B.C. Views Premier not making debate easier. p6
And the lucky rubber ducky is … p5
THE NEWS
Arts&life Maple Ridge piper taking on the world. p17
www.mapleridgenews.com Wednesday, August 8, 2012 · Serving Maple Ridge & Pitt Meadows · est. 1978 · 604-467-1122 · 50¢
Murder charge dropped
Ex-Ridge Mountie joins suit
by M o n i s h a M a r t i n s staff reporter
Valerie MacLean served here in 1970s by Jef f Nage l Black Press A proposed class-action lawsuit alleging bullying and harassment against women in the RCMP got a high-profile champion on the first day of hearings last Thursday. Valerie MacLean, an RCMP constable at Ridge Meadows in the late 1970s and former head of the Better Business Bureau, said she’s joined the suit in an attempt to get justice and a fair hearing for the victims.
MacLean See Suit p8
Pitt Meadows man dies after cliff fall Staff Reporter
Colleen Flanagan/THE NEWS
Nothing but blue skies What better way to enjoy a rare summer day, than canoeing on Alouette Lake in Golden Ears park. See p3.
A 24-year-old Pitt Meadows man mistakenly jumped to his death last Wednesday after trying to avoid a large truck while jogging in Stewart, near the Alaska border. Police believe the man was jogging west on Hwy. 37A, when a large truck approached behind him. He crossed the road to avoid the truck, and jumped over a concrete barrier, unaware of the steep drop to the ocean on the other side. The man, who’s name is not being released at the request of his family, fell about 10 metres on to the rocks below. Alcohol or drugs were not factors and foul play is not suspected, said police. Stewart RCMP were called to the scene at 6:45 p.m. where they found the unconscious man on the rocky shore. He was taken to Stewart Hospital where he later died of his injuries.
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Index Opinion Tom Fletcher Looking Back Arts&life Sports Community Calendar Classifieds
A Maple Ridge man, who police say has ties to organized crime, will not face a murder trial for a shooting in 2009. A second-degree murder charge against Hershan ‘Shawn’ Singh Bains was stayed in New Westminster Supreme Court last week, bringing court proceedings to an end, three years after Steve Nagra was killed. On May 28, 2009, Nagra drove himself to Ridge Meadows hospital in a black SUV peppered with bullet holes while suffering from a gunshot wound. The shooting took place in the residential neighbourhood of 11400-block of Maple Crescent in Maple Ridge. The 29-year-old collapsed in the emergency and was stabilized by doctors, but died the next day after being transported to Royal Columbian Hospital in New Westminster. A month later, Bains was arrested by RCMP, who said the 31-yearold was known to police for “his continued association with organized crime figures.” Neil MacKenzie, a spokesperson for B.C.’s criminal justice branch, said new evidence has revealed Bains was not the only individual who was potentially responsible for the murder. See Court, p8
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