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MARCH 14, 2012 www.tricitynews.com
TRI-CITY NEWS Changes for Coq. co-op?
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A swing and a hit: Coquitlam kid bats for Japan
INSIDE Tom Fletcher/10 Letters/11 A Good Read/14 Sports/22
Coquitlam is on risky rivers list Silt from mines and effects of development are key issues By Sarah Payne THE TRI-CITY NEWS
The Coquitlam River is back on the list of the province’s most endangered rivers. The Outdoor Recreation Council announced its annual list of top 10 rivers at risk from industrial and residential development, which was topped by the Sacred Headwaters of the Skeena, Nass and Stikine rivers and the Kokish River on Vancouver Island. Coalbed methane and other mining proposals threaten the Sacred Headwaters while a controversial run-of-river power project may threaten the Kokish River salmon runs.
TRI-CITY NEWS FILE PHOTO
Silt from gravel mines is one of the problems afflicting the Coquitlam River, according to local environmentalists. The Coquitlam is on the list of the province’s endangered rivers. The Coquitlam River placed 10th on the list because of continued sedimentation from nearby gravel pits and encroaching urban development. see GOLDS GOLDS,, page 7
Tweet fight over safety in Moody City and firefighters at odds over staffing By Sarah Payne THE TRI-CITY NEWS
HEY, BATTER, BATTER...
BOAZ JOSEPH/BLACK PRESS
Seven-year-old Taiyo Boily of Coquitlam spent three hours hitting baseballs at Surrey’s Bolivar Park on Sunday — but not just for practice. The boy and his family were living in Japan a year ago when the earthquake and tsunami hit, and he decided to help the country’s recovery efforts with this batting fundraiser. So far, the switch-hitter has raised more than $2,700 for Save the Children Canada, which has promised that all the money raised will go directly to its Japanese counterpart.
In Friday’s paper: A Coquitlam man is selling t-shirts to aid Japanese quake relief
Port Moody firefighters took to the Twitter-verse over the weekend to complain about understaffing at Fire Hall #2 in Glenayre. Beginning on Saturday, March 10, a post from the International Association of Fire Fighters Union Local 2399 Twitter feed (@ IAFFLocal2399) said reduced staffing “could effect [sic] our ability to perform rescues.”
That was followed by a post complaining that there is “50k for glass art, no $$ for recommended safe staffing?” Two more posts followed on Sunday, again complaining of reduced staffing that put rescue capabilities at risk. “Staffing below industry standards compromises public safety,” read the latest post from about 8 p.m. Sunday. (The Twitter page was still live Monday but not on Tuesday morning.) PoMo Mayor Mike Clay disagrees with the firefighters’ tweeted opinions. see TWEETS TWEETS,, page 5