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LOCAL NEWS – LOCAL MATTERS
THURSDAY MAY 31, 2018
Y O U R
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‘We want a 10-lane pool’ Theresa McManus
tmcmanus@newwestrecord.ca
Supporters of a 10-lane swimming pool tried to make a splash at city hall Monday night. More than 200 people marched from Canada Games Pool to city hall, where they gathered on the front steps and repeatedly chanted “We want a 10-lane pool,” chants so loud they could be heard inside council chambers. While the majority of the group rallied outside, a handful of Hyack Swim Club representatives headed inside to the council meeting. “It should be a legacy for New Westminster,” resident Paul McNamara told council. “It’s not just for Hyack, and I don’t think it should just be for leisure. It should be both. Competitive swimmers cannot use leisure pools, but leisure swimmers can use competitive pools.The City of New Westminster should be the greatest city in the Lower Mainland with this venue.We should aim high.” Continued on page 3
MAKING A SPLASH: Mark Bottrill, head coach for the Hyack Swim Club, addresses a crowd of more than 200 people who rallied at city hall Monday night, urging the city to include 10 swim lanes in the pool that will replace Canada Games Pool. The contingent, accompanied by a police escort, marched from the pool to the steps of city hall, where boisterous chants of “We want a 10-lane pool” could heard inside council chambers. PHOTO THERESA MCMANUS
Residents want homeless proposal moved Theresa McManus
tmcmanus@newwestrecord.ca
Many Queensborough residents oppose a plan to build modular housing for homeless women near the local elementary school – but are prepared to welcome it elsewhere. Council received a report Monday on zoning amendment and official community plan amendment bylaws that would allow a 44-unit modular housing development at 838 Ewen Ave. If approved, the project would provide housing and support services for women who are homeless or at risk
of homelessness. More than a dozen Queensborough residents appeared at Monday’s meeting to urge council to reject the site – but to put it at another location in their neighbourhood. Residents are concerned about potential risks to children of locating the project next to a site that’s home to about 700 students at the middle and elementary schools, the community centre, a skate park, a StrongStart program, a before-and-after-school childcare program, playgrounds and a daycare. Jagjit Sall said the Gurd-
wara Sahib Sukh Sagar’s congregation has always provided a safe place for many people to congregate and feeds 100 meals to homeless individuals each week. The temple’s congregation, however, is concerned about the potential impacts on children’s safety. “I say potential because no one knows if the children’s safety is safe or not. That is what scares many of the people of Queensborough, that this project cannot guarantee that it won’t increase the risk of children’s safety,” he said. “On behalf of the congregation,
it has been asked that another location be chosen, that the current location is not fit for either the children of Queensborough or for those homeless women involved as they need all the support from the community as they come in, not walking to scathing eyes in opposition, but open arms. This is a community project. It takes a community to make it work, so let’s work on an alternative location so all the stakeholders involved can benefit from it.” While some community members have voiced support for the project on social media and at the open
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sible,” she said. “We feel like we can do it in Queensborough.” Dhanani presented council with a petition signed by 2,000 Queensborough residents, which is calling on the provincial government to work with the city and stakeholders to extend the timeline for community consultation, to address potential risks related to the project and to find a location away from a site near children, because of potential exposure to drug use, drug trade and high-risk mental health behaviours. Continued on page 5
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house, all speakers at Monday’s meeting expressed concern about its location. Ashifa Dhanani, who is part of a group called Queensborough Residents for Responsible Community Planning that formed in response to this proposal, said the community embraced a housing project for women and children just a few blocks away. She said the community supports the project at a different Queensborough location. “We are in support of the project.We really feel it’s important to get 44 women off the street as soon as pos-
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