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Hockey community stunned by deaths Jennifer Feinberg The Progress The Chilliwack and Hope hockey communities are grieving the loss of three young men, killed in a single vehicle crash early Friday morning. The three cousins, 20-yearold Brad Webb of Hope; Devan King-Peters, 19, of Chilliwack; and, Philip Morgan Peters Jr., 18, also of Hope were travelling west on Highway 1 when their vehicle left the road. According the BC Coroners Service, the vehicle went into the ditch before slamming into the side of the Hunter Creek weigh station building. The force of the impact crumpled the side of the building and left the car a mangled wreck on its roof. All three men were pronounced dead at the scene. The incident occurred at around 4 a.m. But it wasn’t until a passing trucker noticed the scene that the accident was discovered. RCMP are asking any witnesses to contact Const. Clark at Fraser Valley Traffic Services, 604-7024039. The tragedy has sent shock waves through the local minor hockey community. Jordan Peters was a well known player who competed at the junior C level. Members of the Chilliwack Minor Hockey Association organized ice time at Prospera Centre on Tuesday. The intent was to give younger players and chance to offer condolences and show their support for the families of the men. Peters’ jersey was to be signed by local players and framed. Meanwhile there has been an outpouring of support on social media. “They were inseparable, from Continued: CRASH/ p5
Home owner Rene Crawshaw and his neighbours on Young Road, north of Hope River Road, are protesting a dike increase along their road. JENNA HAUCK/ PROGRESS
Residents ask city to stop the dike project Jennifer Feinberg The Progress Residents along Young Road are fighting the plan to elevate the Young Road dike about a metre to bring it up to provincial flood protection standards. Signs went up all along the onekilometre road over the weekend that read, “Stop the Dyke” and others say, “No trespassing.” Young Road resident Rene Crawshaw said more than 30 homeowners have chipped in to print the signs and have engaged legal counsel to file a lawsuit against City of Chilliwack. “If you drive down Young Road now, you will see that every piece of property has no trespassing
signs on the front yard in protest,” he said. Crawshaw fired off a letter to city hall as a formal complaint against the project. The road – which actually forms the dike in that area – will be raised 1.06 metres. That is a “huge” increase in front of his home, Crawshaw says – one he fears will cause more flooding, and steep grade concerns. Young Road from Hope River to Cartmell Road has about 14 properties with challenging driveways, and steeper grades, which are the cause of the drainage and flood concerns being expressed. City council voted 4-2 last month to approve the dike upgrade, with councillors Ken Popove and
Chris Kloot voting against. They pledged to find ways to “minimize” the impacts on residents. The cost of the Young Road Dike Project is $2.1 million, with provincial and federal reps sharing it three ways with the city’s share at about $700,000. The alternative for council was cancelling the project, which would have meant forfeiting Emergency Management BC funding, and the $150,000 for emergency upgrading materials, said staff in the report to council in February. Crawshaw said he feels the city is “bullying” the residents to accept the project despite widespread opposition of property owners.
“Better alternatives are out there,” Crawshaw wrote in his letter to Mayor Sharon Gaetz and council. “Extending the wing dyke to Chilliwack mountain. That is a true protection dyke for Chilliwack.” About half the dike system still has to be upgraded. “So why rush and do it wrong?” he asked. “The federal and provincial governments aren’t going to pull funding for something as important as public safety. Try harder, get creative in your proposals to get all the funding.” City staff said council approved a plan to continue to upgrade the flood protection diking system, as funding is made available from Continued: DIKE/ p5
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