Delta Optimist February 11 2015

Tough on trees

Naturalists alarmed by number of removals

3

First crop of students

TFN partners with Kwantlen to launch farm school

7

Saving for retirement

15

Guiding principles for your RRSPs

Optimist

Northern exposure

Deltans off to Prince George for Canada Winter Games

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Friends of Delta Hospital hosting forum to increase public pressure on Fraser Health

a Delta council workshop that featured a presentation by Fraser Health officials on future plans for Delta Hospital, which left out Friends of Delta Hospital is holding a community meeting this any mention of restoring the surgical program.

Saturday in an effort to increase “They called it Delta Hospital the pressure on Fraser Health to restore the hospital’s surgical pro- Future Planning and Highlights. It was very disappointing, to say the gram. least,” Massey said.

The forum is intended to raise Delta South MLA public awareness and get Vicki Huntington said more residents on board in municipalities with the campaign to restore the over 60,000 people, program that was cut years such as Langley, Port ago, according to Doug Moody, Maple Ridge Massey, one of the advoand Cowichan, provide cacy group’s founders. the type of care Fraser Last fall, the doctors of Health claims Delta the Delta Hospital Medical does not need.

Staff Association made Doug Massey Friends of Delta public their concerns about Hospital released a “summary the hospital’s operating rooms document” in December aimed closing at 3 p.m., which means at highlighting the challenges those who require urgent prothe hospital faces. Issued by cedures after that time must be Gord Freeborn, Delta’s former transferred elsewhere. fire chief, the document notes In a letter to Health Minister the communities of Delta and Terry Lake, the doctors cited sevTsawwassen First Nation want eral examples of patients being and need a fully functioning comsent away for surgeries the docmunity-based hospital that can tors claimed could have easily offer secondary care. been performed in Delta. Those Freeborn and Dr. Robert Shaw patients are not getting timely of the Delta Hospital Medical care, the doctors said.

Staff Association met last week The doctors have been describwith Delta North Liberal MLA ing the situation as “a crisis” and Scott Hamilton to discuss the that the surgical program is in issue. “imminent danger of imploding” Premier Christy Clark and Lake because operating rooms aren’t were to be invited to Saturday’s available for emergency surgerpublic forum, which is set for 1 ies 24 hours a day like at other p.m. at the Ladner Community hospitals.

Centre.

Last month, Massey attended BY

SANDOR GYARMATI

sgyarmati@delta-optimist.com

PHOTO BY

GORD GOBLE

Three-year-old Dylan Roddam has fun experimenting with golf ball art (rolling golf balls in paint) during Family Fun Craft Day at Ladner Baptist Church last Saturday. See more photos at www.delta-optimist.com.

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February 11, 2015 The Delta Optimist A3

There are many ways to connect with the Optimist, both online and through social media.

Get tougher on tree removal Delta Naturalists’ Society looks for municipal hall to do more to preserve urban forests BY

SANDOR GYARMATI

sgyarmati@delta-optimist.com

What's Layared today "" Page 1 See more photos from last Saturday’s Family Fun Craft Day at Ladner Baptist Church. "" Page 6 Check out the life-sized 3D video game created by Delta students.

Viewing Layared content in the Optimist is easy. Just download the free app from www.layar.com or your app store for your iOS or Android phone and then scan the page where you see the Layar logo. That way you'll be able to access additional content like videos, photos and more.

Check out our onlineonly blogs, including Kristin Crouch’s latest on gardening, at www.deltaoptimist.com/opinion/ blogs.

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Delta is undertaking a review of its tree protection bylaw.

Engineering director Steven Lan confirmed staff members are going to take a close look at the effectiveness of the current bylaw following concerns raised by the Delta Naturalists’ Society, which says it’s alarmed at the number of healthy trees being removed.

In a Delta council workshop presentation in December, members of the society recommended a new tree protection bylaw to make the municipality more proactive in conserving urban forests.

Hoping for several changes, including adjacent homeowners being notified of proposed tree removals, the society is asking council to suspend or stringently monitor current permit applications during a bylaw review to prevent a surge of applications.

According to the group, aerial photos show just how much of the urban forest has been lost throughout Delta.

“About 2,000 tree cutting permits are issued every

FILE PHOTO

Delta is taking a closer look at the effectiveness of tree protection legislation following concerns raised by the Delta Naturalists’ Society. year in Delta. Many more trees, such as those in utility corridors, are removed or pruned without the requirement for permits,” the society states in a report.

“For homeowners, the first tree-cutting permit each year is free and the second permit is only $50.

This means that a typical housing lot can be cleared in just a few years for very

little expense,” the group notes, adding, “The removal of a long-standing tree usually comes as a shock to neighbours.”

The society also says the bylaw does not have a provision to control bulk tree cutting where developers purchase two or more lots.

In 2006, council approved a bylaw requiring property owners to obtain

a permit and an arborist’s report before cutting any trees. However, property owners are allowed to cut one tree per year for any reason, in most instances, without having to pay the permit fee or obtain an arborist report.

Those who cut trees without permission face fines up to $10,000 plus the cost of replacing the trees.

The aim of the bylaw was to prevent property owners from clear-cutting before applying for a development permit, when tree replacement requirements could be imposed. Staff told council at the time it was a problem, particularly in North Delta.

Lan told the Optimist Delta encourages tree planting and tree retention through its Trees for Tomorrow program and regulates tree cutting and tree replacement through its bylaw that is now being reviewed by staff at council’s direction.

During 2014, 2,355 trees were removed from private property and 161 from municipal property, according to the engineering department, noting the majority of permits issued were for the removal of a single tree.

“For replacement, a total of 800 trees were planted on private property. As some of the private properties were unable to accommodate the total number of trees required for replacement, cash in-lieu was taken and used by Delta to fund planting of an additional 650 trees on municipal property,” the department states.

Committee system in need of reform: Huntington

Delta South independent MLA Vicki Huntington and Green Party MLA Andrew Weaver are calling for renewed dialogue on how to meaningfully improve the committee system in the B.C. legislature.

“Committees can play a valuable role for scrutiny, oversight and influencing the creation of legislation,” said Huntington. “There is a wealth of experience in the House, and committees allow us to examine impor-

tant issues in a less partisan setting. Unfortunately, the committee system we have now is largely ineffective and mostly invisible.”

The duo says the aboriginal affairs committee last met in 2003 for three minutes, while the education committee last met in 2005 for a total of 12 minutes.

“Too often legislation is brought forward without the time taken to gather input from MLAs and the wider public,” said Weaver. “One

simple way we can ensure that our politicians are receiving the best possible information on the issues of greatest concern to British Columbians is through a reformed committee process.”

Last week, Huntington and Weaver sent a joint letter to house leader Mike de Jong urging for a renewed focus on committee reform.

This letter follows previous commitments from the government to begin a discus-

sion on this topic.

“In the last spring session both the house leader and the premier expressed an interest in reforming how our committee system operates,” said Huntington.

“Cooperation between MLAs can create better and fundamentally more democratic solutions, as well as giving a more meaningful role to backbench MLAs. Due to time constraints, however, that initial conversation never progressed into

meaningful reforms.”

With the controversial reforms to the ALR last year as a backdrop, the official Opposition recently formed its own opposition standing committee on agriculture and food.

Huntington will act as vice chair.

“That the official Opposition felt the need for an opposition agriculture committee serves to highlight how the system is broken,” said Weaver.

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Westshore Terminals vice-president Denis Horgan took on a new role to begin 2015 — retiree.

After nearly 40 years in the coal industry, the last 26 of which were spent at Westshore Terminals, Horgan called it a career as of Dec. 31.

“I just felt that probably 10 years was enough to run the company,” he said, adding it was time to let the next generation take over.

“We focused very heavily in the last five years on succession planning,” he said.

Horgan immigrated to Canada from Ireland in January 1974. A chartered accountant by trade, he joined Kaiser Resources in 1975. The company operated several mines in the Sparwood area.

“That’s where all the coal mines are,” Horgan said.

After 13 years with Kaiser, Horgan, 66, made the move to Westshore Terminals in 1988.

“I was the best thing I ever did,” he said.

Horgan held various positions over the years, taking over as vice-president and general manager in 2004.

During his 26 years with the company, and his 40 years in the coal industry, Horgan has seen many changes.

In 1975, Westshore Terminals was shipping 8.3 million tonnes annually, a figure that has nearly quadrupled today.

The company has also seen its customer base change over the years.

When it opened in 1970, 100 per cent of the coal was shipped to Japan, but today, only about 20 per cent goes there. Korea is currently Westshore’s single biggest customer and 80 per cent of the coal shipped through the terminal goes to Asia.

The industry has certainly seen its ups and downs over the years.

Horgan said Kaiser Resources was borderline bankrupt in 1973, but by the time he joined in 1975, the price of coal was up to

PHOTO BY

SANDOR GYARMATI

Denis Horgan spent 40 years in the coal industry, the last 26 with Westshore Terminals. $50 a tonne. The industry continued to profit into the 1980s, until the recession hit. Horgan said there was a 20-year span, from the mid-1980s until about 2004, which saw the industry endure hard times.

“Nobody made a lot of money in that time,” he said, adding people have been citing the end of the industry for decades but it continues to rebound.

“A lot of people have called coal a sunset industry for 30, 40 years... The coal industry is far from dead — it’s been dramatically increasing in recent years.”

The industry accounts for 26,000 jobs in the province, he said, and generates $3.2 billion in economic activity.

While there are many who are quick to criticize the coal industry, citing health and environmental concerns from mining and shipping of coal and the associated dust, Horgan maintains that with more stringent environmental regulations and changes in protocols within the industry, coal has become one of the most environmentally responsible industries.

“I think it’s a very responsible and very safe industry,” he said, adding that both Westshore Terminals and the rail companies have increased their dust suppression systems in recent years.

Coal trains are now subject to two dust-suppres-

sion sprays en route to the terminal and Westshore has upgraded its dust suppression equipment as well as built two mobile air-monitoring stations.

“A lot of work has been done to try and allay people’s concerns,” he said.

“We’d like to think things have gotten better.”

Horgan, who is also a member of the board of Reach Child and Youth Development Society and Tsawwassen First Nation Economic Development Corporation, said he plans to travel in his retirement, including a trip to Wales for the World Cup of Rugby, as well as stay active by skiing, hiking, cycling and playing golf.

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A6 The Delta Optimist February 11, 2015 SCAN WITH TO REVEAL VIDEO

SUBMITTED PHOTO

Delta students have created an online game to educate classmates on proper recycling practices.

Life-size 3D video game makes recycling easier

Delta students were given a challenge on how to educate their classmates on proper recycling practices.

The school district had just installed a new four-bin system at all the schools, but the only problem was students weren’t always sure about what garbage to put into which bin.

The problem inspired students from the film academy to produce a comedic short film about two students who battle it out when the recycle bins in a school hallway turn into

a glorified, larger-than-life holographic video game.

When the video was complete, they connected with another group of students that had been gathering data on the types of garbage students were throwing away and items that were causing confusion.

Students took that information and created an online game (involving a contest) where participants must identify which bins certain types of garbage go in. The final result is an online, educational game

called Recycle Game On. The contest is open to all, however only Delta students will qualify for the prizes.

One high school student and one elementary student will be chosen from the recorded participants to win an iPad Mini2.

To watch the promo video, visit http://vimeo. com/116282252. To take the Recycle Game On quiz, visit http://miniurl/bctrashgame. For more details and contest information, visit http://facilities.deltasd. bc.ca/node/71.

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Farm school growing WEAK CORE, SORE BACK, FEELING TIGHT? with TFN partnership New program covers science and business of farming

The Tsawwassen First Nation Farm School will welcome its first crop of students this spring in a program that blends theory with practice on an eighthectare (20-acre) working farm on TFN land.

A partnership between Kwantlen Polytechnic University’s Institute for Sustainable Food Systems and TFN, the 10-month program will cover the science and business of farming plus perspectives on indigenous food systems.

The actual farm will include market crops, small livestock and organic practices.

“The Tsawwassen First Nation Farm School fuses sustainable agriculture and traditional indigenous food systems as vital tools to build community and create the kind of critical dialogue and action around the future of food and earth stewardship,” said Kent Mullinix, director of Kwantlen’s Institute for Sustainable Food Systems.

Once fully in production, the farm will boast a traditional medicine garden and food forest, an orchard, an organic market garden and incubator plots for farm school students who have completed the first year of

instruction and practicum.

Ultimately, the teaching farm will be a gathering place to raise awareness around human-scaled alternative food production systems linked to community.

“TFN supports local food production, job creation and stewardship of farmland resources.

We are proud to have partnered with KPU to create the TFN Farm School.”

Chief Bryce Williams

TFN announced 25-year lease agreements with local farmers on 156 hectares (385 acres) of farmland in Ladner a year ago.

“TFN has been working hard to create a strong and sustainable community for our members and future generations,” said Chief Bryce Williams. “All our developments — commercial, industrial, residential and agricultural — work together to support our vision.

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“We are proud to have partnered with KPU to create the TFN Farm School.”

The Tsawwassen First Nation Farm School is now accepting applications for its 2015 program, which starts in March. Students can expect to be integral parts of a working farm growing a variety of market crops and animals.

The learning occurs on the farm with the guidance of skilled and knowledgeable agriculturists. The program offers classes in crop production, soil and water management, animal husbandry, small farm carpentry and welding, tractor and equipment maintenance, business planning and marketing, and indigenous food systems.

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A8 The Delta Optimist February 11, 2015 Opinion Page Published every Wednesday & Friday by the Delta Optimist, a division of LMP Publication Limited Partnership #207 - 4840 Delta Street, Delta, BC V4K 2T6 Phone 604-946-4451 Fax 604-946-5680 www.delta-optimist.com Publisher: Alvin Brouwer abrouwer@ glaciermedia.ca

Might be lesser of two evils

General Manager: Dave Hamilton dhamilton@ delta-optimist.com Distribution: 604-942-3081 distribution@delta-optimist. com Classified: 604-630-3300 Fax: 604-630-4500 classifieds@van.net Editor: Ted Murphy editor@ delta-optimist.com Sports: Mark Booth mbooth@ delta-optimist.com Reporters: Sandor Gyarmati sgyarmati@ delta-optimist.com Dave Willis dwillis@ delta-optimist.com Jessica Kerr jkerr@ delta-optimist.com Photographer: Gord Goble ggoble@ delta-optimist.com Sales Representatives: John Gallinger jgallinger@ delta-optimist.com Ruth VanBruksvoort rbruks@ delta-optimist.com Jenelle Julien jjulien@ delta-optimist.com Features Manager: Bob Ferguson bferguson@ delta-optimist.com Sales Support: Linda Calendino lcalendino@ delta-optimist.com Canadian Publications Agreement #212490

CANADIAN COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER AWARD 2012

Wednesday’s circulation is 16,493 Friday’s circulation is 16,943 This paper is made of 40% recycled newsprint and printed using vegetable inks

Entire Contents © 2015 The Optimist. All Rights Reserved

The Delta Optimist is a member of the British Columbia Press Council, a self-regulatory body governing the province’s newspaper industry. The council considers complaints from the public about conduct of member newspapers. Directors oversee the mediation of complaints, with input from both the newspaper and complainant. If talking with the editor or publisher of this newspaper does not resolve your complaint about coverage or story treatment, you may contact the B.C. Press Council.

Your written concern, with documentation, should be sent to B.C. Press Council, 201 Selby Street, Nanaimo, B.C., V9R 2R2.

For further information, go to www.bcpresscouncil.org

TED MURPHY

MURPHY’S LAW Can’t find the necessary industrial land? Why not just create your own.

Port Metro Vancouver has been banging the drum about the lack of industrial land in the region for quite some time now, so when it’s new Land Use Plan designated the water surrounding the Roberts Bank causeway as a study area, it’s not surprising that alarm bells went off.

There’s little doubt that an operation the size of Deltaport, to say nothing of the possibility of a second container terminal, requires upland support. They knew that back in the 1960s when the province expropriated more than 4,000 acres of farmland that became known as the Roberts Bank back-up lands.

Much of that acreage was eventually returned to its former owners or included in the historic treaty with the Tsawwassen First Nation, leaving the port without the land base that had been envisioned a half-century ago.

It wasn’t a significant issue at first, but has become one in recent years, to the point where there’s been a call for the province to create an industrial land reserve. A real estate firm has also taken out options on hundreds of acres of west Delta farmland with an eye to industrializing them.

Now comes the change to the port’s Land Use Plan, which is sufficiently vague so as not to cause widespread outcry, but could conceivably outline a massive peninsula into the Strait of Georgia. It’s just a study area at this point and the port says additional consultation and planning would be necessary before anything happens, if it does at all, but it’s troubling nonetheless.

Surely there’s got to be a better way of meeting the port’s land needs than filling in the foreshore, particularly in an area of such environmental significance. Our incursions into the water have already damaged the ecological balance of that marine environment so it’s incumbent on everyone involved to ensure the situation isn’t exacerbated.

I recognize that ports, by their very nature, have to be on the coast but the support network doesn’t need to be offshore as well. And perhaps that’s what this exercise is all about.

Widening the causeway to essentially create a massive promontory is so environmentally abhorrent that it’s seems almost impossible to fathom. There’s no way they’d allow it. There simply has to be a better alternative.

It’s such a bad idea, in fact, that it makes the notion of containers sprouting on some of the country’s best farmland a lot more palatable.

Seniors won’t be stifled even if their funding taken away ML BURKE

COMMUNITY COMMENT “Ten people who speak make more noise than 10,000 who are silent.” — Napoleon Bonaparte I am steaming mad about some news the Delta Seniors Planning Team just received. United Way informed us that our funding will stop at the end of March.

I happen to be a volunteer member of this hard-working team and silence on this issue is not an option. It is my opinion that a big mistake is taking place, not only for our team but also for the other eight teams in Metro Vancouver.

We all know the United Way is a good organization doing important fundraising and dispersing those funds to many charities and groups such as ours.

I do not know its criteria for deciding how the pie is divided amongst the demographic groups, but I’ll tell you this: seniors in

Metro Vancouver just took a big hit.

I could spend this entire column writing about all the work we have accomplished over the past five years on the meager annual grants of $25,000, which covers a small salary for coordinating plus meeting expenses. The work includes surveys and a walkability study in our three communities, reports to council, workshops, forums, the Paterson Park Vision, information pamphlets, resource cards and so on.

We are not affiliated with any political party but we do have an agenda, which is improving livability in Delta for seniors. The areas requiring improvement are affordable housing, transportation and non-medical health services as well as for the municipality to reinstate the seniors advisory committee and hire a social planner.

We are determined to continue this important work and will be looking to our community to help where it can. If you want to join us as a volunteer or make a donation, you can send it to Deltassist with a note stating it is for Delta Seniors Planning Team expenses.

So why would United Way choose to stop funding these plan-

The Optimist encourages readers to write letters to the editor. Letters are accepted on any topic, although preference is given to those on local matters. The Optimist reserves the right to edit letters and the decision to publish is at the discretion of the editor or publisher. All letters must be signed, dated and include the writer’s phone number

ning tables and other seniors programs when we’re on the verge of a huge increase in our citizens retiring and moving to different communities and lifestyles?

I suspect the Better at Home program recently funded by the province to the tune of $22 million has something to do with it. This is a good program that the Delta Seniors Planning Team supported that subsidizes lower income seniors needing help with nonmedical support services so they can remain in their own homes longer.

It seems to me the province chose to filter this money through the United Way, which may have completely skewed the percentages of the United Way pie being allocated to seniors. In other words, this is not money raised by United Way, but rather provincial dollars allocated for a specific program, which should not affect existing seniors programs that are doing such important work and doing so on next to no money.

Napoleon may have been a small man but he led a huge army. We in the 55+ demographic have a voice that is only going to get louder. I hope our elected representatives are ready to seriously listen.

(not for publication). The Optimist will not print “name withheld” letters. Copyright in letters and other materials submitted voluntarily to the publisher and accepted for publication remains with the author, but the publisher and its licensees may freely reproduce them in print, electronic or other forms.

February 11, 2015 The Delta Optimist A9 Letters to the Editor

Delta residents must speak out to protect environment

Editor: Re: Study area creates concerns, Feb. 4 The excellent story should serve as a wake-up call to Delta residents.

As Richmond Coun.

Harold Steves says, it is clear that Port Metro Vancouver has huge plans to industrialize large areas of Roberts Bank and surrounding farmlands. Its plans for a massive manmade island to house a second container terminal (T2) are bad enough but worse yet may be in the port’s secret agenda.

Roberts Bank is identified by Birdlife International as Canada’s

number one Important Bird Area (IBA) — home to millions of migratory birds and other wildlife. Regrettably, that same organization states it is one of only four Canadian IBAs that’s “in danger.”

Why? Because of development and transportation and service corridors; threats that it ranks as high.

Roberts Bank (specifically around Brunswick Point and close to the port) is one of only six stopover points on the entire Pacific Flyway for migrating western sandpipers. The whole population stops here to feed at some point in their lives. Building T2 threatens

Examples prove port has the ability to make land

Editor: Re: Study area creates concerns, Feb. 4 It was most interesting to see how the land grab

by Port Metro Vancouver is being conducted.

Years ago I lived in Toronto, where The Esplanade was once the last street before the shore of Lake Ontario. Now the lake is about a half-kilometre away. In Vancouver, Water Street used to be the shoreline. Yes, there is one

who can make land — Port Metro.

I was also curious what MP Kerry-Lynne Findlay would say about this as the port is federal undertaking, but her comments were missing from the article.

Might she have said, “I fully support the preservation of the Delta foreshore for marine and avian animals. I will raise this matter of the port’s expansion at the federal cabinet table.”

Ian Robertson

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to devastate their feeding grounds, leading to population level declines or perhaps outright elimination of the entire species.

Environment Canada has already identified this threat to the Pacific Flyway.

Despite what Port Metro Vancouver might claim, that threat cannot be mitigated.

It is time for Delta residents to speak out. Tell Delta council it needs to voice opposition to T2 and the industrialization of our community’s environmental treasures.

Tell Port Metro Vancouver to stop destroying our environment.

Roger Emsley www.ohbehaveforlovers.com

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Professional flag persons keep everyone safe on English Bluff Editor: The Corporation of Delta is conducting water main improvements in Tsawwassen along English Bluff Road from 4th Avenue to 8A Avenue, with considerable disruption to vehicular and pedestrian traffic.

My daily constitutional takes me through this area, and I was somewhat apprehensive about the prospects

as my wife takes great objection to me coming home with tire tracks on my clothing.

I was very pleased to discover, however, that very professional and personable flag persons are in place to shepherd me safely through what otherwise would be dangerous territory.

Thank you all. Your work is much appreciated.

Lew Edwardson

Voters lose say once tax in place Editor: For all those considering voting yes on the transit referendum, just remember that once we allow this tax, we will have no say when it comes to raising it.

If you don’t believe me, then ask yourself this: When was the last time you had any say in how much income tax you pay

or property tax or sales tax?

Sure you voted the HST out (bad idea), but did you get to set the tax rate?

This tax will do nothing for Delta: We will still pay a toll on the new bridge, our transit won’t be improved and many will be doing as much shopping as possible outside of this tax zone.

Jim Rogers

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A10 The Delta Optimist February 11, 2015

Sphagnum moss: a Delta heritage plant

The moss that’s now many metres deep in Fraser delta bogs began accumulating over 3,000 years ago ANNE MURRAY

BY THE BAY Heritage is usually interpreted as something very solid: the wood, stone and concrete of our towns and

cities, or the iron and steel of bridges and railway lines.

I like to broaden that viewpoint to include our natural heritage: the plants and animals that compose our local environment. So in celebration of B.C. Heritage Week, I chose sphagnum moss, the fascinating plant that forms local bogs.

Sphagnum clearly quali-

fies as heritage under the “ancient” category: the moss found in Fraser delta bogs began accumulating over 3,000 years ago and is now many metres deep. In the wet heart of Burns Bog, the largest and most well known of our local bogs, layers of sphagnum, fed by rainwater, have grown into a dome five metres above

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The spongy moss in Burns Bog draws up groundwater and increases the water’s acidity, creating an ecosystem that’s totally distinct from the surrounding landscape. the surrounding delta.

The spongy moss draws up groundwater and increases the water’s acidity.

Other plants and animals find it difficult to survive in this acidic, nutrient-poor environment, unless they are specifically adapted.

Even the bacteria that cause decay cannot operate well here, so the sphagnum and anything within it are slow to decompose.

The resulting ecosystem is totally distinct from the surrounding landscape and has species of plants and insects that normally inhabit more northern latitudes.

As well as Burns Bog, there are bogs in Richmond and along the Fraser River.

In Richmond Nature Park, you can walk on the quaking bog, where the ground wobbles and trembles due

to the spongy sphagnum below.

Sphagnum has no root system but just keeps elongating its spindly, thin stems which clump and tangle into cushiony structures. It is composed of two cell types, the larger, empty ones being highly water absorbent, and the smaller ones providing the chlorophyll that colours the plant.

Sphagnum is considered to have natural antiseptic properties. As a consequence, it was used historically for babies’ diapers, treating wounds and other personal hygiene. Some First Nations’ women used the soft moss to carpet an expectant mother’s birthing room and line the cradle.

The lower, brown, slowly decaying layers of sphagnum become peat. Burns

Bog peat was systematically excavated from trenches during the Second World War and used as packing material for armaments.

After the war ended, the peat was dug and sold for horticultural use.

Around the world, peat bogs began to disappear as they were dug out. Today, people are beginning to better appreciate the beauty and fragility of bogs, a vital part of our natural heritage.

Anne Murray is a local naturalist and writer. Her books on Delta’s natural and ecological history, A Nature Guide to Boundary Bay and Tracing Our Past, a Heritage Guide to Boundary Bay, are available in local stores or from www.natureguidesbc.com.

She blogs at www.natureguidesbc.wordpress.com.

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This ‘thief’ has it backward by leaving items behind after breaking into car BARBARA GUNN

LIVING MATTERS It’s getting kind of creepy.

Near as I can tell, someone has been breaking into the car — almost every other day.

I notice this, not because of what’s gone. I notice this because of what’s added.

I know: sounds crazy.

Most thieves break into vehicles because they want to grab something: the coins in the console, the golf clubs in the hatchback, the parcel on the back seat.

That’s not the way our thief works. Nope. This

bandit has a peculiar modus operandi. When no one is looking — in the middle of the night, I am guessing — he will enter the vehicle and deposit a range of things I don’t want. Empty water bottles. Ball caps. Golf gloves. Coffee to-go cups.

Smelly runners. Wrappers from fast-food hamburgers.

They’ll be on the floor and the dashboard and the passenger seat.

I know: weird, huh? Even weirder is the fact there’s never a sign of forced entry.

This thief, who should probably be referred to as an anti-thief, must have magic fingers, because he gets in the car, no problem.

You might suspect the anti-thief is possibly someone who has keys to the vehicle, along with permis-

sion to drive it.

Highly doubt this, since the only other people with keys are my husband and sons, and they know how nutso I get when I discover that someone’s mistaken the interior of the car for a garbage can. They know when I use the car and return to the driveway, I like to empty the vehicle of odds and ends before I enter the house. They know I’d rather like them to do that too.

And I know they’d never lie to me.

“Hey,” I said to the husband the other day. “I think that anti-thief might have hit us up again last night.”

“Really?” he said, glancing up from his magazine.

“What makes you think that?”

“Because there’s a news-

NOTICE OF PROPOSAL TO DISCHARGE A LAND USE CONTRACT

LAND USE CONTRACT DISCHARGE BYLAW NO. 7397 for 11165 80 Avenue, Delta, B.C. (File No. LU007352) PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that at the Regular Meeting to be held on MONDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2015 at 7:00 P.M. at the Municipal Hall, 4500 Clarence Taylor Crescent, Delta, B.C., the Municipal Council of The Corporation of Delta will consider third reading and final adoption of “Delta (Gosal LU007352) Land Use Contract Discharge Bylaw No. 7397, 2015” which relates to the property at 11165 80 Avenue as shown outlined in bold and marked “Subject Property” on the map below.

The purpose of this bylaw is to authorize Council to discharge Land Use Contract S.A. No. 3056 from the subject property to reveal the underlying RS1 Single Family Residential Zone, in order to permit construction of a new single family dwelling with an in-ground basement and secondary suite on the subject property.

Pursuant to Section 890(4) of the Local Government Act and Council’s resolution on January 26, 2015, there will not be a Public Hearing for this bylaw.

Website: www.delta.ca January 26, 2015 Regular Council Meeting Agenda Item No. E.02.

AND TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that the bylaw, detailed maps and other relevant information and regulations may be inspected at the office of the Community Planning and Development Department, 4500 Clarence Taylor Crescent, Delta, B.C., (604-946-3380) Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday between 8:30 am and 4:45 pm and Thursday between 8:30 am and 8:00 pm February 6, 2015 to February 16, 2015, exclusive of Saturdays, Sundays and statutory holidays.

Interested residents have the opportunity to provide written comments regarding the application at this time. Comments are to be received on or before 12:00 noon, Monday, February 16, 2015. Comments should be referred to: Mayor and Council The Corporation of Delta 4500 Clarence Taylor Crescent, Delta, BC V4K 3E2 Fax: 604-946-3390 Email: mayor-council@delta.ca

February 11, 2015 The Delta Optimist A11

HAPPY 90TH BIRTHDAY To the Best Dad & Poppa!

paper in the back. And some wrapping from a Big Mac. And a bottle of Gatorade. I think we should start reporting this.”

“Hold on,” said the husband. “You can only charge people with taking things. Not with giving you things.”

“But we don’t want these things,” I said. “Wait a minute. Didn’t you go to McDonald’s yesterday?”

“I don’t think so,” said the husband. “McDonald’s isn’t very good for you.”

As I said: he’d never lie to me. And neither would the kids.

With Love from all the Family

John (Jack) Letson

Notice of Land Use Contract Discharge DELTA LAND USE CONTRACT DISCHARGE BYLAW NO. 7396 (File No. LU007282) PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that at the Council Meeting to be held on Monday, February 16, 2015 at 7:00 P.M. at the Municipal Hall, 4500 Clarence Taylor Crescent, Delta, B.C., the Municipal Council of The Corporation of Delta will consider third reading of Delta Land Use Contract Discharge Bylaw No. 7396, which relates to the properties listed below.

The purpose of this bylaw is to authorize Council to discharge the land use contracts from the subject properties in the list below to reveal the underlying RS1 Single Family Residential Zone.

Address

Land Use Contract No.

PID

5243 Bentley Court

N122548 and P79292

002-156-334

6089 Briarwood Crescent

R562

005-640-580

11502 Commonwealth Crescent

L14504 and M112611

001-125-044

11427 Daly Place

K103479

006-290-981

10589 Dunlop Road

K98462

005-292-263

667 English Bluff Road

L66

006-290-973

5774 Greenland Drive

L108491

000-652-784

6076 Inglewood Place

R562

004-613-406

11805 Ivywood Place

R562

001-931-792

11599 Lyon Road

L14504 and L59094

006-250-793

11106 Prospect Drive

L14504, M43359, M43360, M85976, N108507

005-251-826

11193 Scarborough Drive

N34632

002-264-862

7797 Stamford Place

P104976 and P116942

005-404-711

11930 Staples Crescent

N113712

001-637-941

11602 Summit Crescent

N121589

001-775-278

6011 Sunwood Drive

R562

005-639-751

6036 Sunwood Drive

R562

004-567-706

6395 Sunwood Drive

R562

000-554-626

5272 5B Avenue

M85975 and N46298

000-558-184

11726 81A Avenue

L70829 and M21556

003-989-771

11834 91 Avenue

M45439

004-983-483

Pursuant to Section 890(4) of the Local Government Act and Council’s resolution on January 26, 2015, there will not be a Public Hearing for this bylaw.

Web Page Location: January 26, 2015 Regular Council Meeting Agenda Item E.01.

AND TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that the bylaw, detailed maps and other relevant information and regulations may be inspected at the office of the Community Planning and Development Department, 4500 Clarence Taylor Crescent, Delta, B.C., (604-946-3380) Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, between 8:30 a.m. and 4:45 p.m., and Thursday between 8:30 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. from February 6, 2015 to February 16, 2015 exclusive of Saturdays, Sundays and statutory holidays.

Interested residents have the opportunity to provide written comments regarding the application at this time. Comments are to be received before 12:00 noon, Monday, February 16, 2015.

Comments should be referred to: Mayor and Council The Corporation of Delta 4500 Clarence Taylor Crescent, Delta, BC V4K 3E2 Fax: 604-946-3390 Email: mayor-council@delta.ca

The Corporation of Delta 4500 Clarence Taylor Crescent Delta BC V4K 3E2 (604) 946-4141 www.delta.ca

The Corporation of Delta 4500 Clarence Taylor Crescent Delta BC V4K 3E2 (604) 946-4141 www.delta.ca Facebook.com/CorpofDelta

twitter.com/CorpofDelta

youtube.com/CorpofDelta

A12 The Delta Optimist February 11, 2015 Business

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A locally-based chef is bringing a taste of Paris to Ladner tomorrow.

Chef Ann Kirsebom will be selling her original creation, Paris in a Chocolate, at The Blue Door Interiors at a special event.

Made in Ladner with ingredients imported from France, the luxury chocolates feature a ganache centre infused with Grand Marnier.

Kirsebom said she came up with the idea almost by accident.

With licensing agreements with Grand Marnier Lapostolle in France and Callebaut Chocolate/Cacao Barry in Zurich, Kirsebom has created two signature products. She said Grand Marnier sent her a four-litre version of one of its bottles to take with her to shows and events where she was showcasing the products.

One day, she said, the

iconic red Marnier Lapostolle family seal that adorns each bottle of the liqueur fell off.

Kirsebom said she tried to reattach the seal without SUBMITTED PHOTO any luck and Chef Ann Kirsebom’s Paris in a Chocolate will had it sitting be at The Blue Door Interiors tomorrow. by her computer.

Over the next two years, Looking at it day after the chef worked to have day, the classically French the mould created, sourced trained chef came up with ingredients, including a the idea to use the large naturally red tinted cocoa seal to make a mould for butter, and perfected the chocolates. filling.

“I was a little nervous “I tested hundreds of because it’s their family ganaches,” she said. crest,” she said. “It’s hunParis in a Chocolate offidreds of years old.” cially debuted at the SIAL Kirsebom made her pitch Show in October in Paris. and the company agreed to Tomorrow’s event at The let her produce the chocoBlue Door Interiors, 5094lates.

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February 11, 2015 The Delta Optimist A13 Business

Chamber calls for ‘yes’ vote in referendum

The Delta Chamber of Commerce is calling on members of the community to invest in the future by voting “yes” in the upcoming transit and transportation referendum.

“Our community has a lot on the line with this vote,” said chamber board chair Orville Nickel. “A ‘yes’ vote means less congestion, a stronger economy and a healthier community for us all. But a ‘no’ vote will strand us without critical transit and trans-

portation improvements — potentially for decades.”

The local business group supports the Mayors’ Council’s transportation vision and has joined the Better Transit and Transportation Coalition, which features a broad spectrum of stakeholders from business, labour, environmental and other community organizations.

“With the predicted growth of one million people in the Metro Vancouver area over the next 30 years,

the mayors’ vision not only addresses our current congestion issues, but future ones as well,” said Nickel.

“It’s vital that we invest in needed transit and transportation improvements for our entire region today.”

The Delta Chamber of Commerce will proactively lead discussion to ensure the community understands the importance of the referendum.

“With so much at stake, our community stands at a crossroads,” said Nickel.

“Quite simply, we can’t afford to get this wrong.”

A Metro Vancouver congestion improvement tax will be put in front of voters through a mail-in referendum this spring.

The proposed 0.5 per cent hike to the provincial sales tax is expected to generate $250 million annually, money that would be earmarked for transit improvements identified in a 10-year, $7.5-billion plan put together by the region’s mayors.

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A14 The Delta Optimist February 11, 2015

Tips for sticking with your fitness resolutions KRISTA POPOWYCH January 1 has come and gone. You either took the plunge and started a new exercise regime or ignored all the fuss around making New Year’s resolutions. If you did make the conscious decision to jump on the goal setting bandwagon, February and the ensuing months become the true test of willpower and commitment. Unfortunately for some of us, our motivation has already started to wane.

Motivation is a theoretical

concept used to describe behavior. When someone is motivated, they act in a certain way to satisfy a need, a desire or to take action. If you want to lose weight for an important event, you are motivated to do so through exercising and watching what you eat. There is a strong connection between what you do and why you do it.

Within the stages of change, there are five behavioral patterns — these include pre-contemplation, contemplation, determination,

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must be stronaction and ger than the maintenance. matter.

When you start an exercise In addition, program, you falling off the are motivated wagon is a very and have transtrong possibilsitioned into the ity and should action phase. be viewed as a Maintenance ‘speed bump’ is the on-going and not a comcontinuation of plete failure. Try the action and, not surprisingly, Krista Popowych to stay positive and discourthe hardest part age negative of change. When self-talk. By doing so, you we change, we form new can work through the chalhabits. lenge and get back on track.

In order to maintain the new Remember motivation can be fleeting; it ebbs and habit, we must adjust our mind set and believe in what flows. we are doing. At times when How then, can we stay we feel vulnerable or insemotivated to succeed? First, cure, we can slip back into bad habits and unfortunately establish goals. Many of us relapse. But having a strong did that in the beginning of the year. Next, identify the conviction and increasing roadblocks to your success our wisdom around why we are doing what we are doing — either currently or in the past. Your task is to find is extremely important. To solutions to those obstacles avoid a relapse, the mind

and make a plan. For example, if you are finding you are too tired to exercise after work and keep missing sessions, the roadblock is your workout time. The solution may be as simple as exercising in the morning. Last but not least, acknowledge and reward all successes. Large or small.

Keeping motivated all year long requires different approaches. Try some of these to help keep you on track: 1) Gain wisdom around why the lifestyle change is so important. With wisdom comes power. 2) Eliminate negative self-talk around failure. 3) Remember that relapse is part of the process. Just because you overeat one week or miss your workouts, doesn’t mean you are doomed to failure; a few bad days won’t ruin all your previous hard work. 4) The road to good

...let me count the ways!

Happy Valentine’s Day

Ramon Montecillo has come to accept his “new normal.”

After suffering a stroke two years ago at the age of 55, he’s come to believe that it was a personal blessing.

While there were strong challenges to recover physically and emotionally, the Delta resident has now focused on a new life pur-

pose: giving back.

“Volunteering drives me onwards,” he says.

“Spiritual awareness enhances hope. Family and friends provide stability.

There is life after a stroke.”

Montecillo is turning that energy directly to helping other stroke victims

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The program is designed to help stroke survivors and their families improve their quality of life, cope with challenges and connect with others.

It’s a tool for help and hope.

Weekly topics include: impact of stroke, physical changes and keeping active; dealing with emotions and relationships; reducing future risk and nutrition.

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Making healthy changes is a process and doesn’t happen overnight. You should be congratulated if you have stuck to your resolutions thus far. But don’t despair if you have fallen off track or haven’t even started. Today is never too late to begin an exercise regime. Your body and your long-term health will thank you — any month of the year.

New program aims to help stroke survivors adapt to life changes

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For more information on stroke resources and the program, visit www. heartandstroke.bc.ca/livingwithstroke.

February 11, 2015 The Delta Optimist A15 Financial Matters

RRSP principles everyone should know BY

ROBYN K. THOMPSON Optimist contributor

Should you contribute to a Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSPs)?

With Tax-Free Savings Accounts (TFSAs) becoming more popular, there’s a fierce debate among the experts on the relative merits of each type of account.

True, TFSAs are a powerful vehicle for tax-free investing. And RRSP withdrawals are subject to tax when the plan is collapsed at retirement. But unless you expect your tax bracket to be higher after you retire than before (a nice “problem” to have), this won’t be an issue for you.

I believe RRSPs are still an essential tool for Canadians to save for retirement, provided you use them wisely. You still have time — the deadline for RRSP contributions eligible for a 2014 tax deduction is March 3, 2015.

But before you jump in, read my three guiding principles for using RRSPs successfully: Principle #1: Contribute

You can’t start a journey without taking that first step. So open up an RRSP if you don’t already have one. Next, contribute regularly. Money contributed to an RRSP grows tax-free inside the plan, and gives you a tax deduction for the year of contribution.

In effect, you are contributing before-tax dollars that will compound and grow free of tax. You’ll be taxed on withdrawals when you collapse the plan (usually at retirement), but your tax rate will likely be lower than it is in your peak earning years.

You can contribute 18 per cent of “earned income” to an RRSP every year to a pre-set maximum. For 2014, the maximum contribution limit was set at $24,270 (for 2015, it is set at $24,930). If you can’t contribute your maximum in a year, contribute as much as you can.

Make monthly contributions, and start now. The sooner you start tax-sheltered compounding in your RRSP, the better. Start off with small amounts, gradu-

losses that may ally increasing as occur. your salary rises.

In other Remember the words, the value magic of comof your investpounding. Even ment may end up a $500 monthly being less than investment comthe value of your pounded monthloan — never a ly at a relatively good situation! conservative rate Another minus of six per cent Robyn Thompson is that an “RRSP will grow to loan” is still a $500,000 in 30 loan — a debt with interyears. est payable. And you must You can also increase your contribution in a given pay the lender (usually your friendly neighbourhood year by using “contribubank) the money when it’s tion room” you’ve carried due, regardless of what hapforward from previous pens to your RRSP investyears. And you should also ment or anything else. reinvest your tax refund to Principle #2: Invest increase your nest egg.

Putting your RRSP funds The biggest downside in a savings account or a to borrowing your RRSP GIC might sound “safe,” contribution is that you but that strategy fails to are leveraging your investmake optimal use of the ment. It makes no sense to RRSP’s most powerful put borrowed money into a safe, interest-bearing invest- feature, long-term tax-sheltered compounding. ment like a GIC, because it RRSPs may hold a wide earns less than the cost of variety of investments. And your loan. with the right asset mix, But if you invest in you can boost your investequity investments, either directly or through a mutual ment return far beyond what’s offered by the fund or ETF, you run the meager returns on savings risk of magnifying any

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accounts or GICs. Here’s a quick list of what the Canada Revenue Agency says are qualified RRSP investments. For more detail, check the CRA website.

• Bonds • Exchange-listed securities • Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) • Mutual funds • Options • Money or cash deposits • GICs • Other qualified investments include annuities, mortgages, certain shares of small business corporations and venture capital corporations. You may also put money into investment grade gold and silver bullion, coins and certificates.

Principle #3: Know yourself and invest wisely For many of us, an RRSP is our only source of retirement income apart from the Canada Pension Plan. And while you can invest in just about every type of asset class, an RRSP is not the place to speculate on junior mines, high-tech start-ups, commodities or other risky

G5 20i

and volatile assets, even though they might be qualified investments as seen in the list above. Remember, tax benefits like the dividend tax credit, the capital gains tax exemption and the ability to offset losses against gains are lost within an RRSP. Aside from not contributing to an RRSP at all, the RRSP investment choice is where most people go astray. Most of us tend to overestimate our capacity to deal with market volatility and take investment losses.

So be realistic about your own tolerance for risk (and ignore what your neighbour, uncle or barber thinks — they generally exaggerate!).

Work with a qualified financial planner to allocate your RRSP assets according to a plan determined by your personal goals and a realistic assessment of your tolerance for risk.

Article is courtesy of Fundata Canada Inc. Robyn Thompson is president of Castlemark Wealth Management. This article is not intended as personalized advice.

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A16 The Delta Optimist February 11, 2015

ElderCollege Delta A KINVILLAGE COMMUNITY CENTRE INITIATIVE

Phone: 604-943-0262

email: eldercollegedelta@kinvillage.org www.kinvillage.org/elder_college

In the Community

Celebrating a century!

Our Mission

Our purpose is to extend to our valued citizens, over 50, a variety of programs with a view to expanding their knowledge and enhancing their lifestyles.

SPRING SEMESTER 2015

General Registration* Saturday, February 14th, 2015, 10.00 - 11.30 am Tsawwassen Town Centre Mall Tuesday, February 17th, 2015, 11.30 am to 1.00 pm Save On Foods, Ladner *Fees payable in cash or by cheque only.

Special Feature Presentation

This is a FREE presentation open to anyone in the community.

Quarantined: Life and Death at William Head Station, 1872-1959 by Peter Johnson Saturday 28th February 2015 10:00 am - Noon Cedar Park Church, 5300 44th Avenue, Ladner Please note that registration is required to attend the above presentation.

Sign up at registration or by phone after 17th February 2015: 604-943-0262

COURSES A24 - Advanced Intermediate Bridge 8 sessions: $70. Class size min 12 max 16 Tuesdays: Mar 3rd, 10th, 17th, 24th, 31st, Apr 7th, 21st & 28th 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm KinVillage ( Margaret Vidal Court), Tsawwassen B24 – Android Tablet for Beginners 4 sessions: $40 Class size: max 8 Saturdays: Apr 11th, 18th, 25th & May 2nd 10.00 am - noon KinVillage Community Centre, Tsawwassen C24 – iPad for Beginners 2 sessions: $20 Class size: max 8 Saturdays: Mar 7th & 14th 10.00 am – 1.00 pm KinVillage Community Centre, Tsawwassen

M24 - Allô, bonjour!

6 sessions: $60 Class size: max 20 Mondays: Mar 2nd, 9th, 16th, 23rd, 30th & Apr 6th 1.00 pm - 3.00 pm Ladner United Church, Ladner N24 - Spanish 6 sessions: $60 Class size: max 20 Thursdays: Mar 12th, 19th, 26th, Apr 2nd, 9th & 16th 2.30 pm - 4.00 pm KinVillage (Margaret Vidal Court) P24 - Lino Printmaking with a Nature Theme 4 sessions: $45 Class size: max 10 Tuesdays: Apr 7th, 24th, 21st, (Session 4 TBA) 10.00 am - noon KinVillage Community Centre, Tsawwassen

D24 - iPad for Beginners 3 sessions: $30 Class size: max 8 Tuesdays: Mar 10th, 17th & 24th 10.00 am – noon KinVillage Community Centre, Tsawwassen

Q24 - “Downton Abbey” Springtime High Tea at Marion’s 1 session: $15 Class size: max 25 Monday: Apr 27th 1.30 pm - 3.30 pm 5641Wellsgreen Place, Tsawwassen

E24 - iPad for Beginners 3 sessions: $30 Class size: max 8 Wednesdays: Mar 25th, Apr 1st & 8th 10.00 am – noon KinVillage Community Centre, Tsawwassen

R24 - The Benefits of Meditation 2 sessions: $20 Class size: max 20 Wednesdays: Mar 11th & 18th 10.00 am - 11.00 am KinVillage (Margaret Vidal Court), Tsawwassen

F24 - Windows 8 - An Introduction 2 sessions: $20 Class size: max 10 Wednesdays: Mar 25th & Apr 1st 2.00 pm - 4.00 pm KinVillage Community Centre, Tsawwassen

S24 - Preserving Your Family History 1 session: $10 Class size: max 16 Friday: Mar 20th 1.00 pm - 2.30 pm Delta Archives, Ladner

G24 - Using Your Computer for Digital Photography 4 sessions: $40 Class size: max 8 Mondays: Mar 9th, 16th, 23rd & 30th 7.00 pm - 9.00 pm KinVillage Community Centre, Tsawwassen

T24 - William Shakespeare’s King Lear and Much Ado About Nothing 6 sessions: $60 Class size: max 20 Wednesdays: Mar 4th, 11th, 18th, 25th Apr 1st & 8th 1.00 pm - 4.00 pm Augustine House, Media Room, Ladner

H24 - Computers for Beginners, Level 1 3 sessions: $30 Class size: max 8 Wednesdays: March 4th, 11th & 18th 10.00 am - noon KinVillage Community Centre, Tsawwassen J24 - Computers for Beginners – Level 2 4 sessions: $40 Class size: max 8 Wednesdays: Apr 15th, 22nd, 29th & May 6th 10.00 am - noon KinVillage Community Centre, Tsawwassen K24 - Genealogy Online – How to Research and Compile Your Family Tree 2 sessions: $20 Class size: max 10 Wednesdays: Mar 4th & 11th 7.00 pm - 9.00 pm KinVillage Community Centre, Tsawwassen L24 - “The Roaring Twenties” - A Different World.

5 sessions: $50 Class size: max 30 Tuesday: Apr 7th, 14th, 21st, 28th & May 5th 2.00 pm - 4.00 pm Cedar Park Church, Ladner

V24 - Opera 4 sessions: $40 Class size: max 25 Thursdays: Apr 2nd, 9th, 16th & 23rd 1.00 pm - 4.00pm Augustine House, Media Room, Ladner W24 - The Blues 1 session: $10 Class size: max 25 Thursday: Mar 26th 1.30 pm - 3.15pm Augustine House, Media Room, Ladner Field Trips (Available to ElderCollege Delta members only.)

FT1 - Historic Chinatown Walking Tour 1 session: $25 (Cost of lunch not included) Class size: max 25 Friday: Apr 24th 9.30 am - 2.00 pm FT2 - Meteorologists In Action 1 session: $10 (Bus/Canada line/lunch not included) Class size: max. 10 Monday: Apr 13th 10.30 am – noon

Thank you to the following for their support: Augustine House, Cedar Park Church, Century Group, Delta Continuing Education, Delta Museum & Archives, Delta Optimist, Delta Parks and Rec., KinVillage Community Centre and Facilities, Ladner United Church, Rotary Clubs of Ladner & Tsawwassen, Save On Foods, Thrifty Foods Smile Program, Tsawwassen Lawn Bowling Club

PHOTO BY

JESSICA KERR

Doreen Ferguson, a long-time Tsawwassen resident, celebrated her 100th birthday Feb. 3 with fellow residents during the social hour at The Waterford retirement home.

Did You Know...

Delta Hospital has not had a Surgical Program since 2002.

It would only take $2 million to restart it and save lives.

Find Out More Town Hall Meeting Saturday, February, 14 @1pm Ladner Community Centre.

Everyone Welcome friendsofdeltahospital.ca

February 11, 2015 The Delta Optimist A17 In the Community

Zephyrs take to ice in support of Delta Hospital

The Ladner Zephyrs have continued their support of Delta Hospital by raising $1,770 toward the expansion of the diagnostic services department.

The hockey team hosted its second annual Christmas Classic in late December, which followed a successful inaugural event in 2013 that raised $1,645 for the hospital.

“We are so privileged to be the recipients of the Zephyrs’ fundraising efforts for a second year in a row,” says Sharla De Groote, Delta Hospital Foundation’s special events manager.

“Having this team of hockey players approach us with a creative way of supporting the hospital by doing something they are passionate about was fantastic.”

Using the Delta Hospital Foundation’s “Build-apage” website tool, which allows anyone in the community to create their own online fundraising event

Classic again and we look forward to seeing how the community will benefit from the hospital expansion.”

Fundraising events run by the community help the foundation raise thousands of dollars each year. To learn more about organizing your own fundraiser, visit www.dhfoundation.ca, call 604-940-9695 or email Sharla.degroote@dhfoundation.ca.

SUBMITTED PHOTO

Veronica Carroll (left) and Sharla De Groote (right) of the Delta Hospital Foundation were happy to receive a cheque from Chad Taylor, Brandon MacNeil and Scott Schimnowsky of the Ladner Zephyrs. in support of the hospital, the Zephyrs were able to promote their event and encourage friends, family and fans to donate online.

A strong community com-

mitment to the hospital was also evident on the day with many observers donating to the cause at the game.

“Our team is made up of Ladner locals who care a

lot about our community,” says Brandon MacNeil, captain of the Zephyrs. “We were happy to continue our support for the hospital by hosting our Christmas

THE

20/20

EVENT

Names: Sophie, Simon and Sarah Occupation: Being kids!

What is the activity? Going on the Inflatable Where and when does this take place? Saturday afternoon at the Ladner Leisure Centre.

How often do you participate? Every couple of months.

How long have you been involved? About three and a half years.

SPEND OVER $20 AND RECEIVE

"

OFF

Why did you get involved in this activity? It is so much fun!

What do you like best about this activity? Falling in the holes and being sprayed by the cold hose.

How does it benefit your life? It keeps us active.

YOUR PURCHASE WITH THIS COUPON. Excludes sale items.

"

20

%

Ages: 11, 8, 10

Expires February 28, 2015

1140 - 56th Street, Tsawwassen

604-943-0141

What other things do you do to keep active? Dance, gymnastics, soccer and baseball.

Did you know that unstructured playtime offers not only physical health benefits, but also cognitive, emotional and social development benefits? Play allows youth to try new things, test boundaries, use their imaginations and foster social skills.

There are plenty of opportunities for the entire family to play at the Ladner Leisure Centre. Check out TGIF-Family Fun Night every Friday from 7-9pm. Enjoy activities with a playleader and invent your own games of family tag or hide and seek in the water. The inflatable obstacle course is set up in the pool during TGIF-Family Fun Night, on Saturdays from 1-3pm and 6-8pm, and on Sundays from 1-3pm.

For further information on how to have fun and stay active in Delta, visit delta.ca, stop by your local recreation centre or call us at 604-952-3000!

A18 The Delta Optimist February 11, 2015

BELIEVE IN THE POWER OF SPORT HOCKEY DAY IN

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, FEBRUARY 14TH, 2015 ML - B pri E B l u 2 tick ze pa NT ER g a e j a y s ets to ck TO me au wo game a Sea WI t o N! - 2 gra rn J in ttle nig phed ame Sea Mar in Inn ht h To s P ttle axt wit ers v ova ote m tive l ac Rob o n h A u s T Fit com son j e r s e t o g or o n r ne ss mod jerse y a n a p h e t o da atio y n d ns cou rte sy of

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Over 900 athletes on ice at Ladner Leisure Centre, South Delta Rec Centre & Tilbury Ice all day

LLC Activity Schedule

6:45am - 10:30pm 7:30am –10:00am 8:45am – 9:15am 10:00am - 5:00pm 10:00am - 5:00pm 11:45am – 2:00pm 1:30pm - 2:30pm 2:00pm - 3:00pm 3:00pm – 5:30pm 7:15pm - 10:30pm

Hockey games all day Save On Foods FREE Pancake Breakfast hosted by the Lions Club Official Opening Ceremony celebrating Hockey Day in Delta, the re-opening of LLC and a tribute to the late Pat Quinn FREE Dare to Dream Interactive trade show / sponsor booths / interactive sports demonstrations Come try roller hockey, lacrosse and street hockey (bring your rollerblades, helmet, shoulder pads and stick) Dancing Pig Lunch hosted by the Lions Club Special event in arena (you won't want to miss this!)

Scotiabank Hockey Day in Canada on ice Skills with Kirk McLean Delta Gymnastics Conditioning training demonstrations Vancouver Canuck Alumni vs Delta Police (by donation) featuring Dueck Auto groups' Dare to Dream Shootout

LLC Main Stage Schedule 11:45am - 12:30pm 12:30pm - 1:00pm 1:05pm - 1:45pm 1:30pm - 2:30pm 3:00pm - 3:40pm 3:00pm – 7:00pm 4:00pm - 4:40pm 4:40pm - 5:00pm 5:00pm - 5:45pm 6:00pm - 6:45pm

The Simpson Brothers live Innovative Fitness "Functional Movement Assessments for the Athlete" Sayde Black live Special event in arena (you won't want to miss this!)

Dirty Mike and the Boys live Four Winds Hot Stove Lounge Open Plasma recording artist Rod Black live Hot Stove Lounge interviews with special guests All the Kings Men live TBA

South Delta Rec Centre Schedule

10:00am - 4:00pm 10:00pm - 3:00pm 3:15pm - 3:30pm 3:30pm - 4:30pm

Pres

ent

y: ed b

McDonald's Coffee Lounge Corporation of Delta's Drop in floor hockey Special event in the gym Special Olympics Floor Hockey game with special guest

www.southdeltahockey.com

LLC Scotiabank Autograph Tent Schedule

11:00am - 11:45am 12:30pm - 1:20pm 2:15pm - 2:45pm 2:45pm - 3:30pm 3:20pm - 3:50pm 4:30pm - 5:00pm 5:30pm - 6:30pm

Mascot Photo booth Kirk McLean Tom Robson Kirk McLean Plasma recording artist Rod Black Tom Robson Vancouver Canuck's Alumni

LLC Parking

- Delta School Board - Delta Secondary School

- Ladner Baptist Church - Cedar Park Church

FREE shuttle service provided by Southpointe Academy & the Corporation of Delta to LLC. Follow the HDiD arrows

Tilbury Ice Schedule

7:00am - 8:00pm 7:00am - 8:00pm

Ice Breakers Bar & Grill open On Ice Games all day

#hockeydayindelta SPONS_RINKBRD_SB_0912_95x30.pdf

1

12-09-18

2:05 PM

February 11, 2015 The Delta Optimist A19 In the Community

Family Day fun courtesy of Tim Hortons PHOTOS BY

GORD GOBLE

An estimated 700 people came out to the South Delta Recreation Centre Monday afternoon for a free Family Day skate sponsored by Tim Hortons. The annual event raised $250 in cash and three boxes of food for the food bank. More photos at www. delta-optimist.com.

SCAN WITH TO REVEAL PHOTOS

Carrier theof Week Congratulations to KEANNA FOSTER

Keanna won a gift card courtesy of

McDonald’s • 1835 56th Street TSAWWASSEN • 5776 Ladner Trunk Road LADNER

If you are interested in becoming a carrier please call 604.942.3081

Enter to Win a Pair of Tickets to

We can’t guarantee you’ll always wake up in time to catch the first first ferry... ferry but we can guarantee we have the lowest price on this coffee. coffee.

Our new Always Lowest Guarantee ensures

6

our stores always have the best prices*.

99 ea

•we price check

Admission: Adults $8, Seniors (60+) $6, Youth (13-19) $5, Children (12 and under) Free. Multi Day Pass (Adults and/or Youth) $10

For more information: 604-870-4678 (870-GORV) or visit www.RvShowsBC.com

Name: Address: Phone:

Drop off The Delta Optimist or mail: #207 - 4840 Delta St., Ladner, B.C., V4K 2T6

Contest deadline is Friday, Feb. 13, 2015.

•we price match

If you see a lower advertised price for your favourite item, bring in the ad and we’ll match it*.

Spend only $75** & receive:

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Earlybird RV Show & Sale, Feb. 19 - 22, 2015 Tradex, Abbotsford

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• Get exclusive show offers and time limited pricing on a variety of RVs!

Every week, we check the competition’s prices on 850+ items you buy the most to make sure we’re lowest.

Nabob Coffee

10

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3 days only

3000 REWARDS

POINTS

valid Tsawwa in ss effective Wednesday, Thursday & & Ladn en er Friday, February 11, 12 & 13, 2015. only

Tsawwassen: 1143 - 56 Street • Ladner: 5186 - 48 Avenue

Always Lowest Guaranteed and sale offers require the use of More Rewards card.

*If a major competitor within our geographical trade area offers a lower advertised price on any identical grocery item (brand, size, etc.) we will match the competitor’s price only during the effective date of the competitor’s advertisement.

‘Major competitors’ and ‘geographical trade areas’ are determined solely by us and are based on a number of factors which can change from time to time. Excludes ‘multi-buys’ (eg: 2 for $4), ‘spend x get x’, ‘Free’, percentage discounts and discounts obtained through loyalty programs. You must bring in the competitor’s advertisement to our customer service desk prior to the expiry of the advertisement in order for us to provide you with the price match. We reserve the right to limit quantities. ** Limit one Spend/Receive offer per single grocery purchase. Excluding Lotto, tobacco, gift cards, prescriptions, clinics, diabetes care, tickets, charities, bus passes, postage stamps, deposit & recycle fees, rewards and taxes, where applicable.

A20 The Delta Optimist February 11, 2015 Feedback

Tsaswwassen Mills and Tsawwassen Commons are set to open in The mega malls at the Tsawwassen First Nation are on their way May of next year. and Mayor Lois Jackson says the Ladner and Tsawwassen business districts will need to undergo transformations if they hope to compete. The Optimist asked:

Do the business districts need a facelift?

Peter Derksen There’s no hope for competing with the thing. We should be spending it on infrastructure instead of facelifting. People love Ladner the way it is.

They’re going to go there anyway.

Phil Gauvreau No. You could fix up down near the waterfront, but I think that’s coming.

Victoria Weiland I would hope people would be loyal to the mom-andpop places that have been here for forever. As far as a facelift, I love Ladner exactly the way it is. I love Tsawwassen exactly the way it is.

You can have your say on this issue by taking part in our web poll at www. delta-optimist.com

Carmelita Elliott Ladner is like an old town.

It’s not like they prefer changes. They like the old ways. I don’t think so. ... who wants to go in the big mall? Maybe once a month or every three months, but not everyday like here.

Gerald Carter I don’t visit here all that often but generally speaking I could see where it could use a facelift.

Last time we asked you:

What do you think of Tim Hortons coming to Ladner?

• 49 per cent said: Finally, I’m looking forward to it.

• 30 per cent said: It’s not that big

a deal for me.

• 21 per cent said: Ladner doesn’t need a Tim Hortons.

This Valentine’s…

ENTER TO WIN 2015 CHEVROLET TRAX

Say I Love You With Flowers

SCORO SHOT

Lucky contestants will have the chance to score a goal through the target and WIN the

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FEBRUARY 14TH, 2015 ENTRY FORM Name: ___________________________________________________ Address: __________________________________________________ Phone: ____________________ Email:__________________________ Rules:

Contestants can be entered beginning 1/10/2015. No purchase necessary. Must be 19 years of age with Valid government issued ID, must be legal resident of Canada (excluding Quebec) Contestants may only enter once, and must not be former professional, semi-professional, Junior level, or coach who have played hockey (Ice and roller) competitively in the last 6 years. If any selected finalist cannot be contacted to confirm their selection, an alternate finalist may be selected. The selected finalist(s) must be present at Scotiabank Hockey Day in Canada to be eligible to win grand prize- otherwise an alternate finalist will then be selected. Each finalist selected will be required to sign an official finalist affidavit of eligibility provided by contest officials immediately before taking their turn on the contest event date. The 2 finalist(s) will have the chance to win the grand prize by attempting to shoot a hockey puck through a target hole once. No practice attempts allowed.

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Tsawwassen Town Centre Mall

February 11, 2015 The Delta Optimist A21 Coming Events Clubs & Groups !Friends of Delta Hospital will hold a community meeting about surgical care at our hospital on Feb. 14, Ladner Community Centre, starting at 1 pm. Join us and hear the physicians tell us what the issues are and how you and your family could be affected. Physicians need our support in calling for appropriate funding for Delta Hospital. Further information at www.friendsofdeltahospital.ca. !Low Vision Support Group will next meet on Monday, Feb. 16 at 1:302:30 at the Ladner Pioneer Library. Guest speaker: Leslie Madelung, nutritionist. !South Delta Evergreen Garden Club presents Deborah Jones speaking on Rain Gardens Tuesday, Feb. 17 at 7:30 p.m. at Kin House, 5050-47th Ave., Ladner. Call 604-940-0937 for more info. !Rotary Club of Ladner, Tuesday, Feb. 17, noon at the Delta Town & Country Inn. Guest Speaker Paul Westendorp, on Pollinator Bees, “The decline of pollinator bees and the effect on the production of food crops” www.RotaryLadner. org. !Getting Started with Ancestry Library Edition, Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2:30 4 pm at the Ladner Pioneer Library and Saturday, Feb. 21, 2:30 - 4 pm, at the Tsawwassen Library.

Learn how to use Ancestry Library Edition (free to use at FVRL libraries) to research your family history. Staff will help you navigate census data, birth records and passenger lists found in Ancestry and share some tips and tricks for getting the best results. !The Probus Club of South Delta, a non-profit, fellow-

ship club for retired and semi-retired professional and business people will hold its monthly meeting at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 18. This meeting will be held in the Benediction Lutheran Church, corner of 56th Street and 6th Avenue, Tsawwassen (note venue change). Our guest speaker is Derek Fraser, retired Canadian diplomat and former ambassador. All members are urged to attend.

Guests are welcome. Please call Dick Williams at 604940-6542 for information.

Our Discussion Group will meet the following morning, Thursday, Feb. 19, at 10 am at CoPs. !The South Delta Newcomers & Alumni meetings are held the third Thursday of each month at 7:15 pm at the Art Gallery, Kiwanis Longhouse, located at 1710-56th St., Tsawwassen. The club is for women who have moved to South Delta and Point Roberts, to introduce you to the community and help you make new friends. Join us on Thursday, Feb. 19.

Contact Holly at holly.hastie@uregina.ca. !Heritage Week - An Evening of Readings with Doug Massey, Tuesday, Feb. 17, 3 - 4 pm at the Tsawwassen Library and Thursday, Feb. 19, 7 - 8 pm at the Ladner Pioneer Library. The Delta libraries are proud to celebrate Delta’s heritage with life-long resident and former city councillor Doug Massey. Massey has spent the past five years researching Delta pioneers and war veterans, collecting their stories in his new book Remembering Those Who Helped Defend Canada & Build Delta Municipality. !The Delta Photo Club meets Wednesday 7:00 9:30 pm at the KinVillage Recreation Centre,

Tsawwassen. Photographers of all skill levels are welcome. www.deltaphotoclub. com Seniors !Shari’s Saturday Social Valentine Dance will be held on Saturday, Feb. 14.

Tickets will be available at the door. Cash or cheque only please. $10 for members, $12 for non-members includes mid-evening coffee, tea, and assorted goodies. KinVillage Community Centre, 5430-10th Ave., Tsawwassen. If you wish to reserve a table, please call Shari at 604-943-8755 by Feb. 12. !Come join the Philosophers’ Café discussion this Friday, Feb. 13, 1:30-3:00 pm at the McKee Seniors Centre, 5155-47th Ave., Ladner, as we wrestle with some of the stigmas of Ageism. Author Doris Gregory will share portions of her delightful life story.

No pre-registration necessary. Call 604-946-1411 for further information.

Special Events !Feb. 12 Toy Sale. Visit the store starting Feb. 12 for new and gently used toys at Hospice Cottage Charity Shoppe, 1521-56th St., Tsawwassen. !The Delta Museum & Archives Society is celebrating Heritage Week!

Visit one or all of our four exhibits: What is Main Street at the North Delta Rec Centre Feb. 14-21; Along Main Street at Municipal Hall Feb. 16 - 20; Main Street: At the Heart of the Community at the Delta Archives Feb. 16-27; and Curating The Museum at the Delta Museum. This exhibit has a special activity Hats on Feb. 18. For more information visit www.deltamuseum.ca, call 604-946-9322 or email info@deltamuseum.ca.

SOUTH DELTA

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!Well known naturalist and author Anne Murray, will present The Lower Fraser River - Delta’s Ecological History, a slide show and stories of the natural history of the lower Fraser River landscape and its abundant wildlife on Wednesday, Feb. 18 from 6:30 to 7:30 pm at the DMAS’s Annex (4918 Delta Street). Pre-register for by calling at 604-9469322 or emailing info@ deltamuseum.ca. Admission is $10 per person.

DELTASSIST FAMILY & COMMUNITY SERVICES

Arts !There will be a Delta Community Music School student recital series performance Friday, Feb. 13 at 7:30 p.m. at Ladner United Church, 4960-48th Ave. Tickets are $10. Call 604946-1280.

The Coming Events column is published every Wednesday as a community service. If you have a nonprofit event, mail, drop off, fax, or e-mail (events@ delta-optimist.com) the details to the Optimist by 3 p.m. Monday. Submissions are subject to space limitations (no phone calls, please).

FINDS Children’s Thrift Store

Fun and friendly volunteers are needed for a children’s thrift store in downtown Ladner. Reach Child and Youth Development Society is a non-profit organization that helps children with special needs. We are looking for more people to work in our thrift store FINDS. The store is open Tuesday to Saturday from 10am to 2pm. Interested volunteers please contact volunteer@reachchild.org or 604-946-6622.

KinVillage Assisted Living Facility

1-1 Visitor KinVillage is looking for volunteers to visit one on one with seniors in the Assisted Living Building. Patience is required. Commitment is once a week for 30 – 60 minutes in order to establish a friendship. Training is provided. For more detailed information contact John Lusted at 604-943-7625 ext.

1 or email jlusted@kinvillge.org

KinVillage Community Centre

Unique Boutique – Relief Sales or Sorting Volunteer KinVillage Recreation Centre is looking for people to volunteer in the Unique Boutique store to help with sales and/or sorting on a relief basis. Do you have a passion for fashion? Sales, display and cash register experience would be an asset. Training is provided.

For more detailed information contact John Lusted at 604-943-7625 ext. 1 or email jlusted@kinvillge.org For more volunteer opportunities visit Deltassist’s website at www.deltassist.com and click on Volunteering then Volweb.

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Delta Sports Sports Editor: Mark Booth

Phone: 604-946-4451

February 11, 2015 The Delta Optimist A23

Email: mbooth@delta-optimist.com

Athletes headed north for Canada Games Local contingent of eight part of Team BC that hopes to thrive on home soil starting Friday in Prince George Eight Delta athletes will be part of the Team BC contingent looking to thrive on home soil at the 2015 Canada Winter Games which get underway on Friday in Prince George.

In total, 249 athletes, 49 coaches, 27 managers and 23 mission staff make up Team BC and they will compete against the best in the country in 19 sports.

This is the first time British Columbia has hosted the winter version of the Canada Games and Team BC is expected to be very competitive on home ground. Many high level athletes have launched their athletic careers through the BC Games and Team BC. The Delta contingent includes: Minh Le (figure skating), Alex Farquharson (artistic gymnastics), Tavis Jamieson (judo), Owen Smith-Bishop (target shooting), Erin Higgins (wheelchair basketball), Paula Higgins (wheelchair basketball), Connor McDonald (hockey) and Nick Watson (hockey).

Watson and McDonald will be trying to help B.C. repeat as champions in men’s hockey.

The U16 blueliners are both top Western Hockey League prospects, drafted by Lethbridge and Kamloops respectively. They regularly suit up with the Delta Hockey Academy’s U18 Prep team.

Daniels has established herself as one of the top junior age curlers in the country and will be

Olympian and Canada Games gold medalist Joy Fera talks to Delta athletes (left to right) Connor McDonald, Nick Watson, Sarah Daniels, Tavis Jamieson, Alex Farquharson and Paula Higgins during a Delta Sports Council send-off reception last week at muncipal hall. skipping BC at the Games. The Seaquam secondary student was a first team all-star at the 2014 Junior Nationals, helping BC finish second. Her father Ernie is coaching the BC team.

Erin and Paula Higgins don’t have to look far for inspiration. Their parents are both Paralympians who actually met on their way to the 1988

Paralympic Games in Seoul.

Their father Joe Higgins is a former national team coach who has been involved in the development of wheelchair basketball in Canada for over 30 years.

Farquharson trains out of Delta Gymnastics and earned his spot on the BC artistic men’s team through a series of qualifying meets. His 2014 season was

highlighted by a fifth place finish on vault at the Yokohama Cup in Japan.

Le is a four-time winner of the BC Skating Pond to Podium Super Series, while Jamieson has competed in judo at three previous BC Winter Games.

“One of the truly great benefits of hosting the 2015 Canada Winter Games right in our prov-

ince is that it shines the spotlight on Team BC,” said Coralee Oakes, Minister of Community, Sport and Cultural Development.

“I know our home team will be excellent ambassadors as we welcome the rest of the country out west to compete and play in our backyard.

The Games will run until March 1.

Tsawwassen’s Fera to be honoured by Canada Games Measles to win gold for B.C. in the dual slalom alpine skiing event at the 1971 Canada Winter Games in Saskatoon.

She went on to ski for Canada at the World University Games a year later in Lake Placid, New York but it was rowing where she reached amateur sport’s greatest international stage.

Fera rowed for Canada at the 1976 Summer Olympic Games in Montreal and went on to win back-to-back bronze medals with the eight crew at the World Championships in 1977-78.

She has also enjoyed an impressive

Tides at Tsawwassen Pacific Standard Time. Height in feet

career at the masters level and has made a major impact in this community, cofounding the Delta Deas Rowing Club and volunteering with the Delta Sports Council and Delta Sports Hall of Fame.

Induction into the Canada Games Hall of Honour occurs every two years during each Canada Games.

The Hall of Honour recognizes, honours and celebrates exceptional Canada Games alumni who have distinguished themselves as athletes, coaches, officials or administrators, or persons who have made an outstanding contribution to the

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 12 12:17 am 11.8 10:31 pm 13.8

4:36 pm 10.2 6:13 pm 5.2

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 15 3:46 am 13.8 1:24 pm 13.8

8:47 am 11.2 9:06 pm 3.0

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 13 1:48 am 12.5 5:54 am 11.2 11:20 am 13.8 7:11 pm 8.5 MONDAY, FEBRUARY 16 4:29 am 14.4 2:32 pm 13.8

9:46 am 10.5 9:57 pm 2.3

development and advancement of the Canada Games Property.

“The Hall of Honour has become a true hallmark of the Canada Games, where we can pay tribute to the special people who have given so much to the movement,” says Sue Hylland, Canada Games Council President and CEO. “Adding these four individuals to an already prestigious list of people that includes Catriona Le May Doan, Roly McLenahan, Cassie Campbell, and Jack Pelech, is something that is near and dear to us at the Canada Games Council.”

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 14 2:55 am 13.1 12:18 pm 13.5

7:29 am 11.5 8:10 pm 3.6

These predictions are supplements to and not replacements for the Canadian Tide and Current Tables, which include the only authorized tidal predictions for Canada and are provided by Canadian Hydrographic Service.

01046786

Olympian and longtime Delta amateur sports advocate Joy Fera is one of two athletes who will be inducted into the Canada Games Hall of Honour this week.

The Tsawwassen resident joins Nicolas Gill and builders Sandrine Charron and Abdul Shaikh as part of the class of 2015.

They will be honoured on Thursday in Prince George — a day before the city hosts the 2015 Canada Winter Games.

Fera (Ward) is considered the best allaround female athlete ever to come out of the city of Cranbrook.

She overcame a bout of the German

A24 The Delta Optimist February 11, 2015

Devils advance to tier II playoffs after excellent run in league play

South Delta Sun Devils senior girls basketball team is enjoying another strong season, compiling a 6-1 record in league play to advance to this week’s Fraser Valley tier II playoffs.

The Sun Devils closed out their league schedule with a a 47-18 win over Panorama Ridge. Jessica Hasker led the way with 19 points, while Jayde Robertsen pulled down a team record 19 rebounds. Kassidy Nichols added 12 points and Kathryn Lehmann eight.

Hasker was also a standout defensively with nine steals.

South Delta finished in a three-way tie for top spot, with its only blemish being a twopoint loss to Tamanawis. The Semiahmoo Totems were given the nod for first place, via a tiebreaker, even though it was the Devils who handed them their lone defeat.

The team has a great mix of players including five Grade 10s who have a lot of talent and make key contributions to the overall performance – Simran Dhaliwal,

Amanda Minni Shannon Wilson,Meagan Wilson and Robertsen who leads the team in scoring with 120 points.

Grade 11s Julia Adams and Nichols bring court experience and aggressive play; to compliment the Grade 12 players including Becca Dewar, Jill Calvert, Lehmann and Hasker.

Calvert is the team’s top defensive player, while Dewar (103 points) and Lehmann (90) are key scorers.

Cheryl Kristiansen has been coaching this core group of girls since Grade 8; while assistant Trey Melton has been working with the Grade 10s for many years.

At the buzzer…

The Delta District Junior and Grade 8 playoffs are underway this week. The Delta Pacers are the top seed in the junior boys draw and a good bet to be in Thursday’s final. The Pacers also finished second in the Grade 8 Boys and Girls Leagues. North Delta Secondary is hosting all four finals.

South Delta Sun Devils senior girls basketball team has moved on to the Fraser Valley Tier II playoffs after posting an impressive 6-1 record in league play.

Post season begins Thursday night for host Pacers

A top eight seed will be on the line Thursday when the Delta Pacers look to take full advantage of playing on their home court in the Fraser Valley South AAAA Boys Basketball Playoff Tournament.

A perfect 7-0 run earned the Pacers the opportunity to host the league playoffs for the first time in at least 30 years. The six-team event gets underway Wednesday at Delta Secondary School.

As the top seed, DSS gets a bye to Thursday’s semi-final (7 p.m.) when they will face the winner of Wednesday’s opening round match-up between the fourth place

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Semiahmoo Totems and the fifth place Seaquam Seahawks.

The other side of the bracket features the second place Tamanawis Wildcats taking on the winner of the Panorama Ridge/Earl Marriot quarter-final game.

All six schools will advance to next week’s 24-team Fraser Valley Championships.

The first and second place finishers will avoid an elimination game and be seeded among the top eight in the double knockout stage of the tournament that will determine six berths for next month’s provincial championships at the Langley Events Centre.

Coming off a first place clinching 79-71 win over Tamanawis two nights earlier, the Pacers capped league play with an easy 105-57 victory at Earl Marriott on Friday.

Despite the unblemished record, the league playoffs will by no means be a cakewalk.

Delta battled back over the final two quarters to win three of its games, including its potential Thursday opponents. The Pacers trailed Semiahmoo by 10 at the half and Seaquam by eight in 78-73 and 83-70 home court victories.

The league playoff final is slated for 7 p.m. on Friday.

The third place game goes at 5 p.m.

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A28 The Delta Optimist February 11, 2015