TAKING BACK OUR NEIGHBOURHOOD

Although we have accomplished much in our neighbourhood with the help
of the RCMP and the city of Surrey, much still has to be done. Instead
of pointing fingers and looking for someone to blame all our problems
on, we should work together to resolve issues and get to the root of
the problem of the drug houses. The transition of our neighbourhood
has encouraged investors to purchase homes. Some of these absentee
landlords rent these homes to anybody who will pay rent. Many are
decrepit but can still be used as for drug and prostitution
businesses. These are the operations negatively impacting ours and
other B.C. communities.

Other provinces have successfully enacted The Safer Communities and
Neighbourhood Act, civil legislation that makes absentee landlords
accountable for illegal activities occurring on their property. This
legislation gives residents the tools needed to create a safer
environment.

One way is to let the drug dealers know we won't tolerate what they
are doing, instead of looking the other way or doing nothing.

Regain your community, clean your community and let people know you
care. Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different
results makes no sense. This is not a "Whalley" problem, this is a
B.C. problem.

Children need and deserve a safe environment to be able to live and
play in our communities and neighbourhoods. SCAN legislation will not
solve all our problems. But it is an important step in the right
direction to gain back our communities and neighbourhoods.

Gerry Morden

Whalley Enhancement Association