optimist marks 90th anniversary

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For 90 years theDelta Optimist has been serving

the community of Delta withthe best of local news, sports,

entertainment and advertising.We are proud to be part of a vibrant

community and look forward to many more years of partnership.

DA01_90thAnniv0330_DEL.indd 1 3/21/12 11:38:29 AM

2 The Delta Optimist 90th Anniversary

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The Delta Optimist 90th Anniversary 3

1922-2012 Delta Optimist’s 90thAnniversary

Celebrating 90 yearsPublished every Wednesday

& Friday by the Delta Optimist, a division of LMP Publication Limited Partnership

#207 - 4840 Delta Street,Delta, BC V4K 2T6

Phone 604-946-4451Fax 604-946-5680

www.delta-optimist.com

Publisher:Lori Chalmers

[email protected]

Editor:Ted Murphy

[email protected]

Sports:Mark Booth

[email protected]

Reporters:Sandor Gyarmati

[email protected] Willis

[email protected] Kerr

[email protected]

Photographer:Chung Chow

[email protected]

Sales Manager:Dave Hamilton

[email protected]

Sales Representatives:John Gallinger

[email protected] VanBruksvoort

[email protected]

Features Manager:Bob Ferguson

[email protected]

Sales Support:Linda Calendino

[email protected]

Office Manager:Trish Factor

[email protected]

Canadian Publications Agreement #212490

Wednesday’s circulation is 17,029 Friday’s circulation is 17,479

This paper is made of 40% recycled newsprint and printed using

vegetable inks

Entire Contents © 2012 The Optimist. All Rights Reserved

Welcome to the DeltaOptimist’s 90th Anni-versary feature.Celebrating a 90-year span in any business is quite a feat these days. Over nine decades, the Optimist has chronicled Delta’s evolution from a sleepy village to the bustling and vibrant suburban municipality it is today.

Our special anniversary magazine showcases the evolution of the newspa-per and the community. On the following pages you will fi nd articles about signifi cant events in the municipality’s history, interesting information about the newspaper’s history, along with advertise-ments and photos that

will provide a glimpse into the daily life of years gone by. So help celebrate by taking a step back in time with us. We hope you enjoy reading the magazine as much as we did put-ting it together. Happy 90th birthday, Delta Optimist!

Lori ChalmersPublisher

Cover photosThe main cover photo features Ed-gar Dunning working at the Model 5 Linotype machine in 1945. Dunning was just 12 when his family moved to Ladner in 1922 to start the Opti-mist. He returned to the community in 1930 and began his lengthy ca-reer with the family paper where he took on various roles over the years. The other photos are courtesy of the Delta Museum and Archives.

Table of ContentsIn the beginning Edgar Dunning The Bexley years Corporate ownership Nine decades of news: 1920s & ’30s 1940s to ’60s 1970s & ’80s 1990s & ’00s An evolving design Delta circa 1922Early Optimist employees Refl ections from former staff From our offi ce to your door Awards The Optimist team Online Optimist In the community A look ahead

Page 4-5Page 6-7Page 8Page 9

Page 10-13Page 14-21Page 22-312-35Page 36-37Page 39Page 40 Page 42-44Page 46-47Page 48Page 49 Page 51Page 53 Page 54



It was 90 years ago that Vincent Clesson Dunning accepted an invitation from the Delta Board of Trade (the predecessor of the Delta Chamber of Commerce) to start a newspaper to fill the vacancy left after the demise of the DeltaTimes in 1914.Dunning, trained as a printer in his youth in southern Manitoba, closed the weekly Globein Barons, 35 miles north of Lethbridge, Alberta, and sold the Sun he had started in Carmangay, 10 miles north of Barons.In January of 1922, he arrived on the West Coast, found the equipment he needed in Vancouver to pro-duce a small newspa-per and installed it in the former saloon of the Ladner Hotel, at the corner of today’s 48th Avenue and Delta

Street, just a block from where the Optimist has its offices today.The first issue of theWeekly Optimist, pub-lished on March 23, 1922, consisted of four pages. About 500 copies were printed.In February of 1923, Dunning announced in the new paper that he was leaving to look after publica-tions he had started in Cloverdale, Langley and White Rock. He turned over owner-ship of the Optimistto his wife, Gertrude Dunning, whose name appears as publisher in the first issue of March that year. She became the first female pub-lisher of a B.C. weekly newspaper.Vincent Dunning even-tually made his way to California but never returned to Ladner.To reduce costs, the new publisher moved

the printing plant and the home she shared with her three sons to a two-storey building owned by Edgar Fenton beside the Odd Fellows Hall on Delta Street.Its neighbours were a jewelry store and the Royal Bank of Canada on the north and Craig’s Bakery on the south. The three Dunning boys particularly appreciated the bakery for they could count on getting baked goods that had not been sold.The printing equipment

was installed in the south half of the lower floor with the front part of the north side rented to various busi-nesses. Walter Creech sold real estate there until 1927 when Neil McDiarmid, retired after 26 years as Delta’s municipal clerk, opened a general insurance office in the space. Other people rented it in the 14 years theOptimist occupied the building.


Dunnings came west to Delta to open The Weekly OptimistBoard of trade invitation prompted family move from Alberta

Vincent Dunning Gertrude Dunning

Gertrude Dunning is shown in this photograph from the 1940s with her three sons: Edgar (left), Bill (middle) and Eric (right).

See Dunnings page 5



The upper floor provid-ed the Dunning home of three bedrooms, a living room, kitchen and big pantry, but no bathroom. The only toi-let for the family was located on the lower floor, which meant a jaunt outside and down the stairs when nature called.The Fenton building was home until 1938, when the Dunnings were able to purchase the former Methodist Church property where the post office is now located. The printing equip-ment was moved into the church building — which prompted com-ments from other pub-

lishers about expecting high and noble thoughts from the publication — and the Dunnings moved into the former manse.Edgar, the oldest of the three Dunning boys, officially began work at the Optimist in 1930 after two years in northern B.C., part of that employed by the Prince Rupert Evening Empire and its com-peting newspaper, the Daily News.The eldest Dunning boy served the paper in many capacities over the years, including reporter, editor, printer and pressman, as well as bill collector, before taking over as publisher

in 1942.He sold part interest in the paper to Ernie Bexley in 1964 and later divested all his holdings, but rejoined the Optimist family as

a columnist in the early 1990s. He continued to write his popular weekly Rambling column until his passing in 2010 at the age of 100.

1922-2012 Delta Optimist’s 90thAnniversaryDunnings came west to start Optimist from page 4

Edgar Dunning offi cially began working for theOptimist in 1930.

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By Sandor Gyarmati

Edgar Clesson Dun-ning is a name that will always be synonymous with the Delta Optimist.Born in Elbow, Sas-katchewan, on Jan. 7, 1910, Dunning came to Delta as a 12-year-old when his dad, Vincent Dunning, started theWeekly Optimist at the invitation of the Delta Board of Trade.Not only was Dunning there at the beginning way back in 1922, but he continued his relationship with the newspaper until pass-ing away in the fall of 2010 at the age of 100. In fact, his last Ram-bling column, a popular weekly staple of the paper, ran on the day he died.Dunning, who had two younger brothers, Bill and Eric, graduated from King George High School in Ladner.In his younger years, Dunning worked in cen-tral B.C. at the Premier Gold Mine before end-ing up at a newspaper in Prince Rupert. He moved back to Ladner in 1930 to learn the printing business and begin a lengthy career at the Optimist where he served in a variety of capacities.Dunning not only had a long career as a jour-nalist, but he played an important role in the

growing community of Delta, founding and sup-porting a host of orga-nizations.As he grew older and provided a vital link to Delta’s past for new generations, he was

often referred to as a “treasure” or an “icon” and was revered by many.Dunning’s razor-sharp memory for historical details was accompa-nied by charm and a

wry smile, all matched by a quick wit, making him Delta’s favourite storyteller. “To me, Edgar was just an absolutely consum-mate gentleman who had an astounding memory and great tal-ent and commitment to his community,” Delta South MLA Vicki Hun-tington said shortly af-ter his passing in 2010.Mayor Lois Jackson said those he worked and spent time with cherished Dunning’s jovial, good-humoured personality, and his personal and intimate knowledge of Delta’s history and ability to share it was truly touching.“Edgar’s lifelong dedica-tion to the betterment, heritage and preserva-tion of Delta is remark-able,” Jackson said.George Affl eck, general manager of the B.C. and Yukon Community Newspapers Associa-tion, said Dunning was an important fi gure in the industry.Dunning joined the B.C. Weekly Newspapers As-sociation in 1931 and was its youngest presi-dent. He also served as director of the Canadian Weekly Newspapers As-sociation and was chair-man of the B.C. Weekly Newspaper Advertising Bureau.

Oldest Dunning boy had long association with newspaper

When he was editor of the Optimist in 1955, Ed-gar Dunning was interviewed for the CBC Radio program Canadian Scene. He described life in what was then the small rural town of Delta. Dunning witnessed and reported on the many changes in Delta, including the dramatic transformation that began following the opening of the George Massey Tunnel four years after that radio interview.

Iconic Edgar continued to write column until he was 100

See Edgar page 7




In 1961 he was ap-pointed editor of the Pacifi c regional edition of CBC Radio’s Neigh-bourly News, a program that ran for 26 years.Following the death of Eric in 1971, Dun-ning assumed the du-ties of executor of his brother’s estate, which included the CoquitlamHerald and Maple Ridge Gazette, where he was active in managing.Also active in Delta life, Dunning was a former president of the Delta Board of Trade, now the Delta Chamber of Com-merce.Dunning was also one of the founding mem-bers of the Delta His-torical and Museum

Society, and its fi rst president when the museum opened with much fanfare in the old municipal hall building in Ladner in 1969.He was involved with many groups, including the Kinsmen Club of Ladner, which he helped form in 1935, becoming its president four years later. He was named a life member of the club in 1961 and in 2009 received Kin Canada’s highest honour when was named a Hal Rog-ers Fellow.He was also one of the founders of the Delta Community Band Soci-ety.Dunning married Elsie

Maria Bowing (1916-1998) in 1942 and they had two children, Susan

and Gene. He had three grandkids and one great grandchild.

Edgar kept on ‘Rambling’ until the end from page 6

Edgar Dunning became an iconic fi gure in Delta for both his work at the newspaper and in the community.

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The name Bexley became synonymous with the Optimist as the Beach Grove fam-ily held control of this newspaper for more than 25 years.In 1964, Ernie Bexley purchased 50 per cent of the shares of the company that published the Ladner Optimist (as the paper was called at that time) plus the option to buy the remaining shares 10 years later.He served as owner and publisher of theOptimist until selling the newspaper to Lower Mainland Publishing

Ltd. in 1990. Bexley retired after the sale, enjoying his time on the golf course in Beach Grove and Hawaii.He died in 1998 at the age of 82.In an article for theOptimist’s 70th anni-versary in 1992, Bexley said when he arrived in South Delta, the community was generally isolated from the rest of the Lower Mainland. He said the first few years proved difficult as a small pop-ulation limited the num-ber of pages the news-paper could publish.

He pointed to the resi-dential and commercial growth in Tsawwassen in the early 1970s as the catalyst for the increase in theOptimist’s size. Bexley said the paper grew along with the commu-nity.The Bexley years at the Optimist were truly a family affair, with wife Bea, son Peter and daughter Lynn all employed at the paper.With an increase in the number of staff and circulation in the early 1980s, the Optimistoffice next to the post office on Ladner’s 48th

Avenue was no longer adequate. Bexley moved the operation in 1986 to a location it occupied on Ladner Trunk Road until 2006.Bexley was heavily involved in the com-munity during his ten-ure at the Optimist. He served on Delta coun-cil and was president of the Delta Chamber of Commerce and the Tsawwassen and Ladner business asso-ciations. He was also a member of the parks and recreation commis-sion, the Rotary Club of Ladner and the Masonic Order.


Bexley era began in 1964Ernie and Bea Bexley spent time in Hawaii after selling the Optimist in 1990.

Tsawwassen family owned Optimist for quarter century




For the better part of seven decades, the Delta Optimist was an independent community newspaper. Founded by the Dunnings, and later owned by the Bexleys, the Optimist was defi-nitely a family-run operation.Then in 1990, it became part of Lower Mainland Publishing Ltd., a company whose two main shareholders were Southam Inc. and the Madison Venture Corp. Lower Mainland

Publishing was founded that year, bringing together a diverse group of a dozen Greater Vancouver newspapers under one banner.The Optimist continues as part of that chain, which is now owned Glacier Media Group.Although the Optimistis part of a larger enti-ty, the newspaper main-tains its autonomy and small town feel. The chain’s head office, which is in Vancouver, provides direction and co-ordination, but leaves

the day-to-day opera-tions to the publishers.For the first 11 years of Lower Mainland Publishing’s ownership, Tsawwassen resident Tom Siba served as publisher, succeeded by Randall Taylor in 2001. When Taylor left in 2007, current publisher Lori Chalmers took over.Chalmers, who is also publisher of the Richmond News,arrived in Delta from the Vancouver Sun.The other newspa-pers in the LMP

chain are: Vancouver Courier, North Shore News, Surrey-NorthDelta Now, Burnaby Now, Abbotsford Times, Chilliwack Times, Coquitlam Now,Langley Advance, Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows Times and the NewWestminster Record.

Optimist part of Glacier chainFamily run for fi rst 70 years, newspaper has been owned by LMP for the last two decades

Publisher Lori Chalmers

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The fi rst edition of the Weekly Optimist on March 23, 1922 carried a big story at the time, one which could have drastically altered the community’s future: Speculators were count-ing on oil fl owing from the Boundary Bay area.The front page story read: “Prospects of Oil Flow at Boundary Bay Well — Uncapping Took Place on Sunday and visitors were many.” The story noted 1,000 people, many being Vancouverites, showed up for the uncapping of a test well “with the hope that there might

be suffi cient force from the gas and oil below to blow out the accumula-tion of mud and water, but, so far, that expec-tation has not been realized.”Some of the other stories that ran in that is-sue included the Odd Fellows and Ladies enjoying their annual banquet and a meeting being held in Smith’s Theatre by a group interested in forming a local baseball league.The following issue ran a huge story on the

local Royal Bank being robbed of $40,000 to $100,000 worth of se-curities. It was estimat-ed that it took thieves

fi ve hours to work their way throughan 18-inch brick

wall to reach the vault.Many of the stories that ran throughout the decade weren’t dissimi-lar to what community newspapers publish today, including what was discussed by the school board. However, short information pieces on locals, such as who

returned from a trip or who held an informal birthday party, are no longer seen in today’s papers.One of the biggest sto-ries of the decade was the near destruction of Ladner’s Chinatown due to a fi re. An article in July of 1929 reported: “Fanned by a tremen-dous wind, the fi re burned like lightning through the dry wood and the damage was all done before fi re fi ghting equipment of Vancouver could reach the scene. Calls for help came soon after the blaze was discovered.”

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1922-2012 Delta Optimist’s 90thAnniversaryWhen the Weekly Optimist arrived on the scene in 1922 it provided local businesses with an opportunity to ad-vertise their products, something that had been missing since 1914. Both of these ads were printed during the Optimist’s inaugural year.


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Gold rush didn’t last too longThe stories were many and varied in the Opti-mist as the municipality gradually grew during the 1930s.Coverage included com-plaints by local potato growers over prices, a “softball epidemic” striking Delta as many teams were formed, concerns about water rates and a call for a bridge to Vancouver. Mill rates were always big news.In 1938, the Optimistreported Delta was the location of one of the shortest gold rushes in the history of the

province. It started on Tuesday afternoon in May and was all over by Wednesday evening.“It all start-ed when George Westwood, who was working with Robert Genge, Aubrey Cammadge and Samuel Cory in digging a ditch along the Point Roberts Road near the Delta municipal gravel pit, turned up some ‘fl aky yellow stuff’ which they thought was gold... “Then came the report

from the assayers late Wednesday afternoon. The samples contained, according to the report,

about 0.1 ounceof gold to the ton. This would

give a ton of the ore a value of 35 cents, the price of gold being 35 cents an ounce... More than twenty claims were staked on Wednes-day by Delta residents, all of whom hoped that the gravel in the area would contain high val-ues of gold.”

The following year the Optimist reported on the opening of Delta’s new school center, the Ladner Junior-Senior High School.Also in 1939, the Op-timist reported Delta received news of the Second World War calm-ly and was determined to do its part. “As this shock wore off residents of Delta faced the realities of the situ-ation with a grim de-termination to do their share in the Empire’s struggle against Na-zism,” an Optimistarticle stated.


the years

What began Tuesday afternoon was over by Wednesday evening

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Congratulations Delta Optimist on90 Years!



1922-2012 Delta Optimist’s 90thAnniversaryIt only cost two bits to see the motion pictures at Ladner’s Par-ish Hall, according to this Optimist ad from 1931. Home Gas attempted to attract customers by extolling the virtues of its product in this 1933 ad, while an Optimist subscription cam-paign (yes, you once had to pay for delivery of the paper) in 1938 was intended to create some interest.

Congratulations Delta Optimist

Congratulations to the Delta Optimist for

reaching an incredible 90 year

milestone!

From your inception as “The Weekly Optimist” in 1922 to the publication

you are today, the Delta Optimist is an integral community newspaper known

by many as the voice of Delta.

We will always remember the invaluable contributions by Edgar Dunning and his family in the Optimist’s establishment and creating the building blocks that made the paper the “go to” source for

local news that it is today. Front row: Cllr Jeannie Kanakos, Mayor Lois E. Jackson, Cllr Sylvia BishopBack row: Cllrs Ian Paton, Scott Hamilton, Robert Campbell, Bruce McDonald

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Some of the stories covered by the Opti-mist during the 1940s included Ladner being established as a Second World War air training fi eld under the British Common-wealth Air Training Plan.In 1945, VJ Day was heralded by siren blasts throughout Delta. The Boundary Bay Airport also had its biggest air show yet with 20,000 people in attendance.The airport was trans-ferred to the Royal Canadian Corps of Sig-nals in 1949 and began operations as a signals intelligence station

under the name Vancou-ver Wireless Station.Also reported was the drive to have a crossing built linking Delta with the rest of the Lower Mainland, including the

efforts of the Low-er Fra-ser River CrossingImprove-

ment Association. It was a group of volun-teers that originally had been part of the Delta Board of Trade before forming an independent association in 1948.The group was formed with Paul Dirks as its president and George Massey, who visualized having a tunnel when

he moved here in the mid-1930s, as the vice-president. Stories also ran about the community’s unhap-piness over the level of service with the Ladner ferry across the Fraser River.During the 1940s Delta

turned to new irriga-tion methods to address complaints by farmers over lack of water and drought. Also during the ’40s, then reeve J.W. Kirkland appealed for residents to get behind a proposed pro-gram for better roads.

Air fi eld supported war efforts


the years photo courtesy of Delta Museum and ArchivesA Second World War air training fi eld was estab-lished at what’s now known as Boundary Bay Airport.

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1922-2012 Delta Optimist’s 90thAnniversaryWith the Second World War being fought on many fronts during the fi rst half of the 1940s, it’s not surprising that advertising in the Opti-mist, including these two from 1944, refl ected what could be done on the home front to aid the war effort.

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Congratulations to the Delta Optimist on its 90th Birthday

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The biggest story of the 1950s was the con-struction and opening of the George Massey Tunnel.When the project was announcedin 1956, the Optimistreported an elated Clar-ence Taylor, president of the board of trade, predicted the tunnel would usher in a new era of prosperity and growth for Delta.“The next few years should show an expan-sion in this district that will be little short of phenomenal. There will be many problems that accompany this expan-

sion but I feel that we are fully capable of dealing with them when they come,” Taylor said.The four-lane, $23-mil-lion crossing was also

seen as great news in that it would

relieve the steadily increasing traffi c strain on other routes, includ-ing the Patullo Bridge.Elected Delta’s Social Credit MLA in Septem-ber 1956, ardent tun-nel promoter George Massey would proclaim, “When it is fi nished, 600,000 residents of the Vancouver area will never have to go

near the Patullo Bridge for most of their trips across the Fraser.”In May 1957, recogni-tion of the construction work being done took place with an offi cial “concrete pour” cer-emony attended by then premier W.A.C. Bennett, who was offi ciating in his capacity as chair-man of the B.C. Toll Highways and Bridges Authority. Reported in the Optimist at the time, that gala was attended by more than 1,000 people.On May 23, 1959, the underwater crossing opened at 7 a.m. Before cars drove through, local farmer Murray

Davie, who years earlier bet then Point Roberts sheriff Jeff Martin the tunnel would never be built, had to pay up by pushing Martin through the tunnel in a wheel-barrow.Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip were on hand for a gala ceremo-ny in July of that year.

Tunnel to the future


the yearsQueen Elizabeth II was here in 1959 for the opening of the tunnel.

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1922-2012 Delta Optimist’s 90thAnniversaryThe 1950s was defi -nitely the time to buy a pair of sun-glasses or a bottle of suntan lotion, which both retailed for just 29 cents from Fisher’s Drug Store, according to this 1950 Optimistad, but you didn’t fi nd the best deals on TVs, including a $329.95 price tag for this 21-inch black-and-white model in 1955.

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Congratulations to the Delta Optimist and thank you for all you have done over 90 years!

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In the decade after the George Massey Tunnel opened, the Optimistreported how civic poli-ticians grappled with a fl ood of development applications and differ-ing ideas on what should be allowed.In the early 1960s, Delta council fi red plan-ner Bob Williams, who was reportedly a disci-ple of the “stop sprawl” school. Unhappy about the decision, then alder-man Carl Liden stated developers had been asking for Williams to be axed for some time.In 1964, the future of

Delta was a hot topic as politicians endorsed a consultant’s report rec-ommending North Delta and South Delta be pro-

motedprimar-ily as single-family residen-

tial communities.Growth, in fact, was so rapid in those days that when a 1,000-home Ladner subdivision was proposed in the spring of 1969, then mayor Dugald Morrison said Delta was “over-whelmed” with new housing and needed to digest what it already had.

The school board couldn’t keep up with the fl ood of new stu-dents and needed to build more schools, often opening several in a single year.It was the decade B.C. Ferries opened its terminal in Tsawwassen and Highway 17 was added to the land-scape.Other big sto-ries were the construc-tion of the superport at Roberts Bank and the expropriation of thousands of acres of

farmland by the prov-ince to support it. The construction of munici-

pal hall front-ing Highway 17 was also one of the big stories of the decade. Then reeve Clarence Taylor told the Opti-mist the future hall would be “light, function-al and attrac-tive.”Other stories included the grand opening

of the Tsawwassen Golf and Country Club, while the last harness race at Paterson Park took place in the late ‘60s.

A decade of growth in DeltaThis ad was originally published in the Wednesday, May 25, 1966 edition.

Harness racing ceased at Pat-erson Park in the late 1960s.


the years

The fi rst school in Delta was Trenant School, built in 1874 at the corner of Ladner Trunk Road and 57th Ave. In 1906, the Delta School Board formed when several schools joined to create a district.Now in our 106th year of operation, the Delta School District has 31 schools, 2000 staff, and nearly 16,000 students.We are proud to be part of Delta’s heritage and are excited to continue playing a vital role in Delta’s future.

web.deltasd.bc.ca

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CongratulationsDelta Optimist

for serving businessesand residents of Delta for

over 90 years!

And, thank youfor our relationship

over all those years.

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1922-2012 Delta Optimist’s 90thAnniversaryThe fashions were groovy and the prices were far out in Delta in the 1960s. You could get a new home from George Hodgins Realty for just $1,000 down, while a tin of strawber-ry jam would only set you back 59 cents. And for fashion advice there was always the Donna Marie School of Model-ling and Charm.

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The biggest story to kick off the 1970s was the offi cial opening of the coal port at Roberts Bank. It was an excit-ing time as thousands attended the ceremony, including then prime minister Pierre Trudeau and then premierW.A.C. Bennett.The 55-acre bulk loading facility, referred to as the Roberts Bank superport, had an estimated cost of $9 million. Operated by Westshore Terminals, a wholly-owned subsid-iary of Kaiser Resourc-es, the port was one of the largest deep-sea facilities in the world.Another story of huge signifi cance in the 1970s was the introduc-tion of the Agricultural Land Reserve, which covered over 8,000 hectares (46 per cent) of Delta’s land base. When the highly contro-versial Bill 42, the Land Commission Act, was in-troduced in early 1973,

the response from local farmers, property own-ers and developers was overwhelmingly nega-tive. “I am against Bill 42 because it transfers and centralizes power. It puts it in the hands of

a fi ve-man, nameless, faceless commis-sion that is not elected

by the people. That is not putting power in the hands of the people; it is taking power out of the hands of the peo-ple,” said local farmer Mike Guichon at one of the many public meet-ings that year.The person receiving the most criticism was Carl Liden, Delta’s NDP MLA. Liden didn’t get much mercy at a heated public meeting in March of 1973 at Sacred Heart Church, where more than 1,000 people showed up to voice their anger. At that gather-ing, farmers and land-owners were critical of the New Democrats,

saying the government was seizing control of land while not doing enough to help farmers.Also in the early 1970s, Delta council dealt with a 3,500-unit housing proposal by Quadrant Development Ltd. for the Spetifore property

in Tsawwassen. Other big stories covered dur-ing the decade ranged from the murder of a local police offi cer, a proposal to build a prison at Boundary Bay Airport to then mayor Tom Goode’s fi nancial woes.

Rough introduction for ALRDelta MLA gets earful as NDP attempts to protect farmland


the years

Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau (left) and Premier W.A.C. Bennett were on hand for the opening of the Roberts Bank superport.

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Congratulations to the Delta Optimist Newspaperon the Occasion of their 90 th Anniversary

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DeltaOptimist’s 90thAnniversary

The Pillars Inn became a destination for travellers as well as a popular nightlife spot for locals, as evidenced by this 1978 ad. Another 56th Street institution was Lorne Hope’s Delta Datsun dealer-ship, shown here in a 1974 ad.



Here are the top 10 features that set this BBQ apart: 1. Infrared sizzle side burner. Produces up to 1500 degrees Fahrenheit. 2. Rear infrared burner and rotisserie kit. 3. Lift EASE roll top lid holds in the heat even when you peek on your creation. 4. Stainless steel WAVE Rod Cooking Grills backed by a lifetime warranty. 5. Four burners on the main 500 sq.in cooking surface. 6. New dual level Stainless Steel Sear Plates distribute even heat & reduce fl are-ups. 7. New JETFIRE Ignition starts each burner individually. 8. Hybrid Barbeque! Optional Charcoal cooking accessory. 9. President’s Limited Lifetime Warranty includes Stainless Steel Burners.10. Manufactured in Barrie, Ontario by our proud, Canadian work force.

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The Spetifore property made news throughout the 1980s, from its removal from the Agri-cultural LandReserve early in the decade to a record-breaking public hearing for a housing development in 1989.The Social Credit cabinet overruled the Agricultural Land Com-mission and removed the property from the ALR. Out of more than 8,200 acres of land in B.C. pulled out of the

ALR during that period, the commission op-posed only the Spetifore parcel, the Optimist

reported.In an in-terview in 1981, own-er George Spetifore

cited several reasons for the exclusion, in-cluding poor soil quality. He said the land was classifi ed by the ALC in the lower soil ratings, and he also pointed out the property was in a salt area built up from the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

A report by agrobiolo-gist Norman Putnam, hired by Spetifore, not-ed “extensive drainage and irrigation facilities would have to be added” before the land was via-ble for farming. Howev-er, a report by Marshall A. Cronkhite in 1989, during the contentious TDL housing proposal, noted tests “show a vi-able economic farm unit could be developed on the property.”The longest public hear-

ing in Canadian his-tory was held in 1989 as residents rallied to prevent a 1,900-home proposal from getting approved.The opening of Delta Hospital’s emergency ward, the construc-tion of the South Delta Baptist Church and Captain’s Cove housing development, and a pro-posal to develop Burns Bog were other stories of signifi cance during the decade.

Spetifore farm in eye of storm


the years

Residents rallied against a 1989 housing proposal.

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The Delta Hospital Foundation congratulates

the Delta Optimist on 90 years of exceptional community reporting!

We greatly value your ongoing contributions to Delta and

your continuous support for the hospital.

5800 Mountain View Blvd. � Delta, BC, Canada � V4K 3V6604 940 9695 � www.deltahospital.com 03

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Boundary Bay

AIRSHOWJuly 28, 2012

Congratulations Delta Optimist on 90 Great Years!Check for more Airshow information in the coming months on the “Events” pages at www.czbb.com and www.corp.delta.bc.ca

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OptimistThe Voice of Delta since 1922WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 29, 2012

Delta

Newsstand 50¢YOUR SOURCE FOR LOCAL SPORTS, NEWS, WEATHER AND ENTERTAINMENT! WWW.DELTA-OPTIMIST.COM

Traffic on the wayTFN offers glimpse intoimpacts of projects 3Police in pinkOfficers show support foranti-bullying efforts 5

Exercise FrostbiteAir cadets put theirsurvival skills to test 9Rivalry revisitedSun Devils to face Huskiesagain in Valley playoffs 20

With International Women’sDay coming up next week, theDelta Fire Department is celebrat-ing a first.Firefighter MadeleineLamphier recently became thedepartment’s first female officer.“For us it’s an exciting time,”said Chief Dan Copeland.The department’s officerssupervise a hall or an apparatus,make sure everyone is doing whatthey’re supposed to and can betasked with being an incidentcommander.

Lamphier, who lives inTsawwassen with her husband,fellow firefighter Kelly Olson,and the couple’s two daughters,Anneli and Lucy, started her fire-fighting career in Delta in 2001.Firefighting, however, wasn’tinitially on her radar when shewas thinking of her future, shesaid.“I always knew that I wanted todo something physical,” Lamphiersaid, adding she knew she wantedto be a part of something “biggerthan myself.”

Lamphier said she only startedto consider a career as a firefight-er after meeting a female forestryfirefighter “who was about halfmy size.”

It’s unjust and unfair that Deltataxpayers will continue to subsi-dize a big business operating intheir community.That’s the reaction from Delta

MLAs Vicki Huntington and GuyGentner following a governmentannouncement that a tempo-rary cap imposed on municipaltaxation for port facilities will bemade permanent.“There’s no indication theyspoke to the municipalities on

something of such magnitude,which is so typical of this govern-ment,” said Huntington, the inde-pendent MLA for Delta South.Delta North New DemocratGentner was equally displeased,saying, “Isn’t it strange that wehave a government and a premier

who talk about how families haveto come first and the middle classhas to be bolstered and what dowe find, when it comes to help-ing homeowners who are the taxbase, it’s being taken away fromcommunities that are being heav-ily impacted by this kind of infra-

structure development.”In 2004, the province restrictedmunicipalities’ ability to set taxrates for ports. Although Victoriahas been compensating localgovernments to an extent, Delta’s

It’s a first for Delta’s fire dep’tChief calls it an ‘exciting time’ as Madeleine Lamphier is the first female firefighter to become an officer

MLAs critical of tax break for ports becoming permanent

PHOTO BY CHUNG CHOW

Madeleine Lamphier, one of only two female firefighters in Delta, has been with the department for more than a decade.

See FIREFIGHTER page 3

BY SANDOR [email protected]

See PORTS page 3

BY JESSICA [email protected]

STEAK & LOBSTER

SPECIAL OF THE WEEK3 Course Dinner

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When youneed toget back on track.Located in Centur y Square Behind McDonald’s

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Happy 90th Anniversaryfrom Bill and

the gang at Jack’s

We’ve both come a long way!

For all yourTV & Stereo

needs since 1965

The Voice of Delta

since 1922



FEW newspapers in Canada can look back on 90 successful years in business. Westshore congratulates the Delta Optimist on its past performance and its future prospects as it continues to be an important voice in the community. Today, the bi-weekly uses instant technology on its web site to break news and keep all informed between issues.

Westshore Terminals also embraces technology and a further $53 million equipment upgrade is underway to improve our coal handling effi ciency while also reducing our carbon footprint through faster train and ship turnarounds. That’s over $100 million in equipment upgrades in fi ve years because we’re optimistic about the future.

An optimistic voice

www.westshore.com

We’re enhancing our effi ciency

0330

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1922-2012 Delta Optimist’s 90thAnniversaryThe future of exercise arrived in Delta, complete with headband and leg warmers, with the opening of the Future Shape fi gure salon in Ladner in 1988. The sun is no longer shining on the Sunshine Chevrolet Oldsmobile dealership that was operating adjacent to the Delta Town & Country Inn in 1980, nor is Pats still in style at the Ladner Shopping Centre.

ProfessionalGroomingfor Dogs

5669 12th Avenue 604-943-7812

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4892 Elliott Street, Ladner 604-946-6626

Celebrating 29 years serving South Delta

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WE DO... • ABS Diagnosis • Transmission Servicing• Wheel Alignments • Fuel Injection Service Repair

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CONGRATULATIONSON YOUR 90TH ANNIVERSARY




A grisly double murder in Tsawwassen and an effort to turn Burns Bog into the next Pacifi c Na-tional Exhibition were among the big stories of the 1990s.A 1992 murder trial saw teenagers Derik Lord, David Muir and Darren Huenemann all convicted in the slay-ings of Huenemann’s mother and grandmoth-er in an inheritance plot. Only Muir has since been released. In 1999, two years af-ter the Burns Bog Con-servation Society pre-sented a 25,000-name petition to the B.C. government to preserve the bog, a proposal was

pitched to build a giant entertainment centre that would have includ-ed a new home for the PNE. That proposalcamefrom Del-ta Fraser PropertiesPartnership, a partner-ship between Western Delta Lands and Cal-gary investor Byron Seaman. Then premier Glen Clark said the province was involved by providing a $25-mil-lion loan as part of an effort to save 1,200 hectares of the bog as parkland.The Optimist reported

how the negative pub-lic reaction killed the proposal. A few years later the four levels of govern-

ment— federal, provincial, regional and mu-nicipal

— purchased the bog to ensure its preservation.Another big story dur-ing the decade was George Hodgins, presi-dent of what was then known as Century Holdings, threatening to sue Delta council for $500 million, alleging it conspired to stop him from developing his controversial 758-acre

Southlands property. Other headlines in the 1990s included the opening of the Delta-port container terminal at Roberts Bank, the municipality securing the Boundary Bay Air-port from the federal government and Delta striking a deal with the City of Vancouver re-garding the Vancouver Landfi ll in East Ladner. The deal involved stack-ing garbage higher in exchange for an unused portion of the landfi ll, adjacent to Burns Bog, being preserved. That pristine parcel would later be added to the bog’s nature conser-vancy.

Double murder shocks Tsaw.


the years

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R.V. REPAIR FOR ALL MAKES & MODELS• RETAIL PARTS STORE •

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SPRING/SUMMER BUSINESS HOURS:Mon. - Thurs. 8:30 - 5:00; Friday 8:30 - 4:00

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0330

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CUPE Local 454 Delta Public Employees

Celebrating over 60 Years of Service to Our Community

Last year, CUPE Local 454 celebrated its sixtieth anniversary. In over a half century of labour activism the local has grown to over

900 hundred members representing workers at the Corporation of Delta, The Delta Police Board, and the Delta Museum and Archives.

We are your neighbours at work for you.

0330

6371



• Cobs Bread • Dollar Joy • Fancy This Gift Boutique • Great Clips for Hair • Ichiban Fine Cleaning

• Rembrandt’s Cottage • Marlin Travel • Starbucks• The Source by Circuit City • Ricky’s All Day Grill • Subway

• Spencer Gallery & Framing • Fat Burger • Superior Fish Market• Treasure Isle Toys • Tip to Toe Nails & Esthetics

• Shoe Warehouse • Black Bond Books • Trenant Park Dental Clinic• Trenant Park Pet Clinic • Westland Insurance • Freshslice Pizza

• London Drugs • Safeway • Royal Bank• Kins Farm Market • The Urban Rack

• Mark’s Work Warehouse • Maguro Sushi

5 2 0 0 B L O C K L A D N E R T R U N K R O A D , L A D N E RT H E L O N D O N D R U G S & S A F E W A Y M A L L

Congratulations Delta Optimist on your90th Birthday

(that’s a lot of candles!)

0330

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A challenging Executive Golf Coursebeautifully intertwined around theMarina Garden Estates

604.946.1839 | 6000 Admiral Blvd, Delta | www.covelinks.com

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Home of Sculptured Nails by Arlene

0330

8167

The faces of the stylist may have changed over the years but our customer service

has not. Come in and experience our friendly salon that is dedicated to making

our customers satisfi ed.April is now welcoming new clients.

✽ Foils ✽ Colors ✽ Cuts ✽ Styles for the Whole Family

Serving the community since 1971

KELLY FARMS LAND LEVELINGFOR INCREASED PROFIT & PRODUCTION

CUSTOM SPRAYINGCOMPUTER ANALYSIS FOR GRADES

DRAIN TILES BRENT KELLY CELLULAR 604-591-1051 604-240-2525

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03306055


The community was galvanized early in the 2000s when Fraser Health announced plans to shut down Delta Hos-pital’s ER overnight. It sparked rallies and a recall campaign against be-sieged Liberal MLA Val Roddick, who refused to resign even though it initially appeared the recall had reached its target.“That isn’t why I went into this business,” she told the Optimist. “I took on the job because I felt I owed that to the community.”It turned out the recall

effort fell just short, although voters made their feelings known in the 2005 provin-cial election by almost

voting her out. Roddick’s mainoppo-

nent, councillor Vicki Huntington, lost that election, but would come out victorious four years later against Liberal cabinet minister Wally Oppal.More protests followed in 2008 when thou-sands attended a rally dubbed the Spirit of South Delta. It was orig-inally supposed to be a rally against higher

voltage power lines cut-ting through Tsawwas-sen, but the gathering ended up including pro-tests on several major projects.Speakers and many in the crowd voiced their frustrations over issues such as the South Fra-ser Perimeter Road and Deltaport expansion.

The hospital would see its ER maintained around the clock, al-though it lost its acute care status for several years. Perhaps the most sig-nifi cant story of the decade going forward was the signing of the Tsawwassen First Na-tion treaty.

Protests dominate landscape


the years

Port expansion was just one area of concern.

at the Coast Tsawwassen Innat the Coast Tsawwassen Inn

For the Modern Womanwho wants unique

contemporary fashion

604-943-8088

boutique

Celebrity Fashionsin the lobby of coast tsawwassen inn56th Street • 604.943.8088

Boutique Blanche IntimatesBoutique Blanche Intimates

Tsawwassen Town Centre Mall in the breezeway by Thrifty Foods

604-943-8306

Fine Lingerie & Brasand Ladies’ Casual Clothes

0330

8680

Three stores to serve youin Tsawwassen




The Optimist, as could be expected, has undergone many changes in design over its nine decades of existence. Here are some examples:

Evolution of design

This October 25, 1928 edition of the Weekly Optimist is typi-cal of that era. The front page features display and classified ads, no photographs and small headlines.

The Ladner Optimist, as the paper was known in this July 10, 1947 edition, still doesn’t include any photos, although ads have disappeared and headlines have become larger. The front page features a whopping 17 articles.

1928

1947

Gracious Living in a Country Setting

The Top Ten Reasons to Live at Augustine House

• Remain independent• Feel secure• Eliminate household upkeep & chores• Fine Dining Every Day• 24 Hr In House Support• No more stairs

3820 Arthur Drive, Ladner, BC V4K 5E6Augustine House is operated by the Augustine House Society, a non-profit organization.

604-940-6005 • www.augustinehouse.ca

For Better Retirement Living

• Live healthier – more physical and mental stimulation• Make new friends• Stress free living• Putting Greens, Painting, Popcorn & Poker!

Plan For Your Retirement Now – Come by for a tour and join the waitlist.

When you’re looking for retirement living options, it’s important to see the residence for yourself. Having

this information on hand will help you when it comes time to make the decision that’s right for you.

0330

8964

outdoorboot camps

START IN APRIL6am Monday,

Wednesday and Friday.6:30pm Tuesdayand Thursday.

1212D 56th Street,Tsawwassenadjacent to Jack’s TV

604-948-FITT (3488)E-mail: [email protected]

www.MuscleMemory.ca

0330

8985

Carol R. LeVasseur DDDenturist/Denturologiste4960 Bridge Street, Delta, BC, V4K 2K1

604.946.9411 • www.cd.bc.ca 0330

9101

Please accept my sincere congratulations

for providing years of

Responsible Journalism

and Community Support

0330

8156



0330

7929

MAKE THE HEALTHY CHOICERICHMOND CENTRE MALL (near Sears) 604-270-0007

CNC

ONSUMERS

UTRITION

E N T E R

10% OFFREGULAR PRICE

COSMETICS

20% OFFREGULAR PRICE

VITAMINS & SUPPLEMENTS

EXTRA SPECIALSIN-STORE!

SALE ENDSSUN., APRIL 15

2012

Offer ends April 15, 2012

20%REGULAR PRICEVITAMINS & SUPPLEMENTSOFF

Happy Easter Sale& 10% OFF

DELTAOPTIMIST

Happy 90th Anniversary to the

REGULAR PRICECOSMETICS

SOUTH DELTA’S LOCAL HEATING COMPANY

www.acornheat.com

0330

8689

Acorn Heating and Gas Ltd.Same Guys Same Great Service

604-948-9949NEW LOCATION

at 6714 Corbourld Rd.Boundary Bay Border Building circa 1935


This February 24, 2012 edition of the Delta Optimist is typical of present-day production, com-plete with colour photos, large headlines and teasers that high-light articles inside the paper.

This February 1, 1985 edi-tion of the Delta Optimist Week Ender marked a switch to a tabloid format as well as the introduction of spot colour.

Photographs are the most obvi-ous change in this July 15, 1964 edition of the Optimist. In addition to four black-and-white photos, this era’s front page features bolder headlines.

1964

1985

2012



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The Business ImprovementAssociation of Tsawwassen

congratulates the Delta Optimist for 90 years serving the community.

We appreciate the support you have given us

for the past 22 years!

For a complete list of businesses and events, visit www.shoptsawwassen.com

Congratulations Delta Optimiston your 90 th Birthday!

Congratulations Delta Optimiston your 90 th Birthday!

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Ladner Harbour Centre ✴ Elliott & Bridge Street ✴ Ladner

Shops & Servicesin the He rt of Ladner

from the Merchants at Ladner Harbour Centre

Bank of MontrealBosley’s Pet FoodsBudget FoodsCafé de GourmetCurves GymEvolution’s Hair Expedia Cruiseship Centre

Expert Hearing Eyevision OpticalGrapes 4 UHarbour BarberHarold Karro, AccountantL & V NailsLordco Parts

Liberty TaxPharmasaveSara’s Ice CreamSpeed’s Liquor StoreSure CopySouth Delta Paint & DesignVideoland

Happy 90th Birthdayto the Delta Optimist

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from the staff at

4805 Haviland St. Ladner 604-946-7600

Congratulations to the Delta Optimistnewspaper on your 90th Anniversary

DelcoDELTA CONTAINER LIMITED

PARTNERSHIP7664 - 80th Street, Delta, BC

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We appreciate the partnerships we have fostered during our fi rst 20 years. Whether it be providing coverage of our activities and projects or sponsoring our fund raising events, you indeed are a “community” newspaper.

Rotary Club of Tsawwassen“Service Above Self” Chartered June 1992

Meets everyThursday 7:15amBeach GroveGolf Club

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When the Optimistbegan in 1922, Delta was community of 3,500 that lived off the Fraser River, Chilukthan Slough and the land surrounding the waterways.Fish canneries were abundant in the early ’20s because of the large numbers of sockeye salmon in the Fraser. And even though the number of cases being shipped from local canneries was declining rap-idly by 1922, they still employed a large num-ber of the municipali-ty’s residents.Farming was the other large industry of the

era. Delta’s fertile soil attracted many people to the area, and by 1922 the farms stretched from the Fraser to East Delta.When the fishing and farming industries became successful in Delta, others moved in and tried their luck. A sawmill was construct-ed and ran until 1929. Pacific Milk Company opened a creamery, operating it until 1928.Another company believed it could find oil and natural gas in Boundary Bay, although it shut down by the end of 1922, when all four wells that were drilled came up dry.

New industries brought new people, which meant more settlements further from the river.The big store was Lanning, Fawcett and Wilson. Located on Chisholm Street, it sold everything from cloth-ing to groceries, claim-ing to have “everything necessary to furnish the home.”Municipal hall was located in the centre of the community, at the corner of Delta and Bridge streets, in the building that now hous-es the Delta Museum. At the time, it was also home to the jail, which was located downstairs.The roads in 1922 were

rock and gravel, mainly because there were few cars. The main form of transportation at that time was horses, so there was no immediate need for paved roads. The only road that was paved was Trunk Road, which was paved in 1920.A boardwalk was constructed to allow residents to get around without being splashed by the horses, but it was torn down in 1925.For anyone wanting to travel to Vancouver or New Westminster, they could hitch a ride on the 40-car sternwheeler that plied the Fraser River.

A different Delta back in ’22




Over its 90 years in business, the Optimisthas seen its fair share of employees come through the doors.In the fall of 2010, just weeks before his death, longtime newspaper-man Edgar Dunning sat down to reminisce about some of the more interesting staff mem-bers from the early days of the paper.“The staff always told me how much they enjoyed working at the Optimist during my pe-riod,” he said during the interview in his Ladner home/offi ce. “We had some good ones.”Still able to remember the names of many employees during his days at the helm, Dun-ning said many report-ers and editors hailed from England and came to Delta to hone their skills.One such former editor, Linton Eccles, became active with the Lower Fraser River Crossing Improvement Associa-tion, a group lobbying for a crossing between

Richmond and South Delta. The group’s ef-forts resulted in the construction of the George Massey Tunnel.Eccles died a few weeks before the 1956 an-nouncement that a tunnel would be built and his ashes were scattered on the Fraser River at the site of the tunnel.One of the most inter-esting characters Dun-ning remembered was reporter George Palmer, who left the Optimist in the 1940s to write for the Moscow Daily Newsin Russia. Saying Palmer, an ar-dent communist, was a good writer and re-porter, Dunning recalled that as soon as he ap-plied for a passport “all the excitement broke out” at the offi ce.“In those days, anybody applying to work in a communist country alerted the RCMP, so everyone of us connect-ed with Palmer at the Optimist was investi-gated by the police, with Palmer too,” he said.

Colourful cast in the early years

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“Providing community newsfor 90 years; providing community policingfor nearly 125....

CongratulationsDelta Optimist”

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DIVERSEcity Community Resources Society is an accredited organization through the Council on Accreditation (COA) and has been serving immigrant newcomer communities for over 30 years. Our focus is to help new Canadians adjust to and integrate into society. We are a registered non-profi t agency off ering a wide range of services and programs.

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Happy 90th Birthday Delta Optimist!




By Jessica Kerr

Former publisher Tom Siba was the one re-sponsible for bringing Edgar Dunning, who got out of the newspaper business in 1980 after selling the remainder of his interest in the Opti-mist, back into the fold.Siba, a longtime Tsaw-wassen resident, was running the SouthDelta Today when he approached Dunning about writing a column. When Siba took over the Optimist following the merger of the two papers through the formation of LMP, Dun-ning returned to writing for the paper his family

started. He maintainedhis weekly column until his death in October 2010.“I certainly never ex-pected when I hired him that I would leave the paper before him,” said Siba, who was at the helm from 1991 until 2001.The paper went through an extensive redesign after Siba took over and he remembers bringing the operation up to date by installing computers to replace the typewrit-

ers used by the edito-rial staff. Siba went on to work for Businessin Vancouver for nine years before retiring.Both Siba and former reporter and editor Jeff Beamish, who worked at the Optimist from 1982 until ‘88, remem-

ber a few issues at the time that are still fi nd-ing their way into the paper today.Beamish, who now works for the Vancou-ver Sun, said it boggles the mind that the future of the Spetifore Lands, now known as the Southlands, is still a big issue in the com-munity. “Tunnel traffi c was an issue at that time,” he said.“It was a smaller com-munity and you re-ally did know a lot of people,” Beamish re-members of his days in South Delta.

Siba brought Dunning home

Publisher Lori Chalmers is fl anked by former publishers Tom Siba (right) and Edgar Dunning.

See Employees page 44

03306253

Delta Fire, Rescue and Emergency Services Congratulates the Delta Optimist on their Anniversary!

www.deltaf i re .ca

THEN

NOW

Congratulations

90YEARS

HAPPY

Tsawwassen Optometry ClinicDr. Joan Hansen, Dr. Giulia DeVuono, Dr. Melanie Scott

#214-1077 56th Street, TsawwassenTel: 604-943-6114 | Fax: 604-943-0674

Dr. Joan Hansen has lived in Delta 29 years and Dr., Giulia DeVuono – 9 years. All of our staff have also lived in Delta for many years. Jen – 39; Page – 29; – Shelagh – 29; Lenore – 24; Kristie – 24; Cynthia – 23; and Cathy – 21.

“Your eyes deserve an Optometrist”

We are proud to be part of Delta since 1983!

Congratulations Delta Optimist On Your First 90 Years!



We are part of Delta’s History!

Chef & owner of LaBelle Auberge Restaurant Bruno Marti’s career highlight was the 1984 World Culinary Olympics, when Team Canada outshone 32 other national teams to become the fi rst Canadian team in history to

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Former reporter Corry Anderson-Fennell, who calls the community home today, did two tours of duty at the Op-timist. It was her fi rst posting fresh out of journalism school in the late 1980s. She stayed for four years and then returned for another two years in the late 1990s.“I think having the community beat and covering everyday is-sues gave me the big-gest insight into the people who call this area home,” she said. One former reporter’s stint at the Optimistturned his journalism career on its head.Munyaradzi Chenje had

more than 10 years of experience reporting on politics and internation-al issues in Zimbabwe when he arrived at the offi ce on Ladner Trunk Road.After working a few odd jobs and some part-time work at the Vancouver Sun and The Provinceupon moving to Vancou-ver, Chenje, who now works for the United Nations in New York, landed at the Optimistwhere he got his fi rst taste of community reporting.He covered Delta coun-cil meetings, environ-mental issues and other local events, and wrote a regular award-win-ning column.

Employees from page 42

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HAPPY90TH

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Celebrating 30 YearsMember of The Fisheries

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Best Wishes for another 90 Years of Success!

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Congratulations on 90 years!




• What ends up in the Optimist’spages can basically be broken down into two categories: ads and editorial content. Getting an

ad into the paper — besides the clas-sifi eds — usually begins with talk-ing to

sales manager Dave Hamilton, sales representatives John Gall-inger and Ruth VanBruksvoort or features manager Bob Fergu-son. Once the ads are booked, a “dummy” of the paper is laid out. The dummy is essentially a blueprint of where each ad goes

and how much editorial space is available on each page.

• Reporters Sandor Gyarmati, Jessica Kerr and Dave Willis cover events, attend meetings and con-duct in-terviews to gather informa-tion for stories. Sportseditor Mark Booth covers local teams and athletes while Chung Chow is the staff photographer. Press releases, letters to the edi-tor and photos are also submit-ted from the public for inclusion in the Optimist.

• After report-ers gather enoughdetailsfor a story thenextstep is to sit down and write it up. Gyarmati covers health, edu-cation and shares Delta council duties with Kerr, who also has the police beat. Willis mostly writes arts and entertainment stories. Selected pictures are loaded onto a computer and then edited in Photoshop. Production staff, on average, create around 35 ads per issue.

How it gets to your front doorIt takes a group effort to create each is-sue of the Delta Optimist. Here’s a look

at the steps the newspaper goes through from start to fi nish:

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Congratulations to the Delta Optimist on the occasion

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Congratulations to the Delta Optimist on its 90th Birthday! HAPPY 90TH ANNIVERSARY!

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1922-2012 Delta Optimist’s 90thAnniversary• Editor Ted Murphy goes over the fi nished stories. He also edits letters, opinion pieces and press releases in addition to writing an editorial column each issue. Next up is paginating the paper. Mur-

phy putsmostof the pages to-gether(writ-inghead-lines, sub-

headlines and photo cutlines) while Kerr and Willis work on the paper’s Leisure & Lifestyles pages for each Friday edition. Booth takes care of laying out the sports pages. The produc-tion department combines the fi nished editorial pages with approved ads and sends the fi nal pages to Kodiak Press.

• Once the press receives the pages they are confi gured and eventually sent to a computer to plate machine where lasers burn the electronic images onto an aluminum plate. The plates are processed (it takes four plates for a colour page) and then hung on the press. For a 24-page pa-per, for example, it would take about 45 minutes to run the job. The printed papers are cut to size and stacked into bundles for distribution before heading to a bindery for fl yer insertions.

• After being trucked to a dis-tribution centre, zone managers pick up the papers and deliver them to carriers’ houses. The Op-timist is published twice a week and has a cir-culation of 17,029 onWednes-day and 17,479on Friday. There are about 125 carri-ers, both adults and kids, who deliver the paper to homes and businesses. Of the over 200 routes, the larg-est covers 118 houses and the smallest only 16.


optimist marks 90th anniversary

Documents

amthe delta optimist

delta museum

delta street

delta optimists

years thedelta optimist

south delta paint design

years of partnership

daily life of years