Community loses castle builder
Editor, The News:
On Christmas Day, at approximately 5:30 p.m., Cornelius Laan, ‘Case’ to everyone that knew him, died peacefully in hospital.
Case was well known to many people in Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows, including many of the previous mayors and councilors of both towns.
Apart from being a real character, Case was especially known for the castle he built where Rona now stands in Maple Ridge.
His 70-odd years of experience growing tulips in Holland to growing some of the most delicious no-spray vegetables here in Pitt Meadows was something many people came to depend on.
Years ago he even wrote a newspaper column, teaching people some of the many things he knew so well about gardening.
Today, due to his extensive and diligent work with dozens of varieties of garlic, his family now sells what he and many of his customers will claim to be the very best.
Pitt Meadows and Maple Ridge lost an icon of the community, but his remarkable history and delightful and colourful personality lives on in many of us.
He will be sadly missed by so many.
David Bain
Maple Ridge
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