Catching some time with nature page 18
Provincial silver for Surrey Storm page 20
Tuesday July 30, 2013
Serving Surrey and North Delta www.surreyleader.com
Metro to hike utility rates 23% over 5 years
Hogweed and knotweed remain major targets for weed eradicators in southwest B.C.
Swarming ants join list of alien invaders
Drinking water, sewer projects drive regional costs up
by Jeff Nagel WHILE PLANTS LIKE Japanese knotweed and giant hogweed
continue to menace the Lower Mainland, European fire ants that swarm and sting people and pets are a growing cause for concern among invasive species watchers. Jennifer Grenz, development and projects manager for the Invasive Species Council of Metro Vancouver, said the dangerous ants arrived more than a year ago and have been found multiplying across the region at sites in Burnaby, Vancouver, Richmond, the District of North Vancouver and Chilliwack, as well as Victoria. “The ants can sting you and they swarm very quickly when they detect any ground movement,” Grenz said. “It’s not just one ant – you’re swarmed so there are going to be many ants on you.” They’ve caused significant reactions in some people, Grenz said. Dogs and horses can also be attacked by legions of the small red ants, which are hard to distinguish from the many other ant species found in B.C. “It’s really their behaviour which is the defining characteristic,” she Jennifer Grenz said. “This is the latest public safety concern for us.” The council’s website, www. iscmv.ca, explains how to collect a sample of suspect ants and send it for free identification by B.C.’s agriculture ministry. Grenz said residents have found themselves battling huge numbers of the ants because there are often multiple nests in close proximity – up to five or six in a single square metre of soil. She suspects fire ants are being trucked around the region in contaminated soil that gets dumped at one site and used as fill or landscaping soil somewhere else. They’re thought to have arrived in potted garden plants from Europe.
by Jeff Nagel SHARPLY RISING costs to upgrade
“The ants can sting you and they swarm very quickly when they detect any ground movement.”
See ANTS / Page 4
JENNIFER GRENZ / ISCMV
A Sample of European fire ants collected by Invasive Species Council of Metro Vancouver staff to send for verification. Fire ants are very attracted to apple.
Editorial 6 Letters 7 Life 18 Sports 20 Classifieds 23
It’s like winning an Oscar 12 years straight.
Being voted best collision repair in Vancouver 12 years in a row is proof that our quality, service and exclusive Air Miles® reward miles have made an impression. We thank our customers for so many encores. And expect our future performances to be even better.
®™ Trademark of AIR MILES International Trading B.V. Used under licence by LoyaltyOne, Inc. and Craftsman Collision Ltd.
@craftsmanshops
Metro Vancouver’s sewer and water system will translate into steadily rising utility fees for the region’s residents. A new five-year forecast tabled by the regional district shows overall regional levies are expected to climb 23 per cent by 2018, costing the average household nearly $100 more than today. The average $725,000 home that paid $418 for regional utilities this year will see that rise to $430 next year – a 2.9 per cent increase – and a projected $516 Wayne Baldwin by 2018. “It’s a little bit disturbing,” White Rock Mayor Wayne Baldwin said of the nearly 25 per cent increase in utility fees over five years, adding that’s far more than the rate of increase of property taxes from most local cities. “We would be crucified at our end if we were to throw out those numbers,” Baldwin said at a recent meeting of Metro’s finance committee. Regional water servicing costs are slated to rise from $147 per average See REVENUE / Page 5
Save time, save money.