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the richmond
Ex-Sockeye Jason Garrison now a Canuck 13
REVIEW WEDNESDAY, JULY 4, 2012
28 PAGES
Weather didn’t spoil Canada Day weekend
Anti-idling bylaw approved by Matthew Hoekstra Staff Reporter
Ships to Shore festival piggy-backed well with Steveston Salmon Festival by Martin van den Hemel Staff Reporter It’s not how you start, but how you finish, the adage goes. And so it turned out for this year’s Canada Day weekend, when Saturday’s showers kept many people at home, but by Sunday, tens of thousands of Canadians proudly donned red to celebrate the nation’s birthday during the 67th annual Steveston Salmon Festival. “It was fantastic,” said Janice Froese, executive director of the Steveston Community Society. “Despite some poor weather, we had a really great event.” Organizers for the first time spread out the Canada Day celebrations over two days, but the cold and rain on Saturday kept most people at home. “From the public’s perspective, it didn’t look open,” she said. “But Sunday turned out terrific.” A core group of about 30 organizers will meet later this month to critique this year’s event, and once again try to improve on it, and consider whether to put in all the extra work required to hold a two-day event again next year. Canada Day 2013 lands on a Monday, meaning the opportunity for a weekend-long celebration is again a possibility. Whether the City of Richmond piggy-backs another Ships to Shore event to the Salmon Festival remains to be seen. But from Froese’s perspective, the marriage between the two events worked out well. “From their end of things, I think it was good. We’re getting nothing but positive feedback.” Froese has been helping organize the festival for seven Amanda Oye photo years now, and she thinks this year’s event was the best Eamon Lefebvre, dressed up as Sammy, and Alex Lindsay, who were part of the Steveston to date. See Page 3 Community Society’s float during the Canada Day Parade. See page 3 for more photos.
TONY LING
Motorists who allow their vehicle to idle longer than three minutes on public property will soon face a fine of $60—if caught in the act. City council has given third reading to bylaw amendments aimed at curbing unnecessary vehicle pollution. After the unanimous vote, fourth and final reading is now a formality. Forty-six B.C. municipalities already have bylaws restricting vehicle idling, according to a B.C. Ministry of Environment report cited by staff. Under Richmond’s new regulations, motorists who exit their vehicle while it’s running—for any length of time—will also be committing a bylaw offence. The bylaw changes do not apply to private property—such as restaurant drive-throughs and mall parking lots—and enforcement will be a challenge, but staff say the new rules will serve as a deterrent. Bylaw officers frequently find vehicles idling unnecessarily on city streets, including large trucks, taxis and charter buses, according to bylaws manager Wayne Mercer. Exemptions under the proposed anti-idling rules extend to emergency vehicles, tow trucks, armoured vehicles, utility service vehicles and bylaw enforcement vehicles. Also exempt are vehicles used in parades, those carrying passengers where loading or unloading can take more than three minutes and vehicles in which a running engine is required to power onboard equipment. The $60 fine rises to $100 if not paid within 61 days.
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