BY RATTAN MALL

FORMER Surrey MLA Brenda Locke, who told me earlier this week that she is going to run for councillor in November’s municipal election, wants Surrey to have its own Charter similar to the City of Vancouver.

Locke, who is currently Executive Director of the Massage Therapists’ Association of British Columbia, told me on Tuesday: “The Municipal Act that we all work to is really written for smaller communities and smaller municipalities. We are a big city and we’re one of the big cities in the entire country. So we need to re-define how we do government and governance in this city and I think that’s really important (that) we look to a Charter because we need to control our own destiny a lot more than we do now, and a Charter would help us do that.”

She pointed out: “We’re certainly larger [than Vancouver] in geographical area. Soon we will be larger than Vancouver in population, too, and we need to have our own Charter.”

(The Vancouver Charter, a provincial statute, grants the City of Vancouver different powers than other communities have under BC’s Municipalities Act. Under the Charter, City Council has the authority to pass bylaws to regulate such things as noise and land use, buy and sell property, collect certain taxes, approve expenditures, take on debt, give grants, and hire and discharge employees, according to the City of Vancouver’s website.)

Locke said that for now, she’s just running as an independent. But she noted: “There’s lots of play in the game right now. We’re really early, but I just know what I want to do.”

She said: “We’ve talked to a lot of people. … it’s all been really positive. Obviously I am going to run to win.”

LOCKE told me that she had discussed her decision to run with her husband and kids and they were fully supportive. She added: “They’re behind me and that’s great.”

She said: “You know I’ve run four times before and it’s really challenging for families when you lose. It’s great when you win, but when you lose … it’s hard on them.”

Locke was elected as MLA from Surrey-Green Timbers in 2001 and was appointed Minister of State for Mental Health and Addiction Services in 2004. She lost in the 2005 provincial election. Subsequently, she ran as the federal Liberal Party candidate in Fleetwood-Port Kells in 2006 and 2008, but lost both times.

When I asked her why she had decided to enter municipal politics, she replied: “I think Surrey has lots of issues that we need to tackle. I think the very clear and obvious one is crime – that is a challenge. I think it’s time we talked not just about crime in a sort of superficial way, but the real root causes.”

She added that we also needed to examine if we are developing a community where people care for one another and if we are developing the kind of infrastructure that you need in a good community to have opportunity for kids and youth and young families to enjoy their own community.

She said: “I think that’s one thing that I am really concerned about.” She said her two daughters, who are 24 and 30 years old, are both hockey players and she still goes to all their games. She added: “So we’ve gone through all that and now I have two grandkids and I want to see that kind of opportunity for them.”

Locke said she wanted both her daughters who live in Abbotsford to return to Surrey with their kids. She said: “I want to build community support for them to have all those opportunities. You need all that kind of infrastructure in a community to give supports to everyone in the community.”

Locke, who attends a church in Whalley, said people in North Surrey “are challenged, they are concerned … the people in the community are very concerned about what’s going on in their community and there is gentrification happening in North Surrey; no doubt about it.” She said that we have to address these issues and make the people “feel comfortable in North Surrey too, because they’re people who live there and work and play there.”

Locke also noted: “One of the things that I think Surrey needs to develop is more of a sense of a whole community. I see us as a very compartmentalized … all sorts of cylinders of different folks. There’s South Surrey folks, and Cloverdale … but there is no sort of a greater sense of community. That’s a long term process, but I think they need to start really talking about that and how we can really re-grow that pride of our community and sense of ownership.”

LOCKE said transportation is a big issue for Surrey. She noted: “The last time we got real infrastructure dollars into this city was probably the Paul Martin dollars that happened with the Pacific Gateway Project that brought us the South Fraser Perimeter Road and the Port Mann Bridge and all those great infrastructure, but we are growing so rapidly.”

She said we needed to deal with the issue of the Pattullo Bridge that needs six lanes as well as the support infrastructure on both sides, noting that “this city is growing too big to ignore those things.”
She said she was getting increasingly concerned about the bridge’s safety. She noted: “There’s some people talking about just doing a sort of a re-fix of it. I would really want to see the studies on that. I am very concerned that if anything ever happened – God forbid we have an earthquake or something like that – that it is not a safe bridge. It’s an old, tired bridge. … The mayors and Translink are going to have to deal with that in a serious way.”

Locke said that in order to handle some of these challenges “we have to build those relationships with other levels of government and I think that’s an important point and I think that’s something that I can truly bring to the table.” She added: “I have a very good relationship with provincial government and hopefully can leverage that to make that kind of connection.”

SURREY Councillor Barinder Rasode has quit Surrey First, saying that independent voices are no longer encouraged or respected.

The VOICE came to know on Tuesday night that Rasode was to make this announcement, but held back the story on her request.

In a letter to fellow councilors she wrote: “I joined Surrey First in 2008 because it was a coalition of independent voices. I value the work that we have accomplished together, and there are many new initiatives and community infrastructure projects which serve as a legacy of our teamwork and collaboration.

“But, I no longer believe that independent voices are encouraged or respected within the team. My job as an elected City Councillor is to work on behalf of the residents and businesses in Surrey, and that includes raising issues the community brings forward, and having constructive discussions about how to improve our city.

“I believe that dialogue and debate is a healthy and critical part of democracy. But, due to a series of events that have occurred, it has become obvious that I am not able to offer alternative viewpoints while remaining a member of Surrey First.

“Currently, there is a systematic failure of process at City Hall, and in order to adequately address this issue, I have decided to sit as an Independent on Council.

“Three issues are particularly troubling for me both personally and professionally:

“1. The approach taken toward public safety and fighting crime.

“2. Spending at City Hall

“3. Community consultation

“Following the tragic death of Julie Paskall, I spoke out about the need to fulfill the commitment in our crime reduction strategy to hire more police officers, and implement additional safety measures in Newton and around our facilities. In the weeks following, I was criticized by Council both privately and publically, cut off from staff resources, removed as Chair of the Police Committee, and stopped receiving Council updates from the OIC of the Surrey RCMP.

“I have overwhelmingly heard from the community that access to public information is now being restricted, including Freedom of Information requests being ignored. Major decisions, such as contracting-out community policing services, are being made behind closed doors and without any public consultation.

“The standard protocol around spending on major projects, such as the new City Hall, as well as taxpayer-funded travel is being ignored.

“The more questions I ask Council, the more hostile the relationship becomes.

“This decision was very difficult for me on a personal level. However, my first responsibility is to serve the people of Surrey, and I believe that I can be more effective as an Independent. Our city will be strengthened through open dialogue, as well as greater transparency and accountability at City Hall.

“I look forward to continuing to work with you and staff on the many committees we serve on, both at the City and the regional level.”

FOR more on Rasodes’s clash with Surrey Mayor Dianne Watts, read The VOICE article “Why is Surrey Mayor Dianne Watts so scared of Councillor Barinder Rasode?”
at: http://7zi.e17.mywebsitetransfer.com/why-is-surrey-mayor-dianne-watts-so-scared-of-councillor-barinder-rasode/

Also read “So what’s up in Surrey?” in the column “BY THE WAY … WITH RATTAN” in this issue.

(Photo by Chandra Bodalia)

ON Tuesday, April 15, the Golden Girls, a unique group of community-minded women within the South-Asian community, celebrated the conclusion of efforts to raise $1 million in just five years to support BC Children’s Hospital Foundation’s $200-million capital campaign.

With support of many individuals and organizations in the South Asian community, the Golden Girls group managed to organize a tremendous fundraising drive to build an operating room in honour of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji, in the Teck Acute Care Centre, the heart of the new BC Children’s Hospital.

Gunny Bains, Director of the Golden Girls group, thanked her team, key contributors and some gurdwara societies for the $1 million campaign. Bains also indicated the campaign would not have been successful without the support of Dr Asa Singh Johal, his wife Kashmir Kaur Johal and their daughter-in-law Manjit Johal and the contributions made by their family.

“I would not be standing here if it wasn’t for all these amazing people who dedicated their time and money,” said Bains.

Bains indicated it was important for her to spread the campaign message to include the entire South Asian community in B.C., so she travelled to several regions across the province.

“The northern communities welcomed us with open arms and it was a very heartening experience. Our community in Prince George, Penticton, Oliver, Osoyoos, Vernon and Kelowna, all contributed. They were all extremely proud to have this operating room named in honor of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji, as it will serve sick kids from all over BC.”

When asked, what makes this achievement so special for the Golden Girls, Bains replied, “The Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji operating room will serve as a legacy for our community for generations to come, and we should all be proud of this achievement.”

Dr. Erik Skarsgard, Chief of Surgery, congratulated the Golden Girls group and said, “This is a remarkable achievement and the greatest gift they could ever give. The new operating rooms will be equipped to accommodate the large surgical teams and extensive use of technology required for today’s long and complex surgeries – such as heart, back and brain surgeries – on children. This will mean less waiting, less discomfort and faster recovery for children.”

Amrik Virk, Minister of Advanced Education, brought a message of congratulations from Premier Christy Clark and the BC Government. Virk recognized the achievement as a proud moment for the community.

He said: “To see this group of mothers and grandmothers show the leadership to bring the community together and build the Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji operating room is extraordinary. I can’t express how honoured I feel to be here with remarkable women from our community who took on this impressive task to help treat children across British Columbia.”

Bains indicated the Golden Girls group will continue to host their annual Ladies Night fundraising dinner dance gala every fall. The money they raise will continue to support the Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji operating room to ensure it serves as the best operating facility with state of the art equipment and the latest technology.

The Golden Girls group was founded in 1999 in an effort to raise funds for BC Children’s Hospital and other charitable causes. In addition to the funds raised for BC Children’s Hospital, their efforts have also helped fund world disaster recovery efforts such as the 2004 Tsunami in South East Asia, and for the widows of the 9/11 police officers and firefighters in New York.

In November 2013, BC Children’s Hospital Foundation announced the conclusion of the Campaign for BC Children, the largest health-care capital campaign in the province’s history. BC Children’s Hospital Foundation received campaign donations from over 80,000 people in 270 BC communities. Site preparation for the new hospital is underway. Construction will start in the fall of 2014 with completion expected in 2018.

(Photos by Chandra Bodalia)

EVERY year the Khalsa Diwan Society recognizes South Asian police officers who have contributed to bettering society by engaging the community through various initiatives and personal diligence. Last year’s awardees were Inspector Steve Rai, the Commanding Officer for Southeast Vancouver, and Sergeant Roger Rai.

This year, the Khalsa Diwan Society recognized five Vancouver Police officers, four of whom work in Southeast Vancouver. As Inspector Rai indicated, “It takes a team.” He added: “I am very proud of my officers for their personal commitment to help make the South Asian community a pillar of Canadian society.”

The Exemplary Service Awards were handed out last Sunday at the Ross Street Gurdwara by President Sohan Deo.

Constable Raj Jaswal has been working tirelessly with South Asian families to ensure kids stay away from the allure of the gang lifestyle. He has personally visited over 200 families in the South Slope to speak to parents and offer then support and prevention tips and strategies for gang diversion.

Constable Kalwinder Dosanjh has been active on social media commenting on various topics and has promoted and encouraged kids to stay fit through weight training and sports. He previously worked in the Downtown Eastside where he worked with kids and organized soccer tournaments with the residents of that neighborhood.

Constable Hardeep Sahota is a great role model for young girls. She delivers a multitude of safety talks for women and South Asian seniors. She recently participated in the development of the VPD’s distraction theft prevention video that was widely played throughout the Lower Mainland. Hardeep is also co-leader of the VPD’s MESH program. This program runs in Southeast Vancouver and aims to work with young kids to keep them on the right path for success.

Constable Terry Parmar is young and diligent Vancouver Police officer who co-founded VPD’s MESH program. Terry and Hardeep collectively work with elementary schools in Sunset where youth may be most at risk in being lured into the gang lifestyle. Terry contributes in many other ways to ensure criminals stay out of our neighborhoods.

Constable Narinder Dosanjh is a senior Vancouver Police Department member who was instrumental in organizing this year’s VPD participation in the Chinese New Year parade. For the first time, the VPD had a float in the parade along with their Chinese Lion Dance Team, Recruiting Unit and many other items. The VPD contingent was very large and led the parade with pride. Constable Dosanjh and Terry Parmar can often been seen together driving on the streets of Southeast Vancouver under the direction of their sergeant, Tej Sidhu.