WEDNESDAY, APRIL 2, 2014
EW0 $RN ichmo0 nd
MORE AT WWW.RICHMOND-NEWS.COM, ON FACEBOOK OR ON TWITTER@THERICHMONDNEWS
10991 No. 4 Road @ Steveston Hwy.
3.
FF Store NO ow
1 per custome r Expiry April 20, 2014
2 Rd OPEN ! 60640-42-2775 5-1 3 1 -13313 60640-43 -31 100-2 -2 929929 #1 #198-8120 No.
604-448-0142
98-8120 N0. 2
$100 00 $
Rd
BUY TWO LARG Ente r for a E PIG ZZIFT AND RE certificate chance to wAS CEIVE in a $10 when youCERT gift buy IF ATeEpi0 2 IC larg Na Name me: :__ zzas! ____ ____ ____ ____________ ____ ____ ____ Ph ____ Phon __ onee#:: __ __ __ __ __ ____ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ ____ ______ ____ Cannot ____ Can not be ____ ____ be com combin ____ Em Em ____ bined ail ____ ed with ____ : :cus __ with oth __ ____ __ __ per ____ __ __ 11per cus 1 ail _ per __ offers. tom ereroffe cus __ rs. Pick er.Val tom __ tom Val __8-8 Pickup up onl idatat er.er __oth .__ at#19 Val __ #19 id __ id __ only. 8-8 __ #19 120 __ 8-8 Ope __ No. Opnenfor __ 120 120 __ __ Rd. No forLun __ __ No.__ .__ loca 222Rd Lun __ __ ch. tion ch.aw __ . loca Rd. Fre FreeeDa onl loca tion Dr y.__ Deliver Del tion onl ivery.y. Off y. onl y.__ Off
5
10 minute Oil Change
OFF
te: Apriler er20 exp exth ires pir, es Dec Nov em emb. ber ber28 20Fe 30, 30, 14 , 20 20114 201 33
Healthcare workers and concerned citizens, angry at the expiration of transfer payments from the federal to provincial governments, make their feelings known outside MP Alice Wong’s office. Photo by Dennis Page/ Special to the News
CRIME
Cops target laser strikes Philip Raphael
Staff Reporter praphael@richmond-news.com
HEALTHCARE
Workers protest health cuts Dennis Page
Special to the News
Healthcare workers, members of local unions and concerned citizens protested outside MP Alice Wong’s office Monday afternoon opposing cuts to transfer payments that fund healthcare services. Canada’s health accord, the agreement which provides transfer payments from the federal government to the provinces and territories, expired March 31. With no new agreement to take its place, many are worried about the impact on healthcare costs and services. “Today (Monday) is the end of the 10year health accord between the provinces and the federal government, and as a result of that accord ending, we are going to see a cut in funding to B.C. totaling $255 million this year and next year, and $5 billion over the next 10 years,” says Neil Monckton, with
the Hospital Employees’ Union (HEU). want to give his last name. Monckton says cuts by the federal With vast numbers of baby-boomers government are going to have a major entering retirement, he believes the timing impact on healthcare couldn’t be worse. services, which are already “Especially for the ...if you have stretched to the max. seniors. They work all “We see it in terms of money, you’ll survive, their lives, they made this workload and the kinds of what it is, and it’s and if you don’t, good country working conditions we have, not fair to penalize people such as crowded hospitals.” luck to you. this way. Not only are you With a quarter of a billion — Hospital worker going to kill people faster, dollars in cuts in the next they are going to have to two years, potential job losses are also a sell everything they have just to stay afloat.” concern, and that has employees worried as “We would like the Stephen Harper well. Conservatives to reinstate the Canadian “I get the impression that if you have health accord. It’s incredibly important to money, you’ll survive, and if you don’t, good protect our public healthcare and medicare,” luck to you. That is completely wrong and says Stephanie Smith of the BCGEU. I’m sure that Tommy Douglas is rolling Alice Wong did not appear to be at her around in his grave right now,” says Gino, office at the time and has not responded to a a Richmond Hospital employee who didn’t request for comment from the News.
Tracking down suspects who target VIEW aircraft and risk VIDEO temporarily blinding WITH pilots with powerful, LAYAR hand-held lasers is no longer a shot in the dark. Thanks to improved cooperation and communication between a number of organizations — police, government transport officials and air navigation staff — responding to incidents has become the near equivalent of most other crimes. “It’s now like responding to a bank robbery, a break and enter It’s now like progress or responding to in a similar call a bank for assistance,” said Sgt. Cam robbery. Kowalski of the - Sgt. Kowalski Richmond RCMP which handles an average of 35 calls a year where aircraft coming into YVR have been hit by the intense light from a laser. And that’s no mean feat considering some of the lasers being used have a range of 100 miles or more — a capability that gives culprits the ability to set up and pin point aircraft from just about anywhere along the flightpath in the Lower Mainland. “We’re responding to calls from places like Garry Point here in Richmond, out to Burnaby and Port Coquitlam,” said Kowalski who specializes in the field of visual interference with aircraft which is becoming more common as prices for powerful lasers make them more accessible. “In the last 10 to 12 years there’s been a dramatic increase in laser strikes globally, which includes YVR,” Kowalski said. “What we’ve done is create a response protocol for laser strikes.” see Suspects › page 3
OYSTERFEST!
Come & Enjoy Fresh West Coast Oysters at the Seafood House
35
Every Night until April 30th
3951 Moncton Street • Reservations 604.271.5252 • Book Online: www.stevestonseafoodhouse.com