It was a perfect summer evening, we were relaxing in Memorial Park on the waterfront enjoying the great music coming off the stage. A lady who I did not know sat down beside me and out of the clear blue turned to me and said “This is the reason I moved to White Rock, there is so much wonderful live music to enjoy. There is nowhere else I would rather live.” I nodded in agreement.
Her bold unsolicited statement got me to thinking. Do we really have disproportional amount more live music than other areas? Have I just taken my own backyard for granted? Perhaps.
It did get me to thinking though and upon reflection I have come to the conclusion, YES indeed we do have many options for live music every week here in "THE ROCK."
There are no less than 5 Open Mic nights weekly:
White Rock Beach Beer every second Thursday
Camp Alexander Coffee House Thursdays
KiKi’s Greek restaurant on Johnston Road Mondays
West Beach Bar & Grill on Sundays
Pelican Rouge Restaurant Fridays 6-9 p.m.
Jam Music Nights check in at locations:
Thursdays
Beer Shack
West Beach Bar & Grill
Morrison’s Cafe Five Corners
Sundays White Rock Legion afternoon 2-5
Regular weekly live music venues:
West Beach Bar & Grill every Friday & Saturday
Beer Shack Friday and Saturdays
Ocean Beach Hotel Saturdays
Club 240/Crescent Beach Legion Saturdays
White Rock Legion 8 Friday & Saturday
Morrison's Cafe 5 Corners Friday & Saturday
Nico Wynd golf course summer months on the patio
Showcase concert venues;
Blue Frog Studio presenting touring national and international artists in a world class venue
White Rock Playhouse. Present normally Tribute touring groups thanks to local promoter ROCKITBOY entertainment.
Concerts @ The Pier
Monthly concerts presented the White Rock BIA on East and West Beach. Rumour has it this year more of these concerts will be staged in the plaza area of Miramar village. Perfect.
I think I am a good POSITION TO judge our live music landscape, in that I spent three decades in the radio and record industry here on the west coast where I was paid quite handsomely to create, attend and promote live music events. Some may think I have become somewhat jaded when it comes to live music. To a certain extent that may be true, but I have been amazed on numerous occasions when I by happen chance stumbled into one of our local venues and have been blown away by the talent on stage. I also have had the distinct honour of being the MC of record for Blue Frog studio since the inception of live music. Owners KELLY BREAKS and JUANITA MOFFAT do an incredible job of securing talent that is well above their pay grade for a venue that only has seating for 125 people. My presence working at the studio has afforded me the opportunity to witness first hand the joy touring artists experience at the world class facility. To say the least on their first time visit they laud praise on Kelly/Juanita the Blue Crew and in particular one of the great sound engineer PAT GLOVER. Normally the only exchange that I have witnessed over the years between performing artists and the house sound tech usually is limited to the one finger salute.
Now that I have taken the time to sit back and accumulate in one place all the live music opportunities here in White Rock, I concur we are home to an incredible amount of great live music.
An interesting side bar is back 5 or 6 years ago when the White Rock Blues Society under the direction of ROD DRANFIELD and the late great JASON BUIE were presenting blues shows, I was in Toronto at a music conference and when I mentioned I made my home in White Rock, the seasoned Ontario music veteran I was talking to said “White Rock, oh I have heard of that place, it’s the blues capital of Canada.”
Sure I said.
David Chesney
Local News
January 09, 2026
All Good Things Must End...Sometimes Sooner Than Expected
The annual light display BRIGHT WALK on White Rock's waterfront was originally scheduled to be closed on January 19. Unfortunately due to high winds and heavy rains the display has suffered major damage. As a result the city has chosen to shut down BRIGHT WALK 2025/26 this coming Monday January 12.
If you have been putting off your annual vist, hurry up.
Did Surrey City Councillor Linda Annis Interfere With Surrey Police Service?
FOI shows Surrey check stop location concerns from city councillor.
White Rock Council - Monday Schedule
3:15 In CAMERA Closed to Public
4:00 p.m. Regular Public Council Meeting
MONDAY, JANUARY 12, 2026
NOTICE is hereby given that the Council of the City of White Rock will hold an opportunity for public participation for a Public Hearing on MONDAY, JANUARY 12, 2026 at 4:00 P.M. in accordance with the Local Government Act and the Development Procedures Bylaw; and further
NOTICE is hereby given that Council will consider this same application at the Regular Council Meeting scheduled for MONDAY, JANUARY 12, 2026, at 4:00 P.M. in the Council Chambers at the White Rock Community Centre (15154 Russell Avenue).
At the January 12, 2026 Public Hearing, all persons who deem their interest in property is affected by the proposed application shall be afforded an opportunity to be heard in person or by forwarding written submissions reflecting matters contained in the proposed application that is the subject of the Public Hearing. At the Public Hearing, Council will hear and receive submissions from the interested persons in regard to the application listed below:
BYLAW 2557: WHITE ROCK ZONING BYLAW, 2024, NO. 2506, AMENDMENT NO.11 (CANNABIS STORE USE AT 1478 JOHNSTON ROAD), 2025, NO. 2557
The maternity unit at White Rock’s Peace Arch Hospital will temporarily close its doors for the third time in under a month this week.
From Thursday, Jan. 8, at 7 a.m. until Monday, Jan. 12, at 8 a.m., expectant parents will be diverted to another care facility.
Fraser Health says the diversions are due to an ongoing shortage of OBGYNs. The health authority has been warning of potential shortages across Ridge Meadows and Peach Arch hospitals since early December.
Thursday’s will be the third, and longest closure at Peace Arch Hospital since Dec. 22. Meanwhile, Ridge Meadows Hospital’s maternity unit diverted patients for 96 hours from Dec. 18 to Dec 22.
January 06, 2026
Notice of Public Hearing on Monday, January 12 at 4 p.m.
Council will hear and receive submissions from the interested persons regarding Bylaw 2557 to amend the Zoning Bylaw to permit the operation of a non-medical cannabis retail store on a permanent basis at 1478 Johnston Road.
White Rock’s Polar Bear Plunge: Now More Inclusive!
Councillor BAINS joined by fellow members of White Rock council prior to the ceremonial dip in the Salish Sea.
News-maker of the Year White Rock councillor SUSAN BAINS made history when she took the plunge into Semiahmoo Bay.
Start your New Year with a splash at the White Rock Polar Bear Plunge at Semiahmoo Bay, this year, everyone is invited!
I’m thrilled to announce a big step forward in accessibility: a special 10-foot access mat will make it easier for all participants, including those using wheelchairs or other mobility devices, to enjoy the event.
Whether you’re braving the icy waters or cheering from the shore, don’t miss out on what promises to be an unforgettable New Year’s Day celebration!
A dozen heart skinny dippers plunged into the beach off of Crescent Beach yesterday.
Jan. 2 (UPI) -- A Washington city may have broken a Guinness World Record by gathering nearly 5,000 people to take a "polar bear dip" into frigid water at the same time.
The Birch Bay Chamber of Commerce, Blaine Birch Bay Park and Recreation District 2 and Bellingham Whatcom County Tourism teamed up to organize an attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the largest polar bear dip.
The record stood at 2,461 participants when the attempt was announced, but was broken Dec. 13 in Sola, Norway, when 3,134 people took a cold water plunge.
The Thursday attempt in Birch Bay had 6,213 registered participants, of which 4,917 were officially counted going into the water by Pacific Multisports.
Guinness World Record adjudicator Brittany Dunn said the record-keeping organization is still reviewing the original numbers, as there were some issues during the count.
Surrey Police Service (SPS) is investigating a serious motor vehicle collision involving a tractor trailer and two vehicles that has sent three people to hospital, including two initially in critical condition.
On January 1, 2026, at approximately 5:20 pm, SPS received reports of a multi-vehicle collision between a tractor trailer and two passenger vehicles near the intersection of 32 Avenue and 194 Street. SPS members attended the scene along with Surrey Fire Service and BCEHS. Three occupants of the two passenger vehicles were transported to hospital, with two of the people initially described as being in critical condition. The driver of the tractor trailer was not injured. The cause of the collision is under investigation.
32 Avenue will be closed between 194 Street and 196 Street for much of the evening as officers examine the collision scene for evidence.
SPS is asking anyone who may have witnessed the collision or who may have dashcam footage, to contact the SPS non-emergency line at 604-599-0502 and quote file number 26-621 (SP).
Will Trump’s Raid Help Smith Get a Pipeline to BC’s Coast?
Probably not. But Alberta’s premier will try to exploit the crisis anyway.
Never one to let a good crisis go to waste, Premier Danielle Smith seems to have sent an email to a few reporters Monday saying, as the Canadian Press quoted it, “recent events surrounding Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro emphasize the importance that we expedite the development of pipelines to diversify our oil export markets.”
Naturally, Alberta’s premier said this includes a pipeline to the coast of British Columbia, a region where a lot of people, for a lot of reasons, don’t want to see any such thing.
Following a platinum-plated career fronting Canada’s original rock ‘n’ roll superstars The Guess Who, singer/songwriter Burton Cummings launched a highly successful solo career in 1976 beginning with the million-selling single Stand Tall. Gold singles, platinum albums and multiple Juno awards followed as Cummings went on to become one of Canada’s best-known, most respected and universally-celebrated music icons. Cummings’ music has been the soundtrack to our lives. He is Canadian music royalty.
Well, that was quite the weekend for weather and high water but thankfully the Semi-Pen dodged a bit of a bullet in not having any flooding. On Friday Environment Canada issued a coastal flooding advisory for areas around the Lower Mainland, including Surrey, White Rock, the Semiahmoo First Nation and Boundary Bay. In case you missed it, here is an edited highlight version of the advisory.
