B.C.
Views
Politics and the
Peace River dam. p6
THE NEWS
www.mapleridgenews.com Wednesday, September 29, 2010 · Serving Maple Ridge & Pitt Meadows · est. 1978 · 604-467-1122 · 50¢
River’s Day
Beavers, Cubs and Scouts explore Kanaka Creek Regional Park in a canoe during B.C. River’s Day in Maple Ridge on Sunday. Stewardship groups such as the
Kanaka Education and Environmental Partnership Society (KEEPS) and the Alouette River Management Society (ARMS) helped organize events locally.
Charges in drunk driving death
Trevor Livingston makes
first appearance in
provincial court
by M o n i s h a M a r t i n s
staff reporter
A Maple Ridge man faces crimi-
nal charges in connection with a
drunk driving crash that killed
his girlfriend earlier this year.
Trevor Livingston, 20, made his
first appearance in Port Coquit-
lam Provincial Court on Tuesday
Businesses try to attract bike traffic. p5
Arts&life
Singer
nominated for
Aboriginal music
award. p19
‘Make sure
medical
growops
follow rules’
by Ph i l M e lnych uk
staff reporter
They’ll be talking about medical
marijuana grows, booze pricing and
even musty old clauses in land sales
agreements that hurt a city’s growth
plans.
And it’s hoped other cities will see
Maple Ridge’s point of view and adopt
the resolutions and push the provin-
cial government into action at the
Union of B.C. Municipalities conven-
tion this week in Whistler.
Maple Ridge Mayor Ernie Daykin is
confident the resolutions will at least
see the light of day.
“I’m sure we’ll get support on the
medical marijuana grow thing be-
James Maclennan/THE NEWS cause it is a challenge in a number of
municipalities.”
Surrey proposed the resolution last
year, but it didn’t get any support.
See UBCM, p3
on one court each of dangerous ment used the The four were returning home
driving causing death, impaired jaws of life to from a night out at Rooster’s
driving causing death, and hav- extract Liv- Country Cabaret in Pitt Mead-
ing a blood alcohol content over ingston from ows.
.08 while in care or control of ve- the car. He Livingston’s serious injuries
hicle. was airlifted initially prevented police from
Livingston is accused of being to Royal Co- laying charges sooner.
behind the wheel of a silver Audi lumbian Hos- He was in a drug-induced coma
on March 8, when it slammed into pital in New for nearly a month and police say
hydro pole in Pitt Meadows, kill- Westminster he has had to make “life altering
ing 19-year-old Amanda Wood- with serious arrangements” as a result of inju-
thorpe. head and in- Woodthorpe ries sustained in the crash.
The Maple Ridge teen was re- ternal inju- “Mr. Livingston’s health ... has
moved from the crumpled wreck
by people passing by. She was
pronounced dead at the scene.
The Pitt Meadows fire depart-
ries.
Two passengers in the back seat
– a 20-year-old man and 19-year-
old woman – were also injured.
positively improved and he is now
able to answer to the charges,”
said Insp. Derren Lench.
See Charges, p10
N ew drunk driving rules
hurting pub.
See story, p3
Index
Opinion 6
Tom Fletcher 6
Letters 7
Community Calendar 18
Arts&life 19
Sports 23
Classifieds 27
New drunk driving rules hurting pub
Ridge Meadows RCMP
nabbed first driver on Friday
under new legislation
by M o n i s h a M a r t i n s
staff reporter
Tough new drunk driving rules
that came into effect across B.C.
last week have Maple Ridge pubs
scrambling to get customers to
drink an alcoholic beverage.
“It’s like a switch went off on
Monday,” said Todd Arbuthnot,
who owns the Fox’ Reach Pub and
Grill on Dewdney Trunk Road near
203rd Street.
“Business is way off as a result.
People’s drinking habits changed
immediately. They are either or-
dering only one drink or not order-
ing any.”
Under the new legislation, anyone
with a blood alcohol level above 0.08
faces an immediate 90-day driving
ban, fines of more than $ 4,000 and
a 30-day vehicle impoundment – in
addition to possible criminal charg-
es.
The rules also created a “warn-
ing” category for drivers with blood
alcohol levels between 0.05 and 0.08
per cent.
Penalties include an immediate
three-day driving ban and a $200
fine for a first-time offence.
Alouette Taxi manager George
Nestor said there was an increase
in calls for service on the weekend,
but it’s too early to tell if the laws
are keeping drunk drivers out of
their cars.
“The increase could have been
because of the rain. I’d love to see
some of these people off the road.
They lose their reasoning when
they are drunk.”
One local pub has even inquired
about $5 taxi vouchers for its cus-
tomers.
“There was no consultation,
Fox’s Reach owner Todd Arbuthnot is starting a new shuttle service to for patrons.
which is upsetting. I’ve never seen
any stats that say how many acci-
dents there are when blood alcohol
content is between .05 and .08,” said
Arbuthnot.
“There are already criminal laws
in place, enforce those laws. You
don’t need to create another law.
James Maclennan/THE NEWS
They’ve given the police way too
much power. They are the judge and
jury and you have no recourse.”
The drop in pub patrons has
prompted Arbuthnot to consider
providing a free shuttle to ferry peo-
ple to and from the Fox’s Reach.
He hopes to have the van in place
next week, running six days a week
from 6 p.m. until closing.
“Unfortunately, the Fox’s Reach
sits in area where there is not much
housing,” Arbuthnot said. “It’s ei-
ther [the shuttle] or lose my busi-
ness.”
The province, though, has a goal:
to reduce alcohol-impaired driving
fatalities by 35 per cent by the end
of 2013.
The goal was announced earlier
this year in memory of Alexa Mid-
delaer, a four-year-old girl who was
killed by a drunk driver in Delta
two years ago.
“Despite increased enforcement
and significant efforts to promote
awareness, we’ve begun to see a
rise in impaired driving across Brit-
ish Columbia,” Solicitor General
Michael de Jong said while intro-
ducing the new legislation.
“That trend is unacceptable and
that’s why we’re bringing in these
new laws: to get impaired drivers
off the road with clear, swift and
severe penalties.”
Ridge Meadows RCMP, mean-
while, nabbed their first driver Fri-
day, four days after the new rules
came into effect.
Const. Michael Moore stopped the
25-year-old man from Burnaby at
a road check around 11:15 p.m. on
McMyn Road and Harris Road in
Pitt Meadows.
Moore used a Breathalyzer to test
for blood alcohol content, which re-
sulted in a “fail.”
A “fail” indicates to police the per-
son has 100 milligrams of alcohol in
100 ml of blood, or more.
The man had to surrender his
driver’s licence for 90 days, while
the 2009 Ford Focus he was driving
was impounded for 30 days.
“No longer will people be able to
start driving again after 24 hours of
suspension. It is now a minimum of
three days suspension,” said Insp.
Derren Lench.
“As I’ve said before, don’t drink
and drive as we will catch you.”
Penalties
A driver who provides a breath
sample in the fail range on a
roadside screening device (above
0.08 per cent BAC) will face:
• An immediate, 90-day driving
ban and a $500 administrative
penalty. Currently, a driver who
receives a 90-day ban may still
drive for three weeks before that
ban is in effect, and no adminis-
trative penalty applies.
• A driver’s licence reinstatement
fee of $250 – up from the current
$100.
• A bill of about $700 for towing
and 30 days of impoundment.
• Mandatory participation in
the existing Responsible Driver
Program, which costs participants
$880, and mandatory use of an
ignition interlock device for one
year, which currently costs $1,420.
• Thus, one fail of a roadside
screening device will cost a driver
about $3,750 before they can
legally operate a vehicle again,
following any related suspension.
A driver who provides a breath
sample in the warn range on
a roadside screening device
(between 0.05 and 0.08 per cent
BAC) for the first time in a five-
year period will face:
• A three-day driving ban and
a $200 administrative penalty.
These will rise to a seven-day ban
and $300 penalty for a second
“warn” reading within five years,
and a 30-day ban and $400
penalty for a third “warn” reading
within five years.
• A driver’s licence reinstatement
fee of $250. This is a new cost
for this driver, as the current
reinstatement fee of $100 only
applies to driving bans longer
than 24 hours.
• The possibility of three days of
vehicle impoundment, which will
cost about $150.

council want the provincial gov-

‘Municipalities turned into default regulators’ ernment to enact policies suggest-

UBCM from front
Since then, the TAGS Medical
Cannabis dispensary opened in
Maple Ridge on 224th Street, south
of Lougheed Highway.
Maple Ridge then wrote a let-
ter to Health Canada expressing
the same concerns about medical
marijuana growops as an earlier
resolution proposed by the Feder-
ation of Canadian Municipalities.
The resolution at Whistler will
ask for the same thing – that the
federal government figure out a
way to ensure medicinal marijua-
na growops are following all the
rules.
The resolution cites the risks
of growing medicinal marijuana,
which resemble the illegal opera-
tions – such as grow rips, health
hazards to kids living in homes
where marijuana is grown inten-
sively, and the greater risk of fires
and chemical spills.
Daykin said Kelowna, Langley
and Parksville are facing the same
issue as Maple Ridge, with dispen-
saries opening.
The current situation turns mu-
nicipalities into the “default regu-
lator,” he said.
“We don’t have the manpower to
go around monitoring growops.”
The issue cropped up last year
when Surrey asked that Health
Canada to require medicinal mari-
juana grow operations to follow all
electrical, health, fire and safety
regulations.
That prompted a response from
Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq,
explaining that her department
does not verify compliance by me-
dicinal marijuana users. Those re-
sponsibilities are stated when the
person gets the licence, she said.
“I think the feds have put in a
system that has no checks and bal-
ances,” Daykin said.
So far, though, he knows of only
two medical growops in Maple
Ridge not following their licence
requirements.
Daykin added he had no problem
with sick people using marijuana
to ease their suffering. But give it
a drug identification number and
sell it from a pharmacy, he sug-
gested.
Coun. Cheryl Ashlie is particu-
larly concerned about alcohol
pricing in bars and stores that
seems targeted at kids. Often, low-
alcohol drinks are more expensive
and the strong stuff and it should
be the other way around.
She and the rest of Maple Ridge
ed by the Centre for Addictions
Research of B.C.
She doesn’t want the government
to do another study – which could
delay things another decade.
Another resolution asks the
province to change the Land Ti-
tles Act so that cities and towns
can remove clauses that prohibit
a particular use when a property
is sold.
Often those covenants are put
in place to prevent a retail com-
petitor from later using the same
property. However, the clauses
can last for years and hurt munici-
pal goals for development.
“That will be interesting to see
how many other communities
have that problem,” said Daykin.
Albion flats planning now to public
Presentation on
uses at ACT, 6 p.m.
by Phil Mel nyc hu k
staff reporter
Bill Walsh wonders
when he’ll get his say.
The resident who
lives at the corner of
Lougheed Highway and
105th Avenue is aware
of the open house on
the future of Albion flats
tonight, but he won’t
be able to get there be-
cause of the cancer he’s
fighting. A study says the Albion flats are a strong location for commercial development.
On the other hand,
he’s yet to hear from the
consultant managing want to talk to me,” said
the public input process Walsh.
for the District of Maple
Ridge as it starts plan- the future to worry
ning the future of Al- about. The present is
bion flats. bad enough. For some
“No one seems to reason, more motor-
ists continue to use his
driveway on the corner
But he hasn’t got only of the highway as a turn-
around point and he’d
like that issue addressed
as well.
THE NEWS/files
Tonight’s meeting is
the first gathering open
to the general public.
People can drop in and
look at interactive dis-
plays and flip through
background reports that
looked at impacts on ag-
riculture, transportation
and commerce.
The meeting starts at
5 p.m. at the Arts Centre
Theatre and continues
until 9 p.m.
But residents who
want to hear a presenta-
tion about what could go
in the agricultural land
beside Lougheed High-
way should be there by
6 p.m.
According to a socio-
economic study on de-
veloping Albion flats,
Maple Ridge has the op-
portunity to “combine a
mix of uses in a progres-
sive way while retaining
some of the important
natural features of the
site.”
It notes, Albion flats
is “very strong loca-
tion from a commercial
standpoint,” and that
the district is under-
served commercially, in
particular the eastern
part.
“Expanded recreation-
al facilities on Albion
flats would provide ad-
ditional activity to the
site, creating added syn-
ergies for retail,” says
the report.
However, it issues a
warning as well, saying
that before any retail de-
velopment proceeds, the
impact on Maple Ridge’s
downtown revitalization
needs to be analyzed.
Smart!Centres mall
development company
wants to put in big box
malls in the area it owns
within Albion flats.
Jackie Chow, with the
local branch of the Van-
couver Area Cycling
Coalition, doesn’t favour
big boxes being built
there, but if they are,
there have to be strong
links for non-motorized
traffic.
“If that’s what the city
[district] is going to
concentrate on, I’m not
sure how useful it will
be to beautify the down-
town.”
Businesses can benefit from bike lanes
Vancouver cyclists
start Businesses
for Bikes program
by Phi l M elnyc h u k
staff reporter

Businesses in Maple
Ridge and Pitt Mead-
ows are being asked to
jump on to the bicycling
bandwagon and say
how they think cycling
is good for sales.
“Business should
realize that improved
cycling infrastructure James Maclennan/THE NEWS
in the downtown area Jackie Chow of the Vancouver Area Cycling Coalition sits amongst cars on Lougheed
will benefit business – Highway near 224 Street.
because it makes the
downtown more acces- reduced on Lougheed cyclists are a big part of cost) will get a guide
sible for everybody – not Highway through down- his business. showing how to market
just people with cars,” town. That could allow They arrive from the their business to cy-
said Jackie Chow. angle parking to be in- suburbs surrounding clists and get noted in
Chow, with the local stalled on Lougheed, the mall and via the the Vancouver Area Cy-
branch of the Vancou- leaving room for a bike bike path along the cling Coalition’s news-
ver Area Cycling Co- lane from 222nd Street south side of Lougheed letter.
alition, launched the to 228th Street, says Highway. According to the coali-
Businesses for Bikes Chow. “We find we get a lot tion, information from
program Tuesday. “All this money is be- of traffic from people Metro Vancouver’s bike
It’s a plan to gather ing spent on beautifying who ride in from the to work week shows:
a group of businesses the downtown area and surrounding areas.” • average wage of a
who support cycling, we still have all these The mall has easy ac- bike-to-work week par-
who in turn can help cars going through cess for cyclists and ticipant is $50,000;
other businesses attract there and they’re not there are bike stands at • 27 per cent of those
the two-wheeled set. slowing down too points around the mall participating earn more
The Downtown Maple much.” with management con- than $75,000;
Ridge Business Im- It’s not a pleasant sidering adding more. • fastest growing seg-
provement Association place for people to be, One problem, though, ment of cyclists are
sent out the notice as an she adds. is bicycle access from women and those ap-
information item, but “If you make the shop- Maple Ridge. Thind proaching retirement;
it’s too soon to say what ping streets more peo- suggests just a bike • cycling is the fastest-
kind of encouragement, ple friendly, it will help lane on Lougheed High- growing method of trav-
if any, cycling will get in the shops.” way from Maple Ridge el, according to the City
Maple Ridge. Herman Thind, own- would help. of Vancouver;
“It’s just something to er of Opa Souvlaki in People who join the • removing parking
see how or what kind Meadowntown Centre Businesses for Bikes spots increases visibil-
of support,” said Ineke in Pitt Meadows, says program (there’s no ity for stores nearby.
Boekhorst, executive-
director with the BIA.
One of the main ob-
jections to bike lanes is
that it takes away park-
ing spaces and impedes
access to local shops.
But Boekhorst pointed
out there’s lot of park-
ing in the downtown,
although it may not be
on Lougheed Highway
or 224th Street. “I think
we need to see what the
businesses think about
it and what is their re-
action to it.”
She sees a steady in-
crease in people getting
around on two wheels.
“I just see in the future,
people are going to
bike.”
However, bike lanes
aren’t even included
in the newly renovated
parts of downtown.
“Our problem is a
lot of our shops are on
Dewdney Trunk Road
and Lougheed High-
way,” on TransLink’s
major road networks,
said Chow. The trans-
portation agency is re-
luctant to give up space
on those roads for bike
lanes.
What could happen
in the future, though,
once the Haney Bypass
is widened its entire
length to four lanes,
traffic volume could be
THE NEWS/opinion Published and printed by Black Press at 22328 – 119th Avenue, Maple Ridge, B.C., V2X 2Z3

News Views Ingrid Rice

Not so social
Suddenly the social media don’t seem so social
anymore.
Last weekend, a teenage girl was beaten to death
in a North Delta park; her friends immediately
launched tribute pages in her memory on the so-
cial networking site, Facebook. The heartfelt post-
ings were soon interlaced with tawdry photos and
other malicious nonsense.
The previous week, the sexual assault of anoth-
er teenage girl at a party in Pitt Meadows became
Facebook fodder, as witnesses posted photos and
hurled attacks on the victim’s character.
A new documentary film, Catfish, chronicles the
unsettling relationship formed over Facebook be-
tween a freelance photographer in New York City
and the family of an eight year-old girl in North-
ern Michigan who adapted one of his photos into
a painting.
Another film, about to be released, tells a fiction-
alized account of the founding of Facebook, por-
traying its young founder as a bit of a social reject
with real live human beings.
In Arkansas, a radio sports reporter was recent-
ly fired for, among other things, posting deroga-
tory comments about her new community on her
Twitter page.
While the internet has opened up vast new ways
for people to connect and share information, such
unbridled freedom brings with it a level of respon-
sibility.
Unfortunately, the relative anonymity offered
by the World Wide Web and social sites like Fa-
cebook, MySpace and Twitter, where anyone with
enough imagination to create a username and
password can easily concoct an entirely fictional
personality, also opens the web to miscreants
with mischief and malice on their minds.
“Trolls,” as they’re commonly called, rarely
Politics and the Peace River dam
think about the consequences of their actions. VICTORIA – Sci- Alberta tar sands and devastate the warned of mercury in fish as a result
They stir up virtual trouble just for the thrill of entist-activist David Alberta tar sands area and the First of the dam. That’s the kind of claim
eliciting a reaction. They spread rumours, relay Suzuki was billed as Nations people that live over there. that is seized upon by environmental
gossip, demean or degrade just because they can. the keynote speaker “It’s going to go to dirty coal in our campaigners such as the Wilderness
The results of their keyboard tapping can destroy at a recent rally at area. It’s going to go to California Committee and Sierra Club of B.C., who
reputations, relationships, careers, even lives. the B.C. legislature where they need to turn on their air helped organize this rally.
Perhaps in this time of social media, it’s also to oppose construc- conditioning because they’re too lazy It’s true that flooding vegetation
time for a refresher on social and personal re- tion of Site C, a third to open windows down there.” promotes bacteria that bring naturally
sponsibility. hydroelectric dam on B.C. Green Party leader Jane Sterk occurring mercury into the food chain.
– Black Press the Peace River. agreed. It’s also true that this declines as the
Suzuki did not ap- “I think it’s about opening up the vegetation decays, as a 2008 study of
Tell us what you think @ www.mapleridgenews.com pear, so I wasn’t able Horn River gas basin and the tar whitefish and bull trout in the Peace
to determine how B.C. Views sands,” Sterk told me. “And secondly, River tends to confirm.
he would square his Tom Fletcher it’s about trying to create the myth
presumed opposition that we’re selling green power to the

THE NEWS with his furious ad-

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vocacy for greenhouse gas reduction.
In April, his foundation responded to
the B.C. government’s announcement
that it would proceed to the environ-
mental assessment stage on Site C with
a series of recommendations. Those
included further environmental assess-
ment (now underway), a province-wide
study of B.C.’s renewable energy plans
and review of the social and cultural
impacts on the Treaty 8 First Nations
in the region.
The Treaty 8 group, funded by Indian
and Northern Affairs Canada, par-
ticipated in a 15-month study of the
project. The rally marked their deter-
mination to reject it.
Roland Willson, chief of the West
Moberly First Nations, described a hid-
den agenda to develop the huge Horn
River natural gas deposit in B.C.’s
northeast corner.
“They say it’s for 500,000 homes, but
the day after they announced Site C,
they announced a power line going up
to the Horn River,” Willson told the
rally. “That gas is going to go to the
U.S.”
The B.C. Green Party opposes all new
hydro development. Sterk advocates
wind and solar power, precisely the
kind of intermittent sources that Site
C would facilitate by providing steady
backup power.
No one mentioned the planned gas
pipeline and port facility to export
liquefied gas from Kitimat, where it
would displace dirtier fuels in South
Korea and elsewhere, or the proposed
new gas processing plant near Dawson
Creek that will burn gas to generate
its power because there isn’t enough
hydro power to supply it.
Coal mines continue to be developed
in northeastern B.C., and without
hydro supplies available, they’ll buy it
from dirtier sources.
NDP energy critic John Horgan, on
record for years as supporting the
clear engineering case for Site C, re-
ceived a warm welcome. He called for
a scientific and economic, rather than
emotional or political decision on the
project.
Treaty 8 regional chief Liz Logan
”It’s also true that mercury occurs
in fish all over the world, and
in terms of actual mercury
concentrations, Logan and others
in the region should be more
concerned about canned tuna
purchased at grocery stores
in Fort St. John.”
It’s also true that mercury occurs in
fish all over the world, and in terms of
actual mercury concentrations, Logan
and others in the region should be
more concerned about canned tuna
purchased at grocery stores in Fort St.
John.
But you won’t hear much about cli-
mate change or science in this debate.
It’s all about the politics.
Tom Fletcher is legislative reporter and
columnist for Black Press
and BCLocalnews.com
(tfletcher@blackpress.ca)

This week’s question: Would you support the recall of local MLA Marc Dalton?
@ Online poll: cast your vote at www.mapleridgenews.com, or e-mail your vote and comments to editor@mapleridgenews.com
THE NEWS/letters
Time for a HST What is Albion hall used for?
reality check EDITOR, THE NEWS:
Re: Fate of Albion hall
hangs in the balance (The
EDITOR, THE NEWS: News, Sept. 24).
Re: Dalton on MLA recall list (The News, Sept. 22). Regarding the claims that
Before this whole mess with the HST goes completely off the Albion Community As-
the rails, I believe it is time for a reality check. sociation is unable to at-
Reality one: Even if it is true that the Liberals actually lied tract new members, I have
before the election, just hinting during the election campaign to agree completely with
that they were exploring the possibility of implementing the the sentiments of resident
HST would most likely have meant defeat at the polls. Can Elizabeth Taylor.
you think of any party that would do such a thing? She states, “The newcom-
Reality two: Certain people, spoiling for revenge or wait- ers don’t even know about
ing for a political opportunity, jumped at the chance to rile the ACA.”
up the public with their anti-HST campaign, not conducting And she is completely cor-
a survey with options, but asking a single question: “Are you rect.
against the HST?” Since moving to Albion
Because no-one wants any new taxes, the only real surprise last year, the Albion Com-
was that just 750,000 were claimed to have signed up, which munity Hall has been a
in the meantime has dwindled down to about 550,000. mysterious little building
Reality three: Does anyone really believe that Bill Vander next to the local elementary
Zalm is honestly against the HST? school. I drive by it at least
As an astute businessman, he knows full well the benefits twice every day, and have
of the HST over and against the previous two-tax system with often wondered what goes
its many costly duplications. on there.
The question therefore arises, what is his hidden agenda? Other than the name
Not being open about his real motives is called lying by placard, there is no other
omission, which is exactly what he is accusing the Liberals signage, no indication of
of. The same goes for the NDP – it will never tell you that its events, no information
only agenda is to defeat the Liberals in the next election. We about what goes on there,
can also be sure that the NDP will not repeal the HST, if the who’s in charge or where to
party gained power. But even if the New Democrats did, we go for more information.
would see other large tax increases, in order to fulfill all the The hall and the associa-
party’s election promises. tion have absolutely zero
To add to that, we just heard Carole James say publicly that Internet presence.
the NDP is staying out of the recall issue, and that is categori- I’ve searched a couple of
cally not true. times and cannot even find
The conclusion here is that the lying, or not telling the it on the District of Maple
whole truth becomes a moot point. Ridge’s website.
Reality four: If those who have political influence were tru- The list of Community
ly concerned for the people of B.C., they would have worked Halls starts with CEED and
with the government to make the HST more acceptable, for ends alphabetically with
instance by suggesting to lower the PST by one or two per Whonnock.
cent and going more across the board, thereby cutting a lot Albion is not mentioned
of administration costs and at the same time making the HST at all.
much more palatable to the people. In fact, not doing that is Due to the age of the build-
one of the mistakes the government made, in my opinion. ing, I originally surmised it
Reality five: Even now, by and large, life goes on as before. was just a neglected histori-
We still sit in our line-ups for our $4 or $5 lattés, still feel en- cal relic, left behind because
titled to a weekly expensive meal in a high-class restaurant someone hasn’t taken the
and still need our expensive entertainment, all the while time to knock it down yet.
complaining about that added tax instead of cutting back a I have since seen it open,
little on our self indulgent habits and thereby actually com- very occasionally, with par-
ing out ahead. ents whisking young chil-
WALTER VERWOERD dren into the door.
MAPLE RIDGE My more recent thought
was that it was annexed by
HST is good the elementary school.
So it came as a big sur-
On HST letters, I am amazed at the number of people
prise when I read the article
who seem to feel that because a large number of people
and discovered that there’s
sign a petition to say that they do not like taxes that a
an entire organization, one
tax should be removed. Where do these anti HST people
think money is going to come from?
These same people want to waste more tax dollars in
forcing needless by-elections. Wait for the election call
and you can then vote for your candidate that promises
you everything you want to be paid for by lowering taxes.
‘Stop saving farmland that can’t be productive’
I have yet to see one of these angry people even suggest EDITOR, THE NEWS:
some logical alternative. It is always, ‘they lied to us.’ Re: Ridge the next South
I am just glad the government changed its mind on the Bronx (Letters, Sept. 10).
HST. It took a responsible look at best solution instead of Why is a senior from San
easiest political solution. Trying to make angry people Francisco writing a letter of
happy will only see them find something else to be angry support for the pro-farming
about. group in Maple Ridge?
DAN BANOV Mission and Pitt Mead-
MAPLE RIDGE ows are both smaller cit-
ies with smaller popula-
tions than Maple Ridge,
Letters welcome yet these more progressive
cities have more shopping
Letters to the editor should be exclusive to The News
and jobs than Maple Ridge.
and address topics of interest to residents of Maple
Ridge and Pitt Meadows. Include full name and address,
Why?
as well as daytime phone number for verification. Keep The answer is a small
letters to 500 words or less. Letters may be edited for group of naysayers sup-
length and clarity. ported by a few councillors
@ E-mail letters to editor@mapleridgenews.com. and an MLA. Only an elec-
Albion hall is run by the Albion Community Association.
with a long (albeit declin-
ing) history, in charge of
the site.
I was more surprised still
that the Albion Community
Association has been look-
ing for volunteers.
Booking agent Patti Wood
claims that efforts have
been made to attract in-
volvement, but such efforts
have been completely invis-
ible.
While I have no doubt
they’ve placed ads, my
guess is that they were eas-
ily lost among the din of
our advertising-inundated
world.
Why isn’t there more in-
formation posted on the
building itself? Why is there
no website?
Such things could easily
be done by the handful of
remaining volunteers for
very little money.
Perhaps that is a first step
in getting the ball rolling.
Or perhaps, now that I’ve
put finger to keyboard, I’ll
give them a call and offer to
volunteer myself.
After all, thanks to the ar-
ticle in The News, it’s not a
tion will change the course
of Maple Ridge.
Maple Ridge is about to
become Mayberry. Yes, the
probability is very high be-
cause Mission is very close
to having another major
shopping centre to include
Walmart and Winners.
Port Coquitlam also has
major shopping on the
drawing board. The chance
of any major shopping com-
ing to Maple Ridge is slim.
There is also a new indus-
trial park just south of the
Lougheed Highway at Mis-
sion.
What if we had local jobs?
mystery anymore.
EARL R. THURSTON
MAPLE RIDGE
New centre for Albion
EDITOR, THE NEWS:
Re: Fate of Albion hall
hangs in the balance (The
News, Sept. 24).
For 83 years a band of
determined and dedicated
volunteers have take care of
Albion Hall. They are about
to make an important deci-
sions about its future.
I hope the Albion Hall
association will consider
handing over the deed and
property to the municipal-
ity, contingent on its reloca-
tion, and begin the process
of building a vibrant com-
munity centre.
The hall was built in 1923.
Back then, the land was do-
nated and the settlers of Al-
bion, few in numbers, used
their ingenuity and farming
know-how to construct it.
In 1977, the Whonnock
Women’s Institute turned
over the deed and property
for Whonnock Hall (built in
1912) to the municipality.
Enter the Pelton project,
and 1,600 jobs.
I must also note a long
list of other benefits for our
community too numerous
to mention here, including
increased tax revenue.
Steve Pelton has said he
used greenhouses because
the soil is poor quality and
will not support a typical
farming operation and his
past tree farming operation
was no longer viable,
This is true for the majori-
ty of Maple Ridge farmland.
Blueberries and cranber-
ries require high amounts
of water and thrive in these
THE NEWS/files
The people of Whonnock
Lake, population 4,000, then
rolled up their sleeves, and
after 10 years of fundraising
and with involvement from
all three levels of govern-
ment, Whonnock Lake Cen-
tre was built.
The same could be done in
Albion.
It’s time for Maple Ridge
council to get involved and
help make this happen.
Let’s demolish Albion
Hall, sell the land and use
the proceeds towards a new
community centre for Al-
bion. Save the wooden floor
and incorporate it in the
new centre.
The Albion Community
Association and municipal-
ity could be partners on this
project.
A three-acre parcel at
the corner of 102nd Avenue
and 244th Street has been
for sale for a long time. It
was originally part of the
Jackson farm. It would be a
perfect location for a com-
munity centre, not the farm
itself, though.
B. EALES
MAPLE RIDGE
heavy clay-based soils.
Maple Ridge will never see
cultivated fields of produce
like that found east of Mis-
sion, Abbotsford, Delta and
Surrey. Therefore feeding
us locally is not an issue.
Stop saving farmland
that can’t be productive.
We have too much farm-
land that can’t pay its own
taxes through the process
of farming.
Embrace change, for with-
out change we will wither
and die as a viable commu-
nity.
JIM BULPIT
MAPLE RIDGE
School vandalism drops over summer
by R o b e r t M a n g e l s d o r f
staff reporter
Incidents of school
vandalism dropped
sharply over the past
summer, and school dis-
trict officials aren’t quite
sure why.
Through July and
August, School District
No. 42 reported 109 in-
cidents of vandalism at
local schools, the lowest
tally since 2004. July saw
just 47 incidents report-
ed, down from 73 the
year before. In August,
there were 62 incidents
of vandalism reported,
down from a peak of 107
in 2006.
“It’s delightful not to
have that unnecessary
work,” said the district’s
maintenance manager,
Jim Pasquill. Instead
of painting over graf-
fiti or replacing broken “It would be nice to Pasquill speculated
windows, the district’s understand the causes that the opening of the
maintenance staff can and effects clearer, to Golden Ears Bridge may
focus on improving know what is working also played a role in the
schools, he added. and what isn’t,” he said. decline.
“We have limited re- “But I certainly hope the “Perhaps some of
sources to start with, so steps we’ve taken are these people who like
vandalism really takes doing some good.” to vandalize schools are
away from what we can Among the district’s doing it over there now,”
do,” he said. efforts to combat van- he said.
With plenty of hot, dalism are high tech so- Vandalism costs the
sunny days throughout lutions like metal rolling school district close
July and August, Pas- shutters to protect win- to $600,000 annually,
quill said he would nor- dows, as well as video enough money to hire
mally expect to see an surveillance, motion de- eight to 10 teachers.
increase in vandalism. tectors, automated sprin- Fighting vandalism isn’t
“We usually see a drop kler systems, and the cheap either. Metal roll-
if there’s been pouring Mosquito teen deterrent ing shutters can cost
rain or snow,” he said. – a device that emits an $1,000 per horizontal
“Nice weather usually obnoxious high-pitched metre, and a single Mos-
means there are more noise audible only to quito unit can run $900
kids out.” young people. The dis- per unit, plus installa-
However, Pasquill is trict also operates a 24- tion.
shy about taking credit hour vandalism hotline • If you witness an act
for the decline, as the and forwards reports of vandalism or theft on
district hasn’t done any- of vandalism to the dis- school property, call the
thing different this sum- trict’s security firm or district’s anti-vandalism
mer to attribute for the the RCMP so they can hotline number at 604-
decline. respond. 466-4357.
Family ‘wouldn’t mind’ an apology
Charges from front family has to deal with a presentation with said he has yet to apol-
“This case is a horrif- the untimely death of Mothers Against ogize for their daugh-
ic illustration of what their young daughter Drunk Driving that ter’s death.
drinking and driving and sister.” she intends to deliver “I wouldn’t mind
can result in and the Meanwhile, Wood- through local schools. getting one,” Barbara
entire incident was thorpe’s family is us- “It is important for Woodthorpe said.
preventable. The two ing their loss to raise us to raise awareness,” The family hopes
passengers who sur- awareness about said Woodthorpe’s criminal charges send
vived are undoubtedly drinking and driving. mom Barbara. a message to people
haunted by memories Her older sister Jen- The family is angry who get behind the
of that night, and a nifer is working on with Livingston and wheel drunk.
“It is easy to lose
someone in an in-
stance. It’s quick, un-
expected and shock-
ing,” she added.

Bike stolen
from porch
Ridge Meadows
RCMP are looking
for a yellow and
grey mountain bike
that was stolen off
the porch of a home
on Wednesday.
The bike was
taken from the
24300-block of 102B
Avenue in Maple
Ridge.
The theft hap-
pened sometime
between 6 a.m. and
6 p.m.
The bike was se-
cured to the porch
by a chain, which
was also stolen.
 THE NEWS/files
Brent Moore and his father Steve try to release salmon from one of their nets during the record Fraser River sock-
eye run this past August.

Cohen commission meets with ARMS

by Phi l M elnyc h u k being noteworthy of a 1925-26. There, they will kokanee, or what could
staff reporter visit.” also be shown the po- be land-locked salmon,
The commission drops tential location of a new down the spillway of the
by to the closed event at fish way that ARMS dam so they can swim
The Cohen Commis- 11:30 a.m. and will have wants beside the dam, to the Pacific Ocean and
sion of Inquiry into the lunch at the Rivers Her- to allow sockeye to en- return years later is a
Decline of the Sockeye itage Centre building. ter the lake so they can success and has re-es-
Salmon is stopping in Commission members complete their spawn- tablished a sockeye run
Maple Ridge today, as then will tour the B.C. ing cycle. in the South Alouette
guests of the Alouette Hydro dam that created ARMS says the pro- River after more than
River Management So- Alouette reservoir in gram to release juvenile 80 years.
ciety and Katzie First
Nation.
“It’s a step out of
their main thrust of
the inquiry,” which is
to determine what led
to the collapse of the
sockeye salmon run in
the Fraser River in 2009,
and years previous,
said society spokesman
Geoff Clayton.
“Now they have to
extend their agenda, as
to why 2010 was such a
success.”
This summer’s sock-
eye run surprised every-
one. The run of about 30
million sockeye was the
largest in decades.
Clayton said the Alou-
ette River Management
Society could be seen
as a unique partnership
that’s rebuilding stocks.
Fisheries and Oceans
Canada pays for the
Allco hatchery, located
at the north end of 248th
Street.
B.C. Corrections pro-
vides the labour to
operate the hatchery,
while the Water Use
Plan agreement with
B.C. Hydro, which has
a dam on the Alouette,
ensures a steady flow
of water in the South
Alouette River.
“If there are some
successes, it probably
behooves the commis-
sion to understand what
builds stocks as to what
collapses them,” Clay-
ton said.
“We’re very honoured
and pleased that they
see our institution as
RCMP arrest man sleeping in backyard
A man was arrested a large vehicle to move samples of his breath his training to assist
by police early Mon- the display case. were analyzed at 2.5 this person, possibly
day after he was found times the legal limit of saving her life as a re-
asleep in a Maple Ridge .08 per cent. sult,” said Insp. Derren
backyard.
Drunk drivers Lench.
Police said the tired Ridge Meadows “Because of his quick
49-year-old was found RCMP are investigat- House B&E actions, she is expected
at a home on 228th ing two crashes that A television, a com- to make a full recovery
Street and officers soon took place Sunday, pos- puter and money were from her injuries and
learned he was violat- sibly caused by drunk stolen from a Maple get professional help
ing several conditions drivers. Ridge house Friday for her mental state. I
imposed in Richmond The first crash hap- during a break-in. also want to commend
Provincial Court. pened at around 1:40 Ridge Meadows RCMP the woman’s friend
The conditions re- a.m. at the intersec- said the theft happened who contacted us. His
quired him to reside in tion of 207th Street sometime between 4:45 good decision to call
a recovery house, have and Dewdney Trunk a.m. and 2:30 p.m. also aided in saving
a social worker with Road. Police suspect The front door had this woman.”
him and carry a copy the 21-year-old Maple been forced open.
of the court order with Ridge man behind the
him at all time. wheel was impaired. Man loses car
The man was held Insp. Derren Lench
Officer saves life A 37 year-old-man
in police custody for a said the man was un- Quick actions by a caught driving without
court appearance later able to provide breath Ridge Meadows RCMP a licence has lost his car
in the day. samples due to inju- officer helped saved for a month.
ries he sustained in the the life of an distraught The man was spot-
crash. woman on Friday in ted by officers with the
Jeweller B&E Police were able to get Maple Ridge. Integrated Homicide
A large jewellery samples of his blood, Const. Jonathan Ca- Investigation Team
display case was sto- which will be analyzed ron was one of the first who saw him driving
len during break-in before charges can pro- officers to arrive on erratically on Dewdney
early Monday in Maple ceed. scene after police were Trunk Road.
Ridge. The second crash oc- called to a house on The car was fol-
Police were alerted curred just after 10 p.m. Cedar Way just before lowed to a house in
to the theft around 5 on Lorne Avenue in Ma- 8 p.m. to deal with a the 12000-block of
a.m. after an alarm was ple Ridge. A car col- woman who was threat- 223rd Street, where it
triggered at Gold Rush lided with two unoccu- ening to harm herself. stopped.
Jewellers on 224th pied, parked vehicles. He forced open a A uniformed officer
Street. The driver got out and closed door to get to the with Ridge Meadows
The front door lock tried to run away, but woman and immediate- RCMP was called and
had been removed. police caught up to him ly saw she was bleed- quickly learned the
Police are now ask- a short distance away. ing from a self-inflicted man’s driving privileges
ing the public who may The 39-year-old Maple wound. were suspended by the
have witnessed the Ridge man showed Caron used his first Motor Vehicle Branch.
theft to come forward. signed of bring drunk, aid training to reduce
Insp. Derren Lench so he was taken to the the blood loss and
said it would have taken Ridge Meadows RCMP stayed with the woman Stolen truck
two or more people and detachment, where until the B.C. Ambu- Ridge Meadows
lance Service took her RCMP are looking for a
to hospital. stolen pickup truck.
“Our member used See Police, p13
Beacon signal helps locate fallen hiker
Police from p12 mous call CrimeStop- a laundry room window fering from head and
The truck was taken pers at 1-800-222-8477. on the side of the house leg injuries. He was
around 2:35 a.m. Friday CrimeStoppers will pay was forced open. assessed on scene and
from a house on 227th a reward of up to $2,000 carried out to an ambu-
Street in Maple Ridge. for information leading lance that was waiting
The truck is a grey to an arrest and convic-
Hiker found in the park’s East Can-
1988 Nissan pickup, tion. A man was rescued by yon parking lot.
with British Columbia search crews Tuesday,
licences plates BX0342. Sept. 21 after he fell off
Senior ticketed a trail in Golden Ears Locker thefts
A Pitt Meadows man Provincial Park. Ridge Meadows RCMP
Car thefts who failed to yielded to The 25-year-old alert- are alerting users of the
Ridge Meadows a motorcyclist, causing ed authorities around Maple Ridge Leisure
RCMP are investigat- a crash last Wednesday 7:45 p.m. by activating Centre to several thefts
ing two thefts from cars afternoon, was ticketed a personal rescue bea- from lockers.
parked in the Meadow by RCMP. con. On Tuesday, Sept. 21,
Vale Shopping Centre, Police said the Ridge Meadows between 10:30 a.m. and
near Roosters Cabaret. 73-year-old made a Search and Rescue man- 11:30 a.m., a locker in the
The thefts happened left turn in front of the ager Rick Laing said men’s change room was
between 2 a.m. and 1 motorcycle on Ken- the beacon’s signal was broken into.
p.m. on Thursday. A nedy Road at Lougheed picked up by a plane fly- The man’s clothing
large quantity of tools, Highway around 12:30 ing over the park, which and belongings were
expensive sunglasses p.m. His actions caused relayed the information taken by the thief, in-
and other personal a collision between the to Victoria’s Rescue Co- cluding the keys to his
items were stolen. bike and his car. ordination Centre. pickup truck.
A 52-year-old Port Co- Meanwhile, RCMP The thief then stole the
quitlam man, who was also received a phone man’s truck, which was
Tamper theft riding the motorcycle, call about the injured found by police the next
A 1,000-pound road was taken to Ridge hiker. day in the parking lot of
tamper was stolen last Meadows Hospital by Search crews plotted a Pitt Meadows restau-
week from a construc- the B.C. Ambulance the beacon’s coordi- rant.
tion site in Pitt Mead- Service. nates and determined
ows. the signal was coming
The yellow Bowmag from Hiker’s Beach on
Wire theft
tamper was taken from TV stolen Gold Creek. Copper wire was stolen
a property on South- A large flat screen Ten search and rescue from a closed saw mill in
gate Road near Airport TV was stolen from members as well as five Maple Ridge last week.
Way between Monday, a Maple Ridge house firefighters from the Police said the theft
Sept. 20 and Thursday, Wednesday during a Maple Ridge Fire De- happened on River Road
Sept. 23. break-in. partment hiked into the sometime between mid-
• Anyone with any in- The theft happened park to complete the night and 8 a.m. Tues-
formation is asked to call sometime between 7 rescue. day, Sept. 21.
RCMP at 604-463-6251. a.m. and 3 p.m. on 128th The hiker from Ab- A hole was cut in the
To remain anony- Avenue. Police said the botsford was found suf- perimeter fence.
SPCA seizes 14 dogs from puppy mill
Owner also bred dogs in
Maple Ridge
Charges of animal cruelty are
pending against the owner of
a suspected puppy mill in Ab-
botsford, after the B.C. SPCA
seized 14 badly neglected dogs
on Friday.
The dogs include shih tzus,
chihuahuas, pugs and terrier
crosses. The B.C. SPCA said in
a press release issued Monday
that the owner of the seized
animals owns a pet store and
has also bred dogs in other lo-
cations, including Chilliwack
and Maple Ridge.
Two of the other sites are also
under SPCA investigation.
“These people are well known
to us and we have dealt with
numerous complaints about
Free pizza during Fire Prevention Week
You could win a free pizza next
week if your fire alarm is work-
ing.
Fire Prevention Week runs Oct.
3-9, during which firefighters will
accompany Panago delivery driv-
ers on random orders.
If the customer has a working
smoke alarm and can demon-
strate a family escape plan, their
Panago order will be free.
If not, after they pay for their
Panago order, the fire firefight-
ers will install a working smoke
sick and neglected animals in
their care,” said Marcie Mori-
arty, general manager of cru-
elty investigations for the B.C.
SPCA.
She said the SPCA is required
by law to first issue orders and
allow the owners an opportu-
nity to improve conditions.
“In the case of these individu-
als, we have issued numerous
orders relating to animals with
health and dental problems and
animals in need of veterinary
care, but they have complied
with the orders so we could not
take further action.”
Moriarty said the seizure of
the dogs on Sept. 24 was initi-
ated by a call from a member of
the public.
An investigation revealed the
owner was known to the SPCA
and the animals were living in
alarm for them and provide infor-
mation about family escape plan-
ning.
The 2010 Fire Prevention Week
theme is “Smoke Alarms: A Sound
You Can Live With.”
This theme is timely for Brit-
ish Columbia with the legislation
change that occurred in the late
spring requiring smoke alarms in
all homes.
During the week, the newly ren-
ovated Fire Hall No. 1 will host an
open house on Saturday, 11 a.m.
distress. A warrant was then
obtained.
She said the dogs seized were
living in poor conditions and
some of them had badly matted
fur. They were also suffering
from untreated health issues
that included eye infections,
dental disease and badly over-
grown nails.
Moriarty said the seizure
highlights the need for better
municipal legislation to stop
the sale of puppy mill dogs.
“Unfortunately, there is cur-
rently little to stop unscrupu-
lous breeders from exploiting
animals for profit when they
can sell their puppies through
local pet stores, classified ads
and online sites.”
The B.C. SPCA investigation
continues in the suspected pup-
py mill.
to 4 p.m.
The Maple Ridge fire depart-
ment will also sponsor its annual
Fire Chief for a Day contest.
Also, Community Safety Stars
will be honoured – those who
have gone above and beyond the
call of duty to promote, teach and
support fire and life safety in Ma-
ple Ridge.
Also, the department is encour-
aging all residents to take part
in the Great Canadian Fire Drill.
Register at www.safeathome.ca.
 Community Calendar
C
ommunity Calendar lists
events in Maple Ridge and
Pitt Meadows. Notices are
free to local non-profit groups
courtesy of The News. Drop off
details to 22328 119 Ave., fax
to 604-463-4741 or e-mail
events@mapleridgenews.
com at least a week before the
event. Include a contact name
and number. (No submissions
by phone.) Listings appear as
space permits. For guaranteed
publication, ask our classified
department at 604-467-1122
about non-profit rates.
Wednesday, Sept. 29
• The Maple Ridge Public
Library is hosting its third
annual Chocolate Festival from
4 to 5 p.m. Bring your sweet
tooth and enjoy an hour of fun
filled chocolate activities and
games. Kids Grades 5 and up
welcome. Please register at the
second floor information desk,
or call the Maple Ridge Public
Library for more information.
• The Pitt Meadows Public
Library is holding a family
games night from 6:45 to 8:30
p.m. There will be a variety
of board games set up for
everyone to use, and some
light refreshments.
• The Maple Ridge Public
Library is running a Teen
Movie Night from 6 to 8 p.m.
Enjoy a fun evening with a
free movie and some popcorn.
All movies will be rated PG or
PG-13. Please register at the
second floor information desk,
or call 604-467-7417 for more
information.
Thursday, Sept. 30
• The Ridge Meadows
Seniors’ Society is holding
an open house at the Pitt
Meadows Seniors’ Lounge at 1
p.m. The lounge is located at
the Pitt Meadows Recreation
Centre, 12017 Harris Road
• The Wellness Connec-
tion presents an informative
and interactive evening at
the Pitt Meadows Public
Library, from 7 to 8:30 p.m.
Participate in a Nia demon-
stration lead by instructor
Sharolyn Wandzura, sample
tasty snacks provided by
nutritionist Val MacDonald,
and find out about a new way
to exercise using nordic walk-
ing poles with trainer Kelly
O’Halloran. Free admission.
Call 604 808-6309 or visit
wellnessconnectionbc.com for
more information.
Saturday, Oct. 2
• Alouette Field Natural-
ists travel to Iona Beach
Regional Park for shore
birds. Meet at Harris Road
and Dewdney Trunk Road at
9 a.m. to car pool. Call Kees
at 604-463-8743 for more
information.
 Section coordinator:

THE NEWS/arts&life
Monisha Martins
604-467-1122 ext. 217
newsroom@mapleridgenews.com

Singer proud of where she comes from

Métis singer Collette Trudeau’s nomination for an
Aboriginal Peoples Choice Music Awards is just
another step on a journey of self discovery
by M o n i s h a M a r t i n s
staff reporter

C
ollette Trudeau admits she still has a lot to learn about
her culture – one that’s steeped in history, filled with
tales about pioneers and Prairie places with strange
names like Batoche.
“I want to know about my heritage and where I come from,”
says the 25-year-old Maple Ridge singer-songwriter, who only
found out she was Métis from a teacher in elementary school.
Her mixed Aboriginal-European ancestry wasn’t something
her family discussed or even knew about.
Since then though, Trudeau been wearing the Métis badge
with pride, now works with Métis Nation B.C. and has even
danced a few jigs.

“I want to be the one that forges ahead and

says I’m Métis, I’m aboriginal.”
Collette Trudeau, singer-songwriter
“I’ve embraced it,” she says. “The step I took in making it all
happen has helped my family rediscover their heritage as well.
I had the option of continued to live my life as French-Canadi-
an-German, but I’ve chosen this path where I self-identify as
Métis.”
It’s perhaps why a nomination for an Aboriginal People’s
Choice Music Award for best rock CD has her beaming.
She shares the field with several established First Nations
artists including Eagle & Hawk and a garage rock, power-pop
band from South Dakota, who have been around for more
than a decade, The Reddmen.
“There are some talented Aboriginal artists out there who
aren’t mainstream musicians,” says Trudeau.
“I want to be the one who forges ahead and says, ‘I’m Métis,
I’m aboriginal,’ and still appeal to a wider audience.”
And Trudeau has tasted the fruits of chart-topping success.
Collette Trudeau sit in front of a mural in Maple Ridge painted by her friend Kris Kupsky. She will perform at the APCMA Nov. 5.
As the lead singer for teen punk-pop band LiveonRelease,
whose breakthrough single I’m Afraid of Britney Spears made
the soundtrack of Dude, Where’s My Car?, she can’t help be-
ing a little skeptical.
“That wasn’t on my own terms,” Trudeau saysb of teenage
stardom. “This time it’s on my own terms and it’s going to be a
true product that belongs to me and that’s kind of exciting.”
Trudeau’s self-titled album is 10 song opus written between
2003 and 2008.
Since forging ahead with a solo career, her music’s been place
in TV shows like South of Nowhere and movies including The
Breakup Artist. I Don’t Wanna Know has found its way onto ra-
dio stations Top 20 charts across Canada. Her song Freeze will
be in the film Dancing Ninja, starring David Hasselhoff.
Trudeau says it’s been a learning experience working with
seasoned producers and songwriters including Sean Ho-
sein, Dane Deviller, Steve Smith, Anthony Anderson, Eddie
Colleen Flanagan/THE NEWS
Schwartz, Brian Howes and Michael Hektoen.
She is in the process of signing with RockSTAR Music Corp.
– the company behind Elise Estrada and Loverboy – who dis-
tributed through Universal Canada.
“I’ve gone from sitting in my room and writing whatever
came to my mind. To learning how to write from profession-
als and making sure I’m telling a story,” she says.
• Collette Trudeau will perform at the Aboriginal People’s
Choice Music Award in Winnipeg, Nov. 5. The show will air
on APTN.
Vote for Collette
Help Collette Trudeau win Best Rock CD by voting for her at aboriginal-
peopleschoice.com/artists/colette-trudeau. Voting ends Oct. 6.

Art shared from Across The River

Two Langley-based artists with dis-
tinctly different yet complimentary
styles have teamed up for a month-long
exhibition of their art.
The exhibition is titled Across the Riv-
er in celebration of the link formed be-
tween Maple Ridge and Langley by the
Golden Ears Bridge which has trans-
formed these once-distant communities
into close neighbours.
The exhibition of art by Deborah
Contributed Strong and Julie Bourne explores
Julie Borne’s raku sculptures capture West Coast themes themes of nature and the animal world.
of forests and marine life. Strong works in two divergent media:
hand-painted silk and coloured pencil,
and throughout her art career has fo-
cussed her work on animals–from dogs
and cats to an array of wild birds and
other creatures.
Bourne is a clay artist whose raku
sculptures capture West Coast themes
of forests and marine life as well as
horses and other subjects.
A touch of whimsy can be observed in
the work of both artists.
The coming together of Strong and
Bourne will result in an appealing,
somewhat playful exhibition of two- and
three-dimensional work that will de-
light viewers.
Both hope that lovers of art, animals
and nature from both sides of the Fraser
River will enjoy this exhibition.
Reception
Meet the artists at an opening reception Friday
from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Across the River runs until
Oct. 30. The gallery is located at 22409 McIntosh
Avenue in Maple Ridge Info: 778-848-5708.
 Arts&Life

Hear Classic Breathing life into an old house

The Bergthorson
Albums Live
The wildly popular Classic Albums Live series
Academy brings
music to the
begins its West Coast tour of The Beatles’ Abbey
Road at the ACT this weekend.
Struthers home
Founded in 2003 by Craig Martin, Classic Al-
bums Live takes the greatest albums and recre- by M o n i s h a M a r t i n s
ates them live on stage - note for note, cut for cut, staff reporter
using the best musicians.
“Think of it as a recital,” says Martin. “These The sound of a piano
albums are historic and stand the test of time.” mingles with the steady
Forgoing costumes and impersonations, Classic rumble of traffic on Har-
Albums Live has found success in concentrating ris Road, adding music
solely on the music. to a corner that’s quiet
“We don’t dress up or wear any sort of costume. for the past year.
All of our energy is put into the music. We want “It’s birthing life into
the performance to sound exactly like the al- this old house that has
bum,” says Martin. this fabled history in the
Abbey Road is the 11th studio album by English community,” said Robert James Maclennan/THE NEWS
superstars The Beatles. Though work on Abbey Hornsey, who officially
Road began in April 1969, making it the final al- Judith Bergthorson and Rob Hornsey at the Bergthorson Academy’s new location in
opened the Bergthor- the Struthers House in Pitt Meadows.
bum recorded by the band, Let It Be was the last son Academy of Musi-
album released before The Beatles’ dissolution in cal Arts’ Pitt Meadows month and will be ad- 1994. the learning environ-
1970. location over the week- justed by the city annu- “It’s almost like this ment,” she said.
Abbey Road is regarded as one of the bands end, with his wife Judith ally by three per cent. house was built for this. “We really believe peo-
most tightly constructed albums, although the Bergthorson. Setting up shop in the It is a great fit,” said ple learn best when they
band was barely operating as a unit at the time. Located in the historic city, however, has been Hornsey. are in a comfortable
“Abbey Road is the perfect album to introduce Struthers House at 12229 almost a year in the The house now boasts environment. We spe-
the series with,” says Martin. “Everyone knows Harris Road, the acad- making for the school. six teaching studios and cifically chose that place
and loves this album. I’ll have ten of the world’s emy will offer all the It was delayed by three Heintzman pianos. because we wanted a
greatest musicians on stage faithfully recreating programs its currently a spring fire that de- Judith Bergthorson al- place that was warm,
the album.” does in Maple Ridge - stroyed part of the ways intended to open a welcoming and homey.”
The next album to tour will be Pink Floyd’s music and vocal lessons house, that was built satellite location for her • To find out more
Dark Side of the Moon, which hits The ACT on as well as its popular in the 1930s by William music academy in Pitt about the Bergthorson
April 16 next year. Academy of Rock. Struthers and his wife, Meadows. Academy of Musical
• Classic Albums Live: The Beatles’ Abbey Road The house is being Maggie Cutler. “The location is really Arts, call 604-467-6613 or
plays The ACT Saturday at 8 p.m. For tickets, vis- rented to the music The City of Pitt Mead- consistent with our out- visit www.bergthorson.
it theactmapleridge.org or call 604-476-2787. academy for $1,469 per ows bought the house in look on ambience and com.
 Arts&Life

Tribute bands set to rock

Catch AC/DC and Rolling Stone covers
in Maple Ridge this weekend
If you are in the mood Their set covers the
for some classic rock entire gamut of AC/
this weekend, you’ll be DC’s career and fea-
able to feed that crav- tures classics like Hells
ing as tribute bands Bells, Thunderstruck,
Thunderstruck and Touch Too Much and
Steel Wheels get set to Girl’s got Rhythm.
rock local pubs. Featuring Guy Turn-
Performing for the bull, Ted Croft, Al
past decade, Thunder- Sirett, brothers Dean
struck bills itself as and Gary Way, Rolling
“the premier AC/DC Stone’s tribute Steel
tribute on the market Wheels has been per-
today.” forming together since
From Angus’ school 2002.
boy outfit and signa- The band recently
ture Gibson SG guitar added sax player Ryan
to a singer who sounds Glasgo (Los Furios)
just like Brian Johnson and vocalist Elaine Ma-
and Bon Scott, you’d gus to its lineup, for a
be forgiven for doing a live show that’s unique
double take. and authentic. Contributed
The band’s awesome • Thunderstruck plays Thunderstruck plays Club Climax on Friday.
stage show including 10 p.m. Friday at Club
pyrotechnics, ringing Climax, 11935 207th Av- Steel Wheels play two Public House, 22222
Hell’s Bells and cannon enue, Maple Ridge. For free shows Friday and Lougheed Highway in
shots. tickets, call 604-465-3131. Saturday at The Haney Maple Ridge.

Ridge country muso plays showcase

Hear country musi- los earlier this year. the month. be emceed by magician
cian Roger Schmidt His single The Right Schmidt will share Rod Boss.
live in a showcase at Way is currently in the stage Kerry • The showcase plays
the Terry Fox Theatre rotation on 30 stations Lee Manuel, Steven Saturday at the Terry
this weekend. across Canada ,includ- Koenig, and Angelina Fox Theatre, 1260 Riv-
Schmidt, who re- ing Country 107.1 in Cosens at the Vancou- erwood Gate, Port Co-
cently moved to Maple Abbotsford. ver Independent Music quitlam. Tickets are $20
Ridge from Port Co- His next single, Mon- Showcase, which will and $13 for students.
quitlam, released the ey Tree, is set to hit the
album Horns and Ha- airwaves at the end of

Ongoing
• Singles dance, at various locations,
every Saturday night. Includes dinner and a
live band. For more information call Doris at
604-465-4412.
• Is your weight affecting your
life? Contact Overeaters anonymous. No
fees, do dues, no weigh in, no diet. Meeting
Community Calendar
time is every Tuesday at 1:15 p.m. and every
Thursday at 7 p.m. at Maple Ridge Public
Library’s Alouette Room. For more informa-
tion call 604-878-4575.
• Pass the dreary winter days by
bringing the kids to the Pitt Meadows Public
Library for French storytime every Friday at
10:15 p.m. Kids of all ages and stages can
enjoy a variety of stories, rhymes and songs
at our weekly storytimes. The storytimes are
free and do not require registration.
• The Maple Ridge Skating Club is
accepting ongoing registration for CanSkate,
Skate Canada’s national learn-to-skate
program designed for beginners. Registra-
tion will continue throughout the Fall/
Winter season until sessions are full. For
more information about rates and times,
visit www.MapleRidgeSkating.com.
• The Maple Ridge Legion euchre
club is looking for players. The club meets
Wednesdays from 7 to 9 p.m. at the legion,
corner of Brown Avenue and 224th Street.
Call Irene at 604-465-1956 for info.

THE NEWS/sports
Stick Siren
Justine D’Amico of the Abbotsford Sirens carries the puck during first period play against the Boracchas at Planet Ice in Maple Ridge on Sunday afternoon.
Flames burn Devils in North Delta
Ridge Meadows Junior B
squad downs league-leaders
7-6 in wild road game
by R o b e r t M a n g e l s d o r f
staff reporter
In a see-saw battle that featured
13 goals, it was fitting that Ridge
Meadows Flames forward Danny
Brandys should score the winner
Saturday night against the North
Delta Devils.
With 11 points in seven games
to start the season, Brandys has
quickly emerged as the Flames’
No. 1 scorer, earning first star
honours in the 7-6 road win last
weekend.
“He has really turned it up a
notch,” said Flames head coach
Tavis Eaton. “I think he’s shown
he’s one of the best players in this
league.”
Brandys’ game-winning goal
Pitt Meadows falls to Handsworth in first conference test
by R o b e r t M a n g e l s d o r f
staff reporter
The Pitt Meadows Ma-
rauders got soaked on the
field and the scoreboard
capped a five-point weekend for
the 19-year-old forward.
Eaton said Brandys has tradition-
ally played the role of set-up man,
but this season he is being encour-
aged to shoot the puck more. The
strategy seems to be working, as
Brandys is now tied with Dustin
Cervo in team scoring, with five
goals and six assists.
Linemate Cervo helped set up
Brandys on the game-winning
goal, a two-on-one that helped put
away the league-leading Devils for
good Saturday night.
“It wasn’t the best played game,
but a win is a win,” said Eaton.
Cervo opened the scoring just 40
seconds into the game, only to see
the Devil skate down the ice and
even things up just seven seconds
later.
The back-and-forth scoring
would continue most of the night.
The Flames pulled ahead 3-1 early
in the second, but the Devils an-
swered back two and a half min-
utes later, tying the game. A pair of
Friday afternoon, as they A torrential downpour
fell 29-6 to No. 3-ranked greeted the team when
Handsworth Royals of they arrived on the North
North Vancouver in their Shore, playing havoc with
first game of Mainland AA the Marauders’ passing
Conference varsity football game, according to coach
action. Dave Holleran.
goals later, and the game was tied
4-4 heading into the final frame.
Julius Ho gave the Devils their
first lead of the night just one
minute into the third period, but
again the lead would not
last long, as Ryan Stew-
art evened things up
for the Flames. Mi-
chael Nardi scored
his sixth goal of
the season for
the Devils on
the power play,
before Brent
Fletcher tied
things up three
minutes later.
With five minutes
left, Brandys notched
what would stand as the
game-winner, as goaltender Ty-
ler Klassen was able to stand his
ground and preserve the lead to
final buzzer.
The win helped salvage the week-
end for the Flames, who started
out flat Friday night at home,
“It was very hard to throw
in ... and we had three or
four dropped balls in a
row,” he said. “That killed
two or three of our drives.”
Malcolm Williams scored
the lone touchdown for
James Maclennan/THE NEWS
falling behind 4-0 to the Delta Ice
Hawks after the first 15 minutes
of play. Klassen got the hook after
allowing two goals on five shots in
the first four minutes of the game.
Spencer Marro didn’t fare
much better, allowing two
goals on eight shots.
After a time-out
to settle down the
squad, the Flames
went to work, chip-
ping away at the
Ice Hawks’ lead.
Brandys was able
to notch a pair of
goals before the pe-
riod was up, cutting
the Ice Hawks’ lead to
two.
However, the Flames faced a
set-back when Matthew Keller was
tossed for fighting at the end of the
first period, resulting in a whop-
ping seven minute power play for
the Ice Hawks to start the second
frame.
See Flames, p25
the Marauders, on a throw
from quarterback Danny
Childress.
The Marauders’ running
game didn’t fare much bet-
ter.
See Marauders, p26
Section coordinator:
Robert Mangelsdorf
604-467-1122 ext. 216
newsroom@mapleridgenews.com
Big wins
for Knights
squads
S taff Repor te r
Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows News
The Meadow Ridge
Knights had a success-
ful weekend on the grid-
iron, as the community
football program’s atom,
peewee, and bantam
teams each posted wins.
The bantam Knights
emerged the victor from
a classic trench battle
as they beat the Mis-
sion Niners 16-8 thanks
to strong play on both
sides of the ball along
the line of scrimmage.
The Knights’ defence
was able to turn back
the Niners on third
down as time expired,
clinching the win. Brett
Boyce, Mike Kalmykov
and Donavan McNee
lead the Knights defence
while Adrial Sellers was
among the standouts
on offence. The Knights
are in action again this
weekend when they
take on the Chilliwack
Giants.
In atom action, the
Meadow Ridge Blue
Knights extended their
winning streak to four
straight games by post-
ing a 35-13 win over Mis-
sion’s atom squad. Scor-
ing for
the Knights were Cade
Cote and Blake Alford,
while Dryden Pollon
and Jaydeep
Sachar lead the de-
fence. The Knights
are back in action this
Saturday when they
take on North Langely
at Samuel Robertson
Technical.
The peewee Knights
also remained undefeat-
ed, thumping the Nin-
ers’ peewee program
29-0. Taylor Makris lead
the way with a pair of
touchdowns, while Mat-
thew Volpiana had a
strong game at quar-
terback. Will Chartrand
and Sean Roy were keys
to the Knights shut-out
victory on defence. The
Knights next play host
to the Chilliwack Giants
this weekend in a battle
of undefeated teams.
The junior bantam
Knights were involved
in an offensive shoot-
out with Mission, but we
unable to score on their
last possession, falling
40-36 to the Niners.
The Knights’ midget
squad fell to 1-3 on the
season after losing 31-9
to Cloverdale.
 Sports

James Maclennan/THE NEWS

Shocking play
Christina Hamdon (right) of the Pitt Meadows Shock boots the ball away from Kelsey Merritt of the North Co-
quitlam Fusion in Metro Women’s Soccer League U-21 gold division action at Pitt Meadows Athletic Park Sunday
afternoon. The teams played to a 1-1 tie.

Flames face PoMo Panthers at home Friday

Flames from p23 Lucas Douglas was as the Flames were un- Flames face the Port
Eaton opted to put able bring the Flames able to equalize with the Moody Black Panthers
Klassen back between within one with his goal extra attacker on the ice this Friday at home
the pipes for the second at the beginning of the for the final minute of at Planet Ice in Maple
period. third period. It would the game. Ridge. Game time is at
“We brought [Klassen] not be enough, however, • The Ridge Meadows 7:30 p.m.
out to settle him down
and get his thoughts to-
gether,” said Eaton. “He
didn’t get a lot of help
either. The defence was
missing their assign-
ments, and the forwards
weren’t back-checking.
“But he played unreal
after that.”
Klassen shut the door
for the remaining two
periods, turning aside
27 shots.
 Sports
Jacob Currie of the Pitt
Meadows Marauders
junior varsity football
team runs in the ball for
a touchdown against
Abbotsford Collegiate last
week with the help from
a block from Jacob Gowler
(left). Pitt won
the game, their first
conference game of the
season, 14-6.
contributed

JV Marauders notch first win

Marauders from p23
“We have to have our passing game
working,” said Holleran. Spreading
out coverage will provide the running
backs with more space to work with,
but only the passing game is deemed
a threat by the opposition.
“Those are catches we have to
make.”
While Holleran said he was satisfied
with how his offensive line played, the
defensive line still needs work.
“They had a hard time throwing
against us, but unfortunately their
running game worked really well,”
he said. “Teams are getting smarter,
they are watching the tape and they
are targeting players.”
Holleran said he will be re-tooling
his defensive line in the coming
weeks ahead of the Marauders next
league game on Friday, Oct. 8 against
the Langley Saints at home.
“Handsworth is a very good team
and they executed very well,” he said.
“But they killed us. We just have to go
back to work.”
Pitt Meadows’ junior varsity team
won it’s first game of the season last
Wednesday, downing the Abbotsford
Collegiate 14-6.
“Everyone left it on the field that
day,” said assistant coach Curt Gowl-
er. “No egos, just pure positive atti-
tudes.”
The team was to face the Samuel
Robertson Technical Titans Tuesday
night, in the two local football pro-
grams’ first meeting.
The junior varsity Marauders next
home game is Tuesday, Oct. 5, against
the Langley Saints.