White Rock waterfront's last service station / Corner of Oxford Street & Marine Drive
Where You Can Vacation And Be Home The Same Day
TNT The Naked Truth
Don Pitcairn
May 25, 2026
5 Corners, 4 Corners, 3 Corners
I have the pleasure of working near the historic "5 Corners" intersection in White Rock where Johnson Road, Pacific Avenue and Buena Vista Avenue all meet. In case you were wondering how three streets equal 5 Corners, it is because Buena Vista Avenue used to run along the south of White Rock Elementary before the strata housing Laura's Coffee Corner, Emilio Finatti Pizzeria and Morrison Cafe was built in the 1970s. Gone is the starfish shaped confluence of roads and what is left is three roads plus a single lane one-way offshoot of Johnson Road. To say that this intersection is an accident waiting to happen would be an understatement. There is always a cacophony of horns and squealing tires almost every time we are in the neighbourhood and the pseudo crosswalk leading towards the elementary school is a danger to children and adults alike.
What makes this bizarre intersection so dangerous is that Johnson Rd. heading south veers east, turning into Pacific Avenue without anything to slow traffic down. Adding to the danger, drivers can also go straight ahead onto a short one-way lane, still called Johnson Rd., as a shortcut down to the beach. The only stop sign in the 5 Corners is eastbound on Buena Vista Ave. where drivers can turn left 90 degrees onto Johnson heading north, go forward onto Pacific at 30 degrees to the right, or turn onto the Johnson one-way lane heading south. The biggest danger is they don't realize that drivers on Johnson Rd. heading south may not be taking the angled corner but instead drive straight through. Westbound traffic on Pacific often signals to turn left onto Buena Vista but are actually turning south on the Johnson one-way. It gets even worse on the Johnson one-way as the stop sign by the Five Corners Cafe is often ignored, which is a menace for drivers turning west coming the other direction or turning right from Beachview Ave. Even worse, I have seen countless vehicles drive the wrong way up this one-way lane heading into the 5 Corners intersection. If any of this is confusing, try it behind the wheel of a car. In case I lost you, check out the map at https://mapcarta.com/N6600620382 .
This chaos is compounded by the crosswalks in the area with an elementary school next door. There is a crosswalk across Buena Visa and the Johnson one-way but pedestrians had better have their heads on a swivel and be on alert because of all of the confused drivers who can barely deal with the other vehicles, let alone people crossing the road. There is no crosswalk across the end of Johnson if people want to get to the pedestrian walkway along the school. Amazingly, there is an angled crosswalk that runs across the end of Pacific but because of its location, many people simply take the best line and jaywalk across this already dangerous intersection, only adding to the confusion and danger. As if this was not enough, some trendy moron in City Hall decided that this would be a great place for a rainbow adorned crosswalk. Now, I'm not sure where one's sexuality became a public necessity on our streets, but not having a properly marked crosswalk in this already dangerous corner is a menace and a liability to White Rock. Considering it angles across the road, this crosswalk should consist of heavy white rectangles placed across the road and there should also be pedestrian activated yellow flashing lights.
So how do we fix this historic traffic mess? It's really quite simple and plans were drawn up to turn 5 Corners, which is actually 4 Corners, into 3 Corners by blocking off the Johnson one-way and turning this area into a public meeting area. You can see all the details in the Five Corners Improvement plan on the City of White Rock website at https://www.whiterockcity.ca/1211/Five-Corners-Improvement . Getting rid of the short one-way section of Johnson will address the problem of drivers on Buena Vista not realizing that cars on Johnson or Pacific are actually heading there. Ditto for drivers on Pacific headed onto Buena Vista cutting off cars on Johnson. It will eliminate the stop-sign runners on the Johnson one-way at Beachview plus ensure we no longer get drivers heading the wrong way up this lane into oncoming traffic. In the plans, engineers have called for stop signs, speed humps and crosswalks on Johnson, Pacific and Buena Vista. This would greatly improve road safety, along with pedestrian safety for residents and visitors to White Rock. I'm sure that the people living in the neighbourhood would also sleep much better without the constant blare of horns from the many near misses that occur here on a constant basis.
White Rock Council had the opportunity to address these long-standing dangers plus improve their park inventory but they decided to vote against this plan due to pressure from local businesses. In particular the owners of the Five Corners Cafe led the charge to keep things exactly as they are, regardless of the risks. I'm sorry to say but I believe the increased foot traffic in the area would have more than made up for the loss of the handful of parking spots across the Johnson one-way. I'm going to go out on a limb and suggest that the Five Corners Cafe could greatly increase their sales and customer base by doing one very simple thing; change their payment model from "cash only" and start taking debit and credit card payments. After the next civic election on Oct. 17 this year, the original Five Corners improvement plan needs to be revisited with the Johnson one-way being eliminated. Council needs to do what is best for the safety of the community and affect the changes to 5 Corners that have been a long time coming. I should note that Councillor Dave Chesney was the only member of White Rock Council who voted for this original plan when it was turned down.
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.
For the months of May and June, SPS’s Traffic Enforcement Unit will be targeting vehicles emitting excessive noise and/or those that have illegal modifications.
A reminder that having tinted windows, loud mufflers, tires extended, and illegal suspension can result in receiving a $109 motor vehicle ticket or a notice and order.
Surrey Police Service (SPS) is investigating shots fired outside a business in Cloverdale in the mid-afternoon of May 21, 2026.
On May 21, 2026, at approximately 2:24 pm, SPS officers responded to a report of gunshots near 58 Avenue and 176 Street, Surrey. Upon arrival, police located at least one business damaged by the gunshots. There have been no reported injuries.
At 2:47 pm, SPS officers responded to a report of a vehicle on fire near 20 Avenue and 174 Street, Surrey.
The investigation is in its early stages and the motive for the shots fired is unknown. It is not, however, believed to be extortion related. Investigators will be examining whether the vehicle fire is connected to the shots fired.
SPS’s Major Crime Section (MCS) has taken over the lead on the investigation, and the Integrated Forensic Identification Services (IFIS) will be in the area processing physical and digital evidence.
Traffic in the area of 58 Avenue and 175 Street has been shut down while the scene is processed.
Anyone with information about this incident, including CCTV or dashcam footage, or who may know the identities of the suspects is asked to contact SPS’ non-emergency line at 604-599-0502 and quote file number 26-50217 (SP).
Full-patch Hells Angel Jaswinder ‘Jas’ Basi, 41, was uninjured after someone opened fire at a Surrey auto spa business. Basi, currently a member of the Hells Angels Nomads in Ontario was the target of the shooting.
Cops responded to a shots-fired call at about 2:24 p.m. near 58th Avenue and 176th Street. Cool Whipz Auto Spa, at 5811 176th St., was behind police tape. Half an hour later SPS reported a vehicle on fire near 20th Avenue and 174th Street.
May 21, 2026
Bad Timing
BC Conservative leadership candidate Kerry-Lynne Findlay is under investigation by the federal election watchdog over expenses relating to her unsuccessful federal re-election campaign in 2025, Business in Vancouver has learned.
The Office of the Commissioner of Canada Elections, which oversees federal election laws, is currently conducting interviews and requesting information relating to Findlay’s campaign.
Man Charged with Firearms and Extortion Related Offences
..another one bites the dust
A man has been charged with a number of Criminal Code offences following separate investigations by Surrey Police Service (SPS) and Abbotsford Police Department for incidents that took place in Surrey and Abbotsford in December 2025.
On December 14, 2025, at approximately 2:30 am, SPS Frontline officers responded to reports of shots fired at a business located in the 8000 block 120 Street, Surrey. Police confirmed damage to the building was caused by gunshots. The business, which had received extortion threats, was occupied at the time and fortunately none of the staff present were injured. The SPS news release regarding that incident can be found here: Police Investigate Early Morning Shots Fired | Surrey Police .
On December 15, 2025, at approximately 2:05 am, SPS Frontline officers responded to a business parking lot in the 12400 block Old Yale Road, Surrey, where two vehicles had been lit on fire, causing significant damage. This business had also received extortion threats.
On December 17, 2025, members of the Abbotsford Police Department arrested Gursewak Singh immediately after a shooting incident on King Road. See the APD news release here: AbbyPD Investigates Overnight Shooting on King Road
The SPS Organized Crime unit worked with APD investigators and were able to identify a common suspect in all three incidents.
Twenty-two-year-old Gursewak Singh has now been charged with the following Criminal Code offences in relation to the two SPS investigations:
Discharge of a firearm at a place, knowing or being reckless as to whether another person was present
Possession of a loaded prohibited or restricted firearm without a license or registration
Extortion using a firearm
Occupying a vehicle knowing there was a firearm present
Possession of a firearm without a license or registration
Possession of a firearm knowing it was without a license or registration
Two counts of arson in relation to property
Extortion
Gursewak Singh has been detained by the court. His next court appearance is set for May 22, 2026.
SPS is asking anyone who has information on Gursewak Singh to contact SPS’s non-emergency number at 604-599-0502, call our Extortion Tip Line at 236-485-5149, or call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or www.solvecrime.ca if you wish to remain anonymous.
Point of View
How many times have you driven by the Little Campbell River on our way out of town on Marine Drive?
Very few of us have ever had the opportunity to see what a beautiful stretch of the little river really looks like. The river runs through the Semiahmoo first nations land from the ocean all the way out to HWY 99. The headwaters of the Little Campbell are in danger from expansion of commercial properties in the Campbell Heights district of South Surrey.
Another point of view is what our City by the Sea looks like at sunset from a bird's eye view.
Drinking & Driving / Long Weekend Results in over 70 Impaired Driving Investigations
Surrey Police Service (SPS) is reminding drivers about the serious dangers and consequences of impaired driving after issuing over 70 impaired driving-related prohibitions over the May long weekend.
This past long weekend, SPS’s Road Safety Section and Impaired Driving Unit officers were proactively patrolling for impaired drivers. Between Friday, May 15, and Monday, May 18, the officers issued 73 impaired driving-related prohibitions ranging from Criminal Code impaired driving charges to Immediate Roadside Prohibitions.
Impaired driving remains one of the major causes of collisions across British Columbia. SPS would like to remind drivers that alcohol, cannabis, illegal drugs, and certain prescription medications can all impair a driver’s ability to safely operate a vehicle by impacting reaction time, judgment, coordination, and attention.
Some helpful safety tips include:
Leave your car at home and use a taxi or ride share service
Plan your transit route before you go so you know how to get home safely
Choose a designated driver who will stay sober and get you home safely
Never get into a vehicle with a driver you believe may be impaired
If you suspect someone is driving impaired, please call 9-1-1.
The right of passage for North American males in the from the 50's to the 90's was cruising. In cars that is. Vestiges of cruising can still be seen in White Rock on a daily basis. Fridays and Saturdays were meant to show and shine your custom car, hot rod or back yard project for all the world to see. It didn't matter if you grew up in a major Canadian city or a small Prairie town, we headed out to “cruise” from one end of town to the next, back and forth back and forth.
In my case growing up in “North” Surrey our footprint was from the Dog n Suds on Hjorth Road (104th avenue) to the A&W on Peterson Hill at the North end of Whalley heading down to the Patullo Bridge. Gas was cheap probably in the neighbourhood of .50 cents a gallon. If you were lucky enough to be cruising through one of the drive ins and there was a spot on the outside of the drive through you could back in, push the seat back, crank up CKLG or CFUN radio and let the good times roll. Before our very own eyes there was a steady stream of beautiful cars slowly crawling through the drive in for all to admire.
On Sundays we would head out to the two main cruise destinations at the beach. Birch Bay and the strip along the White Rock waterfront. To this very day one can park themselves on a patio along Marine Drive's restaurant strip and marvel at the custom cars and hot rods that roll along Marine Drive. For a period back in the 80’s I rented the bottom half of a house on “The Hump” section of Marine Drive. It had a big patio out front with a picnic table which hosted many Saturday Sunday gatherings. The soundtrack to that era was AC/DC, DEF LEPPARD and newcomers LOVERBOY blaring out of the much improved auto sound systems.
Good harmless fun, punctuated with the odd chopper motorcycle, and on occasion a procession of local motorcycle enthusiasts the GYPSY WHEELERS and later the SATANS ANGELS striking fear into hearts of the uninitiated and out of towners.
The youth of today not only don’t care about owning a vehicle let alone a custom hot rod, thus the drivers of all the cool cars these days you see along the strip all pulling down OAS and CPP to supplement their rides.
Enter THE ROD GOD Mike Herrick President of the Westcoasters Car Club who's motto is "Its a sin to squish old tin."
Mike grew up in White Rock living on Cosmic Alley. Being a self appointed car nut Mike had a rich history with the cruise in White Rock. For years he dreamed of having a car show on the beach as opposed to where he was relegated during the Sea Festival, out in the cow pasture in Semiahmoo Park.
For the past couple of years I assured Mike I would do everything I could at the city council chambers to fulfill not only his dream but mine as well.
I believe this year's RUN TO THE ROCK will establish itself very quickly as THE car show to be at and to visit. In future years I would love to see a giant “cruise out” of all the cars leaving the parking lots on Marine right before the annual Sea Festival Torchlight parade. What an incredible sight of having Marine Drive closed (which it is anyways for the parade) and both lanes of Marine Drive hosting a side by side hot rod custom car "cruise out" as opposed to a cruise in. People could set their lawn chairs up along the sidewalk, or in front yards or book a table on a patio and enjoy the trip down memory lane.
Think of the movie AMERICAN GRAFFITI.
This can become CANADIAN GRAFFITI right here in our City by the Sea.
Thank you ROD GOD. See you August 2nd!
Editor Publisher
Three Term City Councillor and counting
David Chesney
History Lesson
White Rock Train Station - Great Northern - in 1967 and 2009
Opened in 1913, closed by B.N.R. in 1970.
Given heritage status in 1979.
Renovated and moved 20 feet north of the original location in 1984, currently home of White Rock Museum & Archives
Thought For The Day
Registration is NOW OPEN
......for the Jellybean AutoCrafters Canada d'Eh Celebration and Car Show
This event WILL sell out (it does every year), so register early to make sure you have a spot.
