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WEDNESDAY June 16, 2010
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Coquitlam’s Olivia Zawadiuk is making waves on the national synchronized swim scene.
Your source for local news, sports, weather and entertainment. www.thenownews.com
HST to cost sports groups up to $50,000
Witnesses sought in stabbing Jennifer McFee jmcfee@thenownews.com A Coquitlam teen was stabbed in a local park last weekend, and police are asking witnesses to come forward with information. On Friday at about 11 p.m., a group of people gathered at Coquitlam’s Glen Park, including teens drinking alcohol. A 16-year-old boy was in the middle of the field near Pipeline Road and Windsor Gate — along with some friends and several other people — when a young man stabbed him twice in the lower back and then left the area on foot, running north. An ambulance rushed the teen to Royal Columbian Hospital to treat non-lifethreatening injuries. He was scheduled for surgery on Saturday. Patrolling officers searched the area extensively, alongside a police dog handler. However, search efforts failed to find the suspect, who is described as a Caucasian male in his late teens to early 20s. The suspect is described as about five-foot-11-inches tall with a small to medium build, and he was wearing dark pants with a dark sweater or jacket at the time. RCMP Cpl. Bert Paquet said police are seeking information about the stabbing, which they don’t believe was a random act. “Given the location of the incident, and the fact that several people were in the area at the time, we are hoping that someone saw or heard something. Any information could be extremely valuable in this investigation,” Paquet said in a release. “What is also of great concern to us is the fact that the majority of the people found CONTINUED ON PAGE 9.
Arenas, pools, room rentals will cost more John Kurucz jkurucz@thenownews.com
Paul vanPeenen/NOW
LITTLE OBSERVERS: Members of the Tozenji Buddhist Temple in Coquitlam spend Monday morning commemorating the 800th anniversary of the death of Honen, who founded Tozenji’s sect of Buddhism. The day begins with the annual segaki ritual, which honours the departed, followed by an o-chigo-san procession, including a parade of children dressed in special clothing. The procession is a rarity even in Japan. Visit www.thenownews.com for a photo gallery of the special event.
Two weeks ahead of the HST’s inception, the incoming tax is causing local sports organizations to take a hard look at their financial books. User groups are watching as the City of Coquitlam plans the transition from charging only the five-per-cent goods and services tax (GST) to the new harmonized sales tax (HST), which will see a sevenper-cent increase in some admissions, facility rentals, equipment rentals and memberships as of July 1. A city staff report notes that those organizations renting city arenas will be looking at a $50,000 increase in annual costs, followed by a $12,000 jump in both indoor and outdoor pool rentals. Room rentals for meetings and banquets will rise by $8,000, while the costs associated with outdoor field and court rentals is expected to rise by $7,000. “I really think it’s going to hit some leagues that are kind of tight on their budgets already,” said Barry Ayres, president of the Coquitlam Curling Club. “With minor hockey and lacrosse, their fees are pretty high already and now they’ve got to start charging an extra seven per cent?” The city staff report points out a number of services and rentals that will be affected by the HST: prime time youth ice rentals will go to $87.30 hourly from $81.85, rental of the 25-metre tank at Chimo
Pool will jump by $3.88 an hour, and dry floor rentals will face an hourly increase of $2.25. Andrew Young, former treasurer of the Coquitlam Minor Hockey Association, said the incoming HST represents just one part of the problem facing the roughly 1,000 registered association members. Last year’s cuts to provincial gaming grants, coupled with the HST’s added sevenper-cent charge, translates to a $110 increase for any child looking to play hockey in Coquitlam. “There is no cost recovery because we have no avenue to recovery other than to pass it straight through to the parents through registration fees,” he said. “The parents are aware of it. Nobody is happy about it.” Coquitlam Minor Lacrosse Association president James Abbott said 95 per cent of youth lacrosse wraps up before July 1 — the date the tax is implemented — so the real effects of the HST won’t be felt until next season. “We’ve talked informally about what it’s going to be like, but not a whole lot. Obviously, it’s concerning,” he said. Fees at Dogwood and Glen pavilions will also be slightly affected, with prices for items like coffee and lunch combos increasing anywhere between six and 47 cents. Yearly memberships for the seniors facilities are slated to jump by slightly more than a dollar. “Because we don’t pay PST, we don’t know what to do, so we’re not making any changes. Our tills will continue as they are until we get CONTINUED ON PAGE 4, see FEES.
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