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JULY 13, 2012 www.tricitynews.com
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Letters/12 Tri-City Spotlight/22 Elaine Golds/23 Sports/46
Smart meter info? About time By Sarah Payne THE TRI-CITY NEWS
A BC Hydro presentation on smart meters came far too late for many Port M o o dy a n d Po r t Coquitlam councillors, who said the information would have proved helpful when the technology was first introduced. “The scary part is how this was put upon the public without educating the public,” said PoMo Coun. Bob Elliott. “As a retired employee of BC Hydro, it’s a little embarrassing.” Coun. Rosemary Small, who initiated a motion opposing smart meters and asking BC Hydro to offer customers an opt-out option at no expense, had several questions ready for Hydro communications manager Cindy Verschoor at Tuesday’s Port Moody council meeting, starting with the health concerns. “The meter transmits for less than a minute a day,” Verschoor said, using a 900-megahertz radio signal with a power of one watt; data is transmitted to a collector three times a day, which then sends the data to BC Hydro, also at 900 megahertz and one watt. “This building has an active Wi-Fi network,” Verschoor said of PoMo city hall. “So, by comparison, four minutes in this building is worth one year of a smart meter.” see LOW-IMPACT, LOW IMPACT, page 4
GARY MCKENNA/THE TRI-CITY NEWS
A worker cuts up a felled tree as part of the work required for construction of a new artificial turf field at Gates Park in Port Coquitlam. The field will replace a gravel field and be the second artificial venue in the popular park. For more details on the work, please see story on page 18.
Adults on alert around water Three drownings prompt warning from city staff By Janis Warren THE TRI-CITY NEWS
Coquitlam lifeguards and aquatic supervisors are keeping an extra sharp eye on kids in municipal pools after three B.C. residents drowned this week. Jason Blood, Coquitlam’s aquatics manager, said the recent swimming deaths were a topic of conversation
at the weekly program supervisors’ meeting and city staff have been reminded to be especially vigilant when young children are in and around the water. “We have told our staff to be courteous when telling patrons about the situations that can happen, and the rules and the rationale,” he said. Blood said Coquitlam has a policy that adults and guardians must be within arm’s reach of their child; lifeguards are trained to alert parents when their young one is too far away.
“In the summer especially, it’s good advice to keep your children close and under direct supervision,” he said, adding swimming lessons for children start as young as six months in Coquitlam. “There’s valuable water-safety education in those sessions for children and parents about how to stay safe.” Blood also recommends parents get lifeguards to help strap personal flotation devices on kids so they fit correctly. see COQ. STEPS UP UP,, page 14
Tips for staying safe on the water The Canadian Red Cross provides the following tips on how to avoid waterrelated injuries: • Ensure children are supervised, whether at home or on vacation; adult supervision is the best protection for children, even for kids who can swim. • Make sure your backyard pool is fully fenced, with a self-clos-
ing, self-latching gate. • When not using your home pool, clear all toys out of the water and away from the edge. • Ensure you have emergency equipment, including a first aid kit and a phone in the immediate pool area. • When boating, ensure everyone on board wears — properly fastened — a lifejacket.
• Don’t consume alcohol before or during swimming or boating activities. • Be cautious about swimming in currents. • Get trained through swimming and water safety lessons; get your Pleasure Craft Operator Card if you operate a boat; know how to respond in an emergency by taking first aid lessons.