Frankly Speaking

Rich Coleman is announcing today (Sunday, Sept. 11) that he will run for a sixth term as MLA in Fort Langley-Aldergrove, according to The Province newspaper. The announcement will come at his annual picnic for his supporters. The announcement is not surprising. Coleman is partway through a job that he has put a great deal of personal time and energy into - getting a commitment that a major LNG plant will be built in B.C. - and he wants to see at least one plant underway before hanging up his spurs. Coleman is also one of the shrewdest political campaigners operating in B.C. today. He is not a front and centre retail politician like Premier Christy Clark, whom he supports unreservedly. He is a backroom details guy - and his work in the 2013 campaign was masterful. Few people saw a BC Liberal election victory coming then, but he did. He was convinced that innovative use of the information available to the BC Liberals, through polling and other campaigning techniques, combined with ...

Frank Bucholtz photo Plans for 136 new homes across the street from the new Clayton North secondary will be discussed at a public hearing held by Surrey council this month. The Clayton area has a severe shortage of classroom space for students. Surrey schools expect to have an extra 1,000 students in the classrooms when school began on Tuesday. As challenging as that is, even more challenges are coming. Development is continuing at a frenetic pace, despite a 15 per cent foreign buyer tax which seems to be addressed more towards Vancouver, the North Shore and Richmond. There are a number of signs of real estate activity slowing down in those markets, but many people continue to buy homes in Surrey for the simple reason that it is more affordable. If all the development proposals now in the planning stages go ahead, the school district will have several thousand more students in the next few years. Longtime trustee Laurae McNally points to a proposed development in Clayt...

Frank Bucholtz photo Some of the most unusual and rare cars displayed at the Langley Good Times Cruise-In are on display each year at Douglas Park. This Duesenberg was on display there in 2011. The Langley Good Times Cruise-In is a hugely significant community event. It has grown from small beginnings along the one-way portion of Fraser Highway to its present size because it fills a need for a large car show in a superb viewing venue, and because it is supportive of so many local charities. The Cruise-In board, many of whom have been working on this annual event for years, do so because of their love of the community. This intersects with their passion for restoring, driving and displaying collector vehicles, and for promoting the City of Langley. A large number of volunteers make the show happen each year, and the city has been very supportive and helpful as well. A hiccup over policing costs was quickly resolved by the City last week. As with all successful events, pre...