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The Naked Truth

Don Pitcairn

A dressed-up lie when exposed and stripped to bare facts will reveal the naked truth.

Ann Landeers

Disclaimer

The views expressed by DON PITCAIRN are his and his alone personal opinion

 

 

 

 

March 11, 2024

TNT The Naked Truth

Don Pitcairn

Fish School at SFGC


Like all organizations, the Semiahmoo Fish & Game Club (SFGC) had to weather the storm when COVID-19 emerged and lock-downs were put in place to help deal with the spread of the virus.  The archery and firearms ranges were all closed, hall rentals and weddings were cancelled and public gatherings ended.  Through these trying times volunteers running the salmon hatchery managed to keep separated and ensure that the salmonids were kept healthy until they could be released back into the Little Campbell river.  Unfortunately the "Salmon in the Classroom" program run by the Department of Oceans and Fisheries (DFO) with help from the hatchery at the SFGC were also cancelled during COVID along with school tours of the Little Campbell hatchery.  Now that everything has returned to normal, both of these important educational programs that highlight the importance of salmon hatchery operations are back up and running.

Last fall volunteers manning the fish fence on the Little Campbell River netted 3,700 Coho (of which 350 were hatchery fish), 950 Chinook and 350 Chum, all of which were counted, sexed and released.  Under the watchful eye of DFO officers, salmon were selected to provide brood stock for future hatchery operations.  Currently there are two eight foot wide tubs with 38,000 Coho and another set of tubs with 52,000 Chinook swimming in them.   Outside in the large rearing pond, a further 20,000 Coho are being raised for release into the Little Campbell River in the near future.  Besides all of the salmon being raised at the hatchery, the DFO outfits classrooms with specialized aquariums so that students can experience hands-on the life-cycle of salmon.  Eyed-eggs from the Little Campbell Hatchery are distributed by DFO from the Little Campbell Hatchery to schools in Surrey, Delta and Richmond in January where they are raised for release in the spring. 

In total the SFGC has booked students from over 80 schools this year to visit the Little Campbell hatchery.  This generally involves groups of 25-26 children plus teachers and parents.  Between now and spring break, it is expected that 650 kids will be visiting the property to see first hand what is happening and how the young fish are kept safe and healthy.  The $100 booking fee is quite affordable and helps the Club pay for salmon hatchery operations.  A team of eight veteran guides (with several more in training) assist with classroom instruction and the tours of the hatchery, outbuildings, the Little Campbell river and the neary 30 acres of property.  Currently many of the children are arriving in buses or by mini-van convoy with the fish they have raised in the classroom.  It is expected that before the March spring break that all of the salmonids raised in the classrooms will be released by the kids into the Little Campbell where they then begin their epic four year migration.  It is interesting to note that of the 55 eggs delivered to each classroom, 51-55 salmonids are returned and released into the river.  You can find more information on the SFGC's Little Campbell fish hatchery school tours at:  You can find more information on the SFGC's Little Campbell fish hatchery school tours at: https://www.sfgc.info/copy-of-a-volunteer-s-fish-tale 

The SFGC's Little Campbell hatchery is run by a contingent of knowledgeable volunteers who make everything possible.  This time of year the tanks with the salmonids must be cleaned on a daily basis and of course the fish need to be fed and monitored.  Besides the educational school tours, members of the SFGC recently teamed up with other salmon hatcheries to run the Fishing For Kids booth at the BC Sportsman Show in Abbotsford.  Over the upcoming spring break the young Chinook currently in the rearing tanks will have their adipose fin removed marking them as hatchery fish.  At that time the DFO will supply a pinning machine that inserts a coded wire into the nose of the fish that provides information on health, growth, travel and morbidity when the fish are caught or collected.  The 52,000 Chinook will take twelve people a total of eight days working seven hours a day to complete this task, with the Coho marked and tagged soon after that.  When the salmon are running in October, it takes a total of 450-500 hours for volunteers to man the fish fence, net the salmon and perform the count.  If you want hands-on experience with helping both hatchery raised and wild salmon survive, the Semiahoo Fish & Game Club is waiting for you.

With plans for a new fish hatchery to be constructed currently at the building permit stage, there has been a big increase in interest in the happenings at the SFGC and the Little Campbell hatchery.  It was only a few years ago when it looked as if the property was going to be given to the CIty of Surrey but from those days the club has made a remarkable comeback.  Memberships can be purchased at $110 for the year with $50 for seniors and a family rate of $140.  For this you can get involved in one of the only fish and game clubs that has a fish hatchery on their property.  The SFGC is always looking for volunteers to help lessen the workload on older members who devote much time and energy on the hatchery plus club operations.  With indoor and outdoor archery, a basement firearms range, 200 seat hall and plenty of outdoor activities on the wooded property there is always something going on.  You can check out the club website at https://www.sfgc.info/ or drop by at 1284 184 street in the Hazelmere Valley of south Surrey.  The property is open to the public from dawn to dusk and the walking trails beside the river are always a nice place to connect with nature

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

I wish to acknowledge we live, work and play on the traditional lads of the Semiahmoo people.

 

 

 

February 05, 2024

TNT The Naked Truth

Don Pitcairn


A Hump in the Road


It is not my job to notice issues affecting our roadways.  I do not get paid to do safety checks on bridges and highways.  I didn't go to Engineering school to learn how to build roads.  I do not work for a road maintenance company, the Ministry of Highways or one of the many cities in this province.  I could go one ranting further but instead I'll stop here and say that our traffic infrastructure here is third world.  I can basically drive down any roadway and point out problem after problem with everything from signage, lighting, layout, paving, painting, etc.  Some of this stuff is rather mundane, others are dangerous, and some have actually killed people.  The government could hire me to simply cruise around to make notes and take pictures of deficiencies on any roadway in the province.  It would be like the movie Groundhog Day with the same repetitive crap day in and day out without end leaving one hoping for death.

The closer you get to home, the more you drive.  It is because of this simple observation that 50% of all car crashes happen within five miles from home.  Going a little further, 70% of crashes happen within 10 miles from home.  These two stats tell me that people do most of their driving within the limits of their city, unless of course they live in White Rock that is only three square miles or 5 square kilometres.  Living in the big city of Surrey, I realize that most of my driving occurs within the 316.4 square kilometers of Surrey.  Heck, if it wasn't for so many good craft breweries spread across the Lower Mainland, I don't know if I would ever leave the Mother ship.  That being said, when you are constantly driving on the mean streets of Surrey, you tend to see the same old problem over and over again.  Like a burr under your saddle, you may not really care at first but after miles of riding that little burr can light a flame under your butt that is going to need a fire extinguisher to put out.

The City of Surrey is guilty of doing something here that is lazy, stupid, dangerous, and just like that burr is a big pain in the ass.  To make matters worse, they seem to be the only town in BC that somehow missed the memo on how to deal with this very simple problem.  Jurisdictions all across the province will put large speed humps in roadways to help slow traffic.  You no doubt have seen these in school zones, where they sit slowing traffic for 24 hours a day even though it is only a 30 kmh zone from 8 am. till 5 p.m. on school days, a little over 20% of the time.  These large asphalt mounds are painted with two large white triangles facing traffic to make them more visible.  Yellow/orange diamond warning signs showing what looks like a flat round hat are posted beside these speed humps to alert motorists that they are there.  Some places even go a step further, putting warning signs up that there are speed humps ahead.  For areas where a series of speed humps have been installed to slow traffic, "speed control zone" signs are usually posted on both ends of the road.


The problem with the City of Silly, oops of course I meant Surrey, is that they put speed humps on the road but don't install the warning signs adjacent to them as is normally done everywhere else.  In our Crescent Heights neighbourhood, from 124 St and 24 Ave to 128 St and 25 Ave. there are seven speed humps in this area used by transit buses, with only two of these speed hump signs properly posted.  The other two are at the entrance ways to this rough ride area on flat stretches of road.  The nearby 22 Ave from 128 St to 124 St. is the same with four unmarked speed humps.  Now this may not sound like a big deal but I have seen several boats almost come off their trailers after getting sent airborne when unsuspecting drivers drove over these unsigned humps at the speed limit.  I usually don't get to see delivery vans, you simply hear the massive crashing noise as everything in their vehicle flies in the air and then falls to the floor.  Landscaping and carpenter trailers fair equally as poorly with tools and equipment going airborne only to come smashing down.  The buses don't fare any better with passengers getting launched constantly.

Speed Humps are always marked with signs for driver safety.  In the winter when visibility is difficult and the roads can be covered in snow, speed hump signs often give drivers their only warning to their existence.  Flying off one of these humps in icy conditions can quickly turn into an uncontrolled skid and a crash.  It also allows snow plow operators to lift the blades when they drive over these bumps.  Not only is this easier on the snow moving equipment, it  ensures that the painted white triangles remain on the speed humps.  Often in Surrey you see this safety marking scraped off because the plow operators do not have x-ray vision.  Even worse is the many speed humps used in elementary schools with no marking signs.  The Crescent Park Annex at 124 St. an 24 Ave. that is not used as a school has speed humps on these arterial roads that are not marked.  I have heard vehicles crash over them with such force I thought it was an accident at the intersection.  Ocean Cliff Elementary on 20 Ave in Ocean Park has three speed humps that are not properly marked while Jessie Lee Elementary on 154 St. near 20 Ave. has two of these dangerous speed humps with no signage.

Over a city as large as Surrey the number of speed humps not properly signed could be in the thousands.  In our little neck of the woods this number sits at 13, which doubles to 26 with signs needed on both sides of the road.  The Surrey Engineering Dept. needs to look at their maps and drawings to figure out where all of these speed humps are and ensure they are properly marked.  To all the parents of young kids reading this TNT, please ensure the Principal of your elementary school is aware of this problem and gets the School Board to do something about it.  It is rather embarrassing that cities all around Surrey install speed humps correctly with the proper signage, but the Engineering Dept. here has obviously dropped the ball on this issue long ago. 

The remedy is really quite simple; install proper warning signs or remove the speed humps.  I know from server activity out of both Surrey and White Rock city halls that the content of this column does get reviewed by staff.  Hopefully this will be enough to get some traction on this issue but if not, you can always report this lack of safety signage to Surrey's Report-A-Problem line at https://www.surrey.ca/services-payments/report-problem-or-submit-request .

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

I wish to acknowledge we live, work and play on the traditional lands of the Semiahmoo People.

 

Monday January 29, 2024

TNT The Naked Truth

Don Pitcairn


Ivan Knows a Villain

Surrey Talk Radio's IVAN SCOTT


In a radical departure from my regular weekly column here in the White Rock Sun, I am inviting a guest writer to contribute to The Naked Truth. 

This is the first time this has ever happened but depending on the subject, copy and person involved, it may not be the last.  The following is a letter to the editor that Ivan Scott, founder of Keep The RCMP In Surrey (KTRIS) and the "Voice of Surrey" from Surrey Talk Radio, sent to the Peace Arch News (PAN) and various local politicos.  His diatribe was in response to three different letters published in the PAN disparaging Mayor Brenda Locke and the Surrey police transition from the RCMP to the Surrey Police Service.  While the PAN was more than ready to give ink to one side of this story, they neglected to print this letter from Mr. Scott.  I feel it is important for a two-sided public conversation on the police transition that will shape the future of law enforcement in Surrey and citizen's property taxes.  Without further ado (not adieu), here is Mr. Scott's letter titled "Who is the villain here?" that I have slightly edited for form and function without changing the context.

  

Letter To The Editor

Dear Editor,

What is it that Ed Hird, Charles Broderick and Willy Van Dongen (PAN, Jan. 11, 2024) do not get?  Mayor Brenda Locke is not the villain here and I will elaborate with the following facts:

I am the man who started the KEEP THE RCMP IN SURREY CAMPAIGN (KTRIS) in 2019 in response to then Mayor Doug McCallum's edict that a Surrey Police Service (SPS) must be changed to from the RCMP as our municipal police force.  This was done on his election promise and justified by him as: 

  • Surrey is the only city in Canada with a population greater than 500,000 that does not have its own municipal police force - Surrey does have its own municipal police force and it is called the RCMP, which has been doing a fine job here for the past 70+ years.

  • Surrey residents "deserve their own police force"  - Surrey does deserve to have the best police in the world and we have it; it's called the RCMP.

In 2019 KTRIS garnered more than 50,000 signatures in favour of KTRIS (20% South Asian) that was then delivered to Premier John Horgan and which he promptly ignored. 

In 2021 KTRIS assisted with the SURREY POLICE VOTE petition for a referendum requested by Darlene Bennett, which resulted in 43,000 signatures being obtained in favour that was again ignored by Solicitor General Mike Farnworth. 

In 2022, KTRIS endorsed and assisted Brenda Locke and her slate, Surrey Connect (SC) in the municipal election, who gave the election promise that they would keep the RCMP in Surrey and cancel the SPS if elected.  SC was elected as Council with a 64,000 total vote majority. The B.C. Government again ignored this fact when it came to the Surrey Policing question.


Mayor Brenda Locke and SC promptly informed the B.C. government that Surrey was canceling the transition to SPS as was its legislative right to do.  This was based on the reasons that: 

1.) The people had spoken three times, finally confirming this in the municipal election. 

2.) The transition was going to cost Surrey taxpayers at least $50 million more per year than keeping the RCMP, resulting in huge tax increases forever.  

3.) The transition "business" plan was not a viable plan at all, in that after five years with an inept police board and inept "chief-of-police" had gone millions of dollars over budget and had only progressed 30-40% of the way. 

4.) Public safety was not an issue by retaining the very experienced RCMP in Surrey but it would be if a fledgling SPS with no record or any experience was brought in as Surrey's police force.

As can be seen, three referendums have been done already and there is no point in holding another.  In this time of ridiculous inflation, there is no reason to accept the B.C. Government's dictatorial edict and immoral changing of the Police Act to force Surrey to pay for the most expensive proposed police service in Canada.  Mike Farnworth does not care, he does not live in Surrey and will not personally have to pay the taxes that he wants to enforce on each of us.  If he did care about Surrey, he would cancel the SPS.  This is exactly the reason why Brenda Locke has gone to court and she is following through on her promise to keep the RCMP in Surrey and save us huge millions of dollars.  My hat is off to her.

So to Ed Hird, no to a referendum and yes to a change in B.C. government.  To Charles Broderick, we already have the policing service and municipal government we want and deserve.  To Willy Van Dongen, the waste of money is if we are forced to put in the SPS.  How many people are you assuming to speak for, one?  I have the support of at least 50,000 to about 100,000 residents of Surrey.

Doug McCallum is the villain here, not Brenda Locke.

Sincerely,

Ivan Scott

Founder, KTRIS

Voice of Surrey, Surrey Talk Radio

Here are links to the three letters posted in the PAN that Mr. Scott was unable to address on their opinions page.

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

I wish to acknowledge we live work and play on the traditional lands of the Semiahmoo people.

 

 

 

 

Monday January 22, 2024

TNT The Naked Truth

Don Pitcairn

Pump and Dump


Before taking our winter vacation, I decided to do some snooping for a TNT story after getting snowed out of work in North Delta.  Since I was already in the neighbourhood, I went to see if I could find traces of diesel oil pollution in East Delta, wondering if the fuel I had seen in waterways south of the BNSF derailment site next to Hwy. 91 had migrated through to Mud Bay.  You can read the rest of what is now a train wreck trilogy by scrolling down to the Nov. 20, 2023 TNT titled "BNSF Off The Rail" and the related Jan. 8, 2024 column titled "Droning For Oil."  Just as crap flows downhill, the ditches and streams from East Delta all flow south to the City of Delta pump station at the south end of 112 St. that empties drainage water from there directly into Mud Bay.

Delta pump house holding pond oil slick.

Parking next to the dike gate, I made my way to the massive pump house complex that the City of Delta uses to keep its farmlands from flooding and returning to a bog.  Interestingly, the area is not fenced off and you can simply walk around the complex including on concrete sidewalks and metal catwalks over the adjacent holding pond.  I was not really surprised but still couldn't believe my eyes when I immediately found a thick oily slick floating on the water just to the side of the massive pumps.  There were no oil containment booms or absorbent booms in this area even though an accumulation of floating oil in this location a few kilometers away from the recent BNSF train wreck site should have been anticipated by both the City of Delta and the Railway.


Delta pump house outflow into Mud Bay.

The problem with this pump house is that it uses large mechanical screws to lift water up out of the holding pond where it then flows in a large pipe under the dike and discharges onto the shoreline area of Mud Bay.  Because of this basic design, the screws skim off the top layer of water taking any floating debris or possible contaminates with it.  Leaving the pump house and crossing over the dike pathway, I found the outflow area where the pumped water flowed into the ocean.  It was covered with a thick layer of white foam that was noticeably brown on top.  The wind was blowing briskly from the northeast at that time and there was none of this same foam visible upwind along the shore east from the outflow area.

The shoreline downwind and due west of the outflow was a completely different story.  A thick sudsy layer of the same white and brown foam covered the rocks and logs that lined the shoreline directly across from the pump house  Some of it measured an estimated two metres out from shore and up to 20 cm. deep.  Further west from there the shore turned into several small bays and this ugly foam sludge was piled up against the shoreline even browner than at the outflow.  As nasty as this material looked, even worse was seeing the hundreds of ducks resting just offshore from the foam lined beach.  With cold arctic outflow conditions last week, Boundary Bay that is part of the Pacific Flyway would have been lined with huge flocks of ducks as all of the freshwater inland ponds were frozen solid.

Shoreline of Mud Bay with accumulated foam and flock of ducks.

Because of travel preparations and other chores, I was not able to return to get water samples of the pump house oil slick or the dirty cappuccino foam lining Mud Bay.  I did send out my pictures in a news release to local environmental groups, political contacts and other media organizations.  Just like the original oil I witnessed in Delta farmland ditches south of the BNSF train crash site thanks to HiPics Drone Services, I reported what I had seen to the BC Environment Ministry, the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans, the RAPP line for polluters, plus the City of Delta's Environmental Manager.  I have yet to be contacted back from any of these even though they all received the same pictures you see posted here.

City of Delta's 112 St. pump house

As to what the pump house foam is from, it may be naturally occurring and biological in nature with a rational scientific explanation.  It could also be possibly related to the locomotive diesel oil spill and any dispersal agents applied to the BNSF train crash scene to help with the environmental cleanup.  Considering the visible oil slick on the pump house holding pond, I have reason to suspect it may be the later.  Water quality testing and chemical analysis of the pump house oil slick could explain this mystery but this is the job of multiple government agencies whose mandate is to investigate spills and protect the natural environment.  If they continue to do nothing, I'll be back at the pump house to collect my own samples of the dirty foam and oil slick for lab testing.

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

I wish to acknowledge we live, work and play on the traditional lands of the Semiahmoo people.

 

 

January 15, 2024

The Naked Truth

Don Pitcairn

A Short Walk on a Long Pier


Not many living here in the Semi-pen will ever forget the events of Dec. 19, 2018 when a Pacific storm system with high winds during a king tide hit White Rock.  In a howling gale, large waves tore apart the dock that had sat for years behind the breakwater, pushing it towards the shore with sailboats from the White Rock Sailing Club.  The southwest winds rammed the dock into the pilings below the middle of the pier with the waves pushing the bobbing boats underneath the structure.  The waves then lifted the boats up into the support beams and decking, where in only a matter of seconds the 104 year-old structure was quickly torn apart, leaving a 100 foot gap.

Of course, several brave (read foolhardy) folks had decided that the weather made for great storm watching conditions and they'd made their way out to the end of the historic pier where waves were crashing over the breakwater.  One of these was former RCMP officer turned professional photographer Tim Shields who was there to take pictures and videos of the storm with his daughters in tow.  Seeing the dock come apart and a large portion drifting away with a flotilla of sailboats, he started to video record the event.  When the boats began to smash against the pier, he realized the danger his family was in and they managed to run underneath falling masts and riggings only moments before the pier broke in two.  His amazing video of this disaster and their miraculous escape quickly went viral and was seen by millions around the world (https://globalnews.ca/video/4783771/dramatic-escape-from-collapsed-white-rock-pier).

This was not the only harrowing pier escape of the day as one man had not been so lucky and was left stranded at the far end surrounded by sinking boats, churning seas and a pier that continued to come apart.  First responders arriving to this crisis realized that a boat rescue, even by the Coast Guard, would be impossible in the conditions.  A call was sent out to the Royal Canadian Air Force for a helicopter to perform an aerial extraction.  Flying in from the Vancouver Island through the storm, they reached what was left of the pier and hovered above it while a throng of people watched the unfolding drama from the promenade.  A rescuer was dropped by a cable, put a safety harness around 42 year-old Oren Perry and the bright yellow Cormorant helicopter quickly lifted both men to safety.

Much has happened to the White Rock pier since that fateful day.  The structure was rebuilt and reopened eight months later with repairs costing $4.3 million.  After much bizarre infighting at City Hall, the historic White Rock pier measuring 1,542 feet or 470 metres was finally declared "Canada's Longest Pier."  A new archway erected at the pier entrance proudly declares this fact and one of the boardwalk planks also has this message carved into it.  It was decided that because of the danger, the dock where the White Rock Sailing Club had moored their sailboats for years would not be rebuilt.  I should note here that while repaired, long lengths of the pier still need to be replaced with the new steel and concrete standard that is topped with a wooden walkway.

Unfortunately, there continues to be a glaring safety issue with this antique pier.  Last Tuesday morning, fully aware of high tide warnings, flood warnings and wind warnings all happening at once, I decided to visit the White Rock pier, arriving shortly before dawn.  Venturing onto the promenade I was met with strong winds, churning seas and high waves.  The waves would hit the rip-rap boulders with water splashing up and over the tracks onto the promenade where people were walking.  I made my way onto the pier only as far as the archway sign.  A raft of logs washed in by the storm were beating on the support pilings like a drum.  You could hear the deep thuds and feel the jolting impact underneath your feet.  As I turned around for safety, I'll never forget the man who jogged by me with a crab trap in hand headed out onto the pier oblivious to the danger.

I understand it was later that morning when City of White Rock work crews finally arrived to put up barricades and close the pier.  Considering the weather and tide forecast, this should have been done the night before.  Unfortunately there are people who would simply duck under or push these out of the way and enter the pier when unsafe to do so.  It is for this reason that actual metal gates, which can be closed and locked, need to be installed at the shore end of the pier.  Most of the pier was rebuilt nearly 50 years ago and a walk underneath at low tide shows plenty of temporary repairs done after damage from the Dec. 2018 windstorm.  The City of Surrey has gates on their three waterfront staircases that can be closed in times of "adverse weather conditions."  White Rock needs to follow their lead and keep storm watchers and thrill seekers off the pier during severe storms for their own safety and protection.  

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

I wish to acknowledge we live, work and play on the traditional lands of the Semiahmoo people.


January 08, 2024

TNT The Naked Truth

Drone-ing" For Oil


In my Nov. 20, 2023 TNT titled "BNSF Off The Rails", I examined the crash scene of two BNSF freight trains in North Delta along Highway 91 that included  several locomotives off the tracks along with a bunch of cars and two oil tankers.  The BNSF Railway engineers and track workers descended on the scene along with hazmat workers to clean up the mess and clear the tracks.  It took only a few days for rail traffic to resume but the cleanup has been ongoing ever since with hazmat trucks remaining on scene.  I thought this story was basically over until I received a call from the owner of a local drone company who let me know there was plenty more to see if you had a bird's eye view.

(click here for aerial view of crash and clean up site)

John Easton

John Easton from HiPics Drone Services (https://hipics.ca/wp) normally uses his UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) for mundane tasks such as rooftop inspections, construction planning, insurance reports, property management or agriculture inspections.  Upon hearing about the BNSF train crash not far from where he lives, he decided to use his Transport Canada certified drone and its various thermal and infrared filters to record the extent of the damage.  Time and time again he went back to the well so to speak, showing the progression of the track cleanup and repair plus spill response.  It did not take him long to realize that he was seeing things with his drone from the air that the people on the ground were either missing, or totally ignoring.  


After meeting with John and seeing some of his detailed drone footage, the two of us went to the train crash site for a visual inspection.  Amazingly, while the Metro-Vancouver walkway along the tracks was closed to the public, there was nothing stopping anyone from parking at the truck pullout and walking to the nearby crash scene.  Once there, John showed me a large mound of excavated material covered with thick tarps that he described as being contaminated soil dug out from the worst of the spill areas.  Oil containment booms and absorbent booms were strung across the ditches with absorbent pads floating in many areas soaking up petroleum residue.  In the ditches was a pervasive oily sheen with a brown sludge covering much of the vegetation below the surface of the water wherever petroleum contamination was present.  


Even with the presence of the various containment and cleanup materials in place, it was obvious that some of the oil had escaped from the area.  Heavy rains after the train crash had flooded the Met-Van walkway and the normally grey gravel surface was a mottled brown wherever the oil had been.  A swail beside the highway and the Met-Van forced sewer main had water in it for a long distance past the crash site and it too was covered in oil.  There was evidence that much of the vegetation that had been in contact with the oil was now dying.  Making matters worse, there were a number of culverts that pass from alongside the Watershed park to the south side of Hwy. 91 draining water from the bog at the bottom of the hill.  We saw the oily water and brown sludge disappearing into these large pipes that were pointing south-west to the farm fields on the other side of the road.


Mr. Easton had shown me a map of the east Delta farm land that I was very familiar with from a time long before Hwy. 91 was built when I lived in North Delta.  On it he had noted various culverts, pipes, ditches and pump houses with each one numbered and linked to drone shots and videos he had taken.  We stopped by the culvert outflows west of Hwy. 91 and they were an oily mess, reeking of fuel and covered with rafts of the same brown sludge we had witnessed near the crash scene.  These dumped into a ditch at the edge of the highway that then flowed into farmers fields visible south of 64 Ave.  We drove from there to 112 St., the same road where the last overpass was struck, finding oil collected into many corners of the ditch.  All of the waterways and streams in this part of Delta eventually empty out into Mud Bay at the south end of 112 St. near where the old BC Packers Oyster Shucking Plant once stood.

The farmers at the end of the road who were now aware of the locomotive fuel spill had given John permission to enter their properties to check for oil contamination and for him to fly his drone.  The pictures I took of the ditches posted here don't do it justice nor do they convey the terrible smell but I will say it was enough to almost make me throw up several times.  The heavy rains had pushed the oil out into the corners of the blueberry field and a nearby corn field where it was now laying slowly soaking into the ground.  John informed me that when he first was flying his drone over the area there were ducks, geese, swans and beavers in the fields and ditches.  Now they were completely empty with even songbirds missing from the fields.  A later video he took showed a mallard duck in one of these oil covered ditches and when it flew away, you could see a circle of water that slowly closed up with floating oil.


What makes drone footage so important in oil spills is it is very easy to spot the telltale sheen and streaks in the water from above.  A quick flight can cover long distances of areas that normally would be difficult to access.  Having thermal and infrared ability is also important as different products have various levels of emissivity, which is a measure of how efficiently an object radiates heat.  After seeing for myself the night and day difference that having an overhead view makes for containment and cleanup after an oil spill, utilizing UAV's to track pollution and hopefully clean it up should be standard protocol in these unfortunate events.  As to how the Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Transportation, and the City of Delta will clean up this mess is unknown but it looks as if the BNSF Railway was asleep at the switch as petroleum contaminants floated away from the train crash scene.

On a related note, I learned that on Dec. 22, 2020, A BNSF train carrying tankers of Bakken crude oil derailed with ten cars going to ground and three catching fire in Custer Wash.  This resulted in the evacuation of residents from a half-mile radius and the closure of the important I-5 Freeway.  This crash site was only 10 km from the US/Canada border, while the Delta crash site is only 15 km from the Peace Arch as the crow flies.  Doing the simple math, this means the BNSF has had two oil tanker train crashes in less than 3 years, just 25 km. apart.  Anyone living by the train tracks in the Semi-pen can attest to the substantial increase in oil tanker traffic here with the rail corridor being used as a pipeline on wheels to ship petroleum.  A derailment along the Semiahmoo waterfront would likely involve tanker cars falling onto jagged rip-rap boulders and then rolling into Boundary Bay.  If a small spill into a ditch can't be contained, a large spill into the ocean here could be devastating.

(click here to see more drone footage of spill site)

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

I wish to acknowledge we live, work and play on the traditional lands of the Semiahmoo People.

 

 

 

January 02, 2024

TNT Year in Review 2023


To help celebrate the end of 2023, here is the TNT Year in Review that is a quick reference guide to stories you may have missed, wish to share, or simply want to read again.  Once you have found a TNT column of interest, note the date and simply scroll down into the archives below to find it.  A simple change this year is this listing now runs backwards from December to January so that the stories match up as you scroll down deeper into the TNT history.

Dec. 25, Christmas Gift List 2023:  One of the favourite TNT's of the year, this column gives out fun gifts we'd like to see under the tree for the movers and shakers of the Semi-Pen.  It's certainly a great way to find out who's naughty or nice.

Dec. 18, Pay For Your Propaganda:  Finding out the City of Surrey is spending half a million bucks on advertising the forced Surrey Police transition as an NDP Surrey Tax gets me hot under the collar for abusing taxpayer's dollars.

Dec. 11, Grin and Bear It:  With New Years fast approaching this TNT gives detailed information about ten different polar bear swims that are held across the Lower Mainland on Jan. 1st including three here in the Semi-pen with one that is rather cheeky.

Dec. 4, Beach Cam Conundrum:  I give kudos to White Rock about their online pier cam showing Memorial Park and Canada's longest pier, wondering why the City of Surrey with nearly thirty times the population does not have one of these cameras at Crescent Beach.

Nov. 27, Signs Of The Times:  I suggested that Surrey change the dates and times they lock the three beach stairways and they actually listened to my common sense ideas.  This TNT has everything you need to know to keep you from getting locked in.

Nov. 20, BNSF Off The Rails:  With petroleum tankers and chemical cars rolling on the BNSF tracks here, disaster finally strikes.  Fortunately it was in Delta along Hwy. 91 where a crash between two trains led to fuel oil spilling into the bottom of Watershed Park.

Nov. 13, It's Salmon Spawning Season:  With the return of the fall rains, four types of salmon swim up to spawn in the Little Campbell River and every fish is counted and sexed by a team of loyal band of volunteers at the Semiahmoo Fish & Game Club.

Nov. 6, Surrey Shows It's True Colours:  The massive WELCOME TO SURREY sign along Hwy. 99 at 8 Ave. and its stunning array of LED lights that can create 2.43 trillion colour combinations is examined in detail in this illuminating TNT.

Oct. 30, Signs of a Strike:  After a litany of bridge strikes by commercial vehicles in B.C., I examine this issue in detail on how it relates to Highway 99, less than two months before yet another impact damages part of the 112 St. overpass in Delta.

Oct. 23, 11,000 Words on the Hump.  Rather than write about my disgust with continued tree clearing on the Hump, I decide to let pictures do the talking with a pictorial of 11 photos showing the continued damage and desecration to this waterfront green space. 

Oct. 16, Crescent Heights Coyote:  You never know where I might find a story and his one ran by on the road in front of my house.  Everything you want to know about coyotes and how to cohabit-ate with them safely in the Semiahmoo peninsula.

Oct. 9, South Surrey is Semiahmoo:  Just after National Truth and Reconciliation Day I look at our treatment of the Semiahmoo First Nation peoples and their heritage, suggesting South Surrey should be called "Semiahmoo", just as South Delta is called "Tsawwassen."

Oct. 2, Time off for good behaviour

Sept. 26,  Stink, Stank Stunk:  Long before Christmas, I lean on Dr. Seuss and the Grinch as I examine the proposed biofuel plant planned for the Semiahmoo First Nation lands near the Peace Arch border crossing and its environmental effects.

Sept. 18, Grassholes Among Us:  In the middle of a record drought and Metro-Vancouver watering restrictions, I look at how some people think having a green lawn is more important than preserving our water supplies and following the sprinkling bylaws.

Sept. 11, Seafaring Shanty Town Shut Down:  It was hard not to jump for joy when I learned the floating shanty town in the Nicomekl River was finally going to be dealt with and the flotilla of derelict boats removed from this Surrey waterway.

Sept. 6, Chopped at the Top:  In a south Surrey first, BNSF Police catch arborists and a south Surrey strata cutting trees on the Ocean Park bluff in order to improve their views regardless of the increased slide risk they are causing to trains on the tracks below.

Aug. 28, Don't Get Locked In-sanity:  This TNT on the bizarre beach gate lock times started the ball rolling at Surrey City Hall to have the dates and times changed, something I later wrote about in my Nov. 27 column, Signs Of The Times.

Aug. 21, Choke on the Smoke:  Summer is here and with it comes a blanket of forest fire smoke to our region with morons still lighting beach fires on the shores of the Semiahmoo peninsula regardless of the risks or large fines.

Aug. 14, Biking to the Beach is Out of Reach:  A look at Translink and their illogical Ride & Shine program that directed people to go to the "beach" at Camp Kwomais in Ocean Park featuring steep cliffs, trespassing on the BNSF tracks, to access a boulder strewn shore.

July 31, Not Weed The Knotweed:  A chance encounter with the invasive species Japanese Knotweed at Harrison Lake leads to me discovering that this weed species is growing out of control all along the BNSF corridor from White Rock to Kwomais Point.

July 24, Stop Stumping the Hump:  Yet again, another TNT on White Rock cutting trees on the Hump with new Mayor Meghan Knight acting like former mayor Wayne Baldwin.  It includes a photo of what the Hump looked like before the chainsaws cut it down.

July 19, More Stumps On the Hump:  Arborists hired by the City of White Rock are once again working on clearing the Hump for views, cutting down trees on old landslides sites and in front of Marine Drive where a new long crack in the asphalt is now visible. 

July 13, Strange Days at the Beach:  In a story that made Global News Weather Window and the most read story of 2023 in the PAN, the bizarre optical illusion known as a "fata morgana" is examined in this TNT that also features an amphibious airplane making a crash landing.

July 4, The $0.316 Million Dollar Man:  Surrey taxpayers are left holding the bag for former Mayor Doug McCallum after his high priced legal dream team gets him off the hook on public mischief charges with the judge believing his foot had been run over by a car tire.

June 26, Sure Sign It's June:  If you liked the brown and white striped caramel candies grandma used to give you, you need to read this TNT on the 10 Lined June beetles that emerge from the ground in the late spring looking for a mate.

June 19, Our Home on Native Land:  The Tolest Aleng Indigenous Learning House at Elgin Heritage Park has its opening ceremony and I use this opportunity to reveal the dilapidated state of several totem poles and native carvings in south Surrey.

June 12, Gaggle of Geese:  The tale of two cities with the City of White Rock putting up Geese Crossing signs on North Bluff Road, while Surrey refuses to do the same on their side of 16 Ave., endangering wildlife, pedestrians and drivers.

June 5, Time and Tides:  With a full moon and huge tides forecast, I explain why anyone wanting to explore the beach or hit the water in a pleasure craft needs to keep an eye on the tide chart for this region for their enjoyment and safety.

May 29, Land For The Band:  I take on Alexandra Neighbourhood House in Crescent Beach, asking them to return their 2.5 acre property to the Semiahmoo band if they really consider it "stolen and occupied."  Needless to say, I never heard back from them.

May 22, Tarantula Terror:  The gardener in me could not resist doing a story on BC's only tarantula related species, the Pacific folding-door spider that I found in White Rock.  This was the only TNT printed in 2023 that contained a reader warning for arachnophobes.  

May 15, Crescent Log Beach:  White Rock, Delta, Vancouver, and Metro Vancouver all remove rafts of rotten logs from their beaches every spring but for reasons unknown the City of Surrey continues to ignore the log jam taking up much of Crescent Beach.

May 8, Ramping Things Up:  The extremely short and dangerous on ramp to Hwy. 99 at Ladner Trunk Road is examined in detail and this TNT is then sent to the Highways Minister plus area MLA's with this accident waiting to happen getting fixed immediately.

May 1, The State of Police in Surrey:  The Never Ending Story that is the Surrey Police Transition is reviewed after BC Solicitor General Mike Farnsworth finally makes a decision for Surrey to stick with the Surrey Police Service over the RCMP.

April 24, Head-on Crash Course:  Imagine if you will, a major arterial road in south Surrey with no painted lines or markings at all.  Welcome to 20th Ave that was ripped up and paved repeatedly without any of the lines being replaced until after this TNT.

April 17, The Middle of the Road:  Bridge repairs on Hwy. 99 result in the cable median barrier safety system being taken down and not replaced until a column on this important cross-over collision avoidance system appears in the White Rock Sun.

April 10, Soldiering On:  I broke this story about the War Memorial cenotaph in Cloverdale being damaged and then pushed for the RCMP to release the CCTV footage they had of this crime.  This video resulted in Lukasz Paprocki being charged with two counts of Mischief.

April 3, Weapons in White Rock:  MLA Elenor Sturko kicking a knife away from a man outside of Laura's Coffee Corner focused this TNT on the proliferation of edged weapons and a rash of stabbings and murders in our region that is a must read.

March 27, Catatonic Over Cougars:  Cougars prowling in the Semi-pen and not just at Sawbucks Pub?  All kidding aside, a proliferation of cougar sightings reported on social media result in this TNT that looks at how to keep pets and small children safe.

March 20, Spring Break for the White Rock Sun.

March 12, The Disappearing White Rock (P-Qual's):  Photographic evidence and measurements show that the White Rock boulder is sinking into the beach and is 4.5 feet lower than 120 years ago.  Eventually it will likely disappear into the sand.

March 6, Any Day Can Be a Beach Day: From a dedicated beach bum are tips and advice on how to enjoy the beaches of the Semi-pen year round.  You don't have to wait for a sunny and warm day to enjoy a visit to the shoreline.

Feb. 20, The Case For Cold Water:  The RCMP holding their Surrey Polar Plunge in Crescent Beach as a fundraiser for Special Olympics BC leads me to look at the growing number of people going for cold water swims 12 months of the year here.

Feb. 20, Surrey - The Future Pays Here:  A "take out the trash day" media dump from the City of Surrey late on a Friday reveals that Surrey homeowners can expect a 17.5% increase to the property bills during a time of already high inflation.

Feb. 13, Follow The Money:  The financial disclosures from candidates in the last civic election are now posted with this TNT going through them with a fine tooth comb for the White Rock and Surrey candidates who ran for public office.  

Feb. 7, The Dirt on Mud Bay:  With temperatures increasing and sea levels rising, building higher dykes to hold ocean water back are becoming more important and this TNT looks at changes being made all around Mud Bay.

Jan. 30, Cops Fishing in White Rock:  The RCMP tailing people leaving restaurants, bars, craft breweries and even marijuana dispensaries then pulling them over to check sobriety sounds like a police state but it is happening in south Surrey and White Rock.

Jan. 23, Plane Truth 2, Train Truth 1:  The complex issue of Nav Canada changing flight paths again in the Lower Mainland is put under the microscope from the guy who was part of Surrey's Nav Canada Working Group.  A BNSF breakdown blocking Crescent Beach is also explored.

Jan. 16, The Plane Truth:  The history of flight path changes in the Lower Mainland and the new Vancouver Airspace Modernization Program (VAMP) are reviewed with plenty of links for more information along with contact information for feedback surveys.

Jan. 9, Skybridge Skyfall:  A heavy snowfall in late Dec. followed by freezing rain  brought down a Douglas fir tree onto the Christopherson Steps skybridge with this pedestrian structure leading to Crescent Beach lucky it was only a glancing blow.

Jan. 3, TNT Year in Review 2022

Don Pitcairn

I wish to acknowledge we live work and play on the traditional lands of the Semiahmoo people.

 

 

TNT The Naked Truth - Christmas Gift List 2023

(for the movers and shakers on the Semi Peninsula)

Don Pitcairn

 

The Naked Truth - Dec. 25, 2023

Christmas Gift List 2023


If there's one thing I love about Christmas it's the annual traditions and in the White Rock Sun this holiday TNT is always special.  Here's the list of naughty and nice gifts we hope Santa left under the tree for the movers, shakers and decision makers from the Semiahmoo peninsula, listed alphabetically so as to not offend anyone.

Diana Barkley, Semiahmoo Fish & Game Club President - Funding for a brand new state-of-the-art fish hatchery placed high above the Little Campbell river flood plain.  As a stocking stuffer, everyone in the Semi-Pen to bring their Christmas tree to the SFGC for chipping by donation.

Dave Chesney, WR Councillor - For the editor of the WR Sun and veteran WR Councillor, a pound of his favourite Holy Smoke Coffee Holiday Blend coffee beans.  As a stocking stuffer a vintage White Rock Sparkling Spring Water bottle featuring the topless fairy Psyche.

Rob Dixon, Staff Sergeant White Rock RCMP - His Christmas present came early as he was promoted from within the ranks of the WR RCMP to become the Commander of the detachment where he has worked for 5 years.  As a stocking stuffer, CCTV cameras for down at the beach to help curb crime.  

Kevin Falcon, United Party Leader - Sorry to say but the leader of the United Party plus the Official Opposition in the BC Ledge is no longer a mover and shaker in these parts, heading off to higher ground in North Vancouver in 2023 to better enjoy the doom and gloom.

Trevor Halford, S. Surrey-White Rock MLA - For the Shadow Minister for Affordability, Transportation & Infrastructure and ICBC, his present will come early in the New Years when I personally hand him a file I'm working on that will become a big news story to start off 2024.

Anita Huberman, President & CEO, Surrey Board of Trade - For the lady who has served as the head of the SBOT for 17 years and worked for them a total of 30 years, a gold watch is waiting for her under the tree.  As a stocking stuffer, a retirement party sometime soon maybe?

Brenda Locke, Mayor of Surrey - For the mayor who is locked in a battle of wills with Solicitor General Mike Farnsworth over the Surrey Police transition, a "Keep Surrey RCMP - Kick Out NDP" lawn sign.  As a stocking stuffer for the leader of Surrey Connect, a "Surrey Girl" hoodie from Surrey Shirts.

Michelle Partridge, White Rock Councillor - For this lady who voted with almost all of WR Council to have more vegetation control done on the Hump (read tree cutting for views) regardless of the slope stability risks to the BNSF Railway tracks below, a pear tree.  As a stocking stuffer, a lump of coal.

Mike Serr, Surrey Police Board Administrator - For the former Abbotsford Police Chief who was selected to run the Surrey Police Board after Mike Farnsworth sacked everyone else including Mayor Brenda Locke, the board game "Surreyopoly."  As a stocking stuffer, a holiday in Cuba.

Susan Smith, Clean Air Alliance White Rock - For the head of the group that is fighting the proposed bio-fuel plant on SFN land, a box full of surplus army gas masks.  As a stocking stuffer, a suitcase full of $14.4 million to match the money already put towards this project by the Government of Canada.

Sean Whyte, B.C. Lions placekicker -  After leading the CFL with a ridiculous 89.5 percent success rate last season, his gift would be the record for the highest career mark where he currently holds second place.  As a stocking stuffer, kicking to win the Grey Cup for B.C. in Vancouver, 2024.

Harley Xwopoton, Chief of Semiahmoo First Nation - For the leader of the local band that wants Andion Global to build a bio-fuel plant on Semiahmoo land, a home to call is own on the reserve instead of living in Chilliwack.  As a stocking stuffer, a case of Febreze Air Effects Ocean Spray air freshener.

Merry Christmas everybody and have a happy New Year!

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

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

 

 

 

Monday December 18, 2023

TNT The Naked Truth

Don Pitcairn

 

Pay For Your Propaganda


I must admit I was rather surprised last week when I was on Facebook and a sponsored ad popped up for the "NDP Surrey Tax."  At first glance I thought it might be something that the KTRIS group (Keep The RCMP In Surrey) was involved with since it was them who spearheaded a previous sign campaign and referendum against the Surrey police transition.  It wasn't until I had read through all of the ad that I realized it had been financed by the City of Surrey.  Instead of a link to a section of the city of Surrey website, this campaign has its own website (https://ndpsurreytax.ca/).  You can also find it on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/ndpsurreytax), TPFKAT (The Platform Formerly Known As Twitter) now called X and Instagram as well.

It turns out that this "NDP Surrey Tax" campaign run out of Surrey City Hall will include social media posts (read ads), electronic billboard displays throughout the city plus a direct mail flyer sent to all the households in Surrey.  In total this education, indoctrination and brainwashing of Surrey voters will cost $500,000, which sounds better when you say it in your best Dr. Evil voice "half a MILLION dollars."  Amazingly this campaign was never brought up in open Council meaning it was either brainstormed during in-camera meetings that are kept secret or was developed by the City Manager, likely with help from the Mayor's office.  No matter how this advertising campaign was put together, framing the now forced transition from the RCMP to the Surrey Police Service as an NDP Surrey Tax should be viewed as disingenuous and misguided political propaganda.

Here is the information taken directly from the NDP Surrey Tax website that is extremely short on specifics and written in a way to focus blame on the NDP.

The NDP are trying to force the City of Surrey to accept an expensive, disorganized police transition that will do nothing to improve public safety.

Expensive - The NDP Police Service will cost Surrey taxpayers nearly half a billion more over the next 10 years compared to keeping the RCMP.

Massive NDP Surrey Tax - A massive, double digit tax hike will be necessary to pay for the unfordable NDP imposed transition.

No Public Safety Benefit - Today 75% of the police in Surrey are with the RCMP.  Surrey has been given no plan for the transition.

Less Funding For Priorities - The NDP police service will mean less funds for housing, schools, hospitals, transit, parks, rec centres and other local priorities.

The big Pattison electronic billboard highway ads are a little more succinct and to the point.  I can hardly wait to see what the printed flyers will say.

NDP police transition WILL COST YOU MORE

$464 M MORE over the next 10 years

MASSIVE DOUBLE-DIGIT tax increase

LESS $ for schools, health and transit

If you are reading the Facebook comments, ensure you select "All Comments" that does not filter out posts like the "Newest" or "Most Relevant" tab.

The problem with all of this is that the NDP are not taxing Surrey, they are forcing them to continue with the police transition that Mayor Locke and the Surrey Connect councillors want to stop.  Currently, running two police forces in the city are costing tax-payers $8 million a month, with nothing noted about this waste of money.  The name chosen for this ad campaign was deliberately meant to obfuscate the public, kind of like me using the word obfuscate, when I could have used confuse or bewilder instead.  The $464 million number should be questioned and it does not include the $150 million payment offered to Surrey by the BC Government.  A massive double-digit tax increase could be anything from 11% to 20% but there is no mention of the actual amount.  Lastly, paying for housing, schools, hospitals and transit are the responsibility of the Provincial government, not the City of Surrey.  


It would appear that this attack ad campaign is focused squarely on bringing the NDP government some political heat here in Surrey.  There is a provincial election upcoming in less than a year's time and there will be 10 ridings in Surrey with 7 that are currently held by NDP MLAs.  If the members of Surrey Connect really wanted to go after the NDP about the forced police transition, they should have done so directly and paid for it themselves with political donations.  I think a lawn sign campaign similar to what KTRIS did would have been easy, cheap and effective.  Instead of KEEP THE RCMP IN SURREY that helped dispatch Doug McCallum from office, a new updated version should instead read KEEP SURREY RCMP KICK OUT NDP printed in saffron orange and dark blue.  I already had a few made up by my sign guy and paid for them out of my own pocket, with after tax dollars I might add.

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

I wish to acknowledge we live, work and lay on the traditional lands of the Semiahmoo nation.

 

 

Monday December 11, 2023

TNT The Naked Truth

Don Pitcairn

 

Grin and Bear It

Don Pitcairn and Jamie Kwen in White Rock at the start of their 2023 Mad Hatters swim.

With Christmas and New year's Day both falling on successive Mondays to end the year, I thought now would be a good time to take an early look at the various polar bear swims planned for this region on January 1st.   Most people living here in the Semiahmoo peninsula know about the January 1st swim in White Rock but it is not he only game in town.  In fact there are at least 10 polar bear swims you can partake in across the Lower Mainland, including several that are of the polar "bare" variety.  Without further adieu, here are the list of swims, many purloined from Vancouver's Best Places at https://vancouversbestplaces.com/events-calendar/festivals-and-events/new-year-polar-bear-swims/


West Beach, White Rock, Polar Bare Plunge, 12 noon

In years when the event takes place, crowds gather to watch hundreds of brave souls in swimsuits and funny costumes celebrate the New Year by going for a first-day-of-the-year swim in the ocean.  The White Rock event typically attracts thousands of onlookers. It’s hosted by local Rotary clubs. The Royal Canadian Marine Search & Rescue Unit #5 is one of the sponsors.  The White Rock Polar Plunge is a free event to participate in. There is hot chocolate and coffee available by donation.  The plunge returned in its regular in-person format in 2023 after happening as a virtual event in 2022.  This dip in icy waters happens on Monday, January 1st in 2024, which marks the event’s 54th year. Registration is typically at 10:30 am and the plunge is at 12 noon.  The event is held at the beach just east of the pier right by the community’s landmark giant white rock boulder.


Crescent Beach, South Surrey, Polar Bear Swim, 1 p.m.

The neighbourhood of Crescent Beach holds an annual Polar Bear swim of their own on the north side of the village near the swimming area at the end of Sullivan Street.  This is not an organized event but it attracts a yearly crowd of around a hundred brave souls who mainly live in Crescent Beach or south Surrey.  Lots of free parking and not nearly as busy as the big swim in White Rock that happens an hour earlier.  


Crescent Rock Beach, South Surrey, Polar Bare Skinny-dip, 1 p.m.

The Polar Bare Plunge at Crescent Rock is a January 1st swim that’s different from all of the rest.  Hosted by Surrey’s United Naturists, it’s a polar “bare” swim because it’s clothing optional.  Crescent Rock Beach is a stretch of rugged and secluded shoreline located between Crescent Beach and White Rock in South Surrey. It can be accessed via the Christopherson Steps at the west end of 24th Avenue.  Although this is a skinny dipping event, participants are also encouraged to wear costumes like Santa Claus toques, body paint and other accessories.  Footwear is also recommended because of the rocks on the beach. The Polar Bare Skinny-dip has been running for 15 years. On January 1st, 2024 it happens at 1:00 pm by the 120-tonne Crescent Rock boulder. 

 

Centennial Beach, Tsawwassen, Delta Polar Bear Swim, 1 p.m.

The Delta Polar Bear Swim takes place on Centennial Beach at Boundary Bay Regional Park at 541 Centennial Parkway in Tsawwassen. Registration for the city’s annual event is at noon and participants take the icy dip at 1:00 pm. In 2023 there was entertainment to enjoy starting at 11:45 am, including face painting, a drum circle and more. Hot chocolate was also available. At the Boundary Bay Polar Bear Swim there are prizes for top swimmers. Awards are usually given to the oldest participant and the swimmer traveling to the event from the furthest distance.


Brae island, Fort Langley, Polar Bear Swim, 12 noon.

The annual polar swim in Fort Langley is held at the beach on Brae Island Regional Park across the water from the village. The swimming usually starts at noon and finishes very soon after.  Unlike other similar events elsewhere in the Lower Mainland, the Fort Langley swim is pretty informal. There are no official sponsors, organizer, registration process, charitable beneficiary or fees. The swim is also in the river as opposed to the ocean, and in some years there has actually been ice on the water. The Fort Langley Polar Bear Swim began in 2014 with a group of friends wanting a New Year’s Day swim but without having to drive across the Lower Mainland to an official existing venue. The event has continued since then and attracts dozens of swimmers and hundreds of onlookers.

 

Rocky Point Park, Port Moody, Penguin Plunge, 1 p.m.

The Penguin Plunge is an annual event that takes place on New Year’s Day by the pier at Rocky Point Park at 2800 Murray Street.  The Port Moody Penguin Plunge is a fundraising event for the Pleasantside Community Association. The cost for swimming participants is $5 per person, or $10 per family, with proceeds benefiting the community.  This event was cancelled in 2021 and 2022, but returned on January 1st in 2023. Registration typically starts at 11:30 am and the swim happens at 1:00 pm.

 

Panorama Park, Deep Cove, North Vancouver, Penguin Plunge 2 p.m.

The Deep Cove Penguin Plunge traditionally runs from 12:30 pm until around 3:00 pm at Panorama Park in North Vancouver. The event there usually includes live music and family-friendly festivities, plus the traditional quick dip in the water.  It’s one of the Lower Mainland’s largest January 1st dips in the ocean. With its community bonfire and live band, the Deep Cove swim is also one of New Year’s Day’s most entertaining and family-friendly events most years.  Each year costume judging takes place at around 1:30 pm and the swim starts promptly at 2:00 pm.  Donations at the event benefit a local charity. including North Shore Rescue and the Royal Canadian Marine Search & Rescue.

 

Wreck Beach, Pacific Spirit Park, UBC, Vancouver, Polar Bare Swim, New Year's Day 

While not officially endorsed by the Wreck Beach Preservation Society or Metro Vancouver Parks, many of the people who frequent the world famous Wreck beach in the summer return on Jan 1st to brrr-ring in the New Year at Vancouver's clothing-optional beach.  There is no official start time but swimmers enter the water throughout the day, often taking this annual baptism in their birthday suits.  The most popular area is the large sandy beach at the bottom of Trail 6 off Marine Drive across from the Totem Residence buildings. 

 

English Bay beach, West End, Vancouver, Polar Bear Swim, 2:30 p.m.

The grand daddy of them all, English Bay Polar Bear Swim has been taking place in the icy waters of English Bay every year on January 1st since 1920. It’s one of the oldest and largest events of its kind in the world and it usually attracts over 2,000 participants most years and thousands more who come to watch.  The swim takes place at English Bay Beach which is located near the intersection of Denman Street and Davie. The Cactus Club restaurant is close by and its address is 1790 Beach Avenue in case you need the location for your GPS or want a nice place to warm up afterwards. The Polar Bear Swim at English Bay takes place on January 1st in 2024, from noon until 4:00 pm.  It’s a free event, although participants must fill out a registration form which includes a waiver of liability. In 2023 the actual swim started at 2:30 pm and there was live music, food trucks, warming tents and more on-site. 


Mad Hatter's Swim Club, the Triple Crown of polar bear swims, White Rock 12 noon, Surrey 1 p.m., Vancouver 2:30 p.m.

This rather elite club is reserved for those brave enough to complete the "Triple Crown" of local swims on New Year's Day at White Rock, Surrey and Vancouver.  The timing of the White Rock Polar Bear Plunge (at noon), the Polar Bare Skinny-dip at Crescent Rock Beach (1 p.m.) and Vancouver's Polar Bear Swim at English Bay (2:30 p.m.) allows for the 'triple crown' of polar bear swims to be completed in just 2.5 hours on New Year's Day.  The swim at Surrey's Crescent Rock Beach must be done in the nude, with photographic proof submitted from all three swims.  The original Mad Hatters, a pair of local women with one wearing a large top hat, first completed these three swims in 2008.  Jamie Kwen from Burnaby (see above photo) has completed a record six of the Mad Hatter's swims, doing 18 swims New year's dips in 15 hours total time.  

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

I wish to acknowledge we live, work and play on the traditional territory of the Semiahmoo Nation.

 

Monday December 04, 2023

TNT The Naked Truth

Don Pitcairn

Beach Cam Conundrum


Being a lifelong beach bum, I'm always interested in anything involving the beaches here in the Semiahnoo peninsula.  I've done numerous shoreline cleanups from Crescent Beach to White Rock over the years including organizing the removal of a sunken and smashed 26' pleasure cruiser with help from the BNSF Railway, City of Surrey, Super Save Group and volunteers.  As a member of SmartRail, a local community rail safety group, I'm always concerned about BNSF Railway safety along our shorelines and I visit landslide sites from the bluffs to look for factors that lead to slope failure onto the tracks.  Throw in tree cutting for views, wave erosion of the corridor, plus oil spills from Cherry Point and you get an idea of the threats to our waterfront.

Of course, all of this is because I like going to the beach on a year-round basis including during winter storms.  I follow several weather forecasting websites (Environment Canada and the Weather Network) for our area plus the Tide Forecast that is regularly carried in the White Rock Sun during the summer months.  That gives you the weather, current conditions plus tide height but sometimes what you really want is a bird's eye view of the beach.  For this, online cameras or cams for short are indispensable.  By far, the best one here is the City of White Rock's pier cam available online at https://www.whiterockcity.ca/402/Pier-Camera .  It shows Memorial Park, Canada's longest pier, the wind on a Canadian flag plus water and wave height.  

This is all made possible by an Axis Q1798-LE network surveillance camera that is weatherproof, records in colour and operates both day and night with audio.  With all of the associated hardware, software and licensing, the unit cost about $3,500.  I was not able to get information about hits but was told by the City's IT guru that it is by far the most visited section of the White Rock website.  As if this wasn't enough, the City also has a wireless weather station by Intellisense Systems. All told this system cost a further $9,000 to install.  It shows temperature, pressure, wind direction and speed, peak wind info, dew point, wind chill and even lightning strike frequency and distance.  It is posted on the White Rock City website at the same address as the pier cam.

Hats off to the City By The Sea for their pier cam and weather station that is used by residents and visitors, especially windsurfers and kite boarders who visit on breezy days from Washington State.  Now you would think that if White Rock with a population of 22,000 has a waterfront camera showing the beach, that the City of Surrey with a population quickly closing in on 600,000 people would have a camera giving a view of Crescent Beach.  Unfortunately that is not the case with this seaside hamlet being all but ignored by City Hall.  Surrey does have a camera in Crescent Beach but it is at the Beecher Street train crossing where it is focused on the tracks to record how long traffic gets blocked by yet another broken down BNSF train.  Meanwhile, nothing is being done about a long promised new crossing, emergency vehicle access or removing the raft of rotting logs jamming the shore of Crescent Beach.

The naturists using Crescent Rock beach obviously don't want cameras on this nude-friendly shoreline but they do want to know what is happening before heading out for some fun in the sun.  It turns out that the naturists have a friend in naturalist David Hancock and his Hancock Wildlife Organization (hancockwildlife.org).  For years David and his volunteers have worked with Ocean Park residents in South Surrey to install cameras on bald eagle nests, beaming the images live onto the internet.  Besides checking out adult eagles and their young, these cameras give a birds-eye view of Mud Bay and Boundary Bay.  Wind speed and direction can be judged by the waves on the water and the movement of the trees.  The wide angle live stream also shows distant clouds and weather, which can be helpful when plans are being made for sunbathing.  You can see it live with audio at this link: https://youtu.be/or855zeZnm4

The City of Surrey has the perfect spot for a Crescent Beach camera on property they already own.  The Beecher Place Community Centre is centrally located on the waterfront facing west towards the bay.  The public walkway is directly in front of the building with sunsets over the water visible year round.  A camera mounted on the roof that panned showing a 180 degree view from north to south would show not only the sea and weather conditions but also any crowds on the walkway and beach.  In this day and age it is remarkable that Surrey does not not have a beach camera in place at their main marine recreational site.  I can save them money on a weather station; simply supply the link to Weather Networks Crescent Beach forecast that also gives times for sunrise and sunset, wind speed with direction and gusts, pressure, humidity, visibility and ceiling, plus air quality and UV rating.

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

I wish to acknowledge we live, work and play on the traditional lands of the Semiahmoo people.

UPDATE DECEMBER 09, 2023

From: "Aven, Neal" <Neal.Aven@surrey.ca

Date: 2023-12-07 3:55 PM (GMT-08:00) 

To: whiterocksun <whiterocksun@gmail.com

Subject: RE: Crescent Beach cam 

Hello Don,
Thank you for sharing your idea on this topic.  At this time, the city does not plan to install cameras at Crescent Beach or any other park.

Neal

 

Monday November 27, 2023

TNT The Naked Truth

Don Pitcairn

Signs Of The Times


For those who like to take a walk on the wild side, the 6.5 km stretch of rugged Semiahmoo shoreline beach between Crescent Beach and White Rock is a nature lover's paradise. Access is limited to walking in on the beach from either end or by descending from the Ocean Park bluffs by a number of trails, staircases and stairways. Because of its remoteness, difficulty in access plus rough terrain, it attracts naturalists and naturists alike, with the beach functioning as Surrey's legal nude beach, just as Wreck beach is to UBC and Vancouver. If you go out of your way to get away from it all, you should not be shocked to find people sunbathing, skinny dipping, or even going for a walk au' natural when it is warm and sunny on what is known as Crescent Rock beach.

The shoreline walks offer the easiest access but this is dependent on the height of the tides. When it is high tide the water can be splashing against the rip-rap boulders that line the base of the BNSF Railway corridor and provide wave protection. At this point you either have to stumble through the algae and barnacle covered rocks or trespass on the railway property, which is very dangerous, considered trespassing and carries a $550 fine. Surrey has three staircases; the Christopherson Steps at the west end of 24 Ave., the 1001 Steps at the west end of 15A Ave., plus the Olympic Trail on 13 Ave at the south end of 131 St.  White Rock used to have the Coldicutt Trail but it was destroyed by heavy rains and mudslides in the atmospheric river of 2021, with plans to put up fencing to close it permanently. There are a limited number of other trails but many are steep, unmaintained and dangerous so I won't be listing them here in order to keep people safe.

Because of the history of nocturnal parties on Crescent Rock beach including grad parties from our local high schools plus people being hit by passing BNSF freight and Amtrak passenger trains, Surrey locks the gates at the three stairways limiting access. All of Surrey's parks are closed from dusk to dawn, basically half an hour after sunset and half an hour before sunrise. The three staircases are all unlocked at dawn but instead of the dusk timing they have signs with selected dates and times that were installed decades ago. These signs at Christopherson Steps, 1001 Steps and the Olympic Trail read as follows:

Feb 12 - Apr 15 8 pm

Apr 16 - Aug 26 10 pm

Aug 27 - Oct 15 8 pm

Oct 16 - Feb 11 6 pm

The issue with these rather arbitrary times and dates is that they did not take into account the changing times of sunset, the dreaded twice yearly time change, or long weekends when crowds of people are at the beach. There were times when the gates were locked before sunset, let alone before dusk, so if you were at the beach taking in the light show, you would be locked out.  Without a name or number for the security contractor, people were forced to take a long walk on the tracks after dark, creating a very unsafe situation in an area where 34 people have already been killed by trains over the years.

To make matters worse, the city of Surrey website (surrey.ca) listed two of these trails as being open from dawn to dusk with no mention about the posted times and dates for lockup.  Strangely, the Olympic Trail does not have a listing even though it is now the only stairwell that provides access to the south facing shoreline between White Rock and Kwomais Point in Ocean Park. Adding to the confusion, at the top and bottom of the stairs, another set of signs welcomed people to the park and asking them to keep it clean also listed the opening times as being from "dawn to dusk." There is also a safety issue for security guards having to walk down the stairs hours after dark to lock the bottom gates at the beach, something I would be hesitant to do. Armed with all of these problems, I emailed the Manager of the Surrey Parks Department, giving them a full explanation of my concerns.

It did not take them long to realize that the times and dates made little sense and were blocking access to the beach unnecessarily. They considered all of the points I had made and decided to stick with times and dates but ones that actually made more sense in the real world. Here is the portion of the email I received back from Manager Neil Avens with the new dates and times for the various staircase access points to Crescent Rock beach:

Closing/Opening times for Christopherson Steps and 1001 Steps

  • Daily closing/opening times are set out as follows:

    • Feb 9 Mar 16 8pm

    • Mar 17 Sept 21 10pm

    • Sept 22 Nov 9 8pm

    • Nov 10 Feb 8 6pm

  • We recently implemented the above times and I understand our change out in the signage was a bit delayed (as such, the posted times did not match the actual scheduled times). The posted times now match the above schedule. The standard “dawn to dusk” signage will be removed so as to not provide mixed messages.

  • The purpose of the seasonal closing/opening times is:

    • To ensure practical and efficient scheduling for staff (developing staff schedules that change by a few minutes each day is both inefficient and impractical)

    • To provide consistent times for the public (“dawn” and “dusk” change each day and each person may have a slightly different opinion on exactly what time that is)

    • To provide the public with opportunity to be on the beach to experience sunset (the above closing times above are all past sunset)

    • To provide an appropriate balance between access to the beach and the negative behaviours that tend to occur after hours

Closing/Opening times for 13 Avenue Lookout (Olympic Trail)

  • For the13 Avenue Lookout, we generally do not close access to the stairs/lookout platform. From time to time, there are exceptions when we do close this site (such as Halloween night, when we have experienced greater incidence of vandalism or fireworks concerns).

The end effect of these changes is we get an extra two months of 10 pm closures from the start of spring till the beginning of fall. The 8 pm closures in early spring and late fall drop from four months to three and the 6 pm closures in winter does the same. Unfortunately the new date and time signs posted at the staircases contained a mistake but it was spotted and has now been corrected. For reasons unknown, the Surrey website still shows Christopherson Steps and the 1001 Steps as being open from dawn to dusk with no mention of the date and times posted. Also the Olympic Trail that they are now calling the 13 Avenue Lookout is not posted in the Surrey Parks directory, just as Sandy Trail leading down to Crescent Beach is also not mentioned. Please keep in mind that the Crescent Rock beach staircases can all be closed at any time for hazardous conditions, which include snow and ice on the stairs, risk of falling trees in windstorms, king tides with high waves or during periods of extreme precipitation when the risk of landslides on the bluff is greatly increased.

Naturally yours

Don PItcairn

I wish to acknowledge we live, work and play on the traditional lands of the Semiahmoo people

 

Monday November 20. 2023

TNT The Naked Truth

Don Pitcairn

BNSF Off The Rails


On Sunday morning, a buddy of mine woke me up early and sent an aerial picture of a train wreck that happened in North Delta, which was being shown on Global News.  I instantly realized it was orange BNSF locomotives with a line of black tanker cars apparently tangled up with an adjacent freight train with plenty of cars off the tracks.  It did not take me long to get dressed and head out the door to check out the crash that happened along Highway 91 just north of the truck pullout between Highway 10 and 64 Ave.  On the way out the door, I made sure to grab my white hard hat and orange reflective vest so that I blended in with the crews dealing with this railway accident.  I learned long ago the last thing you want to do when checking out a story is to identify yourself as a member of the media.

Upon arriving at the accident scene, I found that two BNSF engines on a northbound train had gone to ground (derailed) into the ditch beside the Metro Vancouver walking trail that runs between the railway and the large forced sewer main line.  At least one of these locomotives was leaking diesel into the environment and the smell of fuel was very strong in the area.  The BNSF Railway already had plenty of emergency vehicles, hazmat response vehicles (mainly from Washington State) and three fuel transfer trucks on the scene ready to pump the diesel from the locomotives.  Behind the engines was a wrecked bulk carrier car that was likely empty, followed by a string of 60 fuel tanker cars stretching out towards #10 Highway.  The front two of these black tankers carrying "non-deodorized liquid petroleum gas" (aka gasoline) was fully off the rail bed with the next one off the tracks but still sitting on the ballast rock.

Next to the accident scene was another train that had been headed south with a mix of various freight cars.  This train appeared to have been impacted by the engines of the northbound train with six different cars being smashed, torn apart, stacked up and destroyed at the accident location.  I had brought my bike along and rode the length of this second train looking for hazardous goods and inhalation toxic tankers but was glad to find the most dangerous material on board were cars with liquid limestone slurry on them.  While on the walking track next to the train, I met a family out for a walk who lived at the bottom of Sunshine Hills that said they were woken at 2:30 am. on Sunday morning by a huge crashing noise that they correctly believed might have come from the train tracks.  I should note here that while Highway 91 remains open to vehicle traffic the Metro Vancouver walking trail along the west side of Watershed Park in Delta will be closed during cleanup efforts.

While there is plenty of damage to the trains and infrastructure the BNSF has reported that none of the locomotive crews were injured in this accident.  The Railway dodged several bullets in this derailment, the first being that there was no fire involving the gasoline tankers that each hold 114,00 litres of 25,000 Cdn gallons of fuel.  The locomotives that went off the tracks ended up stopping near a switching box that contains electrical equipment which moves the rails allowing traffic to change from one track to the other, without doing any damage.  The lead locomotive came perilously close to the Metro Vancouver high pressure sewer main line that runs along the west side of North Delta and the south side of Panorama Ridge.  If there had been a fire, the switch box was destroyed and the sewer line was damaged, this would have been a major disaster and not just a costly inconvenience for the Railway.  Having the locomotive crews not get injured or killed was nothing short of miraculous.  


Looking at the photos of the wreck, it is easy to come to a conclusion as to what happened to cause this crash.  The southbound train was on the main line and should have had the right-of-way.  The northbound train was on the second set of tracks and from the impact into the middle of the other train, it looks as if the oil train did not stop in time to wait for the other train to pass.  I alerted former Cloverdale MLA and White Rock Councillor Ken Jones to this accident as he is the president of the community rail group SmartRail, of which I am a member.  While attending the crash scene he overheard BNSF employees talking who confirmed this hypothesis and reportedly stated that this was the second time the same engineer had been involved in a similar accident.  The TSB will investigate to ascertain that this was the cause of the crash but at 2:30 a.m., you have to wonder if the engineer was "asleep at the switch" as they say.

The BNSF Railway line will be closed to through traffic until the trains are put back on the tracks, the wrecked cars taken away and the damaged tracks repaired.  Already the Sunday night Amtrak was cancelled and it is likely there will be more before the tracks are once again operational.  Sitting on the BNSF tracks on the trestle bridge over the Serpentine River at Mud Bay is another BNSF train also carrying a long line of black tanker cars of gasoline, likely being delivered from the Cherry Point Refinery in Washington State.  The BNSF Railway along the waterfront of White Rock and south Surrey is always a concern because of these gasoline tankers trains, unit trains of Bakken formation crude oil heading to the Chevron Refinery, plus hazardous chemicals from the Canexus Chemicals Canada plant that include inhalation hazardous chlorine gas.

A train derailment in the Semiahmoo Peninsula carries its own element of risks.  Firstly, the BNSF Railway tracks run alongside the shoreline of Boundary Bay, where three locomotives over the past 115 years have already ended up on the rocky beach.  Any tanker cars rolling off the corridor will not land in a soft muddy ditch but will instead fall 3-5 metres onto large jagged rip-rap boulders that line the corridor.  With ever higher King tides, the tracks are subject to wave erosion during winter storms as has happened in the past.  The biggest threat is from landslides hitting passing trains, a risk that is exacerbated by hilltop residents draining water onto the bluff slope or cutting down trees for views.  Transport Canada warned the cities of White Rock and Surrey plus the BNSF Railway that they needed to work with residents to stop these practices.  Instead, nothing is ever done about the problem, with White Rock hiring arborists to chop down trees for views on the Hump hillside and the BNSF Police failing to lay charges against a Surrey strata recently caught red-handed having trees cut down for views.

I'd like to think that this train accident and derailment might serve as a wake up call for those living in the peninsula but from what I've seen in over 20 years of living here, this is not likely to happen.  I have seen the City of White Rock ignore the slope stability above the train tracks while cracks keep appearing in the roadway of Marine Drive.  I had to shake my head this week seeing a picture posted on their Opinon's page of the BNSF Railway being built near the Hump in 1905, with three landslides plainly visible on the clear-cut hillside.  I've visited hundreds of slope failures onto the BNSF tracks over the years including one that hit a train near Crescent Beach, which did not derail because it was stopped for an even bigger slide further down the corridor.  I have seen first hand the effect that tree cutting for views on the bluff hillside has in causing slope failures onto the tracks below.  If we keep playing railway roulette, instead of always dodging a bullet, one day the hammer is going to fall on a loaded chamber. 

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn 

I would like to acknowledge we live, work and play on the traditional lands of the Semiahmoo people.

 

Monday Novembere 13, 2023

The Naked Truth

Don Pitcairn

It's Salmon Spawning Season!



With the heavy fall rains upon us, spawning salmon are once again running at the Semiahmoo Fish & Game Club (SFGC).  Volunteers are at the fish fence netting every salmon for counting and identification before releasing them upstream in the Little Campbell River.  Select wild Chinook and Coho salmon, both male and female, are selected and retained for the breeding program overseen by officers from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans.  Fertilized salmon eggs are raised by the tens of thousands at B.C.'s first volunteer fish hatchery for release back into the wild once they have become salmon-ids with a greater chance of survival. 

The SFGC's beginnings date back to 1957 when the club was first formed by conservation minded outdoors-men in White Rock, Surrey and Langley to help restore the Little Campbell River after years of unregulated gravel removal and damage to fish habitat.  In 1979 a plot of land in the Hazelmere Valley with the river running through it was purchased by the club.  In 1983 the first all-volunteer hatchery in the province was constructed including the drilling of a deep well and a water filtration facility for the raising of salmon.  A fish fence was designed by a SFGC member and then built across the Little Campbell river with this becoming the standard for fish fences at future hatcheries built across B.C.

At the fish fence, salmon are identified as either Coho, Chinook, Pink, Chum or Sockeye, sexed as male or female and checked to see if they are hatchery raised (adipose fin removed) or wild salmon.  Every fish is carefully counted and a running total of the spawning salmon to date is kept on a large board just inside the window of the fish fence shack.  To date there have been 2,340 Coho, 905 Chinook, 14 Pink and 51 Chum.  Over 3,500 spawning salmon are counted at the fence annually and in a typical year the hatchery produces an average of 10,000 Steel head, 35,000 Chinook and 100,000 Coho salmon-ids.  If you are wondering why there are no Sockeye, these fish do not breed in the Little Campbell river but one stray was netted there in 2022 for the first time in 27 years.

The original hatchery was built close to the Little Campbell river and due to extreme weather events has flooded several times.  The atmospheric river that flooded much of southern BC in Nov. 2021 also flooded the hatchery and the adjacent Coho rearing pond, with 30,000 salmon eggs dying in the hatchery when the power went out and the water pumps stopped working.  Because of this event, climate change and planned upstream development in Campbell Heights, it has been decided that a new fish hatchery needs to be built on higher ground with modern technology and computer controls.  This project is already at the preliminary phase with building plans being prepared and a permit applied for at the City of Surrey.  You can expect fund raising efforts in the new future that will be looking to raise $1.5 million for the construction.   

The 30 acre property has several open fields and a large forested section with an extensive trail system running on both sides of the Little Campbell River.  This allows for observation of the spawning salmon in their natural habitat with several bridges crossing the river providing great viewing platforms.  Besides running the hatchery and looking after the buildings, maintaining the trail system requires work from many volunteers.  The weekend wind storm brought down trees in multiple locations plus left branches strewn around and the paths buried in leaves.  It took only a day before the trails were cleaned up and again open to the public from dawn to dusk.  Please note, if you wish to bring your dog for a walk, you have to be a club member and your pet must be on a leash at all times.

Plan on coming to the Semiahmoo Fish & Game Club soon to see salmon spawning in action and the hatchery volunteers working at the fish fence.  Go for a walk through the trails, watching the river for tell-tale splashing as the fish work on moving gravel to create nests in which to deposit their eggs.  Keep an eye out for a variety of wildlife including black-tailed deer, raccoons, coyotes, martins, bald eagles, owls and other raptors.  There are colourful information boards along the trails with information on many of the plants and trees that can be found on the property.  Visiting the SFGC is fun for the whole family and kids love to see the salmon up close and learn about the four-year life-cycle of this amazing fish that plays a vital role in the marine ecology of the Salish Sea and the Pacific Ocean.

For more information on the SFGC and the Little Campbell River Fish Hatchery, hall and gazebo rentals or their archery and firearms programs, please visit the Club's website at https://www.sfgc.info/ or their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/people/Semiahmoo-Fish-Game-Club/100063641257252/

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

I wish to acknowledge we live, work and play on the traditional lands of the Semiahmoo people

 

Monday November 06,2022

TNT The Naked Truth

Don Pitcairn

Surrey Shows Its True Colours


I never know when and where I'm going to come across a story for the TNT.  Case in point, I was driving on Hwy. 99 last Sunday looking for some extra details for my column on bridge strikes.  As I drove north from the Peace Arch towards 8th Avenue, I could not help but notice the huge "Welcome To Surrey" sign on the side of the freeway was bathed in an eerie red light.  I know this sign, its lighting and flagpoles very well from posting election signs and also taking pictures of it for the Surrey Shirts website.  I was surprised to see that the bright white halogen lights were gone, having been replaced by a series of LED lights mounted on five separate posts.  I took a picture of this sign that I surmised was lit up red for Halloween as it was way too early for Remembrance Day and decided to look into these lights through one of my contacts at Surrey City Hall.

A quick email to the Engineering Department got bounced to the Parks Department and I received the following answers to my questions regarding this rather dazzling light show. 

When were these lights installed? The Lights were installed in 2019

Who was the contractor and what was the cost? Firm costs are unknown, as the project was carried out in stages over a fairly long period of time as a joint effort between multiple departments and multiple contractors, each with their own expertise.

Was this the first time the coloured lights have been used?  No, colored lighting at the site has been used at different times in the past, such as on Canada Day (Red and White). 

How many colours are possible or is there a spectrum that can be used? There are over 300 colours that are programmable. 

Can the different light posts be set to different colours? Yes, each light can be programmed independently or in coordination with each other.

Are the lights set up so colours can change with motion or over time? The light system is activated by a photocell and turns on at dusk daily.

Can they still do boring old white and can the brightness be controlled? Yes they can illuminate white light. Brightness is fixed

How are the lights controlled, either by buttons, computer, cell phone or WIFI? On premise computer that is programmable.  Remote programming is an option, though quite expensive to set up.

Is there a calendar of different times and events set up for these lights?(ie. red for Nov. 11th). The lights are not set up on a calendar schedule. 

Is there a list of colour choices for the pre-selected dates like orange for Truth & Reconciliation Day The lights can be programmed to illuminate over 300 different colour shades.

Most importantly, has Langley Township done this with the "Visit Fort Langley" sign on the #1 Hwy.  If not, you need to contact them. I have no knowledge that Langley has a similar geographical marker sign. 

A day after I received these answers I drove by the sign again very early one morning long before sunrise.  Much to my surprise, there were no lights on the sign at all and it was completely hidden in the darkness.  Supposedly a photocell turns this display on and off as one would expect but for reasons unknown it was not working.  Preparing to write this TNT on Sunday night, I once again ventured down to check out the sign and was equally surprised to find out that it was once again bathed in red light.  I started to think that maybe those in charge of the programming felt they could just leave it red and cover Halloween and Remembrance Day together.  This didn't really make much sense, just like how there is nothing on the Surrey.ca website about this sign and its coloured light show.  I'm hoping to change this so the light can become a beacon for people living in Surrey and those visitors heading north into Canada from the U.S. 

As Surrey revealed, each of the five light poles are independent and can produce 300 different colours and shades.  This means that the total colour combinations of the lights is 300 x 300 x 300 x 300 x 300 which equals 2.43 trillion different lighting possibilities.  With this vast pallet of colours, I would think that orange, yellow, orange, yellow, orange would be a much better colour combination for Halloween.  Red certainly works for Remembrance day, which is coming up next Saturday, if of course, the lights are just not weirdly left red for another week.  Sunday Nov. 12 is the Diwali celebration, known as the festival of lights, with blue, red, green, orange and magenta being the five main colours, matching easily with the five light posts at the sign.  With the large Indo-Canadian population in Surrey and both Hindu and Sikh religions both observing Diwali, it would be a shame to not show the colours on this day. 

While the cost for the coloured light installation was not revealed, it obviously was not cheap and apparently is not being used to mark many holidays and observed days.  For Christmas it should be set on red, green, red, green, red.  The Ukranian New year (Jan 1) should be blue, yellow.  For Valentine's Day, red, pink, red, pink, red makes sense.  The Chinese New Year (Feb. 24) could be red, gold, red, gold, red.  April 22nd is Earth Day and I think that blue, green, blue, green, blue would be good colours to use.  St. Patrick's Day on March 17 should obviously be all green.  Easter is on May 5th and pastel colours like those used on Easter eggs can be displayed.  A no-brainer of Canada Day on July 1st with red, white, white, white, red.  Three days later on July 4th it is the USA Independence Day with red, red, white, blue, blue.  Heck, why not throw in Cinco deMayo with red, red, white, green, green and also Yom Kippur with blue, white, white, white, blue.  Truth and Reconciliation Day should be all orange, pink shirt day all pink, and a bright rainbow for Pride. 

I'm certain there are plenty of fun days where the coloured lights could be used that I have missed here.  Surrey needs to post information about this awesome sign and its light show on the city website.  There they could post the celebrations or days they were going to be using these lights and the colour combinations that were planned.  Having contact information listed for suggestions of days that should be marked and possible colours would be a great idea to help make it more interactive.  They only need to follow the lead of BC Place with their landmark Northern Lights Display (https://www.bcplace.com/the-stadium/the-roof/northern-lights-display).  One thing is for sure, the "Welcome to Surrey" sign with its trillions of colours is certainly a lot cooler than the similar "Visit Fort Langley" sign on the Trans Canada highway that is lit from above by three white halogen lights attached to the flag poles. 

 

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn  

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

 

Monday October 30. 2023

TNT The Naked Truth

Don Pitcairn

Signs of a Strike


Bridge strikes by commercial trucks have become so commonplace in the province of BC that the government of BC even has a webpage for bridge strike data (https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/transportation/vehicle-safety-enforcement/information-education/bridge-strikes-data).  In case you missed it, the last one was only six days ago on Oct. 24 when a Corrier Transport truck hit the CN overpass on Hwy. 1 near Glover Road.  This notoriously low railway overpass that fortunately is built like a proverbial brick sh%#house was also hit two months earlier on August 13th by Road Runner Freight Inc.  To date there have already been 15 bridge strikes in B.C. this year, with 5 bridge strikes on Hwy. 99 through Surrey, Delta and Richmond in the past two years.  One of these on July 18th seriously damaged the girders of the 17A overpass near the Deas Island Tunnel that will require extensive repairs, similar to what was done to the 152 St. overpass in south Surrey when it was hit by an excavator back in 2017.

With all of this in mind I decided to go look at our overpasses on Hwy. 99 and the associated height signage to see if I could understand why this has become such a prevalent problem.  I have to commend the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure who recently have installed advance height warning signs on both sides of the highway posted 200 metres before each overpass.  What I immediately noticed on the overpasses was that the height signs are small and difficult to read.  They measure 24" tall by 36 " wide but many of these are old and faded, losing their reflectiveness long ago making them invisible at night.  The other problem is that because there is a 10" tall arrow underneath the height numbers, leaving the metre number (4 or 5) only 8.5" tall with the centimeter numbers being only 6.5" tall and the meter letter m only 5" tall, or should I say small.  Imagine trying to read these signs while driving by at 100 kmh at night and trying to stop in time in a loaded transport truck when they are finally legible.

There are a host of other problems.  Most of these signs are attached to the bridge decks, not the large girders underneath where they would be protected from the elements and remain reflective much longer.  They are attached directly to the concrete and not angled downwards towards the highway where they would be more visible to approaching traffic.  Many of the overpasses are angled across the highway but there has been no attempt to attach these signs with brackets so that they face 90 degrees to oncoming traffic.  In many places these height signs are missing, were never originally installed, or are completely faded and non-reflective.  Also at night, the bridges are invisible because they do not have lighting even though there are mounting bolts and electrical outlets where lamp standards obviously existed when many of them were built back in the 1960s.  While the overpasses all have different heights, no one has considered putting "LOW" signs on the ones that are a problem and have been hit repeatedly by trucks.

Here is a detailed rundown of all of the overpasses on Hwy. 99 from the Peace Arch to Westminster Hwy. with information both north and southbound directions.  All overpasses have two newly installed advance height warning signs unless noted.  

8 Ave. N:  Two 5.25 m. height warning signs on girders.

8 Ave. S:  Two 5.84 height warning signs on thru lanes, nothing on exit lane.

16 Ave. N:  No height signs on bridge, 5.67 m. advance warning signs in place.

16 Ave. S:  No height signs on bridge, 5.59 m. advance warning signs in place.

24 Ave. N:  Two 5.0 m. height warning signs on girder.

24 Ave. S:  5.0 m. height warning sign.

Pedestrian overpass N:  5.5 m. height warning sign.

Pedestrian overpass S:  5.6 m. height warning sign.

152 St. N:  One 4.66 m. height warning sign on the replaced girder.

152 St. S:  4.34 height warning sign on right lane only, sign completely faded.

King George Blvd. N: Thru traffic height 4.84 m. on deck, entrance lane height 4.36 m. on girder, light standards removed.

King George Blvd. S:  Three height warning signs of 4.86 m., 4.56 m. 4.86 m. but all same level, signs old and faded.

Hwy. 91 N:  No height warning signs, thru lanes or bus lane, likely due to excess height.

Hwy. 91 S:  One 5.20 m. height warning sign on onramp.

112 St. N:  4.52 m. height warning sign, very old, light standard removed, impact marks.

112 St. S:  4.56 height warning sign, very old, impact marks.

BC Rail N:  5.04 m. height warning, sign old and angled, no lighting.

BC Rail S:  5.18 m. height warning sign, old and angled, no height warning on adjacent Hornby Road.

Ladner Trunk Rd. N:  4.64 m. height warning thru lanes (old sign), 4.66 m. height warning bus lane (new sign), impact marks.

Ladner Trunk Rd. S:  4.64 height warning sign (new), lamp standards removed, impact marks.

Hwy. 17 N:  No height warning signs on all 3 overpasses likely due to excess height.

Hwy. 17 S:  No height warnings on all 3 overpasses likely due to excess height.

Hwy. 17A N:  4.66 m. height warning sign on thru lanes, nothing on on-ramp lane from Tsawwassen.

Hwy. 17A S:  No height warnings on smashed bridge, no height warning on on-ramp from River Road.

Deas Island tunnel N:  Two 4.15 m. warning heading towards tunnel, nothing on actual entrance, no warning lights, impact marks.

Deas Island tunnel S:  Two 4.15 m. warning signs on overpasses into tunnel, nothing on tunnel entrance, no warning lights.

Steveston Hwy. N:  4.50 m. height warning sign (old), 4.55 m. height warning sign (new), no advance warning signs.

Steveston Hwy. S:  4.50 m. sign on deck, right and bus lane very old and non reflective.

Blundell Rd. N:  No height warning signs on thru lanes only large green direction signs, 4.54 m. height warning sign on bus lane only.

Blundell Rd. S:  One 4.44 m. height warning sign for three lanes, no right lane or bus, very old.

Westminster Hwy. N:  Two 4.70 height warning signs on thru lanes, 4.54 m. on bus lane, all very old.

Westminster Hwy. S:  One 4.64 height warning sign.

So here is where the rubber hits the road.  All of the overpass height warning signs need to be replaced.  Our highway speed limit signs are 30" wide by 36" tall with 15" tall numbers.  The new advance height warning signs recently installed before the overpasses are a good idea but the numbers are 8" tall for the metres and 6" for the centimetres because these diamond shaped signs have a large arrow on the top and bottom.  All bridge height warning signs on the overpasses need to be 3' tall x 5' wide and attached to the girders, not the exposed bridge decks.  They need to be mounted on brackets so the signs are 90 degrees to the roadways underneath and angled downward to catch vehicle lights at night.  Instead of having a huge wide arrow underneath the numbers taking up half the sign, put two thin ones on either side from top to bottom.  The height numbers need to be in a large bold font that is all the same size; currently using a height of 5.20 m. for example, the 5 is large, the .20 is medium and the m is small.  The actual current heights are 10" tall for the arrow, 8.5" tall for the metres, 6.5" tall for the centimetres and 5" tall for the m.  The numbers should all be at least 24 inches tall for maximum visibility and far distance.  

In addition to fixing all of the height warning signs, for overpasses 4.5 m. and under that keep getting hit by trucks, yellow and black signage reading LOW with diagonal hash marks should be placed on bridge girders alongside the big height signs.  In both England and New Zealand they paint diagonal hash marks on all of the bridge supports to make them more visible to drivers and this should be done here.  Most importantly, putting lighting back up on bridges where it was taken down or where there currently is none should be done.  Another good idea is to actually put lights on the girders and illuminate the overpass height signs at night so they can be seen.  This isn't rocket science, it's just a matter of creating bridge height warning signs that are big enough to read at a distance and ensuring that they are also visible at night.  Next time you are out for a drive on Hwy. 99 or anywhere else in BC for that matter, pay attention to our bridge signs and their dilapidated shape.  If we don't fix these antiquated signs and upgrade them, bridge strikes will continue to happen costing taxpayers millions of dollars to repair.  

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn  

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

Monday October 23, 2023

The Naked Truth

11,000 Words on the Hump

They say that a picture is worth a thousand words, so with 11 pictures of the most recent hatchet job on the Hump hillside and a look back to 2015, this TNT pictorial really says it all.  City Hall has once again hired arborists to cut down trees on the steep slope above the White Rock boulder, this time chopping down the trees growing from the stumps that remained from the clear-cut in 2015.  The largest of these was a maple tree that was a metre across with new sprouts measuring up to 20 centimetres in diameter growing out of it.  You can check out the most recent devastation for yourself with over a dozen piles of branches left waiting for the chipper along Marine Drive. 

 

All of this so-called "vegetation control" is being paid for by White Rock taxpayers on private property owned by the BNSF Railway.  It is being done in my opinion exclusively for the the views of hoity-toity condo dwelling folks living along the West end Marine Drive, regardless of the slope stability implications and slide threat to the BNSF Railway below. 

The East end of "The Hump" has been untouched supporting the theory the recent clear cut was for a select group of condo dwellers who appeared before council a few months back. The same group appeared before the previous council and their request for clear cutting was denied.

Recent delegation of Marine Drive condo owners which appeared before White Rock council requesting view improvements

Most of the recent tree clearing has occurred on a historic lateral slump landslide measuring 150 metres long east of the Pier that happened after this hillside was clear-cut in the late 1800s.  There is a photo available from the Archives taken from the pier in 1920 that clearly shows this slope failure and several more on the Hump.


With only blackberries holding the soil in place (plants that thrive in areas of soil disturbance), it will be interesting to see what happens in the future. 

I did notice there is a long crack on the Marine Drive roadway running along the area where most of the trees have again been cut down.

I could not resist the stacks of fresh cut maple sitting by the road and gathered up the larger ones to turn them into firewood.  I must admit, I was tempted to dump them at White Rock City Hall as a protest but didn't want to waste good wood members of the current council who seem to be following in Wayne Baldwin's footsteps who was acting mayor when the original moonscape clear cut/ vegetation control was done back in 2015.

One has to wonder when that tree planting to stabalize the hillside is going to begin?

 

BEFORE....2015

AFTER...... 2015

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn 

I wish to acknowledge we live, work and play on the traditional lands of the Semiahmoo people.

 

 

Monday October 16,2023

TNT The Naked Truth

Don Pitcairn

Crescent Heights Coyote



When we bought our house 15 years ago in Crescent Heights we decided to live on an arterial road for two reasons, bus service and snow plowing.  What we didn't expect was that our road, which doesn't have sidewalks, would be a constant parade of people out for a walk, many of them with their dogs.  Of course they are all leashed and our neighbours do an admirable job of cleaning up after their pets.  Our two smaller designer mutts, known by their breed name of "cutie-pies", love watching the show and know many of the passing dogs and the humans they have mastered.  

I was rather surprised on Saturday morning to look out my kitchen window at 10 a.m. to see a beautiful dog with nice thick fur and fluffy tail trotting up the side of our street, alone and obviously off-collar.  It took me a second to realize that this was no stray husky, it was a wily coyote (Canis Latrans) out prowling through our neighbourhood looking for its breakfast.  Unlike many coyotes that you see which are thin and mangy looking, this one was actually magnificent looking and sporting a thick coat of fur.  What shocked me was seeing one of these animals cruising down the street that is often filled with people and their pets during daylight hours.  This was not normal behaviour, especially given both the pedestrian and vehicle traffic normally present that time of day.

While mainly carnivorous, coyotes have a wide diet that varies throughout the season.  Rabbits and squirrels are a key food source that they can catch with their blinding speed of up to 65 km an hour.  Moles, voles, rats and mice are easy pickings for these smaller relatives of wolves who also scavenge meat from dead animals.  Besides large insects like grasshoppers, they also eat wild fruits like blackberries and occasionally will bite into a ripe apple on the ground.  Unfortunately domestic cats have become a favourite food source and if you notice lost cat posters in your neighbourhood, it is likely from coyotes.  My parents had their 23 pound Maine Coon cat stalked and killed by a coyote when they lived on Chilliwack mountain.  Smaller dog breeds are also at risk of being attacked by a coyote, even while on leash.

Like many wild animals, coyotes can easily get habituated to human food.  Unsecured garbage bags or compost piles with food waste are a tempting target for these animals.  Even worse is people who actually feed coyotes, often with dog food, so they become dependent on this food source.  When this food suddenly stops, this is often when coyotes will start nipping or biting people who refuse to give them their next meal.  This was likely the case in Mission last month where nine people were bitten by a coyote in only five days.  In June a lady gardening in Prince George was attacked and bitten, while earlier in the year a two year-old and a six year-old were bitten in parks in Port Coquitlam and Burnaby.  Back in 2021 there were 45 coyote attacks in Stanley Park in Vancouver that resulted in 11 coyotes being euthanized.

If you see a coyote during the day, you should be careful as it may be habituated to humans. If you are approached by a coyote in the Semiahmoo peninsula, do not run away and instead keep eye contact, yell loudly, wave your arms and throw something at it.  Standing their ground, raising hackles, growling, showing teeth and barking are all signs of an aggressive coyote.  If you have small children or dogs be sure to pick them up to protect them until the coyote leaves the area. Remember that it is an offence under section 33.1(1) of the Wildlife Act to feed dangerous wildlife, which includes coyotes.  You can call the Conservation Officer Service (COS) at 1-877-952-7277 to report anyone that is feeding or intentionally attracting dangerous wildlife. If a coyote has acted aggressively or displayed aggressive behaviour towards a human or pet, please report it to the COS Call Centre as well.  

Here are some links to websites giving general information on coyotes and how to avoid conflicts with these wild canines.  


Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

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

 

Monday October 09,2023

TNT The Naked Truth

Don Pitcairn

Saturday, Sept 30th was the third annual National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in Canada, with ceremonies in White Rock on the unceded traditional territory of the Semiahmoo First Nation and the Coast Salish people.  It was marked by a gathering of peoples at the Grand Chief Bernard Charles Memorial Plaza on East beach with a solemn walk along the promenade to Semiahmoo Park.  The crowd of thousands, many dressed in orange with the words "Every Child Matters", showed their support for the survivors of the residential school system that ran in Canada for over 125 years.  At the Spirit Stage in Semiahmoo Park speeches by Chief Harley Chappell, indigenous leaders and elders were voiced along with presentations by youth dancers and drumming groups entertaining those in attendance. 

One of the more moving speeches was delivered by the Chief's daughter, Kimora Chappell, explaining what this day meant to her.  I think it is important to share her words with you.

The Journey

Our word for non-natives is "Xwelitum" meaning "the hungry ones."

The original settlers came to our home for land and gold.

The governments made residential schools that were run by the churches.  My Grandma went to St. Marys Residential School in Mission B.C.

They were treated very bad at these schools and were forced to be somebody they were not and weren't allowed to practice their culture or speak their language.

Lot and lots of these children did not come home from these schools.

Today we learn about Residential Schools at our school to educate people about how others were treated to make room for everyone else.

My Dad works very hard to talk with governments about land and our rights.  It's a very hard job and sometimes he gets stressed out and crabby.

Reconciliation is important because others must learn about us as Semiahmoo people, to find ways to bring back our language and culture that was lost.

Reconciliation is important and we need to work together to make progress.

On June 19th, I wrote a TNT titled "Our Home On Native Land" that covered the official opening of the Totest Aleng Indigenous Learning House and carving centre at the Elgin Heritage Park on Crescent Road in South Surrey (scroll down to read).  Besides covering this ceremony, I took the opportunity to reveal the sorry state of the public art installation located on 20th Ave. and the South Surrey Athletic Park in the middle of the roundabout.  The Elder Moon and Double Eagle carvings by Semiahmoo First Nation artists Leonard and Leslie Wells were first placed there in 2009 and time and the elements had not been kind to them.  I posted photos and descriptions about their dilapidated appearance plus explained how the lighting, which is there for illumination and driver safety, was not working. I forwarded this to several of my contacts at Surrey City Hall and posted a link to this story on social media.  Well I guess it hit a nerve because several months ago the two carved disks were suddenly removed with signs posted that this indigenous art display was being restored.


As luck would have it on Friday, the day before Truth & Reconciliation Day, crews were at the roundabout with the two beautifully restored carvings putting them back up on display.  This work was done without fanfare, without ceremony, without speeches and without public notification.  I am thrilled that the City of Surrey saw fit to have these two amazing pieces of art restored to their former glory.  I was also quite impressed that they would work to have them installed in time for Truth and Reconciliation day.  What did disappoint me was that this restoration was done without anyone being told about it, other than a couple of small boulevard signs, similar to what you used to see springing up out of lawns at election time.  Considering the timing, it would have been nice to have had some official acknowledgment that these two pieces were being put back up in their prominent location.  I made sure that Mayor Locke and Chief Chappell knew about the return of the Elder Moon and Twin Eagles, sending them both pictures of the reinstalled artwork.  Hopefully they can work something out in the near future to properly commemorate this important event.


This small triumph marks two down and two to go.  The same TNT where I wrote about these carvings on 20th Ave. also revealed the terrible shape of the two indigenous poles at the White Rock Elementary School and the Ray Shepherd elementary School in south Surrey.  The White Rock carving stands next to Johnston Road but you can hardly see it because of the overgrowth of trees.  When the new White Rock school was built the pole was supposed to be relocated to the front entrance where a concrete base built for that purpose still stands empty.  The pole at Ray Shepherd sits directly in front of the office and yet it seemingly goes unnoticed as to what sad condition it is in (see July 19 TNT for photos of both). The Surrey School District and their Board of Trustees needs to step up to the plate and show these carvings the love that the City of Surrey put into the pieces carved by the Wells brothers.  If they really want to educate the youngsters that go to these schools, they could show that they care about reconciliation and actually repair, maintain and preserve these pieces of both art and history that were bestowed upon them.

My truth about reconciliation is that the community living here in this amazing corner of the Lower Mainland should consider how lucky we are to be living on the unceded traditional territory of the Semiahmoo First Nation and other Coast Salish People.  Much of Surrey is named after areas in England or colonial pioneers who were given large tracts of land without any thought to the indigenous people who had lived here for thousands of years.  Heck, even South Surrey isn't much of a name, it is more like giving directions on how to get here.  Most people living here realize it is called the "Semiahmoo peninsula", and in fact the White Rock Sun newspaper was originally named the Semiahmoo Sun.  With all of this in mind, I believe it is time we dropped the South Surrey moniker and replaced it with its proper name, "Semiahmoo."  If you think this is outlandish, consider that South Delta is known as Tsawwassen after the Tsawwassen First Nation.  If you search Wikipedia for "South Delta" you get nothing other than some listings for electoral boundaries.  If you search "Tsawwassen", you get the full description of the area due west of us across the waters of Boundary Bay.

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn.

I wish to acknowledge that the land on which we live, work and enjoy is the unceded traditional territory of the Semiahmoo First Nation and other Coast Salish People.

 

 

 

Tuesday September 26, 2023

TNT The Naked Truth

Don Pitcairn


Stink, Stank, Stunk

Surrey Bio-fuel plant

 

You're a foul one, Mr. Grinch, 
You're a nasty wasty skunk, 
Your heart is full of unwashed socks, 
Your soul is full of gunk, Mr. Grinch.

The three words that best describe you are, and I quote, "Stink, stank, stunk"!

You're a rotter, Mr. Grinch, 
You're the king of sinful sots, 
Your heart's a dead tomato splot 
With moldy purple spots, Mr. Grinch.

Your soul is an appalling dump heap overflowing with the most disgraceful assortment of deplorable rubbish imaginable, mangled up in tangled-up knots! 

Lyrics to "You're A Mean One Mr. Grinch", How The Grinch Stole Christmas movie, 1966

I have to admit that the title and lyrics used to start this TNT might be a little over the top and are meant in jest, not to be alarmist.  Let's hope that folks in south Surrey don't start singing this classic Christmas song all year long if and when a waste to energy plant located on Semiahmoo First Nations land gets up and running. Andion Global (https://www.andionglobal.com/) a world leader in designing and building biogas facilities, has teamed up with Semiahmoo First Nations to build a waste organics to renewable natural gas facility on two hectares of lane north of Beach road and west of Highway 99 north of the Peace Arch Duty Free.  It will accept organic waste from the Lower Mainland and process it with an anaerobic digestion solution to create biogas (methane), fertilizer and organic solids used to produce soil amendments and topsoil at another site.  

This project has already been funded with $14.4 million from the Federal government several years ago in its preliminary planning phase.  Indigenous Services Canada (ISC), Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) and Canada Infrastructure Bank (CIB) need to determine if it is likely to cause significant adverse environmental effects so they are inviting comments from the public that need to be submitted by October 14, 2023.  It is posted on the Canadian Impact Asment Registry that can be found at https://iaac-aeic.gc.ca/050/evaluation/exploration?search=Semiahmoo+First+Nation+-+Andion+Biofuel+Facility .  Metro Vancouver and the Greater Vancouver Sewerage and Drainage District have been provided with the information that normally is needed to receive permits for this type of bio-gas facility if built off reserve.  Most importantly, the air dispersion modeling report has been completed by Tetra Tech and is posted online for public viewing at https://iaac-aeic.gc.ca/050/documents/p85705/153047E.pdf .  With air pollution and odour release being of prime concern you may want to sniff out this 195 page report and nose through it.

The Semiahmoo Renewable Natural Gas Facility Air Quality Dispersion Modelling Rev.1 report lists nuisance odour sites as being the nearby Hills at Peace Portal Golf Course, Hwy. 99 at the Peace Arch Border Crossing, the Peace Arch Duty Free and Peace Arch Provincial Park.  The anaerobic digestion and biogas upgrading process results in the discharge of various air contaminants that requires a Metro Vancouver Air Permit. The top five sources of possible odours emanating from the plant are listed as:

1. Biofilter that releases treated exhaust gases from the food waste reception and pre-treatment buildings 
2. Biogas upgrading stack that releases gases from the biogas upgrading system.
3. Boiler stack that discharges combustion gases from a natural gas hot water boiler.
4. Flare stack from an emergency flaring system.
5. Stripping tower stack from an ammonia stripping tower.

The main chemicals expected to be released include sulphur dioxide (SO2), nitric oxide (NO), ammonia (NH3) hydrogen sulphide (H2S) plus volatile organic compounds (VOC).  Flaring of biogas from the stack is expected to happen 900 hours a year or less than 10% of the time with durations from under one hour to over 24 hours.  

The Coles notes for the air quality study summary are as follows.  "Of the identified receptors, exceedance of 5 OU (odour units) of more than once per year is predicted to occur at the Hills at Portal Golf Club, Peace Arch Duty Free store (and adjacent Highway 99) and Peace Arch Park (seven predicted occurrences per year) with exceedance of 10 OU occurring only along at the portion of the golf course nearest Highway 99, adjacent to the proposed Project. There are no predicted exceedances of 10 OU at any residence.  The majority of odour exceedances occur during fall and winter when people are less likely to be golfing, frequenting Peace Arch Provincial Park, queuing at the border or have their residential windows open. In particular, less than 20% of the predicted exceedances at Peace Arch Park occur during the spring and summer. Similarly, the majority of predicted exceedances at the identified sensitive receptors occurs during the nighttime."  To read the summary in its entirety, it is located on page 30 of the report.

One must not confuse this biofuel plant with composting plants or feed lots.  The Harvest Power composting facility in Richmond was shut down because of its strong odours that wafted for miles.  The GFL composting plant in Ladner was the source of many smell complaints that have almost ceased due to enclosed work areas, negative air systems, filters and scrubbers.  The J. Baird Cattle Company feedlot on 8th Ave. ran afoul of Metro Vancouver for smells emanating from its next door soil operations with open piles of manure exposed to the rain.  While all of these operations raised quite a stink in their communities, the Surrey Biofuel facility at 9752 192 Street that converts the city's green waste into renewable natural gas (RNG) seems to have gotten the process right.  With a negative air pressure system and closed-loop technology, they have had very little response even though they advertise their complaints hotline.  Of course, this may have something to do with their 70 metre tall red and white coloured stack that effectively mixes any released odours high into the air where smell concentrations can dilute to unnoticeable levels before reaching the ground.

To make comments about this proposed renewable natural gas facility on SFN lands, ask questions about its operation, and to express your concerns or support, please send them to the following:

Lee-Ann Hamilton, Senior Environmental Specialist

Indigenous Services Canada

1138 Melville Street, Suite 600
Vancouver, British Columbia V6E 4S3
Email: Lee-Ann.Hamilton@sac-isc.gc.ca

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

I wish to acknowledge we live, work and play on the traditional lands of the Semiahmoo People.

 

 

Monday September 18, 2023

TNT The Naked Truth

Don Pitcairn

Grassholes Among Us


Last year we saw an unprecedented drought from the beginning of summer lasting deep into the fall.  You used to be able to count on the PNE parade being the start of the rainy season with this event usually getting soaked by rain.  in 2022, the PNE parade did not get rained on and the entire PNE was dry  without a drop of rain falling on the midway.  It turns out that 2022 was only a dry run (groaner) for the drought of 2023.  If you delve into Vancouver weather stats at https://vancouver.weatherstats.ca/charts/normal_rain-monthly.html you will suddenly get an understanding of how serious this problem now is.  I added up the monthly rainfall rates we received for 2023 and compared them with the historical average.  Till the end of August, we had received 335 millimeters of precipitation, compared to an average of 607 ml.  We are currently at 55% or just over half of our regular yearly rainfall.  In fact, we have not received a regular month of rain in the past year and it is likely this Sept. will likely follow that troubling trend.

With the lack of rain and parched forest, 14,000 square kilometers of land in B.C. burned since April 1st, officially making 2023 the Province's worst wildfire season on record in terms of area.  If that sounds bad, this information was released by the B.C. Ministry of Forests on July 18th well before West Kelowna got scorched down to the shores of Okanagan Lake.  As of a week ago there are now 22,560 square kilometers of land burned in the province of BC and the fire season is still a long way from over.  If you think this is just a problem on the west coast, over 165,000 square kilometers of land have been scorched across Canada so far this year, smashing the previous record.  Currently there are 407 wildfires burning in BC, 11 that are fires of note which pose a threat to public safety, with so many out of control fires that I didn't bother counting them all.  You can see how dire the forest fire situation is on the BC Wildfire Service map at https://wildfiresituation.nrs.gov.bc.ca/map . Nearly 14,000 square kilometres of land in B.C. have burned since April 1, officially making 2023 the province's worst wildfire season on record in terms of area burned.Jul 18, 2023

Close to home, Metro Vancouver initiated level 2 watering restrictions as of August 4th that banned the sprinkling of lawns until Oct. 15th.  The rationale for this was that water use in the Lower Mainland increases 50% during the summer months, mainly due to lawn watering.  The north shore reservoirs are still at an average level for this time of year but with continued drought, it is prudent to preserve the supplies until such time as it starts to rain and these lakes get refilled.  With six weeks having passed since the Stage 2 watering restrictions were implemented, most lawns in the region should now be drying out and turning a golden brown colour. While most people are doing their part to conserve water and adhere to the lawn watering restrictions, there are still businesses, stratas and residences with dark green lawns throughout the Semiahmoo peninsula.  These scofflaws are what I like to call "grassholes" who seem to think that the rules somehow don't apply to them, especially if they have the luxury of an in ground sprinkling system that can quietly water in the middle of the night. 

Now don't get me wrong, I love a thick healthy green lawn a lot more than most people.  I take many steps to ensure my lawn is nice and healthy without watering outside of the dates and times that are allowed.  I don't have a sprinkler system but it would be easy for me to buck the rules and keep the grass watered enough to keep it green and growing.  The trouble is, I'm doing my part for conservation and don't want to be looked at by my neighbours with contempt as the only person on our street who still has to mow their lawn on a weekly basis.  I can sometimes be an a-hole, but I certainly don't want to be on display as being a self-centered grasshole.  With continued drought and more expected into the future due to climate change, the days of being the envy of the neighbourhood for having a lush green lawn are now a thing of the past.  Those who flout the rules and water their lawns on a constant basis during times of drought should now be looked at as the pariah of their neighbourhood for being an egotistical narcissist.   

Part of the problem with folks ignoring the lawn watering ban is that the City of Surrey Bylaw department's goal is to "seek compliance prior to issuing a ticket" that will cost the offender $300.  In layman's terms, grassholes will get a warning for illegal watering before they are hit with a fine.  Vancouver on the other hand enforces the watering ban with $500 tickets using a policy of more stick and less carrot.  Imagine how much of a speeding problem we would have in Surrey if the RCMP or SPS told drivers that they would get a warning before being issued a ticket.  Also, the low fines are not much of a deterrence when you look at mansions and estates worth a small fortune.  Without giving names or addresses, there is a property only a few blocks from us in Ocean Park that currently has grass that is greener than the Augusta golf course.  I highly doubt a $300 fine would not mean much to a homeowner whose property is valued over $30 million.  For those who think that the rules don't apply to them, imagine the sting if the fine was tied to the assessed property value.  Something tells me that getting compliance would not be a problem then.

If you still want green grass but don't want to be a grasshole, there are several options available these days.  Some people are fed up trying to keep their lawns green and healthy and instead are installing artificial turf,  While expensive, it does not require watering, mowing or fertilizing and will not get ripped up by raccoons or crows looking for chafer beetle grubs to eat.  Another option is to simply paint browned grass with products such as LawnLift that are non-toxic, safe for pets and which instantly turn your lawn a dark emerald green even while dormant.  A more natural option is to do what my neighbour's did and install a water-wise lawn last year.  This involved laying down a thick layer of organic topsoil and seeding it with a drought tolerant tall rescue grass with micro clover.  They fertilized as required and then did not mow it during the heat of the summer.  Only after a heavy rain a few weeks ago did they finally cut it, but still at a high mower height.  Even with zero watering this year, their lawn is still surprisingly thick and green as it also benefits from being shaded by nearby conifers.

Here is contact information for the enforcement of the Stage 2 watering regulations.

City of Surrey:

Bylaw general inquiry

604-591-4370
Report a violation online

City of White Rock:

Call Bylaw Enforcement at 604-541-2146

Email Bylaw Enforcement at bylaw@whiterockcity.ca

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

I wish to acknowledge we live, work and play on the traditional lands of the Semiahmoo people.

 

 

Monday September 11, 2023 

TNT The Naked Truth

Don Pitcairn

Seafaring Shanty Town  Shut Down


It was great news to me when it was announced last week that the City of Surrey along with Transport Canada will be removing the derelict boats from the Nicomekl river between the Elgin Sea Dam and Nico Wynd Estates.  Here is the Coles Notes version of the City media release:

Working in partnership with Transport Canada, the City of Surrey will be removing derelict boats on the Nicomekl River in South Surrey. Instead of using several marinas in the lower section of the river, derelict boats have been illegally mooring on a narrow section of the Nicomekl. In addition to dumping raw sewage and garbage into the water, the derelict boats are gathering salvaged debris creating hazards for other boaters.  “The Nicomekl River has many spots where boats can legally drop anchor,” said Mayor Brenda Locke. “There is no reason for any boater to illegally moor their vessel. The City is working with Transport Canada to remove the derelict boats and clean up the debris in that section of the river. The Nicomekl is for all to use and is not a place for boat owners who illegally dock their boats with a complete disregard to the environment and the safety of others.”  Governed by the Canadian Navigable Waters Act, the cleanup of the derelict boats and any associated debris will be conducted with through partnership with Transport Canada. The work will commence this month and will be continually monitored.

The problem of derelict vessels, sunken boats, release of raw sewage and dumping of garbage into the water at this end of the Nic has been an ongoing problem for decades.  Until now, it was a political football that was constantly tossed around with nobody wanting to take responsibility or assert jurisdiction over cleanup of the river.  There are marinas up and down the Nicomekl where people could moor their boats but likely not for free.  The Nic near the Sea Dam became a spot where those down and out but with a boat that still floated were able to drop anchor and apparently anything else without repercussions.  The same kind of situation has created an ongoing sanitary, environmental and public safety issue at False Creek in Vancouver where three boats lashed together caught fire on Friday with two of them sinking.  Kudos for Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke and S.Sry-WR MP Kerry-Lynne Findlay for working together to find a fix for this festering issue.

The boats currently on the Nic look like something between the post-apocalyptic Water World movie and a shanty town.  In some cases several boats are lashed together and strung with tarps, held together by tar paper and plywood. Some of them look more like floating junk piles than anything resembling an actual boat.  If not sheltered in the Nic and instead exposed to the ocean, it is unlikely that they would last a week before becoming nothing but flotsam.  My wife and I went canoing in the Nic several weeks ago and I have to admit that the problem with rotten boats in this region looked to have certainly gotten worse over the past five years.  Even the dingys that these freshwater pirates use to access the Mud Bay dyke are barely seaworthy.  One recently washed up against the Sea Dam and I stopped to pull it away from the control gates and up onto the rocks.  I know people who repair boats and this one was not worth salvaging, let alone trying to fix it up.

It is not just at the far end of the navigable stretch of the Nic where these derelict boats cause a problem.  When there are wind storms, they often break away from rotting ropes and drift down the river bouncing off other boats in the process.  Once they are pulled out into Mud Bay by the winds and currents, they then drift northward, running aground on the marshy shore along the Delta Dyke Trail.  Several years ago after noticing three vessels aground along Highway 99, I decided to go investigate what was going on.  On one of these boats I met a gentleman named Peter who lived on the Nic at one of these flotillas.  He was trying to free the boats, waiting for high tide to try and float them off the muck and return them back into the river.  I'm not sure whatever happened to these boats but eventually they all disappeared.  Currently there is another power boat aground not far from Hwy. 91that has been there for several months and it would not surprise me if it came from the river squatters living on the Nic.

I do realize that we are in a housing crisis and these boats offer living accommodations to some people likely struggling with substance abuse or mental health issues.  Having seen inside several of these vessels, the level of filth and squalor I witnessed was absolutely appalling with clothes, garbage and debris spread all around.  Being always wet and damp, the wood inside these boats were covered with black mold that can cause serious health issues.  I learned from Peter that when the river squatters die or move away, their boats and possessions are taken over by the other pirates, looking to replace vessels taking on water or that have sunk to the bottom of the river.  With candles and propane being used for light and heat, it is amazing we have not had a fire in what is basically a floating homeless encampment.  If we can remove these derelict vessels and find proper sanitary housing for those who call the Nicomekl river home, we would be doing them a favour while protecting the marine environment of the Semiahmoo peninsula.  

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

I wish to acknowledge we live, work and play on the traditional lands of the Semiahmoo people.

 

 

 

TNT The Naked Truth

UPDATE September 06, 2023

In a related story, a Judge ruled last week that a Surrey woman must pay $150,000 after repeatedly trespassing and cutting down her neighbour's hedge.

The judge applied putative damages to achieve "retribution, deterrence, and denunciation to both punish the egregious action and also prevent similar future behaviour by the wrongdoer and other members of society.

It will be interesting to see if the BNSF Railway's legal department pushes for charges and then sues the arborists and strata for damages in this case.

 

Don Pitcairn

Chopped at the Top


Last week we were relaxing quietly along the shore of Crescent Rock beach in south Surrey when there was a loud cracking noise followed by branches smashing behind us above the BNSF Railway tracks.  It was so loud that everyone at the beach instinctively ran towards the water thinking a tree was falling, including our dog who shook his way out of his harness to escape.  The cause of the ruckus was the top of a tall cottonwood tree suddenly snapped off from the drought and then bounced from branch to branch on the way down to the ground.  I immediately went up to the railway to ensure that it had not fallen onto the train tracks blocking the line.  It had landed onto the landslide detector fence and while it was stretching the wires they did not break, signaling trains to stop.  I reported this incident to my BNSF contact and the tree top was taken away by railway crews several days later.

This weekend we were taking advantage of the great weather and were again down at our favourite beach.  Once again we heard falling branches but this time it came from arborists cutting away at the top of the Ocean Park bluff.  We walked out onto the sand flats and could look up to see large branches falling onto the hillside above the tracks.  It was obvious that the strata at the end of Christopherson Road were having trees on BNSF property cut to improve the views from their in ground pool area.  What made this so alarming was that the Ocean Park bluff just south of the Christopherson Steps is the most active slide area in the Semiahmoo peninsula.  The vegetation between the beach and the tracks in this area that gives the nude beach its privacy is growing on a mound of landslide debris excavated off the tracks by the BNSF over the past century.  In fact, the area where we were sitting is a flat bench of landslide muck from a slide four years ago from the very same hillside.

It seems that the hoity-toity folks living at the top of the bluff figured out a long time ago to get illegal tree trimming done during the weekends when Surrey Bylaw staff are less likely to appear.  Bylaws were called hourly to investigate but the chain saws continued to roar to life for most of the afternoon with the constant sound of heavy branches landing on the slope above.  Talking with people on the beach who were by this time sick of the racket, it was decided that a call to the BNSF Railway Police was in order.  It turned out this was not a simple task since E-com does not have any contact information for the Railway.  Trying to find a listing for the BNSF Police in BC was a lesson in futility as well.  It was only after talking to CN Police that we were able to finally contact an operator in Fort Worth,Texas at their American head office who put us through in a 3-way call to our local railway cop.  In the future, a simple Google search of "BNSF Emergency Number" will give you the number.

Low and behold, the BNSF police did show up and put a stop to the illegal tree work being done.  I'm not sure if there will be charges but they found arborists trespassing on BNSF land, destroying Railway property and from what I was told, the strata were informed to cease and desist further tree cutting operations.  Amazingly this is the first time that the BNSF Police have actually caught someone in the act of chopping at trees on the bluff for views.  Stumps in front of a hill-top mansion are not evidence as to who did the cutting even though it is easy to deduce who might have been responsible.  There is also the problem of White Rock clear-cutting the Hump slope for views of Marine Drive residents, yet people in south Surrey do not get the same bizarre perks from their Council. The BNSF should not have a double standard of allowing tree cutting on one ocean-front slope, while trying to stop it only miles away in a neighbouring city.  It boggles the mind why the BNSF kowtows to White Rock and continues to allow this to happen.


Transport Canada warned the BNSF Railway and cities of Surrey and White Rock that tree cutting for views by hill-top residents was one of the top three causes for landslides burying the train tracks below.  The hillside just south of Crescent Beach is notoriously unstable and I have witnessed over a dozen slides onto the rail corridor in this area alone.  This was the place where the last landslide actually hit a BNSF freight train just south of Bayview Ave.  It did not derail because it was already stopped for an even larger slide event that happened just below the Christopherson strata that was having the bluff trees cut this weekend.  For those who still don't get what the big problem is, a BNSF freight train rolled by while the trees were being cut.  It was a unit oil train consisting of four engines, two empty boxcars and 104 black tankers ( yup, I counted them), likely full of Bakken crude oil headed for the Chevron Refinery in Burnaby.  A train derailment here from slide activity likely means these cars falling 20 feet below to the shore lined with jagged rip-rap boulders.  Imagine Lac-Megantic but at the edge of Boundary Bay and you get my concern.

If you hear or witness anyone cutting trees on BNSF property in the Semi-pen, you can call the Railway emergency line at 1-800-832-5452 and they will immediately put you in touch with the Railway officer who will attend promptly.  You can also call Surrey Bylaws at 604-591-4152 or go online to report a problem at https://my.surrey.ca/report-a-problem/home but I would not expect a quick response on the weekend, if at all.  It will be interesting to see how the BNSF Railway responds to this tree cutting issue.  They could lay charges or possibly put this ball in the hands of their legal department to sue for damages and reparations including having the strata remove all of the dead branches from the slope where they add to the forest fire risk.  At the very least I would send those responsible a letter that if there is slide activity in the future linked to the area where the trees were being cut, that they will be liable for any cleanup costs and loss of use that the Railway experiences.  Maybe then, people living above the tracks will get the message that their million dollar view just might cost them that.  

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

I wish to acknowledge we live, work and play on the traditional lands of the Semiahmoo people.

 

Monday August 28, 2023


TNT The Naked Truth

Don Pitcairn


Don't Get Locked In-sanity


So here we are in the middle of another hot summer weekend with many people wanting to beat the heat by going to the beach.  Besides White Rock and Crescent Beach, many people opt for the more rugged and secluded 6.5 km. of shoreline between the two known as Crescent Rock beach.  To enter this region you must walk in from either end or else use one of the three staircases that Surrey has built over the years.  This includes the Christopherson Steps at the west end of 24 Ave., the 1001 Steps at the east end of 15A Ave. and the Olympic Trail located at the south end of 131 Street.  All three of these staircases are locked at night to stop partying at this secluded shoreline and to keep people off the BNSF Railway tracks at night.

If you go onto the City of Surrey website at surrey.ca you can find information on the first two of these staircases.  Both the Christopherson Steps and 1001 Steps list the operating hours as "dawn to dusk."  This should not be a surprise since the Surrey Parks Department security contractor locks the parking lots to their parks throughout the city using the dawn to dusk timing.  In case you are not aware, dawn and dusk are calculated when the sun dips to six degrees below the horizon.  As far as timing goes, this is usually a little more than half an hour before sunrise and half an hour after sunset.  For most people wanting to take in an ocean sunrise or sunset, this gives them ample time to climb the stairs and leave the beach.  Oddly, the Olympic Trail, aka Pot Point, aka Stoners Point, aka 13 Ave. Lookout is not listed on the Surrey website.

So here is where it gets weird.  There are signs at all of the staircases to Crescent Rock Beach warning people "DON'T GET LOCKED IN" with the dates and times these park gates are locked listed as follows:

Feb 12 - Apr 15  8:00 pm

April 16 - Aug 26  10:00 pm

Aug 27 - Oct 15  8:00 pm

Oct 16 - Feb 11  6:00 pm

It is unsure why these signs are even posted since they do not agree with the information listed on the city website.  It is weird that these gates get unlocked at dawn but are then locked at these apparently arbitrary times.  Even more bizarre is why these random dates and times are used in the first place.  For August 27th the gate lock time changed on a Sunday when many people were at the beach with sunset being at 8:04 pm.  If you wanted to see the big red orb behind a veil of smoke, it was very likely you would get locked out of using the stairs to leave the shore.  If you stayed to watch the colours of the sunset before walking out, you would be in for a nasty surprise, with the gates guaranteed to be locked out with dusk at 8:36 p.m.  If you did not have a cell phone it is a very long walk to freedom from the 1001 Steps that could only be done by walking out on the train tracks.


This idiotic situation gets even worse when you look at the other gate lock times throughout the year.  Remember that it is still summer until Friday, Sept. 22 when the sunsets at 7:09 pm, nearly an hour before the gates get locked.  On Oct. 16, a Monday, the lock time then drops to 6 p.m., even though sunset is at 6:21 p.m. and dusk is at 6:53 pm.  This 6 pm lock time remains throughout the winter when I realize not many people would likely venture down to the beach due to cold and rainy weather.  On the shortest day of the year, Dec. 22, the sun sets at 4:16 p.m., an hour and 44 minutes before the gates are due to be locked.  On Feb. 12, 2024 when the time magically springs back to 8 pm, the sunset is at 5:26 pm, over two and a half hours before the gates get locked.  In the spring on Apr 16, the sunsets at 8:06 pm, nearly two hours before the gates get locked.

None of these arbitrary dates or times make any sense at all in the real world.  The signs should all be pulled from the staircases leading to Crescent Rock beach and replaced with ones that state they are locked closed from "dawn to dusk" and possibly even giving the clue "half an hour before sunrise and half an hour after sunset."  This would put the staircase locking times in line with all of the other Surrey parks and in agreement with the times posted on the website for the various steps.  Locking people down at the beach means a long walk on the train tracks after dark that puts them in mortal danger.  I should also note that the signs at the beach staircases do not state who the Surrey security contractor is or any phone number or email to contact them if locked in.  It is Surrey Securiguard at 604-689-7588.  If you like to go to the beach off Ocean Park to catch a sunset or possibly skinny-dip, you might want to save that number to your cell phone in case you really need it one evening.

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

I wish to acknowledge we live, work and play on the traditional lands of the Semiahmoo people.

 

 

Monday August 21, 2023

TNT The Naked Truth

Don Pitcairn

Choke on the Smoke


Smoke on the water, a fire in the sky Smoke on the water

Burn it down

Lyrics to Smoke On The Water, Deep Purple, Machine Head album, 1972.

We are very fortunate to live in the Semi-Pen surrounded by water and beaches, fresh air and moderate temperatures.  This year has been extremely dry for most of the province with drought and high temperatures seeming to get worse every year.  It is heartbreaking to watch the devastation currently occurring in the Okanagan with forest fires marching through neighbourhoods burning them right down to the water's edge.  The scene around Yellowknife in the far north is no different, happening only weeks after Lahaina in Maui was scorched into the ground with over a hundred dead and reports of more than a thousand missing.  As the U.N. Chief recently stated, "The end of global warming has ended, the era of global boiling has arrived."  I think he would have been more on point to call it "global burning."

In case you missed it, July 2023 set the dubious record as the hottest month ever on planet earth since records began.  That was the same time that ocean water off the coast of Florida hit an astounding 101 degrees Fahrenheit.  Now this sounds pretty crazy but it really hits home when you know that is the same temperature we like to keep our hot tub set at during the winter months.  As I'm writing this TNT the remnants of hurricane Hillary is hitting California releasing torrential rains that are described as "life threatening" with extreme flooding expected.  It is the first tropical storm to hit Southern California in 84 years, the last one happening the year my now deceased father was born.  In case you missed it, BC is in a state of emergency, Northwest Territories is in a state of emergency, Maui is in a state of emergency, and California is in a state of emergency, from either fires or floods.

All of this brings us back to this little corner of the world.  On Friday night we were down at Crescent Rock beach cooling down and taking in the sunset over the glassy water of Mud Bay.  As the sun sank lower in the sky, it encountered what looked like a small cloud bank in the horizon off Vancouver Island.  As it sank into this grey mass, it was obvious from the red and then purple orb in the sky that it was in fact forest fire smoke from an unknown location.  We have been extremely blessed this year that as BC burns, the air here has remained relatively clear.  Seeing the sun disappear into this mess, we knew immediately that our days of blue skies were over.  It was no surprise that we woke up the next morning to discover that the sky was overcast with a thick pall of forest fire smoke that turned the sunlight a peachy orange colour.   

Of course there has been a burning ban here in effect for over a month and we are also on a stage 2 watering ban where sprinkling of lawns is outlawed.  Unfortunately some of the nocturnal visitors to the shoreline south of Crescent have obviously not gotten the word that fire risk here is currently at high on its way to extreme without measurable rain.  A couple of weeks ago, I met a group of younger Indo-Canadian gents down at the beach having a fire.  I informed them this was extremely dangerous and that they were risking fines of $1,150 for everybody sitting around it.  They basically told me to go snake my own toilet, so rather than pissing on their fire I went home and phoned the Surrey Fire Service to report what I had seen.  Imagine my surprise when I found out that the waterfront from Crescent Beach to White Rock is not their jurisdiction and that I had to report fires to the police instead.  When I phoned the RCMP non-emergency reporting line, they had so many calls that I eventually hung up after waiting forever for them to respond.

A buddy of mine went down to the beach south of 24 Ave. on Sunday morning for a walk and he phoned to let me know that there were three new fires on the beach from the previous night.  Even more concerning, one of the fires was still smouldering with large logs belching smoke from a thick bed of embers.  He dragged the burning logs 100 feet out to the water to douse them and then used an old barbecue lid to bring in sea water to drown the coals.  My friend was very upset that for all three campfires, there appeared to be no attempt by the folks who had lit them to put out their fires.  All you need is the wind to pick up, for embers to ignite the brush and for the fire to quickly climb the Ocean Park bluff.  From there the fire would be into the heavily wooded areas of Crescent Heights and Ocean Park where it would become an interface fire.  There have been fires on the bluff before and firefighters here have told me they were extremely difficult to fight because of the lack of access and the steep terrain.

There needs to be a change in Surrey where fires, regardless of where they are, get reported to the fire department and not the police.  I realize there are overlapping jurisdictions down at the beach from Federal, Provincial, BNSF and Surrey, but only the Surrey Fire Service has the ability to fight fires.  Knowing of the beach fire problems, the BNSF police and RCMP police need to enforce the fire ban with frequent patrols in the evenings by their high-railer truck.  Residents living along the bluff should be able to report the smell of smoke from the beach to the Surrey Fire Service, who if they need to can then contact the RCMP directly.  There are signs warning about the threat of fires at all of the bluff stairway entrances but missing from them is the fine of $1,150 per person that might make people think twice before flicking their Bic.  For me, I now know to simply drive to my local Fire Hall 12 where I report what I've seen or smelled and they respond immediately to the situation without a call to 911.  

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

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

 

August 14, 2023

TNT The Naked Truth

Don Pitcairn

Biking to the Beach is out of Reach

Go car-free and bike, walk, ride, and roll to to your favourite summer spots. We've teamed up with local businesses to offer exclusive discounts for transit riders!


Translink is always full of zany ideas and concepts that don't quite work.  Case in point has to be the far side of the Park & Ride lot located at King George Boulevard and Hwy. 99.  This white elephant that soaked up $4.5 million of taxpayer dollars continues to be used as a driver training ground and not much else.  Of course nobody thinks about closing it off when the extra space is not necessary.  No, instead they pay for the lighting, gardening, maintenance and even snow clearing and salting in the winter.  A little bit of common sense would be nice or appointing people who actually take the bus on a regular basis as directors.  For the 21 mayors on the Mayor's Council of Regional Transportation, it should be mandatory for them to take public transit to the meetings if they wish to be paid for attending.  

This opening salvo takes us to Translink's summer program titled "Ride & Shine" that invites people to "Go car-free this summer and bike, walk, ride, and roll to events with convenient transit connections to your favourite summer spots."  You can find this great piece of marketing and promotion online at https://www.translink.ca/rider-guide/ride-and-shine .  The summer destination map shows you all the local hot spots and which buses to take to easily get there pus bike friendly roadways.  If you hit the beaches tab it shows you how to get to 4 area beaches, including Ambleside, Jericho, Kwomais Point and Old Mill Site Park.  Now, if you noticed something missing, you are not alone.  In case you are not aware there are 20 beaches in the Lower Mainland including Crescent Beach and White Rock. 

Now imagine being a visitor or new to the area and following Translink's instructions to check out the beach at Kwomais Point in Ocean Park.  You would be a little perplexed since there is no obvious pathway to the waterfront.  If you hop the chain link fence behind the Kwowmais Lodge and Sanford Hall, you will find the posts for the old viewing site and a literal goat path leading down some of the steepest bluffs in the Semiahmoo Peninsula.  I have climbed this hillside from below several times over the years while investigating the origins of landslides that buried the BNSF Railway tracks below.  The path is so steep that I have never climbed down it.  You would need hiking boots at the very least and if you wore flip-flops you would likely slip and get injured or killed.  A climbing helmet, several 100 foot lengths of nylon rope and a harness would be advisable to anyone thinking of scaling this slope.

If you made it to the bottom of Kwomais Point, you have to trespass on the BNSF Railway corridor in an area with wide sweeping curves that conceal trains from view.  If the RCMP catches you there on a track patrol you'll be hit with a fine of $500 for each member of your party.  Crossing the tracks you would then be met with a wall of large jagged rip-rap boulders that you must successfully scale.  Finally down at the so-called beach you will find a blanket of large slippery rocks and zero sand unless the tide is out at an extreme low.  Should you try to go swimming, you need to know that Kwomais point is swept by large currents as the tide flows to each corner of Boundary Bay.  I have been on this shoreline many times performing shoreline cleanups from Crescent Beach to White Rock,  I would not recommend it for anyone who is not in good shape and well prepared.  If you slip and get injured, cell phone service is spotty at best, adding to the risk of not being rescued.

Even more bizarre is the circuitous route shown in the Translink maps for biking to the non-existant Kwomais Point beach.  The first issue is that it does not show a starting point, which should logically be the south Surrey Park & Ride lot.  You would need to print out this map and carefully follow it due to all of the twists and turns that sometimes have you headed in the wrong direction.  The northern part of the map does show a bike path along Crescent Road but it ends at the entrance to the Crescent Beach marina, just before you would get to the nicest beach in Surrey.  Of course there is no route or mention of the beaches in White Rock that obviously are not considered a destination by Translink, regardless of the crowds of visitors it receives.  What kills me about all of this is the directors at Translink wonder why they can't help attract more people onto public transit.  Maybe if they got out of their cars or possibly tried to use their website they would find out it is not based in reality.

If all of this has not left you shaking your head, here is the final rub.  White Rock's Mayor Megan Knight and Surrey's Mayor Brenda Locke both sit on the Mayor's Council receiving $400 for every meeting they attend.  I'd like to think that someone else noticed the problems with the Ride & Shine program and brought it to their attention.  If not, I know that this column gets read by plenty of people at both White Rock and Surrey City Hall's because their servers show up on the computer visitor listings for the White Rock Sun.  Now maybe..., just maybe..., someone will copy a link to this TNT column and forward it to these mayor's or the braintrust (pun in case you missed it) at Translink.  My bet is that nothing changes and this website remains the same until the end of summer because from what I've seen, they are either totally incompetent or else they just really don't care. 

My guess is that it's both.

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

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

July 31, 2023

TNT The Naked Truth

Don Pitcairn

Not Weed The Knotweed


I went to Harrison Hot springs several weeks ago and took a walk on the pathway around the lagoon next to the lake.  It was a pleasant stroll with plenty of water views but being a gardener what really caught my eye was a large clump of a bamboo like weed growing in the rip-rap rocks used to control erosion.  I recognized this rather exotic looking plant as Japanese Knotweed, one of four varieties of Knotweed known to infest this province.  These include the aforementioned Japanese Knotweed, giant Knotweed, Himalayan Knotweed and bohemian Knotweed  Collectively these plants are one of the 100 worst invasive species as identified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.  The Invasive Species Council of BC rates knotweeds as one of the top 10 invasive species for BC because of its ability to proliferate in a wide variety of soil types and climate conditions.  They are designated as a noxious plant species under the Weed Control Act plus Forest and Range Practices Act.  

Here is a description taken from the Invasive Species Council of BC (ISCBC) website at https://bcinvasives.ca

Flowers: Small, white/green flowers grow in showy, plume-like, branched clusters along the stem and leaf axis (joints).
Stems: Green stems, or canes, are hollow with varying thicknesses, upright, and bam-boo-like with reddish-brown/red speckles. Stems are gener- ally 1-5 m in height and grow in large, dense thickets. Stems may persist through the winter as bare, grey or straw colored hollow stalks.
Rhizomes: At maturity, rhizomes are thick and woody and can spread up to 20m laterally. Rhizomes have reduced leaf scales that span every 2-4 cm. The underside of the rhizomes has adventitious roots that travel into the soil with penetrable force.
Leaves: Predominantly heart- to triangular-shaped on all species except Himalayan, which are elongated and tapered.  Leaves on all species, except giant knotweed, are 8-10 cm wide and 15 cm in length. Giant knotweed leaves are generally twice the size of the other 3 species. A distinguishing feature
for Japanese knotweed is the zigzag pattern in which leaves are arranged along the plant’s arching stems.

This nasty weed unfortunately spreads both by seed and by fragments of both seed and roots, making eradication extremely difficult.  Attempts at digging it out often inadvertently spread it even further from contaminated soil and portions of the plant not properly disposed of by burying in a landfill 5 metres deep.  Home composting does not work as both the seeds and portions of the roots will likely survive, only to sprout up somewhere else.  Knotweed are often found in areas around streams, lakes and ocean beaches, in piles of landscape material, road and railway right of ways and derelict land.  They prefer moist soil and full to partial sun, making most riparian areas ideal for their growth and dispersal. Seeing Knotweed growing on the shore of Harrison Lake was obviously a cause for concern as not only could it spread around this lake, boaters could also move seeds to other bodies of water.  I reported my find to both the Harrison Village Council and the Invasive Species Council of BC at https://noninvasive/invasives/japanese-knotweed/ so they could take action against this clump of knotweed on the lakeshore.  

Both Surrey and White Rock have taken steps to combat this noxious weed that is mainly controlled by applying the herbicide Glyphosate to the plant to kill it.  Better known by its trade name of Roundup, this chemical is non-selective and translocates down into the roots killing the entire plant.  Treated areas are generally cleared once the plant has died and the area monitored for possible regrowth the next year.  While these two cities are working to solve this problem, unfortunately they are fighting a losing battle.  With the extreme low tides from the full moon, I ventured onto the south facing section of Crescent Rock beach not far from Ocean Park in search of sand bars left exposed.  While the beach was beautiful, I was shocked by the large groves of Japanese knotweed all along the BNSF Railway.  These big clumps were growing every 15-25 metres on the area between the tracks and the rip-rap boulders.  Around homes this weed can push through asphalt and building foundations, damaging retaining walls and choking drainage systems.  Along the BNSF tracks these thickets impact sightlines for the railway engineers, hiding people foolish enough to walk on these waterfront train tracks.  Even worse, the ISCBC warns They have also been known to reduce the stability and integrity of the rail bed and compromise train safety."

I am going to be notifying the cities of White Rock and Surrey, the BNSF Railway, the BC Ministry of Environment and Climate Change plus Fisheries and Oceans Canada because it is unclear who actually has jurisdiction over this area.  Removing this large amount of knotweed will not (knot?) be easy and using Roundup so close to the ocean might not be allowed due to environmental regulations.  It is extremely concerning that the BNSF has apparently done little to control the spread of this noxious weed in an area that might affect train safety.  I do know that the Railway already uses Roundup on the ballast rock in the rail corridor to control unwanted vegetation but the knotweed groves are just outside of this area growing in the boulders used to stabilize the tracks and protect them from erosion.  The other issue is that seeds and tissue from these plants can float away on the tides and infest other areas of Boundary Bay including those on the American side where it is already on the radar of the Washington State Noxious Weed Control Board.

For more information on knotweed please refer to the following invasive species websites.

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

I wish to acknowledge we live, work and play on the traditional lads of the Semiahmoo people.

 

 

Monday July 24, 2023

TNT The Naked Truth

Don Pitcairn

Stop Stumping The Hump


The latest cutting of trees and clearing of vegetation on the Hump hillside is now complete but knowing the history of White Rock Mayor & Council it is likely to continue unless there is a ground swelling of public support to let this forested area that was clear cut in 2015 regrow.  It is worth noting that the current mayor, Megan Knight, was a Councillor at that time aligned with the White Rock Coalition that also included current councillor Bill Lawrence.  They seem to be comfortable with continuing on with the legacy of Hump hillside clear cutting that was partly responsible for the then Mayor Wayne Baldwin and Coalition members being all kicked to the curb in 2018.  I guess they have never heard that those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.

For some reason, it seems that the residents of the Semiahmoo Shores strata located at 15165 Marine Drive apparently have the ear the current council and or staff at city hall yet again.  It was this 21 unit building that apparently was the driving force behind the push for so-called "vegetation control" needed in 2015 to view the retaining walls along Marine Drive at the top of the hump.  Of course, in White Rock, vegetation control actually means "clear cut the trees for views of the pier" and the Hump hillside was turned into a barren scar that was never replanted as promised.  I have been informed that the same strata and possibly the same people were also responsible for getting the latest brush and tree clearing done directly across the street from this four story condo building. 

On Monday there is a Regular Council Meeting being held at White Rock City Hall.  You can view the agenda online at https://pub-whiterockcity.escribemeetings.com/Meeting.aspx?Id=5c6efcd7-ff85-4d7b-8d7e-278b79e4470a&Agenda=Agenda&lang=English   I am planning to be there for the beginning question and answer period to ask rather pointed questions to the current Mayor and Council about why the Hump hillside that is owned by the BNSF Railway is once again being cleared for views from Marine Drive.  Shortly after that Q&A is over, a delegation of four people, David Sharpe, Kerry Wray, Shelley Mare and Jan Wild will attend to discuss vegetation on the Hump.  My guess is they will praise the current tree cutting and ask for even more to be done to help improve the view from Semiahmoo Shores.

There might be a fly in the ointment to any plans to clear cut more trees on the Hump hillside.  I reported the recent clearing to the Transport Canada Rail Safety supervisor for this region, giving him my many reasons why I believe this threatens slope stability and railway safety in the area.  This included a lengthy history lesson on the geology of the region, previous landslides onto the BNSF tracks and the destruction of the forest that used to grow on the Hump.  An email I received from Transport Canada stated the following:  "  BNSF will follow up with the City of White Rock.  Transport Canada will continue to monitor the slope at this particular location as well as other slopes along the BNSF right-of-way to verify that BNSF railway operations remain compliant and safe."

I made sure to send my contact at Transport Canada the link to a YouTube video provided by former White Rock Councillor Erika Johanson who was chair of the Environmental Committee.  It features Geotechnical Engineer Callum Buchan talking about his findings regarding soil movement and slope instability on the Hump starting in 2009.  A portion of his talk goes like this.  "Seismic stability, things were not very good, the hillside is marginally stable.  After (the 2015 tree removal) we started noticing the pavement starting to crack up again.  More shifting of the road surface and it seemed to coincide shortly after the tree removal."  He called on White Rock to vegetate the hillside with deeper rooting woody species that could help in terms of providing root reinforcement and transpiration that really helps hillsides.  Mrs. Johanson believes "The current council was not paying attention to the dire warning of an expert brought in by the committee to discuss safety and slope stability on the Hump.    With all of the information I have made public about the Hump hillside, I hope that concerned citizens of White Rock will take the time to attend Monday's Council meeting with placards in hand.  Residents need to make sure that Mayor Knight and the current Council realize that cutting trees for the views of a select few is vastly outweighed by the threat of slope movement on the Hump and the risk of landslides onto the BNSF tracks.  They need to not be so short sighted and change their point of view, realizing that having a lovely green forest on the hillside along the promenade is also a great backdrop for the White Rock boulder as viewed by millions of people every year from the pier.  If White Rock politicians continue with their assault on the Hump, maybe the only way to stop it might be for a green slate to run on the promise to rejoin Surrey where motto is "The future lives here" and not "The City - Buy The Sea."

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

I wish to acknowledge we live, work and play on the traditional lands of the Semiahmoo People.

CONTACT - Don Pitcairn whiterocksun@gmail.com

 

 

Monday July 19, 2023

TNT The Naked Truth

Don Pitcairn

More Stumps on the Hump!



I think I know how Bill Murray felt when waking up in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania-every morning in the movie Groundhog Day.  White Rock is up to its old tricks with arborist contractors once again cutting down trees on the Hump hillside between East Beach and West Beach.  This is in the area where two black-tailed deer were recently photographed that was posted on local social media pages.  The wild cherry and maple saplings were finally regrowing to a height of 10 metres after the hillside above the tracks where it was clear-cut in 2015 under the guise of "vegetation control" to allow access to check out the retaining walls along Marine Drive.  I guess the some of the newly elected council wants to act like the old mayor Wayne Baldwin and mow down the Hump trees yet again.  The clearing is at the viewing platform directly across the street from the four storey tall Semiahmoo Shores building located at 15165 Marine Drive if you want to see this latest debacle for yourself.

I have more than a few issues with this latest Hump hatchet job done by the City of White Rock on BNSF land that they do not lease from the railway.  This hill has had landslides before, with a photo from the pier in 1920 showing four vertical and one lateral slope failures after it was first cleared in the late 1800s when it was cottage country.  The Marine Drive sidewalk and handrail were replaced approximately ten years ago because it was leaning at a 15-20 degree angle towards the beach due to soil creep on the hill.  In fact, the 2015 defacto clear-cutting was halted near East beach when several active slide sites were located in the blackberries and alders, both species that thrive on disturbed land and areas of soil movement.  Of course, the clear-cutting was somehow needed to see the retaining walls they feared would collapse after large cracks were noticed in the middle of Marine Drive.  If people are not aware, one lane of Marine Drive did already collapse onto the Hump in the 1960s.

In 2008 the federal Ministry of Transport sent both Surrey and White Rock a letter warning that the cutting of trees on the steep bluff slopes for views in the Semi-pen was one of the top three reasons for landslides hitting the BNSF Railway tracks.  While there is a landslide detector fence along the Ocean Park bluff from West Beach to Crescent Beach, this simple low voltage wire safety system does not exist along the base of the Hump hillside.  The last time this slope was razed, there was a city sign promising replanting of trees and shrubs, asking the public to be patient with the process.  Well, here we are eight years later and not a single tree has been planted on the Hump by White Rock.  In fact, just to the east of the pier at the last parking lot, all of the shrubs that were in an area between two retaining walls have also been sawed to the ground and removed.  Apparently this was so that people parking above could sit and admire the view without having to get out of their cars, or even turn them off for that matter. 


It is interesting to know that the WR city website clearly states "The city cannot do tree removal or pruning on private property."  Obviously what they tell residents and what they decide to do behind closed doors are the complete opposite.  No word on whether the city had permission from the BNSF to clear cut the forest regrowth, or if they had a geologist conduct a slope stability study on the work area.  They also needed to hire a qualified environmental professional (QEP)  to perform a nesting bird survey to look for nesting birds between March 1st and August 31st.  It would be interesting to know what the cost to tax payers was for this tree cutting that the city says it cannot do, yet somehow manages time and time again regardless of their own rules and bylaws or the landslide risk.  What we do know is the city spent $1.7 million to shore up Marine Drive two years ago to keep it from collapsing.   I believe it would have been a lot cheaper to simply have left the forest on the Hump alone, protecting both Marine Drive above and the BNSF Railway below that regularly carries hazardous goods and 144 car long unit trains with tankers of crude oil along the waterfront.

I'm now starting to think that the only way to return the Hump hillside to its original state with a large canopy of trees is for residents to rejoin Surrey and put an end to to this ongoing madness tied to small town politics.  Until that time, the Hump should be classified as "Ravine Lands" and the cutting of trees for views should be completely forbidden except for rail safety.  Even better would be for the City of White Rock to purchase this area and designate it as a wildlife park, improving the overall tree canopy in the city that has been steadily whittled away.  When the Hump was forested only 15 years ago it made a great backdrop for pictures of the White Rock boulder and was a green gem for the City By The Sea.  Instead of cutting down trees on the Hump, we should be planting them instead, creating new nesting sites for raptors.  The Grand fir on the Hump that is called the "Eagle Tree" is not looking healthy, likely because all of the trees around it have been cut down.  When it goes, so do the eagles but not to worry, people can still look at the man-made pier now mainly composed of concrete and steel as it slowly disappears (dis-a-pier?) beneath the rising waves.

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

I wish to acknowledge we live, work and play on the traditeional lands of the Semiahmoo people.

EDITOR'S NOTE

Former last term White Rock councillor and chair of the Environmental Committee ERIKA JOHANSON posted this video on social media. 

Her comment was the current council was not paying attention to the dire warning of an expert brought in by the committee to discuss safety and slope stability on "the Hump (land between east ans west beach in White Rock).

 

 

 

 

Monday July 11, 2023

TNT The Naked Truth

Don Pitcairn

We often go down to Crescent Rock beach in south Surrey after dinner when it has cooled down to relax there until after sunset.  Thursday night was nothing out of the ordinary as my wife and I packed a light beach bag, leashed up the dogs and made our way to the shore looking westward across Mud Bay.  Finding an long empty stretch of beach, we settled down with our blankets and chairs getting ready for the upcoming days-end light show.  Little did we know there would be plenty of action to see long before the sun went down.


I heard a low droning noise from the south of an approaching plane, which is nothing out of the normal for Crescent Rock.  What really caught my attention was when I looked towards the sound and saw a plane literally skimming the water.  I quickly grabbed my phone out of my pocket and hit record on the video camera.  At first I thought the aircraft was going to ditch in the ocean when I realized it was an amphibious plane.  It hit the water, bouncing several times completely clear of the waves before finally settling into the water a hundred metres offshore.  The pilot shut off the power to the engine, opened the bubble window of the plane, stood up and turned around, opening up the rear engine cowling.  He proceeded to work on the engine area for approximately fifteen minutes while the wind and waves pushed the plane north towards Crescent Beach.  Just as I was considering putting a call into the Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue Station 5 in Crescent Beach, the pilot closed up the craft, got the engine running and took off heading south in the direction he had come from. 

We recognized a couple further down the beach and went to talk to them about this strange incident that we had a front row seat for.  While in discussions with them about why the pilot had chosen to land his plane, my wife Sheryl noticed something very odd about the far horizon.  In the distance you normally see the hill of Tssawwassen and Point Roberts that descends down to the farm flats of Ladner with barns and groves of trees across this area.  Instead of the usual view, the buildings and trees had been replaced with a bizarre collection of monoliths connected along the top by a thin horizontal line.  It looked somewhat like Stonehenge or a Roman aqueduct running throughout the Ladner farm region.  We sat there in amazement watching this spectacle as some of the pillars slowly changed in shape and size.  Having seen highway mirages where it looks like there is water on the road in the distance, I surmised that it must be some sort of mirage that was somehow reflecting the light and changing what we would normally see.  What was really odd was a boat far out on the bay appeared completely normal as it moved along just under the weird display.


OveR the course of about ten minutes the strange sight slowly started to morph and dissipate towards the north into the setting sun.  When the sun finally kissed the ocean, the effects of the mirage were gone and the horizon had returned to its normal view.  It was not until we got home that I decided to research what we had seen, typing in "mirage ocean light inversion."  In 0.42 seconds with 7,620,000 results, Google spat out the answer with something I had never heard of before, an optical illusion known as a "Fata Morgana (mirage)".  You can find a rather detailed explanation about this optical phenomenon on Wikipedia at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fata_Morgana_(mirage) .  I'm going to give you the Coles Notes version of this listing in layman's terms to help describe how it works.  A Fata Morgana is a superior mirage visible in a thin band just above the horizon that distorts distant objects including boats, islands and the coastline.  This form of mirage comprises several upside down and right side up images that are stacked upon one another, often in compressed or stretched zones.  It happens when rays of light bend through a thermal inversion with warm air over cold dense air, creating a thermal duct acting like a refracting lens that can stack both inverted and regular images on top of each other.  Best I could do, I'm not Bill Nye.

UBC has some interesting information about optical phenomena in their ATSC 113 course on Weather for Sailing, Flying and Snow Sports at https://www.eoas.ubc.ca/courses/atsc113/sailing/met_concepts/10-met-local-conditions/10f-optical-phenomena/ .  In it they discuss how to recognize and explain optical phenomena over the sea including mirages, Fata Morgana and the green flash.  They explain how inferior and superior mirages occur and have photos showing their strange effects.  By far the most interesting thing shown there is a photo of the snow covered Mt. Cheam and Mt. Baker apparently floating like icebergs over Nanoose Bay on Vancouver Island.  Normally these mountains would be far below the horizon but due to the bending of light they were suddenly visible appearing to float on the water of the Salish Sea.  They also explain the Fata Morgana in detail and a very weird phenomenon I have witnessed only once called the green flash that is sometimes visible as the sun sinks below the horizon and the atmosphere breaks the light like a prism, showing a few seconds of green at the top of the setting sun.

I always tell people to go to the beach for sunset as you won't know how beautiful it will be unless you are there.  It turns out that an amazing sunset might not be the only thing you get to see on the waterfront.  Around these parts it could be optical illusions suddenly appearing, planes landing on the water in front of you, powered hang-gliders whizzing by at low altitude, or the Coast Guard hovercraft showing up on a rescue mission.  On the wildlife side it could be grey whales spouting and tail lobbing, families of sea otters playing, bald eagles catching fish, black-tailed deer walking by, salmon jumping, seals and loons feeding, and at Crescent Rock people skinny-dipping.  Besides the exercise needed to reach the beach, the fresh air and connection with nature is both relaxing and rejuvenating.  I'd rather stare at a magnificent sunset reflecting off the water than watch a TV or computer screen.  It's good to unplug and get away from our technology dominated existence and get back to basics, enjoying what nature has to offer us on the shores of the Semiahmoo peninsula.

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

I wish to acknowledge we live, work and play on the traditional lands of the Semiahmoo people.

 

July 04, 2023


The Naked Truth 

The $.316 Million Dollar Man


Last week the City of Surrey made public their 2022 Statement of Financial Information (SOFI) for the year ending Dec. 31st, 2022.  You can find it online on the City of Surrey website at https://www.surrey.ca/sites/default/files/media/documents/2022-surrey-statement-financial-information.pdf   

Now to be honest, reading this report is about as dry as eating white toast with no butter, lightly seasoned with belly-button lint and served with a glass full of sand.  You have to be an accountant to fully digest the numbers, most representing $1,000 dollars, contained within this report.  That being said, there are plenty of diamonds in the rough if you don't mind spending some time to dig for them.  Sorry to say that I didn't mine the really juicy detail but someone spotted a line item on page 108 of this 119 page report dealing with schedule of payments for goods and/or services.  There it was in black and white, a payment to Peck & Company Barristers for $316,663.50.  The City confirmed that this money was paid for former Mayor Doug McCallum's legal defense after he was charged with Public Mischief last year.  The amount of this bill was not previously released due to privacy concerns before appearing in the 2022 SOFI.

Now in Doug McCallum's defense (pun intended, free of charge), I should point out here that he was found not guilty and acquitted of the criminal charges laid against him.  I found it rather nauseating that Surrey taxpayers were left holding the bag for his legal bills in the first place since Mr. McCallum admitted he was food shopping at Save-On-Foods when he was confronted by a Keep The RCMP In Surrey (KTRIS) supporter who allegedly ran his foot over.  Personally, I don't believe that McCallum's legal bills should have been paid for by the City of Surrey when he was not on official business and not acting on behalf of the City at that time.  Somehow it was decided that this situation met the criteria for his legal bills to be paid and McCallum hired Peck and Company to represent him in court.  For more background to this story, read my Nov. 28, 2022 TNT titled "You Be The Judge" at https://whiterocksun.com/index.php?mode=naked_truth

Peck and Company Barristers is owned by high-profile lawyer Richard Peck, widely believed to be the most expensive lawyer in B.C. if not all of Canada.  Mr. Peck was the lead counsel for alleged terrorist mastermind Ajaib Singh Bagri who was acquitted along with Ripudaman Singh Malik in the 1985 Air India bombings that killed 331 people (note: Malik was shot dead in Surrey on July 14, 2022 with two men now charged with his murder).  More recently Peck was also part of Huawei chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou's defence team that fought her extradition to the US to face fraud and conspiracy charges.  Hiring a lawyer of the stature of Richard Peck does not come cheap and it was a surprise for many to learn that Surrey taxpayers would be on the hook for McCallum's defense.  I should reveal here that Surrey has several lawyers on their payroll and others on retainer for legal work.  Why none of these city employed staff were chosen to represent the then Mayor is a question that nobody wants to answer.

The 2022 SOFI also contains financial information on the schedule of remuneration and expenses of elected officials (see page 54).  Topping the list for elected officials was D. McCallum with a base salary of $139,798.  Throw in his separation allowance of $13,015 for losing the election, taxable benefits of $12,549 and expenses of $3,022 and he banked the tidy sum of $168,384.  If you compare Doug's base salary with his legal costs, Peck earned $176,865.50 more than what the former Mayor was paid in 2022, or a whopping 226 percent more money than what the mayor earned.  Even when you add on all of the benefits and expenses, Richard Peck still billed for $148,279.50 more than what the former Mayor was paid for the entire year.  If you add McCallum's 2022 total remuneration plus an additional year of his base salary, it still comes almost $8,500 short of the legal bills paid for him.

In the real world, it is highly unlikely that somebody would be willing to pay such high legal fees for a relatively minor offence.  The standards for when an elected official qualifies for their legal fees to be paid needs to be reviewed and new criteria selected.  Taxpayers should not be subsidizing high-priced legal dream teams, especially when someone is arrested for criminal behaviour that has nothing to do with their role or position.  If it is determined that an elected official or staffer needs legal representation paid for by the City, one of the lawyers already working for Surrey should be appointed to represent them.  If this is not agreeable to the person charged, then they should feel free to open up their wallet and pay for their own legal bills.  There should be no blank cheque given to the Mayor or anyone else to hire outside legal representatives regardless of the cost to the taxpayer.  

Naturally your,

Don Pitcairn

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

 

Monday June 26, 2023

TNT The Naked Truth

Don Pitcairn


Sure Sign It's June

No, the sure sign of June is not cold and wet weather commonly referred to in these parts as Juneuary.  I had to laugh when the word started being used after a week with some rain and cooler weather when we weren't setting new temperature records yet again.  For me, I know it's June when I start to see these rather bizarre and interesting bugs you see in the photo above flying around.  Commonly referred to as June bugs or watermelon beetles, the one we get here is the 10 Lined June beetle (Polyphylla decemlineata) that is a member of the wider scarab family of beetles that has been on the earth for 230 million years.  

These bugs with a shell that resembles the striped caramel candies our grandmothers liked to give out are quite common throughout western North America and the Pacific northwest, emerging from May to July depending on the daytime temperature.  They are a fairly large beetle measuring 2.5 - 3.5 cm. in size with five white stripes on either side of their elytra, the rear shell that covers their wings.  They are attracted to bright lights at night and can often be found under street lights or in parking lots during the day.  In fact last year I located six June bugs at the Husky station on KGB near 34 Ave. just in the area where I had parked my vehicle.  I went back there on the weekend to look for more but it was closed and under reconstruction.  

Built with the aerodynamics of a bus, June bugs are not the best at flying and have an annoying habit of bouncing off you or landing and holding on tight with their sticky claws.  They do not bite, sting or scratch and about the worse thing they do is to make a slight hissing or sneezing noise when disturbed.  That being said, when a June bug lands in your hair, gets entangled and starts hissing, people do tend to freak out.  The Brown June bug that can be found in the Okanagan is even larger than their ten lined cousin.  I was at a camp one night when one flew into a girl's hair and she thought it was a brown bat instead.  Needless to say, she gave us all quite the dancing exhibition while trying to get it out.

While the adults are harmless, it is the larvae that can do real damage.  Eggs are laid in the ground in the summer and become fat white grubs 2 cm. long that live in the ground for 2 -3 years feeding off the roots of lawns, vegetables, plants, shrubs and trees.  With constant eating and when they are numerous these pests can damage and even kill Christmas trees and orchard trees.  Because they have such a varied appetite and can affect a large number of crops, the June beetle is considered a pest.  I do occasionally find June bug larvae when planting shrubs and usually throw them onto the pavement where birds quickly locate and devour this tasty treat that is 50% protein and nearly 20% fat.  

June bugs were always a favourite of mine as a young boy.  Besides their large size and striped shell, they have light brown fuzz on their underside that is surprisingly soft to the touch.  Their double clawed feet and spiny legs make them the velcro of the insect world and you have to be careful not to rip their legs off if they are hooked into your clothing.  While both male and female look similar, the male June bug has large antennae with lamellate plates that they use to detect pheromones from the females.  You can carefully pet these and the beetle will quickly fold them up when they feel threatened.  June bugs are always interesting to find and are hard to miss when one comes flying by.  Keep an eye out for them here in the Semi-pen as July is almost here.

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

I wish to acknowledge we live, e=work and play on the traditional lands of the Semiahmoo People.

 

Monday June 19, 2023

 

TNT The Naked Truth

Don Pitcairn

Our Home on Native Land


This weekend saw the official opening of the Totest Aleng Indigenous Learning House at the Elgin Heritage Park on Crescent Road in South Surrey.  This land along the Nicomekl river that includes the historic Stewart Farmhouse is situated on the unceded, traditional and ancestral lands of the Salish peoples, including the Katzie, Kwantlen and Semiahmoo nations.  As explained on the City of Surrey website,  "The new facility provides local space to support Indigenous cultural practices, including carving and other creative disciplines. The unique venue includes enclosed studio space, as well as an open-air pavilion to support additional programming and gathering. The programming model for the facility will include artists-in-residence, workshops, events and school programs."  You can learn more about this new building, its purpose and intended uses at https://www.surrey.ca/arts-culture/totest-aleng-indigenous-learning-house 

The opening certainly attracted a large crowd of well-wishers including Chief Harley Chappell of the Semiahmoo Nation and Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke with most of the Surrey Council attending plus representatives from the other First Nations.  Mayor Locke gave the opening speech welcoming all to the gathering and explaining the collaborative work that happened between the City, First Nations, Federal government, Heritage BC, and Friends of the Surrey Museum and Archives Society who helped develop and fund this project.  Chief Chappell and other indigenous leaders gave speeches about the importance of the Totest Aleng and how it will help promote the spirit of reconciliation towards indigenous people.  Several songs were sung to the beating of drums in their native language with plenty of traditional regalia on display.  The youth of the Semiahmoo were then invited to perform several dances that ended with the boys and girls getting to introduce themselves in both their tribal and non-native names. Then it was time for the ceremonial ribbon cutting which took several attempts by Mayor Locke and Chief Chappell with an oversized pair of scissors before people were invited inside the building.


The opening of this Indigenous Learning House and carving centre is a good time to focus on some of the First Nation sculptures and totem poles that are currently on display in White Rock and south Surrey.  On 20 Ave. and 144 St., the Elder Moon and Under the Double Eagle by Semiahmoo artists Leonard Wells and Leslie Wells are mounted on display in the centre of the traffic roundabout leading to the South Surrey Athletic Park.  These two round carved discs were installed back in 2009 when the traffic circle was built and unfortunately they are starting to show their age.  On the Elder Moon the wood is starting to crack and the painted surfaces are weathering and fading with much of the black colour flaking off.  The Double Eagle is faring even worse with much of the white background now showing bare exposed wood and the bottom of this sculpture where the two eagles join having tattered teal blue paint that is hanging in shreds.  It is not only the wooden discs that needs repairing, the two light boxes that illuminate this sculpture at night for aesthetics and safety reasons are both not working, leaving this sculpture vulnerable to damage, vandalism and theft.

At White Rock Elementary the old totem pole (house pole) on the west side of the property still stands in a rather dilapidated state.  It is covered with moss and lichen with the paint fading and flaking off in many areas.  Several wooden pieces that extend out of the body of the pole including an arm have been broken off and never replaced.  The nearby deciduous trees have not been trimmed back in years, obscuring this piece of historic First Nation art and shading it heavily, greatly increasing the growth of moss and lichen.  When the school was recently rebuilt there were plans to relocate this pole to the north-east corner of the property where a concrete base now stands empty.  In the 2021-2022 White Rock Council Strategic Priority Report the restoration of the totem pole at the White Rock Elementary School grounds was listed as a community objective but given low priority.  It really looks as if nobody cares about the totem as it appears it has never seen any maintenance or repairs and with the school now built, this project has likely been forgotten.

It is no better across 16 Ave. in Surrey as the totem pole that adorns the front entrance of Ray Shepard elementary is also in poor shape.  It sits in full sun so it does not have the covering of moss and lichen but many of the problems at the White Rock elementary pole exist here too.  The paint is faded and peeling off with large cracks running through the wood.  There are eight areas where appendages used to stick out of the main pole but these have either rotted away or been broken off over the years.  As it currently stands, only the thunderbird wings are still in the place, with its tail feathers missing as is evident by the lack of paint in this area on the back of the pole where they were attached.  There are bent and rusted screws sticking out of the wood in multiple locations where pieces of the original artwork have been removed.  It may be that much of this damage was caused by people climbing the sculpture over the years as there is nothing in place to keep people off the totem pole.  It is surprising that this piece of indigenous history shows zero maintenance or repair being done to it, even though it occupies a place directly in front of the school front entrance.

This Wednesday is Surrey's National Indigenous Peoples Day with a celebration and wellness event being held in Cloverdale at the Bill Reid Millennium Amphitheatre from 3-8 p.m.  With the largest non-reserve indigenous population of any city in Canada, Surrey should be taking better care of the totem and house poles on their property.  The four indigenous carvings I have noted in this TNT all need work to bring them back to their former glory, replace broken parts and protect them from the elements.  In the spirit of reconciliation, this should be given high priority before they get weathered and damaged even further.  All of the First Nations totem poles at Stanley Park in Vancouver are cleaned, repaired and restored on a constant basis.  The collection of historic totem poles at Brockton Point are the most visited attraction in Vancouver BC and possibly all of Canada.   Left to rot, the poles and sculptures in south Surrey and White Rock will eventually be lost to the weather and ravages of time.  The other possibility is they might be cut down, a fate that occurred to the totem pole by the old visitors kiosk at the Douglas border crossing that was chainsawed into pieces by a Surrey crew in the 1990s without any notification to the Semiahmoo First Nation across the street on Beach Ave.  

For information on the conservation and restoration of totem poles, please refer to this wikipedia listing below.  I should note that any work planned on these carvings needs to include the original artist if possible, the ritual and ceremonial significance of the piece involved, the beliefs and wishes of the First Nations people of that territory, plus the safety of the children for the two elementary school totem poles.

I wish to acknowledge we live, work and play on the traditional lands of the Semiahmoo people.

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

 

Monday June 12, 2023

TNT - The Naked Truth

Don Pitcairn


Gaggle of Geese

Take away the trees and the birds All have to sit upon the ground, uum Take away their wings and The birds will have to walk to get around And take away the bird baths And dirty birds will soon be ev'rywhere Take away their feathers and The birds will walk around in underwear Take away their chirp and the Birds will have to whisper when they sing And take away their common sense and They'll be headed southward in the spring

That's "To-Surrey" Bird walk

Edited lyrics to Tennessee Bird Walk by Buck Owens, The Great White Horse album, 1970


I drove out to the Fraser Valley early this weekend on Saturday and Sunday mornings along the border separating White Rock and south Surrey.  On both occasions, I encountered large flocks of Canadian geese adults and their fuzzy offspring crossing North Bluff Rd./16th Ave. just east of Oxford St./148th St., which explains the double street names.  On Saturday morning all four lanes of this major arterial road were blocked to traffic as these geese slowly sauntered from the White Rock side of the road headed north over to the Southmere Village Park and the drainage ponds located there.  Thankfully all of the drivers were patient with letting nature take its course and they were apparently enjoying the spectacle by the smiles on their faces.

Now here is where the rubber hits the road on this issue that I already covered two years ago.  This has been a public safety and wildlife safety issue for quite some time as the flock of geese continues to grow every year.  People who are unaware of the situation have to swerve on the roadway or slam on their brakes to not hit these birds that show no fear of cars or trucks.  It really has been amazing that nobody has been seriously hurt or a large number of geese killed by an impatient or distracted driver.  The situation was so bad that two years ago an unknown person installed three yellow driver warning signs on lamp posts along 16th Ave. on the Surrey side reading "Caution, Geese Crossing" with the silhouette of an adult goose followed by five goslings.  While they looked legitimate, they were noticed and deemed non-conforming by the City of Surrey and promptly removed.

Several weeks later after the illegal Geese Crossing signs were taken down by the Surrey Engineering Department, the City of White Rock installed "Wildlife Area" signs on the south side of North Bluff directly across from the Southmere Village Park where the geese constantly cross the road.  This white sign with green lettering shows an adult goose followed by three goslings.  At that time White Rock's director of Engineering Jim Gordon stated "The City of White Rock was contacted by residents who were concerned for the safety of geese crossing North Bluff Road.  The City also wanted to prevent motorists from stopping suddenly when encountering unexpected wildlife."  Kudos to the City By The Sea for getting it right and reacting promptly and decisively to post this much needed nature signage.

Well folks, that was two years ago and on the Surrey side of 16 Ave. near Southmere Village Park, there is still no signage warning drivers about the wildlife crossing in this area.  Back then the City of Surrey's Parks Manager Neal Aven said the resident fabricated signs were removed "since they are non-standard and not appropriate in this location."  To make matters worse, Mr. Aven went on to say “The city has recently completed Biodiversity Design Guidelines, which includes considerations for wildlife crossings (that) will be used by city staff to determine appropriate locations for this type of signage throughout the city.  Exact sign locations will be determined through the consistent application of multiple factors to ensure that ‘Wildlife Crossing’ signs are installed where road users have a reasonable expectation of encountering wildlife so as to ensure drivers remain attentive when encountering these signs across the city.”

What is it going to take for someone at Surrey City Hall to get off their bloated bureaucratic butt and put up some conforming wildlife crossing signs by Southmere Village Park?  It is absolutely ridiculous that staff have done nothing in the past two years except to remove the warning signs printed and posted by an unknown resident that looked exactly the same as those used in Langley, Abbotsford and Chilliwack.  While they promised to do something about this situation that endangers both the public and the geese, they have instead chosen to ignore this problem.  Now maybe White Rock residents pay more in taxes and actually get service for their money but Surreyites should be outraged that what is good for the goose in White Rock is not good for the gander in Surrey.  It makes me wonder if those in charge of both Parks and Engineering in Surrey are a bunch of flocking idiots!

I'm ready to have my sign guy, Robert at Signman Signs on 20th Ave. (shameless plug) make me some Wildlife Area or Goose Crossing signs and put them up myself.  They are also readily available on Amazon in a variety of styles for under $20 (hint..., hint...).  The other option is for me to take a can of road marking paint and put "GEESE XING" and a big arrow onto the lanes of 16 Ave.  When faced with stupidity and inaction out of City Hall, I find the best way to get their attention is to embarrass them publicly, especially with TV cameras from news networks there filming the action.  The wildlife signage should have been posted two years ago by Surrey who have now let two spring seasons go by with hundreds of geese slowly crossing the roadway in groups and long lines.  For this snafu, the City of Surrey should be shamed and those responsible for this ridiculous delay in posting wildlife safety signage need to be tarred and feathered.

If you want to contact the folks at Surrey City Hall currently responsible for posting some "Geese Crossing" signs on 16 Ave. at Southmere Village Park, please take the time to call or email these two folks and voice your concerns. 

You might want to include a link to this story and tell them you read about it in the White Rock Sun at https://www.whiterocksun.com/

General Manager Surrey Parks
Laurie Cavan
Email: lacavan@surrey.ca
Phone: 604-598-5760


General  Manager Surrey Engineering

Scott Neuman

Phone: 604-591-4042

 

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

I wish to acknowledge we live, work and play on the traditional lands of the Semiahmoo people.

 

 

 

Monday June 05, 203


Time and Tides


Living in the Semi-Pen and being an outdoor enthusiast, you start keeping an eye on the weather to help plan your day and outside adventures.  Then if you love seeing a really epic sunrise or sunset, you start keeping track of the changes in daylight and the beginning and end times to the day.  Once the sun goes down it doesn't mean the fun is over as you can also keep track of the phases of the moon during the month.  There is even a time for moonrise and moonset, which can happen anytime day or night depending on the season.  Case in point, after dinner on Saturday night we jumped into the car and went searching for a place to watch the strawberry moon moonrise (the first full moon in June) that happened at 9:26 pm, only a short time after sunset at 9:12 pm.  We ended up at the far end of East beach enjoying this lunar spectacle on the eastern horizon while the sky was still coloured by the sunset in the west.  As the saying goes, "timing is everything."

While all of this is wonderful, around these parts it is the tide chart that gives you the most pertinent information as to what is happening at the beach and on the water.  If you scroll down to the bottom of the White Rock Sun's daily page you will find a listing for the tide forecast in this area.  For a dedicated beach bum like myself, it tells you what the height of the water will be, when the tide will turn and how much available beach you can expect.  For much of the Semiahmoo peninsula, when there are strong high tides, the usable beach area is greatly reduced, limiting any thoughts of marine recreation.  At Crescent Rock beach, people have built suntanning platforms above the high water mark to ensure a dry location but it still makes getting home difficult if waves are crashing against the rip-rap boulders that line the shore protecting the train tracks.  The lack of sand along White Rock is also an issue at high tide but at least there is still the strip of grass along the promenade to spread a blanket and enjoy the waterfront.

Of course, for anyone who wants to venture out on the water, knowing the information contained in the tide chart is not just useful, it can be life saving.  There are portions of the day when being on a kayak, canoe or paddle board can be very difficult due to some of the extreme currents that coincide with a 15 foot change in the tide height.  Experienced folks using non-powered watercraft keep one eye on the tide forecast and the other on the time knowing full well that their journey will become an epic battle against the forces of nature if they are struggling against the current and wind.  There is nothing worse than paddling your heart out only to realize that you are making no headway when looking at the shore.  The nice thing is that with a 30 day tide chart available, you can now make recreational plans up to a month ahead, cherry picking those days when the tides and times are working in your favour and not against you.  Of course the weather can always scuttle your plans but keep in mind, there is no bad weather, only poor clothing choices.

With the full moon this weekend we have experienced extreme tides with differences of nearly 15 feet or 4.5 metres.  It is really a different world when you go to any of the beaches here when the low tide is at zero feet and there are miles of shore and sand flats to explore.  The weekend had very low tides but this Monday and Tuesday will see lows of 0.1 feet or 0.02 metres.  The best part about this is these ultra lows will happen at 12:55 pm and 1:41 pm, meaning there is a two hour window on either side of these times to go exploring areas of the Semiahmoo peninsula that are usually deep under water.  If you have ever wanted to walk from White Rock to Crescent Beach, this is the time to do it so you don't have to climb over boulders or get run over by a train after climbing onto the tracks when walking becomes impossible.  At Semiahmoo beach, it is possible to walk almost to the Canadian USA border on the sand flats to where the 49th parallel marker poles are located.  I will warn you now, it is a rather long walk there and back so you will need to be in shape and bring both water and sun protection.

If you are busy working and can't make it out in the next few days, do not despair.  Just after Canada Day that falls on a Saturday this year, the next four days from July 2 to 5th have four extreme low tides including one on the Monday that will be slightly below zero in the middle of the day.  That is the date I have already circled on our calendar hoping that the weather will be sunny and warm with no smoke in the air.  If you ever need a mental health day, this statutory holiday Monday is the time to hit the beach.  Experiencing and exploring the shoreline and sand flats of the Semiahmoo peninsula at these special times is like watching an episode of "Drain The Oceans" but in real life.  If you have children they will love it but ensure you get back to the beach before the tide roars back in.  Years ago when I was a young teen, my neighbour and I were on a sandbar far out from Crescent Beach when the tide turned.  On the way back in the water got so deep we both had to swim.  The current took us from Beecher Street to around the corner near the swimming pool before we made it to shore.  Needless to say, our parents sitting on the beach were rather frantic when they realized the tide had come in and we were nowhere to be seen.  

Here is the listing for tide-forcast.com that you can find posted daily at the bottom of the White Rock Sun which has a 30 day forcast.

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

I wish to acknowledge we live, work and play on the traditional lands of the Semiahmoo Nation.

 

 

 

Monday May 29, 2023

Land For The Band



The time has come to say fair is fair
To pay the rent, to pay our share
The time has come, a fact's a fact
It belongs to them, let's give it back

How can we dance when our earth is turnin'?
How do we sleep while our beds are burnin'?
How can we dance when our earth is turnin'?
How do we sleep while our beds are burnin'?

Lyrics to "Beds are Burning" song by Midnight Oil, Diesel and Dust album, 1987


This weekend was the 47th annual Alex Fest held at Alexandra Neighbourhood House in Crescent Beach, now renamed simply Alex House in an attempt to decolonize its history dating back over 100 years to 1916 when it was first used as a camp for needy mothers and children from Vancouver.  On Saturday it was Family Day from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. with various family and kid friendly entertainment on a main stage, a small stage and children's zone with admission by donation.  On Sunday it was time to put on the dancing shoes and enjoy the music of a wide variety of musical talent including Nuvo Zydeco, the Ocean Park Wailers, the Gale Force Blues Band and many more.  If you made it to the party, I hope you had a great time and for those just learning about it, mark it on your calendars for next year.  

There is a great write-up on the surreyhistory.ca website about the history ot Camp Alexander and Crescent Beach Community Services by Donni Klassen.  You can find it online at this direct link:  https://www.surreyhistory.ca/campalexandra.html   It gives a decade by decade account of the camp's use as a summer retreat for orphans and disadvantaged youth along with pictures of the people from these eras.  It also details the slow building up of the camp's various outbuildings and property assembly that ended up at its current 2.5 acres in size.  For anyone living in south Surrey and White Rock, it is worth a look to understand the roots of Alex house in our community.  You can also visit the Alex House website at https://www.alexhouse.net/ to learn about their activities and its mandate of "contributing to a vibrant, inclusive and caring community" in this neighbourhood house.

I was rather taken back to learn that the posters advertising for Alex Fest contained the disclaimer "Hosted on the stolen and occupied land of the Semiahmoo Nation, with respect and gratitude."  Looking into this I found that the About Us tab on the Alex House website begins with "Alex House has operated on the stolen land of the Semiahmoo Nation since 1916."  It would seem that someone has confused unceded defined as "land never legally ceded or given up to the Crown through a treaty or other agreement"  with stolen defined as "taking  another person's property without permission or legal right and without intending to return it."  This column has a land acknowledgment printed with it each week as a way of honouring the Semiahmoo First Nation and the indigenous history of this region.  I have asked Chief Harley Chappell if he considers all of the land here stolen from his people at the beginning of colonization and am awaiting his response.

Here is where the rubber hits the road on this issue with me.  If people are in possession of stolen property and publicly acknowledge that it is such, should it not be returned to the rightful owner?  As an individual, being caught in possession of stolen goods can get you arrested and charged by the police, with the items being returned to the rightful owner after being used as evidence in court.  If Alex House wants to take the stand that the land they occupy is indeed stolen, then in the spirit of truth and reconciliation it should be returned to the Semiahmoo First Nation.  I highly doubt that the band office would refuse to take ownership of 2.5 acres of prime Crescent Beach property with buildings that currently rent for $3,500 a night.  If Alex House really wants to show proper respect and gratitude, maybe they should follow Midnight Oil's lead and give the land back.  To acknowledge they are on stolen property and continue to keep it shows that they are happy with being admitted thieves, regardless of their misguided woke intentions.  

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

I wish to acknowledge we live, work and play on the traditional lands of the Semiahmoo First Nations

 

 

Monday May 22, 2023

TNT The Naked Truth


Tarantula Terror!

WARNING!  If you are afraid of spiders, they give you nightmares, or really hate the movie Eight Legged Freaks you might want to skip this TNT.


Being an avid gardener, environmentalist, naturalist, naturist and also barely housebroken, I tend to spend a lot of time outdoors.  Besides getting to enjoy Mother Nature for much of the day and sometimes at night, I also manage to run into some of its more bizarre and obscure inhabitants.  When I was younger a friend of mine returned from Arizona with a tarantula embedded in plastic resin that he gave me for a birthday present.  Not only did I think it was the coolest thing ever, I had a great time scaring the heck out of my classmates at school with it (sorry about that girls).  Now try not to get too freaked out, but BC is home to its own tarantula related spider that you can find on the Pacific coast from Oregon all the way up to Haida Gwaii, including on Vancouver Island and in the little town of White Rock. 

I'm not going to reveal the exact location where the spider shown in this TNT was found but it was close to North Bluff Road and Bergstrom Road in the City By The Sea.  It is Antrodiaetus Pacificus, one of only two tarantuloid species in Canada, the other being Sphodros Niger found in Ontario.  Its common name is the Pacific foldingdoor spider and when you see one, especially the female, it is definitely hard to ignore.  This spider has eight eyes with two larger ones in the middle and three smaller ones on each side of its head.  It is large and robust with thick body parts and very little hair.  Like all spiders this one has eight legs, it ranges in colour from light brown to black, and has very large thick fangs.  Most of the Pacific folding door spiders you might come across will be an average of 2.5 cm. across but they can grow up to 5 cm in size and live for up to 20 years.

What is rather unique about this spider is that it is terrestrial and does not spin a traditional orb web.  Instead it burrows into the ground excavating a tube up to 30 cm. deep and 5 cm. wide that it lines with silk.  At the surface of the ground it spins a double sided door hinged on either side that it then camouflages with soil and vegetation to match its surroundings.  The spider places trip lines of silk radiating out from the door and at night this nocturnal spider hides just under the surface waiting for its next meal to walk by.  When an insect like a beetle, centipede or ant crosses the trip wires of silk, the spider feels the vibrations, throws open the door and leaps out to attack its prey.  Once it incapacitates its victim with venom, it then drags the body into the silky cavern where it liquifies and ingests its vital fluids and organs.

You can often find the Pacific foldingdoor spider when gardening or out for a walk in the woods.  Hoeing weeds, digging up shrubs, planting flowers or raking up leaves and debris will often disturb their nests and send them running.  If you do see one of them try to resist the temptation to squash them underfoot and instead take the time to examine this rather unique spider.  Even though it has extremely long and strong fangs, the Pacific foldingdoor spider is not aggressive and its venom is not particularly harmful to humans.  It is the most northern Mygalomorph in North America, a classification that includes the tarantulas and funnel web spiders with primitive features and fangs that stab downwards instead of pinching together.  Because of their rather brutish look with heavy set legs and body parts plus its longevity, this spider is often captured and kept as an exotic pet.

Besides gardening, the best time to see these amazing little tarantulas is in August to October when males venture around looking for a mate.  When he finds a willing partner, they both retreat into the female's burrow to mate.  The male will then leave the lair and continue his search with the female beginning to lay her eggs in her silky tube several months later.  After a further two months the eggs will finally hatch and shortly after that the spiderlings, as the babyspiders are known, will leave the safety of the burrow and venture out to make their own ambush nests.  The Pacific foldingdoor spider is actually more common than you think but with their nocturnal feeding habits and concealed nests, it is likely you could easily pass by one a hundred times and never notice anything out of place.  At least now if you do get to see one you will recognize it and realize how unique it really is.

Check out this YouTube video of a Pacific foldingdoor spider that is sitting on a man's arm and being held with his gloved hand.  If you are an arachnophobe or if this TNT has already given you the willies, you might want to give it a pass as it is kind of creepy.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUa-Fc088NU

Your friendly neighbourhood spider man,

Don Pitcairn  

I wish to acknowledge we live, work and play on the traditional lands of the Semiahmoo People.

 

Monday May 15, 2023

TNT The Naked Truth

Don Pitcairn

Crescent Log Beach 


Welcome to the hottest day of the year with record heat that is double what we would normally expect in mid-May.  With a mini-heatwave falling on the weekend, the beaches were full of people and families trying to beat the scorching temperatures.  In White Rock the city has crews clean up winter storm debris from their public beaches, removing piles of logs that would occupy most of the usable shore area used for recreation while positioning long smooth logs for people to sit on and lean against.  The city of Vancouver does the same thing, clearing out rotten old logs and laying out the prime ones to create maximum usable space at English Bay, Kits and Stanley Park.  Metro Vancouver also does beach maintenance at Centennial Beach in Tsawwassen plus at the world famous Wreck Beach in Pacific Spirit Park so they remain usable.  At Crescent Rock beach, the naturists who frequent this rugged section of shoreline take the time to cut and move logs, rake up seaweed and driftwood, plus use rakes and shovels to create smooth beach areas for nude recreation.

Unfortunately the city of Surrey appears to be the only city with oceanfront beaches that does not perform regular beach maintenance to collect the logs that drift onto the shore during the winter.  The western facing shoreline of Crescent Beach is clogged with over 400 logs, many that are rotting away because they have been laying on the beach for so long.  In some areas logs are piled up over a dozen wide, taking up 20 to 30 feet of prime sandy beach area.  The shoreline in front of the lifeguard tower at the northwest corner of Crescent Beach looks more like a log boom than a marine park that is under the jurisdiction of the second largest city in the Lower Mainland.  Besides covering much of the beach, these logs represent a hazard to people who have to climb their way over them, plus are a major impediment to anyone who is mobility challenged or have kids in strollers.  If the little town of White Rock with only 22,000 residents can perform shoreline cleanups and log removal every spring, you have to wonder why the city of Surrey, with over 550,000 residents cannot clean up Crescent Beach.

It is not like cleaning up the western shore of Crescent Beach would be a monumental task.  The easiest way to do this would be to have an excavator drive along the top of the beach and use a bucket with a mechanical thumb to pick up the logs.  Anything old, rotten, too small or oddly shaped could be grabbed and put into a bin truck driving alongside on the walkway.  Any logs too long to fit in the disposal truck could be chainsawed by cleanup crews into smaller pieces for easy loading. Long smooth logs could then be placed in several broken lines along the beach, creating useful areas for recreation instead of prime sandy beach being used for driftwood log storage. Depending on their location, some of the old rotten logs could even be left in place higher up the shore to ensure wildlife habitat and to give the beach a more natural look while freeing up much needed space for people.  With an ever growing population in Surrey not to mention the rest of the Fraser Valley, the number of people using Crescent Beach will only continue to grow making log removal and shoreline cleanup an essential component of this marine park's annual maintenance program.


Crescent Beach is in a sad state right now because of the large amount of logs that floated into the Salish Sea during the atmospheric river flood event back in November 2021.  Currently I would estimate about 300 logs could be removed from the shore of Crescent Beach.  Once this is done, yearly maintenance in the spring would be much less considering that some of the logs have likely been in place for over twenty years.  When the tide is high, much of the usable beach area is currently covered by old logs so removing them would greatly increase the sandy beach for people to use.  In 2014 Surrey remove all of the sand catching wooden groynes that were rotting away, replacing them with composite pilings and beams to stop erosion and protect the beach.  Performing regular maintenance to remove debris and align remaining logs would greatly improve the beach while creating much more open and usable space for recreation.  It is up to Surrey's Council and their Parks Department to ensure that Crescent Beach is properly maintained to the standard that is common on all of the other public ocean beaches in the Lower Mainland.

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn   

I respectfully note we live, work and play on the traditional lands of the Semiahmoo First Nations.

 

 

May 08, 2023

TNT The Naked Truth

Don Pitcairn


Ramping Things Up


I'm two for two over the last month and thinking the third time is the charm.  Two out of the last three TNTs dealt with unsafe roadway topics, namely Highway 99 in south Surrey and 20 Ave. from King George to 152nd Street.  Well I'm happy to report that the cable median barriers were installed on Hwy. 99 over several nights last week on either side of the Nicomekl river ensuring that there will be no head-on crashes in this area.  On 20 Ave., work was closed for a day and the site prepped for painting with new up to code traffic lines put on the area in question and stretching out towards the Surrey Athletic Park.  Mission accomplished on both of these construction sites that unfortunately were left in very unsafe conditions by the Ministry of Transportation and the Surrey Engineering Dept.  I'd like to think that with the sudden focus on their construction site safety that they would ensure the other areas under their control were up to snuff.  Unfortunately that does not appear to be the case with the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure so here I go lighting a Bunsen burner under their buttocks.

Not far from where the median cable barrier safety system was missing for over a month after construction was completed on Hwy. 99, the 32 Ave. on-ramp project is a dangerous mess.  Heading east on 32 Ave. from the KGB you turn left at the light under the overpass to go onto the onramp heading north onto HWY 99.  There are two lanes turning left in this location that used to form into one line further up the on-ramp with signage and lane markings letting you know it was time to merge.  Well, I don't know what the site managers were thinking but currently these two lanes merge into one in the intersection under the bridge  with no advance notice, no signage, no road lines, no nothing.  Only through the grace of God and some alert driving by the people dealing with this SNAFU has there not been a real life game of bumper cars.  I should note here that in the BC Motor Vehicle Act, it is illegal to change lanes in an intersection, something that might come as a surprise to many drivers these days.  To make this area safe, one of the left hand turn lanes should have been shut down since there is only one on-ramp lane on the other side of the intersection.  Thank you Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure for again dropping the ball on safety and endangering the driving public.

As bad as this example of crap engineering threatening lives is, it pales by comparison to what is happening at the Ladner Trunk Highway 99 interchange in East Delta.  This involves the on-ramp to Hwy. 99 heading southbound from Ladner Trunk Road heading eastbound.  I know this roadway that dates back 60 years very well as it has the shortest run-up of any on-ramp in the Lower Mainland.  It was always challenging to get up to speed, pick your spot in traffic and safely merge before having to drive down the shoulder of the highway.  With work underway to add the third lane for the new tunnel, some genius thought it would be a good idea to grind out the shoulder and shorten it up even further.  It is hard to believe but there is only 16 metres of on-ramp for you to get over into traffic in only 0.75 second or slam on your brakes and stop before heading into orange safety barrels and over a 20 cm. drop-off in the pavement leading to the gravel.  The total length of the entire on-ramp including blocked areas and traffic signs is 26 metres in length or 85 feet.

I took defensive driving years ago and know all about reaction time and stopping distances.  This changes with road conditions, type and weight of vehicle, condition of tires and driving ability.  To look at the best case scenario, let's consider the average family car, on dry roads and a driving speed of 80 Kmh, far below the 100 Kmh speed limit on Hwy. 99.  With reaction time and stopping time, most of the road safety websites calculate it at 52 metres or twice the length of the on-ramp that currently exists.  When you look at the 16 metres of available on-ramp, the stopping distance is over three times what the BC Highways and Infrastructure engineers have left for drivers to navigate in an area marked yield, not merge.  In fact, if you look at the pictures posted in this TNT, you will see you only have the space of two dotted lines to make your move and join highway traffic. If you do not have a space or meet a semi-truck in the right lane, good luck getting stopped before you plow into the barricades and fly off the pavement.  If you do manage to get stopped, try to imagine joining rush-hour traffic from a standstill with zero room and no shoulder.  


I really have had enough of road contractors putting people's lives in danger.  I drove through both of these on-ramps last week with my truck and trailer measuring over 40 feet and barely managed to make it through without crashing.  On Monday morning this TNT gets posted on the White Rock Sun.  At 8 A.M., the RCMP Deas Island Freeway Patrol will be called about both of these road hazards.  After that, WorkSafe gets notified and hopefully shuts both of these on-ramps down until they can be made safe for the traveling public.  After that the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure gets notified along with the cities of Surrey and Delta.  Both Surrey-White Rock MLA Trevor Halford and Delta South MLA Ian Paton are already fully aware of these issues and will likely ask the NDP Transportation Minister Rob Fleming about these fiascos in the Legislature in Victoria.  With the shit-storm this will likely produce and other media outlets looking into the story, I would expect to see instant changes to both of these roadways and safety changes implemented immediately.  

Now here's the rub.  It is not my job to ensure that roadways under construction are safe for the traveling public.  I don't get paid to point out dangers on highways, on-ramps, intersections or arterial roads even though I see things that are a hazard on a constant basis.  I don't do this for publicity, notoriety or to make a name for myself.  I do this because it pisses me off that it never should have happened in the first place!  Having been at the scene of many serious and fatal vehicle crashes I take this stuff seriously after seeing the tragic consequences first hand.  How these two on-ramps were allowed to stay open when they were obviously dangerous to a layman seriously needs to be questioned.  The persons who were responsible for both of these situations should be reprimanded or fired for being totally incompetent.  The NDP government and WorkSafe need to ensure that the work being performed on our highways and byways is being done safely and does not pose a threat to the public.  Maybe then we can all come home safe after our daily commute, instead of our family members heading to the hospital Emergency ward or getting a knock on the door from a constable with bad news.

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

I wish to acknowledge we live/work and play on the traditional lands of the Semiahmoo First Nation

 

May 01, 2023

TNT The Naked Truth

Don PItcairn

 

The State of Police in Surrey

 

So here we are more than six months after the Surrey Municipal election and we finally get a decision by the NDP Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth after the government spent much of this time looking at the pros and cons plus price tag of the city reverting back to the RCMP and ending the Surrey Police Service as the Police of Jurisdiction (POJ).  Amazingly it took three months later than was initially promised for a decision by the Provincial government to be made in this important decision on public safety in Surrey.  It certainly was no surprise to me that Farnworth sided with the SPS as I thought this was extremely likely considering the delay and the extra money it has cost Surrey City Hall who are essentially paying for two police forces.

Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke, who initially endorsed the SPS when she was a member of the Safe Surrey Coalition before finding out the true cost and defecting to start Surrey Connect, was not impressed with the provincial analysis report.  Amazingly she was not provided with a copy of the 500 page report until half way through the Solicitor General's presentation.  Making matters worse, there were many parts of the report that were heavily redacted with large portions blacked out completely.  For those people who thought this would be end of the POJ fight here in Surrey, think again.  It turns out that that while Farnworth can "strongly recommend" that Surrey keep on with the transition, it is non-binding and the final decision on what to do still belongs to Surrey.

It is not like the NDP did not try to sweeten the deal in the eleventh hour.  Along with the recommendation to continue to ditch the RCMP, Magic Mike promised to help Surrey pay for the SPS, promising up to $30 million a year for the next five years to help finance policing operations here.   Of course, it was also pointed out that keeping the RCMP would cost the City of Surrey $72 million in severance to Surrey Police Service officers, with the Province unwilling to help pay for these costs.  The price difference at this point now stands at $222 million, a figure big enough that it might help to persuade some Surrey councilors to back Farnworth's plan to stay with the SPS.  If that is the carrot, the stick for keeping the RCMP is binding provincial conditions that include hiring an implementation advisor, a HR plan to deal with SPS officers, a revised Surrey plan that would not rob other jurisdiction of RCMP officers and hiring senior RCMP officers to oversee re-staffing.

Former Surrey mayor Doug McCallum who lead the charge to create a municipal police force in Surrey held his own news conference only minutes after Sol-Gen Farnworth wrapped up his presentation.  Accompanied by Safe Surrey Coalition councilors Doug Elford and Mandeep Nagra, McCallum called the promised money to pay for the police transition a "huge opportunity."   Surrey First councilor LInda Annis lamented that the decision on the POJ in Surrey had been returned to Council and once again called for a referendum on this issue to allow the residents of Surrey to have their say on who polices the city into the future.  Anita Huberman of the Surrey Board of Trade was not impressed with the recommendation to continue to police transition in Surrey that is not helping resolve public safety issues in the community.  BC Green Party chair Adam Olsen even used the opportunity to blast the NDP for not moving towards a provincial police force and a regional approach.

With all the political capital she has invested on returning to the RCMP, it was not surprising to hear that Mayor Locke plans to continue with the RCMP as POJ in Surrey.  It remains to be seen if all of the Surrey Connect councillors will feel the same now that the BC government is offering to help soften the financial blow of continuing on with the SPS.  Unfortunately it seems that confusion and uncertainty will continue to dog this policing issue that was fatally flawed from the start.  For those looking to learn more about the Soc-Gen's decision on the Surrey policing issue, I have included it below including the 503 page report titled, "City of Surrey's Police Model Transition and Decision to Retain the RCMP."  Sorry to say that you can't read it all because besides of many redactions throughout, pages 50-62, 120 - 159, 161 - 281, 284-305 and 335-503 that have been totally omitted for reasons unknown.  I did the math; that's 360 pages out of 503 left blank or 72% of this important document about policing in Surrey.

Public Safety and Solicitor General
Securing public safety for Surrey and the province
The Province is recommending the City of Surrey continue its transition to the Surrey Police Service, because it ensures public safety for people in Surrey and throughout British Columbia, while offering financial assistance to protect Surrey taxpayers.
The recommendation comes after a systematic report by the director of police services concerning plans put forward by the City of Surrey, RCMP and the Surrey Police Service (SPS). Mike Farnworth, Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General, has agreed that the best way to achieve public safety in B.C., especially given the ongoing RCMP vacancy challenges, while putting this difficult time behind Surrey, is with a municipal police force.
Currently, there are approximately 1,500 RCMP vacancies throughout the province. The report states that Surrey reverting back to the RCMP would exacerbate the challenges faced by municipalities and Indigenous communities by increasing demand for officers and aggravate public-safety concerns. Filling RCMP vacancies is the responsibility of the federal government.  
“Everyone deserves to be safe in their community and all British Columbians deserve secure, stable policing they can count on,” Farnworth said. “The people of Surrey are very frustrated by years of uncertainty over this debate, but we must move forward without reducing police presence when we need it the most. Now is not the time to put public safety at risk in Surrey or in any community in the province.”
The report by the director of police services details how the transition to SPS can be safely undertaken. The report also details concerns about the RCMP’s current retention and recruitment challenges and outlines potential implications on the RCMP police presence in other regions of the province if the transition is reversed.
The Province has offered financial support to the City of Surrey in the transition to a municipal police force to ensure no additional costs to Surrey residents.
“This path forward will ensure safer policing for all regions of the province, including the people of Surrey, and provincial support will help keep them from paying significant property tax increases,” Farnworth said.  
Quick Facts:

  • Under B.C.’s Police Act, a municipality with a population of more than 5,000 has the authority to provide its policing and law enforcement by means of establishing its own municipal police department.

  • In 2018, City of Surrey council decided to move away from Surrey’s RCMP police model and opt for its own municipal police department, the SPS.

  • The Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General approved the transition plan in February 2020 and the City of Surrey has been implementing the transition since that time.

  • In November 2022, the City of Surrey’s newly elected mayor and council decided to maintain the RCMP as its police model and reverse the transition.

  • The transition to the SPS is well advanced, with approximately 400 officers and support staff hired.

  • The ministry commissioned an independent financial analysis of the submissions that concludes the SPS’ plan to staff 734 officers will cost approximately $30 million more per year than the RCMP.

  • Additionally, the analysis confirmed the costs of severance from disbanding the SPS and reverting to the RCMP would cost the City of Surrey approximately $72 million.

Learn More:
To read the director of police services’ report, visit: https://news.gov.bc.ca/files/Police_Model_Transition_Report.pdf

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

I wish to acknowledge we live/work and play on the traditional lands of the Semiahmoo people

 

Monday April 24, 2023

 

Head-On Crash Course


20 Ave. looking east from 154 St.

This TNT could easily be titled "The Middle Of The Road 2" coming after last week's piece about how the BC Highway Ministry apparently failed to hire a contractor in a timely manner to put the median cable barrier safety system back on Hwy. 99 after repairs were completed on the Nicomekl River bridge.  This time it's the Surrey Engineering Department's turn to stand up and take a bow..., bowing their head in shame that is, for the horrible and dangerous condition of 20 Ave. from 152 St. to 156 St. (plus other areas) that are leaving motorists at a very serious risk of being involved in a head-on crash.  This issue is so bad and so unwarranted that instead of reporting it Mayor Locke or the Surrey Engineering Department, I think I'm going to alert WorkSafe to this hazardous job site.

I realize that 20th Avenue from King George Boulevard (KGB) to 152 St. is undergoing major roadwork to upgrade the pipes in this neighbourhood.  I have had plenty of time to watch the work that has been performed because I pick up and drop off an employee in the midst of the construction zone.  That was why I was on site last week reporting about a stolen Mercedes loaded with propane bottles that crashed through a hydro pole at the corner of 154 St. and 20 Ave.  Now in that case I'm sure that excessive speed and likely a mixture of drugs and/or alcohol were responsible for this early morning crash where the occupants miraculously escaped and even managed to run away.  A contributing factor might have also been the lack of painted centre lines, a condition that has existed there since late last year.

When construction first started in this area, for reasons unknown the yellow double solid lines painted on the roadway were physically removed by grinding them off the asphalt.  Maybe the idea was to repaint them somewhere else to allow for digging but along the way the reason was apparently lost and 20th Ave. ended up with no centre lines for almost three blocks from 153 to 156 St.  I realized the danger involved in this several weeks ago when I saw a car heading westbound in front of my buddy's house driving in the wrong lane using the far painted curb line as if it was the centre line.  How this person did not realize they were driving like it was Surrey, England and not Surrey, Canada is completely beyond me.  Fortunately nobody was coming the other way or it would have been a major head-on accident.

20 Ave. looking west to 156 St.

East of this location the road conditions are even worse if that is actually possible.  Most of 20th Ave. is so rough and rutted that I refuse to drive through it in my 4x4 truck.  It's not really the suspension I'm worried about, I'm more afraid the jarring impacts of this ripped up road might loosen some of the old mercury fillings in my teeth.  From 154 St. to 156 St., the road resembles the moon with it having been dug up east-west and north-south in multiple areas.  At the 20 Ave. and 156 St. intersection a fresh excavation has eliminated the dotted white line heading eastbound while an older excavation that now has faded asphalt obliterated the yellow solid centre line at the edge of the left hand turn lane long ago.  In fact, the only paint on the road from curb to curb are the large left hand turn arrows that give the only clue that this lane even exists.  When drivers turn west off 156 St. onto 20 Ave., they literally have to guess where the lanes are.

I have spent many winter vacations in Mexico and I kid you not when I say that the roads in that country are far better than what we see here in Canada.  I realize that Surrey is a big city but the roads here are just crap with sunken man hole covers, pot holes, crumbling road surfaces and dug up areas that never get properly repaved.  We have a convertible sports car and I find driving it is hard on my back because of its stiff suspension and all of the holes in the roads.  Probably the best street in Surrey is now Colebrook Road either side of the KGB that was completely repaved, taking it from worst to first.  It used to be so bad I would never dare to drive on it with my work truck and trailer.  I'd like to think that when 20 Ave. in completed it will receive a top coat of fresh asphalt and a new set of lines.  Until that time, the Surrey Engineering Dept. cannot leave this road in its current state that endangers drivers and anyone working there.

On a related topic I have one more thing to get off my chest about centre lines on roads in Surrey.  At the nearby 17 Ave. and 154 St. intersection the yellow lines in the middle of the road do not line up.  They are offset by about a metre so if you drive straight you will slam into an oncoming car doing the same thing.  Now, do they blame both the drivers for this crash or does the City of Surrey get sued for allowing this dangerous condition to exist?  What other cities do in this case is to put small dotted lines across the intersection showing the shift, or grind the lines off and repaint them properly.  If you think this is an isolated situation I know of at least a half dozen of these offset lines including the one not far from my house at 24 Ave. and 124 St.  The number of times I've had to honk at unaware drivers heading towards me at this spot is just ridiculous but in reality it is not their fault.  As I often say, "bad engineering kills people."  You can quote me on that.

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

I wish to acknowledge we live/work and play on the traditional lands of the Semiahmoo People.

 

UPDATE April 27

After a visit from Worksafe inspectors on Monday and a day with this job site apparently shut down, new road lines have now been painted on 20th Ave.

It is once again safe for both drivers and city of Surrey Engineering Dept. workers.

 

Monday April 17, 2023

TNT The Naked Truth

Don Pitcairn


The Middle Of The Road


"The middle of the road is trying to find me
I'm standing in the middle of life with my plans behind me
Well, I got a smile for everyone I meet

As long as you don't try dragging my baby

Or dropping the bomb on my street

Now come on, baby
Get in the road
Oh, come on now

In the middle of the road, yeah"

Lyrics to "Middle of the Road" by the Pretenders, Learning to Crawl album, 1983.

Years ago there was only a thin strip of grassy median separating vehicle traffic on Hwy. 99 through Delta and Surrey.  I had the experience of viewing the aftermath of several head-on crashes that happened there with mangled cars and air ambulance helicopters taking away the injured occupants.  When cable median barriers started to be installed in Chilliwack in 2007, I campaigned to have them put onto the Hwy. 99 median after counting the tire track marks in the grass from 36 cross-overs in only a few winter months.  It took a wrong-way driver initiating a five car crash including a cross-over collision that paralyzed a Richmond Fire Captain living in Cloverdale for the barriers to finally be approved.  Since they were installed, the cable barriers that I like to call "the shredder" have proven to be highly effective in eliminating head-on crashes on Hwy. 99.

Terminus of the cable median barrier on Hwy 99 near KGB with open median for nearly 1 km.

Unfortunately there is a serious issue with this vaulted safety system that runs from near the Hwy. 17 interchange all the way to the Canada/USA border.  Over the past year, crews have been working on the Nicomekl River Bridge Rehabilitation Project on Hwy. 99 between the KGB and 32 Ave. (not the Nicomekyl Bridge Replacement on the KGB).   In this stretch of highway, the four strand cable median barriers were removed to allow for change in traffic flow as work proceeded.  Well, the work has now been completed, the construction crew trailers and their equipment have been removed and the ground there covered with hydro seed to grow new grass.  Unfortunately it seems that someone at the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure has been asleep at the safety switch, because there is almost a kilometer of highway in this area with nothing in the median to stop head-on crashes from happening.

Heading southbound onto Hwy. 99 from the KGB, the cables terminate before the on-ramp to the highway ends, continuing 500 metres with an empty median to the retrofitted Nicomekyl River Bridge.  Crossing this long span, the median is clear for over 400 metres heading up the hill towards 32 Ave., with the next section of safety cables coming out of the ground just past the pedestrian overpass in that area.  In case you are thinking this has something to do with the continuing work on the 32 Ave./Hwy. 99 Interchange Improvement Project, that is not the case since the safety cables were never touched during the on-ramp and off-ramp work.  The median cable barrier system on either side of the Nicomekyl River bridge should have been reinstalled immediately after the concrete no-post barriers used to separate the flow of traffic on Hwy. 99 during construction were removed.  It is absolutely remarkable that this important highway safety system was seemingly forgotten about.

The paved parking lot median sections of Hwy. 99 on both sides of the 152 St. overpass.

It turns out that this glaring deficiency is not the only problem with the median cable barrier system in use across the Semiahmoo Peninsula.  In Dec. of 2017, a transport truck carrying a piece of over-height equipment slammed into the 152 St. overpass causing serious structural damage.  In order to facilitate the necessary repairs and keep traffic moving, two 100 metre long sections of the median were filled level and then paved with asphalt.  Three months later when the bridge was finally fixed, traffic on Hwy. 99 began to once again flow northbound in the regular right and left lanes.  Unfortunately instead of tearing up the temporary pavement and recreating a grassy median, the gravel and asphalt were left in place along with the cable barrier.  The problem is that the posts were never designed to be used in a solid roadway where they are likely to snap off with contact.  If this happens, the cables will likely stretch further than they were designed to, possibly allowing a vehicle still ensnared by the cables to extend far into the oncoming lane. 

Somebody at Mainroad or the Ministry of Transportation needs to wake up to the serious public safety issues at both of these locations and take immediate action to fix them.  The Nicomekyl Bridge on Highway 99 needs to have new cable median barriers installed immediately before Murphy's Law swings into effect and there is a serious head-on crash on this now open stretch of highway.  The paved median sections on Hwy. 99 at either side of 152 St. need to be removed and re-landscaped, or heavy concrete no-post dividers need to be installed on both of these areas that the cable barriers were never designed for.  I'm pretty sure this will happen since our MLA Trevor Halford is going to be questioning the Transportation Minister Rob Fleming in the Legislature on Monday about the problems on Hwy 99 and how nobody noticed these glaring safety issues before they were brought to his attention by a columnist writing for the White Rock Sun.

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn    

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

 

 

 

Monday April 10, 2023

TNT The Naked Truth

Don Pitcairn

Soldiering On

It's been a very interesting weekend with everything this Easter pointing me towards soldiers and military history.  This started last week when I learned from the Manager of the Surrey Museum in Cloverdale that the Cenotaph had been vandalized after learning the bronze statue of a soldier on top of it was missing.  This story was broke here first in the White Rock Sun, even before the local Cloverdale Reporter got wind of it.  Because of the violent desecration of this sacred military symbol of sacrifice and bravery, I made sure to share it with several other media groups and it did not take long for this story to blow up on TV, radio, print and social media.  My hope was that the Surrey RCMP would release some of the CCTV footage of the perpetrator that had booted the statue of the kneeling soldier until it broke away, plus kicked at the cross of the unknown soldier.  Well, low and behold, the RCMP issued a media release late Saturday with the alleged vandal's face clearly showing.  Here are both the photo and the release; look closely to see if you can identify the suspect.  


Surrey RCMP is requesting the public’s assistance in identifying a person of interest in relation to a mischief to the Cenotaph located outside the Surrey Museum at 17710 56A Avenue, Surrey. The incident occurred on March 29th, 2023, at approximately 01:30 hours. The suspect was observed dismantling the statue of the Kneeling Solder as well as damaging various items outside of the Museum.

The suspect is described as a Caucasian male, approximately 30-35 years old, medium build, approximately 170 lbs, with brown shoulder length hair, brown goatee beard and wearing prescription glasses (Please see attached photo). He was last seen wearing a black jacket with a blue shirt underneath, black pants, white runners with blue shoe laces.

Anyone with information about the identity and/or whereabouts of this person is asked to contact the Surrey RCMP at 604-599-0502, or Crime Stoppers, if they wish to remain anonymous, at 1-800-222-8477 or www.solvecrime.ca, quoting file number 23-48046.

This story and taking pictures of the damaged cenotaph minus the kneeling soldier, nicknamed Willy,  got me looking into the history of the monument and the following description that I found at on the Heritage BC website at https://heritagebc.ca/war-monuments-memorials/cloverdale-cenotaph/

The Cloverdale Cenotaph was built by the Municipality of Surrey, along with assistance from various community organizations, following World War I. Designed by municipal clerk Clair Lemax, the Cenotaph was unveiled in May 1921 to a crowd of approximately 1,500 people. The Cenotaph was originally located on the west side of Surrey's Second Municipal Hall, and was dedicated in August 1921.

A German field gun, captured by the 47th (Fraser Valley€) Canadian Infantry Battalion in 1918, was originally mounted on the Cloverdale Cenotaph. The gun was melted down for war materials during the Second World War. The Cenotaph was moved to the Surrey Fair Grounds in 1961 and a stone cairn and cross were added to the top. The Cenotaph moved to its current location in 2006, when it acquired newly inscribed granite panels and a sculpture of a kneeling solider.

While the names inscribed on the Cenotaph are all those of Surrey residents who lost their lives in service during the First World War, the Cloverdale Cenotaph also commemorates those who lost their lives in the Second World War, the Korean War, and while serving as Peacekeepers.  The Cenotaph is Surrey's principle war memorial and serves as a reminder of the local sacrifices made in world conflicts.

The Peace Arch News ran a great historical piece on the Cloverdale Cenotaph back on Nov 14, 2017 by reporter Sue Bryant that is still online.  It makes for fascinating reading at the following link: https://www.peacearchnews.com/home2/history-cloverdale-cenotaph-holds-nearly-a-century-of-memories/


Just when I thought I'd had my fill of wartime history, a friend told me the three flags at the huge "Welcome To Surrey" sign on Hwy. 99 and 8th Ave. were being flown at half mast.  I contacted a reliable and informed source at Surrey City Hall and found out that Sunday was Vimy Ridge day, a non-statutory holiday that happened to fall in the middle of this year's Easter long weekend.  Since 2003, Vimy Ridge Day has been observed on April 9th in Canada to honor and commemorate the Battle of Vimy Ridge, which took place during the First World War at Vimy Ridge, France, in 1917. The Canadian flag on Parliament Hill’s Peace Tower in Ottawa is required to be lowered to half-mast by law. Wreath-laying ceremonies are held at the Canadian National War Memorial in Ottawa, the Canadian National Vimy Memorial in France, and other locations around the country.  I knew about the Canadian troops assault on Vimy Ridge and the rolling artillery barrage that proceeded before the advancing soldiers but had forgotten much of the history that I was taught in high school.  Both the British and the French had tried multiple times to take this high knoll, losing 150,000 men in the process.  The Canadian Corps were ordered to assault the ridge and used a precise scripted battlefield plan with 1,000 pieces of heavy artillery and hidden tunnels to help move troops to the front.  Starting on April 9, 2017 the Canadians advanced taking the last of the Ridge on April 12, with nearly 3,600 lives lost and over 7,000 wounded.  The Canadian War Museum has a great story on this battle that you can read at https://www.warmuseum.ca/the-battle-of-vimy-ridge/

I ask you to take the time to check out the websites for the stories embedded in this TNT to learn this important history lesson or simply refresh your memory.  I'm hoping that the RCMP release of the photo showing the person of interest in the Cenotaph vandalism results in someone being arrested and charged with this heinous crime.  The bronze statue of the kneeling soldier who is dressed in a 47th (Fraser Valley) Canadian infantry Batallion uniform is being repaired and will hopefully soon be back at his rightful place on top the cenotaph kneeling before the grave of the unknown soldier.  Of the many things I learned researching this TNT is that the original Cloverdale Cenotaph was first unveiled to the public on May 22, 1921 on the Victoria Day weekend.  It turns out that May 22, 2023 will be the holiday Monday of the Victoria Day long weekend.  I could not imagine a better time for the members of the Royal Canadian Legion Branch #6 to invite the public to the plaza between the Surrey Archives building (the original Surrey City Hall) and the Surrey Museum to celebrate the return of "Willy" and all that the 102 year-old Cloverdale Cenotaph stands for.

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

I wish to acknowledge we work, live and play on the traditional lands of the Semiahmoo people.

 


 Monday April 03, 2023

TNT The Naked Truth

Don Pitcairn

Weapons in White Rock

UPDATE APRIL 04, 2023

The B.C. man who allegedly slashed a man's throat on a transit bus in Surrey, B.C., on Saturday is facing terrorism charges.

According to court documents filed by the Public Prosecution Service of Canada, the man is alleged to have committed the assault for the Islamic State.

Abdul Aziz Kawam, born in 1995, faces four terrorism charges for attempted murder, aggravated assault and two counts of assault related to the attack.

He was arrested after a stabbing on a bus traveling near the Fraser Highway and 148 Street in Surrey, B.C., just after 9:30 a.m. PT Saturday.

 


Elenor Sturko, the MLA for south Surrey is certainly making a name for herself these days with her relentless attacks on the NDP as the Liberal shadow cabinet Minister for Mental Health, Addictions & Recovery.  It was divine timing when this former police officer was at Laura's Coffee Corner several weeks ago when a man outside apparently having a mental health crisis started yelling at customers.  Having dealt with these situations before, she approached the man who pulled a hunting knife from his clothes before fumbling it to the ground.  In one swift motion Elenor put her foot on the knife and kicked it back behind her where another patron grabbed it and ran inside the coffee shop.  White Rock Police, with offices around the corner, were quickly on scene and apprehended the man who now faces criminal charges.

It was extremely fortunate that nobody was hurt in this confrontation that unfortunately is becoming ever more common these days with increasing substance use, mental health issues and homelessness.  Having somebody on scene with police training and empathy towards people with mental health issues certainly was a bonus in defusing this situation.  It was reported that the agitated man's mother showed up soon after he was apprehended and that she told Mrs. Sturko she hoped he could now get the mental health support that he needed.  A new mental health and substance abuse facility has now been opened at Peace Arch Hospital but the Health Minister Adrian Dix recently announced more staff need to be hired for it to be fully open.

Knives have been in the news recently for a couple of high-profile crimes.  On the previous weekend, 37 year-old Paul Schmidt was stabbed to death at a Starbucks restaurant at the corner of Granville St. and Pender Ave. in Vancouver in front of his horrified fiancé and their 3 year-old daughter.  Apparently, this happened after the dad asked a man standing nearby not to vape near his young daughter.  A 32 year-old man, Inderdeep Singh Gosal, was quickly arrested after bystanders flagged down police and he has since been charged with second-degree murder.  Closer to home, a confrontation on a Translink bus in Surrey on Saturday quickly resulted in a knife attack.  In this case a man pulled a large kitchen knife and slashed another man across the throat.  He was quickly arrested by Transit Police and the victim taken to hospital in critical condition.  Neither the assailant or victim have been identified at this time and attempted murder charges have been filed.

If you think that living in White Rock means you are safer than in Surrey, think again.  The Crime Severity Index rating for both Surrey and White Rock is almost identical for both cities.  If you think that is surprising, you will be shocked to know how many knives I have discovered stashed in bushes here.  Over the past four years myself and the crew of my commercial gardening company have found five edged weapons in the City By The Sea.  These include two large kitchen knives, a double-edged army bayonet including scabbard, a machete with a 15" blade and a folding hunting knife.  As to how or why these weapons were hidden or disposed of on the sides of White Rock streets, we have no idea.  What I do know is that we never used to find discarded syringes either but unfortunately they are becoming a much more regular site when we are cleaning up in uptown White Rock.

With the number of people who are carrying knives for protection or as a weapon certainly on the rise, it is getting dangerous to confront people who are acting out or doing crimes on the streets or the beach.  If you complain to someone about their behaviour you might get stabbed for your troubles.  The police wear bullet proof vests as part of their protective gear but it is knives that pose the most threat as they are easy to acquire and conceal.  Something as simple as a click-it boxcutter can be a deadly weapon in the hands of a wrong person as was shown by the 9-11 hijackers who used these razor-sharp knives to kill the pilots.  Remember that it was a knife which was used to kill 15 year-old Dario Bartolli in Bakerview park back in 2014 that was never solved and White Rock mechanic Paul Paul Prestbakmo's two teenage attackers stabbed him to death at the McDonalds restaurant in Semiahmoo Mall in 2019.

On a personal note, the man who has worked for me for a dozen years and lives in south Surrey was stabbed in the back as a teenager during a robbery attempt in Newton in a crime that was never solved.  The son of a family member was one of two teenagers robbed by a group of youths with a machete on Crescent Road over a dozen years ago, with this swarming attack also never solved.  The same young man was stabbed multiple times and left for dead in a ditch near a Newton house party several years later, again with this crime never being solved.  Knives do not attract attention like guns as they are silent and don't leave evidence such as bullets and casings.  It is my advice to stay away from parks and the beach after dark and to be careful where you walk at night.  A customer of mine recently confessed that she and her girlfriends now always carry dog-repellent pepper spray when walking in uptown White Rock.  She bought it at the local Canadian Tire store in a cute little pink container for only $20, not far from the six types of machetes they currently have in stock.

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

I wish to acknowledge we live, work and play on the traditional lands of the Semiahmoo People.

 

 

 

 

March 27, 2023

Catatonic Over Cougars


If you live in the Semiahmoo peninsula and want to keep informed on what is going on in this beautiful little corner of the world, there are two things you must do.  First off is to check out the White Rock Sun on a constant basis where you can read local news, find out who is playing live music, get fantastic recipes and meet unique and interesting people.  Heck, you might get so excited about it that you contact the editor and start writing a weekly column for this online newspaper.  Next up is to join the White Rock/South Surrey Community Group on Facebook that is a public forum and has 36,000 members, making it a great way to connect with your friends and neighbours and find out what they are experiencing here.

Now imagine my surprise several weeks ago when a cougar sighting was reported in Ocean Park, south Surrey.  With this area fairly built up you have to take these sightings with a grain of salt unless someone has photographic proof of their encounter.  There are still plenty of connected green spaces and deer are living amongst us so having predators hunting them should not be unexpected.  Here is the FB posting about this recent local sightibng.

"FYI - Two of my sane and sober neighbours ran into a juvenile cougar (not this one which is a stock photo) in Huntington Park area (131 st and 21 Ave South Surrey) yesterday evening.  The cougar ran from one neighbour’s dogs, so it’s probably very young and I would suspect quite disoriented.  Be careful with your small animals, and if you see it please call the BC Conservation Branch 877-952-7277."


It turns out that this was not the only cougar sighting that was reported to this community Facebook group.  Last week another big cat was reportedly seen in the Country Woods neighbourhood north of Hwy. 99.  Here is the FB posting of this encounter:

"This afternoon on Country Woods Road at approx 3 pm I spotted a cougar, I’m 99% sure it was one (I was walking my dogs down the road and was about 100 metres from it).  It was about the size of a Labrador, tan coloured and was sleek. It looked like a young one.  What gave it away was it’s tail.  I have seen many coyotes in the area and it definitely wasn’t one of these.  I called it in to the Conservation officers.  It  was crossing the road and went into someone’s yard heading  in the direction of the trails off of Country Woods Road towards Highway 15.  Posting here for awareness."


This is not the first time that cougars have been reported in this area with two more FB postings on the WR/SS Community Group in July and August of 2021.  The comments on these posts included other alleged sightings in East Beach and the LIttle Campbell River including security camera footage that showed a cougar on the prowl.  Here are both of the posts that were only a month apart.

"Please be careful with your animals. I spotted a cougar 2 days ago walking up the hill of Royal Ave. between Foster and Johnson, around 1 a.m. on Saturday night, an ACTUAL Cougar!"  "I am reporting a cougar sighting yesterday in Kwomais park, Ocean Park yesterday afternoon. Take care with small dogs and children."


Now if you think that everyone has gone to the dogs, consider that in March 2021, a cougar was seen on CCTV footage wandering down a parkade ramp in Surrey near the Langley border a block from Willowbrook Mall at 196 St. and 64 Ave.  In August of 2021 another cougar was caught on a driveway security camera in Langley at 55 Ave. and 240 St. as it stood up against the 5-6 ft. gate and then easily jumped over it.  This cougar was very large, rippling with muscle and easily cleared the gate in a single leap.  Both of these incidents were filmed in the middle of the night on a weekday when traffic is light and things are quiet.  I have had the pleasure of encountering a cougar in the wild while hunting but for those who have not seen one, check out the video of the Langley cat at this link.  https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=429840315241481


With cougars on the prowl in Langley and apparently spotted over the past few years in the Semiahmoo peninsula, here is information posted on the WildSafeBC website about what to do if you meet up with a mountain lion.  "Cougar attacks are very rare, but if you encounter a cougar, keep calm and never run. Make yourself look as large as possible and back away slowly, keeping the cougar in view, and allowing a clear exit for the cougar.  If attacked, always fight back and never “play dead”.  If travelling with small children, pick them up immediately. Children are most at risk in a cougar encounter and they should be taught how to behave appropriately to stay safe (see "Children and Cougars" in "Safety").  For more information on cougars, check out https://wildsafebc.com/species/cougar/ .


To report cougars in conflict, sightings in urban areas, or a cougar showing unusual or aggressive behaviour, call the Conservation Officer Service at 1-877-952-7277.  If you spot a cougar or have CCTV video footage showing them in the south Surrey and White Rock region, please contact the White Rock Sun editor at editor@whiterocksun.com as we would love to see and post it.  The TV news media are aware of the reports of cougar sightings in the Semiahmoo peninsula but are waiting for photos or video proof before running a story about big cats apparently roaming in the Semi-pen.  Please do not report "cougar" sightings from any of the local bars or pubs even if you have pictures or video footage.  This joke has already been used too many times on Facebook and nobody wants to hear how you barely survived the encocunter.

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

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

 

 

 

Monday February 27, 2023

TNT The Naked Truth

Don Pitcairn

The Case For Cold Water


In case you missed it, there was a rather unique winter swim that took place at Blackie Spit in Crescent Beach on Saturday morning. Members of the Surrey RCMP and their supporters took to the icy waters of Mud Bay, participating in the Surrey Polar Plunge as a fundraiser for Special Olympics BC. The Mayor of Surrey, Brenda Locke was in attendance but did not go into the icy waters, showing she is obviously a bright and intelligent woman. I started doing the Jan. 1st Polar Bare Plunge at Crescent Rock Beach 15 years ago and have also twice completed the Mat Hatters Swim Club trifecta of the White Rock, Crescent Rock and English Bay Polar Bear Swims in only 2.5 hours. More fool hardy than actual hardy, I've gotten rather used to my annual baptism in our local waters with temperatures varying from -2 to a balmy 10 C.

What I've learned is that there is a small but growing group of people who regularly go for swims in the ocean waters around the Lower Mainland. You can see several of these people taking dips at White Rock including a gentleman that I swam with on New Year's Day this year who is his in 80's. Through social media and Polar Bear swims, I've met a couple of ladies who take the plunge almost every day, either in the waters of White Rock or Kitsilano. A friend of mine says there is a younger man who sits immersed in the water off West Beach for 45 minutes before getting up and walking away apparently without any ill effects. I have no idea how he does it since the record for the Polar Bare Plunge was nearly 9 minutes and the "Ice Man" Mike Hustad came out of the bay with pink skin and his teeth chattering.


Now you may think that you need to be mad as a hatter to consider going cold water swimming and quite possibly you're right, but apparently there are significant health benefits attached to this pastime. Here is a list of some of them from the IPRS Health Group that I have added my personal insight to:

1. It boosts your immune system:

The effects of cold water on the immune system have been studied around the world. Cold water helps to boost the white blood cell count because the body is forced to react to changing conditions. Over time, your body becomes better at activating its defences and adjusting to the natural environment.

2. It gives you a natural high

Cold water swimming activates endorphins. This chemical is what the brain produces to make us feel good during activities. Cold water swimming is also a form of exercise, and exercise has been proven to treat depression. Cold water swimming brings us close to the pain barrier, releasing endorphins to help us cope with it.

3. It improves your circulation

Cold water swimming flushes your veins, arteries, and capillaries, forcing blood to the skin surface and helps to warm our extremities. Repeated exposure adapts us to the cold, boosts cardiovascular circulation leading to a healthy heart, a stronger immune system, well-balanced mental health and a high level of energy.

4. It increases your libido A dip in some cold water boosts estrogen and testosterone production, adding an edge to fertility and libido, along with increased confidence, self-esteem and enhanced mood, Going for a cold swim may help to heat you up for other exercises later.

5. It burns calories

The heart has to pump faster in cold water and the body must work harder to keep everything warm while swimming. Overall, far more calories are burned during cold water swimming than swimming in warmer conditions. This increase in metabolic rate over time helps to control weight.

6. It reduces stress

Cold water swimming places stress on the body physically and mentally. Many studies have identified the link between cold water and stress reduction. Cold water swimmers become calmer and more relaxed. Some cold water swimmers call this effect the "afterglow."

7. It is a great way of socializing and making new friends

There is a great sense of community and camaraderie amongst cold water swimmers. There is nothing that brings people together like facing a challenge and sharing the experience as a group.

Of course, there are safety considerations for immersing yourself in freezing cold water without a wet suit. There are rules posted on the Outdoor Swimming Society website that are as follows:

1. Acclimatise

As the temperature drops, just keep swimming and your body will get used to the cold. The end of summer is the perfect time to start cold water swimming. It will not be such a shock to the system as the sea temperature begins to lower heading into winter.

2. Be safe

Open water can be dangerous. Only ever swim where it is safe and make sure you can enter and exit the water quickly and easily. Consult your local tide chart before swimming and know the strength, speed and direction of ocean currents. Never swim on your own!

3. Wear the right kit

Wear a swimming hat, or two, to help preserve body heat. You can also wear neoprene gloves, booties, balaclava or a wet suit, whatever you feel comfortable with. If you cannot see the bottom, aquatic shoes or closed toe sandals should be considered essential gear for rocks, hazards, barnacles and crabs.

4. No diving

Do not dive or jump in unless you are used to the cold water. Cold water can cause gasping of breath and cold-water shock, which can be extremely dangerous.  This physiological effect has been known to drown people at alpine lakes with strong thermoclines, even during the summer.

5. Know your limits

As the temperature drops, decrease the amount of time you spend in the water. In winter, swimmers often only enter the water for one or two minutes at a time. The general rule is that you can spend one minute of time swimming per degree of water temperature.  Obviously, you need to listen to your body also.

6. Warm up slowly

Don’t have a hot shower right after swimming. Cold water swimming can cool your core and this can be dangerous. Instead, make sure you have plenty of warm clothes, wrap up well and have a hot drink at the ready.

I would not say that cold water swimming is for the weak of heart. Most of the people doing it have adjusted their bodies to the cold conditions and find it very therapeutic. It does help you connect with your body, your mind and the natural environment. It takes more than a New Year's splash and dash to experience these effects. Both of the times that I have completed the three Mad Hatters Swim Club polar bear swims. I have felt amazing afterwards. Your skin gets flush and warm, you become acutely aware of your body and how it is functioning and there is a heightened sense of wellness and awareness. I understand how people can shrug off the cold and become addicted to this hobby considering its long-lasting positive effects. That is of course, once you can feel your fingers and toes again.

Here are some Facebook groups dedicated to cold water swimming where you can find more information.

Vancouver Cold Water Swimmers: https://www.facebook.com/groups/3229879827097843/

Cold Water Swimmers: https://www.facebook.com/groups/nvcows/

Cold Water Club - Wild About Swimming: https://www.facebook.com/groups/309056485944248/

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

I wish to acknowledge we live and work on the traditional lands of the Semiahmoo First Nation.

 

 

Monday Februatry 20, 2023

TNT The Naked Truth

Don Pitcairn

Surrey - The Future Pays Here


When a government sends out a media release on a Friday afternoon, you can expect it to be bad news that they want to reduce exposure to with journalists being off work and the public busy with weekend plans.  It happens so often this practice is now referred to as a "Friday news dump" or "Take out the trash day."   When these releases are done on the Friday before a long weekend, it is usually even worse news that they are hoping to shield from media scrutiny.  Now imagine how terrible the subject matter must be for the City of Surrey to issue a media release at 2 p.m. on the Saturday of a long weekend.  It is bad enough that inflation is running at nearly 7% over last year and the prime mortgage rate sits at 6.85% putting the squeeze on consumers who are also holding record personal debt.  On top of all of this, the City of Surrey dropped a bomb on the heads of homeowners this weekend, revealing they can expect a whopping 17.5% increase to their property tax bill, that will likely rise even higher than that.

The details of this shocking increase were contained in the City of Surrey Draft 2023-2027 General Operating and Capital Budgets.  It should come as no surprise to Surrey residents that more than half of this property tax increase, a total of 9.5%, is to pay for the costs associated with the contentious police transition from the RCMP to the Surrey Police Service and back again.  Add to this a 7% General Property Tax increase and a further 1% raise in the Roads & Traffic Levy, and you reach the magical 17.5% property tax increase.  Here are the numbers and cost explanations taken directly from the City of Surrey website that equal $403 for the average single-family home.  

  • 9.5% General Property Tax increase to fund Policing Shortfall (approximately $219 for the average single-family home).

  • 7.0% General Property Tax increase (approximately $161 for the average single-family home) to fund:

    • General inflationary pressures

    • Hiring of additional 25 police officers, 20 firefighters and 10 bylaw officers for 2023

    • City Wide Operations (non-public safety)

  • 1.0% Roads and Traffic Levy. (approximately $23 for the average surrey single-family home)

Keep in mind this is only a start since it is unknown what increases the Surrey School Board and Metro-Vancouver will be tacking onto the tax bill for Surrey residents.  There is also a 3% increase to user fees that will add to the overall tax burden paid for by Surreyites.  The 9.5% increase is not just a one-time tax bill either, Surrey residents will be saddled with it for three years ending after 2025.  It could have been worse with Mayor Locke warning in early January that the SPS transition would cost Surrey $235 million, resulting in a 55% property tax increase, adding $1,200 to the average home bill and $7.700 onto business tax bills.  Meanwhile, across Scott Road, the Corporation of Delta who have had their own municipal police force since 1888 plan on a 4.9% increase in property taxes for 2023.  Adding a little salt to the wound, their Crime Severity Index of 57.6 is almost a third lower than either Surrey or White Rock that average 83.7 with the RCMP as their Police of Jurisdiction. 

There is one major assumption in Surrey's financial plan, which is the Surrey Police Service will be disbanded and the RCMP will once again control policing in what is soon be the largest city in BC by population.  According to figures from City Hall, keeping the RCMP will cost $235 million less than the Surrey Police Service over five years but the transition process would result in a shortfall of $116 million that would be paid for by the 9.5% increase in property taxes.  Mike Farnworth, the B.C. Solicitor General and Minister of Public Safety has yet to make a decision on the fate of the policing model in Surrey.   In a media release three weeks ago, the Minister requested additional information and more time to consider this complex policing issue and to complete a full in-depth analysis.  If Mr. Farnworth decides that the transition to the Surrey Police Service will continue, then Surrey's 5-year draft budget will have to be redone with these costs instead of the RCMP.  There has been no time frame given as to when this important decision on future policing in Surrey will be made.

You can read the complete details in the F004 Corporate Report on Surrey's 2023 Five Year (2023-2027) Financial Plan for general operating expenses at this link:  https://www.surrey.ca/sites/default/files/corporate-reports/F004%20CR%202023%20Five%20Year%20Financial%20Plan%20-%20General%20Operating.pdf .  A public meeting and live streaming of the Finance Committee will be held on Monday, March 6 at 2 p.m. in Surrey City Hall chambers to consider the 2023 draft budget.  The public can provide comment in person at the Finance Committee meeting or through written submissions.  The deadline for written comments is 12 noon on Friday, March 3rd, 2023 by email to clerks@surrey.ca or by fax to 604-501-7578.  If you wish to appear as a speaker, registration opens on March 3 with the details at this link:  https://www.surrey.ca/news-events/events/finance-committee-meeting

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

I wish to acknowledge we live and work on the traditional lands of the Semiahmoo First Nation.

 

 

February 13, 2023

The Naked Truth

Don Pitcairn

Follow The Money

 




The results of the 2022 Civic Elections across BC are now in.  No, I don't mean the votes, those were counted and the victors taking the Mayor's chair and Councillors seats were declared back on October 15th.  You can now read the financial disclosures of candidates for your region on the Elections BC website (https://elections.bc.ca/).  Simply go there, click on the "2022 General Local Elections Disclosure Statements Available" tab under the "Whats New" section.  

That will take you to the page with the following links for available disclosure statements.

Scanned disclosure statements

Campaign contribution data:

Hitting on the Candidates link that will take you to Local Search Options.  Select "Scanned Reports" and in the Election Area select either Surrey or White Rock.  That will take you to the list of candidates for the past two elections and by clicking on the 2022  results you can see how much money each candidate spent and who helped to pay for their candidacy.  To make this journey simple, here is the direct link, starting with the White Rock candidates:  https://contributions.electionsbc.gov.bc.ca/pcs/LESearchResults.aspx?PFN=&E=(ALL)&FTK=0&FT=(ALL)&FN=(ALL)&EAK=236&EA=White+Rock&OK=0&O=(ALL)&JTK=0&JT=(ALL)&JK=0&J=(ALL)&STK=0&ST=(ALL)&EV=(ALL)

Megan Knight who unseated Darryl Walker for the Mayor's Chair received $25,289 from a variety of sources with 15 people contributing $1,000 to $1,250 (the maximum individual contribution), many with real estate and develoment backgrounds.  By comparison, Darryl Walker raised $10,671 with only four people contributing $1,000 or more, one of who was Darryl Walker himself.  Keep in mind the Mayor's salary is $107,760 while Council receives a base salary of $43,100.  By comparison, here is the reported contributions for the Councillors who won a seat:  Chesney, $1,850, Cheung, $5,834, Klassen $20,780, Lawrence $10,215, Partridge $5,289, Trevelyan $4,925.  This does not include the dozen other candidates who ran and did not get elected whose campaign donations are also posted for public viewing.

The big city of Surrey was a different election story considering the size of B.C's largest municipality by land area.  There were five parties running candidates including three, United Surrey, Surrey First and Safe surrey with full slates.  Eight candidates ran for Mayor, over 50 for the the eight Council seats and 20 for the six School Trustee seats.  Needless to say reviewing all of the data would be a monumental task so I will only focus on the five people who received the most votes for Mayor of Surrey.  You can find all of the financial disclosure results for the 2022 Surrey civic election at this direct link: https://contributions.electionsbc.gov.bc.ca/pcs/LESearchResults.aspx?PFN=&E=(ALL)&FTK=0&FT=(ALL)&FN=(ALL)&EAK=200&EA=Surrey&OK=0&O=(ALL)&JTK=0&JT=(ALL)&JK=0&J=(ALL)&STK=0&ST=(ALL)&EV=(ALL)

Under the Local Elections Campaign Financing Act, endorsed candidates can share their expense limit with their elector organization by entering into a campaign financing agreement before the campaign period begins.  A candidate's expense limit in based on the election area and the office they run for.  With this in mind, Brenda Locke of Surrey Connect who won the Mayor's chair reported an expense limit of $219,193.36.  Doug McCallum of Safe Surrey, Gordie Hogg of Surrey First,  Sukh Dhaliwal of United Surrey and Jinny Simms of Surrey Forward all reported the exact same number for their expense limit to the exact penny.  This is the maximum amount allowable, just as $1,250 was the most an individual person could contribute to a political campaign.  If you want to be Mayor of Surrey, which comes with a $156,697 salary, you'd better have $220,000 in your bank account if you are serious about actually winning.

The new mayor Brenda Locke's grass roots Surrey Connect party spent $278,076 after raising a total of $289,449.  Former mayor Doug McCallum's Safe Surrey party spent a whopping $691,956 while raising $566,729 for a deficit of over $125,000.  Mr. White Rock Gordie Hogg ran under the Surrey First banner with $322,972 in spending versus $377,453 in donations.  Surrey-Newton MP Sukh Dhawliwal's United Surrey spent $635,548 while raising $637,643.  Lastly, Surrey-Panorama MLA Jinny Simms and her Surrey Forward party spent $322,972 on their campaign, raising $377,453 in income.  In total these five campaigns, listed in voting order from 1st to 5th,  reported $2.375 million in income and $2.47 million in expenses.  You can review all of this information in detail at the BC Elections electoral organizations disclosure statements at https://contributions.electionsbc.gov.bc.ca/pcs/LEElectionSummarySearchResults.aspx?PFN=&E=(ALL)&FTK=2&FT=Elector+Organization&FN=(ALL)&EAK=0&EA=(ALL)&OK=0&O=(ALL)&JK=0&J=(ALL)&EV=2022+General+Local+Elections

To see the millions of dollars flowing into these civic political campaigns is rather eye-opening and shows why some people are so intent on trying to control the agenda at City Hall.  Of course, decisions by mayor and council directly affect billions of dollars in real estate deals including rezoning of properties resulting in landfall profits for developers and landowners.  For myself, I want nothing more from my local mayor and council than open and honest governance, a respectful workplace and decision making transparency.  Having a sister who worked in the Planning Department in Surrey for over 30 years, Mayor and Council there would be better off following the direction of their Planners on how to build a city than the demands of their develop friends and campaign financiers.  Now if you excuse me, I have to go clean off my rose-coloured glasses knowing this is not reality with so much money involved.  

Naturally yours,

Don PItcairn

TNT EXTRA:  Across British Columbia, individual candidates and political parties seeking local office spent a combined $22.1 million during the 2022 election campaign, an increase from the $16.2 million in 2018 that equates to a 36 percent rise in spending.  This record amount was largely due to a large increase in money spent by local political parties, up from $5.8 million in 2018 to $11.4 million in 2022, with this figure nearly doubling in only four years,

I wish to acknowledge we live and work on the traditional lands of the Semiahmoo First Nation.

 

 

Monday February 07, 2023

Don Pitcairn


The Dirt on Mud Bay


Boundary Bay and Mud Bay are becoming a busy place these days with anticipated sea level rise expected to be one metre high by 2100.  There are many dikes that line both communities and farmland throughout the south Surrey region, including the promenade built beside the railway corridor, the public walkway surrounding Crescent Beach (which has already been raised) and the Delta Dyke Trail connecting Surrey to Delta.  With king tides, rising sea levels and stronger storms, these coastal defense strategies will need to be strengthened to avoid them from being over-topped and major flooding to happen on the leeward side of the dykes.  In case you are not aware, there has already been coastal flooding in the Mud Bay region twice in my lifetime including at Nico Wynd Golf Course and the Art Knapps Mud Bay Village.  Part of the overall flood mitigation strategy is also to extend the tidal marsh zone, modifying the ecosystem to prevent coastal erosion while helping to sequester atmospheric carbon dioxide.

Work on many of these projects is already well underway with the City of Surrey starting the Colebrook Dyke Upgrades last year, raising and expanding the dykes along the Serpentine River east of the Mud Bay Park that were originally installed in 1968.  These dyke upgrades are the first phase of Surrey's Coastal Flood Adaptation Strategy (CFAS) to control coastal flooding and protect against sea level rise in the not so distant future.  The Colebrook 100 dyke project at Mud Bay Park and the Colebrook 200 dyke projects stretching to Highway 99 are nearing completion and are visible from Hwy. 99.  From there the Colebrook 300 dyke upgrade will continue east on the north side of the Serpentine River all the way to King George Blvd. next to the Serpentine Fen.  There are calls for this dyke to become a public walkway that will link the Fen to Mud Bay Park leading all the way to Tsawwassen, an idea that I fully support as a long term plan for this region. 

Last week saw the start of a tidal project being performed by Ducks Unlimited along the shores of Mud Bay towards Delta.  Dense rafts of human-modified logs (read cut down trees, delimbed and lost during transport) have washed ashore in the Delta marshes where storm waves move them like large rolling pins that crush the shoreline vegetation.  Over the next few weeks excavators will be working to remove much of this shoreline debris from an internationally significant habitat for migrating birds and ducks plus over-wintering waterfowl on the Pacific Flyway.  While this project is being overseen by Ducks Unlimited senior biologists, the bulk of the funding for this work is from the Canadian government's Smart Climate Solutions Fund and the US North American Wetland's Conservation Act.  I should note here that the Boundary Bay Conservation Committee has expressed concern about this log removal and has called for a comprehensive wildlife plan for the entire bay with potential effects arising from the nearby Roberts Bank Terminal 2 expansion project. 

By far the most ambitious flood mitigation strategy planned for the shore along the north shore of Boundary Bay is the Mud Bay Nature-Based Foreshore Enhancement project.  This is part of Canada's Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund (DMAF) Program that includes 13 green and grey infrastructure improvements around the Boundary Bay watershed alone.  The City of Surrey wants to build a "living dyke" by bringing in large amounts of infill to help increase the elevation of the salt marsh that will allow it to adapt to future sea level increase.  Once the base soil is leveled, native salt marsh plant species will be installed which will help to hold the ground in place.  They are hoping this will reduce wave energy, enhance biodiversity, decrease shoreline erosion while helping to protect Highway 99 and the farms around it from the dyke being over-topped.  The concept is to build a pilot salt marsh  on a smaller section of Mud Bay of 210 metres in length by 1.38 ha in size followed by a second study area of 320 metres in length and 1.44 ha of shore area.  Learning from these two pilot areas, the plan is to then build a further 790 metres of living dyke that will connect the pilot areas consisting of a an 8.19 ha of marshy shoreline with construction completed by 2028.

The City of Surrey has requested that the Mud Bay Nature-Based Foreshore Enhancement project be exempted from an environmental assessment since it is intended to benefit the environment and the community with the City not expecting it to cause negative environmental effects.  The B.C. Environmental Assessment Office is seeking input and comments from the public on Surrey's project description and whether it should be except from an environmental assessment review.  Considering the amount of fill and erosion structures that are planned to be deposited over existing marshland that is ecologically significant as a major stopover and over-wintering ground for millions of shorebirds, many believe that an EAO review is essential.  This project is massive in scale and the details are extensive and time consuming to read, understand and absorb.  Besides including website links to the other projects I have touched on in this TNT (listed in order below) the last two include the details on the Mud Bay living dyke and the EAO Public Comment section.  The public comment period closes on February 27, 2023 at midnight PST if you want your say on this plan that will redesign and forever alter 1.32 kilometres of shoreline and 11 hectares of wetlands along Mud Bay.  Enjoy your further reading.

Naturally yours,

Don PItcairn

I wish to acknowledge that the land on which I live, work and enjoy is the traditional territory of the Semiahmoo First Nation and other Coast Salish People

 

Monday January 30, 2023

TNT The Naked Truth

Don Pitcairn


Cops Fishing in White Rock


And I'm not feelin' up to par, it increases my paranoia 

Like lookin' at my mirror and seein' a police car 

Lyrics to "Almost Cut My Hair", Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Deja Vu album, 1970 

I had an interesting event happen to me on Friday evening just after I'd finished work.  I was in White Rock to retrieve a tool we had misplaced and decided to drop by an establishment that specializes in craft beer where I happen to also have a maintenance contract.  I was only inside a short time, got in my truck and drove away in a safe and controlled manner obeying all driving laws as I headed home.  Several blocks into Surrey, I noticed an RCMP Explorer behind me, which was of no concern until the officer activated the squad car's red and blue flashing lights.  Figuring they had somewhere important to go, I pulled into the right hand lane and was surprised when they followed behind me.  Thinking that maybe there was a problem with the load on my truck, I pulled onto a side street and stopped with the police car lighting up the world around me. 

Now imagine my surprise when the officer approached my truck window, asking to see my license, insurance papers and demanding a breath sample.  He asked me several questions about where I had been, what I had been doing and if I had been drinking, all of which I did not answer as is my right, especially with already being demanded to supply a breath sample for the first time in my life.  When I took the test standing at the side of the road with cars driving by, I think the officer was pissed that I was sober.  I should note here that I have never been charged with drinking and driving, never been pulled over and been suspected of such, and never blown into any type of police breath alcohol testing device.  When going out for dinner, visiting a bar, or stopping at a brewery, I generally have one drink upon arrival, avoiding drinks with high levels of alcohol or beers with an elevated ABV.   If I am a designated driver with passengers as often happens, I stick to non-alcoholic beverages.   

The problem here is that the White Rock RCMP are targeting businesses that produce or serve alcohol, following people when they drive away from the parking lot and pulling them over to provide a breath sample.  It does not matter if you were there visiting friends, drinking coffee or kombucha, or were purchasing product for consumption at home.  Simply leaving the establishment gives them apparent justification to pull you over for a random sobriety check.  The targeting of certain businesses looking for drunk drivers becomes an issue when the customers realize the businesses is under surveillance by police on what is known as a "fishing expedition."  If police pull over every vehicle leaving a business, it will not take long before customers decide it is not worth the hassle and indignation of a road side sobriety test and vow to never return.  You will notice, I did not name the place I was visiting, which the White Rock RCMP had under observation. 

You may think that if you drop by a bar, pub, craft brewery, or nightclub that getting pulled over by the police when leaving is okay to ensure public safety.  Ask yourself how you would feel if every time you went to your favourite licensed restaurant that the police pulled you over with lights flashing and asked for a breath sample?  Imagine what would happen if the South Surrey RCMP decided to target both the Tap & Barrel and Keg restaurants that share the same parking lot.  With lots of Keg-sized drinks and strong beers, it could be reasoned that people might be driving away from these establishments with a blood alcohol reading over the legal limit of 0.05 gm/100 ml.  Now imagine, what would happen to these thriving businesses bottom line if their customers were being constantly targeted to supply breath samples.  Word would get out in the community and in no time they would be a ghost town and have to close their doors. 

A good example of this has to be the Fuggles Kraft Brewery in Richmond that sits directly behind the main RCMP detachment.  Not only is it right next door, there is even a gate in the chain link fence allowing members to go directly to this brewery to have a glass of beer after work or purchase cans or growlers of beer to take home after their shift is complete.  If the Richmond RCMP wanted to, they could pull over each and every vehicle that left the Fuggles parking lot and demanding a breath sample.  Tired of the police harassment and intimidation, I'm certain their customers would simply take their business elsewhere instead of being pulled over for no reason other than stopping at a perfectly legal establishment.  In this case, I've been told the RCMP have promised the owners that they would never do such a thing, knowing it would quickly destroy their business and the officers would lose their preferred local watering hole. 

While never driving drunk or ever having to provide a breath sample before, this is not the first time that I have been targeted by police doing unannounced drunk driving enforcement.  A few years back I stopped at the Berezan Liquor store in Langley that stocked a particular beer from a distant brewery that I could not get from the government liquor stores.  I noticed several IRSU (Integrated Road Safety Unit) vehicles circling the parking lot but was not concerned since I was sober as usual and picking up a 4-pack of beer for the weekend.  Much to my surprise, I was tailed out of the parking lot and pulled over with the bogus excuse given that I had "almost hit a curb" with my trailer.  I called the officer's bluff, gave him my White Rock Sun business card and proceeded to question him whether this was IRSU protocol to follow people for simply buying beer and if I should contact his superior with my questions for an upcoming TNT column.  Needless to say, he could not give my license and insurance papers back fast enough.   

This kind of fishing expedition could also be expanded to cover other perfectly legal businesses in White Rock that could possibly impair someone's driving.  Imagine the chill it would have on sales if every person leaving from Indigenous Bloom, A Little Bud or the new Seed & Stone were pulled over and checked to see if they were high on the devil's lettuce?  I don't know of anybody that would like to be subject to a roadside sobriety check for drugs simply for picking up a little pot from a registered supplier or BC government store.  Customers targeted for this lazy type of police enforcement would simply go elsewhere, call one of the many green lines that sell marijuana products door-to-door across Surrey or go back to "a guy" they know.  With the amount of seniors living in White Rock taking a cocktail of prescription drugs, maybe London Drugs, Rexall or any food store with a pharmacy might also be a prime site for a police stake-out, checking seniors for possibly being high as a kite. 

These kinds of RCMP tactics are what is used in police states and do not belong in the true north strong and free (think O' Canada).  Gradually over time the police are taking more and more powers while eroding personal freedoms including this kind of random search that is done without any legitimate cause or reason.  Governments are also doing the same thing on a constant basis, draining people's rights and freedoms by a thousand cuts through both laws and the courts.  The new Liberal gun laws outlawing semi-automatic rifles and banning all sales of hand guns by decree without any discussion in parliament is a shining example of this.  Government overreach during the pandemic, the violent police assault on peaceful protestors in Ottawa last January and globalization decrees from both the World Economic Forum and United Nations are eroding personal freedoms faster than a flash flood.  The imposition of digital currencies and digital ID, the ability of governments to cancel your bank accounts and credit cards and social credit scores loved by the CCP in China are on the horizon.  With all that is happening in Canada, it is not surprising that the Freedom Convoy rolled through White Rock on the weekend, with those wrapping themselves in the Maple Leaf wanting freedom from tyranny and oppression. 

Naturally yours, 

Don Pitcairn

I wish to acknowledge we live and work on the traditional lands of the Semiahmoo First Nation

 

 

Monday January 23, 2023

TNT The Naked Truth

Don Pitcairn

 

Plane Truth 2, Train Truth 1, Automobile Truth 0


Plane Truth 2

I have to give credit where credit is due.  Nav Canada has certainly turned the jumbo jet around when it comes to planning flight paths for YVR.  With a landing area constrained by mountains to the north, 240,000 flights a year, cargo planes running non-stop, float planes from the south terminal, plenty of executive jets, a swarm of small plane traffic from Boundary Bay Airport (BZZ) and flights from Abbotsford Airport (YXX), this is not an easy area to alter flight paths.  The last time this was attempted in 2007 and 2008, Nav Canada seemed to think they could make all the changes they wanted without any consideration to the environmental effects and the communities they were flying over.  It would appear that has changed with the recent Vancouver Airspace Modernization Project (VAMP) looking at the broad scope of the effects of these flight path changes.

Because of the complexity of this issue involving areas throughout the Lower Mainland, I will focus my attention on the Semiahmoo peninsula.  Unfortunately some of the information contained on the Nav Canada website pertaining to the flight path changes is outdated or incomplete.  If you didn't attend the meeting at the White Rock Community Centre on Thursday night, you missed out on learning about the details to this plan from actual air traffic controllers.  Unlike the last change of flight paths, this alteration will mean little or no overflights above the peninsula and no noise pollution for White Rock.  The GRIZZ STAR flight path that ran north on the western side of the Mud Bay will  be eliminated.  The new replacement, the Y-shaped double flight path heading north originating from a way-point over the waters west of Bellingham will replace it with jets flying closer to Ocean Park and especially Crescent Beach.  Newer satellite controlled jets on a 3-D path will fly on the left-hand approach to the south runway at YVR while older planes and more noisy flights will follow the right-hand more eastern route to the north runway.  Instead of much of these flights turning over North Delta and Newton, most will now fly over the eastern Burns Bog near Highway 91 away from residential areas.

Eventually all planes will abandon the eastern track, move away from Crescent Beach on the western track and fly a more direct and shorter approach heading north targeting both the north and south runways.  This will move the noise footprint well away from Crescent Beach, keep incoming flights away from the bald eagle nests on the Ocean Park bluffs while keeping commercial jets from flying above North Delta and Panorama Ridge.  In a year's time when the RNP-AR system is initiated, we will get an idea of how well this satellite guided navigation system actually works.  Please note that there will still be vectored flights, visual flight rules (VFR) diversions and departing planes, private jets, smaller planes plus military, police, and special operation flights overhead.  To say that the airspace above the Lower Mainland is complicated would be an understatement.  We were woken up at 8:07 a.m. on Sunday morning by a very loud jet that flew over our home in Crescent Heights.  Checking the YVR WebTrak website, I learned this flight was not recorded (meaning it was police, military or special ops) but it registered 66 dB over Ocean Park and likely 70-75 dB over our house, equivalent to having a vacuum cleaner outside the bedroom window.   In case you don't believe me, you can check it our for yourself at https://webtrak.emsbk.com/yvr5 .


After reviewing all of the flight path changes with the knowledge of what transpired in 2007 and 2008, I plan on asking Nav Canada and the VAA to consider making the following changes to their VAMP affecting this region.  While the new approach paths are actually in the middle of Boundary Bay, if feasible a pathway moved westward over the middle of Mud Bay would reduce the exposure to bald eagles and migratory birds to jet engine noise.  This would move the noise footprint away from Crescent Beach that is the main marine recreational site (read beach) to almost a million residents of Surrey and the Fraser Valley.  The noise monitoring terminal (NMT) currently housed at Ocean Cliff Elementary in Ocean Park should be relocated to Crescent Beach, possible at the Beecher Community Centre.  After six months of operations, Nav Canada and the Vancouver Airport Authority should re-engage the communities affected by this change to see if any modifications can be done that would benefit the environment, the communities under the flight paths, and the airlines who fly them.  If you want to submit a Nav Canada feedback survey with these suggestions, please visit the following website before Feb 3, 2023:  https://www.navcanada.ca/en/air-traffic/airspace-reviews/vancouver-airspace-modernization.aspx


Train Truth 1


I really needed this" twofer" TNT like a double-barreled shotgun to the head this weekend.  Already facing dealing with the rather complex Nav Canada VAMP issue, a BNSF coal train ground to a halt on Saturday morning near the trestle approaching the swing bridge by the Crescent Beach Marina.  With a length of a mile and a half (2.4 km long) this train blocked both road entrances to Crescent Beach.  This is now happening about once a year, seriously inconveniencing anyone wanting to leave or enter this seaside hamlet, but most importantly stopping emergency services from attending if needed.  If your house is one fire, you need an ambulance, or require police for any reason, you were out of luck.  The Railway Safety Act regulates rail carriers to clear the tracks at roadways in five minutes for a broken down train but this has not been the case at Crescent Beach, where Surrey now has a camera in place to monitor the lengthy delays due to previous blockages.

The cause of these breakdowns is related to the increasing length of the trains and the 115 year old swing bridge over the Nicomekyl River next to the Crescent Beach marina.  With a 10 mile-per hour speed limit, approaching trains have to slow down, putting pressure on the car couplers and the steel knuckles that hold them together.  With the many curves that wind along this waterfront route, it puts serious pressure on the knuckles, sometimes causing one of them to shatter in two.  This dislocates the trains, pulls the air hoses off and causes the brakes to be applied.  When this happens, BNSF contacts Surrey emergency services and the police, fire service and ambulance are all dispatched to the scene.  I should note here that the antiquated swing bridge is the only component of the rail corridor that has yet to be replaced by the BNSF who have already installed new bridges and continuous rail throughout this region in the past 15 years.

It took approximately three hours for this BNSF train to be repaired and clear both of the road crossings allowing traffic to once again leave and enter Crescent Beach.  During this blockage, near the marina I saw a dozen people walking on the pathway that leads under the BNSF Railway trestle bridge in and out of Crescent Beach.  This is the area that was previously recommended by City of Surrey staff for building a one lane emergency access road, an idea that was shelved due to cost and lack of two-way traffic.  Next up was the concept of putting a tunnel under the BNSF tracks at Beecher St., a plan that was also kiboshed by City Hall.  The latest plan put forth by Doug McCallum and his Safe Surrey Coalition was for a two lane bridge over the tracks, eliminating issues with breakdowns along with 9 minute waits for 1.5 mile long coal trains slowly approaching the swing bridge.  I expect that due to increasing construction costs and only 400 homes in Crescent Beach, this current plan will also hit the dumpster.

Years ago the BNSF forced the City of Surrey to build a pedestrian overpass at the bottom of Christopherson Park (the former 101 Steps) because of people trespassing across the train tracks.  Since the BNSF are blocking the two roadways into Crescent Beach, I say turnabout is fair play and that this US Railway company should pay for a separated crossing into Crescent Beach, whether it be a tunnel or bridge.  Since the federal government is responsible for rail traffic in this country and have done nothing about enforcing the five minute road clearance rule for trains, I think it is also their responsibility to fix this ongoing problem.  The City of Surrey should not be on the hook for paying to remedy this issue that is being caused by the BNSF Railway and the lack of accountability by the Liberal Government.  Make sure you email the Honourable Omar Alghabra to insist that he fix this transportation issue that the City of Surrey has nothing to do with, at his Parliament Hill address of  

omar.alghabra@parl.gc.ca

 .   While you are at it, dump this hot potato on the lap of our MP Kerry-Lynne Findlay at:

kerry-lynne.findlay@parl.gc.ca

 .  Mayor Locke and Surrey Council would be wise in doing the same thing to finally put an end this growing problem at Crescent Beach, similar to how overpasses were built in Langley City to deal with the issue of CN and CP trains blocking traffic there.

Automobile Truth 0

Sorry, but you'll just have to wait for it.

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

TNT Extra:  On Saturday afternoon a fully loaded coal train traveling north to the Jimmy Pattison owned Westshore Terminals at Roberts Bank derailed in Tsawwassen.  This crash took down hydro poles and causing a local power outage that did not affect operations at the nearby Deltaport Terminal.  At this time, it is unclear whether this was the same BNSF coal train that had broken down at Crescent Beach or a different train belonging to CN or CP Railways.

I wish to acknowledge that the land on which I live, work and enjoy is the traditional territory of the Semiahmoo First Nation and other Coast Salish People

Monday January 16, 2023

TNT The Naked Truth

Don Pitcairn

The Plane Truth


Back in 2007, Nav Canada (the Crown created monopoly corporation in charge of air traffic control) decided to change the flights paths for commercial jet airliners heading to Vancouver International Airport (YVR).  People noticed the difference one day when they woke up to the Semiahmoo Peninsula being strafed by passenger planes flying over once quiet neighbourhoods that made it sound like Richmond.  Amazingly, even though the local Nav Canada offices are located in nearby Newton, nobody bothered to contact Surrey City Hall, which at the time was a five-minute drive away.  Instead, these faceless bureaucrats made these draconian changes for the airline's benefit with zero thought and consideration to the people this change might affect.  I should note here that my dad was an air force and commercial jet pilot, I grew up on RCAF bases, plus have lived in both Richmond and North Delta under YVR flight paths so I'm very familiar with the effects of airplane noise pollution.

As you can imagine, the proverbial crap hit the propeller blade on this issue with communities around the Lower Mainland complaining not only about noise from these flight path changes but the complete lack of consultation.  Various community groups were formed to combat Nav Canada, politicians at all three levels of government got involved with the fight, and the City of Surrey formed the Nav Canada Working Group, of which I was a member.  Without getting into the serious technical issues on this topic that went far beyond this region, the end result was the GRIZZ STAR approach flight path was moved into the middle of Boundary Bay with planes piloted under Visual Flight Rules (VFR) being directed to avoid overflying the Semiahmoo peninsula.   YVR also installed WebTrak where flights could be followed and checked with new noise monitoring stations on the ground, including one located in Ocean Park (https://webtrak.emsbk.com/yvr5).  If a noisy plane flies over your house, you can wait five minutes and then watch it on Webtrak that will give you detailed information about the flight.

By far the biggest change from the year-long battle to quiet the skies over residential neighbourhoods across the Lower Mainland was that Nav Canada was forced to ensure that in the future, changes to flight paths could not be done without proper public consultation.  Well, here we are 15 years later and Nav Canada is once again making changes to approach flight paths for YVR that will help facilitate the satellite guided Required Navigation Performance Authorization Required (RNP AR) that allows aircraft to fly a 3D defined flight path with precise lateral and vertical navigation.  On the Nav Canada website they explain these changes known as "Vancouver Airspace Modernization" at the following link:  https://www.navcanada.ca/en/air-traffic/airspace-reviews/vancouver-airspace-modernization.aspx .  For residents of the Semi-Pen, the most important section is the "Changes in communities to the east, southeast and south of the airport" that includes a map of the proposed approach flights for this region:  https://www.navcanada.ca/en/vamp-east-southeast-and-south-communities.pdf .


The community specific map on page 4 with the south-east communities (read Surrey and White Rock) shows a week of historical flight approaches to YVR as thin blue lines with many above Boundary Bay.  The thick line of flights heading north and then turning east is the current GRIZZ STAR flight path that follows a set of navigational beacons.  The rest of the flights are VFR where in good weather pilots fly their own less structured route to the glideslopes for the north or south runways at YVR.  You should note that while Nav Canada originally promised these VFR flights would be instructed to "stay in the middle of Boundary Bay", this is not the case with many flying near the western shore of the peninsula and some crossing over Ocean Park and Crescent Beach.  I happen to live in this area and have heard commercial jets flying overhead after 11:30 p.m., waking up this usually quiet neighbourhood.  The map at the bottom of page 5 shows the noise footprint from the proposed RNP AR flight path covering most of Crescent Beach.

The same map shows the new RNP AP flight paths in two thick white lines coming up from the south near Blaine in an elongated V shape.  Both of these new satellite guided flight paths are much closer to the Semi-Pen coast than the previous GRIZZ STAR approach.  In fact, the one to the east will take a large number of jets up the coast just offshore from Crescent Beach.  At only 3,000 ft., these planes will create a constant wash of noise pollution across the public marine recreational areas of Crescent Beach and Crescent Rock where people go to relax in peace and quiet.  The Ocean Park bluff is also a favoured nesting area for Bald eagles plus is their spring hunting ground where they feed on Plainfin Midshipman fish breeding in the shallow waters of Mud Bay.  I highly doubt that Nav Canada gave any of this a thought as they laid out the approach paths that benefited the new navigational system and their airline customers.  What is missing from their report is where all of the older planes that do not yet have satellite navigation will now be flying.  As history has shown with the GRIZZ STAR, VFR flights basically travel where the pilots want to fly.

It will take a concerted community effort to move these proposed flight paths away from Ocean Park and Crescent Beach towards the middle of Boundary Bay where it was previously.  The YVR Airspace Consultation South Surrey/White Rock meeting is scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 19th from 5-8 P.M. at the White Rock Community Centre, 15154 Russel Ave. in White Rock.  This is a "drop-in" open house style event with no pre-registration required to attend but you can expect a crowd.  There will not be a large group presentation at a set time, instead representatives from NAV CANADA and YVR will be available throughout the entire event period to provide information and answer questions.  This public consultation concludes on February 3rd and you can let your feelings be known by attending this and other scheduled meetings, by sending in your comments by email to consultation@navcanada.ca. or by completing their feedback survey at the following link:  \https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=52XfbTKSGUq7aKLb9epadAJdYvlbfZNLrrCEXXnYLJhURURFRllGSDBURUpPVTVaTjVVMDhKUkRUWS4u


Take the time to learn the details and implications of this change to the long-term peace and quiet of Crescent Beach and the rugged shores of Ocean Park.  Make sure you let your feelings be known on this subject and make recommendations to the YVR Airport Authority and Nav Canada on how these changes can be made with less noise and environmental impact to this area.  Above all, contact Surrey's Mayor and Councillors, our MLA Trevor Halford and the MP for the south Surrey-White Rock riding Kerry-Lynne Findlay since control of air transportation in Canada is a federal responsibility.   I hope to see you all at this very important meeting on Thursday night where I have some questions and recommendations on how to once again move these jets away from the beach and stop them from flying over formerly quiet residential neighbourhoods in south Surrey.

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

I wish to acknowledge that the land on which I live, work and enjoy is the traditional territory of the Semiahmoo First Nation and other Coast Salish People

 

Monday January 09, 2023

TNT The Naked Truth

Don Pitcairn

 

Skybridge Skyfall

When I headed down to Crescent Rock beach on New Year's Day for the second leg of the Mad Hatters Swim Club trifecta of polar bear swims, I did not expect to come across a TNT story.  A few days later I returned to the Christopherson Steps at the west end of 24 Ave. in south Surrey to do a more detailed examination of what I had discovered there.  What I found and what I learned makes me realize that there are plenty of natural hazards around us that you might not notice, or if you do, you'd think it would take years, decades or even centuries for them to possibly cause harm.

On Dec. 20th, the Semiahmoo peninsula received up to 35 cm of snow and with my trusty Fat Max tape measure in hand, I measured 14 inches of the white stuff on our deck.  Later that week the arctic outflow weakened and an approaching Pacific frontal system glazed much of the Lower Mainland with freezing rain that coated everything with ice as it fell just before Christmas.  The weight of the snow and subsequent ice proved too much for many trees that suffered broken branches and, in some cases, even caused trees to bend over and fall.  If you went to the White Rock polar bear swim, you likely noticed the many broken locust tree branches along the promenade, many still with lights strung on them.   


I don't know the exact date or if it was the weight of the snow or ice (my guess the later) but during this time a 100 ft. tall Douglas fir tree pulled out of the Ocean Park bluff next to the Christopherson Steps staircase and crashed onto the BNSF tracks below.  The bluff is composed of glacial moraine with stratified layers of sand, gravel, mud and silt making this steep slope prone to slope movement and landslides.  I had noticed this fir tree leaning towards the tracks and shoreline and had thought many times that eventually it would lose the battle with gravity and eventually fall onto the tracks.  I really didn't understand the risks involved and not being Chicken Little, I never reported it to Surrey or the BNSF.

This 100-foot-tall tree, likely loaded with a thick layer of ice, pulled out of the ground halfway up the slope and fell on an angle towards the tracks, smashing into a post carrying the landslide detector fence (LDF) that stopped all train traffic.  The top part of the tree impacted the western end of the metal skybridge that allows pedestrians to cross above the tracks from the wooden staircase on the hillside to the metal steps leading to the beach.  Fortunately, the trunk of this tree fell only on the rail corridor but it left a thick layer of branches on the skybridge's roof and all around its base with one branch measuring over 6 inches or 15 cm. in diameter.  BNSF track maintenance crews attended the site and removed the heavy chunks of tree trunk and cleared the broken branches off the train tracks.


I reported this incident to the City of Surrey who will be examining the metal skybridge for damage and to check the hillside above for more natural hazards.  The scary thing about this incident is that this tree could have easily fallen a little further south with the heavy trunk smashing into the middle of the skybridge.  While it is a strongly built steel cage, it is unknown if it would have survived such an impact.  Whether the skybridge would have bent of collapsed is conjecture but being a pedestrian bridge suspended high above the train tracks, it is cause for concern.  Had this tree not smashed into the LDF system, it is possible a BNSF freight train could have also run into the trunk of this tree.  A train derailing next to the vertical supports that holds the skybridge aloft could be disastrous.

As if this wasn't bad enough, here is the scary part.  Just up the hillside on either side of the Christopherson Steps, there are two other large fir trees, both over 30 metres tall and close to a metre wide at the base, that are already leaning towards the tracks and directly at the Skybridge.  When these trees eventually succumb to gravity like the other one did, their thick heavy trunks will not miss the span.  This could take years, decades, or even centuries, but eventually this will likely happen.  The trees of course play an important role in slope stabilization, reducing the slide risk from the bluff above so cutting them down creates other hazards that threaten passing trains.  One thing is for sure, the City of Surrey Parks Department needs to document this hazard and regularly inspect these leaning fir trees before they reach the point of collapse.

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

I wish to acknowledge that the land on which I live, work and enjoy is the traditional territory of the Semiahmoo First Nation and other Coast Salish People

 

 

Tuesday January 03, 2023

TNT The Naked Truth

Don Pitcairn


To help celebrate the end of 2022, here is the TNT Year in Review that is a quick reference guide to stories you may have missed, wish to share, or simply want to read again. 

Once you have found a TNT column of interest, note the date and simply scroll down into the archives below to find it.

Jan. 9, Barking About White Rock's Tree Bylaw:  I branch out, get to the root of the problem and leave nothing out about changes to White Rock's new tree bylaw, noting it does nothing to stop the city from another Johnston Road or Hump clear-cutting.

Jan. 17, Hummer Bummer:  Extreme cold with artic outflow winds decimates winter hardy Anna's hummingbirds across the region despite various attempts to keep them warm with heaters and to stop syrup feeders from freezing.

Jan. 24, Historic Week For Surrey:  It was a historic time for citizens of Surrey as Mayor Doug McCallum had his first day in court on charges of Public Mischief while Metro Vancouver votes on changes to South Campbell Heights.

Jan. 31, Silencing the Surrey Ethics Commissioner: Mayor Doug McCallum and his Safe Surrey Coalition look to silence the Surrey Ethics Commissioner by cancelling his tenure nine months before the next civic election.

Feb. 07, Convoying a Message:  A broad expose on the Freedom Convoy, the legacy media campaign against it, government smear campaigns and a prediction from me for blockades on the Ambassador Bridge and our local Truck Crossing.

Feb. 14, Love Your Freedom:  This Valentine's Day TNT covers the RCMP blockade of the Truck Crossing, the fundamental rights in the Canadian Charter of Rights & Freedoms and government and RCMP goose-stepping towards a police state in Canada.

Feb. 22, Boots on The Ground:  I go from columnist to terrorist, holding a protest at the NDP's Jagmeet Singh's office as he votes to support Trudeau's Liberals in enacting the Emergencies Act against political protestors wanting freedom.

Feb. 29, Busy Days in the Haze:  in this "2fer" TNT, I cover a couple of stories from the Hazelmere Valley; Met-Van voting to support the rezoning of the South Campbell Heights and illegal "No Parking" signs erected all around the Freedom Convoy corner.

March 07, Legends Never Die:  In this heartfelt TNT, I announce the passing of my father Robert A. Pitcairn at the age of 83 and look at the life and times of one of Canada's most illustrious marksman who is in three sports halls of fame for target rifle shooting.

March 14, Glossing Over The Facts:  Eight months away from the election, a large glossy flyer from the Safe Surrey Coalition is examined in details for mistruths, false claims and omissions, including nothing about Mayor Doug McCallum's upcoming criminal case. 

March 21, Views For Votes:  Once again, efforts to "trim vegetation" on the Hump hillside is back before White Rock Council so that the "creme-de-la-creme" living on Marine Drive can have an unobstructed view of the pier, regardless of the slide risks.

March 29, Locke & Load:  A disturbing look at death threats against mayoral hopeful Brenda Locke of Surrey Connect which were apparently both detailed and sexual in nature, showing how low, vile and personal that political attacks have gotten in Surrey.

April 04, Machete Kills:  Police reports and criminal charges involving machetes are on an upswing and I look at why these long-bladed weapons between a knife and a sword are allowed to be sold in urban areas where they are seldom needed.

April 11, No Morals, No Ethics, No Shame:  In a direct attack on freedom and democracy in the city of Surrey, Mayor McCallum and his Safe Surrey Coalition are once again attempting to shut down the office of the Ethics Commissioner.

April 19, Trick or Treat on Oct. 31:  It is announced that Doug McCallum's trial date has been set for Oct. 31st, two weeks after the next civic election, with Surrey's criminally charged Mayor finally stepping down from chairing the Police Board.

April 25, Crescent Park Pooch Poisoning:  A rather disturbing TNT about pet poisonings in Crescent Park that have left two dogs dead, how pet owners can keep their dogs safe, and where to report any information people may have on this case.

May 02, Brown is the New Green:  Everything you need to know about Metro Vancouver's watering restrictions and tricks you can use to help keep your healthy and green as we head towards our historically hot and dry summer months.

May 09, Oasis of Green in a Concrete Jungle:  Going green for a second week, I focus on vertical gardens that transform drab walls of grey concrete into a lush oasis of life, courtesy of the Vancouver based horticultural company Green Over Grey.

May 16, Forced Drive to Winnipeg:  "Glorious and Free" this country is not as a family member is forced to drive to Winnipeg since they are not allowed to fly due to COVID-19 vaccine mandates that disregard charter rights of freedom of movement in Canada.

May 24, Garbage in, Garbage Out:  White Rock's transition back from private to city run waste collection is detailed after a strata property is denied garbage pickup even though the new blue bins have yet to be delivered in this classic city hall SNAFU.

Monday May 30. Keep Crescent Beach Open!:  Free parking at Crescent Beach is examined after some NIMBY's want pay parking restrictions brought in.  I suggest we bus in beach people from the unused Translink Park & Ride lot at KGB and Hwy. 99.

June 5, Spray Away Surrey:  Aerial spraying for gypsy moths in Grandview Heights is detailed and spraying of weeds in all-weather sports fields are examined where the dead vegetation has a pinkish orange hue, looking more like Roundup than simple hot water. 

June 14, Chemtrails or Contrails?:  Three planes flying in formation at high altitude leave lines of clouds over Crescent Beach.  They are identified as USAF KC-135 tanker planes that did not appear on YVR's WebTrak monitoring system. 

June 20, A Bridge Too Far:  The KGB bailey bridge replacement, Hwy. 99 Nicomekyl river bridge upgrades and 32 Ave. exit lane projects all proceed at the same time and I ask why it all had to happen at once snarling traffic for a year.

June 27, Crescent Rock Rescue:  The arrival of the Coast Guard hovercraft at Crescent Rock beach leads me towards the 1001 Steps where a lady is rescued after breaking her leg falling on the rip-rap boulders that line the BNSF Railway corridor.

July 04, Order In The Rock:  Two Semiahmoo peninsula residents, Haida artist Robert Davidson (Guud Sans Glans) and lung disease specialist Dr. Donald Enarson both receive the Order of Canada. 

July 12, White Rock Nudist Beach:  Did you know there is a nude beach in White Rock?  It turns out there is, if you happen to live in Dublin Ireland.  By chance, a week later I happened to be able to look down at the coast of Ireland as I flew by.

July 18, The Bisley Bulletin:  The TNT gets renamed "The Bisley Bulletin" as I leave Surrey, B.C. for Surrey, U.K. to compete as a member of the Canadian Rifle Team at the Imperial Meeting in Bisley England.

July 26, Surviving Surrey:  I cronicle my experiences in Bisley at the NRA UK Championships that included wildfires, the first ever red alert heat level, shooting in 43 C. temperature, having a busted elbow and various match results for both individual and team.

August 02, Carving Up Semiahmoo History:  A walk on the wild side of White Rock leads us to a salmon carved deep into a boulder near Coldicutt ravine and a reported indigenous carving of a man's face on a rock near Crescent Beach.

August 08, A Crappy Time for E.coli in White Rock:  Fraser Health water quality testing reveals that both East beach and West beach in White rock have E.coli contamination far exceeding public health water quality guidelines.

 

August 16, Targeted Risk:  When the police announce "Investigators believe the shooting was targeted and there is no risk to the public" you should know that any shooting in an urban area puts everyone's lives in danger from flying bullets.

August 22, Keeping Track on the BNSF Railway:  With summer here, the dangers of trespassing on the BNSF Railway to reach remote and secluded portions of Crescent Rock beach are examined along with the risks from beach fires.

August 29, Surrey Place Farce:  In a whopper of an election promise, Doug McCallum calls for a 60,000 seat stadium to be built in Surrey with no parking lots around it, leaving out zany ideas of access by canals on unused roads and a giant Ferris wheel.

Sept. 6, Crescent Log Beach:  The sorry state of Crescent Beach where it is jammed with old rotting logs is looked at compared to the nearby Crescent Rock beach that is faithfully maintained by naturists and nudists in pristine condition.

Sept. 13, Locked Out Again:  On a beautiful sunny Sunday, the gates on trails leading to both Crescent Rock beach and Crescent Beach remain locked yet again after security contractors once more fail to do their job without any consequences.

Sept. 19, Locke In Your Vote:  In a funny mix-up, a report that I filed on the Surrey Connect team's kick-off at Northview Golf & Country Club with campaign promises and quotes from Brenda Locke is inadvertently posted as this week's TNT.

Sept. 27, Tarantulas and Alligators of BC:  I turns out we have both of these very unscary creatures in B.C. as I encounter both a Tarantula moth caterpillar and a Northwestern Alligator lizard in the same week.  

Oct. 03, Surrey Stealing Signs:  The attacks on democracy and election signage in Surrey continue as we get closer to the election with By-laws directed to confiscate political signs from residential boulevard lawns and private property. 

Oct. 11, Fall at Hall 12:  The Surrey Fire Service Hall 12 has their historic sign hit the ground when the tree it was carved from falls after rotting out.  I detail their plans to save the sign and hopefully reinstall it at a future date.

Oct. 17, Done With Doug:  A review of the civic election results in both Surrey and White Rock that saw the incumbent mayors of both cities replaced, with Brenda Locke taking down Doug McCallum and Megan Knight winning against Darryl Walker.

Oct. 24, Did You Miss Time Change?:  The asinine times that the gates leading to the beach are locked are examined in detail, revealing why not only do they not make sense, they ensure people get locked down at the beach.

Nov. 01, It's Salmon Spawning Season - Finally!:  After months of drought the fall rains are finally here, much to the delight of volunteers at the Semiahmoo Fish & Game Club with salmon finally returning to the Little Campbell fish hatchery.

Nov. 07, "So-Called" Journalism:  I rip into the lamestream media over their smear campaign of using the "so-called" label to denigrate the Freedom Convoy.  It's funny that they can't understand why people across Canada don't trust then anymore.

Nov. 14, Better Surrey:  I reveal my concept of "Better Surrey" where people can help improve this city by making public suggestions on improvements and changes to make the City of Surrey a better place to live, work and play.

Nov. 21, The Magnificent Surrey Seven:  With a new mayor in chaarge, the seven people who were kicked out of Surrey council meetings get a public apology.  What they really need is to have their legal fees recouped by the city.

Nov. 28, You Be The Judge:  A close-up look at the Save-On-Foods parking lot and examination of the CCTV footage shows that former mayor Doug McCallum could not have had his foot run over as he claimed and the trial judge believed.

Dec. 05, Hatching A Plan:  At their AGM, the members of the Semiahmoo Fish & Game Club vote unanimously to move forward with plans to build a new modern fish hatchery above the flood plain where it will be safe from the Little Campbell river.

Dec. 12, Crescent Road & Track: A recent rash of accidents on Crescent Road makes me look at issues with this historic road and ways the Surrey Engineering Dept. can slow down traffic and make this road safer.

Dec. 19, Christmas List 2022:  The list of naughty and nice gifts we hope Santa will be leaving under the tree for the movers, shakers and decision makers from the Semiahmoo peninsula.  A Yule-time classic I hope you enjoy!

Dec. 27, Grin and Bear It or Bare It or Dare It:  A look at the White Rock Polar Bear Swim, the Polar Bare Skinny-dip at Crescent Rock beach, and the Mad Hatters Swim Club that does these two local swims plus Vancouver's English Bay in only 2.5 hours.

That's the year in a nutshell folks with 52 TNT's for your reading pleasure.  Look for more of my "The Naked Truth" columns posted weekly in the White Rock Sun for 2023.

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

I wish to acknowledge that the land on which I live, work and enjoy is the unceded traditional territory of the Semiahmoo First Nation and other Coast Salish People

 

 

 

TNT The Naked Truth

December 27, 2022

Don Pitcairn

The Pitcairn's taking the plunge Jan. 1st 2022 in their hot tub, surrounded by frozen snow, with an ice cold beer in hand.

Grin and Bear It or Bare It or Dare It

The long wait is over, it's time to once again take the plunge.  For the last two years organized polar bear swims have been cancelled across the Lower Mainland due to BC Health Guidelines focused on eliminating public events to control the spread of the COVID-19 virus.  With those restrictions now eased, there is no longer the need to take the plunge at home (with bonus points for creativity) as was the case for the White Rock Rotary Club's polar bear swim the past two years.  My wife Sheryl and I actually sent in our prisoner plunge entry, jumping into our cabana covered hot tub with icy cold beers in hand and snow all around the yard.  The fact we were skinny-dipping didn't win us any bonus points with the folks in charge of this promotion when we submitted our video.  Too bad, so sad, just another day trying to brighten those rather gloomy times and maybe grab some bragging rights along with a small prize.

The annual White Rock Polar Bear Swim was cancelled for 2019 after the pier damaging wind storm left mountains of debris and holed boats across White Rock's beaches.  It was last held in 2020 before COVID-19 restrictions on public gatherings came into place.  With the "take the plunge at home" virtual campaign the last two years, there has been a recent name change with the White Rock Polar Bear Swim now being called the White Rock Polar Bear Plunge.  i guess that no one at the WR Rotary or WR BIA realized that is the same sounding name used for the Polar Bare Plunge skinny-dip that has been held since 2007 at the nearby Crescent Rock beach in south Surrey.  Hopefully this homophone (different words that sound the same) miscue is changed since the words bear and bare even have the same letters.  Either way, registration for the White Rock event begins at 10:30 a.m. in front of the White Rock boulder east of the pier, with the swim starting at 12 o'clock noon on Jan. 1st, New Year's Day.

For a slightly different swim, Surrey's United Naturists ask you to "Brrr...ring in the Nude Year" as they hold their 15th annual Polar Bare Plunge skinny-dip on New Year's Day, Sunday, January 1st, 2023 at the nude friendly Crescent Rock beach in Surrey, B.C.  This clothing optional swim will be held at 1 p.m. in the icy waters of Mud Bay in front of the 120 tonne Crescent Rock boulder.  Simply walk south from the public Crescent Beach marine park 100 metres past the Christopherson Steps elevated metal walkway, or take these stairs located at the very west end of 24th Ave. in south Surrey.  Free registration for the 2023 Polar Bare Plunge begins at 12:30 p.m.   Your birthday suit is the natural attire for this annual skinny-dip but Santa hats, reindeer antlers, body paint and limited festive garments are appreciated.  Foot protection including secured sandals or aquatic shoes is highly recommended to help with footing on the small rocks before the sand flats.   FOR YOUR SAFETY, PLEASE DO NOT TRESPASS ON THE BNSF RAILWAY CORRIDOR.

Ice man Jamie Lee Kwen (5X) and Don Pitcairn (1X), two members of the elite Mad Hatters triple polar bear swim club.

If you think tat running into chilled ocean water during the winter is crazy, then there is another level of madness waiting for those who can't get enough of polar bear swims.  The timing of the White Rock Polar Bear Swim (12 noon), the Polar Bare Plunge at Crescent Rock in south Surrey (1 p.m.) and Vancouver's Polar Bear Swim at English Bay (2:30 p.m.) allow for the triple crown of polar bear swims to be completed in only 2.5 hours on New Year's Day.  This feat was first accomplished by two brave and adventurous ladies back in 2008 and in their honor, S.U.N.created the elite "Mad Hatters Swim Club" that can be joined by completing these three New Year's Day swims and sending in photographic proof to have their name added to the club's honour roll.  While the Polar Bare Plunge is clothing optional, to join the Mad Hatters Swim Club the Crescent Rock beach swim must be done in the nude.  Iron man Jamie Lee Kwen of Burnaby holds the record of completing the Mad Hatters' three New Year's swims an amazing five years in a row before COVID-19 restrictions ended this streak.

There you have it folks, three New Year's swims with increasing levels of difficulty.  I should note here that Delta also holds a polar bear swim at Centennial beach in Tsawwassen at 1 p.m., directly across Mud Bay and at the same time that the Crescent Rock skinny-dip is taking place.  Make a New Year's resolution to actually partake in one, two or three of these annual ocean baptisms.  At least it looks like the weather will be back to normal with temperatures well above zero and no snow in the forcast.  When I was last at Crescent Rock beach just after the big snow storm, the temperature was -10 C and -15 C with the wind chill.  Several metres out from shore, the seawater looked like a Slurpee with a thick layer of ice crystals floating in it.  Sorry to say but the thought of running into salt water that is cold enough to actually freeze does not sound like a good way to start the year, although I'm sure it would cure a hang-over instantly.

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYBODY!

HAPPY NUDE YEAR EVERY-BODY! 

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

I wish to acknowledge that the land on which I live, work and enjoy is the unceded traditional territory of the Semiahmoo First Nation and other Coast Salish People

 

Deceber 19, 2022 

TNT The Naked Truth

Don Pitcairn

Christmas List 2022


If there's one thing I love about Christmas, it's the annual traditions and in the White Rock Sun this holiday TNT is always special.  Here's the list of naughty and nice gifts we hope Santa will be leaving under the tree for the movers, shakers and decision makers from the Semiahmoo peninsula, listed alphabetically so as to not offend anyone.

Diana Barkley, Semiahmoo Fish & Game Club President�- A brand-new state of the art fish hatchery placed high above the Little Campbell river flood plain above the Little Campbell River.� As a stocking stuffer, a jar of organic honey from the club's bee hives.

Dave Chesney, WR Councillor�- For the editor of the WR Sun and veteran WR Councillor, a pound of his favourite Holy Smoke Coffee Holiday Blend coffee beans (so damn good).� As a stocking stuffer for Mr. Music, a 45 speed vinyl record of the Jackson Five's hit song "ABC." 

Kevin Falcon, Official Opposition Leader�- Kevin got his present a month early when the BC Liberals voted overwhelmingly to change their name to the United Party.� As a stocking stuffer, a new party slogan courtesy of yours truly, "Nowhere to go but UP."

Kerry-Lynne Findlay, S. Surrey-White Rock MP�- A dominatrix outfit along with a fine assortment of torture devices to inflict pain and suffering on Justin Trudeau's Liberals.� As a stocking stuffer, a copy of "50 Shades of Grey" for the lady who is now the Conservative Opposition whip.

Trevor Halford, S. Surrey-White Rock MLA�- For the new Shadow Minister for Affordability, Transportation & Infrastructure and ICBC, a tiger torch that he can use to hold the NDP's feet to the fire over impacts from the affordability crisis that we are now in.

Gordie Hogg, Mr. White Rock�- After getting almost 25,000 votes for Surrey mayor, good ol' Gordie gets a splitting axe under the tree since Surrey First once again split the vote.� For White Rock's perennial politician, a fine bottle of Carri-bean rum that he can share with me.

Debi Johnstone, KTRIS member - For the lady accused of running over the foot of the former Surrey Mayor in the Save-On-Foods parking lot, a Tesla car that would have recorded both audio and video of their confrontation and provided crucial evidence in this criminal case.


Megan Knight, Mayor of White Rock - For the new mayor who looks forward to “getting her feet wet” post-election win, an invitation to the upcoming Polar Bear swim on New Year's day.  As a stocking stuffer, a pair of brass knuckles after knocking on lots of doors in White Rock.


Norm Lipinski, Chief Constable, Surrey Police Service�- Kevin Bacon's twin also gets some Holy Smoke beans as he needs to wake up and smell the coffee, and stop wasting millions of taxpayer dollars until our policing debacle is decided on by Public Safety Minister Mike Farnsworth.


Brenda Locke, Mayor of Surrey - For the new mayor, a Gillet Venus shaver and a manicure set after she won a won a razor-thin nail-biting victory over arch foe Doug McCallum.� As a stocking stuffer for the leader of Surrey Connect, a "Surrey Girl" t-shirt courtesy of Surrey Shirts

Doug McCallum, Surrey resident�- For the former Mayor of Surrey who was recently found not guilty of Public Mischief, a boat where this Crescent Beach resident can now sail off into the sunset with the $56,000 separation allowance he received after getting voted out of power.

Ivan Scott, Keep the RCMP in Surrey - For the KTRIS leader, a cheque to cover their $50,000 legal bill to go along with the apology they have already received from the city of Surrey for trampling on their democratic rights and banning seven of their members from City Hall.

Sean Whyte, BC Lions placekicker - The real gift here is watching Sean play another year since returning to the BC Lions and recently signing a new contract extension.� For White Rock's returning prodigal son, a robe, a ring, new shoes and a fatted calf (Luke 15:22) left under the tree.

Harley Xwopoton, Chief of Semiahmoo First Nation�- The gift of good health after Harley recently announced he has a serious dose of the flu after burning the candle at both ends finally caught up with him. As a stocking unstuffer, a box of Neo-Citran Ultra Strength Total Flu.

Merry Christmas everyone an have a happy New Year!

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

I wish to acknowledge that the land on which I live, work and enjoy is the unceded traditional territory of the Semiahmoo First Nation and other Coast Salish People

 

 

 

December 12, 2022

TNT The Naked Truth

Crescent Road & Track


The subject of continuing high-speed car accidents on the many twisting corners of Crescent Road has been covered in this column before, but recent crashes make it time to look at this problem again.  Crescent Road is a bit of an anomaly for roadways in Surrey as it does not follow the regular assortment of north-South and East-West mile apart grid lines.  Instead, this historic road follows the lay of the land along the Nicomekyl river in south Surrey going from sea level to bluff top and back down again.  Along the way there are eighteen curves you have to navigate along with several changes in elevation for a length of approximately 5 miles.   With no traffic lights and only one stop sign (at 128 Street) to slow you down from the King George Blvd to Crescent Beach, it is a magnet for high-speed driving and serious crashes that include injuries and deaths.


Unfortunately, the engineering and construction of this road is rather dated as it goes back over 100 years.  A quick visit to the Surrey.ca website historical section has the following description for this heritage roadway.

"Crescent Road was constructed beginning in 1883 and later between 1910 and 1923, following the natural contours of the landscape, on the south side of the Nicomekl River, connecting the Elgin area to Crescent Beach. The name, Crescent Road, was in use by 1909, possibly earlier."

The picture posted with this online listing shows a dangerous corner at the north entrance to Crescent Beach where an out-of-control driver crossed fully into my lane while I was driving home in my Jeep YJ.  I took evasive action, swerving off the roadway onto the grass and sliding to a stop where the engine stalled since I had no time to hit the clutch.  That's just my own personal experience with speeding drivers on Crescent Road but I have plenty of other stories about crashes that I've witnessed, driven by or seen the results of.

In the past two months there have been three serious crashes on Crescent Road.  Two of these occurred on the south side of the road a couple of blocks on either side of 140 St where out of control vehicles smashed into the front gates of several homes, demolishing the heavy brick and concrete posts that once stood there.  The last wipe-out was where a vehicle failed to negotiate the corner at 144 St., slid across into the oncoming lane and took out about 40 feet of split-rail cedar fencing meant to protect pedestrians on the sidewalk.  This happened in an area that is posted at 30 kmh because of the pedestrian crossing and location of the Elgin Road Esso gas station.  I should note that this is now the second time that this fence has been driven into since it was erected a few years ago.  I'm thinking that some large concrete curbing might be more appropriate since drivers routinely ignore the low speed signage for this dangerous stretch of road.

Since I got on my little TNT soapbox about this issue, the Surrey Engineering Department has made some changes along Crescent Road.  They put up several of the yellow "Curve Ahead, 40 kmh" warning signs at many of the corners where crashes were routinely happening.  Up the hill west of Elgin Park, they posted three large yellow and black chevron signs indicating a sharp corner that has had the desired effect to slow traffic in an area where four people have previously died in car crashes.  The cats-eyes reflectors that used to line the middle of the road and the shoulders were taken off by snowplows a few years ago and unfortunately were never replaced.  This long stretch of road is rather poorly lit, especially in the curves where crashes happen repeatedly.  Except for the pedestrian crossing near Elgin Road that is part of the Semiahmoo Trail and the removal of all passing areas, Crescent Road remains basically unchanged since I started driving on it over 40 years ago.


The City of Surrey needs to look at the ongoing high-speed crashes on Crescent Road and take some concrete action to reduce speed for the Autobahn of south Surrey.  In the 30 kmh zone near the Elgin Esso station, speed humps should be installed, just as they are at all 30 kmh elementary school zones.  As I proposed to them before, some concrete curbing along the Semiahmoo Trail sidewalk and to protect the Esso gas pumps should be installed.  Centre islands with concrete curbing need to be placed at many of the sharp curves to help separate traffic and slow people down.  Traffic circles at 140 St., 136 St., 132 St. and 128 St. would help to reduce traffic speed plus help move people in and out of Crescent Beach in the summer.  Some "SLOW DOWN" and "SPEED KILLS" signs might give drivers something to think about, plus having brightly lit radar signs showing vehicle speed would be an asset.  Whether its RCMP or SPS, some actual speed enforcement on this long windy stretch of road both during the day and at night will show how pervasive dangerous speeding is on Crescent Road.

To get an idea of how serious a problem bad driving is in Surrey and the deaths and injuries that result, take the time to visit the Vision Zero Surrey on the City of Surrey website (https://www.surrey.ca/services-payments/parking-streets-transportation/vision-zero-surrey).  The focus of this program is to lower both deaths and injuries for drivers, motorcyclists, bicyclists and pedestrians in Surrey.  They are attempting to get to zero by "focusing efforts on Surrey's Victims of Harm, Location of Harm, and Perpetrators of Harm as identified through data analysis and community partnership."  The data this site contains is rather sobering with the numbers for the various KSI collisions (killed, serious injured) that happen every year in this city.  You might be surprised to learn that:

  • Pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists account for half of Surrey’s KSI collisions

  • 65% of Surrey’s serious crashes occur on just 5% of our streets

  • 80% of Surrey’s KSI collisions occur at intersections

  • High risk driving behaviours are a contributing factor in two-thirds of Surrey’s KSI crashes

I was almost in a head-on crash on Crescent Road that I narrowly avoided.  My wife was passed by a speeding car that failed to negotiate the next curve on Crescent Road and crashed into the trees.  I was on scene for a collision where a new driver speeding in Daddy's Jaguar sedan crossed the centre line and plowed into a Mazda 3, shattering the young lady's legs and trapping her in the car.  I visited the fatal crash site where a young man named Tony Blackburn died on Valentine's Day after his friend lost control on Crescent Road and spun sideways into a telephone pole.  When you experience these things and many more, it makes you want to help improve this historic roadway and that starts by getting upgrades to ensure it less of a race track and more of a safe arterial road.  With assistance from the new mayor and council, hopefully the Engineering Department can make this happen instead of leaving Crescent Road in its current state for another century.

I wish to acknowledge that the land on which I live, work and enjoy is the unceded traditional territory of the Semiahmoo First Nation and other Coast Salish People



Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

I wish to acknowledge that the land on which I live, work and enjoy is the unceded traditional territory of the Semiahmoo First Nation and other Coast Salish People


 

 

 

December 05, 2022

The Naked Truth

Don Pitcairn

Hatching a Plan

Last Saturday was the Annual General Meeting of the Semiahmoo Fish & Game Club located in the historic Hazelmere Valley of south Surrey where it has resided the past 65 years, while operating a salmon and trout hatchery for the last 45 years.  Besides the regular run-of-the-mill organizational information relayed to the membership and reports from the various directors, there was a very important topic on the agenda.  It is my pleasure to report to you that a vote to allow the SFGC executive to continue with plans for Phase 1 for the construction of a new fish hatchery to replace the rather antiquated and flood prone Little Campbell Hatchery (LCH) passed with a unanimous vote by all of those in attendance.

Last year was an extremely trying time for the SFGC volunteers who help run its Little Campbell Hatchery.  The atmospheric river that targeted the south portion of B.C. in November caused extensive flooding in and around the hatchery building.  The fish fence that is used to count spawning salmon was inundated with gravel and logs, sustaining serious damage.  The hatchery itself had two feet of water flowing through it, making for the second time in one year that the building had been flooded.  A power outage associated with the flooding knocked out pumps and aerators resulting in 30,000 coho eggs in the nursery being destroyed.  On top of that, floodwaters inundated the coho rearing ponds with adult spawning salmon replacing many of the young fish being raised there.  In short, it was an unmitigated disaster for the club and its hatchery.


With a new President and Board in position, the executive opened talks with Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) advisers and started touring other fish hatchery facilities in January.  They were looking at the possibility of rebuilding the antiquated hatchery with a more modern design in an area out of the Little Campbell river flood plain.  Using construction templates for modern fish hatcheries and with guidance from the Pacific Salmon Foundation, several local construction companies were approached for preliminary quotes for a complete rebuild.  It has been estimated that a Phase 1 design stage will cost $70,000-$75,000 and that an entirely new building and its salmon support systems will likely cost in the neighbourhood of $1,800,000.

The B.C. Salmon Restoration and Innovation Fund (BCSRIF) has announced federal and provincial co-funding of $200 million for supporting protection and restoration activities for Pacific Salmon and other wild fish stocks.  Their focus is on innovation, infrastructure and science partnerships, their priorities are for salmon ecosystems, habitats and sustainable fisheries and their fundamental projects include improving salmon stocks, mitigating climate change impacts, plus incorporating Indigenous participation and knowledge.  Fortunately, the SFGC and its LCH tick many of these boxes with letters of support from Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke, South Surrey MLA Elenore Sturko, South Surrey-White Rock MP Kerri-Lynne Findlay, The Semiahmoo First Nation plus LaFarge Canada Inc.  Having an existing fish hatchery, available land and a knowledgeable volunteer base is definitely a bonus.

The DFO gave the SFGC $35,000 from its Salmon Initiative Strategy on top of the $8,000 it pays annually to the hatchery to help support its normal operations.  A further $35,000-$45,000 will be needed from various funding sources and approved grant applications to complete the Phase 1 plan by the end of January 2023 time frame for this project.  It is hoped by that time that working drawings of the proposed facility will be submitted to the City of Surrey with the likelihood of receiving a building permit within one calendar year.  Current projections for this massive undertaking are for $300,000 to be needed by March of 2023, $1,000,000 by March of 2024 and a further $500,000 for completion of the buildings and infrastructure by the spring of 2026 when the new hatchery should be up and running.

Just like when the original fish hatchery was built on the banks of the Little Campbell river 45 years ago, services in kind, volunteering and donations to the building fund will be gracious accepted once government grants are received, building permits issued and the construction contracted.  At the end of this ambitious and much needed upgrade of the hatchery complex, the Semiahmoo Fish & Game Club will have a brand-new state of the art salmon hatchery.  Getting volunteers to help capture, count and raise salmon in the hatchery should not be a problem as membership in the SFGC has blossomed this year with over 750 members now in attendance.  With COVID rates declining, everyone is looking forward to classrooms of children returning to the SFGC property to view the hatchery operations and explore the riverside nature trails. 

If you would like to help fund the club activities and contribute to the funding for Phase 1 of the new hatchery plan, the SFGC is once again holding its Christmas tree chipping event on January 7 & 8 at 1284- 184 St. by donation.  Please mark this date and address on your 2023 calendar if you are planning on having a real tree this holiday season.  The club will also be taking applications for new memberships, hoping to eclipse 1,000 members in 2023 as excitement for a new modern salmon hatchery on the Little Campbell river builds.

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

I wish to acknowledge that the land on which I live, work and enjoy is the unceded traditional territory of the Semiahmoo First Nation and other Coast Salish People

 

 

November 28, 2022

TNT The Naked Truth

Don Pitcairn

You Be The Judge


Former Surrey mayor Doug McCallum's trial on Public Mischief ended last week and he was found not guilty in the Surrey Provincial Courthouse.  As I noted in my TNT Extra, you can read the Reasons for Judgment by Judge Reginald Harris on the Provincial Court of BC website at the following link:  https://www.provincialcourt.bc.ca/judgments.php?link=https://www.canlii.org/en/bc/bcpc/  Before delving into the following TNT, it is advisable that you read the evidence and judgment in detail in order to better understand what I am going to reveal to you today on this historic Surrey criminal case.

I was in courtroom 101 for the start of McCallum's trial and also attended on the final day when the judge explained his reasoning and gave his verdict.  I was rather surprised that the judge ignored McCallum's statements about being pinned to his car, having his leg run over or that the Mustang in question tore away at a high rate of speed, all which were proven false.  In video footage outside of Save-On-Foods and the Peace Arch Hospital, Mr. McCallum appears to be walking fine without any presence of a limp, this after allegedly having his foot run over by a tire carrying over 900 lbs of weight.  On the question of whether Mrs. Debi Johnstone ran over Doug McCallum's foot, the Judge believed this to be true and gave his many thought-felt reasons to find Mr. McCallum not guilty of Public Mischief.

Leaving the Surrey Courthouse, I decided to visit the Southpoint Save-On-Foods (SOF) to see the area for myself where this alleged hit and run had happened.  Of interest was the landscaped traffic island bed and its relation to the CCTV footage that was taken from a camera mounted at the top of the right front door as you enter this grocery store.  I had viewed the CCTV footage once it had been released in court but bushes blocked the view of Mr. McCallum's feet in relation to Debi Johnstone's Mustang car.  This traffic island also contains several boulders that make standing in it basically impossible, meaning her belief that Doug McCallum had stood there during their heated discussions was erroneous.  I took detailed measurements of all of the obstacles and roadway widths from the area plus plenty of photographs concerning lines of sight from the position of the nearby CCTV.

There are four disabled parking stalls adjacent to this area, with the ones closest to the store being 12 feet wide and the next two being 9 feet wide.  They are all 19.5" long, or 39 feet in total, with the 12-foot-wide ones having a disabled parking sign located in the middle 6' from the curb.   The north/south driving lane where Debi Johnstone stopped her car to harass Doug McCallum is 12' wide, while the east-west driveway in front of SOF lanes are 14' and 13.5' or 27.5' in total.  The landscaped bed in question is just over 12' wide with curbing that is 4.5 inches tall.   There are several rocks at the end of the traffic island with one 21" tall leaving only 11" of space between the rock and the edge of the curb.   The painted yellow stop line is 5' from the corner of the traffic island next to the disabled parking and the pinch point of the large boulder is 3' from this same curb corner. 

By plain crazy luck, my wife drives a silver Ford Mustang convertible, similar to the one owned by Debi Johnstone.  This car is 188.5" long, 74" wide and 56" tall with a 107" wheelbase, a turning circle of 33.4' and weighs 3,500 lbs.  I'm not going to bother you with horsepower, torque, 0-60 speed or any other performance details but it is fun to drive, especially with the top down where you have increased visibility and can easily yell obscenities at local political figures, which comes in handy.  By far the most important measurements with relation to this case are the distance from the front bumper to the middle of the front seat which measures 5' when my wife is driving.  The distance from the driver's seat to the middle of the rear wheel is only 3' and the closest you would ever stand next to the side of this vehicle when it is running would be 2" away, and likely further if you were concerned for your safety after being publicly ridiculed.  

Now it is time to dissect the CCTV video of the alleged hit and run incident with a 2:08 minute clip posted on CBC at https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/2096677443609 .   It starts with Debi Johnston's silver Mustang driving left to right through the two disabled parking spots that are 12' away from the traffic island (0:07-0:19 sec.).  At centre screen Doug McCallum can be seen walking away from his car putting on a surgical mask (0:18-0:22 sec.).   As the Mustang turns right and pulls up at the yellow stop line, he turns and walks back alongside the car stepping up into the traffic island and then down into the vacant disabled parking spot (0:23-0:32 sec).  Mrs. Johnstone's car is slightly angled away from the traffic island and there is a yellow sign and tree just above Mr. Mccallum's head and a reflector at his left shoulder.  Just over a minute into this video, Mr. McCallum steps back and to the left away from the Mustang with the reflector disappearing from sight (1:05-1:08 sec.).  They continue to converse until at 1:28 seconds the Mustang begins to pull away driving straight ahead then turning wide halfway into the oncoming lane at regular parking lot speed.  As the car pulls away Mr. McCallum begins to turn his body and as the car passes he proceeds to walk back towards the grocery store, this time not stepping up onto the traffic island.


X marks the spot!

Now, here is where all of the measurements and the picture of the area where this interaction happened all come together.  When Debi Johnstone turned and parked her car in the laneway the Mustang was slightly angled away from the traffic island with her car stopped near the front of the yellow stop line a couple feet from the curb.  Mr. McCallum walks over to her car, stepping up onto the corner of the traffic island as visible from his head motion and down into the disabled parking spot before turning to face the car.  The distance from the stop line to the corner of the curb is 5' and the Mustang is 8" from bumper to driver, meaning he would be standing 2.5'-3' feet from the north side of the traffic island.  Stepping up, onto and then off this island reveals that his forward progress would place him at least 1' behind the corner of the curbing that the car was stopped well away from.  Comparing lines of sight from the position of the CCTV and vegetation in front of Mr. McCallum plus the trees and yellow sign behind him reveals exactly where he is standing, which is where I placed a yellow X in the photo you see.  Unlike the judge in this case, I don't believe Mr. McCallum had his foot run over in this incident unless he is Surreyman.., I mean Superman.  When the Mustang drives away, Mr. McCallum walks out into the laneway area and turns right to return to the front of the SOF store without stopping, looking down at his feet, or limping.

Had the RCMP and prosecutor taken all of these measurements, shown the details of the traffic island and explained Mr. McCallum's motions in relation to the CCTV and his positioning besides the Mustang, this trial could have had a different verdict.  There were also two CCTV cameras on the nearby Rogers store that may have offered a different view and vantage point but it is not known if this footage was ever secured or revealed the interaction in question.  With the judge finding Mr. McCallum not guilty and believing that his foot was run over by Mrs. Johnstone, does that not mean that the shoe is now on the other foot?  Could charges of vehicular assault, dangerous driving and leaving the scene of an accident now be filed against Debi Johnstone for using her car as a weapon?  The photos, measurements and explanation in this TNT might then be used to clear her name, proving that not only did she never pin the former Mayor against his car, she didn't ran over his foot either.  Somehow, I don't think the RCMP will be pursuing this as aggressively as they did charges against the man trying to replace them with the Surrey Police Service.

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn


TNT Extra:
  Former Surrey Mayor Doug McCallum was found NOT GUILTY on his charge of Public Mischief.  Judge Reginald Harris delivered his verdict on Monday morning in the Surrey Provincial Courthouse, saying he was satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt that McCallum had his food run over by a Mustang in the Save-On-Foods parking lot during a verbal confrontation with a KITRS supporter.  Judge Harris acknowledged that several statements made by McCallum were inaccurate but did not believe he was lying to police investigators, blaming the fear and stress McCallum was experiencing for these discrepancies.  You can read the reasons for judgement on the Provincial Court of British Columbia website at the following link: https://www.provincialcourt.bc.ca/judgments.php?link=https://www.canlii.org/en/bc/bcpc/


I wish to acknowledge that the land on which I live, work and enjoy is the unceded traditional territory of the Semiahmoo First Nation and other Coast Salish People

 

 

November 21, 2022

TNT The Naked Truth

Don Pitcairn

The Magnificent Surrey Seven

It took the removal of Doug McCallum from Surrey City Hall, the end of the Safe Surrey majority on council and a big change of heart from City Hall for "The Magnificent Surrey Seven" to receive an apology for the treatment they have endured.  Late last year, Surrey Council voted to ban seven Surrey residents, Annie Kaps, Debi Johnstone, Colin Pronger, Ivan Scott, Merle Scott, Marilyn Smith and Linda Ypenburg from attending council chambers.  They were members of the Keep The RCMP In Surrey (KTRIS) group that were a serious burr under the saddle of then Mayor Doug McCallum and his efforts to bring in the Surrey Police Service.   The new Mayor Brenda Locke had this to say about this assault on civic democracy, “As mayor of the city of Surrey I want to extend our sincerest apologies to the seven individuals who were prohibited from attending council meetings in person by a council resolution adopted on Sept. 13, 2021.  As mayor of the city of Surrey I want to extend our sincerest apologies to the seven individuals who were prohibited from attending council meetings in person."

The City of Surrey hired Lidstone & Company Law Corp. to file a petition to the BC Supreme Court on Oct. 18, 2021 asking that the seven be prohibited from "physically attending City of Surrey Council and Committee meetings in person, until Council determines otherwise.”  These seven residents hired their own legal team and filed a petition in BC Supreme Court on Dec. 14, 2021 to have the ban on them attending council chambers overturned.  Feeling the public heat and likely realizing they did not have a legal leg to stand on, council then rescinded the ban six days later without offering an apology for the pain and suffering the Mag 7 had endured.  Now that the new Surrey council has rectified this past mistake by issuing a formal apology, maybe it is time to put their money where their mouth is.  In order to fight City Hall, "The Magnificent Surrey Seven" had to hire lawyers to represent them, which racked up a $50,000 legal bill.  If Surrey taxpayers can pay for Doug McCallum' legal dream team with Richard Peck to fight his Public Mischief charge that involved several members of KTRIS, then City Hall should buck up and reimburse them for their legal costs.

On the subject of Doug McCallum, three of his 4'x8' Safe Surrey election signs are still posted up on 16th Ave. in south Surrey (the photo is from 172 St.).  These signs should have been removed no later than two weeks after the election as per Surrey sign bylaws and here we are over a month past the election date.  Knowing of Doug's penchant for eliminating election signs from boulevards and city property plus directing the Bylaw Dept. to confiscate Surrey Connect election signs before the civic election, I decided that turnabout was fair play.  I reported these signs to Surrey Bylaws and received word a file had been generated for an officer to investigate and hopefully issue fines.  McCalllum's election slogans were "Doug gets it done" and "Doug delivers."  Well, it's time to get your sign clean up DONE and DELIVER them to the dump.  Just because you lost and were kicked out of office doesn't mean that the bylaws don't apply to you.  I have run for public office twice and been the sign manager for both a Surrey mayoralty candidate and a South Surrey-White Rock MP.  In all of these cases, the election signs were collected within three days after the ballots had been counted.  

Maybe Doug McCallum has not bothered with this cleanup because his foot was still sore from where one of "The Magnificent Surrey Seven" Debi Johnstone allegedly ran it over with her Mustang at a KTRIS event.  I don't believe a word about what Doug McCallum had to say to the police about this incident and CCTV footage in the Save-On-Foods parking lot shows the former Mayor never looking down at his feet and walking briskly without a limp after their encounter.  By chance, Monday, Nov. 21st, the day this column was posted, is verdict day at the Surrey Provincial Courthouse.   Judge Reginald Harris will be announcing his decision based on the evidence that was presented at trial, an explanation of which should last about two hours.  Special Prosecutor Richard Fowler had this to say to the judge about Doug McCallum, “This is not a trial about whether or not Mr. McCallum's foot was run over.  This is a trial about whether or not Mr. McCallum, with the intent to mislead, made false statements to the police, with the intention of causing Ms. Debi Johnstone to be suspected of having committed offences she had not committed.”  It will be interesting to see if the high-priced legal team that Surrey taxpayers are footing the bill for manages to get Doug McCallum off the hook.

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

 

November 14, 2022

TNT The Naked Truth

Don Pitcairn

BETTER SURREY

There are approximately 550,000 residents now living in the City of Surrey.  That is a lot of eyes and ears, many boots on the ground and plenty of people from various backgrounds, with different ideas and individual personalities.  I am but one small cog in the big machine that is Surrey, but we are all responsible for how our city grows and develops into the future.  Now imagine if every person living in this town were given the opportunity to help make Surrey a better place to live, to recommend improvements and help promote livability in this region.  That is the basis for an idea I call "BETTER SURREY" that could be used as a sounding board for residents to make individual recommendations that would make Surrey a better place to live.  

The concept is to have an email address available on the Surrey.ca website or possibly even a BETTER SURREY Facebook page where folks can pass along their suggestions to City Hall.  With over half a million people and a very large municipality, I believe it makes sense to reach out and allow residents of Surrey their say on civic improvements based on their experiences and concepts they may have.  These recommendations do not have to be on the monumental scale such as a 60,000 seat stadium, building a system of canals, or even a Ferris wheel in Bridgeview.  They could be just small-scale suggestions based on each person's individual experiences and their knowledge of their neighbourhood.  There are places in Surrey I know little about but I am very familiar with my little corner of the world that those in City Hall should be aware of.  Using people's personal knowledge and insight, together we can make Surrey a better place to live.

I'm kind of cheating here since I already have this long-standing soapbox to rant from but here is a list of community improvements that I could submit to BETTER SURREY if this concept is put into motion.   Some of these have been covered as previous TNT topics but I think that collectively they show the level of insight that residents have of their communities.  In no certain order, here are ten of my suggestions that I believe would make for a BETTER SURREY.  Trust me when I say I probably could have written fifty of these ideas but I didn't want to be up all night or possibly bore my readers to death.  Not to mention, I don't think my editor Dave Chesney would be very happy having to proof-read a TNT of biblical proportions.

  1. Sandy Trail connects the neighbourhood of Crescent Heights to Crescent Beach and yet there are no signs at either of its three entrance points giving its historical name.  It also does not appear on the City website, meaning that many people do not even know of its existence.  This dark gravelled trail could use some pathway lighting as it is extremely dark in the woods at night

  1. The shoreline of Crescent Beach needs to be cleaned every spring of extra logs that float into Mud Bay and get deposited on the shoreline.  The pathways should be cleared and the logs arranged for maximum public benefit and relaxation area.  This log sorting operation is done on other beaches throughout the Lower Mainland and it is time that it was done here in Surrey.

  1. The Christopherson Steps (formerly 101 Steps) at 24 Ave. and 1001 Steps at 15A Ave. need to have street signage pointing to these Crescent Rock beach access staircases, along with names at both the top and bottom of these stairs so that people know what they are called and where to direct emergency personal in case of an accident at the shoreline or on the train tracks.

  1. The muddy shoreline between Blackie Spit and the BNSF train trestle at the Crescent Beach Marina should have "Danger Quicksand - Keep Out!" signs posted on the areas that saturate with incoming tides where people have become trapped in the mud and needed rescuing by the Surrey Fire Service. 

  1. The Ocean Park staircase at 13 Ave. and 131 St. needs to be properly named and signed at both top and bottom, on nearby streets and also placed on the Surrey website.   Its real name is the "Olympic Trail" as it looks south at the Olympic Peninsula from what used to be Olympic Road.  It is not called "Pot Point", "Stoner's Point" or the lame "13 Ave. Lookout" name that has recently surfaced at City Hall.

  1. Christopherson Road north of 24 Ave. needs to finally be paved.  It is still a graveled street in an area with an ocean view and homes valued at $5-10 million.  The west end of 24 Ave. is no better with a surface of asphalt oiled gravel dating back at least 80 years.  Somehow these streets have become the roadways that the Engineering Department has forgotten about.

  1. Crescent Road is a windy roadway that stretches from KGB to Crescent Beach with only one stop signs and no traffic lights.  It is used as a high-speed racetrack resulting in constant wipe outs into the gates of the many high-end homes along this street.  Traffic calming islands, chicanes, roundabouts, or speed humps are needed to lower the crash rate and deaths on this dangerous road.

  1. Colebrook Road along the bottom of Panorama Ridge was repaved earlier this year but it is extremely dark and needs overhead lighting installed at the t-intersection at 160 St. where two cars have already plowed through the guardrail, and on either side of the BC Railway overpass for the KGB.  More lighting for the notorious dump spots might also decrease illegal dumping.

  1. The unused Surrey Park & Ride lot on the west side of KGB could be turned into a neighbourhood garage sale on the weekend during the summer months.  People simply rent the stalls they need from Translink and sell merchandise out of their trunks or put up tables and shelters.  This would be a fun community event and also help generate revenue for Translink.

  1. There is no mention of Crescent Rock beach on the City of Surrey website and no sign-age informing people to its 75-year history of clothing-optional use.  If Surrey wants to champion diversity and inclusion, this shoreline that is to Surrey what Wreck Beach is to Vancouver should be listed on the Parks and Recreation section of the City website.  Sign-age leading to and from the beach would help to educate and inform.

There you have it and I didn't even mention building Skytrain to Newton, keeping the RCMP in Surrey or Elon Musk launching Space-X rockets here here to help celebrate Diwali.  I certainly don't have all of the answers as to how to make this a BETTER SURREY but if we all put our heads together and help direct those at City Hall whose job it is to make civic improvements, just imagine how collectively we could change this city over time.  If every person in Surrey had ten suggestions as to have to create a BETTER SURREY, we would have 5.5 million ideas worth considering.  I do realize that the City has a budget and not all improvements could be made but at least we would have a community forum where these ideas and concepts could be discussed, considered and possibly implemented.  


Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

I wish to acknowledge that the land on which I live, work and enjoy is the unceded traditional territory of the Semiahmoo First Nation and other Coast Salish People

 

NOVEMBER 07, 2022

TNT The Naked Truth

\Don PItcairn

"So-Called" Journalism

I watch, listen to and read a large variety of media news and am constantly surprised by the misinformation, bias, and outright fabrication that I have seen when it comes to fair reporting these days.  I believe that much of this is likely due to media of all forms becoming more centrally controlled and corporation dominated.  Throw in the political and religious leanings of those involved not to mention big money advertisers plus government funding and the news of the day can often become slanted or even tainted.   When you get your news from a variety of sources it is amazing how the story can change depending on what channel you are watching, what station you are listening to or what newspaper you are reading.  Simply check out Fox News and CNN in the United States to see the difference in reporting.

That being said, there is a dedicated media smear campaign in Canada that has been on-going for most of 2022 that is unfortunately continuing to this very day.  It is the use of the "so-called" tag that is used when journalists and editors are reporting on the "Freedom Convoy" protest.  Ask yourself how often you have read or heard the term "so-called Freedom Convoy" in the last year?  What is interesting is the people in the trucking industry who originally decided to bring a rolling protest to Ottawa gave their movement a name and it was the "Freedom Convoy."  Whether you agree with their motives, their protest, their actions in Ottawa or the use of the Emergencies Act against them, the Freedom Convoy (note the lack of quotation marks) is the name of this movement.

A simple Google search of "so-called meaning" quickly shows how this is an insulting and degrading term.  The Oxford dictionary defines so-called as "used to express one's view that a name or term is inappropriate."  The Cambridge dictionary lists so-called as "used to show that you think a word that is used to describe someone or something is not suitable or not correct."  If you search "Is so-called a negative word?" you will find that "'so-called' has negative connotations, with the implication that the item you are referring to is not actually the thing that it is called."  Search "Is so-called an insult?" and you will find the following from Wordpress:  "In many cases, so-called is intended, in no uncertain terms, as an insult.   If that's your intent - to deride or insult - feel free to use this phrase.  But if your goal is to remain neutral or objective, or simply to present information, then you should avoid this phrase."

Another internet search of the term "so-called Freedom Convoy" will show you countless media stories from around the globe using the "so-called" insult to describe the Freedom Convoy protest.  These include the CBC, CTV, Global, City News, Toronto Star, BBC, Reuters, Forbes and even Al Jazeera that usually has high levels of journalistic reporting.  It was interesting to note that the Washington Post and Euronews, instead of utilizing the negative so-called term, listed them as the "self-styled Freedom Convoy", the only time I have seen this factual term used.  It is noteworthy to realize that the Wikipedia post for this protest is not listed under "Freedom Convoy", but instead is named as the "Canada Convoy Protest" a name I'd never heard it called before.  While they do note it was called the Freedom Convoy, they don't stoop to invoking the so-called smear before the actual name.

Having media slander groups by describing them in insulting terms only opens them to further abuse, including by those in power.  One only needs to look at how Prime Minister Justin Trudeau described the Freedom Convoy members to realize not only did he not accept their demands to repeal vaccine mandates, but would not bother to meet with them to discuss their concerns.   Instead, they were called "a fringe minority with unacceptable views, racists, misogynists, and accused of being violent.  All of this rhetoric of course ended up with the Canadian government invoking the Emergencies Act, using police force to violently quash the protest while ignoring Canadian Charter Rights and Freedoms.  The ongoing Emergencies Act Inquiry that is currently ongoing will hopefully show if the declaration was needed and if the measures taken under it including freezing Canadian's bank accounts were legal.

I often listen to City News (AM 1130) for their traffic reports and got rather tired of hearing supposedly professional journalists keep on using the slanderous so-called term in their broadcasts.  I found their team online ahttps://vancouver.citynews.ca/our-team that listed email addresses and telephone numbers for their employees and called their manager editor Peter Wagner to let him know my views on the so-called smear.  Even though I explained in detail why this was not respectful or proper journalism, CityNews kept on broadcasting the same worn-out tag to slander the Freedom Convoy.  If you now realize this is a media driven smear campaign, feel free to contact their managers either by email or by phone.  I will be sending them a link to this story so they realize how inept they now look, plus I will be filing a formal notice with the CRTC about their broadcasting practices (see https://crtc.gc.ca/eng/info_sht/g8.htm).  In the end, journalists need to report the news, not slander those that the federal government has an obvious agenda against.

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

I wish to acknowledge that the land on which I live, work and enjoy is the unceded traditional territory of the Semiahmoo First Nation and other Coast Salish People

 

November 01, 2022

TNT The Naked Truth

Don Pitcairn


It's Salmon Spawning Season - Finally!


The last year has seen remarkable weather that has seriously affected the Little Campbell River that runs through the Hazelmere valley in south Surrey, which includes the Semiahmoo Fish & Game Club (SFGC) and the Little Campbell Hatchery (LCH) that operates on the same property at 1284 184 St.  First was last year's punishing atmospheric river that unleashed records amounts of water onto the southern part of BC resulting in washouts, landslides and devastating floods.  Then came the extreme winter cold with temperatures hitting -20 C in the Lower Mainland that is not equipped for regular Canadian winter weather.  After that we had one of the coldest and wettest springs we've had in years followed by a hot and dry summer that stretched well into the fall with almost no precipitation from August into October.  While the weather was great for going to the beach, we had high forest fire danger coupled with level 5 drought until last week.

Last November's extreme precipitation event sent a surge of water down the Little Campbell River that submerged the Little Campbell Hatchery in two feet of water, inundating the building where salmon eggs are hatched and smolts raised into juvenile salmon.  The power going out in the flooded building contributed to a loss of many salmon eggs that had already been harvested for the next year's brood stock.  Spawning salmon were swimming throughout the flooded property including across the submerged driveway making for some rather interesting photos at that time.  Unfortunately, the flood waters affected the coho retention pond where much of the young salmon were washed out of this enclosure into the river making for an early uncontrolled release.  When the floodwaters subsided, SFGS and LCH members worked diligently to recover salmon left high and dry in nearby fields or trapped in ponds on the property.

The wet and cold spring we endured was more of a problem for farmers than fish but the high heat and extreme drought we experienced throughout the summer and into the fall seriously strained the river systems throughout much of the province.  Most residents of BC saw the video of tens of thousands of dead salmon trapped in a dry river bed in Bella Bella, Haida Gwaii in early October.  While the larger tributaries here did not completely dry out, they were running at very low water levels stopping salmon from returning to their spawning grounds.  As of two weeks ago, not a single salmon had appeared at the fish fence crossing the Little Campbell River at the hatchery, something that had never happened before.  Concerns were growing that without rain the fish might not be able to spawn in time, or else all frantically swim upstream at once and compete for limited spawning sites.

Last week's rainfall appears to have come just in time and it is my pleasure to report that the Little Campbell Hatchery is once again receiving a variety of salmon breeds at the fish fence.  As of last Friday, volunteers had counted a total of 561 Chinook (419 wild, 142 hatchery fish), 194 Coho (159 wild, 35 hatchery fish) and 11 Chum.  Fifteen pairs of Chinook were retained for breeding purposes and members of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans removed and fertilized 60,000 eggs that will be raised in large tanks inside the hatchery.   While not yet posted on the yearly count board that is next to the fish fence, staff were excited last Friday that the first cutthroat trout of the year had been counted along with one lonely Sockeye salmon that had made a surprise appearance in a river that does not support a run of Sockeye.  In fact, the last Sockeye seen in the Little Campbell River was 15 years ago way back in 2007.

The latest atmospheric river to lash the coast will ensure plenty of water for the salmon to swim upstream and fill all of the smaller tributaries off the Little Campbell that are rich spawning and rearing grounds.  You can expect large numbers of salmon to pass through the Semiahmoo Fish & Game Club property this week and it is a perfect time to go do some salmon spotting.  The SFGC property where the Little Campbell Hatchery is located also includes 30 acres of property located on both sides of the river with walking trails following the river.  The grounds are open to the public from dawn to dusk and now is the best time of the year to see volunteers in action counting the passing fish and to marvel at this yearly natural spectacle.  While there, you might consider taking out a membership in the SFGC and joining the band of volunteers that run the club and hatchery.  With large bills for running the fish hatchery, tax deductible donations are always greatly appreciated.

For more information on the SFGC and LCH or to help with the volunteer not-for-profit club, please visit the following:

Semiahmoo Fish and Game Club:  https://www.sfgc.info

Little Campbell Hatchery:  https://www.sfgc.info/hatchery

Hatchery donations:  Please call 604-535-8366 or send an email or E-transfer to SFGC@shaw.ca

Have a safe and happy Halloween,

Don Pitcairn

I wish to acknowledge that the land on which I live, work and enjoy is the unceded traditional territory of the Semiahmoo First Nation and other Coast Salish People

 

 

Monday October 24, 2022

TNT The Naked Truth

Don Pitcairn 


Did You Miss Time Change?

 

I would have thought by now that time change away from Daylight Savings Time would have been a thing of the past.  Yet thanks to a Chinese manufactured laboratory virus and NDP Premier John Horgan not having the testicular fortitude to do so,  we are still stuck with twice a year time change similar to the western states of the USA.  It is interesting to note that during the same world-wide scamdemic, our neighbours to the north in the Yukon somehow eliminated the twice-yearly time change in March of 2020, sticking to DST after a public survey showed overwhelming support for eliminating this relic that dates back to WW1 over 100 years ago.  In case you were wondering, time change in BC this year is on Sunday Nov. 6 where we get to "fall back" at 2 a.m. and get an extra hour of partying in, with the "spring forward" date of March 12, 2023 where we lose an hour of sleep contributing to societal fatigue and car crashes.

BC isn't the only jurisdiction that sticks to arbitrary and outdated time changes, which make no sense in the modern world or in the realm of common sense.  Case in point is the closing times for the three staircases in south Surrey that lead to the shoreline of Crescent Rock Beach, namely the Christopherson Steps at the west end of 24 Ave., the 1,001 Steps at the west end of !5 A Ave., and the Olympic Trail (aka "Stoners Point" on 13 Ave. at the south end of 131 St.  In case you missed it or never bothered to read the signs heading down to the beach, here is the information that the City of Surrey has posted.

DON'T GET LOCKED IN

Feb 12 - Apr 15  8:00 pm

Apr 16 - Aug 26 10:00 pm

Aug 27 - Oct 15  8:00 pm

Oct 16 - Feb 11  6:00 pm

If locked in, contact security contractor

Now I do realize that the main reason for locking these steps is to keep nocturnal party-goers at bay (good one), especially during the summer season.  With the BNSF Railway corridor at the bottom of the Ocean Park bluffs, we want to keep people away from the train tracks at night as history has unfortunately shown.  What is asinine about the dates and times of these changes is how arbitrary they are and how the times listed fail to take into account the moment for both sunset and twilight.  First thing wrong with this is the dates are relatively arbitrary with odd dates selected instead of picking either the 15th middle day of the month for changing the closure times, or the end and start of months, eg. the 31st and 1st.  Is there anyone who actually remembered that Oct 16 was the dates the time changed for the stairways to the beach to be locked?  Wow..., you hear that..., crickets.

Now here is where the selected dates and times start to get ridiculous.  On Feb. 12 in White Rock, sunset was at 5:28 p.m., so the gates were then locked at 8 p.m. almost 2.5 hours after the sun had gone down and two hours after dusk.  On April 16, sunset was at 8:07 p.m., again almost two hours before the gates were locked.   On Aug. 27, sunset was at 8:07, close to sunset but long before dusk when people could be expected to be at the waterfront during summer vacation.  On Oct. 16, the gates went backwards from 8 o'clock to 6 p.m., a full 20 minutes before sunset and almost an hour before dusk.  It makes no sense for these draconian changes that lock the gates before sunset some times of the year and hours after the sun has gone down months later.  

Case in point, being a sun-lover I often go down to the beach at any time of the year to watch the sunset.  A week ago, my wife and i ventured to Crescent Rock beach, took in the light show and the Christopherson Steps were still open when we left.  A week later and we did the same thing but this time the stairs were locked shut down at the beach and at the top of the trail, almost half an hour earlier than the week before.  This was not a big obstacle for us as we can simply walk home through Crescent Beach but if you live in Ocean Park, the gates and fences at the staircases there pose a serious obstacle.  The signs say to call a security contractor but that doesn't help if you don't know the number that is not even posted!

Now, here is where it gets amazingly stupid.  While the times the gates get closed are posted on the stairs, they do not correspond to the times given on the City of Surrey Parks Department website.  The 1001 Steps is listed as being open from dawn to dusk but that certainly is not the case.  The same goes for the Christopherson steps that are listed as being open from dawn to dusk on the website but with different times on the staircase signage.  Interestingly the Olympic Trail, aka Stoner's Point that some in the Parks Department now bizarrely refer to as the "13th Avenue Lookout" is not even listed on the Parks Department information.  in neighbouring White Rock, the Coldicutt Ravine staircase leading to the waterfront where people had to cross the BNSF Tracks was never fenced off and locked before last year's atmospheric river caused landslides that closed it permanently.

What is the point of living near the ocean if the city restricts access to it before sunset let alone into twilight when the colours become their most intense?  Can you imagine not living in the area and getting locked in with no way to escape and no phone numbers posted?  These ridiculous times and how they change throughout the year need to be taken down and a simpler system enacted.  How about Surrey locks the gates at dusk throughout the year, just as they are already listed on the Parks Dept website?  This should be a no-brainer even for bureaucrats when you realize that the gates are unlocked by Securiguard contractors at dawn each morning.  The opening times for Surrey parks throughout the Semiahmoo peninsula is dawn to dusk and access to these beach staircases should be the same.


in closing, I leave you with a photo I took at Crescent Rock beach that would not have been possible if the gates were closed before the sun went down and the sunset colours blazed across the sky.  


Naturally yours,

Don PItcairn 

I wish to acknowledge that the land on which I live, work and enjoy is the unceded traditional territory of the Semiahmoo First Nation and other Coast Salish People

 

Monday October 17, 2022

 

TNT The Naked Truth

Don Pitcairn

 

Done With Doug

Once again Doug McCallum is a one term wonder with him losing the Mayor's chair to former Surrey Councillor Brenda Locke.  This election was anything but a cakewalk for Locke's Surrey Connect team that came together to defeat McCallum's Safe Surrey Coalition.  In total 118,908 residents of Surrey cast a ballot in the 2022 civic election, a little over a third of the eligible population that equates to 34.54% of the voters.  Locke won with 33,311 votes (28.14%) to McCallum's 32,338 (27.31%), with only 973 votes separating the front runners.  White Rock's Gordie Hogg came in a relatively close third with Surrey First garnering 24,916 votes (21.05%).  Former MLA Jinny Sims and former MP Suhk Dhaliwal collectively received 25,524 (20.71%) for their respective Surrey Forward and United Surrey slates.

Considering the anti-democratic behaviour shown by Mr McCallum, his treatment of anyone involved in the Keep The RCMP In Surrey (KTRIS) group, his silencing of the Surrey Ethics Commissioner, his adulterous affair with another Safe Surrey Councillor or his pending criminal trial on Public Mischief, many thought that his being voted out of power would be a forgone conclusion.  That was far from the case on election night where for reasons unknown Global News declared that Brenda Locke was the new Surrey Mayor with only 59% of the polls reporting and the total votes relatively close.  As time went on, McCallum chipped away at Brenda's lead to the point that with one poll left to report, there was only 500 votes difference between the two bitter rivals.  It took the last poll results to give the win to Mrs. Locke in what became a nail-biting finish.

When Doug McCallum and his Safe Surrey Coalition were elected in 2018, it was the infighting between members of Surrey First that led to the splintering of their slate and the splitting of the votes between mayoral hopefuls.   In that election McCallum won 45,323 votes (41.08%) defeating Surrey First’s Tom Gill who received 28,304 votes (25.74%) and Integrity Now’s Bruce Hayne (formerly with Surrey First), who received 27,798 votes (25.31%).  Some quick addition shows that if all of these 56,102 votes for second and third place had gone to one of these candidates and not two, Doug McCallum would have never been voted into power.  As it was, he won in a landslide with 7 of the 8 councillors being Safe Surrey Coalition members. 

In the 2022 election there were eight mayoral candidates in Surrey featuring five with political pedigrees and name recognition.  With a hard-core group of supporters including several of Surrey's well-known developers, the Safe Surrey Coalition played it safe knowing the numbers game with vote splitting between multiple rivals might return McCallum to power.  If you add Hogg's, Sims' and Dhaliwal's votes together, they tally 41.76% of the ballots cast, just slightly higher than what Doug McCallum received in the 2018 election.  There were even unsubstantiated rumors in the Surrey Connect Camp that developers financing the Safe Surrey Coalition campaign were also donating to one of the other mayoral candidates in an effort to siphon off votes away from Brenda Locke.  When the financial records are released by the candidates involved in this year's election, we will find out if this is actually true or not.

So we now have a new mayor in Brenda Locke and a controlling vote in Council with the four Surrey Connect Councillors (Harry Bains, Gordon Hepner, Rob Stutt and Pardeep Kooner), who were all elected.  With power comes great responsibility and this grass roots funded campaign needs to realize a very important numerical fact.  Of the 344,262 Surrey residents who were able to cast a ballot in the 2022 election, Mrs. Locke received 33,311 votes that equates to 9.67% of the total eligible voters.  It is results like this that make it extremely important to engage the citizens of Surrey and involve them in the municipal political process that has such a profound effect on their day-to-day lives here in Surrey.  For those people who decided to sit on their hands and not participate in our local democracy, you cannot blame the politicians for their decisions if you could not be bothered to make your mark and cast your ballot.

Surrey was not the only local city with the incumbent mayor being shot down in flames.  In the City By The Sea, Megan Knight knocked off Darryl Walker to take the White Rock Mayor's chair.  Knight received 2,001 votes (37.67%), ahead of Walker’s 1,811 votes (34.09%) with a total of 5,339 votes being cast for a voter turnout of just under 31%.  This result came as a bit of a shock to many as it was perceived that Walker's job was safe but in-fighting among Council members was obviously perceived as a problem by residents.  In the end it likely was Mrs. Knight's well-run campaign that saw her knock on many doors throughout the beach-side hamlet allowing her to engage with residents and win their vote.  I would be remiss to not note here that Dave Chesney, the Editor of the White Rock Sun was voted in again as Councillor for the third time since he first won in White Rock back in 2014.

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

I wish to acknowledge that the land on which I live, work and enjoy is the unceded traditional territory of the Semiahmoo First Nation and other Coast Salish People.


 


 

 

Tuesday October 11, 2022

TNT The Naked Truth

Don Pitcairn


Fall at Hall 12

 

Fire Hall 12 that is home to the Surrey Fire Service members in Crescent Beach/Ocean Park is a rather unique building constructed in 1958.  This fire hall was the last operational volunteer fire department in the City of Surrey.  It still has its original air siren horn mounted on the roof along with the break glass and push button activation box next to the front door.  The siren was used to summon fire department volunteers way before the age of beepers and cell phones.  If you had a fire and needed help, you could activate the siren yourself by breaking the glass and pushing the big red button inside the box.  The button is no longer operational but the siren is still functional and plays an integral part in retirement ceremonies before the party for the person leaving work moves across the street to the Crescent Beach Legion #240.


Sitting tucked into the west side of Crescent Park on 128 St., the Hall 12 building blends into the forest with its cedar siding and dark brown paint.  It exudes rustic charm with an antique hose reel apparatus sitting on the lawn and a carved Surrey Fire Hall 12 bench placed near the front door.  In the early 1980's the top of a western red cedar tree at the front corner of the property snapped off in a wind storm.  At that time, it was decided that instead of cutting the rest of the tree down that the trunk would become a signpost for the fire hall.  It was sawn flat on the top and the side facing the street and the words "Hall !2" carved into the wood vertically.  A couple of coats of bright red paint onto the letters finished the job and this sign instantly became part of the Crescent Beach and Ocean Park charm.

I'm sorry to report that this iconic and now old sign has finally succumbed to the ravages of time, not to mention fungus and wood bugs.  It had been leaning for a few years with woodpeckers carving deep holes at the bottom searching for grubs and insects.  Several weekends ago gravity finally won the battle and it crashed to the ground adjacent to the Fire Hall driveway.  The base of the log had completely rotted out on the ground and when it fell portions of the log splintered from its sides.  Likely because of the red paint on the lettering, they remained intact when the signpost fell to the ground.  I was driving by on the way home when I saw the sign laying on the front lawn and went to the hall to give my condolences to the crew of firefighters.

It seems that the firefighters at Hall 12 are as attached to the old log sig n as the rest of the community.  Rather than simply cut the rest of the log up and dispose of it, they have an emergency rescue plan in place.  The idea is to pick up the remains of the sign and transport it to a friend who has an Alaskan mill.  Once there, the log will be run through the mill, trying to carve off a slab of the log that has the iconic HALL 12 carving.  If it does not work as planed or if the slab breaks, a secondary option is to cut off the pieces of the log that have the letters on them.   If either of these two options works the plan is to treat the wood and repaint the sign, then attach it to the outside of the hall between the truck bay roll up doors and the front door entranceway.  If the sign never reappears, you know that it si n the history of the Crescent Beach/Ocean Park Volunteer Fire Department.  Volunteer bucket brigades by residents to fight structure fires like the W ood's Dance Hall fire in 1931 lead to the formation of the area's first volunteer fire department in 1947.  Soon after that the first Crescent Beach Fire Hall was built on what is now Heron Park on Beecher Street not far from the railway tracks.  The webpage has the history of the various chiefs, equipment upgrades, training improvements and the formation of the women's auxiliary.  The most entertaining section is the "summation of typical fire calls" which are anything but typical.  These include a fire from a mooonshine still, a home on fire filled with loose poisonous snakes, a hang glider rescue 40 feet up in a tree and a fire fighter's home being hit by lightning. 

You can read all about at this link: https://www.surreyhistory.ca/cbopvfd.html

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

I wish to acknowledge that the land on which I live, work and enjoy is the unceded traditional territory of the Semiahmoo First Nation and other Coast Salish People.

 

 

Monday October 03, 2022

TNT The Naked Truth

Don Pitcairn

 

Surrey Stealing Signs


Over the past few years Surrey Council has made changes to the sign bylaw in the city that are an affront to the democratic process and are blatantly meant to stifle opposition to the slate currently in power at City Hall.  I have run for public office twice in the Semiahmoo peninsula under the Green Party of BC banner and was also the sign manager for Gordie Hogg when he won a by-election to become the Liberal MP for South Surrey - White Rock.  The use of signs to help inform people that there is an election, what candidates are running and who supports them in our community is an essential component in civic elections that already suffer from lower voter turnout and apathy towards the electoral process.

Last Week Surrey bylaw officers were busy roaming the streets of south Surrey pulling out election signs, most that supported Brenda Locke for Mayor, her Surrey Connect Team and even the Keep The RCMP in Surrey Signs.  Surrey has changed the political sign bylaw to only allow election signs on private property and not on public boulevards (where real estate signs are apparently okay). So even if you mow your front lawn and the city boulevard, the signs must be back 28.5 feet from the middle of the roadway.  In conversations with Surrey bylaw officers it was revealed that they had been "ordered" to pick up these signs and that it was a "priority" for the department.  

This is not a new low for City of Surrey employees tasked with enforcing their master's bylaws.  In 2018 the bylaw goons grabbed over 500 election signs at the beginning of the campaign, some within 25 metres of an intersection, others encroaching on public property.   These signs are stored at the works yard for 72 hours and then destroyed, or they can be picked up by the rightful owners for a charge of $25 per sign.  What this means is that the small election signs are never picked up as they cost a fraction of that amount to produce.  Unfortunately, it appears the bylaw teams are conducting selective enforcement that really is an abuse of power and nothing short of bullying the residents of Surrey.  

The former Chairperson of the BC Green Party, Murray Weisenberger, taught me plenty about election signs and how to make them cheaply and post them where they would be most effective.  On his former property near Crescent Road and 128 St. I recently took it upon myself to post election signs with the blessing of the current owners.   These were put in line with their cedar hedge along the front of their acreage, more than 25 metres away from the nearby intersection and just inside the property line as outlined by the Surrey COSMOS mapping system.   This did nothing to stop the bylaw officer from stealing these legally posted signs that should not have been touched.  They even had the gall to take an election sign from the front of former Mayor Bob Bose's yard in Ocean Park that was far from the roadway and front graveled parking space.  

Fortunately for them they did not take election signs from the front of my property as I have zap-straps at the ready for making a citizen's arrest if they try to take them from my private property.  Not only is this an invasion of my privacy it is hampering my democratic right for political self-expression which in itself is a human rights abuse.  Surrey's signage bylaw needs to be rewritten to reflect how election signs are an important part of our democratic process and they should not be getting removed while real estate signs all across the city are blatantly ignored.  Simply drive across the borders into Langley or Delta and you will see the difference in how these municipalities tolerate political signage for their civic elections.

To avoid being the victim of arbitrary Surrey bylaw officer political sign confiscation, I suggest you do the following.  First is to visit the Surrey COSMOS mapping system, finding your property and putting on the aerial photo tab so you know exactly where the property line is.  It's posted on the Surrey.ca website at https://cosmos.surrey.ca/external/ .  One you have done this, place your sign at least a metre back onto your property so there can be no question of whether the sign placement is legal or not.  Call me distrustful but I would also take the steps to rope or chain it to the nearest tree or fence post so that It cannot be easily removed.  Lastly, if you have security cameras, make sure that one is pointed at the sign so you have a record of who has taken it as bylaw officers do not leave a letter or calling card notifying you of your loss.

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

I wish to acknowledge that the land on which I live, work and enjoy is the unceded traditional territory of the Semiahmoo First Nation and other Coast Salish People.

 

Tuesday September 27, 2022

Tarantulas and Alligators of BC

As someone who has spent a large portion of their life outside for both work and recreation, I often come across creatures that most people in BC know little about.  Last week was no exception with yours truly coming face to face with a tarantula and then an alligator, both of which are native to BC.  Don't be worried, neither of them are as scary as you might imagine.


Tarantula moth, Antheraea polyphemus 

We were working in Richmond last week when my lead hand noticed something odd on the ground.  Blending in with thousands of green oak acorns that had fallen down was this massive green caterpillar.  He picked it up and brought it over to me for identification, not being surprised at all that I knew what it was.   The brown head and small red spots meant it was none other than the tarantula moth, Antheraea polyphemus, one of the largest moths in BC.  These caterpillars can grow to 3-4 inches in length, usually feeding on oak tree leaves.  They are a member of the family Saturniidae or giant silk moths with an average wingspan of 6 inches or 15 cm.  They get their name from the Greek myth of the cyclops as they have two large purple eyespots on its two lower hindwings.  

I found a tarantula moth caterpillar years ago and brought it home in an ice cream pail for my kids to see.  They were quite impressed with the size of it and wanted to show their friends.  In a matter of days though, the caterpillar spun a thick cocoon and started its metamorphosis into a moth.  When it finally hatched, they got to see this huge moth emerge and fan out its wings before we released it back into nature.  I had my own encounter with a tarantula moth as a young kid in Victoria when I went into a darkened bathroom cubicle late one night.  I was standing in front of the toilet when I looked up and saw something weird on the wall.  When I leaned forward to see what it was, the moth that had been clinging to the walls with its wings closed suddenly opened them up flashing its big eye spots.  Not only did I pee all over when I jumped back, I also hit the back of my head on a coat hook attached to the back wall for good measure.

Northwestern alligator lizard, Elgaria coerulea principis.

My wife and I were walking our dogs down at Crescent Rock beach one evening when one of the regular beach goers came up to me and told me about a bunch of lizards he had seen warming themselves on a rock in the sun.  Lizards down at sea level was a new one for me and I followed him to the spot where I took the attached picture of a northwestern alligator lizard, one of only five lizard species that live in Canada.  There had been several adults plus a bunch of small young that are born live, but only one was visible when I was there.  This medium sized slender lizard grows to 27 cm or 10 inches in length, half of which is tail.  They eat a diet of slugs, beetles, spiders and even baby mice but these ones are likely feeding on the variety of beach bugs that live in the washed-up eel grass present on the shoreline.

If you ever see a northwestern alligator lizard, please do not try to catch it.  They are not dangerous and don't bite but if you try and grab their tail you are in for a nasty surprise.  This lizard has the ability to self-amputate its tail as a self-defence mechanism known as autotomy.  When grabbed by a predator the tail severs and wriggles wildly, distracting the predator and alowing the lizard to hopefully escape.  The break happens at a fracture plane in the tail that separates from a reflex muscle spasm with no blood loss.  Over the next six months to a year, the lizard grows a new tail from a row of cartilage that emerges from the tail bone with new muscles that grow along with it.  I am all too familiar with this escape mechanism as several times when I was a child, I tried to capture one of these lizards and both times ended up with a wriggling tail in my hands while the lizard made good its escape. 

So when you are out in the wilds of BC, keep an eye out for these and other interesting organisms that call our province home.  Make sure you tell people that BC has tarantulas and alligators living here and check out their reaction.  Fortunately, our tarantulas and alligators and harmless and while neither are endangered, they are not regularly seen by most people because of their camouflage colouring, nocturnal lifestyle and the habitat they occupy.

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

I wish to acknowledge that the land on which I live, work and enjoy is the unceded traditional territory of the Semiahmoo First Nation and other Coast Salish People

 

Sept 19, 2022



Locke In Your Vote


Tuesday night saw the Surrey Connect team's kick-off at Northview Golf & Country Club with a packed room of supporters and donors.  Starting with a land acknowledgement to First Nations, Surrey Mayoral candidate Brenda Locke promised to bring ethics, integrity, public safety and fiscal responsibility back to Surrey City Hall.  Her vision for Surrey is a city that is modern, diverse and liveable with fairness at city hall and doing the right thing for residents.  

Brenda then went on to introduce the eight other Surrey Connect candidates that she hopes will be the future Surrey City Council.  In total the Surrey Connect candidates speak six different languages and have twelve different cultures.  They are the only party backed by residents, not developers or special interest groups, and noted that unlike Safe Surrey none have ever been arrested and charged with a criminal offence in reference to Doug MacCallum's upcoming trial on public mischief.  here are the great eight:

• Harry Bains,

• Gordon Hepner,

• Ramona Kaptyn,

• Wil Kwok,

• Pardeep Kooner,

• Rochelle Prasad,

• Sebastian Sajda

• Rob Stutt


Brenda Locke made the following promises if elected as the new Mayor of Surrey.  She will stop the change from the RCMP to the Surrey Police Service that is a money pit and which has failed to meet all fiscal and staffing objectives to date.  The $25 million transfer from the federal government that will be saved by this equates to $500 in tax savings for every family.  For the Surrey Fire Service she wants to get back to regular staffing levels that are falling far behind the population growth.  Every town centre in Surrey deserves their own arenas, sports centres, community centres and pools and she will make this a priority.  She promised to work towards a six-week time period for building permits in single family homes and for renovations.  Lastly, she voiced her support for a co-op truck park in Surrey, to bring back the Ethics Commissioner and to add whistleblower protection for both residents and staff.


In closing Mrs. Locke said "it's Surrey's time, it's our turn" asking surrey residents to "vote for integrity" in the Surrey Connect team that is "grass roots from the ground up."


For more information, to read the party platform, get to known their candidates, order lawn signs or make a donation please visit the following:


Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

 

 

TNT The Naked Truth

Don Pitcairn

 

Locked Out Again



Sunday morning started with blue skies and not a cloud to be seen, beckoning sun worshippers to make their way down to the beach to enjoy the final days of what seems to be a never-ending summer.  Unfortunately for myself, heading to the shoreline to soak up some rays was a non-started with having to deal with estate issues concerning the death of my father.  Instead of relaxing in the sun or taking a canoe ride down the Nicomekyl river as we had originally planned, I was stuck in the basement packing up goods being shipped as far away as PEI and England.

At 1:30 in the afternoon a friend of mine called me to report that the Christopherson Steps at the west end of 24 Ave. were locked.  This staircase plus the 1001 Steps at the west end of 15A Ave. and the Olympic Trail on 13 Ave. and 131 St. in Ocean Park are supposed to be opened by the City of Surrey's security contractor at 6 a.m.  Halfway through the day and the gates were still locked and my buddy was left standing there with ten other people wondering what the heck was going on.  In talking to the assembled throng, he learned that the 1001 Steps were also locked and I have no doubt the Olympic Trail was chained shut too.  So, who do you phone?  Who is the security contractor?  You won't read it on the signs but it is Securiguard.  Their phone number is 1-888-801-0222, something you should add to your phone contact listings.

This is not the first time that the gates to the beach have been left locked closed.  Along with reporting this problem several times I have also had to phone Securiguard and email the city of Surrey Parks Department about Blackie Spit, Dogwood Park and Elgin Park gates being locked in the middle of the day.  Securiguard is under contract to have these gates opened and then locked at set times of the day and night.  If they are not doing their job and ignoring the terms of their contract, there should be financial penalties or the risk of not having their security contract renewed with the city.  Even though I reported the gates being locked, it took until after 4 o'clock for someone to finally unlock the gates, effectively closing off access to 6.5 km. of shoreline on a beautiful Sunday.

Now you may think this is not a big deal and that people could always walk south from Crescent Beach along the shoreline.  Well, when we went down to the beach at 5:30 p.m. to relax and watch the sunset, we met a couple from White Rock with their special needs teenage son.  They told us that due to his hip issues, he can easily walk up and down the staircase but trudging along the uneven and rocky ground for long distances is very difficult for him.  He asked that I inform the Surrey Parks Department that not opening the gates put a special needs youth in an uncomfortable situation.  For the able-bodied people who turned away after finding the gates locked, they missed out on the last Sunday of the summer, with Crescent Rock beach being almost deserted today.

This unfortunate situation does not have to happen when we look at how Surrey used to deal with this situation.  Previously Surrey entrusted neighbours living near these gates to open and close them at the set times, giving people keys for the locks.  As the city grew it probably became somewhat of a nuisance for staff and it was decided to pay a security company instead.  Sorry to say but what is the point paying someone who is not doing their job when we could have volunteers doing the work for free?  I'd love to know how often parks and staircases across Surrey are not being opened or closed as per contract specifications.  I have personally witnessed this many times in the past few years at parks across the city.  One time we even had to climb over the Christopherson park gates and pass our dogs over the top when they were locked an hour early.

I will be checking to see if the staircase gates are opened Monday morning when they are supposed to be.  The Manager of the Parks Department, Laurie Cavan will also be hearing from me again on this subject.  If it continues to be a problem, people might want to considering helping the city by bringing their own locks and chaining these gates open.  Does it really have to get to this point or will Securiguard actually start doing their job and ensuring that their employees actually perform their duties as specified?  The tax-paying public needs access to the parks and recreational property that we all need for exercise, relaxation, fresh air and mental health.  If the City of Surrey can't figure out how to deal with this constant problem I have the answer for them.  Give me a damn key!

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

 I wish to acknowledge that the land on which I live, work and enjoy is the unceded traditional territory of the Semiahmoo First Nation and other Coast Salish People

 

 

 

TNT The Naked Truth

Don Ptcairn

Sept. 6, 2022

Crescent Log Beach

Instead of joining the highway horde taking off for the long weekend we did a vacay staycay and hung out at home for the long weekend.  This allowed us to see three very different sunsets on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights plus we had time to spend on the shores of both Crescent Beach and Crescent Rock beach.  It was an eye opener to see what a huge mess Crescent Beach was, which came as a rather big surprise.  I'm not talking about litter, bags of dog poo or any man-made debris that might be left by the crowds that frequent Crescent.  I'm wondering why nobody is cleaning up after Mother Nature, with the shoreline of Crescent Beach looking more like a log sort yard than a public marine park.

Crescent Rock beach

At nearby Crescent Rock beach the shoreline is rough and rocky withthe features of this secluded beach changing every winter with storms depositing new logs and moving out old ones.  In the spring the naturists and nudists who frequent this area start to pick up the pieces and make improvements.  Rocks are cleared from the path, logs are moved around for backrests and privacy plus "beach beds" are raked out for less rock and more sand to lay on.  In the thirty feet of cobbled beach between the shoreline and sand flats, people take the time to clear paths through the rocks in multiple locations, allowing easy access to the water instead of tripping over rounded algae covered rocks.  Halfway to Kwomais Point, some very industrious folks have created raised sandy beds placed high in the rip-rap boulders where the winter waves are not able to reach them.  This is all like-minded individuals working to transform the shoreline into a usable recreational beach. 

Crescent Beach is a marine park that Surrey controls and maintains.  The walking trail along the shoreline is a dyke that helps protect the homes of Crescent Beach from being inundated with flood waters.  In 2014 Surrey replaced the wooden groynes in the waterfront from Beecher Street to Blackie Spit with composite materials that would not rot or be damaged by floating logs.  The purpose of these structures is to help retain beach materials and prevent erosion of the dyke by dispersing wave energy.  They do work well but also act as log traps, helping to keep and hold floating debris that the wind and current move along the shoreline.  These logs need to be removed as they take up the limited beach space that is available to folks and families looking to unwind at the waterfront.  It is not very comfortable trying to lay down on a raft of big logs, especially when they are rough and rotting.

In White Rock logs are removed from the waterfront in the spring to clear the beach and remove the threat of them acting like battering rams on the rip-rap boulders and the pier piling supports.  The area in front of the White Rock boulder is a notorious log gathering point with the limited beach there being buried by large amounts of washed-up tree trunks.  This was particularly bad after the storm that destroyed part of the pier in 2018 and again this winter after the atmospheric river that flooded much of southern BC washed vast quantities of wood and debris into the ocean.  Just as at Crescent Beach, both East and West Beach are part of a marine park operated by the city, but the difference between them and Surrey is that White Rock works to clean it up and keep Mother Nature at bay.  Whether its Semiahmoo Bay or Mud Bay, floating logs piling up on the shoreline is a constant problem that needs to be addressed.

In nearby Delta, Metro Vancouver maintains Centennial Beach and they remove and control the number of logs that are left on the beach.  The same goes for Pacific Spirit Park in Vancouver, home to the world-famous Wreck Beach where log placement and removal is a bone of contention between park managers and nudists.  In Vancouver the public beaches at Kitsilano, Jerico plus 2nd and 3rd beaches in Stanley Park are cleaned of some logs and the rest organized.  Several years ago, the Port of Vancouver removed thousands of trapped logs from Mud Bay along the Delta Dyke Trail as an environmental improvement project.  The problem of logs and wooden debris on Lower Mainland shores would be far greater if not for the Fraser River Debris Trap located between Agassiz and Hope that removes between 600 and 2400 logging trucks full of woody debris during the spring freshet.

The City of Surrey needs to give the shoreline of Crescent Beach the care and attention that it deserves.  Besides being the main marine recreational beach for over half a million Surrey residents, it also is the favourite beach for many others from across the Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley.  The large collection of old and rotten logs on Crescent Beach needs to be thinned and organized, leaving more space for people to sit or lay out a blanket for family gatherings.  Several of the beach entranceways are currently blocked by a number of logs, making it impossible to access for those with mobility issues.  While photographing the log jam, I talked to a couple who were having difficulty finding a way off the beach with their child in a stroller.  They were not impressed with the situation and hoped I would make it an election issue, which is exactly what I'm doing here.

With this TNT focusing on moving logs in water, I leave you with a link to this rather unique animated Canada vignette released by the National Film Board back in 1979, The Log Driver's Waltz).

https://youtu.be/upsZZ2s3xv8 

Hopefully Surrey Park Board crews will be humming along to this rather catchy tune while they work on clearing the log jam on the shores of Crescent Beach.  The jewel of Surrey's shorelines needs to be a place where people have space to relax instead of it looking like where a log boom has washed ashore.  It is hard to fathom that not far away, Crescent Rock Beach is maintained by a small band of volunteers and beach regulars, while the waterfront across Crescent Beach is strewn with a large collection of logs that have been forgotten and left to rot.

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn  

 I wish to acknowledge that the land on which I live, work and enjoy is the unceded traditional territory of the Semiahmoo First Nation and other Coast Salish People

 


Tuesday August 30, 2022


Surrey Place Farce


We have a saying here at the White Rock Sun that the six months before a civic election should be called "silly season" for all of the political hijinks and outrageous  promises rolled out by those trying to get elected.  Well this week, Surrey's Mayor Doug McCallum took outlandish and foolhardy to a whole new level, announcing his ambitious plan to build a new 60,000 seat stadium in the city of Surrey.  Making this claim even more bizarre, he went on to say that he wanted this massive building to be surrounded by parkland and not be accessible by cars.  There is another saying we use quite often in the WR Sun, "You can't make this s**t up."

At first I figured that this meant building the new stadium near the Skytrain but with one of his previous ideas, maybe Mayor Mischief wants to surround it with canals and have it accessible only by gondolas.  Heck, we could even throw in former Mayor Linda Hepner's concept of a giant ferris wheel inside it to act as a tour attraction.  It seems that our Mayor has not been to BC Place lately to watch the BC Lions or Vancouver Whitecaps playing to small crowds that cannot even fill the lower portion of the stadium.  Unless the Seattle Seahawks decide to move north and become the Surrey Seahawks (I like it), this plan is nothing but a pipe dream filled with some high quality ganja.  

I wonder if the mayor has done any homework to find out what a 60,000 seat stadium would cost to build?  Well, the renovation of BC place finished in 2012 was supposed to cost $100 million, which ballooned to $365 million and ended up costing over half a billion dollars.  That is for an existing building on prime downtown real estate, that received a new retractable roof and interior upgrades.  The NFLs Buffalo Bills have announced plans for a new 60,000 seat open air stadium of their own and the price tag is estimated at $1.4 billion in American greenback dollars.  Tottenham Hotspur soccer club in Britain are currently working on a new 60,000 seat stadium in London that is expected to cost one billion pounds, which works out to over $1.5 billion in Canadian funds.  


I would love to see a business plan that this epic decision was based on but I doubt one exists unless it is written on the back of a slightly used napkin left over from the brain storming session where it was concocted.  We don't need a tax-payer funded white elephant stadium in Surrey unless it is aptly named the Toilet Bowl where we can continually flush taxpayer money down it.  Most likely this concept was hatched as a way to take attention away from Mayor Mischief's legal problems and his Public Mischief court case that his taxpayer funded lawyers delayed till just after the fall election.  Throw in the costly police transition, his attacks on democracy and the ethics commissioner plus his sordid romance with Safe Surrey councillor Allison Paton and you have someone unfit for public office.

If you haven't had enough of this sorry excuse for a Mayor, look no further than his latest expensive election promise.  Surrey residents cannot afford another four years with Doug McCallum at the helm.  With six candidates now running for mayor there is a huge threat that the vote will be split as it was in the last election and Doug McCallum and his Safe Surrey developer lapdog crew could actually get re-elected.  I believe this would be a disaster for the city of Surrey and is something that needs to be avoided at all costs.  What Surrey voters need to do is to review all of the candidates, their message and promises and decide who would be the best for the residents, not just special interest groups or crony friends.  We need to come together as one to GET DOUG GONE.

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

 I wish to acknowledge that the land on which I live, work and enjoy is the unceded traditional territory of the Semiahmoo First Nation and other Coast Salish People

 

 

August 22, 2022

TNT The Naked Truth

Don Pitcairn

Keeping Track on the BNSF Railway

On Saturday night the sun was dropping in the sky and the cloud cover looked like it might afford a wicked Crescent Beach sunset.  Since you don't know unless you go, I jumped in the car at the last minute and headed down to the southern end of the beach.  Unfortunately, a thick band of clouds at the horizon turned off the light show I was expecting but up on the train corridor I noticed a hi-railer truck parked on the tracks.  These are special railway wheel equipped trucks that BNSF employees use for track work, doing safety inspections and looking for trespassers.  I made my way back to my vehicle and proceeded to drive home, meeting the hi-railer truck at the end of Bayview Ave. as it pulled off the tracks and proceeded to turn around.

I decided to stop and chat with the people on board knowing full well from past experience that the truck likely contained both a RCMP officer and BNSF special agent.  Sure enough, the two policemen were there and I took a few minutes of their time to find out how their track patrols had been going.  With kids out of school and plenty of warm dry weather the number of people using that beach had skyrocketed since the beginning of July.  They told me that the area east of East Beach by the Semiahmoo First Nation parking lot was always a problem with people walking down the tracks.  Ditto for the area west of west beach and south of Crescent Beach in the area frequented by naturists.  On these railway patrols the officers give out warnings and trespassing tickets costing violators $115. 

Although tempting, the train tracks in the Semiahmoo peninsula should not be used like a shoreline nature path.  In North America more people are struck and killed by trains while trespassing on rail corridors than in motor vehicle collisions with trains at highway rail crossings.  There have been over 30 fatalities on the local BNSF tracks over the years, many that involve the Amtrak passenger train.  Anita Lewis, the jogger hit crossing the tracks in White Rock in 2013 did not notice the blue and silver locomotive whose colours blended into the blue and grey colours of the ocean, beach and sky.   It was her death that led to the installation of all the new pedestrian crossings along the White Rock waterfront, which seem to be working.  The officers told me they have even caught people walking naked on the tracks along Crescent Rock Beach.  I didn't bother asking what these folks used for identification.


Trespassing on the tracks was not the only problem that the officers were looking out for this weekend.  Since August 4, there has been a campfire ban in effect across the southern portion of the province including the Coastal fire region.  Amazingly, people are still lighting beach fires, especially near the Semiahmoo FN lands and around Crescent Beach.  In the past these fires have spread across the tracks onto the Ocean Park bluff where fighting them is extremely difficult and hazardous due to the steepness of the terrain.  Anyone found on the beach with an open fire can be issued a ticket for $1,150, pay an administrative penalty up to $10,000, be fined up to $100,000 and receive one year in jail.  If a campfire starts a wildfire, the person responsible can be ordered to pay all firefighting and other costs.  There is a saying that "you can't fix stupid" but you certainly can fine them and hopefully smarten them up.

The newest problem that the railway cops are having to deal with is mob parties advertised on social media.  These events bring large number of young people to the beach with open drinking, fighting and loud disorderly conduct being commonplace.  To date this summer there have been large organized gatherings at Blackie Spit and to the White Rock waterfront and pier.  These parties are proving problematic for the small contingent of police in our area to deal with due to the number of people involved.  The last thing we need are large numbers of drunken youth gathering around the train tracks, which is a recipe for disaster.  The 2018 death of 15-year-old Jack Stroud near Crescent Beach involved intoxicated youths playing an apparent game of chicken on the tracks that ended with this teen's death after he was struck by the Amtrak train. 

So enjoy the summer, enjoy the beach, and for railway enthusiasts enjoy the passing BNSF and Amtrak trains.   For everyone's safety, please stay of the train tracks and the railway corridor.  If you see people walking on the BNSF tracks, ask them if they saw the "No Trespassing" signs and let them know the police are actively patrolling the area and passing out tickets.  With beach fires during this hot dry spell, if you see fires or smell smoke, you can report this to the Surrey Fire Service non-emergency number at 604-543-6700 or the White Rock Fire Department at 604-541-2121.  Please do not call E-Com 911 as this is not an emergency and they are already understaffed and overwhelmed with calls.  

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

I wish to acknowledge that the land on which I live, work and enjoy is the unceded traditional territory of the Semiahmoo First Nation and other Coast Salish People.

 

 

August 16, 2022

Targeted Risk


I know the police have a tough job to do with investigating all of the tit for rat-a-tat-tat-tat gangland shootings that are continuing to take place across the Lower Mainland.  It seems hardly a day goes by when we hear about another targeted hit, houses getting shot up, or getaway cars on fire not far from the shooting location.  While I'm unfortunately getting quite used to these reports and the headlines about another gang-banger found shot dead, there is one thing that is going on that really gets my goat.  It is when the police announce after the latest murder that 'Investigators believe the shooting to have been targeted and do not believe there is any further risk to the public'.


I'm sorry but when people with little to no firearms training are firing semi-automatic weapons including pistols with silencers on them in urban areas, the public is indeed at risk.  Even when the latest volley of shots is over and the blood is still running in the streets, people are at risk from gangsters running amok with unlicensed and often restricted firearms that in most cases are smuggled up into Canada from the United States.  These assassinations are getting more brazen, are happening in broad daylight and have even spread to vacation spots such as the Whistler/Blackcomb resort.   Gangsters are continually hunting members from other gangs and sometimes even hiring hitmen to do the dirty work, spraying bullets wherever they find their intended victims.  We are all at risk from this continued gang violence.


Having spent plenty of time gun ranges in Canada and abroad, I can tell you that safety is the number one issue when organized shooting matches are taking place.  Firearms must only be handled at approved times when commanded by a range officer who is responsible for safety.  In some jurisdictions, the ammunition is controlled and only issued at the firing point and all brass and unfired cartridges must be turned in with your score card.  With target rifle shooting, you cannot close the bolt on a live round unless the barrel of the gun is first level and pointed at the target.  When firing is complete, shooters, scorers and range officers check to see that the rifles are clear.  In many countries, the bolts are removed from the rifle for this inspection and in Australia, they are kept separate from the gun except for on the range when it is time to shoot.  All of these safety controls are designed to ensure that no accidental discharges occur on the range or anywhere else.


Rifle ranges use danger area templates to create safety areas far beyond the boundaries of where shooting takes place.  For a .308 rifle, they are used frequently to shoot to a maximum distance of 1,000 yards.  They are considered lethal for distances up to a mile away, or 1760 yards.  Depending on the loaded speed and the bullet selected, a .308 bullet could travel 3,500 to 4,000 yards in total distance.  Now you understand why rifle ranges are usually found in rural areas up against mountains and far from urban neighbourhoods.  For military ranges, heavier bullets and fully-automatic fire often with tracer ammunition calls for even greater safety templates and fire prevention controls during hot and dry summer weather that includes ranges closing when the risk of ignition is too high.


The National Rifle Association says that the 9 mm is the most popular handgun calibre in the United States.  Unfortunately, it also appears to be the favourite gun used for gangland assassinations here in Canada.  A 9 mm bullet usually leaves the barrel of a handgun at 370 metres per second.   Drag from the atmosphere will slow it down and eventually bring it to earth but trials have shown that when fired at a 45-degree angle, 9 mm bullets can travel 2,300 metres.  When used in gangland shootings, these bullets can fly into nearby vehicles, and houses or ricochet off hard surfaces and basically fly anywhere.  I actually had a new-miss from a bullet once that came from a nearby range, flying over our heads like an very angry bee at very high speeds.   Since that incident and others like it, large berms were constructed to keep shooters safe from stray bullets.


There have been plenty of innocent bystanders killed in gangland shooters here in the Lower Mainland.  An attempted hit on the Bacon brothers back in 2015 resulted in a nearby neighbour, a 74-year-old grandfather being shot and killed.  in 2018, 15-year-old Alfred Wong was a passenger in his family vehicle that was passing by a gangland murder scene when a bullet flew into their car and fatally shot the young man.  That was the same year when Paul Bennett, a Peace Arch Hospital nurse and hockey coach was shot and killed at his Cloverdale home in a case of mistaken identity.  In early 2022 four innocent bystanders were wounded by bullets meant for someone else during gun-play (there's a sick term) in the Lower Mainland.  


The police have issued multiple press releases explaining they are doing everything they can to combat gangland shootings here in BC.  They are constantly trying to reassure a frightened public that they are not in danger from these targeted murders that often leave the scenes littered with countless brass cartridges and vehicles riddled with bullet holes.   Having a crazed gunman on the loose targeting random people as recently happened in Langley puts people at risk and generated an emergency warning.  Gangsters locked in a war of attrition with their rivals and constantly shooting at their adversaries wherever and whenever they find them puts us all at risk.  With the distances that bullets can fly, you may want to think about looking out the window the next time you hear firecrackers in case it is actually live rounds being fired in your neighbourhood.

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

I wish to acknowledge that the land on which I live, work and enjoy is the unceded traditional territory of the Semiahmoo First Nation and other Coast Salish People.

 

 

August 08, 2022

 

TNT The Naked Truth

Don Pitcairn

A Crappy Time for E.coli in White Rock


Fraser health performs weekly water tests at beaches across the Fraser Valley while Vancouver Coast Health does the same thing for beaches around Vancouver and surrounding municipalities during the spring and summer months.  This is done to monitor the water quality with respect to bacteriological counts to confirm whether a beach is in compliance with the Guidelines for Canadian Recreational Water Quality.  Beaches that are considered unsatisfactory for physical, chemical or biological reasons will be closed with warning signs posted that the water is possibly hazardous.  

Escherichia coli, better known as E.coli is tested for at both marine and fresh water beaches throughout the Lower Mainland region.  They test in areas where people will have their "whole body or the face and trunk frequently immersed or the face is frequently wetted by spry and where it is likely that some water will be swallowed."  This includes swimming, surfing, waterskiing white water canoeing/rafting/kayaking, windsurfing or subsurface diving.  A satisfactory rating means an average of less than 200 E.coli bacteria per 100 ml. of water sample.  A reading of more than the average of 200 E.coli or a single sample result that exceeds a maximum of 400 E.coli bacteria/100 ml sample will result in swimming and recreational water sports not being recommended.

The results for water quality readings at Fraser Health beaches was posted online on August 5th.  In Abbotsford Mission, Chilliwack and Hope areas the geometric mean or average was around 15 with the highest being 52 at Harrison Lake Rendall Park.  For single samples, Roley Lake was the highest at 105 with many beaches only registering 5 E.coli/100 ml.  In Burnaby, Port Moody and Maple Ridge areas, the geometric mean was also an average of about 15 while the highest single sample at Belcarra Park registering at 152 E.coli/100 ml.  For Centennial beach in South Delta and Crescent Beach in South Surrey, both average and single sample rates hovered around 10 but White Rock was a completely different story.  For the geometric mean, East beach was 41, while West beach was 36.   What really stood out were the single sample ratings from East Beach at 1,043 and West Beach at a whopping 6,131 E.coli/100 ml.

In layman's terms, the fecal coliform found in a sample of water on East beach was 2.5 times the limit for recreational use standard while the one from West Beach was 15 times above the allowable limit.  These beaches were not automatically closed but have been marked with a yellow question mark warning on the beach map showing that resampling is in progress at one or more sites.  These extremely high results when compared to the rest of the region should be of serious concern to the City of White Rock that prides itself on its public beach that draws crowds of visitors to its shores.  You can check out all of the recent water quality results online at this direct link:  https://www.fraserhealth.ca/-/media/Project/FraserHealth/FraserHealth/Health-Topics/Recreational-Water/2022_BeachSamples.pdf?rev=6e365458295543a0938730a54f9f7a99&hash=5C04EA9D4E82D074BD62276F76643119CA8AE938

I am left wondering if the samples with high readings were taken from the two outflow pipes that carry storm drain water from the White Rock hillside.  I know that in the past these pipes were given a failing grade with dog excrement and bird poo washing into the drains being named as a possible culprit.  In other jurisdictions, cross contamination from leaking sanitary sewers or pipes from dwellings being incorrectly joined to collection systems have led to E.coli issues.  One thing is for sure, the source of this contamination needs to be ascertained and the problem corrected.  We do not need toilet water draining into Semiahmoo Bay that has been closed since 1977 to bivalve shellfish harvesting due to high levels of E.coli contamination.   

We will now have to wait for the results of the further testing being done at East and West beach to be posted by Fraser Health.  White Rock City Hall should find out exactly where the high levels of contamination are coming from and if anything can be done to address this crappy problem.  The last thing White Rock needs is to have its public beaches closed during the summer due to water contamination in the ocean.  For those who caught it, the sign in the photo above was posted by the Amity Police Department in the movie Jaws.  While not as scary as a giant great white shark feeding on swimmers, E.coli needs to be taken seriously because of the health threat it poses and the damage it can do to a city's image.

Vancouver Coastal Health beach conditions

E.coli symptoms and causes

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

I wish to acknowledge that the land on which I live, work and enjoy is the unceded traditional territory of the Semiahmoo First Nation and other Coast Salish People.

 

 

 

Tuesday August 02, 2022 

TNT The Naked Truth

Don Pitcairn

Carving up Semiahmoo History

With the worst of last week's heat wave behind us, we decided to do something different this weekend and on the holiday Monday we went for a walk on the wild side, heading west from West Beach in White Rock along the bluff shoreline of Crescent Rock. To be honest it has been a few years since I had been on this particular shoreline for simple recreation, ever since the Coldicutt Ravine staircase was seriously damaged by a series of landslides in January of 2020. The last time I set foot there was at dusk when I raced along the beach to video the BNSF Gradall excavator clearing landslide debris from the tracks. 

Parking near the boat launch and putting $12 into the meter for three hours of play time, we ventured out onto the foreshore heading in the direction of Kwomais Point. The tide was out so there was plenty of sandy areas on the first part of our journey, interspersed with rocky areas, tidal pools and random boulders. Once we were past the area where the houses on Marine Drive disappeared from view the beach started to narrow and the walking became more treacherous. Finally, on the shore near the Coldicutt Trail all sand disappeared and we were left walking along the cobbled beach shoreline between the water and the rip-rap boulders that protect the BNSF Railway corridor. 

Our goal was to reach Hermit's Haven, a small knoll of beach that that got its name from the White Rock resident Ira Warren who lived in the ravine in the 1950's and frequented that area. It is the only section of shoreline facing south towards Semiahmoo Bay that has blackberries, shrubs and a few trees, offering it some privacy from the tracks above, making it a prime retreat for naturists. We were just about there when I looked down and because of the angle of the sun saw this amazing carving on one of the boulders. At first glance I thought we had discovered an indigenous petroglyph, apparently of a salmon. With the long First Nation history of this area and several petroglyphs identified on the shoreline, this would not have been a surprise.

At Hermits Haven we met Ron who has built an interesting shoreline shack and cleared a path through the rock-strewn beach down to the water for easy access to swimming. Telling him of our find, Ron told us that a local named Jim who lived on the hillside above had informed him the carving was at least 80 years old, since it was there when his family moved into the neighbourhood while the railway still delivered mail. Returning to the salmon inscribed boulder, the carving done into granite rock seemed too intricate and the lines far too deep and wide to be of indigenous origin. Also, there was an inscription in the rock below the tail that looked like initials, either a W or two Ls. The carving is definitely old as it is showing signs of weathering from the waves but compared to known petroglyphs from around the Semiahmoo peninsula, it likely was done with modern tools by an unknown artist in this remote location.

There are actual indigenous petroglyphs on the beaches in White Rock and south Surrey. One that was on the shoreline near 136 Street was noticed on the beach in the 1920s and recovered by the Great Northern Railway before wave action and erosion erased the carving. With help from the Surrey Museum Historical Society and a grant from Surrey Municipality, the granite boulder adorned with a series of circles and pick holes was moved and relocated to Herron Park at Beecher Street next to the BNSF line. A plaque was installed and this petroglyph was officially unveiled on July 16, 1974 by Surrey Mayor Bill Vanderzalm at the former location of the Crescent Beach train station. The plaque presented by Surrey Museum Historical Society President Jack Berry reads "PETROGLYPH - Symbols were carved into the rock by prehistoric inhabitants of this area." I'm thinking the plaque could use an upgrade that is more modern and historically accurate.

There is an indigenous petroglyph that still remains on the Semiahmoo shoreline. It sits on Crescent Rock beach south of Crescent Beach in the main area favoured by naturists and nudists. The eroded carving is of a man's face shows large lips, small nose, round eyes and hair above. Unless the sun is in the proper position overhead casting shadows, it is very difficult to notice. This area of shoreline is not far from the Crescent Rock boulder that was used as a navigational aid and canoe beaching area by First Nation peoples. The Indian Fort that was located on top of the Ocean Park bluff is only a few hundred metres away also. There may be more petroglyphs laying undiscovered on the 6.5 km. of rocky shoreline between Crescent Beach and White Rock. If you are brave enough to take this long and rugged walk, keep your eyes peeled and you may find a ancient piece of indigenous history along the way.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 I wish to acknowledge that the land on which I live, work and enjoy is the unceded traditional territory of the Semiahmoo First Nation and other Coast Salish People

 

 

Tuesday July 26, 2022

The Naked Truth

AKA the Bisley Bulletin


Surviving Surrey

The last time I was a member of the Canadian Rifle Team to Bisley, England in 2018 we suffered through a heat wave during the National Rifle Association UK Imperial Matches.  I distinctly remember the headline in the Daily Telegraph that screamed "Friday Furnace".  It hit a scorching 37 degrees, which was a new all-time high temperature record for Great Britain.  If we had been sitting in the shade of a big oak tree while sipping on an icy lemonade or TEA (Traditional English Ale), it might be bearable.  Instead we were lying on hot baked ground in the full sun while wearing thick leather jackets, shooting three people to a target.  Not surprisingly, I ended up with a bit of heat stroke from being out too long in the roasting sun.

After that extreme weather event the UK health authorities instituted a heat emergency rating like what BC did after our deadly heat dome.  It was expected that it would take to the year 2050 for the red alert heat level to be reached, but instead it topped out over 40 C last week, triggering dire warnings across Great Britain.  The NRA UK administration were so concerned with the forecast that they reduced the number of shots fired for the matches from 10 to 7 and 15 to 10.  This gave shooters, range staff and the workers manning the targets time to fine shade and rehydrate before overheating.  I fired a 1,000 yard match when it was 43 C but thankfully it was with relatively low humidity.

Rifle issues and equipment breakdowns early in the Imperial meant that I had to switch to my backup firearm.  While they should be identical, the second gun did not handle the issued GGG ammo and fired large groups making high scores impossible.  I was also dealing with an elbow injury from a nasty fall I experienced early this spring when a pruning ladder collapsed under me.  For these reasons, i was  left off the first two team matches and thankfully assigned to other duties.  Fortunately, gunsmiths were able to sort out my rifle problems and with my #1 gun back in operation I got back in the game, shooting good groups and getting much better scores.  I ended up making the coveted Queen's Prize finals yet again with five other members of Team Canada finishing in the top 100 including Jim Paton from South Surrey.

In the St, Georges Match, David Luckman outgunned over 800 shooters to win the coveted gold cross badge.  The Grand Aggregate went to Surrey Rifle Club member Parag Patel who also had previously won the Queens and many Commonwealth Games medals.  In this years Queen's Prize, 23 year-old Cambridge University student Alice Good was true to her name, beating some of the world's best marksmen to become the third woman to win the premier match at Bisley.  Nichols Rossignol was the top Canadian in the Queen's and  Jim Paton was top Canuck in the Grand Agg.  In the short range Kolapore Match, Canada finished in third place five points behind the stacked GB team.  In the twelve man MacKinnon long range team match, Canada came in second behind Great Britain by fourteen points with myself firing the high score for our team.    

Alex Good

With the matches behind us and a huge amount of antique silver trophies having being awarded, it was time to party and the Queen's Prize winner arrived at Canada House carried through the front door by her Cambridge University team members.  There she retrieved a white Stetson hat and a rose from the bison head that graces the main entranceway.  As is tradition, Alice then fired the blaçk powder cannon along with our high scorer in the Queen's Nicole Rossignol and high under 25 in the Grand Agg Daphane Bries plus shooting legend and Order of Canada Member Alain Marion.  After a circuitous route of all the Bisley Clubhouses, the chair finally arrived the Surrey Rifle Club where the crowd got into raucous sing-along that went on till the wee hours of the morning.

With the shooting competition over, Team Canada came together for our farewell dinner on Sunday evening with a five course meal and trophies adorning the tables of our dining hall.  When dessert was finished, myself and BC roomate Tristan Dahlin jumped in a golf cart and made our way to the Stickledown 1,000 yard firing point on a rather somber mission.  The clouds broke at sunset and lit up with colour as I sprinkled a bottle of my recently departed father's ashes onto the front of the firing point as per his final wishes.  We toasted his long and storied life with a glass of Aberlore scotch, leaving him with a view of the historic range where he was twice the Bisley Grand Agg champion back in the early 1960s.


For more information on fullbore target rifle shooting and the long history of this sport, here are some websites you can visit for competitions in BC, Canada, UK and the ICFRA World Championship that will be held next in South Africa in 2024.  I've also posted several videos to Youtube of the 2022 Queen's Prize chair ride and the cannon being fired in front of the Canadian Pavillion in Bisley.  If you are looking for a life-long sport where age, gender and disabilities are not an impediment to performance, target rifle shooting allows you to compete across the globe and make life-long friends from around the world.

BCRA:  bcrifle.org

DCRA:  dcra.ca

NRA UK:  nra.org.uk

Imperial Meeting 2022 results:  nra.org.uk/results/liveresults/

ICFRA:  icfra.com

YouTube videos, Queens final chair ride and cannon shot:  search "Don Pitcairn channel" on Youtube

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

I wish to acknowledge that the land on which I live, work and enjoy is the unceded traditional territory of the Semiahmoo First Nation and other Coast Salish People.

 

 

Monday July 18, 2022

The Bisley Bulletin (aka Tnt The Naked Truth)


The Other Surrey

Imagine living in White Rock and going on vacation to White Rock Beach in Ireland, something I alluded to in last week's TNT.  Well, I'm doing something similar, going from Surrey, BC to Surrey, England.  It's not that I wanted to visit my hometown's namesake, but the County of Surrey is home to the famed Bisley Range in Brookwood, Woking.  The National Rifle Association (NRA UK) is holding the 153rd annual Imperial Meeting target rifle championships.  This year marks the 150th anniversary of the Dominion of Canada Rifle Association (DCRA) sending a Canadian Team of marksmen to compete against the best shooters from Britain and around the world.


It is also the 125th anniversary of the Canadian Rifle Team's home away from home, the McDonald Stewart Canadian Pavillion.  It was constructed back in 1897 from materials shipped in from Caanada, so unlike the many brick and stucco buildings found on the Bisley Camp, it is a large wooden structure with a shingled exterior and varnished interior walls.  It was originally named "The Diamond Jubilee Memorial Canadian Pavilion" in honour of the 60 year reign of Queen Victoria.  During WW2 the building was used by the Canadian Army as an administrative centre and Canadian Armed Forces shooting teams still stay there when competing in the Service Conditions Matches.  You may have even seen Canada House as it is often called as it was recently featured in the popular Netflix series "The Crown."

The week before the matches were to begin, we wondered if there would be a rifle range to shoot on.  On July 4th, smoke was spotted in the commons behind the 600 yard Century range.  Spreading quickly through low dry brush, it rapidly spread across the range danger area and even burned onto the famed 1,000 yard Stickeldown range.  Surrey Fire & Rescue Service crews attacked the  blaze and finally stopped its advance with many number boards getting cremated but the targets were thankfully all saved from burning. The Bisley Camp was spared the flames but thick clouds of smoke hung over it for days causing sore eyes and  respiratory illness.  Match Rifle and F-class Target Rifle were unfortunately cancelled while repairs to the range were quickly done by NRA UK staff and a small army of local volunteers.


This year's team consists of 33 members from provinces across Canada including six from BC.  There are even two people from South Surrey, myself and Jim Paton who has represented Canada at Bisley for the past 34 Imperial Meetings.  Jim also holds a gold and three silver medals from the Commonwealth Games in 1998 at Kuala Lampur, Malaysia and 2014 in Glasgow, Scotland.  In case you think this is a man's sport, there are five women on the team including the Adjutant who keeps everyone on line and everything running smoothly.  As of the day before this column was written, the top Canadian in the Grand Aggregate was Nicole Rossignol from Quebec City, Quebec who shot with my father in the last Commonwealth Games in Australia followed by Daphnee Brais, also from Gatineau, Quebec and Catherine Choquette from Ottawa, Ontario.  The difference in age from our youngest shooter to oldest member is a whopping seven decades.

There are plenty of individual matches fired at 300, 500 and 600 yards on the 110 target wide Century range, plus at 900 and 1000 yards on the 50  target wide Stickledown range.  These are then grouped into a wide number of aggregate that include the Grand Agg, the St. George's Agg and the Queen's Prize, which includes a chair ride for the winner along with global recognition.  Later in the week, it is time to get down to business with the Kolapore short range team match and the MacKinnon long range team match that will have teams from as far away as Kenya and Australia competing for fame, glory and medals.  For those with a steady hand, sharp eye and keen skills, fullbore target rifle shooting is like sports alchemy; you can turn lead, copper and brass into bronze, silver and gold.

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn 

I wish to acknowledge that the land on which I live, work and enjoy is the traditional territory of the Semiahmoo First Nation and other Coast Salish People.

 

 

Tuesday July 12, 2022

White Rock Nudist Beach


Now before you get your knickers in a knot, know that there is more than one White Rock beach in the world.  In fact our car has a license plate frame that reads "Crescent Beach - Village by the Sea", which a friend brought back home from the coast of Florida.  The same goes for Green Lake and Mosquito Creek, they are everywhere.  Take it from me, don't go skinny-dipping at Mosquito Creek or Leech Lake for that matter.

Where this story started was when I received an email forwarded to me from Judy Williams, long time patriarch of the Wreck Beach Preservation Society.  It turns out there is a White Rock Beach in Dublin, Ireland that is promoted for nude use by the Irish Naturist Association (irishnaturism.org).  They learned that there was a nude beach near White Rock BC and were looking for more information about it.  I replied to their queries about Crescent Rock beach giving them the website address and Facebook listing so they could learn more and possibly add it to their website. 


As with Crescent Rock beach, White Rock beach in Ireland sits at the base of an oceanfront bluff that makes access difficult.  For some strange reason, naturist beaches are often hard to reach and very secluded.  Just like Crescent Rock beach, White Rock Naturist Beach has a railway running along it with jagged rip-rap boulders lining the corridor.  The engineers on passing freight trains usually wave at all the naturists while they take in the beautiful view. 

What makes White Rock beach in Ireland so unique is the hard rock mine it has.  There is an old shaft that is visible at low tide on the north end of the beach. The mine extends under the hill to a total length of some 350 metres. The mine has a long history and was fist recorded back in 1751. It was known them as the Mount Mapas Mine.  It was closed in the late 18th century with the lead mined there transported by barge to Liverpool in England for making paint.

The mine extends under the hill to a total length of some 350 metres. The mine has a long history and was fist recorded back in 1751. It was known them as the Mount Mapas Mine.  It was closed in the late 18th century with the lead mined there transported by barge to Liverpool in England for making paint.


It turns out that Ireland has plenty of places where you can get back to nature and work on an all over tan.  The Ireland Before You Die website lists the 5 best nude beaches in Ireland and it doesn't even include White Rock beach.   (https://www.irelandbeforeyoudie.com/the-5-best-known-nudist-beaches-in-ireland-ranked/

The photo above is from Dog's Bay in Galway, not of a deserted tropical island.

As luck would have it my flight to England last weekend took me directly over Ireland and with a window seat I was able to look down at the coastline.  I'm sorry to say that exploring Ireland's remote nude beaches might have to wait for my next jump across the pond.  I have other plans that don't involve relaxing in the sun along the Atlantic Ocean.  More about that in next week's TNT...

 

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

I wish to acknowledge that the land on which I live, work and enjoy is the unceded traditional territory of the Semiahmoo First Nation and other Coast Salish People.

 

Monday July 04, 2022

Order In The Rock


I hope everybody had a wonderful Canada Day here in the Semiahmoo peninsula.  I think the celebrations were still a little subdued with lingering COVID-19 fears and a general distrust of large crowds from the past two years.  Others might have avoided flying the Maple Leaf over the dark history of residential schools in this country or the treatment of Freedom Convoy members rallying around the Canadian flag.  It turns out that this Canada Day was very special to our little corner of the Great White North with not one but two of our local residents named an Officer to the Order of Canada for their contributions to society that have enriched the lives of others and made a difference to this country.

Started in 1967 on Canada's 100th birthday, the Order of Canada is one of this country's highest civilian honours.  There are three levels to the Order of Canada, Companions, Officers and Members who live up to the motto of the Order:  Desiderantes Meliorem Patriam - "They desire a better country".  Acknowledging outstanding achievement, dedication to their community and service to the country, the Order of Canada has been bestowed by the Governor General on over 7,600 Canadians since its inception.  You might recognize the iconic red and white snowflake medals in the photo above that recipients often wear on their lapels as a small but coveted pin.  The silver maple leaf is for Members, the gold for Officers and the red for Companions, the highest level.  It is possible for Members to also be promoted to the higher levels within the Order of Canada, which happened to a local recipient this year.

Gov. Gen. Mary Simon announced the 85 appointees to the Order of Canada last week from fields that included music, film, academics, science, sports, culture, business and politics.  In total there were 17 people from BC who were invested in the order, including some names you will likely recognize.  Former TV broadcaster Deb Hope who has been locked in a devastating battle with early-onset dementia became a Member for her contributions to journalism and volunteering before her illness took her from public view.  Notable actor and famed bluesman Jim Byrnes was nominated as a Member to the Order for his contributions to the arts as well as his charitable work.  Across Canada, film and TV actress Sandra Oh who was a star on Grey's Anatomy and Killing Eve was named an Officer to the O of C for both her stage and screen prowess.  The fastest man in Canada, Donovan Bailey, who still holds the Canadian 100 M. record from the 1996 Olympic Games was named an Officer for his track and field exploits and dedication to youth and amateur athletes.

It is nothing short of amazing that two residents from the Semiahmoo peninsula would be named as Officers to the Order of Canada during the same ceremony,  Local Haida artist Robert Charles Davidson (Guud Sans Glans) from White Rock who carves and creates masterpieces on the Semiahmoo First Nation and in Massey, Haida Gwaii, is now an Officer of Canada for “his continued excellence as an artist and as an advocate of Haida culture.” He was originally inducted as a Member in 1997 with the following passage from that time describing his accomplishments.   

"Wood, silver, gold, bronze and paint are some of the artistic mediums he has used in his works of art which hang in museums and private collections in Canada and abroad. He has developed his own technical skills and creativity in an astonishing variety of paintings, sculptures and totem poles that transcends culture and speaks to a universal humanity. Through his work, he has joined the past to the present and extended the rich traditions of Haida art into the future."

Another White Rock resident, Dr. Donald Arthur Enarson, who unfortunately passed away suddenly at the beginning of June was made an Officer for his work in science and medicine involving lung health and tuberculosis control.  A post from the prestigious Mayo Clinic reads "A scientist, professor and physician with a strong sense of social justice, Dr. Enarson revolutionized the control of tuberculosis and lung disease around the world. His 1970s work with one of Canada’s top tuberculosis researchers revealed the high rate of the disease in indigenous and Inuit populations and, for the first time, made the connection between tuberculosis and poverty."  Throughout his lifetime, Don published over 400 scientific papers, was a public health advisor in 42 countries, lectured in 72 countries and coordinated training courses in 15 countries.  His mentoring of promising young physicians in lower-income countries around the world likely contributed to the saving of millions of lives from lung disease.

Recipients of the Order of Canada will be presented with their insignia at a later date at Rideau Hall in Ottawa, depending on their availability.  For a more detailed look at what made Robert Davidson and Dr. Don Enarson Officers of the Order of Canada recipients, take the time to visit these links to get a more detailed appreciation for these men, their amazing lives and legacies plus their notable contributions to this country we call Canada.
https://www.robertdavidson.ca/biography
https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/surrey-bc/donald-don-enarson-10780043

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

I wish to acknowledge that the land on which I live, work and enjoy is the unceded traditional territory of the Semiahmoo First Nation and other Coast Salish People.

 

Monday June 27, 2022

Crescent Rock Rescue

CCGS Hovercraft in the water off Ocean Park


On the weekend the arrival of warm sunny weather brought people to the beaches of the Semiahmoo Peninsula in droves especially after our rather dismal spring.  We waited until the afternoon to venture down to Crescent Rock beach, finding a prime location just south of the Christopherson Steps in south Surrey.  We brought along our dogs, a picnic basket, beach chairs and a large umbrella to help provide some much needed shade.  What we didn't realize when we were setting up our spot was that we would have a front row seat to a rather unique marine visitor that rarely is seen in the waters of Mud Bay.  

At approximately 7 p.m. as the temperature was beginning to cool down, things really started heating up on the water with a deep droning sound coming from far off in Mud Bay towards Point Roberts.  Having heard it many times before from working on the banks of the Fraser River in Steveston, Richmond, I immediately knew that it was the Coast Guard hovercraft from the Sea Island Base.  While it does appear at Wreck Beach in Vancouver all too frequently to deal with people who cannot manage to climb the stairs, this was only the third time that I have seen it at Crescent Rock beach.  The first time was on the first annual Crescent Rock Beach Day when the "boat" was on a training mission and the other time was to help rescue an elderly lady who had fallen onto rocks when trying to get down from the train tracks.

The hovercraft drove straight at the main beach favoured by nudists and naturists then turned and ran parallel to the shoreline to the elevated Christopherson Steps walkway at the end of Crescent Beach marine park.  Unfortunately, due to the sun's glare I could not tell if the vessel was the CCGS Moytel or CCGS Siyay, the two boats at the Sea Island base.  The craft then turned and reversed course, driving along the rocky shore much to the amazement and delight of the sunworshippers relaxing on the beach.  It continued towards Ocean Park and stopped north of Ocean Park in a very rugged area lined with jagged rip-rap boulders.  Realizing it was likely there to help with rescue attempts for someone injured, either on the tracks or along the shoreline, I decided to go for a hike to see if I could get some pictures and a TNT story.



While White Rock and Crescent Beach have long sand flats, the 6.5 km. of shoreline between them is rocky, secluded and hard to access, making it perfect for a nude beach.  Even the hike that I went on was difficult since the tide was in and waves were lapping against the rocks and boulders that line the BNSF Railway tracks.  I made sure to focus on each step as I didn't want to slip on the algae coated rocks or seaweed that had floated in with the tide.  By the time I hiked nearly a mile to where the hovercraft was, it had already pulled away from shore and was slowly making its way out to sea.  A man walking the tracks told me that a 40-year-old woman had fallen and broken her ankle, initiating the rescue mission.  As I started to walk back, a BNSF hi-railer came reversing up the tracks with several paramedics and a person's feet clearly visible in a rescue litter at the back of the truck.   When I asked if they were okay, several of the men gave me the thumbs up and they continued rolling down the tracks.

That is all I have to report on this incident since my calls to the Hovercraft base and the Surrey Fire Service for more information went unanswered on Sunday as one might expect.  This incident goes to show that a trip to Crescent Rock beach can be fraught with more dangers than an all-over sunburn.  The footing is treacherous and you really should be wearing hiking boots and not flip flops when walking along the shore.  It is also a good idea to check out the tide tables before venturing to this rather secluded area as the walking gets much tougher when the tide comes in.  With all of the twists and turns in the tracks, it is very dangerous to be walking on the rail corridor with passing trains and if the BNSF or RCMP Police catch you on railway property you can expect a $115 ticket for every person there.  

For more information about the CCGS hovercraft, check out the Wikipedia pages for both of these amazing vessels from the following links:

I have posted a YouTube video taken from Crescent Rock beach of this vessel passing by heading towards Ocean Park that you can watch online at:

Any more information I learn about this accident, the technical rescue mission and the condition of the injured party will be posted as a TNT Extra.


Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

The Surrey Fire Service revealed some of the details of the technical rescue that happened north of Ocean Park on Saturday evening.

A heavy set woman in her early 40's was trying to climb from the Crescent Rock shoreline up onto the railway corridor.  She slipped on the boulders, jammed her leg between the rocks and fell backwards breaking her femur bone, not ankle as previously reported.  

Rescue personnel from Hall 5, Hall 12 and others descended the 1,001 Steps in Ocean Park and walked to her location with climbing equipment, ropes and rescue gear.

After stabilizing her injury she was attached to a backboard, strapped onto a litter and raised onto the railway corridor.

The BNSF Railway had stopped their trains by this time and a hi-rail truck was used to transport the victim by rail to the end of Beecher St. In Crescent Beach where an ambulance was waiting.  Because of shoreline boulders it was decided not to use the hovercraft for the extraction.

The lady will be off her leg for a while but should fully recover from this painful experience on what was the hottest day of the year to date.


Ic

 

 

Monday June 20, 2022

A Bridge Too Far

Definition - "A bridge too far":  A step or action that is too ambitious; an act of overreaching

It was a hallelujah moment when it was finally announced that the venerable bailey bridge and other King George Blvd bridge were finally going to be replaced with a new modern concrete and steel structure.  The bailey bridge was put in as a temporary measure back in the 1970's and after doing my own inspection of the structure several years ago I refused to drive over it for good reason.  You knew it was shot when large trucks and buses were redirected to the other side that was built back in 1959.  It really was amazing that with all of the development and growth in the Semiahmoo peninsula that these dilapidated structures were allowed to remain in place for so long.  Construction is expected to reach completion by late 2022 or early 2023 with a construction zone speed limit of 30 kmh.  During this time, drivers are urged to consider alternate routes due to the anticipated traffic delays.

Meanwhile only 750 metres south of the KGB/Hwy. 99 interchange, rehabilitation work has begun on the four-lane bridge where Hwy 99 crosses the Nicomekyl River.  This project is a seismic retrofit of the existing Nicomekl River Bridge southbound on Highway No. 99 that will build new jump spans extended on both ends of the southbound bridge.  The project includes installation of new connection brackets between the timber piers and concrete deck, installation of drilled steel pipe casings with infilled concrete close to north and south abutments, excavation of existing fill behind abutments, placement of backfill and roadway construction.  This project has seen a complex traffic diversion put in place with one of the southbound lanes now driving in the northbound lane and that traffic pushed further east with a construction site speed limit of 50 kmh or half of regular highway speed.  This project should be complete by late 2022 or early 2023 as well.

A further 750 metres south on Hwy. 99, a third highway interchange improvement project is already underway at 32 Ave.  This project will add an extra entry and exit ramp to the existing ones to facilitate improved merging and traffic capacity.  Thankfully the Hwy. 99 southbound exit ramps will also be extended to provide more queuing capacity during rush hour to keep traffic from backing onto the highway as has happened since this faulty interchange was first built.  Wider travel lanes on the 32 Ave. diversion are being constructed and an additional westbound lane under the Hwy. 99 overpass is being built to improve traffic flow to and from the highway in this notorious bottleneck location.  A protected multi-use pathway on the south side of 32 Ave under Hwy. 99 will be provided to improve pedestrian and bike traffic.  You can expect this area to receive the cone zone treatment with traffic control and reduced speed limits that will be complete by the summer of 2023.

It is wonderful that that all of these highway improvement projects are finally being addressed after years of south Surrey highways being ignored by the BC Highway and Infrastructure Ministry.  The big question I have to ask is WHY DID ALL OF THESE PROJECTS WITHIN 1.5 KM OF HIGHWAY NEED TO BE BUILT AT THE SAME TIME?  Did nobody at the Ministry think that this might cause some rather extreme traffic congestion for people travelling through this rather small geographical area?  Did nobody in the Engineering Dept at Surrey City Hall believe these three projects lumped together might cause traffic chaos?  As it currently sits, if you want to consider alternate routes to avoid anticipated traffic delays, then 16 Ave. is your closest option.  If everyone went there to avoid the traffic on King George Blvd and 32 Ave., it would surely snarl this interchange as well.  Of course, no matter what, these travellers would still have to drive through the Nicomekyl bridge repair located midway between the two interchange projects.  

I started this TNT with a definition and I would like to end it with a couple more that are rather similar and certainly on topic.  The first one is the word "SNAFU" that is described as "a confused or chaotic state, a mess."  This word comes from a slang military acronym born during World War 2 that summed up the chaos and madness of war from a soldier's perspective.  Another closely related military acronym from the same era that is similar and often used in conjunction with SNAFU is "FUBAR" that is defined as "to break something or severely damage, to make a mess of something - usually used in passive constructions."  If you don't know their true meanings and have never hung out with soldiers at a rifle range, simply Google search them for yourselves.  Expect a long summer of traffic jams trying to get in and out of the Semi-pen because of all this construction, especially the summer beach crowds leaving Crescent Beach that should clog Crescent Road to 140 Street every hot sunny day.


Naturally yours,

Don PItcairn

  

I wish to acknowledge that the land on which I live, work and enjoy is the unceded traditional territory of the Semiahmoo First Nation and other Coast Salish People.

 

Tuesday June 14, 2022

Chemtrails or Contrails?

Fly Boys Making Noise

During the last long weekend, I spent many hours working in my yard doing landscaping, maintenance and finally planting our vegetable gardens.  I was routinely surprised and somewhat disturbed by the large number of commercial aircraft that are now flying in the airspace above Ocean Park and Crescent Beach.  What burns my butt about these planes and their accompanying noise is that they are not supposed to regularly be flying over these residential neighbourhoods and the beaches of south Surrey.  When flying on visual approach or SIDS (Standard Instrument Departures), pilots are to direct their planes through the middle of Boundary Bay as they make their approach to the Vancouver airport (YVR).  Over time it would appear that Nav Canada air traffic controllers working in Newton have forgotten about this requirement.

The whole issue of commercial airplanes flying over south Surrey and White Rock dates back to May 10, 2007 when Nav Canada changed the approach routes for YVR without any consultation with the communities that would be affected.  People immediately noticed the change from airplane noise pollution that even had commercial jets winging through the heart of White Rock.   Eventually, Nav Canada and Transport Canada responded to the complaints that included Mayors and Councils of Delta, Surrey and White Rock, making alterations to the flight paths.  We were left with the GRIZZ STAR where planes follow a GPS route across Boundary Bay during times of peak commercial air travel, flying north along the west side of Boundary Bay before banking and flying east before turning up through Surrey and getting onto the glide slope towards Richmond and the YVR airport.

To give you an idea of the negative impact of the flight path changes, noise complaints to YVR Noise Management staff rose almost 500% in 2007 from the year before and over 850% when compared to the average of the four years before.  The City of Surrey formed the Mayor's Nav Canada Working Group on Aircraft Noise that I was a member of.  A community group SCANNS was formed (Surrey Citizens Against Aircraft Noise) who put pressure on Nav Canada, Transport Canada and federal MPs including south Surrey-White Rock Conservative member Russ Hiebert to move planes away from residential neighbourhoods.  The Richmond Airport Noise Citizen's Advisory Task Force was also formed in a city that is used to commercial aircraft travel and resulting noise.  Delta also had ANOID, which I believe stood for Aircraft Noise Overhead In Delta.

In the end Surrey was added to the YVR Aeronautical Noise Management Committee in 2008.  Ground based noise monitoring stations were installed throughout the region including one at Ocean Park in south Surrey.  YVR added WebTrak allowing citizens to monitor flights and the resulting noise pollution that is online at https://webtrak.emsbk.com/yvr5.  Two new noise monitoring stations have recently been installed in Ladner and Sunshine HIlls in North Delta to monitor increased jet noise in that community with changes to YVR flight paths being considered again.  If you see commercial jets flying over south Surrey, note the time, check out the plane on WebTrak and contact Surrey's Mayor and Council (mayor@surrey.ca ), Nav Canada (service@navcanada.ca) and YVR (noise@yvr.ca) to report an increase in the level of disruptive aircraft noise throughout the day or night. 

While on the subject of planes over Boundary Bay, a buddy of mine was relaxing at Crescent Rock Beach last week when he saw what he described as "three wide-bodied military planes flying in formation at high altitude leaving long contrails/chemtrails behind them."   He took the pictures you see in this TNT on Wed., June 8 at 7:15 P.M. looking west towards Ladner over Mud Bay.  I have never seen anything like this with the triple cloud tracks they left reaching from horizon to horizon.  Zooming into the pictures shows these planes had four engines each, with large lingering clouds forming behind them.  When I went onto WebTrak to see what they were, oddly there were no planes to be seen matching the ones that flew over.  It was then that I found the disclaimer, "Sensitive flight operations, such as law enforcement and military flights, are not displayed." 

Make of that what you will.

UPDATE:

Courtesy ANTHONY MANNING White Rock councillor and airport employee

They were three USAF KC-135s (ancient 707s converted into tankers) enroute from Alaska to the Lower 48.  I know because it generated considerable chatter in a YVR FB group I follow. 


Odd that they would flying in formation, considering all that's going on in the world today and considering their main mission is to refuel other aircraft in flight. 


Naturally yours,

Don PItcairn

I wish to acknowledge that the land on which I live, work and enjoy is the unceded traditional territory of the Semiahmoo First Nation and other Coast Salish People.

 

June 5, 2022

Spray Away Surrey

If you live near Grandview Heights it is likely you were woken up early on Monday morning by the sounds of low-flying aircraft buzzing the neighbourhood.  The BC Government is treating 108 hectares in this area along with five other Lower Mainland locations for Lymantria moths, formerly known as Gypsy moths until this bug's name got modern PC cleansing so as not to offend gypsies.  This will be the second aerial pesticide application with the first one taking place on May 13th and the final spraying scheduled for June 14, weather permitting.  The map above shows the treatment area and the 300 metre buffer zone located around the intersection of 32 Ave and 168 St. that was identified as a a Gypsy moth encampment.

The 2021 monitoring program trapped an above average number of male Lymantria moths in areas of the Lower Mainland, showing they were beginning to become established in the areas now being sprayed.  It is feared that if left untreated this invasive pest would threaten native trees, nut and orchard trees, ornamental trees plus food crops and fruit.  The Ministry is using Foray 48B that has Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstkaki (Btk) as its active ingredient.  This naturally occurring soil bacteria only affects the stomachs of caterpillars, being specific to their digestive systems.  It does not harm humans, mammals, birds, fish, plants, bees or insects and does not affect organic farm certification.  You can find out more information from the Ministry of Forests news release at this link:  https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2022FOR0030-000678


Crescent Park Elementary all-weather field.

The Btk spraying is not the only industrial spraying going on in the Semiahmoo peninsula this spring.  I was driving past Crescent Park Elementary School and noticed that the vegetation on the gravel all-weather fields was dying, apparently after being sprayed with herbicide.  After seeing this I also visited nearby Elgin Park Secondary School and their gravel field looked identical to the one at Crescent Park.  As someone who has worked in the commercial horticulture business for most of their life, the pinky orange colour of the dead grass and drift patterns looked as if the systemic pesticide Glyphosate, known better by its trade name of Roundup, had been sprayed on these gravel fields.   From what I witnessed, I would suggest these fields were treated about two weeks ago, likely on the last long weekend.

It would not be a shock to me to learn that the Surrey School Board was still using herbicides on the all-weather fields.  While the use of Roundup has been banned in Surrey for cosmetic reasons, the City can still use pesticides when they deem it to be necessary.  From my inspection of the two gravel school fields, the entire playing surface had been sprayed, not just the areas around the edges where weed growth is problematic.  Of concern was that I did not see any notice of pesticide application signs, something that is required and evident both before and after the BNSF performs weed control on their tracks through White Rock and south Surrey.  Something tells me there will be a lot of unhappy parents if they find out their kids have been playing on fields likely sprayed with herbicide. 

Elgin Park Secondary all-weather field.

There are many ways to control weeds on gravel all-weather playing fields.  When I worked on the North Vancouver School Board 40 years ago, they had a machine that would rototill the top surface of the field while also removing any vegetation that was growing in the gravel.  It worked like a charm and left the fields looking like they had been freshly gravelled all the time.  An organic weed killer can easily be made by mixing a gallon of white vinegar with a cup of salt and a generous squirt of dish detergent.  Using horticultural vinegar with stronger acetic acid levels, a higher concentration of salt and Safer's Soap works incredibly well on hard surfaces especially when it is sunny and warm.  Steam or hot water kills weeds quickly and effectively as I found out when a customer drained their hot water tank onto their lawn.

Looking into what the Surrey School Board was doing for weed control on their play fields, I discovered that they have been using Western Weed Control for many years.  in 2021, they provided $117,096 in contracted services to Surrey Schools as detailed in their Statement of Financial Information.  Interestingly, the last company I ever worked for before starting my own business was the very same Western Weed Control where I was a sales representative.  As part of their integrated weed management, they provide their Western Heat System that can be used in riparian areas near water where chemical spraying is not allowed.  This system can also be utilized on all-weather fields and should be the preferred method for school play fields.  In my experience, the steam used turns the grass a bleached white and also kills dandelions and clover effectively, something I did not see on the two Surrey school fields I visited.

Stay tuned for more on this story as there will be a TNT Extra posted once I find out from the Surrey School District and Western Weed Control exactly what the prescribed weed management system is that they are using for south Surrey schools.  I should point out that the White Rock elementary school is managed by School District 36 Surrey so it is likely that the gravel field there receives the same treatment as the ones in Surrey.   If herbicides are being used as I believe, I would suggest they find a less toxic and more environmentally sensitive option.  At the very least, weed spraying on play fields should be delayed until the kids are not in class, something that happens in just three week's time.

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

I wish to acknowledge that the land on which I live, work and enjoy is the traditional territory of the Semiahmoo First Nation and other Coast Salish People.

 

Monday May 30. 2022


Keep Crescent Beach Open!  

Parking on the beach in Crescent Beach in the 60's

Surrey is now a thriving metropolis of over 550,000 people with plenty more on the way with constant development.  While it has plenty of park space, it has very limited access to recreational marine shoreline, aka the beach.  Crescent Beach is by far the best place to go for nice sandy beaches and a public walkway to boot along with a large free parking lot at Blackie Spit.  The Semiahmoo Bay beach east of East Beach offers a near White Rock experience but with an all-day parking pass on First Nations land setting you back $7 the last time I checked.  Peace Arch Park is still closed blocking shoreline access from anywhere near the Canada/US border.  Crescent Rock beach from White Rock to Crescent Beach is accessible via three high staircases, is very rough and rocky and situated next to an industrial rail line.  While it has spectacular scenery and privacy, the view does often include naked people skinny-dipping and sunbathing along this clothing-optional waterfront.

I don't live in Crescent Beach because of the summer traffic, crowds of people, train blockades, commercial jet noise (more on that soon) and the threat of flooding.  That being said, it still is a wonderful village consisting of 404 homes.  There is now an effort being made by members of the Crescent Beach Property Owners to bring pay parking to Blackie Spit and resident only parking for the residential streets of the village.  On warm sunny weekends a crush of traffic descends on Crescent Beach where the infrastructure remains as it has been for the past 50 years with several bottlenecks causing gridlock.  The many residents who post "No Parking" signs on City of Surrey property is certainly not helping the situation, along with Surrey Bylaw officers turning a blind eye to this problem that adds to a lack of parking spaces.  

In response to the petition being collected by the CBPOA, a change.org petition titled "Keep Crescent Beach Open!"https://www.change.org/p/keep-crescent-beach-open) has already attracted over 2,150 signatures to keep the village open and reads as follows.  "Petitions are being circulated by a small group of Crescent Beach property owners asking the City of Surrey to bring in parking restrictions in the village.  They want pay parking introduced in the Blackie Spit parking lot and resident only parking for the residential areas of Crescent Beach.  These restrictions would seriously limit beach access for non-residents.  Crescent Beach residents have always welcomed visitors in the past and, despite heavy traffic at times, have resisted efforts to make visiting more difficult.  We need to let Council know that we oppose this effort by a group of frustrated and unhappy property owners to turn away Surrey families from this wonderful village.  Their short-term inconvenience should not end your long-term enjoyment." 

I would hate for Crescent Beach to go the way of White Rock and charge exorbitant fees for parking by families with children looking for an inexpensive outing and a way to beat the heat.  I believe it will take a multi-pronged effort to make the traffic flow better and to relieve the crush that Crescent Beach experiences in the summer.  Firstly, the proposed overpass above the BNSF Railway should be expedited since there are more and more trains and many exceed 100 cars in length.  Besides blocking all egress including to emergency vehicles, their frequent breakages on this curve can cause multi-hour waits.  The corner at 128 St and 24 Ave. either needs a roundabout, a controlled traffic light, or traffic personnel during high demand times, all of which have been utilized at Cultus Lake.  At King George Blvd the bridge work has restricted traffic turning left from Crescent Road to only one lane, something that needs to be immediately changed back to two lanes.

Now for a novel idea.  When parking at Crescent Beach has reached near capacity, I suggest that the City of Surrey close the village to more vehicle traffic as they often did during the COVID-19 pandemic.  They should then use the white elephant parking lot on the west side of the South Surrey Park & Ride lot as a staging point for a shuttle bus service (or the 351 bus) to the end of Beecher Street.  This would siphon off all of the vehicles from areas beyond the Semiahmoo peninsula plus encourage people to take transit to this hub location.  As a bonus, this asphalt wasteland that cost $4.5 million and is almost never used except for new driver training might actually get utilized.  Write the mayor, mayor@surrey.ca; write to the city manager, citymanager@surrey.ca; and write to your Surrey councillors about keeping Crescent Beach accessible and affordable.  They say the best things in life are free and this includes visiting Crescent Beach.

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn  

I wish to acknowledge that the land on which I live, work and enjoy is the traditional territory of the Semiahmoo First Nation and other Coast Salish People

 

Tuesday May 24, 2022

Garbage in, Garbage

 


Imagine my surprise when early on Friday morning a City of White Rock truck pulled into a townhouse complex I was at, filled with stacks of new recycling bins.  The two workers started dropping off these blue and red bins plus plastic yellow bags at the front of every unit and then taping letters to everyone's door.  I thought this was a little strange since the strata already had large blue roll-out bins from the City of White Rock for their recycling.  Collection services in White Rock were first privatized for multi-family and commercial properties back in Jan. 2015 and are now transitioning back to city services after the current Council voted to reinstate City collection of solid waste in Oct. of 2021.  

What I learned from the staff members was that White Rock had recently purchased two new recycling trucks that would not be able to collect the large blue totes.  Instead, they were transitioning back to the old system of a blue box for plastic and metal container recycling, red box for non-deposit glass container recycling and a yellow bag for paper, cardboard and newspaper recycling.  Meanwhile in Surrey, they have been using large totes for garbage, recycling and compostables since way back in Oct. of 2012.  With green waste picked up weekly and recyclables and garbage on an alternating two-week schedule it dramatically reduces collection time, especially with robotic armed trucks emptying the bins.

It would appear that the transition in the City By The Sea is not going as smoothly as one would hope.  I went into the garbage room at this complex and there were fluorescent yellow stickers from White Rock with the following note scrawled on them, "Sorry have house blue boxes and reusable yellow bags."  Well, I guess this had gone over like a lead balloon since the strata had responded with large notes of their own reading "Complex NOT formally advised by the city to change bins.  PLEASE COLLECT.  We are waiting to hear back about any changes.  Thank you!"   This made me wonder how many of the 252 multi-family and 96 institutional, commercial and industrial accounts across White Rock had not been properly notified of this upcoming change.

It turned out that the letters they were handing out were personally addressed to each and every resident of the strata complex.  I politely asked one of these people if I could have a look at the contents and she gladly let me sneak a peek (and take a photo).  The letter confirmed the purchase of the two new recycling trucks that would not be using the big blue roll-out totes and instead go back to the red/blue/yellow collection system.  It was interesting to learn that the city was instructing residents to hold onto their blue roll-out bins as "The City is currently in the process of converting the solid waste collection service to a City managed program and these totes may be used in the future."  There was no time date given as to when this possible change might occur.

If you live in a strata or have a business and were not properly notified of this change, you can do as the letter instructed and "Contact the White Rock Engineering and Municipal Operations Department at 604-541-2181 If you require further information or clarification."  You can also visit the whiterockcity.ca website at https://www.whiterockcity.ca/283/Garbage-Recycling for details on the upcoming changes.  There is also a very detailed material and description list of what materials go into each new bin or bag plus what not to do.  I would suggest printing off a copy and keeping it handy since it is two pages long and contains plenty of details on how to put your waste on a diethttps://www.whiterockcity.ca/DocumentCenter/View/4172/Recycling-Materials-Collected-Curbside-PDF?bidId=

One last thing, you will likely need reading glasses and a magnifying glass if you hope to actually read it.  The PDF copy I printed from the City website has titles in a readable sized font but the rest is so microscopic that it is likely illegible for anyone over 50 years old.  Since this covers a large number of the population of White Rock, it basically makes the PDF useless from an information standpoint.  This entire document needs to be changed so that when it is downloaded and printed, the average resident of White Rock can actually read it.  While you can zoom in on a computer, it only prints in two pages when it really should be four pages long to make it legible.

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

I wish to acknowledge that the land on which I live, work and enjoy is the traditional territory of the Semiahmoo First Nation and other Coast Salish Peoples.



 

May 16, 2022

Forced Drive to Winnipeg



In the gulag formerly known as Canada, a family member of ours left home at 6 a.m. on Sunday morning to drive from Surrey to Winnipeg to visit their aged and ailing parents.  They would have taken an Air Canada flight from YVR late last month and been there in only a few short hours instead of being forced to drive to the heart of the continent.  Because they refused the experimental and now relatively ineffective COVID-19 vaccine for personal medical reasons, they are still not allowed to fly within Canada, or to leave the country for that matter.

They are now facing a gruelling 25-hour drive after waiting two weeks for it to finally stop snowing on the mountain passes and in parts of the prairies.  For safety reasons and fatigue concerns, this long trip will also require an overnight hotel stay in Calgary both going to Winnipeg and driving back home.  With luck, they will arrive in Winnipeg at 8 p.m. on Monday, 36 hours after leaving Vancouver on what is a 2,500 km trip with current road closures.  That is if everything goes well, the weather holds, they don't break down, get a flat tire, hit a deer, have roads flooded, or be involved in a collision.

A return flight to and from Winnipeg was only $435.  With record gas prices, it has been estimated the fuel cost alone for this forced journey by car will be $1,200 with plenty of CO2 greenhouse gas emissions along the way.  Including hotel and food stops, it adds up to $1,600 and that is without wear and tear on the car plus depreciation from this long drive.  My guess is the total cost for this government forced trip will be around $2,000 plus three days of highway travel in total.  Unfortunately, you cannot apply for government help with the bill even though it is their continued mandates that caused this expense.

Thank you Prime Minister Trudeau and your Liberal/NDP regime for ignoring fundamental Charter Rights allowing for freedom of movement within Canada.  They are so cruel that you can't even fly home to attend a loved one's funeral.  Of course, anyone can go to a hockey game and sit shoulder to shoulder with 28,000 drunken fans screaming at the top of their lungs "Go Leafs go!"   What a national disgrace when you realize Canada is the only country in the western world that still has this control measure that is not backed by science but meant as a continued punishment for those concerned with what they put in their own bodies.

I know several unvaccinated people that would fly out of this God forsaken country and never come back, except they can't leave because they are not allowed to board a plane.  The countries they want to escape to will welcome them with open arms but Canada is holding these people hostage for their personal health decisions.  This is even more ridiculous when you look at how the Omicron variant is spreading in people who have been triple jabbed.  I am personally aware of a dozen people who are currently sick with COVID including a couple who just came back from a cruise with this disease.  Ever wonder what happened to herd immunity?  I haven't heard about it for some time now as public health messages morph almost as fast as the new variants.

Does any of this sound like freedom to you?  More like North Korea, China or Cuba, all repressive non-democratic regimes with no concern for human rights.  That is what Canada has become in just two years' time with Trudeau using the Emergencies Act to crush dissent from folks protesting against vaccine mandates and for their fundamental freedoms guaranteed in the Canadian Charter.  Is it any wonder why various Freedom Convoy protests like the one at YVR on Saturday are still being held across this country to bring attention to this ongoing travesty of 3.57 million Canadians finding themselves on a do-not-fly list for not being fully vaccinated.   I'd like to know at what point is this travesty going to end or will it become a life-sentence against further travel?  

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

I wish to acknowledge that the land on which I live, work and enjoy is the traditional territory of the Semiahmoo First Nation and other Coast Salish Peoples.

 

 

May 09, 2022

Oasis of Green in a Concrete Jungle

With the rate that forests are being mowed down and converted to condos in Surrey, you wonder if there will be any green left in the city of Surrey in the future.  Indeed, when the Surrey logo was changed from a beaver and the slogan "The City of Parks" to a logo of a couple of concrete towers with a little sliver of green underneath and the slogan "The Future Lives Here" the writing was on the wall.  It turns out that this was not the only thing on the wall as several buildings in Surrey are prominently showcasing how nature can indeed exist in a concrete jungle given a little help from the ingenuity of mankind.


The Semiahmoo Public Library and RCMP station located at 1815 152nd Street in south Surrey is a location where you can view the work of Vancouver landscape design company Green Over Grey (greenovergrey.com). They design and install living walls, otherwise known as green walls or vertical gardens using a soil free hydroponic matrix along with a cascading watering system with liquid fertilizer that can transform a drab concrete wall into a lush garden tapestry, both inside and out.  There are many benefits to these green walls that purify the air, shield walls from the elements, dampen noise pollution, cut electricity bills and increase property values with a living work of art. 


In 2010 the Green over Grey designers installed the vertical garden on the south side of the library that has a 3,000 square foot wall.  This green wall featured more than 10,000 plants from 120 different varieties of ground covers, perennials grasses and shrubs.   This project cost $272,000 and at the time was considered to be the largest and most biologically diverse outdoor green wall anywhere in North America.  The multitude of plants with their varying flowering times creates a balanced ecosystem that attracts bees, butterflies and hummingbirds while providing nesting opportunities for a wide variety of songbirds.  The initial inspiration for this vertical garden is said to be based on art of the Coast Salish First Nations that includes the Semiahmoo people.

 

Since that time, Green Over Grey has been busy showcasing their living creations in other parts of Surrey.  Inside the Guildford mall there are a couple of living walls titled "Celebration (of Nature) that together measure 1,380 square feet of planted area with over 8,000 plants from 59 different species.  This was good practice for their massive "Mountains & Trees, Waves and Pebbles (MTWP) installation located on the exterior of the mall walkway and bus exchange overpass above 104 Ave.  Both sides of the mall measuring a colossal 10,150 square feet were covered with more than 45,000 plants from 110 different species.  Completed in 2018, to date it is the largest green wall ever built in North America as measured by both overall size and number of plants.

You can check out a tie-lapse Youtube video of the installation of MTWP (link below), which includes an aerial trackway that carries an elevated cart needed for workers to safely install the plants and perform routine maintenance above the busy 104 Ave.  Since this project was completed for the Ivanhoe Cambridge real estate company who manages the Guildford mall the installation prize has never been revealed but when compared to other large public works that were much more accessible, a price tag approaching a million dollars would not seem unreasonable.  One thing is for certain, this Green Over Grey installation on the Guildford mall overpass is a visually stunning piece of living art that showcases the unlimited possibilities of this technology for one of Canada's greenest companies.

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

I wish to acknowledge that the land on which I live, work and enjoy is the traditional territory of the Semiahmoo First Nation and other Coast Salish Peoples.

 

 

MAY 02, 2022

Brown is the New Green


I hope you took the time to celebrate "Beltane" on Sunday May 1st.  If you have not heard about it before, Beltane is a Pagan holiday that falls halfway between the spring equinox and the upcoming summer solstice.  It is also the day when sprinkling regulations came into effect throughout the Lower Mainland.  Years ago, the GVRD, now known as Metro Vancouver, allowed peasants to water their lawns three times a week.  This was then dropped to two days a week with different days for odd and even house numbers.  After last year's deadly heat dome and record temperatures, there are big changes in store for this year that will cut allowable lawn watering dramatically and likely make your grass very thirsty this summer.  Here are the changes for 2022 as outlined by Metro Vancouver in an April news release.

Metro Vancouver is introducing enhanced seasonal lawn watering regulations for homes and businesses in order to better conserve the region's drinking water during the hot, dry summer months.  New this year, residents and businesses will be permitted to water lawns one morning per week during Stage 1 of the Drinking Water Conservation Plan, with designated days determined by property address and type.  Trees, shrubs, and flowers may be watered in the morning when using a sprinkler, or any time when hand watered or using drip irrigation.  Edible plants are exempt from the regulations.  Lawn watering regulations will be in place May 1 until October 15.  Anyone with automatic watering systems is encouraged to adjust them by May 1.  If there is a need to move to Stage 2 during the summer, lawn watering will not be permitted at all for residential and non-residential properties.

Metro Vancouver's water supply comes from rainfall and snowmelt in three mountain water supply areas that fill the Capilano, Seymour, and Coquitlam reservoirs.  Lawn watering regulations have consistently reduced outdoor water use during the summer.  Lowering demand for treated drinking water through conservation can defer the need to expand drinking water supply and infrastructure in the face of climate change impacts and continued population growth.  Listed below are the allowable lawn watering times for areas across Metro Vancouver in 2022.

METRO-VAN STAGE 1 RESIDENTIAL LAWN WATERING ALLOWED:

  • Even-numbered addresses: Saturdays — automatic watering between 5:00 am and 7:00 am, and manual watering between 6:00 am and 9:00 am

  • Odd-numbered addresses: Sundays — automatic watering between 5:00 am and 7:00 am, and manual watering between 6:00 am and 9:00 am

  • Trees, shrubs, and flowers can be watered with a sprinkler any day between 5:00 am and 9:00 am, or any time by hand or using drip irrigation.

METRO-VAN STAGE 1 NON-RESIDENTIAL LAWN WATERING ALLOWED:

  • Even-numbered addresses: Mondays — automatic watering between 4:00 am and 6:00 am, and manual watering between 6:00 am and 9:00 am

  • Odd-numbered addresses: Tuesdays — automatic watering between 4:00 am and 6:00 am, and manual watering between 6:00 am and 9:00 am

  • Trees, shrubs and flowers can be watered with a sprinkler any day between 4:00 am and 9:00 am, or any time by hand or using drip irrigation.

These restrictions do not apply to the use of rain water, grey water, any forms of recycled water, or other sources of water outside the regional and municipal water supply system. Member jurisdictions enforce lawn watering regulations through local bylaw restrictions.  Metro Vancouver collaborates with member jurisdictions to plan for and deliver drinking water services to 2.7 million residents and businesses using a system of water supply areas, dams, treatment facilities, reservoirs, pump stations, and water mains. Upgrades are regularly made to the system to maintain the regional district's ability to reliably provide clean, safe drinking water.


What is interesting about lawn watering in the Semiahmoo peninsula is that White Rock has its own water supply system with water collected from wells that is stored and treated to remove arsenic and manganese.  As of last year, White Rock residents were allowed to water their lawns three times a week, ensuring that the grass was always greener on the south side of 16th Ave.  It may come as a shock to homeowners and gardeners in the City By The Sea that White Rock has seen fit to drop their watering days also, not to two days as one might expect but to a single day.  In fact, White Rock's watering times are now an hour less than the rest of Metro Vancouver even though they have an independent water system.  Below are the stage 1 watering restrictions in White Rock for 2022.

White Rock NEW Stage 1 Restrictions

  • Residential lawn watering is permitted one day a week. 

  • Automatic watering is allowed 5 a.m. to 7 a.m.

  • Manual watering is allowed 6 a.m. to 9 a.m.

  • Even numbered addresses: Saturdays

  • Odd numbered addresses: Sundays

These sprinkling restrictions only apply to lawns; watering of gardens, shrubs, trees and flower beds is permitted any day from 5 a.m. to 9 a.m. if using a sprinkler, or anytime if hand watering or using drip irrigation. When washing a boat or motor vehicle, water hoses must be equipped with an automatic shut off device. Note: multi-family dwellings are considered even or odd according to the overall building number and not the unit number.

  • Non-residential lawn watering is permitted one day a week:

  • Automatic watering is allowed 4 a.m. to 6 a.m.

  • Manual watering is allowed 6 a.m. to 9 a.m.

  • Even numbered addresses: Mondays

  • Odd numbered addresses: Tuesdays

These sprinkling regulations apply only to lawns; watering of gardens, shrubs, trees and flower beds is allowed any day from 4 a.m. to 9 a.m. if using a sprinkler, or any time if hand watering or using drip irrigation.  When washing a boat or motor vehicle, water hoses must be equipped with an automatic shut off device.


Once we reach Stage 2 watering restriction whether Met-Van or White Rock, lawn watering will be prohibited.  When Metro-Vancouver started advertising several years ago that "You only need to water your lawn once a week" I could have told you that allowable sprinkling times were going to be reduced to one day.  This weekend Met-Van ads hit the airways about this change including warnings about how to avoid being fined.  Now I see on their website they are advising residents "Don't judge a healthy lawn by its colour" and "Let your lawn go gold this summer."  I'm here to tell you that a healthy lawn is green and that brown drought stressed lawns will get infested with Chafer beetle grubs and then be ripped up by racoons, skunks, possums and crows looking for these tasty morsels.

With these new lawn watering restrictions that have cut sprinkling by half in south Surrey and two thirds in White Rock, now might be the time to consider digging up your lawn, adding some organic topsoil and putting in vegetable gardens.  At least this way you can water daily and grow your own food, which considering the price of produce, supply chain problems, the soaring cost of fuel and war in the world's bread basket, might not be a bad idea.  Also, you can avoid having to get up at the crack of dawn on your weekend to water the damn grass!  Otherwise, you might want to consider having artificial turf installed or get someone to lay new turf every spring.  Either way, I'm sure my buddy Ray at Mr. Lawn (Mr.Lawn.ca) who specializes in turf grass and fake grass will be more than willing to help you out.

Here are the website links for both White Rock and Met-Van that includes information on stages 1, 2, 3, & 4 watering restrictions for 2022.

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

I wish to acknowledge that the land on which I live, work and enjoy is the traditional territory of the Semiahmoo First Nation and other Coast Salish Peoples.

 

 

April 25, 2022


Crescent Park Pooch Poisoning

Driving down Crescent Road last week I noticed a home-made sign taped to the NW entrance of Crescent Park.  Ever curious about anything of interest in my community I decided to pull over and check it out.  What I found was a sign with a cute picture of a young dog and the statement "This puppy was poisoned in Crescent Park on Sunday, Feb 20th, 2022.  If you have any information, please contact the RCMP, SPCA or Surrey Bylaws (with phone numbers).  This is a threat to our dogs and to young children.  Please report anything suspicious."

Needless to say, I wish I had noticed this sign a couple of months ago.  This information was never relayed to the White Rock Sun and nor was it posted in the Peace Arch News so unless you are a regular visitor to the park you would likely not know about this incident.  It turns out the Crescent Beach Veterinary Clinic did post the poster on their FB page in March along with a warning to the community.  Other than the date and the photo of the dog, there is very little data about this alleged poisoning including what the material was, how the dog came across it, or what it was mixed with.  Most importantly was whether the dog actually survived the poisoning.  I know if it was one of our fur babies that we would have put as much information up about what happened plus our contact information.

It turns out this is not an isolated case and might be the work of a serial pet poisoner.  I found the following post with a photo of a black lab on Reddit in February of 2020.  "Our boy didn't die of natural causes, he was poisoned.  There is a person in Crescent Park who thinks the best way to punish owners of off leash dogs is to put out tainted foot and let them eat it.  That is what happened to Jagr.  Please, if you walk your furry friend anywhere, remember there are mean people out there who want to hurt them.  My dog didn't deserve to die the way that he did.  It was brutal, for him and the rest of us.  Hug your dogs tonight because I wish more than anything I could still hug mine."  If that doesn't hit a nerve, you might want to check your heart for a pulse.

There is also a warning on the A Dog's Best Friend mobile dog walking services Facebook page from January 2021, "Sadly, it seems more poisoned food may have been found in Crescent Park.  Please spread the word and stay alert when walking your dog." The responses to this post point out that there are many people who use the park as an off-leash area for their dogs.  With coyotes, racoons, skunks, possums, eagles and owls living in the park, not to mention dogs and children, who in their right mind would be putting out what is believed to be rat poison?  The answer of course is somebody who is sick and demented and needs to be identified, charged and punished for this senseless crime.


It is not just Cresent Park where the issue of dog poisonings is a problem.  In July of 2021 pieces of meat were found along the trails of Surrey's Tynehead Park over several weeks, leaving pet owners there fearful what the motive might be.  In June of 2018 a five-year-old golden retriever died soon after eating an unknown toxic substance in Alderwood Park in south Surrey.  In Oct. of 2015 a dog got ill after eating food laced with the depressant valium in the Clayton Off-leash Dog Park with several other incidents reported there at that time.  That's just the reported pet poisonings in Surrey over the past few years and there are plenty more when you look into this problem across the Lower Mainland.

With multiple poisonings at Crescent Park and tainted food left there, it is time that the City of Surrey puts up proper signage at the many park entrances warning of this serious safety issue.  People that frequent the park need to be vigilant about their pets and children and ensure they do not eat any food they happen to find.  Most importantly, the sick and twisted person responsible for this bizarre behaviour needs to be located and arrested.  If you see anyone you think is placing tainted food, take a photo or video of them and call 911 immediately.  If you have information about the dog poisonings at Crescent Park, please report your suspicions to the Surrey RCMP non-emergency line at 604-599-0502, the SPCA at 1-855-822-7722, and the Surrey Bylaws at 604-591-4370.

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn


I wish to acknowledge that the land on which I live, work and enjoy is the traditional territory of the Semiahmoo First Nation and other Coast Salish Peoples.

 

 

 

April 19, 2022

Trick or Treat on Oct. 31


With more proof that I am beyond a doubt the Canadian version of the Amazing Kreskin, I successfully predicted that Surrey Council would vote last week to suspend the Surrey Office of the Ethics Commissioner in a 5-3 vote with all of Doug McCallum's Save Surrey members raising their hands to stop any investigating of ethics violations until after the Oct. 15 vote.  On the same day, the SOEC was effectively muzzled, a court date of Oct. 31 was set for McCallum's trial for Public Mischief with the trial scheduled for seven days.  Yes folks, that is more than two weeks after the civic election where Mayor McCallum tries for a second consecutive term and third time as mayor of Surrey.  The irony of the date chosen should not escape anyone; it is a treat for Doug and a trick for voters in Surrey on Halloween.

There are a large number of possible legal maneuvers that could happen between now and then but lets say for arguments sake that Mayor McCallum gets re-elected, the case goes to court and Doug is found guilty of Public Mischief.  In this quite possible scenario we will have a convicted criminal running City Hall with no way of getting rid of him.  Currently McCallum is running the city and the Surrey Police Board after being charged with a criminal offence, refusing to step down and recuse himself after he was charged.  Now I realize this is Surrey that has a rather sordid history with questionable mayors, high crime rates and open gang warfare, but at some point I'm hoping that responsible government might actually take hold in this fair city.

As I stated in last week's TNT (No Ethics, No Morals, No Shame, April 11, 2022) The BC NDP have introduced legislative amendments that would force an elected civic official to take paid leave when charged with a criminal offence.   It would not be applied retroactively meaning that it would only apply to criminal charges filed once the legislation comes into effect.  Nathan Cullen, the Minister of Municipal Affairs, had this to say on Thursday before the bill was introduced, "Hopefully it will pass quite soon, so that we’re able to restore that public confidence that municipal leaders want and we all need."  This is a badly needed change considering the serious charges that several BC mayors have been found guilty of over the past few years.

While this is a good start, I believe that it does not go far enough.  With most politicians viewed somewhere between between amblance chasing lawyers and used-car salesmen, I believe there is plenty of room to try and clean up their tarnished image.  I'm going to be strongly suggesting to Nathan Cullen that the NDP put forth legislation banning anyone currently charged with a criminal offence from running for public office until their charges have been dealt with.  This would mean that anyone with outstanding criminal charges could not be nominated to run for civic office.  This is a common sense idea and would not have to to be done retroactively.  If you have criminal charges filed against you, your name does not go on the ballot, simple as that.

The City of Surrey website (surrey.ca) has information about the 2022 Municipal Election (Your City, Your Vote) available at this link:  https://www.surrey.ca/city-government/2022-municipal-election .  The vote will be on Saturday, Oct. 15 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. where residents will cast ballots for one mayor, eight Councillors and six School Trustees.  You can register in advance in August if you have moved in the past six months with this regislation closing on August 23, 2022.  Most importantly, nomination period begins at 9 a.m. Tuesday, August 30 and ends Friday, Sept. 9 at 4 p.m., which coincides with the declaration of candidates.   Our civic election laws need to be changed to stop anyone with outstanding criminal charges from being nominated and running for office.  Surrey Doug..., I mean sorry Doug, but that would include you if your trial is still pending at that time.

It's a neat trick that would be a real treat to the people of BC and other towns across our province.  Combined with having elected civic officials having to recuse themselves until their criminal charges are dealt, it would certainly help to clean up Council chambers.  I personally believe this is an idea whose time has come and am rather surprised it has not been done sooner.  If you would like to support this idea of not allowing people facing criminal charges to run for public office, please feel free to share it with the NDP Minister of Municipal Affairs Nathan Cullen and the South Surrey-White Rock Liberal MLA Trevor Halford.  I wouldn't bother with Mayor McCallum, something tells me he wouldn't like it.

Hon Nathan Cullen:  nathan.cullen.MLA@leg.bc.ca

MLA Trevor Halford:  trevor.halford.MLA@leg.bc.ca

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn


I wish to acknowledge that the land on which I live, work and enjoy is the traditional territory of the Semiahmoo First Nation and other Coast Salish Peoples.

 

 

April 11, 2022

No Morals, No Ethics, No Shame

Members of Safe Surrey digging their own political graves without steel-toed boots.


They are at it again.  Mayor Doug McCallum and his Safe Surrey minions on city council just don't seem to understand that "No Means No!"  We have already seen this recently when the plan put forth to Metro-Vancouver to change the land classification to the South Campbell Heights area was defeated and quickly repackaged for yet another Met-Van vote less than a month later that went their way.  You can scroll down to read about that fiasco that was passed without proper consultation with the Semiahmoo First Nation in my February 28, 2022 two-part TNT titled "Busy Days in the Haze" with the first section titled "South Campbell Heights Rezoning Passed" dealing with this divisive issue.

It is hard to imagine but Surrey Council will be discussing yet another attempt to muzzle their very own Ethics Commissioner.  My rather blunt January 31, 2022 TNT titled "Silencing the Surrey Ethics Commissioner" covered Council's first attempt to shut down the office that investigates ethics violations at the City of Surrey.  In this first swing at the bat, they were calling for the SOEC to not investigate any new ethics violations for nine months before the next civic election on Oct. 15, 2022.  After an avalanche of emails, nasty telephone messages, media scrutiny and my rather pointed TNT the Safe Surrey Coalition blinked and withdrew this contentious item from the agenda.  Now they are back at it proposing a six-month muzzling of the Ethics Commissioner before the election, a full half a year without any ethics oversight in a town that needs it badly.

Here is a paragraph taken from my last TNT on this topic at the end of January.  "Attempting to shut down the Office of the Ethics Commissioner is a direct attack on freedom and democracy in the city of Surrey.  Surrey was the first city in BC with an Ethics Commissioner whose position was formed on June 10, 2019 by the very same people now trying to dismantle it.  It's a desperate attempt by tyrants looking to close down opposition to their abhorrent behaviour that is both outrageous and immoral.  I should mention that it's hard to believe Mayor McCallum is facing serious criminal charges about lying to the RCMP and is still the Chair of the Surrey Police Board.  The outlandish political games being played in Surrey by our so-called leaders are making us all a laughing stock and the butt of "Surrey jokes" yet again."   On some TNTs, I feel all that I have to do is simply change the date and give it a new title, kind of like White Rock and the Hump saga.

Last week the BC NDP government introduced legislative amendments that would force an elected civic official to take paid leave when charged with a criminal offence.   Unfortunately, it would not be applied retroactively meaning that it would only apply to criminal charges filed once the legislation comes into effect. This means that Mayor McCallum wouldn't have to step down from his duties as Surrey Mayor and the head of the Surrey Police Board while his current trial for Public Mischief is ongoing.   Nathan Cullen, the Minister of Municipal Affairs, had this to say on Thursday before the bill was introduced, "Hopefully it will pass quite soon, so that we’re able to restore that public confidence that municipal leaders want and we all need."  Hmm..., I wonder what the rush is and what municipal leader he was referring to?  


In what would likely be used as a definition of irony, Monday, April 11 is also the day when Mayor Doug McCallum's pre-trial conference is set for with the trial date expected to be five days scheduled for after the closed-door pre-trial conference is completed.  Rather bizarrely, the location of this PTC is not in Surrey but instead scheduled to be held in Prince George.  The BC Prosecution Service has revealed that Prince George is the home to the judge handling his public mischief case, the conference will be online with virtual attendees and the PTC is not open to members of the public.  A BC Courts information sheet noted, "Whether a trial is unnecessarily long is not something which can be measured solely by its length.  Some relatively short trials may be unnecessarily long while some very lengthy ones may be efficiently managed and reach an appropriate just and, in context, timely result." 


The partisanship, backstabbing, and mudslinging we are seeing out of Surrey City Hall has reached a level not seen since the last time we had Doug McCallum as mayor.  The most recent attack on the SOEC is yet another low, but I would expect even more underhanded and immoral behaviour as we rush into "silly-season" which is the last six months before an election.  My guess is the SOEC neutering will pass 5-3, regardless of public sentiment.  As to whether McCallum's Public Mischief trial will be dealt with before Oct. 15, that is anyone's guess.  If his legal dream team figures they can win, it will likely be before, and if the Crown's evidence including video is overwhelming then expect it to be repeatedly delayed unil after the fall election is long over.


Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

 

I wish to acknowledge that the land on which I live, work and enjoy is the unceded traditional territory of the Semiahmoo First Nation and other Coast Salish Peoples.

 

 

 

April 04, 2022

Machete Kills


The naked truth is that I own a machete.  It is a beauty I purchased from the Otter Coop in Langley over 30 years ago for under $20, made by Barteaux & Sons in Portland Oregon.  It has an 18-inch blade that widens toward the angled end and a D-shaped handle to help protect your knuckles and hand.  I splurged when I bought it and even purchased the heavy-duty leather scabbard allowing it to be safely stored or worn from a belt.  The once shiny blade is now a dark brown patina from use and the years but the edge is still razor sharp.  I originally bought what is basically a cross between a sword and a knife for chopping down blackberries and cutting trails when on woodland hikes, where I put the whack in bushwhacking.  It is now my tool of choice for cutting off basjoo banana leaves and chopping down their thick trunks.


What I never use my machete for is as a weapon or self-protection.  Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for most machete owners living in urban centers across Canada.  The machete has now become the modern broadsword, allowing users to attack others at arms-length while inflicting terrible or fatal injuries.  Unlike a long-rifle, most machetes are easily concealed under a jacket or in a backpack.  The massive Bowie knife used by Paul Hogan in Crocodile Dundee ("That's not a knife,  that's a knife") had a blade measuring 12 inches long.  In the movie First Blood, Sylvester Stallone's character Rambo carried a military survival knife that only had a blade of 9 inches.  They say that size matters and that bigger is better and it seems that machetes in all sizes and shapes are becoming more prevalent on our streets.


You don't have to go very far to get your hands on one of these tools that can become a dangerous weapon in the wrong hands.  You can buy an 18" Shrade full tang machete at Canadian Tire for only $19.99.  Want to start the kids off young?  They sell the Gerber Gator machete Jr. with safety sheath for only $39.99.  I'm hoping this isn't the same Gerber that makes strained infant foods.  For something a little more edgy, try the Camillus Carnivore machete for only $44.99 or its slightly more lethal partner, the Camillus Carnivore Inject for $54.99.  Heading into East Van or simply purchasing online, Gorilla Surplus carries 53 different varieties of machetes with names like Annihilator, Raptor, Xtreme, and Combat ranging from $19.99 to $154.99 with blades up to 22 inches long for the double handed model.  Yup, there must be lots of brush to clear down in East Van.


You don't have to look very far to see the results of thugs carrying heavy long bladed weapons around in urban settings.  Simply Google search "Surrey machete" and check out the headlines that pop up.  "Machete attack sends two people to hospital", "Victim of machete attack in Surrey knew assailants", "Man waving machete shot by police in Surrey", and more with the same violent storyline.  Checking "Vancouver machete" leads to other stories about two people being attacked on New Year's Eve on Granville Street, a man having his fingers partially severed, and a machete attack at a Vancouver bar.   The latest local machete story involved two teenagers chasing a man in to the Burquitlam Skytrain station last month, swinging at him with a machete while he tried to protect himself with a traffic pylon.  He received a large laceration on his head that required staples to close and Transit police arrested the two suspects from Port Moody.


I'm starting to wonder why machete sales are allowed to young people or in urban centres.  I have my now vintage machete and I use it for its intended purpose, both gardening and in the wilderness.  Because of their inherent danger, I have to question why these tools that double as weapons are allowed on our streets?  Maybe their sale should not be allowed to youths without their parent's signing authority.  Possibly their sale could be blocked in cities where they have been used as improvised swords to terrorize and injure people.  I guess that the sales of machetes would be greatly lowered if people had to show ID and sign for them and the police were given these purchase records.  One thing is for sure, criminals looking to harm people and others trying to protect themselves will continue to buy machetes as fierce arms-length weapons.  Whether for gardening or gang warfare, the ownership of machetes truly is a double-edged sword.


Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

I wish to acknowledge that the land on which I live, work and enjoy is the traditional territory of the Semiahmoo First Nation and other Coast Salish Peoples.

 

March 29, 2022

Locke & Load



I realize that the political landscape of Surrey has become extremely acrimonious over the past few years with Surrey First splitting into various factions and Safe Surrey Coalition doing the same over a variety of issues.  Unfortunately, it seems that divisive politics that we have witnessed in the United States have swept across the border, not only into federal and provincial realms but even to the civic level.  I have often wondered why we need political parties or slates at the local level, believing competent individuals with varying points of view should be able to reach a consensus that is good for the community at large.  Instead, we are witnessing the polarization of civic politics fuelled by deep pocket donors looking for influence at City Hall with the will of the citizenry ignored with the exception of when elections are near.

It was with absolute disgust that I learned last week that Surrey Councillor Brenda Locke has been subjected to death threats that were apparently violent and sexual in nature.  In case you were not aware, Mrs. Locke left the governing Safe Surrey Coalition three years ago after realizing the coalition she had joined was being run more like an autocratic dictatorship.   Brenda added to the fray when announcing in 2021 that she would be running for the position of Mayor in the 2022 elections to be held this October.  On the Safe Surrey website and various social media platforms, Mrs. Locke has been the subject of what would best be described as an organized smear job, with her morals, ethics and ideas challenged and disparaged on a daily basis.  The acrimony associated with these attacks would make most people, including those with families, question whether running for public office in Surrey was a good idea.

So now this heated rhetoric has risen to the point that direct threats of sexual violence were made against Mrs. Locke.  This is the unfortunate by-product where people are constantly vilified and supporters of this form of propaganda are worked into such a frenzy that they believe death threats or acts of violence are justified.  The fact that these threats were made against a woman apparently by a man, makes them even more shameful and cowardly.   It has not been revealed how these threats were received but they were serious enough that the RCMP investigated and have made an arrest with the person not yet charged or their name released to the public.  Councillor Locke has this to say about the threats against her person, “This can never be tolerated. This is not civil. You can disagree with me, you can have peaceful protest, that’s all fair but to bully, intimidate, discriminate, and then also talk about physical violence? Completely, completely not tolerable."  I could not agree with her more.

Unfortunately, Brenda's predicament is not the first time that this has happened.  Councillor jack Hundial who like Brenda Locke left Safe Surrey Coalition (in 2020) was also subjected to death threats, not only for his political affiliations but his former employment as an RCMP officer.  Not content with threatening Mr Hundial, the same person also took aim at Prime Minsiter Justin Trudeau in the same social media post threatening to shoot them both.  This quickly attracted the attention of the RCMP who arrested a 42-year old man from Surrey, charging him with uttering threats.   Several other local politicos I know have been subject to various threats and harassment over the years, with White Rock south Surrey MLA Trevor Halford having his office broken into and trashed earlier this year in what is believed to be a politically motivated attack.  Most politicians do not want to report threats and haassement believing it will only make the problem worse.


I have had friends over the years from across the political spectrum at all levels of government ranging from local councillors to MLAs, MPs, Senators and party leaders.   Regardless of their political views, I have found they all have one endearing quality; an interest in helping members of their community.   It is one thing to complain about politicians or question their motives but threatening them with violence for performing their duties is makes me question the perpetrator's mental stability.  Politicians are kind of like the police, many folks don't like them, most would never want their job, but when you really need them, you're glad they are there for you.  Having ran for public office and worked on various election campaigns for other candidates, I have nothing but the utmost respect for anyone crazy enough to want to throw their hat into the ring.  

So when it comes to politicians you can bitch all you want, question their motives and ridicule their decisions but remember this.  There is no room for violence and threats in the political arena in an open and free democratic society.  If you think that you could do a better job or have brilliant ideas that could change the world then please get out of your armchair and consider running for public office.  I have to warn you right now though, the meetings you have to attend and hours spent working might make your cheque look rather small.   The ferry to and from Victoria sucks especially during storms and flying back and forth to Ottawa every week is brutal.  Make sure you know what you are getting into before actually signing up for this type of torture.   The job of a public figure is often hard on the person and their family and they certainly do not need to be the target of violent threats and hatred from bullies and crazies.

 

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

I wish to acknowledge that the land on which I live, work and enjoy is the traditional territory of the Semiahmoo First Nation and other Coast Salish peoples.

 

 

March 21, 2022


Views For Votes

 

 

Have you seen the movie Groundhog Day where Bill Murray wakes up every morning at 6:00 a.m. to Sonny & Cher's song "I Got You Babe" to find himself stuck reliving the same day time and time again?  Well, I feel that way when writing about so-called "vegetation control" on the Hump hillside.  Next to stories about landslides from the Ocean Park bluffs onto the BNSF tracks threatening rail safety, most of these slides initiated from the illegal cutting of trees for views, the death by a thousand cuts of the once forested Hump is a story that refuses to go away.  Once again this topic has raised its ugly head with the crem-de-la-creme of White Rock living along Marine Drive believing their unobstructed view of the pier is once again an important issue during an election year.  If you care to check it out this long-running saga, here are the dates and titles of all my TNTs dealing with this subject from the WR Sun archives.   I should note there are likely others but a four year chunk of the TNT achives was accidentally deleted.

Oct. 13, 2020 - From Hump Hillside to Stump Hillslide

Apr. 25, 2016 - The Poisoned Semi-Pen

Dec. 14, 2015 - $lope $tability $tupidity

Mar. 8, 2010 - Gone But Not Forgotten

Nov. 30, 2009 - Stopping the BNSF in their Tracks

Oct. 19, 2009 - Clear Cut Case of Negligence

Sept. 21, 2009 - Stumps on the Hump


In the latest Hump fiasco, residents Kerry Wray and Shelley Mare attended White Rock City Hall as a delegation last week to advocate for the trimming of the Hump as has been done in the past.  These women stated that they didn't want another clear-cut but that trimming the blackberries at the top of the hill and removal of saplings growing from the stumps was important.  Mare is on record as stating “We like greenery, but this foliage that is obstructing ocean and pier views is not in the right place for our City By The Sea."  It was moved and seconded that "Council directs staff to report back on the feasability of bringing maintenance of the hump greenery to pre-2019 leves including compliance to new policites in place as well as budget implications."   This motion was carried 6-0, with Mayor and Councillors all voting in favour and Helen Fathers likely rolling over in her grave.


Going way back to 2008, I first met WR Sun editor and current WR Councillor Dave Chesney when he climbed into trees along Marine Drive to stop tree cutting after being lied to about tree trimming on the Hump.  First it was 36 trees cut down, them another 40, with yours truly delivering a load of firewood to the BNSF offices in New Westminister with TV cameras rolling.   Next was the chopping down of many trees in front of the Top of the Rock development next to the pier on top of a former lateral slump landslide site.  The final desecration was the clear-cutting sold as "vegetation control" in 2015 where much of the Hump hillside was razed to the ground, with clear-cutting only halted when they discovered active slide sites on the slope closer to East beach.   All told, the City of White Rock has spent $320,000 clearing the previously forested Hump, on private land owned by the American BNSF Railway.


When the Hump was formerly forested 14 years ago its thick canopy attracted plenty of wildlife to the hillside, especially bald eagles that used the tall trees to perch while watching the shoreline below for their next meal.  Now with only a few trees left, even the so-called "Eagle tree" rarely gets visited by these magnificent creatures who despite their "bald" characterization do not seem to like the Hump clear-cut.  The Hump forest acted as a beautiful green backdrop for pictures of the White Rock boulder, views that have been replaced with what is best described as an ugly scar.  When people used to walk along the sidewalk on top of the Hump, the trees there provided shade and relief from ocean winds, both of which are now a distant memory.   It is sad that the residents of Marine Drive cannot enjoy the ocean view in the winter, the trees in the summer and the eagles that used to float on the wind.  Instead of seeing the beauty in nature, they sadly appear blinded by their views through the tangle of electrical wires at the concrete and steel pier.  


The main reason why tree cutting on the Hump should have never been allowed was to preserve slope stability above the BNSF Railway tracks.  In 2007 Transport Canada sent a letter to the cities of Surrey and White Rock warning that the main cause of mudslides risking a derailment on these waterfront tracks was the cutting of trees on the steep slopes for views.  Of course those in charge in White Rock ignore the OCP that states the Hump should be left in a "natural state", which I'm pretty sure never meant clear-cut.  You do not maintain slope stability on a steep slide prone hillside by leaving stumps, you maintain it by leaving healthy trees that have a network of strong roots that also help to remove water!  The sign that acompanied the 2015 clear-cut stated "The slope will be replanted to promote slope stability and beautification.  We appreciate your patence on its appearace as we go through this transition."  Well, its still an ugly mess seven years later and not one tree has been planted to replace the hundreds cut down.

It is also worth noting that the sidewalks along the Hump were replaced back in 2010 because the safety railings were leaning at a 10-20 degree angle towards the ocean, indicating slope motion downwards from Marine Drive.  Professsor John Clague, whose specialty is natural hazard research, sent an associate to inspect the Hump and he was alarmed by what he saw.  Besides the leaning railings, he also noted there was a crack and deformation in the Marine Drive roadway at the crest of the Hump hillside in an area that suffered slope failure back in the 1960s.  When the railings were replaced, soil motion sensors were then buried in the Marine Drive roadway to check for movement.  This was the same area where White Rock spent $1.1 million to place pilings into the Hump in 2020 to help support Marine Drive from falling onto the tracks, followed by a further $700,000 in 2021 for more stability work.  Amazingly even after all of this, WR Council still is considering cutting more trees on the Hump.  Truly amazing..., and amazingly stupid.


Mayor Darryl Walker and White Rock Council need to grow a collective set and tell the fat cats on Marine Drive "NO" to any so-called vegetation control on the Hump.  The BNSF Railway needs to tell WR City Hall "NO" to any tree cutting on their steep slide prone hillside.  Transport Canada needs to tell both the City of White Rock and the BNSF Railway "NO" to decreasing slope stability over the tracks by cutting down trees on the Hump.  The residents of White Rock need to say "NO" to their tax money being spent cutting vegetation and trees on private corporate property simply to improve views.  Visitors need to tell WR BIA and Council "NO" more cutting on the Hump so that the ugly scar above the beach will eventually heal.  Its time to re-classify the Hump as "ravine lands" once again and not allow any tree cutting or future development.  There are already not enough trees in White Rock and I believe its time they started planting some replacement ones at the Hump as was promised seven long years ago.

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

I wish to acknowledge that the land on which I live, work and enjoy is the traditional territory of the Semiahmoo First Nation and other Coast Salish peoples.

EdITORS NOTE:

The delegation that appeared recently before White Rock council did not request any trees be removed from the humP. Their request was to trim back the blackberry bushes as well as the saplings that have sprung up from the tree stumps left from the clear cut. Staff will be returning to council with a dollar figure on how much it would cost to perform the sap-ling trimmeing.

I asked the delegation if they would be willing to pay the cost of the work. They not knowing the cost deferred until the report comes back to council.

David chesney

Editor White Rock Sun & White Rock City Councillor

.

 

March 14, 2022

Glossing Over The Facts


I was rather disappointed that the Safe Surrey Coalition four-page glossy election flyer did not get delivered to my door.  I'm kind of hoping that this was not on purpose.  I heard about it of course but had to wait until I found one laying on the ground in Clayton last week to actually read one.  Doing my part to clean up Surrey, I picked it up and instead of simply stuffing it into my garbage can, actually brushed off the dirt, dried it off and took it home.  I do find it rather odd that election advertising has already begin in Surrey with the next civic election eight months away.  With the costs associated with printing such a flyer and having it distributed across the city, it speaks volumes to how deep the Safe Surrey coffers must be, lined with donations from many developers operating here and other supporters.

The front page featuring Councillors Elford, Guerra, Patton and Nagra along with Mayor McCallum champions that the Safe Surrey Coalition is "Delivering results for a better future."  Not a bad start, it certainly makes you want to peek inside to see the "Investing in Surrey" goodies hiding there.  The first claim is that Surrey Skytrain is "two years ahead of schedule."  While this may be true, actual construction of the line reaching out to Langley has not started and my crystal ball says by the time it is finished it will be late and cost more than initially promised, much like most other government funded project.  "A local independent Police Service" is the next claim but the last time I was a crowd of cops at a Freedom Convoy rally, there were only a couple of Surrey Police in the horde of RCMP officers, showing that we are still dependent on the RCMP.   As for the "UBC campus coming to Surrey", this had nothing to do with City hall and caught the Planning Dept completely off guard.  The "New Newton (Yup, thats' New x 2) Community Centre is now underway, but the "Upcoming Cloverdale Sport and Ice Complex" was originally halted back in 2018 to help McCallum pay for his prized Surrey Police Service.  

Page 3 is all about "Tackling Climate Change."  First up is the City of Surrey's bylaw banning plastic bags and single use items.  This will reduce plastic check out bags but means people will simply increase their purchase of garbage bags now that the free ones are gone.  Styrofoam containers changed over to hard plastics and compostable paper but people need to realize there is a 25-cent charge on every paper bag no matter how small and I wonder how long it will be before they follow Vancouver's lead on chargine 25 cents for a cup.  The Surrey Biofuel Facility is championed but it was first planned when Dianne Watts and Surrey First were in charge.  The flyer also gushes how the "City of Surrey is one of the Greenest Employers two years in a row" and that it is "recognized by the UN as one of only 59 Tree Cities" across the world.  Both of these claims are as advertised but anyone living in Surrey can attest to the rate that entire forested ecosystems are being mowed down and replaced with buildings, asphalt and a few small trees that will never match what has been lost.  Add to this the recent decision by Metro-Vancouver to allow Surrey to develop the 650 acres of South Campell Heights from rural to mixed use that will further acerbate climate change from habitat loss.

The back page of this flyer is the most interesting with a "Getting things done for Surrey residents" checklist.   The Surrey Police Service check should be much smaller with this questionable transition proving difficult and expensive.  UBC Surrey campus should not be checked as it had nothing to do with the SSC or city hall.  It is hard to believe they would check the Cloverdale Sport & Ice Arena after initially cancelling it once elected.  Planning permit delays reduced gets a check but I've been told this is not the case for most people.  Free parking at SMH got a tick mark but parking there is under the control of Fraser Health who are now charging again, with Surrey street parking limited to two hours.  Surrey's truck parking plan gets mentioned but illegal truck parks, some on ALR land, continue to plague the city.  By far the most egregious check mark has to be for the City Ethics Commissioner who SSC first voted for then recently tried to silence in an election year.  They also had the audacity to checkmark the indigenous carving centres at a time when the Semiahmoo First Nations were not being consulted about the South Campbell Heights development.  

The last portion of this flyer is a picture of Doug McCallum and the banner "We Want to Hear From You!"  Well, there you have it, I hope they enjoy their reading and hopefully in the future can back up all the claims they are making instead of trying to rewrite history.   The glaring omission from this election flyer is that it says nothing about the criminal court case currently before the BC Supreme Court where Mayor McCallum has been charged with Public Mischief for allegedly lying to the RCMP about getting his leg and foot run over by a vehicle at a south Surrey Save-On-Foods.   Needless to say, having Mayor McCallum still serving as Chair of the Police Board was missing from the "Getting things done" page  where I'm sure it would have also received a green checkmark instead of the big red X that it rightfully deserves.

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

I wish to acknowledge that the land on which I live, work and enjoy is the traditional territory of the Semiahmoo First Nation and other Coast Salish Peoples.

 

 

March 07, 2022


Legends Never Die


Robert (Bob) Pitcairn, 
June 26, 1938 - March 4, 2022



It's with a heavy heart that I use this somber and subdued TNT column to let everyone know about the passing of my father Bob Pitcairn (aka "The Legend") on Friday, March 4, 2022 at the age of 83.  
  
My Dad died peacefully in his sleep the first morning after being admitted into the Cascades hospice in Chilliwack.  I visited him with my wife Sheryl on his final night for a lengthy visit before he climbed into the cockpit of a dreamy 747 and "Flew West" as former pilots say.  A broken collar bone that happened last year (on a rifle range of course) healed slowly and after a recent change in his health, Bob was diagnosed with multiple myeloma bone cancer that progressed rapidly, ending his long and storied life that included thwarting a CP Air hijacking while flying over Saskatoon in 1974 (https://www.pressreader.com/canada/windsor-star/20141129/281706907999108). 


Bob's sudden passing will likely come as a shock to his many friends from his early years in the RCAF, his flying career with CP Air and Canadian Airlines, plus the Fullbore Target Rifle shooting community from countries around the world where he has competed for over six decades as a member of the Canadian Target Rifle Team.  I'm going to greatly miss my father and best shooting buddy but he had an amazing life, was a great man and I'm proud to be his son.  These were all things I told him while holding his hand and comforting him on that final fateful night.   Our times spend on rifle ranges together including two ICFRA World Long Range Championships in the USA and Australia (ICFRA.com) was a blessing.

 



Our family consisting of his loving wife Kay, daughter Lee-Anne, grand-daughters Sarah and Denise plus myself and wife Sheryl with others gathered Friday morning to support each other and mark Bob's passing.  I ask those who knew him well to toast Bob's life with a glass of fine single malt scotch or a cold glass of India Pale Ale while remembering your time together.  A celebration of life for Bob will be planned sometime in the near future once the pain and loss from his sudden departure has subsided.  If you wish to send your condolences to Kay and our family or simply stay connected, you can reach out on my FaceBook page or send a message to editor@whiterocksun.com.

The following is an edited post from the Dominion of Canada Rifle Association website (dcra.ca) on Bob's sudden passing plus his DCRA Hall of Fame listing. 

We are incredibly saddened to share the passing of Canadian shooting icon and DCRA Life Governor Robert “Bob” A. Pitcairn.

Bob’s illustrious shooting career spanned over 6 decades and saw him compete and win against the best on the provincial, national, and international stages.  Bob qualified for the Canadian Bisley Team over 40 times and won the Grand Aggregate at the NRA UK Imperial Meeting in 1965. A multiple time Canadian Target Rifle Champion, Bob also captained both the Canadian Palma and Canadian Bisley teams and was a past President of the BC Rifle Assoc. 

Bob is an inductee of the DCRA, PEI, and Canadian Armed Forces Sports Hall of Fame and has been listed in the BCRA Scroll of Marksmen on multiple occasions. In recent years, Bob became well known internationally as the oldest athlete to ever compete in the Commonwealth Games when at the age of 79 he represented Canada in Fullbore Target Rifle shooting at the Gold Coast Games in Australia in 2018.

Bob was not only a tremendously talented and dedicated shooter, but he also gave generously of his time to support marksmanship, ranging from commanding his local cadet corps to mentoring his fellow Target Rifle competitors.  He was a tremendous supporter of the BCRA Under25 program and worked tirelessly to help grow and develop new shooters through the BCRA and Mission Rod & Gun Club.

We’ll miss all of his amazing stories and that smile that would light up the room.  Bob was a fierce competitor, a loyal friend, and a true gentleman.  Our thoughts are with his family and friends from around the world.  We are greatly diminished.

DCRA Hall of Fame:  Robert "Bob" Pitcairn

Bob Pitcairn is one of the most successful shooters in our history.  He has qualified for the Bisley Team a record 41 times.  He has won the Canadian Fullbore Rifle Championship once and has been third once.  He took the Governor General’s Prize twice and came third twice.  He took the Grand Aggregate on one occasion and was second once.  At Bisley, he won the Grand Aggregate in 1965 and came second in 1981.  He has made the Queen’s Prize Final eleven times and has been in the top 50 of the Grand Aggregate five times.

Naturally yours,

Don PItcairn

I wish to acknowledge that the land on which I live, work and enjoy is the traditional territory of the Semiahmoo First Nation and other Coast Salish Peoples.

 

 

 

Febnruary 29, 2022

 

Busy Days in the Haze


The Hazelmere Valley in south Surrey is usually a peaceful and tranquil part of south Surrey with plenty of rural farms and green space on either side of the meandering Little Campbell River.  That changed this weekend when this area was under the spotlight for not one but two news stories occurring only miles apart.   Looking at both of these, I found it difficult to decide which one was more important, so instead I thought I would write this TNT on both of them.

South Campbell Heights Rezoning Passed

On Friday the Metro Vancouver board passed the City of Surrey's plan develop the South Campbell Heights area in the Hazelmere valley by a 69-65 vote.  This happened less than a month after the same board defeated this proposed amendment to the 2040 Regional Growth Strategy by a vote of 64-61, sending it back to Metro Vancouver staff for discussion of the concerns raised by Met-Van directors.  At this January 28th meeting, Surrey Mayor Doug McCallum claimed "If you refer it, it gets stopped unconditionally", with other directors believing the vote would stop it for the near future.   Amazingly in less than a month and with minor tweaking it rose like a phoenix from the ashes and was once more presented to the Met-Van board members to allow the zoning on approximately 650 acres of land to be changed from rural to mixed employment.  

At the January meeting, concerns about contamination to the Brookswood aquifer, flooding of the Little Campbell river, environmental degradation, climate change and lack of public transportation were all cited as areas of concern.   By far the biggest sticking point was the lack of consultation with the Semiahmoo First Nation whose ancestral lands sit at the mouth of the Little Campbell river on Semiahmoo Bay.   Amazingly, in a time where reconciliation with First Nations it supposed to be at the forefront, both the Chief Harley Chappell and Councillor Joanne Charles asked Met-Van directors to vote this revised plan down, alleging they still had not been properly consulted by the City of Surrey.  In fact a council-to-council meeting has now been scheduled for March 14th, weeks after this plan was finally rubber-stamped by the board.  

It remains to be seen if after-the-fact negotiations between the City of Surrey and the Semiahmoo First Nation actually bear fruit.  The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People (UNDRIP) had been previously adopted by Surrey that calls for "prior consultation on any action that would affect indigenous people's futures."  That obviously has not happened in this case and its unclear what future face-to-face meetings might have on this plan still going ahead despite the SFN Council's well-documented objections to this zoning change.  It is worthwhile noting that the harvesting of bi-valve shellfish in Semiahmoo Bay has been banned since 1977 due to E.coli contamination and high pollution levels, much of it flowing from the Little Campbell river.  


Signs Of The Times


I have a file folder containing copies of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, including a second sheet highlighting the four fundamental freedoms we enjoy.  In case you don't know them, everyone living in Canada has the following fundamental freedoms:

  • (a) freedom of conscience and religion;

  • (b) freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression, including freedom of the press and other media of communication;

  • (c) freedom of peaceful assembly; and

  • (d) freedom of association.

Recently there have been freedom rallies centred around the rural intersection of Hwy. 15 and 8 Ave. in the Hazelmere Valley in support of the Freedom Convoy 2022 that was in Ottawa, and against the evoking of the Emergencies Act to deal with this protest.  Some of these rallies attracted thousands of people from across the Lower Mainland, many with vehicles adorned with Canadian Maple Leaf flags.  You need to realize that contrary to what you may have heard on various corporate media reports, these protestors only had a few vehicles parked near the Pacific Highway crossing for eight hours several weeks ago, with the RCMP blockading all entrances to the border for five days in total and still limiting access even today.

With yet another freedom rally planned for last Saturday, somebody at the City of Surrey decided it would be a good idea to post "Temporary No Parking - Tow Away Zone - Until March 6, 2022" signs in the area.  Not just a few near this normally quiet corner but a total of approximately 250 stretching a mile in length on Hwy. 15 from 8th to 16 Ave, and a further mile and a half on 8 Ave. from before 172 St. to 184 St.  These printed coreplast signs were done in two colours on a reflective background and bolted onto 4-foot-long 2"x2" stakes driven deep into the ground every 25 metres on either side of the road.  With no public transit in the area, it  was a blatant attempt to stop this political protest from happening, in direct defiance of most of the Charter's fundamental freedoms.


Now here is the really funny part.  You'd think that the Surrey Engineering Dept would realize that most of these roadways with their wide shoulders offering safe and ample parking were under the jurisdiction of the BC Ministry of Highways and Infrastructure.   Only 8th Ave stretching from Hwy. 15 to 184 St. is under the control of the City, meaning that the bulk of these signs were not even enforceable.  Even worse, many were screwed onto BC Hydro utility poles, another big no-no as these are private property that city crews regularly remove other signs from.  These nonsensical signs did not deter the protestors who took great glee in promptly removing most of them from the protest site.  I heard that several men were arrested for this defiance but I informed the RCMP that since they were illegally placed and an assault on the Charter Rights, taking them down was like picking up litter from the side of the road.  I should note here that not one car was ticketed, not one truck was towed.

The big question is who at Surrey City Hall thought this was a good idea?  Did they not realize it was an overt attack on freedom of conscience, thought, peaceful assembly and association as protected under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms?  Did they not realize that Hwy. 15 plus 8 Ave from Hwy. 99 to Hwy 15 were not their jurisdiction?  Was this illegal signage done at the request of the Surrey RCMP and Surrey Police Service in a vain attempt to quash protesting by eliminating parking for a mile away from the rallying point?  Also, what did it cost to have these signs printed, purchase all the lumber required for stakes plus the labour of the crews needed to install them?  The person at the Engineering Dept. responsible for this debacle should be reprimanded, unless this stupid order came from higher up the chain of command.

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

I wish to acknowledge that the land on which I live, work and enjoy is the traditional territory of the Semiahmoo First Nation and other Coast Salish Peoples.

 

February 22, 2022


Boots on The Ground



In last week's TNT titled "Love Your Freedom", I described the events of last week's border protest at the Pacific Highway crossing, calling it and other police actions "a giant goosestep towards a tyrannical police state."   It turns out that my vision of the dark Orwellian future for Canada was frightfully close to reality.  Stealing a line from US President Franklin D Roosevelt I have this to say, "February 21, 2022 — a date which will live in infamy."

Let me take you back a week to the Pacific Hwy. border protest.  On Valentine's Day evening, I had just finished a special dinner with my wife when the phone rang and a source informed me that police action had begun aganst the remaining protestors at the Gateway Plaza site near 4 Ave. and Hwy. 15.   Cancelling our plans for a hot tub and a quiet evening, we made our way down to the border area running a gauntlet of RCMP vehicles on the way.  When we pulled into the parking lot, there was a line of black clad policemen numbering approximately 60 lining the street that had been cleared, with the BC Freedom Convoy demonstrators getting ready to load their gear into pickup trucks.  In total twelve people had been arrested for a variety of charges, adding to the four already arrested over a week before.  While the protestors did an admirable job of cleaning up, I went back at first light on Tuesday morning and did an entire debris cleanup from the border to 12 Ave and a mile on 8 Ave that took three hours to complete with the police commmending me on this public service.

With the RCMP blockading the Pacific Border crossing area with rows of squad cars and even rows of large concrete medians stretched sideways across the blacktop, protestors and "freedom" yelling supporters continued to converge at the corner of Hwy. 15 and 8 Ave by the Campbell Valley Store for days.  While you may have heard that protestors had blocked the border, this was only for a few hours on the initial Saturday.  It was the police blockade that prevented any and all traffic, including transport trucks from making their way across this crossing in either direction, for a total of five days.  On Saturday, protestors angered about inaccurate media coverage blocked and swarmed several TV camera crews that were hastily escorted out by the RCMP.  For some reason I did not get the bums rush out even though I handed out plenty of cards for the White Rock Sun.  The last time that I dropped by the protest camp was early on Monday morning and there  was one lonely soul there trying to light a small campfire to warm up after a cold and wet night.  That being said, there was still a large contingent of RCMP cruisers in the area.

As we all know, chaos reigned supreme in Ottawa last week.  The embattled Ottawa Police Chief Peter Sloly resigned after failing to dislodge the Freedom Convoy 2022 demonstrators.  Interim Police Chief Steve Bell was hired promising swift police action to remove demonstrators and clear the streets of vehicles.  Barricades went up around the centre of Ottawa, limiting access and cutting off supplies of food for protestors and fuel for their trucks and other vehicles.  On Feb. 16, Ottawa police started warning demonstrators to leave to risk arrest, the seizure of their vehicles and cancellation of their licences.  The targeting of Convoy leadership then began on Wednesday with several of the high-profile organizers being arrested and charged with mischief.  More police from detachments as far away as Vancouver added to the growing police presence who started making mass arrests on Thursday using baton, rifle butts, arwen guns, elbows and knees shots, pepper spray and heavy horse.  By Sunday the streets had been emptied, matching similar police actions that cleared the Ambassador bridge in Windsor a week before.

The poitical battleground was no less busy and bloody last week.  The Conservative party's move to have the Liberal government end federal vaccine mandates and restrictions by the end of February was struck down on Valentine's Day.  The motion was defeated 185 to 151, with the Liberals, NDP and Greens mainly voting against it.  Then to the surprise of many, Prime Minister Trudeau decided to invoke the Emergencies Act to deal with the stubborn protestors who refused to leave Ottawa before the vacine mandates were lifted, citing a "Public Order Emergency."  This was the first time that the Emergencies Act had been invoked since it was passed back in 1988.  You can read all about this rather authoritarian legislation that was derived from the earlier War measures Act of 1914 athttps://www.canada.ca/en/department-justice/news/2022/02/canadas-emergencies-act.html   This gave the police power to compell banks to freeze funds associated with protestors and possibly seize assets.  I know of two people, one in Langley, the other in Chilliwack who had their bank accounts frozen for giving small amounts of money to the Freedom Convoy's GiveSendGo page that was hacked and the donor information released.  The Canadian Civil Liberties Association, Canadian Constitution Foundation  and Province of Alberta are all taking the federal government to court over the Emergencies Act invokation that they believe was not justified.

Once invoked, the  Emergencies Act has to be be debated first in the House of Commons and then the Senate to be ratified.  Parliament sat during the weekend to deal with this situation with voting finally scheduled for Monday evening , Feb. 21.  Having been around protests for the past few weeks and knowing that the NDP leader Jagmeet Singh had announced he was hesitantly planning on voting for the measure, I decided it was time to get involved with this fight.  Picking up an orange tarp, some poster board, jumbo markers and paint, I spent Sunday evening coming up with snappy political slogans and putting the word out on various social media platforms of my plan to hold a "Family Day Freedom" protest in front of Mr. Singh's MP office on Kingsway near Metrotown.  Adorning his office exterior with signs large and small, myself and others waved Canadian Flags and got our voices heard by his Burnaby South constituents, emailing photographs to Jagmeet's Parliament HIll office.  This protest by up to 50 people was done peacefully and without incident, keeping the roadway and sidewalk clear with the RCMP attending several times to ensure everyone's safety.  When it was over, everything was removed including the tape on the windows and left in the same shape we originally found it.  

Unfortunately with this vote being considered by some as a confidence vote, the NDP MP's toed the party line and voted with the Liberal government (regime?) on Monday night, 185 MPs voted in favour of the act, while 151 voted against the measure, the exact same number as a week before when mandates were being discussed.  This act will stay in place until mid-March at the latest and the Senate must also vote on the government’s request but it could be quashed at any time if support is withdrawn.  You may say my little rally made no difference but Jagmeet Singh's leadership is tenative with his polls down and our protest action seen across Canada on CBC National news.  It also might make constituents question his support for the Liberals and to traditional NDP working class values in a home riding that is seeing significant demographic change with development.   I strongly believe that those responsible for bringing in the Emergencies Act, described as "using a sledgehammer to smash a peanut" are a threat to the Canadian way of life and democracy as we know it.  This battle is a long way from being over because your freedom and that of future generations of Canadians is worth fighting for. 

I leave you with this final patriotic thought that I'd like you to share with your family, friends and neighbours.  When you're at a sporting event, inside a stadium, or any time you sing the national anthem of Canada, there is a way to voice your support for FREEDOM in this country.   When Americans sing the Stars and Stripes at Atlanta baseball games, fans put extra emphasis on the word "BRAVE!"  Ditto for baseball in Cincinnatti where they shout out "RED!"  In Dallas for hockey games, the fans there yell out "STARS!"   With this in mind, there are two verses of O'Canada that end with the word "FREE!"  The fourth line has already become a Canadian motto, "The Truth North strong and FREE", while the second to last line "God keep our land glorious and FREE" echoes this sentiment.  I say we sing the verses and yell "Free" at the top of our lungs with a defiant fist raised high.  Heck, we could even shout "FREEDOM!" at the very end.  It sure beats the hell out of "stand on guard for thee" three boring times.  Too much standing around guarding for my liking, I say its time for some freedom loving action. 

O' CANADA - FREEDOM VERSIO

O' Canada!
Our home and native land!
True patriot love in all of us command.
With glowing hearts we see the rise,
The True North strong and FREE!
From far and wide,
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
God keep our land glorious and FREE!
O' Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
O' Canada, we stand on guard for FREEDOM!

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

I wish to acknowledge that the land on which I live, work and enjoy is the traditional territory of the Semiahmoo First Nation and other Coast Salish Peoples.

 

 

 

February 14, 2022

Love Your Freedom


This TNT comes to you on Valentine's Day, synonymous with love, hearts and the colour red.  There was plenty of heartfelt love and people waving red and white Canadian flags on Highway 15 (176 St.) this weekend as the Freedom Convoy BC 2022 rolled into Surrey to show their support for the protestors surrounding the Parliament buildings in Ottawa for over two weeks.  The prior weekend the BC truckers and their supporters made their way from Langley to Vancouver with thousands of people lining the streets downtown with the only problem being a handful of folks who came out to protest the protesters.   While the Vancouver Police Department was receptive of the BC Freedom Convoy entering their fair city, the same cannot be said about the RCMP in Surrey whose conduct this weekend appears to have all but ignored the Canadian Bill of Rights and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

I cannot see the future but I did predict that freedom loving protestors sick of government COVID-19 mandates, vaccine passports and the creation of second-class citizenry would likely descend on the Ambassador Bridge between Windsor, Ont. and Detroit, Mich.  I also speculated that our local border crossings might be targeted for protests and while I did not specify it, believed the truck crossing on Pacific Hwy. made an obvious choice.  When trucks and people in cars adorned with flags and protest signs neared the Hazelmere area on Saturday morning, they were met with RCMP vehicles blocking streets within a mile of the border, attempting to thwart the planned protest in support of the truckers in Ottawa.  Some vehicles did manage to make their way around the phalanx of officers but many instead lined roadways for miles in every direction from 8th Ave. and Hwy. 15.  At one point a line of convoy vehicles led by a big military coloured vehicle went around the barricades, making a dash for the border before they were stopped by three police cruisers.

When things calmed down a bit the crowds continued to grow until and estimated 2,000-3,000 people including families, children and dogs were on scene, many waving signs and yelling "Freedom."  Many pop-up tents were erected by event organizers along with live music, free food stations, barbeques, plus port-a-potties that had been dropped off a day earlier.  Most of the vehicles that had made it onto the road leading to the border ended up parking just before the actual border crossing at 0 Ave., blocking all lanes leading to the American crossing booths that all showed closed signs.  With the protest on the Canadian side, American police also blocked off the roadway leading to the Canadian crossing.  From the time that I arrived on scene at 11 a.m. until I had to leave near 8 p.m., I did not see one vehicle crossing the border, only protestor's vehicles and cop cars squared off against each other in a stalemate.  At the intersection of 8th Ave and Hwy. 15 that turned into a defacto bhangra dancefloor, I counted a total of 40 police vehicles providing the disco lights.


Now here is where the truck rubber meets the road in Canada.  In the land of the great white north that we call home, we have the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms that superseded the original Canadian Bill of Rights.  The Charter guarantees the rights and freedoms with only reasonable limits prescribed by law that can be demonstrably justified in a free and democratic society.  Under the all-important "Fundamental Freedoms" section, everybody has these four basic fundamental freedoms:

(a)  freedom of conscience and religion

(b)  freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression, including freedom of the press and other media communication

(c)  Freedom of peaceful assembly

(d)  freedom of association

What is very scary and a giant goosestep towards a tyrannical police state is that the Surrey RCMP and even the new Surrey Police Service ignored the Charter and took it upon themselves to shut down a peaceful assembly for those protesting against government controls over their bodies, lives and freedoms.


By Sunday morning many of the protestors had vanished, likely back home to their comfy warm beds, leaving those with RVs and trucks with sleepers to continue the blockade.  The vehicles parked at the border had also pulled back during the night to the main encampment near 4 Ave.  The police had Hwy. 15 coned off at 16 Ave. in a "hard closure" not even allowing media in due to a line of protestor vehicles near 12 Ave.  There was a phalanx of RCMP vehicles at 8 Ave and Hwy. 15 including a line of eight squad cars from one side of the highway to the other several blocks away at the Campbell River.  More police were at 4 Ave., 2 Ave., and 0 Ave. as well as a number by the CBSA offices.   By noon more officers and paddy-wagons arrived and at 12:30 p.m. they formed a line 30 men (and one woman) wide and began moving towards the loose assembly of protestors, pushing and shoving the Maple Leaf waving crowd backwards.  Four people including the man known as "Freedom Dave" were arrested before a woman carrying a child was shoved and dropped their kid to the ground, causing a serious push back by the Freedom Convoy protestors in a clash of wills.   As of Sunday night, this line still held by the old Tudor Inn at 2 Ave.

It is difficult to comprehend how long this protest will continue or what plans the RCMP have for those people still parked on the highway.  It is interesting to note that police threatened those with children that their kids would be taken away from them, plus that those bringing propane or food would be charged with aiding and abetting.  Other protestors scared away by the confrontation reported that officers dressed in black, wearing masks and sunglasses with no badges or ID told them "You don't have any rights", "You are breaking the law" and most disturbingly "You will be charged with terrorism."  What I do know is that this kind of Orwellian behaviour can be challenged, and based on what I have seen, I believe that complaints should be filed against both the Surrey RCMP and Surrey Police Service with the Office of the Police Complaints Commission (https://opcc.bc.ca/) about their blatant Charter breaches.  I've been into the Surrey RCMP headquarters before to file paperwork and in their lobby is a large sign stating it is their duty to protect the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.  I guess they can't see if from behind the thick bullet-proof glass.

One last thing I'd like to pass along to my readers about this weekend's protest is the blatant lie told by corporate media.  In my previous TNT I complained about negative or non-factual mainstream media coverage of the Freedom Convoy 2022.  On Global BC TV's 6 o'clock Saturday evening news, Paul Johnson reported from near 20th Ave. that "The demonstration did not succeed in shutting (the border) down but they did cause major disruptions.  I think its safe to say that the status of the Pacific Border Crossing right now is tentative."  Nothing could have been further from the truth, with nobody crossing the border in either direction all day long.  Drive BC showed Hwy. 15 closed from 8 Ave to the border, with the highway cams also revealing no traffic in this corridor and thousands of flag-waving freedom fighters milling about.  So either this Global reporter never actually made it to the protest site or he was lying about the success of the illegal police operations.  Either way, don't believe everything you read or hear on mainstream media and question their motives after accepting millions of your tax-payer dollars in the form of COVID-19 relief payments from Justin Trudeau's Liberal government prior to the last election.

Happy Valentine's Day,

Don Pitcairn

Love Your Freedom

 

 

February 07, 2022

Convoying a Message



'Cause we got a great big convoy
Rockin' through the night
Yeah, we got a great big convoy
Ain't she a beautiful sight?
Come on and join our convoy
Ain't nothin' gonna get in our way
We gonna roll this truckin' convoy
Cross (C-A-N-A-D-A)

Convoy!'

"Convoy" song by C.W. McCall, 1975

The Freedom Convoy 2022 that rolled from Vancouver on to Ottawa before setting up shop at Parliament HIll has certainly brought attention to the loss of freedoms, questions about the safety and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines and the various mandates imposed by different governments to try and control both the virus' spread and the movement of people.  What it has also exposed is how politicians and police force commanders can get away with bullying and name-calling for those expressing their views that are protected by the Constitution of Canada in what many believe is still a democracy, not a dictatorship or police state.   Even more concerning is the message, or often the lack thereof, coming from large corporate media that appears to be following a closely scripted negative narrative of those involved with this protest.

The White Rock Sun is a true community media source that is not controlled by a parent company or media conglomerate.  It is not owned by shareholders or pension funds and does not take million-dollar government handouts (even though we could use the money).  As far as freedom of the press goes, I get to pick my stories, the perspective that I write them from and most times the language that I use.   Even this column's The Naked Truth name has to be taken with a grain of salt as anyone professing that they know "The Truth" always gets my ears up and my mind questioning their motives.  I'm worried about the concentration of media ownership, the control that mainstream media (MSM) has with their broadcasting availability, and the communication saturation of mass media.   Even worse is the government paying the media directly with CBC costing tapayers over $1.2 billion a year and other media outlets in Canada receiving $595 million in COVID-19 relief.  If you want to follow the media money, check out this listing:  https://www.canadaland.com/canadian-media-liberals-trudeau-government-funding-covid-cbc-erin-otoole/

Freedom Convoy 2022 and other associated protests across Canada are likely the largest demonstrations ever organized in this country.  The fact that corporate media is downplaying their numbers, ignoring masses of flag-waving Canadians on the streets, or omitting that these truck convoys are now springing up in countries across the world is simply outrageous.  When my The Province newspaper landed on my door on Sunday morning, I could not believe the ridculous story they had concocted about the truck convoy that rolled into Vancouver on Saturday in support of the Ottawa Freedom Convoy.  Instead of writing about the crowds of flag-waving Canadians at major overpasses or the thousands of people lining the streets of downtown with signs asking for freedom, reporters instead wrote about a handful of protestors who disrupted the route, showing a picture of one man lying on a roadway in front of a truck.  One guy, instead of thousands politely protesting to get their freedom back.  What is funny about this is how the MSM then smear the Convoy supporters as being "anti-media."  It would actually be funny if wasn't so damn pathetic.

Even worse are the words used in "big media" to vilify those in the Freedom Convoy that are using their Constitution of Canada right to peacefully protest.  The truckers been accused of being "white supremacists, dangerous, holding citizens hostage, racist, terrorists, occupiers, out of control, against minorities or LGBTQ, and of course misogynists."  One masked protestor was seen near the convoy carrying a confederate flag and was being challenged and chastised by the truckers.  The fact this man was masked should have been a clue but reporters did not confront him and instead used his presence to smear the work of Convoy organizers.  Others have called the Convoy a "threat to democracy" and a "national insurrection."  In fact, what we are witnessing is democracy in action that happens when government officials are not listening to the citizens who pay their bloated salaries and gold-plated pensions.   As the late US President John F. Kennedy said, "Democracy is messy, and it's hard. It's never easy."

Our esteemed leader Prime MInister Justin Trudeau has not done himself any favours during this crisis, calling the protestors "a small fringe minority, holding unaceptable views."  This bonehead statement went over like a lead balloon and is now being used by protestors for their signs and it is even available on t-shirts.  Obviously Trudeau was out of touch with the feelings of many Canadians who have had enough of government lockdowns, vaccine passports and wearing masks, while our US neighbours are open for business with football stadiums full of roaring crowds.   Justin's disappearance from both parliament and the public, after reportedly testing positive for COVID-19 after being triple vaccinated, came at a time that makes it look as if he is hiding from the Convoy protestors.  As soon as he has cleared his COVID curfew it would be wise for him to arrange for a meeting with Convoy organizers because it looks as if they are not going nowhere anytime soon, regardless of what the Ottawa mayor and police chief want.

One measure of the success of the Freedom Convoy 2022 was the amount of money people were donating to their GoFundMe campaign.  This fundraiser raised the second highest amount of donations in GoFundMe history, at over $10 million.  After the truckers received an initial payment of $1 million from this online donation company, GoFundMe suddenly decided to freeze the remaining funds in their account, claiming they had evidence from law enforcement that there were reports of violence, unlawful activity and that it had become an occupation.   After initially saying donors had to apply for their money back with any funds left over going to a charity of their choice, GoFundMe instead decided to directly refund all of the donations.  Several US Governors have called for the Federal Trade Commission to investigate the US based GoFundMe's "theft" of funds from the Freedom Convoy.  Personally I would never give a dime to this company ever again that many are now calling "GoFraudMe."  Those looking to donate to the Freedom Convoy 2022 can now do so at Christian based GiveSendGo ( https://www.givesendgo.com/FreedomConvoy2022 ) where the new tally is already $4.2 million US as of Sunday night.  

For those who think the truckers will simply go away, I have some news for you.   If and when they do decide to leave Ottawa, you can expect them to show up at other destinations across Canada.  The trucker blockade at the Canada/US border crossing in Coutts, Alberta and a nearby highway blockade 20 km north of that location is likely an indication of how mobile and fluid this protest can be.  Remember that the Freedom Convoy 2022 originally started in response to the Canadian government banning truckers from crossing the border without being vaccinated.  There are over 100 land border crossings in Canada and all of these would make logical locations for protests and blockades by big rigs.  The Ambassador Bridge between Windsor and Detroit in Ontario is not that far from Ottawa and would be a temping target for the Convoy.  There are 13 land crossings between BC and Washington State, with the four local ones being Peace Arch, Douglas, Aldergrove and Sumas.  If the Liberal government refuses to talk to Convoy organizers or if Ottawa Police and RCMP attempt to dismantle their protest, it would not surprise me to see one or all of our local border crossings closed by truckers and their freedom loving supporters.


Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

 

 

January 31, 2022

Silencing the Surrey Ethics Commissioner

UPDATE - February 01, 2022

It looks like Mayor McCallum was feeling the heat from media and constituents on plans to muzzle the Surrey Ethics Commissioner.   Prior to the Regular Council Public Hearing, he introduced a motion to remove the bylaw that would have stopped new ethics complaints from being accepted and investigated from Feb 1 to Oct 22, 2022, the date of the next civic election.  In a statement Doug McCallum said “The work of the Ethics Commissioner is valuable and the misinformation circulating about the bylaw is unfortunate.  If the motion is approved by Council, I will ask the Ethics Commissioner to bring a report to a future open Council meeting for consideration on how to improve the bylaw.”  He also added, “The goal is to strengthen the bylaw to ensure the Office of the Ethics Commissioner is not used for partisan purposes during the election period.

 

It was with absolute disgust and dismay that I learned of the plan to effectively muzzle the Surrey Ethics Commissioner for the next nine months leading up to the fall civic election.  Last Wednesday in an in-camera meeting (behind closed doors), members of the Surrey Safe Coalition brought forth a bylaw ammendment that would cancel investigations by Surrey's Ethics Commissioner from Feb 1st to Oct 22, 2020.  The vote to pass this abomination will be held this Monday night, Jan. 31st at the Council meeting in Surrey City Hall.  For those with actual ethical convictions and high moral standards, halting the investigation of ethics violations against Surrey's Code of Conduct bylaw is a slap in the face for all Surrey residents.

I will be submitting a complaint to the Office of the Ethics Commissioner this weekend so that the members of Council who initiated and support this bylaw change can still be investigated concerning their conduct into this matter.  I believe that this proposed bylaw is a spineless attack on the Office of the Ethics Commissioner itself and is being done to ensure that future Code of Conduct violations filed February 1st onwards are never investigated until it is too late.   Whether this behaviour is actually a conflict of interest and not just an ethical violation is something that still needs to be decided.  I would expect the people living in Surrey to be outraged by this corrupt and self-serving behavior.


One of the core functions of the Ethics Commissioner is to "Provide advice and recommendations to Council regarding amendments to the Code of Conduct and other policies, procedures, or protocols governing Council members ethical behaviour."  I'm hoping that before Monday night's meeting, Ethics Commissioner Reece Harding lets Council members know that their proposed bylaw change is a violation of their "ethical obligations" to the residents of Surrey.  If Council does vote to silence the Ethics Commissioner at Monday night's Council meeting, I would expect him to resign from the position to protest his subjugation.  After all, Mr. Harding is not going to pocket pay for nine months without doing any actual work, right?  Dare I say..., that would be unethical.


Attempting to shut down the Office of the Ethics Commissioner is a direct attack on freedom and democracy in the city of Surrey.  Surrey was the first city in BC with an Ethics Commissioner whose position was formed on June 10, 2019 by the very same people now trying to dismantle it.  It's a desperate attempt by tyrants looking to close down opposition to their abhorrent behaviour that is both outrageous and immoral.  I should mention that it's hard to believe Mayor McCallum is facing serious criminal charges about lying to the RCMP and is still the Chair of the Surrey Police Board.  The outlandish political games being played in Surrey by our so-called leaders are making us all a laughing stock and the butt of "Surrey jokes" yet again.  


Those responsible for this bizarre debacle should hang their heads in utter shame and disgrace for this disipicable and cowardly act.  If we need to fill Council chambers on Monday night with freedom lovers and supporters of democracy to stop this vote from occurring, I say we do our best to make this happen.  I have never seen such a flagrant abuse of power and corrupt actions by elected officials and it makes me absolutely sick to my stomach.  BC has a recall process for MLA's and I believe it is time they now bring in this power for people to remove civic officials who have failed their constituents.  Hopefully, many people will take the time to attend Council chambers in person to show their displeasure, voice their anger and hopefully end this debacle.  I'll see you there on Monday night!

Note:  If you wish to attend this Council meeting in person the public are strongly encouraged to register for in-person attendance.  Please call the Clerk's Office at 604-591-4132 to register.  If you cannot make the journey to Walley but still want to watch the proceedings which start at 7 p.m., they are on the Surrey.ca website at the following web address with the live link located at the bottom of the page.  

Naturally yours,

Don PItcairn

I wish to acknowledge that the land on which I live, work and enjoy is the unceded traditional territory of the Semiahmoo First Nation and other Coast Salish Peoples.

 

 

 

Janujary 24, 2022

Historic Week For Surrey


This week is going to be a newsworthy time for the citizens of Surrey and you should mark January 25 and 28 on your calendars as being a historic day in the city whose official slogan went from "Progress Through Diversity" to "The City of Parks" and now "The Future Lives Here."  


Tuesday, Jan. 25th will be the first day in court for Surrey Mayor Doug McCallum who was charged on Dec. 10th 2021 by the British Columbia Prosecution Service with Public Mischief.  This charge is defined in the Canadian Criminal Code as "making a false statement that accuses some other person of having committed an offence, fabricating an offense, acting in a manner that makes one think a specific person committed a crime, or reporting a crime in a manner that makes one think a death has occurred."  In case you somehow missed it, this charge resulted from a run-in the mayor had with the Surrey Police Vote group who were canvassing for signatures in front of the Southpointe Save-on-Foods.  In an interview with Global TV, the mayor claimed a lady in a Mustang had hit his knee and ran over his foot causing injury, allegations that were reported to the RCMP.   Well, the only person charged in this incident has been Doug McCallum and Tuesday will be his first day in Surrey Provincial Court.

This case has brought a spotlight on the City of Surrey agreeing to pay legal bills for Mayor McCallum under section 7 of the city's bylaws, something that many people including present councillors and former mayors do not agree with considering the circumstances.  I have previously covered the mayor's legal problems in my Dec. 13th TNT titled Stang-on-Foot at Save-On-Foods Leads to Charges and a week later my Dec. 20th TNT titled Punt the Idea of Footing McCallum's Bill (scroll down to read them).   The spokesperson for the Surrey Police Vote, Bill Tieleman, is leading the charge to find out how much one of BC's most expensive lawyers will cost to defend the mayor and where the funds will come from.   If, and that is a big "IF", Surrey has to pay for the mayor's lawyers, they should be using one of the seven lawyers I have been informed the city has on staff or retainer, including several with criminal case knowledge.   If found guilty, Mr. McCallum should reimburse any taxpayer money spent on his legal defense.

Friday, Jan. 28th is the day the Metro Vancouver Regional District board of directors meets for their regular board meeting with an important decision on development in south Surrey on the agenda.  The Regional Growth Strategy Amendment Bylaw is going to be reviewed and voted on, which could push the Urban Containment Boundary in the Campbell Heights region south of 20 Ave. to 12 Ave. from 188 St. to 196 Street.  This area encompasses a total of 600 acres with Surrey wanting to change the bulk of this area's land use from "Rural" to "Mixed Employment."  There are concerns that development in this area will impact both the Brookswood aquifer and the Little Campbell River drainage basin.  Many of the Met-Van board members from cities across the Lower Mainland have also voiced concerns that the proposed changes by Surrey violates the "Metro 2040:  Shaping our Future" plan to constrain urban growth and protect rural areas.

Since it is likely that this proposed change would have serious consequences to those people living at the mouth of the Little Campbell (Tat-a-lu) river, I thought it would be wise to include the summary of concerns submitted to Metro Vancouver by the Semiahmoo First Nation who do not support the proposed amendment and "strongly recommend" the Met-Van regional board decline it.   

1. Semiahmoo understood the objectives of the MVRD Urban Containment Boundary, yet it is being modified. Semiahmoo was not consulted on amending the Urban Containment Boundary as it adds to cumulative impacts of industrial development on Semiahmoo Traditional lands and resources. Impacts include further disturbing archaeological sites and remains.


2. The South Campbell Heights area is agricultural land and vegetated lands. Rainfall has a chance to infiltrate into the ground and the aquifer, and filter naturally, and slowly drain into Little  Campbell River. The proposed Plan to develop "employment lands" (light industrial and retail lands) will increase the proportion of hard surfaces that direct rainfall directly into drainage rather than absorption into the ground and aquifers. The Little Campbell River and Boundary Bay are critical locations for food for Semiahmoo people. The area could receive increased run­ off rates and contaminants from the development of these lands. Currently, shellfish is unsafe to consume. The potential effect of development in South Campbell Heights will be to introduce more contaminants into Boundary Bay, thus setting back our efforts to reduce sources of pollutants so that we may safely consume the shellfish again. Areas for natural infiltration of rainwater into the ground has been continuously lost and the Little Campbell River and Boundary Bay receive the cumulative impacts of those changes.


3. Semiahmoo First Nation intends to work constructively with governments including the City of Surrey and Metro Vancouver on issues of economic development, community well-being, environmental conservation, and the opportunity for Semiahmoo First Nation to pursue its own economic future. This includes access to the same municipal services (sanitary, water, transportation) afforded other municipalities in Metro Vancouver Regional District. Semiahmoo needs to know that the services made available have the capacity needed to accommodate Semiahmoo First Nations members residential needs as well as the needed EconomicDevelopment for our community. Previously we have been denied access to the capacity needed.


Semiahmoo First Nation looks forward to advancing consultation and a collaborative working relationship with Metro Vancouver Regional District and the City of Surrey.  We are pleased to have had the opportunity to register our concerns and comments on the proposed Land Use Designation Amendment request from the City of Surrey - South Campbell Heights Area and look forward to the continued development of the working relationship needed for long term joint planning. 

HISKWE (Thank you)  

Respectfully yours,

Councillor Joanne Charles

If you care to delve into the weighty agenda for this Met-Van meeting it is available online at http://www.metrovancouver.org/boards/GVRD/RD_2022-Jan-28_AGE.pdf   Simply scroll down the left column to G3.3: Regional Growth Strategy Amendment Bylaw No. 1328 - South Campbell Heights, City of Surrey, where the action starts on page 769.  A little further down you can read the full scathing comments submitted by the Semiahmoo First Nation from pages 808-813.  Please note there is no opportunity for further public comment on the issue at the Jan. 28 meeting, which is scheduled to get underway at 9 a.m.  To watch the livestream, visit metrovancouver.org   If you want to see Doug McCallum's criminal court case in person, I would suggest you get to the Surrey Provincial Courthouse early if you want to get a seat to view the proceedings.  I'm not sure if the mayor will show up to make his plea in person but you can expect a large contingent of local media there to record the proceedings.  The address is 14340 - 57th Ave, Surrey, with Initial Appearance Court being held in courtroom 100 starting at 9 a.m.

Naturally yours,

Don PItcairn

I wish to acknowlege that the land on which I live, work and enjoy is the traditional territory of the Semiahmoo and other Coast Salish Peoples.

 

 

 

January 17, 2022

Hummer Bummer


The extreme cold weather we experienced during the holiday season turned roads into ice rinks, messed up Christmas holiday travel plans and made us break out the snow shovels and join the rest of Canada in moving tonnes of snow from sidewalks and driveways.  My parents were stuck in Chilliwack when a white-out blizzard hit there on Christmas Day with a snowstorm worse than anything they had ever seen, and they are from the Maritimes and spent years living in the Praries.  It seemed an almost perfect end to a disasterous year of weather we experienced here in the Province of BC with heatdomes, forest fires, atmospheric rivers and extreme floods.  Unfortunately our year-end cold snap only added to the death toll and misery we endured last year.

The smallest bird we have that now stays here year round suffered terribly in the snow and cold outflow winds.  The Anna's hummingbirds have expanded their range up into the Lower Mainland in such numbers that it was voted Vancouver's bird back in 2017.  The addition of landscape plants that flower in the winter and people leaving sugar syrup feeders out for them has caused this large increase in numbers.  Unfortunately I am sad to report that it appears that many Anna's did not survive the December cold snap where temperatures hit -20 C with the wind chills.  At just one property in Steveston in Richmond that I maintain, the caretaker found four of these tiny birds dead in the snow and another frozen solid on the side of the building.  We found another while working there, making six small feathered corpses at one location and there may have even been more we did not yet locate.

The biggest cause of Anna's mortality was likely people allowing feeders to freeze, eliminating the winter foot source for these tiny birds.  If you decide to feed these hummingbird you have to COMMIT to providing a steady supply of nectar that is always available to them.  The feeders have to be cleaned and disinfected on a weekly basis to keep the sugar syrup clean and free of mold.  Some people bring in feeders at night and return them outside half an hour before sunrise, or they have two feeders and rotate them as they freeze up.  Others attach hand warmers or incadescent christmas lights to the sides of the feeders to keep them from freezing.  You can purchase specially designed humming bird feeder heaters that attach at the bottom of some units, available online or from Wildbirds Unlimited.  These have a single bulb inside and do work well down to -8 C but can still freeze up from the wind chill. 

We mangaged to keep our Anna's male alive but it required some work.  The first step was to move the feeder from our deck near the kitchen window and put it under the eaves at a corner of our house that was protected from the north-easterly outflow winds and blowing snow.  I hung a 100 watt halogen flood lamp that is very warm and waterproof against the glass bottle that holds that sugar fluid, then put a cone of aluminum foil around both to help keep the heat in during the snowstorms.  The electrical cord from the light was strung sideways and wedged into the house siding, creating an area where the bird could perch and enjoy the warmth.  I also did the same to the feeder in the back yard that had two females visiting it regularly but the last time I saw them was on a bitterly cold night when they were both huddled together on the feeder trying to stay warm.   

To survive the cold, Anna's hummingbirds go a hibernation-like state callled torpor where their body temperature can drop from their usual 107 degree F down to below 50 F.  People finding hummers in this condition often think they are dead as they can be laying on the ground or hanging on a perch.  If this is the case, put bird and feeder in a covered cardboard box inside where it is warm until they come to their senses.  The Wildlife Rescue Association of BC reported that a record 15 hummingbirds were brought to its Burnaby shelter in one day late December.  Besides being hypoglycemic, many were suffering frostbite injuries to their feet from frozen perches and  injuries to their tongues from ice crystals forming in the small ports in the feeders.  Keeping the feeder thawed is one thing, the holes where the hummers feed also need to be kept ice free, which is why I use a flood lamp for warmth. 


January is breeding season for Anna's with their first brood eggs usually being laid in March.  Hopefully our surviving male can find a mate and possibly even allow it to eat at our feeder that it guards with a vengence.  I'd like to think I'm not the only person in the neighbourhood who ensured that their feeders were cleaned, thawed and protected from the elements.  Unfortunately I have not seen any other hummingbirds on our property in the past few weeks and have not been hearing their high-pitched tweets when I'm outside working.  Anecdotally I would think that 80-90 percent of the Anna's in our neighbourhood in Crescent heights were wiped out by the harsh cold.  There used to be a total of five hummers that would regularly visit our two feeders, with plenty of aerial combat over ownership of the sugar syrup.   Now there is only one who is living a lonely existance in the middle of winter.

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

I wish to acknowlege that the land on which I work, live and enjoy is the traditional territory of the Semiahmoo and other Coast Salish Peoples.[

 

Jan. 9, 2022

Barking About White Rock's Tree Bylaw



The residents of White Rock got an early Christmas gift last year but with all of the hustle and bustle of shopping, wrapping and getting the turkey stuffed, it is likely that many missed it.  The City of White Rock has adopted a new Tree Protection Bylaw, 2021, No, 2407 whose goal is to preserve and increase the city tree canopy.  

Here is a clip from the City's media release on this topic.


WHITE ROCK, B.C.— White Rock City Council adopted a new Tree Protection Bylaw this week to protect more of its trees and ensure that City practices align with current environmental standards. Notable changes include reducing the diameter of what qualifies as a protected tree, improve requirements for replacement tree plantings and reinstating holly trees to protected status.  

Adopting this bylaw is an action item from Council Strategic Priorities 2021-22 and it serves to protect and increase the tree canopy and enhance greenspace in the community. “Careful environmental stewardship to preserve and protect the natural environment for future generations is a priority for our community,” says White Rock Mayor, Darryl Walker. “The Tree Protection Bylaw will help to make sure the city keeps pace with environmental best practices and is an important part of this stewardship.”

“Many thanks to the community members who sit on our Environmental Advisory Committee who were key in helping city staff create this bylaw,” says Councillor Erika Johanson, Chair of the Environmental Advisory Committee. “More trees are now protected which is good news for the future of our tree canopy.”

The updated Tree Protection Bylaw and Council's Strategic Priorities 2021-22 can be found on the City of White Rock’s website.

Here are some of the key changes associated with the new Tree Protection Bylaw (TPB).

  • The size of a protected tree has been reduced to 20cm DBH (diameter at breast height) from its former size of 30cm.

  • The crown raising of lower limbs to the extent that the live crown ratio (LCR) is less than 65%

  • Holly trees are no longer exempted from the Bylaw and have returned to being protected.

  • Replacement tree species must be a tree that:

  1. Contributes to the ecological diversity of the city’s urban forest.

  2. Native species and/or comparable to type of tree(s) removed. (ex. conifers removed cannot be replaced with deciduous only)

  3. Will thrive in the growing conditions of the location proposed. The right tree in the right place.

  • Only the City and its designated personnel may prune, remove or plant trees on City lands.

  • Definitions and guidelines have all been updated to reflect the current industry standards.

  • Tickets will be issued for excessive pruning, topping, removing more than 25% of the canopy at one time in one year, altering the LCR below 65% removing structural roots and any pruning not in accordance with sound arboricultural practices.

  • Any company found violating the bylaw will be fined no less than $500 and to a maximum of $10,000, your business license may be suspended and possibly cancelled without future opportunity to renew.

 

A lot of these changes bring White Rock's TPB into line with many of the other cities in the Lower Mainland.  The decrease in protected tree size from 30 to 20 cm DBH means that smaller trees can no longer be cut down, allowing them to grow into larger specimens. Raising the bottom limbs of a tree to less than 65% of the live crown prevents people "poodle-topping" for views and leaving only a small number of branches on top of the trunk.  Stopping excessive pruning that impacts tree health and causes sucker growth plus the topping of trees that encourages rot are also good controls to have.  The three new rules for tree replacement make complete sense, especially "the right tree for in the right space."  Tree species selection needs to promote ecological diversity while ensuring that the trees being planted are chosen with location foremost in mind for healthy growth.

I did find returning holly trees back onto the protected species list a bit bizarre.  Taken directly from the Invasive Species Council of BC website, here is their description of this tree: "English holly is known for its shiny red berries and dark green, spiny evergreen leaves. It is commonly used landscape ornamental often used for holiday decorations and floral arrangements. English holly has become a serious invasive because of its adaptability to grow in shade or sun, and how easy its seeds are spread by birds."  Also posted on this page is the warning that "English holly berries are toxic to humans and pets."  The berries are also a prime food source for rats, leading to increased numbers of this destructive pest in both urban and rural areas.  The holly seeds sprout profusely and every year I pull or dig out hundreds of these nuisance plants.  Holly may look nice in Christmas decorations but the City should be encouraging its eradication instead of preservation.

The Issue I have with any tree bylaw including this one is that the City is apparently immune from following it.  In the past we had arborists cutting down ornamental trees under the cover of darkness in front of the Ellerbeck's property on Royal Ave. simply because the neighbour wanted to improve his view at the the expense of their privacy and landscaping.  Then there was the chopping down of the boulevard trees on Johnston Road that started at 4:30 a.m. on a Sunday morning with chainsaws and chippers waking up everyone in the uptown area with the noise bylaw also being disregarded.  Of course, the worst example of the city ignoring its own tree protection bylaw was the clear-cutting of the Hump hillside, ostensibly so retaining walls could be inspected but more realistically for view improvements for residents along Marine Drive.  All of these trees were also cut down during bird nesting season from Feb 1st to Aug 31st in defiance of City policy. 

The Hump fiasco involved the removal of hundreds of trees including many that were 2-3 feet in diameter, a lot larger than either 20 or 30 centimeters.  There were so many tree trunks that the BNSF Railway had to bring in a train to cart them all away from the promenade, which resembled a log sort at a forestry operation.  I still remember the sign posted for this work that stated in part "This slope will be replanted to promote slope stability and beautification.  We appreciate your patience on its appearance as we go through this transition."  That was in May of 2015, some six and a half years ago and still nothing has been done to repair the damage done or to help stabilize the slope above the railway tracks.  I'm still waiting patiently for this work to be completed or for a landslide to fall onto the tracks because they cut all the damn trees down.

The City of White Rock maintains control over trees on its civic property through Policy #611, Tree Management on Public Lands.  You can find it online athttps://www.whiterockcity.ca/DocumentCenter/View/651/Policy-611---Tree-Management-on-City-Lands-PDF?bidId=   An interesting part of this policy is that White Rock residents can apply to have trees pruned, thinned or even removed in order to reestablish views from their property.  The tree must be within 30 metres of their property, they must have lived their for at least two years and can only apply for tree work every two years.  Neighbours within 30 metres must be notified in writing with 65% giving their approval for tree removal.  The homeowner must pay for the arborist and other costs including replacement trees that vary from $2,000 to $18,000 epending on the size of the tree to be cut down.  There are plenty of more hoops to jump through but at the end of the day, it seems views will always trump trees in White Rock with a million dollar ocean or Mt. Baker view more important than the biggest tree in town.

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

 

 


TNT Year in Review, 2021

 

 

To help celebrate the end of a disastrous 2021, here is the TNT Year in Review that is also a quick reference guide to stories you may have missed, wish to share, or simply want to read again.  Once you have found a TNT column of interest, note the date and scroll down into the archives to find it.


Jan. 11, Arbutus Abundance:  Everything you ever wanted to know about the only native broadleaf evergreen in Canada, the Arbutus tree, including where to find them in the Crescent Beach area and beyond.


Jan. 19, Our Home on Native Land:  Questions arise over why Surrey can't acknowledge indigenous lands before Council meetings, leaving many wondering if the Surrey Safe Coalition members are incompetent, ignorant or just plain old racist.


Jan. 26, Knuckle Buster:  A chance discovery of a piece of broken train coupling on Crescent Beach shows how speed restrictions for the 115-year-old swing bridge are causing train breakdowns that end up blocking both entrances to the village.


Feb. 1, Taking the "Car" Out of Carnage:  Following up on the Sept 9, TNT titled "40th Ave. Fiasco", this article looks at safety issues at 176 St. and 40 Ave. where numerous crashes have occurred, leading to calls for roadway improvements.


Feb. 8, DPD, SPS TNT, WTF?:  It pays to know your anacronyms for this article about the Delta Police Dept, the fledgling Surrey Police Service and how the Delta Chief's wife hosing down a Surrey lady along their Beach Grove property causes a media storm. 


Feb. 16, Boardwalk to Nowhere:  A confusing look at the bizarre boardwalk at Blackie Spit that somebody at Surrey city hall thought was a good idea but that causes more problems than it ever solves while wasting taxpayer's money in the process.


Feb. 22, Border Disorder:  As if there aren't enough conspiracy theories about the COVID-19 pandemic, the sudden appearance of military trucks, tents and army personnel at the Douglas border crossing makes 2021 look a lot like 1984.


March 1, Night and Day - Day at Night:  After years of me complaining about the worn out, non-reflective and invisible at night highway signs at King George and Hwy. 99, the Ministry of Transportation finally installs new signage in this busy traffic corridor.


Match 8, Dikes or Dykes, Groins or Groynes?:  A look at the dykes that protect Mud Bay and Crescent Beach and steps to improve them long before the Sumas Dyke fails allowing Sumas Lake to reform in Abbotsford flooding valuable farmland.


March 15, Time For Change:  The fourth column I've written on the need to "ditch the switch" and end the unnecessary practice of changing our clocks twice a year, something that we still are doing while waiting for others instead of leading on this issue.


March 23, Semiahmoo Yes, Surrey No:  The Semiahmoo Fish & Game Club's executive's plan to give away the 30-acre property, salmon hatchery and buildings to the city of Surrey is thwarted when its members vote not to approve the land transfer.


March 29, Open & Shut Case for Opening Shut Staircases:  The three Ocean Park bluff staircases to Crescent Rock Beach in Surrey are locked closed while the beach staircases in White Rock remain open throughout the pandemic, leaving me asking "Why?"


April 6, Douglas Fir McCallum:  If a tree blew down in your front yard would Surrey cut it up for free, at night time to boot?  Of course not, unless you were the Mayor of Surrey and co-owned a big piece of property on Crescent Road.


April 12, Surrey Real Estate Board:  I thought it was a joke when a friend sent me a picture of the board game "Surreyopoly" but after getting my own and writing all about it, I have to admit the old Monopoly game doesn't get used anymore.


April 19, Things That Bug Me Part 1 - Chafer Beetles:  In the first of a three-part installment on various bugs, I take a look at the invasive European Chafer Beetle that is infesting grass and causing crows and racoons to rip lawns to pieces.


April 25, Things That Bug Me Part 2 - Asian Giant Hornet:  A detailed look at the Asian Giant Hornet after finding out that Green Party/NDP candidate and environmental lawyer Pixie Hobby had a trap up for them in Crescent Beach.


May 3, Things That Bug Me Part 3 - Mason Bees:  Okay, mason bees don't really bug me but they do buzz around and this column gives insight into this native pollinator with plenty of help provided by David Hutchingson from Ocean Park.


May 10, Passing Over the Overpass Protestors:  Always ready to look at another person's opinion or position, I set up shop on the KGB overpass atop Hwy. 99 to check out what "freedom fighters" have to say about government COVID-19 policies. 


May 17, An Illuminating Perspective:  If you live next door to one of these new houses that are lit up all night, you will want to read this piece about light pollution that also looks at the new dazzling LED street lights being installed by Surrey.


May 24, The Dirty Dozen Revisited:  The twelve heritage site park benches along Crescent Road are a rotten broken disgrace that still remain in this dilapidated state well over half a year since this problem was first identified and reported here.


May 31, One-Way Ahead:  A look at the plan to change Marine Drive into a one-way zone plus the price tag with plenty of ideas and suggestions as to why this questionable concept might turn into an albatross down at White Rock beach.


June 7, Let's Talk Turkey:  No, not the kind with feathers and wing, the one with spores and mycelium.  After encountering a colorful cluster of turkey-tail mushrooms, in a friend's yard, I explain its health claims and use in eastern medicine for various ailments.

June 14, A Fox in the Dog House:  After reporting on foxtail barley in Richmond that harms pets, I go for a hike at Blackie Spit and find that this park area is infested with this noxious plant, including all around the off-leash dog park.

June 21, Lookout For Steps, Stairs and Staircases:  Everything you ever wanted to know about the three Ocean Park staircases to Crescent Rock beach including the most important part; that the closed signs are now gone and the steps to the beach are unlocked.


June 28, Putting the Breaks on Tax Hikes:  Imagine getting your business revenue cut in half and then having your property taxes suddenly double.  That's what happened to the owners of Blue Frog Studio who fought back against gut-punch taxation.


July 5, Let's Murder These Hornets:  After including Asian Giant Hornets in my April 25th "Things That Bug Me" TNT, it got really personal when one of these huge hornets was spotted by an employee of mine in Steveston, Richmond.


July 12, Quad Cops:  Just when you think you've seen it all at the nude beach, imagine my surprise when I see blue and red flashing lights and the Surrey RCMP show up on 4X4 quad bikes at Crescent Rock, patrolling for open liquor and fires.


July 18, Humm Dinger of a Bird:  A chance encounter at artist Helen Downing-Hunter's house in Crescent Beach and an Anna's hummingbird nest on her front porch leads to this TNT about the world's fastest bird for its body size.


July 26, Green grass, Brown Grass, No Grass:  During the epic summer drought and heat dome I explain what you can do to protect your lawn, make it healthier, or replace it with low maintenance drought tolerant ground covers.


August 2, Jeepers, Creepers, Where'd You Get Those Creepers:  Nothing like enjoying a quiet day down at Surrey's legal clothing-optional shoreline when the peace and serenity is broken by a pervert with a cell phone camera trying to get himself arrested for voyeurism. 


August 10, One-Way Border Disorder:  One the Peace arch are metal gates when the slogan "May These Gates Never Be Closed."  This TNT looks at why border is now open to Americans heading north but still closed for Canadians going south.


August 16, And They're Off:  With the Federal election called by Justin Trudeau, an in-depth look at the south Surrey-White Rock riding, the candidates, historical perspectives, previous results, polling analytics and an early prediction that I got wrong.


August 23, May These Gates Ever Re-Open?:  The COVID-19 rules continue to get crazier and make even less sense with flying being allowed, the land border only operating one way, Point Roberts people allowed only into Delta and no end in sight to the insanity.


August 30, Sumer Vacay:  It's hard to write my TNT when sitting on a lake with no electricity, no cell phone, no computer, no internet access, no campfire, smoky skies, extreme heat, melted ice, warm beer and mosquitos.  It still beats working though.


Sept. 7, Like Father, Like Son:  Looking at the fiscal mismanagement of the Canadian debt from when it started with Pierre Trudeau to where it now sits with his son Justin and plans to not balance the budget until the year 2070.


Sept. 13, Purple People Beater:  Being one who endorses democracy, I take great offence to an appointed board of cronies deciding to exclude PPC leader Maime Bernier from the televised Leaders Debate while the Greens and Bloc are invited.


Sept. 20, The Vote Is In!:  No, not the Federal election, the results of the Semiahmoo Fish & Game Club election are announced and the Friends of the SFGC are elected in mass with new president Diana Barkley putting an end to the club property giveaway to Surrey.


Sept. 27, Let's Go Falcon, Let's Go:  Election signs on an Ocean Park mansion lawn reveal that Kevin Falcon, the man who was the 12th Depty Premier of BC, is making a run for the provincial Liberal Party leadership, which will start on Feb 5, 2022.


Oct. 4, Danger - Quicksand!:  A parade of firetrucks gets me ambulance chasing to the Crescent Beach Marina where the Surrey Fire Service helps to rescue a woman who is stuck in quicksand and facing an incoming tide near the BNSF trestle bridge.


Oct. 12, Where Do I Live?  Semiahmoo:  In support of Truth and Reconciliation, I suggest that we stop calling this area south Surrey and simply use Semiahmoo, just as the area of south Delta is known as Tsawwassen after the local First Nation.


Oct. 18, Slow Streets of Surrey:  Surrey's Residential Speed Limit Reduction pilot project is explained with its efforts to to examine the benefits of lower speed limits in residential neighbourhoods and hopefully increase safety on streets.


Oct. 25, Keep Off My Lawn McCallum:  In an affront to democracy, Mayor Doug McCallum and his Safe Surrey Coalition outlaw political signs on private property in the middle of the Surrey Police Vote referendum signature drive.  


Nov. 1, It's Salmon Spawning Season:  At the Semiahmoo Fish & Game Club, the Little Campbell Hatchery is a busy place with fish counting, species and sex assessment plus breeding stock being selected by volunteers and DFO officers.


Nov. 8, The Bridge to Crescent Beach:  After multiple train blockages of Crescent Beach and years of political wrangling over how to fix the problem, a bridge over the BNSF tracks allowing unfettered access to the village is proposed by Surrey.


Nov. 15, Open Letter to Close The Tracks:  A train full of crude oil rolling along the BNSF tracks during the atmospheric river that floods southern BC leads me to pen a letter to the Councils of White Rock and Surrey about this dangerous U.S. corporate behavior.


Nov. 22, Save Surrey from Safe Surrey:  The fur starts flying in a cat fight between Safe Surrey Coalition and the Surrey RCMP after "Community Consultation Results" about the police transition in Surrey were fudged for political purposes.


Nov. 29, "Track Watch Videos to Watch":  After weeks of atmospheric rivers and multiple landslides onto the BNSF corridor, I go for a long hike to get pictures and videos of the BNSF Gradall working to clear mudslide debris from the tracks, posting them to YouTube.


Dec. 6, Chumps With Stumps:  Nearly four years after the "clear-cut job" on Johnston Rd, city crews finally return to remove the last of the stumps left from the cherry trees that were causing a huge tripping risk to pedestrians using the sidewalk.


Dec 13, Stang-On-Foot at Save-On-Foods Leads to Charges:  Just when you think it couldn't get any worse, Mayor Doug McCallum gets charged with Public Mischief for alleging to the RCMP that a car linked to the Surrey Police Vote had struck him and ran his foot over.


Dec. 20, Punt the Idea of Footing McCallum's Bill:  After Mayor McCallum hires an expensive Vancouver law firm with tax payers footing the bill, an online petition for him to pay his own legal bills quickly attracts over 15,000 signatures.


Dec. 28, Christmas List 2021:  The list of naughty and nice gifts we hope Santa left under the tree for the movers, shakers and decision makers from the Semiahmoo peninsula, listed alphabetically so as not to offend anyone.


That's the year in a nutshell folks.  Look for more of my "The Naked Truth" columns in the White Rock Sun in 2022.

  

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

" I am honoured to live and work on the shared traditional territories of the Semiahmoo and other Coast Salish Peoples."

 

Tuesday December 28, 2021

Christmas List 2021


If there's one thing I love about Christmas it's the annual traditions and in the White Rock Sun this holiday TNT is always special.  Here's the list of naughty and nice gifts we hope Santa left under the tree for the movers, shakers and decision makers from the Semiahmoo peninsula, listed alphabetically so as not to offend anyone.


Linda Annis, Surrey Councillor - A Paul Bunyan sized axe to help her split the vote in the next Surrey civic election scheduled for October 2022, possibly giving Mayor MacCallum and the Surrey Safe Coalition a second term in power.  As a stocking stuffer for if and when Safe Surrey wins, a straight razor.

Wayne Baldwin, former WR Mayor - For the behind-the-scenes puppet master reportedly trying to assemble a dream team to take back city hall for "sensible development" (read "more ocean view high-rises") a marionette in a 3-piece suit plus a copy of Disney's Pinocchio movie.

Diana Barkley, Semiahmoo Fish & Game Club President - After Friends of SFGC took control of the board and stopped the proposed land gifting to the city of Surrey, the new president receives a fishing rod and reel, a bow and arrows, a rifle with ammo and lots of new memberships as the club rebuilds.

Harley Chapell, Chief of Semiahmoo First Nation - Last year Chief Chappell got the gift of the band lands finally being connected to a safe and secure drinking supply after years on  a boil water advisory.  Under the tree this year is an invitation to the ceremony when the last house gets its clean water.

Dave Chesney, WR Councillor - For the editor of the WR Sun and veteran WR Councillor, a pound of his favourite Holy Smoke Holiday Blend coffee beans.  Let's hope Santa also left him a fresh 289 V-8 engine for his red 1967 Mustang that need to be back cruising the strip this summer.

Kevin Falcon, Former Conservative MP - Kevin will have to wait for his Christmas present to be delivered by Santa when he runs for the leadership of the Provincial Liberal Party starting on February 5, 2022.   If he is successful, the Lib leader will be from Semiahmoo with a party name change likely in the near future.

Helen Fathers, WR Councillor - A speedy recovery from what turned out to be a difficult health year that was non-COVID related.  White Rock council and the City By The Sea need Helen back in the saddle leading the charge against the high-rise developer hordes that are knocking at the gates yet again.

Norm Lipinski, Chief Constable, Surrey Police Service - Santa and his reindeer couldn't drop off the $64 million and 600 plus officers that the SPS top cop had on his gift list to help with the transition from the RCMP.  Instead all he got in his stocking were the board games "Surreyopoly" and "Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon."

Kerry Lynne Findlay, S. Surrey-White Rock MP - As the Conservative shadow Minister of Defence who will be fighting for the hundreds of women who served in the Canadian military only to be sexually harassed and assaulted by senior officers, a big pair of brass balls a she takes down the ultimate men's club with help from the police.

Trevor Halford, S. Surrey-White Rock MLA - As the Official Opposition critic for Mental Health and Addictions, Trev gets a treatment and housing centre in Semiahmoo for those individuals who are struggling with mental illness, including the man who recently attacked his MLA office with a length of pipe.

Dr. Bonnie Henry, BC Health Officer -  For the second year running, BC's top Doc who once again told us to avoid gathering with friends and family for the holidays gets some green face paint, green hair dye, yellow contact lenses and a copy of both Dr. Seuss's book and Jim Carrey's movie "The Grinch Who Stole Christmas"


Gordie Hogg, Mr. White Rock - A big bottle of premium Barbados rum to sip on while contemplating if he will succumb to the pressure to run for mayor of White Rock again in 2022.  As a stocking stuffer, a shoe horn for this shoe-in who has held every elected position here over decades of service.

Brenda Locke & Jack Hundial, Surrey Connect Councillors - A two-seater bicycle to campaign on in the upcoming Surrey election in October 2022.  As stocking stuffers, copies of Nat King Cole's song "On a bicycle built for two", Queen's " Bicyce Race" plus a box of Tide to help get clean after all the mud-slinging.

Doug MacCallum, Mayor of Surrey - For the Safe Surrey leader who was recently charged with Public Mischief after alleging to police that his foot was run over by a car in a parking lot while out food shopping, a pair of steel toed running shoes plus a copy of Jim Carrey's "Liar, Liar" movie.  

Surrey residents - In a Christmas TNT first, all of the people of Surrey need to be given the gift of our low-life mayor paying for his high-priced criminal defence lawyer instead of getting taxpayers to foot his legal bills.  Amazingly, there are several lawyer offices only steps from Surrey City Hall instead of in downtown Vancouver.

Darryl Walker, White Rock Mayor - A box of going away cards for all the staff that has left White Rock City Hall for greener pastures in Burnaby, Coquitlam, Delta and Langley the past year.  The very least those cities could do is to send White Rock a Christmas card thanking them for training all their new hires.

 

Merry Christmas everyone and have a happy New Year.

Natually yours,

Don Pitcairn

 

 

Monday December 20, 2021

 

Punt the Idea of Footing McCallum's Bill

 

"Foot the bill" definition:
Pay the bill, settle the accounts, as in "The bride's father was resigned to footing the bill for the wedding."  This expression uses foot in the sense of "add up and put the total at the foot, or bottom, of an account." [ Colloquial; early 1800s]

Last week's TNT on Dec 13th titled "Stang-On-Foot at Save-On-Foods Leads to Charges" dealt with Surrey Mayor Doug McCallum's public mischief criminal charges over an incident at the South Point Semiahmoo Surrey Save-On-Foods grocery story where his foot was allegedly run over by a Mustang.  This column concluded with "It has not been announced yet if Mayor McCallum's legal fees will be covered by the City of Surey with tax-payers 'footing' the bill."  Well folks, it was announced last Monday that Surrey taxpayers are apparently on the hook for the mayor's legal expenses for his conduct while out grocery shopping and acting like an imbicile.  Of course not any lawyer would do and high profile (read very expensive) criminal defence lawyer Richard Peck who recently worked on Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou's legal team has been been retained for his defence.  

It is interesting how Doug McCallum's reasoning changes when the shoe is on the other foot.  After being charged with public mischief allegedly for lying to police about being run over, Surrey's Mayor is on record as saying the following about cities paying for council member's legal bills,

“A lot of mayors and councillors have their legal bills paid for by the city for different legal matters.  It’s pretty common for all cities, to be honest with you, that the legal bills are paid for anybody that’s a member of council, in most cities, if not all cities."  What is interesting about this is that only six years ago when it was decided that the City of Surrey would pay for the legal bills for a civil court case involving then Councillor Tom Gill and public statements he had made to a local newspaper, McCallum had this to say at that time,

"I don’t think the taxpayers should be paying for that, because it doesn’t to me fall under ‘the performance or exercise of duties’ of the council."


Doug McCallum is not the first mayor of Surrey wanting the taxpayers to pick up the tab for their legal troubles.  It was back on April 23, 2010 that Surrey Mayor Dianne Watts and her husband Brian were involved in a late night t-bone collision with Shawnene Redekopp at the intersection of 128 St. and 24 Ave in south Surrey.  Originally it was claimed by representatives of Surrey City Hall that the mayor was on "official duties" that night and that the city would pay for her legal bills.  When it was revealed that the "official duties" was a simple house party at a rather swanky Ocean Park mansion, Dianne Watts instead opted to pay her own lawyer.  This included being sued over four years later in civil court for driving without due care and attention when the crash happened and causing Mrs. Redekopp injuries that caused pain and suffering, loss of income and loss of potential future income.  This matter was settled out of court with the findings and any financial settlement being hiden by multiple confidentiality agreements.  

Surrey bylaw 15912 states that councillors should have their legal costs covered if the case is “in connection with the exercise or intended exercise of the person’s powers or the performance or intended performance of the person’s duties or functions.”  Going shopping for food and then causing a scene with members of the public legally collecting signatures for a referendum is not part of his duties.  Just as with Dianne Watts, Mayor Doug McCallum needs to be held responsible for his actions while on personal business.  In this case it was more of a dereliction of duties, with the focus on the word derelict.  Instead of allegedly having his food run over in the parking lot (which led to his being charged for public mischief), what if Doug mcCalllum had instead gotten into his own vehicle and ran down those people collecting signatures.  If the shoe was on the other foot, would Surrey taxpayers have to pay for his illegal actions?  Highly unlikely.

I'm not the only one who thinks that Mayor McCallum should pay for his own legal bills for this Save-On-Foods fiasco.  Surrey resident Dave Langlands started the Change.org online petition titled "Stop the City of Surrey From Paying for Mr McCallum's Legal bills shortly after it was announced that Surrey taxpayers would be paying for his high-priced Vancouver lawyer.  You can find it at this web address:  https://www.change.org/p/city-of-surrey-bc-stop-the-city-of-surrey-from-paying-for-mayor-mccallum-s-legal-bills?utm_content=cl_sharecopy_31692438_en-CA%3A3&recruiter=816915472&recruited_by_id=aeb3d800-b620-11e7-835f-0b86ff1f96e3&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink&utm_campaign=psf_combo_share_initial
The following paragraph contains the full text contained in this Change.org petition concerning McCallum's legal bills and who should pay for them.


The City of Surrey has announced they will be paying the legal fees for Mr. McCallum on his recent criminal charge of Public Mischief. 

When the alleged incident occurred, Mr. McCallum was on personal business, which he clearly stated during media interviews.

As part of the decision to support Mr. McCallum, the City of Surrey announced: The Surrey Officer and Indemnification Bylaw from 2006 states that the “City will indemnify its Municipal Officials against payment of amounts required or incurred to defend an action, prosecution or claim brought against a Municipal Official.”

What needs to be made clear is that Mr. McCallum was NOT acting in an official capacity at this time.  He was doing personal shopping for groceries.  He could have simply walked on by and done his shopping and left the citizens alone doing what they had a right to do.

It is completely inappropriate for Mr. McCallum to use hard earned taxpayer funds to defend himself in court on a personal matter.  This is a total abuse of his position and needs to be stopped.  

SIGN THE PETITION NOW TO DEMAND MR. McCALLUM PAYS HIS OWN LEGAL BILLS.

As of Sunday evening after only six days online this petition had already received 13,848 signatures and at 15,000 signatures it will become one of the top signed on Change.org.  The supporter comments are spot on and well worth reading; here are a few noteworthy samples.

"It's scary that this man 'allegedly' made false accusations against his own citizens who were simply exercising their right to free speech.  He's unfit to be mayor and needs to resign. It's pretty low to utilize taxpayers money to defend against actions that can not be excused. We need a complete audit done of his office."
"Angry that SPS is being forced through with no transparency. Now, you have a mayor who mislead the RCMP and is now charged. This mayor should pay his own legal fees, not the tax payers."
"Doug McCallum.. 1st - if you're going to "steal" taxpayers' money to pay for your illegal activities - use a public defender, not a $1500/hr lawyer. You were on personal time, harassing the KTRiS group. You're a liar, cheat, deceptive and in someone's back pocket. The "TRUMP" of Surrey, BC. Not only do I strongly hope that you are found guilty, both with the mischief charge, as well as the ethics committee!!!"

In case you were wondering, yes, I signed this Change.org petition as soon as I heard about it.  I encourage every Surrey resident to do the same and to inundate the Mayor and Council email accounts with personal correspondence on how these charges should be fought with Doug McCallum's personal funds and not be paid for with taxpayer's dollars for the best legal firm that money can buy.  Please spread the word about this petition and this TNT to your friends, family, colleges and those on your social media platforms.   As Frederick Boyd so eloquetly stated in my favourite petition comment of all, "He committed the crime, taxpayers shouldn't pay the dime."

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

December 13, 2021

Stang-On-Foot at Save-On-Foods Leads to Charges

Even for Surrey politics, the incident back on Sept 4th when Mayor Doug McCallum allegedly got run over by a Ford Mustang in the South Point Save-on-Foods parking lot in south Surrey seemed remarkably bizarre.  First you have the mayor getting into a verbal confrontation with workers asking for signatures for a referendum on the Surrey police transition from the RCMP to a municipal force.  Then the mayor allegedly has words with the Save-On-Food store manager about the legality of signatures being collected outside of the store and also threatening to call in by-law officers to have them removed.  Lastly Mr. McCallum claims a woman in a Ford Mustang boxed him in with her car, then hit his knee and lower leg plus ran over his foot before fleeing.  You can watch the mayor's version of events on Global News at https://globalnews.ca/video/8442680/surrey-mayor-doug-mccallum-charged-with-public-mischief

Mayor McCallum has stated that after this encounter he finished his food shopping then went to the hospital and had x-rays done on his swollen foot.  This incident was then reported to the Surrey RCMP who began investigating the matter and since Doug McCallum is Chair of the Surrey Police Service Board a Special Prosecutor, Mr. Richard Fowler, was appointed.  There were plenty of witnesses to these events plus there are security cameras outside of the grocery store facing the parking lot.  Global News was served a warrant for their unedited tape of an interview they had done with Mayor McCallum about this incident and his alleged injuries.  A little more than three months after all this strange occurence, instead of the woman driving the Mustang being charged with vehicular assault plus hit-and-run, the Mayor of Surrey gets charged with public mischief for providing false statements to the police causing an unncessary investigation.

I was always highly skeptical of McCallum's versions of events for several reasons.  The first is that I know someone who was clipped by a car in a Safeway parking lot and even though the speed was under 5 km/h, he ended up with serious knee damage since this leg joint is not designed to flex from side to side.   One of my wife's friends was out with several girlfriends for a night on the town when another lady accidentally drove over her foot with their car's tire.  That incident resulted in several broken foot bones that left the friend sporting a walking cast for over two months.  A Ford Mustang weighs an average of 3,600 lbs putting 900 lbs of weight onto each wheel and since the Mayor was wearing running shoes and not steel-toes work boots, he would likely have sustained serious injuries to his foot.

The maximum sentence for a conviction on public mischief charges can result in up to five years in prison.  After these charges were announced, Mayor McCallum released this statement to the media, “We are in the middle of changing from RCMP to the Surrey Police Service, and as this matter is before the courts, I will not be making any comment.”   Councillor Brenda Locke responded with a media release of her own shortly afterwards calling for McCallum to step down as mayor plus the chair of the Surrey Police Service.  

“This report is a damning indictment of behaviour that is completely unacceptable for a mayor or any elected official,” she wrote, adding

"Residents deserve better and to have confidence that their mayor is acting with honesty and integrity.” 

The public mischief charges are not the only legal headache that Mayor McCallum now faces over the "Stang-on-Foot" Save-On-Foods incident.  The Surrey Police Vote group that was collecting signatures for a referendum on Surrey's transition to a municipal police force are planning on filing a code of conduct complaint against Surrey's mayor.  This is because of Doug McCallum's refusal to step aside from his duties as mayor or to recuse himself from the Surrey Police Service board while his case is before the court.  The City of Surrey has an Ethics Commissioner, Reece Harding, who is a neutral, independent officer that oversees the conduct of elected officials at City Hall.  He has the power to investigate ethical misconduct by Mayor and Council, report his findings to Council and to make recommendations on sanctions or discipline.

As luck would have it, I was working for former Surrey Mayor Bob Bose on Friday, only hours after the public mischief charges against Mayor McCallum were announced.  When I asked "the soul of Surrey" about what he thought McCallum should do he was very unequivocal in his response, "He should step aside while the matter is before the courts and if found guilty of the charges should then resign."   Another former Mayor from the peninsula reminded me that everyone is innocent unti proven guilty and it could be that Mr. McCallum does not want to step aside because he believes that his version of events is the correct one which will be proved in court.   That process will start on Jan 25, 2022 when McCallum is scheduled to appear in Surrey Provincial Court, represented by high-profile defence lawyer Richard Peck who was recently on Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou's legal team.   It has not been announced yet if Mayor McCallum's legal fees will be covered by the City of Surrey with tax-payers "footing" the bill. 

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

 

December 06, 2021


Chumps With Stumps


I want to take you for a trip down memory lane back to March 5, 2018 when I penned a TNT tiitled "A Clear-Cut Job." This column detailed the chain-sawing of over 50 Johnston Road street trees under the cover of darkness early on the Sunday morning of February 5, 2018.  You can scroll on down into the archives to read it but I must warn you that it may cause indigestion and a gag reflex.  This hatchet job followed the cutting down of trees on Royal Ave at the Ellerbeck's residence, the defacto clear-cutting of the forest on the Hump hillside for views, followed by the cutting down of the Empress tree at Memorial Park.  At that time, I warned "the city's administrators are doing a great job in ensuring that possibly everyone on the current White Rock Council connected to these fiascos will be out voted out of office on October 20th."   I believe these logging practices were mainly responsible for former Mayor Baldwin and the White Rock Coalition council members getting decimated in the polls and kicked out of office as I predicted.

At that time White Rock released a "Statement from the City on Tree Removal, Relocation and Replacement on Johnston Road." claiming in it that "the current street trees on Johnston Road could pose a risk to the public" due to the tripping hazard from raised bricks in the sidewalk.   As to their dubious claim "And, yes, trees will be replaced", you need to realize that they lied about the Hump clear-cutting back in 2016 and to date not a single tree, shrub or flower has been planted to replace the logging that was done. The trees on Johnston Rd. towards North bluff have been replaced as part of the redevelopment in this area but once past Russell Ave. it is another story.  I must admit that I drive through this area on a weekly basis and did not notice anything amiss but I think the last time I walked on the sidewalk in this uptown area was likely when the clear-cutting took place.  Now imagine my surprise when I learned from Facebook last week that the City of White Rock was finally getting around to removing the last of the stumps from the "Clear-Cut-Job" that happened three years and nine months ago.

When these six cherry trees were cut down it should have been job one to remove the stumps and level the brick sidewalks since if they were a tripping hazard when the trees were there, the risk and danger increased exponentially once the trees were removed and low stumps left on the pedestrian area.  Originally the stumps on Johnston Rd. were sprayed with day-glow orange fluorescent road marking paint with small orange traffic cones nailed on top for visibility.  Gradually most of these were taken out and replaced but for some reason those south of Russell on the east side of the road seem to have been forgotten.  Now I can understand how this can happen with officials getting ready for an election, then getting voted out of office and a new mayor and much of council installed to their positions.  Ditto for those working at city hall with people leaving and new hires maybe not aware of the previous history of this project or the fact these relics were still in place jeopardizing public safety.

I work in and visit various cities throughout the Lower Mainland and I have to tell you that pedestrian safety and level sidewalks are always of great concern.  When sidewalks sink they can be jackhammered out and replaced or raised using either pressurized concrete or expanding foam that is pumped underneath the slab.  When tree roots lift sidewalks, most cities use concrete cutting wheels to trim down the raised concrete so that the slabs are once again level.  Sometimes the entire slab will be lifted, the root cut out, plastic root barriers installed and the slab repositioned.  Another remedy I have also seen is asphalt used to build ramps on concrete sidewalks to help smooth out the surface.  From my experience it would appear that most cities inspect their sidewalks on a yearly basis, making repairs as needed.  For those tripping hazards that I have reported directly to various Engineering Departments, they tend to get corrected within a few weeks.  Only in White Rock would you find raised bricks left around sidewalk trees for years, let alone large stumps sticking out of sidewalks left to rot.

I am glad to report that the White Rock Parks Dept. was involved with removing the interlocking bricks around these six stumps on Johnston Rd. and that Bartlett Tree Service were the arborists who ground out the old stumps.  Now that the stumps are finally gone, the chips and dirt will need to be removed, a new layer of crushed gravel installed and compacted and the bricks replaced in their original position.  What I was not able to find out is whether new street trees will be planted at this time or if the holes will be bricked level with new trees likely coming during redevelopment.  Personally, I think it would be a waste of time and money to plant new trees in this area only to have them cut down again in the near future, pissing off White Rock residents yet again for no reason.  Besides, if it took almost four years to get rid of the stumps on Johnston Rd. so how long would it take for new trees to actually be planted?   A simple walk along the promenade between West and East Beach looking up at the Hump hillside should give you the answer of "likely never."

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

 

 

November 29, 2021

"Track Watch" Videos to Watch

Over time I've come to realize that when we receive rainfall over 2 inches, this threshold of precipitation is when we can expect to see landslides onto the BNSF tracks between White Rock and Crescent Beach.   Two weeks ago, the record rainfall of 6.5 inches in Semiahmoo resulted in several landslides that closed the rail corridor to freight train traffic, one near Kwomais Point in south Surrey, the other a kilometer west of West Beach in White Rock.  This came as no surprise to me at all considering the historical relationship that exists here between rainfall rates and slide activity.  

This weekend there was yet another atmospheric river, formerly known as a pineapple express.  Once again, the rain gauge went out and by Sunday at noon it registered over 3 inches of precipitation.  Even though this was half the rainfall amount that we received from the storm that flooded the Fraser Valley and damaged roads and bridges throughout southern BC, I knew that it was more than enough to once again cause problems on our local train tracks.  Armed with that knowledge, a walking stick, hiking boots, reflective vest and road flares I decided it was once again time to do a "Track Watch" inspection of the train corridor. 

I started this adventure at the Christopherson Steps (formerly 101 Steps) at the west end of 24 Ave. by walking down the staircase and onto the pedestrian overpass above the tracks.  It affords a great view of the railway without trespassing on the corridor or playing chicken with oncoming freight trains.  The area near the Crescent Rock boulder has been the scene of countless slides over the years but the Ocean Park bluff at this spot had held its own over the past two months when we have received double our regular rainfall.  Seeing nothing amiss after walking up and down the beach, I marched back up the stairs and drove the mile to the 1001 Steps staircase in Ocean Park where there had been a landslide onto the tracks two weeks before.

I'd just descended the 347 stairs of the 1001 Steps staircase when my phone rang and it was the White Rock Sun's editor Dave Chesney calling to let me know that there were flashing yellow lights visible on the tracks west of White Rock.  Knowing that this likely meant BNSF crews were working on the tracks, I immediately turned around, trudged back up the stairs and headed off to White Rock's West Beach boat ramp where I parked my car and headed to the shoreline.  Fortunately, the tide was on its way out so there was some beach available for walking on, even though I knew that the rail corridor was obviously closed to train traffic with vehicles parked on the railway.

In the roughly one-mile walk, I came across several new landslide sites from the storm two weeks ago where debris from the bluff had been excavated onto the waterfront.  Left hanging on the stripped hillside above plus trapped in the muddy debris below were the remains of trees that had obviously been butchered for views in the past, a practice that causes the tree roots to rot and retract.  Of course, the people living above on Marine Drive seem to not care about slope stability affecting safe rail operations or that the land in question is BNSF property.  I took pictures of the slides and debris fields along the way, drawn like a moth to the flashing lights on the far-away point.


I was almost at the spot where the BNSF crews were working when I came across the largest of the slide sites I had encountered.  I took some pictures and was shooting a short video when the BNSF crews, led by a Gradall excavator on railway wheels, came down the tracks and stopped directly in front of me.  After talking to the operator and ensuring him that I would stay well back, I shot another video of the last of the slide debris being scooped up and deposited on top of the rip-rap boulders that protect the tracks.  Because of the muddy consistency of this soup, it does pour down onto the shore covering the rough and rocky beach that exists in this area.

It did not take the Gradall operator long to finish this final cleanout and when done, the excavator and several support vehicles made their way down to White Rock, exiting the tracks at the boat launch.  Were it not for COVID, I probably would have asked for a ride but instead I had the long walk back into White Rock as darkness fell.  Needless to say, after tackling both staircases and about three miles of rough boulder strewn beaches in several hours, I was exhausted.  I have done the 6.5 km. Track Walk from Crescent Beach to White Rock many times in the past and would not recommend it to anyone, especially through the hostile terrain that exists around Kwomais Point.

Here are links to the Youtube videos of the BNSF Gradall in action at this slide site, listed under the title of "BNSF White Rock mudslides."   You can expect even more slope failures from the Ocean Park bluff and mudslides onto the train tracks on Tuesday and Wednesday this week.  That is when the next atmospheric river, the last of three in a row that saw Environment Canada issue a red alert for the very first time, will likely bring even more rainfall than the storm that hit us this weekend.  Let's hope that the BNSF Railway closes these waterfront tracks to freight train traffic during the next storm instead of waiting for the inevitable landslides to block the rails with trees, boulders, mud and debris that threaten a possible derailment.


Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

 

November 22, 2021

Save Surrey From Safe Surrey

It is absolutelyappalling to me the war on words that has suddenly erupted between members of the Safe Surrey Coalition members (Mayor Doug MacCallum an d the majority of Council) and the RCMP who still police Surrey. The fur started flying on Saturday, Nov. 20th when the Safe Surrey Coalition posted an ad to Twitter with the following caption "A new survey shows only 6% of #SurreyBC residents support keeping the @SurreyRCMP & their cardboard cutouts. In spite of the efforts of a bitter minority, it's clear that the city's anxious for a local, accountable & responsive police force.  It's time to move forward."  The posting included a photo of an RCMP officer holding up a radar gun along with the disclaimer "Cardboard cutout used by Surrey RCMP to deter speeding."  These cut-outs were part of the 2019 City of Surrey’s Vision Zero project along with ICBC to reduce speeding on city roads. 

Surrey RCMP Assistant Commissioner Brian Edwards broke three years of silence on the higihly polarized subject of police transision in Surrey and issued the following statement on Sunday morning about the SSC posting, believing it undermined public safety in Surrey.  

“Recently, several communications have been released to the public, which I believe have been a deliberate attempt to undermine public safety in Surrey, by eroding public confidence in policing at the current time.” 

“Whether it is releasing inaccurate statistical data, or mocking current public safety initiatives, I will not allow harmful rhetoric, to jeopardize public safety.”

“It is essential, particularly as our Province faces yet another state of emergency that we continue to maintain a stable safety environment in Surrey, and the Lower Mainland Region. As such, we will be taking our concerns to the Provincial Government.” 

“I will not tolerate efforts to undermine confidence in policing in this city and disrespect to our members while I am in charge.”

“While we continue towards the policing transition, I can assure the public, the Surrey RCMP will maintain its leadership role, of providing stability and safety in Surrey.”

Later that same day on Nov. 21st, the Safe Surrey Coalition issued this media release firing back at Ass. Comm. Brian Edwards and the Surrey RCMP.

“Since the first day of our government’s term, where all Councillors were inaugurated and voted unanimously to cancel Surrey’s contract with the RCMP, hundreds of thousands of dollars have been spent to undermine the democratic mandate of the Safe Surrey Coalition and the legitimacy of the Surrey Police Service.

“These collective efforts have been carried out by the National Policing Federation led by Brian Sauve, the Keep the RCMP in Surrey group, as well as the Surrey Police Vote petition campaign.

“Yet for this duration of over three years of attacks and propaganda, Surrey RCMP Assistant Commissioner Brian Edwards has remained silent.

“Suddenly the indignation that he has voiced today equally applies to these groups’ organized efforts to destabilize & demoralize our city’s incoming police force.

“The Safe Surrey Coalition’s message has been clear and consistent, and it was repeated on the graphic we released yesterday – It’s Time To  Move Forward.

“We hope that Mr. Edwards and the entirety of the Surrey RCMP leadership will join us in working to make this transition as smooth as possible in support of public safety and the will of Surrey residents."

Much of this brouhaha has to do with information contained in the "Comunity Consultation Results" that was published by the RCMP's rival Surrey Police Service on Friday, Nov. 19th.  Compiled by independent research experts Dr.Curt Griffiths and Dr. Eli Sopow, the Community Consultation project included a survey of more than 1,200 Surrey residents.  Here is what Surrey residents need to know where the SSC got their supposed 6% support rating for the RCMP vs. the SPS.

"The survey purposefully did not ask specific questions about whether residents were in favour of the Surrey Police Service (SPS) replacing the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) as was/is the ongoing situation.  However, the open-ended portion of the question about policing priorities for Surrey was taken as an opportunity by some to offer such opinions.   In such a case, the results showed that 6% of residents who provided their opinion of Surrey policing priorities indicated their support for keeping the RCMP as the policing service for the city."  Imagine the response if this all-important question had actually been asked of those surveyed?

It is amazing to me that this scientific report ignored the elephant in the room, avoiding the most important question that should have been put to the 1,200 respondents. Even worse is to have Mayor Doug MacCallum and his Safe Surrey Coalition misconstrue the results for their own political gains and agenda.  Considering the continuing soap opera battle with the police transition and the posts on social media that should be looked at as blatant propaganda, it really should not be surprising.  I say its time to halt this charade and that the residents of Surrey should be able to directly decide who they want to patrol their mean streets.  If Mayor MacCallum and the SSC think the people support this policing initiative, then prove it and give them the referendum they want.  If the SSC doesn't have the balls to do the right thing, they the NDP BC government has to power to call this important question to a vote.  What are you afraid of dictator Doug, a little grass-roots democracy

You can read the details in the "Comunity Consultation Results" for a rather in-depth and interesting look at how Surrey residents feel about policing and crime in their neighbourhoods on the Surrey Police Service website at this direct link: https://www.surreypolice.ca/resources/community-consultations   Please note that it fails to reveal the percentage of people who took the opportunity to support the Surrey Police Service in the open-ended question about policing priorities in Surrey.

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

 

 

November 15, 2021


Open Letter to Close the Tracks


The TNT this week features an open letter I've sent to the Mayors and Council of Surrey and White Rock plus the Chief of the Semiahmoo First Nation.  It's time the BNSF Railway stopped shipping dangerous goods and trainloads full of petrochemicals along our waterfront tracks during severe rain storms that are known to cause landslides from the bluff hillsides onto the rail corridor.  On Sunday during an "atmospheric river" the BNSF was shipping a unit train full of crude oil across the Semiahmoo waterfront when mudslides onto the track could be expected.  This is risky business that needs to be stopped.

Dear Mayors, Councillors and SFN Chief Chappell,


I am writing you on Sunday evening in the midst of the latest "atmospheric river" (formerly referred to as a "pineapple express") that is saturating the Lower Mainland with 75-150 mm of rain, equivalent to 3-6 inches.  Currently the #1 Hwy. is closed due to mudslides between Chilliwack and Hope.  The Coquihalla Hwy. is also closed to mudslides north of Hope.  Global News has just reported breaking news of 50 houses in Abbotsford being affected by flooding and slides.  I'm sure there will be more reports of flooding, mudslides and weather-related damage before this storm finally ends.

Living in the Semiahmoo region, I have had over a dozen years of investigating and writing about landslides from the Ocean Park bluffs onto the BNSF Railway tracks.  From my experience and utilizing a simple rain gauge, I have observed that 2 inches of rain in a period of 24 hours is the point where landslides onto the BNSF tracks in White Rock and South Surrey can be expected.  At 1 p.m. today we had reached the 2-inch level and by 6 o'clock we had already received 3 inches in total.  With heavy rain forecast for tonight, I would expect us to reach or surpass the 4-inch mark for rain from this storm.

When we are experiencing these extreme amounts of precipitation, mudslides off the Ocean Park bluffs onto the BNSF tracks are inevitable.  The Railway utilizes a landslide detector fence (LDF) system at the base of the slope next to the tracks but it would be ineffective if a slide event happened directly in front of a locomotive or into the side of the train while it was passing, possibly causing a derailment.  Any cars getting knocked off the tracks would fall onto the shoreline of Crescent Rock beach below that is lined with large jagged rip-rap boulders placed there to control wave erosion.

On Sunday at 1 p.m. my wife and I walked down the Christopherson Steps above the BNSF Railway tracks.  This was at a time when we had already received 2 inches of rain and when landslides from the Ocean Park bluff or even the cleared Hump hillside could be expected.  Much to my dismay, the BNSF was running a crude oil unit train along the tracks at that time.  These trains usually consist of 140-144 tanker cars of Bakken crude oil destined for the Chevron Refinery in Burnaby.   Please review the attached photos of this train we witnessed from the pedestrian overpass and at the beach.

While I realize these products need to get to the companies that have requested them, to attempt to deliver these goods during torrential storms through a corridor known for landslide activity triggered by heavy rains is dangerous.  Were one of these oil trains to derail into Semiahmoo Bay it would likely cause extensive environmental damage that would be difficult or impossible to clean up.   We have seen this on the shoreline of Semiahmoo Bay back in 1972 when a spill of Alaskan crude oil from the Cherry Point Terminal near Blaine washed ashore between White Rock and Crescent Beach severely polluting the shoreline.

The BNSF Railway should not ship dangerous goods and petrochemicals through this historically dangerous corridor along our shorelines during extreme precipitation events where slides are likely onto the tracks.  The blockages of Crescent Beach by BNSF trains also pose another risk and you should know that the last time a BNSF train was hit by a slide was back in 2007.  A southbound train had stopped for a large slide near the Crescent Rock boulder, blocking both entrances into Crescent Beach.  This train, carrying several tankers of hazardous goods, was hit by another smaller slide that originated from the Ocean Park bluffs, fortunately without causing a derailment.  

I do realize that railway safety is under the control of the Federal government but I also believe that local governments can put pressure on the BNSF to change their practice of what I call "railway roulette" to a safer model of transportation.  The operator of the swing bridge near the Crescent Beach Marina could easily measure precipitation and once it has reached the 2-inch level in 24 hours, radio for trains to be stopped until the rain ends and the bluff hillside is given time to dr​ain and stabilize.  I've attached a link to a HeraldNet story from Washington State with information about this problem in Puget Sound that includes a video of the 2012 Everett landslide and subsequent BNSF train derailment.  

If by Monday we have landslides onto the BNSF Railway tracks in the Semiahmoo region, it will prove that I can successfully predict the future utilizing only the weather forecast and a simply rain gauge.  If I am correct, this shows that the transportation of dangerous goods and bulk petrochemicals on this coastal rail line during extreme precipitation events should be curtailed until the slide risk has diminished by allowing the hillside above time to drain.  Having unit trains of crude oil on the BNSF tracks during an "atmospheric river" is risky business and the Railway needs to stop jeopardizing the safety of our environment for the sake of their schedule or profit. 


Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

 

November 08, 2021

The Bridge to Crescent Beach


If you first don't succeed, try, try again.  This well-known proverb from American educator Thomas H. Palmer's "Teachers Manual" can be used to describe the various proposals put forward to stop BNSF trains from blocking access to Crescent Beach, sometimes for hours on end.  Here is the news release from the City of Surrey about this continuing problem and their shiny new idea on how to fix it. 


The City of Surrey met with members of the Crescent Beach Property Owners Association on Wednesday yesterday evening to share conceptual renderings of a Crescent Beach overpass that will allow vehicle traffic to flow during train crossings or stoppages.

Since 2010, there have been 16 incidents lasting from 10 minutes to 3 hours where all vehicle traffic going in and out of Crescent Beach was at a stand sill due to a train blocking the at-grade crossing. The presentation by city staff included solutions to monitor, reduce and prevent train blockages in the Crescent Beach neighbourhood.

“Without any other way for emergency vehicles to get in or out of Crescent Beach during an unscheduled train stoppage is a safety issue that has gone on for far too long,” said Mayor Doug McCallum. “Ensuring emergency vehicles have access to all neighbourhoods is essential. Until we have a bypass that allows vehicles to move regardless of train traffic or stoppages, there remains a significant risk to public safety. With Crescent Beach becoming increasingly popular over the recent years, it is long overdue that we find a solution to this chronic problem. Council and I are eager to move on advancing this much needed overpass project so we can create a safer community for both residents and visitors.”

The Crescent Beach community is located on a peninsula that is approximately 142 acres in area, containing 390 properties, most of which are single family residences. Access to and from the community requires crossing a BNSF rail line, which has been operating since the early 1900’s, connecting Vancouver to the US Border. Crescent Beach has two at-grade access roads which cross the rail line, with the primary crossing along Beecher Street and Crescent Road, as well as secondary access point on McBride Avenue.

This is not the first time Surrey has tried to address the problem of broken-down BNSF trains blocking the two road access routes to Crescent Beach.  In May of 2008 the Fire Chief tabled Corporate Report R088 titled "Railway Related Concerns in South Surrey" to Council.  It detailed how train blockage of residential streets is covered with the Canadian Rail Operating Rule examined that states no part of a train or engine may stand on any part of a public crossing for longer than five minutes when vehicular or pedestrian traffic requires passage.  Landslide threats along the BNSF Railway in South Surrey, access to Crescent Beach, and Crescent Road being blocked for an excessive amount of time were all examined.  You can read more at https://www.surrey.ca/sites/default/files/corporate-reports/RPT_2008_R088.pdf


Back in 2010 Corporate Report #R168 titled "Emergency Access to Crescent Beach Neighbourhood" detailed a plan to put an emergency roadway under the BNSF trestle bridge near the Crescent Beach Marina linking to a lane on the north side of the tracks.  A single roadway was $550,000 while a two-way paved road was double that at $1,100,00 along with a $50,000 a year insurance and additional insurance for risk covering bridge collision, damage, vandalism, loss of revenue and environmental clean-up costs.  Because this roadway was for emergency vehicle access only and with the large insurance exposure involved, this early plan was shelved.  You can read the details at this link: https://www.surrey.ca/sites/default/files/corporate-reports/RPT_2010_R168.pdf

Another way to possibly stop the Beecher Street blockade was examined when the Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities was looking at rail safety in 2016.  The BNSF line through the Semiahmoo peninsula was investigated with respect to trains repeatedly blocking access to Crescent Beach.  A BNSF representative in Ottawa recommended that a tunnel on Beecher Street under the BNSF Railway tracks would be possible with a price tag of $35 million or more.  Of course, the Railway did not offer to pay any of these expenses and it is doubtful that he was aware of a Metro-Vancouver pressurized sewer line and pump station in the area plus the fact that Crescent Beach is on a flood plain that makes tunneling below the water table an engineering nightmare with rising sea levels.

Last but not least is the concept of relocating the BNSF Railway away from the Semiahmoo shoreline to an inland route and turning the rail bed into a walking trail.  The community rail safety group SmartRail has endorsed this proposal for many years along with the BNSF Rail Relocation group (railrelocation.ca).  The last mentioned price tag for rail relocation was in the $350-400 million range but BNSF executives in Ottawa expected costs to be in the billions.  Surrey corporate report R200from October of 2015 has all of the details regarding South Surrey BNSF Rail Relocation at https://www.surrey.ca/sites/default/files/corporate-reports/RPT_2015_R200.pdf   Personally, while I would love to see the BNSF Railway moved, it will likely take rising sea levels, track washouts, prohibitive maintenance costs or a major accident and environmental catastrophe to relocate this rail line back inland from whence it came.

What was interesting about the latest bridge proposal is that there was no mention of the estimated cost for this project.  I'm wondering if that is really that important now that the residents of Crescent Beach have an ace up their sleeve.  It's interesting to note that Mayor Doug MacCallum has moved from his former home on Crescent Road into the village of Crescent Beach.  As much as I love the place, I would never live there for a variety of reasons, number one being the constant trains cutting off the two road crossings plus the infrequent but often long blockages due to train breakdowns.  I'd imagine that living there has given Mayor MacCallum an idea of how bad this problem can be and how dangerous it can be if there is no emergency services access for long periods of time.  Let's hope a bridge can be built to end this problem and that it won't break the taxpayer's bank to make it happen.

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

 

 

Novembere 01, 2021

It's Salmon Spawning Season

The Semiahmoo Fish & Game Club is quite different from most outdoor enthusiast groups that exist throughout the province of BC.  Besides having a large hall, indoor range and outdoor archery, the property consists of 30 acres in the Hazelmere valley of South Surrey with the Little Campbell (Tah-tu-lo) River running through it.  The true gem of this property is the Little Campbell Hatchery, the first all-volunteer fish hatchery in British Columbia built back in 1983 shortly after the property was purchased in 1979.  It is maintained on a continuous basis by members of the Semiahmoo Fish & Game Club along with assistance from Department of Fisheries and Oceans personnel.  

The hatchery building contains multiple tanks where fish eggs are hatched and raised for eventual release back into the wild.  Outside of the hatchery are rearing ponds for Coho salmon, Steelhead and Cutthroat trout.  While situated on the banks of the Litle Campbell river, the large amounts of fresh water needed to maintain the fish brood is pumped from a deep inground well on the property.  In order to ensure its purity, the water is put through an extensive filtration system and aerated before being piped to the various locations it is needed.  As you can imagine, skilled commercial plumbers and electricians are always valuable club members due to the extensive mechanical systems in place.

A steel fish fence originally designed by a SFGC member and used throughout the province runs across the river directly in front of the hatchery.  The fence blocks the passage of the fish, funneling the into a trap where club volunteers and DFO staff can identify the species, determine their sex and count them before releasing the fish upstream into the river so they can spawn.  A selected number of wild Chinook and Coho salmon plus Steelhead trout are kept as breeding stock with their egg sacs and seminal vessels removed for later fertilization.  So far this year approximately 3,000 Coho and 1,000 Chinook salmon have already crossed the fish trap, with almost 60,000 eggs collected.

In an average year the Little Campbell Hatchery produces 100,000 Coho and 35,000 Chinook salmonoids along with 10,000 Steelhead and previously 15,000 Cutthroat trout.  The hatchery area and the Semiahmoo Fish & Game Club property with its system of nature trails are open to the public daily from dawn to dusk.   You can drop by and view the spawning salmon in the river and if the hatchery is open watch as fish are counted and collected.  The bridge over the Little Campbell River makes for a great viewing platform and you can see salmon actively spawning in the gravel bars on the river that runs throughout the property.  If you have kids, they will love this experience and a chance to see spawning salmon up close.

Now until the end of November is a great time to view the bulk of the salmon run that happens close to home for many people in White Rock, Surrey and Langley.  Further salmon runs will continue to enter the Little Campbell River until the beginning of April next year.  The SFGC property is located at 1284 184 St and is marked with a large sign out front including a cast concrete salmon that is a metre and a half long.  The best fish viewing is the day after a heavy rain when river levels rise and the salmon make their way upstream.  One look at the long-term weather forecast tells me there will be lots of those days upcoming during the month of November.

For more information on the Little Campbell Hatchery and the Semiahmoo Fish & Game Club, please visit the SFGC.info website or their page on Facebook.  Should you wish to join the club or volunteer, pro-rated memberships are available for this year and you can already sign up for 2022. The Little Campbell Hatchery now has charitable status and can issue tax deductible receipts for donations that help fund their important environmental operations.

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

 

 

 

October 25, 2021

Keep Off My Lawn McCallum

Having run for public office several times and also volunteered to put up election signs for a former MP, I have done my share of political sign posting in Semiahmoo (aka South Surrey).  It was only four years ago that the City of Surrey allowed political signs on both city lands and private property.  The first restriction brought in by Surrey Council was that election signs could not be within 25 metres of an intersection, with the rational of not wanting to distract drivers.  This resulted in over 1,800 signs being collected by city work crews in 2018 during the last civic election.  Then the sign by-law was changed in May of 2019 with Surrey Council voting unanimously to ban election signs on public lands and boulevards, doing a great disservice to independent candidates and democracy on the whole.  This meant that private lawns were the only game in town, ensuring well financed campaigns had an unfair advantage in promoting name recognition over independent candidates.  

Mayor Doug MacCallum and his Safe Surrey members used their slim majority on council last week to change Surrey's sign law yet again with respect to political signage.  The definition of "political sign" has now been changed to include signs related to political issues, referendums, plebiscites, petitions, plus those either approving or opposing candidates and issues.  Where this really gets disturbing is these are not only banned from public lands but from PRIVATE PROPERTY!  There is no doubt in my mind that this disturbing change was made in the middle of a citizen's initiative by the Keep The RCMP In Surrey and Surrey Police Vote group to force a referendum on the policing change away from the RCMP to the Surrey Police Service.

It is obvious that Mayor MacCallum will do anything in his power and beyond to handcuff, muzzle and intimidate those trying to stop his police transition plans.  It was in June of 2020 that Surrey work crews began removing Keep the RCMP in Surrey signs from both public and private property under the guise they were somehow interfering with the Highway Traffic Bylaw.  Then came the Save-On-Foods incident on Sept. 4th where Mayor McCallum allegedly threatened to have referendum workers removed by by-law officers before he claimed to have had his foot run over by a car, leading to a public mischief probe against him by the RCMP.  Only a week later, folks collecting signatures for the police referendum at Dogwood Park were fined by Surrey bylaw officers for "advertising" by getting people to sign their Elections BC authorized petition drive.

The biggest problem I and most Canadians have with this change to the political signage bylaw in Surrey is that we have a Charter of Rights and Freedoms.  The bylaw officers should not be acting like brownshirts by attacking democracy and going onto private property to confiscate people's possessions in what should be a free and democratic society.  We are guaranteed freedom of thought, belief and expression that includes freedom of communication and association.  This is vital to our democracy where people are free to discuss matters of public policy, criticize governments or provide one's own solutions to societal problems.  The changes to Surrey's sign bylaw are an attack on our freedom, an affront to democracy and the actions of a tyrant, dictator and despot.  Anyone caught trying to steal political signage from my lawn will find themselves face down in the grass with big zap-straps on their wrists and charges pending for theft under $5,000.

Here is why these sign bylaw changes are so disturbing, dangerous, vile and repugnant.  What if you wanted to put up a "Gay Pride" sign on your lawn along with a rainbow flag?  Would the bylaw thought police pull on their jackboots and storm over onto your property to confiscate them?  How about if you were a person of colour and put out a "Black Lives Matter" sign, which is a political statement.   I'm sure City Hall could round up a few caucasian officers to assist on the raid, trampling your sign along with your civil rights.  Don't you dare put up an "Every Child Matters" sign on Truth and Reconcilliation Day without bringing home threats and retaliation from bylaw goons.  The same goes for "Stop Clear Cutting", "Save the Whales", "Say No to Fracking",   "No Coal Trains", "No More High-rises" or the one I recently saw on the side of Crescent Road, "MacCallum Is A Bully." 

You have to wonder where this will go from here if this draconian sign bylaw is not confronted and challenged.  How long will it be before you cannot post any message on the windows inside of your own home without fearing a knock on your door and invasion by officers without warrant?  How soon until they ban flags and banners, except for approved ones which can only be flown where you live with a permit from City Hall?  Will bumper stickers or t-shirts with political statements be outlawed in our new fascist State of Surrey, in which case I'm seriously busted?  I haven't gotten involved in the police transition fight but I'm now firmly behind the Surrey Police Vote campaign because of the bylaw sign amendment Safe Surrey members voted for that directly targets their initiative.  

Do you feel as strongly about this attack on our democratic principles and personal freedoms as I do?  Make sure you send Mayor MacCallum plus his Surrey Safe Councillors Allison Patton, Laurie Guerra, Mandeep Nagra and Doug Elford your thoughts on this issue and the draconian changes they voted for.  Rather than direct you to the Surrey.ca website, here are their email addresses; simply cut and paste with your message about how the Charter of Rights and Freedoms is important both in Surrey and across Canada.  Hopefully they won't try to put forth a bylaw to censor me and the White Rock Sun after reading this TNT.

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

 

 

October 18, 2021


Slow Streets of Surrey

In the middle of June this year the City of Surrey launched its Surrey Slow Streets - Residential Speed Limit Reduction Pilot project in six residential neighbourhoods.  Three of these saw speed limit reductions to 40 km/h and the other three were lowered down to 30 km/h.  The only one of these in the Semiahmoo region is between Rosemary Heights Crescent and 40 Ave, and between just west of 153 St/152B St and just east of 156B St.  The neighbourhood where I took the photo of the new street sign at the top of this TNT is located in Cloverdale between 56 Ave (Hwy 10) and 60 Ave, and between 180 St and 184 St.  Not surprisingly, the others are in Newton and north Surrey neighbourhoods with higher densities and a history of speed related crashes.

As a buddy of mine with plenty of driving experience always says, "The faster you drive, the harder the crash."  There are more deaths and injuries from car crashes in the summer than in the winter with much of this being attributed to the higher speed of driving in good weather.  Accidents involving pedestrians go up in winter due to decreased visibility from darkness and rain plus the wearing of dark clothes.  Road safety research has concluded that a pedestrian hit at 30 Km/h has a 90% change of survival, while speeds of 50 Km/h result in only a 15% chance of survival, much of this due to severe head trauma.  This explains why schools and parks have 30 Km/h limits, with reduced speeds near schools from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and park zones from dawn to dusk. 

From the surreyca website:  "The purpose of the Surrey Slow Streets pilot project is to study how lower speed limits affect driver behaviour, and ultimately the safety on our roads. We will also compare the impacts that 30 km/h verses 40 km/h speed limits have in neighbourhoods. Following the lowering of speed limits in the pilot project areas, we will monitor vehicle speeds, crashes and perceptions of safety among residents."  If after this one-year study the research shows an improvement in lowering vehicle speed, crashes and improved resident safety, it will likely be extended to other neighbourhoods.  This study should also lower greenhouse gas emissions, reduce vehicle noise and increase feelings of safety for residents out walking the streets of their neighbourhoods. 

While this experiment plays out in select neighbourhoods, it seems that Surrey is not waiting for the results before making changes in other areas.  I live in Crescent Heights and several years ago Surrey installed speed bumps to put an end to rat-racing on our street that is also a bus route.  They do a good job of keeping speeds down but we have the tolerate the occasional crunch of a car from an idiot driver going too fast who failed to notice them in time.  Also, in the past month much of the roads in this area that are narrow or do not have street lights including Seabrook Dr., Cedar Dr. and Crescent Dr. were suddenly posted to 30 Km/h down from 50 Km/h.  This really was a no-brainer and I'm sure the residents of this neighbourhood welcome the change where walking is a pastime enjoyed by many.  

I have long believed that the blanket policy of 50 Km/h for most streets in Surrey needs an overhaul and should be changed to this easy-to-follow system.  Post freeways at 100 Km/h, highways at 80 Km/h, arterial roads at 60 Km/h (up 10 Km/h), residential roads with painted centre lines at 50 Km/h and residential roads with no painted centre lines at 30 Km/h (down 20 Km/h).  These speeds keep traffic moving while improving safety in residential areas with plenty of pedestrians, children and pets that often do not have proper sidewalks separating them from vehicles.  These are the speeds I usually adhere to and you will never catch me racing around in quiet residential streets, especially in the neighbourhood where I live.  

You can read the full details about Surrey Slow Streets pilot project on the city website at this link:  https://www.surrey.ca/services-payments/parking-streets-transportation/vision-zero-surrey/what-we-are-doing/safe-speeds/slow-streets

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

 

October 12, 2021

Where do I live?  Semiahmoo


I have to admit, growing up in North Delta I always hated the name for that portion of the municipality.  To me, it's not really a name but more like giving someone directions on how to get there.  Even those directions are off base since it really should have been called East Delta, which is actually the name for the farmland region south of North Delta.  Interestingly, the village of Ladner has an actual given name after the brothers Thomas and William Ladner who first came to the area back in 1868 and set up farming and fishing operations there.  Though it sits on the western shore of Delta, nobody calls it "West Delta."  On the southwest corner of Delta, we have what is called South Delta but more commonly known as Tsawwassen, meaning "land facing the sea" in the Coast Salish language.  In fact, Wikipedia has a full dossier with everything you could ever want to know about Tsawwassen, but the listing for "South Delta" does not exist.

All of this brings me to my home here in South Surrey, once again not a real name but directions on how to get here (go to Surrey, head south, you can't miss it).  At least White Rock has an actual name that comes from the 460 tonne white granite boulder, which sits on the shoreline of Semiahmoo Bay.  Most people do not realize that this giant rock also has an indigenous name "P'Quals" and a lover's legend on how it got to its current resting place (see http://www.whiterockmuseum.ca//wp-content/uploads/2018/01/The-Legend-of-PQuals.pdf).  White Rock of course, used to be part of Surrey until it separated in 1957 but it and the rest of South Surrey are collectively described as the Semiahmoo Peninsula, or my shortened version, the Semi-Pen.  The Semiahmoo peninsula is named after the Semiahmoo First Nation, just as Tsawwassen (aka South Delta) is named after their indigenous people the Tsawwassen First Nation.  In fact, the word Semiahmoo means "half-moon" describing the shape of the shoreline of Semiahmoo Bay.

On Thursday, Sept. 30, Canadians from coast to coast got to recognize the first ever Truth and Reconciliation Day, also known as Orange Shirt Day.  This annual statutory day is meant to commemorate the history and ongoing trauma caused by residential schools and to honour those who were lost, the survivors, families and communities affected by our colonial past.   In White Rock this was observed with the first ever Semiahmoo First Nation Walk for Reconciliation that started at the Grand Chief Bernard Robert Charles Plaza and ended at the SFN Spirit Stage in Semiahmoo Park.   Thousands of people, many wearing orange shirts and attire. showed up to support the Semiahmoo First Nation, Elders, youth and indigenous people.   Unlike our Prime Minister who embarrassed himself by holidaying in Tofino, many Canadians wish to address our colonial past and the treatment of indigenous people here and this crowd showed the level of community support for this cause.

So now it's time for me to do my part for Truth and Reconciliation and to help honour the people on whose ancestral land we now call home.   We live in the Semiahmoo Peninsula, with the Semiahmoo First Nation located on the shore of Semiahmoo Bay as they have been for generations.  We have the historic Semiahmoo Trail running from White Rock to the Nicomekyl River, the Semiahmoo Fish & Game Club, the Semiahmoo Secondary School and even the Semiahmoo Shopping Centre.  Before the Peace Arch news and the original White Rock Sun, the first newspaper in these parts was called the Semiahmoo Sun.  So the big question is, why do we continue to call this place South Surrey?  Once again, this is only a directional name with no historical context other than it reminded a homesick Englishman of a county in South-East England.  Why not call it Semiahmoo, just as the folks across Mud Bay call their home Tsawwassen, after the Tsawwassen First Nation.  

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

 

 

October 04, 2021

Danger - Quicksand!


On Saturday afternoon around 3 o'clock I was headed east along Crescent Road when a large ladder equipped fire truck drove by with lights and sirens on.  I knew was not the one that runs out of Hall 12 near Crescent Park so this seemed rather odd to me.  A little further along Crescent another fire engine went by in full emergency mode piquing my interest even more as to what was going on in my little corner of the Semi-pen.  On King George Blvd I saw yet another fire truck heading in the same direction, this one with the words "Tactical Rescue" written on it.  It was about then that I decided my chore list would have to wait and when I hit Colebrook Road I looped around and headed back towards home. 


The problem I faced is that I had no idea where all of these fire trucks had been heading but thinking about areas where somebody might need a technical rescue, I drove into the Crescent Beach Marina driveway.  It turned out my instincts were correct for as I got to the end of the road there were half a dozen Surrey Fire Service vehicles on scene and around two dozen firemen.  I parked my vehicle and made my way to towards the BNSF Railway trestle leading to the swing bridge where a large group of firemen were walking out escorting out a woman caked with black muck up to her waist along with her son and husband who had noticeably dirty pants.  They directed the lady to sit on the back of a fire truck, assessed her injuries (a sore ankle) and started to clean her off with a trickling fire hose.


Talking to the lady and her husband I learned that their family had driven from New West to go explore Crescent Beach, including the Blackie Spit area.  They had crossed the grassy area by the train bridge and headed out onto the sand flats.  They told me that the ground seemed hard and sandy, similar to what you would expect along Crescent Beach.  The tide had turned and was coming in when their son ventured near the water and had the ground suddenly give way under his feet, getting himself stuck in the process.  The mother went to his rescue and managed to get him out of the sticky situation he had found himself in, but she also sank into the goo and also stuck.  Her husband then tried to free her without success and with the sea water getting higher, decided it was time to call 911 for help.


The firemen arrived on scene and after locating the woman reached her by placing sections of ladder onto the now muddy beach.  They walked out on top of the ladders and used shovels to dig around the woman's legs, releasing her from the quicksand hole she had fallen into.  The Fire Captain I walked to about this incident told me that when the tide recedes the sand flats drain and firm up but as the tide comes back in the beach saturates ahead of the advancing tide.  With the right mixture of sand, mud and water, the beach turns into pockets of quick sand that can quickly trap anyone unaware of the danger.  We did talk about the lack of signage around Blackie Spit warning of quicksand conditions and for people to avoid the foreshore and stay on designated trails.


It is not as if this is a new phenomenon on the shores of Mud Bay.  Three years ago, a youth in Delta not far from Centennial Beach sunk up to his waist in quicksand and had to be rescued by a quick-thinking Delta police officer using a piece of driftwood and a rope.  Delta Mayor had this warning after this incident, “Please stay safe and close to shore. There are muddy areas around Boundary Bay that can be just like quicksand."  In 2013 a man had to be rescued at Blackie Spit after he walked out to take pictures of birds and got stuck in mud over his boots during an incoming tide.  By the time Surrey Fire Services arrived and used a boat to reach him, the man was already up to his waist in water before being dug out. 


I have had my own Mud Bay experience, walking into the shorefront off the Delta Dyke Trail a couple of decades ago trying to access a small shelf island.  It was less than a hundred feet offshore and I only made it halfway there before turning back with my boots sinking deeply with every step.  Talking with friends this weekend I learned that my friend Kenny had gotten stuck in the waters off Blackie Spit years ago and needed help from a friend to free himself from quicksand he had sunk into up to his knees.  Another buddy of mine Ricardo told me a story of how his daughter got stuck in quicksand not far from Elgin heritage Park, losing her boots in the mud when he pulled her out.  I was also told a story about a man whose dog got stuck in the mud off Blackie Spit years ago and when he went to free his pet, both of them needed to be rescued.


If you do find yourself stuck in sinking mud or quicksand, do not panic and take the following steps to free yourself.  Move slowly and don't panic as quick motion leads to air pockets that can create suction and pull you down deeper.  Shed any extra weight such as backpacks of purses to make yourself as light as possible.  If your legs are stuck, you can free them one by one by wiggling them in circles to allow water to flow in and slowly pulling upwards.  Sitting down and leaning back while spreading your arms creates more surface area allowing you to float instead of sink.  When your feet are free slide horizontally across the quicksand until you reach firm ground.  You might get dirty but if stuck on a tidal flat, it's much better than drowning.


Rather than allowing people to blindly stumble into these dangerous and difficult situations, it might be advisable for the City of Surrey to post "DANGER - QUICK SAND - KEEP OUT" signage showing a person sinking.  These should be placed around the portions of Blackie Spit where muddy shores are prone to liquefaction, pockets of quicksand or where rescues have already happened.   Many jurisdictions around the world do this including the City of Port Moody who have posted signs around their estuary warning people to not venture onto the mud flats for their own safety.  When people come to visit Crescent Beach, we want them to have a good time and not get trapped, needing to be rescued to either the Surrey Fire Service or Coast Guard hovercraft.  


Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

 

 

September 27, 2021

Let's Go Falcon, Let's Go!


The federal election is over, the Liberals are back with another minority government and slowly but surely candidate signs are being taken down or picked up from front lawns across the South Surrey-White Rock riding.  So, try to imagine my surprise driving through Ocean Park on Friday night when I came across a pair of newly posted election signs at the ritzy corner of Indian Fort Dr. and Ocean Park Rd.   I thought I was having a political flashback for there in both red and green (stop & go?) were signs endorsing Kevin Falcon who was the MLA for Surrey-Cloverdale for 12 years before exiting from politics in 2013.  During that time Mr. Falcon was the Minister of State of Deregulation, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure, Minister of Health Sciences, Minister of Finance, plus the 12th Deputy Premier of BC under Premier Christy Clark. 

It is said that you can't keep a good man down and on May 17, 2021 Kevin announced his candidacy for the 2022 BC Liberal Party leadership election that will be held on February 5, 2022.  Now unfortunately yours truly did not get invited to that evening's soiree but from the parade of high-end luxury vehicles leaving the property on Friday I believe it's safe to say that Kevin Falcon was on hand likely fundraising and getting people to join his leadership team.   You can find out plenty of in-depth information about Kevin on his kevinfalcon.ca webpage that is dedicated to his leadership run.  In case you were wondering, Mr. Falcon made the move from Cloverdale to South Surrey a few years back so if he gets elected as the new Liberal leader, we would have a local guy leading the opposition with eyes on becoming the Premier of BC in the future.

Mr. Falcon is the presumptive front-runner in this campaign but he will have plenty of competition for the job as the top Liberal.  There are five other candidates running for the Liberal party leadership:  Gavin Dew (gavindew.ca), Michael Lee (joinmichael.ca), Val Litwin (vallitwin.ca), Ellis Ross (ellisrosscampaign.ca) and Renee Merrifield (reneemerrifield.ca).  You can check out their bios and political platforms on their websites not to mention donate money, volunteer or sign up to become a Liberal party member giving you a vote on Feb. 5th.  If you want to check out these leadership hopefuls in action, the first leadership debate is scheduled for this Tues., Sept. 28 from 7-8 p.m. that is being live streamed on the BC Liberal Party website (https://www.bcliberals.com/) and Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/BCLiberals/).

So, the question needs to be asked, "Are you ready to go with Kevin?"  Don't blame me, that is his campaign slogan, shorted to a simple "Let's Go!" for lawn signs and other promo material.  The MLA for Surrey - White Rock, Trevor Halford, is endorsing Mr. Falcon along with Mike Morris, MLA for Prince George MacKenzie (former Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General), MLA Ian Paton from Delta South, along with Kamloops - South Thompson MLA Todd Stone (former Minister of Transportation & Infrastructure).  The real heavyweight in Kevin's corner has to be former Surrey Mayor Dianne Watts who was also the MP for South Surrey-White Rock and who placed second in the 2018 BC Liberal leadership election to Andrew Wilkinson.

If Kevin Falcon does win the Liberal leadership election, it is likely that the party which is a Conservative/Liberal coalition designed to keep the socialist horde (read NDP) at bay will opt for a name change.  This is not too surprising considering how the federal Liberals under Justin Trudeau do not enjoy a wave of support in the west, having just scraped together another minority in Ottawa.  There is no way the BC Liberals would rebrand under the Conservative banner either and the "People's Party of BC" is a non-starter.  I don't think the BC Dogwood party (think the Wild Rose party in Alberta) would work after the Dogwood Initiative public interest group in Victoria changed their name to Dogwood BC.  The return to the BC Social Credit party is also unlikely along with their old nickname, the Socreds.  It could be that the "BC Coalition party" name suggested by former Premier Christy Clark will become the new free-enterprise moniker.  

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

 

 

SEPTEMBER 20, 2021


The Vote Is In!


No, not the Federal election even though the timing for this TNT is rather appropriate falling on the day that we get to cast our ballots for the party we hope will rule Canada.  On Tuesday last week the members of the Semiahmoo Fish & Game Club got to vote for a new board of directors that many hoped would change the future direction of the club.  On Thursday the results were released and as expected The Friends of Semiahmoo Fish & Game Club took the bulk of the positions and votes, garnering 75 percent of all the ballots.  New club president Diana Barkley welcomes 12 new directors into the fold along with 4 former members, myself included.

If you have never been there, the Semiahmoo Fish and Game Club (formed in 1957) sits on 29 forested acres with the Little Campbell River running through the property located at 1284 184 St. in Hazelmere, south Surrey.  The club operates a fish hatchery releasing hundreds of thousands of young fish into the Little Campbell every year.  There is a large hall with seating for 200 people that can be rented for weddings, meetings, dances, parties or a variety of functions.  They have both indoor and outdoor archery depending on the weather and season plus a basement range with a full ventilation system for both rimfire rifle and handgun shooting.  The jewel of the club is the many trails criss-crossing throughout the forested rear of the property along the idyllic river setting, which is open to the public dawn to dusk.

The reason for the dissension in the club was due to the previous board's proposal to donate the property to the City of Surrey due to less than rosy financial projections and future repairs and upgrades to the hall and hatchery.   The property transfer agreement was twice put to a vote and both times was rejected by the membership without a noticeable change in the board's attempt to give the club to the city of Surrey.  The board's failure to accept membership fees this year in a year when COVID-19 reduced hall revenues to zero plus cancelling most events, while spending money to have the range professionally cleaned riled the membership.  Many people, myself included, felt that after the land transfer was twice rejected, that the President and the Board of Directors should have resigned because of non-confidence in their continued guidance. 

So where does the storied Semiahmoo Fish & Game Club go from here?  First and foremost, will be to finally begin to sell memberships for 2021, something that I believe should have been done nine long months ago.  Secondly will be to solicit donations, apply for grant money, build corporate partnerships and look for any financial assistance to help rebuild the club's revenue stream, including opening up to hall rentals and events as COVID restrictions are removed.  Just as there is now new blood in the club's executive, there is hope that renewed optimism will results in a wave of new people signing up to be part of the SFGC as it moves into the future.  The SFGC is a volunteer organization and it requires its members to help complete tasks, do required maintenance, and keep the club running smoothly.

If you are an angler or environmentalist worried about the health of the Little Campbell River, please arrange for a visit to check out the hatchery, fish fence and ponds where the fish rearing takes place.  If you are an archer or are interested in trying your hand at this rapidly growing sport, contact the club to find out their fall schedule of events.  The basement range was used for rimfire rifle several days a week and handgun shooting on Wednesday nights and hopefully with the new change in executive, these will soon reopen.  Lastly, the Little Campbell River with its spawning beds flows through the property and the forested trails are a beautiful walk that is open to the public from dawn to dusk.  If you are a club member, you can even bring your dog along with you.

You can expect to be hearing from and reading about the Semiahmoo Fish & Game Club plenty in the near future as they make their presence and history known.  You can find more information about the club at their website (sfgc.info) or the Facebook page titled Semiahmoo Fish & Game Club (https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Gun-Range/Semiahmoo-Fish-Game-Club-414639185230130/).  The Friends of Semiahmoo Fish & Game Club group that have now assumed control of the club's executive also have a website (friendsofsfgc.ca) and operate a Facebook page as well (https://www.facebook.com/FriendsofSFGC).  The new President, Diana Barkley, had this to say about the future of the SFGC, "A key goal is to rebuild the club and stay true to the original founder's dreams.  We're up for the challenge."

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

 

 

September 13, 2021

Purple People Beater


Here we are with a week to go before we find out the results of the 2021 Canadian federal election.  The highlight of the campaign so far had to be the televised leader's debates last week that was held over two nights in both French and English.  It appears the election will likely go down to the wire with polls showing the Conservatives and Liberals in an apparent dead heat followed by the NDP, BQ, PPC and the Greens in that order.  As part of the democratic process, it is important to hear from the leaders of all of the prominent parties that are running candidates across Canada.  With this in mind, I am questioning the rationale behind the Leaders' Debates Commission excluding People's Party of Canada leader Maxime Bernier?

Liberal leader Justin Trudeau, Conservative leader Erin O'Toole, NDP leader Jagmeet Singh, Bloc Quebecois leader Yves-Francois Blanchet and Green Party leader Annamie Paul all appeared in both leaders debate with the People's Party of Canada leader left outside in the cold, metaphorically speaking.  Now, I must admit I am not a fan of much of the PPC platform but to be honest i don't shoehorn well into any of the established party platforms either, choosing to vote strategically for what I believe will be the best outcome for Canada.  Love him or loathe him, Maxime Bernier, who came within a whisker of winning the Conservative leadership four years ago is a political animal to be reckoned with.  

Now I realize that the Bloc Quebecois are a political force in this country, holding 32 seats in the House of Commons before Parliament was dissolved for this election.  They are currently the third largest political party in Canada having regained official party status.  That being said, the BQ are a regional party, operating only in Quebec where the majority of Canadians cannot vote for them.  Even if they were to win all 78 seats in Quebec, they would never achieve majority status of 170 seats in Ottawa.  In the last federal election held in 2019 the BQ ended up with only 7.6% of the Canada wide vote but their leader still gets invited to both the French and English debates.  The Greens received only 6.6% of the vote and their leader gets invited to both debates, while the upstart PPC gets shut out and doesn't get to get to play ball with the more established parties, including the regional BQ.

In this election the People's Party of Canada has fielded candidates in 311 of the 338 ridings across Canada, while the Greens after much political infighting involving their new leader only managed to field candidates in 252 ridings.  The PPC have Gary Jensen as their candidate in South Surrey-White Rock, while the Greens do not have a name on the ballot this time around.  Current vote projections at 338Canada.com have the Bloc at 6.7%, the PPC at 6.2% and the Greens way back at a measly 3.2% and yet Maxime Bernier gets excluded from both leader's debates?  The Leaders' Debate Commission decided to limit participation to the leaders of parties with at least one sitting MP, or 4% of the vote in the last election, or 4% support in polls 5 days before the writ was dropped.  In this case, it seems the lines were drawn purposely to keep the ultra-conservative People's Party out of the media spotlight.

Regardless of your political beliefs or affiliation, the exclusion of Maxime Bernier and his Purple Peeps Party from the leader's debate should be viewed as a travesty of the democratic process.  Whether you agree with their leader or any of their platform, they are a recognized political party that is quickly making inroads on the older established political organizations.  Excluding them on the whim of a faceless commission does not serve our democracy or the voters of Canada.  This decision apparently has backfired since support for the PPC has risen sharply since just before the leader's debates were held.  With only a week to go before the election and public discontent on the rise, it is possible for the PPC to receive more of the popular vote than the Bloc.  If the PPC is not invited to the next leader's debate, it will confirm their suspicions that the fix is indeed in.

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

 

 

September 07, 2021

Like Father, Like Son

 


This federal election that nobody other than our Prime Minister and the Liberal Party brass wanted, has got me deeply concerned for the economic future of our country.  Unfortunately, it seems that there is no party to vote for that has a realistic plan for reigning in Canada's massive debt problem, which has ballooned to record levels due to lavish COVID-19 spending.  The Liberals under Justin Trudeau are completely ignoring the rising debt levels and are expected to put us further into the red by an estimated $381 billion this year.  The O'Toole Conservatives are talking about balancing the budget in 10 years but this means holding the reins of power for a decade to accomplish this feat.  The NDP platform is big on ways to spend your money but I have still not seen a costing of all of their promises.

No matter what the politicians are peddling, data recently released from the Parliamentary Budget Officer predicts that the federal government will not balance its budget until the year 2070.  This information was part of the most recent Fiscal Sustainability Report, which is a misnomer as this kind of fiscal planning is anything but sustainable.  By that time, I will definitely be dead and it is likely that my kids may have joined me in the after-life or be sitting in a rocking chair at the old folk's home.  I can guarantee by that then the days of record low interest rates will be long over and the servicing costs for the nations trillions of dollars of debt will be siphoning off much of our tax base that should be used for essential services instead of loan payments.  

I decided to look at the Trudeau family record of financial management going back to Prime Minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau who held office from 1968 to 1979 and then from 1980 to 1984.  In 1967 before PET took power, Canada had $27 billion in debt meaning a federal debt per person of $1,420.  By 1976 that had jumped to $55 billion or $2,600 per Canadian.  Amazingly with Pierre's "Just Society" spending policy, this number had jumped to a then whopping $90 billion in 1979 with the individual debt ramping up to $4,130.  After less than a year of the Conservative's Joe Clark running the country PET took over again ramping up Canada's debt from $98 billion up to $210 billion in this short time frame with the debt hitting a record 58.4% percentage of the GDP.  Personal Canadian debt in those four years rose from $5,000 per person to $9,570 in that time frame before PM Pierre Trudeau took his walk in the snow and retired. 

When son Justin was first elected in Nov of 2015 in a second wave of Trudeaumania, he promised to balance the budget by 2019.  To be quite honest he did a little better than the old man but continued to increase the national debt and ramp up spending in a time of economic prosperity.  In 2016 under the Liberals the debt jumped by $34 billion, increasing everyone's personal federal debt by $750 to $29,760 (as you can tell there had been plenty of deficit financing in a little over 30 years).  Our debt cracked the one trillion-dollar mark in 2018, climbing to $1,084 billion in 2020 thanks in large part to the beginning of COVID spending.  It is predicted to reach $1,453 billion in 2021 a nearly $10,000 increase for every man woman and child in Canada up to $42,000 per person.  The projected 73% debt to GDP ratio is also a new record high, or low depending on your viewpoint.


At some point in time our politicians need to address the elephant in the boardroom.  If i were to manage my household finances the way our political parties manage their budgets it would not be long before the bank would foreclose and I'd be forced to declare bankruptcy.  Heaping debt onto the younger generation that must pay these bills in the future is a form of fiscal child abuse.  Growing the economy and having the budget balance itself sounds so easy but it is not a stable economic platform since there are no spending or loan controls in place.  Canadians need to know that our government deficit has ballooned by the most of any G-20 country during the COVID-19 pandemic.  Hopefully this spending spree will stop once the virus has been controlled but I fail to see anyone on the ballot that is promoting fiscal prudence anytime in the future.

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

 

 

August 23, 2021

May these Gates Ever Re-open?

 


It has now been two weeks since Canada reopened its land border crossings to American citizens, albeit ones that had been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and possessing a recent PCR test showing they were free of the virus.  Strangely, on a shared border with two friendly neighbouring countries, the US government decided to hold off their border reopening with Canada until August 21, 2021.  As of last Friday, that date has now been rolled back by the US Department of Homeland Security to the final day of summer, September 21st, meaning that by that time it will have been six weeks that the land border crossings were open to Americans heading north, but not for Canadians heading south.  

You have to ask yourself how any of this makes sense?  While the border was closed to non-essential travel for 16 months, air travel continued as is the case today with Air Alaska selling return flights from Vancouver to Seattle for $268, requiring only a negative Coronavirus test taken at least 72 hours prior to departure.  You can fly to the land of the free in a packed airplane sitting elbow to elbow in cramped seats but not in the comfort of your own vehicle away from the great unwashed hoard with the windows open for plenty of fresh air.  Even more asinine is that Point Robert residents are now allowed to travel into Tsawwassen or Ladner without being vaccinated or having a negative Covid test and yet double vaccinated Canadians can still not head south to check on their properties there just across the line from Tsawwassen.

All of this is happening during the rise of the fourth wave of COVID-19 across America involving many of the unvaccinated (read Trumplicans if you wish).  To date only 51% of Americans have received their two vaccine shots, compared to 65% in the Great White North.  The Delta B.16 variant is now taking America by storm, accounting for more than 86% of new infections according to the CDC.  This should come as no surprise considering that the Delta variant has shown it is more than twice as contagious as the original COVID-19 strain.  Community transmission is now rated as "High" in all of the continental states except for the north-east states of Maine and Vermont.  Covid transmissions and hospitalizations in Washington state are at an all-time high according to their state’s Department of Health with transmission and hospitalizations at record levels from the Delta variant that is reported to be 98% of their new cases.

So, the Canadian land border is open to Americans experiencing a surge of COVID-19 related infections but their land crossings are closed to Canucks with higher rates of vaccination and much less Covid infections or community transmission.  Am I the only one who thinks that the situation at the US\Can border should be reversed with the Yanks allowing us down to the States but Canada not allowing Merikans to head north?  To be quite honest, I would not consider visiting the USA right now no matter the reason and the Canadian Government travel website continues to warn against non-essential travel to the US at this time.  I should also note that on Sept. 7th Canada will also welcome overseas tourist travellers to enter Canada provided they have been fully vaccinated and have a negative coronavirus test taken at least 72 hours prior to arrival.  

All of this brings us to a special upcoming date that you should circle on your calendars.  Sept 6, 2021 marks the 100th year anniversary of the dedication of the Peace Arch Monument at the Douglas land crossing.  Though a century old, this 67-foot-tall monument that was one of the first earthquake proof structures in North America, is in beautiful shape after being clean, primed, painted and fully restored last year.  Inscriptions on the Peace Arch read "Children of a common mother" and 

"Bretheren dwelling together in unity" but obviously this close-knit family has now become dysfunctional during the world-wide pandemic with one brother closing the door on the other.  Most ironic has to be the wrought iron gates with an inscription that reads "May these gates never be closed", which is what will have happened for 18.5 months if the opening date for the US border is not rolled back even further into the Fall of 2021 as I expect.

Unfortunately, just as many other activities and celebrations have been cancelled due to COVID-19 over the past year and a half, the Sept. 6th 100th year anniversary of the Peace Arch will not be honoured.  The Canadian side of Peace Arch Park is still closed and while the American portion is accessible to Canadians from Zero Avenue by jumping a ditch, it was decided to delay the festivities until September of 2022.  Information about this iconic monument can be found on the International Peace Arch Association website at peacearchpark.org, including plans to put two new 100-year time capsules into it that will be opened in 2121, barring any future global pandemic of course.   I'm thinking a surgical mask, bottle of hand sanitizer, roll of toilet paper and a MAGA cap would be rather fitting considering the historic times we continue to find ourselves in.

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

 

 

The Naked Truth - August 16, 2021


And They're Off!


I knew that the rumors about the Liberals calling a fall election were true when Prime Minister Justin Trudeau shaved off his grey beard, cut his famous flowing locks, got a new hair dye job and started rolling up the sleeves of his light blue shirt again.  Two years after being reduced to minority government status and with nationwide polling showing that a renewed majority might be within their grasp, the Liberals threw caution to the wind and rolled the dice, calling for the shortest allowable election campaign of 36 days.  You can review the entire Elections Canada calendar at the following link, with local Elections Canada offices opening here on Tuesday (day 34):  https://www.elections.ca/content.aspx?section=vot&dir=bkg&document=ec90795&lang=e

Call me jaded but there are some things I really hate about the federal electoral process.  The one that really burns me is the federal government spending taxpayer money hand-over-fist on program advertising pre-writ that should be viewed somewhere between election campaign material and plain old propaganda.  Case in point is all of the Liberal gun control advertising that has flooded both TV and radio over the past few weeks.  I can't even blame the Liberals because the Conservatives do this type of thing too when they are in power.  The fact that a Prime Minister can ask the Governor General to dissolve parliament at any time they chose during their four-year mandate only serves their political purposes, not the good of the country.  Do we really need a federal election during the 4th wave of the COVID-19 pandemic and at an estimated cost of a record $610 million (It was $540 million in 2017)?  Put these questions on a ballot and I will check NO and NO.

So now it's time to pull out the crystal ball and look at who might be the next MP for South Surrey-White Rock.  In the right corner wearing blue trunks it is the incumbent Conservative Kerry-Lynne Findlay who has been our MP for the past two years.  In the left corner sporting red trunks it's Liberal Gordie Hogg, our previous MP who lost his title to Kerry-Lynne in the last election.  In this grudge match of King Kong vs Godzilla proportions, it should be one of these two who is still standing when the ballots are counted for the fourth federal election here in the past six years.  The NDP who improved their third place standing last time still has to name a candidate and the Green Party EDA is debating on whether or not to even run a Green candidate given their discord with the governing council in Ottawa.



Here is a historical perspective on election results for the Semi-Pen going back for a decade.  In 2011 Russ Hiebert won the riding yet again with a commanding 53% of the votes, with the NDP and Liberals in a virtual dead heat at 19%, Greens at 6% and others at 3%.  Four years later in 2015 and with former Surrey Mayor Dianne Watts taking over for Heibert, the Conservatives won with 44% of the vote (-9% from the previous election), the Liberals with Judy Higginbotham close behind at 41.5% (+22.5%), the NDP falling to 10.5% (-9%) and the Greens at 3.5%.  With Dianne Watts resigning two years after the Liberal majority win, a by-election was held in 2017 where with star candidate Gordie Hogg and help from Trudeaumania, the Liberals finally broke the Conservative decades of dominance taking 47.5% of the vote with Conservative Kerry-Lynne Findlay not far behind at 42%, the NDP way back at only 5% and the Greens at 4%.  In the 2019 Canadian federal election, Kerry-Lynne Findlay won back this riding for the Conservatives getting 42% of the vote (same level as in 2017), Liberal Gordie Hogg slipped to 37.5% (-10%), the NDP at 11.5% (+ 6.5%) and the Greens at 7.5% (+3.5%).  I should note here that the 2017 by-election saw only 30,250 ballots cast or 38% of eligible voters, while the 2019 election saw 58,000 ballots cast equating to 69.5% of eligible voters.


The 338Canada.com polling\research website that has proven itself to be relatively accurate in the past currently has the Liberals with a projection average of 19 seats for BC versus 11 in the last election (2019).  The NDP are continuing strong at a projected 12 seats versus 11 they won here in 2019.  The Conservatives with new leader Erin O'Toole appear to be the big losers dropping from 17 seats to a projected 9 seats, with the Greens scraping up 1 or 2 seats.  The Federal vote projection in BC from 338Canada is 34.2% for the Liberals, 28.1% for the NDP, 27.2% for the Conservatives, 7.9% for the Greens and 2.8% for others.  By far the most interesting projection on their website for residents of the Semi-Pen has to be for the riding of South Surrey-White Rock as leaning Liberal Party of Canada.  Country wide on the first full day of the election campaign 338Canada projects 166 (+/- 38.1) seats for the Liberals, 108 (+/- 29.3) seats for the Conservatives, 35 (+/- 15.3) seats for the NDP, 26.7 (+/- 9.8) seats for the Bloc Quebecois and 1.8 (+/- 1) seats for the Greens.  It takes 170 seats to form a majority in parliament and with the large margin of error, these early results need to be taken with a big lump of rock salt.


One thing is for sure, this is likely to be a nail-biter of a finish here and with lots of mail-in ballots expected, counting them by hand will be a daunting job that will take time.  The official results may not be known on election night and Canada-wide it may take days for a final tally to be announced and a winner crowned.  In South Surrey-White Rock the Green Party EDA may actually play spoiler if they chose not to run a candidate and their voters show up to cast ballots for other parties.  The Greens got 4,458 votes in the last election or 7.7% of the total.  While I realize that some of these Green votes would likely flip to NDP orange, it is likely a large portion would also consider voting Liberal, who finished only 2,618 behind the Conservatives in 2019.  Based on historical election results, current voting trends, COVID-19 influences, party leaders and our local candidates, I believe a return back to the Liberals for South Surrey-White Rock is probable, just as 338Canada is predicting.  The funny thing is if this happens, Gordie Hogg would never qualify for the gold-plated MP pension; at 75 years-young he would be too old!


Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn 

 

 

August 10, 2021


One-Way Border Disorder



apologize for being a day late with this TNT but with my wedding anniversary falling on a Sunday when I normally pen this tome, well let's just say that some things take priority over this column.  It actually worked out perfectly since the topic was going to be the one-way opening of the Canada/USA border that closed to non-essential travel on March 20, 2020, for exactly 505 days.  With a 24-hour delay in this column, we got to see how things were actually going to work with American visitors and tourists once again welcome to cross into Canada as of 9 p.m. Sunday.  Unfortunately US President Biden has failed to reciprocate with an opening of the US border to neighbouring Canadians who are substantially healthier than those down south. 

Early Monday morning I ended up on 176 St, also known as Hwy. 15 heading north from Cloverdale.  It was truly remarkable seeing all of the US plates on vehicles, including one with a Washington vanity plate that read PMBRTON.  Now I'm going to go out on a limb on this one and say that I believe this gentleman was likely on his way north of Whistler to a property in Pemberton, aka Pemby to those who have spent time there.  The radio was also reporting that there were many full sailings crossing towards Vancouver Island and on a Monday my money says that plenty of Americans who crossed the border early in the morning headed directly to the ferry terminals with summer holiday plans.

Fortunately, Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) employees had agreed to a new contract on Friday that was hammered out in a 36-hour negotiation marathon, which ended an 8-hour work-to-rule campaign that snarled commercial truck traffic at border crossings across Canada.  This certainly helped on the first day of crossings after COVID-19 travel bans were lifted, even if things are still far from normal.  US citizens and legal residents have to provide proof of full vaccination plus have documents for a negative PCR COVID test performed within 72 hours of crossing.  Adding to the border burden, all visitors to Canada must also fill out the information required in the ArriveCAN app available online. The three lanes open at the Peace Arch Crossing were busy most of the day on Monday with wait times fluctuating between 30 minutes and several hours.  

For once, it seems that Point Roberts finally got a break from all of the COVID-19 controls that have crippled this enclave that relies heavily on Canadian visitors.  Since the start of the pandemic Point Roberts did not have a single case of COVID-19 in its residents, who have also received vaccinations in record numbers.  It was only recently that the first cases of this disease were detected, likely find its way to this bastion via boats entering the marina.  Even with COVID-19 now in Point Roberts, US residents and permanent residents, regardless of their vaccination status, can now enter Canada as long as they stay within the communities of Tsawwwassen and Ladner "to carry out everyday functions and access goods and services."  This information was released in an August 5th announcement by the CBSA with no explanation on how local shopping rules would be enforced.

It is expected that on August 21, Canadians will likely be allowed to enter into the USA for nonessential travel but with similar restrictions as Americans heading north.  A tentative date of September 7th has been announced allowing foreign nationals to enter Canada for discretionary travel.  It is going to be interesting to see what low vaccination rates across parts of the US plus the spread of the more contagious delta variant are going to do to these dates and plans.  Our American neighbours are barely above the 50 percent threshold for full vaccination with cases of COVID-19 now topping over 100,000 a day and hospitalizations along with deaths increasing steadily.  France and the UK are experiencing even greater new outbreaks of COVID-19 than America, making it likely that flights from these countries may be halted sometime in the near future.  My best travel advice is stay close to home and don't throw that face mask away just as it appears COVID-19 won't be over for some time.

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn. 

 

 

August 2, 2021

Jeepers, Peepers, Where'd You Get Those Creepers?


On the BC Day long weekend we usually travel or go camping but with much of the Province ablaze and heavy smoke choking many towns we decided to hunker down and simply vacation in our own backyard.   This decision was reinforced when lightning started many fires along Harrison Lake, one of our favourite get-away locations.  So instead we packed up our beach gear, leashed up the dogs and headed down to Crescent Rock beach for some fun in the sun and well-deserved relaxation.  Saturday was a washout with clouds and even some blessed rain, keeping us away from the shoreline and focused on other pursuits.  On Sunday the sun came out tempered by the pall of forest fire smoke that fortunately took the edge off the sun's rays.  The holiday Monday was much clearer with blue skies and light winds but it did not take long for things to really heat up at the nude beach.

We were quietly relaxing near friends and new acquaintances when the peace and serenity was suddenly broken by the sounds of the woman lying near us angrily questioning a man walking by whether he was filming her with his cell phone.  Several other people in the vicinity who were watching this person believed this was indeed the case and many including myself started yelling at him that he was a pervert.  He mumbled that it was not illegal but quickly exited the area when told that what he was doing was considered voyeurism under Canadian law.  Having not seen the initial altercation I talked with the people involved and then followed this man further down the beach, alerting other people along the way as to his alleged antics.  After hearing complaints from several other people about this man's lewd behaviour, I decided it was time to call the Surrey RCMP.

After making my initial report to E-com, it was only about 15-20 minutes before an officer arrived on the scene looking for the person I had described to them.  Searching up and down the beach plus onto the nearby BNSF Railway tracks, she managed to find the skinny late 20's Indo-Canadian man dressed head to toe in black clothing.  He was stopped and questioned, agreeing to give the officer access to his cell phone and photo gallery, which by this time did not contain any images taken down at the beach.  Without any evidence to back up the many accusations made against him, the officer had to release this man without charges but promised that if he continued with these antics in the future that a charge of public mischief was likely.  I was told that my instincts about this man's deviant behaviour were spot on and that the police had interacted with him previously.

You have to understand that this clothing-optional beach gets plenty of looky-loos and people who are unaware its long history of nude use.  The folks who use Crescent Rock beach really do not care about so-called "textiles" since everybody arrives and leaves the nude beach with clothing on.   Where this gets creepy is when you have perverts using hidden cameras, cell phones or drones to film people simply relaxing on the beach in their natural state.   Voyeurs suffer from a mental disorder where they derive sexual gratification from the covert observation of others in a private or intimate setting.  The beach photographer's behaviour falls into the same realm as men who use their cell phones on packed buses or mass transit to take pictures up women's skirts or down their tops.   Done to minors it is considered pedophilia and passing along these images online constitutes child pornography.  

Here is the Canadian Criminal Code statute (162) defining voyeurism:

162 (1) Every one commits an offence who, surreptitiously, observes — including by mechanical or electronic means — or makes a visual recording of a person who is in circumstances that give rise to a reasonable expectation of privacy, if

    • (a) the person is in a place in which a person can reasonably be expected to be nude, to expose his or her genital organs or anal region or her breasts, or to be engaged in explicit sexual activity;

    • (b) the person is nude, is exposing his or her genital organs or anal region or her breasts, or is engaged in explicit sexual activity, and the observation or recording is done for the purpose of observing or recording a person in such a state or engaged in such an activity; or

    • (c) the observation or recording is done for a sexual purpose.

  • Definition of visual recording

    (2) In this section, visual recording includes a photographic, film or video recording made by any means.

  • Marginal note: Exemption

    (3) Paragraphs (1)(a) and (b) do not apply to a peace officer who, under the authority of a warrant issued under section 487.01, is carrying out any activity referred to in those paragraphs.

  • Marginal note: Printing, publication, etc., of voyeuristic recordings

    (4) Every one commits an offence who, knowing that a recording was obtained by the commission of an offence under subsection (1), prints, copies, publishes, distributes, circulates, sells, advertises or makes available the recording, or has the recording in his or her possession for the purpose of printing, copying, publishing, distributing, circulating, selling or advertising it or making it available

The naturists and nudists who utilize Crescent Rock Beach have had enough of being targeted by those who feel they can get away with this type of sex crime.  You can expect to see a NO PHOTOS/NO PERVS sign at the start of the clothing optional beach plus another indicating its nude use.  Voyeurs caught filming people without their knowledge or consent can expect a visit from the cops and shouldn't be surprised if their phones end up in the ocean as often happens at Wreck Beach.  The voyeurs may get their titillating thrills from filming people at the beach but it will be interesting to see their reaction when they find out they are now the ones being watched.


Please visit the Canadian Department of Justice website for a detailed consultation paper that further explains and explores voyeurism as a sexual offence:  


Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

 

 

July 26, 2021

Green Grass, Brown Grass, No Grass


Whew, am I ever glad that is over!  We had a garden party wedding at our house this weekend and it was a wonderful time and a great success.  Unfortunately, this meant working to keep all of our plants and lawns lush and green, requiring constant watering.  Of course, mother nature has not been helping with the last precipitation we have seen falling way back on June 15th, a week before the official start of summer.  We are now at Stage 3 drought conditions, the fire danger rating signs are posted at extreme, and there is no rain in sight.  We stuck to Metro Vancouver sprinkling regulations but since we have a water meter and pay for what we use, we are looking forward to turning down the taps.

If you look around the Semi-pen neighbourhoods you will see that brown is the new green, with most lawns now fried to a light straw colour.  This is actually part of the grass lifecycle and you know that when the rains begin here in late August they will magically green up again.  The issue these days with drought stressed lawns is that it weakens the rooting system and provides an opening for invasive European Chafer beetles to lay their eggs.  These hatch into larvae that munch away on the remaining grass roots, becoming big, fat, and a tempting morsel for crows and every nocturnal animal we have.  A hungry family of racoons can easily rototill a lawn in one evening as they tear back the sod looking for these tasty grubs.  

So, If you have better things to do during the summer months than water your grass and have to mow it but still want a lawn, what is a homeowner to do?  The magic bullet these days is to introduce micro clover into your lawn.  Now this may seem counterproductive; why would somebody put weeds into their lawn?   What you need to realize is that before the 1950s when herbicides were invented to kill clover, it was considered an essential part of a healthy lawn.  Clover has a dark green leaf that retains its colour long after grass has turned brown.  Its thick web of roots also helps to hold a lawn together during drought.  Clover also has nodules in its roots that fix nitrogen out of the atmosphere, providing free fertilizer that won't wash into streams.   

Overseeding with hardy tall fescue grass in the fall will provide a much thicker lawn with deeper roots, making beetle or racoon damage much less likely.  I have had boulevard lawns in Richmond get absolutely torn apart by crows, opossums, skunks and racoons right own to dirt.  Adding a fresh layer of organic soil to help retain moisture, we reseeded with tall fescue and two varieties of clover seed.  The grass and clover mix filled in quickly and stayed green without any watering until very recently.  It still remains to be seen if it will be ripped apart again but considering the thickness of the new grass and the tangled web of clover it is highly doubtful this will happen.  Hopefully the hungry wildlife they will find greener pastures (with brown dead grass) somewhere down the street.


There are other low maintenance and drought tolerant ground covers that can be used in the place of lawns, something that is becoming more appealing after dealing with deadly heat domes and record temperatures.  Pink chintz creeping thyme likes full sun, needs little water and attracts bees to its salmon pink flowers in the spring.  Turkish speedwell is a similar groundcover with low water needs that provides an evergreen backdrop along with a carpet of blue flowers in the late spring.   If you want to really make a splash of colour, try goldilocks creeping jenny that has a bright yellow leaf.  In shaded areas a mix of various mosses works well where grass never properly grows.   Since these options are not as tolerant to foot traffic as grass, consider stepping stones or using them between flagstones in high traffic areas.


Even though we live in a temperate rainforest, we have dry summers here that thanks to climate change are forecast to get hotter with more drought and heat waves.  You can expect Metro Vancouver sprinkling restrictions to become much tighter in the future as water becomes a scarcer resource.  The water hungry landscapes we have today may need to be modified, replacing thirsty plant with those that can survive more arid conditions and warmer temperatures.  With low reservoirs and dwindling aquifers in California, it might be time to considering ripping up some of that prized lawn and planting vegetable gardens as produce prices rise and food scarcity becomes a global issue.


Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

 

 

 

July 19, 2021

Humm Dinger of a Bird

 

"Legends say that hummingbirds float free of time carrying our hopes for love joy and celebration.  The Hummingbirds delicate grace reminds us that life is rich, beauty is everywhere, every personal connection has meaning and that laughter is life's sweetest creation." - 

Anonymous

I don't consider myself a "birder" but I spent a lot of time outdoors and do get to see plenty of our feathered friends up close and personal.  Besides raptors of any kind, my favourite bird has to be the hummingbird simply because they are so unique.  In these parts Anna's hummingbirds will stay overwinter providing they have an adequate supply of nectar, especially when it is cold and freezing.  The Rufous hummers migrate here from Mexico usually appearing in mid-march and staying until late August when they begin their journey south.  We have two hummingbird feeding stations at our house along with a collection of handblown glass hummingbirds adorning the chain for our kitchen table stained-glass light.  

It is a very rare event to find a hummingbird nest simply because they are so small, they are easily overlooked.  They can also be found anywhere from a small bush all the way up to the top of a large tree.  The very first hummingbird nest I ever saw was when I was climbing a Douglas fir in Sunshine HIlls, North Delta at around ten years old.  Carefully perched on the top of a branch not far from the trunk was this miniature nest made up of wispy moss and lichen.  The inside of the nest was not much bigger than a toonie and lined with soft silky strands that I now understand consist mainly of spider webbing.  There was nothing in the nest but I left it where it sat, keeping its location secret so it would not be grabbed by one of my goofy friends.

Over the years I have found an old hummingbird nest here and there, usually in somebody's garden.  By far the most fascinating was the one I found was a couple of years ago only four feet off the ground in a photinia bush in Steveston, Richmond.  What made this nest so fascinating was not its design or construction, but the two small white eggs it contained that were not much bigger than Tic-Tac mints.  It was only mid-March when I first noticed the tiny nest and over several weeks I checked it but never saw an adult hummer sitting on the eggs.  I don't know what happened to the mother bird but the eggs never hatched and eventually they disappeared, likely being eaten by another bird (cue the music to Disney's "The circle of life").

So just when I thought I knew everything about hummingbird nests, my wife and I end up going for a walk in Crescent Beach and finding ourselves at the front door of local artist Helen Downing-Hunter who was holding an at home art show.  I commented to her on the beauty of her acrylic ink paintings including some very colourful hummingbird prints.  It was then that she pointed over to a hanging lamp in her porch by the front door, showing me where she got her inspiration.  Sitting on top of the metal cage meant to protect the lightbulb was a hummingbird nest, with two baby Anna's hummingbirds perched inside of it.  I did not have my cell phone to take a picture and when I went back the very next day the babies had already taken wing.  Helen was nice enough to provide me pictures of the chicks that a friend had taken that you see with this TNT.

We purchased a booklet from Helen that she had produced featuring prints of many of her hummingbird paintings plus a fascinating and informative story that went with it.  Rather than me regurgitate hummingbird facts gleaned from the internet, here is the storyline from Helen's book:

Over 300 species of hummingbirds make their homes exclusively in the Western hemisphere from Alaska to southern Chile.  In the wild hummingbirds live 3-12 years. The female can lay 1-3 jellybean sized eggs several times a year.  A day after hatching they will have enough feathers to regulate their body temperature.  At three weeks they will take their first flight!

It is remarkable that hummingbirds have the largest brain per body size of any bird!  They also have the largest heart size of any animal.  These amazing little birds have eyes that can see ultraviolet light and a third eyelid for protection when flying at speed.  Hummingbirds feed on the nectar from pollen, tree sap flowers and insects with tongues like elastic micropumps they can drink 10 drops of nectar in 15 milliseconds.

Amazing Facts:

Fastest bird in the world for its body size!

Can fly 385 times their body length in one second, 30 mph, 90 feet/sec

Can fly left to right, upside down, backwards, on their side and hover!

They are not so well-equipped for walking or hopping however as they have very weak feet, but they can shuffle sidewalks while perched.

Their throat colour is not the pigment of feathers but rather an incandescent arrangement of feathers.  

Hummingbirds have amazing memories!  They can remember the location of every flower in their neighbourhood and how long it takes to refill its nectar.  They will return to the same feeder every year.  Like our fine feathered friends on Agar Street in Crescent Beach, some will return to the same nest!  This beautiful little nest has been home to the same hummingbird "Honey" for three years.  Seven chicks (and counting) have been hatched here!  Helen Downing-Hunter.

You can reach Helen on Instagram or simply follow here at @helendowninghunterart where you can enjoy her paintings and limited edition prints that feature a lot more than hummingbirds.  The baby hummers may have flown the coop but the nest will remain above the front door waiting for Honey's return next year to add to her growing family that now stands at nine chicks and counting.

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

 

 

July 12, 2021

Quad Cops


Crescent Beach is always a busy place with many modes of transportation passing by the shoreline on a constant basis.  There are the BNSF trains consisting of mixed freight, coal cars and crude oil tankers that are rolling by in ever-increasing numbers.  Since the US/Canada border was closed due to COVID-19 restrictions the Amtrak passenger train that formerly ran four times a day has unfortunately become a distant memory.  The airspace above Mud bay is very busy with small planes from Boundary Bay Airport, Canada's second busiest airport but commercial jets are still a relatively rare phenomenon.  Of course, the water is always full with a flotilla of various boats and watercraft, including the occasional visit from the Canadian Coast Guard hovercraft responding to medical distress calls.   

Just when you think you have seen it all, you look up and realize there is a new kid on the block, this one flashing red and blue lights.  The RCMP does patrol the BNSF Railway, accompanying the railway's police officer in their white high-railer truck.  They are on the lookout for people trespassing on the rail corridor ($115 fine) plus those having beach fires ($1,150 fine) during a time when outdoor burning is banned throughout the Province of BC due to the threat of wildfires.  It turns out that Surrey RCMP officers have a new tactic for controlling fires and alcohol fuelled parties down at Crescent Beach.  The Surrey detachment has been utilizing Polaris 4X4 quads throughout the city core to fight crime and maintain the peace but now these all-terrain vehicles have made their way to south Surrey.  

I've been informed these quads have been seen around the Semiahmoo mall recently helping to combat auto crime.   Now imagine my surprise when quietly relaxing at Crescent Rock beach this weekend when I heard the unmistakable sound of ATVs on the shoreline.  I quickly got up out of my lawn chair to see what was happening and spotted two uniformed officers nearby turning their quads around on the beach in front of the Crescent Rock boulder that serves as a gatepost for the start of the clothing-optional beach.  They paid no heed to the elderly couple nude sunbathing near them and began driving back towards Crescent Beach.  At the spot where the Jack Stroud memorial is for the teen struck and killed by the Amtrak three years ago, they stopped to talk to several people and I managed to catch up to them.

The police officers were very engaging and obviously quite happy to be patrolling the beach where most people welcomed them and their machines.   These ATVs are equipped with emergency lights plus an onboard computer system allowing the cops to check ID's for outstanding warrants and criminal history.  The officers were nice enough to allow a lady to sit on one of their machines and have her picture taken with them.  I chatted the boys in blue up about their quads and they told me they would be doing beach patrols with them during the summer months looking for a variety of violations such as open liquor, public drunkenness and of course fires.  I asked whether they were patrolling White Rock and they informed me that while both cities have the RCMP, the two detachments do not share resources.  

Knowing they had turned around directly in front of a couple that were nude sunbathing not far down the beach, I asked the senior officer if he had asked the folks there to get dressed or move further along the shoreline.  He informed me that the Surrey RCMP was well aware of the clothing-optional beach and that it was perfectly legal under Canadian law.  This office also told me that a tourist had recently seen a naked man at Crescent Rock beach and reported it to E-Com 911 where it was mistakenly forwarded to the Surrey RCMP for investigation.  He questioned why the City of Surrey was so reluctant to put up signage indicating where the boundary for the nude beach was and alerting residents and visitors alike to its clothing-optional status.  He also indicating that the RCMP had contacted the City about this issue without the problem being addressed.

You only need to look at Vancouver to see how they sign the world-famous Wreck Beach.  Metro Vancouver has posted large green and yellow signs stating "Clothing Is Optional at Beach ahead" at the many trails leading down the bluff, plus "Clothing is required beyond this point" at the top of the trails for people leaving the beach.  Other signs read "Welcome to Wreck Beach, a clothing-optional beach in Pacific Spirit Park" along with several etiquette rules, "Please respect people's privacy, photos or video only with consent, don't stare and/or gawk."  These signs also implore people to "Please carry out all garbage" and to "Keep the beach safe and clean."  In Surrey there are two dilapidated signs near the Christopherson Steps and 1001 Steps reading "Please keep your park clean, carry out what you carry in" but both of these were cut down years ago and are now simply laying in the bush.

I think that the addition of having police officers on ATV's patrolling the waterfront will greatly reduce the problems at Crescent Beach, especially after dark when alcohol-fuelled bonfire parties often happen.  It is a waste of police resources to have officers respond to reports of nude people at the clothing-optional Crescent Rock beach.  Proper signage for the buff beach in both Surrey and White Rock would greatly reduce nuisance calls about folks getting an all-over tan.  I simply do not understand why the City of Surey refuses to deal with this issue as with more people utilizing Crescent Rock as Surrey's version of Wreck Beach, those not aware there is a nude beach in south Surrey will continue to be in for an eyeful when they discover it.

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

 

 

July 05, 2021


Let's Murder These Hornets


Sometimes you report the news, other times you are the news.  The later was the case last week when one of my crew sighted an Asian giant hornet in Steveston on the banks of the Fraser River.  Here is the story below by Richmond News reporter Alan Campbell who formerly worked at the Peace Arch News in South Surrey - White Rock.

 

A RICHMOND LANDSCAPER IS WARNING RESIDENTS TO KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR THE POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS ASIAN GIANT HORNET AFTER AN UNCONFIRMED SIGHTING IN STEVESTON

 

Don Pitcairn, who runs Green Team Gardening, said one of his employees is convinced one of the hornets – the largest of its kind in the world and an invasive species – flew by him at a strata complex near the Britannia Heritage Shipyards earlier this week.  Pitcairn said he and his staff know their insects very well, having been stung numerous times even recently by all kinds of wasps and hornets.  And he said his employee, who was “freaked out” by the size of the hornet, watched as the two-inch long insect grabbed a honey bee from a flowering bush and took off.  "We’ve been looking out for this thing because I’ve heard reports of them being spotted a long way from the (U.S.) border, where they were first seen last fall,” Pitcairn told the Richmond News.  “My worker said the Asian giant hornet grabbed a bee and headed south towards Shady Island.  It was orange and black and about two inches long. It had huge jaws on it. I queried him on what he saw and he was adamant it was an Asian giant hornet.”

Two weeks ago, Pitcairn and his team ran into a nest of bald-faced hornets, getting stung multiple times, so “we know what they look like; and this wasn’t it.”

Pitcairn said they’ve alerted the Invasive Species Council of BC (ISCBC), but were told that they need a visual or actual confirmation, either as a photo or alive or dead in a jar, before they can look into it.  “I’m going to make some traps out of pop bottles and hang them in that courtyard in Steveston to see if I can catch one,” added Pitcairn.  “I do not want them here. We’ve warned all the stratas we service in Steveston to be on the look-out for these insects.”  The News has reached out to ISCBC for more information.  

The Asian giant hornets are found throughout South and East Asia and were likely brought to North America accidentally on container ships, according to ISCBC.  They were first seen in B.C. in 2019 in Nanaimo and, following this discovery, the B.C. government and local beekeepers destroyed the nest.  Multiple individual dead hornets have been found in the southern Fraser Valley region in 2020, but no nests have been found on mainland B.C. as of November 2020.  In October 2020, officials destroyed a nest directly over the US-Canada border in Blaine, Washington.  Asian giant hornets typically nest in underground cavities, or above ground in tree stumps of forested areas.  They feed on insects and are particularly dangerous to honeybee hives.  If they establish in B.C., they may pose a serious threat to the local beekeeping and commercial pollination industries, which in turn will have serious consequences for B.C. agriculture.

 

HOW TO IDENTIFY:

The head is bright orange with large jaws and entirely black eyes. The thorax (where the legs and wings attach) is dark brown or black, and the wings are tinted a dark brown. The abdomen has regular black and orange horizontal stripes.  Depending on the bee caste (drone, worker or queen) the size varies between 2.5 cm to 5 cm.

To report a sighting, take a photo of the hornet and log onto https://bcinvasives.ca/take-action/report/

So, there you have it folks, my worst nightmare is coming true and it looks like we will add yet another flying insect to the list of those that love to sink their stingers into me.  I have made a half dozen Asian giant hornet traps (not "murder" hornets, a sensational name created by a New York Times reporter) that will be filled with orange juice and rice wine bait and hung this week in various locations in Steveston around where this huge black and orange hornet was seen.  I've been contacted by the ISCBC and provided them with the details of this sighting on Tuesday, June 29th so that it can be further investigated.  My suspicion is that these invasive insects have a nest either in the Britannia Heritage Shipyard or on nearby Shady Island at the mouth of the Fraser River.  

Please spend the time to become familiar with the appearance of the Asian giant hornet that has been seen in White Rock before and as far north as Strawberry Heights in Langley.  Keep an eye out for them, especially if you are near flowering shrubs or plants frequented by honeybees that these hornets are fond of feeding on.  They are a very menacing looking bug with a bright orange head, big black eyes and large jaws.  The usual reaction for most people seeing one for the first time is to scream, jump back and yell "WTF?"  I know it sounds funny but my sister and buddy had the exact same reaction to spotting an Asian giant hornet.  They both described their chance encounter exactly the same also, "It scared the hell out of me!"  When you spot one you'll know it, and if you do, please report it to the ISCBC and the news media immediately.  A photo, a dead hornet, or possibly a live one (scary) is needed for positive identification.

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn


June 28, 2021

Putting the Breaks on Tax Hikes

BLUE FROG owners Juanita Moffat / Kelly Breaks

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected businesses to varying degrees since health orders began closing doors early last year.  While some businesses thrived, especially those in the online delivery business, others such as airlines, cruise ships, tourism plus arts and entertainment suffered huge losses of revenue.  The Blue Frog Studios in White Rock that records music and holds concerts was basically shuttered for the past 15 months.  Just as they prepared to open up at 50 percent capacity, they received their property tax notice from the City of White Rock that had jumped nearly 50 percent, from $18,000 to $26,800, an increase of $8,800. 

 

The reasons for this massive tax hike are numerous but they all added up to a bitter pill that Kelly Breaks, the President of Blue Frog Studios, could not stand to swallow.  Most of the property tax hike came from the elimination of a school tax subsidy that was implemented in 2020 when COVID-19 shut down much of the economy.  The loss of this tax break for 2021 resulted in an increase in the school tax from $2,685 to $9,590, a whopping 357 percent increase.  Metro Vancouver, who can never seem to hold tax increases to the rate of inflation, increased its municipal tax 12 percent, sewer and water taxes an further 12 percent, while taxes for Translink and regional libraries increased 18 percent.  The studio's property value only increased by 4 percent but BC Assessment had changed the studio's classification from residential-business to business, further increasing the taxes owing.

Dan Hill on stage @ Blue Frog


Mr. Breaks had reached his breaking point with this huge increase in the studio's property tax bill and he decided to fight back.  He sent out a news release to various media outlets about the plight of not only Blue Frog but other businesses receiving increases in property tax that they could not afford due to the effects of the pandemic.  Well. it turns out that the squeaky wheel does get the grease because on Friday after receiving inquiries from multiple media outlets, the City of White Rock quickly let Mr. Breaks know that suddenly his tax bill was being reduced by $5,220, leaving him with a new tax bill of $21,580 that represents an increase of close to 20 percent over what Blue Frog paid in 2020.  Kelly is much happier with this new property tax bill and the speed at which it was reduced but believes the tax increases for his studio are only the tip of the iceberg for businesses across BC.

 

This fear is shared by the Surrey Board of Trade that has been swamped with calls from businesses in surrey complaining about large increases in property tax bills.  The SBT did a survey of their members property taxes and found that a majority of manufacturing business were reporting 20 percent increases, most construction companies' taxes were going up 30% and the bulk of real estate businesses tax bills increased by 35 percent.  SBT spokesperson Anita Huberman is on record as stating that "Businesses should pay their share of taxes but facing such significant increases in one year is simply unfair" and equating it to "Gut-punch taxation."  They are planning a grassroots letter writing campaign next moth that will target local, regional and provincial governments about how their tax increases are negatively affecting many businesses bottom lines. 


It may be that a tax revolt is what is needed to let all levels of government know that they cannot be constantly jacking up commercial property taxes with impunity.  The distribution of taxes between residential and commercial properties needs to reflect the consumption of services and not just the whim of politicians hungry for more funds.  It remains to be seen if this will mean the return of giving business owners a vote in BC municipal elections, something that happened until 1993 when this practice was scrapped by the NDP government.  Politicians are always wary of large increases to homeowner's property tax bills and they might be more concerned about businesses if they had the power to influence elections.  The battle cry for this change should be the slogan used before the American Revolution; "Taxation without representation is tyranny."


Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

 

June 21, 2021

Lookout for Steps, Stairs and Staircases


Last year on April 8, 2020, the City of Surrey closed the three staircases, Christopherson Steps at 24 Ave., 1001 Steps at 15A Ave., and 13 Ave. Lookout (Olympic Trail) at 13 Ave. and 131 St. that access the nude-friendly shores of Crescent Rock Beach.  This measure was reportedly taken at that time to minimize the risk of coronavirus (COVID-19) transmission on the narrow bluff staircases.  With the Coldicutt Trail in White Rock being damaged by landslides in Jan. 2020 and now closed permanently due to unstable terrain, this meant that the only access to the 6.5 km. of clothing-optional beach was by walking along the shoreline from either White Rock or Crescent Beach, or coming in by watercraft for the past 14 months


I have been in frequnt contact and dialogue with the City of Surrey Parks Dept. about their reopening plans.  Last week I received the good news from Neil Aven, Manager of Parks, that all three of these locked staircases would be open to the public again starting on Tuesday, June 15, 2021.  Sure enough, on Tuesday morning Surrey crews went through the neighbourhoods of Ocean Park and Crescent Park taking down the ridiculously large "Stairs Closed, No Access, Local Traffic Only" signs that included the one directly across from my driveway, which was a constant reminder of this issue.  Shortly after this was done the locks finally were taken down and the staircases were once again open to the public.  The word quickly got our and spread like wildfire and I received texts and emails from many people heading to the beach while I was stuck working.  

I have only been down the Christopherson Steps so far but it was obvious that Surrey had taken some time during the pandemic to make repairs to the staircase with many worn out treads and handrails recently being replaced.  The metal elevated walkway above the BNSF Railway corridor has really been taken over by the colourful clematis vine growing there that stretches 50 feet above the tracks.  It now looks to have been a victim of its own success with a large portion of it having recently fallen to the thick concrete platform at the bottom of the staircase.  I should note here that the repair and reconstruction of the concrete base of this staircase was done last year when the stairs were closed and featured in a TNT on June 23, 2020 titled "Steps to a Solid Foundation."

If you read last week's TNT "A Fox in the Dog House" then you are aware of the dangerous foxtail barley growing in and around the Blackie Spit Off-Leash Area.  I want to let people know this is not the only place where dogs can pick up spear grass heads.  It is growing along the west end of 24 Ave. at Christopherson Road, on the north side of the street adjacent to a new home under construction.  This includes the six metre no parking zone plus all around the stop sign at the end of 24 Ave.  Surrey crews mowed and trimmed the long grass at the entrance to the Christopherson Park leading to the stairs but unfortunately the foxtail barley was also in this area with the sharp dried seed heads laying all around this high traffic area.  If you are taking your dogs to the beach south of the staircase as is legally allowed, please avoid these two areas with this nasty noxious plant.

I thought I should mention here that the City of Surrey website is not up to speed with the recent changes to the locked staircases.   The Christopherson Steps and 1001 Steps staircases both still carry the following notice on a red banner, "The (staircase) is closed to all public use to minimize the risk of coronavirus (COVID-19) transmission.  The closure is in effect until further notice."  Where this gets rather interesting is the web listing for the "13 Ave. Lookout", a name I only heard of recently from Surrey City Hall.  I know it as the "Olympic Trail", with 131 Street formerly known as Olympic Street having a view of the Olympic peninsula across Boundary Bay in Washington State.  Other more colloquial names are "Pot Point" and "Stoner's Point" for the viewing and toking platform, but the 13th Ave. Lookout name was not listed on the Surrey.ca website with nothing being found on a Google search either.  Personally, I find the new label this staircase has apparently been given to be bland and boring.

This isn't the only thing you will not find listed on the City of Surrey website.  There is nothing I could locate letting people know that there is a legal clothing-optional beach in the Semiahmoo peninsula.  I find this rather bizarre since hundreds of people are currently using it on a daily basis and I have met people from as far away as Brazil and West Germany relaxing there.  Also, there is nothing on the web pages for the three staircases that access Crescent Rock Beach to alert people that they might encounter folks nude sunbathing and skinny-dipping on this secluded shoreline.  Don't be too surprised by this since the City of Vancouver's website is basically the same with no listings for clothing-optional use at Wreck Beach, listed by CNN as the 4th best nude beach in the world.  Both Surrey and Vancouver may spout the buzzwords about diversity, inclusion, acceptance and culture but when it comes to naturists and nudists, they can still sit at the back of the bus.  Thankfully you can no longer discriminate on the colour of a person's skin, but when it comes to the amount showing, feel free to ignore and disregard with impunity.

One more important thing I should mention here if you are going to use any of these three Surrey staircases, especially if you want to take in a sunset this summer.  There are signs at the top of the stairs warning "Don't Get Locked In, park gates are locked at the following times:  Feb 12 to Apr 15 - 8:00 pm, Apr 16 to Aug 26 - 10:00 pm, Aug 27 to Oct 15 - 8:00 pm and Oct 16 to Feb 11 - 6:00 pm."  Unfortunately, the Surrey.ca website lists the opening times for all the stairs accessing Crescent Rock Beach as "Dawn to Dusk."  Here we at solstice with dusk and 10:00 p.m. being relatively close but by August 26th, two months past the longest day of the year, it will be dark well before 9 o'clock.  This is a discrepancy that Surrey needs to address along with posting the name and number of the security company that can open the gates if you happen to get locked in.  That would be Securiguard in Guildford at 604-689-7588.

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

 

 

June 14, 2021

A Fox in the Dog House


Several years ago, the Richmond News broke a story about how foxtail barley (hordeum jubatum), aka foxtail grass or spear grass, was injuring pets after they encountered this plant at the Dyke Trail Dog Park.  Foxtail has seed awns with sharp barbed needles that help it to burrow into the ground along with the seeds and this innovative adaptation helps it to prosper and multiply.  Unfortunately, these awns can just as easily penetrate into a dog's skin, usually in the nose, ears, belly and paws where they can cause serious health issues.  This invasive weed was causing such a problem with people's pets that the Island Veterinary Hospital issued a warning to Richmond residents to keep an eye out for this grass that is conspicuous by its light feathery seed awns in early summer.  For a detailed look at the medical problems this can cause your dog, Google search "foxtail barley pet danger" or visit this Dogheirs link:  https://www.dogheirs.com/foxtail-grass-can-kill-your-dogs/

Earlier this month I noticed that foxtail grass had infested an area along Westwater Drive in Steveston, Richmond next to a walking path that everyone and his dog literally walks down.  I reported this to former PAN reporter Alan Campbell who now works at the Richmond News plus sent an email to the Richmond Parks Department about my findings.  You can read Alan's recent article on this plant versus pet problem at https://www.richmond-news.com/in-the-community/landscaper-warns-of-dangerous-spiky-grass-in-steveston-3852462   Richmond Parks Dept. quickly came to mow the offending weeds down but missed half of the grass that was waving in the breeze and also failed to collect any of the sharp seed heads.  On our next visit a week later, I cut down the remaining foxtail and carefully raked up all of the debris, filling two 6x8' tarps in the process.   Unfortunately, it will survive and grow new seed heads again next spring. 



Of course, after all of this I now have foxtail grass on my radar and am keeping an eye out for it in my travels.  I went to Blackie Spit this weekend sleuthing out another story (more on that in another TNT) and to check out a wildlife area that I must admit I am not really familiar since I'd much rather be relaxing at the beach.  Walking from the north-east tip of the park to the south-east corner I got some interesting photographs of Canada geese swimming through the pilings from an old dock along with reading signage from the City of Surrey pointing out that native cow parsnip is not giant hogweed.  Going back to my car I got to a place where several trails intersect by a very large mound in Blackie Spit park.  It was there that I noticed several clumps of foxtail grass with their dangerous seed heads waving in the wind.  A couple with a border collie was at the top of the hill and I went up to introduce myself and warn them about the spiky threat to their dog below.


From my vantage point I could see the Blackie Spit Off-Leash Area and knowing about the problems with the foxtail grass at the Dyke Trail Dog Park in Richmond, I decided to go check it out.  I really could not believe my eyes when I found foxtail grass growing all along the front fence separating the pathway from the dog park.  Heading to the entrance, I noticed the garbage can, which most people use for disposing of their poop bags, was circled with foxtail grass that was growing thick and long from the many dogs who had used it as a urinal.  Going into the double gated dog park entranceway I photographed foxtail grass on all four sides of this pinch point enclosure.  As if this was not bad enough, there were clumps of foxtail grass within the off-leash area that had obviously been trampled by running dogs.  Heading back to the parking lot in fading light, I noticed several other areas of Blackie Spit that had foxtail grass growing wild.

Obviously, I will be contacting the City of Surrey Parks Department first thing on Monday morning to report my findings and alert them to the contents of this TNT column.  With the risk to pets, I believe the Blackie Spit Off-Leash Area should be closed immediately until this barley plant and its needle-sharp seed awns can be safely removed.  Since foxtail barley is currently in seed, I think the best way to do this this would be to hoe or dig the grass out and collect all of the plant material from in and around the dog park for disposal.  For other areas of Blackie Spit the seed heads could be carefully cut off and the plants either dug out or fenced off and treated with herbicide.  Surrey still uses herbicides to control invasive or noxious plants such as Japanese knotweed and knapweed, marking these areas with signs.   Once the foxtail barley has been eradicated these spots could later be seeded with pasture grass or wildflower mix. 


City of Surrey crews need to be educated about this problem and be on the lookout for foxtail grass, especially when it is easy to spot with its light green feathery seed heads visible this time of year.  There are 14 off-leash dog parks in Surrey and all of these need to be checked to see if they are infested with foxtail grass like at Blackie Spit.  Parks Department grass cutting crews need to be educated not to mow this invasive plant down which helps to disperse its seeds to other parks.  I would suspect that the Serpentine Fen, with its long trails beside grassy meadows is another dog-friendly area that should be inspected for the aptly named spear grass.  The same can likely be said for the popular Mud Bay Trail that runs from Surrey into Delta along the shores of Mud Bay.  

If you are a dog owner who frequents Surrey parks with your four-legged friend, please familiarize yourself with foxtail barley's characteristics and report it with an exact location to any of the following contacts:  

Office phone, 8:30 am - 4:30 pm:  604-501-5050


Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

 

 

June 7, 2021


Let's Talk Turkey


As someone who spends much of their time outdoors, I tend to find all sorts of interesting natural phenomenon simply by keeping my eyes open.  Case in point, last week I was visiting a friend of mine in south Surrey when I noticed a bizarre looking ring nestled in tall grass under some trees.  A closure inspection revealed what I instantly identified as turkey tail mushrooms (Trametes versicolor), likely growing on top of an old tree stump or a rotting root.  These were rather striking with the small cluster of overlapping fans featuring light cream edges with alternating rings of tan, brown and vivid shades of green that actually are algae.  My buddy was surprised to see such an interesting fungus growing in his yard and was even more impressed that I actually knew what it was.  I took a few photographs including the one posted with this TNT that I submitted for the coveted WR Sun front page photo.


I have often come across turkey tail mushrooms quite often as this common variety can be found consuming rotting wood in countries around the world.  Where I usually find it is growing on dead standing or fallen hardwoods but it can appear on the forest floor attached to any kind of decaying wood.  After taking my colourful photo of this fungi I went home to learn more about this mushroom, referencing my copy of The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Mushrooms.  In case you are not familiar with these books, they are a great field guide to everything from spiders to insects, birds to mammals and trees to weather with 20 topics about the natural world in print.   While I may bring home chicken mushrooms, morels or chanterelles when in season, it was not surprising to learn that while not poisonous these tough as nail turkey tails are not a choice edible mushroom.


What is rather interesting about this beautiful polypore fungus is that it has been used in eastern medicine in many Asian countries including China and Japan.  It is consumed as a tea for cleansing and detoxifying effects, to boost the immune system and to promote general health and longevity.  Researchers have identified more than 40 different naturally occurring antioxidants in turkey tail fungus including baicalein found in thyme and used in hematological cancer treatments, flavonoids like in kale and strawberries believed to be heart healthy, phenols that promote anti-inflammatory response and quercetin found in green tea and red wine consumed widely as a supplement.  Taking note of the use of turkey tail in fighting disease across Asia, the Food and Drug Administration in the USA has funded research into its use for lessening the effects of cancer treatment like chemotherapy and to help control prostate cancer in men and breast cancer in women.


There is a wide array of health claims posted on the internet about the benefits of turkey tail mushrooms, which I believe must be taken with a grain of salt.  That being said, there are thousands of turkey tail products available for sale including a wide variety of teas, powders, extracts, capsules, tinctures, gummies and even grow-your-own terrarium kits.  I'm hoping there is some truth to the health benefits associated with this very common fungus but for me, I simply enjoy finding them in the natural environment and checking out their concentric rings and vivid colours.  I have seen much larger colonies of turkey tails in the past but the one at my buddy's place in south Surrey only a block from North Bluff Rd./16 Ave. and Johnson Rd./152 St. was the first one I've ever taken a picture of.  I guess I could have collected it and chopped it up to make tea but it still remains growing slowly on the Semi-pen stump where I found it.


Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

 

 

May 31, 2021

One Way Ahead

 


Many jurisdictions across the Lower Mainland have taken steps to help restaurants expand their outside patio space to increase the number of tables available for diners with social distancing measures in effect.  Tents have been sprouting like mushrooms in parking lots, public walkways have been set aside for tables and parking areas have become patios in order to expand seating while indoor dining is restricted.  White Rock is about to take a page out of the Star Trek handbook and "boldly go where no man has gone before" by closing down one lane of their waterfront main drag, making it a one lane, one way street, so that local restaurants can dramatically increase their patio space.

Under this plan posted on the whiterockcity.ca website, the formerly two-way traffic on Marine Drive will be one way from Vidal Street on the west side of White Rock to Maple Street on the east side.  There will be one lane of traffic heading eastbound from Vidal St. to the Little India Restaurant near the pier.  Across the Hump hillside traffic will be two lanes including north side parking but only in the eastbound direction.   Heading into East Beach, Marine Dr. will once again merge into one lane at Balsam St. near Moby Dicks Fish & Chips and stay one lane eastbound until past each beach at the start of the Semiahmoo First Nation land with traffic returning to two-way at Maple Street.  You can see proposed traffic change maps on the whiterockcity.ca website at this link:  https://www.whiterockcity.ca/DocumentCenter/View/6266/On-Table-Item-62a---Marine-Drive-West-Bound-Lane-Closure

So, you're probably wondering how does traffic get from the east end of Marine Drive back to the west end for those cruising the strip or looking for a prime parking spot?  Simply go north on Maple Street then turn left onto either Victoria Ave. or Columbia Ave. heading westbound.  At Johnston Rd. Columbia veers south and joins up with Victoria at Foster St. and a block from there you turn left on to Vidal, rejoining traffic heading east on Marine Drive including that funneling down Oxford Hill or from Marine Drive heading east.  It is estimated that both Victoria and Columbia will see increased traffic volume of more than 250 cars per hour during peak times (read sunny weekends).  For anyone who has witnessed the Marine Drive traffic jam when it is two lanes, just try to imagine what it will be like when it becomes one way and single lane.

It was the White Rock BIA that brought forth this plan to assist the restaurants along Marine Drive with extra patio seating utilizing the westbound lane of Marine Drive until Covid-19 restrictions ease.   City Council made the decision at a May 10 Council meeting voting 6-1 to “direct staff to close the north lane of Marine Drive until September 2021."   The rental of the orange plastic water-filled barricades needed for this plan will cost an initial $50,000 to install and a further $40,000 a month for the three months they are needed.  Traffic control personnel will be needed for this temporary change, estimated to cost $1,000 a day or more while the one-way Marine Drive diversion is in effect.  Of course, much of the existing road signage will need to be changed or modified plus new signage created and posted with no word on these costs.

This plan carries some additional problems that have yet to be addressed.  First off, it has not been announced what they will do about Translink bus service across the waterfront and how public transit will operate with the proposed one-way zone.  How will city staff empty garbage cans, water hanging baskets and perform other work with nowhere to park and only one lane of traffic allowed?   While this concept is being driven by the need to help the restaurants along Marine Drive, they receive deliveries in the morning with large 5-tonne trucks blocking the westbound lane, which of course will now be occupied by patio space.  Most concerning is how this change will affect the response time for emergency services during what is likely to be gridlock during summer weekends, a public safety question that has yet to be answered.

I know from talking to various White Rock employees that many of them believe the one-way Marine Drive concept will be a fiasco, with words like "SNAFU" and "trucked-up" (or something like that) being commonly used.  Social media comments and online polls point to an overwhelming disapproval of this plan, especially from residents in White Rock.  I understand that members of Council are being inundated with emails and calls from people concerned about the direction that City Hall is taking on this issue.  I should note here that Councillor Dave Chesney who is also the editor of the WR Sun was the one lone dissenting vote when this motion was passed.  This matter will come before Council soon to pass a budget for this project and if costs balloon, maybe it will give those who originally voted for this scheme time for some serious reflection as to whether it's a good idea or not.


Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

 

 

 May 24, 2021

The Dirty Dozen Revisited


A few years back I had a plethora of story ideas I had accumulated from around the Semiahmoo peninsula, twelve to be exact.  Since none of them really jumped off the page at me I decided to hit the reset button and dump them all at once, penning the original "The Dirty Dozen" that was twelve short paragraphs on the various topics I had compiled.  With a cover picture featuring a dozen white and brown speckled quail's eggs, it made for one of the more unique The Naked Truths I have written over the past decade writing for the White Rock Sun.  This TNT does not feature twelve different topics, only one, but there are exactly one dozen similar items that will be the focus of this TNT.

Along the length of Crescent Road from King George Blvd. to Crescent Beach are a dozen old fashioned park benches featuring heavy concrete bases with green painted 2x4s bolted onto them.  You can find them at most of the bus stops with the majority of these benches positioned on the south side of the street and only a few on the north side.  They all sport a plaque with the old Surrey municipal logo featuring 5 stars for the town centres, a beaver and the peach arch plus the saying "Designated Heritage Site, City of Surrey."  I'm quite familiar with them as there is one in front of a friend's property not far from Crescent Beach that I see every time I stop in for a visit.  To be quite honest, other than reading the plaque and wondering how a street bench became a heritage site, I had never given them a second thought.

That changed last week when I headed off to work down Crescent Road as I often do.  There were several people standing next to the bench by Crescent Park and 128 Street and I realized that I had never seen anyone ever sitting at any of these benches.  Driving by I noticed that one of the concrete supports was leaning at a crazy angle and I wondered if the reason this one was never used was because it was unsafe.  As I headed towards King George, I quickly scanned the rest of the south side benches to check out their condition.  Even while driving it was plainly obvious that these benches had fallen into a serious state of disrepair.  Coming home that evening after a hard day's work I looked at the ones at the north side and was equally appalled by what I saw.

It wasn't until the weekend when I took the time to visit all of these street benches, check out their condition and take pictures that I realized these "Designated Heritage Sites" had been long forgotten by the City of Surrey.  Some of the concrete bases were not sitting level with one looking like it has been damaged some years ago.  The heritage plaques were either faded (on the north side) or covered in algae (on the south side) plus the bolts that held them in place were rusted.  Many of the 2x4 board (there are 7 on each bench) were rotten or broken on the lower portion that you actually sit on.  The once bright green paint was peeling from most of the boards or they were covered in thick green algae that you could see visible slug and snail trails on.  Besides having ivy and blackberries growing through them, the bench in front of the Elgin Heritage Park had thick grass growing up through the seat that was as tall as the back of the bench!

The 4.5 kilometre length of Crescent Road was constructed back in 1882 linking the original Peach Arch Highway and Semiahmoo Trail wagon road to the emerging community at Crescent Beach, more than two decades before the Great Northern Railway line was opened.  Crescent Road's heritage value was formally recognized in 1983 on the City of Surrey Heritage Register #7716 and placed on the Canada's Historic Places registry in 2005.  It is likely that the heritage benches were installed in the mid 1980's, which would explain their current dilapidated state after more than 35 years of being outside.  The original Heritage Marker sign for Crescent Road that was a yellowish orange was replaced several years back with the new white and black version.  For more information on Crescent Road and its heritage value visit this link on the historicplaces.ca website: https://www.historicplaces.ca/en/rep-reg/place-lieu.aspx?id=2591


Currently these dozen benches are un-usable and possibly dangerous.  If you were to sit on any of them, you would get covered in green algae slime and flakes of paint and primer.  Worse yet, you might break one of the remaining rotten boards or possibly get a big splinter in your butt.  The only bench that is in reasonable condition is the one closest to Crescent Beach by Tulloch Road that has signs of a previous repair but it is greener than my lawn (and that's green).   The City of Surrey needs to address this issue immediately and I will ensure the proper department receives the 12 damning photos I took.  It is possible these could be rebuilt using green composite 2x4s (see lumberrock.com) that are extremely durable and easy to clean.  Another option is to simply replace them with new bus stop ad benches.  Of course, the vegetation around them still needs to be trimmed down on a regular basis since nobody wants to sit down on a blackberry.

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

 

May 17, 2021

An Illuminating Perspective

 

 

So many nights I'd sit by my window
Waiting for someone to sing me his song
So many dreams I kept deep inside me
Alone in the dark, but now you've come along

And you light up my life

Lyrics to "You Light Up My Life", written by Kasey Cisyk for the song track album to the 1977 film of the same title.

Made famous as a cover song by Debby Boone, daughter of Pat Boone, becoming a No. 1 song for ten weeks, also in 1977.


I'm not sure where the trend first started but it seems that more and more new homes are being built with a stunning array of outdoor lighting.  This usually includes recessed soffit lighting often installed around the entire outside of the building, plenty of driveway lights, lights built into stairways and landscaping lighting.  There are now large homes throughout Surrey that are lit up at night like it was the middle of the day.  Making this obnoxious trend even more disturbing is the fact that these nocturnal light shows are usually tied to a light sensor so they remain on all night long.  When the McMansion was built next to our house, we lost all of our privacy in the back yard but fortunately they didn't ring their house with soffit lighting so our place fortunately still remains dark at night.

 

Light pollution from neighbours can become a serious problem, especially when one neighbour's lights illuminate their next-door property.  Case in point, a friend of mine had a hot tub in their back yard that they used without swimsuits under the cover of darkness.   This was not a problem for anyone until the neighbours placed a motion activated light on the side of their house to light up their walkway, equipped with a 100-watt halogen bulb.  The light shone over the fence and left the naked folks in the hot tub as exposed as a deer in the headlights.   Needless to say, they were not pleased with their loss of privacy and talking to the neighbours about this problem went nowhere.  My buddy eventually resorted to unscrewing the light bulb, which would be screwed back in again by the next night.  This led to the bulb mysteriously disappearing several times, culminating with the light sensor being broken by forces unknown.  


Darkness is a natural part of our ecosystem and light pollution can cause many problems far beyond never getting to see the Milky Way galaxy if living anywhere near an urban centre.  Light pollution poses a threat to nocturnal wildlife, confuses the migratory flights of birds and alters predator-prey relationships.   Humans also suffer adverse health effects with nighttime light affecting the circadian rhythm during sleep that reduces melatonin production, leading to sleep disorders, stress, fatigue and anxiety.  It has been estimated that lighting is responsible for at least one-quarter of the electricity used world-wide, wasting money and adding to our carbon footprint.  It is easy to reduce light pollution by shielding bulbs, only using lights when needed, using energy efficient bulbs and ensuring the colour of light and lumen output is not excessive for the job that is required.

 


The City of Surrey has been working to upgrade their street lights from yellow coloured high-pressure sodium (HPS) bulbs to the newer light emitting diode (LED) bulbs.   Because of the longevity and durability of the LED lights there is expected to be big savings in maintenance and the replacing of dangerous sodium bulbs.  Once the conversion is complete it is expected the switch to LEDs will save the city $1 million in annual costs and reduce energy consumption for road lighting by approximately 30 percent.  The focus on this program is to first upgrade areas with traffic signals and pedestrian crosswalks in order to reduce accidents.   To date almost half of the 38,800 city owned lights have been changed over to LED, including 16 percent of the lights in south Surrey.  You can check out their progress and compare the Semi-pen to other centres in Surrey (City Centre at 91%) at this rather enlightening website:  https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/1a32d6db6d724dc19b60ba1b49982914

 


So here is where the street light changing program hits close to home for me.  While I live in yellow glow HPS neighbourhood that has not yet been converted to LED, my next-door neighbour's light was recently changed over after it burned out.  You cannot help but notice it for the dazzling bright light illuminates the roadway and front yards for 75 metres, showing colours that are not visible with HPS.  The problem I have with this new street light is that it is extremely bright and glaring, to the point that you cannot look directly at it.  (NOTE:  I had to take an overnight break from writing this TNT as the power went out while I was writing about street lights!)  Walking down the street I found myself squinting and wishing I had worn my ballcap with its trusty brim, either that or having brought along my sunglasses.  Sorry to say but I think the city could have saved more money on both the LED fixtures and power consumption by using lights that were a little less glaring.  The overall effect looks to be that they have turned night into day on the mean streets of Surrey.


In a TNT first, I leave you with a second set of musical lyrics that I think are rather fitting, this time courtesy of Canadian rocker Corey Hart with his song "I Wear My Sunglasses at Night" from the 1983 album First Offense.


And I wear my sunglasses at night

So I can, so I can

See the light that's right before my eyes

Oh no
I say
I wear my sunglasses at night
I wear my sunglasses at night
I wear my sunglasses at night

 

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

 

 

May 10, 2021

Passing Over the Overpass Protesters


" I asked my doctor today how long he thinks this COVID-19 thing will last.  He responded with "How the hell should I know?  I'm a doctor, not a politician."

I was heading to Art Knapps Gaden Centre on Sunday not thinking about it being Mother's Day and that everyone would be at this gardening superstore with huge lineups all day long.  Fortunately, the drive was not a rcomplete waste of time for as I went across the King George Blvd. overpass above Hwy. 99, there were protestors holding signs, waving Canadian flags and with large banners attached to the overpass railings.  This was happening directly across the street from the formerly empty Park & Ride lot that has been turned into a COVID-19 testing and immunization centre.  I must admit that I love a good protest and have done several over the years on highway overpasses and even at the same Park & Ride lot where I protested against the HST with a 50 foot-tall "NO" that was used on Global TV for almost a year.

The three people who were on the overpass sidewalk identified themselves as "freedom fighters" who were standing up to the government's COVID-19 policies enacted during the global pandemic.  While not affiliated with a particular group, they told me to visit the Action4 Canada.com website whose homepage says it is "A grassroots movement reaching out to millions of Canadians and UNITING our voices in opposition to the destructive policies tearing at the fabric of this nation. Through Call To ACTION campaigns, we equip citizens to take action. We are committed to protecting…FAITH, FAMILY and FREEDOM."  I was also told they were followers of No New Normal (nonewnormalbc.com) website and facebook page.  This is where you can find the following passage: " Fear is the virus, Covid news is a lie, the pandemic is a scam.  We won't consent to the globalist agenda who is influencing the government and our medical officers.  Say no to mask, testing, contract tracing and vaccination. Turn off your TV and boycott mainstream media.  Be a critical thinker and do independent research."

Here is an assortment of the various signs and banners that were being displayed on the KGB overpass on Sunday.

"Leave our kids alone!, Covid fraud, Reject modernity, Depopulation 2030,  Try and see through the lies, Stop masking Trudeau Corruption, No experimental injection, and Covid is the Trojan horse."  I think you can likely understand where they stand on the Covid plandemic..., I mean pandemic, with no plans of joining the millions who have already taken their first vaccination of the Pfizer, Moderna or AstraZeneca shots.  Their signs were sending the same message as the placards we have seen at the Vancouver Art Gallery over the last year including "Hugs over masks, Facts over fear, We are all essential, Do you know anyone with Covid? and Hands off our guns", which I don't believe has anything to do with actually spreading the Coronavirus unless through surface contamination. 

What was really interesting about this protest was the reaction of the those passing by both on King George and below on Hwy. 99.  There was a literal symphony of car horns with about a 50/50 split of whether you would get a thumbs up or a Trudeau salute from drivers and passengers.  Some people would shout out their support and others would curse those standing on the sidewalk.  One woman stopped to admonish those on the raised sidewalk to the danger they were in until I pointed out that she was the one stopped in the roadway only feet away from passing cars.  While chatting to those involved, a pickup truck did an abrupt lane change, swerving towards the protestors and then tossing a liquid from their side window as they passed by, likely oblivious that their childish prank actually counts as assault.  Fortunately, it was just water and not battery acid, or as one of the men joked, "a bottle of urine."

Regardless of how you feel about these protestor's message, either completely misguided or righteously informed, you have to give them credit for standing up for what they believe and voicing their freedom of speech.  Standing on the edge of the road between two busy highways takes a lot of nerve and conviction, not to mention the cost to produce all of the banners and signs on display.  Don't expect this protest to go away anytime soon as the so-called "Surrey folks defending freedoms" are committed to being out every weekend at the 160 St. overpass above the #1 Trans-Canada Hwy. in north Surrey on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and at the King George Blvd. overpass above Hwy. 99 in south Surrey every Sunday from noon till 2 a.m.  Something tells me the longer this "COVID-BS" drags on the more people we are going to see waving flags and placards opposing government efforts to stamp out both the infection and opposition to all of the imposed restrictions.

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

 

May 03, 2021

Things That Bug Me (Part 3)-

Mason Bees

 


To be perfectly honest, mason bees don't bug me but sometimes when they're in my face I still wish they would buzz off.  My first encounter with this native North American bee that is a prolific pollinator was years ago at the front door of my house in Brookswood, Langley.  I had red brick at the front entrance and the mason who installed them decided that it would be interesting to top the doorway with bricks that had their drying holes facing outwards.  In the spring after I moved in, I noticed these large black flies all hovering around the entrance going in and out of the holes in the bricks.  I quickly realized that they were not flies at all but a small black bee that was busy filling up the holes with muddy plugs.  A little research introduced me to the interesting world of the mason bee that continued to colonize my front door bricks for years.

 


If you are not familiar with mason bees (Osmia Megachilidae), the first thing you need to know is that they do not make honey.  There are over 150 types of mason bees in North America and most of these are native species.  They are avid pollinators and less than 300 adult females can pollenate an entire acre of plants, bushes and trees more efficiently than honey bees.  Mason bees are solitary insects with females making their own nest and not producing workers as in a honey bee hive.  Eggs are laid on pollen rich masses in small cracks or dark voids that are separated with mud into chambers until they are full with female eggs laid at the back and male eggs at the front.  In the spring mason bees emerge from cocoons from their winter hibernation with males waiting at the nesting site for females to emerge.  After mating the males all die and the females begin building nests for the next generation, living 4-6 weeks.  



I went to visit David Hutchinson, a well-known medical marijuana advocate from south Surrey, who was looking for advice with his landscaping.  Near the front door of his house in Ocean Park was a box that I knew was a commercially produced mason bee nesting box.  To say it was a beehive of activity would be an understatement and a lively pun at the same time.  There were smarms of black female mason bees coming and going, working on filling up the many tubes in the box.  I should note that the males do not have a stinger and the females rarely sting and if they do it's like a mosquito bite.  Forgetting that I was there to talk about gardening, our conversation revolved around his bees and the necessary steps you need to take to have them every year.  Much to my surprise David gave me an older mason bee box that he was no longer using plus some of the larvae that he had overwintered in paper coin tubes placed in his fridge.  Eventually we got to talking about his garden but not before I had suddenly become an amateur apiarist yet again.

 


Arriving at home my first task was to inform my honey that I was now raising bees that did not produce any honey.  I found a sunny spot on our deck to place the nesting box and put the sleeves of mason bee cocoons in the fridge as I had been instructed.  David told me to wait a week or two for warmer weather then to put the packages of adults outside where they would hatch.  Well, the bees had different ideas and within a few days we noticed a black bee inside our kitchen and found another one crawling inside of our fridge!  Needless to say, all of the bees went outside immediately and by the very next day we already had bees going into the nesting tubes.  Once you get used to them buzzing right by your face, these busy little mason bees are quite entertaining and we already have over 10 nesting tubes filled with eggs.  As a bonus, our fruit trees plus raspberry and blueberry bushes should be very well pollenated this year, hopefully producing a bumper crop for us.

 


You can purchase mason bee boxes, also called bee hotels, at the local Art Knapps nursery or at Wild Birds Unlimited.  These stores also stock and sell mason bee cocoons in the early spring that you can buy to ensure you hotel gets occupied.  It is also easy to make a DIY mason bee box simply by drilling holes into a thick non-pressure treated piece of wood and ensuring that it is covered and out of the rain.  You will find plenty of ideas on the web plus lots of information about how to care for the many types of mason bees that live in Canada.  What I like about the box I got from Mr. Hutchinson is that the block of tubes can be easily taken apart for access the cocoons and for yearly cleaning and light sanding.  The easiest mason bee house has to be small sections of bamboo stalks 5 inches long closed at the back end, dried out and tied together with rubber bands.  Unfortunately, these bamboo tubes cannot be reused but if you have a bamboo grove with thin stalks, then you have an inexhaustible supply of nesting tubes. 


For more information about mason bees and their care, check out this article from the David Suzuki Foundation:

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

 

 

The Naked Truth - April 25, 2021

 

Things That Bug Me (Part 2) - Asian Giant Hornet



Spring is in the air and it is time for the overwintering Asian Giant Hornet queens to emerge from their winter slumber and take up new nesting sites for this year.  In case you know them only as so-called "Murder Hornets" you need to realize that this name was first coined by New York Times reporter Mike Baker back in November of 2020 in a rather sensationalized article from the east coast written about these introduced pests here in the Pacific Northwest.   I wrote a TNT on May 11 last year titled "Stop The Asian Invasion" where if you scroll down you can read details about their background facts including a memo released by the BC Ministry of Agriculture how sightings can be reported to the invasive Species Council of BC at 1-888-933-3722, via the council's "Report Invasives" mobile phone app, or online: https://bcinvasives.ca/report

 

At the end of last year, I was visiting with Pixie Hobby, an environmentalist lawyer from whose name you might recognize from previously running here in the Semi-pen for both the BC Green Party and federal NDP.   I popped in to her place in Crescent Beach to return some election signs and noticing her ripped up front lawn gave her a crash course about Chafer beetles, how to fix the damage and the steps needed to keep it from happening in the future (the same info as last week's TNT, Things That Bug Me (Part1) - Chafer Beetle).  What I found interesting was the two honey bee hives that Pixie was overwintering on the front patio of her house.   She informed me that the honeybee boxes are usually found at the Dunsmuir Community Garden in Crescent Beach to help with pollination and are kept at her house for safe-keeping and supervision during the winter months.  

 



I had a girlfriend years ago who was an avid entomologist that also kept honey bees so the subject was not new to me.  I had helped her keep her bees at the Richmond Nature Park, assisted with honey extraction and helped move and care for them during the winter months by feeding the hive with sugar water.  In all of the times when we had been working the bees, neither of us wore protective gear and I had never been stung.  The two times I have been surrounded by swarms of wild honey bees again I was never stung.  While I have been mauled many times by yellow-jacket wasps and bald-faced hornets after getting involved with their nests, the three times I'd been stung by bees was while accidentally crushing them into flowers as I walked by.  You can always tell it was a honey bee and not a wasp as their stinger rips out of their bodies and continues to inject venom after the bee flies off to die. 

What was of great interest to me at Pixie's place was the homemade "Giant Asian Hornet Trap" she had hanging from a tree only metres from the bee hives.  She informed me that the trap was usually at Dunsmuir Gardens and that community garden members were actively looking for these invasive hornets that can kill up to 30,000 honey bee workers in only an hour before entering the hive to steal the larvae.  Her trap consisted of a 2-litre pop bottle with 2 cm. openings cut into a sideways H pattern on three sides of the bottle near the top.  The bottom of the 2 cm. H is folded out with the top pushed in, allowing hornets to enter but not easily leave.  The trap is baited with 4 ounces of no-pulp orange juice (a lunch box size serving) plus a further 4 oz of rice wine (10-25% alcohol by volume).  An easier recipe is a cup of brown sugar mixed with a cup of warm water.   You can see an instructional video by the Washington State Department of Agriculture on Facebook about how to make and properly use one of these traps at https://www.facebook.com/WAStateDeptAg/videos/1172098296470382/



Officials in B.C. and Washington state are teaming up this year to battle this common enemy with plenty of traps, both installed and monitored by government employees and those built and installed by individuals looking to do their part in eliminating this threat.  The queens are likely to already have emerged from winter hibernation and begun looking for nesting sites for this year.  Catching queens in traps will ensure they do not get to make new colonies, while catching workers will let government officials know where Asian Giant Hornets are active so that their nests can be located and destroyed as happened several years ago in Nanaimo and in Blaine.  If this pest cannot be eradicated it poses a threat to our agriculture businesses by possibly killing bee hives that work to pollenate our fruits and vegetables, leading to reduced crops and decreased yields. Keep in mind that my sister squashed on of these queens in her Langley yard last March near 56 Ave. and 248 St. in Strawberry Heights showing that they can be found many miles north of the US/Canada border.


Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

 

 

 

 

The Naked Truth - April 19, 2021

 


Things That Bug Me Part 1- Chafer beetle



Spring is in the air and by that, I mean the sound of lawn mowers being brought out of hibernation and grass being given its first cut of the year.  Unfortunately for some folks living in the Semi-pen, the winter has been cruel and they now don't have lawns to mow.  The main culprit is the European chafer beetle (Rhizotrogus majalis) that is an introduced species first discovered in the Lower Mainland back in 2001 in New Westminster.  Since that time they have spread and now can be found throughout the Lower Mainland including South Surrey and White Rock.  The larvae of these brown beetles are white grubs 1-2 cm. in length with brown heads that damage lawns by eating away at the roots of the turf, leaving brown or dead patches in lawns.  



The chafer grubs may damage grass but at least they don't rototill it down to bare earth.  These larvae are an irresistible high-protein snack that many of our native animals find irresistible.All of our nocturnal animals feed on chafer beetle grubs but it is the racoon with its size, strength and sharp claws that can tear apart and quickly roll back the turf while having a feast.   Opossums and skunks also have the keen sense of smell needed to locate chafer beetle larvae and they too can quickly dig multiple holes in a lawn in their search for these tasty morsels.  During the day crows descend on these damaged lawns and continue to rip them into smaller pieces by pulling on old synthetic turf netting that remains buried just under the ground.  



If your lawn has been torn to shreds, there are a variety of ways to combat this problem in the future.  The easiest method is to simply rake up the destroyed turf and reseed with a mixture of tall fescue and micro clover that are grub resistant and help hold the lawn together.  Usually, nutrient poor well-drained soil is part of the problem allowing chafer beetle grubs to overwhelm a lawn, so laying down a thick layer of organic topsoil before seeding is a definite improvement.  Should you really want to stop all creatures great and small from feasting on your lawn, landscapers can cut out the old grass, excavate the sub-soil, install new topsoil and re-turf.  If you are going through with this expense, an underground irrigation system is also a good idea.  Lastly, having artificial lawns installed or getting rid of lawns all together is always an option.

 


The easiest way to avoid chafer beetle damage is to keep your lawn healthy in the first place.  This means applying dolomite lime in the fall and overseeding bare spots in the spring once it is warm enough for the seed to germinate.  Aerating to relieve compaction, help control moss and provide air to lawn roots can be beneficial.  A comprehensive fertilizer program designed to help keep grass thick and lush will keep adult chafer beetles out and grow roots faster than the grubs can eat them.  Mowing at 6-8 cm. or 2.5 to 3 inches in height will make for a healthier lawn as will mulching your lawn and allowing the cuttings to build up the organic matter in the lawn instead of filling up your green bin.  Most importantly, in the summer when it is hot, do not mow your lawn, especially when it is sunny as this will put it into drought stress.  Water your lawn deeply when allowed to under Met-Van sprinkling regulations to keep grass green and healthy.



There are no pesticide sprays that can be used under municipal bylaws to help kill chafer beetles and do you really want to poison your lawn?  There are a few more natural ways to help control chafer grubs that are not toxic to pets, animals or the environment.  Beneficial nematodes, small parasitic worms that enter beetle larvae, can be purchased from local garden stores in the late spring and put onto the lawn in July once chafer beetle eggs have hatched.  These have to be watered in and kept moist and you can apply at City Hall for an exemption to sprinkling restrictions during this time.  Another natural alternative is Scots Grub-B-Gone MAX with the pet safe and naturally occurring bacteria Bacillus Thuringiensis (Bt) that infects the gut of underground larvae.   It can be used in spring to control over-wintering grubs, in July or August to control newly hatched grub larvae or in the fall to control new grubs hatched from eggs laid in the summer.  



Having a nice lawn is not rocket appliance, or something like that.  You simply have to follow the suggestions listed above, especially if you have had chafer beetle damage or racoon rototilling.   A healthy lawn does not take a lot of time for upkeep and with mulching instead of bagging, there is much less work involved.  The big trick is finding the right medium of watering and fertilizing where the lawn is thick and green without growing so fast that cutting it becomes a real chore.  These days with Covid-19 stay at home health orders and concerns about food quality and availability, many people are getting rid of their lawns and putting in vegetable gardens instead.  Not only do you get a bountiful harvest that you grew yourself, you don't have to worry about those damn chafer beetles.



Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

 

 

Monday April 12, 20231

Surrey Real Estate Board



I really could hardly believe my eyes when a friend sent me a picture last week of a new board game that a buddy of his had found at a Surrey Wal-Mart.  There in the toy section among the hundreds of different board games was one that stood out above the rest.  We are all familiar with Monopoly, a game first created in 1933 by Charles Darrow based on Atlantic City, New Jersey.  Well folks living in Surrey, B.C.'s second largest city, can now play their own version of Monopoly titled Surreyopoly created under license by Onset Media Games in Victoria (https://www.outsetmedia.com/).



This new board game released April 5th is totally Surrey.  The name even features a beaver in the middle (Surrey's old mascot) along with the slogan "A fun game celebrating BC's City of Parks!" and the Canadian maple leaf flag.  The GO corner space where you collect $200 for passing reads "Go Surrey!" along with a smiling arrow.  While the regular monopoly game's cheapest properties are the initial Mediterranean and Baltic Avenue in brown, in Surreyopoly they feature the 1001 Steps (in Ocean Park) and Crescent Beach, costing $70 and $80 respectively.  If only properties in this real neighbourhoods close to the waterfront in south Surrey were so cheap.  Further along the light blue Oriental, Vermont and Connecticut Avenues have been replaced by the Guildford Golf & Country Club, Morgan Creek Golf Course and the Northview Gold & Country Club.  At the corner where the Monopoly's jail is situated, the Surrey version has a Traffic Jam with a Detour taking the place of the Just Visiting.  



Three Skytrain stations, Gateway, Surrey Central and King George take the place of the purple St. Charles Place, States and Virginia Avenues.  Three of Surrey's parks, Surrey Bend, Darts Hill Garden and Bear Creek take the place of the orange St. James Place, Tennessee and New York Avenues.  The Free Parking corner that is used to acquire penalty money paid to the centre of the board instead features an "I Love Surrey!" with a big read heart.  Rounding the corner halfway through the board, the red Kentucky, Indiana and Illinois Avenue squares instead feature the Surrey's International Children's Festival, Surrey Vaisakhi Parade and the Cloverdale Rodeo & Country Fair.  The regular yellow squares for Atlantic and Ventnor Avenues plus Marvin Gardens have been replaced by the Historic Stewart Farm, Barnston Island Ferry and the Museum of Surrey.  



The corner square heading into the final stretch features "Exit to Traffic Jam" instead of the "Go to Jail", which I think would have been much funnier if it was the Surrey Pre-trial jail.  The hoity-toity green squares of the high rent Pacific, North Carolina and Pennsylvania Avenues are instead the Centre Stage at Surrey City Hall, the Bell Performing Arts Centre and the Surrey Art Gallery.  Last but not least the royal blue of Park Place and Boardwalk (my favourites) are the South Surrey Arena and Downtown Surrey in the Surreyopoly game.  The four railroads that occupy the centre position on each side of the board are now highways featuring 176 Street, South Fraser Perimeter Road, Fraser Highway and King George Boulevard.  Lastly the utility companies Water Works and Electric Company are instead the Peace Arch Border Crossing and Surrey Memorial Hospital.  


Where this new game gets really interesting is the Contingency and Big Fun cards that have replaced Community Chest and Chance.  Contingency features "Placing first at the Cloverdale Rodeo & Country Fair" with a prize of $100, "Walking your dog in Bear Creek Park" and "Performing at the Bell Centre."  The "You've been elected Mayor, pay $20 to each person who voted for you" card was funny while my favourite was "You ate too much lobster pot pie from Seahorse Grill! - Lose 1 turn to recover" about the local seafood restaurant in Crescent Beach.  The Big Fun cards contain a CRA Audit, Play The Lottery plus a Surrey Vaisakhi Parade card along with "You are crowned MISS SURREY, collect $100."  For the record I was elected Mayor while my wife was crowned Miss Surrey, costing me 20 bucks with my queen bee pocketed a hunny.

It is not only the City of Surrey that now has its own Monopoly styled board game created by Late For the Sky in Ohio that prints custom Monopoly versions.   Marketed by Onset Media and sold in Canadian Wal-Marts, versions for Burnaby, Chilliwack, Langley, Maple Ridge, Penticton, Port Coquitlam, Prince George and Richmond were released last week with 720 copies in each of these municipalities.  There is also Vancouveropoly, Saskatoonopoly, Whitehorseopoly, Trailopoly, Victoriaopoly, Edmontonopoly, Calgaryopoly, Oakvilleopoly and Canadaopoly with more towns across Canada on the drawing board.  If you cannot make it to your nearest Wal-Mart of want to buy one as a gift for distant friends or relatives, these games can be purchased online on the Walmart.ca website.  



Visit the following link to learn some interesting facts about Monopoly that has sold over 250 million games and been played by over a billion people world-wide.

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

 

 

The Naked Truth - April 6, 2021

 

Douglas Fir McCallum



A week ago Sunday, I was busy in my front yard doing my best impersonation of Paul Bunyan, chopping up logs into firewood and stacking it into a large pile of cordwood that we burn in our firebox to heat our home in the winter months.   The weather that day had already been all over the map with sun, rain, hail and wind, similar to a usual day in Calgary.  All of a sudden there was a distant roar and I realized the noise was wind coming towards our Crescent Heights home off Mud Bay.   It didn't take long for the big evergreens to start waving down by the beach and as the first blast of wind reached our property, I took shelter inside and watched the neighbour's Douglas fir frees shed branches and pinecones all over the roadway and our yard. 

 

This same freak windstorm was also to blame for a tree falling over several blocks away from a home sandwiched between Crescent Road and 28 Ave. not far from the Chevron gas station.  An evergreen just inside the white picket fence bent over and fell into the side of the road that is City of Surrey property.  Not exactly an emergency situation considering that the street isn't an arterial road and that it was not blocked to vehicular traffic either.  Normally in this situation it is up to the homeowner to deal with the fallen tree since it originated from inside their property.  At most the city might clear the road of tree debris and possibly put up a couple of traffic cones to alert people to the obstruction.  Where things get a little weird is when the home in question is owned by the City of Surrey's playboy mayor Doug McCallum and his estranged wife.

 

Neighbours across from McCallum's former family home told me that the tree in question was blown over during the same wind storm that chased me indoors from my hatchet job on Sunday afternoon.   At 11:30 p.m. on Sunday night arborist crews arrived on site and began chain sawing the tree that had fallen down, cutting off the branches and sawing the trunk into firewood sized chunks that are still visible in a pile in the Mayor's yard.  With all of the racket and unnecessary noise the neighbour's phoned 911 to reach the Surrey RCMP and were told to phone the incident in to the non-emergency reporting desk (604-599-0502, a number you should have on your cell phone).  The arborist work completed at 1:30 a.m. and later that morning a chipper trunk showed up to deal with the branches and clean up the mess.  I should note here that the neighbour did not identify whether the arborists were city crews or hired contractors.



Normally city crews or their hired contractors do not deal with trees that fall from private property.  The White Rock arborist told me that city crews will only clear trees and branches from city property, usually cutting them back to either the side of the roadway or edge of the sidewalk to not impede traffic or pedestrians.  Trees fell across our roadway on 124 St. a year ago and crews only cut them back to the centre lane, putting traffic cones around them where they stayed for almost a week before being removed.  Sunday's storm also felled a cedar tree onto Crescent Road near the Elgin Hall and it still sits there today a week later marked off with traffic cones.  A big leaf maple tree recently fell across 140th St just south from Crescent Road and while the road was cleared, the tree was left on either side, which is where I got the wood that I was chopping last Sunday.  It took almost two weeks for city crews or contractors to clean up what was left of this debris on what is an arterial road.

 


So, this leaves us with some rather interesting questions about why the evergreen falling out of Mayor McCallum's property necessitated a Sunday night response from arborists who were likely charging double or triple time for their nocturnal services.  I'm going to go out on a limb and ask why was this tree not left until the following morning since it was not blocking traffic and fell into a boulevard on a quiet residential street, not a trunk road?  It needles me as to who was responsible for ordering arborists crews to attend to this tree in the middle of the night, likely at a high cost to Surrey taxpayers?  On a similar branch of thought, why were arborists cutting down a non-hazardous tree after midnight in a residential neighbourhood when people were trying to sleep?  Most importantly, even though he reportedly no longer lives at this property, did Surrey Mayor Doug McCallum get preferential treatment and receive arborist services that would normally be the responsibility of the homeowner?  Well, an FOI request is going to be filed with these questions because I'm stumped and would really like to get to the root of this problem.  Hopefully I'm not barking up the wrong tree.



Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

 

 

 

March 29, 2021

 

Open & Shut Case for Opening Shut Staircases



It wasn't long after the stair closures that the City of Surrey placed gigantic signs all through the western end of the Semi-pen announcing "Important Notice, Stairs Closed, No Access, and in bold print (for no apparent reason) LOCAL TRAFFIC ONLY.  What was really galling about this was that for years Surrey has refused to place signage pointing the way to any of these staircases or to Crescent Rock Beach.  You can find the 1001Steps and Christopherson Steps passageways listed online on the Surrey.ca website but the only roadway sign is an antiquated and faded "1001 Steps" marker near these stairs that is small and almost invisible.  The Olympic Trail also known as Stoner's Point and Pot Point because of the large wooden viewing platform that is a popular smoking spot is also missing from the city's website.  The same goes for the Sandy Trail that runs from the Crescent Heights neighbourhood off Crescent Drive down the bluff to Bayview Ave. where McBride Street crosses the BNSF Railway tracks.   As luck would have it, I have one of these huge signs directly across from my driveway that serves as a constant reminder of the year-long closure of all these staircases.

 


Now when COVID-19 was first rearing its ugly head there were many restrictions put in place on the side of caution without much thought to whether they were actually needed or helped stop the spread.  As science on the pandemic virus has improved and we know more about how it operates and is transmitted, there have been changes to health orders that have been implemented as a hap-hazard patchwork across much of Canada.  Something that is banned in one community can be completely ignored in the jurisdiction right next door.  Case in point is the difference in staircases between Surrey and the City of White Rock.  I should note here that this comparison was brought to light when I realized that Sandy Trail leading to Crescent Beach has a wooden staircase that is the same width (less than 2 metres) as the 1001 Steps, Olympic Trail and Christopherson Steps staircases and yet it has amazingly been left open to pedestrians heading to and from Crescent Beach for the past year.

 


The City of White Rock has numerous staircases across the hillside that rises from Marine Drive towards uptown.  Many of these are the same size and construction as the wooden staircases in Surrey leading to Crescent Rock Beach.  There are five road-end staircases west of Oxford south of the Centennial Arena plus many more wooden stairs within the confines of Ruth Johnson Park that are all open to the public without restrictions.  Closer to the famed White Rock pier there are seven more city staircases open to the walking public plus twenty more above east beach allowing access to Marine Drive from as far up the hill as Royal Ave.  It would have been quite easy to block access to any or all of these stairs using temporary metal fencing as was done last year to close the pier and promenade to pedestrians.  I know several people living in White Rock who use these road-end staircases to exercise, something that the Surrey Parks Board used as justification to close the staircases leading to the rugged and remote Crescent Rock beach shoreline.

 

The new BC Public Health Orders list "going for a walk or hike" as their prime example of activities allowed under the order that is not considered a social gathering.  For outdoor gathering where up to 10 people can now get together outdoors, their example is "up to 10 people can gather at a park or beach."  Well in my neighbourhood it is hard to go for a walk or a hike when the gates to the ocean staircases are locked shut with now rusty chains making it impossible to gather with 10 of my closest friends at the beach.  Yet amazingly in White Rock, using staircases to go up and down the hill to and from the beach have been open for the past year.  Instead of closing down the staircases on the Ocean Park bluff, Surrey should instead have simply mandated the use of masks on the staircases since they are less than 2 metres wide and banned stairclimbing for exercising.  Of course, they could have followed White Rock's lead and with these stairs being outdoors having very low potential for COVID-19 transmission, simply kept them open.

 


Over the past year Canadians have been told to stay home and self-isolate to help "stop the spread" and help "flatten the curve."  With nowhere to go and public access to areas such as Crescent Rock beach being blockaded, people's butts have been spreading and they have been fattening their curves.  This of course leads to many other medical health issues not related to COVID-19, one of which recently put a friend's wife into Peace Arch Hospital.  The mental health aspect of having an entire society cooped up and isolated is being ignored too, something that could be greatly improved by allowing people the simply act of going for a walk at the beach and giving them some time in the natural environment to relax and take a break from all the COVID-19 hysteria.  It has been a year since the staircases were locked and it's time for Surrey to take a look across 16th Ave. into White Rock and see that having open staircases leading to the waterfront has not killed anybody or caused a COVID-19 outbreak among a population known to be a little long-in-the-tooth.

 

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

 

 

March 23, 2021

 

Semiahmoo Yes, Surrey No

 

 

The Semiahmoo Fish & Game Club has been a focal point for Semi-pen conservationists, environmentalists and nature lovers since it was formed back in 1957 on the banks of the Little Campbell River at 1284 184 St in the Hazelmere Valley.  It consists of 29 acres of land with accessible trails, a fish hatchery, club house plus both archery and gun ranges.  You can read all about the history of the SFGC, the Little Campbell hatchery, efforts to protect the Little Campbell river, its archery and range programs plus hall rentals at https://www.sfgc.ca/   I should note here that I have been a club member for a few years now and am also the director in charge of landscaping around the hall.  Because of this I have refrained from writing about the following topic for some time due to ethical and legal reasons.



With aging buildings and infrastructure, concerns started to be raised about upcoming maintenance bills that would likely have a major financial impact on the club and its long-term viability.  Further exacerbating financial concerns was the decrease in the number of weddings booked at the hall on a year-to-year basis, events that previously brought in plenty of revenue.  Even with a sizeable contingency fund, the club's executives began to worry about the long-term viability of the club that would threaten the hatchery and the hundreds of thousands of fish they raise every year.  This was well before the COVID-19 pandemic and with Dr. Bonnie Henry's health orders in place for a year, many of the activities and bookings that would normally have taken place were cancelled with 2021 memberships also being put on hold.

 


Since Sept. of 2019 the SFGC's executive has been in discussions with the City of Surrey about donating the property to the city and have them take over repairs, maintenance and operations.  An agreement was hammered out over lengthy negotiations and legal oversite, with new societies being planned to continue to operate the hatchery, a separate archery club and gun club.  Unfortunately, some members of the club felt that the proposal was short-sighted and did not consider other options, with little consultation or communication about the ongoing negotiations with the city on how the agreement would function and the time frame and rules for the various societies that would be using the facilities when they were transferred to the city.

Under the Societies Act, a special resolution vote was needed in order to facilitate the SFGC land transfer to the city of Surrey plus activate the agreement that would be in place.  Unlike budget votes where a simple 50% majority would pass, a two third majority of 66.7% was needed in order to allow Surrey to take control of the property and its operation.  With COVID-19 protocols making a regular meeting impossible, a Zoom meeting was held on Sunday, March 21st where 129 people voted on the proposal to give up control of the 64-year-old club.   Of the 129 SFGC members who voted, 76 voted yes with 53 voting no, resulting in 58.9% in favour, far short of the two third majority needed to approve the land transfer.

 


It will now be back o the drawing board for the SFGC and it would not surprise me to see a number of the executive move on after their plan for the cub was defeated.  It did not surprise me that the motion to give the $4.5 million SGFC property at no cost to Surrey failed.   In February, PM Trudeau announced plans to introduce legislation allowing cities across Canada to ban hand guns.  In the 2018 civic election Doug McCallum said  “I fully realize (a ban) doesn’t do anything to prevent the gang violence that we’re seeing in Surrey because they operate with illegal guns no matter what you do."   Now in 2021, Major McCallum had this to say on the subject, "That is why I wholeheartedly support a handgun ban for the City of Surrey and I am directing staff to immediately begin work on a bylaw for Council approval as quickly as possible."

 

There are a lot of shooting sports enthusiasts who are members of the SFGC and considering Mayor McCallum's flip-flop on gun control, it is unlikely they would want to give the city of Surrey their gun range, knowing it would likely be shut down soon after the city took control of the facility.  It seems difficult for politicians to do anything about illegal guns and criminal gangs but law-abiding citizens with legally owned and registered firearms are always easy to put in the cross-hairs.   With a new lease on life and the COVID-19 pandemic near an end, there is hope that the SFGC can begin the process of rebuilding and finding new sources of revenue.  I would think that renting range time to members of the new Surrey Police Service for pistol practice is something to aim for.



Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

 

 

March 15, 2021

Time For Change


I awoke from my slumber on Sunday mornig like Bill Murray in Groundhog Day to face the prospect of yet another time change day, springing forward to Daylight Savings Time (DST), losing an hour of sleep, and spending time adjusting clocks.  I had hoped we would have put our twice annual time change into the dust bin of history but unfortunately COVID-19 reared its ugly sphere last year and suddenly governments around the world had more important things on their agenda.  This is now the fourth TNT column I've touched on this subject over the years, the last time being March 11, 2019 titled "Ditch The Switch" that you can scroll down for more insight on this timely topic.  It is getting to the point on this subject that I am now hoping I live long enough to see the day when we can "set it and forget it" as the saying goes.



There has been some movement on this issue with BC introducing legislation in 2019 to get rid of the season time change but only if the western states of Washington, Oregon and California all do the same.  These three states have passed bills to stay on Daylight Savings Time but these need to be ratified by the US Congress where bills have stalled due to COVID-19 and the 2020 US election.  Ontario passed legislation last year to stay on DST but following BC's shining example of leadership, only if Quebec and New York State joined them in doing the same.  Alberta Premier Jason Kenning announced last week that they are considering holding a referendum on the issue of time change after 91 percent of Albertans expressed a desire in a government poll to stay on summer time.   What a waste of time, just do it (apologies to Nike).

 

While other jurisdictions take their sweet time deciding what to do on this issue, our neighbours to the north decided to make their own move last year, COVID-19 be damned.  Following a motion brought forth in 2017 the Yukon government surveyed their residents and found that 93 percent wanted this archaic time change practice to stop, with 70 percent expressing their desire to stay on DST.  As of March 8, 2020, the Yukon ditched the switch, showing leadership on this issue and listening to the will of the people instead of dithering like many other jurisdictions.  It is interesting to note that the Province of Saskatchewan has not bothered with the bi-annual tie change since way back in 1959, keeping their clocks on Central Standard Time (CST) all year long.  



On the subject of time and change, I read an article on a well-known business news website this week about many companies now considering going to a four-day work week.  This started from COVID pressures and the huge increase in working from home.  Some businesses started giving their employees Friday afternoon off to deal with the stress from the pandemic and noticed an increase in overall weekly productivity.  Four-day weeks mean less commuting, less energy consumption, less transportation infrastructure, plus more time at home with loved ones.  The five days a week, 8 hours a day grind makes about as much sense as the antiquated twice-yearly time change when you start to look at how we can do business differently.  



My sister-in-law works at a manufacturing plant that has their unionized employees work an extra half an hour every work day but they get off every second Friday at noon, days that are also arranged to coincide with long weekends for an early getaway.  My son-in-law runs his landscaping company utilizing four ten-hour days per week, with one crew working Mon-Thurs and the other Tues-Fri.  This keeps his employees happy with a three-day weekend every week plus still operating during a 5-day work week to get all of his jobs done.  Other companies are now having employees take a mid-week break from Tues-Thurs as a way to reduce mental stress and fatigue, allowing them to work more effectively with limited time. 



For over 35 years now I have worked 4-10 hour days per week so this concept is not new.  This means an hour early to start and later to finish but it also means not getting caught in the worst of rush hour traffic.  Of course, the bonus is that every weekend is a long weekend, with Mondays being my extra day off.  Where this gets really interesting is on a real long weekend where the three-day holiday weekend suddenly becomes a four-day weekend, meaning no long lines of traffic coming home on Monday not to mention having campsites all to yourself on the Tuesday.  Often, we will work a standard two-day weekend before the long weekend (it really sucks), shifting our work schedule, taking off the Friday and enjoying a five-day long weekend.  The following week is then only a 3-day work period followed by the usual 3-day weekend.   Needless to say, employee retention at my business is not a problem with everyone loving the extra time off, while still getting in their 40 hours and a full paycheck.


Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn 

 

 

 

March 08, 2021

Dikes or Dykes, Groins or Groynes?

The Mud Bay Village Art Knapps after dyke failure and flooding in Dec. 1982.

When I'm cruising around our little part of the world, I'm always looking for something different, something odd, something I've never noticed or something new that catches my eye.  Once something has piqued my attention then I usually try to find somebody who can explain the event, anomaly, circumstance or structure that I've discovered.  Case in point was the recent installation of a long length of orange snow fence placed around one of the farms south of Hwy. 99 along the Serpentine River between Mud Bay Park and the bridge over the river.  From the tractors and equipment that are often in this field, I knew that this land was worked by long-time farmer Stan Van Keulen who owns the dairy farm in Mud Bay with the bright orange buildings.   Stan is also the president of the Mud Bay Diking District so it was no surprise to learn that the fencing was not installed to stop snow drifts as is normal in the rest of Canada but to mark the safety zone for Surrey's Colebrook Dyke upgrades - 200 Series project

Ocean levels around the world are expected to rise by a metre in height by 2100.  The Lower Mainland with its thousands of acres of land close to sea level will be under severe risk of flooding in the future, with Vancouver raking 11th in the list of cities around the world most at risk from ocean flooding.   The City of Surrey is not oblivious to this future threat and with federal funding from the Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund (DMAF) and the Province of BC, they are taking steps to reduce the risks of coastal flooding.  The 7.2 km length of the Colebrook dyke has been separated into three different zones known as the 100 Series, 200 Series and 300 Series.  The 100 Series is from along the Mud Bay Trail adjacent to 125 A St. and Station Rd. not far from Hwy. 91., east to the BNSF Railway corridor.  The 200 Series runs from the train tracks eastward to Hwy. 99, while the 300 Series goes from Hwy. 99 to King George Blvd at the Serpentine River sea dam next to the Serpentine fen.  

Over the next four years the plan is to raise this entire dyke system to 3.9 metres elevation from its current height of 3.0 metres to conform with Provincial standards for a 200-year event that would include sea level rise, king tides and winter storm surge.  Work on this project is to begin this spring with Delta Aggregates being awarded the dyke raising contract for more than $4 million just for the middle 200 Series.  The eastern 300 Series is then planned for the Spring of 2022 and the remaining western 100 Series should begin construction in the Fall of 2022.  Due to the weight of the material being trucked in and deposited, the dyke raising will be done over a four-year period and staged over time to allow for compaction of the underlying soils.  Future contracts have yet to be tendered on the additional work but with the distances of dykes involved it is likely that this entire project will cost an estimated $12-15 million. 

This may seem like a lot of money but when you become aware of the damage that can be done when dykes are crested or collapsed you begin to realize the devastation that can result.  In Dec. of 1982 a king tide coinciding with a strong westerly wind pushed large amounts of water up out of Mud Bay into the Nicomekl River.  Not far from 140 St. and Crescent Road a dyke was breached and brackish water flowed into the Nico Wynd Golf Course where I had previously worked as a groundkeeper while attending UBC.  This water flooded the course with 4 feet of salty water, inundating the pro shop, club house and maintenance building.  It took a full crew of employees that included myself two weeks during the Christmas holidays just to clean up the mess on the golf course, with the buildings and turf equipment all needing major repairs.  I personally helped to build the new dyke that Nico Wynd installed alongside the road leading to the golf course parking lot, losing a set of keys in the process that are still entombed in that dyke along with many sheets of plywood and heavy vapour barrier plastic.

The damage from the storm that flooded Nico Wynd also hammered Crescent Beach and other exposed areas of south Surrey.  In response, the Provincial government along with the District of Surrey made repairs and upgrades to this region that are still visible today.  This included 0.5 km of rip-rap boulder beach protection placed along Crescent Beach between Wickson Road and Sullivan Street.  Timber groins were also added to help reduce beach erosion and retain sand, structures that were subsequently replaced with rot-proof composite materials in 2014.  At that time 1.2 km of dyke at Crescent Beach between Wickson Rd. and Maple St. were raised along with 2.4 km of dyke on the north bank of the Serpentine River west of King George to the Surrey/Delta boundary on Mud Bay, the same area that is again being raised.  I figure it won't be long till the Crescent Beach dyke gets raised again after a spring storm several years ago pushed water and debris onto the Shoreline Walk, leaving angled puddles on its gravelled surface that are still visible today.

For additional insight on this topic, please read the 2013 Province article by Glenda Luymes titled "Sea Change" that features Mud Bay, Crescent Beach, plus the cities of Delta and Surrey with the concept of "managed retreat" instead of continuously raising dykes to combat increasing sea levels.

https://www.pressreader.com/canada/the-province/20130825/281479274071710

A great historical perspective on dyking in Surrey including pictures of the 1982 storm that flooded the Art Knapps store on King George can be found on the surreyhistory.ca website.

https://www.surreyhistory.ca/dyking.html

Naturally yours

Don Pitcairn 

 

 

March 01, 2021


Night and Day - Day at Night

 

Sign, sign
Everywhere a sign
Blockin' out the scenery
Breakin' my mind
Do this, don't do that
Can't you read the sign?

Lyrics to "Signs", The Five Man Electrical Band, 1971 and included on the
1990 compilation album "Made In Canada - Volume Three 1965 - 1974"



It took only a few trips to Mexico to realize just how horrible our road signage and safety systems really are here in the Lower Mainland.  With three members of my Mom's family perishing in automobile accidents and driving plenty of miles myself, I take road safety very seriously, especially after being at several gruesome crash scenes over the years.  I regularly send emails to various engineering departments, Mainroad Group and the BC Transportation and Infrastructure Ministry about glaring deficiencies I notice or safety recommendations that could save lives.  Case in point was myself campaigning for median cable safety barriers along Highway 99 through Delta and Surrey a decade past, which since installation have stopped cross lane accidents and the injuries and deaths that resulted.

 


A few years ago, I became aware that many of our highway signs around King George Blvd. and Hwy. 99 were in terrible shape.  These vinyl reflective vinyl signs have a 15-20 year lifespan in the elements and it was likely that many of these had been in place for 40 years or more.  Some of these had plywood backings that were rotting and falling apart, green backgrounds that were no longer reflective and white lettering that was now a mottled grey.  At night these signs were totally invisible, not helping any driver to find their way once the sun went down.  Where this gets dangerous is at places like on the KGB heading north crossing over Hwy. 99 and the right lane turns onto the cloverleaf heading towards the tunnel.  Often, I have seen cars suddenly swerve into the left lane, narrowly avoiding hitting other vehicles at the choke point.  This is not bad driving; it is non-existent maintenance of our road systems that is to blame for endangering everyone's safety.  

Needless to say, I took pictures of plenty of the offending signs, some of which were so rotten and faded it was a miracle they were still standing.  These signage pictures along with detailed photo explanations and signage locations were sent to Mainroad Group, the Ministry and local MLA offices since this is an area of Provincial concern outside of Surrey's jurisdiction.  Slowly but surely, I started to see some action on this issue starting with some of the more tattered blue information signs that were flapping in the wind being taken down from the side of Hwy. 99.  Still the big green and white direction signs had not been touched and rather than resend my previous emails, I decided that if these signs were not replaced by spring, I was going to run a "Sign Shame" program, attaching my own very visible signs with this slogan to the highway's relics to help draw people's attention and media scrutiny to this issue.


I am pleased to report that this will likely not be necessary now since last Monday I saw a number of Mainroad Group trucks on King George Blvd. near Hwy. 99 replacing some of the highway signs I had previously warned about.  In total six of the big green and white direction signs have now been replaced, with several of the rottenest signs finally knocked down and hauled away. If you look at the photos with this TNT, you will notice the night and day difference of these highway signs and that is during daytime hours.  At nighttime there are now direction signs that you can actually see and follow, whereas before you were basically driving while blind.  It is a shame this work could not have been done before the long nights of winter instead of at the end of this dark period but I'm just glad to finally see changes and upgrades being made.

Some of the wording on these signs has even changed.  At King George and the 99, the left sign had a small directional triangle pointing ahead to Hwy. 99A leading to New Westminster.  The Hwy. 99A name was decommissioned in 2006 and it is likely this sign was posted long before the Alex Fraser Bridge opened and that was in 1985 before EXPO 86.  The new replacement signage has a large straight-ahead arrow that points the way to "Surrey City Centre" that you might know formerly as Whalley.  Other sign changes are more subtle, like the one exiting from Hwy. 99 southbound onto the KGB that used to direct traffic to White Rock and Crescent Beach (with a previously blanked out Cloverdale) now being replaced with White Rock (ahead) and Crescent Road (right).   It will be interesting to note if any of this new signage is changed again when the new four-lane bridge over the Nicomekyl River is built.



Even though this problem has now been fixed in our neighbourhood there are still many highway sign relics that have lost their shine and are slowly fading away.  I have seen glaring examples that no longer glare at night in Delta, Richmond, Vancouver and Burnaby.  My favourite is the Hastings Street exit off Hwy. 1 heading northbound where the massive signage overhead is almost as bad as the ones just replaced at King George Blvd.  Keep an eye open as you move about the Lower Mainland and if you notice one of these relics, please take the time to report it to the proper authorities.  Close to home, the "White Rock - Next 5 Exits" sign southbound on Hwy. 99 before the Serpentine River corner fades from green to black at night since the background is no longer reflective.   It is hard to believe that this kind of thing is so common here, yet you never see it in Mexico where their highway signage is up to date, modern and easy to follow.



Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

 

 

The Naked Truth - February 22, 2021


Border Disorder


One of the craziest things about the COVID-19 pandemic has been the considerable conspiracy theories superspreading like a plague on anti-social media.  This "plandemic" has been blamed on 5G cell phones, Bill Gates' Dr. Evil-like plan to control the world, COVID-19's creation as a biological weapon, part of a scheme involving big pharma, the deep state and GMO multinationals, or my favourite that COVID-19 is not real apparently because you can't see it.  I used to laugh off many of these bizarre assertions that have no claim in science or fact, until I saw the TV footage of large green army trucks and tents taking up position at the Douglas border crossing eleven months after the world's longest unprotected border was first closed.

 

With an interest in oversized military trucks and army tents going way back to my cadet days and time spent on Department of National Defence property, I decided to venture down highway 99 to the once bustling land crossing between BC and Washington State.   I must admit, it was a pretty weird scene with no cars on the highway as I drove by Beach Road and the Duty-Free store with its signage now missing a few letters.  Pulling into the Canadian Border Services parking lot, there were 3 sets of modular olive drab army tents straight out of a military bivouac along with a very large six wheeled support vehicle and plenty of other trucks with Canadian military plates.  Throughout this area where plenty of men and women wearing green relish fatigues or black clothing sporting badges from their respective military units.

For a minute it looked as if Hollywood North was filming yet another sci-fi pandemic movie, which considering the times we find ourselves living in would not be a big stretch of the imagination.  It resembled scenes you might have seen in Contagion, Pandemic, Outbreak, The Andromeda Strain, I Am Legend, every zombie movie ever made, mixed in with Rambo First Blood.  The difference was that there were no cameras, no crews, no movie trailers, food trucks or overhead lights you would regularly find on a movie set.  Also missing were men marching with guns, soldiers with German Shepherds barking wildly and helicopters flying low overhead while orders blared from loud speakers.  Donning my black coat, black hat and black face mask in order to blend in and armed with a clipboard and pen to try and look important, I made my way into the enemy encampment.

 

The first two soldiers I met were quite personable, identifying themselves as reserve members from HMCS Discovery in Vancouver who were at the Douglas Crossing to support the installation of the army tents and associated materials.  Walking down the 50 metres long row of tents I made my way to the Canadian Border Service Agency offices where I was intercepted by two female officers who were also Canadian nice and chatted with me for a while as it appeared they were lonely and bored to tears.  Circling through the parking lot taking pictures I was met by a smiling man who introduced himself as a member of the Canadian Red Cross who was working with the Canadian Armed Forces and he put me in touch their Senior Communications Manager who helped fill in the pieces to this military mystery. 



The Public Health Agency of Canada has enlisted the Canadian Armed Forces to help establish a COVID-19 testing site at the Douglas border crossing and four other high-volume land ports of entry as of February 22, 2021 and eleven additional ports of entry as of March 4, 2021.  This is in response to new COVID-19 variant detections increasing and concerns over entry through land ports spreading the mutated virus.  Besides having to present proof of a negative COVID-19 molecular test result taken in the United States within 72 hours before entry to Canada, those who are not exempted must also now take a test using a self-swab kit.  The Canadian Red Cross personnel will be on scene to help provide information and guidance about these tests, manage traffic flow and deal with sample collection, storage and transfers.  A second self-swab kit will be provided so people can collect a second required test on day 10 of their 14-day quarantine.

 

There is one very big problem with the way the government is trying to tighten up testing for variants at our land border crossings.  Only a short walk away at the US side of Peace Arch Park, people are still meeting and mingling freely with over 60 tents pitched on the lawn at this park this weekend.  I saw four RCMP officers, two Canadian Border Services agents and several US Customs Service & Border Protection agents on scene, checking ID's of the hundreds of people entering and leaving this bizarre little enclave.  Multiple family gatherings are reportedly happening routinely at this park including birthday parties, romantic hookups and even weddings.  The western side of the park was closed to visitors back on June 18, 2020 so why is the eastern section still open eight months later and allowing cross-border intermingling of people during a global pandemic?


Dr. Bonnie Henry, Premier John Horgan, Governor Jay Inslee, Prime Minister Trudeau plus US Presidents Trump & Biden have all failed to properly address this issue.  If people are seen mingling with others in Peace Arch Park, spending time indoors in tents and hosting large gatherings without masks, when they cross back over the ditch into Canada, they should be taken on the short two-block walk up the street to the Douglas land crossing, tested for COVID-19 and forced into a 14-day quarantine like the rest of the people crossing the border.  It would take only a few hours to erect temporary fencing to secure the border at Peace Arch park and close this loophole that makes variant testing for people at the Douglas crossing a complete waste of time and money.   The federal Minister of Health Hon Patty Hadju who is responsible for the Public Health Agency of Canada and its $700 million budget needs to be held accountable by all Canadians for allowing this flagrant disregard of Public Health Orders to continue.

 


Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

 

 

February 16, 2021



Boardwalk To Nowhere


If you live in the Semi-Pen, I would suggest that you join the Facebook group "If you live in South Surrey / White Rock."  It is a great way to meet your neighbours, get answers to questions concerning this little corner of the world, learn what is going on in your neighbourhood and a place to add your two bits worth.  It is also where you can become aware of such things as a local dog poisoning with a cocaine and marijuana cookie, coyotes running wild in Dunsmuir Gardens and an unusual number of vertigo cases.  It was this posting by John Bogar with a rather interesting picture taken at Blackie Spit in Crescent Beach that really caught my attention.  "Can someone please explain to me why a boardwalk to nowhere was built on the previous section of beachfront at Crescent Beach??  This narrow obstruction cuts off the beach and the entire structure makes no sense??!  We all paid for this sadly with our taxes, but who thought it up and approved it???"  This post attracted 111 responses; this TNT now makes it 112.

 


There were plenty of explanations posted on this topic, many that actually made sense:  
- Perhaps to avoid nesting areas on the grass?
- I believe it is for those with wheelchairs and walkers.
- It's to keep people from walking behind the cars in the parking lot.
- Trying to protect the foreshore?
- It's for high tides. / King tides.
There were also plenty of negative comments about this structure and its placement:
- Kinda narrow for social distancing.
- Not very attractive, that's for sure!!!!
- Not needed, obstructs canoes and kayaks.
- It doesn't look wide enough for 2 wheel chairs to pass.

- What a waste. / Paint it green. / Make work project.

My favourite comment of all was compliments of Alex Kingston:

- Someone could place a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow and someone on Facebook would complain about it.

 

A quick search of the City of Surrey's surrey.ca website for Blackie Spit Park provided the following explanation for this project:  Construction is underway on a 107-metre boardwalk at Blackie Spit, which will provide an accessible route and a designated pedestrian corridor through the sensitive environmental area.  Armed with this information and a tape measure in hand, I made my way down to Blackie Spit during the weekend snowstorm to take a look at our tax dollars at work.  The boardwalk is past the Swim and Sail Clubs between the gravel parking lot and the entrance to the dog off-leash swimming beach before the entrance to the Spit and its environmentally sensitive foreshore areas.  Until recently this new wooden walkway was closed to the public but the gates at either end are now down and there are small arrow signs on the structure indicating one way travel west to east due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Not bothering to bring my measuring wheel with me, I will accept that the boardwalk is 107 metres long and mainly straight with four angled corners along the way.  My tape measure showed it is 51 inches wide with wooden planks and 4"x4" borders on each side.  The boardwalk is elevated with open space beneath allowing for water egress during storms or king tides and it sits 20 to 32 inches above the uneven ground below it.  There is galvanized mesh on one side of the boardwalk surface closest to the parking lot for traction during frost, snow, or when wet from rain or waves, plus 25 inches of bare wood towards the water providing a smooth walking surface.   The west end of this structure is approximately 25 metres from the end of the pavement heading towards McBride Avenue and 100 metres from the eastern end of the Crescent Beach Shoreline Walk.  The eastern end terminates adjacent to the entrance gate for the dog off-leash swimming beach not far from the entrance to the Blackie Spit environmental area.


So here we go, time for me to drop my drawers, bend over and take a big crap in that rainbow pot of gold.   While this boardwalk does provide an accessible route and designated pedestrian corridor from end to end, it blocks access to the shoreline from the nearby parking lot.  It also covers a large portion of the supposedly sensitive environmental area while cutting a swath directly through the middle of this already narrow grassy area.  People walking their dogs towards the off-leash area can still stroll along the grassed area as they head back and forth from the Crescent Beach Shoreline Walk.  Boaters hoping to go kayaking or canoeing will now have to walk around this structure or likely drag their watercraft over it to access the waterfront.   There is no fencing along the parking lot or on either end to stop people from walking on what was previously a flat lawn mowed down by the feet of thousands of people and their pets.


Currently, due to COVID-19 restrictions, access is only permitted from west to east on the new boardwalk but I have to ask what happens after that?  At 51 inches wide there is not a lot of room to maneuver on this platform for two people walking beside each other.  I measure 25 inches across shoulder to shoulder so imagine another gentleman walking towards me on this boardwalk; it does not leave any elbow room.  This will make people walk along the edge where there is an average of a two to a two and a half foot drop-off.   According to BC Building Code all decks/balconies that are higher than 600mm (24”) above grade must have guards to mitigate fall hazards.  In order to minimize the risk of children and pets bypassing guardrail assemblies, all openings must be designed to prevent the passage of a 100mm (4”) diameter object or must demonstrate that the opening in question is not hazardous.  You would think that city owned structures in public parks would have to adhere to the BC Building Code for safety.


I am bewildered that in an age where we are ensure access for those with mobility issues that this boardwalk is only wide enough for one wheelchair.  Most wheelchairs are 28-30 inches wide with the minimum width for one wheelchair ramp set at 32 inches and 75 inches to allow the safe passage of two wheelchairs.   Even the surface of this boardwalk does not make sense because it currently means that anyone in a wheelchair will have one set of wheels on bare wood and the other riding over wire mesh.  The same goes for anyone using a walker and if they take a spill, it could be a very hard landing two feet down on hard ground.  At the west end of the boardwalk it is 25 metres of gravelled parking lot to get to the asphalt pavement where a large speed bump awaits.  If a mobility challenged person wants to get to the Crescent Beach Shoreline walk from the new boardwalk, it is 100 metres on uneven gravel that slopes noticeably towards the shoreline


A much better option instead of this bizarre boardwalk would have been to extended the flat gravelled surface of the Crescent Beach Shoreline Walk the entire 200 metre distance alongside the parking lots behind the pollards and boulders that already protect people from cars.  This would have been cheap and easy to do, matched the existing walkway and connected the entire waterfront from one end of Crescent Beach to the other.   If Surrey wanted to protect the small grassy area near the off-leash dog-swimming beach, which is actually designated as a "park natural area" for some strange reason, it would have made much more sense to fence it off from people and pets.  As it is now configured there is nothing natural about this dangerous and skinny boardwalk that does nothing to protect the small grassy area between a busy parking lot and a popular shoreline.  

 

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn


 

 

The Naked Truth - February 8, 2021

DPD, SPS, TNT, WTF?


"Delta Police Chief Neil Dubord and his wife Lorraine"

I grew up in North Delta and let me tell you from experience that with the private police force in Delta and officers that lived and worked in the community, they were quick to know where problem areas were and to identify troublemakers plus known criminal elements.  No, not me, my social provocateur activities started much later in life, hitting stride when I started penning this column.  I've talked to members of the Delta Police Department (DPD) who believe that they offer a superior policing model to the RCMP, mainly because they are proactive with targeting criminals and gang members, either arresting them, forcing them to quit their lifestyles, or simply getting them to move to another jurisdiction (hello Surrey).

 


The problem with a municipal police force is that they often get a little too cozy with their positions in the community, believing they own the town and are untouchable.  Residents become known to police officers and can be relentlessly targeted for a variety of reasons with illegal vehicle stops and unwarranted searches becoming commonplace.  Corruption can slowly work its way into the ranks with money from organized crime finding its way into the hands of low-paid officers simply to look the other way on a variety of offences.  When police departments were investigating their own officers for misdeeds as happened in the past, it was not surprising that it appeared the cops never did any wrong.  Thank God we now have the Office of the Police Complaints Commission and the Independent Investigations Office to look into the misdeeds and criminal acts of those sworn to protect us.

All of this cop talk takes us back to June 6, 2020 when a Surrey woman, Kiran Sidhu, was walking along Centennial beach in south Delta during on incoming tide.  Coming across large rip-rap boulders placed along the beach for erosion control, she climbed onto the jagged rocks to escape the water, using the fence of the nearby house for support.  This led to an alleged confrontation with the homeowner who angrily warned her not to touch the fence.  After Mrs. Sidhu almost tripped on the rocks this woman reportedly said, "Ha, that would be so funny if you fell, but then again we have enough beached whales around here.”  To make matters worse Mrs. Sidhu alleged that this incident then escalated with the lady in the yard grabbing a hose and spraying Mrs. Sidhu in the face with water, after being warned that doing so would be assault.  The lady of the house was identified as Lorraine Dubord, the wife of Delta Police Chief Neil Dubord.

 


True to her word, Mrs. Sidhu, a Richmond teacher, filed a report with the Delta Police Department about the alleged statements and actions of Mrs. Dubord that summer day.   The case was apparently investigated and eventually Kiran was told that the case had been closed.  Undaunted and upset that the Delta cops had been tasked with investing their Chief's wife, she filed a complaint with the Office of the Police Complaints Commission (OPCC) and the file was then forwarded to the Surrey RCMP for review.  Investigators recommended that Mrs. Dubord be charged with uttering threats and assault but in September the BC Prosecution Service announced the matter would be resolved through "alternative measures" allowing Dubord to accept responsibility for the incident and make amends without a trial.  The OPCC has also asked the Vancouver Police Dept. to conduct an eternal review into whether any Delta police officer committed misconduct in this case, with results still pending.

As if this incident didn't stink enough already, it was recently revealed last week by Global TV that the Delta Police Force had hired a high-priced communications consulting firm to deal with this issue that also included accusations of racism.  The Freedom of Information request failed to reveal the name of the PR firm or the amount that had been paid, with Delta brass claiming the release of this information would be against the Protection of Privacy Act.  After several days of intense media, constituent and councillor pressure, the Delta Police reluctantly admitted that the total cost had been $42,000.  DPD Deputy Chief Harj Sidhu also revealed that the bill for this service had been covered by the 2020 operational budget.  You need to realize that the Delta Police Dept. already has a Public Affairs Manager whose job it would normally be to handle questions from the media and public.  Apparently since this incident involved the Police Chief's wife, someone decided to hire professional flim-flam artists to help massage the narrative. 



Now you may be wondering why this Delta story is so fascinating to myself and hopefully the residents of the Semi-pen and readers of the WR Sun.  Well, back in 2020 the unnamed high-powered PR firm related to this case was hired by the Delta Deputy Chief.  This was not Harj Sidhu (no close relation to Kiran Sidhu) but their former Deputy Chief Norm Lipinski.  If this name sounds familiar get used to it, he is the officer who Surrey Mayor Doug McCallum the Surrey Police Board hand-picked to hire as the Chief Police Constable for the new Surrey Police Service.  No word yet whether blowing $42,000 of Delta taxpayer money was Lipinski's decision alone of if he was acting on orders from his superior Delta Chief Police Neil Dubord, hubby of hose-happy Lorraine Dubord.  One thing is for sure, this issue will be front and Center in Delta City Hall chambers on Monday night.  With the fight over keeping the RCMP in Surrey, I would expect the same at Surrey City Hall with the new Police Chief apparently coming to town with some rather smelly baggage.

 

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

 

TNT Extra:  The following piece on the above subject appeared on Global TV's Monday evening news broadcast.


Delta Police justifying hiring PR firm by tying it to a high-profile police killing in the United States.

On Monday, members of the Delta Police Force received a memorandum about the $42,000 of taxpayer money being spent on crisis management.  Officers were told in part "the department engaged external consultants to assist with a communications strategy during a period when there was widespread distrust with the police as a result of the George Floyd situation, mounting allegations of systemic bias within policing, and public demand for defunding police.

 


Members of the rank and file are not happy with the memorandum or the fact that it references George Floyd because the $42,000 was spent during Chief Dubord's wife Lorraine being investigated, allegedly for hosing down Surrey resident Kiran Sidhu.  Delta officers say that until now they have never been told why a PR firm was hired and they have not received any special training as a result.



Norm Lipinski, the former Deputy Chief of Delta and new Chief of Surrey also made the following statement:

While serving as the Deputy Chief of the Delta Police Department, I secured an external communications firm to assist in the matter surrounding Chief Dubour.  This was done to ensure the public was aware that all necessary steps were being taken to address this matter in an appropriate and transparent manner.  This course of action was taken with the full knowledge, support and consent of the Delta Police Board.

 


This sudden flurry of communications and the bizarre notion that the PR firms hiring was somehow done in response to the George Floyd killing makes me wonder if the professional spin-doctors are still in charge of this bizarre file.  None of this investigation was done in "an appropriate and transparent manner" as the new Surrey Chief Lipinski has stated.  Trying to equate the hosing of a Surrey woman by a police chief's wife at Centennial Beach to George Floyd being choked to death by a uniformed police officer on a street in Minneapolis is absurd, abhorrent and disgusting.  It looks like it is indeed time to defund the Delta Police since the $42,000 and the budget surplus they had for 2020 totalled almost a $1 million.  In the wake of this continuing scandal that is still being investigated, I would not be surprised to see Chief Dubord resign and for the Delta Police Board to be disbanded for incompetence.  Maybe it's time to bring the RCMP to Delta?

 

 

Fenruary 01, 2021

Taking the "Car" Out of Carnage

 

It's been a couple years of waiting but finally this week a big step is being taken in fixing one of the most dangerous intersections in this region.  On February 3rd, the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure will announce the contracting company that has been selected to upgrade the intersection of Highway 15 and 40 Avenue.  The planned changes and safety improvements should start in the spring of 2021 and hopefully end its history of violent and deadly crashes.  I previously explored safety concerns at multiple intersections along 40 Ave. in south Surrey in a TNT on September 09, 2019 titled "40th Avenue Fiasco" that is posted below in the archives if you wish to scroll down for some history on this subject. 



The quiet country intersection of 176 Street and 40 Avenue was not that dangerous until this roadway was widened, divided, and renamed Highway 15.  Coupled with ever increasing traffic and people from Cloverdale and Langley using it as a cut-thru to avoid traffic on 32 Ave. and #10 Hwy., this corner saw more and more accidents.  The road widening meant that the intersection with four thru lanes and two left-hand turn lanes became stretched to a 47 metres wide chasm.  The speed limit was also raised from 70 to 80 kmh, with many drivers flying by at freeway speeds of 100 kmh or even higher.  Add this together with the 3,000 commercial trucks that use the Hwy. 15 corridor on a daily basis and this corner became a proverbial meat grinder.

According to statistics from ICBC, from 2013-2017 there were 63 crashes at 40 Avenue and Highway 15.  About half of these resulted in death or injury; a rather sobering statistic.  The last fatal crash on Sept. 5, 2019 was an early morning accident in poor visibility that took the life of a young Surrey male named "Belly" and injured the other driver.   Not three months prior to this vicious collision, there was a roll over crash on June 25th at the same spot that injured both of the drivers involved.  Just three months after the "Belly" fatality, on Dec. 10th there was yet another bad crash at this intersection involving three people who were all hurt, with the roof of one car needing to be cut off to rescue the occupants.  Adding insult to injury, one of the vehicles ended up off the asphalt directly next to the roadside memorial left behind from the previous September crash.

I wasn't the only person who was aware of these dangers as here are a few comments posted online from people giving their thoughts on this wicked corner that is the only intersection on Hwy 15 still without traffic control:

"I drive 176 St. every day.  Often, I see drivers speed down 40th without stopping and if they see the way is clear, they zoom on through. Please, make 40th right turn only!!!"

"There have been quite a few crashes there.  It's a scary intersection they have to do something there before more crashes that are serious."

"I guess the politicians and ICBC will wait till there's a few deaths until they do something about that deadly intersection."

To her credit Surrey South MLA Stephanie Cadieux, who was left with life-altering injuries she suffered in a serious car crash at the age of 18, responded to the concerns of her constituents and worked with the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure to finally address this dangerous problem. 

The fix that will soon be coming to this crash prone corner is to use concrete barriers to eliminate thru traffic on 40th Ave. along with left-hand turns onto Hwy. 15 from 40 Ave. heading in both west and east bound directions.  Vehicles heading north and south bound will still be allowed to turn off Hwy. 15 from the left-hand turn lanes that were previously installed.  The new intersection layout will allow motorists travelling in either direction on Highway 15 to turn right onto 40 Avenue as before.  The decision not to install a traffic light was made due to the poor roadway condition along the rural 40 Ave., which would have needed a major upgrade by the City of Surrey.  Not wanting to turn 40 Ave. into a commuter route, something it has been increasingly used for up until now, also factored into the final design decisions.

These changes, while eliminating cross traffic on 40th Ave. should greatly improve the overall safety for motorists at this Hwy. 15 intersection.  Now that this problem is fixed, the western end of 40 Ave. at King George Blvd. needs the same kind of upgrade.  A new four lane bridge is coming over the Nicomekyl River completing the four lanes of the KGB through this area.  The offramp onto the KGB from Hwy. 99 northbound needs to be re-routed along with 40 Ave. where it now ends in a T-intersection with an extremely dangerous left-hand turn to head south into the Semi-pen.  During rush hour it is almost impossible to turn there and an area that drivers are best to avoid.  The big burn mark into the asphalt left from a fiery crash in this spot should serve as a warning to motorists, engineers and local politicians to the danger associated with this other 40 Ave. intersection.


Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

 

 

January 26, 2021


Knuckle Buster

 

Over the years plenty of people have asked me where I get my ideas for he Naked Truth topics.  I usually respond that all you have to do is to keep your eyes and ears open for anything strange, new, or out of place.  Sometimes though, it is simply a matter of not watching where you are going and tripping over a story.  That was the case with this TNT where a walk down Crescent Beach, made possible only because the Christopherson staircase has been locked closed for 10 months due to COVID, led to my find of a rather unique hunk of rusted steel.


There are plenty of old chunks of rusting iron to be found down at the beach, most which are castoffs from the adjacent BNSF Railway corridor.  Old sign posts, tie spikes, tie plates, rail joints and even chunks of cut rail can be found on the shoreline or sticking out of the rip-rap boulders than line the shoreline between White Rock and Crescent Beach.  These are very common and when I find them, I usually pick them up and dispatch them into the nearest blackberry thicket where they can continue to oxidize and rust away out of sight.  This was not the case in December when on the south end of Crescent Beach where I literally stumbled upon a solid piece of forged iron with two holes through it.

I'm reasonably sure that most people walking on the shoreline would not have given this rusted relic a second glance but I immediately knew what it was from and likely why it was there on the beach.  With having worked at the CN yard in North Vancouver, doing stupid things like climbing on board freight trains as a kid, plus walking beside trains stalled on our tracks due to mudslides from the Ocean Park bluffs, I knew the metal was from part of a train boxcar coupling unit.  A quick phone call to a friend at Fraser Valley Rail confirmed that it was indeed what is known as a "knuckle" and the one I had found had been broken in two.


Today's standard freight car coupler is the Type E - Janney "clasped-hand" device that couples automatically when one or both knuckles on the coupler are open and the cars are pushed together.  Upon impact, the knuckle swings into the closed position and a lock drops in place, securing the coupling, connecting the cars and holding the train together.   If either of the two knuckles on the coupler are to fracture on the swing pin and break, the train will come apart between the two freight cars where the failure has occurred.   The only reasonable explanation as to how a broken knuckle ended up on the shores of Crescent Beach is that it came from a train on the tracks above that would have immediately stopped once the air brake line was disconnected.


BNSF freight trains breaking down and blocking the only two access points to Crescent Beach has been an ongoing problem for years.  In 2019 Doug McCallum was on record saying that there had been 5 train blockages of Crescent Beach in the preceding 5 years.  In the "An Update on Rail Safey" report on the Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities from 2016, White Rock was featured as a case study (along with the Lac-Megantic train crash disaster in Quebec) for glaring safety deficiencies associated with crossing blockages that had been ongoing here for years.  While the Railway is supposed to clear road blockages within 5 minutes as per the Stopped Train Protocol, BNSF freight trains have been stalled blocking Crescent Beach for hours at a time, with Surrey installing CCTV cameras to monitor the Beecher St. crossing.  



Having talked to railroad maintenance crews, train engineers and local BNSF staff, I understand the problem of stalled and broken-down trains at Crescent Beach is the large curve near the Christopherson Steps at the west end of 24th Ave.  Coupled with a 10-mph speed restriction in place for the 114-year-old swing bridge at the Crescent Beach Marina, this corner puts extra pressure on the Janney knuckles connecting increasingly longer and heavier trains, causing them to crack and the trains to then come to a grinding halt when the cars separate.  The chunk of knuckle I found on the shoreline not far from the pedestrian overpass likely came from a broken-down freight train that in all probability was one of the ones that blocked off Crescent Beach in the last decade.



In the past, the construction of a tunnel under the BNSF tracks allowing unfettered access to Crescent Beach was considered but rejected by Surrey Council due to cost.  The same can unfortunately be said for an emergency road planned for under the BNSF trestle near the Crescent Beach marina that was also shelved.  Since nothing has changed with respect to the position of the tracks, the speed of the trains or the design of the couplings, it is likely that BNSF freight trains breaking down in this location and blocking the only two road access points to Crescent Beach will continue in the future.  This is one of the reasons why I do not live in Crescent Beach, preferring the Crescent Heights neighbourhood on the hill above with no train tracks.

"An Update on Rail Safey" report on the Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities from 2016 is available online at the following link, with the White Rock and Crescent Beach portion on pages 21-24 under the heading "Rail relocation in urban areas and community impacts: Case 2https://www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Committee/421/TRAN/Reports/RP8359147/tranrp06/TRANrp06-e.pdf     It is interesting to note that White Rock received plenty of safety upgrades along their waterfront including 8 new pedestrian crossings that led to whistle cessation almost a year ago on Jan. 29, 2020. 

The risk of a BNSF train breaking down and blocking all access to Crescent Beach in Surrey still remains the same as does the constant barrage of 130 dB train horn noise.

 

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

 

 

 

January 19, 2021

Our Home On Native Land

I received an email from a local elementary school principal after this TNT got posted and the following caption was included at the bottom of the message:   

I’m honoured to work on the shared, unceded traditional territories of the Katzie, Semiahmoo, Kwantlen and other Coast Salish Peoples.

If Surrey Schools can recognize the traditional lands of First Nation peoples, why can't Mayor McCallum and his Safe Surrey Coalition councillors do the same?

Don Pitcairn

 

 


Last Monday Surrey Council voted on a motion put forward by Councillor Jack Hundial before the Christmas holidays, for Surrey Council to include an indigenous land acknowledgement before each meeting.  This is to recognize that the City of Surrey is on the unceded traditional territories of the Coast Salish; namely the Katzie, Kwantlen, Kwikwetlem, Qayqagt, Semiahmoo and Tsawwassen First Nations.  Such acknowledgements are becoming customary between governments and First Nations as a show of respect and in the spirit of reconciliation, especially since Canada's adoption of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.   The actual narrative of the motion was to acknowledge "the land we are on is the traditional territory of the Coast Salish people."


Pretty tame stuff these days as we now usually acknowledge the people who lived on the lands of what is now British Columbia long before Spanish and English explorers arrived and colonization began.   This topic should have been discussed and quickly adopted, allowing Surrey to join with both the Provincial and Federal governments in acknowledging our historical neighbours and recognizing the role of indigenous people in Canada.  Instead, discussion on this motion quickly deteriorated with Councillor Lauire Guerra not supporting this concept because she has a "problem with legislating speech" and adding "...I don't think we should be forced to."  Surrey Mayor Doug McCallum did not support the idea either, later saying this about indigenous people, "we treat them better in Surrey literally than anywhere.”


When the time came to vote on what had suddenly become a contentious issue, the Surrey Safe Coalition members voted as one, defeating the motion 5-4 with Doug McCallum, Allison Patton, Doug Elford, Mandeep Nagra and Rableen Rana voting against, with Jack Hundial, Brenda Locke, Steven Pettigrew and Linda Annis voting in support.   After the meeting Councillor Hundial expressed his disgust saying he was "shocked and surprised" that the acknowledgement of the traditional territories was shot down, believing it is "just the right thing to do" and noting "six other communities in the Lower Mainland do a progressive acknowledgement of where we are today."  Surrey has a sizeable number of indigenous people living here, believed to be around 13,500 souls; 56 percent who are First Nations, 40 percent who are Metis and 4 percent who are Inuit.  Collectively this is about 2.6% of the Surrey population with half of this indigenous population under the age of 27.


It didn't take long for the SSC voting down of the territorial land acknowledgement motion to bring condemnation from First Nation leaders.  The BC Assembly of First Nations (BCAFN) called the decision "disappointing and a further enforcement of systemic racism."  Regional Chief Terry Teegee said in a statement "If the city cannot acknowledge whose lands they work, how can Surrey be trusted to advance reconciliation and First Nations issues?  This is especially concerning considering the large Indigenous population in the City of Surrey, many of whom are young and starting families."  Chief Teegee has called on the Mayor and Council to consider revisiting Jack Hundial's motion and to accept it.  Semiahmoo First Nation Chief Harley Chappell said this about the topic when advised of Surrey Council's decision, "I find that land acknowledgments, they are good.  It is good that people acknowledge the territory they are on."

The City of White Rock, population of around 21,000 people and just over 5 sq. km. in size has been acknowledging their neighbours the Semiahmoo First Nation people at the beginning of every public meeting and all Council meetings for the past two years.  In 2018 at their inaugural Surrey Council meeting chaired by Mayor McCallum, there was an acknowledgement of indigenous territory then, but nothing since except for some outdoor civic events.  I was informed by Jeanne Kilby, the president of CUPE 402 that represents the unionized employees of the City of Surrey, that they acknowledge the territory of the Kwantlen, Katzie and Semiahmoo peoples at the start of every union meeting, something they have been doing now for five years.  If the union representing City of Surrey workers can show their respect to local First Nations, how come Surrey's so-called leaders representing the 580,000 people of Surrey cannot? 

Mayor Doug McCallum is on record as saying the City of Surrey is "a leader in dealing with First Nations, they welcome me a lot.”  Considering how the SSC shot down a chance to recognize First Nations, advance indigenous reconciliation and address race relations, I think it's safe to say that the chief politician in Surrey speaks with a forked tongue.  

 

Naturally Yours,

Don Pitcairn

 

 

January 11, 2021


Arbutus Abundance



Living in the Semiahmoo Peninsula surrounded on several sides by the waters of the Pacific Ocean, we enjoy a niche ecological zone where we get more sun, less rain and warmer temperatures that most of the communities in the Lower Mainland.  This allows us to get up close and personal with a rather unique tree, which is the only native broadleaf evergreen that grows in Canada; the Arbutus tree (Arbutus Menzeisii) also known as the Pacific Madrone, a close relative of the Spanish Strawberry tree.  


These beautiful and magnificent trees can be found in the dry areas of the southeastern part of Vancouver Island, throughout the Gulf Islands and in pockets of the Lower Mainland.  Covered in older bark that is often a smooth rusty red, it peels away as the tree grows revealing fresh chartreuse green bark underneath.  Their crooked and leaning trunks often divide into several twisting upright branches covered in dark glossy leaves that have a leathery texture.  They flower in the spring with thick clusters of white waxy flowers, which turn into small reddish-orange berries that attract many native songbirds.   These stunning and colourful trees are often the subject of local artists who incorporate them with ocean backdrops, including one painting done by Emily Carr in 1922. 

 


While the south-wst corner of BC is the northern end of the Arbutus tree's range, they are found along the west coast of the USA down to Mexico, giving them one of the longest north-south ranges of any North American tree.  It is often said that the Arbutus tree is usually found within five miles (8 Km) of the Pacific Ocean.  Besides a dry and warm climate, they prefer sunny open forests, well-drained and nutrient poor soils, often on exposed rocky outcroppings or next to a beach.  Because of their dense and strong wood, they are resilient against storm and wind damage, with wet heavy snow known to break branches off in the winter.  The bark of this unusual and visually striking tree can be used for tanning hides and it is prized by woodworkers for creating fine furniture or turning exotic wooden bowls.


Unfortunately, the Arbutus tree is slowly declining in numbers throughout its coastal rage in this province.  Development along the desirable shoreline where it likes to grow results in many of these trees being cut down to make way for large luxury homes and beachfront mansions.   Global warming with climate change is believed to be responsible for warmer dry winters that also lead to longer periods of drought in summer for trees that already prefer well-drained soils.  There are a number of funguses that are affecting their leaves, causing damage and leaf-fall along with branch death.  To make matters worse a root-rot fungus is now spreading throughout the Arbutus' range, weakening these amazing trees and causing their premature death.



The largest Arbutus tree in B.C. is believed to be one with a circumference of over 6 m. and reaching a height of 35.5 metres on Thetis Island scoring 398 AFA Champion Tree Points.   Another giant Arbutus with a circumference of 7.8 metres graces the front of the CFB Dockyards in Esquimalt on Vancouver Island.   Several years ago, I was camping on Texada Island at Shingle Beach and found a very large Arbutus growing next to an old cabin at the far end of this 2.5 km. long beach.  The tree was oval shaped at the bottom of the trunk measuring an astonishing 2 m. wide by 3 m. long.  It gradually tapered inwards and at half a metre off the ground split into two massive trunks that were 1.25 m. in diameter each.  I would guess it stood over 30 m. high and at least 20 m. across, covering much of the clearing where the cabin stood.   I will be measuring it the next time I'm there, hoping its the biggest Arbutus in B.C.

.


A little closer to home you can find two Arbutus trees growing in Crescent Beach, one at the south end of Maple Street just as you walk out onto the dyke walkway, one house away from the very last home.  There is an even larger example that is north of Beecher street at one of the waterfront houses on O'Hara Lane.  It is unknown if these trees were planted or occurred naturally, as Arbutus are notoriously difficult to transplant.  I understand that there are several Arbutus down near the water in West Vancouver in rather high-end neighbourhoods where viewing them is best done by boat.   Breaking the 5 mile rule, there is an Arbutus tree growing on the NW corner of 200 St. and 44 Ave. in Langley, 10 miles away from Crescent Beach.  It appears to be quite healthy and somehow withstandsthe icy out-flow winds that sometimes happen during our winters.

 

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

 

 

JANUARY 04, 2021

 

TNT Year in Review 2020


To help celebrate the end of the horrific 2020, here is the TNT Year in Review that also is a quick reference to stories you may have missed or want to read again.

Jan. 6, Pearl of the Peninsula:  Meet Pearl the peafowl who now resides in the Crescent Heights neighbourhood, likely after being dumped there from the wild flock living in Sullivan, Surrey.

Jan. 13, NO TNT:  Time for our winter vacation pre-COVID as I actually take a week off from penning my TNT, using copious amounts of tequila and beachfront relaxation techniques to avoid writer withdrawal.

Jan. 20, Digging Your Own Snowy Grave:  Everything you need to know about the dangers of shovelling snow after I returned from Mexico to find out a buddy in White Rock had died clearing snow.

Jan. 27, Freezing My Tail Feathers Off:  How to safely feed tiny Anna's hummingbirds throughout the winter even during periods of freezing weather and falling snow.

Feb. 3, What The Tuk-Tuk?:  A chance encounter at a McDonald's parking lot started this TNT about a three-wheeled trike common in Asia but unknown on the streets of the Semi-pen.

Feb. 10, Trudeau's True Doo:  With PM Trudeau's new beard showing plenty of white, I decided to let my hair down and examine how Justin's world-famous locks still did not have a touch of grey.

Feb. 18, Slip Sliding Away:  Yet another TNT focusing on landslides from the Ocean Park bluff including multiple mudslides in the Coldicutt Ravine that still remains closed, possibly permanently.

Feb. 24, Keep Our Beaches Clean - Dump on the BNSF:  This article with plenty of photographic proof shows how the BNSF Railway continues to dump landslide debris from their tracks, burying our beaches.

 

March 3, Barking Up the Wrong Tree:  Surrey's tree bylaw and their policies of tree replacement is examined after they rip me off to the tune of $400 after I planted a tree where the dead one that was removed once grew.

March 9, What the Truck is Going On?:  If I can spot illegal truck parking on agricultural land using Surrey's COSMOS site, how come the City and the Agricultural land Commission can't?

March 16, Panic-demic:  The COVID-19 pandemic is starting to mount as I look at panic buying including the hoarding of toilet paper that is illogical when dealing with a respiratory illness.

March 23, Social Distancing Disgusting:  If you didn't get the memo about washing your hands and social distancing, you just might after reading this piece about COVID-19 protocols needed to stop the spread.

March 30, Canada Against Covid:  In the third TNT in a row focusing on the dangers of COVID-19, I champion Canadians to put up the Maple Leaf and wear red and white in a stand against the virus.

April 6, Crescent Beach Covid Blanket Beach Bingo:  The crowds of people at Crescent Beach including large weddings and people using the staircases for exercising are examined after White Rock closed up shop.

April 14, Easter Very Long Weekend:  The list of closures, bans and event cancellations happening across the Semi-pen is reviewed including the closure of the staircases leading to Crescent Rock beach.

April 20, Gander a Gaggle of Geese:  After a relentless run of TNT's on COVID, finally a refreshing piece on Canadian geese and their young crossing 16 Ave./North Bluff Rd. near 148 St./Oxford Rd.  

April 27, Big Love:  Meet Allison Voth, the lady with the biggest balls in all of White Rock who at a time when we need love the most, brings her Big Love Balls and an important message to the City By The Sea.

May 4, Gunning For Trudeau:  While the federal Liberals should be taking aim at COVID, they find time to ban legal firearms across Canada and I put the cross-hairs on this dictatorial decision.

May 11, Stop The Asian Invasion:  The Giant Asian Hornet is put under a microscope as they start to be found in the Lower Mainland.  Note, they are not "Murder Hornets", a fake name created by the New York Times.

May 20, The Devil in the Details:  If you are 55 or over and considering deferring your property taxes you might want to read this TNT that reveals it might not be the great deal you first imagined.

May 25, Surrey Politics Make Strange Bedfellows:  The relationship between Mayor Doug MacCallum and Councillor Allison Patton and their conduct is examined after mainstream media looked away from this power couple's antics.

June 1, Shooting Off About Surrey:  I give 'em both barrels in this TNT gunning for Abby Lane Amica who were being goofs to their WR neighbours and the $54 million cost to switch from LRT to Crimetrain in Surrey.

Jun 8, 8 Min. 46 Sec. That Shook the World:  The murder by police of George Floyd in Minneapolis makes me look at our police forces here in Canada regarding the use of body cameras plus the change from RCMP to Surrey Police Service.

June 15, Party on the Patio:  With COVID-19 protocols forcing people to stay far apart, restaurants respond by creating patio space in parking areas, where City Hall is waiting to pick their pockets.

June 23, Steps to a Solid Foundation:  The Christopherson Steps at the west of 24 Ave. may be closed to the public but contractors were there busy rebuilding the concrete base of the storm damaged pedestrian walkway.

June 29, Covid Rock:  With music concerts a thing of the past and other events being cancelled, I look at how virtual shows are stepping up to fill the void in our lives left by the pandemic.

July 6, "Being Open is a Wonderful Thing":  Van City gets a TNT treatment for their branch closures in south Surrey and White Rock while advertising that they are open for business as usual.

July 13, Showing a Litle Tact:  Tactile paving and brail blocks are explored by this insightful article about changes to our urban environment designed to help the visually impaired.

July 21, Nude Beach a Distant Memory:  The gift of a Sunshine Acres Nudist Camp key chain prompts me to look at how to access the clothing-optional shoreline of Crescent Rock beach with the stairs still being closed.

July 26, Fatten the Curve:  The Semiahmoo First Nation is scolded for keeping their pay parking lot and beach open to crowds of people while other beaches and parks are limiting visitors.

Aug. 3, Bitter About Quitters:  If you are going to run for office in south Surrey and White Rock, better plan on hanging around for your entire mandate, instead of sticking voters with the election costs.

Aug. 10, Garbage Goofs:  When you go camping, make plans to "Pack it In - Pack It Out" after a trip to Harrison lake reveals young people are treating the environment like their own garbage dump.

Aug. 17, Talking About a Heatwave:  How to survive a heat wave and keep your cool with tips from the president of the Surrey's United Naturists (SUN) about Crescent Rock beach.

Aug. 24, Weedy White Rock:  Johnson Rd. in uptown White Rock is overgrown with giant weeds blocking lines of sight and creating a traffic hazard, while a new weed store "A Little Bud" opens across from the Whaling Wall.  

Sept. 1, The Princess and Empress of White Rock:  When the Princess tree was chopped down in Memorial Park there was an uproar.  Imagine the mood when I reveal White Rock turned down my offer of a free replacement.

Sept. 7, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them:   Keep an eye open and you might notice some of this long list of bizarre and rare creatures I've managed to locate over the years. 

Sept. 14, Holy Smoke!:  No..., not the best coffee company in town.  This TNT looks at air quality readings from US forest fire smoke that will literally take your breath away.

Sept. 21, It's a Boat Time:  A chance trip to the Nicomekyl River leads me on a trip down memory lane to the Livingston dingy I found and salvaged from the waters of Mud Bay near Crescent Beach.   

Sept. 28, Crabby Pappy:  Illegal Dungeness crab fishing has been an ongoing problem in Boundary Bay for decades but this year cross-border fishing by Canadians in US waters is finally halted.

Oct. 6, Behold the Behemoth:  Meet Reid Gibbons and his M1079 Light Medium Tactical Vehicle, the largest truck in south Surrey that by chance I happened to meet up with twice this summer while camping.

Oct. 13, From Hump Hillside to Stump Hillslide:  With $1 million plus slope stabilization work now underway, everything you wanted to know about the Hump HIllside but were deathly afraid to ask.

Oct. 19, Wailing Over White Rock:  Just because you hear an emergency siren and broadcast verbal warnings in White Rock, don't jump to the conclusion they are coming from the Semiahmoo First Nation.

Oct 26, Semiahmoo Ship Graveyard:  Not one..., not two..., but three ships are washed ashore in Mud Bay and I meet the Captain of this rag-tag flotilla and his plans to refloat them.

Nov. 2, Free Point Roberts!:  There has not been a single case of COVID-19 reported in Point Roberts in all of 2020 but yet it still remains an isolated outpost closed off from Canada.

Nov. 9, Semi-Pen Cesspool:  Before COVID-19 numbers in Fraser Health reached epidemic proportions, this TNT revealed that south Surrey and White Rock were awash in the novel coronavirus.  

Nov. 16, Doing God's Work:  If you love the environment and pray to God, then the A-Rocha Christian conservation group with their habitat restoration projects is certainly an organization you want to join.

Nov. 24, Christmas Lights Not So Bright:  Just in time for putting up Christmas lights, this TNT warns of some of the dangers of climbing up ladders, going on roofs or hanging from trees.

Nov. 30, Racial Divide in Surrey:  Surrey Councillor Jack Hundial gets smeared in a racist US-styled attack ad posted on Mayor McCallum's Safe Surrey Coalition FB page plus the Keep The RCMP In Surrey BC FB page.

Dec. 7, Reflecting on Winter Sunbathing:  Want to beat the winter blues?  Read about how reflective tarps can create tropical heat on sunny winter days, giving you a winter tan and vital vitamin D.

Dec. 14, Life in the Slow Lane:  Cities are looking at implementing 30 Km/h speed zones, some municipalities have already done so, and I reveal a cheap and easy plan to improve traffic safety on residential side streets.

Dec. 21, The Permanent Temporary Bridge:  Breaking news on how after years of delays the old bailey bridge crossing the Nicomekl river plus the adjacent two-lane bridge on the KGB will be replaced with a new four lane structure.

Dec. 28, Christmas Gift List 2020:  After a year with not a lot to laugh about, the list of naughty and nice gifts we hope Santa left under the tree for the year's Semi-pen new makers.

There you have it folks; the dates, titles and topics for another 52 week's worth of The Naked Truth columns in the White Rock Sun.  I hope you enjoyed reading these TNTs as much as I liked writing them.  See you all next year with 2021 promising an eventual return to normal life as we once knew it.

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

 

 

December 28, 2020

Christmas Gift List 2020



If there's one thing I love about Christmas it's the annual traditions and in the White Rock Sun this holiday TNT is always special.

Here's the list of naughty and nice gifts we hope Santa left under the tree for the movers, shakers and decision makers from the Semiahmoo peninsula, listed alphabetically so as not to offend anyone.



Harley Chappell:  The Chief of the Semiahmoo First Nation got his Christmas present a little early getting voted in again as leader of the band on Dec. 22nd.  He will get another gift in the New year as soon as his house is plumbed into the new Met-Van water that is finally being piped onto the reserve after years of boil water advisories.

Joanne Charles:  Just like Chief Chappell, this veteran SFN Councillor got her present early on Dec 22, being re-elected yet again.  As a stuffing stocker, a telephone message machine for the band office letting people know there are two emergency siren and warning systems in use at Semiahmoo Bay; one on the reserve, the other in Blaine, USA that can be heard in White Rock, Canada.

Dave Chesney, WR Councillor & WR Sun editor:   Once again he gets his annual jar of Holy Smoke Coffee Co. Holiday Blend from me for having to put up with my bombastic writing, attempted use of profanity, profound ranting and raving, plus trying to post photos a little too risqué (that's French for sexy ) for this publication.  

Mark Donnelly, Vancouver Canucks anthem singer:  Two front row tickets to the Canucks first home game this season so he can stand and lead the crowd in a rousing rendition of O' Canada, before the anthem officially gets sung.   As a stocking stuffer, a DVD copy of Jim Carrey's movie "The Mask" after White Rock's most famous voice got fired for free speech against COVID-19 protocols.

Helen Fathers, WR Councillor:   In case you hadn't heard, this veteran WR Councillor fell ill with non-COVID-19 related health issues in 2020 and spent 18 weeks in hospital before being recently released.  For the grand dame of WR who is recovering nicely we'll send her bouquets of flowers, a get-well soon card and a case of chicken noodle soup.

Trevor Halford, South Surrey White Rock MLA:  For yet another patronizing politico who was not from here but got green-lit over possible local choices (hello Megan Knight) and jettisoned into this riding before subsequently getting elected, a tattered parachute and a heavy lump of coal in his stocking.

Dr. Bonnie Henry, BC Health Officer:  For BC's top Doc who has guided us through the COVID-19 pandemic and told us to avoid gathering with friends and family for the holidays, some green face paint, green hair spray, yellow contact lenses and a copy of both Dr. Seuss's book and Jim Carrey's movie "The Grinch Who Stole Christmas"

Pixie Hobby, Green Party Candidate:  For this well-known environmental socialist (read Green Party and NDP supporter) who lives in Crescent Beach, an apron from Ethical Addictions in Ocean Park featuring an angelic pixie in a lush tropical garden with the slogan "Greens Aren't Weird, You're Weird."  The most perfect real gift to ever grace this Christmas TNT.

Norm Lipinski, Surrey Police Service Chief:  For the former Deputy Chief Constable from Delta who has been hired as Surrey's future Chief of Police, a Darth Vader costume after crossing over to the dark side and coming to Surrey.  As a stocking stuffer our top cop gets a framed picture of actor Kevin Bacon, his long-lost twin brother (no pig/bacon reference is intended or inferred).

Doug McCallum, City of Surrey Mayor:  No matter what it costs, a copy of every corny 70's TV cop show from "Car 54, Where Are You?" to "Adam-12" for the man fixated on replacing the RCMP.  As a stocking stuffer, an Uber gift card to help keep Surrey streets safe from his crash prone driving along with some Double Dutch CHiPs that are great for double dipping.

Allison Patton, Surrey Councillor:  For the Safe Surrey Councillor who was first fined and suspended for campaigning as a "community physician" then apparently went into a naturopathy business with Mayor Doug McCallum, a copy of the book "Ethics in Professional Life" by Sarah Banks.  As a stocking stuffer she can use during the COVID-19 pandemic, a full-face shield known for its transparency.

Darryl Walker, Mayor of White Rock:  For White Rock's Mayor, an ugly Christmas sweater to replace the moth-eaten Mr. Rodger's cardigan he invariably shows up wearing for White Rock's Council Zoom meetings.  For a stocking stuffer, a copy of this TNT as he obviously did not receive the same gift I sent him last year or get the subtle message about his fashion faux-pas. 

White Rock & South Surrey residents:  For every single person who lives in the Semiahmoo peninsula, a virtual hug and kiss for washing your hands, keeping your distance, masking up, staying home and doing your part to stop the spread of COVID-19 in our community.  Hopefully with vaccines now starting to be administered to the public we can put an end to our quasi-hermit living and get back to real life that includes social interactions and quality family time.


Merry Christmas everyone and have a safe and quiet New Year realizing that 2021 should eventually get back to normal, with hindsight being 2020.


Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

December 21, 2020

The Permanent Temporary Bridge

 


It is embarrassing how dilapidated and dangerous portions of our highways south of the Fraser have become.  While new infrastructure has been built over the past few decades, relics of our past have been allowed to decay and rot without maintenance or attention, regardless of the danger they pose.  The King George Boulevard overpass crossing Hwy. 99 northbound is an easy example with the direction signage alerting motorists to which lane to be in now totally worn out and faded so that they are completely invisible at night.  Also missing are any right hand turn only warning signs, or painted arrows on the pavement that have been scraped away by snowplows during winters long ago.  This is not only a problem in south Surrey; I have witnessed the same issues on our highways throughout the Lower Mainland.  It likely is also an issue on our out-of-town highways but I don't get out as much as I used to thanks  to Dr. Bonnie Henry and Covid-19.

 

The burr under my saddle which has gone from an irritable itch to a bloody red sore that I can't stop picking at is the state of the Nicomekl River Bailey bridge.  This temporary bridge that was developed by the British for use in World War 2 was installed on what was then King Geoge Highway in the early 1970s according to City of Surrey records.   Back on Sept 25, 2017, I featured problems I saw first-hand with the Nicomekl bailey bridge after it had been suddenly closed for emergency repairs.  This piece titled "Bailey Bridge Blockade" detailed a Jenga-like set of boards and timbers holding up the south end of the bridge, signs of corrosion and metal fatigue plus creosoted posts so rotten I could put my foot inside of one.  Since public safety and transportation systems have become somewhat of a hobby for me, I forwarded a copy of my column along with a series of photos of what I had seen under the bridge off to the BC Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (MoTI) plus Mainroad Highway Asset Management.

 

It would appear my email that also was Cc'd to many politicos and the City of Surrey had the desired effect.  It took less than a week for signs to appear on bridge and a public announcement made about the closure that saw load limits of 10,000 Kg placed on the span banning large trucks and public transit buses.  On October 5th, 2016, the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure released the following announcement regarding this antiquated crossing:

Bailey Bridge in South Surrey will undergo full replacement 

The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure is planning to replace the Bailey bridge which crosses the Nicomekl River on King George Boulevard.  Crews will replace the temporary Bailey Bridge with a steel superstructure, which includes a new deck, along with the required approach and abutment works.  The new bridge will provide improved reliability for travellers and a longer lifespan, and it will allow the ministry to remove the current 10,000 kg-weight restriction for vehicles using the crossing.  Drivers are advised that the one-lane crossing will close for approximately six weeks, tentatively starting on Oct. 16.   This length of closure is necessary for crews to complete the replacement.  Single-lane traffic in each direction will be maintained on the adjacent two-lane structure. 


Well folks, here we are over four years later and much to my surprise the old Nicomekl bailey bridge is still standing.  I saw crews working and welding on the structure again back in November, around the same time that the lighted moveable highway signs warning of the bridge load limits suddenly disappeared from both Crescent Road and King George Blvd.  Make no mistake, the bridge is still rated at only 10,000 Kg., ensuring that buses headed to the nearby Park & Ride station have to change lanes both before and after the bridge to avoid going over this weakened structure.  There are smaller Ministry of Highways signs posting the weight limit but they are hard to see, difficult to read, and I doubt if anyone other than myself and hopefully some truck drivers would actually notice them.


It's not as if the government has forgotten about the Nicomekl bailey bridge.  In November of 2017 the new BC NDP government announced that the project had unfortunately been delayed.  Apparently, this was due to the Ministry of Transportation not receiving environmental approval for the project from the Province.  In October of 2018 this project once again stalled with the BC Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure revealing that "The replacement of South Surrey’s long-standing Bailey bridge over King George Boulevard is delayed due to ongoing discussions with the City of Surrey."  In Sept of 2019 Surrey released a Request for Expressions of Interest and Statements of Qualification for two Disaster Mitigation and Adaption Fund (DMAF) Projects, these being for replacing the Nicomekl and Serpentine river sea dams and replacement of the Nicomekl Bridge.

 


Several weeks ago on December 7, 2020, Surrey Council received and approved Corporate Report R181 that detailed an intent to begin engineering design services towards replacing not only the dilapidated bailey bridge but the other adjacent two-lane bridge built back in 1939 with a new four lane structure.   The improvements to the Nicomekl Bridge crossing consist of the following:
•Two travel lanes northbound and two lanes southbound from the Highway 99 and King George Boulevard interchange to Crescent Road
•Improved neighbourhood access and circulation to Nicomekl Road from King George Boulevard
•Improved pedestrian connectivity to the Nicomekl Riverfront Park through the inclusion of a pedestrian connection across King George Boulevard
•Inclusion of cycling and pedestrian facilities
•Improved seismic and coastal flooding resiliency
The expected cost for this project is $18-20 million, with the MoTI and City of Surrey sharing the costs 50/50.  As luck would have it, design work is to commence today, Dec. 21, 2020, with public engagement in March of 2021, design completion in August of 2021, with construction beginning in the Fall of 2021 and scheduled for completion a year later in the Fall of 2022.

Now I hate to be a naysayer but after four years of delays to date I'm not going to hold my breath to see this project actually get completed on time.  The "temporary" bailey bridge that I now refuse to cross at all costs will be nearly 50 years old by the time it gets replaced, a full six years after replacement work was to have begun.  Hopefully it will still be standing by that time, since a Google search of "bailey bridge collapse" reveals plenty of reasons and some rather spectacular videos of why these bridges were only designed to be temporary structures for use in times of war.   You can read all of the details about this bridge project on the surrey.ca website at the following link.

https://www.surrey.ca/sites/default/files/corporate-reports/CR_2020

Naturally Yours

Don Pitcairn

 

 

December 14, 2020

Life in the Slow Lane

 


The City of Surrey is looking at reducing residential speed limits in order to stop rat-racing through residential neighbourhoods and to reduce or eliminate injuries and deaths on Surrey Streets.   This is a safety initiative that is part of the Vision Zero Safe Surrey Mobility Plan 2019-2023 that was launched in February of last year.  This comprehensive plan whose goal is "safe streets for everyone" is available on the Surrey.ca website at: https://www.surrey.ca/sites/default/files/media/documents/VisionZeroPlan.pdf



In a Corporate Report approved by Surrey Council last Monday, the Engineering Department selected the following streets for speed reduction zones during a one-year pilot project.  Please note that only one of these areas, zone 3, is in the south Surrey area.  

Zone 1: Between 96 Avenue and 100 Avenue from 124 Street and 128 Street
Zone 2: Between 75 Avenue and 80 Avenue from 120A Street and 124 Street
Zone 3: Between Rosemary Heights Crescent and 40 Avenue from 153 Street and 156B Street
Zone 4: Between 56 Avenue and 60 Avenue from 180 Street and 184 Street
Zone 5: Between 60 Avenue and 64 Avenue from 132 Street and 136 Street
Zone 6: Between 88 Avenue and 92 Avenue from King George Boulevard and 140 Street
Zone 7: Between 104 Avenue and 108 Avenue from 128 Street and 132 Street
Zone 8: Between 100 Avenue and 104 Avenue from 140 Street and 144 Street

Of these eight zones, three will have the speed limit reduced to 30 km/h, three zones will have the speed limit reduced to 40 km/h, and two zones will be control sites that will remain at 50 km/h.  In looking at literature and approaches taken by other municipalities across Canada to improve road safety, a “Slow Zone” approach was selected as the most appropriate for Surrey’s pilot project. Changes to default speed limits are currently not possible for municipalities in British Columbia (currently set at 50 km/h for unmarked roads), and the corridor speed limit approach is best suited for major roads rather than residential areas with few long stretches of roadway.  You can read all of the details of Surrey's Residential Area Speed Limit Reduction Pilot at: https://www.docdroid.net/xnN8R6Q/cr-2020-r182-pdf



It is not like lowering speed limits for certain roads is a new thing.  It is widely acknowledged that a pedestrian struck at 30 km/h has a 90 percent chance of survival , while a pedestrian struck at 50 km/h has just a 15 percent chance of survival.   As we are well aware, the 4 km. long stretch of Marine Drive in White Rock along the waterfront is all posted as 30 km/h due to the large number of pedestrians who regularly cross this roadway.  Crescent Road at Elgin Road is a 30 km/h zone because of the dangers posed by the old ESSO station on the corner and the new pedestrian crossing in the S bend.  Crescent Beach is now posted as a 30 km/h zone with a large flashing sign before you cross the tracks into the seaside village.  In nearby Delta, both Beach Grove in Tsawwassen and Sunshine Hills in North Delta have blanket 30 km/h speed limits with signs posted on roads throughout these neighbourhoods. 



In Beach Grove last month, a group of citizens who were concerned about people speeding through the hamlet banded together to help slow traffic to the posted 30 Kmh speed limit.  Their idea was to produce and post "It's Always 30 in Beach Grove" lawn signs with the slogan "We like life in the slow lane."  They produced 100 small signs that cost $16, selling each of them for $20 to help pay for four 4'x4' larger signs at the entrances to the neighbourhood that have now been erected on private property.  Using social media including Nextdoor where they post at "always30inbeachgrove" to help spread the word, they were able to quickly sell out of the small lawn signs that are now posted on one out of every four homes in Beach Grove.   Delta's Mayor, Council, Police and Fire Departments plus the Engineer Department all endorsed their initiative that has helped foster a closer sense of community for its residents while noticeably reducing speeding there. 



The DriveSmartBC website posting titled "Imposing a 30 km/h Speed LImit in Residential Areas" details how a recent survey by Research Co. found that 58% of British Columbians would definitely or probably like to see residential speed limits of 30 km/h.   Last year the Union of B.C. Municipalities voted to ask the Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure to amend the Motor Vehicle Act to allow municipalities to set their own default speed limits to 30 km/h for residential streets, an idea the NDP government rejected.  My common sense suggestion is that within city limits across B.C., residential roads that do not have centre lines painted on them should automatically be 30 km/h speed zones.  It would be cheaper and easier to post higher speed rates on arterial roadways and highways, especially since most already have this signage, than to post 30 km/h signs on every side street.  

Narrow residential roads with cars parked on them, kids running around or riding bikes and folks out for a walk would benefit by having motorists slow down to 30 km/h for the safety of everyone.  We already have 30 km/h zones for schools and playgrounds, why not 30 km/h speed limits for quiet residential streets where people live?  With increasing urban density, more and more vehicles on our roads plus increasing numbers of electric cars making little noise, this simple idea is one that needs to be adopted sooner than later.

 


Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

 

 

 

December 07, 2020

Reflecting on Winter Sunbathing

"The Missus"

So here we are at the beginning of December with the solstice only a couple of weeks away and a long hard winter awaiting us.  Because of the COVID pandemic many snowbirds have been grounded, deciding to stay home to avoid the plague or not being able to afford travel insurance at this time.  With winter getaways to tropical paradises only a pipe dream this year, what are sun-worshippers to do?   Well folks, my wife and I just spent last Saturday relaxing in the sun on a beach in 26 C weather, enjoying ourselves while getting a nice bronze tan and a jolt of natural vitamin D.   No, we did not jump on a plane, sneak across the border or pirate a sailboat to the South Pacific.  The answer to this little mystery can be found much closer to home.


Living in a temperate rain forest, we get plenty of clouds and precipitation this time of year, even here in the sun blessed Semiahmoo peninsula.  The trick is to keep an eye on the long-range forecast and to watch out for those rare blue-sky sunny days.  Even though the sun is low in the sky and the high temperature usually only a single digit, the sun still has some strength with a UV rating that is often at 1 or low.  If you can get out of the wind and be next to a reflective surface like a white wall, you can feel the heat of the sun along with the warmth from the backdrop.  The trick is to take the sunshine that is available and double or triple its strength in order to create summer-like conditions even in chilly weather.

Down at Wreck Beach in Vancouver there are many naturists who use reflective tarps to prolong sunbathing into the so-called shoulder seasons.  A cheap and easy method is to use reflective emergency blankets available at London Drugs, Canadian Tire, or online for around $20.  These 5'x7' blankets have red rip-stop nylon on one side, a shiny reflective surface on the other and grommet holes on each corner.  A couple of these placed behind you will greatly increase the warmth, reflect UV rays so you heat from both sides, plus cut the wind.  For the serious beach pro, Deakins Equipment in Vancouver on Powell Street (deakins.com) sells Silvacool forestry tarps with heavyweight white vinyl on one side and a mirror-like reflective surface on the other, available in 6'x9' for $35, or even larger if you really want to get cooking.


On Saturday we set up a few of these reflectors on our sun deck, exploiting the 3-hour window of sunshine we have that exists between our neighbour's tall trees.  The temperature on the far side of the deck was 12 C, 22 C in the shade near the tarp and 26 C in the sunshine.   As an extra heat source near chilly toes, we used a propane fire bowl in the middle of the deck but on this day it was really not needed.  With sunglasses on and housecoats nearby in case of clouds blocking the sunshine, we soaked up the heat that was as warm as the Palm Springs desert this time of year.  The sun was strong enough that we had to apply sunblock to our noses, cheekbones and foreheads plus chests that would have definitely turned red by the end of the day without solar protection.


At two o'clock with the sun getting ready to duck behind a big cedar tree, we decided it was nice enough to go for a trip to Crescent Rock Beach.  Since the stairways have all been locked shut since March due to COVID-19 restrictions we headed down to Crescent beach and walked south away from the crowds of parka clad people that were out enjoying the sunny weather.  Arriving at the nude beach, we were not surprised to see over a dozen naturists there with many utilizing reflective tarps tied to the bushes and blackberries that line the BNSF train tracks.  The tide was high and the seas calm, reflecting the rays of sun off the water effectively doubling the power of the sun even without a reflective tarp.  A couple of ladies even took the opportunity to cool off by going for a swim, much to everyone's surprise.

We finally packed up our gear and left the beach as the sun was getting low in the sky around 4 o'clock, with a colourful sunset happening as we got back to Crescent Beach.  Without our reflective tarp, the latest we had ever been at the beach for sunbathing was Oct. 6th a couple of years ago.  We have now gone to Crescent Rock Beach twice in Nov. with Dec. 5th setting a new late season record and those are just the weekend days when the weather was sunny and we had nothing on our busy schedules.   As the winter progresses, we will look for those blue-bird days when Cresent Rock beckons and a small campfire can also be used to help take the nip out of frosty temperatures.  See you down at the beach!


Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn


Editor's Note:  Read in Science Daily about how vitamin D levels appear to play a role in decreasing COVID-19 mortality rates with the sunshine vitamin strengthening innate immunity and preventing overactive immune responses.   

 

 

 

November 30, 3030

Racial Divide in Surrey



I was shocked and dismayed to learn last week that a Surrey Councillor, Jack Hundial, had received a death threat last Monday from somebody over so-called social media.  The message, that also made reference to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, threatened to put a bullet in him.  With Mr. Hundial's 25 years as a police officer and the plague of shootings in Surrey, he immediately contacted the Surrey RCMP to report the incident.  A police cruiser was parked outside his home while the threat was investigated and three days later a 42-year-old man from Surrey was taken into custody, later to be released with non-contact provisions, with charges pending of uttering threats.  



Mr. Hundial has been on a political roller-coaster ride in Surrey since first getting elected on Doug McCallum's Safe Surrey Coalition in the last previous civic election in 2018.  He quit the Safe Surrey coalition in July of 2019 citing the lack of community input over the proposed replacement of the RCMP by a new Surrey Police Department and the dissolution of the public safety committee as the final straw.  In January of 2020 Jack Hundial joined forces with previous Safe Surrey Coalition member Brenda Locke to form the upstart Surrey Connect (surreyconnect.org).  Needless to say, with his change of opinion on the Surrey police force transition, public rebuke of Mayor McCallum's actions and direction, plus quitting the Surrey Safe Coalition, Jack has garnered him a fair number of detractors since he was elected.

 


It would appear that a recent Facebook post may have initiated the threat of violence against Councillor Hundial.  On the Safe Surrey FB page, a Nov 20 post stated "An elected official should never put their political ambitions ahead of the commitments they made to get elected.  But this is exactly what Councillor Jack Hundial has done with his flip flop on Surrey's transition to our own Surrey Police Service.  Surrey's electorate deserves better."  This post was accompanied with a poster titled "The Two Faces of Councillor Jack Hundial" with a picture of his face in the middle.  On the left side it states:  Jack "I'm joining the Safe Surrey Coalition to get elected" Hundial and on the right side it states:  Jack "Now that I'm elected I'm ignoring my promises" Hundial.

 


Using the same two-faced analogy in the text of this poster, the left side states:  "Moving forth with our own Surrey police force, and I say this as a retired RCMP member for 25 years...., it's the time..., it's the right time", city Council Candidate Jack Hundial, Oct. 11, 2018.  On the right side his change of heart is noted with the following text:  "This will make Surrey less safe.  This is the opposite of what people want." Councillor jack Hundial, July 18, 2019.  At the bottom of the poster it states:  The only thing that has changed is Councillor Hundial's political ambitions.  WHICH JACK SHOULD SURREY RESIDENTS TRUST?

 


As greasy and unsavoury as this US-styled attack ad appears, it is the photo of Jack Hundials's face in the middle of it that is cringeworthy.  On the left-handed positive side, Mr. Hundial is printed in full colour, highlighting his rich brown facial colour as an indo-Canadian man.  On the negative right-handed side Mr. Hundial's face is shown in subdued black and white, making him appear to be Caucasian.  At its best this picture reeks of covert racism, but in reality, it is full in-your-face racism that was done on purpose and for effect.  This poster highlights the racial divide in Surrey and takes direct aim at Jack Hundial that portrays him as a Canadian version of an Uncle Tom.



Late last week after the suspect in the death threats had been arrested, I sent an email to Jack Hundial thanking him for his years of public service as an RCMP officer and Surrey Councillor, commending him for his dedication and sacrifice for our community.  I ended my note saying "For all that you do, I just wanted to say thank you."  I should note this was long before I found out about the unsettling racist attack ad posted on the Safe Surrey Coalition FB page and days prior to considering doing an article on this story.  I did receive a note back from Mr. Hundial thanking me for my concern and support of Canadian values.



Regardless of political leanings or whether you agree with their decisions, I believe that everyone who runs for office and is elected deserves our respect for joining the political process and representing their constituents in our democracy.  I don't think that negative attack ads with racist rhetoric have any place in social media posts from political parties, especially at the civic level in Surrey.   It is interesting to note that the following comment was posted on the Safe Surrey FB page about the two-faced Jack Hundial poster days before he received the death threat stating:  "Way to incite violence against this man Safe Surry Coalition!  Not impressed."



So dear readers, I have a couple favours to ask of you today.  Please take the time to email Councillor Hundial at jack.hundial@surrey.ca and send a note giving him and his family our support in this trying times.  Most importantly, please report the anti-Jack Hundial poster from Nov 20 that is still posted on the Safe Surrey Coalition FB page to Facebook as both overtly racist and inciting violence.  If Surrey Mayor McCallum won't take this offensive post down, maybe Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg finally will.

 


Naturally yours,
Don PItcairn 

 

 

November 24, 2020

Christmas Lights Not So Bright


One of the "Deck The Halls" movie set homes in Ocean Park, 2005




Well, it's that time of year again.  Remembrance Day is over and Christmas is rapidly approaching, with the pressure on to rake up all the damn leaves and put up the Christmas lights.  I remember many years ago working at a condo in south Surrey watching three elderly gentlemen, all 70 and 80 year-olds working together to put up Christmas lights.  One man was up a step ladder with staple gun in hand attaching the wire to the facia board with another gent holding the ladder steady while the third held the strand off the ground to avoid breaking the bulbs.  As I walked by I casually asked them "So how come we put up Christmas lights anyways?"  The man on top of the ladder who obviously was the wise one of the bunch looked down and responded "Well..., everybody else does." 



My mother worked as a nurse in Emergency Departments at Richmond, Delta and Surrey hospitals during her career.  At Halloween the ER would first be swamped by people with lacerations to their fingers and hands when they slipped with knives while carving pumpkins into festive jack-o'-lanterns.  The second wave of injuries involved people with burns from firecrackers and fireworks, including fingers blown off and eyes permanently blinded by pyrotechnics.   Then came the Christmas season with people showing up in ambulances who had fallen off of ladders, slipped off roofs, fell from trees or electrocuted themselves by touching power lines.   I decided to talk to her about this subject this weekend and the stories she told me about this subject were gruesome and made my skin crawl.  



Falls are increasing as a common source of traumatic injury, accounting for 40% of trauma cases and injury related deaths in Canada.  A study by the National Library of Medicine found that of those seriously injured while installing Christmas lights, 95% were male averaging 55 years old.  Injuries included neurologic (68%), thoracic (68%), spinal (43%), extremity (40%), and multiple other sites. Fall mechanisms were ladder (65%), roof (30%), ground (3%) and railing (3%). Interventions included intubation and critical care (20%), as well as orthopaedic and neurosurgical operative repairs (30%). The median length of hospital stay was 15.5 days. The fall-related morbidity (28%) and mortality (5%) were significant with a total of 12.5% of patients requiring transfer to a long-term care or rehabilitation facility. 


I was rather fortunate growing up in that my father illuminated our house for Christmas by using coloured floodlamps with a few light strings on bushes.  This meant that there was no need to climb onto the roof or to use ladders for holiday lighting displays.  Knowing about the risks associated with installing Christmas lights, I've always tried to achieve maximum effect with minimal work and time required.  My old standard was that I should be able to complete my Christmas light installation during halftime of the Grey Cup game.  Pushing this to the extreme, I now use two rotating LED party lights that consume a combined 6 watts of power that cover the entire front of our house with a kaleidoscope of blue green and red coloured dots.  No climbing ladders, walking on frosty or moss-covered roofs or climbing trees is required and it only takes five minutes to set up.  

 

If you have ever seen the movie Deck the Halls starring Matthew Broderick, Danny DeVito, Kristin Davis and Kristin Chenoweth, you probably know how crazy some people can get about Christmas light displays.  Much of this Christmas movie was shot in Ocean Park in 2005 with an elaborate set constructed in a park on 128 Street.   It featured a couple of houses in the fictional town of Cloverdale that supposedly were visible from space.  It was released on November 22, 2006, 14 years ago to the day that this TNT was written.  I believe that people need to consider the time and money needed to install an over-the top Christmas light display plus the energy costs associated with running them.   Think about your personal safety too as you don't want to spend holiday time in hospital or have your family attending your funeral, especially with the second wave of Covid-19 in full swing.


Naturally yours,

Don PItcairn

 

 

November 16, 2020

Doing God's Work

 

This fall I was leaving the Semiahmoo Fish & Game Club in the Hazelmere Valley at 1284 184 St. and much to my surprise I saw a group of young people happily digging away at the banks of the Little Campbell River that runs through the property.  I quickly figured out they were doing environmental restoration work on the waterway just south of the Little Campbell Fish Hatchery because of the various native species of plants and trees they were planting.  I stopped and introduced myself, thanking them for the work they were doing and found out they were members of the Christian conservation group A Rocha that runs an 18-acre farm not far away at 1620 192 St. in south Surrey.


It turns out that A Rocha conducts habitat restoration projects throughout the Little Campbell watershed, primarily on private land with the blessing of the owners.  They are also playing a lead role in investigating the spread of the invasive green crab in the waters of Boundary Bay (more on that in an upcoming TNT).  Their targeted restoration projects attempt to reverse habitat destruction and promote ecosystem recovery along with improving biodiversity.  Throughout the Little Campbell watershed member of A Rocha work steadily to perform the following:
  • Removing invasive species like Himalayan blackberry (Rubus armeniacus), reed canary grass (Phalaris arundinaceae), golden archangel (Lamium galeobdolon), scotch broom (Cytisus scoparius), English ivy (Hedera helix) and policeman’s helmet (Impatiens glandulifera) in the watershed.
  • Fencing out cattle and horses from sensitive riparian habitats.
  • Putting natural meanders and structures back into the river where previously removed.
  • Implementing sediment control structures at high-risk junctions.
  • Aiding other organizations that are working to restore habitat in the watershed.
  • Planting native species like salmonberry (Rubus spectabilis), vine maple (Acer circinatum), sitka willow (Salix sitchensis), garry oak (Quercus garryana) and western red cedar (Thuja plicata).
  • Creating new wetlands for fish and wildlife habitat.

I found it rather interesting that A Rocha would turn a love for God into a love for all of God's creations.  It turns out that this secular environmental group is rather unique as they are the only Christian organization in the Internation Union for the Conservation of Nature (iucn.org) that is composed of over 1,000 conservation groups.  While so-called "creation-care" organizations usually focus their attention on political advocacy and lifestyle change, A Rocha is known for their scientific research, conservation projects, sustainable organic agriculture and education programs.  

Their theology is based on a four pillars approach based on love, obedience, justice and hope but their "5C's of A Rocha" best explain their beliefs and their passion:

Christian – Underlying all we do is our biblical faith in the living God, who made the world, loves it and entrusts it to the care of human society.

Conservation – We carry out research for the conservation and restoration of the natural world and run environmental education programs for people of all ages.

Community – Through our commitment to God, each other and the wider creation, we aim to develop good relationships both within the A Rocha family and in our local communities.

Cross-cultural – We draw on the insights and skills of people from diverse cultures, both locally and around the world.

Cooperation – We work in partnership with a wide variety of organisations and individuals who share our concerns for a sustainable world

Besides doing environmental conservation work in our community, A Rocha also runs a farm at their Brooksdale property.  Instead of operating a roadside stand or store, they operate a Community Shared Agriculture program.  Members who join the CSA get to enjoy local seasonal eating with a changing variety of fruits and vegetables allowing people to "eat in season."  Their 20-week CSA program runs from early June till late October with a separate 4-week winter season in November and December.  Participants commit to the farm paying for an entire season and then receive a weekly harvest box of in-season produce.  They also have some of the best eggs you have ever tasted laid by free-run chickens that are pasture fed in their grassland fields.

To find out more about A Rocha and the Christian based environmental stewardship work they do in Canada please visit them at arocha.ca.  You can go for a tour of the Brooksdale facility, volunteer your time and expertise or make a donation to their cause either in person or online.  They also offer a three-month live-in internship with instruction and practical training in conservation science, environmental education, sustainable agriculture plus food and hospitality.  For information about A Rocha International based in London, England and their extensive global projects, please visit them at the arocha.org website.

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

 

 

November 09, 2020

 

Semi - Pen Cesspool

n case you have been living und a rock or possibly in a bubble, our provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry issued new health orders this weekend to clamp down on the surging COVID-19 cases in both Fraser Health and Vancouver Coastal regions.  This follows a record high 589 new cases on Friday and 567 on Saturday with 71% of these occurring in Fraser Health and 20% in Vancouver Coastal.  The new rules of conduct will be in force from Saturday at 10 pm until Nov. 23 at 12 pm with the possibility of an extension if the infection rates do not decline.

 

What this means to people in the Semi-Pen is as follows:

No "safe six" groups of friends, residents have been advised not to invite friends or family to visit.
Funerals and weddings are allowed but only with immediate household members.
Outdoor gatherings with people outside your immediate household are banned.
Indoor group fitness activities including spin classes, yoga, dance classes are suspended.
Indoor sports such as hockey, basketball, volleyball, boxing and martial arts are cancelled as is sports travel.
Businesses must daily screen onsite workers and ensure physical distancing plus mask wearing if needed.
Restaurants can remain open following Covid protocols including having no more than 6 people at a table.
Travel should be for essential reasons and not into or out of the Lower Mainland or Fraser Valley.
Party buses and group limousines have been kicked to the curb and banned immediately.
There are no new restrictions on churches or places of worship, keeping to the 50-person limit.

Schools are not affected by the new orders, with physical activities still allowed to take place.

 


Many people living here in south Surrey and White Rock might think that the Semiahmoo Peninsula is relatively Covid free and that much of the high positive tests originate from other neighbourhoods.  I know of a lady who runs a fitness business here who has twice had to close shop and self-quarantine due to Covid exposures.  The contact tracer from the Ministry of Health that she dealt with told her that South Surrey and White Rock is a Covid hotspot with some of the highest infection rates per capita in the region.  I have chosen not to name the woman or her business as she has already suffered enough financially and never contracted the damn disease. 

You can already see the changes in our community as to how Covid controls are being implemented.  More and more stores are now enforcing a facemask wearing policy, including the US based Home Depot that has now mandated them.  At Morgan Crossing on Sunday RCMP members were seen passing through stores checking to see that people were staying two metres apart and that staff were limiting customers allowed in the premises.  The east side of Peace Arch Park that was not closed and remains accessible from 0 Ave. at 170 St. is still attracting "conjugal campers" with their bivouac of tents for cross-border liaisons but police are now there checking passports when people leave.

 


I'm afraid with colder weather and more indoor activities that Covid will continue to run rampant and more severe measures might become necessary.  With Remembrance Day ceremonies this week, the five days of Diwali beginning on Nov. 14, plus all of the Christmas festivities and New Year's are people really going to want to socially isolate?  I finally got to see my aging parents this weekend, visiting them for lunch while staying on opposite ends of the kitchen.  I like to go down to the beach but the staircases on the Ocean Park bluff have remain locked now for seven months limiting access.  The Semiahmoo Fish & Game Club where I'm a member has closed yet again after already being shuttered for most of the summer.  Am I the only one that feels like the walls are closing in?

At least with this TNT I can get my voice out in the community while still sitting safely at home in front of my computer.  The lack of social interaction, demise of sporting activity,  absence of concerts and constantly being on Covid alert is starting to wear on me.  I'm getting tired of hunkering down and staying home, having already watched everything worth viewing on Netflicks this year.  Even hearing Dr. Bonnie Henry's soothing voice telling me to "Be calm, be kind, be safe" is starting to grate on my nerves.  I'm afraid it's going to be a long cold Covid winter with no vaccine in site and dreams of a tropical vacation kiboshed a long time ago.

  


Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

November 02, 2020

Free Point Roberts!

 

In an announcement on Friday evening, the time that many governments use to dump their garbage so as to reduce public scrutiny and scorn, our federal government quietly lifted the 14-day COVID-19 quarantine requirement for people entering Canada from two isolated border communities.  Public Safety Minister Bill Blair and Health Minister Patty Hajdu announced that residents of Stewart, BC and Hyder, Alaska along with Campobello island, N.B. and the Northwest Angle of Minnesota be able to cross the border to "access the necessities of life" from the nearest Canadian or American community.  Campobello has no road access to Canada, while Hyder at the end of the Alaskan panhandle has no road access to the United States.  Strangely missing from this announcement was any mention of a coronavirus exemption for our neighbours across Boundary Bay in Point Roberts.   


Over a decade ago I was invited to Lily Point in Point Roberts when this area was turned into a Whatcom County marine park after being purchased with assistance by The Nature Conservancy and Whatcom Land Trust.  At the ceremony an elder from the Lummi Nation explained that originally the US/Canada border running along the 49th parallel was to have turned south in Boundary Bay towards Victoria excluding Point Roberts. This was fiercely opposed by the Central Coast Salish who for generations had run a summer fishing encampment using reef nets capable of harvesting 10,000 fish a day.  A graveyard on top of the bluff contains the remains of many Salish people including Lummi chieftain who had passed away at Chelhtenem, the native name for Point Roberts.   Since the Coast Salish people accessed Point Robers by boat, having it accessible only by land from Canada was not a great concern so the point was left as American territory.

 

That all changed in March of this year when the US/Canada border was closed to all non-essential travel due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions.  It has been estimated that business in Point Roberts has declined 80% from pre-pandemic levels and that summer visitors and seasonal residents have all but vanished.  Not surprisingly, there has not been a single case of COVID-19 reported in Point Roberts among its 1,300 residents.   Washington State Governor Jay Inslee has reached out to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau asking for his help in getting an exemption for border travel for the residents of Point Roberts so that they may travel from Point Roberts to the Peach Arch crossing leading into Blaine.  You would think this would be easily done considering that US residents travelling to and from Alaska are given permission to pass through BC using the most direct route while avoiding tourism activities.  


It's not as if travel to and from Point Roberts has been completely banned.   In August a temporary free foot passenger ferry was set up to connect Point Roberts to the Washington mainland, first to Blaine and then to Bellingham.   You can still fly from Vancouver to Bellingham, take a taxi to the ferry terminal and as long as you have a reservation for the twice a week boat ride, make it to Point Roberts.  Essential goods are allowed to flow across the Delta/Point Roberts border and I have witnessed trucks from Point Roberts General Contracting with Washington plates heading north into Canada to purchase construction materials.  Most interestingly, children from Point Roberts are once again being bused through Canada to Washington State for school, with several attending the private Southpointe Academy in Tsawwassen.  Why children from Point Roberts are allowed to transit through Canada to Blaine while adults are stuck in this isolated US enclave needs to be questioned.

 

It is time that the people of Point Roberts be given their freedom and allowed to rejoin the rest of the continental United States of America.  Point Roberts is not a Russian gulag, Nazi concentration camp or Chinese detention centre and the people of Point Roberts should not be held prisoner any longer.  There has not been one single case of COVID-19 detected in any of their residents since the pandemic first started and the border was closed.  At the very least residents of Point Roberts should be able to travel by land through Delta and Surrey along Hwy 17 and Hwy 99 to access Washington State.  The other option is to allow Point Roberts people to come and go into BC but require a 14-day quarantine period if they visit Washington State and then return to the Point.  Seven months of isolation for a population free from COVID-19 is more than enough.  It is time Point Roberts is given the same travel status now enjoyed by Hyder, Alaska and Stewart, BC residents.  



Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn







 

October 26, 2020

Semiahmoo Ship Graveyard




A month ago, I penned a TNT titled "It's A Boat Time" regarding my good fortune at finding a Livingston dingy at Crescent Rock beach years ago.  In that column I explained some of the Canadian Maritime Salvage Law and how it pertains to finding lost or abandoned vessels.  Living on the Semiahmoo peninsula surrounded by water on three sides and with prevailing winds bringing boats into our waters from Vancouver Island and across the line from America, you never know what's going to wash ashore.  That is why I always keep an eye open any time that I'm near the waters of Boundary Bay, quietly waiting for my ship to come in.  



After a particularly vicious wind storm a few weeks back I noticed a sailboat's mast on the shores of Mud Bay that was visible from Hwy. 99 a short distance west from Mud Bay Park.  A few days later I saw yet another boat through the trees that line the Dyke Trail, this time an older power boat laying on its side in the marsh grass closer to Hwy. 91.  Not long after that I heard through the local grapevine that a derelict sailboat had gone aground at the corner of Mud Bay Park.  I figured that it was likely the first boat I had noticed that had simply washed further towards the mouth of the Serpentine River.  Imagine my surprise when I found out it actually was a third boat stuck in the mud in only a kilometer of shoreline. 

 


Having had the pleasure of walking in Mud Bay before, I put on my tall rubber boots and drove down to Mud Bay Park to check out the condition of the vessels and to try and figure out how three boats had got stuck in such a short distance.  I didn't have to go far down the dyke trail to find the first vessel, a sailboat with the faded spray-painted name "Jaws" on the bow siting not far from the high tide mark.   The hull was still in reasonable condition, enough that it would still float with mast and rigging in place plus a bunch of sails.  The cabin contained an assortment of waterlogged personal effects, outdated electronics and piles of junk.  Still attached with a length of rope and chain was a folding fluke anchor that the boat had obviously dragged ashore.

 


Walking along the shoreline on top of the piles of eel grass that had been recently deposited by the same storm, it didn't take long to come across yet another sailboat stuck in the mud.  This vessel looked to be in better condition and at least it was still floating far from shore instead of on its side on the beach.  I took some pictures of her but since it was high tide at the time there was no way I was going to venture out onto the mud flats simply for the sake of a better picture.  A paddleboard or kayak would have made this possible but you don't want to try walking in the gumbo that is the aptly named Mud Bay.  Imagine stepping in wet concrete with it trying to yank your boots off with each step, while pulling at your knee joints; that is what it is like.



After stopping to pick a few apples from a tree loaded with fruit at the water's edge, I finally made my way down to the last of the three wrecks, this one an old power cruiser.  I noticed it had a small row boat tied to the back and as I got closer a man appeared off the bow where some provisions had been neatly stacked.  After asking permission to come aboard (maybe that's aground) I met up with "Peter the Boat Guy" who was living aboard the last ship while waiting for a king tide so he could release the boat from the grip of the mud.  It did not take long before Peter revealed that two of the boats were his and that he knew about the Jaws boat, with all of them recently breaking loose from their mooring lines on the Nicomekyl river, floating downstream and then being blown to their final resting place.

 


All of these boats are part of the flotilla of derelict craft that is anchored and tied together not far from the Elgin Road sea dam.  Abandoned by previous owners these boats are repurposed as floating homes by people who don't mind cramped quarters and living off the grid.  These unregistered boats provide cheap sanctuary in an area with sky-high rents and million-dollar homes, plus have waterfront views and great fishing all around.  Peter told me that he had taken just possession of the Koa, a 40-foot catamaran owned by another gentleman who had recently passed away, and that he was looking to refurbish it.  That is of course, if he somehow manages to free his stuck boats from Mud Bay and get back to the safety of the Nic, something he told me he's done several times over the years.


Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn 

 

 

October 19, 2020

Wailing Over White Rock


This TNT column is best enjoyed while listening to the beginning of the rock band Sloan's "Money City Maniacs" song.


 



On Thursday morning I was working on the Surrey side of 16 Ave., aka North Bluff Road for those folks living in White Rock.  Now 16 Ave. is a busy truck route road but there was no missing the wailing siren coming from the direction of Semiahmoo Bay that began at 10:15 a.m.  As if the piercing siren was not enough, it was followed a minute and a half later by verbal commands that we could not make out over the din of traffic that included concrete and gravel trucks heading to uptown White Rock to help build yet another tower in the sky.  



I assumed the siren had to be from the Semiahmoo First Nation who had a Tsunami warning system installed there three years ago.  On its inaugural test (also on a Thursday) it caused quite the stir in the community with many people complaining about a lack of notification and that the verbal warning did not indicate that it was only a drill.  Since that time, the SFN system is tested on the first Monday of every month at noon, with a statement that it is only a test.  Knowing that the SFN alarm should not have been activated on the present date or time, I was left wondering if we had missed an earthquake while driving (happened to me during the 2001 Seattle quake) or if one far off shore had possibly triggered a tsunami that was headed our way.  



I quickly put in a call to SFN Chief Harley Chappell who was very surprised that their siren would be audible and that the tests, as I already was aware, did not happen in the middle of the month or at quarter after ten in the morning.  Chief Chappell directed me to call Councillor Joanne Charles at the SFN office to ascertain what was going on.  When I got a hold of Joanne I politely asked if the Semiahmoo band emergency sirens had been activated, to which she replied "What makes you think it's our siren?"  It turns out that Blaine has its own emergency siren and with light winds out of the south-east coupled with smooth seas, the sound was audible to most people in White Rock and nearby neighbourhoods.  Needless to say, Joanne was not pleased with fielding all of the phone calls from irate people, unlike myself who thought the whole situation was rather comical.



The reason why the Blaine emergency siren was on was that Whatcom County was participating in Washington State's "Great Shake Out" earthquake drill that is part of a global earthquake preparedness effort, including here in the province of BC.   Whatcom County has tsunami sirens in Blaine, Birch Bay, Point Roberts, Lummi Peninsula, Sandy Point and the Port of Bellingham that all were activated including FEMA's emergency Alert System plus radio and television broadcasters.   With some of these sirens stationed so close to the border, you would think that someone from the States might have taken the time to alert the neighbours north of the border but apparently this was not the case.  If we could have heard the verbal commands following the sirens, we would have noticed that part of it was broadcast in Spanish and not French, giving a clue the sirens were from the USA and not here in Canada.

The SFN's emergency system actually has different siren tones and messages including warning residents to vacate the beach or to shelter-in-place.  

It also allows for direct verbal messages and commands to be initiated from the SFN offices, providing residents of details associated with any emergency.  It is unlikely that a tsunami would do any damage to our area because of the protection we are afforded by Vancouver Island.   The BC Provincial Emergency Program has White Rock and Crescent Beach in Tsunami Zone E with a projected wave height of only half a metre, far below the heights of the waterfront dykes even when added to the highest tides.  In fact, the threat from a tsunami wave is so low here that signage and audible warning systems are not required.  Where an emergency broadcast system could be most effective would be in the case of a BNSF freight train derailment involving dangerous goods along the waterfront, but that is a subject for a future TNT.  


Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

 

 

October 13, 2020

From Hump Hillside to Stump Hillslide


Last week work began on the slope stabilization project for along Marine Drive at the top of the Hump hillside, or as I now like to call it, the "Stump Hillside."  Greystone Design Management Construction Ltd. is doing this work valued at over $1,065,000 on two sections of the hill, one 50 metres long, the other 70 metres long.  These correspond to sections of Marine Drive where soil monitoring devices were installed several years ago due to visible cracking occurring in the middle of the asphalt roadway.  The fear is that the slope "could potentially fail under seismic loading", potentially threatening portions of Marine Drive, underground city services located there, plus endangering BNSF trains at the base of the slope.  This work involves removal of the sidewalks, curbs and safety railings, installation of steel and concrete pipe piles to hold the road in place, then full roadway and sidewalk reconstruction with final asphalt resurfacing.  It is expected this work will be completed in January of 2021.


The issues reling to the Stump Hillslide go back more than a century to when this steep slope above the White Rock boulder was first clear-cut of the large Douglas firs and cedar trees that used to cover this area.  A historic photograph taken from the end of the pier in 1920 clearly shows five visible landslides on the hill, four vertical failure chutes and a large horizontal slump 150 metres in length just east of the pier.   Until about ten years ago the Hump trees were allowed to grow and flourish, helping to stabilize this steep slope.  Then little by little, trees started to be removed for a variety of excuses, some because they were too close to the roadway, others because they were growing too close to the retaining walls, and others because they posed a hazard to pedestrians and passing trains.  Finally, in 2015 White Rock paid $80,000 to have vegetation removed from the Hump so that the Marine Drive retaining walls could be properly viewed and inspected.  What actually happened was most of the Hump was clear-cut of trees and the rest of its vegetation, shocking both residents and visitors alike.  While this area was to have been replanted years ago, to date nothing has been done with the trees left to regenerate on their own


It is not like soil movement on the Stump Hillslide is a new thing.  There has already been a slope failure that tore out a big chunk of Marine Drive in the past, in the same area where the retaining walls were first installed to shore up the roadway and the underground services.  When I first started writing for the White Rock Sun, I noticed the sidewalk railings all along the Hump were leaning noticeably towards the ocean.  I contacted prominent SFU Geology Professor John Clague who sent a colleague out to examine them and take photographs.  He noted the railings, which were installed in the soil beside the sidewalk, were leaning between 10-20 degrees from vertical and ascertained that soil movement along the top of the hillside was the likely culprit.  It was not long after making waves about this subject in a TNT that White Rock decided to replace the sidewalk and railings along Marine Drive, putting in new ones with the safety railings mounted into the concrete sidewalk surface.  To date they have withstood the effects of slope movement and gravity with portions of that sidewalk now going to be replaced for the second time because of slide fears.

A decade ago, the Stump Hillslide was heavily forested with big leaf maple, red alder, wild cherry and many smaller native species.  It created a forested backdrop to the famed White Rock boulder, a natural vista from the end of the pier, and provided shade to those walking along Marine Drive.  It has since gone from forest to field, with rail car loads of logs carted away by the BNSF to help create unobstructed pier views for residents living across the street.  What has happened to the Hump shows the very worst of small-town politics, where decisions by civic leaders are made as personal favours to friends, acquaintances and possibly even campaign donors, regardless of the needs and wants of the citizenry at large.  In 2008 Transport Canada sent a letter to White Rock warning that tree cutting for views on steep slopes above the railway tracks was one of the top three initiators of slide activity threatening BNSF trains below.   Ignoring this warning and using the guise of removing vegetation to view and access the retaining walls, the Hump was basically clear-cut, leaving the razed slope that we see today.

 


The Stump Hillslide is too important to leave in the hands of unscrupulous local politicians or an American Railway, who allowed the clearing of the hill in the first place and facilitated the log removal from beside their tracks.   At the very least The Hump should be classified as ravine land and made exempt from tree trimming or clear-cutting, unless authorized by an independent arborist, not a city hired arborist or logging crew.  It needs to be replanted with trees we see along the Ocean Park bluff, big leaf maple, red alder, firs and cedars, along with dogwood and vine maple to help stabilize the Hump's steep slopes.  White Rock's own Parks Master Plan that is current until next year envisioned protecting the natural environment, acquiring more parkland for neighbourhood parks and to purchase the BNSF railway corridor if it came available.  I say let the BNSF have their corridor but expropriate the Hump hillside to create a natural seaside park.  If you want to see what it could look like, check out the picture at the top of the City of White Rock Parks Master Plan that shows the Hump from 2007 in all its glory before it was chain-sawed to the ground. 



Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

 

 

October 06, 2020

Behold The Behemoth  



Behemoth definition:  Something of monstrous size, power, or appearance

With the COIVD-19 pandemic in full swing this summer and much of life either locked down or put on hold, it was time to refocus our efforts at travel and relaxation with the border closed and air travel something I was not really interested in doing, especially without medical insurance against the latest plague.  As with many people the great beyond beckoned and we decided it was time to dust off the camping gear, raid the outdoor section at Canadian Tire and hit the road with the great unwashed hoard to find a private spot on the side of a secluded lake where we could relax in peace and quiet.

 

We take our roughing it pretty seriously and do not own a land yacht, diesel pusher, motorhome, trailer or camper, preferring to sleep in a tent and doo what bears doo in the woods.  My wife's sister and her fiancé had also taken to the camping scene like a fish to water, purchasing a truck, trailer and boat for weekend getaways to the Interior.  They invited us to join them up at Lily lake near Meritt, promising warm weather and sunny blue skies.  Leaving our one tonne work truck at home, we hit the road in our Caddy SUV packed to the roof with gear ready to do some glamping.   While not an off-road vehicle it fortunately is all-wheel drive which came in rather useful over the rough and rutted forest service roads taking us to Lily lake.  


It was not long after we got settled at the shoreline that we could hear the clatter commotion of a large diesel engine heading our way through the bush.  Emerging out of a dust cloud this gigantic military truck rolled into the campsite, dwarfing any and all of the vehicles in the forest recreation site.  Of course, I had to check it out and say hi to the man driving it, a guy by the name of Reid Gibbons who I found out lives in south Surrey.  I took a picture of the man and his truck, not giving either much thought until a month later we were camping on the east side of Harrison Lake near Silver river.  When I crawled out of the tent on Saturday morning, I looked across the lagoon and there on the other side was the same gigantic tan truck we had seen in Merrit.

 


After ensuring he was not stalking me, I decided our chance meetings at two different lakes meant I needed to find out more about this huge sand coloured monster.  It is a Stewart & Stevenson 1995 M1079 LMTV or Light Medium Tactical Vehicle manufactured by the Oshkosh Corporation for use by the US Military as a radio communications vehicle or mobile repair shop.  This 2.5 ton truck weighs 19,000 pounds with monster 395/85/R20 tires, powered by a 6.6 litre Caterpillar diesel engine and a 7 speed Allison transmission, giving this massive all-time 4x4 bulletproof performance off-road.  These military surplus vehicles arguably make the world's toughest camper truck, originally costing the US government $125,000 when new.

Reid purchased his M1079 off Facebook marketplace in May of this year from Phoenix 1, a local movie prop rental company specializing in military hardware.  What is truly amazing about this machine is that it only had 4,800 original miles when he bought it for $27,000 after it had spent years in storage in Texas.  Sweetening up the deal, he also picked up a matching tan coloured military trailer at the same time, good for transporting boy toys to the bush.   The M1079 may not be the fastest vehicle on the street with a top speed of 90 km/h and climbing the Coquihalla Snowshed hill at only 40 km/h all while getting 7 miles per gallon.  Where Reid's truck is really in its element is off road, going places in BC that an RV or even a truck and camper could never go. 



Watch for this show stopping military truck on the streets of south Surrey where it really can't be missed.  For more pictures of this M1079 in action check out Instagram posts of it at mudbayoverland.   Besides driving the biggest and baddest truck in the Semi-pen, Reid Gibbons has recently formed the Mud Bay Group with a friend that will soon start building aluminum snow mobile trailers, aluminum boats, and possibly aluminum dump box inserts for pickup trucks.  If you are looking for an aluminum welder or fabricator, Reid asks you to give him a call at 604-220-8615, promising anything he builds will be as tough and dependable as his LMTV truck.

 


Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

September 28, 2020

Crabby Pappy



A few years back I was asked by a guy by the name of Robin if I was interested in coming along with him to go Dungeness crab fishing as he needed someone with a strong back and weak mind to help hoist the heavy commercial traps from the depths of Semiahmoo Bay.  I'll never forget the first pot we pulled that was crawling with 23 legal sized male crabs attracted to the absolutely rancid smelling bait container full of putrid meat and entrails.   After muscling the trap to the transom at the rear of the boat Robyn then took over, reaching inside and proceeding to toss crab after crab back into the drink.  Thinking he had lost his marbles I yelled, "Robyn, what the hell are you doing?" at which point he looked over his shoulder at me and said "Don't worry, we're only here for the monsters."   The legal size for Dungeness crabs is 6 inches across the shell and Robyn would only keep those that were the legal US size for Alaskan King crab, measuring 9.5 inches across.  To say that the pirates of Semiahmoo Bay ate like kings those days would be an understatement.  



The waters off White Rock have been teeming with Dungeness crab for decades and with prices sky high (the Lobsterman on Granville Island is selling live crabs for $32.50 each) there is extra incentive for commercial crab fishermen from Canada to try and cash in on this yearly bonanza.  Unfortunately for some unscrupulous Captains, they often do not follow the rules, the most serious one which is not setting their traps across the border in US waters.  For three days on Sept. 11, 12 & 13, a joint Canada/US multi-agency enforcement operation took place targeting illegal fishing between White Rock and Blaine.  This included DFO fishery officers, the National Marine Fisheries Service, Border Services and "Ship Riders" police forces in coordination with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW).  There were 3 Canadian patrol vessels, 11 fisheries offices from Langley and Vancouver with plenty more US officers on boats in American waters.  



The target of this enforcement action was the Area J commercial crab fleet that is moored in the Crescent Beach Marina, which were allegedly dropping their crab traps across the border in American.  Four boats were intercepted by DFO, taken to the marine border and directed by American officials to retrieve their illegal fishing gear from US waters, with a 5th boat still under investigation.  Area J commercial Crab license conditions section 2 (2) states: No gear shall be fished in US waters; this includes all buoys, lines and traps. Canadian fishers are required to fish single traps only with a marker bouy identifying the specific vessel fishing the gear. Fishers are allowed 150 traps per vessel and mandatory electronic monitoring on each vessel is intended to identify fishing activities and locations. A total of 334 commercial crab traps and related gear were seized that are subject to forfeiture and a large number of crabs were released from the illegally set traps.  Investigations continue on both sides of the border with charges or legal action likely in both Canada and the US.

 


Illegal Dungeness crab fishing has been an ongoing problem in Boundary Bay for years.  A quick Google search of "illegal crab fishing semiahmoo boundary bay" reveals the long history to this issue.  In January of 2019, DFO along with the Canadian Coast Guard seized over 200 illegal traps off the municipality of Delta.  Most of these traps were unmarked, zap-strapped closed, lacked rot cord and had no ID tags or floats.

 

In Sept of 2015, 700 illegal crab pots were seized between Point Roberts and Peace Arch Park in a two-day mission involving the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and Tulalip Police.  The lead investigator in this case believed the illegal traps belonged to Canadian commercial fishermen entering US after their waters had been fished clean.  Back in August of 2000, two Canadian boats were confiscated and nine Canadians arrested by WDFW officers for illegally harvesting Dungeness crab in US waters.  In this case 400-500 crab pots were allegedly set south of the US/Canada border by the Bounty Hunter out of White Rock and the Friendship out of Crescent beach.  


This is an old adage, "Give a man a fish and you can feed him for a day.  Teach a man how to fish and you can watch him deplete the resource."  Hopefully this will not be the case with Boundary Bay and enforcement on both sides of the border can ensure that Dungeness crab fishing is limited so that the numbers do not match the declining returns we are seeing for salmon on the Fraser River.  One of the simple joys of living in the Semiahmoo peninsula is to be able to go out on the water and catch Dungeness crab that you can share with family and friends, preferably with a nicely chilled Chardonnay.  It is bad enough that you can't eat a clam or oyster out of the bay since the 1970's because of E.coli pollution, we cannot let simple greed in the case of commercial crabbers from taking all the Dungeness out of the waterway we share with our American neighbours to the south.

 

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn



 

 

 

It's a Boat Time



Row, row, row your boat
Gently down the stream
Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily
Life is but a dream

Lyrics to Row, row, row your boat, children's nursery rhyme.



After enduring over ten days of smoky haze, it was a blessed relief to finally see a sunset, which is what happened on Saturday evening as I drove down Crescent Road.  With plenty of low-level clouds, I thought there might be an opportunity to take a picture for the front page of the WR Sun.  Wheeling into Elgin Heritage Park, I got to their dock in time to take some pictures of the sun setting behind the moored boats.  I also got to meet several members of the Nicomekyl Rowing Club (nico-row.com) as they pulled their sleek sculls up to the dock at the end of the day.  This got me thinking about my little row boat that recently came out of hibernation fifteen years after I salvaged it on the shores of Crescent Rock Beach.


It's funny how the world works but when you are looking for something it invariably finds you, something called the universal law of attraction.  I was looking for a small boat, preferably one with a hole in it to use as a planter for a banana grove next to my hot tub and cabana.  It was in October when I took my two kids for a walk to the beach south of the Christopherson Steps and when we rounded the point, there was an 8 ft. long fiberglass Livingston dingy washed against the shore.   At one point in time it was a tender for a boat named Shatzi from Oregon, something that was obvious from the large lettering on the underside.  While in too good of shape to be used for a planter I thought it would be nice to have a small boat for fishing and trips to the lake.

The problem was how to get this dinghy home, since I was the only adult there and there was no way I was going to get it up the 190 steps of the formerly named 101 Steps staircase.  I quickly figured out my best bet was to get it to Crescent Beach and bring a friend and my truck to retrieve it.  Plunking my two girls into the seats of the Livingston, I rolled up my pant legs, took off my shoes and proceeded to walk in the rather chilly fall water back towards Crescent Beach.  While I realized it made for a rather strange site, a grown man towing two young girls along in dinghy, I was rather pleased with my find and decision on the best course of action.  That was until I got near Crescent Beach and saw an RCMP officer walking down the beach with his eyes fixated on me.


It seemed that one of the neighbours along the waterfront had decided the kids were obviously in peril from the lunatic dragging them towards certain death in a watery grave.  The police officer was very polite, first asking how I was doing to which I responded "Not good, my feet are freezing, thank you very much."  Then came the big question, "So, is this your boat?" followed by my quick reply, "It is now."  The cop was rather amused by my answer and after asking what I meant, I told him, "I found this American dinghy washed ashore just down the coast and am claiming it under the Canadian Mariner's Rights in Salvage.  I will be reporting my find to the Receiver of Wrecks at the Canadian Coast Guard who will attempt to contact the former owner so that I may be compensated for my salvage and storage costs."

The confused look on the officer's face was simply priceless.  I actually had to repeat what I had already told him and explain the legal framework of salvage rights on the open seas.  When he said he would have to confiscate the boat, I told him that he needed to understand the dinghy was now in my possession and I would not be relinquishing ownership to the RCMP.  Well he got on the radio with his precinct and after about 15 minutes of explaining the situation and saying "uh-huh" about a hundred times, he finally put down the microphone and said "You're right, how the hell did you know this stuff?"  I told him, "Well officer, when you live down by the beach, you never know when your ship is going to come in."   He bid me a good day and it wasn't long before my two daughters and new dinghy were safe at home.



The Canadian Coast Guard was never able to find the registered owner even with the name and number from the dingy and I became the legal owner.  After the initial rush of finding the Shatzi had worn off, it has spent most of its time leaning up against the north side of our house.   With COVID BS, camping was back in vogue this summer and we decided to take it out on our latest trip to Harrison Lake.  Washing off a decade of algae revealed that the letter "I" in the name had peeled off and we rechristened her the "Shatz", which everyone thought was hilarious (think shatz your pantz).  Having it fit in the back of a pick-up truck means no trailer is needed and while the oars work well, we are looking at both an electric and a small gas motor for next year.   

I never got the small boat to use for a planter but I do have two large banana groves in the yard and a very sturdy dingy that is unsinkable.  My now grown up kids still remember the day they thought their Dad was going to get arrested for finding a boat at Crescent Rock beach.  Forget Jimmy Pattison's Nova Spirit yacht, every time I go the the beach in the Semi-pen I'm keeping an eye out for the Eclipse or the Azzam, mega-yachts that are almost two football fields in length costing $600 million.  Something tells me I might get in trouble for tying one of these floating palaces up to the White Rock pier but chances are I could afford the fine from my salvage fee.  For more info about maritime salvage rights and abandoned vessels in Canadian waters, check out the following two websites




Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

 

 

September 14, 2020

Holy Smoke!

 


This week's TNT headline has nothing to do with the Holy Smoke Coffee Company that used to occupy the tee-pee on the KGB in south Surrey who roast some of the finest coffee I've ever tasted.  No, it has everything to do with the appalling pall of smoke from US wildfires in Washington, Oregon and California that has recently crossed our COVID-19 closed border.  On Friday morning I stepped outside and could actually smell smoke in the air even though the sun was still shining bright.  This weekend though things took a more ominous turn with the great outdoors looking much like a foggy day in November and the sun blotted out from the sky. 



For two out of the past three summers we have had smoky days here in the Lower Mainland because of fires burning in BC that westerly winds pushed out from the Interior into our corner of the world.  The fires now burning up and down the west coast of America are unprecedented in size and destruction with unseasonably dry weather combined with strong winds creating perfect conditions for firestorms.  Until fall rains arrive it is unlikely that many of the fires now burning out of control in Washington, Oregon and California will not be controlled or put out.  As long as the prevailing winds are heading north, we can expect the smoke to linger.  If you think its bad here, my buddy in Corona, California had this to say on Sunday about their air quality, "It's terrible here, my lungs hurt."

 


Since Sept. 8th Metro Vancouver has been under an Air Quality Advisory due to the smoke levels and find particulate matter known as PM2.5 that can easily enter homes due to their small size.   Environment Canada issued the following health warnings in response to the very high levels of smoke that are currently sitting at 200 micro grams per cubic metre.   "Persons with chronic underlying medical conditions or acute infections such as COVID-19 should postpone or reduce outdoor physical activity until the advisory is lifted, especially if breathing feels uncomfortable. Exposure to PM2.5 is particularly a concern for people with underlying conditions such as lung disease, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, and/or diabetes, individuals with respiratory infections such as COVID-19, pregnant women and infants, children, and older adults."

 


Our Provincial government has a BC Air Quality website that shows the current air quality readings in real time.  This includes Air Quality Health Index readings (AQHI), several readings for both PM2.5 and PM10 plus ozone, nitrous oxide, sulphur dioxide, plus total reduced sulphur compounds (TRS).   The AQHI is based on a scale of 1-10+ and reports on the health risks associated by a mixture of particulate matter, ground level ozone and nitrogen dioxide.   As you might have guessed with all the coughing and wheezing, we have been at the 10+ level for several days across the Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley since the smoke arrived.  You can check out the data this very interesting website contains which is refreshed every hour at:  http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/epd/bcairquality/readings/find-stations-map.html

 


A little closer to home the City of White Rock has installed an air quality sensor at the remodeled Memorial Park next to the famous pier.  Powered by a laser beam, a fan draws air through this beam with any suspended particles reflecting the light onto a detection plate where these pulses of light determine the size and number of particles.  As I wrote this TNT the sensor was hovering just under 200 with the one day rate at 178.  You can check out this real time data at https://www.whiterockcity.ca/802/Air-Quality-Sensor .   The smoke and associated particulate levels are supposed to decrease on Monday and hopefully drop to near seasonal levels on Tuesday with an approaching front forecast to bring showers to this region followed by sunny weather.



This air quality sensor in White Rock links to the Purple Air website (purpleair.com) which records readings from sensors across North America and the world.  If you think the air quality is bad here, imagine living near Portland, Oregon where the PM2.5 Air Quality Index is around 500.  In Northern California one sensor is currently showing readings of 774, four times higher than our daily average.  One look at the very high readings from southern California to northern Washington State shows just how massive this wild fire and air quality problem really is:  https://www.purpleair.com/map?opt=1/mAQI/a10/cC0#3.74/41.71/-112.97

Dare I say, it really takes your breath away.


Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

September 07, 2020

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them


Last week I settled down in the evening to relax and watch a movie, choosing "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them", a 2016 fantasy film that is a prequel to the Harry Pottery film series based on books by J. K. Rowling.   I'm not generally a wizard movie kind of guy but found it entertaining and the computer-generated beasts rather bizarre and interesting.  It got me thinking about the rare and exotic species that I have stumbled upon in our region and I have decided to share them here.   These are all animals, amphibians and insects I have only ever encountered once in my lifetime that is rapidly closing in on six decades.



My wife Sheryl and I were recently walking down a trail in a Langley Park one evening when we stopped to admire the sunset that coincided with a rising full moon.  As if that wasn't magical enough, a very small brown weasel ran out of the bush only a meter away.  It stood up on its hind quarters revealing its dappled white belly while looking straight at us.   As soon as we moved it raced away only to reappear soon after in the same spot, once again standing up on its back legs.  By strange coincidence I told a gardening friend of mine who lives in Mission about this critter and her cat had recently killed an identical one in the basement of their house.  She identified it as a Least Weasel, the smallest carnivore in the world at only 20 cm in length that feeds on mice, volves, insects and frogs in the nighttime, likely explaining while sightings are rare.  https://sierraclub.bc.ca/least-weasel/

 


Two weeks ago I was working and spotted a hard-to-miss insect buzzing around my feet in Tsawwassen.  It was a brilliant metallic blue hornet, the likes of which I had never seen.   Freaked out from years of getting stung by yellow jackets, bald faced hornets and European hornets, I quickly dispatched it with a stomp of my boot.  Examining it closely after giving it the kick of death, I realized that I'd never seen one of these insects before.  Thinking it might be an invasive species I decided to try and identify it once I got home, thinking there probably were not that many metallic blue waspy bugs on the planet.  Sure enough, a quick Goggle search revealed pictures of the Blue Mud Wasp or Blue Mud Dauber.  Native to the US and parts of Canada, these wasps are well- known for preying on black widow spiders.  While the blue mud dauber feeds on flowers for energy, they sting and immobilize spiders, placing them in common mud dauber nests along with an egg that they lay on the dead arachnid.  https://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/pollinators/pollinator-of-the-month/blue-mud-wasp.shtml

 


On a nature hike in July along the Little Campbell River in south Surrey at the Semiahmoo Fish and Game Club I spotted an old bucket along the edge of the waterway that had likely washed downstream onto the property.  Braving a soaker, I walked out into the soggy bank to attempt to retrieve this floating litter.  The bucket was half full of water and some silt and I used the handle to pull it out of the mud and carry it to the trail.  I proceeded to dump the silty water out onto the grass along the trails edge when this huge aquatic bug came out with the water and started flipping around.  To me it looked like a Giant Water Bug, which I learned is exactly what its called.   Found in ponds, marshes and the banks of streams, this bug commonly kn​own as the "toe biter" has front fore limbs that look like giant pinchers.  It feeds on insects, crayfish, tadpoles and small fish, injecting them with digestive toxins before sucking their prey's juices like a big mosquito.  If that isn't scary enough, these 5-6 cm. long bugs fly around at night looking for prime feeding grounds.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lethocerus_americanus

 


Several years ago on a rifle range in Chilliwack I stopped my truck to check out a holding pond that collected run-off water from a nearby hill.   While the small waterfall was attractive, it was the only thing I found interesting until I looked into the deep crystal-clear water.  At the very bottom of the pound was what I first thought was just an odd-looking stick until I realized there were two of these strange objects in close proximity.  It was only because of previously reading about them that I realized these were the elusive Pacific Giant Salamander.  Growing to a length of over 30 cm., Canada's largest salamanders eat beetles, slugs, snails and other amphibians.  When disturbed, these salamanders can make barking noises to help avoid predation.   Definitely a rare find, these salamanders only exist in BC in the Chilliwack Valley along slow-moving streams.  At the time, I reported my discovery to the Stream and Riparian Research Laboratory at UBC who are studying this red-listed species. https://sierraclub.bc.ca/pacific-giant-salamander/    https://richardson.forestry.ubc.ca/research-projects/pacific-giant-salamanders/



Though I did not find it, I have to give my sister Lee-Anne credit here for locating and dispatching an Asian Giant Hornet in March of this year.  She was outside in her formal English garden pruning a dwarf boxwood hedge when this 2.5 inch long orange coloured hornet crawled out of the plant she was working on.  Describing it a "WTF moment" she responded to her sighting like I do and promptly stopped this nasty looking insect into the ground.  She did not keep the dead bug but later that night spent time on her computer trying to identify exactly what type of wasp or hornet queen it was.  It was not until she read a TNT about these invasive bugs and saw a picture that she realized the world's biggest hornet had been hiding in her yard.  What makes this noteworthy is that she does not live down by the border where Canadian Agricultural inspectors have been looking for them coming north from Whatcom County.  Instead her home is in Langley's Strawberry Heights near 248 St. and 56 Ave. not far from the Krause Berry Farm & Estate Winery.   Let's hope she killed the only queen in the Lower Mainland as we don't need these foreign pests attacking the honey bees that do much of our crop pollenization.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asian_giant_hornet



Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

September 01, 2020

The Princess and Empress of White Rock

Don Pitcairn

For the longest time a very large and broad princess tree (also called an empress tree) graced the west side of the stairway from Marine Drive to the promenade directly across from the iconic White Rock pier. When Memorial Park was being redeveloped in early 2018, the plans were that this stately shade tree with its large leaves and beautiful light purple spring flowers would be saved. Unfortunately, these trees are known to have shallow spreading roots and it was discovered that due to the extended root zone and damage from excavators this tree would have to be cut down. The City said the decision to remove the tree was not an easy one, and that “we do acknowledge how difficult and emotional this news may be for some in the community.” A promise was made at that time that this tree would be replaced; it was with an oak tree that has since died.

What many people failed to realize was that a smaller princess tree was also growing on the east side of the stairs near the pier washroom. This tree was also under threat of having to be removed in the fall of 2018 due to work around the bathroom structure and fears the tree could topple onto the BNSF Railway tracks. Due to the public uproar about the loss of the first princess tree, an independent arborist was hired to examine this second tree, examine its health and to stabilize it. Even with root pruning to remove decay and other remedial actions the arborist noted that "the tree may continue to decline and die within the next few years." The last princess tree does not appear to be thriving with much smaller leaves than are usual and several dead branches hanging from it. 

The Princess tree (Paulownia tomentosa) makes a great shade tree for a number of reasons. First are the huge heart shaped leaves 15-40 cm across that easily block out the sun to create a blanket of shade. This tree also grows 10-25 m tall and 5-20m wide, reaching this size in a very short number of years. Acknowledged as the world's fastest growing hardwood tree it absorbs twelve times more CO2 than any other tree and on commercial plots soaks up over 100 tonnes of CO2 per acre. Princess trees originate from China and require full sun for proper growth but are tolerant of pollution and can grow in many soil types. In the spring this tree has very fragrant flowers that emerge before the leaves do, leaving it festooned with 10-30cm long panicles covered with lavender coloured flowers that resemble foxglove.

When these trees first sprout from seed they resemble sunflower plants and it is not uncommon for even experienced gardeners to tell the difference until the fall when the tell-tale sunflower inflorescence fails to appear. Once these trees have a footing in the ground they grow in the second year at an amazing rate, often reaching 5 m tall by the end of two seasons. I found one of these plants growing against a wall in White Rock several years ago and thought that one of the owners had planted it in its warm and sunny location. Even at 6 feet tall it was a battle to dig it out of the ground up against the perimeter of the building. Princess trees are known to emerge out of cracks in concrete and the Charlie Don't Surf restaurant on Marine Drive now has one growing at the front of their building.

I currently have a princess tree growing out of a landscaped bed in a courtyard four stories off the ground in Richmond. It is now above the balcony of the fifth story unit and the time has come to chop it down or remove it. I thought that this young tree could possibly be planted at Memorial Park where an oak tree that was selected to replace the original princess tree has since died. This request was forwarded through the proper channels at White Rock and I was informed that the City only buys certified nursery stock from recognized nurseries and that they do not accept plant or tree donations. While I can understand their point, I thought the price tag of $Free would appeal to them. Heck, I would have delivered and even planted it for them, fresh topsoil and tree stakes included. 

Since the surviving princess tree is not thriving and with the replacement oak tree at Memorial Park now dead, maybe the time is right for White Rock to plant a new princess tree to replace the one they cut down that everyone loved. After all, the artist renderings posted of what Memorial Park was going to look like when finished clearly shows two princess trees near the staircase leading to the pier. Of course, maybe City Hall is are more concerned about views of the ocean from across the street than the comfort of the residents and visitors alike who appreciated the shade the old princess tree used to supply on hot sunny days. My offer of a free five metre tall princess tree for Memorial Park still stands and the upcoming fall season is the perfect time for transplanting.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

August 24, 2020


Weedy White Rock

It wastwo o and a half years ago when White Rock hired arborists under the cover of darkness to move onto Johnston Road and cut down many mature street trees to facilitate upgrades related to tower construction in the uptown area.  After the sawdust had settled the roadway from Thrift to North Bluff saw a major facelift with new trees, curbs, sidewalks and landscaped beds.  While this area is quickly becoming a bit of a concrete canyon with condo towers sprouting everywhere, the new trees are growing well and the hanging baskets look amazing .  Unfortunately, the landscaped beds in this prime portion of White Rock look terrible, are overgrown, infested with weeds and pose a serious traffic hazard.


The main problem with these new landscaped beds is that the landscape architect decided that Canada goldenrod (solidago canadensis) was a good choice to be planted in these areas that see high levels of both pedestrian and vehicular traffic.  Goldenrod is a herbaceous perennial plant from the family Asteraceae that is native to northeastern and north central North America.  It grows in moist or dry fields, along the edges of forests and clearings. beside ponds streams and swamps plus as a weed in cultivated fields.  You can find it along the waterfront in the Semiahmoo peninsula where its golden yellow feathery flowers are prominently displayed during the summer months.  In other parts of the continent it is considered an invasive plant, including in both Asia and Europe.


Along Johnston Road these beds were obviously filled with good quality organic topsoil and the goldenrod has flourished in this location.  It spreads by underground rhizomes and is taking over vast swaths of these landscaped areas.  Probably due to an abundance of nitrogen in the soil plus irrigation, the goldenrod has yet to flower and has grown very dense and tall.  These thickets now block the vision of drivers trying to turn out of parking lots and streets onto Johnston Road.  In a one-hour window I had employees of 3 Dogs Brewery, the Wooden Spoon restaurant and a notary corporation complain about these plants and how they were blocking sight lines of traffic creating a hazard.  Even worse, they all claimed to have reported their concerns to White Rock City Hall many times yet nothing had been done about this safety issue.

 

Even though the goldenrod is soon going to flower it should be cut down immediately to a manageable height allowing drivers to see oncoming traffic on Johnston Road.  Sometime this fall this vigorous and tall growing plant should all be dug out of the beds all along Johnston Road and replaced with something that is lower growing, less invasive and more manageable.   The three-foot-tall weeds growing in these beds also need to be removed, something that seems to have not been put on anyone's work schedule at the Parks Department.  The Johnston Road beautification project has been mainly positive but these new landscape beds are in need of a major redo before next spring.  If nothing is done these plants will spread out even further exacerbating an already dangerous situation. 


The goldenrod isn't the only weed on Johnston Road that people in White Rock need to be aware of.   On Saturday, the A Little Bud dispensary at 1484 Johnston Road had their official opening as White Rock’s first and only licenced non-medical cannabis retail store.  A Little Bud was selected by White Rock Council as the sole licensed retailer of non-medical cannabis for the City By The Sea, beating out industry heavyweight Choom and even the government run BC Cannabis stores.  Headquartered in Abbotsford by owners Randy Tingskou and his wife Kaleigh, they have worked hard with their management team Martin & Jeremy to get the doors opened after being given the green light back in February.   The store sign has been slightly delayed but you can find them kitty-corner across the street from 3 Dogs Brewery and WR Beach Beer.  A Little Bud follows strict COVID-19 health protocols for staff and customers safety but should you want to shop online you can do so at their website:  alittlebud.ca



Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

 

 

 

August 17, 2020

Talking About A Heatwave

 


The heat is on, in the street
Inside your head, on every beat
And the beat's so loud, deep inside
The pressure's high, just to stay alive
'Cause the heat is on

Lyrics to "The Heat is On" by Glenn Fry from the Beverly Hills Cop soundtrack



There is nothing quite like getting an absolute cooker of a day falling on the weekend.  Sunday morning I was up at dawn and out soon after for a nature hike in a local park, glad that I had brought along plenty of ice water since it was surprisingly warm.  I cut my trek short when I realized I was sweating to death especially when the sun started to climb higher into the sky.  When I arrived home just in time for breakfast I got my first look at the forecast for the day that included not one but the following two special statements from Environment Canada.

Special weather statement in effect for Metro Vancouver:Brief Hot Spell for the Lower Mainland region.
A ridge of high pressure has been building over southern BC this weekend with temperatures peaking today and then gradually declining as the week progresses.  Today will be the hottest day with daily maximum temperatures reaching the mid-30s, particularly in Howe Sound and the eastern Fraser Valley. Overnight temperatures will be in the high teens.
Temperatures on Monday will remain high, however weak inflow from the Pacific Ocean will prevent temperatures from reaching the values expected by late this afternoon.  Please continue to monitor alerts and forecasts issued by Environment Canada. To report severe weather, send an email to BCstorm@canada.ca or tweet reports using #BCStorm.


Special air quality statement in effect for Metro Vancouver:  Hot and humid weather conditions are creating elevated pollution levels.

High levels of air pollution have developed. A special air quality statement is in place due to high levels of air pollution. Hot and sunny conditions have resulted in increasing ground-level ozone concentrations in the above regions. High risk AQHI values are expected to persist for 1 to 2 hours.
An air quality advisory has been issued by Metro Vancouver for eastern sections of Metro Vancouver as well as the Fraser Valley due to high concentrations of ground level ozone. These high concentrations are expected to persist until Monday and potentially longer as the hot weather continues.  Exposure to air pollution is particularly a concern for children, the elderly, and those who have underlying medical conditions such as lung or heart disease.


These alerts coupled with the forecast temperature of 30 degrees for White Rock made for an instant change of plans and we decided it looked like a great time to hit the beach.  Making just a few phone calls we rounded up several family members and a few friends who all wanted to beat the heat.  Since the Ocean Park staircases are still all closed and with one of our group having mobility issues, we drove to Crescent Beach just after noon.  Never in my life had I ever seen so many people and cars in the back roads and alleys.  We were fortunate to locate an empty spot right near the walkway, helping us to limit the distance we had to traverse.  While it appeared that most were social distancing, there were a huge throng of people at Crescent Beach.  

Crescent Rock beach was no different with barely any place left to put down a blanket.  Fortunately, one of our friends had saved us a spot that also featured some shade from a shoreline alder tree.  Due to the high UV rating, we brought along not one but two beach umbrellas, plenty of SPF 50 and a couple of coolers packed with ice and liquid refreshments.  Most of the regular beach goers were there along with plenty of other folks happy to escape the heat and possibly try to put COVID-19 stress behind them for a couple of hours.   When the tide came ripping in the water it brought was bathtub warm from the super-heated sand it had just covered.  As the tide continued to rise up onto the rocks the water did eventually cool down and people flocked into the ocean to get wet and go swimming.

When you live in the Semiahmoo peninsula, in order to get the most out of life and enjoy all of the natural attributes of this area there are several things you have to watch like a hawk.  You need to closely follow a quality weather forecasting service so you know on an hourly basis what kind of conditions you should expect to encounter.  One with doppler weather and futurecast modelling is important so you'll know what to expect, which clothes to wear and when it is time to go home.  Tide charts like the one posted in the WR Sun are also essential so you'll know how far the water will be from shore, at what time the tides are changing and the direction of the current.  This is vitally important if you are planning a trip on a paddleboard or kayak so you are not fighting against the force of the ocean that can turn a leisurely paddle into a major work out.

So enjoy the remaining heat on Monday as our high-pressure ridge will quickly deteriorate leaving us with seasonal temperatures and rain forecast for this Friday.  Not too surprisingly really as the PNE was to have started next Saturday and with the Fair usually comes cooler weather and a good chance of showers.  For all those people who bought new canoes, kayaks and paddleboards this year, better get out on the water and use them while you can because by the end of September beach days here are usually over.  For those sun-worshippers who love a day at the beach, the long range forecast shows this will be the last hot day in August and likely the last heat wave of the summer.  

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

 

 

August 10, 2020

Garbage Goofs

 

I'vealways loved the great outdoors and have respect for the natural world and the environment we live in.  When I go out for a walk in a park or a hike in a wild area, I pick up and dispose of any litter I find along the way.  This can sometimes include stubby beer bottles from back in the 1970's that I occasionally come across.  When I go camping (usually in a wilderness location, not a BC Parks site), I bring along a rake and shovel to ensure that my campsite is cleaner than when I found it and spotless when I leave.  Unfortunately the problem with idiots, morons and goofs leaving garbage in the bush has now reached the stage that my newest camping supplies are litter tongs and industrial garbage bags.

 


Last weekend my wife and I decided to head up mid-week to Harrison Lake where we have camped plenty of times in the past.  We used to head up into the hills on the east side of the lake to visit the Clear Creek hot springs but after finding it trashed multiple times by drunken young people, we found it easier to simply relax in the hot tub at home.   This time we headed to a jetty beach by Silver River that we have visited in the past as it affords some relief from the mosquitos that are often present when the Fraser River is running high.  This was the week after the BC Day long weekend so there were very few people around and lots of peace and quiet.  While the view of the lake was fantastic, the shape of the waterfront camping spot we had selected was far from pristine.

(cleanup complete)


When we drove out onto the parking area at the end of the jetty there were multiple tarps flapping in the breeze from where they had been left from someone's camping enclosure.  Next to these was a large deflated air mattress and a couple of busted lawn chairs.  All around the jetty were multiple campfire spots, most of them containing burned broken beer bottles.  Note to the uninitiated or dimwitted; cans are light weight, do not break and can be crushed to take up less space when leaving the woods.  Why anyone would want to bring glass bottles up camping is simply beyond me.  At one particularly littered camp site there were dozens of blue latex gloves on the ground, showing someone was concerned about catching COVID-19 but not about cleaning up their possibly contaminated mess.

  

There were even worse things left lying on the ground throughout this beautiful camping area.  Several cannisters of used up bug spray, some spray paint and empty propane cannisters had been left in one of the fire pits.  Some of the logs and rocks had been tagged, allowing some low-life to leave his mark so everyone would know what a loser they are.  One of these camp fires had not been properly extinguished and was still smoking with hot coals when we arrived, posing a serious fire threat to the nearby forests in strong winds.   A large pile of safety glass had been left on the beach, likely from where someone had locked their keys in their vehicle and had to smash one of the windows to gain access.  Needless to say that by the end of our time in this beautiful spot, all of the mess and garbage was magically cleaned up.

 


The caretaker of the nearby logging camp that I have known for almost 20 years came down to say hi and marvel at the condition of our rather large campsite.  He told us that he used to clean up after all of the pigs but had finally given up after ten years of playing campground custodian,  He went on to inform us that during the long weekend a large group of young people had been partying on the jetty and had shot a red-headed turkey vulture.  These are a protected species in Canada because they clean up carrion and dead animals from the forest, roadsides and shorelines.  There had been a large flock of ten of these majestic birds of prey that would circle at the end of Silver River every day but now there are only nine due to the selfish idiocy of someone who decided to use one for target practice with a high-powered rifle.

 


When we drove out of the bush chock-a-block full of other people's garbage, we drove past the Cogburn Recreation site.  It is clearly marked for people to take their garbage with them and yet there were literally hundreds of bags left over from the long weekend party that went on there.  Many of these bags had been ripped open and the contents strewn around, likely by black bears attracted to the feeding frenzy.   We got home in time to watch the news with Global TV featuring a report on partygoers using the Harrison River as a garbage dump that included a fully set up beer-pong table.   All of this reminded me of Elgin Park and Earl Marriott grads who trashed park grounds four and six years ago respectively and then got trashed on social media for their disgusting anti-social behaviorhttps://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/south-surrey-harrison-grad-class-campsite-mess-appalling-garbage-1.3600456).

 


Forest Service Roads are always patrolled by Conservation Officers, Fisheries officers, Fire Protection Wardens, the RCMP, park rangers and campsite managers.  Since it takes a vehicle to access these wilderness campsites, I think it is time that these protectors of our forests start taking pictures of all the licence plates of cars and trucks at wilderness campsites.  If partygoers decide to leave a mess in the bush then police should be able to have their vehicles towed or have ICBC cancel their insurance until heavy fines are paid.  At the very least, having those in authority taking pictures of licence plates and camp sites might make these morons think about the consequences of their selfish actions.  I believe that if this problem is not tackled eventually we are going to start seeing many of our back roads closed to the public camping in order to protect the ecosystem along our lakes and streams.


Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

 

 

August 03, 2020

Bitter About Quitters



You know you are possibly crazy when you run for public office with only a snowball's chance in hell of ever getting elected.  I should know, I've done it myself not once but twice.   That being said, there are political ideologies that need to be represented in a democracy and voters that wish to cast their ballots for the parties that they believe in.  If you are well known in the community, are bright and articulate plus well liked, you might even run as an independent and get elected but I wouldn't count on it.  At the end of the day, whether civic, provincial or federal, those running for public office do so to serve their constituents in their riding to the best of their abilities.  It should come as no shock to anyone that this job comes with a mandate of four year's time, less if an election is called early or the governing party fails in a confidence vote.

 


So what gives with the South Surrey White Rock riding and the quitters we elect to represent us?  This started back in 2015 when Dianne Watts decided not to run for re-election as Mayor of Surrey and announced she would instead be seeking the Conservative Party of Canada nomination to replace retiring MP Russ Hiebert.  Watts won this riding in October of 2015, the only Conservative candidate elected in Surrey with the others electing Liberal candidates.  Unfortunately for Dianne, Steven Harper's Conservatives were defeated by the resurgent liberals and their new poster boy Justin Trudeau.  Instead of getting a plum cabinet position, Mrs. Watts found herself as a backbencher in the ranks of the official opposition.  Less than two years into her role as our Member of Parliament, Mrs. Watts resigned in order to run for the leadership of the BC Liberal Party, which after five rounds of voting went to Andrew Wilkinson.

 


In May of 2017 the last BC General Election was held and BC Liberal Tracy Redies prevailed to become the MLA for this riding.  As with Dianne Watts, she bet on the wrong horse to win the race with the BC NDP taking over the reins of power.  It was announced last week that Mrs. Redies would be resigning her set in the legislature on August 31st, three years into her first term.  It turns out that the former President and CEO of Coast Capital is quitting her MLA job to take on the job as CEO of Science World in Vancouver.   Now I understand that Mrs. Redies has had some serious health concerns after suffering heart failure from a virus she contracted in Brazil last year.  Her wish to be closer to home and family rings a little hollow when she doesn't resign for health reasons but jumps into another CEO position.  If my health was a concern and I wanted to spend more time with friends and family, I would retire and do just that, not seek a high pressure job managing a high profile building such as Science World whose budget is in shambles from the COVID-19 pandemic.  



Premier John Horgan now has six months to call a by-election for the Surrey - White Rock riding, that is if he doesn't call for an early election to take advantage of the NDP's increased popularity due to their handling of the pandemic in this province.  The big question is who will want to step forward and throw their hat in the ring?  Keep in mind that this riding has voted Liberal for the past seven elections, with Mrs. Redies winning by a large margin in 2017.  There is a chance that Gordie Hogg could consider coming out of retirement yet again to represent us but I would think that would be highly unlikely and his wife Laverne would probably kill him.  The scuttle buttle on the street is that Dianne Watts might consider running as the candidate with the goal of toppling Andrew Wilkinson as a leader who already has knives pointed at his back.  I've also heard rumors that former White Rock Councillor Grant Meyer may be interested in trying to get the Liberal nod, while well-known environmental lawyer Pixie Hobbie has to be considered for either the NDP or Green candidate.

 


The big issue I have with people quitting from their elected position (usually when they find themselves on the opposition side of the floor) is they stick the taxpayers with the tab for the by-election.  Elections Canada has estimated a federal byelection will cost an average of $892,000 per riding in 2020.  I couldn't find a price tag for a provincial by-election but I will be asking Elections BC for a cost estimate.  If politicians quite their jobs and trigger costly by-elections, then I believe they shouldn't come sniffing around trying to get their nose back in the public trough.  Proper morals, ethics and etiquette means that if the job isn't what you had imagined, you serve out your term and don't run again.  The only silver lining in the resignation of Tracy Redies is that it has been announced that Stephanie Cadieux, the Liberal MLA for Surrey South, will handle constituency business and field questions and concerns related to the Surrey - White Rock riding until a new MLA is elected.  Truly a class act and certainly not a quitter, it's great knowing we can count on her about issues affecting residents of the Semiahmoo peninsula.

 

Naturally yours, 

Don Pitcairn

 

 

July 26, 2020

Fatten The Curve


So summer is finally here, we are in a heat wave and Environment Canada has posted a Special Weather Statement for Metro Vancouver warning of temperatures into the mid 30's for the next few days.  Normally such forecasts would mean that the local beaches would be packed with sun worshippers and those trying to escape the heat.  Unfortunately during a global pandemic, large crowds of people packed tightly together on public beaches is something that should be avoided at all costs.  If you don't believe me, simply look at Italy, Spain, Florida and California to see what can happen when health warnings are ignored and beaches are packed.  



This weekend Surrey closed off access to Crescent Beach when the Blackie Spit parking lot filled up and crowds of people descended onto the public beach there.  White Rock continues to control beachgoer numbers by restricting parking on Marine Drive, limiting parking time there and keeping the pier and nearby parkade closed to the public.  The Peace Arch Park parking lots remain closed with no access to the waterfront at this corner of the bay.  Can someone please explain to me then why the Semiahmoo First Nation parking lots behind the WAG were packed with vehicles, the gates to the Semiahmoo beach were open and thousands of people were packed onto the shoreline this weekend?  Here is the bulk of the April 8th SFN Press Release about their local state of emergency declaration regarding parking lot and beach closures due to the threat of COVID-19.

PARKING LOT CLOSURES AND BEACH ACCESS CLOSURES FOR THE EASTER LONG WEEKEND

 

The Semiahmoo First Nation is announcing a community wide Fire Ban, as well as the closure of public parking lots and Beach Access located on Semiahmoo Lands.  Semiahmoo First Nation has declared a state of Local emergency in response to COVID 19.  Semiahmoo First Nation is aligning with the Federal and Provincial directives for people to stay home and reduce the risk of the COVID 19 transmission.
The following parking lots will be affected:
• The large parking lot behind Washington Avenue Grill will be closed tonight, Wednesday, April 8th , 2020 at 8:00pm and remain closed until further notice;
• The large parking lot at Peace Arch Park (behind the Peace Arch Duty Free store) will be closed from Thursday, April 9th, at 8:00 AM, and remain closed until further notice as Peace Arch Park is closed to public;
• The parking lot at the Western end of Semiahmoo Reserve on Marine Drive across from the Promenade Hotel will remain closed until further notice;
• Semiahmoo Park Beach access gates will be closed until further notice;

• No beach access from Peace Arch Park until further notice;

 


Several friends of mine saw the crowds on Semiahmoo First Nation's land on Sunday.  One who drove by reported that the gravel lot was completely jammed while the nearby baseball field was three quarters full.  He estimated there were 700-800 cars and said it reminded him of when they used to hold the Show-n-Shine there.  My other buddy who walked along the sand flats from East Beach told me he had not seen crowds of that size in that location since the old Sandcastle days.  He told me the there was nowhere to place a blanket, no social distancing was taking place and that it was "chock-a-block" full with thousands of people.  Some quick math based on the parked car number estimate means the haul from the gate behind the WAG would have been over $5,000 for SFN coffers from only one day.

We are in the middle of our first summer heat wave and people are going to continue to descend on any open beach in droves.  The Semiahmoo First Nation did not announce on their FB page that they had planned to reopen both the parking lots and waterfront to an unrestricted number of visitors.  To do so threatens to help fatten the curve of COVID-19 infections instead of flattening it.   BC Provincial Health Officer Bonnie Henry is always asking everyone to do their part to help control the spread of this virus.  The Semiahmoo First Nations were doing exactly that but have now apparently done an about face and decided that crowds of people at the beach are suddenly okay.   I'd like to think that the collective health of our society and that of SFN elders is more valuable than the money raised by having parking lots full of cars during a pandemic.

 


Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

July 21, 2020


Nude Beach a Distant Memory

A friend of mine gave me a rather unusual gift last week, something she had kicking around in the junk drawer for around 30 years. It is a brass key tag for locker 28 at the Sunshine Acres Nudist Camp. Now I must admit I'd never heard of the place and an internet search turned up nothing so it was likely long ago before the age of computers. The closest thing around here to it was the Sunny Trails Nudist Club situated in what is now Metro Vancouver's Tynehead Park in north Surrey. With my new antique key tag now being used for my work truck, I thought it would be worthy giving out the grim news about accessing the clothing-optional Crescent Rock Beach here in south Surrey this summer.

When the COVID-19 crisis first hit, the Christopherson Steps in Crescent Heights, 1001 Steps staircase plus the Olympic trail in Ocean Park were still open with people utilizing them as a mini-Grouse Grind. It did not take long for the City of Surrey to close these trails because of a lack of width under the 2 metre safe limit. Unless you know some of the really hidden goat trails or are lucky to have stairs of your own from the top of the bluff, it is now very difficult to get to Crescent Rock Beach. With the Coldicutt Ravine closed due to landslide damage and unstable terrain, Crescent Rock is now accessible from either end. You can reach it from the west end of West Beach in White Rock or by heading south from Crescent Beach past the metal pedestrian overpass. When the tide is not miles out, some enterprising nudists and naturists bring boats, kayaks and paddelboards down instead of taking the long rugged walk. This also means that leaving is a snap during high tide when much of the beach disappears under the water forcing people to scramble on the rip-rap boulders that protect the rail corridor from erosion.

I had been asked by several people as to when Surrey was planning on reopening the stairs to Crescent Rock. Since we are in Phase 3 of the re-opening plan, there was some hope that Surrey would take some of the pressure of Crescent Beach by reopening the staircases to the shoreline between White Rock and Crescent. I contacted the Surrey Parks Department on Monday and was told that due to social distancing measures still in effect (the 2 metre spacing) that the staircases were still considered too narrow for people to safely use. I asked if they had considered having people going downwards stick to the right side, folks climbing up on the opposite side, with those heading up stopping on the level platforms giving way to those heading down the steps. I was informed that different scenarios had been looked at but with some health nuts formerly utilizing the staircases for exercising and others failing to yield to people on the stairs, it was decided it was best to keep the gates locked shut with no opening planned.

Wreck Beach in Vancouver is part of the Metro Vancouver Pacific Spirit Regional Park and they have developed a novel approach to keep access open at this time. What they have done is to mark Trail 6 for only going down to the beach, with nearby Trail 4 and 7 reserved for only going up. This means that one of the world's top 10 nude beaches that normally attracts visitors from over 150 countries and generates an estimated $60 million in tourist revenue annually can still remain open to the public. Of course the 2 metre social distancing rule is still in effect at this time and for the foreseeable future at Wreck Beach. Unfortunately such a scenario would not work at Crescent Rock because of the distance between the staircases and the proximity of the BNSF Railway tracks that attract people to walk on its level surface. With the hidden curves along the waterfront and quiet Amtrak trains, it is a dangerous place to take a hike and is considered trespassing with fines issued by the RCMP costing $115 for a first offense.

For now there are a couple of options if you want to try nude sunbathing, skinny-dipping and to get rid of those pesky tan lines. You can take a shoreline hike from West beach in White Rock approximately 1.5 km to past the closed Coldicutt Trail where you will find the shoreline outcrop known as Hermit's Haven. It really is amazing how far you have to go these days to get some peace, quiet and freedom. The other option is to walk in from Crescent Beach in south Surrey. This means biking, taking a bus, or parking in the village if it is not closed to visitors because of crowding. Parking along Bayview St. is a good idea since it is before the tracks but finding a spot there is sometimes difficult. A unique way of bypassing these problems is to visit the Crescent Heights neighbourhood near Seabrook Drive and take the Sandy Trail that winds down the bluff from the corner of Crescent Drive (Not Crescent Road) and Cedar Drive. This trail empties you onto Bayview St. at McBride Ave. across from the train crossing. From there it is about a 15 minute walk south on the shore until you pass the Crescent Rock boulder and start to meet people relaxing in their natural state.

As a final note, please stay off the BNSF tracks and check the tide tables before you go to Crescent Rock beach. Take plenty of fluids and sunscreen plus a beach umbrella for high UV days and make sure you pack everything out with you.

For more information about Surrey's legal clothing-optional beach visit the Surrey's United Naturists website at this link: crescentrockbeach.ca

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

July 13, 2020

Showing a Little Tact

Have you ever been walking the streets and wondered what the yellow Lego-like mats placed into the concrete where sidewalks ramp into intersections are all about? I had assumed they were better grip in icy conditions in winter or possibly to provide better traction for the tires of wheelchairs. It turns out that neither of these ideas was correct and after a little sleuthing on the internet, I had the answer to this puzzle. Talking to an elderly man at the White Rocks Farmers Market this weekend who was carrying a white and red cane and suffering from macular degeneration really helped to open my eyes to their purpose.

These sidewalk bumps are known as "tactile paving" or "braille blocks" that is used to alert people with vision impairment of approaching streets, grade changes or hazardous areas. The textured ground surface indicators are also known as tenji blocks, truncated domes, tactile tiles and detectable warning surfaces. These tactile tiles are formed from everything from plastic to concrete and available in a wide variety of colours beyond the usual yellow with maximum visibility compared to the surrounding environment the most important factor. Developed in Japan by inventor Seiichi Miyake in 1965 who created them to help a visually impaired friend navigate around town, they were first installed in Okayama city and spread from there to countries around the world.

There are many patterns associated with tactile paving, each with their own unique message that can be sensed with a cane, felt underfoot or even understood by a seeing eye dog. Blister tactile with rows of small raised domes are utilized for pedestrian crossing to mark where the sidewalk ends and the roadway begins. Offset blister tactile with rows of raised dots spaced offset to each other is used as a platform edge warning surface, indicating drop-offs on rail platforms, light rapid transit platforms and subways. So-called lozenge tactile consisting of rows of long thin bumps is used for marking the platform edge of on street light rapid transit platforms, with this warning device set back at least 50 cm. from the edge. Corduroy hazard warning tactile with a series of parallel bars running across the direction of travel warns vision-impaired people of the presence of steps, level crossings or where a path joins a shared route. Direction tactile with bars running in the direction of pedestrian movement are used to help guide the visually impaired follow a safe route, often through mass transit facilities.

Yellow is the standard colour used in most tactile paving but as long as the colour and materials make for good contrast with the surrounding pavement almost any colour can be utilized. In some jurisdictions nearby companies will install tactile pavers that coordinate with the colour of their building or corporate logo. The only two colours mandated for a specific purpose are red, which is used only with blister tactile to mark a controlled pedestrian crossing, and buff blister tactile that is dedicated for use at uncontrolled pedestrian crossings. If the pavement around these areas is red or tan, then a contrast strip needs to be placed around the blister tactile to make it visible. The newly painted crosswalk at five corners in White Rock may be rainbow coloured but the tactile paving leading the way from sidewalk to roadway is still only yellow.

With only 3% of visually impaired people being totally blind, tactile paving can help those with vision issues improve both their mobility and safety in the urban environment. Besides the various tactile pavers currently available, powered light sources and ones charged by ambient light are also now entering the market, making night time movement safer for pedestrians who still have their full vision. Photoluminescent or glow-in-the-dark tactile paving are also options for use in sub-way stations in the unlikely case of a power outage. Now that you are aware of what the "Lego-like mats" are really for, keep an eye out for them on your travels and imagine how they would improve your walking safety if your eye sight was a long ways from 20/20 or the lights were to suddenly go dark.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

July 06, 2020

 

" Being Open Is A Wonderful Thing "

 

 

The Covid-19 pandemic has caused tremendous economic problems and shut down many businesses, some that are still closed and others struggling to make ends meet with health restrictions in place. Financial institutions were allowed to remain open but with reduced demand, people using online banking and distancing measures in effect, it was not surprising to learn that just like other businesses, some banks had decided to lock their doors.

A friend of mine who lives in the Semiahmoo peninsula does his banking at VanCity, where he has been a customer for 35 years. Obviously he must have been happy with their services or he would not have been such a long and loyal customer of this credit union. Well since Covid came to town, he is now no longer of a fan of Van City. The reason for this is that for the past three months both of the branches in the Semi-Pen, the Semiahmoo Community Branch at 1790 152 St and Morgan Creek Community Branch at 15795 Croydon Drive have been closed. This has meant no face-to-face banking for their members from this region. Why both of these branches were shuttered leaving no physical presence in south Surrey remains a mystery.

The issue for my buddy is he does not do online banking with VanCity because of a data breach back in October of 2018 and another incident where his account was pilfered of $800 without his knowledge and consent. So for the past three months he has made the long drive out to Langley to use the Langley Community Branch located at 20055 Willowbrook Dr. He told me about having to stand in long line-ups with pissed-off business people from the Peninsula who have had to resort to driving to Langley to do their banking. Due to an equipment breakdown on Friday, I drove by this branch on the weekend on the way to the repair shop. Just like the picture my friend had earlier sent me, there was a long lineup of people, spaced at six feet apart down the sidewalk, waiting to do their banking.

The problem with this is that even though they were open the hours had been reduced and the branch could not handle the overflow crowds driving out from south Surrey and White Rock. Making matters even worse a sandwich board advertising the branch hours of 9:30 am to 3:00 pm also stated "We regret that we cannot serve members waiting outside after 3:00 pm." The average time that my friend spent in line to do his banking was 40 minutes, not counting the driving time there and back. Really rubbing salt in the wound, Van City recently started a television ad campaign with the slogan "Being OPEN is a Wonderful Thing." I'm rather surprised after spending time after time running out to Langley to cash his cheques that he did not put his foot through his TV. 

Fortunately these long delays will hopefully become a thing of the past as 26 of VanCity's shuttered branches across the Lower Mainland are set to finally reopen this week. The Semiahmoo Mall location will be opening on Tuesday till Saturday with the same 9:30 am to 3pm hours a the Langley Branch. The same cannot be said for the Morgan Heights branch that will continue to have no teller service and safe deposit box access by appointment for only a two hour window, 1-3 pm from Tues to Sat. This comes a little late for my buddy as he has already began to cut his financial ties with VanCity and is in the process of moving his money and insurance services to another financial organization.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

June 29, 2020

Covid Rock

I remember the first time I ever lined up for tickets to a concert. I went to the Concert Box Office at the corner of Georgia and Richards in Vancouver and sat around on the sidewalk all Friday night waiting for a chance to purchase Foreigner tickets. In the days before computers if you wanted front row seats, this is how you got them. It was a pretty eventful night, met a new girlfriend and picked up eight tickets in the second row. After finding out how much fun it was seeing a concert from up close, I was a regular at the CBO buying tickets for many concerts including some where I had the coveted front row center seats. I'll never forget lining up for a concert sale at Willowbrook Mall only to find out that I was the only person there to buy tickets when the kiosk opened. Hard to beat the Tragically Hip at the Town Pump in Gastown for the heady price of only $13.50 a ticket. An absolutely historic show and if you don't believe me, just ask WR Sun editor Dave Chesney as he was there too, many years before we first met.

Technology has certainly changed the music and recording industry over the years and the COVID-19 pandemic is now causing seismic shifts in the way that music is performed, produced and distributed. Launched two years ago in Vancouver, Sessionwire (sessionwire.com) allows musicians and recording personnel to collaborate live in real time with anyone across the world plus mix and record music integrating various recording software. For a starving artist who is having trouble finding a gig, the world is now their oyster with bands available across the planet. Not only does this mean a huge decrease in travel and associated costs, it also provides unlimited access to clients with a broader range of talents and musical skills than what might be available in the local market. Of course right now in the midst of a global pandemic this software tool means people don't have to meet face to face, eliminating the change of infection. Sessionwire already has over 5,000 clients including Randy Backman (Guess Who, Bachman Turner Overdrive), Chris Baseford (Nickelback, Shinedown, Rob Zombie) and Kevin Killen (Peter Gabriel, David Bowie, 8 time Grammy Award Winner). You can watch Global TV's Squire Barnes interview Colin Wiebe about Sessionwire at this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVV3QC4j500

If you watch the above YouTube video you will likely notice it was recorded inside the famed Blue Frog Studios in uptown White Rock. With Covid restrictions this music production studio was closed for some time but as with many businesses has reinvented itself and found a way to once again bring music to the masses. Starting last Month BF has been holding "virtually live concerts" with artists performing without a live audience but having their shows streamed live to those who have purchased tickets to view these shows. Full Covid-19 protocols, social distancing and cleaning are done at the studio to keep artists and crew members safe and healthy. The next gig on July 4 features the legendary blues master Jim Byrnes, followed a week later on July 11 by the Kingpins and on July 18 by Ladies Sing The Blues. You can support live music, enjoy these shows from the safety and comfort of your couch while drinking the beverage of your choice, all for only $14.50 for the early bird price. In case you missed a show or want to watch a performance from their extensive catalogue then Blue Frog TV is your answer, giving you access to their video trove. Record World recently gave Blue Frog kudos as "Canada's first & only produced LIVE-streamed concert series with premium production, incredible acoustics and stunning visuals."

Canada Day this year will be missing many of he large public attractions that we are used to with virtual celebrations being held online instead. Once again it is Blue Frog Studios to the rescue with The Washboard Union headlining performing courtesy of the City of White Rock. You do not need to purchase tickets or sign up for Blue Frog TV for this show as it will be streamed live on Facebook and YouTube. You can check the following link for details of this show that is available online from 7-9 pm on July 1st: https://www.whiterockcity.ca/364/Canada-Day-by-the-Bay With the regular Canada Day celebrations in Cloverdale being cancelled, the City of Surrey has also joined the virtual Canada Day celebrations with an online celebration hosted by hockey great Haley Wickenheiser that is live from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. for the kid’s and senior’s segment, and regular programming from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., broadcasted on Facebook and YouTube Live (https://www.surrey.ca/canadaday/). While Said The Whale, Mother Mother and The Beaches have recently pulled out have pulled out of the event as a political protest over efforts to combat systemic racism, this show still headlines 54-40, Bif Naked and Colin James.

I do love live music and always like going to see a concert but I must admit that watching a live show from the comfort of the new couch with built in recliners that is being delivered to our house tomorrow sounds rather appealing. No traffic jams, no crowds, no pushing one's way to the front of the crowd plus being immersed in the clouds of BC bud being smoked. It is likely that online concerts with viewership in the millions might become the wave of the future, allow us to stay home and "help fatten the curves" as I now love to say. As far as the deafening firework shows that always end Canada Day celebrations, I wonder how long it will be before these smokey affairs that scare the bejesus out of our pets get replaced by colourful 3-D animations done by clouds of autonomous drones packed with colour changing LED lights. I you think this sounds like far-fetched science fiction, check out this video of a drone show in China that was part of their 2019 International Big Data Industry Expo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9T3Dj1lRHY Now imagine such a display above the White Rock pier on a starry night with calm seas in the bay and the show matched to music being performed live from Blue Frog.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

June 23, 2020

Steps To A Solid Foundation

 

When COVID-19 closures began the various staircases and trails down the Ocean Park bluff remained open, providing access to the shoreline for those seeking a more remote beach than the public marine parks of White Rock and Crescent Beach. Unfortunately these staircases attracted a crowd including people intent on using them as their own personal Stairmaster when the gyms were also closed. With widths of less than 2 metres except on the various landings it did not take long for the Christopherson Steps at the west end of 24 Ave. and the 1001 Steps at the west end of 15A Ave. to finally be closed on April 8th. In White Rock the Coldicutt Trail was already closed because of landslide damage and unsafe slopes resulting from a severe rain storm at the end of January. Interestingly, the Olympic Trail on 13 Ave. near 131 St. in Ocean Park was not originally closed, likely because very few people except neighbourhood residents know of its existence, but it is now locked.

Regardless of the global pandemic, the Christopherson Steps were going to be closed to the public this spring. King tides combining with waves from winter storms along with large logs that acted as battering rams had seriously eroding the base of the elevated metal walkway at the beach. The original Steps had been made of steel with a thick concrete base but after the foundation was smashed, temporary repairs were made with thick wooden timbers put in place to help support the staircase and ensure it was safe for pedestrians to use. When the large "Renovation of Christopherson Steps" sign was erected by Surrey earlier this year, I wondered if the foundation repairs would be completed during the COVID-19 closure. Fortunately it turns out that this was indeed the case and we now are only waiting for the pandemic restrictions to be relaxed and the stairs unlocked.

The problem with fixing the Steps was access for equipment, removal of debris, plus delivery of the tonnes of rebar, concrete and boulders that would be necessary to complete the needed repairs. Bringing all of this material down the stairs would have been impossible and using trucks on the beach would put people at risk while possibly damaging the environment. Fortunately the BNSF Railway tracks run right behind the Christopherson Steps and the railway was enlisted to help with repairing this structure. Crews first brought in protective fencing to keep the public away from the work area and removed the temporary wooden shoring. Once this was done they excavated a wide area all around the original slab to hold the new footing for the steel staircase. Wooden forms were brought to the scene and installed with cages of rebar steel wired into position within the hollow. The concrete was again brought in on the train tracks and poured into position where the construction workers gave it a smooth finish.

After giving the concrete time to set all of the forms were removed revealing the huge concrete block that is double the size of the original. Once all of the construction materials and debris was removed large flat stones were positioned to act as steps leading to the top of the block, something that was sorely missing from the original design. Lastly rip-rap boulders similar to the ones that line the railway from Crescent Beach to White Rock were placed around the new foundation to help it from getting damaged from future storms. One look at the completed repairs left me wondering why this important support structure was built so small in the first place, especially in such a vulnerable location. Even with global warming and sea level rise, the new Christopherson Steps foundation should protect the staircase for years to come.

There are other trail systems and older homeowner built staircases on the Ocean Park bluff but because of the steepness of these trails and the dilapidated state of many of the stairs, I will not be commenting on their locations and do not endorse their use. Since Crescent Rock Beach can at present only be reached safely from either White Rock or Crescent Beach, many people looking to visit their favourite spot on this clothing-optional shoreline are now walking on the tracks instead of the shore. The BNSF have stepped up patrols with ride-a-long RCMP officers who are handing out $115 tickets to many people for trespassing on the railway. I was at the Crescent Rock boulder on Monday and saw two people waking on the tracks get stopped and fined. Since it is likely to be a while until the staircases are reopened, make sure to check the tide charts posted daily in the White Rock Sun before heading to the beach so you'll know when the tide is out and there is shoreline to walk on.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

June 15, 2020

Party on the Patio

Those patio lanterns
They were the stars in the sky
Those patio lanterns
Lighting up our lives
Those patio lanterns
They were the stars in the sky
Those patio lanterns
Lighting up our lives
Oh, those patio lanterns

Lyrics to "Patio Lanterns" written by Kim Mitchell, Shaking Like a Human Being album, 1985

How many times this year have you heard the Covid-19 rallying cry "We are all in this together"? Well just like how some people can catch the Corona virus and not even show symptoms while others suffer a wide assortment of ailments leading to death, businesses are also affected (infected?) differently. By far the most damaged sectors of our economy are travel, hospitality, entertainment, bars and restaurants. Some of these businesses may never be the same, others will be lucky if they recover and many more will have to close their doors forever. Now that Covid-19 restrictions are slowly being lifted it makes sense that businesses that have born the brunt of the economic shutdown are given the most help to get their doors open, people rehired and cash flow back on track.

Many restaurants closed their doors to customers coming in for a meal but have managed to stay afloat by delivering food or having customers come by and pick it up. Now they get to reopen to the public but with social distancing in effect, meaning that many have to cut their interior tables by over half. In order to make up for lost seating, many restaurants are looking to enlarge their patio spaces for the summer months to improve their customer capacity. Cognizant of the difficulties facing the restaurant sector, many cities are waiving fees and expediting the processing of enlarging patios onto sidewalks, parking lots and roadways. The City of Vancouver has waived fees for this process, the City of Delta has recently done the same and the city of Port Coquitlam is offering restaurants there grants of up to $50,000 to help expand patio areas. Unfortunately this is not the case in the big city of Surrey whose helping hand is still reaching for cash.

With reallocating privately-owned parking spaces at commercial properties, no more than half of the stalls can be used for queuing or patios. Accessible parking stalls cannot be repurposed or relocated. The parking to patio application necessitates a simple sketch plan of the proposed outdoor space being converted along with landowner approval, proof of insurance, and an indemnification waiver. There is also a $200 application fee for this, however other permit fees for using roads and obstructing traffic will not be charged. Tables and chairs, patio umbrellas, propane heaters, moveable planters and fencing are allowed but businesses cannot build or install structures requiring a building permit. Already we are starting to see the transformation from parking lot to patios with the venerable Ocean Park Pizza and Village Pub south Surrey turning tables on their competition with a spacious parking lot patio at the rear of their building.

If a restaurant wishes to expand their patio onto city owned sidewalks or roads, then the cost quickly gets prohibitive. Besides the same $200 application fee there is a $500 damage deposit, a $500 traffic safety cost for both local and low-traffic roads. If the area in question is an arterial road of high-traffic collector road involving the installation of heavy concrete jersey barriers to safely separate people from traffic then the cost has been estimated at a whopping $1,400 per parking stall. It remains to be seen if these fees stop restaurateurs from expanding their patio footprint. The recently formed Surrey Economic Recovery Task Force, comprised of the Surrey Board of Trade and a number of business improvement associations across Surrey and White Rock, believes that these costs are prohibitive to most businesses and want to see them reduced or eliminated. In total the SERTF represents a total of 9,500 businesses in the region including Surrey's 1,120 restaurants.

Look for these contentious fees imposed by the City of Surrey to come up on this week's Council meeting at Surrey City Hall. Councillor Linda Annis who voted for the Parking to Patios initiative is now concerned after becoming aware of the fees being charged by Surrey. In a Global TV interview she stated “I feel that all fees should be waived. … We need to make it easy for these people that are struggling so much to get back into business. It becomes a real problem because they aren’t paying business taxes then, people have lost their income, people are struggling with employment issues right now - we need to get them back in working.” This all sounds great to me because as much as I would love to see our local restaurants ssucceed, I'm really looking forward to sitting down with friends, ordering a wonderful meal, and getting away from this so-called "new normal."

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

EDITOR'S NOTE:

STREAMLINE SURREY RESTAURANT PATIO APPROVAL PROCESS AND CANCEL CITY FEES: COUNCILLOR LINDA ANNIS

Surrey, B.C. (June 15, 2020): Councillor Linda Annis will introduce a notice of motion at today's virtual council meeting to cancel city fees associated with creating restaurant patio spaces, all part of helping local restaurants survive the economic impact of COVID-19.

"When council approved the idea of helping restaurants create more space by establishing patios, I questioned why we were charging city fees when we knew our restaurants were hurting due to COVID-19," said Annis. "We want our restaurants back in business and that means giving them the chance to open patios as a way to social distance. The fees need to go and the red tape at city hall needs to be cut if this good idea is going to get real traction with our 800 local restaurants. We should be doing everything we can to help our city get back on its feet and that includes giving our restaurants a fighting chance against the economic impact of the pandemic. Most restaurants are having really tough go and the last thing they need to worry about right now is having to pay fees to city hall to save their businesses."

Annis said she will also introduce a second notice of motion today aimed at giving Surrey's neighbourhood Business Improvement Associations a portion of their funding this summer, rather than having to wait until city hall has collected all of the city's property taxes.

"Our local BIAs are an important part of our economic development and we need them intact to help our city recover. BIA revenues are tied to property taxes and because the city is allowing people to defer taxes due to COVID-19, the city wants to defer paying the BIAs," said Annis. "I believe that rather than not paying the BIAs anything at all, we should pay out a portion of what we owe based on what we collect by the normal tax date of July 2. In other words, if the city has collected 70 per cent of taxes by July 2 then we should pay the BIAs 70 per cent of what we owe them, rather than making them wait."

Annis said recovering from the economic impact of COVID-19 means being more flexible and creative, including doing things differently at city hall.

"City hall needs to be a real partner in Surrey's economic recovery," said Annis. "It means working closely with our business community to make sure we get local businesses and people back to work as quickly as possible."

 

 

June 08, 2020

8 Min. 46 Sec. That Shook The World

The death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis Police officers that sparked anger against racism and police brutality across the world has even brought protest to our little corner of the world. On Sunday I witnessed three ladies standing at the corner of 152 St. and 32 Ave. holding up Black Lives Matter signs with passing drivers honking horns in support and giving them the thumbs up. This impromptu demonstration obviously paled in comparison to the 1,500 people who showed up at Centennial Square in Victoria or the 5,000 strong throng in front of the Vancouver Art Gallery last week. That being said, I thought their grass-roots display of support for this cause in south Surrey was heart-warming and deserved to be noted.

In Canada we like to think that we do not have a problem with police brutality and racism against people of colour by the RCMP and other police forces. Unfortunately the record here is not exactly lily white if you pardon the rather uncomfortable pun. Fortunately for incidents involving police forces across BC that result in serious injury or death, since 2012 these are investigated by the Independent investigations Office (IIO) that was modeled after Ontario's Special Investigations Unit, and Serious Incident Response Teams in both Alberta and Nova Scotia. Complaints that do not involve serious injury or death are handled here by the BC Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner, the Civilian Review and Complaints Commission for the RCMP or the Military Police Complaints Commission. Check out Wikipedia's list of excessive police force incidents in Canada at the following link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_excessive_police_force_incidents_in_Canada

There is now a public push to have the RCMP and other Canadian police forces wear body cameras that record both sound and audio. These would help to bring extra evidence to criminal proceedings and clarification as to whether police actions were justified and legal. There is a change.org online petition titled "Require the BC RCMP to wear body cameras" that to date already has over 20,000 signatures. The goal of the petition is to “have the Solicitor General of B.C. (and other provinces) change the requirements around body cameras to protect those most at risk of police mistreatment.” Over 70,000 people have signed a petition to have Halifax police wear body cameras and a similar petition in Toronto has generated 80,000 signatures. Some police forces are already making this change with Calgary police and Ontario's Peel Regional police supplying their officers with this new technology. The head of the IIO, Ron MacDonald, recently stated "At this point in time, it’s my view that all front-line officers in this country should be equipped with body cameras.”

Mayor Doug McCallum's Safe Surrey Coalition seems to be trying to ride the tide of public disgust with racism and police violence, sending out tweets and running Google ads with anti-RCMP messages. Last week they distributed links to a Globe and Mail story that ran in November of 2019 under the title of "More than one-third of people shot to death over a decade by RCMP officers were Indigenous” Of course this story does not delve into the fact that that the RCMP patrol many smaller towns across Canada and over 600 First Nation Reserves, likely skewing these results. That said, criminologists have voiced concern over studies that show Indigenous people are seriously injured or fatally shot by police forces across Canada at much higher rates than other visible minorities. This is not just an RCMP problem, it is an issue for all Canadians concerned with the treatment of First Nation peoples.

The Safe Surrey Coalition smear campaign against the RCMP was plainly visible with a tweet and facebook post accusing several RCMP members of murder and evidence tampering. The post read “Poorly trained RCMP murder a defenseless man and then delete video evidence to cover up their crime.” This was in reference to an IIO release recommending charges against five RCMP officers in Prince George in connection to an arrest in 2017 where a man died after being pepper-sprayed. The Safe Surrey social media accounts were quickly cleansed of the inflammatory comment but not before the damage was done. Mayor McCallum claimed he did not know about the tweet and that it was posted by a staffer without his prior approval. The officer-in-charge of the Surrey RCMP, Brian Edwards, emailed his members that he was "deeply disturbed that the Safe Surrey Coalition would endorse such a communique and that this type of commentary is unfair to all RCMP members.”

Pretty tough time to be a cop in Surrey. People are looking at the police with mistrust, branding them as racist, violent and untrustworthy because of the death of George Floyd and the resulting media shit-storm over protests and riots. Now we have had two incidents of the Safe Surrey Coalition taking pot-shots at the RCMP on their social media sites, likely in response to the Keep The RCMP In Surrey signs sprouting up on boulevard lawns across the city. I personally find it ridiculous for the Mayor and his team to be bashing the RCMP when they hope to hire these same members to staff their new Surrey Police Force. I know a few front-line officers at both the RCMP and VPD and they tell me they would not be interested in working in Surrey with the poisoned political climate and a mayor who has the RCMP in his cross-hairs.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

June 01, 2020

Shooting Off About Surrey

Baby, close your eyes and listen to the music
Drifting through a summer breeze
It's a groovy night and I can show you how to use it
Come along with me and put your mind at ease
A little less conversation, a little more action, please
All this aggravation ain't satisfactioning me
A little more bite and a little less bark
A little less fight and a little more spark
Lyrics to "A Little Less Conversation", performed by Elvis Presley in the 1968 movie "Live a Little, Love a Little."

Put a pan of cold water on the stove and turn it onto high. As the temperature starts to increase you will notice small bubbles begin to form on the surface of the metal. When the water gets hotter they will get into a more agitated and excited state, bubbling wildly before the water finally starts to boil. This is about where my blood was at last week when I found out about the following two Surrey stories.

Amicable: relating to behaviour between people that is pleasant and friendly,

The Abby Lane Amica seniors complex in south Surrey on 16 Ave. recently hired an Elvis impersonator to perform for the the residents of this retirement and seniors complex. This show was part of Amica’s national #SmilesForSeniors campaign aimed at combating feelings of loneliness and isolation for seniors who are housebound and isolated due to restrictions from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Ersatz Elvis performed Elvis's greatest hits in the courtyard with residents on the balconies above enjoying the fresh air, the music, and a chance to be entertained. Unfortunately a few of the elderly residents in the apartment building across the 16 Ave./North Bluff Rd. divide in White Rock objected to the amplified music and oblivious of the many smiling faces on the balconies at Abby Lane, complained about the noise to Surrey city hall.

I should note here that the same Elvis impersonator also performed for seniors at the Amica complex in North Vancouver without any disparaging discourse from their neighbours. Last month Mark Donnelly, aka Mr. O'Canada from White Rock sang the national anthem for residents of Abby Lane with residents joining in on the singing. No word on if neighbours Jacqueline Lewis and Ellen Canesso from across the street in White Rock complained about this display of Canadian patriotism. Abbey Lane has also provided their residents with aerobic instructors in the front courtyard with music and moves to residents on the balconies so they can get stretching and exercising during the COVID-19 pandemic. I would think that with freedom of movement basically curtailed inside of Abby Lane and all efforts focused on keeping residents healthy, that people would applaud such moves.

Surrey's loud-music bylaw states "No person shall play or operate any radio stereophonic equipment or other instrument or any apparatus for the production or amplification of sound either in or on private premises or in any public place in such a manner as to disturb the quiet peace rest enjoyment, comfort or convenience of the neighbourhood or of persons in the vicinity." Surrey Bylaw officials have written Amica's head office in Toronto to warn them to stop or face fines between $100-$2000 a day. Because of this, all outdoor activities in the courtyard have now been cancelled including a planned upcoming Canada Day celebration for the seniors. I guess White Rock will soon reciprocate by banning all future Wings over White Rock, Canada Day fireworks plus Concerts at the Pier when the Covid crisis is over.

Hello Surrey bylaws department, why are you bending over backwards for a bunch of withered whiners from across the street in White Rock? You should serve the people that pay your bills in Surrey, not those who pay property taxes to another city. A smarter idea would have been to tell this old biddies to make their complaints to the bylaw department of White Rock. Considering the enjoyment the performances have brought to retirees at Abby Lane during the Covid crisis, common sense should have prevailed, the music been toned down and the performances allowed to continue. I have had people make complaints to me regarding my services and when I find out they are not from the properties I work on, I quickly tell these squeaky wheels in very undiplomatic terms to get lost and find another hobby.

Flushing $44 Million Away

When Safe Surrey was campaigning there was little talk about the cost of some of their election promises, such as ditching the RCMP for a private police force or changing from LRT to elevated Skytrain. We now know that the Surrey Police Farce will cost us millions for even less cops on the street, resulting in "Keep The RCMP In Surrey" signs sprouting like mushrooms on lawns throughout the city. Now comes word on the change from LRT to Crimetrain will cost Surrey $44 million just to get back to ground zero.

On May 28 the Mayor's Council on Regional Transportation released the Surrey Compensation Agreement Update with the details and costs associated with the change from Surrey-Newton-Guildford LRT to the Surrey-Langley Skytrain. The agreed to value covering the costs associated with this change was pegged at $39 million with an additional $5 million dependent on the selection of the future rapid transit option for King George Blvd. The proposed compensation sources include the city owned property needed for the project pegged at $11.4 million, lands dedicated by city purchase at $5.5 million, park & ride spaces at 12.8 million and $9.3 million of Surrey taxpayer dollars. If this sounds like a lot of money to you, consider that TranLink spent $54 million to plan the original LRT system in Surrey.

Now for the kicker. Surrey Mayor Doug McCallum confirmed that this agreement had been approved between the City of Surrey and Translink, characterizing the money thrown away as "not unusual for a project of that scale." He is on record as saying "It's pretty standard in big projects that this amount of money has to be given to get the right-of-ways and so forth." Instead of 27 km. of at-grade rail corridors build on three major corridors, we are now looking at four stations and 7 km of Skytrain reaching to Fleetwood with further expansion to Langley planned for the distant future. There currently is no timetable for the repayment of the money owed to Translink but this will be established once the Skytrain extension project goes out for tender.

The total amount of money spent by Translink on the LRT plan was $54,000,000 or the equivalent to $100 for every man, woman and child living in Surrey. Look around your home at how many people are living within your walls and imagine throwing a $100 Borden bill into the toilet for every person and hitting the flush button. It's easy to spend money when its not coming out of your wallet and unfortunately the promises made by Doug McCallum and his dwindling Safe Surrey Coalition come at a big cost for the residents of Surrey. For a look at the Surrey Compensation Agreement Update and the details it contains please visit the following Translink link:
https://www.translink.ca/-/media/Documents/about_translink/governance_and_board/council_minutes_and_reports/2020/May/In-
camera_report_on_Surrey_Compensation_Agreement_2020_05_28.pdf

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 


May 25, 2020

Don Pitcairn

Surrey Politics Make Strange Bedfellows

When you're lovers in a dangerous time
Sometimes you're made to feel as if your love's a crime
But nothing worth having comes without some kind of fight
Got to kick at the darkness 'til it bleeds daylight
When you're lovers in a dangerous time
When you're lovers in a dangerous time
Lovers in a dangerous time
Lovers in a dangerous time

Lyrics to Lovers in a dangerous time, written by Bruce Cockburn, performed in isolation by the Barenaked Ladies "selfiecamjam" below.

Allison Patton/Doug McCallum

I get to hear a lot of scuttlebutt on the streets of the Semi-pen about the behaviour of elected officials but generally I have found that the more grandiose the gossip, the more unlikely that it is true. When you start hearing the same basic story from multiple sources across the community, your radar starts to ping and you begin to question if there is a kernel of truth behind the vitriol. With a disclaimer posted on this column due to issues related to the previous White Rock Council, I don't want to put my head on the chopping block or spend copious amounts of money defending my freedom of speech against frivolous lawsuits. Then comes the day when someone braver, more connected and with deeper pockets throws a big rock in the pool and starts making waves. In this case it was legendary free-lance journalist Bob Makin who on April 30th in thebreaker.news posted his opinion piece titled "When the personal intersects with the political, the public has the right to know" at the following link: https://thebreaker.news/opinion/surrey-mccallum-patton/

This must read article begins with "What is the status of Surrey Mayor Doug McCallum's relationship with Councillor Allison Patton? Are they merely members of the majority caucus on Surrey city Council? Or is there more to it?" In it Mackin reveals what I had been told from multiple sources, that McCallum and Patton have allegedly been witnessed leaving each others personal residences together. The rumour mill here has been churning up the belief that these two, besides being members of the Save Surrey slate have a professional business relationship or possibly a more personal one after separating from their spouses. Now while I realize this sounds like a twisted version of Neil Simon's "The Odd Couple" 70's sitcom but once you become aware of the other bizarre news concerning these two, stuff that hasn't received any ink in the Surrey Now or PAN, you really start to wonder what is fact, and what is fiction?

Surrey mayor's office spokesman Oliver Lum provided no details twice earlier this year when questioned about the "McPatton" partnership, offering up the identical response of "The personal affairs of the Mayor is outside the scope of this office." What makes this more galling bordering on nauseating is that Surrey recently passed a new Code of Conduct only last month on April 20th.(

Click here to read the Code of Conduct)

This Corporate Report plainly states "A Council Member shall rigorously avoid situations which may result in claims of pecuniary interest, conflict of interest or bias" and that "Council Members intend to demonstrate their leadership in ethical behaviour and to promote the principles of transparency, accountability and civility through their decisions, actions and behaviour." Ten days after the new Code of Conduct was accepted things really went off the rails for McPatton as word of the weirdness at the Wellness was leaked.

Besides being a Surrey Councillor, Allison Patton is a naturopath who operates from the Mountainview Wellness Centre next to the Semiahmoo Mall. Yes, the same one who was fined and suspended for misusing "physician" title and more recently under fire for posting naturopathic COVID-19 claims. On the evening of April 30th Surrey RCMP officers were called to the front entrance of this business for a "breach of Peace" complaint. Video footage obtained by Postmedia shows McCallum and Patton arguing with a group of people including one of her former business partner Galina Bogatch telling them they are trespassing. Even more interesting is Doug McCallum saying to a uniformed police officer "We just signed a lease here." I should note here that the third naturopath in their former partnership was Caleb Ng, Allison Patton's husband who no longer works at at Mountainview and has announced he is opening up a new business called the west Coast Centre for Regenerative Medicine, only a stone's throw away from his old clinic.


Just when you thought this sordid soap opera couldn't get any stranger, on May 1st the South Surrey and White Rock Chamber of Commerce was holding a COVID-19 update webcast on Zoom. This included Allison Patton from an office inside the Mountainview Wellness Centre adorned in a plastic face shield. In the background a door opens and the head of a man who appears to be Surrey Mayor Doug McCallum enters the room crashing the video call. Mrs. Patton's microphone was muted at the time but she turns and talks to the man who partially retreats out of view before leaving and allowing her to resume her video call. You can check out this so called "Zoom bombing" posted at the bottom of the following column: https://thebreaker.news/news/mccallum-patton-naturopath/ You be the judge if that is Doug McCallum appearing to play Mayor whack-a-mole, which then begs the question to be asked "What the hell is he doing there?"

There are lots of questions regarding exactly what is the relationship between Mayor Doug McCallum and Councillor Allison Patton and nobody is saying anything with the "Mum's the word" protocol in effect. Unfortunately this story is not going away anytime soon with Dan Fumano writing about Surrey's latest power couple in this weekend's Province and Sun newspapers (see links below plus a Youtube video of the RCMP talking to McPatton). If it really is nothing, then it is time they issue a plausible public denial. If the rumours are true, then some transparency is in order especially when considering the public perception of now these two might vote together at city hall. In this province we have had Gordon Wilson and Judy Tyabji, Gordon Campbell and his Maui wowie, Gregor Robertson and Chinese pop singer Wanting Qu, and Grey Halsey-Brandt who as Mayor of Richmond had both his old wife and new wife as councilors at the same time. Time will tell if we can add Doug McCallum and Allison Paton to this lovely list.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0_cMZdRrMk
https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/surrey-mayor-should-be-transparent-about-any-ties-to-city-councillors-private-business-critics-say/
https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/surrey-city-hall-follow-up/

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

May20, 2020

Devil in the Details

 

With property tax time upon us in the midst of a global pandemic and forced economic recession due to Covid-19 restrictions, I was glad for the opportunity to once again have the Province of BC pay my property taxes to the City of Surrey. Ever since I turned Freedom 55, I have taken advantage of the ability to not pay my property taxes even though I was financially able to do so. What made this program so appealing and lucrative was the interest rate, set at 0.7% per year and only charging simply interest instead of having it compound. Instead of paying my property taxes, I simply used the money to top up my Tax Free Savings Account or TFSA. The idea was to pad the TFSA and pocket the dollar difference between the TFSA investments and the government's low interest rate.

But whoa Nelly, put the brakes on, hold your horses for one darned minute, not so fast mister. It turns out there was a fly in the ointment that nobody was really advertising and that the interest rate being charged could fluctuate and vary widely. When I first became aware of property tax deferment, the interest rate was 0.7% with the all important simple interest charged along with ultra low yearly fees once the account was set up. This went on for a couple of years while I gleefully rubbed my hands together, paying myself instead of the bean counters at Surrey City Hall. Then a couple of years ago things started to change. In April of 2018 the rate jumped half a percentage point to 1.2%. Six months later in October the rate went up again to 1.45%. While this is not a large number it was a doubling in the interest rate charged in only half a year.

You can probably guess where I am going from here. If you figured that the rate jumped again you would be correct with it now sitting at 1.9 percent. How high can it go, well lets say that the sky is the limit. The rate is based on prime minus 2% and with Ottawa printing money like it was the Kruger mill pumping out toilet paper, who knows how high our interest rates might get. Looking back into the historical rates charged in this program, the lowest rate was in 2009 with a minuscule 0.25% with the highest rate a year before in 2008 at 2.75%. From the lowest to highest rates, this equates to an eleven fold increase, something people might want to think about should rates go on a run like back in 1981 when the prime rate hit 19%. Who was Prime Minister of Canada at the time? None other than Pierre Trudeau, Justin's father.

Now when you consider the average life expectancy in Canada is 81 years old, it would be very easy to rack up a $125,000 property tax debt using an average of $5,000 per year, a figure that may be low for many of the properties in the Semi-Pen. If the stock market tanks (any further), interest rates soar or real estate collapses like a house of cards, the outstanding property tax deferral may eat up a sizeable chunk of the retirement income that people hope to pull out of their homes. Life is full of risks and without having a crystal ball or the Amazing Kreskin forsight, property tax deferment may come back to bite you in the ass over the long haul, especially if the prime rate continues its upward trajectory. At 0.7% interest, getting involved with this program was a no-brainer, if rates hit 7% even simple interest would start adding up quickly.

With the 2020 due date for property taxes in Surrey now pushed back to July 2 it should give residents a little more breathing room and time to consider whether property tax deferral is the right choice for them, especially now in rather uncertain economic times. I'm still going to hedge my bets, using my property tax money to invest in other areas knowing that I can make payments or simply pay off this account at any time, whether we plan to sell our humble abode or not. While our house may be our home, it generally is most people's largest lifetime purchase and should always be treated as such. I still believe that over time the compounding interest of the investments bought with property tax money should greatly surpass the simple interest charged by the BC Property Tax Deferment program.

For more information about property tax deferment in BC, please visit the following links that include a variable interest calculator.

https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/taxes/property-taxes/annual-property-tax/defer-taxes
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/taxes/property-taxes/annual-property-tax/defer-taxes/interest-fees
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/taxes/property-taxes/annual-property-tax/defer-taxes/interest-fees/history

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

May 11, 2020

Stop the Asian Invasion

Being a guy who loves the great outdoors and spends plenty of time outside and in the wilds of British Columbia, I have a long and painful history with yellow jacket wasps and both European and bald-face hornets. This began when I was only in Grade 2 getting swarmed by black and white bald faced hornets after damaging their basketball sized nest. When I was 10 years old, I went to put on my slippers in the fall and was stung on the big toe by a queen bald-faced hornet that I quickly dispatched. Once while building a fort in the bush as teenagers, myself and two friends had to run for our lives after disturbing a huge yellow jacket nest under a rotting log. I even have a permanently damaged quadriceps muscle in my leg that tore while running to escape a black and white cloud of bald faced hornets. On Sunday while pruning a butterfly bush a queen bald face hornet flew out of the branches and stung me in the forehead. All of this is nothing compared to the threat from our new alien invader, the Asian Giant Hornet (Vespa mandarinia), the world's largest hornet.

Here are the background facts about the Asian giant hornet taken from the Invasive Species Council of BC website:
- Asian giant hornets are large headed and can vary in colour from different shades of orange, yellow and brown. Worker hornets are approximately 3.5 centimetres in length and queens can be up to four to five centimetres in length, with a wingspan of four to seven centimetres.
- Four species native to B.C. — the bald-faced hornet, yellow jacket, elm sawfly and northern horntail — are commonly mistaken for Asian giant hornets.
- These Asian giant hornets only nest in the ground, unlike other species of wasps or bees that build nests and hives in trees and/or buildings.
- It is not known how the hornets, which are widely distributed in parts of China, Korea and Japan, arrived on the Island. It is possible they were transported with personal or commercial goods.
- Hornets are generally not interested in humans, pets and large animals. They hunt insects for food, are not attracted by pollen or nectar and only attack when threatened or if their nest is disturbed.
- People who notice a hornet’s nest on their property are advised to avoid it and get professional help in removal.
- If people have allergies to insect stings, they should avoid any contact and carry an epinephrine autoinjector (such as an epipen) during the summer season.
- If a pet is stung by Asian giant hornets only once or twice, treat it the same way as other insect stings — apply cold compresses to reduce swelling and itchiness. If a pet is stung multiple times or has a severe reaction, seek immediate veterinary care.
- The Invasive Species Council of BC is a registered charity committed to reducing the spread and impacts of non-native species within B.C. To report invasive species, a "Report Invasives" mobile phone app is available for download or visit: bcinvasives.ca/report


The following Information Report about Asian giant hornets was released recently by the BC Ministry of Agriculture:

Be on the lookout for Asian giant hornets this spring and summer

Residents along 0 Avenue (pronounced as "Zero Avenue"), from Surrey to Aldergrove, are asked to report sightings of Asian giant hornets (Vespa mandarinia) that may emerge from their nests in the coming weeks and months.
In December 2019, two specimens were found near Blaine, Wash., and a single specimen was found in White Rock in November 2019. These findings indicate a probability that nesting hornets are overwintering in the area. Wooded habitat, like areas near the Canada-U.S. border, offer suitable hornet nesting grounds.
Residents along 0 Avenue may be the first to notice them.The provincial apiculturist will place hornet traps in the area and distribute pest-alert notices to 0 Avenue residents in the coming weeks, along with information and pictures of the Asian giant hornet and the steps to take if you spot the insect.
Asian giant hornets are large compared to other hornets, with noticeably large orange heads and black eyes. Worker hornets are approximately 3.5 cm in length. Queens can be up to 4 cm to 5 cm in length with a wingspan of 4 cm to 7 cm.The Asian giant hornet is classified as a serious honeybee predator.
Asian giant hornets hunt insects for food and generally are not interested in humans, pets and livestock. When their nest is disturbed, they will attack with painful stings, which can be hazardous to people͛s health.
British Columbians who think they may have seen an Asian giant hornet can report their findings to the Invasive Species Council of BC at 1 888 933-3722, via the council's "Report Invasives" mobile phone app or online: https://bcinvasives.ca/report
The Asian giant hornet was first found in British Columbia in August 2019 in Nanaimo. The single nest was located and destroyed.

Now for the bad news. I met up with my sister at my parent's place on Sunday to celebrate Mother's Day, with proper social distancing and no hugging or kissing might I add. I told them about getting stung earlier in the day, showing the still red bump on my forehead and the conversation quickly went from bald face hornets to the Asian giant hornet. It turns out that my sister who lives in Strawberry Heights in Langley near 56 Ave. and 248 St. had an encounter with this huge orange and black insect. She was out pruning her boxwood hedge in late March while the weather was still cool and a giant orange and black hornet measuring over 2 inches long fell out of the foliage and began crawling on the ground. As she described, "It was an oh crap moment" before she stomped this scary looking bug to death. Unsure of what she had seen, she later went online looking at queen wasps and hornets, finding nothing that looked similar. It was only after reading the New York Times article posted in the WR Sun last week about so-called "Murder Hornets" (a sensationalized fabricated nickname) that she realized what she'd destroyed. Her home is 7 miles north as the crow (or hornet) flies from the US/Canada border.

In Japan the Asian giant hornet kills an average of 30-40 people a year, many who inadvertently disturb the ground nests they create, often using old rodent burrows or rotting tree roots for their home. Their quarter inch long stinger delivers a painful sting with a poison that can kill red blood cells and damage living tissue. By far the greatest danger the Asian giant hornet poses is to honey bee colonies and the subsequent reduction of plant pollenization and decreased agricultural yields. To get an idea of the ferocity of this large hornet, watch the following YouTube video below showing how 30 Asian giant hornets kill 30,000 honeybees in only three hours before pillaging the hive. Please take the time to become familiar with what these invasive bugs look like and when gardening or hiking, if you see one or come across a nest, report it right away to the phone number or email address listed above. If we can't stop these Halloween Horror Hornets (my own fake news name), we may be stuck with them forever.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZ1eAM8CChc

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

May 04, 3030

Gunning for Trudeau

 

So here are are in the middle of a planet wide pandemic, borders and international flights shut down, people told to stay home and the economy indicators dropping faster than a lead balloon and what is our Liberal federal government doing? You would think that their sole focus would be on the COVID-19 virus, ways to control it and keep Canada safe and re-open our battered economy. Instead Prime Minister Turdeau, his Public Safety Minister Bill Blair and the Liberal party decided this week it was time to enact the immediate ban on 1,500 rifles in Canada as a way to make the country safer. Gee, and I thought washing hands, wearing face masks and praticing social distancing would have been a higher priority.

Now I realize that a mad-man with a fake police car, real RCMP uniform and weapons including a stolen RCMP pistol shot and burned his way in a trail of destruction across Nova Scotia. Unfortunately the RCMP there have refused to reveal what type of firearms were used in this spree or how many people were shot or died when their homes were set ablaze in the middle of the night. It has been widely reported that the gunman was prohibited from possessing firearms and that the weapons involved were allegedly purchased in the USA and smuggled back to the Maritimes. What does any of this have to do with 2 million law-abiding firearms owners across Canada who use firearms responsibly and legally?

To make matters worse the ban and confiscation of these firearms was not debated about or voted on in Parliament. Instead it was enacted by an Order-In-Council without question, without debate, without consideration and without any of the other parties in Parliament having any input. It doesn't matter if you are or not a firearms owner, the fact that this confiscation of Canadian's personal property is taking place with the stroke of a pen should be extremely concerning. We are supposed to live in a democracy and yet we suddenly become aware that the Liberals and Turdeau believe that Canada is now a dictatorship. History lesson folks, the first thing the Nazis did once gaining power in Germany was to ban firearm ownership. There is nothing a totalarian regime fears more than an armed citizenry.

Did I mention that this property grab is already estimated to be priced at $600 million dollars? If you believe that is the final cost, I have some swampland in Bridgeview for sale for you. It was the Liberals that brought in their vaulted long-gun registry in 1993 with a price tag of $2 million. When the Conservatives finally killed this social-engineering debacle in 2009, the final price tag was $2 billion, that's BILLION or a thousand times the original Liberal cost estimate. Meanwhile the Libs have announced a paltry $65 million a year to combat guns and gangs and a measly $17 million a year to combat the smuggling of guns across the Canada/US border, the number one source of crime guns. I believe they need to take aim at the real problem instead of attempting to control law-abiding citizens.

Our illustrious leader had this to say about his proposed gun grab. "These weapons were designed for one purpose and one purpose only: to kill the largest number of people in the shortest amount of time. There is no use and no place for such weapons in Canada." Unfortunately he does not seem to realize that many of these firearms are not military weapons and can be used for legitimate sporting purposes. He might also be surprised to learn that previously I have competed in the BC Service Rifle Championships held at the DND Vokes Range in Chilliwack. In that time I took gold twice in the BC Service Rifle Championsip and won two golds and a silver in the BC Service Conditions Championsips through the BC Rifle Association. When I first started shooting service rifle, BCRA members were able to sign out an FN rifle for six months from Base Chilliwack. Should I bother to mention that these rifles were all used in a safe manner by the law-abiding members of our association?

Here is what the oldest shooting club in Canada had to say about the Liberal's dictatorial firearms ban and planned confiscation of private property.
For over 150 years the Dominion of Canada Rifle Association has operated under the mandate of promoting marksmanship and the safe handling and use of firearms across Canada. Like all Canadians, we are saddened, shocked, and angered by gun violence in our communities. We understand the government's need to take steps to limit the illegal use of firearms, and support them in achieving that goal. Today's action by the government of Canada has unjustly and disproportionately affected our members and the law-abiding gun owners of Canada who are are statiscially among the least likely to be involved in criminal activity. It also ignores the legitimate sporting use of semi-automatic rifles for target shooting competitions. Since the late 1970s we have safely conducted National Championships alongside our partners in law enforcement and the Canadian Armed Forces that include the civilian use of rifles that as of today have been deemed prohibited under the nominal aim of increasing public safety. As an association we are actively working to examine our next steps and to ensure that the safe and legitimate practice of our sport can continue.

Meanwhile handguns, the firearm of choice for gangbangers, which have been legally registered since 1937 in Canada were not mentioned in this firearms grab. I should point out that handguns are much easier to hide than a long gun plus they hold double the number of rounds of a semi-automatic rifle, ten rounds versus five. Considering the timing of the Liberals firearms confiscation, the fact it was not debated in parliament and the other parties in this minority parliament were not notified, I believe it is time for a non-confidence motion to bring down the Trudeau government.

If not that, then the Liberals racking up more debt than any other Canadian government that didn't fight a world war or endure a recession during the past 125 years needs to be considered, and that was before 2020 with the $150 billion in costs for the COVID-19 crisis.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

April 27, 2020

Big Love

 

I've got big balls
I've got big balls
And they're such big balls
Dirty big balls
And he's got big balls,
And she's got big balls,
But we've got the biggest balls of them all!

Lyrics to Big Balls by AC/DC, Back in Black album, 1980

Of all the meeting places in White Rock, Five Corners is the one location where you are most likely to see people you know or make new acquaintances. This was the case this week when after bumping into my daughter I met the most loving lady in White Rock, Allison Voth. She was kind of hard not to notice, what with the five foot diameter blue ball, three foot white ball and two foot pink Big Love Balls plus wearing a fuscia sweatshirt emblazoned with LOVE. She had a couple of friends helping with carrying them around uptown taking pictures of shuttered businesses, those lucky enough to still be somewhat open, and even the rainbow crosswalk.

It turns out that Allison like many others found herself out of work due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Turning lemons into lemonade she decided to hit the roads of White Rock in order to help spread some love in these rather dark times with her Big Love Balls. While at first concerned about the reception she would receive, our "Local Love Enthusiest" quickly found out that she got back as much love as she was putting out there. Everywhere she went people wanted to say hi, get their picture taken and share a smile with some love. Looking to share some love with our first responders she has stopped by the Peace Arch Hospital (where a stressed out security guard did not show much love), the White Rock RCMP detachment and the White Rock Fire department, both of who took the time to pose with the collection of Big Love Balls.

The creator of the Big Love Balls is Wendy Williams Watt, an artist from Vancouver whose optimistic mission is to include and uplift humanity with her functional conceptual art. The slogan that best explains her strategy is "A moment. A movement. A monument. A momentum." Mrs. Watts has this to say about the experience,“I created Big Love Ball for countless reasons. But simply put, it’s what I feel inside. It is a physical expression of a feeling I have when I interact with people who are genuinely opening their hearts. The positive reaction I receive every day is more than I could have imagined. Over the past six years, I have had the immense privilege of sharing this with my friends and family. And if that is not enough, I witness those I’ve never met sharing that same sentiment with their loved ones. I see every photo and read every comment attached to Big Love Ball and I am moved to tears often.”

You can check out Wendy's bigloveball.com website if you want to be inspired. Best of all it includes an online store that features Big Love and Stay Home t-shirts, sweatshirts and hoodies. You an order Big Love Buttons in numbers from 10 to 100 in a rainbow of colours for use in weddings, marketing, or to just spread some love. There is a fine assortment of very cool greeting cards and a Big Love poster available. Best of all is the Big Love Balls themselves. The massive five footer is on sale from $44.50 - $89, available in 7 different colours. The three foot diamater ball is $22.50 - $45, also available in 7 colours down from 12 originally. The two foot are only $12.50 - $25 in 10 colours, while the one foot is $6 - 12, in 6 remaining colours. I should note that the one and two foot balls have a standard beach ball valve and can be blown up by mouth, while the 3 and 5 foot are inflated by a electric air mattress blower that can blow up the 5 footer in only 8 minutes.

Look for Allison and her Big Love Balls across White Rock and Surrey in the coming weeks. She dropped into the Surrey Golf Course recently where her three foot white sphere was a big hit with the golfers, making for some great photos on the tee. Mrs. Voth has also approached White Rock's Mayor and Council with the idea of them posing with the Big Love Balls in front of City Hall on Monday before the five o'clock Council meeting is held. With plenty of exposure on social media through ExploreWhiteRock and SouthRockBuzz, Helen Fathers contacted her and the White Rock's Farmer's Market will be welcoming the 5 foot blue Big Love Ball on May 3rd when it opens for the season. If you are going to attend for a selfie with "Big Blue" please ensure not to touch the sphere and to observe proper social distancing.

That was going to mark the end of this TNT when I received the following email from Allison Voth explaining her reasons for bringing a whole lotta love to White Rock and Surrey. She said it was okay to edit it before publishing but I think that its worth reading in its original full version. If you wish to contact Mrs, Voth you can find her on Instagram @honeyheart.ca or by email at honeyheartalli@gmail.com. I hope you enjoy this TNT extra posted below.

Love you all,
Don Pitcairn

 

TNT Extra: "The Burden of Love" By Allison Voth


Today marks day 7 since I have taken this symbol of my love outside for my Community to witness. My close family & friends know I collect heart-shapes rocks from my beach walks. Hearts find me everywhere, so when I discovered www.bigloveball.com we became the perfect match
My Love of local Community extends to this Vancouver company. An Artists vision to share the very essence we are made of. LOVE. It's the very thing that bonds us together within our unique expressions of it. My passion is to serve our global family within our common-unity. That common unity it unconditional love. Talking about it, liking memes about it, poems, songs. Stories of heartache, pain, loss, grief, trauma, rage, anger, fear. It's not enough. We must forgive what we co-created and change it to what we want to see, feel & experience. Our trials & tribulations prepare us for the day we must act on it. It becomes the very platform & foundation to build upon.
Day 1, I began with an idea. I felt squeezed, pressured and limited to express my heart with the world, alone, laid-off I felt deflated. I thought, "I just have to be more creative". Creativity is my favourite energy to be in, playful, free, unlimited. It is best expressed as co-creation. With you, with our love. I'm overjoyed that this ball found me. How simple that it's message instantly incites smiling, laughter, playfulness, joy & kindness.


The RCMP came outside for photos. The Firehall were exceptionally kind. The local news reporter happened to see me on the rainbow crosswalk at 5 corners. He said "This is the best story going on in White Rock right now, we need this". What he really meant is that we need to see the Love. Keep expressing it. Don't suppress it.
Day 1, as I dressed & brushed my teeth I was filled with thoughts of fear. People will judge me. They will say I shouldn't be outside. They will think it's unsanitary. They will come too close me...feeling the tension build, I said "NO!" to those thoughts and affirmed with conviction that I am stepping outside to do this. Those thoughts aren't me, they are a program of fear operating in the background. Ctrl+alt+delete. A jogger ran past me that very morning and said "Great job, there's too much depression" as he flew by me. Nervous & anxious to get my photos over with early in the morning to avoid people, he filled me with more Love to give.
I'm healing from my own pain with witnessing the effect of love. Hearts in the window. A world of hearts. All inspiring avenues for people to touch the most painful place that we spend the most time avoiding, the depth of your heart. Stay there, don't close.
I can no longer shrink from this challenge, I will not let this change in our society crush me. The hug I so desperately need is within the air of this symbol of my affection for my little City. It is bigger than that. My Love for humanity expressing so many hearts fill me with awe and I feel a sense of waking up in my dream.
Never do I want re-experience a collapsed lung. I had it three times and emergency surgery years ago for it. I know the risks. I am scared too and that's okay. I'm human. I embrace both the polarity that teaches us. The catalysts.
And yet, I carry this burden within me, on my back, lugging around a 5ft beach ball and wonder when I will feel a hug. It's all in the unknown. I exist now. The burden isn't mine. It's in every heart across the globe. The heaviness, the fear, anxiety & stress. Let's embrace the unknown with courage in our hearts.
I carry this for you, so you too know you are not alone. I got you. We got this. For all those who can't walk, breathe, fight, leave the house, pay their rent, keep their family safe or buy food. For the tragedies still occurring. It's not about me, it's about us rising up together as one.
My breath is your breath, my heart is your heart, my tears, your tears, my smile your smile. My gratitude to do something, anything, isn't yours vs. mine. It just is. It's LOVE, pure & unconditional. That's the glue. It transcends space & time. Feel it. You are it.
Help me carry this burden.
Maybe I have to let go first…

 

 

 

April 20, 2020


Gander a Gaggle of Geese

 

How about some trees so the birds
Won't have to sit upon the ground, uum
How about some wings so the
Birds won't have to walk to get around
And how about a bird bath or two
So the birds will all be clean
How about some feathers so their
Underwear no longer can be seen
How about a chirp so the birds
Won't have to whisper when they sing
And how about some common sense so they
Won't be blocking traffic in the spring


Lyrics to "Tennessee Bird Walk" by Jack Blanchard and Misty Morgan, 1970

Enjoying the great outdoors as much as I do, you get in rhythm with the seasons and the ebb and flow of mother nature. One of the most visual changes is the arrival or departure of migratory birds, in particular flocks of Canada geese, snow geese and sandhill cranes that due to their large migratory numbers are hard to miss. Last month the Canada geese arrived back in the Semiahmoo peninsula and began pairing off preparing for mating season. As usual there are a honking large number of them that have set up shop atop the many flat roofs in the Everall Street region of uptown White Rock. Nests are being prepared and eggs will soon be incubating under downy plumage. Once the eggs hatch and the goslings get bigger they will descend from their rooftop nests and families of geese will begin walking around, seemingly oblivious to their surroundings.

This will be when the problems start, especially on the border between White Rock and Surrey. For years now I have watched gaggles of geese cross back and forth on 16 Ave./North Bluff Road. The prime crossing corridor takes them from the Everall Street region in uptown White Rock to the Southmere Village Park in south Surrey. The attraction at Southmere are the large fields of grass (like butter lettuce to geese) and the two large holding ponds located in this park. After the goslings hatch the parents take their goslings to the water to feed almost immediately after birth. In the brooding area these young are raised communally with other families in a group called a crèche. Because of this behaviour, the numbers of geese crossing 16th/NB can be substantial and literally stop traffic cold.

If you live in the Semiahmoo Peninsula it is likely that you have encountered this gaggle of geese and chances are you anticipate their arrival every spring. Unfortunately this four lane road is used by a large number of drivers from around the region including commercial trucks that tend to not stop on a dime. If drivers don't see the geese entering the roadway, there is the possibility a bunch of them will become speed bumps, which literally gives me goose bumps. Also drivers slamming on the brakes may end up getting rear-ended by other drivers behind who cannot see the geese jay-walking across this section of 16th/NB. Since this geese crossing often gets used multiple times a day, it is time that the cities of Surrey and White Rock work together to ensure the safety of both the geese and passing motorists.

There is a very easy fix to the fowl problem. Simply post "Geese Xing" signs with the silhouette of geese and goslings on either side of the road. The City of Chilliwack does this "Watefowl Crossing" signs on Vedder Road in an area with meandering streams and ponds that is a haven for ducks and their brood. Taking it one step further, in the spring when the area is busy with plenty of ducks and ducklings they attach temporary safety flags to the top of the signs, further alerting motorists to the danger. Drivers are always on the lookout for the lines of ducks and ducklings with all four lanes stopping at once to allow for safe passage. Sometimes when the ducks simply take over the road, you can watch as drivers leave their cars to gently shoo parents and their babies out of harm's way. I have also recently seen "Duck Xing" signs at Beach Grove in Tsawwassen so this is not a new idea.

Canada geese mate for life, return every year to their old breeding grounds and lay between 4 to 9 eggs per mating season. I have witnessed gaggles of geese on 16th/NB numbering over 30 birds, both adults and goslings. Just like the peacocks in Sullivan heights, I don't think this problem is going away anytime soon so I believe proper signage alerting motorists to this rather amusing wildlife dilemma is a must. Now I realize that city halls are not operating at peak efficiency these days and this will require both Surrey and White Rock to work together but this is something that could be done quickly and easily. It would also make for a feel-good news story at a time when we are all suffering an overdose of doom and gloom every time we turn on the TV, radio or computer. Lets hope these "Geese Xing" signs can be posted before the flocks of geese families start crossing 16 Ave./North Bluff Rd. in May.

Happy 4:20 on 4/20


Don Pitcairn

 

 

 

APRIL 14, 2020

Easter Very Long Weekend

 

In my last TNT I warned that the Christopherson Steps in Crescent Heights(west end of 24 Ave.) and 1001 Steps in Ocean Park (west endof 15A Ave.) were creating issues with social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic. My guess is that by-law officers reported to Council that the stairs were well under the 2 metre width required for safety plus some people were using them like the Grouse Grind with gyms being closed. With the Easter long weekend approaching it was decided on Thursday to finally shut these staircases down. The warning on the Surrey.ca website read: "Effective immediately the 1001 Step and Christopherson Steps are closed to all public use. The closures are in effect until further notice." The only problem with this edict was the lack of public notice that ended up causing its own health problems and public relations nightmare.

The issue with this closure was that nobody used common sense on how it should properly be done. These staircases all have gates that are locked every evening and opened up early in the morning. Some bright person at Surrey Hall decided they needed to be closed right away and they were locked up in the middle of the day after people were already at the shoreline. This meant forcing anyone at Crescent Rock Beach to walk for miles on the rocky shore or trespass on the BNSF train tracks. Case in point, an acquaintance I know from the beach made his first trip of the year to Crescent Rock after spending much of the winter cooped up at his home with a series of health conditions. When he went to leave after enjoying the peace and solitude of the beach, the stairs were shut down with his car parked at the top. Not knowing the local shortcut maze, he walked to Crescent Beach, up Crescent Road to 128 St., across to 24 Ave. and finally down to his car. This walk took him 2.5 hours because of a total lack of planning or common sense shown by the Surrey Parks Department. Any reasonable person would have simply not opened the gates up in the morning, ensuring nobody was trapped at the beach.

You can plan on the Christopherson Steps and 1001 Steps to be closed for some time but regardless of COVID-19 the Christopherson Steps were going to be closed this spring for repairs anyways. Along with the "STAIRS CLOSED" signs linked to surrey.ca/COVID19, there was a newly erected 4'x8' sign boldly announcing the renovation of the Christopherson Steps. In a previous TNT I had alerted to the foundation damage done by logs battering the footings during winter storms at high tide and how the base of the metal elevated walkway had been shored up (pun intended) using wooden beams. Well a permanent fix is finally being done, hopefully this time using construction forms, concrete and rebar. The message on the sign reads "Construction will begin in spring 2020 to repair damage to the foundation of the Christopherson Steps railway overpass caused by winter storms and king tides. The Steps will be closed during construction. Learn more by calling 604-501-5050 or by emailing parksrecculture@surrey.ca, www.surrey.ca/newparks." There is no actual date given for the start of construction or when it might end.

Access to Crescent Beach was also limited this weekend to help ensure proper social distancing of folks on the beach and walkway. For this the City of Surrey seemed to actually plan things well with signs and cones everywhere at the corner of Crescent Road and 128 Street at Crescent Park plus several side streets. Traffic control personnel were waiting to shut down public access at a moments notice if and when the Blackie Spit parking lot was filled to capacity. Bylaw officers, the COVID-19 Compliance and Enforcement Team and RCMP officers were on site in Crescent Beach this weekend, alerting people to keep their distance and not congregate in groups. I talked to several of them and they were actually pleased with the public response and lack of problems. All of these measures apparently had the desired effect since it was not necessary anytime during the Easter long weekend to divert visitors away and only allow access for Crescent Beach residents. Of course maybe people were paying attention to the simple homemade signs posted on the boulevard across from Crescent Park that had the following message: PLEASE, STAY, HOME.

It was a quiet weekend in White Rock with the iconic pier being closed, waterfront parking lots and parkade being off limits and for the long weekend the promenade being shut down to the public. The Semiahmoo First Nation also put their lands on lock down, closing parking lots being the WAG and Peace Arch Duty Free, closing the Semiahmoo Beach gate access plus banning shoreline access from Peace Arch Park. With the beautiful dry weather we are strangely experiencing in April that is drawing people to the beach, the band Council also instituted a fire ban with no camp fires, beach fires or even briquet bbqs allowed. Besides keeping fine smoke particulates from the air during a respiratory infection crisis, the Semiahmoo Lands lack fire protection, leaving their homes at risk and making this extra step necessary. Hopefully some of these restrictions across the Semi-pen may be relaxed over the next two weeks where the long range forecast shows plenty of sunshine and only the small risk of showers for a couple of days. Unless there is a large change in the BC COVID-19 outbreak trajectory in the near future, you can likely expect the same kinds of controls and closures for the Victoria Day long weekend in the middle of May.

Naturally yours,
Don PItcairn

 

April 06, 2020

Crescent Beach Covid Blanket Bingo

Every lad and every lassie
hanging out at the shore
looking smart and looking classy
ever learning the score
Beach Blanket Bingo
Beach Blanket Bingo
Beach Blanket Bingo
That's the name of the game!


Theme song for the movie Beach Blanket Bingo, Donna Loren, 1965

 

So here we are in the middle of a global pandemic, many people are laid off from work, schools are closed down and the weather is cold and crappy. Then the sun comes out, the temperature climbs into the double digits and everybody wants to go outside to get some fresh air, stretch their legs and regain some sanity. Unfortunately with the herd mentality, everybody looks for someplace nice to go for a walk. In this time of social distancing to help stop the spread of the Covid-19 virus, that is where the problems start.

As most people in White Rock already know, the amount of visitors to the City By The Sea depends on two things, sunlight and warm temperature. This has always been the case but during a pandemic it can be an invitation for some spit swapping with rather deleterious effects for an elderly and sedentary population. After wall-to-wall people descended into the White Rock waterfront several weeks ago, cramming onto the pier and sidewalks along Marine Drive, White Rock Council took measures to turn the tide of people away. Not only did they block off Canada's Longest Pier, they also took the extra step of closing the large beachfront parking lots and new parkade, loss of revenue be damned. Needless to say with no where to park and not many people wanting to jump on a bus these days, things have quieted down along the promenade with social distancing now easier to manage.

Unfortunately the same cannot be said for Crescent Beach. It has constantly been featured in TV news broadcasts over the past few weeks and not in a good light. Several weeks ago it was crowds of people at Blackie Spit, on the pier and on the walkway, plus a beautiful couple and 50 of their closest friends having a wedding not far from the point at the middle of the beach. Last week it was a replay but without the wedding with locals complaining that too many people were coming to the waterfront and that the Blackie Spit parking lot should be closed to the public. Fortunately the cold weather we experienced this week coupled with cloudy weather helped to keep crowds to a minimum but Crescent Beach was still busy, with Surrey by-law officers in the area taking counts of people and watching for adherence to safe social distancing.

The Rocky and secluded shores of Crescent Rock Beach between Crescent Beach and White Rock also has its own challenges with respect to Covid-19. There are now signs at the top of the Christopherson Steps (24 Ave.), the 1001 Steps (15A Ave.) and the Olympic Trail staircase (130 St.) in south Surrey posted by the City of Surrey. These inform people "DO NOT ENTER if you have any of the following: fever, cough, sneezing, sore throat, difficulty breathing" with more information about social distancing and the BC Centre for Disease Control. While you are instructed to stay at least 2 metres away from other people, these staircases are only 1.5 metres wide. Fortunately there are resting platforms where people can maintain their space but some people seem oblivious to the intricacies of the metric system and simply march on by.

Here is what I witnessed on a trip to Crescent Rock Beach on Sunday afternoon, using the Christopherson Steps for access. At the top of the stairs I met a Surrey bylaw officer who was there doing a count of the persons on the stairs, including looking for people using it for exercising and not just beach access. Hard to believe that during a pandemic people trying to stay healthy are breathing hard and sweating profusely passing other folks in a confined space. At the shoreline there was a group of six young Indo-Canadian men who were having a few wobbly pops and sitting closely together on a log. There were a few couples and some families sitting on blankets with other people simply walking the beach. We sat down enjoying the late day sunshine noting that those at the clothing-optional beach were all dressed for the elements.

The by-law officer I'd met informed me they were sending a report on crowds and social distancing at Crescent Beach to Surrey Council. With the weekly negative television news coverage on crowds drawn to Crescent Beach I would not be surprised to see changes coming that would limit either parking or only allow access to residents. With White Rock doing their best to discourage beach visitors, it puts more pressure on Crescent Beach, which already has its loyal share of followers. I should note here that Metro Vancouver has closed off parking lots to Centennial Beach in Tsawwassen for crowd control. Other local nature areas here that are seeing a huge upswing of visitors are the Serpentine Fen and the Mud Bay Park trail, with parking lots at both of these areas often being full.

The long term forecast for next Sunday is sunny, high of 12 degrees and with 11 hours of bright sunshine. In a regular spring this would be a great day for doing spring clean ups, working in the yard or going to the beach. Let's hope that something is done before then to help flatten the curve of those who might want to drive down to Crescent Beach to catch a few rays, feel sand under their feet or maybe dip their toes into the waters of Boundary Bay. With nearly 550,000 people living in Surrey, Crescent Beach will likely be overwhelmed by people tired of being cooped up in their house or looking for something to do to keep their children happy and occupied. The Covid-19 epidemic can only be stopped if we keep large numbers of people from congregating and Surrey needs to follow White Rock's lead on this issue.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

March 30, 2020\

Canada Against Covid

Oh land of blue unending skies, Mountains strong and
sparkling snow, A scent of freedom in the wind, O'er
emeralds fields below.
To thee we brought our hopes, our dreams, For thee we stand
together, our land of peace, where proudly flies, The Maple
Leaf forever.


Lyrics to "Maple Leaf Forever", written by Alexander Muir in 1867, the year of Canada's Coronation.


Sung in recent times the Closing Ceremonies for the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics by Michael Buble.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYlCGQ628gE&t=2h19m10s

 

One of the things I like to always have on hand is a hockey stick with a Canadian flag taped onto it. I prefer real wood, either a Sherwood or Coho, with a flag I pick up for free from my local MP's office. It really is amazing the times when you can pull it out of the closet, wave it around or put it in the back of the ol' pickup truck before going out for a rip. The Canada Day long weekend is a natural, the Summer and Winter Olympics, International ice hockey games, concerts, camping trips, journeys to the USA and political rallies are always good times for the Maple Leaf. In fact my last Canadian flag Coho combo went missing at a rally in north Surrey for Justin Trudeau before he was first elected Prime Minister. I loaned it to a Liberal supporter who wanted to wave it around at the back of the room and when the event ended he was nowhere to be seen. Only in Surrey, I should have known better than to trust a fellow politico.

I recently had a birthday that was rather anti-climatic considering the party was cancelled with friends and family told to keep their distance due to COVID-19. While that had me down in the dumps, it quickly turned around when my wife gave me my birthday present. There nicely folded and wrapped in shiny cellophane was a brand new Canadian flag. Now this wasn't your dollar store variety or even the cheap "Made in China" ones the Federal government gives out (I kid you not), this flag was the real deal. Made of thick material that is actually sewn together with a triple seam and the Maple Leaf having a wide embroidered border, it measures a true 3' tall x 6' long. For a guy who takes a Canada flag on vacation everywhere he goes that is proudly hung from hotel room railings or adorned on the back window of a bus or van, it truly was an awesome gift.

Now I figured it would likely be a while before I got to finally use my new Canada flag since July 1st is a long way off, its too cold for camping and we are basically house bound. Watching Prime Minister give out his daily address to the nation in front of his home at Rideau Cottage, I was surprised to see that the backdrop did not include a single Canadian flag, just a couple of spruce trees on either side of the doorway still adorned with Christmas lights. Then I got to watch on the news as more and more people went onto their balconies in the west end to applaud and bang pots in support of front line health care workers, a trend that is growing in neighbourhoods across the Lower Mainland. It was then that I thought that since as Justin says "We are all in this together" and "We are all members of Team Canada" that it was time to use the good old red and white to inspire Canadians to do their part to help combat the COVID-19 pandemic.

The idea was to rebrand my old "Canada Flag Day Holiday" Facebook page from 2011 as "Canada Against Covid" encouraging Canadians to put up Canadian flags, plug in red and white Christmas lights plus wear Canada shirts and jockey jerseys as a show of national support. This thought got a great boost when I rolled into the Royal Oaks strata complex in Tsawwassen on Friday. With lots of seniors including some aging war vets, the residents there always put up a great show on Canada day with Canadian flags hung throughout the property. Imagine my surprise when I realized they had beaten me to the punch, with Canada flags flying everywhere and red hearts attached to some of the doors. It turns out that someone there had the same idea as myself and had told their neighbours to sport the red and white as a patriotic display during these dark and deadly days.

You can find the "Canada Against Covid" Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/groups/canadaagainstcovid/ The cover photo shows my brand new Canadian flag attached to our front railing with a string of red and white lights strung across it and me wearing my classic red and white Team Canada Olympic hockey jersey from 2006. The page description reads: "Canadians from coast to coast across the great white north need to come together at this historic time to fight against the COVID-19 virus. Show your support by putting a Canada flag outside your home or in a window. Put Canada car flags on your vehicle. Brighten the night with red and white Christmas lights. Wear Canada apparel including Olympic hockey jerseys. Together we can take the necessary steps to help stop the spread of this disease. Join the fight, put up the Maple leaf and show off your red and white."

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

March 23, 2020


Social Distancing Disgusting

It's no use, he sees her
He starts to shake and cough
Just like the old man in
That book by Navokov
Don't stand, don't stand so
Don't stand so close to me
Don't stand, don't stand so
Don't stand so close to me


Lyrics to "Don't Stand So Close To Me" by The Police, Zenyatta Mondatta album, 1980.

 

Watching the news this weekend reminded me of the classic scene from Cool Hand Luke where the Captain of Road Prison 36 talks about inmate Paul Newman. "What we’ve got here is failure to communicate. Some men you just can’t reach. So you get what we had here last week, which is the way he wants it; well, he gets it. I don’t like it any more than you men." With daily public health warnings going out from the BC Health Ministry and Dr. Bonnie Henry plus plenty of information about the COVID-19 pandemic from around the world, you'd think people would start to take the risk seriously. Unfortunately this does not seem to be the case as we continue to double in coronavirus infections every 3 days; the same rate that has led Italy to over 5,000 deaths so far.

I have avoided people like the plague over the past few weeks, which included cancelling a family birthday party so that all of my family members including my two octogenarian parents would remain safe and healthy. It was actually an easy choice since my father is currently holed up in his basement man cave only 4 days into his 14 day self-isolation after returning home from California. Nobody is dropping by for a visit, we have not gone out to see anybody else and all communication with people has taken place at a distance that could be measured with a 10 foot pole. We decided not to visit Crescent Rock beach this weekend since we realized with many public facilities closed it would likely be a magnet for people, especially with the nice weather. The other issue with going to our beach is that it is accessible only by narrow staircases at the Christopherson Steps and 1001 Steps, or by walking south from Crescent Beach on a strip of shoreline that can be very narrow when the tide is in. No problem, the sun deck was nice and warm and we got plenty of early spring cleaning and gardening done.

Unfortunately it looked to us as though many people did not receive he memo or decided that their well being was more important than the health of society and our elders. I guess a lot of pot peddlers have decided to stay home so the Indigenous Bloom dispensary on Semiahmoo First Nation land was very busy. While staff only allowed a small number of people into the store, folks were lined up waiting outside right next to each other seemingly oblivious of the two metre social distancing rule. This weekend TV news stations on multiple channels showed large crows of people visiting the White Rock pier to enjoy the sunshine and warm temperatures. The promenade was also a hot bed of activity with crowds of people making social distancing all but impossible in the middle of the day. By far the most nauseating display of callous disregard for public health had to be the two love-birds who got married with a large throng of their friends and family on Crescent Beach. No word on whether their vows included "In sickness or in health." Across the Salish Sea in Esquimalt, VicPD broke up a raucous house party jammed with young adults who believed their youth made them "immune" to the virus. Absolutely astonishing ignorance.

I have to admit that I was rather taken back by the polar opposite views that I saw on Global TV on Sunday night. After watching story after story regarding the COVID-19 pandemic it was time for a well needed commercial break. Onto the screen came an ad for Molson Ultra, formerly Molson 67 that is a low calorie light beer. The spot featured a bunch of younger people with plenty of women in close contact to each other. It went on something like "We know about apres ski, and apres yoga, and that apres weird cardio jazz class so why not apres together with Molson Ultra? It turns out that in the worst marketing timing ever, Molson has just launched a national advertising campaign for their light beer, "aimed at drinkers interested in health and wellness." The two ads they are airing feature 25-35 year old women enjoying a Molson Ultra as a social reward for completing health-related activities. These ads need to be pulled immediately as the best health related activity these days is staying home and away from other people, not hanging with your friends.

As much as I would like to think that people will follow orders and do the right thing, in the end the idjits and morons among us will ensure that the coronavirus continues to spread and the death count soars. I believe it will take an absolute lock down and "test, test, test" as recommended by WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus to slow this pandemic. With President Trump declaring California a major disaster area due to COVID-19 and Everett in Washington State directing residents to "shelter in place" it shows that some jurisdictions are putting health concerns ahead of civil liberties. Here in Canada this weekend, Nova Scotia declared a state of emergency while Northwest Territories shut its borders to people who are not residents. Our Federal government has both the Quarantine Act and the Emergencies Act they can use to help stop this pandemic before it is too late. I suspect it will only be after the morgues are full and our health care system is swamped that Justin Trudeau will use these extraordinary powers to quarantine the Canadian population and hopefully stop the COVID-19 spread.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

March 16, 2020

Panic-demic

 

I had to watch in utter dismay as people faced with reports of increasing Novel Coronavirus (aka COVID-19) infections resorted to panic buying. Now I can see why people would want sanitary masks, disinfectant and hand sanitizer, but toilet paper? News flash folks, there is no need to be hoarding toilet paper unless you are brainless sheeple (sheepel in the USA). Images of citizenry lining up by the hundreds outside of Costcos, Walmarts and other big box stores shows us all the media created paranoia involving Covid-19. You have to wonder what is going through people's heads when you see them leaving a store with enough toilet paper to build a fort in their living room. This may be the "Me Too" era but these fools are showing us they live in a "Me First" reality. What is next, people lining up outside of Cabellas and rushing in to buy guns and as much ammo as their pick up trucks will hold?

The run on toilet paper by many in our society only goes to show the effect that the news and social media has on our daily lives. Unfortunately the fear that has been created by reporting on the COVID-19 pandemic has led to rash purchasing decisions that have nothing to do with reality. People who are now sitting at home with stacks of toilet paper they do not need should take a long look in the mirror and realize the bigger the A-hole the more toilet paper is needed. The Newton Costco sees a rush for toilet paper every morning when they open the doors. The local Wal-Mart and Super Store in South Surrey have had their shelves cleaned out like a babies butt. I'm sure that the Save on Foods and Safeway have seen similar panic buying happen and I really don't care. We have our usual stash of ass-wipe and I'm not going to join the herd mentality and fill a buggy with something I don't need just because some other morons thought it was a prudent thing to do.

What is interesting is that most people fail to realize that we have our very own toilet paper plant here in the Lower Mainland just off Stewardson Way in New Westminster. That is where you will find Kruger Products (www.kruger.com) that is Canada's largest producer of tissue paper products. You will likely know many of the brand names they produce, Cashere and Purex bathroom tissues, the White Swan line of products plus Scotties facial tissues and Sponge Towels. With the increased demand due to COVID-19 panic buying, Kruger has responded and is now running three shifts a day to up their production. Sorry to say but in a pinch you can use facial tissues, serviettes, or even pieces of paper towel to clean up after a #2 bathroom break. Almost every public washroom has large industrial rolls of toilet paper (made by Kruger) and nobody is counting how many sheets you use or take. For anyone who has camped in the great white north, old-school newspaper works in a pinch as does the old standard, a hand full of leaves.

While COVID-19 makes all the headlines the season influenza strains are packing morgues across the planet without raising a headline. I know a couple of guys who recently contracted it, one threw up so hard he blew the blood vessels in an eye turning it bright red. The other dry heaved for so long he was left with a forehead and eye lids that were red, looking like he had a sunburn. For the 2019/2020 influenza season the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) estimates in the US the flu has caused 34 million sicknesses, 350,000 hospitalizations and 20,000 deaths so far without causing any panic buying. If you really want to be scared, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates roughly 1.35 million people die annually due to traffic accidents with 20-50 million people getting injured. Even with these numbers, I don't see governments calling for roads to be blocked and for cars to be kept in the garage.

That being said, the COVID-19 virus is nothing to be sneezed at, especially if you are older. The infections have now leveled off in China but are rising worldwide to a total so far of over 135,000 with Iran, Italy Europe and the United States now seeing significant growth in this disease. Early data shows that the Corona virus is much more virulent than the flu causing death in 2.3% of all cases in Wuhan China, vs. 0.1% for the seasonal flu. Where COVID-19 really gets scary is with the elderly that see a 6% fatality rate for those aged 60 and above, with 18% death rate for people over 80. Social distancing and preventive measures should reduce peak infections and hopefully not exceed health care capability to deal with the outbreak. More than wearing masks or hoarding toilet paper, properly washing your hands, not touching your face, avoiding crowded conditions and close contact with other people are the best way to stay healthy. If you do feel sick, STAY HOME and self quarantine, good advice whether the COVID-19, the flu or the common cold.

In case you are not familiar with them here are the main symptoms of a COVID-19 infection as experienced by those infected in China. Please note that the coronavirus rarely causes a runny nose easily distinguishing it from the common cold.

 

If you want to keep track of the COVID-19 outbreak and see data on its spread and control on a worldwide basis them check out the rest of the detailed scientific data posted on the Our World In Data website at https://ourworldindata.org/coronavirus It uses daily data from the World Health Organization to help track this new illness in countries around the globe. In case you were wondering, Canada's COVID-19 infections have doubled in the past three days alone with 244 total and 68 new cases just on March 15, while the USA doubled in four days to 1678 cases with zero new cases on Sunday, a number that sounds rather suspect. Worldwide COVID-19 infections have doubled in 24 days with approximately 135,500 reported illnesses including nearly 11,000 new cases on Sunday alone. Amazingly they have no information on how huge stockpiles of toilet paper will keep you save from this disease.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

The Naked Truth - March 9, 2020

What The Truck is Going On?

 

'Cause we got a great big convoy
Rockin' through the night
Yeah, we got a great big convoy
Ain't she a beautiful sight
C'mon and join our Convoy
Ain't nothin' gonna get in our way
We gonna roll this truckin' convoy
'Cross (all of Surrey)
Convoy
Convoy


Lyrics to "Convoy", song by C.W. McCall, Black Bear road album, 1975

I have to admit I have a fine collection of cheater roads that make crossing from one end of Surrey to the other a breeze even in rush hour. I'm not going to itemize them here lest they become jammed with commuters who learn all of my driving secrets. The one I will share is Colebrook Road from King George Blvd (the KGB) to 160 St. This rather antiquated roadway that is covered with an anti-slip coating due to the road angle allows you to miss the 8-way traffic light at 152 St and #10 Hwy. Unfortunately it can also mean you occasionally get stopped by a train on the CN tracks but even these can be watched for. I can put this cheat in my TNT because the word is certainly out on this little short-cut with a non-stop string of cars using this road to get from Cloverdale down to Hwy 99 or the Semi-pen.

With this former farming roadway floating on peat bog, Colebrook Road is probably the worst road in Surrey to drive on. It is full of bumps and dips and in the winter gets pockmarked with potholes, some big enough to flatten a tire or dent a rim. The Surrey road maintenance crews try their best to patch up Colebrook but with the vehicle traffic it sees these days this is a never ending chore. The road is also off limits to large truck traffic with a 10,000 Kg limit for vehicles traveling down a road so notorious the Mud Bay Blues Band even did a song about it. You would never know about this weight limit by the large amount of semi-truck traffic that rolls unimpeded down Colebrook every morning and evening. The reason is that several farms in this region have apparently been turned into illegal truck parks on farm land.

The Agricultural Land Commission does not allow the following on Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR) property:
Fill placement or removal of soil on ALR land;
Aggregate extraction;
Parking or storage of commercial or industrial vehicles;
Operating a commercial business unrelated to farming;
Construction of buildings other than a principal residence without a permit;
Impacting/obstructing a watercourse.
Unfortunately with several ALR properties south of #10 highway and north of the Serpentine River from 157 St. to 160 St. land owners are flagrantly disregarding the rules over farmland use. You don't have to be a detective to see this, simply go to Surrey's Cosmos mapping system that includes satellite imagery at https://cosmos.surrey.ca/external/
By far the worst case of flagrantly ignoring the rules on ALR usage not to mention ripping up the asphalt on Colebrook has to be the home at 5192 157 St. The latest image off Cosmos shows 32 trailers stored on the property plus a large number of the tractor trucks that tow them. It is interesting how all of these trailers got to the property off roads not allowing vehicles with GVW over 10,000 Kg. Just south of there at 5050 157 St, another graveled farm has 6 more truck trailers parked in a gravel lot. Nearby at 15832 Colebrook Road, a mansion with a massive graveled parking lot has 7 more trailers and several tractor units.

Why the Surrey By-laws and the ALC are doing nothing about these properties remains a mystery, especially with the damage from heavy trucks being inflicted on Colebrook Road. I realize the RCMP are busy in Surrey but I think if they put even one squad car on Colebrook for several hours in the morning and evening they would be able to ticket multiple semi-trucks for being on this rural farm road. If you believe as I do that farmland should be farmed and growing food, these delinquent properties can be reported to the ALC at the following website: https://www.alc.gov.bc.ca/alc/content/alc-act-alr-regulation/compliance-and-enforcement/unauthorized-use-of-alr-land

On that page is a tab to download the Compliance and Enforcement Land Use Activity Report Form in order to get these properties on the radar. Check out the Cosmos site on the Surrey.ca website to get a grasp on the size of this problem in only this half mile square piece of Surrey.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

The ALC responds to information brought to its attention that may involve activity that contravenes the ALC Act. If you witness, are aware of, or have concerns over any activities on ALR land that appears to be unauthorized, consider if the activity may be permitted under the ALC Act or ALR Land Use, Subdivision and Procedure Regulation. If you believe that the activity is not permitted and you would like to submit a report to the ALC C&E team, the Compliance and Enforcement Land Use Activity Report Form must be completed and submitted to the email address: ALRLandUseConcern@gov.bc.ca.

 

March 3, 2020

Barking Up The Wrong Tree

I don't have a problem with authority, it's stupid bureaucracy that drives me nuts and why I usually try to avoid dealing with governmental departments at all levels. Unfortunately sometimes this cannot be avoided and so you grit your teeth and control your temper while having to deal with the pencil pushers and all of their asinine ridiculous rules that give them the sense of control and validate their pathetic existence. That being said, let this TNT begin.

In my yard in South Surrey I have planted over 60 trees in the past decade on top of the ones that were already here including five that are now covered under Surrey' s tree protection bylaw. Recently I had two trees that needed to come down; a cherry planted just outside my front door and a diseased maple at the side of the property. While the maple was not protected the gnarly cherry needed a tree permit issued by City Hall. I was well aware of this fact and started the process by making my online application.

While that was painless, I had to drive all the way to the Whalley city hall to pick up and pay for my tree permit. This cost $517 including a $400 deposit for tree inspections once a replacement tree had been planted and a year later to confirm the tree was still healthy and growing. No problem, cost of doing business I told myself plus the tree work would all be on the up and up. My arborist buddy from D&S Tree Care came over, we quickly turned the trees into cordwood and stuffed the branches into the chipper. A little later my friend The Stump Doctor dropped by with his machine to grind out the stumps. Total cost for this work was $735 not including the permit.

Of course I still had to plant my replacement tree but had been preparing for this moment once I decided years ago that the cherry that allowed squirrels onto the roof of the house had to go. I had come across a Ginko tree sapling five years back and transplanted it into my back yard with the idea of moving it into the front yard when it was big enough. This living fossil dating back 270 million years had already grown to over 6 metres in height. With help from a friend we dug it up with a big root ball and managed to move it into the front yard for planting. The spot I picked for it was at my side yard where the rotten maple had been removed from. We installed the Ginko with organic topsoil, bone meal and lots of water. Happy with the job I took a picture of this tree and forwarded it back to the city for their approval and to get my first 200 bucks back.

That is where the problem started. Surrey's tree inspector came out and reported that the tree was too close to the property line plus too close to my "parking spot" a gravelled area beside my driveway that I use as a storage and work area. I had missed the rules about how the tree could be no closer than a metre from the property line even though it was in the same spot as the diseased maple that had been cut down. The best part was finding out that any reinspection would cost me an additional $200, something not mentioned anywhere on the Surrey.ca website.

So now the fight begins with city hall. I could have told them the Ginko tree in the back yard was newly planted, thrown some topsoil around it and had it passed. As it sits, I will probably have to dig out the Ginko from its new home, drag it back into the rear of the property, plant it where it came from then move it in a year's time. There is no other space in my yard that will accommodate a mature Ginko down the road. The other option is to rip the 20' tall Ginko out, throw it in the back of my truck and dump it at the front doors of city hall with a note telling them to take my $400 and shove it.

What is ridiculous about their one metre rule is that all of the trees in my yard are planted at or near property lines. This ensures maximum light, maximum space, plus improves their survival when the house is bulldozed and a new mansion is built. With new development, trees away from property lines all get bulldozed, something they need to take into account. I talked to my neighbour about all of my tree plans before starting this project and he was thrilled about having a new Ginkno tree to enjoy at no cost to him. It apparently makes no difference to Surrey that the new tree is planted where the old maple was, rules are rules you know.

Another weakness with Surrey's tree replacement rules are the list of reccomended replacement trees. They are only guidelines, you can plant anything you want but they control where you can put it. If you want to plant a native Douglas fir that can hit over 150 feet tall, go for it. Want to plant a fast growing but soon dangerous poplar or cottonwood, have at her. What is really hysterical is that one of the recommended trees over 20 m tall is the Giant Redwood. These are the largest trees in the world, reaching up to 380 feet tall and with names like Stratosphere Giant, Hyperion and General Sherman. I'm not sure why they are worried about trees closer than a metre from property lines when these massive trees can grow to 30 feet across.

Who knows where this lunacy will end but hopefully my Ginko tree can stay where it is after I talk to the people in the tree department this week. If not, maybe I'll rip out the banana grove in the middle of my front yard and plant a nice big Redwood. The neighbour across the street planted one when he moved in that was only two feet tall. It was 40 feet high when we moved in and has now doubled to at least 80 feet. Sorry to say that if I knew what a big pain in the butt this was going to be I would have quietly pruned off a branch at a time from my old cherry until it died a death from a thousand cuts. I would have saved a lot of money and still had my Ginko tree where I wanted it to be.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

February 24, 2020


Keep Our Beaches Clean - Dump On The BNSF

 

When I first moved to the Semiahmoo peninsula I became aware of the danger posed to passing BNSF trains by landslides originating from the Ocean Park bluffs. Walking from Crescent Beach to White Rock I got to inspect multiple slide sites along the way and how hilltop residents were cutting trees for views while also draining run-off water onto the slopes above the tracks. My biggest concern was the passing BNSF freight trains, often laden with tankers of petroleum products and hazardous chemicals running next to the waterfront that is lined with large jagged boulders. Depending on the product being carried, a derailment along the BNSF tracks here could have a ruinous effect on the Semiahmoo Bay marine environment.

Year after year starting in 2003 I visited our local train tracks during wet and stormy weather to inspect landslide sites, climbing the steep hillside of the Ocean Park bluff to check out the slide origin. Often these started at the edge of peoples yards where trees had been cut on BNSF property and with big-o drain pipe sticking out of the very top of the slope failure. I have seen many slide sites and became aware that the BNSF Railway simply dug out the mudslide debris from the corridor and placed it on the seaward side of the tracks. Being mud, it would then flow outwards onto the rocky shoreline between Crescent Beach and White Rock. Sometimes these debris fans were several metres deep and covering large areas, with volumes often between 10 and 100 dump truck loads of fill.

At the end of January we had a pineapple express, now renamed as an "atmospheric river" take aim on the south coast delivering copious amounts of rain to an already saturated region. I knew there would be mudslides onto the rail corridor and was not surprised when it was reported that the tracks were closed due to slides. Unfortunately due to recent knee surgery I could not visit the slope failures located just south of Crescent Beach. The knee is now healed, the stitches removed and I'm much more mobile, allowing me to do things like take the dogs for a walk or go to the beach. When I finally made it down to the shoreline south of the 101 Steps, I really was not shocked to learn that the BNSF Railway is continuing their behaviour of dumping landslide debris onto the shoreline of Crescent Rock Beach in south Surrey. 

There are three slide zones just south of the 24 Ave. Christopherson Steps staircase (aka 101 Steps) south of Crescent Beach. The largest one measures 15 x 7 metres in size by 1 metre deep or the equivalent of 7 dump truck loads of fill. To make matters worse, this slide material was dumped in the very same area as another slide on Jan 10, 2018 that was also excavated onto the waterfront. It covered a large portion of the beach frequented by naturists and made it unusable for beach recreation for two years until storm waves eventually washed this muddy debris away. This is an area where sandy beach is at a premium and the burying of this spot once again means it will likely be unusable for another two years. It is unknown how many other new slide dump sites there are on the 6.5 km. of shoreline between Crescent Beach and White Rock.

I always report this illegal dumping to BC's RAPP line, DFO's Observe Record Report line, the RCMP and Ministry of Transportation, there appears to be no consequences to the BNSF Railway and no court action has been taken against them. For some historical perspective, this comes after a March 2007 DFO investigation found the BNSF in violation of the Fisheries Act for this type of dumping and a March 2009 slide near Kwomais Point that was excavated into the ocean where a dead sea otter was found directly next to the debris field. I have reported slide debris excavated onto shoreline here used by sand lance and surf smelt for breeding to the Department of Fisheries (DFO) twice over the past two years but have never been informed of the results of their investigations.

I'm left wondering what it will take to stop the BNSF Railway from using the shores of Semiahmoo Bay as their private dumping ground? Besides writing about this in the White Rock Sun, I sent a news release with slide photos to the major TV stations, radio stations, Vancouver Sun and Province plus Black Press. Our former MP Gordie Hogg, the new MP Kerry-Lynn Findlay, MLA Tracy Reddies plus Mayor Doug MacCallum and the entire Surrey Council know about this latest slide dump next to the tracks. The same goes for the Federal Minister of Transportation Marc Garneau and the BC Minister of Transportation Claire Trevena plus BC Environment Minister George Heyman. I've also shared my information with Chief Harley Chappell of the Semiahmoo First Nation and the Friends of the Semiahmoo Bay Society. 

What we need are pissed off people to start making a big stink about this illegal dumping onto our beaches. I know if I were to show up with dump trucks of muddy fill and start dumping them on the public beaches of White Rock or Crescent Beach that the RCMP would show up and arrest me in a matter of minutes. Why do we tolerate an American railway dumping debris from their train tracks onto our beaches, especially when it often contains garbage consisting of drain pipes, landslide detector fence and poles, used car tires and old household debris? Do we need to follow the indigenous people's lead and blockade train tracks to bring some attention to this problem? I certainly hope not, there are better ways to protest or make a point without being an a-hole.

You can help by taking the time to report illegal dumping from the BNSF Railway onto the shores of Semiahmoo Bay. It can be reported as an environmental crime to the RCMP through Crimestoppers at 1-800-222-8477. The DFO ORR line can be reached toll-free at 1-800-465-4336, 604-607-4186 in Greater Vancouver or by email at DFO.ORR-ONS.MPO@dfo-mpo.gc.ca The latest incident that happened on January 31 has three areas of mudslide debris burying the beach 200-400 m. south of the 24 Ave staircase south of Crescent Beach. This material that damaged fish habitat was excavated off the tracks by BNSF crews as reported by their spokesperson Gus Melonas. Please take a minute to make a phone call or send an email. It is 2020 and its time that this illegal dumping was stopped.

Over the past 10 years I have written a number of articles on rail safety and slope stability here in The White Rock Sun. I will continue to monitor and report on the situation until someone, does something.
April 15, 2019 - Freak Sliding Away
March 19, 2018 - BNSF Burying Crescent Beach
April 3, 2017 - BNSF Buries Nude Beach
Jan. 10, 2011 - Calling the BNSF's Bluff
Dec. 20, 2010 - Muddy Tracks Lead To Trouble

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

February 18, 2020

Slip Slidin' Away

 

She said a good day
Ain't got no rain
She said a bad day's when I lie in bed
And think of things that might have been
Slip slidin' away
Slip slidin' away
You know the nearer your destination
The more you're slip slidin' away
Lyrics to Paul Simon's song Slip Slidin' Away, 1977.

 

 

It has been nice to finally have a reprieve from the gloomy wet weather we have been experiencing much of the new year. January saw 22nd consecutive days of precipitation with 245 millimeters of precipitation falling, 55% above the monthly average of 158 mm. This figure also included 34 cm. of snowfall during the month with much of that coming during an arctic outflow period. In total the precipitation that fell was the fifth highest ever recorded in January for this region. An "atmospheric river", aka pineapple express that struck at month's end dumped much more precipitation on February 1st onto the Semiahmoo peninsula where the ground was already saturated. Combined with strong winds that caused trees to sway putting pressure on soaked soil, it was inevitable that landslides would result. 

Not surprisingly the steep hills of the Ocean Park bluffs were once again on the move with several mudslides falling from the hillside onto the BNSF Railway corridor. The largest of these buried the tracks over 1.5 metres deep just south of the Christopherson Steps pedestrian overpass and the western end of 24 Avenue in South Surrey. BNSF crews went to work removing the debris from he railway and performing geotechnical inspections of the slope failures to ensure the hillside was once again stable. Normally after slide events such as these I take the time to perform a "Track Watch" inspection of the 6.5 km. of rail between Crescent Beach and White Rock. Unfortunately due to recent knee surgery I was in no shape to go for such a long grueling hike on uneven and challenging terrain.

It turns out that the Ocean Park bluff wasn't the only hillside in the Semiahmoo Peninsula that was the site of a major slope failure. A friend of mine out paddling on the Nicomekyl River reported he had seen a large slide from a residence located just west of Elgin Heritage Park on Crescent Road. While he did not snap any pictures, he described a large slide from the top of the hill very near the house that tore down the hillside to the river, clearing all of the trees in its path. A series of wooden steps that had been built on the hillside were destroyed and left in shambles. He reported that long pieces of large black plastic hose could be seen in the muddy debris, likely Big-O pipe draining water from the yard above onto the hill. While I have yet to talk to the owners of this property, the house was already close to the edge before the slide and it is unknown if this slope failure has endangered the safety of the dwelling.

White Rock didn't go unspared by the heavy deluge this rain event brought to the City by the Sea. The Coldicutt Ravine was seriously damaged by multiple mudslides covering the trail connecting Marine Drive to the waterfront. Some of these slides covered the trail and buried steps while whole trees and hillsides washed down into the water channel at the bottom of the ravine. This popular beach access point is now closed and blocked off and likely will be this way for some time into the future because of all the damage. The ravine heading down from the from Ruth Johnson Park at Centennial Arena also was severely damaged by this storm. The trail nearest the Eva Bene Butterfly Garden was the scene of multiple slope failures that covered the trail and destroyed wooden stairs that had been built there. As with Coldicutt, this trail is now closed and will likely stay that way for some time. 

Amazingly even with all of the rain the deforested Hump hillside between west and east beach still held its own and the slope in this region remained stable. It is not as though this hillside is not a concern to the City of White Rock. There have been multiple previous slope failures the last time this slope was cleared over a hundred years ago. The retaining walls and cracks in the pavement on Marine Drive have been studied for ground motion and possible structural failure affecting the city services under the roadway. In order to ensure slope stability in this area, the city is planning on putting pilings deep into the ground along Marine Drive this year to hold everything in place. No word yet on when this work will start, how much it will cost or what impact it will have on traffic along Marine Drive.

Predicting landslides in the Semi-Pen is not rocket science, all you need is a rain gauge set out in your back yard. If the ground is already heavily saturated and we receive two inches of rain in a 48 hour period, you can guarantee that mud will be flowing from the hills around here. Draining water onto steep slopes, having drain fields at hill top and the cutting of trees for views all greatly increase the risks of causing slope failure. These landslides pose a risk to anything below including BNSF trains along the Ocean Park bluffs plus can literally leave a home hanging on the edge with massive slope remediation bills or the building being condemned. If you think the danger is not real consider that back in the early 1960's an English gardener living in a cottage along Crescent Road was killed in a mudslide that covered his home. 

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

February 10, 2020 

Trudeau's True Doo

"I see you've got your list out, say your piece and get out
Guess I get the gist of it, but it's alright
Sorry that you feel that way, the only thing there is to say
Every silver lining's got a touch of grey
The shoe is on the hand it fits, there's really nothing much to it
Whistle through your teeth and spit 'cause it's alright
Oh well, a touch of grey kinda suits you anyway
And that was all I had to say and it's alright
(Lyrics to "Touch of Grey", Grateful Dead, 1987)
"

 

The Naked Truth usually revolves around subjects of a local nature and importance to the residents of the Semiahmoo Peninsula but this week I thought I'd let my hair down and broaden my horizons. One of the reasons for this is that I'm sitting here feeling sorry for myself with my wonky knee bandaged and stitched after undergoing arthroscopic surgery. It wasn't like I did something to hurt myself, Father Time simply came up and kicked my butt with my body breaking down due to old age and years of abuse. Add to that my long curly locks are gone, the thick dark brown hair is fading being slowly replaced with silver and grey plus a rapidly receding hairline. Something tells me it might be time to update the TNT photo of myself taken on a white sand beach at Cayo Largo, Cuba a decade ago.

Enough about me, its time to talk about the heir (hair?) apparent, none other than Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Let's face it, the younger Trudeau's locks have been the focal point of plenty of discussions throughout the years, including the flattering "Nice hair though" comment used in a Conservative attack ad. When he first took over the Liberal Party in 2013 at the age of 41 his boyish good looks and flowing locks garnered him the title of "World's Hottest Leader." Since that time his stylist has gradually shortened his hair so that he now beginning to look more Prime Ministerial and less GQ Model. If you check out photos of him online you will notice there seems to be a wide variation of hair colours over the years from chestnut brown to damn near black but silver and grey are never seen his head.

The start of 2020 heralded a new page in the on-going saga of Trudeau's hair but this time it was a stubbly beard that was unveiled to the public in the first week of January. Fresh off the Christmas holidays it looked as if our PM decided the Millennial beard look was in and he decided to join the hipster crowd. Don't get me wrong, I regularly grow a beard in the winter because it keeps my chin warm during cold weather and allows me to save money on expensive Gillette blade refills. What was fascinating about Trudeau's beard was not the length or chosen style, it was the fact that it was salt-and-pepper colour. Now when father time started to show up on me, it began with my hair on top, worked its way into my beard and is now slowly working its way south to the nether regions (TMI?). If the curtains were to match the carpet, Justin should have some grey hair on top, leading me to suspect our leader uses the dreaded brown shampoo.

In the case of father-like-son, Pierre Trudeau had plenty of grey hair plus a receding hairline when he became Prime Minister at the age of 48, the same age Justin is now. To see how the stress of being leader puts the years on a person, check out how Stephen Harper went from having light brown hair with some grey at age 47 to almost totally silver Phil Donahue look-a-like in only nine years as P.M. Barack Obama went from almost black to nearly white (hair that is) in his two terms as US President that began when he was 47. It was Obama who gave Trudeau some hair advice nearly four years ago saying “I indicated to him that if, in fact, you plan to keep your dark hair, then you have to start dyeing it early. You hit a certain point when “it’s too late. You’ll be caught.” In fact only Donald Trump seems to not be going grey but varnish tends to yellow as does fiberglass with epoxy coating.

Now we have all seen the pictures of Trudeau from the past changing the colour of his skin to a much darker tone, so is it such a jump to believe that the Prime Minister dyes his hair? These days getting rid of grey is as easy as grabbing a box of Just For Men, Clairol Natural Instincts For Men, Redeken For Men 5 Minute Camo plus countless others. If you are an older Canadian you likely remember Montreal Canadian's Maurice "The Rocket" Richard commercial for Grecian Formula 16 where Jean Bellevue opens the penalty box door telling him "Hey Richard, two minutes for looking so good." We might have to revamp Clairol's famous slogan "Does she or doesn't she? Only her hairdresser knows for sure" and change the "her" to 'him" for Justin. Regardless, I thought it would be fun to be the first columnist in Canada to openly question how Trudeau is keeping his youthful hair colour while sporting a greying beard?

I can't be bothered dying my hair as it is getting to the point that I'm just glad there is still some there to cut. I've noticed at the barber shop the cut hair on the floor is noticeably darker than what they leave on my head. I'm becoming living testament to the saying "If you live long enough you'll start to resemble your father." Given enough time its amazing how many men end up looking like a sad-sack Santa. I figure there are easier ways to look younger than dyeing your hair anyways. I simply put on a ball cap from any major sporting team and I lose ten years right away. Turn the hat sideways and I lose another ten, pull it over my ears and I'm almost half my age. No creams, no dyes, no plastic gloves, no instructions needed. Throw in a thick gold chain, a couple of tattoos plus a nose ring and I might even be cool again.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn


 

February 03, 32020


What The Tuk-Tuk?

I must admit that in my limited time in Asia including a four-day stop in Hong-Kong and a one night stay in Bangkok, Thailand, I never got to ride in a tuk-tuk. For the uninitiated they are a three wheeled trike also known as an auto rickshaw that is a motorized version of the traditional man-powered or cycle rickshaw. There are many version but the regular style has a steel frame with sheet metal sides covering a small front cabin for the driver with handlebar controls a sloped roof with or without drop-down side curtains and a cargo/passenger area at the rear. Propulsion in early years came from small 2-cycle gas motors with LNG and electric motors now becoming commonplace, especially in congested cities. They are commonly used as a form of urban transportation in subtropical or developing countries, both as a taxi and for private use.

Now imagine my surprise when I parked near the London Drugs at the Peninsula Village Mall recently and I saw this strange looking vehicle tucked (pun) against the far side of the lot. I went up and checked out this bizarre tricycle that was teal in colour with brown seats and room for a driver and lots of cargo or passengers. Unfortunately nobody came out of the store while I circled this rather unique vehicle and it was still there when my shopping was done. I left a White Rock Sun business card tucked into the handlebars with a note that I was interested in talking to the owner about this rather unusual mode of transportation. If I had been on the ball I might have asked the manager of London Drugs if he knew who owned the tuk-tuk parked outside the store as it turned out it was an employee who contacted me several days later.

Dave Thiele lives in the south Surrey area not far from the Semiahmoo Mall. In 2012 he was diagnosed with brain cancer which caused him to lose not ony his full-time job but also his driver's license. Looking for another way to get around he purchased an electric two-wheeled bike but suffering from focal seizures, he ended up falling down on the side of the road and getting injured. Going back to the drawing board, Dave researched other modes of transportation and located an electric tuk tuk on the Alibaba website. Manufactured in China it seats up to 6 people, weighs 250 Kg., has a 80 Km. range and is powered by 3 car batteries. His tuk tuk has a maximum speed of 35 Km/h and handles surprisingly well without spending any time on two wheels instead of three. With the tuk tuk being only one metre wide, it easily fits into local bike lanes that measure 1.4-1.8 metres across.

This tuk tuk was purchased off the Alibaba.com website and custom built to specifications for around $2,500. Getting it into Canada was no easy task since it does not fall neatly into the parameters for electric personal vehicles or electric bikes. By the time the tuk-tuk was delivered, shipping costs and Canadian taxes nearly doubled the overall price. The savings on gasoline and insurance plus little to no maintenance or repairs means that this vehicle will pay for itself in he short term while giving Dave freedom to move around the peninsula in the network of bike lanes. To say that Dave's tuk tuk draws a crowd would be an understatement as people often stop him on his travels to learn about his 3-wheeled electric bike. He has become a big of a celebrity known as "Tuk Tuk Dave" since he has the only vehicle like in it in the Semi-Pen. There are only a couple more in town, one in Vancouver being utilized to shuttle between food kiosks and another on the North Shore being used by someone with mobility issues.

It has been 20 years since the Motor Assisted Cycle Regulations have been changed in the province of BC. In that time we have become worried about global warming and climate change, carbon pollution and getting drivers out of gasoline powered vehicles. Uber and Lyft have now finally started operations, years after they have opened up in cities across the planet. As we move into the future with electric vehicles leading the charge (ha-ha), we need to ensure that we do not exempt two and three wheeled vehicles from our roads due to outdated and onerous regulations. Currently in BC tuk tuks would not be able to be used as a taxi vehicle, even in high tourist areas or crowded city centres. With E-tuks as they are known now being sold in cities in the US, South Africa, Europe and south-east Asia, it makes sense that plan for their use here and in Vancouver that wants to be the greenest city in the world by 2020.

For more information on zero emission tuk tuks and their multitude of uses, please visit the following links:
http://etukusa.com/
https://etukfactory.com/

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

January 27, 2020


Freezing My Tail Feathers Off

 

 

 

Heading off to Mexico for a mid-winter vacation always means plenty of preparations before finally boarding the plane. You make lists and try to think of everything so that hopefully the world will not end and you will have a home to return to. We were lucky to have a family member live in our house during our holiday, looking after our dogs plus keeping an eye on the place. When we left the long range forecast did not look great but after only a short time away outflow winds and deep freeze temperatures were called for. Sorry to say that I had not planned for Alberta type weather and there were things that got overlooked. A quick WhatsApp phone call ensured that tropical palm trees and succulent cactus were hauled into the house from their makeshift greenhouses on both of our sun decks. Then I had to ask my long-suffering mother if she would look after feeding the hummingbirds.

For years now we have been feeding Anna's hummingbirds here near Crescent Beach, which unlike the Rufus hummingbirds that migrate to Mexico in winter (smart), now stay in the Lower Mainland year round. It is believed the proliferation of hummingbird feeders, increases in average temperature plus the introduction of winter flowering plants have spread this purple throated hummingbird's range so that they are now been taking up residence in the interior of the province. These tiny birds use nectar or sugar water as an energy source plus forage for small insects that provides them with protein and essential minerals and amino acids. For most of the year it is a simply job of mixing the 1/4 cup sugar into one cup of water to create the syrup (with no red dye) and ensuring that the feeder is scrupulously clean and free of mold or mildew.

The issue is what to do when the weather turns cold and the feeders begin to freeze just as the hummingbirds need energy the most. There are plenty of ways to deal with this problem but most require you actually being home to deal with them. The easiest way is to bring in feeders at night and put them out before daybreak when hummers as we call them first start to feed. Of course this means you need to be up early every day, weekends be damned. Frozen feeders can have any metal parts removed and be put in the microwave for thawing, taking care they are not hot when put outside. Some folks have several feeders, rotating them throughout the day to ensure that the hummers are not only well fed, but have warmed food for their cold little bodies. During the day a thick thermal sock pulled over the feeder helps to retain heat.

When cold snaps happen while I'm home, I move the feeder from in front of our kitchen window to a nearby porch light that I leave on. The lamp has an older incandescent 60W light bulb in it providing heat and the feeder is wired on so that it sits next to the glass. My folks use a similar system, hanging an older model automotive work light with a 100W rough service incandescent bulb under their feeder. Outdoor incandescent Christmas lights can also be strung in a ball below feeders with their collective heat keeping the syrup from freezing in the feeder. A buddy told me their friend wires an empty essential oil diffuser under their hummer feeder and the small heater unit provides enough warm to keep the syrup flowing. By far the most inventive method I've heard of is customers of mine who taped Hot-Shot chemical hand warmer pads to the bottom of their pan styled feeder. You can now buy commercial feeder heaters including Hummer Hearth if the $50 price tag doesn't scare you away.

During the recent snowmageddon the Wildlife Rescue Association reported they had received over 75 calls from people who had found frozen or starving hummingbirds. In their medical building they had over a dozen hummingbirds at once that people had dropped off to be nursed back to health. Last week my friend at work came to me with a small Anna hummingbird that he had found laying on the ground. The little bird was soaked with rain with its tiny feathers clinging to its obviously dead body. I put a dime next to it for scale and took the picture that you see just above. For a person who had just brought a beaded hummingbird ornament home from the beach at La Manzanilla I see top of TNT), it was quite a sobering moment. Our yard is full of winter flowing shrubs for Anna's to forage on and our feeder is always kept thawed. If you want to feed overwintering hummingbirds you must keep your feeder warm and available or you risk killing the very birds you are trying to help.

For more information about Anna's hummingbirds and how to safety feed them in winter please refer to the following links:
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Annas_Hummingbird/id
http://www.seattleaudubon.org/sas/Learn/SeasonalFacts/Hummingbirds.aspx

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

 

January 20, 2020


Digging Your Own Snowy Grave

As usual when we travel in January, we arrived home to find that the Lower Mainland had been turned into a winter wonderland. After both of the last two winter pilgrimages to warmer lands down south, the taxi that brought us home from the airport had to park on the street because there was too much snow in the driveway. My mother was staying in the house dog-sitting and at age 81 I had instructed her not to shovel any snow and instead asked the neighbour to simply carve a path from the road to the front door in case of significant snowfall. After trudging our luggage inside and unpacking, the very first job I undertook was to dig out the yard. With six inches of the white stuff plus plenty by the roadway from passing plow trucks, it was a heavy arduous job.

Even though I am in good physical shape and accustomed to digging, I know that snow shoveling can be dangerous due to the sheer weight and volume of snow, especially when it is allowed to build up, which was the case in this instance. Back in the early 1970's our neighbour was a nice Dutch man in his eighties named Mr. Kohey. He lived across the road with his wife in a home that had a large semi-circular driveway. While this meant you could always drive forwards, it also ensured there was twice as much blacktop as any other home in the neighbourhood. After a heavy snowfall, Mr. Kowie went out to clear his driveway, armed with a push shovel consisting of two foot square of plywood screwed onto a five foot length of 2x4. He managed to clear nearly two thirds of the snow before suffering a major heart attack and dying. I never forgot this incident and as I get older take extra care myself now that I'm above 55 years old.

I usually talk to people about taking care when shovelling after a heavy dump of snow, which is tough to do when laying on a beach with a margarita in my hand. One of my good shooting buddies Oliver who is my age and lives in White Rock never got the memo from me about the increased risk of heart attack from shoveling snow. Last week after the outflow snows he went outside to clear walkways, stairs and parking areas around his property on Columbia Street. His wife went off to work and was there when she received an urgent call from Peace Arch Hospital. It turns out a Transit driver had spotted Oliver laying in the snow near a bus stop with his shovel beside him. The driver stopped and administered CPR while 911 was called. Unfortunately even with help from emergency services and hospital staff, Oliver could not be resuscitated. It is believed he succumbed to a heart attack related to the exertion from shoveling snow.

A study in the Canadian Medial Association Journal found that from November to April, the snowfall months, among men a third of all heart attacks occurred the day after a snowfall. If there were two or three days of snow, the heart attack rate was even higher. The scary thing was they found this was true regardless of the person's age, cardiovascular risk, blood pressure or other health conditions. Women did not have this same link, likely because they avoid shoveling snow or perhaps use smaller shovels. The simple act of lifting snow creates a Valsava maneuver where people hold their breath during exertion. This can lower blood pressure and cause blood clots to form in coronary arteries, triggering a heart attack. Also when shoveling the arms are in motion while the body stands relatively still and in cold weather blood vessels can constrict, increasing the risk of clots. While no accurate data has been collected, it is believed shoveling snow is related to a hundred deaths across Canada each winter from heart attacks. Snow clearing is believed to be so dangerous that many medical sources tell men to stop shoveling when they hit age 50.

Here is an edited list of snow shoveling safety rules that was recently published in Canadian Family (canadianfamily.net) that I believe is worth sharing:

Get Ready

Before you head out to shovel, avoid smoking, caffeine, alcohol, and large meals.
Drink plenty of water before, during and after shoveling.
Dress in layers and wear boots designed to keep you from slipping.
Warm up! This is exercise and you should stretch before starting, with a special focus on your back. Do it again when you’re done.
Have the right shovel on hand. Studies have proven ergonomic shovels reduce muscle strain. Test shovels, paying special attention to how your back and wrist feel when you use it. To avoid heavy loads, a shovel should be 25-35 cm (10-14”) wide.
Scoops are fine to get snow out of the way, but using them for shoveling (lifting and throwing) is dangerous. You should be able to stand upright when using your scoop, with your arms bent at a 90° angle.


Get it Done

Wear safety glasses in windy conditions or when using a snowblower.
Safe snow removal should be done early and often. If possible, clear the snow as it accumulates if you’re expecting a lot.
Proper snow shoveling is done with your feet placed about hip-width apart. Face the snow you are about to shovel. With your weight on your front foot, use your leg to push the shovel. Shift your weight to the back foot, breathe in, lift and keep the scoop of snow close to your body. Bend your knees, keep the back straight, tighten your stomach muscles and lift with your legs. Walk to where you want to dump the snow.
Never twist. Face the snow you want to shovel and face the direction you’re throwing in.
If the snow is heavy, push it to edge of the dumping area and throw it out of the way from there.
Shovel no more than 15 scoops per minute and take a break every 15 minutes or so. If there’s someone around to help, you can each take 15 minute shifts at doing the heavy lifting.
At a rate of 15 scoops per minute, each shovel load should be no more than 5-7 kg (10-15 pounds). At a rate of 10 scoops per minute, the weight of each shovel load can be increased to about 11 kg (24 pounds).
Snow should not be thrown higher than 1.3 meters (approximately 4′), nor thrown further than 1 meter (about 3′).
Take it easy if snow is wet and heavy. A 5 x 9 meter (about 16 x 30 feet) driveway covered in 30.5 cm (one foot) of wet snow, equals approximately 3628 kg (four tons) of snow!
You should be able to stand up straight behind a snowblower. Maintain full control by moving slowly. If you have to push it, stay behind it as opposed to pushing sideways. NEVER use your hands to clear chutes or blades. Be sure to read the manual and use the machine as the manufacturer guidelines suggest.
If the plow blocks your driveway with a pile of snow, get on it ASAP. The longer it sits there, the harder it will be to remove.
Be aware of signs of strain or heart attack and never ignore these signals. Using a snowblower does NOT eliminate the risk of heart attack.


If you’re a senior citizen and/or have health conditions, consider hiring someone for snow removal or asking neighbours for help.
The long range forecast for the Lower Mainland does not show any below freezing temperatures for the next two weeks but we still have several months of winter ahead and the high probability of yet another snow event. With the elderly demographics here in the Semiahmoo Peninsula, I hope that this information can help keep people safe when clearing snow. This column is dedicated to my friend Oliver, a really great guy who will be greatly missed by all who knew him. I ask you to remember what happened to Oliver when it snows and you are getting ready to go clear your property. As the picture used in this TNT states, snow shoveling is not for the faint of heart.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

The Naked Truth - January 6, 2020

Pearl of the Peninsula

My wife and mother were walking the dogs the other day in the neighbourhood above Crescent Beach when they encountered a large and beautiful bird. While we are used to seeing bald eagles and various owls in the region, spotting a peahen, the female version of peafowl (males are peacock) was definitely a first. The peahen was strutting around the side of the road pecking away, seemingly oblivious to our two dogs that were yapping up a storm over this strange looking bird. While not an invasive species, peafowl are considered an introduced species that Conservation officers do not respond to.

Another woman out walking her dog also stopped to check out the peahen and engaged in conversation about the new arrival. She informed the ladies that the bird had shown up in the past few weeks and could be found meandering from yard to yard in this heavily treed neighbourhood. It has already been such a hit with the residents that they have given her the name "Pearl". Rather interesting, she revealed that folks in the neighbourhood believe that Pearl was trapped and relocated from Sullivan Heights and let loose on Surrey Mayor Doug MacCallum's property not far away by a disgruntled resident.

For the past decade wild peafowl in Sullivan Heights numbering up to 100 birds have been ruffling feathers due to the messy excrement these large birds have been leaving on sidewalks, patios and roofs. It is believed they originally lived at a local farm that was developed into a subdivision and have now adapted to their new suburban environment. While many residents love the big colourful birds, others see them as a nuisance, especially in the spring breeding season when males can become agitated and aggressive. Besides threatening people and pets, the males peck at their reflection in windows and shiny vehicles, often damaging the paint.

Over the past year Surrey has been trapping the Sullivan flock to reduce their numbers with these peafowl relocated to the Vancouver Zoo in Aldergrove or adopted out to distant farms. In 2018 one Sullivan resident upset over the flock roosting in a large Douglas Fir above his house finally resorted to cutting the tree down without a permit to end the problem, receiving a $1,000 fine. Currently Surrey only traps nuisance peafowl here after receiving complaints from the public. It is believed there are still 40-50 birds living feral in the Sullivan area with people receiving fines of $250-$450 from Bylaws for feeding or harbouring them.

So far only the one peahen has been spotted in Crescent Heights but if a male peacock is also dropped off they will likely find each other with their loud cries and start breeding in the area. Unfortunately it only takes one person to cry fowl over these birds for the City of Surrey to begin to take action against them. There is no way of verifying whether Pearl was dropped off at the Mayor's house as claimed but it is a rather interesting rumour. Personaly I kind of like the idea of a few peafowl bringing some colour to the neighbourhood. Hopefully nobody will squawk about them and we can enjoy the company of these brightly feathered birds.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

December 30, 2019

TNT Year in Review 2019

To help celebrate the end of 2019, here is the TNT Year in Review that also is a quick reference to stories you may want to read.

January 7, A Long Walk to a Short Pier: A pictorial of the shoreline damage from Crescent Beach to the Semiahmoo Reserve of all of the damage inflicted by the windstorm that severely damaged the White Rock Pier.
January 14, Sobering Thoughts: An in-depth look at the changes to Canada's drunk driving laws that now allow the police to demand a breath sample without any signs of impairment.
January 21, Hobnobbin With Hobbits: We take you down under to New Zealand where the Canadian Rifle Team arrives to compete in the ICFRA World Long Range Championships.
January 28, White Rock Sun closed for vacation.

February 4, Shooting Kiwis in New Zealand: A week of target rifle shooting with the world's best marksmen is detailed with fullbore target rifle shooting being fired at 800, 900 and 1,000 yards.
February 11, Palma Sunday: The Holy Grail of international target rifle shooting is held with the Australian team beating out six other countries to capture the coveted Palma Trophy.
February 19, Tracking Surrey's Snow Plow Tracker: After coming home to a foot of snow I give details on how Surreyites can watch snowplows in action on city streets on an online map.
February 25, Dingy Dock For White Rock: After the pier was destroyed, a look at the possibility of installing a marina in front of White Rock or a dingy dock to replace the sailing club dock.

March 4, Cinderella Story, Fairy-tale Ending: The Semiahmoo Totems girl's basketball team wins the B.C. Secondary Schools Girls AAA Basketball Championships for the first time since 1953.
March 11, Ditch The Switch: It was time to look at getting rid of the twice yearly time change and efforts on both sides of the US/Canada border to ditch the switch.
March 18, It's A-boat Time: After the White Rock shoreline being strewn with wrecked sailboats, a column on changes to the laws covering derelict vessels in our waterways.
March 25, Another Day, Another Bluff Clearcut: Yet another story about millionaires cutting trees for views on unstable slide-prone slopes above the BNSF Railway tracks, this time near the 1001 Steps.

April 1, News of the Day: On April Fool's Day a tongue in cheek article loaded with hard to believe stories including Donald Trump revealing that "fake news" is actually real news.
April 8, Auto Crime Prevention Notices Preventing Nothing: Instead of Surrey RCMP staking out the crime prone South Surrey Park and Ride, the lot is littered with ICBC flyers.
April 15, Freak Sliding Away: With heavy rains another mudslide roars onto the tracks from the Ocean Park bluffs stopping rail traffic until the mess is dumped yet again onto the beach.
April 22, Pitcairn Not Going Postal: Imagine an important package taking longer to be mailed than it would take to walk to Ottawa. Best part it was returned to sender by Canada Post.
April 29, Reach For The Beach: A trip to Crescent Rock Beach quickly yields five different stories from this clothing-optional shoreline that are fill this revealing TNT.

May 7, Someone Stole SURREY: Crime gets personal when someone steals the highly prized SURREY personalized license plate from my ride while visiting a Surrey park.
May 13, Ratatouille on the Menu: Rats running roughshod around a White Rock restaurant and what Fraser Health environmental health officers are doing about it.
May 21, Feel the Buzz: A swarm of honey bees makes for a sweet story about the business (bee's nest?) of beekeeping that is alive and well in Surrey.
May 27, Steal Your Love: An attempted dog-napping of a Pomeranian named Love near Earl Marriott Secondary school leaves me barking mad.

June 3, The Plain Facts About Plainfin Midshipman Fish: Read about this humming toadfish where the male is the one who looks after the eggs and young brood.
June 10, Giant Hogweed vs. Giant Parsnip: With media alerts about Giant Hogweed, I detail how to tell this nasty invasive plant from its smaller native cousin.
June 17, WAG - We All Go (for weed that is): After months of prior knowledge, I finally get to reveal what I know about the Indigenous Bloom marijuana store.
June 25, Busy as Beavers: Illegal tree cutting on the Hump in White Rock plus unauthorized tree trimming along the Nicomekyl River in Surrey are explored.

July 2, Zamboni Skate-A-Thon: A history lesson about BC's first Zamboni ice resurfacer that spent time at Centennial Arena before ending up at the BC Sports Hall of Fame.
July 9, Seeing Sea Stars: A day outing to the shoreline at Kwomais Point finds a sea star massacre where 48 of these creatures are left to die on a rock in the hot sun.
July 16, "I Want To Walk In My Own Two Feet": John Jefferson's long road to recovery after a motorcycle crash is chronicled including his successful talus bone replacement.
JULY 20 - 10TH YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THE TNT IN THE WR SUN!
July 23, White Rock South in SoCal: San Clemente California is visited yet again, giving people from White Rock ideas on how to run a thriving seaside community.
July 30, ...And Then I Snapped: A very short piece on the day when the meniscus of my knee ruptured, leaving me on the disabled list and waiting for orthoscopic surgery.

August 6, Green For Cash Grab: The new red light and speed intersection cameras have me seeing red about this blatant cash grab with hard to see warning signs.
August 13, Riverside on the Riverfront: Surrey residents are given the chance to have their say about the land the city expropriated from the Riverside Golf Course.
August 20, "Smart" Meter My Ass: After years of bullying, threats and fines, BC Hydro finally installs a so-called smart meter on our home despite continued protests.
August 26, Surrey Sharpshooters 1st and 3rd in Canada: Fullbore rifle shooting again takes the stage with matches in BC and Ontario and Surrey shooters leading the way.

Sept. 2, A Short Walk Around a Long Pier: For those people who hadn't seen it, the substantial repairs done to the White Rock pier are revealed in story and photographs.
Sept. 9, 40th Avenue Fiasco: After yet another fatal crash at 176 St., three dangerous intersections along 40 Ave in south Surrey are examined in deadly detail.
Sept. 16, Colebrook Park: Surrey's latest park on Colebrook Rd. west of the KGB is explored including pictures of the zany boardwalk that criss-crosses the bog there.
Sept. 23, Federal Election Primer, S. Sry-WR: Everything you ever wanted to know about the five people who want your vote in the upcoming Federal election.
Sept. 30, Taking The Tour: The Peninsula Art Tour allows people in the Semiahmoo Peninsula to epose themselves to art.

Oct. 7, Cloverdale Cockfighting Corner: After yet another cockfighting ring is busted near the corner of 168 St. and 50 Ave., this rural area gets put under a microscope.
Oct. 14, From Guns to Laser: Tri-Cities Washington is featured with a record score at the Rattlesnake Range and info about the LIGO deep space gravitational observatory.
Oct. 21, Battleground British Columbia: On election day, the 338canada.com website is chronicled including polling data that shows Gordie Hogg will lose his seat and the Liberals form a minority government.
Oct. 28, Crosswalk Your heart and Hope Not to Die: After yet another scooter related vehicle crash, crosswalk safety is looked at including ways to improve pedestrian safety.

Nov. 4, Dog Gone Dangerous Driving: Dogs flying out of the back of vehicles and being injured or killed is examined with some extremely vivid personal stories.
Nov. 12, Digging in Dinotown: Of all of the interesting things I've ever discovered at work, the fossilized dinosaur egg I dug up while landscaping in Surrey takes the cake.
Nov. 18, Beer For The Pier is Here: The Semi-Pen's resident hop-head takes a look at the fundraising efforts for the White Rock pier including craft beer from local microbreweries.
Nov. 26, Try to Finish The Rugby Field House: The new rugby clubhouse will already be old before it ever gets finished at the snail's pace of construction.

Dec. 2, Tighten Your Belts, Hold Onto Your Wallets: Good advice for Surrey taxpayers before the public open house on the Draft Five Year Financial Plan with the costs for the new Surrey Police Department.
Dec. 9, All Hail The King of Surrey: Surrey football star Jonathan Kongbo who won a Grey Cup ring with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers is now headed to the NFL after rehabbing his injured knee.
Dec. 16, Not My Mayor: Surrey's Mayor Doug MacCallum's election promises, decisions and ideas are examined along with the call for a referendum on the proposed change in policing.
Dec. 24, Christmas Gift List: The annual list of naughty and nice gifts we hope Santa left under the tree for the movers, shakers and decision makers from the Semiahmoo peninsula.
Dec. 30, TNT Year in Review 2019: In case you didn't notice, you're reading it.

There you have it folks, the titles and topics for another year's worth of The Naked Truth in the White Rock Sun.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

December 23, 2019

Christmas Gift List 2019

If there's one thing I love about Christmas it's the annual traditions and in the White Rock Sun this holiday TNT is always special. Here's the list of naughty and nice gifts we hope Santa left under the tree for the movers, shakers and decision makers from the Semiahmoo peninsula, listed alphabetically so as not to offend anyone.

Jennifer Brooks and family - For the mother and family of Judson Brooks who waited four years for justice before finding out the BC Prosecution Service had dropped all charges against the RCMP officer who shot Hudson outside the south Surrey precinct, a lifetime supply of Kleenex and a copy of Al Green's soulful ballad "How do you heal a broken heart"

Dave Chesney, WR Councillor - For the man who can be seen cruising around town in his vintage 1966 Ford Mustang fastback in candy apple red paint, a fresh 289 Ford engine to make his baby purr once again. As a stocking stuffer, still waiting for a "Mustang Parking Only" sign for his stall at City Hall.

Brian Edwards, Chief Supt. Surrey RCMP - For the officer now in charge of the Surrey RCMP a gift card to the Army & Navy annual shoe sale where he can go to get more boots on the ground since no new cops will be hired in Surrey once again. What he really wants from Santa this Christmas is a referendum on the police transition question.

Helen Fathers, WR Councillor - For this veteran White Rock councillor an ocean kayak to enjoy the smooth sailing and calm waters now that she is working with a much more respectful and competent Mayor and Council since the former slate was wiped clean.

Kerri-Lynne Findlay, Conservative MP for SS/WR - For the Conservative lady who took on good ol' Gordie Hogg for the second time and came out victorious, a DVD copy of the 37th season of NBC's reality series "Survivor - David vs. Goliath." As a stocking stuffer, Queen's News of the World album featuring the hit single "We are the champions."

Gordon Hogg, former Liberal MP for SS/WR - After decades of public service and 17 election campaigns, a Lazy-Boy recliner and a fine bottle of Caribbean rum so that Gordie can now relax a little without worrying about the needs of an appreciative public. For his long-suffering wife Laverne, our sympathies now that Gordie will be home full time.

Doug MacCallum, City of Surrey Mayor - Fresh off the disaster of a council meeting where Surrey's 5-year budget including millions for the new Surrey Police Dept. but no new cops or firemen were rammed through without any questions or discussion, a copy of Robert's Rules of Order manual. As a stocking stuffer, a paperback version of Mein Kampf.

Gus Melonas - BNSF Railway Spokesperson - For the railway mouth piece a toy train under the tree for the work he does keeping us informed about railway issues here in the Semi-Pen. For billionaires Warren Buffet and Jimmy Pattison, a lump of coal in their stockings for contributing to rising CO2 levels and ocean levels by sending coal to China.

Traci Reddies, MLA for Surrey-WR - After suffering from heart failure and acute hepatitis from a virus she picked up while on holiday in Brazil, a "staycation" here in BC that hopefully won't result in hospitalization from serious health problems that almost gave her constituents a collective heart attack.

Semiahmoo First Nation Council - For Chief Harley Chappel and Councillors Joanne and Genine Cook, a hot-line direct to White Rock City Hall now that the two Councils are talking again. As a stocking stuffer, a new sign changing Totem Park to Bernard Charles Plaza, something that somehow got missed 10 years ago.

Darryl Walker, Mayor of White Rock - For White Rock's Mayor, an ugly Christmas sweater to replace the worn out Mr. Rodger's sweater he invariably shows up wearing for White Rock's Council meetings. For a stocking stuffer, a gift card to The Men's Wearhouse.

Dianne Watts, political talking head - For the former Mayor of Surrey and the former MP for south Surrey-White Rock who now gets to pontificate on TV, radio and print media on any topic deemed political in nature across this region, a box of soap.

The White Rock Pier - For the second year in a row, this inanimate object and not a person makes the Christmas list for Semi-pen movers and shakers. For Canada's longest pier that reopened in August after major repairs, a boat load of money to complete the rebuild of the remaining structure.

Merry Christmas everyone and have a happy New Year planning your safe ride home.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

December 16, 2019

Not My Mayor

In the United States the movement #Not My President is giving Americans a way to focus on the actions of President Donald J. Trump. I'm starting to think we need the same type of campaign here in Surrey to deal with our Mayor Doug MacCallum whose decision making process and unsubstantiated claims in the media are under public scrutiny. I understand that the Surrey Safe coalition ran for election under a party banner and platform, winning the Mayor's chair plus nearly sweeping the seats in Council. This victory was made possible by the splitting of the Surrey First slate and the desire by the Surrey electorate for change. There are 337,289 eligible voters in Surrey of which only 101,588 cast a ballot in the 2018 civic election or a lowly 35.3 percent. A total of 45,564 people voted for Doug MacCallum amounting to only 13.5% of the electorate, hardly a ringing endorsement for the man who once again is the Mayor of Surrey.

Ridesharing with Uber and Lyft has been long promised by the Provincial government yet it doesn't seem to matter whether it's the Liberals or the NDP, their arrival has been repeatedly delayed. It is embarrassing that Vancouver is the last major metropolitan city in North America that does not allow ridesharing firms to compete with established taxi companies. Even more embarrassing to the City of Surrey is that the Translink Mayor's Council voted last week to fast track a regional business licence for ridesharing companies, with Doug MacCallum being the only voice of opposition. Asked to explain his vote he said, "Again, a large amount of our residents in the city of Surrey do not support ridehailing." The exact opposite appears to be true with a July 2019 Mainstreet Research poll finding that 78% of Surrey residents supported ridesharing with a further 74% wanting it implemented "as soon as possible." The Surrey Board of Trade surveyed 6,000 Surrey businesses in May of 2019 with 90% saying they strongly supported having ridesharing services in Surrey.

The replacement of the Surrey RCMP with a new Surrey Police Force was one of Doug MaCallum's Save Surrey election promises. Unfortunately this campaign plank did not give many details as to the cost, length of transition, number of police officers plus the effect on the city's budget. If the people in Surrey knew this adventure was going to cost $130 million to implement, result in the cutting of many planned capital projects, have no new police or firefighters being hired for two years and result in over 38 fewer officers for $19 million more a year, I wonder who would have voted for Safe Surrey? Less cops for lots more money doesn't equate to better crime-fighting by my math at a time when Vancouver is hiring an additional 25 officers this year. Unfortunately the Province has ruled out holding a referendum on the policing change in Surrey, ignoring a public petition on this issue that now has approximately 35,000 signatures and counting towards its stated goal of 50,000.

While marijuana has been legalized across Canada and retail stores operated by the Provincial government and private enterprise continue to open, pot dispensaries are not being allowed to open in Surrey. Mayor MacCallum is against cannabis stores and production facilities in BC's second largest city “until we get crime under control.” What is ridiculous about this statement is that keeping legal marijuana shops from opening only allows the black market to continue to flourish across Surrey. There are multiple "green-line" delivery services easily found online that will deliver your choice of marijuana flowers and concentrates directly to your door. This allows for gangs to continue to control both the production and delivery of marijuana products while ensuring the government sales and tax dollars dwindle. The Indigenous Bloom dispensary on the Semiahmoo First Nations does thank Mayor MacCallum for the defacto monopoly they have been given in legal retail sales in Surrey.

I had to save the best for last, Mayor MacCallum's desire to build a "wandering canal" in Surrey running from the Fraser River to south Surrey along “a street that’s not used that much.” While this vision was first thought to be a joke when it was revealed in July but again it made waves in November when the Mayor suggested it would be possible in the Bridgeview area. With the 5-year plan diverting millions for the Surrey Police Force and budgets being cut across the board, it is nonsensical to even consider floating such a bizarre plan. MacCallum is on record as saying “The idea certainly came to me when I noticed that in Qatar, when I was there, that shopping centres had canals instead of walkways in a lot of their shopping centres. But if you look at other places, like Venice, they have canals that they use for transportation.” News bulletin for the Mayor; Bridgeview isn't Venice and in case you missed it, Venice was just devastated by historic flooding.

It would be nice to see Mayor Doug MacCallum representing the residents of Surrey instead of causing such turmoil and spreading blatant mistruths. It is time he stop supporting the taxi lobby and their donors and work with mayors across the region to bring ride hailing to Surrey. The transition from the RCMP to the Surrey Police Force should be put to the people and a referendum held on this important topic that will have ramifications in the city for years if not decades. Business licences need to be granted for retail pot shops and the green lines closed down to take money out of the hands of gangsters. As far as the concept of a Surrey canal, forgettaboutit; they need a new ice area in Cloverdale a lot more than Bridgeview needs another water-filled ditch.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

 

December 09. 2019

All Hail the King of Surrey

Most people know that the Mayor of Surrey is Doug McCallum (once again), others believe that Dianne Watts is the Queen of Surrey, but but few realize that Surrey has a King. He is no other than Jonathan Kongbo, aka "King Kongbo", a 23 year-old Surreyite who now appears destined to join an elite list of Canadians who play in the National Football League.

Jonathan Kongbo was born in the Democratic Republic of Congo, formerly Zaire, but his family moved to Canada when he was 5 years-old to escape the civil war that threatened their safety. Fortunately his father had a degree in Agricultural Sciences and found work as an inspector for the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. Growing up in Surrey Kongbo was a multi-sport athlete attending Holy Cross Regional High School. Excelling in basketball, he was persuaded by his coaches and the Holy Cross principal to try out for their Crusaders football team in Grade 12, believing his impressive size and speed would better suit that sport and increase his likelihood of a US college scholarship.

It turned out they were right as Johnathan quickly attracted attention of football scouts, becoming the top junior college prospect in the United States. He accepted a scholarship to the University of Wyoming where he was a redshirt in 2014, meaning he participated in academic work but did not actively play for the Cowboy's football team. In 2015 Kongbo transferred to the Arizona Western College in Yuma where he was a Junior All-American with the Matadors, getting 49 tackles, 12 tackles for a loss and 9.5 quarterback sacks. Moving on from there he played college football for the Tennessee Volunteers in 2016 and 2017, again adding to his impressive resume of tackles. In his senior year Kongbo moved to linebacker and after only six games tore his anterior cruciate ligament in his knee in October 2018 during a game against Auburn and did not play at for the rest of the season.

Even with his injured knee that needed surgery and rehabbing, Kongbo entered the Canadian Football League Draft and was at one time ranked the number one prospect by the CFL Scouting Bureau. He was eventually taken 5th overall by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, signed to a 3-year contract on May 17, 2019 and put on their 6-game inured reserve list. His rational was to play football in Canada rather than taking a year off to rehab his damaged knee. Jonathan finally got into his first professional football game in Canada on August 1st against the Toronto Argonauts. In the 12 regular season games he played for the Bombers this year, he recorded 12 tackles and 1 sack, helping Winnipeg to make the CFL Playoffs. Komgbo played in all of the Bomber's playoff games this fall, including the 107 Grey Cup against the Hamilton Tiger Cats where Winnipeg won their first Grey Cup Championship in 29 years.

In a stunning move last week the Winnipeg Blue Bombers released their all-star defensive end to pursue work in the National Football League. In a club statement Bomber's GM Kyle Walters revealed "He (Kongbo) chose to sign with our organization rather than wait for a season to continue training. This agreement came with the understanding that if he received any NFL interest, we would work with him to help him pursue those interests. Jonathan is a great young man and deserves the opportunity to explore all avenues in his career. We wish him the best and certainly will welcome his return if nothing comes to fruition in this regard." It has not yet been revealed which NFL team or teams is looking at acquiring his services but obviously the US scouts have not forgotten about the 6'5" tall, 255 pound Kongbo who will soon be sporting a Grey Cup ring from his rookie season.

This rising football star looks to now be ready to hit the gridiron back in the States in the near future. Currently there are 16 Canadians under contract with NFL teams with 10 of these playing on active rosters. There are even two Canadians in the Pro Football Hall of Fame; Arnie Weinmeister, a defensive tackle for the New York Giants (1950-1953) inducted in 1984 and Bronko Nagurski, a fullback for the Chicago Bears (1930-37, 1943) plus multiple time World Heavy Weight Champion wrestler inducted in 1963. If Kongbo is signed with an NFL team, he will be the first person from Surrey to play professional football in the United States. I'm kind of hoping it is the San Francisco 49ers or Seattle Seahawks who have shown interest in Jonathan Kongbo but regardless of what team he ends up playing for, I will be cheering for the King of Surrey. You can follow his foray into the NFL on his twitter feed: @King_Kongbo

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

December 02, 2019

Tighten Your Belts, Hold Onto Your Wallets

Monday is going to be a special day in the history of Surrey with the Finance Committee holding a public meeting at City Hall to consider the Draft Five Year Financial Plans. This meeting will allow Surrey residents to give their thoughts on the proposed budget, starting at 1:00 p.m. in Council Chambers at 13450 104 Ave in Whalley. With changes made by Mayor Doug McCallum and his Safe Surrey Councillors, I would expect a large capacity crowd for this event that will proceed the Monday night Council meeting where the Budget will receive first, second and third reading. You can find links to the 2020-2024 General Operating, Capital Program, Utilities and Self-Funded Programs, plus City Grants for 2020 corporate reports on the Surrey.ca website at https://www.surrey.ca/city-government/14284.aspx

It is worth while noting that last year's 5-year budget plan axed $136 million in capital projects that Mayor McCallum said was needed in order to reduce city debt levels. The 2020-2024 budget's main focus is on paying for the transition from RCMP the new Surrey Police Department. Surrey will spend $700,000 on a police transition project office and over $25 million to pay for costs for the new SPD. Over the five years it is estimated that the additional operating and one time costs for the police department changeover will total $130 million. In 2019 Surrey will spend a total of $186 million for police services plus civilian support staff, which includes the 10% federal subsidy for the RCMP and additional revenues. By 2022 when the transition is complete and the RCMP contract cancelled, Surrey anticipates paying $205 million a year for policing costs.

Unfortunately money doesn't grow on trees and planned residential property tax increase Surrey residents need to realize that even with the increase is policing costs, it does not mean more boots on the ground. There will be no increase in the number of RCMP officers in 2020 until the time that their contract is terminated. When the SPD is finally up and running, the Surrey Police Board will then make decisions on staffing numbers. The Surrey Fire Service will feel the pinch of the police force transition with no new members being added even though Surrey is growing by an average of 1,000 people a month. The police Chief has assured Council that not increasing fire-fighting capability would not compromise safety in Surrey but more people and buildings increases the demands for the SFS.

Capital spending on the arts in Surrey is playing second fiddle to the cops with a measly $850,000 budgeted for five years, which corresponds to 32 cents for every person living in Surrey per year. There is no new money for the postponed Grandview Heights Community Centre or the new ice arena in Cloverdale. There is $10 million budgeted for the Cloverdale Arena in 2024, which might have to be spent on changing the refrigerating system away from dangerous ammonia. Just as in 2019 there is no money for increasing staffing levels even though the report notes that "this is not a long term sustainable strategy." If you thought the roads in Surrey weren't great, the budget calls for no increase in the Roads & Traffic Safety Levy for the years 2020-2024. Fortunately there was nowhere in the budget where money was allocated for Mayor McCallum's zany canal idea, aka "Dougie's ditch."

Unfortunately due to a mechanical breakdown on my truck that I will be getting fixed on Monday afternoon I will not be able to attend the meeting at Surrey City Hall. If you do not want to make the excursion up into Whalley to be part of the proceedings, please realize that you can watch them live. They are available on the Surrey.ca website at https://www.surrey.ca/city-government/6993.aspx where you hit the blue "Watch Council Meeting Live" tab. A simple Google search of "Surrey Council Meeting Live Broadcast" will also take you there. We now know how much the police force transition will cost us, what remains to be seen is whether it improves the policing services we receive in Surrey and helps reduce the crime problem that has plagued the city for far too long.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

November 26, 2019

Try To Finish The Rugby Field House

In south Surrey at the SW corner of 148 St and 20 Ave are two immaculate playing fields used for rugby by the Bayside Rugby Football Club (baysiderfc.com), aka the Bayside Sharks. In existence since 1988 Bayside RFC promotes kids rugby grades K-7, junior rugby U14-U19, men's rugby in 3 divisions, women's rugby, SOB's over 35 and summer co-ed touch rugby. Many years ago the idea of a clubhouse with changerooms and washrooms was first conceived and in 2013 the Bayside RFC began formal discussions with the City of Surrey on forming a partnership to build a facility for field users, host teams, community groups and private functions.

The basic agreement was for the City to base build the washrooms and changerooms below plus the roof and exterior with the Bayside RFC providing the funding and construction of the interior of the upstairs clubhouse plus an outside deck. To sweeten the deal, many of the players and directors of the team provided donations in kind, providing building materials plus performing various construction tasks at a reduced rate. The total budget was approximately $2.3 million with the City paying $1.4 million for their part, and Bayside spending $600,000 to $1,000,000 for tenant improvements.

Bayside RFC worked hard to finance their portion of the build doing fundraising in the community with many rugby connected people donating to the cause. Their "Build-A-Wall" fundraiser sold bricks for an interior wall for $500 engraved with memories of dearly departed, family names, company names and corporate donors. They held their Field House Lottery this summer with over $40,000 in prizes and a sizeable 50/50 draw. Donors to the Rugby Field House are eligible for a tax receipt through the Canadian Rugby Foundation. If you wish to join the Bayside Builders you can donate via cheque, Paypal or Interact to the Bayside Athletic Association, or request an engraved name on the wall to builders@baysiderfccom.

The issue about the Rugby Field House is the slow pace of construction. Shovels first hit the ground in May of 2018 with a completion date of April 2019. Unfortunately the building is far from complete and not even at a lock up phase as we head into the second winter of the building being exposed to the elements. The construction is so far behind that the sign advertising the April 2019 completion date was finally removed this summer. Currently the lower level had the doors on, the roof has been built but only covered with membrane and the upstairs doors and windows are missing. I took the pictures in this TNT of the building in the first week of October and it still looks relatively the same today.

Talking with Bayside RFC executive Stephen Black, he explained that a lack of a construction schedule was hampering getting the building completed. Many rugby players running construction companies had complained of a lack of advance notice in order to line up their crews to complete their tasks. The club cannot begin to complete the inside of the clubhouse and the deck until the windows are installed and the roof is completed. This project is moving ahead so slowly that there now is no set completion date, seven months after the job was to have been finished. This building is being overseen by the City of Surrey Parks Department with Project Manager Rudi Booiman supervising the rather lengthy construction.

I should point out that the Bayside RFC has had a great relationship with the city and appreciates the top-notch fields that they consider the best they've ever played on. The issue is that the construction delays are hurting fundraising, while players are still being forced to trudge over to the South Surrey Athletic Park for changerooms and washroom facilities. With the roof not completed and upstairs windows and doors not installed, wind can blow rain and snow into the building, possibly causing damage before it is ever completed. There is an upcoming meeting scheduled with Tim Neufeld, the city’s park development services manager, and it is hoped that the building delays will finally be addressed and a proper construction schedule created so that the Rugby Field House can get back on track.

On a final rugby note, I leave you with the Semiahmoo Old Boys Rugby Football Club's theme song "We are SOB's", sung to he tune of "Sweet Molly Malone" in the key of G, website at sobrugby.com.

Verse 1
We come from South Surrey, and White Rock, and Delta
We run helter-skelter against other teams.
We're all a bit older but shoulder to shoulder
We still play great rugby, at least in our dreams.

Chorus
We are SOB's the scourge of all ruggers
SO WATCH OUT YOU BUGGERS!
We are SOB's

Verse 2
Our hair is much thinner, our waistlines are fatter.
But that doesn't matter, we'll play win or lose.
We'll fumble and stumble but no one will grumble
Cos after the game we'll be into the booze.

Chorus
We are SOB's etc.

Verse 3
And when at last our playing days are all finished
we won't feel diminished, we've had some good years.
But for all sorts of reasons we've just run out of seasons.
So get up to the bar, boys, and down some more beers!

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

 

November 18, 2019

Beer For The Pier is Here

I've been a avid specialty beer drinker for years that started with my airline Captain father's travels that exposed him to plenty more than generic Canadian lager. Unable to purchase locally made beers matching those he found on frequent overseas trips, he started home brewing his own using recipes he dug up years before the Internet. I followed his lead, making ales of my own, often carrying carboys into the Watershed Park in Delta to fill with artesian well water that was chlorine free. When the microbrewery revolution began, I started enjoying Old Yale Beer from Chilliwack who won Canada's best IPA three times before taking the Canadian Brewery of the Year award in 2014. Since that time I have visited countless Craft breweries and definitely have my favourites including some only a short distance from home.

When the pier was seriously damaged in last year's winter wind storm, many in the Semi-pen community banded together to help fund repairs. The White Rock Friends of the Pier Committee have played a vital role in collecting donations, selling planks on the repaired pier, plus planning events and fundraising (https://www.friendsofthepier.com/committee). It did not take long before local brewers realized that "pier" and "beer" rhymed and this summer White Rock Beach Beer and 3 Dogs Brewing, both on Russel Ave. near Johnson Rd., collaborated to produce the Pier-Fect beer that was sold in house and on tap at select restaurants. Partial proceeds from this collaboration were then donated to the coffers at Friends of the Pier.

Not to be outdone, Trading Post Brewing in Langley stepped up to the plate to also help with pier restoration. Not only did they have large production volume, they also have their own canning line and distribution across BC through the BCLB. They now produce their "Beer FOR The Pier" featuring a label with the White Rock pier, setting sun over Boundary Bay, plus the lamps and archway overhead. I was in Trading Post recently and was very surprised when I saw the iconic pier motif on cans in their cooler. The label reads , "Together with the "Friends of the Pier" committee, we created this light, easy drinking Kolsch using local Lumberjack hops to remind you of good times strolling the pier with friends." It goes on to say, "All proceeds from this "Beer For The Pier" will go towards repairing the historic White Rock pier so more memories like this can be made for year's to come."

Don't think I missed the "can be made..." reference on the label. Instead of growler fills, being able to purchase cans allows for a much broader market for this fund raising beer. I have to admit the label is pure White Rock and anyone who has visited the City By The Sea would easily recognize the pier on the front of the can.

If you are in Langley, drop by the Trading Post brewing and tasting room located at #107-20120 64th Ave., Langley, BC. You can also find the four packs of 473 ml. tall cans that are 5% ABV and 18 IBU at local liquor stores. Nothing like having a beer and helping to pay for Pier restoration with $2 million in donations needed to reach their final goal. In the time it took to write this TNT I got to enjoy a Beer For The Pier and rather enjoyed it.

Too bad you can't have one when at the beach, I guess we'll have to wait for next year's White Rock Craft Beer Festival for that opportunity.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

November 12, 2019

Digging in Dinotown

 

It really is amazing what you can find if you keep an eye open as you go through the world. Over the years I have had the good fortune of finding many valuables while at work. I cannot count the number of wallets and purses I have located, all which were either returned to their owners or delivered to the police. Once while working in downtown Vancouver I found 5 wallets in one day that I gave to a startled VPD officer sitting in a squad car on Granville Street. Not to be outdone, my wife Sheryl once found two wallets on the snowy slopes of Whistler in the same afternoon, both of which were returned to their very thankful owners in the Village with cards and cash intact. I've come across plenty of jewellery too, with the most notable finds being a one carat diamond gold men's ring and a hand cast custom 14 K gold chain, both found in parking lots.

This year myself and my crew have come across over $8,000 worth of treasures laying in the street. One was a tablet bag or "murse" that was empty except for a few mundane items. The man that found it looked at the Prada name badge and guessed it was a cheap Chinese knock-off. Upon further inspection it became clear that the handbag was actually the real deal, with a quick internet search revealing a retail price of $3,200. A month ago while driving down an alley I spotted a buffet that had been discarded next to a dumpster. A quick pit-stop revealed that it was made from Honduras mahogany wood in New York prior to 1920. We loaded it for a furniture restorer friend in White Rock who figures it will be worth $3,000-$4,000 when properly refinished. Just last week the latest find was a set of four BMW mags and X-ice radials put out for disposal that we quickly turned into $550 cash on Craigslist. Truly, one man's garbage is another man's gold.

Sometimes it it not the value but the age that is the most significant factor in a find. One day I was working with shovel in hand when a rock came out of the hole I was digging. No it wasn't a big gold nugget or massive gem, it was just a rock not much different than the millions I have moved over my lifetime. What caught my eye was not the colour or even the texture, but the rather interesting oval shape. As I picked it up I said to my guys, "Hey, I think this is a dinosaur egg." Needless to say, they all had a good laugh at my expense, as we were landscaping on a property in Surrey. Even with the ribbing I was taking, I kept it because to my untrained eye, it looked exactly the same as ones I had seen at rock and gem shows in the past. It even sat in the work truck for a while until I finally brought it inside and gave it a very careful cleaning.

Once the dirt was off it, the preserved details of this rather unique find became very clear. Measuring 9 cm. long by 6 cm. wide and 5 cm. tall, this oval shape rock showed a smooth outer casing that appeared to be fossilized egg shell. While missing in about 60% of the surface, enough was left spread about on the top side on a thin layer to show that my rock had once indeed had a complete covering of this material. What I surmised would be the egg white was hardened rock, very rough and quite different from the surface layer. Turning the rock over onto its bottom flat side revealed a round flat circle of very smooth rock that curved up into the surrounding substrate with loose edges you could easily stick a knife tip into. What I was looking at was the fossilized yolk, which was the final revealing point that I had actually stumbled across a real dinosaur egg.

Of course once I realized what I had, it was time to hit Encyclopedia Google to check out images and descriptions of other dinosaur eggs. While I thought my specimen was really unique, I suddenly realized that dinosaur eggs with embryos baby dinosaur bones were far more interesting. Another revelation was that most dinosaur eggs are round and not oval, with circular eggs being laid by herbivores and oval ones by carnivores. Intact nests of dinosaur eggs are also more highly coveted by paleontologists and collectors than single random finds. What makes my dinosaur egg special is that I wasn't digging for bones in the Alberta badlands that is known for fossils, but simply planting shrubs in Surrey. Some people may think it looks like a giant turd but I can assure you that from research I now know that dinosaur dung looks quite different.

There are still many mysteries surrounding this egg. I have no idea how old it is, what type of dinosaur laid it, or how it happened to be deposited into Surrey soil. I also do not know the value off this egg, not do I really care. What I do know is that it was free to me and I have no intention of ever selling it as it's the most interesting thing I've ever found. The egg now occupies a prominent position on one of our shelving units that contains collectibles, blown glass and indigenous baskets. I always get a laugh when people visiting our home look at this shelf and ask, "What's that rock doing there?" When I tell them to grab it and take a look (It's a fossilized rock, you can't break it) they almost always respond with "Hey, is this a dinosaur egg?"

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

November 04, 2019

Dog Gone Dangerous Driving

Last week the BC Williams Lake SPCA released information about an accident in October involving a German Shepherd cross puppy who fell out of the back of a moving pickup sustaining a serious leg injury. The dog named Chilli was in the box without any form of restraint which is illegal under Section 72 of the B.C. Motor Vehicle Act and Section 9.3 of the B.C. Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act. As someone who previously had a German Shepherd for a pet and companion, the picture of Chili now minus a front leg, was truly heartbreaking. You can read the full details of this story on the Williams Lake Tribune at https://www.wltribune.com/news/they-were-unaware-of-the-dangers-spca-says-of-owners-whose-puppy-fell-out-of-truck/

I was once following a friend's truck heading home from camping at Chilliwack Lake that had a young Rottweiler sitting in the back. Near the tight S curve at Tamahi Creek the dog climbed onto some camping gear and then was thrown out of the pickup on a sharp corner. It first landed on the asphalt at 60 kmh before sliding onto the gravel shoulder and down into the surrounding forest. I quickly stopped and made my way into the bush, following the sounds of wimpering and yelps to find the dog some twenty feet down from the hillside. I gently carried the badly injured dog back up to the road and reunited him with its frantic owner who eventually had turned around. The Rottweiller survived his near death experience with extensive veterinary help and a very large bill.

Unfortunately this was not my only experience with animals flying out of vehicles. Years ago I was driving past the intersection of KGB and 152 St with my friend who was an ambulance attendant when we heard a large crash. Cutting through the then Mazda dealership parking lot, we came across a scene of destruction, a Ford F250 that had rear-ended three cars waiting at a red light. This so-called accident happened at just after noon and involved a drunk driver, with many irate motorists ensuring he did not leave the scene. The people in the car that had taken the brunt of the crash seemed okay but my friend Ian told them to stay put and began to check for injuries. I walked forward towards the next car and spotted what I thought was an infant dressed in a white sleeper laying on the street in death throws and covered in blood. It took a moment for me to realize it was not a child but someone's small dog, leaving me wondering how it had got caught up in the carnage.

I approached the driver's door of the car in front of where the dog laid dying and encountered an elderly woman behind the wheel who appeared to be uninjured. I asked her if she was okay, she responded "I think so" and then asked me if I had seen her dog, a small white Bichon Friese that had been sitting above the back seats near the window. It was then that I realized the broken rear window was the result of this lady's pet being ejected from the car by the force of the crash. I went back to check on the dog that had since stopped moving and found it dead from head trauma, either from hitting the car behind or the asphalt. I had the unfortunate task of informing the driver that her dog had broken through the rear window and had not survived the crash. I'll never forget the look on her face when I gave her the bad news before moving on to check the condition of the occupant of the last car involved in the chain-collision.

At the very least dogs should be tethered in the middle of the front of the truck box so they can't jump out. Even better is to crate them and secure with tie downs, the method I used to transport my German Shepherd to obedience class. Unrestrained pets inside a vehicle can be ejected in car crashes through windows or when vehicle doors fly open. If you like to drive with your dog on your lap keep in mind that if the air bag doesn't kill them, the impact with the dash likely will. Our dogs travel in the rear seat with safety harnesses that attach to the seat belts for maximum protection, or crated in the back of our SUV for long trips.

Many people say their dogs are like their children so I suggest we treat them as such and keep them safe. You wouldn't drive around with kids running around the back of a pickup truck or have them in the car without seat belts would you? Think about that before a car crash that you survive without injuries becomes a death sentence for man's best friend. I'd like to close out this TNT with a quote from comedian and author Louis C.K.: "You know the only thing happier than a three-legged dog? A four-legged one."

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

OctobEr 28, 2019

Crosswalk Your Heart and Hope Not to Die

CBC Vancouver picture

On Saturday morning at 11 a.m. a red pick up truck struck and seriously injured a person driving a mobility scooter in the crosswalk at 56 Ave. and 177B St. in Cloverdale. The mangled scooter was wedged under the front of the truck that ended up partially parked on the sidewalk just beyond the crosswalk. On Global TV a resident told their reporter this was the second accident at the crosswalk in recent times and that the lack of a left hand turn light for traffic southbound on 177B St. was putting pedestrians at risk. Persons riding scooters are less visible to drivers than someone standing tall plus many of these machines move quickly once put into gear. The mobility challenged people that I know who operate these scooters all have waving flags attached to them and wear hi-viz vests when traveling because of the risk from inattentive motorists.

While scooter operators can put on gear to make themselves more visible, I believe it is our antiquated crosswalks that are adding to the pedestrian accidents on our roads, increasing costs to ICBC and Medicare. At almost all intersections you have a thick white stop line and then two thin lines across the road separated by several metres marking the crosswalk boundaries. At crosswalks away from intersections, thick white bars called "zebra bars" are painted onto the roads along with white "walking man" pedestrian signs posted on either side of the roadway. All of this is not only inadequate, it is downright dangerous, especially when you see what is being done in other jurisdictions and countries to improve pedestrian safety with innovative paint schemes and improved signage.

 

The white crossing man pedestrian signs used across Canada are a joke as they are hard to see in an urban environment and almost invisible in foggy or snowy conditions, weather that we often receive here in the Great White North. In the USA, they utilize the same walking man signs for crosswalks but they are made with a high-vis yellow background, the most visible of all colours to the human eye. Going one step further, these signs are placed on either side of the road, are double sided, plus have sideways arrows pointing slightly downwards below them. In some places they even have yellow flags attached to the sign post that pedestrians can use to catch motorists attention when crossing the road, especially at night. It is not like our traffic engineers have not seen them as high-vis yellow pedestrian crossing signs are used at airports in Canada including at YVR and Winnipeg.

The borders of the pedestrian zones. Regardless of for a pathway or intersection, other countries now use thick yellow zebra bars across the roadway to signify all crosswalks, something I believe should be done here instead of having nothing on the asphalt at intersections. The province of Quebec that has had an issue about motorists failing to yield to pedestrians for some time has a new TV commercial that has recently gone viral showing these yellow stripes popping up from the ground and forming a barricade for pedestrians to travel behind. If you look carefully at the picture you will see the white walking man signs on either side of the street with a downward facing arrow underneath, that you likely would not have noticed had I not pointed them out.

The rainbow crosswalk is extremely easy to see and no matter what your thoughts on the LGBTQ communty and inclusivity, at least they are visible as the crosswalk at 5 corners in White Rock has shown. Elsewhere in Canada, cities are addressing their crosswalk safety problems with innovative new solutions. Earlier this summer, Beaumont, Alb. became the first city in western Canada to paint several 3D crosswalks, similar to ones used in India, China and Germany in an effort to slow drivers down and improve pedestrian safety. Barrington Mass. has crosswalks painted with red and yellow bars plus the words STOP, LOOK, WAVE as you step off the sidewalk. In New York they have crosswalks painted with the stars and stripes and the motto "Live For Today 911." Iceland is now using 3D pedestrian schemes utilizing the traditional white bars with yellow ends and blue sides. In Spain local artists are invited to add patterns of colour between the regular white zebra markings for extra visibility and street beautification.

With so many ways to mark crosswalks, what we need here in Canada is a plan for maximum safety visibility and improved pedestrian safety that can be implemented from coast to coast. My suggestions are as follows:
The white "walking man" pedestrian signs should be changed from white to a high-vis yellow background.
The playground "boy running after ball" signs should also be changed from yellow/orange to high-vis yellow background.
With school signs already high-vis yellow, all pedestrian related signage will then be one consistent easy to see colour.
Sideways arrow signs with high-viz yellow background should be placed under all "walking man" pedestrian signs as per US Transport regulations.
All zebra bar crosswalk markings need to be painted with high-vis yellow instead of white for greater visibility, especially at night and in winter.
Intersection crosswalks should be painted with wide high-vis yellow borders, including high-vis zebra bars in high pedestrian traffic locations.

Once Kerry-Lynne Findlay gets sworn in as our new Member of Parliament for South Surrey-White Rock, I'm hoping she can assist me in addressing these proposed safety improvements for Canadian crosswalks with the Minister of Transportation Marc Garneau and the Transportation Association of Canada (TAC). It is about time that the crosswalks in Canada got a much needed upgrade that will reduce accidents and help save lives. To stick with white pedestrian signs and empty crosswalks with little to no markings is only inviting a continuation of the crashes that happen on our streets on an all to regular basis.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

October 21, 2019

Battleground British Columbia

.338 Calibre, 338Canada, 338 House of Common seats

 

Welcome to October 21st, 2019, the 43rd Canadian Federal election day! I always look forward to exercising my right to vote so I can punish those politicians for their lies and deceit, reward those who are honest and straightforward and to consider alternative policies from other parties. When it comes down to who to vote for, I always look at what I call the 4 Ps; Person, Party, Platform and Prime Minister. I don't usually preach who to vote for, telling people to get educated and to make an informed decision based on their motives, life experiences and personal situation. What does annoy me is people who say they will not vote for a certain political party because they claim it would be a "wasted vote", or in other words the candidate has little chances of winning. I say that the only time you waste your vote is when you don't take the time to make your mark at the ballot box.

It turns out that much of my family are politicos who follow the ins and outs of the political scene in Canada, especially during election time. My father has used his 81 years of experience to create his own theory about voting patterns in Canada at both a Federal and Provincial level and how they change over time relative to each other. Last week my mother forwarded me a scathing letter-to-the-editor for my perusal before sending it to the Province newspaper. I told her to not change a thing and simply push the send button, while realizing my writing skills might actually be inherited. My two daughters who are in their late 20's are busy with school, work and their millennial personal lives but amazingly I discovered recently that they are also deeply involved in following political drama and are extremely well informed about the parties and the players from their local ridings all the way to Parliament Hill. Needless to say, I'm so proud of them.

As a marksman, the number 338 for me corresponds to the .338 Lapua magnum rifle cartridge that was developed as a high powered long-range bullet in the mid 1980s for military snipers. Imagine my surprise when I found out from various family members that 338 is the number of federal ridings across Canada, with 170 seats needed to secure a majority in Ottawa. It was then that I learned about the 338Canada project, which is a statistical model of electoral projections based on multiple opinion polls, previous electoral history of Canadian provinces and demographic data. The very detailed and interesting website 338canada.com is the creation of Philippe J. Fournier, an astronomy and physics professor from Montreal. For a great side read, check out this MacLean's article from May 2019 about this election modelling whiz: https://www.macleans.ca/politics/how-an-astrophysics-teacher-became-the-ultimate-oracle-of-canadian-elections/

If you read this TNT before heading out to cast your vote, you might want to consider looking at the data found within 338Canada. Since the writ was dropped, members of the Pitcairn clan have been following this website on a daily basis, looking at trends in ridings across Canada that they find interesting. They now have me hooked and I follow at least half a dozen ridings, none more than here in South Surrey-White Rock. In the odds of winning the most seats across Canada, the Liberals have almost always been ahead of the Conservatives but they were in a dead heat earlier last week, finishing on Sunday with the Libs at 59.6% and the Cons at 39.7%. 338Canada has the odds of a CPC majority at 2.5%, the LPC at 21% and with both parties in a dead heat of near 38% for plurality or getting the most number of votes but not enough seats for a majority. In the popular vote projection, Libs finished at 32.2% +- 4.9%, the CPC just behind at 31.6% +- 4.5%, the surging NDP at 18% +- 3.7%, Greens and the Bloc back at around 7% and the People's Party far off the pace at 2.5%.

Closer to home we can check on British Columbia and the 42 seats up for grabs here. The 338Canada popular vote projection has the CPC at 30.1%, LPC at 26.5%, NDP at 25.9%, Greens at 13.6% and the PPC at 2.7%. The graph showing these statistical changes over time reveals that the NDP numbers have grown from 18% to nearly 26% ever since the federal leaders debate on October 7th, with much of this coming at the expense of the Liberal and Green support. As far as seat projection in BC, 338Canada has the CPC pegged at 15.6 +- 8.1%, the NDP at 14.1 +-6.4, Liberals far back at 9.8% +- 6.9, and the Greens at 1.9 +- 1.9. Of interest is the riding of Vancouver Granville where Jody Wilson-Raybould's chances of winning her seat as an independent after getting turfed from the Liberal Caucus because of the SNC Lavalin affair have her slightly ahead of Liberal challenger Taleeb Noormohamed. Once again, according to 338Canada, there have been large swings in the BC seat projection graph since the leaders debate showing its importance.

And now without further adieu (drum roll please), here are the 338Canada polling results for the South Surrey-White Rock riding and its 104,050 residents (census 2016). Remember that this riding was a Conservative stronghold for decades until the last federal by-election in 2017 where long-time White Rocker Gordie Hogg won it for the Liberals by 1,617 votes over Conservative Kerry-Lynn Findlay. According to 338Canada popular vote projection (PVP) the riding is leaning CPC with Conservative Kerry-Lynn Findlay leading with 42% +- 7.6%, the Liberal's Gordie Hogg running second at 36.4% +- 7.3%, with the Greens and NDP far back at 9 and 8 percent respectively. According to the PVP graph, the Cons have had a lead over the Libs for months, with their numbers coming together just after the leaders debate before the CPC built up their current lead. In the odds of winning, 338Canada has Kerry-Lynn Findlay at a whopping 78% and incumbent Gordie Hogg at a distant 22%. If 338Canada is correct, our riding will swing back to the Conservative fold on Monday.

It will be very interesting to see how these numbers from 338Canada compare to the actual voting results. I'm sure that the main parties are all acutely aware that the votes cast in B.C. might crown the victor in the 2019 Federal election. How else do you explain that for the first time in history, the four leaders of the most popular political parties, Trudeau, Scheer, Singh and May were all campaigning in B.C. on the final day before voting? For a change it looks like the Canadian election will not be decided east of the Rockies before our polls close. If a minority government is elected, it might be the NDP or Greens with their seats from B.C. that are able to form a coalition with the lead parties and advance their political agenda. Remember that while the BC Liberals won the last provincial vote, it was the NDP and BC Green Party teaming up to govern together in Victoria, something they have done successfully now since May of 2017. Time will tell if a similar coalition government scenario occurs on Parliament Hill in the near future.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

POST ELECTION UPDATE

The 338Canada post-election report: We called it

Philippe J. Fournier: In every region the 338Canada projection was on the mark, and correctly identified the winner in 299 of 338 districts

(read the breakdown)

 

October 14, 2019

From Guns to Lasers

Sun turnin' 'round with graceful motion
We're setting off with soft explosion
Bound for a star with fiery oceans
It's so very lonely, you're a hundred light years from home
Freezing red deserts turn to dark
Energy here in every part
It's so very lonely, you're six hundred light years from home


Lyrics to 2,000 Light Years From Home, the Rolling Stones, "Their Satanic Majesties Request" album (1967)

The Naked Truth usually deals with events taking place within the confines of south Surrey and White Rock but as I travel the subject matter often follows. This column is coming to you from Richland Washington and then on a journey 1.3 billion light-years from home. If that sounds a little unusual, ready yourself for a TNT ride from the Hanford Nuclear Reservation to the deep corners of the known universe where black holes collide together and dying stars explode on a regular basis.

The Tri-Cities area of south-eastern Washington including the towns of Richland, Kennewick and Pasco are home to the Hanford Nuclear Reservation. With plenty of wide open space, it is also home to the Tri-Cities Shooting Association (TCSA) and their dreaded Rattlesnake 1,000 yard rifle range. As a member of the Canadian Fullbore Rifle Team I attend matches there several times a year at what is regarded as the third windiest rifle range on the planet. To give you an idea of how difficult the conditions are at this range complex, there has never been a perfect Palma Rifle Match score fired there in 20 years. This consists of 15 rounds shot at 800 yards, 900 yards, and 1,000 yards for a total score of 450 points. The closest anyone has ever gotten was Emil Praslick from the US Army Marksmanship Unit who fired a 448 several years back, unfortunately shooting an 8 on his final round of the day. I know how it feels having gotten a miss on my last shot in the Washington Long Range Championships earlier this year to go from first to fourth place with one trigger pull.

Several times I have gone "clean" at the 800 and 900 but with daytime heating and desert winds, I've never been able to complete the trifecta of getting a perfect score at the 1,000 yard that features a 20 inch bullseye and 10 inch X-ring used for tie breaking. On Sunday with cloudy weather and light rain showers, I managed to get through the two morning shoots without dropping a point in over 30 rounds fired. At the 1,000 yard mound, I began the final 15 round match of the day and by round 10 had not dropped a single point. It was at the moment that I realized it was possible in the light winds to set a new range record. With adrenaline levels slowly rising I fired a bullseye followed by three Xs, leaving me a final bullet. With heartbeat now racing, I focused all of my attention on releasing a perfect shot. When the target came up, there it was, a bullseye 10 and a total daily score of 450-21X. Needless to say it was a Tiger woods moment with a war whoop and lots of fist pumping. With my score from the Saturday I finished a respectable third in the match, picking up a bronze to complete my set of NRA medals, having won the gold and silver in previous years.

The danger area of the Rattlesnake range extends far into Hanford Reservation lands with the nearby nuclear power plant there releasing a steady thick cloud of steam towards the horizon. The property is home to America's plutonium processing plant where atomic warheads are armed and decommissioned under extremely high levels of security. It is also an area where nuclear waste is stored and atomic generators from submarines and battleships are buried. I knew about all of this radioactive related activity from the locals but it was not until I met an elderly couple at our hotel that I found out Hanford is also a central place for deep space exploration. From a scientist who worked on rocket motor noise suppression systems for NASA, I learned about the existence of the LIGO Hanford Observatory. While my father Bob (aka "The Legend") and I were in Richland firing our guns, these two married folks from Seattle were in town for the free monthly tour of the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory.

LIGO aerial view

This scientific and engineering marvel is unlike more commonly known space observatories featuring rotating white domes with telescopes perched on mountains or arrays of large satellite dishes pointed up into space. LIGO consists of two 4 m. long laser interferometers that have 1.2m wide steel vacuum tubes with mirrors arranged in an "L" shape and covered by a 10 foot wide by 12 foot tall concrete shelter. Protected from the elements and vibration, LIGO can search for gravitational waves from distant astronomical events including when stars supernovae or black holes collide. Such violent events cause ripples in space-time as per Einstein's General Theory of Relativity and when these reach earth they can be measured, changing the laser signal in the arm length by the order of one ten thousands of the charge diameter of a proton. To ensure these events are not seismic activity registering from anywhere on the world or vibrations from vehicles on nearby roads, there is a second LIGO facility in Livingston, Louisiana almost 2,000 miles away for result comparisons. Other gravitation wave observatories are also now running in Italy and India with data being cross-referenced to the US LIGOs.

The original LIGO observatories were built in 1998 and operated by Caltech and MIT with $400 million in funding from the National Science Foundation. They first went operational in 2002 but detected no gravitation waves through to 2010. In 2008 the Advanced LIGO Project was conceived to enhance the original LIGO detectors with support from 1,000 scientists in the UK, Australia and Germany plus 440,000 Einstein@Home users who contribute computer power to the data calculations. Restarting in 2015 after a $200 million upgrade the new and improved sensors LIGO began searching the heavens and in 2016 it detected the first gravitational waves originating from deep space. By the end of 2018 LIGO has made a dozen detections of gravitation waves including ten from double black hole mergers and the collision of two neutron stars at a distance of up to 1.3 billion light years away. Scientists believe the data that LIGO collects may greatly increase our knowledge and understanding of gravitation, relativity, astrophysics plus particle and nuclear physics. I should note that the Nobel Prize in physics went to three LIGO and VIRGO (Italian interferometer) scientists in 2017.

All of this made for a rather exciting Canadian Thanksgiving weekend down in the States and I thought I would share it with the readers of the White Rock Sun. The next time I go away to south-eastern Washington for long-range fullbore target rifle shooting, I will try to make sure it coincided with the monthly tours of the LIGO complex. Obviously the LIGO project is extremely complex, hard to explain fully and totally grasp in only a few short paragraphs. If you wish to further explore what LIGO is revealing, check out the following websites that should give you a much greater understanding of the complexities involved. I must warn you that while the subject matter is fascinating, it can be a rather heavy read with plenty of scientific jargon. I have a pretty good grasp of applied ballistics but as can be expected with distant space research, there is plenty of rocket science involved.


https://www.ligo.caltech.edu/WA/news/ligo20190812

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LIGO
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virgo_interferometer
https://einsteinathome.org/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Einstein@Home

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

October 07, 2019

Cloverdale Cockfighting Corner

On Saturday SPCA officials and Surrey RCMP offers executed a search warrant on a farm in Surrey that SPCA spokesperson Marcie Moriarty later confirmed was related to allegations of cockfighting. The farm in question with "No Trespassing" spray painted on the side of a barn along with the crude outline of an AK-47 rifle is in the 16600 block of 50 Ave., only blocks away from the Surrey SPCA Education and Adoption Centre at 16748 50 Ave. No live birds were found at the targeted property but other evidence was discovered and taken away for analysis. In the early stages of this investigation nobody has yet been identified, arrested or charged with offences related to animal cruelty. Cockfighting is a notorious blood sport where agitated roosters equipped with razor sharp blades fight to the death in pits while gamblers place bets on the victor.

This is not the first time that farmland south of Cloverdale has been the subject of SPCA and RCMP raids related to cockfighting. in 2008 an operation linked to organized crime was taken down with evidence being seized at three different locations, the two largest in the 14800 block of 168 St. and 16300 block of 150 Street. A total 1,270 birds were seized and destroyed in that investigation that also found five fighting pits, spurs and gaffs, betting sheets and steroids. At that time the SPCA's Marcie Moriarty claimed during a Georgia Straight interview that some of the roosters were being exported internationally back to the Philippines. Five BC men were eventually charged with animal cruelty in this case and in June of 2009 charges against three of these were stayed with the other two receiving fines of $750 and one year probation. At that time, the maximum penalty for animal cruelty offences related to cockfighting was six months in prison or a $2,000 fine and a two-year ban on owning animals.

The 2008 cockfighting ring arrests in BC were instrumental in changes to Canadian animal cruelty laws and the dismal sentences being handed out to those convicted of these crimes. After no changes in 115 years of Canadian animal cruelty laws, Bill S-203 An Act to amend the Criminal Code (cruelty to animals) was passed by Canadian parliament and enacted to law several months after the first Cloverdale Cockfighting Corner take down. Of the many changes, it increased the maximum penalties handed down under the PCA Act from $2,000 to $5,000 and up to $10,000 for a second offence. in 2011 after the cull of 56 sled dogs in Whistler that received world-wide attention and condemnation, the BC government made changes to their Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, increasing fines to a maximum of $75,000 and jail terms up to 2 years, up from the former maximum of $10,000 and six months in jail.

Most of us know MP Jody Wilson-Raybould as the former Justice Minister who blew the lid off the SNC Lavallin scandal, before being turfed out of the Liberal caucus by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and now running as an independent in the riding of Vancouver Granville. It was Mrs. Wilson-Raybould who sponsored Bill C-84 last year that expanded existing animal cruelty laws and animal-fighting provisions to cover a broader range of activities and animals, which were passed into law in June of 2019.
Bill C-84 amends the Criminal Code to:
(a) define “bestiality” to encompasses any contact for a sexual purpose between a person and an animal
(b) expand the scope of the offence of encouraging, aiding or assisting at the fighting or baiting of animals or birds so that the offence
(i) includes promoting, arranging, receiving money for or taking part in the fighting or baiting of animals or birds, and
(ii) also applies with respect to the training, transporting or breeding of animals or birds for fighting or baiting; and
(c) expand the scope of the offence of building, making, maintaining or keeping a cockpit so that the offence applies with respect to any arena for animal fighting.
Under the new law a person convicted under a summary offence faces a maximum $10,000 fine and up to 18 months in prison. For a second offence, the jail time increases up to five years and offenders may receive a lifetime ban on owning birds or animals and living in the same premises. In addition to these changes, those convicted of bestiality will now be added to the national sex offenders registry, recognizing the correlation (known as the violence link) between animal cruelty, crimes of domestic violence and child abuse.

With Surrey cockfighting seemingly entrenched in the rural area surrounding 168 St. and 50 Ave., it will be interesting to see where the police investigation goes into the most recent raid and if criminal charges are brought against those involved. The changes to both the Provincial and Federal laws governing animal abuse should mean for much tougher sentencing should anyone be charged and convicted of crimes involving battling roosters. With top fighting cocks worth up to $1,000 and bets of up to $5,000 reportedly being wagered, it is not surprising that underground cockfighting continues to this day. What is truly amazing is the close proximity of properties allegedly associated with cockfighting to the BC SPCA offices in Cloverdale. It makes me think that those people involved in cockfighting must truly be bird-brained.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

September 30. 2019


Taking the Tour

Sandra Tomchuk and Alyson Thorpe

Most of us are familiar with the Tour de White Rock bicycle race but it is not the only game in town. This past weekend the Peninsula Art Tour was in full swing with 32 artists opening up their studios and showing off their wares at 18 different locations across south Surrey and White Rock. This was the 10th year of the Tour that is supported by the Yarmoshuk Reedman Financial Group and sponsored by CIBC Wood Grundy, Private Wealth Management, White Rock Branch. This year's Tour included artistic works in oil, watercolour, acylic, mixed media, pottery, blown glass, mosaics, turned wood and jewellery.

If you noticed any of the various signs posted around town this weekend inviting you into an artist's studio, for next year you need to know that the Peninsula Art Tour 2019 had a downloadable map on their website. Printed brochures with the map were available at the various studios plus at CIBC, creating a location based game somewhere between the Amazing Race and geocaching. I happened to run into one of the tour signs near Peninsula Village where I met up with local artists Sandra Tomchuk and Alyson Thorpe who gave me details on the Peninsula Art Tour and showed me their many works of art available for sale.

If you missed the Tour, not to worry for here are the lists of the various studios, the artists and the artwork they are producing.
14639- 17A Avenue: Nicole Carrie - acrylic, watercolour, mixed media. Rich Schmid - wood turning. Peter Klemm - Oil. Georgia Johnstone - acrylic.
1523 Stayte Road: Jess Rice - watercolour, acrylic, oil. Angelio Morrissey - watercolour, acrylic, oil.
2330 152A Street: Sandra Tomchuk - abstract. Alyson Thorpe - watercolour.
12557 26 Avenue: Jeanette Jarville - oil, acrylic, mixed media.
#1 - 15168 22 Ave.: Audrey Bakewell - watercolour acrylic, jewellery.
2653 Country Woods Drive: Bruce Kleeberger - stone and wood sculpture. Joanne Carter - glass torch work.
14778 Gordon Street: Coleen Lumb - mixed media.
1872 136 Street: Constance Glover - high fired soda glaze ceramics and mosaics.
14336 18 Ave.: David Klassen - charcoal, conte, coloured pencil, acrylic oil.
#201 14855 Thrift Ave., intercom #011: iRMA Bijdemast - contemporary abstract artist
15369 36A Avenue: Doris Anderson - abstract in acrylic. Thomas Anderson - sculpture. Daniel Strathdee - oil and acrylics.
13798 24 Avenue: Nicoletta Baumeister - acrylic, watercolour, oil. Emily Vincent - sterling silver, gold, gems. Mac Grieve - acrylic.
#23 15099 28 Ave, intercom #23: Gail Nesimiuk - abstract, jewellery, art furniture.
13550 13A Avenue: Lee Caufield - contemporary works in mixed media. Gary McDonald - acrylic.
2944 Kidd Road: Lisa Samphire - blown glass. Sid Samphire - grogged stoneware. Adele samphire - wheel thrown stoneware.
12255 Sullivan Street: John Wright - stoneware and ceramics.
1055 Fir Street: Sylvie Peltier - Paintings in acrylic. Gabrielle Strauss - acrylic and mixed media.
14823 Prospect Avenue: Lori Chambers - acrylic, abstract, semi-abstract.

What is really user friendly is that the peninsulaarttour.com website has images of art pieces for all 32 artists that you can click on taking you to their websites so you can examine the projects they are working on plus contact information should you want to pick up a piece or have art commissioned. Contact information for the artist is also listed, making communication a breeze. The Peninsula Art Tour also has a Facebook page with postings from the various artists showing pieces of their works and if you like art make sure to LIKE their page. Check out the listed artists, their masterpieces and help support the creative geniuses living and working here in the Semi-pen.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

TNT Extra: if you liked the well known poster used with this TNT, here is some information gleaned from Wikipedia on its origins that might be of interest.
"expose yourself to art" was the name of a poster which featured Bud Clark, future mayor of Portland, Oregon, seen flashing an abstract bronze artwork. Titled "kvinneakt" ("female nude" in Norwegian) it is Norman J. Taylor's sculpture of a nude woman located on the Transit Mall of downtown Portland, Oregon. The poster and Clark himself, at the time a bar owner in Goose Hollow, became widely known. Clark appeared to be wearing only a raincoat, but it was later revealed that he was wearing shorts and a T-shirt under his raincoat.
The photo was taken by Mike Ryerson in 1978, then a staff member of The Northwest Neighbor. Ryerson and Clark originally intended to create a poster for the Venereal Disease Action Council until a reader submitted the caption "expose yourself to art". With $500, Ryerson printed posters, then sold 800 for one dollar each by manning a booth at Waterfront Park. By 1984, the year Clark was elected mayor of Portland, Ryerson had sold more than 250,000 posters, with profits supporting The Northwest Neighbor. Following the election win, Clark sold autographed copies of the poster to eliminate his campaign debt. This now iconic poster is still being printed and widely available online from multiple sources for $9.59 U.S.

 

 

September 23, 2019

Federal Election Primer, S. Sry-WR

l-r Poulin/Findlay/HOgg/Hobby/Crozier

 

We go to the polls to vote in the next Federal election on Monday, October 21, 2019. While much of the headlines and political intrigue in the campaign to date has involved the leaders of the major parties across Canada, it is time to start looking at the people closer to home who want your X on the ballot. The close of nominations for candidates is Mon., Sept. 30, 2019 and the complete list of confirmed candidates will be available on Wed., Oct. 2, 2019. Here in alphabetical order are the bios and websites of the five previously announced candidates that want the all-important job of Member of Parliament for the South Surrey-White Rock riding.

Stephan Crozier, New Democratic Party
A teacher for 30 years, Stephen is fighting to leave a better Canada for the generations to come. He’s seen how families in White Rock and South Surrey are struggling in the housing crisis – and he knows government can do more for families by delivering better public services.
Stephen is President of the New Westminster and District Labour Council and Democracy Direct Society, the organization's community wing which worked to elect those to City Hall who represent the voices of everyday people in White Rock. As part of local and national campaigns, Stephen helped bring strong progressive voices, like Jagmeet Singh and former BCGEU President Darryl Walker, to government. Stephen is standing with the NDP for real solutions that make life more affordable. He’s fighting for universal pharmacare, affordable housing, and bold action on the climate emergency to create a brighter future in Canada.
https://stephencrozier.ndp.ca/

Kerry-Lynn Findlay - Conservative Party of Canada
Kerry-Lynne grew up primarily on Vancouver Island, graduating as a boarder at Crofton House School in Vancouver, and started UBC at age 16. During her 7 years of study at UBC in History, Political Science, and Law, she also served as President of her AGD Sorority Chapter and chaired Law School committees. Kerry-Lynne then established a successful law practice in downtown Vancouver in civil litigation, family and employment law, aboriginal land issues, and mediation appearing in all levels of Court including the Supreme Court of Canada. She currently practices in these same areas, serving clients primarily from Surrey, Delta, Richmond and Vancouver with her own firm, KFindlay Law Group, on 152nd St at 17th Avenue across from Semiahmoo Mall.
She was appointed a Queen's Counsel in 1999 after having served as the elected President of the 10,000 member BC Branch of the Canadian Bar Association.
Kerry-Lynne is a BC India Business Network Advisory Board member, and Past President of the Little House Society, a house of support and healing for those touched by substance use disorder. She also serves as Treasurer of BC & Alberta Guide Dogs, providing service dogs to the blind, and support dogs to kids with autism and veterans with PTSD.
She is an active member of Rotary International, (2018-19 Club President), South Surrey White Rock Chamber of Commerce, Surrey Board of Trade, and the Canadian Bar Association. In the past Kerry-Lynne has served as a BC Government appointed member of Delta Police Board, providing civilian governance, accountability and oversight to the Delta Police Department.
In 2011, Kerry-Lynne was elected as the Member of Parliament for Delta Richmond East, a riding that no longer exists. She was appointed by the Prime Minister as Minister of National Revenue, and previously as Associate Minister of National Defence, and Parliamentary Secretary to Justice. She also served as a member of several high profile Cabinet committees including Treasury Board. Among other achievements, she was awarded the Golden Scissors Award in 2015 by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) for leadership in cutting red tape for Small Business.
Kerry-Lynne lives in South Surrey with her husband, Brent Chapman, a locally based actor and director, often called upon to MC special events. They are the parents of four children, and grandparents of three small boys. All four of Kerry-Lynne and Brent's children are UBC graduates.
https://www.sswr.ca/

Beverely "Pixie" Hobby, Green Party of Canada
I was born in Ottawa, Ontario and grew up in the Gatineau Hills just outside of the city. Most of my childhood was spent outdoors in the natural environment of the Gatineau Park, cross-country skiing and skating in the winter and swimming, hiking and canoeing in the summer, fall and spring. As a young adult, my love of and concern for the natural environment led me to become an environmental and social justice activist while attending university. After graduating, I attended law school with the goal of practicing environmental law.
I joined the federal Department of Justice where I gained several years of courtroom experience before representing Environment Canada. There, I worked on climate change issues, management of toxic substances, and the development of the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act. Recruited to work on environmental issues on reserve lands, I soon became involved in a number of Aboriginal self-government initiatives, including the development of the First Nations Land Management Act and the Inherent Right to Self Government policy. It was this challenge that brought me to Vancouver in 1995.
​Since then, my career has been focused in the area of environmental assessments of major development projects, including DeltaPort Container Terminal Berth 3, Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipeline Project, New Prosperity Gold and Copper Mine and the Site C Clean Energy Project. When I am not working on environmental or social justice matters, you can find me practicing yoga or playing the violin with other musicians. I get a kick out of experimenting with raw food recipes, and I enjoy kayaking in Boundary Bay, working in my organic veggie garden, and singing with the Soul of the World Choir. I love sailing with my son, hiking in the forests of the Semiahmoo Peninsula or strolling along the beach, and sharing Reiki healing with friends and neighbours.
​In 1997 I authored The Canadian Environmental Assessment Act: an Annotated Guide published by Canada Law Book, which I up-date every year. In 2014, I left the federal public service, and continue to practice environmental law from my home in Crescent Beach. Last summer I combined my passion for social justice with my experience in environmental law and represented a group of citizens in White Rock, Ocean Park and Crescent Beach in the Canadian Transportation Agency’s arbitration process in relation to the environmental and health issues resulting from BNSF’s trains carrying thermal coal from the US through the Semiahmoo Peninsula.
https://www.pixiehobby.ca/

Gordie Hogg, Liberal Party of Canada
Gordie Hogg is an accomplished community leader with a proven record of public service, and was elected as the Member of Parliament for South Surrey—White Rock in October 2017. Having served as Mayor of White Rock, as a BC Cabinet Minister, and as a Member of the BC Legislative Assembly, he understands what it takes to create good jobs in South Surrey—White Rock, and he has been working closely with Justin Trudeau to grow and strengthen our middle class.
Gordie and his family have deep roots here in South Surrey—White Rock, where his father also practiced as a prominent physician. He and his wife are proud to live here, and to have raised their son here. He served on White Rock council for 20 years, 10 of which he was mayor. He has been a board member of more than 15 committees and non-profit societies, including the Peace Arch Community Health Council and the Peace Arch District Hospital.
Gordie recently completed his PhD at Simon Fraser University, and has acted as a board member on more than 15 committees and non-profit societies. He has also been a foster parent and little league coach.
https://gordiehogg.liberal.ca/

Joel Poulin, People's Party of Canada
It's exciting to announce the candidacy of Joel Poulin to become the MP for South Surrey White Rock, representing the People’s Party of Canada. A passionate and hard-working individual, Joel looks forward to making a difference in the riding and being a presence of change at the federal level.
Joel and his wife Sharaya have been married for 4 years and live in the West Beach area of White Rock. As a tower crane operator Joel has worked on many interesting projects all over British Columbia including the one billion dollar, Forrest Kerr, hydro-electric infrastructure project in northern B.C. Another project was the Audain Art Museum, a 56,000 square foot steel and concrete, original design building in Whistler, B.C. as well as many residential high rise developments across the lower mainland. Last year, after completing his Real Estate Trading License at UBC Sauder, Joel transitioned full time into his new career as a Real Estate Agent with RE/MAX Little Oak Realty.
With the creation of the PPC, Joel found the perfect opportunity to represent White Rock, South Surrey at the federal level, hoping to ensure that each segment of the community is listened to and represented fairly. The People's Party of Canada is a new yet dynamic party led by Maxime Bernier. This robust, new party stands for the values of freedom, responsibility, fairness and respect. The PPC is about action and applying practical solutions to problems that Canadians face. The party’s goal is to make Canada stronger by applying fiscally responsible policies, reducing provincial trade barriers and protecting people's freedoms. The values and proposals put forward by the People’s Party of Canada are what drew Joel to represent them in South Surrey White Rock.
https://www.sswr-ppc.ca/

This TNT should help broaden your knowledge of the candidates vying for your vote. Make sure you educate yourself on the platforms of the various political parties and the promises they are making so you can make an informed decision on election day. Please be aware that:
You can vote in person at any Elections Canada office in Canada, any time before 6:00 p.m. (local time) on October 15.
You can vote by mail if you apply no later than 6:00 p.m. (Eastern time) on October 15.
You can vote at your advance polling place on October 11, 12, 13 and 14 with the address of your polling place on the voter information card that you will receive in the mail.
You can vote at your polling place on election day, Monday, October 21, 2019, again with the address of your polling place on the voter information card.
You can also find the address of your polling station on the elections Canada website (elections.ca) after September 24th.

Make your mark, get out and vote!

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

 

 

 

 

September 16, 2019

Don't Fear Colebrook

Colebrook Road..., the name always brings with it a sense of apprehension and dread. Years ago when I was growing up in Delta and Surrey Colebrook Road had a reputation as a place that you should avoid when the sun went down. Used as a drag strip, dumping ground and quiet vicinity for illegal activities, this dark stretch of pavement running east to west across the bottom of Panorama Ridge was always notorious. Then in 2013 four people were found murdered during a six week period, with all of their bodies found within a 50 meter stretch of the dead end close to Hwy. 91. Things got so bad that the Mud Bay Blues Band even wrote a song titled Colebrook Road warning about its lurid and dangerous history. The addition of LED lighting west of 125 A Street plus installation of HD video cameras has certainly lowered the crime rate for this lonely road that parallels the BC Railway train tracks. Fortunately I now have some good news about Colebrook road that should have people interested in spending time there.

Most residents do not realize that there is a very large Surrey park along Colebrook road west of King George Blvd. The City of Surrey added this land aptly named Colebrook Park to their park inventory years ago but development of this 175 acre parcel has been slow to say the least. With the Roberts Bank Rail Corridor project, Colebrook road was realigned with a new road being built north of the tracks west of Birdies and Buckets. Because the new roadway took up valuable parkland that was environmentally sensitive, a large meandering waterway was installed in this area as habitat compensation. Several years ago an area was cleared at 14311 Colebrook road and a heavy white metal gate installed to deter illegal dumping. Earlier this year work began on creating a large gravel parking lot behind the gate plus trails were pushed into the woods heading north and west. With a grant of $250,000, contractors began work this summer building new walking trails.

Most of Colebrook Park is very wet, even during the relatively dry summer months. The fields east and west of the parking lot are choked with swamp grass that is impenetrable in the spring and summer and saturated in fall and winter. Small streams and ditches criss-cross the flat portion of the park with many ponds and swamps present. Because of the constant high water table, trail building at Colebrook Park is not an easy endeavor. There is now a gravel trail that heads due north out of the parking lot with a small bridge that crosses the field edge ditch. It goes through the forest them up the hill, connecting with the trail running west to east along the bottom of Panorama Ridge that is a right-of-way for the Metro Vancouver sanitary sewer. Other than the tell-tale orange sewer grates, you would not know that a huge sewer trunk line runs through this area as it has been buried and the area remediated to a natural setting.

By far the most interesting trail is the one that heads west from the parking lot. It is gravel up to the trees where it changes to raised wooden platforms that meander at odd angles through this boggy woodland area that is full of large western red cedars. This boardwalk goes for hundreds of metres and includes a metal grate for traction when it will be frosty in the winter. Because of the environmental sensitivity of this area and the fact you would likely end up with a soaker, it is advisable to stay on the boardwalk and not explore through the swampy forest. As with the north trail, the west one goes up the hill and also meets up with the Met-Van right-of-way completing a loop. If you look down from the railway overpass on the KGB, you will see a large back-filled area that will become a future dog park, which will also be connected to the Colebrook Park trail system.

These new trails are only the beginning of what is being planned for the near future. I've been told by Surrey Parks staff that phase two will likely begin next year with a multi-use trail heading west from the parking lot through the forest. Other nature trails are also planned along with a pathway that will parallel the large ditch that runs along Colebrook Road plus pedestrian access points for neighbourhoods in Panorama Ridge. It is interesting to note that there is a log house contained within the northern edge of the parks boundaries that may eventually be open to the public. Wildlife enhancement areas plus planned wetlands will provide more habitat for waterfowl and wildlife. You can check out the long range plan for Colebrook Park at https://www.surrey.ca/files/Colebrook_park_Plan_2001.pdf .

While there is no word yet on an official opening, the trails are accessible but you will have to park outside of the locked gate on Colebrook Road and walk in. The best thing about Colebrook Park now is that it is deserted since nobody is aware of the interesting trail systems that have been recently constructed. My wife and I took her dogs for a walk throughout the trail loop and did not see a single soul. It is not very often that you get a 175 acre park to yourself in a city of over half a million people. Once this park is put on the map and the gate is opened, you can expect it to attract plenty of visitors. If you are planning a trip to nearby Mud Bay Park and the Delta Dike Trail, make sure your outing includes some time to explore Colebrook Park.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

September 09, 2019


40th Avenue Fiasco

On Thursday morning I heard that 176 Street (aka Hwy. 15) in south Surrey had been closed because of a fatal vehicle crash that happened just before 7 a.m. Because the closure went from 32 Ave. up to 56 Ave. I surmised it was likely because of yet another crash at the corner of 40th Ave. Taking 184 St. to get around the closure, we met an RCMP cruiser blocking 40 Ave. and then encountered another car crash just a few flocks north where a passenger truck had plowed into the back of a Porche that was stopped while attempting to turn left into their driveway. This blocked all southbound traffic and severely impacted northbound travel. Coupled with 192 Street being closed for construction and paving, north-south traffic in south Surrey was basically gridlocked all the way from 168 St. to 200 St. in Langley.

When 176 St. was widened by the B.C. Ministry of Highways and Infrastructure, 40 Ave. became the only road from the border to Hwy. #1 without a traffic control signal. Even the lowly 20 Ave. at least has a pedestrian demand light to go along with its very light traffic volumes. The 40 Ave./Hwy. 15 intersection has four through lanes plus two left hand turning lanes measures 35 metres across. The speed on Hwy. 15 in this area is 80 kmh but drivers on this dedicated truck route often drive at 90-100 kmh. I should also point out that this is in the flats in a boggy agricultural area that is conducive to fog formation which lowers visibility. There is now a roadside memorial for 23 year old "Belly" who died at the scene of a two-car crash that also injured the other driver. According to family members, Belly was headed east on 40 Ave. through the intersection and was hit by a car northbound on Hwy 15. A sign on a nearby hydro pole seeks witnesses and has family phone numbers on it.

This meat grinder of an intersection has needed a traffic light for years. While 40 Ave. is not considered an arterial road, it offers the only east west connection from Hwy. 10 down to 32 Ave. There are already calls to now block through access on 40 Ave, making it a right turn only onto the divided Hwy. 15. This will only make traffic worse, pushing cars onto the already plugged Hwy. 10 and 32 Ave. connectors and large detours for drivers. Instead of restricting traffic flow, it is high time that the City of Surrey and the B.C. Ministry of Transportation remove impediments to mobility and look at opening the boondoggle and bottleneck that is 40 Ave. We don't need another fatality to show us how dangerous the corner of 40 Ave. and Hwy. 15 already is. I know several people including a Surrey Planner that refuse to drive through this intersection on 40 Ave. because of the risks involved in crossing a designated truck highway.

The rest of 40 Ave. is also what I kindly refer to as a shit-show. For years the east end of this once-upon-a-time farm road has been blocked around 190 St., eliminating its use as a traffic connector to 192 Street that is now being widened and repaved. Its dead-end road designation attracts undesirables and criminal elements and this is where two Surrey teens were gunned down in June of 2018 in an unsolved double homicide. The roadside murder memorials are there should you care to visit, drop off flowers and pay your respects. Traveling west through south Surrey, 40 Ave. is blocked again at 152 St. after a Surrey Engineer was seriously hurt in a crash there years ago. This corner allows traffic on 152 St. to turn left each way but traffic on 40 Ave. can only turn right, meaning that past this dogs-breakfast of an engineering marvel, people constantly perform dangerous u-turns to get back on 40 Ave. A neighbour there pointed out to me that with bus stops on either side of 152 St. pedestrians have to jump the double concrete curbing to get across this 27 metre wide road that does not have a crosswalk.

Not quite as deadly but certainly dangerous, 40 Ave. terminates at King George Blvd. after swinging around the Peace Arch RV Park. While turning right onto the KGB to head northbound is usually quite easy, turning left to head south is a sphincter clencher at the best of times. At either rush hour you are basically taking your life into your hands trying to squeeze into traffic. Because of lengthy delays, people take chances and I constantly see near misses at this dangerous T-intersection. A tactic some drivers use from 40 Ave. is to cross the northbound KGB lanes, using the wide median to park in while they wait for a break in the southbound flow. The problem here is that often the front end or back corner of their vehicles are left hanging into oncoming traffic. I have seen multiple bad crashes at this site and the asphalt was heavily damaged by a vehicle fire from one of these spectacular wipe-outs. Only metres south of this location, the off-ramp from Hwy. 99 northbound experiences the identical driving challenges.

So here are my proposed fixes for the 40 Ave. fiasco going east to west. From 192 Street, remove the barricade at 190 St and widen this country road to arterial standards like nearby 184 St. At the corner of 40 Ave. and Hwy. 15, install a traffic light before someone else is killed, something that should have been done when 176 Street was widened. At 152 St., remove the stupid barricades that block through traffic for 40 Ave. and install another traffic light that would also address pedestrian safety. I would suggest that the Hwy. 99 northbound off-ramp terminate at a three way intersection located at the corner where 40 Ave. now turns north, with a 3-way stop or traffic light. This would incorporate the off-ramp and 40 Ave. traffic, meaning only one and not two roads entering King George Blvd that are currently only 150 metres apart. At the current 40 Ave. and KGB intersection, install a final traffic light there allowing for safe left hand turns on the KGB. The final result is removing all blockages to allow traffic to flow, while installing traffic lights for safety at dangerous and busy intersections. It is important to note that some of these changes would be Surrey's responsibility, some the B.C. Min. of Transpo., and others the cost would be shared.

I've been informed that Belly's family will be starting a petition to have a traffic light installed at 40 Ave. and Hwy. 15 once they have the RCMP collision report. I've talked to them about the issues with the entire length of 40 Ave. and they agree that something needs to be done. Stephanie Cadieux is the MLA for the Surrey South riding that encompasses the 40 Ave. fiasco. Let's hope that she will be able to help with upgrades at Hwy. 15 and near Hwy. 99, while Surrey City Hall looks at the multitude of problems on this one stretch of roadway that has been neglected for decades. It is time that 40 Ave. stops being treated like a local farm road and is given the classification of "arterial road", which is what people utilize it for. If you have your own thoughts on this matter, Mrs. Cadieux's email is stephanie.cadieux.MLA@leg.bc.ca, the Surrey Engineering Department's email engwebmail@surrey.ca, or feel free to contact Surrey Mayor Doug McCallum, his Safe Surrey councillors or the remaining councillors who may be able to help address this long standing problem.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

NOTE


ICBC statistics reveal there have been 63 collisions in the uncontrolled intersection of 40 Ave and Hwy 15 between 2013 and 2017. In those crashes there were a total of 31 casualties. No word yet on the total cost for vehicle damage repairs and body injury claims arising from this carnage.

 

 

September 02, 2019

A Short Walk Around a Long Pier

With the iconic White Rock pier now open, I decided it was time to go down to the waterfront and check out the repairs. Unfortunately I waited until the holiday Monday on a nice sunny day, ensuring that I was not alone. While the work at Memorial Park is something to behold now that it finally has been completed, it was the size of the crowds taking the walk on the 1540 foot long pier that really was impressive. I must admit, it was great to see all of the happy smiling faces of people who obviously were enjoying to set foot onto the pier after it as seriously damaged in the windstorm on December 20, 2018. When you think White Rock, it is the pier, promenade and boulder all come to mind. At long last the trilogy is complete again and lets hope that White Rock has smoother waters for a while.

Crossing the BNSF tracks at the end of the pier I was discouraged that the large metal archway with "White Rock, BC, Canada" on it did not have a banner below proclaiming it to be "Canada's Longest Pier." My disappointment lasted only a couple of seconds when I saw that one of the plank boards had been heavily carved with this slogan running from one side of the pier to the other. It was nice to see that after the former administration had fought against this slogan, mainly because Dave Chesney had the audacity to suggest it, that saner heads at City Hall now recognize the value it adds to this historic landmark. Speaking of history, there is a brass plaque at the pier entrance that states, "White Rock Pier, original structure built by Federal Govt, 1914-15, designated a heritage monument April 26, 1982." Fortunately it did not get stolen like the one commemorating the construction of the White Rock promenade that disappeared last month.

Joining the horde I meandered down the pier to check out the repairs and rebuilding with the barge from the construction crew still moored not far offshore. All along the way there were new boards and railings installed periodically to replace ones either damaged or rotted. It was noticeable that the railings which once had been very straight now were out of alignment, no doubt from the pounding the structure received from the loose dock and the sail boats that crashed into it. Getting to the section where the gaping hole had once been, there were thick new deck planks 12 inches wide and sturdy railings, all in pressure treated wood to withstand the elements. It was interesting to note that the repaired section is out of alignment with the old portions of the pier, likely so that the new pilings did not line up with the old ones. I took along my trusty rolling measuring tape and discovered that the replaced section measures 102 metres long, consisting of deck 291 planks.

For a guy who has spent plenty of time around and under local bridges, I could not wait to check out the damage and repairs done to the support structure of the pier. Descending from the walkway on the concrete stairs that lead to the beach, the first big change I noticed was under the pier head where the entire area had been boxed in with large planks bolted to the pilings. At this point the beach rises, decreasing the area between the sand and the pier, making it susceptible to damage from logs and debris during high tides and wind storms. The planks are placed close enough that there now is no access, which is good in case someone decided it would be a good spot to light a campfire from all the driftwood. It appears that steps have been taken to protect the pier from both Mother Nature and morons too.

Walking out onto the sand flats, I had to marvel at the number of repairs that had been made to the old structure. The pilings were noticeably leaning in many areas with large black metal collars bolted onto damaged pilings to help hold them together. In other areas brand new wooden pilings with metal caps had been added to give more support to the decking. New creosoted cross beams have been bolted onto the pilings throughout the old structure to help give it more rigidity and strength to combat against wind, waves and debris. While these repairs may last for a while, there is no doubt that the pier was really standing on its last legs and would have eventually have needed to be replaced in the near future. Considering what happened last winter, I would suggest that the pier should be closed to the public during periods of high winds and large waves until it is all rebuilt.

The replaced section is a marvel of new marine construction techniques. Instead of creosoted wood, the pilings are steel pipe covered with a thick black coating for salt water corrosion resistance. The pilings are spaced three wide and there are 22 rows of them. On top of these are long reinforced concrete rectangles holding the row of three pilings in place. Large concrete slabs sit atop of these with heavy wood deck planks above that. To say that the new section is built like a proverbial brick shit-house would be an understatement. When walking the pier on top the two sections look relatively the same but the underneath support structure is now night and day. When funding from Ottawa is finally secured this federally built historic site should be completely rebuilt so that it can withstand another hundred years without being damaged or destroyed. With a federal election looming this fall, lets hope for a funding announcement when the pier is officially reopened on Saturday, Sept. 21st.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

August 26, 2019

Surrey Sharpshooters 1st & 3rd in Canada

David Calvert, now shooting for the English Rifle Team 

.......won the MacDonald Stewart Grand Agg by one point over South Surrey's Jim Paton

Once again I find myself finger pecking a TNT on my tablet at 10,000 metres, this time jetting home from Ottawa with my dad Bob Pitcairn (aka "The Legend") sitting beside me after yet another major 
fullbore target rifle championship.

Three weeks ago we started our summer of shooting attending the B.C. Rifle Association's (BCRA) Fullbore Target Rifle Championships, this year held for the first time in Kamloops instead of its usual location at the DND Vokes range in Chilliwack. Besides the usual local yokels, the 14 man Wales Rifle Team also joined the fray with plenty of top calibre shots. After 3 days of close competition, Wales supporter David Calvert won the B.C. Open by V-bulls (center bullseyes), I took the B.C. Target Rifle Championship as the Province's top marksman, and my father Bob and I tied outright for the Lt. Governor's Prize. Using old age, tretchery and years of skill, The Legend added to his storied range history, beating me in a 5 round sudden death shoot-off to secure a chair ride from the firing point.

Only three days after that provincial match I boarded a jet bound for Ottawa to compete in the 137th Dominion of Canada Rifle Association's (DCRA) annual Target Rifle Championships. This event attracts international teams and "hitters" from across the globe including the Welsh, English, Channel Island, USA and even Jamaica rifle teams. The Canadian Cadet National Rifle Team was there in numbers, Canadian and English under 25 teams plus many women competitors in what years ago was a male dominated sport. In total there were four people from South Surrey competing, including 17-yr-old cadet Karen Chen from the 2947 RCACC based in Richmond who was my junior/senior match partner.

After settling into rustic army barracks accommodations with my Dad as roommate, we began several days of warm-up matches, getting used to the ranges peculiarities, wind flow patterns and noting sight zeros for the various ranges of 300, 500, 600 yards plus the long range 800 and 900 metres. After the first day of competition, yours truly found himself in the early lead for the Grand Aggregate. Unfortunately for me my 81-yr-young father went on a tear, going clean and not dropping a single point for three days, leading the Grand for several days himself. In high temperatures and thick humidity with thunderstorms present, he faltered in the heat allowing other marksmen to jump into the lead.

After eight days of intense completion, David Calvert, now shooting for the English Rifle Team won the MacDonald Stewart Grand Agg by one point over South Surrey's Jim Paton, arguable one of Canada's finest marksmen. The Governor General Prize went to Jon Underwood of the Surrey Rifle Association in England after shooting a perfect 300 that included two lomg range matches. Three shooters finished two points back including myself who placed 4th due to v-count missing out on a coveted bullion badge. In the Canadian Target Rifle Championships, Jim Paton once again reigned supreme for the 5th time winning the gold with Fazel Mohideen from Pickering, Ontario taking silver and another Surrey sharpshooter, Don Pitcairn getting the bronze for third place. In the Under 25 Team match Canada won by a handful of points, while in the Commonwealth team match, Canada was golden followed by the USA and Britain.

In a historical note I found out that DCRA Hall of Famer Sam J. Perry, who won the King's Prize at the Bisley ranges in England in 1904, was from Vancouver, BC. When he returned home he received a hero's welcome as the Commonwealth's top shot and a parade was held in his honour. It was Perry, who after being given the victor's chair ride in England, decided that the Governor General Prize winner should be chaired in Canada. In 1914 he commissioned the construction of the elongated wooden chair that is still used today to hoist aloft the winner on the Connaught ranges in Ottawa. When Sam Perry retired, it was in the quiet seaside hamlet of White Rock, as revealed by legendary Vancouver Sun journalist Lee Straight in a column he wrote years ago on this very subject.

For full details and match results visit the following rifle association websites:
BCRA - bcrifle.org
DCRA - dcra.ca

Naturally yours
Don Pitcairn

 

 

August 20, 2019

"Smart" Meter My Ass

 

Capitulation: the act of surrendering or ceasing to resist an opponent or demand.

It has been a long and valient fight against a relentless foe with an army of thousands, unlimited wealth, tenacious perseverence and government backing. Unfortunately with nowhere to turn and no political support from the weak kneed NDP/Green alliance against corporate trespassing onto our property, we have finally given in to BC Hydro and join the other serfs who were forced to have a so-called "Smart meter" installed on their homes.

This protracted battle against having one of these wireless digital units installed on our house goes back to 2011 when our omnipresent electrical Crown corporation decided to spend almost a billion dollars to put them into service across BC. Due to health concerns, house fires from faulty units, reports of overbilling compared to analog meters, loss of meter reader jobs plus the billion dollars wasted, we opted out of their stupid program.

What ensued was years of bullying tactics, trespassing on our property, relentless corporate terrorism and high monthly charges of $32.40 to keep our analog meter. It was so bad at one point that we made threats against their installers and contemplated extracting revenge on their executive officers and infrastructure. Of course this never happened but sometimes we felt like we were prisoners in our home trying to keep the wolves at bay. Government controlled monopolies are never people friendly as they don't have customers, they have users who are forced to utilize their services, no matter how terrible or expensive (hello ICBC and NavCan).

in the latest and final gambit, BC Hydro wrote to explain that our analog meter had expired and needed to be replaced. Workers found that the meter was covered with a wooden board courtesy of the former owners tired of drafts around the unit. A picture was provided of our meter along with yet another threat of disconnection, directing us to the website bchydro.com/meterchoices. Of course they explain that BC Hydro no longer stocks analog meters and your choice is a smart meter or a dumbed down one that does not transmit data. For this later hunk of junk that we still don't want you must pay an additional $20 a month on your bill.

We decided to rip the cover board from our meter, something I will now have to replace. Eventually I expect these digital units will be used for time-of-use billing as our world becomes more electrified. Until then realize that the old dependable analog meters were cheap and lasted for up to 40 years. BC Hydro estimates that this year 40,000 faulty or failed units will have to be removed, along with another 48,000 getting pulled to check accuracy and for overbilling. Industry experts in Canada believe and that Smart meters will be obsolete within 6-10 years when they need recertification and the US Congress has been informed their lifespan is 5-7 years, not the 20 years BC Hydro has announced.

I predict that in the near future the so-called dumpster fire at ICBC will be a candle in the wind when compared to the money being burned by BC Hydro. With Site C dam building costs and overruns, obscene run of river electrical contracts, infrastructure replacement including dams and generating stations plus their dumb meter program, I expect the red ink to flow from their corporate headquarters like the 3,000 gallons of fake blood that poured from the Overlook Hotel elevators in the movie The Shining. If you think your Hydro bills are high now, just wait a few years.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

August 13, 2019


Riverside on the Riverfront

Before I get going with this week's TNT I have to point out that an important milestone in the White Rock Sun was recently reached. July 20 was the 10th year anniversary of yours truly penning my first The Naked Truth column. If you scroll down, hit the archives tab and scroll way down again, you can read my very first TNT about Surrey's clothing-optional shoreline, Crescent Rock Beach. During this time I have written over 520 TNTs from such locations as Australia, England, New Zealand, and across the US and Canada. Some have been penned in airplanes but this one is being written while driving home on the Coquihalla Hwy. 

Last week the Surrey Parks Dept held their second open house about their ideas for the proposed Riverfront Park on the south shore of the Nicomekyl River between Elgin Rd. and 40 Ave. I dropped by the Elgin Hall on Crescent Road after work and was pleased to see the parking lot full of vehicles and the building packed with people. Surrey Parks staff were out in force answering questions from residents, many who live near this future park. There were photo-boards throughout the walls of Elgin Hall explaining much of the park's design process. 

These included the following:


Public Open House #2
Overview
Existing land uses & circulation
We asked you
Park planning principles
Environment
Heritage
Public art
Climate change and sea level rise
Park concept plan
Madden mill
The Oxbow and Creek
The floodplain, the meadow & ravine
The bluffs
Proposed features
Share your thoughts with us

There is no way that I can properly condense the information contained in these 16 boards but they are now posted on the City of Surrey website for your viewing pleasure. Since this will be Surrey's longest waterfront park, I feel it is important for Semi-pen residents to have a look at the plans at;

https://www.surrey.ca/culture-recreation/24604.aspx

When you are done reading this column, please take the time to visit this site to fully appreciate what is being proposed.

Surrey is looking for resident's inputs and questions with an online survey at the above web address, email at nicomeklriverfront@surrey.ca, or by phone at their office at 604-501-5050, Doug Merry at 604-598-5778 or Mickella Sjoquist at 604-592-7033. To date this project has attracted 14,000 views on social media, over 600 responses via phone and email plus a large number of folks replying to their online survey. Your ideas and contributions can help guide the planning process for this new exciting park.

The elephant in the room was that there was nothing at Elgin Hall regarding Surrey's rather rushed 2015 expropriation of the Riverside Golf Course that makes up the bulk of the west end of this new park. Personally I find it highly offensive that they do not call the new park "Riverside" instead of Riverfront. I talked to Ken Porier, the former owner whose family ran the golf course, driving range and golf centre for 60 years about the new park. He informed me his lawsuit against Surrey will begin this Oct. in BC Supreme Court as he tries to receive fair compensation from the City for his land.

It may not be the Venetian canal that Surrey mayor Doug McCallum was looking for but this park on the banks of the Nicomekl river should be an amazing new green space for people to enjoy and explore. Take the time to get involved, check out what is proposed and have your say. From what I've already seen, the Nicomekl "Riverside" Park should be a jewel for South Surrey residents to enjoy for generations to come.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn


 

August 6, 2019

Green For Cash Grab

Now that I am back on my feet with my knee working again, it's time to put the boot to John Horgan's NDP and Solicitor General Mike Farnworth about their new red light & speed intersection cameras. Five of these went live last Monday, three in Vancouver, one in Maple Ridge and one in south Surrey at the corner of King George Blvd and 152 St. It won't be long before a total of 35 intersections will have these new units that will be used to issue tickets for running red lights and speeding. With my interest in road safety, I decided to go check out the KGB/152 St. cameras. What I saw turned me from a supporter of this new initiative to one of the growing list of people screaming "CA$H GRAB."

The Dippers promised that all of these radar cameras would be posted so that drivers knew of the intersection locations. Unfortunately they could not have chosen a worse colour for these signs, making them hard for motorists to see. They consist of a white background with a black camera logo and text reading SPEED & RED LIGHT in a rather thin font. In order to grab driver's attention, the border of the sign is alternating white and green. To say that they are barely noticeable in the natural environment where green is the predominant colour would be an understatement. Nestle them up against a boulevard tree in full leaf and these signs effectively disappear.

Road signs come in many different colours with each signifying something different to drivers and are as follows:
Black and white: Posted regulations (speed limits) telling drivers what they can or can't do on the road.
Red: Stop, Yield and Do Not Enter are all this colour, giving drivers crucial information and actions.
Yellow: Signifies warning, alerting drivers to take caution, slow down or to be alert for possible hazards.
Green: This colour is used for guide signs, street signs and those telling you where you are, where to go, and the distance.
Blue: Also used for guide signs telling you about available services like rest areas, hospitals, gas stations and hotels.
Orange: Is reserved for construction and maintenance projects, including areas where workers may e directing traffic.
Brown: This colour is reserved for parks and recreation signage.

From an early age we are all taught that red means stop and green means go. Red is also used to signify danger while green means safety. The former red light camera intersection signs at least had a large red dot on them for visibility. Red is one of the easiest colours for the human eye to see because of its long wavelength, not so for the colour green. The Kelly green that is used on the new red light/speed camera signs is the same as what many municipalities (including Surrey) use for their road signs. Green is also synonymous with American greenbacks plus Canadian one dollar and twenty dollar bills printed in green, the colour of cash.

With the world's main check for colour blindness being the D-15 Farnsworth color test, I'm now wondering if our own Mike Farnsworth is colour-blind. I certainly cannot rationalize why the NDP would use the green and white border for the red light/speed camera signs over one that was, oh let's say red and white. A red and white border would make these signs much more visible leading to safer driving behaviour in crash prone intersections. Also having one of these signs posted on the traffic light standard between the lights above the roadway would also help to alert motorists to the possibility of having their picture taken and an expensive ticket mailed out.

The other issue I have with this program is that the BC Government is keeping secret the speed over the posted limit where a driver will receive a ticket. My guess is the reason for this is so that over time they can progressively lower the number as more and more of these cameras get mounted. When asked what the speed limit would be, Farnsworth would not state numbers, saying instead, “If you drive like a normal person, you’re not going to get a ticket. Drive like a self-entitled jerk, you’ll get a ticket.” If this program wasn't a cash grab, then Minister Farnsworth should have been truthful and given the number to the driving public instead of acting like a jerk himself. Keep in mind folks that even 1 kmh over the limit is still defined as speeding under the Motor Vehicle Act.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

July 30, 2019


...And Then I Snapped.

Hey ya'll prepare yourself for the rubberband man
You've never heard a sound
Like the rubberband man
You're bound to lose control

When the rubberband starts to jam


Lyrics to "The Rubberband Man" by the Spinnerrs

 

This TNT will be short and sweet for reasons I will soon explain. After attending friend's of ours wedding reception last night, I awoke with my left knee feeling sore. I'm not sure if it was The Macarena, The Chicken Dance or The Twist but I thought maybe I should have limbered up before limboing down. Thinking little of it, I went about my list of weekend chores expecting the discomfort to eventually recede.

At the end of the day my wife asked me to walk with her to the beach so her dogs could have a swim. We live only a few blocks from the water and the knee was feeling ok. We went to Crescent Rock beach for a couple of hours, cooling off and giving the pooches some fun in the sun. Ready for dinner, we made our way up the Christopherson steps (190 of them, not 101 as advertised) and headed for home with nothing wrong.

Halfway back to the house we crossed the road and I was walking on a boulevard lawn when there was a loud snap and my left knee immediately buckled. Sheryl immediately asked "Oh my God, was that you?" I stood there in disbelief at the instant searing pain in my leg, wondering what had happened. When I tried to walk, I could not put any weight on my left leg without excruciating pain. Walking home was suddenly not an option.

Fortunately one of my friends who is a beach regular had left just after us and as he drove by I flagged him down. Explaining my medical situation, Gord helped me to his truck and drove me the last block to the house. Once there he lent me his shoulder to get inside where I then bum scooted up the stairs, needing his help to make it to our family room couch. I've been here ever since with ice packs on my elevated knee that feels like crap.

Needless to say my TNT topic went out the window, with this column being typed on my tablet and not our laptop as I can't make it to the office. I don't know what happened to my knee but if nothing changes overnight I will have to pick up a set of crutches tomorrow morning and go see my doctor. As to how this injury could happen without a misstep or trauma is beyond me but as of now I only have one good leg to stand on.

Naturally yours
Don Pitcairn

 

July 23, 2019

White Rock South in SoCal

We decided to take a break and head down to Los Angeles to visit a friend who lives in nearby Corona, California for an extended weekend of fun in the sun. Part of the itinerary was a trip to the coast to spend some time at the beach in San Clemente, a quaint little seaside village that I like to call White Rock South. The town is built onto a hill facing the water with fantastic views of the Pacific Ocean and amazing sunsets. A railway line runs along the edge of the beach with Amtrak commuter trains, just like in White Rock. The final thing that makes San Clemente a home away from home to anyone from the Semi-pen is the 1,296 foot long wooden pier that is a little bit shorter than Canada's longest pier.

Our getaway was booked to coincide with the 45th annual San Clemente Ocean Festival that was held that weekend. Leaving my friend's giant Suburban at his home, we hopped on board a commuter train that took us on an hour long ride from Corona directly to the beach entrance. From there we walked out onto the pier to check out the collection of vintage Woody automobiles including a new Mini that had been Woodyized with old-school surfboards on top. We grabbed a bite and a pint at one of the two restaurants at the pier end before hitting the beach. This all reminded me of the good old days when you could take the train to White Rock, cars were allowed to drive on the pier and a restaurant was at the pier entrance.

The San Clemente Ocean Fest is quite the spectacle and it attracts very large crowds to participate in the many events, watch the athletes, try some food and shop from local artists. California lifesavers and ocean athletes compete in a total of 9 different events for both men and women that put their rescuing and survival skills to the test. New for this year was the Junior Lifeguard events for future lifeguards aged 9-17. Catering to the kids they also held the annual Dolphin Dash for ages 4-6, 7-9, and 10-12 with varying start times and distances of 0.5, 0.75 and 1 mile in length. As to be expected, surfing and boogie board contests were also held for juniors plus women and men, wrapping up Saturday's activities.

The ocean events did not slow down on Sunday starting in the morning with a 5K beach run/walk. This was followed by an open ocean paddle contest for men and women over a 5.5K course outlined by large buoys tethered in the water. The ultra athletes then took over with a biathlon consisting of a 1K swim and 5K run. That was followed by a one mile ocean swim with a mob of competitors all wearing orange swim caps numbered for safety. A run-swim-run race of 200m, 300m and 200m was held for those with a little less energy while SÚP sprint races and splash and dash relays ended the athletic competitions. By far the most fun was the rubber duck charity race featuring bathtub toys bought for $5 that were released from the pier with the first to shore winning a hefty cash prize.

All of this athletic prowess, fun times and family friendly entertainment in San Clemente left me wondering if something like this could be held in White Rock with the beach and pier being used for viewing. Of course some of the events would have to be altered, with boogie boarding instead of surfing for example. Ocean kayak and paddle board races could start on one side of the pier, race out around the breakwater and then back to shore ending in front of the White Rock boulder. A rubber duck race on an incoming tide would be a sure-fire hit with all ages. A running race down the centre of the 1,572 foot long pier followed by a 1K ocean swim would be great fun to watch.

I don't have all the answers or details but I believe that the city of White Rock could learn more than a thing or two from San Clemente. This is the second time we have visited this town and our first chance to see the San Clemente Ocean Festival. If White Rock wants to revitalize the City By The Sea and fill empty storefronts along Marine Drive, what better way than providing a series of fun ocean themed events bringing crowds of people to the shore. It would be very easy to emulate the success that San Clemente has with their Ocean Fest by simply contacting their organizers and gathering together corporate sponsors (visit oceanfestival.org).

Pitcairns

I still think the White Rock Sandcastle competition should be revived in some form plus a sand art weekend using rakes to create intricate designs would bring the sand flats alive. If you have any interesting ideas on how to bring more ocean fun and crowds back to White Rock, please forward them to the mayor and council. The other option is to send them to the WR Sun editor Dave Chesney where they might be posted in his forward thinking "Good Idea" spot. Great timing, I just finished this column as my ears popped as we descend to YVR. Yet another TNT written in a commercial jet as we wing our way back home!

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

July 15, 2019

"I Want to Walk in My Own Two Feet!

Perseverance def: persistence in doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success.

 

I first met John and his wife Shannon at their home near Five Corners in White Rock that had a temporary metal ramp going to their front door. John was in a wheelchair, stuck in a house with stairs and multiple floors leading to a rooftop patio. I learned that on June 25, 2017 John and his wife were traveling south of Osoyoos in the USA when a deer jumped out of the woods into the path of their motorcycles. With no time to react, John struck the deer, causing to him to lose balance and control, laying down his bike that then skidded into a guardrail. The impact seriously damaged his right leg extruding his talus bone, one of the main bones of the ankle, out onto the gravel at the side of the road. Fortunately his wife insisted that the EMTs take the bone to the hospital on the possibility it could be salvaged and his foot saved.

At Harborview Hospital in Seattle, surgeons cleaned the bone in an iodine wash and placed it back in his ankle, warning him of possible future infection. After 18 days in Harborview and a further 12 days in Peace Arch Hospital, John was allowed to finally go home. It was only a few days later when his wound began to weep and open that they realized an infection had set in which required three times daily intravenous treatments and further plastic surgery. By Christmas of that year and into January of 2018 John began to walk around the house and start physio rehab. By the spring the ankle began to swell and get sore, putting him back in a wheelchair. Throughout all of this the word "amputation" was frequently used by doctors as a remedy to his ongoing medical issues. Finally in August of that year his dead talus bone was removed and the joint packed with antibiotic cement.

Not wanting to lose his foot and mobility, John started researching talus bone replacement using 3D printed replacement bones that orthopaedic surgeons at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina and Mercy Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland were pioneering. John sent this information to Dr. Alistair Younger at Footbridge Foot and Ankle Clinic in Vancouver. He met with Dr. Younger who determined that John was a perfect candidate for this procedure. Dr. Younger applied to Health Canada for permission to perform John's talus bone replacement but was denied twice as he was told it was experimental. Dr. Younger kept pushing and after 8-9 months of delays, approval was finally given and the surgery scheduled for the first 3-D talus bone plus total ankle replacement ever done in Western Canada. On May 24th it took only two hours for Dr. Younger and his team at St. Pauls Hospital to fully repair John's ankle (visit Providence Health Care News, http://phcnews.ca/news/orthopaedic-first-western-canada for details).

Post-operative x-ray of John's surgically repaired ankle

It has now been seven weeks since the operation and on Sunday John met with Dr. Younger for a post-operation follow up consultation. The surgeon and his entire team were thrilled with the outcome of his surgery and recovery, with x-rays used to clear him for walking and driving. On Monday John will begin physiotherapy to regain his strength and muscle mass after spending most of the last two years in a wheelchair and losing 45 pounds in the process. With the success of John's ankle surgery, Dr. Younger expects the use of 3D printed talus bones to save thousands of unnecessary foot amputations and prosthetics, with many new patients already stepping forward. The cost of the replacement talus bone is $12,000 or 10% of the cost for a custom fitted artificial foot, reducing medical costs while keeping people intact and mobile.

Throughout this lengthy and painful experience John refused to agree to an amputation of his damaged right ankle, looking for a remedy to repair it so he could walk again. His wife Shannon provided her total and unconditional support to him during this two year medical odyssey for which he is eternally grateful. His battle cry of "Don't give up! Be your own mentor!!" could be adopted by many people facing their own daunting medical challenges. John will be working to regain his strength and agility, hoping to be able to get back in the saddle and ride off into the sunset on his motorbike again. As he explained to me "You don't park the car just because you've had an accident." After more than 40 years of safe biking across North America, John is looking to putting his two feet forward and getting back on the road of life.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

Editor's Note: So that he can focus on his recovery, John has asked that his last name not be made public at this time.

 

July 08, 2019

Seeing Sea Stars

On Canada Day my wife and I wanted to take a break from the crowds and go to the beach for a little R&R. Knowing that the shoreline near the Crescent Rock boulder south of Crescent Beach would likely be packed with naturists, we decided to visit a rather remote beach near Kwomais Point. Going down the 1,001 Steps staircase at the west end of 15A Ave in Ocean Park, we crossed under the BNSF tracks and proceeded south to the Point where there is a private spot sheltered from view of the trains by several alder trees and a patch of scrub. The shore is very rough and rocky in this area and the beach consists of small pebbles with little to no sand. What it lacks in comfort, it more than makes up for with its stunning views, incredible wildlife displays and quiet privacy.

We performed a little "beachscaping" on our selected spot, leveling the pebbles, clearing it of small rocks and bringing in a log from down the shore that we could rest on. Laying down a blanket and towels, we broke out our picnic supplies and began enjoying the fruits of our labour. After a few hours of sun tanning I decided to go for a walk a little further down the beach as this was an area I had only ever seen while doing railway corridor inspections after reports of landslides onto the tracks. I knew there was not much beach past Kwomais Point as heavy wave action and the addition of big rip-rap by the BNSF Railway meant the area was a boulder garden. Little did I know my hike would end shortly and suddenly with a heavy heart.

I had not walked far when I came upon a sight that I could barely comprehend. On a large flat boulder were the remains of a large number of common purple starfish known as ochre sea stars.

 

 

July 02, 2019

Zamboni Skate-A-Thon

One of my buddies is Bill Kendrick who sells a line of heavy duty equipment through his company Kendrick Equipment. Last year he purchased Crocker Equipment with the goal of adding Zamboni ice resurfacing machines to his fleet of specialized industrial and municipal equipment. Along with the inventory, Bill acquired an extremely rare vintage Zamboni Model F that has a rather unique local history. With space at the business being at a premium, Bill Kendrick recently decided to donate his early Zamboni to the BC Sports Hall of Fame. At 5,630 pounds in weight and standing 7 feet tall and 13 feet long, it is the heaviest of all the 25,000 artifacts that the Hall has acquired to date.

What makes this vintage Zamboni so interesting is that it was the first Zamboni ever used in B.C. It was bought in September of 1956 for approximately $10,000 by the Pacific National Exhibition (PNE) for use on the Forum ice sheet in the pre-Coliseum days. In the mid-1970s this same machine (serial number 56) was sold and purchased by the City of White Rock for use at the Centennial Arena. Apparently delivery back then included driving it on roadways all the way from Vancouver to White Rock that included a trip over the Pattullo bridge. The first Zamboni in White Rock faithfully serviced the people and skaters of White Rock for years and was eventually put out to pasture and sold. A new all-electric version with a coveted serial number 11,000 now clears the Centennial ice sheet while keeping the air clean inside.

The early models of Zamboni ice resurfacers were built on a army surplus Jeep frame with all wheel drive capabilities and a tight turning radius. Because of this, a transmission repair company in Surrey purchased the Model F machine from White Rock, stripped it of many of its one-of-a-kind ice making parts and began using it to transport transmissions in a muddy lot behind their building. Years later, Earl Vorath who worked for Crocker for over four decades, found out about where the #56 Zamboni had gone to and decided to restore it to its former glory after trading a metal lathe for it. Fortunately the mechanic shop had kept the body panels and machinery parts so rebuilding this vintage piece of ice cleaning equipment was still possible.

What makes this a fascinating story for White Rock is that the Kinsmen helped to finance the purchase of #56 by holding a "Zamboni Skate-a-Thon" on March 27, 1976. Bill Kendrick found a brochure/sponsor sheet numbered 342 in the Crocker archives and passed it along to me. It reads as follows:
The Skate-a-Thon has been organized to raise funds for the purchase of a Zamboni Ice Resurfacer. The skater who is asking for your support will skate laps at the White Rock Centennial Arena. Prizes will be awarded to the teams and individuals skating the most laps and raising the most money. Teams can win prizes.
You are asked to pledge on a per lap basis. The skater you have sponsored will return after the contest with a card certifying the laps covered so that he can collect your donation. NOTE: SOME OF THE SKATERS MAY BE ABLE TO SKATE AS MANY AS 100 LAPS OR MORE IN THE TIME ALLOTTED. All cheques made payable to the Zamboni Skate-a-Thon.

It is interesting to realize that not that long ago, purchases of machines for use by the city were financed by community donations and not by taxes. Unfortunately the used sale price of the #56 Model F Zamboni is unknown along with the total amount of money raised in the 1976 Skate-a-Thon. The brochure/sponsor sheet did have enough room for 60 sponsors and the rules noted "If you skated 50 laps at 2 cents per lap, the sponsor will pay you $1.00." The brochure that I now have will be donated to the White Rock Archives along with a copy of this TNT column. If you decide to visit the BC Sports Hall of Fame, when you see the blue and white antique Model F Zamboni there, stop and think about the years of service this machine spent doing circles on the ice of Centennial Arena and how a Skate-a-Thon helped to pay for it.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

June 25, 2019

Busy as Beavers

Recent citizen vegetation control

In the nearly 10 years that I have been writing my TNT for the White Rock Sun, tree cutting on the Hump hillside between East and West beach has been relentless. In fact, next to landslides from the Ocean Park bluff threatening the safety of trains on the BNSF tracks, it unfortunately is likely my second most visited topic. If you were to delve way back into the TNT archives you would see the Hump hillside covered in first growth forest, with plenty big leaf maples, red alders and wild cherry trees, many with trunks over 3 feet wide. Over the years pictures in my TNT of new clearings and stumps continued to be posted as gradually the tree canopy was reduced as the creme de la creme on Marine Drive called for unobstructed views of the White Rock pier and Boundary Bay.

Often the City of White Rock, apparently with the blessing of the BNSF Railway were behind the clearing, with misinformation from City Hall obscuring the amount of tree cutting and the size of the trunks being felled. The culmination of all of those years of clearing was the nearly complete razing of the Hump hillside in 2016 under the guise of "vegetation control" so engineers could better see retaining walls at the top of the hillside. Apparently no one realized it was the engineers in the passing trains, and not the ones working for White Rock who would have the unobstructed view of these small walls. Along the way White Rock replaced the safety railings and sidewalk along Marine Drive that had leaned 10-20 degrees from vertical towards the ocean due to slope movement.

I think the final desecration, the nearly complete logging of the Hump was the final straw that broke the Coalition's back with Councillors Grant Meyer, Lynne Sinclair, Bill Lawrence and Megan Knight getting kicked out office. If former Mayor Wayne Baldwin has not decided to jump like a proverbial rat from the sinking ship, I believe he would have been ousted by an electorate looking for payback for a laundry list of transgressions including the clear-cut Hump. What was once a beautiful green backdrop behind the gleaming White Rock boulder now looked like an ugly flattened battlefield with the tree trunks piled up like cord wood at the base of the hill waiting for disposal. The proposed replanting with dwarf shrubs never materialized and nature in all its glory has taken over, with new trees springing up into the sunny void.

Last month White Rock Council was informed by staff that they were going to do some more "vegetation control" on the Hump at the bequest of owners in condos living along marine Drive. This idea was quickly shut down, with nobody even asking what the hell White Rock was thinking in considering to cut trees down on BNSF property that is a known slide threat. Apparently that idea did not sit well with two men who decided they would take matters into their own hands on Sunday and do their own clearing, White Rock politicians and residents be damned. Of course this is a rather high visibility area and these fellers were reported to White Rock By-Laws and the RCMP who attended and stopped their hatchet job. If past history is any indication, I expect nothing will happen to these hack and slash artists, since if White Rock can clear-cut the entire hillside, what's wrong with cutting a few saplings, right?

(see above photo)

I decided to take a close look to see what had been cut and headed down to the area just east of the Pier. A narrow trail had been cut down into the blackberries that snaked down onto a steep zone that is part of a 150 m. wide slump slide that happened around 1900 when the Hump was cleared of its large firs. This was an area that was last cut for the fine folks in the Top Of The Rock development. There were wild cherry and maple saplings up to two inches across sprouting from the old stumps, which had been sawed through several feet off the ground and the branches pulled down. The overall effect looked like a punji stick boooby-trap that someone did not have time to properly conceal. Now that the trail through the blackberries is there, It would not surprise me to see someone from the condos across the street sneak in under the cover of darkness to finish the job.

Nicomekl clearing

This problem is not confined to White Rock as residents from Surrey as just as guilty at chopping at green spaces to improve views. in the Southport neighbourhood near the Elgin Road Sea Dam crossing the Nicomekl River, there is a green way that has been repeatedly mowed and pruned even though it is environmentally sensitive parkland. I wrote about this back in December and alerted the City of Surrey to the problem. They promised to contact the neighbours and consider putting up signs or fencing to stop illegal clearing. After viewing the Hump hacking, I drove by Southport to find that while the grass is no longer being mowed, the native trees and shrubs have once again been power pruned down to several feet, resembling bonsai trees. A letter has gone into Surrey Parks Department, calling for some real action on this problem of people who think their view is more important than our parkland or important riparian habitat.

The Hump hillside needs to be left in a natural state as a green oasis along the beach and no tree cutting except for those endangering the BNSF trains should be allowed. More than anything this is to help stabilize the hillside, which growing cracks in the pavement on Marine Drive tell me is still moving to the pull of gravity. This property should be classified as "Ravine Lands" to ensure it is not logged again or possibly expropriated from the BNSF Railway and turned into a natural park. People caught cutting trees in public green spaces need to have the book thrown at them with their names and faces made public. The folks cutting down the greenspace at Southport in Surrey at 142 St. should be identified, the area be replanted by Surrey and the cost added to their property taxes. Hopefully these self-centered idiots would then get the message that these natural areas belong to all of us and the wildlife that lives there.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

 

June 17, 2019

WAG - We All Go (for weed that is)

So here we are eight months after the legalization of marijuana and we still have no recreational dispensaries in Delta, Surrey, White Rock or Langley. In fact, the local governments in Delta, Surrey and Langley voted not to allow pot shops to set up shop. Well the genie is finally out of the bottle with the long awaited opening of the Indigenous Bloom Medical Hemp and Cannabis Dispensary in partnership with the Semiahmoo First Nation behind the Washington Avenue Grill restaurant at #7 - 15782 Marine Drive. They now have a monopoly on marijuana sales south of the Fraser in this region, akin to being the only liquor store for this gigantic area. I was not able to attend the grand opening on Saturday attended by SFN Chief Harley Chappel, Chief Robert Louie, MP Gordie Hogg, MLA Traci Reddies and White Rock Mayor Darryl Walker. I did drop by on Sunday for Fathers Day and was very impressed by the new storefront.

You first enter the store into a reception area where you are warmly greeted by the staff who welcome you to Indigenous Bloom and check your valid photo ID to ensure that you are 18 years old. Once the formalities are complete the electronic door opens and you are ushered into the spacious and bright sales floor with likely the best oceanfront view of any dispensary in Canada. There are two identical countertops stocked with the same products, showing that they expect large crowds and brisk sales in the near future. What makes Indigenous Bloom and their 6 locations unique is that unlike the legal recreational pot shops that only sell flowers, Bloom carries a wide assortment of marijuana products most stores currently do not offer.

Indi-Bloom stocks 18 different strains of marijuana bud, each with different flavours, strengths and genetics. All samples are in small clear plastic boxes on the counter allowing customers to view the flowers through magnifying glasses and also smell the product through a series of air holes. The names of the strains are quite creative and in no particular order they are Skiskaberry, Jedi Kush, Death Bubba, Chemo, Blue God, Bubba Kush, Darth Vader, Grand Daddy Purple, Blu Nuken, Space Cookies, Duke Nukem, Pink God, 4 Star General, Scout Master, Moby Dick, Strawberry, King Tut and Laughing Buddha. Most of these flowers sell for $12-15 a gram with discounts for quantities up to an ounce (28 grams) and all are dispensed in child-proof containers. Most importantly, there is no sales tax charged because you are on Reserve land.

Besides bud, Indi-Bloom also carries a wide assortment of medicinal products created from marijuana. This includes the concentrates shatter and live resin that is pressed directly from flowers. They have tiny bottles of tinctures containing both CBD and THC in various ratios that are used to treat a variety of ailments. The Bloom Body Rub with both CBD and THC in Shea butter sells for $60 and I know people who swear by it for helping with sore joints and arthritis in the hands. While the Federal government just released new recreational pot edibles guidelines on Friday, they will not come into effect till Oct 17, 2020, a full year after legalization. You do not have to wait at Indi-Bloom as they currently stock cookies in various flavours and strengths, brownies and gummy candies, again in both THC and CBD varients. Fizzy infused bath bombs are available along with rolling papers and lighters that you won't find in recreational dispensaries.

For those people who are afraid that this store will be a magnet for crime, it follows all of the health Canada guidelines for security. This includes strong doors and windows, alarm systems and video monitoring with cameras covering every square inch of the premises. The Indigenous Bloom office contains a large secured vault for storage of flowers and products, deterring anyone intent on trying to steal their pot products. In fact the White Rock RCMP came down to the store to check out the security apparatus before it opened and were impressed by what they found. They had originally planned on increasing night time surveillance around the building once the Indigenous Bloom store was operational but it was decided that extra visits would not be needed.

No matter on your stance on marijuana or whether you use pot or not, this new storefront is definitely worth a peek to see where the future of weed retail is going. For myself it was a rather unique experience and I found the staff to be friendly and knowledgeable about the products. It is doubtful Surrey Mayor Doug McCallum would ever allow marijuana dispensaries to open in Surrey, with illegal green-lines running across the city instead. Councillor Dave Chesney told me he expects a recreational dispensary to open in White Rock in the next six months, eventually giving Indigenous Bloom some competition.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

June 10, 2019

Giant Hogweed vs. Cow Parsnip

You may have read the story printed in the White Rock sun this week titled "Look but do not touch" about giant hogweed plants growing everywhere in the Semiahmoo peninsula. The truth be told, the giant hogweed that can blind eyes and burn skin is relatively rare while its native cousin the cow parsnip is widespread. Since they are both topped with a large umbrella of distinctive white flowers that open in June, it is important to be able to tell the difference. 

Cow parsnip (Heracleum lanatum) shares the family and genus of giant hogweed (Heracleum mantegazzianum) and therefore have several notable traits in common. Both have prominent white flowers arranged in umbrella like clusters, known as umbels. Both are large showy plants with leaf bases that form sheaths and wide leaves divided into 3 leaflets. These plants are easy to spot in the native landscape because of their height and the mass covering of white flowers. It is when you see them up close that the big differences between them become apparent.

I spotted what I thought was giant hogweed growing in a Surrey Park last week. When I went for a hike to reach it, I found out that it was cow parsnip. Both of these plants are very striking but while the cow parsnip can grow to heights of 2-3 metres tall, the giant hogweed dwarfs it, towering up to 5 metres. The leaves are also a tell-tale sign, with cow parsnip spreading up to half a metre and the giant hogweed spreading up to 1.5 metres. While both have 3 lobed leaves, the cow parsnip ones are rounded and hairy underneath while the giant hogweed has sharply pointed lobes with a smoooth underside. The stalk of the plants is the easiest way to tell these species apart, with cow parsnip being 2-3 cm wide and green, and the giant hogweed 5-6 cm across and having red mottled spots.

It is the giant hogweed stem hairs and leaves that are dangerous, containing a toxic sap that when it contacts skin can cause burns, blisters and permanent scarring. If you do find a giant hogweed, please be aware that WorkSafe BC has issued a toxic plant warning for it, requiring water resistant gloves, coveralls and jackets to be worn along with eye protection for safe removal and disposal. Giant hogweed should be removed as each plant can produce an average of 50,000 winged seeds that can survive for up to 15 years. To report this plant along City of Surrey roads, boulevards, ditches or in park land, please call their service request line at 604-501-5050.

The cow parsnip is is not as hazardous as its larger more famous cousin, but it can cause phytophotodermatitis reactions like hogweed and should be avoided, especiallly if wearing shorts or having exposed skin. Both giant hogweed and cow parsnip are part of the apiacaene (carrot) family that contains some of the most deadliest plants on the planet. This includes poison hemlock and water hemlock where eating even a small portion of these plants can cause death. Others are rather tasty, including parsley, cilantro, dill and carrots that lack the furocoumarin chemicals found in the sap of cow parsnip and giant hogweed. 

I have only seen the giant hogweed twice in Surrey and reported it to City hall where crews were dispatched to deal with it. I actually drove by the plant on 184 St. in Cloverdale when it was being removed and the workers were less than half its height. It is interesting to note that due to its toxicity and persistent seeds, this plant is disposed of in the garbage rather than put into green waste. The cow parsnip is quite common and even though it looks big, it is half the size of giant hogweed that looks like it came out of a Jurassic Park movie set. 

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

June 03, 2019

The Naked Truth 

The Plain Facts About Plainfin Midshipman Fish

Now is the best time of year to head down to the nude beach and check out the wildlife. No, I don't mean the many naturists and nudists quietly soaking up the sun along Crescent Rock beach. If you want to see massive numbers of Bald eagles and Great Blue herons in close proximity as they battle over a seasonal banquet, May and June is the Plainfin Midshipman fish breeding season. This is also when birds of prey descend onto the beach between Christopherson Steps and 1001 Steps to try out their fishing skills and thievery as they attempt to rob each other of their prize catch.

The Plainfin Midshipman (Porichthys notataus) is a member of the toadfish family. In the spring they emerge from the depths of the Pacific ocean and arrive on rocky beaches in mass to breed. The males dig burrows under rocks in the intertidal zone, excavating nests in the mud and sand. When the breeding chamber is complete, males hum loudly to attract females to lay their eggs on the bottom of the rocks at the roof of the excavation. The plainfin midshipman is a great father as after the female lays her hundreds of eggs, it is the male who tends to them for three months, cleaning and guarding his brood that can number up to 1,200 eggs. 

Caring for fish eggs in an intertidal zone is complicated as the environment goes from wet to dry several times a day with the tides. Water and oxygen levels drop dramatically when the tide is out while the temperature rises in the nest, leaving the doting fathers as a proverbial "fish out of water" for hours. Toadfish have developed the ability to endure long periods of exposure to air and to tolerate extreme swings in temperature. Because the Plainfin Midshipman breeds in such an extreme environment, climate change with possible warmer water temperatures, higher sea levels and beach erosion may reduce their survival rates in the future.

When the Plainfin Midshipman breeding season is in full swing, it is a banquet for the birds. At Crescent Rock Beach several years ago I counted 120 Bald eagles on the shore (many more were in the trees) plus over 150 Great Blue Herons. The herons sit on the rocks and ambush the fish while the eagles swoop down and grab the toadfish as they swim in shallow waters. You can get eagles fighting herons for fishing spots and for fish, eagles chasing other eagles who have made a catch, plus crows swooping in to steal toadfish that have been dropped on the rocks. It makes for quite the aerial display with plenty of loud squawks from the agitated herons and the warbled cries from the eagles. 

If you go down to the beach to watch the display, please try not to disturb the birds as the fish they catch are being used to feed ravenous young back at their nests. The same goes for the Toadfish, now is not the time to be turning over rocks at the beach. This can result in the males getting crushed, the burrows collapsing and the eggs being destroyed. Enjoy the show and the huge number of raptors that are attracted to Crescent Rock beach every spring during Plainfin Midshipman breeding season. McMaster University has a detailed article about our Toadfish that was researched near Crescent Beach including some great photos of the fish and their eggs. Check it out online at:https://brighterworld.mcmaster.ca/articles/being-a-dad-is-hard-when-youre-a-plainfin-midshipman-fish/

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

May 27, 2019

Steal Your Love

You ain't about to give it up for no one
I'm gonna have to steal your love
I don't need a knife, I didn't need a gun
I know how to steal your love

Lyrics to "Steal Your Love" by Lucinda Williams, Essence album, 2001.

 

The following notice came across my wife Sheryl's Facebook page last week from her friend Robyn Squire. I thought I'd print it here in full for its raw emotion and serious public warning. More details are below on this attempted dognapping in south Surrey.

WARNING - DOG THIEF CRUISING THE WHITE ROCK AREA HOPING TO STEAL YOUR DOG!


My friend Michelle and I were up on my deck just above the street planting some flowers when my phone rang and I stepped inside for two seconds to grab it.
I looked back for some reason and saw a woman stop her SUV in the middle of the street, jump out, run over to my dog on the grass, GRAB HER, then took off her leash and threw it in the backseat and was just quickly jumping into her front seat with her under her arms football style when I yelled:
STOP.... OMG.... THAT IS MY DOG.... PLEASE STOP.... STOP.... WHAT ARE YOU DOING? She didn't stop or turn around and she definitely heard me as I was just a few feet away at that point.
I ran up to her and literally grabbed her back out of her arms. I was stunned and speechless with adrenaline pumping through my veins and I thought I was going to hit her. I just turned around, glanced at the license plate number, saw the vehicle type and make, noted she is about 45ish with black hair to her shoulders and creepy looking. Sooooo creepy looking.
This woman had no intentions of asking who's dog is this or oh ohhh someone's dog is here without its owner, no no noooo this was nothing like that. This was a full on attempt to steal someone's pet in mere seconds and she's definitely a pro acting with purpose and swift intent.
WATCH OUT EVERYONE PLEASE!

This incident happened last Wednesday, May 22nd at approximately 4 p.m. in the 1700 block of Lilac Dr. near Alderwood Park in south Surrey not far from Earl Marriott school. The dog in question is an 8 month old purebred Pomeranian named Love who is worth $2,000. If Robyn had stayed inside to answer the phone, her puppy would have definitely been stolen. As it was, the alleged dognapper roared away the scene after tossing the dogs retractable leash, collar and harness into her back seat. Amazingly the alleged thief never spoke a single word during this incident or as Love was taken from her hands. Unfortunately the license plate was not recorded, though it is believed the vehicle was a navy blue Ford Escape approximately 4-5 years old. The RCMP were notified and have asked Robyn to seek video footage from around the neighbourhood of this attempted pet abduction. She has been driving around the area looking for the suspect vehicle and its caucasian lady owner, so far without success.

This attempted dognapping is far from normal behavior. Last week my wife was driving home and saw what appeared to be a dog loose in our neighbourhood. Turning around her car she went back, located the beautiful young Boxer she had seen and told it to go home. The fun-loving animal gladly obliged and went to the front door of a house just down the street. She rang the doorbell and a teenage girl who obviously had been crying answered the door very glad to see the family dog that had previously bolted from the yard. Most people look at dogs as family and will try to find their home, while to thieves they are simply money. Dogs should not be left alone in an unlocked area, never tied up outside of stores and it is important to tattoo or microchip them for identification. Unfortunately thefts of dogs are treated as a property crime with no consideration for the psychological effects losing one's pet has on the owners.

If you have any information about this attempted dognapping, the woman in question, the dark blue SUV, or possibly have dash cam video or home surveillance recording from the Alderwood Park area last Wednesday afternoon, please contact the Surrey RCMP at the 604-599-0502 non-emergency reporting number.

Surrey Police File # - 2019-73648

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

May 21, 2019

Feel The Buzz

 

And I'll be taking care of (bee's nests) every day
Taking care of (bee's nests) every way
I've been taking care of (bee's nests), it's all mine
Taking care of (bee's nests) and working overtime, work out

Altered lyrics to B.T.O's "Taking Care of Business" with apologies to songwriter Randy Bachman.

So there I was in Surrey last Thursday walking down a fence line at one of my customer's properties when I suddenly noticed that I was surrounded by a cloud of thousands of flying insects. One look led me to believe they were wasps that I may have innocently disturbed, likely by walking on top of a subterranean nest. Since I have been attacked by both wasps and hornets many times over the years, I immediately ran for shelter, ducking into a neighbour's garage. Not being stung and still unsure exactly what I had seen, I cautiously ventured back towards the end of the driveway where the bugs were thick as thieves. It was then that I realized this mass of insects was actually a swarm of honey bees that had chosen a cedar tree at the end of the driveway to set up a bivouac surrounding their queen.

This was only the second swarm I had ever seen actually land and take up residence, the last time over 40 years ago at my parent's property in North Delta. In that case a swarm of bees landed in a Berberis thorn hedge separating my parents property from the yard next door. A gentlemen named Mr. Mills who was a well known community beekeeper was summoned and he collected the pile of bees, shaking them into a pre-built wooden hive box. He did this will little fanfare and even less protection, informing us that the swarming workers were full of honey and not interested in defending the hive, only following the queen on her search for a new home. In an absolute stroke of fate, his son Richard who I've known for over 40 years is now working with me and I quickly called him over to check out the spectacle.

With advice from Ric I phoned the Honeybee Centre at the corner of 176 St. and Fraser Hwy. looking for their help in contacting a bee keeper. Getting only a message, I then called the BCB Honey Farm located on King George Blvd. near Hwy. 99 in south Surrey, also getting an answering machine. Not long afterwards, I received an excited phone call from Eric Jennings of the Surrey Beekeepers Association who had been alerted to my swarm report. He informed me that the SBKA has a list of experienced beekeepers who would relocate the swarm at no cost. With swarm season of May to June in full swing, Eric told me the club was now collecting 2-3 swarms per week. Giving him the address and exact location of the swarm, he told me he would be on site in 20 minutes to deal with the bees in a sustainable manner.

When Eric arrived it really was show time as we all stood in amazement checking out the estimated 20,000 bees that had assembled into the small cedar tree. They were only seven feet off the ground and easily accessible with only a step ladder. The bees were so docile you could put your hand directly up against the ball of swarming bees with them vibrating and tickling your palm, without getting stung. Eric put on a white bee-proof jacket with hat and veil and shook the mass of bees down into a "bee box" specifically made for transporting swarming honey bees. The queen fell with the bulk of the insects and finding preformed wax slabs ready for colonization they immediately set up shop in their new home. Releasing pheromones, more and more bees flew or crawled into the transport box and within 45 minutes the lid was on the hive and it was off to its new home.

I get to experience a lot of nature in my work and private life but it was pretty amazing to be involved in a swarm capture. I should note here that a girlfriend of mine years ago kept bees and I helped her work them, so I have had some previous experience with beekeeping. Our European honey bees are a gentle insect and when treated kindly it can be an interesting and rewarding experience. Besides pollinating all of our fruits and crops, they also give us sweet honey and aromatic beeswax that is far superior to paraffin for candles. For anyone wanting to take up beekeeping as a hobby, you should know that the City of Surrey allows four hives per lot to be kept within city boundaries. Depending on the beekeeper's diligence and the food supply available to the hive, this can result in 5-10 gallons of honey produced per season. Now ain't that sweet!

For more information about bees and honey in Surrey and White Rock please visit the following:
Honeybee Centre, 7480 176 St, Surrey, website: honeybeecentre.com
BCB Honey Farm, 4121 King George Blvd., website: bcbhoneyfarm.com
Surrey Beekeepers Association, website: surreybeeclub.ca
(Note: the SBKA meets on the third Wednesday of every month except Aug. at the Honey Bee Center from 7-9 p.m.)

If you encounter a swarm of honey bees and want it safely removed, please visit the surreybeeclub.ca website clicking on their "Swarms" tab where you can read up on proper honey bee identification and find Eric Jenning's phone number at 604-314-0785.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

May 13, 2019

Ratatouille on the Menu

"Charlie didn't get much USO. He was dug in too deep or moving too fast. His idea of great R&R was cold rice and a little rat meat."
Martin Sheen as Capt. Willard in the movie Apocalypse Now.
"It's pretty hairy in there. It's Charlie's Point", to which Lt. Col. Kilgore confidently replies, "Charlie don't surf!"
Robert Duval as Lt. Col Kilgore in the movie Apocalypse Now.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uU9Y1sNs1rs

After those two quotes from Apocalypse now its time to crank up Wagner's instrumental "Ride of the Valkyries" and get into the guts of this TNT. If you are not familiar with this music used in the soundtrack from the the "Charlie's Point" scene in the Oscar Award winning movie, you should check out the edited version in the YouTube link listed above.

Some close family friends decided to go down to White Rock for a romantic evening last week and got more than they bargained for. Walking along Marine Drive in West Beach on Thursday night they settled on the Charlie Don't Surf restaurant for dinner. Since the weather was warm and it was still light out, they decided to sit on the patio where they could enjoy the breeze, the view and the people. What they did not expect was to be sharing their meal with wildlife..., and vermin at that.

Sitting near the east side of the patio they watched in amazement as a rodent started to climb the wall just behind the last table where two ladies were sitting. "Look, there's a mouse" he said, with his date yelling "That's no mouse, that's a freaking RAT!" He told me it climbed up alongside some conduit pipes and mesh a foot behind this one ladies head, making its way to the awnings above where it ran across the beams above the tables covered with food. They told me that the rat did not appear fazed by the people below and that it looked very comfortable with its surroundings, likely sizing up later dining opportunities. While this incident was oddly entertaining, they found it rather uncomfortable to be eating under a rat as it crossed over their heads. The rat was witnessed by many of the people on the deck and according to our friends nobody was offered any compensation by staff for having to eat dinner with a big rodent.

Our friends decided that their rat experience should be reported and contacted the Fraser Health Authority with their story. It was then that they learned Fraser Health environmental health officers complete routine, follow-up and complaint inspections. Inspection reports and violation tickets can be viewed online at:
https://www.fraserhealth.ca/health-topics-a-to-z/food-safety/food-facilities-inspection-reports-and-violation-tickets#.XNjynKRlCM8


Here is the inspection report from Charlie Don't Surf on February 25, 2019 that resulted in a "High" hazard rating for this establishment. It is interesting to note that having rodent infestations is listed as a "noncritical" hazard. It could be death to a business as happened in Vancouver after a rat was allegedly found in soup at the Crab Park Chowdery, with the loss of customers causing it to close.

Critical Hazards: Total Number: 2
301 - Equipment/utensils/food contact surfaces not maintained in sanitary condition [s. 17(1)]
Observation (CORRECTED DURING INSPECTION): Tongs and other utensils are being stored in water by the grill. During the inspection, the water was dirty with food debris.
Corrective Action(s): Tongs and utensils are to be washed, rinsed, sanitized, and air dried every 2 - 4 hours. If storing in water, replace with cold water every 30 minutes.
Violation Score: 5

302 - Equipment/utensils/food contact surfaces not properly washed and sanitized [s. 17(2)]
Observation: Glassware washer was run 3 times and there was no final sanitizing rinse (maximum water temperature inside of the machine was 43C and there was 0 ppm chlorine measured after the final rinse). The main dishwasher was run 4 times and there was no final sanitizing rinse (54C water temperature and 0 ppm chlorine measured after the final rinse).
Corrective Action(s): All dishes and utensils must be washed, rinsed, sanitized, and air dried. The glassware and main kitchen dishwashers must have a final sanitizing rinse. For low temperature dishwashers using chlorine, 50ppm chlorine must be detected on the dishes after the final rinse. Provide test strips and check chlorine concentration daily.
Violation Score: 25
Non-Critical Hazards: Total Number: 3
304 - Premises not free of pests [s. 26(a)]
Observation: Rodent (rat) droppings were found on the floor in the dry food storage area, under the prep sinks, under the glassware washer, on shelves in the dish rack storage area, and in the walk in cooler. Mouse droppings (and mice) were found in the laundry room. Operator has a contract with licenced pest control and has provided a copy of a recent invoice.
Corrective Action(s): Premises must be kept free of pests. Check all food storage containers. Discard any food that may have been contaminated. Today, food appears to be in bins with lids. Consult with your pest control expert.
Violation Score: 15

305 - Conditions observed that may allow entrance/harbouring/breeding of pests [s. 26(b),(c)]
Observation: Pests are entering the building. The operator has been working to seal all entrances.
Corrective Action(s): Continue working to seal all entrances.
Violation Score: 9

306 - Food premises not maintained in a sanitary condition [s. 17(1)]
Observation: Food debris and rodent droppings noted on the floor. Prep coolers require cleaning.
Corrective Action(s): Thoroughly clean all food storage, dishwasher, laundry, food preparation, washroom, and main kitchen areas. Eliminate all food and water sources for pests.
Violation Score: 15

Several inspections since that time have listed ongoing work with a licensed pest company to solve this problem plus keep the establishment rodent free. The last routine inspection on May 10th yielded a low hazard rating but this was also the day that our friend's rat encounter was being reported to Fraser Health. I know from first hand experience that the Semiahmoo Peninsula is overrun with rats and it is not surprising that they are along the White Rock waterfront. That being said, now that I know I can check Fraser health Inspection Reports of any restaurant, I think I'll check out their history before making a reservation for dinner.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

May 07, 2019

Somebody Stole SURREY

 

I'll never forget the time when the thought first occurred to me. We had been camping on Texada Island, the largest of the gulf islands. When we drove to take the small ferry back to the mainland, we lined up behind a truck with the personalized BC license plate TEXADA. I talked to the gentleman about his plate while waiting for the boat, telling him I thought it was a great idea. After the short voyage and long drive to Sechelt, we boarded the Queen of Surrey to take us back to Horseshoe Bay. Up on the observation deck there were orange lifesaving rings marked with the ferry's name and I had my wife Sheryl pose for a picture with it while wearing her hot pink "Surrey Girl" t-shirt. Suffering from Surrey overload, I quickly realized that SURREY might be available as a personalized vehicle plate. Cue the flashing light bulb hanging over my head.

When we were home, a search of the ICBC vanity plate database revealed that SURREY was indeed available. We filled out the necessary paperwork and applied to get the license plate along with paying the $100 charge. Originally we were turned down which was hilarious as ICBC will not issue personalized license plates that may be interpreted as" vulgar, indecent or offensive." After talking to a manger and promising a Global TV exclusive on the story, he capitulated and wisely gave us our SURREY plate. We attached it to our Surrey Shirts Jeep with extra heavy bolts using several different size heads to make removing it difficult. Even we realized that though we had plenty of Surrey merch and swag, the one-and-only SURREY plate was the best souvenir that we had. For Surreyites, we did make a version of our plate available to the public in sticker form.

The custom SURREY plate was a heck of a lot of fun. I can't tell you how many times we have had people honk and wave as they passed us (the Jeep was rather slow), plus people taking pictures of our vehicle while stopped at traffic lights was constant. What I can tell you is that I was pulled over three times while driving in Surrey by RCMP officers who all wanted to know how I had got the SURREY plate and asking if they could take a picture. I really didn't mind as these encounters were always plenty of fun and the officers were excited about hearing the story and getting their photo. There was even a wealthy Surrey developer who inquired about purchasing the SURREY plate, and he could not understand why I would not sell it even when the offer got rather inflated. He shook his head when I told him that to me having the SURREY license plate was priceless.

Well the Jeep got older and even slower and after 12 years of ownership it was time for a change. My wife had driven it as our winter vehicle for years and was tired of zip-up windows, standard transmission and complete lack of frills. We decided it was time for an upgrade and began our search looking for something with a little more room and plenty of bells and whistles. After months of searching and sleuthing, I finally got to live my boyhood dream and bought a Cadillac. No, not the behemoth Escalade but a lightly used SRX4 SUV that ticked all of the boxes on our wish list. We put the Surrey plate on our new ride along with a "I Love Surrey" custom license plate frame. While the Caddy is our new corporate vehicle for Surrey Shirts (surreyshirts.com) we decided to forgo much of the vinyl lettering that covered the Jeep, keeping the SRX's classy look.

Unfortunately during all of the excitement of having a new vehicle, we overlooked the security measures for the plate we had taken with the Jeep. I had meant to visit Home Depot and pick up some stainless steel screws that would be impossible to remove without the proper tools. Instead the bolts were simple slot head screws making the license relatively easy to remove should someone think the SURREY plate would make a great souvenir. Well our greatest fear was realized this weekend when somebody decided that they needed the SURREY plate more than we did and stole it off our SUV. I did not notice it was gone and was driving home when a car stopped beside me and the driver said through his open window, "Hey dude, do you know you don't have a license plate?" When I told him it was our personalized SURREY plate he responded, "Bummer, only in Surrey eh?" before driving off.

Kicking myself for not welding the plate to the bumper, the ordeal of dealing with this problem began. It was the back plate that was stolen so this had to be reported to the Surrey RCMP, who found it rather ironic, if not hilarious. Secondly the plate had to be cancelled and regular boring license plates put on the Caddy making it look like any other SUV. Thirdly we have had to order new SURREY plates at a cost of $100 again, along with the $40 yearly cost of having a vanity plate. In the long run it's still worth it to me to have the SURREY plate paying homage to the second largest city of BC. I should mention I'm not the only homer around as I have seen a SUV in Ladner sporting the DELTA plate. The only difference is that I doubt the DELTA plate would ever get stolen unless they came to the dark side and crossed Scott Road.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

April 29, 2019

Reach for the Beach

It is not exactly summer yet, what with heavy hail reported in Langley and Abbotsford plus snow this weekend in Hope, but after chores galore we decided to grab the beach bag and make our way down to Crescent Rock beach on Sunday evening. With a keen eye and inquisitive mind, it did not take me very long to pull together a number of related stories from the waterfront to fill this TNT.

The City of Surrey was forced years ago to build the metal pedestrian overpass at the Christopherson steps, located at the west end of 24 Ave., due to liability concerns from people crossing the BNSF train tracks. Large concrete bases were pored to secure this steel structure that is coated with zinc to stop the salt water spray from rusting it away. Unfortunately an overpass is only as strong as its foundation and there is a rather interesting repair that has recently been done to this structure. At the last set of stairs, a thick wooden brace consisting of two large beams has been installed with more wooden beams surrounding a new concrete pad. This is only a metre away from the concrete base for the steel upright that has been seriously eroded from last winter's storms. While the wooden support looks strong and robust, it is not steel and I bet a heavy log being tossed by large waves would snap it like a toothpick, just like sailboats hitting the pier. It is interesting to note that while the BNSF Railway uses mountains of rip-rap to protect their rail corridor, apparently nobody at Surrey has considered placing protective boulders around the base of this structure to reduce the force of wave erosion or stop log battering rams.

The BNSF Railway has been busy rebuilding their waterfront rail corridor throughout the Semiahmoo Peninsula after it was almost washed off the map by severe wind storms last December and January. This included resetting the rails at Kwomais Point, replacing ballast stone and bringing in trainloads of rip-rap boulders to strengthen their wave defenses as I have previously documented. Unfortunately next to the Christopherson Steps and in nearby areas the boulders had been dumped from above and rolled down covering large areas of sand on the shoreline. This is unfortunate for two reason, first the sand is breeding ground for feeder fish like Sand Lance and Surf Smelt, secondly this strip of beach is prime recreational property for people in the summer. It is hard to lay your beach blanket down on jagged boulders and there is little sandy beach in the Crescent Rock Beach region already. In fact much of the 6.5 Km. of shoreline from White Rock to Crescent Beach is now covered in boulders, creating a cobbled beach where waves strip sand away instead of creating it as would normally happen. If you ever go to Lily Point in Point Roberts and see how our shoreline would have looked before the railway, it will bring a tear to your eye.

Only meters away from the Christopherson Steps I could see two large shiny steel poles on the other side of the tracks. I knew that the BNSF Railway had finally extended the Landslide Detector Fence to near the end of Bayview Avenue but I was surprised I could see these from the beach. Climbing the bank for a look I discovered that while the LDF usually consists of poles that are five feet tall, these ones looked to be almost double that with the detector wires going high into the air allowing easy access underneath. The reason is that there is a sandy slope in this area where kids have been playing and climbing for many years. Instead of trying to restrict access, they have actually made an opening to allow for pedestrian access. What is bizarre is that trespassing on the rail corridor is illegal and dangerous and yet the BNSF has made it easy for people to access the sand hill. If the top of the hill were ever to let go, the height of the LDF in this spot would mean that the detector system would likely not be triggered. Hell of a way to run a railway I say.

Only metres from the sandy hill was a monument to the dangers of encouraging people to play in the vicinity of a busy industrial railway. A rudimentary cross with the name LUNA and R.I.P along with flowers had been placed on the hillside next to the tracks. I do not know the details but I would assume that someone lost their dog to the train in this spot. This area is almost across the tracks from where Jack Stroud was recently hit and killed by the Amtrak passenger train. While people getting hit by trains here always makes the news, pets getting mowed down by trains almost never gets reported. If you are wondering how often this happens consider that in my last two Semi-pen homes, I have had neighbours with dog/train stories. One lady almost got killed while trying to get her dog off the tracks and fortunately neither was hurt. My current neighbour had one of their dogs hit by a train with it loosing a leg from the impact. In both of these instances, the event happened within spitting distance of the Christopherson Steps overpass, with one directly in front of the sandy hill. I'm surprised I don't have whip lash from shaking my head so much.


When we did finally make it to a sheltered spot out of the wind at the beach, we found it deserted of people but full of wildlife. Bald eagles flew by above, great blue herons congregated on a slowly emerging sandbar looking for their evening meal, and seagulls relentlessly dropped clams to break them on the rocks. Watching all of the action and taking in the amazing view, I saw something make a big splash far off in the waters of Boundary Bay. I immediately pointed to the spot and it took only a moment for two large grey humps to emerge from the water with tell-tale spout of water spray. While it has recently been reported that grey whales were near the pier, on Sunday they were in Boundary Bay not far from Crescent Beach. This is not the first time I have seen whales in the bay and is why we always carry a small pair of binoculars to watch them. Unfortunately South Koreans have yet to put a telephoto lens into my Samsung cell phone so this pix I grabbed off the internet will have to do. When he packed up and left the beach due to the cool weather, we met people who were standing on the top of the Christopherson Steps walkway watching the whales from this high vantage point. The Kwomais Park view point is another great spot for spotting whales.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

 

 

April 24, 2019


Pitcairn Not Going Postal

 

Going postal is an American English slang phrase referring to becoming extremely and uncontrollably angry, often to the point of violence, and usually in a workplace environment. The expression derives from a series of incidents from 1986 onward in which United States Postal Service (USPS) workers shot and killed managers, fellow workers, and members of the police or general public in acts of mass murder. Between 1970 and 1997, more than 40 people were killed by current or former employees in at least 20 incidents of workplace rage. Between 1986 and 2011, workplace shootings happened at roughly two per year, with an average of 12 people killed per year.

 


Source: Wikipedia.

I must admit I do not regularly use the services of Canada Post. If I want to send someone a message I simply text, email or pick up the damn phone and give them a call. Most of our bills and banking is now done online and very rarely do I have to send a letter unless it is a cheque to one of my suppliers. I recently learned a very valuable lesson about Canada Post. If you have documents that are important or time sensitive, do not send them through regular mail channels, especially if the envelope is non-standard size and has to be processed by humans instead of by machines as in the case with regular envelopes.

Case in point, I competed in the Dominion of Canada Rifle Association Winter Postal Matches where marksmen from across Canada fire .22 rifles at very small targets from 20 yards. Stickers are sent from the DCRA offices in Ontario, attached to the backs of targets, and when the six competition targets are completed, they are then returned to the offices for scoring and awards presentations. I have worked very hard the past couple of years to try and shoot a perfect score of 600 and managed my best personal score of 599 this year that was likely gold medal worthy. I finished my targets in mid-March and mailed them to the DCRA offices in a 9.5 x 13 inch manila envelope with the required $1.90 postage.

Imagine my disgust when my wife sent me a text more than five weeks later with a picture of the very same envelope I had previously mailed. The address was scribbled out in black felt, marked "Return to Sender" and "RTS" in two more areas plus a "Moved/Unknown//Demenage Ou Inconnu" glossy sticker attached. Somehow they had actually managed to deliver my envelope back to me using the home address I had written in the upper left hand corner. Why it had taken so long to actually return my envelope remains a mystery but I know that a letter sent by boat to Australia generally arrives in a couple of weeks. I am waiting to find out if my targets that I couriered back with UPS will actually still be accepted as they are now late.

When I purchase items from Amazon, it generally takes two days for my parcel to arrive, usually free of charge. Because of their fast and efficient delivery system, they have become one of the largest retailers on the planet. Canada Post on the opposite hand continues to shrink in the amount of mail it delivers and their profitability. Mail delivery has been cut in half since 2006 or the equivalent of two billion letters. With regular stamps no longer showing their value, few people realize that the price for a regular letter increased to $1.05 this January, up from a loonie. Other mail within Canada increased between 10 to 35 cents, US bound mail going up 7-20 cents and overseas mail a further 15-20 cents. Meanwhile Canada Post has announced they expect to finish 2018 with a financial loss after rotating strikes before Christmas.

I will no longer trust my documents and parcels with Canada Post, using one of the many Courier companies to make the delivery even if I have to pay more. As the FedEx motto states, ""When it Absolutely, Positively, has to be there overnight." While I do not usually require this level of service, I expect mail to be delivered to the stated address, or promptly returned, something that Canada Post failed miserably to do. In the end this fiasco may cost me an engraved DCRA gold medal for the best smallbore shoot of my life. Learn from my mistake and avoid this Crown corporation that can't manage to do the one think they are entrusted to; deliver the mail.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

April 15, 2019

Freak Sliding Away

Slip slidin' away
Slip slidin' away
You know the nearer your destination
The more you're slip slidin' away

Lyrics to Slip Sliding Away, Paul Simon, 1977, Greatest Hits, Etc.

No, the Greeks don't want no freaks
Said, the Greeks don't want no freaks
Just put that monster smile on them rosy cheeks
'Cause the Greeks don't want no freaks
No, the Greeks don't want no freaks

Lyrics to Greeks Don't Want No Freaks, Eagles, 1979, The Long Run.

 

I must admit, I was surprised by the announcement last week of yet another mudslide from the Oean Park bluffs onto the BNSF Railway tracks. Usually it takes two inches of rain in a 48 hour period to get landslides moving around here but this is not always the case. Often illegal drains from hilltop properties, people emptying swimming pools, or tarping off large areas of land during rainy periods can cause slope failure with even modest amounts of precipitation. Though we did not have a deluge last week, there has been plenty of rain falling as is usual in April on the West Coast. While the other local newspaper showed you a stock photo of a BNSF freight train rolling along the beach with their slide story, that was not good enough for the person who wants to investigate the causes of these mudslides that are often "out of sight, out of mind."

Hearing that the most recent slide had happened "eight kilometers north of White Rock" made me wonder if this was a mistake because by my math that would be in the vicinity of the Crescent Beach Marina. On Sunday afternoon I once again donned my hiking boots, hard hat, reflective vest with road flares, and went out searching for the latest mess on the tracks. I figured it would likely be somewhere near Crescent Beach but all of the slides there were ones I had previously inspected. When I got to the 1001 Steps near Kwomais Park, I realized that the location was completely wrong and that the latest mudslide could be anywhere. After miles of very tough walking, I was on the beach not far from the Coldicutt Trail when a BNSF coal train rolled by. It wasn't until I took a picture of it that I realized I was sitting right next to a wide muddy debris field. Two kilometers west from White Rock at the mile 124 track marker, I had finally found what I was looking for.

To be quite honest, this slide was pretty routine for around here. The slope above the tracks had failed where one of the many rivulets coursed down the slope from the hillside above. While it was not raining, the amount of water draining from the bluff was considerable and constant for kilometers. I found no evidence of man-made causes for this slope failure and it was likely that the bank simply got saturated by water that had fallen in the past two weeks and been draining down to the ocean. The figures of 1.5 m. deep and 20 m. long that BNSF spokesperson Gus Melonas reportedly provided were not far from my measurements. To call this a "freak slide" as he suggested was a stretch because I have seen slides from the Ocean Park bluffs onto the tracks at many times of the year and from various causes. As I often warn people, if you cut trees for views and have pipes draining water onto the hillside, you can expect landslides threatening the BNSF rail corridor below.

Once again the BNSF has apparently used the shores of Crescent Rock Beach as their personal dumping grounds, excavating the trees, soil, rocks and muck onto the shoreline. They have been warned in the past to keep debris confined to the rip-rap areas alongside the tracks but as you can imagine with mud this is rather difficult. Instead of bringing in a railway dump car to take the debris away, they dug the muck from the ditch side of the tracks and dumped it on the ocean side where it then ran down covering a large area of shore, burying any living creature in the vicinity. It was at one of these dump sites several years ago near Kwomais Point that I found a dead sea otter laying directly next to the piled debris. I thought the BNSF would have cleaned up their act on this issue after burying a long stretch of sandy beach at the Crescent Beach marine park last year but that seems to still not be the case.

Anyone can report this track-side excavating to BC Conservation officers or the Department of Fisheries and Oceans. The RAPP line (Report All Poachers and Polluters) has an online form at https://forms.gov.bc.ca/environment/rapp/ or they can be called on their 24 hour hotline to report a violation at 1-877-952-7277 or *7277 on the Telus Mobility Network. Since this impacts habitat of sand lance and surf smelt that are food for salmon, it can also be reported to the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) at 1-800-465-4336 for investigation. You can also ask our MP Gordie Hogg why the BNSF, an American railway, apparently gets free reign to use our waterfront as their private dumping grounds without criminal charges ever being laid of fines imposed. Imagine what would happen if someone were to dump truck loads of muddy fill onto the public beaches of White Rock? I'm sick and tired of the double standard and big business flaunting environmental laws here in Canada without any repercussions.

Check out the pictures of the crud excavated onto the beach from this latest slide. If this annoys you as much as it does me, take a minute to file a report with the proper authorities. Remember the mudslide happened on Wednesday, April 10th around noon and was cleaned up by BNSF crews by 4:30 p.m. The slide came from the Ocean Park bluffs in south Surrey onto the BNSF Railway tracks at the 124 mile marker about 2 kilometres west of White Rock. The debris field on the beach covers an area 20 metres long by 6 metres wide and over a metre deep. Don't forget to tick the "Dumping" and "Fisheries" violation boxes. The more people who report this incident, the more likely that with a history or repeatedly burying the beach in the Semiahmoo peninsula, the BNSF might actually be held accountable for their actions. I have made my reports to both the RAPP line and DFO, please take the time to make yours.

RAPP line online: https://forms.gov.bc.ca/environment/rapp/
RAPP line: 1-877-952-7277 or *7277 on the Telus Mobility Network
DFO: 1-800-465-4336

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

April 08. 2019

Auto Crime Prevention Notice Preventing Nothing

With the arrival of Spring and a new employee who uses transit, we now circle through the south Surrey Park & Ride lot in the evening to drop him off so he can catch his bus. We rolled to a stop and as he was collecting his belongings I noticed that there were slips of paper about the size of a parking ticket under the windshield wiper of every vehicle. Noticing how many had been thrown onto the ground by motorists who had obviously already left, I had to look at what they were figuring it was likely some cheesy advertising flyer. I quickly picked up over a dozen of these from the pavement, some of which had already been run over.

I was much closer to the mark with my guess that they were tickets from the police. It turns out they were "Auto Crime Prevention Notice" slips left by "A police officer or community volunteer (who) checked your vehicle as a potential target for auto crime." From the hand writing on the slips, it was obvious that two people had gone through the lot checking out hundreds of automobiles. Here is the list of what they were looking for taken from these papers:
1) Your vehicle has an anti-theft device (such as an alarm,immobilizer or steering-wheel lock) in use (Y/N).
2) There are personal belongings in plain view (Y/N).
3) Your windows or sunroof are open. (Y/N).
4) You have an expired decal or decal buildup (Y/N).
Comments: ________________________________

I am fully aware of the crime problems at the south Surrey Park & Ride. My other employee avoids the place like the plague and refuse to park there. The reason is that he had his mint Chevrolet Malibu stolen from this lot and the thieves then vandalized the interior by pouring oil over it and attempting to light it on fire. After this incident, thinking that the nearby Park & Pool lot might be safer, he parked there (for free) but had someone break his windows of his replacement Honda Civic. Both of these incidents happened during the day while we were at work. Since that time he has parked in a south Surrey neighbourhood and we have a regular meeting point within walking distance. The south Surrey Park & Ride lot is also where a husband and wife I know drove separately to it, got on a bus to go downtown and when they came back after their show, both of their vehicles had been stolen.

The auto crime prevention tips on the pseudo ticket are worth considering but also worth questioning. They are as follows:
1) Secure your vehicle every time you leave - day or night.
2) Keep your spare key in your wallet not on the vehicle.
3) Remove all your belongings.
4) Don't leave anything in view, including spare change.
Now I think locking your vehicle obviously makes sense, as does not not leaving a spare key but with the size of the new keys that also double as clickers, who wants to have one of these in your wallet? As far as removing all your belongings, I can see "valuables" but highly doubt that "charger wires visible" or "empty lap-top box visible" written in the comments section really count as things a car thief can exchange for his next fix. Many vehicles were marked for having "decal buildup" but yet I've never been told about this problem by any ICBC insurance broker. Because of this only two of the dozen slips I picked up received a check mark on the coveted "You've taken care to prevent auto crime. Thanks!" section.

Instead of wasting time and paper plus contributing to littering, if ICBC and the Surrey Crime Protection Society really wanted to crack down on auto theft at the Park & Ride, I can recommend a much better way. There is a small hillside near the KGB that provides a birds-eye view of the lot; simply have someone sit in a beach chair with a pair of binoculars and monitor that behaviour and activity of the people who come and go. If they spot something suspicious, call the RCMP to quickly attend and hopefully make an actual arrest. The most glaring security issue with the South Surrey Park & Ride is that there are no CCTV cameras in use like at almost all other Translink lots. When the government was wasting $4.5 million to build the second lot on the other side of the KGB that acts mainly as a driver training course, they should have included video cameras for the lot that actually gets used.

If there were CCTVs and actual police patrols of the South Surrey Park & Ride, I'm sure a lot more people would park there and take transit. If this were to happen, maybe the white elephant lot that won a Teddy Waste Award in 2014 from the Canadian Taxpayer Federation might actually be used and help generate income. Instead, there are plenty of folks that refuse to use either the Park & Ride or Park & Pool lots because they are a magnet for criminals who know that people will be gone all day and because they are not monitored or patrolled. The Auto Crime Prevention Notice slips will do little to reduce crime; catching and convicting thieves who target these areas is the auto crime prevention notice that I'm posting.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

April 01, 2019

News Of The Day

New Westminster Mayor Jonathon Johnny X Cote

In the City of White Rock, with an estimated $5 million dollar bill for pier repairs and no Provincial or Federal funding yet announced, consideration is being given to bridging the 100 foot gap that now remains after storm damage late last year. It has been apparently decided that the cheapest repair would be to build a small section of suspension bridge, tying the two pieces together. White Rock Mayor Darryl Walker is rumored to have been overheard saying this about the plan, "The Capilano Suspension Bridge Park is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Vancouver and if a suspension bridge works at the pier, then we can then charge people for going onto it. As a bonus, if any more boats get blown loose in a storm, they can simply float right underneath, win-win!" Installing the cables and planks is a quick and easy fix and should be ready for the summer tourist season. It should be wheelchair friendly allowing access to White Rock's many elderly residents.

In Crescent Beach, they have taken note of the upcoming changes in White Rock allowing dogs to be walked on the Promenade beginning this Fall. Not to be outdone, I've heard the Crescent Beach Property Owners Association is teaming up with Surrey Council to also make themselves more pet friendly. For years you've been able to have your dog at Crescent Beach from Sept 15th to May 15th. Since the summer months are off limits to dogs, it has reportedly been decided that this would be the purr-fect time to allow people to bring their cats to the waterfront. Just like at the White Rock, owners will have to ensure that any cat poop is cleaned up so the beach doesn't become a giant kitty-litter box. I've been informed each garbage receptacle will be equipped with little feline poop bags and a kitty litter scoop to make clean up a breeze. I'm pretty sure that White Rock Councillors will be hacking up a hair-ball when they realize they've been licked by a bunch of pussies.

Today I also learned from unknown dark web sources that the Cowichan First Nations have applied to Aboriginal Affairs Canada to have their Great White Rock returned to Vancouver Island. According to legend, the Sea God had a son who fell in love with the Cowichan Chief's beautiful daughter. After having their union refused a blessing by first the Sea God and then the Cowichan Chief, the Sea God son took the huge white rock from their beach and tossed it across the Salish Sea. "I will hurl this tone over the water! Wherever it falls, there we will make our home and establish our tribe" he said. Falling sixty miles from Cowichan, the rock came to rest on the shores of the Semiahmoo Bay where the two lovers made their home and established the Semiahmoo tribe. After seeing footage of wrecked sailboats being pulled from the White Rock beach onto a barge, Cowichan elders allegedly decided the same could be done for their sacred white rock and now want it back.

The Semiahmoo First Nations have been in the news lately for the water infrastructure project that will finally see an end to the boil water advisory they have been under for the past 15 years. While this will provide clean and fresh drinking water for members of the tribe, it also means they can finally move forward with their long rumoured shoreline water park on the empty playing field behind the WAG. This idea was apparently shelved for years due to lack of water availability from the City of White Rock plus concerns over how arsenic and manganese might stain the slides and swimsuits. Now with pure water getting ready to be piped in, the band's wild dream of a water park might finally become a reality. There are unsubstantiated reports that the Chief and Council are considering the name Whalley World, similar to the Walley World park featured on the National Lampoon's Vacation film, since the water will be flowing in from Surrey.

With the success this weekend of New Westminster's Mayor Jonathan Cote (a.k.a. Johnny X) and his first-ever wrestling match during the Royal City Rumble, look for other local Mayors to soon follow suit. It is believed that Surrey's Mayor Doug McCallum, who like any Surreyman is not afraid of a fight, is now considering stepping inside the octagon for an upcoming MMA match. It has been reported to me that someone resembling Mayor McCallum has been seen attending training sessions at the Surrey Masters Martial Arts, located only two blocks from City Hall. Speculation has been running rampant ever since it was realized that McCallum has the letters "MMA" in his last name. Word on the street is that Surrey RCMP Assistant Commissioner Dwayne McDonald has challenged Mayor McCallum to a grudge match and if Surrey's top cop wins, the RCMP won't be replaced with a municipal police force.

On a final note, U.S. President Donald Trump revealed this morning that what he calls "fake news" is actually real news. Of course nobody believed him since he tweeted this out on April Fool's Day. If he was serious does that now mean that real news is actually fake news? When it comes to anyone named Donald, you just don't know what to believe these days..., I mean this day.

Jokingly yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

March 25, 2019

Another Day, Another Bluff Clear Cut

 

A friend who lives in Ocean Park recently forwarded me pictures taken from near Kwomais Point that reminded me of the Hump hillside after "vegetation control" was done so that some retaining walls could be seen. As we know this led to the final razing of the Hump hillside, apparently to provide pier views to a select group of folks living on or near marine Drive. This was done with the blessing of the BNSF Railway, even though Transport Canada had warned both them and the City of White Rock that tree cutting for views on the steep bluff hillsides was the number one cause of landslides onto the waterfront tracks.

After reviewing their pictures, I put on my best camo and hiking boots and made the journey to the Ocean Park bluff close to the 1001 Steps at the west end of 15A Ave. After descending the maze of stairs that reminded me of famed graphic artist M.C. Escher, I followed a trail up into the bluff and found what had so infuriated the person who alerted me to the Semiahmoo's latest logging show. Close to the base of the hill was a massive conifer stump with rounds cut from it that were in excess of three feet across. The area on the hill above the giant fir had obviously also experienced a landslide recently with lots of fresh soil that magically had Big-O drain pipe sticking out of it. It should come as no surprise that Transport Canada listed old or improper drain pipes as the other major causes of mudslides from the bluffs.

Following the trail upwards, I saw even more areas where trees had been cut to the ground or hacked level to the ground only a few meters high. The hillside below multiple houses in a row on Ocean Park Road had obviously been cleared of trees multiple times so that now the only thing growing on the bank are blackberries and even these have been brush-cut down to allow for a completely unobstructed water view. The fallen cordwood had even been lined up along the hillside like giant lawn edging. When I got home, checking on the Surrey Cosmos site showed that the area in question was far beyond the property line, past the City of Surrey Easement and way onto BNSF Railway property. Aerial views from a year ago show the giant fir that had once stood in the middle of the hillside clearing extending its shadow across the manicured lawns. Now like the rest of the forest, it is gone and all that remains is a barren hillside.

If I can look at the Surrey Cosmos online mapping site (https://cosmos.surrey.ca/external/) and see where people are extending their lawns and gardens onto City property or clear-cutting BNSF lands on the steep bluff hillside above the tracks, why does City Hall and the BNSF ignore such activities? It is not like the City of Surrey does not realize that much of the landslides from the Ocean Park bluffs are often related to illegal logging done for views. After seeing what the BNSF allowed White Rock to do to the Hump, I really can't imagine them giving a damn about what a hilltop homeowner does to the trees above the tracks, unless a slide actually hits a train or delays train traffic. The complete lack of accountability or responsibility is absolutely appalling, especially when one considers it was likely commercial arborists who did the tree cutting.

It is my understanding that the person who sent me the original photos is going to be contacting the City of Surrey to report this tree cutting and determine if permits had been issued. I will make sure that Gus Melonas from the BNSF Railway gets the photos of the tree clearing on their property plus the addresses for the homes involved. At the end of the day I certainly won't hold my breath waiting for anything to happen as past history has shown that often little to nothing is done and arborists get only a slap on the wrist for illegal logging. It should come as no surprise that hilltop homeowners would risk paltry fines and the possibility of causing landslides for an unobstructed million dollar view.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

March 18, 2019

It's A-Boat Time

With Bill C-64, the Wrecked, Abandoned or Hazardous Vessels Act about to become law across Canada after receiving Royal Assent several weeks ago, boat owners will finally be on the hook for the proper disposal of their old boats. Until now, un-seaworthy boats were often abandoned, left to rot on pristine shores or kept anchored until they finally sunk, creating environmental, safety and navigation risks. You do not need to go far to see some of these boats, there are several on the banks of the Nicomekl River and others anchored not far from the Elgin Road Sea Dam that look like floating garbage containers. The new legislation will increase boat owners responsibility and liability, with individuals facing fines of $50,000 and businesses up to $250,000 for derelict vessels. For the full details on this new Act, please visit: https://openparliament.ca/bills/42-1/C-64/

The Boating BC Association (boatingbc.ca) has a large portion of their website dedicated to proper boat disposal. They give information about what to do with unwanted boats, how to know when its time to retire a boat, possible boat donations, disposal and recycling options plus costs, and environmentally sound practices for vessel disposal. Also when boats are retired they have to be de-listed from the Boat Registry and or have their Pleasure Craft License removed and BC Boating has detailed information about this process. With an aging automobile that no longer runs or is unsafe to drive, you cannot leave it on the side of the road and are responsible for having it towed to a salvage yard. Marine vessels can no longer be left to rot on our shores where they are an eyesore and environmental hazard.

This new Legislation coincides with the Federal governments Abandoned Boat Program (ABP) at Transport Canada and the Small Craft Harbours (SCH) Abandoned and Wrecked Vessels Removal Program at Fisheries and Oceans Canada. The Abandoned Boats Program has been running almost a year and will end at the end of March after spending $1.3 million to deal to with the removal of abandoned, wrecked and hazardous small boats. The Small Craft Harbours program will spend $1.325 million over five years to remove or dispose of abandoned or wrecked boats in waterways owned by the Dept of Fisheries an Oceans. Recipients can receive up to 100% funding for gaining legal possession of a derelict boat and up to 75% for the work needed to remove and dispose of the wrecked vessel.

I have had hands on experience with dealing with a wrecked boat here after an old pleasure boat ran aground years ago near Kwomais Point. The owner, a man from Saskatchewan, simply abandoned the destroyed vessel, leaving locals to deal with the diesel soaked garbage and flotsam that covered the shore all the way to Crescent Beach. On February day with light snow we picked the shore for litter and debris, piling what we could carry next to the train tracks. The BNSF Railway helped clean up the piles we had left for them, depositing it in a Super-Save bin near Crescent Road that Surrey had paid for. In the end, all that remained were the vessels main beams and two large diesel engines that the Coast Guard drained of fuel. While the owner promised to help and bring friends to assist with the cleanup, he never bothered to show up. With the new Wrecked, Abandoned or Hazardous Vessels Act, he would have to clean up his own mess.

It has been estimated that there are over 600 derelict vessels ranging from small recreational boats all the way up to giant commercial ships abandoned and polluting Canadian waterways. Since the City of Surrey can apply for funding to deal with abandoned boats, now would be a good time to survey the shores of the Nicomekl and Fraser rivers to take inventory of derelict vessels and get them cleaned up. Hopefully some of the garbage scows anchored in the Nicomekl can finally be towed away to the dump. At the end of the day, when you decide to purchase a boat, you had better have a plan on how to deal with it when its days are done. Thankfully the sailboats damaged by the Dec. 20th windstorm have been salvaged from the beaches of White Rock and no longer pose a threat to the public.

Naturally yours
Don Pitcairn

 

March 11, 2019

Ditch The Switch

I don't know about the rest of the residents of the Semi-Pen but it didn't help me having to wake up on Sunday morning and get to deal with yet another ridiculous time change. I have written about this debacle several times previously, the last time on Nov. 7, 2017 when at least we got an extra hour sleep instead of being robbed of an hour. This time it was for the switch to Daylight Savings Time, meaning we don't get an extra hour of sunlight, we just get to enjoy it a little later with the sun setting on Sunday evening at 7:08 p.m. Why we have to put up with this twice yearly change in the time is absolutely beyond me and something that should have been abolished decades ago, if politicians had any backbone or mental fortitude.

On a personal level, here is what my morning routine involved. Resetting two alarm clocks, changing the time on the stove and microwave, reprogramming the time on the alarm pad and electronic furnace control, changing the time in two of our three automobiles (fortunately the convertible doesn't go outside in the winter), resetting three watches, reprogramming several antiquated electronics, fixing three timers and adding an hour to four clocks located throughout the house. That is a grand total of 20 clocks and timers, either digital or good old-fashioned moving hands that needed to have my hands make this change. By the time I was done I was ready for a nap having lost an hour sleep on top of after staying out past my regular bed time. Its not just me who wants the time change abolished, read this Change.org petition for reasons why it should be put into the dustbin of history: https://www.change.org/p/british-columbia-government-christy-clarke-stop-the-time-change-in-british-columbia

Last fall BC Premier John Horgan made it clear that he would not support getting rid of the time change even after receiving thousands of letters on the subject. He is on record as saying, “Certainly our trading partners in Washington, Oregon and California have no interest in changing the time, that was made clear to me.” Well it is amazing the difference four months makes as last Saturday the Washington State House passed a measure voting 89-7 to stay on Daylight Savings Time year round. This has to next be cleared by the the State Senate, which currently also has its own bill on the subject. If ratified, they will only take effect if Congress in Washington DC votes to allow individual states to stay with DLS on a year round basis. There are currently 26 States considering legislation to stop the twice yearly time change, with California voters passing a ballot last November to stay on DLS full time and Oregon considering putting this change to their voters.

In the past week Premier Horgan sent a letter to the governors of Washington Oregon and California that stated, "A change in our time zone would have significant impacts on British Columbia. It makes sense to me that we move in unison on this matter." Unlike any of the US States, BC could pass its own legislation to permanently stay on DST as it would not need approval from Ottawa. It would be nice if our Premier had the courage and conviction to play a leadership role to end the yearly time changes and let the coastal States follow our move instead of being their lap-dog. It's not like he would be setting a precedent as the Peace River region, the little town of Creston and the entire province of Saskatchewan do not bother with changing their clocks. They all believe in the "Set It And Forget It" philosophy which works for then and for me.

Sorry to have to cut this TNT a little short but I have to be up early tomorrow morning and even with my little nap on Sunday I'm already thinking of hitting the hay. I think that by the second Sunday in November 2019, if the politicians have not figured a way to get rid of the twice yearly time changes that people simply refuse to move from Daylight Savings Time, leaving our so-called leaders behind. We don't need legislation, we don't need Congressional approval, all we need is for people to stop buying in to this ridiculous practice that should have been mothballed long before I was even born. You don't need to be sleep deprived sheeple any longer. Lets hope a "Set It And Forget It" Facebook page pops up soon to help end this twice yearly insanity.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

P.S.

TNT Extra: It seems that I'm not the only Donald who is sick of time changes. On the day this TNT was posted, U.S. President Trump tweeted "Making Daylight Saving Time permanent is O.K with me!" It's nice to know "The Donald" reads the TNT in the White Rock Sun. Too bad the Democrats will now stonewall efforts to make this change.

 

March 04, 2019

Cinderella Story, Fairy Tale Ending

 

When people here think about the Semiahmoo Totems, it is usually the two totem poles on East Beach at the Grand Chief Bernard Memorial Plaza Within Lions Lookout Park, better known locally as Totem Park. This weekend that all changed with the Semiahmoo Totems girl's basketball team winning the B.C. Secondary Schools Girls AAA Basketball Championships at the Langley Events Centre on Saturday beating out the Walnut Grove Gators by a 72-61 score. It was not like this was unexpected with the Totems going undefeated in their season and throughout the playoff games finishing with a perfect 40 wins - 0 loss record. This was the school's first senior girls AAA basketball banner since way back in 1953.

It was not like the finals were a walk in the park. While the Semiahmoo Totems were the number one seed, their rivals the Gators were the number two team and at one point in the second quarter held a 17 point lead. Foul trouble kept Faith Dut, the 6 foot 3 inch tall Totem guard on the bench for most of the first half with only 4 points and 4 rebounds up to that point in the game. At intermission it was the Walnut Grove Gators holding a 7 point lead, 28-21. The second half was a different story with Dut finding her stride and finishing the game with a team high 23 points and 13 rebounds. An interesting note to this story, the grade-12 student Dut has been recruited by the University of Florida Gators women's basketball team so she will soon go from beating Gators to playing for them.

Look for the Semiahmoo Totems to likely retain their top seed rating for the next few years as their point guard Deja Lee played stellar B-ball during the playoffs and was named the Championship Player of the Game and the Tournament MVP. In the final game on Saturday Lee had 19 points, 6 assists and 4 steals, great numbers for a young woman who is only in grade 10. There are a further five other grade 10 regular players in the Totem rotation so much of their lineup will likely remain unchanged going into the future. This is the second year in a row that the Totems have gone undefeated in regular season play, showing how this resilient group can get the job done both on offense and on the defensive side of the ball. In 2018 they finished 4th in the playoffs after getting beaten by the Kelowna Owls who went on to win the Provincial Championships.

The ace up the Totem's sleeve has to be their legendary basketball coach 59 year-old south Surrey resident Allison McNeil who works with her co-coach Lori Pajic at Semiahmoo Secondary. McNeil's basketball coaching resume is beyond impressive having started coaching at several high-schools before becoming the head coach of SFU's women's team for 13 years. In international competition, she coached Team Canada over 16 years to several World Championship and Olympic appearances, the last being the 2012 Summer Games in London where Canada was beaten by the US in the quarter-finals before their team went on to win the gold medal. Since officially retiring in 2012 Allison has volunteered her amazing talents to coaching young women on a variety of local teams including at Elgin Secondary and Semiahmoo where she has mentored the girls there for several years with the results speaking for themselves.

Monday should be a rather chaotic time at Semiahmoo Secondary with the Totem girls meeting their classmates and getting accolades and praise for their accomplishment. No word yet on when the Provincial Champions banner will be hoisted up into the rafters of the gymnasium but you can bet it will be an exciting time to be a Semi student. I would like to be the first one to start the chant of "Two more years!.., Two more years!" The Semiahmoo Totem girls basketball team are on a roll and with their core players plus Mrs. McNeil's tutalage, I would not be surprised to see more championship banners added to their collection before these girls graduate from high school.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

February 25, 2019

Dingy Dock For White Rock


 

We all know the wise old proverb that states, "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade." The damage to the White Rock pier and the dock that used to hold the sailboats belonging to the Lower Mainland Yacht Co-op (LMYC) now gives the City of White Rock the ability to make changes to how the docking system works at the end of the pier. The City owns the west wharf that is operated by the White Rock Harbour Board. Seeing the damage caused to the pier by the out-of-control sailboats during the Dec. 20th windstorm, you have to question whether (weather?) keeping boats permanently moored in this location far from shore and protected by a small rock breakwater is a good idea. For now it is a mute point as the pier is out of commission, the west wharf is in shambles and the Co-ops boats have been wrecked.

A friend of mine who lives in the Semi-Pen was the Water Sport Responsible who looked after 17 Club Med resorts across the Caribbean for 15 years. Needless to say, he knows a thing or two about boats, marinas, sailors and tourists. He was recently telling me that he thinks White Rock should rebuild the west wharf and allow visiting yaughts and sailboats to dock for the night inviting the captain and crew to wine and dine in the seaside restaurants along marine Drive. Further to that, tethered moorage balls chained onto concrete pedestals stopping anchor damage to any eel grass beds could be used for additional boats with both the dock and moorage balls generating docking fees for the City. The east wharf could then be advertised as a "Dingy Dock" allowing boaters to moor their boats, jump in their dingy and take a short walk on Canada's Longest Pier into White Rock. He does not believe the LMYC year-round control over the west wharf is in the best interest of the City of White Rock, especially after trying to join them and reviewing their limited operations.

Now might be a good time to once again consider the idea of building a marina in White Rock's front yard. It would be interesting to know how many people who live in White Rock have their boats in facilities miles away from the City By The Sea. In neighbouring Blaine they have 629 state-of-the-art boat slips for commercial and pleasure boats with permanent moorage plus 800 feet of visitor moorage. Try to imagine the economic impact of all of those boats with their owners and crews descending into the sleepy hollow of Marine Drive. Point Roberts has a large marine resort with all the amenities a boater could ever want and hundreds of slips that are always packed. White Rock's loss is these two neighbouring city's gain as they reap the rewards of catering to people wealthy enough to afford a nice boat. For those worried about environmental impacts, both Blaine and Point Roberts are Blaine Harbor are 5-star Envirostars and Certified Clean Marinas.

With the pier in shambles and many businesses closed along the Drive, it would be wise for White Rock to do something to attract people to the waterfront. There is now free parking at the White Rock waterfront until the end of March but this fact needs to be advertised so folks across the Lower Mainland know about it. I believe the opening of the promenade to leashed dogs during the off-season was a good start, but why not do it now instead of waiting for next October? How about some signage along Hwy. 99 alerting visitors from the US to the White Rock beach? Surrey has a great big "Welcome to Surrey" sign on Hwy. 99 at 8th Ave. but nothing pointing the way to the White Rock waterfront, the beaches or Canada's longest pier. The 16 Ave. exit is the same with nothing alerting people about the nearby town of White Rock. There needs to be signage pointing the way to the beach at both of the land crossings at the US/Canada border.

When the pier is finally rebuilt, I would still love to see a zip-line attraction from the top of the Hump hillside all the way to the end of the pier, a distance of around 1,700 feet. Besides attracting daredevils to take the ride, the pier and promenade would make excellent viewing vantage points to watch the fun. Not only would it be the longest zip-line over water in Canada, I believe it would be the only one going over the ocean. With awesome views of Boundary Bay and Mount Baker, this year-round attraction would help to put White Rock on the map again. Of course, it would likely generate a hateful response from the usual "NIMWR" crowd (Not IN MY White Rock) who never want anything to change in their cherished little seaside town. City Hall needs to alter their corporate slogan to "Revitalize, Rejuvenate, Invigorate" and put some excitement back into White Rock. Any or all of these fresh ideas proposed in this TNT column might be a good place to start.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

February 19, 2019


"Tracking Surrey's Snow Plow Tracker"

 

It was really nice taking a break from the winter doldrums to go to New Zealand in the middle of what is their summer. Unfortunately it appears we should have extended our trip to avoid the winter weather that was waiting for us when we arrived. While we were flying home the Lower mainland was receiving a large dump of snow after shivering through a week of outflow conditions. I stepped off the plane wearing shorts and a t-shirt, sporting a nice tan even after wearing SPF 50 for three weeks. When the taxi took us home the driver refused to go into our driveway because of the fear of getting stuck. I agreed since there was almost a foot of snow that we had to trudge through with our max weight luggage. Before emptying my bags, I found the dusty snow shovels and went to work clearing the driveway so our AWD car could make it to the street and people who didn't have snowshoes could reach our front door.

I used to live in a house on a cul-de-sac not far from our current home in Crescent heights. It was nice and quiet but as I found out the first winter, there was no snow clearing done by the City of Surrey. After one particularly heavy snowfall, the only way any of the neighbours made it to the connector street was because I took my 4x4 Ford truck and drove back and forth to ensure that everyone had a path to drive their cars in. Other times with less snowfall, it would melt and turn to ice, making the the road a proverbial skating rink. It was a great way to get to know the neighbours by helping them to push their vehicles around the street. The house we now live in was selected in part because it is on a main road with local bus service, ensuring that we receive prompt snow clearing and salting by Surrey. I don't even mind or complain when the plow fills my cleaned driveway with the slop from the street.

After years of being somewhat lacking in the snow removal business and after the dreadful winter of 2010, the City of Surrey has upped their game with 63 snow clearing vehicles now at the standby when snow starts falling. These include salters, sanders, plows and brine trucks to all help remove snow and keep ice from forming. New for this year is a specifically designed machine dedicated to plowing sidewalks in the central core of Whally around the skytrain and SFU university. Surrey uses an average of 8,000 tonnes of salt in a regular winter, with their new salt shed holding a mountain of 17,000 tonnes of rock salt. Even with all the new gear, the coolest think about their snow clearing operations is the new "Surrey Plow Tracker" website available online at https://511portal.com/surrey .

This mapping system shows the highways and byways of the City of Surrey, hi-lighting which roads are regularly plowed. This of course includes busy connector roads, areas around schools, senior centres and steep hills. What is amazing about the Surrey Plow Tracker is that it shows you the actual location of snow clearing vehicles on the streets using GPS technology plus colour codes the roadways allowing you to see how long it has been since the roads have been plowed. It is broken into four colours, green for <2 hours, orange for 2-6 hours, pink for 6-12 hours and grey for >12 hours. Instead of phoning the Works Department to ask why you are snowed in, you can simply check out the Plow Tracker system to see when plows are heading your way. I'm not sure how much of Surrey's $3.7 million snow removal budget was used on this tracking system but I think it is priceless.

Depending on the severity of the snowfall, priority is given to the main roads to ensure they are kept clear and traffic flowing. The Surrey Plow Tracker shows you the roads of the city and whether they are priority or secondary roadways. You should know that the City of Surrey doesn’t normally do residential road clearing because the weather here usually warms up or rain melts the snow. Vehicles help to move the salt from main roads onto side streets, ensuring that the snow on these streets will melt without the help of additional rock salt. If snowfall is significant and the temperature does not warm up the plows will finally tackle residential streets but this is an even more rare occurrence around here than heavy snow. If you have questions about road clearing or feel the need to request plowing, the City of Surrey’s service request line can be reached at 604-591-4152,Mon-Fri (except statutory holidays) from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Before doing so, I would recommend to check out the Plow Tracker site to see how crews are dealing with the latest storm. Sorry White Rockers but Surrey's system does not extend into the hillside community of the City By The Sea.

Tuesday should be a great day for you to check out this latest innovation from the City of Surrey. A snowfall warning was issued by Environment Canada at
21:43, Monday, 18 February, 2019 that reads as follows:
SNOWFALL WARNING IN EFFECT. 5 to 10 cm of snow for Metro Vancouver eastern suburbs and Western Fraser Valley on Tuesday.
A frontal system will cross the south coast on Tuesday. Snow will begin Tuesday morning. The snow may become mixed with rain Tuesday afternoon and early evening before changing back to snow Tuesday night. The eastern suburbs of Metro Vancouver and Western Fraser Valley can expect snowfall accumulations of 5 to 10 cm through Tuesday night. Visibility may be suddenly reduced at times in heavy snow. The snow will taper off early Wednesday morning.
Adding to the fun more another 5 cm of snow is expected at the end of the week. It looks like I'm not getting back to work anytime soon so tomorrow I'm going to grab a hot coffee, sit by the fire and go online to watch the Surrey snowplows to their stuff during the next winter storm. If that doesn't warm the cockles of my heart, there's always the covered hot tub out back.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

February 11, 2019

Palma Sunday

It seems that writing my TNT while couped up in the confines of a Boeing 777 flying at 35,000 feet is becoming common place. Combine the white noise of the jet engines with non-stop turbulance and the music of Pink Floyd's Dark Side of The Moon album compliments of Air New Zealand makes for a rather unique writing environment. This column was penned while flying over the Pacific Ocean between Samoa and Tahiti, a little west of Pitcairn Island that was made famous by the mutineers who took over the HMS Bounty several centuries ago.

My third ICFRA Long Range World Championships is now over. While you were bundling up from the outflow winds and blowing snow, myself and wife Sheryl aloong with the members of the Canadian Palma Rifle Team were heading to the sunny Seddon Range not far from Wellington, New Zealand to take on the best riflemen on the planet. Last week began with the long range individual matches that were opened with a shot being fired from a .303 rifle that was awarded to Kiwi hero Sgt. L. Loveday back in 1916. Even from 800 yards the shooter, 82 year old NZNRA patron Barry Geange who has shot in 60 NZ Championships, managed to hit the 20 inch bullseye at 900 yards.

The competition was fired Palma style, that is 15 rounds on score shot at 800, 900 and1,000 yards repeated 3 times. Day 1 featured only one 800 yard range in the afternoon due to the opening ceremonies. Day 2 and 3 were shot at 900, 1,000 yards in the morning with the 800 later in the day when daytime heating created plenty of wind to deal with. The final day of the match featured the 900 and 1000 yard ranges with the top ten reaching the final where they shot for gold and glory in front of a large audience. In extremely difficult wind conditions only two shooters managed to keep all of their shots on the 34 inch wide black aiming mark. S.M. Negus of Australia managed to keep his lead and win gold with 20 year-old fellow Aussie Mitch Bailey taking silver and David Luckman from Britain coming from far back to grab bronze. Johan Sauer from Vancouver managed to win silver medals in two matches, the only Canadian to bring home any of these highly coveted medals. The top Canadian in aggregate score was yours truly, Don Pitcairn, who finished back in 67th position.

The end of individual matches led us to the holy grail of international team rifle shooting, the Palma Match. The first competition was back in 1876 when the Great Centennial Match was held in New York, contested by the USA, Canada, Ireland, Scotland and Australia with the Yankees winning the 7.5 foot tall Palma trophy produced by Tiffanys. Since that time there have been 29 Palma matches featuring a total of 30 different countries from around the world. The modern Palma was shot yearly from 1966 onward until the 1976 Bicentennial match in the US where it was then changed to a 3 and now 4 year cycle. The team size has been standardized to 16 shooters plus 4 coaches, head coach and team captain plus assistants.

On day 1 the USA dropped only 4 points in total at the 800 yard, taking an early two point lead over the heavily favoured Australian team. By the end of the 900 and 1,000 yard ranges the Aussies had built themselves a sizeable 22 point lead that included lots of centre v-bulls. Day 2 showed their dominance with their team "going clean" and firng a perfect score of 1200 points at the 800 yard. From there it was all Team Oz as they continued to add to their lead. When the gun smoke had cleared, Australia took gold with a score of 7028-773v with Great Britain winning silver 77 points back and the USA getting the bronze 29 points behind the Brits. Of note, Brandon Green and Nate Guerney of the US had the top individual scores dropping only 3 and 5 points respectively out of 450 total. After that the rest of the top 10 shooters were all Australians. The host New Zealand finished in 5th place place while Canada was well off the pace at 6th position out of 7 teams.

Our plane lands soon in snowy Vancouver with many of our teammates heading off on connecting flights to eastern Canada. With lessons learned we will begin to train towards the next Palma Match that takes place in South Africa in 2023. Hopefully my Dad who had qualified for both the Open Team and Veteran Team this year will join us after he unfortunately had to withdraw for a much needed knee replacement. That is one of the beautiful things about target rifle shooting, you can be competitive from a teenager up until your eighties as long as the body, mind and eyesight allows. It also means you can travel the world meeting people and making friends with marksmen from around the globe, renewing old acquaintances every four years.

Naturally yours,
Don Picairn

 

 

February 4, 2019

Shooting Kiwis in New Zealand

After touring around Auckland the Canadan Palma Team loaded up the van and made our way towards Wellington arriving at the Silverstream Retreat in Upper Hutt near the Seddon Range in Trentham. We met up with the other members of the team that had come in on different flights, guys and girls from the Under 25 junior team, the Open team and the Veterans team. With shooters, coaches, Captain and Adjutant plus spouses and supporters we numbered 45 people strong. Most of the large USA rifle team are staying with us in the buildings that were originally built as a hospital by American Army during WW2, then extensively renovated with modern amenities.

Target rifle shooting is the oldest competitor sport in New Zealand and with plenty of real estate and large farms still attracts plenty of people from both the country and cities. The first New Zealand Championships were held in 1869, two years after Canada was formed. The ICFRA (international Confederation of World Long Range Championships) Championship attracts teams from around the planet, with strong contingents from Australia, Great Britain, America, Canada, South Africa, and of course the host country of New Zealand. Smaller teams from Japan and the Channel Islands off France are also here with Germany, Switzerland, Kenya and the Caribbean unfortunately missing this year.

We got in a couple days of both individual and team practice last weekend, getting wind zeros for our rifle sights plus elevations for the different ranges that are set in yards instead of metres like at home. The team coaches spent time with their shooters learning how to read the large yellow and red flags that show the Seddon range's notoriously fickle and often strong winds. Matches began on Monday with the Wellington Rifle Association Championships, the New Zealand Match team shoot, the Masefield aggregate followed by the Overseas Club Match. You can follow the action on National Rifle Association of New Zealand at NRA.nz.com .

The week of competition started with very warm weather and lots of strong wind that flicked back and forth from side left to right. The hard shooting A. DeToit from South Africa came in first place in the Wellington Rifle Association Match that included ranges fired at 300, 600, 900 and 1000 yards. Even in ferocious winds that shredded most scores, he dropped only one point and that was at the long range. Surrey's Al Katona was the top Canadian five points back of the winner and a long way from the medals. The rest of the week shooters competed shoulder to shoulder in the Masefield Cup that features a series of belt matches at both short and long ranges. Jim Bailey from Australia who I had the pleasure of shooting with walked away with the gold, winning by five points over last years champ John Snowden from New Zealand with South Africa's A. DeToit taking third place. High Canadian was yours truly back in 41st place.

The young and old got into the action on Saturday with the completion of the ICFRA World Individual Championships for Under 21, Under 25 and the Veteran's Aggregate. In the Under 21, L. Rembler of the USA took 1st place, in the Under 25, C. Schwebel of Australia took the gold, and Mark Anderson of Australia who I shot with in Bisley won the top award for those over 60 years old. To finish the weekend, the Under 21 Team match, the Under 25 Team match and Veterans Team match were all won by Australia, showing the strength of their shooting program.

Next week is the ICFRA World Long Range Championships followed on the weekend by the international team Palma Match. All of these 15 round matches are fired at 800, 900, and 1,000 yards. Winds are forcast at 30 gusting to 50 kmh which should make things interesting. Sorry to hear its cold and snowy in the Semi-pen, I'll think of you when putting on the SPF 50 sunscreen before heading to the rifle range to battle the world's best marksmen.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

January 28, 2019 

Hobnobbin With Hobbits

 

This TNT comes to you from 11,747 km away from the beautiful island nation of New Zealand. Every four years the Canadian Rifle Team makes their way to the ICFRA World Long Range Championships, this year being held in the town of Upper Hutt not far from Wellington. Here Canada's Under 25 Team, the Senior Team plus the Veterans Team will compete with the world's best marksmen from across the globe on the Seed in range. Myself plus two other shooters from South Surrey are on the team with several more from around BC. 

The tour started with getting dropped off at the airport long before our flight ensuring there were no lineups at the NEW Zealand Air check-in counter. When you consider how tight security is when flying with conventional lugge, try to imagine travelling with high-powered target rifles and hundreds of rounds of ammunition. You need Canadian government export permits, New Zealand Police import permits, Firearms cards plus your passport. Everything has to be inspected, cross referenced with serial numbers plus the ammo has to be weighed and checked for proper safety packaging. 

After meeting up with another eight team members and saying good-bye to our shooting friends who came to the airport to wish us good luck we passed through security where I basically had to disrobe to clear the metal detector. I guess a Canada pin is a dangerous object in the cabin, while .308 rifles and 10 kg of bullets are okay in the belly of the plane. Of course that was just my portion, I don't even want to add up how much other firearms and ordanance were on board, all with the blessing of Transport Canada. For all of the pain it is flying with restricted goods, you have to laugh that you can't bring nail cutters on board but a sniper team can pack plenty of rifles and gear as long as they comply with government and industry regulations.

After clearing security we encountered a rather large group of people at our gate who also looked like another team in transit. I'm not sure of it was the Tilley hat, my team blazer or the Statesmen eyeglasses from Sight For Sore Eyes in White Rock (shameless plug) but I was chosen to take their photo. After doing my best to cram them all in and take a couple of snaps, I found out they were Aboriginal youths and their chapparones . The 11 teens that were the focus of this expedition were heading to New Zealand Paddling Beyond cultural exchange program with the native Maori indigenous people. I had plenty of time to learn about this program on the 15 hour flight, including their plan to visit Hobbiton where the Lord of the Rings was filmed.

After a restless night crammed into economy seats we landed in Auckland where a rented bus was waiting for us. Our team Captain, Fazel Mohideen from Ontario, took the wheel after we had packed all of our gear, taking care to stay on the left side of the road. Using a GPS app on his phone we navigated through Auckland to the President Hotel with its Watergate restaurant. From there the next few days were spent enjoying the city, bonding as a team and checking out the local tourist traps. There was little jet lag for us with NZ being a day minus 3 hours ahead of us but the folks from Ontario and Quebec needed some time getting used to summer heat after escping from -25 cold and snowy weather.

Before the big drive South to Wellington, we spent several days touring the beautiful NZ countryside and its many attractions. After a major hike exploring a valley with limestone cliffs carved by water with cave upon cave, we went underground to visit a glowworm cave (https://www.caveworld.co.nz/glow-worm-tours/). These amazing little creatures glow 24 hours a day in complete darkness, using their green glow to attract insects that fly into the cave and it's many unique formations . Also on the itinerary was a stop at an active Mauori viĺlage in Rotorua perched above an active geothermal sight with multiple geysers, hot springs and thermal vents (https://whakarewarewa.com).

That's all for week one as we head South for the range and practices with the rest of our team before the main matches begin. 

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

Monday January 14, 2018

Sobering Thoughts

When cannabis was legalized on October 20, 2018 getting high became as socially acceptable as having a drink to relax at the end of a hard day. What many failed to realize was that while weed was finally becoming legal, impaired driving laws were being tightened. With marijuana legalization on the horizon the Canadian government took steps to strengthen the criminal justice system to deter all kinds of impaired driving. Part one of the former Bill C-46 came into force on June 21 of last year dealing with drug-impaired driving, while part two of this Bill became law almost a month ago on Dec. 18 focusing on alcohol impaired driving.

The big change in the DUI laws was that they implemented mandatory alcohol screening in Canada that authorized police to demand a breath sample at the roadside from any driver they encountered. In the past the police need a reason to pull you over and then have suspicions of alcohol impairment to ask for a breath sample. Now that is simply not the case and already police departments who no longer have to deal with marijuana possession laws are taking to the streets targeting anyone they think might have had a drink. The government championed that "Mandatory alcohol screening will authorize law enforcement to demand a breath sample at the roadside from any driver that has been lawfully stopped." What they did not explain was that the police can pull you over without any violation or indication of problematic driving, akin to them going on a fishing trip.

It did not take long for this change in the law to start showing some rather extreme changes in police tactics. In Mississauga a man bringing in a bunch of beer and wine bottles to a recycling depot after the Christmas holidays was stopped by an officer when leaving and asked for a breath sample early on a Saturday morning. He passed the test but was pissed off afterwards, taking the OPP to task about their profiling based on the number of empties being returned. Personally I have been the victim of this type of profiling when I was pulled over by an Integrated Safety Unit (IRSU) officer after purchasing a six-pack of craft beer on a Friday afternoon last summer in Langley. Having written several columns about the IRSU I was quite aware of who they were and saw their undercover vehicles in the liquor store parking lot. The excuse given for pulling me over was "You almost hit a curb back their with your trailer", which was a complete fabrication. After calling his bluff and flashing a White Rock Sun reporter card he quickly turned tail and left me alone with the IPA I had bought for the weekend. Funny to think that I actually thought buying beer in BC was legal!

The police here are now using these new powers and specifically targeting drivers leaving establishments that produce or serve liquor. A friend of mine was at a craft brewery on the weekend when he was followed from the parking lot by an undercover cop car. While his driving was perfect, he did not speed, he signaled his lane changes and broke no laws, he was pulled over because of where he had been. He was asked to provide a breath sample by the officer immediately after giving him his license and registration. Unfortunately for my friend he had tasted several flights of beer, with many of the winter brews featuring higher than normal alcohol content, and this on an empty stomach. He failed the roadside screening device test even though he did not feel intoxicated and the officer agreed that he could not notice any kind of impairment. He was given an immediate 90 day license suspension, his car was towed and impounded with storage fees for 30 days. Next up is big fines plus major ICBC rate increases. The worst part is he was to start his new job on Monday but without a license he is now unemployed.

Now don't get me wrong, I do not condone drunk driving but am concerned about our rights and freedoms and civil liberties. If we can have police pulling people over for no legitimate reason and giving them a breathalyzer, why not do a strip search for weapons and a cavity search for narcotics while they are at it? I know that possession is 9/10ths of the law and with marijuana now legal and drug possession charges way down, the cops need something to do since they can't be busting hippies for a joint any more. These new DUI laws have given the police powers to harass any and all drivers without suspicion of any law being broken. I expect this new law to be quickly challenged as it will likely not survive a constitutional challenge. Of course here in Canada, this court case will likely take years before making its way to the Supreme Court.

Until that time you can expect the police to run rampant over individual rights and freedoms, turning law abiding people into unwitting criminals as Canada drifts towards a police state. Planning on going to a bar or brewery in the near future for even one drink? I would park nearby and walk to the establishment to avoid being targeted. Did you get a gift card for the Keg or Cactus Club that are known to serve premium cocktails? You'd better have a designated driver and still might be pulled over for nothing. Around the Semi-pen, I would expect to see cops watching the Sandcastle Bowling Alley, Softball City and restaurants along the White Rock strip. Patrons heading to pubs and bars such as the the Town Hall, Sawbucks, Baselines, Ocean Park Village and Browns Social House should make for easy police pickings. I would not expect the local Canadian Legion branches or Elks Hall to escape the attention of the RCMP. With Three Dogs Brewing now located next door to the White Rock Beach Beer Company, Russel Avenue should be a mecca for any cop wanting to find people to randomly pull over for a breathalyzer.

It will be interesting to see what kind of chilling effect that police enforcement of the new DUI laws has on food and beverage establishments here, many that are just scraping by. Until this unjust law is overturned, I will avoid bars like the plaque, have water when eating at restaurants and get growlers filled at craft breweries for home consumption. I resent being treated like a criminal when I've done nothing wrong and this new law gives the police way too much powers that can also be used to target visible minorities. For those reading this TNT, keep in mind that an extra glass of wine, another pint of beer or that double high-ball may cost you a heck of a lot more than the drink itself.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 


The Naked Truth - Jan. 7, 2019

A Long Walk to a Short Pier

Almost everyone is aware of the damage sustained to the White Rock Pier during the Dec. 20th windstorm, mainly due to Tim Shields' viral video of sailboats on a broken dock slamming into Canada's longest pier. What few realize is the pounding that the shoreline and the BNSF Railway received during this nasty storm. On Boxing Day I put on my hardhat and high vis vest and went on a "Track Watch" journey from Crescent Beach, through White Rock, to the Semiahmoo First Nation Reserve. This TNT, which is more of a pictorial than a column, should open up a few eyes to the damage Mother Nature inflicted on shores of the Semi-pen.

One of the good things to note from the storm is that the previous landslide debris deposited onto the shore near Crescent Beach that had blocked shoreline access during high tide has now washed away, leaving behind the Big O drainage pipe behind that initiated this slide.

Crescent Rock nude beach got seriously eroded by the waves but on the bright side it looks like there will be plenty of sand there next summer. The memorial for Jack Stroud who was hit while on the train tracks last year was obliterated but fresh flowers had already been laid at the spot where he died.

 

The erosion of the rip rap boulders that line the shore and ballast stones which hold the ties in place are evident in this photo from near Kwomais Point that shows how close the waves came to the tracks. I was passed in this area by a BNSF freight train carrying 100 tankers of crude oil, and another with 70 gas tankers plus cars of ammonia and hydrochloric acid.

This shot shows an area not yet repaired where waves pulled down the rip-rap boulders and water washed the ballast rock away exposing the ends of the sleepers. I've been told by BNSF employees that more rip-rap and ballast stone are coming in the near future to repair all the damage.

Approximately 200 metres of Kwomais Point took the full force of the storm and the tracks and ties were apparently hanging suspended in several locations. The BNSF has installed tonnes of new rip-rap boulders to shore up the bank and deposited train-car loads of ballast stone on the rails throughout this area.

Most of the tracks heading towards White Rock have been top-dressed with tonnes of crushed ballast rock, covering the ties and the track side facing the ocean. On the places not buried in stones, driftwood lies in between the steel rails in many locations.

Closing in on West Beach, it was not until I got near the houses on Marine Drive that the amount of logs began to suddenly increase, plus sailboat wreckage first appeared. On West Beach by the Boat Launch, the lawns looked like a logging show with tonnes of debris.

All of West Beach was a disaster zone with logs and flotsam everywhere. The Promenade was fenced off and posted "Permanently Closed Until Further Notice." Climbing the Hump I got to watch a mini-excavator on a barge try to pull one of the damaged sail boats off the beach, with the hole in the pier as a backdrop.

Arriving in East Beach, I witnessed a sailboat smashed up onto the rocks with rudder and masts gone and a gaping hole in its side. It was obvious that this boat was completely destroyed by the waves and logs pounding it onto the rocks at the shore.

Of all the wreckage scattered along East Beach, this float likely from the busted sailboat dock was rather unique. It was sitting squarely on the promenade bricks without any damage to the nearby fence or lamp post. The wave that dropped it there must have been huge.

As bad as West Beach was, it seemed that East Beach had even more logs and debris. It was easy to see why the White Rock Polar Bear Swim had to be cancelled as the shoreline would have been dangerous for anyone to access.

The Semiahmoo beach by the WAG and the SFN parking lot got seriously washed with the vegetation mowed down and logs pushed back to the bottom of the tracks. It was here that I found a "Sensitive Shellfish Harvesting Area" sign from Drayton Harbor in Blaine along with a piling from the WR Pier.

There you have it folks, 12 pictures that should give you some insight to the power of Mother Nature and the damage from this historic storm. You should have seen the other two dozen photos that would not fit into this first-of-its-kind TNT pictorial. Kudos to the BNSF employees who worked diligently to repair all of the damage done to their rail line that was closed for 48 hours. It will take a while to remove all of the logs and debris from the beaches in White Rock and preliminary estimates are that the pier will not be repaired until August at the earliest.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

The Naked Truth, Dec. 31, 2018

TNT Year in Review 2018

 

What did you manage to do last year? To help celebrate the end of 2018, here is the TNT Year in Review

Dec. 24, Christmas Gift List 2018: Often naughty, sometimes nice gifts left under the Xmas tree for the Semi-pen's movers and shakers.
Dec. 17, Bailey Bridge Boondoggle: Repairs are done on the old Bailey Bridge over a year after this relic was already to have been replaced.
Dec. 10, Geezer madness: A look at how local governments are using land zoning and business licenses to thwart recent marijuana legalization.
Dec. 03, Shoreline Strippers: A green space along Nicomekyl River by the Sea Dam has locals ripping out the riparian area for water views.

Nov. 25, Chantrell Creek Gets Back to Nature: Pictures and information on how Surrey rehabilitated a section of Chantrell Creek back to a natural state.
Nov. 19, What The Firetruck?: What word starts with "F" and ends in "uck"? How about a story on two firetrucks for sale at Crescent Road and KGB.
Nov. 12, Path to Destruction: Expose on logging occurring at the Elgin Heritage Park with healthy 150 year old Douglas Fir trees getting the axe.
Nov. 05, Monday Night Political Football: The civic election is over and plenty of new faces sit down for their first Council meetings in Surrey and White Rock.

Oct. 29, The Best Defence is a Landslide Detector Fence: After 10 years, the BNSF finally extends the LDF through the Crescent Beach slide zone.
Oct. 22, Its Time For Change: A look at the civic election results where Surrey First and the White Rock Coalition were shown the door by voters.
Oct. 16, Speed Kills, Duh: In reversing a deadly Liberal mistake, John Horgan's NDP lower speed limits on BC highways to reduce crashes and deaths.
Oct. 09 Bananas About Basjoo: Banana groves flourishing in Crescent Beach? You bet your sweet bananas there are, with photos to prove it.
Oct. 01, The Number's Game: A preview of the local elections and the huge number of people who are running for Mayor and Council.

Sept. 25, Tracking Our Politicians: Rail safety and rail relocation are always hot button topics before an election, too bad the BNSF and Transport Canada don't care.
Sept. 17, Wrecking The Rock: From Uptown to the waterfront, White Rock is a massive construction zone with the crane and loon fighting to be the official bird.
Sept. 10, BNSF's Behaviour Simply Of-fence-sive: Column on the BNSF trying to extort $225,000 per year from Surrey for a free safety fence meant for the railway.
Sept. 04, Gunning For Mayor: A marksman puts the cross-hairs on gun violence in Surrey and efforts by the RCMP and mayoralty hopefuls wanting to stop it.

Aug. 27, Skimboarding Getting Kayotics: Tofino may have surfing but Kayotics Skimboards in White Rock is taking skimboarding to a whole new level.
Aug. 20, Smogust: BC is burning, temperatures are on the rise and air quality here in the Semi-pen is worse than breathing the air in Bejing China.
Aug. 13, Red Light Runners Beware: New red light cameras are coming to a neighbourhood near you, now running 24 hours a day instead of 6 hours like before.
Aug. 06: Shooting Stops in Surrey: A wrap-up of the Canadian Rifle team's visit to Bisley England with kudos to south Surrey's Jim Paton for placing 2nd.

July 23, This Surrey Shooting Scores a Bulls-eye: A look into the UK NRA Target Rifle Championships held yearly at the Bisley ranges in Surrey, England.
July 17, TNT Time in Britain: A Donald from White Rock goes to Jolly old England the same time that The Donald from the USA flies in with Air Force One.
July 9, Railing on About Track Safety: A dark story about the death of 15 year-old Jack Stroud who was hit and killed by the Amtrak train near Christopherson Steps.
July 03, Glimpsing a Petroglyph: Native rock carvings abound here in the Semi-pen if you know where to look including at the clothing-optional Crescent Rock beach.

June 25, A Line in the Sand at Border Beach: A call for a beach border marker next to the Peace Arch after a jogger ends up in the USA and hot water.
June 18, Disposal Ban With No Disposal Plan: Metro-Van bans styrofoam packaging from the waste stream but has no recycling system in place.
June 11, Dying To Get In There: Problems at the corner of 192 St. and 16 Ave. cause 3 deaths in 10 years as drivers crash into the Hazelmere Cemetery.
June 04, Crime of the Week: RCMP are still looking for information about the murder of 15 year-old Dario Bartoli at Bakerview Park in 2014.

May 28, Musseling Into Our Territory: An interesting expose of the work being done by the BC Invasive Mussel Defence Program to stop invasive species.
May 21, Land of the Free: How to avoid paying Washington State sales tax when you cross the border to go shopping in the United States.
May 14, Mighty Fraser Might Flood Surrey: A 10-day high streamflow advisory for the Fraser River peaks interest about the possibility of flooding.
May 07, Habitat Schmabitat: A story about the Art Knapps store and how they are doing their part to help the environment and build more habitat.

Apr. 30, Rock is Dead - Long Live Rock!: A very blue look at the life and times of guitarist Jason Buie who helped form the WR Blues Society before passing.
Apr. 23, Weed Em And Reap: The invasive and toxic Laurel Spurge is put under a spotlight as it spreads uncontrolled in yards, green-spaces and parkland.
Apr. 16, Mayor If You Dare: An overview of all of the people with aspirations to be the next Mayor as Linda Hepner and Wayne Baldwin bow out.
Apr. 09, The "Legend" Continues: A 79 year -marksman named Bob Pitcairn represents Canada at the Commonwealth Games setting a new record.
Apr. 01, April Fools For Fools: April 1st has become "Tax Increase Day" and this year is no exception with a laundry list of government gouging.

Mar. 26, Preaching From the Chappell: Meet the new Semiahmoo First Nation Chief, Harley Chappell, who answers many questions about the Reserve.
Mar. 19, BNSF Burying Crescent Beach: Landslide debris from the BNSF tracks gets dumped onto Crescent Beach leaving the railway with mud on its face.
Mar. 12, Overpass Opens Before Passover: The severely damaged 152 St. overpass above Hwy. 99 opens early after being hit by an over-height truck.
Mar. 05, A Clear-Cut Job: Arborists roar into action under cover of darkness to cut down boulevard trees all along Johnson Road in uptown White Rock.

Feb. 12-26, White Rock Sun closed.
Feb. 05, Lights Out For Watts: Dianne Watts loses her bid to lead the BC Liberal Party to Andrew Wilkinson after she quit as South Surrey/White Rock MP.

Jan. 29, Super-Blue-Blood-Moon Rising: A super moon, blue moon and blood moon and happen at once in this extremely rare astrological event.
Jan. 22, Taking Tax Relief For Granted: House prices rise stratospherically, property taxes rise dramatically, but the home owners grant never changes.
Jan. 15, Muddying The Waters: A look into operations at the Border Feed Lot and Ecoli contamination of the Little Campbell River watershed.
Jan. 08, Clearing The Air: Soggy manure piles turned over at the Border Feed Lot cause neighbours living downwind to raise a stink.

There you go folks, a full year of TNTs condensed down into one short column. If you see anything here that catches your eye, simply scroll down to read what you missed. If you hit the archives, every The Naked Truth ever written going back to June 20, 2009 is still posted online in the electronic pages of the White Rock Sun for your viewing pleasure.

Happy New Year,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

December 24, 2018

Christmas Gift List 2018

If there's one thing I love about Christmas it's the annual traditions and in the White Rock Sun this holiday TNT is always special. Here's the list of naughty and nice gifts we hope Santa left under the tree for the movers, shakers and decision makers from the Semiahmoo peninsula, listed alphabetically so as not to offend anyone.

Wayne Baldwin, former White Rock Mayor - A DVD copy of the comedy movie "The Boss" featuring Melissa MacCarthy. As a stocking stuffer, free downloads of every song that Bruce Springstein has ever recorded plus the Ramones song "Glad To See You Go" from their 1977 "Leave Home" album.

Jennifer Brooks and family - Just like Tim Shields below, the Brooks family got their Xmas present early on Dec. 20th when they learned that that RCMP Const. Elizabeth Cucheran, charged in the shooting death of Hudson Brooks at the south Surrey RCMP detachment in 2015, has been ordered to stand trial in BC Supreme Court early in the new year.

Dave Chesney, WR Councillor - A"Mustang Only" parking sign for in front of his stall at City Hall for his vintage 1966 Ford Mustang fastback in candy apple red paint making Dave hard to miss as he rolls by on the hard streets of White Rock.

The Coalition - For the group of Councillors including Grant Meyers, Bill Lawrence, Lynne Sinclair and Megan Knight who transformed much of uptown White Rock into a concrete jungle against the wishes of the people before they were soundly turfed from office, a roll of sod with instructions "green side up."

Democracy Direct - For White Rocks newest councillors, Erica Johanson, Scott Kristjanson, Anthony Manning and Christopher Trevelyan who said they would actually listen to the wants of their constituents, expect to find hearing aids and aural trumpets for all of them under the tree at City Hall.

Helen Fathers, WR Councillor - The beautiful Snover Gill was crowned 2018 Miss White Rock but the lovely and talented Helen needs a trophy for her mantle proclaiming her as "Mrs. White Rock" after receiving the most votes of any Councillor who was elected.

Rodderick Louis, social provocateur - For the highly opinionated, extremely vocal, thorn-in-the-side critic of White Rock Council, a free travel package. Unfortunately it's likely to be an escorted trip out of Council chambers by the RCMP after turning yet another public meeting into a one man gong show.

Kerri-Lynne Findlay, Conservative member - A DVD of the made for television movie The Comeback Kid starring John Ritter. This Conservative candidate will be back for round two, likely taking on Liberal incumbent Gordie Hogg once again to be the MP for the south Surrey - White Rock riding.

Gordon Hogg, MP for SS/WR - A new pair of running shoes as "Good Ol Gordie" gets ready to run again for MP of South Surrey - White Rock in what should be his 16th election campaign over his many years of public service. As a stocking stuffer, a really fun and colourful pair of socks to match his personality.

Doug MacCallum, City of Surrey Mayor - Back in the saddle after a 13 year hiatus, Cowboy Doug gets a bullet-proof vest in case of friendly-fire from the Surrey RCMP he wants to replace. Since he's been such a good boy this year, Santa also brings him a model Skytrain set to play with plus an extra billion dollars to help fund it over the LRT.

Semiahmoo First Nation Council - For Chief Harley Chappel and Councillors Joanne and Roxanne Charles, a clean Metro Vancouver water connection that ends their boil water advisory on the Reserve in place since 2005. Just like last year, some gifts are a long, long, long time coming.

Tim Shields, Master Photographer - Christmas always comes 5 days early for this former RCMP inspector and avid photographer. On Dec. 20, 2017 he was found not guilty of sexual misconduct charges involving a civilian employee in the workplace. This year on Dec. 20 he took the amazing video of the sailboats crashing into the WR pier, just before he and his family made a mad dash to safety. Not bad for the guy who also won the 2018 International Nature Photographer of the Year award (visit Timshields.com).

Darryl Walker, Mayor of White Rock - For White Rock's new Mayor a framed copy of Democracy Direct's election promises including open and transparent governance of the most secretive City Hall this side of North Korea. As a heartwarming stocking stuffer, the knowledge that he knocked another DW, the once formidable Dianne Watts, off the Christmas List.

The White Rock Pier - In a TNT first, an inanimate object and not a person makes the Christmas list for Semi-pen movers and shakers. For Canada's longest pier, which was heavily damaged by boats in a strong wind storm on Dec. 20th, Santa is leaving a pile of new boards and fresh pilings hoping that an army of elves can put this heritage site back together again by summer.

Merry Christmas everyone and have a happy New Year planning your safe ride home.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

December 17, 2018

Bailey Bridge Boondoggle

This TNT got its start back in September of 2017 when the Nicomekl Bailey Bridge was closed for extensive repairs. I did a bridge inspection of my own at that time and wrote a TNT titled "Bailey Bridge Blockade" that revealed rotten timbers, truss corrosion and beam repairs that looked like a Jenga game. Emails to the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transportation with questions about the closure and pictures of the bridge structure quickly led to signs going up on the structure with a load restriction of 10,000 Kg. and an announcement that bridge inspectors had noticed components that needed repairs and they closed the Bailey Bridge as a precaution until an assessment could be done by structural engineers. Three weeks after my TNT appeared in the White Rock Sun, the Ministry announced the "Bailey Bridge in south Surrey will undergo full replacement" with details about a steel superstructure, new deck plus approach and abutment works. Drivers were advised that the one lane crossing would be closed for 6 weeks starting Oct. 16, for crews to complete the replacement. Scroll down into the TNT archives to read this mini-TNT dated Sept. 25, 2017 for the intimate details and to check out the pictures of the rot and temporary repairs.

Anyone who still dares to use the Bailey Bridge crossing will tell you that the planned replacement never happened and this antiquated relic remains in place. In November of 2017 the Ministry of Trans announced that the new bridge had been deferred until the New Year while they waited for an environmental approval from the Province. This statement also included information that the current 10,00 Kg. load limit that forces commercial truck traffic and transit buses to avoid the span would remain in place until the replacement of the Bailey Bridge. The new year came and went and nothing was done about the bridge replacement but finally in October of 2018 it was reported that the Ministry "intends to move forward with the project" promising more information by the end of this year. Their statement also revealed the delays were also because "The plan is still being discussed with the City of Surrey in light of their future long-term transportation plan." I thought this was rather rich since this temporary bridge has become a long-term fixture in these parts, one that is dangerous and well beyond its expected life-span.

Last month the Ministry of Trans announced that "Crews will be repairing the single-lane Bailey Bridge crossing of the Nicomekyl River in south Surrey and northbound traffic will be diverted onto the adjacent two-lane structure from Nov. 19 to Nov. 26, 2018." This work went ahead as planned focusing on the south end of the bridge that had already seen extensive temporary repairs. For most of the week there was heavy equipment on site, Mainroad Group trucks and their crews plus piles of debris left under tarps. This weekend I went back to the Bailey Bridge to see the extent of the repairs. This time around the decking was removed, over a dozen of the cross beams replaced plus most of the wooden abutment was rebuilt. Once again, even with these extensive repairs the 10,000 Kg. load limit remains in place for this crossing. It has now been 14 months since the old Bailey Bridge was to have been replaced and they are still throwing good money at bad, putting lipstick on a pig, putting a bandaid on a gaping wound, and trying to fix something that should have been torn down years ago.

Here is the statement I received this week from the Transportation Ministry about this ongoing saga: "The Bailey bridge in South Surrey is an older bridge, and it was always meant to be a temporary crossing only. While the bridge remains safe for travels, it needs a permanent, long term solution. At this time, ministry staff are still in discussions with the City of Surrey on a future replacement project that fits into the region’s long-term transportation plan. We hope to reach a consensus soon, and get to work on a replacement, to benefit people who live and work in this area." The issue I have with this PR spin is that the Bailey Bridge is NOT safe for travel. Northbound heavy commercial trucks and transit buses that usually stay in the right lane must now change into the left lane to go onto the other crossing and then once on the other side of the Nicomekl river, they have to force their way back into the right lane. There is a very short distance from the bridge to the Park and Ride lot and buses are always changing lanes on this curve. It does not help that the highway signs in this area are worn out, illegible and completely invisible at night, likely having not been replaced since the Bailey Bridge was first installed in the early 1970s.

When I walked down King George Blvd. to check the bridge on Sunday, I was amazed at how many broken bits of cars littered the road from previous accidents. Obviously the Bailey Bridge is not fit for heavy vehicles which puts the travelling public at risk if a transit bus driver were to mistakenly cross it. The solar powered highway warning sign flashing the 10,000 Kg. limit has often gone dark, something that is happening way too often on these rainy and cloudy days. Most worrisome is the bridge deck itself that gets notoriously slippery when there is frost, something that happens often this time of year especially at this location near the water at the bottom of a hill. The bridge deck used to be covered with an anti-skid coating, similar to what is currently being used on Colebrook Road from 152 St. to 160 Street. It has now flaked off in all of the areas where vehicles travel, leaving tires rolling on polished wooden planks. This deck coating should have been replaced when it began to wear and the Ministry along with Mainroad Group are responsible for allowing the deck to deteriorate to its current slippery state. A friend who was at our house this weekend told me his wife almost lost control of her Mustang recently when crossing on a particularly frosty morning. I would recommend that if you have to cross the Bailey Bridge when it's icy, do not touch either your gas or brake pedal until safely on the other side.

Slippery When Wet

The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure, the Ministry of the Environment plus the City of Surrey should stop dithering on this project and get the old Bailey Bridge replaced asap. Considering the current state of this dangerous relic, I would suggest closing it off completely to vehicle traffic until that time. There were never any backups or congestion when it was closed for repairs and this would likely be safer than leaving it open with all of the problems I have noted here. If they wish to leave it open, I would suggest a 30 Km. speed limit plus the anti-slip coating would need to be reapplied to the slippery wooden planks, especially with winter on the way. I would like to invite an ICBC manager to inspect this antiquated and dangerous bridge for themselves plus check out the rotten and worn out highway signs that are contributing to accidents at the KGB/Hwy. 99 interchange. Maybe they can use flames from their so-called dumpster fire to put some heat on the asses of those whose job it is to ensure we have safe roads and bridges.

Naturally yours,
Don PItcairn

 

 

December 10,2018

Geezer Madness

 

 

October 17, 2018 was the official "Weed Freedom" day in Canada when the recreational use of marijuana was finally legalized. While the Federal government under Justin Trudeau's Liberals legalized the purchase of marijuana for recreational purposes, it was not without a staggering number of legal hurdles and regulatory process limiting production and distribution of a wide variety of marijuana products. Three days later we had civic elections throughout our province with politicians and their slates vowing to stamp our marijuana dispensaries and growing facilities like invasive weeds. Many of these people grew up in the prohibition era of "Reefer Madness" and the propaganda campaigns and anti-drug crusades that stigmatized cannabis use. Simply search "reefer madness" on your computer and check out the wild images associated with it and slogans that include the following: the smoke of hell, devil's harvest, assassin of youth, Satan's cigarettes, drug crazed abandon, and weird orgies - wild parties. Fortunately some people saw through this smoke screen and wrote a musical satire about this subject that was later produced as an off-Broadway play.

The first legal recreational cannabis store opened up on Oct. 17th in Kamloops at the B.C. Liquor Distribution Branch’s first "B.C. Cannabis Store." Since that time three more stores have been approved by the Kamloops Council and are now up and running serving a (dare I say) growing market. The BC government also utilizes the LDB to provide online sales through their websitebccannabisstores.com where many of their products are "Out of stock" or "Limited quantity" due to lack of product availability and the sheer number of orders being placed. This weekend we found out that Shoppers Drug Mart has now received a license to sell medical cannabis over the internet including dried cannabis, fresh cannabis, plants, seeds and cannabis oils. They even have a website (cannabis.shoppersdrugmart.ca) that states "As a leader in health and wellness for Canadians, Shoppers Drug Mart will soon be your trusted source for medical cannabis from a variety of producers." In case you were not aware, Shoppers is part of Loblaw Companies Ltd., run by Galen Weston Jr. of the Weston family that has a net worth of over $8 billion. I guess that they and all of their 135,000 Loblaw employees across Canada will now be banned for life from entering the USA since they sell pot.

In White Rock Surrey and Delta, there has not been one recreational cannabis dispensary allowed to open even though marijuana is legal. In Delta there are many large commercial greenhouses that have ripped out their tomatoes and are now growing cannabis with the government's blessing. These include Emerald Health Theraputics, Village Farms International and the massive BC Tweed greenhouse, which has 1.3 million square feet of production space that is now generating skunky smell complaints along Hwy. 99. Of course there has been plenty of gnashing of teeth about ALR land in BC being used for pot production instead of food production. It is interesting to note that nobody is complaining about fields of tobacco, grapes being grown for alcoholic wine, non-edible crops such as flowers and Christmas trees, or the use for growing grass at golf courses. I even know of one nursery in Surrey that told me they had been approached to change their business focus from nursery plants to marijuana. When I asked who had approached them they told me "the government" before revealing that they had turned down their offer.

In the big city of Surrey, new Mayor Doug McCallum and his Safe Surrey Coalition members are on record as being opposed to cannabis retail stores and growing facilities. Prior to the election he stated "Surrey is at a crossroads with out-of-contol crime and gang violence. We need to get crime under control first. My biggest concern is that local cannabis stores and production facilities put another layer of uncertainty onto our city when residents already feel unsafe." What he does not comprehend is that gangs and organized crime have utilized marijuana production and their distribution system to create vast wealth and power. In the past large amounts of cannabis were smuggled south into the US, with cocaine and guns flowing north, adding to the epidemic of gangland murders that continue to plague Surrey to this day. Not allowing brick and mortar cannabis retailers to operate in the city only ensures a continuation of the black market because many people do not want to buy their pot online from government sources and then wait for Canada Post to deliver it. The Safe Surrey Coalition policy on pot will only serve to help further finance the very gangs he wants to eradicate.

It is not like you cannot already get cannabis flowers and related products delivered to your door in Surrey even if you don't have "a guy." The Weedmaps (weedmaps.com) weed finder app for any cell phone lists a dozen mobile delivery businesses operating in the city that include Cannamobile, Premium Budz, Cheap Bud Canada, Bud2Go, Green2go and plenty more. Most of these have an online ordering platform with product pictures and pricing lists that you can peruse before ordering, just like when you ring Dominos for a pizza. There is even a delivery service listed for little old White Rock for those seniors who want some fresh herb without leaving the comfort of their homes. As to who owns and runs these "green lines" as they are called, nobody knows as its not like they can apply for a business license from City Hall. In Surrey it is doubtful that the outstretched and overburdened RCMP have the staff or the heart to go after these budding entrepreneurs who make house calls. With McCallum wanting to ditch the RCMP in favour of a municipal force, it is likely the cops want nothing to do with his trying to block lawful retail cannabis sales in Surrey.

There were many people that voted for the Liberal Party in the last Federal election because they wanted to end decades of pot prohibition. It is sad to see many of the elderly mayors and councillors from around the province using their local powers over land use and business licenses to stifle the legal retail sale of marijuana. It really makes me wonder what the hell these people have been smoking; probably too much state controlled tobacco I reckon. This "geezer madness" has to stop and hopefully when they realize that their cities can actually profit from legal cannabis sales, as Kamloops has quickly figured out, they might come to their senses. If not, just as Canadians voted in a young Justin Trudeau to end prohibition, it might be time to vote in civic elections for those with less grey hair and a little more common sense about cannabis.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

EDITOR'S NOTE

The Province newspaper's front page story on Monday reveals how local governments are also using zoning powers to stop legal medicinal grow operations receiving microcultivation licences from Health Canada, which adds to the current lack of recreational cannabis supply and supports the continuation of the black market.
https://theprovince.com/cannabis/cannabis-business/small-cannabis-growers-find-roadblocks-on-path-to-microcultivation-licences/wcm/6f657d1a-f0cf-4f23-b8ac-72aec47362ca

 

 

December 03, 2018


Shoreline Strippers

 

People often ask me where I get my story ideas from for my weekly The Naked Truth column. It really is as easy as keeping your eyes and ears open as you traverse about our little corner of the world. A month ago I suddenly had multiple topics all bordering on Crescent Road in south Surrey. This will be the last of a four part series from Crescent Road, showing that you don't have to go very far to find something worth writing about in your local newspaper. This quadrilogy began on November 12th with "Path to Destruction" about tree cutting in Elgin Heritage Park, "What The Firetruck" with its focus on a pair of firetrucks for sale at CWL Auto, "Chantrell Creek Gets Back to Nature" revealing Surrey's rehabilitation of the creek bed and finally "Shoreline Strippers" about greenbelt gardening near Southport by the Elgin Road Sea dam. I'm sorry for not revealing this before but I didn't want to let the cat out of the bag until the series was complete. Now, onto this week's TNT to bring this Crescent Road quartet to its stunning conclusion.

Many people heading towards Crescent Beach or Ocean Park from Highway 99 often take the Elgin Road Sea Dam Bridge over the Nicomekyl River as a short cut to Crescent Road. Most people give little thought to the history of this area as they travel through Port Elgin, on parts of the Semiahmoo Trail, over the Sea dam that was built in 1911 which was the earlier site of a wooden bridge constructed in 1874. Just west of the Semiahmoo Trail cairn is the waterfront community of Southport that it nestled beside Nico Wynd Estates and its 9 hole golf course. When this neighbourood was developed a walking trail and green space were installed allowing pedestrians to access the waterfront that also connects to the dike trail going around Nico Wynd and public trails connecting to Elgin Heritage Park. It is a fantastic place to go for a stroll, enjoy the banks of the Nicomekyl River and take in views of the North Shore mountains. Unfortunately it appears to also be a place where water views trump environmental protection, with little to nothing being done about damage to natural park lands.

There are story boards posted by the City of Surrey's Heritage Advisory Committee throughout the Southport section of the greenbelt giving interesting historical perspectives on River Routes, Trails and Roads, First Nations Settlement, Early European Settlers, Elgin Families and Community Life. The last of these signs concerns Riparian Areas and I will repeat here for you exactly what they have to say.


The planted spaces between the river and the pathway are called "riparian areas." Riparian areas are important components of the river's total ecosystem. The vegetation provides habitat for small mammals, birds, and other wildlife. It filters the sediments and water that flow towards the river and provides nutrients and food to plants and animals that live both beside and in the river. Without riparian areas the riverbank might erode or collapse, thereby allowing sediments and pollutants to enter the river.
The Nicomekyl River's riparian areas have changed considerably over time. Agricultural activity and urban development have resulted in much of the area's original vegetation being destroyed. Today, environmental awareness and partnerships between the City, community and private sector have resulted in the protection of riparian areas and replanting of native plant species.

Now this might have sounded wonderful when Southport was first built but soon after people began to move into their houses, the greenbelt began to come under attack. A resident of Southport told me that neighbours have pulled out shrubs, cut down native bushes and taken to mowing the areas between the remaining shrubs to improve their water views. It is important to realize that this is an environmentally sensitive riparian area protects the bank of the Nicomekyl River while providing habitat for wildlife. It is outside of the footprint of Southport and is not owned by the residents with houses overlooking the greenbelt. A quick visit to the Surrey COSMOS site reveals that this greenbelt is classified as Surrey nature park land. The level of gardening seems to change almost from lot to lot with some being completely cleared of plants except for grass. Nowhere on this entire stretch of river are the plants left in an unaltered state until the very last property at Southport where it borders on Nico Wynd. The following two pictures show the view looking west and then east from this boundary. On one side the plants are mature size, woven together and unpruned. On the other side they appear somewhere between an Edward Scissorhands topiary and a Japanese bonsai plantation.

 


Riparian area towards Nico Wynd in natural state

 


Surrey natural park land towards Southport cleared and pruned

The person who informed me about the greenbelt gardening in this area told me he had contacted the City of Surrey and the Department of Fisheries multiple times about the removal of native plantings, the heavy pruning of shrubs and the creation of lawns between the remaining vegetation. He felt that the illegal gardening should stop, the pulled out shrubs be replanted and the area left for wildlife and bank stabilization as was originally planned. I would go a step further and say that signs like at the corner of the Nico Wynd property that reads "KEEP OUT - Environmentally Sensitive Area" be posted along this now razed green belt at Southport. Other signs reading "NO Cutting or Removal of Vegetation, Report Offenders to Police" should be added and if residents don't get the message, a page wire fence like what is used along the Boundary Bay Dyke Trail should be installed to keep these shoreline strippers at bay. The City of Surrey also needs to alert residents of this riverfront enclave that destruction of the greenbelt plants or heavy pruning along Southport will not be tolerated. It never ceases to amaze me how many people are all for trees and the environment but only as long as they don't interfere with their view. How self-centred, short-sighted and selfish to damage natural park land for their own egocentric needs.

Greenbelts are not private property, they are public lands usually set aside in environmentally sensitive areas as natural park areas. People should be thankful that these small tracks of greenery have been left and leave them in a natural state. In the winter the leaves fall off the green belt vegetation and the water is visible from Southport homes ground floors. The rest of the year I'm sure that the view from the upstairs windows is amazing, even without the greenbelt plants being hacked or mowed down. Left alone, this shoreline green space area would attract plenty of song birds, rabbits, river otters and possibly black tailed deer using it as a wildlife corridor along the banks of the Nicomekyl. It is time that Southport's shoreline strippers are held accountable and this natural park land be restored to its original post development condition. If you agree, then give the Surrey Parks Department's General Manager Laurie Cavan a call at 604-598-5760 or pop her an email at lacavan@surrey.ca plus the generic parksrecculture@surrey.ca address about nature areas in the City of Surrey being mowed down by narcissistic neighbours.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

UPDATE December 20

Good afternoon Don,

Thank you for your interest in the riparian area along the Nicomekl River just west of the Elgin Road sea dam. Laurie Cavan asked me to follow-up with you on the below concern.

The park (presently referred to by Parks staff as “102G-Greenbelt”) was originally planted in 2011/12 as part of a riparian restoration plan related to a strata development directly to the south of the greenbelt. Parks staff have been working with the adjacent residents over the years to ensure that new riparian vegetation is established. As you have observed, there is still unauthorized work occurring in the area. In early 2019 staff plan reach out to the adjacent neighbours to discuss the concern and determine next steps. As you suggest, better signage and/or some form of fencing may be part of the solution.

Please let me know if you have any further questions about this site.

Sincerely,

NEAL AVEN
Manager of Parks

CITY OF SURREY

 

 

November 25, 2018

Chantrell Creek Gets Back to Nature

 

Fish heads, fish heads
Roly-poly fish heads
Fish heads, fish heads
Eat them up, yum

Lyrics to "The Fish Head Song" by Barnes & Barnes, Voobaha album, 1980
https://www.youtube.com/watch?reload=9&v=JKDtUzRIG6I

For the past few months you might have experienced traffic stopped by flaggers on Crescent Road with strange looking bucket dump trucks crossing from the Elgin Heritage Park parking lot to a driveway across the street leading to 13568 Crescent Road. With little fanfare the City of Surrey has been undertaking the rehabilitation of a 150 metre section of Chantrell Creek. I am pleased to announce that after substantial delays due to heavy rains in September, it appears that the bulk of the work has been done and the Elgin Park parking lot cleared of most of the heavy equipment with fresh gravel laid down.

This project got its start back in 2015 when the City of Surrey Engineering and Parks departments purchased this unique property with several drainage ponds, two fish ladders, concrete spillways and a large concrete outflow structure. I was aware of the land purchase and issues with the ponds and fish ladders from around that time, having worked on an adjacent property. According to neighbours, the drainage system was originally installed by a property developer years ago at Surrey's request to allow for upstream development in the Chantrell Heights area. In 1999 the City of Surrey took over maintenance of the drainage system out of concerns over liability, likely to do with flood and fisheries. According to the City, the drainage system was deteriorating over time and they found it expensive and difficult to maintain due to limited access. The ponds were designed to collect sediment from the water but due to their design they limited fish passage to the upper reaches of Chantrell Creek. It was decided that the ponds and related structures should be removed and the creek's natural drainage system restored.

Phase one of the project began in the spring of this year with tree removal from the areas to be excavated being performed at that time to meet both federal and provincial regulations to not interfere with bird nesting. Unfortunately some of the mature trees that were to be preserved were mistakenly cut down, taking away shade from the creek and opening lines of sites between houses on both sides of the creek that had previously had very private yards. Phase two which was the excavation of the existing structures and reconstruction of the creek bed began in August to meet government regulations for in-stream works. At times there were two hi-hoe excavators working in tandem on the site to reconstruct the stream bed and grade the hillsides for replanting. While it was hoped this work would be completed before fall rains to avoid the impact of sediments washing into the stream, heavy rainfall in September delayed the work far beyond the 50 work days that were originally scheduled.

Having seen the original property with its large ponds and concrete structures, I must admit I was amazed at the transformation I witnessed when I went for a walk to the site this weekend. Except for the small existing foot bridge at the top of the work area, the stream bed and riparian areas on both sides of Chantrell Creek look surprisingly natural with no evidence of man-made materials. The new creek bed was lined with small rocks and large boulders to mimic the upper and lower sections of the natural waterway. The trees that had originally been cut down to allow for excavation were stored on site and have been placed into the waterway to enhance the habitat and help control erosion. The banks away from the creek had been covered with organic top soil and planted with thousands upon thousands of naturally occurring plants and shrubs that you would normally find growing in a ravine drainage system. Not surprisingly, I found several dead salmon carcasses rotting in the rocks and back eddies of Chantrell Creek, a sign that spawning salmon are already returning to this restored habitat.

Most of the work is now complete but there will be a three to five year monitoring period for the new stream system until the plants grow in and it fully recovers from the dramatic changes. While owned by Parks, this section of Chantrell Creek is part of Surrey's Natural Areas and it will not have walking paths or public access. Instead of a constant parade of people and dogs, it will revert to a natural state and be left for the salmon, aquatic creatures, birds, deer and other wildlife. Enjoy the pictures in this TNT as human intrusion will likely be limited to environmentalists ensuring that the plants have all grown and the creek is flowing as planned.

For more information on this ambitious waterway restoration project please visit the Surrey.ca website, searching "Chantrell Creek Rehabilitation" or go to direct to the following link: https://www.surrey.ca/city-services/25016.aspx A Corporate Report for Surrey in March of this year revealed the work was awarded to Western Watershed Designs Inc. at a tendered price of $1,530,632 including GST. If you have questions concerning this project, they can be answered by Project Manager Tindi Sekhon (thsekhon@surrey.ca) who can be reached at 604-591-4765.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

Monday Novmber 19, 2018


What The Firetruck?

Q. What word begins with "F" and ends with "UCK"?
A. Why "Firetruck" of course.

Now who doesn't like a firetruck? As a kid we all loved to play with ty versions of them, driving our parents crazy with loud siren noises. Getting older the guys all admired them as they brought the brave firemen to fight fires, and the girls all loved them because they brought the life-saving firemen featured in the "Hall of Flame" calendars. While driving on the road, everyone politely pulls over and stops to let the firetruck go past with its lights flashing and horn blaring. Now what if I told you there was something in south Surrey that was twice as much fun as a firetruck? You'd probably say, "What the firetruck is he talking about?"

Several weeks ago I drove up Crescent Road to King George Hwy (that's KG Blvd for the newbies) and at the City Wide Luxury Auto dealership (CWLauto.com) on that busy corner I spotted not one but two shiny firetrucks sitting next to each other, one bright red, the other flourescent yellow. I knew that CWL specialized in luxury pre-owned vehicles with their lot usually full of Lexus, Mercedes, BMW, Range Rover, Cadillac and high-end sports cars. I originally thought these fire fighting vehicles had likely been purchased locally and were simply being stored there for shipment down into the States as is common with our low Canadian dollar. When these firetrucks were still on site a week later, my rampant curiosity got the better of me and I had to find out what the story was about their appearance at a luxury dealership.

Talking to "Brand Ambassador" Darcy Heisler and owner Blair Morrison, I found out that CWL Auto had indeed recently purchased these two vehicles as in the past they have had success in finding them a new lease on life. It turns out that firetrucks are retired from various Fire Departments based on the age of the vehicle and not their mechanical shape or even the mileage. Purchasing a new Fire Apparatus as they are known is an expensive proposition, with new units costing an average of $850,000 to $1 million. When older units are sold, they often have far less than 100,000 km on as they usually venture only short distances from the Fire Hall. They can be purchased by small communities or groups of homeowners who do not have reliable fire control services or often none at all. Some are bought to have the firefighting gear removed and repurposed as work trucks because of their strong engines and heavy frame. Folks who rent vehicles to movies are always in the hunt for them and some folks just want a firetruck to call their own.

The bright yellow firetruck is a 1980 International Pumper Truck with a Detroit 6V-71 diesel engine. It has 77,000 km on the odometer and only 2,092 hours on the time clock or the equivalent of 87 days of running time. Its hard to imagine that this firetruck that is described as in "mint condition" and "bullet proof" has a pre-owned price tag of only $21,995. It came from a Fire Hall on Vancouver Island where it was bought new and spent its entire time being carefully maintained and fully serviced. The big red fire truck beside it is a 1992 Volvo from the Coquitlam Fire/Rescue with a 6.6 CAT diesel that has only 34,000 km on it (21,000 miles). I was told that Fire Chief Jay Ogloff was not happy to see her put out to pasture, with it now sitting outside overnight in the rain for the first time since it was new. It has an internal 8,000 gallon water tank that pumps out 1,050 gallons per minute, It also has two foam tanks allowing it to put out Class A regular fires and Class B oil fires. As a bonus, the 35 foot long ladder with 10 foot extension is included in the $49,995 price tag. That's a lot of truck for not a lot of bucks.

Besides the conventional uses I have detailed above, a flashy fire truck is also a great promotional vehicle. I was told that someone paid a whopping $15,000 to have their son driven to Southridge School in a fire truck as a fundraiser there. A local craft brewery has expressed interest in having one of these emergency vehicles that they could turn into a rolling beer dispensing truck for festivals. I asked and was told that no, it was not Red Truck Brewing from Richmond which made perfect sense to me. These two fire trucks brought me into CWL for the story and last weekend I purchased a new SUV for myself that was sitting not far from the two firetrucks. I should have bought the red Volvo, it had half the mileage of my new-to-me pre-owned vehicle. Unfortunately my wife doesn't like red trucks and I doubt it would have fit in the garage anyways. Still, it would have been great for watering the lawn in the summer during Met-Van sprinkling restrictions.

To end this light-hearted piece I would like to leave you with a link to the hilarious "Firetruck" song by Smosh that is posted on YouTube with over 23 million views. Check it out at https://www.youtube.com/watch?reload=9&v=tGpLHj-MVtk as it directly relates to the joke at the start of this TNT column. See if you catch the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air reference: "Now I wanna take a moment just sit right there I’ll tell you how you can say the word firetruck everywhere." I must warn you, you will never say the word "firetruck" again without thinking about this zany music video.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

November 12, 2018

Path to Destruction

It was only a couple of weeks ago that I drove down Crescent Road near the Elgin Heritage Park in south Surrey and saw an arborist crew working on some trees near the tidal pond that is located at 35A Ave just west of 140 Street. I must admit I really didn't pay much attention as it looked as if they were simply clearing some fallen branches from the forest. This weekend I managed to drive by the same location during daylight hours and I could not believe what I was seeing. The first thing I noticed was the sudden expansive view of the tidal pond connecting to the Nicomekyl River, with the North shore mountains visible in the distance. I then realized why the view was suddenly there, the tall evergreen trees along the trail were gone!

I turned around a little further down Crescent Road, returning to the part of the Elgin Heritage Park that suddenly had the new water views. I was shocked by what I saw once I exited my vehicle and took a walk down the path that follows along the roadway. There was a long line of wide wooden stumps plus cut up logs that looked to be healthy evergreens consisting of mainly Western Red cedar and Douglas fir. The tree had been cut so they fell into the pond where the branches were then sawed off and removed from the shoreline. Some of the larger trees with massive trunks had been cut into several pieces and left scattered on the ground to decompose in the future. The largest of the fallen trees was a huge Douglas fir that was four feet in diameter. I quickly counted the rings and came up with approximately 150 years of growth. This means this gentle giant had been growing on the property for around 25 years when the Stewart Farmhouse was built in 1894. Unfortunately why the Stewart House is maintained and carefully preserved, the biggest Fir tree in the park that looked structurally sound has now been mowed down along with plenty of its neighbours.

It did not take long to discover the reason for such devastation. As I walked down the trail counting over 30 stumps, many of them large evergreens, I came across a posted sign that read as follows:


NOTICE- Elgin Heritage Park Hazard Tree Work
Please be advised that the City of Surrey will be removing hazard trees at Elgin Heritage Park October 29 - Dec 10, 2018.
The hazard tree work consists of the removal of dead, dying and diseased trees that pose a high risk to the public.
Please be aware of the work zone signage and barriers within the park. Expect trail closures while crews are working.
(A listing of four safety warnings for the public).
For any questions, please call the City of Surrey at: 604-501-5050
While this explained the work that was being done, I saw little sign that the line of evergreens that had been mowed seemingly to improve the view were "dead, dying and diseased." The trunks of most of these fallen trees were outwardly and inwardly healthy and solid with trucks supporting multiple healthy branches and little to no sign of interior decay. I did find an online notice for this tree work on the Elgin Heritage Park section of the City of Surrey website at https://www.surrey.ca/culture-recreation/2205.aspx but there was no arborist report listed.

All of the park-goers I saw on Remembrance Day while surveying the latest chainsaw massacre in the Semiahmoo peninsula were simply aghast at what had happened. They wondered why this had been necessary and questioned why so many seemingly healthy trees had been cut down all in the row along the pond. Someone had already laid greenery and flowers on the largest of the stumps as a memorial to its loss, similar to the flowers that sprouted from the stumps along Johnston Road in White Rock when they were all sawed down earlier this year. I walked west along the pathway and when I got past the historic Stewart Farmhouse, I found several other sections of the park that resembled logging shows with stacks of logs and seemingly healthy trees that had been turned into wildlife refugee stumps. In some spots it looked as if this was done more to clear space for existing trees and not to remove trees that were unhealthy. In defense of the city, there were trees that obviously were dead and or rotten that had been cut down, lying next to the healthy ones that I am concerned about.

With the Remembrance Day holiday falling on Monday, Surrey City Hall will not be open for business until Tuesday morning at 8:30 a.m. I suggest you take a drive down Crescent Road to check out the damage for yourself and then call the City of Surrey on Tuesday at their posted 604-501-5050 number to get an explanation as to why so many apparently healthy trees were cut down in this Surrey Park. New Mayor Doug MacCallum lives near Crescent Beach and drives by this scene every day on his way to work so hopefully he will also question why all of these majestic evergreens on city property were cut down. Too bad the Surrey Tree Protection Bylaw 2006 "does not apply to tree on City owned property that are cut or removed by the City or its authorized agents in accordance with approved City operations". At the very least these trees should have been marked before removal so that people would have had a chance to check their health and possibly question the removal order. It remains to be seen how many more trees will be chainsawed to the ground before the December 10th deadline, likely altering the Elgin Heritage Park forever.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

November 05, 2018

Monday Night Political Football

 

Monday, Monday, so good to me
Monday mornin´, it was all I hoped it would be
Oh Monday mornin´, Monday mornin´ couldn´t guarantee
That Monday evenin´ you would still be here with me

Monday, Monday, can´t trust that day
Monday, Monday, sometimes it just turns out that way
Oh Monday mornin´ you gave me no warnin´ of what was to be
Oh Monday, Monday, how could you leave and not take me

 

Lyrics to the song Monday, Monday by The Mamas and the Papas, 1966

Armchair quarterbacks will be stuck in their Lazy-boy chairs watching the NFL Monday Night Football on Nov. 5th featuring the Tennessee Titans at the Dallas Cowboys. For armchair political quarterbacks, the real action will be at the inaugural Council meetings at both Surrey and White Rock. Unfortunately they are both scheduled for approximately the same time, making the decision on which historic meting to go to all the more difficult.

In White Rock the first meeting of the new look Council will take place at 7:00 p.m. Standard Time in Halls A/B/C of the White Rock Community Centre at 15154 Russell Avenue. It is a safe bet that they won't hold an In-Camera meeting beforehand as the former White Rock Coalition was so fond of calling. Councillors Helen Fathers and Dave Chesney will make their triumphant return with new Mayor Darryl Walker and fellow Democracy Direct members Scott Kristjanson, Erica Johanson, Anthony Manning and Christopher Trevelyan filling out the rest of Council. It does not appear that any constructive work will be done on the first night but and it will take some time to turn the good ship White Rock around. Lets hope the Question Period is quickly revived for at the beginning of Council meetings but replaced with a Question and Answer Period instead. It will be interesting to see if former Mayor Baldwin and the four horsemen of the apocalypse Grant Meyer, Bill Lawrence, Lynne Sinclair and Megan Knight bother to show their faces on Monday night. For a peek at the Agenda that features the singing of O´ Canada and a First Nations blessing by SFN Chief Harley Chappell, visit https://www.whiterockcity.ca/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_11052018-638 .

The focus of the night has to be up in Whalley where starting at 6:30 p.m. Doug MacCallum finally gets his old job as Mayor back, albeit with a bigger office and a nicer view than his old one. The real fireworks will be in two weeks when Cowboy Doug is planning on giving the Surrey RCMP their walking papers, replacing them with a Surrey Police Force in two years time. Not long after that MacCallum plans on axing the LRT for Skytrain regardless of the howls of displeasure from the Mayor´s Council. The Safe Surrey Coalition certainly put the boots to the Surrey First dynasty (die-nasty) who only elected one Councillor Linda Annis, with all of their incumbents getting shown the door by the people of Surrey. The Safe Surrey Councillors are Doug Elford, Brenda Locke, Jack Hundial, Laurie Guerra, Mandeep Nagra, Allison Patton and Steven Pettigrew, who will forward their agenda. For political intrigue, you have to wonder if mayoralty nope-fuls (my new word) Tom Gill and Bruce Hayne will be there to take in the festivities or if Dianne Watts might be in attendance trying to figure out if she can beat MacCallum for a second time in four years from now. You can watch what should be a historic Surrey Council inauguration live on the Surrey.ca website at the following link and then clicking on the Watch Council Meeting Live tab: https://www.surrey.ca/city-government/6993.aspx

With so many new faces on the civic scene, you almost need a program to know all of the players. The Inaugural Council Meetings with their swearing in ceremonies are your opportunity to get to know the folks who will represent your community for the next four years. Hopefully they were the people you voted for and you are looking forward to them fulfilling their platform promises. Monday night is your chance to watch history in the making and to be part of what should be over-flow crowds of well-wishers. If you don´t think civic politics matter, simply look at how those in power in both White Rock and Surrey were swept from office after forgetting to serve the people who voted for them. I´m really glad to see the changing of the guard in these two cities and hope that the communities are now better represented instead of the interests of unscrupulous developers and foreign buyers. If you get a chance, plan on attending either of these two City Hall ceremonies for a glimpse into what the future holds for your home town.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

October 29, 2018

The Best Defence is a Landslide Detector Fence

I could not believe my ears last week when I got a call from a member of SmartRail, the local community rail safety group, who informed me about changes the BNSF Railway has recently made to the rail corridor near Crescent Beach. I went to the south end of Bayview Avenue on the weekend and there it was all shiny and new, the extension to the landslide detector fence (LDF) that I've been waiting ten years to be completed. While it has been said that the wheels of justice turn slowly, it would appear that steel railway wheels move at a pre-climate change glacial pace. What was so frustrating to me was that it took so long to have this important safety apparatus put in place after multiple mudslides onto the tracks in this area.

This story goes back more than a decade ago when a strong Pineapple Express in 2007 deluged this region with heavy rains, saturating the land and turning hillsides into mud. There were eleven slope failures from the Ocean Park bluffs onto the BNSF Railway tracks between White Rock and Crescent Beach at that time, bringing freight and passenger rail service to a standstill on frequent occasions. This was also the last time that a mudslide here actually hit a train, with slide debris impacting a BNSF freight near Crescent Beach that was stopped for an even larger slide just past the Christopherson Steps (formerly 101 Steps at 24 Ave.). The slide that hit the stopped train originated from a home being extensively renovated on Christopherson Drive and a long forgotten big-O pipe that drained water from this yard onto the bluff. The scary thing about this slide was that this steep hillside was not protected by the landslide detector fence that runs at the base of the hill next to the tracks from West Beach in White Rock to just south of Crescent Beach.

The LDF is a fairly simple system comprised of metal poles placed in the ground and strung with two pieces of wire. When there is ground movement, the soil, rocks, shrubs and trees snap the wire that has a low current and the system then activates stop signals all along the tracks. Before the LDF was first installed (I believe it was in 1957) there were nine train derailments along the Semiahmoo peninsula tracks. Since that time, there has not been one derailment on this shoreline tracks, something the BNSF will gladly tell you. Surprisingly, the LDF stopped well short of Crescent Beach, leaving a 500 foot section of the bluffs closest to Bayview Ave. unguarded. The BNSF, Transport Canada and even the City of Surrey were well aware of this fact as it was reported to them by many members of the community. Even though the risk was well known, the BNSF did nothing to remedy this known safety problem that had an easy and inexpensive fix. Ditto for Transport Canada who even though they toured the tracks in the spring of 2018 did nothing to change the status quo. Surrey issued a Corporate Report about the problem but again nothing was done.

Fast forward to this year and it was yet another slide onto the tracks just south of Crescent Beach in February from the same property on Christopherson Street that finally got some attention paid to the gap in the LDF system. Having a new MP in Gordie Hogg likely helped to get the BNSF and Transport Canada to fix this glaring safety problem with landslides that had repeated in the same spot, though this time without hitting a train. I was informed that members of the BNSF and Transport Canada were going to tour the slide area this spring plus examine the debris pile left on the shores of Crescent Beach by the railway excavation crew. No doubt my March 19 TNT titled "BNSF Burying Crescent Beach" plus signs with contact information for reporting illegal dumping likely had something to do with it. While the new LDF extension has been installed, the huge pile of muddy debris and logs from the slide onto the BNSF tracks that was dumped onto the beach remains, blocking pedestrians from walking down the shore. At high tide, people walk up onto this muddy mess and then along the tracks before returning to the beach at a nearby trail. Again, so much for rail safety.

It may have taken ten years but Crescent Beach is now safer with the LDF extension complete. Unfortunately there is another steep slope in White Rock that now needs its own LDF due to an increased slide threat. This is the Hump hillside between East and West Beaches that was clear-cut on orders of the outgoing White Rock Coalition, which enhanced views to properties along Marine Drive. The last time this steep slope was logged it resulted in multiple landslides plainly visible in a 1920 pictures taken from the pier that is available in the Archives building. Not only does the lack of a LDF in this affect rail safety, it also poses a serious risk to pedestrians on the promenade. You only have to watch the video of a derailment on BNSF tracks in Everett Washington several years ago to understand the danger (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UeT0m-hpD_4). While there were promises to replant the razzed hillside, nothing has been done in over three years. A LDF needs to be installed along the base of the Hump, the hill should be planted with native trees capable of stabilizing the slope, then his steep hillside should be classified as ravine lands and left in a natural state. Now to see if this common sense idea takes another decade to actually happen.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

October 22, 2018

Time for Change


Come writers and critics
Who prophesize with your pen
And keep your eyes wide
The chance won't come again
And don't speak too soon
For the wheel's still in spin
And there's no tellin' who
That it's namin'.
For the loser now
Will be later to win
For the times they are a-changin'.

The line it is drawn
The curse it is cast
The slow one now
Will later be fast
As the present now
Will later be past
The order is
Rapidly fadin'.
And the first one now
Will later be last
For the times they are a-changin'.

Several choice verses from Bob Dylan's 1964 song "The times they are a-changin'."

All Saturday I wondered how the civic election results would turn out in White Rock and Surrey. In the end my prayers were answered and my wildest dreams came true with nearly the exact results I was hoping for. In White Rock where former Mayor Wayne Baldwin had already jumped from the sinking ship, the rest of his merry Coalition members were made to walk the plank. In Surrey the result was similar with Surrey First headed by mayoral hopeful Tom Gill going down in flames with all of their incumbents kicked to the curb and only one council member elected. How did this happen and what does the future now hold after a dramatic change in local governance in both of these cities?

In The City By The Sea, public angst against Baldwin and the White Rock Coalition councillors had been increasing for years. Water quality concerns, OCP changes along with the rubber stamping of residential towers, garbage service cancellation without consultation, ending of question period, secretive in-camera meetings, the clear-cutting of the Hump and the devastation of Johnston Road all infuriated the masses. Long before the election writ was dropped, this anger and the belief that City Hall was tone deaf to complaints from residents led to the formation of the political group Democracy Direct (http://www.democracydirect.ca/). Refusing donations from developers and special interest groups this grass-roots organization was financed by the candidates and small donations from the electorate. Their platform of community orientated development, an approachable City Hall, environmental protection, support for local businesses and sound fiscal management obviously resonated with voters who had seen enough of the White Rock Coalition, even without Wayne Baldwin who decided not to seek a further term. Democracy Directs Darryl Walker was elected as Mayor with 30.2% of the vote, followed by independent candidate Mike Pierce and the Coalitions Grant Meyers far back in third place. The two independent incumbent councillors, Helen Fathers and Dave Chesney (the editor of this paper) retained their seats, finishing one and two in voting followed by four Democracy Direct candidates Chris Trevelyan, Erika Johanson, Scott Kristjanson and Anthony Manning. The WR Coalition was left in tatters with all of its candidates going down to defeat. Of note, White Rocks Laurae McNalley received nearly 80% of the vote for Surrey School Board Trustee.

In Surrey where they say The Future Lives Here, the electorate also made it clear that they were ready for a change. Surrey First who had dominated Surrey for years including taking every seat in Council and School Board in 2014 started to show cracks in their association. First is was Mayor Linda Hepner announcing she would not run for Mayor again after only one term, stepping aside before she was pushed from her throne in a coup. Of the many who wanted to lead Surrey First, it was Tom Gill that was selected as their choice for Mayor. Unhappy with this decision, Councillor Bruce Hayne then split from Surrey First, taking Barbara Steele and Dave Woods with him to form Integrity Now. With the electorate concerned over gun and gang violence, levels of policing, transportation issues, rampant development and housing affordability, the split up Surrey First oligarchy suddenly became vulnerable. Former Mayor Doug McCallum started Safe Surrey (safesurrey.ca) with a strong public safety platform including promises to dump the RCMP in favour of a local police force plus suspending the LRT for an extended Skytrain. When the ballots were counted it was obvious that his message resonated loudly with voters who wanted a new direction at City Hall. Doug McCallum took back his Mayors chair with 48,484 votes, followed by Surrey First Tom Gill at 28,475 with Bruce Haynes nipping his heels close by at 27,951. For the eight council positions, seven went to Safe Surrey candidates, Brenda Locke, Doug Elford, Laurie Guerra, Jack Hundial, Allison Patton, Steven Pettigrew and Mandeep Nagra. The only one stopping a complete sweep for Safe Surrey was Linda Annis from Surrey First who kept Bableen Rana from joining her Safe Surrey teammates at City Hall. I should note that for School Trustees, Surrey First Education took the top 6 spots, followed by two candidates from Surrey Students Now.

There is a famous quote often wrongly attributed to Mark Twain that goes “Politicians are like diapers: they should be changed often, and for the same reason.” In the case of both White Rock and Surrey, political dynasties that thought they could ignore problems in their communities and treat people with contempt found out the hard way that the winds of change were blowing. I for one am not a fan of political slates, especially those financed by large donations from developers or any other well-funded special interest group. Personally, I was glad to see the WR Coalition and Surrey First slates removed from power by the electorate as I felt both were out of touch with the needs of the community. It will be interesting to see if the new Mayors and Councils will be able to keep the concerns of their constituents in mind and make good on the promises they made during the election campaign. One thing is for sure, if they follow the same path as their predecessors, it will only be a matter of time before an upstart political David rises up to slay the proverbial Goliath as happened in this case.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

TNT The Naked Truth is the sole responsibility of the author Don Pitcairn

 

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October 16, 2018

Speed Kills, Duh

 

I'm glad the B.C. (Beyond Corrupt) Liberals were kicked to the curb by the NDP/Green coalition for a large number of reasons. More than anything it was their out-of-the-blue decision to increase speeds on rural highways throughout much BC that was number one in my book. Back in the summer of 2014, then Transportation Minister Todd Stone announced they were increasing speed limits on 1,300 kilometers of rural highways throughout the province, most by 10 kmh. This was supposedly done to put the speed signs in line with the flow of traffic, which is often 10-15 km above the posted limit. Somehow Mr. Stone believed that raising the limit would not cause an actual increase in traffic flow stating "Experience from other speed changes undertaken by the ministry show that this will not mean everyone will automatically drive 10 km over the new speed limit." Sorry to say, but what a crock of bull from a blithering idiot. At that time I wondered what kind of delusional planet Mr. Stone was living on. You should know that these changes were done over the objections of the RCMP and the BC Association of Chiefs of Police who I guess know nothing about the link between speeding and crashes.

It did not take long before the raised highway speeds resulted in increased crashes, injuries and deaths. Two years later the BC Liberals ended up rolling back speed limits along two sections of highway where speed limits had been increased. Highway 1 from Hope to Cache Creek was returned to 90 km/h from 100 km/h and Highway 5A from Princeton to Merritt was lowered to to 80 km/h from 90. At that time is was revealed that government staffers had found that crash rates had increased in 14 of the 33 sections of highways with the new raised speed limits. The Transportation Minister ignored these findings, saying at the time that "increasing speed limits was not a mistake." At that same time UBC professor of engineering Tarek Sayed studied the data on highway crashes and found accidents were up 11 percent along sections of highway where the speed limits had been increased. The higher level of carnage on B.C. highways led to increasing costs to the public insurer ICBC that turned into a so-called "dumpster fire" during the LIberal's watch.

This story was back in the headlines last week when Doctors and Engineers at UBC revealed research suggesting the number of fatal crashes had doubled on highways in BC where the speed limit was increased. The study titled "Road Safety Impact of Increased Rural Highway Speed Limits in British Columbia, Canada" was published in the Journal Sustainability at this link:
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/10/10/3555/htm
Researchers examined crash and insurance claim data taken from the sections of highways that had seen the 10 kmh speed limit increases back in 2014. Their findings showed that fatal crashes more than doubled to 118 percent (equaling 15 more deaths), injury claims rose by 30 percent and injury payout jumped by 43 percent. This was no surprise to me considering I was taught in defensive driving years ago that the force of a crash doubled for every increase in speed of 10 miles per hour. The video showing staged car collisions with crash test dummies at 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 and 60 mph reinforced this message. A quick physics lesson will tell you that the faster you drive, the more likely you are to be in an accident causing injury or death. No one gets killed in a 5 kmh bumper kiss but your chance of surviving a roll-over crash at 160 kmh are rather slim.

Amazingly the now ex-Transportation Minister Tod Stone has come out publicly against this report and its findings, reportedly stating to several news organizations that it "full of gaps and analysis challenges" along with calling the findings "irresponsible" since they didn't take weather conditions and the effect of distracted driving into consideration. Maybe instead of listing to the speed demons at SENSE BC (sense.bc.ca) and talking non-sense himself, Mr. Stone should instead try some common sense and admit that he made a mistake that apparently killed over a dozen motorists. Since he questions the validity of the results of his own highway speed increase experiment, I suggest we roll the speeds back to where they were and see if there is a corresponding decrease in the accident rate on these sections of highways. My money says it goes back to the crash levels seen before Mr. Stone's unnecessary and ill advised speed increase.

I just got back last night from four days down in the USA and paid attention to their road safety signs. It is interesting to note that they have two speed limits on their highways, one for passenger vehicles and one for trucks and buses. This might have helped stopped the multi-vehicle crash here last February on the Coquihalla involving two buses, two transport trucks and two passenger vehicles that injured 29 and shook up 135. Seeing the speeds that folks here drive in adverse weather conditions, I think we should have two signs, one in white with black lettering showing the higher maximum speed during the day and dry conditions, the other below in black with white lettering showing the lower maximum speed during the night and wet conditions. Along with improved speed signage, maybe its time to start looking at re-testing so-called good drivers every 5 years to ensure they actually know the rules of the road and safe driving techniques.

Years ago the BC Ministry of Highways and local municipalities installed light blue "Speed Kills" diamond shaped signs showing a crumpled car on them. These have gradually been replaced with the orange-yellow diamond signs featuring the same "Speed Kills" message and crashed

car. The picture at the top of this column is from 16 Ave. near 200 St. in Langley at a high collision intersection that has been the scene of several fatal collisions due to speed. I believe that a pair of these signs should be installed at either end of the road that Mr. Stone now lives on so he could see them every day when he leaves and arrives home. Maybe then he could understand that his decision to raise highway speeds across this province was not just irresponsible, it was dangerous and if the numbers are correct, downright deadly. Mr. Stone is still the MLA for Kamloops-South Thompson and his constituents should hold him accountable for the increased carnage and ICBC insurance rates his unwarranted decision has apparently caused, along with failing to accept his failings during his time as B.C.s Transportation Minister. Hopefully we will soon see our highway speeds put back where they belong by the new Transportation Minister Claire Trevena.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

October 09, 2018


Bananas About Basjoo

Having been born in Portage la Prairie, Manitoba and marrying a girl from Winnipeg makes you appreciate living in Canada's Banana Belt here on the West Coast. Even in the Semiahmoo peninsula there are areas lower in elevation than others and more protected from winter outflow winds, allowing some rather interesting plants to be grown here that you would not expect to normally see. With a passion for tropical plants, over the years I've grown a wide assortment of palms and bananas in our yard, most that did not survive our arctic blasts of weather, or didn't adjust from indoors to outdoors after a long winter inside. Many people are now quite used to seeing the Chinese Windmill Palm with its furry trunk that provides winter insulation used in Lower Mainland landscapes. What turns most people's heads is seeing a large banana grove taller than the roof of a two story house. Even more bizarre is finding out that they actually produce bananas here in south Surrey.

The banana in question is the Musa Basjoo, known commonly as the Japanese banana, the Japanese fibre banana, or the hardy banana. Originally believe to have originated in southern Japan, it has been traced back to subtropical southern China in the Sichuan province. This tall and beautiful plant is commercially grown for its fibre used to produce textiles known as banana cloth. It began to be grown as an ornamental plant in the late 19th century in western Europe where it then spread to the more temperate regions of the United States and Canada. The thick trunks or pseudostems and long leaves only cope with a light freezing but the underground rhizome or root zone is winter hardy as long as steps are taken to protect it. I have had neighbours do nothing to their bananas and seen them regrow even after cold winters here, even though they were rather small. With a few tricks anyone can have a large and lush banana grove simply by following a few easy steps.

You can purchase your own Musa Bajoo from almost any garden centre in the spring, heck even Costco sells them for only 20 bucks. They can also be picked up free of charge from anyone looking to reduce their grove size by dividing the roots. When planting, dig the largest and deepest hole possible planning for future growth and filling it with well drained compost rich topsoil These bananas like to be warm and protected so the south side of a building away from easterly winds is usually the best location. During the summer I keep mine well watered and supplied with fertilizer and high nitrogen manures to promote rapid and long leaf growth. These plants have a three year life cycle so after a few years the largest of the plants will form a large flower that grows into inedible small bananas with white pulp and lots of black seeds. Once that stalk has flowered it will die so it can be cut down to allow new shoots room to grow.

It is the care during the winter months that will affect the size of the banana plants in the next growing season. In October I start piling lawn clippings around the base so the heat from their decomposition will later warm the ground. Instead of raking up leaves for disposal, pile them all around the base of the bananas in a thick mulch layer at least a foot deep to keep the rhizomes warm. When frost finally arrives, usually in November, use shears or a machete to chop down the leaves and layer them on top of the mulch pile to hold it in place. By far the most important step is to protect the pseudostems or stalks from freezing as if kept healthy they will not have to restart growing from ground level the next spring. There are a lot of ways to do this, many that are easy with one or two stalks but bordering on impossible for large groves.

With small plants, it is easy to wrap the stalks with any kind of insulation. Cheapest and readily available is best, whether old fiberglass bats covered in plastic, old blankets and towels, chunks of cardboard or even sheets of bubble wrap. As the grove gets bigger and bigger you will need more and more insulation to the point that you'll have to build a shed just to store all of this stuff. For cheap and easy I like to use lumber wrap since it comes in long pieces and is free from any lumberyard. When the individual pseudostems are covered with several layers, the entire grove may then be wrapped up in these free tarps. Lastly, it is best to purchase a large green tarp to cover the entire grove since the regular orange or blue are tacky and detract from your yard and neighbourhood. Tie with rope to keep in place and anchor with metal spikes or heavy rocks for the winter.

To ensure that the stems don't freeze if we get outflow temperatures of -10 to -15 degrees for days on end, some gardeners introduce supplemental heating inside their banana tents. In the past I have used a small 150W outdoor halogen light that is waterproof and provides lots of heat. While this works, it also has the undesirable effect of causing the bananas to grow and start to lift the tarps off the ground. The safest and most effective heating tool is the plumber's friend, electrical heat tape that is usually used to thaw frozen pipes. Simply wind the tape through the grove before wrapping up for the winter and leave the plug exposed. When temperatures dip to below -4, which fortunately isn't very often in these parts, simply plug in with an outdoor rated extension cord to a GFI protected plug. As soon as the cold snap is over, ensure to turn off the heating tape to stop unwanted growth.

When the spring finally returns, simply unwrap all the grove and remove all of the old leaves and mulch pile that protected the roots during the winter. If you have properly protected the pseudostems from freezing, coils of yellow banana leaves will soon start emerging from the tops of them, turning green as they unfurl. Definitely an interesting and unusual plant for the garden, it is worth the extra work to ensure they are as tall as possible. Banana plants make the WR Sun's motto "Where you can vacation and be home the same day" certainly ring true. Sitting next to them in a lawn chair with sunglasses on and a margarita in hand makes you believe your home is a tropical paradise. In the United Kingdom with weather similar to ours, the hardy banana has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit signifying its new found home in the English garden.

By far the most rewarding part of growing bananas is waiting until the fall then sending pictures of them to friends back east in Canada who are digging out from the first dump of snow. I did this to a buddy in Calgary last week after 40 cm. of the white stuff fell there paralyzing the city. Worst part about it for him is that he's originally from south Surrey. It was way more fun than bugging him about the Flames hockey team.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

October 01, 2018

The Numbers Game

Something very strange is happening in the world. It seems after Donald Trump got himself voted in as President of the United States that suddenly everybody wants to run for office, likely thinking "Well if The Donald can get elected, I've got a chance." Having ran for the Green Party of BC twice myself and participated in other's election campaigns, I tip my hat to anyone with the gumption to run for public office. That being said, the sheer number of candidates seeking the Mayor's chair and Councillor seats locally this year is absolutely overwhelming. Just like going to a sporting event, it is now at the point that you need a program to know the players.

White Rock is a prime example of how civic elections are now becoming a gong show with slates, parties, independent coalitions, groups and individuals all vying for your vote. With Wayne Baldwin jumping ship, there are a total of 6 candidates who have thrown their hat in the ring for Mayor. Councillor Grant Meyer is now running for the top job with the White Rock Coalition slate, along with Darryl Walker for Democracy Direct, and four independents, Tom Bryant, Judy Higginbotham, Mike Pearce and Gary Wolgemuth. It will be interesting to see how well-known "Higgy" does considering that she is actually from Surrey (gasp!). For a town of 20,000 residents to have so many people running for Mayor shows that civic politics is becoming more of a participation sport than one for armchair quarterbacks.

The six Councillor seats up for grab have attracted an even larger throng of candidates with 22 people declaring their candidacy. The White Rock Coalition has a full slate that includes three incumbents, Democracy Direct has fielded four candidates, while independent incumbents Dave Chesney add Helen Fathers are back for another kick at the can. I'm not going to waste time and space writing all of the other independent candidates here except for Zachary Johnson who like Judy Higginbotham is an outsider looking in from Surrey. I hope for once that at the all-candidates meetings we don't hear the question, "Who here is from White Rock" with the obligatory show of hands. How tacky, elitist and small-town minded. Of note, there are even two people running for the position of Surrey School District #36 Trustee with one of these actually living in White Rock (double gasp!!). How about a show of hands there too while I slowly shake my head. For the full list of candidates, please refer to the following White Rock City website link: https://www.whiterockcity.ca/DocumentCenter/View/2249/3-10-Declaration-of-Candidates-at-Close-of-Nomination-Period---Signed

Since White Rock's population is 20,000 and Surrey's is 540,000, the same level of interest in Surrey's Mayor chair as that in the City By The Sea should yield a total of 162 candidates looking for the job. Fortunately that is not the case and with Linda Hepner ducking out after only one term in office there are 8 people running for the coveted penthouse office in downtown Whalley. Two of these, Tom Gill and Bruce Haynes, are former councillors but no longer slate running mates. Former Mayor Doug McCallum is back trying to reclaim his old job that he originally lost to Dianne Watts back in 2005 after 9 years at the helm of the good ship Surrey. Six of the mayoralty candidates are members of political slates, in alphabetical order they are Integrity Now, People First, Progressive Sustainable, Proudly Surrey, Safe Surrey Coalition and Surrey First. Should you prefer an independent mayor, you get to flip a coin between Francois Nantel and John Wolanski.

There are 48 candidates running for the position of Councillor in Surrey a total of 6 people for every one of the 8 seats available. This includes those aligned with the six slates listed above plus a couple of others, GreenVote and IVSA Adding to a ballot that will likely be as long as a roll of toilet paper, a further 27 are running for the position of school trustee with two more slates, Surrey Students Now and Act Now Surrey. To vote responsibly and know what each candidate stands for, it basically becomes a research project involving hours of tedious homework. I'm not going to try and alter the election results or tell people how to vote, but on Oct. 20th, make your mark at the ballot box for who you would like to see run (or possibly ruin) your city. For a full list of all candidates for all positions plus to view information about each of them, visit the following link at the Surrey.ca website: https://www.surrey.ca/election/candidates/candidate-list.aspx

It is not only in White Rock and Surrey that Civic elections are becoming political events involving a throng of candidates. In Vancouver there are 21 people running for the Mayor's job, including one candidate who appears topless in her bio picture (sorry but you're going to have to find the link yourself). There are a whopping 71 Councillor candidates, 33 for Park Board Commissioner, and an additional 33 for School Trustee. Now quickly folks, add the total number of candidates up in your head. I'll save you the brain ache and with the help of my trusty dusty Texas Instrument TI-503 calculator, that gives you 158 choices to vote for. For those of you who thought Lotus Land was already a bit crazy, the ballot selections for 2018 are going to be mind boggling, especially without the candidates being listed alphabetically as before.

Don't be disheartened by the surge in candidates we are seeing this year and wondering who to vote for. Up the coast in the village of Lions Bay the local Mayor and Council must be doing one hell of a job, for their Mayor Ron McLaughlin and four Councillors were the only ones nominated, and were acclaimed on Sept 24th for another four years at the jobs in City Hall. No need for an expensive election, plethora of lawn signs or a bunch of candidates on a mile long ballot. Of course, the population of Lions Bay is only 1,550 but to have a Mayor and Council be unopposed shows the constituents must be happy with the work they are doing. In White Rock and Surrey, this appears to not be the case and it is likely we will see the winds of change blowing as we get a little further into Fall.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

September 25, 2018


Tracking Our Politicians

I must admit I've become somewhat of a rail safety freak after living near the tracks in Crescent Heights and viewing first hand how the BNSF runs their railroad through the Semi-Pen. When I heard that there was yet another rail safety forum being held, I decided once again to skip out on work to go see if anyone would show up, especially on a Friday afternoon. Imagine my surprise when I entered the White Rock Community Centre to find a standing room only crowd of approximately 200 people in attendance. The whos-who of Surrey and White Rock politics was impressive with MP Gordie Hogg, MLA Tracey Redies, Surrey Mayor Linda Hepner, White Rock Mayor Wayne Baldwin and others in attendance including former Surrey Mayor Doug MacCallum. For all of the dignitaries at the head table, the many White Rock councillors in attendance, and all of the folks who came out, it was who was not there that spoke volumes.

I came to the meeting with several questions to ask to members of Transport Canada and the the BNSF Railway. Imagine my surprise and dismay when I found out that neither had sent a representative to take part in this meeting. It was not like they were not invited, I asked event organizers and was told that both had been officially invited and decided not to partake in the meeting. It is telling and disturbing that a railway that supposedly prides itself on its safety record fails to attend a public meeting concerning their railway and the well-known dangers it poses to this community. Even worse, can someone tell my why Transport Canada could not sent even one employee to observe and report back to their superiors? Either they need more tax money to hire more personnel, or they should be fired and their budget axed due to gross incompetence.

It was not like there was nothing to learn from this latest rail safety meeting. A week before, Surrey Council had unanimously passed a motion to contact both Transport Canada and the BNSF to ask for trains to reduce speed to 10 MPH from south of the Christopherson Steps at 24 Ave to the Crescent Beach Marina. This is due to 14 instances since 2014 where a train stopped on the track due to decoupling or mudslides blocking emergency personnel from reaching the beach. The latest blockade of the two Crescent Beach entrances was on July 21 where a BNSF coal train decoupled, blocking access for 2.5 hours, far beyond the mandated 5 minute maximum blockage.
This is not a new story, since it was back on Feb. 25 in 2015 when "Surrey City Council endorsed a resolution to call for freight speed restrictions from 30 miles per hour (mph) to 10 mph leading in and out of the Crescent Beach area, from the existing Nicomekl railways swing bridge to 24th Avenue." Unfortunately the BNSF and Transport Canada did nothing then and I expect they will continue to do the same, regardless of the lives they endanger every time a broken down train cuts off the island of Crescent Beach.

I did find it rather strange that the Mayors of both Surrey and White Rock, both who are not running in the next civic election in less than a month's time decided to be front and centre at this meeting. The odds of them being able to accomplish anything in their last month in power is negligible, especially with the BNSF and Transport Canada being tone-deaf to their demands. You would think that these lame-duck Mayors would have ducked out of this latest railway safety meeting since they have seemingly become somewhat of a dog and pony show with plenty of promises but very little action. Still, the idea of relocating the tracks and improving safety along the waterfront is obviously of high importance to many of the people who live here. I wanted to ask Transport Canada why they forced White Rock to fence off their waterfront yet cannot force the BNSF to allow Surrey to build a safety fence to keep pedestrians off their property at Crescent Beach without a $225,000 yearly lease payment? It looks like it might be time for me to pay their offices in New West a visit again to try and get some answers.

By far the most informative guest speaker was Mike Armstrong who is running for White Rock Council. He brought along information about how the BNSF is planning another round of creosoted sleeper tie replacement across the waterfront. Several years ago it was 22,000 ties, this time the number is believed to be 5,000-6,000 ties. Research from Switzerland in 2000 by Kohler reveals that a new wooden railway tie holds 15 Kg of creosote, with 5 Kg of this B1 human carcinogen leaching out into the environment over their 20+ year service life. According to the Alberta government "Creosote-treated wood should never occur indoors and should be avoided in outdoor areas frequented by people, specially children or animals." Hmm..., like maybe down at the beach or along the White Rock promenade? Creosoted ties have been banned in Europe where concrete and steel ties are used. The latest tie installation will mean the BNSF is effectively dumping a further 25,000 Kg of carcinogenic pollution into Semiahmoo Bay. Just one more reason why you can't eat shellfish harvested from its contaminated waters.

As always, talk of railway relocation and high-speed rail from Seattle to Vancouver dominated the conversation but talk is cheap and building new railways is expensive. It is rather telling that to date, Surrey and White Rock have not been able to secure funding from the Provincial or Federal governments to study rail relocation in this region. While I would love to see the BNSF tracks ripped up and turned into a shoreline walking path like Vancouver's famed Seawall, the reality is that the railway has been here for over a hundred years and will likely be here for quite a while to come. The longer that nothing is done, the more expensive the project will become and eventually it will become financially impossible if it is not at that point already. My bet is that you are going to see even more safety fencing and blocked access to the beach every time that someone else gets hit and killed on the BNSF rail corridor, usually by the killer Amtrak. The problem as always is that industrial freight trains, silent but deadly passenger trains and crowds of people down at the waterfront simply don't mix. Hold all the rail safety meetings you want, you're not going to change that.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

September 17, 2018

Wrecking The Rock

Christy Fox photo

I came in like a wrecking ball
I never hit so hard in love
All I wanted was to break your walls
All you ever did was break me
Yeah, you wreck me
Lyrics to "Wrecking Ball" by Miley Cyrus

I must admit it really did take my breath away when I drove down North Bluff Road and turned to look at what had become of Johnston Road. Barricades with road closed signs crossed the main roadway entrance to uptown White Rock with construction crews, excavators and dump trucks all working feverishly to rip up the roadway, traffic islands and sidewalks. Taken directly from the city website the following passage gave no notice of a complete closure of Johnston Road from North Bluff to Russel Avenue: "We are striving to minimize public impact over the long term and will take this opportunity to simultaneously upgrade the critical water, sewer and street infrastructure which will help increase capacity and improve the reliability of the existing older water-mains, sanitary sewers and storm sewers to better serve this growing neighbourhood." Of course the neighbourhood they are referring to is all of the concrete towers sprouting from the ground throughout the uptown with still plenty more to come.

On Sept. 4th, there was a Johnston Road Project Update posted on the White Rock website warning of a temporary road closure to vehicle traffic the following week.
To accelerate this stage of the construction, the City of White Rock is permitting CLCS (the project’s Prime Contractor) to close vehicular traffic access on Johnston Road between North Bluff Road and Russell Avenue (see map below).
The closure starts at 5:00AM on Monday, September 10, 2018 and ends at 7:00PM on Saturday, September 15, 2018.
CLCS will increase crew attendance and activity on site to accelerate project completion.
Vehicle access will be limited to only business delivery vehicles and emergency vehicles.
Traffic Management will be in place to lead out vehicles to alternative routes. There may be some traffic delays in this area.
Transit routes will be temporarily redirected. Please check with TransLink when planning your trip to learn about changes to the transit route you take.
There was only one problem with this plan. With the glacial pace of work on this project, crews did not get the required work done in the time frame allowed. I'm surprised they did not have crews working double shifts in order to get it finished with the least amount of disruption. After all, it was the City of White Rock that allowed arborists to beginning chainsawing down trees along Johnston under the cover of dark at 4:30 a.m. in the morning. It really should come as no surprise that late last week the City announced they would extend the closure of Johnston Road for a further six days. While they brag about significant progress, it is also taking significantly longer to get this work done than anticipated. "After the current temporary road closure of Johnston Road, CLCS (Canadian Landscape and Civil Services Ltd – the project’s Prime Contractor) has made significant progress to upgrade critical water and sewer infrastructure, installing soil-cell structures for the new trees, and addressing sidewalk safety matters on Johnston Road. In order to continue making significant strides, the City of White Rock will extend the Temporary Road closure from September 15, 2018 to September 21, 2018." Significant delays, significant disruption, significant obstruction, significant inconvenience, significant loss of business for local merchants, and significant reasons to stay the hell away from uptown.

It is best for residents and visitors alike to realize that this road closure is just phase one of a long term plan. Next up will be the stretch of Johnston Road from Russell Ave. to Thrift Ave., then Thrift to Roper Ave, and finally Roper to Buena Vista Ave. at Five Corners. Whether the City will block off all of Johnston and rip it from curb to curb as is presently being done or possibly do one side of the street and then the other allowing for some through traffic remains to be seen. My guess is if they can tear up the entire street where the proposed White Rock Gateway Feature was to have been built, it is highly likely they will allow CLCS to close off White Rock's main street to expedite the infrastructure improvements needed to service all the high-rises they have approved. What is interesting about this project is that a posting on the White Rock city website proclaimed it was scheduled to be completed "October 2018." Anyone care to place a bet on whether this work will be finished in time for the upcoming civic election on Oct. 20th? My money says Christmas time is much more likely.

The Johnston Road revitalization project is not the only White Rock beautification project experiencing significant delays that are a burden to residents and visitors alike. The Memorial Park and Pier Washroom Upgrade seems to be taking forever with this prime public area by the Pier being turned into a construction zone for the entire summer. Believe it or not, construction of Memorial Park was to begin in Fall of 2017 with the dream of having a Summer 2018 opening. Unfortunately the City decided to not include the Semiahmoo First Nation in plans for excavation along the waterfront, leading to a three month delay until a provincial archaeological permit was received weeks before Christmas 2017. Work began in January of 2018 but the construction company awarded the contract appears to be taking a very long time to get the work done, with very few people reportedly seen working on the site. To date, the widening of the lower Promenade was completed July 1st, the western portion of Memorial park was completed August 31 and the eastern portion is scheduled to be done in early 2019. An entire summer was lost on this vanity project with the bathrooms still needing their major upgrade. For a detailed look at the delays plaguing this project, visit the following link on the City website: http://www.whiterockcity.ca/477/Memorial-Park-Pier-Washroom-Upgrade

I don't believe that when White Rock Mayor Baldwin and his Coalition cohorts approved all of the major construction projects for their little City By The Sea, they paused one moment to reflect on the disruptions and inconveniences they were going to cause. You can expect the uptown area of White Rock to resemble one huge construction sight for years to come with noise, traffic disruptions, cement trucks, dump trucks and the like. Now might be a good time to proclaim the official bird of White Rock, similar to how the Nootka Rose was selected as the city flower.

I would think that the crane would be a perfect fit. No, not the robust Sandhill crane or majestic Whooping crane, the modern construction crane that can be seen towering above White Rock. Either that or the common loon.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

September 10, 2018

BNSF's Behaviour Simply Of-fence-sive

I want to ride to the ridge where the west commences
Gaze at the moon till I lose my senses
Can't look at hobbles and I can't stand fences
Don't fence me in
Lyrics to "Don't Fence Me In" written by Cole Porter in 1934 and performed by Gene Autry, Roy Rogers, Bing Crosby and others.

It was only four years ago that the City of White Rock installed black chain link fencing across the waterfront in an effort to improve pedestrian safety and reduce locomotive whistling in their seaside community. They put in 230 metres of new railing and 1.5 kilometers of chain link to try and keep people, children and pets off the BNSF tracks in East and West Beach. The city paid for this work in exchange for the BNSF Railway paying for the cost of the East Beach pedestrian crossings upgrades. All of this work was done to placate Transport Canada over pedestrian safety concerns after a female jogger, 42 year-old Anita Lewis, was hit and killed by the Amtrak passenger train while crossing the rails wearing ear buds in East Beach a year before.

White Rock is not the only community in the peninsula suffering with noise pollution from the 150 dB horns on the BNSF locomotives. Crescent beach has two vehicle crossings (McBride Ave. and Beecher St.) and people living a stone's throw away from the tracks who are subjected to blaring train horns both night and day with the frequency increasing in relation to rail traffic. Since 2017 the City of Surrey had committed to paying for the design, installation and maintenance of a pedestrian fence along the BNSF rail corridor from Beecher St. to the south end of Bayview St. as part of a whistle cessation project. Portions of the fence were proposed to be installed on BNSF property after gaining their permission to do so. Not a bad deal for the Railway if you ask me, you get a free fence paid for by taxpayers, free future maintenance and the added benefit of improved track safety that would decrease illegal trespassing onto the corridor.

Unfortunately the Railway is a business and they are obviously shrewd about bilking local governments out of tax-payer dollars, for example the half-million bucks White Rock shells out to the BNSF for lease payments on the parking lots at their beach. When approached by Surrey about the city putting a secure safety fence on their land along Crescent Beach, the BNSF proposed a yearly lease payment reportedly to be $250,000. From Crescent Beach Property Owners Association minutes it was revealed that in February of this year the BNSF Railway decided to stand firm with their lease requirement but would be willing to negotiate the amount of the lease. The lease price was then dropped by 10% to $225,000 per year, a still staggering figure considering the Railway would directly benefit from its construction and long-term pedestrian safety improvement.

Fortunately it seems those in Surrey City Hall were not wanting to follow White Rock's lead of perpetual payments to the BNSF and decided to instead install the fence on the City's side of the rail corridor property line parallel to Bayview Street. The issue with this concept was that while it would help towards their whistle cessation plan that has already been 10 years in the making, the construction of this 6 foot tall fence would mean a loss of the highly prized public parking spots along Bayview Street. Residents on the street voiced concerns about difficulties in exiting their steep driveways on this narrow road and the loss of turn about areas on a road that does not terminate in a cul-de-sac. I know that these public parking areas are also used frequently by naturists with mobility issues who cannot climb the 190 steps of the Christopherson staircase at the west end of 24 Ave. to access Crescent Rock Beach.

It now appears that with the BNSF's refusal to waive the annual lease payment from Surrey and local resident's opposition to the loss of parking areas on Bayview that the Crescent Beach rail corridor fencing plan has been shelved. A friend with his ear to the rails in Crescent Beach has informed me that it will soon be announced that this ambitious safety plan will not be moving forward as was hoped. We should find out more this week when the CBPOA holds its AGM on Wed. at 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 12 at Beecher Place. What really pisses me off about this whole fence episode is that it was on a section of BNSF tracks in Crescent Beach where 39 year-old Henry Kools was hit and killed by the Amtrak in 2000. He was walking on the rails wearing ear buds in similar circumstances to the woman hit on the tracks in White Rock in 2013 that saw level pedestrian crossings and fences installed there.

Maybe Transport Canada needs to consider this information and force the BNSF Railway to pay for the fence along Bayview Street that the City of Surrey would have gladly built them for free if they were not so damn greedy. Billionaire Warren Buffet who owns Berkshire Hathaway which controls the BNSF, formed The Giving Pledge in 2010 as a commitment by the world's wealthiest individuals and families to dedicate the majority of their wealth to giving back. For the world's third richest man valued at $84 billion who turned 88 just over a week ago, how about doing something for the community of Crescent Beach, like making it safer and a whole lot quieter by paying for your own pedestrian fence and turning off the air horns on your locomotives.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

September 04, 2018


Gunning for Mayor

It was five years when I created t-shirt designs for Surrey Shirts focusing attention on gang violence here involving guns. One was directly aimed at the Surrey Six massacre, with the slogan "Better Safe Than Surrey" surrounded by six bullet holes. The other targeted the City of Surrey and the criminal lifestyle here involving illegal handguns used by gangsters where the new Surrey logo featuring Whalley high-rises was altered to look like a Glock 9 mm handgun and the city slogan "the future lives here" changed to "the future dies here." City Hall's response to these t-shirt designs that constituted freedom of expression was to file a "cease and desist" order against Surrey Shirts for using parody to focus attention on the gun violence in Surrey. I guess it was easier for them to try and shut down Surrey Shirts than deal with the gang problem plaguing BC's second largest city. In the end the city backed down, Surrey Shirts went viral, it continues to sell Surrey merchandise and apparel and unfortunately gun and gang violence is still alive and well with people continuing to be shot dead on our streets. For those keeping count, Surrey saw 59 shootings in Surrey during 2017, 61 in 2016 and 88 in 2015.

With civic elections happening this fall, it suddenly seems to be fashionable to call for a ban on all handguns within the city of Surrey in order to stop gang violence. Surrey First Councillor Tom Gill who is now running for mayor had this to say about how to stem gang violence. “We have a gang problem in Surrey that’s devastating families. We owe it to those families to make changes. A handgun ban is part of that. This is an opportunity to take away the tools of the trade.”
Surrey First councillor Dave Woods who is a former RCMP officer abruptly quit the Surrey First slate over the handgun ban proposed by Gill stating "Gangsters haven't registered their guns." Adding to the Surrey gun control hysteria over something that is actually Federal jurisdiction, former Mayor Doug McCallum who is running for his old seat back is suggesting that handgun owners move out of Surrey stating “People who want to have registered handguns should use them in rural areas, not in big cities.”

It is almost comical after years of gun violence and nothing being done to stop it that it suddenly becomes a political hot potato for those seeking to be elected to Surrey Council. Handguns have been restricted in Canada since 1937 and if you want to purchase and shoot one you have to take government firearms safety courses, clear extensive police background checks, belong to a gun club that is certified for their use plus follow safe transport and storage laws. Most pistol shooters I know have a locked secure room in their house with a heavy gun safe bolted to the wall and floor plus an alarm for their home. Guns and ammo are stored separately and when hand guns are taken to and from ranges they are locked securely with ammo in a separate locked container. Legally registered law-abiding firearms owners follow all of the rules in order to own and use handguns in a safe and controlled manner.

The criminal element in Surrey including entrenched gang members do not give a damn about our silly laws and carry illegal handguns with impunity, killing rivals and innocent civilians on an all too regular basis. Google search "shooting in Surrey" and you receive 12,500,000 results, many which are media accounts of gangland murders in Surrey going back for years. Gangs that make their money by smuggling and selling drugs can easily acquire hand guns from criminals in the USA. The four land crossings we have into the Lower Mainland from Washington State allow for a constant flow of weapons from America into Canada, with gang members arming themselves for protection. Border agents I have talked to admit that intercepting hand guns is a difficult job, especially with many pistols being dismantled and the parts then hidden in multiple vehicles. Gangsters also have friends and acquaintances who are not under police scrutiny legally purchase guns and then sell them into the black market. Lastly the theft of hand guns from legal owners is a third source of guns that too often end up in the hands of gangsters. You should note that all of this is criminal activity giving gang members access to illegal guns.

The only way to combat gun violence in Surrey is to focus police resources on those people involved with gangs. Seeing how neighboring Delta does not seem to have this problem makes me wonder if a more pro-active local police force would be better equipped to deal with this problem than the RCMP. Our judiciary needs to stop plea-bargaining away gun charges and I believe that identified gang members caught with illegal firearms should be given heavy prison sentences plus serve consecutive sentences for gun crimes. For all the years that Surrey First has done nothing to stop our gun crime epidemic, it is hypocritical for Tom Gill to target legitimate firearms owners as a way to combat Surrey's gang violence problem. Former mayor wanting to be mayor again Doug MacCallum should have gang members banished from living in Surrey, instead of wanting legitimate hand gun owners to move out of town. Better yet, maybe its time for "Cowboy Doug" to saddle up his horse and mosey on to greener pastures.

Targeting firearms enthusiasts may be politically expedient but it does nothing to control the growth of gangs, the spread of illegal guns on our streets and the violence we are enduring. It is actually political pandering and using a knee-jerk reaction to a complex problem to take the focus away from their own failings. Everyone also needs to realize that firearms legislation is Federal jurisdiction, not a local civic issue. I think that the 208 shootings in Surrey over the past three years show that Surrey First is actually "Surrey's Worst" when it comes to curbing gun violence in our town. If Tom Gill wants to put the cross-hairs on anyone, he should look a little closer to home as far too often it is young Indo-Canadian males who are the ones either getting shot or caught for pulling the trigger in Surrey. Instead of calling out legitimate shooters over their legal sport, politicians hoping to be the new mayor should target the gangs creating the violence on our streets.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

 

August 27, 2018

Skimboarding Getting Kayotics

Earlier this summer I was down on Semiahmoo Bay checking out some remote shoreline that I hadn't explored in years. I followed a narrow trail through the blackberries and undergrowth leading to the water. Only metres from where I emerged onto the beach, I found a stash of strange ramps and tubes hidden in the bush and cable locked to a thick tree. While most people would have wondered what this odd collection of plywood and polyethylene pipe was all about, I immediately realized that they were ramps and obstacles for skimboarding. With its long flat sand beach and abundant tidal pools, White Rock is a perfect place for skimboarding and obviously someone was taking this relatively old past time to a new level. Unfortunately there was no one there that day but with the tide out it was easy to imagine the spot being a skimboarding mecca.

Fast forward to this week when I dropped in on my buddy Lesen, a world famous artist I've known for years with a flair for street art, extreme graffiti and a love for anything that rides on rails. There in his carport was a ramp and rail system similar to what I had earlier seen tucked away down at the beach. The only difference was that instead of the regular combination of lumber, plywood and plastic pipes, he had painted the entire surface of the ramp in psychedelic colours in a pattern that only a mad artist could have imagined. Lesen told me they were being dressed for a local skimboarding group and that he was doing another piece the following day. I told him about seeing the various skimboarding aparatus tucked into the beach bush and he confirmed they were from the same people. Intrigued, I dropped by again a few days later and a second ramp was also expertly spray painted, this time with a setting sun theme complete with silhouettes of palm trees, a beach hut on stilts, and the website address Kayotics.com, home of Kayotics Skimboards & Lifestyles.

Kayotics Skimboards was the brainchild of founder John Minns back in 2001 on the shores of Centennial Beach in Tsawwassen. As with most kids back then, he fashioned his own skimboard from a piece of plywood with some varnish and sand sprinkled on top. The first run of 50 boards was made in a small shed and sold to friends in the flatland skimboarding community for use in local tidal pools. They changed sport forever one night when on the way home from a party found a 10 foot piece of PVC pipe at a construction site. The next day they drove it to the beach, stuck it in the sand and had Minns take the first test run. John ran at the rail straight on, hopped his board from the water into the air to hit the pipe and with arms waving rode the entire length of the rail, landing cleanly in the water on the other side. Since that time, pipes have led to rails, ramps, tables and other apparatus resulting in complex tricks similar to what goes on in a snowboarding park but at the beach instead. Videos of their tricks, exploits and travels spread through social media have allowed Team Kayotics to become well known to a growing world-wide audience and sell their boards and apparel internationally. Here is a link to one of their YouTube videos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ch-yFmsTa-Y

While the original skimboards were glorified pieces of half inch thick plywood, Kayotics have taken skimboard construction to a whole new level. All are designed in Vancouver with modern construction methods being used and refined for over 10 years. They use pressure moulding systems with laminated cross-band plys of wood to create perfect shapes with lots of flex that still hold their form. Taking a page from skateboard and wakeboard manufacturing Kayotic boards have a blended 3-stage rocker making for a clean ride, maximum pop and smooth transition on and off rails. The top and bottom of their boards are dressed in high-pressure laminate sheets that resist dents and damage from apparatus. The sides are coated with marine grade polyeurathane to ensure that water stays out and the wood layers are protected from the elements. To stop heel bruising and improve traction, the top surface of their skimboards is covered with adhesive backed EVA foam for a great grip with soft cushion. You can check out these beautiful modern boards at http://www.kayotics.com/skimboards/ where half of this year's models have already sold out.

Spreading the upgraded sport of skimboarding to the masses, Kayotics runs skimboarding camps during the summer in White Rock, Centennial Beach in Tsawwassen and Spanish Banks in Vancouver. In the past decade they have taught thousands of Lower Mainland kids the art of flatland skimboarding. They teach ages 6-13 about board maintenance, safety riding with more involved lessons on riding rails and performing advanced tricks. When camps are not available, Kayotics has group lessons where you can learn flatland skimboarding with a small group of friends or associates. Kaytonics also offers private lessons with one-on-one instruction for those not comfortable with the group setting or who want personal teaching. Even better you can book a 3 hour skimboard party for groups of 10 or more with several Team Kaotics instructors which would make for a great birthday at the beach in the sunshine trying out this fun sport that is rapidly growing in popularity.

To learn more about Kayotics Skimboards & Lifestyles please visit their website at Kayotitcs.com and check out the following social media sights for a full appreciation of how far skimboarding has advanced and evolved from its humble beginnings.
https://www.facebook.com/kayoticsskimboarding/
https://www.instagram.com/kayoticsskimboards/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbuLU4HgMq0

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

 

August 20, 2018


Smogust

 

The weather forecast for White Rock on Sunday was sunny with highs of 26 C, a UV index of 6.0 or high and sunset at 8:21 PST. The rest of the week calls for sunny and hot with clear conditions overnight. Now I don't know what planet weathermen live on these days but I think its time that they get a dose of reality and possibly open the window for a first hand look at eye-witness weather. The smoke that never really left is back in force from forest fires near Harrison, across BC, down in Washington State and even Vancouver island adding to the pall. The thick haze of smoke has delayed dawn, made the weather appear cloudy, and dramatically dropped UV values and daytime temperatures, clearing the beaches of sun-worshippers. While the sun did not actually set on Sunday evening, I can tell you that the faint red orb in the sky finally disappeared at 5:55 P.M. when it vanished into the smoke nearly 2.5 hours before it was supposed to go down.

I can remember long ago when B.C. meant "Before Christ" before it became synonymous with the province of British Columbia. Over time and with over-taxation, it then was tied to the term "Bring Cash" that is a well known saying from anybody visiting from other parts of Canada. With the Provincial Liberals turning a blind eye to duffel bags of cash being carried into casinos and real estate being purchased with offshore money from dubious sources, BC then became equated to "Beyond Corrupt." Now that we are into the second record wildfire season with no end in sight, I think that the moniker BC now stands for "Burnt Crisp." Currently there are 546 forest fires burning in the Province with almost 600,000 hectares being charred so far with the cost of fighting these fires already over $250 million. It is no surprise that the fire danger rating has risen to high or extreme in nearly every corner of BC including here in the Semi-Pen, with the B.C. government recently declaring a province-wide state of emergency to help deal with the fire threat.

On the west coast of Vancouver Island around the surfing tourist mecca of Tofino, there is a persistent weather pattern in August known as "Fogust" when the marine fog rolls in and seems to linger most of the day. Here in the Lower Mainland, I think we now need to call the ever present wildfire smoke "Smogust" since the meteorologists seem to ignore this condition that blocks out the sun. When we flew back to Vancouver this summer, there was a noticeable brown line in the atmosphere when we descended about Whistler headed into Vancouver. Since that time, forest fires have doubled and greatly increased in intensity, with the Richmond bog fire and the scrap car barge that burned in the Fraser River near the Pattullo Bridge only adding to the air quality problem. It is not like this is new since last year 1,300 forest fires ravaged the province burning more than 12 million hectares, costing $564 million to control. With little rain in the forecast you can expect the present two week window for the state of emergency to be extended, realizing it lasted for a record 10 weeks in 2017.

It is not like hot summer weather is a phenomenon isolated only to the province of BC. When we visited England in July temperatures were in the high thirties with the newspaper headlines screaming "Friday Furnace" the day after I suffered heat stroke. We currently have family visiting from Winnipeg where the summer has been unusually hot again with temperatures of 37-39 Celcius with a humidex reading of 44-45 degrees. A friend of mine named Larry is currently in town from Prince George that currently resembles Hell with all the fire and smoke there that has turned his car a light grey from the ash that is stuck to it. I contacted my buddy Chris in Corona, California to ask him if the wildfires there were having an impact on where he lived and he quickly sent me pictures of the sun being blotted out by smoke and of a plume of red fire retardant being dropped from a plane onto a local hillside that was ablaze. When I texted back to ask where and when he had taken the pictures, he told me they were from his back yard only minutes before. With heavy smoke and ash falling from the sky, he told me that coming down to sit by the pool was out of the question with a layer of ash covering his house and yard. Hopefully the fires will be stopped before they roll into his neighbourhood that is tinder dry from years of continual drought.

Because of the smoke from all the fires there is an Air Quality Advisory in effect for much of BC including the Lower Mainland. Here is the warning issued on Sunday by the BC Ministry of the Environment for this region:
AIR QUALITY ADVISORY IN EFFECT
Metro Vancouver is continuing an Air Quality Advisory for Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley because of high concentrations of fine particulate matter due to smoke from wildfires burning in British Columbia and the western United States. Elevated levels of fine particulate matter are expected to occur over the next few days. Smoke concentrations may vary widely across the region as winds and temperatures change, and as wildfire behaviour changes.
Fine particulate matter, also known as PM2.5, refers to airborne solid or liquid droplets with a diameter of 2.5 micrometres (µm) or less. PM2.5 can easily penetrate indoors because of its small size. Persons with chronic underlying medical conditions should postpone strenuous exercise until the advisory is lifted. Exposure is particularly a concern for infants, the elderly and those who have diabetes, and lung or heart disease. If you are experiencing symptoms such as chest discomfort, shortness of breath, coughing or wheezing, follow the advice of your healthcare provider. As we are in the summer season with warm temperatures, it is also important to stay cool and hydrated. Indoor spaces with air conditioning may offer relief from both heat and air pollution. For more information on current air quality visit www.bcairquality.ca.

Don't expect much of a reprieve from the heat the next few days as yet another heatwave is expected to roll through with daytime temperatures of 32 expected. We may get a break from the smoke later this week with cooler temperatures forecast and actual rain expected next weekend but that is still a long ways off. With our parched forests and pine beetle killed trees still standing on laying on the ground in many areas, expect uncontrolled wildfires to burn until the weather finally cools and rain returns to to finally extinguish them in the fall. With what appears to be two record fire seasons in a row, it looks like this may be the new normal so expect more "Smogust" in the future with hazy conditions for your summer vacation. On the bright side, at least you can leave the sunblock at home and not be worried about getting a burn with the smoke blocking out the sun.

Naturally yours,
Don PItcairn

 

 

August 13, 2018


Red Light Runners Beware

You probably heard the news released last week from the BC NDP government that they are increasing the number of red light cameras that are operational in the province. In total there will be 140 of these devices installed in 26 communities across BC as part of the Intersection Safety Camera Program. Last year there were 350,000 crashes in BC, an all time high, with 60 percent of these occurring in intersections.
Site selection for red light camera installation is based on the frequency, severity and type of crash based on data compiled by ICBC. The majority of the cameras are at intersections in the Lower Mainland, with the others on Vancouver Island and in cities in the Interior. Signs are posted on roadways before each intersection, informing drivers that the red light cameras are in use. A ticket will be issued against the owner of a vehicle only if there is clear photographic evidence that their vehicle entered an intersection on a red light.

While red light cameras are nothing new, they will now run 24 hours a day instead of the 6 hours per day that they were previously operational. Quick math should tell you this will generate four times the tickets and resulting fine revenue. What most people do not realize is that many of these cameras in the most crash-prone intersections have been recording speeds of vehicles that get photographed with no speeding infraction ticket being issued. You can expect that to change in the near future with the number and location of the speed-activated cameras likely to be announced sometime this fall. Imagine the double whammy a driver will get when he runs a red light while speeding. There is no word yet on whether vehicles exceeding the posted speed limit by 40 Kmh will be tracked down and impounded for excessive speed as is currently the case if you are caught by the police.

You can find a map showing the locations for all of the intersection safety cameras on the ICBC website at https://www.icbc.com/road-safety/community/Pages/Red-light-cameras.aspx. There is not much to worry about here in the Semiahmoo peninsula as only one intersection, that at 152 St. and King George Blvd. was deemed dangerous enough to warrant a red light camera. I could think of a few more spots that could use one of these devices but this location likely has the highest traffic volume of any local intersection and I have already attended three horrible crashes at this corner just after they occurred. The next closest locations to home are Scott Rd. and #10 Hwy. plus 152 St. and #10 Hwy. There are no cameras at the gigantic KGB and #10 intersection but King George has the highest concentrations of red light cameras in Surrey at 10 in total. The Nordell Way/88 Ave. connector with its extreme rush hour traffic flow comes in second with 8 red light cameras from the Alex Fraser bridge to Fraser Hwy. In total there are 39 red light cameras in Surrey now taking pictures of red light runners 24/7/365. Make sure you smile and that the cameras get your best side!

There will be those people who complain that this is nothing but a cash grab and a different version of photo radar. Sorry to say that I am not one of these people as the more tickets we hand out to people who flagrantly disregard the rules of the road the better. Hopefully this will slow people down and help put out the dumpster fire still smouldering away at the ICBC headquarters. What I witness driving on an almost non-stop basis is people speeding, not signalling turns or lane changes, running red lights, talking or texting on phones, blah, blah, blah. The biggest issue I see is that there is almost no traffic law enforcement (except for speeders at the bottom of hills) so people drive with impunity, getting away with their stupidity. Put me in an unmarked police car and I doubt if I could drive a block without pulling over someone who deserved a traffic ticket. I had to laugh this weekend when I came upon a car on the freeway with only one working brake light, so I changed lanes to avoid them, getting behind yet another vehicle that also had only one functional brake light. No wonder there are so many crashes in #1 Hwy. in the Fraser Valley these days with cars like this on the road.

Unfortunately with only one red light camera up and running in the Semi-pen, people here can continue to drive around here ignoring something as simple as when traffic lights turn red. I would suggest everyone be careful at the 152 St. and 16 Ave intersection (Johnston Rd. and North Bluff Rd. for those from White Rock) as I was a witness for a young woman who was t-boned there by somebody who ran a red light there last year. If you decide to drive into the heart of Surrey, Burnaby or Vancouver that have many of these cameras, you had best keep in mind that running red lights will cost you a $167 ticket plus have future affects on your insurance rates. Somebody has to pay for the mess that the previous Liberal government left us with and I hope it is the bad drivers and not just tax-payers who get stuck with the bill.

Naturally yours,
Don PItcairn

 

 

August 06, 2018

Shooting Stops in Surrey

As promised this TNT is being written aboard a Westjet 767 high above the Atlantic somewhere between Iceland and Greenland as we make our way home to Surrey, BC from Surrey, England. The 149th NRA UK matches at Bisley are now over and while they always end with a bang, this year was one for the record books with the weather taking center stage in the fullbore rifle competition. For the week when most of the main matches were fired, England and much of Europe were stuck in the middle of a major heat wave with temperature records being broken and health warnings issued to the masses to stay indoors and out of the sun. Unfortunately the only weather that stops competition at the Bisley ranges is lightning so the marksmen still had to shoot their .308 rifles laying in the full sun while wearing thick leather jackets. This led to yours truly suffering from the effects of heat stroke on Thursday that lingered for several days.

When I wrote my last TNT, I mentioned that someone from South Surrey was currently leading the Grand Aggregate that contains the scores of most of the matches fired. I have to admit that it was not me jockeying for top shot but another well known Canadian rifleman. White Rock's loss is Surrey's gain as Jim Paton and his wife Anna recently pulled up roots in the Rock and moved into Country Woods subdivision in the Semi-Pen. Attending his 36th Bisley Prize meeting in a row, Jim dropped very few points "going clean" as they say, shooting many "possibles" or perfect scores. He even won the dreaded 1,000 yard Corporation match outright with an amazng 50-8v, meaning that all of his shots hit the 24 inch bullseye with 8 of the 10 rounds being in the middle of that. When the gunsmoke had cleared after a week of competition, Jim tied with Britain's Jim Corbett having the identical score of 742 points but finishing in second place only two centre v-bulls behind (102
to 100). For this efforts Jim Paton was awarded the Silver Cross and won a total of 9 different matches and aggregates, taking home a large haul of trophies to the Canadian Pavilion where we were staying.

While the Grand Aggregate at Bisley is highly prized, the Queen's Prize match is possible more coveted with the winner being chaired from the firing point on the shoulders of their teammates. It is fired in three stages, Q1 being 7 rounds shot at 300, 500 and 600 yards. The top 300 competitors then make the second stage and Q2 is shot the next day, this time with 10 rounds at 3, 5 & 6. The top 100 make the Q3 or Queen's Final, the Q1 scores are dropped and they go "over the hill" to the Stickledown long range where 15 rounds are then fired on the final day of competition at both 900 and 1,000 yards. Stickledown is well known for treacherous and difficult winds but this year with the extreme heat and a large cold front moving in, the winds reached speeds of 15-25 miles per hour with frequent strength and direction changes. In the middle of a raging sandstorm, Britain's David Luckman, a former Queens and Grand Aggregate winner, prevailed taking Her Majesty's Prize by somehow firing a 68 out of 75 at the last 1,000 yard range. In all 5 Canadians made the Queen's Final including myself, with 24 year-old Catherine Choquette from Ottawa finishing as the top Canuck in 10th place.

With all target rifle shooting complete, it was time for the party to begin with the Queen's Prize winner David Luckman being put in a chair with rails under it and carried from the 1,000 yard firing point with a military brass band leading the way. At the NRA offices, prize presentations were held with amazing silverware, some almost 150 years old awarded to the match and aggregate winners. From there Mr. Luckman was carried from clubhouse to clubhouse around the Bisley Camp all evening long as is tradition there. At the Canadian Pavillion he was taken inside chair and all where he grabbed a white Calgary Stetson cowboy hat off the Buffalo head mounted high above the fireplace plus a cigarette dangling from its mouth. After a few drinks it was outside to fire the 4 foot naval cannon five times plus a smaller cannon made from used brass ammo cartridges. The final stop was the Surrey Rifle Association clubhouse for a raucous sing-along party that included six previous Queen's Prize winners including our Jim Paton hitting the stage to belt out a song together. We left at 3 a.m. and heard the bar finally closed long after dawn.

 

I hope it does not take another 38 years for me to return to Bisley as my wife Sheryl and I really enjoyed our time, the experiences and friendships we found there. Not to mention, I would think by that time my shooting days would likely be over if I'm lucky enough to actually live that long. I should mention that Team Canada came within a point of beating Britain for the historic Kolapore short range team match with many countries cheering on the upstart Canadians against the always strong English team. I would like to thank the many members of Team Canada for their support and comradery, with a special tip of my hat to the three other BC shooters plus team Commandant Dave Adams from Mission plus team Adjutant Peter Dobell from Chilliwack who unfortunately could not make the trip to Bisley due to a last minute medical concern.

I leave you with a picture I took from the cabin of our plane high above the coast of Greenland with its massive ice sheet flowing to the coast and calving off icebergs into the North Atlantic Ocean. It was quite the sight to see but I must admit that the sheer number and size of lakes and rivers plainly visible on the top of the giant glacier was of grave concern, especially with the extreme heat we endured during our stay in England. This should give you something to think about when you're spending time along our beaches during high tide.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

July 23, 2018

This Surrey Shooting Scores a Bulls-eye

 

Perish the thought that I have anything to do with the constant shootings and gangland murders that have plagued Surrey for years. I'm in the other mother Surrey..., Surrey, England that is, near the town of Woking at the NRA UK Fullbore Rifle Championships being held at the historic Bisley Range. I am a member of the 22 person strong Canadian Rifle Team sent here by the Domininon of Canada Rifle Association (dcra.org) that is now competing against some of the best marksmen on the planet. To give you an idea of the size of the estate, the 300-600 yd Century range features 108 target bays, while the famed 900-1,000 yard Stickledown range features 50 long-range firing positions.

This is not the first time I have had the pleasure of shooting for Canada at Bisley. Way back in 1979 when I was a BC Regiment army cadet, I made the Canadian Cadet Rifle Team and came here with a very strong shooting team. Half of the 18 boys and girls who qualified were from BC and had taken part in the rifle course held in Vernon. Of particular pride for me, the entire BC Regiment shooting team that I was a part of all made the rifle team, ensuring I had plenty of good friends along for the trip. We shot very well, winning the Alexander Graham Bell junior shooter team match for the first time in years and I made the top 100 in the Queens Prize and top 50 in the St. George's Match, both coming with highly coveted prizes.

Since that time life really got in the way of myself competing at international fullbore rifle matches where 0.308 single shot centrefire rifles are fired from the prone position at targets 300-1,000 yards away. I finally returned 38 years later, this time with the senior team for the 149th prize meeting held at Bisley. This August will be the 150th DCRA rifle championships in Ottawa, Ontario, showing the history and longevity of rifle shooting competition world wide. We are staying in Bisley at the McDonald Stewart Canadian Pavillion, a large two storey colonial design featuring a broad veranda that was constructed of wood imported from Canada in 1897. For 120 years it has been Canadian shooting team's home away from home when competing in England.

The social aspect of international target rifle shooting is an important part of any meet with chances to renew old friendships with people from any of the 18 countries participating. Many of the English shooting teams have clubhouse on the NRA property including the Surrey Rifle Association that we naturally gravitate to. On Sunday night we opened our home to many of the overseas team's with over 300 people attending the largest party of the meeting. It is also a chance to say goodbye and pay respects to old friends with former DCRA Governor Jim Thompson who passed away earlier this year having his memorial service and ashes scattered at the top of the 1,000 yard Stickledown range. This included the field cannon that normally resides next to the Maple Leaf flag at the Pavillion being fired as a final salute.

Since shooting began at Bisley, Canadian marksmen have fared very well for the size of our population. Ìn the Grand Aggregate that consists of scores from the bulk of the matches, we have scored Gold Crosses a dozen times and Siver Crosses nine times. Of special note is Alain Marion from Quebec who won silver in 1973 & 1980 before winning the gold in 1990 and BC native Bob Pitcairn who won gold in 1965 and silver in 1981. In the hotly contested King's/Queen's prize,
Canadian have won gold a total of 15 times, shooting for silver a further 8 times. The last Canadian Queen's prize winner was Jim Paton from White Rock in 2005. Amazingly, the only person who has ever won both of these major aggregates in a single year was Canadian D.T. Blair in 1929 and he had to shoot off against fellow Canadians to win gold in both.

That's all the news about shooting in Surrey except to tell you that currently a Canadian who lives in South Surrey is currently leading the Grand Aggregate by a whopping 6 points. More on that in next week's TNT that will likely be written on a Boeing 767 at 35,000 feet somewhere over Greenland and the Great White North.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

July 17, 2018


TNT Time in Britain

It's been a long while since I made my way across the pond to jolly old England, the last time being when I was 18 years old as an army cadet with the Canadian Rifle Team. I would have thought with flying into Britain from North America with a name like Donald that people would have been at the airport in droves to protest my arrival. Fortunately this was not the case and we landed safely with no fanfare and breezed through customs. This was not the case a day later later when a very different Donald sporting a rather unique hairstyle came into town on Air Force One.

US President Trump left a NATO meeting in Brussels and then flew to the UK, landing at the Stansted Airport before flying by helicopter to Winfield House that is the home to the US Ambassador in London. By chance we were on the flight path and had our sporting event cancelled for an hour and a half due to airspace concerns with The Donald flying over. I must admit it was rather interesting to see several V-22 Ospreys accompanied by rather menacing looķing Blackhawk helicopters going past. What made this fly-by even more eventful was that not long before Mr. Trump flew by, a Russian MIG-29 fighter jet blasted directly overhead, leaving many wondering if WW3 was starting or if Putin was making sure that POTUS arrived safely before their summit. My buddy Tom Walters from Saxon Aerospace in Surrey (BC, not England) who identified the fighter jet correctly assumed it was heading to Farnsworth for Europe's biggest air show.

Leftists and Liberals from across the country took to the streets in mass to protest the arrival of USA President Trump and his policies that many on that side of the political spectrum strongly oppose. There were literally hundreds of separate protests across the UK but none was larger than the one that took place in Trafalgar Square not far from the Parliament buildings which attracted an estimated 200,000 people. Besides all of the political banners and protest signs bashing Trump, the most visible had to be a huge ballon in the shape of baby resembling a crying Donald Trump including a hock of blonde hair and diaper. We visited Trafalgar Square the next day when the crowds had thinned out but evidence of the protesters remained with anti-Trump posters littering the ground around the Canadian Embassy located next door to the famous fountains with its four large bronze lions.

When we came out of the National Art Gallery, our plan was to visit the Parliament buildings and Big Ben before crossing back over the Thames River on the London Bridge to visit the gigantic Eye of London ferris wheel. Instead we saw a large crowd of 2,500 people gathered around the middle of Trafalgar Square singing loudly and waving flags including many of the old red and white English cross. With the FIFA World Cup still ongoing we thought it was a soccer match warm-up and decided to check out the throng that by this time were lighting red smoke bombs that filled much of the air. When a half-dozen police officers on horseback arrived along with large continent of bobbies on foot, we realized that we had inadvertently joined in some kind of a pro-Trump right-wing street protest that had nothing to do with what they call football.

The singing from the crowd resembled what you might hear at a soccer match, with everyone chanting "Tooommmm-y, Tommy-Tommy-Tommy-Tommy Rob-in-son." Not wanting to get involved, we left and headed towards the Big Ben tower that was covered in scaffolding and costruction mesh for a major renovation. The crowd left Trafalgar and poured in our direction shouting "Who's streets? Our streets. Free speech! Our Streets." Talking to many protesters and several cops, we learned that a right wing activist named Tommy Robinson had been secretly jailed for 13 months for violating a court order exposing three immigrants charged in a gang rape of an English national. Reading into the story on our smart phone, it did seem that this heavy handed decision was politically motivated, which incited the march we once again found ourselves caught in.

Nearing the English parliament buildings, we found the streets barricaded off and ringed with riot police. A half block away, counter protesters stood behind another barricade with another line of cops dressed in black with yellow high -viz vests. The police were quite friendly with us, likely because they easily identified us as tourists with our Canada shirts and no alt-right tattoos. Amazingly they even answered questions after I gave them my White Rock Sun card, not like our RCMP at home who robotically refer you to a media officer that then ignores you. With two more trailers full of riot team horses showing up and scuffles breaking out, we decided to go check out more historical sites instead of staying for the fights. In the end, the police helicopter hung over the battle zone for three hours, five police were wounded, several people got arrested, and Tommy Robinson was not freed.

I'm sorry that this TNT was a little late but my activity and social calendar the past week left little time to pen this column. For those wondering, we did stand proudly outside the gates of Buckingham palace, but didn't receive an invite from the Queen to join her for tea. This was probably for the best as I would have referred to her Majesty as Liz or simply Queeny for shits and giggles. While I'm away on vacation, there is no holiday from the White Rock Sun and I will do my best to keep you informed of our journeys and exploits in the Mother country. Until then ta-ta and cheeri-o. Oh blimey, I'm already sounding like a Limey!

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

July 09. 2018

Railing On About Track Safety

I was organizing a few things for the net work day just after 10 o'clock on Wednesday night when I heard the firetruck from Hall 12 in Crescent Beach roar towards the end of 24 Ave in Crescent heights with sirens wailing. Moments after that a paramedic vehicle also headed towards the Christopherson Steps at the end of the road. Following this was an almost non-stop parade of RCMP cruisers and ambulances speeding towards the area where the elevated pedestrian stairway goes across the BNSF tracks, giving people safe access to both Crescent Beach and Crescent Rock beach. With school just out for the summer I figured maybe it was an after-grad party gone sideways and with the large emergency services response, I thought it would be wise to check out what the heck was going on in my normally sedate neighbourhood.

Just around the corner from my house, I met a group of a half-dozen teenage males walking away from the kaleidoscope of red and blue lights at the end of the road. When I asked them if they knew what had happened, they told me in stammering voices that they'd been at a beach party beside the tracks with other students from Elgin Park. They admitted that it had been an alcohol and drug fueled binge with around 50 people taking part in the festivities. What they told me was that some of the boys had decided to sit on the tracks and play chicken with an oncoming train. It turns out this was not a slow moving BNSF freight train but the northbound Amtrak passenger train heading towards Vancouver. While most of the young men managed to get out of the way in time, one did not move fast enough and was struck by the AmTrak, sending him flying 20' through the air into the bushes and rocks below. They described in graphic details his serious injuries that included a large gaping head wound and refused to speculate on their school mate's condition.

Heading down into the tangle of police, ambulance and fire vehicles, it was almost surreal that no first responders were on scene next to what locals used to call the 101 Steps, with everyone being down at the beach. As small groups of crying teenagers made their way up the stairs out of the darkness, they were met by panicked parents who had drove to the site and were running down the roadway cell phones in hand to meet and console them. I came across several groups of teenage girls who told me the same story as the boys up the street, including gory details on what they had seen. They identified the young man who had been hit by the Amtrak as 14 year-old Jack Stroud who had recently completed grade 9 at Elgin Park Secondary School. When I asked about his condition they admitted they didn't think his chances for survival were good, with emergency CPR being performed on him at the beach. Two young ladies near the entrance to the stairs told me the same kid was carrying a large bottle of open liquor just before the accident described him as being very drunk. A young man was then basically carried up the stairs by several friends and he collapsed in the middle of the road sobbing repeatedly about losing his friend. By that time I had seen enough and with a Global TV cameraman showing up to roll tape, I decided to make my way back home. In the morning the Surrey RCMP released that 15 year-old Grade 9 Elgin Park student Jack Stroud had been hit and killed by the late night Amtrak train.

By Thursday night a waterfront memorial just south of the Christopherson Steps had been erected by Jack's friends and classmates, complete with a white cross, numerous bouquets of flowers, pictures, momentos and rocks with tributes written on them in indelible ink. My wife and I went by while walking her dogs and joined the many teary-eyed teenagers gathered there exchanging hugs and giving each other support over the loss of their friend. Showing how this latest death apparently has changed nothing, when we were coming down the metal stairs three men in jeans with their shirts off came walking down the tracks as a BNSF freight train went past. The engineer horned the heck out of these morons and yelled at them to get off the tracks as he rolled by. Instead of leaving the corridor, these idiots decided it would be fun to grab at the ladders on the box cars and take a small ride down the tracks on the train. This was how a guy I went to school with years ago lost his leg mid-thigh to a BNSF frieght train in North Delta. All I could think from this show of idiocy was that you can't fix stupid. This idea was reinforced on Sunday night when my wife and I again went for a walk on the beach at sunset and found that the Crescent Rock boulder and many large rocks on the beach near the memorial had been spray painted with graffiti linked to Jack Stroud's passing. After the mess that grads left at Chehalis Lake two years ago, I'm surprised that Elgin Park students would apparently trash Crescent Rock beach in Jack's memory.

I spent time in the Surrey archives years ago researching the number of accidents on the rail corridor in the Semiahmoo peninsula and believe that the "BNSF Hit List" as I call it is now up to 22 people killed on the tracks here. Unfortunately the Amtrak train is involved in an disproportionate number of these fatal accidents. When passenger rail service was restarted in 1975, the Amtrak ran over five people in the first five years before speed limits were lowered here. The sleek looking locomotives, quiet engines, smaller lights and smooth running suspension means that people misjudge the Amtrak's speed or fail to respond quickly to the danger that it poses to people trespassing on the railway. The paint job also is basically camouflage with the engines either being white with brown and green, all natural colours, or blue and silver grey, the predominant colours found at the beach. The BNSF freight trains with their loud engines and Halloween paint job are big, slower and noisy, with most people taking notice and getting the heck off the tracks when they see one coming. At the end of the day, no amount of education, signage, pedestrian crossing, bells and whistles or even terrible deaths will keep people from using the tracks as a walkway to reach their favourite part of the waterfront. The only way to stop this slow-motion massacre will be to eventually move the tracks inland to a safer location away from what is the main marine recreational site to over a million Fraser Valley residents.

On a railway related note, I just learned that the CN Police recently cancelled their policing contract with the BNSF after 20 years of service. The BNSF Railway have now hired their own officer who patrols the tracks along with an RCMP member from the Peace Arch to New West. You can now expect to see much more trespassing enforcement with this change in policing that will focus on people on the tracks in the Semiahmoo peninsula. I talked to the new BNSF cop about the Semiahmoo First Nations parking lot behind the WAG that was the topic of an unflattering video recently shown on Facebook. He assured me that those simply crossing the tracks in this location to access the beach would not be ticketed but those walking on the tracks near the Reserve could expect a $115 fine. Don't be surprised to see a level pedestrian crossing like those in White Rock installed at this location in the near future to improve rail safety as I understand from a reliable railway source that negotiations between the SFN, BNSF and Transport Canada are already underway. Lastly, near Crescent Beach, the City of Surrey is looking to erect a six foot tall chain link fence along the rail corridor from the crossing at Beecher St. to the end of Bayview Street as part of a whistle cessation program. Plans are now to put it on city land as the BNSF bean counters wanted a whopping $225,000 a year lease payment for a free fence that would keep people off their train tracks. You'd like to think they would be more concerned about rail safety than trying to extort taxpayer money from Surrey. What a sickening display of corporate greed from an American based railroad owned by one of the world's richest men who appears morally bankrupt.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

July 03, 3018

 

Glimpsing a Petroglyph

Crescent Rock beach located at the base of the Ocean Park bluffs was forever altered in 1907 when work began on the Great Northern Railway track realignment that brought freight trains to the shores of Semiahmoo Bay. The tracks were built above the intertidal zone of the beach and the rail bed fortified with rip-rap to protect the corridor from winter storms and crashing waves. While these boulders have continuously washed into the surf for 110 years, many of the rocks on the beach are there from natural erosion processes that have occurred since the last ice age (the Pleistocene Epoch) ended an estimated 11,700 years ago. In fact, both the White Rock boulder and its smaller cousin in Surrey, the Crescent Rock boulder, are glacial erratics carried here on ice sheets from far away mountain ranges, with both being composed of identical white granite.

For centuries before Europeans arrived in these waters indigenous people used both the White Rock boulder and Crescent Beach boulders as navigational aids. The Crescent Rock boulder in Surrey near Crescent Beach can be seen with the naked eye from Centennial Beach in Tsawwassen and the White Rock boulder is visible from Lily Point in Point Roberts. If you look at the shore directly in front of the Crescent Rock boulder, you will notice two lines of big rocks running perpendicular to the beach and separated by roughly 100 feet in distance. It is believed that these rocks were moved into place to create a safe landing zone for First Nation canoes and to help trap sand, similar to the groins that have been placed at the Crescent Beach marine park. Further south from the Crescent Rock past Indian Fort Drive that was named after a First Nations defensive position on the bluff, there is another of these protected shoreline areas lined with heavy boulders. They can easily be viewed from the comfort of your home on Google Earth or Surrey's COSMOS mapping system.

While the presence of the Coast Salish people here is well documented with archelogical evidence easily found widespread across the coast of Boundary Bay including Crescent Beach, not many are aware that centuries old indigenous art work can easily be found if you know what you are looking for. This weekend a friend of mine who I know from the beach sent me photos of a petroglyph he had located 300 yards south of the Christopherson Steps staircase (formerly 101 Steps) just beyond the main beach area favoured by naturists. A buddy of his had told him about the existence of three of them in this area but he did not locate the other two. I must admit that I have walked this beach countless times and done shoreline cleanups from Crescent Beach to White Rock before without noticing anything unusual in the shore boulders. In the future I plan on spending less time admiring the view towards the San Juan islands and focus on looking for centuries old Indigenous art.

In case you are not familiar with the word, petroglyphs are ancient rock carvings made by aboriginal people by chipping and abrading rock surfaces with stone tools. This should not be confused with pictographs, which are paintings applied to rocks with sticks or fingers using pigments often made from powdered minerals. In British Columbia over 500 petroglyph sites have been located, more than in any other province in Canada. The locations for petroglyphs usually mark unusual natural features such as waterfalls or caves plus village sites or trails. For unknown reasons, many petrogyphs here were carved on intertidal beach boulders that are submerged by the tide, appearing only when the tide receeds. This was the case of the Crescent Rock beach petroglyph that features what appears to be the face of the man adorned with some kind of a headdress. Carbon 14 dating techniques are rarely helpful in determining the age of rock art sites but it is believed that due to erosional forces which eventually destroy them, most petroglyphs in BC range from 100 to 3,000 years old.

It is not like this is a new discovery here in the Semiahmoo Peninsula. In the 1920's a petroglyph was spotted on the beach near the south end of 136 Street, showing a series of circles and holes on a large granite boulder. The Surrey Historical Society was notified and took steps to rescue the boulder from erosion that was destroying the art work. After getting permission from the Parks Branch, they enlisted help from the Burlington Northern Railway who used a crane to pluck it from the water. The rock was them moved into Crescent Beach proper, finding a final place in Heron Park at the site of the old Crescent Beach Train Station, located next to the tracks on Beecher Street. It was officially unveiled in 1974 by them Surrey Mayor Bill Vanderzalm and is marked with a plaque that reads "PETROGLYPH - Symbols were carved into the rock by prehistoric inhabitants of the area." I'm thinking this could use updating to remove "prehistoric inhabitants" and instead read "the Coast Salish people."

 

Petroglyphs are protected in BC under the provisions of the Heritage Conservation Act. You can learn more about petroglyphs by visiting the archaeology section of the BC Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations. Their direct website link is https://www.for.gov.bc.ca/archaeology/policies/recording_petroglyphs.htm If you find other petroglyphs in south Surrey or White Rock, please contact the Archaeology Branch directly by telephone at (250) 953-3334 to report their location and possibly provide a photo of the ancient indigenous rock art. When I find the other two rock carvings that are south of Crescent Beach, pictures of them will be added to this story in the future as a TNT extra.

Naturally yours,
Don PItcairn

 

 

June 25, 2018

A line in the Sand at Border Beach

The story broke last week about a 19 year-old French girl who inadvertently crossed the US/Canada border into Blaine and was arrested. Roman Cedella was in Canada visiting her mother in North Delta when she decided to go for a jog at the White Rock waterfront on May 21st. Heading south past the Peace Arch Park she ran only meters into the United States, turned to take a picture with her cell phone, then jogged back up the beach. She was apprehended by two US Customs and Border Security agents only steps from the crossing and when they found out she was a foreign national with no ID, she was promptly arrested. They then transferred her to the US Immigration Custom Enforcement (ICE) Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma, Washington and held for two weeks while bureaucrats on both sides of the border sorted out her case before finally releasing her back to her mother in Canada on June 6th. Simply Google "French jogger US border White Rock" to read the many news reports about this border incident.

When you drive down Hwy. 99 towards the US, it is impossible to not realize that you are entering a border crossing area. There are plenty of signs along the way, the giant Peace Arch monument, crossing booths for both Canada and the US, not to mention long lineups of vehicles all crawling along or sitting stuck in traffic. I went down to the beach south of Peace Arch Park in an area that I now call "Border Beach" to check out for myself how someone could mistakenly jog across the 49th parallel at BC's largest land crossing. Beforehand, I made sure to call ahead to the US Customs and Border Protection offices in Blaine so I could let them know I would be in the vicinity taking pictures for this column. The supervisor was quite helpful, taking down my description to pass onto border guards and telling me to bring a business card plus passport, which I thought was very good advice. I like spending time in the United States, but prefer a nice comfy hotel room to a jail cell.

Parking at Peace Arch Park, my wife and I along with her two dogs walked south along until we paralleled the cars lining up for inspection heading into the US, finally stopping directly west of the Peace Arch monument. At this point is a four sided concrete marker about four feet high that reads "International Boundary" on two sides with "Canada" and "United States" on the other. Other than this weathered grey post, there is no signage to let you know you are crossing the actual border. About 50 feet away is an old metal sign in black and white, approximately 8' long by 1' tall, that reads USA CANADA BORDER which is streaked with rust. The "No Trespassing" sign below it that has been vandalized to now read "assing" lists the BN RR or Burlington Northern Rail Road as the owner. This railway became the BNSF when Burlington Northern and Sante Fe railways merged in 1995 so this sign is at least 23 years old and now partially obscured by scrubby trees and blackberries. If you have not noticed it before, its because it is not visible to traffic heading south.

Not far from this location we found a dirt trail leading through the undergrowth, out across the tracks and down onto the shoreline. I have to admit that in all of the years I have lived in this region, I have never set foot on Border Beach. It is rather spectacular in its rugged beauty with not a soul to be seen anywhere. Facing due West it looks out across the expanse of Semiahmoo Bay, making it a great place walk in tidal pools, skim-board, or take in a sunset. Heading back south to where I knew the border was, it became obvious why Roman Cedella had accidentally jogged into the United States. There is nothing on the beach to mark the 49th parallel boundary and the trees and vegetation between the beach and tracks, plus the tracks and Hwy 99 completely block the view of the crossing. Even the Peace Arch Monument that stands 20.5 metres tall is almost totally obscured by the bushes. There is no signage, no monument, no fence, no concrete curbing, no wall, not even a line drawn in the sand. In this day and age with paranoia rampant in the US and politicians so fixated on border security and protection, having no boundary markers at the beach is ludicrous.

In Tsawwassen and Point Roberts, at least there is something to alert you to the presence of the world's largest unsecured border of 5,525 miles. On both the Tsawwassen Beach and Centennial Beach sides of south Delta, the waterfront at the international boundary has the same concrete monument that sits next to Hwy. 99. When the tide is in and the beach is reduced to a small strip, there is a chance that you might actually notice them. Again, there is no signage, fencing, wall or anything else to alert you to crossing the border. Since Point Roberts is surrounded by water and with many Canadians owning property in this enclave, there seems to be less interest in enforcing the border along the beach and both Canadian and US residents meander back and forth with virtual impunity. That is not the case at the Peace Arch where US Border Customs and Border Protection agents watch the sand flats west of Hwy. 99 with spotting scopes looking for anyone taking a few wrong steps into the United States.

If we are to have a defended border with the US, it is time that we post some proper notification at the 49th parallel so that people know when they are running into trouble. There needs to be large visible signs down at the beach printed on both sides so that folks from the US and Canada know where the border actually is located. I would suggest a low concrete barrier or curbing at the beach so people actually have to step over it when the tide is in. Out in the sand flats, a piling with signage some distance from shore would also be useful to stop inadvertent crossings. Personally I would like the US and Canada to follow Europe's lead and get read of this relic, focusing instead on continental security and opening the border. Unfortunately with the other Donald running the White House and immigration being such a hot-button issue in the land of the free, it is doubtful that this would ever be considered. If you want to visit Border Beach to check it out for yourself, I'd suggest sunglasses, some tanning oil, your passport and the possibly the phone number for a good immigration lawyer.

Naturally yours,
Don PItcairn

 

 

June 18, 2018


Disposal Ban With No Disposal Plan

You have to love it when non-elected governmental officials make decisions that affect almost everyone they have been chosen to represent, which place ridiculous and onerous burdens on the people who pay their bloated salaries. Case in point is the decision by the Metro Vancouver GVS&DD Board to ban the disposal of expanded polystyrene, commonly known as styrofoam, from the garbage disposal stream in two weeks time starting July 1st, 2018. Never heard of the GVS&DD Board? Neither have I but it turns out it is the Greater Vancouver Sewerage and Drainage District who have passed this edict. Here is the info on this ban taken from the Met-Van website:

Metro Vancouver will start levying a surcharge against customers who dump expanded polystyrene packaging, commonly known as Styrofoam, at regional disposal facilities effective July 1. The move is aimed at encouraging more styrofoam recycling by creating a financial deterrent to throwing the material in the garbage. A surcharge amounting to 100 percent of the tipping fee will be applied to garbage loads containing more than 20 percent expanded polystyrene packaging at Metro Vancouver and City of Vancouver transfer stations, the waste-to-energy facility or the Vancouver Landfill.
The ban applies to white expanded polystyrene that is used for protecting and distributing products but excludes food and beverage containers, packing peanuts and expanded polystyrene that is painted, soiled or treated. Disposal Ban Inspectors have been educating customers about the upcoming requirements since January.
Expanded polystyrene packaging can be reused in local styrofoam manufacturing processes, or it can be recycled into products such as picture frames, crown moulding and fencing. Residents can drop off expanded polystyrene free of charge at designated recycling depots, and businesses can send it for recycling at local facilities for a fee. A list of drop-off depots and recycling facilities is available at metrovancouverrecycles.org.

Now don't get me wrong, anything we can do to divert products out of our waste stream and away from landfills or incinerators is a good thing. According to Met-Van 10,500 of tonnes of EPS are disposed of every year in the Lower Mainland, representing one of the largest material categories in the waste stream without a disposal ban. Our household has already been recycling styrofoam for years, saving up clean packing styrofoam in large clear plastic bags and taking them to Mansonville Plastics on 56 Ave in Surrey just east of 192 St. in Surrey, where this product is ground up and turned into polystyrene building blocks and sheets of board insulation. We collect all of the various styrofoam food and beverage containers that enter our home, cleaning and storing them before taking it to the White Rock Encorp Return-It Centre on 24 Ave., the only place in the Semi-Pen that apparently accepts this product at this time. Fortunately we have lots of storage space at our house with the garage sometimes looking much like a Return-It centre, with bags of plastic film, glass jars, packing styrofoam, food packaging styrofoam, plus beverage containers with deposits on them. For people in apartments or townhouses where storage is at a premium, we wonder how often these products simply get tossed in the trash because they are not picked up with curbside recycling.

At issue here is Metro Vancouver banning styrofoam from the waste stream without having a collection system in place to properly deal with this rather bulky problem. If you go to the metrovancouverrecycles.org website it asks you "Are you a business or a resident" and "What are you recycling today." Picking resident and polystyrene, yields a surprising low return of only three facilities, Fleetwood Waste Systems in Vancouver, Brad's Junk Removal in Richmond and the Maple Ridge Transfer Station in you guessed it, Maple Ditch. I decided to try entering styrofoam into their system expecting the same result since it is the same product and the search results yielded eight locations with nothing in Sur-Del-Lang. Strangely two of the three locations in the first search did not show up in the second query. Now I know that residents of Surrey are often treated as second-class citizens but not having a listed drop-off location for half-a-million people seems beyond belief. The Encorp Return-it website at return-it.ca lists only a polystyrene beverage cup that is accepted for a 5 cent deposit with no information given in the "What they are recycled into" box. Surrey does not collect styrofoam in their recyclables and the surrey.ca website is little help, directing people to the Metrovancouver recycles website or to call the Recycling Council of British Columbia Hotline 604-732-9253.

If Metro Vancouver and the City of Surrey wants to get serious about recycling, they need to put in place an easy to use collection system or else styrofoam will continue to be thrown into the trash. Since glass jars that have no deposit fee were banned from the big grey recycling totes in Surrey, I know that many people simply toss these containers into the garbage, increasing landfills one jar at a time. The same fate awaits styrofoam if there is no easy way for this product to be collected and recycled. Metro Vancouver, City of Surrey and Encorp Return-it websites all need to be upgraded before July 1st to deal with this new change that the bureaucrats have implemented. They have two weeks left and I would suggest that they get this done immediately before the Recycling Council of BC hotline get overwhelmed with calls from bewildered or pissed-off residents looking for answers. All of those Return-it ads you see on TV with the angry looking beverage containers have the music soundtrack that goes "dumb-dumb-dumb", which perfectly describes how this styrofoam recycling program is being rolled out.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

June 11, 2018

Dying To Get In There

It was a pretty rough week in south-east Surrey with two teenage boys being gunned down last Monday night on 40 Ave between 184 and 200 Street, followed soon after by reports of two burning cars that are becoming common after gangland executions. In the early hours of Sunday morning, two men allegedly driving in a truck stolen from Langley apparently headed south on 192 St. and failed to realize that the road ended in a T intersection at 16 Ave. The F-350 crossed 16 Ave. at considerable speed just missing the road end marker, plowed through a cedar hedge, crashed into a thick stand of maple trees before rolling and coming to a stop in the Hazelmere Cemetary, narrowly missing several gravestones. There were no skid marks visible on the asphalt from either heavy braking or an attempt at a sharp turn. A neighbour told me the truck was folded in two with the roof ripped off and the men's bodies trapped inside.

Now I realize that there will be many in our community who are tired of criminals in our midst who might say that these two men, both known to the police, got what they deserved. I'm not going to be drawn into the argument of whether auto theft warrants a death sentence, but instead want people to know that regardless of their motives or method of transportation, the corner where these men lost their lives is dangerous and has killed before. On May 8, 2010, 26 year-old excavation operator Arron Breaks made the same mistake of driving straight through this very same intersection. His white Honda cut a 100 foot swath through the bush before crashing into the Little Campbell River ravine beside the cemetery. Aaron was found by his brother who went looking for him several days after he failed to return home from a friend's place. A welded metal cross featuring a yellow excavator now marks the spot where his car left the roadway, while Aaron Tyler Breaks was laid to rest in the Hazelmere Cemetery, something I learned from the website findagrave.com.

The corner of 192 St. and 16 Ave. is now a very busy intersection with plenty of truck traffic. For those heading south on 192 St., there is no signage warning that they are approaching a T intersection. There is a small road end marker across the street and a traffic light that simply goes green, instead of having two arrows facing both left and right. If a mistake is made or one's judgement is affected by alcohol, drugs or fatigue, or if a driver is distracted and a vehicle drives through this light, the waiting ravine and heavy trees pose a deadly threat. There needs to be a line of heavy concrete dividers painted bright yellow placed across from this intersection, with two road end markers lined up on the two lanes that approach them. This would be more visible and stop vehicles from zooming off into the trees or ravine. To lessen any impact, large yellow barrels filled with sand could be placed in front of the concrete, similar to what has been done at the T intersection of Knight Street and Westminster Hwy. in Richmond after several bad crashes there years ago.

Further up the street on 192 St. there are several other improvements that could reduce or eliminate the possibility of one of these off-road accidents happening again in the future. While there are arrows painted on the roadway, there needs to be signage indicating that the road terminates and drivers must turn either left or right. It might be worth considering having rumble strips installed to help bring attention to the road ending ahead. Also on the pole that holds the traffic light, black and white lane turning arrows should also be installed on either side of the light. All of these changes should greatly reduce the chance of a repeat accident but one other safety upgrade also needs to be made on 16 Ave. There is a long row of large concrete dividers on the south side of the road just east of the intersection protecting cars from going into the Campbell River ravine. For reasons unknown, there is a 100 foot section of these tall safety curbs missing, likely from being damaged by a heavy truck in the past and never replaced. The gaping hole in this important road safety system needs to be plugged.

When Aaron Breaks died in 2010, I visited the crash scene and saw the temporary roadside memorial his friends and family had left at that time. When the iron cross was later installed, I stopped by to check out the metalwork and pay my respects. While I knew of the dangers at this intersection, I never took the time to notify the City of Surrey as to how they could easily be eliminated. Now that two more people have died, bringing the death toll to 3 people in 8 years, I will ensure that the information you read here is forwarded to the Surrey Engineering Department this week for their perusal and consideration. As I have said in the past, bad engineering kills people and this busy corner needs to be upgraded before anyone else dies as a result of bad signage and lack of a protective barrier. The old joke about the cemetery being the most popular place since people are dying to get in there, quickly looses its humour when you have walked down the tire tracks in the dirt and seen the heavy impact marks on the thick trees where people have lost their lives.

Naturally yours,
Don PItcairn

 

 

June 04, 2018


Crime of the Week - the Murder of Dario Bartoli

BC Crime Stoppers has taken the step of listing the 2014 homicide of 15 year-old Surrey teen Dario Bartoli as its "Crime of the Week" that began on Sun., June 3rd. Let's hope that the extra publicity about this now historic homicide will loosen some lips as somebody in our community knows the details about this heinous crime and the murderer or murderers who are still walking our streets instead of being locked away in jail.

Just after 2:30 a.m. on Dec. 15, nearly three and a half years ago, Surrey RCMP were notified that two boys aged 14 and 15 had ran to a home in the 15600 18 Ave. after being swarmed by a group of four to five people at Bakerview Park, located at the NW corner of 154 St and 18 Ave. The 15 year-old who was later identified as Dario Bartolli was taken by ambulance to the Peace Arch Hospital in critical condition, bleeding profusely after reportedly being badly beaten with a weapon. His family were contacted and went to the hospital to be with their son with assistance from the Surrey RCMP Victims Services. Unfortunately the south Surrey teen who was a student at Earl Marriott Secondary succumbed to his injuries around 10 a.m. with the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team then taking over what became a murder investigation. The 14 year-old was uninjured in the attack and was able to go home after giving a statement to the police.

The house where the two boys escaped to was located approximately three blocks from where the assault is believed to have occurred. At that time investigators put up crime scene tape around the south-west corner of the Bakerview Park with evidence markers placed at several beer bottles left on the grass in the park. While steps were taken to help identify who was responsible for this deadly crime, to date this case has not been solved and no one has been charged in Dario's death, which police have described as an “alcohol-fueled altercation that turned tragic”. It is believed that Dario was allegedly murdered by a group of men from outside the South Surrey area. It is hoped that the new publicity about this homicide may jog people's memories and possibly loosen lips on who was responsible for this senseless killing.

After Dario's death his friends and family organized an event in his memory named "Dario Jam" that was created by teens at the South Surrey Skate Park where Dario liked to spend time skateboarding and riding his BMX bike. On the first year of Dario jam, the Youth Engagement Team raised over $8,500 that was donated to Sources Community Resources Youth Programs and the Peace Portal Alliance Church Youth Programs. A website in Dario's memory is online with information about the Dario Bartoli Movement (dariobartoli.com) that is about "Cameras, Lights, Action" looking to put cameras and lights in parks, CCTV cameras at major intersections and key points of entry. In a recent website update, it was noted that Surrey has recently added 75 more traffic management cameras to the 250 already running, with 14 in south Surrey/White Rock including at the corner of Bakerview Park plus the key points of entry for south Surrey.City of Surrey has approved 75 more traffic management cameras adding to the 250 they have through out Surrey.

In November of 2016, Dario Bartoli’s mother, June Iida, filed suit against the Province and a 911 dispatcher, alleging that negligence on their part caused or contributed to the death of their son. According to the notice of claim, incorrect coding of the 911 call combined with delays in responding to police calls for an ambulance led to an 11 minute delay in paramedics arriving at the house the boys had taken refuge at. Allegedly calls from the RCMP dispatch centre for ambulance service were twice put on hold and the 911 dispatcher erroneously entered a Code 2 response, which is for a non-life threatening patient condition. It is claimed that the proper Code 3 response was requested multiple times by the Surrey RCMP dispatch before this was finally put into the EHS system, resulting in a 20 minute, 32 second delay in the ambulance arriving on scene. None of the allegations have been proven in court, with Iida seeking general and special damages as well as costs.

I think the time has come to consider renaming Bakerview Park to Dario Bartoli Park as a way to honour his memory and possibly bring closure to this case and for his grieving family. To understand the hurt his loss has caused I ask you to read the heartfelt explanation of what happened on the night of Dario's death as posted by his Mom at http://www.dariobartoli.com/dario-bartoli-movement.html. It begins with the following: " I never imagined in a million years that I would be planning my 15 year old son's funeral a week before Christmas. Dario my only son, the center of my universe, the reason why I woke up every morning, the reason why I did anything in life; He was my drive, my life....all that was taken from us in a matter of minutes and our lives have forever changed." Heavy stuff that comes with this warning "This does not happen in our Community...but it did."

Anyone with information on the case, no matter how small it may be, is encouraged by Crime Stoppers to contact the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) at 1-877-551-4448 , or to remain anonymous contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

Naturally yours,
Don PItcairn

 

 

 

M ay 28, 2018


Musseling Into Our Territory

On the weekend I happened to be at a local gas station filling my truck and grabbing a much needed coffee when I noticed this rather official looking truck parked near me. I was rather surprised when I read the lettering on the door that said "Invasive Mussel Defence Program". Talking to the driver, Conservation Officer Jason Gayton, I learned that they were part of a special force dedicated to stopping the spread of aquatic invasive species into BC fresh waters. Not being a boat owner I knew nothing about this program that began in 2015 with stations across BC where boats are transported. While their primary focus is Zebra and Quagga mussels, they are also on the outlook for the following plants, Brazillian Eladea, Hydrilla, Parrot Feather Eurasian Watermilfoil, Knotweed, Yellow Flag Iris and Cordgrass/Spartina plus these other marine creatures, Northern Snakehead, Rusty Crayfish, Asian Clam, Northern Pike and European Green Crab.

The goal of the B.C. Invasive Mussel Defence Program is to prevent the introduction of Zebra and Quagga mussels into BC waters. This is done by inspecting watercraft at weigh scales and access points across the province to look for high-risk boats traveling from infected areas. Conservation officers involved with this program also monitor lakes to ensure that these invasive mussels have not made it to our province. Part of their mandate is to outreach and educate boaters to promote their message of clean, drain, dry that will kill the mussels and stop their spread. In 2015 when the program was launched there were six mobile decontamination units, 12 watercraft inspectors plus lake monitoring for what they call ZQM. The following year there were 32 auxiliary Conservation Officers at 8 watercraft inspection stations located along southern and eastern border locations. Last year the program was expanded to 65 inspectors and two new stations, with 9 of these operating dawn to dusk and the Golden station on Hwy 1 operating 24 hours a day. In 2017 There were 35,500 watercraft inspected with 2,071 high-risk inspections, 260 decontamination orders, 180 quarantine periods and 25 mussel fouled boats. Industry is very concerned about this problem with BC Hydro, Columbia Power Corporation, Fortis BC, and Columbia Basin Trust helping to expand this program that helps to protect their infrastructure.

Why are Zebra and Quagga muscles such a problem you ask? These tiny mollusks were introduced by ocean going freighters dumping ballast water from the Baltic Sea into the Great Lakes in 1988. Since that time they have been spreading throughout North America catching a ride on watercraft transported between fresh water lakes. The tiny juvenille stages can easily be overlooked when attached to a boat or its equipment. Microscopic larvae can survive for up to 30 days in standing water on boats or in coolers or even waders. What makes them so difficult to control is their reproduction rate of 30,000 to a million new muscles a year. These can reproduce at the age of one year and have a life span of four to eight years, meaning one zebra mussel can produce up to 8 million offspring in their short lifetime. Zebra muscles cling to every surface available to them, clogging hydro power stations, agricultural irrigation pipes, municipal water supplies and fouling recreational boats. They take over and exclude native mussel populations, filtering water to the point that all plankton is removed affecting the entire ecosystem. On the beach their sharp shells can cut people's feet plus cause an offensive odor when they die off in large numbers due to water or weather conditions.

For those heading out of town with their watercraft, be aware that there is a check point near Hope located and the truck weigh scale. It is mandatory for all watercraft including motorboats, sailboats, car toppers, canoes, kayaks and even paddleboards to be inspected. If you do not stop you can be heavily fined or be reported by other motorists to the Rapp (Report All Polluters Poachers) line at 1-877-952-7277. All watercraft launched in BC waters should follow the "Clean, Drain, Dry" protocol to avoid the spread of invasive species. This means cleaning off all plants parts, animals and mud from the boat, trailer, outdrive and equipment before leaving the boat launch. All water needs to be drained onto land from bait buckets, live-wells, pumps, motors, bilges plus drain plugs have to be pulled before leaving the body of water. All of these items must be dried completely before taking your watercraft into another body of water to avoid spreading these problematic pests With high-risk watercraft and equipment that has been in a ZQM contaminated area, they should be examined by trained provincial personnel who will decontaminate it or quarantine the vessel until the threat of spreading zebra mussels is over.

For more information on this problem, visit the BC Invasive Mussel Defence Program website at;

https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/invasive-mussels/invasive-mussel-defence-program

,,,,, along with the Don't Move A Mussel website at http://www.dontmoveamussel.ca/home

 

 

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

May 21, 2018


Land of the Free

I often travel to the United States of America for sporting purposes but rarely do any shopping there except for a bottle of cheap duty-free booze when crossing back into Canada. I know there are deals to be had even with when using the Canadian Peso but I really can't be bothered spending the day traipsing around one of the many mega-malls or outlet store zones that dot the US retail landscape. On the long weekend I was down in Richland at the dreaded Rattlesnake 1,000 yard range, spending time there competing with some of Washington State's best marksman. My retired parents were also there living it up in their RV along with their two aging bengal cats. While the boys were getting blown away by 20 mile-an-hour winds up on the plateau, my Mom and the other shooters wives saddled up their ponies and moseyed off into the Ti-Cities region in search of bargains. When they returned, their glee over not paying a penny of sales tax beat out any deals they had found.

If you are confused by this, you are not alone as it was the first time I had heard about a non-resident exemption from Washington State's 6.5% sales tax that can sometimes hit 9.5% with local taxes. My mother and her friend stumbled across this great deal when exiting Costco and the sales clerk noticed from their card that they were BC residents and gave them the sales tax break that both of them had never even heard of. Armed with this knowledge and looking to try it on another retailer, they cleaned house at Macy's and when finalizing their bill asked for and received the same tax break, simply by producing their BC driver's license and having it registered in a book. Several smaller stores also granted the tax exemption on their purchases with little or no paperwork. At the end of their shopping day, the ladies got the same tax break on all their purchases excluding alcohol. If you are buying goods in Washington State to take home, make sure you ask for this 6.5% savings.

Now that I have your attention, here is the devil in the details straight out of the Washington State Department of Revenue.
A sales tax exemption exists for certain nonresidents of Washington State on purchases of tangible personal property, digital goods, and digital codes, that will be used only outside of this state. This exemption is only available to residents of states, United States possessions, or Canadian provinces where:
There is no retail sales tax, use tax, value added tax, or gross receipts tax on retailing activities, or similar generally applicable tax, or
The retail sales tax, use tax, value added tax, or gross receipts tax on retailing activities, or similar generally applicable tax is less than 3 percent.


Only residents of the following provinces of Canada qualify:
Alberta
Northwest Territories
Nunavut
Yukon Territory


The law provides an exemption for sales that meet all three of the following criteria:
The sale is of tangible personal property, digital products, or digital codes.
The purchased item(s) will be used only outside of Washington State.
The purchaser can establish resident status in a qualifying jurisdiction.
The exemption does not apply to charges for services that are included within the definition of the term "sale at retail" or sales of articles substantially used or consumed within Washington.

This includes, but is not limited to:
Lodging at hotels or motels.
Repair services (except vehicle repairs where the parts portion is not taxable to qualifying nonresidents).
Laundry or dry cleaning services.
Automobile towing or parking.
Amusement and recreational activities such as golf, bowling, and charter fishing.
Personal services such as tanning, tattooing, and dating services.
Meals or refreshments prepared for immediate consumption.
Abstract, title insurance, or escrow services.
Articles sold to:
Persons in the military stationed within Washington.
Nonresident students attending schools in this state.
Any other nonresident temporarily residing in Washington.
Being the Evergreen State, marijuana sales to nonresidents are subject to retail sales tax. Sales of marijuana, useable marijuana, and marijuana infused products, including marijuana concentrates, are excluded from the limited nonresident sales tax exemption. Beer, wine, spirits, tobacco products and gasoline/diesel also are excluded from this sales tax exemption.

Now those reading between the lines would have realized that BC is not on the exclusion list for Provinces plus we have a sales tax currently at 7% that is far above the 3% listed in the rules. Back in 2010 Washington State was going to add BC residents to the tax exemption list when the HST kicked in but on Canada Day it was shot down by an American judge after the City of Bellingham and Whatcom County mounted a last minute legal challenge. It would appear that over time the details of who should receive the tax break have been forgotten and BC residents have slid under the radar onto the favoured list. This was a six hour drive away from the border so businesses in Blaine and Bellingham might be a little more on the ball about this tax savings. One thing is for sure, if you don't ask for the break, the answer will always be no and you will have to pay the 6.5% tax. Simply tell them you're from out of state and want the sales tax exemption.

If you now plan to go on a Washington State shopping spree, remember the following rules from the Canadian Border Services Agency about personal exemptions or the duty you have to pay coming home might trump the sales tax you pay in Washington State. For full declaration details, please refer to the CBSA website at https://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/travel-voyage/declare-eng.html
Absence of less than 24 hours

Personal exemptions do not apply to same-day cross-border shoppers.
Absence of more than 24 hours

You can claim goods worth up to CAN$200.
Tobacco products and alcoholic beverages are not included in this exemption.
If the value of the goods you are bringing back exceeds CAN$200, you cannot claim this exemption. Instead, duty and taxes are applicable on the entire amount of the imported goods.
Goods must be in your possession and reported at time of entry to Canada.
A minimum absence of 24 hours from Canada is required.
Absence of more than 48 hours

You can claim goods worth up to CAN$800.
You may include alcoholic beverages and tobacco products, within the prescribed limits. Refer to sections Tobacco Products and Alcoholic Beverages.
Goods must be in your possession and reported at time of entry to Canada.
If the value of the goods you are bringing back exceeds CAN$800, duties and taxes are applicable only on amount of the imported goods that exceeds CAN$800.
A minimum absence of 48 hours from Canada is required.


So there you have it folks, affordable gas, cheap milk and cheese plus the possibility of not paying sales tax on purchases await you across the line in the land of the free. If you thought those cross-border lineups were bad before, they might get noticeably worse after this TNT gets printed in the electronic pages of the White Rock Sun.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

 

May 14, 2017

Mighty Fraser Might Flood Surrey

How high's the water, mama?
Five feet high and risin'
How high's the water, papa?
Five feet high and risin'
Well, the rails are washed out north of town
We gotta head for higher ground
We can't come back till the water comes down,
Five feet high and risin'
Well, it's five feet high and risin'
Lyrics to "Five Feet High and Rising",

Johnny Cash, 1974


Watching the local TV news these days and the main story is always about the ongoing flooding in the interior where the winter snow-pack was at 260% above normal. Unseasonably warm temperatures coupled with heavy rainfall are releasing copious amounts of water there turning small creeks into raging torrents. Closer to home, we have a snow-pack at 150% above normal and a trip up to the Chilliwack River last weekend showed it flowing at a dangerously fast rate. What is interesting is that while folks in places like Grand Forks are saying the flooding was way worse than back in 1948, nobody in the news is talking about the possibility of widespread damaging flooding from the Fraser River in the Lower Mainland.

Here is a historical description of Fraser River flooding that happened on May 28, 1948. "Heavy snowpacks and a sudden hot spell caused the Fraser River to rise dramatically and the resulting flood killed 10, destroyed or damaged 2,300 homes and left 1,500 homeless. The disaster lasted a few weeks, forcing 16,000 evacuations. The Fraser peaked at 7.6 metres at Mission and ran at 15,200 cubic metres per second — more than 3,000 cubic metres per second faster than a typically big flow. The water broke through dikes and flooded more than 50,000 acres, about one third of the Fraser Valley floodplain area. The flood severed two railway lines, washed out the Trans-Canada Highway and flooded areas in Matsqui, Chilliwack, Agassiz, Rosedale and parts of Mission. Herds of dairy cattle left standing in soaked fields with their udders under water ended up dying from hypothermia. Damage was estimated at $20 million, or $210 million in today’s dollars."

The BC River Forecast Centre has issued a 10-day high streamflow advisory for the Fraser, warning that water levels could reach 6.5 metres by late next week at the Mission Gauge, and possibly higher after that. there warning is as follows:
Persistent warmer than normal temperatures across British Columbia for the past three weeks has led to a much earlier than normal runoff period for the Fraser River. Many of the gauge locations along the Fraser River are at or above their historic flows for this early in the freshet season. Warmer weather earlier this week has increased snowmelt runoff across the basin. Rises through the lower reaches of the Fraser River are expected to continue into the weekend. Flows at Hope are expected to reach up to 10,000 m3/s over the weekend (water levels at Mission up to 5.5 m). Over the weekend and into next week, high pressure is forecast to dominate the weather pattern across British Columbia, with warmer temperatures late-weekend, and hot temperatures forecast across the Interior early next week. Ongoing accelerated snow melt is expected to lead to ongoing rapid rises on the Fraser River throughout next week. Current modelling is indicating the potential for flows in the 12,000 m3/s range at Hope (gauge level at Mission of approximately 6.0 - 6.5 m) by late next week, and potentially higher over the May 19-22 period.

Surrey is certainly aware of the risks and their Drainage and Environment Manager Carrie Barron is likely to be a very busy lady over the next few weeks when the freshet begins to arrive. On Friday the City of Surrey sent letters out to residents and businesses in Bridgeview and South Westminster warning people to start making preparations for the likelihood of flooding there. While they are part of the Island Trust, both Douglas and Barnston Island will likely need to be evacuated including the livestock that lives there. Any low-lying property near the Fraser is at risk with some experts believing the existing dykes in Surrey may not be high enough or strong enough to control the volume of water heading our way. With above temperatures in the forecast for the next week plus high tides above 14 feet for May 16-23, the potential for a 200 year flood event is becoming all too real.

The dykes along the Fraser River in Surrey are set at 4.4 m., yet most houses in the lowlands are built at only 2 m. Obviously if the water crests the dyke, undermines it, or breaches it entirely, there could be catastrophic flooding. If Bridgeview floods, the Patullo Bridge would be closed when King George Blvd. gets covered with water. Not many people realize that the South Fraser Perimeter Road is quite low in some locations and there are plans to use lock blocks at 136 St. to control flooding, which will close this now vital roadway for trucks. Close to Barnston Island the CN Thurston Docks sits in the flood plain, with flooding there capable of cutting off the tracks and stopping commerce. Across the road from there the S&R Sawmills are also in harms way should the Fraser reach historic flood levels. A little further downstream, the Fraser Surrey docks could also be inundated by the mighty Fraser. Most of the auto wreckers on Scott road could be a washout if flood waters enter this lowland.

The saving grace in all of this is that there will be 24 hours notice before any flooding takes place because of river measurements further upstream. This will give residents of flood prone regions time to pack up their valuables, belongings and animals and head to higher ground. Considering the threat, people living in low-lands anywhere along the Fraser River from Chilliwack would be wise to start preparing now instead of waiting for the last minute once warnings and evacuation notices are given. Pre-arranging accommodation with friends should be done now as it is likely all local hotels will be booked with those leaving flooding neighbourhoods. If flooding does occur, it may take some time for the water to leave as the dykes then act as moats trapping the water behind them plus the Fraser River would have to go down so there is somewhere to drain all the water.

For updated water levels and flood warning reports, check out the BC River Forecast Centre website at https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/environment/air-land-water/water/drought-flooding-dikes-dams/river-forecast-centre


Naturally yours,
Don PItcairn

UPDATE May 16, 2018

The Province of BC has issued a potential flood warning for the lower Fraser River. Surrey is currently in Phase 1 of Flood Preparedness.

http://www.surrey.ca/city-services/703.aspx


Fraser River Freshet Prepardness Phases | City of Surrey
www.surrey.ca


Educate yourself on Surrey's 4 flood preparedness phases, to see how our emergency response teams will react in the event of a Fraser River Freshet flood.
http://bcrfc.env.gov.bc.ca/warnings/advisories/flood_034.htm

 

 

May 07, 2018

Habitat Schmabitat

 

Whenever possible I like to drop into the south Surrey Art Knapps and Way-to-Grow, not only to see whats new in this gardening centre on steroids but to catch up with Marty Vanderzalm to find out what his latest project is. Often you will find him in his workshop, where this self-professed gear head will usually be surrounded by sparks either from a grinding wheel or a welder. This time was a little different as it appeared the metal work had already been done and Marty was there with a paint brush in hand instead of the usual cutting torch. He was working deftly applying a bright green paint to a small wooden bird house that featured a corrugated metal roof. What caught my attention was not the birdhouse he was holding but the stacks of similar boxes, some painted, others still waiting for a coating of green, that were in piles around the shop.

I should let you know that when Marty decides to do something he generally goes big. This is the guy who has a military troop transport truck as one of his personal vehicles and who loves how overbuilt and rugged it is. If you scroll down to June 5, 2017, you can read a previous TNT titled Art Knapps Give a Hoot about the 12 barn owl boxes (actually oak barrels) that are on their property, many with breeding pairs. With all of the barn owl nesting sites they have provided, the Art Knapps has the distinction of being designated an Owl Hot Spot plus they have an owl cam with night vision where you can watch the newly hatched chicks and their proud parents at https://www.artknappsurrey.com/conservation-and-owlcam.

I asked Marty why he was making so many bird boxes, wondering if possibly they were meant for sale. He told me that he had constructed 150 of these green bird houses with the plan being to place all of them around the Art Knapps property as a way to provide habitat for all of the song birds that need nesting spaces. Think about that for a second and try to imagine the work involved with cutting and drilling all the boards, nailing them all together plus cutting and then attaching the metal roofing before sealing with paint. Then there is the extra job of actually going around the property and putting all of the boxes up in out of the way areas usually reached by a ladder. This latest project will not help the Garden Centre generate more sales, it is simply being done to help wildlife adjacent to the Serpentine Fen.

AWESOME! I had the Art Knapps Owl Cam on another window of my computer while writing this column when there was suddenly a terrible screeching noise. The adult male barn owl flew into the nesting box and handed the mother bird a dead rat and she shrieked very loudly in excitement. The four owlets immediately jumped out from underneath their Mom and started squawking to be fed. She held down their breakfast (owls you might have heard are nocturnal) and began ripping it into pieces and feeding it to her young. I loved seeing this but our dogs ran from the room with their tails between their legs and concerned looks on their faces from the racket the owls had made. Just as I finished this TNT, the male flew in with another rat for his growing family.

Anyways, back to Marty and the 150 bird boxes. What he told me about his latest project is that many people with otherwise good intentions talk about providing habitat for wildlife but to him much of this is what he called "habitat schmabitat." He told me the Art Knapps sells trees but most are non-native and don't function as a forest with understory and canopy. With the rampant development in Surrey and vast areas of green-space being cut down on a weekly basis (hello Grandview Heights) he believes the birds are running out of places to live. Just as people are now moving into condos and townhouses, Marty is hoping to provide housing for birds with lots of units on a smaller piece of land, looking to reverse the downward trend in many songbird species populations.

If Marty Vanderzalm can build and install 150 bird boxes at Art Knapps, you have to ask yourself what you can do in your own back yard. While we have 16 trees on our property not including rows of hedging cedars, there is little in the way of nesting sites. I have a bird box I found at a job site that has been on a storage room shelf for some time and with Marty as my mentor I now plan on putting it up high on one of our trees. I also have a bat box that was given to me years ago and will try to find a suitable sunny location (they like it warm) for that to be hung. I should mention that the south side of the Art Knapps building near their soil and gravel piles is covered in bat boxes as well. We can all make our property more wildlife friendly as a way to help restore the habitat that is being lost on a daily basis due to development.

Marty Vanderzalm - Birdman of South Surrey

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

April 30, 2018

Rock is Dead - Long Live Rock!

TROOPER'S Ra Mcguire joins Cooler Wailers on stage

We Were There For A Good Time

A very good friend of mine
Told me something the other day
I'd like to pass it in to you
'Cause I believe what he said to be true
He said
We're here for a good time
Not a long time (not a long time)
So have a good time
The sun can't shine every day
And the sun is shinin'
In this rainy city
And the sun is shinin'
Oh, isn't it a pity
And every year, has it's share of tears
And every now and then it's gotta rain
We're here for a good time
Not a long time
So have a good time
The sun can't shine every day

Lyrics to Trooper's "Here For a Good Time" song from Knock Em' Dead Kid album, 1977, written by Brian Smith and Ra McGuire.

I first met Jason Buie when I was introduced to him by the WR Sun's editor Dave Chesney and often went to his shows at the Pink Palace, Blue Frog Studio or at White Rock beach to watch him play guitar. In 2007 he and Rod Dranfield co-founded the non-profit White Rock Blues Society (WRBS) as a way to actively promote blues artists from all over North Amercia. As Artistic Director of the WRBS Jason produced over 110 shows in the Lower Mainland, many in our own backyard. In January of this year he was the proud recipient of the Maple Blues Award for New Artist of the Year with his album Driftin' Heart. It was with much sadness and a heavy heart when I learned that he had passed away at his home in Esquimalt on March 22 at the age of 47, leaving behind three children. Jason Buie and I will now be forever linked in history as the day that I entered this world was the same one when he unfortunately left. I'll be thinking of him when I blow out the candles on my birthday cake from now on.

On Sunday the WRBS held a memorial fundraiser for Jason Buie's kids at the veritable Rumba Room at the Pacific Inn, better known by locals as the Pink Palace. It was almost a miracle that this event got booked for this venue as the hotel has been bought by the Hilton chain and they had plans to close it for renovations. With a delay in building permits, the Pacific Inn not only allowed the fundraiser to happen, they provided the Rumba Room free of charge as a tribute to the man who had booked so many shows there plus the Toy Jam and Yuletide Blues fundraisers over the years. There were eight bands with multiple cameo appearances who played in the six hours of music, with everyone providing their musical services and talents for free. The sound, staging and lighting crews also worked and donated their labour and expertise. There were two 50/50 draws during the show, the first for $850 that was won by Jim Widdifield, keyboardist for the Cooler Kings and the second totaling $500 that was won by Gail Underwood, with both of these men contributing their good luck and winnings back to Jason's children Sophie, Jackson and Etta. It was announced that preliminary figures showed approximately $10,000 was raised for Jason's family.

The musical show started at 3 p.m. with WR Councillor and WR Sun Editor Dave Chesney MCing the event fashionably attired in a Wailin' Walker t-shirt and black fedora hat. First up was the Chris Thornley Band. Next on stage was the Ocean Park Wailers with their eight members featuring James Badger on drums, Jon Gale on Guitar with special vocalist Ra McGuire from Trooper. Their somber beginning for "Here For a Good Time" sounded almost like a hymn before it broke into the rocking version everyone knows. The Jo Kamel band hit the stage with the amazing Sean "Blues Puppy" Riqueme, doing the best version I've ever heard of ZZ Top's La Grange and an epic take on Jimi Hendrick's Voodoo Chile. At that point former weatherman Wayne Cox took over the MC duties from Dave Chesney, introducing the Saints of Swing with Brandon Isaacs on slide guitar and David Boxcar Gates on vocals and guitar. This was followed by the Gen Pearson Band with Bob Voytcheff and John Hunter, the James Shepherd Band with Laura Bacon singing, Arsen Shomakov with Al Walker and Sean Riquelme featured again, with Blue Voodoo and Dan Hare plus Steve Sainas both on vocals closing down the show.

It wouldn't have happened without these peiople - musicians and volounteers powered the day

This fundraising gig brought out some rather noteworthy personalities from the peninsula beyond those already listed. Kelly and Juanita Breaks, owners of the Blue Frog Studios, attended proudly sporting their Palm Spring tans after taking a break from our dreary weather for a vitamin D fix. Dave Gertz from Legion of Sound who is now running three different venues at the Flamingo Hotel showed up early to pay his respects and check out some of the acts. The always dapper Alex Browne, journalist for the Peace Arch News and leader of the swing band Alex Browne and the Boulevardiers cruised on in to show his support. Doug LeChance who originally penned The Night Owl entertainment guide before moving to Vancouver was in attendance with his trademark cowboy hat proudly displayed (small world, he was my sister's neighbour in Langley, Ive known Dougie for years). White Rock Beach Beer's Bill Haddow was on hand, likely wishing that he could get a really good craft beer to drink. Mudbay Slim stopped by to play harp and plug his "Medicine Show" at the Clydesdale Inn on May 19 during the Cloverdale Rodeo. Jason Buie's brother Chris Buie was there and took the time to address the crowd thanking everyone for their support. The most notable person in attendance had to be Rod Dranfield, Jason Buie's partner in creating the White Rock Blues Society.

If you missed out on the Jason Buie memorial fundraiser, fear not for another event is being planned for White Rock. The last time Jason Buie playedlocally was back in February at Blue Frog Studios, the event was video recorded and they still have the master copies in the vault. The concert will be shown on the giant screen and played through the world class sound system on Wednesday May 09. Doors 7 p.m. Showtime 7:40. David "Boxcar" Gates will be on hand to start the evening off with a few songs. Plan on attending Jason's last show, buying Mr. Buie's three CD collection, some Jason Buie limited edition artwork plus White Rock Blues Society swag. As with the show at the Pink Palace, all proceeds will go to Jason's kids who now have a trust fund set up for them. You can also look for details about this event on the WRBS website (whiterockblues.com) and Blue Frog Studio website (bluefrogstudio.ca).

 

Jason's guitar & hat sat silent side stage

I leave you with the final lyrics from the last song of the night performed by the band Blue Voodoo who played Bad Company's Shooting Star ballad about a musician who dies at the height of their popularity. I'm not sure if the band members of Blue Voodoo planned it but I thought it was very appropriate given all the love shown to Jason during his memorial fundraiser. Simply substitute Jason for Johnny and try not to cry



Johnny's life passed him by like a warm summer day
If you listen to the wind, you can still hear him play
Don't you know that you are a shooting star
Don't you know, ahhh
Don't you know that you are a shooting star
And all the world will love you just as long
As long as you are

Lyrics to Bad Company's "Shooting Star" song, Straight shooter album, 1975, written by Paul Rogers.

 

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

April 23, 2018

Weed Em And Reap

As someone who has studied forestry, plant science and horticulture, it always comes as a surprise when you learn about something new. Nurseries are always bringing in exotic plants from far-off locations and breeding new varieties of old favourites. Around ten years ago I started spotting this interesting waxy leafed shrub that somewhat resembled a rhododendron but with clumps of yellow-green flowers in the spring that ripened to form black seeds in the fall. In Tsawwassen it seemed to appear everywhere, with some people planting them as part of their landscape. I've seen plenty of them in south Surrey and White Rock too, which is where I first heard of them referred to as Daphne. Soon after that I heard the name Spurge Laurel used, which I found odd because it didn't resemble either a laurel or a spurge. What I did know about them was that they seemed to spread like crazy and rooted very firmly so that even young plants had to be dug out with a spade. It was not shocking when I found out they are considered an invasive species but I was alarmed to learn they are deadly poisonous.

You can familiarize yourself with spurge laurel (Daphne laureola) as it is listed on both the Invasive Species Council of BC website (https://bcinvasives.ca/news-events/media/articles/weed-of-the-week-daphne-spurge-laurel) The Washington State Noxious Weed Control Control Board website (https://www.nwcb.wa.gov/weeds/spurge-laurel). There is even a Toxic Plant Warning put out by WorksafeBC on this beautiful but deadly plant that is actually rather frightening. By far the best posting I found about the dangers of Spurge Laurel was from the Salt Spring Island Conservancy and I have included it below for your reading pleasure that I should warn you includes bloody diarrhea, weakness, coma and death. The CAUTION and FIRST AID sections should alert you to the toxicity of this plant.

There is even a Toxic Plant Warning put out by WorksafeBC on this beautiful but deadly plant that is actually rather frightening. By far the best posting I found about the dangers of Spurge Laurel was from the Salt Spring Island Conservancy and I have included it below for your reading pleasure that I should warn you includes bloody diarrhea, weakness, coma and death. The CAUTION and FIRST AID sections should alert you to the toxicity of this plant.

ALIEN PLANT INVADERS: The Scourge of Spurge Laurel
by Jean Wilkinson, Stewardship Committee, Salt Spring Island Conservancy
Spurge Laurel (aka Daphne) has become widespread throughout southwestern B.C. in recent years having originated from Britain. It is a rhododendron-like garden escapee with very toxic leaves and berries. It spreads rapidly through yards and nearby woods, creating dense stands and shading out all other plants. Spurge laurel is recognized as a serious threat to local ecosystems, particularly since it can grow in shady, undisturbed forest areas. It also poses a significant human health risk, especially to children, since eating just 7 to 10 berries can be fatal. Spurge laurel can be removed at any time of the year, but care must be taken to avoid spreading any berries that may be present.

SPURGE LAUREL – QUICK FACTS ABOUT THIS HAZARDOUS HORTICULTURAL BULLY:
Identification – (Daphne laureola) evergreen shrub 60-180 cm (24-72 inches) tall, living up to 40 years, looks similar to Rhododendron, with clusters of oblong, waxy leaves, light greenish-yellow flowers in early spring, green poisonous berries ripening to black by summer
Impacts – A serious public health risk due to toxicity of all plant parts. Spreads rapidly and grows densely in undisturbed as well as disturbed areas, shades native plants, thus displacing them and reducing biodiversity.
Found –in moist, partial to full shady areas and forest under-story, especially near urban and residential areas
Spreads – via seeds in the berries (distributed long distances by birds and rodents), and by underground lateral roots
Control – Remove plants before they form seeds if possible. Pull small plants out when soil is moist. Larger plants must be cut beneath the mineral soil surface, below where the brown stem changes to orange, or they will re-sprout. Often stems lie along the ground and need to be pulled up to find where they are rooted before cutting. Monitor sites yearly after treatment to remove seedlings and re-sprouts. Most seeds germinate within 2 years.
CAUTION: Wear gloves, long sleeves and goggles as many people experience skin irritation and blistering on contact with leaves or sap. Wash hands, clothes and gloves afterwards. Avoid transporting cut plants in enclosed vehicles as airborne sap droplets can cause eye and throat irritation. Symptoms of poisoning due to eating the berries or bark include burning in the mouth, swelling of the tongue and lips, thirst, difficulty swallowing, nausea, vomiting, bloody diarrhea, weakness, coma and death.
FIRST AID: If any plant part is eaten, induce vomiting and consult a physician immediately. If sap contacts mouth or eyes, flush with large amounts of water and consult a physician. If sap contacts skin, flush with lots of water. If a rash develops, treat with anti-inflammatory cream and if it persists, consult a physician.
Disposal – Put cut plants in tarps or bags to avoid spreading seeds and reduce irritation from airborne sap droplets. Take to landfill. Do not compost. Do not burn or chip plant parts as noxious chemicals will be released into the air.

White Rock's Park Department is attempting to clear all invasive plants from within the city limits including Himalayan blackberry, English Ivy and Yellow Lamium. My contact at the works yard informed me that spurge laurel was recently removed from the landscaped beds at Bryant Park. Considering the toxicity of this plant and its ability to spread and take over the natural environment, it is essential that if you have it growing in your yard it should be removed. Please follow all of the safety precautions above and ensure that it is properly disposed of. I shudder to think of how many times I have pulled these plants out by hand or thrown them into the compost bin for recycling. Fortunately the heat from decomposition at most modern organic composting facilities kills any and all seeds but from now on I will ensure this plant goes directly into the garbage.

Naturally yours

Don Pitcairn

 

 

April 16, 2018

Mayor If You Dare

It leaves me shaking my head to hear that Surrey First's Linda Hepner announced last week that she will not be seeking re-election as Mayor of Surrey. Could it be that she felt the tips of the knives scratching her back that were being wielded by other Surrey First members? As a one-and-done Mayor who was anointed by former Mayor Dianne Watts, it would seem that were many councillors from her party who wanted Linda gone and were ready to revolt against the Surrey First oligarchy. I must admit I'm glad to see her go after she voted recently for Metro-Vancouver's retroactive retirement fund while likely knowing she was going to step down. It leaves me wondering if Mrs. Hepner will follow in Mrs. Watts' footsteps and decide in the near future that she has had enough time for family and run as a MLA or MP at a Surrey riding near you.

Hepner's decision to vacate the Mayor's chair might signal the beginning of cracks starting to form in the Surrey First slate that has been around since 2007 and which took every seat in council and school board in the last civic election. From my sources inside City Hall, it has been rumoured for quite some time that many Surrey First councillors were eyeing the Mayor's office. To date, no one has officially thrown their hat in the ring but there are plenty of contenders and likely even more pretenders. Tom Gill is probably the person most likely to run but it remains to be seen if it would be as the head of the Surrey First slate or as an independent. Bruce Hayne is another well known Surrey First Councillor who is mentioned with aspirations to Surrey's top job and he has not denied he is thinking about running. Mike Starchuck also refuses to deny he is interested in the Mayor's chair but does admit that he will stay with Surrey First if he does not receive their mayoral nomination. As if this were not enough, even Surrey First newcomers Vera LeFranc and Dave Woods are considering a run for Mayor. More than half of the Surrey First slate want the Mayor's job and it remains to be seen if those not picked to run as their leader will instead run as independents or join another political party.

Adding to the intrigue, Dianne Watt's' name is being bandied around as possibly making a comeback but she has thrown cold water on this idea. Still, she did resign as the South Surrey White Rock MP to run for the leadership of the Provincial Liberals, coming in a close second in the final ballot. The people who came in second and third place in the mayor's race in 2014 are also in the list of those who might throw their hat in the ring. Former Mayor Doug McCallum who was pushed out of the mayors office by Watts is likely still feeling the sting of his upset and might try to grab back the reins of power. Barinder Rasode was a former Surrey First councillor who ran unsuccessfully against Hepner the last election and who likely still has her flashy election signs in storage should she consider running again. Adding to the drama are two new slates, the Surrey Community Alliance (SCA) and People First Surrey, both who have yet to announce if they will even have a mayoral candidate. In an online community poll on who would make the best mayor, as of Sunday night Doug McCallum was first with 27% with Mike Starchuck second at 20% but the four Surrey First hopefuls together totaled a whopping 55%.

Then there are the dark horse candidates. The Surrey Creep Catcher's president Ryan Laforge has long fought on the streets of Surrey for law and order and legal reform to combat pedophilia and the sexual abuse of minors. His work catching creepers preying on children has given him a platform in the media and a large presence on social media. With all of the time he has spent being interviewed on TV cameras he is becoming a rather polished speaker who might be able to excite the young electorate base in Surrey to vote for him. I'm sure the thought would give the established developer financed Surrey First slate fits but it would bring plenty of positive attention to the SCC (surreycreepcatcher.com). In the past Mr. LaForge has mentioned his political aspirations as a way to help facilitate change in the Canadian legal system. Just like all the other rumoured candidates, he has not yet announced if he has decided to run for mayor of Surrey.

I had to save the best for last and use this TNT to announce that I am considering running for mayor of Surrey. Now before you laugh or blow milk through your nose, consider the following. I've already run twice in South Surrey - White Rock for the Green Party of BC. I have been writing this column for the WR Sun for eight years with plenty of editorials in local newspapers long before that. I'm politically astute, been involved in a number of election campaigns and am both articulate and opinionated. I have a wide array of friends across the political spectrum and lots of media contacts from my various environmental and public safety crusades plus plenty of news releases and news tips. I've been told I come across well in both radio and TV interviews and love a podium in front of a captive audience. With the notoriety from our edgy apparel company Surrey Shirts (surreyshirts.com), many people already call myself and wife Sheryl the King and Queen of Surrey.

One thing is for sure, if I was elected Mayor, I'd have plenty of cool shirts to wear at City Hall.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

April 9, 2018

The "Legend" Continues

The Legend Pops Pitcairn

The Winter Olympics at Pyeongchang, South Korea received plenty of fanfare and tons of media coverage earlier this year with Canadian athletes Canada collecting 29 medals including 11 golds to rank third overall in the medal standings. I wonder how many people are even aware that the Commonwealth Games are being held at the Gold Coast in Australia with Canadian athletes already winning 32 medals and currently sitting 4th in the standings? You can check out all the action at www.gc.2018 or at the Commonwealth Games Canada website at www.commonwealthgames.ca. You are probably asking yourself why this is important to me and how it relates to my weekly column in the White Rock Sun that usually focuses on local events and stories. At the same time that I was writing this TNT, my father Robert Pitcairn (a.k.a "The Legend") from Chilliwack BC was on the other side of the world shooting his .308 target rifle for Canada, competing in the pairs events of the Queen's Prize full-bore rifle at the Belmont Shooting Complex in Brisbane Australia.

Already several Commonwealth Games records have been broken but my Dad set a new Commonwealth Games record of his own even before the opening ceremonies. At the age of 79 years old, he is the oldest Commonwealth Games competitor of all times as I previously revealed in my September 5, 2017 TNT titled "A Shooting Star Summer." For historical perspective, he was born in July of 1938, the same month when the very first Superman comic was released. This has now gone unnoticed by reporters from around the world who have made him somewhat of a celebrity in the Athletes Village. Here are links to stories about him in the BBC, Guardian and Sydney Morning Herald that also include him being a hijacking hero in 1974:
http://www.bbc.com/sport/commonwealth-games/43669450
https://www.smh.com.au/sport/commonwealth-games-2018/canadian-commonwealth-games-athlete-79-a-hijacking-hero-20180408-p4z8dn.html
When asked for his thoughts on being the oldest athlete to even compete in the Games, Bob had this to say, "I feel honoured to set this new record and am grateful that my health and athleticism have made it possible for me to compete in the Gold Coast Games." Bob Pitcairn will turn 80 this summer and many are looking forward to his birthday party that is likely to be held on a local rifle range.

What sets target shooting apart from many sports is the length of time that one can compete at an elite level. Bob started shooting Full-bore back in 1960 when he was still in the Canadian Air Force. He has been inducted in 4 sports halls of fame, made 49 Canadian Bisley Teams (a record), qualified for 14 World Long Range Championships (held every 4 years) shooting them 11 times. Over the years he has placed first and second in Bisley (out of 1700 competitors), won the Governor General Prize twice in Ottawa while winning gold and silver in the Grand Agg there. In BC he has his name engraved multiple times on almost every trophy, including 6 Lt. Governor Prize chair rides. This is his first Commonwealth Games, the closest he has gotten before was as spare in 2002 where he did not compete. He plans to stand alongside teammate Nicole Rossignol on the podium in the Fullbore Rifle Pairs fired on Monday and Tuesday, and then to climb back up there for the individual competition, which finishes on Saturday. Look for a TNT Extra added to this column next week to find out how he did and if he earned a medal for Canada.

While it is unlikely that I will never match the records of success that my father has compiled over the years, I'm continuing to follow in his footsteps. I will be competing as a member of the Canadian Rifle Team headed to the NRA UK Championships this summer at Bisley, England. A week after that competition is over I will be shooting at the BC Rifle Association's 134th annual provincial matches in Chilliwack. Next winter in 2019 I will be headed back down under to New Zealand to shoot in my third ICFRA World Long Range Championship and Palma Match as a member of Team Canada. While I have my sights set on plenty of personal goals over the next few years, I've decided to commit myself to qualify for the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham England and attempt to win a medal of my own. One thing I know about sports, if you set high goals, work to be competitive and focus on winning, you will often succeed. By then I'll be 60 years old with over 45 years of competitive shooting behind me and with my Dad showing me the way, hopefully at least another 20 years still to go.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

 

 

April 01, 2018

 

April Fools For Fools

I usually write this column on Sunday night which was rather special this year with Easter Sunday and April Fool's Day both falling on the same day. You have to go all the way back to 1956 for the last time this happened and hopefully live until 2029 to see it again. While April 1st is the best day for playing practical jokes and spreading hoaxes and funny false news stories (White Rock boulder crushed to make cement), it is also symbolic with the government picking your pocket. This is no joke and when you see the increases in taxes and billings here, it might be enough to make you say "Jesus!"

As if the price at the pumps wasn't enough to already send you racing down Hwy. 99 to Blaine to fill up, BC's new carbon tax kicked in on Sunday, the first increase in seven years. Gas prices are expected to increase by 1.2 cents per litre, likely pushing already record high fuel costs over $1.60 L. by the end of the week. It is nice to remember that the Lower Mainland already has the most expensive gasoline in North America and the second highest fuel taxes with the Carbon Tax now pegged almost 8 cents per litre. It is good to know that this new tax will also mean similar one penny jumps on April 1st for the next four years. Lost in the hub-bub about the carbon tax, Victoria’s motor fuel tax also went up by two cents a litre on Easter Sunday. Here is what Premier John Horgan had to say about the NDP's latest tax hike, “I don’t believe that British Columbians begrudge that penny a litre when they know it’s going towards making sure that future generations have an environment that’s sustainable and a world that we can all live in.” Translation: Buy a Tesla or get on the bus you fools.

The carbon tax and gas tax increases aren't the only way that government is sticking it to the taxpayer. Do you remember when the NDP campaigned on having no BC Hydro rate increases for 2018? Well you can kiss that election promise good-bye with the crown corporation raising their prices a further three percent on April 1st. You can't really pin this one on the NDP since it was the BC Utilities Commission that sided with BC Hydro in rejecting a request by the provincial government to freeze electricity rates for the coming year. It should only increase everyone's electrical bill by $4 a month, but death by a thousand cuts is still a slow agonizing death. No word out of Victoria on when they will be dropping the onerous "Legacy Meter" charge for those folks who opposed the Orwellian state enforced "Smart Meter" and kept their analog meters. This costs BC residents $32.40 per month, but in Quebec the charge is $5 and you can also choose to opt out of the digital radio equipped meters.

Now if reading this makes you want to pour yourself a drink or maybe have a dart, you should have stocked up before Sunday. Alcoholic beverages were hit with a 1.5 percent increase in federal excise tax that is part of the Liberal Party's new “escalator tax” on beer, wine and liquor that puts in yearly tax increases linked to inflation. Smokers also will be hacking up a lung when they realize that Justin Trudeau's 2018 budget included not only an increase in the tobacco tax but also the same inflation increase as booze. Effective April 1, 2018, the BC tobacco tax rate increased by 2.8 cents to 27.5 cents per cigarette and by 12.8 cents to 37.5 cents per gram for all tobacco other than cigars and cigarettes. This increases total provincial tax to $5.50 per pack after already being jacked up 16 cents per pack back on Jan 1st. I called our local gas station and they are now selling the most popular brands for $13-14 a pack. As cigs become more expensive, look for government to start taxing vap fluids containing nicotine to recover lost tax revenue from smokers switching to this less lethal and more affordable alternative.

While the BC Liberals did nothing to stop real estate speculation and the laundering of billions of dollars of offshore funds from sources unknown, the NDP have put a 36 percent increase on home inspector licensing fees as of April 1st. This will be followed by 25 percent increases in 2019 and 2020 with the cost of a license renewal by April 2020 almost doubling from $525 to $1,025. By contrast, Service Alberta charges home inspector businesses with three or less inspectors $500 for a two year license. Needless to say, the head of the Home Inspectors Association of B.C is calling the Consumer Protection B.C. fee increases a "cash grab" whose cost will be passed on to the public. Last on the tax increase list was the province doubling the tax on high-end cars worth more than $150,000 to 20%, plus an increase to the Property Transfer Tax on homes valued at $3 million from 3% to 5%. Amazingly, BC ferry rates remained frozen for main routes, reduced 15% for minor runs and free for seniors on Mon-Thurs.

By far the most sleazy tax increase recently foisted on an unsuspecting public had to be the Metro Vancouver Regional District Board voting itself a big pay raise plus a retroactive retirement plan just over a week ago. In case you missed it, members passed this stealthy motion late on a Friday afternoon with it not appearing in the agenda. No record was taken of the vote, with only a reported six mayors and councilors voting no to this retroactive retirement program going back to 2007. Of note is that Surrey Mayor Linda Hepner and White Rock Mayor Wayne Baldwin reportedly voted for this package giving them each $1,100 "retiring allowance" per year of service. Since Baldwin has announced he will not run again, this gives him $7,700 on top of all of the money received for attending Met-Van meetings during the past seven years. The total cost to taxpayers is almost $500,000 to back date this allowance and a further $62,500 per year going forward. Too bad The Met-Van board could not have put off the vote until April 1st but they are greedy morons, not incompetent fools. Lets hope and pray that those who voted for this undemocratic maneuver are shown the door on Oct 20, 2018 when the next civic elections are scheduled. Jesus, I sure hope so.

Happy Easter,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

March 26, 2018

Preaching from the Chappell

Chief Chappell/Christy Fox photo

 

I must admit that I really hate working on my birthday. Being self-employed you would think that I could easily book off and have employees take care of things. Unfortunately with the work schedule ramping up and new workers fresh on the job, I once again found myself putting in a ten hour day. Fortunately it was all worth while since after dinner last Thursday I had a rather unique gift getting to listen to Harley Chappell, the head of the Semiahmoo First Nation speak at a Democracy Direct function at the Centennial Park Leisure Centre Hall. For those of you that could not make it to this standing-room-only event, here are the Coles Notes of Chief Chappell's presentation as summarized by Pattie Petrala and edited by myself:

Semiahmoo First Nation Chief Harley Chappell addressed 100 people sitting in chairs plus about 6 Democracy Direct White Rock organizers and 8 community people standing/coming and going, some sitting on the floor for a while. I observed genuine caring and interest that warmly beamed from the smiling faces of neighbours. There were a few folks recording the event with cell phones. Councillor Helen Fathers attended along with some coalition potential candidates with Cliff Annable or supporters. Former Councillors Doug McLean and Matt Todd were also present at the gathering.

Chief Chappell provided an opening welcome drummed song in regalia sharing why it is tradition to do so as well as the respectful value of other songs and traditions. He acknowledged his 68 year old father in the audience and long standing relationships of Coast Salish nations and more in B.C.. Cultural respect of elders wisdom and some of the sad history of the US/Canada border and damage done to his people was softly spoken as he moved on. The light concise oral history of the nation was fascinating as he explained how there were long houses on the Spit ocean side and facing Drayton harbour. The bountiful Harvest of the Bay and San Juan Islands - Mother Earth lends us all to survive and to respect and to care for the next generations. The local streams, rivers, forest and sea life provided for generations. At one time here were 14 reef net sites, bountiful herring and salmon plus clams and oyster harvested by thousands. When the tide goes out, the table is set. Excavation of mass graves and other places on archeological sites he participated on has revealed so much.

He noted - Our nation’s integrity to uphold and heal all that the creator/mother earth provides and renews is linked with mutual actions and vision of many cousins in Lummi and the “mish” family tree networks like Snohomish, as well as Kwalamuth (muth - of the earth). The traditional tribal names like Sto:lo were listed and as re-labeled by settlers and governments. The history of Treaties, decimation by disease, Indian Act, residential schools and betrayal were mentioned. Story of the White Rock boulder tossed to a site for our nation to live and sacred lands was told.

His father has witnessed the Peninsula change significantly over the past decades. Semiahmoo people have not laid any claim to resident’s lands. Provincial and Federal Land is part of the discussions with most nations. There is none left in the developed peninsula. Chief Chappell told the story of Sto:Lo Nations history since times of the gold rush. Communication breakdown from time of contact happened with misinterpretations and misunderstandings which went on for decades.

He stated: We have endured a boil water advisory on the reserve for over 15 year and seek to ensure reliable safe water, stable roads and improved infrastructure. As with all neighbours we face housing and social issue challenges. We could rehash the pain and dwell on wounds of the past, yet Chief Harvey would rather find the healing and common ground and move forward.

His learning curve as a 42 year-old aboriginal leader and not as a politician has been quick; he recognized local media coverage, with his blunt candor perhaps upsetting a few. Semiahma peoples have been silent far too long. Moving forward together the Band Council and broader community of about 43 on site and about 90 members off reserve now have a new voice. Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC) and other government departments and elected persons appear open to discussion and collaboration. Noted there are 18,000 urban First Nation people living in Surrey, the highest population in all of Canada.

Relationships are the key, learning from where we have come and respect for each of our world view lens and culture will shape a better future. His hopes and aspirations are large. A leadership gig is hard and often may be misunderstood by uninformed or unexplained situations and perspectives. The Chieftain regalia has a headdress with feathers to help draw from ancestors and bring the wise words to mind and the blanket may act as a buffer of the bad and help one retain the warmth of one’s heart in all discussions and situations. Harvey aspires to find ways to rekindle their traditional language with a university.

Harley noted appreciation for the positive support he has received in person, via social media and on our streets in the community. He has respect for all leaders and those that step up to toss in their hat in the ring. Being gentle and kind is your responsibility to others. Semiahmoo and First Nations open their hands up and face open body to people, showing an open mind and heart with respect and non-violent gestures for dialogue.

He welcomed questions and responded gently to each.

Q. Drayton Harbour has been cleaned up on the American side, how do we clean up our act on the Canadian side of the border?

A: The American districts and process is different to Canada. The collaboration and work they have done has made significant change.

In 1979 the Government arrested two band members for harvesting in Semiahmoo Bay. By 1999 it was permanently closed and thus appears government did not feel a need to test or address anything since then. BC has one officer for the full coast to conduct testing for fecal and other chemical matter from any source.

Since January Chief Chappell has been working with the Little Campbell River, A Rocha, Semiahmoo Fish & Game Club and other community groups and champions to try to re-kindle the Shared Waters Group. All of the streams, Nicolmeckle and Serpentine Rivers and more are part of our environmental system.

Q: Can you explain the situation about the water on your land?

A: Recognized hard work on many things for 50 years by Bernard Charles and Harley’s Cousin Joanne. She may have a had sharp tongue sometimes and is aware the relationship with the City of White Rock broke down.

Changes underway were triggered by the termination notice letter to the SFN after the 5 Corners Fire. We experienced real problems with a trickle of water. Working with Surrey and our plans through the Federal funds and partners are progressing to hopefully have things in place this year 2018.

Q How can we help and support Semiahmoo Nation?

A: Show up - being here is great. Look for the silver lining when situations arise and push for action. In June the Band will welcome the Haida to help raise a welcome pole. Our future starts here and we all welcome a better start.

Q: At many events we hear recognition given to unceeded Sto:lo Lands”. Why say it if it is only words?

A: In Harvey’s short time he does not know. Yes I witnessed tokenism yet see we do acknowledge each other. Diversity and multiculturalism with respect and decency for each other is an evolving cultural value we accept. We have evolved - like in prior times of the ax felling trees, saw blades and now we use chain saws to build canoes and more. The acknowledgment is huge.

Q: Pattie Petrala asked - I appreciate the presentation and use of term world lens - as an immigrant from Finland and lived all over Canada, the cultural shape of me was formed from many places and peoples. SFN may want to have a web site and share links to learning, ways people can participate, and also things like I learned at Kla-How-Eya events and programs. SFN used to have a website back when I worked on Sea festival 1999 - 2004. The Public Library has materials, books and a neat artist who shows a model of a traditional village he made.

A: On it Pat.

Chief Chappel then offered a closing drum song. He stayed to chat one-on-one with many people and have photos taken with them.

I would like to personally thank Pat Petrala for providing this summation of the Harley Chappell speech for public dissemination. If anyone has a video copy, please post it on YouTube and provide the listing and address to the White Rock Sun so that we may provide this information. Chief Chappell seems to have quickly grown into his role of leader of the SFN and it appears that the years of being "too quiet too long" are over. His stated goal of "All I want to do is catch my community up" appears attainable with new water and sewer upgrades for the reserve being built this year. Hopefully the Semiahmoo people can help the rest of us respect the land of the peninsula and water of the bay, ensuring that what they have long cherished is not diminished or destroyed.

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

 

March 19, 2018

BNSF Burying Crescent Beach

It was widely reported that mudslides from the Ocean Park bluffs at the end of January and beginning of February blocked the BNSF train tracks, cancelling the Amtrak passenger train for 48 hours due to safety concerns. What most people don't know is how the BNSF Railway deals with the muddy debris containing rocks and full-sized trees that ends up on their rail corridor. Quite simply, they bring in a excavator and shovel the muck onto the beach below, covering the sand and anything living in it while burying stretches of environmentally sensitive shoreline that is also a prime area for public recreation.

While I understand there were five or six landslides all along the peninsula tracks from winter rains, this TNT will focus on two slides closest to Crescent Beach. The first on January 30th was just south of Crescent Beach, approximately 150 m from the end of Bayview Ave. BNSF crews with a rail wheel equipped excavator dug the slide debris out and deposited it onto the seaward area of the tracks where it them flowed down onto the beach, burying an area 25m long x 5m wide x 1.5m deep or the equivalent of a dozen dump truck loads of dirt. It should be noted that the waterfront in this area is part of the Crescent Beach Marine Park and not only does this dumped debris now cover a large portion of sandy beach, it also blocks safe pedestrian passage when the tide is high and up against the hardened mud flow.

Another slide around the same time covered the BNSF Railway tracks just south of Crescent Rock boulder, blocking rail operations. This mudslide was 200m. south of the Christopherson Steps pedestrian overpass at the west end of 24 Ave. in south Surrey. The slide debris that included 25m tall trees was excavated by BNSF crews down onto the waterfront, measuring 17m long x 3m wide x 1.5m. deep. This beach dumping site was only 10 m. away from a similar sized deposit that was excavated there in 2017 by the BNSF after another previous slide. The end result is that 35 metres or 100 feet of Crescent Rock Beach utilized by naturists and nudists for legal nude sunbathing and skinny-dipping is now buried and unusable. Just like the slide closer to Crescent Beach, when the tide is high, the debris flow blocks access, forcing people to either slog through the mud or illegally trespass on the tracks above.

It is the larger slide closest to Crescent Beach that should set off alarm bells as this is not the first time this has happened in exactly the same spot. In March of 2007 a BNSF freight train hit landslide debris on the rail corridor in this location in a stretch of track that does not have any landslide detection fence. Most of the bluff from near the 101 Steps at 24 Ave all the way to west beach in White Rock has this two wire safety system that when broken signals trains to stop. The slide in 2007 was investigated by Transport Canada and was found to have been caused by drain water from a house under reconstruction at the top of the hill discharging water onto the slope. Their report concluded the following: The cooperation of the City of Surrey and the City of White Rock would be necessary to control discharge of surface water from houses above, to reduce or eliminate septic drainage fields of houses that contribute water to slopes, and to control tree cutting by residents in the area.

Seeing big-O drain pipe in the muck left dumped on Crescent beach, I climbed the slide zone to check where the slope had failed. To no surprise, I located a length of black drain pipe running down to the area where the slope collapsed.

What I could not believe is I followed it up to the top of the hill and it led to the very same house, now fully reconstructed, that had caused the original slide in 2007 that was hit by a BNSF freight train fortunately without it derailing. The house in question is at the very north end of Christopherson Street that currently sits vacant. A new drain line appears to have been put down, replacing the old one that ended up down on the beach 11 years ago. I will be reporting my findings to the BNSF Railway, the City of Surrey and Transport Canada. As far as the illegal dumping onto the Semiahmoo waterfront, this will be reported to the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, the provincial RAPP Line (Report All Poachers Polluters), plus Crimestoppers.

The BNSF Railway needs to be held accountable for the damage they have done and their continuing pattern of dumping mud, rocks and whole trees onto our beaches. I would like to see the BNSF Railway heavily fined for repeated dumping violations and be forced to clean up all of their debris piles that now sit on the shore of Crescent Beach, returning this waterfront to its former natural condition. Our new Liberal MP Gordie Hogg is aware of this issue and is addressing this problem in Ottawa that has jurisdiction over railways and oceans. While Transport Canada has in the past instructed the BNSF not to dump landslide debris onto the beach, their warnings are ignored. The DFO has only one person investigating environmental complaints in the province of BC and it is likely this dumping is low priority. With Crime Stoppers recently announcing they are looking for tips on environmental crimes in BC , hopefully the RCMP will be able to lay charges against railway executives for illegal dumping and damage to the marine environment along the shores of the Semiahmoo Bay.

If I were to dump twelve dump trucks of muddy fill and dead trees onto the waterfront at Crescent Beach, I could only imagine how harsh the fines and punishment would be, let alone the public outcry and vilification against such conduct. How is it then that an American railway with offices in New West is allowed to continue to bury our coastline with debris excavated off their property without any consequences? I have been harping on this issue for over a decade now and still the dumping of mudslide material and burying of our beaches continues since no one or any government organization ever holds them accountable. The owner of the BNSF, billionaire Warren Buffet who is the fourth richest man on the planet, can afford to have a rail dump car brought in to take away the mudslide debris for proper disposal. This is 2018 and it is time for the BNSF to stop using our beaches as their private landfill site.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

- March 12, 2018

Overpass Opens Before Passover

Imagine my surprise when I heard on Friday about the following news release from the BC Transportation and Infrastructure Ministry regarding the damaged 152 St. overpass in south Surrey:


The emergency repairs at the 152nd Street underpass are nearly complete, and the northbound lane on 152nd Street is expected to reopen in the coming days.
This will be followed by the reopening of both northbound Highway 99 lanes.
Remaining activities include finishing the reconstruction of the concrete deck, sidewalk and railings on the bridge, then reinstalling the cable median barrier on Highway 99.
The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure thanks motorists for their patience while lane closures were in place to ensure the safety of travellers and construction workers during this necessary repair work.

Back on December 4, 2017 when the bridge was damaged by an overheight vehicle driving below on Hwy. 99, I happened to drive by this area and took photos of the damage. I'm not an engineer but quickly ascertained that the damaged girders would need to be replaced because they were tensile concrete with cables instead of rebar. This was indeed the case and repairs were originally expected to last until April, seriously impacting traffic flow and businesses in the Southpoint area. The release from the BC government came as a welcomed notice, with repairs being completed weeks ahead of schedule. Since no time line for reopening was given other than in "the coming days", I logically thought we might see the northbound lanes reopened sometime this week as it would be doubtful that work would be ongoing during the weekend.

When my wife told me on Sunday that she had driven across the 152 St. bridge and that it was opened I was shocked and to be quite honest questioned her about what she had seen. When I drove there to investigate, the mobile traffic signs that had alerted motorists to the bridge closure announced "152 nd Overpass Now Open - Thank You For Your Patience". While Global TV and several A.M. traffic stations were aware of the upcoming reopening, none had been informed that the 152 St. bridge was now actually open in both directions. It is bizarre in this day and age that the media was not alerted to the opening considering the technically demanding repairs took 3.5 months. I would have thought that a major public announcement and possibly a photo-op would have been scheduled. As it is, the bridge will be open for commuter traffic on Monday, which is likely why it was quickly reopened without any fanfare.

This construction project is not completely over as there are still generators, lights, mobile offices and other equipment below on the side of Hwy 99. Northbound traffic is still only one lane at this time until traffic barriers are moved and the median cable safety system is reinstalled. Once all of the work at the 152 Street overpass is fully completed, the ministry has said it will begin work on replacing the Bailey Bridge on King George Boulevard crossing the Nicomekyl River. I wrote a TNT about this decrepit relic on Sept 25, 2017 titled "Bailey Bridge Blockade" that you can find posted below. Not long after this column was posted including pictures of the rotten timbers, the Ministry of Transportation issued the following release that included a tentative start date five months ago on Oct. 16th, 2017:

Bailey Bridge in South Surrey will undergo full replacement.
The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure is planning to replace the Bailey bridge which crosses the Nicomekl River on King George Boulevard.
Crews will replace the temporary Bailey Bridge with a steel superstructure, which includes a new deck, along with the required approach and abutment works. The new bridge will provide improved reliability for travellers and a longer lifespan, and it will allow the ministry to remove the current 10,000 kg-weight restriction for vehicles using the crossing.
Drivers are advised that the one-lane crossing will close for approximately six weeks, tentatively starting on Oct. 16. This length of closure is necessary for crews to complete the replacement. Single-lane traffic in each direction will be maintained on the adjacent two-lane structure. Work will generally be done between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., Monday to Friday. Drivers are reminded to obey posted signs and traffic personnel.
Motorists are advised to use alternative routes where possible, and to check for Twitter updates at: @TranBC

The White Rock Sun will keep you informed as to when the work on the old Bailey bridge actually starts. This is not the only bottleneck that needs to be fixed here in south Surrey. I would like to know why you cannot head north from south Surrey and turn onto Hwy 99 heading southbound? It would be easy to install lights and a left hand turn lane across from the Park & Ride allowing this to happen. Also on 152 St. at 24 Ave., why is there no access to Hwy. 99 southbound allowing those drivers heading north on 152 St. from zipping onto the freeway? There is plenty of room and even a large locked gate in the chain link fence at this location. Lastly, while the 152 St. overpass is now fixed, how long will it be until a four-lane bridge replaces the old two-lane bridge that still constricts traffic?

As a final note on this story, with the 152 St. overpass now open and vehicles flowing freely, please take time to visit and support the many merchants at the South Point Annex whose operations were disrupted by the road closure. This includes Cobbs Bread, Seven Seas Fresh Fish Market, Clancy's Meats, Southpoint Drycleaners, Kim's Farm Market, Tisol Pet Nutrition, Southpoint Liquor Store and more. If you have not visited the Show Shaa Modern Taproom directly beside the overpass (formerly Jimmy Flynns Celtic Snug), I would suggest putting this destination restaurant and bar with its amazing international cuisine on your to-do list. Check our their menu and story at showshaa.ca.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

Editor's Note: If you liked Don's catchy TNT title and were left wondering, Passover 2018 will begin in the evening of Friday, March 30 and ends in the evening of Saturday, April 7.

 

March 05, 2018


"A Clear-Cut Job"

" Our man on the street" - Don Pitcairn

Since July 20, 2009 I have written a weekly The Naked Truth, never missing a single column in well over eight years. This included times when I was away on vacation, sometimes overseas representing Canada in Fullbore Rifle and Palma Team shooting. It has meant usually finding me sitting in front of my computer on Sunday nights, regardless of sickness, fatigue or family comm itments. I've even had the pleasure of typing them into my Smartphone when it was all that was available. It has now been exactly one month since the last TNT was published before the White Rock Sun was closed so that editor Dave Chesney could have a real holiday and take a much needed mental health break away from the lunacy at White Rock City Hall. No you would think that after such a long break that I would be chomping at the bit to sink my teeth into the latest TNT. Unfortunately, the latest round of clear-cutting in White Rock has left me with such a bad taste in my mouth I simply want to go and spit in disgust on the steps of City Hall.

With all of the construction as White Rock is transformed from a sleepy seaside town into an urban concrete jungle of towering high-rises, I usually avoid going uptown. On Monday Feb. 26 I had an appointment with Harley at Moody's Shoe Master and entered the City By The Sea off North Bluff, driving south down Johnston Road. Nothing could have prepared me for the chain-saw massacre that was visible on both sides of the road with not a tree left standing all the way to Russell Ave. Only the few trees planted several years back near the Bosa Towers and a few small median trees closer to Thrift Ave. remained. The flattened stumps had all been painted a hideous day-glo orange to make the carnage even more visible, plus to possibly hide the yearly growth rings. For the record, I counted a total of 50 trees removed across Johnston Rd. from North Bluff to Thrift on Sunday morning. Here are the numbers and the trunk diameters: 3 trees - 3 ft. across, 9 trees - 2.5 ft. across, 10 trees - 2 ft. across, 28 trees - 1.0-1.5 ft. across. The very next day small orange traffic cones were nailed to each stump to make them more visible for the serious tripping hazard they now pose to pedestrians and those with mobility challenges.

As has now been widely reported, city hired arborists moved in under the cover of darkness at 4:30 a.m. on the Sunday night prior, clearing all of these street trees for their Johnston Road Streetscape Revitalization plan. You can read the statement from the City about this latest tree slaughter debacle at the Latest News section of the whiterockcity.ca website. Do not be fooled by the spin of this document titled "Statement from the City on Tree Removal, Relocation and Replacement on Johnston Road." While they claimed "the current street trees on Johnston Road could pose a risk to the public" the tripping hazards from raised bricks were due to the lack of maintenance in fixing this long ignored problem. With all of the low stumps now left in place, these are the main tripping hazard facing pedestrians. Cutting trees at night is not a new tactic for White Rock City Hall as it was previously used to hack down the Ellerbeck's trees from their home on Royal Avenue back in March of 2011 to avoid public protests. As to their dubious claim "And, yes, trees will be replaced", you need to realize that they lied about the Hump clear-cutting several years ago and to date not a single tree, shrub or flower has been planted to replace the logging that was done mainly to improve ocean views for Marine Drive residents.

To make this debacle all the the more surreal, you have to realize that the uptown tree cutting was debated at City Hall only six days before the tree cutting when Councillor Dave Chesney was still away on vacation. You can watch it at the following link: https://www.whiterockcity.ca/EN/main/council/video-recording-of-council-meetings.html. Simply hit the video tab for the Februrary 19th Council meeting and fast forward to 1 hr 8 minutes where the Johnston Road Gateway Update is discussed. It turns out that the project was put out to tender but only one or two bids were received and they were double the $4.5 million budget. The new director of Engineering and Municipal Operations Department Jim Gordon explains how it will be remarketed looking to reduce costs and that "We will let council know before we remove any trees." Councillor Helen Fathers, the only non-Coalition slate councillor in attendance states "What I really wouldn't like to see is the whole street, all of the trees taken down and then we don't get it together enough to get the tender in because I think that would be devastating for the entire community. Those trees are dear to many people in White Rock including myself." Not a word was mentioned about plans to cut down all of the trees in less than a week and I have been informed that Council was only alerted by email on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. to the pending slaughter. When questioned by Councillor Lynne Sinclair about why it was important to do the tree work before the project had been tendered, Jim Gordon had this telling reply. "Anytime we can eliminate risks for a contractor and provide them with a clear-cut job, we will get better prices. A "clear-cut job", think about that for a minute.

As if this was not enough, a second statement then appeared on the White Rock city website with an apology for yet another hatchet job. For those of you that enjoyed the shade of the big Empress Tree beside the stairs at Memorial Park or its beautiful spring flowers, I am sad to report that it was reduced to a stump at 7:30 a.m. on March 1st. This story was big enough to be featured in the Province newspaper, bringing even more shame on the city with their apparent fascination with chainsawing. Here is the statement about one of the best known trees in White Rock:
March 1, 2018
We are sorry. We tried our best to save the Paulownia tomentosa (Empress Tree) in Memorial Park. We originally believed we could work around the tree, but unfortunately, the large shallow roots extended further to the downhill side of the tree than expected. What we learned from arborists once the roots were exposed, is that the tree did not have strong deep roots. Instead, the shallow roots extended downhill near the ground surface making relocation impossible and making the tree vulnerable to disturbance. Consideration was given to redesigning retaining walls around the tree; however, arborists expressed concern that this would still affect the long term viability of the tree.

Needless to say all of the recent logging has brought a rash of posts to local community Facebook sites such as No more HighRises in White Rock, White Rock Democratic Group, White Rock Voters Group and Save Our City By The Sea. Many are saying that White Rock should promote a "Tour of the Stumps" or an "Annual Tree Chopping Festival" followed by an "Orange Stump Festival" on April Fool's Day. As a political protest last weekend, flowers were placed in every one of the small orange traffic cones atop the boulevard stumps throughout uptown, either as a memorial to their destruction or as a much cheaper Johnston Road beautification project. I'm going to go out on a limb here and hopefully I'm not barking up the wrong tree when I say that the city's administrators are doing a great job in ensuring that possibly everyone on the current White Rock Council connected to these fiascos will be out voted out of office on October 20th. After that I would expect to see some of the city administrators be given their walking papers for their questionable decisions and abject failure to uphold the Vision, Mission and Corporate Values statement for the City of White Rock.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

February 05, 2018


Lights Out For Watts

 

It was quite the weekend to be huddled around the television watching an epic battle of wills as the combatants challenged each other for ultimate supremacy. In the nail-biting finish only one emerged victorious and they took to the podium to accept their prize for winning their hard fought struggle. No, I'm not talking about the 52nd NFL Superbowl where the Philadelphia Eagles prevailed over the New England Patriots by a score of 41-33. The real show was watching the BC Liberal Leadership contest where Andrew Wilkinson beat out Dianne Watts on the fifth and final vote to secure victory and take control of the party.

In what was a knockout election the six leadership hopefuls jockeyed for position after signing up new party members to help support their cause. Dianne Watts resignation as the Conservative MP for White Rock - South Surrey last year meant she came in as a party outsider even though poll after poll showed she was consistently a front-runner. It was a telling revelation to know that going into the vote, Wilkinson had the support of thirteen Liberal caucus MLAs (the most of any of the six candidates), while Watts had none. Still, Dianne was seen as a fresh face for the BC Liberals and with seven successful Surrey elections in a row dating back to 1996, a political force to be reckoned with.

In the first round of the election where there were 8,700 total points (4,351 needed for victory) Mrs. Watts took an early lead of nearly a quarter of all votes while former Vancouver Mayor Sam Sullivan received a measly 1.8% of the vote eliminating him from further contention.
Dianne Watts: 2,135 points – 24.54%
Michael Lee: 1,917 points – 22.03%
Andrew Wilkinson: 1,591 points – 18.29%
Todd Stone: 1,483 points – 17.05%
Mike de Jong: 1,415 points – 16.27%
Sam Sullivan: 158 points – 1.82%

Round two of the voting saw little change in the percentage of vote with Diane still in the lead and Mike De Jong finishing last at 1,436 points of 16.52% of the vote, dropping him from further balloting. It was the third round of membership voting where the tide started to turn for Wilkinson who was still in third place at that time. While he had an agreement with De Jong to encourage their supporters to make the other candidate their second choice under the preferential ballot system, Mr. Wilkinson obviously did not get all of those members support but did see a 7% ballot improvement. With only 20% support after losing 1,400 new memberships only days before the vote due to issues with consultants AggregateIQ., Todd Stone was dropped from the ballot.
Dianne Watts: 2,469 points – 28.83%
Michael Lee: 2,264 points – 26.03%
Andrew Wilkinson: 2,201 points – 25.29%
Todd Stone: 1,766 points – 20.29%

The forth round of voting saw a near dead heat with the three remaining candidates each getting close to a third of the vote. Dianne Watts still in the lead with 3,006 points, followed 144 points behind by Wilkinson who beat out Michael Lee by only 49 points, setting the stage for the final showdown between newcomer Watts and the old-school Wilkinson who is a doctor, lawyer and Rhodes scholar.
Dianne Watts: 3,006 points – 34.55%
Andrew Wilkinson: 2,862 points – 32.89%
Michael Lee: 2,813 points – 32.56%

In the final fifth round of voting after Dianne Watts had lead the entire way, it was Andrew Wilkinson who came out on top. Mr. Wilkinson is a longtime Liberal organizer and past party president who promises to promises to carry on the historical heritage of the BC Liberal Party, carrying on the work of former Premiers Gordon Campbell and Christy Clark. The margin of victory was 542 points or 53.1% of the ballots.
Andrew Wilkinson: 4,621 points
Dianne Watts: 4,079 points

Gracious in defeat, Dianne Watts released the following statement on Twitter after coming in a close second: "I would like to congratulate Andrew Wilkinson on being elected as our new leader. I am committed to doing everything I can to make sure we elect a BC Liberal government in the next election." For his part Wilkinson announced to assembled media that he was hoping to seek out support from Michael Lee, Todd Stone and Dianne Watts as the BC Liberals regroup to try and take down the NDP/Green coalition government.

While Mrs. Watts won as MP for South Surrey - White Rock, the Conservative party lost the election and she was relegated to opposition status far from the cabinet posting many believe she had been promised. Now she has come in second best in the hunt for what she likely hoped would eventually lead to the Premier's job. It is unlikely she will now run against Linda Hepner for her old job as Mayor of Surrey and while the position is available, hard to fathom she would throw her bonnet in the ring to run for Mayor of White Rock. Ever the political opportunist, I expect Mrs. Watts to run for the BC Liberals in the next provincial election that may happen much sooner than the scheduled date of May 11, 2021.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

January 29, 2018

Super-Blue-Blood-Moon Rising

I see a bad moon a-rising
I see trouble on the way
I see earthquakes and lightnin'
I see bad times today

Don't go 'round tonight
It's bound to take your life
There's a bad moon on the rise

Lyrics to Creedence Clearwater Revival's song "Bad Moon Rising", 1969.

Prepare yourself for an astrological event in these parts that has not been seen by anyone on the planet Earth for 152 years. On Wednesday, January 31st, plan on getting up early to view an extremely rare occurrence, a perfect trifecta of lunar oddities that include a super moon, blue moon and blood moon all happening at the very same time. Currently the weather forecast for this region is sunny with cloudy periods for Wednesday so hopefully the clouds will part and this celestial show will be visible from White Rock and south Surrey. If you miss it don't worry as the next one happens in only ten years, giving you something to live for.

For those who are not amateur astronomers, a supermoon is when the the moon is at its closest orbit to the earth. This causes it to appear 14% larger and 30% brighter than full moons that happen at the farthest point in the moon’s orbit. The effect is even more noticeable at moonrise when scattering of light through the atmosphere at the horizon make the moon look even larger. A blue moon has actually nothing to do with the colour of our closest neighbour, it is the second full moon that happens in one month, which will also happen in March of this year. The blood moon is actually a total lunar eclipse where the shadow of the earth blocks out the sun from the surface of the moon. Because of the diffraction of light through the atmosphere the moon will appear to be a reddish orange glowing orb, called a bloodmoon. The last bloodmoon here happened two years ago, with the full moon rising from the east in full lunar eclipse, making for quite the spectacle.

The best time to view a supermoon is at night right after moonrise when the moon rises from the eastern horizon. Those living in the Middle East, Asia, eastern Russia, Australia and New Zealand will get to watch the super blue bloodmoon actually rise. Unfortunately moonrise here is at 4:24 p.m. on Tuesday, January 30th, half an hour before sunset that day, which happens at 5:05 p.m. The maximum full moon is scheduled for 5:27 a.m. on January 31, but the real light show begins at 3:48 a.m. with the start of the lunar eclipse, reaching its maximum coverage at 5:30 a.m. The moon will then set that morning at 7:49 a.m., just after sunrise that happens at 7:42 a.m. Here in the Lower Mainland, we should be able to see a near total eclipse of the moon as long as the clouds don't interfere. Unlike the solar eclipse we witnessed last summer, the lunar eclipse can be watched without risk of eye damage. If you get up dark and early and find the sky obscured, you can watch the lunar eclipse courtesy of the rocket scientists at NASA on their live view website at the following link starting at 3:30 a.m. PST: https://www.nasa.gov/nasalive

The last time there was a lunar eclipse here several years ago, I happened to be driving back into Canada on a Sunday evening after attending a sporting event in Washington State. As I crossed the border I saw the blood moon rising over Hazelmere and decided that the grassy hillside at King George Blvd and 8th Avenue next to Hwy. 99 would offer a prime vantage point. Unfortunately I was not the only person who figured this out and found the area lined with cars and packed with people, many with lawn chairs and blankets. This time with the moon already up for hours and the best eclipse from 5-6 a.m., expect the moon to be in the west/northwest portion of the sky. Any high point not blocked by tall evergreens should be okay but I prefer to watch these events over water meaning that Crescent Beach, Crescent Rock Beach, the White Rock Pier, plus stretches of the Nicomekyl and Serpentine rivers should be prime viewing spots. Please note that the 1,000 Steps staircase in Ocean Park and Christopherson Steps in Crescent Heights will still be locked during that time of the morning.

Make sure you dress warmly, wear bright or reflective clothes plus take along a flashlight for safety. A fold-up lawn chair and blanket along with a thermos full of tea or coffee will help to keep you warm in temperatures forecast to be 4 degrees. If you want to take pictures, try to have something in the background for size comparison, rather than just the bloodmoon alone in the night sky. For professional photographers, bring along your tripod, telephoto lens plus light meter and if you get an amazing shot of the super blue bloodmoon, please sent it along to the White Rock Sun for publishing.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

January 22, 2018

Taking Tax Relief For Granted

For the past 11 years I have celebrated New Year's Day by plunging into the icy waters of Boundary Bay in a Polar Bear Swim baptism. Nothing like near freezing water to wake you up, clear your head and shake off the cobwebs from any lingering hangover resulting from too much festivities the night before.

Unfortunately the hangover quickly comes back when you look at the property value numbers from BC Assessment that are posted online on January 1st of each year. With the continuing flood of foreign capital distorting our real estate prices far above what a working class family here could ever afford, assessments continue to go through the roof. For this year, the assessment for our house in south Surrey went up $186,000 or %16 in value. Combined with increases over the past four years, we have seen stratospheric gains of a combined 64%, for a property that was already high priced when we first purchased it.

We appealed our property assessment last year as being unrealistic and had $164,000 taken off of the assessed value. This was done originally to help get the estimated value under the $1.2 million Homeowner's Grant limit which was the number when we received our assessment. It turns out that we really didn't need to bother as the BC Liberal Government of the time raised the Home Owner's Grant limit to $1.5 million, ensuring we qualified to receive all of the grant. This year the NDP have followed suit, raising the level with ever increasing real estate prices to $1.65 million. It turns out that since 2003, the threshold has been raised eleven times. It is estimated that the Home Owner's Grant will result in almost $900 million in tax saving for BC homeowners this year.

Now here's the rub, when is the actual Home Owners Grant ever going to be increased? As long as I can remember that basic Home Owners Grant property tax deduction for homeowners living in the Lower Mainland or Capital Region has been pegged at $570 for the basic grant and $770 for those in rural or northern communities. Seniors are eligible to receive a further $275 additional grant deduction for a total of $845 with the elderly living in the sticks taking $1,045 off the property taxes for the homes they live in. With ever increasing property values and the Mill rate that cities use for property tax calculations allowing for ever increasing taxes, the Home Owners Grant is rapidly becoming insignificant as its less than $50 per month reduction becomes a joke.

Case in point, using our home as a reference we have seen our "Column B" basic grant rate in the City of Surrey rise from $2,840 in 2010 to $4,098 in 2017, or an increase of $1,258 in only seven years. This represents an increase in payable property taxes of 44% or 6.3% increase per year, well beyond the rate of inflation during this period. Of course, during this time the Home Owner's Grant has remained stagnant. When compared to the no grant tax rates, the $570 grant equates to a 16.7% reduction in property taxes for 2010, which slipped to only a 12% reduction in property taxes for us in 2017. If the Homeowner's Grant remains stationary, its effect when looked at a percentage tax savings will continue to further decrease over time. Couple this with the number of houses that are still above the new $1.65 million grant ceiling that get no deduction and Surrey is raking in lots of new tax revenue for their coffers.

It is time that the Provincial and Civic governments look at this issue and instead of only raising the Home Owner's Grant threshold, they also need to increase the actual grant itself to match the staggering increases in property tax that homeowners are being subjected to. I say we give bigger grants to those who actual live in their homes and stick it to wealthy foreign investors and those who purchase residential real estate property and simply leave them empty. If you want to get an idea of how many homes are vacant in your neighbourhood, simply watch who does not put out garbage cans every week or when it snows, which driveways are not shoveled and have no tire tracks. The number will likely surprise you once you start paying attention.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

January 15, 2018

Muddying The Waters

Headwaters of LIttle Campbell river @ Semiahmoo Bay

This was never supposed to be a two part series focusing attention on the Border Feed Lot in south Surrey (17256 8 Ave) but after last week's TNT titled "Clearing The Air" I received more information on the impact this agricultural business is having on the local environment. In last week's article I quoted from a decade old report on the Little Campbell Watershed that showed Coli-Form Units of 14,000 CFU/100 ml. H20 that were 70 times higher than allowable water quality guidelines in streams draining from this property. The paragraph on this topic ended with "It is interesting to note that this report was done well before large scale composting and topsoil processing began at this agricultural property. Whether steps have been taken to control manure run-off from the feed lot or the composting operations is not yet known." If you missed last week's TNT you might want to scroll down and read it for insight before carrying on here.

There are a variety of environmentally focused groups keeping an eye on the Little Campbell River that flows into Semiahmoo Bay/Boundary Bay at the Semiahmoo First Nation reserve property. One of these is the Little Campbell Watersheds Society (little campbellriver.org) whose mandate is to "focus on activities to preserve, enhance and restore fish, wildlife, water resources and green space within the Little Campbell River Watershed." Alarmed with the growing piles of manure and soil behind the Border Feed Lot barns, they were concerned that runoff from the soil and manure operations might be contaminating the Little Campbell River. Bacteriological contamination has been contributing to the shellfish harvesting closures in the waters around the Peninsula which have been off-limits since 1962. This includes the Semiahmoo First Nation peoples who traditionally have relied on this for both food and ceremonial purposes. Members of the Little Campbell Watersheds Society took it upon themselves to take samples from the tributaries south of the Border Feed Lot property on June 8, 2017 and submitted them to Exova Laboratories in sterile bottles placed in a cooler for analysis that day.

What test results revealed were two water quality parameter violations far beyond the 200 CFU/100 ml. limit for human health and livestock watering. Fecal coliform levels were measured at a staggering 360,000 CFU/100ml with escherichia coli even higher at 410,000 CFU/100 ml. This represents a violation approximately 2,000 times greater than the BC guideline limit for aquatic pollution and an exponential increase from the contaminated waters found back in 2005-2007 when the original Little Campbell River Watershed Water Quality Report was done. There were other major violations over the guideline limit including Organic Carbon at 9 times that background median, Nitrite at 5 times the long-term average to protect aquatic life, Phosphorus at 150 times the guidelines for lakes, Aluminum at 100 times the short-term max for freshwater aquatic life, plus high levels of Total Dissolved Solids. Further to these major violations, there were eight other parameters for everything from Arsenic to Cobalt that were above guideline recommended limits.

The test results were forwarded to the BC Environment Ministry through the R.A.P.P. (Report All Poachers and Polluters) along with a list of Agricultural Waste Control Regulations they believe were not being followed. These included the following:
3. Water quality results indicate that current agricultural waste storage practices do not prevent pollution.
4. Current operation collects waste from other farms which is not permissible.
8(2). Current operation has waste piles within 20m of the tributary that runs through their property.
9. From our observations, current operations do not cover field stored waste piles for any part of the year including Oct 1-April 1.
15(C) Water quality results indicate that current composting practices do not prevent pollution.
30. Water quality results indicate that current agricultural practices do not prevent pollution.
The Ministry of the Environment investigated the test results and allegations and sent an "Out of Compliance" letter to the operators of this agricultural operation in August informing them they were violating the Environmental Habitat Management Act in regards to waste discharge regulations. As to whether the Border Feed Lot and their soil operations are now in compliance, unless someone wants to pay for further testing it is not known if pollution from this property persists.

With the weakening of environmental protection laws by Harper's Conservatives when they were in power plus the gutting of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans budget and manpower, there is little enforcement against polluters plus little or no testing. In order to find strength in numbers, many local environmental stewardship groups are considering resurrecting the Shared Water Alliance that was originally formed in 1999 as an international working group focused on the water quality of the Canadian and US shared waters of Boundary Bay. You only have to look across the border at Drayton Harbour to see how concerted efforts to test water and identify sources of pollution can make an impact. With concerted efforts since 2001 our American neighbours were able to clean up the formerly polluted harbour to the point that the Drayton Harbor Oyster Company now operates and on Dec. 15th held their second annual "Shell-ebration" to mark the the one-year anniversary of lifted shellfish harvesting restrictions in Drayton Harbor. If they can clean up this Blaine shoreline, there is no reason to think we can't do the same here north of the border.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

January 08, 2018

Clearing The Air

 

The three words that best describe you are as follows, and I quote
"Stink, stank, stunk"!

Lyrics to the song "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch", written by Dr. Suess, 1966

It comes as no surprise that the composing operations at the Border Feed Lot located at the SE corner of 172 St. and 8 Ave. are being singled out as the source of the rotten egg stench that permeated neighbourhoods in south Surrey last week. A Metro Vancouver manger revealed that piles of composting manure and mushroom manure piles were turned over with the wind direction matching where odour complaints were received from. Unfortunately this is not a new situation that is likely linked to compost piles and topsoil production occurring at this agricultural location. The satellite view of Surrey's COSMOS online mapping system shows massive soil piles to the east of the cattle barns located there along with several hi-hoe excavators, a front end loader and soil screener that deal with manure from this site and mushroom manure, which I've been told by area naturalists is being trucked in.

When we have outflow conditions in the winter with winds from the northeast, any odours emanating from the feed lot and compost piles will drift into the Douglas crossing neighbourhoods that have been heavily developed over the past decade. This has resulted in the Border Feedlot becoming the second highest source of smell complaints to Metro Vancouver in 2017. Here is the list of the five worst offenders as recently revealed by a CTV investigation into Metro Vancouver smell complaints:
Harvest Power, Richmond - 3,408
Border Feed Lot cattle operations, Surrey - 163
Enviro-Smart composting facility, Delta - 92
West Coast Reduction, East Vancouver - 91
Chevron Oil Refinery, Burnaby - 46

The Harvest Power waste to energy composting facility in East Richmond has been in the news on a constant basis for many years since food waste began to be collected in 1999. Due to their large compost piles that treat food waste including meat, residents there have described the stench as "putrid, stinky, noxious, malodorous and unacceptable". Metro Vancouver receives twenty times more smell complaints about Harvest Power than the Border Feedlot, likely because of the facility's size and relative closeness to large urban areas. The Enviro-Smart composting facility in Delta by the Boundary Bay Airport also gets smell complaints but they have been working to cover their piles to control water content, improved air systems that aerate the piles plus turning the organic waste using custom pile turning machines instead of excavators. In case you did not know, Surrey's Organic Biofuel Facility in Port Kells has a state-of-the-art smell mitigation system that uses negative air pressure to contain noxious odours.

Smelly businesses make for infuriated neighbours, which has been the case across Metro Vancouver for years. The West Coast Reduction rendering plant processes animal waste including fish, fat, blood and feathers at their facility at the north end of Commercial Drive in Vancouver that has been stinking up East Van since 1964. This is the same lovely place where Willy Pickton disposed of the dismembered victims of his serial murder spree. I previously lived in Brookswood in Langley downwind from the Money's Mushroom compost plant near 44 Ave. and 190 St. where the smell in summer would best be described as a dead dog rotting in a ditch. In 1994 he GVRD Assistant Air Quality Director finally ordered Moneys to take steps to change their operations and control the stench. After years of appeals and legal wrangling, Money's finally closed the doors on their old composting facility in Surrey with plans to move it out into the Fraser Valley. By chance, they picked a new location at the base of Chilliwack Mountain, upwind from all of the residents living on the hill that also included my mother who was then Chairperson of the Chilliwack Ratepayers Association. With the knowledge of what had transpired in Bookswood, Chilliwack Council voted to turn them down and they went elsewhere.

Most modern composting facilities are in enclosed shelters allowing operators to control the amount of water in the decomposing organics. They also have vented grates across the floor with industrial fans pumping fresh air into the piles to promote aerobic decomposition where the bacteria present feed off the oxygen as they break down the organics. If large piles of manure are placed outdoors where they are exposed to the rain and not turned over frequently, the piles become saturated with water and then the rotting process turns into anaerobic decomposition that occurs without the presence of oxygen. This can produce dangerous hydrogen sulfide gas, a colourless, poisonous gas that smells like rotten eggs. Fortis Gas received many emergency calls from Douglas crossing residents last week complaining of a suspected natural gas leak that smelled like rotten eggs. Natural gas has no smell but the chemical mercaptan, which smells like rotten eggs, is added to make it detectable. No gas leak was found in the area so it is highly likely the rotten egg smell reported was hydrogen sulphide being released from wet manure piles that Metro Vancouver reported being turned over.

Stink coming from the Border Feed Lot is not the only environmental concern linked to this agriculture business. There are two small tributaries that drain water away from this property towards the Little Campbell River. These were tested by the BC Ministry of Environment and detailed in the Little Campbell Watershed Water Quality Report 2005-2007 that is posted online as follows:
Site 146-2, a tributary that drains a feedlot operation containing a very high density of bovines was found to have the greatest fecal coli-form concentrations, with results up to 14,000 Coli-Form Units (CFU) per 100 ml of water and geometric means consistently exceeding the 200 CFU/100 ml water quality guidelines. Geometric means ranged from 1102 to 7972 CFU/100 ml throughout the study period. Dissolved oxygen levels at the site were also found to be very low and well below the BC water quality guidelines for aquatic life in both the instantaneous minimum and 30 day average. Fish are unlikely to be present in this tributary, however the impact of this contamination may reach the Little Campbell River main stream.
It is interesting to note that this report was done well before large scale composting and topsoil processing began at this agricultural property. Whether steps have been taken to control manure run-off from the feed lot or the composting operations is not yet known.

If you live down by the border and smell rotten eggs or something foul in the air far beyond regular livestock manure, I would suggest you report it to the following:
Call Metro Vancouver's odour complaint hotline at 604-436-6777
Email Metro Vancouver's Make An Air Quality Complaint webpage at the following link:
http://www.metrovancouver.org/services/Permits-regulations-enforcement/air-quality/air-quality-complaints/complaint/Pages/Air-Quality-Complaint-Form.aspx
Email the BC Government at environmentalcomplaints@gov.bc.ca
File an air pollution report with https://forms.gov.bc.ca/environment/rapp/
Contact Surrey Mayor Linda Hepner and her Surrey First slate of Councillors whose email addresses are listed on the Surrey.ca website at the following link:
http://www.surrey.ca/city-government/2999.aspx

"Stop The Stink!" Facebook group in Vancouver was the community page created to bring awareness to the reek of death emanating from the West Coast Reduction Plant. "Stop the Stink in Richmond" Facebook group was formed to combat the vile stench from Harvest Power's vile compost piles. Something tells me it won't be long till we see "Stop the Stink in Surrey" Facebook page if rotten egg smells continue to waft over residential neighbourhoods in south Surrey.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

January 02, 2018

TNT Year in Review

 

With New Year's Day falling on a Monday, my wife Sheryl came up with the wonderful idea of looking back at last year's The Naked Truth columns. Without further adieu, here is the TNT year in review.

Dec. 26, Christmas Gift List: Gifts under the tree for those naughty and nice who made news headlines in 2017.
Dec. 18, Desperate Times Call For Desperate Measures: A look at Conservative attack ads used in the final days of the Federal by-election.
Dec. 11, Injustice System: A look at failures in our so-called justice system and the "BC Judges Weakest Link" shaming campaign.
Dec. 4, Advance Warning: With advance polls open, this piece looked at how Elections Canada failed to open polling stations across the riding putting most in White Rock.

Nov. 27, Sign Of The Times: As someone who knows WAAYYYY too much about election signs, a preview of how the parties were staking their claim across the Semi-Pen.
Nov. 20, White Rock Star: PM Justin Trudeau comes to town, hangs out with SFN Chief Harley and WR Sun Editor Dave Chesney, getting the goat of Mayor Wayne Baldwin.
Nov. 13, A Time to Remember: Remembrance Day celebrations, Charlie's Tree memorial and the Friends of Old Canada are featured on this piece about Nov. 11th.
Nov. 6, Mark Your Calendars - Dec. 11 is Voting Day: Everything you needed to know about the upcoming by-election and the cast of characters who wanted to be your MP.

Oct. 30, My Gift to You - Beware of Pyramid Schemes: If you thought the Pyramids were only in Egypt, think again as the Gifting Circle scam shows up in S. Sry/WR.
Oct. 23, Speed Reading at Surrey Schools: The scoop on school roadway safety improvements across Surrey with the funky abbreviated name of ARS-ZAPP.
Oct. 16, Duck Feathers and Parrot Feathers: The draining of the Serpentine Fen is featured along with information about an invasive plant species that is not ducky.
Oct. 9, Right to Bare Arms: After the Mandalay Massacre in Vegas, a marksman's perspective on gun control in both the US and Canada.
Oct. 2, Beautiful, White & Deadly: Poisonous mushrooms found sprouting in my own front lawn were showcased with warnings about the Destroying Angel.

Sept. 25, Bailey Bridge Blockade: This triple TNT expose about the shape of the old Bailey Bridge across the Nicomekyl River that lead to emergency plans to finally rebuilt it, Dianne Watt's resignation and Seal Team actor AJ Buckley from White Rock.
Sept. 18, Fish On!: An insiders look at the Semiahmoo Fish & Game Club and the Little Campbell Hatchery that volunteers run.
Sept. 11, Anchor's Away: Arghhh Matey, this TNT told the tale of the massive old anchor that now resides in Ocean Park.
Sept. 5, A Shooting Star Summer: I fired my own gun here with this piece on the Canadian Target Rifle Championships and time spent with father Bob "The Legend" Pitcairn.

Aug. 28, 21 & 14: A lengthy three part series about the history of Hall's Prairie in the Hazelmere Valley of south Surrey takes up most of the month of August.
Aug. 6, Semiahmoo Goes With The Flow: The boil water advisory at the Semiahmoo First Nation gets my blood boiling with White Rock threatening to turn off the taps.

July 31, Delta Mayor Pushes For Return of the Inter Urban: Lois Jackson leads the charge to have the inter-urban line rolling again on tracks that include the BNSF Railway here.
July 24, Doe..., A Deer..., A Female Deer: After a deer is seen on the shores of Crescent Rock Beach and this TNT looks at black-tailed deer living among us.
July 17, A Rough Walk in the Park: The Riverside Golf course and its return to nature is profiled with plenty of pictures.
July 10, Save Water, Save Money: In the heat of the summer, how to conserve water with help of Surrey's Water Conservation Education Team (WCET).
July 4, Break A Leg Dianne: Prior to stepping down as our MP, accident prone Dianne Watts takes a tumble down her stairs ending up in hospital yet again.

June 26, The Buzz About The Nude Beach: Drones are spotted over Crescent Rock Beach where filming people in the nude without their knowledge or consent is a sex crime.
June 19, Open House, Closed Mind, Empty Wallet: The costs for Rail Safety Improvements in White Rock and proposed Promenade extension are added up.
June 12, Raising a Black Flag in Surrey: The new black and white Surrey Heritage signs have me seeing red as they look too much like an ISIS flag.
June 5, Art Knapps Give a Hoot: Everything you need to know about the dozen barn owl boxes at the King George nursery next to the Serpentine Fen.

May 29, The Plane Truth: Commercial jets are still flying over the peninsula and I want to know why this is happening.
May 23, Cowboys, Carnies, Creep Catchers, Cops and Cloverdale: Surrey Shirts heads to the Cloverdale Rodeo for the Victoria Day long weekend.
May 15, Driving me Crazy: In this TNT I blow up about the many rude, dangerous or oblivious drivers out there and how we need more police enforcement on our roads.
May 8, Your Vote Is Your Voice: All you needed to know about the upcoming Provincial Election where Good ol' Gordie Hogg stepped down as MLA after 20 years.
May 1, Fit To Be Tied: The replacement of 22,000 creosoted railway ties across the waterfront and its ramifications is looked at in detail.

April 25, White Rock Craziness - Its The Water (Part 3): Secrets about the EPCOR water purchase by White Rock slowly leak out including the revelation there is now chloramine in the tap water.
April 18, Psst..., Hey Buddy..., Wanna Buy Some Farmland?: McMansions being built on farmland across Surrey are showcased in this real estate piece.
April 10, Creeping Me Out: The Surrey Creep Catchers and the work they do outing online sexual predators preying on children are spotlighted.
April 3, BNSF Buries Nude Beach: In a nude beach cover-up, the BNSF Railway dumps tonnes of landslide debris from the tracks onto Crescent Rock.

March 27, Bird in a Cage: The decrease in song birds attributed to glass strikes on buildings and railings is nothing to chirp about.
March 20, Spring Has Sprung, Boing!: The Spring Eqinox is looked at throughout history and from around the world.
March 13, Get The Funk Out: Live music in the Semi-Pen including the latest show at the Ocean Park Hall featuring the Big Easy Funk Ensemble are given centre stage.
March 7, Feeling House Rich & Cash Poor?: With real estate prices going through the roof, this TNT shows how to lower your assessments and property tax.

Feb. 27, Prop-ad-ganda: How much of today's advertising is not selling a product, it is corporate propaganda trying to sway public opinion.
Feb. 20, Mosquitos Suck: It's winter and yet we still can't escape from these blood sucking parasites in Canada's banana belt.
Feb. 13, The Alternative to "Alternative Facts": The "No Ban, No Wall - Vancouver" Donald Trump protest at the Peace Arch Monument draws a crowd.
Feb. 6, South of the 49th, North of the 49th: From Tom Brady's 5th Super Bowl win to Chilliwack's snowmageddon, this TNT touches down on both sides of the border.

Jan 30, Driving While Blind: he deplorable state of highway signs throughout our region is revealed, something that still has not been fixed.
Jan. 23, Dick-Heads: There was no way that I could ignore White Rock's Moby Dicks court battle with a Vancouver strata over their whale of a name.
Jan. 16, Walk -Don't Run: In the dark days of winter, dangers to pedestrians crossing the road are highlighted.
Jan. 9, When We're Silent..., We're All Victims: Massive electronic billboards on the streets of Surrey and the visual distraction they pose are looked at.
Jan.2, Alot For a Lot: Rapidly increasing real estate prices and increases in property assessments are revealed.

There it is folks, a full year of 52 TNTs condensed down into one column. If you see anything here that catches your eye, simply scroll down to read what you missed. If you hit the archives, every The Naked Truth every written going back to June 20, 2009 is still posted online in the electronic pages of the White Rock Sun. Happy New Year, I'm now off to the Polar Bare Plunge for the 12th time.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

December 26, 2017


Christmas Gift List 2017

Don Pitcairn getting ready to distribut his Christmas Wish Letters

 

If there's one thing I love about Christmas it's the annual traditions and in the White Rock Sun this holiday spirited TNT is always special. Here's the list of naughty and nice gifts we hope Santa left under the tree for the movers, shakers and decision makers from the Semiahmoo peninsula, listed alphabetically so as not to offend anyone.

Wayne Baldwin, White Rock Mayor - A 45 rpm record of Aretha Franklin's smash hit "Respect" after the Mayor of White Rock had his politicized letter to Prime Minister Trudeau regarding proper protocol leaked to the media during the by-election.
What you want, baby I got it
What you need, do you know I got it
All I'm askin', is for a little respect when you get home (just a little bit)

Kelly & Juanita Breaks, Blue Frog Studio owners - Carrying on with our musical theme, a copy of the Rolling Stone's album Steel Wheels from 1989 containing the song "Rock and a Hard Place" after White Rock Coalition members voted to allow high-rises to be built on either side of their famed recording studio.

Jennifer Brooks and family - After an agonizing wait of 29 months, the Brooks finally received some justice a week before Christmas with charges being filed against an RCMP officer who shot their unarmed son Hudson outside the south Surrey detachment. As a stocking stuffer, maybe the B.C. Prosecution Service can explain to them why charges of aggravated assault and assault with a weapon were filed instead of manslaughter in their teen's death?

Dave Chesney, WR Councillor - A public apology from the White Rock BIA director Susy Tucker for alleging that Mr. Chesney was the source of the leaked Baldwin letter, which the Peace Arch News should reveal was not the case. Could it be that someone was playing politics and trying to smear everyone at once? Only Santa knows who was being naughty or nice.

Ryan LaForge, President of Surrey Creep Catchers - His gift is proposed changes to toughen up federal child sex laws including a new offense making the grooming of youngsters by adults for sexual purposes a crime in Canada. As a stocking stuffer, a one-of-a-kind SCC Stealth carbon fiber hoody compliments of Sheryl & Don.

Laura Cornale plus Kathy Honeywell & Barb Howe - For the owner of Laura's Coffee Corner and the owners of the 5 Corners Cafe, picture frames for the selfies with Justin Trudeau that brought both of these White Rock restaurants national recognition.

Helen Fathers, WR Councillor - A "Vote Helen For Mayor" t-shirt courtesy of Surrey Shirts that she can wear around White Rock when not managing the Farmer's Market that keeps on being turned into a political minefield. For her family, a box of tissues to dry their eyes and hopefully a new puppy in the near future.

Kerri-Lynne Findlay, Conservative member - A parachute and a soft mattress for the former federal Revenue Minister who came a surprisingly close second to Gordie Hogg in the recent federal by-election. As a stocking stuffer, some Stim-Root rooting hormone powder that is famous for helping to grow deep roots.

Linda Hepner, Surrey Mayor - Same as last year, a model Light Rail Transit (LRT) train set for under the old Christmas tree. Unfortunately Santa's reindeer seem to still be having trouble getting this $2.6 billion gift off the ground. As a stocking stuffer, a bottle of "Watts-Away" bug spray should Dianne try to reclaim her throne at City Hall.

Gordon Hogg, MP for SS/WR - I was going to get "Good Ol Gordie" a gold retirement watch to mark his 40 years of public service but then he goes and gets himself elected as the new Liberal MP for South Surrey - White Rock. His gift will be a new office as I doubt Gord will want to stay in the sterile storefront that Dianne Watts has now vacated.

Semiahmoo First Nation Council - For Chief Harley Chappel and Councillors Joanne and Roxanne Charles, a clean Metro Vancouver water connection that ends their boil water advisory in place since 2005. Once again, some gifts are a long, long time coming. Better relations with White Rock would also be good but might have to stay on the wish list.

Andrew Sheer, Conservative Party Leader- For the Conservative's front man who visited this riding twice during the by-election, the last time visiting a potato chip plant near Cloverdale, some dip.

Tim Shields, Former RCMP Spokesperson - This former inspector got his Christmas gift early on Dec. 20 when he was found not guilty of sexual misconduct charges involving a civilian employee in the workplace. For this well known but maligned cop, a shiny new shield to pin to his chest when he rejoins the law enforcement community.

Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada - A vacation to White Rock for J.T. and his family so he can do fun things like touring the new water filtration plant. He might want to actually pay their own travel bill after getting his knuckles rapped by the Ethics Commissioner for visiting the billionaire Aga Kahn's private Island in the Bahamas.

Dianne Watts, former MP for SS/WR - A tropical fish aquarium for the lady who bailed on this riding after realizing she was a small fish in a big pond back in Ottawa. Sorry but Santa can't promise that her leadership bid for the BC Liberal Party will be successful.

Merry Christmas everyone and have a happy New Year planning your safe ride home.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

December December 18, 2017

Desperate Times Call For Desperate Measures

(screen shot of actual attack ad by Conservatives)

It was just over two years ago on October 5, 2015 during the last Canadian federal election campaign that I wrote a TNT column titled "Politics Make Strange Bedfellows". It was published with a picture apparently showing Jihadi John in bed with a cowering Dianne Watts. You can scroll down into the archives to read about how a Conservative party/Dianne Watts election flyer was delivered throughout the South Surrey - White Rock riding threatening "ISIS URGES JIHADISTS TO ATTACK CANADIANS. YOU WILL NOT FEEL SECURE IN YOUR BEDROOMS. WE WILL FIGHT JIHADIST TERRORISTS AT HOME AND ABROAD." I took umbrage with this blatant fear-mongering that was thinly disguised as election propaganda believing it was an attempt to Americanize our politics here in Canada.

With Dianne Watts stepping down as our MP not even halfway through her elected term we were forced into the recent federal by-election that ended with Gordon Hogg and the Liberals taking the seat that had eluded them for decades. It is interesting to note that the last time a Liberal was elected here, we were part of the New Westminster riding and Gordie was only 2 years old. During the very short campaign period leading up to Dec. 11th the mud-slinging was kept to a minimum and I believed that the parties were going to run positive campaigns focusing on the quality of their candidates and the strength of their policies. That was the case until the very final days when a blatant attack ad began to show up on social media that targeted residents of this riding starting on Friday, Dec. 8th and continuing through that weekend, stopping on Monday which was the election day. Unfortunately they are now gone and I cannot find a link to this video but I did manage to grab a few screen shots before they disappeared.

In case you missed it, the Facebook ad featured a slightly off-coloured backdrop of the Liberal government MP's in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill with music sounding like a funeral dirge and the following six frames of bold text:
The Ottawa Liberals voted UNANIMOUSLY against prosecuting ISIS fighters returning to Canada.
They voted UNANIMOUSLY against making the protection and security of Canadians their priority, rather than the reintegration of ISIS fighters.
They voted UNANIMOUSLY against condemning the horrific acts committed by ISIS.
As your MP, Gordie Hogg would be forced to vote the SAME WAY.
In Ottawa, HE'LL HAVE TO FOLLOW ORDERS.
South Surrey-White Rock DESERVES BETTER.
The video ended with the Conservative Logo and "Authorized by the official agent of the Conservative Party of Canada".

Personally I see these types of negative attack ads as being un-Canadian. I have friends across the political spectrum and find parts of each party's platforms intriguing and worthy of discussion and consideration. I also believe that these attack ads do nothing to promote democratic values or to encourage citizens to become involved in the political process or to bother to vote. While I realize that by-elections do not usually attract the same number of voters as a General election, only 30,383 people out of a total of 79,359 eligible voters here cast their ballot, or a dismal 38.3%. In the end the Liberal Hogg beat our the Conservative Kerry Lynne Findlay by 1,545 votes or 5.1% in what really was a two horse race. You can view the entire results on the Elections Canada website at the following link: http://enr.elections.ca/ElectoralDistricts.aspx?ed=1703&lang=e

This is the second time in only two years that negative attack ads have been used by the Conservatives to help scare up some votes. I was hoping that with Stephan Harper gone and Andrew Sheer at the helm, the Cons would stop stooping to such low brow tactics and instead focus on the positive attributes of their party and its platform. In the end the Liberals got their candidate elected because of his name recognition and deep community roots, the Conservatives decision to use a parachuted candidate, plus the riding being under-represented by years of lame-duck Conservative MPs. Having the Liberal party leader Prime Minister Justin Trudeau twice roll into town during the campaign with his rock-star persona certainly did not hurt their campaign. Depending on how the federal Liberals and our new MP Gordie Hogg conduct their affairs during the next 22 months, we will find out on October 21, 2019 which is the next fixed election date if this formerly Conservative riding continues its new love affair with the Liberals.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

December 11, 2017


TODAY, Monday, Dec. 11th is the FEDERAL BY-ELECTION for South Surrey - White Rock.
This is your opportunity to select our Member of Parliament to represent us in Ottawa.
GET OUT AND VOTE for the best candidate - Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. PST

 

Injustice System

 

I felt like a big weight came off my shoulders on Friday afternoon when the Crown Council from New Westminster phoned to let me know that my appointment with them on Monday had been cancelled and the court case I was to be involved with on Dec. 17 had been settled. This case revolved around a drunk driver who narrowly missed me speeding through a traffic circle, crashed his car and then sped off through Delta, New West and finally Burnaby before New West Police converged on us and arrested the driver of the Volkswagon TDI that was obviously impaired. As to what kind of sentence he receives for driving drunk and endangering my life, this remains to be seen but I dont expect much of a sentence or deterrent.

Elsewhere in BC, the impact of a Judicial system in turmoil became clear over the past few weeks with verdict after verdict punishing families and survivors while those charged with a variety or violent offenses got a slap on the wrist or charges dropped. By far the worst case had to be notorious gangster Jamie Bacon having his first degree murder and conspiracy charges dropped in the Surrey Six Massacre case on Dec. 2nd. It really was not a surprise 10 years after the murders and 8 years after charges were filed that this case was dropped like a proverbial hot potato. When you have RCMP having sex with a gangster's girlfriend, evidence being suppressed and years going by, eventually charges are going to be dropped, in this case with the real reasons hidden from the public by Justice Kathleen Ker. Nauseating, disgusting, abhorrent but not unexpected and still a shock to the Mohan and Shellenberg families whose loved-ones were unintended targets of the gang violence. You can read all about it on the following Vancouver Sun link which I would ask you to do. http://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/murder-conspiracy-charges-against-jamie-bacon-in-surrey-six-case Of interest is the second comment from Jordan Guy who claims the following explanation is from a credible source:

What happened was the police used an investigative tactic known as PARALLEL CONSTRUCTION. Basically the cops got a tip that the Bacon's might be involved. Police then illegally wiretapped everyone that the Bacon's spoke to in the last 2 years. Every single number they dialed in the last 2 years was tapped. Friends, Family, Lawyers, GF's. EVERYONE!

They used section 184 of the criminal code, which is to be used for cases involving imminent bodily harm, without the need of a judges approval. That's why they were able to wiretap everyone they spoke to in the past 2 years. This is also known as an emergency wiretap and is only allowed to be used to prevent imminent threat of bodily harm. Such as when someone has been kidnapped and there isn't enough time to get a proper warrant for a wiretap and the police need to get the phone's location information to track down the phone to prevent harm. It can not be used to investigate a murder, after the fact, because there is no active imminent threat of bodily harm.

The law is clear under this section that all recordings must be destroyed if no imminent danger is identified. It can be used in terrorist cases as well. It also states that the recordings, transcripts and all police notes must be destroyed if there is no cause to show that imminent bodily harm is present. There is also no reporting requirement under the emergency wiretap laws to report the use of this type of wiretap to the public. Basically no one will ever know it even happened.

The police used this provision, then used the information they obtained illegally to rebuild the investigative trail so that they could present it to the court to obtain a conviction. They basically hid the fact of how their investigation started and evolved then lied to the court using confidential informants as the source of the information. The problem was that there was some information that the confidential informants could not have possibly known. That's when the whole case fell apart.

The reason they want to keep it all a secret is to prevent the public from finding out that the police acted illegally, wiretapped without warrants, used Stingray devices near the suspects homes and recorded all calls/sms from all cellphones within a 5km radius of their homes. They needed the Stingrays because the Bacon's had many prepaid cellphones (burners) not registered to their name.

Use of Stingrays on the general public along with wiretapping random numbers without warrants is the main reasons for the Stay of Proceedings. Police violated not only the suspects Charter of Rights to Privacy but the whole general public that lived near the Bacons or had ever been called by one of them. Lawyers, Doctors, car dealerships, everyone they ever dialed all had their phones tapped.

Expect the other 2 convicted to be winning their appeals real soon...

The way to avoid police wiretaps and Stingray devices is to install and ONLY use the Signal app by Open Whisper Systems. It lets you send text messages fully encrypted and make VOIP calls fully encrypted. Bacons and other crews have switched, so should everyone else!

I would also like to point out that Jamie Bacon's long-time girlfriend Madison Zoe Finn reportedly died of an accidental drug overdose in a Richmond hotel room a day before the court proceedings that quashed charges against Mr Bacon. You can read the rather sensational details at: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/jamie-bacon-girlfriend-death-madison-zoe-fine-1.4440074 It should be noted that she was a convicted drug trafficker who had been charged in 2012/2013 and sentenced to a year in jail. In 2014 she was arrested and charged with trafficking heroin and was still involved in ongoing charges relating to resisting arrest and impaired driving.

Only days before that on Nov. 30, Kelly Ellard who killed 14 year old Reena Virk in a savage swarming incident two decades ago where she was beaten and drowned by a bridge in Victoria, was granted conditional approval for day parole. You can read the details about this case at https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2017/11/30/kelly-ellard-who-killed-bc-teen-reena-virk-in-1997-to-ask-for-day-parole.html Having a baby conceived during conjugal visits with her boyfriend who is also is prison likely helped in her receive six months of day parole with a requirement to complete a residential treatment program for substance abuse during that time. Yet another killer allowed to walk free among us while the victim's family still mourns the death of their teenage daughter at the hands of a bunch of monster.

In Smithers Supreme Court on Nov 27th, Burns lake resident Albert Giesbrecht was who was charged with 1st degree murder of Raymond George Bishop in May, was granted bail with his release likely today on Dec. 11th. Besides adhering to 22 conditions, he had two people put up $75,000 for his release. Details on yet another sordid travesty of justice that can be found at https://www.columbiavalleypioneer.com/news/b-c-man-charged-with-first-degree-murder-to-be-released-on-bail/ You have to ask yourself if the community would have been better served by keeping this man in jail until his first degree murder trial began. Once again, the words shock and outraged are used by the public to describe yet another questionable judicial decision in our province.

It really goes on and on ad naseam. In Vancouver last week the long-suffering family of Luka Gordic heard that their sons killer Arvin Golic was sentenced to only seven years in jail for stabbing their son during a swarming in Whistler in 2015. His Mom fingered the accused before being ushered from the courthouse by bailiffs. Around the same time, the family of Amandeep Bath of Surrey who was fatally shot in 2004, were outraged that the man convicted of killing him was applying for supervised leave from prison just six months into his six-year prison sentence. Two days later the family of Bradley Dean, a cyclist who was killed in a crash involving a car in Richmond in 2016 were upset to learn the accused was only being charged with a motor vehicle offense, not criminal charges for driving involving his death.

All of these decisions are only more ammunition to the group behind the Facebook page BC Judges....stop The Revolving Door at https://www.facebook.com/groups/711380482361202/ You may have seen one of the thousands of vehicles proudly sporting their stickers with slogans such as BC Judges, Our Strongest and Weakest Link, Your Silence Lets It Happen, along with If Youre Not Outraged, Youre Not Paying Attention. This ad-hoc group that has a semi-trailer westbound on Hwy 1 just before the 264 St. exit adorned with their slogans is bringing attention to light sentencing and attempts to have judges elected in this province. If light sentences, early parole or dropped charges are eroding your faith in our legal system then join them to add your voice to those who believe there is no justice here in BC.

Naturally yours
Don Pitcairn

 

 

December 04, 2017

Advance Warning

 

Today marks the last day to take advantage of advance voting should you not be in town on Monday Dec. 11th or want to avoid long lines at your local polling station on the day of the General Election. If this sounds like an appealing idea, you may want to consider how far of a drive or transit trip it might be to make your mark in advance.

The South Surrey - White Rock federal election riding basically encompasses all of the area south of #10 Hwy, west of 192 St. and north of the 49th parallel. There are approximately 20,000 folks living in the City By The Sea and close to 70,000 living in south Surrey. With the shear size of the riding you would expect the advance polling stations to be spread far and wide to make it easier for people to vote early should they decide to do so. Unfortunately this is not the case.

Elections Canada does not even list the four advance polling locations on their website, you have to find yours by inputting a postal code. I'll save you the fun of searching out various postal codes from this riding an tell you that the locations are as follows:
White Rock Community Centre, 15154 Russel Ave., White Rock
Elks Hall, 1469 George St., White Rock
Star of the Sea Centre, 15262 Pacific Ave., White Rock
Seaview Assembly, 14633 16 Ave., South Surrey
Now I realize that many folks living in White Rock don't get around as easily as they used to but a 0.9 km walk or a three minute drive from the Star of the Sea to the Elks Hall doesn't really make much sense. Even worse, from the Elks Hall to the WR Community Centre is only 0.3 km, or 0.16 km as the crow flies, which even for a crow is a very short flight. Its not even far enough to even work up a thirst, which is a shame with the White Rock Beach Beer across the street from the poll. The only location in Surrey is on the Surrey border across from White Rock's Centennial Park. Once again, not exactly long distance at a mere 1.4 km or a leisurely 4 minute drive from the closest advance polling station in White Rock.

On election day, our local Legion that is stumbling distance away (trust me on this distance calculation) will be where we go to vote but the Seaview Assembly is our advance polling location at 6.2 km or a 9 minute drive. The only advance poll for this huge swath of south Surrey is not centrally located but instead on the very southern edge of town. It is amazing that Elections Canada did not secure a location west of Hwy 99 in the rapidly growing Grandview Heights area where rows of townhouses are being built as fast as Surrey First can rubber stamp these projects. I would imagine that Southridge School if it was available would have made a great location for people now living in this area. Hopefully for the General Election in a couple of year's time, this central location in suburbia can be booked in advance.

If you happen to reside in the Panorama Ridge region, you are basically out of luck when it comes to advance polls. It is approximately 16 km and an 18 minute drive by car, likely an hour each way if you wanted to hop on a bus. Even worse is the area of south Cloverdale that is part of our riding which is also 16 km away but a 24 minute drive. You would have to have an awfully good reason to spend this much time driving in order to attempt to visit an advance poll from either of these regions. At least the country folks in the eastern end of south Surrey have it easy as the Elections Canada office happens to be located at 19028 27 Ave. and they are open from 9 a.m. till 9 p.m., 7 days a week. I will warn you that the advance polls at the office location have a deadline of 6 p.m. Eastern Time on Tuesday, Dec. 5 but that does give you an extra day to vote early.

The returning officer for Elections Canada, Mrs. Mary Wright had this say about the advance polls are being located in and around a small portion of White Rock: "We are certainly aware of how many of our electors live in the northern part of the riding. We tried to find a site in this area that was available for all four days of advanced voting. Unfortunately, none of them was available for all the days. Many of the sites we considered were already booked for Christmas activities on the weekend." Hopefully in the future they will be able to book areas that are more accessible to the bulk of the constituents and not crowd them into a small geographical area. Having all of the advance polls located in White Rock is a disservice to the constituents of this riding and does not help with encouraging everyone to vote. This is critically important in a by-election where voter compliance rates tend to be lower than a Canada wide election.

I should note that if you are travelling outside of the riding or don't want to visit a polling station, you can vote by mail as long as you apply before the Tuesday, Dec. 5th deadline by either calling direct or applying online. For those who cannot get to a polling station due to illness or disability, you can request to vote by special ballot which allows voting at home in the presence of an election officer and a witness. For more information about these alternative voting methods, consult the Elections Canada website at the following link:
http://www.elections.ca/content.aspx?section=ele&dir=2017/59030/vote&document=index&lang=e#advance

Make sure you exercise your democratic right and vote for the candidate of your choice that you believe would best represent us in Ottawa. Keep in mind that regardless of the outcome of the by-election on Dec. 11th, we will be doing this all again in less than two years time no later than Oct. 21, 2019 when the next Federal election is scheduled.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

Movember 27, 2017

 

Sign, sign, everywhere a sign
Blockin' out the scenery, breakin' my mind
Do this, don't do that, can't you read the sign?


Lyrics to "Signs", Five Man Electrical Band, 1970
.

Well It is starting to suddenly look like a Federal by-election in the riding of South Surrey - White Rock with election signs sprouting like mushrooms in the fall rains. While they have been fairly similar over the years, if you look closely you can now see big differences on how the various political parties try to get their message across and candidate's names out into the public domain.

The Conservatives were the first out of the gate for Kerry-Anne Findlay, putting up their monsterous 4'x8' coreplast signs on heavily staked 2"x 4" frames that have now become a regular sight in elections in Surrey. There are no controls over the size of election signs or how many can be put onto public land so "bigger is better" and "the more the merrier" appear to have become campaign slogans. The issue I have with these signs is that they are basically a large sail ready to take flight and with wind storms common this time of year, they can easily get blown out of the saturated ground leaving the frames twisted and broken with screws and nails sticking out like quills on a porcupine. To make matters worse, one big sign is now no longer enough with several now being erected together, forming a sign 4'x16' or even 4'x24' billboard. There is three-sided Conservative party sign at the corner of 148 St. and 20 Ave. in south Surrey that if a roof was installed might make for a good homeless shelter. Kudos must be given to the Conservatives who have obviously stored many of their sign frames from the last election as if you look under multiple layers of coreplast still attached to the frames you will find older election signs for Dianne Watts and Russ Hiebert.

The NDP with their candidate Jonathan Silveira are trying to keep up with the Joneses, posting some of the bulky 4x8s themselves, using plenty of lumber to try and keep them from getting destroyed by wind or from idiot vandals. Their 4'x4" signs are similarly framed as they were in the past but now instead of using 2x4s everywhere, much lighter materials including boards cut into two, plus 1x2s and small stakes to hold it down. My guess is that somebody found out how hard it is to pound a 2x4 stake into the ground, especially on roadside boulevards that frequently are beds of crushed stone. Limiting the size of the wood being used also helps to reduce costs and make for easier storage, rather than buying new wood for each election and scrapping it once the vote has been taken. Considering the NDP's fairly low voter results in this riding going back many years I must say that I am surprised by the number of election signs they have posted, with most in excellent high visibility locations. The belief is that with Dianne Watts abandoning this riding that it is up for grabs and it might be a close affair on election day. While many believe that it will be a two-horse race, the NDP are definitely hoping for a 3-way split, apparently energized by the BC NDP taking power from the BC Liberals with help from the upstart Greens.

The Liberals in this riding have taken a very different strategy with their election signs from those used in previous years. Gone are the huge plastic signs and massive 2x4 wood frames of yesteryear. Their new look signs measuring only 48" wide by 32" tall feature a full-colour digital print of their candidate Gordie Hogg standing next to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. This is the first time that I can remember a political party having the picture of their candidate plus their leader on the same election sign. Obviously the Liberals believe they can take great strides by piggy-backing onto the public fascination with the young photogenic Trudeau. Judging by the big crowd that turned out at 5 Corners when the P.M. was in town, I'd say they might be onto something with this new look that uses much less plastic sheeting making it less susceptible to wind blow down. The frames have also undergone a radical transformation, with only two 2x3s being used to create the upside down L frame similar to the one that has been utilized for decades by real estate agents almost everywhere. If the Liberals are successful in getting Mr. Hogg elected, don't be surprised if their signage is copied by other parties in the next election scheduled for two years from now.

To date there are no election signs posted for the four other candidates running in this riding; Larry Colero of the Green Party of Canada, Michael Huenefeld of the Progressive Canadian Party, Rod Taylor of the Christian Heritage Party of Canada and Donald Wilson of the Libertarian Party of Canada. With only 4 days until the Advance Polls and a mere two weeks till the General Election Day, I would be surprised to see much more election signage hit the streets here. I know that Larry Colero is not a fan of election signs believing there are much less wasteful ways of getting his message across. Having worked on various election campaigns in the past, I must admit that not putting out election signs would save a lot of money, time and energy while eliminating a lot of waste. Driving through Surrey the other night, I found myself wondering why nobody had ever purchased bus shelter ads as they are protected, lit up at night and easy to read. Could this concept be the future of political signage in these parts? Its hard to say but I believe that all political parties need to evaluate the way they do election signage and get rid of giant billboards and boulevard sign carpet bombing that is such an eyesore.

On a final note about election signs, Section 325 of the Canada Elections Act states "No person shall prevent or impair the transmission to the public of an election advertising message without the consent of a person with authority to authorize its transmission". This does not apply to "the prevention or impairment, by a public authority, of an unlawful transmission if reasonable notice has first been given to the person who authorized the transmission; or the removal by an employee of a public authority of a sign, poster or banner where the posting of it is a hazard to public safety". For those people who think it helps their political party's chances or kids out at night pulling a prank, everyone needs to know it is a federal offense to tamper with election signs. Generally anyone who damages a sign could potentially look at a criminal charge of mischief, which is damaging property that is not your own. As much as I'm not a fan of election signage, I consider it an attack on democracy to vandalize or steal political signs. If you want one so badly, simply call the party office of your choice and they will gladly install one on your front lawn for free.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

The Naked Truth - November 20, 2017

White Rock Star

Sleepy little White Rock and quiet south Surrey certainly got shaken out of their doldrums last week with political heavyweights rolling into town as a prelude to the upcoming federal by-election. Without a doubt, the arrival of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in White Rock to give his support to Liberal candidate Gordie Hogg was nothing short of having a rock star show up with hordes of screaming fans; somewhere between Beetlemania and Trudeaumania from yesteryear. The Semi-pen's by-election even got the attention of the Province's political writer Michael Smyth in his Victoria's Secrets column this Sunday titled "Trudeau's Liberals aim to steal Surrey seat away from Tories" that you can read at: http://theprovince.com/news/bc-politics/mike-smyth-trudeaus-liberals-look-to-steal-surrey-seat-away-from-tories

While it was only announced the night before, word spread quickly that the PM would be dropping by to visit the 5 Corners region, with people already crowding into the area around noon to get a spot to see J.T. His motorcade with RCMP security detail first drove up Buena Vista Ave. at 1:45 p.m. stopping in front of White Rock City Hall where Trudeau exited a blackened Escalade without a blazer and with his sleeves already rolled up as he is known to do when pressing the flesh. Justin shook hands with Gordie Hogg and was welcomed by Semiahmoo First Nation Chief Harley Chappell and White Rock Councillor Dave Chesney. After introductions and pleasantries, it was photo-op time along Buena Vista for everyone before the Prime Minister and his entourage headed down the street to his waiting fans. Strangely absent from the scene was White Rock's Mayor Wayne Baldwin and the rest of Council even with Canada's leader showing up at their doorstep.

Laura's Coffee Corner was the first stop for the Justin Trudeau as he worked his way through the crowd estimated at over 1,000 strong, shaking hands, fist pumping, holding babies and having people take selfie after selfie of themselves with the Prime Minister. It was if everyone wanted to meet the man personally, take a photo to mark the occasion and be part of the high-energy atmosphere. For whatever reason, when J.T. shows up it is like a rock star walks into the room, with the only things missing being the mosh pit, crowd surfing and the mains of speakers. After getting to meet with the staff of Laura's, the PM worked his way down Pacific Ave to Five Corners Cafe where he was graciously welcomed by the Honeywells. I'm sure it won't be long till pictures of their meeting with the Prime Minister and Gordie Hogg are added to their wall of fame. It was not a total love-in as several activists were on hand to keep it real and remind the junior Trudeau of his father's promise back in 1972 to have the BNSF railway relocated from the waterfront.

Dianne Watts may have abruptly folded her tent and abandoned the constituents in south Surrey - White Rock but the Conservatives are still hoping to hold on to the seat that she narrowly won the last general election. Amazingly on the same day that the Prime Minister was in White Rock, the new Tory leader Andrew Sheer was in south Surrey at the Pacific Inn to lend his support to their high-profile Conservative candidate, former MP for Richmond - Delta East and Cabinet Minister Kerry-Lynne Findlay. While not the high-octane reception the PM enjoyed at 5 Corners, there were 250-300 people at this event held for volunteers and supporters helping with the by-election machinations. With the Liberals pushing ahead with marijuana legalization, opponents were also on hand to deliver a 9,000 signature petition to the Conservative leader opposing the end to pot prohibition.

In case you missed it, Tom Saunders provided the following piece which was posted earlier last week in the WR Sun that I thought should be added here for prosperity because of its historical content. That's now six Prime Ministerial visits and counting for the City By The Sea.


Did you know that half of all Prime Ministers visiting White Rock have gravitated to Five Corners? John Diefenbaker spoke at the Star of the Sea Hall, Pierre Trudeau opened French Immersion at White Rock Elementary, and today Justin Trudeau visited Laura's Coffee Corner and Five Corners Cafe. The rest, of course, visited the beach - Brian Mulroney came in on a hovercraft for a sandcastle competition, Kim Campbell ate at Charlie Don't Surf, and Jean Chretien visited the White Rock Museum & Archives.

With the close of nominations for candidates in the S. Surrey-White Rock Federal by-election on Monday, November 20, the ballot is suddenly getting rather full.
Here is the full list of six candidates who have been confirmed as of Sunday night.
Larry Colero, Green Party of Canada
Kerry-Lynne Findlay, Conservative Party of Canada
Gordie Hogg, Liberal Party of Canada
Michael Huenefeld, Progressive Canadian Party
Jonathan Silveira, New Democratic Party
Donald Wilson, Libertarian Party of Canada

Unfortunately by-elections are often taken for granted with many of the electorate not bothering to exercise their democratic right to vote. In my opinion it has been a very long time since we have proper representation in the House of Commons or an MP that actually listened to their constituents. I believe that in this election we have a chance to change that and send someone to Ottawa that will be our voice on in Parliament. The Liberals won a record 17 seats in BC in the last election and want to break that with 18, sweeping all Surrey ridings. The Conservatives want to hold onto their formerly safe seat that may now be up for grabs. There are six candidates so do your research , get to know them and make an informed decision. No matter who you endorse, it is vitally important that you GET OUT TO VOTE! Advance polls are Dec. 1-4 and voting day is Mon., Dec. 11th. I expect this election will be very close so make sure to make you mark and pick your Member of Parliament.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

November 14, 2017

A Time to Remember

 

Living a stone's throw from the #240 Crescent Beach Legion, this is where I've gone in the past on Remembrance Day to pay my respects, honour those who have served our country and be part of the rather sombre festivities on November 11th. While my parents never served during times of war, they are both veterans of the Canadian Air Force, my Mom as a nurse and my father as a pilot. I've had plenty of exposure to the military over the years, joining the New Westminster Regiment and BC Regiment (Duke of Connaught's Own) as a cadet and being a member of the Seaforth Highlanders shooting team. On various military ranges I have met and competed against Regular Force and Reserve Force personnel from across Canada, getting to know them well and hear their stories about serving our country. The most recent stories from Iraq involving Canadian sniper teams fighting against ISIS insurgents were both inspiring and terrifying at the same time, with gruesome details from a senior officer that I will not repeat here. While I admire their dedication and service to our country, I must admit it is a hell of a dangerous way to make a living.

My friend and Carpadia Series author Mike Markevitch faithfully attends the White Rock Remembrance Day celebrations on a yearly basis, wearing his father's military medals and a navy beret to honour his Dad who passed away many years ago on Nov. 10th. Volunteering for Navy duty with three of his brothers in WW2, Mike's father spent five years aboard the Gatineau that was an escort ship for the many convoys heading across the Atlantic Ocean. Besides protecting the freighters, their job was to hunt and destroy German U-boats using depth charges. I decided to take Mike up on his offer to come join him at his regular position directly in front of the White Rock Cenotaph. If you have never spent Remembrance Day there before, make sure you mark it on your calendar for next year. The ceremony began with a window rattling fly-over by four Harvard aircraft in diamond formation. The 907 Black Knight Air Cadet Squadron was in attendance in numbers, featuring their marching band and honour guard. The Surrey Fire Department Pipes and Drums were also there to add their bagpipes to the spectacle, along with plenty of other emergency responders. White Rock's Mark Donnelly (aka Mr. O' Canada) gave a very stirring version of O' Canada that everyone in the large crowd sang along to. A lone replica Sopwith Pup from the Canadian Museum of flight in Langley slowly circled above City Hall as speeches were made and wreaths were laid. Fortunately the rain held off until the ceremony was almost over.

While there were plenty of other Remembrance Day celebrations being held across the Lower Mainland on Saturday, up in Guildford on the #1 Freeway, Nov 11th took on a new meaning with work being done a few weeks ago to preserve the history of "Charlie's Tree." As previously posted in the WR Sun, here is a short history:
The memorial was created by Charlie Perkins, a World War I veteran flight instructor who was the only returnee of his friends from The Great War. He planted ivy at the tree in a grove where he and his friends would spend their days as youngsters, as a way to honour them forever. When construction of Highway 1 in 1960 threatened to travel right in the path of his tree, Charlie stood his ground, resulting in that curve in the highway to preserve the reminder of his beloved friends.
The tree took on an even greater significance, as a reminder for those who fought for the freedoms that Canadians exercise each and every day. Over the years, Charlie’s Tree endured a lot: it was set a blaze and topped, but just like Charlie, the tree persevered and the memorial lived on and visitors decorated it with flags and flowers. In the summer of 2016 the tall stump that was left of Charlie’s Tree fell onto Hwy 1 blocking several of the east bound lanes.

The Friends of Old Canada Society, a volunteer not-for-profit group that helps to promote and preserve smaller Canadian history decided that Charlie's Tree memorial needed something more permanent than a rotten stump. In behind the Art Knapps store on the King George Blvd. in south Surrey, Ves Vukovic of the monument company Stonemarks (stonemarks.com) put his talents as a master stonemason to work, building a new granite memorial dedicated to Charlie Perkins and his now fallen Fir tree. Working with several of the Vanderzalm family and other members of the Friends, they cleaned up the area around the old stump, created a new gravel and concrete base and positioned the large inscribed granite slab to have it ready for this year's Remembrance Day celebrations. To top it off, a Douglas Fir tree was also planted in the same spot as the original, with care to cut back the invasive English Ivy that had likely hastened the demise of the first tree. Written in stone in both English and French, here is the inscription on the rock: "CHARLIE'S TREE - The ivy planted at the base of a giant Douglas Fir on this site was a memorial to North American WW1 Royal Flying Corps pilots. The pilots were trained in Canada and the United States by lifetime British Columbian Charlie Perkins, the man behind the memorial. Circa 1918".

Next year will be the 100th anniversary of Charlie's Tree and thanks to the Friends of Old Canada, it is likely this new memorial will be around for centuries to come. As the years go by since the Great Wars and the survivors of these conflicts slowly dwindle in numbers, it is important to remember their sacrifices and their place in history, lest we forget.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

 

 

November 06, 2017

 

Mark Your Calendars - Dec. 11 is Voting Day

 

It really is amazing how the dominoes tumbled to lead us to the political crossroads I witnessed on Sunday. First the BC Liberals run a lackluster campaign, losing their majority in the Legislature allowing the NDP and Greens to grab the reins of power in Victoria. Feeling the sharp tips of the many knives pointed squarely at her back, Premier Christy Clark resigns as the leader of the Party, initiating a leadership race for the BC Liberals. To the surprise of many, Conservative MP Dianne Watts resigns two years into her stint as the south Surrey-White Rock MP to run for leader of the BC Liberal Party, triggering a Federal by-election here. On Sunday it was made official at a Liberal Party of Canada meeting held at the White Rock Community Centre where Gordon Hogg presented himself to the gathered throng as their Federal Liberal candidate. In case you were wondering, it is only four days shy of six months since Mr. Hogg retired as the BC Liberal MLA for south Surrey-White Rock after two decades of serving as our MLA.

To top all of this off, it was announced that morning by Election's Canada that the by-election will be held on Monday, Dec. 11, 2017, a mere 36 days from now. By comparison, the 2015 election was the longest in Canadian history, an epic 76 days. If you remember, during the last Federal election in 2015 it was pro-pot statements previously posted on Facebook that caused the then Liberal candidate Joy Davies to resign only 39 days before the election. Her signs were hastily taken down while the Liberal Party brass looked for another candidate to take on the Conservative's all-star candidate, former Surrey Mayor Dianne Watts. Into the breach stepped the well-known if not often elected Judy Higginbotham whose hot-off-the-press election signs hit the streets only weeks before the Oct. 19 election. Even with being saddled with such a late campaign start, Higgy almost pulled off the upset for the Liberals, coming up only 1,500 votes short behind Watts who won by only 3% of the vote.

The meeting of Liberal minds on Sunday was a who's who of Semi-Pen politicos. Newly elected South Surrey White Rock MLA Tracey Reddies of the BC Liberals was there along with Federal Liberal MP Randeep Sarai from the Surrey Central riding. Former MLA and WR Councillor Ken Jones was on hand to welcome the other present White Rock councillors Helen fathers, Dave Chesney, Lynne Sinclair and Grant Meyer. The Semiahmoo First Nation were present with newly elected Chief Harley Chappell and Councillor Joanne Charles singing a welcome song written by Grand Chief Bernard Charles. For all of the recent issues that SFN has had with the City of White Rock, I must say that Chief Chappell was the most eloquent and articulate speaker of the day, asking everyone to "support our brother, our elder, our friend" Gordon Hogg. He had the crowd laughing when he equated his speech to talking to the groom at the wedding saying "Are you sure Gordie? There's still time to run!" Former White Rock Sun editor Vin Voyne, when commiserating about his long family history with the Hoggs had this to say about Gordon Hogg's recent Doctorate degree, "Should we call you Dr. Hogg the 2nd, Dr. Hogg Junior, or young Doctor Hogg?"

The Conservatives, New Democrats and BC Greens have yet to announce their candidates but whoever takes on Mr. Hogg are certainly in for a Bambi vs. Godzilla battle. I had the pleasure of running against Gordie in a Provincial election and know first hand what a class act and a fine man he really is. With his decades of public service and name recognition, it will be very tough to beat Gordon at the ballot box likely giving the Federal Liberals a clean sweep of all of the Surrey ridings The Conservatives could conjure up the spirit of John A. MacDonald, the NDP the dearly departed Jack Layton and I still think they would not have a ghost of a chance. Imagine what will happen if JT happens to pop into the riding in the next month to help Mr. Hogg with his campaigning? In case you missed the reference, that's what Liberal insiders call Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. I learned this weekend that it was the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) that first inquired if Gordon Hogg was interested in joining the government in Ottawa when he was on Parliament Hill recently for World Health Organization discussions.

If and when Gordon Hogg becomes the next MP for South Surrey - White Rock there is one thing you can count on. After years and years of being underrepresented and all but ignored by our Members of Parliament, we will finally have someone in Ottawa who'll actually look after their constituents. As much as it pissed me off that Mrs. Watts would bail out of her duty to voters only two years into her mandate, it will be worth it if we can bring in someone with morals, integrity and a spirit of consensus and consultation. The person who should be cheering on Gordie's campaign the loudest must be Wayne Baldwin who likely heard the rumours of Mr. Hogg considering running for Mayor of White Rock next year. The person who should be campaigning for Watts to win the BC Liberal's leadership fight should be Surrey's Mayor Linda Hepner, since if Dianne fails in that quest, it would not surprise me to see the Queen of Surrey try to retake her marbled office at City Hall in civic elections in 2018.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

October 30, 2017


My Gift To You - Beware Of Pyramid Schemes!

I may be old fashioned but I believe the best way to earn money is to work for it. Imagine my surprise when I recently was told by friends that I could earn $40,000 tax free in a short period of time on an initial investment of only $5,000. Welcome to the "Gifting Circle", aka the "Birthday Circle", "Woman's Wisdom Circle" or "Birthday Girl" that first appeared several years ago in Calgary then in Fort MacMurray, Coquitlam, Abbotsford and is now in south Surrey and White Rock. Don't let the "Circle" name fool you as the only thing circular about it is the run around you will get when you lose your money. It doesn't matter what name they call it; it's a classic pyramid scheme that is illegal here in Canada and the US.

Let me explain how this scam works. There are 15 members placed into four levels; 1, 2, 4, and 8. Each member of the bottom 8 pays $5000 to enter as their gift. That money is then gifted to the person in the top position. After the “Birthday Gift” has been paid out to the top person, they exit the top level and may or may now buy back into the new bottom tier of 8 by gifting another $5000. The 2 from the second level now split, becoming the 1 in the top tier of each new group A and group B. The original 4 in the third level become 2 in group A and 2 in group B. The original 8 move up to the 4 positions in the third level and they must now recruit 8 new low level members for each group A and group B (16 in total) to keep the money coming to give as the next “Birthday Gift”.

As you can imagine, this scheme requires an ever increasing pool of suckers increasing at a rapid rate until it finally collapses like a stack of cards. While the gifting may allude to coming full circle, when you view the numbers of people laid out in their corresponding levels, ask yourself if you have seen this shape before, most likely near Giza, Egypt?
1
2 2
4 4 4 4
88888888
If you have a few grand to throw around and think this is harmless fun, realize that in the initial four tier pyramid, there is the equivalent of $75,000 in by-in money at all levels. It doesn't take very long before the splitting of the pyramids and increase in players result in a much larger base of people and money involved. If this scheme were to somehow continue to operate for only 20 levels, it would involve over half a million people, 524,288 to be precise, or more people that currently live in all of Surrey. By then the $5,000 by-in cost would have ballooned to a whopping $2.6 billion. Add only six more levels of suckers, the total number of people needed to support those at the top would be 33.5 million, or nearly everyone living in Canada.

A big red flag about the Gifting Circle is that there is no website, no written documents, no contracts, nothing to sign, and no contact information other than the person you know who sucked you into getting involved with this scam. Even more worrisome is that the players all use cute sounding fake names and email addresses with all meetings held in secret locations ensuring that you don't know the true identities of those involved or how many are getting fleeced. Unfortunately the main target of this pyramid scheme is often women, tricked into thinking this is somehow not illegal and how a small gift now will result in a larger gift eventually coming back to them in the near future. The sad part is that they often bring their friends and family members into this con game, not realizing it is likely they will never see their money again.

Its not like I'm the first one to ring alarm bells about this pyramid scheme. The Better Business Bureau or BBB sent out public warnings about Gifting Circles in August of both 2016 and 2017, stating that roughly 12-14% of those involved actually get the promised payout, leaving a high percentage of empty pockets.
https://www.bbb.org/mbc/news-centre/news-releases/2016/08/bbb-warns-of-pyramid-scheme-targeting-women/
https://www.bbb.org/mbc/news-centre/bbb-mbc-blog/2017/08/gifting-circles-still-here-still-a-problem/
The Coquitlam RCMP also had plenty to say about Gifting Circles in June of this year, with its Economic Crime Unit (ECU) investigators hoping to stop this new pyramid scheme.
http://bc.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/ViewPage.action?siteNodeId=2115&languageId=1&contentId=51499
Global TV has reported multiple times on the BBB and RCMP news releases about the Gifting Circles but this is the first time to my knowledge that this pyramid scheme has appeared in south Surrey and White Rock.

If you don't want to be one of the estimated 87% of investors that never see a dime back from a Gifting Circle, then feel free to join. Unfortunately under Canadian Criminal Code 206(E) pyramid schemes are an indictable offence in relation to lotteries and games of chance, with those caught liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years. At the end of the day, the naked truth about gifting circles is is that they'll ruin your finances and friendships. If you have been a victim of a Gifting Circle, don't be embarrassed at being caught up in this scheme and report it to the Surrey RCMP non-emergency reporting line at 604-599-0502. If you read this TNT column and tell two friends about this scam, and they tell two friends, who tell their two friends and so on, it won't take long before everyone living in the Semi-pen knows that Gifting Circles are for losers.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

October 23, 2017

 

Speed Reading at Surrey Schools

As someone who is interested in transportation issues and also a dedicated safety nut, it was refreshing to receive a letter from the City of Surrey's Transportation Division last week informing us about the "Arterial Road School Zone Awareness Pilot Program." While this is a bit of a mouthful, and with the cheeky abbreviation of ARS-ZAPP not really helping much, it's all about improving safety and visibility in school zones and hopefully slowing drivers down. Here is the bulk of the letter that also included a full-colour aerial photo showing the location of the new safety measures planned for our local school.

Dear resident:

This letter is to advise you about a pilot project we will be implementing in the school zone for Crescent Park Elementary School on 24 Avenue and 128 Street in your neighbourhood. As part of our Safe and Active Schools Program, the City of Surrey is committed to improving road safety around schools and, as such attention is being given to speed management on busy roads in 30 km/h school zones.

For this year-long pilot program, the City will be installing and evaluating various speed mitigation measures including amber flashing beacons on school signs, highly visible road marking, and speed reader boards. These measures are being applied on busy arterial roads where traffic calming (speed humps) is not permitted. These additional measures are intended to draw motorists attention to the hours of operation of the school zone and to signal to motorists to slow down to the posted speed.

At Crescent Park Elementary School, on both 24 Avenue and 128 Street, we will be piloting a new type of pavement marking in fluorescent yellow-green that reads "SCHOOL". This will help increase awareness of where the reduced speed limit begins, encouraging motorists to slow down. Additionally we will be installing two speed reader boards, one on 24 Avenue and one on 128 Street. Speed reader boards use radar to measure traffic speeds and provide real-time feedback by displaying the actual speed being traveled, raising awareness and encouraging slower speeds. This initiative is supported by our community partners including ICBC and the Surrey RCMP.

If you have any questions about this pilot project, please contact ken Lee by email at KLee@surrey.ca or by telephone at 604-589-7910. More information about the ARS-ZAPP program can be found on the City of Surrey website at the following link: http://www.surrey.ca/city-services/25059.aspx

The reason for these improvements is that according to ICBC data, an average of 253 children aged 5-18 are injured with 4 being killed in crashes while walking or cycling in the Lower Mainland. Shockingly even with lower speed limits, there are 42 children injured each year in school or playground zones. Besides the speed reading signs, flashing LED lights will be added to school zone signs and programmed to flash at school arrival, lunch and dismissal times when children are more likely to be on the streets. For Crescent Park Elementary, the high-viz pavement markings will be large square of yellow-green paint with the word SCHOOL stretched out to make it easier to see and read for drivers. I spotted the alternative elongated school zone sign newly painted on 184 Street in Cloverdale at Don Christian Elementary last week and stopped to take the picture you see above.

The ARS-ZAPP will be rolled out in two phases with eight Surrey elementary schools being part of this year-long pilot program from fall of 2017 to summer of 2018. During this time, the City will be conducting traffic studies on these schools and surveying the surrounding community to get their feedback on the effectiveness of the improvements. In the fall of 2018, the results from phase 1 will dictate how this program will be expanded to other Surrey school communities. The City of Surrey has invested heavily in safety, completed more than 700 projects from 2000- 2016 totaling $18.5M improving pedestrian crossings, sidewalks and pathways, signage projects, traffic calming and other road safety measures during that time.

A recent BCAA School Zone Safety Survey released in September showed that driving in school zones has gone from "bad to worse" with aggressive driving among parents including honking and swearing jumping almost 30 percent. Over 80 percent of respondents witnessed parents not following rules of the road including not stopping at a marked crosswalk (82%), driving over the speed limit (93%), with distracted driving also still increasing (82% to 86%). If you need an incentive to slow down, consider that if a vehicle traveling at 50 kmh strikes a pedestrian there is only a 20% chance of survival. If the vehicle is traveling at 30 kmh there is a 90% chance of survival. Remember that with our ever shorter days and nasty wet weather it is a 30 kmh speed limit in school zones from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on school days unless otherwise posted. Make sure you slow down, put your phone down, and keep our kids safe.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

October 16, 2017

Duck Feathers & Parrot's Feather

The Serpentine Fen Wildlife Management Area is always easy to view, usually without even stepping out of your vehicle. Its location in south Surrey alongside of King George Boulevard at 44 Ave. make it very easy to take in the various ponds, flocks of ducks and the water levels as you drive by. For years since it was first constructed, the Serpentine Fen has always remained a wetland during the summer months. The past three hot and dry summers have seen a rather startling change with much of the Fen drying out, leaving the remaining waterfowl crowded into dwindling puddles. While most people including myself thought this was simply from a lack of rain water, possibly linked to climate change, that is simply not the case.

Last week I was rather startled to see heavy construction equipment, men with hard hats, large plastic pipe and even a Chevy truck out on one of the small peninsulas in the Fen. I was not the only one who noticed these strange happenings as several people contacted me to ask if I had seen the work being done and if I knew what was happening. I had already stopped and taken a picture of the workmen and followed that up by contacting Ducks Unlimited who manage the Fen along with the Province of BC. While everyone I talked to had concluded the pipes were being installed to help control water levels, it turns out they were not for drainage. Ducks Unlimited are installing new larger signs further back from the KGB and the pipes were used to hold gravel that in turn stabilized the large posts placed in the boggy ground. The new signs should be posted in the coming weeks and expect an official unveiling of them in the near future.

What was interesting about my contact with the management at Ducks Unlimited was I found out that the drying out of the Fen had nothing to do with our unusually dry summers but was being done to help control an invasive species of aquatic plant. Taken from the Invasive Species of BC website (bcinvasives.ca) here is the dirt on what they are trying to eradicate.


Parrot’s feather (Myriophyllum aquaticum) is an aquatic perennial that is currently impacted several areas within BC. This species is known to out-compete and replace native aquatic vegetation with its dense stands. These stands also create pools of stagnant water, leading on an increase in mosquito breeding grounds. Parrot’s feather is currently present in freshwater lakes, ponds, or streams in the Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley regions.
Named for its feather-like bright green foliage, parrot’s feather has both submersed and emergent plant parts. Intertwined mats typically have standing stems over 1.5m in length which are covered in submersed stiff leaves roughly 2-5cm long; limp emergent leaves range from 1.5-3.5cm in length.
Unfortunately, parrot’s feather is a popular aquatic garden species and intentional planting has spread this species into natural water bodies. Generally, all parrot’s feather plants are female and because of this they do not produce seeds; this plant spreads via underground stems, and plant fragments can be dispersed with water, animals, boats, and fishing gear.
Once established, parrot’s feather is a difficult invasive to manage. Due to its submersed and emergent vegetation, herbicides are difficult to effectively implement. Prevention is key with the species; be plantwise and please avoid using parrot’s feather in aquatic gardens or aquariums. Properly clean, drain and dry your boat and fishing gear before leaving an infected site.

Parrot's feather is not the only invasive plant species that finds its way into the Serpentine Fen. Himalayan blackberry loves to grow alongside ditches and disturbed areas where its seeds are spread by songbirds. Yellow flag iris and purple loosetrife are plants used by landscapers for water features that have escaped into wetlands where their ability to product large amounts of seeds has lead to wide distribution. It is not only the plants that are foreign to the Fen, there are plenty of animals that are also present which are not native. If you drive by in the summer you can often see red-eared slider turtles sunning themselves on the floating logs, likely after being released there as former pets. Voracious common carp that are found in many of the tributaries of the Nicomekyl and Serpentine River can access the Fen through water control gates. The American bullfrog is also a problem as a friend of mine who works at the nearby Art Knapps saw one attack a Mallard duck baby and drag it into the depths of a ditch there.

I could not get an answer if the draining of the Fen is a summer condition that will be continued into the future. Apparently it is having the desired effect to decrease the invasive Parrot's feather without mechanical control or herbicide use. I was informed that the yellow flag iris and purple loosestrife are simply pulled out by hand when they are discovered along the Fen's waterways. The heavy rains forecast for this week should start to refill the Fen and soon it will turn back into the wetlands that we are used to. I have to admit that I do like the Fen much better with water in it as it makes for amazing sunsets reflecting off its ponds as I drove home to the Semiahmoo peninsula down King George Blvd. If you have not been there, take the time to walk the Fen's 3.5 Km. trail with elevated viewing platforms allowing you to spot the over 100 birds that stop there during the year. If you take your dog along for a walk, make sure to keep it on a leash so as not to harass the wildlife and clean up after your pet.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

October 10, 2017

 


I just spent the weekend with my father down at the Tri-Cities Shooting Association Rattlesnake range in SE Washington State at a NRA sanctioned long range target rifle match. Being on the east side of the Cascade mountains it is a semi-arid region almost devoid of trees with plenty of grassland, sagebrush and tumbleweed. Because of the range's location on an exposed plateau above the Yakima River, it experiences tremendous winds making long range rifle shooting at 800, 900 and 1,000 yards extremely difficult, conditions that attract some of the top marksmen from across the Pacific Northwest and beyond. With a medium wind warning and blowing dust warning issued from the US Weather Service, we tried to hit a bulls-eye of 20 inches on targets only 6 feet wide in winds that varied from 25-35 MPH with quick angle and directional changes.

With the "Mandalay massacre" in Las Vegas fresh on everybody's minds, the issue of gun control in the US was at the forefront of lots of conversations on the range. In the US, the 2nd Amendment and right to bear arms is enshrined in their constitution. Of course when this document was signed, black-power muskets firing a single shot with a reloading time of roughly a minute were being used. Unfortunately many modern semi-automatic firearms including weapons of war are readily available for sale in the US including large capacity magazines and mechanisms that easily convert them into fully-automatic machine guns. It has been reported that the weapons used on the crowd in Las Vegas were firing 9-11 rounds a second in bursts up to 100 shots at a time. If a person can pass a background check, there is nothing to stop them from assembling a war chest of weapons and a mountain of ammunition. Long-range target rifle shooters use single shot bolt action rifles for extreme accuracy but there were still US shooters we met on the range that refused to consider gun control for rapid-fire high-powered weapons even after the latest mass shooting there.

In Canada after several mass shootings of our own, changes were made to take what I consider "weapons of mass destruction" out of the hands of the public. There are many firearms that formerly were available at your local sporting goods store that are now either restricted or prohibited. This included short barrelled handguns that were easy to conceal and a wide variety of military styled assault weapons. When I first bought an AR-15 for service rifle competitions in the BC Rifle Association, it came with 30 round magazines that could easily be piggy-backed or simply taped together with electrical tape to create the near equivalent of a 90 round magazine. While this may be attractive to a soldier on a battlefield who is fighting for his life, it is useless for any form of accurate shooting or competition. Since that time, magazines for these rifles have been limited to 5 rounds, which did not interfere with service rifle shooting since most of the matches require a compulsory magazine change to add to the degree of difficulty during snap or rapid fire shooting.

For those who are unaware, Canada has licensed the sale and purchase of handguns since 1934. They are heavily regulated, transported to and from approved ranges only and stored under lock and key in secure conditions. Needless to say, most of the handguns that local gangsters are shooting at each other with are purchased or stolen in the US and smuggled into this country. It is no surprise that Surrey, with the largest two land crossings into BC, also has the highest level of gun violence attached to gangs and the control of the illegal drug trade. Unfortunately with the proliferation of handguns in the US, it is unlikely that the flow of illegal weapons across the border will abate any time soon so we can expect targeted gun violence here to continue. For law-abiding citizens, you have to obtain a firearms license, either a PAL, POL, FAC or a minor's license, with the non-restricted long-gun registry being abolished in 2012. For an informative and comprehensive overview of gun laws in Canada, refer to the following Wikipedia link that by coincidence shows at stack of three AR-15 30 round magazines in a stack that have been pinned to only accept 5 rounds each: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun_laws_in_Canada

On Wednesday of last week, the Peace Arch News printed an editorial on their opinion page titled "Weapons logic needs rethink" that you can read at http://www.surreynowleader.com/opinion/editorial-weapons-logic-needs-rethink/. As a long-time competitive shooter who has won awards in various disciplines and competed for Canada at World Championships, I would like to add my voice to those calling on our American neighbours to do a reality check finally take steps to limit access to high-powered weapons that allowed this latest mass-killing of innocents to take place. Having their citizens armed with army weapons designed to kill as many people as quickly and efficiently as possible will only ensure that the US continues to get war on its streets. You should be able to attend a concert, sporting event or any other public gathering without the threat of some madman or terrorist raining bullets down into the crowd.

President Trump, when pressed by reporters on the need for a discussion about gun control after the latest slaughter stated "Perhaps that will come,” but added it was “not for now.” I have to ask if not now, then when? How high does the body count have to go before saner minds demand safety of innocents over the desire of some people to create their own one-man-army? I believe that gun safety needs to be practiced more than just on the range. Banning weapons of war, large capacity magazines, items that can create fully-automatic weapons, plus enacting safe storage and transport requirements need to be instituted in the United States. With the exception of the ill-advised and useless long gun registry here that was later abolished here, I believe that Canada's gun control laws have resulted in a higher degree of public safety here while allowing firearm enthusiasts the freedom to pursue their sport of choice.

Recently Congresswomen and reporters protested on the steps of the Capitol building in Washington, DC for their "right to bare arms", rallying in what was called "sleeveless Friday" against an outdated Congressional dress code. House Speaker Paul Ryan admitted that these rules had not been devised under his term and agreed it needed to be modernized. If the House of Representatives can work together to allow women to be comfortable and stylish in the summer heat, you would hope they could work together to ensure that people across America are free from being gunned down by a psychopath armed with machine guns. If Republicans and Democrats refuse to do anything about this deadly problem, it will unfortunately happen again with the next lunatic no doubt trying to increase the body count in order to put themselves in the history books.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

October 02, 2017

Beautiful, White & Deadly

 

You often don't have to go very far to find a story in your community. As a matter of fact, sometimes all you have to do is open the front door and step outside. This was the case last week when I basically tripped over a story that suddenly appeared in a line across my front boulevard lawn.

The City of Surrey did some sewer upgrades in our Crescent Heights neighbourhood a year ago, digging up the roadway, putting in new pipes and then relandscaping the road allowance in front of the yards on our street. As most landscapers are now using, they put down a mixture of organic compost and sand to use as a base for the grass seed they applied. This type of soil has become an industry standard with the organics coming from the large composing facilities that now recycle the food and yard waste that goes out in the green bins. While it works great as a growing medium, the high humus content and incomplete composing of the wood waste often results in mushrooms appearing not long after the soil is first put down.

That was the case with our front lawn but the mushrooms that suddenly appeared were hard to ignore. While there is a wide variety of mushrooms in the Pacific Northwest, coming in all sizes, shapes and colours, it is hard to not notice the Destroying Angel. It comes out of the ground, often alone or in small scattered groups, shining a bright clean white against green lawns or brown earth. When they first emerge and have not yet opened, they look like regular white button mushrooms that you can buy at any grocery store. As far as wild fungus goes, they closely resemble the white puffballs that grow in lawns and are edible. When the Destroying Angel has completely unfurled it is strikingly beautiful and easy to spot. The ones in my grass were not the first ones that I have seen this fall, with all of the others also growing out of newly landscaped lawns that were installed with fresh composted soil. As you should have guessed from the dangerous sounding name, they are deadly poisonous.

The Destroying Angel (Amanita Virosa) is part of the Amanita family of mushrooms that also includes the Death Cap (Amanita Phalloides), which also grows in this region. I have an Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Mushrooms with superb pictures and detailed scientific descriptions that allows me to identify any mushroom or fungus that I come across in my travels. Their description of this mushroom is as follows: White mushroom with flaring to ragged ring on stalk, large sac-like cup about the base. Cap 2-5" wide, convex to flat with central swelling or nearly flat: margin smooth; tacky when wet, smooth, dull to shiny white, may discolour at centre of cap with age. Gills: free or attached, close, narrow to moderately broad, white. Stalk 3-8" long, 1/4-3/4" thick, sometimes enlarging downward to basal bulb: cottony to somewhat shaggy, white, with ring and sheathing cup. Veils: universal veil white: leaving large, membranous, persistent sac-like cup with free limb. Partial veil membranous, white: leaving large pendant, often torn ring on upper stock. Spores: 7-10 microns, nearly round to round, smooth, colourless. Spore print white. While descriptions such as this may not mean much to the layman, to the amateur mycologist they can literally be the difference between life and death.

Symptoms of poisoning by the Destroying Angel are similar to the Death Cap with vomiting, diarrhea cramps and convulsions, followed by kidney and liver disfunction that can result in the need for organ transplant or cause death. The chemical in these mushrooms responsible for the poisoning is amatoxin which inhibits RNA polymerase 2 and 3 in the body, enzymes that are essential for life and cell division. Symptoms do not appear for 4 - 24 hours after ingestion during which time the amatoxin may have already been absorbed and damage to the kidneys and liver becomes irreversible. It has been estimated that as little as half a mushroom cap from the Destroying Angel can be fatal if the victim of the poisoning is not treated quickly. For those who survive accidentally ingesting this mushroom, kidney dialysis and liver transplant are often the usual outcome if they actually survive. For a first hand account of the medical issues involved, read this article in the Cornell University Mushroom Blog titled "I survived the Destroying Angel" where the man who lived relates how the two other people who ended up in the same hospital that year both died. https://blog.mycology.cornell.edu/2006/11/22/i-survived-the-destroying-angel/

To keep the spores from spreading, I picked all of these mushrooms, put them into a sealed plastic bag and placed them into our garbage can. Needless to say I made sure to wash my hands very well after handling them. It is always good to be able to identify poisonous Amanita mushrooms and remove them to help reduce the chance of an accidental poisoning. For those people who want to harvest wild mushrooms for consumption, make sure you educate yourself by taking a course on the subject, become familiar with using wild mushroom field guides, or join a mycologist group such as the Vancouver Mycological Society (http://www.vanmyco.com/). I simply find it interesting to see the wide variety of fungus that grows here and to be able to identify and read about the more bizarre and colourful ones that I find along the way. While I am able to identify many "choice edibles" I find in the wild, I'll stick with Shiitake or Portobello mushrooms that I pick up at the store.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

 

September 25, 2017

Its been a busy weekend here with three shootings in Surrey including two in the Semi-pen, so I thought I'd do a little drive-by of my own with three mini-TNT's coming at you in rat-a-tat-tat-tat succession.

Bailey Bridge Blockade

On Tuesday last week I was heading northbound out of the Semiahmoo peninsula on the KGB when I found the old Bailey Bridge over the Nickomekyl River blocked by two Mainroad Group trucks with flashing lights and arrows activated. Later that day I drove home via the same route and saw the bridge heavily coned off with large traffic barrels plus barricades stationed at either end of the bridge blocking vehicle access. Putting on my hard hat, reflective vest and steel toe boots, I decided to go for a look to see what was going on with this temporary bridge that has been in place for decades.

I always wondered about the safety of this bridge since driving over it resembles being on the old wooden PNE Playground roller-coaster. The experience is no uncannily similar in both feel and sound that I almost want to throw my hands up in the air and scream when I drive across it. What I saw underneath the roadway was so disturbing that I vow to never drive across this relic again. The abutment on the south side looked to be held in place with a Jenga set featuring chunks of timbers, pieces of dimensional lumber and pieces of plywood. The metal supports were showing signs of corrosion and fatigue with creosoted posts along the shoulders of the bridge being so rotten that I would stick my entire foot inside one.

It took a couple of days after my email inquiries to the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure about the state of repairs for signs to finally go up on the bridge and a public announcement made about the closure. It turns out bridge inspectors were doing an annual safety inspection when they noticed components that needed repairs and they closed the bridge as a precaution until an assessment could be done by structural engineers. On Saturday, Mainroad crews were on site in force, welding the steel framework and hopefully doing something about the rot. The bridge opened on Sunday with a load restriction of 10,000 kg., eliminating large trucks and transit buses from using this crossing. Until it is finally replaced, I will use the double lane bridge next door that I now call the WW2 bridge since I found the date imprinted in the concrete showing it was built way back in 1939.

Naturally Yours

Don Pitcairn

 

Update October 12, 2017


Hi Don,Just making sure that you have received our updated information bulletin on the Bailey bridge?
If not, here is a copy. This is also posted on our Transportation & Infrastructure website too.

Thanks!


Lisanne Bowness
Acting Communications Manager
Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure

Bailey Bridge in South Surrey will undergo full replacement

The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure is planning to replace the Bailey bridge which crosses the Nicomekl River on King George Boulevard.

Crews will replace the temporary Bailey Bridge with a steel superstructure, which includes a new deck, along with the required approach and abutment works.

The new bridge will provide improved reliability for travellers and a longer lifespan, and it will allow the ministry to remove the current 10,000 kg-weight restriction for vehicles using the crossing.

Drivers are advised that the one-lane crossing will close for approximately six weeks, tentatively starting on Oct. 16. This length of closure is necessary for crews to complete the replacement.

Single-lane traffic in each direction will be maintained on the adjacent two-lane structure. Work will generally be done between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., Monday to Friday.

Drivers are reminded to obey posted signs and traffic personnel.

Motorists are advised to use alternative routes where possible, and to check for Twitter updates at: @TranBC

 

 

Dianne Dominoes

As had been publicly rumored and heavily speculated for some time and to no one's surprise, Dianne Watts has now made it official that she will run for leadership of the BC Liberal Party. Many political pundits and journalists have already weighed in on this story but there is an issue here that no one has yet considered. What if she actually wins?

The problem is that if Dianne Watts leadership bid is successful and she is elected as the Liberal's new head honcho, it could trigger a domino effect of by-elections here in the Semi-pen. Firstly, Mrs. Watts will resign from her position as the Conservative MP for South Surrey-White Rock-Cloverdale. That will then mean that we will have to go back to the polls for a by-election to elect a new person to represent us in Ottawa, just over two years since Justin Trudeau's federal Liberals won. If you find yourself questioning why Dianne needed a new office with high-priced renovations, realize it is small peanuts compared with the average half-million dollar cost for a federal by-election.

Now here is where it gets a little tricky. What if just as Dianne decided to jump ship from being a member of the Opposition in Ottawa, that our newly elected Surrey-White Rock MLA Tracey Redies of the BC Liberals decides to step up to the big leagues and run for the vacant federal seat? Even without those political aspirations, Mrs. Redies could simply resign her seat here so that Dianne Watts could run in her natural home riding. As I told many candidates who ran in the last federal and provincial elections, best not to throw out those election signs and simply store them instead for use in the not-to-distant future.

White Rock SEAL Shooting

No, not another report of a harbour seal being found shot dead and washed up on White Rock beach as has already happened twice in the past three years. Instead check out Global TV's new fall lineup with former White Rock resident A.J. Buckley staring in a new CBS drama called SEAL team.

Transforming his body through a rigorous workout regime and strict diet, Mr. Buckley put on 35 pounds of lean muscle to break away from his nerdy role as Lab rat Alan Ross on CSI: NY and take on a lead role in this military action series about US Navy SEALS. Alan John (A.J.) plays Sonny, a member of the elite fighting force with plenty of brawn and more than a few anger issues. In a recent Los Angeles interview he explained his character like this, “They call him the knuckle dragger. He’s the big guns. He carries all the big weapons. I blow shit up.”

For more on this former White Rocker who has made the big time in Hollywood, read the following story from the Vancouver Sun that also includes him developing a trendy diaper bag for dads. You can also check out Mr. Buckley's rather impressive acting credentials in his Wikipedia listing. Make sure to program the PVR for Wednesday evening, 7 p.m. on Global to catch the first episode of this 13 part series that promises explosive action.
http://vancouversun.com/entertainment/celebrity/a-j-buckley-balances-acting-and-entrepreneurship
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A._J._Buckley

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

September 18, 2017

Fish On!

Local fishermen are beginning to camp out alongside the Serpentine, Nickomeckl and Little Campbell River in anticipation of the fall fishing season.

The Little Club That Could On The Little Campbell

Finally after months of hot, sunny and dry weather the change of the season is upon us with the first rainstorm of fall hitting the coast on Sunday. While of relatively short duration, any precipitation is welcome to water lawns and plants along with trees plus our local parks and forests. Hopefully some of the wetness will spread into the interior of BC and Washington state to help put out the fires that have ravaged a record amount of forests this year. As more Pacific frontal systems zero in on our coast, local streams that have been low and dry for quite some time will start to flow again and the annual migration of various runs of salmon will begin into our local waterways including the Serpentine, Nicomekyl and Little Campbell Rivers. Very soon the Semiahmoo Fish and Game Club (SFGC) in the Hazelmere valley will become a very busy place with its members working to improve salmon stocks on the Little Campbell River in south Surrey.

Protection of the environment and conservation of wildlife has been important to a wide and diverse collection of people from across White Rock, Surrey and Langley for generations. The Semiahmoo Fish & Game Club was incorporated back in 1957 by outdoorsmen concerned about environmental damage to the Little Campbell River caused by years of unregulated gravel removal from the watershed. For over 20 years club volunteers worked to restore its banks and spawning grounds, improve water flow and plant trees and shrubs along the river and its tributaries. In 1979 a prime piece of property on the banks of the Little Campbell became available and the Club purchased 70 acres in the Hazelmere Valley, eventually selling off 40 acres of pastureland and retaining the grounds surrounding the river. With a place to call their home, club members in 1983 began construction of the first all volunteer fish hatchery in the province that included a deep well into the Hazelmere aquifer, an elaborate water aeration/filtration system, and a fish fence designed by a club member that was later used for hatcheries around BC. Over a decade later, their large Education/Club House building was constructed as a meeting place, wedding and celebration of life hall plus sporting facility.

The steel fish fence across the Little Campbell River directly in front of the hatchery channels spawning salmon and trout into a fish trap where SFGC volunteers count and identify all species of fish before releasing them to spawn further up river. Over 3,500 spawning salmon are counted at the fish fence on an annual basis. Wild Coho and Chinook salmon plus steelhead trout are retained as brooding stock being kept in large pools adjacent to the hatchery and constantly supplied with fresh oxygen rich water. Inside the hatchery eggs are harvested from the adult salmon and trout, hatched in specially built tube incubators and then raised in protected tanks. In a typical year, the Semiahmoo Fish and Game Club hatchery produces 10,000 Steelhead, 35,000 Chinook salmon, 100,000 Coho salmon plus 15,000 Cutthroat trout. When the small salmonoids are raised to the fry stage of their life cycle, they are then released back into the Little Campbell River system, ensuring far greater egg hatching and survival rates. The hatchery located at 1284 184 St. in south Surrey is open to the public with the hatchery building also available for viewing provided that club volunteers are on site and not busy with its operation.

Besides protecting salmon stocks, the Semiahmoo Fish and Game Club is in environmental partnerships with the Little Campbell Watershed Society, Friends of Semiahmoo Bay Society, A Rocha Canada, Surrey Environmental Partners, Langley Environmental Partners Society and the Pacific Salmon Foundation. They also work closely with the federal Department of Fisheries (DFO) and Provincial Freshwater Fisheries that assist with issues related to the salmon and trout raised in their hatchery plus providing guidance on river restoration and protection projects. The City of Surrey liaisons with the SFGC, advising them of any developments within the Little Campbell watershed, allowing the club to work with city staff and developer engineers to eliminate or reduce issues adversely affecting the health of the river system and its aquifer. Focusing on youth, the SFGC has operated its "Salmon in the Classroom" program since 1983, allowing local elementary students to raise Coho salmon eggs in the classroom before they are returned to the hatchery for release back into the Little Campbell River.

The Semiahmoo Fish & Game Club has plenty of members but they are always looking for new volunteers to help out in the hatchery and the many jobs associated with maintaining the 30 acre grounds, buildings and ponds. With the fall salmon runs about to start, now is a good time to visit the club, check out their operations and decide if you can help protect the waters of the Little Campbell River. Their extensive and informative website is at SFGC.ca and they operate the Semiahmoo Fish & Game Club Facebook page. If you are an outdoors person, fisher, environmentalist or simply looking for something fun to do in your community, please check out what the SFGC has to offer. For more information about the hatchery or school tours, call them at 604-541-0495 or email at SFGChatchery@gmail.com.

If you have never experienced the magic of spawning salmon up close and personal, now is the best time of year to check out this amazing natural spectacle. Take a few minutes to enjoy this YouTube video showing the SFGC's grounds, buildings, hatchery, pathways, ponds and waterways at the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9v3ky49CpNM

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

September 11, 2017

Anchors Away!

I don't own a boat or come from a family with a nautical history, but for some strange reason I've developed a fascination for anchors over the years. I think it started when I first turned my little cabana behind my house in Crescent Heights into a guest cottage with castaways theme decor that would best be described as Gilligan's Island on acid. Wallpaper showing a photographic scene of a remote tropical beach covered one wall with rolls of reed beach mats and bamboo on the others, complete with crab floats, Japanese glass floats, lots of shells plus a hula skirt and coconut bra for when company came over. When I moved into my present house in the same neighbourhood, our hot tub gazebo became the headquarters for my collection of flotsam and jetsam, minus the elusive anchor that I kept searching for. I finally got my anchor the old fashioned way, salvaging it myself a decade ago from a shipwreck off Kwomais Point where I was leading the cleanup of a 40 foot pleasure craft that had been smashed onto the rocks during a winter storm.

As luck would have it I met a man named Mike Simpson down near Crescent Beach years ago who told me about a similar interest in everything nautical, with his rec room and bar also done in a castaways theme. He went on to tell me about the gem in his collection, a giant anchor from an old sailing ship that was at a friend's yard in south Surrey. Imagine his surprise when I asked if it was the huge anchor next to the Glades Garden on 172 St south of 8 Ave. close to the Pacific Hwy. border crossing. He could not believe that I had actually spied it through the greenery while driving by on my way to a job site. Fast forward a handful of years and while cruising through Ocean Park last week I happened to look over and saw an equally massive anchor at a house on the NW corner of 18 Ave. and 127A Street. Stopping to take a closer look I realized that it had to be the very same anchor as it was highly unlikely there would be two similar ones on display in Surrey. A quick phone call to Mike confirmed that the previous property had been sold and the anchor recently moved to a good friend's home. How it got to its final resting place is a whale of a tale.

My buddy Mike told me he had been working on a tugboat years ago off Nanaimo in the Northumberland channel. Nearing Malaspina Point the tow rope attached to two chipping barges they were taking to a nearby mill dragged on the bottom and caught on something that was hauled out of the depths. When the tow line was winched up he first thought it was a tree stump but closer inspection revealed a big antique anchor, snagged by one of its enormous flukes. Like myself, Mike had been looking for a prized anchor, first finding a 1,000 pound Danforth, but nothing like the rusted and crushed behemoth they had just hauled up. He told me that his thought at the time was "Oh yes, you will be mine!" The Captain ordered him to use the winch to try to shake it off the line and when it flipped in the air, it caught on the rows of tires at the stern of the tug instead of returning to the depths. With the anchor now stuck onto the boat, they finally had to let their load drift free and pulled the anchor off using the hydraulics, with it dropping into 40 feet of water near the Gabriola bluff log storage. Vowing to return to claim his prize, Mike took coordinates of the area including bearings from local landmarks to know its exact underwater location.

It was a month's time before Mike planned on his return trip to salvage the old anchor. He hired a father and son dive team to go down and attach a cable to the relic with a locator float left on the surface of the water. A motorized barge with a crane that charged out at $300 per hour was also booked to visit the location to grab the anchor and then deliver it to a flat-bed truck that Mike had borrowed and was going to drive to the Island. His tug boat buddy heard about his detailed plans and did him a huge favour, picking up the anchor with his tug and then taking it to the Harmac Mill where longshoremen used a container crane to load it onto a barge full of wood heading to an offloading area on Mitchell Island on the North Arm on the Fraser River. In the end the job was done for not a lot of money and a case of cold beer, with the anchor then being driven into south Surrey, first residing at Mike's property on Zero Ave. before being moved to 172 St. and finally into Ocean Park where it it has been placed in full sight surrounded by river rock and landscape lighting for the community to enjoy. With the flukes (hook ends) measuring 9 feet across and the entire anchor being 14 feet in length it is rather hard to miss. The beautiful architecturally designed home where it sits is now locally known as "the anchor house."

Wanting to know more about the anchor that lady luck had delivered, Mike contacted nautical expert and former maritime museum curator Peter Sachs who researched his find. He believes the Admirality anchor as it is known was from around 1850 because of the design of the shackle, meaning it was from a tall masted sailboat commonly used in that era to ship goods back and forth to Europe. When the anchor first came up on the tugboat tow line, it was caked in mud, covered in foot long elephant muscles, giant barnacles and old fish nets. One of the top stalks had been broken off and interestingly there was no anchor chain attached to the large shackle on top, meaning it may have been abandoned after being damaged. Even with its age, Mr Simpson's interesting find was reported to the Receiver of Wrecks and posted in a salvage paper for a year before he was given official papers of ownership. When Mike first brought it home, the anchor was left under a sprinkler for some time to rinse away any salt and to stop the oxidation of the wrought iron. No one knows what it actually weighs but it took a 5 tonne HYAB crane truck to wrestle it into its current location.

The anchor is presently part of the "Mike Simpson Maritime Museum" collection as it jokingly refers to it. In the far-off future Mike may consider donating it to a nautical museum or for the big piece of antique iron to be put on permanent display at either White Rock or Crescent Beach. Until that time, if you're near Ocean Park or planning a trip to Crescent Beach, you may want to take a short detour onto 18 Ave from 128 St. and check out this gigantic old anchor, likely one of the biggest you will ever see in these parts. As neat as this relic is to see, the way it was found and the perseverance that Mr Simpson showed in recovering this tall ship anchor and then moving it from site to site in Surrey over time only adds its historic story. Of course, for me the worse part is always being reminded by him that "mine's bigger" whenever he sees the tiny anchor that I salvaged earlier from Boundary Bay.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

September 5, 2017

A Shooting Star Summer

Don "Dead Eye" Pitcairn

Nice to finally be back home comfortably sleeping in my California King bed. For most of August, I was away playing weekend warrior shooting full-bore target rifle in both the BC and Canadian championships. The fun started on August 10-14th with the BC Rifle Association (bcrifle.org) holding their 133rd annual championships at the General Vokes 600m. military range in Chilliwack. The Great Britain Rifle Team, in fine form after competing at the UK championships in Bisley England, arrived with 18 of their finest marksmen. While I managed to give them some serious competition last year easily winning the Grand Aggregate, there was no stopping them this time as they shot perfect score after perfect score, winning nearly all of the individual matches, aggregates and team prizes. In the BC Grand Aggregate, won by Richard Shoulder with a 399-48v out of a HPS of 400-80V, the GB team placed in 17 of the top 18 places, including 1st to 15th. In the BC Lieutenant Governor's Aggregate in which the winner is chaired from the firing point on the shoulders of their teammates, Angus McLeod won with an amazing score of 349-42v out of 350-70v narrowly beating out their young woman shooter Chloe Evans by a single v-bull, a tie-breaking circle that is half the diameter of the bulls-eye. For the BC Target Rifle Championship, White Rock's Jim Paton, a multiple Commonwealth Games medal winner for Canada came first, followed by my father Bob Pitcairn from Chilliwack (more on him later), with myself placing a distant third due to rifle issues.

It was back home to stupid reality for a mere three days of work before I headed off to YVR to fly to Connaught ranges in Ottawa for the Dominion of Canada's (DCRA.ca) Fullbore Rifle Championships that ran from Aug. 18-26. The Connaught ranges are a hotbed of shooting disciplines, holding this year's F-Class World Championships (like Fullbore but with optical sites, bipods and a 50% smaller bulls-eye), Canadian Black Powder Championships, National Service Conditions, followed by the Canadian Armed Forces Small Arms Concentration. In 2018, the DCRA will hold its Special 150th Canadian Fullbore and F Class Rifle Championships, showcasing the long history of this sport in Canada. After hours of flying including a stop in Edmonton, I arrived in Ottawa where I quickly grabbed my rifle gear and was whisked to the range by taxi. I knew the timing would be tight and after dropping my luggage in the barracks where we stayed, I made it to the 900m. firing point just as the command was being given to load for the Ottawa Regiment match. With a pounding heart and covered in sweat, I still managed a very respectable 74-12v out of 75-15v, with the one shot outside of the bulls-eye dropping me from 1st to 21st place, showing the high level of marksmanship at this national competition.

Pair Of Pitcairns

This DCRA meeting was extra special in that is was being used to select the two shooters who would represent Canada at the next Commonwealth Games being held in Brisbane, Australia in April, 2018. Scores from the 2015 and 2016 Canadian Target Rifle Championships were used along with an extra full day of shooting this year consisting of 10 rounds fired at both 500 and 600 yards plus a further 15 rounds each at 800 and 900 m. When the gun smoke had cleared, Nichole Rossignol from Quebec City came out on top with a score of 2031, followed by my father Bob Pitcairn from Chilliwack one point behind, with White Rock's Jim Paton coming third five points back as the spare for the team. Bob did it in style, shooting perfect scores the entire last day, "going clean" as we say, the only person of the eight still in the trials who did so. What makes this really amazing is that he is 79 years old and still shooting at an elite level. He has been inducted in 4 sports halls of fame, made 49 Canadian Bisley Teams (a record), qualified for 14 World Long Range Championships (held every 4 years) shooting them 11 times. Over the years he has placed first and second in Bisley (out of 1700 competitors), won the Governor General Prize twice in Ottawa while winning gold and silver in the Grand Agg there. In BC he has his name engraved multiple times on almost every trophy, including 6 Lt. Governor Prize chair rides. This will be Bob's first Commonwealth Games, the closest he has gotten before was as spare in 2002 where he did not compete. With this latest feather in his cap, Bob Pitcairn has been given a new nickname, "The Legend" which aptly describes his life-long shooting accomplishments.

This year's DCRA was full of interesting some rather interesting surprises. Fullbore rifle shooting involves being exposed to a variety of weather conditions including wind, rain and sometimes even snow. On Monday, Aug. 21st, I got to experience something completely new, shooting during the solar eclipse. Since Ottawa only at 71% blocking of the sun by the moon, there was still plenty of light to see the targets, even from 800m. It was actually a blessing as the decreased light intensity made it cooler than laying in the full sun plus the wind slacked off due to less ground warming. One of the shooters brought a solar lens for a camera to the range, allowing everyone to safely look at the progress of the moon as it crossed the sun. To be quite honest, if we didn't know about the eclipse, it is doubtful anyone would have noticed its effects. The same could not be said about the Tuesday weather we faced with meteorological warnings out for ping-pong ball sized hail and a tornado watch in effect. The rain we could have used in BC to help put out forest fires instead fell across Ontario in buckets as large intense frontal systems passed over Nepean and Ottawa, causing damage and flooding. Due to the extreme lightning risk and strong winds, shooting ended up being cancelled for the entire day. It was a blessing as nobody wants to shoot in rain that often looked like what Houston recently endured.

At the end of the individual matches, it was Ian Shaw from the United Kingdom who won both the MacDonald Stewart Grand Agg and Governor General's Prize, completing the elusive double win of the major aggregates. Ontario shooters fared quite well along with the contingent from the Maritimes and BC. It was a sweet sixteen year for myself, finishing in 16th place in both the Grand and Gov's. In the Canadian Target Rifle Championships, Fazel Mohideen from Pickering On. came first, Desmond Vamplew from Scarborough On. placed second and Geoff Woodman from New Harbour NL. finished third, all with the identical score of 818 separated only by v-bull counts. I was forth place four points back while "The Legend" Bob Pitcairn finished in sixth, a further four points down, ensuring we both made next year's Canadian Bisley team to England. In team shooting the GB Rifle Team won the Canada Match, with their 8 shooters dropping only 2 points the entire match of 10 rounds fired at 300, 500 and 600 yds, winning by 10 points total over Canada. In the long-range Commonwealth Match featuring 12 shooters per team firing 10 rounds each at 800 and 900 m. the Great Britain Rifle Team once again prevailed, dropping 10 points for the win with Canada 9 points back, yet surprisingly having a 9 point edge on centre v-bulls. Coached by Gary Bowman from Ontario, I was the top Canadian shooter on both team shoots and high score on the range in the Commonweath Match, never dropping a single point in either and firing a perfect 50-10v at the 800 M.

With being a member of the Canadian team to the Imperial Meeting of the National Rifle Association of the UK in Bisley England next year and a member of Team Canada going to the ICFRA World Long Range Championships at New Zealand in 2019, there will be plenty of practice in my shooting schedule for the next year and a half. With my father Bob qualifying for the Commonwealth Games in Australia, his training schedule has already started since there is a warm up match being held in Brisbane this October. Considering his long history of competitive rifle shooting, it would not surprise me if he comes home with a medal to add to his overflowing collection. Bob Pitcairn will become the oldest Commonwealth Games competitor of all times, matching the age of Doreen Flanders from Team England who competed in lawn bowling at the age of 79 during the 2014 Commonwealth Games held in Glascow Scotland. Mr. Pitcairn will easily surpass Scotland's Willie Woods who competed in lawn bowling for a record eight Games appearances, his last in 2010 at the age of 72. For those who discount the idea of a senior and veteran from Canada winning a Commonwealth Games medal, you might want to think about the lyrics to the following country music song.

" Old age and treachery always overcomes youth and skill
Ain't too much that we won't do, what Waylon won't, Willie will
Even though we've spent our lives charging up the wrong side of the hill
Old age and treachery always overcomes youth and skill…"


Lyrics to "Old Age & Treachery" by Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson, 1991.

 

Naturally yours,


Don Pitcairn

 

 

The Naked Truth - August 28, 2017

Semi-Pen Time Capsule

To show you the power of the Internet, I recently received the following manuscript from a man in Ottawa who frequently reads my TNT column and mailed it to my parents in Chilliwack. It is a history of Hall’s Prairie written by Margaret M. Stewart that was forwarded to him by Don Monroe, the Postmaster in White Rock in the 1950’s, who was his father’s close friend. As requested, a copy will be sent to Vin Coyne, the editor of the former White Rock Sun printed newspaper, with the original document then donated to the White Rock Museum. This will be a three part series detailing frontier life in the Semiahmoo peninsula. I hope you enjoy this trip back in time.



The Early History of Hall’s Prairie – Part 3



For quite a number of years, when we first lived here, there was no custom’s officer. The populace bought and sold across the line just as they pleased. Then Mr. Cantrell was appointed Canadian Custom’s Officer and I think his office was at the St. Leonard’s hotel but he was not often there. He was generally walking around Blaine trying to keep his eye on thru roads leading into Blaine. At this time when we bought anything in Blaine, we always looked around for the custom’s officer and if we did not see him it was all to the good and we just came home. If we met him, he asked what we had and charged duty, if any, and put the money in his pocket without any red tape.

In the early ‘80’s two young men by the name of Keith took up land near what is called the Brown road. They were heavy drinkers and their people had sent them out here to get away from drinking but whenever they got a cheque from home, they went to Blaine, bought lots of drink and carried a keg of cider home. They had a trail where the Pacific Highway is now and we used to see them lugging their keg home. They drank so much they suffered with delirium tremors and one, who ran out of his home and was never seen again, was thought to have sunk down in some boggy place and the other became insane and was taken to the asylum at New Westminster. So ended two wasted lives.

A year or two after the school started, Doctor Powel began to improve his land and hired a foreman A.M. Palmer, who fenced the whole section. We school children felt quite shut in our small school yard as we always played our ball games on the prairie west of the school. Before long Doctor Powel, sold the land to two young men from the Old Country, named Moggirdge. They built a fine house and then his brother looked after the place. A man came by one evening, rapped on the door, and when Mr. Moggirdge answered the door, the man shot him in the arm near the shoulder, went through his pockets and left him lying there bleeding. Mr. Moggridge managed to get upstairs and then fainted from loss of blood. When the foreman came for his orders in the morning, he was shocked and soon sent for the doctor, the police and my father who was justice of the peace. A clot of blood had formed in the artery otherwise he would have bled to death. The man was not caught but years afterwards, a man who was caught for some other crime, confessed he had shot Mr. Moggridge. The arm was so numb and useless that after a time, Mr. Moggridge had it taken off. The Moggridges lived there for several years until they sold out and went back to England. Their big house was burned down soon after.

There has been a good deal of tragedy just where the old railway track crossed the North Bluff Road. Mrs. John Morrison was killed by a black tramp about 1908 and a short time later two bank robbers and a custom’s officer were killed near the same place.

In the ‘80’s there was a smallpox outbreak. Land was open for homesteading near the Langley boundary and a widow and her five sons by the name of Wellworth took up land there which was known as the Wellworth settlement. One evening my brother, Will, and I were out getting our cows and we met two men on the road who asked us where the Wellworth Settlement was and we directed them. They were Billy Graham and Tom Fielding who brought in the smallpox. They stayed with Mrs. Wellworth and when they came down sick all the relatives visited them not knowing their sickness was smallpox and the relatives became infected. The disease was a very acute and virulent type,. Jim Wellworth, Mrs. Charlios Wellworth and Mrs. Van Luson, an aunt who came to help them, died with the smallpox. The government sent a doctor in to stay right there and the infection did not spread any further. But I remember when anyone from that direction came for their mail, father or mother would put some sulphur on the stove so that they did not stay long. It happened the same in Blaine when anyone from Canada went into a store, sulphur was burned on the stove. I remember one chap saying, it just smelt like Hades over in Blaine.

After our first school was built, church service was held in it on Sunday most of the time. At first there was the Reverend William Bell from Surrey Centre and when he left there was several ministers from Blaine who held services in it. When Cloverdale acquired a regular minister, Reverend McEllmon, he came and preached Sunday afternoons and after he left there were several student ministers who held service in the summer time.

At Christmas time there was always a tree and a good time at the school house. Someone would go around and collect money to buy candy and presents. Everyone came, old bachelors and all. There were always some dialogues put on by the older people besides the best the children could do. At that early date every school had its own trustees and at the trustee elections there were some lively times.

After Blaine became a town, two men by the names of Smith and Gurbage, thought it was time for White Rock to be a town too so the built a wharf out to deep water. There are a few remains of it yet. Then they started to build a hotel but their money ran out long before the hotel was pulled down by people who wanted some lumber and then the wharf went too. It was years and years before White Rock started to grow. At that time it was only a picnic ground. About the same time Mr. William Brown bought a sloop and took Mr.. Albert Bamford into partnership. They sailed over to Victoria and loaded their boat with staple groceries such as flour, sugar, tea, raisins and syrup. The sugar was in light weight barrels, a nice light yellow. The tea was in lead lined boxes of 10 to 20 pounds, the syrup was in kegs, fine thick liquid. But the raisins were lovely, I have never seen such nice ones since. They came from southern Europe, were large and full of grape sugar. My people bought a lot of Mr. Brown's groceries just in the cases they arrived in. His house was not built to handle groceries in small lots but he kept them in good shape and much better than he did later. After awhile there were more stores and it did not pay Mr. Brown to go to Victoria and so he quit.

As I mentioned before, Mr. H.T. Thrift had the contract to carry the Hall's Prairie mail. At first it was carried on horseback but later he started a stage to carry passengers and goods to and from New Westminster as well as the mail. The stage was driven for quite a time by a man Mr. Thrift hired by the name of Gilbert Anderson. Then any one of the Thrift family including the old grandpa and the girls and the boys would carry the bag of mail to our house and take the outgoing mail. About the time the Great Northern Railway came through, the Hazelmere post office was opened in Mr. Thrift's own house. After the trains ran my father carried the Hall's Prairie mail to the flag station called Hazelmere where the railway crossed the Hall's Prairie road. My father kept the Hall's Prairie post office for upwards of 25 years until he became too old to be bothered with it. The post office was then moved to a Mr. DeWinters home. Then some others kept the post office until it and all of the other small post offices were closed and the rural boxes installed with the headquarters at Cloverdale.

In the spring of 1903 or 1904 an evangelist by the name of Coleman pitched his tent at the corner where the North Bluff road crosses the Hall's Prairie road and held revival meetings. Many people came and several were converted. He urged the people to build a church and so after he left, my three sisters, the two McGinnis girls and some others went all around the district and collected enough money to build a church. Nearly everyone gave something. Mr. H.T. Thrift gave the site for the church where Mr. Coleman's tent had stood. The late Mr. Hamel was hired as carpenter and many of the men helped so the church was soon built. Many different ministers of different creeds have held services in it, and there have been many organists. My brother-in-law, the late John Clark, held that post the longest, 36 years with only two Sundays off. The church has been improved lately in the interior. It is called Hazelmere Church after the name of Mr. Thrift's farm. Many people call the district around the church Hazelmere, but by rights it is all Hall's Prairie school district. Calling it Hazelmere is something like a barnacle fastening itself onto a sea shell and calling itself the shell. Well I think I have told of a lot of the early happenings which I saw myself or heard first hand at the time it happened.

Margaret M. Stewart

Well there you have it folks, a blast from past detailing some of the early history of these parts. Mrs. Stewart was born in 1876 according to dates at the beginning of her article. With the dates concerning the Hazelmere Church from the end of the letter, I surmised it was likely typed in the 1950's or 1960's, long before the advent of computers and photocopiers. Now imagine my surprise when I decided at the last minute to Google Mrs. Stewart's name along with Hazelmere thinking it was unlikely I would find out anything about her and instead found the same manuscript I had been previously sent posted on the Surrey History website. I could have saved myself a few hours of typing the original manuscript in to my computer with a simple cut and paste! It turns out her handwritten letter was composed on April 9, 1959. It was later published by the Surrey Museum and Historical Society as a gestetner printed and stapled document, a copy of which I recently received. Mrs. Stewart died in 1965 at the age of 89 and is buried in the Hazelmere cemetery on 16 Ave. (formerly North Bluff Road) across from 192 St. with her gravestone reading "With Christ, which is much better."

If you enjoyed reading this snapshot of early life in Surrey and White Rock, you can learn more at surreyhistory.ca or whiterockmuseum.ca that even allows you to read archived copies of both the Semiahmoo Sun and the White Rock Sun from decades ago. If you prefer history that you can actually touch and feel, go to billiongraves.com which is where I found the headstone picture for Mrs. Stewart, along with an aerial view showing her exact final resting place in south Surrey. If you find fresh flowers there, they are from me.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

August 21, 2017

Semi-Pen Time Capsule

To show you the power of the internet, I recently received the following manuscript from a man in Ottawa who frequently reads my TNT column and mailed it to my parents in Chilliwack. It is a history of Hall’s Prairie written by Margaret M. Stewart that was forwarded to him by Don Monroe, the Postmaster in White Rock in the 1950’s, who was his father’s close friend. As requested, a copy will be sent to Vin Coyne, the editor of the former White Rock Sun printed newspaper, with the original document then donated to the White Rock museum. This will be a three part series detailing frontier life in the Semiahmoo peninsula. I hope you enjoy this trip back in time.

The Early History of Hall’s Prairie – Part 2



After the Hall’s Prairie road was opened before Blaine had started to grow, Dave Millar drove a stage from across the Line to New Westminster, taking passengers, and any kind of produce he could buy cheap such as butter and eggs. My mother made quite a lot of butter and was well known for making good butter. One time father took mother’s butter and other produce to New Westminster, as was his custom, and the storekeeper said to him that his wife was making a lot of butter this summer. Father said, no but why? Well, he said, David Millar was in a few days ago with a load of butter and he said it was all Mrs. Brown’s butter. My father said that he had never sold Dave Millar one pound of butter. Dave Millar had a brother Al living with him and he loved to tell a joke. One day, Dave and his brother Al were out cutting down trees when Dave’ s axe glanced and cut his boot. He looked down and saw his red sock through the cut and thought it was blood and he made Al carry him to the house on his back. When they got the boot off they found the foot was not cut at all. Al told this story to everyone he could. Dave felt rather sore about this.

In the early 1880’s, Blaine started to grow and the settlers on this side of the Line did most of their shopping there. For quite a time there were no custom’s officers or anything to stop people coming and going. Before Blaine was there, the ruffled grouse were very plentiful. I have counted as many as 50 perched in a Cottonwood tree, eating the buds. The Campbell River was full of trout but the people of Blaine came across and cleaned most of them out. Blaine always made a great to do over the fourth of July for the first year or two when they set long tables in someone’s orchard and had free meals for all. I remember eating there once, but they soon discontinued this as too many Canucks, as they called us, came over. One attraction they always had on the 4th was to grease a pig and turn him loose on the sand flats, offering $5 to anyone who could catch the pig. This made lots of fun and quite a few tried to catch it.

More settlers came in and more roads were opened up. Reverent Alexander Dunn, an early Presbyterian minister, held service in our home a few times and baptised the seven eldest children of our family. We also had a visit from Bishop and Mrs. Sillitoe. They drove a horse and buckboard and I think that was the first horse I had seen. Everyone used oxen. Mother sat the visitors down under a shade tree and treated them to cake and glass of milk.

In the early ‘80’s there arose a great scare across the Line, a man by the name of Gilldy had shot down two men in cold blood. We were warned to be on the lookout for him on this side of the line. He was a queer chap that no one liked and he had tried to court some of the girls without success. There was a Miss Mayhood whom he had tried several times to call on. Her brother told him to stay off the place. A short time afterwards she and her brother were taking the clothes off the clothes-liine when Gilldy came out of the bush and shot her brother down. Their father heard the shot and came to the door to see what the shooting was about and Gilldy dropped him in the doorway. Miss Mayhood picked up the chopping axe and chased him off the place and he ran without shooting her. There was a price on his head dead or alive and a gang of men looking for him. A note was found which he had left somewhere, stating that he intended to shoot several more men, all fathers of young girls. Everyone was afraid for no one knew where he would strike next. But before he had killed any more, two men who were out looking for him early one morning, found him sound asleep behind a log. They both shot him so he never knew what happened to him.

More settlers were coming into our district such as the Johnson’s, Harts, and Roehart’s, almost enough to start a school and in 1884 when father was in the land office proving up, they told him there was a homestead to be taken up quite near him. A man by the name of Sundy had filed on this place years before but had never done anything with it. Father told Mr. Thrift about the place, he came and look at it, liked the place and filed on it. The family was living at Clovervalley then. The addition of their children in the district made enough to get a school started so in the Spring of 1885 the school opened in a log building that had been the home of the Heintz family. Hall’s Prairie was formed into a school district. The teacher’s name was J.C. McClellan. B.C. That summer the Government built a school house on a site given by Dr. Pirel of Victoria, the same site where the present Hall’s Prairie School stands. I attended that school, also my son, Alexander John and now his children, Of course it is not the same building today but the first school was cottage shaped, large enough for forty or fifty children. The teacher’s salary was $50 a month and he seemed quite contended with the pay. On the 24th of May 1886 our school picnic across the river was a good wagonbridge crossing the Campbell River at the foot of the Stayte Road where there is only a foot bridge at the present time. I remember clearly a Chinaman came past us and one of the men in our crowd started to nag him and told the Chinaman he had no passport. The Chinaman said he had and the man said let me see it. The Chinaman said he would not be looked over by the crowd but he would let theelderly gentleman see it and handed the passport to my father. The Chinaman spoke perfect English.

The only grocery store, that was nearer than New Westminster when we came, was at Semiahmoo spit. The store was kept by a man called Murran. Our father often went there for flour. Murray also ran a logging camp and had logged all around the bay on both side of the Line. He also sold whisky to the loggers. It was said he bought one barrel of whisky and made up to three barrels with water, acid and tobacco juice. It was called Murran’s Rot Gut and sent the men nearly crazy. One young man killed there in a drunken brawl. Murran had the name of the cheating his men when he paid them their wages. One man by the name ofg Shearer told Murray he had cheated him out of seven dollars and that he would get even with him. Murray always banked his money in New Westminster and one day when he stepped off the ferry, Shearer was waiting for him and knifed him seven time. A priest was sent for but Murran was dead before he arrived and so ended an evil life.

The St. Leonard’s hotel was built sometime in the ‘80’s a little north of where the Peace Arch stands today and it sold liquor. Our father did all he could to prevent the hotel being built there as it was a real deadfall. Just across the Line on the American side there was a row of shacks for immoral purposes. One day in winter a great storm of wind and sea blew in and carried the shacks away. The women fled for their lives and lost everything they had. The shacks were never built again.

An old man by the name of Billy Patterson lived in a shack on the American side of the line opposite the hotel. He had a very vile tongue which he had been using on the hotel keeper, Jack Atkinson and had him so angry he got his gun and shot the old man in the leg. Billy Patterson’s leg would not heal because, as he himself said, he had drunk too much whisky and he died in about amonth. There was a great to do about which country would tr4y the murderer as the shot started in one country and crossed into another. At last it was decided that Washington should have Mr. Atkinson and they sentenced him to a few years in the penitentiary. Some years later the hotel burned down which was a blessing.

About 1888 the Great Northern Railway started to build a railway from Blaine through the valley to New Westminster. Two gangs of men were employed, one gang of white men and the other Chinese. The white men’s camp was near the creek on the Bamford road. They graded up the railroad bed by digging out the earth from the sides of the right-of-way. They also build the bridge across the Campbell River. The laying of the rails was help up for some time due to a soft spot near Custer, Washington. They dumped in train loads of gravel and rock but all sank down. At last they put in brush to make a bottom and then the gravel and soon it was built up solid enough to bear the rails and train. They called in “The Devil’s Bread Pan”. All the gravel that balasted the track was brought from the American side of the Line. The gravel train engineer was a nice chap. If the gravel train came along the same time we children came home from school, he would stop the train and tell us to jump aboard and then he would stop and let us off at the foot of our hill. We had many such rides. At last the railway was finished and there was quite an affair driving the last spike at the boundary line on the 15th of February 1891. Many years afterwards, the railroad changed to run around the bay as it is at the present time.

To be continued…

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

August 14, 2017


The Early History of Hall’s Prairie – Part 1


Semi-Pen Time Capsule

To show you the power of the internet, I received the following manuscript from a man in Ottawa who frequently reads my TNT column and mailed it to my parents in Chilliwack. It is a history of Hall’s Prairie written by Margaret M. Stewart that was forwarded to him by Don Monroe, the Postmaster in White Rock in the 1950’s, who was his father’s close friend. As requested, a copy will be sent to Vin Coyne, the editor of the former White Rock Sun printed newspaper, with the original document then donated to the White Rock museum. This will be a three part series detailing frontier life in the Semiahmoo peninsula. I hope you enjoy this trip back in time.

 

The Early History of Hall’s Prairie – Part 1




As there are very few of the really early settlers alive at the present time, I thought I would record some of the early happenings.

My parents, Mr. & Mrs. David W. Brown, and their family homesteaded here in 1878. I was only two years old at that time. I do not remember coming but I can remember some of the happenings when I was three years old. My parents were married in Ontario in 1865 but they left Ontario and went to the State of Iowa where father had taken up a homestead. They did not like it there very well as the summers were so hot and the winters were so cold. Father had done a lot of travelling. I have heard him say he had been in almost every state in the USA, in Central America and the Panama, and had crossed the Continent twice by wagon train before there were any railways, once to the California gold rush and once to the Cariboo gold rush. So he knew something of what the west coast was like.

They decided to sell out and come west. It was quite a journey but there was a railway by that time and they came to San Francisco, took a ship from there to Victoria, Vancouver Island, from there in a smaller boat to Whatcom, now Bellingham, Washington, and then down the Nootsak River in an Indian canoe to Ferndale, Washington where we had friends. After staying there for some time, our Uncle Archie, who had come to BC earlier, told father there was good land to homestead in BC so father came and filed on the quarter section that I and my son and family still live on. Uncle Archie and three other young fellows had filed on four quarter sections adjoining. They built their cabin where their land all joined and each on sept on his own corner and worked on his land in the daytime.

Father had a lot of work to do before he could bring the family. He had to build a bridge over the Campbell River where it happened to be quite narrow, make a road for over half of a mile through dense timber and then erect a log cabin. When he had finished, father went for the family. There was a rough road from Ferndale to the Boundary Line. There was a road up the Boundary Line. It had been made some years earlier to bring in the iron posts to mark the Boundary Line, one for each mile. Another road wound across Hall’s Prairie which was a large open space. The only conveyance that could travel these roads was a long stone boat drawn by oxen and that was the way our family moved in.

Out cabin was built near a creek and the great firs were standing around it, some of them three hundred feet high. There was no city of Blaine when we came but this area was quite well homesteaded on the American side. There was the Cain family where the American’s custom’s office is now, Dave Miller’s next around the bay, Boblet’s and Kingsley, who became the first Sheriff of Blaine, and the Dexter’s where father bought our first cow. She was a little red cow with a crooked jaw as she had been caught in a barb wire fence when a calf. And there was Dick Richards, generally called Dick the ferryman, who had a boat and took passengers over to the Semiahmoo spit where there was a store. He had no landing for his boat but anchored in out in the water. If a man did not have hip boots on, he would take his shoes and socks off and wade out to the boat, while a woman, if alone, would be gallantly carried by Dick, to the boat. Once I crossed over to the spit with father and mother when I was three or four years old. Father carried mother and Dick carried me. Old Mr. Cain was a great bear and beaver trapper. He used to stay at our place and when he became too old to trap, he gave his bear trap to father. The trap is still in my garage.

Hall’s Prairie got its name from Hall who squatted on it with his Indian wife. They were chased from it by wolves one extremely cold winter in the 1860’s when the Fraser was completely frozen over. The prairie was covered with long grass and clumps of aspen poplar here and there. There was quite a lot of cattle grazing on, most of them from the American side. There were quite a few people homesteading around it. Where the Currie’s live it was homesteaded by people called Botell. The old man was a short broad chap and he loved to talk., He would come to our house and he would say my pockets are just full of news. Once he told father this story. He had a son William, who was 19 or 20 years old, and he thought his son ought to have a wife. One day he was across the Line and he saw a young woman who would just suit, he thought. She was already married but he did not seem to mind that. He tried to coax her to come and live with them. He went back the second time but her husband was home and he said if I ever catch you here again, I will shoot you. Botell said I heard him cock a pistol and oh how I did run.

Then there was the Heintz family, a bad lot. The father and son had two quarter sections on the east side of the Hall’s Prairie road from the North Bluff to the Campbell River roads. When they wanted fresh beef they would go and pick out a fat steer on the prairie and shoot him down. They had an old man living with them called Fritz Shinhart. He had given the Heint’z all his money to stay with them for life. When they had got into a lot of trouble, they were planning to leave but did not want to be bothered with old Fritz, several times after he had eaten, became very sick with terrible pains in his stomach. Tim, the young Heintz, said to my father one day, that if
Fritz should die suddenly, do you think there would be an inquest? My father said most likely there would be as he is no relation to you. Fritz had no more sick spells and they all fled across the Line shortly after.

When we came here there was only a trail to Clovervalley. In the summer of 1881 my father went to Victoria, when John Robinson was premier, and told him how shut in we were, so the premier promised to have the Hall’s Prairie road opened. The contract was let to William Shannon who opened the road and built a long bridge over the Campbell River which was quite wide as the result of many beaver dams. Mr. Shannon had his camp near the river. One day Mr. Shannon came and told my mother that his Chinese cook was making very poor bread and that he would like to send the cook and his yeast up for my mother to see and to improve his yeast. So the next day the Chinese cook came with a big pail of sour yeast on one end of a pole and half a sack of flour on the other end of the pole over his shoulder. I don’t know what mother did to his yeast, but he was the first Chinaman I had ever seen. He had a very long pig tail hanging down his back. I recall the date when the Hall’s Prairie road was opened because my father was away to Victoria and my mother made a cradle for my sister Agnes, who was born in June 1881.

And while mother was busy shaving and planning the boards for the cradle, Reverend Mc(illegible) came. He was travelling through the country visiting the settlers. He thought mother had made a fine job of the cradle and she had it for Agnes and my three other sisters. Years later he became the Presbyterian minister stationed at Cloverdale and he never forgot about the cradle and often mentioned it to my mother who was a grand pioneer woman. She could do almost anything and do it well. When my father wanted to go to Victoria, he looked at his hat which was old and faded and he thought he would have to walk into New Westminster to buy one as no sensible man went bare headed then. Mother said I will make you one and so she went down to the prairie and fathered a great sheaf of long grass which grew there. She braided the straw and made a fine hat, put it in a barrel full of sulphur fumes to bleach it white and put a black band around it and when father went to Victoria, his hat was admired and called a panama hat.

There was no post office in 1880 closer than New Westminster but not long after a post office was opened at Surrey Centre. Clovervalley and Hall’s Prairie, the latter in our house and father as postmaster with a salary of $25 a year. The mail carrier was Henry T. Thrift. The family was living at Clovervalley at the time but generally his son, young Henry carried the mail on horseback. Once he galloped his horse so hard it fell under him and died a quarter of a mile from our house.

To be continued…

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

August 06, 2017

Semiahmoo Goes With The Flow

It was in September of 2016 that White Rock sent a letter to the Semiahmoo First Nation threatening to cut off their water in a mere eighteen months. This was only ten months after the City purchased the city's water supply system for millions of dollars from EPCOR. The current agreement water supply arrangement is set to expire at the end of February, 2018, now only seven months away. While folks in White Rock may be complaining about discoloured water or levels of manganese and arsenic, at least their water has been judged safe to drink. This is not the case on the Semiahmoo First Nation lands where they have been under a continuous boil water advisory since 2005, a dozen years of not drinking water from the taps.

In a letter dated July 27, 2016 from White Rock's lawyers Lidstone & Company to the Semiahmoo First Nation band office (that I received through a Freedom of Information request) they stated that future water and sanitary sewer services for the reserve lands would best be provided by the City of Surrey. It went on to state the following: Accordingly, the City of White Rock is hereby delivering to the Semiahmoo First Nation formal notice that the City will terminate existing water and sanitary sewer services to the reserve within a reasonable time. Based on the tests set out in the "Tsawwassen Indian Band vs. Delta, 1997 CanLil 1097 decision of the BC court of Appeal," the City is of the view that the First Nation can make alternative arrangements for existing water and sanitary sewer servicing within reasonable time, being a period of 18 months from the date of this letter. We look forward to working with you and your client (and the City of Surrey) on this transition.

There is nothing like an imposed deadline, especially one threatening to cut off water and sewer services, to get people motivated to make some fast and much needed changes. First was the announcement on June 9th this year from Carolyn Bennett, the Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs, that the Federal government was committing $338,000 for a new water distribution and wastewater sewer system for the Semiahmoo First Nation. Two weeks ago, Surrey Council received Corporate Report R158 from Fraser Smith, their General Manager of Engineering on the subject of "Servicing Agreements with the Semiahmoo First Nation. You can read all of the intimate details and history behind this water-logged controversy on the City of Surrey website at the following link: https://www.surrey.ca/bylawsandcouncillibrary/CR_2017-R158.pdf. In a nutshell, City of Surrey staff are recommending that Surrey Council finally help the Semiahmoo First Nation (SFN) get fresh drinking water and sanitary sewers.

First Surrey and SFN have to set up municipal type servicing agreements between their two governments, allowing for a new water supply and distribution system using Metro Vancouver water. The failing septic systems that are contributing to the long-term boiled water advisory on the reserve need to be replaced by sanitary sewers leading back to the regional sewage treatment plant. Because of a lack of proper fire protection, agreements are also needed to install fire hydrants across the reserve to protect lives and property instead of relying on 1,000 gallon tanker trucks as is presently the case. Storm water outflow points from Surrey also need to be reduced with plans required for consolidation of these outflows and how they affect the waterways on the SFN lands. The Corporate Report also revealed that the SFN is interested in working with the City of Surrey to have future fire protection services and solid waste/recycling services for its members.

Currently Surrey already provides Met-Van water to several reserve residences south of 8th Ave. in the 16200 block. The Peace Arch Duty Free store by the border that is part of the SFN reserve receives both water and sanitary services from Surrey from an agreement between them dating back to 2001. The only areas of the SFN currently serviced by White Rock with both water and sanitary sewers are the businesses by Semiahmoo Park including the iconic Washington Avenue Grill. It is interesting to note that the Corporate Report on this topic reveals that the areas on the west end of the reserve are unlikely to be hooked up to either either water or sewer provided by Surrey because of their distant location. Let's hope that White Rock can make agreements to continue this servicing near East Beach while Surrey and the Federal Liberal government take steps to fix the reserve's water and sewage issues in the main residential area.

Councillor Joanne Charles is on record as stating that design drawings for the SFN water and sewer system are currently being put together, with construction of a new sewer system likely to start six months from now. If everything goes well, it is likely the reserve will be ready to connect to Surrey's water system by next summer. While this solves their long-term water supply issue, it does leave a rather large short-term problem. There is a half-year gap between when White Rock has threatened to turn off the taps and when the SFN starts to go with the flow from Surrey. I doubt White Rock will leave their next-door neighbours high and dry and it is in the best interest of all to foster positive ties between levels of local governments instead of engaging in acrimonious disputes using lawyers to do the dirty work.

It's about time that the Semiahmoo First Nation were afforded clean and healthy drinking water and proper sanitation for their 173 acres and the 43 indigenous people currently living on reserve. It has been an embarrassment that while real estate values and incomes have soared in both White Rock and Surrey, SFN residents have had to boil water before drinking it for over a decade. For those now living in the Semiahmoo peninsula, you should best remember that while it is your home, it is their native land. Think about that the next time you sing the very first verse of the Canadian national anthem.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

July 31, 2-17

I hear that train a comin'

It's Rollin' Round the Bend

..and I ain't seen the sunshine since I don't know when

Johnny Cash/Folsom Prison Blues

Delta Mayor Pushes For The Return of the Inter-Urban

I have to admit that I have a warm spot in my heart for Lois Jackson who has provided the municipality of Delta with stable leadership since she was first elected as Mayor in 1999 after first becoming a councilor way back in 1973. She was Chair of the Metro Vancouver Board of Directors from 2006 to 2011 but now stands alone as the only regional mayor who supports the George Massey tunnel bridge replacement project. I must admit that I'm not particularly keen on the 10 lane bridge concept and its estimated $3.5 billion price tag and was wondering if Lois was out of touch with her colleges from across the Lower Mainland. The bridge project aside, Mrs. Jackson redeemed herself in my eyes last week when she proposed to have Translink study the possibility of a light-rail line from the Brighouse Skytrain station in Richmond, through Delta, into south Surrey and White Rock and out into the Fraser Valley terminating in Chilliwack.

To anyone trying to commute south of the Fraser, you know that vehicle traffic is becoming a nightmare as more and more people flood into this rapidly expanding area without the roads keeping up to demand. The Surrey LRT line is currently being planned but it will terminate in Newton and the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) link from Newton Exchange to White Rock Centre was quietly removed from City of Surrey plans last year, taking away 14 Km. of rapid transit service along King George Blvd. and 152 St. Rather than have vehicle traffic pour into Richmond where it will then clog up against the Oak and Knight St. bridges, Mayor Jackson envisions an LRT rail line on the bridge deck, taking countless cars off the structure. The idea of hopping on a train in White Rock to go to Richmond and beyond or as far as Chilliwack would be a godsend to many weary commuters who spend countless hours behind the wheel every week polluting our airshed.

At a meeting of the Mayor's Council on Regional Transportation meeting held last Thursday, Jackson made a motion that in year 5 of a 10 year plan for transportation in Metro Vancouver that a preliminary study be undertaken and a comprehensive plan formulated for this rail-line concept. The other Mayors, with their own ideas and agendas for Skytrain and LRT expansion in their backyards quickly shot down Lois Jackson's idea with some openly mocking and laughing at the concept. The only person who supported the motion was Township of Langley Mayor Jack Froese who agreed that although such a project is likely decades away, the need for a well-connected transit system throughout the Fraser Valley simply can’t be ignored. Mayor Jackson's LRT idea is not dead yet as New Westminster Mayor Jonathan Coté who chairs the Mayors’ Council’s Funding Strategy Committee referred her motion to upcoming discussions about updating the regional transportation strategy for the next 30 years.

Lois Jackson also has a local ally in the federal government backing her call for a LRT line connecting communities south of the Fraser. Rookie Delta Liberal MP Carla Qualtrough who is the the Minister of Sport and Persons With Disabilities in Justin Trudeau's cabinet endorsed Jackson's commuter train concept while meeting with Delta Council earlier this spring. While the George Massey replacement bridge is not in the federal Liberal government's infrastructure plans, Mrs. Qualtrough believes this project could get assistance through Infrastructure Canada and Innovation with a new infrastructure bank. It never hurts having a federal cabinet minister in the riding and Lois Jackson appears to have Carla's ear on promoting light rail connecting communities SOTF (south of the Fraser). Being part of a gender balanced cabinet in Ottawa it is unlikely that Mrs. Qualtrough will easily be brushed aside as Lois Jackson who is on record as saying “You know I’m not part of the boys club, let’s put it that way and whatever I seem to be saying is falling on total deaf ears.”

For all of the talk over the years of relocating the BNSF tracks away from White Rock, they might play a vital role in connecting people living in the Semiahmoo peninsula to the proposed SOTF rail line. The BNSF has already done the heavy lifting by spending millions of dollars replacing the Little Campbell and Mud Bay trestle bridges with the Crescent Beach swing bridge next on the list. Safety improvements along the White Rock waterfront coupled with the continuous track, tie replacement, rip-rap additions plus culvert improvements have made for a smoother and faster ride for the Amtrak. Years ago there was a railway station at the base of Panorama Ridge where Station Road is and this area is still a junction point for rail traffic that would once again make a logical point for a passenger train hub. While her male counterparts may have scoffed at the idea for LRT from Richmond to Chilliwack, eventually it is an old-time idea that will one day have to be resurrected before the entire region becomes gridlocked.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

July 24, 2017

Doe.., A Deer..., A Female Deer...

Being a bit of a beach hound regardless of the season or the weather, you get to see plenty of wildlife along the Ocean Park bluff shoreline between White Rock and Crescent Beach. Birders can expect an aerial display with shorebirds, ducks, geese, great blue herons, bald eagles, and even ospreys being present. Many times I have met harbour seals taking a rest on the waterfront including one that was not at all interested in moving, making me actually step around it as it watched calmly with those deep seal pup eyes. I once came across a sea otter apparently killed by landslide debris near Kwomais Point, plus saw a skittish family of them hiding in a drain pipe under the BNSF Railway tracks when I was doing a shoreline cleanup along Crescent Rock Beach.

Imagine my surprise when a friend sent me a picture from the beach last week showing a black-tailed deer strutting her stuff along the shores of the naturist beach. This was from an area just south of the Christopherson Steps at the west end of 24 Ave., just out of sight from Crescent Beach. The deer trotted north, cut across the BNSF tracks and made its way into the ravine system at the end of Bayview Ave. that feeds up into the Crescent Heights neighbourhood. Considering the people still on the beach at 7 p.m. when the photo was taken and the dogs that folks often bring to the beach, seeing a deer here was a weird yet wonderful sight. While I'm sure this was a relatively rare occurrence, as development has continued across the Semiahmoo peninsula, black-tailed deer are becoming masters at navigating the greenways and ravine corridors into places you might not expect them.

When I first moved into the Semi-pen, I must admit that I chuckled when I saw the deer jumping warning signs on 24 Ave up near Softball City in the Sunnyside Acres Park, thinking the deer had been ran off years ago. Imagine my surprise when several years later there was a small traffic jam in this area as everyone slowed down to see a female black-tailed deer dead at the side of the road after it was killed by a passing vehicle. Ever since that time I now drive much slower through this forested area, especially at night when I have frequently seen deer feeding on the lush growth along the ditch that is pumped with well water that fills local creeks during the hot and dry summer. Since then, jumping deer warning signs have spread into the neighbourhoods across south Surrey, usually followed by red circular stickers for a Rudolph nose by some joker not named Don. These signs are real, the deer are definitely here.

The Sunnyside Acres Urban Forest is surely the focal point for the local herd of black-tailed deer with its 130 hectares of forest providing a base camp of sorts for excursions into more urbanized areas. What most folks don't realize is that the southwest portion of the park along 20th Ave. close to 140 St. is a dedicated "Wildlife Refuge Area" that is fenced off and posted with signs showing a black-tailed deer. These signs instruct people to "Please keep out of this area to protect that animals that live here" and to "Call 604-501-5050 for more information." If you visit the Sunnyside Acres Heritage Society website at sunnysideacres.ca you can see the effect on how urbanization has affected south Surrey and why these wildlife area is now so important (click here https://www.sunnysideacres.ca/urbanization). Simply scroll over top of the picture to check out how vast swaths of farmland and forest have become subdivisions around the park in the past 50 years.

With no bears, cougars or bobcats to prey on them, habitat destruction, deaths from vehicles and possibly coyotes eating young fawns are the factors limiting black-tailed deer numbers here. A couple I know who live near the intersection of 128 St. and Crescent Road reported seeing a doe and two small spotted fawns several days ago crossing from Crescent Park to the Surrey drainage park across from 129 St. that feeds into the Nicomekyl River greenbelt system. With deer sightings becoming commonplace across many places here, we have to realize that you can possibly have a Bambi experience at any park, greenway or bluff forest throughout the Semiahmoo peninsula. This goes to show the resiliency of nature and how the protection of habitat hubs and green corridors through development areas is important for biodiversity preservation in south Surrey. If this means that my flowering plants may occasionally get nibbled on or that the veggie garden gets raided, so be it.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

July 17, 2017

A Rough Walk In The Park

 

Many people like to go out into local parks to get their exercise, commune with nature and enjoy some fresh air. I tend to avoid these areas because the only wildlife you will see are people walking their dogs and crows feeding on the food scraps and garbage they leave behind. To see and enjoy nature, you have to visit wild areas where people don't go and the only trails are those left by the deer and coyotes. This weekend I decided to explore a little bit and check out what eventually will be south Surrey's newest park at what was once the Riverside Golf Course at Crescent Road and King George Blvd. I must admit that while I loved the natural beauty of the place, I was rather shocked by how wild it had gotten in only a short amount of time.

I have previously written about this property back on Oct. 19, 2015 (scroll down to read it) titled"The HUB-bub at Riverside Golf" when the City of Surrey was expropriating the golf course and driving range from the family that had owned it for 50 years. I talked this weekend to Ken Poirier, the former owner who informed me that their legal action against the City of Surrey for allegedly short-changing them on the sale price is still ongoing. The sign posted out front says "FUTURE NATURE PARK - This 6.4 hectare park will have a pathway system through open spaces and natural areas with an opportunity for the community to connect to the Nicomekl River." Rather interestingly, the website the sign directs you to for more information (surrey.ca/newparks) does not list this new park or the development plans that were to include a freshwater marsh. I for one hope the folks at City Hall rightly name this area "Riverside Park" to pay historical homage to the half century it was a golf course and driving range.

Old netting from driving range

The road building where the driving range and office buildings once stood has now been completed but it has yet to be opened to the adjoining development property. The driving range has now had all of its tall poles and nets taken down but it is still lined with trees, easily showing the old perimeter. For some strange reason a large ball of the golf ball netting was left in place, providing a nice comfortable seat. The heavy and incessant rains this winter and spring flooded the driving range for months, drowning out much of the grass in the centre of it. It was only recently that you could walk through this area without getting soaked or stuck in the mud. In the little more than a year and a half since it was taken over, the rest of the golf course has reverted to thick lush grasslands that make finding the tees and greens almost an impossible task. If you have ever seen what the rough on a "links" golf course looks like, that is what the Riverside Golf Course has now become.

The course is now quiet and devoid of human visitors but my wife Sheryl and I found plenty of evidence that the wildlife were continuing to use it as they had before when it was still a golf course. There is coyote scat just about everywhere you look, especially on the dyke that they use to cross the property. In fact we saw a lone coyote running across the driving range in the middle of the day. Several water hazards were getting very low but the mud held the hoof impressions of many black tail deer and their tiny new fawns. Several hawks flew by, their whistling screams letting us know that they were not happy with our intrusion into their private hunting grounds. While we did not see any owls, I did find several regurgitated pellets by a big pine tree showing they are around at night. Being directly next to the Nicomekl River, it is likely there would be plenty of migratory waterfowl to check out during the spring and fall, especially if the large marsh goes ahead as planned. An unfortunate inhabitant was a grove of invasive Japanese Knotweed that had been staked out by Surrey crews for removal.

The following are pictures of our hike and the sites we had the pleasure to witness. You may want to wait until this area is developed as walking through the tall grass is difficult and nearly impossible to see hidden tripping hazards.

Completion of this new park is scheduled for 2018/2019.

Two views of the Nicomekyl river taken from the dyke

View of the old Bailey bridge above the Nicomekl

View of the old Bailey bridge above the Nicomekl


The Nicomekl looking north towards Highway 99

Diifferent fairways with plenty of rough - Manicured fairways reverted into wild pasture land

 

I hope you enjoyed the photos, especially if you had previously golfed at this local course that was part of our community for half a century. For those who miss the great deals at Riverside Golf, know that they need your support and are still open in Vancouver at 1366 S.W. Marine Drive or you can shop online at riversidegolf.ca.

 

Naturally yours
Don Pitcairn

 

 

July 10, 2017


Save Water, Save Money

While White Rock's water woes have been well reported, not many people know that the City of Surrey is sending out a team of post secondary school students this summer to educate and inform residents about not wasting precious H2O. Last weekend we received a hand delivered letter from the City of Surrey titled "Saving Water to Save You Money" alerting us to the presence of the newly formed Water Conservation Education Team (WCET). This is a City of Surrey initiative formed to help property owners and residents conserve water, particularly in the hot and dry summer months.

The WCET members will be in neighbourhoods throughout Surrey from May to August to meet with property owners and residents and provide tips and tools to help reduce water consumption and decrease utility bills. They will offer free helpful advice to assist with water-wise lawn and garden care, potentially reduce high water bills and to support a sustainable city that is growing in leaps and bounds. The letter from Surrey's Water Conservation Team promised that the students will:
- Assist you with programing your irrigation system to avoid overwatering
- Review your lawn's health and soil profile to assist in suggestions for watering recommendations specific to your lawn and soil
- Introduction to species used for xeriscaping (drought tolerant/resistant plants)
- Providing you with a free rain gauge to help you assess your watering needs
- Teach you how your water meter can be used to detect leaks.

With Metro Vancouver watering regulations in effect (http://www.metrovancouver.org/services/water/conservation-reservoir-levels/lawn-sprinkling/Pages/default.aspx) it is important to know how you can reduce your demand for water. Taken directly from the City of Surrey website dealing with water conservation (http://www.surrey.ca/city-services/3440.aspx) here are some ways to dramatically decrease your water usage.

 

Save water inside your home


Turn off the water when shaving, brushing teeth, and washing dishes. This can save 10 to 40 litres/day.
Check for leaky toilets and replace older bathroom faucet nozzles.
Install low flow toilets - they can save 6 to 14 litres per flush (around $75/year on your utility), while low flow showerheads can save 8 litres/minute.
Flush only toilet paper down the toilet.
Wash produce in a pan half-filled with water instead of using a strainer. Use this water for household plants.
Run the dishwasher and washing machine only when you have a full load.


Save water outside your home

Use a broom instead of a hose to clean the driveway and sidewalk. A hose uses 23 litres/minute.
Use a bucket of soapy water to wash your car and use the hose only for rinsing.
Wash your car using soap and water from a bucket. The hose uses 23 litres/minute, but using a bucket saves you at least 2 minutes' worth of water (46 litres).
Water the garden during early morning or evening hours when temperatures are cooler to avoid evaporation.
Grow the grass at least 2 to 3 inches. Taller grass shades new growth and reduces evaporation.
Water your lawn only when it needs it. An hour of sprinkling uses about 1300 litres of water. Position the sprinkler so that water isn't wasted on the cement; this can save 10 to 35 litres/minute.
Keep to the water sprinkling regulations between May 15 and October 15.
Use a rain barrel to water your garden and plants.


Other innovative ways to save water

When you’re craving a cool glass of water, don’t run the faucet until the water gets cold. Try keeping a jug of water in the fridge. This way you can have a cold glass of water whenever you like!
Remove weeds in your lawn and garden. This reduces competition for water while making the rest of the yard look great!
Plant a water wise garden, which contains plants that need little water and can cope with long dry spells. Placing mulch in your garden is also a good way to conserve water. It reduces erosion and discourages weeds. Spread grass clippings or other mulch materials around the base of plants and shrubs.
Reduce your shower by 5 minutes. This can save up to 100 litres of water and up to $100 per year in energy bills!


We have five 45 gallon food grade plastic barrels on our property that I purchased for $10 each, which allow us to collect rain and water our gardens and lawns whenever we want. While not mentioned in their water saving letter, I found out that the City of Surrey sells modern systern rain barrels to Surrey residents to help with water conservation. These units that are made up of 50% recycled plastics and hold 55 gallons or 208 litres of water. They can easily be added onto existing downspouts with the overflow water either connected to additional barrels or directed away from the building. There is a fine mesh screen on top to keep out mosquitoes and leafy debris plus a handy dandy spigot at the bottom, eliminating the need for an electric pump. At only $49.36 plus tax each, these are a great deal and can be purchased at either City Hall (13450 104 Ave) or the Operations Works Yard (6651 148 St). Check them out on the Surrey website at https://www.surrey.ca/city-services/23966.aspx

I must admit that I am one of those fools who fertilizes and waters his lawn in the summer, ensuring that I have to constantly mow and trim it when I should be relaxing down at the beach. That being said, with the planting of shade trees around the yard, topdressing of the lawn with organic matter and overseeding in the spring, plus cutting at a high setting during the summer months means it takes very little water to keep it lush, cool and green. For those who are not so anal or ridiculous about their grass, the motto "Brown It, Don't Drown it" should be used by Metro Vancouver and the City of Surrey to encourage residents to allow their lawns to naturally go dormant in the summer, knowing it will green up and grow again with cooler temperatures and rain usually beginning at the time the PNE opens up in mid-August.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

July 04, 2017

Break A Leg Dianne

You may have seen the picture that Dianne Watts recently tweeted from the Peace Arch Hospital showing her laying in a hospital bed with her right leg heavily bandaged and elevated. On Sunday, June 18th, our Conservative MP was heading out to walk her dogs in the morning wearing flip-flops on her feet and took a nasty spill down the front steps of her residence, breaking her ankle in the process. The damage was serious enough that the break required surgery instead of just simple immobilization. No word on how long it will be until Mrs. Watts is back on her two feet again but I wish her well and offer to be one of the first people to sign her cast.

This is not the first time that Dianne Watts has ended up in the news with injuries sustained in an accident, in fact it is the third time that she has required hospitalization in the past seven years. The last time that Dianne was seriously hurt was on July 23, 2011 while on vacation near 100 Mile House. Out horseback riding with her two daughters and some friends, the horse she was on bucked her into the air and she came down hard on the saddle, hearing a loud crack in her back with instant stabbing pain. Taken to Kamloops hospital, tests revealed that she had suffering two broken vertebrae in her back that fortunately for her did not result in any paralysis. This accident happened when Mrs. Watts was still Mayor of Surrey but the timing of the injury meant that she did not miss any Surrey Council meetings.

By far the most serious accident Dianne Watts has been involved with was the April 23, 2010 car crash that happened late on a Friday night in south Surrey near Crescent Park. In this accident involving the Watts Cadillac Escalade and another lady's Chrysler 300 sedan, Diane received a cracked rib with her and her husband suffering various soft tissue injuries. The woman they t-boned in the intersection received much more severe injuries, suffering a broken collar bone, ribs and injuries to her head, neck, back, abdomen, lungs, knee, spleen and pancreas. While the woman driving the Chrysler 300 was ticketed for the crash, she launched a civil suit against the Watts, who then counter-sued with the entire case being settled out of court in May of 2014 with non-disclosure agreements ensuring this entire messy affair was swept under the rug. If you want to read the details of this event, scroll in to the TNT archives to check out the April 26, 2011 "Car-nage On The Streets Of The Semi-Pen", August 8, 2011 "Watts Courting Trouble" and the May 12, 2014 " Watts Really Happened With The Mayor's Car Cash?"

Now maybe Mrs. Watts is just unlucky or possibly it is true that bad things actually do come in threes. Three accidents involving injuries and hospitalization in only seven years leaves me wondering if Dianne needs to "Have a word with yourself." If that phrase sounds familiar, you have probably seen the TV commercials by The Committee Against Preventable Injuries who are online at preventable.ca. Their basic goal is to make people aware that sometimes bad things can (and do) happen to good people. It turns out that more than three million Canadians are seriously injured every year, costing our health care system over $20 billion, with the care and rehabilitation of the victims of preventable injuries taking a huge chunk out of provincial budgets. If this doesn't hit close to home with you, consider that over 400,000 British Columbians suffer a preventable injury every year with 1,200 dying as a result. Preventable injuries also claim the lives of more children in our province than all other causes combined and are the leading cause of death for people between the ages of 1 and 44 years old.

Hopefully this will be the last time that we hear about Dianne Watts being injured or see pictures of her from a hospital bed. We need her up and about representing our community, not having to heal and rehabilitate from injuries. For the constituents of the Semiahmoo peninsula, take a minute to realize that accidents like those that have plagued Mrs. Watts occur all of the time and can easily happen to you. Instead of that little voice inside your head saying "It won't happen to me", it should be saying "Be careful, bad things can easily happen to good people." Consider the personal consequences when you catch yourself doing something foolish, stupid or downright dangerous. Sometimes it only takes a moment of inattentiveness to cause serious injuries with long-term effects that can last a lifetime. Becoming aware of your own personal safety and taking responsibility for staying safe is the first step to a long and healthy life without hospital stays and the pain associated with the injuries that brought you there in the first place.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

June 26, 2016

The Buzz About The Nude Beach

Until recently, the idea of visiting the secluded and idyllic shores of Crescent Rock Beach between White Rock and Crescent Beach to do some sunbathing or skinny-dipping seemed like a pipe dream. Record amounts of rain this spring with cloudy skies and below average temperatures ensured that the beach was empty except for the many birds and wildlife that frequent its rugged shores. As soon as the clouds finally parted and the sun shone through, sun worshippers descended in droves to Crescent Rock, the world famous Wreck Beach in Vancouver and Brunswick Beach in Lions Bay that was recently in the news with nearly 200 cars parked up onto the Sea-to-Sky highway.

A few weeks ago one of the regulars who has frequented Crescent Rock for several years texted me to say there has been a rather disturbing new development at the nude beach. Several times in the middle of the week, he reported that a drone was seen flying over the area frequented by naturists and nudists who were relaxing au' naturel enjoying the simple pleasure of being at the beach free from textiles. Getting buzzed at the beach is nothing new with small planes, ultra-lights, paragliders, news copters and even the RCMP helicopter passing by well below the 500" ceiling level they would have to observe over residential areas. On the water you will also get passing boats, canoes, kayacks, paddleboarders and a couple of times even the Coast Guard hovercraft which always attracts a crowd whether on a training or rescue mission.

Having planes or boats pass by is to be expected and I believe that most people at Crescent Rock Beach really couldn't give a damn if someone want to sneak-a-peek. The issue with the drone is that it did not zip by at a high altitude but came in low over the main nudist area and simply hovered for a long period of time directly over top of nude sunbathers. Modern drones carry highly sophisticated video cameras that can take HD video, beaming it directly to the user holding the control unit. As to whether the person flying this drone was filming nude people on the beach and what was done with the footage remains to be seen. It is somewhere between creepy and weird that someone would do such a thing but this happened several days in a row so it was no fluke and certainly no accident.

What was interesting was that before these incidents were reported, I had met a young man down at the beach with his friends when my wife and I were out walking the dogs one cloudy and cold evening. He had one of these new drones and was zipping up and down the beach, showing off the incredibly detailed shots to his teenage friends. I went over to check it out and he explained that the quad-copter he was flying had cost $1,500, contained a 12 megapixel 4K ultra HD video camera with a range of 5-6 km. With on-board flight stabilization and hover control, GPS guidance, obstacle avoidance programming, automatic flight return and lithium ion batteries giving it 25 minutes of airtime, even a kid could fly one which was the case. To get an idea of how detailed the filming can be, check out White Rock's Christian Leblanc's video from the frozen Serpentine Fen a couple of winters ago posted on YouTube under the title MOST AMAZING DRONE VIDEO! (HD) at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdpT8X19mRs. If you watch it to the end, the final few seconds of this video shows the Ocean Park Bluffs, the BNSF Railway Tracks and a deserted part of Crescent Rock Beach from high above.

The issuing with filming naked people up close and personal at a nude beach with a drone is that it constitutes voyeurism under section 162 of the Canadian Criminal Code.
Voyeurism
162. (1) Every one commits an offence who, surreptitiously, observes — including by mechanical or electronic means — or makes a visual recording of a person who is in circumstances that give rise to a reasonable expectation of privacy, if:
(a) the person is in a place in which a person can reasonably be expected to be nude, to expose his or her genital organs or anal region or her breasts, or to be engaged in explicit sexual activity;
(b) the person is nude, is exposing his or her genital organs or anal region or her breasts, or is engaged in explicit sexual activity, and the observation or recording is done for the purpose of observing or recording a person in such a state or engaged in such an activity; or
(c) the observation or recording is done for a sexual purpose.
Printing, publication, etc., of voyeuristic recordings
(4) Every one commits an offence who, knowing that a recording was obtained by the commission of an offence under subsection (1), prints, copies, publishes, distributes, circulates, sells, advertises or makes available the recording, or has the recording in his or her possession for the purpose of printing, copying, publishing, distributing, circulating, selling or advertising it or making it available.
Punishment
(5) Every one who commits an offence under subsection (1) or (4)
(a) is guilty of an indictable offence and liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years; or
(b) is guilty of an offence punishable on summary conviction.

If you were to walk down Crescent Rock beach openly taking pictures of naked people, it is highly likely that if you did not delete the photos your camera or cellphone would end up in the saltchuck. Whoever is responsible for flying a drone over nudists and naturists needs to know that this little stunt is actually a criminal act that could land them in Canadian Federal Prision for up to five years. If you are at Crescent Rock Beach and a drone hovers above you, report it immediately to the Surrey RCMP by calling 911, telling them a pervert is video taping people at the nude beach. For myself, besides bringing a water bottle, sunscreen and a towel, my beach bag now contains some new equipment; a Wrist Rocket slingshot and a couple of heavy duty zap-straps should the owner try and retrieve their expensive toy that I will try to bring down.

Naturally yours,

Don Pitcairn

 

June 19, 2017

Open House, Closed Mind, Empty Wallet

 

With my interest in rail safety here involving the BNSF tracks, there was no way that I was going to miss the Rail Safety Open House put on by White Rock last Thursday evening at the historic train station. While it was supposed to be held out front of the building, strong winds and pelting rain from "Junetober" forced the meeting inside the rather confined quarters of the station. I'm not sure if it was the inclement weather or a lack of interest from the community but attendance was sparse with White rock and BNSF employees easily outnumbering the residents and Surreyians who showed up to take part. Not surprising, former MLA Ken Jones who is president of the local community rail safety group Smartrail was on hand to provide his expertise in rail safety matters and discuss the expensive safety upgrades ordered by Transport Canada plus White Rock pet projects.

While there was lip service given to rail safety tips and train whistle cessation in White Rock, the star of the show was definitely the informative displays showcasing the proposed changes to the six at-grade crossings along the waterfront plus an elevated pedestrian walkway. Plans are for Finlay St., Ash St., Balsam St., Cypress St., the Bay St. boat launch and the WR Pier to all have flashing lights, bells and crossing gates installed. Engineering and design work are currently underway that should be completed by August of this year with construction beginning in September 2017 on the Fir, Bay and Balsam street crossings plus at the Pier by June of 2018. As far as funding goes, the Canadian Federal government is paying for 50% of this project, the BNSF Railway is on track to pay 37.5% of the bill, with White Rock shelling out 12.5% of the cost. The total price tag for this project is estimated at $5.8 million with Transport Canada contributing $2.3 million, the BNSF $1.3 million and WR $2.1 million. If you caught that this match doesn't jive with the previous percentages, it is because White Rock is on the hook to pay $1.7 million for the pedestrian overpass, Transport Canada paying half a million bucks and the BNSF not paying a penny for this elevated feature.

That is not the only pile of tax money that politicians want to dump on the waterfront. Plans from WR City Hall are to extend the promenade 1,000 m. west to the Coldicutt Ravine staircase which is where the new pedestrian overpass is to be located. This $4-5 million project is endorsed by WR Councillor Grant Meyers who was on hand at the open house to show off his new baby. The Memorial Park Project by the Pier has been approved with construction pegged to start in the fall of 2017 with the planned spring 2018 opening valued at a further $5 million. Add to this WR Council's plans for a four or six story concrete parkade at the foot of Victoria Ave, likely to be in the $4-6 million range depending on final height. Add them all up with the crossing fixes and you quickly get around $20 million or $1,000 spent for every resident of White Rock to complete all of these upgrades. With taxation rates already a third higher than surrounding Surrey, there appears to be no appetite for reducing spending and decreasing property taxes. When residents have no bread left, it wouldn't surprise me to hear the phrase "let them eat cake" emanate from City Hall.

I understand the need for safety upgrades along the waterfront after the last pedestrian fatality there in July of 2013 involving White Rock jogger Anita Lewis who was killed by the Amtrak. Putting some high-viz reflective striping on the front of locomotives would be cheaper but I don't see anyone other than yours truly trying to change the almost camouflaged colours of the Cascades engines to make then look like the rear of firetrucks. Instead, gates, lights and bells will hopefully keep people off the tracks when trains are passing by, something that is needed with increasing rail traffic and today's distracted society. I was down in San Clemente, California several years ago and they use a similar system to what is being planned here and it works very well in a beachfront area with large crowds and lots of passing commuter and freight trains. Since it is Transport Canada who is pushing this grade crossing project forward and paying the lions share of the cost, there is nothing that White Rock can do except for cough up their part of the bill. As far as some of the other costs associated with this project, I believe they need to be seriously looked at whether they are needed or simply a bad idea wasting millions.

I have to be the one to ask the question, "Does the promenade really need to be lengthened?" Currently the historic pier is 1,592 feet long making it the longest wooden pier in Canada. I don't hear anyone demanding that we extend the pier further into Boundary Bay! The promenade comes in at 7,199 feet or 1.36 miles from the east end of East Beach to the west side of West Beach that act as nice bookends. I have been up and down the Coldicutt Ravine many times and have never met anyone else on the trail there, with most people being unaware of its existence or unsure of its location. Indeed there is little signage on Marine Drive or Terry St., with nothing to mark it next to the tracks except for a few worn steps and a notch in the landslide detector fence allowing pedestrians passage. If built, the promenade extension would basically be a path to nowhere, other than making it easier for nudists to get to the Hermit's Haven naturist beach only a couple of hundred metres down the shore. As far as keeping people off the tracks, there would be nothing stopping folks from climbing up the rip-rap and going for a hike on the rails all the way to Crescent Beach as currently happens.

What is perplexing about this plan is they want to build the pedestrian overpass at the base of the Coldicutt Ravine where the extended promenade would terminate, allowing people access to the rocky beach there. Considering its high cost and the small number of people that would ever use it I see this as a great waste of tax-payer money, the bulk of which would come straight out of White Rock coffers. Where a pedestrian overpass is badly needed is directly in front of the White Rock pier where the vast majority of pedestrian traffic is located. It could come off the top of the stairs level with Marine Drive, go over the train tracks and then come down beside the promenade next to the pier. If designed as a ramp it would allow strollers and possibly even wheelchair access during times when trains are on the tracks. In the event of a mile long coal train stopping on the waterfront, a pedestrian overpass in this location would allow crowds of people to enter and leave the pier and beach area safely without cutting through or under the train as is now currently the case. Building such an elevated walkway at Coldicutt makes as much sense to me as extending the promenade into an area with no beach when it is high tide.

One of tproposed railway overpasses at Coldictutt Ravine

I think that the promenade extension and the Coldicutt trail overpass are both white elephant projects that should be scrapped as a waste of time and money. Unless we can install a proper trail system all the way to Crescent Beach if the tracks are ever relocated (pipe dream I say), there is no point in building either. Transport Canada needs to rethink its two options for the pedestrian overpass and instead design option three, building one where it is sorely needed in front of the White Rock pier. As to why this wasn't considered as part of the Memorial Park Project, another unnecessary and questionable waste of cash in my opinion, maybe they didn't think about how people would get over the tracks with ever increasing rail traffic and longer trains. If you live in White Rock, you may want to ask your Mayor and Council the same questions I have brought up here, along with talking to them about reigning in out-of-control spending by City Hall on projects with little benefit when the water system obviously needs major work. As of Monday, June 19th, the information revealed at the Rail Safety Open House should be posted on the city website for your perusal at whiterockcity.ca. I strongly suggest you take a look at these plans plus their associated costs and not allow yourself to get railroaded into paying for unneeded vanity projects.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

(click here to view the City of White Rock's material presented at the Open House on Rail Saffety.)

 

June 12, 2017

 

Raising a Black Flag in Surrey

I live in Surrey by choice. There, I said it and. I'm glad I said it. I grew up in Delta, lived in Burnaby, Vancouver and Langley before making my way into the "City of Parks" as the old Surrey slogan used to be. With the way things are going in White Rock these days, its almost fair to turn the tired mantra around and say that "Living in Surrey means never having to say your White Rock." That being said, it is not like everything that the City of Surrey does is well thought out or approved by the public at large. It defies comprehension how those in charge at City Hall can constantly make idiotic decisions that defy comprehension, no matter which of these cities you live in.

It was back in 2007 that I complained to the City of Surrey about the dreadful condition of the "Welcome to Surrey" signs at all of the highway and freeway entrances. These were sandblasted wood, painted in green, yellow and white featuring the iconic beaver on the top, with peeling paint and plenty of dry rot. Instead of refurbishing these historic signs, in 2008 City Hall decided to instead replace them with steel and aluminum monoliths resembling a real estate developer sign with a couple of concrete highrises, a little strip of vegetation and the ubiquitous slogan "The Future Lives Here." Without a whisper of public consultation the iconic beaver was exterminated, replaced with a cheap knock-off of the City of Toronto logo. Check out these links to both Surrey and Toronto to see if you notice a striking resemblance between the two.
City of Surrey logo, click here https://www.surrey.ca/city-government/6193.aspx
City of Toronto logo, click here http://www.houselink.on.ca/sponsor/city-of-toronto/

I'm all for preserving heritage in Surrey that is quickly disappearing under the excavator shovel and bulldozer blade. While heritage buildings are left to rot, fall down, or be burned by vandals and the homeless, you would think that the signage for heritage roadway names would reflect the past of this town formed in 1879. Unfortunately modernization seems to have caught up with our new heritage signs. Until recently the heritage signs pointing out the old street names were in an easy to read yellow orange background featuring the Surrey coat of arms and the rather green logo "The City of Parks." Several years ago a replacement program was launched featuring new signs in a brown background with reflective white trim and lettering, something that was quickly abandoned when someone noted these signs quite literally looked like crap. If you thought the recent rebranding of the City of Vancouver that copied the 2011 logo change for the City of Chilliwack caused a stir before it was recently cancelled (click here) then you might want to keep an eye out for the new heritage marker signs posted throughout Surrey.

The new heritage marker signs in Surrey feature old road names have a black background with reflective white lettering and thin white trim. They are devoid of colour, city logo or slogan, simply stating "City of Surrey" at the bottom. Now maybe they thought this was nostalgic, taking us back to the good old days of early movies or black and white TVs. Possibly someone thought this resembled the previous era of black and white photography before Kodak brought us Kodachrome. It could be that they imagined this would link to old-fashioned newspapers that were printed in black and white until Canada's first internet newspaper, the White Rock Sun, appeared on the scene ruining everything. Whatever the reasoning or rational, I can't help but think that these boring, hard to spot, monochromatic signs resemble the black and white ISIS flag every time I drive by one. It's gotten to the point that I'm starting to yell "allaha akbar", "jihad" and "death to America" as I drive by each one, wishing I could hit the IED detonator button and blow myself straight to Allah.

www.surreyshirts.com

If the idea was to preserve heritage in Surrey, they should have used a reflective white background with green and yellow print, the same colour scheme of the old Surrey freeway signs plus also used on the watercourse and hill signs, printed in white, green and yellow, that are also being replaced. Delta utilizes an easy to spot bright yellow background for their heritage markers along with the Corporation of Delta logo, plus the same stream naming signs formerly used in Surrey. The City of Langley also uses a bright yellow background for their heritage roadway signs, along with their corporation crest. If Surrey wanted to give a nod to their heritage, they should have used the old beaver logo, possibly incorporating the previous "City of Parks" logo. This shouldn't have been too hard to imagine since I created a Surrey Retro t-shirt years ago featuring many of these same attributes. Having a black sign with no logo, no slogan and not even the new twin towers in Whalley design is a disservice to the residents of Surrey and its long and storied past. Absolutely Orwellian and devoid of any charm or thought, likely similar to those who dreamed up this bland uninspiring design.

It remains to be ascertained what this heritage exercise is costing the City of Surrey but there are thousands of these new ISIS inspired signs popping up on every main roadway throughout Surrey. Whoever thought this was a brilliant idea should meet with White Rock City Manager Dan Bottrill who believed it would look good to paint the light standards and safety railings along the beach a ghoulish black instead of the nice sea blue they formerly were. There is nothing wrong with a little colour as it is easy to see, pleasing to the eye and does not resemble the flag of a terrorist state. Of course, it does go well with my black pajamas, black balaclava and my wife's nice burka and hijab. Remember that one man's terrorist is another one's freedom fighter and I think this terrible idea of black and white heritage signs needs to be reversed and those who came up with the concept be tested for colour blindness. Unfortunately it is more likely these terrible signs will stay in place because as it is often said, "once you go black, you never go back."

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

June 05, 2017


Art Knapp Gives a Hoot

Barn owl building at Panorama Park near Colebrook Road in Surrey.

I first met Marty Vanderzalm at the south Surrey Art Knapp located at 4391 King George Blvd. directly south of the Serpentine Wildlife Area, aka the Serpentine Fen, when investigating a story about Ducks Unlimited. Several years later after learning about some special barn owl buildings that had been built in Surrey, I decided to visit Marty and ask him about the concept of building barn own nesting boxes and erecting them around the Fen. Imagine my surprise when he said, "Now why would you want to do that? You're standing in barn owl central!" Little did I know at the time but the Art Knapp was way ahead of me with conservation efforts to help one of the prettiest owls in Canada that is under tremendous environmental pressure here. Taken directly from the artknappsurrey.com website, here is their Conservation Commitment and information on the lovely barn owl.

OUR OWLS

Art Knapp is situated immediately adjacent to the Serpentine Fen Conservation Area. As part of our commitment to helping preserve and maintain our heritage and indigenous wildlife species, we have undertaken an owl repatriation project right on our own property. We are proud to be recognized as one of western Canada’s ‘Owl Hot Spots’. Have a look up toward the back of the Garden Spot and you’ll see 3 of our newly erected ‘Owl Barrels’. They add to the nine we currently have on the property, for a total of twelve owl houses - which house a large number of barn owls.

Barn owls nest, on the pellets that they regurgitate, in barns where they find shelter and protection from the elements and possible predators. Barn owls and farmers have a unique, symbiotic relationship in which the farmer provides roosting, foraging, and nesting areas for the Barn owls, and in return, the owls supply very effective mouse traps–themselves! A family of hungry barn owls can consume as many as 1,000 mice per year! In the spring the female may lay five-seven eggs, laying one egg every second or third day. Because barn owls lay their eggs over a few days time, the older ones get stronger more quickly and have a better chance of survival than the ones born last. Quite often, from five hatchlings, only two will survive. The ones that do survive to mate and have young are usually the strongest and their owlets inherit that strength from them. Although barn owls can be found almost worldwide, they are considered “vulnerable” by COSEWIC (Committee On the Status of Endangered Wildlife In Canada) and are disappearing from many parts of Canada.

Barn owls have experienced a steady decline due to loss of nesting sites (fewer wooden barns and more barns made of aluminum) and habitat (wet meadows and undisturbed grasslands to forage for food). Barn owl box programs in the Fraser Valley and other regions of the province help provide nesting sights for these owls.
For more information on barn owl habitat restoration efforts and information on our resident owls and and other British Columbian owl species (Barn owl, Barred owl, Boreal owl, Burrowing owl, Flammulated owl, Great Grey owl, Great Horned owl, Long Eared owl, Northern Hawk owl, Northern Pygmy owl, Saw-Whet owl, Screech owl, Short Eared owl, Snowy owl and the Spotted owl) go here: Northwest Wildlife - Owls of BC
And for anyone who finds an orphaned owl, be sure to contact the folks at OWL Canada (just down the highway off of Mud Bay): Owl Canada
Ask us how you can be involved in helping to restore lost habitat for these wonderful creatures.

As wonderful as their work has been to provide nesting places for these owls, Art Knapps is now bringing them to Canada and the world, putting video cameras into some of the boxes and streaming them over the internet on their "Live Owl Cam” which can be seen by going to their website and clicking the yellow Owl icon www.artknappsurrey.com. While this has been done in many other countries, I understand this is a first for Canada. Barn owls are the most widely distributed species of owl and also one of the most widespread of all birds found everywhere in the world except polar and desert regions, but they exist in this country in limited areas with a small pocket of five mated pairs in southern Ontario with the bulk of the population here in southern BC. Earlier this year you could watch their crazy mating ritual on the Art Knapps Live Owl Cam that resembles someone dancing to disco music. Then came the mating season and being nocturnal, they did it with the lights off oblivious to the infared cameras that allow us to see at night. Obviously their pairing was successful as there is now a clutch of four eggs in one of the Art Knapps nesting sites that the female sits on incubating them while the male forages in nearby farm fields and ditches for food. If everything goes well, these eggs will hatch shortly with the fuzzy little owlets likely becoming an internet sensation across Canada.

I've been rather fortunate to have had plenty of close encounters with barn owls over the years. When the Alex Fraser Bridge was built, Hwy 91 cut the Delta Golf Course in half with their old barn clubhouse being left vacant as that side of the course went fallow. One day my friend and I decided to check out the loft of this rather unique building that resembled an upside down boat with no posts or beams inside. When we entered through an open hay door, we discovered a pair of barn owls that were not too happy with our intrusion and they flew circles over our heads until we beat a hasty retreat. When living on a farm in Langley, we had barn owls in several of the outbuildings that you could often see in the day resting in the rafters or hiding in a dark roof corner. You had to be careful not to spook them for they have a rather nasty habit of bombing you with their feces if you forced them to fly, something I found out one day while checking for a that coyote I had seen enter one of the buildings. For those people who think that getting crapped on by a bird is good luck, obviously they have never been painted white by a barn owl.

For more detailed information about barn owls and the challenges they face, visit the Government of Canada Species at Risk Public Registry at the following link: http://www.registrelep-sararegistry.gc.ca/species/speciesDetails_e.cfm?sid=44 A recent article in The Star featuring commentary by Wildlife biologist and local barn owl researcher Sofi Hindmarch who works with the folks at Art Knapps on their conservation efforts is also worth a read at: https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2017/05/16/barn-owls-in-vancouver-struggling-to-adapt-as-city-grows-study-finds.html This story hi-lights the dangers barn owls face from their low level flying that makes them vulnerable to being hit by vehicles, something my wife Sheryl unfortunately recently witnessed with a barn owl getting killed by the car directly in front of her. Keep an eye on the Art Knapps Live Owl Cam at artknappssurrey.com for the baby barn owl chicks to arrive, something that will also be announced in the White Rock Sun as we recently did for the Hancock Wildlife Foundation Ocean Park Eagle Cam when this year's eaglets hatched.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

MAY 29, 2017


The Plane Truth

The month of May has basically been "Mayhem" for me with long days of 11-14 hours and not a single day off to rest, relax and recuperate (and you thought the 3 R's were reding, riting and rithmatic). ignoring the call to shoot at long-range rifle matches in either Kamloops or Chilliwack with the B.C. Rifle Association, I finally took a day off, looking forward to relaxing on Sunday, the traditional day of rest. I normally get up to take on the day before 6 a.m. so getting to finally sleep in was a blessed relief and with the nice weather we decided to sleep with the window open to enjoy the fresh air. After staying up late on Saturday night, I was still in bed when a commercial jet airliner woke me from my dream state at 8:26 a.m. in the morning. Not quite as irritating as forgetting that your alarm clock was still set for work or getting an early phone call from a telemarketer but certainly not the way I want to be raised from the dead.

Because of my work and play schedule, I am generally not around the house for an entire day but Sunday proved to be an exception with cleaning up the yard duties in the morning, patio party time mid-day and a few hours at the end of the day at Crescent Rock Beach where we took in a nice sunset. At 10:53 a.m. another plane flew above the Crescent Beach/Ocean Park region of south Surrey, another around dinner time at 5:51 p.m. and two night time intrusions at 9:32 p.m. and 11:24 pm. Checking our YVRs WebTrak online noise monitoring website at webtrak.bksv.com/yvr that allows you to track these planes, it showed that these planes were mainly variants of the Boeing 737 or an Airbus 320. The annoying part about these commercial jets is that they are not supposed to be flying over south Surrey when on visual flight paths, which is what was happening today in the clear sunny weather. The flight corridor is in the "middle of Boundary Bay", 5-6 km. away from the peninsula and the now busy shoreline at Crescent Beach or the naturist Crescent Rock. I'm pretty sure that the last time I looked at a map that Ocean Park, Crescent Park and Crescent Beach were not an island in the middle of Boundary Bay.

This is not the first time I've written about this problem with the last TNT on this issue available if you scroll down to Nov. 7, 2016 titled "Time For A Change, In Clocks And Planes." Interestingly, it was a noisy jet at 8:25 a.m. on a Sunday morning that woke me on that day so I guess I should be happy about getting an extra minute of sleep this time. Concern about airplane noise pollution in south Surrey and White Rock became front page news a decade ago when Nav Canada (with offices in Newton beside Costco) changed the YVR flight paths without telling anyone, even the Mayor of Surrey who was Dianne Watts at the time. The City of Surrey and Delta worked together with local area MP's including Russ Hiebert to force Nav Canada to alter the flight paths, putting the GPS track on a route far away over Boundary Bay and ensuring that planes flying on visual would not overfly the peninsula. Over time, there seems to be an issue with this information being shared with new air traffic controllers and inbounds to YVR flying over the Semi-Pen is becoming more and more common, especially when the weather is nice and skies are clear.

Besides waking people up on the weekends and disturbing them when relaxing in their yards, the overflights above the beaches that are a destination for up to a million Fraser Valley residents should not be forgotten. Many people go to the beach to escape the heat, enjoy the sunshine and have some quiet time. While I love to visit the Abbotsford Airshow in August, I really don't want to watch a parade of commercial jets on decent to YVR flying above me at the beach. It is bad enough having freight trains roll by or ocean racing boats at full throttle heading out from the Crescent Beach Marina, we don't need the added airline noise disturbing the peace. I'd much rather listening to the wind, the waves against the shore, the cackling cries of majestic bald eagles and the songs of the many birds and ducks that frequent this area. If these planes were directed to the middle of Boundary Bay as has been the case for many years, this topic would not keep reappearing in the White Rock Sun. Being born on a Canadian Air Force Base and having lived in Richmond not far from the airport, when I purchased our house, being away from flight paths was an important consideration.

Surrey's old mayor is now our MP and even though Dianne Watts is a Conservative and part of the opposition, it is her job to represent the constituents here on federal issues which includes aviation transportation. Since she played an instrumental role in stopping the commercial airplane fly-overs of this region almost a decade ago, it is now time for her to tackle this issue again to ensure that the flight controls that were put in place are adhered to. It probably would not hurt for our new MLA BC Liberal Tracy Redies to add her voice to this conversation, letting Nav Canada know that planes flying on visual are to be in the middle of Boundary Bay. Trust me, all pilots have detailed maps of this region and they are quite aware of which body of water is Boundary Bay so there is no excuse for them to be flying anywhere over the Semiahmoo peninsula. A copy of this TNT plus the one from November will be forwarded to both of these ladies and hopefully they can find the time to remind Nav Canada of their own rules. If you have been noticing a gradual increase of jet planes here or are bothered by their noise when down at the beach, please email them your thoughts at service@navcanada.ca telling them to give pilots on visual approach to YVR instructions to steer clear of here.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

May 23, 2017

Cowboys, Carnies, Creep Catchers, Cops and Cloverdale

After all of the wicked weather this year with one of the snowiest and coldest winters followed by one of the dreariest saturated springs, it really was amazing that the Victoria Day long weekend saw sunny skies, warm temperatures and not a drop of rain. It left me wondering who at the Cloverdale Rodeo Association had sold their soul to the devil to ensure the storm clouds would part and the sun would make its long awaited appearance. My wife and I worked at the Cloverdale Rodeo & Country Fair again selling our Surrey apparel and I must admit that is now seems we are becoming part of the show. We have settled into a great location next door to Lemon Heaven across from the food court that always attracts throngs of onlookers. Hawking souvenirs for five years at BC Place comes in handy while now bellowing out "Surrey Shirts! We Cover Surrey!" thousands of times over the long weekend, much to the chagrin of our neighbours from London Drugs in the booth next door. I must admit, it was Sheryl who looked after the customers, completed their transactions and looked after stock and inventory.

With our forth year under our belts, you start to recognize VIPs, dignitaries, RCMP members, and people from all walks of life. Of course we are now on a first name basis with almost everyone from the Cloverdale Rodeo Association, mainly because we are often viewed as an intemperate child that needs to be controlled and scolded for our edgy Surrey designs. Former Surrey-Tynehead MLA Dave Hayer and former Surrey-Cloverdale MLA Ken Jones were both at the rodeo as usual sporting their styling Cloverdale Rodeo jackets that they appear in annually complete with cowboy hat. Staff Sergeant Dale Carr plus many officers we now recognize from the Surrey RCMP were in attendance and we made sure to keep them entertained complaining about their hi-viz vests while pleading for uniformed officers to arrest those members wearing the red serge for looking too good. Many of our repeat Surrey Shirts customers came by to visit or stock up on merch (yup, that's now a word) and show us their new Surrey tattoo they had inked in the last year. We always pay plenty of attention to anyone with physical or mental challenges, giving out stickers for scooters and wheelchairs, getting to meet the indomitable Jean this year who lost her left arm and right leg due to an adverse reaction to the blood thinning drug Heparin.

There are plenty of interesting characters that you meet along the way, with many coming out of the woodwork every rodeo season. The Big Red Machine Hell's Angels members are always present, some sporting club colours, most dressing down for the event, but many interested in our wares involving anything linked to motorcycles. In total we met four people who operated marijuana dispensaries who were quite open and candid about the work that they were doing providing medical grade herb to clients approved by Health Canada, one even buying our leafy "Home Grown Surrey" t-shirt. Many professional and amateur skateboarders we have met over the years rolled on by after taking part in the World Freestyle Skateboard Championships, with several leaving sporting Surrey stickers proudly displayed on their boards. The Sinclair family from Newton all got hugs from us, with Tammy being the lady in front of Sinclair Motorsports who was attacked with acid in February 2014 after an attempted abduction on their son, both crimes that have never been solved. By far, the most notorious personality who dropped in to visit was our good buddy Ryan LaForge , President of the Surrey Creep Catchers (SCC), who shared a post about Surrey Shirts being at the rodeo with his 25,000 Facebook followers.

Mr. Laforge's visit to the rodeo on Friday may have been purely for pleasure but he was back in Cloverdale at the fairgrounds on Sunday night on official SCC business. His crew of internet sleuths had been communicating with a man online who was allegedly trying to meet up with what he thought was a 13 year old girl for sex. The meeting was streamed live on Facebook on the SCC page (https://www.facebook.com/surreycreepcatcher/) where it has been viewed over 55,000 times with the main action starting at the 13 minute mark. The target of their sting was the West Coast Amusement (WCA) operator of the Zipper ride apparently named Johnathan whose job entailed opening and closing the door to the Zipper ride to thousands of children a day, including many scantily clad young teenagers. Shortly after confronting the alleged perpetrator, Mr. LaForge was told to leave the Rodeo grounds by the RCMP or else be considered to be in breach of his bail requirements for keeping the peace related to several assault charges. No word on whether the WCA employee is under police investigation for child luring but an RCMP officer at the rodeo informed me on Monday the man had been terminated from his position.

This information has since been confirmed with the following post since appearing on the West Coast Amusements FB page.
To all concerned,
We appreciate last night's episode was brought to our attention. West Coast Amusements prides itself in the fun and safety of all who attend and under no circumstance do we allow or condone the illicit acts of our employees.
Once this matter was brought to our attention this employee was immediately dismissed.
The memories of going to the carnival are to be enjoyable and fun and this is what West Coast Amusement strives for.
Thank you from management and staff.


We have had the opportunity over the years to meet with the hardworking men and women who work for WCA and it is sad that this incident will likely perpetuate the myth of carnies being untrustworthy scammers. Imagine working 14 hour days in the blazing sun and pouring rain, living out of a small trailer while traveling from town to town across Western Canada. It is not a lifestyle I would ever attempt and I applaud the folks doing this grinding work, allowing us to blow off some steam and have some thrills. If evidence confirms the SCC's accusations, let's hope the RCMP lay charges for child luring against this individual, taking one more predator off the internet and keeping the Cloverdale Fairgrounds a place where children can be safe and fond memories continue to be made.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

Editor's Note:

You can check out the full line of Surrey apparel and merch at SurreyShirts.com

 

 

May 15, 2017

Driving Me Crazy

Warning: This column contains coarse language and strong opinions that may be objectionable to some and not suitable for all family members. Accordingly, reader's discretion is advised.

 

One of the joys of writing this weekly TNT column is having the ability to get things off my chest that are really pissing me off. I've been sitting on this subject for quite some time and like a burning itching hemorrhoid, it has finally gotten to the point that it is no longer a minor annoyance but is simply a bloody pain in the ass. I'm taking the time to call a spade a spade, call a jerk a jerk and call an idiot an idiot. If any of what follows happens to describe you and your actions, then its time to look in the mirror and change your evil and stupid ways. What has really got my gall is how atrocious the driving has gotten here over time, and I'm not talking about traffic jams or rush hour. I'm talking about the clowns, morons and goofs who seemingly are driving on our streets with their heads stuck firmly up their butts.

I'll start with the mundane that drives me insane. Is it too much to ask people to signal their intentions when driving? Too often I've been sitting at an intersection waiting for a car to pass when finally at the last second, they turn on their blinker or turn without having one. For these people, I now give them a last of the horn and the thumbs up salute or even a round of applause. I find this more entertaining than giving them the "Salmon Arm Salute" made famous by former PM Pierre Elliot Trudeau. Even more annoying are those folks that never ever signal a lane change as they weave back and forth through traffic. When I catch up with these idiots at the next red light I like to give them the roll down the windows signal and then tell them their signal lights are broken and they should get them fixed before they cause an accident. Not one person has ever admitted they are too lazy and ignorant to bother with this common courtesy, usually thanking me for bringing it to their attention.

Intersection idiots are a major source of rectal burn for me. I can't believe how often I see morons who do not come to a halt within one metre of the stop line, as you are supposed to according to the Motor Vehicle Act. Stop too far back or too far forward, you will fail to trigger the traffic signal light sensor buried in the roadway. I have lost track of how many times I have driven up to a light that has been red for blocks to find someone far from the sensor and waiting forever for the light to change, sometimes with a long line up of people behind them. I often will turn right, turn around and then carry on my way, watching in the rear-view mirror as they continue to sit there oblivious to the problem. If I cannot turn, I then get out of my vehicle, walk forward and give them a quick driving lesson about the sensor circle near the stop line. It is amazing to me that this simple driving tip is apparently unknown to a wide portion of the population, many who appear new to the country and apparently unfamiliar with our traffic laws.

Freeway driving often makes me reach for a tube of Preparation H to get ready for those people who should have an L sticker on their car to match the ones on their forehead. My favourite are those people who are so unsure in their ability to drive at 100 Kmh that instead of simply merging onto the freeway, they slam on their brakes and skid to a halt on the on-ramp. Not only does this exponentially increase your odds of being rear-ended by the following driver, it makes it nearly impossible and often life-threatening to now enter the flow of traffic. If you think its tough at 90 Kmh, try it from a stand-still during rush hour. These are probably the same folks who once on the freeway drive in the fast lane at low speed or beside a large commercial vehicle matching its speed, ignoring the cars behind them who are flashing their lights to get the hell over. Lastly, it is on darkened freeways that I often see drivers at night with only their daytime running lights on, unable to figure out why it is so hard to see or why people keep flashing their hi-beams at them all the time.

Living near Crescent Beach and frequenting White Rock I'm not a real fan of the trains, but the one I really hate is the slow poke leading the long car train as it slowly makes its way through town. What I'm talking about is the clown out for a leisurely drive, possibly looking at real estate for sale, or who is on the cell phone engrossed in conversation and not realizing they are driving nowhere near the speed limit. Often they appear to be completely oblivious to the long line of traffic behind them, while having miles of open road ahead. It is almost as if the rear view and side mirrors are on their vehicles for decoration only, since they never look at them to realize they are seriously impeding the flow of traffic. These morons are also assisted by engineers at City Hall that have been removing nearly all passing lanes, only adding to the misery of people already dealing with the second worst traffic in North America. If you ever get behind some Sunday driver on Crescent Road or on 16 Ave. anywhere east of Hwy. 99, you'll have experienced this first hand.

I'm not sure why but the number of times I have seen people passing when unsafe to do so is dramatically on the rise. I have been passed on painted traffic islands while traveling through school zones doing 30 Kmh, usually by someone in a Range Rover or Audi, as if being able to afford one of these vehicles exempts you from traffic laws or common sense. On Old McMillian Road through Panorama Ridge, I've had a handful of drivers in the past few years pass me on a double solid line into blind corners on this narrow and twisty road, while I was already driving above the posted speed limit. The worst one was actually a Translink shuttle bus who I reported to Translink and I never heard a word back from them, telling me they ignored this incompetent and dangerous bus driver. The latest game for those who do not follow the rules of the road is to pull into the left lane at an intersection and then hit the gas and go straight through, putting themselves in front of traffic while endangering everyone around them. These a-holes don't just need their license taken away, they need a punch to the head to reset their one-cell brain functions.

By far, the most concerning behaviour on our roads that I am frequently witnessing is the dangerous driving. I don't mean those people who make an honest mistake, screw up and make a complete idiot of themselves. I'm talking about those drivers who show no consideration for others safety, have a total lack of respect for the rules of the road and who treat the streets like their own private racetrack. Anything 40 Kmh over the speed limit can get your vehicle impounded but I am frequently seeing people driving at double the speed limit or higher. On Sunday night I watched a car with one headlight zig-zag through traffic on #10 Hwy (without signaling of course) and head into Cloverdale at over 100 Kmh in a 50 Kmh zone. In Chilliwack last week I saw a guy in a Dodge truck driving on the parallel road at speed 30 Kmh faster than I was doing on the freeway that was 110Kmh, which makes it 140Kmh in a 50 Kmh zone or nearly three times the limit. He passed a family in a minivan at warp speed and ended up sitting at a red light off Lickman Road where I passed him while he talked openly on his cell phone. I really could go on and on and on about the constant dangerous driving I witness on a damn near daily basis.

The lack of police presence on our roads seems to be a big contributor to this problem but there is a way of fighting back. If you see someone driving like an absolute douche-bag, realize that dangerous driving can be reported to the police. You can dial 911 and legally drive, just like in the old days, to help them direct officers to the offending vehicle. Having the plate number, colour and make of the vehicle, a description of the driver are paramount, plus speed and direction of travel. I've already helped take a couple of these road-warriors off the street, as has my mother out in Chilliwack who had a red sports car she saw racing impounded for a week. Whether its drunk drivers, street racers or dangerous drivers, I believe we all have a duty to get these idiots off our roads before they kill someone, possibly someone you love, or maybe even yourself.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

Editor's Note

Canada Road Safety Week.
http://globalnews.ca/news/3454355/gta-police-join-forces-to-kick-off-canada-road-safety-week/


Abbotsford cops released this dangerous driving video too.
http://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/abbotsford-police-post-scary-video-of-a-drunk-driver-ahead-of-road-safety-week

 

May 08, 2017

Your Vote Is Your Voice

Well here we are, only one sleep to go before the we know the results of the 2017 BC Provincial election. We have learned that polls are not to be trusted, that the electorate can be a fickle bunch, and in the end it is likely we will have a majority government elected by far less than fifty percent of eligible voters. While I may not be able to predict the outcome of the entire election, I'm going to go out on a limb and say with great certainty that Gordon Hogg will not be the MLA for Surrey-White Rock when all of the ballots are counted. In the end, the only person who could stop Mr. Hogg from winning here was the man himself when he announced back in October last year that he would not be seeking re-election. Five times Gordon was elected as our MLA, putting in two decades of public service, on top of his time spent as Councillor and Mayor in White Rock. To say that he will be missed as our representative in Victoria is an understatement but I suspect you will still see his smiling face around town at many civic events in the future.

Hogg's departure leaves this riding up for grabs and this election will show whether this is indeed a Liberal riding or simply a Gordon Hogg riding. In the last election four years ago Gordie was easily re-elected, beating the NDP candidate Susan Keeping by a wider-than 2:1 margin (58% to 27%). Back in 2009, Hogg won by an even greater margin of victory over the NDP's Drina Allen (62% to 27%). If you think those numbers are huge, imagine running as the BC Green Party candidate here in what was a Godzilla vs. Bambi battle. I know what it was like, signing up for the slaughter that saw me receive 8.87% of the vote here in the last election, up marginally from the 8.69% back in 2009. Knowing about the three strikes and you're out law, I was actually happy when White Rock realtor Bill Marshall stepped up to represent the Greens in this riding. To celebrate this weekend I spent time disassembling my stash of old election signs that I'd kept for eight years, many that were actually from former candidates dating back sixteen years with a new name plate attached to them. The stack of coreplast awaits recycling in the near future once this election is over.

In Surrey-White Rock, it is Tracy Redies for the Liberals, Niovi Patsicakis for the NDP, Bill Marshall for the Greens and Tom Bryant as an independent. Redies chairs the University of Victoria Board and is the former President and CEO of Coast Capital Savings. Mrs. Patsicakis is a retired teacher who tirelessly advocates for public education and social justice issues, running previously in 2014 for Surrey School Trustee. As previously noted, Bill Marshall is a White Rock realtor who previously ran for the Greens in Delta North in 2013. Not one of the south Surrey regions ridings will have an incumbent, with several playing a game of musical chairs and switching ridings. In Surrey Panorama, the Liberals will be represented by Puneet Sandhar, the NDP by Jinny Sims, Greens by Laurel Greer and Liz Galenzoski for the BC Refederation Party. Over in Surrey-Cloverdale, Marvin Hunt who was the former incumbent in Surrey-Panorama will again be running for the Libs, Rebecca Smith for the NDP, Aleksandra Muniak for the Greens and Peter Poelstra for the BC Libertarians. The newly created riding of Surrey-South will be hotly contested and features Stephanie Cadieux for the Liberals who vacated her seat in the Cloverdale riding, Jonathan Silveria for the NDP, Pascal Tremblay for the Greens, Josh Barrett for the Libertarians, Fabiola Palomio for Your Political Party and two independents, Gary Hee, and Peter Njenga. With seven people running for this seat you can't tell the players without a program, which is what this candidate listing is all about.

No matter who you want to represent you in Victoria for the next four years, the crucial part is to get out and actually vote. Many people took advantage of the six days of advance polls offered by Elections BC, with this past Saturday being your last chance to cast your ballot early. In what I hope is a good sign for voter turnout, over 614,000 people voted in advance of election day, a total of 19 percent of all registered voters. This is a marked increase from 2013 that saw almost 366,000 cast their vote early, or 11 percent of the registered voters. Ten ridings this year have seen voter turnout over 10,000, including six on Vancouver Island where the Green Party is making inroads. The top riding in the province was Saanich North and the Islands, with 12,380 early voters in this riding that is expected to be a tight three-way race. Closer to home, in Surrey-Newton where Harry Bains of the NDP is the incumbent, fully 25.26 percent of eligible voters cast their ballot before election day, the highest number recorded in BC. In Surrey-White Rock, 9,337 people cast an early ballot, a surprising 22.5% of registered voters.

It is important to keep in mind that only 57% of eligible voters bothered to cast ballots in the last election, meaning that if the 43% of non-voters had cast ballots for the "None-of-the-Above Party" or even the old anti-establishment Rhinoceros Party, they easily would have won the election. While it seems that political parties get elected and then flagrantly disregard their constituents for four years, election day is when they can finally be held accountable. This is your time to decide if the ruling government party has been doing their job or if the winds of change are blowing and it is time to let someone else take the reigns of power (I know its "reins" but "reigns" seemed more appropriate). So take the time, make your mark and ensure that you are part of the democratic process. Considering how the decisions that governments make can affect your life, I view not exercising your right to vote as an abdication of your personal responsibility and freedom.

Will Christie Clark and the Liberals continue their dynasty, stretching it to 20 years? Will the NDP under John Horgan finally get back into power after being shut out since they were decimated in 2001 and went from the ruling party to only having two seats? Will climate change scientist Andrew Weaver and his upstart Green Party get more than their leader elected to the Legislature this time? Will someone get elected as an independent, with Vicky Huntington in Delta South stepping down as the first one since 1949? When I went to the Magic 8 Ball website at http://www.ask8ball.net/ and asked "Will the Liberals win the 2017 election" it answered back "Without a doubt." The same question but with the NDP winning instead resulted in a "Signs point to yes" response. Of course I had to ask "Will the BC Greens win more than one seat" and the Magic 8 Ball told me "Outlook not so good." For answers a little more concrete and scientific, tune in on Tuesday night to see the final results of BC Election 2017.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

May 01, 2017


Fit To Be Tied

"Ooooh that smell
Can't you smell that smell
Ooooh that smell
The smell of death surrounds you
"
Lyrics to "That Smell" by Lynyrd Skynyrd

It's amazing how time flies when you are having fun! It was in the spring six years ago when the BNSF Railway last installed new creosoted railway ties across the Semiahmoo peninsula, up through Delta and onward to New Westminster. At that time I wrote three The Naked Truth columns on this contentious issue and they are still available online for your viewing pleasure simply by scrolling down to the following dates: May 9, 2011 - "All Fired Up About Pollution", April 4, 2011 - "Creosoaked" (part of Fantastic Four) and March 28, 2011 - "The Ties That Bind". While bang on with the TNT column content, I must admit I seem to have a one track mind and a predilection for cheesy story titles. At that time, a total of 22,000 sleepers as the wooden ties are called by those in the railroad business were being replaced.

Gus Melonas, the spokesperson for the BNSF Railway in this region called me last week to give me the details on this new round of tie replacement. I had noticed that the tie plates holding rotten and cracked ties had recently been marked with orange spray paint and knew that tie replacement was once again being done. When I last went to the beach, stacks of fresh creosoted ties had been dropped by the side of the tracks in preparation for the upcoming maintenance. Mr. Melonas informed me that this time 13,000 ties were being replaced from the border up to New Westminster. This work will commence this week with the arrival of a 40 person tie crew this week, operating a host of machines including a tie extractor/inserter. He expects this safety upgrade will take up to three weeks, with up to 1,500 ties being replaced within a six hour window of free track time. It is expected that the total cost for this track upgrade will be in the $2.5 Mil to $3 Mil range and that's in US dollars, not the Canadian peso.

Of course, there are issues with using creosoted ties here as I have already wrote about. Taken directly from the three previous TNT's on this subject back in 2011, here are the dangers and what to possibly expect from the last time that thousands of sleepers were installed here.

Creosote chemical hazards and health problems - The Ties That Bind.
Creosote is a witches brew of various chemicals derived from the distillation of coal tar that has been used since the 1800's by industry to protect telephone poles, marine pilings and railroad ties from wood-boring insects, foul weather and rot. Exposure to creosote can cause a wide array of serious health effects and eating food or drinking water contaminated with this compound causes a burning in the mouth and throat along with stomach pain and vomiting. Contact with skin results in first degree chemical burns while getting it in your eyes can damage the cornea. Accidental poisonings are known to cause mental confusion, convulsions, kidney and liver problems, unconsciousness and even death. The vapours can cause burning of the respiratory tract along with skin rashes and increased sensitivity to sunlight. Skin cancer and cancer of the scrotum have also resulted from long exposure to low levels of creosote, especially through direct contact with the skin. Both the International Agency for Research on Cancer and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency have identified coal tar creosote as a probable human carcinogen.

Creosote leaching into the environment along the tracks and Semiahmoo Bay - Creosoaked.
Worms and insects have surfaced from the ground and died in the toxic footprint of the new ties, leaving piles of dead bodies entangled with the yellowing vegetation that is also dying. After only one rain, the new ties have leached creosote oil four to five inches laterally out from the wood so that crushed ballast rock between two fresh ties is completely saturated. As to how far this fresh wood preservative has penetrated into the ground, I`m sure a test dig by geologists would quickly give results. What many people fail to realize is that the BNSF Railway was originally built on the intertidal zone of the beach here, ensuring that any chemicals released from the wooden ties will likely be washed down onto the shore and into the ocean waters. The old ties are now awaiting pickup next to the rails, also stacked neatly in drainage ditches next to the tracks. You`ve got to look on the bright side - you won`t need to bring sun tan oil to the beach this summer and the creosote will give your skin a dark brown colour that won`t easily wash off! As the delusional Charlie Sheen would say, "Winning!"

People burning old ties for firewood along Semiahmoo and Crescent Rock beaches - All Fired Up About Pollution
Besides polluting the air, land and sea, burning creosoted railway ties also exposes people standing near these fires to many of the dangerous chemicals that they contain. While railroad ties have weathered by the time they are retired by the railroads, the U.S. EPA recommends wearing long sleeves, pants and gloves when handling them and washing these separately from other clothing. Long-term, direct skin exposure to the coal tar creosote in railroad ties has been linked to cancer of the skin and scrotum - not exactly the type of stuff you want laying around at Surrey's nude beach. The EPA also cautions against burning old railroad ties which can release toxins in the air that can be dangerous to respiratory health. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are among 300 chemicals in creosote and are the same as those contained in cigarette smoke, a known carcinogen.

Unfortunately with having an industrial railway running alongside the main marine recreational site for over a million people means that those coming to the beach this spring will have to deal with the smell of the fresh creosoted ties. That is simply the price we must pay for the decision of our forefathers over a hundred years ago to move the tracks from their original inland route near 176 St. in Hazelmere to the flat shoreline route across White Rock and Crescent Beach. With an average of 3,500 railway ties per mile of track, this means the 14 km. of track from the Peace Arch to the Crescent Beach trestle holds a little over 30,000 sleepers. Throw in the remaining BNSF tracks to New West, the multiple sidings that have been installed along Colebrook Road and the Watershed Park, all of the CN Tracks along Panorama Ridge plus the SRY line through Surrey and you get an idea of how many of these toxic ties are in our region.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

April 25, 2017

White Rock Craziness - It's The Water (Part 3)

The very first The Naked Truth I wrote for the White Rock Sun way back in July of 2009 was not surprisingly about Crescent Rock Beach and the Guinness Book world record attempt for most people skinny-dipping. The second column was titled "White Rock Craziness - It's The Water", a tongue-in-cheek piece about how questionable decisions from City Hall were likely due to exposure to the presence of the dangerous chemical dihydrogen monoxide (DMHO) found in the EPCOR water system. In case you missed the joke folks, that's H2O. This TNT is still posted for your viewing pleasure if you scroll down to the very dark cellar of the WR Sun archives. It ends with the line "When people ask you to explain 'What the hell is going on with politics in White Rock?' remember to tell them, 'Its the water!'." Little did I know at the time how often the issue of water quality and its delivery in the City By The Sea would become an ongoing story. As the famous French journalist Jean Baptiste Alphonse Karr said in this translated quote, "The more things change, the more they stay the same."

By far the most contentious water issue was the purchase of the White Rock water distribution system from EPCOR in 2015 for an undisclosed amount of money and a non-disclosure agreement by both parties to not release financial details about the sale until ten days after the next civic election in 2018. It was this secrecy over one of the largest asset purchases in White Rock history plus hiding of the agreement until far in the future that really set off alarm bells in the community. Mayor and Council all voted for this in a closed-door meeting, something that has unnerved and upset the residents of White Rock as many felt this was not an issue that should have warranted an in-camera meeting in the first place. With an advance $14 million payment that was finally revealed and the true cost still to be determined by future arbitration, the civic debt resulting from for this deal and questions about whether it was a logical business choice remain. Since that time, this decision has been the focus of numerous Freedom of Information (FOI) requests to the City of White Rock by various residents and appeals to the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner (OIPC) when information was withheld or heavily redacted.

In a stunning decision issued on April 12th by OIPC adjudicator Chelsea Lott, The City of White Rock has been ordered to release information to White Rock resident Ross Buchannan on its decision to purchase the city water utility from EPCOR. The OIPC gave the City until May 29th to give him access to all withheld records pertinent to the inquiry. This fight began in April of 2015 with a Freedom of Information Request seeking information on the City's decision not to tap into Metro Vancouver water supplies and instead purchase the private water system already in place in White Rock. The City did supply some records to him but refused to disclose information because of claimed local public body confidences, harm to financial or economic interests of a public body, harm to third party business interests and solicitor client privilege under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA). The information in dispute from 2013 was an agenda for an April 4 Metro Vancouver Utilities Committee meeting, minutes of a Feb. 28 Met-Van UC meeting, a three-page staff report to Mayor and Council dated June 10, and a staff report on the business case for acquisition of the water utility that included purchase price and estimated costs. In her final decision, Mr. Lott required White Rock to give the FOI applicant access to all of the requested information it had previously withheld from him.

Even more shocking was the decision about whether the EPCOR purchase decision should have been made behind closed doors in the first place. White Rock argued that the OIPC lacked the jurisdiction to decide the lawfulness of a public body's decision to close a meeting to the public. This came from the most secretive local government in the province that I've been told has held an in-camera meeting before every Council meeting. The OIPC disagreed and looked at whether Council had the authority to close the June 10, 2013 meeting to the public. Since White Rock submitted no meeting minutes or evidence from the participants about the conduct of the meeting, plus no mention in the Corporate Report to its existence, it was found that they did not have the statutory authority to close the meeting to the public. While it is heady reading, you can check out all of the 18 pages of legaleze and the devil in the details on the IOPC website (oipc.bc.ca) regarding this case and the decision at the following link: https://www.oipc.bc.ca/orders/2034. You should note that White Rock could hold its cards to its chest and appeal this decision instead of releasing the requested documents by the end of May.

In case this story wasn't enough for you, it will get even more absurd at Monday night's scheduled Council meeting when Greg St. Louis, White Rock's Director of Engineering and Municipal Operations, gives his Corporate Report to Council titled Water Quality Secondary Disinfection in the Distribution System. In my Dec. 28, 2015 TNT titled "White Rock Craziness - It's The Water (Part 2)", I outlined the dangers of chloramine being used as a disinfectant, and that was before well known environmental lawyer Erin Brockovich linked its use to outbreaks of Legionnaires disease from public water utilities. While WR Council voted down the use of chloramine in January of 2016, Mr. St. Louis will announce that ammonia will soon be added to the Oxford reservoir, combining with the chlorine disinfectant to produce chloramine. You can read all of the details of this report on the White Rock city website (whiterockcity.ca) at the following link, scrolling down to page 37 to find it: http://www.whiterockcity.ca/assets/Committees/Land~Use~and~Planning/2017/2017-04-24%20Regular%20Agenda%20FULL.pdf

The real bombshell in this report is that the chlorine added to the Merklin reservoir has combined with naturally occurring ammonia present in the well water there, producing chloramine ever since 2010. They hope this will improve the water aesthetics but it will unfortunately render the tap water toxic to aquatic life and possibly cause skin and respiratory irritation for some of those using it. For more information about chloramine and its use as a public water supply disinfectant, go to Citizens Concerned About Chloramine (CCAC) at chloramine.org

If the water quality issues, continued secrecy from City Hall and questionable decisions from civic leaders have you ready to move out or wanting to rejoin Surrey, you may want to attend the next Democracy Direct meeting, April 26, 7 p.m. at the White Rock library. Don't be surprised if I happen to show up dressed in my "Support White Rock" t-shirt to gauge the mood of the public and champion for open and transparent government. I'll be bringing my own pure, clean and clear Surrey water with me. Ahhh..., now that's refreshing!

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

April 18, 2017

Psst..., Hey Buddy..., Wanna Buy Some Farmland?

Green acres is the place to be
Farm living is the life for me
Land spreading out,
so far and wide
Keep Manhattan,
just give me that countryside.

"Green Acres" theme song lyrics by Vic Mizzy

After seeing how real estate speculators, foreign investors and real estate tycoons have driven up residential and commercial real estate prices here, I decided to take a peek around the farming areas of Surrey where new Mc-mansions are constantly popping up to see if farm prices reflect the reality of crop production costs in the Agricultural Land Reserve. It is wise to remember that the Agricultural Land Commission was formed to preserve the 5% of land in BC that is arable, with property tax breaks going to those land owners whose land is classified as farmland. While generally taxed on values of $10,000 - $20,000 per acre, it is not uncommon to see smaller parcels selling for $150,000 to $200,000 an acre, still peanuts compared to lots in a residential subdivision.

In the city of Richmond, their Council is currently contemplating what to do about mega-mansions being built on farmland where properties are often being sold for nearly ten times their property assessment that is based on soil conditions for crop production. A Globe and Mail study done last year found that nearly 60 percent of ALR properties in Richmond were being purchased by investors or speculators, not farmers, driving the price for these lands to stratospheric levels. Houses of 10,000 to 25,000 square feet have been popping up like a crop of mushrooms, often with no one living in them or sitting empty most of the year. Demand is also spiraling out of control since properties of more than two acres can keep their farm status and accompanying tax breaks as long as they sell a minimum of only $2,500 worth of agricultural products per year. Not surprisingly, a quarter of farms in Metro Vancouver only meet those minimum requirements, including a friend of mine with two houses on ten acres who pays $800 in property taxes per year because of land he leases to a neighbour for hay production.

With most single family lots in surrey costing between $750,000 and $1.5 million, it is amazing how much farmland you can buy with plenty of room for your large house. Fortunately back in 2012 Surrey placed controls over the size of the building lot and its location with it Farm Home Plate bylaw. Now you are limited to half an acre of land for house and yard and it must be close to the street, ending the practice of long driveways cutting farms in two and creating drainage problems. Even still, it is amazing to see the grand palatial homes that have been erected on ALR lands in Surrey. Using Surrey's COSMOS site (cosmos.surrey.ca) with it aerial photographs to locate properties, you simply take the address and then feed it into the e-valueBC website (evaluebc.bcassessment.ca) to check out property and house sizes plus the assessed values. Here are some places I know about from my travels around Surrey with some of the rather surprising if not shocking values tied to these properties.

15832 Colebrook Road: 11 acres valued at only $204,000, featuring a 7,700 sq. ft. house with 8 bedrooms and 8 bathrooms at $734,000. As a bonus, it features a large truck park on ALR land, something that I've been told is not allowed yet it has been on site for years. Surrey's spy satellite image on COSMOS shows 6 tractor trailer rigs with a total of 17 cars parked outside and no one working in the fields.

4609 152 Street: Room to grow on this parcel measuring 49 acres plus room to relax with a 9,750 Sq. Ft. house featuring 6 bedrooms and 11 baths. The land is valued at $446,500 (under 10 grand an acre) with the stylish abode worth a whopping $3,786,000. You may have marveled at this hotel-like house that features many bright led lights all along the soffits of the building that are tough to ignore at night while driving.

5228 157 Street: On a little side street south of Panorama Ridge, this 7 acres of flat farmland is valued at a paltry $127,000. With this savings, you can build your dream home which is what happened with a massive 10,200 sq. ft. home on this property featuring 11 bedrooms and 12 bathrooms valued at $950.000.

15454 Colebrook Road: The best of the bunch in my estimation, this farm features a long tree lined driveway and a house built on the banks of the Serpentine River. The 21.4 acres of well tended and manicured blueberry bushes is valued at only $61,500 ($2,875 per acre) with a 6,200 sq. ft. home featuring 4 bedrooms and 7 baths at $718,000. A beautiful home and farm that looks well maintained and professionally run.

5330 160 St. This years price increase winner, it's land value last year was a measley $14,600 for 6.8 acres of land with a mow-down house that has recently been razed. Due to a recent $1,510,000 sale, its new evaluebc rating is $1,428,000 for a mind-boggling increase of 4,728% in one year because it lost its farm status by not being utilized. It makes the 40% increase seen by most single-family dwelling owners in Surrey last year seem like chicken feed.

With the breaks that farm owners are receiving through much lower property taxes, I would hope that the folks who choose the country life work the land and keep up with food production for the masses. It is great to have lots of land and a big house but if you are going to buy farmland, it should be with the idea of actually producing an agricultural commodity, ensuring better food security in the future. For those who choose to let the land sit fallow and unproductive, prepare for your property taxes to reflect the change in land use and your tax rates to increase substantially. With the Lower Mainland having some of the best arable land in Canada, it is a shame to see it wasted by those with little or no interest in actual farming.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

April 10 2017

Creeping Me Out

SCC President Ryan Laforge confronting alleged sexual predator Kelly Bhatti

I must admit that I get a warm sense of satisfaction every time I turn on Global TV and see another report about the Surrey Creep Catchers (SCC) confronting yet another suspected pedophile. The reason is that the SCC graphic that they use on the news reports was one that I created for the group with their logo and bars with the "Support Surrey Creep Catchers" proudly displayed. This was provided free of charge since I had a similar design for a Surrey shirt for many years based on motorcycle gang colours as in the TV series Sons of Anarchy. It was my little show of support for the underground work this dedicated and fearless team of crime-fighters (some say "vigilantes", not me) has been accomplishing that includes the arrest of Surrey RCMP officer Const. Dario Devic for two sex crimes late last year.

Last week marked a new low for the trolls who plague internet chat rooms looking for sex with underage teenagers or children. In case you missed the sickening news coverage, last Monday evening the SCC were able to lure a man to a meeting under the pretext of having sex with a mother and her six year-old daughter. Even the SCC staffers were shocked as this is the first time they have encountered this twisted scenario in all their time searching for online predators. One of their head baiters, a lady named Nicole Hunter, met with the man in question in a fast food restaurant at a local Surrey mall to seal the deal that had been arranged for a measly fifty bucks. While I choose not to reveal the methods the SCC uses to catch these bottom-feeders, it took a week of online communication to lure this predatory fish in out of the shadows.

You may have seen edited snippits of the last take down on TV news coverage but the entire 21 minute video of the confrontation and citizen's arrest is posted for all to see on the Surrey Creep Catcher Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/surreycreepcatcher/). You have to scroll down to the April 3rd date to watch the entire event that includes the citizen's arrest of the man in question and the arrival of the RCMP officers. I must warn you that some of the language would make a sailor blush and comments made by Nicole Hunter about the man offering to purchase lubricant for the child are extremely disturbing. With media attention on this story and social media spreading the news, this video titled "Goof pays for sex with 6 year old girl" has been viewed a remarkable 229,000 time and counting when I wrote this piece. Showing their level of community support for their cause, the Surrey Creep Catchers have over 20,000 likes, with myself, my wife Sheryl, plus many of our family members and friends included.

The suspect at the centre of the video was arrested because of evidence provided by SCC member's cell phones in the way of videos and chat logs. On last Thursday Kuljinder Singh Bhatti, (also known as Kelly Bhatti) a 35 year-old man from Burnaby was charged with child luring and making an arrangement with a person for a sex offence with a minor. It has been reported that Mr. Bhatti is married with no children and that he worked as a realtor with Sutton Centre Realty on Boundary Road where he has since resigned from last week. Surrey Creep Catcher President Ryan LaForge was also arrested and is being investigated for assault after the confrontation with Mr. Bhatti for pushing him as he tried to leave the scene. He was released on a promise to appear and it is hoped that no charges will be filed before his next court date once the video of the citizen's arrest is reviewed by Crown Counsel. Considering the seriousness of the allegations against Mr Bhatti, I believe that Mr. LaForge and other SCC members there showed great restraint in holding him until the police arrived.

I contacted Ryan Laforge via FB Messenger since the RCMP had once again taken his phones for evidence and we chatted online about this SCC bust, the disgusting details of this latest sting, and how maybe it was time for the RCMP to accompany them when meeting these alleged online predators. Because of all the pending court action he had little to state on the record and I would not want to write anything here that would jeopardize any future legal proceedings. I should note that while Mr. Bhatti has been charged by Surrey RCMP’s Special Victims Unit, he has not yet been convicted of any sex crime. When I asked Mr. Laforge if he had something he wanted to say to the readers of the White Rock Sun, he wrote back the following: "For all those who keep telling us how to do our job... until you do something, better support or keep quiet. And for those who support and wish to help make a difference, we have a fundraiser and need you to attend."

The SCC fundraiser is on April 28th, 6:30 p.m. at the Columbia, home of Lafflines Comedy Club at 530 Columbia St. in New Westminster, followed by an evening of live music at the nearby Magnetiq Club Lounge at 27 Church St. with Split2nd, Chunky D and Boss Records providing the entertainment. Details are on the SCC Facebook page with tickets available by phone at 604-343-5882. Come out and meet the brave men and women who are devoting their time and energy to making the streets of Surrey a safer place for our children by exposing online sexual exploitation. Make a donation, buy a t-shirt or hoody, sign up for the silent auction, or get lucky in the toonie toss. More than anything, relax and have a good time with the SCC folks who need to unwind and have a little fun after dealing with the worst that the world-wide-web has to offer.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

April 3, 2017

BNSF Buries Nude Beach

Tuesday's rain event in Vancouver broke a record set in 1956 for the most precipitation for March 28th, with nearly 30 mm falling at the YVR airport. When the month ended we had 26 days of precipitation, nearly double the average rainfall total and the third wettest March on record. Here in the Semiahmoo peninsula, over 50 mm of rain fell in a 48 hour period on ground that was already near saturation levels. I keep a rain gauge on our patio because after ten years of inspecting mud slides onto the BNSF tracks, I've come to realize that anything over 2 inches or 50 mm of rain in a two-day period is likely to initiate ground motion on the Ocean Park bluff above the railway tracks. Checking the gauge on Wednesday morning with it still pissing outside, I called WR Sun Editor Dave Chesney to let him know that slides here should be expected. It was no surprise when he phoned me near lunchtime to report that several mudslides had already happened and that the tracks were presently closed to rail traffic.

On Saturday, I put on my hard hat, high-viz vest, steel toed boots, grabbed my cell phone, camera plus road flares and made my way to the slide zones to inspect the slope failure sites. There were four slides in total along the naturist Crescent Rock beach, the biggest two being 400 m. south of the Christopherson Steps (101 Steps) at the west end of 24 Ave. and the other 300 m. north of the 1001 Steps at the west end of 15A Ave in south Surrey. The one near Crescent Beach came down from a steep hillside that has been the scene of multiple slides over the years, while the one near Ocean Park originated from where trees on the slope had been severely topped for views of residents at the hill top. On the way to this slide, several tsarist were actively working illegally cutting trees on the railway corridor and dropping branches into the ditch next to the tracks, something I reported to Surrey Bylaws and the BNSF Police, initiating investigations by both on a property in the 1800 block of Ocean Park Road.

In their haste to clean and reopen the tracks, the BNSF Railway has once again excavated landslide debris from the base of the Ocean Park bluffs beside the rail bed and then dumped this material onto the ecologically sensitive shoreline of Crescent Rock beach in Boundary Bay with mud and trees covering the waterfront. Unfortunately the pile of trees and mud near the 120 tonne Crescent Rock boulder buried an area of sand used by naturists for nude sunbathing during the summer months, decreasing the already limited clothing-optional recreational spots in this popular area. These incidents were reported to the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Habitat Division for further investigation, since it is illegal to dump debris of this nature onto the tidal areas. Imagine what would happen if you backed up a dump truck of muddy fill onto the sands of Crescent Beach or White Rock beach and dumped it. Besides being castigated in local newspapers and social media, it is very likely that you would be charged for damaging the marine environment by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO).

This is now the third time in the last decade that the BNSF has purposely buried the Crescent Rock beach in mudslide debris. In March of 2007 the Railway also dumped slide material onto the waterfront with a DFO investigation at that time finding the BNSF in violation of the Fisheries Act for habitat destruction. While the Railway was not made to remove this material as DFO feared it would only cause more environmental devastation, they warned the BNSF that this practice was unacceptable and to not dump debris from mudslides onto the tidal area of the beach. In March of 2009 the BNSF Railway repeated this pattern of illegal dumping, excavating slide debris from a large mudslide near Kwomais Point onto the shoreline of Semiahmoo Bay. A dead sea otter was found directly adjacent to the large pile of mud and trees, likely having been killed during the excavation. Even with garbage including old tires being part of the mess, no charges were laid or fines collected in this case, even with the previous warning.

The Department of Fisheries and Ocean has been notified of this third dumping incident in the past decade. I'm hoping that this time that if the BNSF is found in violation of the Fisheries Act for habitat destruction that charges will be laid. This is what happened in 2012 when the BNSF was charged for habitat destruction dumping tonnes of rock along Cougar Creek in North Delta, resulting in a fine of $75,000 several years later when this matter went to court. I will be monitoring DFO's response to ensure the BNSF Railway removes this latest landslide debris from the beach and is fined for its continued disregard for the marine environment of Boundary Bay. For those people looking to have these antiquated and dangerous tracks relocated to a safer inland location, this is yet another example of how landslides from the bluff threaten passing trains and shows the lack of environmental responsibility by this American railway for our laws and waters.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

March 27, 2017

Bird In A Cage

 

Spring has now sprung but you would hardly notice it by listening for the sounds of songbirds in our neighbourhood here in the Semiahmoo peninsula. Years ago you could rise in the morning well before dawn and hear a cacophony of songs from birds throughout the tree canopy with their varied songs mixing together like some absurd kind of symphony. While there are still a few shrill songs being sung, it is painfully noticeable that songbirds are experiencing a serious decline in this parts with many reasons being behind this steady drop in their numbers.

Since the 1960's there has been a mass depletion of songbirds in the Americas, with international birding experts believing that we may now have half the number of songbirds that flew in our skies only 50 years ago. The main case for this great loss is human interference from a wide variety of sources. More than anything, habitat destruction all along migratory routes is believed to be the main case of the alarming reduction in numbers. Pet cats allowed to roam free outside are taking a heavy toll as these well fed expert hunters practice their instinctive behavior. Tall high-rise buildings with walls of glass kill an estimated billion songbirds a year throughout North America. Neocolonialist insecticides are thought to be killing off beneficial insects that songbirds feed on, making successful breeding and feeding of their young less certain. Light pollution from buildings and industry affect songbird nighttime migrations, with many birds flying into lit buildings, greenhouses and even natural gas flares by the thousands.

With all of the new modern residential construction happening now in the Semiahmoo peninsula, there is a local problem here that is contributing to the songbird death toll. Last summer at our house we renovated our sundecks, replacing the sun-bleached vinyl and taking down the rotten wooden railings that were a bad accident just waiting to happen. We wanted a more permanent solution and looked at a variety of options, finally choosing standard aluminum bar railings that have been used in residential construction for some time. Relatively inexpensive, strong and sturdy, they make balconies and patios safe while needing very little care to keep clean. What we didn't pick was the more modern aluminum railings with glass panels that offer folks unobstructed views from inside their homes. The reason was that I know many people who have these railings and have found them to be notorious bird killers.

The issue is using these glass railings at the edge of the house where they appear invisible to birds flying through the yard. Even worse are patios extending out from the house where the entire corner is covered in glass with birds being able to see through the double panes of glass. I had a customer who got so upset at the number of dead birds they found on the corner of their house that they took out the glass panels and had them acid etched so they were visible to birds, ending this problem. If you have glass railings on your patio, the worst thing you can do is to clean the glass, especially in spring, making them impossible for birds to see. Also hanging bird feeders near them invites accidents from birds trying to fly at the seeds which have fallen to the balcony. For architects, builders and home owners, your view vanity may come with a heavy price for birds and the rather unpleasant job of having to deal with their small feathered bodies found near the glass on a frequent basis.

If you already have glass railings, don't worry if they get a little dirty as at least they are more visible. If you have bird feeders, simply move them off the deck and out into the yard where they can still be enjoyed without killing our feathered friends. Bird screen or netting can be hung from problem glass panels, improving visibility and providing a cushion should birds hit them. There are a variety of semi-transparent vinyl films from companies such as CollidEscape, Sunshieldpros and All Window Dressing Etc. that can be installed to dramatically reduce bird strikes while still allowing for views. Anti-collision vinyl decals can be purchased at the Wild Bird Centre but they need to be placed fairly close together to be effective (the hawk shape has shown to be useless). Strings hung like a curtain in front of glass panels deter birds and these can be purchased or easily crafted at home. Translucent bird tape can be applied in stripes to the glass making it visible. Decals, liquids and specially coated glass that reflect ultraviolet light, which birds can see but we can’t, are also available. For the cheapest solution simply use a bar of soap or tempera paint to mark stripes on the glass, no more than four inches apart vertically or two inches horizontally.

If building a new home consider using the more traditional bar railings like we did, or if you must have glass panels for whatever reason, get them shaded, etched, or UV reflective coated. If you already have standard glass panels on your decks, please take some steps to reduce the possibility of bird strikes. If you find dead birds by your glass, realize that it is estimated that only half die immediately, with the other half succumbing to concussions or broken bones soon after. For large plate glass windows in the house, keep blinds down but open for light or hang sheers, allowing light in but for the glass to be seen. When you look at new homes being built here and the amount of glass used in modern construction, you suddenly realize that when all of these houses are added up, there are acres and acres of glass waiting for unsuspecting birds to smash into. It is up to us as homeowners to ensure that our feathered friends are able to live to flight another day.

For more information on this problem and how to safeguard migratory birds, please visit FLAP Canada (Fatal Light Awareness Program) at flap.org where they have a counter showing the estimated number of songbirds that have died in window collisions across North America since you visited their website. In the time that it took to write this TNT, the counter was already over 100,000 birds and rising.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

March 20. 2017

Spring Has Sprung, BOING!

After enduring double our normal snowfall similar to the years 1996 and 2008, plus temperatures a full two degrees Celcius colder than normal, it is nice to put winter in the rear view mirror and finally say hello to spring. Not surprisingly the last day of winter had to go out with a bang, with snow falling throughout many of the high points of Surrey and Coquitlam on Sunday morning. Sorry to say but don't be surprised if you have to scrape the windows of your vehicle on Monday morning as it is likely to be frosty with clear skies and a low temperature of only 1-2 degrees forecast.

Monday, March 20 is the spring or vernal equinox (Latin for equal night) and if you had set your clock for 3:29 a.m. this morning when it occurred you would have awoken to dark night skies wondering what the fuss was all about. At the celestial equator, the imaginary line above the true equator of the earth, the sun would be exactly over that defined point at that very moment. Keep in mind that due to their being 365.242 days in the Gregorian calendar the vernal equinox can happen on March 19th, 20th or 21st, with the first day of spring varying accordingly (fall equinox this year is on Sept. 22). Most people believe that equinox is the day when the hours of darkness and light are the same but due to the tilt of the earth and refraction in the atmosphere, daylight is actually over 11 minutes longer than night in mid-temperate latitudes. The little known equilux where daylight and nighttime are closest to 12 hours occurs slightly before the spring equinox and just after the fall equinox, with this happening four days earlier on March 17 in White Rock. Sunrise today in White Rock is at 7:13 a.m. and sunset at 7:24 p.m. with solar noon (the highest point of the sun that day) at 1:18 p.m. if you want to get an early start on your tan.

With the arrival of spring, daylight is increasing at 3 minutes and 38 seconds every day, meaning longer days, warmer temperatures, the reawakening of plants and blossoms with migratory birds returning and others starting mating rituals. As a time associated with the change of season, many people celebrate the spring equinox by observing sunrise and sunset, celebrating our sun-star whether it is blue skies or cloudy. Others observe this important day by purchasing colourful flowers for the kitchen table to go with the brighter days of spring. For gardeners it is the first official day of spring clean-up for the yard and also a good time to consider planting early season seeds in containers that can sprout on a windowsill soaking up the sunshine. With spring closely associated with rebirth and fertility, the vernal equinox is a great day to make love with your partner, whether you're trying to get pregnant or just celebrating the day in a romantic way.

It is interesting to note that the sun will rise and set directly to the east and west today, allowing you to pinpoint local geographical references on the horizon that you can use the rest of the year to tell direction. Ancient civilizations took note of this with the Egyptians orientating the Great Sprinx of Giza so that it stares directly into the sun on the equinox morning. At Chichen Itza in Mexico, the shadow of the snake god is visible at the end of the day with shadows from the staircases of the El Castillo pyramid creating an undulating pattern known as the descent of Kulkukan leading to the large carved snake heads at its base. On mid-day of equinox at Macchu Picu in Peru, the sun sits directly above the Intihuatana stone (meaning 'hitching post of the sun') leaving no shadow, marking this celestial event. At Angkor Wat in Cambodia, the sun rises directly over the central tower spire when viewed from in front of the western entrance at equinox. Druids, Pagans and Wiccans are drawn to Stonehenge in England to celebrate the spring and fall equinoxes, plus the summer solstice when the sun rises over the distant heel stone when viewed from inside the circle of stones.

The spring equinox is also important to modern religions with this date playing an important role in Christianity. According to the Bible, Jesus's death and resurrection happened around the time of the Jewish Passover, which was celebrated on the first full moon after spring equinox. If equinox falls on a Sunday, then Easter is delayed a full week so as not to coincide with Passover. Because of this, Easter fluctuates more than a month with it being celebrated this year on Sunday, April 16th. Going off the modern western Gregorian calendar, Easter can happen as early as March 22nd and as late as April 25th, with the last March 22nd date occurring back in 1818 and the the next happening way off in the future in the year 2285, a span of an amazing 467 years. The latest date for Easter is April 25th with the previous one happening in 1943 during World War 2 and the next not too far away at 2038, a spread of 95 years.

For Greenies and environmentalists, the spring equinox also marks the first celebration of Earth Day, with the second held a month later on April 22. The celebration of Equinox Earth Day was first proposed by noted peace active John McConnell at the UNESCO Conference in San Francisco back in 1969. His concept was this special day would honour the planet earth and the concept of world peace. The first celebrations were held on the first day of spring in 1970 with an official proclamation signed by the UN Secretary General in 1971. The traditional observance of Earth Day on the spring equinox is the ringing of the Japanese Peace Bell in New York, a United Nations peace symbol made with coins donated from children in all continents, with other bells being rung in countries across the world. It is noteworthy to realize that both the spring and fall equinox dates in Japan are celebrated as national holidays in that country.

For all of the wonderful things associated with the spring equinox, there is one danger that you need to keep in mind. With the sun directly in line with our east/west streets, you can be blinded by the rising or setting sun or have it light up brake lights or traffic signal lenses making for dangerous driving conditions. Of course, this is the Lower Mainland and it likely will be cloudy with showers, rain, or this year maybe even a few lingering flurries but this hazard is something you should keep in mind if the sun does happens to show itself at either sunrise or sunset.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

March 13, 2017

Get The Funk Out

 

To be quite honest, I moved into south Surrey to be closer to the beach, get fresher air, plus enjoy more sunshine and the warmer temperatures that come with life in the Semiahmoo peninsula. As someone who has always loved attending live musical performances, it turned out that I got the double bonus with many locations in town offering a wide variety of acts to choose from. This weekend was a case in point with the Eagles Eyes tribute band playing at the Blue Frog Studio, Nearly Neil doing his Neil Diamond tribute act at the "Club 240" Crescent Beach Legion, and the Big Easy Funk Ensemble (BEFE) doing their thing at the historic Ocean Park Hall. While it normally would have been a "pick em" decision as to who to go see, it was the Ocean Park Hall where my wife Sheryl and I had our wedding reception with plenty of funk on the marital music menu, so deciding to go see BEFE was dare I say an "easy" choice.

This show was produced by the Legion of Sound (legionofsound.com) who's motto is "we bring great music to small cities" that currently includes White Rock/South Surrey, Cloverdale and Langley. Saturday's show was the fourth one in the last month at the Ocean Park Hall, with more bands being booked for the upcoming weekends. They are building a concert program starting with a strong mailing list of guests who join their free subscription to receive concert alerts plus help drum up community support. You can join their team of promoters where you can help grow their fan base, make extra money, get free tickets to shows and other benefits. They even have an all ages club and corporate memberships with perks available for friends and staff of local companies. It was at the White Rock Beach Beer Co. where I first met their producer Dave ©eertz with tickets for their shows available at this craft beer lounge on Russel St., at the Sandpiper Liquor Store on Johnson Rd. and at Ethical Addictions Apparel in Ocean Park just across 128 St. from the OP Hall. Tickets were only $20, which includes one drink ticket valued at $5, making for a very affordable night of live entertainment.

The Big Easy Funk Ensemble was as advertised and they brought their refined New Orleans sound to the stage, mixing genres of funk, jazz and blues. This nine member band featuring the amazing Chris Berry (lead vocals) channeling everyone from Joe Cocker to Eminem, rhythm section with Reece Worth (guitar), Eric Stephenson (bass), Tyler Gibson (keyboards/organ), Ryan Davis (drums), and Jeffrey Kornblum (percussion). Filling out that Louisiana vibe was their horn section featuring Kevin Tang (trombone) and Ryan Naso (trumpet), with Andrew Benton (Sax) unfortunately unable to attend the gig. It really was like a big Mardi Gras party, complete with plenty of flashy beads but fortunately no ladies flashing for them. My friend Mike Markevich who played sax for years in a Club Med Band in the Caribbean was amazed at how tight these guys were as a group and wishing he had brought along his saxophone along so he could have joined them on stage to complete the brass section.

It was a rather interesting night in which to run into people from across the Semi-pen and beyond. The bartender was sporting an Off The Rail craft brewery hat and I quickly discovered he was the sales rep from my favourite Vancouver craft brewery that I try to visit whenever I'm in town. Besides the regular bottled beverages and liquor, West Beach Pale Ale from the White Rock Beach Beer company was being poured from growlers and their marketing manager Bill Haddow showed up to take in the festivities. After pumping up this show in the White Rock Sun and adding it to the Night Owl Entertainment Listings, it was not surprising to see Editor Dave Chesney arrive for yet another local concert. My long-time buddy Simon Marples from CanTrust Financial Services arrived with his music hound brother Darryl to check out the scene. Besides plenty of other friends and acquaintances in attendance, I have to tip my hat to Ken Butchko, who was my best man at our wedding the last time he set foot in the OP Hall over eight years ago.

The Big Easy Funk Ensemble performed two sets along with an enthusiastic encore to finish the night. Even with a wide repertoire of music, the funk was the glue that held all of the grooves together making for a great evening of music and dancing. My wife Shery and I hardly left the dance floor which might explain why we were rewarded with two BEFE t-shirts towards the end of the night. Heck, it's probably safe to say we haven't danced that much at the Ocean Park Hall since the night we were married. If you're tired of sitting around on Saturday night or sick of trying to find something to watch on Netflicks, consider taking in some tunes, cutting the rug and supporting live music in your neighbourhood. Your next chance to get the funk out of the house is on Saturday, March 18th when the Legion of Sound brings Freeflow out for the next show at the Ocean Park Hall. This well-known Vancouver band focuses on reggae, soul and rock n' roll, with their motto "melts in your ear, not in your hands" telling you everything you need to know about them.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

Next Show Saturday (18)

Freeflow
Live at Ocean Park Hall - March 18th

Doors open @ 8pm - Show Starts @ 9pm

Beer, wine & spirits available for purchase

Tickets: $20 (*includes 1 beverage)

 

 

get your tickets in advance - click here

 

 

March 07, 2017

Feeling house rich and cash poor?

..............let Don Pitcairn show you how to fix that.


My apologies to those who came to the White Rock Sun on Monday morning waiting to read the latest installment of the TNT that I had to put on hold until Tuesday. I hope that this column was worth the wait since it directly relates to the first TNT of the year titled "Alot For A Lot." In case you missed it, the January 2nd edition of The Naked Truth looked at the values given by BC Assessment for properties around the province, available on the e-valueBC website at https://evaluebc.bcassessment.ca. Most of the properties in the Semi-pen rocketed upwards in price last year pushed by non-restricted foreign investment and rampant speculation, with increases of 40% in value being the norm. With the 42.4% increase given our property and a 22% City of Surrey property tax increase in the last two years alone, we decided to appeal the astronomical numbers in the assessment, especially after reviewing neighbouring properties and nearby sales which all pointed to our house and property being overvalued. Today was our date with destiny as we appeared before the BC Property Assessment Review Panel (PARP).

While the BC Assessment website boasts that less than 2% of BC property owners have appealed their assessments this year, obviously this number is way up in south Surrey and White Rock that saw massive gains. We were originally sent a letter stating that our appeal would be heard by the PARP at the Best Western Peace Arch Inn, located at 2293 King George Blvd. Unfortunately we did not call them immediately upon receiving this notification and when we contacted them to set up a time, we're informed that the day had been fully booked and we were instead told our appeal would be heard at the Town & Country Inn in Ladner by the George Massey Tunnel. When we drove to the hotel on Monday morning, we found out that there were only three appeals being heard that day, all involving properties in south Surrey. When our appeal was over we took the time to visit the south Surrey location held in the bowels of the building and found a harried Review Panel there that were pushing through appeals and strictly limiting everyone to a limited time frame in order to hear all of the property assessment appeals. In hindsight, we felt lucky to have been bumped to the Corporation of Delta where the schedule and process was quite relaxed.

At the Delta location, we met the three members of the BC Property Assessment Review Panel along with a Mr. Justin Kwan who worked for BC Assessment and another Surrey resident pleading his case (he got 100K off his property value). It turns out that these panels are all appointed by the Minister of Community, Sport and Cultural Development, which is interesting since they are dealing with real estate appraisals. Previous PARP experience, real estate knowledge, property appraisal skills, business experience and mediation skills are all listed as desirable backgrounds but anyone can apply for this position as long as you are available for two months in Feb. and March plus meet their rather extensive conflict of interest guidelines. Their mandate is to "perform an impartial, honest and fair review of property assessment complaints presented by property owners", with their decisions then used to produce an updated assessment roll for the Province. It's not a bad gig if you can qualify since it pays $375 per full sitting day or half that for a partial day plus transportation expenses. Not surprisingly two of the panel lived in Delta, one was actually from White Rock, with the BC Assessment appraiser coming to the meeting from North Vancouver, having not appraised any properties in our neighbourhood for 2016.

When appealing a property assessment, it is critical to go into the review meeting armed with as much pertinent information as possible as to why you think their evaluation is off the mark. Most property owners are looking for a reduction to help reduce property tax while some who plan to sell in the near future can actually seek a higher evaluation leading to a raised asking price. I took along pictures of some of the rather glaring deficiencies about our 35 year old home since the appraisers have little to no idea what kind of interior renovations have been done to the house over the years. In our case, the drafty aluminum frame windows, t-bar ceilings in the basement plus original cabinetry in kitchen and baths worked in our favour to give us an evaluation similar to one of our nearby neighbour's rather rustic home. For the land I poured over property after property on the e-valuebc website around Crescent Park where we live, calculating square footage prices for land from similar properties that I felt worked in our favour. The sold properties from near July 1st when the assessments are made were scrutinized with several similar properties as ours giving us ammunition to take to the panel that we felt the appraiser would have difficulty in defending. If you ever plan to try a property assessment appeal, remember that all supporting documentation must be provided in multiples of five copies for those involved.

The PARP tribunal received our documentation, pictures, written explanation plus estimated house and land values, listening attentively and asking thoughtful questions while I made a verbal presentation about our decidedly low-ball price. The BC Assessment appraiser, who I must admit really knew his stuff about real estate evaluation, countered with a list of sold properties from last year that he felt were equivalent, quickly producing the assessment numbers for these homes. Believe it or not, the talk of Feung Shui in a market driven by foreign investment at that time was important in relation to the design of our home, the layout and age of construction. Being on a busy collector road also helped in our argument along with having little servicing in the way of sidewalks, curbs, light standards or buried hydro lines found in more modern districts. More than anything, it was the size and position of one of our neighbour's newly built monster home that received the most questioning from the panel. It was our position that if BC Assessment raises appraisals for properties with views, they should lower the price if unattractive nearby buildings or unkempt neighbouring yards detract from property owners enjoyment and privacy.

At the end of presentations, the three member panel excused themselves to another room to review the documents and our positions. After a fairly lengthy delay they came back to offer their us judgement. For our house, they decreased the value by $10,000 or a 12% reduction, mainly due to the graphic photos and age of the structure. The lot, which of course where most of the value is now from, was a much more difficult decision for them. Reviewing the information from both sides, the panel agreed to a modest price reduction based on the numbers presented, plus gave an additional amount off for the loss of privacy and relevant position of our neighbour's new mansion styled home that robbed our backyard and bedroom windows of privacy. In the end, we received over $150,000 off the lot assessment, which again was close to a 12% reduction in taxable value. The best part is these changes actually put us below the previous qualifying rate for the $570 Home Owners Grant, which was the plan when we first decided to appeal. With our now only 30% increase in value from last year, hopefully the anticipated 4.4% property tax increase in 2017 that the City of Surrey is planning won't hurt quiet so bad.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

February 27, 2017

Prop-ad-ganda

 

Though governments routinely engage in propaganda, ministries with the word "propaganda" in their name have become progressively more rare since the end of World War ll, after the term took on its present negative connotation. Instead of using the word "propaganda", governments today often use the terms "public relations", "psychological operations", "education", "advertising", or simply "information".
Wikipedia listing for "Ministry of propaganda".

Hate the Nazis all you want, at least they didn't hide behind feel-good words and pretend to be something they were not. Case in point was Adolf Hitler's trusted friend and confidant Joseph Goebbels who was appointed to the high post of Minister of Propaganda and National Enlightenment for the Third Reich. Goebbels was a key cog in the Nazi war machine, utilizing the relatively new medias of film and radio to promote their party ideology to the uneducated masses, taking control over the news media, arts and entertainment plus dissemination of information in Germany. In the end when his twisted messages fell on deaf or dead ears and with Russians troops closing in on Hitler's Berlin bunker, Goebbels and his wife committed suicide after giving their six children lethal doses of cyanide. In the end, some would say he got his just desserts.

In this suddenly new era of "Fake News" and "Alternate Facts", people need to realize that propaganda is defined as "information, especially of a biased or misleading nature, used to promote or publicize a particular political cause or point of view". As much as I love to watch TV news including Global, I tend to do so with a jaundiced eye and am often left with a bad taste in my mouth. It is not the stories, reporting or editorials that I find so nauseating; it is the commercials pushing blatant propaganda that I take great offense to. If you are trying to sell me a product or service while keeping my cable subscription cost down, well that is the price I have to pay for watching. Unfortunately the airwaves have now been taken over with messages that are meant to persuade and deceive the public, passing themselves off as informative when they are corporate propaganda. I've even given these advertisements a new name, "propadganda", which I believe describes them perfectly.

It was the pipeline ads, both for Enbridge's Northern Gateway and Kinder Morgan's Trans Mountain Expansion project that really focused my attention on this problem. While these projects were being reviewed, the public was inundated with commercial after commercial extolling the benefits to our economy, the jobs that would flow from them and the promised environmental protection and spill response. The Northern Gateway advertising budget was somewhere between $2-5 million, depending on whether you believe Enbridge or Greenpeace, with $500 million being spent to seek Federal government approval of the nearly $8 billion project. The Trans Mountain Expansion spots were running continuously on Global, sometimes with two ads running in the same commercial break. No word on the total amount of money spent on these prime time TV ads but their CEO admitted spending over $300 million on the $6.8 billion project seeking approval. To no one's surprise, these ads disappeared overnight after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau dashed Enbridge's Northern Gateway pipe dream and green-lighted Kinder Morgan's doubling of their existing Trans Mountain pipeline into Burnaby.

Businesses blowing millions of shareholder dollars on their projects is one thing, the Provincial Liberal government throwing away tax-payer dollars to promote their ideology, especially in advance of this spring's election, is something else. Once again, if you watch the nightly news you will see non-stop advertising by the Provincial government about affordable housing, protection for seniors, blah.., blah.., blah. What is sick about this is that in December, the BC Liberals doubled their advertising budget to the end of the financial year, March 31, 2017. They now plan to blow $15 million, up from the $8.5 million in their budget. You can expect more government advertising before the May 9th election, with little or no controls over what many believe should be non-partisan advertising that is actually being used by the government to buy votes. This is nothing new as in the last election in 2013, the Liberals spent $16.4 million of tax-payer dollars to educate the public about the wonderful things they had been doing while in power. It is not too surprising to see them adopting this same strategy that helped them to defy the critics and win the last election in BC.

When you see these warm and fuzzy ads, recognize then for what they are and feel free to question the message and motives of those who feel justified in spending vast amounts of money to change public perception. Don't just take their message for the gospel truth, do your own research, check out alternative views and come to your own conclusions. For me, I'll vote for any political party that will ban partisan advertising utilizing tax-payer dollars, especially in the months before an election where this practice should be considered vote-buying. It is not just TV or radio where these ads will be showing up, you can expect to see them on Google, Facebook and Twitter in the near future. Joseph Goebbels used film and radio to put our his message of hate, Donald Trump is utilizing TV and Twitter to forward his Republican agenda, you can expect the Christy Clark Liberal government to utilize all "propadganda" sources to deliver their message to a receptive audience. Just remember each time you see one of these commercials that you are the one paying for it, instead of these funds being used for education, health care, or other needed services.

In closing, ask yourself if you have ever heard of the following ditty (or a variant of it) known as the "Colonel Bogey March". It was not dreamed up in a children's playground, which was where you probably first heard it, but was British propaganda created in 1939 for use against Nazi leaders. I don't know what it cost, but it's fair to say they certainly got their money's worth. That is the power of propaganda, created 78 years ago, if any of this information actually happens to be true.


Hitler, has only got one ball,
Goerring, has two but very small
Himmler, has something sim'lar
But Goebbels, has no balls, at all.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

February 20, 107

Mosquitoes Suck

 

You know that after the coldest and snowiest winter in decades here on the west coast, you'd think that the lousy weather would give us a break from some of the other crap we have to put up with here in the Great White North. Well, folks, make sure you put a big X on the calendar for the past Valentine's Day, which is synonymous with a big red heart because that is when mosquitoes once again put us blood pumping mammals living here in the Semi-pen back on the menu.

You would think that these pesky little critters would have been decimated by over two months with snow on the ground on the Lower Mainland but that is not the case. My wife Sheryl caught the first "skeeter" (good old Canadian term) on on February 14th, with two more being squashed against our walls over the next few days. Being a guy who is barely house-trained that likes to spend as much time outdoors as possible, being outside ensures you get feasted on by these blood sucking parasites for enough of the year already. While mosquitoes can be expected with warmer Spring weather, who expects to see them with over a month to go in winter? Now I must admit that neither of us were bitten, so it is possible they were only males that don't take a blood meal for reproduction, but still seeing them hanging on the walls of our home at such an early date was rather unsettling.

Over the years I've had some rather extreme encounters with clouds of mosquitoes. I've pulled into camping sites several times where nobody got out of the vehicle due to the hundreds of mosquitoes that descended onto the windows, waiting for the warm bodies to exit so dinner could begin. I mowed my parents grass once up on Chilliwack Mountain when the Fraser was flooding, with a large grey ball of mosquitoes numbering in the thousands dancing atop of the lawn mower engine, attracted by the heat and the noise of the motor. I've gone on nature hikes that ended up being a wilderness jog due to the large numbers of mosquitoes that were chasing me through the woods. Working near the Fraser River estuary, I've had co-workers put on rain gear in the middle of summer due to infestations of welt-inducing salt water marsh mosquitoes in Twassessen, Ladner and Richmond that were literally driving them buggy.

When you start looking into mosquito information, you can't help but to start feeling itchy all over. It turns out that mosquitoes (order Diptera, family Culicidae) have remained relatively unchanged for 100 million years, infesting areas from the tropics to the arctic tundra and filling niches from seashore and river banks to upper mountainous tree lines. There are 48 confirmed species of this annoying insect in BC and 82 types of mosquitoes in Canada, with 3,200 different species around the world.
Not surprisingly, Canada boasts the second oldest fossilized mosquito ever found in a chunk of nearly 80 million-year-old amber from Alberta's badlands. While both sexes feed on the fluids in plants for energy, it is only the female that needs blood for reproduction. After mating each female can lay up to 100 eggs in standing water or wet soil, with many being able to lay successive generations from only one breeding throughout the same year. Most of the mosquitoes in the genera Amopheles, Culex and Culistera living here in BC store fat and hibernate during the winter, while members of the largest genus Aedes have eggs that can survive freezing temperatures and hatch out of melting snow water. When you see the mercury rise a handful of degrees above zero Centigrade, it is not surprising to see mosquitoes appear as is now the case.

Mosquitoes are responsible for transmitting more diseases to humans than any other blood sucking insect with malaria infecting an estimated 500 million people a year. They also are a vector for a variety of other human diseases including yellow fever, dengue fever, West Nile virus, Zike virus, filariasis and encephalitis to name a few that thankfully are not established in Canada. Dog heartworm is caused by a parasite spread by mosquitoes that can seriously hurt or kill your pet if left untreated. The best way to control mosquitoes is to eliminate their breeding grounds and drain standing water from clogged gutters, old tires, flower pots, unused pails or any other container that can hold still water. In the summer it is best not to water your yard on a constant basis because if it never dries out it can be a perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes. To reduce the chances of being getting bitten, avoid being outside at dawn or dusk when their feeding is more prevalent, wear clothes made from close weave synthetic fibers that cover most of your skin, avoid dark coloured clothes that tend to attract them plus use mosquitoes screens and nets as barriers. Insect repellents with DEET or Avon's Skin-So-Soft work well along with Citronella candles, avoiding perfumes and soaps, plus possibly eating bananas and garlic.

I'm sorry for putting the bug in your ear but that's the buzz on mosquitoes. If you thought that our harsh winter would have wiped them out, unfortunately its more likely it will have no effect. Remember that these little creatures survived the demise of the dinosaurs and have also lived through successive ice ages. If global warming and climate change are real as has recently been challenged by US President Donald Trump on Valentine's Day when our first mosquito was spotted, chances are these pesky insects will only be increasing in numbers for years to come. That's all for now, If you don't mind I've go some serious scratching to do after writing this TNT.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

February 13, 2017

The Alternative to "Alternative Facts"

 

Last week's "No Ban, No Wall - Vancouver" protest planed for the Peace Arch Monument lawn was canceled due to the rather inclement winter weather we were enduring at that time and the resulting chaos on the roads and transit system. This event was organized on Facebook by French Immersion teacher Jean-Michel Oblette who recently became a Canadian citizen, swearing his oath to this country only four weeks ago. The event was renamed to "No Ban, No Wall - Vancouver - Relaunch" and was rescheduled for Sunday, February 12th, coincidentally the birthday of US President Abe Lincoln whose famous Gettysburg Address endorsed equal rights, liberty and democracy. With warmer sunny weather and the snow a thing of the past, about 300 Canadians from various ethnic, political and religious persuasions gathered around the Peace Arch. Starting with Semiahmoo First Nation Councilor Joanne Charles, guests got to hear speaker after speaker make their thoughts known about President Donald Trumps recent travel ban from Muslim countries and plans to wall off Mexico.

The Peace Arch that was dedicated in 1921 made for a fitting and rather poignant backdrop for this event with its freize inscribed with the motto "Children of a Common Mother" facing the US and "Brethren dwelling together in unity" towards Canada, plus the inscription "May these gates never be closed" found in the passageway. This event attracted known social groups such as the Coalition Against Bigotry - Pacific who are also participating in the International Day Against Racism March on Mar. 26th in Vancouver, International Socialists (socialist.ca) who were handing out their Socialist Worker newspaper. The White Rock Muslim Association (whiterockmuslims.com) were also in attendance, voicing their need for solidarity and acceptance following the recent Montreal massacre where worshipers at a Mosque were shot in the back while praying. Showing the mainstream medias interest in the anti-Trump backlash, three television cameras were on scene to film the protest for the nightly news. Interestingly, there were a total of six uniformed RCMP officers watching over the festivities, looking out for trouble-making professional protesters and ensuring everyone's safety at this peaceful event.

The only thing more diverse than the people in the crowd had to be the many signs that folks had been compelled to bring with them to the rally. Many were quite artistic, with plenty of colour, detailed drawings and eloquent slogans. I thought that their messages collectively spoke volumes about how these Canadians felt about some of President Trump's recent policies. I took pictures of most of them and here they are in no particular order for your perusal and consideration.

 


No ban, no wall. Build a longer table, not a higher fence. Not just your home! Peace, love, acceptance. We are all the same under our skin so why discriminate? When injustice becomes law, rebellion becomes duty. No ban, no wall, no ICE raids, no Islamophobia. Los muros destruyen suenos (walls destroy dreams). Our fight has just begun again and again. No one is free when others are oppressed. Tolerance does not mean tolerating intolerance. Hands off the Middle East. Stop war on immigrants. No ban on stolen land. Spread peace. Stand up for peace. Refugees welcome, fight racism and Islamophobia. No human is illegal. Alternative facts (with letters spelling "lies" in red). Unite & fight, blame austerity not migrants. Nazi Trumps f**k off! TRUMP - The Racist Un-American Misogynist Pig. Jesus was a refugee.

Last week, a U.S. Federal Court upheld a temporary stay on Trump’s ban of people from Iran, Iraqi, Libya, Somalia, Syria, Sudan and Yemen, suspending the order for the time being. The White House has proposed taking the case to the US Supreme Court or possibly drafting a new executive order to effectively put it back in place. No word on whether or not this topic will be part of the discussion when Prime Minister Justin Trudeau meets President Donald Trump in Washington on Monday, the day this TNT is posted. While trade, security and defense will likely be hot topics, it remains to be seen if these leaders polar opposite views on many refugees will be debated or considered.

If Donald Trump’s travel ban is reinstated, then the beautifully drawn poster I saw at the Peace Arch rally showing the Statue of Liberty crying while holding a young migrant girl in her arms becomes even more poignant.

Naturally yours,
Don’t call me "The Donald" Pitcairn

 

 

February 6, 2017

South of the 49th

 

For those of you with no interest in sports or NFL football in the United States, it might be time to grab the remote, turn on the big screen and tune in to see what you are missing. While I am a fan of three down CFL football and usually categorize the Super Bowl as the "Super Bore", this year's NFL Championship game between the New England Patriots and the Atlanta Falcons lived up to its billing and was one for the ages. For the first time in 51 years of Superbowl history the game went into overtime and the Patriots, with quarterback Tom Brady at the helm, going on to record an epic 34-28 victory with 31 unanswered points that basically rewrote the Super Bowl record book.

Down 28-3 midway through the third quarter, at the start of the fourth the Patriots trailed by a score of 28-9 to the Falcons, looking like another blowout was in order. Instead the New England quarterback who had already won four Vince Lombardi trophies in his career went on a tear with the Patriots tying the game with 57 seconds left, setting a new record for 25 points as the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history that was previously held by three other teams at only ten points. Winning the overtime coin toss, the Patriots methodically marched down the field with running back James White scoring on a two yard run to cement the victory, adding his name to the record books by scoring two touchdowns while hauling in a record 14 receptions for 110 yards.

In the victory, Brady set a trifecta of Super Bowl record with 43 completions on absurd 62 attempts for 466 yards, destroying St.. Louis Rams QB Kurt Warner's record for most passing yards in a Super Bowl at 414 yards. On the way Tom Brady set the new record for most Super Bowl victories by a quarterback at five, the first quarterback with three forth-quarter Super Bowl comebacks, plus 10 game-winning drives in the post season that is the most of all time. He also set new all-time marks in the Super Bowl for number of completions (207), passing yards (2,071) and passing touchdowns (15). Not surprisingly, he was awarded the game's Most Valuable Player award, the record forth time he has been given this honor.

For those interested in bizarre statistics, Brady led his 51st game-winning drive in the 51st Super Bowl and even weirder, he has now played seven Super Bowls and never scored a single point in the first quarter of play. New England Coach Bill Belichick also became the league's winningest coach of all time, collecting his fifth Super Bowl ring with Brady as his QB. Quite simply, in the Super Bowl today you got to see the New England Patriots cement their legacy as a football dynasty and watch the NFL's greatest quarterback of all time win the most amazing game of his storied career.



North of the 49th

Ma & Pa Pitcairn in beautiful Chilly-Whack

I don't know about the rest of you but I'm starting to get a little tired of all the damn snow. Living near Crescent Beach it hasn't been that bad this winter with a maximum of six inches or 15 cm. of snow on the ground at any given time during the past two months. As anyone living away from the water or at slightly higher elevation can attest, a little distance or some extra height can make a serious difference with large amounts of snow being dumped onto the Semiahmoo peninsula and the Lower Mainland. We have basically had a snowfall on every weekend save one since the start of December with little time and rain to melt the snow already on the ground. That is the case here but further afield into the Fraser Valley and up in to the mountains the accumulating snowfall is getting worrisome.

If you have not been out to the Fraser Valley recently I suggest that you cancel any travel plans you may have. A friend of mine sent a picture of his front yard to me showing a snowdrift that I'm pretty sure has his car hidden in it. My parents reported an overnight snowfall of 16 inches, with environment Canada reporting an 80 cm. or around 2.5 feet of snowfall this weekend in Chilliwack. When I wrote this they were at -3 C temp. with strong outflow winds and plenty of snow in the forecast for this upcoming week. The snow reports from local ski hills are also noteworthy with Seymour, Grouse and Cypress all reporting over 300 cm. of base with Hemlock and Whistler averaging 270 cm. As the old saying goes, "what goes up must come down" and this relates to our rapidly escalating snow pack that will eventually melt and flow down hill.

Our Fall was very wet but also warm with frequent Pacific storm cycles in November, but for the last two months we have seen Arctic air flood across BC with much higher than normal snowfall in southwest BC. The BC River Forecast Centre (http://bcrfc.env.gov.bc.ca/bulletins/watersupply/current.htm) is reporting that these rates are typically 130-300% above normal for December. The numbers for this month have not been posted yet but there is no reason to believe that this has changed much during January when cold and snowy weather was the norm. While much of the province's snow pack is about average for this time of year, the huge amounts of snow accumulating on the local mountains are becoming a concern. If we have a rapid warming event in the spring, it is likely this could lead to localized flooding here on local rivers and if it combines with the freshet, there is a chance that we would see greatly elevated levels on the Fraser River flowing through the Fraser Valley and Lower Mainland.

The Fraser Valley has experienced two major floods in recent history, the largest in 1894 and the second largest in 1948. Scientists predict that there is a one-in-three chance that a flood of similar magnitude will occur within the next 50 years. Considering these odds, it is safe to say that we are overdue for a major flooding from the Fraser that will have catastrophic consequences with the infrastructure that has been built on the flood plains including low lying areas of Surrey, Delta and Richmond. While not wanting to be a Chicken Little, it will be wise to keep an eye on the snow pack levels for the next few months to see if this unusual wintery weather has an effect once Spring finally arrives and we finally get back to being Lotus Land. For further information on this issue and the flood threat, check out the Fraser Basin Council website at the following link: http://www.fraserbasin.bc.ca/

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

January 30, 2017

Driving While Blind

 

The issue of worn out, ineffective, unreadable and basilly invisible highway signage in this region has gotten to the point that I wonder if instead of living in the banana belt that we are actually in a banana republic. You see, we recently came back from a vacation at Punta Serena (gem of a resort) near Mazatlan, Mexico where the road signage there makes us look like a third world country. Their highways are beautifully signed and extensively marked for hazards, making streets a snap to find and curves in the road easy to navigate. When I look at some of the crap that we have for road signage that is at the intersections of our major thoroughfares, I have to wonder what our tax dollars paid for with every drop of gasoline we purchase are being used for.

All outdoor signage has a life span depending on the materials used. Years ago simple painted plywood sheeting was used as a backing and these quickly open up the rain and elements causing them to rot even though in an open and airy position. The modern ones now being installed use slats of aluminum joined together that should stand up to the weather for over a century. The reflective vinyl used on these signs has a lifespan of between five to eight years before it starts to degrade and end of use usually pegged at 15-20 years. With many highway signs throughout south Surrey and Delta, they are on rooting pieces of plywood and both the green backings and white lettering have degraded to the point that they are basically illegible during the day and absolutely invisible at night as they now fail to reflect any light from passing vehicle headlights. This is because some of these signs have been in place for at least thirty years with other possibly as much as forty, or double their intended lifespan.

The worse of this bunch has to be the highway sign heading eastbound on #10 Hwy in Delta that points the way to the on-ramp for Hwy. 91. This relic from the time of EXPO 86 is rotten on the edges and so worn out that the wording that points to "New Westminster/Surrey" plus "Route 91 South" is faded to the point that the green background is showing through where the white letters used to be. Remember that this is not for a simple intersection, it is to alert motorists to the junction of two major highways. A little closer to the Semi-pen, a series of these same large freeway signs at KGB and Hwy. 99 are also in similar shape. On King George Blvd (formerly KG Hwy.) heading northbound just past the Nicomekl river another faded and worn out sign is meant to alert motorists to the upcoming directions for New Westminster or Vancouver. Barely visible in daytime, it disappears at night with only the white posts visible in the darkness. At the actual off-ramp onto Hwy. 99 North a tall metal pole holds two large signs, one pointing to New West, the other to Vancouver, but even during the day the only thing visible is too small white shields with the highway markings for 99A and 99. Once again, at night they are completely black and completely invisible to passing drivers.

These signs are supposed to help guide motorists to finding their way around town and are especially important to visitors who have just crossed the border or who are not familiar with the roadways. Imagine driving down in Washington State and not having exits or directions listed off the I-5 freeway? That would never happen in the US yet that is basically what we have here with 30 plus year old signs that are way beyond their expiration date. Where this topic becomes deadly serious is that the lack of proper signage, or ones made invisible at night, drivers unaware of their surroundings make sudden decisions that can cause car crashes. On the KGB, I have seen countless vehicles make a quick hard right hand turn to avoid missing the on-ramp for Hwy. 99 north. I've also had to take evasive action several times to avoid cars where drivers suddenly figured they were in the wrong lane and drove straight onto the parking lane before swerving over to head north into Surrey. Again, these are highway interchanges with high volumes of vehicles where not everyone knows where they are headed. Trust me when I say that there are plenty more relics like these to be found once you become aware of this problem.

The other major safety concern with these faulty highway signs is that it makes drivers miss their turns, getting people lost and putting them in awkward situations where more mistakes then compound the problem. If you miss the faded sign at KGB and head onto Hwy. #99 by accident, then the next turnaround is miles away at either #10 Hwy. and Hwy. #91 or at Ladner Trunk Road and #10 Hwy. It is no wonder that before the median cable barriers were installed that drivers would attempt u-turns across the grassy median of Hwy. #99, often getting stuck in the process. People who are lost spend more time looking for road signs or at maps than paying attention to their driving, increasing the danger to themselves and others. I've seen folks backing up the shoulder of on-ramps after realizing they were heading onto the wrong freeway. I've witnessed drivers performing illegal and risky u-turns, seeing them then head onto on-ramps knowing they had originally missed their turn. Several times I've seen people turn the wrong way onto divided highways, driving towards traffic in the wrong direction threatening a head-on collision. If you don't think that these old ghetto signs we have here are a big problem, consider the risks that they pose just by confusing people behind the wheel.

It should not be the responsibility of the traveling public to point out to the Ministry of Transportation that there are highway signs that are worn out, ineffective, invisible and downright dangerous. I know of at least ten of these vintage signs on local highways that have needed replacement for years including one pointing the way to White Rock where the green background is now black at night. You would think that someone from the Transportation Ministry, the City of Surrey or even Mainroad would have noticed that many of them no longer reflect car headlights and need replacing. Come to think of it, maybe the problem is that because they are invisible, they never saw them! I certainly have noticed them as has a friend of mine who constantly harps to me about when I was going to do finally do something about them. Well the time is now, the cat is out of the bag and the folks getting paid for replacing them better start doing their damn job. I'm giving them four months until the end of May and if they're not replaced by then I might considering spray painting new fluorescent lettering onto them to see if that finally gets their attention.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

January 23, 2017


Dickheads

 

"Such behavior isn't Christian. In fact, its downright pagan and heathenish."
Quote from Ishmael in the 1956 film adaption of Herman Melville's "Moby Dick" novel.

When you think of what White Rock is famous for after its flat sandy beach, Canada's longest wooden pier and the 420 tonne granite boulder that sits near the ocean, fish and chips at the Moby Dick restaurant on East Beach would probably be next on the list. Why if you search "Moby Dick" on Google, you get the usual Wikipedia entry, several postings about the book published in 1851 by American writer Herman Melville, one about the 1956 movie starring Gregory Peck as Captain Ahab and in fifth spot the website for Moby Dick Restaurant that boasts "Welcome to Moby Dick - Famous Fish & Chips Since 1975." Not bad considering the search yields a whopping 19,300,000 results.

While welcome in White Rock, it appears that plans to open a second location in Vancouver on Denman Street near Coal Harbour have been scuttled. In May of 2016 the current owner of Moby Dick, Mr. Yuriy Makogonsky, tried to lease out a restaurant already located in the bottom floor of the building by Stanley Park that was floundering. According to two notices of civil claim filed on January 9th in BC Supreme Court, this move was torpedoed by the building's strata council resulting in financial losses to Moby Dick, Mengfa International Resources Inc. who owns the restaurant property and L&H Trading Corp. who sunk the previous restaurant. Court documents allege the strata took offense to Moby Dick's cartoon whale signage, the possibility of litter and debris, the prospective odor of deep-frying fish and chips, plus characterizing their name as "offensive."

Now you would think if anyone had a bitch about Moby Dick it would be the fine folks along Marine Drive in White Rock who often raise raise a stink about the smallest of complaints but that is not the case. White Rock Council and their wonderful by-law personnel don't seem to mind the restaurants rather gaudy exterior and nautical decorations including what appears to be (gasp) a white Sperm whale with liquid spouting from its bulbous head. In fact the Moby Dick restaurant is somewhat of a local landmark, being the second oldest restaurant on the strip next to the Cosmos Greek restaurant, the other blue and white dining establishment that has been in its location for an amazing 44 years. Likely the only problem ever encountered with Moby Dick in White Rock is the large crowds of patrons clogging the sidewalk as they wait for the best fish and chips in the Semiahmoo peninsula, winning a people's choice award for their chow and even the chowder for over a dozen years in a row.

Why Vancouverites living downtown near Stanley Park would complain about the Moby Dick name is somewhat of a mystery to me. I would think that many would be fans of Richard Melville Hall (stage name "Moby") who is a DJ, musician, songwriter and photographer well known for his electronic music, support of animal rights, veganism and bisexual lifestyle. As far as Moby Dick goes you would think they would know about the struggles of Ahab against the great white whale from either the classic American novel, the original 1956 movie or the recent In The Heart Of The Sea movie by director Ron Howard. Hell, I'm from Surrey and over the years even I've read the book, seen the old black and white movie and unfortunately watched the latest flick. As far as the last part of the restaurant name, I think it shows they don't know Dick but I'm hoping if the rather uptight strata members read this TNT column they might become more enlightened about the short name for Richard.

By far the most famous Dick has to be hall-of-famer Dick Butkus who played linebacker for the Chicago Bears and was named the most feared tackler of all time by the NFL. Dick Van Dyke (do you see a theme here) is an actor, comedian, singer, dancer, writer and producer with a career spanning seven decades including the movie Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Race car driver Dick Trickle ran more than one million laps and won over 1,200 races becoming the best short track driver in history before winning NASCAR Rookie of the year in 1989. If you ever watched the TV show Bewitched, you probably know that Dick Sargent was the second actor who played the part of Darren Stephens but I bet you didn't realize he changed his name from Dick Cox. For American politicians there are plenty of Dicks including disgraced President Richard 'Tricky Dicky' Nixon, Texan Congressman Dick Army and former VP Dick Cheney, who many think was more of an a-hole than a Dick. For Canadians, I must tip my hat to Regina gas jockey Dick Assman who was made famous on the Late Show With David Letterman for his rather unique name. If you think that Dick is offensive, realize that there are over 500 slang terms for penis including the names Jimmy, John, Pedro, Peter, Rod, and Willy.

It is wise to remember that none of the stated claims have been proven in court and that the strata corporation has yet to file its statement of defense. It is interesting to note that this titillating fish flap about Dick has been covered in newspapers across North America including the Washington Times and New York Post. Time will tell whether they win their legal battle and get to expand into Vancouver but regardless Moby Dick is not planning on leaving White Rock any time soon. If you have never visited it, take a minute to check out their awesome website at mobydickrestaurant.com that is full of over four decades worth of fascinating history, anecdotes, photos and secrets. When you drop by for White Rock's best fish and chips, don't be annoyed if you have to stand in line especially with all of the publicity about this whale of a tale.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

(click here)

 

 

January 16, 2017

Walk - Don't Run

The grahic video I saw on Global TV last week really got me thinking about crosswalks, pedestrian safety and the dangers of driving this time of year. In case you were lucky enough to miss it, the dash board camera from a stopped car caught the impact at the corner of Granville St. and Balfour Ave. that sent a 50 year-old woman flying down the road and onto the frozen pavement with serious but non-life-threatening injuries. You can watch in online at the following link but I must warn you that even though it is edited, its still quite graphic: http://globalnews.ca/news/3160882/pedestrian-struck-by-vehicle-on-busy-vancouver-street/ In this case a car stopped at the centre lane where the lady then ran out onto busy Granville St. apparently intent on catching her bus that was pulling up on the other side of the road six lanes away. A car in the left lane had little time to react as she ran out from behind the first car and the impact sent her literally flying down the road.

While I realize she was in a marked cross-walk and had the right-of-way, it is called a cross "walk" for a reason. Running or jogging out into traffic reduces the stopping time for any driver who has failed to see you. Over the years I have had plenty of close calls and near misses from people who put themselves in danger by rushing into cross-walks. My favourite are the skateboarders and bicyclists who feel that the rules of the road don't apply to themselves and then seem to be amazed when the sound of screeching tires wakens them to the danger of using a crosswalk as their own little raceway. It was two ladies jogging out into traffic on a dark night several years ago in south Surrey that was partly responsible for them being involved in a hit-and-run since they ran onto the street from behind a driver turning left at night who was blinded by ongoing headlights in the rain. I guess no one told them that reflective clothing does not work until the headlights are upon you and often by that time it is too late.

Most of our pedestrian accidents occur during the winter months when skies are dark, roads are wet and visibility is limited. Making this matter worse, it is during the winter that dark clothing always seems to be in vogue and when black umbrellas are used against wind and rain, hiding facial features and blocking vision. Just as a good driver looks both ways before proceeding through on an intersection on a green light, it is important for pedestrians to realize how dangerous and potentially deadly it is to be struck by a car. Even with the right of way and the walk signal, I always ensure that all vehicles around me are at a complete stop and aware that I am crossing the road, making eye contact with drivers before stepping into harms way. I don't talk on my cell phone when doing so and certainly don't check text messages or do something as asinine as play Pokemon Go when crossing the street (seen it done). Taking out the ear buds and turning off the music are also important whether crossing the road or the train tracks as a woman jogger found out at White Rock beach several years back.

It really comes down to being aware of your surroundings and taking responsibility for your own personal safety. Vehicles are heavy and can travel fast, being capable of producing serious injuries even at low speeds. While car parts and be replaced with bondo and paint fixing most dents, being hit by a car can have devastating life-altering results. To see how widespread the problem of pedestrians being hit by cars is, take a moment to visit this ICBC webpage showing a map of crashes involving a pedestrian from 2009 to 2013 http://www.icbc.com/about-icbc/newsroom/Pages/Pedestrians.aspx. Simply unclick the Vancouver box and mark the Surrey and White Rock ones and it will show you how rampant this problem really is in our community. You can move the map by hovering over the right hand arrow at the top left corner and then selecting the four arrowed box that appears. Simply zoom into the intersection that interests you and click on it to see how many people have been mowed down by vehicles in only four years time. The numbers are somewhere between shocking and sickening.

In the main part of Surrey there is hardly a major intersection in any neighbourhood that does not have multiple pedestrian crashes during this time period. Scott Road near 72 Ave and all along into Newton is a hot spot of pedestrian accidents. Not surprising, King George Blvd. through Whalley is a major red dot zone with lots of traffic, pedestrians and people high on drugs. My wife and I actually witnessed one of these crashes near 108th where the person who was sent flying by a car after stumbling into traffic got up and ran away when told the cops were coming, adding a whole new meaning to the term "hit and run." All around Guildford Mall is a pedestrian death trap while in south Surrey 24th Ave from 152 to across Hwy. 99 has seen plenty of accidents. The Semiahmoo Mall is another place where you should be well aware of your surroundings as there are 3-4 crashes at every corner of the mall. Hitting close to home, I couldn't help but notice the one single dot at the quiet intersection only two doors away from our house from a pedestrian collision I never heard anything about.

In all of this gloom and doom there are some bright spots to point out. Many pedestrians out for a walk are now wearing reflective safety vests , carrying flashlights or donning head lamps. Most dark winter jackets now come equipped with strips of reflective material, including the Dakota jacket I bought last year from Marks. Pet owners are equipping their dogs with reflective coats and leashes, reducing the danger of them being hit as they usually proceed first into an intersection. By far the brightest person I've met in a while was the young man recently walking across the corner of 148 St and 24 Ave. using his cell phone's flashlight on strobe mode to attract each and every driver's attention near him as he crossed the road. I thought this idea was so brilliant that it should be shared here in the White Rock Sun and hopefully spread to a world-wide audience.

As I often say, you don't have to be a genius, you just have to know a good idea when you see it.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

January 09, 2017


When We're Silent, ...We're All Victims

Sign, sign, everywhere a sign
Blockin' out the scenery, breakin' my mind
Do this, don't do that, can't you read the sign?

Chorus of the song "Signs" by the Five Man Electrical Band

This story has been on my radar for quite some time but it took until recently when it crossed the border of #10 Hwy. on the northern reach of the White Rock Sun that it finally has incurred my wrath. In case you have not yet seen it, the Pattison Outdoor sign company with the blessing of the City of Surrey has recently erected a massive digital display board next to the courthouse on land near the old city hall just east of King George Blvd. I went there and took pictures of this monument to stupidity, taking the time to measure the lit digital screen at approximately 10 feet tall by 20 feet wide. The Crimestoppers ad on it that read "when we're silent, ...we're all victims" could not have been more appropriate and got me motivated to write this TNT.

This is not the first of these flashing mega signs that has been erected in Surrey. They are already five others in place on the #1 freeway near the Port Mann Bridge, on Fraser Hwy. at 164 St., on King George Blvd near the Pattullo bridge and on Scott Rd. near Old Yale Rd., on 88 Ave. near Scott Rd. Basically they are on almost every major thoroughfare in the city and I imagine it is only a matter of time until there is one beaming its message to the masses on Hwy. 99 and at Pacific Hwy. 15 (176 St.). To see a map showing the locations of all of Pattison's signs, go to http://maps.pattisonoutdoor.com/map.aspx?l=en-US where you will be amazed by the number of them throughout the city of Surrey. It is noteworthy to realize that the City of Surrey receives a portion of the advertising sales that Pattison Outdoor collects that pads their tax coffers, with a "Surrey - the future lives here" sign proudly mounted on top of these brilliant billboards.

So here's the rub on these new digital signs. Unlike conventional billboards that you see that are mainly posted on Reserve lands like along Hwy. 99 at the Semiahmoo First Nations, these new signs are basically a large TV screen that is brightly lit, brilliantly coloured and constantly changing. They are a major distraction to anyone driving on these busy roads and highways. I have even seen them placed alongside of bridges including the curve entering the Queensborough Bridge in New Westminister where it poses a great hazard to the motoring public. Now I'm not allowed to look at my cell phone screen while driving as it might endanger my life and the fellow drivers around me but good old Jimmy Pattison gets to place these massive screens alongside busy city roads. By comparison, my Samsung cell phone screen measures 2.5" x 4.5" which is 0.078 sq. ft. or 0.04% of the size of the screen that Mr. Pattison's company gets to flaunt to the world 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

The BC Government's website dealing with "Road Safety Rules & Consequences of Unsafe Driving" has a list of "Distractions While Driving - Cell Phones and Other Devices." You cannot hold, operate, communicate or watch the screen of a hand held electronic communication device. You cannot send or receive texts and emails on a handheld electronic device, tablet or computer. If you have a television screen in the vehicle within view of the driver it must only display pictures, information or date solely designed to assist the driver in the safe operation of the vehicle. Yet while there are all of these restrictions on screens inside of the vehicle, it seems that advertisers are immune from distracting drivers with their bright flashing message boards where tens of thousands of drivers are passing by on a daily basis. If we have rules about viewing screens for drivers, then why do we allow these advertising TV billboards to be installed distracting drivers on busy roads?

Effective June 1, 2016, the fine for a distracted driving violation ticket has more than doubled from $167 to $368. The number of associated penalty points applied to a driver’s record has also increase from 3 to 4 points. On a first infraction, this will also result in a driver paying a further $175 ICBC Driver Penalty Point premium, for a total of $543 for a first infraction. For a second infraction within a one-year period, not only does the driver have to pay another $368, but the ICBC Driver Penalty Point premium will increase to $520. Additional infractions will result in a further escalation of ICBC Driver Penalty Point premiums plus possible driving prohibitions for those drivers who incur two or more infractions within 12 months. Now since I can get a $167 ticket for distracted driving by looking at my 0.078 square foot screen, then I think Mr. Pattison should be fined accordingly with his 200 square foot screen producing a corresponding fine of $1,840,000 for every accident these electronic billboards cause. Something tells me that even Jimmy would feel the sting from this ticket.

It is sickening to me that money from outdoor advertising trumps driver safety but this is simply a case of do-as-I-say, not do-as-I-do. The rules that cover distracted driving should also be expanded to stop advertisers such as Pattison Outdoor from bombarding drivers with brilliantly lit messages that also reflect off wet roads further increasing their danger. The "Golden Rule" where those with the gold make the rules is firmly in place with the richest man in BC placing signage throughout the city of Surrey regardless of the danger that they create. It is time that the BC government look at controlling the size, colour and brightness of these signs plus their placement or consider banning them altogether. While I would love to chuck a big rock at them each and every time I drive by, instead I purposely look away so that I do not get blinded by the ad they are trying to deliver. For those of you that want to read every message they are flashing, do so at your own risk.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

EDITORS NOTE:

Reading through the current City of Surry sign by-law it would appear these large electronic billboards contravene the sign by-law in Surrey. Double standard?

(click here to read the by-law)

 

 

Janujary 02, 2017

Alot For A Lot

Happy New Year everybody, I hope you didn't wake up hung over on January first and maybe were fool-hearty enough to participate in the annual polar bear baptism. For lots of people it is a day to pack away Christmas trappings and have the tree chipped, while for others it is time to check out how their real estate holdings value changed during last year. You see, Jan. 1st is when the BC Assessments publishes their values of every piece of real estate in the entire province. These are available on the e-valueBC website available online at https://evaluebc.bcassessment.ca/ Simply zoom in to the neighbourhood in question or type in an address for any property to see how its value has changed in the last year. This allows you to compare assessments for adjacent properties and also give you an idea where your property taxes will be going later this year. Keep in mind that Finance Committee Chair, Councillor Tom Gill, has already announced that the City of Surrey is anticipating a 4.4% property tax increase in 2017, not including other fee and levy increases.

Unless you have been living under a rock, you are well aware of the startling increases in property values in the Lower Mainland that finally forced the Liberal Government to impose a 15% foreign buyers tax on August 2nd of last year. To get an idea of the increases in value for properties in the Semiahmoo peninsula, I'd like to start with our very own rather simple abode in Crescent Heights in south Surrey. In the last two years it has gone up considerably, pushing up our Surrey property taxes by 22% over that time. In 2015 it was assessed at $941,000 which pales in comparison to the whopping $1,340,000 it is now assessed at for 2016. I'll save you doing the math, its almost $400,000 higher, equating to an increase of 42.4% in one calendar year. Too bad it's our home and not an investment as the RRSPs and TFSAs we own didn't even come close to this massive increase. Once again I catch myself saying that I should have stayed home instead of going to work as the house generated plenty more tax-free dollars in income than I made working my ass off all year.

I don't have to look very far to see similar increases. My next door neighbour to the south on 124 St. went up $410,600, while the neighbour to the north went up $497,000 to $2,379,000 even though the picture on the BC assessment website still shows the old war-time rancher that was knocked down for this Surrey monster house over two years ago. I wish I had kept the last two houses in lived in at Crescent Heights as the one around the corner went up $450,000, while the little rancher on a cul-de-sac only a few blocks away rocketed up $735,000 increasing from $875,000 to $1,410,000 for a 61% increase in a single year. That's my personal real estate history here in the Semi-pen but it easy to zoom around on cyberspace and find similar stories on almost every corner. A friend of mine on Ash Street in White Rock saw a half million dollar gain that equated to a modest 35% increase in value. The view properties on Ocean Park Drive in south Surrey and Marine Drive in White Rock now all have price tags of between $5-12 million. It is interesting to note that Lu-Lu Lemon founder Chip Wilson's Point Grey mansion that is the most expensive house in BC went up by nearly $12 million, going from $64 M to $76 M, a paltry 19% increase in value.

It is getting to the point that almost everyone with a single family residential property living in south Surrey or White Rock will now fail to qualify for the home owners grant. If your property has an assessed value of up to $1,200,000 then the home owners grant can reduce your property taxes by up to $570. Over the arbitrary $1.2 M ceiling the BC government has imposed, the grant is then reduced by $5 for each $1,000 in assessed value over the $1.2 M threshold. What this means is that the grant isn't available for properties assessed over $1,314,000, increasing your property taxes even further. We have a 35 year-old average house on a quarter acre gross density lot and this year will fail to qualify for the grant even though it is our permanent residence. The term "house rich, cash poor" is probably going to be bantered around a lot this year as folks look at possibly selling when the price of home ownership becomes too costly. With an upcoming Provincial election, increasing the ceiling for the home owners grant or possibly enlarging the deductible at the same time should become an election issue for all parties to give people relief from over-inflated real estate prices.

There is help available against property tax increases that are so onerous it makes home ownership impossible for those who are on pensions or have limited cash flow. The BC Government has a property tax deferment option allowing those people older than 55 years, surviving spouses those with disabilities and families with children to avoid paying property taxes until such time as the property is sold or transferred. Once you receive your property tax notice, simply apply to defer your payments with the BC government paying your taxes to the City of Surrey while providing you with a loan at 0.79% simple interest. If you think this sounds too good to be true, check out the details at http://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/taxes/property-taxes/annual-property-tax/pay/defer-taxes Surrey also has information on their website about property tax deferment at https://surrey.ca/city-services/588.aspx Ask yourself where you can ever get a loan with this ridiculously low interest rate that is only charged against the outstanding balance, not the accrued interest.

As I now quality for this wonderful "Freedom 55" plan, here is what I am going to do about our property taxes this year. I will be applying to defer the taxes for our home, have the BC Government pay the City of Surrey, then put the money I would have spent into my TFSA account. I'm hoping to see a 5-8% return over time plus will invest a small portion of this total in high risk/high return investments hoping for a home run in this account that is capital gains exempt. Through the magic of compound interest, I should be able to pay off the owing property taxes while using their money for years to create tax-free capital. Even without this financial slight-of-hand, with our house more than doubling in value since we purchased it, paying off even years of outstanding property taxes would be minimal compared to the huge amount of upward change we have seen in property value in the past few years. Of course what goes up always comes down and we are now seeing a softening of the market but obviously returns of 40% per year are not sustainable, affordable or realistic.

If you feel that your property assessment is way too high and out of sync with your neighbours or reality, remember that you can file an appeal with BC Assessment's Property Assessment Review Panel (PARP) once you get your statement. A few years back my parents along with eighteen other people who lived on Chilliwack Mountain all appealed their 20-55 percent property value increases. With powers in numbers, these increases were all rolled back to exactly what they were the previous year with no change in property value for anyone. I'm not sure if this would work here in the Semi-pen but if everyone in south Surrey and White Rock were to appeal their assessments, it is possible these massive increases might be somewhat reduced. Please note that the deadline to appeal your 2017 Assessment is January 31 with reviews taking place from February 1st to March 15th. We are planning on appealing our assessment to hopefully quality for the home owners grant yet again. After all, this is not an investment for us, its our home.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

B.C. Assessment property valuations for 2017 are now available online.

UPDATE

Landcorp Data Corp. has announced they estimate that throughout Metro-Vancouver 206,735 homeowners will keep their home owners grant, while 213,412 will lose theirs due to huge increases in property assessments. No word how high this number will be in the Semiahmoo peninsula but it is difficult to find a detached house here under the $1.2 million threashold due to land costs.

 

 

December 27, 2016


Christmas Gift List 2016


If there's one thing I love about Christmas it's the annual traditions and in the White Rock Sun this holiday spirited TNT is always special. Here's the list of naughty and nice gifts we hope Santa left under the tree for the movers, shakers and decision makers from the Semiahmoo peninsula, listed alphabetically so as not to offend anyone.

Wayne Baldwin, WR Mayor - A year's free delivery of pure Canadian Springs natural mineral water to his City Hall office so he can avoid the tap water. This should help to wash down the Excedrin pills needed to stop the migraine brought on by the EPCOR deal, water pressure problems during the Ocean Ridge apartment fire, and water quality issues arising from chlorination.

Jennifer Brooks, Mother of Hudson Brooks - For this strong-willed woman dealing with the RCMP shooting death of her unarmed 20 year-old son at the South Surrey detachment in July of 2015, charges being filed by the Crown after the Independent Investigations Office police watchdog concluded an officer may have committed a crime.

Dave Chesney, WR Councillor - A copy of the hilarious frat house movie Animal House featuring John Belushi where he can have a laugh about being on "double secret probation" after being censured yet again by WR Mayor & Council. Also a download of the hit single "Two More Years" by the band Bloc Party from their 2005 album "Silent Alarm."

Helen Fathers, WR Councillor - A copy of the board game "The Gong Show" based on the 70's and 80's TV show of the same name so she can practice White Rock politics at home. Also a new fireplace mantle where she can put her two trophies for White Rock winning B.C.'s Farmer's Market Of The Year and her winning Market Manager Of The Year.

Andrew Hammond, Ottawa Senators goaltender - For this often injured NHLer from White Rock, some Cold FX, Buckley's Syrup, Echinacea and a surgical mask to stop him from being bitten by the injury bug. In case you missed it, after nearly two months off with a groin pull, the "Hamburglar" recently had to leave his first game back with an ankle injury after only seven shots.

Linda Hepner, Surrey Mayor - A model Light Rail Transit (LRT) train set for under the old Christmas tree. In case you were wondering, you can get a 1/150 scale beginners set for around $300, far less than the $2.6 billion (yes, BILLION) planned for the city of Surrey. As a stocking stuffer, a vintage bottle of Avon's Charisma perfume.

Gordon Hogg, MLA SS/WR - For his 40 years of serving our community as Councillor (10 yrs) and Mayor (10 yrs) of White Rock and MLA (20 yrs) for South Surrey/White Rock, a gold Rolex retirement watch as the now 70 year old "Gordie" steps away from Victoria. Santa tells me he also has a fine bottle of Caribbean rum on his wish list.

Bill Lawrence, WR Councillor - A karaoke machine so that the man with the best voice in the Rock can finally start singing since he now doesn't have to spend his nights running the Sandpiper Pub on Marine Drive any more. As a stocking stuffer, DVD copies of every movie has has ever worked as a stuntman in the last 20+ years.

Gus Melonas, BNSF Railway Spokesperson - Not that he's been a bad boy this year, but a big lump of US thermal coal in the stocking for the BNSF Railway spokesperson is just waaaay too easy. Santa said the high-speed rail line from Seattle to Vancouver that he wanted was just too expensive.

Grant Meyers, WR Councillor - A truck load of live Christmas trees that he can plant on the Hump hillside along the beach that was clear-cut for views of Marine Drive's "Creme de la Crime" which has still not been relandscaped leaving it prone to soil movement and mudslides onto the BNSF Railway tracks below.

Ken Overton, FOI Clerk WR - For the lawyer hired as a clerk to expedite the increasing piles of Freedom of Information requests at White Rock Hall, a shiny crystal ball to gaze into when folks ask for more transparency from the most secretive Council in the Province of BC.

Semiahmoo First Nation Council - For new Chief Harley Chappel and re-elected Councillors Joanne and Roxanne Charles, a clean Metro Vancouver water connection that ends their boil water advisory in place since 2005. In the spirit of giving, they reduce their bloated salaries spending less on the council and more on the band members.

Tracey Redies, BC Liberal Candidate, SS/WR - For this veteran business woman chosen by the BC Liberals to replace MLA Gordon Hogg in the spring election, Dr. Scholls insoles, orthopedic arch supports, wads of tissue paper and some thick wool socks she'll need if elected when trying to fill good old Gordie's rather big shoes.

Dianne Watts, MP for SS/WR - A flashy neon sign for the empty facade above her new office in the Peninsula Village mall so constituents can actually find it hidden among the retail stores. In case you missed it, as most people have, Mrs. Watts' office is located between Plum ladies fashions and Big Gary's Vacuums.

Merry Christmas everyone and have a happy New Year planning your safe ride home.

Don Pitcairn

December 19, 2016


White Rock'sWinter Warriors Winter Warriors

With the weather from the last two years and complete lack of snow you would have easily been lulled into thinking that global w

arming and climate change mean that even frost is a distant memory here. In case you believed that it still never gets cold here, it did hit -12 C last year allowing for the Serpentine Fen to freeze and White Rock travel vlogger Christian LeBlanc to shoot his "MOST AMAZING DRONE VIDEO!(HD)" that you can view on YouTube. Rather bizarrely, this major cold snap saw no snow but produced deep freeze temperatures that resulted in beautiful hoar frost on the trees and vegetation. The latest arctic outflow over the past two weeks and multiple snowfalls certainly came as a shock but there were folks here who prepared for this onslaught and fought back valiantly against mother nature to keep our corner of the world safe to travel in.

The hard working men and woman down at the White Rock Public Works Yard prepare for the ravages of winter weather, prepping an assortment of machinery to plow roads and place salt and sand to keep ice at bay and help with traction. While small in size, the hilly terrain and moist ocean air in White Rock combine to create icy street conditions so dangerous that some hills need to be blockaded to traffic until they are cleared and deemed safe. If you have ever driven on Oxford Hill leading from Thrift Ave. to Marine Dr., imagine being the person driving the truck who first has to scrape the snow off this steep 23% grade road. I don't know if they get danger pay but just the thought of doing this job is enough to pucker my sphincter, especially considering the nasty car crashes that have happened over the years during warm weather with dry conditions. Public Works utilizes four single axle dump trucks with plows and salt spreaders, a couple of backhoes and one lowly snow blower to help clear the city's streets focusing on major roads, bus routes, and emergency access to PAH. Before last Monday's snowfall, the City By The Sea had already utilized 120 tonnes of salt for de-icing roads and walkways, a figure that has likely doubled by now.

The gardeners working in the White Rock Parks Department don't get to go home and celebrate a "snow day" like most people in that industry. Instead they put down the landscaping tools and pick up the snow shovels, working on smaller pedestrian areas around the city. While contractors clear the snow off the promenade, it is the Parks and Rec crews who lay down the salt on White Rock's famous walkway along with the train crossings and stairs leading to the pier. These people also focus their efforts on the walkways around City Hall, community centres, pedestrian crossings and any high traffic sidewalks that have turned into skating rinks due to the unavailability of salt at local hardware stores. With the elderly demographics in White Rock, it is essential to make icy sidewalks as safe as possible as you do not want seniors to take a fall onto frozen concrete or asphalt, ending up at the PAH with broken bones. If you ever want to walk on the pier during ice and snow, you should know that it cannot be cleared due to its length and damage that shovels would cause to its uneven surface. It also does not receive either sand or salt because of environmental concerns, which is funny because I'm sure it sees plenty during the year from its seaside location and the bottom of millions of sandals and flip flops during the summer.

The City of Surrey Public Works crews have a much larger fleet of snow clearing vehicles but with the massive network of roadways throughout Surrey they have to prioritize their response and divide their streets into three different types. First priority streets are major roads, arterial roads, major collectors plus bus routes, steep hills, around schools and long-term care facilities. Second priority routes are local connector roads in residential areas over 200 metres in length that bring local traffic to aerial roads or major collectors. During short snow storms, second priority routes rarely receive service due to the time required to address first priority major routes. Third priority routes are all remaining local residential roads and you should know that the City of Surrey like most municipalities in the region does not service side streets unless there is an immediate safety issue. This is why many of the back roads and cul-de-sacs in south Surrey can resemble skating rinks which stay frozen during periods of arctic outflow. You can view Surrey's snow and ice route map at http://www.surrey.ca/files/PrioritySnowIceControlRoutes.pdf to get an understanding of the magnitude of the job and their attack plan when snow is forecast.

Speaking of "Winter Warriors", in what I'm calling a "sidecar sidebar" I had a chance meeting on Sunday with Ocean Park resident Jeff Ferguson near Kwomais Point who was driving his rather eye-catching 2015 Ural motorcycle. He had stopped to take a picture in the snow of his Russian bike called a Gear-Up that included a covered sidecar with both painted in urban camouflage colours. Made in Siberia, the sidecar features a rather unique powered axle, giving this motorbike two-wheel rear drive when selected allowing it to be driven in all weather conditions including off-road. Jeff explained that with its 749 CC engine, this unstoppable Soviet motorcyle drives like an ATV, something he proved when leaving his parking spot with both rear tires spitting snow and gravel. It looked like great fun and since this was the fifth Ural he has owned since 2007, its safe to say he enjoys being able to ride in all road and weather conditions. While the employees of White Rock and Surrey who clear our streets of ice and snow are the true winter warriors, I have to tip my hat to Jeff Ferguson for taking his very cool motorcycle out for spin this weekend. For more info on the Ural Gear-Up visit http://www.imz-ural.com/2015-gear-up.html or contact Shail's Motorcycles in Langley who are the local dealer. http://www.shailsmotorcycles.com


 

I do love the snow but I must admit that after two weeks of cold weather I'm getting a little tired of all of the white stuff over White Rock and am looking forward to the forecast warmer temperatures the next few days. Its gotten to the point that I might even welcome some of that dreary rain we had so much of in the months of October and November. After all, the silver lining to that dark cloud is that you don't have to shovel it. For those dreaming of a white Christmas, take heart knowing that colder weather is scheduled to arrive for the next weekend with the strong possibility of snow on Dec. 25th. Keep in mind that while we have already seen unseasonably chilly temperatures, winter does not even start till the Solstice on Thursday, Dec. 21st so it is likely we will see plenty more ice and snow if this weather pattern persists into the New Year. I'm starting to think that an ergonomic snow shovel along with a bag of rock salt might make a really great gift this year for those on Santa's list.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

Editor's Note: Make sure you visit the White Rock Sun next Monday for the much anticipated TNT Christmas Wish List!

 

 

December 12, 2016

White Rock - "My City By The Secrets"

Lorraine Adair

 

"Three may keep a secret, if two are dead."
Benjamin Franklin in Poor Richard's Almanac, published 1735, in a slogan made famous by the Hell's Angels MC

It was not that long ago in a more gentler time when civic governments would quickly and routinely respond to resident's requests for information concerning decisions out of City Hall. This is what is known as open, honest and accountable governance where they have nothing to hide and don't attempt to conceal the truth even when it is embarrassing. Freedom of Information (FOI) requests were supposed to streamline the process of getting answers from local governments. Unfortunately it would now seem that the FOI process has been hijacked to the point that the FOI acronym should instead stand for "F*** Off Idiot." Nowhere does this seem to be more so than in the City of White Rock whose motto "My City By The Sea" would be more appropriate if it was slightly changed to "My City By The Secrets."

It should be relatively straight forward for White Rock City Hall to cough up mundane reports, communications and letters on a wide variety of subjects. After all, it is tax-payer money that funds their endeavors and their operations should be open to public scrutiny. While the FOI act was meant to promote clarity in government, it appears that White Rock City Hall is instead utilizing it as a shield against unwanted attention and interference. I have submitted a variety of FOI requests over the past decade on various subjects of interest and in the beginning I must admit they were answered quickly and efficiently. Whether because of the doubling of FOI requests over the last two years, secret dealings and agreements kept out of the public eye, or a lack or human resources to answer these queries, answers from City Hall are now slow as molasses, incomplete or blacked out, and often as difficult to get as pulling teeth with a pair of tweezers.

Case in point was the one and only FOI I submitted this year with yours truly wanting to personally review the letter sent in mid-September to the Semiahmoo First Nations informing them of White Rock's intent to turn off their water in 18 months. This story blew up in mid-September with Chief Joanne Charles calling out White Rock over their perceived threat and Mayor Wayne Baldwin reportedly responding that it was a "possible outcome" depending on further negotiations. Throw in the boil water advisory SFN has been under since 2005, the recent White Rock purchase of their water system from Epcor, the fact that the reserve is Surrey plus rumors of a future commercial development on band lands and you have a tempest in a teapot that made me want to see the actual letter that lit the fuse of this media firestorm. Since Chief Joanne Charles and Mayor Baldwin had already openly discussed the contents of this letter with one seeing it as a threat and the other as it being misconstrued, I wanted to read the actual wording for myself since I have a reasonable grasp of the Queen's English.

I filled out my FOI request at WR City Hall on Monday, Oct. 25th asking for "A copy of the letter sent to Semiahmoo First Nations advising them about the possibility of cutting off White Rock water services in 18 months from the date of that correspondence." The next day I got an email confirmation from Communications and Freedom of Information Clerk Lorraine Sym stating they would respond to my request on or before Dec. 6, 2016. It has been all quiet on the western front until last Friday which most people know is the day when any government likes dump their garbage out. I received an email from the newly hired FOI Clerk Ken Overton stating "Please be advised that we are extending the time for responding to your request pursuant to section 10(1)(c) of the Act. An extension is necessary because more time is needed to consult with a third party before we can decide whether or not to disclose the requested record." The new best-before-date is January 17, 2017 a week shy of three months after my initial request. It is not like the existence of this letter is a state secret or that the contents are not known other than the exact wording. Why it would take three months to answer this simple request and why it would likely have to be reviewed by an unknown third party (likely a lawyer) is open to conjecture and speculation.

It is not like I am being singled out for preferential treatment here. I know of many people in the Semi-pen who are having ongoing battles with White Rock over withheld documents, redacted emails, expensive FOI research bills, false claims of solicitor-client privilege, along with behavior that has gone from inappropriate or disparaging remarks down to name calling and verbal abuse. I've been told that the little City of White Rock is becoming very well known in the Office of the information and Privacy Commissioner over in Victoria because of constant appeals and requests for their assistance in enforcing the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA). Secrecy is not only limited to information and documents as it should be noted that the City of White Rock has yet to hold a single Council meeting since the last election that has not been proceeded by an "In-Camera" meeting that is held behind closed doors out of the public eye. It was in one of these secret meetings that Councillor Dave Chesney, the editor of this newspaper, was also censured for the second time in two years, likely a first for anyone in the history of the Province of BC. The original censuring was for him publishing an editorial I wrote here in a TNT column, the second one nobody knows why except for the Mayor and those in Council who voted again in favor of this partisan punishment.

White Rock is supposed to be a democracy but with roadblocks to information and FIPPA being disregarded, it leaves them looking more like a banana republic run by a despot dictator (grow some stones Trudeau, I'm glad Castro is dead). With personal freedoms under attack, I have but two questions for Mayor Baldwin and the majority of Council; what are you afraid of and what are you trying to hide? If they want to decrease the amount of FOI requests and save the $80,000 now being spent on an additional clerk brought in to handle the case load, then simply be more open and accountable to the citizens you are sworn to represent. The repressive regime we are now seeing that vilifies those who dare question their motives or judgements needs to be replaced or for the residents of White Rock to vote to rejoin Surrey. If you think that's such a bad idea, ask yourself if Surrey Council has this problem or if you're seeing 25 story condo towers being built in Crescent Beach.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

December 05, 2016

South Surreyite's Survival Story

A couple of weekends ago my wife and her friend Gloria headed to Whister on a Thelma & Louise styled road trip and I warned them beforehand to be careful on the #99 Sea-To-Sky Highway in the rain and snow that was forecast. It turned out that no warning was needed after they learned about what had happened to one of Gloria's good friend only days before on the Sunshine Coast. In a story that made the front page of the Province newspaper and was featured on Global TV, on Wednesday, November 23rd, a SUV lost control on a hairpin corner of the Sunshine Coast Highway near Madeira Park at 10 a.m. The vehicle flew down the steep 40 foot drop-off, coming to rest on its side in a raging creek between two waterfalls. To get an understanding of the extremely dangerous conditions, take a moment to check out the TV footage on Global at this link: http://globalnews.ca/news/3100191/watch-car-plunges-40-feet-off-highway-into-roaring-creek-on-sunshine-coast/ That is where the life-and-death struggle for survival of south Surrey resident Carolynne Drane began, one she was fortunate enough to tell me on Sunday in the comfort of her home only a stone's throw away from the Peninsula Village Shopping Centre.

Mrs. Drane was on the Sunshine Coast as part of her regular weekly route as a sales rep for Finn Crisps wholegrain crispbread. While a cautious driver and one who has driven this roadway many times, she entered the sharp turn and immediately lost control of her 2004 Toyota Forerunner with it veering off the asphalt. She vividly remembers going off the cliff and thinking to herself, "I'm going to die." After careening down the near vertical drop the SUV slammed into a rocky creek bed, quickly filling with water from the roaring creek that was swollen with rain water. While Carolynne remembers little of the actual crash, she told me her next memory was waking up in the Forerunner with water up to her neck and the creek rushing through the broken windows. She thought "I've got five minutes to live and I'm going to die now" before slowly coming to her senses and finally working to extricate herself from the deadly situation she suddenly found herself in. The vehicle interior was flooded and littered with the deflated airbags, boxes of Finn Crisps (she found out much to her stunned amazement that they float) and personal items she had taken with her. This made getting to the seat belt button difficult, especially with the disorientation of the SUV laying on its side flooded with moving water. She credits the thoughts of her daughter, family and friends with giving her the strength to release the seat belt and then climb out of the now vertical door of her wrecked vehicle.

Unfortunately leaving the SUV was only going from the frying pan to the fire when Carolynn looked around and realized how perilous of a position she was in with white water racing by on both sides. Her Forerunner was in a raging torrent between two waterfalls and she was worried the strong flow of water in the creek would instantly push her over over the second falls. Standing on the side of her vehicle, she saw her only escape was to jump to some nearby rocks but realized they were too far away to safely reach. Even if she had somehow gotten out of the fast moving water, the steep rock walls slick with water and algae made climbing to the highway out of the question. She could see cars further up the highway and hoped that someone might catch a glimpse of her SUV in the chasm and call the police. Caught between the proverbial rock and hard place Mrs. Drane decided her only hope was to hunker down in her truck and try to keep most of her body out of the fast flowing water. "I prayed to God don't let me die" she told me, "having faith that someone would find me." It would take several agonizing hours but miraculously a good Samaritan did come to her aid. It has been reported that a man visiting the Sunshine Coast stopped to look at the waterfalls in the area and when he pulled over and crossed the road, saw her damaged SUV laying on its side on the creek below and alerted rescue crews.

The Pender Harbour Volunteer Fire Department and BC Ambulance were first on scene and heard Carolynne's screams from the wrecked SUV below. Because of the perilous position of the vehicle, the Sechelt Fire Department and the Sunshine Coast Search and Rescue also responded along with the local RCMP. Utilizing cables and an aerial ladder truck to lower members into the chasm, they used their training in rope rescue operations and swift water awareness to stabilize the Foreruner from washing away over the second falls and to remove Mrs. Drake from the scene. Now deep in the grips of hypothermia, she had to be pulled from the vehicle, placed into a rescue basket and hauled with ropes and cables up the hill to the waiting ambulance. Being afraid of heights she did not look down for most of the ride up but said "When getting roped out the view I had of the car looked like death." The ambulance took her on a short ride to a spot where the Air Ambulance helicopter was waiting that whisked her off to the Trauma Unit at Vancouver General Hospital. While the normal human body temperature is 37 C or 98.6 F, Carolynne's was only 30 C or 86 F. She was slowly warmed up using a Bair Hugger warming blanket that uses forced air to heat a patient back to health. This dangerously low body temperature she experienced has led to major organ problems that still persist. A broken nose with two black eyes, concussion, several deep lacerations, nerve damage, various soft tissue injuries and over 70 bruises across her body are reminders to the trauma she endured that day.

Carolynne Drane

Carolynne feels lucky to be alive and glad she had the strength to live through this accident saying "I was shocked it happened to me but grateful that I survived." When asked about how she felt about the Emergency Services personnel who rescued her she responded "They're all my heros", letting me know she hopes to visit them one day in the future to show her gratitude (I told her to bring Finn Crisps!). What she hopes people learn from her ordeal is to be prepared for the unexpected when driving, especially in mountainous terrain or during bad weather. She believes her long leather boots and warm wool jacket helped to preserve her body heat during the four hour ordeal making survival possible. Mrs. Drane also believes a box cutter attached to the sun visor, a car escape tool allowing the window to be broken and seat belt cut, plus a flashlight as a key fob are essential driving safety implements. Losing her cell phone, wallet and purse to the water in the crash, she would like women to know they should simply use the passenger seat belt to loop through the purse straps when driving alone so these valuables can be quickly located. This is extremely important these days with cell phones that can be used to call for help and pinpoint the exact location of the crash. Above all, prepare your vehicle for the elements, something that needs to be seriously considered with snow and frigid conditions in the forecast for the Lower Mainland this week.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

Novezmber 28, 2016

 

Its Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas

Pitcairn Palace aka Studio 54

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas
Ev'rywhere you go;
Take a look in the five-and-ten, glistening once again
With candy canes and silver lanes aglow.

"Its Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas" written by Meredith Wilson in 1951 and made famous by Perry Como and Bing Crosby

Nothing says Christmas like an amazing holiday light display. It is no surprise that people come from far and wide to see the breathtaking creations that homeowners have often spent months to create with up to 100,000 light ablaze. Very soon you will be able to find listings of these electrical behemoths in every local newspaper including this one giving you addresses and even maps pinpointing their locations. While I appreciate the effort that goes into these often elaborate displays and the final brilliant product, it is the smaller more subtle displays that show creativity or ingenuity that I personally find the most appealing.

The problem with the massive displays is the work and danger that goes into producing them. Having a mother who worked in the Emergency department, I got used to hearing about people with cuts from carving pumpkins at Halloween and folks getting hurt or killed by falling off roofs, ladders and trees while hanging Christmas lights. You have to wonder if the actual goal is to have a home that is visible from space, something envisioned in the comedy movie "Deck The Halls" featuring Danny Devito and Matthew Broderick that was filmed in Ocean Park in 2006. I actually walked by three seniors once who were working together to string some lights on a house and jokingly asked, "Why do we put up Christmas lights anyways?" The man on top of the rickety ladder responded with, "Well, everyone else does" which got everyone laughing so hard I thought he was going to fall onto the asphalt below.

For the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, I created the Olympic Rings out of black plastic tubing and wrapped the five colours of Christmas lights I normally used for our house onto the improvised frame, hanging it from the front deck railing along with a Canadian flag. The next Christmas I realized how difficult it was going to be to remove the twisted cords from the rings, plus I wanted to save this display for use every two years. Not wanting to blow the budget on more lights, I came up with a simple solution, utilizing a $10 "Party Bulb" and outdoor flood lamp kit I already had to create a swirling kaleidoscope of colour across the white exterior of our humble abode. I've since doubled this ridiculously easy display (2 bulbs, only 6 watts of power) that does not require climbing up ladders, skating on frozen roofs or hanging out in trees. The only drawback is that I want to play loud 70's disco music with it instead of traditional Christmas carols. Time to cue the "Staying Alive", "Disco Inferno" and "Macho Man."

Luxe/Lite@14538-32nd Avenue

My vote for the coolest Christmas display in the Semiahmoo peninsula belongs to the folks living at 14538 32 Ave., just west of the KGB in south Surrey who have an amazing display utilizing ultra modern commercial quality LED lighting. I must admit that the picture in this TNT does not do it justice as many of the 10,000 lights twinkle like stars in the night sky. They have large orbs that hang from the cedar trees like they are floating above the driveway, heavy light garland on the eaves of the house and bulbs strung all across the gate at the front of the street. Even though the show is rather spectacular, it uses less than 10 amps of power because of the LED technology. This is the third year for this display that grows in size every year and is attracting so much attention that they have now posted a sign at the front of their property with their new company name "Luxe Lite - seasonal and decore lighting" and a phone number to stop the constant knocking at the door all winter long inquiring about their rather unique display.

It turns out that the husband is a commercial electrician who works for Cobra Electric and has been installing seasonal and decorative lighting for over 20 years. This includes Pacific Centre, Granville Island, Capilano Suspension Bridge, LuLu Lemon founder Chip Wilson's mansion, the light covered whale in English Bay and the massive Christmas tree at Surrey City Hall. All of the LED lights in their yard are high-end commercial grade lights from MK Illumination (mk-illumination.com) in the UK who create spectacular seasonal, special event and artistic lighting displays in over 100 countries. Their Slovenian made lights are pricey but if you want cheap Chinese crap that will only last a couple of seasons then go to Canadian Tire. These long-lasting LED lights are so amazing that Luxe Lite has recently been founded to retail them to discriminating consumers and homeowners here who are looking for something special. Sorry to report that most are already sold out but they are taking orders for next year's Christmas season. The demand for these deluxe lights is so high that they will also be renting them out for weddings and special events starting next year in both warm and cool white colours.

In the end, the entire reason for putting up these beautiful lights was for the couple's three children who really enjoy the display and also help with installing it. They get a kick out of all of the people who have stopped by over the years or stuffed notes into their mail box inquiring about their one-of-a-kind Christmas light display, myself included. You can reach Luxe Lite by calling 604-538-2761, visiting their FB page and the luxelite.ca website that is currently under construction. Check out the MK Illumination website to get an idea of what is possible using commercial LED lighting in your Christmas display. If you are wondering how you would store a metre wide ball with a thousand lights on it, don't worry as they unclip and quickly fold into a small stack of steel spokes only inches high. I have to admit that these lights are brilliant without even plugging them in.

I hope that you found this TNT rather illuminating and possibly inspiring. Visiting the Luxe Lite house at 14538 32 Ave. might give you some insight to Christmas lighting options beyond the ordinary fare you find on the shelves at Wal-Mart. If you are putting up Christmas lights in the next few weeks, please be careful, have someone hold the ladder, or consider hiring a professional to help with the installation.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

Nov. 20, 2016

Water, Water Everywhere, Nor Any Drop To Drink

The title of this TNT is the famous line from the poem "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" written by Samuel Taylor Coleridge and published in 1798.

I remember the good old days when White Rock's well water was a source of community pride and another reason why "Living in White Rock means never having to say you're Surrey." I must admit that there were several occasions when I filled up carboys of water at a friend's house in White Rock that I then used for making beer. The reasoning was that with no chlorine and more mineral content, it would not kill yeast and would add flavour to the ales I was brewing. It seemed to work as the beer I made in the basement turned out very good and disappeared all too quickly. Unfortunately the glory days of pure White Rock water are nothing but a memory with a continuing parade of problems from the wells to the taps.

This long and convoluted story goes back a few years when the downward spiral first started with Ecoli bacteria found in the drinking water. This was traced back to a roof membrane leak on one of the reservoirs that allowed "pigeon poop" to get into the system. Even though the problem was fixed and nobody actually got sick, Fraser Health decided that the times of supplying untreated tap water to the masses were suddenly over. Faced with this issue, White Rock City Hall decided that chloramine was the disinfectant of choice, causing a strong response from the residents of the city who wanted nothing to do with this chemical that had previously caused large fish kills in south Surrey during GVRD trials. Chlorine is now being added to White Rock's water supply with fears that it will react to the iron, manganese and arsenic that has collected on the inside of water pipes. On top of all of this, the purchase of the water system by the City from Epcor at a price still to be determined and protected by a gag order running past the next civic election date in three years plus the Ocean Ridge apartment fire draining the reservoirs only adds to the misery.

Living in south Surrey, our water comes from the large North Vancouver watersheds, provided to the region by Metro Vancouver. While we have bottled mountain spring water courtesy of my friend who works at Canadian Springs, most of the water we drink is from the tap and put through a simple Brita filter. With the new Seymour/Capilano filtration plant and tunnels connecting the lakes of the system, gone are the days of receiving cloudy water laden with sediment as often happened years ago during heavy rains and landslides. While turbidity was never a problem with White Rock in the past, it now appears to be a serious issue with water coming out of taps that is undrinkable and unusable. Drinking water that is a dull brown colour, water in bath tubs and laundry machines that looks dark grey , thick black chunks precipitating out of of suspension and water that fails a simple taste test are some of the things I have heard about and witnessed over the past few weeks. Check out the pictures I have either received from residents or taken in their homes to get an idea of the scope of the problem. If you have any pictures of your own, send them on to the White Rock Sun so they can be published.

I heard about water quality issues in uptown White Rock and got in touch with a lady who lives in one of the strata buildings near North Bluff that had been complaining about water that was unfit to drink and too dirty to use. A water sample in a canning jar from Nov. 7th showed large dark chunks of material that had sunk to the bottom and clumped together. When this jar was shaken, the black bits disappeared leaving the water a dark brown colour that it had originally looked like coming out of the tap. She supplied me a picture of the rinse water for a laundry load that was almost black, leaving me thinking about the old "Could you do a Tide commercial" commercials. I would hate to see what that water would do to a load of white laundry. A friend down the hall from her unit also snapped a picture of a bathtub where the water had been left standing for 10 minutes that looked like someone had washed their dog in it after spending a few hours running through tidal pools down at the beach. The rather cheeky comment that came with this picture was, "I wonder how Mrs. Baldwin would feel about bathing in this!"



Water samples were taken from kitchen taps at this building and were submitted to Exova laboratories for testing using approved US Environmental Protection Agency Test Methods. While most of the numbers for everything from Arsenic to Zinc were well under the MAC (maximum allowable concentration) listed by Health Canada water quality guidelines, the manganese level got a fail rating of AO (aesthetic objective). Health Canada guidelines for manganese in drinking water allow up to 0.05 mg\Litre but the samples from uptown White Rock came in at 0.185 mg/L, equivalent to 3.7 times greater than the guideline limits. Here is what health Canada had to say about manganese in high levels as taken from their website:


The presence of manganese in drinking water supplies may be objectionable for a number of reasons. At concentrations above 0.15 mg/L, manganese stains plumbing fixtures and laundry and produces undesirable tastes in beverages. As with iron, the presence of manganese in water may lead to the accumulation of microbial growths in the distribution system. Even at concentrations below 0.05 mg/L, manganese may form coatings on water distribution pipes that may slough off as black precipitates.


For more detailed information on this issue visit the following link: http://healthycanadians.gc.ca/publications/healthy-living-vie-saine/water-manganese-eau/index-eng.php#a1

Currently Health Canada has no health and safety guideline for manganese levels in water but there are those who believe this inevitable, especially with the World Health organization currently reviewing the maximum level and calls for it to be reduced. Professor Maryse Bouchard from the University of Montreal has published a study that links high manganese content in drinking water to lowered IQ in children: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3114830/#b2-ehp-119-a240b


I'm not sure if the tap water can cause "Manganism Syndrome" which is characterized by weakness, apathy, slow speech, monotonous tone of voice, and emotionless facial expression but if you've ever been to a Council meeting at White Rock City Hall recently, you have to wonder if maybe he's on to something.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

 

November 14, 2016

The Naked Trump

The Donald

One of the best things about living in the Semi-pen is being so close close to the Canada/US border where you can truly be an outsider looking in. I travel frequently to the United States of America and have plenty of friends there on both sides of the political divide, notice that I did not say across the political spectrum. I follow the political machinations across Canada with great interest whether it is Federal, Provincial or Civic elections but also watch the US electoral scene with rapt fascination. You see here north of the border, you usually have a broad selection of candidates whereas in the States for all practical purpose it is Republicans vs. Democrats, Conservatives vs. Liberals, and cats vs. dogs. It really is a rather frightening us-versus-them mentality with plenty of animosity and vitriol directed towards the other side.

For the old farts, do you remember where you were when Neil Armstrong first stepped on the moon blowing his well rehearsed lines, or when Paul Henderson scored the winning goal against the Russians in the 1972 Summit Series? For Millennials and Gen-Xers, how about when you heard that Lady Di died in a French tunnel car crash, saw hijacked planes used as flying bombs on 9-11, or when Sidney Crosby scored the "Golden Goal" at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver? It may be a little premature but I think you can put the election of Donald J. Trump as the President of the United States in that unforgettable historical moment category. The personal attacks, hateful rhetoric and vilification in the US during the campaign truly lowered electioneering from the gutter into the sewer. What other election have you seen where protests erupt on the streets for days afterwards because of the result?

It was really no surprise that Donald Trump won the 45th Presidential election but the results were far from a landslide. When the final count was in he took 290 Electoral College votes to Hillary Clinton's 228, even though the popular vote went to Hillary at 47.75 to 47.5 percent. The pollsters were not even close about the outcome as they did not gauge the level of distrust of the Clinton Camp or the general anger towards the elites running America. Donald Trump, for all his brash billionaire bravado, represented a political neophyte and outsider who many believe will breath a breath of fresh air into the stagnant cesspool that is Washington DC. Still there were others who thought that neither front-runner was a plausible candidate including a friend of mine who texted me a photo of his ballot taken in California on Tuesday showing where he has voted "Justin Trudeau" for President. I'm starting to wonder if I am the only person who realizes that both Canada and the US now have a leader whose last name starts with "Tru." Tru-st the guy from The Naked Tru-th to spot this.

It was interesting to note how the different TV stations in the States reported the election with CNN (The Clinton News Network) failing to give Trump the nod until Clinton phoned to concede and congratulate him. If you were flipping the stations you would have seen the conservative FOX network declare him as President Elect by 9 p.m. while more Liberal networks failed to call a winner until Clinton threw in the towel at 2 a.m. I'm no Stephen Hawkings but I understand mathematics and probabilities and could tell even earlier that with his lead in important states, Donald Trump was going to the White house. I wasn't the only person who saw this as Canada's Immigration and Citizenship website crashed early on election night, swamped by Americans looking to flee to the Great White North. Maple Match, the dating website that connects Canadians with Americans (their slogan is "Make Dating Great Again"), saw their user numbers triple in one day after the election and their app start trending. Showing the interest here, the BC Lottery Corporation announced that novelty betting on the US Presidential election surpassed that of the Super Bowl in popularity with nearly $400,000 wagered.

The best part about Donald Trump becoming the next President of the United States is that him and I share the same first name. I'd like to ask that in the future when you are conversing or coresponding with myself, please call me "The Donald" instead of the "The Nudie Guy" as was often the case in the past. I'm trying to resist the temptation but have unfortunately started referring to myself in the third person. The Donald does not know why this is happening but he suspects is started soon after the US election. Even The Donald's wife has noticed the difference when he says things to her like "The Donald needs a coffee" or "The Donald loves you baby." You will know when this has gone too far if you see the words THE DONALD in metallic gold letters above our front door, THE DONALD written across the side of the work truck, or a change in The Donald's hairstyle from curled locks to a bad comb over. As far as personality, attitude or wit or attitude, The Donald doubts anyone will notice any difference.

The Donald often uses lyrics from a popular song as a lead in to his topics in The Naked Truth column. In a TNT first, The Donald would like to end this rant with the words to the song that President Elect Trump used as his campaign theme, in his political rallies, after his speech at the Republican National Convention and lastly after his victory speech on election night as he exited the stage. Expect for it to get plenty of airtime during the next four years, possibly even blaring from loud speakers on the White House lawn.

We went down to the demonstration
To get your fair share of abuse
Singing, "We're gonna vent our frustration
If we don't we're gonna blow a fifty-amp fuse"
You can't always get what you want
You can't always get what you want
You can't always get what you want
But if you try sometimes, well you just might find
You get what you need


"You Can't Always Get What You Want" by the Rolling Stones from their 1969 album "Let It Bleed."

Naturally yours,
The Donald

 

 

 

November 07, 2016

Time For A Change, In Clocks And Planes


Those magnificent men in their flying machines,
they go up tiddly up up,
they go down tiddly down down.
Up, down, flying around,
looping the loop and defying the ground.
They're all frightfully keen,
those magnificent men in their flying machines.
Title song from the 1965 British comedy movie "Those Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines."

 

On Sunday morning we were still soundly sleeping when a loud noise woke both my wife and I from our sleep at 8:25 a.m. She asked, "Is that a dump truck?" to which I responded, "No, that's a low flying jet." After getting up and downing a Holy Smoke coffee to start my day, I went online to YVR's WebTrak (http://webtrak5.bksv.com/yvr5) website that allows for airplane noise monitoring and flight tracking. It turns out the offending craft was a Gulfstream Aerospace G280 executive jet originating from Boundary Bay Airport (CZBB) in Delta at 8:23 a.m. that flew directly over the hamlet of Crescent Beach and across the Semiahmoo peninsula heading east. It passed directly over our house in Crescent Heights at only 2,900 feet, registering 69 decibels at the noise monitoring station based a mile away in Ocean Park. If that station were in our yard it likely would have registered 80 decibels or the equivalent noise of when I fired up the Mr. Coffee bean grinder in the kitchen. It certainly was a wonderful to way to wake up considering the time change away from Daylight Savings Time back to Standard Time.

I learned from the Boundary Bay Airport website that the populated areas of Ladner and Tsawwassen in Delta plus White Rock and South Surrey (south of 16th Ave. only) are listed as noise management areas (http://www.czbb.com/development/noise-management). Unfortunately there is nothing stopping executive jets from disturbing the rest of south Surrey with low-flying jet noise from a plane with full throttle on its high thrust engines. The GRIZZ STAR flight path has taken almost all of YVR's northbound commercial traffic out into the middle of Boundary Bay and certainly quietened things here compared to when Nav Canada changed the flight paths seven years ago. In order to decrease the noise from these small but noisy jets flying out of CZBB, I would suggest these flights be directly slightly north into the rural areas between the Nicomekyl and Serpentine rivers south of #10 Highway. Planes flying through this region would not only be higher off the ground but it is a farming area with very few homes on sizeable acreages plus large nature areas and parkland. Why only those areas south of 16th Ave. are in the the noise management area is something that needs to be questioned.

It is bad enough that we have to tolerate changes to our already sleep deprived lives twice a year because of the change to Daylight Savings and Standard Time. I've written on this topic previously and was surprised to find out that much of the world doesn't have to go through this ridiculous exercise twice a year. It turns out I'm not the only person who thinks this relic from a by-gone time should be eliminated as there is a change.org petition titled "Stop the time change in British Columbia" that garnered nearly 26,500 votes. If you missed your opportunity to add your name to the list that was sent to Premier Christy Clark, you can join the new "Stop the time change in BC referendum May 2017 that hopes to make this an election issue (https://www.change.org/p/christy-clark-stop-the-time-change-in-bc-referendum-may-2017). There is also a Facebook page that you can join titled " STOP the time change" which has some interesting information about this bi-annual madness. My favourite posting from there is, "I love turning back the clocks so it gets dark by 4 p.m., said no one ever."

Back to the main topic, sorry but my plane..., I mean train of thought tends to meander when I'm sleep deprived. I was originally involved with Surrey's Nav Canada Working Group that put pressure on Nav Canada to alter YVR flights paths to reduce jet noise pollution to densely populated residential neighbourhoods in this region. I've written extensively on the issue of aviation noise pollution over the years and believed that this topic would be a thing of the past. I am now hoping that common sense will prevail and that this small change for jets leaving CZBB could be instituted promptly to help to reduce the racket from business jets now buzzing over the Semiahmoo peninsula. If not, expect a lot more noise from south Surrey residents when people living here are informed that Boundary Bay Airport is allowing low-flying executive jets to roar over their homes early on a Sunday morning, shaking everyone awake.

The Mayors and Councils from both Delta and Surrey have already been notified about this problem plus Boundary Bay Airport, Nav Canada, MLA Gordon Hogg and MP Dianne Watts. Please feel free to voice your own concerns to them if you were also roused from your already disrupted sleep this weekend. As for me its time to cut this column short and hit the hay early so I'm not a zombie at work this week.

Naturally yourzzzz,
Don Pitcairn

DISCLAIMER;

The content and expressions of The Naked Truth are the sole responsibility of the author Don Pitcairn.

 

 

October 31, 2016

Halloween Horrors, White Rock Style

 

Trick or treat, smell my feet
give me something good to eat
if you don’t, I don’t care
I’ll pull down your underwear!

Playground jingle from the playground jungle.

 

Since today is Halloween, I thought some ghost writing would be eerily appropriate. In a TNT first, the bulk of this column was written by another community-minded soul and sent to White Rock's Mayor and Council this weekend. Luckily enough I received a copy and in the spirit of the season thought it should be shared with the residents of White Rock. Enjoy the fireworks folks!

 

Subject: Closed Meeting Decision to Censure Councillor Chesney and Amend Deputy Mayor Rotation Improper * More Specifics to the Public Required

October 30, 2016

Dear Mayor, Council and White Rock City Staff.

This has reference to the release of the decision of White Rock City Council to once again censure Councillor David Chesney and once more remove him from the Deputy Mayor rotation. As City Clerk Tracey Arthur announced at the end of the Regular Council Meeting of October 24, 2016, this City business was discussed, deliberated and voted upon by Council at a meeting Closed to the Public that commenced at 2:30 PM on October 24, 2016. You will know from my previous correspondence of April 18, 2015 regarding Council's first instance of censuring Councillor Chesney and Council's first instance of removing Councillor Chesney from the Deputy Mayor rotation that these sorts of matters of City business are not subject matters that can be properly and lawfully considered by Council at an "in camera" meeting that excludes the Public.

I will again remind you that Section 89 of the Community Charter states that: "A meeting of a council must be open to the public..." except under the very limited and very specific circumstances detailed in Section 90 of the Charter. Section 90(1) lists the subject matters on which a Council may choose to exercise a discretion to Close a meeting and Section 90(2) lists the rare subject matters on which a Council must Close a Council meeting to the Public. But Council's censure of a Councillor and Council's amendment of its Deputy Mayor rotation to remove a Councillor from the rotation are not subject matters that fall within the very limited and very specific circumstances that are listed in Section 90.

In the Notice for the Special Closed Meeting of October 24th, the City Clerk listed Sections 90 (1) (a), (c), (f), (g), (I), (k) and (m) as the criteria justifying the Closing of this scheduled Special Closed Meeting. A City Councillor is neither an officer, nor an employee or nor an agent of the City of White Rock. A Councillor is an elected official and as such, Section 90(1)(a) (which the City pointed to as justification the last time that Council censured Councillor Chesney in a Closed meeting), has no application to Councillor Chesney's circumstances. And even the most creative imagination can not contrive a reason how Council's Deputy Mayor rotation can be properly and lawfully considered, debated and deliberated upon at a Closed Meeting.

"Censure" is described and defined in White Rock's "Bylaw to establish the rules of procedure for Council and Committee Meetings", Bylaw 2105 as below:
"51. A motion to censure may be used to express Council’s indignation with a Council
member’s conduct regarding Council business. A motion of this nature would be used
only in extra-ordinary circumstances, where the principles of the Respectful Workplace
Policy has not been adhered to, and will be: (Bylaw 2128)
(a) seconded;
(b) debatable;
(c) amendable;
(d) requires a majority vote;
(e) and will be recorded in the Council meeting minutes."

There is nothing secretive or confidential about a censure. And there is nothing in White Rock's bylaws and certainly nothing in the Community Charter that enables Council to censure one of their fellow publicly elected colleagues at a Closed meeting. From a purely technical perspective, Bylaw 2015, which was amended as recently as February 29, 2016, states that a censure will be used: "... only in extra-ordinary circumstances, where the principles of the Respectful Workplace Policy has not been adhered to." There has been no indication from Council that Councillor Chesney's situation is one involving the principles of the Respectful Workplace Policy, so it would appears that on this basis alone, Council's censure is "ultra vires" (beyond one's legal power or authority).

White Rock Bylaw No, 2105 also provides the statutory framework for White Rock's Deputy Mayor rotation. Section 8.1 reads:
"8. (1) Annually Council will designate the order in which each member will serve
as Deputy Mayor on a rotating basis. During an election year this will be conducted
at the inaugural Council meeting. Amendments to the schedule must be made by Council resolution. (Bylaw 2128)"
There is nothing secretive or confidential about the Deputy Mayor rotation. And there is nothing in White Rock's bylaws and certainly nothing in the Community Charter that enables Council to amend the Deputy Mayor rotation at a Closed meeting.

If for some reason, the Mayor and other members of Council are personally fixated on censuring a fellow Councillor and removing one of their fellow Councillors from the Deputy Mayor rotation, then at minimum, it behooves those so driven to conduct their discussions, debate and deliberations in Public. No one on Council, neither the Mayor nor anyone else, has any right to attempt to thwart the will of the hundreds of voters who chose to elect David Chesney to Council to represent their interests by working to attempt to diminish his effectiveness. Yet instead of conducting this City business that Council apparently thought so necessary to do at an Open Meeting before the Public, Council wrongly and secretly carried out this business at a Closed Meeting and then tackily in my view, issued a prepared Media Release to announce its decision to censure Councillor Chesney.

While it remains to be determined whether or not Council has exceeded its authority through the actions that it has taken with respect to Councillor Chesney, there is no doubt that the secret, in camera meetings that Council chose to rely on when it discussed, debated and deliberated these subject matters is NOT permitted and thus, a clear breach of the Community Charter. What the Public has been presented with to date are the specifics of Councillor Chesney's punishment, but no specifics of his alleged "crime". Given the fact that Council has already released the results of its Closed Meeting deliberations and vote on the matter of Councillor Chesney's censure and on the matter of the amendment of the Deputy Mayor rotation schedule, this is neither fair nor proper.

To quell rumours and innuendos and to meet its duty to keep the Public duly informed of City business, Council owes an explanation to the Public as to the specifics of what it is that Councillor Chesney did so as to warrant the Public punishment that has already been meted out to him. Simply broadly stating "breach of trust and sharing of confidential/classified information" as stated on the Media Release is inadequate. More details and more specifics need to be supplied to the Public to explain Council's decisions if only to dispel the perception that some may hold that Councillor Chesney is yet again the victim of another "witch hunt" led by his detractors on Council. Council's failure to do so will only continue to disrespect and effectively disenfranchise the hundreds of voters who chose to elect David Chesney to City Council to represent their interests.

I look forward to an early reply.

 

Sincerely,

***********

Mayor Baldwin and the White Rock Coalition may think this was a great trick but I've got a treat to serve up to them. Several weeks ago there was a meeting in uptown White Rock that drew local realtors, commercial business owners, former White Rock Council members and well connected members of the community. The topic was how to bring about the re-amalgamation of White Rock with Surrey by the time of the next civic election. The driving force behind this concept was the way that the city is being run, the decisions being made and the leadership being shown. I made a point of going by that night and can report that this event was well attended. As to the identities of the people involved, lets just say that I've learned from White Rock on how to keep a secret. Some things you want to take to your grave.

Nocturnally yours
Don Pitcairn

 

 

October 23, 2016


BC Hydro Bullying


"When a man is denied the right to live the life he believes in, he has no choice but to become an outlaw."
Quote by former South African President Nelson Mandela

When BC Hydro decided to force their digital Smart Meters on the public several years ago we came to the conclusion for many reasons that we wanted no part of their future plans, informing them them we wished to retain the analog meter for our residential electrical system. We have constantly denied their requests to install their digital device, being forced into paying their overblown "Legacy Charge" rate of $32.40 per month while posting no trespassing signs and protecting the existing meter from tampering or unauthorized removal. For comparison, in Quebec their Opt-Out plan costs you a measly $5 a month for an analog electrical meter.

In February of 2016 we were mailed a letter from BC Hydro informing us of their intent to exchange the electricity meter on our house to a so-called Smart Meter. They warned that failure to comply would result in a $65 "Failed Installation Fee" being charged to our account. We returned this letter via registered mail, explaining once again that we did not want a digital meter on our house but would gladly accept an analog meter instead. Unfortunately "thanks, but no thanks" means nothing to these power mad corporate creeps.

Disregarding our letter, in June of this year BC Hydro's Corix representative ignored our "No Trespassing" sign posted on the property, came to the front door and threatened us with the bogus failed installation charge if we did not capitulate. He left the property when informed that he was trespassing and the Surrey RCMP were being called. In August, BC Hydro billed us the failed meter installation charge for a digital meter we had repeatedly informed them we did not want.


How is it a monopolistic Crown Corporation can force bogus charges on customers they supposedly serve? We have paid for our electricity consumption, the trumped up Legacy Meter charge (total of $1,028 over three years) but not this latest penalty. They are fully aware we do not want a digital meter yet they chose to send a technician to our house simply to activate the $65 plus tax charge for unwanted work that was never performed. There is nothing stopping these corporate crooks from doing this over and over at $65 a pop for each visit.

On Sept. 14th we received a Missed Payment notice on the $68.25 outstanding amount that BC Hydro called a "friendly reminder." Two weeks later on Sept 28th we received an Account Overdue notice threatening interruptions in service and being required to pay a security deposit. On Oct. 12 we received a Final Disconnection Notice that threatened if the balance was not paid immediately they would disconnect service. To date the juice is still on, allowing me to sit at my computer with lights and warmth while writing this latest TNT.

We have no intention of paying this unwanted bill that was forced upon us against our will. It is noteworthy that their letter warns that "before calling to request a reconnection, to prevent the possibility of a fire, please turn off or disconnect all electrical equipment" putting our safety and home at risk. Adding salt to the wound, there is a $30 reconnection fee that would then be charged to turn the electricity back on. What they failed to mention in their last letter was they would not reconnect the power without first installing a Smart Meter.

We've had enough of BC Hydro's bullying and are now contemplating legal action against them due to unauthorized billing, harassment, undue stress, loss of enjoyment, reckless endangerment plus legal fees. Because they are a Crown Corporation, we have to file a written notice of claim of our intent, then wait two months before proceeding with court action against BC Hydro. We intend to file for a court order suspending the threatened electrical disconnection until this matter is resolved before a judge.

While anti-bullying campaigns including Pink Shirt Day are celebrated here, for reasons unknown BC Hydro is allowed to threaten, intimidate and harass their paying customers. Christy Clark's BC Liberals may have their erasebullying.ca website for school kids but they allow BC Hydro to be the province's biggest bully against adults. Of course, BC Hydro as a government owned monopoly can ignore the wants and needs of their customers as they are the only game in town and short of going off the grid you have very limited options.

I believe that BC residents need to know about this issue and wonder how many other people are in a similar situation of having their lights and heat turned off heading into the dark and cold fall season. Don't be surprised if Surrey Shirts prints and delivers pink "BC Hydro STOP Bullying" t-shirts to their head office in Vancouver sometime in the near future. While the joke is that BC stands for "Bring Cash", in BC Hydro's case it either stands for "Bullying Customers or "Beyond Corrupt."

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

October 17, 2016

Taking a Stand on Trees

There is unrest in the forest
There is trouble with the trees
For the Maples want more sunlight
And the Oaks ignore their pleas

Lyrics to "The Trees" by the iconic Canadian rock band Rush

Everyone knows that the third time's the charm but fortunately the remnants of Typhoon Songda that arrived on Saturday night did not pack the punch that was originally advertised. Our neighbours to the south in Oregon and Washington bore the brunt of the storm that brought damaging winds of 60 to 80 miles per hour to these states, while here most of the gusts were in the 60 kilometer speed instead. It was still rare to have three storms of this magnitude in such quick succession in October, with Friday's storm sometimes looking like a hurricane with the driving wind and pelting rain that came in sideways. Blown down trees, broken branches and flying debris were the norm for that day with one death being attributed to the nasty weather, that of 15 year-old Shakir Salaam, a Clayton Heights Secondary student who was struck by a falling tree in a Surrey park near the school and died later in hospital from his injuries.

Wind and rain storms are nothing new to this region with everything from Hurricane Freda in 1962 (aka The Big Blow), the Hanukkah Eve windstorm of 2006 that leveled portions of Stanley Park, to the freakish August 29th gale that blew into BC last year leaving more than half a million BC Hydro customers in the dark. While wind storms can cause damage at any time of the year, when deciduous trees have yet to shed their leaves they act as sails allowing the wind to exert much more energy on them often leading to broken branches and downed trees. This was the case on Friday when I received multiple reports from White Rock of trees that had fallen over in parks throughout the city. Even the tall native evergreens are more damage prone because many have yet to shed their older foliage as is normal in the later fall. Add in insect infestation or disease such as the laminated root rot present in many of our urban parks, venturing into the woods during windstorms can be dangerous especially when you consider a hundred year old Douglas fir tree can often weigh over 10,000 lbs.

I've had my own experiences with windstorms over the years and trees falling around me. When still a teenager I was crossing the street to a friend's house at night during a power outage when a large branch broke off from tall fir trees in his yard. Over the howling wind and in total darkness, I didn't hear or see the 20 foot long branch as it fell through the air like a long arrow with a jagged broken tip. It struck the ground only a step behind me, sinking deep into the water logged soil before falling over. At three inches in diameter this branch most certainly would have caused serious injury if I'd been struck by it. Not learning from this lesson, years later a friend and myself went picking wild mushrooms in the Watershed Park during a storm. While we were in the forest the wind speed increased dramatically and we saw five trees fall near us, escaping the danger by cutting through the Delta Works Yard rather than taking the trails to leave the forest. More recently I got to watch as a huge branch broke from my neighbour's fir tree in Crescent Heights that was so big I cut it into firewood, counting the rings to 75 years old and this was from forty feet off the ground. They now park their cars in front of my house away from danger when strong winds are forecast.

Trees are an integral part of any urban landscape design and we have at least a dozen of them in our yard varying from 15 to 80 feet in height. Though I prune the smaller ones myself, I have a certified arborist regularly inspect and work on the larger trees to ensure that they are healthy, properly structured and able to withstand our periodic wind storms. If you see heavy seed set, leaves withering and dropping early or unusual needle fall, it is likely your tree is diseased or possibly rotting out in the core of the trunk. Ivy should never be allowed to grow on tree as the roots can penetrate into the bark causing rot and weakness or the thick vines can wrap around the trunk strangling growth causing the tree to snap in winds. If you have a tree with multiple candlestick trunks, usually from a previous topping or injury, it is wise to have them safety cabled so that if they break they will remain in the tree instead of falling from height. Large evergreens should be cut back away from the roofs of building and spiral pruned, eliminating long heavy branches while thinning the canopy and allowing the breeze to blow through. It may be expensive to get tree work done but this cost is minimal when compared to the damage that can be done if they are neglected.

I had the pleasure of knowing arborist Charles Jones from Raintree who unfortunately passed away late last year on a day when we were scheduled to be working together on a tree replacement project Over a quarter century we worked on a variety of dangerous trees; a tall alder leaning precariously against an apartment building on Christmas Eve, a 100 foot cottonwood rotting from the inside and bending dangerously towards a kid's playground and a row of tall pines at a townhouse complex that fell like dominoes and stacked like cord-wood from a massive gust of wind. Of all the crazy stories Charlie had to tell from his years as a tree surgeon (and believe me there were plenty) two stand out in my mind. He always said that the most surreal part of his job was standing in somebody's living room with a chainsaw on full throttle and chips-a-flying, bucking a fallen tree trunk into pieces so it could be removed from the house. The worst job he ever had was cutting his way into a bedroom so that firefighters could retrieve the body of a woman crushed by a falling tree that had sliced through the roof. If you have tall trees on your property, make sure you have them professionally cared for to ensure the safety of your dwelling and most importantly the people who live there.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

October 11, 2016


The Name Game

You likely will have heard about the ultra light crash a week ago Sunday in the waters near Crescent Beach. It actually happened directly in front of the Crescent Rock boulder, not far from the 101 Steps at the west end of 24th Ave. Lost in the excitement of the plane crash story was that emergency crews were originally dispatched to the wrong location, the 1001 Steps staircase in Ocean Park at the west end of 15A Ave. Fortunately the two passengers were uninjured in the ditching and did not require medical attention from firefighters that were busy lugging their gear to the shoreline a mile away. Had their injuries been severe or life threatening, this simple mistake due to the similar names of these beach access points could have easily cost lives.

For as long as I can remember the names of the two staircases on the western side of the Semiahmoo peninsula, the 101 Steps and 1001 Steps have been confused with each other, mistaken for each other or believed to be one in the same beach access point. Heck, even the names are stupid with the 101 Steps having 190 steps and the 1001 Steps having 347 steps if my memory and counting is correct. Due to an almost total lack of signage by the City of Surrey, it is nearly impossible for people to locate them unless they have either a cell phone or GPS unit. Even this weekend when I was out taking pictures, people I met coming up the 1001 Steps in Ocean Park believed it was the 101 Steps instead. There is a weathered old sign welded in place at the corner of 15A Ave. and 126A that says "1001 STEPS TO BEACH" that is the only clue to their existence. Near the top of both the 1001 Steps and 101 Steps is a City of Surrey sign printed with "Stairs To Beach" that was installed several years ago. At the Olympic Trail near 13th Ave. and 131 St. which leads onto the shoreline east of Kwomais Park, there is no notification except for the sign warning you not to get locked in after dark.

With the closeness of names and constant confusion about location, I believe it is high tide..., I mean high time for these beach trails to get some new names and some proper signage. In the last month the City of Surrey posted a historical information sign reading "Christopherson family - Part of Surrey's Cultural Heritage" at the trail head at the west end of 24th Ave. and Christopherson Road in the Crescent Heights neighbourhood. Since the 101 Steps (no sign about that) go down the hill through Christopherson Park (no signage about that either) I thought that it would be logical to rename the confusing 101 Steps to the "Christopherson Steps." Well low-and-behold, it turns out that they must have someone else with a little common sense working at Surrey City Hall because with no fan-fare or public announcement at all, the 101 Steps have suddenly changed names on the South Surrey Parks listings and COSMOS site to the Christopherson Steps. Of course nobody knows anything about this because of the lack of signage regarding any of these features. To be very honest, it was news to me up until Sunday night when I wrote this TNT column.

To end the decades of confusion with the 101 Steps and 1001 Steps, I believe the 1001 Steps should also be given a new name with historical significance and I recommend the "Stevenson Stairs", after the Stevenson family who settled the area and where nearby 128th St. was formally called Stevenson Road. I'm pretty sure that the Surrey Heritage Advisory Committee could put together a little sign together like the one now at the Christopherson Steps to give residents and visitors a little taste of Surrey's history while also welcoming them to the beach in Ocean Park. The only "1001 Steps Trail to Beach" sign could then be cut down and given to the museum for preservation as it definitely looks like it is already an antique. I will admit that there is a slight problem with this plan in that the Ben Stevenson View Park is located only a block away at 1799 Ocean Park Road but it is likely that almost nobody knows about this little gem of a place blocked by a pump station and guarded by chain link fence at front. The view might also be a little better without all of the alder trees, bushes and blackberries spoiling the vista so that you have to stand on the benches to take in a sunset.

In short all of these beach staircases and trails including the Coldicutt Ravine Trail in White Rock need their names posted at the top and bottom so people know what they are called and that they are at the right place. This is vitally important in case of medical issues on the shoreline, forest fires on the bluff, accidents involving trains or pedestrians on the BNSF tracks plus marine vessels in distress. On the main arterial roads near the various stairs there should be signs posted with the staircase or trail name plus the all important words "To Beach" with an arrow. On 20th Ave. near 128th St. there is a sign that reads "Crescent Beach" with an arrow but a similar sign at 24th Ave. on 128th at the Crescent Park Elementary was removed during last year's roadwork and never replaced. The Olympic Trail should be added to the list of Surrey Parks along with a listing for Sandy Trail that connects Crescent Beach to Crescent Heights, a pedestrian walkway that many locals don't even know exists. Access points to the shoreline around the Semiahmoo peninsula should not be a secret or be impossible to find because they are kept hidden from the public.

While on the subject of signage it is time that Surrey gets its head out of the sand and stops pretending that the clothing-optinal Crescent Rock Beach does not exist. Stretching 6.5 Km. from White Rock to Crescent Beach, this rugged and secluded shoreline has been officially recognized as a legal nude beach by the Surrey and White Rock RCMP. There is no mention of this fact on either the 1001 Steps or Christopherson Steps South Surrey parks listings even though there are routinely hundreds of naturists and naturists quietly sunbathing or skinny-dipping in this area during the warmer months. This regularly leads to awkwardness when people out for a walk and unaware of the nude beach boundaries happen across folks who apparently forgot their swimsuits at home. Signage and internet listings about Crescent Rock Beach plus very simple ""Clothing Optional Beyond This Point" signs near Crescent Beach Marine Park and White Rock West Beach would be appropriate. As it stands, the only signage is a flat rock painted with "NUDE BEACH" that is just south of the Crescent Rock boulder. Let's just call it a sign of the times.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

 

October 03, 3016

42 Tonnes of Crap

It really burns my ass when I see the various concrete kilns along the Fraser River pumping tonnes of pollutants into the air on a daily basis, all with the blessing of Metro Vancouver. If you drive Hwy 99 in the morning you can see the brown pall that they leave across the sky that sometimes even forms its own cloud bank. This is because they use coal or even old rubber tires as cheap fuel to cook limestone to create cement which is then used to make concrete to build our new modern skyline. Imagine my surprise when I got a tip on Friday about a rubber coating company planning on moving into the Campbell Heights Business Park in south-east Surrey that has applied for a license from Metro Vancouver to release 42 tonnes of pollution into the sky just upwind from Brookswood. Somehow this apparently flew under the radar with the corporate media and unfortunately Friday was the last day for the public to have their say by leaving comments on the metrovancouver.org website.

R. Wales Canada, a subsidiary of Weir Canada Inc. from Missassaugua Ontario has purchased a 5.8 acre parcel of land from the Beddie Group and the Surrey City Development Corporation that is the City of Surrey's very own development company. Weir is planning on building a 114,000 Square foot Industrial Rubber Rebuilding Plant at 18933 34A Ave to replace an existing facility in Richmond (also permitted by Met-Van) to provide rubber and elastomer coatings to equipment used primarily in mining and oil sands production. Emissions from the plant will include include that from their natural gas boiler, steam generator, urethane curing ovens, discharge from a controlled pyrolysis burn off oven, filtered exhaust from a paint room, adhesive booths, and other industrial activity. Air contaminants include Nitrous Oxide, Sulphur Dioxide, VOCs (volatile organic components), particulate matter, Carbon Monoxide, Hydrochloric Acid and HAPs (hazardous air pollutants known to cause cancer or serious health impacts). Air pollution from this plant will be released for an average of 5840 hours a year on top of the 8760 hours for the boiler creating a total of 42 tonnes of emissions a year. This works out to 115 Kg. a day, or the equivalent of five bags of concrete floating into the bag each and every day into the surrounding neighbourhoods. The HAPs are nothing to be happy about with 1.2 tonnes of these dangerous chemicals released into the air every year.

While unable to reach them this weekend, a group calling themselves South Surrey Clean Air and Water have put out flyers about this business coming to town, listing their email address for more info as sscleanairandwater@gmail.com with a mailing address of PO Box 111, 800-15355 24 Ave., Surrey for those wishing to contribute to their cause. Their posters question the 42 tonnes per year of emissions and how this was never part of the Surrey Application Permit that listed it as "warehouse/light manufacturing facility." They report that while Weir was to have conducted preliminary dispersement modelling tests and environmental studies that none are available to the public. A map showing the plant's proposed location contains a statement that if you live within five kilometers of its location (with south-west prevailing winds) that you will experience these airborne particulates and chemicals. The person who tipped me off about Weir's Met-Van permitting application also pointed out that the East Kensington Elementary school is close by and told me that that dye put into run off water from the Campbell industrial Park has shown up in the schools well water. The huge Loblaws warehouse that houses food for distribution to Superstores is apparently worried that they might have to upgrade their ventilation system to keep Weir air pollution from contaminating their food stuffs.

Even if Weir gets their air pollution permit from Metro Vancouver it is not guaranteed that the new plant will not spew far above the 42 tonnes per year of contaminants into the sky. A stack report for Metro Vancouver done in 2013 at the existing Weir plant in Richmond shows levels of pollution release far above what is allowable. Particulate matter had a contaminant permit limit at 120 mg/m3 yet the reading was 408, almost three and a half times the allowable limit. The out of compliance explanation was the cause needs to be investigated and an action plan formulated. The other epic fail on the test results was for Sulphur Oxides with 800 mg/m3 being the top allowable reading but nearly 1900 being the actual test number, far more than double the standard. If these same types of numbers are used to calculate what the actual output of air pollution and toxins might be, the 42 tonnes suddenly climbs to 77 tonnes per year and the stack test only checks three of the seven contaminants. To give Weir credit, the released contaminants showed a marked improvement in the 2015 test with all levels being less than permissible levels but the 2013 tests show how estimated tonnes of contaminants released can vary widely from what is planned. Having lived in the Brookswood neighbourhood in the past only blocks from where this new plant is scheduled to be built, I would be concerned on the effects to the air, the possible smells and long term health effects from exposure. All the more reason to live near the beach in south Surrey says I.

It is patently unfair that a business applying for a permit to pollute the air doesn't have to advertise to alert folks who will be affected as to their plans. Homeowners in south Surrey and Brookswood in Langley should have been notified by mail as to the information contained in what is laughably called an "Environmental Protection Notice." Weir should have been forced to publish ads in local newspapers (maybe even the White Rock Sun) so residents could have a chance to let their opinions be known. It appears that only the White Rock Sun has picked up on this story and it is now too late to post your comments or concerns at weircanadacomments@metrovancouver.org. With little public opposition due to an almost complete lack of knowledge, it is likely that Metro Vancouver will simply rubber stamp this project allowing pollution to spew into the Campbell Heights and Brookswood regions for decades to come. When you have a developer owned council in Surrey First and a city owned development company in SCDC, the environment and civic rights get lip service while corporations receive a license to contaminate the air we breathe. Unfortunately this is the same situation we saw with the Ebco hot-dip galvanizing facility last year where residents of south Surrey were left in the dark by City Hall, showing a pattern of indifference to the people whose lives will be the affected the most.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

September 26, 2016
Musical Chairs With Seats Up For Grabs

 

The next BC Provincial election may be tentatively scheduled for May 9, 2017 but already advance moves are being made by those holding power to ensure they keep their jobs, offices and ferry rides to Victoria. In fact, one Liberal MLA Peter Fassbender who represents Surrey-Fleetwood already opened his election campaign office on Sept 17 with Premier Christy Clark there to show support. Personally I think that an elected official should focus on the job of representing their constituents instead choosing to start their campaigns nearly eight months before election day. Remember that their are 51 days between the day the writ is dropped and the voting actually takes place, with this self-serving MLA deciding he needs 234 days to campaign before ballots are cast. Around the Semi-pen there is a shuffling of the chairs and a possible changing of the guard that should make for some interesting times as candidates are selected to run for the various political parties here.

Forgetting about the politicos for a moment, the biggest change coming to this region in the next BC election will be the revised riding boundaries with the addition of the newly created South Surrey riding. It is gargantuan in size, running north to south from Colebrook Road and #10 Hwy. south to the Canada/US border. On the eastern edge it follows the Surrey/Langley border along 196 St. On the western side it runs along King George Blvd. up from the Peace Arch to 24th Ave., west to 128 St. and then north into Mud Bay. The Surrey-Panorama Riding runs north from Colebrook/#10 Hwy up into Newton, omitting the areas in the Semi-pen that it swallowed up in the last election. The newly aligned Surrey-Cloverdale runs north of #10 Hwy. from 156 St. to 188th St. Closer to home, the biggest change for me has been in the Surrey-White Rock riding which is everything west of the KGB, south of 24 Ave. except for the area of Crescent Beach and Crescent Park west of 128 St. Nice to be back in the fold as boundary changes for the last election meant that I was three houses out of the riding so that my loving wife could not vote for her favorite candidate. I still don't understand how Crescent Beach could have been lumped in with Surrey-Panorama or Surrey-Cloverdale before that but I'm glad to see this bizarre situation finally changed. To see the exact electoral boundaries for the entire province visit the following link: http://maps.gov.bc.ca/ess/hm/ebc/

With the boundary changes, it should come as no surprise that sitting MLA's are looking at moving to those ridings that are a little closer to home. Stephanie Cadieux, the embattled Minister of Children and Family Development and MLA for the current Surrey-Cloverdale riding is planning on sliding down south to run in the South Surrey riding after originally getting a political toe-hold in Surrey-Panorama. "Marvelous" Marvin Hunt has announced that the Premier of BC has asked him to run in Surrey-Cloverdale which is where he calls home. This means that the Surrey-Panorama riding is now vacant and constituents there will elect a new MLA next year. No one has yet to throw their hat in the ring so this riding will be one to watch as we head into what is bound to be a very interesting Spring. By far the most talked about MLA has to be Gordon Hogg who has faithfully served here as both Mayor of White Rock and then the Surrey-White Rock MLA for 40 years. First elected to the BC Legislature in 1997 he has been elected five times and now is at a crossroads looking at whether to continue on as MLA or focus on a position as adjunct professor at SFU after completing his Doctorate on public policy. We don't have long to wait as Mr. Hogg has informed me that he is planning a trip "down under" soon and will announce his decision before October 10th. Mark the date on your calendar folks and start your two week countdown to that rather important TNT Monday.

I have my ear to the rails and hear plenty of gossip and inane chatter here so if you've heard the rumor that Gordon Hogg is stepping down as MLA but planning on returning to run as Mayor of White Rock in several years, Mr. Hogg wishes to lay this far-fetched idea to rest. I doubt he was ever loosing any sleep over it but Mayor Wayne Baldwin can now relax at night with Gordon confirming this is a pipe dream at best, a bad joke at its worst. Showing that truth is stranger than fiction, Mr. Hogg revealed to me that he was courted to run for the Federal Liberals prior to the last Canadian General Election, meeting in person with Justin Trudeau on three different occasions. For a variety of personal reasons including that the riding being offered was in north Surrey and not here in the Semi-pen, he declined the invitation from the man who now is our Prime Minister. Upon hearing this news I began to wonder what his response would have been if it was the South Surrey-White Rock riding that had been offered instead. Imagine if you will, Dianne Watts running against Gordon Hogg instead of tag team of Joy Davies and Judy Higginbotham. We could have easily had Mr. Hogg as our Liberal MP with Dianne Watts instead contemplating running for the BC Liberals to be the MLA for either South Surrey or Surrey-White Rock. This goes to show you how fickle the winds of change can be, something I know about myself after turning down an offer to run for the Conservatives many years ago.

So this is where the speculation, conjecture, hyperbole and hypothesizing starts because if Gordon Hogg decides not to run again (that's my bet) the million dollar question is who will replace him as the Liberal candidate? Remember that Mr. Hogg was Mayor of White Rock before becoming MLA and history tells us that Mayor Wayne Baldwin might use this opportunity to consider taking a stab at Provincial politics. It is important to know that you do not need to step down from civic government when running Provincially, making this decision less financially devastating if you don't get elected. As far as White Rock Councillors go, Grant Meyers and Lynne Sinclaire might stop thinking about how to get their cheeks in the mayor's chair and instead look to Victoria for their political salvation. With Bill Lawrence recently selling the Sandpiper Pub giving himself extra time on his hands, the job as MLA in Surrey-White Rock or Surrey-Panorama might look rather inviting even if he doesn't live there. I don't see Helen Fathers or Dave Chesney running for the misnamed Liberals who are actually conservatives but politics do make strange bedfellows. Other names you might consider approaching the Liberals for the nomination have to be well known political hacks (meant in a nice way) Marget Woods, Ken Jones, Cliff Annabelle or maybe even Dennis Lypka. Of course there are always plenty of up and comers in the Liberal machine waiting for their kick at the can should "Good Old Gordie" decide to take his long walk in the snow.

The rumor mill has already started grinding away for me with questions being asked as to what I plan to do in the Spring. Having run against Gordon Hogg in the past two Provincial elections as the Green Party of BC candidate in the ultimate "Bambi Meets Godzilla" showdown (see the cartoon on YouTube) I don't think the third time would be a charm. If Mr. Hogg decides to go on permanent vacation, it is likely the Liberal Party will pick one of their own or a known fixture in the community with a high probability of winning here. While the Green Party is closest to my political principles at this time, I never quite fit into any one party's narrow agenda. I find Federal politics more interesting and would rather fly to work in Ottawa than take a slow boat from Tsawwassen. By far the most important reason for me not to run Provincially has to be the timing of the election, right at the busiest time of the year for me already. Two months of 14-18 hour work days with an average of only 6 hours of sleep a night is not the timid or weak of heart; I know I've done it twice before. While it would be wonderful to serve the community in an official capacity, I'll continue preaching from the pulpit I climb onto every Monday morning, bringing you my latest expose in The Naked Truth.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

Sept 19, 2016

Mickey Mouse in Disneyland

Well we can finally put his name in the paper and show his photo unblurred for all to see. Surrey RCMP Constable Dario Devic who was recently videoed by the Surrey Creep Catchers while allegedly trying to meet a 15 year-old-girl is now facing two criminal charges, attempting to lure a child under the age of 16 and breach of trust by a public officer. You can see his smiling face on this CTV news report: http://bc.ctvnews.ca/surrey-mountie-charged-following-creep-catchers-sting-1.3075881 If the accusations are true and it turns out that the camera never lies, this is a perverted police officer caught in a sex crime attempting to lure a minor.

It was not long after I met Surrey Creep Catcher president Ryan Laforge (see TNT, Aug. 14, 2016 - Catching up with a creep catcher) that I learned his dedicated team of catchers was trying to reel in a really big fish. It was never revealed who they had in their sights but I had reason to believe it was a member of the police, a judge, school principal, politician or celebrity figure. Their mark was carefully baited in a sting where the person who identified themselves as "Officer Dan" emailed pictures of himself in an RCMP uniform and wrapped only in a towel to what he believed was a 15 year-old girl. After several weeks of communications, the trap was set and a meet was arranged on Sept. 7 near Central City in Whalley. When confronted by the team of a dozen catchers, the man in question took of running as soon as he heard the words "Surrey Creep Catchers." With this pedophile catching ring constantly in the news, it was remarkably brazen and extremely stupid that someone working for the police would even consider yet attempt to arrange for such a nefarious meeting.

As if the actions of pedophiles trolling the internet for victims was not dark enough, this story gets even murkier when you examine the legal machinations that followed. A vehicle allegedly belonging to the man who ran away from the Surrey Creep Catchers was towed away from the mall by the RCMP and the officer who apparently owned this vehicle was arrested at his home the next day. Considering the gravity of the accusations against him, this Surrey Mountie was immediately removed from active duty. Two days later he was released following a judicial bail hearing with conditions including no use of the internet, no contact with children under 16, and to stay away from areas where children would be expected to gather. It was also reported at that time that two 14 -year-old female home-stay students were removed from the Port Moody home of the arrested officer where they were apparently living. Crown Counsel received the report from the RCMP on Mon. Sept. 12 to decide if they had enough evidence to file charges with a further court appearance scheduled on Oct. 19th. As far as everyone knew, this was where the story went into a holding pattern waiting to see if the Crown Counsel approved charges as is the usual legal protocol in the Province of BC.

The bombshell was dropped last Friday when CTV broke the story on Friday, Sept. 16 that the Surrey RCMP had laid their own charges against Constable Dario Devic the previous weekend, shortly after he was arrested. This is extremely unusual as British Columbia is one of only three provinces in Canada that designate Crown prosecutors as the final decision makers in the laying of criminal charges. In most other provinces, it is the police who make the decision to lay charges with the Crown prosecutors then reviewing the case to determine if they will proceed with the prosecution. While the RCMP are undoubtedly embarrassed about yet another high-profile sex scandal involving their members, it is bizarre that they would lay charges on one of their own and then not bother to tell anyone. While the Surrey RCMP were quick to hold a news conference after Officer Devic was arrested, they apparently hid the fact that they jumped the gun on the Crown, now putting us into a new post-charge model to assess the substantial likelihood of a conviction. No one from the Surrey RCMP have yet to explain why the police decided to take the highly unusual step of laying the charges themselves. Hopefully this fundamental change won't result in the charges not proceeding or the case eventually being thrown out of court.

While the Surrey Creep Catchers are doing their best to expose the orgy of pedophilia that is sadly taking place in this country, they are up against a justice system that seemingly sucks up to child predators. By chance, Former Calgary Flames star Theo Fleury came out swinging this weekend against the Parole Board of Canada who released convicted sex offender Graham James on full parole last Thursday. In case you are new to the country and not familiar with the story, James was convicted for sex assaults against five WHL hockey players when he was coach of the Swift Current Broncos in Saskatchewan in the early 1990's. You can read all about the graphic details in Theo Fluery's autobiography "Playing With Fire" which led to some of the charges resulting in James's being sentenced to prison for a total of five and a half years. Showing his disgust and distaste for the lenient sentences and early parole that many sex offenders receive here, Theo Fleury stated "Canada is the Disneyland for pedophiles." While the Surrey Creep Catchers are portrayed as a Mickey Mouse operation by those in law enforcement, at least they don't have a problem catching their man.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

Editor's Note: The following four questions have been sent to the Surrey RCMP Detachment plus Attorney General Susan Anton and we are now awaiting their response.
1) Can you explain why the Surrey RCMP filed direct criminal charges against Mountie Dario Devic on Sept. 10 instead of forwarding a Report to Crown Counsel for review as is the normal legal procedure in BC's pre-charge assessment process?
2) Why was the information on the criminal charges being filed in this high-profile case involving a member of the Surrey RCMP and the so-called vigilante group "Surrey Creep Catchers" not released to the media or the public at that time?
3) If the Crown Counsel now decides that the evidence supporting these criminal charges does not meet the standard of a "substantial likelihood of conviction" will charges filed by the RCMP against officer Devic then be dropped?
4) In the last five years, how many times has the Surrey RCMP filed direct criminal charges against an individual instead of submitting a Report to Crown Counsel for a Charge Assessment Review?

 

 

September 12, 2016

A Peace Of My Mind

Then close your eyes and tap your heels together three times. And think to yourself, 'There's no place like home'.
Glinda, the Good Witch of the North, talking to Dorothy in the classic movie The Wizard of Oz.

Well, its official.

In results released by Metro Vancouver in their 2013-2014 My Health My Community survey conducted by Fraser Health and Vancouver Coastal Health, the community of Crescent Beach and Ocean Park where I happily reside placed tops in the Lower Mainland for people reporting excellent or good mental health with a rating of 80 percent (we're #1..., we're #1!). While this does not explain my sometimes rambling TNT rants here in the White Rock Sun, it would appear that good weather, an ocean breeze, access to the beach, plenty of parks and wildlife plus a strong sense of community are having a therapeutic effect on this neighbourhood. It is really no surprise to me since I wanted to live near Crescent Beach since I was a kid growing up in North Delta because of all of the reasons I just listed. Since moving to the Semiahmoo peninsula fourteen years ago, I have owned three houses in the Crescent Heights area that are within two blocks of each other and I even sold my neighbours the house they still live in. I have no intentions of ever leaving, planning to have my ashes scattered along Crescent Rock Beach when my days here are done, hopefully many years from now.

This comprehensive survey includes responses from 33,000 people in the region, giving a highly detailed look at various community demographics. This includes age, gender, birthplace, education, household income, employment and ethnicity. For South Surrey/White Rock, not surprisingly 30% of respondents were seniors over 65, showing how the Semi-Pen attracts retirees to the region. Interestingly 78% of folks here report being born in Canada with a whopping 88% being Caucasian, putting the white in White Rock I guess. For schooling, a total of 70% had diplomas or degrees showing the value of post secondary education with 31% reporting a six figure income of $120,000 or higher. Unemployment in the Semi-Pen is a rock bottom 2% but 37% report not being in the labour force, likely because they are retired or too wealthy to bother working. In total South Surrey and White Rock had 71,866 residents over the age of 18 years old but this number has undoubtedly climbed in the past two years since this number was calculated.

This survey looks at a broad spectrum of health, community and infrastructure, giving the results while allowing comparison to the average rates throughout Metro Vancouver. In the Healthy Behaviors section, it reveals that 6% of folks here still smoke compared to almost double that at 11% in Met-Van. While females beat out males 40% to 17% in having 5+ portions of fruits and vegetables a day, the guys outdo the gals with 55% to 40% engaging in 150 minutes of physical exercise a week. Showing that you can teach an old dog new tricks, it is seniors 65+ who report more than 2+ hours of screen time a day at a whopping 71%, nearly doubling those in the 40-64 year age bracket. For the Built Environment, not surprisingly we report using cars to commute at a high 79% versus 55% for the rest of the Lower Mainland. While our median commute times are bang on the 30 min. Metro average, public transit commutes come in at 80 minutes per trip compared to 45 min. in Met-Van, showing our lack of bus service over a large geographical area. For the Health Status section, SS/WR was only 5% above the Met-Van average rating of 49% for general health while mental health was 68%, eleven points higher than the average but still nothing like Ocean Park and Crescent Beach benchmark.

There is plenty of other information and data that can be gleaned from this report with the Health Status section basically showing that the older you are, the sicker and fatter you get. Ratings for obesity, diabetes, heart disease, mood disorders, high blood pressure and multiple chronic illnesses are all relatively high in the elderly population here, with our demographics in the Semi-pen affect these results. The Community Health Indicators contains a large amount of information about our region compared to Metro Vancouver and Fraser Health with everything from cancer to binge drinking listed. To say the data is sobering would be nothing more than my cheap attempt at a cheesy pun. Still this report is worthwhile reading on the state of our community and can be found at Metro Vancouver's mycommunitymyhealth.org website, clicking on the RESULTS tab to take you into the meat and potatoes of this report. With that in mind, I think I'll blend an organic smoothie, grab the dogs and head to the beach for some fresh air and catch another beautiful and calming sunset over the waters of Boundary Bay while humming Ace of Base's hit song "Its a Beautiful Life", oh oh oh oh.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 


The Naked Truth - Sept. 5, 2016

No Relief For RELEAF

 

When the Ocean Ridge apartment complex burned on May 16th in White Rock, it was not only the 100 or so residents who lived there that were displaced. Many businesses also went up in smoke, including the RELEAF Compassion Centre located on Pacific Ave. When I visited the fire scene that terrible day, I watched as a pumper trunk directed its water cannon directly into the apartment above the store with a torrent of water running out over the awning and through the front door. Fortunately the businesses on the bottom floor had a concrete envelope, limiting the fire damage that gutted the wood frame apartments above. Amazingly RELEAF was able to salvage much of their furnishings and supplies to the point that they didn't even bother to file a claim with their insurance provider. Unfortunately this left 200 White Rock residents and 500 folks living in south Surrey without access to consultations, counselling or guidance about the use of medical marijuana for their various health problems.

The RELEAF Compassion Centre in Langley continues to operate and build up a loyal clientele and are still looking for a new location in White Rock where they were well received for one and a half years. While there are no regulations on dispensary placement in the City By The Sea, the owners tried to use the same zoning bylaws that the city of Vancouver has recently instituted. Of course with the relatively small geographical location surrounded by Surrey, they found it difficult to meet the desired distances from schools or community centres. An office was found in a professional building at the north-east corner of George St. and Russell Ave. close to the seniors grouped in uptown, with nice level streets and near a bus stop. The Property Manager was open to the concept and an Offer to Lease was signed for August 1st of this year. This was presented to the owner who asked questions about RELEAF'S operations plus then asked other business in the building for their feedback. Even though the average client age of RELEAF'S customers is 70 years old, the other tenants threatened to vacate and break leases if RELEAF was allowed onto the property.

The same indifference and cold shoulder had also been shown to RELEAF by White Rock's City Hall. A year ago in June of 2015, members of RELEAF appeared before Council, looking to them for guidance on how to establish a dispensary in town. They proposed a pilot project that would be part of the bylaw construction for dispensaries, giving time to work out details and get feedback from the community. Obviously unconcerned about the charter rights of medical cannabis patients and their providers, the pilot project was rejected along with any bylaw changes regarding dispensaries. RELEAF was back before Council in June of this year to once again speak with Mayor and Council looking for guidance instead of being in a self-regulating position. Prior to the delegation appearing before Council, Mr. Randy Caine whose daughter runs RELEAF, set up an appointment with Mayor Baldwin so he could approach him on this subject for more than the five minutes given in chambers. While Mr. Caine had an appointment and made eye contact with the Mayor through an open door, he was left in the waiting area for twenty minutes before finally having to leave for another appointment. There was never any call back from the Mayor's office about this failed meeting or explanation offered why Mr. Caine was not invited in for his scheduled talk.

In the end of the day, medical marijuana dispensaries are coming to White Rock in the very near future. Vancouver may be leading the way but they already are open in Delta, Surrey, Langley and Chilliwack. It makes no sense for officials to stick their heads in the sand on this issue pretending it doesn't exist. Instead of RELEAF'S office located in a professional building with naturopaths and holistic wellness businesses, it is likely that Weemedical Society, Cannamedical or even Weeds will move in, renting out one of the many vacant retail shops found on street level in White Rock. Rather than continue to treat medical marijuana with the same hysteria resulting from archaic propaganda such as the film Reefer Madness, it is time to realize that this is about people with health issues needing the support of the community. It is not necessary to continue to discriminate against sick folks simply because of the herbal medicine they are choosing to deal with their ailments. It would be refreshing to see White Rock's Mayor and Council being proactive on this issue and coming to the aid of people who have found relief in ReLeaf. It is important to realize that all of their customers living in White Rock are seniors with real health problems, not pimply faced teenagers simply looking to get high.

I know from an all-candidates meeting I was at several years ago during the last Provincial election that the elderly population of White Rock supports the legalization and medical use of marijuana. ReLeaf has already shown that the services they supply are welcomed and required by the sick and elderly living here. What ReLeaf needs is an office location, preferably on the second or third floor of an office building with elevator access in the uptown area of White Rock near public transit. A landlord who realizes the benefit of having ReLeaf back in the community and who refuses to stigmatize legitimate medical marijuana use would obviously be a bonus.

If you know of a location that would work or happen to have office space yourself for rent, then please contact RELEAF and see if you can work out an agreement (find them at http://releafcompassioncenters.com). For those seniors living here who are now unable to get their medicine due to inaction by White Rock City Hall, now is the time to phone or email your elected officials to let them know that just as Justin Trudeau replaced Steven Harper, this could become a very thorny election issue for them in a few years time.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

August 29, 201e


Testing..., Testing..., 1,2..., 1,2

Most people living in a modern city give little thought to the infrastructure around them, especially those services underground that are out of sight and out of mind. I'm pretty familiar with the workings of the Surrey Engineering Department, mainly through my interest in traffic safety but also from the many public works projects I drive by on a constant basis. Imagine my surprise when these strange metal cages started showing up in our Crescent Heights neighbourhood with a sign stating "Sanitary Sewer System Monitoring Program." Of course I had to raise a big stink and find out what was happening and what the testing equipment was looking for.

I called the number on the metal mesh box and was finally put in touch with those in Metro Vancouver who were responsible for this program. What really surprised me was that the sewer line being tested was operated and controlled by Met-Van, not the City of Surrey. While I knew that Met-Van operated the large sewer mains and treatment plants, I had no idea that they look after the three main trunk lines in this region, including the one two doors away that carries effluent away from White Rock and much of the Semi-pen. Yes Whiterocktonians, when you flush your crap it doesn't flow downhill like normal, it gets pumped straight uphill into Surrey where it then runs right to my house. While I'm sure that some of you will find this rather amusing or even somewhat appropriate, it then flows down to Crescent Beach where it is pumped and joins with the huge main at the bottom of Panorama Ridge that runs to the treatment plant.

It has been twenty years since Metro Vancouver last sampled sewage waters on a local level, with that test being done in the Vancouver region. With changing effluent quality, mainly due to dissolved pharmaceuticals, Met-Van is doing field testing this year in Delta, Surrey and little old White Rock to find out how big a problem this is and if steps are needed at the sewage treatment plants to remove drugs from the waste water before it is discharged. The Annacis Island Wastewater Treatment plant under the Alex Fraser Bridge puts 175 billion litres of treated water into the Fraser River every year where it is then washed into the Strait of Juan de Fuca, now renamed the Salish Sea. Any chemicals left in the water can bioaccumulate in everything from migratory waterfowl on the Pacific Flyway up to pods of Orca whales living or traveling through the strait, not to mention the various salmon runs that travel through the mighty Fraser.

Two years ago, Environment Canada officials told a Senate committee that more than 165 individual pharmaceuticals and personal care products had been identified in water samples. Aluminum goes down the shower drain from anti-antiperspirants along with zinc from anti-dandruff shampoos. Medications swallowed by Canadians and excreted into toilets end up in wastewater because drugs are not completely metabolized and in some cases as much as ninety percent passes through our bodies. The International Joint Commission, a consortium of officials from Canada and the United States who study the Great Lakes report that only half of the prescription drugs and other newly emerging contaminants in sewage are removed by treatment plants. Those chemicals proven acutely toxic to algae or which can act as hormone disruptors in fish are of primary concern along with antibiotics and drugs that concentrate in the food chain.

The report on the findings in this Metro Vancouver study will not be produced for a couple of years while more data from the Fraser Valley is collected and analyzed. What will be interesting is to compare the numbers in the new study with the one done twenty years ago, especially when you consider the advancement in medicines and development of new digs that could possibly impact the environment. Even without these results, scientists are already looking at ways where designer bacteria can be introduced into settling ponds to break up chemicals or remove drugs from waste water utilizing membrane filtration technology at treatment plants. You can think about all of this the next time you are traveling through the Semi-pen and you see orange man-hole covers on the ground. These are the main drains that are property of Metro Vancouver, not your local Engineering Departments in Surrey and White Rock.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

August 22, 2016


Hip Yet Tragic

Do you remember where you were when hijacked planes flown by terrorists exploded into the World Trade Centre, causing the twin towers to burn and fall? How about what you were doing when you heard that Lady Dianna had died of her injuries sustained in a motor vehicle crash in a Paris tunnel? I can tell you exactly where I was (Hwy 99 just north of the KGB) when I heard that blues guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughn had lost his life in a helicopter crash in Alpine Valley Resort. If you were like a lot of Canadians you likely were tuned in to the CBC on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. to watch the national celebration with The Tragically Hip who were playing live in their hometown of Kingston. I was watching, singing along, laughing, crying and trying to enjoy what may likely be their last show while slipping into a melancholy funk.

I was somewhat of a concert hound at a younger age before the advent of computer sales for tickets when you could get front row seats simply by being the first person in line at the Concert Box Office at the corner of Georgia and Richards in Vancouver. I spent many a Friday night camped out on my fold up lawn chair with a sleeping bag waiting to grab the best seats in the house the next morning. Beyond this, working for five years at BC Place selling concert souvenirs plus actually dating a manager at Ticketmaster afforded me entry to many more concerts over the years. While the big bands like the Stones or Pink Floyd jam the largest stadiums they can find, it is usually killer bands in small venues that are the most memorable. This was never more true than when the Tragically Hip first came to Vancouver in 1989.

I'd become a fan of The Hip after hearing the song "Highway Girl" that was part of their self-titled EP "The Tragically Hip". When I heard they were coming to Vancouver to play at the Town Pump bar in Gastown, I knew I had to get tickets. I asked all of my friends if they wanted to go see this upstart band from Kingston but to be quite honest, none had never heard of them. I got up early in the morning and went to Willowbrook Mall in Langley to line up for tickets. Tragically, I was the only person there except for a couple of metal heads who were buying tickets for rock show. They were priced at $13 each with no limit on the amount that could be bought and I purchased two tickets for my girlfriend and myself. By the time the band came to town they'd released their second album "Up To Here" featuring the hit singles "Blow at High Dough", "New Orleans is Sinking", "Boot or Hearts" and "38 Years Old". All of these songs saw heavy air play and on the evening of the concert people were offering $100 for anyone who would sell their tickets with no one taking them up on the rather rich offer. The energy and atmosphere of this show was absolutely off the charts with the crowd response to the searing guitar riffs and lead singer Gordon Downie's soaring vocals so loud it felt like the roof was going to blow off.

In the 30 years that the band has been together, the Tragically Hip have woven themselves into the fabric of this country and their music become a soundtrack for the lives of many Canadians, myself included. Along the way they've released 16 albums, 9 that reached number one in Canada, with 54 singles and 14 Juno Awards. With front man Gord Downie being diagnosed with terminal brain cancer, their Man Machine Poem tour became the most sought after ticket in cities across this land this summer. How huge was the final concert in Kingston? Big enough that the CBC showed it live from coast to coast, preempting the Rio Olympics! Think about that for a minute, for three hours the Tragically Hip were given higher ranking than the Summer Olympics, with our athletes in Canada House in Brazil watching on TV there and singing along. Even Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was in attendance at the concert along with his wife, showing that even he recognized the importance of the moment. On big screens at organized viewing areas, in pubs and bars and in living rooms across the Great White North, this was a show for the ages.

 

What the Hell is Wrong With These People? - Part 2

As a long-time addict to the best coffee in the Semi-Pen, I usually start my mornings grabbing a cup of joe-to-go from the Holy Smoke Coffee Company in the tee-pee at the front of the Timberland Motel and Campground at 34th Ave and the KGB. On July 7, 2014 the nearby boulevard was the scene of the crime when an out of control Mercedes ML50 driven by a 17 year-old girl smashed into a parked car, a light standard and mowed down Timberland resident and Holy Smoke employee Jocelyn Hallier, critically injuring her and killing her German Shepherd dog Deville. I wrote about the horrific details in my July 28, 2014 TNT titled "What The Hell is Wrong With These People?" Rather than me regurgitating the entire contents of that earlier column, simply take a minute to scroll down and hit the refresh button in your mind before continuing on. My main bone of contention at the time was how no one, not the driver, her parents or any of her friends came by the Peace Arch hospital to see how the badly injured Jocelyn was doing, to offer condolences, or give an apology.

Last week was the sentencing date for the now 19 year-old girl who was driving the luxury SUV that fateful night. Two months ago she plead guilty to Dangerous Driving Causing Bodily Harm charges that were laid as a result of this high-speed crash. They say that time heals all wounds and it is amazing to see Jocelyn back walking considering her head injury, crushed pelvis and numerous vertebrae breaks she received when the car full of teenagers smashed into her. At the sentencing hearing in Surrey Provincial Court, Judge Gary Cohen prohibited the driver, whose name cannot be released as she was a minor at the time of the crash, from driving for a five year term. She was also placed on two years probation and ordered to give a DNA sample to the RCMP. At this hearing both Mrs. Hallier and Holy Smoke owner Al Nameth submitted victim impact statements to the judge for his consideration. An important part of the sentencing not reported in the other community newspaper was that the driver must submit a written letter of apology to Mrs. Hallier for her erratic driving behavior that night, the devastating injuries she caused to Jocelyn and for the violent death of her dog.

In the courtroom the young driver appeared very upset several times during the proceedings and was described by her lawyer Michael Klein as being "extremely remorseful." She is said to suffer from post traumatic stress disorder due to the aftermath of the crash along with depression and anxiety and has not driven since the accident. The judge became emotional during sentencing saying "This particular sentencing is one of the difficult ones, both a crime and an accident, its not just the victim (who suffers) but also the defendant suffers a great deal, if the defendant has any sort of a heart at all." Here's the rub folks, I've been told that in the courtroom the defendant and her family members would not even make eye contact with Jocelyn. No attempt was made by anyone to approach her to offer a heartfelt apology for all the pain and suffering the teenage driver caused. Mrs. Hallier was lucky to have survived this accident and made a miraculous recovery after spending six months in hospital care. I realize that there are future court dates involving ICBC to settle damage claims that likely will be passed on to the owner of the vehicle but that is no excuse to not show some humanity towards the victim. You can cry your crocodile tears on someone else's shoulders because your inactions speak even louder than your lack of words. I have to hold up my thumb and index finger, slowly rub them together and tell you that's the world's smallest violin playing "My Heart Bleeds For You."

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

August 14, 2016

 

Catching Up With a Creep Catcher

But I'm a creep, I'm a weirdo
What the hell am I doing here?
I don't belong here.
Lyrics from Radiohead's song "Creep"

 

It really is amazing what a small world it is and you can forget about six degrees of separation because it often seems that divine intervention is more plausible. Last week while at work the younger and definitely more hip members of the crew were sharing Facebook posts and YouTube videos all to do with Surrey Creep Catchers. They were also given plenty of exposure, multiple posts and a ton of comments on the ever popular Only in Surrey Facebook page. I checked out some of the videos showing older men being confronted while attempting to meet what they thought were young girls and boys they had trolled off the internet. With the story obviously going viral I planned on writing my next TNT column on this subject. Miraculously, without any attempt to contact the man responsible for the Surrey Creep Catchers, fate delivered Chapter President Ryan LaForge to my house on Saturday where we sat on the patio and talked about the ongoing pedophilia problem across Canada. Because of this chance meeting and with the WR Sun closing next week for summer holidays, you get this week's TNT a day early.

Taken directly from the Surrey Creep Catchers FB page, "We are a Canada wide movement that focuses on the apprehension and media publication of predators spreading awareness about an ongoing epidemic, pedophilia." Their surreycreepcatcher.com website boasts, "Creep catchers Canada Is a group across Canada ( Now Possible US ) that takes time out of there day-to-day lives to go online in social media rooms posing as underage children looking for potential predators. We record everything from the chat logs to the meeting video, we meet with them, then we post them online for the public to see as they have the right to know who these people are and that there in there area." Mr. LaForge formed the Surrey Chapter of this Canada wide movement only two months ago with the intent to lure predatory pedophiles into meeting with underage boys and girls. To date he has made eleven videos so far with plenty of others waiting to be assembled for posting online. You can view them online on YouTube at "Creep Catcher Surrey", taking note of the viewer discretion advisory. Their capture call-out of "Yer Done Bud" is now striking dread in those corrupt enough to be attempting to prey on our children.

It was my intention to contact Ryan LaForge this weekend and offer him one of our styling Surrey Shirts t-shirts as a sign of respect and a show of solidarity for what he is doing as a child harm prevention worker in our community. By a strange twist of fate, one of his family members is also a long time supporter of Surrey Shirts and he phoned us first in order to purchase more apparel but also to express an interest in purchasing t-shirts for the Surrey Creep Catchers. My wife Sheryl and I could not believe the timing or coincidence and immediately invited both of these fine men over to our place to discuss the Creep Catchers movement and to talk shop about their shirt order. It was literally fascinating to meet Ryan and learn about how the hunt for online predators has been an all encompassing passion for him. He makes the perfect spokesperson, standing tall and weighing nearly 300 pounds, he's not the type of person that is easily intimidated. I'm sure this comes in handy when meeting men in parking lots late at night who think they are about to have a date with a teenager. Imagine the skinner's confusion when they are expecting to meet a child plaything and up walks the Creep Catchers team with video cameras rolling and chat room evidence in hand.

As much as I applaud Mr. Laforges actions and endorse his social media shaming of potential pedophile predators, the same cannot be said for the local police department or the main social media sites. The Surrey RCMP have shown little interest in investigating the adults who have agreed to meet up with what they believe are young teenagers. While the RCMP have units dedicated to online child pornography, you would think that cases of child luring would be important enough that they could run the same stings as Creep Catchers. Imagine what Ryan LaForge could do with a badge and a budget, similar to the online predator baiting programs that are used by police departments in the United States. A special black mark goes out to the geeks behind Facebook and YouTube that continually block his site usage for weeks to a month at a time because those perpetrators shown in the posted videos complain about their privacy being invaded. I would think that with the online copies of the sexting, audio recordings of meetings plus video of the creep capture, that these so-called social media sites would put more emphasis on child safety than the shameful feelings of those seeking the company of children. In this matter, the folks behind YouTube and Facebook might as well get between the sheets with the perverts and trolls they willingly protect.

With Surrey Creep Catchers going viral and community support rallying against the predators in our midst you can expect to hear plenty more in the near future from the group whose motto is "We Don't Sleep." On Saturday, August 27th, Surrey Creep Catchers are planning on holding an all day barbeque party at Hawthorne Party in North Surrey from 12 noon till 6 p.m. It is located on the NW corner of 104th Ave. and 144th St. between Whalley and Guildford with the actual address being 10513 144th St. Surrey Creep Catchers have booked park space and are looking for volunteers to help with the event plus corporate donors to supply food and drinks or even to run the concessions. You can reach them on the Contact portion of their website if you can help or provide financial assistance. Surrey Shirts is planning on attending, selling our pro-Surrey merchandise along with official Surrey Creep Catcher merchandise, with profits going to help finance their activities. Expect big crowds and a large media contingent to cover the group that has been mistakenly labelled "vigilantes" by some for their non-violent style of confrontation and public humiliation of suspected pedophiles.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

August 09, 2016

Snake in the Garden

Recently we had a rather disturbing incident at our house near Crescent Park in Surrey relating to the quality of our tap water. I have a large water container that I take to work on a daily basis to keep me from getting dehydrated when the weather is hot and sunny. I filled the jug as usual, threw in a tray full of ice cubes and went to work. Halfway through the morning I took my first sip of water and it tasted awful with a heavy plastic chemical taste to it, so bad in fact that I spit it out. The men I work with also live in Surrey which gets its water from Metro Vancouver and the North Shore watersheds. I sampled the water in their jugs and it tasted fine but they would not even taste the stuff that came out of our tap after simply smelling it. Not knowing what was going on, I contacted Surrey who assured me they would have someone out to test the water that afternoon. Unfortunately no one bothered to show up, forcing me to look into this rather bizarre problem myself.

When I came home from work that day, tired and dehydrated, the first thing I did was to pour myself a glass of spring water courtesy of Canadian Springs. A friend of mine drives tanker truck for them and my wife and I frequently stay at the property in Chilliwack where this pristine artesian water comes from. I dropped some ice cubes into the big glass and sat on the couch drinking it when much to my dismay, the water once again started to taste and smell like plastic. While I realized the bottled water was fine, it dawned on me that the ice cubes were melting and releasing the same unpleasant taste into the pure H20. Knowing that there is only one waterline down our street, I took a glass of our contaminated water across the street to the neighbours. I sampled their tap water and it tasted fine but after one sniff of our water they both refused to even taste it. Walking back home I took note of the new garden hose we had bought from Costco and suddenly a little light went on. I squeezed the hand sprayer and the water that came out smelled like liquid plastic.

The hose that we had bought was 100 feet long and it had inadvertently not been turned off at the tap, creating a defacto extension of the house plumbing system. The hose bib for the outside tap was right next to the water intake line so every time there was a pressure fluctuation in the system, water from the new hose would flood into the house pipes. I knew that you should never drink from a garden hose due to stagnant water, algae, bacteria, dirt, insects and other creatures that can breed in this dark and wet environment. One of my friends who worked with me years ago drank from a garden hose in the early spring that we then used to fill up a sprayer which showed a mix of contaminants floating in it. He got very ill with violent diarrhea and vomiting, missing work for three days and losing 10 pounds in weight. You can purchase potable water hoses that are white, which are used to hook up recreation vehicles to a tap plus some stores like Home Hardware are now selling clear flat hoses that are drinking water safe. For most of the garden hoses available for purchase, they should come with a warning sticker on them, some with a skull and crossbones.

The Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment has warned that drinking water from a garden hose poses an unnecessary public health risk. Besides the problem of drinking what amounts to stagnant pond water, garden hoses are often made from poly vinyl chloride (PVC) plastic that has varying amounts of lead in it. This heavy metal can leech from the hose into the water, especially if it is left in the sun and exposed to high temperatures. The brass fittings commonly used in many hoses frequently contain up to 8% of lead in them. High levels of lead intake through drinking water like in Flint, Michigan have been associated with live and kidney failure plus decreased IQ results in children exposed to contaminated water. Chemicals call phalates are also added to the plastics of hoses to make them soft and bend easily but they have been linked to hormone disruption, birth defects and elevated risk of cancer. Another chemical often found in plastic hoses is Bisphenol A (BPA) that is also a known endocrine disruptor and a suspected carcinogen. No surprise that these chemicals are now banned from infant sippy cups and from plastic drink bottles, yet they are still commonly used in regular garden hoses.

To protect yourself, your children, pets and garden, it is advisable to follow these rules about garden hoses.
- Never ever drink from a regular home garden hose, fill your pet's water dish or allow children to drink or play in this water.
- Always ensure you turn off any tap connected to a hose or use a simple shut off timer to avoid back flow into your house.
- When watering gardens, it is advisable to allow the water to flow for two minutes before using on edible plants.
- If you have children, educate them on the risks and consider using potable water hoses while they are young.
- Keep your hose stored out of direct sunlight plus unscrew and drain it in winter when not frequently in use.
In a rather interesting circumstance, I recently gained a new business customer Fred Surridge Ltd. that sells heavy duty plumbing parts for municipal water systems (their motto is "where water is always our business"). The manager confirmed my theory about the plastic tainted water from the new hose infiltrating our household water system. He also told me that once a week he flushes every toilet and opens every tap in his house to drain the pipes and refresh the water. The reason is that for large modern houses with many bathrooms and complex piping systems, this is the only way to ensure that the safe drinking water delivered to your home actually stays that way.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

August 03, 2016

Chump to Champ

 

" Don't you know that you are a shooting star,
And all the world will love you just as long,
As long as you are,
A shooting star. "

Lyrics from Bad Company's song Shooting Star.

 

Usually I am writing about other people and events in the Semiahmoo peninsula but after the long weekend I've just had, Editor Dave Chesney told me that with this week's The Naked Truth I'd better train my sights on myself for a change. The reason is that this weekend was the British Columbia Rifle Association's (BCRA) 132nd Target Rifle Championship. Think about that for a second and consider how many generations ago that was. Except for the war years the BCRA has been holding these yearly events since 1874 when the long rifle of choice was a black powder single shot musket. While obviously the design and quality of firearms has improved markedly over that time, the simple act of shooting a bullet through a target at long distance remains the same. A steady hand, a skilled eye, knowledge of the conditions and a precise trigger finger all combine to allow the marksman to consistently fire shots into a small bulls-eye. In modern full-bore rifle shooting, 300 yards/metres is considered short range with long range shooting reaching back to 900 metres or 1,000 yards, the length of 10 American football fields. For perspective, there are 1,760 yards in one mile, meaning the bullets flight is well over a half a mile in distance.

The BCRA shoot is held every August at the General Vokes 600 m. military range in Chilliwack, just past the Slesse bridge as you head up the Chilliwack River Valley on the way to Chilliwack lake. With its rugged scenic beauty that have earned it the title as most scenic rifle range in the world, the Vokes range attracts marksmen (and markswomen) from around the planet, not only for the views but for the high level of competition and wide array of beautiful trophies. This year's event attracted the Great Britain Rifle Team with 18 shooters, support staff and spouses. Many of them were fresh from the NRA UK's annual meet held in Bisley England featuring the hotly contested Queen's Prize. A large contingent of Americans from as far away as Colorado and California also came north of the border to attend and try their luck against the Brits who are some of the best shooters in the world and by far the strongest team. Next weekend the GB Rifle Team will travel to the dreaded 1,000 yard Rattlesnake range in eastern Washington to battle with the Yanks before heading to the Dominion of Canada Rifle Association (DCRA) Canadian Full-bore Championships being held the following week in Connaught, Ottawa.

I've been shooting competitively now for over forty years and have had my share of victories along the way plus plenty of schooling by the world's elite marksmen. While my work schedule does not allow me to compete as much as I would like, I've taken steps to greatly improve my abilities over the past five years, allowing me to attend the last two world championships as a member of Team Canada. I'm not going to bother with a play-by-play of the entire weekend but I certainly used home field advantage to my benefit. When the gun smoke had cleared after three days of shooting over 10 different matches, I had beaten some of the most feared marksmen in the world, winning the following major prizes:
BC Target Rifle Grand Aggregate - Gold
BC TR Open Aggregate (open to all competitors) - Gold
BC TR Aggregate (BC residents) - Gold
Lt. Governor's Prize - Silver
Lt. Governor's Prize 3rd Stage - Gold
Short Range Aggregate - Gold
Long Range Aggregate - Gold
Life Governor's Match -Gold
City of Vancouver Match - Gold
There were plenty of other matches and aggregates that I won but the ones above were the major prizes, dropping only four points in three days of competition. Unfortunately I missed the famous "chair "ride by tying for the Lt. Governor's Prize only to only to lose it by three centre shots called V-bulls to David Calvert, the man who had recently won his third Queen's Prize in England. On the International Team Match held on Tuesday, the Brits showed their world dominance handily beating the US and Canada.

What is remarkable about all of this is while I am now the BC TR Champ, my father Robert Pitcairn who is now 78 years young is the current Canadian Target Rifle Champ. In two weeks time he will be heading to Ottawa to once again go for gold, showing that old age, experience and treachery know no bounds. That is one of the joys of shooting, you can remain competitive far into your adult years as long as your eyesight allows you to see a twenty inch bullseye at 1,000 yards. Now in my mid fifties, this was by far my biggest win with twelve trophies, five bullion badges and four medals completing the haul. Not to be outdone and showing how the Semiahmoo peninsula is hotbed for hot shots, the second place finisher in the BC TR Agg was White Rock's internationally famous gunslinger Jim Paton, with third place going to south Surrey's Robert Best, another shooter well known on rifle ranges around the world. The gold, silver and bronze bullion badges amazingly all came home to this little corner of BC.

For more information about the sport of full-bore target rifle shooting, check out bcrifle.org or dcra.ca.

See you at the range!

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

July 25, 2016

"Don't Fence Me In"


The Naked Truth - July 25, 2016

9:30 is the new 10 o'clock

On Saturday evening we were having a quiet evening at home when my wife and I decided to head down to Crescent Rock Beach to watch the sunset. We grabbed our beach bag, a couple of ice cold beverages, the two ankle biters and headed down to the shore using the "101 Steps" staircase at the western end of 24th Ave. We took note of the "Don't Get Locked In" sign that warns "Main Entrance Gate Locked at 10:00 PM" even though we knew we would be back well before the posted time. The beach was actually quite busy with plenty of folks like us waiting to take in nature's nightly light show. It was not a sunset that would ever grace the front page of the White Rock Sun but it was still a relaxing and peaceful time spent snuggling on a blanket amidst the warm rocks. As soon as the last rays of colour disappeared from the clouds, we packed our bags, leashed the dogs and made our way back up the staircase with several other couples leading the way.

When we finished climbing the 194 steps of the 101 Steps staircase, we quickly realized that something was very wrong. The heavy industrial gate covered with thick chain link fencing was locked closed with four people already standing there wondering what to do. The time was exactly 9:30 p.m., a half hour before the posted time the gates were to be locked. Since the other two couples had cars parked on the street only metres away, it was decided that we would all climb out. This was a group effort considering the fence is almost 7" tall and topped with sharp wire ends apparently cut on an angle to inflict maximum damage. The first man over played hero to the women, telling them to step on his shoulder first before helping them down. My wife had to pass her two dogs over to these strangers and the mutts were suitably non-impressed with what was happening. I climbed over wearing sandals, shorts and a t-shirt, making sure the sharp wire ends of the chain link didn't come close to any important parts. I've no idea how many other people had to either climb this gate or make the long hike around through Crescent Beach in the dark.

As you might imagine I was not too happy with being trapped at the stairs long before the gates were to be locked. I phoned Securiguard who performs this service for the City of Surrey to report the early closing and the dangers of forcing people to climb the fence. The woman answering the phone was unapologetic, telling me that it was not their fault and that they were following Surrey's orders to close them at "dusk" and not at 10 p.m. I asked her when one could tell it was officially dusk and she responded rather matter-of-factly, "9:40 p.m." Much to my surprise, I found out you can actually Google "Surrey dusk" and it will give you the official time, which was still at least ten minutes later than the gates were locked. Delving deeper into this dark and mysterious subject, I found out that there are actually three types of twilight before dusk, civil twilight, nautical twilight and astronomical twilight. Dusk actually occurs at the very end of astronomical twilight when stars can be plainly viewed as night is about to begin. Playground speed limits are enforced dawn to dusk with elementary school speed signs posted from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. You cannot get a ticket for speeding in a 30 kmh zone outside of these times, just like you shouldn't be locked in at the beach before 10 p.m.

The major safety issue here is what happens if you are not physically capable of climbing the fence or have a large dog or scared children that cannot be lifted over. At the 101 Steps, it is a long way in the dark to go back down the stairs, walk to Crescent Beach and then make your way back up to the end of 24 Ave. Where this really gets dangerous is at the other Surrey staircases onto Crescent Rock Beach, the 1001 Steps at the west end of 15A Ave. and the Olympic Trail on 13 Ave. at 130 St., both in Ocean Park. These are gated with the same 10 p.m. closing time signs and have gates that are much more difficult to climb than that at the 101 Steps. If you get trapped in either of these locations it roughly a two mile walk to get to either White Rock or Crescent Beach with a cab ride needed to get back to your vehicle. The worst part is that walking on the shore would be impossible, forcing people to walk on the BNSF Railway train tracks in the night, which is both illegal and hazardous. I realize that the gate closures were instituted to stop night-time partying by youths but you cannot close the gates before the posted time. For those that do not know, the locked time on the staircase signs changed during the year from 6 p.m. in winter to 8 p.m. for both spring and fall and then to 10 p.m. for the summer.

Not surprisingly, after I told Securiguard dispatchers that I was going to publicize this issue, on Sunday night the gates did not get locked before the posted 10 p.m. time, showing that dusk obviously came much later that day than the 9:39 p.m. I got from Google. This matter is going to be brought to the attention of Surrey's Park's Department plus Mayor Hepner and her Surrey First Council who can figure out if the actual closure time is now dusk or at 10 p.m. Either way, the signage at the stairs must be the same and be respected by those workers tasked to lock the gates. If you are half an hour late coming up, well then expect a long haul in the dark along the tracks to escape from the Ocean Park staircases. If the staff from Securiguard lock these gates a half hour before the posted closing time, then they should be fired or Securiguard's contract terminated because of the possibly dangerous situation this puts people in. Until this problem gets sorted out, if you are going to the beach in the evening remember to bring a blanket, liquid refreshment, a watch or cell phone, a jacket for when it gets cool and most importantly, a pair of bolt cutters for the lock at the top of the stairs.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

EEITOR'S NOTE - Here is the answer back from the head of Surrey Parks about the early locking of the 101 Steps gate.
While I don't think it is necessary to publish the letter, maybe a short note to let residents know that the gates should be locked between 10 pm and 10:30 pm for the remainder of the summer.
At the very least, an editors note at the bottom of the July 25, 2016 "Don't fence me in" TNT is probably warranted.

 

July 18, 2016

When I wrote last week's TNT titled "The Gauntlet" about the state of corporate community newspapers across this country, little did I know I'd already been thrown under the bus by Lance Peverley, the editor of the local Peace Arch News. Before I began writing this column for the White Rock Sun, I frequently penned many "Letters to the Editors" or "Let-eds" as I call them. I've had countless letters printed in a wide variety of newspapers including the Province and Vancouver Sun, many garnering the coveted "Letter of the Day" position. I think this is hereditary as my mother who now lives in Chilliwack also has a knack for rather blistering opinion pieces and is well known for pointing our hypocrisy and stupidity when it comes to our elected representatives. When I write a let-ed, they are thoughtfully created, carefully crafted, highly polished and usually require no editing for clarity brevity, legality and taste. They are emailed with the title "Letter to the Editor", begin with "The Editor", end with my name, address and contact information as is required, plus are sent to the email address for the Letters Page which in the case of the PAN is editorial@peacearchnews.com.

Our delivery of the PAN at our house is somewhat sporadic but last Wednesday's July 13th edition did show up at the door. I gave it my customary speed read through the various articles, taking time to read the entire Letters Page as is my usual custom. In there was a letter from the south Surrey/White Rock MP Dianne Watts titled "Constituents not shut out" that attempted to explain the eight month delay in the opening of her constituency office. In case you missed it here it is in its entirety.


Editor:
Re: Lack of MP’s office ignored, June 24.
I am writing to clarify the letter to the editor published regarding my Constituency Office.
Following the election on Oct. 19, we proceeded with the plan to renovate our campaign office into the Government of Canada office that would serve the constituents of South Surrey-White Rock.
Over the course of the next few months, unbeknownst to us, the ownership of the premises changed hands. During this time we had to renegotiate our lease agreement. This took longer than expected. Once completed, we proceeded with the renovations required.
A temporary office in White Rock was set up, through the City of White Rock, where my two local staff worked, handling all constituent requests, via meetings, phone and email.
I would like to thank Mayor Wayne Baldwin and the City of White Rock for their assistance with facilitating our temporary office.
Our constituents know we are now in our permanent premises in the Peninsula Village Shopping Centre, where we will continue to serve the people of South Surrey-White Rock. For contact information, please refer to my website – diannewattsmp.ca
MP Dianne Watts, South Surrey-White Rock

This of course was a rebuttal letter by Mrs. Watts to one posted earlier on June 24th titled "Lack of MP's office ignored." I decided I wanted to read what had been printed earlier plus know who had written the letter. On June 20th at the end of my TNT titled "Game of Drones", I'd posted a TNT Extra titled "Watts Watch", highlighting the eight month delay in her constituency office opening. Two months previous on the six month anniversary, I wrote a TNT titled "Watts The Holdup?" detailing the half year delay. When I searched up this earlier letter on the PAN website, here was what was posted.
As of Sunday, June 19, it has been eight months since the last Canadian federal election, and rookie MP Dianne Watts still does not have a constituency office open to the public to serve the residents of the Semiahmoo Peninsula (Open office to be part of MP’s open communication, May 27). It is strange and disappointing that the mainstream media who should be questioning this unreasonable delay and unknown renovation costs have been totally silent on this continuing debacle.
Don Pitcairn, Surrey
Imagine my shock and surprise when I realized that this let-ed was actually an edited news tip I had sent out to a wide variety of media outlets on the eight month anniversary coinciding with my "Watts' Watch"! When people send news tips to any reputable newspaper including the White Rock Sun, their identities are protected since it is the story information that is important, not the person who brought it to their attention. In this case, instead of having one of their reporters do their own story, the editor of the PAN saw fit to turn it into a letter to the editor, place it in the Letters Page and print it. This was an appalling lack of judgement that marks the second time over the years that the PAN has turned regular communications from myself into a let-ed and published an email as a letter to the editor. What was funny is that I was planning to write a response let-ed to Dianne Watts' letter until I realized what had happened. The lack of ethics and morals shown by Mr. Lance Peverley including a complete lack of response to my concerns leaves me no other option that to file a complaint with the BC Press Council to hold him and their Black Press rag accountable.

It is interesting that the PAN was fit to go this route rather than question Dianne Watts about her poor decision not to continue to use the previous Conservative MP's office only a block away. Nowhere in Mrs Watts' letter was the total amount of money spent on the complete renovations revealed and no PAN reporters obviously asked her for this information. What she did reveal was that Mayor Baldwin and the City of White Rock helped her set up a temporary office in the City By The Sea during the eight month period in question. The issue here is that the address of this temporary office was never posted on her parliamentary website, on former MP Russ Hiebert's old office window, or on the door of the storefront being renovated. In fact, when I talked to her staffers in Ottawa about the temporary office, they stubbornly refused to give me the address making me wonder if it was in her basement at the time. Even more curious is how several White Rock councilors I have recently talked to knew nothing about this deal that apparently was offered free of charge. Even more interesting is that they never realized that the MP had a temporary office anywhere in their small seaside town. The question now is where was this office, how long was it opened, was it actually staffed during regular business hours and how much rental income did the City of White Rock give away? Don't expect to see anwers to these questions anytime soon in the pages of the PAN. The newly renovated office at #595, 15355 - 24th Ave., Surrey did finally open on June 21st to little fanfare, no announcement on Mrs. Watts website or any mention about the official grand opening that I still hope to attend.

As far as the Peace Arch News goes, it still serves a purpose here in the Semi-pen. We use it to line the bottom of our compost pail so that the slimy vegetable peelings and spent coffee grounds don't stick to it. It comes in handy when painting, saving money having to buy paper to prevent overspray. When our old car developed an engine oil leak, it worked great to keep the concrete clean in our garage. Before she moved out of the neighbourhood, my daughter would use it to line the bottom of her budgie bird cage where it soaked up the excrement nicely. When my wife's dog had puppies, the pages of the PAN were essential in absorbing the puddles of urine and piles of poop left by the may fuzzy little rascals. Too many times I've seen the PAN get a story wrong and then fail to take the necessary steps to correct their erroneous position. Too often I've seen the PAN ignore a news story apparently because they were scooped by the White Rock Sun. Too often I've seen the PAN fail miserably to hold our elected officials accountable. I don't know if this latest snafu was a veiled attack on my credentials and integrity, an extremely stupid mistake or just plain laziness on their part. What I do know is that the PAN's editor has not bothered to respond back to me about their latest instance of yellow journalism. For that alone I wish to tell him quite publicly, up yours Lance!

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

July 11, 2016


The Gauntlet

If you are one of the many people who take the time to visit the White Rock Sun on a consistent basis I would like to applaud you for supporting Canada's first internet-only newspaper. With its timely reporting, daily changes in content plus the regular collection of features and opinion pieces like this one, I like to think that it is at the forefront of what it means to be a community newspaper. Oh sure, it does not get printed with ink onto newsprint or delivered to your door like the regular newspaper masquerading as a flyer delivery service but think of the time, money and energy this saves not including the effort to recycle all of that old fish wrap. The WR Sun is always fresh, timely and always there for you whenever and wherever you need it, plus no need to worry about bundles of newsprint piling up at your door while you're away from home.

Started by Mr. Dave Chesney 11 years ago, the WR Sun has grown and morphed with the times to become the proverbial little ant-that-could who stands up for freedom of choice, freedom of expression and freedom of the press. Unlike many of the formerly privately owned community newspapers, it has not been bought up by media barons and corporate conglomerates where the message often becomes sanitized and watered down. Look no further than to the Peace Arch News, The Now, The Leader and the the newest addition to the family, The North Delta Reporter launched four days ago all owned by Black Press. The Glacier Media Group is another big player in the community newspaper scene, owning 66 different newspapers including the Delta Optimist, Richmond News and the Vancouver Courier. Both the Vancouver Sun and Province are owned by the Postmedia Network who also print the National Post and 13 other major newspapers across Canada including a further 40 community newspapers and free dailies including the local 24 Hours. As time goes on these large companies are swallowing up the local newspapers giving them omnipresent control over story content, which opinions get printed and the slant on editorial content.

While many of the local newspapers do a great job in digging up stories and reporting details on them, you have to wonder what the consolidation of control over the newspaper market is having on the freedom of the press. With the closing of many newspaper offices, those reporters and editors who still have jobs are more likely to write safe pieces rather than stick their necks out to find themselves on the chopping block. There have been many stories that appeared in the White Rock Sun, which were totally ignored by corporate media because they were too hot to handle or they put political power brokers in a bad light. Case in point was former BC Premier and former Surrey Mayor Bill Vanderzalm's informative piece on weather modification in Canada that only saw ink in the Georgia Strait, which was founded by its present owner, publisher, and editor Dan McLeod. A little closer to home, nobody but your truly would hold Dianne Watts' feet to the fire over the cost of her office renovations or not having a constituency office open here for 8 months after the last Federal election. A day after my "Watt's Watch" report came out as a TNT Extra on June 20th, Mrs. Watts' offices finally opened to little fanfare, hoopla or corporate media attention even though she was the last MP in the House of Commons to finally hang out her shingle.

If you've been a regular reader of the WR Sun, you'll know that I've been penning my weekly "The Naked Truth" for some time and if you scroll down into the dusty old archives you can read the first one I ever wrote back on July 20, 2009. I don't do this for fame, glory or monetary reward, it is my weekly rant where I get to share thoughts, insights, stories and commentary with the people of our community. Besides penning this column (actually key tapping is more appropriate), I keep an eye open for trouble, my nose to the ground and my ear to the rails looking for stories that I can report to editor Dave Chesney or possibly use in an upcoming column. I was the person who woke up Dave Chesney early on May 15th to report a large fire in the peninsula, having seen the column of smoke and the Surrey Fire Chief racing to the scene. This was the Ocean Ridge complex fire that became the largest fire in White Rock history. I also spotted smoke in the air from the Burns Bog fire last week while driving down King George Blvd. and reported it to the WR Sun, driving to North Delta to take the first photo that was posted. I take many pictures with my cell phone or camera, submitting the best ones to Mr. Chesney hoping to get the coveted front page picture. This is actually quite a challenge because of the number and quality of photos that are already submitted by area residents. A tip of the hat to the photographers, artists and people in the right place at the right time who continue to amaze with the sights of the Semiahmoo peninsula.

So this is where I throw down the gauntlet, pull off the gloves, whack you in the face and issue a challenge to you all. Dave Chesney may be the founder and editor of the White Rock Sun but in my mind it is collectively owned by the people of south Surrey and White Rock. It is your lives, your struggles and your triumphs that create the stories you read here on a daily basis. It is your news tips, story ideas, whistle blowing and amateur reporting that gives the WR Sun the scoop on the much larger news organizations covering our community. Instead of simply coming to read the White Rock Sun, take control of your newspaper by becoming its eyes and ears. Put editor Dave Chesney's phone number into the contact information on your cell phone, reaching him via land line at 604-541-7696 or on his City of White Rock cell phone at 604-356-3791. Put the WR Sun email address of editor@whiterocksun.com onto your hotmail or gmail account and send him your news tips and stories from around our community. You can contribute and submit anything that you think people would find informative or fascinating or that would make the White Rock Sun more interesting to read. If you are an opinionated SOB who likes to write, consider approaching Mr. Chesney about doing your own column as I'm sure I'm not the only person in the Semi-Pen capable of doing so.

In the end, you should think of the White Rock Sun as your newspaper! Take ownership of it, nourish it, help it to grow and watch it flourish. Become active in reporting your observations and stories to the editor along with sending pictures and links to articles from here that might be getting ignored or suppressed by corporate media. It was through active community engagement that the Georgia Strait in Vancouver went from an underground rag to a highly respected progressive newspaper with a large internet presence and heavy website traffic from across the globe. The WR Sun continues to grow and improve and the more people take ownership of it, the better it will become in the future. If everyone living here who reads the White Rock Sun were to contribute as much as I do to this newspaper, it would likely clean up at the annual Canadian Community Newspaper Awards. Just as you go to whiterocksun.com to find out what is going on in our community, you can be the one helping to shape content and informing your neighbours about what is happening in our little corner of the world. Not only would this make the Semiahmoo peninsula an even better place to live, it will make the White Rock Sun a newspaper you'll be proud to call your own.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

July 4, 2016

Bar Atlantis - Surrey's Hidden Jewel

 

If you scroll down the main page of the White Rock Sun to the very bottom you will find a link to detailed tide charts for this area. For sun worshipers and beach lovers this is a very important posting as it allows you to time your visits to the ocean either for low or high tides, depending on your preference. I usually like low tides as it gives more area to walk and roam, unless it is very hot when it is nice to have the waves near the beach to go for a dip. There are certain times of the year that I watch for and this weekend plus the next few days are very special with ultra low tides of just over one foot in height at the middle of the day. This makes for the perfect time to visit "Bar Atlantis" when it rises from the depths and becomes the best beach in the Semiahmoo peninsula.

Olympic Trail stairs

This massive sand bar measuring 50 m. wide by 800 m. long is located just west of Kwomais Point in Ocean Park. It can be reached via a long and somewhat treacherous walk from White Rock (stay off the tracks please) but the Olympic Trail in south Surrey is your best bet. This is a wooden staircase that goes down the bluff hillside from a trail head on 13th Ave. between 130th and 131st Street. The staircase zig-zags down the hillside and eventually ends up at what is locally known as "Stoner's Point", a lookout platform 177 steps down the slope. Just before the view point a rough trail heads into the ravine, with a massive granite boulder similar to the White Rock or Crescent Rock boulders perched on the hill just below the platform. The equivalent of 135 steps awaits you with missing treads, chunks of steel rebar rod sticking out of the ground and no handrails. This trail is rough, steep in areas and not for the faint of heart or those not in good shape. While technically illegal, you have to cross the train tracks at the bottom of the hill to access the beach but the railway's wire landslide detector fence is raised in this location allowing easy passage. The last obstacle before the sand are the rip-rip boulders lining the rail corridor that must be climbed with care and caution to avoid injury.

 

Bar Atlantis only appears when the tides drop to one or two feet, meaning it will only be above the waves for around five hours a day. Its hard packed and flat sand is fantastic to walk or run on, play football, soccer or bocci ball, throw a frisbee or to fly a kite. The view is spectacular stretching from Kwomais Point all the way down to the house stacked hills of White Rock far off in the distance with Mount Baker in the background. With the exception of one house where the owner has seen fit to cut down the trees on the slope for views, the bluff is a forested backdrop, lush and green compared to the barren wasteland that the Hump hillside has been turned into. The area is teeming with life with eagles, herons and crows in abundance and rocks crowded with starfish and anemones. You will find sand dollars up to four inches across all along this beach and plenty of tidal pools to catch your interest and that of any children you bring along. The sand tends to stay moist so it is best to bring a folding backpack beach chair along should you care to sit and sun tan. The shoreline near the tracks will be dry but it is rocky and strewn with large logs from last winter's storms, allowing little room for a blanket.

Most of the times when I visit Bar Atlantis it is completely empty but it appears the secret is out. There were up to a dozen people on the beach during the few hours that I was there although most did not stay long. Families with children living just up the hill in Ocean Park were there collecting shells and looking in the tidal pools. Dog owners and their pets came down for some exercise and time spent chasing balls into the surf. I met several couples who had walked all the way from White Rock with one group of ladies who were considering trekking all the way to Crescent Beach. Everyone I talked to was there because of the very low tides at that time, with most already knowing about the hidden beach. What I found interesting was the two gentlemen who were fishing for dungeness crabs, wearing waders into the water and using a simple net to catch them. I had heard this was possible but it was the first time I'd ever seen anyone having success, with several "keepers" in their buckets. While this area is part of Crescent Rock Beach and legal to use for nude sunbathing, I did not see any naturists or nudists there with only partially sunny skies and a brisk wind making clothes a necessity. I did finally get to fly the stunt kite that I was given on my birthday over three months ago and enjoyed the lack of obstacles to hit while I learned its speedy tendencies.

While you likely missed this weekend's ultra low tides of 1.8 and 1.2 feet, the next three days will see Bar Atlantis open for business with tides of 1.1 feet at 12 o'clock noon on Monday, 1.3 feet at 12:43 p.m. on Tuesday and 1.9 ft. and 1:24 p.m. on Wednesday. If you have never experienced this large stretch of sand, consider putting in on your list of things to do or maybe calling in sick for work and making it a four day weekend. Remember that this hidden beach will be above the water for several hours either side of the listed low tide. Monday looks to be the best day with sunny periods in the afternoon but Tuesday and Wednesday are forecast to be wet and cloudy. This is what makes Bar Atlantis so special to visit, you need ultra low tides, in the middle of the day, on the weekend, with good weather. When the stars align and these four variables come together, it rates as the best sandy beach in the region. If you come for a visit without checking the tide charts, all you will usually see are the waters of Boundary Bay lapping against the railway rocks without a hint of what lies below. Plan it properly and you will have a day to remember and will become a tide watcher looking for the next special time when Bar Atlantis is high and dry.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

June 27, 2016

$30 Million Discrepancy

For years now I have campaigned for a variety of safety improvement projects related to existing infrastructure throughout the Lower Mainland. Some of these were very small and required little physical changes or large injections of capital while others ran bills into the millions of dollars. The cable median barriers on Hwy. 99, concrete barriers to protect faulty bridge railings throughout BC and the separation of traffic on the #10 Hwy. hill approaching Scott Road are all examples of this. Instead of myself coming up with more ways to spend taxpayer money, this TNT can actually save Canadians a cool $30 million. The sad part is that our MP Dianne Lynn Watts should be the one pointing out this common-sense cost savings instead of a lowly scribe working for the White Rock Sun.

It was only a few years ago in November of 2013 when Dianne Watts was Mayor of Surrey that Surrey's transportation committee nixed the idea to spend $4 million to build an underpass on Beecher St. under the BNSF rail corridor. While this would have alleviated the train blockages to the only two roads that access Crescent Beach, it was deemed that this project was too much money for Surrey's budget, especially when the rerouting of Metro Vancouver's sewer lines and installation of a pump house were also included. With this tunnel being necessitated by the Surrey Fraser Docks coal terminal plans with extra coal trains rolling on the BNSF tracks, it was thought that Port Metro Vancouver should pay the freight, sort of speak. Even though the tunnel was turned down, this concept was included as part of Surrey's annual request for infrastructure funding to the Federal government. A few years later and now this story really goes off the rails.

A report this month by the House of Commons Standing Committee on Transportation, Infrastructure and Communities detailed plans to build a tunnel under the BNSF tracks allowing access to Crescent Beach at a price tag of $35 million. I didn't need a calculator to figure out that not only two years later and the ballooning price out of Ottawa has suddenly jumped $31 million. A little bit more math, this time with a calculator, showed that this is an increase of a whopping 775% in only two years time. Gee, and to think that I complained about my Surrey property taxes going up eleven percent in each of the last two years. We should not forget that Dianne Watts is on the Conservative shadow cabinet as the Official Opposition Critic for Infrastructure and Communities who first brought forward the rail safety motion on this issue forward. Since she was Surrey's Mayor when the original tunnel plan was scuttled, she should be aware of the huge discrepancy in pricing between those drawn up in Surrey and those in Ottawa.

We don't need a lavish edifice to Ottawa spending and out of control deficit spending on Beecher St., a simple tunnel under the tracks would do. Even with inflation, the most this project should cost is $5 million, realizing a cost savings of $30 million. While Port Metro Vancouver was fingered to help pay part of the bill, I think that the BNSF Railway should be partially responsible for this infrastructure upgrade. The reason is that it was the frequent blockading of the two entrances to Crescent Beach by stalled trains, sometimes for hours on end, that started the conversation about the need for uninterrupted access. Instead of going with the new $35 million plan, maybe Dianne should ask her buddies at Surrey City Hall for a copy of their slightly dated tunnel plans to see if they were accurately conceived and costed. While far below the estimated $300-$500 million to move the BNSF tracks to a safer inland location, it seems excessive that the price tag for a tunnel into Crescent Beach would increase so astronomically in only two years.

It is wonderful that Dianne Watts is championing our causes in the House of Commons but this huge cost overrun needs to be brought to the attention of the Standing Committee on Transportation, Infrastructure and Communities. With the current price this works out to $28,000 for every resident of Crescent Beach if these costs were paid by them. The BNSF Railway should be on the hook for some of the tunnel costs since they are the root cause of the problem. For comparison, the massive concrete and steel trestle railway bridge over Mud Bay that was recently completed had a budget of $5.5 million so you have to wonder why a small tunnel would cost almost six times that. It seems that once politicians arrive in Ottawa and go to the House of Commons, they lose all common sense and grasp of financial responsibility. I'm surprised they haven't considered simply purchasing a hovercraft for everyone living in Crescent Beach so they could leave regardless of any stalled train. At $20,000 for a new model, they could buy these for a paltry $25 million, saving $10 million. While this may seem ludicrous, it is still cheaper and just as stupid as what is now being planned.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

June 20, 2016


Game of Drones

 

As time has gone on and the clothing-optional Crescent Rock Beach between White Rock and Crescent Beach has become more well known, it is increasingly attracting larger crowds to its rugged and secluded shores. Its hard to say whether it will ever become a victim of its own success as many people feel has happened at Wreck where fully clothed voyeurs and bus loads of foreign tourists regularly descend the stairs to take in the sights. Its tough to masquerade as a nude beach when the majority of those visiting the area are wearing clothes. Fortunately Crescent Rock does not seem to have this problem with almost everyone taking the time to get there enjoying the experience of sunbathing au' natural plus going for a cooling skinny-dip.

While it does take a few stairs at either Coldicutt Ravine, the Olympic Trail, the 1001 and 101 Steps staircases or a long walk from White Rock or Crescent Beach it is not like Crescent Rock is difficult to access. The amount of watercraft on Boundary Bay varying from paddleboards and kayaks to Sea-doos and power boats means that relaxing at Crescent Rock can never be expected to be a totally isolated experience. The train tracks also bring those looking for some scenery to admire with cameras often visible in the windows of the passing AmTrak train and engineers on BNSF freight trains leaning out the window or even standing on the locomotive cat walks while slowly rolling along the nude beach. Low flying planes, ultra light aircraft and helicopters including the RCMP's Air 1 also do low level low speed passes on a frequent basis. While interesting to see, the three paragliders who frequently visit from the King George Air Park get rather annoying after multiple low altitude passes in front of the main nude beach area south of Crescent Beach.

While your privacy cannot be assured, it is reasonable to expected not to be photographed in the nude while relaxing on the beach. Friends and couples do take pictures of each other and can ask permission for others to be in the background of different shots, plus I have seen models being professionally photographed there on many occasions for use in their portfolios. With cell phones all now possessing high quality cameras it is not like the old days when you could spot the voyeur by their large SLR camera and long telephoto lens. Unfortunately the web is full of sites with spy cams and hidden camera videos that appear to have been taken on nude beaches with unknowing people suddenly becoming unwitting stars for a worldwide audience of trolls and perverts. Most naturists say that if you want to see what's going on then come down to the beach, take off your thin veneer of textiles and enjoy yourself with the rest of the people enjoying the freedom of spending part of your adult life as nature intended.

Unfortunately recent technological developments have now added a new way for the illegal recording of people relaxing at the nude beach. While at Crescent Rock recently with my wife, we were informed that a drone was seen hovering low over the beach, flying the length of the main nude recreational area south of Crescent Beach and then taking off towards the top of the bluff. Considering the value of the residential properties in the Ocean Park and Crescent Park area, it is not surprising that someone there would own a drone, especially now that they are becoming very affordable. Most of these remote controlled flying machines have gyro stabilization plus high definition cameras on them allowing for startling details to be shown. What the person operating this drone needs to realize is that while nude suntanning and skinny-dipping on Crescent Rock Beach is legal and officially recognized by the local RCMP, filming people nude without their knowledge or consent is illegal and can bring lengthy prison time.

The "Protecting Canadians from Online Crime Act" that was brought in to protect people from cyber bullying also has protection from technological voyeurs. Taken directly from this legislation: Everyone who knowingly publishes, distributes, transmits, sells, makes available or advertises an intimate image of a person knowing that the person depicted in the image did not give their consent to that conduct, or being reckless as to whether or not that person gave their consent to that conduct, is guilty of an indictable offence and liable to imprisonment for a term of not more than five years. In this Act, “Intimate image” means a visual recording of a person made by any means including a photographic, film or video recording, in which the person is nude, is exposing his or her genital organs or anal region or her breasts or is engaged in explicit sexual activity; in respect of which, at the time of the recording, there were circumstances that gave rise to a reasonable expectation of privacy; and in respect of which the person depicted retains a reasonable expectation of privacy at the time the offence is committed.

Hopefully this drone fly-by was a one off incident and that the video taken was not going to be used for titillating or pornographic purposes. Members of the nude beach community have now been contacted about this drone incursion and to the realization that filming might be happening without their knowledge or consent. The Surrey RCMP have now been informed of drones over the nude beach and will investigate if further flights are spotted over Crescent Rock Beach. Nude beach regulars will be keeping an eye out for these flying video platforms and watching where they go when leaving the bluff area, then reporting this information to the police. It is a shame that in this day and age that some people still continue to sexualize the human form and attempt to exploit others who reject the culture of body shame. For those who might be hoping to capitalize on aerial images taken of naturists and nudists at the local nude beach, there is a federal prison cell waiting for you if you get caught.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

TNT Extra - Watts Watch: On Sunday, June 19 it has been eight months since the last Canadian Federal election and our MP Dianne Watts still does not have a constituency office open to the public to serve the residents of the Semiahmoo peninsula. No official opening date has been announced, which is an embarrassing disservice to our entire community. It is strange and disappointing that the mainstream media who should be questioning this unreasonable delay and the renovation costs have been totally silent on this continuing debacle.

 

 

June 14, 2016


There Goes The Neighbourhood

An important part of being a homeowner is conducting regular maintenance on your property, not only to keep up with the Jones's but to ensure that real estate values and kept up not only for your own dwelling but the entire neighbourhood as well. Like most of my neighbours I mow my lawn on a frequent basis and ensure that the landscaping is maintained to keep weeds at bay with shrubs pruned. Unfortunately it looks as if the unsightly "ghost ghettos" I have been seeing in places like Richmond and North Delta are now making their way into the Semi-pen.

The house down at the corner was bought and torn down a couple of years ago and a new beautiful modern house built in its place with quite attractive grounds. The builders listed the property for sale with ReMax when it was completed but due to a high asking price it never sold. These people then moved in for a year, likely to avoid paying the GST and it was relisted earlier this year with New Coast Realty getting the listing. If you are not aware of this company, they are the ones with the 778-888-7777 phone number, Chinese writing on their signs and the vast majority of their realtors catering to Asian clientele. This was the company at the centre of the "shadow-flipping" scandal that has helped to drive land prices here to unrealistic and unsustainable levels. You can see their website at http://newcoastrealty.tk/ or read about their involvement in this questionable practice from a Globe & Mail article last April at the following link: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/real-estate/vancouver-real-estate-firms-advertisements-feature-shadow-flipping-homes/article29704220/

The house in question sold quickly back in February with the New Coast Realty sign only staying up for a short time with the "SOLD" sticker never being displayed. Since that time the lawn has only been cut once and that was when it was already long in the spring. It has been left to turn into a meadow complete with wildflowers and the grass now at knee height. The landscape beds that were formerly kept clean on a regular basis are now a salad bar of weeds that are slowly covering the smaller shrubs. If the unsightly mess of a yard wasn't enough of a clue that it has been purchased by an Asian investor (the owner's name from Surrey City Hall was ethnic Chinese), the turned down blinds, lack of lights at night plus the stack of yellowed newspapers at the front door might be a clue that the house sits vacant most of the time. The oldest PAN at the doorstep was dated May 26 showing that someone was likely there three weeks ago. The RCMP officer who lives across the street told me he has never seen anyone there in the four months since it sold and I'm sure he would have noticed.

Friends who live in the Chantrelle neighbourhood recently complained that while sales have pushed house prices to over $3 million, many of the homes that have been sold now sit empty and dark. Properties that were once lush and manicured now have yellow seedy lawns that get cut only occasionally by commercial gardeners with weeds taking over the landscape and pools turning into ponds. They complained that they are losing their sense of community as houses are purchased as mere holding properties and families move out of the area to greener pastures. They said the best way to discover what properties were vacant was simply to watch for the tote bins out on the street on garbage day. Most people put out their green waste on a weekly basis this time of year due to smell and flies, plus with garbage and recycling on a two week basis, not many people would miss this otherwise it means you'll get once a month pick up. Who in their right mind would want garbage rotting in their black garbage can or have recycling overflowing in the big blue bin for four week? Even if you were away, you'd arrange for a neighbour or a friend to roll them out for you.

It is bad enough having houses sit empty while prices and rents soar, we shouldn't have to sit back and watch while negligent owners allow their properties to become a blight on the neighbourhood. The City of Surrey has bylaws on maintenance, beautification, livability and sustainability with standards for all property owners to follow. The accumulation of junk discarded materials and garbage, dead landscaping, uncontrolled growth of landscaping and deterioration of fences or buildings is considered unsightly under Surrey's bylaws. If your new neighbours are eroding the quality of your community but neglecting their investment, you can confidentially report their unsightly properties by making an online complaint to http://www.surrey.ca/city-services/667.aspx or by phoning 604-591-4370 to initiate an investigation. If the property is found to be neglected, a deadline for cleanup will be set by the bylaw officer after the owner has been notified, and if ignored the city will clean it up and add the costs to the owners property taxes.

If people can afford to purchase million dollar properties only to leave them vacant, then they can definitely afford to hire people to maintain their investment. Richmond is looking shabby and run down with all of the properties that have been left to basically go fallow. It was amazing to see last week how many of these unsightly properties did not have garbage totes in front of them on their last collection day. This problem is only going to grow here in the Semi-pen unless we nip it in the bud and these negligent owners are held accountable for ensuring their houses do not become a blight on the community. I will be reporting the nearby house with the field for a lawn on Monday and then see how long it takes before someone drives a Massey-Ferguson tractor with a hay-bailer onto the lawn to attempt to mow it. We should not have to live in a ghost ghetto of abandoned houses with jungles for yards just because rich foreign investors are too cheap and ignorant to look after their so-called homes.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

The Naked Truth - June 7, 2016

Unreal Estate

This TNT should be considered a continuation of my January 11, 2016 column titled "Rich Man, Poor Man" that detailed the 16.75% increase in property values in 2015 for my quarter acre lot in south Surrey and its 35 year old box of a house. As if the real estate market wasn't already increasing at ridiculous rates last year, the increase has been stratospheric since then with the economic fundamentals out of sync with reality and lack of wage growth. Well this week we received our 2016 property tax notice from the City of Surrey and it should come as no shock that there was a substantial increase in the amount that the blood suckers in the local tax department are looking to bleed from residents.

We own our own home and quality for the basic grant so I thought I would share the numbers from the past few years for our rather simple two level abode in Crescent Heights. Way back in 2013 before the market went insane, our property tax excluding services came in at a lowly $3,373. By 2014 it had gone up marginally to $3,405, an increase of only one percent. In 2015 it rose again, this time to $3,792 or a double digit increase of 11 percent. This year it followed last years gain, increasing a further 11 percent or $430. Not bad for the City of Surrey increasing taxes by 22% in only two years, making me wish my RRSP's could perform with those rates of returns on a year to year basis. While I have to admit that the mill rate that these taxes were based on was reduced, the dramatic and drastic increase in property value allows Surrey to rape residents for increased taxes that for us amount to $806 over the past years alone. To put it in relative terms, this increase would have paid for the new hot water tank I recently had installed in our basement.

If you scroll down to the "Rich Man, Poor Man" TNT in the archives you can read about the math behind our property value increase last year that equated to $720 tax free for every day that I went to work last year. It turns out I'm not the only person looking at these increases as they equate to the real world. Vancouver mathematician Jens Von Bergmann of MountainMath analyzed the Vancouver real estate market for last year and calculated that the average after-tax income in that city was $26 per hour for actual work, with homes earning a whopping $126 an hour. Now I don't hold an undergrad degree in physics and computer sciences and a PhD in mathematics like Mr. Von Bergmann but by even I can figure out that means owning a house in Van beats working by $100 an hour. Hell for those kinds of numbers I wouldn't mind working overtime and on weekends to boot! It turns out that while the entire population of Vancouver earned $17.9 billion working last year, property value increases blew that away, posting a whopping $24.6 billion in gains.

The numbers aren't going to get any better for this year with real estate prices in Tsawwassen and South Surrey reportedly believed to have increased by a further 45 percent. The house only three doors away next to the property that I previously owned is currently on the market for a juicy $1.9 million. I could have bought this place eight years ago for around $700,000. In Sunshine HIlls in North Delta the house my parents used to own on a half acre view lot just listed for $1.8 million and sold four days later with multiple cash offers from foreign bidders, finally selling at $2.2 million. This is in North Delta for a 40 year old home! When I told my folks about the selling price they questioned their move out to Chilliwack 17 years ago when they retired instead of holding on to this $2.2 million winning lottery ticket. I told them not to worry as it would not be long before their prices went through the roof as people cashing in near the coast brought suitcases of money eastward with them.

When buying reaches a frenzy like this, it is usually a sign that the end of the good times is near. Simply look back to the real estate crash here in the early 1980's to see eerie parallels to what is now happening. Should the interest rates increase or property values plummet, you will see people walking away from their mortgages with banks passing on the financial pain to their other customers. The same buying frenzy has happened in other investments including the dot com bubble that burst or the Bre-X scandal that both went down in flames. Remember the old adage that what goes up always comes down and with real estate, it is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it. Take away the speculators, the flippers, the Asian flow of cash and all of the homes currently sitting empty and this market would dry up faster than the fire hydrants during the big White Rock condo fire a couple of weeks ago. As the one who pens the Naked Truth, I guess I have to be the one who points out that the Emperor has no clothes and that the house of cards built on greed is getting ready for a big fall.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

May31, 2016


Hear We Go Again

Long before I started writing The Naked Truth for the White Rock Sun my community activist spirit was alive and well working on a variety of issues here in the Semi-pen. I first got involved with SmartRail to bring attention to the shoddy condition of the BNSF Railway tracks here and efforts to improve railway safety plus promote the concept of high-speed rail. I really got a name for myself by promoting the naturist recreational use of the rugged and isolated shoreline between Crescent Beach and White Rock that is known as Crescent Rock Beach, Surrey's version of Wreck Beach. More than anything, it was Nav Canada's decision to unilaterally change flight approach paths to YVR, flying commercial jet airliners over south Surrey and White Rock that really got my hackles up.

It was just over nine years ago on May 10, 2007 to be exact that Nav Canada, whose offices are in Newton behind Costco, decided to change YVR's flight paths to increase capacity and improve air traffic control capability. Unfortunately this monopolistic business that was created by the Canadian government to control our skies did not tell anyone in Surrey of their plans, even those in Surrey City Hall that was located only a few miles away. It did not take residents long to figure out that something drastic had changed when 747's began dropping flaps over residential neighborhoods at all times of the night and day. Needless to say the public uproar from formerly quiet neighborhoods was swift and unrelenting. This lead to the formation of the south Surrey Citizens Against Aircraft Noise (SCAANS) here in the peninsula, Calm and Peaceful Skies (CAPS) in north Surrey and Against Aircraft Noise in Delta (AANOID) in south Delta with these three regions all being impacted by this draconian change that was done without public input.

Surrey's Mayor Dianne Watts who is now the MP for this region responded to the litany of complaints by forming the Nav Canada Working Group that I was invited to join. Over time it was renamed the Surrey Airspace Task Force (SATF) and went on to create the SATF Request For Action document prepared for meeting with Members of Parliament in April of 2009. This 25 page document is available online on the Surrey website should you wish to peruse the devil in the details at https://www.surrey.ca/files/SATF50MPsdocumentfor7April2009ab.pdf
Surrey also commissioned a study, hiring a company called Direct Approach Consulting Inc. who created a corporate report about this debacle and changes that were being called for to bring some peace and quiet back to the skies over communities south of the Fraser. It is also on the Surrey website at http://surrey.ca/bylawsandcouncillibrary/R070-49ED.pdf
Take a minute, do your homework and get up to date by reading about this historical feud that is once again rearing its ugly head.

Without going into the myriad of details found in these two documents, the end result was that our MP Russ Hiebert got involved and eventually Nav Canada altered their GRIZZSTAR flight path to mitigate aircraft noise pollution as much as possible to the affected communities. On those airplanes coming from the south inbound for YVR that controllers allow to fly a visual route, they were to be instructed to fly "in the middle of Boundary Bay." Noise monitoring terminals were installed with the nearest one in Ocean Park while YVR initiated WebTrak (http://webtrak5.bksv.com/yvr5) that allows for real time minus 10 minutes web tracking of flights as they happen and on a historical basis. Almost all of the inbound jetliners disappeared from our airspace with them flying as promised in the centre of Boundary Bay away from public beaches and residential areas. Unfortunately time has a way of fading memories and it appears that the new crop of air traffic controllers at Nav Canada have forgotten to keep planes away from here. Overflights are becoming commonplace for planes flying on visual with Ocean Park and Crescent Beach being the most seriously impacted. Because of this, I thought it was time to let Mrs. Watts know what has been happening here while she is working in Ottawa so I sent her the following correspondence last week.

Dear Dianne Watts,

Since you were the Mayor of Surrey when Nav Canada changed the flight paths for YVR in May of 2007, you are likely well aware of the concerns of residents in south Surrey about the increase in noise from commercial aircraft suddenly flying through our airspace.

Should you want to refresh your memory of the details of this historical affair, here is a link to the Surrey Airspace Task Force Request for Action document prepared for meeting with Members of Parliament in April of 2009: https://www.surrey.ca/files/SATF50MPsdocumentfor7April2009ab.pdf . You may also want to peruse the following City of Surrey Corporate Report R070 from April 28, 2008, titled "Nav Canada Airspace Procedure Changes and Direct Approach Consulting Inc. Report and Recommendations" available at: http://surrey.ca/bylawsandcouncillibrary/R070-49ED.pdf . Besides the changes finally made to the flight paths, YVR instituted WebTrak linked to noise monitoring stations in the region, allowing real time observations of flights both incoming and departing from YVR and the noise levels associated with them. For flights not following the GRIZZSTAR flight path, incoming jets from the south were supposed to be directed to fly up the "middle of Boundary Bay" away from Crescent Beach and Ocean Park on their way to YVR.

Sadly, there has been a marked increase in the flights now flying over the western side of the Semiahmoo peninsula. From my home in Crescent Heights and at Crescent Rock Beach, I have seen an appreciable increase in jet traffic over Ocean Park and Crescent Beach. On Tuesday, May 17 from 7:23 pm to 7:35 pm a total of four jets flew over this region with Nav Canada controllers obviously allowing this to occur. The sound levels at the Ocean Park monitoring station registered 62-63 decibels, but realize that these four planes flew past in only 12 minutes while I was on our patio eating dinner. I also watched at commercial airliner fly over Crescent Beach at 6:26 a.m. that same morning while outside getting ready to leave for work. You can see these planes for yourself online at: http://webtrak5.bksv.com/yvr5

Crescent Beach is the main marine recreational site for half a million people from Surrey, plus many residents here purchased our properties here at high cost to be away from aviation noise pollution. It is bad enough that people at the beach have to deal with the noise from passing BNSF freight trains but the aircraft are only adding to the growing din. As the new MP for this region I would ask that you follow in Russ Hiebert's footsteps and take the needed action to remind Nav Canada of their obligation to direct panes away from the Semiahmoo peninsula when not needed for safety reasons. I'd suggest asking for flight path maps from Nav Canada to see exactly how widespread this problem has now become.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn, Columnist, White Rock Sun

 

P.S.

If I want to go see an airshow, I head out to Abbotsford in August or hang out at the end of the runway on Lulu Island in Richmond to see planes landing. I would not live in Sunshine Hills, Panorama Ridge, Newton or Guildford simply because of the high volume of low level commercial air traffic these regions now receive and the noise associated with them. For those who were involved in this initial fight and the people who are now noticing Air Bus A320's and Boeing 767's dropping their flaps over south Surrey as they slow for eventual landing in Vancouver, now is the time to write your MP and demand that something be done again. The same email that Dianne Watts received was also forwarded to our MLA Gordon Hogg plus Surrey's new Mayor Linda Hepner and her Surrey First councilors so they are all aware that this problem has again reared its ugly head. Now is the time for them to show leadership and clip Nav Canada's wings and ground the planes flying outside of the agreed corridor far from populated regions of the Semiahmoo peninsula.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

May 24, 2016

Pride in Surrey, No Pride in Surrey

My wife Sheryl and I are now recovering from the marathon that was the 70th annual Cloverdale Rodeo and Country Fair. Going there as a spectator or just to enjoy the Rodeo/Fair experience is one thing but working it for four days and three nights is completely another. We were there hawking our Surrey Shirts apparel the entire Victoria Day long weekend as one of the many vendors lining the midway. Saturday and Sunday are 13 hour work days not including travel, prepping for the show, taking down the display plus securing it for the night. This leaves little time for sleep or eating, ensuring that most of the food you get to consume for the entire long weekend is found on the fairgrounds. While Lemon Heaven and Those Little Donuts may be okay for an outing, I would not recommend trying to subsist on them for four days. That being said, working the Cloverdale Fair selling Surrey apparel is a rewarding experience with all of the amazing people you meet from all walks of life. More than anything, we love the diversity and interaction with our fellow Surreyians.

From the onset, Surrey Shirts was always going to be controversial as it deals with subjects, slogans and logos relevant to the city of Surrey. It started out innocently enough with my desire to wear a shirt with the word "Surrey" emblazoned on it so that I could represent my chosen home town. Finding that none were available, I had an embroidered jersey produced that I thought looked rather styling if I must say so. Other people obviously felt the same way as every time I wore my new favourite shirt into the big city of Surrey BC, I was constantly asked where I got it and started taking orders to produce them. Soon enough I began creating new designs for t-shirts and Surrey Shirts was born. With a website created we started selling our clothing online, soon attracting the wrath of the City of Surrey because of some of the messages on some of the more edgy designs. After an initial "Cease and Desist" letter from their legal department several years back that resulted in our website going viral, we thought that we had smoothed the feathers we'd ruffled at City Hall. In the end Surrey Shirts is a pro-Surrey apparel company and if I wasn't proud of the city I call home, I would not live here and certainly wouldn't promote it by wearing shirts boldly printed with the word "SURREY."

2016 marks the third year in a row that we have sold our merchandise at the Cloverdale Rodeo and Country Fair. We were actually surprised to be allowed entry as we had been initially denied access to the lowly Cloverdale Flea Market due to the media interest in our wares and legal skirmish with Surrey. In the first year at the Rodeo we had to remove several of our shirts from the display in our tent under threat of expulsion due to pressure directed from City Hall. While not thrilled with the situation that we viewed as misguided censorship, we found a way to play within the rules and still get invited back to the party. Last year went well with none of our designs including the controversial anti-gun and anti-gang violence shirts being pulled from the public's eye. We did not imagine having any difficulties this year but on the second day of the Fair were told that an undercover Surrey by-law inspector had been through our tent. They reported their findings back to someone from City Hall where it was decided that one of our designs should not be displayed on Surrey property. While we had been showered with plenty of Surrey pride from residents to that point, it was the "Surrey Pride" shirt that they took offense too. Those with images of handguns and bullet holes were okay; the one featuring a small rainbow was not.

This t-shirt was developed when we were invited to the Surrey Pride festivities several years ago at Holland Park in Whalley. It should be noted that this is City of Surrey property with the event being supported by City Hall. Our Surrey Pride t-shirt features an image somewhat similar to the current "Surrey - the future lives here" logo but instead has two different monoliths, a small band of rainbow colours below and the altered slogan "the future lives queer." It is protected not only by the Charter of Canadian Rights and Freedoms regarding political expression plus Canada's Trademark and Copyright laws that allow for parody and satire. Besides being created for this event in support of the LGBTQ community, it was also printed to help put pressure on Surrey's Mayor and Council to get with the times and finally fly the rainbow flag in front of City Hall during Pride week. While we did not attend the Pride festival last year due to scheduling conflicts, this t-shirt sold well several years ago and didn't incur the wrath of any censoring bureaucrats or by-law officers at Holland Park. I wrote a TNT column about this back on July 7 of 2014 titled "Pride in Surrey Alive and Well" should you care to scroll into the archives below and read it. The "Surrey Pride" t-shirt is part of our design collection and has been for sale online since it was created.

It is annoying in this day and age that Surrey's Mayor & Council don't take a public stand on supporting actual diversity, acceptance and tolerance in our city. If only the LGBTQ community found themselves being cared for and catered to like our Indo-Canadian community as recently seen in the colourful Vasaki parade and celebrations in Newton. Once again the symbol of those with a different sexual orientation and the flag of freedom that they wave proudly has been pulled from view and forced back in the closet. Imagine the uproar if Surrey tried to hide and suppress the saffron triangle 'nishan sahib' flag of the Sikh's. Considering the historically bad treatment of gay people in Surrey, the violence and persecution they endured here for decades and even cases of residents from Surrey attacking folks on the streets in downtown Vancouver over their perceived relationships, I find this simply appalling. This continued lack of leadership on this issue is a black mark on the Surrey First Team and calls into question the wisdom of voting for political slates for civic representatives. How often do I have to say that Surrey is a becoming a big city and it's about time they started to act like one?

When Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was being sworn in last year after his election victory, he was asked why having a federal cabinet with an equal number of men and women was important to him. He attracted international attention and praise with his simple and to the point answer about gender equality, "Because its 2015." While Surrey First does not need to wrap itself in a Pride flag, they should appreciate all the colours of the rainbow and direct staff at City Hall to not censor or bully those who wish to sport these colours on Surrey public property or during city run events. If they want to know why, I'll update Trudeau's now famous little quote and tell them, "Because it's 2016." I promise that Surrey Shirts "Surrey Pride" t-shirt will be for sale in Holland Park on June 26th at this year's Pride Festival and we will not take it down or cover it up regardless of any political threats, intimidation, threats of expulsion of promises of future exclusion from civic run community events. Lets hope that the bullshit stops here and City Hall finally gets with the times.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

www.surreyshirts.com

 

 

May 16, 2016

5 Corners Alarm Fire

 

No matter what we get out of this,
I know I know we'll never forget.
Smoke on the water and fire in the sky.
Smoke on the water...


Lyrics from "Smoke on th
e Water" - DEEP PURPLE

 

Well, that was a real barn burner wasn't it. Make sure you circle May 15, 2016 on your calendar as that was the biggest fire in White Rock history folks. I heard the boys from Hall 12 in Crescent Park roll out very early yesterday morning and as I drove north on the KGB, a Surrey Fire Service superintendent SUV roared by me at the Art Knapps with lights-a-flashing. Watching him in the rear view mirror, I noticed the huge column of black smoke in the distance rising from the Semi-pen. I figured it was a large structure fire (or a commercial plane crash) somewhere in south Surrey and immediately reported it to News 1130 where it was the first they had heard about it. Shortly afterwards, I phoned White Rock Sun editor Dave Chesney to report about a big fire somewhere in south Surrey or White Rock. When he looked out his one window, he saw the billowing clouds of smoke and realized that something was seriously amiss near the 5 Corners. Between editing the White Rock Sun, responding to reporter inquiries and dealing with residents angry over a lack of water (people were being burned out of their homes and residents called to complain regarding a wide variety of topics.

The fire originally started at a wood framed condo under construction in the 15200 block of Royal Avenue next to the Star of the Sea Parish. With no drywall to retard its spread, the wooden structure was quickly engulfed by fire with flames licking at the concrete block fire wall on the West side of the Star of the Sea. It is only by the grace of God and the quick actions of firefighters dousing this adjacent building that it was also not consumed by the flames but reportedly suffering some smoke and water damage. Unfortunately the condos next door at five corners were not so lucky with prevailing winds and dry conditions allowing the blaze to ignite the structure and spread into the roof where it was hard for firefighters to access. RCMP officers arrived on the scene and quickly pounded on doors to alert residents to the danger, with many running from the building with only the clothes on their backs. At the end of the day I visited the scene and was amazed to see the fire still burning twelve hours later and what looked to be the entire roof of the building gone. If you lived on the third floor, your condo was burned out and if you lived below, the smoke and water damage would have been extensive. All 110 people reportedly escaped the fire with many being taken by transit bus to the Centennial arena.

Besides all of the people who will now be looking for new accommodations, there were over a dozen businesses on the ground floor that will now be closed while it is decided if the building is to be repaired or the entire structure demolished. Coffee With Attitude, aka Laura's coffee shop, got its beans a little too roasted and will not be open for a while. This is a great loss to the community because it was a great community meeting place and Laura was so loved and respected by many of her loyal customers from both White Rock and Surrey. Only a few doors down, Taka's Sushi had its fish fried and the last time I saw it today, three aerial water cannons were dousing the apartment directly above its awning. My favorite there was always the flame seared "Super White", which now seems like a punchline to a bad joke. Also burned out was the ReLeaf Compassion Centre run by Randy Caine formerly of Hemyz and his daughter Tara. When I called him earlier in the day to see if their business was involved in the blaze, he told me he'd been there and basically watched the office go "Up in Smoke." Nothing like a little black humour to get you through the dark times.

This conflagration brings into focus many issues with White Rock's ability to handle large fires. While the City By The Sea pays a lot of money for their own fire department, it had to call in Surrey to help manage the blaze, making some question why two fire departments are needed in the first place. The densification of buildings in White Rock is also now on the front burner with residents of the burned out condo claiming there was not enough room between the building under construction and their building, especially since wood frame construction was being used. One of the topics of conversation at the fire scene was if the demolition of the large Merklin reservoir that is being rebuilt affected the supply of water needed to fight the fire plus the water pressure available. A White Rock resident reported to me that he saw water hoses being placed across 16th Ave. to fire hydrants in Surrey in order to increase available water from this Metro-Vancouver system. During the fire, portions of White Rock were without water leaving them vulnerable in case of a fire there. I've had unconfirmed reports that the Bosa towers were without water for five hours on Sunday and this is White Rocks tallest building. There is no point in allowing all of the planned tower construction if there is no way to put them out should they catch fire. Of course, there is also the issue of the boil water advisory which is now in place due to the pressure variances throughout the White Rock well water system and brackish stale water sitting in fire hydrants from Surrey.

As far as the cause of this fire, word on the street is that it will likely be investigated as an arson. Interestingly, there were two other criminal incidents that happened on early Sunday morning. The nearby Sandpiper liquor store had its front window smashed by two young men and some bottles stolen of liquor stolen soon after the fire at Five Corners was reported around 5 a.m. Shortly after 11 a.m. that same morning a small fire was reported in the alley off of a home located in the 15900 block of Pacific Ave. near Stayte Road. Not being a big fan of coincidence, it is possible that all of these incidents may be related. For residents of White Rock and especially along Pacific Ave. make sure you report any vandalism, theft, or minor arson to the police. Check any video surveillance tape you may have for early Sunday morning after 4 a.m. to see if there is anything of interest. If you find empty of smashed liquor bottles on your property, do not pick them up or clean the debris, instead contact the White Rock RCMP to see if they might shed evidence on what has the hallmarks of a mini booze fueled crime spree. While bad things come in threes, my hunch is that the same perps were likely responsible for all of this carnage. Keep an eye on the WR Sun for photos of those involved in the smash and grab at the booze store to see if we can put some names to their faces.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

May 09, 2016

Bin There, Done That

 

Sometimes you can find a story right around the corner from where you live, which is where I first noticed a poster that someone had stapled to the utility pole just down the street. The bold headline reading "Local For Profit - Scam Advisory" caught my eye along with the following text: "Do NOT be fooled into thinking you are giving your clothing to charity by putting them in the bins at the "Coke" store. Keith receives several hundreds of dollars a month per bin from this 100% for profit venture that takes your clothes and sorts it and sends them to be resold (the good stuff goes in container to Eastern European associates)." In smaller type at the bottom it went on, "I do not advocate any organization, but I have checked out that the Legion (an actual non-profit organization that support our vets) does benefit significantly from the bins on their site and that outfit actually does "give back" and is reimbursed under contract with the Salvation Army. The poster was signed "Douglas Sinclair, Ocean Park Resident" but with no contact information.

The store in question is the Crescent Park Market at the corner of 128 St. and 25 Ave. It has a blue bin for recycling your used books with DiscoverBooks.com. Next to that are two large green bins for clothes and shoes operated by GreenInspirationBC.ca which lists the Boys an Girls Clubs of South Coast BC and ChariTree Foundation.org that is called "The children's environmental education charity." The proprietor of the store Keith has a sandwich board next to these bins that says "WARNING! This is not a dumping corner, but part of your neighborhood & our community. Please be co-operative, never dump away your stuff. Thanks." Interestingly, at the top of the sign someone has vandalized it, scrawling "4 Profit SCAM" similar to the headline on the poster I found. The corner store owner Keith admitted to getting a small amount of money for the bins but thought the poster was sour grapes. A quick trip to the 240 Crescent Beach Legion showed there were three of the blue bins for books from the same DiscoverBooks.com as at the Market. There were also two yellow bins for clothing bedding and shoes run by OperationGiveBack.org. Even with a sign saying "NO DUMPING, Camera Surveillance, Violators Prosecuted", the side of the bins looked like a garbage dump with boxes of household goods that looked like they'd been rummaged through.

Discover Books is the new name for Thrift Recycling Management that has become the largest used book seller in North America. Originally interested in recycling the paper from used books, in 2004 they began sorting and selling valued books online through Amazon.com. While they operate as a for profit business, they make donations to charities, libraries, environmental groups and thrift stores. The remainder of the books that cannot be resold are shredded and turned into pulp for sale to companies like Weyerhaeuser, ensuring that 97-98% of the books they receive stay out of the landfills. With GreenInspirations.ca, they are a for profit enterprise that makes donations to two local charities with no word on what percentage of their profits. This company does send approximately two shipping containers a week to Europe with the rest packaged for shipment to India, Asia and Africa depending on the suitability of the warmth of the garments. The rest of the donated clothing that cannot be reused is recycled and the fibre sent to textile plants for repurposing. For Keith's Crescent Park Market, not even a whiff of a scam though the companies behind the bins do not donate all of their money to charity.

Where this story gets weird is the rather bizzare OperationGiveBack.org bins at the local Legion with their faded writing and paintings of a murder of crows sitting on a tangle of electrical lines. Based out of Orlando, Florida, Operation Giveback for Wounded Warriors Inc. was a non profit organization created by veterans of Operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom. Their motto was "raising awareness and resources for our wounded warriors, their families, and the children of our fallen heroes." The key word here is "was" because as of March 31, 2016, OGB put out the following press release:
All Operation Giveback (OGB) events are CANCELLED until further notice. Operation Giveback for Wounded Warriors, Inc. (OGB) will be going into a dormant state effective immediately. All events and activities are hereby canceled until further notice. Currently OGB is undergoing a restructuring administratively, therefore, placing the organization in a “dormant” state. This basically means that the organization will cease operations, however will continue to retain its corporate identity. The hope is that by taking the necessary time to deal with the serious operational challenges and financial shortfalls we can return to full operational status in the future.
Strange indeed that the company whose name is on the clothing bins at the Legion is now insolvent. Funnier still is how the Ocean Park resident who is mad enough to be putting up posters around town about the donation bins at the Crescent Park Market never found out about this. Looks like the village of Ocean Park might have found its idiot.

At the end of the day, all of these donations bin companies provide a service to the community by keeping materials out of the landfill. If you can find one that gives a sizeable portion of profits to actual charities, then good on you. If you are like me and don't want to throw usable goods into the garbage, then these bins are a godsend. If someone else can read or resell one of my old books, wear a shirt that is still in good condition, or get people clothed in Africa for pennies, then I'm all for it. Heck, you wouldn't believe the amount of choice relics that we have gotten rid of at the end of our driveway simply by putting them out with a "free to good home" sign. Keep in mind that even charities like Big Brothers and Canadian Diabetes Association, which will pick up your used clothing and household goods sell their donations to for-profit companies like Value Village for resale. If you want to donate your used goods and ensure that all of the money goes to charity, then The Salvation Army is your best bet as sales of your unwanted goods help to fund their operations. You can arrange for donation pick up by calling 604-513-8828 ext 112 or drop it off at their bins at the back of the store located a 1327 Johnston Rd in White Rock.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

May 02, 2016

Sex in the Semi-Pen

Sex in the Semi-Pen

South Surrey and White Rock are usually seen as quiet and conservative communities where not much exciting ever happens and puritanical views are the norm. This TNT looks to lift the veil on this misconception and expose the sexual experimentation taking place that might even involve your friends and neighbours. Boring old White Rock you say..., not if you know where to look for an erotic good time.

This all started from a chance encounter with a woman at one of my suppliers, who was at the Pacific Inn Resort and Conference Centre several weekends ago. She was there with her husband for a friend's 60th birthday party on Saturday, April 16th, with their guests staying on the third floor. It turns out that they weren't the only game in town with people from Sinergy Lifestyles Club taking the rooms on the first floor and holding a "Masquerade Play Party at the Palace." On their FaceBook page they describe themselves as "Sinergy Lifestyle Clubs is the new wave of Lifestyle. Fun, sexy events with an amazing vibe for adults who want let loose and have an unforgettable night." With DJ's pumping out EDM beats in the bar, the masquerade party switched at midnight to lingerie and boxers including a free standing stripper pole brought in for the event. Later in the evening the first floor became a sexual free-for-all with naked people walking the halls, group sex with doors open for all to see and a main play room for consenting adults. It could be that the name "The Pink Palace" has nothing to do with the colour of the exterior walls.

Deciding to research this titillating topic a little further (I love this job), I went onto the Craigslist personal ads, searching South Surrey and White Rock. It may come as a surprise but there is an active adult lifestyles MFM club in south Surrey that is run by a woman. They welcome couples and ladies 19+ and select single men 19 - 55 to no pressure events with youthful looking/acting men over the age of 55 considered. While they don't post the address they list themselves as "professionally run safe events at an upscale venue with private & open spaces." They are currently advertising a "Saturday Night Mardi Gras Sex Party" on May 7th, an "EMD Meet & Greet Dance Party with After Party - 8 pm - 3 am" and on May 28th (can I actually print this in the WR Sun?) EDiTORS NOTE - NO!!

!Looks like the lady in charge of the festivities knows how to get what she wants as they also hold "Cubs and Cougars" nights too. In case you missed it, last weekend was the "Lingerie Party from 8 pm - 1 am." My Saturday night was a little tamer with a movie on Netflicks, buttered popcorn and a few drinks with my wife Sheryl in a fuzzy housecoat. Hey, it works for us.

This is not the only lifestyles group active in the peninsula as their is another swingers club catering to members over 40 years-old that is currently accepting new applicants. Here is the main info from their ad in the "Casual Encounters" section:
"We're a private members only, invitation only group geared for those who appreciate a quiet environment while getting to know other members. The music is relaxing, and the gatherings are small scale. The group is 100% non smoking, no drugs, and most events are alcohol free. (not promoted or encouraged). Healthy clean living white collar professional types. Blue collar welcome, but know that it caters to the non-partier crowd. We host fun vanilla type social events, games nights, as well as intimate gatherings. There is a small monthly membership fee to support the club, as it is member run. The social events are all over the lower mainland, but the intimate ones are at a private residence near the border. If you're interested in applying, please reply with a bit about yourself."
What is rather interesting is that just like the first club, this group is "female led with male as security."

Growing up in the 1970's in Sunshine Hills, North Delta we often heard rumors about so called "key parties" where couples would meet and the men put their car keys into a bowl. At the end of the party the women would blindly select a set of keys to determine who she went home with for a night of sex. A good buddy of mine grew up next to a married couple who were both doctors and he has stories of the out-of-control naked pool parties involving parents of his friends that he often watched from his bedroom window. I guess it should come as no surprise that these type of clubs and those following a swinger's lifestyle are alive and well in the Semi-pen. The internet has meant that connecting with folks looking for sexy fun and erotic times is only ever a click away. At the end of the day the motto "different strokes for different folks" needs to considered along with my old favourite that I heard from a drag queen in Vancouver years ago, "Its only kinky the first time honey." Now that really is the naked truth.


Don Pitcairn

 

April 25, 2016


The Poisoned Semi-Pen

It took a year but White Rock residents can now breathe a sigh of relief knowing that the folks in charge at City Hall have finally managed to produce a planting plan for the defacto clear-cut that now exists on the Hump hillside between East and West Beach. The Environmental Advisory Committee (EAC) was presented preliminary plans for replacing all of the vegetation and trees that were chainsawed, chipped and mowed. Scroll deep into the TNT archives including May 11, 2015 for the full story in multiple columns that goes back six years to when there was a fully established transitional forest on the Hump before it started to be attacked for the sake of views for people living on Marine Drive. Hard to imagine this desecration was sold as needed to improve slope stability and lines of sight for the railway, along with the entire hillside somehow having to be razed simply to fix some retaining walls at the top of the slope. Unfortunately the Hump saga does not improve with this latest effort to somehow undo all of the damage that has been done on BNSF property that was paid for with tax-payer money.

While the BNSF Railway had to bring in a train to take away the stacks of tree trunks left at the base of the Hump after the logging was done, the replanting plan does not contain any trees. None, nada, nil, nix, zip, zero, zilch, not a single freakin tree either big or small. (editor's note - THE SECOND CUTTING TREES ARE STILL LAYNG BESIDE THE TRAIN TRACKS AT THE B ASE OF THE HUMP.)This came from Diamonhead Consulting who appear to have taken over tree planning ever since White Rock arborist Alicia Otto resigned from working for the City By The Sea. No big trees to soak up water from the historically slide prone slope, no thick roots to help hold the soil in place, no deep tap roots acting as pilings to stop slope mass wasting, no leafy branches to shade under story plants and no canopy for food and shelter of wildlife either. The only trees on the Hump will be the one Grand fir known as the "Eagle" tree, a few lone alders and the trees left near east beach by some active slide sites that were not cut down when the slope movement was noticed. For those walking the sidewalk along Marine Drive, you can forget about having shade from the blazing summer sun as was the case before all of the tree cutting started.

Amazingly it has been decided that efforts will be made this year to remove the blackberries from the hill, even though hoses and sprinklers were installed last year to water them during the summer heat wave. While the city is working with Diamonhead to find a non-herbicide way of getting rid of them, it is likely that they will have to be hand dug from the hillside. What is funny about this is the BNSF Railway regularly sprays Roundup along the tracks through White Rock and south Surrey to kill blackberries. Considering the size of the Hump and the amount of blackberries growing on it, hand removal will be an expensive proposition with all of the digging and trampling weakening the soil. I've had plenty of experience dealing with killing blackberries and I can tell you that unless every chunk of root is gathered and every green piece of cane collected they return with a vengeance. It takes years of diligent control to ensure complete eradication and even then they are often reseeded by birds that have eaten berries from nearby groves. My guess is that by removing all of the trees, White Rock expects the birds pooping out all of the blackberry seeds will give up on the Hump for greener pastures elsewhere.

The list of the five plants that are to hold the steep hillside of the Hump in place consist of bracken fern, nootka rose, oceanspray, salal (not "salad" as was reported in the PAN), snowberry, and thimbleberry. Here's a quick breakdown of each of these individual plants and their characteristics, including several that are toxic:
Bracken fern (Pteridium aquilinum) - One of the world's oldest ferns that is over 50 million years old, it has large triangular fronds up to 2.5 m. tall from a wide creeping underground root system. It is poisonous to animals such as rodents, dogs, horses and cattle when eaten, with its spores containing ptaquiloside (PTA) leaching into the water supply and linked to the incidence of gastric and esophageal cancers in humans.
Nootka Rose (Rosa nutkana) - Grows up to 3 metres in height, often in thickets with 2-3 inch pink fragrant flowers appearing in summer. It needs sun but will tolerate shade, often growing along forest edges.
Oceanspray (Holodiscus discolor) - A fast-rowing deciduous shrub up to 5 m tall, it is found in wet coastal forests in areas dominated by Douglas fir, to drier cooler mountain areas further inland. Known for its strength of wood, First Nations people used it for digging sticks, spears, arrows, bows plus medicines.
Salal, (Gaultheria shallon) - a leathery leaved shrub 0.2 to 2 m tall, sprawling to erect. Evergreen, its thick, tough, egg-shaped leaves are shiny and dark green. Tolerant of both sunny and shady conditions it is a common coniferous forest understory species that is often used for greenery in the floral industry.
Snowberry (symphocaricarpos albus) - growing 1-2 m. tall, this small evergreen shrub is known for its white berries in winter that give it its name. While an important food source for upland game, it is considered poisonous to humans with ingesting the berries causing vomiting, dizziness, and sedation in children.
Thimbleberry (Rubus parviflorus) - A dense deciduous shrub up to 2.5 meters, it typically grows along roadsides, railroad tracks and in forest clearings, commonly appearing in clear cuts. It produces a bright red composite fruit in late summer that when picked leaves a hollow core resembling a thimble.

Renown White Rock horticulturalist and former member of the EAC Barry Belec listened to the presentation about the Hump hillside planting plan and spoke to the committee about its merits calling the suggestions "inappropriate" due to lack of root mass and depth. I talked to Mr. Belec about the list and he questioned how plants known for growing on the margins of forests where they benefit from some shade would do in the high-heat and full sun environment of the Hump. When I asked what his suggestions would have been for the Hump, he responded with a list of trees and plants found in a typical seaside forest that promote slope stability. The trees included Douglas fir, Western red cedar, alder, big leaf maple, vine maple, mountain ash and dogwood, with under-story plants of mock orange and red current. In other words, plants that are found naturally here and most that were pre-existing on the Hump before it was cut down by White Rock. He believes that the removal of the blackberries and the plants suggested by Diamonhead are an "exercise in futility" and that the small plant list was developed to placate the arrogance and folly of Mayor Baldwin and members of the White Rock Council who supported the forest removal.

I would suggest that the known toxicity of both bracken fern and snowberry make them unsuitable for planting in the highly public area between Marine Drive and the promenade. It is now estimated that the re-planting of the Hump hillside will take 3 to 5 years to complete. By this time the roots of the softwood trees that held the slope in place for years will be rotting away and if we have a high precipitation event, it will be interesting to see what happens to the hill when there are only little shrubs to retain the soil. If a landslide comes from the Hump and covers the tracks or impacts a train, will the city of White Rock be liable for BNSF costs since the city were the ones who cut down the trees in the first place? Would the replanting list that includes replacing fir trees with poison ferns be considered negligent in a court of law, especially in America where the BNSF Railway is based? Hopefully we won't find out but I would certainly sleep better if Transport Canada were to suggest to the BNSF that they install a section of landslide detector fence at the base of the Hump hillside to protect passing trains from mudslides. While they're at it, maybe they could also put up an electric fence to keep away those vegans wanting to enjoy a fiddlehead and snowberry salad for lunch down at the beach.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

 

April 18, 2016

Stop At The Bar When Driving

 

This TNT is dedicated to the memory of Douglas (Carlos) Unicume who died after being run over by a vehicle involved in a crash on a quiet corner of White Rock in 1989.

I have spent a lot of time up ladders and climbing tall trees using chainsaws and power pruners that can chop off a digit or even a limb in the blink of an eye if you are not careful. I still have all of my fingers and toes fortunately but it is not the wide variety of razor sharp commercial power equipment that scares me. Driving in the Lower Mainland or even walking near an asphalt roadway is by far the most dangerous thing that I do. Over the years I've had a few accidents (mostly minor and mainly not my fault) and had plenty of near misses including the latest one where I was run off Crescent Road avoiding a head-on crash with a speeding car. It is not too surprising that all of the carnage I have witnessed has made me extremely safety cautious especially when it comes to driving, roadways, engineering and signage. Dont let this TNT title fool you, its a different kind of bar that just might save your life.

My latest driving episode with Murphy in the passenger seat occurred last Friday morning when I was going through White Rock. I was heading east going uphill on Roper Ave. looking to turn left onto Foster Street. At that time the sun was low in the sky and with the hill was in my eyes effectively blinding me with the visor doing little to block the sun. The reflective vinyl coating on the stop sign only works when light is shining on it and with it being shaded I missed it in the glare. Fortunately I realized at the last second there was a stop sign and jumped on the brakes in time. Making it to my destination only a hundred metres up Foster, I looked back at the quiet intersection wondering why I had come so close to running the stop sign. I didn't have long to wait as while I was looking a car traveling the same direction up Roper drove at full speed into the intersection. An SUV heading south on Foster applied maximum brakes, screeching to a halt and barely missing the car that has blown through the stop sign. The driver who had the right-of-way was obviously shaken by the very close call and they simply sat in the middle of the road calming their nerves for almost a minute before slowly driving off.

A look at the corner quickly showed a serious deficiency that is likely contributing to crashes on these hilly intersections. Undoubtedly the sun being low in the sky and in line with the east-west hilly roads during Spring and Fall plays a significant role in causing drivers to miss stop signs. Besides the red and white octagon, the other visual clue to drivers to halt is the thick white line painted before the crosswalk known as a stop bar. In White Rock the crosswalk lines are painted 8" wide as is standard and what is used in surrounding Surrey. The big issue is that most of the stop bars in the City By The Sea are also the same thin 8" width. The line painting crews in Surrey paint a double or even triple line, creating easy to see stop bars that are 16" or 24" wide. The skinny stop bar lines in White Rock are even more dangerous when at the crest of a hill where they are basically invisible and useless. Showing the difference between the two neighbouring cities, Surrey not only uses 24 inch stop bars at the crest of hills but now utilizes new retro-reflective clear coating with high-index microscopic glass beads that sparkle like a thousand tiny cats-eyes. While it is ten times more expensive to apply than the regular line paint, Surrey uses this new super-reflective product even on quiet residential roads within subdivisions if hills are involved.

Back in 1989 a buddy from work named Doug "Carlos" Unicume was talked into not driving down to spend his winters in Nicaragua as he had been doing for some years. His girlfriend at the time said that it was dangerous and wanted him to stay in safe old White Rock. He was sitting on his mountain bike at the corner of Roper and Martin when someone ran a stop sign, crashed into another vehicle and then went off the road crushing him to death instantly. If memory serves me correct he was 27 or 28 years-old when this happened. I went to his funeral at the time and many years later happened to locate a memorial dogwood tree dedicated to him planted in Crescent Park near the pond. I don't know the specifics of this long-ago accident that resulted in his death but the high number of stop sign running crashes in White Rock makes me wonder if the thin stop bars were partly to blame. I do know this crash happened around ten in the morning, which was about the same time I was being blinded by the sun last Friday driving up the very same street. When I phoned my old manager to get some specifics on Doug's fatal accident, he informed me that his Mother lives at the corner of Roper and Foster and that she estimates there is an accident there every three weeks on average.

White Rock - corner of Roper & Foster

I know that roadway line painting season is just about upon us and that White Rock will be having contractors perform this service this year. I would suggest that the Engineering Dept. upgrade all of the 8" stop bars to the 16" wide ones used everywhere else. Surrey just painted the intersection two doors up the street from our place and it uses the 8" crosswalk and 16" stop bar lines as shown in the picture used for this TNT. For busy roadways and hills, the 24" wide stop bars would greatly improve safety and for hill crest stop bars the ultra-reflective glass bead clear coat should be used for greater visibility regardless of the extra cost. A study should be done looking at how to improve traffic flow through White Rock, possibly making more straight through streets where safe to do so or installing four-way stop signs at crash prone intersections. Yellow stop sign ahead warning signs should be posted before intersections where drivers have ran stop signs and caused accidents in the past. ICBC and the local RCMP should be able to provide statistics to the Engineering Department about where these crashes are happening, how often on average they occur and the causes behind them. The hills in White Rock are always going to be dangerous but that doesn't mean that nothing should be done to try and make the roads safer for everyone.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

April 11, 2016

Watts The Holdup?

Definition of "holdup" from dictionary.com
noun [hohld-uhp]
1. a stop or delay in the progress of something.
2. a forcible stopping and robbing of a person.
3. an instance of being charged excessively.

Do you remember where you were and what you were doing on Oct. 19, 2015? I have to admit I had to Google up the date so don't think you are suffering from the early onset of Alzheimer's disease if nothing came to mind. Here's a hint for you, that day was important to the democratic process in Canada. It also saw Liberal Justin Trudeau replace Conservative Steven Harper to become our 23rd Prime Minister. If you guessed that it was the date for the last Federal election and you were voting then you go to the head of the class and collect a gold star. Its hard to imagine that in just over a week it will have been half a year since Dianne Watts was elected the MP for South Surrey - White Rock by a mere 1,439 votes. Its even harder to imagine why her constituency office has sat vacant and closed to the public for this entire long stretch of time.

Mrs. Watts office is located at #595 – 15355 – 24th Avenue, Surrey, which is in the Peninsula village shopping centre sandwiched between Plum women's clothing store and Big Gary's Vacuums. This is the very same location that was quickly pressed into service as Dianne Watt's Conservative headquarters during the last election. I visited the office during that time and it was tastefully appointed and nicely decorated from its past use as a fine art store. With her election victory it was decided to keep this prime retail store location and convert it to an office, with extensive renovations required to do so. Taped to the front door is a simple note stating the following: This office is transitioning to my constituency office. The office will be undergoing renovations in December. Please call 604-542-5510 or Email admin@sswr.ca for assistance. Thank you for your patience. Dianne Watts, Member of Parliament. The diannewattsmp.ca website has a posting promising "Constituency Office Opening Soon" stating the office is presently undergoing renovations and will be opening in the coming weeks. That posting was dated January 14, 2016, nearly three months ago.

A peek past the brown butcher paper covering the office windows reveals a construction site that is nowhere near completion. There are bare concrete floors, steel studs for interior walls and a t-bar ceiling with only the metal hangers in place. On a table nearest the door the blueprints were plainly in view showing the waiting room, reception, two offices, meeting room, module areas, washroom and even a large kitchen in back. Unless a hoard of construction workers descend this week into Dianne Watt's office and perform some Holmes on Homes magic, there is no possible way this former store will be transformed into an office and open on April 19, a full six months after last year's Federal election. What is interesting is that Russ Hiebert's old office on 152 St. at 24 Ave., only a block away as the crow flies from Dianne Watt's new location, still sits empty. In case you were wondering, all of the four Liberal MP's in Surrey plus the one in Delta have their offices up and running and they've been open to the public for months. To be fair, I was told by an employee at an adjacent business that Dianne Watts was seen surveying the construction of her new office last Saturday.

It is going to be interesting to see "Watt" this boondoggle is costing Canadian taxpayers. When the lease is signed, the landlord doesn't care how long your renovations take and the monthly payment conservatively estimated at $3,000 to $4,000 per month for this prime retail space still needs to be paid. Then there are the costs for the architect, engineer, interior designer, development permits, buildings inspections, etc. The construction bill is destined to be enormous since this renovation was a complete makeover down to the bare walls and a total rebuild with all new finishings and modern trappings. For those thinking that these building costs will be partially offset by not needing paid office staff for half a year, better think again. The notice on Watts website about the constituency office opening soon states: My staff are working remotely and available to assist you. They can be reached by mail at the above address or by calling 604-542-5510 or by emailing Dianne.Watts.C1A@parl.gc.ca. No word on whether calls are being forwarded to people's homes, to Dianne Watt's basement, another rented office somewhere in the Semi-pen, or a call centre in Mumbai, India.

Former office of Russ Hiebert

It should not take more than six months to open a simple constituency office since it took only a few weeks to open this space originally when it was utilized for the election. There is plenty of office space available for lease in south Surrey and White Rock that would not have required extensive and expensive remodeling. The decision to lease prime retail space at a major area strip mall instead of renting cheaper existing office space nearby needs to be questioned. The amount of money spent leasing this storefront, all of the construction expenses plus decorating and furniture costs has to be revealed once the work is complete and the doors finally opened. For the ultimate in savings, Dianne Watts should have considered moving into Russ Heibert's old digs that were still in a highly visible location beside IHOP that eliminated the need for a large kitchen. Somehow I don't think that the outgoing Conservative MP would have objected to the new Conservative MP utilizing the same offices that somehow worked for the past 11 years. Instead Dianne Watts is wasting tax-payer money while not making herself available to the general public, which are the same complaints that were being voiced about Russ Hiebert during his time in office.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

April 04, 2016

Fit to be Tied

You often don't have to go very far to find a story about the Semi-pen, all you have to do is keep your eyes open for the devil in the details. Case in point was last Thursday when my wife and I decided to take advantage of the amazing warm weather and low tide to go explore the shoreline near Kwomais Point. While many in the region are familiar with the 101 Steps and 1001 Steps in Surrey plus the Coldicutt ravine trail in White Rock, very few are aware of the Olympic Trail, aka Stoner's Point. This stairwell is on 13 Ave. just west of 131 St. in Ocean Park with a wooden staircase heading down to a viewing platform known locally as "Stoner's Point" because of all of the people who go there to smoke pot. A narrow trail before the view/blaze spot leads down the bluff to the BNSF Railway tracks and onto the most isolated and desolate portion of Crescent Rock Beach.

We went to this location to check out the sunset, the view of Baker and also see if "Bar Atlantis", a hidden sandy beach visible only at ultra low tides, had risen from the sea. Little did we know that we would inadvertently stumble across the latest threat to railway safety here involving the BNSF. Similar to the damage witnessed near Crescent Beach, the rail corridor had been badly eroded by wind, waves and smashing logs to within two metres of the rails. The BNSF were obviously aware of the damage as portions of the rain bed had been marked with orange fluorescent spray where it is likely that large rip-rap boulders will soon be installed to shore up the line. I detailed this type of damage in my March 14 TNT titled "Storm Tracking" that has pictures of erosion below the tracks near Crescent Beach. While concerning, it was not the fresh washouts that got the hairs standing up on the back of my neck, it was the condition of the ballast surrounding the ties that hold the rails.

For those not familiar with railway terms, the ballast is the broken angular rock that surrounds the creosoted railway ties (or sleepers) that the tracks are attached to. Besides acting as a stabilized base that can handle the crushing weight of fully loaded trains, the ballast holds the ties in place, which then holds the rails in place. The sharp edges of the stones make it difficult for them to slide over each other in the way that smooth round pebbles would, thus locking them in position. The rails are prone to heat expansion and contraction so instead of being bolted directly to the ties, they are held by friction with clips or anchors allowing longitudinal movement as they expand and contract. With the old 38 foot lengths of rails that were bolted together, rail movement was not to critical because of the joints and spaces between the sections of steel. Modern train tracks including those now in use through White Rock are continuous weld rail with sections sometimes up to two miles long. If the railroad ties are not covered with ballast rock, especially the ends that lie perpendicular to the tracks, it is possible for the rail to expand and warp sideways, creating what is known as a "sun kink." Google search "sun kink rail" for some rather bizarre images of this phenomenon.

Ballast rock usually is laid level with the ties but the tracks at the base of the Olympic trail had noticeable gaps between the rails and the ballast rock. The ends of the wooden ties were completely exposed on both sides for a long distance. With the lack of ballast rock holding the ties in place, it is possible for them to move sideways from rail expansion or pressure from heavily loaded trains rounding corners. I forwarded pictures of this section of track to a friend of mine who works for CN performing track maintenance across Western Canada. He messaged me back that this was an unsafe condition and that there should be a slow order on this track until the problem is corrected. He went on to say that Transport Canada has strict standards for ballast placement and there should be a minimum of one foot of rock on each end of the ties in order to safely hold them in place. I don't know if here are other areas of the BNSF tracks here that have exposed tie ends but I will be informing Transport Canada's railway safety inspector Dennis Maskall of this issue so that he may check the tracks from the US/Canada border to New Westminster to see if this is a systemic problem.

My railroad buddy sent me a picture he took of track they were working on that kinked in the heat last summer because of a lack of ballast rock. Simply imagine what would happen if a train attempted to roll across rails that snaked from side to side. Warping of the tracks at the Olympic Trail would cause a derailment at an area that would be difficult to access and even harder to clean up. Sun kinks have already caused more than 2,100 train derailments in the U.S. over the past 40 years or an average of 50 derailments a year. Increasing temperatures from climate change coupled with rising rail freight levels is only expected to increase the risk of sun kink derailments. In 2012 after a rash of these derailments including two involving BNSF trains, the U.S. Federal Railroad Administration issued a special safety advisory warning railroads to inspect buckling prone sections of track. As long as the BNSF is going to roll trains along the waterfront through the Semiahmoo peninsula, they are going to need a better track safety record when it comes to the maintenance of their rails.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

March 29, 2016

Driven to Distraction

 

Ah, keep your eyes on the road, your hand upon the wheel
Keep your eyes on the road, your hands upon the wheel
Lyrics from "Roadhouse Blues", The Doors

 

I realize that laws are like bureaucrats, they keep on increasing exponentially to the point of insanity in our quest to keep up with the lowest common denominator. It is getting to the point that common sense is becoming quite uncommon and we are being micromanaged by politicians and the judicial system to the nth degree. Case in point was the conversation I heard on the radio the other day, either on CKNW 980 or NEWS 1130 where an RCMP officer was talking about distracted driving. He promised that the police were going to be targeting distracted drivers looking for those talking on cell phones, texting behind the wheel, driving with pets or their laps or drinking coffee. Yes you read that right, the simple act of sipping on your non fat half caff latte from Starbucks or even a double double from Tim Hortons can apparently result in you being penalized for distracted driving if it affects your ability to safely control your vehicle.

The engage.gov.bc.ca website's section on titled Distracted Driving 101 has information about this traffic menace with B.C. banning the use of hand-held electronic devices by drivers in 2010 that will now include three penalty points in addition to the $167 fine. They list speed (105 deaths), distraction (88 deaths) and alcohol (86 deaths) as being the top three contributing factors to deadly motor-vehicle crashes in the province. Obviously distracted driving is a serious problem that requires laws to stop what has become a dangerous behaviour on our busy streets. Unfortunately the penalties for distracted driving do not even come close to speeding or DUI. Here are the penalties for both taken directly from that website:
Speeding in excess of 40 km/hr may result in a violation ticket of $368, three penalty points and a seven-day vehicle impoundment. For speeds over 60 km/hr, in addition to the seven-day vehicle impoundment, the violation ticket increases to $483.
Drinking and driving in B.C. may result in administrative sanctions or criminal charges. Administrative sanctions include monetary penalties ranging from $200 to $500, plus a $250 license reinstatement fee, a driving prohibition up to 90 days, the possibility of a vehicle impoundment up to 30 days, and possible referral to remedial programs.

While BC's laws specifically control the use of hand-held electronic devices while driving, the RCMP has a much broader take on what constitutes distracted driving. Taken directly from the rcmp-grc.gc.ca website they define it as, "Distracted driving is a form of impaired driving as a driver's judgment is compromised when they are not fully focused on the road. Distracted driving qualifies as talking on a cell phone, texting, reading (e.g. books, maps, and newspapers), using a GPS, watching videos or movies, eating/drinking, smoking, personal grooming, adjusting the radio/CD and playing extremely loud music. Even talking to passengers and driving while fatigued (mentally and/or physically) can be forms of distracted driving." Where the extra enforcement is coming from is distracted driving that leads to driving without due care and attention, resulting in a $368 dollar fine, $201 more than for using a cell phone behind the wheel. An example would be swerving, speeding or changing lanes unsafely while holding food or carrying a dog in your lap. The same could be said for putting on makeup in a car when weaving all over the road or reading a map, newspaper or letter and driving dangerously while doing so.

 

You do not have to look far to see the effects of distracted driving. On Monday I was traveling along Crescent Road, following a car that varied in speed 10 kmh below and above the posted limit and constantly crossed the white shoulder line while weaving. When I finally passed this vehicle near the KGB, there were two elderly ladies sitting in the car eating lunch. If it had been late on a weekend night, I would have suspected the driver of being under the influence of alcohol and likely contacted the police about their erratic driving. I've seen it all on Hwy. 99 over the years with people reading the newspaper, shaving, putting on makeup, brushing their hair, etc while being completely oblivious to their dangerous driving. On a more serious note, a friend of mine and his passenger were seriously injured several years ago when a young driver attempting to change a CD in their car stereo ran a stop sign and t-boned them at high speed on a rural road in Chilliwack. Even closer to home, one of my daughters was rear-ended on Hwy. 10 in Cloverdale by a RCMP cruiser last year with her car nearly written off. The rookie officer admitted to looking at his dashboard mounted computer screen and not noticing the traffic slowing unexpectedly in front of him. Yes, the cops are human too.

 

Last year, the BC Liberals conducted a province-wide survey to gauge the public’s opinion regarding the changes in law towards distracted driving. The results have not yet been released and we have been promised that changes to the penalties for distracted driving will soon be forthcoming. I can save the government plenty of research, bureaucratic salaries and political bickering in the legislature over this topic. Simply raise the fine for distracted driving from the current $167 to the $368 that is charged in this province for both excessive speeding and driving without due care and attention. I believe it makes sense to have the fines the same for these various issues involving dangerous driving. With further distracted driving infractions, have ICBC levy a Driver Risk Premium (DRP) like they do for excessive speeding meaning increased insurance costs for motorists who continue to flaunt the rules. For drivers who are repeatedly caught like the Vancouver lady who has gotten 14 tickets for using her cell phone while behind the wheel, revoking her driver's license for a period of time and then forcing her to retake the testing along with being re-enrolled in BC's graduated licensing program might finally get her attention.

Don PItcairn

 

March 21, 2016


Surrey In The Cross-Hairs

 

It has been said that political correctness is the new fascism. Take a second to actually think about this quote and what it means. Nowhere was this more evident than Surrey First's recent decision to delay approval for the second annual BC Rod & Gun Show in Cloverdale scheduled for mid April. Security concerns were cited, along with handguns being sold, plus they wanted to ban ammunition sales from some bizarre reason that hopefully will see them also banning arrows for the crossbows utilizing the same mentality. There seems to be a desire by those in City hall to link the sale and trade of legally registered firearms to legitimate firearms enthusiasts and hunters to the ongoing gun violence that is plaguing the City of Surrey. Note to Mayor Hepner; it is not the law-abiding citizens who have passed mandatory government firearm safety courses and cleared RCMP background checks that are the problem in Surrey. Its about time you actually started targeting the real issue of gangsters and hoodlums with illegal handguns shooting up the streets. You have allowed this serious public safety problem to persist in this city for far too long.

It probably should come as no surprise that Council has thrown a major roadblock into the plans for the upcoming show. Back in 2014 organizers complained that City Hall had sabotaged their plans for holding the inaugural show. Amazingly they did finally agree to allow the 2015 show in the Agriplex building at the Cloverdale Fair Grounds. I attended the show for three day as a vendor, no not selling firearms but instead my wife's Surrey Shirts apparel line (some with guns, knives and bullet holes I must admit, tsk, tsk, tsk). The show was very well attended with 8,500 people going through the turnstiles for the three day event. It had a large security detail with plenty of uniformed police officers also in attendance plus a few Canadian Army soldiers in camouflage fatigues armed with rifles. Video cameras, both visible and others concealed, kept watch over the crowds and the transactions. Other than a few minor problems the crowd was peaceful and well mannered, which really should come as no surprise. I will go out on a limb here and suggest that it is highly unlikely any of the firearms sold at last year's BC Rod & Gun Show were used in crimes in Surrey since that time, unless they were stolen first.

Showing the ridiculousness of the thought process into delaying this event, Mayor Hepner is on record as saying "If it's a sportsman show or an outdoorsman show, why don't you call it that? Why do you call it 'Rod and Gun'?" Sorry Linda but its called the Rod & Gun Show because BC Rod & Gun Show are the ones putting on the event. In case there is any confusion with the head Surrey girl, the Rod word in their title means fishing rod. Locally there are also the Richmond Rod & Gun, Langley Rod & Gun, Mission Rod & Gun, Ridgedale Rod & Gun (in Abbotsford), Agassiz-Harrison Rod & Gun, Hope Rod & Gun plus plenty more clubs across BC with the same moniker. Maybe they should all be forced to change their names to "Fishing & Hunting Club" for political expediency? I would certainly hope not. Fortunately in south Surrey the gun club here is named the Semiahmoo Fish & Game Club, which hopefully will keep them from being closed because someone trying to be politically correct takes offense with their title. Showing the backlash against Surrey's decision, there is a petition you can sign at the change.org website titled "Allow the BC Rod and Gun Show to be held."

Having a "Rod & Gun" show in Cloverdale will not sully Surrey's already sordid reputation for violence or lead to an influx of weapons onto the streets. No, it was the 56 shootings in 2015 plus another 12 already this year that are making headlines for Surrey across Canada. In case you missed it a 23 year-old Surrey man was shot in the shoulder on Friday night in Guildford at 144 St. and 92 Ave. with the victim showing up bleeding at Surrey Memorial Hospital soon after. The next gun play was on early Sunday morning with a home being targeted and bullet casings littering the roadway near 132nd St. and 110 Ave. The thugs perpetrating these brazen crimes are not the type of people who would be attending the BC Rod & Gun Show. It is much more likely to be like the husband and wife who are friends of mine wanting to take up target shooting and hunt for wild game that recently used me in their RCMP background checks. The same can be said for another friend and his girlfriend who wanted their PALs (Possession and Acquisition License) after an all-to-close encounter with an aggressive grizzly bear at a remote wilderness hot spring last fall.

Luckily it appears that cooler heads have prevailed in this matter that that common sense rose above the political posturing. A posting on the BC Rod & Gun Show Facebook page announced on Sunday morning that "For those of you following the news, we have satisfied all City of Surrey Councils requests. See you at the show April 15th - 17." This posting was also accompanied by a new cover photo oddly showing a fishing rod and a hunting rifle, imagine that. The organizers obviously managed to smooth ruffled feathers with Council, getting the show approved far in advance of the next council meeting scheduled for April 11, only four days ahead of the planned dates. The event is being billed as "Surrey's biggest new and used hunting and fishing show." No word yet on whether handgun and ammunition sales have been banned as had been suggested, even though these are legal for purchase at local outdoor stores with ammo being available at the nearest Canadian Tire. For information about the BC Rod & Gun Show please visit their website bcrodandgunshow.com where you can purchase adult tickets for $10, family passes and weekend passes, with children under 9 years-old getting in for free.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

March 14, 2016

 

Storm Tracking

 

When you live and work in the Lower Mainland, you expect to have to deal with some weather but I must admit that the storm on Wednesday afternoon and Thursday morning reminded me a lot of the last air bomb that hit the coast in August causing so much damage. I happened to be on the road to Chilliwack during that rather interesting weather event and if I had a dashboard camera, a compilation of the tape of my journey would likely have garnered millions of hits on YouTube with all the destruction I witnessed firsthand. On Wednesday afternoon, my workers and I were pushing hard to beat the clock when the rains hit with a vengeance, driving us from the job site an hour before quitting time. On Thursday morning I woke up in the dark with the power out, the winds blasting outside and water dripping onto our dresser in our bedroom after being blown from a plugged gutter outside. It wasn't until ten o'clock that we were able to finally get back to work when the wind and the rain finally relented and I had fixed our drainage problem.

As this storm hit on the hide tide, the winds pushed the seas to levels not usually seen here. Beach Grove in South Delta was flooded yet again by storm surge topping low-lying dykes and seawalls, flooding nearby residences in what is now becoming a regular occurrence. In White Rock, waves larger than I have ever seen caused damage all across the promenade, ripping at the lawns and brick edges of the walkway, closing it and Canada's longest pier to the public. It actually turned out to be a good idea for Transport Canada to force White Rock to install chain mesh on the safety railings next to the BNSF tracks. The new fencing worked as an effective log catcher, keeping windswept debris from being deposited onto the rail corridor. Much of the rip-rap boulder barrier along the White Rock waterfront is now too low to deal with the increasing tides associated with global warming plus increased storm activity and frequency. In Crescent Beach the walkway that is the dyke had gravel and logs strewn across it, while the Crescent Beach pier looked more like a floating dock with the waves almost at the decking. Check out the rather amazing pictures posted in the WR Sun if you have not seen them yet.

The BNSF railway along the Semiahmoo peninsula was also assaulted by the high winds and waves. Just south of Crescent Beach around the Crescent Rock boulder that sits as the gatekeeper to the naturist beach, there were three areas of the rail bed that were scoured by waves. These removed rocks and vegetation, leaving steep and unstable earthen walls next to the tracks. It is unknown how many more areas between Crescent Beach and White Rock also experienced erosion as it is illegal to walk on the tracks plus weather conditions and train traffic make this a very dangerous proposition. All along the shoreline near the 101 Steps pedestrian overpass at the end of 24th Ave., the shoreline has been seriously eroded, trees along the beach either toppled or left with roots exposed, with sections of the rail bed eroded right to the crushed ballast rock. In the ten minutes I was there on Saturday afternoon, two BNSF freight trains rolled by heading south, one with empty coal cars and the other with mixed freight including many gasoline tankers. While we were experiencing a break between the storms, the eroded slopes just below the tracks showed significant rock and sand fall as the the heavy trains passed by. I probably should have been taking video for posting on YouTube instead of still shots for the TNT but several people there also witnessed this erosion happening.

I realize that there are many people accusing folks here of being NIMBYs and saying that relocation of the train tracks is a non-issue because the rail line was here first. Unfortunately it is not only trees falling onto the tracks and the ever present fear of landslides causing a train derailment into Boundary Bay that are of concern. Wind driven waves pose a significant threat to this 110 year old rail line that was originally constructed on the inter-tidal zone of the shoreline across the peninsula. It was back in 2009 that the BNSF spent $800,000 and dumped many train car loads of rip-rap boulders along the 6.5 km. of shore from White Rock to Crescent Beach to protect the line from wave damage. In 2008, several winter storms caused multiple areas of damage with several of these washouts reaching a metre away from the rails. In the worst storm back then, SmartRail member Phil Legood even saw a CN trail stop, its engineer exit and walk the rails past a section where waves were breaking over the tracks to ensure it was safe for the train to pass. In 1984 during a particularly nasty stretch of weather, a 75 foot section of tracks was left hanging four feet in the air after waves scoured the land away under the rail bed. With rising sea levels and fierce storms becoming commonplace, it may only be a matter of time until the BNSF is forced to reroute away from the shore of Boundary Bay to a safer inland location.

I heard on Sunday that the BNSF Railway was going to perform emergency repairs to the shoreline and install rocks and boulders on the damaged sections of rail bed here. I don't know if they were able to get this work done this weekend but as I am writing this TNT the wind is howling outside and there is a wind warning in effect from Environment Canada with expected wind gusts of 90 kmh matching the strength of Wednesday night's storm. In an hour and a half we will hit the next high tide, estimated at 3.7 m. on the local tide charts for White Rock. Thankfully this is a full metre below the high tide that happened last Friday morning at 6:45 a.m. when waves were pounding into the rocks in front of the Museum and throwing debris into Crescent Beach. Whether (weather?) this latest winter blast will exacerbate the erosion at the base of the BNSF tracks remains to be seen but I am planning on going to visit the shoreline on Monday morning both in Crescent Beach and White Rock to survey the damage. If I see significant changes, more destruction or anything threatening rail safety there it will be posted as a TNT update along with pictures. Likewise, if you see any problems with the BNSF rail line or have storm footage from across the Semi-pen, please forward them to Dave Chesney of the WR Sun at editor@whiterocksun.com.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

Editor's Note: Here is a link to a story by the CBC aired on Friday about the BNSF Railway and wave erosion causing safety concerns:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/white-rock-railway-erosion-safety-1.3488439

 

 

March 07, 2016

Crash Crescent

Last weekend I was heading out of the Semi-pen early on Saturday morning when I rounded the sharp corner heading onto the straightaway in the 13300 block of Crescent Road and came across the latest crash on this dangerous strip of asphalt. On the side of the road was a Ford sedan with serious front end damage and pieces of plastic wreckage, dirt and chunks of turf across the roadway. I quickly stopped to talk to the man standing by the car, learning that he was okay and waiting for a tow truck to take away his damaged vehicle. It turned out that the driver who had caused the crash had exchanged information and managed to drive his crippled car away. What had happened was a speeding car heading east had lost control on the corner where the yellow chevron warning signs were, spun out backwards into oncoming traffic and hit the damaged car still at the scene. Its not very often you see a rear end collision where the vehicle with front end damage was not to blame but that was the case. This very same corner was where a white late-model sports car, possibly a Chevelle, spun out and crashed backwards into some trees after passing my wife Sheryl on a dark and rainy night when she was coming home three weeks before. Fortunately there was no one driving the other way at the time of this other accident or the results could have been horrific given the speed involved.

This is the third installment of TNT's in the WR Sun dealing with the dangers of the Crescent Road racetrack, the others being "Another Day - Another Death" (Oct. 14, 2013) and "Crescent Road Carnage" (Feb. 19, 2013). While some of the safety recommendations I made were instituted, many were ignored and the racetrack is still open for business as usual. In the 4.7 km of Crescent Road from the KGB to 128 St there are a total of 15 turns in the road, with five of these being the sharp corners where accidents constantly happen. The first two are in the 30 kmh zone by the Esso station at Elgin Rd. where this slow speed zone because of the dangers posed by the gas pumps keep this speed limit in this area artificially low. The next two sharp turns are at either end of the straightaway just west of Elgin Heritage Park that have been the scene of multiple accidents and deaths, while the last is in the S turn approaching the north entrance to Crescent Park near 128 St. There have been so many cars into the fence on the north side of the road at this last location that the owners have now put concrete blocks near the roadway, red reflectors on stakes in the lawn and red reflectors attached to the fence to alert drivers to the danger.

If Surrey would actually properly address the issues on the peninsula's most dangerous road, they could dramatically reduce the incidents of high speed crashes on this windy stretch of asphalt. While they have put up large yellow and black chevron signs in several locations showing curves ahead, they are needed at all of the major corners on crescent where crashes routinely happen. There are still no curve ahead signs or slippery road signs in many of the high crash areas. The promised lighted radar signs showing motorists their speed have yet to appear three years since I first brought up the dangers of Crescent Road. While they saw fit to install multiple speed bumps on 124 St. in Crescent Heights that is a main arterial and a bus route that also includes 25 Ave., they refuse to put speed bumps on Crescent Road even though it is a sure-fire way to control speed on what is often used as a racetrack by speed demons with high powered vehicles who live in this region. In Mexico they use speed bumps to lower highway speeds through each town, including larger cities like Puerto Vallharta. They decrease driving speeds without causing congestion and are extremely effective and a lot cheaper than paying for police to run speed control.

In North Delta there is a notorious corner on Nicholson Road behind Scottsdale Mall that used to see plenty of crashes. These even included a friend of mine who years ago put his Nova through a tree and into a large concrete sign moments after installing a fresh 350 V-8 into his car, fortunately without serious injury except for the tree of course. In this location Delta Engineering installed concrete islands with signage in the centre of the road to separate the lanes, decrease head-on crashes and slow traffic. I frequently work in this area and have seen that this traffic calming effort has worked extremely well over the years. It's not like Surrey Engineering doesn't now know about this traffic pattern as they installed similar traffic islands at the corner of 130 St. and Marine Drive in Ocean Park several years ago. This was done to help with the safety at this blind intersection that happens to be in the middle of an S turn but it would also be a great improvement at the three high crash corners on Crescent Road. As someone who has been forced off the road to miss an oncoming driver who was totally in my lane several years ago, if nothing is done to update this antiquated and dangerous stretch of roadway, then we can expect more serious accidents and deaths to continue until something is finally done.

It has been three years since this TNT trilogy about the dangers of Crescent Road first began. While I previously appeared before Surrey's Transportation and Infrastructure Committee to voice my concerns on this topic, very little has been changed and the same types of crashes happen over and over in the very same locations. In the latest accident, I've been at three serious crashes within a hundred feet of each other and know of three people that have died in that same spot. I've always said that bad engineering kills people, especially when you throw in speeding, wet roads, cell phone use and maybe even a little drinking and driving. What is really scary is being the person driving safely along Crescent and being hit by an out-of-control vehicle coming in the opposite direction at high speed. If the dangerous corners had islands to separate traffic, it would not only slow people down but would reduce the likelihood of deadly cross-over accidents. If Surrey can afford new sidewalks down by Nico-Wynd, then they can make safety improvements to Crescent Road that will protect the people who live in the peninsula. If nothing is done to control speed and separate traffic on the sharp corners, we can expect more "car-nage" in the future.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

February 29, 2016


Three Course Meal - Bon Appetit

The Appetizer

While a different flavor than the rest of today's TNT, I would be remiss in not pointing out that this column falls on a rather special day. If you are reading this on Monday then you are enjoying the extra day made possible every four years by the bizarre calendar event known as Leap Year. Enjoy it while you can as the next Leap Day falling on a Monday when this column gets posted is way off in 2044, seven Leap Years from now. I actually had to do the math myself since Encyclopedia Google didn't go that far into the future. Will the White Rock Sun still be publishing, will I still be breathing, will Dave Chesney be Mayor of White Rock? Hard to say but if I manage to live that long I'll be an octogenarian by that time.

The reason for Leap year is that the earth circles the sun in 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes, and 45 seconds. With a nearly six hour discrepancy between the suns "tropical year" and our Gregorian calendar year, without Leap Year important seasonal days like the vernal equinox or winter solstice would quickly get out of sync. For the romantically inclined, February 29th is also known as "Sadie Hawkins Day" where women get to ask men to marry them. This ritual actually originated from an episode in American cartoonist Al Capp's classic hillbilly comic strip Li'l Abner back in 1937. Not too concerned with protocol, Feb. 29th was the day that I proposed to my wife Sheryl several Leap Year's ago. Now every four years I have to buy her flowers only two week's after Valentine's Day. I guess I should have thought that one out beforehand.

Meat and Potatoes

You may have read or heard that Surrey's old Mayor/South Surrey & White Rock's new MP Dianne Watts was in the news last week applauding the announcement of a federal study into railway safety on the BNSF corridor along the peninsula waterfront. As the Conservative critic for infrastructure and communities, Mrs. Watts is part of the Standing Committee for Transport, Infrastructure and Communities in the House of Commons. Coming only weeks after Surrey and White Rock agreed to spend $700,000 to assess possible BNSF Railway relocation routes inland, the Ottawa study will concentrate only on erosion threatening the rail corridor and blocked access to Crescent Beach. While there was no mention of it in the local newspapers, the Vancouver Sun broke the news that last weekend a BNSF train had blocked both roads into Crescent Beach for an hour and 39 minutes. There was no word on why the train had stalled on the tracks but this is not an unknown situation. Taken from Surrey Corporate Report 8710-00 prepared by the Surrey Fire Chief for Mayor & Council, July 23, 2015, regarding BNSF trains blocking access to Crescent Beach, here is a list of previous incidents. Here's the link if you want to check out the full report: https://www.surrey.ca/bylawsandcouncillibrary/CR_2015-R161.pdf

January 5, 2016

5, 1:45 AM, a fallen tree from the slope on the south Crescent Beach causes a northbound coal train to make undesired emergency brake application (UDE), blocking all access to/from Crescent Beach for 4 hours.
December 27, 2014, 10:15 PM, a knuckle failure on the south Crescent Beach curve causes a northbound mixed freight train #5614 to split and idle within the community for 90 minutes while being put back together.
August 2, 2014, 9:35 PM, a knuckle failure on the south Crescent Beach curve causes a northbound unit coal train to split and engage UDE blocking all access to\from Crescent Beach for 10 minutes at the Beecher street crossing and for 3 hours at the McBride street crossing.
June 26, 2014, 7:15 AM, a knuckle failure on the south Crescent Beach curve causes a northbound, mixed freight train to split, and engage undesired emergency brake application (UDE), blocking all access to/from Crescent Beach for 45 minutes.
November 12, 2010, 7:00 AM, mechanical failure caused emergency Brake Condition blocking both access points for 30 minutes.
June 2007, mechanical failure caused Emergency Brake condition blocking both access points for 30 minutes.
Missing from the list was the incident in Feb./Mar. of 2007 where a BNSF freight train was hit by a mudslide between Bayview Rd. and the 101 Steps/24 Ave. overpass in an area that does not have the landslide detector fence, blocking both access roads for 45 minutes.

The reason that it was known exactly how long the latest train blocked the two road entrances is that because of the BNSF Railway's repeated stoppages, Surrey decided it needed actual proof of these incidents. Transport Canada's Rail Regulations contain a Stopped Train Protocol that calls for roadways to be cleared in five minutes in the case of a train blocking incident, not several hours. After the Corporate Report from the Fire Chief last summer, Surrey erected a closed circuit television camera (CCTV) on a pole next to the "Welcome To Crescent Beach" sign on Crescent Road and have also installed a large electric eye across the tracks near McBride Avenue that senses stopped trains. This equipment is monitored at the City Traffic Operations Centre and the Fire Dispatch Centre, providing the city and first responders with immediate knowledge of rail traffic at the entrance points to Crescent Beach.

Surrey Mayor Hepner has promised to forward information about this latest blockage including video footage to Transport Canada so they can investigate this incident. With the cutting off of Crescent Beach from emergency services for hours at a time plus the constant threat of landslides and wave erosion threatening derailments, both Surrey and White Rock hope to file a request for relocation of the BNSF tracks under the Railway Relocation and Crossing Act. With the $22 million the BNSF have invested on the line here in the past few years, the $350 to $500 million price tag for a new inland rail line, plus the federal Liberals holding the other four Surrey seats, its safe to say this is a legacy project at best if not just pure political fantasy during uncertain economic times.

 

The Dessert

Its always good to save the really sweet stuff for last and since this TNT focuses on railway safety involving the BNSF, I thought the following news was rather timely. One of the WR Sun readers reported that a landslide had impacted the train tracks 150 m. north of the 1001 Steps in Ocean Park, believing this incident happened on Feb. 18th during a week of heavy rains. I went to this latest slide site on the weekend to confirm this and found a new slide site directly beside another one that happened last year.

In this most recent slide approximately 240 cubic yards of material from the hillside broke loose and fell into the ditch beside the tracks, ripping out 45 m. of the Landslide Detector Fence (LDF) in the process. The break in the system would have immediately triggered red lights all along the tracks, stopping all train traffic. It is not known if any of the dozen large alder trees up to 12 inches in diameter blocked the rails in this slide. The 15 dump truck loads of mud, scrub and trees was excavated out by Railway crews and deposited on the ocean-side portion of the corridor. While this kind of slope failure is quite common along the Ocean Park bluffs during heavy precipitation, of great concern is a large Surrey storm culvert directly beside the slide site. If the debris had poured into this area blocking the culvert, drain water would have quickly filled the ditch beside the tracks, possibly eroding the rail bed with flood waters.

Once again the LDF, the two pieces of wire you see strung along the base of the bluff, protected the trains from running into slide debris. Since Dianne Watts is now showing great interest in railway safety here, I'm going to suggest she tell Transport Canada to have the BNSF install the LDF on the 400 m. long unprotected section of the bluff near Crescent Beach plus along the base of the Hump that was recently cleared of trees by White Rock. As far as access to Crescent Beach goes, maybe the federal government will help shell out a portion of the $4.5 million it will cost to put a tunnel on Beecher St. under the BNSF tracks. A cheaper option would be the $500,000 to $1.1 million for an emergency access road under the trestle bridge by the marina. It should be noted that both of these options were turned down by Surrey First with Dianne Watts as the leader several years ago due to their cost.

I hope you liked your Monday meal, don't forget the 15% gratuity and make sure to grab a mint on the way out the door.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

February 22, 2016

Justice Delayed, Justice Denied, Justice For Hudson

On July 18, 2015, 20 year-old Hudson Brooke was shot to death in the parking lot of the south Surrey RCMP detachment by police officers. Because it was a police involved fatal shooting, the Independent Investigations Office of BC (IIO) took over the investigation of this incident. Scant information has been released but it is public knowledge that Hudson was coming home from a beach party in White Rock, he ended up in the parking lot of the RCMP station/Semiahmoo library several blocks from home where he was involved in an altercation with the police. A female officer was wounded by a bullet that hit her foot and Hudson died in a hail of gunfire with seven bullets allegedly striking him. It has been reported that there were three RCMP officers in the parking lot at the time when Hudson was killed and that two different sounding guns were heard. Other than police issued firearms, there were no other guns or weapons at the scene meaning he was unarmed when first confronted. There are security cameras at the entrance to the back door of the station and just inside the front door that allows access to the police station and library with recordings from both cameras being seized for evidence.

There have been many troubling questions about Hudson's death from the very beginning including the police releasing information that they believed he was "suicidal" when the deadly confrontation happened, something his family and friends strongly dispute. The Brooks' family was not contacted about his death for nearly 12 hours after the shooting, with his corpse being left on the pavement almost the same amount of time before being removed. With the IIO taking control, there has been almost no movement on this file since they are backlogged with other police involved shooting investigations across BC and bogged down waiting for laboratory results regarding the firearms used. A month after Hudson's death a Facebook page named "Justice For Hudson" was created to keep his memory alive and to help rally public support to ensure that justice was done in this matter. It now contains hundreds of postings and thousands of comments, many expressing sadness and outrage how this could happen in our community. Shortly after that, Hudson's mother Jennifer Brooks arranged for a march on Oct. 18, exactly three months after the shooting, to bring attention to the community and put media pressure on the IIO to complete their investigation. It was well attended with many people wearing #JusticeForHudson hoodies and wrist bands to show their support for the deceased young man.

With a critical lack of information since that time, a second rally was held on Sunday, Feb. 21st at four p.m. on 152 St., now seven months after the shooting. While I missed the first rally, I've stopped several times to see the memorial outside the RCMP station and have followed the rather glacial process of the investigation. After reading every single post and comment on the Justice For Hudson FB page, I decided to attend the latest protest for myself. I was rather surprised at the size of the crowd estimated at 100-120 people, many with professionally produced placards and #JusticeForHudson apparel. The crowd consisting of family members, friends and concerned citizens gathered at the Starbucks by the Rialto theatre. Conspicuous by their absence was any local politician from any of the three levels of government here. Just after four o'clock the crowd crossed the street, heading north past the cop shop and all the way down the street to 24th Ave. where they crossed and circled the block, gathering at the memorial. All the while, people in the crowd would yell, "What do we want? Justice! Who do you want it for? Hudson!" followed by a chant of, "Answers! Answers! Answers!" In total, the march took 35 minutes, tying up traffic all along the route. To their credit, the RCMP provided traffic control for the march, blocking side streets and stopping traffic, allowing Hudson's family and supporters to complete their walk without incident.

If they wanted publicity, this march certainly achieved it with camera crews from CTV and Global in attendance plus professional photographers from various media outlets. The sadness and anger contained on the Justice For Hudson FB page was quite evident in the crowd that formed around the memorial for Hudson Brooks when the march was completed. Hudson's mother Kelly used the planter there as an impromptu soap box, telling the gathered masses "We will not stop, we will not quit until we get answers." She called it "unacceptable" that an unarmed young man requesting help would be shot "one, two, three, four, five, six, seven times" by the police, emphasizing each number with a shake of a pointed finger. The most poignant moment had to be when she utilized a line from the #BlackLivesMatter campaign against police violence in the United States, yelling out, "Hudson Brooks' life MATTERS!" Seeing the anguish in her face, hearing the pain in her voice and seeing the tears in the eyes of the surviving sister and brothers was heartbreaking to say the least, with plenty of others visibly upset in the crowd. March 30th will likely be the next busy day at the Hudson Brooks' memorial as this would have been this young man's 21st birthday had this tragic event not happened.

While gangland shootings and murders have become far too commonplace in the city of Surrey in the past few years, the death of Hudson at the hands of the RCMP raises many questions that beg to be answered. Let's hope that the IIO does its job and properly investigates his death in a timely and professional manner. We certainly don't need another white-wash like what originally happened in the Robert Dziekanski taser death at YVR nine years ago. In the meantime I'd like to think that police forces across Canada would put as much time, effort and funds into de-escalation training for its members as it does for firearms practice. Trust me when I say that pulling a trigger is easy; ending conflict without resorting to deadly force has to be taught and practiced.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

February 15, 2016


Love on the Rock

I'm not a smart man... but I know what love is.
(Forest Gump talking about marriage with his girlfriend Jenny Curran.)

There really is no better time for Valentine's Day than on a Sunday. It gives men some extra time to shop for their loved ones instead of spending the last moments elbow to elbow with the other cave dwellers at the local supermarket card aisle. Trust me, I know of what I speak as I've found myself in long lineups after work on Feb. 14th searching for that special gift on shelves that have been picked over like buzzards on road-kill. Having V-day on Sunday means that the shopping pressure is off and if you are an incurable romantic like me, you can turn this one day expression of your affection into a weekend long romp. Best of all, the NFL season ended with the Super Bowl a week ago, the NASCAR season doesn't start with the Daytona 500 until next Sunday, who cares about the NBA All-Star game (West beat East 196-173 in case you missed it) and well..., the Canucks suck.

Valentine's Day celebrated annually on February 14th started as a Western Christian feast day honouring early saints named Valentinus, including several who were believed martyred for their religious beliefs. It was not until the 14th century that the day began to be associated with courting, romance and love. In the 18th century UK, it became common for people to express their adoration for each other by giving bouquets of flowers, gifts of chocolates or candy and the sending of what became known as valentines cards. Over time Valentine's Day symbols came to include the colour red, heart shapes, roses, doves and the winged Cupid cherub armed with bow and arrow. Although Valentine's Day is celebrated around the world, it is not observed as a statutory holiday in any country. Of course there always has to be a stick in the mud and it was reported last week that Iranian police have warned retailers not to promote "decadent Western culture through Valentine's Day rituals." Indonesia and Saudi Arabia also do not tolerate Valentine's Day celebrations, seeing it as an affront to Islam of course. Heck, even North Korea celebrates Valentine's Day but it is likely that all cards showing affection must be addressed to their supreme leader Kim Jong-Un.

While love may be free, showing it and showering that special someone with gifts, dinners and romantic getaways doesn't come cheap. It is estimated that Canadians will spend an average of $165 to celebrate Valentine's Day, with men spending twice as much as women. I dispute this claim for while I received a nice loving card from my wife Sheryl, the Carlton card I gave her cost $6, chocolates at $9, gerbera flower bouquet $25, Taka sushi $52, and Ocean Park pub night $58. This rounded out the orgy of love spending at $150 not counting the drinks at home or the breakfast and dinner I cooked for her. Of course, there are many gifts she gives me on a daily basis including the one that I appreciate the most; she tolerates me and the Sunday evening time I spend penning the TNT. Across the line in the United States the National Retail Federation estimates that V-day spending will contribute a total of $19.7 billion to their national economy. The most often gifted item is candy followed by greeting cards, an evening out, flowers and jewelry. Not surprising, dating couples spend more than married couples, with those living together the longest spending the least.

The weather may have hampered outdoor romantic adventures this weekend but White Rock and Surrey have beautiful places to visit while holding the hand of the one you love. Top of the list has to be the White Rock pier and promenade, along with the public walkway across Crescent Beach. I always enjoy a table with a view so the Boathouse and Washington Avenue Grill in White Rock plus Pelagos Greek restaurant in Crescent Beach get my vote just for their stunning ocean vistas. These places may have the view but the veritable Old Surrey Restaurant on 72 Ave. in Newton was recently named one of the top 50 most romantic restaurants in Canada, one of only five dining establishments in B.C. named for this honour. For scenic beauty it is tough to beat Kwomais Point Park at the southwest corner of the peninsula with its viewing platform above Boundary Bay where a friend of mine's daughter got married last year. For those who like towering evergreens, fresh air and nature walks, Redwood Park and Crescent Park in south Surrey both have plenty for naturalists and lovers to enjoy. Last on my list of local romantic spots has to be the Serpentine Fen and if you are the type of person who gets Valentine's Day cards for your pet, dogs are welcome there too.

Well that's it for this week, I've got to cut this column short and get back to spending quality time with the woman who means the world to me. I can only hope that if you are reading this TNT that you put a little extra effort into letting your significant other know that you appreciate all that they do for you on a constant basis. Valentine's Day may only happen once a year but that does not mean you can't show affection or warmth without a special day to celebrate it. Sometimes a love letter or an unexpected bouquet of flowers for no reason at all says a lot more than mass produced cards or overpriced roses on Valentine's Day. Relationships must be nurtured to keep them fresh and too often we tend to take the people closest to us for granted simply because they are always there. Try to break out of the relationship rut, make an effort to surprise your significant other with spontaneous expressions of your feelings and most of all, show them that you care.

A hug, a kiss and an "I love you" don't cost a penny but they can be priceless when really needed.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

B.C.'s cop watchdog gets more teeth

Dogged by controversy, the IIO is hiring more investigators to tackle police death complaints.

(click here to read THE PROVINCE story)

 

 

February 09, 2016


Family Day, Flag Day, Holidaze

I'd like to take a moment to personally congratulate Premier Christy Clark and the BC Liberal Party. If it weren't for them I would have been writing this column on Sunday night after watching the epic defensive struggle that was Superbowl 50 where the Cinderella story of Peyton Manning unfolded as per the script with the Denver Broncos beating the Carolina Panthers. With a menu of nachos 'n fixins, ripple chips with dip, buffalo wings and pizza washed down with copious amounts of fine craft beer, I really don't think it would have been an enjoyable experience penning yet another TNT after the Vince Lombardi trophy was finally handed out. Instead I got to enjoy a relaxing hot tub with my wife, get to bed at a reasonable hour and actually sleep in later than usual on Monday morning all thanks to the fourth installment of BC's Family Day. Unfortunately due to Surrey First's lack of foresight, I still had to set the alarm clock in order to get up to put out the damn recycle totes since the BFI refuse trucks come every Monday morning like clockwork, holiday or not (grrr).

Family Day is still a bit of anomaly when it comes to holidays in Canada. It is not a country-wide statutory holiday, only being observed here in BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Ontario. While we celebrate it on the second Monday (this year being Feb. 8th) the other provinces hold it on the third Monday, falling this year a day after Valentine's Day on Feb. 15. Not to be left out, PEI holds Islander Day on the third Monday of February while Manitoba also observes Louis Riel Day on that same day. The third Monday of February is also President's Day in the US, which is a day off for most Americans. The bad news is that since Family Day is not a federally established holiday, government employees do not get the day off which explains why our Canada Post letter carrier showed up even though the Province newspaper carrier was a no-show. The same can be said for national companies with employees across the country who have to go to work while the rest of us get the day off with pay and time to spend with friends and family. It would be interesting to see how sick days spike on Family Day, especially with many workers seeing this holiday as insulting and unfair.

You could not have asked for a nicer Monday in which to enjoy the newest BC holiday. Only a week in to February, it was spring-like conditions with sunny skies and highs of 13 near the water and 16 inland. I took the opportunity to work the morning (the joys of being self-employed) wearing shorts and a t-shirt, making it home in time for my wife and I to take the dogs for a walk down to Crescent Rock beach. While there were no naturists to be seen yet, there were plenty of people sitting down on the logs and rocks, taking off their jackets and rolling up their sleeves to catch a few rays and get a vitamin D boost. I'm in favour of a holiday in mid winter as with the date of Easter varying from year to year based on the lunar calendar, it can be more than three and a half months between stats. This year Easter is on March 27th, in 2017 it is April 16, in 2018 it is April 1st (no fooling) and in 2019 it is all the way back to April 21st. What better way to break up the winter doldrums and beat a case of SADD than to get a day off to relax and spend time with loved ones. For those Cincinnati Panther fans, it also gave them time to recover from any headache or hangover associated with losing the Superbowl after having a league best 15-1 season.

Back in January of 2011, I proposed we celebrate Canada Flag Day, opening a page on Facebook to promote the concept of a coast-to-coast holiday in February (on FB at "Canada Flag Day Holiday"). Here is the last posting that explains why the Feb. 15th date was chosen:


The second year anniversary of Vancouver’s 2010 Olympic Winter Games is fast approaching and Feb. 15th (Friday this year), the day that Alexandre Bilodeau won Canada’s first gold medal (in men’s moguls), is a perfect time for an all day and night celebration.
Feb. 15th is also when the Maple Leaf was first introduced as Canada’s flag back in 1965 so you can celebrate our Olympic’s “golden anniversary” of winning the most gold medals of any country in the world by wearing your best red and white Canadian Olympic attire and waving the Maple Leaf tied to a hockey stick.
This day also happens to be the 15th anniversary of the declaration of National Flag of Canada Day. Red and white were first designated as Canada’s official colours in 1921 by King George V. Coming the day after Valentine’s Day when we celebrate love, these colours could not be more appropriate or a holiday better timed.
While Family Day will become a statutory holiday in B.C. this year on the second Monday in February, Feb. 11th, 2013, Flag of Canada Day on Feb. 15th should instead be a national holiday from coast to coast. At the very least, make plans to wear red and white that day, especially if you have a "relaxed Friday" dress code at the office.
The time has come for ordinary Canadians to stand up and wave the flag across this great country of ours. Take off work, phone in sick and pretend it’s still the Olympics because on February 15th its Flag of Canada Day (aka Flag Day) and we’re going to party eh! As the Canadian Heritage website states, “Our Flag, Our Pride, Celebrate it!”

Now I'm not really sure why but recently there has been a surge of people looking to join in this Facebook page, enough so that I believe it is time to actually put some time into it, post proper pictures and to promote this idea for a national holiday for all Canadians. A February stat should not be just for the ones lucky enough to have provincial governments that think their hard-working taxpayers deserve a break from working all winter to spend time with their family. Another concept being pushed is for a return to old times when every Sunday was family day. This ended in April 1985 when it was found the Lord's Day Act that prohibited Sunday shopping violated the Canadian Charter. Now its just another day to go to the mall, get your oil changed, cruise the aisles at Wal-Mart or go to the bar for a drink. Of course the reality is that for us to enjoy shopping on Sunday, it means that many moms, fathers, brothers and sisters spend their Sundays toiling to keep the doors open. I really enjoy what I do for a living and basically get paid to play but at the end of the day I'd rather be spending quality time with loved ones or relaxing in the great outdoors. We need to send a message to Justin Trudeau and the federal Liberal Party that all hardworking Canadians deserve a day off this time of year.

Naturally yours,


Don Pitcairn

If you would like to see BC's Family Day put in line with the rest of the country SIGN THE PETITION

 

 

February 01, 2016


An Ear For News

 

It is amazing where topics and stories for the TNT sometimes come from but keeping an eye and ear open in our community often pays dividends. I was sitting in my office on Sunday evening just after 6 o'clock, laying the groundwork for this column when I first heard the noise. It started off with a low drone, slowly rising in volume as the pitch increased to a high whine. I quickly slid open the window to ensure what I thought I was hearing was real just as the sound reached a shrieking crescendo and then slowly began to spool down. While it had been at least twenty years since I had last heard one, there was no mistaking the not too distant sound of an air raid siren.

The civil defense siren as they were properly known were used to provide emergency warning to the populace of approaching danger and then often to signal when it is safe again. They were first designed to warn of air raids in World War 2 and later used to warn of nuclear attack during the Cold War. When I was a kid, we had one of these sirens in North Delta and it was tested on a frequent basis in case the Russians attacked North America. In some regions, these sirens warn of destructive weather patterns and are instead called tornado sirens. I phoned E-Com at 9-1-1 to inquire as to what this siren had possibly been about, informing them I thought it may have originated from Surrey Fire Hall 12 on 128 St., some seven blocks away. After a few minutes, the operator informed me that the siren had indeed come from that location and that the staff there had been "performing an equipment test."

Thinking there might be more to this story than what I was being told, I put dinner on hold and made my way up to the Fire Hall. Several of the officers there answered the door looking rather surprised that someone had noticed and then took the time to find out the reason for the so-called test. It turns out that the last civil defense siren siren left in Surrey is mounted on top of the roof of the building there. When it was a volunteer station, this horn was used to call firefighters to the hall when they were needed to help put out a burning building. There is even a push button signal behind glass at the front door where residents could summon the volunteers, which has not worked for years since pagers made it obsolete. The siren is no longer used for official purposes but Sunday night two members of the Surrey Fire Service were having retirement parties across the street at the Crescent Beach Legion...and that's kind of where the story started and ended. One of these men had just finished thirty years of service but never had the privilege of pushing the button and blowing the dust out of this relic. I met him across the street where he was easily identified by being the guy in the room with the biggest grin.

Having a fully functioning civil defense siren on the fire hall that services Crescent Beach and Ocean Park is an asset that can be used to improve public safety here. Ten years ago the Semiahmoo Peninsula Citizens for Public Safety (SPCPC) that subsequently became SmartRail, appeared before Surrey Council, proposing a siren system to be located near the BNSF tracks. The warning system would be used in the case of a derailment of dangerous goods requiring the evacuation of areas within 5 km. of the corridor. Considering the large number of blockages to both entrances to Crescent Beach that have happened recently, the explosive Bakken crude oil trains now rolling here plus large amounts of hazardous goods including chlorine gas, utilizing the alarm in case of a rail disaster would be prudent. After all, Surrey has nixed the plans for an underpass into Crescent Beach and the emergency evacuation phone alert system that was contemplated several years ago also got shelved. Why not use an emergency notification system that is already in place and working? In the case of a rail disaster here, the firefighters in Hall 12 would simply switch on the horn to alert residents to the need to turn on their TV's and radio's to find out about any evacuation plans. Simple, cost-effective and something that could be done tomorrow.

Of course the siren could instead be reserved for retirement parties or to warn of the upcoming zombie apocalypse (got that one from the firemen). While I like the sound of the last suggestion, since absolutely nothing has been done to improve the safety of Crescent Beach residents from hazardous goods on the BNSF trains, utilizing this siren in case of a railway disaster is a no-brainer. All it would take is to educate residents living in Crescent Beach and near the rail line that the siren means there are issues on the tracks and that an evacuation is warranted. Of course the other option is to continue to do nothing, for politicians to stick their heads in the sand at the beach and to keep cashing those paychecks for doing absolutely nothing for the folks now living next door to an industrial rail line carrying toxic chemicals along a slide prone bluff. At the very least, please rewire the red "ON" button next to the front door at Hall 12 so someone can turn the siren on manually if disaster strikes.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

January 26, 2016

Climate Change, Global Warming, Weather Disaster

 

It's funny watching the news media bring us instant reports from across the globe that is pumped into our living rooms on cable TV or via the internet on a plethora of news feeds (the "This is CNN" James Earl Jones/Darth Vader soundbite comes to mind). They touch base on the latest greatest story that often revolves around the bloody body count from the latest terrorist attack or the death toll from the latest natural or man made disaster. Often these stories depend to a large part on their location and if they are near a highly populated city or a mountainous wasteland far from civilization. It is only when you visit the epicenter of some of these disasters that you get a real appreciation for the magnitude of the damage that is often glossed over or missed by news organizations.

Case is point being our recent trip down to the coast of Mexico between Puerto Vallarata and Manzanillo. We often holiday in this part of the world that can be quickly reached by commercial airliner and which allows for a relatively inexpensive vacation in some amazing eco resorts. We were planning on booking our holiday last fall when word came of a small tropical depression that had increased in size to a Category 1 hurricane on Oct. 21. Fueled by record warm surface waters, it exploded in strength and grew to a monster Category 5 hurricane in just 24 hours. By October 23 it had developed an eye, established sustained winds of 325 km/h and dropped to a record low pressure of 879 mbar, making it the most intense tropical cyclone ever recorded in the Western Hemisphere. It set a new record globally for the strongest storm in terms of maximum sustained winds, maintaining its Category 5 strength for a total of 24 hours. Patricia made landfall in the Jalisco State on Ot. 24, luckily threading the needle between the populated cities of Puerto Vallarta and Manzanillo and barreling into the low jungle forest between them near Costa Careyes. Fortunately due to mass evacuations and low overall populations in this rural area, only eight people were reportedly killed during this intense storm.

Unfortunately the two resorts we had planned to visit, Playas Paraiso and Punta Serena were both located in the region where the eye came ashore and sustained severe damage. It took weeks to restore proper communications and both resorts reported that they would be closed for several months to rebuild and clean up the mess left in Patricia's wake. We considered making alternate travel plans but decided to wait for the repairs to be completed and then visit to show our support and also check out what the power of a Category 5 hurricane could do to the landscape. I must admit that that size and scale of the damage surprised even us, with the jungle being a twisted and bent over moonscape for at least a hundred kilometers as we drove down the coast. Besides the strong winds and storm surge, heavy rainfall inland measuring 50 cm in some areas washed out culverts and roadways in many areas. Fields of banana plants were shredded and bent with large coconut palms stripped of their long fronds except for tufts of new growth sprouting from their ravaged tops.

The small resort of Playas Paraiso (www.playasparaiso.com) had managed to make many repairs and had reopened for the Christmas holiday season. Their 3.5 km. driveway took several days to clear just to reach the smashed buildings and damaged landscape. Owner Juan Lobos took us on a tour of the estate that borders two small turquoise bays, explaining the damage that had happened to the property. Most of the windows in the two houses had been blown out, roof tiles ripped off and roof beams blown apart like match sticks. The many thatched palapas and roof structures made from palm fronds had disappeared back into the jungle. Though there were still plenty of them left, over 60 coconut palm trees had blown down in the storm and were being reclaimed to make beams to replace those destroyed in the winds. Juan told us that his king sized bed mattress had been found 400 metres away up the hill in the bush. He laughed when I mentioned the 320 km/h winds, telling us that a nearby meteorological station had recorded winds of 405 km/h (250 mph) before it tore apart in the gale. In only two months, with a small army of workers they had restored the buildings and grounds to their former glory with the palm trees still needing to grow a few more new leaves.

Traveling a further 25 minutes south down the coast still in areas of blasted jungle, we made it to the amazing Punta Serena resort (www.puntaserena.com)that we have previously stayed at several times. Because of their exposed position on a large rock outcropping high above the bay, their property was heavily damaged and did not open until the New Year when extensive repairs and remodeling had taken place. Still as beautiful as ever, you could tell from markings on the windows which ones had been recently replaced. All of the palapas at the beach and up at the pool including the huge one over the restaurant were brand new. The most obvious sign of the hurricane's passing was the lower concrete hot tube situated on a cliff ridge had fallen 75 feet into the surf below, taking a sizable chunk of the rock face with it. Workers were busy while we were there working on a new tub perched on top of the cliff that offers views of the sunrises and sunsets over the water of the bay. Next door at the sister Blue Bay resort, an Italian restaurant and disco building closest to the shore looked like a bomb had hit it but it was being cleared of debris and is planned to be rebuilt. Early estimates are that Patricia caused nearly half a billion dollars Cdn damage to buildings, infrastructure and crops throughout the central part of Mexico.

With 2015 being the hottest year on record following 2014 of course and ocean effects like El Nino and the dreaded "blob", you have to wonder how long it will be before we get a Pacific storm that fuels up on warm water and clobbers our coast. While this summer's freak wind storm that shredded drought stricken trees with gusts of 90 km/h is still fresh in our minds, it was Typhoon Freda in 1962 that blew the shingles and siding off houses across Vancouver with sustained winds of 75 km/h and gusts to 145 km/h. Also known as the "Columbus Day Storm" or "The Big Blow", it caused damage, created mudslides and killed 43 people up the coast from California to Vancouver with $2 billion in damages in today's US dollars. Known as a extratropical wind storm, Typhoon Freda had winds in Oregon clocked at 179 mph, the level of a Category 3 hurricane. While I realize that this was 53 years ago, it is worth considering that the Jalisco state in Mexico had not experienced a hurricane in over 50 years either and nothing ever like Patricia. While everyone here worries about "The Big One", you might want to consider the effects of "The Big Blow 2" when buying roofing materials or planting large evergreen trees near your house.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

 

January 18, 2016


Bus Drivers Forced Into Danger

I must admit I've had my fair share of media coverage over time but last year's Translink Referendum protest that I dreamed up was the gift that keeps on giving. It was Monday, March 16 when Translink mailed the ballots for the referendum to increase their funding. With the day off for good behaviour, I decided it was time to shame the fat-cat bureaucrats running our public transportation system and the greedy Mayor's who wanted even more tax-payer dollars to pay for their hair-brained schemes. Utilizing white coreplast signs left over from the previous Surrey civic election and some white tarps I had scrounged from a sheet metal company, I created a 40 foot tall "NO" sign in the middle of the unused portion of the south Surrey Park & Ride lot.

Of course this was after I'd sent out a news release to a large number of media contacts, ensuring that this little stunt received as much publicity as possible. After all, I did not have the $6 million that Translink would spend on their "Yes" campaign and the piece of modern art I created cost me zero dollars and zero cents since it was all recycled materials. I called it my "Translink Big Fat NO" protest and several reporters showed up to chronicle the event including a television crew from Global TV who took overhead drone shot. I posted a video of myself walking by dressed in a Surrey shirt, carrying a City of Surrey flag and telling people not to give the wasteful brass at Translink any more of their hard earned money. You can see it on YouTube where it has garnered a underwhelming 739 views and counting at this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KN7d2-kMDEo While it made the news that night, the clip of the Big Fat No has been played over and over on Global all year every time the Translink referendum came up.

This much maligned Translink Park & Ride lot at the intersection of Hwy. 99 and the KGB has seen plenty of press, almost all of it negative and justly well deserved. I was the first one to point out how this $4.5 million white elephant built by the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure for Translink would never be used for parking in my Nov. 25, 2013 TNT titled "Taxpayers Getting Steamrolled". This was followed on Feb. 26, 2014 when the Canadian Taxpayer Federation gave Translink a Golden Teddy award (its a gold painted pig actually) for wasteful government spending. I followed this up with another column in the WR Sun about how the pavement at the lot had sprung multiple leaks that would take more public money to fix in my May 26, 2014 TNT titled "Translink's New Park & Pool Lot." Simply scroll down into the archives to check out the previous The Naked Truths for the history behind this debacle before I plow into the latest Translink boondoggle involving their now infamous South Surrey Park & Ride lot.

The newest portion of this parking lot has long sat empty except for the occasional driver training, remote control car driving and Translink All-Stars road hockey game (find them on Facebook). That changed a few months back when a line of cars suddenly began parking in this deserted wasteland of asphalt close to the Hwy. 99 off ramp. It made no sense why a group of people would pay to park 275 metres away from the bus stop when there were still many open stalls at the old lot east of the KGB and close to the bus loop. I had my suspicions about who might be responsible and one day saw someone parking their car with the others already lined up in this out-of-the-way location. Wheeling my Jeep through the busy side by the bus loop and following the "More Parking" sign to the empty asphalt jungle, I drove up to confront the person busy securing his vehicle. It came as no surprise when I saw that he was wearing a Coast Mountain Bus Company jacket.

The vehicles you now see utilizing the new portion of the south Surrey Park & Ride lot are not paying customers but transit bus drivers. From what the man told me, Translink has instructed Coast Mountain Bus Company drivers to no longer park in the old well-used portion of the lot and instead put the far away empty lot to good use. I imagine the executives at Translink like finally having cars park in this lot where 367 stalls were usually empty. The drivers park along the far fence where their vehicles are under lights and visible to the traffic exiting off Hwy 99. The problem is that there are no security cameras anywhere on site and their vehicles are still a target with one driver having his truck stolen from there several months ago. Even more dangerous is he told me that drivers getting off shift at night must walk under the dimly lit KGB overpass where they often encounter young men spray painting graffiti or drinking beer beneath the bridge in an easily accessed covered area. The driver I talked to called the area "sketchy" after dark and expressed serious safety concerns about the new policy change especially for female drivers working late. Being a nice guy, I gave the driver a ride to the bus loop, saving him a long walk to work that daily totals half a kilometer.

Instead of worrying about optics, Translink should be more concerned with the safety of Coast Mountain Bus Company employees, not to mention exposing their vehicles to damage and theft. The south Surrey Park & Ride is a notorious crime spot where one of my employees had his Malibu sedan stolen and subsequently destroyed from this location several years ago. White Rock Sun editor Dave Chesney also knows of two people living in the Semi-pen who also had their cars ripped off from this lot over the past few years. I've seen Goodbye Graffiticrews painting over street art in this location many times over. Mandating bus drivers to park in an unsafe out-of-the-way location and forcing them to walk long distances when unnecessary and is something that needs to be challenged. I'm surprised that the bus driver's union has not stepped up to put a stop to this new practice that only fills a few stalls in the white elephant parking lot with cars. After all, its not like Translink is losing revenue since the original side is never full after they instituted the $2 parking fee the day the new lot was officially opened.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

JANUARY 11, 2016

Rich Man, Poor Man

 

I was fortunate enough to be on the receiving end of several Scratch & Wins, a Lotto Max and even a Show Home lottery ticket this Christmas and while I am still holding out hope on winning the White Rock mansion, the lottery tickets were a bust as usual. Thankfully the winds of fortune were in my sails and my ship came in, when only days later we received our 2016 Property Assessment Notice in the mail. While it was not Set For Life or Mega-Millions, the windfall was there in black and white with a $135,000 increase in property value for our home compared to 2015, which was double the hefty increase in estimated value for 2014. I grabbed the calculator and quickly figured out this year's rise corresponded to an increase of 16.75% over last year's estimated value. Sure beats the hell out of what Canada Savings Bonds were paying the last time I checked (1.2% in case you were wondering).

The numbers left me asking why I waste my time going to work since I would do just as well sitting around the house in my underwear drinking beer and watching Jerry Springer reruns. The increase on our property value equates to the value rising $370 for every day of the year! Of course I don't work every single day in servitude to my Masters of bills, mortgage and taxation so with weekends off, long weekends, holidays, a four day work week (10 hour days though), I calculated that for every day at work, the house jumped a staggering $720 each time I laced up the work boots, grabbed the lunch pail and headed out the door. Then of course you must consider that the increase in home value is tax free, CA-CHING! To bring home $720 for every day worked, I'd have to make well over a thousand dollars before the dreaded payroll deductions. I run several home based businesses but it is the house that is really bringing home the bacon these days without lifting a finger or breaking a sweat.

I'm obviously not alone in this huge real estate value jump for single family homes. Showing that the rich get richer, Lululemon founder Chip Wilson's Point Grey mansion went up 10.9% to almost $65 million, still good enough to win the title for the most expensive home in BC yet again. We knew that Vancouver prices were shooting skyward but the final numbers were beyond startling with the west side rising 23% to $1.94 million and the east stepping out at a 28% increase to a bargain basement price of only $1.27 million. According to BC Assessments, much of the Lower Mainland saw increases in value in the range of 15% to 20%, the Fraser valley saw increases of 5% to 20%, with south Surrey rising a modest 10% on average. Showing that west is best an east still least, White Rock west rose 14% to $1.27 million with the east lagging at 12% or $841.000. Total property assessments for Greater Vancouver were $630 billion, with the entire province of BC's nearly two million homes valued at $1.34 trillion (yes, that's with 12 zeros), an increase from last year into the double digits at 11.1 percent.

The issue with this red-hot housing market is that homes are becoming affordable to the average person. The influx of foreign capital, much of it from Asia, is flooding the market and resulting in multiple offers far in excess of the listing price. People offshore buying houses, not to live in or rent, but simply as vacant holding properties are helping to drive up the cost while creating ghost neighbourhoods and a lack of rental accomodation. My parents recently downsized from their log house on top of Chilliwack Mountain and while the people who bought their place paid under assessed value, they got nine offers and got a cool quarter million above their asking price for their house in south Delta, selling to a man from China. Two more of my folks neighbours houses also recently sold, one to an Iranian businessman who plans on using it as a cabin when in Vancouver (its a 4,500 sq. ft. log house worth over a million bucks) and the other went to a man from Indonesia who bought the home online without ever stepping foot onto the property let alone this country. Add our tail-spinning dollar down to a twelve year low of 70 cents and you can expect more foreign currency to flood our local housing market as the feeding frenzy continues.

If prices keep rising, some people will be forced to sell their houses simply because they can no longer afford the corresponding property tax increases. The letter of the day in Saturday's Vancouver Sun told of people looking to move with their property rising 34% in one year. Deferring property taxes is possible but this also eats into money possibly needed at a later date for expensive long-term care. The price jumps also push many above the ceiling for the homeowners grant, pegged at $1.1 million in 2015. The biggest question is how Surrey and White Rock City Hall's will adjust the Mill rate for the large increase in prices or if they will simply keep it set at last year's number and reap the financial reward off the backs of the tax payers. Watch for your property tax notice which should land at the door with a thud some time in May. It seems that some politicians here are finally taking notice of how skewed the real estate market has become with BC Finance Minister Mike DeJong announcing last week he had raised the home owner grant ceiling to $1.2 million. Even Vancouver's Mayor Moonbeam Gregor Robertson was brought down to earth by the assessment numbers and is now calling for a speculation and luxury home tax to cool the market that he now admits is "divorced from local incomes."

On a personal level, the extra $135,000 in my jeans should make for a nice bulge but unfortunately it comes with a price. I'm beginning to fear that my children will never be able to afford to purchase their own single family home in the Lower Mainland, even if the prices don't continue to climb. I was lucky in that I actually managed to move to and afford the Crescent Park neighbourhood that I wanted to live in since I was still in school. As luck would have it, I signed my new Last Will & Testament at the lawyers office last week, realizing that receiving my estate is likely the only way my kids would be able to scrape up the small fortune they'd likely need for a down payment. I'm estimating that my property taxes will likely be in the $300 a month range this year, showing that you never really own the land, you just rent it from the local government. That cost is okay now while my business is thriving but as I grow older and make retirement plans, will living in the Semiahmoo peninsula be unrealistic by that time? It may not matter because by then I'll likely be surrounded by empty mansions with the few folks actually living here not being able to speak English or read the White Rock Sun.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

January 04, 2016

 

Shaken, Not Stirred

 

I said shake rattle and roll
I said shake rattle and roll
I said shake rattle and roll
I said shake rattle and roll
Well you'll never do nothin'
To save your doggone soul
Lyrics from "Shake, Rattle and Roll, made famous by Bill Haley & His Comets

So there I was laying in bed last Tuesday night, almost asleep knowing that the alarm clock would go off in just over six hours when both my wife and I heard a loud bang that shook the house. My first thought was that it was someone attempting to break in, a natural reaction since we live in Surrey. The second idea that flashed through my head was that someone had drove a stolen car into the front of our house, again a natural reaction since we live in Surrey. Then when we started to feel the bed moving like someone had plugged a quarter into the Magic Fingers Relaxation Service box at a cheap King George Blvd. hotel that I realized that we were experiencing an earthquake. Resisting the urge to jump naked out of bed, adopt the "Hang 10" position and scream "surf's up!', I instead sat there and listened to the house creak and rattle while wondering how bad it was going to get. It didn't take long for things to quiet down and I quickly gave my amateur Richter Scale estimation of a mere 3.9 before drifting off to la-la-land.

Unfortunately my diagnosis didn't consider the epicenter only 17 km from Victoria or the depth of the quake, later calculated to be 50 km below the crust. The final earthquake rating was measured at 4.7 here by Earthquakes Canada or 4.9 across the line by the USGC. Far from the dreaded "THE BIG ONE" this put our latest shaker in the "Light" category along with the 30,000 others that occur across the planet on a yearly basis. While we rarely feel earthquakes, they are occurring across our province on a constant basis with many not even raising an eyebrow at various news services, often because of their remote locations. On the Earthquakes Canada website, they have a colour coded map featuring all of the earthquakes that have happened across the country in the past thirty days including a map of Western Canada. Take a second to visit it at the following link (earthquakescanada.nrcan.gc.ca/) and you will be amazed at just how many quakes happen in our mountainous province, most in the 2 to 3 Richter range. What is hard to fathom is that last week's shaker off Victoria was the fifth earthquake in BC measuring 4 or more in December alone.

My very first experience with an earthquake here was when my family had first moved to Richmond back in the mid 1960's (damn, I just dated myself). I remember waking up from a jolt that shook the house so strongly I was certain that King Kong had picked it up and dropped it. These are the things that go through a young child's mind when woken from sleep with the house shaking. While it did not do any damage, the tremor was strong enough to leave crack marks in the soil of my dad's garden bed. The next dare I say big one (notice no capitals) that I experienced was the Ash Wednesday earthquake in Nisqually near Seattle measured at 6.8 which caused billions of dollars in damage across the Puget Sound region of Washington State. By chance I was once again in Richmond but have to admit I felt nothing since I was walking near the Fraser River at the time. What clued me into the event was an elderly lady coming up to me and asking "Can you please tell me why my car won't stop moving?" By the time I'd figured out her vehicle was turned off and an earthquake responsible for the rocking, people started appearing on the balconies of a nearby apartment all yelling "Did you feel that?"

Around here it is the threat of a megathrust earthquake on the Cascadia Subduction Zone that is the cause for most worry among geologists and emergency services personnel. It is the 800 mile long stretch of fault line running from Oregon to BC where the Juan De Fuca plate meets the North American plate in an oceanic trench, just west of Vancouver Island in these parts. The last time there was a major earthquake here was on Jan. 26, 1700 based on carbon dating and Japanese Tsunami records. At an estimated strength of 8.7 to 9.2 it rates as the seventh strongest known recorded earthquake. Scientific study of deposits in coastal mudflats along our coast has revealed that these megathrust quakes occur on intervals averaging every 500 to 600 years with some as few as 100 to 300 years apart. While living in the Lower Mainland has its rewards, unfortunately it comes with a danger that we have not seen since the mouth of the Fraser was first visited by Europeans. I don't want to fear-monger but when the inevitable day comes that there is a margin rupture in the Cascadia Subduction Zone, you can expect an earthquake similar to the Boxing Day quake at Indonesia in 2004 or the more recent Japanese quake on March 11, 2011 that destroyed the Fukushima nuclear power plant. Besides five minutes or more of intense shaking, expect tidal waves 10-25 m. high across parts of the Pacific Ocean.

As usual, people get all excited about "THE BIG ONE" for a few days and then quickly forget about the threat and go about their everyday lives. Around these parts, having an earthquake preparedness kit should be as natural as having an umbrella to guard against the rain or sunscreen for down at White Rock beach. Earlier this week there was a great article in the WR Sun about a do it yourself emergency kit contained in a five gallon plastic bucket. It is still posted on the main page of the WR Sun or you can find it online at the following link (http://fivegallonideas.com/emergency-kit/). The Canadian Red Cross also has instructions on how to pack a disaster preparedness kit on their website at (http://www.redcross.ca/how-we-help/emergencies-and-disasters-in-canada/for-home-and-family/get-a-kit). Of course you can also purchase ready made kits for home, car or office online from a variety of emergency suppliers. A great resource about earthquakes here is the Cascadia Regional Earthquake Workgroup Crew (http://www.crew.org/earthquake-information/history-of-earthquakes-in-cascadia) that deals with the Cascadia Subduction Zone threat. Remember the lyrics from "Shake, Rattle & Roll" and take the time "to save your doggone soul" with last week's tremor hopefully shaking you out of your complacency.

THE BIG ONE may not happen in our lifetime or it may occur tomorrow but when it does it will be a major event in the history of the Pacific Northwest, one that may take decades to recover from. The only blessing living here in the Semiahmoo peninsula is that with Vancouver Island acting as a breakwater, it is expected that any Tsunami effects from the quake will only result in a wave 0.5-1 m. high here, meaning a low probability for flooding even in the low lying regions along Marine Drive in White Rock, Crescent Beach and the diked farming areas of Mud Bay. After all the doom and gloom, the sky is falling and the boy who cried wolf rhetoric, there's nothing like ending a TNT on a positive note.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

December 28, 2015


White Rock Craziness - It's The Water (Part 2)

Gee, and I thought I was the only person here who liked to give out Christmas presents (see my last TNT "Christmas Gift List 2015" below if you missed it). Not to be outdone, White Rock Mayor Baldwin announces that city staffers have decided to use chloramine to disinfect the city water supply. You don't have to jog very far down memory lane to the days when the artesian tap water of White Rock was a source of civic pride. I must admit that on several occasions I took empty carboys there to fill up with natural spring water to use for making home brew beer. Besides the high mineral content that was good for ales, the lack of chlorine made for better yeast growth shortening the brewing cycle. Then came the E. coli scare in 2010 with pigeon poop getting into the water system through the roof of the Merklin resevoir and Fraser Health mandating that chlorine be added to ensure proper disinfection even though not one person got sick. Now the decision has been made to use chloramine, a combination of chlorine and ammonia to ensure better water quality and less staining from manganese that is naturally present in the well water. I'm sure the owners of bottled water companies like Canadian Springs must be busy writing a thank you letter to City Hall for all the new customers they will soon be receiving. Look for their fleet of bright blue delivery vehicles to be joining the parade of private garbage trucks now roaming the streets of the Rock.

I have to chuckle as this topic takes me back to the second TNT that I ever wrote for the White Rock Sun way back on July 27, 2009 titled "White Rock Craziness - It's The Water." It questioned whether bizarre decisions made by power brokers at City Hall were being influenced by possible DMHO contamination of the water system. This tongue-in-cheek piece is still available online simply by scrolling down to the archived columns and heading way down into the basement to find it. Well worth the read, it brings to mind the famous quote "The more things change the more they stay the same." To be truthful, I considered simply copying the column from then and reprinting it here, adding a few notes updating it for the chloramine addition to the tap water. While this was rather appealing for its time savings in writing this column with a Christmas turkey hangover, it would have done a great disservice to the residents of White Rock considering that this is no laughing matter. Metro-Vancouver uses chlorine to disinfect their water system for a reason, because chloramine is much more dangerous to the environment and possibly to people.

The local Concerned Citizens Against Chloramine Committee group may have to be resurrected but 25 years ago the CCACC were busy appearing before Councils across the Lower Mainland. Their goal was to put pressure on local governments to stop the Greater Vancouver Water District (GVWD) plans of using chloramine to disinfect our drinking water. While both chlorine and chloramine are toxic to fish and aquatic life, chloramine degrades much more slowly, increasing the odds of a fish kill if this water is released into the environment. This can happen from water main breaks or leaks, watering lawns and vegetable gardens, washing cars and streets, accidental spills, fire fighting, storm sewer outfalls and commercial uses. Back in 1988 the GVWD operated a pilot project in South Surrey using chloramine to disinfect the water supply there for 70,000 residents. Two water main breaks in 1989 and 1990 flooded Fergus Creek with chloramine treated water resulting in large fish kills of fry in this salmon-bearing tributary. This resulted in the city of Surrey being fined for the damage and made to pay for river enhancement and salmonoid restocking. It was these sanitizings of Fergus Creek that led the GVWD to proceed with chlorine and not chloramine as the primary disinfectant of the surface water from the mountain watersheds that feed Lower Mainland pipes.

I could go into the long list of problems and health issues associated with the use of chloramine but instead would direct you to the Citizens Concerned About Chloramine (CCAC) from San Francisco, no relation to our CCACC except for their focus. Since you are already online, simply go to chloramine.org (click here) to read the eight pages of facts associated with chloramine and its use as a water disinfectant. If you live in White Rock I would strongly advise you to take the time to read this entire document and advise your neighbours to do the same. What all of this data shows is that there needs to be much more research into the health effects of chloramine as little study has been done to date. Because it is a known respiratory and skin irritant plus not easily removed from tap water, chloramine has been banned for use in public water systems in France, Germany and much of Europe. Unlike chlorine that evaporates from tap water or can be quickly boiled off, chloramine is difficult to remove requiring an activated charcoal filter followed by a reverse osmosis filtration system. You can forget about using your Brita to remove chloramine from your drinking water as it doesn't work plus there is no shower head chloramine filter available on the market, meaning you will have to wash with this chemical vaporizing in the confines of your shower stall.

At the end of the day, it will be up to White Rock residents whether they allow the rash decision to use chloramine for water disinfection in the City By The Sea to stand. The environmental risks are well known as showcased by the fish kills on nearby Fergus Creek in Surrey over 25 years ago. The health effects need to be investigated further with respiratory problems, skin disorders, digestive problems plus liver and kidney issues being well documented. For anyone on home kidney dialysis or utilizing the dialysis machines at the PAH, these life-saving machines cannot use chloraminated water because it will cause hemolytic anemia. For those people with fish ponds on their property or aquariums in their houses, now might be a good time to invest in a rainwater catch basin. The White Rock Beach Beer company will either have to install an expensive water filtration system or close its doors and move into Surrey as the chloramine in the water will work to kill the yeast in their beers. If the plan really is to revert back to chlorine once the manganese problem from the wells has been rectified, then maybe White Rockers should be willing to put up with some staining in their toilets until then instead of risking the health of the people and the environment.

One thing is for sure, as long as White Rock is the only city in the Lower Mainland using chloramine in their water ("A-butts-turd" relies on it in the Fraser Valley farm belt), there will be people who will not want to move here for that very reason. For me having chloraminated tap water is right up there with living next to high voltage power lines or under airport runway flight paths. While the artesian well water in White Rock used to be an attractive selling feature, the addition of chloramine to the water supply is a deterrent to investment and a headache for businesses where this chemical needs to be removed. For a tourist town that seemingly prides itself on its close association to the marine environment, adding chloramine to the water supply makes about as much sense as cutting down the forest on the Hump hillside. I know that I will not be drinking White Rock tap water and also avoiding restaurant businesses down on Marine Drive that serve it free of charge to unsuspecting diners. A decision of this magnitude needs to be made with the wishes of the citizens of White Rock in mind and if they don't want chloramine in their drinking water, it shouldn't be shoved or poured down their throats. After all folks we live in a democracy, not a dictatorship.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

Dec. 21, 2015

Christmas Gift List 2015

 


If there's one thing I love about Christmas it's the annual traditions and in the White Rock Sun this holiday spirited TNT is always special. Here's the list of naughty and nice gifts we hope Santa leaves under the tree for the movers, shakers and decision makers from the Semiahmoo peninsula, listed alphabetically so as not to offend anyone.

Cliff Annable/ Executive Director of the SS/WR Chamber of Commerce - A measuring tape and a copy of the Guinness book of World Records so he can show his good buddy Wayne Baldwin that White Rock's historic seaside dock is indeed the longest wooden pier in Canada.

Wayne Baldwin, Mayor of White Rock - A bright pink shirt and a copy of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms for censuring Councillor Dave Chesney over a comment written by yours truly that was posted in the White Rock Sun. Freedom of thought and expression plus freedom of the press are important, even in a small town like White Rock.

Dario Bartoli & Hudson Brooks - In the first posthumous Christmas present in the TNT, justice for both of these young men. For 15 year-old Dario who was murdered in Bakerview Park just over a year ago, a call to Crimestoppers with info about the killers. For 20 year-old Hudson Brooks, the release of the Independent Investigations Office report on his fatal shooting at the South Surrey RCMP Detachment.

Randy Caine, entrepreneur - For the man who brought both Hempyz Gifts, Novelties and More to town followed by the ReLeaf Compassion Centre, the keys to storefront medicinal marijuana dispensaries in both White Rock and Surrey free from political posturing or police interference, just like in the trendy cappuccino sipping city of Vancouver.

Dave Chesney, White Rock Councilor - Just to prove that I don't play favourites this time of year, a package of Johnsonville Brats and a pair of men's Lululemon yoga pants size small that should fit perfectly with ill-advised comments made on the Goddard Report. For the other Dave Chesney who is the editor of the White Rock Sun, the keys to the city.

Joy Davies, ex-Liberal candidate - For the lady who was thrown under Justin Trudeau's Liberal election bus for pro-pot comments and removed from the ballot here prior to the Federal election, membership in a truly green party; the Green Party of Canada with leader Elizabeth May. Unfortunately getting elected might require a move to Vancouver Island.

Helen Fathers, WR Councillor - For the woman who is the moral compass of White Rock, a GPS unit to keep her on the straight and narrow during turbulent times. Can also be used to show White Rock Coalition Councillors the boundaries of the OCP that doesn't allow for 20+ story towers on former EPCOR lands along Oxford Street.

Andrew Hammond, Ottawa Senators goaltender - This NHLer from White Rock got his Christmas present 10 days early when he was recalled to the Sens almost a month after suffering a concussion during practice. As a stocking stuffer, another storybook Cup run like last year and a chance to drink champagne from Lord Stanley's mug.

Linda Hepner, Mayor of Surrey - A new shooting range in Surrey so firearm enthusiasts in her community can practice their marksmanship. I'd suggest the stretch of 128 St. from 64 Ave. to 80 avenue. in Newton where much of the lead from an ongoing gangland turf war is flying. As a stocking stuffer a new City of Surrey motto, "Give it Your Best Shot."

Russ Hiebert, former SS/WR MP - A "Gold Rush" scratch and win lottery ticket from the BC Lottery Corp. It doesn't matter if he wins or not as we got to watch Russ ride off into the sunset of his political career with a gold-plated pension from Ottawa jingling and jangling in his saddlebags. Hi-Ho Silver, Awayyy!

Judy Higginbotham, Liberal candidate - A two week holiday in Ottawa hanging with the Trudeau's so she can reminisce about what might have been if she was the SS/WR Liberal candidate from the onset of the Federal election campaign. Instead Judy was a late-comer to the Harper heave-ho that saw the Liberals sweep the rest of the Surrey ridings.

Pixie Hobby, NDP candidate - In the spirit of the season and with her political persuasion in mind, a box of Japanese Mandarin oranges to share with friends in Crescent Beach. If you didn't get it the first time, read this again slowly while waiting for the "ah-ha" moment.

Gordie Hogg, MLA SS/WR - Flood insurance and home renovations after a neighbour's above ground pool collapsed this summer filling the Hogg's basement with water. I would have suggested a Koi fish pond for the house but I heard he'd already turned his indoor basketball court into one.

Dennis Lypka, White Rock Council candidate - A truck load of packing boxes as he gives up on White Rock and moves from his ocean view penthouse in the Bel-Air tower to the Morgan Creek Golf course in south Surrey. As a going-away present a T-shirt printed with "Living in Surrey Means Never Having to Say You're White Rock."

Dennis Maskall, Railway Safety Inspector - For this Transport Canada employee that oversaw many forced safety improvements along the promenade in White Rock last year, a "Landslide Detector Fence" along the bottom of the Hump hillside after doing nothing to stop White Rock from clearing trees from the steep slide prone slope above the BNSF tracks.

Gus Melonas, BNSF Railway Spokesperson - With the Fraser Surrey Docks being given approval from Port Metro Vancouver to export four million tons of US coal to China, a smoking chunk of coal for his stocking. As a bonus, a railroad trip through Beijing without a surgical mask to enjoy the "Red Alert" smog from all the outdated coal-fired power stations.

Marty Vanderzalm, Way-To-Grow businessman - To this proud Surreyian who formed "Friends of Old Canada", a big Canadian Maple Leaf flag to fly next to the carved wooden beaver at the entrance to the "Mud Bay Village" Art Knapps store. If the last name sounds familiar, yes he is a relative of the former Mayor of Surrey and ex-Premier of BC.

Dianne Watts, MP for SS/WR - A deadbolt door lock so she can feel safe in her bedroom from the ever present threat of Jihadist terrorists and "Surreyian" immigrants. Also a sun lamp for the dark days that this star Conservative candidate, now brought down to earth, has to spend on the Official Opposition benches as a member of the shadow cabinet.

White Rock Coalition Councillors Megan Knight, Bill Lawrence, Grant Meyers & Lynn Sinclair - For the very first time a group gift is needed for members of the White Rock Coalition. Chainsaws for everyone and a wood chipper to share for those that allowed the Hump hillside forest to be chopped down all along the beach. Also a copy of the novel "The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse" to read when they can't sleep at night.

Merry Christmas everyone and have a happy New Year planning your safe ride home.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

Editors Note:

Present for Don? Careful what you ask for!

 

 

December 14, 2015


$lope $tability $tupidity

photos courtesy John B Vye

It isn't easy to find but if you visit the City of White Rock website, hit the "Council & Committees" tab, scroll down the Council Meetings page and click on the 2015 Agendas and Minutes, it will take you to the Dec. 14 meeting notice. There are three downloads listed, the "Meeting Notice" detailing yet another behind doors in-camera meeting, the "Special" that adopts minutes from previous special meetings before going in-camera, and "Regular" that lists the whopping 156 pages of notes and reports being dealt with during Monday night's Council meeting. If I haven't already bored you asleep or you're just coming back with a Gravol pill and bottle of Pepto Bismol in hand, don't worry as I'm finally getting to the old nitty gritty. Scrolling down to page 31 you will come across a very interesting Corporate Report from Greg St. Louis, White Rock's Director of Engineering titled "Marine Drive Hump Slope Stability and Vegetation Removal Project Update." To make it easy, here is the direct link (Click Here) and look for page 31.

If you live in White Rock and thought that spiel was nauseating, you might want to pop that Gravol and wash it back with a good slug of that chaulky pink bubblegum medicine because once you read this Corporate Report detailing the clear-cutting of the Hump you'll probably want to blow a fuse, blow a gasket or maybe all of the above. It turns out that the work to flatten the hillside has now morphed into a three year plan that has been split into two sections, retaining wall work and vegetation removal. It details how the retaining wall work is now complete and how "a significant amount of vegetation was removed to gain access to the walls to inspect and perform the work." Really I didn't notice the new moonscape beside the promenade. Its interesting when you consider that the retaining wall work was completed at the top of the hillside and yet for reasons unknown they needed to cut down almost every tree and shrub between Marine Drive and the BNSF tracks across the entire Stump, I mean Hump.

The report goes on to state their geotechnical consultant found trees previously topped with significant decay, making one wonder why White Rock topped many trees near the pier several years ago during their first view improvement project? With concern over slope stability where the latest trees have been cut down, the slope was then hydroseeded this summer with a seed mixture, somehow thinking that grass and small plants would hold the steep slope better than the roots of mature stable trees. This explains why they were strangely watering the hill with sprinklers this summer during the drought. Even more disturbing was their admission that "there were a significant number of trees removed along the slope that were leaning downslope or had 'pistol butt' trunks indicating a possible slope creep." This should have come as no surprise since the sidewalk railings on Marine Drive that were replaced five years ago were leaning towards the beach at a 10-20 degree angle. Cutting down trees that indicate soil movement is sheer madness since their roots bind the soil and they remove moisture from the earth through evapotranspiration increasing slope stability.

A historical picture taken from the White Rock pier circa 1920 shows a large lateral slump slide 150 feet long and approximately 10 feet high where the entire hillside slumped closest to West beach soon after it was last clear cut. This photo also includes four other vertical slides on the Hump, several which are now plainly visible since the trees were cut down. The Mayor and his clear-cut councilors should know about it as it sits in a photo album on the front desk of city hall. The latest Hump report details a fresh lateral slide recently found measuring 100 feet long by 8 feet high close to the Totem poles on West Beach. Calling it a "potential slope failure zone", the city advised the BNSF Railway of their concern and immediately stopped work in the area. While this entire project has been sold on the merits of slope stability, it is worth noting that the report states "No additional trees will be removed in this area until BNSF determines their course of action." Funny how they leave trees near this new slide area for slope stability but yet everywhere else cutting the trees somehow reduces the slide risk to Marine Drive and the railway tracks below?

All of these troubling details aside, it is the accounting in this report that should cause the most consternation for the tax payers of White Rock who already pay a third more taxes than those living in south Surrey. The Marine Drive retaining wall replacement was budgeted in 2015 for $225,000, with city staff projecting a savings of $75,000 from lower than expected construction costs. The so-called "Marine Drive Hump Slope Stability and Vegetation Replacement" costs are $150,000 (less $29,000 in savings taken from the construction) for this year, with a further $80,000 in 2016 and $90,000 in 2017 for more consulting, vegetation removals and replanting. In total a whopping $320,000 is being spent to clear cut the Hump and replace the forest with scraggy shrubs that likely will not provide the slope stability afforded by the mature forest that originally stood there. The lonely "Eagle Tree" will remain, sticking out high above White Rock beach like a sore thumb.

The hilarious part about this fiasco is that this land is owned by the BNSF Railway and when the draft of the Vegetation Management Plan for the Hump is finally complete, the city will still need the BNSF's approval before they commence the work. Instead of blowing nearly a third of a million tax payers dollars on this project, maybe someone at City Hall could have have asked the BNSF to pay for improvements to the land that they own. After all, its not like Warren Buffet who owns the BNSF and is worth an estimated $45 billion couldn't afford a little landscaping bill. The $320,000 spent on Railway land is certainly less than the $400,000 that White Rock now pays to the Railway annually for their parking lot lease along Marine Drive. You should know that in 2008 the city negotiated a $50,000 reduction in their waterfront lease payment in exchange for various upgrades provided at that time on BNSF property. Was someone asleep at the switch for not asking for a discount this time around?

Until this absurd, bizarre and unnecessary project is completed and for many years afterwards while the replanting roots take hold, it is likely the Hump hillside will be under a significantly higher landslide threat especially during heavy rains like what we have recently experienced. Any forester, arborist, engineer or geologist worth his salt knows that bigger tree roots dramatically increase the shear strength of steep hillsides reducing the slide risk. The Hump hillside should not have been clear cut and large trees need to be part of any replanting plan even if I have to install them myself. If a landslide from the Hump happens in the future and a passing train is derailed or people hurt, I'd like to know who will be held accountable so the RCMP can file charges for this crime against Mother Nature that defies simple common sense.

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

 

December 07, 2015


Tall Trees Make For Great Neighbours

Advice From a Tree

Stand tall and proud
Go out on a limb
Remember your roots
Drink plenty of water
Be content with your natural beauty
Enjoy the view!
(Shortened version of Ilan Shamir's poem "Advice From a Tree.")

 

Last week's TNT was supposed to feature arboristic issues from three different neighbourhoods but after seeing the deforestation devastation on the newly renamed "Stump" hillside in White Rock, that part of the story took centre stage. Looking to branch out and go out on a limb, here is the rest of that subject that hopefully won't leaf me barking up the wrong tree.

Growing up in North Delta long ago when it truly was "the sticks" I had plenty of time to explore the second growth forests that at the time was all around our neighbourhood. This included what is now the Watershed Park and the various gulleys that drained from the hillside into Burns bog. Besides the various animals roaming the bush and aquatic life swimming in the creeks and streams, it was the really big trees that I found fascinating and searched them out in long hikes through the deep woods. It was likely this connection with nature that led me into a career in the horticulture field, interest in landscaping, naturism and environmental conservation. My eco-conciousness tinges my politics with a shade of Green and helps to steer the selection of topics for this weekly column in the WR Sun.

When I purchased my first home in Brookswood, Langley, part of the draw was the property that had Western Red cedars with trunks that measured four feet across. Our lot backed onto the ravine with Anderson Creek that was host to a wide array of wild animals, bald eagles that flew through our yard and six foot wide cedars down close to the water's edge. A short walk upstream was a grove of Douglas Firs that the loggers had missed a century before with multiple trunks between six and eight feet across, sort of like a small Cathedral Forest on Vancouver Island. Here in Crescent Park, besides being walking distance to the ocean, the presence of large conifers creates a park-like atmosphere. Unfortunately the way things are going with the rapid pace of redevelopment and construction of monster houses on relatively small plots of land, the canopy is being cut down faster than an excavator can bulldoze its way through an old summer cottage.

Case in point is the property just around the corner from where I live that earlier had an old rancher moved off the lot by Nickel's Bros. Moving. It was ringed with large Douglas Firs, many with trunks two feet in diameter. As I drove by one day, there in the front yard was a logging truck loading up the lumber that had been felled from the lot. While there were seven trees of size still standing mostly on Surrey boulevard property, seven others weren't so lucky and in a few days their stumps had been dug out and piled near the road. Just like that half of the tree canopy in this yard that had been growing for decades was suddenly gone. This got me thinking that maybe on lots with mature trees that the size of the house should be related to the area that would not mean the mass removal of trees. While they say bigger is better and more is best, I have to wonder why we now need to build 5,000 square foot houses for only two people to live in?

I'm not the only one questioning the developer's practice of clear-cutting trees allowing for the biggest mansion possible. There are now people who will not live in White Rock because it is becoming devoid of trees and life with stucco houses jammed so close together that if you fart you have to say "excuse me" to your neighbour. I doubt that the recent razing of much of the "Stump" hillside above the White Rock boulder will impress those looking for a more natural lifestyle. In Brookswood and Fernridge in the Township of Langley, Council enacted a tree bylaw in 2014 prohibiting the clear-cutting of lots, limiting tree removal to eight trees or twenty percent of the trees on the parcel of land, whichever is less. Adding some teeth, those convicted of violating the bylaw by damaging or removing protected trees face a fine between $500 and $10,000 per tree. Needless to say, with these serious fines they are not having a problem with builders hacking and slashing from property line to property line to their heart's content.

A little closer to home in the Kwomais Point neighbourhood, residents there are looking to downsize homes, preserving the character of their neighbourhood and save stands of tall trees favoured by eagles. In September, the City of Surrey responding to a petition from 148 area residents passed a bylaw that switched zoning for a portion of Ocean Park between 128 and 126A streets, south from 16 Avenue from single-family residential (RF) to comprehensive-development (CD). This change reduced the maximum size of houses permitted on the 5,000-sq. ft. lots to 2,600 square feet and limited height to 26.5 feet for a house with a steeply-sloping roof with outbuildings more than 16.5 feet high.. This effectively "downzoned" the area in order to preserve trees and stop the construction of out-of-place "monster homes." Now another ten blocks near Kwomais Point Park with close to 200 lots located between 128 and 130 Streets from 14 Ave. south to the bluff received the support of seventy-five per cent of residents for downzoning and is expected to go to a public hearing next spring.

Integral to this change was the formation of two Facebook pages, the "Kwomais Point Neighbourhood" and the "Ocean Park Neighbors" that have drawn residents together to fight to keep this corner of the Semiahmoo peninsula heavily treed with big evergreens. If you regularly travel through Ocean Park you might have seen one of the many "Big Trees - Not Big Houses in Ocean Park" posters adorning bus shelters, hydro poles and letter boxes. Through regular postings and photos of clear-cut destruction, these FB pages have helped rally concerned citizens to try and preserve the environment that drew many to this little corner of south Surrey. On Wednesday Dec. 9 at 7 p.m., there is a community meeting at the historic Ocean Park Community Hall at 1577 128 St. with representatives from the City of Surrey coming out to answer questions and address concerns about the possible rezoning application for this other portion of Ocean Park. If you'd like to learn how you can "microzone" your neighbourhood and stop the clear-cutting of trees, put a hold on your Christmas shopping for one night and plan on attending.

 

Naturally yours,
Don Pitcairn

 

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