Mountiewhostoppedarsonattemptearnsaward Communitynow

CorneliaNaylor

cnaylor@burnabynow.com

A local Mountie who stopped a man from lighting a Burnaby gas station on fire and another local officer who talked a man out of hanging himself from a highway overpass have won awards for meritorious service.

On Feb 16, 2020, Burnaby RCMP Const. Karanjit Dulay responded to a call at about 5:30 a.m. at Smart Gas in the 6800 block of CanadaWay.

There were reports of a man trying to light a fire at the gas station, according to a police news release at the time

At the scene, Dulay saw a man trying to ignite a gas hose with a lighter, police said The man kept trying to light a fire despite being confronted, according to police, and a video posted on social media showed Dulay grappling with him and taking him into custody He was apprehended under the Mental Health Act

Dulay was recognized at the 39th annual Police Honours Night at Government House inVictoria last month for his actions that morning

“This incident could have resulted in serious injury or death to any- one nearby,” stated the commendation “Notwithstanding this danger, Const Dulay put himself at great risk to save a potential catastrophe ”

Another local Mountie was recognized for talking a distraught man off a ledge at a Burnaby overpass

On Oct. 4, 2018, just after 8 a m , then-Cpl Brett Cunningham responded to a call involving a suicidal male with a noose around his neck on a Highway 1 overpass.

Cunningham began to talk to the man and positioned himself so he would be able to take hold of him in the event he tried to jump Using de-escalation techniques, Cunningham convinced the man to come back over the railing and remove the noose The man was taken into custody under the Mental

Health Act

“Cpl. Cunningham utilized his experience and training to successfully apprehend the male,” stated the commendation.

Dulay and Cunningham were among 154 law enforcement personnel recognized for bravery and dedication last month

Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth and Lt.-Gov. Janet Austin presented the awards

The Burnaby Halloween Festival’s grant program for 2023 is now officially open! This funding stream is designed to provide financial support to event production companies and organizations interested in participating in the second annual month-long festival with a flair to scare. The program offers financial support for approved activations across three categories: Major Event Grants, Special Category Grants, and Community Activation Grants.