ALDERGROVE STAR Your Hometown Community Newspaper for over 56 Years
| Thursday, September 24, 2015
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PAGE 11
Local accused in targeted Justice Institute attacks
Hitting the Road for Terry Fox
By MONIQUE TAMMINGA Aldergrove Star
JENNIFER SIMON PHOTO
Aldergrove residents of all ages banded together for the 35th annual Terry Fox Run, starting at Aldergrove Kinsmen Community Centre Sunday morning at 10 a.m. See page 5 for more.
Non-resident fees at new rec centre? By DAN FERGUSON Aldergrove Star
A proposal that would see the Township of Langley charge non-residents extra to use the new Aldergrove recreation centre got a cautious reception from council Monday afternoon. The idea was presented by councillor Angie Quaale, who said non-residents currently pay the same fees to use Langley recreational facilities as Township residents, but don’t contribute to their operation by paying property taxes. Quaale wanted to have Township staff investigate a two-tiered fee structure for the under-construction Aldergrove facility and report back to council. Charlie Fox expressed doubt, saying it could be seen as treating Aldergrove differently than other facilities. “We’ve got people from Surrey, Maple Ridge, Abbotsford … playing in our hockey rinks, playing in our sports fields and so on,” Fox said. Fox said any decision should be delayed to allow detailed discussions
involving council and staff at the Council Priorities Committee. Councillor Bob Long opposed a special out-of-towner fee, calling the proposal “troubling.” “We haven’t even got the facility built,” Long said. “Really, we shouldn’t be doing this.” Councillor Kim Richter said with the exception of Port Moody, any resident of Metro Vancouver can use facilities in any other municipality without paying extra (Port Moody charges resident of Anmore extra to use a recreation centre, a move that has reduced visits and revenue from the other community). “Council needs to have a much more robust discussion,” Richter said. Councillor Blair Whitmarsh didn’t see any need for further talks, saying a twotiered fee schedule should be voted down because it was “not a good idea,” and could cause friction with neighbouring municipalities. “It causes a lot of difficulty for us in relation to other communities (if this goes
ahead),” Whitmarsh said. Councillor Petrina Arnason was more positive, noting that some areas have successfully used a system that charges nonresidents more. “I think it’s quite a complicated conversation,” said Arnason. Quaale said the idea deserves further investigation. “It works really well in other communities,” Quaale said. “I think it’s worth discussing.” Council voted to refer the matter for more discussion as Fox suggested, with Long and Whitmarsh voting no (David Davis was absent). The border between the Township and Abbotsford is along 276 Street, although Aldergrove’s suburban population spills over as far as Lefeuvre Rd. In a related development Abbotsford has cancelled subsidies for minor hockey ice time, which is expected to lead to more Abbotsford players moving to Langley Township facilities (see story, page 13). -with files from Kurt Langmann
A 40-year-old Langley man is accused of orchestrating targeted attacks against staff and students at the Justice Institute of B.C. After a complicated fouryear investigation, Vincent Eric Gia-Hwa Cheung was arrested on Friday, Sept. 18. A rural property on 267 Street in Aldergrove was also being combed over by the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit (CFESU) that same day. Between April 2011 and January 2012, 15 people were targeted in a series of offences, which occurred in multiple jurisdictions, including Surrey, Richmond and West Vancouver. Their homes, vehicles, and property were the subject of shootings and arsons. In July 2011, the Justice Institute, which trains law enforcement and other officers, received a threatening email. The message referenced nine staff and students at the institute, located in New Westminster. All but one of those individuals had their homes or vehicles targeted. The motive was unknown at the time and police weren’t divulging motive at a press conference on Monday. However, Cheung is alleged to have possible gang ties. The investigation established that an ICBC employee had queried the 15 victims’ licence plates which provided their personal details, including home addresses. When ICBC dis-
covered the privacy breach in 2011, they said they fired the female employee. In January 2012, the investigation advanced after three suspects connected to an arson in Surrey were identified. Interviews with the suspects enabled police to identify the alleged contractor of that arson. This led police to the name of the alleged orchestrator of all the targeted attacks a gainst JI employees and students.
Vincent Eric Gia-Hwa Cheung (courtesy CTV News) The investigation continued despite no new attacks having occurred for a couple of years. Then, between Dec. 31, 2014 and Jan. 13, 2015, a number of the victims received suspicious letters in the mail, said police. One of the letters contained a warning that attacks would resume in the New Year. Investigators reconnected with all the victims to ensure adequate safety plans were in place. “We know there are still people who have additional information about these offences and this investigation is continuing, with further arrests and charges
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SEE: Page 3