A touch of the tropics with this summer shrub page 16
Trained to help lives on the line page 14
Tuesday August 6, 2013
Serving Surrey and North Delta www.surreyleader.com
There’s no ‘showdown’ with B.C. teachers: Minister Province changes bargaining process in bid to land 10-year deal by Tom Fletcher THE B.C. government is pressing
ahead with its goal of a 10-year agreement with B.C. teachers, appointing a “public administrator” to replace school trustees on the board of their provincial bargaining agency. Education Minister Peter Fassbender said the change is temporary, and the B.C. Public School Employers’ Association (BCPSEA) will continue to play an important role in talks with teachers and support staff. BCPSEA will be under the direction of Michael Marchbank, CEO of the Hospital Employers’ Association, Peter when talks with Fassbender the B.C. Teachers’ Federation resume in September. Fassbender’s announcement surprised school trustees around the province. The Surrey-Fleetwood MLA said he spoke to or left messages for trustees on the BCPSEA executive before making the announcement in Vancouver on Wednesday. See FASSBENDER / Page 4
EVAN SEAL / THE LEADER
A firefighter walks through smoking peat during a wildfire in Burns Bog in 2007. The blaze – one of several over the last couple of decades – burned about a hectare and smouldered for days.
Burns Bog dangerously dry Delta firefighters issue extreme fire hazard warning; monitoring area daily by Robert Mangelsdorf THE RECENT hot summer weather might be
great for catching a tan, but it can spell trouble for Delta Fire and Emergency Services. The fire department is advising residents there is currently an extreme fire hazard in Burns Bog, and with more sunshine and dry weather on the way, the situation is expected to worsen. The bog has had a long history of wildfires.
In 2007, a blaze burned through about a hectare in the bog, while in 2005, more than 200 hectares burned for a week and a half, sending a smoky haze to settle on the Lower Mainland. In 1996, 80 hectares of the bog burned, while 40 hectares burned in 1990. Lightning strikes and the spontaneous combustion of decaying organic matter can spark wildfires in the bog, as can a discarded cigarette. Deputy chief Ken Sim said in order to
Editorial 6 Letters 7 Life 14 Classifieds 19
reduce the possibility of a preventable wildfire, no one should be entering the Burns Bog Conservation Area. “You need permits to go in there anyway, but it’s especially important right now,” he said. Given the difficult terrain in the bog, fighting fires there isn’t easy. In addition to heat and fatigue, firefighters must contend with unstable footing, falling trees, and even large wasp nests. See FIRES / Page 3
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