Triple play with clay at art gallery page 30
Newest Eagle scores five in a pair of wins page 25
Thursday January 17 , 2013
Serving Surrey and North Delta www.surreyleader.com
Casino meeting is one for the record books
After spate of gun violence, RCMP Chief Supt. Bill Fordy says criminals at risk
Surrey is safe, top cop assures
Round two of public hearing Friday could run till 5 a.m. Saturday or require another night
by Kevin Diakiw ON THE heels of a flurry of murders
by Kevin Diakiw IT’S SURREY’S longest public hearing, at least in the last 35
years, and perhaps ever. A marathon meeting over a proposal for a casino and entertainment complex in South Surrey continues tomorrow night (Friday) at city hall. On Monday, a crowd of more than 500 packed the hall over the issue, with 192 people registering to address council. By 1:30 a.m. Tuesday, less than half had been heard, so council plans to hear from the remaining 120 people on Friday beginning at 7 p.m. If the meeting continues at Monday’s pace, it will run until 5 a.m. Or it could be continued on a third night. Sign-up for speakers is now closed, so council will only hear from those who have a number from Monday night. Former Surrey mayor Bob Bose, sat on council from Susan Lindenberger 1978 towho 2011, said Wednesday he’s never seen a public hearing go on for this long. The $100-million project has been highly contentious amongst local residents for the better part of a year. It’s slated to include a 60,000-sq.-ft. gaming area, 200room hotel and a 27,000-sq.-ft. convention and entertainment centre. The casino promises to bring in $3 million in revenue each year for Surrey as the host city.
“We are all tired of listening to the half-truths spun by those who would foist this casino upon us.”
See PROPONENTS / Page 3
GORD GOBLE / CONTRIBUTOR
A woman displays her opposition to a casino complex proposed for 10 Avenue and 168 Street at a crowded public hearing at Surrey City Hall on Monday night. So many people wanted to speak at the meeting that a second hearing is taking place Friday night.
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in Surrey, the city’s top cop is telling residents they’re safe. Four people were killed in Surrey in three separate shootings in less than two days. According to the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT), two of the three shootings were gang-related, with the victims believed to be associates of the Dhak-Dhure gang, which is allegedly involved in an ongoing conflict with the Red Scorpions, Hells Angels and Independent Soldiers. At about 7 p.m. Sunday, Manjot Dhillon was shot near 168 Street and 76 Avenue. He was transported to hospital where he died at 11:30 p.m. Then on Tuesday, just after 2 a.m., Manjinder Singh Hairan, 29, was fatally gunned down near 127 Street and 112B Avenue in BridBill Fordy geview. Another man was seriously injured in that shooting, and while police aren’t releasing a name, The Leader has learned it was Jujhar Singh Khun-Khun. Khun-Khun was shot in Surrey a-year-and-a-half ago, in what police believe was a retaliation hit for the Kelowna shooting that killed Red
See CRIME / Page 5
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