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Who walked off with their treadmill?
S
eniors who spent years fundraising enough money to buy their facility a treadmill are wondering who would be heartless, and brazen enough, to steal it. And so are the Burnaby RCMP. The treadmill in question is especially valuable, not necessarily in price, but in what it represented to the residents of Gustav Wasa Place seniors’ home on Halifax Street. “The ladies’ auxiliary had paid for part of it and … we had, had lots of flea ON MY BEAT markets and a lot of Cayley Dobie people had donated (money),” said Eila Astells, resident of Gustav Wasa Place. Astells first found out the treadmill was gone last Thursday, when another resident remarked it wasn’t in its usual spot in the home’s games room. “I went to have a look and it wasn’t there but it had been when we had that real big rain storm. I had helped clean up because the water came in through the door (of the games room),” Astells said. During the time between the rainstorm, which took place in the first week of September, and Sept. 19 the cherished treadmill vanished. Astells called the Burnaby RCMP to report the theft. Const. Karen Whitby responded to the call but much to her dismay, couldn’t find any clues leading to those responsible for the theft of the
Heartbroken:
From left, Helen Mojzes and Eila Astells stand in the spot where their cherished treadmill had sat for years. Last week the women discovered the treadmill they had fundraised to buy had been stolen from their seniors’ home in North Burnaby. Larry Wright/ burnaby now
For a video, scan with
treadmill. One week later, the case of the stolen treadmill has no leads, witnesses or evidence. The RCMP has closed the case, leaving the residents of the seniors’ home with little hope it’ll be found. “We really worked hard to get it and
for something like this to happen, it’s devastating. We can’t afford to be doing it again,” said Helen Mojzes, another resident of Gustav Wasa Place. Almost a decade ago, Astells and Mojzes spearheaded a campaign to get the seniors’ home a treadmill. The home
already had a few other pieces of equipment, including three bikes and a rowing machine, but the women were keen to get a treadmill. Over the course of a few years, the Treadmill Page 8
MP Julian wants his constituents to weigh in Don Hauka staff reporter
Former blue-collar worker Peter Julian wants a green light from his bosses before taking a run at a new job in Victoria. The Burnaby-New Westminster MP wants his constituents to tell him whether he should stay in Ottawa or make a bid for the B.C. NDP leadership.
“I’m encouraging my constituents to talk to me and let me know how they feel about it,” Julian told the Burnaby NOW. “They are the bosses.” Julian said he’s “seriously considering” entering the race to replace out-going B.C. NDP leader Adrian Dix. But before he punches his ticket for a trip to Victoria, Julian wants to hear more from voters in Burnaby and New
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Westminster. And he’s already getting an earful from some of the riding’s 83,029 eligible voters. “Some feel strongly that I need to stay in Ottawa and others that I should go to Victoria,” Julian said. “I am going to continue to talk to people. It’s not an easy decision.” Julian is the NDP’s national caucus chair and is considered one of the fed-
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eral wing’s star performers in Ottawa. First elected in 2004, Julian has to choose between a job in Ottawa where his party has formed the Official Opposition for the first time, and one in B.C. where the NDP needs to be rebuilt. But he’s already sounding like a B.C. Opposition leader.
So, yougot ” “ for
your lunch box?
Julian Page 8
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