Cloverdale Blueberry Cannons Are Firing

I heard the first blueberry cannons today. At 7:30am. I was already awake so they didn't bother me but it was clearly the same field, must have gone off 10 or 12 times in one minute. Sounded like the farmer was testing the propane cannon and getting it ready. They're only allowed to fire once every 5 minutes so if he's testing it you'd think he could have waited until later in the day. The people who live on the subdivision on the west side of 168th Street above Highway 10 are going to be livid! And a few minutes later I heard the cannons go off 3 more times in rapid succession. Then nothing. Until 8:30pm when I heard a cannon go off several times. I doubt the bylaw has changed in Surrey. Blueberry cannons are supposed be turned off by 8pm.

The blueberry cannons don't bother me. I've been hearing them since 1974 or 1975 when the blueberry fields were around Colebrook Road and 152 Street. Now there are many farms along 168th and 176th and even on Highway 10 where the Maddix Farm used to be, approximately the whole area between the salmon processing plant and 168th Street.

I'd been wondering when they were going to start up again. My blueberries are starting to ripen. I have several varieties so I'll get blueberries on one plant or another until September. I only have a dozen bushes in a raised garden bed and I protect them with nets. No blueberry chomping birds are going to get my berries!

Now's the time we get to be entertained with letters to the local papers complaining of the blueberry cannon noise. One Cloverdale resident had filed a lawsuit against the city of Surrey for not enforcing the bylaws. I'm not sure how that's turned out. Probably not heard yet by a judge. Its pretty hard for bylaws officers to enforce the complaints anyway. If they hear them then they have to track down the right field and the right farmer responsible for the infraction and give them a warning. Sometimes the farmers forget to turn the cannons off at night and I hear them between noon and 3pm when they're supposed to be shut off so clearly farmers do violate the city's bylaws.

I'm amazed at how many blueberry fields have sprung up around Cloverdale in the past 5 years. Incredible boon but it probably drives the price down for the farmers when the supply exceeds the demand. Oh well. I still buy local blueberries and freeze them. The blueberries from my little garden get eaten before I can get them into the house! Love blueberries. Made a pie last week from some I still have leftover in the freezer from last year. I've got to get busy and use them up to make room for this year's berries bound for the freezer.

Yummy!

Accident outside Cloverdale Highway 10 and 168th Street

In case anyone's wondering why the traffic is all snarled around Cloverdale today its due to an accident on Highway 10 and 168th Street.

This afternoon I was heading home from White Rock. I went down 152 Street and turned east on Highway 10 to return to Cloverdale. This was just after 2:30pm. Apparently Highway 10 was shut down at 152 Street just a little after I'd gone down there.

As I approached 168th Street it was clear there was an accident in the intersection because of the emergency vehicles - fire trucks and police cars - effectively blocking any westbound traffic along Highway 10 and any northbound traffic for 168th Street. They were preventing any traffic from using the left hand turn lane to turn north up 168th Street. All traffic traveling south along 168th Street was not allowed to proceed. They had to turn into the Cloverdale Farm Market's parking lot and go back the way they came.

There was a semi-trailer truck pulled over blocking the northbound lanes and a car or truck, something unidentifiable, mangled red metal in the ditch in the west side of the intersection. Unfortunately there was someone on a stretcher and several paramedics over him. I'm pretty sure it was a man on the stretcher.

As I continued on Highway 10 I saw the police had closed off traffic at 172 Street and were diverting all Highway 10 traffic up there. I didn't think that was a good move. Sending all the highway traffic into subdivision hell.

As I drove up my street I saw an air ambulance helicopter coming in for a landing and then I saw a 2nd helicopter but I don't know if it was an ambulance one or not.

After I arrived home the police finally closed off westbound traffic at the Cloverdale Bypass, the traffic lights were the Husky/Mohawk station is. Around that time all the cars that turned left decided to try turning left at the next lights at 57th Avenue, which goes up for a block or so then curves to the right and eventually comes out to 58th Avenue. The choices are then to turn west and go up to 172 Street and then turn right to go towards 60th Avenue. Turning right down 172 wouldn't help because traffic is not allowed west, so back to Cloverdale you go. Heading through Cowtown and coming out at 168th won't help either because that's closed too.

I ran into someone who'd just come home from Richmond. He said Highway 10 was now closed at 152 Street and he had to come home down 64th Avenue which was a traffic nightmare.

I came back from feeding my horses at 7:30pm and Highway 10 is still closed. From driving down 176th Street I could still see the emergency lights at 168th Street and the semi truck is still there.

According to Drive BC the estimated reopening of Highway 10 between Cloverdale and 152 Street is 9pm on Tuesday September 14. But they plan to update again if its still not open.

Closed this long? Fatality, unfortunately, is my guess.

Be safe making your way in and out of Cloverdale tonight.

Smart Choice truck makes a poor choice

Earlier today I was following a Smart Choice Transport semi trailer truck on Highway 10 making a left hand turn onto 168th Street, so as to head to South Surrey/White Rock.

What's so unusual? This isn't a truck route. If in doubt, look at the sign that says no heavy trucks over 10,000 kg. When this truck turned I could see the weight on its door - 29,500 kg. So yeah, I'd say it qualified as a heavy truck.

This is not the first heavy truck that's travelled along 168th judging by the poor condition of the road and the cracks in the pavement.

Bylaw officers don't seem to be too interested in truckers breaking the law, as evidenced by the complaints of residents on 64th Avenue where the bylaw officers suggest residents take the truckers to court. Yeah, right. Who's going to go to that trouble?

I'd say Smart Choice Transport made a poor choice in hiring a driver who has no respect for the laws of the road around Cloverdale.