By Dan Hilborn
Published Sept. 13, 2006
Residents of the Whattlekainum housing co-op on Burnaby Mountain are up in arms after crews from the nearby Kinder Morgan tank farm began clear cutting trees over a section of pipeline right-of-way, across the street from their homes.
Mary Ayles was one of three residents who called the Burnaby NOW on Monday afternoon to complain about what she believes is the unnecessary cutting of a stand of 50-year-old alder, maple and other trees in the 8700 block of Forest Grove Drive.
"What we're seeing is the face of our neighbourhood changing," Ayles said. "Forest Grove is a grove of trees that stand tall and proud. Then, all of a sudden, tree toppers showed up with backhoes and all kinds of things, and they're bringing the trees down.
"I don't recognize the street anymore," she said.
Philippe Reicher, director of external relations for Kinder Morgan Canada, said the tree-cutting is part of a necessary "vegetation management program" to ensure the integrity of the pipeline.
"What we intend to do is make sure we have access to the right-of-way," Reicher said Tuesday morning.
Reicher said city hall was informed about the work, which began last year on other areas around the Burnaby Mountain tank farm. He said the work has a dual purpose - to allow easier inspection of the pipeline, "particularly in case of an emergency," and to ensure that the tree roots do not damage the pipeline.
"It's understandable that some people could potentially be upset by this. ... But, in many ways, those trees should never have been allowed to grow there," he said. "That right-of-way has been there for 50 years."
Reicher said he does not know the full scope of the work or the total number of trees that may eventually be chopped down, but he does not expect many more trees to be felled. "What you're seeing now is probably the whole extent of the work," he said.
Ayles also said that she was upset by her inability to obtain any information about the tree cutting when she called Burnaby city hall on Monday afternoon.
"We've been given little to no information. There was no town hall meeting called and I was concerned that nobody at city hall seemed concerned," she said. "The people I called said there's nothing they can do.
"I'm definitely not happy and shocked by what I see."
Karen Nimegeers, another resident of the housing coop, said the tree cutting was first noticed several months ago along a walking trails through the forest, and it has now come down onto their street.
"I don't know where it's going to end, and I'm upset by the loss of these obviously healthy trees," she said. "It's heartbreaking to see the trees go."
Nimegeers and Ayles both agreed that part of their concerns comes from the fact that the tank farm was sold to a company with an American parent.
"Suddenly it's Kinder Morgan and down come the trees," said Nimegeers.
"Certainly, when Trans Mountain was here, there seemed to be a lot more information," added Ayles.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Campbell scared of opposition, says Chouhan
Backrooms column by Dan Hilborn
Published Sept. 13, 2006
Burnaby-Edmonds MLA Raj Chouhan thinks he's figured out why the B.C. government is not planning a full session of the legislature this fall.
"They don't have anything to talk about," said the rookie NDP MLA, who was recently appointed the NDP critic for mental health. "Gordon Campbell is running scared of the opposition."
Chouhan is convinced the Liberals are trying to avoid some tough questions, such as when are they going to reinstate the position of mental health advocate in B.C.
"I want to ask them, for example, why in B.C. we do not have a mental health advocate so people suffering from mental health problems have a voice," Chouhan said last week. "I've met with almost a dozen different groups in the past few weeks all over the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island, and each one of them is telling me this (the advocate) is a very, very important issue."
The position of mental health advocate, formerly filled by Nancy Hall, was cut by the B.C. Liberals during the government service reductions of 2002, Chouhan said.
"When it comes to mental health, this government has cut back in so many areas," he said. "There is no independent minister to advocate on behalf of these people, and that's why we need an independent advocate: to see what the needs are in the community and to make recommendations on what remedies or services could be provided."
Chouhan is also in the early stages of organizing a mental health forum in Burnaby where community groups and individuals can come to air their views and talk about their needs. Stay tuned for details.
LIBERALS PICK DELEGATES
Don't expect any total victories when the local Liberal riding associations get together to choose their delegates for the federal party's leadership convention taking place in Montreal later this fall.
Watch for the big showdown between the Gerard Kennedy faction and supporters of former environment minister Stephane Dion, with maybe a few other delegates spots going to the seven other leadership hopefuls.
Mark Ransom, executive director of the federal party's B.C. office, said the Burnaby-Douglas and Burnaby-New Westminster ridings will hold their delegate selection meeting in conjunction with the New Westminster-Coquitlam and Port Moody-Westwood ridings on Sept. 29 at a still-to-be-decided location. Each riding gets to choose 14 delegates.
"It's an issue of resources," Ransom said of the combined meeting. "As you can imagine, with nine leadership candidates, the odds of finding neutral volunteers is not that great."
Kennedy's camp has apparently been going great guns under the guiding hand of Gurdev Dhillon, and the word on the street is that he's pretty much wrapped up the youth vote.
Dion, who earned headlines with his visit to Burnaby Lake two years ago, probably has the best known Burnaby name on his side in the person of Bill Cunningham, the former executive director of the federal cabinet offices, one-time Paul Martin organizer, past president of the B.C. wing of the party and twice candidate in Burnaby-Douglas. Also adding fuel to Dion's fire is former provincial cabinet minister Joyce Murray.
Not to be outdone, Ken Dryden has lined up local lawyer and former Liberal candidate Celso Boscariol as his local organizer, while Michael Ignatieff is getting help from Burnaby's own Johnathan Ross, publisher of the TDH Strategies website.
Other hopefuls who managed to put their feet on the ground in Burnaby over the past few weeks include Scott Brison, who did a campaign stop at Death By Chocolate on Kingsway, plus Hedy Fry, who was the guest of honour at a house party on Elwell Street.
Despite my best efforts, I've been unable to get a message to Bob Rae's best-known local organizer, former Burnaby-Edmonds MLA Patty Sahota.
RIDING REVIEW
Will Burnaby finally get four members of the legislative assembly all to itself?
That's the biggest wish of Mayor Derek Corrigan as the B.C. Electoral Boundaries Commission officially begins its review of the provincial riding boundaries and the number of MLAs.
While the commission is officially working off a blank slate, information on its official government website states that the government is willing to consider an increase in the total number of B.C. MLAs from the current 79 to 85.
If the overall size of the legislature is increased, it would be very difficult for the Gordon Campbell government to deny Corrigan's wish.
Currently, Burnaby and Coquitlam share one MLA in the person of B.C. Liberal Harry Bloy, whose riding gets about two-thirds of its population from the Coquitlam side of the boundary.
The three-member commission, led by B.C. Justice Bruce Cohen, has also been instructed to come up with a proposal for a 'single- transferable vote system' - an unusual system of voting that was narrowly rejected by B.C. voters last year.
The commission will host a series of 'public consultation sessions' this fall. The closest stop to Burnaby will be on Sept. 19 at the Westminster Club, in New Westminster.
The commission will then unveil a map of its proposed riding boundaries in late 2006, have a preliminary report ready by August 2007, conduct public hearings in fall 2007, and issue a final report in February 2008, a year in advance of the next provincial election. For more information, visit the commission's website at www.bc- ebc.ca.
IT'S OFFICIAL
Ryan Warawa made it official last week when he formally filed papers to become the Conservative party candidate in the Burnaby- New Westminster riding.
Warawa, 30, is the son of Langley MP Mark Warawa, and has been active in the Conservative, Canadian Alliance and Reform parties since he was 17. The riding is currently held by NDP MP Peter Julian.
MAKING HISTORY
I don't usually do promotions in this column but this one is different.
Brian Veitch, the son of Burnaby's original power couple Sheila and Elwood Veitch, has been working overtime for the past several weeks as he tries to stave off the creditors from that most fantastic of tourist attractions - Storyeum.
Veitch is the vice-president and general manager of the $22 million attraction that is currently seeking new investors. Storyeum is a living tribute to the history of British Columbia, and a definite must-see, not just for tourists, but for anyone who wants to learn a little bit more about this province we call home.
My own mother described it as "absolutely wonderful" when she and I visited during its inaugural season in 2004.
"The response we're getting is just like your mom's," Brian told me recently. "Ninety-nine per cent of the people just love the show. But it's an expensive operation to run, and it takes time to build that audience up."
Storyeum uses live actors to tell the story of B.C.'s history in seven elaborate underground theatres. Included are a retelling of the Tsleil-Wathuth creation legend, the arrival of the first Hudson's Bay trading ships, a re-creation of an authentic Gold Rush era boomtown, the building of the railway and the arrival of the first steam train.
The whole show takes about 65 minutes and it will leave you spellbound. Visit Storyeum at 142 Water St., in Gastown, or call them at 604-687-8142.
Published Sept. 13, 2006
Burnaby-Edmonds MLA Raj Chouhan thinks he's figured out why the B.C. government is not planning a full session of the legislature this fall.
"They don't have anything to talk about," said the rookie NDP MLA, who was recently appointed the NDP critic for mental health. "Gordon Campbell is running scared of the opposition."
Chouhan is convinced the Liberals are trying to avoid some tough questions, such as when are they going to reinstate the position of mental health advocate in B.C.
"I want to ask them, for example, why in B.C. we do not have a mental health advocate so people suffering from mental health problems have a voice," Chouhan said last week. "I've met with almost a dozen different groups in the past few weeks all over the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island, and each one of them is telling me this (the advocate) is a very, very important issue."
The position of mental health advocate, formerly filled by Nancy Hall, was cut by the B.C. Liberals during the government service reductions of 2002, Chouhan said.
"When it comes to mental health, this government has cut back in so many areas," he said. "There is no independent minister to advocate on behalf of these people, and that's why we need an independent advocate: to see what the needs are in the community and to make recommendations on what remedies or services could be provided."
Chouhan is also in the early stages of organizing a mental health forum in Burnaby where community groups and individuals can come to air their views and talk about their needs. Stay tuned for details.
LIBERALS PICK DELEGATES
Don't expect any total victories when the local Liberal riding associations get together to choose their delegates for the federal party's leadership convention taking place in Montreal later this fall.
Watch for the big showdown between the Gerard Kennedy faction and supporters of former environment minister Stephane Dion, with maybe a few other delegates spots going to the seven other leadership hopefuls.
Mark Ransom, executive director of the federal party's B.C. office, said the Burnaby-Douglas and Burnaby-New Westminster ridings will hold their delegate selection meeting in conjunction with the New Westminster-Coquitlam and Port Moody-Westwood ridings on Sept. 29 at a still-to-be-decided location. Each riding gets to choose 14 delegates.
"It's an issue of resources," Ransom said of the combined meeting. "As you can imagine, with nine leadership candidates, the odds of finding neutral volunteers is not that great."
Kennedy's camp has apparently been going great guns under the guiding hand of Gurdev Dhillon, and the word on the street is that he's pretty much wrapped up the youth vote.
Dion, who earned headlines with his visit to Burnaby Lake two years ago, probably has the best known Burnaby name on his side in the person of Bill Cunningham, the former executive director of the federal cabinet offices, one-time Paul Martin organizer, past president of the B.C. wing of the party and twice candidate in Burnaby-Douglas. Also adding fuel to Dion's fire is former provincial cabinet minister Joyce Murray.
Not to be outdone, Ken Dryden has lined up local lawyer and former Liberal candidate Celso Boscariol as his local organizer, while Michael Ignatieff is getting help from Burnaby's own Johnathan Ross, publisher of the TDH Strategies website.
Other hopefuls who managed to put their feet on the ground in Burnaby over the past few weeks include Scott Brison, who did a campaign stop at Death By Chocolate on Kingsway, plus Hedy Fry, who was the guest of honour at a house party on Elwell Street.
Despite my best efforts, I've been unable to get a message to Bob Rae's best-known local organizer, former Burnaby-Edmonds MLA Patty Sahota.
RIDING REVIEW
Will Burnaby finally get four members of the legislative assembly all to itself?
That's the biggest wish of Mayor Derek Corrigan as the B.C. Electoral Boundaries Commission officially begins its review of the provincial riding boundaries and the number of MLAs.
While the commission is officially working off a blank slate, information on its official government website states that the government is willing to consider an increase in the total number of B.C. MLAs from the current 79 to 85.
If the overall size of the legislature is increased, it would be very difficult for the Gordon Campbell government to deny Corrigan's wish.
Currently, Burnaby and Coquitlam share one MLA in the person of B.C. Liberal Harry Bloy, whose riding gets about two-thirds of its population from the Coquitlam side of the boundary.
The three-member commission, led by B.C. Justice Bruce Cohen, has also been instructed to come up with a proposal for a 'single- transferable vote system' - an unusual system of voting that was narrowly rejected by B.C. voters last year.
The commission will host a series of 'public consultation sessions' this fall. The closest stop to Burnaby will be on Sept. 19 at the Westminster Club, in New Westminster.
The commission will then unveil a map of its proposed riding boundaries in late 2006, have a preliminary report ready by August 2007, conduct public hearings in fall 2007, and issue a final report in February 2008, a year in advance of the next provincial election. For more information, visit the commission's website at www.bc- ebc.ca.
IT'S OFFICIAL
Ryan Warawa made it official last week when he formally filed papers to become the Conservative party candidate in the Burnaby- New Westminster riding.
Warawa, 30, is the son of Langley MP Mark Warawa, and has been active in the Conservative, Canadian Alliance and Reform parties since he was 17. The riding is currently held by NDP MP Peter Julian.
MAKING HISTORY
I don't usually do promotions in this column but this one is different.
Brian Veitch, the son of Burnaby's original power couple Sheila and Elwood Veitch, has been working overtime for the past several weeks as he tries to stave off the creditors from that most fantastic of tourist attractions - Storyeum.
Veitch is the vice-president and general manager of the $22 million attraction that is currently seeking new investors. Storyeum is a living tribute to the history of British Columbia, and a definite must-see, not just for tourists, but for anyone who wants to learn a little bit more about this province we call home.
My own mother described it as "absolutely wonderful" when she and I visited during its inaugural season in 2004.
"The response we're getting is just like your mom's," Brian told me recently. "Ninety-nine per cent of the people just love the show. But it's an expensive operation to run, and it takes time to build that audience up."
Storyeum uses live actors to tell the story of B.C.'s history in seven elaborate underground theatres. Included are a retelling of the Tsleil-Wathuth creation legend, the arrival of the first Hudson's Bay trading ships, a re-creation of an authentic Gold Rush era boomtown, the building of the railway and the arrival of the first steam train.
The whole show takes about 65 minutes and it will leave you spellbound. Visit Storyeum at 142 Water St., in Gastown, or call them at 604-687-8142.
Pay hike for city council
By Dan Hilborn
Published Sept. 13, 2006
A divided Burnaby council has approved a 2.56 per cent retroactive pay increase for themselves.
Team Burnaby councillors Gary Begin, Lee Rankin and Garth Evans voting against the pay hike, which raises the mayor's total indemnity to $90,057 this year, while the councillors will each receive $40,026. One-third of those indemnities is a non-taxable expense allowance.
Begin raised some hackles when he said that the remuneration is too rich for what believes should be considered a public service.
"I guess my feeling is that this isn't a job. It's an opportunity to serve the community," Begin said as he kicked off a 20-minute debate.
The 2.56 per cent pay raise was recommended by a council indemnity advisory committee, comprised of three unnamed individuals from the community. The committee based its recommendation on a formula that was originally agreed upon in 2001, using the combined average of three factors - the Vancouver consumer price index (1.53 per cent), the B.C. average weekly wage increase (3.66 per cent), and Burnaby city staff's CUPE Local 23 pay raise (2.50 per cent).
Begin, who was on council when a 'blue ribbon' panel of citizens originally recommended the formula, said he would prefer to see council's pay based on only one factor, the consumer price index. Begin also admitted that he began to develop second thoughts about council's pay rate after he lost the 2002 election.
"Sometimes it does a world of good to walk away from this table and to listen to what the people have to say," Begin said.
Although Begin's proposal would have reduced council's indemnity rate by only one per cent, the Burnaby Citizens Association majority stood firm on the contention that the pay hike was fair, and is based on information that is as impartial as possible.
Mayor Derek Corrigan, who noted that he is the fifth highest paid mayor in the third largest community in the Lower Mainland, successfully argued that council should approve the pay hikes for this year, and then review the formula next year.
"I don't think anyone on council should feel defensive about their indemnities," said Corrigan.
The most vehement defender of the raise was Coun. Sav Dhaliwal, who noted that Begin could always donate a portion of his indemnity to local community groups if he believes he is paid too much.
"I am giving back to the community more than what I am paid," Dhaliwal said, before adding that he would be willing to review the formula.
Coun. Lee Rankin pointed out that Coun. Colleen Jordan was a citizen member of the original 'blue ribbon' committee that came up with the formula back in 2001. That committee also recommended that council's indemnity be boosted by about 30 per cent to make it comparable to the pay rates given to city councils in other Lower Mainland communities.
Rankin also noted that with the "very hot economy" of the Lower Mainland, average pay hikes in the private sector could rise by as much as three to four per cent each year for the next decade.
Coun. Nick Volkow said he would be more comfortable if an independent citizen's committee set the rates.
A report calling for the indemnity rates to be sent to the executive committee of council was tabled.
LOWER MAINLAND CITY COUNCIL PAY RATES:
Councillors Mayor Pop.
Vancouver* $52,441.60 $119,042.44 583,296
Surrey $50,134.00 $99,087.00 383,831
Burnaby $40,026.00 $90,057.00 202,966
Richmond $40,834.00 $92,025.00 172,714
Coquitlam $37,379.01 $110,597.84 121,463
Delta $28,367.00 $75,965.00 101,843
* total indemnity is taxable
Figures compiled by the City of Burnaby finance dept.
Published Sept. 13, 2006
A divided Burnaby council has approved a 2.56 per cent retroactive pay increase for themselves.
Team Burnaby councillors Gary Begin, Lee Rankin and Garth Evans voting against the pay hike, which raises the mayor's total indemnity to $90,057 this year, while the councillors will each receive $40,026. One-third of those indemnities is a non-taxable expense allowance.
Begin raised some hackles when he said that the remuneration is too rich for what believes should be considered a public service.
"I guess my feeling is that this isn't a job. It's an opportunity to serve the community," Begin said as he kicked off a 20-minute debate.
The 2.56 per cent pay raise was recommended by a council indemnity advisory committee, comprised of three unnamed individuals from the community. The committee based its recommendation on a formula that was originally agreed upon in 2001, using the combined average of three factors - the Vancouver consumer price index (1.53 per cent), the B.C. average weekly wage increase (3.66 per cent), and Burnaby city staff's CUPE Local 23 pay raise (2.50 per cent).
Begin, who was on council when a 'blue ribbon' panel of citizens originally recommended the formula, said he would prefer to see council's pay based on only one factor, the consumer price index. Begin also admitted that he began to develop second thoughts about council's pay rate after he lost the 2002 election.
"Sometimes it does a world of good to walk away from this table and to listen to what the people have to say," Begin said.
Although Begin's proposal would have reduced council's indemnity rate by only one per cent, the Burnaby Citizens Association majority stood firm on the contention that the pay hike was fair, and is based on information that is as impartial as possible.
Mayor Derek Corrigan, who noted that he is the fifth highest paid mayor in the third largest community in the Lower Mainland, successfully argued that council should approve the pay hikes for this year, and then review the formula next year.
"I don't think anyone on council should feel defensive about their indemnities," said Corrigan.
The most vehement defender of the raise was Coun. Sav Dhaliwal, who noted that Begin could always donate a portion of his indemnity to local community groups if he believes he is paid too much.
"I am giving back to the community more than what I am paid," Dhaliwal said, before adding that he would be willing to review the formula.
Coun. Lee Rankin pointed out that Coun. Colleen Jordan was a citizen member of the original 'blue ribbon' committee that came up with the formula back in 2001. That committee also recommended that council's indemnity be boosted by about 30 per cent to make it comparable to the pay rates given to city councils in other Lower Mainland communities.
Rankin also noted that with the "very hot economy" of the Lower Mainland, average pay hikes in the private sector could rise by as much as three to four per cent each year for the next decade.
Coun. Nick Volkow said he would be more comfortable if an independent citizen's committee set the rates.
A report calling for the indemnity rates to be sent to the executive committee of council was tabled.
LOWER MAINLAND CITY COUNCIL PAY RATES:
Councillors Mayor Pop.
Vancouver* $52,441.60 $119,042.44 583,296
Surrey $50,134.00 $99,087.00 383,831
Burnaby $40,026.00 $90,057.00 202,966
Richmond $40,834.00 $92,025.00 172,714
Coquitlam $37,379.01 $110,597.84 121,463
Delta $28,367.00 $75,965.00 101,843
* total indemnity is taxable
Figures compiled by the City of Burnaby finance dept.
Small spill at SFU
By Dan Hilborn
Published Sept. 13, 2006
The Burnaby fire department's hazardous material team went back to school for a brief time on Thursday afternoon as they cleaned up a minor chemical spill in the science department at Simon Fraser University.
A small amount of boric acid powder was apparently mixed with water and the resulting fumes caused respiratory problems for one person who was treated at the scene, said assistant fire chief Les Strange.
"It was more of a training exercise than anything," Strange said. "It was a pretty minor incident."
The chemical is typically used in antiseptics, flame retardants and insecticides, and can be found naturally in volcanic ground.
Published Sept. 13, 2006
The Burnaby fire department's hazardous material team went back to school for a brief time on Thursday afternoon as they cleaned up a minor chemical spill in the science department at Simon Fraser University.
A small amount of boric acid powder was apparently mixed with water and the resulting fumes caused respiratory problems for one person who was treated at the scene, said assistant fire chief Les Strange.
"It was more of a training exercise than anything," Strange said. "It was a pretty minor incident."
The chemical is typically used in antiseptics, flame retardants and insecticides, and can be found naturally in volcanic ground.
City takes Norampac to court over waste
By Dan Hilborn
Published Sept. 9, 2006
The City of Burnaby is taking one of its largest industrial landowners to court after an alleged illegal landfill was found in the Big Bend region.
A statement of claim filed in B.C. Supreme Court says Norampac Paper Inc. failed to get the necessary city hall approval after it received a provincial waste permit allowing it to discharge up to 8,000 dry tonnes of waste on its 19-hectare (46.9-acre) property.
"Basically, they've been stockpiling the material rather than recycling it so, in fact, we've been misled," said Coun. Dan Johnston, chair of Burnaby's finance and civic development committee and its environment committee. "We've been receiving complaints from neighbouring facilities."
The Norampac property is at the south end of Wiggins Road, adjacent to the Fraser River, and was recently rezoned by the city, against the wishes of the four affected property owners. The new zoning plan requires property owners to adhere to more rigorous environmental guidelines before any new uses or developments are permitted on the land.
According to court documents, the provincial Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks issued Norampac an amended solid waste permit in or about 2001. "In issuing the permit, (the ministry) specifically advised the defendant, Norampac Paper Inc., that the permit would be issued without consideration of Burnaby bylaws," said the statement of claim, prepared by solicitor D.W. Yule, Q.C.
The documents also claim that Norampac initiated the waste landfill operation "in order to avoid the expense associated with incinerating the waste materials or having it hauled offsite to a designated landfill."
The landfill had grown to an alleged size of 15,000 cubic metres before city staff discovered the operation in the spring of 2004, said the documents.
Genevieve Boyer, communications coordinator at Norampac's head office in Quebec, said she was unable to comment on the court proceedings.
However, she noted that the company is "currently not using the landfill site."
Boyer referred all other questions to company president, Marc- Andre Depin, who was unavailable for comment prior to Burnaby NOW deadlines.
The statement of claim alleges that the landfill operation is in violation of three separate Burnaby bylaws - the soil deposit bylaw, the zoning bylaw and the unsightly premises bylaw.
The city's soil deposit bylaw prohibits the deposit of any sand, gravel, rock and other materials on any land without a permit from the Burnaby's municipal engineer.
"No such permit has been issued," said the document.
The suit also claims that the landfill will "render the property impracticable for future subdivision and development."
The lawsuit also claims that Burnaby began seeking voluntary compliance from Norampac in 2004 but imposed a deadline of March 31, 2006 on the cleanup operation, after the company gave assurances that it was working towards compliance by way of incinerating parts of the waste material and hauling the remaining materials to an offsite designated landfill.
"Despite Burnaby's attempts to obtain voluntary compliance and despite Burnaby's warning that legal action would be taken unless the waste landfill operation stopped, the defendants have, by their own admission, continued or permitted to continue the waste landfill operation on the property," said the statement of claim.
The city's lawsuit is only the latest in a string of troubles for the paper recycling facility.
In August 2002, an estimated $1 million worth of recycled paper was destroyed when a fire struck the site, and just two years later, the operation was closed for eight months when its unionized employees went on strike.
Earlier this year, the GVRD also filed suit against Norampac asking for $1.5 million to pay for steam supplied by the neighbouring Montenay garbage incinerator. That suit was subsequently suspended, said Bill Morrell, manager of communications with the GVRD.
Published Sept. 9, 2006
The City of Burnaby is taking one of its largest industrial landowners to court after an alleged illegal landfill was found in the Big Bend region.
A statement of claim filed in B.C. Supreme Court says Norampac Paper Inc. failed to get the necessary city hall approval after it received a provincial waste permit allowing it to discharge up to 8,000 dry tonnes of waste on its 19-hectare (46.9-acre) property.
"Basically, they've been stockpiling the material rather than recycling it so, in fact, we've been misled," said Coun. Dan Johnston, chair of Burnaby's finance and civic development committee and its environment committee. "We've been receiving complaints from neighbouring facilities."
The Norampac property is at the south end of Wiggins Road, adjacent to the Fraser River, and was recently rezoned by the city, against the wishes of the four affected property owners. The new zoning plan requires property owners to adhere to more rigorous environmental guidelines before any new uses or developments are permitted on the land.
According to court documents, the provincial Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks issued Norampac an amended solid waste permit in or about 2001. "In issuing the permit, (the ministry) specifically advised the defendant, Norampac Paper Inc., that the permit would be issued without consideration of Burnaby bylaws," said the statement of claim, prepared by solicitor D.W. Yule, Q.C.
The documents also claim that Norampac initiated the waste landfill operation "in order to avoid the expense associated with incinerating the waste materials or having it hauled offsite to a designated landfill."
The landfill had grown to an alleged size of 15,000 cubic metres before city staff discovered the operation in the spring of 2004, said the documents.
Genevieve Boyer, communications coordinator at Norampac's head office in Quebec, said she was unable to comment on the court proceedings.
However, she noted that the company is "currently not using the landfill site."
Boyer referred all other questions to company president, Marc- Andre Depin, who was unavailable for comment prior to Burnaby NOW deadlines.
The statement of claim alleges that the landfill operation is in violation of three separate Burnaby bylaws - the soil deposit bylaw, the zoning bylaw and the unsightly premises bylaw.
The city's soil deposit bylaw prohibits the deposit of any sand, gravel, rock and other materials on any land without a permit from the Burnaby's municipal engineer.
"No such permit has been issued," said the document.
The suit also claims that the landfill will "render the property impracticable for future subdivision and development."
The lawsuit also claims that Burnaby began seeking voluntary compliance from Norampac in 2004 but imposed a deadline of March 31, 2006 on the cleanup operation, after the company gave assurances that it was working towards compliance by way of incinerating parts of the waste material and hauling the remaining materials to an offsite designated landfill.
"Despite Burnaby's attempts to obtain voluntary compliance and despite Burnaby's warning that legal action would be taken unless the waste landfill operation stopped, the defendants have, by their own admission, continued or permitted to continue the waste landfill operation on the property," said the statement of claim.
The city's lawsuit is only the latest in a string of troubles for the paper recycling facility.
In August 2002, an estimated $1 million worth of recycled paper was destroyed when a fire struck the site, and just two years later, the operation was closed for eight months when its unionized employees went on strike.
Earlier this year, the GVRD also filed suit against Norampac asking for $1.5 million to pay for steam supplied by the neighbouring Montenay garbage incinerator. That suit was subsequently suspended, said Bill Morrell, manager of communications with the GVRD.
Living on the streets
City needs to do more to help: Councillor
By Dan Hilborn
Published Sept. 6, 2006
The cold weather of fall is fast approaching, and the City of Burnaby is doing precious little to look after its growing population of homeless people, says veteran city councillor Gary Begin.
"Burnaby did a lousy job last year in terms of providing shelter for people in need," Begin told the Burnaby NOW last week. "There's a lot of people that live in Central Park. They live and sleep under the awning at the Robert Prittie library.
"Winter is coming, and we go through these monsoon periods where it just rains and rains, and we leave these people to sleep under a cardboard roof some place. That's just not acceptable to me.
"The City of Burnaby is very wealthy in terms of real estate. We have houses we could probably zone for a shelter, but the mayor has said outright that he does not want a permanent shelter in Burnaby.
"I do not buy that, and I will not buy that. ... We are a very fortunate community which has a lot of resources available, and I think we need to respond to this," he said.
Begin is hoping to avoid a repeat of what happened last winter when Burnaby was an unwelcoming place for the homeless. Although an emergency homeless shelter was opened at the Burnaby Alliance Church during the final cold snap of the season in late February, poor communication resulted in nobody making use of the facility.
Begin believes the homeless problem is growing in Burnaby, and the most recent statistics back up that claim. In March 2005, a region-wide homeless count found 40 people living on the streets of Burnaby, more than double the 17 homeless people found during the previous homeless count in 2002.
And even though city hall officially joined the Fraser Health Authority's Burnaby homeless task force last February, it appears that a formal proposal to address the issue is still months, if not years, away.
But Lynn Wood, executive director of the Progressive Housing Society, said there is some good news on the homelessness file.
Progressive Housing recently received a grant from B.C. Housing to hire three outreach workers, and Wood is now working with the Lookout Emergency Aid Society to put together a proposal to provide some kind of affordable housing in the community.
"We're trying to find a building to get people off the street and connected to the services they need," Wood said. "It's a community social problem, so there's a lot of shared responsibility.
"The longer term issue is a homeless shelter in the community of Burnaby. I'm not really sure who would be stepping up to take that responsibility at this point.
"We have tried to provide our expertise and interest in serving that population," she said. "But it takes a lot of components - lands, building and money, both for capital and operating funds. And those dollars generally for non-profits are not easy to come by."
Coun. Colleen Jordan, chair of the city's community development committee, is confident that Burnaby will have another emergency shelter open this winter, but she agrees with Mayor Derek Corrigan that the bulk of responsibility for the homeless file lies with the federal and provincial governments.
"We're not in the social housing business. That's not our jurisdiction," Jordan said.
The big problem, according to Jordan, is that the provincial government has not yet allocated a $200-million fund set up by the previous federal government to deal with the homeless issue.
"Not a nickel has been allocated since the spring of '05," said Jordan. "Some of it is supposed to be going for shelters for the most desperate, but nothing has been done.
"If people or groups like Progressive Housing could have applied, you could be on the road to getting some kind of facility up and running."
When asked how long it might take to build and open a homeless facility in the city, Jordan said: "I don't know. Again it depends on funding and it depends on finding a location. We've had a few churches step forward and say they could provide emergency funding, and the Salvation Army are great. They're doing their best. But having a place, ... I don't know."
Jordan also said that the city might consider a low- cost land lease to allow a non-profit agency to operate a homeless shelter, but that would depend on a specific proposal, and nothing official has come forward.
"There might be some sympathy on council to give a reduced rate, but some of the facilities going up around the province are pretty substantial and, in general, the feeling at council is that we're not into social housing."
That cautionary note was echoed by Corrigan, who is adamant that the primary responsibility for the homeless issue lies with the federal and provincial governments.
"Gary (Begin) is just trying to stir things up as much as possible," the mayor said.
"He says what we need is an overnight place for them to stay. I'm sorry. It's not that simple.
"What we need are treatment facilities for people with mental illness. Giving them a place to sleep at night doesn't change any of that."
Corrigan pointed his finger at the provincial government, which he said has redirected much of the federal money intended for housing into other programs, such as extended care in the Health Ministry.
"I'm more than happy to pressure the provincial government, but I disagree strongly that the solution is a flophouse. ... Let's not take the easy route," said the mayor.
Corrigan also said that a recent report from SFU assistant professor Marina Morrow reinforces his view because it ties the issue of homelessness to a series of cutbacks of services for people with mental illness over the past five years.
Meanwhile, Wood said the Burnaby homeless task force will begin a public awareness campaign this fall, and she is confident a temporary shelter will be in place before the coldest weather of winter descends.
"My preference is to have the shelter planned so we know the location well in advance and we can make that information available to all the agencies," she said.
"The other thing is to build a level of trust with people on the street so we're not driving around in the middle of the night looking for people to take to the shelter."
Wood also pointed to the recent closure of an illegal 25-bed rooming housing on the east side of the city as an indicator of underlying problem.
"Something like that says to me that there is a lack of affordable housing in the community," she said.
"When something like that occurs, it's usually because people are trying to find a cheap solution."
By Dan Hilborn
Published Sept. 6, 2006
The cold weather of fall is fast approaching, and the City of Burnaby is doing precious little to look after its growing population of homeless people, says veteran city councillor Gary Begin.
"Burnaby did a lousy job last year in terms of providing shelter for people in need," Begin told the Burnaby NOW last week. "There's a lot of people that live in Central Park. They live and sleep under the awning at the Robert Prittie library.
"Winter is coming, and we go through these monsoon periods where it just rains and rains, and we leave these people to sleep under a cardboard roof some place. That's just not acceptable to me.
"The City of Burnaby is very wealthy in terms of real estate. We have houses we could probably zone for a shelter, but the mayor has said outright that he does not want a permanent shelter in Burnaby.
"I do not buy that, and I will not buy that. ... We are a very fortunate community which has a lot of resources available, and I think we need to respond to this," he said.
Begin is hoping to avoid a repeat of what happened last winter when Burnaby was an unwelcoming place for the homeless. Although an emergency homeless shelter was opened at the Burnaby Alliance Church during the final cold snap of the season in late February, poor communication resulted in nobody making use of the facility.
Begin believes the homeless problem is growing in Burnaby, and the most recent statistics back up that claim. In March 2005, a region-wide homeless count found 40 people living on the streets of Burnaby, more than double the 17 homeless people found during the previous homeless count in 2002.
And even though city hall officially joined the Fraser Health Authority's Burnaby homeless task force last February, it appears that a formal proposal to address the issue is still months, if not years, away.
But Lynn Wood, executive director of the Progressive Housing Society, said there is some good news on the homelessness file.
Progressive Housing recently received a grant from B.C. Housing to hire three outreach workers, and Wood is now working with the Lookout Emergency Aid Society to put together a proposal to provide some kind of affordable housing in the community.
"We're trying to find a building to get people off the street and connected to the services they need," Wood said. "It's a community social problem, so there's a lot of shared responsibility.
"The longer term issue is a homeless shelter in the community of Burnaby. I'm not really sure who would be stepping up to take that responsibility at this point.
"We have tried to provide our expertise and interest in serving that population," she said. "But it takes a lot of components - lands, building and money, both for capital and operating funds. And those dollars generally for non-profits are not easy to come by."
Coun. Colleen Jordan, chair of the city's community development committee, is confident that Burnaby will have another emergency shelter open this winter, but she agrees with Mayor Derek Corrigan that the bulk of responsibility for the homeless file lies with the federal and provincial governments.
"We're not in the social housing business. That's not our jurisdiction," Jordan said.
The big problem, according to Jordan, is that the provincial government has not yet allocated a $200-million fund set up by the previous federal government to deal with the homeless issue.
"Not a nickel has been allocated since the spring of '05," said Jordan. "Some of it is supposed to be going for shelters for the most desperate, but nothing has been done.
"If people or groups like Progressive Housing could have applied, you could be on the road to getting some kind of facility up and running."
When asked how long it might take to build and open a homeless facility in the city, Jordan said: "I don't know. Again it depends on funding and it depends on finding a location. We've had a few churches step forward and say they could provide emergency funding, and the Salvation Army are great. They're doing their best. But having a place, ... I don't know."
Jordan also said that the city might consider a low- cost land lease to allow a non-profit agency to operate a homeless shelter, but that would depend on a specific proposal, and nothing official has come forward.
"There might be some sympathy on council to give a reduced rate, but some of the facilities going up around the province are pretty substantial and, in general, the feeling at council is that we're not into social housing."
That cautionary note was echoed by Corrigan, who is adamant that the primary responsibility for the homeless issue lies with the federal and provincial governments.
"Gary (Begin) is just trying to stir things up as much as possible," the mayor said.
"He says what we need is an overnight place for them to stay. I'm sorry. It's not that simple.
"What we need are treatment facilities for people with mental illness. Giving them a place to sleep at night doesn't change any of that."
Corrigan pointed his finger at the provincial government, which he said has redirected much of the federal money intended for housing into other programs, such as extended care in the Health Ministry.
"I'm more than happy to pressure the provincial government, but I disagree strongly that the solution is a flophouse. ... Let's not take the easy route," said the mayor.
Corrigan also said that a recent report from SFU assistant professor Marina Morrow reinforces his view because it ties the issue of homelessness to a series of cutbacks of services for people with mental illness over the past five years.
Meanwhile, Wood said the Burnaby homeless task force will begin a public awareness campaign this fall, and she is confident a temporary shelter will be in place before the coldest weather of winter descends.
"My preference is to have the shelter planned so we know the location well in advance and we can make that information available to all the agencies," she said.
"The other thing is to build a level of trust with people on the street so we're not driving around in the middle of the night looking for people to take to the shelter."
Wood also pointed to the recent closure of an illegal 25-bed rooming housing on the east side of the city as an indicator of underlying problem.
"Something like that says to me that there is a lack of affordable housing in the community," she said.
"When something like that occurs, it's usually because people are trying to find a cheap solution."
House tenants evicted
By Dan Hilborn
Published Sept. 2, 2006
Burnaby council has called for the immediate eviction of all the tenants of a 25-bed rooming house that was built in contravention of the city's zoning bylaws.
A report from the city planning department notes that unauthorized alterations have turned the former corner store and warehouse at 8098 12th Ave. into a large rooming house, complete with 25 sleeping rooms, five bathrooms, three kitchens and one large common room.
The fire department has also ordered the building owner, Yen Chen Chen, to remove all unauthorized plumbing, gas and electrical installations.
Staff have also been instructed to place a formal notice of contravention at the B.C. Land Titles Office indicating that the building is in contravention of the city bylaws. Council approved the recommendations without comment at its Aug. 28 meeting.
Published Sept. 2, 2006
Burnaby council has called for the immediate eviction of all the tenants of a 25-bed rooming house that was built in contravention of the city's zoning bylaws.
A report from the city planning department notes that unauthorized alterations have turned the former corner store and warehouse at 8098 12th Ave. into a large rooming house, complete with 25 sleeping rooms, five bathrooms, three kitchens and one large common room.
The fire department has also ordered the building owner, Yen Chen Chen, to remove all unauthorized plumbing, gas and electrical installations.
Staff have also been instructed to place a formal notice of contravention at the B.C. Land Titles Office indicating that the building is in contravention of the city bylaws. Council approved the recommendations without comment at its Aug. 28 meeting.
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