January
Westshore Terminals announced it would spend millions to upgrade its coal dust suppression capabilities. Vice-president and general manager Denis Horgan told Delta council $7 million would be spent on new equipment at the Roberts Bank terminal. Coal dust sampling commissioned by Delta in the summer found it is within allowable limits in Tsawwassen, but exceeds provincial guidelines adjacent to railway tracks.
February
More than 200 people attended a public meeting to hear about port expansion in South Delta. The new Citizens Against Port Expansion (CAPE) wanted to ramp up community awareness and opposition to Port Metro Vancouver's proposed Terminal 2 at Roberts Bank. The port began pubic consultations on the proposed three-berth container terminal. Delta council recently reiterated its position that a joint review panel should assess T2.
March
The province unveiled a number of options to replace the George Massey Tunnel, later announcing a bridge would be constructed on the existing Highway 99 corridor. Mayor Lois Jackson this fall said she felt betrayed by her fellow mayors over their objections to the bridge. Technical studies are about to get underway for the span. Construction is slated to begin in 2017.
April
The Tsawwassen First Nation once again elected 23-yearold carver Bryce Williams as chief in a rematch with former chief Kim Baird. It was the second time TFN members had gone to the polls in seven months after results of the previous September's election were voided. A number of development projects, including a pair of huge shopping malls, are to proceed at the First Nation.
May
The provincial election saw Delta South voters buck the Liberal trend by re-electing independent Vicki Huntington. Huntington said voters saw there can be a different way of being represented. Gathering 48 per cent of the vote, she easily defeated Liberal challenger Bruce McDonald and the NDP's Nic Slater. Meanwhile, Delta North saw Delta councillor Scott Hamilton elected for the Liberals.
June
The Delta school district continued its effort to convince the province to restore funding for school buses. This fall, board of education chair Laura Dixon said that despite concerns about the new transportation funding formula by the Ministry of Education, which resulted in a 47 per cent reduction for Delta, the province won't provide another dime. To make up for the phased $728,000 funding cut, the school board eliminated service to rural areas.
July
Delta council approved the final phases of Marina Garden Estates in Ladner. Captain's Cove Marina and Polygon Homes received approval to build 674 town homes and condos after undertaking several revisions over the past year. Opponents, who came almost entirely from the existing Marina Gardens neighbourhood, complained the project was too dense.
August
Residents in Tsawwassen and Point Roberts raised alarm bells over an application to erect five radio transmission towers. BBC Broadcasting Inc. wants to construct the 45-metre (150-foot) steel towers at an undeveloped lot in Point Roberts near the border. The towers would transmit radio station KRPI, AM 1550, which broadcasts from studios in Richmond.
September
MK Delta Lands submitted another development application for its property adjacent to Burns Bog. The new proposal reduces the amount of commercial space, dropping an outlet mall from the plans, while increasing the number of residential units to 1,100. Well over 600 of those units would be apartments.
October
South Delta residents took part in a rally outside the South Delta Public Health Unit to show their concern about pending changes by Fraser Health. As of January, the region will amalgamate staff in North Delta, turning the South Delta centre in the Ladner civic precinct into a "satellite" location. A meeting was held a few weeks later with Fraser Health officials.
November
A public hearing on the Southlands development proposal that heard from about 400 people was adjourned by Mayor Lois Jackson after five days. Just over a week later, the majority of Delta council voted gave the application conditional approval, describing the proposal by Century Group as a great deal. The municipality is now sending the application to Metro Vancouver, where board approval is also required.
December
Work finally wrapped up on the billion-dollar South Fraser Perimeter Road. The new highway is an almost 40-kilometre, four-lane route along the south side of the Fraser River, from Deltaport Way in southwest Delta to 176th Street in Surrey. The SFPR has been officially titled as Highway 17, while the old Highway 17 in South Delta has been renamed Highway 17A and become a local road.
