected to fund a “warming centre” which has been located in Centennial Park. I did not support the warming centre, not out of meanness, but simply because there seemed to be no thought put towards what happens when the warming centre closes @ 10 p.m.? The centre closes and when possible if it is really cold the operators of the warming centre attempt to relocate the individuals from the centre to overnight cold weather shelters in Surrey. The problem is those overnight cold weather shelters are only open a fraction of the time the warming centre operates. This means @ 10 o'clock each evening the visitors to the warming centre are turned out on our streets with nowhere to go until 7 a.m. when the warming centre opens again. In the first year Surrey shared the price tag of $350,000.00 with White Rock. The past two years we have gone it alone. This picture is of a person who has decided he will take the homeless situation to the front door of city hall.
Meanwhile: July 18, 2024
Surrey Homelessness and Housing Society Invites Grant Proposals for Projects to Address Homelessness
Up to $500K in Grants Available
Surrey, BC – The Surrey Homelessness and Housing Society (SHHS) has issued its 2024 Grant Call for Submissions from charitable and non-profit organizations seeking funding support for projects and initiatives to help address homelessness and housing insecurity in Surrey. This year, up to $500,000 in grants is available. Submissions are accepted now through 5 p.m. PDT on August 30, with the grant allocation announcement taking place in September 2024.
I am still having a hard time imagining someone driving into White Rock along Marine Drive and saying "I know what this town needs...another ice cream shop"
Yet another ice cream shop opened just last week across from the museum.
Perhaps we should look at the possibility of council limiting types of retail outlets.
If we cut the number in half it would be far more profitable for the remaining outlets.
Bring Back The Sandcastle Competition
The above photo is of the winner of this year's PARKSVILLE SAND SCULPTING FESTIVAL. Our very own Sandcastle competition inspired Parksville in 1982 who wanted a summer time event to draw tourists. The White Rock Sandcastle competition ran from 1979-1987. The final year it drew a record crowd of over 400,000. That's right 400,000.
The RCMP encouraged the city to cancel the competition and just like that we went from THE SANDCASTLE CAPITAL OF THE WORLD to ...........?
Hike The Hillside
The new trek, PoCo Climb, has opened its first phase. Phase Two promises an even bigger adventure, with over 150 stairs and a 75-meter elevation gain, plus a unique granite boulder scramble.
Well good on you PoCo.
For years I have pushed White Rock to create a HIKE THE HILLSIDE connection of roads and road end with location signs strategically placed along the route to promote the hilside hike route. . Visitors would park near the bottom of Oxford Street, hike up Oxford then head east to the series of "road ends" that dot our hillside. Great exercise going up and down them (if only we marked them).
I am not really holding my breath. It has now been over a decade since the the late city councillor HELEN FATHERS brought forth a design to beautify the Centre street walkway which runs from Columbia down to Marine Drive and affords walkers a spectacular ocean vista. The last council voted to rename the walkway HELEN FATHERS CENTRE STREET WALKWAY in her honour.
Here we sit. A lot of talk and that is about all.
It is not all bad in White Rock. Far from it, this weekend hundreds will take part in the dance on the plaza in Memorial Park and in the coming weeks large crowds will turn up for the Concerts at the Pier. Personally I am excited about the return of our SEA FEST and in particular the Torchlight parade on Saturday evening August 03. I have spoken to a number of friends that are already jockeying for a patio seat along the parade route.
Chris Thornley & his brother /HELEN & I
It will be slightly different for me this year. In the past years I rode the parade route with my dear friend the late and great councillor HELEN FATHERS. Very humbling to drive from one end of our town to the other and hear every second person have a personal greeting for Helen. And well deserved I might add.
Dave who?
This year I will be accompanied by my fiancé GAYLE BOUTILIER.
Give us a wave and a big hello, I LOVE MY WHITE ROCK!
David Chesney
Editor/Publisher
May 08, 2024
In My Opinion
At the last regular meeting of council (April 29) staff brought forward for a "first look" at two projects that are well above the allowable height in the current Official Community Plan OCP.
One of the applications for an OCP amendment was for a 26 storey tower to be locate on the NE corner of George Street and North Bluff road. The current Official Community Plan designates that are of the city to have nothing more than 6 storey buildings.
The other application which seems to have inflamed the community is a proposed 31 storey tower (which would make it the highest building in the city). In the past couple of weeks I have had numerous residents buttonhole me and ask me "What the heck is going on @ City Hall?"
The last council 2018-2022 Democracy Direct were elected with a majority of council seats (5-2). Democracy Direct capitalized on the community's anger at the number of the high-rises approved by the previous council (2014-2018) the Coalition led by former mayor Wayne Baldwin with two of the current sitting council members on his slat. Mayor Knight and Bill Lawrence were shown the door when Democracy Direct gained control of city hall.
Through all this mess the late councillor HELEN FATHERS and I sat back with only two votes marveling at the twists and turns of both councils.
I am not sure if the current council is going to push hard for more density in White Rock. With the exception of myself and Councillor TREVELYAN if we can come to any conclusion from the April meeting, this council is planning on adding more density to our city by the sea.
My basic objection is twofold.
1. We are waiting for the emissary of representatives from The Province to arrive to sit down with our Planning Department and map out how they believe we should pack in more people into the 9th densest city in all of Canada.
2. The sitting council a number of months back approved a $90,000.00 expenditure for a NORTH BLUFF CORRIDOR study. The George street project is smack in the middle of said study.
Why the rush?
Is there fear the Province's guidelines and or North Bluff corridor study will not reflect the vision the the 4 councillors and the mayor who approved both OCP amendments?
From the feedback from the community it appears most of the anger is centres on MAYOR KNIGHT. Someone took to social media and posted up an audio video clip of MAYOR KNIGHT stating at the all mayoral debate, if elected she would stick to the Official Community Plan.
The community has a lot of questions. Will the heat die down. Will people get over it and just accept more high-rises as their fate?
I do know one thing, the vast majority of the people that vote annually in White Rock do not support high-rises.
David Chesney
Editor/Publisher / City Councillor
The above comments are solely MY OPINION
In My Opinion
David Chesney
Yesterday (March 20) I had the pleasure of joining host IAN SCOTT of Surrey talk radio in an hour's dialogue on a wide variety of topics. One of the questions IVAN posed to me was the pros and cons of being a city councillor in White Rock. The pros rolled off my lips. The true highlight is the positive feedback from members of the community.
A supportive email, telephone call or a personal encounter in the community puts the wind back in my sails.
The cons are few, with the exception of one personal occurrence. Keyboard warriors. For those not aware of the term, it refers to individuals that take to social media to offer up their personal opinions on how city council is doing. I will openly admit normally when someone says to me "Did you see what so and so said about you on such and such FACEBOOK? I simply reply no I did not see it, and if sos and so has anything to say to me they know how to get a hold of me.
The city has provided an easy to find link on its website where the emails and city cellular phone numbers of all members of council are archived.
In my 9 years as an elected official I have only had one individual actually stop me on the street and take me to task on something I have said or done pertaining to my p[position as a city councillor. Read that again. ONE INDIVIDUAL!
I openly encourage dialogue with the community. In my first term as a city councillor I hosted monthly COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS on the first Saturday of the month at the White Rock library. I have plans to revive the opportunity to dialogue with members in our community in a slightly different format. Think POP UP Community Conversations. Stay tuned.
I digress. The other day a community member asked me what I thought of the Mayor's planned 25 storey tower to be located at the corner of Russell avenue and Johnston Road. The piece of property next to the White Rock Playhouse which the city bought 6 or 7 years ago. I was on that WAYNE BALDWIN led council (as were two other members of the current council). The property the one time location of Rebel gas station was owned by Imperial Oil and we were offered the opportunity to purchase the land. The pitch to the council of the day was to turn it into a a green space/park to offset the runaway tsunami of highrise approvals. The details of that deal will be the topic for another day.
When I told the individual I wasn;'t sure what he was referring to he forwarded me the link on FACEBOOK by a resident by the name of FIONA MCDERMID. I read with interest the comments, some listed below. The racist and totally without merit have been omitted. I have respect for FIONA MCDERMID, she has been engaged in our community for a number of years, volounteering for community events as well as actually turning her collar up to the winds of indifference and ran for city council.
As for the res of the "keyboard warriors" zero respect. As I scrolled through the names I did not recognize but just a couple of the critics. I have never heard from their regarding their displeasure with what is happening at city halls
For years elected council members made sure QUESTION PERIOD was buried at the very end of the council meetings. Meaning if a member of the community had a question, they were forced to sit through en entire council meeting to have their say. To the credit of the last council QUESTION PERIOD became QUESTION AND ANSER PERIOD and was moved to the front of the council meeting. Any member of the community wishing to address their elected officials =simply had to turn up 5 minutes before the council meeting, sign the sign up list and voila. The floor was theirs for two minutes. When the current council was elected there was a movement to move QUESTION AND ANSWER PERIOD back to the end of the council meeting to in my mind discourage dialogue from the community. Four members including myself stood our ground to retain it in its current format and time. I have been terribly disappointed there has been little or no engagement from the community. Heck our council meetings now start @ 4 o'clock. You can be on your way home by 4:15 at the latest.
So "Keyboard Warriors" I challenge you here and now. Soldier up so to speak, and if you have something to say to me or any of the elected officials you sent down to city hall, come on down. I dare you.
The door is open and the lights are on. Come out of the shadows.
Editor/Publisher
David Chesney
Tuesday 9 a.m.
New City Hall for White Rock, just what we don't need.
The question of the day how many of the existing council members will ever see the inside of this development
Enough already. Where is the infrastructure to support this. It already takes me literally 5 times longer to get from point A to point B than it did 6 years ago. What used to take five minutes now takes up to twenty-five. And that's when I'm not fighting a road closure due to seemingly endless construction blocking through routes so they can unload supplies or whatever. Stop! There is no where else to put any more traffic.
I have said it before but these council members need to be sued.
Just watch the people living in the new Royal Bank building squawk when this blocks out their views!
Really pathetic attitude from a totally out-of-touch city council.
First - Marine Drive needs to be addressed - what an embarrassment - buildings empty for years - unkept buildings
Is anyone else seeing what I’m seeing here, speaking of all the $ going to Surrey? Check out district 9! All those immigrant liberal votes. What a fn scam!!! And White Rock district 10 is 2/3s in the ocean!!! Like really??? Anyone?
Pretty much. And a lot don’t even have that yet when they arrive.
Also Steven, it’s not just white people saying this. I’ve talked with brown people and asian people who are ashamed of their own for what’s going on and how.
Isn't the Mayors Husband a Developer? What's really happening here.
January 31, 2024
IN MY OPINION will not be a regular weekly column, but it will appear fairly often as the actions of White Rock council unfold.
I will note first and foremost the reason the column is called IN MY OPINION is that it is exactly that. I do not in any way shape or form intend anyone to think the thoughts that will be expressed here are of the current council. The other reason for it being called IN MY OPINION is for anyone in any way shape or form think I am violating the conduct of conduct this council was saddled with. And I do mean saddled. Over 30 pages of you will do this and you will not do that was not supported by me when the vote was taken. This document was crafted by God knows who because from my research it was not crafted by ALL the members of council, and perhaps there was no input from any members of council.
Corporate report dated January 29, 2024 from the Director of Planning and Development Services titled "Update on Recent Provincial Housing Initiatives and Regulation Requirements".
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RECOMMENDATION
THAT Council receive the Corporate report, titled “Update on Recent Provincial Housing Initiatives and Regulation Requirements,” dated January 29, 2024, from the Director of Planning and Development, for information.
This item is a report only at this point. I do not in any way shape or from support proceeding with implementing the Provincial housing guidelines to our community. As I have previously mentioned and staff has now supported, the current Provincial guidelines DO NOT APPLY to White Rock.
The Transit-Oriented Development Areas Designate by the regulation (in effect) designates 16 Lower Mainland communities that are currently listed as Development Areas. White Rock is not on that public list.
Corporate report dated January 29, 2024 from the Director of Engineering and Municipal Operations titled "Temporary Office and Council Chamber Options".
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RECOMMENDATION
THAT Council:
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Approve Option A “Relocate Council Chambers to Annex and Construct Offices in Vacated Space”; and
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Authorize staff to proceed with the renovations once the Financial Plan is approved.
The expenditure to move and create a new council chamber is unnecessary in my opinion. If the city is in need of office space, the temporary office space should be created in the Annex building where the very expensive proposal to relocate the council chambers is being proposed. The cost to move and create a new council chamber and craft a few offices in the old council chambers will cost the taxpayers of White Rock a half million dollars. Yes you read that right. $500.000.00 dollars. But no money for a mural which would cost $30,000.00 dollars. (see below)
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