Tri-City News April 13 2023

Court mulls duelling claims between Coq.

mayor, Metro CAO

JANIS CLEUGH jcleugh@tricitynews.com

The plaintiff called the mayor of Coquitlam “a whistleblower.”

The defendant argued Richard Stewart is out for “selfpreservation”

Either way, Mayor Stewart’s letter about evidence that Metro Vancouver CAO Jerry Dobrovolny swore in an affidavit last December is the subject of an application now before the Vancouver Law Courts.

Last Thursday (April 6), Master Terry Vos reserved his judgment on a bid by the Spanish company Acciona to cross-examine Dobrovolny on a second affidavit he gave last month that responded to

Stewart’s letter.

The civil case is “a bit of a sideshow,” Metro Vancouver’s counsel Kathleen MacDonald said, referring to two other actions before the courts between Metro and Acciona

In the first, Acciona is suing Metro for $250 million for wrongful dismissal after Metro ended its contract for Acciona to design and build the North Shore Wastewater Treatment Plant in North Vancouver; in turn, Metro is countersuing for $500 million.

But the events since Acciona’s termination in January 2022 have taken a strange turn.

Last May, Acciona revealed to Metro that one of its former

MARIO BARTEL/TRI-CITY NEWS

Eric Mostrenko is leading his Biland robotics team from Heritage Woods Secondary School to the VEX robotics world championships in Dallas, Texas, later this month. Two teams from the Port Moody school are the first from the Tri-Cities to qualify for the competition. See the story on Page 17. see

SFU football’s demise leaves TC athletes in a lurch

MARIO BARTEL mbartel@tricitynews.com

At first Connor Jones couldn’t believe what his eyes were telling him when he flipped open his laptop during class at Centennial Secondary School last Tuesday morning.

The senior’s Instagram feed was telling him Simon Fraser University in Burnaby cancelled its varsity football program immediately. It was where the 5’10” wide receiver had recently committed to begin playing and studying in September

“I thought it was some sort of fake news,” Jones told the TriCity News “I had a hard time understanding how this could happen if they just finished having spring camp, signing new recruits, naming coaches and everything seemed to be moving forward as usual.”

SFU made its bombshell announcement that 58 years of football at the school had come to an abrupt end after the Lone Star Conference, the Texas-based league where the Red Leafs began playing in 2021, decided in January not to renew its two-year affiliate contract with the only Canadian school in the NCAA.

SFU joined the league after several schools in its previous league, the Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC),

discontinued their programs Jones’ teammate at Centennial, quarterback Malcolm Cameron, said he was “blindsided” by the news, especially after getting no hint the boom would soon be lowered when he attended SFU’s spring training camp just two weeks ago

“I was shocked and devastated,” Cameron said after

he received an email from the university’s athletic director later on Tuesday.

Dino Geremia, an SFU grad who also coached at the school for 17 years and now guides Centennial’s football program, said the Red Leafs’ demise is a “punch in the stomach” that will hurt the sport at every level in the province

He said SFU provided local

student athletes an opportunity to play and study close to home, with family and community support close by

“Many times athletes are looking for a local opportunity so they can continue to build their existing networks and have opportunities to give back to their amateur programs and high schools,” said Geremia, who also leads a leadership program at Centennial designed to guide student athletes through the recruitment process for post-secondary scholarship opportunities

He said SFU’s position in American college athletics (first in the NAIA and most recently in NCAA Div II following a brief interlude in Canada’s U Sports) made it unique.

“SFU football has provided an opportunity for young players to set goals and aspirations to play against top-notch competition and do it as a Canadian.”

Tom Kudaba, another SFU alumnus who now coaches the Terry Fox Ravens, said without SFU as a local option for postsecondary football, some of those young players might not even find their way to the sport.

“Some parents will say there’s nothing in football, so they’ll turn their kids to other sports,” Kudaba said. “But it’s a chance for a lot of kids to play, be part

of a team and give back to the school and to themselves.”

Several local players from the Tri-Cities used their time at SFU as a springboard to successful pro careers, including Lemar Durant, Nick Hebeler, Brett Anderson, Michael Couture and Sukh Chung.

Currently, nine players on SFU’s roster are from the TriCities.

In its announcement SFU said it would provide one-onone counselling to help players decide their next steps and the school will honour athletic scholarships next year for those who want to remain there and meet academic eligibility requirements

Geremia said that’s little consolation.

Cameron said all the time and energy he spent talking to coaches, compiling and submitting highlight reels and weighing the pros and cons of where to go has been wasted.

“I am left to find somewhere to play football,” he said, adding he’s unsure what opportunities might still be out there for him Jones said he’s still too stunned to think about his next move.

He said he’s talked to some former teammates at Centennial who were on SFU’s roster and “it has not been good news.”

MARIO BARTEL/TRI-CITY NEWS FILE PHOTO

Centennial Centaurs quarterback Malcolm Cameron is scrambling to find a new post-secondary opportunity to keep playing after Simon Fraser University abruptly cancelled its varsity football program.

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your next of kin without a well-planned will makes an already tragic situation even worse. We have helped thousands of families develop thorough, tax-effective estate plans.

Stewartisnowhistleblower,Metrolawyertellscourt

employees, Anika Calder, had confidential documents from Metro about the dismissal Calder, the daughter of Peter Steblin, Coquitlam’s now retired city manager, took photos of the Metro documents that were on her father’s city laptop in his kitchen and opened via Stewart’s login credentials. Acciona’s counsel, Craig Dennis, told Vos that discussions were ongoing with Metro until last December when Metro “without warning” filed a court injunction to preserve the confidential documents on Acciona’s systems.

In that case, Metro wants a court injunction to allow a forensic investigator to dig into Acciona’s computers to see how far its confidential documents got, and to destroy them

To add to the injunction case, Dobrovolny swore an affidavit

about the leaked information and the sharing of login credentials by Metro directors.

In January, Stewart wrote a letter through his lawyer to both Metro and Acciona to contradict some of Dobrovolny’s evidence in his affidavit.

In response, Dobrovolny offered a second affidavit to “clarify” his stance

For five hours last Thursday, Vos listened to the lawyers’ arguments, often shaking his head about the additional legal issues since the main civil action was filed.

In the latest case, Acciona contends it needs to crossexamine Dobrovolny as, it claims, his evidence in the two affidavits is material to Metro’s injunction application (for a forensic investigator).

Dennis told the court that, contrary to Dobrovolny’s evidence, Acciona has complied with Metro’s requests and has even provided Metro with its

notes following interviews with Steblin and his daughter about the leaked documents.

Dennis alleged Dobrovolny may have provided the court with “incomplete, inaccurate or misleading evidence” based on what Stewart wrote in his letter, and accused Metro of having “unclean hands” in the legal proceedings

Stewart’s unsolicited letter, which was read out in part in court, accuses Dobrovolny of “errors and inaccuracies” about the sharing of confidential information and login credentials by Metro directors with senior municipal staff.

Dennis also claimed Dobrovolny “walks back on his second affidavit” following the letter by Stewart, whom Dennis claims seeks a “complete and factually accurate record” before the injunction hearing begins.

“Mayor Stewart voluntarily came forward out of concern that the record wasn’t accurate,”

Dennis said, noting Dobrovolny was “fully aware” that Metro directors could share their login credentials with senior city staff.

“He wanted to come forward for the benefit of the parties and to correct the record…. The court will want a full explanation of what Mr. Dobrovolny said.”

Still, Metro lawyers argued that Stewart’s letter “only muddies the waters with inflammatory” rhetoric

“Unfortunately, Mayor Stewart decided to insert himself,” MacDonald said, noting Stewart is no longer a Metro director.

“This is no whistleblower coming from the inside. This is a self-preservation letter”

MacDonald also pointed out that while three months have passed since Stewart penned his letter, the mayor has yet to provide an affidavit despite claiming he would.

“This letter isn’t evidence and shouldn’t be treated as such,” she told the court.

MacDonald also contended that Dobrovolny offered a second affidavit after Stewart’s letter “in the prudence of the political smear that we were in.” She argued that none of the information Dobrovolny gave in his second affidavit is contradictory, and that it is not relevant to the injunction application “No material facts are actually in dispute here,” she said “We felt it was necessary to reassure the court [with a second affidavit]. We needed to address what was said in [Stewart’s] letter.”

MacDonald urged the court to toss Acciona’s application, saying a cross-examination of Dobrovolny “isn’t going to assist the court There’s no point It’s not going to move the needle”

Still, Dennis retorted that Metro is playing down Stewart’s letter and Dobrovolny’s second affidavit “doesn’t clear anything up.”

No date is set for Vos’ ruling.

YounowhavetopaytoparkatBelcarraRegionalPark

DIANE STRANDBERG dstrandberg@tricitynews.com

Visitors to təmtəmíxʷtən/ Belcarra Regional Park now have to pay for parking

The seasonal measure took effect April 1.

This is the third year for the seasonal pay parking initiative since it started in 2021; however, you’ll pay a bit more to park in the lot.

Pay parking will be in effect at təmtəmíxʷtən/Belcarra Regional Park from April 1 to Sept 30 and you’ll pay $2 50 per hour or $15 per day

That’s up from $2 per hour when the program started

Pay parking was introduced to manage increasing demand to visit the park and to manage vehicle access.

Revenue from parking fees will be invested back into the park.

The park is managed by

Metro Vancouver, which has a frequently asked questions page about Belcarra parking on its website.

Here are some of the common

questions and answers: Where is pay parking in effect?

• Pay parking is in effect throughout the park including

lots at White Pine Beach, Belcarra Picnic Area and Woodhaven Swamp. It is also in effect in temporary overflow parking areas along the shoulder

of Tum-tumay-whueton Drive as indicated by signs. What hours is pay parking in effect?

• From 10 a.m. to park closing time (parking is free before 10 a.m.)

• You can’t reserve parking but there is no time limit for how long you can park.

How do I pay for parking?

• Payment (by license plate) can be made at machines by credit card or by using PaybyPhone or HONK.

• Downloading an app before visiting the park will help improve the payment process.

• Machines are located in parking lots at White Pine Beach, Belcarra Picnic Area, and Woodhaven Swamp.

• Machines do not accept cash

• If you don’t have data on your phone and don’t have the app, there is a pay-by-phone option

MARIO BARTEL/TRI-CITY NEWS FILE PHOTO

April13–19

Calendar

Monday,April17

Council-in-Committee 2p.m.

RegularCouncil 7p.m. coquitlam.ca/council coquitlam.ca/agendas

Council Meeting Details

Seepage31

Public Hearing Details

Seepages38and39

coquitlamca/calendar

Celebrating Our Volunteers

AswecelebrateNationalVolunteerWeek, April16to22,CoquitlamCityCounciland staffwouldliketothankthemany volunteerswhosupportimportant programsandservicesthroughoutour communityThethousandsofhours contributedeveryyearallowustoextend ourreachandimpactinthecommunity VolunteershelpkeepCoquitlamsafeand clean,protectourenvironment,andsupport seniorsandthoseinneed.Volunteersmake ourcommunityprogramsandciviceventsa success,fosteringaninclusive,dynamic environmentwhereallarewelcome.

Volunteeringisalsoagreatwaytogain skillsandexperiencewhilelearningabout theCity’sprogramsandservicesforanyone whomightbeconsideringacareerwith Coquitlam

ToallofCoquitlam’svolunteers thankyouformakingadifferenceinour community.

VolunteerSpotlight

“Formevolunteeringismywholeworldandit’s aboutmyson Itisthebestwayformetoseeand givebacktothecommunitywhichhasembracedus Sowellorganizedandforthcoming Everydayis amazingandanewlearningforme”

–Amita,GeneralRecreationVolunteer

“Acombinationofretirementandrelocatingtoanew cityledmetoresearchvolunteeropportunitiesin Coquitlam.AtfirstIwashesitantbutafterattending thevolunteerorientationIrealizedthewidevarietyof opportunitiesandflexiblehours.Volunteeringhas providedmewithnewconnections,agreatersenseof community,fulfillmentandmuchjoy.

Iwoulddefinitelyencourageanyonewhoisthinking aboutvolunteeringtogoforit!”

–Donna,DogwoodPavilion,StrokeRecoveryGroupVolunteer

“IsigneduptobeavolunteerbecauseIneededhours forschoolbutonceIcompletedthosehoursIlikeditso muchthatIstayedon.I’vemadeitahabittotryto volunteeratleastonceaweek Myfriendalsosignedup tobeavolunteer,soweoftentrytoplantovolunteeron thesamedays Iloveinteractingwiththekids,hearing theirstoriesandhelpingthemlearnsomethingnew.”

–Piette,MaillardvilleCommunityCentreVolunteer

CityVolunteer Opportunities

Ifyou’relookingtogiveback tothecommunity,gain experienceorvolunteerhours orjusttrysomethingnew,there isavolunteeropportunityfor you Tolearnmoreabout currentopportunitiesandto signuponline,visit coquitlam.ca/volunteer

• AdoptPrograms–Throughthevarious“adopt-a”programs, individuals,families,groupsorbusinessescanhelptakecare ofparkfeatures,cityroads,catchbasinsandmore.

• SpecialEvents–Helpoutatfuncommunityeventssuchas CanadaDay,SummerConcertSeries,KaleidoscopeArts Festivalandmore

• CommunityPolicing–Workwiththepublicinthe CommunityPoliceStationandhelpwritereports,patrol neighbourhoodsandchampionnewinitiatives

• Recreation–HelpouttheCity’srecreationteaminawide varietyofareas,includingswimming,skating,fitness, aquatics,outdoorrecreation,childrenandseniors’programs

• MeaningfulMeals–Volunteerasadrivertodelivermealsto seniorsandengageinsocialconversation

• SocialConnectionsProgram–Getmatchedwithalocal seniorandconnectwiththemthroughafunandfriendly weeklyphonecall

• ParkSpark–Getoutsidefordrop-inactivities,parkand gardenprojectsandongoingpark-careactivities

• TreeSpree/CoquitlaminBloom–Helpourcommunity’s greenspacesandtreecanopybyattendingtree-planting events,publiceducationsessionsandmore

• BadSeed–Participateinorganizedinvasiveplantpullsand assistatBadSeedevents.

Wading pool still wanted

A long-term vision for one of Coquitlam’s oldest parks is moving ahead.

But concerns about the loss of the wading pool at Blue Mountain Park continue to split the community and city council.

Last Monday (April 3), the city’s council-in-committee heard an update regarding the Blue Mountain Park Master Plan, a proposed blueprint as the Austin Heights neighbourhood grows (Couns Steve Kim and Dennis Marsden weren’t at the meeting.)

According to a 2021 survey by the municipality, respondents listed their priorities for the future of the 20-acre park:

THE FIELD (western side)

• preservation of the baseball diamond

• paved pathway updates along Blue Mountain Street

• better park entry

• more lighting

• more group exercise programs

• more outdoor fitness

THE CORE (middle section)

• new washrooms

• enhanced playground

• more picnic areas

• new event space

THE GROVE (eastern side)

• pickleball improvements

• new lit paved paths

• more picnic areas

• circuit training

• artistic elements

Still, some councillors zeroed on the upcoming loss of the aging Scout Hall, at the northeastern end, as well as the possible replacement within the park of the cenotaph and the decommissioning of the wading pool the latter a topic that came up repeatedly during the election campaign, said Couns. Craig Hodge and Robert Mazzarolo.

“I’m not sure that taking out the wading pool is necessarily what the community wants or envisions,” Hodge said, adding, “It has been a key element of this park for a long period of time We have to give it more consideration”

Mazzarolo harkened to the history of the wading pool, saying it “binds multigenerations. We really need to be careful if we’re going to be moving that…. I think it does have some value that you can’t really calculate.”

But Mayor Richard Stewart

and Couns Brent Asmundson and Teri Towner sided with city managers who said the pool is too old and out of date, and Spani Pool some 15 blocks away will have a new leisure pool when it reopens in 2024.

Stewart said the wading pool “has challenges associated with it You can’t save this wading pool I’m hopeful that we don’t get residents bogged down on the possibility that a wading pool built before my parents were born… should have a future. It might be misplacing or misdirecting residents in contemplating the realm of things we would do.”

However, Coun. Trish Mandewo said city council has received plenty of emails from area residents, urging it to save the wading pool “It’s not about the pool itself; it’s about the experience,” acknowledged Doron Fishman, Coquitlam’s park planning and design manager, while saying city staff would be in touch with Fraser Health to look at costs. Another round of public consultation on the Blue Mountain Park Master Plan is expected this summer or fall.

Quarry consult ends

A public consultation about the expansion plans for a Northeast Coquitlam quarry is now over

On Tuesday (April 11), B C’s Ministry of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation said the 30-day period for feedback ended last Saturday (April 8).

Ministry staff received about 45 letters on Heidelberg Materials’ (Lehigh Hanson) plans to increase its rock mining pit at Gilley’s Quarry by 50 per cent.

The “next steps will be for the Statutory Decision Maker to review public concerns, as well as input from other government agencies and First Nations to help inform a decision,” a ministry spokesperson told the Tri-City News.

Among those raising the flag about the possible expansion of the quarry located at the end of Quarry Road in Coquitlam, next to the Pitt River is area resident Renato Spano, who spoke before the city’s council-in-committee last month

about the narrow, gravel road to and from the pit.

At the time, the committee stated it would write a letter to the ministry about the proposal and neighbourhood complaints

As well, the Burke Mountain Residents’ Association called for action via its Facebook page and urged homeowners to take a stand to stop the application, citing environmental and transportation concerns

The association said the proposed expansion would result in 34 more trucks a day travelling Quarry Road, Victoria Drive, David Avenue and Coast Meridian Road to haul aggregate or machines

Besides the expansion, Heidelberg also wants to boost its permitted annual tonnage of rock from one million to 1.5 million.

Heidelberg states that the original mining grant issued 40 years ago “had set out a permitted mining boundary” that’s “still not completely disturbed and recovered.”

The Tri-City News contacted Heidelberg and the quarry manager; however, they did not respond to emailed questions.

Notice of Public Hearing

The City of Port Coquitlam will be holding a Public Hearing to receive input from all persons and interested parties who wish to address Council regarding the following proposed bylaws

Date & Time: Tue, Apr. 18 at 4 pm

Location: Council Chambers, City Hall - 2580 Shaughnessy St., Port Coquitlam

Immediately following adjournment of the Public Hearing the Regular Council Meeting will reconvene and Council may give consideration to bylaws on the Public Hearing portion of the Agenda.

Item 1: Zoning Amendment Bylaw No. 4308, 2023 1760 Kingsway Avenue

The Intent of Bylaw No. 4308, 2023, is to amend City of Port Coquitlam Zoning Bylaw No 3630, 2008 to rezone the subject property as outlined in black on the map marked Schedule “A” to Bylaw 4308, 2023.

If approved, this will amend Comprehensive Development Zone 28 to allow for a cannabis retail outlet at 1760 Kingsway Avenue.

Sat, Apr. 22 9 am - 1 pm

Schedule “A” to Bylaw No. 4308

Item 2: Zoning Amendment Bylaw No. 4309, 2023 2342 Elgin Avenue

The Intent of Bylaw No. 4309, 2023, is to amend City of Port Coquitlam Zoning Bylaw No. 3630 2008 to rezone the subj c property as outlined in b ck n e ma marked Sch du e “ ” o B law 43 9, 2023

d hedule A” to this will m Z

su lack on Bylaw 4

ject th 309 20

ylaw ap 23

If approved, his w ll amend Comprehensive Development Zone 26 to allow for a cannabis retail outlet at 2342 Elgin Avenue.

023, is Z 0, ty d S ve p ehensive me fo outlet

Inspection of Documents

Schedule “A” to Bylaw No 4309

To view copies of the supporting documents (staff reports and bylaw) visit portcoquitlam.ca/publichearings.

Submit Your Comments

In order to afford Council the opportunity to review your comments in advance of the Public Hearing please forward your submission prior to noon on the day of the Public Hearing by: Email: publichearings@portcoquitlam.ca or Mail: Corporate Office, City of Port Coquitlam 2580 Shaughnessy St., Port Coquitlam, BC V3C 2A8

*Written submissions, including names and addresses (Street and City only) will become part of the public record and will be published on the City’s website and available at the Corporate Office for public inspection.

Speaking at Public Hearings

Participate in person at the Public Hearing on/at the date, time, and location noted above

*Video recordings are streamed live and archived on the City’s website at portcoquitlam.ca/council. Please note: Council may not receive further submissions from the public or interested parties after the conclusion of the public hearing.

For further information please visit: portcoquitlam.ca/publichearings or email: corporateoffice@portcoquitlam.ca.

Public Notice of Watermain Flushing

The City of Port Coquitlam flushes one third of the City’s watermains each year in order to minimize sediment deposits in the City’s water system that can deteriorate our water quality

The City will be flushing watermains in the area shown on the map below beginning Mar 13 and it is expected to take place for 6 - 8 weeks

Flushing may cause pressure fluctuations, some discoloration, and sediment in the water reaching your home or business All of these conditions should be of short duration. If your water appears discoloured, run a cold water tap until the water clears

Please direct inquiries to Public Works at 604.927.5496 or email publicworks@portcoquitlam.ca.

portcoquitlam.ca/watermain

An umbrella academy for seniors’ self defence

DIANE STRANDBERG dstrandberg@tricitynews.com

A senior can safely fend off an attacker with just a cane or umbrella, says a retired police officer set to launch a new self defence course for seniors in Port Coquitlam

Tim Short, 69, who has a black belt in Shokotan Karate, says he wants to “empower” seniors to feel confident when they walk city streets or take public transit.

“I was getting tired of watching the media, especially TV, reporting all of assaults that were happening, not necessarily seniors but against anyone, that were happening in downtown Vancouver,” said Short “That started me thinking about creating a program what can seniors do as a way of dealing with what was happening?”

He hopes his senior’s self defence course will teach seniors how to protect themselves from harm using a cane or an umbrella.

Although Short acknowledges the Tri-Cities doesn’t have the same sorts of random attacks that have occurred in Vancouver, he said seniors he’s spoken to are sometimes afraid

to go out

His two-hour course next month features a presentation about the legalities around self defence followed up by a demonstration of cane and umbrella techniques.

Short was previously a baton and tactical troop instructor

as a young police officer on Vancouver Island

He said he’s modified his techniques for seniors, stressing proper footing for balance.

“Once you poke somebody in the face or wherever, they aren’t going to want to duke it out with you,” he said.

His course is a private offering

However, it comes as the City of Port Coquitlam surveyed seniors about what modes of transportation they might use if they have to give up their drivers’ license.

The survey of 694 seniors aged

55 to 85 found that one in seven didn’t feel safe on SkyTrain, SkyTrain stations, buses or bus stops.

The results of the survey will be used to support educational programs for seniors wishing to transition from their car Coquitlam RCMP say random attacks are “not common occurrences” in the Tri-Cities and there hasn’t been a call for self defence courses for seniors.

However, spokesperson Cpl. Alex Hodgins said police wouldn’t discourage someone from taking a self defence course.

“If they want to improve their own abilities, we would promote that,” said Cpl Hodgins

However, she noted the RCMP has a booklet of safety tips for seniors, that includes safety on the streets, as well is in the home.

However, Short believes that a self defence course for seniors could be another tool to help seniors feel more confident. The course runs April 24, 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. at the Port Coquitlam Community Centre (small room, second floor).

Cost is $30 per person. To register, tmshort1@gmail.com.

MARIO BARTEL/TRI-CITY NEWS

Retired RCMP officer Tim Short demonstrates how a common implement like an umbrella can be used by seniors to deter an attacker

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Taxboostnotashighasitcouldhavebeen

MARIO BARTEL mbartel@tricitynews.com

Port Moody homeowners won’t have to dig as deeply into their pockets to pay their property taxes this year as had been originally proposed.

But they could have had to burrow even further.

April 4, council’s finance committee approved a 9.29 per cent property tax increase

That’s just over two per cent less than the 11.33 per cent boost staff had recommended in February.

But Port Moody’s general manager of finance and technology, Paul Rockwood, said it’s a significant reduction from an increase that had since risen to 12 17 per cent to reflect some regional contracts that had recently been settled.

Rockwood said economies had been achieved by factoring in increased revenues from more business licenses being issued, tweaks to leases on the fire department’s fire trucks, an anticipated larger grant from BC Hydro in lieu of property taxes on its decommissioned Burrard Thermal generating plant, as well as a phased approach to hiring several new positions because they likely won’t be

filled until July.

As well, councillors voted to further defer filling a position for a public art coordinator that has been vacant since early in the COVID-19 pandemic.

Rockwood said the exercise of paring the city’s operating budget for the coming year

was tough, citing “financial pressures from a wide variety of areas,” like inflation, increased cost for goods and supply chain issues.

“A lot of cities are facing the same things we’re facing,” he added Rockwood said the positions

that will be phased in are required just so the city can maintain its current levels of service to residents, something many indicated was important to them during a public engagement process that included a online survey as well as polling by Ipsos, a

professional polling company.

Port Moody’s manager of financial planning, Tyson Ganske, told the committee that process received a record response, up 30 per cent from last year.

Almost half the respondents indicated they’d be OK with an 11.33 per cent tax increase.

Mayor Meghan Lahti said the work by staff and councillors to shave almost three per cent from a tax bill that will cost the average homeowner in the city about $250 is an admirable achievement and a clarion call that Port Moody has to get serious about finding further sources of revenue.

Coun. Haven Lurbiecki agreed, saying the city needs to diversify its tax base so all the financial burden doesn’t fall on homeowners.

Coun. Diana Dilworth conceded a 9 29 per cent increase is still a tough pill to swallow for residents already coping with inflation.

The committee’s recommendation now goes to council where it’s expected to be approved on May 9, just ahead of the province’s May 15 deadline for municipal budget submissions

STEVE RAY/TRI-CITY NEWS FILE PHOTO

Port Moody’s general manager of finance and technology, Paul Rockwood, says a 9.29 per cent property tax increase will allow the city to maintain its current level of services as well as retain community events like Canada Day celebrations in Rocky Point Park.

TheformerGreenleadertakeshispartytotask

It has been almost 10 years since the Green Party of British Columbia saw its first-ever MLA elected in this province

After all this time the party is still struggling to take the next step and become more competitive with the two more established parties.

The Greens won just two seats in the 2020 election, both incumbent ridings

The party fell just 60 votes short of capturing a third riding, West Vancouver-Sea to Sky.

While it garnered 15 per cent of the popular vote, almost half of that total was concentrated on Vancouver Island With a few exceptions, its candidates received about 11 to 14 per cent of the vote in the

ridings in which it fielded a candidate.

As the tiny “third party” in the B.C legislature, it is a struggle at times for it to be heard The Greens are allotted one question and a follow-up in each Question Period, so getting media exposure can be a challenge.

Last week, after provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry announced the public health order mandating the wearing of masks in health-care settings was ending (with a few exceptions), the Greens were quick to issue a news release highly critical of that decision, and it was included in some news stories.

The statement from deputy party leader Dr Sanjiv Gandhi read: “The B.C Green Party leadership are deeply dis-

appointed with today’s announcement. Public health should not be about false, optimistic narratives.”

Hmm “False narratives” being pushed by public health? Quite an accusation.

In fact, so serious a one that it resulted in it being blasted on social media by none other than the man who put the B.C. Green Party on the map by becoming its first elected MLA in 2013: Andrew Weaver.

“Sincere apologies to all in B.C. for giving the B.C. Greens a platform to put out destructive rhetoric undermining the initiatives of our public health officers,” Weaver posted on Twitter.

The BC Greens have been highly critical of Dr. Henry and her team for quite

some time, saying she was being misleading about transmission rates in schools and was not advocating strongly enough for better ventilation and tighter rules

At a time when much of society wants to move on in their lives as the end of the pandemic appears to be in sight, the Greens want the rules to be tighter.

The third party is always looking for attention, and they certainly got some from their former leader.

Nearly 10 years after he led the BC Greens to their electoral breakthrough, Weaver clearly thinks the party has changed from what it was when he led it for five years. And not for the better..

Keith Baldrey is chief political reporter for Global BC.

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SFU’sdecisiontocutfootballaffectsmorethansport

DIANE STRANDBERG dstrandberg@tricitynews.com

It was a sad day when Simon Fraser University (SFU) announced it would discontinue its varsity football program after nearly 60 years.

The program has a storied history, with many Canadian football greats getting their start in the red and white

For me, though, I’m more concerned about the kids who dreamed of being recruited into a university football program as a way of completing school doing a sport that they loved and possibly

making a career out of it.

I have personal experience as a co-manager and fundraiser for high school football and I’ve seen how kids can grow through the discipline of teamwork.

I’ve also seen how a teenager lights up when they are being recruited.

I’ll never forget the time when I was told by an SFU coach that my son could have a football career I was bewildered and thrilled.

Instead, my son is working on developing a career in architecture, but the drive and goal-setting he learned from football and

the recruitment process helped him immensely.

I also know from experience that it’s costly to send your kids out of province to a football program even on scholarship.

The loss of a local university scholarship program will be a devastating blow for many Lower Mainland families who can’t afford to send their kids to Calgary or Ottawa to play football and study Students can learn a lot from the recruiting process, as SFU notes on its football scholarship information website, because they have to create

Community Information Meeting Public Comment Opportunity

Anthem has submitted a development application to the City of Port Moody to permit the redevelopment of 3121-3127 St Johns Street and 110-118 James Road.The proposed development has been designed in accordance with the Official Community Plan and consists of:

• Asix-storey, mixed-use building;

• 191 market rental homes to be secured under a Housing Agreement including 12 studios, 119 1-beds, 40 2-beds, and 20 3-bed units;

• 50% of the units are designed as adaptable and 31% are family-sized (homes with 2 or more bedrooms);

• 5,900 sq. ft. of retail at grade fronting St Johns Street;

• Alarge internal courtyard and multiple interior amenity offerings; and

• TwolevelsofundergroundparkingaccessedfromMorayPlacewith246vehicle parking spaces and 292 bicycle parking spaces.

Interested members of the public are invited to attend the Community Information Meeting (CIM) with the applicant team for an opportunity to review the proposal, ask questions, and submit a comment form.

How to Participate

Date & Time:

Thursday,April 20, 2023, 5:00PM - 7:00PM (Drop-In Open House)

Location:

Old Mill Boathouse, 2715 EsplanadeAvenue, Port Moody

For more information, please contact:

Emily Howard

Anthem Properties Group Ltd.

ehoward@anthemproperties.com

• 604-235-3182

a profile, get noticed and gain exposure just like you have to do to get a good job.

For students who were recruited to play at SFU next year, some of this hard work getting on the team may have been wasted if they can’t get onto another team in time at least that’s what some Coquitlam students told the Tri-City News this week

Discontinuing the SFU football program may also take away some of the drive and motivation from students in middle school or high school who are just

getting into their school football programs.

For many of these youngsters, the chance of being another Angus Reid, an offensive lineman who played for the BC Lions, is how they get through school, while also taking part in exhausting football practices, exciting games and boring fitness drills.

These are the kids who may be struggling with their grades, or their weight, or being accepted; but they find a home in football.

Reid recently commented how his years at SFU playing for the

Red Leafs (formerly, the Clan) helped him become the person he is today.

For those coming after Reid, the loss of the program will have long-term ramifications.

Perhaps a petition to restore the SFU football program could convince the university and U SPORTS to come to an agreement

This petition may be a Hail Mary pass against all odds with just a second to go on the clock but that’s football..

Diane Strandberg is a senior reporter at the Tri-City News, and a football mom.

Coquitlamhasnewrebatetop-upsforeligibleCoquitlamhouseholds whoswaptheirnaturalgas,propaneoroilheatingsystemstoan electricheatpump.

Ourtop-upsareinadditiontotheheatpumpandelectricservice upgraderebatescurrentlyavailablethroughCleanBCBetterHomes. Visitcoquitlam.ca/energyupgradestolearnmoreaboutheatpumps andforrebatedetails

Offeredonafirst-come,first-servedbasis Termsandconditionsapply

Heritage Woods’ robots headed to worlds

MARIO BARTEL mbartel@tricitynews com

Last fall, William Mostrenko was unhappy with his marks in his Grade 12 robotics class at Heritage Woods Secondary School.

Later this month, he could be a world champion.

Mostrenko is part of the Biland VEX robotics team, one of two teams from HWSS that’s qualified for the world championships in Dallas, Texas, April 25–28

They’re the first competitive robotics teams from the TriCities to earn a place amongst the 800 teams from high schools around the world that will be at the Kay Bailey Hutchinson Convention Centre showcasing their abilities to design, build and program robots that can flip plastic discs into a basket against the clock and against opponents.

Mostrenko said he’d quit competitive robotics at the beginning of the school year because of the massive time commitment after classes and on weekends it takes to develop and tinker a championshipcalibre robot

But last December, he realized

that immersion had actually been a benefit to his studies, so he teamed up with Michael Benzvi and Iris Qin to get back

in the game.

“This is the team that wasn’t supposed to be,” Mostrenko said of the collaboration.

Success at local competitions and Mecha Mayhem in Calgary, Canada’s first signature VEX robotics event that was

held in early February, gave the Mostrenko’s team the momentum it needed to get a result at the regional championships and earn a trip to Dallas where it will be joined by the other team from Heritage Woods, Windex.

Tiago Desousa, Elia Sheikh and Logan Dennis said they’ve put about 2,000 hours of work into their robot that will compete in the battle arena

Dennis, who will be driving his team’s robot in Dallas, said the process of designing and building their champion robot began even before the school year started and will continue right until they place it in the battle arena.

That includes several rebuilds and reprogramming as ideas are gleaned from other robots they encounter at competitions

“You take inspiration from other teams,” Dennis said, adding getting their robot to the world championships will elevate their robotics’ skills even further. It’s also an exciting opportunity to enhance the reputation of the robotics program at Heritage Woods

“It’ll be a first for our school,” Dennis said

MARIO BARTEL/TRI-CITY NEWS

Tiago Desousa, Elia Sheikh and Logan Dennis, of Team Windex, show off the two robots from Heritage Woods Secondary School heading to the VEX robotics world championships in Dallas, Texas.

Spark,Bringcoquitlamparksalive!

ParkClean-uponEarthDay

JointheParkSparkteamtohelpkeepour outdoorparkspacesSPARKling!We’llbedoing aparkclean-uponFriday,April21from10a.m. –2pm atMackinPark(1046BrunetteAve)for EarthDay!

Formoreinformationaboutthisexciting volunteeropportunity,email parkspark@coquitlam.ca.

coquitlam.ca

TreeWalkatMundyPark

CelebrateEarthDaywithatree-rifficwalkat MundyPark!JoinCoquitlam’sParkSparkand UrbanForestryteamsonTuesday,April18from 1–3pm toexploreCoquitlam’streecanopy andlearnfunfactsaboutalloftheamazing typesoftreesthatcallCoquitlamhome.

Formoreinfoandtoregister,visit coquitlam.ca/treespreeoremail parkspark@coquitlam.ca

RestorationPlantingonEarthDay

JoinCoquitlam’sBadSeedteamonSaturday, April22from9am –12pm atComoLakePark (700GatensburySt.)andhelprestorethearea. Learnaboutinvasiveplantsandhowyoucanhelp stopthespread,andhelpusrestoreComoLake’s naturalareasfornativeplantsandwildlifethatcall Coquitlamhome.

Tolearnmoreaboutthisvolunteeropportunity, emailparkspark@coquitlam.ca

TOP 5 things to do

Send your information & photos to: jcleugh@tricitynews.com

FRIDAY, APRIL 14

OPENING RECEPTION

Coquitlam Heritage Society officially opens the exhibit The Shape of Our Memories with a reception from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Join artists Carl Baird, Faria Firoz, James Groening and Karl Hipol as well as musician Kelsi James for the special event at Mackin House Museum (1116 Brunette Ave , Coquitlam) Refreshments and a cash bar will be provided No registration is required; however, attendees must by 19+ Registration is encouraged

MORE: events@coquitlamheritage.ca

CROSSROADS COFFEEHOUSE

FRIDAY, APRIL 14, 7:30 PM

Support the Crossroads Hospice Society by taking part in the coffeehouse concerts, opening tonight at 7:30 p.m. with John Bowman and Just Duets headlining at 8:40 p.m in the Mabbett Hall North room of the Port Coquitlam Community Centre (2150 Wilson Ave., Port Coquitlam).

MORE: facebook.com/CrossroadsHospiceCoffeehouse

WONG BOOK TALK

SATURDAY, APRIL 15, 1:30 PM

PinetreeSecondarygraduateLindsayWongtalksabouthernew book Tell Me Pleasant Things about Immortality.Acreative writinginstructorattheUniversityofWinnipeg,Wongisnow ontourtopromotethenon-fictionwork Hertalkandbook signingarefrom1:30to3p.m.intheCityCentrebranchof theCoquitlamPublicLibrary(1169PinetreeWay,Coquitlam) Copiesofherbookwillbeavailableforpurchase.

MORE: coqlibrary.ca

SHRED-A-THON

SATURDAY, APRIL 15, 10 AM – 2 PM

Take your unwanted confidential documents in for shredding at the Community Shred Day from 10 a.m to 2 p.m at the Canadian Tire in Fremont Village (2125 Hawkins St., Port Coquitlam). Proceeds benefit the Port Coquitlam Community Foundation. Donations of $20 or more are eligible for a tax receipt.

MORE: pocofoundation.com

ZODIAC TRIO

SUNDAY, APRIL 16, 3 PM

The Vancouver Chamber Music Society presents The Zodiac Trio, a group of musicians who met at the Manhattan School of Music and launched their clarinet–violin–piano ensemble with a show at Merkin Concert Hall. Today, the trio performs classical music around the world. The recital at 3 p.m. is part of the Evergreen Cultural Centre’s Power Classic Sundays series Tickets are $35/$32/$16.

MORE: evergreenculturalcentre.ca

PoMotaskforcewillexamine‘CityoftheArts’

MARIO BARTEL mbartel@tricitynews.com

Port Moody wants to put some weight behind its brand.

Recently Mayor Meghan Lahti announced the members for a special task force that will bring together the city’s arts and business communities to “identify opportunities to strengthen the city’s branding as City of the Arts”

Among the task force’s goals will be to “articulate a vision for growing the City of the Arts brand” and “to brainstorm ways to create synergies between Port Moody’s arts and business communities that will strengthen the city’s brand.”

Port Moody’s City of the Arts brand was coined more than 20 years ago by local arts advocates, Elizabeth Keurvost and

the late Ann Kitching, who thought the slogan would help boost arts and tourism.

But a survey conducted in 2021 found almost a quarter of its 365 respondents wanted to see the slogan removed or changed from the city’s vision statement

Catherine Berris, a community planner for Urban Systems, the company that

designed the survey, said respondents didn’t seem to understand the slogan’s relationship to the city.

But Mike Arseneault, a retired brand marketing manager for Nike who last year debuted the Ioco Players theatrical troupe, told council the slogan isn’t the problem

“The definition of arts in Port Moody is too narrow and limiting,” he said, adding the city needs to leverage the diversity of its arts community that goes beyond painters and sculptors to include its brewers, chefs, writers, performers, street artists and even baristas.

“Arts is everywhere,” Arseneault said.

Forging a stronger connection between the

arts and tangible things people encounter in their everyday lives, like the beer they drink on Brewers Row and the dinner they enjoy at a local restaurant, would go a long way to making City of the Arts relevant to a broader audience, said Victoria Petriw, who helped start a line of Port Moody-branded casual clothing, Port Moody & Co

Musicians and promoters Bill Sample and Darlene Cooper, who moved to Port Moody from Vancouver in 2018, said they never felt particularly included in the city’s slogan, especially since the old Gallery Bistro burned down in 2019, depriving

musicians, poets, writers and artists of a lively little venue where they showcased their work.

To help inject some new energy into Port Moody’s performing arts scene, Sample and Cooper last year launched a series of concerts at the 159seat Inlet Theatre that’s attracted artists like Gypsy jazzmeisters Van Django and Vancouver soul singer Dawn Pemberton

Arseneault said a vibrant arts scene strengthens a community, making it a more attractive destination for artsadjacent businesses like TV and film production, technology and design “City of the Arts is a very enviable position We need to protect it.”

What would you like to see in Port Moody’s parks?

KYLE BALZER kbalzer@tricitynews.com

Port Moody has some great parks that provide recreational and social gathering space for local residents.

Rocky Point Park has the giant dock that juts out toward the Burrard Inlet waters, Old Orchard Park brings classic beach vibes and Westhill Park brings the community together for sports and nature.

But can any of them be improved on, or, possibly, could the city create more parks in open areas?

Port Moody has launched an online survey and will host an open house later this month in hopes of understanding what the public would like to se the y Ac

release, this will help guide city council and help with the development of a draft long-term strategy for parkland and other open spaces

“What types of parks and open spaces do you want to see in Port Moody? How should we allocate municipal funding for parkland? We want to hear your voice,” the city’s statement reads

“Over the next 30 years, the parkland strategy will provide a framework for decision-making and prioritization of investment in existing and new parkland such as parks, greenways, natural areas and public open spaces It will include priorities and actions

access for all to diverse spaces and amenities.”

Among the topics

Port Moody has laid out for future park system consideration include:

• A community vision

• Park and trail connectivity

• Park amenities and programming

• Parkland types and locations

Residents with thoughts, comments and concerns are encouraged to participate either inperson or through the online survey.

The open house will include information boards and maps, as well

as Port Moody staff and consultants involved in the parkland strategy that will ultimately present to council.

The event is scheduled for April 19 at the Civic Centre Galleria (100 Newport Dr ) from 5 to 8 p.m.

The Engage Port Moody

survey’s deadline is May 7. A paper survey option is also available and will be available at city hall between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m., and must be returned by May 5

For more information, you can visit the survey page or send an email to parks@portmoody ca

Reporters from the TriCity News are finalists for two Ma Murray provincial journalism awards.

Photographer/ reporter Mario Bartel is up for the Feature Photo Award for his image of shoe entrepreneur Tye Engmann of Port Moody who supplies vintage Air Jordan sneakers to collectors and celebrities He’s competing against entries from Mike Wakefield (North Shore News) and Keili Bartlett (Sechelt/Gibsons Coast Reporter)

And Janis Cleugh is one of three reporters vying for the Environmental Writing Award Her article, We are the guardians of this place, focused on last

November’s ground blessing by the kʷikʷəƛəm (Kwikwetlem) First Nation for a new sockeye hatchery near the Coquitlam Dam. Susie

Quinn (Alberni Valley News) and Tyler Harper (Nelson Star) are also in the category as finalists. The winners will be named on May 4.

MARIO BARTEL/TRI-CITY NEWS FILE PHOTO

Port Moody’s Tye Engmann buys and sells vintage Air Jordan sneakers to collectors around the world.

Path construction will begin soon

KYLE BALZER kbalzer@tricitynews.com

Construction of a new multi-use path on Coquitlam’s Guildford Way will begin this summer.

In a news release, the city said the Guildford Greenway Protected Micromobility Lane project is 60 per cent funded by local partners, meaning crews can soon start making improvements for all users.

Broken down, the multi-million-dollar upgrade includes $2 5 million from TransLink, via its municipal cost share programs, and $500,000 from the B.C. government’s active transportation infrastructure grant initiative

The big difference for the 2 1-km arterial stretch will be a series of concrete curbs separating the road from the painted bicycle lanes from the Port Moody border to Johnson Street.

Douglas McLeod, Coquitlam’s transportation director, said this will protect users from close-passing vehicles.

“Providing protected micromobility lanes for cyclists and scooters in this busy corridor is important to improve the safety and level of comfort for users of all ages and abilities,” he said

“The improvements were identified in the City Centre Area Plan, and are in line with the best practices expected

to be established in the update to the Strategic Transportation Plan, currently in development”

The curbs should be in place by the fall

Then, in 2024, the Guildford Greenway project will see micromobility lanes from Johnson Street to Pinetree Way moved off the road and onto the boulevard between the sidewalks and curbs.

McLeod said the upgrade will ultimately connect existing multi-use pathways around Town Centre Park

He noted a third phase is also on the table that would extend the micromobility lanes to Pipeline Road, where Guildford becomes Ozada Avenue.

“As a regular cyclist and e-bike rider, I’m always excited to see new infrastructure that supports micromobility in our community and in this case connecting with neighbouring communities as well,” said Coquitlam Mayor Richard Stewart.

Micromobility modes of transportation have evolved, including skateboards and electronic versions of bikes and scooters.

Additional upgrades to the Guildford Greenway campaign include improved lighting, landscaping and wayfinding signs.

For more information, as well as updates on the project, visit the City of Coquitlam’s website.

City of Coquitlam NOTICE

TAKE NOTICE THAT pursuant to Section 26 and 94 of the Community Charter the City of Coquitlam (the “City”) hereby gives notice of the intention to lease the following City lands for a Temporary Sales Centre as follows:

Lessee: QL Como Lake Limited Partnership

Nature of Disposition: Lease

Municipal Address: 622 Kemsley Avenue, Coquitlam, British Columbia

Legal Description: Lot A District Lot 106 Group 1 NWD Plan EPP124643

PID: 031-881-807

Lease Term: 3 years, with one 2-year option to renew

Total Net Rent if option is exercised: $285,000 plus payment of related operating expenses

Leased Area: 1,346 m2 (14,490 square feet)

For further information, please contact Mr. Greg Hamilton, Manager Real Estate 604-927-6958

THIS ADVERTISEMENT IS FOR THE PURPOSES OF PUBLIC DISCLOSURE ONLY, NOT SOLICITATION OF AN OFFER

SeasonalbusserviceincreasesbeginApril17

Popular outdoor destinations, including White Pine Beach in Belcarra Regional Park, will be easier to get to on weekends this summer thanks to an increase in bus service.

Half-hour service weekend bus service is coming to the 150 White Pine Beach/Coquitlam Central Station route, as well as the 179 Buntzen Lake/Coquitlam Central Station route and the 182 Moody Centre Station/ Belcarra route.

Seasonal bus changes start the week of April 17, making these popular summer destinations easier to reach Plus, taking the bus makes more sense now that seasonal pay parking is in effect at Belcarra Regional Park, including

White Pine Beach.

White Pine Beach is one of the warmer lakes in the Vancouver area that has a beautiful sandy beach, and an easy access road for wheelchairs, scooters, and strollers.

Here’s the full list of changes to these popular routes:

150 White Pine Beach / Coquitlam Central Station

• Saturday/Sunday/ holiday schedules will be:

Every 30 minutes toward White Pine Beach from 10 a m to 7 p m

Every 30 minutes toward Coquitlam Central Station from 10:30 a.m. to 7:30 p m

179 Buntzen Lake / Coquitlam Central Station

• Saturday/Sunday/ holiday schedules will be:

PCCC pool facilities closed

Pool, sauna, steam room and hot-tub lovers will have to get their warm-water fix somewhere else during annual maintenance at the Port Coquitlam Community Centre (PCCC).

The facility is closed until April 21 to allow the scheduled annual maintenance work to go ahead and ensure health and safety regulations are met

This year, maintenance work

Every 30 minutes toward Buntzen Lake from 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Every 30 minutes toward Coquitlam Central

Station from 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.

182 Moody Centre Station / Belcarra

• Saturday/Sunday/

holiday schedules will be:

Every 30 minutes toward Belcarra from 8:15 a.m. to 8:15 p.m. (from 60 minutes)

Every 30 minutes toward Moody Centre Station from 8:45 a.m. to 8:45 p.m. (from 60 minutes)

includes the following:

• Draining and repairing pool tiles

• Re-grouting

• Cleaning tiles and grout

• Painting

• Preventative maintenance work on mechanical system

• Miscellaneous repairs Port Coquitlam’s Hyde Creek Recreation Centre pool and recreation facilities, at 1379 Laurier Ave., remains open

Help create a parkland strategy for Port Moody

Our parkland strategy will provide a framework for decision-making and prioritization of investment in existing and new parkland over the next 30 years It will help us plan for parkland that’s distributed across the city, with equal access for all to diverse spaces and amenities.

We want to hear your voice! What types of parks and open spaces do you want to see in Port Moody? How should we allocate municipal funding for parkland?

DIANE STRANDBERG dstrandberg@tricitynews.com

Port Coqutilam is already well aware of the need for housing for people at all stages of life, says Port Coquitlam Mayor Brad West, so he’s not too concerned about a B.C government proposal to change zoning rules for more density

However, West said he wants to see the details of the proposal and how the province plans to fund services, such as sewer and water, that are required when building more homes for people

“All of this is not particularly new to our city. There’s some differences between how

our system operates and what they’ve announced,” said West.

“We’re going to have to see the details this fall for what it means for us”

LEGISLATION

Earlier this month, Premier David Eby announced plans to introduce legislation in the fall to increase housing in the province, including bringing in a province-wide law to allow up to four units on traditional-sized singlefamily lots.

The Homes for People action plan includes $4billion investment over

Rental units are

three years and commits to $12 billion over a decade with incentives to build, laws to curb speculation and financial help for renters and homeowners

West told the Tri-City News that he’s waiting for more details to see if provincial rules would change how PoCo does business

But for now, said the mayor, Port Coquitlam already allows for greater density

For example, multiple apartment blocks have been built near the city’s downtown in a neighbourhood that used to be single-family homes and townhouses are being constructed on regular-sized lots in other areas of the city, while property owners are subdividing their lots to build two houses.

TUNING TO COME

In a press conference, housing minister Ravi Kahlon acknowledged that the government will have to work with municipalities to fine tune the legislation.

But he said the province wants to see more housing around transit and an end to rezoning processes to build a duplex, a triplex or a rowhome.

“Without more of these types of homes, we risk pushing more of our next generation out of this province,” Kahlon said West acknowledged that more housing is needed to meet demand but said with greater density comes the need

for services, such as sewer and water, as well as parks and playgrounds.

He suggested the province needs to consider how to fund these services if it’s going to substantially increase density

‘NOT CHEAP’

“I can tell you those things are not cheap If the province wants to see cities increase their residential density, how are they going to support the increased demand that come with that?” West asked.

As for meeting the province’s demand for more housing, West said Port Coquitlam is already trying to fill the housing gap.

He also noted that a number of subdivisions and housing projects have recently been approved.

Recently, a 10-unit townhouse project on two lots on Salisbury Avenue was approved after a public hearing

As well, 500 units of affordable rental housing are being constructed while towers for Westwood Street near transit have been approved.

PUBLIC INPUT?

The question remains whether the public will still get a say in what gets built in their neighbourhood after the province puts forward its legislation.

However, using the current process of rezoning, public hearing and permit approval, Port Coquitlam hasn’t had the kind of opposition

to increased density that other cities may have faced, he said.

“We have been seeing gentle forms of density in traditional single-family neighbourhoods for quite some time.”

with files from Cindy E. Harnett and the Canadian Press

Minister at Moment Energy

Notice of Public Input Opportunity

The City of Port Coquitlam will be holding a Public Input Opportunity to receive input from all persons and interested parties who wish to address Council regarding the following proposed development variance permits

Date & Time: Tue, Apr. 25 at 6 pm

Location: Council Chambers, City Hall - 2580 Shaughnessy St., Port Coquitlam

Immediately following adjournment of the Public Input Opportunity, the Regular Council Meeting will reconvene and Council may give consideration to the development variance permits during the regular Council Meeting.

Item 1 - Development Variance Permit

2580 Shaughnessy Street and

2253 Leigh Square Place

The Intent of the Development Variance Permit (DVP00091) application is to vary the setback requirements to permit construction of a pavilion that straddles the City owned subject properties as outlined in black on the map.

If approved, it will allow for the city to create a vibrant community plaza that helps to tie all the elements of the civic centre together

Item 2 - Development Variance Permit

2257 Lobb Avenue

The Intent of the Development Variance Permit (DVP00088) application is to vary the minimum lot frontage and width requirements of the subject property as outlined in black on the map

If approved, this will enable the subdivision of an irregularly shaped property into two single residential lots

Inspection of Documents

Subject Property

“Growing a Green Economy” is one of three main themes coming out of the federal budget.

And last Wednesday (April 5), Canada’s minister of rural economic development swung by Coquitlam to highlight the government’s pledge to fight climate change and build on industries leading the way

Gudie Hutchings stopped by Moment Energy, a business off United Boulevard that started in 2020 and now has 30 employees working on repurposing retired batteries from electric vehicles

Its energy storage containers are now being used at God’s Pocket scuba diving resort near Port Hardy.

Moment Energy’s Miguel Resendiz said its

systems are cutting the resort’s diesel generator runtime by 75 per cent In the off-season, they can power 10 buildings for four days, thus reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Resendiz said old EV batteries have a lot of life

in them.

Hutchings toured the facility with Coquitlam–Port Coquitlam Liberal MP Ron McKinnon and others before highlighting Budget 2023’s 15 per cent tax credit available for “green” businesses.

Subject Property

To view copies of the supporting documents (staff reports and DVP’s) visit portcoquitlam.ca/publichearings.

In order to afford Council the opportunity to review your comments in advance of the Public Input Opportunity please forward your submission prior to noon on the day of the Public Input Opportunity by:

Email: publichearings@portcoquitlam.ca or

Mail: Corporate Office, City of Port Coquitlam 2580 Shaughnessy St., Port Coquitlam, BC V3C 2A8

*Written submissions, including names and addresses (Street and City only) will become part of the public record and will be published on the City’s website and available at the Corporate Office for public inspection.

Speaking at Public Input Opportunities

Participate in person at the Public Input Opportunity on/at the date, time, and location noted above

*Video recordings are streamed live and archived on the City’s website at portcoquitlam.ca/council Please note: Council may not receive further submissions from the public or interested parties after the conclusion of the public hearing/input opportunity

For further information please visit: portcoquitlam.ca/publichearings or email: corporateoffice@portcoquitlam.ca.

Fri, May 5, 7:30 PM: Opening Ceremonies Port Coquitlam Community Centre

Sat, May 13, 10 AM:

PoCo May Days Kids Race Downtown Port Coquitlam

Sat, May 13, 11 AM: Rotary May Days Parade Downtown Port Coquitlam

Sat, May 13, 12 PM: Party in the Square Port Coquitlam Community Centre Terry Fox Hometown Square

portcoquitlam.ca/maydays

JANIS CLEUGH/TRI-CITY NEWS Gudie Hutchings, Canada’s minister of rural economic development, was at Coquitlam’s Moment Energy on April 5.

MetrotocompensateCoquitlamforpipeimpacts

Metro Vancouver will pay the City of Coquitlam $4 million in compensation to install a mega water main down Pipeline Road.

Last Monday (April 3), the city’s general manager of engineering and public works said Coquitlam will get the cash as a result of construction impacts along the southern part of the municipal road, as well as the eastern side of Town Centre Park

Most of the trees on the eastern side of the park will be ripped out but replaced on a 2:1 ratio, general manager Jamie Boan said.

As well, the Metro money for the first construction phase along Pipeline Road from Robson Drive to Guildford Way is for a three-year lease of the gravel parking lot south of the tennis courts, and for inflationary costs

The new 12-km water main measuring up to 3.2 m in diameter from Coquitlam Lake is needed to meet regional demand, said Coun Craig Hodge, who represents the city on the Metro board and is on its water committee.

Still, Coun Brent Asmundson, a

former Metro water committee member, argued the pipe is “excessive….

It’s twice the size that’s needed.”

Last month, Metro OK’d a $97-million contract for Michels Canada Company to install the water main from Robson to Guildford; in January 2022, the agency approved a $15.7-million US tender for the Northwest Pipe Company to supply and deliver the pipe for the

infrastructure project that starts this fall:

• Robson to Guildford Section: 2023–2026

• Pipeline Road North Section: 2026–2030

• City Centre Tunnel Section: 2026–2031

• Cape Horn Section: 2024–2030

The project is “six years of impact,” Boan warned council at its council-incommittee meeting (Couns.

Steve Kim and Dennis

Marsden weren’t present).

“We are going to feel the pain. There will be visual. There will be noise. There will be traffic. There will be tree and park impacts.”

However, Boan said Metro will do “everything that it can” to minimize the disruptions, especially for New Horizons residents Coun. Robert Mazzarolo said he’s disheartened with the number of park trees facing the axe and he

urged city staff to work with Metro “to be aggressive with tree planting” and ensure communication with commuters, neighbours and park users, like the Coquitlam Tennis Club, is clear about construction. Information about the Coquitlam Main No. 4 project is available via Metro Vancouver’s community liaison at 604432-6200 (Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.).

Residents’ action helps save deer

DIANE STRANDBERG dstrandberg@tricitynews.com

The quick action of Anmore residents and B.C. wildlife officers has prevented a male deer from being strangled by a rope around its neck

For weeks the buck had been wearing a potentially dangerous “necklace” of a rope with dangling antlers.

B.C wildlife biologist

Jack Evans asked for help to find the animal, which had been spotted in both Port Moody and Anmore He put out the word to the Mossom Creek Facebook Group to track the animal

“It’s only a matter of time before it gets tighter,” said Evans, a wildlife biologist with the B.C

Ministry of Forests.

He told the Tri-City News that the animal was not in immediate danger, but there was concern the rope could get caught on a bush, or even get so tight, the animal could be strangled.

Soon after the word got out, Anmore resident Francine Major alerted Evans that the deer was in her yard

The deer was subsequently tranquilized and the rope and antlers were removed with “great care,” according to reports.

Evans suspected that the deer’s antlers got caught in the rope and then the contraption fell around the animal’s neck in January when deer shed their antlers

Home Care

Michelle Bailey Qualicare Home Care

Q A

When should my elderly father move out of his home?

First thing to ask Dad is: where does he want to live for the rest of his life? Does he want to move in with family, or to an assisted living community (on a waitlist), or get a bit of help in his own home?

Figuring out Dad’s goals for aging and then working backwards can be a good way to create a plan. Perhaps Dad wants to stay at home until he cannot use the stairs anymore; or perhaps no matter what, he wants to remain in the same home he has lived in for the past 40 years Whatever the plan is, home care is a solution to help him for the short or long term. In-home caregivers can help with daily household tasks like cooking, cleaning, and grocery shopping - to more complex tasks like bathing, dressing, toileting, medication assistance, overnight supervision, and appointment accompaniment

Qualicare offers customized solutions through our 360° Approach to care. Services can be increased or decreased depending on Dad’s current needs, and if Dad decides to change his plans, Qualicare pivots with him to provide the right in-home support for as long as it is required

778-730-0225

mbailey@qualicare.com

Brushing vs Flossing: Which comes first?

We recommend our patients brush their teeth at least twice a day. Brushing morning and night helps clear out food debris, plaque and bacteria ideally preventing gum disease and tooth decay

Flossing daily removes debris from between teeth that your toothbrush can’t reach. It minimizes the risk of tooth decay between teeth and helps promote healthy gums by keeping those spaces free of unwanted bacteria and reducing buildup

Now to settle the debate

We recommend flossing first as it helps loosen bacteria and food debris both on and between your teeth making brushing more successful at removing those particles Also, if you use toothpaste with fluoride and you floss after brushing, it can remove the fluoride from your teeth, which might make it less effective

What is most important is that you do both daily Keep your floss handy so you remember These small changes can have a large impact on your dental health. Keep smiling, Dr. Sherry

Tracy Booth Gleam Guard

Q A

Cabinet Refinishing EXPERT

What are the benefits of Gleam Guard?

All our technicians are personally trained by Tracy Booth the founder and inventor with 35 years of experience in the Gleam Guard dust-free odor-free process

Call and talk with Tracy to get a quote about your cabinets and wood throughout your house

How long and what’s involved in the Gleam Guard process?

On an average size kitchen, it takes about 2 days to complete, you can still use your kitchen in the evenings and mornings while we work during the day in a dust and odor-free environment The convenience of not having to remove your dishes from your cabinets while we refinish your cabinets gives you extra peace of mind and no additional stress. Unmatched 5 year guarantee and no mess to clean up after we leave

604-218-7470

www.gleamguardcabinetrefinishing.ca info@gleamguard.com

What is Sponsored Content?

Sponsored Content is a brand-sponsored article that lives on a media publisher’s website It looks and reads like the publications own content but is, in fact, a paid advertisement It positions the brand as an expert by delivering interesting content that is relevant to a publisher’s audience.

As we move further down the digital road it’s important to connect with your audience online Not merely advertise products and services spark interest, answer questions, educate readers with valuable information. One example of this would be for a Realtor to sponsor an article on “How to turn your Basement Suite into a Rental Unit?” A Travel Agency could talk about “5 Best Trips to Cure the Winter Blues!” Maybe a Yoga Studio discusses “The Health Benefits of Maintaining a Good Work-Life Balance?” The general idea is to provide your audience with helpful, interesting, even must read articles sponsored by your business of course! It’s a softer, but more memorable sell, presented in a journalistic style

Sponsored Content builds brand trust & credibility, when used effectively can drive online traffic and engagement by leaps and bounds!!

604-314-4502

www.glaciermediadigital.ca

ndhillon@glaciermedia.ca

LocalPROS Q&A

Quan Gifford, R.D Denture Clinic Owner & Operator Dentureworks Inc.

What happens if I break or chip my dentures?

The best solution is to return to the Denturist who made your dentures and have the cracked denture repaired professionally It may seem easy to fix, but it is important that the repair is done correctly to prevent problems with chewing and to avoid any sore spots The Denturist also needs to check the denture and adjust it after it is repaired The denture may be too old and may no longer fit closely to your gums, and you may need a new denture Do not try to glue it together yourself, it can be toxic as well it can displace your bite if done incorrectly

LocalPRO of the month

I want to get more knowledgeable about my finances, where should I begin?

Christine Conway CFP, CLU, CHS, CExP President

604-553-1222

www.newwestminsterdenturist.com

522 Seventh St #270, New Westminster

Window Covering EXPERT

I just bought beautiful shades from Budget Blinds, how do I clean them?

If you have a cellular or honeycomb shade, Dust them with a feather duster, or lightly vacuum with an upholstery attachment For dust inside the cells, a blow dryer on the lowest, cool air setting will blow the dustout. Clean with a sponge and a mild detergent/warm water solution and blot dry Dry cleaning and ultrasonic cleaning are not recommended Extra care should be used when cleaning opaque/blackout fabrics, as the fabrics could become permanently creased If you have a Solar shade, to keep them clean you would lightly vacuum both sides of shade using a brush or upholstery attachment Softly brush with a mild detergent and warm water solution. Rinse thoroughly and allow the shade to dry completely before raising it Do not immerse them in water

604-521-3778

Start with our podcast,“It’s Personal Finance Canada”that’s available on all major hosting platforms Already we’re in the top 5% of most followed podcasts globally on Spotify, not too bad for a couple of Canadians. If you want to get information and be entertained in the process, check it out! If you’re looking for more hands-on advice or have something specific you’d like to explore, we can help with financial goal setting with action steps, financial planning, insurance, investments, health & dental as well as retirement or estate planning. It’s nice to have a professional tell you if you’re on track to meeting your goals or what you would need to do to achieve them We’re there to help you every step of the way, through the different stages of life Finally, if you’re looking for a place to engage with others about personal finance and ask questions, feel free to join our new It’s Personal Finance Canada Facebook group and Facebook discussion group We take suggestions from the members about what to talk about on the podcast, started a book club, and I recently shared about my seven days no spend challenge. It would be great to see you there!”

Why does my carpet smell even when it looks clean?

To solve this mystery, we need to understand the way carpets are laid. Under the carpet there is a pad that provides cushioning, and under that there is the subfloor, which can be concrete or a wood product

When the carpet is cleaned, the only layer to be thoroughly cleaned is the topmost. The bottom two layers are more difficult to reach thus they retain some of the original liquid and the odor as well

If even after a professional cleaning, your carpets are still smelly, there are few options for you:

Replacing the carpet pad The downside is that the labor required for the removal and repositioning is the exact same as if you were installing new carpets

Replacing the carpet and pad. When navigating this option, make sure to look for a carpet with liquid repelling qualities so you don’t risk repeating the experience

Q

What is tinnitus and what are the causes?

ATinnitus is the involuntary perception of sound, sometimes heard as ringing, popping, or buzzing noises in your ears or head, in the absence of an external sound in the environment Approximately 37% of adult Canadians experience annoying tinnitus Tinnitus is often a symptom of hearing loss and common causes include noise exposure from working in industrial noise (e.g construction), aging, and other medical conditions

If you’re experiencing tinnitus and it is affecting your hearing, your ability to fall asleep at night, your concentration/focus during the day and/or it is causing you to feel anxious or upset, have your hearing assessed by an Audiologist as a first step There are many options to help manage tinnitus, and this can include sound therapy through hearing aids or sound generators, directed counselling, and stress reduction strategies

If you have annoying or bothersome tinnitus, don’t lose hope You are not alone and there are many ways to better manage your tinnitus Contact us today to book a hearing assessment My colleague and I are both Registered Audiologists/Hearing Instrument Practitioners and we have specialized training to help our clients with tinnitus management

604-944-3375

www.budgetblinds com/tricity

#2120-580 Nicola Ave., Port Coquitlam

778-897-3500

Floorcoveringsinternational.com ???

Clay & Lacey Tierney, Owners Budget Blinds, Tri-Cities

slow art day

Heritage goes to Greece for Mamma Mia! musical

JANIS CLEUGH jcleugh@tricitynews.com

Sophie is about to get married, but she can’t figure out which of three men will walk her down the aisle

Will it be Sam Carmichael?

Bill Austin? Or Harry Bright?

After all, each is a candidate for the role of “Dad,” courtesy of a wild fling each had with Sophie’s mom on a Grecian island 20 years ago.

The story of Sophie’s quest to find the identity of her father as she ties the knot on the same island is the basis of the jukebox musical Mamma Mia!

Next Friday (April 21), musical theatre students at Port Moody’s Heritage Woods Secondary open the high school version of the production, which runs in the David Avenue theatre at 7:30 p.m. until April 29.

It’s a frothy show, theatre teacher Shanda Walters told the Tri-City News last week during a rehearsal, noting last year’s offering was the dark musical Chicago.

“We do something different from the last year on purpose,” she said. “We’ve gone from murders to a beach party in Greece.”

For Mamma Mia! the scene is a Mediterranean paradise, where abodes are washed in white and blue and wrapped in flowers, and the music sparkles,

too: ABBA’s songs are woven throughout, via a soundtrack, to move the plot along Its star, director and choreographer, Jaime MacLean,

is equally bubbly and excited to be back on stage A Grade 12 student who’s attending Sheridan College in Ontario to study musical theatre

in September, MacLean, 17, is well-known for leading her school shows.

“It’s been my thing to do,” she said. “It makes me happy.”

Her character, Sophie Sheridan, is the daughter of Donna, “a 20-year-old just trying to find her life and she’s searching for something that will make her life complete,” MacLean said.

Anna Mianroudi, who is in Capilano University’s theatre program in September, said she’s honouring her mom when she portrays Donna, while each of the “dads” said they’re looking forward to the audience’s reaction to the musical.

Evan Newson plays Sam Carmichael while Andrew Pawlak takes on the romantic Bill Austin and Parsa Najafi débuts on stage as Harry Bright a wealthy man who is in a same-sex marriage and wants to have children

Tickets for Mamma Mia! at Heritage Woods Secondary (1300 David Ave., Port Moody) are $14/$12 and available through brownpapertickets. com. The show runs April 21, 22, 27, 28 and 29.

JANIS CLEUGH/TRI-CITY NEWS

Heritage Woods Secondary’s leads in the musical “Mamma Mia!” from left to right: Parsa Najafi (Harry Bright), Andrew Pawlak (Bill Austin), Anna Mianroudi (Donna), Evan Newson (Sam Carmichael) and Jaime MacLean (Sophie, as well as the show’s director and choreographer)

Steel Magnolias, Fox $

Three Port Coquitlam actors are cast in a tearjerker being mounted this month by Theatre in the Country (TIC).

Rhiannon McKechnie portrays the beauty shop owner Truvy, Joyce Gillespie takes on the cantankerous Ouiser and Ashlyn O’Shea plays Shelby in the stage production of Steel Magnolias

Based on the 1987 blockbuster film starring Julia Roberts and Dolly Parton, the play is penned by Robert Harling and is based on his story of watching his sister struggle with diabetes “This play is an actor’s dream with deeply felt characters and a real sense of joy in the face of pain that helps us discover the humanity

in each of us,” said TIC artistic director Reg Parks.

Tickets are now on sale for the show, which runs until April 29 at TIC’s Langley facility (5708 Glover Rd Visit theatreinthecountry.com or call 604-259-9737

AFTER GRAD

Parents of graduating students at Terry Fox Secondary are hoping to raise $6,000 for the Port Coquitlam school’s dry after-grad party through a music trivia night

The event at the Riverside Community Church, which is now sold out, is one of several fundraisers this academic year for the parent committee, said co-chair Tabitha

McLoughlin. The group wants to bring in $35,000 for the Grade 12 celebration at Central City Fun Park in Surrey on May 28.

To date, it has collected about $15,000 through a 50–50 draw, food sales, pub nights, a bottle drive and Meridian Meats gift cards On April 19, the committee will team up with Boston Pizza in Port Coquitlam, with the school receiving 20 per cent on any order that’s placed using the code “Terry Fox Dry Grad.”

As well, on May 1, it will launch its second 50–50 draw; check the school website for details.

To donate money for the Terry Fox Secondary festivities, email terryfoxdrygrad@gmail.com.

Mariner Brewing and Coquitlam Public Library have collaborated to pair refresh with scintillating stories. There’s still time to grab a Tasting Passport at either b Library. Borrow any of the books in the passport and earn stamps that can get y its paired beer* at the Mariner tap room

Join us in-person to sample the brews and to discover the final two mystery pa

April 14 | 5:00–8:00 pm

You up for CBC prize

A former Coquitlam resident has made the longest list for the 2023 CBC Short Story Prize.

Isa S. You is up an accolade for her story titled Motherland

The Regina-born writer and photographer went to middle and high school in Coquitlam and earned her bachelor’s degree in fine arts with a major in creative writing and a minor in Asian–Canadian and Asian Migration Studies

at UBC According to CBC Books, You’s work examines themes of familial relationships, diasporic longing and how the past bleeds into our present.

The grand prize winner will be named on April 18 and will receive

Cellist

will be in

next week for

last

show of the season. The pair will perform with pianists Elizabeth and Marcel Bergmann at the Evergreen Cultural Centre (1205 Pinetree Way) on April 19 at 2:30 p.m. for the recital called Bowed, Plucked, Strummed and Hammered. Tickets are $32/$26/$16 by calling 604-927-6555 or visiting evergreenculturalcentre.ca. Emerging musicians and ukulele lovers can also play with Hill in a workshop at 5 p.m.; tickets are sold separately.

$6,000 from the Canada Council for the Arts, as well as an opportunity to

attend a two-week writing residency at Artscape Gibraltar Point

PHOTO SUBMITTED

Anne Janelle and ukulele master James Hill

Coquitlam

the

Musical Matinée

ARTIST of the week

OLIVE CHAN

Port Coquitlam’s Olive Chan will show her new collection of 100 little sky paintings in her first solo exhibition that will run from April 15 to 28 at the Braid St. Gallery (701-2071 Kingsway Ave., Port Coquitlam). Titled “Tiny Expanses,” the series of the two-inch square acrylic paintings features different views of the sky based on photos from around the world. “Painting the variety and beauty of skies in miniature has been enthralling,” Chan said. “My hope is that like sparkling jewels, these ‘tinies’ would bring moments of joy and uplift people’s spirits.” The opening reception is on April 15 from 2 to 5 p.m. The facility will also be open to the public from April 16 until April 28, viewing is by appointment only.

Saturday April 15, 2023 10am - 2pm

Canadian Tire - Fremont Village, Port Coquitlam

City of Coquitlam NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

The City is continuing to facilitate electronic participation for Public Hearings. Those wishing to listen and/or participate at the Public Hearing can visit www.coquitlam.ca/publichearing or call 604-927-3010 for details and instructions.

If you do not wish to provide input, but would like to view the proceedings, watch online: www.coquitlam.ca/webcasts

Item 1

Address: 3333 Willerton Court and a Portion of an Unconstructed Road Allowance

Notice is hereby given that the City of Coquitlam will be holding a Public Hearing to receive representations from all persons who deem it in their interest to address Council regarding the following proposed bylaws. This meeting will be held on:

Date: Monday, April 24, 2023

Time: 7:00 p.m.

Location: City Hall Council Chambers, 3000 Guildford Way, Coquitlam, BC V3B 7N2

Immediately following the adjournment of the Public Hearing, Council will convene a Regular Council Meeting during which it will give consideration to the items on the Public Hearing agenda.

The intent of Bylaw No. 5293, 2023 is to amend City of Coquitlam Zoning Bylaw No. 3000, 1996 to rezone the subject property as outlined in black on the map marked Schedule ‘A’ to Bylaw No. 5293, 2023 from RS-2 One-Family Suburban Residential to RS-3 One-Family Residential and P-5 Special Park

In association with the application, a road cancellation application is also in process to close and sell an unconstructed portion of Forestgate Place.

If approved, the application would facilitate the development of four singlefamily residential lots, and another lot for a streamside protection area.

Item 2

Addresses: 820 and 826 Dogwood Street, and 615, 617 and 633 Lea Avenue

The intent of Bylaw No. 5278, 2023 is to amend Citywide Official Community Plan Bylaw No 3479, 2001 to amend the land use designation of the subject properties as outlined in black on the map marked Schedule ‘A’ to Bylaw No 5278, 2023 from Medium Density Apartment Residential to High Density Apartment

Residential.

The intent of Bylaw No. 5277, 2023 is to amend City of Coquitlam Zoning Bylaw No 3000, 1996 to rezone the subject properties as outlined in black on the map marked Schedule ‘A’ to Bylaw No. 5277, 2023 from RT-1 Infill Residential and RT-3 Multiplex Residential to RM-4 Multi-Storey High Density Apartment

Residential.

If approved, the application would facilitate the development of two residential buildings (one 12-storey and one seven-storey) over an underground parkade.

Date: Monday, April 24, 2023

Time: 7:00 p.m.

Location: City Hall Council Chambers, 3000 Guildford Way, Coquitlam, BC, V3B 7N2

Notice of Public Hearing continued from previous page

Item 3

The City is continuing to facilitate electronic participation for Public Hearings. Those wishing to listen and/or participate at the Public Hearing can visit www.coquitlam.ca/publichearing or call 604-927-3010 for details and instructions.

If you do not wish to provide input, but would like to view the proceedings, watch online: www.coquitlam.ca/webcasts

Addresses: 618, 622, and 624 Tyndall Street, 617, 629, and 631 Claremont Street, and a Portion of a Lane

The intent of Bylaw No. 5250, 2023 is to amend City of Coquitlam Zoning Bylaw No 3000, 1996 to rezone the subject properties as outlined in black on the map marked Schedule ‘A’ to Bylaw No 5250, 2023 from RS-1

One-Family Residential to CD- 37 Comprehensive Development Zone –37.

In association with the application, a road cancellation application is also in process to close and sell a portion of a north/south lane adjacent to the subject properties

If approved, the application would facilitate the development of a 29-storey residential condo tower with 250 units, and one six- storey purpose-built rental building with 105 units for a total of 355 units.

How do I find out more information?

For copies of supporting staff reports and the bylaws, please visit www.coquitlam.ca/publichearing

For additional information and any relevant background documentation, contact the Planning and Development Department by email at planninganddevelopment@coquitlam.ca or by phone at 604-927-3430. You may also visit the Planning and Development Department in person at 3000 Guildford Way, Coquitlam, BC, during the hours of 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. from Monday to Friday excluding statutory holidays. Please note: while City Hall is open to the public, and physical distancing measures are in place, the City continues to strongly encourage the use of remote means to obtain more information on these applications.

Prior to the Public Hearing written comments may be submitted to the City Clerk’s Office in one of the following ways:

• Email: clerks@coquitlam.ca;

• Fax: to the City Clerk’s Office at 604-927-3015; or

• In person: Attn: City Clerk’s Office, City Hall at 3000 Guildford Way:

• To the City Clerk’s Office front desk, which is located on the second floor of City Hall; or

• Place in either one of two City Hall drop boxes located at the underground parking entrance or by the main entrance facing Burlington Drive

To afford Council an opportunity to review your submission, please ensure that you forward it to the City Clerk’s Office prior to noon on the day of the hearing

coquitlam.ca/publichearing

Please note that the drop boxes will be emptied shortly after 12:00 p.m. and not checked again prior to the hearing

Written submissions provided in response to this consultation, including names and addresses, will become part of the public record which includes the submissions being made available for public inspection at Coquitlam City Hall and on our website at www.coquitlam.ca/agendas. If you require more information regarding this process, please call the City Clerk’s Office at 604-927-3010.

Those who wish to provide verbal submissions are encouraged to participate remotely via Zoom. Remote participants can use their computers, smart phones, tablets or telephones to speak to Council. Instructions for how to participate remotely are available at www.coquitlam.ca/publichearing.

If you want to provide a verbal submission, please register as far in advance of the meeting as possible. Registration for remote participants can be found at www.coquitlam.ca/publichearing. If you wish to participate via telephone, please call 604-927-3010 to register. Please note, you may also register to attend the meeting remotely without signing up to speak to an item. The City Clerk’s Office will compile a speakers list for each item. Everyone will be permitted to speak at the Public Hearing but those who have registered in advance will be given first opportunity.

Please also be advised that video recordings of Public Hearings are streamed live and archived on the City’s website at www.coquitlam.ca/webcasts.

Please note that Council may not receive further submissions from the public or interested parties concerning any of the bylaws described above after the conclusion of the Public Hearing.

Katie Karn, City Clerk

Historian takes a new look at an old villain

MARIO BARTEL

mbartel@tricitynews.com

A Coquitlam historian is shining a new light on one of the greatest villains in Canadian sports lore.

Cedric Bolz, who graduated from Centennial Secondary School and is now the head of the history department at Douglas College, has published an alternate view of the famous 1972 Canada–Russia hockey Summit Series as it was seen through the eyes of Josef Kompalla, one of its referees.

Kompalla and fellow West German Josef Baader were among eight officials that also included four Americans, a Swede and a Czech, who were assigned to work the historic eight-game showdown between hockey’s two greatest superpowers at the time

But Canadians old enough to remember the grainy live TV pictures from Moscow’s Luzhniki Ice Palace beamed into their living rooms and even classrooms that September 51 years ago likely recall Kompalla as Public Enemy No 1

Even those who’ve only experienced the series second hand through subsequent

memoirs and documentary films have come to vilify Kompalla, said Bolz.

Authors and filmmakers have perpetuated the narrative that the amateur referee was out

of his depth arbitrating games between hockey’s greatest professional players and the mighty Soviets.

Or worse, they surmised, he was a complicit East German

Until now.

Bolz’s book, The September He Remembers, flips Kompalla’s story and his role in the Summit Series on its head

It is, Bolz said, “the first step

in correcting a major historical oversight and adding a new chapter in the Summit Series’ growing, mutable legacy”

Bolz said he first heard of Kompalla through his stepfather, who’d played professional hockey in Germany for several years before moving his family to Canada.

The veteran referee officiated more than 2,000 games including several world championships

He was revered in Europe and even earned a place in the International Ice Hockey Federation’s (IIHF) Hall of Fame.

But in Canadian hockey lore, Kompalla is a reviled figure who seemed determined to derail the NHLers from affirming their superiority on the ice over the Soviet Union

J P Parise physically attacked him after he’d been assessed a penalty.

He was chased down hallways by players and team officials incensed by some of the calls he’d made.

He bore the wrath of a frustrated Alan Eagleson, who

MARIO BARTEL/TRI-CITY NEWS

Cedric Bolz, who went to Centennial Secondary School in Coqutilam and is now head of the history department at Douglas College, is adding to written lore of the 1972 Canada-Russian Summit Series with his own take on the role played by German referee Josef Kompalla.

Canadian players, officials refused to talk to author

“It was always baffling to him,” Bolz said.

threatened to pull the Canadian players from Game 8 when Kompalla drew the refereeing assignment for the decisive match and then threw chairs on the ice in the third period when the game didn’t seem to be going Canada’s way

Even after the series was decided, Kompalla was harassed by Canadian players on a flight to Prague for an exhibition game against the Czech national team.

When Bolz heard Kompalla was still alive and living a quiet life of retirement in Krefeld, Germany, he reached out, determined to reconcile the conflicting images of a pivotal character in hockey’s greatest drama who seemed to have been left behind by its history.

“I’m a historian,” Bolz said. “My job is to document voices and this was a voice.”

Over the course of three years of phone interviews and personal visits, Bolz constructed a picture of a modest man who still loves hockey but can’t understand how he’d become one of the sport’s most notorious characters.

Along the way, Bolz ran into road block after road block in his efforts to gain an understanding of how Kompalla had become so despised

Players still alive wouldn’t talk to him nor would team officials like Eagleson and Scotty Morrison, who was in charge of the referees for the series.

Even Ken Dryden, the Hall of Fame goaltender renowned for his thoughtful ruminations about the sport and the author of two memoirs about the series, wouldn’t return his calls

“A narrative had been crafted,” Bolz said. “Legend continues to trump the way things actually were.”

Bolz believes Kompalla was collateral damage, a convenient foil, in a hockey drama that was supposed to be a friendly cultural exchange in the spirit of detente that had started to warm the Cold War in the early 1970s, but quickly devolved into an athletic expression of the great divide that still existed between East and West when the Canadian NHLers realized their opponents wouldn’t be

the pushovers as some observers had billed them. Kompalla is now 87 and Bolz is all too aware time is running out to set the record straight and reform the referee’s legacy He hopes his book, academically annotated and cross-referenced through multiple sources, will help facilitate that.

Some who’ve helped shape the story of the Super Series over the past 51 years have taken notice and made overtures to correct the historical record, like the misconception Kompalla was f Germany when he’d fled comm in Poland and s

Germany’s democratic West.

As for the aging referee, Bolz said he still holds out hope his contribution to the series will be

Kompalla. “It’s important to see him get some sort of closure.”

• The September He Remembers is published by Jess Press. An official

SUBMITTED PHOTO

Cedric Bolz visits Josef Kompalla in his apartment in Germany that is decorated with hockey memorabilia.

Tri-City players lead FV Rush to Esso Cup tourney

Three players from the Tri-Cities including two sisters are hoping to help British Columbia win its first U18 AAA national hockey championship.

Leah and Erica Barnard, of Anmore, as well as Port Coquitlam’s Gillian Lapierre, play for the Fraser Valley

City

of

Rush of the BC Elite Hockey League, which qualified for the Esso Cup national tournament in Prince Albert, Sask. by winning its second straight Pacific regional title last weekend

The Rush defeated Alberta-champion Red Deer Chiefs in two straight games

Coquitlam

in the best-of-three regional final that was played in Red Deer. Fraser Valley won the opener 3–0 on Friday (April 7) and completed the sweep with a 5-2 victory Saturday.

Earlier, the Rush won its sixth BCEHL championship, capping a regular season in which the team won 30 of its

NOTICE OF INTENTION AND NOTICE OF PROPOSED PROPERTY DISPOSITION

City of Coquitlam Highway Dedication Cancellation Bylaw No. 5294, 2023

TAKE NOTICE THAT pursuant to Section 40 and Section 94 of the Community Charter, the City of Coquitlam Council intends to consider adoption of City of Coquitlam “Highway Dedication Cancellation Bylaw No 5294, 2023”

The intent of the Bylaw is to sell an unconstructed and unopened 107 m2 portion of Forestgate Place. The resulting parcel created by the road cancellation is proposed to be consolidated with the adjacent land at 3333 Willerton Court as one site.

Should you have any concerns or comments you wish to convey to Council, please submit them in writing no later than noon on Monday, April 24, 2023 to the City Clerk’s Office in one of the following ways:

• Email: clerks@coquitlam.ca;

• Regular mail: 3000 Guildford Way, Coquitlam, BC, V3B 7N2;

• In person: City Clerk’s Office, 2nd Floor, 3000 Guildford Way, Coquitlam, BC, V3B 7N2;

• Fax: to the City Clerk’s Office at 604-927-3015

A copy of Highway Dedication Cancellation Bylaw No. 5294, 2023 may be viewed at City Hall (Planning and Development Department) and any inquiries relating to the proposal should be made to the Planning and Development Department (604-927-3434), 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday to Friday, except statutory holidays

FURTHERMORE, TAKE NOTICE THAT pursuant to Sections 26 and 94 of the Community Charter, the City of Coquitlam hereby gives notice of the intention to sell the above described 107 m2 portion of road proposed to be closed and dedication removed.

Purchaser: True Light Building & Development Ltd.

Nature of Disposition: Fee Simple Selling Price: $34,560

For further information, please contact Mr Greg Hamilton, Manager, Real Estate at 604-927-6958

THIS ADVERTISEMENT IS FOR THE PURPOSES OF PUBLIC DISCLOSURE ONLY, NOT SOLICITATION OF AN OFFER.

32 games the losses coming in its last two games.

Leah Barnard scored a league-high 26 goals and 34 assists in 31 games and was named the BCEHL’s player of the year She also contributed eight points in the team’s two-game sweep of the Thompson-Okanagan

Lakers in the league playoffs

Her younger sister, Erica, scored 33 points in 32 games in a breakout season for the Rush. The 16-year-old added one more in the playoffs.

Lapierre, who also won a gold medal in hockey at the Canada Winter Games and a silver in lacrosse at the

Summer Games this past year, scored 19 points in 20 games with the Rush.

Fraser Valley will be making its second straight appearance at the Esso Cup that runs from April 23–29

It lost to the Durham West Lightning from Ontario in last year’s gold medal game

City of Coquitlam NOTICE OF INTENTION AND NOTICE OF PROPOSED PROPERTY DISPOSITION

City of Coquitlam Highway Dedication Cancellation Bylaw No. 5296, 2023

TAKE NOTICE THAT pursuant to Section 40 and Section 94 of the Community Charter, the City of Coquitlam Council intends to consider adoption of City of Coquitlam “Highway Dedication Cancellation Bylaw No 5296, 2023”

The intent of the Bylaw is to close and remove the dedication of 342.4 m2 portion of a lane between 618 – 624 Tyndall Street and 617 – 631 Claremont Street The resulting parcel created by the road cancellation is proposed to be consolidated with the adjacent lands at 618, 622 and 624 Tyndall Street, and 617, 629, and 631 Claremont Street as one site.

Should you have any concerns or comments you wish to convey to Council, please submit them in writing no later than noon on Monday, April 24, 2023 to the City Clerk’s Office in one of the following ways:

• Email: clerks@coquitlam ca;

• Regular mail: 3000 Guildford Way, Coquitlam, BC, V3B 7N2;

• In person: City Clerk’s Office, 2nd Floor, 3000 Guildford Way, Coquitlam, BC, V3B 7N2;

• Fax: to the City Clerk’s Office at 604-927-3015.

A copy of Highway Dedication Cancellation Bylaw No 5296, 2023 may be viewed at City Hall (Planning and Development Department) and any inquiries relating to the proposal should be made to the Planning and Development Department (604-927-3434), 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday to Friday, except statutory holidays.

FURTHERMORE, TAKE NOTICE THAT pursuant to Sections 26 and 94 of the Community Charter, the City of Coquitlam hereby gives notice of the intention to sell the above described 342.4 m2 portion of road proposed to be closed and dedication removed.

Purchaser: Oakdale Tyndall Project Limited Partnership (“Strand Development”)

Nature of Disposition: Fee Simple Selling Price: $1,520,000

For further information, please contact Mr Greg Hamilton, Manager, Real Estate at 604-927-6958 THIS

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DEFAULT JUDGEMENT

The Plaintffs, CreateAbundance International Insttute Inc , having filed and served a Notice of Civi Claim and the Defendant, D rect News PVT Ltd , having fa led to fi e and serve a Response to Civi Claim within the time al owed

THE COURT ORDERS that:

[x] the Defendant, Direct News TV Ltd , pay to the Plaintiffs damages to be assessed.

THIS COURT FURTHER ORDERS the Defendant, Direct TV News PVT Ltd., pay to the Plaintiffs:

[x] costs to be assessed

Dated: 15, February, 2023 Digitally s gned by DeCook, Denise Registrar

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