Wednesday February 17, 2016 (Vol. 41 No. 13)
V O I C E
O F
W H I T E
R O C K
A N D
S O U T H
Sewing seeds: An idea by a small group of Semiahmoo Secondary students is germinating to help children access education in impoverished areas of China and India. i see page 11
S U R R E Y
w w w. p e a c e a r c h n e w s . c o m
Customers, staff evacuated as police cordon off area in Newton
Bank standoff after report of robbery Heavily armed Mounties trained their weapons on a bank in Newton Tuesday morning, in what appeared to be a standoff with a robber. Police received a report of a bank robbery at the TD Canada Trust just east of King George Boulevard on 72 Avenue at about 8:30 a.m. By the time officers arrived, customers and staff had been evacuated. Few details were available at Peace Arch News press time, however, a news release
issued by Surrey RCMP just after 9:30 a.m. described “an unfolding police incident.” A witness at the scene described an eerie silence in the typically bustling area, and estimated 30 police cars surrounded the bank. He reported seeing one officer with a 12-gauge shotgun, another with either an M-16 or M4 Carbine and at least one sniper lining their sights on the building. Police cautioned the public to stay out of the area, much of which was behind yellow
police tape, until the situation was resolved. Roads were closed in the immediate area, including 72 Avenue from King George Boulevard to 138 Street, and nine bus routes were detoured. “Unfolding updates will be made as they are available,” the release states. Anyone with information is asked to contact the RCMP at 604-599-0502. Visit www.peacearchnews.com for updates. – Black Press
Boaz Joseph photo
Police surround a bank in Newton.
Residential rollover Surrey firefighters help out in the 15500-block of 18 Avenue Saturday after a large trailer being towed by a heavy truck rolled over in the front yard of a house under construction. No one was hurt in the mishap, which occurred around 3:30 p.m. while the truck operator was negotiating a turn on soft ground. Boaz Joseph photo
Developer reduces height of proposed building to eight storeys
Limited support from council for Nichol Road redo Melissa Smalley Staff Reporter
A proposed eight-storey condo development 10 blocks west of White Rock’s town centre – which replaces a previously withdrawn application for a 15-storey tower in the same location – received little support from council Monday. A new, “scaled-back” application for the three-lot property at North Bluff and Nichol
roads was recently submitted to the city, according to staff, who provided a preliminary look at plans at Monday’s land use and planning committee meeting. The application – made by Texor Homes Inc. – proposes an eight-storey, 81-unit development (including apartments and townhouses) with a “small commercial component” on the ground floor. The initial 15-storey application – received
by the city last May – was met with opposition from residents, who spoke out against the proposal at a public-information meeting in August. Many in opposition pointed to the location outside of White Rock’s town centre, which is designated as high-density in the city’s Official Community Plan. The following month, the developer withdrew the application; vice-president of Texor
Homes Inc. Howard Steiss told Peace Arch News at the time he hoped to “come up with a solution that meets the needs of the community.” While the report this week was presented for informational purposes only, council took the opportunity to weigh in on the proposal, with three members saying the height was not suitable for the neighbourhood. i see page 2