Thursday March 1, 2012 (Vol. 37 No. 18)
V O I C E
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W H I T E
R O C K
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S O U T H
S U R R E Y
w w w. p e a c e a r c h n e w s . c o m
To Africa, with love: A sold-out concert by The Orpheus Men’s Choir, in association with the Surrey GooGo Grannies, raised funds for sub-Saharan African orphans. see page A29 29
White Rock mayor: ‘Last council… bit off more than they could chew’
‘Huge’ jump in city’s consultant costs Tracy Holmes Staff Reporter
White Rock spent 72 per cent more on consultants last year than in 2010. The figures – $1,637,492 versus $951,331 – were shared in a fourth-quarter report to the city’s finance and audit committee Monday evening, and drew little comment from council members.
“We did employ a whack of consultants last year, but that’s reflective of the amount of work that was done,” Mayor Wayne Baldwin explained. Baldwin – who made the previous council’s record of consultant spending a campaign issue last fall – told Peace Arch News Tuesday that the current council won’t follow in its predecessors’ footsteps.
Describing the 72 per cent jump as “huge”, Baldwin said many of the previous year’s projects remain unfinished. “That was what the last council did, we’re not going to do that,” he said. “They bit off way more than they could chew.” In her report, financial services director Sandra Kurylo attributes the sizable jump to a high level of grant and contribution
funding from other levels of government, which prompted the undertaking of “a very large capital program in 2011 which had an impact on the level of consultants engaged, in particular in the engineering area.” “In order to qualify for grant funding, the city was required to share in the costs of several projects,” Kurylo writes. see page A4
18-month sentence
Driver faces victim’s family Tracy Holmes Staff Reporter
As Surrey Provincial Court sheriffs placed him in handcuffs, Sean Fleming said the words that Tony Blackburn’s family had been craving for more than three years. “I’m so sorry, guys,” a distraught Evan Seal photo Fleming said, facing Blackburn’s Tony Blackburn’s family members – father John, mother Diane and brothers Emmanuel and John – speak to a reporter outside court Tuesday. parents, siblings and friend, following his sentencing Tuesday after- tion when Fleming lost control of Baird told Fleming the best thing he that Fleming had been drinking at Fleming has no prior criminal noon for impaired driving causing his 1994 Honda Civic on a curve in can do to make amends for Black- the party, Barclay said. He told record, has shown remorse and that death. “Your brother will always the 13300-block of Crescent Road, burn’s death will be to live a happy, officers he’d had about eight beers he pleaded guilty, Barclay said. be in my heart. He’s touched me just minutes from the home Black- productive life, and share the lesson and a few puffs of a joint; samples In victim-impact statements forever and he’ll always be with me burn shared with his parents. he learned when it comes to issues collected 2½ hours after the crash read to the court, Blackburn’s everywhere.” “On a shallow, sweeping of drinking and driving. put Fleming’s blood-alcohol level mom, Diane, and sister, Angelica, The words, clearly catharcorner, the accused lost “That’s the way forward for you,” at 120 and 130 milligrams/100mL. expressed sorrow at the senseless tic for all involved, came at control via oversteering Baird said, adding that Blackburn Those levels led a Crown expert loss of their son and brother, and the end of an afternoon and this caused the car to wouldn’t want Fleming to let his life to conclude Fleming would have anger towards Fleming. He never riddled with emotions, yaw and ultimately slide go to waste wallowing in despair been at approximately double the explained to the family exactly what during which Fleming off the road, where it hit over a tragedy he can’t undo. legal 80mg/mL limit when he was happened in his car that night, and came under tearful fire a large power pole on the Prior to the decision, as family driving, Barclay said. he never apologized, they said. from Blackburn’s family. passenger side,” Crown members of both Blackburn and Barclay said two other aggravat“What a coward you are,” Angelica Fleming, 22, pleaded counsel Paul Barclay told Fleming listened, the court heard ing factors were that a collision Blackburn told Fleming. “You, the guilty last October to being the court during sentenc- how the two men had been friends reconstructionist estimated Flem- only person who knew what hapbehind the wheel when ing submissions. for about six years at the time of ing’s car was travelling at about 105 pened that day, could not man up.” the crash that killed Black- Tony Blackburn “Mr. Blackburn was ulti- the crash, having met in Grade 10. km/h when he lost control; and, She said her brother would have died at scene burn occurred in South mately pronounced dead Hours before the fatal event, that Fleming was aware his vehicle been the first to forgive his friend Surrey, around 6 a.m. on at the scene.” they’d been with friends at a party had bald front tires. for what happened, but that he Feb. 14, 2009. In rendering the penalty of 18 in the Morgan Crossing area. Fleming also had only his “nov- would not forgive him for what his The pair were on their way back months in jail followed by 18 Evidence, including a confession ice” driver’s licence at the time. family has been through since. from a snack run to a local gas sta- months probation, Judge Robin Fleming readily gave police, showed Mitigating factors include that see page A8
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