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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2016
Man dead following altercation Delta police called to rear of Tsawwassen pub early Sunday and find 53-year-old unconscious IAN JACQUES
C o n t r i b u t i n g Wr i t e r
A 53-year-old Delta man is dead following an altercation outside a pub in Tsawwassen early Sunday morning. According to Delta police, officers were called to the rear of the pub in the 1200-block of 56th
Street around 1:30 a.m. about a report of a fight. “On arrival, initial information indicated that there was an altercation between a small group of males, including a 53-year-old man,” said public affairs coordinator Sharlene Brooks. “Those involved in the altercation fled prior to police
arrival, however, the 53-year-old male was found unconscious and unresponsive in the area. Despite efforts of paramedics to resuscitate him, he died at hospital.” Police have notified the next of kin, but have not released the man’s name. “What we have to be careful
of is not speculating or jumping to any conclusions in a situation like this,” Brooks added. “We have to wait for the autopsy to confirm the actual cause of death. The autopsy will be taking place in the next day or so, but some results might take longer. We are treating it as a suspicious death until we can determine
one way or another.” Brooks said two adult males were taken into custody for questioning, but were released without charge. She said police believe there are witnesses that have yet to come forward. Anyone with information is asked to call police at 604-946-4411.
Assessment notices will include big increases SANDOR GYARMATI
s g y a r m a t i @ d e l t a - o p t i m i s t .c o m
The B.C. Assessment Authority is warning there will be some significant increases in Delta property values included in assessment notices due to arrive in mailboxes next month. Before homeowners get too worried, however, that doesn’t mean property taxes will go through the roof in 2017. A red hot real estate market earlier this year is behind the substantial hikes in property assessments, which reflect values as of July 1. “The preliminary market analysis for 2017 property assessments indicates significant increases over last year’s assessment values,” assessor Jason Grant said in a statement. Those increases are in the 30 to 50 per cent range for singlefamily homes, while strata prop-
FILE PHOTO
A red hot real estate market earlier this year pushed house prices significantly higher, values that will be reflected in next month’s property assessment notices. erties are up in the neighbourhood of 15 to 20 per cent. Commercial and industrial properties will also see sizable increases, somewhere in the 10 to 30 per cent range.
Property owners will receive their assessment notices in early January. During December, B.C. Assessment is providing courtesy notification letters to prop-
erty owners whose assessments are increasing significantly more than the typical range of change. Property taxes are calculated based on the assessed value of a property, but it’s important to
understand that large increases in assessments do not automatically translate into a corresponding increase in property taxes, said Grant. BIG: see Page 4
It’s all perfectly clear to me now, Mildred! Of course it is John. The windshield was fixed by Tsawwassen Collision W i n d s h i e l d R e p a i r. G e t i t d o n e r i g h t , g e t i t d o n e f o r s a f e t y a t T s a w w a s s e n C o l l i s i o n
604.943.6383
17-1835 56th St. Tsawwassen (Behind Mcdonalds) www.tsawwassencollision.com