The Cloverdale
Your Weekly Clover Valley Newspaper March 22, 2012 Y www.CloverdaleReporter.com Y 604-575-2405
Cherry trees come down
Residents lament the loss of Clayton Park’s crowning glory
bourhood,” she added. “When you drive in By Jennifer Lang Clayton residents are surprised and sad- there, it is so picturesque. Surely you can save dened by the sudden removal of a stand of something; all these years they’ve been there.” She lamented that nothing 10 mature flowering cherry trees more could be done to preserve at from Clayton Park. least some of the trees. The City of Surrey’s decision to Another resident who contactremove the trees, which surrounded the Reporter was similarly dised the park’s bowling green facility, traught at learning of the cherry was reached in consultation with trees’ destruction, and said it was the Surrey Lawn Bowling Club, a shock to not have any advance which had actively lobbied for the warning. removal, citing maintenance and An explanation, she said, safety concerns. wouldn’t change what was hapBut the park’s neighbours found pening to what many considered out when they heard the sounds the park’s crowning glory, but of chainsaws and went over to inwould have made the news of the vestigate only to discover a tree retrees’ removal easier to bear. moval crew was on the scene. Not prized by everyone. It turns out the Surrey Lawn “None of us knew about it,” resiBowling Club has spent a lot of dent Ina Vandeburgt said. After speaking to the workers on site, she contacted time and money on maintenance issues crerepresentatives from the Lawn Bowling Club ated by the cherry trees, president Bonnie and Surrey’s Parks, Recreation and Culture Wright said. “They’ve caused a lot of damage to the walkdepartment, where she learned the truth – the ways, ” she said. “We’ve had them resurfaced plan is to remove the trees and replace them with something less likely to interfere with the several times.” Last week she heard from several people bowling green or the walkways. “I said, ‘Well, surely we can save some of who were wondering why the trees were being them,’” Vandeburgt said, recalling her converSee CROY / Page 6 sation with a city official. “They are the pride and joy of this neigh-
JENNIFER LANG PHOTO
Freshly felled mature cherry trees piled near their stumps last week in Clayton Park.
A century later, electric rail dream endures
A fashionable form of transit in 1911.
By Jennifer Lang The Interurban was a modern suburbanite commuter’s dream. For four decades, it was possible to step on board an electric passenger railcar in Cloverdale, and ride in comfort to New Westminster, downtown Vancouver or even Chilliwack in less time than it would take to drive there today. In its heyday from 1911 to 1950, the British Columbia Electric Railway, or BCER, transported people, goods and gossip between Vancou-
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