First witness yet to be called in murder trial

CorneliaNaylor cnaylor@burnabynow com

Opening statements have yet to be made and the first witness has yet to be called after Day 3 of a high-profile Burnaby murder trial underway in BC Supreme Court inVancouver

Ibrahim Ali is on trial for first-degree murder in the death of a 13-year-old girl, whose body was found in Burnaby’s Central Park in July 2017

The victim in the case can’t be identified because of a publication ban

Ali pleaded not guilty to the charge on the first day of the trial on April 5, and the Crown was expected to make its opening statement the following day, but Ali was not in court.

The city says porta potties are currently used in parks where summer recreation programs are offered, or where parks are in high demand

“In general, all of the major and destination parks in Burnaby have permanent washrooms and most neighbourhood parks do not,” staff wrote in the report to the parks commission.

Burnaby has washrooms in 85 of its 166 parks: 44 are permanent washrooms;

38 sites have porta potties; and three have “precast vault systems” which are simple permanent washrooms where service hookup is either too expensive or not possible (staff also said the precast vaults have a “foul odour.”)

The city says it costs about $3.5 million each year to operate both permanent and temporary washrooms in parks.

The porta potties are the cheapest option, but they’re “not always acces- sible” and not open on a consistent basis. Staff called them the “lowest level of service,” despite the price and quick installation.

Staff are exploring a new kind of automatic selfcleaning washroom now available on the market and are planning to pilot one this year.

The self-cleaning washrooms would reduce ongoing operating costs, according to staff.

They also have program- mable access hours, so their opening hours can be changed remotely, as well as a “programmable selfcleaning floor.”

“Each toilet is self-contained, and following each use, is automatically cleaned, disinfected,” states the report, adding the selfcleaning toilets are in use around North America and abroad.

The pilot program for self-cleaning toilets will inform a larger plan to come next year.

Since then, the opening of the Crown’s case to the jury has been postponed two more times.

OnWednesday, Justice Lance Bernard announced the jury would not be called back until 2 p.m. on April 19. No information about the delays can be made public because of a publication ban.

“Despite best efforts to keep this matter moving forward, things have arisen that had to be dealt with in your absence,” Bernard told the jurors when they were last in courtTuesday. The trial continues.