No playoffs for Blue Jays page 15
Should teen’s killer get an adult sentence? page 2
Tuesday July 16, 2013
Serving Surrey and North Delta www.surreyleader.com
B.C. pot vote gets the green light
City rejects proposal for more parking in Surrey green space
No extra asphalt in Bear Creek Park
Petition process similar to the one that felled the HST by Tom Fletcher ELECTIONS BC has given approval
in principle to marijuana activist Dana Larsen’s bid to lead a petition drive for de-criminalizing marijuana possession. Larsen has proposed that B.C. go around the federal law with a “Sensible Policing Act” that would disallow the use of B.C. police resources to prosecute simple possession of small amounts of pot by adults. This fall, Larsen will be allowed to begin collecting signatures in an effort to force an initiative vote similar to that used to reverse the Harmonized Sales Tax. Individuals and groups have until Aug. 12 to register with Elections BC Dana Larsen to oppose the initiative, run ads for or against the petition or collect signatures. Larsen, who was involved with the B.C. Marijuana Party before seeking the leadership of the B.C. NDP in 2011, has worked for the last year to build support for what he calls Sensible BC. See POT / Page 4
by Kevin Diakiw
A FIGHT to keep the city from paving over a portion
of Bear Creek Park for a parking lot is over. Surrey said Thursday it will keep the area green space. The city had recently proposed entering into an agreement with a Sikh gurdwara and Vedic Hindu temple on 140 Street near 84 Avenue, allowing the places of worship to build a parking lot for 100 more cars. The plan would have required the paving of a southeast section of Bear Creek Park. Area residents were infuriated with the plan. “Leave our park alone,” George Zaklan said at the time. “It’s not what’s best for us (individually), or what’s best for us as a city.” Owen Croy Last week, the city told the representatives from the two temples the deal was off. “The city is very keen to preserve the parkland it already has,” said Manager of Parks Owen Croy, noting the city buys about 100 acres of park every year.
“The city is very keen to preserve the parkland it already has.”
BOAZ JOSEPH / THE LEADER
Catching heat
A pitched ball raises a cloud of dust off the glove of Northwest Lady Sharks catcher Makenna Weir prior to a Women’s Elite game at the Canadian Open Fastpitch International Championship at Softball City in South Surrey on Saturday. For the full story, see page 14.
Editorial 6 Letters 7 Sports 14 Classifieds 20
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