Burnaby Now April 2 2014

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Burnaby’s first and favourite information source

All-Americans top awards at SFU

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Delivery 604-942-3081 • Wednesday, April 2, 2014

Café brings Paris to the Heights

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Your source for local sports, news, weather and entertainment! >> www.burnabynow.com CHARITY FUNDS

IN BURNABY

Seniors will bear brunt of cutbacks

TransLink spends $1M renting space Stefania Seccia staff reporter

Jennifer Moreau staff reporter

Following a dip in charitable donations, the United Way of the Lower Mainland has been forced to scale back grant funding for seniors, which is expected to impact groups across the Lower Mainland. Organizations in Burnaby and New Westminster will likely be impacted, but United Way could not disclose which ones. “We’ve had to make some decisions we really didn’t want to, and if people pulled their chequebook out, it would help us,” said Deb Bryant, a director in the community impact and investment department. The United Way of the Lower Mainland receives government funding and public donations and then allocates the money based on themes (like helping seniors, or supporting kids’ after-school programs, for example). The money is then divided into corresponding grant streams, and six of those streams – all dedicated to seniors – will no longer continue. Those discontinuing funding streams are: seniors’ temporary housing, support to caregivers, seniors no longer alone (an outreach program), seniors first (systems level work) and seniors active and independent. Bryant stressed that the United Way is not ending any funding contracts early, however, some would not be renewed in the future. Affected groups should receive a letter explaining what’s happening, she added. Meanwhile, United Way is also managing the Better At Home program in cities across B.C. That program, which just started in Burnaby, was designed by the United Way, to help seniors stay at home longer by offering help with things like rides to medical appointments or help with light housekeeping. Better At Home is funded by the United Way Page 3

Larry Wright/burnaby now

At a loss: Deb Bryant, a director in the United Way’s community impact and investment department, says the organization is having to cut back on funding seniors programs across the region due to a dip in charitable donations.

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Despite a recent announcement that TransLink was coming to Burnaby to update aging SkyTrains, no work has been done yet. Last November, TransLink announced it would spend $37.9 million to refurbish aging SkyTrain vehicles from the Millenium and Expo Lines at a facility on 6700 Southridge Dr. However, the Burnaby NOW has learned that TransLink has been paying $60,000 a month in rent since August 2012 – but only preparation work has been done, such as spending $309,800 to re-track 80 metres at the facility. TransLink still has to install a paint booth, as well. “The Mark I trains are at the end of their service lives, and it’ll give them an additional 15 years,” Jiana Ling, TransLink spokesperson, told the NOW. “It was a different facility beforehand, so we needed to go in and prepare the site, build the equipment to move the trains in. Before work is done in the building, we need to make sure it’s equipped properly. From 1988 to 2004, the property at 6700 Southridge Dr. was owned by B.C. Transit. The facility was formerly the Bombardier Centre for Advanced Transit Systems, which assembled SkyTrain cars and had tracks in place for them. When Bombardier failed to obtain contracts to build more trains for other companies, B.C. Transit was forced to purchase the facility for no more than $17.2 million. TransLink originally told the Burnaby NOW that the province didn’t own the site past 1999, but a Land Titles search turned up that in 2004 B.C. Transit not only owned the site, but sold it at a loss TransLink Page 9

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