WEDNESDAY September 30, 2015 • www.langleytimes.com
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COMMUNITY Distinguished Gathering
Second 16 Ave. expansion survey in works
ARTS & LIFE Little India Vies for $100K Prize
Valued Volunteer Packs Up his Tools PAGE 5
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SPORTS Flags Fly in Loss
Water woes on 244 Street
It’s a Toss Up
SOME RESIDENTS COULD SEE THEIR WATER BILLS INCREASE TENFOLD
FIRST ONLINE POLL WAS CARRIED OUT DURING THE SUMMER WHEN MANY PEOPLE AREN’T HOME, ARGUES COUNCILLOR DA N F ERGUSO N Tim e s Re po r t e r
The Township of Langley will conduct a second survey of residents about plans to increase traffic along the already-busy 16 Avenue route. The move comes after the decision to carry out an online survey in July drew complaints that many residents were away and could not participate. Councillor Charlie Fox was one of the critics, calling the summer a “brutal time to have public consultation.” The new survey is tentatively scheduled for the last two weeks in October. The 168 people who responded to the summer survey listed safety
and traffic congestion concerns as their top issues and said widening of the 25-kilometre road should happen sooner than scheduled. They were commenting on the 16 Avenue Corridor Study, which was launched by TransLink in November, 2013 at the Township’s request, to look at short-term, medium-term and long-term plans for the route. The road, which is a designated truck route and part of the regional Major Road Network (MRN), has seen traffic increase roughly two per cent every year, going from 8,880 vehicles per day in 1992 to 12,400 vehicles in 2011. Continued Page 3
DA N F E R G US ON Time s Re po rte r
D A N FE R GUS ON Langley Time s
Iain Edgar, an instructor and performer from the Vancouver Circus School, showed off his juggling skills Saturday during Circus in the Plaza at McBurney Plaza. The event was the last of a summer series of family friendly activities at the downtown Langley public square.
Your Tile Store for over 40 Years.
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A proposal to hook houses into the municipal water system along 244 Street and 56 Avenue has pitted neighbour against neighbour. On one side are the customers of a private water supplier who hope to avoid a tenfold increase in their monthly bills, while on the other are people with their own wells who don’t feel they should be forced into connecting. For about 42 years, 19 properties have been supplied by Nectar Waterworks Ltd., which pumps water from a well. Nectar currently charges each home $35 a month for the service. In July, the company obtained an order from the provincial deputy comptroller of water rights to raise the rate to $354 a month, phased in over three years. Continued Page 4