Demoralized staff, unsafe homes and questionable motives – the issue of Surrey’s ” Monster Homes”makes front page news in The Province

Welcome news greeted me on the front page of the print edition of The Province this morning , one that left me thanking the author of the article, Kent Spencer, and the powers that be for giving this issue some  much-needed attention on a larger scale.  Unionized employees from the city of Surrey have come [...]

Bits and Bites – Wednesday October 28th, 2009

Good morning everyone, and may I wish a fine, H1N1-free day to you?
Shades of SARS! Is it just me, or are you all noticing an extraordinary amount of people going about their business with little paper masks on? Come on,reality check here. Most of the masks I see people wearing are cheaper than dollar store toilet [...]

If the Queen of B.C. says it’s good for the city, then that is all that matters.

The announcement came yesterday, and to no one’s surprise, the city of Surrey is the lucky recipient of one brand spanking new remand centre.Whoo hoo! Come on now, I know a resounding cheer rang through the city on that one.  The existing Surrey Pre-trial centre that has been the bane of local residents who live around that area for [...]

Welcome Home facility for addicts and court-ordered offenders NOT welcome in my old neighbourhood.

Surrey city hall is going to have a couple of big fights on their hands tonight, one of  them taking the form of a public hearing that gives Newton residents the chance to voice their concerns over an unwanted and controversial rehab facilitythat The John Volken Foundation wants to build in the heart of residential [...]

City of Surrey threatens to shut down Family Fun Centre used by celebrating families, autistic children,and ‘at-risk youth’ out-reach workers.

 
 Ray Millar had a dream.
He wanted to create a place where kids could just be kids for a while. A place that was fun and exciting and most of all – safe.
A former HEUmember who quit his job after increasing frustration withthe system, he invested a lot to start this business, building much of it [...]

Salvation Army in process to acquire the old Surrey Public Market property at King George and 64th avenue

Brian Venables, Major and Divisional Secretary for Public Relations & Development with the Salvation Army, confirmed to me in an email yesterday afternoon, that  they are ” currently engaged in a transaction that, if successful, will mean the subject property will become ours.”
I also asked Brian what the plans were for that property, and this [...]

One very good argument FOR the BCTF to continue administering the Foundation Skills Assessment tests

Racial hate aside… It speaks volumes when the local teenagers are not able to spell swear words correctly in their graffiti… We found this gem on the back of a local residents fence.

Is this about fixing people – or saving their own jobs?

Due to illness, there will be no Bits and Bites today. God knows why, but this year  it seems as if I’ve been destined to catch every freaking bug my kids bring home – something that is extremely unusual for me. I go years without getting ill.
However, for you Newton readers,I did spot  a story [...]

Breaking news in Surrey – and take a wild guess what it is…

Yes, I’m afraid so. Yet another brazen daytime shooting / murder in Surrey, this one outside of the London Drugs located at Guildford mall during the early dinner hour. One man was shot several times while sitting in his Land Rover -  and he did die as a result of the injuries he sustained. Police are on the scene and the investigation [...]

Yet another Surrey murder, the Premiers deficit threat and why I support FSA tests.

Yet another shooting death in Surrey hit the news this morning.
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columbia/story/2009/02/03/bc-surrey-shooting.html
http://www.theprovince.com/news/shot+death+Surrey/1246008/story.html
At least it was in Whalley and not down the street from me, but I’m sure that is of no comfort to the neighbours who lived in the area of the crime.  Watt’s up these days  in Surrey ? Seems to be no end in [...]