By Dan Hilborn
Published Aug. 26, 2006
City council members put on their kid gloves Monday night while dealing with a 70-year-old resident whose unsightly property has raised the ire and concern of both his neighbours and the local health inspectors.
Mayor Derek Corrigan and the rest of council extended the deadline for David Price to clean up his west Burnaby property, which is piled high with scrap metal, yard and garden waste and storage containers of recyclable materials underneath a series of giant blue tarps.
"I plan to clean it all up, but what takes you a day would take me several days," the slight septuagenarian told city council on Monday night. "I have done a lot of work. A lot of stuff has been thrown out."
According to a report from the city's finance department, Price's dilemma first came on the council agenda on May 29 when city staff were given the authority to enter the property and conduct the cleanup themselves.
But when Price showed up at the July 10 council meeting to complain about what he described as the unrealistic demands of city staff, he convinced council to give him the opportunity to do the work himself.
The most recent report from the city staff recommended that Price be given an Aug. 31 deadline to finish the work himself, but council agreed to extend that deadline to the end of September.
While the mayor noted that staff "will exercise discretion" in making sure the cleanup progresses, he emphasized that the work must be done or else a city crew will be assigned to the task and the cost of the cleanup will be placed on Prices' 2006 property tax bill.
Coun. Colleen Jordan noted that Price could ask for assistance from one of several volunteer agencies that work with seniors in the city, although Price insisted he wanted to go through all the material himself to ensure he does not lose track of any important documents or papers.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Tank farm proposal won't affect refinery
By Dan Hilborn
Published Aug. 26, 2006
There are no plans to increase either the size or scope of the Chevron refinery in North Burnaby in response to Kinder Morgan Canada's recent announcement that it wants to enlarge its tank farm on Burnaby Mountain.
"No, that (tank farm expansion) project has nothing to do with our refinery," Doug Heinze, manager of the Chevron refinery, told the Burnaby NOW. "The pipeline expansion that's been discussed is related to crude oil. ... As you know, we are a relatively small refinery in the big picture.
"Our consumption of crude here is a relatively small piece of the story."
Heinze said the proposed tank farm expansion will probably have a greater impact on Chevron's crude oil shipping business, most of which is conducted through the port of Kitimat.
In terms of the bigger picture, Heinze said British Columbia's economy stands to benefit from the increased interest in Alberta's oil sands, and Kinder Morgan is just one of several pipeline operators now trying to move ahead with proposals to help bring that new oil to market.
"The big story is that Alberta is constrained on crude because production is growing faster than the capacity out of Alberta," he said.
Heinze noted the oil sands have the potential to grow from their current production of half a million barrels per day to a potential of five million barrels per day within the next two decades.
His comments were made just four days after Kinder Morgan Canada presented Burnaby city council with its formal proposal to expand the 53-year-old tank farm.
If KMC goes ahead with the plan, the Burnaby Mountain facility will add at least one new tank capable of holding 35,000 square metres (220,000 barrels) by the year 2009, and possibly five other new tanks in the ensuing years. The tank farm currently houses 13 storage tanks with a total carrying capacity of 270,000 sq.m. (1.7 million barrels).
One barrel is equivalent to 42 US gallons, or 159 litres.
Published Aug. 26, 2006
There are no plans to increase either the size or scope of the Chevron refinery in North Burnaby in response to Kinder Morgan Canada's recent announcement that it wants to enlarge its tank farm on Burnaby Mountain.
"No, that (tank farm expansion) project has nothing to do with our refinery," Doug Heinze, manager of the Chevron refinery, told the Burnaby NOW. "The pipeline expansion that's been discussed is related to crude oil. ... As you know, we are a relatively small refinery in the big picture.
"Our consumption of crude here is a relatively small piece of the story."
Heinze said the proposed tank farm expansion will probably have a greater impact on Chevron's crude oil shipping business, most of which is conducted through the port of Kitimat.
In terms of the bigger picture, Heinze said British Columbia's economy stands to benefit from the increased interest in Alberta's oil sands, and Kinder Morgan is just one of several pipeline operators now trying to move ahead with proposals to help bring that new oil to market.
"The big story is that Alberta is constrained on crude because production is growing faster than the capacity out of Alberta," he said.
Heinze noted the oil sands have the potential to grow from their current production of half a million barrels per day to a potential of five million barrels per day within the next two decades.
His comments were made just four days after Kinder Morgan Canada presented Burnaby city council with its formal proposal to expand the 53-year-old tank farm.
If KMC goes ahead with the plan, the Burnaby Mountain facility will add at least one new tank capable of holding 35,000 square metres (220,000 barrels) by the year 2009, and possibly five other new tanks in the ensuing years. The tank farm currently houses 13 storage tanks with a total carrying capacity of 270,000 sq.m. (1.7 million barrels).
One barrel is equivalent to 42 US gallons, or 159 litres.
Facility neighbour seeks support
By Dan Hilborn
Published Aug. 26, 2006
The rezoning of one of the last remaining undeveloped parcels of the BCIT Discovery Park site is an opportunity to reduce noise, enhance safety and provide more green space for area residents, says a former Burnaby city council candidate.
Parvin Chami, who lives just half a block from the proposed five-storey 'advanced technology research and office facility,' said she wants her neighbours to speak up about the plan at a public hearing in the city council chambers on Tuesday night.
"We want people to come to the public hearing and raise their concerns," said Chami, who has been a constant critic of the Discovery Park plan over the past decade.
Chami said the rezoning of 'parcel A' at the southwest corner of Canada Way and Gilmore Avenue should only be approved if the developers agree to a series of improvements.
Chief among her concerns is green space. Chami is calling for an expanded buffer zone between the property and nearby homes because the new building will be two storeys taller than the three-storey maximum for the majority of the buildings on the Discovery Park site.
Another concern is safety on a tree-lined walking path connecting Kalyk Avenue - the street where Chami lives - with Canada Way. "There have been some incidents of people attacking girls," she said. "We want a safer pathway. A path where you can see from one end to the other."
She also wants the developer to put more noise-abatement equipment around the mechanical room that will be located on the roof of proposed building. "We don't want to hear the noise when we're sleeping at night," she said.
Chami also wants assurances that the development, which includes three levels of underground parking, will not alter drainage patterns and cause damage to a small creek that runs through the treed buffer zone on the western property line of the site.
According to a rezoning report that was given first reading at the July 17 council meeting, the redevelopment plan will upgrade the Gilmore Avenue sidewalk to 'urban trail' standards and provide shower facilities and storage lockers for people who choose to bike to work at the site.
The proposal will also preserve a small vegetable garden on the site that is currently being maintained by residents of the neighbouring Finnish Manor rest home. The rezoning report states that if the garden is not used or maintained for a period of one year, the property owner will be required to replant the area as part of the natural buffer zone.
The rezoning report also notes that the Discovery Parks community plan would have allowed for a six-storey building on this parcel of land.
Published Aug. 26, 2006
The rezoning of one of the last remaining undeveloped parcels of the BCIT Discovery Park site is an opportunity to reduce noise, enhance safety and provide more green space for area residents, says a former Burnaby city council candidate.
Parvin Chami, who lives just half a block from the proposed five-storey 'advanced technology research and office facility,' said she wants her neighbours to speak up about the plan at a public hearing in the city council chambers on Tuesday night.
"We want people to come to the public hearing and raise their concerns," said Chami, who has been a constant critic of the Discovery Park plan over the past decade.
Chami said the rezoning of 'parcel A' at the southwest corner of Canada Way and Gilmore Avenue should only be approved if the developers agree to a series of improvements.
Chief among her concerns is green space. Chami is calling for an expanded buffer zone between the property and nearby homes because the new building will be two storeys taller than the three-storey maximum for the majority of the buildings on the Discovery Park site.
Another concern is safety on a tree-lined walking path connecting Kalyk Avenue - the street where Chami lives - with Canada Way. "There have been some incidents of people attacking girls," she said. "We want a safer pathway. A path where you can see from one end to the other."
She also wants the developer to put more noise-abatement equipment around the mechanical room that will be located on the roof of proposed building. "We don't want to hear the noise when we're sleeping at night," she said.
Chami also wants assurances that the development, which includes three levels of underground parking, will not alter drainage patterns and cause damage to a small creek that runs through the treed buffer zone on the western property line of the site.
According to a rezoning report that was given first reading at the July 17 council meeting, the redevelopment plan will upgrade the Gilmore Avenue sidewalk to 'urban trail' standards and provide shower facilities and storage lockers for people who choose to bike to work at the site.
The proposal will also preserve a small vegetable garden on the site that is currently being maintained by residents of the neighbouring Finnish Manor rest home. The rezoning report states that if the garden is not used or maintained for a period of one year, the property owner will be required to replant the area as part of the natural buffer zone.
The rezoning report also notes that the Discovery Parks community plan would have allowed for a six-storey building on this parcel of land.
Inferno in North Burnaby
By Dan Hilborn
Published Aug. 26, 2006
Burnaby police and fire investigators are trying to determine the cause of a Thursday night fire that closed three businesses and forced the evacuation of several second-floor apartments at the corner of Hastings and Gilmore.
While nobody was seriously injured in the fire, eyewitnesses told radio station CKNW that a young man ran into one of the two affected buildings to rescue an elderly woman living in an upstairs suite. Reports from the scene also indicate that another of the evacuated tenants was an artist who lost his "life's work" in the blaze.
Burnaby assistant fire chief Les Strange described the incident as "a dirty fire" and said a total of 38 firefighters and 10 trucks were needed to battle the inferno.
"This was a commercial building with fire stops, and that meant our firefighters had to work to gain access inside the walls," Strange said Friday morning.
The fire has closed the HSBC Bank, Millennium Pawn Shop and Planet Hair Studio. The neighbouring Pear Tree Restaurant, one of the finest five-star restaurants in the Lower Mainland, appeared to be undamaged.
The three-alarm fire was first reported at 10:15 p.m. by a passing motorist who immediately stopped her vehicle and pounded furiously on the front doors of Fire Station No. 5, located just one block east.
While the person who reported the fire did send an e-mail to the Burnaby NOW claiming the fire department's response was inadequately slow, attempts to speak directly to that person prior to Burnaby NOW's Friday morning deadline were unsuccessful.
Strange said that a full incident report is being conducted and he believes it will show that firefighters were out of the hall and on the scene within five minutes.
"When somebody is in an emergency situation, they typically think time is going really fast, when in reality it's usually only a few minutes," he said. "This incident, with the fire being that close to the hall, I think the arrival time was within the three- to five-minute range."
Strange said that firefighters always have an established protocol they must follow before leaving the hall to fight a fire, and that includes putting on their gear and checking the major incident response charts to determine the size and location of all the nearby fire hydrants and possible hazards. In this incident, the local firefighters would have also had the added responsibility of reporting the fire to the main fire hall on Sperling Street, an added step to the usual protocols, Strange said. "If they were out the door in 90 seconds, that would be a good job," he said.
Amateur photographer Frank Yeats-Illes, who shot the photo accompanying this story, said his wife was standing on the couple's apartment balcony at Hastings and Madison when she suddenly saw flames shoot into the sky.
"In a matter of minutes it was a huge inferno," Yeats-Illes said. "It took a few minutes before we could hear the alarm bells ringing, but it seemed the fire department got it under control pretty quick."
Yeats-Illes also said that he was surprised by the large numbers of onlookers who showed up to watch the firefighters at work.
Police were forced to reroute traffic off Hastings Street throughout the night, and although fire crews officially finished battling the blaze by around 4:15 a.m., eastbound traffic was still being diverted onto Pender Street during the Friday morning rush hour.
Investigators are now asking for the public's help in determining whether the fire was accidental or deliberately set. Anyone with information is asked to call CrimeStoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
Published Aug. 26, 2006
Burnaby police and fire investigators are trying to determine the cause of a Thursday night fire that closed three businesses and forced the evacuation of several second-floor apartments at the corner of Hastings and Gilmore.
While nobody was seriously injured in the fire, eyewitnesses told radio station CKNW that a young man ran into one of the two affected buildings to rescue an elderly woman living in an upstairs suite. Reports from the scene also indicate that another of the evacuated tenants was an artist who lost his "life's work" in the blaze.
Burnaby assistant fire chief Les Strange described the incident as "a dirty fire" and said a total of 38 firefighters and 10 trucks were needed to battle the inferno.
"This was a commercial building with fire stops, and that meant our firefighters had to work to gain access inside the walls," Strange said Friday morning.
The fire has closed the HSBC Bank, Millennium Pawn Shop and Planet Hair Studio. The neighbouring Pear Tree Restaurant, one of the finest five-star restaurants in the Lower Mainland, appeared to be undamaged.
The three-alarm fire was first reported at 10:15 p.m. by a passing motorist who immediately stopped her vehicle and pounded furiously on the front doors of Fire Station No. 5, located just one block east.
While the person who reported the fire did send an e-mail to the Burnaby NOW claiming the fire department's response was inadequately slow, attempts to speak directly to that person prior to Burnaby NOW's Friday morning deadline were unsuccessful.
Strange said that a full incident report is being conducted and he believes it will show that firefighters were out of the hall and on the scene within five minutes.
"When somebody is in an emergency situation, they typically think time is going really fast, when in reality it's usually only a few minutes," he said. "This incident, with the fire being that close to the hall, I think the arrival time was within the three- to five-minute range."
Strange said that firefighters always have an established protocol they must follow before leaving the hall to fight a fire, and that includes putting on their gear and checking the major incident response charts to determine the size and location of all the nearby fire hydrants and possible hazards. In this incident, the local firefighters would have also had the added responsibility of reporting the fire to the main fire hall on Sperling Street, an added step to the usual protocols, Strange said. "If they were out the door in 90 seconds, that would be a good job," he said.
Amateur photographer Frank Yeats-Illes, who shot the photo accompanying this story, said his wife was standing on the couple's apartment balcony at Hastings and Madison when she suddenly saw flames shoot into the sky.
"In a matter of minutes it was a huge inferno," Yeats-Illes said. "It took a few minutes before we could hear the alarm bells ringing, but it seemed the fire department got it under control pretty quick."
Yeats-Illes also said that he was surprised by the large numbers of onlookers who showed up to watch the firefighters at work.
Police were forced to reroute traffic off Hastings Street throughout the night, and although fire crews officially finished battling the blaze by around 4:15 a.m., eastbound traffic was still being diverted onto Pender Street during the Friday morning rush hour.
Investigators are now asking for the public's help in determining whether the fire was accidental or deliberately set. Anyone with information is asked to call CrimeStoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
Tories looking ahead
By Dan Hilborn
Published Aug. 26, 2006
A federal election may still be a long way away, but at least one potential Conservative party candidate is stepping up to run for his party's nomination in the Burnaby-New Westminster riding.
Ryan Warawa, the 30-year-old son of Langley MP Mark Warawa, confirms that he intends to seek the party's nomination.
"I've set the wheels in motion for an announcement within the next week," said Warawa, who already has his official campaign website online.
Warawa, a benefits specialist for Intrawest, the company that operates the Whistler-Blackcomb ski resorts, currently lives in Vancouver but has been a member of the Burnaby-New Westminster riding association executive since 2004. He previously worked at Best Buy's Canadian head office in the riding.
"I was active on the campaign of Marc Dalton, our candidate last year, so I'm encouraged by our chances in that riding," he said. "It was a three-way split in the past two elections, so a five per cent change and that riding will be taken away from (the current NDP MP) Peter Julian."
A political activist since joining the Reform Party at the age of 17, Warawa previously served as youth co-chair of Stockwell Day's campaign for the leadership of the Canadian Alliance and as an executive member of the party's Vancouver Centre constituency association.
Also considering a run at the nomination is Burnaby realtor Sam Rakhra, who had an unsuccessful bid for the Tory nomination in the riding prior to last winter's federal election.
"I haven't decided so far, even though a lot of people have approached me," said Rakhra, adding that his final decision will likely be based on who else enters the nomination race.
Mike Redmond, who has twice run for the Progressive Conservatives in the riding, said he will probably not seek the nomination for the upcoming federal election because he recently made a three-year commitment to work on the Workers' Compensation appeal tribunal.
"I've decided not to seek the nomination this time just for business reasons," Redmond said Thursday morning. "But you know, you can never say never. If the time was right, I'd love to. It would be a great honour to represent people in Parliament."
Rav Mlait, president of the riding association, said the nomination meeting will probably not happen until the spring, unless there is a surprise election this fall or winter.
"The party has not signaled to us when the nomination meeting will happen, but being politics, especially in a minority situation, we always have to be ready for an election at any time," Mlait said. "If the Liberals or New Democrats want to vote against the softwood lumber deal, then that's their prerogative. And if that's the case, the Conservative Party will be ready to run on its record.
"I wouldn't rule anything out," Mlait said.
Published Aug. 26, 2006
A federal election may still be a long way away, but at least one potential Conservative party candidate is stepping up to run for his party's nomination in the Burnaby-New Westminster riding.
Ryan Warawa, the 30-year-old son of Langley MP Mark Warawa, confirms that he intends to seek the party's nomination.
"I've set the wheels in motion for an announcement within the next week," said Warawa, who already has his official campaign website online.
Warawa, a benefits specialist for Intrawest, the company that operates the Whistler-Blackcomb ski resorts, currently lives in Vancouver but has been a member of the Burnaby-New Westminster riding association executive since 2004. He previously worked at Best Buy's Canadian head office in the riding.
"I was active on the campaign of Marc Dalton, our candidate last year, so I'm encouraged by our chances in that riding," he said. "It was a three-way split in the past two elections, so a five per cent change and that riding will be taken away from (the current NDP MP) Peter Julian."
A political activist since joining the Reform Party at the age of 17, Warawa previously served as youth co-chair of Stockwell Day's campaign for the leadership of the Canadian Alliance and as an executive member of the party's Vancouver Centre constituency association.
Also considering a run at the nomination is Burnaby realtor Sam Rakhra, who had an unsuccessful bid for the Tory nomination in the riding prior to last winter's federal election.
"I haven't decided so far, even though a lot of people have approached me," said Rakhra, adding that his final decision will likely be based on who else enters the nomination race.
Mike Redmond, who has twice run for the Progressive Conservatives in the riding, said he will probably not seek the nomination for the upcoming federal election because he recently made a three-year commitment to work on the Workers' Compensation appeal tribunal.
"I've decided not to seek the nomination this time just for business reasons," Redmond said Thursday morning. "But you know, you can never say never. If the time was right, I'd love to. It would be a great honour to represent people in Parliament."
Rav Mlait, president of the riding association, said the nomination meeting will probably not happen until the spring, unless there is a surprise election this fall or winter.
"The party has not signaled to us when the nomination meeting will happen, but being politics, especially in a minority situation, we always have to be ready for an election at any time," Mlait said. "If the Liberals or New Democrats want to vote against the softwood lumber deal, then that's their prerogative. And if that's the case, the Conservative Party will be ready to run on its record.
"I wouldn't rule anything out," Mlait said.
Tank farm causes concern
By Dan Hilborn
Published Aug. 26, 2006
A proposal that could ultimately double the capacity of the Kinder Morgan Canada tank farm on Burnaby Mountain has prompted city council to look at its regulations on the large-scale storage of oil and gas in the city.
Coun. Nick Volkow said he is concerned about the proposal to build one new 35,000-square-metre (220,000-barrel) gas storage tank at the Burnaby Mountain facility by the year 2009 and possibly add another five more tanks in the ensuing years.
The Burnaby Mountain tank farm plan is only one part of a billion-dollar plan to increase Kinder Morgan's pipeline and storage capacity by 100,000 barrels per day.
The project, which is in the early discussion stage, will also add another 495 kilometres of pipeline connecting the oilfields of Alberta and northeast B.C. to the Lower Mainland, build five new and upgrade six existing pump stations and increase Kinder Morgan Canada's storage capacity at three different tank farms, including Burnaby Mountain.
The plan, dubbed the TMX-2 project, is detailed in a 10-page report presented to city council on Monday night.
Volkow said he is more concerned about the proposal coming from Kinder Morgan than he would have been had the work been proposed by the tank farm's previous owners, Terasen and Trans Mountain Pipeline Ltd.
"Kinder Morgan has a bit of a sorry record when it comes to operating in their home base of Texas, so I'm prepared to give this application a lot more scrutiny than I would have under the previous operators," Volkow said. "They're not the best operators on the planet when it comes to operating pipelines."
The tank farm, which has been located on Burnaby Mountain since 1953, was purchased by Kinder Morgan last year as part of a $6.9 billion acquisition of Terasen Gas Inc. Prior to that, the facility was operated by Trans Mountain Pipeline Ltd.
Team Burnaby council members Lee Rankin and Garth Evans questioned whether city council had the ability to limit the number of storage tanks at the 77-hectare (189-acre) Burnaby Mountain facility, which currently has 13 storage tanks with a total capacity of 270,000 square metres (1.7 million barrels).
Jack Belhouse, the director of of the city's building and planning department, said the city zoning bylaws can only regulate the technical requirements of the tank farm, and the project can go ahead as long as it meets "fire safety and other regulatory bylaws."
"So we can't stop them, thank you," Evans replied.
And Coun. Pietro Calendino said he is "totally against" the plan because the neighbourhood around the tank farm has changed considerably in the past half a century.
Contacted on Tuesday morning, Philippe Reicher, director of external relations for Kinder Morgan Canada, said the company is proud of its track record and will comply with all the necessary regulations and other legislative requirements should the project go ahead.
"We've been neighbours for 50 years in Burnaby so if you look at our history, our operational history, we have an excellent record when it comes to environmental protection," Reicher said. "If we were to expand, we'd be expanding using the same philosophy and guidelines.
"The fact that we changed our name to Kinder Morgan does not mean we have changed at all the way we operate our pipeline systems," Reicher said, adding that the expansion plans still hinge on the outcome of a ongoing commercial discussions with large-scale petroleum producers such as Chevron, PetroCanada and Shell. "If we don't have the deal completed, the expansion won't take place, and at this point we do not yet have the deal."
Reicher also said that Burnaby Mountain storage facility can easily handle the proposed increase in capacity. "If you look at other tank farms in other jurisdictions, you'd realize the density of tanks is quite a bit higher than what we have in Burnaby. ... There is plenty enough room to accommodate the additional tankage."
If pipeline and tank farm expansion plan does go ahead, the project will be regulated by the National Energy Board, Reicher said.
Published Aug. 26, 2006
A proposal that could ultimately double the capacity of the Kinder Morgan Canada tank farm on Burnaby Mountain has prompted city council to look at its regulations on the large-scale storage of oil and gas in the city.
Coun. Nick Volkow said he is concerned about the proposal to build one new 35,000-square-metre (220,000-barrel) gas storage tank at the Burnaby Mountain facility by the year 2009 and possibly add another five more tanks in the ensuing years.
The Burnaby Mountain tank farm plan is only one part of a billion-dollar plan to increase Kinder Morgan's pipeline and storage capacity by 100,000 barrels per day.
The project, which is in the early discussion stage, will also add another 495 kilometres of pipeline connecting the oilfields of Alberta and northeast B.C. to the Lower Mainland, build five new and upgrade six existing pump stations and increase Kinder Morgan Canada's storage capacity at three different tank farms, including Burnaby Mountain.
The plan, dubbed the TMX-2 project, is detailed in a 10-page report presented to city council on Monday night.
Volkow said he is more concerned about the proposal coming from Kinder Morgan than he would have been had the work been proposed by the tank farm's previous owners, Terasen and Trans Mountain Pipeline Ltd.
"Kinder Morgan has a bit of a sorry record when it comes to operating in their home base of Texas, so I'm prepared to give this application a lot more scrutiny than I would have under the previous operators," Volkow said. "They're not the best operators on the planet when it comes to operating pipelines."
The tank farm, which has been located on Burnaby Mountain since 1953, was purchased by Kinder Morgan last year as part of a $6.9 billion acquisition of Terasen Gas Inc. Prior to that, the facility was operated by Trans Mountain Pipeline Ltd.
Team Burnaby council members Lee Rankin and Garth Evans questioned whether city council had the ability to limit the number of storage tanks at the 77-hectare (189-acre) Burnaby Mountain facility, which currently has 13 storage tanks with a total capacity of 270,000 square metres (1.7 million barrels).
Jack Belhouse, the director of of the city's building and planning department, said the city zoning bylaws can only regulate the technical requirements of the tank farm, and the project can go ahead as long as it meets "fire safety and other regulatory bylaws."
"So we can't stop them, thank you," Evans replied.
And Coun. Pietro Calendino said he is "totally against" the plan because the neighbourhood around the tank farm has changed considerably in the past half a century.
Contacted on Tuesday morning, Philippe Reicher, director of external relations for Kinder Morgan Canada, said the company is proud of its track record and will comply with all the necessary regulations and other legislative requirements should the project go ahead.
"We've been neighbours for 50 years in Burnaby so if you look at our history, our operational history, we have an excellent record when it comes to environmental protection," Reicher said. "If we were to expand, we'd be expanding using the same philosophy and guidelines.
"The fact that we changed our name to Kinder Morgan does not mean we have changed at all the way we operate our pipeline systems," Reicher said, adding that the expansion plans still hinge on the outcome of a ongoing commercial discussions with large-scale petroleum producers such as Chevron, PetroCanada and Shell. "If we don't have the deal completed, the expansion won't take place, and at this point we do not yet have the deal."
Reicher also said that Burnaby Mountain storage facility can easily handle the proposed increase in capacity. "If you look at other tank farms in other jurisdictions, you'd realize the density of tanks is quite a bit higher than what we have in Burnaby. ... There is plenty enough room to accommodate the additional tankage."
If pipeline and tank farm expansion plan does go ahead, the project will be regulated by the National Energy Board, Reicher said.
Wading pools' future in doubt
By Dan Hilborn
Published Aug. 2, 2006
Splish, splash. When Burnaby's 11 different wading pools opened for the summer season recently, scores of young children jumped for joy at the opportunity to cool off and play in the water at a park close to their homes.
But the majority of those wading pools were built in the early 1960s, and they're reaching the end of their natural lifespan, said Kate Friars, director of the parks, recreation and cultural services department at Burnaby city hall.
One of the key problems with the wading pools is the fact that most of them are simply drained every night, Friars said, sending their used water directly into the storm sewer system.
While the pools are still popular with kids, the city is hoping to replace many of them with new energy-efficient spray pools over the coming years, she said.
And because those new spray pools are costly to build - anywhere from $300,000 to $400,000 apiece, depending on their size and extra features - that means that some of those wading pools may simply disappear, never to be replaced.
"What we're concerned about is, obviously, water conservation and making sure we have water play opportunities in close proximity to our neighbourhoods," Friars told the Burnaby NOW recently. "Some will be decommissioned, and we'll build larger spray pools in the town centre areas. We'll take a town regional approach as opposed to a neighbourhood approach."
While the parks commission typically refurbishes only one or two of the wading pools each year, that schedule of maintenance is getting busier as the pools near the end of their life cycle.
This year, the city refurbished and repaired six of the 11 wading pools, while the remaining five are set for repairs next year. That work consisted of a powerwash, caulking of the concrete tank and deck, painting or replacement of the fence and posts, plus new signs. The average cost of the work at each of the refurbished pools was about $2,600, Friars said.
The city will look at a variety of factors when it decides which wading pools are replaced and which will be shut down completely. Although no decisions have been made yet, new spray pools will likely go into parks that already have separate toilet facilities, adequate drinking fountains and an existing water recirculation system.
Published Aug. 2, 2006
Splish, splash. When Burnaby's 11 different wading pools opened for the summer season recently, scores of young children jumped for joy at the opportunity to cool off and play in the water at a park close to their homes.
But the majority of those wading pools were built in the early 1960s, and they're reaching the end of their natural lifespan, said Kate Friars, director of the parks, recreation and cultural services department at Burnaby city hall.
One of the key problems with the wading pools is the fact that most of them are simply drained every night, Friars said, sending their used water directly into the storm sewer system.
While the pools are still popular with kids, the city is hoping to replace many of them with new energy-efficient spray pools over the coming years, she said.
And because those new spray pools are costly to build - anywhere from $300,000 to $400,000 apiece, depending on their size and extra features - that means that some of those wading pools may simply disappear, never to be replaced.
"What we're concerned about is, obviously, water conservation and making sure we have water play opportunities in close proximity to our neighbourhoods," Friars told the Burnaby NOW recently. "Some will be decommissioned, and we'll build larger spray pools in the town centre areas. We'll take a town regional approach as opposed to a neighbourhood approach."
While the parks commission typically refurbishes only one or two of the wading pools each year, that schedule of maintenance is getting busier as the pools near the end of their life cycle.
This year, the city refurbished and repaired six of the 11 wading pools, while the remaining five are set for repairs next year. That work consisted of a powerwash, caulking of the concrete tank and deck, painting or replacement of the fence and posts, plus new signs. The average cost of the work at each of the refurbished pools was about $2,600, Friars said.
The city will look at a variety of factors when it decides which wading pools are replaced and which will be shut down completely. Although no decisions have been made yet, new spray pools will likely go into parks that already have separate toilet facilities, adequate drinking fountains and an existing water recirculation system.
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