Devils defenceman on the move
Green thumbs: Dig into a garden club
page 16
Datebook listings, page 19
Tuesday May 21, 2013
Serving Surrey and North Delta www.surreyleader.com
City’s business community honours its brightest youth
juGGLing FuN
Surrey’s at the Top 25 Surrey Children’s Under 25
Festival
by Rick Kupchuk THE BUSINESS community will
recognize 25 of the brightest young people in Surrey this week. The Surrey Board of Trade (SBOT) will “celebrate the incredible initiatives of Surrey’s youth” on Thursday, May 23 at the thirdannual Top 25 Under 25 Awards. The event will run from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at Eaglequest golf course. “Their community and entrepreneurial spirit were showcased through their nominations,” said SBOT CEO Anita Huberman. “We have amazing talent in these winners who will take our businesses now and in the future to amazing heights.”
■ STORY, PAGE 3 ■ GUIDE TO EVENTS, PAGE 11 BOAZ JOSEPH / THE LEADER
Kwantlen Park Secondary student Olivia Helmer, 16, juggles as part of the schools’ Cirque Surrey program. More details: page 3.
See AWARDS / Page 5
Joining the ‘million-dollar pension club’ Defeated MLAs, retirees to share $26 million in payouts
by Jeff Nagel WITH THE B.C. election now over, a long list of departing MLAs – both Liberals and New Democrats – are now in line for lucrative pensions, whether they retired voluntarily or were defeated at the polls.
The Canadian Taxpayers’ Federation (CTF) estimates the total payouts to MLAs who didn’t win or seek re-election could top $26 million. The government injects $4 for every dollar politicians contribute, and the resulting pensions are also inflation adjusted. “The MLA pension payout ATM is spitting out cash at a rate taxpayers can only dream of,” CTF B.C. director Jordan Bateman said. “A dozen former MLAs will soon join the million-dollar pension club
– while most of us are scraping together every nickel we can find for our own retirements.” Departing NDP MLAs in the Lower Mainland and their estimated payouts to age 80 include: SurreyFleetwood NDP MLA Jagrup Brar ($555,000); Delta-North NDP MLA Guy Gentner ($500,000); Coquitlam-Maillardville’s Diane Thorne ($461,000); and Pitt Meadows-Maple Ridge MLA Michael Sather ($490,000).
Editorial 6 Letters 7 Sports 16 Classifieds 20
See CLOVERDALE / Page 4
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