Cook the spaghetti according to package instructions. Keep the pasta water, in case needed for sauce.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or pot over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook for 3 minutes, breaking it as you go, until no longer pink.
Add the onion and garlic and cook for another 3 minutes until the onion softens.
Add the oregano, red pepper flakes, tomato paste and stir. Stir in the red wine and cook for about 5 minutes until most of the liquid has cooked off.
Add the crushed tomatoes, basil and season with salt and pepper. Stir and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a medium-low. Cover the pot and cook for about 20 minutes.
Stir in the heavy cream and adjust for seasoning if needed. If your sauce is too thick add some of the pasta water to thin it out.
Add the spaghetti to the pot and toss well with the sauce. Top with Parmesan cheese and basil. Serve immediately.
Local News
August 24, 2025
Make South Surrey a part of White Rock
As if it wasn't enough there is one petition for White Rock to rejoin Surrey (YELL IT LIKE IT IS editorial below) now comes word of a push to have just South Surrey and White Rock to become a new White Rock.
The Issue; Why South Surrey Should Join White Rock?
The line between South Surrey and White Rock has always been more political than practical. In reality, everything south of 32nd Avenue and west of Highway 15 already lives and breathes as part of the White Rock community. The Crescent beach area is basically White Rock. Residents shop in the same stores, dine in the same restaurants, drive the same roads, and share the same shoreline. Yet, an arbitrary boundary has kept South Surrey south of 32nd Avenue out of White Rock’s official jurisdiction.
It’s time to change that.
Merging South Surrey below 32nd Avenue into White Rock would create a unified, stronger community. White Rock is already known as a vibrant seaside city, but its small geographic footprint limits its growth and resources. Meanwhile, South Surrey residents identify more with White Rock than with the broader Surrey municipality, yet their taxes and governance flow into a city they often feel disconnected from.
Joining White Rock would mean:
Unified identity: Residents south of 32nd could finally say they are part of White Rock, matching the culture and lifestyle they already live.
Focused governance: A smaller, more dedicated municipal government could better address local needs than being absorbed as a minor district within the sprawling City of Surrey.
Economic synergy: White Rock businesses would benefit from an expanded population base, while South Surrey residents would enjoy direct investment in their own community.
Community pride: A shared White Rock identity would strengthen the social and cultural ties that already exist.
Another critical factor is policing. White Rock is served by the RCMP, a force with decades of experience, lower operating costs, and proven effectiveness for a community of its size. In contrast, Surrey’s newly formed Surrey Police Service is already facing challenges—struggling with rising crime rates, staffing, and the financial burden of building a force from scratch. Residents south of 32nd Avenue would benefit from the stability, efficiency, and reliability of White Rock’s policing model rather than being caught in the uncertainty of Surrey’s experiment.
Everything south of 32nd Avenue and west of highway 15 is White Rock in practice. It’s time for the borders to reflect reality.
An injured seagull found in White Rock back in 2000, like many of us has returned to White Rock.
The Glaucous winged gull was recently captured again 24 years later in White rock by Environment and Climate Change Canada researchers as part of their Salish Gull Project.
The Salish Sea Gull Project is an integral part of the Salish Sea Marine Bird Monitoring and Conservation Program, the release continued, adding the five-year program monitors marine birds as indicators of the health of the Salish Sea and collects data for conservation efforts. The project is especially significant, the release said, as gull species are protected under the Migratory Birds Convention Act of 1994 and have been identified as a stewardship priority by ECCC.
The Wildlife Rescue Association of B.C. and ECCC encourage the public to report any sightings of banded gulls, like the one highlighted in this story, to the Salish Sea Gull Project.
There was a large interest in candidates hoping to fill one of the two vacant seats on White Rock council.
Voting takes place on September 27, 2025
The election results will be made public on October 01, 2025
Nominations Received
The following individuals have submitted their nomination documents to become candidates in the 2025 By-Election in the City of White Rock. Nomination documents for each candidate can be viewed by selecting the candidate's name. Candidates are listed in the order in which they submitted their documents. (Click here to view the list of Contact Information for Candidates)
Candidates for Councillor - Two (2) to be elected:
Infrastructure upgrades to enhance storm water management in White Rock
White Rock Mayor Knight/Jagrup Brar Minister of Mining and Critical Minerals/Ernie Klassen MP White Rock South Surrey/Harley Chappell Semiahmoo First Nations
Improvements to drainage infrastructure will enhance water quality in Semiahmoo Bay and help manage flooding along Marine Drive, after a combined investment of more than $9.86 million from the federal, provincial, and municipal governments.
Community-Based Cooling Locations and Misting Tents operating in Surrey-White Rock
Individuals experiencing homelessness face increased risks around heat related illnesses. Please encourage community members in need to access cooling locations and heat response supplies.
As a reminder, civic facilities are available to anyone seeking relief from extreme heat or wildfire smoke during the summer months.
City of Surrey: Visit Staying Cool During Extreme Heat for more information about heat response resources in Surrey (see attached poster).
Surrey and White Rock residents can also receive emergency notifications through the Alertable app.
This app is free and notifications can be received through text, email, phone, social media and more.
Please let our team know if there are other contacts in your networks who would benefit from receiving Community-Based heat response notifications or if you wish to be removed from this list. Additionally, if you know of any organizations or community partners able to operate cooling locations or enhanced outreach during heat events this summer, please contact our team at ewrcoordinator@hsa-bc.ca.
August 21, 2025
The Urge To Merge?
GLOBAL News arrived on our waterfront yesterday afternoon to gauge the interest in a petition that has started in White Rock that is calling for White Rock to merge with Surrey.
The petition apparently has been created by a group of local business owners and White Rock residents. The online petition which began last week has drawn a couple of hundred signatures.
August 20, 2025
The Wheels On The Bus Go Round & Round
Fall Service Change Starting Sept. 1, TransLink is increasing service on 53 routes across the region to address overcrowding, improve convenience for customers, and extend the hours of service on some routes.
Local routes that will be affected are the 321 and 345 routes from White rock to Whalley and Guildford.
The majority of the routes that will be seeing increased service are located South of the Fraser River. The new service begins September 01.
Yesterday Tuesday White Rock celebrated the official opening of the Generations Playground Splash Pad.
The Splash Pad is a new interactive water play area for all ages and abilities, designed to promote fun, accessibility, and cooling relief during the summer months.
Surrey Schools anticipates greater need for student supplies ahead of 2025-26 school year
The district is anticipating an increased need for student supplies this year as enrollment continues to grow at a rapid pace in Surrey and White Rock
With the new school year fast approaching, Surrey Schools is calling on donors, community partners and the public to help provide school supplies, backpacks and other essentials for students returning to the classroom.
This year, the district’s Advancement Office is anticipating a greater need for school supplies than previous years, increasing at the pace of student population growth, which continues to grow rapidly. Last September, district enrollment reached 83,259 students, up by more than 1,500 students in the 2023-24 school year.
In addition to backpacks, some of the most in-demand items – including ones most people may not think of – are:
binders with lined paper;
pencil cases with supplies (pens, pencils, erasers, scissors, highlighters, markers, pencil crayons and glue sticks); and
hygiene items (feminine hygiene items, deodorant, shampoo, conditioner and body wash).
To support students, the district is partnering with a few organizations to run various drives for school supplies, food and monetary donations that will help families with the return to school in a few weeks.
On Saturday, Sept. 6 from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Choices Market in South Surrey at Alder Crossing Mall (3248 King George Blvd.) is celebrating its 20th anniversary by hosting a community BBQ. As a strong supporter of local organizations that work toward building healthy, sustainable communities, Choices is partnering with Surrey Schools at their anniversary event to collect monetary donations to support Surrey Schools meal programs this coming academic year.
How You Can Help
The district’s Advancement Office happily accepts donations throughout the year and welcomes contributions from individuals, companies, corporations, businesses and foundations.
If any community partners would like to support other initiatives with Surrey Schools to help prepare for the next school year, the district is currently seeking funding in the following areas:
The message below was received from Surrey Parks with the stairs now remaining closed for an additional week in summer.
There is additional work required on the stairs, anticipated that they will be closed until Saturday August 23. As indicated on the sign, you can contact the City Parks line at 604-501-5050 for updates and the City Website contains updated information as well.
August 17, 2025
...And They're Off - For Good
The City of Surrey has yanked the lease back from Great Canadian Entertainment (GCE), the organization who runs both Elements Casino and Fraser Downs on the Cloverdale Fairgrounds.
GCE noted this means “effective immediately” there will be no more racing at Fraser Downs.
According to a press release sent out Aug. 15 from GCE, the City of Surrey exercised its option under something called “lease recapture rights” and terminated the lease for the racetrack. The termination includes the backstretch, the stabling facilities, and the 5/8 oval, which has been open for 49 years.
“We know this decision touches everyone who has been a part of Fraser Downs’ long and proud history, from the racing community and our dedicated team members to the many people across the region who share a passion for standard bred racing,” noted Rodrigo Perez, the acting general manager for Fraser Downs.
“We are grateful for the commitment and contributions to horse racing in British Columbia,” Perez continued. "Our priority now is supporting our team members through this transition and collaborating with the City of Surrey on the requirements to complete the property transition.”
There are currently no horses in the backstretch and no training going on at Fraser Downs right now. The track has been closed while GCE deals with a rat infestation in the six barns there. The infestation had been the subject of a lawsuit that Harness Racing B.C. brought against GCE, with the HRBC losing that suit earlier this year.
The press release also notes that the grandstand, which includes elements casino, is not included in the lease recapture. GCE added the casino will continue to operate “without impact” going forward. Yuk Yuk's Surrey is also located within Elements and they will be unaffected as well.
Fraser Downs opened on the Fairgrounds in 1976 as Cloverdale Raceway. The name was changed in 1996 to Fraser Downs. The track is a 5/8-mile oval for standard bred harness racing.
It has been a few years since talk of White Rock becoming part of Surrey circulated in our community. It would appear this time a petition has been started by individuals that have been incurred long waits for development approvals. As a city councillor here in White Rock I am well aware of the back and forth with our planning department and applicants over the past 5 years. I do not profess to speak on behalf of city council or the City of White Rock, the opinions posted today are my personal opinion. A conversation for another day.
What I find interesting is the ramifications of such a move. I think first for those who may not be aware of how and when White Rock separated from Surrey, let's turn back the hands of time and have VIN COYNE a former city councillor and newspaper publisher for a brief history lesson on how White Rock seceded from Surrey.
In an interview this week with THE PROVINCE and THE VANCOUVER SUN I mentioned there has been talk for years about not only pushing White Rock back into surrey, but also amalgamating a number of other civic governments. The two Langley's (district & city) and the two North Vancouver governments along with West Vancouver formed into one local governance.
Former BC Premier MIKE HARCOURT is currently heading up a collective that is urging the Provincial government to entertain the amalgamation of local civic governments. The driving reason behind such a move is the apparent duplication of services. Amalgamation they say will create a more streamlined cost effective of government.
My personal opinion is no matter where the chips fall I will always live in White Rock. I personally do not endorse White Rock just being folded back into the monolith to the north we call Surrey. If you have taken the time to watch the above video and the reason for White Rock wishing to separate back in 1957. A simple merge into Surrey would leave us in a similar position. South Surrey is one of the fastest growing communities in all of Canada. I would be more in favour of creating a new city that would encompass South Surrey and White Rock, from Cloverdale to Crescent Beach and all the land south of #10 Highway down to Canada's Longest Pier.
We will be playing the guessing and pontificating game for a number of years to come. Until that happens the battle cry may remain that was created by former White Rock city councillor/mayor and our MLA for over 2 decades with a quick pit stop in Ottawa as our MP.
Over to you GORDIE HOGG the man who coined the phrase......
"Saying you live in White Rock means you never have to say you’re Surrey"
Big win! 
