ALDERGROVE Your Hometown Community Newspaper for over 56 Years
ST TAR | Thursday, January 15, 2015
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Baby, It’s Cold Outside!! Outside
Page 5: ‘Bang in the Night’ a Mystery
PAGE 3
Golden Welcome for Shea Theodore
Fewer than expected ‘illegal suites’ in Langley Township By DAN FERGUSON Aldergrove Star
HARRY HUNT PHOTO
Canada Junior Hockey gold medalist Shea Theodore returned to his hometown arena for a “hero’s welcome” Jan. 7 and to drop the ceremonial puck for Sockeyes’ Jordan Andrews and Kodiaks’ Aaron Markin in the Pacific Junior Hockey League game between Aldergrove Kodiaks and Richmond Sockeyes. Theodore, 18, played for the Aldergrove Minor Hockey Association until his midget level when he was signed to the WHL’s Seattle Thunderbirds and subsequently drafted by the NHL’s Anaheim Ducks. A defenceman, Theodore not only ensured that no goals were scored on Canada while he was on the ice at the World Junior Championships, he also got two points for an assist and a goal in Canada’s seven-game sweep of the series. See photo highlights, page 16.
An “elevated” level of enforcement has so far found fewer illegal secondary suites than expected in the Township of Langley. An unsigned memo from the community development division to Township council said as of December, over 600 have been identified. That is less than the “900 to 1,000” illegal suites a previous staff report to council predicted would be uncovered by the end of the year. Staff estimate there are 10,000 to 12,000 unauthorized secondary suites, which is roughly one out of every four houses in the Township. That is based on Township-published statistics showing there were 39,114 private dwelling units in the municipality (as of the 2011 census), more than 90 per cent of them detached houses and townhouses. The updated memo said staff are working with owners of “close to 50 per cent” of the illicit suites to bring them into compliance with Township regulations. Making an illegal suite legal can be a time-consuming process, the memo said, because it usually involves construction upgrades with “significant costs.” It can take even longer to close an illegal suite because of provincial rental regulations that require advance notice for tenants, usually 90 days. “To date, staff has been successful in achieving a relatively acceptable balance between enforcement and obtaining voluntary compliance, utilizing existing staff complement, including auxiliary personnel and administrative support staff,” the memo said. The memo said staff have been identifying illegal suites “based on complaints, MLS listings, newspaper, internet and social media advertising.” The Township website also has an on-line form for reporting suspected illegal suites. SEE: Page 3
No new avian flu cases discovered in Canada By DAN FERGUSON Aldergrove Star
There have been no new avian flu cases reported in B.C. since Dec. 19, but the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) isn’t ready to declare an end to the outbreak that forced the destruction of more than 240,000 birds in various Fraser Valley locations, including Aldergrove. A CFIA statement said the agency
is “monitoring the progress of disposal of dead birds, and cleaning and disinfection of barns, vehicles, equipment and tools on the infected premises.” Movement restrictions for poultry and poultry products are still in place and will remain in place until the CFIA is certain the outbreak is over. The agency said “strict surveillance” of the affected zone will continue for
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the next 90 days. “If no additional cases of avian influenza are found within this period, the zone can be considered free of avian influenza,” the agency statement said. The CFIA has also announced a ban on importing eggs and poultry from Washington State and Oregon because of an avian influenza outbreak south of the border. Until further notice, travelers
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coming into Canada will not be allowed to bring live birds, eggs, poultry meat (other than fully cooked, canned, commercially sterile meat products and related items) across the border. Since the H5N2 virus was detected at a broiler/breeder farm in Chilliwack and a turkey farm in Abbotsford, a total of 12 sites have been affected. The H5N2 bird flu
virus is described as a EurasianNorth American hybrid that is especially deadly to birds. It’s the first time this type of avian flu virus has been seen in North America. The worst avian flu outbreak in Canada was recorded in 2004, affecting 42 commercial farms and 11 non-commercial operations in the Fraser Valley and leading to the destruction of 17 million birds.