Devils hanging on to third page 20
Drunk driving must stop, family says page 3
Tuesday November 27, 2012
Serving Surrey and North Delta www.surreyleader.com
Tunnel rebuild, bus cuts a tale of 2 priorities
41% of hungry are babies and kids as Christmas giving campaign kicks off
Youth food bank use drops across B.C. – except in Surrey
Province begins meetings on new Highway 99 crossing by Jeff Nagel WHILE TRANSLINK asks the public
by Kevin Diakiw CARRYING A seven-day-old baby, a 19-year-old walked into the
Surrey Food Bank on Wednesday. She’s living on a monthly government subsidy of $500 for rent and another $283 for everything else she needs. Her mom, who was at her side, says she does what she can, but has limited income herself. The new mother said without the food bank, she didn’t know what she would do. Marilyn Herrmann, executive director for the Surrey Food Bank, says sadly, the young mom isn’t unique. The facility at 10732 City Parkway in Surrey served 153,000 hungry people last year. “Forty-one per cent of our clients are children and babies,” Herrmann said. “We see 250 babies every week.” Herrmann Provincially, the statistics for kids attending food banks looks hopeful. Recent figures show the number of young people relying on food banks dropped from 40 per cent to 28.3 per cent over the last year. However, in Surrey, the figure has remained at 41 per cent, partly because of the growing youthful population. The food bank has made the decision that moms receive milk and eggs. If they’re nursing, they also get a weekly hamper (typical food bank clients are eligible for a hamper once every two weeks). “And baby gets full nutrition for the week,” Herrmann said.
G uildford Story
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See CHRISTMAS CAMPAIGN / Page 11
BOAZ JOSEPH / THE LEADER Guildford Town Centre Community Newsletter
Countdown to Christmas Thousands of people turned out to enjoy the Christmas tree-lighting festival in City Centre on Saturday. The annual event starts the unofficial countdown to Christmas in Surrey. For more photos, see page 23. Video of the event – which included live entertainment – is at surreyleader.com
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Guildford Town Centre Community Newsletter
about its plan to selectively cut bus service on some routes, the province is launching its own consultations – on the premier’s recent promise to replace the George Massey Tunnel. Transportation ministry officials will seek public comment on a new Highway 99 crossing of the Fraser River at five open houses in early December in Richmond, Delta and Surrey. The existing tunnel has 10 to 15 years of useful life left before major components must be completely replaced, Transportation Minister Polak Mary Polak said. And since it takes about a decade to plan and build such a project, preliminary work must start now. “One thing is very clear to us – the status quo is not an option,” Polak said. A short list of potential replacement options is to be drawn up ahead of more public meetings in the new year.
See MEETINGS / Page 4
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