Burnaby Now September 14 2018

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ELECTION 4

Greens launch campaign

ENTERTAINMENT 11

Amazing Racer eliminated

COMMUNITY 15

Your top 5 for the weekend

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COVERAGE GO TO PAGE 32 FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 14, 2018

LOCAL NEWS – LOCAL MATTERS.

There’s more at Burnabynow.com

Hurley, Corrigan argue over ‘stove tax’ Kelvin Gawley

kgawley@burnabynow.com

A so-called “stove tax” is unfairly burdening Burnaby families with disabled children, mayoral hopeful Mike Hurley says. The secondary suite levy, brought in last year, charges homeowners an additional 50 per cent on their water and sewer bill if they have more than one stove in their home. Mayor Derek Corrigan defended the measure as a creative strategy to recoup amenity costs, while avoiding a “witch hunt” for illegal suites during a housing crisis. If the city only applied the surcharge to homes with legalized suites, Corrigan said it would then have to weed out illegal suites across the city to be fair. Many homeowners would then face thousands of dollars in renovation costs and would likely take their rentals off the market instead, according to Corrigan. The city currently charges $1,198 annually in combined sewer and water utilities to single-family homeowners without an additional stove and $1,767 to those with an extra stove. “These are not extreme charges,” Corrigan said. The surcharge applies to any home with a second stove, whether it has an occupied suite or not. Homeowners can remove their additional stove and invite city staff to inspect their home. Once it has been confirmed they only have one stove, they will no longer be charged the levy. Hurley said he supports the intent of the secondary suite levy but believes it should come with exceptions. He estimates there are some 1,500 to 2,000 homes with second stoves who should not be charged the extra utility fees. Continued on page 3

BIRD’S-EYE VIEW: First-time birdwatchers Kanami (right) and sister Limi Nakamichi got to explore the wildlife at Burnaby Lake.

PHOTO LISA KING

Backlash feared after murder charge

Ibrahim Ali was privately sponsored byVancouver church, residents of Bowen Island Cornelia Naylor

cnaylor@burnabynow.com

The pastor of a church that helped sponsor a Syrian refugee family said it was “absolutely devastating” to find out one of the family members has been charged with murder in the death 13-yearold Marrisa Shen. Ibrahim Ali, 28, was arrested last Friday, according to police, and has been charged with firstdegree murder in the death of the Burnaby teen, whose body was found in Central Park on July 19, 2017. Ali came to Canada about 17 months ago as a privately sponsored refugee, the NOW has learned.

Residents of Bowen Island had tor Dan Chambers said of the raised $45,000 to support him charges against Ali. and a brother as well as a third Chambers told the NOW he brother and his family during their couldn’t say much because the first year in Canada. case is now before the A fourth brother had courts. come to Canada four “In terms of the (refyears earlier as a governugee) work that we do, ment-sponsored refugee I mean, the vetting situand was already living in ation is very good,” he Burnaby, according to said, “and they’re people a story in the Bowen Iswho are in crisis, and of land Undercurrent. course our work is to reThe Bowen Island spond to those who are community had partsuffering and in crisis as Marrisa Shen nered with Vancouver’s best we can with whatMurdered in 2017 St. Andrew’s-Wesley ever resources we have United Church, which available. Always a situahas a refugee committee and has tion like this gives one pause to rehelped to settle other families. view, and we’ll review, but it’s real“It’s a tragic, tragic thing,” pasly out of an act of compassion and

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care that there is the response to the refugee situation, which is not going to stop, right?” Like members of the Syrian community and others who work with refugees, Chambers said that he is worried the charges against Ali will create a negative perception of refugees and other newcomers. “I really appreciate the comments that have already been made in the media by people who have been saying this is really atypical; it’s a very rare case,” he said. Members of the Syrian community will be lighting candles Friday morning outside B.C. Provincial Court in Vancouver where Ali is scheduled to appear. Continued on page 3

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