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Kwantlen hosts CCAA nationals page 15
Tuesday November 5, 2013
Serving Surrey and North Delta www.surreyleader.com
Region to get cash infusion, as well as help balancing books and clearing jammed ERs
Notorious Surrey rapist freed from jail
Probe of Fraser Health ordered
Ernest Meigs sparked one of B.C.’s largest manunts in 2002 by Sheila Reynolds A MAN who terrorized a Clo-
verdale family in 2002 after raping one woman and abducting another has been released from prison. Ernest Meigs was convicted in 2004 after he broke into a Surrey home, armed, and sexually assaulted a tenant and kidnapped another woman, prompting one of the largest manhunts in B.C. history. His kidnap victim, who had been Ernest Meigs repeatedly sexually assaulted, managed to escape the next day and Meigs surrendered to police a few days later. He was jailed in Saskatchewan following his conviction after serving a portion of his 14-and-ahalf sentence. His mother told CTV News her son, who is now 38, should not be released. See POLICE / Page 4
by Jeff Nagel HEALTH MINISTER Terry Lake has ordered a strategic and
Awesome autumn
EVAN SEAL / THE LEADER
A woman sweeps leaves beneath a tree filled with crimson foliage outside her home near 144 Street and 89 Avenue last week.
operational review of Fraser Health to help contain rising costs and deal with persistent hospital congestion. The health region is B.C.’s largest – it consumes $2.5 billion a year on behalf of 1.6 million residents – but it’s running over budget once again this year and Lake said it will require another infusion of extra money to meet patient demand. The region’s population has grown by 1.3 per cent a year over the past three years, and the authority has received budget increases averaging six per cent a year – more than the 4.8-per-cent average for other health regions. Despite that, Fraser Health went one per cent over budget last year – the third year in a row it’s failed to stay Terry Lake within its allocation. “That doesn’t add up for us,” Lake said. “Fraser has not been able to manage the budget targets and we want to understand why.” He said continued budget hikes of five to seven per cent can’t continue either. “We’ve been very clear that we need to bend the cost curve down on increases in health because it’s simply not sustainable.” See HEALTH / Page 4
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