Chiefs take two Chi ffrom r Blue Jays page 35
Creativity abounds at ARTS 2014 page 37-38
Thursday June 26, 2014
Serving Surrey and North Delta www.surreyleader.com
Former City of Surrey bureaucrat and current councillor will be vying for the centre chair
Three new faces added to Surrey First roster
Hepner is Surrey First’s choice for mayor
Mountie, firefighter, and social services provider join civic coalition by Kevin Diakiw
by Kevin Diakiw
LINDA HEPNER sits in a sofa chair in the living room of her comfortable South Surrey home and tells The Leader in an exclusive interview what many have suspected for some time. It’s the news announced publicly this week that she’s Surrey First’s choice as a mayor heading into this November’s civic election. The only other contender for the job within the ranks of Surrey First was Coun. Bruce Hayne, who stepped aside and said he was backing Hepner. Surrey Mayor Dianne Watts – who formed Surrey First in 2007 as a coalition of independents – announced in April that she would not seek re-election this fall. Hepner sat down with The Leader on June 2, with the provision the paper not go public with the news until she was ready. Dressed in a black pantsuit, she Linda Hepner cups her mug of coffee, and wears an easy smile. She says she’s ready for the battle for the mayor’s chair. (Coun. Barinder Rasode, who quit Surrey First in April, told The Leader she would be running for mayor as well). Describing herself as an “experienced senior,” the Fredericton-born Hepner arrived in Surrey in 1985, when she promptly started work with the city.
“It takes a lot of courage to follow in the footsteps of Dianne Watts.”
See HEPNER / Page 8
EVAN SEAL / THE LEADER
Surrey Coun. Linda Hepner has been endorsed by Surrey First to run for mayor in November’s civic election.
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SURREY FIRST is telegraphing a public safety agenda by naming both a firefighter and a Mountie to its contestants for city council this fall. Mike Starchuk, Dave Woods and Vera LeFranc will be running with the coalition of independents this fall, Surrey First announced Wednesday. Woods Starchuk, a Surrey firefighter, was just recognized with an Honorary Membership to the B.C. Professional Firefighters’ Association, for his “selfless work on behalf Starchuk of his fellow firefighters throughout the province.” Surrey First has also signed up Woods, who was the former district commander for Cloverdale. LeFranc Former officer in charge of Surrey RCMP Fraser MacRae called Woods “a quintessential district commander, a quintessential chief of police for Cloverdale.” See SURREY FIRST / Page 4
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