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‘Perfect dad’ lost in farm tragedy Victims’ families last to testify at mushroom farm inquest MONIQUE TAMMINGA Times Reporter
Miranda GATHERCOLE/Langley Times
Sheridan Trowell, Isabelle Manning, Taya Velikajne, Kurtis Trowell and Anthony Velikajne hung out at City Park on Tuesday afternoon. The three girls, all 12, spoke to City Council on Monday, May 14 to urge them to broaden a cosmetic pesticide ban bylaw to include City-owned lands as well as private property. The City no longer uses cosmetic pesticides in parks or on playing fields but spraying still occurs along streets, sidewalks and boulevards.
City expands pesticide ban Bylaw will prohibit use of cosmetic pesticides on both City-owned and private land BRENDA ANDERSON Times Reporter
When Taya Velikajne goes outside to play, the 12-year-old Langley City girl sometimes worries about what might be lurking in the weeds. It’s not insects or animals that cause her concern on sunny spring and summer days, but potentially toxic chemicals. On Monday night Taya, supported by her friends, Isabelle Manning and Sheridan Trowell, both 12, told City council that her doctor strongly suspects that the cosmetic pesticides used to control weeds along the City’s streets, sidewalks and boulevards are responsible for the rashes that periodically appear on her body. “We can’t say for sure, because of course my parents wouldn’t purposely expose me to pesticides,” said Taya, who told council
spoke before council’s regular May she must remain indoors whenever 14 meeting, asking that a proposed spraying happens in her neighbourbylaw to ban cosmetic pesticides hood. on private property be expanded Stating that they had come to to include public land as well. speak on behalf of all the children And the pressure appeared to do of Langley, Taya, Sheridan and Isathe trick. belle urged council to impose a Later that evening, on a motion total ban on cosmetic pesticide use from Councillor Ted Schaffer, counin the City. cil voted 5-2 (with Councillors Teri One day, the use of chemicals James and Gayle Martin opposed) to kill dandelions where children to expand the new cosmetic pestiplay will seem as crazy as smoking Ted cide bylaw to include City-owned inside a car carrying children, in lands. restaurants and on airplanes seems Schaffer “I hate to see any pesticides to us today, said Isabelle. going into creeks and streams. I’d And while alternative weed control methods might come with a bigger like to see us be stewards of our city and price tag, what about the price Taya pays, take care of it, one bit at a time,” said Schafbeing stuck inside her house, Sheridan fer. asked. continued, PAGE 7 The girls were among six people who
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Standing in front of a swarm of media, 16-year-old Tracey Phan spoke eloquently about her father Michael Phan who is now living out his days in a care home, unable to walk, talk or respond after he was permanently injured by toxic gas in a pump shed at A-1 Mushroom farm in 2008. The tragedy killed three workers. “My dad was a hero, and he watched Spider-Man . . . Superman . . . heroes don’t get into such serious injuries when someone they love can lose them,” said Phan, after the the Coroner’s Inquest wrapped up on Tuesday afternoon. Phan was one of three family members who testified. The family members were the last to testify in the inquest. It will now be up to a jury to come back with recommendations that could prevent a similar tragedy from happening again. They began their deliberations on Wednesday morning. When a pipe was unclogged in a shed used to mix gypsum, chicken manure and water, it released noxious fumes that killed farmworkers Ut Tran, 35, Han Pham, 47, and Chi Wai Jimmy Chan. The discharge of toxic fumes permanently injured Tchen Phan and Michael Phan. Tracey said her dad was the bread winner and the “perfect dad, coming out of a TV show . . . he was a soccer mom coming out to all my games and my track and field to cheer me on.” continued, PAGE 4
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