Safe 性视界传媒 Coalition council members congratulated themselves Monday night before council unanimously authorized city staff to purchase 16 adjacent parcels of land in Newton for future parkland, road alignment and civic projects.

It involves 7.24 acres, part of which embraces the former site of the Rona store at 6965 King George Blvd., which closed permanently on Jan. 26.

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Councillor Laurie Guerra said council has heard so often that Newton has been neglected, 鈥渢ime and time again.

鈥淏ut not today,鈥� she said. 鈥淎long with the main promises that the Safe 性视界传媒 Coalition campaigned on, of bringing the SkyTrain down the Fraser Highway, and a municipal police made in 性视界传媒 by 性视界传媒 and for 性视界传媒, and smart development, we promised that we would look to put a community centre in Newton. Once again, promise made, promise kept.鈥�

Councillor Allison Patton echoed that.

鈥淲hat I鈥檓 excited about is it鈥檚 going to be designed by the people in that community, uniquely for the community,鈥� she said. 鈥淎nother one for our books 鈥� promise made, promise kept.鈥�

Councillor Doug Elford called it a 鈥渧ery exciting purchase.鈥�

鈥淭he potential of this site is just incredible,鈥� he said, also noting the community 鈥渙ver the years has said they felt they鈥檝e been neglected in terms of investments and this certainly is an opportunity for us to respond to that.

鈥滻 live close by, it鈥檚 rife with prostitution and petty crime and it needs a change. Whatever we develop on this site, it鈥檚 going to be a huge improvement to the area.鈥�

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Meantime, the four councillors not with the Safe 性视界传媒 majority, balked at the political navel-gazing.

鈥淚 realize we are two years into our term, I think this is probably, there is 730-odd days left before the next campaign, but if we鈥檙e going to be talking about what we campaigned on and bring back mottos and stuff, I don鈥檛 think this is the right venue for that,鈥� said Councillor Jack Hundial, of 性视界传媒 Connect.

Councillor Linda Annis, of 性视界传媒 First, said the project is 鈥渓ong overdue, Newton鈥檚 been waiting for good things to happen to them in the past number of years鈥� and it will be 鈥渁 real asset to the community.鈥�

Councillor Brenda Locke, of 性视界传媒 Connect, said it鈥檚 a 鈥済reat opportunity not for Newton, but for all of 性视界传媒.鈥�

鈥淚 also want to say we are here for all the residents of 性视界传媒, whether they voted for us or not, so having political statements that come from these tables is in my mind inappropriate,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 too, though, will be looking forward to seeing the financial piece to that because that鈥檚 really going to direct what we can do.鈥�

Councillor Steven Pettigrew, who sits as an Independent, said as far as parks go, 鈥渢he more the merrier,鈥� but asked his council colleagues, 鈥淚s this what we鈥檙e going to be going through for the next two years鈥�has the election started tonight, has the campaigning started tonight?鈥�

性视界传媒鈥檚 next civic election will be held on Oct. 15, 2022.

鈥淚 really don鈥檛 relish sitting here for the next two years listening to all the accolades of certain parties,鈥� Pettigrew said. 鈥淟et鈥檚 just focus on city business.

鈥淪o I would ask that council just stick to the business and stop promoting their own parties, it鈥檚 really self-serving and I would hope this is the last of it and I don鈥檛 have to keep saying this. It鈥檚 very inappropriate.鈥�

性视界传媒 Mayor Doug McCallum, of the Safe 性视界传媒 Coalition, was the last to speak.

鈥淲e actually during the election did hear from our community that this is one of their top priorities to get this, to get some type of recreation facilities in Newton,鈥� he said.

鈥淭his will be fast-tracked because the need has been there for so long.鈥�

tom.zytaruk@surreynowleader.com
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