Councils call for decriminalization of pot By Tom Fletcher BLACK PRESS
VICTORIA – After a passionate debate and a close vote, delegates to the Union of B.C. Municipalities convention passed a motion
Wednesday calling on the federal government to decriminalize marijuana. The UBCM placed major emphasis on the debate this year, staging a debate Monday featuring former B.C. attorney
THE FRIDAY
general Geoff Plant, in favour of loosening pot laws, and University of the Fraser Valley criminologist Darryl Plecas, opposed. After a lineup of speakers on the impact of marijuana grow ops on communities and
crime impact, a show of hands by hundreds of delegates supported the call for decriminalization. Metchosin Coun. M o ra l e a M i l n e r e minded delegates that Plant termed pot prohi-
CANADIAN COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER AWARD 2012
TRI-CITY NEWS Rolling on the rivers
SEE FACE TO FACE, PAGE 11
SEE THINGS-TO-DO GUIDE, PAGE 21
see DIFFERENCE, page 17
SEPT. 28, 2012
CANADIAN COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER AWARD 2012
Selling oil co. to China
bition “a disastrous and expensive failure of public policy.” She said more than 500,000 B.C. residents have smoked marijuana but she doesn’t support its use.
www.tricitynews.com
INSIDE
Letters/12 Tri-City Spotlight/22 Market Fresh/25 Sports/44
More local riot charges Latest batch of recommendations includes 3 locals Vancouver’s Integrated Riot Investigation Team has recommended another 200 charges against 50 suspected Stanley Cup rioters, including three TriCity residents. Two Coquitlam residents and a third from Port Moody are among the suspects. The 200 charges include mischief, participating in a riot, break and enter, disguise with intent, assault and arson. The latest round of charges — the ninth since the June 15, 2011 riot after the Vancouver Canucks
Gleneagle is over the moon for its ‘Over the Rainbow’ finalist More than 1,200 students and staff at Coquitlam’s Gleneagle secondary school cheered “Go, Jen, Go!” on Thursday for one of their own: Jennifer Gillis, a Grade 11 student who is in the Top 8 of the CBC reality show competition “Over the Rainbow.” The winner will be cast as Dorothy in Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber’s new stage production of “The Wizard of Oz,” which is scheduled to open in Toronto in December. Gillis’ twin sister, Rachelle, their sister, Alysha, and school drama teacher Ashley Freeborn urged the crowd to vote for Gillis after each episode to advance her to the next round; they also saw a short video of Gillis — the only B.C. contestant left — thanking Gleneagle for its support and “making my dream come true… I’ll be forever a Talon,” she said. To vote for Gillis after each show on Sundays at 8 p.m., visit www.cbc.ca/overtherainbow. Thursday’s spirit rally also kicked off the school’s annual Terry Fox Run.
lost to the Boston Bruins in the Stanley Cup finals — bring the total number to 872 against 275 suspected rioters. Of those 275 suspects, eight are from Coquitlam, four are from Port Coquitlam and two are from Port Moody; Surrey ranks the highest, with 55 suspects, while Vancouver has so far posted 50. The vast majority of suspects (84%) are from outside Vancouver. Earlier this month, the province’s Criminal Justice Branch announced charges had been approved for 19 suspects, three of whom were young offenders, but none were from the Tri-Cities. spayne@tricitynews.com
JANIS WARREN/THE TRI-CITY NEWS
SUBMITTED PHOTO
Pooch power helping kids work on reading By Diane Strandberg THE TRI-CITY NEWS
Dogs are learning’s best friend. Research showing that children’s heart rates slow and their anxiety falls in
the presence of a calm, friendly dog is behind an initiative to place Pacific Assistance Dogs in TriCity public schools and private learning centres. see ‘THE DOGS’, page 8