Close X
Thursday, November 28, 2024
ADVT 
National

Group calls for vote on Surrey, B.C., police force

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 15 Nov, 2021 05:22 PM
  • Group calls for vote on Surrey, B.C., police force

SURREY, B.C. - A group opposing the planned transition from the RCMP to a municipal police force in Surrey, B.C., says it has collected close to 43,000 signatures from residents calling for a referendum on policing in the city.

Darlene Bennett launched the campaign with the group Surrey Police Vote over concerns about rising costs associated with starting a new municipal police force, which was a key pledge in Mayor Doug McCallum's election campaign in 2018.

The city council voted in favour of the transition in 2018, the public safety minister approved the creation of the Surrey Police Board last year, and Surrey's budget for 2021 showed the transition was $18.5 million more than the original $45-million cost estimate.

Amber Stowe, media relations lead with McCallum's office, says the mayor would not comment on the petition before Elections BC delivers the final result.

A statement from the Surrey Police Union says the 42,942 signatures collected by the Surrey Police Vote initiative falls far below the legislative requirement of 10 per cent of voters from all 87 electoral districts in B.C. in order to trigger a referendum.

Bennett said upon launching the petition that the initiative would not campaign across the province, rather it would focus on the nine electoral districts in Surrey in hopes of demonstrating the need for a regional referendum to the provincial government.

B.C.'s Referendum Act gives provincial cabinet the power to order a referendum in a particular region, campaign strategist Bill Tieleman said in a statement on Monday.

The petition's signatures represent about 13.5 per cent of about 318,000 registered voters in Surrey's nine districts, according to a 2017 tally from Elections BC.

 

MORE National ARTICLES

Meng's extradition case dropped in B.C.

Meng's extradition case dropped in B.C.
The Huawei executive emerged from the court without her ankle bracelet and read a statement thanking the judge, the Crown lawyers and the Canadian people for their tolerance, while apologizing for the inconvenience.

Meng's extradition case dropped in B.C.

743 COVID19 cases for Friday

743 COVID19 cases for Friday
There are 5,979 active cases of COVID-19 in the province and 174,281 people who tested positive have recovered. Of the active cases, 319 individuals are in hospital and 149 are in intensive care. The remaining people are recovering at home in self-isolation.

743 COVID19 cases for Friday

VPD investigates disturbing Downtown Eastside attack

VPD investigates disturbing Downtown Eastside attack
The victim, a 22-year-old Downtown Eastside resident, was standing in front of the Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre at Columbia Street and East Cordova when he felt a sharp pain in his leg and realized he’d been shot. With an arrow lodged just below his kneecap, the victim walked a block to Insite, where staff gave first aid and called 9-1-1.

VPD investigates disturbing Downtown Eastside attack

Federal deficit hit $48.5 billion in July

Federal deficit hit $48.5 billion in July
The Finance Department's regular fiscal monitor says the budgetary deficit between April and July was just under $48.5 billion, down from the almost $148.6 billion recorded over the same months in 2020 when COVID-19 first struck.

Federal deficit hit $48.5 billion in July

Vote count could spill into weekend

Vote count could spill into weekend
Officials started counting mail ballots on Friday morning in Nanaimo-Ladysmith, a three-way battle between the NDP, Tories and Greens, according to Elections Canada. Votes tallied on election night from polling stations suggest the NDP have a narrow lead in the B.C. riding.

Vote count could spill into weekend

Some health triage has begun in Alberta: doctor

Some health triage has begun in Alberta: doctor
Parks said that in recent days some critically ill COVID-19 patients who should have been on ventilators were not getting them. That's on top of previously announced mass cancellations of surgeries, along with patient transfers, as doctors balance medical need with available space, he said.

Some health triage has begun in Alberta: doctor