Community Comments: A Fourth Generation Ladner Boy

By Douglas Husband

In 1979, a previous Delta Council held a public hearing on the "Spetifore" lands and approved it unanimously for residential development. The Greater Vancouver Regional District rejected the application. Ten years later, my council held a similar public hearing on those same lands and, after an exhaustive and divisive hearing, defeated the proposal. Some thirty-seven years after the first public hearing with a new owner and following extensive community engagement, the development was approved. This sorry saga and conclusion was no consolation to the well-regarded Spetifore family, nor has it satisfied a large segment of South Delta residents. My wife happily stated that I was "unelected" after the 1990 municipal elections. After a decade on the municipal council, I continued with active volunteer service. Whether winning or losing, I owe a huge debt of gratitude to the many people who offered their unqualified support during my seven election campaigns seeking a seat on the Delta Council. In 1992, I was appointed to the National Parole Board by the solicitor general of Canada. This challenging appointment reflected my RCMP service and community background. Weighing the risks to public safety and the inmate's right to freedom under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms was a daunting task. I carried on with community service with some recognition, culminating with the Queen's Golden Jubilee service medal awarded in 2002. Along with others, I am pleased to have been involved in the preservation of three of Delta's important historical buildings. As alderman and chair of Delta's advisory heritage committee, I liaised with Rick Hankin, Regional Parks director, and Delta Council, and we were successful in the retention, movement, and restoration of the significant home of the pioneering Burr family, an elementary schoolhouse located on the Paterson estate in East Delta, and a barn from Ladner's historic Paterson Park. Burrvilla, dating back to 1904, and the 1909 Inverholm school are representative of Delta's early settlement history. All three buildings are located in Deas Island Regional Park in Delta and are popular tourist attractions. I have also had the pleasure and opportunity of working with some of Delta's finest volunteers, raising funds for needed community, social, and sport facilities in South Delta. Generations of volunteers have made Delta a special place called home.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1984549324
• ISBN13: 9781984549327
• Release Date: April 2019
• Publisher: Xlibris Us
• Length: 348 Pages
• Weight: 1.12 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.0" x 9.0"