Municipal: Dispersal of Cliff Avenue camp ‘remarkable’. 3
Arts: Motus O goes down rabbit hole at ACT. 19
Sports: Stein nominated as athlete of year. 22 We d n es d ay, Ja n u a r y 27, 2016 · mapleridgenews.com · est. 1978 · (office) 604-467-1122 · (deli ve r y) 6 0 4 - 4 6 6 - 6 3 9 7
A long wait for ambulance Woman’s son joins lobby for better service By Neil Corbett ncorbett@mapleridgenews.com
An 81-year-old woman who fell and broke her hip had to wait about an hour and a half for an ambulance, according to her son. Phil Van De Keere said he called 911 at approximately 5:45 p.m. on Jan. 15, when he found his mother, Beverly, laying on the floor. She was in agony, and Van De Keere couldn’t move her without causing her more pain. He told the ambulance dispatcher the situation, and they waited on the kitchen floor, where she had fallen. Beverly has a walker and a cane for stability, but she had left them to get a cup of tea. Phil Van De Keere didn’t know how long it had been before he found her, but there were no lights on in the house, because she had apparently fallen during daylight hours.
Lucky Lexus Lexus has her bandages examined by Amanda Horacsek, assistant technician Tonya Dolyny and veterinarian Adrian Walton at the Dewdney Animal Hospital on Tuesday after hours of surgery required after she was hit by a car. See story, page 9. Colleen Flanagan/THE NEWS
See Ambulance, 10
Councillors balk at underpass cost Concerns about effects on traffic, as well By Neil Corbett ncorbett@mapelridgenews.com
There was some sticker shock for members of Pitt Meadows council, who saw the estimated $22.5 million price tag for an underpass for the CP Rail crossing at Harris Road. Coun. Bruce Bell voiced his concerns about the cost, the impact it would have on traffic, and the po-
$309,900
tential that an underpass could be an eyesore. “It’s interesting that this has been around for decades,” said Bell, noting that previous councils have discarded the notion of building an underpass, or an overpass. “To me, it just seems like a lot,” he said. “And it’s all tied in with traffic, and even if you had an underpass or overpass, it’s not going anywhere without doing something about Lougheed and Harris, and other parts of the city ...” He said solving Pitt Meadows traf-
fic problems is a bigger bill than even $22.5 million. “I, for one, wouldn’t get too excited about it, because I think it’s really a pipe dream unless people are going to come forward with hundreds of millions of dollars to really solve the problem,” said Bell. He also said an under- Bell pass has the potential to spoil Harris Road. He envisions graffiti-covered freight cars parked on top, more rail lines added, “and
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prepared to saddle Pitt Meadows residents with multiple millions of dollars in debt for the project. “We don’t want to put the city in a bad situation financially,” he said. “I’m very, very reluctant to do this, at this point, because of the cost factor.” Mayor John Becker prefaced the underpass presentation by saying that the conversations about the project began shortly after the new council was elected, with provincial and federal government representatives, and the rail company. See Underpass, 5
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a bunch of booming and banging,” as train cars are linked. Coun. Janis Elkerton noted that the contingency fund for the project would add up to 25 per cent, and that the projected cost does not include any sound mitigation measures, which would be necessary to shield residential neighbourhoods. Coun. David Murray echoed their sentiments, saying he would not be
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