Canada Day rocks in Surrey page 25
Cloverdale players drafted to the NHL page 21
Thursday June 30, 2011 Serving Surrey and North Delta www.surreyleader.com
Grandview Heights development plan causing environmental concerns
How to succeed
Huge green space set for paving
in school
by Kevin Diakiw A HUGE TRACT of green space is set to be paved for res-
idential development, causing the city’s environmental watchdog to immediately call for a halt to the plan. The city is preparing the Neighbourhood Concept Plan (NCP) for Grandview Heights Area #4, which includes 487 acres of property in South Surrey. The neighbourhood abuts Redwood Park to the South, 176 Street to the west, angles to 32 Avenue to the north and to 184 Street to the east. The city is planning residential development, along with some multi-family residential, to make room for 8,000 to 9,000 people. The reaction from the city’s Environmental Advisory Committee (EAC) was strong and swift. The committee indicated the NCP steamrolls highly sensitive ecological areas identified in the city’s new Ecological Management Study (EMS), an overarching plan for Surrey’s environmental assets. “If there is any credibility to the EMS then this development should not happen,” the committee said in the minutes of its May 25 meeting. “This NCP is 100 per cent opposite to the EMS.” EAC Chair Al Schultze told The Leader Tuesday the NCP being considered for the area will ruin beautiful second-growth trees and wildlife habitat.
EVAN SEAL / THE LEADER
In his youth, Rob McTavish was kicked out of five elementary schools and three high schools in Surrey. He now has a PhD in educational psychology.
Former ‘problem student’ who received his high school diploma two days before his PhD now hopes to help other struggling kids by Evan Seal
A
s Rob McTavish walked toward the stage at Simon Fraser University in Burnaby to accept his PhD in educational psychology he couldn’t help think about the people that had put him there. His voice begins to waver as he remembers looking out into the crowd of 1,000 people – 10 of which were PhD recipients. Rob could see his parents, his in-laws, his wife and in his mind, a few teachers who believed in him when others either gave up or didn’t understand what it was that made him different. “My parents were there to see me finish, I wanted to show them I turned out okay, it was a real thank-you to them.” Now married with two small children,
academic trouble began early for McTavish. Having been labelled as a problem student by Grade 2, he was expelled from five elementary schools and three high schools in his 12 years in the Surrey School District. “I was a very active kid, constantly challenging the teachers,” he said “I would question things like, ‘why is the sky blue, what makes it blue?’ Or ‘yesterday you said this, but now you’re saying something different’. ” Often his questioning was perceived as challenging or disrespecting authority. His grades would fluctuate from A-pluses one year to Fs the next, often in the same subject. McTavish was an avid reader, usually reading well beyond his grade level. And though he was able to connect with certain
teachers who would offer more challenging work outside the school curriculum, having a “problem student” label made for difficult teacher-student relationships. “Not many teachers took the time to understand how I could learn, or wanted to take the time to challenge me,” he said. Some teachers, however, saw through his “class clown” exterior. “Ms. O’Mally at Bear Creek Elementary, she was one of the first who saw my uniqueness,” he said, adding a handful of high school teachers also recognized his potential. Although he finished his Grade 12 year, he was two courses short for his official graduation certificate. In 1986, following in his brother’s footsteps, McTavish joined the military.
See CONCERN / Page 4
A swath of land slated for development in South Surrey is ecologically sensitive, says the city’s Environmental Advisory Committee.
See STRUGGLE / Page 4
Editorial 6 Letters 7 Sports 21 Arts 25 Classifieds 35
STARTING THIS WEEK The Surrey-North Delta Leader is now delivered to you... AND
tuesdays
thursdays
SURREY’S BEST READ NEWSPAPER - JUST GOT BETTER!
Protect Yourself, Not Your Bank There’s a better alternative to mortgage insurance
Get a unique combined insurance plan tailored for you!
Caall us todayy for yyour qquote and to learn moree 604-581-9121 1 For more info, please l visit
www.for-my-future.com