Special Features - DeltaLeader_05_May2013 by Black Press Media Group

Driving his dream ❙ P4

Birds in paradise ❙ P5

North Delta man restores 1956 Merc pickup

Province wants your input on Massey fix

Officer honoured ❙ P6

Delta constable helps seniors fend off scams Delta has launched Facebook, Twitter & YouTube

MAY ∙ 2013

❙ CONNECTING THE NORTH WITH THE SOUTH CorpofDelta_2x2_DL1223.indd

12/15/11 4:34:07 PM

Heart & Hustle this Saturday

❙ Police join forces to fight gangs

Delta Police are teaming up with agencies across the province to tackle organized crime as part of the B.C. Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit. See B3

DeltaPrepared

The public is invited to have some fun and help support the Delta Hospital as the Delta Hospital Foundation launches its inaugural Hustle & Heart Block Party and Walkathon on Saturday, June 1. The festivities take place in the main parking lot of the Delta Hospital from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The block party features live entertainment, rides, games, food, and refreshments. The Corporation of Delta will block off Clarence Taylor Way between Clarence Taylor Crescent and Mountain View Boulevard for the event. The event is free and all activities will be free or by donation. Delta Hospital Foundation executive director Veronica Carroll says the event meant to welcome the entire community in the spirit of health, and the grassroots movement that helped shape Delta Hospital by creating this annual event. “This event is a way for us at the Foundation and hospital and welcome our neighbours, friends, and the community into our extended family,” she said. “It will be a wonderful day for families, children, and everyone involved to have fun and celebrate the amazing work being done on behalf of our health. It is going to be a fantastic day and one that is fitting for our entire community.” Registration for the walkathon begins at 10 a.m., and the walk begins at 11 a.m. The walkathon is free to enter and every participant who raises $20 in pledges will receive a t-shirt and goody bag. Participants will also have the chance to win prizes. Delta Hospital Foundation Chair of the Board Keith McGee’s law practice, Jarvis McGee Rice, is presenting the event and will match funds raised on the day of the event and all walkathon participant pledges dollar for dollar, up to $25,000. This matching pledge program automatically doubles everyone’s fundraising efforts that will greatly benefit the hospital. To learn more about the Hustle & Heart Block Party and Walkathon, visit www.deltahospital.com, or call 604-940-9695.

For more information visit: facilities.deltasd.bc.ca/deltaprepared

The Delta School District’s main priority is to provide supportive learning environments that are safe for our students and staff. Ensuring safety includes being fully prepared for natural disasters and other emergency situations. To this end, we have a thorough Emergency Response Plan in place.

Being prepared is the greatest asset a school has in facilitating the survival and well-being of students and staff, and DeltaPrepared is the Delta School District strategy to ensuring our readiness.

In addition to fire and earthquake drills practiced regularly at schools, our comprehensive emergency plan prepares for the safety of students and staff not only during an emergency, but also following one. Each school has emergency supplies securely stored on site to keep our students and staff safe following an emergency, until a full evacuation can be carried out. Our parent community helps support us with this preparation, as do local police, fire and government — Thank you!

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MAY 2013 the delta leader

Mayor’s Garden Contest For Kids Kids! Don’t forget to grow your flower or vegetable garden to have a chance to win some great prizes! Entries are accepted between August 1 and September 9, but the best gardens need an early start. Find out more, including how to enter and what you can win at delta.ca

North Delta Family Day Bring the whole family to the North Delta Community Park on June 23 for a fun-filled day of activities. See the parade at 11:00 am and come to the festival from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm for games, children’s rides, a stage show, a BBQ, and much more!

Delta Community Animal Shelter Grand Opening The Grand Opening celebration for the new Delta Community Animal Shelter at 7505 Hopcott Road is on Saturday June 15 from 11:30 am to 2:00 pm. Admission is free and there will be fun for the whole family. The formal ceremony begins at 11:45.

Seniors Week Seniors! June in Delta has something for you too! Get ready for a fun-filled week from June 3 to June 9 when Delta will be offering extra activities just for you in celebration of Seniors Week. Visit delta.ca or call your local seniors recreation centre for more details.

Lawn Sprinkling Regulations Don’t forget that lawn sprinkling regulations are in effect from June 1 to September 30.Visit delta.ca to find out when you are allowed to water your lawn.

Visit delta.ca/events for more information on these and other events

Maydelta 2013 DeltaMAY Leader the leader 2013 ❙

Delta Police team up to put gangs in their crosshairs ❙ Staff writer Delta Leader

It’s Saturday night on Granville Street, in the heart of Vancouver’s entertainment district, and six members of the Uniform Gang Enforcement team wind their way through the crowds of people lined up to enter the bars and clubs. The gang enforcement teams, in their distinctive dark uniforms, are the high-profile public face of the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit of British Columbia (CFSEU-BC)— the province’s anti-gang police unit. As an integrated unit on tonight’s team, there are officers from Delta, Vancouver and the RCMP. A white Jeep Grand Cherokee catches the eye of constables Vicken Movsessian and Eric Davis. They check the licence plate and confirm the registered owner is a known Dhak associate. The Dhak/Duhre crime group is one-half of a recent gang conflict that has increased the rate of gang violence in the province and seen B.C.-bred gangsters fleeing to other parts of the country to avoid being murdered. Officers pull over the gang associate’s vehicle and make the approach. He tells the officers he is on his way to a casino, information he readily offers to explain why he has a few thousand dollars in his pocket. He’s cooperative and even polite. Eventually he’s sent on his way. The uniform gang enforcement team had its genesis in 2007 to counteract a growing number of violent gang incidents throughout the Lower Mainland. Bullets were flying, public safety was at risk and something had to be done. The events were so brazen that they caught the attention of the national media. Formerly called the Violence Suppression Team (VST) and initially based out of the Vancouver

Police Department, the integrated patrol-based model quickly became a success. Since the nature of organized crime in B.C. has changed in the past 30 years, police tactics have changed as well. In 1980, law enforcement listed just a handful of gangs and organized crime groups operating in British Columbia. Today, it is estimated that 188 criminal groups exist in a province where the gang and organized crime landscape is enterprise-driven. Gangs are no longer based on ethnicity. Due to sustained law enforcement efforts, they are reluctant to identify themselves. Even outlaw motorcycle gangs like the Hells Angels are reluctant to wear their “colours” regularly. Since the integrated patrol-based model was implemented, the rate of violent incidents in public places has dropped. Bars and restaurants got onboard and it’s been a key component of the guns and gangs strategy ever since. From a peak of 36 gang-related homicides in B.C. in 2009, the number fell to 18 in 2012. While the gang-murder rate and ensuing violence is down since 2009, some of these murders have taken place in high-density areas, which puts the health and safety of citizens at risk. However, it should be noted that many of these murders—78 per cent—did take place close to the victims’ homes or vehicles. On average, CFSEU-BC’s uniformed officers will check about 4,000 people in a year. About 12 per cent of those checks will result in the removal of individuals from a premise at the request of a property owner or for some other Criminal Code offence. Of all the people checked in a year, 6.4 per cent will result in an arrest. In addition to regular patrols around Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley, the gang enforcement team will travel to communities around British

behind the scenes Editorial Robert Mangelsdorf South Delta Leader, Editor 604-948-3640 ext. 122 editor@southdeltaleader.com Paula Carlson Surrey North Delta Leader,Editor 604-575-5337 pcarlson@surreyleader.com Adrian MacNair South Delta Leader, Reporter 604-948-3640 ext. 126 reporter@southdeltaleader.com Publishers Chrissie Bowker South Delta Leader 604 948-3640 ext. 123 publisher@southdeltaleader.com

Jim Mihaly Surrey North Delta Leader 604-575-5347 publisher@surreyleader.com Sales Jane Ilott South Delta Leader, Advertising Consultant 604-948-3640 ext. 127 jane@southdeltaleader.com Jenelle Julien South Delta Leader Advertising Consultant 604-948-3640 ext.121 jenelle@southdeltaleader.com Creative Services Sarah Kelloway South Delta Leader ads@southdeltaleader.com

Circulation Kristene Murray South Delta Leader 604-948-3640 ext. 125 circulation2@southdeltaleader.com Marilou Pasion Surrey North Delta Leader 604-575-5312 ext. 312 circmanager@surreyleader.com

AUDIT

Three-tier approach The uniform team model takes a three-tiered approach to the reduction of gang violence in public places. • Prevention. Gang members and their associates go out to the bars and restaurants to recruit people. • Intervention. Officers are intervening before gang violence has a chance to happen • Suppression. Officers are present if people breach the law.

Columbia to assist municipal departments and detachments with their gang suppression efforts. They also share intelligence with police agencies across B.C. Here in Delta, there are four officers attached to the CFSEU-BC. While there is little gang activity locally, Delta Police spokesperson Const. Ciaran Feenan says there have been known organized crime associates who have called Delta home in the past. “We work closely with [CFSEU], and a number of agencies to monitor what’s going on,” he said. “But we don’t have the kind of issues other [municipalities] have.” Feenan said one of the most important things police can do fight gangs and organized crime is grassroots prevention. In addition to their school liaison program, Delta Police recently launched its Youth Officer Team, which aims to engage young people outside of school. “It starts with the kids,” said Feenan. “We try to do a lot of the prevention work at a younger level, so they don’t end up involved in that lifestyle. It’s about educating them, making them aware about the danger of that life.” • For more on the CFSEU, check out their website at cfseu.bc.ca.

Microwave Oven Safety With busy lives, families rely on the microwave oven as a quick way to heat up a meal, warm up a drink or defrost dinner. While the convenience of the microwave oven is something we take for granted, safety should not be. By following a few simple safety tips you can prevent painful burns and possible fires.

MICROWAVE USE

Always supervise children when they are using a microwave oven. Use only microwave-safe food containers or dishes. Never use aluminum foil or metal in a microwave oven. If you have a fire in the microwave, leave the door closed, turn the oven off and unplug it from the wall. If the fire does not go out, get outside and call the fire department.

FACT Scald burns are the leading cause of injury from microwave ovens. Your Source for SAFETY Information

NFPA Public Education Division • 1 Batterymarch Park, Quincy, MA 02169

www.deltafire.ca

save the date

july

04 2013

Copyright and property rights subsist in all display advertising and other material appearing in the South Delta Leader and Surrey North Delta Leader. If, in the Publisher's opinion, an error is made that materially affects the value of the ad to the advertiser, a corrected advertisement will be inserted upon demand without further charge. Make good insertions are not granted on minor errors which do not lessen the value of the advertisement. Notice of error is required before second insertion. Opinions expressed in columns and letters to the Editor are not necessarily shared by the Publisher. The South Delta Leader and Surrey North Delta Leader are members of the British Columbia Press Council, a self-regulatory body governing the province’s newspaper industry. The council considers complaints from the public about the conduct of member newspapers. Directors oversee the mediation of complaints, with input from both the newspaper and the complaint holder. If talking with the editor or publisher does not resolve your complaint about coverage or story treatment, you may contact the B.C. Press Council. Your written concern, with documentation, should be sent to B.C. Press Council, 201 Selby St., Nanaimo, B.C. V9R 2R2. For information, phone 888-687-2213 or go to www. bcpresscouncil.org.

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celebrating together BENEFITTING REGISTER TODAy

www.deltachamber.ca $199 per person includes cart, lunch and dinner Thursday, July 4, Beach Grove Golf Club Shot gun start 1:15, registration from 12 noon EVENT SPONSOR

MEDIA SPONSOR

www.nfpa.org/education

B4 Leader May leader 2013 B4 ❙ Delta MAY 2013 the delta

Come and join us for 2 free meetings and experience Scouting first hand!

❙ Mark Johnston has spent the past 16 years restoring his dream truck: A 1956 Mercury pickup. Adrian MacNair photo

Driving his dream North Delta man spends 16 years rebuilding classic 1956 pickup truck ❙ Adrian MacNair

reporter

South Delta Leader

When Mark Johnston was a nine-year-old boy he saw a turquoise and white 1955 Ford Fairlane Crown Victoria two-door sedan drive by and fell madly in love with it. The owner of the car was living in his garage at the time while working on his car and renovating his house. The house never seemed to make much progress, but the car’s engine purred like a cat. “My mother used to say if he wasn’t working on the car so much he’d be done his house by now,” says Johnston, now 65 and living in North Delta. Johnston is currently working on the car of his dreams under a tarpaulin in his front yard. It looks like a work in progress that could take a long while, but Johnston isn’t in a hurry. After all, he spent 16 years working on the last one. His bright red 1956 Mercury pickup won first place for his category in the 2012 Wellbrook Winery Classic Car and Motorcycle Show. Johnston picked up the Mercury in 1993 in White Rock for $2,500, and paid a little extra for the brand new wheels. “It was a young guy and he needed some money,” recalls Johnston. “It needed quite a lot of work on it.” That’s an understatement. The pickup was basically rusted solid. “It was brown,” he admits, laughing. At first he didn’t know where to start. But Johnston said with any project you start at the beginning and work on one thing at a time until it’s all done. “These old trucks are like a jig-

saw puzzle,” he says. “Every time you think you’ve got a piece you find out you’re missing one.” Johnston was working as a recreation planner for BC Hydro when he bought the pickup so he could only work on the car evenings and weekends. But when he retired in 2003 he began to devote more time and energy. Although he isn’t a mechanic by trade, Johnston grew up on a farm in Kelowna where he learned to fix old cars. “Usually they were cars I’d have to have done the next day, so this truck was a little more relaxing. I didn’t have to hurry to finish it.” Piece by piece, over days, weekends, and years, Johnston repaired or replaced virtually everything on the pickup all by himself. He even built the bumpers himself using stainless steel he cut and molded. He only got a bit of welding done by his brother, who owns a machine shop in Langley. When it came time to paint the car, Johnston wasn’t sure what colour to use. He’d never painted

before in his life. “I was going to paint it midnight blue and then when I woke up one morning I said, no, red,” he says. The finished product is a 351 cu. inch engine—used in early ‘70s Mustangs and Cougars—with a five-speed transmission, eight-cylinders, and 300 horses. So, what does Johnston’s family think about his peculiar hobby? “They don’t say a lot about it, but I think they’re proud of it,” says Johnston. It seems to run in the family anyway. His wife’s brothers, who live in Ladner, have two restored antique vehicles. And when he drives around he can always count on getting approving looks from passersby and the odd thumbs up. Johnston can’t guess how much the pickup is worth. He’s saved every receipt he’s ever spent on it but has never added it all up. But he has no intention of parting with his childhood treasures. “I’ll never sell,” he says with a smile.

Register today. For meeting times and locations contact the following: Ladner: Grant Edwards Group Commissioner, 1st Kirkland gmedwards@telus.net 604-946-5189

Tsawwassen: Brian Martin Group Commissioner, For camp dates 3rd Boundary Bay and more informatio bcmarti@live.com www.fraservalley.scouts.ca 778-238-2997

or contact: North Delta: Ladia MacPherson OR Barney Dohm 604.583.4323 (evenings) berdohm@telus.net Lmacp@telus.net 604.594.9900

❙ Under the hood is a 351 V8 pumping out 300 horsepower. Adrian MacNair photo

Jim Bryc 604.534 jsbryce@

1-888-SCOUTS-NOW | Scouts.ca

It st

May 2013 DeltaMAY Leader the delta leader 2013 ❙

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We’re making lives better™ Companionship Errands & Outings Bath or shower assistance Personal Care Post-Surgical Care Nursing Care And more!

❙ Birds in paradise There’s never been a shortage of targets for birdwatchers in Delta. Warmer weather makes it easy to head out and to spot bald eagles around the landfill, the great blue heron rookery near the Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal (don’t get too close, please) or the Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary on Westham Island. Just make sure you head out before the heat because birds lose their feathers – and their colour – when they molt during the summer. Left: A wood duck at Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary. Top middle: A great blue heron makes its way back home with building material for its nest at a rookery near the Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal. The rookery has hundreds of birds overlooking the shoreline, just south of Highway 17. Bottom middle: Swallows perched on a tree branch. Right: Ducks fly over the bird sanctuary on Westham Island. Boaz Joseph photos

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Make your homepage southdeltaleader.com and always stay in the know.

B6 ❙ Delta MAY 2013 the delta B6 Leader May leader 2013

Delta police officer honoured for work with seniors ❙ Staff writer

REPORTER

Delta Leader

For fraudsters and scam artists, seniors often make the perfect target. Many seniors are retired and sitting on a nice nest egg - the result of a lifetime of hard work and planning. And for the older generation, a person’s word was their bond, making them more liable to trust a stranger. Thankfully, Delta Police Const. Steve Wilson is working with local seniors to help them protect themselves from such predators. Wilson was awarded the Simon Fraser Gerontology 2013 Elder Abuse Awareness to Action Award on Monday, May 27, at Simon Fraser Universi-

ty, as part of the annual John K. Friesen Gerontology Conference. Wilson, a member of Delta Police’s Economic and Technical Crimes Division, was nominated for the award by the Delta Seniors’ Planning Team for his work presenting education workshops for Delta seniors on a variety of topics to help protect themselves from financial loss due fraud. “Through his work, [Wilson] comes into contact with many Delta seniors who have been victimized through one of the many frauds and scam schemes that exist in our community and on the Internet,” said Kay Dennison, co-coordinator for the Delta Seniors Planning Team. “Wilson provides information on the seriousness of victimization of older

adults and uses great understanding of the embarrassment, sense of loss and anger that seniors often feel on realizing that they have been defrauded.” She added that Wilson’s approach helps seniors and their family members to know that if they were to experience a similar situation that they are not alone there is help available. In nominating him for this award, the Delta Seniors’ Planning Team noted that he stayed long after the workshops ended and met with seniors and their family members, even offering to check up on suspect individuals or businesses personally. “This proactive approach gives a certain level of comfort to our community’s seniors and their families,” said Dennison. • For more in formation on scams and fraud schemes targeting local seniors, visit deltapolice.ca/community/fraud.php

Chief’s contract extended The Delta Police Board announced last week that it will be extending the contract of Delta Police Chief Jim Cessford indefinitely. The police board completed a review of Cessford’s performance, and was “very pleased with his excellent work and accomplishments,” according to a statement released May 15. “The commitment to public safety by the chief and by staff and volunteers of the Delta Police Department makes the board extremely proud,” said Delta mayor and police board chair Lois Jackson. Cessford has agreed to continue on as chief for a minimum of four years, and to assist with succession planning process. A succession plan will be presented to the police board in early 2014. Cessford has served as Delta’s police chief since 1995, and spent 27 years with the Edmonton Police Service prior to that.

The event was inspired by the courage and determination demonstrated by fellow students, Megan McNeil and Tessa Beauchamp and most recently Camille Gregory who all showed a tremendous will to survive in times of adversity. Megan McNeil, an alumni from Seaquam, was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 16 and succumbed to cancer in January 2011 at the age of 20 after battling the disease three times. Tessa Beauchamp from Holy Cross High School passed away in January

2012 from cancer at the age of 18. Camille Gregory, an alumni from Seaquam Secondary most recently passed away in September just after receiving her Bachelor of Science from UBC. While this event is honouring these three students, the event is an opportunity for everyone to walk/run for those they love who are struggling with cancer or who have passed away due to cancer. Hawkathon: A Walk to Remember will be taking place on Sunday, June 9, 2013 from 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. at Sea-

the south delta leader’s 6th annual

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quam Secondary and will include post walk festivities with entertainment, face painting, bouncy castle, sumo suits, hamster balls and more. SONiC Nation will be on location during the entire event. Individual registrations ranges from $10-$25 and teams of 10-13 receive a $5 discount per person. Children under 6 are free. To register, visit hawkathonawalktoremember.weebly.com. For more information, contact Klaryssa Pangilinan at 604-543-7963.

com

Click on the contest tab and vote for your favourites today.

You are cordially invited to attend the 9th Annual DELTA SPORTS HALL OF FAME

Gala Banquet & Awards Night

In support of International Women’s day

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Second annual Hawkathon honours cancer victims with June 9 fundraiser Students from Seaquam Secondary have collaborated with Burnsview, Delview and Holy Cross Secondary School students to organize the second annual Hawkathon: A Walk to Remember. Last year, the five-km community run/walk raised more than $6,500 for the B.C. Childhood Cancer Parents Association (BCCCPA), a registered non-profit society whose mission is to support families with children diagnosed with cancer both emotionally and financially.

What do you

Saturday, June 8, 2013 Coast Tsawwassen Inn, Tsawwassen

COCKTAILS

TICKETS $85.00

•

Encouraging and nurturing business partnership, collaboration and community involvement.

Friday, March 07 2014

6:30pm • DINNER 7:00pm

Call Sharon or Carlene at 604-943-0460 for tickets. Visa & Mastercard accepted

at the

For sponsorship opportunities & tickets call Chrissie Bowker, publisher@southdeltaleader.com 604 948 3640