Students in some of Burnaby’s highest density neighbourhoods could be
going to school in condo towers in the future, ac cording to the Burnaby school district In its most recent five year capital plan, the dis
trict listed the need for land to build new schools in three of the city’s town centres (Brentwood, Ed monds and Lougheed) as well as the planned new
Among the options for new schools in Brent wood, Edmonds and Lougheed are so called “tower” schools, accord
ing to a report presented to the school board last Tuesday
It’s the first time the concept, which involves schools built at the base
of residential towers, has been discussed publicly by the district although trustee Larry Hayes al luded to past, “informal”
Attempted murder conviction dropped 16 years after attack that left one man dead and another wounded
CorneliaNaylor cnaylor@burnabynow comA 45 year old man found guilty of murder and attempted murder for a 2006 Burnaby shoot ing over an $80 debt and an insult to his mother has succeeded in getting the attempted murder convic tion quashed but how that will affect his life sen tence is unclear
On Jan 22, 2006, Lee Chia “Kenny”Weng shot and killed 19 year old Shaoxin Zhang and in jured RalphWu in a vio lent clash in the parking lot of a mall at 3355 North Rd.
Weng and some friends had met with Zhang,Wu and others to discuss an alleged $80 debt for tickets to aVancouver nightclub
A phone call before the meeting had amped up the bad blood, withWu tellingWeng to “f*** your mother,” andWeng telling Wu to wear a bullet proof vest and get ready to “swallow some bullets,” according to information presented in court
At the parking lot, the two groups (about eight
people in all) shouted and swore at each other be fore one ofWeng’s group hitWu in the head with a wrench
Weng then opened fire, squeezing off up to four shots with a .45 calibre handgun, hittingWu in the shoulder and Zhang in the groin
It would take 13 years forWeng to be arrested for the shooting
He fled toTaiwan (a country that doesn’t have an extradition agreement with Canada), and law en forcement didn’t catch up with him until 2018, when he was arrested in South Korea and sent back to Canada to face charges
During his 13 years back inTaiwan,Weng had “lived openly,” mar ried, had two children and worked at a profession he was “relatively successful in,” according to a 2019
sentencing ruling in the case
Now, he is in prison in Canada.
He was convicted in Au gust 2019 and handed a life sentence with no chance of parole for 12 years for the second de gree murder and a nine year concurrent sentence for the attempted murder
Weng, who is now 45
years old, went on to ap peal his conviction, how ever, arguing the trial judge hadn’t properly es tablished he had actually intended to kill Zhang and Wu
A B.C. Court of Appeal decision last week left him with a partial victory
The court unanimously rejected his argument in relation to the murder conviction, concluding the trial judge had prop erly considered all the rel
evant evidence before rul ingWeng’s state of mind when he pulled the trigger made him guilty of mur der in Zhang’s death
But the appeals court overturned the attempted murder conviction, con cluding the trial judge’s factual findings didn’t prove beyond a reasonable doubt thatWeng had in tended to killWu
For example, the trial judge had foundWeng hadn’t been aiming care fully and didn’t shootWu again when he had the chance.
The court quashed the attempted murder convic tion and replaced it with a conviction for aggravated assault
Whether that will make any difference toWeng’s sentence is unclear since the two sentences are run ning at the same time
“The process for bring ing the matter back to court has not been deter mined at this stage It is not automatic,” B.C. Pros ecution Service spokesper son Dan McLaughlin told the NOW
The NOW has reached out toWeng’s lawyer, Ian Donaldson, but has not heard back
conversations with city of ficials
Secretary treasurer Russell Horswill said the concept at this stage is “very very preliminary” “But it could very well be a strategy that the Burnaby school district is going to have to look at,” he told trustees “Cer tainly they come into play more frequently at major centres where land is at a premium and you’re very limited on what you can do, so the concept is avail able for conversation ”
Horswill told the NOW a new long range facil ity plan due in April will outline the options more clearly, so more concrete plans could be included in the district’s next five year capital plan
Asked whether a tower school might make it into the next five year plan, he said, “I don’t know if it will go that far Certainly the options available will be included in the [April] report ”
Not all of Burnaby’s town centres are equally challenged for space,
said Horswill, who noted Lougheed and Edmonds have existing schools
No so for Brentwood
“There isn’t a school site in Brentwood, so it’s going to force conversa tions looking at poten tial options that exist,” he said.
Vancouver already has two hyper urban ele mentary school projects: Crosstown, built atop an underground park ade, and Coal Harbour, planned for an 11 storey social housing complex on Broughton Street
Create a Burnaby Housing Authority to build, own and manage rental units for Burnaby residents.
Accelerate the permitting process and the development of housing for families and seniors.
Continue to advocate for more coops and building affordable, quality housing for renters.
Build more community centres, ice rinks, and dog parks.
Make admission for swimming and skating free for all kids 5 and under.
Continue to advocate for more coops and building affordable, quality housing for renters.
More schools and childcare spots. Ensure school programs are in place for families and kids of all backgrounds and abilities.
Implement and fund the Climate Action Framework.
Make Burnaby resilient to the impacts of climate change.
Work collaboratively with Burnaby’s host Nations to implement a coordinated reconciliation strategy.
Begin the implementation of Truth and Reconciliation Commission Calls to Action.
Vote for all eight BCA City Council candidatesCouncil
Our platform puts you and your family first.
Tackling the housing crisis and making life more affordable, for you, and your family.
Getting the basics right and providing the services you count on.
Taking immediate action on climate change and reconciliation.
Vote for a united BCA council and school board that works for you.
Building Burnaby into one of the most vibrant and inclusive cities.
Develop an Equity Framework to guide all decision-making and public policy
Support the creation of culturally appropriate programming in our community centres Recruit employees from marginalized communities to bring diverse representation to all City departments Protect culturally significant locations in the city.
Making Burnaby a fun place to live.
Launch an alcohol in parks pilot program.
Permit more food trucks in busy areas of the city. Exploring creating a brewery district and artists district within the next decade.
Maintaining a strong local economy.
Develop a procurement policy that prioritizes local businesses.
Find ways to support small, locally owned businesses including making commercial rents more affordable
Encourage green businesses, research facilities, tech and more to invest in Burnaby
For a political party that won four of the last seven B C elections (and which won the most votes in two others) chang ing the party name seems like an odd move
But that is exactly what the BC Liberals are planning to do if enough party members support changing the name to “BC United” later this fall
The announcement of the proposed new name was quickly greeted by many with jokes about the new title being more associated with soccer than politics (e g it will be the only soccer team without a left winger!) but the BC Liberal leadership ev idently thinks it’s a name that will catch on over time.
It seems clear the po tential name change is
being spurred in part by what could be the inevita ble growth in the political fortunes of the provincial Conservative Party and the growing problems associated with the federal Liberal Party of Canada’s time in govern ment.
The word “liberal” seems to rankle some party members, who fear hav ing the word as part of the party name is a turn off for right of centre voters
Indeed, it can be argued that in the last provincial election, Conservative Party candidates received enough votes in ridings in Abbotsford, Langley, Chilliwack and Vernon to allow NDP candidates to post narrow victories in places their party had never
won before
The Conservative Party also finished a strong second to the BC Liberals in both Peace River ridings, and their candidate in one of the Kamloops ridings helped make it a very close race between the victorious BC Liberals and the NDP
The two recent byelec tions also showed noticeable support for the Conservative Party, or at least in the riding of Surrey South, where it re ceived almost 13 per cent of the vote
Clearly, the BC Liberals have to be nervous about the potential growth of the Conservative Party brand in subsequent elections Hence the proposed “neutral” name change, to something that might reach out to voters
who may be getting tired of the Liberal “brand”
Of course, changing the name is not without poten tial risk
Some BC Liberal officials argue the current name is confusing for voters because it has nothing to do with the federal Liberal Party
But if “BC United” is not put in front of the voters for a lengthy period of time to get longtime BC Liberal sup porters used to the idea of a new name, voter confusion could be even higher
So even if party members endorse the name this fall, it is far from clear which name will be on the actual ballot come the next provincial election.
Keith Baldrey is chief po litical reporter for Global BC
Do you get good value for money for your property tax dollars in Burnaby?
Do parties matter
you when
“And 20 minutes south, you’ll save 88 cents a litre.”
“To beat Big Oil gasoline price rip off, buy an electric car Oil and gasoline from Alberta should be cheaper than oil and gasoline from the U S ”
Sean Murphy via Facebook Earl Richards via Facebook
Accessibility issues:
The Burnaby Art Gallery has outgrown its longtime home at Ceperley House, says a reader PHOTO LISA KING/BURNABY NOW FILES
Editor: Once again it seems that the arts in Burnaby have been left behind with the announcement that the C G Brown Memorial Pool and Copeland Arena are to get millions of dollars in upgrades while the arts are not mentioned at all Our aging art gallery in Ceperly House has been in use for 50 plus years and is in serious need of being used for purposes other than as an art gallery Lack of accessibility and a layout not suitable for those with mobility challenges are calling out for a totally new and modern art gallery facility to bring our art community
to an ‘on par’ level with the fitness and health community in Burnaby
Past mayors and councils seemingly have not seen any urgency in bringing the arts in Burnaby into the 21st century let alone the 20th century I had hoped the new mayor and council would have addressed this issue by now but sadly they do not appear to be very concerned
Burnaby citizens come from all corners of the globe and all have rich histories that are infused with the arts. It must be frustrating that they and their children lack a more supportive and vibrant arts culture here in Burnaby
Sincerely, Darcy L. Olson Burnaby
Fire prevention is a responsibility we all share
Thank you Burnaby Firefighters for everything you do to help us all stay safe.
Mayor Mike Hurley and City Councillors:
Pietro Calendino Sav Dhaliwal Alison Gu Mike Hillman Dan Johnston Colleen Jordan Joe Keithley James Wang
63 year old ordered to complete 10 hours of community work service for theft during delivery rounds
A former DoorDash driver has been ordered to complete 10 hours of community work service after pleading guilty to swiping a package while making a delivery at a Burnaby condo tower.
Feridon Jahankhani, 63, pleaded guilty inVan couver provincial court
Wednesday to one count of theft under $5,000 in relation to the March 31 incident
On that day, he had made a delivery at 2133 Douglas Road, a highrise in the Brentwood neigh bourhood, according to agreed facts presented in court
A resident of the build ing later noted a package he’d ordered had been re
A Burnaby food deliv ery driver who changed his licence plate with a black marker to dodge parking tickets during de liveries got a $200 fine and some plain talk from a B C provincial court judge this week
“That was kind of dumb,” B.C. provincial court Judge Bonnie Craig told Jun Ou John Liu dur ing a sentencing hear ing Monday inVancouver provincial court “Don’t do this again It’s not fair ” Police had pulled Liu over at Joffre Avenue and Rumble Street on the eve ning of June 27, accord ing to facts presented in court
The 40 year old’s li cence plate number had
sent up a red flag because another driver had com plained to police after get ting multiple mysterious bylaw infraction tickets.
The Mounties who pulled Liu over discov ered a three on his plate had been changed to an eight with a black marker, duplicating a number al ready in use.
“Mr Liu later admit ted that he had altered the plates to avoid getting parking tickets while mak ing his deliveries,” Gauld said
Liu, who represented himself in court, pleaded guilty to driving a vehi cle with an altered licence plate number between June 18 and 27 contrary to the MotorVehicle Act
He was ordered to pay a $200 fine and a $30 vic tim fine surcharge
ported delivered but had disappeared Security video later re vealed Jahankhani had made off with the parcel, which contained a pair of $425 Adidas
In a joint sentencing submission, Crown prose cutor Sharon Preston and articling student René Al lain, appearing for defence lawyer Chantal Paquette, called for a nine month
conditional discharge with 10 hours of community work service.
Allain noted Jahankhani lived on a fixed income, did not have a criminal record and was “deeply
embarrassed by his ac tions ”
B.C. provincial court Judge Patricia Bond agreed to the proposed sentence and granted the conditional discharge
A dog stolen from out side aVancouver business was returned to his family last week thanks to some quick thinking police offi cers and transit workers in Vancouver, Burnaby and Coquitlam.
Ollie the border collie had been briefly tied up outside a downtown busi ness at about 5:30 p m on Sept 27, according to a MetroVancouverTransit Police news release.
When his owner re turned, Ollie was gone, the release said.
After a frantic fruitless search, the owner flagged down aVancouver police officer, who initiated an in vestigation
Later, in the wee hours of Sept 28, an alert at tendant at Burnaby’s Lougheed SkyTrain sta tion who had seen Ollie’s owner’s desperate pleas for help on social media remembered spotting a woman board a Route 9 bus with a dog that looked like the missing canine
The attendant called her tip in to transit police, who then requested Coast Mountain Bus Company put out an alert to bus op
erators in the area
“A Route 9 bus opera tor quickly noted Ollie and the suspect on board their
bus and provided police with real time updates,” the release stated Ollie would end up
taking a trip from the Lougheed station to Co quitlam and back again before police intercepted the bus at the Lougheed bus loop, according to transit police media re lations officer Const Amanda Steed
A 35 year old woman, who is known to police, was arrested for theft and stolen property, according to the release
Meanwhile a Coast Mountain security officer stayed with Ollie until he could be reunited with his family
“Transit Police is proud to have been able to play
a role in a heartwarming ending to a situation that would be any pet owner’s worst nightmare,” Const Amanda Steed said in the release. “We are deeply grateful for the relation ships that our officers and dispatchers have with the frontline staff at SkyTrain and Coast Mountain bus Truly, teamwork is the rea son that Ollie is now back at home with his family” Anyone with informa tion about any crime on transit is asked to contact transit police by phone at 604 515 8300 or by text at 87 77 77. Always call 911 in an emergency
Fenwick Street, a portion of 15th Avenue, and the rear lane abutting 7514, 7532, 7544, 7556, 7568, 7580 Bevan Street and 6199 Marine Drive [those portions of road dedicated in District Lot 155A and District Lot 171, Group 1, New Westminster District: (a) by Plan 1425 identified as “Parcel A” and containing 0.259ha; (b) by Plan 24105 identified as “Parcel B” and containing 181.2m²; (c) by Plan 14019 identified as “Parcel C” and containing 543.6m²; (d) by Plan 1425 identified as “Parcel D” and containing 0.272ha; and (e) by Plan 992 identified as “Parcel E” and containing 750.5m²] shown outlined in bold on Reference Plan EPP122271, prepared by G.A. Rowbotham, B.C.L.S.
Bylaw No 14519 cited as “Burnaby Highway Closure Bylaw No 5, 2022” (Road Closure #21-08) pursuant to Section 40 of the Community Charter The purpose of the proposed bylaw is to close certain portions of highway closure of 3676 Kensington Avenue, and a portion of the Sperling Avenue road allowance between 3676 Kensington Avenue and 3860 Sperling Avenue (all those portions of road in District Lot 78, Group 1, New Westminster District, dedicated by Plan 3049 containing 0.202ha and District Lot 77, Group 1, New Westminster District, dedicated by Plan 3051, containing 0.231ha)
Blanka
Burnaby and New Westminster residents who want to get their COVID 19 bivalent booster now have more places to do so Immunization clin ics throughout the Fraser Health region are offering COVID 19 booster doses for all eligible age groups, the health authority an nounced in a press release Sept 29
The Moderna Spikevax Bivalent COVID 19 vac cine targets both the origi nal COVID 19 virus from 2019 and the Omicron BA 1 variant Health Canada ap proved it for use as a booster dose on Sept 1 B C provincial health officer Dr Bonnie Henry stressed the province is recommending the bi valent booster for every
adult in the province to cope with an anticipated surge of COVID 19 later in the fall, likely in No vember and December
Here’s what you need to know:
Everyone aged 18 or older is eligible to re ceive the Moderna Omi cron (bivalent) vaccine six months after completing either their primary series (two doses) or after their last booster shot.
Appointments are by invitation you can book yours when your invite arrives through the B C GetVaccinated system
The health authority says invitations will arrive ap proximately six months after your second dose
If you have already reg istered, you will be no tified by email, text or phone call when it’s your turn to book an appoint
LaurenVanderdeen lvanderdeen@burnabynow comReady, set, roll! It’s the autumnal version of Go By BikeWeek, hosted by HUB Cycling, from Oct. 3 to 7
The week long festiv ities include a variety of
“celebration stations” throughout MetroVancou ver which offer free basic bike maintenance, cycling maps, snacks and prize draws.
If you’re worried about rain (though perhaps not this week with the unsea sonably warm weather),
months to four years are not eligible for boosters; they receive the primary series only
Fraser Health is offer ing COVID immuniza tions at its multi age clin ics throughout the region Locally, Burnaby resi dents can check out the clinic at 6515 Bonsor Ave
months to 11 years can also get vaccination ap pointments at select pub lic health units, including NewWestminster (second floor of Royal City Cen tre) and Burnaby (300 4946 CanadaWay)
EXTRA PROTECTION: The province of B C is urging everyone who’s eligible to get their bivalent vaccine to help
Here’s what New
ment for your next dose
If you have not yet re ceived an invite and have questions about when you are eligible, you can call 1 833 838 2323.
Youth aged 12 to 17 are eligible for a regular fall booster, with the origi
COVID
nal (not the bivalent) for mula Children aged five to 11 are eligible for a pe diatric booster following their initial two dose se ries.Those booster doses can be booked by invita tion; again, invitations are expected to arrive approx imately six months after the second dose
Children aged six
There’s no multi age clinic in NewWestmin ster; the closest options are Burnaby, Coquitlam (640 Poirier St ) and Sur rey North (10025 King George Blvd )
Those aged 12 and up can also book first, sec ond and booster doses through community phar macies when you’re in vited through the provin cial booking system, you can check a list of options near you
Children aged six
Fraser Health will “con tinue to look at oppor tunities for additional clinic locations, so people can receive their booster dose quickly and close to home ”
There are no walk ins; all vaccination appoint ments must be booked in advance online at tinyurl com/BCGetVaccinated or through the provincial vaccination line at 1 833 838 2323
For a full listing of clin ics and public health units offering COVID 19 im munizations and boosters, along with hours of opera tion, check out the Fraser Health vaccination site at www fraserhealth ca/vax
Go By BikeWeek’s event manager Kate Shen has equipment tips
“Most of the gear you’ll need to ride in the winter you also probably already own if you live in Metro Vancouver a raincoat, rain boots, and gloves,” Shen said in a news re
“We encourage our customers to choose cy cling and other sustain able modes of travel year round,” saidTransLink CEO Kevin Quinn in a press release “Our ma jor road network contains over 100 kilometres of bike
lanes andTransLink offers the largest bike parking network in Canada, with 11 parkades across Metro Vancouver We’re proud to partner with HUB Cycling once again to help pro mote a greener future ”
If you participate in Go By BikeWeek, you can log
your trips at HUB’s web site.
When:Thursday, Oct 6 from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m.
Where: CentralValley Greenway and Gilmore Ave (bottom of Home De pot parking lot, Burnaby)
Eligible
Ken ARNOLD 604 808 4950, kj.arnold1959@gmail.com, YesKenArnold
Reah ARORA, BCA–Burnaby Citizens Association 778 743 2434, reaha@burnaby-citizens.ca, burnaby citizens ca, @ReahArora, reah4burnaby Pietro CALENDINO, BCA–Burnaby Citizens Association 778 712 1526, pietroc@telus.net, burnaby citizens ca, @burnabypietro, pietro calendino Antara DEB, BCA–Burnaby Citizens Association 604 307 4885, antarad@burnaby-citizens.ca, www antaradeb ca, @Burnaby CA, BurnabyCA, burnaby citizens Sav DHALIWAL, BCA–Burnaby Citizens Association 604 423 5003, hello@burnaby-citizens.ca
Gulam FIRDOS 604-442-2145, gulamfirdos@gmail.com, @Firdos Gulam Mona GREWAL, One Burnaby 604-614-0399, info@paragondesigngroup ca, oneburnabyca, @voteoneburnaby, oneburnaby Alison GU, BCA–Burnaby Citizens Association hello@alisongu.ca, alisongu ca, burnaby citizens ca/alison, @go4gu, go4gu Mike HILLMAN, One Burnaby 778-772-0309, michael_hillman@telus.net, oneburnabyca, @mikehillmanbc & @voteoneburnaby, michael hillman718 & oneburnaby Joe KEITHLEY, Burnaby Green Party 604 802 5722, bgp joe keithley@gmail com, burnabygreenpartycom, @greensofburnaby, burnabygreenparty, Burnabygreenparty
Martin KENDELL
233 2987, voteformartinkendell@gmail com, martinkendell ca, @burnabymartin, vote martin kendell
t lee, richardtlee
RichardNLiuBurnaby
Vancouver’s Ian Wallace is an internationally known conceptual artist whose influence has spanned over five decades His integration of painting and photography has featuredinmanyimportantexhibitions locally and around Europe. Through his appointment at the Emily Carr University of Art and Design, his emphasis on the importance of art history knowledge has helped shape a generationofartistsemergingfromthe Vancouver scene including, Jeff Wall, Stan Douglas and Rodney Graham.
The Audain Prize for the visual arts is one of Canada’s most prestigious honours. Worth $100,000, the prize is awardedtoaseniorartistinrecognition of their outstanding contributions to the arts Recipients of the Audain Prize are highly acclaimed Canadian cultural icons. Since 2004, the Audain Prize has beenawardedto19ofBritishColumbia’s leading visual artists, selected each year by an independent jury.
Take a jaunt around beautiful Burnaby Lake with bird experts Linz Marsh of the Burnaby Lake Park Association and Peter Lypkie and talk about all things birds.
Learn about the iNaturalist app where you can be a citizen scientist and talk about the effects of
It’s the IPMS’s 50th anniversary fall show at Bonsor Rec Complex this weekend. This show is themed Bat tle of Britain and Summer of 1940. The model competi tion and swap meet is open to everyone (the main show room will be closed between 3 and 4 p m for final judg ing). There will be a vendor room with tables “set up in flea market fashion”
Prizes, primarily from hobby shops and industry sup pliers, will be given out throughout the day. For more information, see www ipmsvancouver.ca/fallshow.
WHEN: Saturday, Oct 8 (9 a m to 4:30 p m )
WHERE: Bonsor Recreation Complex (6550 Bonsor Ave )
COST: $5 admission, free for those 16 and under
All Stars Karaoke is bringing you a rollicking night of song and lyric on Sunday night at the Great Bear Pub on Kingsway Whether you want to sing the blues, or power up a pop punk party anthem, gather your friends for a fun filled sonic evening
WHEN: Sunday, Oct 9 (8 p m start)
WHERE: Great Bear Pub (5665 Kingsway)
COST: Free for karaoke
This eerie exhibition draws from the depths of Burn aby’s permanent art collection to gather haunting works featuring “chilling encounters past and present”
With works from artists ranging from late 18th cen
light pollution on bird species Bring a mask, the iNaturalist app, weather appropriate gear and bin oculars if you have them
WHEN: Saturday, Oct 8 (10 a m start)
WHERE: Burnaby Lake Nature House (4519 Piper Ave )
COST: Free, register at www eventbrite com (search for BLPA World Migratory Bird Day)
tury painter and printmaker
Francisco Goya to mixed media Canadian artist Betty Goodwin (whose works are filled with gestural abstractness), there’s a mix of his toric and contemporary art The exhibit runs until Nov 1 and is open Tuesday to Sunday.
WHEN: Until Nov 1, weekend hours noon to 5 p m Tuesday to Friday: 10 a m to 4:30 p m
WHERE: Burnaby Art Gallery (6344 Deer Lake Ave.)
COST: Suggested donation $5
It’s time for the Nikkei Farmers Market this Sunday! The museum’s bookstore will open for special hours (10
a m to 2 p m ) on the second floor for a Japanese book sale.
Brave Child Farm will bring vegetables grown in Sur rey, Takoyaki Hatchan will serve delicious takoyaki, and Studio Brewing for the 19+ crowd will serve your bever age needs. Kanadell Japanese Bakery will bring sweets, breads and pastries Kids can play at a family friendly kid’s booth with games and crafts
WHEN: Sunday, Oct. 9 (10 a.m. to 2 p.m.)
WHERE: Nikkei National Museum and Cultural Centre
COST: Free
compiled by Lauren Vanderdeen
The 40 acreWilling don Lands development is planned to introduce 5,200 new housing units to Burnaby but also in the works is also a film academy to train Indige nous people from across Canada
It will be a place for In digenous people to cre ate careers for themselves in the film industry, in front of the camera or be hind it, said Johnna Spar row Crawford, Aboriginal relations advisor at Aqui lini Development, who is from Musqueam.
Leaders of the Indig enous owned project,
jointly led by Musqueam Indian Band,Tsleil Wau tuth Nation and Aquilini Development, spoke at a fireside chat on Oct 1, hosted by the Sustainable Production Forum
About half of theWill ingdon Lands site (21 acres) will be used for a film studio, including 15 stages
“We are going to be threaded throughout ev ery stitch of that de velopment,” said Spar row Crawford
In total, the site, lo cated at 3405Willing don Ave., will incorporate about 450,000 square feet of film andTV production studio space
The studio brings the number of full time on site jobs to 3,050, with an estimated contribu
tion of $360 million to B C ’s GDP when the stu dio is fully operational, ac cording to the site’s mas ter plan
The film studio will an chor the site’s storytelling district, which lies at the south end of theWilling don Lands
“It’s going to be one of
the biggest game chang ers, I think, for our peo ple as storytellers to fi nally find a place for themselves,” said Spar row Crawford
Sparrow Crawford’s daughter, Faith Spar row Crawford, film pro ducer and co founder of HOST Consulting,
added: “We’ve got thou sands of years of stories just waiting to be put on screen ”
Faith said the same mentality of design and in corporating Indigenous identity into all aspects of development can also be applied to the film indus try
“When we try to under stand how to make pro duction more sustainable, it’s by including Indige nous voices, including our ways of knowing our snəweyəɬ into the sys tems that are already in place,” she said
Faith said while there is growing Indigenous repre sentation in film and me dia, a top down approach
of creating space for Indig enous folks would change the industry for the better
“If we’re able to ingrain who we are, our ways of knowing and understand ing into film, and into the structures that are already existing and shift our mindset away from the status quo and the reluc tance to change, we’ll just be in a much better posi tion ”
She acknowledged film is a fast paced industry with a bottom line.
“Trying to implement change when things are al ready a moving machine is difficult,” she said “We need to all be on board with this change, we all need to be making room for each other, for Indige nous folks to actually have a voice.”
Vancouver, 1963 Vincenzo Albanese has left everything behind in post war Italy to pursue a dream A dream everyone carries with them a chance at a better life
Vincenzo worked the trades to make a living during the day, and at night, he went to school to learn English Later he would start his own con struction company, helping build the city we know and love today with his own two hands
“He loved Vancouver and he never stopped working for it,” says Angela Pachini, Vincenzo’s sister “He would say he was very grateful to be in Canada, to have a new life, a new future ”
Vincenzo loved his family and en joyed spending his time with them, particularly his nieces and nephews When he wasn’t working, he was with them: skiing and ice skating in the winter, enjoying tours of Stanley Park, and eventually tackling sports like marathon running with his niece Maria
This was Vincenzo’s way of life, and he loved it Even after his cancer diagnosis, he never gave up on
trying to bring a smile to his family members’ faces Facingcancer
In September 2014, Vincenzo was diagnosed with stomach cancer He fought bravely for more than a year, but in November 2015 he passed away peacefully in palliative care at Vancouver General Hospital Vincen zo chose to leave his estate to his family members and to several chari ties, including VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation
“He wanted to support those who needed it the most,” says Pachini “He loved Vancouver and wanted to take care of others in it, and he thought there was nothing better than the hospital caring for sick people ”
Vincenzo left his gift for the Foun dation to distribute according to its most urgent needs This decision would allow the Foundation to distribute his funds to several key and meaningful aspects of care, impacting thousands of patients across the province
Kerry Shillito, associate director, Gift and Estate Planning at VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation Photo provided
by VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation
Vincenzo’s incredible legacy gift is playing a significant role in funding several health care programs and state of the art equipment As a newly arrived family in Canada still learning to speak English, they knew firsthand the struggles of commu nication in a new country, so none were more meaningful to them than when his gift purchased a virtual interpreter
The virtual interpreter which is currently in use across Vancouver Coastal Health, helps patients feel at home no matter what language they speak It allows medical staff to
communicate with patients in more than 240 languages, including sign language
This program is particularly mean ingful to Pachini, who recalls her first time spent in hospital after arriving to Vancouver from Italy in the 60s On Christmas Eve, she had injured her knee and had to come to VGH, but she was unable to adequately explain her needs to the hospital staff
“I remember I was in bed on Christmas, it was nighttime, and the window was open,” says Pachini “It was getting so cold and I couldn’t get out of bed but I didn’t know how
to explain to anyone that I needed that kind of help I sat there cold and alone on Christmas in a new country I was afraid So, I understand first hand how important this program will be ”
Vincenzo’s legacy is now forever tied to health care His generosity and warmth in life carry on through the lives and wellbeing of the thousands of patients who will now have access to these new programs and vital pieces of equipment
Wills aren’t just a legal way to distribute your personal assets, they can be a powerful tool for change in your community and beyond Adding a charitable gift in your will is easier than you think, and allows you to make a significant impact on the causes you care about while still supporting those you love If you are interested in leaving a gift in your will to VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation, please contact Kerry Shillito, associate director, Gift and Estate Planning, at 604 790 0989, or by email at kerry shillito@vghfoundation ca
Leaving a lasting legacy: how one simple gesture can benefit the lives of many Vincenzo Albanese’s generosity and warmth in life carry on through the lives and wellbeing of thousands of patientsA virtual interpreter | Photo by VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation
LaurenVanderdeen lvanderdeen@burnabynow com
Ancient songs and new compositions from Inu it style throat singing duo PIQSIQ will grace the Shadbolt Centre for the Arts on Oct 13
The group PIQSIQ (pronounced “Pilk Silk”) is made up of sisters Kay ley Inuksuk Mackay and Tiffany Kuliktana Ayalik, who hail fromYellowknife, N WT , and have roots in Nunavut.
The group’s name comes from the Inuktut word “piqsiq” meaning “a type of storm where winds blow in a very specific way, making it look like the snow is falling back up to wards the sky,” according to PIQSIQ’s website
Due to systemic coloni zation and shaming, throat singing almost went ex tinct by the 1960s, accord ing to PIQSIQ.
Out of that history, their art arises not only as mu
sic, but as a “a political act of decolonization and cul tural revitalization ”
PIQSIQ blends the tra ditional art form with new technology for concerts that ring with creativity and spontaneity
For more information about PIQSIQ, see their website at piqsiq com
When:Thursday, Oct 13 at 8 p m
Where: Shadbolt Cen tre for the Arts (6450 Deer Lake Ave )
Cost: $15 35, tick ets available online at https://tinyurl com/PIQ SIQBurnaby
redevelopment, but it also shows that our community recognizes the urgent need to upgrade our hospital.
Burnaby Hospital was designed and built in 1952, with the last significant upgrade 50 years ago in 1972. Supporting the health and vibrancy of over 500,000 people in East Vancouver and Burnaby, the hospital is operating at capacity
Everyone has an opportunity to make a difference in their community and help advance patient care, benefiting everyone who relies on the hospital now, and in the future
For individuals and organizations wanting to make an impact at the gala, BHF is also raising funds at the event to support Burnaby Hospital’s ICU, through the purchase of essential equipment like a ventilator and several vital signs monitors.
The evening will include four awards that highlight the incredible contributions of members of the community:
• Keith and Betty Beedie Leadership in Philanthropy Award
• Dr Kenneth Hill Spirit of Philanthropy Award
• Burnaby Hospital Foundation Award for Corporate Citizenship
• Burnaby Hospital Foundation Physician of the Year Award
“We’ll keep the award winners a surprise, so you might need to buy a ticket, sign up for our email newsletter or check our social media for the latest updates,” shares James.
The anticipation is building for the return of Burnaby Hospital Foundation’s (BHF) first in-person annual gala on Friday, November 4, since having transitioned to virtual events in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
This year, the Foundation’s flagship fundraising event features the city of Burnaby with its “No Place Like Home” theme, celebrating the vibrancy of everything the city has to offer, from thriving local businesses to its diverse culture and beautiful natural environment.
“In past years, Burnaby Hospital Foundation’s annual gala has transported guests around the globe to visit places like Nashville, Havana, India, and China,” recalls Kristy James, President & CEO of Burnaby Hospital Foundation. “This year, we are bringing the celebration to another awe-inspiring location—Burnaby!”
“We saw an outpouring of support during these past two years, and we felt that highlighting the strength we saw in our community in this year s gala was a great way to show our appreciation for this
support,” she continues. And so, after a few tough years, we want to celebrate the place where we live, work and play”
Central to the festivities will be fundraising efforts to support the Proud History, Bright Future redevelopment campaign to transform Burnaby Hospital into a state-of-the-art healthcare campus, which will exemplify cutting-edge innovation and health care excellence close to home
James admits they have been encouraged and moved by how much the community has come together to raise funds to support the redevelopment project. Most recently inspired by a $5 million matching gift from Jim Pattison, the community has already raised over $2.5 million, securing more than half of the matching gift in only a few short months.
“I want to take this time to share thanks to Jim Pattison for his inspirational gift and for the community for stepping up to raise so much in such a short time Not only are these funds crucial for the
“Ventilators are crucial machines that move breathable air into and out of the lungs for a patient who is physically unable to breathe or is breathing insufficiently,” explains James.
“Vital signs monitors are used to display patient information and read blood pressure, pulse, temperature and oxygen saturation levels at precise intervals. These are two important pieces of equipment used daily in the hospital and our hospital needs more of them.”
The Foundation also has a few sponsorship opportunities remaining that will help support the hospital’s redevelopment, and would be happy to discuss sponsorship opportunities that fit your specific philanthropic and marketing objectives.
“I encourage every member in our community to take an active role in supporting their hospital, whether through donating, showing appreciation to your healthcare workers or learning more about the many ways you can support the redevelopment, she says.
“Together, we’ve almost reached the $30 million milestone for our redevelopment campaign and are grateful for the amazing support the Burnaby community has shown.”
To learn more about Burnaby Hospital Foundation, the gala, or to make a contribution, visit bhfoundation.ca or call 604-431-2881.
Support is Critical
our
meet growing equipment needs
TransLink is on a hir ing spree, hoping to hire 500 SkyTrain workers by 2028.
That’s a 40 per cent in crease toTransLink’s cur rent workforce of 1,200
The hiring is a response to upcoming major Sky Train projects including the Surrey Langley Sky Train, scheduled to open in 2028, and the Broad way Subway project planned for 2025.
“As a result, we’re going to need a lot more staff, and we’re looking long term,” saidTransLink spokespersonThor Di akow
“This is a special kind of rail system that not a lot of people are famil iar with, so it takes a cer tain amount of skill, and it takes a lot of trades people,” Diakow said
Qualified applicants who apply by Oct 17 will be invited to a recruitment event at the Burnaby op erations and maintenance centre (OMC) on Oct 29
The Burnaby NOW visitedTransLink’s OMC in Burnaby, a short walk from Edmonds Sky Train station, and spoke to workers about life on the job
“This is all in house
training,” said Andrew Schmuland, guideway shop supervisor “There is no journeyman certificate for this It’s all just hands on learning For our tech nicians, we have a nine month training program.”
SkyTrain workers come from a variety of back grounds, including tra ditional rail, oil and gas, welding, electrical and en gineering Guideway technician Carlos Silva started at TransLink in 1985
He works at the test bench for the switch ma chine
It’s a loud and whir ring device that switches the SkyTrain tracks, allow ing trains to change tracks, like from Columbia onto Braid or over the bridge to Surrey
The German manu factured mechanisms are
tested 200 times before going out to the tracks
“Some (switches) have been out there for 30 something years They come back with over a million cycles (of switches), and they’re still working,” said Silva
He said, as far as he knows,TransLink employ ees are the only group cer tified to operate the spe cial machinery
“This is a 24/7 opera tion, seven days a week,” said Diakow, adding TransLink is working with B C Women inTrades to make sure that it’s an eq uitable and diverse com pany.
Schmuland added peo ple often ask why Sky Trains don’t run all night.
“Then these guys can’t do their work We need that time to actually do rail replacements, any kind
of maintenance that would keep the trains running during the day If we don’t have that opportunity to get out there and work, then the system wouldn’t be running very long,” he said
The operation plans to replace the 150 original 1980s Mark I trains with 205 new MarkV cars by 2028.
SkyTrain is in talks re garding what to do with the decommissioned cars with some ideas floated from what previous cit ies have done, including turning them into coffee shops, museums or an ar tificial reef
TransLink hopes to have a plan in 2024
A new OMC is planned for Coquitlam, near New Westminster’s Braid sta tion
Various roles need to be filled, including:
Elevator escalator tech nician ($58 41 per hour)
Vehicle technician ($54.29 per hour)
Power technician ($50 11 per hour)
Electronic technician ($50 11 per hour)
Guideway technician ($49 47 per hour)
Maintenance scheduler ($48 83 per hour)
Guideway support equipment technician (heavy duty mechanic) ($50 11 per hour)
CindyE.Harnett ceharnett@timescolonist com
B.C. will add 128 new medical school seats and allow pharmacists to re new and prescribe some medications as part of a strategy to tackle the la bour shortage in health care.
The 70 actions unveiled by B C Health Minister Adrian Dix on Sept. 29 are set to roll out over five years The measures are aimed at recruiting and re taining health care workers and redesigning the system to expand existing roles
Beginning Oct. 14, the province’s 6,500 regis tered pharmacists in about 1,300 locations will be al lowed to administer and refill for up to two years a wider range of pre
scriptions for people with chronic conditions who can’t access a family doc tor
If there’s any concern about renewing a patient’s prescription, pharma cists can seek advice from a prescriber through the Health Ministry, a process that may result in the pa tient’s referral to a physi cian.
By the spring after a series of consultations pharmacists will be able to prescribe medications to patients without a fam ily doctor for less acute ail ments such as allergies, indigestion, urinary tract infections and acne, and for those seeking contra ception
The goal is to allevi ate the burden on emer gency rooms and the pri
mary care system and assist people with chronic conditions who, for in stance, have lost their pri mary care provider or have moved here from another province and have run out of their prescription drugs,
said Dix.
As part of its 70 point action plan, the province also plans to expand train ing seats in the Univer sity of British Columbia faculty of medicine the 128 annual seats include
40 undergraduate and 88 postgraduate. Forty family medicine residency posi tions will be phased in over two years beginning in the fall of 2023.
An additional 48 resi dency positions to accom modate the expanded un dergraduate program will be phased in by fall 2028
The province has also provided $1.5 million to Simon Fraser University to help establish a second medical school in Surrey.
In the coming weeks, Dix said, there will be more announcements about simplifying the pro cess of accreditation for internationally educated health professionals apply ing to work in B C
The province also plans to put in place permanent regulations to expand the
role of paramedics and first responders to alleviate pressure on the health care system
For paramedics, that means enhancing their air way management skills and providing expanded life support and pain man agement procedures
For other first respond ers, it means additional diagnostic testing, such as blood pressure and blood glucose monitoring, administering epinephrine for life threatening allergic reactions, and supporting preparation of patients for transport by paramedics
The massive demand for health care workers has only intensified over the COVID 19 pandemic, with shortages of doctors, specialists, nurses, techni cians, and more.
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The festive season is getting into full swing as communities across the world prepare for months of holidays leading up to the new year
Sept 26 marked the be ginning of Navratri for In dian Hindus across the world
Navratri is a nine day festival celebrated across India and Nepal each region celebrating in its own way to mark the victory of good over evil
Some celebrate the nine days with a feast while others may fast Some have elaborate displays of
jarat, thousands of peo ple gather for nine days on the occasion of Navratri to perform or “play” garba, which is a tradi tional folk dance from the region
Drone footage from one of India’s largest garba fes
With the growth of the Indian expat population in Canada, Navratri fever has gripped residents of Metro Vancouver as well On Sept. 30, celebrants came together for the biggest lo cal garba festival, held in Burnaby Hundreds of
JessBalzer jfedigan@burnabynow com
The trend is continuing According to the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver’s Septem ber report, housing prices in Burnaby continued to dip as inflation and inter est rates continue to rap idly rise
Residential home sales in the GreaterVancouver area last month marked a 46 4 per cent decrease (1,687) compared with the same month in 2021 (3,149) Housing sales in September were also down 9.8 per cent compared to August
“With the Bank of Can ada and other central banks around the globe hiking rates in an effort to stamp out inflation, the
cost to borrow funds has risen substantially over a short period,” said Andrew Lis, Real Estate Board of GreaterVancouver direc tor of economics and data analysis, in a news release
“This has resulted in a more challenging environ ment for borrowers look ing to purchase a home, and home sales across the region have dropped ac cordingly”
As of last month, Burn aby East saw a bench mark price of $1,113,200 (+0 4 per cent compared with August of this year) for residential/composite homes
Burnaby North recorded a benchmark price of $997,800 ( 1 4 per cent compared with August of this year) while Burnaby South held
a benchmark price of $1,067,800 ( 2 3 per cent compared with August)
Burnaby North saw a benchmark price of $1,957,400 in September
( 0.2 per cent compared with August) for single family detached homes
Burnaby South was over two million at $2,079,400 ( 1 2 per cent) and Burn
aby East’s benchmark price was $1,784,800 (+3 2 per cent)
Townhomes also saw drops in all three Burn aby regions, with Burn aby South at a benchmark price of $954,700 ( 1 0 per cent).
Burnaby East was recorded at $852,900 ( 2.7 per cent compared with August) and Burnaby North hit a benchmark price of $896,000 ( 3 7 per cent).
Areas covered by the REBGV include Burnaby, Coquitlam, Maple Ridge, NewWestminster, North Vancouver, Pitt Mead ows, Port Coquitlam, Port Moody, Richmond, South Delta, Squamish, Sun shine Coast,Vancouver, WestVancouver andWhis tler
Mining giantTeck has donated $5 million to the B C Institute ofTechnol ogy to support campus redevelopment with an emphasis on the use of antimicrobial copper
The contribution, an nounced Oct 3, includes $1 4 million in capital funding for the health sciences centre, including installations of antimi crobial copper, and $3 6 million for the trades and technology complex Copper is used to limit the spread of infection from diseases, accord ing to a press release It’s installed in “high touch, high traffic locations ”
It could be due to your poor credit score. A credit score is a numerical rating from 300 to 800 that indicates your credit-worthiness, which is whether or not financial institutions consider you a good candidate to receive a loan.
Past financial behaviour, such as overdue bills, maxed out credit cards, and late payments can affect a bank’s decision to grant you credit.
However, Greater Vancouver Community (GVC) Credit Union believes in helping its members access second chances and specializes in helping families, working people, the self-employed, small business owners, and new Canadians looking to re-establish their credit or to purchase a home of their own.
“We’re here to build people back up,” retail credit manager Julian Beckett says.
GVC Credit Union, one of the oldest credit unions in British Columbia, believes in seeing people for more than a number in a financial formula. The credit union understands that everyone’s financial stability is challenged at times. GVC Credit Union works with its members to help re-establish their credit.
“We really coach people and sit down with our members so they learn how to get a good credit score,” Beckett says.
The credit union works to create a warm and inviting atmosphere where members can access the financial support they need. For those in Burnaby, the new Burnaby Heights Branch is now open on Hastings Street on the corner of Willingdon Avenue, with free underground member parking available.
Looking to improve your credit score? GVC Credit Union offers these six tips:
1. Review your credit report regularly
Your credit score is affected by a number of factors, including amount of credit, late payments, recent credit checks and more. Regularly checking your credit score ensures you are on track, it also is a good way to detect fraud early There are a number of free online tools where you can track your credit score, and it’s recommended you do so every three to six months.
Regularly scheduled payments back on a credit card and/or loan shows creditors that you are worthy of taking credit and paying it back on time and can increase your credit score by 100 points in just 12 months.
To secure good credit, you need to have a history of using your credit and paying it back on a consistent and regular scheduled basis. Ensure that you are making the minimum payments by their due date.
4. Ensure your debts are only in your name
Debts held in joint names, such as credit cards and loans of credit, don’t affect your credit score much. To help build good credit, ensure your debts are only in your name and that you are making consistent payments.
If you don’t qualify for a credit card on your own, consider working with GVC Credit Union for a secured credit card. This means the credit union will hold an amount of money related to your credit card limit in trust and provide a guarantee to the credit card company that you can pay your debts. Once you’ve successfully demonstrated that you can make regular payments, you could qualify for a regular credit card.
6. Don’t max out your credit
The amount of credit you have available to you is taken into consideration when calculating your credit score. This is called credit utilization. To help improve your credit score, a rule of thumb is that you should only use roughly 30% of credit available to you.
To start banking with a financial institution made for real people, visit www.gvccu.com.
A 25 year old man ac cused of hanging around a busy Burnaby mall with a loaded handgun tucked into his pants at the height of a spate of deadly Lower Mainland gang shoot ings has pleaded guilty to firearm and obstruction charges
Luis Manuel Baez was
arrested by MetroVancou verTransit Police officers on May 18, 2021.
According to alleged facts presented at a bail hearing last November, he had first drawn their atten tion shortly before 4 p m for smoking suspected marijuana too close to a doorway at the Metropolis at Metrotown mall
Baez then made his way into the mall, and the of
ficers eventually followed him into a parkade and approached him, Crown prosecutor Jonas Dow said at the bail hearing
As the officers were col lecting information from him, Baez allegedly ran to a nearby vehicle, jumped inside and tried to take off.
But officers got into the vehicle on either side of Baez, and a struggle en sued, according to Dow
The officers lost their grip on Baez when they tumbled out of the vehicle, and Baez again took off, according to the alleged facts
Baez then allegedly pulled out a handgun and threw it under a nearby ve hicle.
The 45 calibre semi au tomatic pistol was recov ered with six rounds of ammunition in the maga
zine, according to Dow
He noted Baez had been under two lifetime fire arms bans at the time
Baez was denied bail and has been in custody since his arrest
His trial was set to be gin this week His law yer, Kristy Neurauter, said there were a number of possible Charter chal lenges that, if successful, could have rendered every
thing that led to the dis covery of the handgun un lawful.
On Monday, however, Baez appeared inVancou ver provincial court and pleaded guilty to two of the seven charges against him: possession of a loaded prohibited firearm and obstructing police
Transit police reported Baez had “alleged gang af filiation ”
JessBalzer jfedigan@burnabynow comBurnaby's illicit drug death total during 2022 continues to rise.
The latest B C Coro ners Service report shows another six lives were lost during August, bringing its year to date total to 44
In all of 2021, a record 77 deaths were tallied in Burnaby
Provincially, toxic il licit drugs claimed 162 lives in August, which rep resents a 12 per cent drop in deaths compared to July of this year (193).The death toll as of the end of August was 1,468 people, which is a record for the first eight months of a cal endar year
The number of illicit drug toxicity deaths in Au gust equates to roughly 5 5 deaths per day
“The illicit drug mar ket continues to pose im mense risks to people across our province,” B C chief coroner Lisa La pointe said in a news re lease “People in com munities across B C are continuing to lose friends, family members and col leagues to the unprece dented toxicity of the un regulated drug supply I extend my sincere con dolences to all of those grieving the loss of a loved one.”
No deaths have been re ported at supervised con sumption or drug over dose prevention sites
“In August, we lost 169 people to the poisoned drug supply These are devastating losses for fam ilies, friends, communities and loved ones My heart is with everyone who had such a tragic loss,” Minis ter of Mental Health and Addictions Sheila Mal colmson said
“We are working hard to build a system of mental health and sub stance use care where there wasn't one five years ago We are offering in novative harm reduction solutions, like prescribed safe supply the only province in Canada to do so and are adding new treatment beds and recov ery services throughout B C ”
Across nearly all of Can ada’s largest cities, urban trees and their cooling ef fects are more concen trated in rich, white neigh bourhoods, a new study has confirmed
The research, recently released from Nature Can ada, analyzed tree canopy maps across 12 Canadian municipalities, including Vancouver, Calgary,To ronto and Montreal
In each case, the report found that in poorer and more racialized communi ties, trees were more scarce and shade was at a pre mium.
“What I think we’re see ing is the lived experience of racism in Canada,” said Hannah Dean, who over saw the report as Nature Canada’s organizing di rector.
“We’re seeing values and priorities play out in real time in the way our neigh bourhoods and people are cared for by our munici palities ”
Scientists are still trying to document the conse quences of being removed from green spaces
Living near trees has been associated with a number of benefits, from reducing rates of cardio vascular disease, dementia and attention deficit hyper activity disorder (ADHD), to increasing physical ac tivity and social cohesion, to improving developmen tal benchmark scores for young children
When it comes to sur viving the impacts of cli mate change and extreme weather, trees provide a
buffer from wind and cold
One of the biggest ben efits of urban forests comes during heat waves
Through a process of evapotranspiration, trees pull water through their roots and up their trunks Coursing through a tree’s limbs, the water eventually escapes a leaf or needle as vapour, instantly dropping ambient temperatures
In a well treed neigh bourhood, trees have been
found to cool urban envi ronments by as much as seven degrees Celsius.
To understand how trees are dispersed across Cana dian cities, the researchers combined census data with LiDAR scans which create 3D elevation maps by bouncing a laser from an aircraft to the ground to map the relationship
In B C , the report looked at the cities of Burnaby, Richmond, Sur rey, Abbotsford andVan couver (a deeper analysis was reserved for the latter two) Nearly every city fol lowed the same pattern: the more people of colour and lower the income, the fewer trees stand in a given city neighbourhood
In one map, the re searchers mapped where inVancouver tree canopy cover met the 30 per cent recommended threshold While in the west of the city, large swathes of neigh bourhood blocks met the cut off, in the east, only the neighbourhood of Kil larney home to a golf course and big park met the bar
The Nature Canada study reaffirmed reporting carried out by Glacier Me dia during last year’s heat dome.
22122151 95 Victory St, Nelson Ave, Sidley St, Watling St, Royal Oak Ave
94 Burke St, Christopher Crt, Smith Ave, Thurston St
23403417 61 16th Ave (Englewood Mews)
24314317 73 Halifax St, Sumas Dr, Kendale Crt, Sperling Ave, Kensington Ave
87 Aspenwood Pl, Elkwood Pl, Rosewood Pl, Vinewood Pl, Amberwood Pl
40 Forest Grove Drive (Wembley, Henley Estates)
When record heat hit B C in June 2021, temper atures soared inVancou ver neighbourhoods where trees are scarce
In some neighbour hoods with relatively little tree cover, likeVancouver’s Downtown Eastside, emer gency visits due to heat illness tripled relative to more affluent, treed areas, according to the Glacier Media investigation.
Those patterns line up with mapping from Nature Canada, which show big east west divides, in which urban forests favour rel atively wealthy and white neighbourhoods.
“Where things are cur rently standing, there’s still a lot of work to be done,” said Dean of B C ’s largest municipality Richmond stood out among B.C. cities with a
12 per cent tree canopy cover the second lowest of all the cities measured
Burnaby, on the other hand, was slightly distinct from many of the cities in the study.While tree cover was found to be lower in racialized neighbourhoods, lower income communities were found to have higher access to urban forests
In Abbotsford, over a third of the city’s roughly 140,000 residents identify as Black, Indigenous, or as a person of colour.
Excluding agricultural lands, 40 per cent of the city is covered in trees A third of that is concen trated in a small pocket of neighbourhoods where Ab botsford’s richest live.
In the city centre and central west, low income populations with a rela tively high number of peo ple of colour live in ar eas with relatively low tree
The city is still trying to figure out what targets it wants to set for tree can opy cover, though propos als are currently suggesting either maintaining or re ducing current levels, notes the report
Elsewhere in Can ada, part of the challenge in closing the urban tree cover gap comes down to geography.
At eight per cent, Cal gary has the lowest tree canopy cover of any large Canadian city But that’s made even worse on the west side of the city, where relatively racialized neigh bourhoods have been built on natural grasslands un suitable for planting trees.
The city has plans to plant 7,500 trees per year and raise its tree canopy to 16 per cent by 2060. But the report finds it’s not on track to meet that goal
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November 02, 1937 September 14, 2022
Passed away on September 14, 2022, Bhanu s surv ved by her two daughters, and her brother, Yusuf Pate and his fami y and her brother in law, Arv nd Sakl kar and family Her youngest s ster, Zeb and Zeb’s husband, Umar, perished on A r India Flight 182 Bhanu was born and raised in Gujarat, India Her Canad an ourney began when she marr ed her late husband, the Rev Dr Vasant Sakl kar They met at the Univers ty of Bombay where Bhanu studied polit ca science and h story Bhanu accompanied Vasant to Newfound and with their young daughter Renée The Saklikars moved to Northern Quebec, and then to Montreal, where Bhanu supported her husband as he studied theology at McGill University The fami y moved to Saskatchewan and then New Westminster, B C where Bhanu joined her husband in his charge of Sixth Avenue Un ted Church She taught a popular Ind an cookery class at New Westm nster Sen or Secondary and worked as a baker at Century House where she served on the Scholarsh p Comm ttee A member of the University Women’s C ub, she loved read ng The Economist and discuss ng pol tics Bhanu wil be dear y m ssed by her family and many friends In lieu of flowers, donat ons n Bhanu’s memory can be made to School D str ct #40 n New Westm nster care of msherwood@sd40 bc ca
A Celebration of L fe w l be held Sunday, October 30, 2022 at 2:00 pm at Centenn al Lodge Queen’s Park, New Westminster Inquir es can be made attent on to Renée Sakl kar on beha f of the fam ly care of Kearney Funeral Serv ces in New Westm nster (604 521 4881)
Condolences may be offered at www kearneyfs com
Co
