Friday, April 1, 2011 Tri-City News

JUSTICE DENIED PART TWOOnly a sucker would pay a speeding ticket without a fight. Thats the prevailing wisdom among repeat road of-fenders, driverswho use de-lays in the B.C. court systemto get out of paying fines ontraffic tickets.

See page A3

APRIL 1, 2011www.tricitynews.com

INSIDELetters/A12

Books Plus/A20Tri-City Spotlight/A23

Sports/A44

JENNIFER GAUTHIER/THE TRI-CITY NEWS

Camila Botero is one of the Coquitlam College students who are working to make 1,000 origami cranes in the school foyer to raise money for Japanese tsunami relief. Rebuild soon, reads an unsigned papercrane while another carries the message: I know your heart is broken and we are thinking and praying with you, for you. For more on the schools relief efforts, see story, page A14.

FRIDAYTHE FRIDAY

TRI-CITY NEWS2010 WINNER

Putting art on the mapSEE THINGS-TO-DO GUIDE, PAGE A19

Is it really barbaric?SEE FACE TO FACE, PAGE A11

Mats will be backFunding found to run shelters again in fall

By Todd CoyneTHE TRI-CITY NEWS

T his mor ning, T ri -Citychurches shut their doors onthe final night of the cold/wetweather mat program to shelterthe homeless for the winter.

But after months of uncer-tainty about the future of theprogram, its director says he hasnow secured funding to run the30-person shelter for one moreyear.

Rob Thiessen is the directorof the Hope for Freedom Society,which has operated the mat pro-gram in five Tri-City churchessince 2007. He told The Tri-CityNews last October that by March31, 2011, when the shelter matswould be put away for the sea-

son, the program would have ex-hausted all of its federal fundingand new funding to tackle theareas homeless problem wouldhave to be found quickly.

But Thiessen told The Newsthis week that the federal govern-ment has offered to restore fund-ing for the Tri-City shelter matprogram for another year.

We havent got the final con-tract signed but Service Canadahas extended the mat programfor one more year, he said. Wewere hoping for something a littlemore permanent but were goingto have to wait for that.

More permanent, Thiessensaid, doesnt necessarily meanlonger term funding for the mat

program but, rather, a solutionsuch as a semi-permanent shelterto house the homeless until thepermanent shelter planned 3030Gordon Ave. in Coquitlam is built.

The current five-month matprogram rotates monthly be-tween five Tri-City churches St. Andrews United Church inPort Moody, Eagle Ridge BibleFellowship, Calvary BaptistChurch and the Alliance Churchin Coquitlam and NorthsideFoursquare Church in PortCoquitlam and is staffed byoutreach workers with the Hopefor Freedom Society as well aschurch volunteers.

When are 29 storeys not 29 storeys? The story: A81, 2, 3... 5?

seesee FEWER PEOPLEFEWER PEOPLE,, pagepage A8A8

www.tricitynews.comA2 Friday, April 1, 2011, Tri-City News

Third in a five-part series

By Jeff NagelBLACK PRESS

Only a sucker would pay a speedingticket without a fight.Thats the current street wisdomcirculating on web discussion fo-rums where motorcycle and car enthusiaststrade tips on how to beat their traffic ticketsin B.C.s congested courts.

And they often point to the case of MichaelPodger.

The Kelowna heavy equipment salesmanwas ticketed by police in November 2007for making an illegal lane change withoutsignalling. He disputed the ticket but delaysin the court system dragged the case untilJanuary 2009, when Podger representinghimself successfully persuaded a judgeto toss out his ticket on the grounds that hisright to justice within a reasonable time hadbeen violated.

Since then, others often repeat speeders have been boning up on constitutional lawto challenge their own tickets. If it takes lon-ger than 10 months for their ticket dispute tobe heard, they can make a strong case for ajudicial stay of proceedings, citing Podgerscase and other rulings as precedent.

Its not necessarily a slam dunk.Challengers have to prove they were readyto proceed on each appearance date; in otherwords, it was the system, not their own foot-dragging, that caused the delay.

They also have to show they suffered prej-udice from the delay. The judge in Podgerscase agreed he experienced stressand was deprived of three days ofpay when he took time offwork to prepare his caseand attend court.

Podger was reluctantto be interviewed byBlack Press but said hehas used the delay ar-gument several timesto persuade authori-ties to cancel his traffictickets. He has also coachedmore than a dozen other mo-torists on how to use the caselaw.

Most of the time it getsstayed, Podger said. Im the onlyone thats had to go fight it that Iknow of.

Surrey lawyer Daryl Brown,who gave him some advice, saidPodger is far from the only driver beatingtickets on the basis of unacceptable delays.

More people are becoming aware of theability to make these arguments, he said.

Youve got guys who arent first-timers,Brown added. Theyve got a few tickets andtheyre looking at losing their licence if theyget any more.

CATCH-22 IN THE COURTSThe jam up of traffic tickets is just one

more symptom of a court system in crisisin B.C.

By 2010, an immense backlog of 58,000 dis-puted traffic tickets had built up.

The Provincial Court of B.C., in itsJustice Delayed report, blamed staff cuts

at the ticket-processing centrein downtown Vancouver for theclog, saying there arent enoughemployees to input the data andschedule dispute hearings.

Officials at B.C.s Ministry ofAttorney General claim the

problem is in decline, withthe backlog easing to 52,000tickets as of January 2011.

But ICBC statistics show theumber of traffic tickets beingisputed has steadily crept up

from about 11% until 2007 to15% in 2010. More than 75,000violations were disputed lastyear 20% more than five yearsearlier.

They add to the pressure ontraffic courts, where justices ofthe peace (JPs) hear most chal-lenges, and also to a lesser de-

gree to the caseload of regular provincialcourt judges, who must hear any challengesbased on delay because JPs cant rule on con-stitutional matters.

The ministry is aware of the backlog andis considering its options for ways to reduceit, said Linda Mueller, a spokesperson forthe Ministry of Attorney General.

More staff to enter tickets and schedule hear-ings would help, she said, but staffing prioritygoes to the areas of greatest need criminalcases and serious civil or family law cases.

ICBC officials note more than 60% of ticketsdisputed are upheld in court, although thatsdown from 68% found guilty five years ago.

And when ticket challengers win, B.C.municipalities lose. Cities get $63 million ayear in traffic fine revenues shared by theprovince to help with policing costs.

QUASHING CASESIts not just traffic ticket dodgers who are

emboldened by delays in the system.Accused criminals and defence lawyers

increasingly see a chance to quash casesbased on delay, particularly when they seetheir trial date set 16-plus months away andstacked with multiple other trials on thesame day.

Theres less incentive to plead guilty even when the case against the accused looksair-tight or accept an early plea bargainoffer from the Crown unless its attractive.

The Justice Delayed report warned thegrowing case backlog and lengthening delaysmean defence lawyers are more motivated toproceed to trial because of the potential forcharges to get thrown out over delay and, ifthe case does go to trial, it becomes harder toprove older allegations as witnesses becomeharder to round up or their memories fade.

The best defence here is to set the thingfor trial, said Samiran Lakshman, presi-dent of the B.C. Crown Counsel Association.Why would you plead guilty in that environ-ment? That same type of analysis and adviceis being provided across the province.

Fewer cases being resolved early meaneven more pressure is piled on a system al-ready creaking under intense backlogs.

Its a bit of a catch-22 for the system,Surrey defence lawyer Marvin Stern said.The system starts using its resources inhearing these delay applications.

Stern said delays have worsened over thepast year. He sometimes shows up to court inSurrey to find his clients trial is one of fourslated to go ahead in the same courtroom onthe same day. Prosecutors then must decidewhich trial will proceed and adjourn the rest.That can mean another trial date some-times the third one to be set 20 months ormore after charges were laid, a time periodthat provides strong grounds for dismissal.

To avoid that outcome, prosecutors mayoffer a better plea bargain.

Stern gives the example of someonecharged with impaired driving and drivingwith a blood-alcohol level over 0.08 where an-other trial date adjournment will mean thecase will almost certainly be tossed.

They may accept a plea bargain to acharge under the Motor Vehicle Act of driv-ing without due care and attention, he said.

The driver would then pay a $368 fine andget six penalty points but avoid a possible jailterm, a criminal record, a one-year driving pro-hibition, mandatory safe driving course andrequired use of an ignition interlock system.

Its a huge advantage to the client, Sternsaid. When the courts are overbooked,Crown are more likely to do that.

Paul Pearson, a criminal defence lawyerin Victoria and local spokesperson for theCanadian Bar Association, said long delaysharden the defence bargaining stance. Buthe rejects suggestions defence lawyers andaccused criminals are rubbing their handsin glee over court delays and how they canexploit long waits.

Most people charged with criminal of-fences stress about that every single day,Pearson said. Its by far the worst thinggoing on in their life. And they want an an-swer yes or no, guilty or not guilty sooner rather than later.

They dont make the news. But theyrethe ones that are actually paying the pricefor the delays in the justice system and thelack of judges.

[email protected]

NEXT WEEK: POLICING

JUSTICE

A Black Press special series

investigating the congestion anddelays in B.C.s legal system.

nudi15A Black Press

DENIED

Defence on the offence due to delays

Access to legal aid is lacking for those in need

PART THREE: Court delays are a disincentive for repeat road offenders to pay traffic fines

TRAFFIC FINESFines range from $81 for driving on

a sidewalk to $598 for driving withoutinsurance. Fines for excessive speed-ing run from $368 to $483 and policeare also now issuing thousands of $167tickets to distracted drivers who talkor text on cellphones while driving.

By Sheila ReynoldsBLACK PRESS

A middle-aged woman finds herself in themidst of a bitter fight for spousal supportshe never anticipated. She cant afford alawyer and turns to legal aid for assistance.A victim of abuse, her situation is complex,but not as difficult as the legal maze that hasnow consumed her life.

Its systemic discrimination against thoseunable to fund their own justice, she says,adding most in her situation simply abandonthe process because its so damaging.

Between 2002 and 2005, government fundingto Legal Services Society of B.C. (LSS) theprovider of legal aid was cut by 40% and85 of the legal aid offices in B.C. were closed.Between April 1, 2009 and March 26, 2010, thesociety saw funding cuts to family law, in-cluding dispute resolution and category onecriminal law offences such as breach of

probation or failure to appear. Immigrationand refugee law services were also cut.

Some services have since been restored.Five LSS regional offices were closed lastspring but were replaced with local agents private lawyers on contract with the society.And LAWLine, the LSSs telephone legal ad-vice service, was replaced with an expanded,province-wide call centre.

But many feel access to legal aid remainsinsufficient.

Veteran lawyer Leonard Doust says legalaid should be treated as an essential service.Doust, leading the Public Commission onLegal Aid, headed a recent inquiry into legalaid in B.C. His resulting report, Foundationsfor Change, released in early March, summa-rizes that the overwhelming majority of sub-missions spoke to the general failure of ourlegal aid system, the negative repercussionsfor needy individuals and families, and theconsequent adverse impact on our communi-ties and justice system.

The report suggests federal and provincialfunding cuts have left the system unable tomeet basic needs and that the working poorand marginalized people suffer most.

It is an absolutely essential social ser-vice, Doust said. Without it, people can be,and indeed they are... deprived of the otheressential services in our province, particu-larly social welfare. Its like the four-leggedchair missing one leg: It falls.

In addition to making legal aid an essen-tial service, Doust laid out eight other recom-mendations, which included re-establishingregional aid offices, making more peopleeligible for aid and giving legal aid workersbetter pay and support.

The legal aid system in B.C. has changeddramatically since its introduction in 1979.While the direction at that time was thatlegal aid representation had to be providedto those who couldnt afford it for some areasof law, the rules were changed in 2001 andlegal aid is no longer mandatory.

NOT JUST LAWYERSFor the most part, the Legal Services

Society agrees with Dousts findings, endors-ing the notion that legal aid should be recog-nized as an essential public service and thatsignificantly more funding is needed.

BLACK PRESS

By 2010, a backlog of 58,000 disputed traffic tickets had built up in British Columbias court system, meaning some speeders are getting off without a fine due to delays.

seesee SYSTEM NEEDSSYSTEM NEEDS,, pagepage A6A6

IN QUOTES

Its an absolutely essential social service.Leonard Doust, PublicCommission on Legal Aid

www.tricitynews.com Tri-City News Friday, April 1, 2011, A3

By Diane StrandbergTHE TRI-CITY NEWS

Its a tale of two ridings,one battle-hardened withelection-ready veteransgame for a fight; the otheran uneven contest withthree political Lilliputiansfacing a political giant.

But while the scenariosmay differ, voters can ex-pect the same clash of ide-als and policies that theywill see at the nationallevel played out locally.

In the meantime, how-ever, the first days of thecampaign since the mi-nority Conservative gov-ernment fell on a non-con-fidence motion last weekhave been all about nam-ing candidates, putting upsigns, printing brochuresand recruiting volunteers.

The riding of NewWestminster-Coquitlam,where voters went to thepolls just over a year agoin a byelection, is the mostelection-ready, with candi-dates named for four par-ties and campaign officesestablished for three.

In fact, Fin Donnelly(NDP) and Diana Dilworth(Conservative) say theyhave been in election modesince the Nov. 9, 2009 bye-lection to replace Dawn

Black, now an NDP MLAfor New Westminster, andcampaign spokespersonfor Liberal candidate KenBeck Lee says his cam-paign is reusing signs andfiring up the same votingmachine from last time.

Lee has a lot of catchingup to do to Donnelly andDilworth, who topped thepolls in the last go around,with Donnelly capturingthe seat with 49.6% of thevote and Dilworth follow-ing up with 35.8%. Leecame in a distant thirdwith 10.3% of the vote in ariding that stretches fromthe eastern part of NewWestminster to south-west Coquitlam and PortMoody south.

REACHING OUTHes more hands-on

than most politicians. Itsnot like hes starting... hesreally continuing a pro-cess hes been engaging insince he was elected, saidBrynn Bourke, Donnellyscampaign manager.

Dilworth said she hasbeen trying to counteractan image she says wasinaccurate during thebyelection that she wasan invisible candidateand is driving around ina car with her name on

it and putting out sand-wich boards that say theConservative candidateis in your neighbourhoodtalking to residents. In thelast few days, Dilworthsaid she has done threeinterviews with the mediabut prefers talking di-rectly with residents.

Both candidates areusing automated phonemessages to remind peopleof the election and socialmedia to let voters knowwhat they are up to. Theyhave offices ready andboth are planning officialopenings this weekend.

Lees office has justopened, communicationsmanager Mike Milat said,volunteers are being re-cruited and brochures arebeing printed. Becausewe had the byelection,were ahead of the otherridings, Milat said.

Meanwhile, RebeccaHelps is running againfor the Green Party with-out a campaign office butwith a web page showingpeople how to volunteerand donate.

UNEVEN CONTESTNext door, in the riding

of Port Moody-Westwood-Port Coquitlam, the pictureis slightly different. As of

press time Thursday, therewas no official Liberalcandidate running againstConservative heavyweightand Heritage MinisterJames Moore, and the NDPcandidate Mark Ireland is arelative newcomer to localpolitics. The Green Partyis running Kevin Kim,who also has a relativelylow profile in the area.

Still, Moores handlersarent taking anythingfor granted. Signs startedgoing up for Moore in PoCoand Port Moody last week-end, with Coquitlam on thecalendar for this weekendowing to that citys signregulations. Moore also hasa campaign office open andis hosting an open housethis weekend.

He expects to be visibleat high-profile locationssuch as local malls, hiscampaign manager said,where he will be meetingthe public and handing outleaflets. Barb Haidn saidMoore will occasionallybe asked to lend his con-siderable profile to otherConservative candidatesand will be visiting otherridings to shore up supportbut will also be going doorto door in his own riding tomake sure the voters knowwho he is and why he is

running again.The NDPs Ireland ex-

pects to run an efficientcampaign via his website,where people can contacthim to donate or volun-teer. Ireland said he hasalready received supportfrom provincial NDP lead-

ership frontrunner andPort Coquitlam-BurkeMountain MLA MikeFarnworth. Ireland saidhe plans to do some main-streeting and door-knock-ing in Port Coquitlam,where the NDP has tradi-tional support.

As for the Liberal can-didate, expect a nameto be forthcoming soon,said riding president RonMcKinnon.

The Green Party can-didate wasnt available tospeak before press [email protected]

And theyre off: Tri-City candidates gear up

DONNELLY DILWORTH LEE

MOORE IRELAND HELPS

NEW WESTMINSTER-COQUITLAMNDP: Fin Donnelly (incumbent)tConservative: Diana DilworthLiberal: Ken Beck LeeGreen: Rebecca Helps

TO GET IN TOUCHNDPA931 Brunette Ave., Coquitlam604-526-3346www.findonnelly.caOpening: Sunday, 1 to 3 p.m.

Conservative562B Clarke Rd., Coquitlam604-525-2003www.dianadilworth.ca

Official opening Saturday at12:30 p.m.(MP James Moore, Sen. YonahMartin in attendance)

Liberal945 Lougheed Hwy., Coquitlam604-277-1134www.kenlee.liberal.ca

Green [email protected]

Standing at last election (2009)NDP 49.6%Conservative 35.8%Liberal 10.3%Green 4.3%

PORT MOODY-WESTWOOD-POCOConservative: James Moore(incumbent)tNDP: Mark IrelandLiberal: TBAGreen: Kevin Kim

TO GET IN TOUCHConservative2611B St. Johns St., Port Moody604-461-6222www.jamesmoore.org

[email protected]

Liberalportmoodywestwoodportco-quitlam.liberal.ca/contact/

Green Party604-375-7990greenparty.ca/campaign/59021

Standing at last election (2008)Conservative 54.6%NDP 22.3%Liberal 14.8%Green 7.6%Libertarian 0.7%

For more information on ridings,results and what you need to vote,visit the Elections Canada web-site, www.elections.ca.


Land Use Committee Notice

MEETING

Land Use Committee

WHEN

Tuesday, April 5, 2011 at 7pm

WHERE

Brovold Room, City Hall, 100 Newport Drive, Port Moody, BC

The Land Use Committee will hold a public meeting to consider the following applications:

1. Application Type: City of Port Moody Zoning Bylaw 1988, No. 1890, Amendment Bylaw No. 201, 2011, No. 2882

Applicant: City of Port Moody

Purpose: To amend the City of Port Moody Zoning Bylaw to prohibit smoking clubs in the City of Port Moody.

2. Application Type: City of Port Moody Zoning Bylaw 1988, No. 1890, Amendment Bylaw No. 202, 2011, No. 2883

Applicant: City of Port Moody

Purpose: To amend the City of Port Moody Zoning Bylaw to regulate the siting of mechanical equipment such as heat pumps, air conditioners and pool equipment.

All persons wishing to make written submissions to the Committee prior to the meeting should send their submissions to the City by email at [email protected] or by fax at 604.469.4550 not later than 12 Noon Tuesday, April 5, 2011. At the meeting, an opportunity will be provided to allow all interested persons to make representations or present written submissions regarding these items to the Committee.

Inquiries pertaining to these items can be made at the Development Services Department in City Hall or by phone during office hours Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 5pm.

Mary DePaoli,Manager of Planning 100 Newport Drive, Port Moody, BC, V3H 3E1604.469.4702

City Hall/Library/Theatre P.O. Box 36, 100 Newport Drive, Port Moody 604.469.4500 www.portmoody.ca

Watermain Flushing Notice for Residents of Ioco Road up to April Road

City Hall/Library/Inlet Theatre P.O. Box 36, 100 Newport Drive, Port Moody 604.469.4574 www.portmoody.ca

The City of Port Moody is performing

uni-directional watermain cleaning in

the areas shown on the map starting

April 4, 2011.

This procedure causes pressure

uctuations, some discolouration and

sediment in the water reaching your

home or business. These conditions

last for a short time, and do not pose

a health hazard. If your water appears

discoloured run a cold water tap,

preferably your bathtub faucet, until

the water clears. City staff will try to

minimize any inconvenience.

For more information, call

Operations at 604.469.4574.

Bert Flinn Park

Pleasantside Elementary

Ioco Rd

arnet Hwy

April Rd

nt

t

Sensations by Compliments

Extra Virgin Olive OilSelected500mlRegular Retail:$6.99 Each

Coke, Canada Dry,Selected Flavours 2L or Dasani Water 1.5LSelectedRegular Retail: $1.99$2.19 Each

Specials in Effect from Friday, April 1st to Tuesday, April 5th, 2011

Quaker

CerealLife, Capn Crunch,Corn Bran, Muffets or Squares360650gRegular Retail: $4.59$4.99 Each

Quaker

Rice Cakesor Crispy MinisSelected100214gRegular Retail: $2.69 Each

*Same item of equal or lesser value.

*Same item of equal or lesser value.

f equal or lesser value.

Buck BrandOrganic Navel OrangesFancyGrown in California

1.81kg B4lb/1.81kg BagRegular Retail: $5.99 Each

Fresh Boneless SkinlessChicken BreastsProduct of Surrey, BCAll Size PackagesAll Size PackagesRegular Retail: $8.84$9.07/lb, $19.49$19.99/kg

*Same item of equal or lessser value.


But the chair of the so-ciety also believes a funda-mental shift is necessaryin the way legal aid andthose using is viewed.

Access to justice isoften examined from theperspective of judges andlawyers, says MaylandMcKimm, but when seenfrom the perspective ofthose caught up in the sys-tem often against theirwill the view is muchdifferent.

It is essential that welook at the justice systemfrom the bottom up, notthe top down, in order tounderstand its relevanceto the resolution of legalproblems that people facein their lives, the long-time family and criminallawyer told members ofthe Law Society of BC inearly March.

He said in consultationswith more than 100 people,it was found many legalaid users had more imme-diate and basic hurdles toget past child care, pov-erty and transportation is-sues before they couldbegin to worry about get-ting a lawyer.

For many, especially inremote communities, thebiggest barrier to justiceis just being able to get tothe courthouse.

What does it matter ifthere are more lawyers,or that they all agree toslash their fees, if a singlemother looking for childsupport has no one tolook after her kids whileshes in court? he asked,suggesting improving ac-cessibility like havingmore flexible court sched-ules or daycares in thecourthouse would go along way to improving thelegal aid system.

A second significantcomponent to access tojustice, said McKimm,is helping people under-stand how the legal sys-tem can assist them andmaking them less afraidof the process in general.This could be achieved byintegrating legal serviceswith trusted social ser-vices, he said, instead ofsending people to lawyers.

We were told morethan once that armingthe travelling communityhealth nurse, the local so-cial worker or an aborigi-nal elder with informationabout child protection lawor welfare rights and alist of who to contact forhelp was more impor-tant than having a lawyeravailable, said McKimm.

Financially, he said,LSS is working on reduc-ing the cost of large crimi-nal cases so that moreresources are availablefor access to justice initia-tives.

If we can lessen the re-sources financial andjudicial that the guns-and-gangs cases eat up,there may well be moreresources available foraccess to justice initia-tives and legal aid, saidMcKimm.

[email protected]

System needs biggerchangescontinued from page A3


NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

Map & details: www.portcoquitlam.ca/getinvolved

PROPOSED ZONING AMENDMENT BYLAW NO. 3759

Monday, April 11, 2011 at 7:00 pmCouncil Chambers, Third Floor, Port Coquitlam City Hall

2580 Shaughnessy Street, Port Coquitlam, BC

General purpose of the Bylaw:

To amend the Zoning Bylaw to facilitate a 114-unit townhouse development at 843, 867, 889 and 913 Dominion Avenue.

Location of Land to be Rezoned: - see accompanying map

Civic: 843, 867, 889 and 913 Dominion Avenue Legal: Lot 12, Block 6 North, Section 5, Range 1 East, NWD, PL 22835; Lot 9, Block 18, Section 5, NWD, PL 19372; Lot 10, Block 6 North, Section 5, Range 1 East, NWD, PL 19372; Lot 11, Block 6, Section 5, NWD, PL 19372

Inspection of Documents:

A copy of the proposed Bylaw may be inspected in the Corporate Of ce, 2580 Shaughnessy Street, Port Coquitlam, BC, between the hours of 8:30 am and 4:30 pm, except Saturdays, Sundays, and any Statutory Holiday, until April 11, 2011 inclusive. Further information and a larger map can be seen at www.portcoquitlam.ca/getinvolved and further details can be obtained from the Development Services Department at 604-927-5442.

Also available for inspection is the Zoning Bylaw, 2008, No. 3630 (which would be amended by the proposed Bylaw) and various reports and plans referring speci cally to the purpose of the amending Bylaw.

Public Participation:

At the hearing the public will be allowed to make representations to the Council respecting matters contained in the proposed Bylaw. All persons who believe their interest in property is affected by the proposed Bylaw will be afforded a reasonable opportunity to be heard or to present written submissions respecting matters contained in the Bylaw.

After the Public Hearing has been completed, Council can no longer receive additional or new information on this application.

Susan Rauh, CMCCorporate Of cer604-927-5421corporateof [email protected]

PROPOSEDLAND USE

AMENDMENTS2188 PITT RIVER ROAD

www.portcoquitlam.ca

Dawn Sheirzad is proposing to amend the Of cial Community Plan designation and zoning of 2188 Pitt River Road in order to construct a three-unit in ll townhouse on a large, irregularly shaped parcel in a small lot residential n e i g h b o u r h o o d (see attached map). The City invites the community to provide comments on the proposal and ask they submitted by April 15, 2011. For more information, please go to our website at www.portcoquitlam.ca/developmentapplications or contact us at:

Development Services DepartmentCity Hall Annex (next to City Hall)#200 - 2564 Shaughnessy StreetPort Coquitlam, BC V3C 3G4Tel 604.927.5244Fax 604.927.5404

Designated Townhouse Residential (RT)Designated

Institutional (I)

Designated Small Lot Residential (RSL)

Designated Residential (R)

PITT RIVER RD

PITT RIVER RD

TY

NE

R S

T

PITT RIVER RD

MA

RY

HILL R

D

PITT RIVER RD

MA

RY

HIL

L R

D

LOBB AVE

PENNY PL

Proposed OCP DesignationTownhouse Residential (RT)

www.portcoquitlam.ca/2020vision

2020VISIONPORT COQUITLAMPORT COQUITLAM

Help guide our future!

In consultation with the community, a new Corporate Strategic Plan has been developed toguide decisions on the communitys direction.

Come learn about the draft Corporate StrategicPlan, talk to staff and provide your feedback.

OPEN HOUSE THURSDAY APRIL 7, 6-8 PMGathering Place, 2253 Leigh Square

Questions? 604.927.5213 [email protected]

By Janis WarrenTHE TRI-CITY NEWS

A development com-pany says its build-ing a 29-storey tower inCoquitlam City Centrebut city staff say its only25 floors.

So where did the otherfour levels go?

Theyre there but in-visible, Jim McIntyre,Coquitlams generalmanager of planningand development, saidyesterday, noting CresseyDevelopment Groupsproposed highrise forthe southwest corner ofPinetree Way and GlenDrive wont have fourth,13th, 14th or 24th floors.

In some cultures, thosenumbers are consideredbad luck.

Its a common prac-tice to exclude them,McIntyre said, adding,I guess its part of ourchanging community.

Aversion to or fear ofthe number 4 called tet-raphobia is a supersti-tion in Asia; in Chinese,Japanese and Korean,the word for four soundslike the word for death.Moreover, 14 and 24 arealso avoided because theycontain the number four.

In some residentialbuildings, those numbersare replaced with floors3A, 13A and 23A, and inHong Kong, developersoften skip floors from 40to 49. As a result, floor 39is followed by floor 50.

In Western cultures, 13is generally consideredunlucky.

Cresseys plans, whichwere approved by thecitys land use committeeMonday and are expectedto be given final readingand a development per-mit by council next week,show a concrete 169-unitresidential highrisecalled Metropolitan 2 andan adjoining nine-storeyoffice building, each withretail space at the base.

The project, if ap-proved, would tie intothe Evergreen Line alongPinetree Way and formpart of the new and grow-ing City Centre commer-cial core.

But some councillorsquestioned the amountof pile driving neededfor the two buildings asource of contention forarea residents and busi-nesses. The constantthud of machines in CityCentre generated manynoise complaints lastsummer.

City staff have lookedfor ways to lessen the im-pact with different equip-ment but we are findingthe alternate technolo-gies arent all that ap-plicable here in the City

Centre area because ofthe ground conditions,McIntyre told the com-mittee.

Council will receivean update soon from thecity planning and engi-neering departments onpile driving operations,and neighbours will be

contacted about the workbefore it starts, McIntyreadded.

C o u n . B r e n tAsmundson said hewasnt thrilled with theM2 design: Too many newbuildings in Coquitlamare being constructedwith straight lines. I

would like to see someuniqueness and wowgoing on, he said, refer-ring to the citys push to-wards a wow-factor ap-peal in architecture andbeautification.

The number of parkingspots for M2 didnt pleaseCoun. Neal Nicholson.Cressey is asking for 41fewer parking spacesthan zoning requires an 11% variance allowedby the city for projectsin transit-oriented hubs.The City Centre planspermit up to a 30% reduc-tion, McIntyre said, as thecity and developers dontwant to under-utilize theland.

Coun. Mae Reid, chairof the citys land use com-mittee, said the city needsa review of its parking ra-tios for new buildings, astudy that McIntyre saidis already in the works.

Representatives forCressey did not imme-diately return a call [email protected]

The approximately$80,000-a-year churchmat program, whichnow picks up and shel-ters on average fewerthan 10 people pernight, is pretty closeto running its course,Thiessen said.

Now is the time to

craft a more stable andefficient housing solu-tion, he said.

Theres going to besome years before [the3030 Gordon Ave. shel-ter] gets built so werelooking at some otheralternatives.

Among those, he said,was the idea of a villagemade up of shipping

containers convertedinto living units, whichwas unable to find ap-proval in the Tri-Citieslast year.

Were still pokingaround at some otheralternatives of whichI cant be terribly spe-cific about right now,he said.

Regardless of what

form those alternativesmight take, they willtarget a much smallerhomeless communitythan the current 30-per-son shelter mats.

And thats good news,said Thiessen.

The first year westarted, the shelter wasfairly well attended,Thiessen said. There

was more homelessthen. We were counting215 homeless in the re-gion then and the lasttime we counted lastSeptember we counted72. So thats a tremen-dous dip in the home-less population.

Thiessen attributedthe dip to the success ofthe church mat program

and Hope for Freedomoutreach workers, say-ing that, by his esti-mates and those of theTri-Cities HomelessnessTask Group, someonewho uses the mat pro-gram is three times morelikely to find permanenthousing than a homelessperson who [email protected]

continued from front pageFewer people now inshelters

Highrise: 29 or 25 floors?

An illustration of the buildings proposed for the south-west corner of Pinetree Way and Glen Drive in Coquitlam.


Are You Prepared?The City of Coquitlam HEROS Program is providing the following seminars to help you and your family become more prepared for a major emergency.

HEROS Spring Training 2011

Date and Time Course Location

Wednesday, April 67:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.

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Monday, May 27:00 p.m. - 8:45 p.m.

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Advance registration is requested. Register to reserve your space byusing one of the following methods and quoting the course number:

1. www.coquitlam.ca/signmeup2. In person at any Leisure & Parks facility3. Customer Service Line - staff assisted phone-in registration

604.927.4386. This service is available Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.

For more information on future session dates or to request a coursefor your community group, please contact the HEROS Program Ofceat 604-945-1578 or visit www.coquitlam.ca/preparedness.

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Food waste withyard trimmings not a concern, says Stephens

By Gary McKennaTHE TRI-CITY NEWS

The introductionof green cart kitchenwaste collection inCoquitlam last fallshould not increase thenumber of bear sight-ings in the municipalitythis summer, accordingto the citys Bear Awareco-ordinator.

Drake Stephens toldThe Tri-City News thatwhile compostablewaste such as meat anddairy will no longer besealed in plastic garbagebags, he does not believeit will make any real dif-ference in the numberof bears that wanderinto residential neigh-bourhoods.

He said bears cansmell attractants frommiles away, regardlessof whether they aresealed in a bag.

We are still puttingout the same stuff, itis just going into a dif-ferent can, he said.If it is done right, itshouldnt add any more

problems.But he said its im-

portant that residentskeep their compostablesindoors until collectionday. He added that somepeople use odourlesscontainers to store theirkitchen waste whileothers put it in emptyice cream buckets andfreeze it.

One thing people

should avoid, Stephenssaid, is leaving theircompost in the greenbin outside until collec-tion day. With the hotsun beating down on theplastic container, peels,meats and dairy willquickly rot, increasingthe amount of odoursthe waste gives off.

I have been freezingmine in a plastic Ziploc

baggy, he said. Oncollection, day I put itin my container and itbarely has time to thaw,let alone smell by thetime they pick it up.

So far, bear seasonis off to a slow start.Stephens said therehave been only a cou-ple of sightings alongVictoria Drive in north-east Coquitlam and oneincident where a bearwas disturbed out of itsden by construction.

Asked whether theTri-Cities will havea busy bear season,Stephens said it all de-pends on the weather.

If wet, rainy weathercontinues into Mayand June, it is possiblethat the berry crop willbe washed out, forc-ing bears to find otherfood sources includ-ing garbage. Warmerweather will mean moreberries and an abun-dance of natural food

sources for the animals.If this weather con-

tinues for two months,it wouldnt be good,Stephens said. It iswhen we have cold, wetMays and Junes thatbears turn to garbage.

F o l l o w i n g P o r tCoquitlam and PortMoody ini t iat ives,the green can collec-tion program began inCoquitlam in October2010. Residents are en-couraged to put all theirkitchen composts in-cluding meat, peels, eggshells and dairy prod-ucts in the same binas their grass clippingsand yard trimmings.

The city hopes theincreased collection ofcompostables will notonly save money onMetro Vancouver gar-bage tipping fees buthelp the municipalitywith its waste-diversiongoal of 70% by 2015.

[email protected]

Weather main worry: bear guy

FILE PHOTO

If poor weather continues and damages the berry supply, bears could turn to garbage, says Drake Stephens.

Speak up!You can comment on any story you read at www.tricitynews.com

Have your say


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Theres a new educa-tional movement on theforefront in B.C. and itlooks exciting. Its personalizedlearning and while its still inthe conversation stages and hasyet to be defined, after wadingthrough piles of documents, I think I canexplain, in laymans terms, what it is andwhat a classroom might look like in just afew short years.

One change well see will be the role of theteacher, wholl now spend less time lecturingat the front of the classroom and more work-ing with students individually or in smallgroups. Each child will be given a personalizedlearning plan based on his or her learningstyle, history, personality and challenges.Additionally children will have more time toexplore their passions through technology say, chatting with a student from Brazil regard-

ing the rainforest. As well, if a student strug-gles with multivariable calculus or Romanarchitecture, she can get extra help via tapedlectures anytime/anywhere from websites.

But in order for personalized learning tosucceed, we cant pour cutting edge technol-ogy and education into an old structure.Instead well have to, as Prof. Ken Robinson Sir Ken, as hes known has said, over-haul the entire system.

Lets start with: Class sizes: Personalized learning

thrives best in smaller classrooms. Willour government finally make this ongoingissue a priority and reduce class sizes so ourteachers and children have the best possibleenvironment to make this work?

Money: This initiative will cost an un-thinkable amount of money. So where will itall come from? And will all children benefitequally from personalized learning or willstate-of-the-art technology be a luxury foronly rich schools with savvy parent advisorycommittees?

The truth about technology: Its safe tosay that technology, under this initiative, willplay a vital role in classrooms, virtual andotherwise. Nevertheless, according to the2006 Educational Testing Service (the devel-oper of the SAT), it was said that for all theirability with technology, students still dontseek, find and manage information verywell. Bottom line? No matter how much wepray for an education miracle, technologywont cure bored teenagers and homeworkissues will persist because they would ratherskateboard and go for a Slurpee than watchan online lecture. Moreover, technology cantreplace the human beings on the front lineswho act not only as facilitators but inspireand mentor, too.

Bad teachers: Good teachers make goodschools and poor ones simply cost a lot ofmoney. If were serious about making 21stcentury changes in education, we cant beafraid to poke the bear on this one. A StanfordUniversity professor found that if the bot-tom 10% of poor performing teachers could

be axed and replaced with just average teach-ers, students would improve dramatically oninternational tests. Hopefully well get thisissue sorted out over the next 50 years or so.

As with any educational trend, personal-ized learning could be a good thing or couldreally mess things up if its embraced, assome educational trends have been in thepast, to the extreme and at the expense oftried-and-true methods. Remember thewhole language debacle of the 1990s thatnixed phonics for something oh so muchbetter or, more recently, the confusion sur-rounding new math that had Grade 1kids solve problems before they knew thefundamentals? Both trends sent two genera-tions of children to learning centres (nowa billion-dollar industry) just so kids couldlearn the basics.

Heres to hoping the powers that be learnfrom the past and listen to the debates sur-rounding even this next trend.

Tara McIntosh is a Port Moody resident whowrites monthly in The Tri-City News.

AS I SEE IT Tara McIntosh

Lets get personal but, first, lets get real

PICTURE THIS Adrian Raeside

TRI-CITYCITYTRI-CITY OPINIONYYYYPUBLISHED & PRINTED BY BLACK PRESS LTD. AT 1405 BROADWAY ST., PORT COQUITLAM, B.C. V3C 6L6

Newsroom: 604-525-6397 Q [email protected]: 604-941-6397 Q [email protected] Ads: 604-525-6397 Q [email protected] Ads: 604-575-5555 Q [email protected]: www.tricitynews.com

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telephone: 604-525-6397 fax: 604-944-0703

TRI-CITY NEWS Richard Dal Monteeditor

Diane Strandbergassistant editorLisa Farquharson

regional classified manager

Don Layfieldadvertising manager

Mike Kingstonproduction manager

Phill Williamscirculation manager

Nigel Larkpublisher

Q LEGALITIES THE TRI-CITY NEWS is an independent community newspaper, qualified under Schedule 111, Part 111, Paragraph 11 of the Excise Tax Act. It is published Wednesday and Friday by Black Press Ltd. Copyright and/or property rights subsist in all display advertising and other material appearing in this issue of The Tri-City News. Second class mailing registra-tion No, 4830 The publisher shall not be liable for slight changes or typographical errors that do not lessen the value of an advertisement. The publishers liability for other errors or omissions in connection with any advertisement is strictly limited topublication of the advertisement in any subsequent issue or the refund of any monies paid for the advertisement.

Q CONCERNS THE TRI-CITY NEWS is a member of the BC Press Council, a self-regulating body of the provinces news-paper industry. The council considers complaints from the public about the conduct of member newspapers. Directorsoversee the mediation of complaints, with input from both the newspaper and the complainant. If talking with the editoror publisher of The Tri-City News does not resolve your complaint about coverage or story treatment, you may contact theBC Press Council. Your written concern, with documentation, should be sent within 45 days to B.C. Press Council, 201Selby street, Nanaimo, B.C. V9R 2R2. For information, phone 1-888-687-2213 or go to www.bcpresscouncil.org.

Now? Really?Q WHAT WE THINK:

Canadian voters may not be ready to go to thepolls for the third national election campaignin five years but they will some of them,anyway on May 2.

Out here on the Wet Coast, voters may be even lessenthused as they face numerous elections in the com-ing months: a mail-in ballot on the harmonized salestax in June; perhaps a provincial election after that;and civic elections in November.

Its understandable that many Canadians wish fed-eral politicians could just get along and do their jobs,saving taxpayers $300 million in election costs.

But if we trust politicians to do their jobs, then wehave to accept it when they say enough is enough andthey need a new mandate from voters.

Instead of whining, then, maybe we should find outwhy our MPs and newly nominated candidates thinkthey need our vote to be able to do their jobs properly.

Qthethe THIS WEEKS QUESTION:

Do you think Canadas May 2federal election is necessary at this time?

LAST WEEKS QUESTION:Do you approve of the plans toincrease the minimum wage in British Columbia?

RESULTS: Yes 71% / No 29%

Register your opinion in our question of theweek poll by voting online at tricitynews.com

Q WHAT DO YOU THINK? VOTE ONLINE:


FACE TO FACE: Tom-ay-to or tom-ah-to? Barbaric or absolutely unacceptable?

TERRY ONEILL JIM NELSONThe federal governmentsnew citizenship guide warnsnewcomers to this countrythat customs such as honour kill-ings and female genital mutila-tion are considered barbaric inCanada even though they may beculturally acceptable in some otherparts of the world.

The assertion is so undoubt-edly factual that I am sure mycolleague on the opposite side ofthe page will not disagree withits accuracy. But where he and Ido differ is in our opinion on theappropriateness of using sucha blunt instrument as the wordbarbaric to describe brutal andmurderous practices.

I stand on the side of honesty,precision of language and clarityin moral judgment in applaudingthe government and its minister,Jason Kenny, for their use of theword. My colleague, on the otherhand, stands for obfuscation,political correctness and moralmurkiness when he wishes theConservatives had embraced less-harsh language.

In doing so, he agrees withLiberal MP Justin Trudeau whosaid that, while he personallyconsidered killing and mutila-tion to be barbaric, he wished thegovernment had used the termabsolutely unacceptable in its

place because, essentially, it ismore welcoming to newcomers.He explained that the softer termrepresented a sort of responsibleneutrality as if we should beneutral about a fathers murder ofa rebellious daughter.

Trudeau later hemmed andhawed his way to a retraction but,frankly, given the lack of spinehe demonstrated throughout thecontroversy, I have a difficult timeunderstanding how he is able tostand erect. Perhaps my colleaguewill explain.

Of the many problems associ-ated with Trudeaus initial posi-tion is the fact the term absolutelyunacceptable is verbal baby food.Its what the elementary schoolteacher says to the boy who burpsin the middle of a lesson or whatthe nanny says to the girl whowont clean up her toys. Its notwhat we say to murderers and mu-tilators.

And then theres responsibleneutrality, a phrase that signalsTrudeaus embrace of the sinisterand debilitating concept of moralrelativism the faulty worldviewin which there is no absolute rightand wrong, no good and evil.

I fear that Trudeau and my col-league have just proved the prov-erb, If you dont stand for some-thing, youll fall for anything.

Judgmental words just not Canadian

Whats your take on this weeksFace to Face topic and what they

have to say? Email your thoughts [email protected].

Theres no room forverbal baby food

IN QUOTES

I stand on the side of honesty, precision of language and clarity inmoral judgment in ap-plauding the govern-ment and its minister,Jason Kenny.Terry ONeill

vs.Are these generally ac-cepted Canadian judg-ments? Yes. Are they ap-propriate for inclusion in an official Canadian document? No.Jim Nelson

Justin Trudeau doesnt thinkour Canadian ImmigrationHandbook should use the wordbarbaric to describe honourkillings, female genital mutilations,forced marriages and other gender-based violence. I agree with him.

Trudeau abhors these culturalpractices, as do we all, but that isntthe point. His point is that officialgovernment communication shouldnot use value-laden, subjective rhet-oric to describe the political or cul-tural practices of other countries.

Trudeau has been vilified, forcedto equivocate by a political mediathat more and more seeks a GeorgeW. Bush-like, name-calling ap-proach to international discourse.

For our immigration handbookto delineate the cultural practicesand beliefs we Canadians embraceis appropriate but to rhetoricallydenounce other cultures erodes ourlong-standing, respected Canadianmoral authority.

Canadas action in not joiningthe U.S. coalition of the willingin Iraq was a strong statement ofCanadian moral perspective, ac-complished without a subjectivedenunciation of American foreignpolicy. The point was made morestrongly by principled action ratherthan by editorial condemnation.Canada remained above the fray.

If we describe the cultural prac-

tices of other countries as bar-baric in documents we presentto the world, what might we nextinclude as barbaric, cruel or racist?

I humbly suggest the follow-ing for inclusion in CanadasImmigration Handbook:

Canadas openness and generos-ity does not extend to people fromcountries that allow the barbaricpractice of encouraging its citi-zenry to carry assault, automaticand concealed weapons whereverthey go, or from countries that con-tinually and amorally prop up dicta-torial regimes around the world fortheir own gain, or from countriesthat allow the immoral practice ofcapital punishment or encouragethe brutal practice of bullfighting.

Are these generally acceptedCanadian judgments? Yes. Are theyappropriate for inclusion in an of-ficial Canadian document? No.

Trudeau is right. We should notuse such rhetoric in governmentcommunication with the world.Nor should we reduce ourselves tothe level of some leaders and politi-cians who routinely and publiclyuse pejorative terms such as axisof evil, madman, exporters ofterrorism or murderous thugs.

Canadas most helpful interna-tional contribution has always beento defuse, rather than exacerbate,international conflict.


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Branch Executive Committee MemberThe BEC provides guidance and support with regard to operations, fundraising and expenditures for the Brigade, Youth Division and Therapy Dog volunteers. Our BEC also promotes St. John Ambulance as a whole to the community at displays and events. Group meets on the last Wednesday of each month.

Contact:Jaimie Topp, Branch ManagerSt. John Ambulance Tri-Cities Branch 2338 Clarke StreetPort Moody, BC V3H 1Y8Ph: 604-931-3426 Fax: 604-931-5134E-mail: [email protected]

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4

TRI-CITYCITYTRI-CITY LETTERSYYYYCONTACT

Please send letters to:email: [email protected]: 604-944-0703 Phone: 604-525-6397

TRI-

CITY

NEW

S FI

LE P

HOT

O

Political PoMo poemThe Editor,

Re. Blue for a green reason (The Tri-City News,March 25).As a federal election looms, can it be trueCouncillor-PC candidate Diana Dilworth scores a coupAs Port Moody city hall trees are turned Tory blue?Jim Peacock, Port Moody

Artist Konstantin Dimopoulos applies a temporary bluecolourant to trees in front of Port Moody city hall.

To Editor,Re. Towering concerns (The Tri-

City News, March 30).I am glad Coquitlam city coun-

cil has deferred the decision on thedraft Austin Heights NeighbourhoodPlan.

After attending the public hearingMonday, I had serious doubts about

the idea that more residents willbenefit local businesses. I think theywill likely face eviction threats.

Why? Businesses that are leasingare at the mercy of their landlords.Some landlords may want to sell outto a developer who want their prop-erty for redevelopment.Vincent Lizee, Coquitlam

The Editor,Re: Coquitlam council rejects

growth plan (The Tri-City News,March 23).

Congratulations to Coquitlamcity council (and the citys gen-eral manager of planning anddevelopment) for voting againstacceptance of Metro Vancouversproposed regional growth strategy(RGS).

The provincial government setthe admirable targets of reduc-ing our greenhouse gas emissionsby 33% by 2020 and 80% by 2050(below the 2007 level) to do our partto combat climate destabilization.

The escalating carbon tax is themechanism to achieve this goal.

Documentation provided byMetro Vancouver during thepublic consultation for the RGSforecasts that we will be unable tomeet the GHG reduction targetsprimarily because of business-as-usual population (and infrastruc-ture) growth.

Until Metro Vancouver tablesa truly sustainable regionalplan, I hope that Coquitlam citycouncil will continue to dig in itsheels. Anything else from MetroVancouver is irresponsible.D. B. Wilson, Port Moody

Metro Van has toget sustainable

Danger for businesses

The Tri-City News welcomes letters to the editor. Submissionsmust contain name, address and daytime phone number. Theeditor reserves the right to edit for clarity, brevity, libel and taste.Please send your letters to [email protected].


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Elliot would like to thank all his staff and customers who have helped make this rst year such an enjoyable success and he looks forward to serving all new customers in the near future.Store Hours: Monday - Saturday: 9:30AM to 6:00PM Sunday: 10:00AM to 5:00PM You can place your order online:

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Deadline forCoquitlam resi-dents to register for sale is today

Residents across theTri-Cities will be exca-vating their dusty stor-age rooms and the darkrecesses of their base-ments as they preparefor city-wide garagesales later this month.

The annual sale givespeople an opportunityto get rid of their oldstuff and make a fewdollars all while avoid-ing dumping their un-used items in the MetroVancouver landfill.

We want people to

think twice before theytrash something, saidPort Coquitlam MayorGreg Moore. Theres agood chance their un-wanted items can beused by someone else.

Residents in PortCoquitlam still havetime to register forthe sale, which takesplace on April 16 be-tween 9 a.m. and 1 p.m.(they can extend theirsales beyond the thosehours). In order to havean address included inthe online listing andin newspaper ads run-ning April 13 and 15,residents must fill outtheir registration beforeApril 8. Forms can be

filled out online at www.portcoquitlam.ca/ga-ragesale or at city hall(2580 Shaughnessy St.)and the citys operationscentre (1737 BroadwaySt.). The city of PortCoquitlam will not bepicking up any unsolditems and encouragesparticipants to donateleftovers to local chari-ties including:

the Salvation ArmyThrift Store (2275 ElginAve., Port Coquitlam);

the CrossroadsHospice thrift store(2565 Barnet Highway,

Coquitlam); Share Family and

Community ServicesSociety thrift store(2404 St. Johns St., PortMoody);

and the SPCA ThriftStory (1071 RidgewayAve., Coquitlam).

Coquitlam will also beholding its garage saleon April 16. Those whoparticipate still havetime to register today(April 1) and forms canbe downloaded fromthe citys website (www.coquitlam.ca) or pickedup at city hall (3000

Guildford Way).Some acceptable items

include furniture, vehi-cle tires, appliances (notcontaining CFCs), mat-tresses and box springs,barbecues and propanetanks, tree stumps, con-crete and glass windowsand mirrors. To set upan appointment, call604-529-4011. While it istoo late to register forPort Moodys city widegarage sale, residentsare still encouraged tocheck out whats on salewhen the event takesplace April 9 and 10.

Time to sign up for garage saleswww.tricitynews.com Tri-City News Friday, April 1, 2011, A13

On May 2nd, Vote

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Schedule of Meetings Monday, April 4, 2011

Closed Council 2:00 pm Council Committee Room

Regular Council 7:00 pm Council Chambers

Watch Live Broadcasts of Coquitlam Council Meetings or Archived Video from Meetings Previously WebcastThe City of Coquitlam now offers a video streaming service that makes its Regular Council Meetings, Public Hearings and Standing Committee Meetings that are held in the Council Chambers accessible through its website at www.coquitlam.ca/webbroadcasts.

Agendas for the Regular Council and Standing Committee meetings will be available on the Council Agendas page of the Citys website by 5:00 p.m. on the Friday prior to the scheduled meetings.

MEETING TIME LOCATION

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Folded cranes bring money, luck for Japan

By Todd CoyneTHE TRI-CITY NEWS

In ancient Japanese lore, the folderof 1,000 paper cranes is granted awish such as luck, long life or recov-ery from an illness.

Its a story since popularized inWestern culture by the true-life taleof Sadako Sasaki, a young girl whodied slowly of radiation-induced leu-kemia after an atomic bomb explodedover her home in Hiroshima at theend of the Second World War.

By most accounts, Sasaki had foldedonly 644 cranes before succumbing toher illness but her gesture has sincecome to symbolize a wish for peaceand healing all over the world.

And its with that history in mind,as well as its parallels with the recentnuclear crisis in Japan, that studentsand staff at Coquitlam College havebeen folding away in their spare time,making delicate origami cranes toraise money for Japanese aid relief.

Still about a hundred cranes shyof the 1,000-mark by Wednesday af-ternoon, organizers said they wereconfident they would reach the luckynumber by Friday.

Students and staff have been buy-ing the cranes by donation for any-where from $1 to $90 each, then writ-ing messages on them and hangingthem in the windows of the interna-

tional schools foyer.God Bless Japan, reads language

student Eunika Widjajas crane.Rebuild soon, reads an unsigned

one.I know your heart is broken and

we are thinking and praying with you,for you, reads another.

Many students and faculty atCoquitlam College are from Japanand still have family near the tsu-nami- and radiation-affected areas,said Sonia Chhabra, the science andlanguage instructor who spearheadedthe project. Others without any con-nection to the suffering Japanese is-lands are also reaching out to help.

A lot of the students at our schoolare Chinese mostly and, with theirhistorical tensions [with Japan], itsreally wonderful how they put all thataside and the students were so com-passionate and really opened up theirhearts and their wallets to donate thispast week, Chhabra said.

So far, the crane project has raisedmore than $1,350 which will be do-nated directly to an aid organizationthrough the Japanese Consulate inVancouver.

I only came here last year, saidWidjaja, but this is the first time wereally did something as a school andits really nice to see the school finallycome together.

[email protected]

JENNIFER GAUTHIER/THE TRI-CITY NEWS

Coquitlam College students folded and hung 1,000 paper cranes in the school foyer to raise money for the Japanese tsunami relief effort.


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Thieves deterred by bait car program, says ICBC

By Gary McKennaTHE TRI-CITY NEWS

Thieves are thinking twiceabout stealing cars in the Tri-Cities, according to the latestICBC statistics, which showa dramatic decrease in autotheft since the introductionof the bait car program.

Figures released by theinsurance corporation showthat since 2003, the num-ber of stolen vehicles hasdropped 81% in Coquitlam,75% in Port Coquitlam and80% in Port Moody.

There were also signifi-cant reductions in 2010, withCoquitlam showing a 33%drop over 2009 numbers,while there was a 20% de-crease in PoCo and a 43% de-crease in Port Moody.

While the bait car programis credited for much of theoverall improvement to theauto crime stats, LindsayOlsen, the media relationsperson with ICBC, said mo-torists are doing their part toreduce thefts as well.

We want to thank the 60%of B.C. drivers who have im-mobilizers in their vehicles,

she said in an email. [Thedevices] reduce the chance oftheft by at least 80%.

Across the province, ve-hicle theft is down 65% since2003 and 22% since last year.

But while auto theft isdown significantly policesaid the number of trailersstolen annually has remainedconstant. Police are hopingto replicate some of the suc-cess officers have had withthe bait car program withits new bait trailer program,which was announced onThursday. With the introduc-tion of trailers the bait ve-hicle program now includescars, motorcycles, ATVs,boats and snowmobiles.

For more information go towww.baitcar.com.

[email protected]

TRI-CITY THEFTS 2003 1,710 2004 1,440 2005 1,200 2006 860 2007 760 2008 530 2009 500 2010 350

Three men, including two fromCoquitlam, have been charged in con-nection with an alleged sexual assaultlast week at the Renegades clubhouse inPrince George.

Mounties were called to the residenceon the 1500 block of Fir Street on March24, the same day the victim, an adult fe-male, is alleged to have been attacked.

RCMP spokesperson Cpl. CraigDouglass said the three accused are notmembers of the Renegades biker gangbut are suspected to have peripheral ties

to organized crime.Charged are Albert Donald Piche, a

31-year-old police claim is an associateof the Game Tight Soldiers in PrinceGeorge; Julian Niskakoski, 19 and AdamAndrew Boyd, 21, both of Coquitlam.

Douglass said Boyd is linked via po-lice files to Hells Angels members in theLower Mainland. Police also believe theRenegades are a Hells Angels puppet club.Niskakoski has no direct association withthe Hells Angels, Douglass said.

[email protected]

Coq. men charged in sex assault


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www.metrovancouver.org

Neighbourhood Open HouseThursday, April 14, 2011

6 to 8:30 p.m.Iqra Islamic School, 14590 116A Avenue , Surrey

Major Infrastructure Projects in North Surrey and Coquitlam

For more information please contact the Metro Vancouver Information Centre at 604-432-6200 or [email protected].

Project information can also be found online at www.metrovancouver.org, search:

Port Mann Water Supply Tunnel or North Surrey Interceptor.

Metro Vancouver is working on two major infrastructure projects in North Surrey and Coquitlam that may aect you (see map):1) A large-diameter water main called the Port Mann Water Supply Tunnel

Fraser River Crossing2) A large-diameter sewer main called the North Surrey Interceptor Twinning

Port Mann Section.

Metro Vancouver invites you to an open house to learn more about the upcoming construction activities for both projects. Information will include:t 8BUFSBOETFXFSNBJOBMJHONFOUTt 1SFMJNJOBSZDPOTUSVDUJPOTDIFEVMFTt $POTUSVDUJPOBDUJWJUJFT

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Hostile public reaction ex-pected to tolling,other ideas

Jeff NagelBLACK PRESS

A new search is un-derway for fresh potsof money to financeTransLinks vision toexpand transit acrossMetro Vancouver.

And it will includea hard look at ways tocollect more cash frommotorists while simul-taneously encouragingtransit use and control-ling congestion.

Peoples gut reactionto some of these will beextremely negative andhostile, predicts NorthVancouver DistrictMayor Richard Walton,who chairs the MayorsCouncil on RegionalTransportation.

Road pricing, re-gional tolling or a yearlyvehicle levy are amongthe potential options,he said, and each comeswith multiple differentvariations.

A vehicle levy w

Friday, April 1, 2011 Tri-City News

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