Thursday June 27, 2013 (Vol. 38 No. 52)
V O I C E
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W H I T E
R O C K
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S O U T H
Happy 146th birthday: Surrey and White Rock have major public celebrations planned – in Cloverdale and beside Semiahmoo Bay – to honour Canada Day. › see page 11
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
12 ATM holdups lead to 36 charges
‘Surgical mask bandit’ arrest Tracy Holmes Staff Reporter
Interurban Railcar 1225 begins first regular run in 50 years
All aboard a ride to the past Boaz Joseph
T Black Press
he Fraser Valley Heritage Railway Society pulled out all the stops this past weekend. After an official opening on Saturday at the replica Cloverdale Station, restored interurban railcar 1225 began its first full day of operations since the BC Electric Railway shut down in the 1950s. It’s a day the Fraser Valley Heritage Railway Society, volunteers, their supporters and sponsors have waited for close to a decade. Fifty-seven passengers boarded the railcar for the first of six round trips from Cloverdale to Sullivan Station, where the car had been restored. Passenger runs of BCER 1225 will operate on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays up to Thanksgiving. For info, visit www.fvhrs.org
A White Rock man has been arrested in connection with 12 armed robberies that targeted ATM customers across the Semiahmoo Peninsula. Police announced Tuesday that Travis Jensen-Pickford, 23, was arrested on June 15 and charged with 12 counts of robbery with a weapon, 12 counts of using an imitation firearm in commission of an offence and 12 counts of disguise with intent. The arrest occurred without incident at a White Rock home on Blackwood Street, on the same day as one of the 12 robberies. “In some cases, desperate individuals are actually welcoming an arrest,” said Surrey RCMP Cpl. Bert Paquet. “Our investigators believe this was the case.” The holdups took place over 35 days in White Rock and Surrey, beginning on May 12. All but two took place on the Peninsula – one in Newton and another near 186 Street and Fraser Highway. In each instance, a victim was approached by an armed masked man while withdrawing money from an ATM during non-banking hours. The robber’s choice of disguise led to police referring to him as the “surgical mask bandit.” Earlier this month, in an effort
Surveillance photo
Armed robber hid behind a mask.
to help police identify and capture the man behind the mask, the Canadian Bankers Association announced a $10,000 reward. Paquet said it does not appear the reward played a role in the arrest. “We’re still looking to see if tips from the public were key in apprehending this individual,” he said. If any tip is identified as playing a central role, that information will be provided to the CBA, Paquet said. The 10-day delay in announcing the arrest was attributed to police workload. “We’ve just been really, really busy,” Paquet said. “We wanted to let the public know about this arrest earlier, but other urgent issues prevented us from doing so.” Jensen-Pickford remains in custody and is due back in Surrey Provincial Court on July 3.
Transparency undermined by revisions From top, conductor Hugh Parkinson chats with passengers on Car 1225 between Cloverdale and Sullivan stations; Kolton Grelish, 2, checks out the view with his mom, Christel; and the car makes a stop to check right-ofway at 168 Street.
Happy Canada Day! from
SHOP LOCAL THIS LONG WEEKEND!
Senate ‘guts’ MP’s bill Alex Browne Staff Reporter
Conservative MP Russ Hiebert is crying foul after the Canadian Senate voted Wednesday to amend his private member’s bill calling for greater transparency and disclosure of union finances through the Income Tax Act. The Senate has sent the bill back
JUNE 27 TO JULY 7
SAVE BIG!
to the House of Commons for reconsideration. “The... amendments adopted by the Senate today have the effect of gutting (Bill) C-377, as the bill would now only apply to unions with more than 50,000 members,” the South Surrey-White Rock-Cloverdale MP said in a news release. › see page 4