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Follow The Seagulls To White Rock

Diane Grenier photo

Where You Can Vacation And Be Home The Same Day

 

 

 

 

 

TNT The Naked Truth

Monday July 14, 2025

Don Pitcairn

Signs of the Times


We have a saying in the White Rock Sun that goes "You can't make this sh..., stuff up."  I usually go on like Forest Gump to say "I'm not that funny and not that smart but I know what hilarious is."  There are times that I wonder how I have not broken my neck from shaking my head so often at the strange and bizarre things that cross my desk.  With all of this being said, welcome to this weird and wacky TNT with a story 19 years in the making that even I cannot believe.

Back in 2006 when I decided that the nude beach in South Surrey needed more, dare I say exposure, I thought it would be a good idea to have proper outdoor signage posted defining the beach parameters and the sunbathing season.  I had a local sign making company create two professional metal outdoor signs with white reflective backgrounds plus blue, green and black text.  These very gentle non-alarming signs read as follows:  

Be comfortable in your own skin at

CRESCENT ROCK

NATURIST BEACH

Buff by the bluffs since the 1950's

Located 5 minutes walk south of Crescent Beach 

Just Past the '101 Steps" in Sunny South Surrey

Clothing Optional Sunbathing 

For 200m Beyond Crescent Rock

- May 15 to Sept 15 -

Have fun in the sun 'naturally' 

Surrey's United Naturists (S.U.N. Assn.)

Mounting these at the beach was easy as there were vintage City of Surrey park signs already posted in the area that read "Keep Your Park Clean, Pack It In, Pack It Out."  Using mounting brackets you see on any municipal sign, I attached the new Crescent Rock Naturist Beach signs to the existing poles.  It did not take long for action to be taken with City of Surrey crews showing up a week later and using a gas powered chop saw to cut both of these signs down including the two old Parks signs.  They took the one sign away, tossed the other into the bush and left dangerously sharp metal poles sticking out of the ground.  From inside sources at City Hall, I learned that this response came after only one complaint about the nude beach signs.  

What nobody at Surrey seemed to realize was that the beach at the bottom of the Ocean Park bluffs is not the jurisdiction of the City past the Christopherson Steps (formerly the 101 Steps).  Because it is a tidal region, the Federal government has control of this area, meaning that Surrey had no right to be removing the signs I had posted.  The vintage Parks signs were from decades earlier and had been there as long as I remember, with no markings on them from the then Municipality of Surrey.  I packaged up all of this information into a "Nudes Release" from SUN and forwarded it off to a variety of media sources.  This was the shot across the bow that started the battle royale over Crescent Rock Beach and the nude beach in Surrey.  The fact that Surrey Crews had cut down the old park signs, left jagged metal posts and had thrown one of the "Pack It In - Pack It Out" signs into the bush did not go over well.

So back to July 2025, things are nice and calm at Crescent Rock beach, it is legally recognized by the RCMP/SPS for sunbathing and skinny-dipping at any time of year and stretches from south of Crescent Beach to west of White Rock.  The one original Crescent Rock Naturist Beach sign I dragged out of the blackberries at the beach in 2006 has been hanging in my hot tub gazebo for the past 17 years.  I must admit that I had wondered whatever happened to the other sign but figured it had ended up getting scrapped and sent to AMIX for metal recycling.  Imagine my surprise last week when I received a text from my sister with a photograph of the other original nude beach sign hanging on the wall of a salon in South Surrey.  The best part is the name of this home based business, Making Waves.


The owner Georgia markets her hair studio as "A little Hair Boutique in the country near the Ocean", providing a variety of hair and makeup services.  They are located at 16945 20 Ave. not far from Darts Hill garden park.  You can check out their FB page with lots of glamorous photos at https://www.facebook.com/MakingWavesHairStudioSurreybc/ plus on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/explore/locations/448221541855294/making-waves-hair-studio-surreybc/   It is likely that this original Crescent Rock Beach sign was recovered from a City of Surrey scrap metal bin and kept as an interesting souvenir.  Eventually she came into possession of it and occasionally hangs it on the wall of the studio as a one-of-a-kind conversation piece for her beachy business.  Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would ever see it again.

These signs are an interesting piece of history regarding Crescent Rock beach and how it went from a neighbourhood secret to being widely known and utilized.  It is not the only clothing-optional beach in Surrey with Barnston Bare beach on the east end of Barnston Island in the middle of the Fraser River attracting those looking for a freshwater clothes-free experience.  While the City of Surrey stopped fighting against the nude use of Crescent Rock beach over 15 years ago, it still refuses to install any signage pointing the way to the shoreline or alerting people to its legal nude-use status.  If you search the Surrey.ca website for "nude beach", "naturist beach", "clothing-optional beach" or "Crescent Rock beach", you get zero results.  The same goes for the CIty of Vancouver, home to world famous Wreck Beach, with their vancouver.ca website only having one entry about an oil spill off Wreck Beach years ago.

As I mentioned only a few weeks ago regarding Crescent Rock beach in my TNT on the 1001 Steps, Surrey's total lack of action and ignorance on this cultural and recreational issue makes a mockery of their support for "diversity, equity, inclusion and respect."  The same goes for the City of Vancouver who seem to want to pretend that they are not home to one of the top 10 nude beaches in the world.  While it is illegal to discriminate against a group because of the colour of the skin, apparently it is somehow okay to do so for the amount showing.  The cities of Surrey and Vancouver omitting that they have legal nude beaches and wiping their websites clean of any mention of them shows how naturists and nudists are being systematically discriminated against and their culture of positive body acceptance purposely ignored.  I wonder if they would change their tune if a complaint was made to the B.C. Human Rights Tribunal about this ongoing travesty?  I guess there is one way to find out.

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

I wish to acknowledge we live work and play on the traditiional lands of the Semiahmoo People

 

 

 

 

Local News

Monday July 14, 2025

Batter Up!

TEAM CANADA during this year's Canada Cup basically destroyed the competition during the tournament.

Last evening TEAM CANADA ran into a buzz saw called TRIPLE CROWN COLORADO.

COLORADO jumped out to an early lead with a home run in each of the first three innings and eventually going on to a 5-0 lead. TEAM CANADA battled hard but came up short with COLORADO emerging victorious 7-5.

Hats off to the organizers and the many volounteers who make this Softball City / South Surrey tournament a huge success.

 

 

Sunday July 14, 2025

Dancing in the Streets

Salsa dancing was front and centre last evening at the waterfront in Memorial park. Since 2019 during the summer months local organizers have hosted wonderful nights of dancing to the summer themed dances. the evening began with a short salsa dancing lesson session, then the fun and music was on.

Be on the look out for the dates of three more upcoming dance nights on the waterfront.

 

"Scrub the Hub". White Rock: Hands Off Our Park!

RALLY ALERT – SCRUB the HUB!

Join us this Sunday July 13th 2025 to take a stand for responsible development and community transparency!

Date: July 13th / Time: 11 am to 1pm

Time: 11 am to 1pm

Location: Beside the Oceana PARC Playhouse!

Raise your voice against the proposed 25-storey City Hall megaproject that doesn’t fit our small-town character.

 

 

High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) sticker program for electric vehicles will soon be coming to an end

In a news release published on Friday the Ministry of Transportation and Transit said the change will come into effect on Aug. 15, 2025, meaning “drivers of eligible plug-in hybrid or battery-electric vehicles will no longer need to display an OK decal to use designated HOV lanes.”

“As of that date, access to HOV lanes for EV drivers will be indicated solely by road signs,” noted the ministry.

The province clarified that hydrogen vehicles are no longer permitted to use HOV lanes without meeting the minimum passenger requirement of two or more occupants.

According to the province, “the definition of an electric vehicle is a vehicle propelled by an electric motor and powered by a battery that can be charged from an external electricity source.”

This includes:

  • Fuel types:

    • Battery electric vehicle (BEV)

    • Plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV)

  • All sizes of eligible EVs are allowed, including light-duty, medium-duty, and heavy-duty EVs.

Vehicles that run on an electric motor and plug to charge will be able to access HOV lanes without minimum passenger requirements, where signage permits.

EVs will be allowed in the following HOV lanes:

Lower Mainland / South of the Fraser

  • Highway 17A: Northbound only Ladner Trunk Road to Highway 99

  • Highway 99: Northbound south of Highway 17 to north of Highway 17A

  • Highway 99: Southbound south of Westminster Highway to north of Steveston Highway

 

 

Saturday July 13, 2025

White Rock Bi-Election Nomination Packages

For Potential Candidates – Councillor

Nomination period begins Tuesday, August 12, 2025 at 9:00 a.m. and closes Friday, August 22, 2025 at 4:00 p.m.

(Click here for more information and your download form to run for White Rock council)

 

 

Community-Based Cooling Locations and Misting Tents operating in Surrey-White Rock

Saturday July 12 through Monday July 14, 2025.

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.

Links to Additional Resources:

Emergency Notifications:

  • 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.

 

 

Thursday July 11, 2025

City of White Rock Notice of Water Main Flushing

The City of White Rock will begin its Dead-End Water Main Flushing Program on Monday, July 14, 2025, as part of ongoing efforts to maintain and improve the City's water system.

During this time, residents may notice temporary changes in water pressure. Learn more at https://tinyurl.com/35xhryyw

 

 

 

Surrey Fusion Festival returns to Holland Park in Whalley next weekend July 19 & 20 from 11am to 10pm!

Celebrate food, music and culture all in one weekend.

(click here for full schedule of music, events and food pavilions

Since its inception in 2008, Surrey Fusion Festival has won 16 national and international awards. The festival has become the community’s beloved annual celebration of food, music, and culture. Each year, attendees can experience over 50 cultural pavilions offering authentic cuisine and art, as well as eight stages with musical and dance performances. Consistently, Surrey Fusion Festival attracts thousands of attendees, reflecting the community's strong support and the City's commitment to celebrating and promoting multiculturalism.

Attendees can experience this year’s theme, Flavours of the World, at over 50 cultural pavilions, where local community groups will offer their country’s tasty, authentic cuisine. The award-winning festival will be headlined by Easy Star All-Stars on July 19 and Miss Pooja on July 20. Other features include free live music and entertainment across eight stages, a Family Zone, an Indigenous Village and marketplace, dance battles, cooking workshops, games, and more.

 

Wednesday July 09, 2025


 


Join us for the 74th annual White Rock Sea Festival & Semiahmoo Days

The City of White Rock and Semiahmoo First Nation welcome the community back for the 74th annual White Rock Sea Festival and Semiahmoo Days, an unforgettable weekend of sun, surf, and celebration taking place August 2-3, 2025, at the waterfront.

Experience an exciting lineup of activities, performances, and entertainment across three activation zones located at:

  • Semiahmoo Park: Enjoy a weekend of live music, family-friendly games, Indigenous artisans, and food trucks at the iconic band shell overlooking Semiahmoo Bay. Musical highlights include Legacy’s tribute to Billy Joel and Elton John (Saturday) and country trio The Heels (Sunday).

    Environmental Zone (East Beach): Explore hands-on sustainability exhibits with Parks Canada and dive into marine education at the White Rock (P’Quals) with the Vancouver Aquarium.

    Memorial Park: Catch non-stop live music on the Main Stage, with surf-rockers California Surf Club on Saturday, and the soulful sounds of Sade on Sunday. Don’t miss the crowd-favourite Waiters Race Saturday evening

The nighttime Torchlight Parade, presented by Waste Connections of Canada, floats down Marine Drive Saturday evening starting at 8:30 p.m. by Oxford Street and ends at Semiahmoo Park.

Fireworks will conclude the Festival with a spectacular display on Sunday starting at 10:15 p.m. View the show from anywhere along the waterfront.

Admission is free, and all are encouraged to walk, cycle, or take transit to the waterfront.

Learn more at www.whiterockcity.ca/seafestival

 

Tuesday July 08, 2025

Good Idea For Next Canada Day

.. and for this year's Sea Festival Fireworks

It is so obvious most of us missed it.

Watch the White Rock" Canada Day Fireworks" from the comfort of your home.

Daily we post the link to the beach cameras on the bottom here of The White Rock Sun.

Dial it up on YOUTUBE on your flat screen and aaawwwaaayyyy we go!

 

Complete the 2026 Budget Survey

Take the City of White Rock’s 2026 budget survey to let Council know which services are most important to you and what your priorities are.

Take the online survey at www.talkwhiterock.ca/budget2026. Survey submissions close on Wednesday, August 27 at 4:30 p.m.

Your feedback will be shared with Council in a Corporate Report and will include a summary of all contributions collected and recommendations for future action in the 2026 budgeting process.

 

Outstanding Citizens Award

Outstanding Canadians on the Peninsula Award recipient Cindy Walker, MP Ernie Klassen, White Rock Mayor Megan Knight, and award recipients Manjit Litt and Cindy Walker on July 1 in White Rock.

 

(Read Past New Stories)

 

 

Sunday Funnies

(more funnies-click here)

 

 

Yell It Like It Is

Friday July 11, 2025

Suppose They Gave a War and Nobody Came is an 1970 American drama-comedy film 

 

Last night's beautiful evening brought out a large crowd to the Concert @ The Pier which for the first time was held in the Miramar Plaza in uptown White Rock.

It was standing and dancing room only as hundreds of attendees basked and grooved to the reggae sounds of MOSTLY MARLEY.

My question though is the phrase at the top of this editorial...Suppose They gave

Even though the plaza was packed as I looked around at the four towers that faced the plaza I was shocked to see so few people having "parties on their patios." The first two towers that were constructed in the BOSA TOWERS have huge balconies on them facing south, the two new towers have very small balconies and really don't afford the opportunity to have a bunch of friends over.

A rough count of balconies facing the plaza totaled out at 26 balconies and only 4 or 5 of them had anyone on them. It was similar at the other 3 towers that faced towards the plaza? Bizarre.

These Concerts @ or near the pier brought to us by the City of White Rock and the local Business Improvement Association have been hugely successful over the years. Walking through the crowd I did see a number of White Rockers but I have always wondered where the majority of the attendees to these popular concerts come from? Despite numerous requests by the city of White Rock for a breakdown on who comes to these concerts, are they from Surrey, Langley delta or beyond. We have never received that information.

Did the concert do anything for local business owners?

Well it was obvious Three Dogs beer patio was jammed yet when I went into Thrifty's deli to get some supper the operator told me he was enjoying the music but it had no impact on the deli's business.

This is not an unusual malady with our city. Take THE TOUR DE WHITE ROCK for instance, not killed simply due to covid, the organizers pulled out of White Rock and surrounding cities simply because the community had no desire to attend the wonderful events. Our Canada Day celebrations on the beach really only draw a big crowd for the fireworks.

Next up will be our annual Sea Festival Torch Light Parade. This event does capture the imagination of our community, driven largely by children who heard they are throwing out candies from the floats.

Ar the end of the day simply put, USE IT OR LOSE IT, and sadly losing these events may be the alterior motive by "new residents" for such poor local support.

David Chesney

Editor/Publisher

 

 

Video of the Day

 

If you have ever dreamed of living in a town without any roads and cars then you might want to move to Giethoorn, Holland.

The town has an extensive system of canals for residents to use. It looks more enjoyable than driving crowded city streets. 

 

Thought For The Day

 

 

 

 

 

Community Events

Who will be awarded the title of Miss or Mr. White Rock?

 

Come to the finale of the White Rock Youth Ambassadors Friday, July 18th, where we award & celebrate our new team and their incredible accomplishments this season.

Tickets for Youth and Seniors are just $25. Adults 19+ $55 plus fees. Includes light refreshments; no host bar. ?

It’s all happening at the White Rock Players’ Club Theatre. Purchase your tickets at our website WRYA.ca or Event Brite: https://www.eventbrite.ca/.../puttin-on-the-ritz-gala...

Ps. Dont miss the After Party DJ & Dance… FREE to attend with your Gala ticket. It’s also free for youth 18 & under. Kindly supported by the White Rock Elks Club 431

 

 

 

 

 


 

 

 

Check the weather in White Rock in real time.

It's always sunny in White Rock 

 

 

East Beach Camera

 

 

West Beach Camera

   

 

 

 

 

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