I went to the National Indigenous People's Day Celebration at the Bill Reid Amphitheatre this weekend in Cloverdale and took the opportunity to visit the many tents with information for the indigenous population living in Surrey. I ended up talking to a member of the Surrey Fire Service and telling them about a fire in Crescent Park last summer next to the #12 Fire Hall that a buddy who was a former VFD Captain found while walking his dog. It was this female firefighter who informed me about the Alertable Emergency Notification System that Surrey has been using for the past three years. What I found really interesting about this app based alert system is that I had never heard about it before. Considering the SFS has made emergency visits to our house three times in the past 17 years, I take fire safety very seriously.
Most people here are quite aware of the BC Emergency Alerts from the tests that come in over our cell phone networks and also for amber alerts. The Alertable Emergency Notification System is different from that and allows you to receive emergency alerts tailored to your specific needs, location and delivered via three different delivery methods that you choose. This Canadian made app can be downloaded for free on OIS or Android from the App Store and you can also get email, text messages or even a phone call. What really makes this system interesting is that the notifications can be tailored by the type of emergency and level of severity. Even more impressive is that you can select many alert locations, including home, work, school, family, friends, vacation spots and more.
A visit to the Alertable website shows the various alerts presently ongoing on a map across Canada. On a side table it lists the current alerts that are in effect, their location and detailed information. When writing this TNT there were alerts for thunderstorms, heavy rainfall, tornadoes, earthquake report, heat warnings, air quality, wildfire, recreational swim advisories, road closures, transportation incidents, drug poisonings, planned power outages, fire bans, and even a report from Athabasca, AB advising residents when their property taxes are due. Looking at the various advisories that were in effect, they did correlate to different emergencies and warnings that I had heard about across Canada through media sources. Alertable is an indispensable tool when travelling, if you own more than one property or are worried about friends or family in an area affected by an alert advisory.
On the subject of community safety here, the Surrey Fire Service operates HomeSafe to help reduce residential fires in neighbourhoods with high fire rates. They do this by providing or installing free smoke alarms, giving out fire safety information and conducting free visits to identify potential fire risks in your home. Your home can be inspected by a firefighter or HomeSafe volunteer to ensure that smoke alarms are properly installed and working, check extension cords for inappropriate use, move heating appliances and candles away from combustibles and look for cooking and smoking hazards. It is important to realize that single family homes are the most common building in Surrey to have fires. For this reason, we have fire extinguishers at every exit point of the house, which are always charged and easy to locate.
Here are some important points to consider when reviewing fire safety for your home:
Smoke alarms need to be changed every 10 years, tested monthly, with batteries replaced yearly.
Working smoke alarms are required by law to be mounted on the ceiling outside of all sleeping areas.
Having anyone under the age of 6 or over the age of 64 in the home increases the likelihood of fire.
Smoking materials at home, located in low socio-economic zones or rural areas increases fire risk.
Half of residential fires are caused by cooking, usually from grease fires or leaving food unattended.
Using space heaters, wrong size extension cords and the burning of candles heightens fire risk.
70% of all structure fires in the City of Surrey occur in people's homes.
Here are some links to emergency alert and fire safety websites from this TNT. Stay safe out there!
Surrey Police Service (SPS) is investigating an overnight shooting early Monday morning in the parking lot of Mud Bay Park that sent one person to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
At approximately 12:15 am on June 23, 2025, SPS Frontline officers were called to a local hospital for a report from hospital staff that a man had shown up with a gunshot wound. Officers arrived and after speaking with the victim and several witnesses, were able to determine that the shooting happened earlier in the night in the parking lot of Mud Bay Park.
SPS Frontline Investigative Support Team (FLIST) officers have taken over the lead in the investigation and at this time it appears that the shooting happened during a confrontation between two groups of men in the parking lot at Mud Bay Park and the victim, a man in his 20’s, was driven to hospital by friends. He has since been released from hospital. At this early stage, the motive for the shooting is unknown and there is no suspect information to share.
If you witnessed the shooting or have any information, including CCTV or dashcam footage, please call Surrey Police Service at 604-599-0502 and quote file 2025-51575 (SP).
Recreation and Culture made a splash at the Hyack Parade on May 24 in New Westminster, where White Rock’s summer themed float won the Mayor’s Award for Best Float!
Huge thanks to the organizers for celebrating our contribution to this vibrant multicultural event!
Look out for it right here in White Rock at the Torchlight Parade during Sea Festival and Semiahmoo Days Aug 2!
Surrey/White Rock residents—did you know this is happening?
A 225-truck, industrial-scale gravel parking lot is being proposed right next to the Little Campbell River, a salmon stream fed by a sensitive, shallow aquifer—and it’s being pushed through using a Temporary Use Permit that skips key environmental protections.
According to A Rocha Canada, the City’s own storm-water management plan says this kind of development is not recommended in this area. The groundwater here supports important fish habitat, and increased runoff could have ongoing impacts on water quality.
Clean fresh water and wild salmon are among BC’s most important resources. They shouldn’t be the price we pay for poorly planned development.
Surrey residents—you currently have an opportunity to let City Council know how you feel about this project. A Rocha has made it easy to send a letter before the June 23 deadline
The Surrey Eagles are pleased to introduce our new General Manager & Head Coach Brian Passmore!
A native of Mississauga, ON, Drafted to the NHL Minnesota Wild 7th round in 2000. Brian played for 13 seasons at the major junior and professional level, including four seasons in the OHL putting up 171 points.
Brian previously served as GM & Head Coach with the Cowichan Valley Capitals & Merritt Centennial’s of the BCHL.
“I want to thank the Surrey Eagles organization for the incredible opportunity to be part of its rich history and tradition of success. Coaching is a true passion of mine, and I’m excited to help our players reach their highest potential both on and off the ice.” - Brian
Plan Your B.C. Holiday Driving
Manning Park Forest Fire Sign 1960's and 70's
People driving throughout British Columbia this summer can get access to reliable road and weather conditions on provincial highways with a newly updated DriveBC platform.
The new DriveBC platform features a simplified map and a cleaner, more intuitive design for desktop and mobile users. A new interactive map replaces the previous mobile text-based layout, offering a more visual, streamlined way to explore road conditions and updates.
The platform integrates provincial and regional travel advisories and bulletins, offering clearer updates on challenging weather conditions, emergencies and other events happening on provincial highways.
The updates are based on feedback from user surveys, interviews, and consultation with the public, commercial drivers and stakeholders. To help the site continually improve, users will be able to provide ongoing feedback.
To help with the transition, users will still have access to the legacy site for a few months: https://legacy.drivebc.ca/
The city if White Rock has heard from hundreds of White Rock residents who shared their insights by completing the first Community Hub survey, which focused on Community Needs and Services. With over 400 responses and many more joining us at public engagement events, your input has been invaluable.
Now, Survey #2 is live! This time, the city is exploring Space Use, Amenities, and Location.
In 2016 58 year old PATRICIA ANN WILSON was found to be unresponsive in a jail cell in the White Rock RCMP lockup.
It is the usual process when a death in police custody happens an inquest is ordered to determine the cause of death.
In a May 2024 report, IIO's chief civilian director Ron MacDonald concluded “that (Wilson’s) death was the cumulative result of poor training, lack of adherence to established policies, the misinterpretation of her symptoms, and the established protocols that invited mistakes by those charged with her care, in particular the police officers and civilian guards.”
The inquest was originally scheduled to begin yesterday (June 16) and continue through to June 25.
There is no further information and no new date has been confirmed at press time.
Join the City of White Rock for the second Open House for the Official Community Plan (OCP) Update 2025 project on Thursday, June 26, 2025, from 4 to 8 p.m. at the White Rock Community Centre.
The countdown is on! The 2025 Canada Cup International Softball Championship is just around the corner, and now you can plan your visit—the full schedule is officially released!
See which teams are playing when, and where the action will unfold.
According to 
Clean fresh water and wild salmon are among BC’s most important resources. They shouldn’t be the price we pay for poorly planned development.
Surrey residents—you currently have an opportunity to let City Council know how you feel about this project. A Rocha has made it easy to send a letter before the June 23 deadline 
