New Westminster Record July 8 2015

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NEWS 8

Popular teacher dies in crash NEWS 11

A top cop calls it a career ENTERTAINMENT 16

THINGS TO DO THIS WEEKEND

Local talent stars in Oliver! WEDNESDAY JULY 8, 2015

There’s more online at

Y O U R

SEE PAGE 13

NewWestRecord.ca

LOCAL NEWS – LOCAL MATTERS

H O M E T O W N

N E W S P A P E R

What now for Pattullo?

Failure of transit vote leaves fate of aging bridge uncertain Theresa McManus

tmcmanus@newwestrecord.ca

The fate of the Pattullo Bridge replacement project is as clear as the skies over Metro Vancouver. Prior to the recent transit and transportation referendum,TransLink was working with New Westminster, Surrey and Coquitlam on a public process related to the replacement of the aging Pattullo Bridge.The plan is to replace the existing bridge with a new four-lane, tolled Pattullo Bridge. “I think the referendum results have created a bit of uncertainty for the Pattullo Bridge project,” Mayor Jonathan Cote told the Record. “Ultimately, I still believe it’s a project that will have to happen.They are doing significant rehab work next year, and that might buy a little extra time. But having said that, ultimately something needs to be done with the Pattullo Bridge.” In an attempt to raises funds to expand the region’s transit and transportation systems, the Mayors’ Council on transportation

NOW WHAT? Metro Vancouver residents voted against the Mayors’ Council proposal to increase sales tax in the region by 0.5 per cent, which leaves the fate of the 78-year-old Pattullo Bridge up in the air. PHOTO ROB KRUYT

continued on page 10

Heavy haze poses health hazards

NewWestminster residents feel the effects of the wildfires burning near Sechelt and Pemberton as air quality nosedives Cornelia Naylor

cnaylor@newwestrecord.ca

New Westminster residents with asthma, chronic respiratory disease and heart failure were warned to take precautions against a thick blanket of smoke hovering over Metro Vancouver earlier this week. The regional authority and Environment Canada issued a joint air-quality advisory Monday in response to smoke from wildfires that has shrouded much of the Lower Mainland, the Strait of Georgia and the southern half of Vancouver Island since

should postpone strenuous exercise until the advisory is lifted. Staying indoors and in air-conditioned spaces helps to reduce fine particulate exposure.” People experiencing difficulty breathing, chest pain or discomfort, or the sudden onset of cough or irritation of airways are advised to contact their doctor. Emergency rooms have seen a jump in respiratory-related visits since the smoke arrived, according to Fraser Health Authority spokesperson Tasleem Juma, but health officials can’t say conclusively whether the smoke is the cause. “It’s difficult to determine whether it’s air quality or heat or something else,” Juma told the Record. Fine particulate matter refers to airborne

Sunday morning. Air quality readings taken close to the New West border in South Burnaby showed concentrations of fine particulate matter shooting past four times the target level over a 24 hour-period. By 6 a.m.Tuesday, levels had returned to below target, but the air-quality advisory remained in effect. “Exposure is particularly a concern for infants, the elderly and those who have diabetes, and lung or heart disease,” stated the Metro Vancouver advisory. “Persons with chronic underlying medical conditions

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solids or liquid droplets with a diameter of 2.5 micrometres or less. It can easily penetrate indoors because of its small size. Most masks available at drug stores won’t filter out fine particulate matter, according to Fraser Health, so if people intend to use masks they should make sure they are rated to filter out particles of 2.5 microns in size, and that users are wearing them properly. The poor air quality, caused by wildfires burning outside of the region, including a 618-acre fire near Sechelt, 60 kilometres northwest of Vancouver, and two much bigger fires (49,000 acres and 12,000 acres) near Pemberton, is expected to last until there is a change in the weather, according Continued on page 8

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