2012: The year in news
Never was there a dull moment in South Delta this past year, as local newsmakers grabbed headlines across the province, and even the country.
Monty Robinson found guilty
Former Mountie Benjamin Monty Robinson was convicted in March of obstruction of justice in the death of 21-year-old motorcyclist Orion Hutchinson from Tsawwassen.
Robinson was off duty when his Jeep collided with Hutchison's motorcycle at the intersection of Sixth Ave. and Gilchrist Dr. in October, 2008.
Following the accident, Robinson gave his driver's licence to a bystander and left the scene to walk his two children home. Upon his return, he told police he had downed two shots of vodka at home to calm his nerves.
The 42-year-old received a 12-month conditional sentence in July for his conviction.
According to Delta Police, Robinson's breath samples gave readings of .12 and .10 mgs of alcohol (the legal limit is .08).
A coroner's toxicological analysis also reported alcohol in Hutchinson's blood.
The engineering analysis found Robinson was travelling between 24 and 29 km/h at the time of the collision, and showed Hutchinson was travelling between 66 and 96 km/hr.
Robinson spent one month under house arrest, and was to pay a $1,000 victim surcharge fee.
Massey Tunnel replacement
Premier Christy Clark announced in September the provincial government would begin the process to replace the aging and obsolete George Massey Tunnel, however, completion of the project may be as far as a decade away.
The project is currently in the public consultation phase, with no word yet as to the route of the new Fraser River crossing, or wether it will be a tunnel or a bridge.
Coal port crash
Close to 35 tonnes of high-grade coal powder spilled into the waters off Roberts Bank on Dec. 7, after a freighter collided with the Westshore Terminals coal port.
The mishap occurred when the 180,000-tonne coal freighter Cape Apricot lost control and crashed into one of the coal conveyors, knocking 120 metres of the causeway into the ocean.
Teachers strike
The long-simmering labour dispute between B.C. teachers and the provincial government came to a boil in March, as local teachers took part in a three-day strike.
After being forced back to work by Bill 22, which imposed harsh fines and penalties for any illegal strike action, teachers opted to take part in a work-to-rule campaign that put a stop to extracurricular volunteering.
In June, teachers across B.C. voted 75 per cent in favour of a contract extension to June 2013.
TFN vote to build mall
On Jan. 18, an overwhelming 97 per cent of Tsawwassen First Nation members voted in favour of granting a 99-year lease to allow construction of two, large shopping malls on TFN land. The proposed commercial development is part of an extensive land use plan that also includes a residential and industrial component.
The development is expected to provide jobs and economic prosperity for TFN members, whose employment rate is currently 57 per cent, compared to 71 per cent in B.C.
TFN election, and appeal
Relative newcomer Bryce Williams was elected Chief of the Tsawwassen First Nation on Sept. 5. In a surprising result, the 23-year-old first term member of the TFN council toppled incumbent Kim Baird by a narrow 78-69 margin.
Williams vowed to continue with current development projects, which he believes will help fund the First Nation government and provide jobs for its people.
However, the results of the Sept. 5 election were called into question, as an appeal was launched Mike Baird, Kim Baird's brother, over the fact incorrect information was distributed to members about when the election was to occur.
As a result, TFN member Christina Shellard, Kim Baird's niece, claimed she was unable to vote, as were other members. A judicial council agreed, and on Dec. 11 overturned the election results, ordering a new election to be called no later than Jan. 11.
Southlands development inches forward
The proposed Southland development got one step closer to reality with the submission of a rezoning application to Delta council in April.
The development application, still before council, involves 950 residential units on roughly 20 per cent of the 217 ha (536 acre) parcel of land in southeast Tsawwassen.
Developer Century Group unveiled a prototype home at the Tsawwassen Town Centre Mall highlighting the project's environmentally-friendly aspects.
Meanwhile, opponents of the development, Southlands: The Facts, stepped up their efforts to quash the project, going so far as to launch an ombudsman complaint against Delta council.
At a council meeting in December, it was revealed that a vast majority of respondents to public consultations on the development opposed the project.
Another public hearing is planned for early in the new year.
Teachers strike
The long-simmering labour dispute between B.C. teachers and the provincial government came to a boil in March, as local teachers took part in a three-day strike.
After being forced back to work by Bill 22, which imposed harsh fines and penalties for any illegal strike action, teachers opted to take part in a work-to-rule campaign that put a stop to extracurricular volunteering.
In June, teachers across B.C. voted 75 per cent in favour of a contract extension to June 2013.
Rabbits relocated
About 500-plus feral rabbits who came to call Delta Municipal Hall home were sterilized and evicted in January, eventually getting relocated to Ladner Harbour Park.
The rabbit colony was the result of generations of abandoned pets. The pests can devoured vegetation, burrowed large holes, undermine the foundation of buildings, and spread feces.
Delta Council opted to spend $60,000 to humanely move the rabbit colony.
New animal shelter
Ground broke on the new Delta Animal Shelter in April, located in the Tilbury industrial area not far from the current site. The new building will have about four times as more room—about 12,000-square-feet—to house animals.
The new facility is slated to open in mid-March.
On the Waterfront
Ladner float home residents on the Fraser River were shocked to find out in October they could be facing a sudden lease rate hike of nearly 80 per cent from Port Metro Vancouver, prompting calls for the Ladner Harbour Authority to take control of the waterway.
It wasn't all bad news for those on the river, however, as various levels of government came together earlier this month to announce $10 million for dredging the Ladner Channel, as well as the Steveston Channel in Richmond.
Local scholarships
In June, Delta Secondary grad Claire Preston became one of just 40 students from across Canada to win a $60,000 Schulich Leader Scholarship to study sciences at the university level.
Seven-year-old Joshua Tromans was awarded the prestigious Emily Longworth Piano Bursary in August, given to only one piano student at the VSO School of Music. The scholarship will cover all of Tromans' tuition fees for the 2012-13 school year.
Sun Devils, Ice Hawks, Rams, Pacers
• The Delta Ice Hawks capped their season with a Pacific International Junior Hockey League championship, after beating the Abbotsford Pilots 4-3 at MSA Arena on March 30. The Ice Hawks went on to claim the bronze medal at the B.C. junior B Cyclone Taylor Cup, after losing 6-4 to hosts Abbotsford in the semi-finals.
• The South Delta Sun Devils senior boys' basketball team made it to the knock-out round of the Fraser Valley Championships on March 1, losing 57-47 to their rivals from North Delta.
• The South Delta Rams bantam community football team won the provincial championship on Dec. 3, shutting out the Abbotsford Falcons 37-0 at McLeod Park in Langley.
• Trinity Western University men’s basketball team in Langley strengthened its backcourt with the signing of Delta Pacers point guard Lucas Goossen in June 20.
• South Delta Secondary's senior girls volleyball team eked out a nail-biter against the Port Moody’s Heritage Woods Kodiaks on Dec. 2 to win the AAAA provincial championship final at Riverside Secondary in Port Coquitlam.
• Also on Dec. 2, the SDSS Sun Devils varsity football team trounced the Mission Roadrunners 31-14 to claim their second provincial AA championship in five years.
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