A number of months back I received a phone call from a gentleman who knew me by association from my wife Gayle and her involvement with the founding the White Rock Pickleball Club. The caller asked me if I would be willing to meet with him and a resident of White Rock who would like to talk to me. Nothing unusual in that, it happens all the time.
We met in South Surrey at an out of the way restaurant and it was there that I first met a gentleman by the name of BRUCE BUCHANAN.
After the pleasantry greetings were exchanged BRUCE regaled me with the results of a recent meeting he had with White Rock mayor MEGAN KNIGHT. According to BRUCE he informed the mayor he had recently relocated to White Rock from Alberta and had found a home of very welcoming locals a the White Rock Curling club in Centennial Park. Bruce quickly learned the facility was on its last legs and was in need of a new refrigeration unit. When they met Bruce informed the mayor how important the curling club had become to him and he was interested in donating a million dollars to help secure a new refrigeration unit for the curling rink. According to Bruce much to his surprise the mayor informed him she was more interested in having him donate the million dollars to the proposed Community Hub or perhaps to the restoration of the pier.
Bruce informed the mayor he was not sure she fully understood his offer, it would be only for the curling rink. Again according to Bruce he left that meeting very confused on why the mayor would not take him up on his offer or at the very least enter into further discussions.
EXCERPT FROM THIS WEEK'S PEACE ARCH NEWS FULL PAGE AD
"So what's going on?
We have a city manager who is patronized by the mayor. The city manager has a big dream to go with the big salary, and the seniors of White Rock are going to pay for it.
It was a big surprise to the Mayor and her bobbing head councillors that four new independent thinks showed up on council and ruined her party"
To say the least I was taken back by the story I had just heard. I felt in my position as a city councillor I would be well advised to have Bruce proceed with his offer from a different angle than having me champion his goal. It is my belief there still very much exists an ABC (Anybody But Chesney) attitude at city hall. I gave him former councillor/mayor/MLA and short lived MP for White Rock Gordie Hogg's phone number and urged him to meet with Gordie. Given the many years of government positions and the fact Gordie's wife Laverne was an active member in the local curling club, to me it seemed like a good fit.
Since that time there has been much back and forth between the city and Bruce on how to proceed. It is only my personal opinion, but when Bruce proceeded and bought the refrigeration unit and had it installed in the curling rink with his own money, it left him in a very difficult position for negotiation. We as a council have had a number of IN CAMERA meetings regarding staff reports that have gone back and forth with Bruce, to no avail to this point. Meanwhile Bruce for the past couple of months has taken out full page ads in the Peace Arch News criticizing staff, the mayor and to a certain extent the council.
So here we sit. The latest news I have heard is Bruce has secured a consultant to debunk the offers of settlement presented to him by the city which he is very unhappy with. I have not as a councillor or a resident had any interaction with Bruce since our first meeting.
I sincerely hope cooler heads will prevail and this standoff can be solved in the very near future.
David Chesney
Editor/Publisher
Third term White rock City Councillor
Local News
May 29, 2026
Earl Morning White Rockers Got A Free Light Show
While it is not unusual for residents of White Rock to a glow in the Southern skies as slag is being burned off at Cherry Point refinery in Ferndale, Tuesday morning's light show was something quite different.
Fifty Seven Years Ago This May - We Showed Woodstock How to Do It
Posters courtesy NEPTOON Records Vancouver
Months before the legendary Woodstock rock festival in upstate New York, right here in our backyard in Aldergrove one of the very first rock festivals in North America took place.
The festival took place in the forest surrounding Aldergrove man made lake which was part of the Langley Township parks inventory. Local bands like Papa Bears Medicine Show, Mother Tuckers Yellow Duck and the Black Snake Blues Band performed at the three day weekend festival on two main stages.
The Aldergrove Beach Rock Festival took place over the May long weekend in 1969 and attracted about 30,000 people from across the Lower Mainland and the U.S. It cost $5 to attend.
The event was many parents' worst nightmare, local promoter Godin recalls. Nudity, drugs and hippies were seen as threats to many. At the time, CBC News reported that about 30 people were arrested on narcotics-related charges and for intoxication.
Brown remembers facing a lot of prejudice as he and his pals traveled across the continent. As he drove through Calgary, he remembers police there would arrest hippies and cut off their hair.
Godin says all the fear about the festival was for naught. There was music, face-painting and even an impromptu petting zoo. And the weather was nice enough for people to swim in the lake — naked, much to the concern of police.
According to many accounts at the time, the "Aldergroovy" festival was a smash hit. It set off a summer of outdoor festivals across Canada and the U.S. that summer.
May 28, 2026
New Agreement for City Of White Rock Workers
The City of White Rock and members of CUPE 718, representing municipal workers, have ratified a new three year collective agreement.
White Rock City Council approved the agreement at its Monday, May 25 Council meeting. CUPE 718 members voted in favour of the agreement earlier this month.
The settlement includes wage increases of 3.5 per cent in each year of the agreement, retroactive to January 1, 2025.
CUPE 718 represents approximately 156 municipal workers who provide essential public services to the community.
Surrey updates bylaw to improve city's flexibility on water restrictions
Surrey Council has amended Surrey’s Drinking Water Conservation Plan bylaw to provide greater flexibility in implementing water conservation measures while continuing to balance community needs and conditions. The updates maintain alignment with the Greater Vancouver Water District’s regional water conservation framework, while allowing the City to better respond to local circumstances during periods of high-water demand.
Key bylaw updates include:
Expanding residential lawn -watering hours under Stage 1 from 5a.m. to 7a.m. to 5a.m. to 8a.m.
Allowing special sprinkling permits during Stage 2, with extensions permitted in Stage 3
Allowing filling and topping up of small residential pools (≤5,000 litres) during Stage 3
Maintaining access to cooling measures, including spray parks, misting stations, and municipal pools at all stages
Clarifying exceptions for municipal operations and construction activity during Stages 1,2, 3
The updated bylaw clarifies that the City has the authority to activate water restriction stages to reflect local conditions.
Residents and businesses found in violation of the restrictions will receive warnings. Repeat or serious offenders will be issued fines in accordance with established bylaw procedures to ensure water is preserved for essential uses, including firefighting.
BC Hydro will being doing upgrades to the newly completed uptown section of Johnston Road between Thrift and Russell.
May 25 – 28 from 7:30 am to 5:00pm – Single lane alternating traffic
May 29 and June 1 from 2:00pm to 12:00am – North bound road closure
June 2 – 3, and June 5 from 7:30am to 5:00pm – Single lane alternating traffic
June 4 – BC hydro power outage at the Russell/Johnston intersection (blinking traffic lights will be in effect, follow a 4-way stop procedure)
June 8 – 19 from 7:00am to 5:00pm - Restoration of concrete
Tunnel Closing Next Weekend
The George Massey Tunnel will be closed overnight next month to allow for safety testing and maintenance.
According to an advisory issued by Mainroad Lower Mainland Contracting, the Highway 99 tunnel that connects Richmond and Delta will be closed in both directions for two nights next month from Friday, June 5 at 10 p.m. to Saturday, June 6 at 4:30 a.m., and again from Saturday, June 6 at 10 p.m. to Sunday, June 7 at 4:30 a.m.
Drivers are asked to use the Alex Fraser Bridge as a detour and to watch for signs and traffic control in the area.
The tunnel has long been identified as needing upgrades or a replacement to extend its life and to improve safety and congestion. A plan to replace the tunnel with a 10-lane bridge was initially approved under Christy Clark’s B.C. Liberal government but later scrapped by B.C. NDP then-premier John Horgan in favour of a toll-free, eight lane, immersed tube tunnel.
May 26, 2026
White Rock Council Rewind
Highlights of last evening's regular council meeting:
DELEGATIONS
Resident PETER ZHANG appeared before council requesting the sidewalk on the south side of Russell Avenue to Foster street be extended. Staff reported the work is scheduled for 2027
CANCELLED
West Beach Ocean View Citizens & TRANSLLINK Rapid Bus report
RCMP Staff Seargent ROB DIXON reported on progress for a summer time satellite/trailer office on the waterfront. The command post will be located in the waterfront parking lot just East of the pier head.
OXFORD Street Comfort station mural was approved by council.
Beach wheelchair program was approved. Beach wheelchairs will be available this summer from the paddle board rental kiosk which will be located next to the Oxford Street comfort station on the promenade.
Council approved two decorative benches to be located at Five corners. The eye catching new benches are being supplied to the city free of charge by a local resident.
Council heard local artist ALLAN TURTON will be touching up the existing world famous WYLAND whale wall mural on Russell avenue.
Staff will be bringing back a report on the beautification of the two block stretch on Johnston road between Thrift Avenue and Five Corners/Buena Vista avenue
Surrey Police Service Officer Involved in Shooting
Police Service has notified the Independent Investigations Office of British Columbia (IIO BC) of an incident in Surrey where an individual has been injured in an officer-involved shooting.
At approximately 7:34 p.m. on Monday, May 25, Surrey Police attended a residence in the 12200-block of Southpark Crescent for a report of a suspicious male. Police arrived on scene and the man reportedly confronted police, with police firing their service-issued duty pistols.
SPS officers and BCEHS paramedics administered emergency medical interventions, and the affected person was transported to hospital, where they were last reported as receiving treatment for injuries of unknown severity.
The IIO BC was notified by SPS. It has asserted jurisdiction and is investigating police actions in the incident. As the matter is now under investigation by the IIO BC, Surrey Police said no further information will be released or confirmed by police.
Monday May 25, 2026
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.
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.
The White Rock City Orchestra is delighted to announce our upcoming Summer Concert on Saturday, June 13th at 3:00 PM
St. Mark's Anglican Church
We invite you to join us as for a concert that celebrates some of the Films and Television shows that have been filmed here on the Peninsular. As for our last concert, there will also be a gallery featuring local artists. The concert will include works from shows such as The X-Files, Psych, Supernatural and the many Hallmark Christmas shows filmed here!
Tomorrow In THE SUN
Recipe of the Week
Quite possibly the best summer soup
The perfect blend of comforting and fresh for the season. Packed with all the fresh summer produce.
Posters courtesy NEPTOON Records Vancouver 
