NEWS 3
Fire numbers on the rise
NEWS 5
Doctor files lawsuit over fall
PEOPLE 11
Q&A with a star photographer FOR THE BEST LOCAL
COVERAGE WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 10 2016
LOCAL NEWS – LOCAL MATTERS
GO TO PAGE 23
There’s more at Burnabynow.com
A fullcourt press This team within a team has a makeup fit for the United Nations EXCLUSIVE By Jeremy Deutsch
jdeutsch@burnabynow.com
The high-five. It’s pretty much a universal gesture of accomplishment, especially in sports. But at Burnaby Mountain Secondary, the high-fives going around on the hard court mean a little more. Sure the high school’s girls AAA basketball team is winning games, but the high-fives are an easy way for the team – which has a makeup fit for the United Nations – to communicate. “I choose this school by basketball,” Karen Ito, a guard, recently told the NOW. “I wanted to play basketball and meet local students.” The outgoing 17-year-old came to the school this fall from Japan and is one of four international students on the team. The teen joined players from Germany, China and Italy. Ito explained she played a lit-
THEY GOT GAME Left to right: Catherine Zheng, Karen Ito, Karen Moehler and Eugenia Garaffo are international students playing for the Burnaby Mountain Secondary’s girls AAA basketball team. The playoffs for the team begin this week. PHOTO CORNELIA NAYLOR
tle ball back home but didn’t have a coach or an organized team to play for. In fact, all of the girls have little experience playing the game at a competitive level. In the case of Eugenia Garaffo,
the 17-year-old Italian has never played the sport in her life. She fell in love with the Vancouver area on a trip a few years back and wanted to come to Burnaby on an exchange. Garaffo figured joining the team
would be a good way to improve her English and make friends. “It was a big challenge because it’s a sport you don’t know,” she said, admitting her first game was terrible. The international flavour of the
team is really a microcosm of the school itself. There are 165 international students at Burnaby Mountain this year, and each year the numbers keep growing. Continued on page 4
Court says monk has to leave Burnaby property By Jeremy Deutsch
jdeutsch@burnabynow.com
A Burnaby monk who had plans to build a Buddhist temple for his followers at a large property on Royal Oak Avenue has been ordered to vacate the home.
According to ruling in B.C. Supreme Court, a judge has ordered the Vietnamese Unified Buddhist Congregation of B.C. and anyone living in 8708 Royal Oak Ave. to cease occupancy in the home or any unpermitted additions and
buildings located on the property. The judge’s orders, which were filed on Jan. 22, also granted the City of Burnaby a permanent injunction requiring the owner to submit an application to the city for building permits to either
demolish all structures or remediate the existing home to meet a number of conditions set out by the court and to meet bylaws. A Buddhist monk named Le Thuan owns the 7.4-hectare property and spoke to the Burna-
ese Unified Buddhist Congregation of B.C., which he leads. Over the years, he built several additions to the property, including a temple and two dining halls. Continued on page 4
Our experts are passionate about helping you create your brighter financial future. Ask us today about our competitive retirement and savings specials. UP TO 3.00 % 3 YEAR ESCAL ATOR TERM D EPOSIT
604-419-8888 • gffg.com/RRSP
*Some terms and conditions apply. Limited time offer. Rates subject to change.
Invest in your life beyond banking
by NOW in December after the original petition was filed by the city. The monk, originally from Vietnam, has lived at the property for 13 years, and intended to build a meditation centre or temple on the site for the Vietnam-