Delta Optimist September 29 2022

hasbeenyearsinthemaking

MARK BOOTH mbooth@delta optimist com

It was the day Nathan Wilson envi sioned soon after he was hired by the Delta School District as an Indigenous Cultural Mentor.

Last Friday, Wilson led traditional ceremonies and inaugural trips out on the Fraser River and Deas Slough in the district’s brand new “Wave Warrior” , an ocean going 39 foot fibreglass Journey Canoe

It was acquired to help students learn more about the canoe culture and con nect them with Indigenous ways of knowing and being The Journey Canoe was actually delivered back in May before the talents of artists Diamond

Point (Musqueam Indian Band) and Victoria Skosswunson Williams (Tsawwassen First Nation) provided the Coast Salish design

“I have been working with kids my entire life and got to use the Tsawwassen First Nation Canoe. When I started working with the Delta School District, one of the things I kind of brought back from my memory was the canoe and what it has done for me, ” said Wilson. “This day and moment in time is about seven years in the making I’m so happy we have got it and get to use it.

“Growing up in the way I grew up, being away from the culture, it was dif ferent It was during the time when not everybody was happy or proud to be Indigenous. So this is s why I wanted

Municipal

the canoe Doing this and being able to have the kids’ pride is what’s impor tant.”

Delta students and staff will have access to the canoe, which has room for 18 passengers, by way of day trips throughout the paddling season. The Paddling Together program will cul minate with a Pulling Together Canoe Journey each summer.

The Indigenous Education depart ment has also been developing a men torship program, Paddling Together, for students in grades 5 to 12. The program will inspire positive identity of urban Indigenous students, help develop leaders, and bridge relationships throughout the community

The Journey Canoe’s purchase was

made possible through contributions from Fortis B C , the Rotary Club of Tsawwassen and Indigenous Sport, Physical Activity and Recreation (ISARC).

“This is about bringing the canoe culture to the school district,” added Diane Jubinville, district vice principal of Indigenous Education “Students come from all over Canada. They’re not neces sarily part of the canoe culture, but this is where we learn first, then that makes them begin to be proud of who they are

“Really, it’s about bringing communi ty and family together and helping each other When we get in the canoe, we leave our stresses behind, and we are out there to enjoy nature, enjoy each other, and to pull each other forward.”

MARK BOOTH PHOTO

Led by the direction of Indigenous Cultural Mentor Nathan Wilson (back), Delta School District’s Journey Canoe completes its first ever leg by arriving in Ladner Harbour from Wellington Point on Sept. 23. See more stories in our Truth and Reconciliation section starting on page 25.

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Tsawwassenbusinessowner&instructor winRotaryPeaceBuilderAward

MARK BOOTH mbooth@delta optimist com

A compassionate busi ness owner and her cou rageous employee are co recipients of the Rotary Club of Tsawwassen’s 2022 Community Peace Builder Award.

any other issue.

Viekua is among the millions of Ukrainians who have had their lives turned upside down since Russia invaded their country in late February.

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Linda Mallard and Anastasiia Viekua were honoured on Wednesday (Sept 21) during an outdoor ceremony at Tsawwassen Town Centre Mall’s Rotary Square Peace Pole

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The award is presented annually to commemo rate United Nations’ International Peace Day on Sept 21

Nominations are brought forward by rotary members and the Interact Club at South Delta Secondary The award is given to an individual, group or organization liv ing, working or serving within the Tsawwassen community who is creat ing a culture for peace while combating racism, violence, discrimination, bullying corruption or

In May, the 27 year old left behind her husband and other immediate family members, to come to Canada after accepting a position as an instructor at Mallard’s Tsawwassen Wellness Centre (TWC) Pilates Viekua has not only been embraced by Mallard and her staff at the Tsawwassen Springs facility but by the entire community

“My day may start with learning how my friend has lost his house or I am wondering why my dad is not responding to me

Every day I seem to have all these questions and when I go to work, TWC Pilates provides with an enormous amount of inspiration because I know I am not alone,” said an emotional Viekua while accepting the award from Tsawwassen

Rotary president Blake Cowan

In desperate need of instructors at the time, Mallard connected with Viekua through the Travelling Pilates Instructors website back in March to see if she would be interested in coming to Canada for the first time in her life

“Not all Ukrainians

(coming to Canada) have that Some are coming off the plane and are con nected with a homestay where they know noth ing about each other,” said Mallard “We helped Anastasiia and hopefully her family (as well) at some time And now she is taking it forward by helping other Ukrainians and supporting them

with translation

“Now it’s snowball ing in the most beautiful and precious way. I’m so grateful for the com munity of Tsawwassen and for your love We have in fact saved a life and maybe a family by opening our hearts I’m so blessed to have met this most beautiful and courageous human”

Students tackling racism in their schools, community

MARK BOOTH mbooth delta optimist com

Sammer Jaffer, Tyson Lingham and Adrielle MacFarlane are not only trying to make a differ ence in their schools, but in their hometowns too

The trio are students are part of Delta School District’s Anti Racism Committee that is lead ing the way in assisting schools throughout the city to work on their own anti racism strategies

That includes collabo rating with filmmaker Kama Sood last spring to develop a number of videos https://vimeo com/715385279 to spark school wide conversa

tions about anti racism, and help direct action against racism in their schools.

On Wednesday (Sept 21), the students were invited to speak at the Tsawwassen Rotary Club’s 2022 Community Peace Builder Award cer emony that is annually held on United Nations’ International Peace Day This year ’ s theme is “End racism Build peace ”

Jaffer, a Grade 12 student at South Delta Secondary, admitted he initially didn’t think there was a reason to be involved.

“When I see Tsawwassen. I see a nice a calm and safe neigh

bourhood with lots of places to like However, the one thing I don’t see is diversity. Growing up I was the only ‘brown kid’ on my hockey team and one of a few ‘brown kids’ in my school,” said Jaffer “Last year, when I was asked to be part of the anti racism committee I initially declined Then I stepped back and looked at the bigger picture

“I started to think maybe it’s more of a problem than I had thought. We started by having tough conversa tions at our school and found more people to join our team We have learned a lot this year and we ’ re excited to

learn more. ”

Lingham added rac ism comes in all shapes and sizes.

“It can be subtle or it can be blatant. Either way it’s still there,” said the SDSS Grade 12 stu dent “It’s about becom ing aware of what we do and say to combat racism”

MacFarlane, a Grade 10 student at North Delta’s Burnsview Secondary, says people can be racist without even knowing it.

“In my personal expe rience, I have learned that racism is embed ded in our communi ties, and that people do not even realize that

they are being racist. I have learned a new term, modern racism and it consists of micro aggressions that stem from people’s ignorance towards minorities They claim that they have absolutely no biases or that they are quote unquote ‘colorblind’ and that there is no racism in our society These are examples of how modern racism is preva lent in our community today”

To learn more about the Delta School District’s Anti Racism Committee’s work and their message visit https://deltalearns.ca/ antiracism/

MARK BOOTH PHOTO

Anastasiia Viekua (left) and Linda Mallard accepted their Tsawwassen Rotary Club Community Peace Builder Awards from president Blake Cowan.

Cityseeksseniorgov’t.cashtoprepareforrisingseas

PHIL MELNYCHUK Contributing Writer

Delta wants some help, more than a million dollars’ worth, in order to raise a half km of the Boundary Bay Dike Trail by 1 3 metres

At its Sept 22 meet ing, council approved staff applying to a pro vincial program called the Green Infrastructure: Adaptation, Resilience and Disaster Mitigation

Program

If successful, the city will be able to raise the dike between 72nd and 88th streets to protect against future sea level rise

The city has already created its design for the improved dike and sub mitted it to the Provincial Inspector of Dikes The design includes pullouts for bicycles to allow pas sage of farm vehicles, and can also allow extension

of the raised dike if more money is available

Under the province’s disaster mitigation pro gram, Ottawa pays 40 per cent, the province pays 33 per cent and munici pal governments pay 27 per cent of a project’s cost. Deadline to apply is Oct 11

A preliminary esti mate for the project is $1 55 million According to a staff report, the city would have to pay

$412,000

Coun Jeannie Kanakas asked if mayors at this month’s Union of B.C. Municipalities conven tion in Whistler asked the province to take over funding of dike repairs.

That resolution passed but there’s been no com mitment from the prov ince, said Mayor George Harvie

But he said municipal politicians will be push ing the province to take

over responsibility for dikes

“As we know, there’s no city, no city in the prov ince that can do this on their own. If they tried to do it on their own, they wouldn’t be able to bal ance their budget and they’d have to cut back services,” Harvie said “We really need to pressure the province to do the right thing and take back the responsibilities that they tossed over to us ”

One resolution from UBCM that was pre sented by the Central Kootenay Regional District asked the province to create a strategy to reassume responsibility for “exist ing abandoned berms, dikes, dams,” that protect homes and infrastruc ture

Another resolution called on the province to take on a greater role in flood mitigation

SANDOR GYARMATI sgyarmati@delta optimist com

Delegates at the Union of BC Municipalities annual general meeting endorsed a resolution submitted by the City of Delta regarding support for at risk seniors living at home.

The provincial government will be asked to review the resources available to at risk seniors, identify service gaps and implement measures to ensure that all seniors have access to some level of social supports, irrespective of housing status

A Delta staff report to council earlier this year noted many seniors have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic and the rising cost of living

While emergency supports are avail able for the homeless or precariously housed seniors experiencing economic, mental or physical hardship, there is also a small, but growing number of seniors who live in their own homes and also experience the same prob lems

Emergency supports for those seniors are much more challenging to find, the report noted.

“Most independent seniors eventu ally need to rely on friends and family to assist with everyday household tasks; those without a social support network rely on the subsidized provincial Home and Community Care Program or pri vate professionals for short term and long term care, ” the report notes

“The COVID 19 pandemic has exposed a number of gaps in this seniors’ support system, including a lack of emergency supports for seniors living in their own home who experi ence economic, mental or physical hardships. Without these supports,

many seniors living at home are iso lated and unable to maintain the health and safety of themselves and their homes”

The draft of Delta’s new Social Action Plan also posed the question how the city can support seniors to age in place and live active lives, as well as enhance community capacity to support vulner able seniors

According to that report, between 2006 and 2016, the most significant population increase in Delta was among those between 65 and 84 years of age.

PHIL MELNYCHUK Contributing Writer

Delta council has given final approval for a new enclosed off leash dog area at Paterson Park

At its Sept. 20 meet ing it approved awarding a contract for $237,000 to Wood Projects Ltd , to build the facility at Clarence Taylor Crescent in Ladner

Following a public consultation process, council OK’d the design for the project in June Completion is expected this fall

The city will use split rail fencing to enclose the area

The bid was the low est of three that were received on the prov ince’s B C Bid page

In addition to the con tract amount, the city has included a possible addi tional $13,000 for the project as a contingency amount, raising the total cost to $250,000

However, $100,000 of that is being covered by funds left over from pre vious projects

An earlier city staff report notes that the enclosure does not alter the existing boundaries of the designated dog off leash area, but simply provides an enclosed portion of the off leash area should dog owners wish to have their dogs in a safe, fenced space

The project is part of the 2022 financial plan and a Sept. 8 staff report notes that the bid ding process has shown that construction costs

have risen and drain age improvements were more substantial than initially thought

The city’s current capi tal plan said the com munity wants the City of Delta to create additional off leash dog enclosures

This year, the focus is on enclosing existing open off leash areas, to ensure that safer space is available for dogs and to add features at other existing enclosures, said the report

Designs will be created and consultations will be held for other locations for off leash areas where fencing will be provided initially, followed by benches and water fea tures in later years. A new enclosed off leash area is also planned for Pebble Hill

MARK BOOTH mbooth@delta optimist com

The Ladner Minor Baseball Association is investing in its future with the biggest project in its long his tory

A $1.4 million indoor training facility is the centerpiece of the new Cromie Park Master Plan that also includes other significant upgrades to a venue that once was the hub of sports activity in the community.

A recent special council meeting voted in favour of endorsing key terms of a draft construction and lease agree ment with the baseball organization. City staff continues to negotiate with the LMBA on final form of the agree ment that includes the non profit asso ciation being responsible for all con struction costs Under the 20 year deal, the building would be owned by Delta upon completion of construction and run by the LMBA

Talks with the city on a potential partnership actually began a number of years ago. Now the LMBA is about to proceed with an immense donation campaign while also securing a loan.

Todd Allan is not only the LMBA president but a long time teacher at Delta Secondary and lifetime resident

He says it’s time Ladner has sports training options that will be attractive to young families

“We’re dumping money into Richmond (sports training facilities) and paying Richmond people for train ing The thought was this is something Ladner is lacking and baseball is grow ing It kind of morphed into a much more serious conversation with the city then George (Harvie) became mayor COVID then stalled everything initially,” said Allan

“It’s a good chunk of change but at the same time we are investing in the kids and their future in the community. This isn’t a single baseball thing This is for all of Delta to use “We’ve already reached out to Tsawwassen (Amateur Baseball) and they have agreed to take up a certain amount of time. Delta Fastpitch as well We’re also still out talking to people and if there are other youth user groups in Delta we want them. We will never use all the time.

“George (and councilors) Dylan (Kruger) and Alicia (Guichon) have been hammering away at this the last three or four years that it costs a fortune to live in Ladner It’s a lot easier for a person that doesn’t know anything to go out to Abbotsford, Langley and Chilliwack, so if you don’t give a young family a reason to come here we are going to be a sea of childless empty nesters.”

LMBA director of special projects Ray VanMarrewyk has been collabo rating with the city since day one on

the design of the 10,175 square foot training facility and working alongside LMBA treasurer Travis Taylor getting the financing in place as well

“Some of it will be through the con struction time and materials, from more of a corporate level,” explained VanMarrewyk “Personally, we ’ re connected with Sport BC. They have approved us as a project so that we can collect money from individuals and issue tax receipts to them We haven’t started collecting money yet because we want to make sure we can get this going Then we will really be doing a campaign to get donors to come for ward”

The baseball training centre would be another significant recent addition to the city’s amateur sports infrastruc ture that also includes the covered lacrosse box in Ladner, new pickleball courts, the new track at North Delta Secondary and field improvements, including Association Park

“Master plans are master plans, but we wanted this facility, we wanted to make sure it happens and the rest would follow,” said Harvie “It’s about the kids. I want this to be a vibrant community that is inclusive to all ages and all age groups You can see the pickleball courts and how successful they have been”

MARK BOOTH PHOTO

Officials from the Ladner Minor Ball Association and City of Delta recently met with the Optimist to discuss the new facility at Cromie Park.

Run to Remember

Housing forum this Tuesday

There is no doubt that housing is likely the big gest issue in this year ’ s municipal election, but a local advocacy group wants to remind every one that affordable hous ing should be available for all individuals in the community.

The Housing be Mine Society is holding an educational forum next week, Housing for

Everyone, about the des perate need for addition al housing for everyone, particularly those with intellectual disabilities who face many addition al barriers.

The forum provides an opportunity for open dialogue and idea sharing around how to address critical housing needs

The conversation is to also look through a “ new lens” that high lights housing options

for everyone, including families, seniors, people with disabilities and other individuals

The forum is sched uled for Tuesday, Oct 4 at the Lois E. Jackson Kinsmen Centre for Children, 5050 47th Ave , Ladner

Registration is free for the event, which takes place from 7 to 8:30 p m

To register or for more information, email: deltahousingbemine@ gmail com

BC teachers believe the Foundation Skills Assessment should be cancelled

Join

Why?

• It is not helpful to students, teachers, or parents.

• It is making existing inequities worse.

• It is not a required part of the BC curriculum.

You have the right to withdraw your Grade 4 or 7 child from the test. Teachers around the province encourage you to do so For more information please visit bctf ca/fsa

A message from the Delta Teachers’ Association

N KKI HEWITT/DELTA POLICE PHOTO

The British Columbia Law Enforcement Memorial (BCLEM) was held on Sunday Sept. 25 in Victoria. Each year, the Delta Police Department has a contingent of officers who attend Victoria to recognize and remember the Canadian police officers who have lost their lives providing service to their communities Two events that occur leading up to the Memorial are the Ride to Remember, and the Run to Remember. They are smaller scale events that occur within the law enforcement. Both events spanned three days and cover hundreds of kilometers. Both events crossed through Delta last Friday, Sept. 23, with stops at Headquarters in Ladner. During the stops, the riders recog nized the two officers that the DPD have lost in the line of duty: Staff/Sgt. Ron McKay and Const. Mark Nieuwenhuis.

SANDOR GYARMATI sgyarmati@delta optimist com

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Phone 604 946 4451

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PUBLISHER: Pierre Pelletier ppelletier@delta optimist com

EDITOR: Ian Jacques ijacques@delta optimist com

SPORTS: Mark Booth mbooth@delta optimist com

REPORTERS

Sandor Gyarmati sgyarmati@ delta optimist com Mark Booth mbooth@delta optimist com

PHOTOGRAPHER Jim Kinnear jimgkinnear@netscape net

DIGITAL SALES MANAGER Marianne LaRochelle mariannel@glaciermedia ca

SALES REPRESENTATIVES:

John Gallinger jgallinger@ delta optimist com

Ruth VanBruksvoort rbruks@ delta optimist com

Lee Fruhstorfer lfruhstorfer@delta optimist com

SALES SUPPORT: Linda Calendino lcalendino@ delta optimist com

DISTRIBUTION: Kristene Murray 604 946 5171 kmurray@glaciermedia ca

Roya Sarwary rsarwary@delta optimist com

CLASSIFIED 604 444 3056 classifieds@van net

OPINION

Adayfor truthand education

Guesteditorial

BRENT RICHTER

For almost a decade, Indigenous people in Canada have marked Orange Shirt Day to commemorate the victims and survivors of the residential school system that was designed to sepa rate them from their families and their cultures

Now in its second year, this Friday, Sept 30 is the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. It means schools will be closed and most government and federally regulated industries will be shut down for the day In time, it may become a statutory holiday for all.

But those of settler descent shouldn’t treat the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation as an opportunity to sleep in or boot out of town for a long weekend getaway The day calls for, at the very least, solemn reflection on the legacy of colonialism and residen tial schools that continues to impact Indigenous people here today

Even better would be taking some time to learn Reading the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s 94 Calls to Action, the 11 page document that lays out tangible steps the country and its citizens must take to help restore what was taken away, would be a positive start Canada is making good progress on some of the steps On others, we are woefully short.

There are many Truth and Reconciliation events the wider pub lic are invited to across the Lower Mainland including Delta, which you can read about starting on page 25

The beauty of a national holiday also means there are opportunities to be forward looking. In many ways, we now see the upward trajectory of Indigenous people in Canada. Indigenous cultures should be a source of pride and not something to hide.

This Sept 30, along with our time of reflection, that is something we can all celebrate

Brent Richter is a senior reporter with the North Shore News, a sister pub lication of the Delta Optimist

1970s school classroom

Get to know all your candidates

The municipal elec tion is just two short weeks away Presumably, the next four years will be a little easier for our gov ernors to manage our affairs than the past few years have been. The pandemic obviously presented logistical challenges

If (knock on wood) we can look forward to an easier environment to work within, perhaps this upcoming man date will see some progressive changes within our communi ties.

It is encouraging to see that several candidates for mayor, council and school trustee have joined the race. There are many varied backgrounds amongst those who will be competing for the positions on council.

I am hoping that like mind ed representatives will steer us toward well managed, sus tainable growth and expanded community amenities

You can get a sense of what all the candidates for mayor

and councils’ priorities are by reading their biographies and stated goals, if elected, that were published in the Sept. 22 edition of the Optimist as well as on their election page on their website The inde pendent candidates’ goals range from “preserving our small town feel,” to building “affordable rental co op units with solar energy and living roofs,” to “focus on our Pacific Migratory Flyway and hope that voters would like to see some changes to preserve this” and many other issues.

The lone council slate, Achieving For Delta has pub lished their platform on its website and it includes five main planks: keeping Delta safe, delivering high value investments while keeping taxes low, working to keep generations together in Delta, building a fair and inclusive community and taking real action on climate change and protecting our farmland.

Whomever is elected for mayor and council, I am hop ing that they can work together to advance Delta’s march in to the future and avoid the chaos and dysfunction that has played out over the past four years in the City of Vancouver. There has been embarrassing ly little cohesion in Vancouver and it has shown for the worse

Advance voting opportuni ties here in Delta are on Oct 1, 5 and 6 with general voting on Saturday Oct 15

I wish all candidates for mayor, council and school trustee the very best of luck

Thank you for stepping up

ANNIVERSARY

The Delta Heritage Society is pleased to celebrate 100 years of the Delta Optimist Come visit us at the Douglas J Husband Discovery Centre And remember, we are always on the lookout for new artifacts and archival records that help us tell the story of Delta

This 1970s photograph depicts students of Georgeanna Engstrom inside their classroom at Boundary Beach Elementary School Georgeanna and the students are gathered around as a woman plays a guitar for them Once the students graduated from the primary years, they would be sent to Boundary Bay Elementary School on 56 Street and later to South Park Elementary Delta Archives 2020 025 011

Feereductionswillhelpwith affordablehousingissues

Editor:

Affordable home ownership is one of the most important issues for Delta residents

The project we built three years ago solved that challenge for our family We want to help other families do the same thing

We replaced our 1970s rancher with four smaller homes on smaller lots. We shared our land with our three young adult chil dren so they could each own a ground oriented

home with no strata fees.

We are grateful that Delta council under Mayor Lois Jackson approved our innovative project, and we love liv ing in our smaller homes

The $66,000 in fees and $50,000 in deposits that we paid, however, made the homes more expen sive than if we had just replaced our old rancher with one big house.

At that time, council gave a $2,000,000 fee reduction to the 37 sto rey Delta Rise I am writ

ing to ask whoever is elected to Delta council to give fee reductions or at least deferrals to Delta residents who want to replace their aging house with smaller homes on smaller lots to help their young adult children or other first time buyers.

Fee reductions will make it easier and cheaper for many first time buyers to achieve ground oriented, afford able, home ownership with no strata fees

Kathleen Higgins

Use some common sense and be sensitive to others

Editor:

My spouse and I moved to Ladner a year ago and, overall, it has been a very positive experience.

We came from an area that is rapidly over developing and densify ing It’s been a relief to find a location that pro vides a slower pace and a more peaceful setting.

That being said, I would like to make a plea to those who perhaps are also new to the area and are still settling into a new environment.

I’m speaking to the need for some dog own ers to exhibit more sensi tivity and consideration for other dogs. I’m also commenting on how some drivers don’t seem

to know how to properly use round abouts.

We live at the end of Ferry Road and have noticed that many dog owners don’t seem to understand that not all dogs want to be friendly with your dog or you

Our rescue has fear issues and does not want to socialize and we offer that clue by taking him aside from the path Please do not approach when you see this and please do not jog with your dog unleashed and come up suddenly behind us

There is a large com plex being built right now along Admiral Way and I can already see all the new dog owners flooding the neighbour

hood streets expecting their dogs can meet new friends Use some com mon sense and be sensi tive to others

As for the round abouts, I don’t know how the simple road rules regarding the use of these very effective traf fic management features escapes some people, but I’ve seen some pretty bizarre guesswork right here in sleepy little Ladner

I’m asking drivers to please review what round abouts are for and how they work When everyone shares that circle in proper sequence it’s an amazing solution and a big improvement over stop signs and lights

Gayle Holden

Not in favour of paving the dike

Editor:

In response to a recent letter regarding paving the Boundary Bay dike, I am definitely not in favour of such First of all the dike is currently a hard gravel surface used/enjoyed by cyclists, farmers, walk ers and horseback riders all of which, I am quite

sure, are happy with the status quo Secondly the many taxpayers’ dollars to pave such a surface should be spent on much more important projects like “affordable” housing

Thirdly the environ mental damage that would be caused by the paving both during and

well after is totally unac ceptable!

As to “Delta has world class potential” as written in this letter, I moved from the mega lopolis of Vancouver to enjoy the Village of Ladner leaving any “world class” attitude to the Vancouverites!

Rob Leeson

Are you struggling to cope with the loss of a loved one?

Grief Circles are a supportive and nourishing space to connect with your grief, share your story and experience grief support This Grief Circle with be held in person in Ladner.

Led by a registered counsellor, grief is explored in a small group setting, Sessions are held weekly over six weeks starting on Wednesday, October 12, 2022 from 6 7 pm. There is no cost for this program and pre registration is required

To register, please email info@heronhospice.org or leave a message at 604 245 7380.

Albany Book Club is back!

Letters

Pavingofdikesabadidea

Editor:

Re: If dikes ever raised, please pave the tops, cyclist suggest and no to paving on the dike Aug. 22, 2022/Opportunities are endless in Delta Sept. 15 2022

I generally support the inclusion of cycling lanes in existing roadway net works when and where it’s feasible, however the paving of dikes is a legiti mately bad, selfish idea and is inappropriate for many reasons

Dikes are a protective measure for all of us that is dependent on proper soil compaction

As a protective infra structure they will have to be raised peri odically due to sea level rise Placing an asphalt

surface would compro mise the dike structure integrity and would also introduce petroleum substances into this environmentally sensi tive area and would also pose a hostile and seri ous impediment to area wildlife

Delta is internationally recognized as a critical fly away zone for migratory birds that depend on this vibrant eco system This would also impact the adjacent agriculture land reserves as well, that is critical for our food secu rity that is being intensi fied by current global geopolitical events.

Along with cli mate change and the Anthropocene Epoch that we have created

has also ushered in the ecological collapse of the sixth mass extinction that is also occurring now

Humanity must do everything in our power to preserve all existing ecosystems and current and future species at risk, that are critical to human existence, “think globally act locally”

How far does this type of misguided proposal go? Do we start paving mountain bike trails in Watershed Park?

My suggestion to the members of HUB, is they use an all terrain bike with proper tires and enjoy the aerial displays of the regions raptors and other wildlife like coyotes on their rides

Glenn Kirkwood

Paving the dike would make it less multi-use

Editor:

So, HUB Cycling would like to pave the dike to make it a “multi use ” pathway

I would say the dike is already that, used by walkers, joggers, bicy clists, bird watchers, and horse riders, all enjoy this

lovely aspect of our com munity However, paving the dike would make it less multi use by exclud ing horse riders

Asphalt is not suitable for horse riding beyond a walk. Also, the occasional “involuntary dismount,” otherwise known as

falling off, would be far more painful on asphalt I would also add that asphalt becomes more slippery in winter condi tions, is very expensive and not good for this sensitive environmental area

BM Miller

Pop-Up Park has been a trying siege

Editor:

Re: Make the Bridge Street pop up park per manent (Optimist letters)

Although I agree that the Pop Up Park has been enjoyed by Deltans of all ages during these past two summers (day light hours), Jordon Miller has missed read ing my letter to the editor dated May 12, entitled “A misguided concept.”

Again this summer, during the late night hours until dawn, wild teenagers unleashed by their parents who are disenfranchised of the responsibility to oversee

their children’s recre ational activities contin ues to be a problem.

The carnival lights streaming over the park that remain lit all night long has become a bea con for these loud reck less teens to rearrange the FUN iture, and to abuse the games beyond tolerance. Complaints to the police have been made, but to no avail.

Also, the City of Delta Parks, Recreation and Culture Department does not provide any supervi sion or damage control over this park. Therefore, the businesses on Delta

Street have been left again this year, during these past four months, to look out for ourselves during this trying siege.

Bridge Street is a main thoroughfare for private and commercial trans port vehicles, and our businesses require a safe and uninhibited access

Clearly, the City of Delta will have to acknowledge that Bridge Street from Harbour Stroll to Delta Street is not a suitable location for a Pop Up Park, and plan to find a more suitable site next year.

Carol R LeVasseur

Scan QR code to read candidate bios

George Harvie (RE-ELECT)

Rod Binder

Alicia Guichon (RE-ELECT)

Jennifer Johal Dylan Kruger (RE-ELECT)

Daniel Boisvert Jessie Dosanjh

PHIL MELNYCHUK Contributing Writer

The thin blue line may have a green tinge to it, if efforts by the Delta Police Board are successful

The board has approved adding the greening of the Delta Police to its monthly agenda, following a presentation on climate change by board vice chair Dr. Karen Hossack, at the board’s Sept 21 meeting

“It is just the introduction of the topic and I certainly intend to push, as time goes on, for chang es, ” Hossack said

She acknowledged that many aspects of reducing the carbon dioxide footprint are the city’s responsibility, such as installing solar panels on the roof of police headquarters or an anti engine idling bylaw.

But small changes to reduce carbon dioxide emissions also are possible within the department

“And that’s what I wanted to bring up and start discussing because so far, it’s just been off the radar,” said Hossack who’s with Doctors For Planetary Health

Hossack pointed out that with the issue of reducing the environ mental footprint of the police force now a standing item on the police board agenda, it will require regu lar reports about steps being taken “It needs to be part of the con versation definitely, the greening, and hopefully from today it will be. We’ve got it as a standing item now And we’ll certainly push for changes,” she said.

The board was unanimous in having it as a standing item, she pointed out

“So we just need to make sure it’s not just talk as it is on so many political levels and I’m certainly committed to that,” she added

With senior management in the police department now aware, the rank of file will also follow suit, she added.

Currently, Delta Police have no hybrid or electric vehicles in its fleet However, police vehicles may have special requirements.

Hossack said installing solar panels may be costly at first but after nine years, the savings in electricity has paid for the cost of the panels

And the City of Delta does not have an anti engine idling bylaw, unlike many B.C. cities, that requires motorists to shut off their vehicles if they’re waiting for a long a period of time

One suggestion made in Hossack’s presentation is having police use foot or e bike patrols where possible, although she knows that’s not practical in many parts of the city.

Another small step towards reducing greenhouse gas produc tion could include reducing air conditioning, so that people don’t have to wear a sweater indoors in the summer

No single use plastics and com post bins for food in the lunch rooms are two other suggestions while community police could use electric vehicles or even bicycles.

The City of Delta is taking steps to green its police car fleet. It recently studied its infrastructure to see if will support electric police vehicles

The city’s buildings will require electrical upgrades to support plug in charging, said Acting Insp James Sandberg,

New look planned for two lots in Ladner Village

PHIL MELNYCHUK Contributing Writer

The new owner of properties at 4868 and 4872 Delta St in Ladner Village will be allowed to build a three storey building, instead of a 2 5 storey building

The owner will also be allowed to increase the residential space by about 90 sq metres, while still building four

suites, though with dif ferent layouts than the previous owner.

Council gave final approval to a bylaw and development permit for the project at its Sept. 20 meeting

The application for a development permit proposes building two, two bedroom condos as well as a three bedroom suite and a four bedroom suite instead of four,

two bedroom units.

The revised proposal complies with all other requirements of the comprehensive develop ment zone such as mini mum setbacks, building height, site coverage and off street parking, said a Delta staff report

Council saw the ini tial proposal in 2017 when a 2 5 storey mixed use building was proposed The site

is between two signifi cant heritage buildings: McCrea’s Pool Hall and Delta’s second municipal hall.

The new proposal also calls for slightly less retail space, 330 sq m com pared to 408 sq m in the previous proposal

There will be no change in the height of the building, 11 metres, from the previous appli cation

Erica Beard (RE ELECT)

Masako Gooch

Maury Kask

Joe Muego

Nimmi Daula

Ammen Dhillon

Val Windsor, Delta School Board Chair

Val Windsor (RE-ELECT)

NICK KANAKOS AND BRUCE REID BRING EXPERIENCE AND COMMITMENT

Nick Kanakos Bruce Reid Brings

• “It has been an honour to serve the Delta school community for three terms as your School Trustee on the Delta Board of Education”

• Having taught high school for thirty-three years at North Delta Secondary, Nick gained valuable first-hand experience in the classroom which helps to understand the school system from the ‘inside out’.

• He has continued to champion for additional funding for the District and brings the experience of tough decisions and policies adopted during the pandemic

• As a father of four children and with his wife, Jeannie Kanakos, they have lived and raised a family here in Delta since the 1980’s.

• Nick’s three grandchildren go to school in Delta and Nick continues contribute to a school system for now and future generations.

• Formerly a Secondary School Counsellor in Richmond, BC, Bruce has been a teacher and pastor in British Columbia, Alberta and Ontario.

• His experience as a teacher and a counsellor has helped me understand the Delta educational system from many perspectives and will provide the experience necessary to help guide the school system.

• While Delta has seen funding improve in this province, there is still a way to go to see funding equal to that of other provinces.

• He is a resident of Delta and has 7 grandchildren in British Columbia, 3 of which are students in the Delta School District.

• Serving the District as a Trustee for the past 8 years has been a privilege and also an opportunity to have an impact on education in Delta. For further information please call Bruce at, 604 218-6460.

Authorized by financial agent: James Reeve reevejmr@gmail.com Independents Working For You

PAMELA SWANIGAN

for Delta City Council

working for

Affordable and sustainable housing

through partnering with BC Housing, facilitating rental and co op builds, and requiring all new housing to be LEED certified (living roofs, water recapture, solar energy)

Thriving businesses and communities

through creating green "gather and linger" public spaces, adopting localized e commerce platforms like the UK's NearSt and moving Delta toward an ecotourism economy via LEED For Cities Platinum certification

Growth and public safety

through requiring developers to subsidize lease units for firefighters and DPD at 75%, so they can recruit and retain the best

Heritage charm and densification

by building (sensitively) above existing stores such as Save On, while expanding treed green walkable areas in all three hubs

FortisBC’sLNGproject drawsfirefromopponents

CHUCK CHAING Business in Vancouver

Community and environmental groups continue to express disbelief at B.C’s processing of a controversial liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant expansion application despite significant local opposition.

But federal and provincial authorities reiterated that the $3 billion Tilbury LNG Phase 2 expansion operated by FortisBC will continue to have its application processed under a Jan. 20 agreement under which the province’s review process will replace the federal impact assessment

The Tilbury Phase 2 expansion, which includes a new marine jetty for loading LNG tankers as well as additional on-site production and storage capacity, would raise the site’s annual production load to 3.5 million tonnes from the current 2.6 million tonnes The added 142,000-cubic-metre stor age tank and the jetty form a key part of FortisBC’s plans to establish Vancouver as an LNG bunkering and export hub

In a response to recent outrage expressed by local community groups, the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada said it did not find enough reasons to create a review panel to assess the Tilbury expansion’s potential environmental harms including possibly negatively affecting Code Red (or high productivity) salmon habitat as outlined in Metro Vancouver’s Fraser River Estuary Management Program (FREMP).

The Tilbury expansion has so far drawn opposition from municipal gov ernments in Vancouver, Richmond, New Westminster and Port Moody. Delta, where the plant is located, has not expressed the same opposition; neither has the Musqueam Indian Band, which signed an agreement with FortisBC that will see the First Nation acquire an unknown amount of equity ownership at Tilbury.

According to a statement provided by the B.C. Ministry of Environment, there will be no review panel to study the impact of the Tilbury expansion, because the timing for creating the panel usually independently operat

ed and associated with more in-depth assessment and public input has passed

The province, however, did note that there is still an opportunity for further public input. Because Tilbury Phase 2 is in the application development phase of its environmental assessment, officials say there will be a public comment period after FortisBC develops and submits its application.

But the government response has not quelled the disappointment among environmental and community opposition.

Susan Jones of the Boundary Bay Conservation Committee, who joined other groups in holding a protest in July outside the Tilbury site, said she is still in disbelief that federal and provincial officials did not find enough rea sons to create a panel assessment for a project that she says will damage vital fish habitat in the Fraser River estuary.

Another major controversial project in the area the Vancouver and Fraser Port Authority’s (VFPA) multibilliondollar proposal to create Terminal 2, a landfill container terminal at Roberts Bank underwent a full independent panel review that resulted in a significant list of recommendations.

Jones also criticizes the level of scientific expertise in Canada to assess environmental impacts

FortisBC said it is still working on Tilbury expansion details and continues to incorporate community comments into its application.

“In response to community feedback during the Environmental Assessment the project design was altered to reduce its overall footprint and possible impacts to fish and fish habitat,” FortisBC said in a statement. “In addition, existing marine infrastructure will be removed from the river and lost habitat will be offset to create a net gain.”

The company added that it has committed to “additional studies of fish and fish habitat beyond the project area to broaden understanding of the river,” and there will be ongoing monitoring and follow-up programs “to ensure mitigation measures are working as designed.”

Email: ElectPam2022

On Saturday, Oct. 15, vote for Pam.

Municipal election

CouncilcandidatessquareoffatfirstdebateinNorthDelta

SANDOR GYARMATI sgyarmati@delta optimist com

Several local issues were discussed among the council hopefuls at the first municipal election all candidates’ debate in North Delta on Saturday afternoon

Hosted by the Delta Residents Association, the event at the Northside Community Church, which saw a light er crowd in attendance than past all candidates’ meetings at the venue, had almost all the councillor and mayoralty candidates participating

The three running for mayor include incumbent George Harvie, who is running a full slate for council and school board under the Achieving for Delta banner, as well as independents Joginder Randhawa and Peter van der Velden They were first on stage, mak ing brief opening remarks followed by answering the same two questions sub mitted by residents.

The council candidates then also took turns going on stage to introduce themselves and answer one question

Achieving for Delta’s Dylan Kruger, Alicia Guichon, Jennifer Johal, Jessie Dosanjh, Daniel Boisvert and Rod Binder are competing for six council lor seats with independents Maha Balakumar, Duncan Callander, Julien Jacques, Moneca Kolvyn, Brian Read, Pamela Swanigan and Stephen Sun

Only Sun was not in attendance at Saturday’s meeting

The first question for the mayoralty

hopefuls was how they weigh public input, what factors they consider and how do they communicate them An example given within the question was the changes approved for the Ladner Village Official Community Plan, the preamble stating a majority of residents spoke in opposition

Harvie answered that he is ensur ing all decision making has an open process for everyone, as was the case for the Ladner Village changes, adding there’s now even greater opportunity for input through Zoom and social media channels He also noted, among other things, that he still answers all his own emails

Randhawa said his office will always be open and that he will ensure he’s in the community to hear what people have to say. He also reiterated the need to attract more businesses to Delta, especially within North Delta.

Saying he is hearing much frustra tion during his door knocking, van der Velden noted the current council, as well as civic committees, hasn’t been responsive to public input. He also sug gested exploring the introduction of the Ward system for elections.

Asked about how the city can recon cile its vision with the fact more mon ster houses are being built, resulting in the removal of many trees, Randhawa said the rules already in place are not being followed He also said would also seek provincial funding to help create more pathways and plant more trees

Noting Delta’s tree bylaw needs

revisiting and that Vancouver’s tougher bylaw with its “heavy duty fines” should be examined, van der Velden said he supports more “medium style density” in areas that have infrastructure that can support such growth

Noting he took exception to the ques tion’s preamble that stated homes were being built over property lines, Harvie said Delta recently updated its tree bylaw, making it one of the toughest in the Lower Mainland, and that the city is undertaking an ambitious planting pro gram that saw over 1,000 trees planted last year alone He also noted he wants to work with the school district to see if even more can be planted on school properties

Asked how Ladner Village could retain its unique character if six storey developments were allowed, Balakumar stressed the need for revitalization but that there needs to be a balancing act, while Read suggested a village rede velopment that blends better with the rest of Ladner, and Boisvert stressed the need for more alternate forms of hous ing but a lot of work still needs to be done

Kolvyn and Guichon were asked to respond to a question submitted by Kathleen Higgins, who had several small family houses built on one lot once occupied by a single detached house. Higgins asked whether the candidates support pre zoning, pre approved plans and reduced fees so that more people can build smaller homes on smaller lots

Both Kolvyn and Guichon were sup portive of such changes.

Asked for their opinion on LNG expansion at Tilbury, Binder said it’s a better option, for now, than coal but future options should be explored He added he’s also confident in the fire department’s ability to protect Burns Bog. Jacques took a moment to con sider Binder’s answers before agreeing Binder raised some good points

Asked for their opinions on the two competing bids for container terminal expansion at Roberts Bank, Swanigan didn’t mince words in responding that both proposals were unacceptable. She also noted the current container termi nal has already caused significant nega tive environmental impacts

Dosanjh said he is waiting for the outcome of the environmental assess ments

Asked what Delta has done well over the last four years and what needs more attention in the next four, Kruger went over several highlights of the current council including successful pilot proj ects, such as the expanded outdoor bar patio program and drinking allowed in designated parks. Among the issues that need continued work is the hous ing front, in order to help young people and seniors be able to stay in their com munity, said Kruger

Callander also said the housing issue is an important one, including the need for proper infrastructure before more high rises are built along the Scott Road corridor

Debate sees independents urge for more council voices

SANDOR GYARMATI sgyarmati@delta optimist com

Candidates running for Delta council in the upcom ing municipal election took part in the first of a pair of debates organized by the Delta Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday evening

Sponsored by the Fraser Valley Real Estate Board, the forum at the North Delta Centre for the Arts was an opportunity to answer ques tions on a variety of topics, including several on the issue of housing

Running under mayoralty candidate

George Harvie’s Achieving for Delta banner, coun cil candidates Dylan Kruger, Alicia Guichon, Jennifer Johal and Rod Binder took part, while Jessie Dosanjh and

Daniel Boisvert, who are also on the slate, did not take part as they were currently fulfilling their school trustee duties

Also on hand were independent candi dates Maha Balakumar, Duncan Callander, Julien Jacques, Moneca Kolvyn and Brian Read, while independents Pamela Swanigan and Stephen Sun did not participate.

The council candidates were first up and had one minute each to answer a series of questions, followed at the mid way point of the meeting by the mayoralty candidates, which included Harvie and indepen dents Joginder Randhawa and Peter van der Velden

Housing questions prompted a few varied, but also very similar responses from all the candidates, including the need to streamline the approvals process and the need for more

purpose built rental and below market housing, as well as seniors housing and units more affordable for younger people

Read noted building smaller houses on single family lots where appropriate is just one solution, while Guichon said more density was needed within town cores and Binder said greater density is needed within major transit corridors.

When the council candidates were asked what are impor tant issues facing North Delta, Jacques, saying there’s a lack of feeling of community, brought some levity to the proceeding by quipping he’d introduce a bylaw requiring residents to say hello and get to know their neighbours. Harvie during his opening remarks countered North Delta, in fact, has “fan tastic community spirit”

Johal often reminded the audience of the Achieving for

Delta campaign platform and was highly complementary of Harvie as mayor and as the long time city manager

Callander, however, said that while he liked Harvie and the other mayoralty candidates, four independents were needed to bring a better balance for deci sion making. Kolvyn agreed, adding city hall has been lacking transparency.

Noting he was asked to join Harvie’s slate in 2018 to bring a different perspective as the youngest person ever elect ed to Delta council, Kruger countered he voted in opposi tion to the mayor on occasion, adding, “if you have a room full of radical independents, noth ing gets done.”

Balakumar promised he’d be “the independent voice of rea son on council”

Asked for their take on Delta solutions to improve trans

portation and transit, van der Velden said the city needs to focus on coming up with made in Delta solutions

Saying he’s advocat ing for a second exit out of Ladner, Harvie noted the new tunnel to replace the George Massey Tunnel won’t change a whole lot and what is needed is another crossing, especially with the population south of the Fraser growing

During their closing remarks, van der Velden again talked about his opposition to the LNG expansion proposal at Tilbury, while also insisting that he’s not a radical.

Harvie talked about what the city has been able to accom plish in his first term, but that more still needs to be done

Randhawa promised he would do whatever it takes to make Delta a vibrant, fast growing community

Municipal election

Whatareyourtopissuesfortheelection?

George V. Harvie (Mayor) Achieving for Delta

After serving for nearly 20 years as Delta’s City Manager, I was honoured to be elected as the Mayor of Delta in 2018

We have achieved so much this term, but there is more work to do to achieve my goal of making Delta the best place to live in Canada

I have assembled an incredible team of candidates with diverse perspectives and experi ence to run with me on the Achieving for Delta team

We are united by a shared understanding of the important issues in our community and a vision for the future.

The Achieving for Delta team has a set of plans to address the criti cal issues in our com munity We are running on a six point platform focused on investing in our parks and recreation

infrastructure, keeping Delta safe, keeping taxes low, working to keep generations together in Delta, building a fair and inclusive community and taking real action on climate change and protecting our farmland Visit achievingfordelta. ca/platform to learn about our vision for Delta

The only way we can achieve our goals and deliver significant invest ments for Delta is with the entire Achieving for Delta team elected to council and school board. On Oct. 15, vote for the Achieving for Delta team to move Delta forward Thank you.

Peter van der Velden (Mayor) Independent

This election is more than just a matter of choosing a new coun cil We really need to address a lot of issues in the near term that will affect us all. These issues will define our commu nity, its people, its busi ness, its agriculture and our well being.

Housing

We are in need of housing Not just market priced housing. We need affordable housing for the people that work in this community Housing should not require more than 1/3 of household income Market priced housing doesn’t allow for that We need to think of this in terms of our new families and our seniors I think a council can use the tools available to them to help bring this about Environment

We live in an incred

ibly rich natural setting

All of its aspects define/ allow our quality of life and lifestyle We will need to be more effec tive at protecting our environment. We cannot support proposals like the T2 proposal for the container terminal or the dangerous proposals to increase LNG production for Tilbury Island. We need to protect the envi ronment. As mayor I will oppose both T2 and the Tilbury proposals.

Infrastructure

We can’t answer the housing question without looking at infra structure We really only have 1 road in and out of Ladner and Tsawwassen and an arterial two lane road for each, to the mall If we don’t address the traffic and transit issues while planning densification, we will need to do it later at

great costs to Delta and its residents.

This applies to our schools and our ability to handle water, sew age and other needs like recreation, community safety and liveability.

An inclusive commu nity

We have distinct communities that feel isolated from the Delta council I would suggest we consider a ‘Ward’ sys tem that would provide representation to each distinct part of Delta

My election issues:

* Affordable housing for youth who stay in their parents basements

* On crime preven tion, as crime is border less, Delta Police will be provided with the latest digital tools

* Create jobs in Delta by strengthening Chamber of Commerce and trade centre with all the tools needed to help small businesses as well as big businesses

* Welfare of seniors will be my top priority

* To make Delta a fast growing city without disturbing the environ ment.

* ALR properties bylaws will be reviewed and set with the feed back from all the farm ers/stakeholders

* Daycare and pre schools where medical assistance is needed for

children with diabetes and autism will be pro vided

* Instead of the Massey Tunnel, a bridge will be made

* Delta South Delta and North Delta we live in silos. We need to strengthen the bond and unity as well as collec tive development

* Transportation con nectivity by sky train Richmond to Ladner/ Tsawwassen and North Delta will be planned and discussed with all stakeholders and Delta residents.

* Licensing and per mits will be made easy for all kinds of develop ments giving top priority to the environment

* No more red tape. All citizens of North and South Delta can say whatever is on their minds directly to the

mayor.

* Skateboarding and field improvements will be made near the high schools in South Delta wherever they are not there

* Shortage of doctors and nurses in Delta will be looked after.

The people of Delta must elect independent voices to the city coun cil Democracy works best when the council serves the people, not the needs of a party headed by the mayor

Housing and rental affordability are central to the future of Delta. Without affordable housing, our children must relocate, seniors have nowhere to down size to, renters are priced out of the market, and young families are unable to move in Affordable rentals and senior housing in par ticular are predicted to get worse in the imme diate future Generally speaking, people like to own. If they can’t own, they rent and if you can’t rent, then they become homeless We don’t want to see homeless ness emerge in Delta as

we have seen in other parts of the province

Senior well being is also a concerning issue for me, specifically with an aging population that is predicted to balloon to 40 per cent in 2024 from around 20 per cent at present Having cared for seniors and served with senior issues in boards, committees, and long term care facilities, it is also a passionate issue for me A com prehensive approach starting with living arrangements, physical and mental well being, community services, and engagement with the community are par amount in this regard

Mental health issues and substance use issues hide in the shadows for the most part in Delta. Health care in general has become a major con cern for many residents

in Delta While these issues are under provin cial and federal jurisdic tion, the City has a role to play, including vibrant and focused advocacy and lobbying effort to leverage our resources with the higher levels of government, and ensur ing that new and exist ing support programs continue to have a home in the communities they serve, as well as enhanc ing awareness and acces sibility of community based services

George Harvie

Joginder Randhawa (Mayor) Independent

Joginder Randhawa

Peter van der Velden

Dr. Maha Balakumar (Council)

Independent

Maha Balakumar

Municipal election

Rod Binder (Council) Achieving for Delta

I have a deep under standing of Delta gained through many years of serving on several boards and commit tees in our commu nity, including current positions on Parks, Recreation and Culture Commission, Deltassist, and the Delta Police Foundation

My intimate exposure to Delta’s recreational, development and social fabric has made me well equipped to tackle the emerging challenges facing our municipality, along with the rest of the Achieving for Delta team

Delta continues to be recognized as one of the safest communities in Canada However, in the face of growing traffic, gang and drug concerns across the Lower Mainland, only Mayor George Harvie’s Achieving for Delta team has the proven experi

ence to navigate these complex challenges and ensure Delta stays one of the safest places to live, work and raise a family

The Achieving for Delta team launched our Public Safety Plan, which includes protect ing the independence of our Delta Police Department, investing in safe roads, cycling and pedestrian connec tions, keeping the Delta Police School Liaison Program in place and continuing to advocate for mental health and addictions resources

The Achieving for Delta team is running on a six point platform focused on investing in parks and recreation infrastructure, keeping Delta safe, keeping taxes low, working to keep generations together in Delta, building a fair and inclusive community and taking real action

on climate change and protecting our farmland Learn more about our platform at achieving fordelta.ca/platform.

The Achieving for Delta team includes candidates with diverse perspectives and expe rience, who are all united by Mayor George Harvie’s vision to move Delta forward The only way we can achieve our goals and deliver sig nificant investments for Delta is with the entire Achieving for Delta team elected to council and school board.

Duncan Callander (Council) Independent

Daniel Boisvert (Council) Achieving for Delta

As a lifelong Delta res ident and Notary Public serving members of our community, I have a deeply personal under standing of local issues through my work with thousands of Deltans discussing matters relat ed to their families and lives in Delta

This understand ing has grown further through my role as a school trustee for the Delta Board of Education, where I am currently the vice chairperson.

I know that with ris ing costs mounting from regional taxes and inflation, Delta families are keeping less of their hard earned money It’s never been more impor tant to keep Delta’s taxes low to help people get ahead and only the Achieving for Delta team has the proven experi ence to stand up for Delta taxpayers during this critical time

Leading up to and through the pandemic, Delta residents paid among the lowest taxes in the region. We are committed to keeping it this way, while con tinuing to invest in high quality services and infrastructure

We are running on a fiscal plan with spe cific spending priorities, including prioritizing safety services, invest ing in better roads and critical social services, while growing the local economy and position ing Delta as an innova tion hub to grow our corporate tax base

The Achieving for Delta team is running on a six point platform focused on investing in parks and recreation infrastructure, keeping Delta safe, keeping taxes low, working to keep generations together in Delta, building a fair and inclusive commu

nity and taking action on climate change and protecting our farm land Learn more at achievingfordelta.ca/ platform The Achieving for Delta team includes candidates with diverse perspectives and expe rience, who are all united by Mayor George Harvie’s vision to move Delta forward The only way we can achieve our goals and deliver sig nificant investments for Delta is with the entire Achieving for Delta team elected to council and school board.

Jessie Dosanjh (Council) Achieving for Delta

As a high perfor mance athletics coach, I have dedicated my life to providing youth with the skills they need to succeed in sports, edu cation and as citizens of their community

Through my long standing work in the community and as a Delta school trustee since 2018, I have seen first hand the positive impact on our youth and the rest of the com munity when our com munity leaders prioritize keeping our community healthy and active

We believe Delta’s young athletes and all residents deserve to practice and play on world class facili ties If elected, we are committed to working together to rebuild the Winskill Aquatic Centre, resurface the tracks at Seaquam Secondary and Delta Secondary, install

a second synthetic turf field at Mackie Park, put a cover over the outdoor pool at the North Delta Recreation Centre, and advance the Cromie Park Master Plan, including the new indoor train ing facility in partner ship with Ladner Minor Baseball Association

In addition, we will implement Delta’s Cycling Master Plan, invest in pedestrian connections, and build additional fenced dog parks in local neigh bourhoods across Delta

The Achieving for Delta team is running on a six point platform focused on investing in parks and recreation infrastructure, keeping Delta safe, keeping taxes low, working to keep generations together in Delta, building a fair and inclusive community and taking real action on climate change and

protecting our farmland. Learn more about our platform at achieving fordelta ca/platform

The Achieving for Delta team includes candidates with diverse perspectives and expe rience, who are all united by Mayor George Harvie’s vision to move Delta forward. The only way we can achieve our goals and deliver sig nificant investments for Delta is with the entire Achieving for Delta team elected to council and school board

Rod Binder

The Optimist reached out to the candidate several times looking for information, but none was provided by deadline.

Duncan Callander

Daniel Boisvert

Jessie Dosanjh

Municipal election

Alicia Guichon (Council) Achieving for Delta

As a fifth generation farmer and small busi ness owner of Backroads Family Farm Market, I connect with residents on an everyday basis at the market and in the community

Since I was elected in 2018, I have been an advocate for the inter ests of the agricultural and local business com munities on council

As a mother, I’m pas sionate about shaping the Delta of tomorrow and fostering a family friendly community for the next generation of Delta families A crucial part of securing this future relies on tak ing action on climate change and protecting our farmland. That’s why we ’ re moving forward aggressively with George Harvie’s Mayor’s Motion on Climate Action to get our city to net zero emis sions by 2050

We are committed to

taking measurable steps to reduce emissions, enhance biodiversity and build resiliency. I know the importance of preserving and enhanc ing our agricultural land and strengthen ing farming for future generations in Delta We will continue to engage with the Delta Farmers Institute and listen to the needs of farmers, advocate for infrastructure and rural road improvements, and promote local com modities and farmland initiatives Our food security depends on this important work.

The Achieving for Delta team is running on a six point platform focused on investing in parks and recreation infrastructure, keeping Delta safe, keeping taxes low, working to keep generations together in Delta, building a fair and inclusive community

and taking real action on climate change and protecting our farmland Learn more at achiev ingfordelta ca/platform

The Achieving for Delta team includes candidates with diverse perspectives and expe rience, who are all united by Mayor George Harvie’s vision to move Delta forward. The only way we can achieve our goals and deliver sig nificant investments for Delta is with the entire Achieving for Delta team elected to council and school board.

Jennifer Johal (Council) Achieving for Delta

I am a mother, an educator, and local busi nesswoman bringing an understanding of the Tilbury business com munity through my daily work helping to manage my family’s business, Raja Trailer.

I am running for council on a commit ment to being a bridge between community members, business own ers, and their local gov ernment Our diversity in Delta, across age, race, religion, identity, culture, income, and abilities, is what makes us strong.

We need a council that not only listens to the people, but is reflective of the diverse population it represents It’s time to finally elect councillors who reflect the diversity of our community

The Achieving for Delta team is commit ted to working with the Mayors Task Force on

Diversity, Inclusion and Anti Racism, established by Mayor George Harvie in 2020, to continue to find meaningful and tangible ways to affect change We commit to continuing to hold every second council meet ing in N Delta to ensure all residents have equal representation at the council table and work ing with community partners to deploy an emergency food bank in North Delta Our com munity groups must not be left to meet this need alone.

The Achieving for Delta team is running on a six point platform focused on investing in parks and recreation infrastructure, keeping Delta safe, keeping taxes low, working to keep generations together in Delta, building a fair and inclusive community and taking real action

on climate change and protecting our farmland. Learn more about our platform at achieving fordelta ca/platform

The Achieving for Delta team includes candidates with diverse perspectives and experi ence, who are all united by Mayor George Harvie’s vision to move Delta forward The only way we can achieve our goals and deliver significant investments for Delta is with the entire Achieving for Delta team elected to council and school board

Julien Jacques (Council) Independent

The top issue that Julien will be tackling is helping local small businesses, by reducing licensing requirements and speeding up the approval processes

To support local small businesses, the City of Delta should be simpli fying the processes for setting up a local shop

With a focus on com munity first, the second issue Julien will focus on is in helping Delta citizens build financial stability for themselves and their family This means building a municipal framework that helps renters get on the property equity lad der without removing those who are already on the ladder. Using novel financial instru ments, we can lower the barriers to entry of home ownership, and allow everyone to invest and retain equity in real estate.

Lastly, Julien believes in keeping our farm lands protected, our greenspaces vibrant and accessible Julien’s decisions will always be framed under the idea of “Community First” , ensuring that our neigh bours are looking out for one another, and that everyone feels comfort able saying hello to each other on the sidewalk

For more, go to www. julienfordelta com

Moneca Kolvyn (Council)

I have been a resident of Delta for 18 years and a small business owner for over 30

My business experi ence allows me to bring a strong sense of fiscal responsibility and input to the table

With two small girls in tow, my parents immi grated to Canada from Denmark in the 1960’s

The move signaled hope for democracy and more personal liv ing choices Our family became entrepreneurs, and we were taught a strong work ethic and the importance of charity.

I have been a volunteer in many areas in Delta including emergency services. I volunteered at the interior fires and sandbagged in Princeton during the flood

My top priority in asking Delta residents to allow me to serve as council is simple

democracy.

My observation is that a large percentage of residents have virtually been silenced.

Fewer council meet ings, unattainable agen das, calls unanswered, promises not kept, monetary decisions that seem blatantly biased

My goal is to be an unbiased, independent voice who will question, be completely transpar ent as to the events and decisions in council I will have a designated line whereby all calls will be returned by me

Having no party affili ation will allow me to vote on issues as resi dents wish

Delta’s precious and delicate ecosystem is a high priority for me

I was a board mem ber of the Burns Bog Society and presently on the Peatland Protection Society Board.

I am in favour of a Burn’s Bog Education Centre as a tribute to our very unique eco system

I am a passionate animal lover, and strong advocate for individual rights and freedom.

I will re examine Delta’s Housing Action Plan as it appears to be flawed, and advocate for a comprehensive Delta Area Plan as required by Provincial Law

It is time ALL resi dents get their money ’ s worth and their voice heard.

Alicia Guichon

Jennifer Johal

Julien Jacques

Independent

Moneca Kolvyn

Municipal election

Dylan Kruger (Council) Achieving for Delta

In 2018, I became the youngest elected city councillor in the history of Delta

Over the last four years, I have been a strong advocate for local businesses, having served as Delta coun cil’s liaison to the Delta Chamber of Commerce.

As a new father, I am running on a reener gized commitment to improve livability in Delta and fight to keep young families in our community.

Delta was ranked by Maclean’s Magazine in 2021 as the best community in Metro Vancouver The Achieving for Delta team has a plan to keep generations together in Delta and make Delta a livable and vibrant com munity where everyone feels welcome

To ensure that we have a sustainable com

munity moving forward, we need to continue to attract people to Delta from all ages and income brackets. We’re going to do that by sup porting new and diverse housing stock in our community, continuing to advance projects that revitalize our communi ty hubs and support our local businesses such as our expanded restaurant patios, and continu ing to fight for urgently needed childcare spaces and support our seniors’ mobility and care

The Achieving for Delta team is running on a six point platform focused on investing in parks and recreation infrastructure, keeping Delta safe, keeping taxes low, working to keep generations together in Delta, building a fair and inclusive communi ty and taking real action on climate change and

protecting our farmland Learn more about our platform at achieving fordelta ca/platform

The Achieving for Delta team includes candidates with diverse perspectives and expe rience, who are all united by Mayor George Harvie’s vision to move Delta forward The only way we can achieve our goals and deliver sig nificant investments for Delta is with the entire Achieving for Delta team elected to council and school board

Stephan Sun (Council) Independent

Rental housing cri

sis: I am a renter myself so more than anyone I understand and sym pathize with not only how difficult it is to find a rental place but the increasing rent prices. I seek to be more pro active and create a lot more market rate rental housing for those who are qualified to rent but just simply no place to rent from.

Delta Police budget: While 99% of the police officers I hold highest regards to, there’s always one bad apple in the bunch. I plan to not only reduce the police budget but to put restrictions on it so no single police officer, whether the chief or down to a rookie con stable can spend the tax payer ’ s money without the elected representa tive’s approval.

Delta firefighters:

I took a meeting with representative from our Firefighters Association and it was brought up that ever since the future establishment of the LNG ports and as well as the climate change, they’re stretched very thin and would not be able to handle two major incidents at once since on average there’s only 35 firefighters on duty daily.

Instead of playing catch up, I plan to table the discussion to move budget from other departments to make sure we save lives first.

BC Ambulance

Service: Ambulances are managed at a pro vincial level and during the heat wave; Delta’s stationed ambulances were all pulled to help other municipalities, resulting in long wait times and causing

unnecessary deaths to our city

I was told by one of the firefighters that at one point they had to wait up to seven hours just for an ambulance because fire trucks are not equipped to carry patients. Delta needs to work with the provincial government and other municipalities to ensure the safety and wellness of our residents

Top issues during this election would be: addressing housing and rental affordability and increasing our emergen cy support systems

Growth is inevi table and how we man age that growth is vitally important Housing is ‘supply and demand’ . If we supply more, people will be able to move to and within Delta But with less supply, people fight over what is there, which drives prices up It’s simple, and yet not. We must increase the supply of housing.

Supply needs to include duplexes, fourplexes, coach/tiny houses, condos and townhomes We need comprehensive hous ing built specifically for seniors, renters and young families Offer incentive packages for people to charge market rent prices instead of

gouging rent prices As a community, we must allow these different choices of accommoda tions in order to house everybody It’s aestheti cally pleasing to see a mix of housing within our community if it’s done right

All of these choices must be sprinkled into the single detached neighbourhoods in order to maintain the appeal that attracted us all to Delta in the first place. With the differ ent styles of homes and rentals, I’d like to see all Delta properties on water meters. We pay for usage with hydro, gas and we should with water as well It’s not right that a home with two people pays the same for water as a home with eight people And as new builds begin, I’d like to see solar panels being

added, as this would be a step in the right direc tion of clean reusable energy

As more people are afforded the ability to live in Delta, our emer gency support sys tems must grow as well. Police, fire, ambulance, medical clinics must increase

It’s a fine balancing act that government works on daily and I would like to be a part of that, representing you

The environment, especially climate change and biodiversity loss I get why people are scared about affordabil ity, but what’s the point of being able to afford food if there’s no food to afford? What’s the point of being able to afford housing if our housing is flooded by rain events or burned down in wild fires? We need to stop letting the urgent be the enemy of the important I would:

Require all buildings to be CAGBC LEED certified, and push for a phased transition of Ladner, Tsawwassen, and North Delta to Green Townships along the IGBC or LEED for Cities certification models help Delta grow a thriving ecotourism economy Additional revenue for businesses would come from

e commerce platforms along the lines of the UK’s NearSt, and for farmers from agritour ism We can densify until we ’ re blue in the face: it’s not going to help our local businesses com pete with Amazon shift from grey infrastructure to green infrastructure such as rain cisterns, bioswales, porous pavements, infil tration trenches, and perforated pipes

Unaffordable and environmentally unsus tainable housing.

I put these together because they come from the same place: devel oper profiteering We are giving Delta away We are giving developers incen tives to carry out projects that bring them enor mous profits. Meanwhile, the “community ame nities” they provide in return are pitiful

I would push to enact stringent conditions for all development:

· 60% or more of the space must be for rental or co op housing.

Each project must include minimum 10 lease units for our fire fighters, police, and paramedics, to be subsi dized by the developer, in perpetuity, at 75% below market value

· All housing must be net zero energy, with solar power, living roofs, greywater recapture, etc

Dylan Kruger

Brian Read (Council) Independent

Brian Read

Stephan Sun

Pamela Swanigan (Council) Independent

Pamela Swanigan

Councilhelpsoutgroupthathelps balancefarmingandfauna

PHIL MELNYCHUK Contributing Writer

The Delta Farmland and Wildlife Trust is get ting another $50,000 to continue its good work of saving farmland while also conserving wildlife habitat, following council approval last week

The funding allows the trust to help farmers with the costs of wildlife habitat conservation and enhancement.

In previous years, the City of Delta contributed $15,000 yearly to help establish winter foraging areas for waterfowl, but in 2019, council approved a four year funding pro gram of $50,000 a year

with 2022 being the final year

For the 2022/23 pro gram year, the $50,000, combined with other funding, will allow the planting of 3,500 acres of cover crops and grass lands for winter fields

As well, between 375 to 675 acres of grass forage fields will be improved.

“This will provide substantial winter feed ing habitat for waterfowl and mitigate damage to perennial forage fields,” said a report by the Wildlife Trust.

Coun Alicia Guichon supported the funding the city is providing

“The trust is doing really important work

for conservation efforts and in tandem with the farming community, it is growing,” said Guichon

“They’re a tremendous organization,” added Coun Dylan Kruger

Kruger said he helped out at this year ’ s Day at the Farm at Westham Island Herb Farm put on by the trust and was told the event drew more than 5,000 visitors this year

He said about half were local residents and the other half were from outside Delta

The event had been cancelled for the previ ous two years because of COVID 19

The group does a good job of education by bal

ancing the importance of sustainable agriculture and environmental pro tection, talking about the Pacific flyway and migra tory birds, he added

Last year, the money supported a grassland stewardship program, a winter cover crop program and a forage enhancement program as well as monitoring and evaluation

Together with other funding, last year ’ s proj ects included the plant ing of 173 ha of grassland and planting of 1,554 ha of winter cover crops, to protect the soil from intense winter rains, and planting of 234 ha of for age enhancement lands.

Paving work coming as part of major Ladner project

SANDOR GYARMATI sgyarmati@delta optimist com

Paving work will be taking place on a Ladner street to wrap up one part of a major project

The City of Delta recently closed its request for proposals for a contractor to pave a section of 51st Street as part of a sanitary sewer and watermain replace ment project that is tak ing place

To be completed by the end of this year, the paving is from south of the intersection at 47th Avenue to the middle of 47A Avenue

Traffic disruptions are expected to be kept to a minimum and a full road closure is not expected.

Council is expected to award the contract at its Sept 19 meeting

The overall project involves the installation of a new sanitary sewer pump station near the intersection of 51st Street and 47A Avenue. Work took place along 51st Street as well as the near by streets and the project included upgrading sec tions of existing sewers, which have reached the end of their service lives.

Meanwhile, the city intends to also upgrade

the existing sanitary trunk sewer along Elliott Street from Bridge Street to the new pump station.

The project will also involve upgrading an existing watermain along Elliott Street between Chisholm Street and 48th Avenue

According to the city, the existing sanitary trunk main and water main along the corridor have been in service for approximately 60 years and are in need of an upgrade to accommodate planned higher density in the village

The sanitary sewer upgrades along Elliot Street are scheduled to begin by mid November.

The existing water main section between River Road and Trenant Street was replaced in 1990 and does not require an upgrade

Community

The City of Delta hosted a free community open house at the Douglas J. Husband Discovery Centre on Saturday, Sept. 24. Pictured left to right; Kendall Kloosterman, Robert Sullivan, Michelle Taylor and Kevin Hicks from the City of Delta were all on hand to meet guests and provide information Top photo; Desmond, Sadie and Jesse Heading at one of the interactive displays.

JIM KINNEAR PHOTOS

Douglas J. Husband Discovery Centre Open House

LIFESTYLES

Vancouver Improv

The sounds of laugh ter will be back at Genesis Theatre next week

On Tuesday, Oct. 4, the Vancouver Improv Centre presents a 7 p.m. show featuring three grads from South Delta Secondary Andrew Barber, Allen Morrison and Jalen Saip

The Vancouver Improv Centre Society is one of Vancouver’s leading and best known improv theatre companies.

Originally established as The Vancouver TheatreSports League in 1981, The Vancouver Improv Centre Society was founded to pro mote, develop, main tain, and present improvisational theatre productions to local and visiting audiences.

For the performance at Genesis Theatre, a team of three highly skilled improvisors will present a hilari ous 45 minute show, inspired in part through audience participation

Tickets are $12 and may be purchased on line at https://genesis theatre tickit ca/ or by calling 604 940 5550.

Genesis Theatre is located next to Delta Secondary (5005 45 Ave).

Sunday @3!

The Sunday @3 con cert series continues on Sunday, Oct. 2 at Ladner United Church

This month’s concert featured Cavier & Lace Quartet.

Tickets are $10, avail able at the door

Ladner United Church is located at 4960 48 Ave

See more on the concert series at: www. ladnerunited org

Event to report?

Contact Ian at ijacques@delta optimist com or 604 998 3616

Canada’sbakingshowhasTsawwassentalent

September29,2022 The Delta Optimist A23100YEARS Around Town

PHIL MELNYCHUK Contributing Writer

It’s all over but the air ing of the eight episodes on television and Lauren Tjoe cannot say a thing about it

Tjoe, 21, a Tsawwassen resident and a finance student at UBC, compet ed in the Great Canadian Baking Show on CBC where 10 bakers from across Canada tried to impress the judges with their savoury desserts and breads

Taping of the show took place over eight weeks in Toronto this summer but the series doesn’t start airing until Oct. 2. And until then, Tjoe cannot say a word about how she did.

The event though defi nitely wasn’t about the money

The winner of the marathon competition is awarded the title of Canada’s Best Amateur Baker and a ceremonial plate.

Tjoe said having a plate as a prize, instead of a big amount of cold cash, made for a more supportive environment within the big tent where the culinary delights were created

“I think the show kind of renewed my love of baking,” she said.

Her competitors, her fellow bakers, will become lifelong friends, she said.

“Overall, it was a really positive experience.”

Tjoe also faced a unique challenge that others did not Because she’s gluten intolerant, she could not taste or test what she was baking Usually, when baking in her home kitchen, her family helped out and gave her feedback but in the competition, she had to rely on her fellow bakers

“So it’s all about the process It was all based on feedback from other people,” Tjoe said “It’s very comforting and very therapeutic I bake purely for other people.”

She’s been watching and waiting to get on to the show since she was in Grade 10 and was also inspired by the Great British Bake Off TV show

With both Asian and European family back grounds, she borrowed from both, using her childhood memories to provide inspiration for unique dishes.

“Two years ago, when

the pandemic started, I really got serious I was baking nearly every day for a stretch of one and a half years, ” she recalled She still bakes a couple of times a week and bread is still her favourite.

Each episode of The Great Canadian Baking Show had three chal lenges, a signature bake, a technical bake and a showstopper bake The first and last were able to be rehearsed but the technical bake was unknown until the challenge was revealed by the judges Some

recipes Tjoe practised three times but others, six or seven times She prepared for one show stopper and signature for each episode, with each week having a special theme.

But there’s a limit to the number of recipes you can prepare if you don’t know how far you’ll go in the competition

According to her profile on the show’s website, Tjoe is a “self described, 21 year old grandma”

In addition to baking, her hobbies include knit

ting, crocheting, sewing, and collecting vintage tea pots She also likes clas sic cars, especially from the 1950s and 1960s and heavy metal. And she’d really like to get a 1986 Toyota MR2.

With the baking all done, Tjoe just has to sit back and watch the show, like anyone else, starting in October

“I think this one may have been enough stress for a lifetime,” she said “I think I’m good, (as in having had enough) for competition but I’ll always bake”

Easy ride for senior in sidecar through Tsawwassen

PHIL MELNYCHUK Contributing Writer

Joyce Nightingale keeps busy at 90 years of age She sings in two choirs, plays bridge, knits and lawn bowls, and also, when she sees interesting things to do, tries to do them

According to her daughter Lori Weatherby, her mom ’ s bucket list is not an usual bucket list because it’s not written down anywhere

“She casually mentions things she has always wanted to do, as they occur to her, and when the opportunity presents itself, she is game to ‘give it a go, ’ her daughter said in an email to the Optimist. And recently, while on her way to an appointment, she

saw a motorcycle with a side car driving down the highway.

“This apparently is a bucket list item,” said Weatherby.

“I thought that would be really fun, to go in a sidecar,” Nightingale said

Then, while out for a bike ride last week, Lori’s friend spotted a motorcycle and sidecar parked on the road and asked the rider if he could take Joyce for a ride in the sidecar.

A date was agreed upon and on Sept. 16, Nightingale donned a helmet and climbed into the sidecar and toured Tswawwassen, stopping by the lawn bowling club and the beach The motorcycle rider did so even while wearing a cast on his leg and still hurting

from a motorcycle accident, said Weatherby.

“His act of kindness has given a lovely woman, who daily spreads kindness through her community, a day to remember,” said Weatherby

For Nightingale, “The hardest part was getting the helmet on, ” she said “I don’t really know how fast he was going but I have a scarf that blew in the wind, like you have to have when you ’ re on a motorcycle”

While it’s an informal bucket list, Nightingale said she hasn’t got much left on the list to do. She advises others to keep active and have fun She’s always want ed to operate a front end loader and got her chance last year when her daughter was working

on her home

“I don’t want to jump out of an airplane or anything,” she said.

CBC PHOTO

Lauren Tjoe from Tsawwassen is competing in the Great Canadian Baking Show which starts airing on CBC Oct. 2.

PHOTO SUBMITTED

Joyce Nightingale on her bucket list motorcycle ride.

Community

We can do better

THOMAS KEELEY BENEDICTION LUTHERAN CHURCH

I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly (John 10:10) Medical Assistance in Death (MAID) has been a reality in Canada since 2016.

Undoubtedly, you will have your views on MAID, as I have mine I do not intend to spend my words this week debating the foundation al morality of medical assistance in dying; how ever, I do want to raise a consideration that should be a matter of concern to all, which is the intended expansion of MAID to include mental illness as the sole cause, scheduled to come into effect in March 2023.

As a Christian min ister, I feel compelled to speak to this radical step I know, first hand, the impact that mental

illness has on the lives of people. Mental illness will probably touch most of us or those close to us, in some form, at some time. This expanded measure does nothing to advance the cause of healing, and stands dia metrically opposed to the work of suicide preven tion (suicide is, according to Statistics Canada, most often the direct result of mental illness).

Many have observed the devastating impact the COVID pandemic has had on our collective mental health With the health care system strug gling and the economic situation worsening, it will be harder than ever for suffering individuals to get the help they need.

Few have the privi lege of accessing mental health treatment through extended health care plans People living with severe mental illness

are too often isolated and disconnected from community It does not take an expert to foresee that hopeless, despair ing, people will avail themselves of medically induced death when it is made readily available Poor and marginalized members of society will be particularly vulner able

I caution those who would regard this mea sure as a moral or medi cal advancement. At one time eugenics and psy chosurgery, were also once considered ethically and medically progres sive We now look back at those with horror I pray that those who have the power to do so, would halt this expansion of MAID

Jesus came into the world to offer true life, and true life in abun dance Surely, as a soci ety, we can do better.

Truth & Reconciliation

Indigenous Education team engaging in cultural teachings

At the Delta School District, the Indigenous Education department’s mandate is to ensure the success of all students with Indigenous ancestry and to bring Indigenous culture and history to all learners across grades K 12

Included in the teach ings from the Indigenous Education team are the Calls to Action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Report

There are four Calls to Action that relate spe cifically to the education sector and many others that pertain to all orga nizations in Canada. The report asks all Canadians to be a part of this jour ney

The start of the 2022/23 school year has been exceptionally busy for the Indigenous Education Department Along with the busy school year start up, the

Indigenous Education Department held a cer emony on Sept 23 to ‘wake up ’ the district’s new Journey canoe, Wave Warrior, and launched its inaugural journey The canoe will be used as part of a stu dent leadership program to introduce canoe cul ture, strengthen identity, build community and foster reconciliation

The next big initiative for the team is a full day youth leadership gath ering, Creating a Path Forward: Indigenous Youth Gathering, for grade 10 to 12 students with Indigenous ances try

This conference is tak ing place at East Delta Hall with approximately 50 students today (Sept 29) the day before the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

Students will hear from the keynote speaker

Len Pierre, Katzie First Nation, participate in cultural activities and plan for leadership events to support their own development as leaders as well as sup port younger students in the district. This pro gram will allow partici pants to earn volunteer hours as well as credits to support language and culture

Following this gath ering, students in the district will be invited to meet regularly with members of the Indigenous Education team to engage in cul tural teachings and lead ership opportunities

“As we have done for the past two years, we are continuing our partnership with Tsawwassen First Nation (TFN) to offer a satellite educational program (K 12) at the TFN Youth Centre We will also con

tinue to host regular dis trict family gatherings via Zoom or in person with a focus on First Nations and Metis cultural teachings,” said Diane Jubinville, district vice principal, Indigenous Education. “We are also continuing our weekly Land Acknowledgments via Zoom every Monday morning On average, we now have close to 1,000 students and staff joining us each week.”

“As we approach the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, it is important to remember the words of Justice Murray Sinclair, chair of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, who stated that educa tion provides one of the greatest hopes for repair ing cultural attitudes, redressing the legacy of Residential Schools and advancing the process of

Reconciliation. All week, we ’ ve been encourag ing students and staff to wear orange to witness and honour the healing journey of the residential school survivors and their families, but our work continues year round as we are commit ted to helping students and staff continue their important journey towards Reconciliation.”

Submitted by Delta School District

DELTA SCHOOL DISTRICT PHOTO

Grade 7 and 8 students at Cultural Camp, Farm Roots, Delta.

Truth & Reconciliation

TFN staff hold workshop on Truth and Reconciliation

On Sept 19, Tsawwassen First Nation held a Truth and Reconciliation work shop for all staff members

Acting Chief Chemkwaat Valerie Cross’s opening remarks reflected on the conflicting feelings that are stirred up with Queen Elizabeth’s passing dur ing Reconciliation Month and what it means to First Nations.

Cross reiterated the importance of reconciliation and respect and encour aged staff to enjoy the educational experience and cultural workshop that brought us together

“Truth before reconciliation and we ’ re still at the truth stage,” she said, and that there is much more learning to do. “Once we know better, we can do better, so let’s learn together and do better.”

The workshop involved a presenta tion from Member and former Chief Kim Baird discussing the importance of Tsawwassen First Nation becoming a Treaty government Director of Member Services, ləqʷiyə Chrystalynn Gurniak, later presented on Cultural Protocol and the importance of land acknowl edgments, ceremonies, language, and

much more

It was a great day of gathering and learning together, the first of a collective learning series that the nation will be providing for it staff

Submitted by Tsawwassen First Nation

OPTIMIST F LE PHOTO

Acting TFN Chief Valerie Cross speaks at the 2021 TFN Truth and Reconciliation community walk.

Truth & Reconciliation

PHIL MELNYCHUK Contributing Writer

When local video gamers click on to a new Electronic Arts soccer game, they can see cultural elements and art that’s from close to home, the Musqueam Indian Band

The Musqueam partnered with EA Sports in creating art and design for the Volta Football pitch, which is part of the soon to be released EA Sports FIFA 23 The video version of the Musqueam’s soccer pitch features the band’s logo at centre field.

Musqueam cultural elements were incorporated into the game, including a longhouse and artwork from visual art ists, carvers, designers and weavers

That’s a positive thing, says Musqueam Chief Wayne Sparrow

“That video game is world wide. To have that branded out there on a video game is something,” he said.

It’s the latest sign that public percep tion and awareness of First Nations is growing

He’s found that private corporations and individuals are reaching out more for partnerships and collaboration, as part of the reconciliation process, while many local, provincial and federal gov

ernments are still bound by policy that can hinder progress

“So that’s still taking some time, but slowly getting there,” he said

Canada marks its second National Day of Truth and Reconciliation on Friday, Sept. 30. And during the past year there have been positive develop ments

“I think things are changing,” said Sparrow “I think in the general public too, a lot more has changed, because the education is getting out there”

When it came to collaborating with Musqueam, EA consultants Monday Creative Inc, spent time with elders, youth, artists and the community as a whole.

“So it wasn’t just done off the side of the desk. It was a lot of time that went into it I appreciate that when compa nies like that come and spend the time,” he said “It showed their commitment I was impressed with how much time they put into it.”

He ranks the global reach of the video game and the proposal for an Indigenous led Olympic Games in Vancouver for 2030 as the highlights of the year

He considered the 2030 bid anoth er step forward from 2010 when

Vancouver was planning its first Olympic Games and the International Olympic Committee asked for indig enous support for those games

“It will be the first of its kind in the world, to be Indigenous led,” he said

The past year also marked the July visit of Pope Francis to Alberta, Nunavut and Quebec During that visit, the Pope apologized for abuses com mitted by some in the church at resi dential schools and also used the word genocide

“I do have to give this Pope credit for making the visit and making an apol ogy, ” said Sparrow, noting the preced ing Popes wouldn’t fully recognize the church’s role. “I think it was positive.”

His father and grandfather were both sent away to residential schools and he respects that survivors have different ways to cope, with some wanting to talk about it and some not

It’s not for him to tell others how to deal with their experiences, or to tell people to move forward, he added

Before he retires, he’d like to see First Nations open a drug and alcohol treat ment centre for Indigenous people in Metro Vancouver

The future of the Fraser River salmon is an issue that is less bright

“If we don’t all get on board, to save the Fraser sockeye run, I never thought I’d say this in my lifetime we might see where we could just about wipe these things out,” Sparrow said.

to Truth and Reconciliation

To honour the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and the survivors of the residential school system, their families, and communities, we commit to listen, learn, reflect, and act.

GCT is supporting the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Calls to Action We are continuing to seek new ways to partner with Indigenous communities and businesses to pursue a future of shared prosperity and well being

To learn more, visit globalterminals com/globalcommitment

It’s been a good second year for reconciliation, says Musqueam Chief

SUBMITTED PHOTO

Musqueam Indian Band Chief Wayne Sparrow.

“ he ” re. Chief Neil Dubord on behalf of the Delta Police Department

The public commemoration is an essential part of the shared and continuous journey toward reconciliation as we all work to build our awareness of the tragic legacy and trauma of residential schools. We stand united with our community to learn, remember and reflect, today and for years to come, as we plant seeds of hope and respect for the futur

Truth & Reconciliation

A day for our community to commemorate

Educational displays will be set up Friday at City Hall in Ladner

Sept 30 marks Canada’s National Day of Truth and Reconciliation, where we honor First Nations, Inuit and Métis children who lost their lives in residential schools and remember survivors who suffered intergeneration al trauma in their fami lies and communities

Public commemora tions play an integral role in the healing process, serve to raise awareness amongst Canadians of this dev astating part of history, and to reconcile and move forward in reflec tion, and mutual aware ness and action

This year, as students participate in Orange

Shirt Day, we invite the community to pay their respects at Delta City Hall in Ladner, leave shoes (that symbolizing the children who were lost), visit a resources table of age appropriate books and materials on residential schools and patriciate in interactive message boards

These activities allow visitors to leave uplifting words, condo lences and prayers and simultaneously take messages for comfort and encouragement

Both the Tsawwassen First Nations and the Musqueam Indian Band, whose shared, tradi tional, ancestral, and unceded territories we

reside, will be gifted with these boards in efforts to offer a collective voice of sincere respect and compassion and to acknowledge the amaz ing resilience of their communities

From 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday, there will be people on hand to facili tate the activities and to offer support.

If possible, please bring new or gently used shoes for our shoe memorial as they will be donated afterwards to organizations serving low income Indigenous families

For more information, please contact Erin Alger at: alger.me@gmail.com. Submitted

On this second National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, Canadians must do more than wear orange shirts. We must hold our elected officials at every level accountable for implementing the TRC’s 94 Calls to Action and the MMIWG’s 231 Calls for Justice. We must also hold those around us in our personal and professional lives accountable by addressing the anti-Indigenous racism that is inherent in Canadian culture.

Truth & Reconciliation

DeltahostingKairosBlanketExercises

To honour the National Day for Truth & Reconciliation, residents are invited to participate in one of three City-hosted Kairos Blanket Exercises taking place on Sept. 30 and Oct 1

A Blanket Exercise is an interactive and experiential teaching tool that explores the historic and contempo rary relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples

Participants step onto blankets representing land, and into the role of First Nations, Inuit and Metis peoples The exercise facilitators, playing the roles of a European “settler” and narrator, walk the group through a script (there is an adult script and a youth script), telling the story of the first contact between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people

As the script progresses, blankets are folded and made smaller, representing the results of the loss of land by

treaty and newly legislated reserves. People are asked to step off their blankets, symbolizing disease, war, and extinc tion Blankets are removed or moved to other areas, showing the way land was taken and peoples relocated. The exercise concludes with par ticipants discussing the experience in a healing circle

The Blanket Exercise requires participants to remove their shoes before stepping onto the blankets. As such, participants that may be uncomfortable in bare feet should consider wearing socks or other foot covering.

The Blanket Exercises are in Ladner at Harris Barn from 1 to 4 p m on Sept 30, 6 to 9 p m at the North Delta Rec Centre and Oct 1 from 9 a m to noon at the South Delta Rec Centre

There is no registration fee to attend; however, pre-registration is required through Delta’s online registration system. See more at: www. delta ca Register now through

Delta’s online registration system by selecting one of the above scheduled Blanket Exercises.

Visit delta.ca/truthandrec onciliation to learn about the actions undertaken by the City to honour the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

In addition to these sessions available to the public, City Staff have been provided opportunities to learn and reflect about this history and what we can do to help this reconciliation journey. Staff were able to participate in and learn about the KAIROS Blanket Exercise earlier this month Brad Marsden, an Indigenous facilitator from the Gitksan Nation, was invited to deliver a Historical Trauma and Colonization Workshop Guest speakers, including Louis De Jaeger, Regional Director of Lower Mainland of the Metis Nation Association, and Kim Baird, former Chief of Tsawwassen First Nation, have been invited

to share their stories and educate staff on what Truth and Reconciliation means and what we can do to ensure we are supporting this process City Hall, North Delta Centre for the Arts, and North Delta Recreation Centre will also be lit up in orange this week as part of the com-

memorations and Every Child Matters flags will be flown at our facilities And in partner ship with CUPE 454 and Delta Managerial Society, the City of Delta has purchased orange shirts for staff to wear with proceeds going to the Orange Shirt Society.

Submitted by City of Delta

Building meaningful relationships towards a strong and shared future

TheVancouverFraserPortAuthorityisworkingtocreatemeaningfulandlong

whose traditional territories and treaty lands intersect the lands and waters of

pleased to sign two landmark relationship agreements with

of

In

Band andTsawwassen First Nation

Building relationships with Indigenous communities is not only part of our federal mandate, it allows us to learn from their experience, giving us a more holistic view of port lands and waters This expertise can assist us in managing projects more efficiently and targeting projects that Indigenous communities also view as a priority

Learn more at portvancouvercom/Indigenous relations

SUBMITTED PHOTO

The City of Delta is hosting Karios Blanket exercises on Sept. 30 and Oct 1 in South Delta and North Delta

Truth & Reconciliation

Education should be the priority, says Squamish Nation’s Wilson Williams

MINA KERR-LAZENBY Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Just what does the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation mean to those from First Nations communities? For some, it is a solemn day of remembrance and com memoration. For others, it is a small but celebra tory step forward in the reconciliation process

For Wilson Williams (Sxwíxwtn), elected councillor and spokes person for Squamish Nation (S?wx?wú7mesh Úxwumixw), it is an amalgamation of the two, and then some.

“We need to not only have a holiday to recog nize and acknowledge the dark history of the residential schools, but to

listen and comprehend,” he says, when asked what the day means to him. “It is a time of education It is understanding why Truth and Reconciliation Day exists What is that symbolic of?”

Wilson says much of the focus should be on the why: why residential schools were built in the first place Why children were taken away from their homes, their par ents, their families.

Between 1831 and 1998, more than 150,000 children were thrust into Indian Residential Schools Designed to separate the children from their cultures, often via abusive and coercive methods, many students returned home trauma tized, and without the knowledge or skill set to endure either world.

Many never returned at all

Wilson says his parents, both survi vors of the residential school system, never dis cussed their experience yet evidence of it was peppered throughout his childhood.

“I started to under stand at a young age, probably when I was around 20, that I could no longer blame my par ents for the way that they were, for the domestic abuse that I witnessed, and the way things unfolded at home”

He touches on how his father only ever spoke in his native language when he was intoxicated, and how alcohol abuse among other things was often a long term conse quence of the residential school experience for

those within all First Nation communities

“That pride being stripped really had direct trauma to my parents, but that’s representative of all of the survivors that came home”

Learning to under stand the intergen erational trauma derived from residential schools is one of a number of ways Wilson hopes Canadians will spend their upcoming day off. It is one of the discussions he will be having with his own children when Sept 30 rolls around, an edu cational filler between the ceremonies and com munity events they will be attending as a family

Wilson says the nation al holiday recognition is part of a larger shift that he is experiencing, and he is “humbled” by the

response especially from those of the young er generation.

Just a few weeks ago, the Squamish council lor had taken his fam ily with him on a work trip to Kamloops He had been excited at the prospect of giving them a brief vacation, where they could kick back on a sun lounger or frolic in the pool, but instead his 12 year old daughter had requested a visit to the nearby Kamloops Indian Residential School.

The school, which last year was found to be the site of hundreds of unmarked children’s graves, had been the home of many Squamish students, he says.

“It really shocked me and my wife, but it was without question that we would go. ... You can

see that revitalization of pride, and that connec tivity to our Indigenous roots with our next gen erations,” he says, adding how proud he is to be able to have those discus sions with his daughter, and hopes others can do the same.

“Having the next gen eration being able to use their voice and say, ‘Hey, I want to visit this site and honour them,’ it made my heart grow two sizes bigger to hear that If we can grow future leaders to use their voice like this, especially young women, then power to our future”

Mina Kerr Lazenby is the North Shore News’ Indigenous and civic affairs reporter This reporting beat is made possible by the Local Journalism Initiative.

the country’s response in honoring

Make a Will Week

Making a will is now even easier

Oct. 2 to 8 is Make a Will Week in British Columbia.

Its purpose is to encourage the public to write their will or bring an existing will up to date.

Since Dec 1, 2021, electronic wills have the same rec ognition as physical wills Wills are now able to be signed and stored electronically. As an added benefit, all unal tered electronic copies of an electronic will are considered an “original” for the purpose of sub mitting to the court, so you can save copies on multiple devices and/or online locations to make it easier for your executor to locate an original.

You may also wish to print off an electronic will and keep that with your other important physical documents A printout of an electronic will is considered the same as a

photocopy of a physical will and can only be used if none of your electronic wills can be found

While all formats of an electronic will are accepted by the courts, if you choose to make an electronic will, you are strongly encouraged to save your will in PDF format Saving your will in PDF format will make the probate process as easy as possible for your executor

An increasing number of British Columbians are making a will. According to a 2020 survey for the BC Notary Association, 50 percent of British Columbians had a signed, legally valid and up to date will That is up six per cent from 2018 when only 44 per cent of British Columbians had a will.

2020 represents the first time that the BC Notary survey has indi cated that at least half of British Columbians have

a will. The number of homeowners with a will is even higher. A little over half of British Columbian homeowners under 55 have a will and 80 per cent of homeowners over 55 have a will While the overall increase in the number of people with a will is great, there is still room for improvement

You don’t just need a will when you are old Having a will ensures your wishes are respect ed if the unexpected hap pens.

A will is the best way to ensure that the people, charities and organiza tions you cherish most receive the benefit of your estate

If you die without a will, your estate may not be distributed in the way you would have wished, and the costs of admin istering your estate may also be higher.

Province of B C

Make a Will Week

A will is a document that leaves instruc tions about what you want done with every thing you own after your death.

Everything you own at your death is called the estate The will appoints the executor, who is responsible for carrying out the instruc tions in the will

A legal procedure that confirms the will can be acted on and authorizes the executor to act is called probate

Because a will is a legal document, you need to understand property ownership rules and the law about wills in order to make a valid will

Good starting points include:

* About Wills and Estates, from BC Ministry

of Justice, provides gen eral information about wills and estates In addition to providing definition of terms used in legal documents, it answers common ques tions about wills, pro bate, administration, and estates.

* Preparing a Will and Estate Planning, from People’s Law School, out lines the basics of mak ing a will and an estate plan

* Preparing Your Will, from People’s Law School, outlines when to make a will, what approach to take, and how to register a will

* LSLAP Manual: Wills and Estates, from the UBC Law Students’ Legal Advice Program (LSLAP), has a section on making a will, including instruc

tions on writing the will and sample wording

Also see the CLBC’s page on Wills and Personal Planning Resources here.

Need more help?

* If you have more questions or need fur ther help please see the Get Help services that are available via the Courthouse Libraries BC Wills Resources page

* Legal Programs, from Seniors First BC, offers free legal consultations for seniors age 55+ (with low income or other bar riers) at select locations in Metro Vancouver once a month

* Lawyer Referral Service, from Access Pro Bono, offers an initial consultation with a law yer for up to 30 minutes Submitted

Car care

Tiremaintenancekeepsdriverssafe

Maintaining tires is an important component of safe driving. Tires are some of the hardest working parts on a car or truck and are subjected to wear and tear every time rubber meets the road

Tires affect many components of driv ing, including handling, braking and the comfort of the ride. Maintaining tires makes driving safe not only for drivers and their passengers, but also for fellow motorists.

Poor tire maintenance can lead to premature wear and potentially result in a blowout

Drivers should look for overall tread wear Pay special attention to tread wear on one edge of the tires, which could indicate poor alignment

Erratic tread wear may mean tires are out of bal ance.

Drivers also should pay attention to how their cars drive and sounds Unusual vibra tion or thumping noises suggest issues with the tires. A car that pulls in one direction also may be experiencing tire problems

Vehicle owners should be aware of the routine maintenance steps that can keep them safe and improve the life expec tancy of tires.

*Tire pressure: Keeping tires properly inflated is one of the most impor tant steps to maintaining them Tires lose around 1 psi per month, and underinflated or overin

flated tires can contribute to unusual wear, blow outs and even excessive fuel consumption

*Rotation: Check the owner ’ s manual or rec ommendations from the tire manufacturer, but know that most mechan ics advise having tires rotated every 5,000 to 8,000 miles. Rotation helps distribute wear more evenly on tires.

*Balancing: Balancing also helps minimize uneven wear and tear Balanced tires are achieved by using small weights attached to the wheels to limit vibration of the tire and wheels as they turn New tires

should be balanced, and tires also should be bal anced after one or more is removed to repair a puncture.

*Alignment: Vehicles have wheel alignment measurements that per tain to manufacturers’ specifications Alignment that falls outside of the range can impact han dling, fuel economy and tread wear. A drift or pull suggests alignment problems and should be addressed

Vehicle owners should keep tire inspection and maintenance in mind as part of their overall car care plan

Charge up your car battery knowledge

Vehicles consist of many essential com ponents to keep them running efficiently and effectively. Car and truck owners should have an understanding of how their vehicles function so they can diagnose and address problems as they arise

Car batteries are an important component of any vehicle. Even though engines are the power house of any car or truck, without a battery, the engine wouldn’t be able to work

Car batteries work by providing a jolt of elec tricity necessary to power all the electrical com ponents of the vehicle This is achieved through a chemical reaction that changes chemical energy into the electrical energy needed to deliver voltage to the starter In addition to initially starting the car, the battery also keeps electric current steady to keep the engine running

The battery also works in conjunction with the alternator to power the electronics in the car. While the car is running, the alternator reverses the current produced by the battery, recharging it as a result This happens during long journeys, so people who drive for short

Learn the function of a car battery and how to keep it operational.

bursts of time may find that their batteries will not have a chance to recharge and may not have the lon gevity desired

There is quite literally a lot riding on a function ing battery. No one wants to be caught stranded by a dead battery, so drivers may wonder if there are any indicators that may signal the battery needs replacement

* Slow turnover: If a vehicle does not immedi ately start or if the crank ing is sluggish and takes longer to start, it may mean the battery is start ing to fail.

* Frequent, short trips: Drivers who make fre quent, short trips may

find their car batteries do not have time to fully recharge This, coupled with overtaxing thanks to a lot of accessory use, may cause the bat tery and the alternator to have shortened life spans

* Low battery fluid levels: If the fluid level is below the energy con ductor inside, it is often indicative of overcharg ing and excessive heat

* Corrosion: Corrosion buildup, dust, dirt, and grime on battery con nections may cause performance problems Inspecting and cleaning the terminals can pro long the battery life.

Metro Creative

METRO CREATIVE PHOTO

Vehicle owners should be aware of the routine maintenance steps that can keep them safe and improve the life expectancy of tires.

METRO CREATIVE PHOTO

JESSICA WOOLLARD Contributing Writer

Tsawwassen resi dent Martha Younger took her pony Mummy’s Mercedes out of retire ment and won gold in two events at the recent 55+ BC Games in Victoria.

Mummy’s Mercedes is an award winning Welsh pony that has competed for 15 years on three con tinents North America, Europe and Asia

Younger and her white pony won every event they competed in at the Games, including earn ing Mercedes a personal best with a perfect score of 10 in dressage.

They won gold in the “ arena driving trials,” which includes three phases (dressage, cones, and marathon), and gold

for best score overall

Having lived in North American and Asia, Younger and Mercedes moved to Tsawwassen at the beginning of the pan demic

Younger and her husband came to B C to help their son move for school after her hus band’s cancer diagnosis and death three months ago Younger has stayed here with Mercedes.

Now that her showing at the 55+ BC Games are completed, Mercedes is going back into retire ment

In 11 years, when Younger and Mercedes will qualify for the Century Club (horse and rider have a combined age of 100), they may come out of retirement again.

GERRY BREKEN PHOTO

Tsawwassen’s Martha Younger and her Welsh pony Mummy’s Mercedes rode to a pair of gold medals at the recent +55 BC Games in Victoria.

L I V I N G T H E G O O D L I F E

Bria celebrating National Seniors Day with pie give-away

Celebrating National Seniors Day by giving away pies is a tradi tion for The Waterford & The Wexford Seniors Communities in Tsawwassen. This year they’re doubling down with two different pies at two different events

“When we first created the drive thru pie give away in 2020, we were mid pandemic,” said Waterford general man ager Matthew Jackson. “Seniors were isolated, and everyone was feeling pretty low We decided to honour National Seniors Day by giving away free pies in a safe and cel ebratory way ”

Last year, at The Wexford the executive chefs from both com munities gave away 100 Autumn Crumble pies in one hour to seniors

who drove through The Wexford parking lot This year, with most older adults vaccinated and most restrictions lifted, each chef is hosting a drive thru at their resi dence and featuring their own pie recipe

Chef Matthew Baryluk of The Waterford is bak ing a Honey and Pear Spiced Crumble pie featuring Southlands honey and a candied bacon garnish. Chef Sean McCarthy of The Wexford is serving a mouthwa tering Peach and Pecan Crumble Pie. Each eight inch pie comes boxed and ready to eat and includes the recipe for bakers who want to attempt to re create it.

National Seniors Day in Canada is Oct. 1, coin ciding with the United Nations’ International

Day of Older Persons. The day celebrates and appreciates seniors’ contributions to our homes and communities.

Immediately following is Active Aging Week. An initiative that encourages adults over 50 to take advantage of all life has to offer The goal of this week is to promote well ness initiatives and to get bodies up and moving.

The events take place on Tuesday, Oct. 4.

The drive thru at The Waterford (1345 56 St.) will be open from 10 to 11 a.m. or until they run out of pie At The Wexford (1737 56 St ), the drive thru will be open from 2 to 3 p m or until they run out of pie. Staff will be on site to direct traf fic and ensure business entrances remain clear Submitted

PHOTO SUBMITTED

Waterford chef Matthew Baryluk at last year’s pie give away event

Caregivers’ Network hosting six-week support group

The South Delta Caregivers’ Network is a volunteer organization that has been offering education and support to family caregivers since 1994. If you are respon sible for the care of a friend or family member at home or in a facility, you are a caregiver Caregiving for a loved one can be a rewarding experience but, as time goes on it can also be a source of stress, frustra tion and exhaustion It can be confusing to know where to go for help and what services are available The unend ing responsibilities and lack of rest can put the health of the caregiver at risk

The South Delta Caregivers’ Network is holding a six week edu cation and support group to provide information to help caregivers prepare for the challenges ahead. With handouts, videos and discussions the topics covered include caregiver stress, com munication techniques, difficult behaviours, accessing community resources and financial and legal issues. A major benefit of the series is the opportunity to be with other caregivers who understand and can share experiences as well as practical hints and suggestions Everything discussed within the group is confidential

A frequent comment from caregivers is that they wish they had come sooner as the informa tion and support they receive would have made their adjustment easier.

The next education series and support group will start on Wednesday, Oct 5 from 1 to 3 p m and runs once a week at KinVillage Community Centre in Tsawwassen. Cost is $30 for a KinVillage membership and $20 for the course After the six weeks there are ongoing monthly drop in support groups included in the initial fee

To register phone Laurie at 604 943 3921 or Sylvia at 604 943 7596 Submitted

KinVillage Trivia Night

Quiz Night 12 at KinVillage Community Centre last weekend was an exciting and close race, with only an eight point spread among the top six teams, and three teams tied going into the last round. The Roses team opened up a twopoint gap to take the lead. In all, 14 teams took part in the event with catego ries ranging from musicals to technology to history. The next Quiz Night will be held at KinVillage Community Centre in Spring 2023.

PHOTO SUBMITTED

DELTASPORTS

Contact Mark at mbooth@delta optimist com or 604 946 4451

BuildingafootballcultureatSouthDelta

Program’s junior varsity team features a record 45 players under head coach Scott Martens

MARK BOOTH mbooth@dellta optimist com

Building a football culture at South Delta

As head coach of the South Delta Sun Devils junior varsity team, Scott Martens’ task is much greater than just trying to win football games.

As the lone coach of the entire football program that also happens to be a teacher at the Tsawwassen school, it’s making sure the flow of student athletes into the senior and junior teams continues His tireless efforts are paying off

The junior varsity (JV) squad attracted nearly 70 players for its annual spring camp back in May and found enough addi tional equipment elsewhere to settle for a record roster of 45 A good number of the Grade 9s are in their first year playing the tackle version of football.

“There’s been a good chunk that came through the South Delta Rams (community tackle program) and then there’s like another added layer of guys who are new to tackle coming from their (spring) flag season. The Rams are running great programs so the interest is there We just got to turn them into football players,” explained Martens

“It’s a bit of the culture here too It’s been in this commu nity for years The Rams have done really well and we ’ ve won three provincial titles so kids kind of hear about it. We’ve

also got a couple of students that have come over from Delta Secondary just to play football”

The JV Sun Devils are cur rently working their way through their non conference schedule that wraps up this week against the Seaquam Seahawks They slipped to 1 2 with a tough 22 21 loss to the Handsworth Royals last Thursday The North Shore visitors scored the winning touchdown with 69 seconds remaining on a desperation fourth down heave into the end zone that was caught on a deflection

A tough Western Division schedule begins next month against such traditional power houses as Vancouver College, Notre Dame and Mt Doug Martens is fine with the chal lenge, knowing he is grooming his players to face the very same teams at the senior level

“We should be 3 0 right now We had a 19 7 lead then a bunch of turnovers really hurt us Today we are up 12 0, give up a kickoff for a touchdown then had something like 150 yards in penalties We just shot ourselves in the foot,” Martens continued “But we ’ ve got some athletes and just need to clean some things up and then we will be fine.”

Martens is utilizing the Hudl video and data platform to mentor his players and help prepare them position by position for the next opponent

“It’s is an awesome tool

where the kids can watch game film at home I’ll break it down I give them the formations and the scouting report each week so they can start to understand like why we align in certain ways, ” continued Martens, a SDSS football alumni himself “I really do think it’s the best high school sport We thought we had to make cuts because of (a lack of equipment) not

because we had too many players Everyone can be part of it. Whether you are a starter or working your way towards being one. A kid like (2022 graduate) Declan Dunn rarely played in Grade 9 but with his attitude and work ethic, he just kept getting better and is now playing at the University of Alberta

“I think in your teenage

years you want to play be a part of something Not all these guys are necessarily friends or knew each other before but you build relationships. And I think ultimately that’s what it’s about is relationships and me trying to build a culture where it’s a good place to be, whether you ’ re the best athlete or you ’ re working your tail off to make the team better”

Delta Islanders’ Silas Richmond among BCJALL 2022 award winners

Silas Richmond is among the B.C. Junior “A” Lacrosse League annual award winners.

The Delta Islanders standout is recip ient of the Keith McEachren Trophy as the league’s most sportsmanlike player

The Ladner native accumulated just four penalty minutes in 13 games while finishing 10th in league scoring with 53 points, including 31 goals

His productive summer also included helping Canada win gold at the World

Indoor Junior Lacrosse Championships in Winnipeg He was Canada’s top scor ing in the playoff round, including eight points in the gold medal game, and earned All Tournament First Team All Star honours

The Ladner native has now turned his attention to the field version of the game after earning a NCAA Division One scholarship to the University at Albany where he is in his freshman year

MARK BOOTH PHOTO

South Delta’s Damian Dumas breaks for daylight during his team’s 22 21 loss to the Handsworth Royals on Sept 22 in B C High School Football junior varsity action in Tsawwassen.

the

Central

important and

have been

Roof,

etc... and just wait until

see the backyard! Professionally overhauled just last year Hot

turf, sport

natural

and built in tree house! Summer nights are spectacular in this beauty Walking distance to schools,

Don’t delay!

PRICE REDUCED

move

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inlaws This

604-868-2844

FABULOUS 2 BEDROOM & DEN

WITH PRIVATE SOUTHERN YARD

This great ground floor 2 bdrm & den condo is centrally located, only steps from town center and all amenities Excellent floor plan that opens onto a totally private sunny yard This beautiful condo is like new condition featuring 1227 sq ft , 2 decks, 2 full bathrooms, private access, private sunny yard and great building This one of a kind condo has never been on the market Don't miss your rare opportunity

Call ROBIN 604 868 2844

947 51ST STREET

Tsawwssen's Street of Dreams. Spacious executive 4 bedroom & den home situated on huge 10,118 sq ft southwest facing gorgeous private lot on very popular street Large family room, nice kitchen with newer Stainless steel appliances Spacious living room w/separate dining room plus 1 bedroom and den/office downstairs Three bedrooms up, large master bedroom with walk in closet & full ensuite w/ Jacuzzi tub Radiant hot water heat Home built w/4x6 construction, thermal windows, newer drainage, great workshop/shed

Call ROBIN 604 868 2844

GORGEOUS 5000 SQ.FT. HOME WITH FABULOUS VIEWS

Featuring 6 bdrms, 6 bathrms, excellent 2 bdrm suite and spectacular rooftop deck. This rare find is located on a quiet street with many fines homes in Upper Tsawwassen. Home is just totally updated with ouststanding views on a 10,750 sq ft western exposed lot This kind of home does not come to market often, don't miss this one Call for more information

Call ROBIN for info. 604 868 2844

Call now for more info.

Robin 604-868-2844

111 GRAHAM DRIVE

BEST SUNSET VIEWS & LOCATION

Custom Designed Home with simply the Best Views in Tsawwassen. This Totally Private 2 Bedroom & Den home has an Outstanding Open Floor Plan to take full advantage of all the spectacular Ocean Sunset Views. There will NEVER be another home like this in Tsawwassen

Call for Floor Plans and more Info.

Call ROBIN 604 868 2844

Arthur Drive, Delta

This wonderful Sonnenberg-built home has been impeccably maintained and

is located

4 bedroom rancher w/loft

2,738 sqft of living space and sits on a

8200 sqft waterfront lot

a peaceful slough running

incl. a kitchen w/quartz counters & glass backsplash,

SS

newer roof w/50 year

&

areas, large

loft

more! Centrally located within walking distance to Ladner Village, Memorial Park & both Elementary & High Schools.

“Heron Place” Huge 1351 sq.ft. 2 bedroom and Den (could be third bedroom), 2 Bathroom and private 300 square foot garden patio. Central location in the heart of Tsawwassen, very short walk to shopping, transit, recreation, medical etc. No neighbours on either side, very private. Extra bonus side by side parking stalls and well sized storage locker.

would appeal to a buyer interested in doing a major renovation or a buyer wishing to build a custom or speculation home Great Beach Grove location, 1 block walk to the dyke Call Sharon for viewing or further info at 604 868 2827

Todd

Mike

Straaten,

453 Connaught Drive

Wonderful Tudor style family home located on Connaught Drive in Pebble Hill. This 2659 sq ft. 4 bedroom & Den plus large games room with separate entrance/stairs has been meticulously maintained by current owners. Gorgeous south facing and private back yard with pool and patio is the perfect set up for entertaining family & guests. Surrounded by mature gardens and trees, this home exudes traditional style and comfort. Large master bedroom with private patio & ensuite, generous size bedrooms and games room make this home the ideal family home providing space for everyone.

5024 Erin Way

Updated Rancher on sunny private 11,399 sq ft lot in upper Tsawwassen. Over 2900 sq ft including a 635 sq ft guest house. 3 bedrooms 3 bathrooms in the main house while the detached guest house offers visitors privacy & luxurious comfort with potentially two bedrooms & full bathroom. Large south facing windows overlook the entertainer’s dream backyard with covered patio & sparkling in-ground pool plus hot tub. Open floor plan with renovation including flooring, stunning tile & gourmet kitchen complete with stainless steel appliances & quartz countertops. The lovely master retreat has an ensuite & a walk in closet. Quiet central location.

5712 16A Avenue

Fabulous building lot ready to go in Beach Grove! Build up to 2695 sq ft plus bonus attic space on this 49’x110’ (5390 sq ft) lot with West facing back yard in desireable Beach Grove. 2 blocks from Beach Grove Elementary School & SouthPointe Private School, Beach Grove Golf Course, South Delta Rec Center, shopping and restaurants are all minutes away We have very functional & luxurious 4 bedroom & den + 4 bathroom building Plans available. Get building your dream home sooner than you think!

ABOUT US

Brian and Harry listed our house in Tsawwassen and we had an offer within days They did not stop their work at that time; instead they continued to market the house in case there were any hiccups (there were none!!). They followed through and helped right until the closing. Overall an excellent process and they were a pleasure to deal with. We really appreciated their hard work and commitment to getting us the best deal. Thanks, Bill and Irene!

Brian Elsey and Harry Ratchford were our Realtors for our first home purchase last year We felt as though they continually went above and beyond in advocating for us in an incredibly competitive market They were both enthusiastic and empathetic, recognizing that this was a sometimes overwhelming process. We really appreciated their patience in educating us in the real estate process, both from a buying, selling and investment standpoint. We are so happy with our new home, and feel confident that it is a great place for us now and will remain a great investment in the future. We were so grateful to them for being so honest and proactive about our options throughout our search Their referral network also took huge pressure off of us, as I did not have to research mortgage brokers or inspectors, saving us time and stress when it really counted Brian and Harry have taken care of us every step of the way Thank you Brian and Harry!!

REMEMBRANCES

OBITUARIES

A TIME TO Remember

Loved ones who have passed on can be remembered through a Trbute Gift to Delta Hospta and Community Heath Foundaton

Donatons made in memory of your loved ones wll be acknowledged wth cards sent to famly members and an acknowedgement and recept sent to the donor

Tributes for September

Delta Hospital and Community Health Foundation gratefully acknowledges gifts in memory of:

Marion Atkey

Frank Barr

Raymond H Chrstopherson

Sheila Cox Francene (Bonne) Faye Evans

Ronne Gbson

Tom & Barb Ggiotti

John Goodwn

Amrk S Hoth

Fred K Kennedy

Bi Kushnir Anne (Annie) LeMognan

Jack Logan

May Mah Pasquae (Pat) Marra

June Massey

Lia Massey

Kate Michelitsch an D Paton Sr

Greg Ponsart

Barry Roberts

Joan Robnson

Gurmt Kaur Sandhu

Rena Simpson Edward (Ted) Thorstenson

Ajeet Singh Uppa A an Kee Fun Wong Wllam (Bi ) E Woods

Love’s greatest gift is remembrance

Monday through Friday 8:30am to 4:30pm

362 0586

604 653 7851

MAGAS, Brian March 25, 1964 September 8, 2022

His weary hours and days of pain His troub ed n ghts are past, and In our aching hearts we know He has found sweet rest at last Survived by Loving Family W fe Joanne, Son Brandon, Father and Mother Ed & Rose, Sister Madel ne

QUEHL, Judith M. September 18, 1941 September 20, 2022 Services to be held for Judith Quehl and Nicholas Sadowsky on Saturday, October 8, 2022, at Grace Church, 2087 McMillan Rd. Abbotsford, BC.

1 to 3pm Service and tea for Judy 3 to 4pm Service for Nicholas Sadowsky 4 to 5:30pm Buffet style meal

For Judith’s full obituary please visit The Delta Optimist’s online obituary page.

A Celebration of Life for Art Swenson: Saturday, October 8th from 1:00 4:00 pm Harris Barn, 4140 Arthur Drive, Ladner, BC

We invite Art’s friends and loved ones to join his family to remember his wonderful life. All

RUETZ, Helen Hermina (nee MEYER) October 13, 1924 to September 22, 2022

Sady, we have lost our beoved Mother of 5, Grandmother of 18, Great Grandmother of 30, and Great Great Grandmother of 4, with another on the way Mom shared 70 good years with Dad, Orvlle Nichoas Ruetz who passed away n 2013 at the age of 100

She always showed quiet uncomplainng acceptance of whatever challenges ife put before her and was known for kndness and sweet smle She loved paying Bngo and used to exercise with Jack LaLanne on TV Her grandchldren loved her fresh cookes We knew her as the eptome of uncondtional love and we wil all mss her greatly but rest comforted that she is now n the loving arms of God, and her Orvlle

Heartfet thanks to al her caregvers at Mountan View Manor In ieu of flowers please consider a donaton to our own Delta Hosptal

Funera Mass is at Sacred Heart Church in Ladner on Wednesday, October 5th at 11:00am

Online condolences can be made at deltafuneral ca

Delta Funera Home 604 946 6040

VANDENBURG, Maartje (Mar) 1929 2022

A Richmond, British Columbia resident, Mar, passed away peacefully in Vancouver on September 22, 2022 She was born n Leiden, Netherands, the eldest daughter of the late Cornels and Johanna She emigrated to Canada with her famiy in 1960 She was predeceased by her beloved husband Johannes (John) and her brother Cornels Survived by her chldren Marianne (Niall), Ledy (Bll), Yvonne (Wil), and her sster Anne Grandchidren Karla, Thomas, Johannes (John), Kristina, Jody, Paul, Buddy, and Ncholas

No

of flowers, a donaton to VGH + UBC: https://vghfoundaton ca/themes/cancer/

HACKER, Richard Paul

SWENSON, Art

DEMOSTEN, Anastasia (nee Stamatiou)

Anastasa Demosten, nee Stamatou, passed away peacefuly on September 24th, 2022 She was born on the sand of Skopelos in Greece in 1930 the fourth of six sblings, to John Stamatou and Zoe Larigakis She descrbed her childhood n the vilage of Glossa as idyllc, filed with joy and laughter, dancing with siblngs and neghborhood children; hacyon days of summer spent with cousins in the groves at Paiokaliva, Pounta and Mourta, arrangng figs on canvases, or preparng damaskna, somethng for whch Skopelos was renowned In 1941, this idylc chldhood came to an abrupt end, as German forces occupied Greece and the islands; schools were cosed and food rationing introduced Durng the occupation, Tasoua learned from the neghborhood seamstress Kyra Katina how to sew and, in tme, became an accompished seamstress Tasoula, aso, experenced the outbreak of the Greek cvl war beginning in 1946, and saw firsthand how famiies and frends were torn apart because of differing poitical affiiatons In 1951, Tasoula met and married Aristedes Demosten of Ladner the son of her mother’s good frend Morpha Demosten Tasoula subsequenty moved to Canada, where she became part of the Greek fishing community of Deas Isand She experenced further dsappontment upon realzng that most of the Greek fishermen were impovershed, and lved in float homes that rose and fel with the tdes This was not how Tasoua had envisioned Amerika Nonetheless, Tasoula persevered, encouraged by famiy and the many friends she made, both n the Greek community and the many Canadian women she met She had a gift for forging lfe long frendships with everyone she met, and her home became a gathering place for relatives and other Greek friends, where they exchanged news from Skopelos or Skiathos

She made traditiona Greek sweets for specal occasions, and was a wonderful cook Unfortunatey, her piafs with octopus, and fried euachons with heads left on ddn’t make much of an impression on her young chidren Tasoua, aong with other Greek women, would sometimes stop near some country road to gather endives, amaranth, nettles, and other greens, which they boied and doused with olve ol and fresh emon uice; and there were those specal occasons when famiies woud spend afternoons at Beach Grove gatherng sea asparagus, whose gastronomic quaities most peope had not yet discovered Tasoula, aso, lked to read Orthodox iturgical materia and Greek prayer books She was a faithfu Orthodox acolyte, and always regretted that her nabiity to drive prevented her from attending church regulary

Anastasa was predeceased by her parents, her first husband Aristedes, sons Leonidas and Archimedes, and four of her five sbings She s survived her second husband, Angelo, three sons, her sister Vaslik, many neces and nephews both here and in Greece, three godchldren, sx grandchidren, and three great grandchildren Her dearest and cosest relationshp was aways with her youngest brother, Nick Stamatiou, who passed away eght months ago Woud that she may be reunted with her brothers and sisters, and the rest of her family quicky and, as she s ushered towards that fatefu river that we must all cross we pray that her crossing may be expedtious We wl remember wel

There wll be a trisaghion for Anastasia at Delta Funeral Home, 5329 Ladner Trunk Road, from 6:00 8:00 pm, wth her funeral to follow the next day, Saturday October 8th, 11:00am, presided over by Father Nicolaos Sideras at Sant George’s Orthodox Cathedra 4500 Arbutus St in Vancouver Interment wil take pace mmediately afterwards at 1:00pm at Boundary Bay Cemetery 846 56St, Tsawwassen In leu of flowers, donations may be made to the Irene Thomas Hospice, where Anastasa spent the last month of her lfe, cared for by an exemplary and dedicated staff Our heartfelt gratitude to the staff there who showed such compasson and charity to our mother

Onine condoences can be

Fond memories linger everyday, Remembrance keeps themnear.

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