The annual Terry Fox Run is just around the corner — Sunday, Sept. 16, mark your calendars — and it’s not just Canadians running at home who are taking on the Port Coquitlam hero’s cause. Canuck soldiers will run, too. For details, see story, page A3
THE FRIDAY
SEPT. 7, 2012
CANADIAN COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER AWARD 2012
TRI-CITY NEWS Free transit for all?
Fitness for young & old
SEE FACE TO FACE, PAGE A11
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INSIDE Things-to-do Guide/A19 Tri-City Spotlight/A20 Elaine Golds/A23 Sports/A44
Coquitlam firefighters celebrate a century
GARY MCKENNA/THE TRI-CITY NEWS
Transportation and Investment Corporation CEO Mike Proudfoot calls the new Cape Horn interchange in Coquitlam an “engineering marvel.”
From 1 to 150, protecting a city By Gary McKenna
IN QUOTES
THE TRI-CITY NEWS
When Coquitlam’s first fire department opened its doors in 1912, it was staffed by one person — part-time. Const. Emeri Pare was given the task of dealing with the district’s policing and fire needs at a time when infrastructure and mobility in the area were limited. “He was the police chief and the fire chief,” said today’s Coquitlam assistant chief Scott MacKenzie. “He was the only guy.” Fa s t - fo r w a rd 1 0 0 years and Coquitlam Fire Rescue has more than 150 paid professional members and 35 auxiliaries, not to mention a host of trucks and equipment not available
“He was the police chief and the fire chief. He was the only guy.” Scott MacKenzie on Emeri Pare
SUBMITTED PHOTOS
Top: Coquitlam’s original fire hall, circa 1959. Above: Coquitlam firefighters using more modern equipment to fight an apartment fire. to Pare in the municipality’s early days. On Sunday, the community will celebrate the department’s cen-
tennial with a ceremonial presentation by Coquitlam Fire Rescue’s honour guard at the city’s Spirit Square
(3000 Burlington Dr.). The event will be followed by a community barbecue. For firefighters such
as MacKenzie, this weekend’s celebration will showcase to the public how the department has changed over the last century. Little is known about how the fire and rescue operations worked in Pare’s time but MacKenzie notes that unlike New Westminster or Vancouver, Coquitlam never had a major, citywide fire during the municipality’s early years. see PAID STAFF STAFF,, page A8
Changes for local motorists 3 bridge lanes to open, major Cape Horn work By Gary McKenna THE TRI-CITY NEWS
Motorists will get their first chance to drive on the new Port Mann Bridge later this month when three lanes of Highway 1 eastbound will be transitioned from the old bridge to the new crossing on Tuesday, Sept. 18. The full eight-lane opening will not be completed until December, however, with two more lanes expected to be added in 2013 following the demolition of the on-ramps leading up to the old bridge. Construction crews will also work to shift L o u g h e e d H i g h w ay eastbound to a new and final alignment south of Highway 1 and a
new overpass connecting westbound bridge traffic to the Lougheed Highway is expected to be open on Sept. 19. But the busiest weekend for construction crews will likely be Sept. 22 to 23, when workers will perform what Transpor tation and Investment Corporation CEO Mike Proudfoot calls an “engineering marvel.” That is when the overpass — the longest in the entire project — is completed and opened in a single weekend, connecting the Lougheed Highway westbound to Highway 1 eastbound. “On that Monday mor ning, this work will allow drivers to do in seconds what today takes minutes,” Proudfoot said during a press conference at the construction site Wednesday morning. see MAJOR CAPE CAPE,, page A16