South Delta Leader March , 2014

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southdeltaleader.com A1 Friday, March 7, 2014 Feeling the love - Tsawwassen Collison looked after my fender bender and had me up and running like new. No beating their quality and experience:) 4 out of 4 honks Coupe’ Sedanna Quality a car appreciates! 604.943.6383 17-1835 56th St. Tsawwassen (Behind McDonalds) Boundary Bay Airport flying high CZBB eyes future growth as Island Express Air begins scheduled passenger service from South Delta to Victoria this month A10 A war of words over wages and wait times at Delta- port has escalated into violence, as a Delta trucker was struck and injured by a rock while driving on the South Fraser Perimeter Road on Monday. A convoy of six trucks and three vehicles belonging to Aheer Transportation was headed to Deltaport when the large rock shattered the driver’s side window of one truck, hitting the driver in the head. Crown counsel has dropped criminal charges against two top junior hockey players for the South Delta-based Vancouver Giants, following their successful comple- tion of the alternative measures program. Right-wing- er Jackson Houck and defenceman Brett Kulak were charged with assault causing bodily harm after police were called to a house party in Tsawwassen last August. Trucker attacked as dispute boils over No grow A4 Council bans medical pot production Southlands’ next test A6 Controversial plan heads to Metro Vancouver e Delta Ice Hawks were eliminated from the first round of the Pacific Junior Hockey League playoffs Sun- day at Sungod Arena, losing to the visiting North Van- couver Wolf Pack by score of 4-3. e Wolf Pack took the best-of-seven series four games to two. Ice Hawks lose series to Pack 4-2 Face to face A7 Wine and dine with Rotary See story, A3 Charges against Giants dropped See story, A13 - Adrian MacNair photo FRIDAY ∙ MARCH 7 ∙ 2014 southdeltaleader.com See story, A3

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Transcript of South Delta Leader March , 2014

Page 1: South Delta Leader March , 2014

southdeltaleader.com A1Friday, March 7, 2014

Feeling the love - Tsawwassen Collison looked after my fender bender and had me up and running like new. No beating their quality and experience:)

4 out of 4 honks

Coupe’ Sedanna

Quality a car

appreciates!

604.943.6383 17-1835 56th St. Tsawwassen (Behind McDonalds)

❙ Boundary Bay Airport � ying high CZBB eyes future growth as Island Express Air begins scheduled passenger service from South Delta to Victoria this month A10

A war of words over wages and wait times at Delta-port has escalated into violence, as a Delta trucker was struck and injured by a rock while driving on the South Fraser Perimeter Road on Monday.

A convoy of six trucks and three vehicles belonging to Aheer Transportation was headed to Deltaport when the large rock shattered the driver’s side window of one truck, hitting the driver in the head.

Crown counsel has dropped criminal charges against two top junior hockey players for the South Delta-based Vancouver Giants, following their successful comple-tion of the alternative measures program. Right-wing-er Jackson Houck and defenceman Brett Kulak were charged with assault causing bodily harm after police were called to a house party in Tsawwassen last August.

Trucker attacked as dispute boils over

No grow ❙ A4Council bans medical pot production

Southlands’ next test ❙ A6Controversial plan heads to Metro Vancouver

� e Delta Ice Hawks were eliminated from the � rst round of the Paci� c Junior Hockey League playo� s Sun-day at Sungod Arena, losing to the visiting North Van-couver Wolf Pack by score of 4-3. � e Wolf Pack took the best-of-seven series four games to two.

Ice Hawks lose series to Pack 4-2

Face to face ❙ A7Wine and dine with Rotary

❙ See story, A3

Charges against Giants dropped

❙ See story, A13

- Ad

rian

Mac

Nai

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oto

FRIDAY ∙ MARCH 7 ∙ 2014 ❙ southdeltaleader.com

❙ See story, A13

❙ See story, A3

Wine and dine with Rotary

Page 2: South Delta Leader March , 2014

Friday, March 7, 2014A2 southdeltaleader.com

Page 3: South Delta Leader March , 2014

southdeltaleader.com A3Friday, March 7, 2014

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southdeltaleader.com A3Friday, March 7, 2014

Crown counsel has dropped criminal charges against two top junior hockey players for the South Delta-based Vancouver Giants, following their success-ful completion of the alternative measures program.

Right-winger Jackson Houck, 19, and defenceman Brett Kulak, 20, were charged with assault caus-ing bodily harm after police were called to a small house party in Tsawwassen last August. Kulak was also charged with uttering threats.

Although Crown spokesman Neil MacKenzie wouldn’t speak to the speci�cs of the case, he said when a person is recommended for the alternative measures pro-gram a requirement includes the individual accepting responsibili-ty for their conduct.

“Obviously one of the objectives from the Crown–as set out in the policy–is that the accused in the case accept responsibility for the actions that have been alleged against them,” he said.

�e Crown still has to be satis-�ed that the case meets charge assessment standards and would have a substantial likelihood of

conviction if it went to trial.To qualify for the alternative

measures program Kulak and Houck were required to do com-munity service and take coun-selling for both drug and alcohol substance abuse and anger man-agement. �ey also had to write an essay explaining how having a criminal record would impact their lives as professional hockey players and send a letter of apolo-gy to the victim.

�e alternative measures pro-gram is usually involved in cases where o�enders have no prior criminal history.

A war of words over wages and wait times at Deltaport has escalat-ed into violence, as a Delta trucker was struck and injured by a rock while driving on the South Fraser Perimeter Road on Monday.

It was 2:30 a.m. and a convoy of six trucks and three vehicles belonging to Aheer Transportation was head-ed to Deltaport when a large rock shattered the driver’s side window of one truck and hit the driver in the head.

“We are absolutely shocked about what kind of damage this could have done had the driver been knocked out with that rock,” said owner Shinda Aheer, who was driv-ing next to the trucker. “De�nitely it would have been disastrous.”

He said the trucks didn’t slow down or stop after the incident, fearing for their safety along the dark stretch of highway. In fact, he had set out at those unusual hours in order to ensure his drivers and vehicles would be safe.

�e incident comes days after

Port Metro Vancouver surveillance video captured what appears to be someone cutting a truck’s brake line on port property. Both were reported to the B.C. Trucking As-sociation, which has documented several other aggressive actions by protesters.

Since then, Aheer said non-union-ized members of the United Truck-ers Association has been picketing outside his gates.

“I don’t have ships coming into my yard,” he said. “Why are these non-

union guys blocking my yard and threatening people?”

Ian Boyko, a communications representative for Unifor-Vancou-ver Container Truckers’ Association (VCTA), denounced the allegations of violence on Tuesday afternoon.

“We’re in favour of peaceful, non-violent protest, and we think there’s plenty of options for mem-bers and non-members to express their frustration with the Port and the employers,” he said.

But Boyko said employers and

Port Metro Vancouver are “making a lot of noise about isolated inci-dents” to distract from the import-ant issues.

“We’re trying to make the issue about getting our members fair wages and �xing problems with lineups at the Port and they’re probably a bit more interested in changing the channel,” he said.

On �ursday morning Boyko said mediator Vince Ready will meet with the union in an attempt to bring a resolution to the impasse.

However, he warned if no progress is made the union will have no op-tion but to put up picket lines.

Port Metro Vancouver has agreed in principle to an eight-point pro-posal provided by the BC Trucking Association and the shipping in-dustry. Among the recommended approaches is to extend operating hours, change how fees are charged and conduct audits of trucking companies.

Port spokesman John Parker-Jer-vis said the current disruption at the port is having a serious impact on the free �ow of goods through the Vancouver Gateway. Truck op-erations at container terminals are running at roughly 15 per cent of normal operations.

Since the rock-throwing incident, Aheer has arranged for a security guard to ride with each trucking convoy that heads to Deltaport. �at extra cost is only compound-ing big losses from the labour situ-ation.

He said not only has it cost his business thousands of dollars a day, it’s hurting the other businesses that rely on his shipments.

“I’ve had emails, concerns, and in fact one of the biggest exporters called me this morning and said they need product moved out,” he said. “�eir warehouse is full.”

❙ Assault charges were dropped this week against Vancouver Giants Brett Kulak (on left) and Jackson Houck (on right).

❙ Adrian MacNair REPORTER [email protected]

❙ Continued on A6

Assault charges dropped against Vancouver Giants

Trucker attacked as dispute boils over

❙ Adrian MacNair REPORTER [email protected]

❙ Shinda Aheer, owner of Aheer Transporta-tion, holds the rock which was thrown through the window of one of his trucks on the South Fraser Perim-eter Road, hitting the driver. Adrian MacNair photo

Union calling for gov’t to appoint mediator in port strike

Page 4: South Delta Leader March , 2014

Friday, March 7, 2014A4 southdeltaleader.com

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A4 southdeltaleader.com Friday, March 7, 2014

Delta Council has passed by-laws that will prohibit the pro-duction of medical marijuana anywhere within its boundaries.

Council approved a recommen-dation on Feb. 24 to send a letter to the Ministry of Community, Sport and Cultural Development requesting an amendment to the Assessment Act that will prohib-it the commercial production of medical marijuana from qualify-ing for farm classi�cation. �en on Feb. 25, council voted 5-0 to prohibit medical marijuana as a permitted use across all zones in the municipality, following a pub-lic hearing on the matter. Couns. Scott Hamilton and Robert Campbell were not present.

Deputy planning director Mar-cy Sangret said the bylaws were introduced separately because bylaws pertaining to property within the Agricultural Land Re-serve requires the consent of the provincial minister of agriculture.

“�e new methods of producing medical marijuana are coming, there is no question about that,” said Coun. Bruce McDonald. “What Delta’s intent here is to create a situation where the com-munity has some control of the things that are happening within our community.”

He said prohibiting the pro-duction of marijuana in zoning bylaws only sets the restriction, but that it can still be permitted by the municipality on a case-by-case basis following a public hearing. But some speakers were opposed to the new bylaws, argu-ing it would further push marijua-na production underground and into the hands of criminals.

Ralph Howey of Tsawwassen,

who ran the South Delta Sensi-ble BC campaign to decriminal-ize marijuana, said the crop is a billion dollar industry that could help the local economy.

“Why the municipality wants to get involved is beyond me,” he said. “It’s not your jurisdiction, it’s going to be under Health Canada.”

Krishna Sangara Hayle of Lad-ner said her family has a large family-owned warehouse that would bene�t from marijua-na production. She said with a changing economy, business owners have to �nd new ways to make money.

“We have a hard time keeping everyone fully employed,” she said. “We’ve got a ton of space that’s unused and we’re looking for ways to utilize it.”

�e new bylaws are intended to prepare for a new federal law governing medical marijuana which comes into e�ect on April 1, essentially ending a program through which an estimated 37,000 grow-ops were permitted across the country. Under the old law, Health Canada could approve applications allowing Canadians to grow their own marijuana to treat medical conditions, but the

new rules will restrict licensed growers and order patients to de-stroy their remaining plants.

Lois Jackson said the Delta Po-lice had previously spent time and resources investigating sus-pected illegal grow-ops, only to call Health Canada and learn the business was licensed. Under the new law, municipalities and police agencies will be informed of licensed grow-ops, and those businesses will be required to apply for a permit from the local government.

“It’s not like it’s being banned like it is in many other commu-nities,” she said. “I found it very interesting that Vancouver said that marijuana grow-ops should be done in agricultural lands and they don’t have any lands at all that are agricultural.”

Only one large production facil-ity in Delta is currently licensed to grow marijuana, but its federal license will expire on March 31 and it would be required to apply for approval under the new by-laws. �e planning department has indicated a preference that should council approve any new facilities, that they be located in industrial zones.

Delta Council bans medical pot production

Delta Police is warning the public to be wary of a scam in which suspects phoned poten-tial victims and pretended to be police o�cers in an attempt to obtain money in exchange for a supposed arrest warrant being dismissed. 

DPD spokesperson Sgt. Sarah Swallow says the department has received more than half a dozen reports of the fraudulent scheme.

“�ese scams prey on the pub-lic’s fear of being arrested,” said Swallow. “We really want to warn the public that this scam has sur-faced again, and remind people that police agencies do not o�er the option to pay your way out of

an arrest warrant.”In this version of the scam,

callers tell potential victims they have outstanding warrants for an unpaid debt, missed jury duty or some minor infraction and that a �ne is due. �e callers try to convince people to make pay-ments by wiring money through convenience stores or sometimes through pre-paid credit cards, and then threaten to arrest the victims and put them in jail if they do not pay within a speci�ed amount of time.

Swallow said police will not typ-ically inform people of arrest war-rants by phone, and will never ask for money in exchange for a legal matter to be dealt with.

If you are suspicious of a phone call from anyone claiming to be a

police o�cer, Swallow said to ask for the name and badge/ID num-ber of the o�cer calling and the name of the police department they claim to be from. A legiti-mate police o�cer attending to your residence or phoning you will not object to you verifying their identity through the main line of the police station.

Delta Police are reminding the public to notify their local police department of any similar calls, and to never wire transfer money to someone you do not know.

If caught, Swallow said the scammer could face charges of fraud and impersonation of a police o�cer; however, typically these scams originate out of the country and therefore di�cult to prosecute.

DPD warns of fake cop scam❙ Staff writer

[email protected]

❙ Adrian MacNair REPORTER [email protected]

❙ Commercial producers of medical marijuana will be licensed by Ottawa but Delta has prohibited its production in all zones. File photo

Page 5: South Delta Leader March , 2014

southdeltaleader.com A5Friday, March 7, 2014

Reach for the Stars:Raising the Roof for ReachMarch 1, 2014

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Parsley Sage & Thyme Health Store

Christine Sutherland

Renie D’Aquila

Starbucks Tsawwassen

Cobblestone Cottage

Atomic Hair Studio

Norman Stark

Ambiente

TDL Group

Park Avenue Hair Design

Tsawwassen Springs Golf Course

Canadian Western Bank

RONA

General Paint

Vacuum Works

BC Lions

Fine Art Bartending

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Seattle Mariners

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Safeway

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Shoppers Drug Mart

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Lennart Osterlind

Jean Thompson

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South Delta Bikram Yoga

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southdeltaleader.com A5Friday, March 7, 2014

A Transportation Safety Board of Canada report into a 2012 ship-ping collision at Roberts Bank blames poor communication and inadequate safety mechanisms for failing to prevent the crash.

�e 20-page investigation, re-leased on Tuesday, says pilot error and ine�ective communication with the master resulted in a fail-ure to identify the developing risk as the bulk carrier approached the terminal.

According to the report, it was just before midnight on Dec. 6, 2012, when the Japanese-owned bulk carrier Cape Apricot was headed to the Roberts Bank coal facility at Westshore assisted by two tug boats. �e pilot did not give himself enough time and space to execute a turn into the basin safely and had stopped the engine, which further reduced the e�ectiveness of the vessel’s rudder.

“In this occurrence, the large al-ternation with limited sea room would have required the tugs to

assist early in the maneouvre; however, the pilot had been un-able to establish communication with the tugs,” said the report.

Despite the vessel’s proximity to the trestle, its angle of approach, and di�culty in establishing ra-dio communications, the pilot did not attempt to abort docking.

“�at the pilot placed a tele-phone call while the vessel was approaching the entrance to the basin is an indication he did not recognize the impending situa-tion.”

Port Metro Vancouver says it has no plans to expand capacity at Roberts Bank beyond Termi-nal 2, but will not rule out the possibility altogether.

According to Cli� Stewart, vice president for infrastruc-ture at Port Metro Vancouver, the port is currently examining the “cumulative e�ects” of other projects which are reasonably foreseeable and how they might impact Roberts Bank.

He cited the Kinder Morgan TransMountain Pipeline propos-al as an example where approv-al could impact the number of transiting vessels and underwa-ter noise.

“If you go back and look at the environmental assessment of the �ird Berth Project you will see T2 as it was understood at that time,” he said. “You will see the e�ects in that assessment.”

When asked whether Terminal 2 would be the �nal expansion at Deltaport, Stewart said there’s no way of knowing.

“What is the carrying capac-ity of the planet? We’re talking about Terminal 2. We’re not talking about what else might happen.”

But critics of Terminal 2 are concerned the project is only an-other stage in the ever-expand-ing superport.

Delta South MLA Vicki Hun-tington said she’s skeptical that environmental studies currently underway at Roberts Bank will explore the impact to Delta’s en-vironment as a whole.

She said the Port isn’t interest-ed in balancing the needs of the environment with the economy, but only in satisfying speci�c en-vironmental concerns of govern-ment agencies.

“[Port Metro Vancouver] sees Delta as theirs and their long-term plan is to build one of the largest ports in the world. And they won’t stop until they’ve done it. We’ll be like Singapore.”

According to Port Metro Van-couver, Terminal 2 is needed to meet growth projections of cargo volumes by 2030. A three-berth twin container facility would provide additional ca-pacity of 2.4 million twenty-foot equivalent container units per year.

�e expansion would create 18,200 direct, indirect and in-duced jobs in the transportation sector and $620 million in wages.

Cli� Caprani, a member of the Delta group Against Port Expan-

sion, said he doesn’t believe en-vironmental damage caused by expansion can be mitigated, nor is he convinced Terminal 2 is the �nal build out.

“As long as an entity like the Port believes it can go on ahead unopposed then it will always continue to expand,” he said.

Caprani said that reading through the Port’s own envi-ronmental studies has not con-vinced him that the project should proceed.

Port Metro Vancouver is still in the process of developing its environmental impact state-ment, after which time the fed-erally-appointed independent review panel will take approx-imately 14 months to examine the data.

Stewart said an independent review panel is the most rigor-ous process available under the Canadian Environmental As-sessment Act and it will decide whether the project should pro-ceed.

“�ose who are minded to ex-amine it critically but be open to what they �nd, I think they will �nd that there is no concern there,” he said. “�ere are obvi-ously people who aren’t open to what we �nd and obviously we can’t help them with that.”

Port Metro Van won’t rule out expansion beyond Terminal 2

❙ Port Metro Vancouver says it has no plans to expand capacity at Roberts Bank beyond the proposed Terminal 2, but will not rule out the possibility of further expansion.File photo

❙ Adrian MacNair REPORTER [email protected]

Safety report blames poor communication for coal ship crash❙ Adrian MacNair REPORTER [email protected]

❙ Continued on A7

Page 6: South Delta Leader March , 2014

Friday, March 7, 2014A6 southdeltaleader.com

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A6 southdeltaleader.com Friday, March 7, 2014

Crown counsel may then o�er the accused the opportunity to accept responsibility for a crim-inal o�ence, but have the record expunged after completing the program.

Delta Police responded to a disturbance at a small house party in Tsawwassen on Aug. 18, 2013, and learned an assault had taken place within the home. �e victim had his nose bro-ken and both Houck and Kulak were identi�ed on the scene as suspects in the attack. �e pair were arrested shortly thereafter.

Police said at the time the vic-tim did not engage or provoke the assault, and didn’t trade blows with Houck or Kulak.

Kulak was selected in the fourth round of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft by the Calgary Flames, while Houck was se-lected in the fourth round of the 2013 draft by the Edmon-ton Oilers. Both are tied for third in scoring on the Giants this year, with Kulak posting 14 goals and 54 points in 63 games, while Houck has 30 goals and 54 points in 63 games.

�e Vancouver Giants training facility is located at the Ladner Leisure Centre, and players are billeted locally, with many at-tending school at South Delta Secondary.

Request for comment from the Giants’ organization went unanswered. �e team plays in Portland on Saturday.

❙ From A3

�e 217-hectare Southlands pro-posal in Tsawwassen will go before Metro Vancouver’s regional plan-ning and agriculture committee on Friday (March 7).

Delta Council already approved the application on a municipal lev-el on Nov. 8, 2013, but will require an amendment within the regional growth Strategy before it proceeds further.

Developer Sean Hodgins of Cen-tury Group wants to build 950 homes and 80,000 square feet of commercial space on roughly 20 per cent of the land, and will do-nate the rest to the Corporation of Delta for agricultural use.

�e amendment will require a re-gional public hearing, which would likely be held in the last week of April. A �nal vote by Metro Van-couver is expected by May and would require two-thirds approval by the board.

Travelling to Metro Vancouver is the voluminous reports and mate-rials related to the Southlands ap-plication, including petitions and letters from residents in favour and in opposition to the project.

Wendy R. Holm, a professional agrologist, writes that the South-lands presents an opportunity to create an apprenticeship coopera-tive for young farmers going to B.C. universities.

Debbie McBride of Save the Southlands writes that little atten-tion has been paid to the historical and archaeological importance that the land has for all people.

“�at is a huge oversight and much will be lost if this property is developed,” she said.

Other letters warn of the many years of dump trucks driving on 56th Street and the particulate health e�ects this will cause for

Tsawwassen residents.A Metro Vancouver sta� report

prepared by regional planning di-vision manager Heather McNell and senior regional planner Jason Smith argue there are “inherent and complex trade-o�s” to approv-ing the Southlands.

“From a regional perspective, a fundamental question is if there is a compelling rationale or bene�t for allowing signi�cant residential development outside of the urban containment boundary.”

�e major gain is the donation of 80 per cent of the land to public ownership, says the report.

“�ere is no doubt that this trans-

fer allows greater control over fu-ture land uses in the area on the part of the municipality and would provide closure for a long-standing source of tension in the local com-munity.”

�e report notes, however, that it is a signi�cant challenge to deter-mine what level of regional and local bene�t is su�cient to allow devel-opment outside of the urban con-tainment boundary when it is clear there is already su�cient space to accommodate the projected pop-ulation and employment growth within Tsawwassen. �e sta� report further warns it could set a prece-dent and a signal to farmers in the region that they can develop their land by o�ering donation of a por-tion of it to public ownership.

“�is could, on a broader regional level, lead to greater speculation of agricultural land and proposals of this nature, thereby undermining fundamental values inherent in the regional growth strategy.”

�e Southlands property was re-moved from the Agricultural Land Reserve by the province in 1981. Delta has indicated a desire to have the remaining 80 per cent of the parcel returned to the ALR should the application succeed.

Southlands application goes before regional government❙ Adrian MacNair REPORTER [email protected]

❙ An artist’s rendition of the proposed Southlands development. File photo

Page 7: South Delta Leader March , 2014

southdeltaleader.com A7Friday, March 7, 2014

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southdeltaleader.com A7Friday, March 7, 2014

Like many R o t a r y members,

Ladner mort-gage broker and mother-of-two Shari Merritt joined the local

service organization to help give back to her community.

“My kids were growing up and I had a lot more free time, because I wasn’t driving them to sports all the time,” she says. “It’s a great group of people, and they’ve really made me feel wel-come.”

Merritt joined the Tsawwassen Ro-tary club last year and is helping to organize the local service club’s annu-al wine gala fundraiser this Saturday at Beach Grove Golf Club.

�e seventh annual event features a live auction for a collection contain-ing more than 60 bottles of �ne wines donated by local Rotary members, which Merritt has assembled.

Last year the collection sold for $1,600, and Merritt is hoping to top that this year.

“It’s a great collection of very good wines,” she says. “�ere’s a bit of ev-erything; reds and whites, new world and old.”

Twelve wineries of international renown will be on hand at the event, o�ering samplings of up to 72 wines. �e event will also feature an unend-ing parade of gourmet hors d’oeuvres prepared by award-winning Chef Froilan Alejo and an array of to-die-for chocolate treats.

Proceeds from the evening support Rotary projects both locally and inter-nationally.

�e Tsawwassen Rotary Club has completed more than 60 projects to date, including numerous youth and community development e�orts, like the Rotary WaterWorks at Diefenbak-er Park. �e local organization also funds international peace, education, and humanitarian projects, including

Rotary’s global campaign to eradicate polio, and sends medical supplies to impoverished regions of the world.

“I love the international aspect of Rotary,” says Merritt. “You get to do great work, and because of the struc-ture, it o�ers huge opportunities for personal development and growth.”

Tsawwassen Rotary club is made up of more than 80 business owners, managers and professionals who en-joy fun, fellowship and live or work in our community. Merritt is one of many new, younger members volun-teering with the club, and she hopes she can attract other young profes-sionals to join the Rotary ranks.

“�e people in Rotary have done an amazing job over the years and we hope we can continue that work,” she says.

• Details and tickets for the fund-raiser are available at www.rotarywin-egala.com. Tickets are also available through any Tsawwassen Rotary Club member.

Wine and dine with Rotary❙ Face to Face

Rob

ert

Man

gels

dorf

Edi

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❙ Tsawwassen Rotary member Shari Merritt has assembled a collection of more than 60 wines to be auctioned off at the annual wine gala fundraiser this Saturday. Robert Mangelsdorf photo

�e bulk carrier struck the causeway and conveyor system at a speed of 3.5 knots (6.5 kilo-metres an hour), both of which collapsed into the ocean, while the vessel sustained minor dam-age.

Damage to the terminal was ex-

tensive, with approximately 128 metres (six pile sections) falling into the water, while 145 metres of the coal conveyor system was damaged, dumping just under 30 tonnes of coal in the ocean.

On the west coast of Canada, responsibility for the operation, maintenance and administration

of pilot services for compulsory pilotage areas lies with the Pacif-ic Pilotage Authority (PPA). How-ever, the PPA does not directly employ pilots, other than those operating in the Fraser River.

�e report notes that without a safety management system in place, pilot organizations are

unable to identify hazards and mitigate them, thereby placing vessels at risk. �e PPA has since developed a safety protocol to prevent similar accidents from occurring.

A voyage data recorder, similar to a black box in an aircraft, was improperly working and no data

was saved. However, data from the portable pilotage unit was integral to the TSB investigation.

Westshore Terminal’s berth was back in service two months after the accident and despite the ac-cident was able to export a re-cord-setting 30 million tonnes of coal in 2013.

❙ From A5

Page 8: South Delta Leader March , 2014

Friday, March 7, 2014A8 southdeltaleader.com A8 southdeltaleader.com Friday, March 7, 2014

Urban planning has always been a deli-cate balance of the

needs of commerce, in-dustry, and housing.

Restricting growth in any one sector is bound to harm the economy in a way that makes it-self apparent through the demands of the free market. Delta is a good example of this tenuous balancing act.

A lack of housing starts in South Delta over the past several decades has meant a typical single-family home in East Ladner is worth $759,000 in 2014.

A lack of commercial retail space in South Delta has led to an unprecedented agreement between the Treaty First Nation and Ivanhoe Cambridge with Property Development Group to create the largest mall development in B.C.

A lack of industrial land near Deltaport has put incredible pressure on farmland locked up in the Agricultural Land Reserve to develop more space for warehousing and distribution.

� e free market abhors a vacuum as much as nature. Wherever demand outstrips supply you can be sure somebody will be calling for more.

� e Roberts Bank superport is a perfect exam-ple. Originally opened as a coal port in 1970 on a 20-hectare peninsula of reclaimed land, it has since quadrupled in size and added a container terminal in 1997.

Deltaport already doubled its capacity to 1.8 million 20-foot equivalent container units (TEUs) in 2009, spending $400-million on a third berth under the argument it would serve the growing need for capacity as Canada’s trade with Asia under the Harper Government pulled the economy through the recession.

However, less than two years after that expan-

sion the newly-formed Port Metro Vancouver, created under a mandate of international trade and shipping, began formulating the argument for another expansion.

Doubling what currently exists–which is es-sentially quadrupling in size what existed here only a decade ago–the Port proposes to increase container capacity to 2.4 million TEUs.

Anticipating that growth, the province expe-dited approval of � rst the South Fraser Perime-ter Road to serve the superport, followed by an announcement to replace the George Massey Tunnel with a bridge.

Although the argument that Deltaport re-quires expansion is based on a sensible evalua-tion of trade growth bottlenecked by inadequate port capacity, one is left with a genuine sense of foreboding about what all this means for Delta’s agricultural community.

If Terminal 2 is approved–as the local and na-tional economy surely requires–then who’s to say it won’t soon need another expansion? And as pressure builds to increase capacity again, it will increase pressure everywhere else: more housing, more commerce, more industry.

� at leaves Delta’s farming families in an awk-ward position, especially since it’s in the way of all that growth.

If the residents of this community want to pre-serve some vestige of what makes Delta unique to the Lower Mainland, then Terminal 2 needs to be the last time we hear of port expansion.

� e New Pros-perity mineral deposit near

Williams Lake is described by the industry as one of the largest in the world, containing 5.3 billion pounds of copper and 13.3 million ounces of gold.

� e Harper government’s deci-sion to reject open-pit mine devel-opment for a second time is seen by elected o� cials in the Cari-boo region as a disaster. One of Quesnel’s sawmills is preparing to close for good, and I’ve been told there is more to come as the post-pine beetle era unfolds.

Here in the B.C. capital, the de-cision is mainly viewed as a huge mistake. Taseko Mines is going to court to show that the federal pan-el used the wrong design when re-viewing the company’s expensively revised plan. � e province has per-mitted two successful mines that operate in the same area, one of which is run by Taseko.

In Ottawa, this is a Supreme Court of Canada test case over who owns the land and the mineral wealth underneath.

In traditional Canadian law, the province owns it. � is was high-lighted in the recent discussion between B.C. Premier Christy Clark and Alberta’s Alison Redford over royalties from oil.

Six aboriginal communities make up the Tsilhqot’in Nation, which has a long and bitter history of re-sistance against the Crown. � ey almost won a declaration of title to 40,000 hectares known as the Ne-miah Valley: forests, wild horses, minerals and all, in a 339-day trial that ended in 2007.

� eir case su� ered a setback at the B.C. Court of Appeal, and is now before the highest court. Aboriginal rights have been established, but this would be the � rst clear title.

Tsilhqot’in tribal chair Joe Al-phonse was pleasantly surprised to see Taseko turned down again. He said the Tsilhqot’in National Gov-ernment is releasing its own min-ing policies soon.

“We welcome opportunities to look at projects that are environ-mentally sound and we need eco-nomic opportunities,” Alphonse told the Williams Lake Tribune.

Somehow e� orts to move mine waste rock from Teztan Biny (Fish Lake) to a sealed storage site two kilometres away are not enough to protect groundwater, although they are su� cient at the nearby Gibraltar and Mount Polley mines. And Alphonse makes it clear this mysterious environmental prob-lem will be solved once he and his fellow chiefs have control of the resource.

A Supreme Court of Canada rul-ing on aboriginal title is required to settle this. If some limited form of title is at last de� ned for the trea-ty-less majority of B.C., or at least Tsilhqot’in territory, the fate of the mine may become clear.

Conventional wisdom on this is that the mining company didn’t try hard enough to establish a working relationship with the Tsilhqot’in. For his part, Taseko CEO Russell Hallbauer says the chiefs refused to meet with him, which isn’t surpris-ing from a group that doesn’t recog-nize the B.C. forests ministry either.

Here’s a sample of the volume of evidence that may determine the future of B.C.

Archeological studies presented at trial describe “18 roasting and/or pit depressions” at Teztan Biny. It’s not clear if these were for sea-sonal food preparation or for pit houses, which would indicate a more permanent settlement at the lake. Nor is it clear whether these “cultural depressions” have been identi� ed as being of Tsilhqot’in origin.

Oral histories are also uncertain. Tsilhqot’in witnesses testi� ed that Teztan Biny has been used in the 20th century as a hunting and � sh-ing camp.

� e mine was rejected due to ill-de� ned cultural as well as envi-ronmental concerns. B.C. residents could � nally see some answers this year.

Crown jewel on table in Cariboo

Terminal 2 should be Delta’s last port expansion

Letters to the editorRecycling programs need to get serious to do any good

Budgetary red ink, however little or much, is convenient-ly utilized by our three levels of government as an excuse to not recycle the vast ma-jority, if not the virtual en-tirety, of materials circulating throughout society – includ-ing vacuum cleaners – in-

stead of gratuitously dump-ing them in landfills, burning them, etcetera.

If need be, recoup any red-ink monetary losses by plac-ing recycling fees upon all purchasable items, rather than just the current relative-ly meager few (e.g. bottles).

Perhaps if enough of us al-ready inclined to recycle as much as is currently allowed by the blue-box rules begin to place many more non-accept-

ed solids into these boxes, the powers that be might feel adequately more compelled to adapt/equip the recycling plants to enable the recycling of such solids, if not even oth-ers.

We’ve already wasted enough materials and espe-cially ecologically-limited time.

Frank G. Sterle, Jr..White Rock

❙ B.C. Views ❙ Uncommon Sense

Adr

ian

Mac

Nai

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epor

ter

On Catch new episodes of Adrian MacNair’s TV

show On Topic, which air Sundays at 6:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. on Delta Cable.

Editorial [email protected] ext.122Reporter Adrian MacNair [email protected] ext.126Creative Sarah Kelloway [email protected] (Glacier Media Group) 604-942-3081 [email protected]

Advertising Jenelle Julien604-948-3640 [email protected]

Copyright and property rights subsist in all display advertising and other material appearing in the South Delta Leader. If, in the Publisher's opinion, an error is made that materially affects the value of the ad to the advertiser, a corrected advertisement will be inserted upon demand without further charge. Make good insertions are not granted on minor errors which do not lessen the value of the advertisement. Notice of error is required before second insertion. Opinions expressed in columns and letters to the Editor are not necessarily shared by the Publisher. The South Delta Leader is a member of the British Columbia Press Council, a self-regulatory body governing the province’s newspaper industry. The council considers complaints from the public about the conduct of member newspapers. Directors oversee the mediation of complaints, with input from both the newspaper and the complaint holder. If talking with the editor or publisher does not resolve your complaint about coverage or story treatment, you may contact the B.C. Press Council. Your written concern, with documentation, should be sent to B.C. Press Council, 201 Selby St., Nanaimo, B.C. V9R 2R2. For information, phone 888-687-2213 or go to www.bcpresscouncil.org.

❙ Editor Robert Mangelsdorf [email protected]

❙ VIEWPOINTWE WELCOME your feedback. To submit a letter to the editor (200 words or less) please contact us via:FAX 604-943-8619 MAIL 7- 1363 56th St., Delta, V4L 2P7 EMAIL [email protected] PUBLISHER Alvin Brouwer EDITOR Robert Mangelsdorf

❙ General manager Dave Hamilton [email protected]

Tom

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Page 9: South Delta Leader March , 2014

southdeltaleader.com A9Friday, March 7, 2014

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southdeltaleader.com A9Friday, March 7, 2014

I could tell spring had arrived as soon as I awoke this morning because the birds were singing. Even though patches of snow re-

mained and huge cedar branches lay fallen from last week’s storm, the birds knew best.

�e varied thrush was singing a drawn out, haunting whistle, the quintessential sound of west coast forests. Each note lingered on the air for seconds, before being followed by an-other at a di�erent pitch.

Its call blended with the trill of a junco, the snowbird that �ocks silently in winter, �nd-ing its voice as the days lengthen. A chicka-dee joined in with a cheerful “fee-beee”, a ter-ritorial spring song, and a �icker called from the treetops. �e birds were feeling the vibe: springtime and nesting season, and for the thrush, time to move back to the mountains, back to the wild.

Rachel Carson wrote movingly of the dread prospect of a silent spring, the e�ect of pes-ticides on North America’s songbirds. What would the world be like without bird song, or without trees or animals or �owers?

We learn daily of some new assault on nature; the loss of monarch butter�ies that migrate from Canada to Mexico, shell�sh dying in lo-cal waters, and insect-eating birds declining across the Americas.

Nature in Delta has changed. Sandhill cranes, nighthawks, ru�ed grouse and band-tailed pi-geons were all abundant in our grandparents’ lifetimes. In the 19th century, elk, black bear,

cougar and wolves �ourished in local forests. Beavers worked the valleys, slowing rivers and creating quiet pools where frogs spawned. Salmon �lled the myriad streams. �ere were no coyotes or raccoons in earlier days, and gulls spent their days out among the islands, not at the local land�ll. Nature around us has changed enormously, and much has gone for ever.

Is it possible to bring nature back, to rewild the landscape?

A growing movement believes we can. �ey point to the success of wolf restorations in Yellowstone Park, which caused a cascade of bene�cial results to other species.

Whales are recovering after decades of hunt-ing, trumpeter swans rebounded from near-ex-tinction, and the California condor is �ying freely once more. Dedication and legislation are key, but we also need to restore memories of what “wild” means.

�e Museum of Vancouver hopes to do just that with its new exhibit: Rewilding Vancouver: Remember, Reconnect, Rewild. Guest curator and writer J.B. MacKinnon’s book, e Once and Future World, was the inspiration for this thought-provoking show.

• Anne Murray is an independent writer, nat-uralist and author of two books on the natu-ral history of Boundary Bay: A Nature Guide to Boundary Bay and Tracing Our Past: A Heritage Guide to Boundary Bay. She blogs at www.natu-reguidesbc.wordpress.com

❙ By the Bay

Ann

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Rewilding: Can we bring nature back?

Re: Local government terms going to four years, Feb. 28, 2014.

A modest proposal to Hon. Coralee Oakes, Minister of Community, Sport and Cultur-al Development.

If civic councillors are to serve four year terms, why not for the 2014 election have half of those elected - the three bottom-finishers - serve only a two-year term, then be required to stand for re-elec-tion to a four-year term again in 2016? That way the public could judge mid-term how well they think council is per-forming.

Plus there would be continu-ity and carryover to 2018 with

the still-sitting incumbents. I do not consider “the pro-

hibitive cost” of mounting elections to be a sound count-er argument.

Election costs are a neces-sary component of democratic accountability. And cheap, too, compared to civic events in Egypt, Syria, Ukraine, and the Central African Republic - just a few comparator zip codes that pop into mind.

W. Baird BlackstoneTsawwassen

Taxpayers shuld not have to pay

Re: Taxpayers on hook for $345,000 for Southlands appli-

cation, Feb 21, 2014.Unfortunately, not only those

who live in South Delta but now all of Delta will have to dig deeper into their pockets come property tax time to as-sist Century Group in paying for their application.

And Councillor Ian Paton’s comment: “You look at the costs and what comes to mind is the price of democracy,” is ludicrous unless he’s referring to his DIVA party who voted in favour and not the over 60 per cent of South Delta people who opposed this develop-ment.

Victor SouliereDelta

A modest proposal for local elections

Reader poll Vote online southdeltaleader.com

Do you agree with Delta Council’s decision to ban the production of medicinal marijuana?

Last week’s results Do you agree with four-year terms for municipal politicians?

yes 46% no 54%

Page 10: South Delta Leader March , 2014

Friday, March 7, 2014A10 southdeltaleader.com A10 southdeltaleader.com Friday, March 7, 2014

Boundary Bay Airport manager Tim Bain smiles as he looks out his of-�ce window on the acres of empty

space next to the airport’s tarmac. Right now, the view isn’t much to look at, just piles of dirt and sand.

But that is likely going to change, and soon.

“�at’s going to be hangars, all the way down,” he says, pointing to the Heli-One maintenance facility more than half a ki-lometre away.

�is month, Bain and Alpha Aviation, the company that operates the airport for the Corporation of Delta, welcomed a signi�-cant milestone in the airport’s continued development with the arrival of regularly scheduled passenger �ights.

Beginning March 31, Abbotsford-based Island Express Air will begin �ights twice daily from CZBB to Victoria, with con-necting �ights to Nanaimo and To�no.

�e service is the �rst of its kind o�ered at the local airport and means Vancouver Island is going to get a whole lot closer for South Delta residents, as well as for many across the Lower Mainland.

Given that Boundary Bay Airport fea-tures a restaurant, pilot’s lounge, and a customs o�ce for incoming US and over-seas �ights, Bain believes travellers will make the switch.

“We are a full-service international air-port,” says Bain. “You can park for free and walk 40 feet to your �ight. It’s about as easy as �ying gets.”

Bain is hoping the recently announced

passenger service raises the pro�le of the local airport as it looks to attract more aviation companies who want close ac-cess to the Metro Vancouver region, but don’t want to pay the high fees charged by other larger airports.

“We’re getting a lot of interest from some high pro�le aviation companies,” he says. “�ey are very interested in what we have to o�er here.

Delta to Victoria in 12 minutesIsland Express Air owner Gerry Visser

says the new passenger service his com-pany is o�ering will save many Metro Van-couver travellers time and money.

“�is is big news for anyone sick of sit-ting in that tunnel to get to YVR,” he says. “You can save yourself an hour of driving in bumper-to-bumper tra�c.”

�e 12-minute �ight to Victoria Interna-tional Airport will leave at 7:10 a.m. and 4:25 p.m. seven days a week, with return �ights leaving 50 minutes later, respec-tively.

Island Express Air is the �rst multi-air-craft airline to o�er regularly scheduled passenger service out of Boundary Bay Airport.

While Alpha Aviation has tried once be-fore to bring in scheduled �ights to the airport, Bain is con�dent the deal worked out with Island Express Air will not only be successful, but will open the door for other airlines.

“We think there’s a good market for small commuter airlines here, and [Island Ex-

press] is the �rst of many, we hope,” he says. Tickets for the new Vancouver Island

service will start from $115, including tax-es and fees. Visser said the target demo-graphic of the service will be government workers and business people, as well as the elderly who don’t want the hassle of dealing with the ferries or travelling into Vancouver to �y to the Island.

“If your time is worth anything, it makes a lot of sense to �y,” says Visser.

With Boundary Bay Airport’s location on the doorstep of the Fraser Valley, Visser says he hopes to attract travellers from Surrey, White Rock, and Delta - many of whom would otherwise drive right by Boundary Bay Airport on their way to YVR.

Island Express Air will be operating a �eet of eight- and 10-passenger Piper Na-vajos on the route.

New heights for CZBBIn addition to scheduled passenger ser-

vice, Bain said the airport is focussed on attracting corporate jet business, as well as high profile aviation companies.

“We’ve had a lot of interest recently,” Bain says. “We’re not really hemmed in like other airports, so there’s room to grow here.”

Thanks to the new South Fraser Perim-eter Road and the new 80th Street exit from Highway 99, Boundary Bay Airport is looking very attractive to companies that need to move goods around the re-gion.

Heli-One was the first big commercial

tenant to land at the airport, opening the world’s largest helicopter engine repair facility in 2007. The state-of-the-art facil-ity employs close to 350 people.

Dayhu’s Boundary Bay Industrial Park - located on airport lands and scheduled to be completed this May - is expected to eventually pump in an additional $1 mil-lion in municipal taxes.

The airport is currently home to more than 400 airplanes, the majority of which are owned by private pilots for weekend joyrides. The airport is also home to five flight training schools, making the air-port the seventh busiest in all of Canada with close to 200,000 takeoffs and land-ings annually.

While the airport’s runways can handle aircraft as large as a Boeing 737, smaller commuter planes like the 78-passenger Bombardier Q400 would be better suited for the airport on a regular basis, Bain says.

“A 737 could land here… but if it was ev-ery day, it would really beat up the run-way.”

However, the airport’s current good for-tunes are in stark contrast to the situa-tion a decade ago.

In 2002, the municipality had to take the airport’s previous operators to court after they fell behind $2.2 million in their tax-es. Current airport operator Alpha Avia-tion has spent tens of millions to upgrade the facility, and currently contributes more than $500,000 annually in munici-pal taxes.

Boundary Bay Airport �ying highRobert Mangelsdorf REPORTER

[email protected]

Island Express Air to offer scheduled passenger �ights from CZBB to Victoria beginning March 31

❙ Island Express Air owner Gerry Visser (on left) and pilot Adrian Bernstein in the cockpit of one of the airline’s Piper Navajo airplanes. Island Express Air will be operating twice-daily passenger service from Boundary Bay Airport to Victoria starting March 31. Adrian MacNair photo

Page 11: South Delta Leader March , 2014

southdeltaleader.com A11Friday, March 7, 2014

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southdeltaleader.com A11Friday, March 7, 2014

�e Corporation of Delta is currently working on a revised master plan for the airport which will pave the way for the growth expected over the next decade.

“When we looked at the airport 10 years ago, there wasn’t a lot of momen-tum,” says George Harvie, chief admin-istrative o�cer for the Corporation of Delta. “�at’s changed.”

In the past �ve years, the airport has seen a new 15,000-square-foot terminal completed, as well as a new runway extension, new fuel farm, and new hangars built. Currently, the air-port is installing precision approach lights to help aircraft land in poor con-ditions and will be repaving the apron in anticipation of the arrival of new commercial tenants.

“We’ve come a long way with our little airport,” says Delta Mayor Lois Jackson. “I call it our little airport, but it’s growing up. It’s one of the best kept

secrets in the Lower Mainland, but I don’t think it will be a secret for much longer.”

Harvie says the success of the airport bene�ts all Delta residents, thanks to the massive amount of tax dollars it pumps into the city’s co�ers. �at’s money that pays for things like recre-ation facilities, �re and police protec-tion, and even garbage collection.

“�is is going to create a lot of jobs, good paying jobs too.”

And this all comes with very little downside, he adds.

To Harvie’s knowledge, the munic-ipality hasn’t received a noise com-plaint about the airport in the past three years, and the free-to-attend Boundary Bay Air Show hosted by Alpha Aviation draws close to 10,000 spectators annually.

“We’re going to make this airport safe, sustainable, and a bene�t to this community,” he says.

New airport manager takes controlsTim Bain is the new manager of Boundary Bay Airport, taking the

controls two months ago, following the departure of previous manager Susan McLaren, who left the position to move to Calgary.

“She put together a great team here,” says Bain. “There’s a lot of great people here, and it really shows that they love coming to work everyday.”

Like so many in the aviation business, Bain says his love of �ying started at a young age.

“I got into �ying straight out of high school,” says the Burnaby Central Secondary grad.

Bain’s helicopter pilot career has taken him around the world. In the 1990s, he �ew UN missions in Cambodia and he has seen much of Africa from the cockpit of his chopper. In 1998, he became the �rst pilot for the B.C. Air Ambulance Service, �ying Sikorsky S-76s for operator Helijet.

Bain eventually settled down to work a desk job in the business sector to be closer to his family in the Lower Mainland.

When the opportunity came to take the controls at Boundary Bay Airport, Bain says he saw an opportunity to combine both his passions: Aviation and business.

“I really love this job,” he says. “I’m here late sometimes, not because I have to be, but because I want to be.”

❙ Tim Bain took over as Boundary Bay Airport’s new manager on Jan. 1. Robert Mangelsdorf photo

Page 12: South Delta Leader March , 2014

Friday, March 7, 2014A12 southdeltaleader.com

It All StartsWith New Cars

Times and Tickets available at VancouverInternationalAutoShow.com Facebook “f ” Logo CMYK / .ai Facebook “f ” Logo CMYK / .ai

Facebook.com/VIAS @VanAutoShow See the 2014 Mazda6 at the show

March 25 – 30 Vancouver Convention Centre

A12 southdeltaleader.com Friday, March 7, 2014

❙ COMMUNITY FOCUSLET US KNOW ABOUT YOUR COMMUNITY EVENT EMAIL [email protected] 604-948-3640FAX 604-943-8619MAIL 7- 1363 56th St., Delta, V4L 2P7

❙ Good dogLuke Jansen, 12, of Tsawwassen, welcomes two-year-old guide dog Justine into his life. The autism support dog was provided by Ladner charity BC Guide Dogs. Adrian MacNair photo

❙ Datebook

Friday, March 7• Parent-Child Mother Goose program at Ladner Pioneer Library shares traditional rhymes, songs and stories as tools to strengthen the bond between both parent and child, newborn to 15 months. If you would like to take part in this free interactive program that runs every Friday at 12:30

p.m. until March 14, please contact your local Delta library to register. Funded by United Way and the Delta Community Literacy Committee, this program is open to Delta residents only. Snacks provided. 4683 – 51 Street, Delta. Call 604-946-6215 to register.

Monday, March 10• Drop by the Ladner Pioneer Library for an evening of crafting fun with Sit ‘n Stitch, Mondays

until April 28, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Ladner Pioneer Library, 4683 – 51 Street, Delta. • Canadian Mental Health Association Delta offers a depression/bipolar support group from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Tsawwassen Library. Please Call CMHA Delta to register for your first meeting at 604-943-1878• Delta Nature hosts a presentation by Sofi Hindmarch, who will be speaking about owls and the risks posed by

pesticides. The presentation takes place at Cammidge House in Boundary Bay Regional Park at 7:30 p.m. No charge for event, everyone welcome. For more info, call Tom at 604-940-9296 or email [email protected]

Thursday, March 13• Stroke recovery music sessions takes place Thursdays at the Delta School of Music. Contact Dawn Sillett at 604-

946-2731 for inquiries and registration.• Delta Mayor Lois Jackson presents a “State of the Community” address at the Delta Chamber of Commerce annual general meeting at the Coast Tsawwassen Inn from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Cost is $35 for members, $45 for non-members. Lunch included. For more info, call Jane Green at 604-946-4232, or email [email protected]

The popular website Craigslist has many advertisements reading ‘free to a good home’ but one woman is looking to offer a good home for free.

Suzanne Smith of Vancouver purchased a cute little blue and white cottage in Beach Grove with the intention of moving with her husband and two young children. The problem is that it’s a little small for the family’s needs.

But rather than tear down the home, Smith took to Craigslist’s free classified section to give it away. The only catch is that the person who takes it will need to pay for the moving costs.

“It’s not like just buying an ordinary house with land, obviously there’s a lot more to it,” said Smith via phone from Vancouver.

Since her ad was posted on Friday she has received 20 phone calls and dozens of emails, many of them serious.

For each inquiry she has referred them to Nickel Brothers, a house relocation company which will be responsible for the move.

Smith said it will cost an estimated

$50,000 to move the cottage, and would greatly depend on the final destination. She said many people don’t realize that relocating a house is an option and can be mutually beneficial.

While the Craigslist buyer gets an asset for free, the seller won’t have to pay for $15,000 or more in demolition costs.

“Which is money that we can put back into our building budget,” said Smith. “And to me, even more importantly, it’s not go-ing to the dump. Because it shouldn’t be, it’s not a teardown.”

Smith said her family takes possession of the home in mid-April and will look to rent nearby while the new home is being built. They decided to buy in Tsawwassen after looking for land everywhere within a 30 kilometre radius of Vancouver.

“We’d never been to Beach Grove and when we drove in were just like, wow, this is it. It just felt right.”

The cottage is an estimated 1,100-square-feet (102-square-metres) and was built in the 1960s. Photographs of the interior can be seen at the Craigslist ad.

“If it does turn into a purchase and some-body takes it away I can’t wait for that day,” said Smith. “To see it go, it’ll be so cool to watch it get lifted and be moved.”

Tsawwassen cottage offered on Craigslist for free❙ Adrian MacNair REPORTER [email protected]

❙ This Tsawwassen house is free to a good home. All the new owner has to do is come and pick it up. Adrian MacNair photo

Page 13: South Delta Leader March , 2014

southdeltaleader.com A13Friday, March 7, 2014

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Westham Island Canoe Pass Tidal Marsh Project

Port Metro Vancouver invites you to participate in a public engagement regarding the proposed Westham Island Canoe Pass Tidal Marsh Project between March 3 and March 14, 2014.

The proposed Westham Island Canoe Pass Tidal Marsh Project involves the creation of intertidal marsh habitat for fish and wildlife. The proposed project is located on the south-east shore of Westham Island, in Canoe Passage, in the Corporation of Delta. Port Metro Vancouver is proposing the project:

• to improve fish and wildlife habitat by expanding the existing marsh area and converting un-vegetated area into ecologically productive brackish marsh;

• to increase the productivity of Canoe Passage and provide high quality habitat at a prime location for juvenile salmon and other fish, birds and wildlife.

As part of this public engagement, Port Metro Vancouver will present information regarding the tidal marsh project, and will seek input regarding opportunities for educational and interpretive project features.

How to participate:

View the discussion paper and complete an online feedback form, available on March 3 at www.porttalk.ca/habitatenhancement.

Email [email protected] or phone 604.665.9071 to schedule an engagement interview.

PLEASE SUBMIT YOUR COMPLETED FEEDBACK FORM BY MARCH 14, 2014.

All input received during the engagement period will be compiled in an Engagement Summary Report. Port Metro Vancouver will also prepare a Consideration Memo, demonstrating how feedback was considered. Both of these documents will be made available online at www.porttalk.ca/habitatenhancement.

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southdeltaleader.comread sports stories onsports

southdeltaleader.com A13Friday, March 7, 2014

❙ SPORTS

❙ Brent Chreptyk of the Delta Ice Hawks battles for possession of the puck Sunday night at Sungod Arena. The Ice Hawks lost the game 4-3 to the North Vancouver Wolf Pack, and were eliminated from the Pacif-ic Junior Hockey League playoffs. Jim Kinnear photo

Delta Ice Hawks eliminated�e Delta Ice Hawks were elim-

inated from the �rst round of the Paci�c Junior Hockey League playo�s Sunday at Sungod Are-na, losing to the visiting North Vancouver Wolf Pack by score of 4-3. �e Wolf Pack took the best-of-seven series four games to two.

�e Wolf Pack scored late in the �rst period to open the scoring, and stretched their lead to two early in the second period.

Mak Barden had Delta’s �rst goal of the night, which came on the power play at the midway mark of the game.

North Vancouver regained their two-goal lead less than a minute later with an unassisted goal from Marcus Houck.

Robert Johnson again cut the lead to one, as he scored for the Ice Hawks with 30 seconds left in the middle frame.

�e Ice Hawks were able to tie the game early in the third peri-od, thanks to Dakota Klassen’s power play goal. However, Houck

notched his second goal of the night with 10 minutes left to play to give the Wolf Pack the game and the series.

�e Ice Hawks’ comeback at-tempts late in the game were thwarted by a pair of minor pen-alties. �e team pulled goaltender Alexander Ahnert for the �nal 1:40, but were unable to �nd the back of the net.

�e Ice Hawks outshot the Wolf Pack 47-33, and went two-for-three on the power play. �e Ice Hawks penalty kill was a perfect six-for-six.

Brandon Gaunt had a pair of as-sists, while Brent Chreptyk, Ben-jamin Blake, David Rudin, and Barden each notched helpers of their own. Barden was named the game’s second star for his two-point e�ort.

�e Ice Hawks fell behind in the series Saturday night, with their 3-2 overtime loss in Game 5 on the road.

�e Wolf Pack opened a two-goal lead early in the �rst period of the that game, but goals by Jer-emy Gossard and Chreptyk kept

the score even after 20 minutes.Ahnert and Wolf Pack goalie

Braden Krogfoss shut the doors for the remainder of regulation, not allowing a single goal at either end of the ice for 40 minutes.

�at sent the game to overtime, where Jamie Creamore scored the winner for the Wolf Pack at the seven-minute mark of the extra frame.

PJHL �rst round results�e Richmond Sockeyes de-

feated the Grandview Steelers in four straight games in the other Tom Shaw Conference semi�nal series. �e Sockeyes outscored the Steelers by a 19-6 margin en route to the win.

In the Harold Brittain Confer-ence, the No. 1-seed Aldergrove Kodiaks had little trouble with the Mission City Outlaws, dis-patching them in four games. �e Kodiaks out scored the Outlaws 22-8 in the series, and face the Abbotsford Pilots in the conference �nals, after they eliminated the Ridge Meadows Flames in �ve games.

❙ Robert Mangelsdorf EDITOR [email protected]

Page 14: South Delta Leader March , 2014

Friday, March 7, 2014A14 southdeltaleader.com

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southdeltaleader.com A15Friday, March 7, 2014

Page 16: South Delta Leader March , 2014

Friday, March 7, 2014A16 southdeltaleader.com

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