Thursday October 18, 2012 (Vol. 37 No. 84)
V O I C E
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Fighting for soldiers: Jim Scott, chair of the White Rock-based Equitas Disabled Soldiers Funding Society and the father of an injured veteran, is preparing a class-action lawsuit to improve compensation for injured military personnel. › see page A11
Customs officer in stable condition after being airlifted from Peace Arch
Suicide gunman shoots border guard Tracy Holmes & Dan Ferguson Staff Reporters
Curtis Kreklau photo
Paramedics tend to injured Border Services Officer Lori Bowcock, following a shooting at the Douglas (Peace Arch) border Tuesday afternoon.
A Canadian border guard was shot at Douglas (Peace Arch) crossing Tuesday afternoon, and her shooter killed himself. The officer, identified as Lori Bowcock, was shot in the neck shortly before 2 p.m. and was airlifted to hospital. She is in stable condition, according to the RCMP Integrated Homicide Investigation Team, which is investigating the incident as an attempted homicide. At a news conference at Peace Arch Park 2½ hours after the double-shooting, RCMP Cpl. Bert Paquet said the shooting of the Cpl. Bert Paquet officer and the suicide of the gunman occurred at the same time. “The instant following the shooting of the officer, the lone male had been pronounced dead at the scene from what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound,” Paquet said. The gunman’s body remained in a white van with Washington State plates, stopped by the booth of the northbound lane closest to the Canada Customs building. (His identity had not been made public at Peace Arch News press time.) › see page A4
Political show will go on, after chamber and BIA join forces
Business groups reconsider byelection debate Tracy Holmes Staff Reporter
White Rock voters will have an opportunity to get to know their byelection candidates en masse after all. South Surrey and White Rock Chamber of Commerce executive director Cliff Annable confirmed Wednesday that the chamber will host an all-candidates meeting Oct. 30 at White Rock Elementary, 1273 Fir St., in collaboration with the White Rock Business Improvement Association.
Officials with both organizations told Peace Arch News earlier this week that they would not be hosting such a meeting. On Monday, BIA executive director Sherri Wilson Morissette said the non-partisan organization doesn’t typically get involved in politics, and Annable had said the chamber hadn’t held the forums for byelections in the past and that community interest this year did not justify changing that tradition. However, Annable called PAN the next morning to advise of the change of heart.
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“I’ve been working on this since yesterday,” the former White Rock councillor said. “It seems like the right thing to do.” Regarding the lack of interest in the byelection that had been cited Monday, Annable said he is hopeful that an all-candidates meeting will turn that around. “There’s not much enthusiasm now, but as it gets closer to the date, hopefully there’ll be more,” he said. Timing of the meeting – just four days before the vote – is “perfect,” he added.
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Annable noted finding space to hold the meeting was a challenge. He was advised by the City of White Rock Tuesday that they were giving up pre-booked space at the school to enable the meeting, from 7-9 p.m. Surrey-White Rock MLA Gordon Hogg, a former mayor, will moderate. Council hopefuls (in ballot order) include: Pat Petrala, David Chesney, Bill Lawrence, Scott Kristjanson, Tom Willman, Grant Kane, Bruce McWilliam, Megan Knight and Graham Wood.
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