Moving past coal in Surrey

The Canadian Press is reporting that "Environment Minister Catherine McKenna is arriving today in Bonn, Germany, to attend the second week of COP23, the annual United Nations climate change talks that two years ago led to the Paris climate change accord."

"McKenna and Perry are hosting a joint event Nov. 16 to launch a joint campaign calling for other countries to declare a plan not to build any more unabated coal-fired plants and eliminate existing ones. 'We want every country to look at how they can reduce their use of coal and phase it out and we want to be supporting developing countries to do so,' McKenna told The Canadian Press in an interview last week."

"About 10 per cent of electricity in Canada comes from coal, and 40 per cent of the electricity around the world is generated by coal-fired power plants. A year ago, Canada committed to eliminating coal as a source of power by 2030. Britain has committed to getting rid of it by 2025. Since Canada and the U.K. first announced their coal phase-out campaign last month, Italy and Netherlands added themselves to the list of countries aiming to get rid of coal. France had already set a 2025 coal-phase out target."

This is the direction the rest of the world is moving in. We can argue climate change until the cows come home. The fact is the visible pollution in Beijing from coal is off the hook. Surrey is contributing to that insanity by trying to expand it's coal exports to China while China has committed to reducing coal emissions. Normally, a good businessman can see the writing on the wall when it comes to supply and demand. It's time for us to innovate and move past coal exports. Not only will that help China's smog problem but it will also give us sustainable business. Innovation means moving forward not backward.

This applies to BC because the obsession to increase coal exports out of the Surrey docks is the real reason they want to get rid of the George Massey tunnel when Richmond itself does not. There's nothing wrong with the tunnel. The spin doctors are spamming the media with lies so they can line their pockets with dirty money. The problem is, that plan is very short sighted.

The Telegraph is reporting that "India is set to overtake China and become the world's largest emitter of sulphur dioxide, an air pollutant that is generated when coal is burnt and can lead to severe haze, acid rain and asthma complications." Quarts Media is reporting that "This week, air pollution forced some 4,000 schools to close in New Delhi, as India’s capital suffers through an air quality nightmare. Now, here’s more bad news on the pollution front: the country is passing China as the world’s biggest emitter of deadly man-made sulfur dioxide (SO2)."

The Sierra Club is reporting that "Coal is our country’s dirtiest energy source, from mining to burning to disposing of coal waste. Our campaign is uniting grassroots activists across the country to move America Beyond Coal."

Replacing a perfectly functional tunnel so they can dredge the Fraser river and load more coal onto the cargo ships out of the Surrey docks is insane. There is no future in it. It's like investing massive amounts of money in VCRs. Propane and natural gas are clean burning. Coal is not. Hydroelectricity is clean. Nuclear reactors are not. We need to move forward.

The Devil's Deal for Hawthorne Park

Update: Hawthorne Park Fraud Exposed

It appears that they are keeping the waterpark and playground. If that is the case, I'd be a lot more comfortable with the development proposal along 104th Avenue. However, a lot of people who live here aren't. They do not want a road with busy traffic running through the middle of the park. It's not just the structural folly of building a road through a bogg. People don't want to have to deal with car and truck exhaust while they are watching their kids having a barbeque. I share those concerns.

In addition to that condos built on park land would increase traffic. Reverting 104th Ave to a single lane of traffic each way to make room for an LRT would be insane. A new side street along 105 could not possibly fix the resulting traffic chaos.

With regards to the proposed development within the park, flipping protected park land into high density residential would be a huge money maker for developers bidding on the project. Instead of giving it away at firesale prices to their campaign contributors, the City could sell it at fair market value and help offset the colossal debt Dianne Watts left us with. We need to start being fiscally responsible and avoid another insider trading fiasco like like they did in Campbell Heights.



As for the road through Hjorth Road elementary school, when you go to the site the proposal looks insane. The road cuts the school off from it's playing field. However, the picture of the proposal allows for a new playing field adjacent to the other side of the school. That could work. The only problem would be the two existing businesses on 104th. Lee Yuen Seafood Restaurant has been there forever. They'd have to be voluntarily paid fair market value for their business. However, letting them stay and build the new playing field around their business would also work.

My main concern remains to be an on ground train along 104th avenue reverting 104th to a single lane of traffic in either direction. That will not work. On ground trains are good for commuting in rural areas. On ground trains in the middle of an urban core are problematic.

Wikipedia is reporting that "Kevin Desmond, CEO of TransLink, has indicated that there Skytrain along the second phase of the project (Fraser Highway Line) it is also a possibility instead of LRT, however a statement from the Surrey Mayor has confirmed that a Skytrain solution along Fraser Highway would cost $950M more than LRT" which is a bold faced lie. Linda Hepner is the problem here. Remove her.

No one who lives in Guildford wants an on ground train running along 104th Avenue from Guildford Mall to Surrey Place reverting 104th avenue into a single lane of traffic each way. That is insane. People who own cars prefer Skytrain because it doesn't impede traffic. People who own cars should have a say because they pay Translink a billion dollars a year in a regional gas tax above and beyond federal and provincial gas tax.

“The [Mayors’ Glutton Council] have been very clear, and they’ve made their technology choice,” said Gill, noting however that the final decision will fall to the provincial government." $2.2 billion from the federal government and $2.2 billion from the provincial government. Either body could veto the project by withdrawing their financial support. That would be in everyone's best interest.

Linda Hepner wants to give the contract for the LRT disaster in Surrey to SNC Lavalin, the most corrupt construction company on the planet. SNC Lavalin has a history of under bidding to get government contracts then over charging once they have the contract just like Lockheed Martin. SNC’s fraud, corruption hearing set for 2018. That's why Linda Hepner is trying to start construction of the LRT nightmare before that trial gets going. SNC-Lavalin work for TransLink. They also build LRT.

It has absolutely nothing to do with saving money. It's all about burning tax dollars and giving kickbacks to the political parties for the favor. SNC-Lavalin violated election rules with campaign donations. SNC-Lavalin illegally donated over $117K to federal parties. Liberals, Conservatives reimburse illegal SNC-Lavalin donations. Massey Bridge: A Boondoggle Bought by Big Money.

Court orders name of tipster who lied to police released to the court

The National Post is reporting that someone who called in Crimestoppers with a false tip to throw suspicion of himself could be identified in court if he lied to obstruct justice. Crimestoppers presented an absurd objection claiming that the sky would fall and Crimestoppers would come to an end if the public trust in anonymity was broken. Get a grip. Anonymity still exists. It can only be broken if the person knowingly lies. That's pretty much a no brainer.

"The Supreme Court found that the promise of anonymity cannot serve as a cover for obstruction of justice. The Supreme Court decided the anonymity granted to informers, called informer privilege, cannot be interpreted to apply where it would compromise the very objectives that justify its existence, namely: furthering the interest of justice and the maintenance of public order. It follows that informer privilege does not exist where a person has contacted Crime Stoppers with the intention of furthering criminal activity or interfering with the administration of justice.”

This case does however open Pandora's box and relates to several other cases and articles. What happens when crown witnesses lie? Can their name be released? We've briefly talked about when police lie in court like in the taser death at the airport or when hiding their sexual escapades with witnesses in the Surrey Six investigation. We've also recently talked about when police knowingly plant evidence to wrongfully convict someone of a crime they did not commit. Their anonymity is not protected so why should a crown witness who knowingly lies?

Recently the Times Colonist reported that "A police agent, paid more than $130,000 by the RCMP to help nab a cocaine dealer, testified in court that he may have killed two men and viciously attacked people to settle drug debts. The payout sheds light on the secretive world of police agents who can be used to catch criminals in undercover stings but often have a serious criminal past of their own." This was a sting - entrapment. It was not stopping an existing drug trafficking ring, it was creating a new one for the press release.

This was an enforcer for you know who getting paid $130,000 by the RCMP to rat out a rival in exchange for not only carrying on his own business, but for getting away with murder and years of debt collection violence. This is the new corruption within the BC Gang task Force that I am referring to. It also relates to Blaze, the Black Widow and Len Peltier.

In this case "Mulligan tried to prove that Ketch sold the cocaine under duress after Holland implied he would hurt Ketch if he didn’t come up with the drugs. Mulligan said Holland had a financial incentive to pressure Ketch to sell the drugs." It was another sting operation to make it look like they were confronting drug dealing when they were in reality doing the exact opposite.

Woman's body found in Oshawa Harbour identified

Update: More human remains found in Ontario

The Toronto Star is reporting that "Durham police say Rori Hache was reported missing by her family in August. A torso, located a month after in the Oshawa Harbour, belongs to the 18-year-old, investigators said Thursday evening."

It is unlikely Curtis Sagmoen from Salmon Arm was involved with this murder but we are forced to ask if his employer was. Did she have a drug debt like so many others in BC or was she simply another young girl lured into the industry and was trying to leave it? This isn't the only murder. We need to start looking at the real cause of these murders and stop pretending it doesn't exist.

Did The Hells Angels Kidnap Makayla Chang?

New Toronto transition house

Anyone can be a victim

In this case I admit that it is highly unlikely this young girl had a drug debt. Here in BC it is quite a different story. There were an outrageous number of sex trade workers murdered on the Pickton farm and several more missing near Salmon arm where the remains of another sex trade worker was recently discovered. In the GTA there appears to be a large number of young girls lured into the sex trade and are fearful of leaving from threats of violence.

Yet in this specific case there are several other irregularities that make it peculiar to say the least. The bottom line is that this was a wonderful young girl and what happened to her was horrible. No one deserves that no matter who they are related to.

The Toronto Sun asks "Is it a coincidence that Dionne’s home was consumed by an unexplained daytime fire Aug. 10, that left her with devastating injuries and killed her dog?"

Peter Leask has retired: Oh Happy Day!

A colleague of mine mentioned that Peter Leask had retired so I had to call up the registry and confirm it which they did. Peter Leask has finally retired. He must have aged out at 75. Oh Happy Day! That guy was a complete idiot. He is one of the prime reasons the BC Judicial system needs to be reformed. The judges in BC have absolutely no public accountability. We can't get rid of a bad judge. We have to wait for them to age out and retire. That needs to be fixed.

I have expressed concerns about that clown for many years. In 2009 I made a controversial post claiming Peter Leask should be hanged for treason. I didn't say I was going to kill him. I discussed the vast change in the judicial system we have seen in BC over the years. At the Parliament buildings in Victoria they have tours where actors and actresses portray famous characters from our history. They highlighted one judge, Chief Justice Mathew Begbie, who had become known as the hanging judge for his staunch stance on crime.

I said here in B.C. we've gone from the Hanging Judge to judges who should be hanged. Treason used to be an offence where people were hanged. Peter Leask's decisions were indeed treasonous. Some thought that was a pretty bold statement to make.

I remember picking up a copy of Neil Hall's book, the Hells Angels and the Million Dollar Rat, in the bookstore and flipping through the pages. I came to a picture in the photograph section I recognized. It was the picture I made of Peter Leask with bugs bunny ears sitting on a Looney Tunes background referring to my claim that Peter Leask should be hanged for treason. I was shocked. You can't get any better advertising than that. Everyone thought I was going to get sued but you can't get sued for expressing concern about a judge's bad decision.

Fast forward to March 2017. I made another post titled Peter Leask strikes again citing yet another insane decision from that crazed lunatic. After Tim Petruk, a local reporter from Kamloops, reported on what he saw Peter Leask say and do covering a rape trial a law professor from UBC filed a complaint against Peter Leask as did the victim of the crime.

Then came the attack poodles targeting Tim for telling the truth. Gordon Clark from the Vancouver Province wrote an obscene piece of trash rationalizing what Peter Leask did and completely misconstrued it. The law professor from UBC caved in to political pressure and withdrew his complaint. I made a post titled Gordon Clark spins for Peter Leask.

Then it happened. Instead of running with his tail between his legs, Tim Petruk stood strong and said, no, Gordon Clark was not present, he was. Tim confirmed what was said and the tone it was said in then pointed out that Gordon Clark was married to a BC judge exposing his credibility collapse once and for all. It was awesome.

I then made a post stating Harold Munro folds like a cheap tent but reporter Tim Petruk stands like a rock. I am thrilled to see Tim Petruk stand his ground and am amazed the Post Media News Monopoly didn't pull a Gary Webb and fire him.

So here we are. Peter Leask has retired but we are still left with the same problem. Judges in BC have zero public accountability. Georgialee Lang, the Law Diva herself, mentions judicial accountability and points out that judges in the United States are elected while in Canada they are appointed. Electing judges is something we should look at but what we really need is a mechanism in place to get rid of bad judges because right now we have none.

Putting up with Peter Leask's treason until he retired was a crime against humanity. Something needs to change. Until then we can celebrate Leask's departure. Hail Mary yo.

Crown withdraws criminal charges against Toronto cops accused of planting heroin

The Toronto star is reporting that "Four Toronto police officers walk away from more than two dozen perjury and obstruction-of-justice charges" over trial delays caused by information sharing problems between prosecutors and Toronto police professional standards, the unit that conducted an internal investigation that led to the charges. The police screwed up their own disclosure obligations so the cops charged walked.

Const. Michael Taylor, Const. Benjamin Elliot, Const. Jeffrey Tout and Det.-Const. Fraser Douglas walk away now, but what we do in life echos in eternity. Word.

Police bust Hamilton crime group tied to Gambino family in New York

The Toronto Star is reporting that "The RCMP and FBI have made a string of arrests involving fentanyl trafficking by a long-established Hamilton crime group and the Gambino organized family of New York." Wow, the Hamilton crime group would be the Calabrians who were warring with the Rizzutos in Montreal. The article names Domenic and Giuseppe Violi who we have already talked about previously. Interesting. The Quebec Hells Angels who kicked the Ontario Nomads ass for dealing with the Hamilton Calabrians dealt with the Rizzutos in Montreal.

Eulogy for John Davidson

The police just had a procession along the 401 freeway Higway of Heros for the slain police officer. I didn't see a hearse otherwise I would have pulled over out of respect. Evidently the officer rushed in without waiting for back up when he heard shots fired because he wanted to reduce the likelihood of civilian casualties. That was indeed heroic.

Some might argue that it was a rookie mistake not to wait for back up but I beg to differ. When someone has a gun and they are shooting it, every second you hesitate could mean more lives lost. He did the heroic thing. Greater love hath no man than this.

This life is a test. John Davidson passed with flying colours. The hillbilly who shot him failed miserably. Some will argue that cops are assholes. Many are. This one wasn't. You got the wrong one. Murder is never something to celebrate. Murder represents separating yourself from normal people in the eternities. Hell isn't a place where God punishes us forever saying I told you so. Just like the Chinese painting declares, heaven and hell is what we make it.

If we lie, cheat and steal we will live with people just like us. Likewise, if we are honorable and trustworthy, we will be with people just like us. There is no L&R in gang life. Gang life is all about murder to get gain. It is filled with betrayal. There is no honour in it. Yet this murder wasn't even tied to gang activity. It was totally senseless. It was over a stolen car.

They say circumstances dont make the man, they reveal him to himself and to the rest of the world. John Davidson's true character has been revealed. He will be honoured throughout eternity. The hillbilly who shot him will not be hailed as a cop killer. He will be remembered as a complete idiot. A total loser. Someone who robbed a family from a good husband, father and son. When this life is over he will experience their pain. For murder there is no justice in this life. Justice comes in the life hereafter where families are reunited with loved ones.

Some people ask why does God let good people suffer? The answer is twofold - free agency and exaltation. In this life we are all free to choose but we are not free to avoid the consequences of our choices. God cannot put us in prison for wanting to commit murder. He can only do so if we actually do commit murder. Those who commit murder will be separated from the public permanently. Those who are murdered unjustly will be exalted. In this life it doesn't make sense. It only makes sense in the life hereafter. We have just witnessed a scene from the movie Gladiator in real life. John Davidson was a soldier of Rome. Honor him. The Last Post.

Kelowna medicinal grow tied to the Hells Angels

Castanet is reporting that "RCMP in Kelowna have shut down a medical marijuana operation in the city. Working on a tip from police in Nova Scotia, local RCMP raided a property in the Paret Road area of Kelowna Nov. 1. While the property was a licensed marijuana grow operation, police say the drugs were being used for monetary gain by the licence holder, and not exclusively for personal consumption. Police say the drug was allegedly being harvested and sold to members of the Hells Angels."

This comes as no surprise. It would be hard to find a grow op in Kelowna that wasn't run by the Hells Angels. The tip had to come in from Nova Scotia because the compromised BC Gang Task force doesn't charge Hells Angels any more. What was David Giles famous statement on culpability again? David Giles was caught on wire stating that not all members of the Hells Angels are involved in criminal activity but anyone who uses the name of the club for criminal activity must have that activity approved by the local executive.

Abbotsford police officer killed in shootout - Update

The Peacearch News is reporting that "Abbotsford Police have confirmed that one officer died and one is injured following a shooting this afternoon in the area of Mt. Lehman Road and Fraser Highway. The incident began at about noon at a strip mall north of Highstreet Shopping Centre."

One witness "said the suspect’s vehicle slammed into the back of the car behind her. She then saw police officers converge and, she says, they began to shoot at the suspect’s car. As she laid down in her car, Dauncey heard rounds of gunshots."

This is unprecedented. Gang members here always shoot each other not at the police. Likewise, I've never heard of the police opening fire on a vehicle in the middle of traffic. Something just isn't right. Tragic an officer lost his life over it. It's fortunate civilians weren't killed in all that confusion.

Global is reporting that a witness claims the suspect had a rifle. The picture shows it.



The Vancouver Province is reporting the timetable of events:

"Monday’s incident started with a call to police at 11:35 a.m. about a possible stolen vehicle in the parking lot of a strip mall in the 3200-block Mount Lehman Road. The vehicle, a 2016 Ford Mustang, had been stolen from the nearby MSA Ford dealership on Saturday during a test drive. The car was spotted by dealership employees, who contacted police and boxed the car in as they waited for police. The driver returned to the car carrying a shotgun and began shooting at the employees and bystanders."

"Less than 20 minutes after the first call to police, several 911 calls poured in reporting shots fired. Police arrived and exchanged gunfire with the man, and Davidson was shot. He was taken to hospital, where he was pronounced dead shortly after arrival. The suspect was pursued by police and arrested after a collision at the intersection of Mt. Lehman Road and Fraser Highway. The man, in his mid 60s, was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and remains in custody." Absolutely bizarre. All over a stolen car. Tragic.

Obviously there are good cops and bad cops just like everywhere else. By the sounds of it, this was a good cop who cared. The bottom line is that he did die protecting the public.

Eulogy for John Davidson