Tuesday March 19, 2013 (Vol. 38 No. 23)
V O I C E
O F
W H I T E
R O C K
A N D
S O U T H
So close… The White Rock Christian Academy Warriors came oh-so-close to adding another provincial basketball banner to the gym wall, but fell 59-53 to the Walnut Grove Gators Saturday in the title game. › see page A21
S U R R E Y
w w w. p e a c e a r c h n e w s . c o m
BC Liberal, New Democrat caucuses should ensure no future blurring of lines: MLA
Hogg ‘would welcome external review’ Alex Browne Staff Reporter
Government caucus chair Gordon Hogg says he is satisfied with the findings of the report by John Dyble, deputy minister to the premier, on the ethnic-vote scandal that has rocked the already-beleagured BC Liberals. But the Surrey-White Rock MLA admits he had “an emotional response” to what the report revealed about the strategy and what
many have termed cynical plans to sway ethnic voters. Hogg – who also conducted an independent review of the role played by caucus staff in the preparation of the BC Liberals’ contentious Draft Multicultural Strategic Plan – says he fully agrees with recommendations of the Dyble report, released last week, particularly those suggesting further disciplinary action might be warranted and that a
review and clarification of codes of conduct are necessary. Hogg says he has no reason to doubt Premier Christy Clark’s assurances that the recommendations will be acted on “immediately.” At the same time, he says he would welcome an external review of both BC Liberal and NDP caucuses to ensure that “blurring of the lines” between government business and partisan politics is avoided in the future.
Hogg acknowledged in an interview with Peace Arch News Monday that he had a “visceral” reaction as he read Dyble’s report, which outlined misuse of government funds, misconduct by public officials and deliberate use of private emails to cover wrongdoing in the development of a strategy to woo ethnic voters to the ranks of BC Liberal supporters. › see page A4
‘Incredible’ smoke
Mattress fire shuts Zellers for months Nick Greenizan Staff Reporter
Dan Ferguson photo
About 80 people attended a rally Sunday against increased coal-train traffic through White Rock, welcoming local politicians who attended.
MLAs Hogg, Gentner attend protest in White Rock
Cross-party opposition over coal trains Dan Ferguson Staff Reporter
About 80 people attended a noon-hour rally in White Rock Sunday against a proposal that would increase coal-train traffic along the BNSF railway that runs through White Rock, South Surrey and Delta. Based on the turnout, the opposition to the Fraser Surrey Docks proposal to build a coal-transfer facility has crossed party lines and municipal boundaries, with Surrey-White Rock Liberal MLA Gordon Hogg and Delta
North NDP MLA Guy Gentner among the speakers against the plan, as well as White Rock Mayor Wayne Baldwin. Baldwin drew cheers when he read out a letter against the plan that was sent Friday to the CEO of Surrey Fraser docks, the port of Vancouver and Transport Canada. In it, the mayor says: “It is outrageous that this rail traffic would even be considered through a residential, highly densified city that has absolutely no industrial area at all.” Fraser Surrey Docks has applied to build
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a terminal that would bring in thermal coal from Wyoming via the BNSF railway that runs through White Rock, South Surrey and Delta. It’s estimated the Surrey facility would mean two more coal trains, each up to 2.3 kilometres long, on the waterfront route every day. Along with a proposal to expand Neptune Terminals in North Vancouver, the application is to be decided by Port Metro Vancouver managers, with no formal public meetings or approvals by other agencies. › see page A2
LOOK FOR OUR SPRING BULB FLYER IN THIS EDITION OF YOUR PEACE ARCH NEWS
A fire Thursday afternoon at Semiahmoo Shopping Centre caused the building to be evacuated and the mall to be shut down. The mall re-opened at its usual time Friday morning, but Zellers is still closed and, according to a customer-service representative Monday afternoon, “will be for months.” The fire started at a display of mattresses, according to Surrey deputy fire Chief Jon Caviglia. While the flames were confined to that one area, the black smoke did the majority of the damage. “Obviously, it burned enough to set off the sprinkler system,” he said. “There is a lot of smoke damage in Zellers…the amount of smoke was incredible.” It has not yet been determined if the fire was accidentally or intentionally set, Caviglia added. By 4 p.m. Thursday, Surrey Fire Services members, as well as employees from a restoration company, had set up large fans in the shopping centre’s entryways in order to clear out the smoke. Semiahmoo Shopping Centre management did not return Peace Arch News’ calls seeking comment.
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