NEWS 3
PM salutes Burnaby biz
NEWS 5
City sticking with RCMP
PEOPLE 11
5
Welcoming immigrant seniors
THINGS TO DO THIS WEEKEND FRIDAY MARCH 4, 2016
SEE PAGE 13
There’s more at Burnabynow.com
LOCAL NEWS – LOCAL MATTERS
PROTEST
‘We’ll keep pushing on’ Protesters say bus pass changes will hurt people with disabilities Cornelia Naylor
cnaylor@burnabynow.com
PROTEST: Melissa McCann holds a sign protesting changes to bus passes for people with disabilities during a rally at the Metrotown SkyTrain station Wednesday. PHOTO CORNELIA NAYLOR
Changes to low-cost bus passes announced last month will push people with disabilities further into social isolation, according to protesters at the Metrotown SkyTrain station in Burnaby yesterday. “If they don’t have the money to buy the monthly pass, they’re going to become more isolated and disconnected than they already are,” said Bernice McCann, whose 31-yearold daughter Melissa is on disability. “Survival? We’ll all keep pushing on and we’ll figure it out – not in good ways, but we’ll figure it out, even if it’s dumpsters or whatever – but to lose the social connections with this small community … is where the sadness is going to really hit.” McCann and her daughter were at Metrotown to protest changes to the B.C. Bus Pass. People with disabilities currently pay a flat $45 fee for the one-year pass, but starting in September, they will also have to pay a $52 monthly fee. The province announced the changes last month at the same time it announced the Continued on page 9
Cops issue warning after third assault RCMP investigating sexual assault in the Heights Jeremy Deutsch
jdeutsch@burnabynow.com
For the third time this year, Mounties are investigating a sexual assault in Burnaby. The recent assault happened in the Heights just before 2 a.m.Tuesday
morning. A Burnaby woman was walking home from a Hastings Street bus stop when an unknown man approached her from behind, placed one hand over her mouth, pulled her toward the bushes and attempted to grope her, according to Burnaby RCMP.
The victim screamed and fought to get free, which caused the suspect to then flee northbound on Springer Avenue across Francis Street, police said. Mounties note Tuesday morning’s incident is the second sexual assault involving groping in the area
in the last four weeks. While investigators cannot say definitely if the two incidents are linked, RCMP Cpl. Daniela Panesar said police are asking the public to remain vigilant, especially when walking alone in the late evenings in the area. “These are all personal assaults.They are definitely a priority for us to
solving and finding the alleged suspect,” she told the NOW, adding investigators are hoping someone may have seen something and will come forward with information. The alleged suspect is described as a Caucasian man, taller than five feet eight inches with a medium build. He was wearing dark cloth-
ing, including a dark hooded jacket. Police are asking anyone with information about the incident, or who may have witnessed any suspicious activity in the area, to call the Burnaby RCMP’s at 604-294-7922 or call CrimeStoppers at 1-800222-TIPS (8477). Continued on page 5
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