Burnaby Now February 16 2023

Planfor waste plant inpark draws scrutiny

LaurenVanderdeen

lvanderdeen@burnabynow

com

Burnaby could be getting a $182-million organic waste processing facility in Fraser Foreshore Park, but it would come with a hefty impact on parkland, say environmentalists.

That impact, and other questions about the location of the proposed facility, has sparked criticism of the plan

City staff are proposing a Green Recycling Organic Waste facility called GROW by carving 21 acres out of Fraser Foreshore Park at 4800 Riverbend Dr.

The facility could process up to 150,000 tonnes of green waste such as food scraps and yard trimmings It would create high-quality compost for community gardens and

Continued on page 3

Ukrainianteensgethelpwithstress,anxietyatBurnabyprogram

CorneliaNaylor

cnaylor@burnabynow

com

Vika Izyhk hasn’t seen her father for nearly a year.

The 17-year-old Burnaby North Secondary School student arrived in Canada via Poland with her mother and sister in August, but her father had to stay behind in Ukraine.

“It’s very bad for me,” she says, explaining she and her father have been close since the day she was born. “It’s hard. But he can’t be here now”

Izyhk says she worries about her dad, wonders if he is OK and how he is feeling.

In the meantime, she’s also adjusting to life in a new country, a new

school, a new language, new friends

When it all gets to be too much, she closes her eyes and imagines holding a steaming cup of hot chocolate with marshmallows

She breathes deeply to take in the chocolatey smell and then blows gently at the imaginary, frothing cup

It’s a mindfulness exercise she learned during a pilot program for Ukrainian teens at her school, and she says it helps.

“I can use this practice at home when I feel bad It works for me,” Izyhk says

Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine nearly a year ago, the Burnaby school district has regis-

tered 130 children and youth whose families have come to Canada to escape the war, according to Natalya Khan, coordinator of Burnaby’s SettlementWorkers in Schools (SWIS) program

Forty of the new students are in high school

Working with Ukrainian

Continued on page 11

GROUP EFFORT: Ukrainian students take part in an ice-breaker activity at Burnaby North Secondary School last month PHOTO CORNELIANAYLOR

Citynow

Escortaccusedofrobbingmengetshousearrest

Alleged victims of druggings,thefts included Burnaby man in 2022

CorneliaNaylor cnaylor@burnabynow com

A 30-year-old woman charged in multiple incidents of Lower Mainland men being drugged and robbed during escort-service encounters has been ordered to remain on house arrest while awaiting trial.

Jessica Nicole Renee Kane, 30, was inVancouver provincial court Monday.

She was charged in September 2022 with manslaughter, seven counts of administering a stupefying or overpowering drug or substance, six counts of theft over $5,000, one count of theft, four counts of fraud and two counts of extortion

The charges stemmed from incidents in Burnaby, Surrey, Langley andVancouver that in-

volved men using an escort service, according to police

In February 2021, one man died after allegedly being administered a substance during an encounter, police said.

One pair of drugging and

theft-over-$5,000 charges is related to an incident in Burnaby on June 19, 2022.

Kane was released on bail on Oct 27, 2022 with conditions banning her from sex work and from contacting nine named in-

dividuals

On Jan 9, 2023, however, she was taken back into custody by Vancouver police and charged in another alleged drugging and robbery on Jan. 8, inVancouver.

She also faces charges of ob-

struction and breaching a release order out of Surrey connected to unrelated incidents on Jan 3, according to Court Services Online.

On Monday, B C provincial court Judge James Sutherland released Kane again, this time on house arrest with a $20,000 cash deposit

During her release, Kane will have to stay inside her home 24 hours a day, seven days a week, except on Fridays between noon and 2 p m for obtaining groceries and other necessaries

On bail, Kane is also banned from sex work, employment that requires her to be inside another person’s private residence, possessing drugs or drug paraphernalia unless they’ve been prescribed to her, contacting her alleged victims and possessing any identification or financial information that isn’t her own Sutherland’s reasons for the decision and all information presented at the bail hearing are protected by a publication ban Kane’s next court date is set for March 9 in Surrey

Municipalityplanstopreserveotherhabitataroundthecity

Continued from page 1

urban farming, as well as renewable natural gas that could be sold for profit, according to a Feb 6 staff report

The facility would reduce the equivalent of 14,000 tonnes of carbon emissions “equal to taking 3,000 cars off the road,” according to a City of Burnaby press release

However, Burnaby city hall watchers are questioning why the city has proposed putting the GROW facility on park land instead of a similarly-sized nearby plot of city-owned land it sold in 2021

Burnaby resident Joel Gibbs said a 17-acre plot of land at 3990 Marine Way would have been a better option for the city’s GROW facility than the 21 acres proposed at

Fraser Foreshore Park

“I don’t think (the parkland) is the best choice,” Gibbs said “I think that MarineWay would be a dramatically better option because it’s not parkland; it’s not by the river ”

But the MarineWay plot, about three kilometres away from the Fraser Foreshore site, was sold in 2021 to Larco Investments to develop a film studio

Gibbs said he criticized that decision, since Mayor Mike Hurley had said in 2019 the city doesn’t believe in selling city-owned land

“You never sell public land because you forever lose any sort of potential public benefit,” Gibbs said

Some environmentalists have also criticized the waste facility proposal for

removing 20 acres of wetlands at Fraser Foreshore Park

The same section of park was acquired by the city in 2004, when it was called “a core nature park of biologically diverse ecosystems ”

The acquisition was hailed as “an ecologically significant contribution to the legacy embodied in the public ownership of lands within the Burnaby Fraser Foreshore Park system,” in a staff report at the time

One section of the land is classified as a tidal freshwater marsh, which the 2004 report called “a relatively rare habitat type in Burnaby and the surrounding region,” and noted that 75 per cent of the wetlands in the Lower Mainland had been lost since European settle-

ment

The wet grassland is a breeding habitat for birds including the Northern harrier and short-eared owl

Still, the GROW plant is under consideration for its environmental benefits, such as reducing the city’s emissions

To offset the environmental impact to Fraser Foreshore, the city also plans to preserve other habitat around the city at a three-to-one ratio of what would be affected by the GROW facility

Burnaby has a climate goal to reduce its carbon emissions by 45 per cent by 2030 and to be carbon neutral by 2050

CITY CONSIDERED MARINE WAY SITE

The city said it had considered the Marine

Way property for the GROW facility

“In the early stages, the city did look at the merits of this property,” said Burnaby spokesperson Chris Bryan in an email to the NOW

But he said there were a number of reasons the city chose the Fraser Foreshore Park site for the GROW facility

“We knew the Marine Way property had significant value in terms of developer interest, and successfully capitalized on it,” Bryan said, noting the film studio is “expected to provide more than 1,000 well-paying jobs” and earned the city $136 million from the sale

He also said the proximity to MetroVancouver’s waste-to-energy facility, which burns garbage waste and turns it into

electricity, was also a factor in choosing the Fraser Foreshore site The wasteto-energy facility would be directly beside the proposed GROW facility

“There are similar industrial activities such as trucks coming and going, and we see this area developing as a ‘green energy centre’ with the district energy utility the city also plans to build there,” Bryan said

Bryan added the size of the MarineWay property is smaller and has “significant riparian setbacks that would have prevented us from building a facility of the size envisioned ”

Construction of the project would begin in spring 2024 if Burnaby council approves it, and the organic waste facility would open by the end of 2026.

COURT RULING: A B C judge has ordered a woman accused of drugging and robbing men during escort encounters to stay on house arrest while awaiting trial PHOTO TONKTITI/ISTOCK/GETTY IMAGES PLUS

Close ‘windowless bedrooms’ option, critic tells council

LaurenVanderdeen lvanderdeen@burnabynow com

A Burnaby resident is concerned rental units without bedroom windows pose a public safety risk during extreme heat.

Reinhard Schauer wrote a letter to city council pointing to two developments where the non-market rental units do not include windows in the bedrooms.

One development is a 34-storey tower at 6556, 6566, 6580 and 6596 Marlborough Ave with a four-storey affordable rental component

“The architectural diagrams suggest minimum-sized one-bedroom replacement units with no

window in the bedroom, and in the case of Accorde’s development, no balcony either,” Schauer wrote

He expressed concern about cooling and ventilation in the buildings “when temperatures rise again to 42 C,” noting that 63 Burnaby residents died during the 2021 heat dome, “most because of inadequate indoor cooling ”

The “replacement units” are those earmarked for renters who currently live at the site and will be displaced by the development Burnaby’s rental-use zoning policy requires developers to offer replacement units to all “demovicted” renters at the rates

they previously paid

Schauer also pointed to a 38-storey development at 5900 Olive Ave , which was approved at council on Feb. 6, which includes a three-storey rental building with “windowless” one-bedroom units

“While this building offers tiny balconies, in the absence of a bedroom window, the safety concern of overheating remains,” he wrote Staff replied to Schauer: “While the B.C. Building Code does not require a window in a bedroom, a bedroom must have access to natural light and ventilation,” adding the proposed developments “meet and exceed” the requirements of the B C Building Code

and

Burnaby bylaws

At a council meeting on Feb. 6, Coun. Maita Santiago asked how tenants would be able to get relief during another heat wave

and if the units had access to light and ventilation

The city’s general manager of planning and development, Ed Kozak, said while the bedrooms don’t have windows, the units themselves have windows

“The bedrooms have the opportunity for receiving borrowed light from the window that is also within the unit,” he said, noting windows do not make a bedroom and are not a requirement in the building code.

He was unsure if these particular units were air-conditioned but said, “They are under new construction that are typically very energy-efficient, and the temperature control is usually quite precise ”

Citynow CityConnect

Coun Pietro Calendino said bedrooms without windows were “an issue of concern” and asked staff to report back on ways to ask developers to include air exchange or air flow if there is no window in a bedroom

The development on Marlborough Avenue includes a total of 88 rental units, which is more than Burnaby’s policy requires Thirty-six of those rentals are replacement units that will be rented at the predevelopment rate or 20 per cent below the area’s median according to Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp’s data (in 2022, the median rent for a one-bedroom in Metrotown was $1,423)

ZONING BYLAW AMENDMENTS

1) Burnaby Zoning Bylaw 1965, Amendment Bylaw No 2, 2023 - Bylaw No 14544

Rez. #22-11

Unit #5 - 8063 North Fraser Way

From: CD Comprehensive Development District (based on M2 General Industrial and M5 Light Industrial Districts)

To: Amended CD Comprehensive Development District (based on M2 General Industrial and M5 Light Industrial Districts, and in accordance with the development plan entitled “New Mezzanine for Unit #5 - 8063 North Fraser Way” prepared by Zeidler Architecture)

Purpose: to permit a minor increase in interior floor area

Applicant: Zeidler Architecture

2) Burnaby Official Community Plan Bylaw 1988, Amendment Bylaw No. 1, 2023 - Bylaw No. 14545

Purpose: to amend the Official Community Plan (OCP) Sections on the Residential Framework, the Commercial Framework, the Industrial Directions and Framework, and Neighbourhood & District Parks to achieve consistency between the OCP and the Bainbridge and Lochdale Urban Village Community Plans

3) Burnaby Zoning Bylaw 1965, Amendment Bylaw No 3, 2023 - Bylaw No 14546

Text Amendment

Purpose: to amend the Burnaby Zoning Bylaw 1965 to define the Bainbridge and Lochdale Urban Village Community Plan areas and to add sub-districts to the RM2, RM3, RM4 and RM5 Districts to accommodate residential land uses and building forms supported in the Bainbridge and Lochdale Urban Village Community Plans

All persons who believe they are affected by a proposed bylaw shall be afforded a reasonable opportunity to be heard:

» PARTICIPATE IN-PERSON

» SUBMIT WRITTEN COMMENTS TO COUNCIL

• email: legislativeservices@burnaby ca

• mail: Mayor & Council, c/o Legislative Services, 4949 Canada Way

fill out the webform: Burnaby ca/PublicHearings

» PARTICIPATE BY ZOOM OR WATCH LIVE Visit Burnaby ca/PublicHearings

Reports, bylaws, and related information respecting the zoning bylaw amendments are available on the City’s website at Burnaby ca/PublicHearings from February 8, 2023. Any questions regarding the Public Hearing processes and agenda items may be directed to Legislative Services, 604-294-7290

Please note all submissions must be received by 2:45 pm on the day of the Hearing and contain the writer’s name and address which become a part of the public record NO PRESENTATIONS OR SUBMISSIONS WILL BE RECEIVED BY COUNCIL AFTER THE CONCLUSION OF THE PUBLIC HEARING.

concern

Burnaby resident is concerned “windowless bedrooms” will be a safety hazard during a heat wave PHOTO CITY OF BURNABY/ACCORDE

Citynow

Ex-BurnabymanlosesOntariomurder,kidnapappeal

GangsterVijay Ganesh Singh convicted in 2009 double murder over stolen UN gang cocaine shipment

CorneliaNaylor cnaylor@burnabynow com

A former Burnaby resident convicted in the murder of two men whose bodies were found in the trunk of a car in Pickering, Ont., in 2009 has lost an appeal at the Ontario Court of Appeal

Vijay Ganesh Singh, who once had homes in Burnaby andToronto, is serving a life sentence with no chance of parole for 23 years.

In 2013, an Ontario jury found him and his co-accused, John Le, guilty of two counts of second-degree murder and two counts of kidnapping

The charges relate to the killings of Harjinder Singh Sandhu, 29, and Puneet Singh Chhina, 26,

who were bound, shot and stuffed into the trunk of a car found abandoned on Rosebank Road in Pickering on May 5, 2009, according to court documents

Singh, who described himself as a gangster, was an importer of illegal drugs

In early 2009, when Singh was living in the Lower Mainland, he arranged for the transportation of 35 kilograms of cocaine from Los Angeles to Toronto.

When the shipment arrived inToronto, it looked like packages of cocaine, but it was actually packages of drywall, according to court documents

The cocaine belonged to one “Ahmun,” who was the leader of the United

Nations Gang, according to court documents, and Singh needed to recover the cocaine shipment or at least find out who stole it He suspected Sandhu had been the “jacker” and lured him to his family’s home inToronto with promises of cheap heroin

Chhina had just been along for the ride, accord-

ing to information presented in court

Police executed a number of search warrants during the investigation, including at Singh’s Burnaby apartment

Singh and Le were sentenced in February 2014.

The pair appealed their convictions at Ontario’s Court of Appeal this

past May, arguing the trial judge in the case hadn’t properly instructed the jury

Le also appealed his sentence, arguing it was disproportionate given his role in the killing

OnTuesday, however, the court unanimously dismissed both appeals, ruling the trial judge had

instructed the jury properly and had not imposed a disproportionate sentence on Le

“The trial judge reviewed the backgrounds of both offenders, noting that each one had an extensive criminal record, little education and scarce legal gainful employment,” states the ruling “He also acknowledged the positive reference letters filed in support of each offender He then considered the numerous serious aggravating factors in this case. Having regard to the entire case, the trial judge concluded that ‘these offences qualify for the description as among the worst group of offences and that Le and Singh are among the worst group of offenders ’”

Staying put: A former Burnaby man will continue serving a life sentence for multiple crimes after losing an appeal in Ontario PHOTO RATTANKUN THONGBUN/ISTOCK/GETTY IMAGES PLUS

now

Last Week ▼

MY VIEW KEITH BALDREY

New polls deliver good news to Premier David Eby, BC NDP

When David Eby became B.C. premier back in November, it was widely assumed he would have a hard time coming even close to the popularity levels enjoyed by his predecessor, John Horgan

However, two polls released last week indicate that (for now, anyway) Eby is doing just fine when it comes to job approval ratings.

In fact, the polls one by Research Co and the other by Leger both suggest Eby

and his BC NDP government enjoy considerably more support among voters than either of the opposition parties

The Research Co poll pegs Eby’s approval rating at 59 per cent The Leger poll has it at 49 per cent Both are relatively high numbers

Despite the BC NDP government fending off controversy after controversy a lack of family doctors, crowded emergency rooms, closed ERs, public safety incidents, the ongoing toxic drug crisis the public ap-

pears to have little interest in any other party running the province.

The Leger poll gives the ruling NDP a whopping 16-point lead over the BC Liberals among decided voters (47 per cent to 31 per cent) The Research Co showed a smaller gap of eight points, but still a significant lead for the NDP (44 per cent to 36 per cent).

All in all, the polls are encouraging news for the governing party and its new leader, and very discouraging findings for both the BC

For editorials, columns and more, visit: burnabynow.com/opinion

Liberals and the BC Green Party.

BC Liberal leader Kevin Falcon, in particular, must be disappointed and frustrated with how Eby seems to be connecting with the public with greater success than his own efforts

Research Co asked respondents to rate the leaders on eight separate issues

Eby beat Falcon by small margins of four to six points on three issues: crime and public safety, energy, and the economy and jobs

However, Eby scored

more decisive advantages (13 to 19 points) on five other issues, including two key ones (health care and housing/affordability)

The polls show the BC Liberals have considerable work ahead of them if they want to be competitive with the BC NDP The Research Co poll in particular shows the depth of the problem it gives the NDP a 13-point lead in the Fraser Valley region, usually an area of BC

Liberal strength

Of course, polls are simply snapshots in time, and the

next election is not for a long time yet (currently set in law for October 2024 unless Eby calls an early one, which he has promised he will not do)

Eby has been leader for just three months, and lots can go wrong between now and the next vote

But for now, Eby and his crew must like what they see in these most recent measurements of public opinion. The new guy seems to be off to a surprisingly good start

Keith Baldrey is chief political reporter for Global BC

BURNABY NOW IS A MEMBER OF THE NATIONAL NEWSMEDIA COUNCIL, WHICH IS AN INDEPENDENT ORGANIZATION ESTABLISHED TO DEAL WITH ACCEPTABLE JOURNALISTIC

Opinionnow

Have city councillors forgotten our planet?

Editor: Re: “Massive green waste facility planned for Burnaby park heads for public consultation,” I am extremely disappointed that Joe Keithley has forgotten that he is a Green party representative, and that Alison Gu, as a young person, has forgotten that her possible children and grandchildren will be living with the consequences of climate change, brought on in part by our destruction of nature Wetlands, swamps and forests are all carbon sinks

The ecosystems council is considering destroying house a wide variety of species, and I would encourage members of council who are considering supporting this recycling facility to take a tour with a local naturalist/birder/or anyone who understands these systems and knows what is living/breeding in this area, to learn the value of preserving it Do a bird count down there where will they go?

As I watch the trees come down in our neighbourhood when properties are redeveloped, I can’t help but think that council is entirely unaware of the great service these trees perform in producing oxygen, stabilizing soil and providing habitat for wildlife.

It sounds to me like council has already

made up its mind, so what will you do if the public says no? Burnaby has a reputation for having large cash reserves historically use some of it to purchase property somewhere, and leave the parkland as is

Marion Shikaze

Too many unknowns

Editor: Have we learned nothing from how wetlands protect existing land from flooding by absorbing excess water, acts as a natural water filtration system, and just leave the environment alone for natural species to enjoy?

The city plans to offset building this facility with a preservation strategy that they say would be “the largest program package of environmental enhancement the city has ever undertaken,” preserving triple the amount of habitat as would be lost by building the facility

The city says it would create “high-value habitat” for fish, particularly salmon, in the Fraser River, as well as restore wetland environments around the city.

How will this be done? Where will this be done? At what monetary cost?

Lots of unknowns on this project I hope that the First Nations governments to be consulted on this project will be brave enough to say no.

Robin Wong

THE BURNABY NOW WELCOMES LETTERS TO THE EDITOR. We do, however, edit for taste, legality and length Please include a phone number where you can be reached Send letters to: The Editor, #201A–3430 Brighton Ave , Burnaby, B C , V5A 3H4, email to: editorial@burnabynow com (no attachments please) or fax to: 604-444-3460

Letters to the editor and opinion columns may be reproduced on the Burnaby NOW website, www burnabynow com

Communitynow

Student leads multi-school environmental campaign

Phase Out Plastic Bottles initiative has been implemented in secondary schools in B.C.and the U.S.

AbhinayaNatesh anatesh@burnabynow com

“Take care of the Earth because the Earth is taking care of us and allowing us to be here ”

These words, spoken by Ziya Merchant’s mother, would have a resounding impact on the Grade 11 Burnaby South student who inherited her mom’s commitment to environmentalism

Merchant and her mother would go to restaurants together, taking their own containers for any leftovers, and would take their own cups to Starbucks, which helped make her environmentally conscious at a very young age

When Merchant witnessed the far-reaching success of another Burnaby environmentalist, she was inspired to become an agent of change

Merchant, following the example of Mireta Strandberg-Salmon, who was recently named one of Starfish Canada’sTop 25 under 25, implemented a campaign in her school to eliminate the use of plastic bottles, which garnered a lot of support from the community

The initiative has since grown into a grassroots organization called Phase Out Plastic Bottles (POPB), with the goal of

reducing the use of plastic water bottles across schools because of the social, ethical and environmental harm caused by the containers

POPB has gained momentum across multiple high schools with 12 schools implementing the campaign, including 10 in the Lower Mainland (five in Burnaby) and two in the United States Merchant began contacting schools barely a month ago She said she’s pleasantly surprised by how quickly the initiative has caused change for the better

“It is very rewarding to see the impact it has,” she said “Because we’re able to reach so many schools, hundreds of people are now able to learn about this and have this knowledge

“And knowing that if I put the effort in, I do have the ability to create change I think that’s what I find the most important.”

WHY PHASE OUT PLASTIC BOTTLES?

Merchant strongly believes that plastic bottles harm more than just the environment, saying the social and humanitarian effects are often buried

For one, the water in plastic water bottles is often extracted from communities that already have

low access to water, like Indigenous communities and rural areas in India, she said, depriving them of a basic need and a human right

She added that plastic water bottles are often manufactured in areas known as “sacrifice

zones,” polluting the environment and “affecting minorities and people who need access to water the most ”

POPB INITIATIVE

Merchant gathered her group of friends from her social justice club at Burn-

aby South to spread the word and create awareness about the impacts of plastic water bottles.

The first step, she said, was to create a general social media awareness, putting up posters in school, sending emails to parents and finding a place for the

campaign in school newsletters.

Merchant hopes to be able to influence policies and stop contracts at an administration level, but for now, “creating awareness among students” is key

“My immediate goal is to reach 20 schools, whether it will be in Lower Mainland, Canada or other countries,” she said “Our administration [at the school] have supported us in implementing an educational campaign, so if this campaign is effective, they said they will support us in talking to the district administration about stopping the contract to sell plastic water bottles,” she added

Small changes can make a big difference, Merchant said She suggests turning the lights off when leaving a room, remembering to take a reusable water bottle to school and decreasing the energy usage at home as ways to help make a positive difference

“Using your voice to create change” can help too reposting on social media about issues and talking to people about initiatives that are supporting environmentalism and other social justice issues

“Use the power that you have as a person to create as much change as you can ”

LEADERSHIP: Ziya Merchant is spearheading the Phasing Out Plastic Bottles campaign.

PHOTO CONTRIBUTED

Districthasregistered130Ukrainianfamilies Communitynow

Continued from page 1

families, Khan said parents told her their teenage children were having the hardest time adjusting to life in Canada and dealing with stress related to the war at home

“Youth, they were affected more than any other age groups that arrived,” Khan said

To help, the SWIS team launched the pilot program at Burnaby North Secondary School the high school with the largest contingent of Ukrainian newcomers

For four weeks in January, the Ukrainian teens at the school met everyTuesday afternoon to share a meal, participate in icebreaker activities and learn techniques from therapist PhoebeTsang to cope with stress and anxiety

‘I NEED SOMEBODYTO TALK TO HOW I WANT’

Tsang said she tried to provide the students with “a smorgasbord of different techniques” to help shift their minds and bodies out of dysregulated states those times when stress or anxiety send them into fight-or-flightor-freeze mode.

Breathing rate is an important indicator,Tsang said, so she took the teens through a mini-experiment, challenging them to measure their breaths per minute before and after the hot chocolate exercise, which is designed to slow and control breathing

And just getting the students together with others

who speak the same language helps to combat another common trauma response isolation.

“When we’re anxious, we shut down We keep it to ourselves,”Tsang said.

For 14-year-old Ihor Boiko, who arrived in Canada on Sept 7 after six months in the Netherlands, landing in a new country and a new school was “confusing” at first, especially because of the language barrier

He’s made other friends, but he said getting together with other Ukrainian teens is important.

“I can speak with people the same language as me, and it’s really important to me here because I can’t speak English very good, so I need somebody to talk to how I want,” Boiko said

‘THEYWILL BE STRUGGLING LIKE I DID’

SinceTsang doesn’t speak a word of Ukrainian, the pilot program relied on two translators for help

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada is funding one Ukrainianspeaking SWIS worker, Roksolana Uhryniuk, who was hired in October

But Ukrainian students and families have also gotten help from a 23-yearold BCIT student who knows what it’s like to be a teen starting over in the new country

Victoria Shabatina, a 2018 Moscrop Secondary School grad, came to Burnaby from Ukraine in 2014 when she was

14 years old and still has family and friends there

When Russian troops marched into her home country in February 2022, she said she was glued to the news “24/7.”

She decided she had to act and reached out to the

school district in June to volunteer

“I know there’s kids coming in, and they will be struggling like I did, and I’m sure they will need some help,” Shabatina said

Since June, Shabatina

has forged bonds with the teens, chaperoning them on field trips when SWIS workers were off in the summer

She’s become a goto person for questions about all things Canadian, including post-second-

ary education and what comes next after high school

“It’s like a chain of kindness,” Khan said of Shabatina’s decision to give back to the SWIS program, which had supported her as a teen

Why Now is thePerfect Time for Seniors to Rent

With B.C real estate prices continually changing, it’s a good time to get ahead of the curve and sell. In fact, renting may be the best choice for your stage of life. Here are six signs it’s time to think about renting in an independent seniors’ community

1 Your home maintenance is tougher than it used to be

2. You wish you had more time to spend with family and friends.

3. It’s harder to get around than it used to be.

4 You’re spending more and more time alone

5. You don’t feel as safe on your own.

6. You wish you had more cash on hand.

Learn more about renting at PARC, the Lower Mainland’s best active living community aging adults: parcliving.ca

FamilyDay!

Fam y

Monday,February20

s all acrossBur

CelebrateFamilyDaywith plentyof activitie ssBurnaby.MovetothebeatinFam i nds over a game of ieSk

mil Zumba®, meet withfriends ov badminton, glide on theice at aToonieSkat take ahike onBurnabyMountain andlots m

Eventshappen at:

BillCopeland

Bonsor

BurnabyVillageMuseum

ChristineSinclair

Edmonds

EileenDailly

Kensington

Findoutmore!

Burnaby.ca/FamilyDay

WEEKEND

SATURDAY, FEB. 18

FAMILY DAY AT NIKKEI CENTRE

The Nikkei National Museum and Cultural Centre is hosting a family-friendly event.

The film FortuneFavourLadyNikukowill be screened in Japanese with English subtitles, about a “brash single mother” and her “pensive yet imaginative daughter.” There will be two screenings at 11 a m and 2 p m

Japanese food vendors, including Hatchan Takoyaki, Japanese Crepe Sasuke and Wakwak Burger (and more) will be on hand with delicious fare

The event includes cultural displays, traditional Japanese toys and crafts and storytime for children who understand Japanese at 10:30 a m and 1:30 p m

WHEN: Saturday, Feb 18 from 10 a m to 5 p.m.

WHERE:Nikkei National Museum and Cultural Centre (6688 Southoaks Cres )

COST: Free

FAMILY STORYTIME

Join other families at the Tommy Douglas Burnaby Public Library branch for family storytime The library invites you to come early or stay late for extra social time, for kids of all ages and their adults

Remember to keep your children close and respectful of the personal space of others and to stay home if you’re feeling sick.

WHEN: Saturday, Feb 18 from 11:45 a m to 12:15 p m

WHERE: Tommy Douglas branch of Burnaby Public Library (7311 Kingsway)

COST: Free, no registration required

OUTDOOR CARNIVOROUS PLANTS SEMINAR

GardenWorks is hosting a free seminar on growing outdoor carnivorous plants in the B C climate

With a hands-on demo in a raised garden bed at the store (which has housed a patch of Sarracenia for the past three years, according to the event website), this workshop is one for folks with green thumbs

WHEN: Saturday, Feb. 18 at 1 p.m.

WHERE: GardenWorks Burnaby-Lougheed (6250 Lougheed Hwy )

COST: Free

SUNDAY, FEB. 19

BOSSA SPORTS CARD AND COLLECTIBLES SHOW

With 64 vendor tables, check out this amazing selection of sport cards and memorabilia at Bonsor Recreation Complex

For a fun day with family, for collectors and sports fans, this event is billed as Canada’s largest and longest running monthly sports card show

WHEN: Sunday, Feb 19 from 10 a m to 3 p m

WHERE: Bonsor Recreation Complex (6550 Bon-

sor Ave.)

COST: $10, tickets available at bossashows com/ bossa-sports-card-and-collectibles-show/

MONDAY, FEB. 20

TOONIE SKATE AT BILL COPELAND SPORTS CENTRE

On Family Day, spend the day with your loved ones to go for a skate. There will be ice skating, face painting and crafts for kids Admission includes skate and helmet rental

WHEN: Monday, Feb 20 from 9 a m to 1:30 p m

WHERE: Bill Copeland Sports Centre (3676 Kensington Ave )

COST: $2

Compiled by Lauren Vanderdeen

On ice: Head to a toonie skate on Monday for Family Day at Bill Copeland Sports Centre PHOTO CITY OF BURNABY

Charities prepare for Coldest Night of the Year

Walk for homelessness event takes place Feb.25

LaurenVanderdeen

lvanderdeen@burnabynow

com

Two Burnaby charities are preparing for the coldest night of the year

Burnaby Community Services and the Society to End Homelessness in Burnaby will host the seventh annual Coldest Night of theYearWalk for Homelessness event on Feb 25

The walk raises money for the two local charities, which assist people in need and living in poverty

Statistically, the coldest night of the year occurs in the third week of February, according to the executive director of the Society to End Homelessness in Burnaby, Carol-Ann

Flanagan

“Far too many in our community are homeless and at high health risk,”

Flanagan said “This fundraiser allows us to continue offering immediate assistance such as a hot meal, clothing, transit, and access to outreach workers. We provide these critical services as we work towards long-term solutions such as shelters and affordable housing ”

Alex Munroe of Burnaby Community Services said the event would increase awareness and raise money for the support of homeless and vulnerable people in Burnaby

There will be two routes to walk: one five-kilome-

tre route and one two-kilometres. Both begin at Marlborough Elementary School at 6060 Marlborough Ave. Check-in for the walk begins at 4 p m , and opening remarks and sendoff are at 5 p m

Last year, Burnaby Community Services provided support to more than 130,000 people.The Society to End Homelessness in Burnaby served 698 individuals through more than 8,000 visits to its outreach resource centre It now serves 150 per cent more people weekly than at the beginning of the pandemic

For more information, visit cnoy org/location/ burnaby

Ever wanted to become a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe?

Now you can: the Marvel Avengers STATION exhibition, coming to Burnaby’s Brentwood mall on March 3, is seeking “charismatic” individuals to work as an “Avengers STATION Agent ”

In the role, you’d perform in-character for guests as a briefing agent, laboratory/tech, security agent or general guide using scripted lines and spontaneous ad libbing, according to the job description

See the job posting online at https://tinyurl com/ AvengersAgentJob2023

LaurenVanderdeen

Carol-Ann Flanagan, executive director of the Society to End Homelessness in Burnaby and Alex Monroe of Burnaby Community Services walk to raise money and awareness for homeless folks in Burnaby PHOTO CONTRIBUTED

Citynow

StudentscelebratePinkShirtDay

CorneliaNaylor cnaylor@burnabynow com

Students at Burnaby schools are getting ready to break out pink shirts and take a stand against bullying next week

Pink Shirt Day is on Feb 22, and many local schools plan to mark the day with activities designed to celebrate inclusion, diversity and kindness

“Pink Shirt Day reminds students that they can be who they are, encourage others to do the same, and stand up to name-calling, bullying or discrimination,” states a letter to parents from school board chair Bill Brassington and superintendent Gina Nic-

coli-Moen. Pink Shirt Day started in 2007, when Nova Scotia teens David Shepherd andTravis Price organized a high school protest to wear pink in sympathy with a Grade 9

boy who was being bullied for wearing a pink shirt

In Burnaby, expect to see some students out and about on Feb. 22

Stoney Creek, Lyndhurst and Cameron elementary students are collaborating withThe City of Lougheed mall on a display of student work, including messages of strength and kindness

Students will also be at the mall on Feb 22 handing out messages and gift cards provided by the mall.

Burnaby North Secondary School students have secured an Intentional Acts of Kindness grant and will be at Kensington Plaza to hand out flowers with positive notes attached.

Stoney Creek Grade 3 student Elizabeth Komm sends an anti-bullying message PHOTO CONTRIBUTED

When students feel welcome, supported, respected, and safe, they are more engaged in learning.

Richard T Lee Maita Santiago Daniel Tetrault James Wang

Mayor Mike Hurley and City lifteachotherup

Councillors: makeadifference empathy

Citynow

HundredsgathertomournteenslaininBurnabyshooting

Afghan community,classmates attend prayers for 17-year-old found shot to death in parking garage

CorneliaNaylor cnaylor@burnabynow com

The Lower Mainland’s Afghan community gathered last week to mourn the death of a 17-year-old youth found shot to death in the parking garage of a Burnaby housing complex

Hundreds of community members and a large group of students from Burnaby Mountain Secondary School – where the victim was a Grade 12 student – gathered at Masjid al Salaam on CanadaWay in Burnaby for prayers on Feb 9 at 10 a m

The teen’s body was then transported to Chilliwack for burial

Another prayer gathering was scheduled for Thursday evening at Masjid Umar Bin Khattab in Surrey

The 17-year-old was found shot to death in a vehicle at Lions Mulberry Place (7420 Mulberry Place) near Cariboo Road on Feb 2

He was a resident at the complex, according to police.

Investigators believe the shooting – which they suspect was targeted – took place at about 9 a m

They are now working to determine if it is linked to the Lower Mainland gang conflict

A white Nissan Rogue was reported set on fire in

the area of 173 Street and 101 Avenue in Surrey at about 9:15 a m on the same day as the shooting, according to police, and investigators are working to determine if the two incidents are linked

‘OUR HEARTS

BREAK’

When contacted, the Burnaby school district declined to provide any information about whether the victim was a student at one of its schools, instead referring all questions to police

On the day after the shooting, however, Burnaby Mountain Secondary School principal Lee Anne Kristmanson sent a letter to parents saying a Grade

12 student at the school had died “suddenly and unexpectedly”

“Our hearts break for the family who are facing this unimaginable loss,” the letter states. “Our support and sympathy are with them The loss of a young person is always difficult to accept, and this tragedy is affecting many in our school community”

The school district’s critical incident response team was deployed to the school, according to the letter, and struggling students were encouraged to speak to a counsellor

The letter noted that a lockdown at the school on the same day as the shooting was unrelated.

Firefigherssavehalfofduplex

CorneliaNaylor cnaylor@burnabynow com

Residents of one half of a Burnaby duplex are out of a home after a fire last week.

Firefighters were called to the 3700 block of Kincaid Street at about 11 a m on Feb 8 for reports of a structure fire, according to assistant fire Chief Derek Masaro.

At the scene, crews found heavy smoke and

flames coming from a back corner of one of the units

“Flames had spread up into the attic, through the roof,” Masaro said

The building had been evacuated before firefighters got there, and a search found no people or pets

There were no injuries, but the blaze did “extensive damage” to the rear of the unit where the fire started, rendering that residence uninhabitable,

according to Masaro

The silver lining – for the neighbours at least –was that firefighters managed to keep the flames from spreading to the other half of the duplex

“We contained the fire to the one unit,” Masaro said

In all, 10 trucks responded to the two-alarm blaze

Fire investigators are looking into what sparked the fire.

Mourners leave Masjid al Salaam after prayers for a 17-year-old boy shot to death in Burnaby last week PHOTO CORNELIA NAYLOR

Sportsnow

City reaches ‘major milestone’ on arena project

Crews complete 18-hour concrete pour of rink foundations at Burnaby’s Rosemary Brown Arena

LaurenVanderdeen

lvanderdeen@burnabynow com

The City of Burnaby has reached a “major milestone” in the construction of Rosemary Brown Arena and released photos and video to mark the occasion

Workers poured concrete for the slab foundation of two NHL-sized ice rinks at the South Burnaby arena in late January.

The slab pouring is “the most important day on the project,” Burnaby’s senior manager of civic building projects,TimVan Driel, told the NOW earlier this year before the pour

“It’s one big day They start super early in the morning, start pouring concrete, they have a whole ton of people.”

Each continuous concrete pour, using 240 cubic metres of concrete for each rink slab, took more

than 18 hours, according to the city’s website

The concrete slabs were cured with water, which

created a “unique, temporary mirror effect that is emphasized by the water ”

The arena’s ceiling fea-

tures wood beams, which were covered to protect them from paint and dust during construction

The facility at 10th Avenue and 18th Street will include a skate shop, meeting rooms, warm-

“It’s one big day. They start super early in the morning, start pouring concrete, they have a whole ton of people.”

side arena viewing and an outdoor rooftop patio.

The arena is named after former Burnaby MLA Rosemary Brown, who was the first Black woman elected to a provincial legislature in Canada.

While construction delays have hindered the project’s schedule, the arena is now expected to be complete by fall 2023

Two Burnaby athletes named to Water Polo Canada youth team

Melania Segulja is on primary roster for national team,while Riley Milne is selected as an alternate

JessBalzer

jfedigan@burnabynow com

A pair of Burnaby athletes have been chosen to represent Canada’s national water polo team at the upcoming under-17 championships in Brazil.

Melania Segulja of the SurreyWater Polo Club has been named to the primary women’s team, while Riley Milne of the Pacific StormWater Polo Club has been selected as an alternate on the squad

The PanAm Aquatics Water Polo U17 Championships, held every two years, is scheduled this year for April 2 to 8 in Bauru located nearly 330 kilometres northwest of São Paulo

Of the 12 countries participating, the top four women’s finishers and

the top four or five men’s teams will qualify for the World Aquatics 2024 WorldYouth Championships

During the last PanAm Aquatics U17 championships in 2019, Canada claimed silver on the women’s side and fourth in the men’s pool

The 2021 event was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic

The Canadian women’s youth national team’s best finish was in 2011 at the first-ever tournament when they hoisted the championship trophy.

Segulja and Milne are two of the six swimmers from B.C. heading to South America in the spring

The 2023Water Polo Canada women’s youth national team is as fol-

lows:

PRIMARY ROSTER

Jaya Basu (Montreal, Que CAMO)

Cianne Benjamin (Toronto, Ont Shadow Water Polo Club)

Natalia Blazevic (Vancouver, B C Pacific

StormWater Polo Club)

Penny Cowan (Stony Plain, Alta. EdmontonTsunamiWater Polo Club)

Abigail Folk (Ashburn, Ont MavericksWater Polo Club)

Andjelina Gavrilovic (Surrey, B C Fraser

ValleyWater Polo Club)

Shaya Ghasemzadeh

Oghyani (Oakville, Ont

MavericksWater Polo Club)

Sydney Krushen (Regina, Sask. Team Sask)

Tasha Kulenovic (Vancouver, B C Pacific StormWater Polo Club)

Nicole O’Neill (Calgary, Alta Oaks Christian/ Calgary Renegades)

Brooklyn Plomp (Ottawa, Ont Diablo Alliance/FraserValleyWater Polo Club)

Melania Segulja (Burnaby, B C SurreyWater Polo Club)

Alexandra Stoddard (Abbotsford, B C FraserValleyWater Polo Club)

Makayla Ulmer-Lutudromu (Regina, Sask. Team Sask)

MaddieWatson (Lon-

don, Ont. Mavericks Water Polo Club)

ALTERNATES

Taya Bumpas (Regina, Sask –Team Sask)

Riley Milne (Burnaby, B C Pacific StormWater Polo Club)

McKenna Pineda-McLean (Calgary, Alta Calgary Renegades)

Anna Ulmer (Regina, Sask Team Sask)

COACHING STAFF

Krystina Alogbo (Montreal, Que ) head coach

Christi Bardecki (Toronto, Ont. Toronto

Triggerfish/TorontoWater Polo Club) assistant coach

Raine Paul (Spruce Grove, Alta – EdmontonTsunamiWater Polo Club/SurreyWater Polo Club) assistant coach

Rinks in the works: The City of Burnaby has reached a milestone on the construction of the Rosemary Brown Arena PHOTO CITY OF BURNABY

Chosen: Burnaby athletes Melania Segulja (left) and Riley Milne have been named to the 2023 Water Polo Canada Women’s Youth National Team Water Polo Canada PHOTO WATER POLO CANADA

REMEMBRANCES

Obituaries

BRAINERD, Carol Lillian (Gibbons)

December 8, 1929 - January 23, 2023

The youngest daughter of Lloyd and Emi y ‘C ss e’ Gibbons, Carol was born in the St Charles ne ghbourhood of W nn peg, Man toba In 1946, the fami y moved to Vancouver and Caro met her husband Roy whom she marred on January 26 1951

Caro loved sew ng baking and garage sa es and had a specia talent and passion for kn tt ng, which she was able to do unt l very recently Carol and Roy loved trave l ng and spent many of the r ear y retirement years on trips around the wor d They were vo unteers n a w de range of community causes and when they cou d no longer part cipate n person, they supported the r favour te causes with generous financia contr butions

Caro was pre-deceased by her husband Roy of more than 71 years and her great-grandson River n 2022 Survived by her three ov ng daughters

Susan (Ralph) Dawson, L nda (Barry) Chi d and Jayne (Jul an) Buchwa d, 7 grandch ldren, 11 greatgrandchi dren sister Doreen Speers and many nieces and nephews

Ce ebrat on of Life wi l be held n the D scovery Room at Burnaby V l age 6501 Deer Lake Avenue, Burnaby on Sunday, February 26 from 3:30-6:30 pm

In lieu of flowers, p ease consider donat ng to a char ty of your cho ce

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