Loewen bound for Blue Jays
Take time to tour some talent
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Thursday September 8, 2011 Serving Surrey and North Delta www.surreyleader.com
Increased security measures improved flow
Border crossings for truckers more timely since 9/11 by Maria Spitale-Leisk TEN YEARS AGO, the world was
BOAZ JOSEPH / THE LEADER
Guy Morrall (centre), Canada Border Services Agency detector dog handler Kendy Michaloski (left), dog Timber, and BC Ambulance Service S10 district supervisor Terry Raappana are taking part in a memorial ride to the Peace Arch on Sunday.
A ride to remember
Weekend motorcycle trek marks 10th anniversary of 9/11 terrorist attacks by Philip Raphael
I
t was on a steep stretch heading eastward through the B.C. section of the Rockies when Guy Morrall’s Harley-Davidson started to run out of breath in the thinning air. While that slowed him down – much to his chagrin because he had to be in New York City in about 10 days time – it allowed him to notice something quite profound. He saw the vehicle ahead with U.S. licence plates had a small, homemade cardboard sign pressed up against the rear window by two small figures – a pair of young grade school-aged girls. The sign’s simple script matched the ages of its authors, but the mes-
sage was nonetheless effective. “The sign said, ‘Thank you for riding for us. We love you.’ Just those two faces in the back of the car. I can see them now as plain as then.” The recollection from nine years ago still brings a few tears to Morrall’s eyes. It’s indicative of the emotion the former Ladner resident feels each year as he takes part in the 9-11 Memorial Ride to the Peace Arch in South Surrey, an event he started in 2003, the year after he made a cross-continent motorcycle trek from Ladner to New York City to commemorate the first anniversary of the attacks that felled the World Trade Center towers and other buildings.
indeed a different place. Case in point: There was talk of “loosening the required regulations” for cross-border commerce in the months leading up to Sept. 11, 2001, says a former manager for the largest freight carrier in North America on 9/11. The intent was to modernize the system, thereby making it easier for commercial traffic to cross the U.S.-Canada border, said John Bourbonniere, a retired Western Canada manager for Yellow Transportation, now YRC Reimer. “And when (9/11) happened, obviously that went off the charts and (border security) really clamped down,” recalled Bourbonniere. But the result – at least for truckers – was positive. Bourbonniere explained the onerous procedure his transport drivers faced at the Pacific Highway crossing at 176 Street in Surrey in the years prior to 9/11. At the border, drivers would park their semi-trailers and then walk to the U.S. side to drop off a shipping manifest to each individual customs broker, of which there were 20 at the time. Once they reached the end of the line, the drivers would then retrace See FAST / Page 3
See RIDE / Page 3
Editorial 8 Letters 9 Sports 31 Arts 36 People 41 Classifieds 45 GUILDFORD ATHLETIC CLUB and WHALLEY MINOR FASTPITCH invite you to our
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