Kushiro trip sparks debate, again

Council briefs by Dan Hilborn
Published July 1, 2006


The fight over Burnaby's planned visit to sister city Kushiro, Japan next month took on a decidedly more heated tone in the council chambers on Monday night.

Coun. Gary Begin, who said he has supported the city's participation in sister city visits for the past 25 years, expressed concern as council voted to send five city managers on the trip and to have those costs charged back to their departmental budgets.

"Why are we taking a portion of this and running it through their departmental budgets?" asked Begin, who said he's never seen anything like this on the three earlier sister city visits he participated in during his many years of service on Burnaby council and school board. "If we believe in this, let's have it all together.

"I just think it doesn't look good," Begin said.

Those comments raised the ire of Mayor Derek Corrigan, who noted that all of the costs for the Kushiro trip will be made public.

"As long as the numbers are available, what is the problem?" Corrigan asked. "You're welcome to the numbers. ... Add them up and put them in the paper."

Contacted on Wednesday morning, city clerk Debbie Comis confirmed that the final costs for sending the a 33-member delegation overseas for the nine-day trip will be made available after all the receipts, invoices and other expenditures are tabulated.

A report approved by council on April 24 set the total price of the Kushiro trip at $45,350 for airfare, accommodation, transportation, interpretive and travel services and official gifts, plus an estimated $15,000 for an official city reception.

Joining council members on the trip will be the five members of the management committee, three working staff people, a total of three school board representatives (of which, the city will only cover the costs of school board chair Ron Burton), the chair of the parks commission, two Japanese speaking citizens who assisted when a Kushiro delegation came to Burnaby last year, plus a professional interpreter, tour conductor and artists Barbara Wood, who created the pen, ink and watercolour landscape of Burnaby which will be the city's official gift to the city of Kushiro.

The costs of sending the managers on the trip was including in the original budget, Comis said.

WATER QUALITY PLEASES COUNCIL

Go ahead and drink the tap water - it's the best stuff in the world.

That was the word from city council on Monday night as they approved the 2005 annual drinking water quality report for Burnaby.

The 2.5-cm thick document, which shows the results of 2,229 water sample test results taken from 60 different test locations in Burnaby, indicates that the overall quality of drinking water in the city continues to improve.

"We have amazingly good water quality," said Coun. Garth Evans, a lawyer who serves on the B.C. Medical Association's water quality subcommittee.

The biggest problem, according to Evans, is turbidity - defined as a sediment which clouds the water, but does not necessarily impact human health - while the presence of E. coli and other contaminants that could affect human health were found to be "very low."

One small neighbourhood at the top of Centennial Way on Burnaby Mountain did not meet the minimum requirement for chlorine residual in their water - the Canadian standard calls for a minimum of 0.2 mg/ L - prompting council to approve the installation of an ultraviolet disinfectant system for the area.

The report stated that all the samples taken complied with the bacteriological water quality guidelines, and there were no fecal coliform found in any of the drinking water samples, said the report. While coliform were found in some of the filters used throughout the city, those areas had their water pipes immediately flushed and resampled.

Council was very happy with the report. Mayor Derek Corrigan, a former chair of the GVRD water board, said water quality in the Lower Mainland will only continue to improve after the $600 million Seymour filtration system is operational in two years.

And Coun. Lee Rankin had said the Lower Mainland's water is so good, that there's no reason for anyone to drink bottled water. "My advice is to save those bottles and fill them up with tap water," Rankin said. "Do that, and you're actually protecting your health."

HONOURS FOR HARRY PRIDE

Just call him the reluctant award winner.

Former Burnaby school teacher and war veteran Harry Pride was honoured by Burnaby's community heritage commission last Monday night for his volunteer work as editor of a new book that tells the story of one of the oldest neighbourhoods in the city.

The Heritage Society of B.C. awarded of honour to the city's community heritage commission last month, and commission chair Coun. Colleen Jordan said it was only fitting to pass the honour on to Pride, who spearheaded the production of In The Shadow By The Sea, Recollections of Burnaby's Barnet Village.

But the 250-page book, which is now going into a second printing, was a true team effort, said Pride, who insisted he must "share the honours."

Among those who assisted with the book were Burnaby's heritage planner Jim Wolf, Shell Canada, which contributed $3,000 to print the book and distribute free copies to every school in the district, city staff who typeset, created graphics and printed the book, plus the estimated 125 former villagers who were interviewed or contributed their own stories to the document.

Pride noted that the publication of the book was so successful that it has prompted the former villagers to come together on July 23 for a reunion picnic. Among those who have kept in touch since the book was produced last year is former resident Bobby Johnston, who is now an 84 years old and living in South Africa.

"Mr. Pride wasn't anxious to have this honour bestowed on him," said Coun. Colleen Jordan, chair of the city's community heritage commission.

* * *
(As found on Canada Newstand)
JUNE 19 STUFF

TRAFFIC SAFETY ON AGENDA

The Burnaby traffic safety committee was kept busy last month as they worked on a series of minor road improvements intended to help reduce the carnage on city streets.

The most significant change was a recommendation that city council pay for the installation of a new 'linear delineation system' - reflectors - on the concrete crash barriers on three different sections of highway in the city.

A report from the city engineering department notes that the concrete barricades are often struck at night, and the city is left to foot the bill for replacing the barricades if the offending driver cannot be identified.

The new reflectors will be placed on a 750-metre section of Barnet Highway, a 450-m section of Gaglardi Way and along a 790-m stretch of Marine Way where collisions with the barricades have been a problem in the past.

ICBC has agreed to pay up to $39,000 for the purchase of the system, which they expect to recover in a fairly short period of time simply through a reduction in claims' costs. The city will install the devices using money from the city's engineering maintenance budget.

* The second major change was approval for a new temporary roundabout at Albert Street and Rosser Avenue, in an attempt to slow down the many drivers who currently ignore the existing four-way stop signs.

The temporary roundabout will be made of rubber, and can be installed for about $3,600. If successful, the roundabouts may also be used at a variety of other intersections in the residential neighbourhoods in the Heights.

* Council also approved a committee recommendation to allow the installation of a new bus stop on Patterson Avenue at Victory Street, as proposed by TransLink.

The neighbourhood had been without a northbound bus stop for six month as the committee and Translink reviewed a variety of requests from local homeowners about the best place to locate the bus stop.

* The final recommendation could be the most controversial of the bunch. Council has agreed to begin discussions with the Metrotown community police station about giving up their dedicated police- only parking spaces on Kingsborough Street, in front of the Crystal Mall, during peak weekend shopping hours.

A staff report also noted that there is a growing traffic congestion problem around the Mall, caused mostly y left-turning vehicles blocking the forward lanes of travel. The staff report also said the problems will probably lessen after the city installs a new westbound left-turn bay on Kingsway at MacKay Avenue at some unspecified time in the future.

NO EXTRA NOTICE

Burnaby council has turned down a request from former Vancouver parks board chair Laura McDiarmid to give city residents more formal notice whenever new subdivisions are approved in their neighbourhoods.

A report from the city planning department said that Burnaby follows all of the rules when approving new subdivisions, and public notification is only issued in "exceptional circumstances" when there has been a change in policy.

In McDiarmid's case, the redevelopment of a nearby property was allowed under existing zoning bylaws, and no formal notification was required. At the June 12 council meeting, McDiarmid said she receives "five letters" from Vancouver city hall whenever any new development occurs near her condo in Kitsilano.

Council also turned down McDiarmid's request for financial assistance in rebuilding a dilapidated fence on her property that was left exposed when the neighbouring lot was cleared of trees to make room for the new subdivision.

BINGO GETS A WET PATIO

The Boardwalk Gaming Centre in Highgate Village has cleared the final hurdle in its plan to open a new 85-seat liquor lounge including a 16-seat patio.

Council will inform the provincial liquor control and licensing branch that it has no objections to the lounge and patio, which received final rezoning approval last month.

But the city has imposed several restrictions on the patio, based on comments received during a Feb. 21 public hearing. Liquor can only be served on the patio from 10 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. daily, the area must be completed vacated and locked by 10 p.m., and it cannot have any music or amplification at any time.

Council approved the recommendations without comment at its June 19 meeting.

More than six years after the first complaint was received at city hall, Burnaby council has given its engineering department the authority to enter the property at 5350 Parker Street and clean up a growing collection of accumulated building materials, yard waste, household appliances and other debris.

While the property owners have made several attempts to do the clean-up themselves, the property is still deemed to be in violation of the city's unsightly premises bylaw, said a report received by council on Monday (June 19) night.

Staff estimate the clean-up will cost about $940, which will be charged to the homeowners, and added to their 2006 property tax bill if the sum is not paid by the end of the year.

JUNE 12 STUFF

PUTTING A LID ON IT

Garbage is piling up near the bus stop at Marine Drive and Royal Oak, and at least one area resident thinks city hall should install a new litter receptacle.

Wayne Lutz has written to Burnaby city council calling for the installation of a new garbage can at his local bus stop, and to watch for the accumulation of discarded shopping carts.

City staff have agreed to monitor the situation, and will install a litter receptacle at the location "if warranted," said a memo presented to city council.

BONNY'S SEEKS RATE HIKE

Bonny's Taxi has applied to the B.C. Passenger Transportation Board for a 5.77 per cent taxi cab rate increase to help offset the rising costs of fuel and insurance.

In a letter to city council, George Lapthorne, the director of operations for the largest cab company in the city, said the new rate increase will replace a 4.55 per cent temporary fuel surcharge that was recently granted.

A memo to council also indicated that city staff have no objections to the rate increase.

HELP THE HOMELESS

Cliff Avenue United Church is calling on the city of Burnaby to improve the level of service provided to the city's homeless population.

"Our congregation is concerned about the lack of a facility in Burnaby for homeless people in our midst," said a May 25 letter signed by Marie Kuhn, secretary to the official board of the church.

At a recent general meeting, the church congregation passed a resolution that calls on Burnaby to implement a comprehensive program to care for the homeless prior to the onset of winter.

ROMANOFF'S PARTIAL VICTORY

There will be dancing, but it won't be all night long.

Romanoff's restaurant will be allowed to have "patron participation," but not an extension on its operating hours.

Those were the main points of letter from Cheryl Caldwell, deputy general manager of licensing and local government liaison for the B.C. Liquor Control and Licensing Branch, sent to city council late last month.

MAY 29 stuff

MARINE WAY TRAFFIC LIGHT

A new traffic signal and larger left-hand turn bay is coming to the intersection of Marine Way and Nelson Avenue, after city council approved a series of financial manoeuvres to help pay for the project.

Although TransLink will eventually pay half of the total $1.7 million cost of the project, the city has will foot the entire bill until the work is complete, said a report received by council late last month.

The work will include an enlargement of the left-hand turn bay for traffic travelling from Marine Way onto Nelson, plus a new 'right-turn sweep' in the opposite direction.

REZONINGS

BETTER THAN WATER?

The Whistler Water Company, which is located in Burnaby, has received preliminary approval from city council to add 'fortified flavoured soda,' also known as 'alcohol-infused beverages' to its product line.

The proposal, which has would add four new storage tanks and two loading bays to the building at the corner of Winston and Bainbridge, which is currently used by four different tenants, including the water bottling company.

When complete, the bottling of fortified beverages is expected to take up about 10 per cent of the company's production output, said a report from the city's planning department.

The rezoning will go to a public hearing in the city council chambers on June 27.

BALLARD ADDS SPACE

Ballard Power is adding about 73 square metres (760 sq.ft.) of extra space to the second floor of its sprawling headquarters in the Glenlyon business park, as the fuel cell production company begins to change its focus over the coming year.

The additional space will be used for an expansion of the laboratory, and will be built over space that is currently part of a mezzanine level.

The proposal was received at city hall just three weeks after Ballard CEO John Sheridan announced plans that the high tech energy company will begin to focus on manufacturing, sales and marketing rather than on its previous work in the fields of research and development.

Sheridan also announced that Ballard Power is committed to producing commercially viable fuel-cell technology for hydrogen- powered vehicles by 2010.