ALDERGROVE S STAR STAR TA TA Your Hometown Community Newspaper for over 55 Years
| Thursday, June 6, 2013
| Thursday, June 6, 2013 Facciotti Aces Facciotti Aces Motocross Opener! Motocross Opener PAGE 11
Check website out Community daily for updates, breaking news more: Yourour Hometown Newspaper forand over 55www.aldergrovestar.com Years
Check our website daily for updates, breaking news and more: www.aldergrovestar.com
Page 3: Police bust underground grow-op
Page 3: Police bust underground grow-op
PAGE 11
Township passes new berry cannon restrictions
All Aboard the Aldergrove Trolley!
Fines, registration, setback requirements must still be approved by province By DAN FERGUSON Aldergrove Star
KURT LANGMANN PHOTO
Aldergrove Trolley Company driver Graham Morris delivers the local transit system’s first passengers to downtown Aldergrove on Saturday morning. The day offered free introductory rides on the system’s south and north routes. See more photos, page 3.
Local trolley service hits the road By KURT LANGMANN Aldergrove Star
The Aldergrove Trolley Company officially launched its long awaited local transit service on Saturday. Following a ribbon-cutting ceremony by Mayor Jack Froese — who called the trolley service the result of the work of a “billion dollar neighborhood” — the trolley was boarded by a couple dozen passengers and took its first trip on the south route to the 450-resident Pioneer Park homes on Zero Avenue. The 1988 diesel trolley offered a comfortable ride on the country roads, agreed the passengers. The seats are plain wooden benches, but there is both a heating and air conditioning system inside the 32-passenger trolley. It also has a wheelchair lift at the back, offering full accessibility for all passengers. Trolley driver Graham Morris has five years experience operating a trolley in Vancouver and is thrilled to have the job here, closer to his home in the Fraser Valley. He notes that trolleys are not meant for high speed operations, but are perfect for the Aldergrove routes.
“The trolley has real good visibility (for the driver), and the power steering and short wheelbase makes it easy to make sharp turns,” says Morris. The trolley was one of the projects undertaken by participants in the taping of the “Million Dollar Neighbourhood” reality-TV series in Aldergrove last year. Led by Dave Miller, the trolley project has been an arduous undertaking, as it has to meet a number of regulatory requirements and approvals from government and bodies such as TransLink. Miller says approvals have been received for a number of safe stop locations for passengers to board and disembark, however, the trolley is not yet allowed to stop for passengers who flag it down outside of approved stops. Miller is expecting approval for this aspect, but notes that the trolley driver would still only be able to stop where it is safe to do so. The south route has seven stops approved so far, and starts and ends near the TransLink/BC Transit stop in front of Extra Foods on 272 Street. The approved stops include Aldergrove Arena, Aldergrove
The COOL place to...Đ
Regional Park, Pioneer Park, Otter Co-op, Save-on Foods, Old Yale Road at Fraser Highway and Safeway. The trolley leaves Extra Foods at 9:30, 10:30, 11:30, 12:30 and 2:30 p.m., and each trip is about an hour long. The round trip costs $3. Miller says that starting July 1, during summer months the trolley will drive a loop through Aldergrove Regional Park while on the south route. The north route, serving Gloucester Industrial Estates along 56 Avenue, is still under development but will begin service at 6 a.m. and end at 6 p.m. The cost will be $2.50 each way. Monthly passes will also be available, at $58 for the south route and $90 for the north route. Information is available by email at info@aldergrovetrolleycompany.ca and their website: www.aldergrovetrolleycompany.ca Miller says that the trolley’s business plan anticipates operating costs to be about $15,000 monthly. For this reason the company has signed up corporate sponsors and will also be seeking charter business for weddings and other special occasions.
Birthdays� FAMILY�SPECIAL� Coupon�
9�
$� 99�
Per child�
www.alderalley.com�
Ph.604-856-2034� 27070 Fraser Hwy. Aldergrove�
The new blueberry cannon restrictions may not be much, but they are all the provincial government will allow in Langley Township. On that, both council and critics were agreed Monday night (May 27), as the new rules were approved. The provincial ministry of agriculture, which has the final say on any farming regulations, has made it clear that any attempt to ban the controversial bird scare devices or set decibel limits will be overturned under right-to-farm laws. That left the municipal task force that designed the new law with few options beyond the mix of requiring registration of cannons, increased setbacks from horse farms, advance notification and signage it came up with. Kim Madill was one of three people who spoke to council to say Kim Madill tells Township coun- the new rules lack cil “anything with a heartbeat teeth. Madill, who lives and ears” will find blueberry near farms with cannons disturbing. operating cannons, described how the devices go off hundreds of times a day. “The nearest cannon to us shakes the pictures on our walls,” Madill said. “Anything with a heartbeat and ears cannot function.” The regulations were approved by a eight-to-one vote, with Councillor Kim Richter opposed. They still have to be cleared by the provincial ministry of agriculture before they can take effect. The hope is approval will come in time for the 2013 planting season. Meanwhile, at councillor Bob Long’s suggestion, council voted unanimously to ask the new provincial minister of agriculture, once one has been named, to meet with council, the Agricultural Advisory Committee, and the Propane Cannon Task Force “to explore elimination, or significant reduction, of bird scare devices.”
* * * * *
2 hours of bowlingĐ shoe rentalsĐ hot dogĐ pop or juiceĐ party areaĐ
One lane for up to�6 bowlers�
* 1 HOUR of bowling� * Includes Free� Shoe Rentals� (excludes Party Packages. Exp. Dec.30/12�