Over the past 50 years I have never missed a Civic, Provincial or a Federal election. My parents at an early stage instilled in me the honour and duty we have to have our voice heard. It has been said time and time again there are millions of residents on this big blue marble we call home, that are literally are dieing for the right to vote.
I have vacationed for decades in Mexico, where citizens look at each other following the announcement of who won the recent election and say “Who voted for them? I didn’t and no one I know voted for them? Crooked elections in many countries are the norm not the exception.
We are days away from electing the federal government that will guide Canada for the next four years. Locally and seemingly nationally this election more so than ever, is about THE LEADER of the respective political parties.
If you took advantage of the advance polls we have had the past week, you will know the number of people voting in ADVANCE has been incredibly large. Elections Canada has released the figures for advance polling and Canadians turned out in record numbers. Over 7 million Canadians exercised their voting privilege.
The majority of interviews I have heard that were conducted with advance voters was they were motivated to get out to vote by the threat from President Trump to annex us and make Canada the 51st state. Thoughts of a fool.
This threat seemingly has caused “the great unwashed” to move in numbers we have never seen before. I call them the “great unwashed” as they are a huge portion of Canadians who do not normally vote, have taken Trump’s threat to heart. Normally a federal election has roughly a 50% turnout of the the registered voters. The advance poll numbers seem to indicate an uncontrollable number of Canadians are entering into voting pool. A nightmare for every single federal political party.
You see in my opinion every Federal and Provincial election boils down to who can get their base of supporters out to vote. For that simple reason I have always maintained we will never see mandatory voting in this country. Every single one of the major parties NDP, Liberal and Conservative would fight this hammer and tong to ensure it never becomes law.
While I am at it, have we not made enough advances in cyberworld that we could not vote online. If you voted in the advance polls you saw the scrutineers flipping through page after page of registered voters, and then writing in something, only to then have to turn to another giant big tally book and to physically write something in that journal as well.
Why can’t we simply receive a 10 or 15 number digit or whatever it would take to email us a number something like here is your voting number 36708521. Once that number is entered into Elections Canada’s website it can never be used again. Opposition says “Oh the system could be hacked.” So you think the current paper version cannot be subjected to fraud? How about when actual boxes full of ballots go missing?
Monday is D DAY. We will crawl into bed Monday night happy as hell our party won or we will be shaking our head wondering how the hell that happened.
Just make sure you participate. VOTE MONDAY for whoever you wish to send to Ottawa to represent our riding. If you don’t vote we don’t want to hear what your opinion is. You were given a chance to express your feelings and if you didn’t use it.
If you don't vote........ a pox on your house!
David Chesney
Editor/Publisher
Night Owl
STEELIN IN THE YEARS the music of STEELY DAN roll back into White Rock this weekend.
Two nights - four shows...a few tickets remain for the 9 o'clock show this evening.
The opening of 10 involuntary care beds at the Surrey Pretrial Services Centre highlights the urgent need for specialized services for offenders struggling with mental health challenges, substance use, and brain injuries. This initiative is a significant first step in addressing the complex issues these individuals face while prioritizing the safety of our community. It's essential to provide targeted and long-term support to those in custody to help them stabilize and navigate their path to recovery.
I understand from the healthcare professionals that this program will involve comprehensive oversight and monitoring. We care deeply about every soul affected by mental health, substance use, and brain injury challenges, as well as safety concerns for the public and community, especially in light of the recent acts of violence we have seen elsewhere.
Yet, this simply isn’t enough. The demand for mental health and addiction services far outweighs available resources, and the complexities of these needs are becoming increasingly pronounced. While this focus on specialized care for those in custody is crucial, we must also acknowledge and address the broader implications for our community, including the stark reality of addiction, mental health and homelessness. With over 1,060 individuals experiencing homelessness in Surrey—a staggering 65% increase since 2020—it's evident that our resources are falling short.
We must take a comprehensive approach to mental health and addiction treatment, ensuring that every member of our community, whether inside or outside the justice system, has access to the care they need. By doing so, we can foster a healthier community, reduce the cycles of crisis, and enhance public safety for all.
Mayor Brenda Locke / City of Surrey
April 24, 2025
Final Week Push
Sunday saw Conservative party leader PIERRE POILIEVRE make a surprise visit to the large Catholic church on the Peninsula Sunday morning. Yesterday afternoon it was Liberal party leader MARK CARNEY to visit our city by the sea.
CARNEY accompanied by local liberal candidate ERNIE KLASSEN, took a slow walk along the waterfront spending time to stop to speak to residents and what is on their mind for the federal election this year.
(l-r Carney/Klassen)
Political pundits handicapping the election results come Monday, are identifying this quick trip to the westcoast as a mission to spend time in ridings the Liberal party polling believe may be up for grabs this election. Victoria and surrounding areas as well as Surrey in large part has been NDP country in the past federal elections.
White Rock / South Surrey has been Tory Blue for years.
Following the hour long visit to White Rock the political cavalcade headed for a giant rally at the Agriplex in Cloverdale.
Change of Command Ceremony for Policing in Surrey
On Tuesday (April 22, 2025) a Change of Command ceremony was held to formally recognize Surrey Police Service (SPS) as the new police of jurisdiction for the City of Surrey. The ceremony acknowledged the handover of authority and leadership from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), represented by Deputy Commissioner Dwayne McDonald, to SPS and Chief Constable Norm Lipinski.
The historic ceremony took place at the Cloverdale Agriplex with The Honourable Wendy Cocchia, Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia, and The Honourable Garry Begg, Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General in attendance.
Following the piping in of dignitaries by the SPS Pipes and Drums, attendees witnessed an Indigenous welcome and blessing by Chief Harley Chappell of the Semiahmoo First Nation, the Presentation of the Colour (SPS flag) by the Lieutenant Governor, and Trooping of the Colour by the Chief Constable’s Ceremonial Guard.
Chief Linpinski
The Change of Command Parchment was signed by Deputy Commissioner McDonald, Chief Lipinski, the Solicitor General, and the Chair of the Surrey Police Board. Each then delivered remarks following greetings made by the Lieutenant Governor. At the conclusion of the ceremony, SPS staff gathered to take the first official photo of Surrey Police Service.
“The RCMP proudly served Surrey for decades and we thank them for their tireless service and commitment to public safety,” said Chief Constable Norm Lipinski. “Becoming the police of jurisdiction was not the end goal for Surrey Police Service – it is just the beginning. Being the police agency for a community is an honour and a significant responsibility. We commit to upholding that responsibility every day, on every call, and in every interaction.”
SPS assumed overarching responsibility for policing in the City of Surrey on November 29, 2024, as the new police of jurisdiction. As Surrey’s policing transition continues, the RCMP Surrey Provincial Operations Support Unit is providing policing supports in Surrey until SPS is fully established. The Change of Command ceremony is a symbolic event, rooted in military tradition, that signifies the passing of authority and leadership.
The video recording of the Change of Command ceremony is a one hour ceremony which you can watch here:
April 23, 2025
Mark Carney Touches Down In Our Backyard Tonight
Liberal leader MARK CARNEY hosts a rally this evening at the Agriplex on the Cloverdale fairgrounds.
Cloverdale Agriplex Wednesday, April 23 at 7:30 PM PT (Doors open 6:00 PM)
It's Twins
The live streaming eagle cam located in Ocean Park reveals this year Mother eagle is sitting on not one but two eggs.
The Hancock Wildlife Foundation set up a number of cameras in the Lower mainland a few years back.
Take 5 minutes out of your busy schedule to click on the link and watch mother nature up close and personal.
The final street paving for Johnston Road Phase 2 between Russell Avenue and Thrift Avenue will take place Friday, April 25 to Friday, May 2, weather dependent. Johnston Road will be fully closed from Tuesday, April 29 through to Friday, May 2.
The following traffic impacts are in place:
Friday, April 25: Single lane alternating traffic on Thrift Avenue
Monday, April 28: Minimal impacts along Russell Avenue
Tuesday, April 29 to Friday, May 2
Full closure of Johnston Road
Russell Avenue intersection will also be closed at these times:
April 29, 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.
April 30, 7 a.m. – 5 p.m.
May 1, 7 a.m. – 11 a.m.
May 2, intermittently
Sidewalk and access to all businesses along Johnston Road will remain open during construction, and signage will be posted accordingly.
Bus Routes:?
The following bus routes will have detours in place: 321, 345, 350, 351, 354, 362, 363. Visit translink.ca for more information on bus detours.
April 22, 2025
April 14, 2025
Police investigating Crescent Beach hit-and-run
The RCMP Surrey Police Operations Support Unit’s General Investigation Unit (SPOSU GIU) is investigating a hit-and-run collision in Surrey’s Crescent Beach neighbourhood that has left two pedestrians with minor injuries.
At approximately 8:15 pm on April 13, 2025, police received reports of several pedestrians being struck by a vehicle in the 2800 block of McKenzie Avenue. The driver that struck the pedestrians did not remain at the scene. The vehicle was last seen leaving westbound on McKenzie Avenue.
RCMP SPOSU officers attended the scene and found that two people, a teen aged boy and an adult man, had sustained non-life-threatening injuries. Both were transported to hospital for evaluation and treatment.
If you witnessed the collision or have any information, including CCTV or dashcam footage, please call Surrey Police Service at 604-599-0502 and quote file 2025-20007 (SU).
In 2023 I started importing my coffee from Uganda to Canada. In 2025, I opened the first full circle coffee roastery in BC, right here in South Surrey.
Drop by and check out the best coffee Uganda has to offer.
We are open to the public Monday, Thursday and Saturday.
Starting Saturday May 3rd we will be having public coffee tastings (1 - 4pm) where you can pop in and try our revolving selection of the great coffees we're growing in Uganda and roasting in our community.
Polling stations across the entire country had massive lineups yesterday with waits of up to 2 hours at some polls to vote in the April 28 Federal Election.
The advance voting polls will be open all weekend (see the schedule below).
Was it just the first day? The nice weather? Or is Canada simply turning out in massive numbers for this election.
It's amazing when Donald Trump says "Jump" and the rest of the free world leaders simply ask "How high?"
Case in point was Trump's threat earlier this year that he was going to slap Canada with tariffs in response to fentanyl and illegal immigrants apparently flooding across the Canada/US border into the States. It did not matter that when compared with the Mexican border we are barely a blip on the radar and then PM Justin Trudeau and his Liberal team launched into action, adding drones, helicopters, more border officers to secure the US border at a cost of $1.3 billion. Part of this new policy was the renting of two Black Hawk helicopters for the RCMP at $5.5 million for use to patrol the longest border in the world longest in the world, spanning 5,525 miles or 8,891 km across 13 U.S. states and 8 Canadian Provinces/Territories.
My fiancée said "You act too much like a detective I want to split up."
I said "Great we can cover more ground that way"
Thought For The Day
Community Events
Join us on Friday, April 25, 2025, at the KENT STREET ACTIVITY CENTRE for an exclusive screening of No Other Land, WINNER of the Academy Award for Best Documentary.
This ground breaking film provides an unfiltered and deeply personal look at the ongoing struggle for justice in Palestine.
