I've found Thursday after school is a good time to cross the US/Canada border and fill up the car. If you aren't in Vancouver you will wonder why I have to go to the US to get gas. I drive a large SUV and we save about $25 per tank! On Thursday our petrol in Vancouver was CAD$1.619 per litre, while right across the border it's US$3.39 per US Gallon. I could save more if I drove to Costco in Bellingham but the lady at the Chevron station on D Street in Blaine has become a good friend. I've been getting my gas there for years!
I have a Nexus/Goes card. I am a low risk pre-approved trusted traveller that can use a special lane when crossing the US/Canada/Mexico border. I usually go through the Peace Arch border crossing because they have two or three Nexus lanes open and if there is a lineup, the view is amazing!
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| You can see two regular lanes lined up, the third lane by the water is clear and it's for Nexus card holders. |
They are doing construction until the end of May on the Canadian customs building at the Peace Arch crossing so it's worth while to divert to Pacific Highway on the way back. Again, two Nexus lanes open at the Pacific Border Crossing. It is a very short wait even with the diverted traffic. After I passed through the border, I proceeded north bound on 176 Street. It's four lanes and I saw a police car with lights flashing on the right side of the road about 12th Ave. I was doing 50mph/80kph and when I passed, there were 10 marked police cars parked all with the lights flashing. I noticed at least six RCMP officers out of their vehicles with rifles in hand in the field! This property is rural. It's agricultural land with a few houses that are all on acres of property. On my way further down 176, I saw more unmarked police cars en route, lights flashing and driving at a fast speed. I put on the radio road report and they said the road was just closed! I was probably one of the last vehicles to drive on it. I must say in my years of driving, I've never seen such a scary situation and I am glad Lexie was not in the car with me.
It was about 3 PM when I passed by. The report was one distraught man with a gun. The RCMP dispatched 10 marked police cars, five unmarked police cars, a supervisor and the entire SWAT team for one man with a gun in a rural area. They kept the road closed until after 6 PM. He was deceased by the time they arrived, but of course they had to find him and wanted to make sure their officers were safe. Over reaction? I don't know. It's good to see our officers safety is the first concern, as well as regular citizens driving in the area.
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These were all racing to the scene.
The marked police cars I saw are further down the road. That would make at least 16 vehicles at the scene!
Note the SWAT vehicle! |
