F
R
I
D
A
Y
,
N
O
V
E
M
B
E
R
2 3 ,
2 0 1 2 Bottle Drives FREE Pickups
604-276-8270
13300 Vulcan Way, Richmond
YOUR
SOURCE
FOR
LOCAL
SPORTS
,
NEWS
,
W E AT H E R
AND
E N T E RTA I N M E N T
!
WWW
01071303
Bottle Depot (Full Refunds Paid) TV’s, Computers | Home & Auto AV Gear Sprap Metal & Waste Paper
.RICHMOND-NEWS.COM
The pyjama tsar Eight-year-old Reese Shelly is helping raise awareness for a pyjama drive, so much so that in certain circles, he’s now known as the ‘pyjama ambassador.’
3
CHUNG CHOW/RICHMOND NEWS
A tugboat chugs past Garry Point Park as the late afternoon sun starts to set — a rare sight given the persistent rainy days on the ‘Wet Coast’ this fall.
City readies fleet for snow, ice season BY ALAN CAMPBELL
acampbell@richmond-news.com
Fourteen snowplows, five backhoes, four snowblowers, three hydro excavators and 960 tonnes of salt in two sheds. Throw in 14,000 litres of brine mix and the City of Richmond is ready for more than the 12 Days of Christmas when it comes to tackling this season’s winter storms. The city’s public works department presented a snow and ice response report to city councillors this week, detailing its fleet and armoury as well as its plan to fight whatever the winter throws Richmond’s way. Around 960 metric tonnes of road salt — the city used 923 last season during seven snowfalls and 14 frost “events” — are now in storage at two sites, the public works yard on Lynas Lane and at Sidaway Road in East Richmond. The city has also installed five road temperature sensors across the city, with plans being made for two more. The sensors, according to the city’s roads manager Ben Dias, are monitored 24 hours a day to provide early indications of frost forming on the roads. $
$ $
$
No extreme winter conditions forecast: Weather expert
ALAN CAMPBELL/RICHMOND NEWS
Richmond has road sensors ready.
City staff also continuously monitor Richmond-specific weather forecasts and have received a long-term forecast from Northwest Weathernet for the winter, which predicts there will be no extreme weather on either end of the scale. “The record low Arctic sea ice will have some minor impact in making the eastern portions of North America colder/snowier, which means a bit less wet and cold for us,” stated the forecast. Dias said the city will ramp up its public outreach during the winter via social media to keep people as informed as pos-
$
$
it.
A piece of the Earth
Our travel writer gets up close and personal with one of the world’s most majestic and active volcanic regions in New Zealand, which doubles as a ‘hot’ tourist destination.
27
Index
News Editorial Letters The Pulse Finances Sports Classified
3 8 9 16 18 34 36
8171 Westminster Hwy. (at Buswell, one block east of No. 3 Rd.) Walkway access also from Price-Smart Foods parking lot
Mon-Sat 8:45-6:30 Sun 10-5 (604) 780-4959
Westminster Hwy.
Buswell
It's worth
=$
WEB ONLY: Federal Liberal leadership candidate Justin Trudeau made a special appearance Thursday afternoon at the Pathways Clubhouse in Richmond to talk about mental health issues.
No. 3 Rd.
Beer, Wine, Pop, Juice, Water
RICHMOND BOTTLE DEPOT
sible about road conditions. ❚ Meanwhile, the city is asking volunteer organizations to register as Snow Angels. Heavy winter snowfall can cause challenges for some Richmond residents such as the elderly and persons with illnesses or disabilities. Richmond’s Snow Angels can offer voluntary assistance with tasks such as snow removal. The Snow Angels program is activated during major snowfall events. This is defined as 48 hours of continuous snowfall and a minimum of 15 centimetres of snow. Registering to be a Snow Angel organization is easy; simply contact the city’s parks programs coordinator at 604-2441250 or email paul.brar@richmond.ca. Residents needing assistance can access the Snow Angels registry in several ways during a major snowfall: Phoning Richmond City Hall at 604-276-4000, the city’s community services department at 604-244-1208, or their local community centre. The registry can also be accessed online at www.richmond.ca/winter.
Trudeau talks mental health