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VIEWPOINT
The Surrey-Nor th Delta Leader Thursday Januar y 22 2015
THIS WEEK’S QUESTION: Do you have someone suffering from Alzheimer’s disease in your life? To answer, go to the home page of our website at surreyleader.com
Last week we asked: How will you vote in the upcoming TransLink referendum on the creation of a 0.5% sales tax to fund transportation improvements? Here’s how you responded:
Yes 11% No 79% I don’t know yet 10%
INBOX
A man with a heart of gold Al Cleaver was named a Surrey Civic Treasure in 2010, but he was much more than that. He was one of the key builders of the city over the past 50 years. He died in hospital last week at the age of 88. As the city’s fire chief for many years, he and several others of his fire department management team were instrumental in turning the department into a professional and extremely wellrun organization. It continues to be one of B.C.’s best fire departments. It has the respect of almost all Surrey citizens and a capacity to respond to almost anything. At the same time, the members of the department are heavily involved as volunteers in building the community and contributing to its success. That is a value that Cleaver greatly treasured, because it was in many ways the story of his life. He came to Surrey in the 1930s. The Cleaver family lived on a five-acre property at 124 Street and 72 Avenue and grew as much of their food as they could. The Surrey of that time was a community where neighbours co-operated and helped one another as much as possible. That was how the initial scattered fire departments in the city first came to be – they were made up of neighbours who often obtained used equipment and a hall to store it so they could
respond at a time of crisis. Given that most buildings were built of and heated with wood, there were no shortage of fire calls. Cleaver was one of the first students at Queen Elizabeth High School, shortly after it opened in 1939. A fellow student was Connie Shepherd. Her father Len was the MLA representing Surrey and other Fraser Valley communities in the provincial legislature from 1937 to 1945. The Shepherds were all about giving back and several Shepherd brothers were involved in numerous businesses and community groups in both South and North Surrey and served on council and school board. Al and Connie hit it off and she truly was the love of his life. They married and settled in the South Westminster area where Connie had grown up. For many years, they lived on 99 Avenue, just off Scott Road, near where a lovely little park named after Al is located today. He was originally part of the South Westminster fire department (later Hall 1) and was one of the first of the volunteer firefighters to be hired as a full-time professional firefighter in Surrey. He and other pioneers are being honoured today at the International Association of Firefighters local 1271 Barge Inn because their
efforts built the department. Cleaver was a training officer and took over as fire chief, working closely with his deputy and good friend Lorne Pearson. They built the department to serve a rapidly growing community. Volunteer fire halls were gradually converted to full-time, Hall 1 and the headquarters were built, training and equipment was continually updated and the challenges facing firefighters grew increasingly complex. Cleaver was responsible for one of the more unique aspects of Surrey fire department’s history – painting fire trucks a fluorescent green that made them stand out. He was relentlessly kidded about that decision, but stood by it. On retiring in 1986, he and Connie became more involved with preserving Surrey history, through the museum and archives, the firefighters’ historical association and the Surrey Historical Society. He was a founder of the Friends of Surrey Museum and Archives Society, which was instrumental in raising funds for the new Surrey Museum on Highway 10 in Cloverdale. He was a man with a heart of gold, and a love for the community that was as big as his infectious laugh. He will be greatly missed.
QUITE FRANKLY ▼ Frank Bucholtz
Trees over transit More than cops are needed ▼ GREEN TIMBERS URBAN FOREST MUST BE SAVED WITH TRANSIT EXPANSION In response to “More transit, fewer trees?”, The Leader, Jan. 15, I feel the City of Surrey needs to revise future transit plans in the Green Timbers area and save the trees. Making Fraser Highway six-plus lanes to accommodate LRT and destroy Green Timbers Urban Forest between 140 and 148 Streets is nonsense.
Extend the SkyTrain from King George station to 176 Street or Clayton using single cement pillars down the existing median. Use B-line buses on 152 and 176 Streets to feed the new stations. Build the LRT to Guildford and Newton but please save Green Timbers Urban Forest. Only with this plan will I support the creation of a 0.5-per-cent sales tax to fund transportation improvements. S. Walton
▼ COMMUNITY COOPERATION IS REQUIRED TO COMBAT CRIME IN SURREY First of all, I’d like to agree with many fellow citizens here in Surrey that more police officers on patrol is only a part of the plan to prevent crimes. It’s true that our city has been facing such problems for a while, but it doesn’t mean that we should throw
in the towel. Several steps are needed for the solution: 1. Physical and mental rehabilitation for those who need it. 2. Open dialogues, assistance and counselling for low-income, dysfunctional and at-risk families, especial-
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ly those who have teenagers and children. 3. Constant vigilance and cooperation within schools, families and society as whole. This will definitely help everyone respect and recognize each other. Personally, I’d like to hope that the tragic murder of Julie Paskall will never repeat itself, but we shouldn’t let our guard down either at all.
Lin Jack
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