Hated sales tax

Fight HST group

happy with ruling. p3 After 84 years, a miracle return. p5
Breastfest

THE NEWS
www.mapleridgenews.com Wednesday, August 25, 2010 · Serving Maple Ridge & Pitt Meadows · est. 1978 · 604-467-1122 · 50¢
Concert to raise
funds to fight
cancer
p23

Darnell Pratt
back in jail
At wheel in horrific dragging
death of Grant De Patie
by M o n i s h a M a r t i n s
staff reporter

The man who dragged a Maple

Ridge gas station attendant to his
death five years ago is going back to
prison.
Darnell Darcy
Pratt had his
statutory re-
lease revoked
Tuesday follow-
ing a hearing
in front of the
National Parole
Board at Mats-
qui Institution
in Abbotsford
where he is be- Pratt
ing held.
“It is evident that you lack insight
and did not use the skills that you
were given,” said parole board mem-
ber Sam Reimer.
Colleen Flanagan/THE NEWS “That makes it impossible to man-
age your risk [to the community].”
Street art Pratt was granted statutory re-
Maple Ridge artists Alex Rousey and Kris Kupskay, along with Nasimo, at back, create a 20-metre mural on a fence surrounding Valley Auto Supply on 240th lease June 16 and ordered to live in
a Kamloops halfway house.
Street in Maple Ridge, just south of Dewdney Trunk Road. Valley Auto Supply donated the fence for the three artists to use as a canvas. See Driver, p10

SPCA lays cruelty charges
Owner of Pekinese dogs
says he’s being harassed
by M o n i s h a M a r t i n s
staff reporter
A Pitt Meadows man who had
seven pet Pekinese dogs die in
a span of two years has been
charged with animal cruelty.
David Chun Hei Chan was
arrested by Ridge Meadows
RCMP Thursday following an
investigation by the B.C. SPCA.
He surrendered Taffy, his latest
Peke pup, to animal protection
officers.
He has since been charged
with one count each of causing
unnecessary pain and suffering
to an animal as well as animal
cruelty.
His bail conditions prohibit
him from owning, possessing or
being alone with any animal.
“I was cuffed, photographed
and detained until I could speak
with a lawyer,” said Chan.
“It happened a day after my
birthday.”
The 60-year-old added that
Taffy, who was shipped to him
from Texas on May 28, was quiet,
well-treated and had no signs of
abuse.
“During that time, I was very
nice to her,” said Chan.
“She had lots of toys.”
Between April 2008 and Febru-
ary, four Pekinese dogs died in
Chan’s care, while another three
were euthanized as a result of in-
juries.
Index
Opinion
Tom Fletcher
Looking Back
Community Calendar
Arts&life
Sports
Classifieds
Dolly, a fluffy tan-coloured
Peke, was seized by animal pro-
tection officers from a townhouse
on McMyn Road on Feb. 16 after
the SPCA received complaints
that Chan was abusing her.
Chan petitioned the courts to
get her back but said he aban-
doned the court case after be-
ing told it was futile to fight the
SPCA.
He calls himself a “Pekinese lov- Ex-owner fined, barred from
er” and adds he has fond memo-
ries of growing up with the dogs.
pet ownership. Trooper’s fine.
See Dogs, p3 See story, p4
6
6
22
23
24
33
56
Fight HST group
calls for free vote
Court ruling encourages
anti-Liberal group
by R o b e r t M a n g e l s d o r f
staff reporter
Local organizers are calling a
recent decision by the B.C. Su-
preme Court to allow their peti-
tion to repeal the Harmonized
Sales Tax to proceed to the leg-
islature a victory.
“We’re all very happy about
the decision,” said Maple
Ridge-Pitt Meadows petition
organizer Corisa Bell.
“It’s encouraging that every-
thing is falling into line.”
The B.C. Supreme Court
ruled on Friday the petition
could proceed after a group
representing some of the larg-
est industries in the province
sought to have it quashed.
The Council of Forest Indus-
tries, Mining Association of
B.C., Independent Contractors
and Businesses Association,
Western Convenience Stores
Association, Coast Forest Prod-
ucts Association, and the B.C.
Chamber of Commerce all took
part in an application to stop
acting Chief Electoral Officer
Craig James from passing the
proposed HST Extinguishment
Act on to the select standing
committee of the legislature.
At the core of the group’s
claim was that the HST is a
federal matter, and no longer
under the jurisdiction of the
provincial legislature.
However, Chief Justice Rob-
ert Bauman found the petition
to be lawful, and noted the bill
Fraser Regional inmate assaults jail guard
Union says attack latest
result of overcrowding, up to
700 prisoners now at Maple
Ridge institute
by M o n i s h a M a r t i n s
staff reporter
A guard is recovering from in-
juries after being assaulted by
an inmate at Maple Ridge men’s
prison in early August.
could easily be amended by
the legislature if there are con-
cerns about its language.
“The draft bill, after a suc-
cessful initiative petition, goes
to the Legislature ... There it
may be passed, amended and
passed, or defeated,” Bauman
stated in his written decision.
“I would respectfully ask the
chief electoral officer to per-
form his remaining duties.”
With the decision, the peti-
tion becomes the first suc-
cessful citizen initiative in the
20-year history of B.C.’s Recall
and Initiative Act, gathering
support of at least 10 per cent
of registered voters in each of
B.C.’s 85 constituencies.
Bell says the court case shows
how far the Liberal party will
go kill the bill.
Combined, the six groups
involved have donated close
to $160,000 to the B.C. Liberal
Party in the past five years, and
not a penny to the NDP, accord-
ing to data from Elections B.C.
Bell believes the groups were
acting on the Liberals behalf
to prevent the petition from
reaching the legislature.
“I feel like this is an eye-
opener,” said Bell. “The public
needs to be aware that some-
thing wrong is going on.”
However, Bell bristles at the
notion Fight HST are affiliated
with the provincial NDP, de-
spite the fact many NDP MLAs,
including Maple Ridge-Pitt
Meadows MLA Michael Sather,
have volunteered their time to
help collect signatures.
“This a non-partisan move-
ment,” said Bell. “I think what
people are saying is that Gor-
The guard was attacked from be-
hind on Aug. 10 in a common area
of a living unit inside the Fraser
Regional Correctional Centre on
256th Street.
He suffered a broken wrist and
injured his shoulder.
Dean Purdy, chairperson of the
corrections and sheriffs services
component of the B.C. Govern-
ment and Service Employees’
Union, blames the assault on over-
crowding.
“It could have been prevented by
reducing the severe overcrowding
“It’s encouraging that
everything is falling into
line.”
Corisa Bell
petitioner
don Campbell and the Liberals
have to go. But I don’t believe
we’d be any better off with the
NDP.
“What we need is a third op-
tion.”
The bill to overturn the HST
will now proceed to the legis-
lature’s standing committee,
which can either forward it to
the legislature for a vote, or call
for a province-wide non-bind-
ing referendum on the matter.
Vander Zalm called on the
B.C. Liberal Party to hold a free
vote in the legislature, rather
than the referendum
“It is estimated to cost $30-$50
million to conduct such a non-
binding vote,” said Vander
Zalm in a statement Monday.
“During a time of economic
hardship for so many, and mas-
sive deficits by the government,
that is money that could be bet-
ter spent on health care or edu-
cation or other services.”
Meanwhile, the Fight HST
campaign is proceeding with
its plans to recall Liberal MLAs
across the province, includ-
ing Maple Ridge-Mission MLA
Marc Dalton. While he is not on
the groups 24-MLA-strong hit
list, he soon will be vows Bell.
“We have a crisis of
overcrowding. I think it
should be a concern for the
community.”
Dean Purdy,
union spokesman
inside the correctional centre,”
said Purdy.
Taffy is now in care of SPCA, as owner faces cruelty to dog charges.
Seven dogs dead in two years
Dogs from Front
Chan claims he has learned from
his past mistakes.
“I am not a bad guy. I had too many
dogs at one time,” he said. “The
SPCA likes to harass people. I am
now labelled as a dog abuser.”
In an affidavit filed in New West-
minster Supreme Court earlier this
year, Chan explains how the Pekin-
ese he owned met their demise in a
span of 23 months.
Teddy had a bulging cornea and
hemorrhages in both his eyes. As a
result, Chan wrote, he requested that
Teddy be put down.
Sugar, euthanized after sustaining
a fracture to her spine, Chan believed
was hit by a car.
Another Pekinese named Taffy was
already dead when Chan took her to
the vet. Chan wrote in the affidavit:
“Taffy fell outside and there is noth-
ing I can say about that.”
Cecil, who was described as lethar-
gic and anorexic in a vet report, died
in her sleep. Chan told the SPCA he
believed she choked to death.
Chan claims Sunny was hit by the
cover of a flush tank after a train
rumbling past shook it out of place.
“It is the number one factor of
why we are suffering so many
assaults on staff right now.” The
union claims there is one guard
for every 40 inmates at Fraser Re-
gional, far above the recommend-
ed guard-to-prisoner ratio of 1:18.
“We have a crisis of overcrowd-
ing,” said Purdy.
“I think it should be a concern
for the community.”
B.C. Corrections confirmed that
the inmate involved in the assault
has been institutionally charged
and that RCMP are still investigat-
Contributed
Bosco was euthanized in February
after being was taken to the vet with
a fractured hip and knee.
The same month, Bo also passed
away. “I am still to this day unclear
as to how Bo died,” Chan said in the
affidavit.
“The fact is Bo died and I cannot
explain it.”
Besides numerous documented
visits to veterinarians, the B.C. SPCA
also received three different com-
plaints about Chan and abuse.
In March 2008, the Coast Meridian
Animal Hospital contacted the SPCA
after Chan admitted to beating and
punching his five-month-old Pekin-
ese pup because he urinated in the
house.
In July 2009, the SPCA received an-
other complaint after Chan was seen
throwing and choking a dog in his car.
In February this year, a third com-
plaint was received after Chan again
told someone he punched his dog
when it misbehaved, according to a
document filed in court by the SPCA.
Marcie Moriarty, general manager
of cruelty investigations for the B.C.
SPCA, would not comment on the
criminal charges.
ing the incident for possible crimi-
nal charges. But spokesperson
Marnie Mayhew said the assault
can’t be blamed on overcrowding.
“It is an incident we don’t take
lightly,” she added.
“But in this case, it happened
in an enhanced supervision unit
where two guards were present.”
The Fraser Regional Correction-
al Centre, built to house just 253
men, is currently holding almost
700 inmates – 492 are serving pris-
on sentences while 200 are Tamil
refugees on immigration holds.
No pets for 10 years for dog owner
Trooper fine, SPCA
wants jail time
by M o n i s h a M a r t i n s
staff reporter
A man who dropped
off his skeletal dog at
the Maple Ridge SPCA
earlier this year will
not be allowed to own
animals for the next de-
cade.
Michael Schneider,
26, pleaded guilty in
Port Coquitlam Provin-
cial Court on Monday
to causing an animal
to continue to be in dis-
tress.
Beside the 10-year-
long ban, he was or-
dered to pay a $2,000
fine and $404.52 in resti-
tution to the SPCA.
Criminal charges of
animal cruelty and
causing unnecessary
pain or suffering to an
animal were stayed.
Schneider took his
eral sores on his body
and wasn’t expected to
survive.
Against all odds,
the dog responded to
care and was renamed
“Trooper” by SPCA
staff.
Eileen Drever, a se-
nior animal protection
officer who has worked
for the SPCA for 30
years, called Trooper’s
condition the worst
case of neglect she had
ever seen.
It took more than two
months for Trooper
to recover and reach a
healthy weight of 24 kg.
NEWS FILES He has been adopted
Trooper, formerly known as Buddy, was rescued by SPCA by Brad and Athena
in February. Manager Mark Vosper cared for dog. Hayward of Pitt Mead-
ows, who were among
golden retriever called ing skeleton” by SPCA 250 animal lovers eager
Buddy to the Jackson staff, the dog weighed to offer Trooper a new
Road shelter Feb. 28 just 11 kilograms – home.
claiming he had found less than half its ideal He has since starred
the dog near the inter- weight. in TV ads with star
section of 237th Street His fur was matted Jason Priestly to fund-
and Dewdney Trunk and covered in dirt, raise for the British Co-
Road. mud and feces. lumbia SPCA.
Described as a “walk- The dog also had sev- See SPCA, p8
 Colleen Flanagan/THE NEWS
Abby Cruickshank,with Alouett River Management Society and a guard with Fraser
Regional Correctional Centre, process one of 100 sockeye on their way to Alouette
Lake, decades after run was blocked by dam. Corrections helps run the hatchery.

Sockeye’s miracle
return to Alouette
salmon in Alouette in 1926, the B.C. Hydro
River group says Lake from the Pacific dam has long prevent-
run re-established Ocean, the fish are ed ocean-going sockeye
returning in sufficient from completing their
after 84 years numbers to prove a life cycle.
by Andrew Bucholtz run is back. Instead, the fish re-
contributor “I think we can say mained in the Alouette
we’ve started a run,” and became known as
Alouette River Manage- kokanee, a smaller va-
Eighty-four years ment Society spokes- riety of sockeye, that
after the construc- man Geoff Clayton said exists in land-locked
tion of the Alouette Monday.. areas.
Dam blocked sockeye After its construction See Sockeye, p11
THE NEWS/opinion Published and printed by Black Press at 22328 – 119th Avenue, Maple Ridge, B.C., V2X 2Z3

News Views Ingrid Rice

RCMP apology a
good start
An apology is a good start at change
Because change is needed in the way the lockup
is run at Ridge Meadows RCMP.
The conclusion of the inquest into the death
of Maple Ridge resident Ian Young wraps up a
tragic story for the family.
After suffering a head injury after leaving
a Hammond pub in October 2008, Young fell
unconscious on to the street.
Paramedics attended, wanted to treat Young
but he refused them, but then didn’t take him
to the hospital, because they didn’t want to wait
around for him to sober up.
Police showed up and bundled the semi-conscious
Young into a cop car, then dragged into an RCMP
cell like a sack of potatoes, to “sleep it off.”
During that night, while fluid oozed from his
brain, Young wasn’t checked, despite policies
that require that. Two days later, he died.
While the inquest makes several
recommendations, Young’s wife is rightfully
skeptical. The policies requiring regular checks
of prisoners wasn’t followed in Young’s case. If it
had, he would be alive now, she points out.
The inquest though offers a new safety measure
– saying people in such condition should be
taken to the hospital, or possibly a new concept,
“sobering centres.”
Ridge Meadows RCMP Supt. Dave Walsh has
taken a good step by responding and apologizing,
promising to make changes.
That, along with internal discipline, are a start
at ensuring basic accountability that police must
have to the public they serve.
Given several incidents in B.C., where that

Sorry, the HST isn’t going anywhere

accountability has been lacking, it could be a
milestone on the way to a remade RCMP.
– The News

Tell us what you think @ www.mapleridgenews.com

VICTORIA – Fans HST paid beyond what would have been whether any workable outcome can

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go to www.bcpresscouncil.org.
of Bill Vander Zalm’s
harmonized sales tax
“extinguishment”
petition were quick
to gloat when the
B.C. Supreme Court
ruled Friday that the
petition can proceed
to the next step.
“I hear there’s a
special today on crow
pie,” a Vernon reader B.C. Views
said in one of the Tom Fletcher
more polite e-mails I
received.
The same reader scoffed at my argu-
ment of last week that scrapping the
HST would result in a “nightmare of
service cuts” in B.C.
“If reversing the HST would be a mess,
lay the blame where it belongs – at Gor-
don Campbell’s feet.”
I guess if blame is all that’s important
to you, this is sufficient.
But it’s our grandchildren who might
be eating crow pie and dandelion greens
if my generation of baby boom voters
continues to gobble up more and more
expensive services while paying less and
less income tax in a world that’s quite
happy to take away our industrial base.
And make no mistake, scrapping the
HST would be a mess, and a costly one.
Vander Zalm’s petition calls on the
government to reimburse “all British Co-
lumbians on a per-capita basis” for any
charged by the provincial sales tax.
I asked Finance Minister Colin Hansen
what that might cost.
He declined to speculate, except to say
that it would be “administratively very
difficult.”
I’ll say.
And the huge cost would, of course, be
on top of repaying the $1.6-billion federal
transition fund.
Then there are the rebates.
If you are in the lower income range
and were receiving quarterly GST rebate
cheques from the federal government,
you will now start receiving larger HST
rebates. Vander Zalm’s petition neglects
to consider those, just as it forgets about
the hotel room tax that made way for the
HST.
If the HST is scrapped, the government
could try to claw back all those low-
income rebates.
But since that would also be adminis-
tratively difficult, not to mention politi-
cally suicidal, the government of the day
would probably just let the provincial
deficit grow some more.
Our grandchildren can pay it back, if
they can find jobs in B.C.’s uncompetitive
tax structure. But hey, we sure would
teach the federal and provincial govern-
ments a lesson.
Contrary to the wishes of some HST
haters, Chief Justice Robert Bauman of
the B.C. Supreme Court did not endorse
Vander Zalm’s petition, or determine
result from it.
Bauman narrowed his ruling to get this
political hot potato off his desk, and that
of the much-maligned chief electoral
officer.
He declined to consider whether
Vander Zalm’s proposed legislation is
constitutional, noting that it “may never
be enacted in that initial form,” given
that it could be amended or defeated in
the legislature.
Even if it passes more or less as is, the
proposed legislation only calls for B.C. to
withdraw from its five-year HST agree-
ment with Ottawa.
The federal legislation to collect the
tax would remain.
“Whether that will lead to … the extin-
guishment of the HST in British Colum-
bia remains to be seen,” Bauman wrote.
The petition was formally sent to the
legislature on Monday and the stand-
ing committee must convene its first
meeting in September. It will have until
December to debate the draft legislation
that was included in the petition.
Look for the B.C. Liberal majority on
the committee to push through amend-
ments, such as raising taxes to repay the
$1.6-billion federal fund. Then we might
find out where the NDP actually stands
on this thing.
Tom Fletcher is legislative reporter and
columnist for Black Press and BCLocal-
news.com. tfletcher@blackpress.ca

CCAB audited circulation: (as of September 2009):

Wednesday - 30,221; Friday – 30,197. This week’s question: Have you become accustomed to the HST, implemented July 1?
@ Online poll: cast your vote at www.mapleridgenews.com, or e-mail your vote and comments to editor@mapleridgenews.com
THE NEWS/letters
We cherish sockeye, not enough
e policies negate salmon resilience.

“W have
seen
the enemy, and he
Run-off from impervious surfaces
– roads, parking lots – adds toxic
chemicals to streams that nurture
NEWS FILES is us.” Walt Kelly, juvenile fish. Towns could mandate
Memorial should be created out of site. cartoonist, 1948. low-impact development practices,
Kelly’s wise but those are expensive. Developers

Dedicate Pickton
possum, Pogo, might go elsewhere. The Cohen Com-
modeled idealism. mission could encourage towns to
His counterpart, re-evaluate priorities.
Albert Alligator, Several letters address DFO failure

farm as a park represented greed,

and ineptitude.
Together, they
were us.
Commentary
Jack Emberly
EDITOR, THE NEWS: In 100 submis-
Re: The Pickton Murders, The News, Aug. 13. sions to the Cohen Inquiry into the
Don’t look away is right. Never shall I look away at any Decline of Sockeye since April, the
human tragedy. general opinion is clear: we cherish
The legacy of the pig farm is: the “pig palace” where salmon, but we have not changed.
politicians were seen whooping it up with the Picktons, Greed and ignorance infect our
the adjacent residential developments where remains of culture. For decades, humans have
some of the victims rest beneath the foundations, and the found ways to damage the “resource”
exclusion of justice for 20 families who won’t have their and threaten the reslience – ability to
day in court with Robert Pickton. bounce back – of salmon.
Now what? So say natives, environmentalists,
Though I’m not aware of any legal basis for doing so, fishermen, anyone whose identity
I want to see what’s left of the farm expropriated and depends on B.C. salmon. Our submis-
turned into a memorial park for all the women whose
sions all urge the Inquiry – the last
lives ended there.
hope of salmon and of democracy
Travel the world and see all the monuments to suffer-
in this country – to ensure a salmon
ing through war, genocide, ethnic cleansing, and socio- come-back.
pathic acts of serial killing. Governments had the ability No one pleads the case for sockeye
to do it elsewhere, so why not the pig farm? with greater empathy than Celia
MARK O’NEILL Brauer of Horsefly, B.C.
MAPLE RIDGE “I am a sockeye,” she begins. “We
travelled up countless small and large
tributaries … of the mighty Fraser.”
Who’s a conspiracy theorist? In the place now called Vancouver
“more than 50 streams were choked
with salmon spawners every fall.”
EDITOR, THE NEWS:
The same is true of Maple Ridge,
Re: Fletcher wrong again, Letters, Aug. 20. where creeks renamed T1 or T2 are
Wayne Clark writes, “Tom Fletcher is the biggest con- now ditches.
spiracy theorist around.” Dave Smith, a volunteer for the
He goes on to pepper his letter with words and phrases Kanaka Education and Environmen-
such as, “ultra-right wing government, minority right- tal Protection Society in Maple Ridge
wing loons, right -wing hack politicians, lie, steal, right is outraged. “I’m on record as saying
wing agendas, stolen power, etc. the community is using our streams
Mr. Clark has wrested the crown from Mr. Fletcher and as toilets.”
is now the new “biggest, conspiracy theorist around.” Others, like Dave along the Fraser,
CHERRYL KATNICH
wish their streams could support
MAPLE RIDGE
salmon again. Without them we
wouldn’t have any fish at all.
“These animals are amazing. They
NEWS FILES The DFO, in the role of Al Alligator,
Sockeye on Fraser River strong this year.
Bell-Irving fish hatchery. Celia’s
people, the salmon, met the Sto:lo,
people of the river, a millennium ago.
“They welcomed us into their lives. And
so, we sacrificed some of our kin for their
sustenance … they respected us. We
sustained them, they sustained us.”
Other submissions say that mu-
nicipal sewage
flows into salmon
streams and pes-
ticides increase
“The province … declines to nomic catastroph-
offer the stewardship baton to ies
pre-spawning
mortality. That’s community organizations like collapses.”
a problem in the
Alouette River.
ARMS …”
The provin-
cial government
shirks responsibility for monitoring
pesiticide use by farmers, or meter-
ing water extracted from streams by
cranberry farmers.
It declines to offer the stewardship
baton to community organizations
like Alouette River Management Soci-
ety and the Alouette Valley Associa-
tion. Greater community oversight
to investigate violations of the Fisher-
ies Act – such as dredging in river
beds (Canoe Creek), dumping of coal,
and gravel extraction in the Fraser.
One suggests that private citizens
prosecute violators. The public has
lost faith in the DFO to enforce the
Act. My submission recounts DFO
failure to respond to reports of dig-
ging in the North Alouette River days
before a fish kill.
More than 60 submissions point to
fish farming for sockeye mortality.
quotes scientists who dispute the link.
In one submission these folks are
referred to as “corporate scientists
who misinform.”
Researcher, Jeffrey Hutchins
agrees.
In “Is scientific inquiry incompat-
ible with government information
control?” he maintains, “government-
administered science… and political
interference merits examination in
the wake of biologi-
cal and socioeco-
associated with
recent fishery
The problem,
says Hutchins,
began when the
politically indepen-
dent Fisheries Research Board was
replaced by the DFO in 1979.
Putting fisheries within a political
body can allow research to be tainted
by government interference, “legiti-
mizing government policy and depart-
ment objectives,” he says.
This happened, says Hutchins, in
1987 when DFO declared East Coast

Mayor off base on HST will take advantage of any help we

give them, almost immediately,” says
Darin McLain, manager of KEEPS’s
and control is suggested in letters to
Cohen.
The letters say urban development
cod stocks “abundant” when they
were in serious decline.
See Fish, p8
EDITOR, THE NEWS:
I believe the citizens of Pitt Meadows need to know that
Mayor Don MacLean is a great supporter of the HST.
In fact, he will tell anybody within earshot that this tax
is needed and it will benefit us greatly because business
will be able to lower their costs and thereby lower their
Why all the cracks in Golden Ears Bridge deck?
prices. This is a bunch of Liberal rhetoric Mr. MacLean. EDITOR, THE NEWS:
I would suggest you keep your Liberal agenda to your- Is the Golden Ears Bridge falling apart?
self and focus on municipal matters. Anyone who has travelled over the Golden Ears
The sneaky and deceptive way the Liberal government bridge lately cannot help but notice the thousands of
introduced this new tax shortly after being re-elected is cracks in the bridge surface.
despicable. Only the middle part of the bridge is unscathed.
I don’t forgive that easily and I guarantee you I will Both the north and south sections are simply riddled
never vote Liberal again and I also won’t be voting for Mr. with fractures, thousands of them.
MacLean again either. What might be the cause? Is the bridge settling? Is
Any elected official who believes business will pass along any ben- the concrete not thick enough?
efits from the HST to consumers has got their head in the sand. Perhaps the concrete is not properly reinforced?
MICHELLE DANIELSON Perhaps all of the aforementioned. Whatever the
PITT MEADOWS reason, this new bridge is going to need major repairs
very soon.
On time and on budget, indeed!
Letters welcome One more Gordon Campbell success story.
Cheers.
Letters to the editor should be exclusive to The News GEORGE CLARKE
and address topics of interest to residents of Maple MAPLE RIDGE
Ridge and Pitt Meadows. Include full name and address,
Editor’s Note: Bridge deck is being repaired at ex-
as well as daytime phone number for verification. Keep
letters to 500 words or less. Letters may be edited for
pense of the contractor, cracks result from pouring
length and clarity. in hot weather and not unusual, according to Trans- News files
@ E-mail letters to editor@mapleridgenews.com. Link. TransLink says cracks in concrete are routine.
SPCA happy with sentence
SPCA from p4
Marcie Moriarty, general manager of
cruelty investigations for the SPCA,
is glad Trooper finally got some jus-
tice.
“It definitely sends out a message
that this type of neglect is not toler-
ated,” said Moriarty.
“We, of course, would have liked to
have seen some jail time but we ap-
preciate the 10-year ban and $2,000
fine is not just a slap on the wrist.”
Earlier this year, Trooper’s former
owner admitted he neglected the dog
but maintained it wasn’t cruelty.
“As far as I’m concerned, the word
cruelty is doing something on pur-
pose to hurt somebody and neglect
is not knowing enough and making
a mistake,” Schneider said, at the
time.
“I brought the dog in. I could have Trooper now thriving
just let it die, but I cared more about in new home in Pitt
it than that to let it die.” Meadows.

De-centralize fish management

Fish from p7 chael Healey, of UBC. Maple Ridge has resources.”
Healey points to “a no review committee But, “failure to put
West Coast salmon
century of centralized, to advise council on the environment first
suffered political inter-
command and control development’s impact is responsible for the
ference in 1987 when
management focused on stream and fish decline in sockeye re-
Alcan built a dam that
on yield and economic habitat. silience,” says Healey.
reduced water flow in
efficiency … without the Staff asks for advice “A healthy salmon
the Nechacko River.
ability to do the job.” when it wants it. population is associated
According to
He recommends Dave Smith believes with a healthy produc-
Hutchins, the DFO
new policies based a stakeholder’s group tive environment.”
abandoned flows
on “an approach that would provide a fish- If salmon are to
“preferred” for salmon
integrates harvest friendly perspective, remain a part of our
resilance when the
management, habitat but fears lobbyists identity, and sustain
ministry argued for re-
management, and see one as “bitching us we must all, as Celia
duced discharge rates.
enhancement … sessions” to slow down Brauer urges, show the
“Recent declines
That’s best achieved, projects. fish the respect they
in sockeye reveal a
“ by giving fishing and “We have five pro- deserve.
systemic failure of
aboriginal communi- development council- We must become less
the current manage-
ties greater responsi- lors who think the like Albert Aligator,
ment system and the
bility to manage the only way to enhance and more like the wise
need for radically new
fishery...” our community is and idealistic Pogo.
management policies,”
Greater local control through development If not, we will always
writes Professor Mi-
will be resisted. rather protecting our be the problem.
Pratt release date Nov. ‘11
Driver from Front “I didn’t know what Doug De Patie, Grant’s
The 21-year-old re- to do. I didn’t know father, believes Pratt
ported to the residence anybody in Kamloops,” got what he deserved:
and met his 8 p.m. cur- Pratt told the board. another stint back in-
few, but failed to return “I didn’t have my family. side prison.
the next day. I took off because “My hopes
RCMP found Pratt on I wanted to see for Darnell
June 19, walking along my family.” were that he
a Kamloops street. Pratt admitted turn over a
The parole board he drank on the new leaf and
heard Pratt went to a first night but come out and
pub twice while on the said he didn’t comply with
lam and was found with consume any his condi-
a powdery substance, alcohol on his tions,” said
believed to be heroin, second visit to De Patie.
when arrested. the pub. Originally
Dressed in dark blue He claimed he charged with
prison-issued jeans was given the De Patie second-de-
and a white t-shirt with drugs but de- gree murder,
shortly cropped hair nied he used them. Pratt pleaded guilty
and earrings in his left “I just needed to let go to manslaughter and
ear, Pratt told the board of my stresses,” he said. was sentenced in May
that being out of prison If he could turn back 2006 as an adult to
was a “big shock.” the clock, Pratt indicat- nine years minus time
He was just 16 in ed he would ask to be served, for a total of
March 2005 when he close to his family. seven years and three
struck gas attendant “I needed a structured months in prison.
Grant De Patie in a place, well supervised,” In April 2007, the
stolen car while flee- he added. B.C. Court of Appeal
ing an Esso station on He said he appeared reduced the nine-year
Dewdney Trunk Road before the parole board sentence to seven
in Maple Ridge without because he wanted to years, making the sen-
paying for gas. Pratt have his say “in some tence, after credit for
dragged the 24-year- respect.” time served, five years
old under the car for 7.5 There was no one and 10 months.
km. He’s been in prison from Pratt’s family at He’ll be eligible for re-
since. Tuesday’s hearing. lease November 2011.
ARMS still waiting for fish ladder
See Sockeye, p5
Clayton said each wa-
tershed has different
effects on the salmon
that live there, and the
isolation created by the
dam caused the larger
ocean-going sockeye to
die out and the smaller
kokanee to thrive.
“They develop indi-
vidual characteristics
with how they adapt
to that watershed,”
he said. “A mature ko-
kanee may be 10 inch-
es, a mature sockeye
may be two feet.”
Clayton said provin-
cial authorities were
aware of the effects on
the Alouette Lake sock-
eye when the dam was
constructed in 1926,
but decided providing
additional power to the
Lower Mainland was
worth the environmen-
tal trade-offs.
“When the dam was
constructed in the
1920s, it was a well-
known conclusion that
the sockeye would be
extinct within one sys-
tem,” he said. “A sys-
tem can be about four ment, we found ko- has tracked an average
to six years.” kanee,” Clayton said. of 5,000 to 7,000 fish
The society has long At the time, there was leaving the lake each
been interested in re- a prevailing sentiment spring, but this year
connecting the portion that the lake-raised ko- the numbers rose to
of the river below the kanee wouldn’t be able 14,000.
dam to the lake above to adapt to the salinity “This was a very good
it, but they were ini- content of the ocean, year,” Clayton said.
tially focused on coho but Clayton said that They hope to see a
salmon rather than proved false. The ko- one per cent return
sockeye. In 2005, the kanee made it to the rate, and have usually
dam’s spillway was ocean and many re- achieved that.
opened to see if coho turned down the road, Last year was excep-
could survive the but with distinct differ- tionally poor overall
16-metre trip down. ences. for sockeye, though,
Clayton said those “Two years later, we and only 42 had re-
results were very en- had found they had turned by the end of
couraging. morphed back into September.
“We did get complete sockeye,” Clayton said. Clayton said this year
survival,” he said. That led to the re- has been much more
It was an unexpect- turnees being dubbed promising.
ed occurrence that “sockanee”, although “We’ve just broke
prompted the interest Clayton said sockeye is 100,” he said. “That’s
in sockeye, though. a more accurate char- pretty significant.”
When the spillway was acterization given the Clayton said the rare
opened to allow the physical characteris- opening of the com-
coho passage, a few tics of the returning mercial sockeye fish-
thousand kokanee fol- fish. ery this year may sug-
lowed them down. The The society has gest that even more
society was monitor- worked with B.C. Hydro fish have returned, but
ing the coho’s passage to develop planned have been caught by
with fish traps near the spillway openings each commercial fishermen.
bottom, so they got an year in late spring, “There’s no question
unexpected surprise. which have been from they must be catching
“When we opened April 15 - June 1 in re- some of our fish,” he
the trap, to our amaze- cent years. The society said.
Neighbour helps nab bicycle thief, coyote follows woman
A Pitt Meadows man erset Drive when the him a description of Insp. Derren Lench While arresting the run off, try to get to a around 10:20 p.m.
helped police catch man spotted his neigh- the thief. said the neighbour man, officers also safe refuge such as a while crossing 248th
a thief Saturday eve- bour’s bike being sto- The bike was found then located the thief found merchandise house and call police. Street at Dewdney
ning. len. soon after near by the outside the Real Ca- the man had just sto- Lench said police Trunk Road.
The incident began The man called the neighbour, near his nadian Superstore and len from Superstore. will attend these types A 20-year-old man in a
around 6 p.m. on Som- neighbour and gave home. called RCMP. The 33-year-old was of calls to ensure ev- pickup truck was mak-
also in violation of eryone’s safety. ing a left turn off of Dew-
conditions that were dney Trunk Rd. and did
imposed by the courts not see the pedestrian.
a week ago. The pedestrian was
Careless drivers taken to hospital by
Two men face charg-
an air ambulance but
Crazy coyote es for driving without
police said his injuries
An encounter with due care following two
are not life threaten-
a coyote on Saturday separate accidents Sat-
ing.
has left a Maple Ridge urday in Maple Ridge.
The driver was
woman shaken up. The first happened
charged with driving
The woman spotted at 4:15 p.m. when a van
without reasonable
the animal around 8:40 struck an older car on
consideration for oth-
p.m. while walking Lougheed Highway
ers using the road.
to her home on 227th near 207th Street in
Street near Holyrood Maple Ridge.
Avenue. The van then con- Truck theft
Police said she at- tinued into the back Police arrested a man
tempted to scare the of a pickup truck, that in Maple Ridge Friday
coyote off but it contin- hit another pickup in after finding a pickup
ued to threaten her. front of it. truck that was stolen
The woman made Paramedics took from Abbotsford.
it home safely, but two drivers and one The 26-year-old was
Lench said she was passenger to hospital taken into custody on
quite shaken by the with non-life threaten- Lougheed Highway
experience. ing injuries. near 216th Street an
Ridge Meadows The driver of the hour after officers
RCMP were called, van is being charged found the Chevrolet in
but patrols of the area with driving with- a parking lot of a down-
failed to locate the out due care and at- town business.
coyote. tention. The investigation
Lench said if you Later that night, a revealed the man had
come across a coy- driver struck a pedes- been trying to sell the
ote or any aggressive trian sending the man pickup truck earlier
wildlife, try to stay as to hospital with a pos- in the day. The man
calm as possible. If sible head injury. was held in custody for
the animal does not The man was hit court on Monday.
Selling off schools not so easy
by R o b e r t M a n g e l s d o r f
staff reporter
If the Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows
School District wants to liquidate
its unused properties, it may take a
while.
The district has identified three
properties it is prepared to part with
should it need to find funding in a hur-
ry: the site of the former Arthur Peake
Centre next to Golden Ears Elementa-
ry; an unused maintenance yard next
to Eric Langton Elementary School;
and a vacant lot on Bonson Road in
Pitt Meadows.
Secretary Treasurer Wayne Jeffer-
son said the properties are “worth mil-
lions,” and could be sold off to make up
any budget shortfall if enrollment is
lower than expected for the upcoming
school year.
However, should the district will
have to get permission from the pro-
vincial Ministry of Education first to
do so. Per ministry policy, before any
district-owned facility can be sold, it
must first be offered up for any other
provincial, municipal, or community
uses. Only if there are no takers can
the facility then be put on the market.
A Ministry of Education spokes-
person said there are currently 25
requests to sell school property by
districts around the province. How-
ever, the spokesperson could not give
a time-line for how long that approval
process is likely to take.
“Schools are valuable public assets
that should be retained for public use,”
said education minister Margaret
MacDiarmid in a prepared statement
to The News. “The province wants to
make sure that schools and school
lands are available going forward to
support the emerging Neighbourhood
Learning Centres, the expansion of full
day Kindergarten for five-year olds,
and expanding learning opportunities
for three- and four-year olds.”
School District No.42 has already be-
gun selling off close to 30 of its unused
portables, the first of which was re-
moved from behind the District Educa-
tion Office on Brown Avenue, netting
the district $5,000.
The portables were no longer neces-
sary after the closure of Riverside and
Mount Crescent elementary schools.
“The portables were all in pretty bad
shape, so its a good thing they’re go-
ing,” said Jefferson.
The former Mount Crescent El-
ementary School, now called the Ma-
ple Ridge Secondary School Annex,
will be the new home for B.C. School
Sports and will likely become the new
home for many of the school Grade 8
and 9 students.
Riverside Elementary now houses
the district’s continuing education and
international education programs, as
well as Ridge Meadows College.
 Contributed
This year is worse than 2003 for area blackened.

B.C.’s forests burning

by Tom Fletcher 2003 Okanagan Moun-
Black Press tain Park fire, and parts
of the B.C. Interior
The 2010 wildfire have been so obscured
season won’t be over by smoke that the size
for weeks, but it has and number of fires can
already charred more only be estimated.
than 300,000 hectares The smoke from B.C.
of B.C. forest, an area fires has spread east-
larger than Metro Van- ward as far as Manito-
couver. ba, another indication
That’s more forest of the swath of destruc-
burned than any year tion that has swept
since 1998, including across mainly remote
the 2003 season that areas of B.C. this sum-
saw 33,000 people evac- mer.
uated in the Okanagan While most of the ma-
and Thompson regions jor fires have been in
and 238 homes dam- the Cariboo and North-
aged or destroyed. west regions, a fire was
Some of the fires discovered, and extin-
currently burning are guished, on the week-
twice as large as the end near Stave Lake.
Road projects big cause of ALR loss
Report looks at
land south of Fraser
Government road
builders have paved
over far more farmland
than private developers
in the Surrey-Delta-
Langley area over the
past decade, according
to a new study.
More than 70 per cent
of the 264 hectares of
land removed from
farm use over the past
10 years were for pro-
vincial government NEWS FILES
transportation projects, Study says municipal road plans a major cause of farmland loss.
concluded author Na-
than Pachal, co-founder South of Fraser area formal exclusions of primary crops includ-
of the transit advocacy over the past 10 years. land from the Agricul- ing vegetables, ber-
group South Fraser On Others include the ex- tural Land Reserve as ries, greenhouse pro-
Trax. pansion of Highways 10 well as other dedica- duce and ornamental
The South Fraser Pe- and 15 in Surrey and the tion of farmland. plants.
rimeter Road, which is Deltaport expansion. The South of Fraser The City of Pitt
eating up 90 hectares in Almost two-thirds of area accounts for Meadows has applied
Surrey and Delta, is the the farmland removals three quarters of all to remove land from
single biggest reduc- were in Delta. ALR land in Metro the ALR for the North
tion in farmland in the The statistics include Vancouver, with the Lougheed Connector.

Girl’s alcohol poisoning leads to charge

A 19-year-old Maple 15 that took place in B.C. Ambulance Service which has resulted in
Ridge man has been the 12300-block of 205th during the festivities. the charges being ap-
charged with supplying Street. Insp. Derren Lench proved.
booze to an underage girl. A 17-year-old girl had said an investigation The accused will
Ridge Meadows to be taken to hospital into the incident was make his first court ap-
RCMP said the charges with alcohol poisoning completed by Ridge pearance in early Sep-
stem from a party May by paramedics with the Meadows RCMP, tember.
Three-storey Ruskin Hotel, long gone
T
he E. H. Heaps wife Carrie took care of In honour of front and
& Company it all. Old-timers would the Governor steam- and
building at have been surprised to General, the railway-
Ruskin, shown on this learn that Mr. Moore Heaps people logging
1909 photograph, was was a full brother of were flying operations in
massive. Edward H. Heaps, the Union Jacks Ruskin and
Three storeys high it founder and president from high Rivers Inlet.
stood, south of the CP of the company, or that masts. In the last
railway tracks across Thomas Moore (Heaps) One of the few years,
from the sawmill at the was an uncle of Edward dignitaries however, his
confluence of the Stave Moore Heaps, Edward travelling business had
and Fraser rivers. H. Heaps’s oldest son, with the been hit by
Signs on the build- manager of the Ruskin Governor Looking Back unexpected
ing showed that it operation. General from Fred Braches misfortunes.
housed the mill office, Sept. 1, 1909, the date Vancouver The mill
a general store (with shown on the photo, is was Edward at Ruskin
the post office) and the when Governor Gener- H. Heaps in his capac- burned down in the
Ruskin Hotel mostly al Earl Grey travelled ity as past-president of winter of 1904/1905,
used to accommodate from Vancouver to the Vancouver Board and hardly had it been
the mill managers and Ruskin with a special of Trade. reconstructed when
staff. A man called train to visit the power Heaps, a versatile the Cedar Cove mill
Thomas Moore and his plant under construc- and progressive entre- in Vancouver was de-
tion at Stave Falls. preneur, was one of a stroyed by fire in 1906.
CPR put a small sta- few prominent lumber New capital was need-
tion building in front of manufacturers in Brit- ed, but interest in the
the Heaps building for ish Columbia. shares of E. H. Heaps &
the occasion. Aside from the mill at Co. Ltd., incorporated in
From that little tem- Ruskin his companies 1907, was disappointing.
porary station horse- owned a substantial In 1910, fire de-
drawn carriages took wood manufacturing stroyed the mill at
His Excellency and his and lumber plant on Ruskin again.
entourage to the dam. the Vancouver water- See Building, p19
 Contributed
The E. H. Heaps building, once dominated Ruskin area at 287th Street and Lougheed Highway.

Building faded away over the years

worsening market operations in Ruskin Meanwhile, the large
Building from p18
turned into a reces- came in 1915, when new sawmill stood
In 1912, promising sion and the company, the holders of a empty. Hardly used, it
to rebuild the mill on struggling to find new mortgage Heaps had burned out, its hulk a
an even larger scale, capital and buyers signed in 1911 were al- Ruskin landmark for
Edward H. Heaps left for its products, lost lowed by the Supreme decades. On the south
for eastern Canada to the competition of Court of B.C. to secure side of the tracks, in
and England to pro- newcomers: Stoltze’s repayment from the the years after the
mote the company’s mill at the Stave River property and assets First World War, the
business. and in particular Ab- of E. H. Heaps and Co. vacant E.H. Heaps
Reconstruction of ernethy and Lougheed Ltd. building also faded
the Ruskin mill had at Port Haney. Years of litigation away, eventually be-
started, but an ever- The end of Heaps’s followed. ing dismantled.
 Colleen Flanagan/THE NEWS

Summer games
Alex Reid, 6, plays Walk The Plank during Pathfinder Youth Centre Society’s free kids’ carnival Sunday at Memorial
Peace Park. The carnival was put on by Working Together, a program that helps youth learn employment and life
skills. They hold a car wash on Sept.12 at Kirmac Collision on Dewdney Trunk and 228th Street.

Hwy. 7 from Mission will be smoother

The B.C. government ment $225,000 toward of Highway 7 between That will be done by
is contributing $275,000 the total cost of $500,000 Chester (near Silver- March 31.
and the federal govern- to resurface the stretch dale) and Nelson road. The federal contribu-
tion comes from the In-
frastructure Stimulus
Fund.
A portion of Hwy. 7
to the east of Nelson is
being widened to four
lanes.
 Section coordinator:

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

Colleen Flanagan/THE NEWS

Chad Williams and Rory Speirs helped organize the third annual Breastfest, a music festival raising money for the Canadian Cancer Society, set to rock Maple Ridge on Saturday.

Rocking out to fight cancer way or another,” says Williams, whose grandfather passed
Breast Fest rocks Memorial Peace Park away from the disease.
in Maple Ridge to raise awareness Breastfest is one small way to make a difference.
This year’s event features buzz band TV Heart Attack and
local acts including The Bone Daddies, The Wrecktals, Ruskin,
by M o n i s h a M a r t i n s Alice B. Army, The Patience Product, Bugsy Jive as well as a
staff reporter 60s, 70s and 80s cover band called Contraband.
There’ll be air brush tattoos, arts, games, a barbeque at
Kazy’s Kafé and Starbucks will be roaming the park handing

C
had Williams has the word “Save Tits” on his shirt. out coffee.
The words are brash, sometimes draw chuckles,
turn heads and start conversations.
“It’s really in your face,” he says. “We want people to think “We like to be bold. It does get the point
about it and remember it.” across.”
Williams and his team of creative 20-somethings from the
United Circle of Arts Society know its a great way to peddle a Chad Williams,
message, a relief from the numerous bottle-drives and head-
organizer, Breastfest
shaves used to fundraise to find a cure for breast cancer. Contributed
“We like to be bold. It does get the point across,” Williams TV Heart Attack headlines Breastfest this year.
says.
Just like the unique t-shirts, the United Circle of Arts is be-
hind Breastfest 2010, a rocking free concert set to take over “I think when people see someone in the community doing On stage 7:30 p.m. - Bone Daddies
Memorial Peace Park in Maple Ridge on Saturday. something, they want to help as well,” Williams adds. 8:15 p.m. - TV Heart
Originally imagined as a backyard fundraiser, Breastfest • Breastfest rocks Memorial Peace Park on Saturday from 3 3 p.m. - Contraband
took on a life of its own in 2008, morphing into seven hours of p.m. to 10 p.m. It is a free, all-ages show but donations are ap- 3:45 p.m. - Bugsy Jive Breastfest received grants from
entertainment with music on two stages, dances, contortion- preciated. All proceeds will be going directly to the Canadian 4:30 p.m. - Patience Product The Maple Ridge- Pitt Meadows
ists and games. Cancer Society. 5:15 p.m. - Alice B. Army Festivals Office, the Maple Ridge/-
Two years and two Breastfests later, Williams says he’s Breastfest is continuously looking for volunteers, booths in- 6 p.m. - Ruskin Pitt Meadows Arts Council and the
overwhelmed by the support from bands and the community. cluding crafted merchandise and ideas. If you want to partici- 6:45 p.m. - Wrecktals Rotary Club’s Wine Festival
“Unfortunately, everyone has been affected by cancer in one pate, email breastfest08@gmail.com.

Projects will support multiculturalism
Tapping into people’s
creativity to break down
barriers
Fifteen B.C. community groups,
including one in Maple Ridge will
receive grants of up to $25,000
each to promote multicultural-
ism and anti-racism through art.
“Tapping people’s creativity
is a way to break down barriers
and change thinking,” said Min-
ister of Citizens’ Services Mary
McNeil said last week. “These
projects will use art to engage
youth and adults on topics of
multiculturalism and racism.”
The combined federal and pro-
Fundraising reaches new heights
Music society director
scales Grouse Grind
The Maple Ridge Music So-
ciety took to the mountains to
raise money for its new concert
season.
Program director Josine
Eikelenboom trudged up the
Grouse Grind in order to raise
the extra funds.
“Like many arts groups, the
Maple Ridge Music Society has
to turn over every penny to
Arts&Life
vincial funding is being provided
through EmbraceBC, a program
that works to inspire residents,
community members and sector
leaders to welcome, accept and
embrace difference within their
communities.
The projects chosen for fund-
ing include a youth-generated
photo blog that will focus on
multicultural awareness; a
community choir that empha-
sizes inclusion and self-expres-
sion; and a school-twinning
program that will see urban
students use written words,
along with arts and crafts, to
connect with students from a
rural First Nations school.
continue presenting the world-
class concerts,” says Eikelen-
boom.
The society has been present-
ing their renowned “Candle-
light” series since 1983.
She scaled the Grind on one
of the hottest days of the sum-
mer, although the shady trees,
and a soothing sea breeze kept
it enjoyable.
The new concert sea-
son will bring a vari-
ety of musicians to town.
The opening concert on Oct.
Family Education and Support
Centre in Maple Ridge will use
$25,000 to get people to design
postcards that talk about multi-
cultural experience and history
and share these as part of an art
exhibition.
“These arts engagement proj-
ects are really about finding
creative ways to make our com-
munities more welcoming and
inclusive,” said Dave S. Hayer,
parliamentary secretary for
multiculturalism. “When we em-
brace difference, we embrace
those around us.”
Each project will receive up to
$25,000, and all projects will be
completed by March 31, 2011.
16 will feature Russian pianist
Sergei Saratowski. Other mu-
sicians in the series will be
cellist Elizabeth Dolin, singer
Susan Platts, the Penderecki
String Quartet and the Coral
Wind trio with piano, cello and
clarinet. In collaboration with
the ACT, there will be a piano
recital by Jane Coop in the ACT
Studio in February.
• To learn about the Maple
Ridge Music Society, visit
www. mapleridgemusicsociety.
com.
 Arts&Life

Rags to Riches on display at gallery

Gone Hooking
group keeps a
centuries-old craft
alive
See an artistic and
unique selection of hand-
hooked rugs by the Gone
Hooking Rug group at
the Maple Ridge Art Gal-
lery next month.
Local artisan Freda
Jackson brought the
group together some
seven years ago so that
those devoted to the
craft throughout the
Lower Mainland could
Contributed
have a central place to
meet up and share tech- Black Bear in Squamish is designed and hooked by Tanya Graham.
niques, knowledge and ing, a simple hook made The humble hooked others honour the more
inspiration. from the tine of a fork in rug is now included in traditional patterns as-
The technique this a wooden handle, and the permanent collec- sociated with rug hook-
group uses is called ‘tra- homespun cloth and tions of public art galler- ing’s heritage.
ditional’ rug hooking. used clothing torn in ies in Canada, Britain, However, even where
“Hooked rugs are rag narrow strips to make and the U.S.A. a pattern is involved,
rugs,” says Tanya Gra- the looped pile. While the technique in- each rug is created from
ham, a member of the “We are still using volved in creating these a unique combination of
Gone Hooking group. this method and these rugs may be traditional, materials – some found,
The craft began two materials to make our the range of rugs created some hand-dyed – so each
centuries ago in northern rugs; but now the old by the group’s members work is a one-of-a-kind.
Europe and was brought folk art has enjoyed a often tells another story. Most of the Gone Hook-
to the eastern seaboard huge revival and be- “Maple Ridge is one of ing group’s members
of North America by the come a textile art with the few places left with have been involved in fi-
early settlers. designers and teachers, an active agricultural bre arts for many years,
The early materials both rural and urban, economy. and an enjoyment of
used comprised a bur- male and female,” Gra- “So, if we do hook im- colour, texture and form
lap feed sack as back- ham explains. ages of the family farm, is evident in all of these
that story can still be rugs.
told,” explains Freda Some of the rugs will
Jackson. be shown in the context
“Those of us from an of a domestic setting to
urban background are be created within the
more likely to explore in- gallery; others will sim-
terior images, both men- ply be displayed on the
tal and physical.” gallery walls, to be en-
Some of the rugs are joyed as an art form in
entirely original while their own right.

Hooked art
Rags to Riches is on display from Sept. 4 to Sept. 25 at Maple
Ridge Art Gallery, 11944 Haney Place.
An opening reception takes place on Saturday, Sept. 11 from
2 p.m. to 4 p.m. and members will be present to demonstrate
their technique and answer questions.
Other demonstrations will take place at the gallery on Sept.
4, 5 and 15 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

C
ommunity Calendar lists events in
Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows. No-
tices 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 newsroom@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 clas-
sified department at 604-467-1122 about
non-profit rates.
Thursday, Aug. 26
• Gilbert and Sullivan’s world famous
comic operetta drops anchor for a dress
rehearsal at the Spirit Square in Pitt Mead-
ows at 7 p.m. Free to attend.
Friday, Aug. 27
• Gilbert and Sullivan’s world famous
comic operetta drops anchor at the Clarke
Theatre in Mission at 7 p.m. Tickets are $10,
children 10 and under are free. Advance
tickets available at the Bergthorson Acad-
emy of Musical Arts and Hair Expressions
604-467- 6613.
Saturday, Aug. 28
• Gilbert and Sullivan’s world famous
comic operetta drops anchor at the Clarke
Theatre in Mission at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Tick-
ets are $10, children 10 and under are free.
Advance tickets available at the Bergthorson
Academy of Musical Arts and Hair Expres-
sions 604-467- 6613.
• Doggie Days comes to the Haney
Farmers’ Market. The fun starts at 10:30
a.m. in the grassy area beside the
Market. Bring your tallest, shortest, best
dressed dog. Aurelius Band will entertain
Community Calendar
the shoppers. There will be hot buttered
corn, popcorn, cookies and more to snack
on while you enjoy the morning. www.
haneyfarmersmarket.org
• The Maple Ridge Better Breathers
Club is holding its annual yard sale at 10:00
a.m. in front of the Legion on 224th and
Brown Street. There will be board games,
video games hundreds of VCR movies, toys,
household do-dads and hundreds of other
good things. Many boxes of donations have
not been opened so our surprise will be your
surprise.
• The Maple Ridge Royal Canadian Le-
gion Ladies’ Auxiliary is holding a garage
sale from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the legion on
224th Street. Tables available for $15. Please
call 604-463-5101 to book a table.
Wednesday, Sept. 1
• The Emerald Pig Theatrical Society
will be holding auditions for their produc-
tion of Butterflies Are Free from 7 to 9 p.m.
in the Fraser Room (upstairs) at Maple Ridge
Library, 130-22470 Dewdney Trunk Road.
Please call Sharon Malone at 604-476-1984
for more information or to book an audition
time, or email emeraldpig@theatrebc.org
Thursday, Sept. 2
• The Emerald Pig Theatrical Society
will be holding auditions for their produc-
tion of Butterflies Are Free from 7 to 9 p.m.
in the Fraser Room (upstairs) at Maple Ridge
Library, 130-22470 Dewdney Trunk Road.
Please call Sharon Malone at 604-476-1984
for more information or to book an audition
time, or email emeraldpig@theatrebc.org
Tuesday, Sept. 7
• Join the retired teachers of School
DIstrict No. 42 who will be celebrating
the first day of school at the Hell With
The Bell buffet breakfast at the Maple
Ridge Seniors’ Activity Centre, 12150
224th Street, at 10 a.m. Cost is $10.
Newly retired teachers can attend for free.
Please RSVP to Don Sears at 604 464-3886
or donsears@telus.net.
• Maple Ridge Choral Society begins a
new season of song. Registratrion is 6 to 7
p.m. at Haney Presbyterian Church, 11858
216th Street, Maple Ridge, with a practice
to follow from 7 to 9:30 p.m. All voices
welcome. Contact Dennis at 604-465-
8038 or Jerry at 604-463-0760 for more
information.
Saturday, Sept. 11
• Join the Family Education and Sup-
port Centre and the Affiliation of Mul-
ticultural Societies and Service Agencies
at the Diversity Health Fair at the Ridge
Meadows Seniors’ Centre, 12150 224th
Street from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Visitors can
learn about healthy cooking and lifestyles,
take part in fitness classes, tap their foot to
ethnic music, watch cultural dancers, speak
with health care professionals, or sample
ethnic foods. To learn more, call Angie at
604-476-2447 or email angie@hipstrategic.
com.
Wednesday, Sept. 15
• Westview Secondary School is hold-
ing a dinner for potential sports volunteers
at 6:30 p.m. The school is looking for
dedicated parents and volunteers to help
expand the school’s sports programs this
coming school year. No experience neces-
sary. Call 604-465-7468 for more informa-
tion, or email wsspac@yahoo.com.

THE NEWS/sports
Junior B Flames roster takes shape
Strong local contingent from
RMMHA midget A1 Rustlers
by R o b e r t M a n g e l s d o r f
staff reporter
The Ridge Meadows Flames ros-
ter is beginning to take shape as
the Pacific International Junior
Hockey League preseason enters
its second week.
Perhaps the best news for the ju-
nior B hockey club is the return of
goaltender Eric Klassen.
Klassen, who is entering his third
year in the PIJHL, appeared in 17
games last season for the Flames
behind starter Eric Williams, amass-
ing a 2.98 goals against average.
Having a veteran presence be-
tween the pipes is a big relief for
Peewee Royals take bronze at Western Canadian championships
by R o b e r t M a n g e l s d o r f
staff reporter
The Ridge Meadows Royals pee-
wee AAA baseball team were the
bronze medal winners at Base-
ball Canada’s 2010 Peewee Boys’
Western Championships in Bran-
don Manitoba last weekend.
The team went 4-2 at the tour-
nament, out-scoring their opposi-
tion 53-38.
The Royals opened the round
coach Tavis Eaton.
“It’s excellent news,” said Eaton.
“He was a big piece to our team last
year.”
The 19-year-old Maple Ridge na-
tive will likely step into the start-
ing slot at goal with Williams’
departure to the Western Hockey
League’s Prince Albert Raiders.
However, who will back Klassen
up is a question that has not yet
been answered. With one posi-
tion up for grabs, Spencer Marro
and Brendan Vogt appear to be the
front-runners for the back-up spot,
says Eaton.
“They are both hard workers,”
he said. “But it’s up to them who
makes this team.”
The Flames are 1-2 in preseason
play so far, however Eaton doesn’t
see that record as being indicative
of his team’s ability
robin portion of the tournament
on Thursday, winning 12-6 over
Mid-West Manitoba. The Royals
started Friday with another win,
a 14-6 victory over Regina, before
falling in their second game of the
day against hosts Brandon, 5-3.
An 11-7 win over Spruce Grove
on Saturday put the Royals in the
semi final against Abbotsford, the
team they beat 12-7 in the final of
the B.C. provincial championship
two weeks previous.
That game saw the Royals take
“It’s preseason, so we’ve been
dressing the whole team and giving
everybody lots of ice time, switch-
ing up the lines, trying to find some
chemistry,” he said. “We are
feeling pretty good about
things. Looking for-
ward, our first goal is
to win the division
again, and go a lot
further in the play-
offs than we did
last year.
“I think we have
enough experience on
this team to do that.”
Returnees Shane Harle,
Danny Brandys, CJ Legassic,
Matt Bevilacqua, Dustin Cervo,
Matt Genovese, and Bayne Ryshak
will be joined by PIJHL veterans
Sean Kavanagh, Ryan Stewart,
Matt Keller, and Tristano Falbo.
an 11-0 lead at the top of the first
inning, allowing them to cruise to
an easy victory.
However, Abbotsford would not
go quietly Sunday morning, as
they scrapped out a 5-2 victory
over the Royals, relegating them
to the consolation game.
There the Royals out-scored the
Saskatoon Braves 11-9 to win the
tournament’s bronze medal.
Abbotsford, for their part, edged
Brandon 13-11 in front of their
home-town fans in the gold medal
“Our veteran players all play big
roles,” said Eaton, not only on the
ice, but off it as well. “They’re great
in the dressing room, and they help
the young guys get better.”
So far five players - Bryan
Son, Paul Piluso, Dean
Gilmore, Alex Smith
and Jason Smith - are
currently away try-
ing out for Junior A
clubs.
The Flames will
be drawing heavily
on the Ridge Meadows
Minor Hockey Associa-
tion’s Midget A1 Rustlers
team, with Piluso, Gilmore, Alex
Smith, Jake Howardson, Reece
Rivard, Taylor Hartley, and Joey
Weilmeier all currently signed to
the Flames.
“[Rustlers coach Spencer Le-
final to take the Western Cana-
dian championship.
The bronze medal is the latest
piece of hardware for the young
Royals squad. In addition to tak-
ing the provincial championship
earlier this season, the team won
silver at provincials last year in
peewee AA, and won the mos-
quito AAA provincial title before
that.
Team members include Ry-
ley Leoppky, Matt Cameron,
Brendan Halstrom, Zachery
Section coordinator:
Robert Mangelsdorf
604-467-1122 ext. 216
newsroom@mapleridgenews.com
Lucas Douglas of
the Ridge Meadows
Flames (on right)
manoeuvres past
a player from the
Grandview Steelers
Monday night at the
Burnaby Winter Club.
The Flames lost the
game 4-2.
Colleen Flanagan/THE NEWS
van] and his group have done a
great job with those guys,” said
Eaton. “They are all hard work-
ers and we’re happy to have them
here.”
Although the league allows for
a 25-player roster, Eaton said he’ll
only be carrying 23 players this
season. That means two skaters
will be cut before the start of the
regular season.
Who that will be, however, is up
to the players themselves, Eaton
notes.
“It’s been a very competitive
camp,” he said. “But the players
will determine who makes this
team and who doesn’t.”
• The Flames make their home
debut with an exhibition game
against the Grandview Steelers
this Friday at Planet Ice. Game
time is at 7 p.m.
Comeault, Josh Speiss, Domenic
Baptista, Devon Bird, Nick Evans,
Kole Benard, Garett Maydaniuk,
Kyle Ross, and Clayton Skipper.
The team also picked up Kevin
Smith (White Rock), Kevin Seng-
ara (Vancouver), Nick Laflamme
(Cloverdale), Nick Carusi (Burn-
aby), Kyle Starinieri (Langley),
and Aaron Wiegert (White Rock)
for the tournament. The team is
coached by Rey Comeault, Shel-
don Benard, Dave Bird, and Brian
Evans.
 Sports

Colleen Flanagan/THE NEWS

Sandblasting
Kirk Hertzog gets out of the sand trap at Golden Eagle Golf Club during a day-long golf-a-thon with fellow golfers,
Scott Emo, Liam Dougall and Kevin Gibson, to raise money and awareness for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or Lou
Gehrig’s disease Wednesday. The provincewide event has raised close to $400,000 for ALS research in five years.
 Sports

Desert trout a challenge, but worth the effort

O
ne of my pie fishing is good. olive Matuka, Butler’s Stone, Coachman,
favorite fish to For bass try: Wooly Bug, Halfback, Baggy Zulu, Chez Nymph,
pursue is the Bugger, Big Black, Shrimp, Sooboo, Six- Black Gnat, Sooboo,
desert trout. Blood Leach, pack, or Green Sprat- Irresistible, Elk Hair
Though not Matuka, ley. For dry fly fishing Caddis, or Stimulator.
prolific in Popin Bugs, try: Lady McConnel, For dolly varden try:
numbers, like Chernobyl Irresistible, Big Ugly, large Rolled Muddler,
the rainbows Ants, Cray- Double Hackled Zonker, Clouser’s
in our high fish, Clous- Peacock, Tom Thumb, Deep Minnow, Dolly
catch lakes, er’s Deep Royal Wulff, Goddard Whacker, black Pop-
I find these Minnow, Ep- Sedge, Sofa Pillow, or sicle, or Big Black.
fish to be oxy Minnow, Elk Hair Caddis. The Vedder River is
well worth Deceiver, The Fraser River is good for spring and
the time and Muddler Min- very good for sock- rainbow.
study it takes now, Dolly eye; spring, dolly The Stave River is
to master Whacker, varden, cutthroat, and good for cutthroat and
them.
Tight Lines Turk’s rainbow. For sock- rainbow.
This partic- Jeff Weltz Tarantula, eye try: (chartreuse) The Harrison River
ular strain of Bucktail, Hair Dean River lan- is good for cutthroat,
rainbow trout, Frog, Irresist- terns, Bunny Leach, Rainbow, and sockeye.
reside in streams that ible, or Tom Thumb. Bucktail, Nitnook, The Thompson River
run through the hot- For crappie try: Black Besure, Green Slime, is good for sockeye
test spot in the nation. Gnat, Lady McCon- or Caboose. For and spring.
Summer days in this nel, Coachman, Royal spring try: Kauf- The Nicola River
region can reach 50 Coachman, Ant, char- mann Stone, Eggo, is good for rainbow.
Celsius or more, mak- treuse Boobie, Wooly Popsicle, Squamish Try Kaufmann Stone,
ing these fish recluse Bugger, Trico, Griffith Poacher, GP, Big Chez Nymph, Hairs
during daylight hours Gnat, or Irresistible. Black or Flat Black. Ear Nymph, Roller
and aggressive from Fishing on our For cutthroat and Muddler, Tom Thumb
dusk to dawn. The interior lakes is fair. rainbow try: Rolled (standard or red bod-
insects that survive For wet fly fishing try: Muddler, Mickey Finn, ied), Grass Hopper,
this harsh climate are Chironomid, Pumpkin- Tied Down Minnow, Stimulator, Chernobyl
large and aggressive head, 52 Buick, Wooly Eggo, Professor, Ant, Irresistible, or
like the trout that Bugger, Micro Leach, Lioness, Kaufmann Elk Hair Caddis.
feed on them. The
challenge for the fly
fisherman is matching
the hatch when adult
stoneflies can reach
as much as 7 centime-
ters in length.
The days are hot,
the rocks are slick,
and the fish are
selective; but for this
angler who looks to a
retirement in Arizona,
there is nothing like
challenge of desert
trout.

The report

Our Lower Mainland

lake fishing (trout and
kokanee) is slow. For
better success concen-
trate on early morn-
ings and evenings: Big
Black, Nation’s Black,
Baggy Shrimp, Coach-
man, Cased Caddis,
Halfback, Dragon
Nymph, Carey Special,
Zulu, or Doc Spratley.
For dry fly fishing try:
Tom Thumb, Ren-
egade, Black Gnat,
Foam Ant, Griffith
Gnat, Royal Coach-
man, or Elk Hair
Caddis. For kokanee
try: Red Abbis, Red
Spratley, Bloodworm,
Royal Coachman, San
Juan Worm, or red
Micro Leach.
Local bass and crap-

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