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Can pups melt Dragons’ hearts? Richmond business bids for Den money to expand doggy hotel venture to Toronto BY YVONNE ROBERTSON Special to the News
It’s the lap of luxury — a resort located conveniently near the airport, individually themed bedrooms with views, private TVs, sheepskin covers, and a day spa, as well as the finest food money can buy. The Jet Pet Resort is Canada’s first airport location dog and cat resort, allowing owners to drop off and pick up their pets on the way to and from their various destinations. Some rooms are fitted with a 24/7 webcam for those suffering separation anxiety to see how their pets are doing whenever they please. Now owners Camila and Marcus Dahl have pitched their business model to the ruthless panel of judges on CBC’s Dragons’ Den, hoping to receive $200,000 for
Greasing the wheel Restaurateurs are apparently getting the anti-grease message, now the City of Richmond will set its sights on domestic dumping down kitchen sinks.
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The feared and revered Dragons’ Den team on the hit CBC show go all soft and gooey after being handed pups by the Jet Pet Resort team during filming.
Capital spending lowest in years More than half of $68M budget to be spent on infrastructure BY ALAN CAMPBELL
acampbell@richmond-news.com
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A Jet Pet ‘client’ relaxes.
a location in Toronto. The episode airs on Nov. 14. “We’ve never done anything like this, but as a family, we watch the show and thought it’d be fun to apply,” said Camila Dahl, back from the three-day trip to Toronto. “It was really quite an amazing experience.” The process began when a casting crew came to B.C. and the Dahls did a mini pitch for them. Chosen as one of six out of at least 150 applicants across the province, they then packed up and prepared for the trip to Toronto with an extra bit of confidence. see Mini pitch page 4 $
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After a few years of big spending on a new community safety building, retro-fitting the oval post-Olympics and acquiring the Garden City Lands, the City of Richmond’s capital budget appears to have leveled out. Down again to $68.6 million for 2013 — from $72.6 this year — the city’s budget for maintaining and renewing infrastructure, equipment, buildings and parks and acquiring land is the lowest it’s been since pre-Olympic oval construction days. It’s a point not lost on several city council members, who were told that the operating cost impact of the $68.6 million program would increase next year’s property tax by 0.35 per cent. “I’m pleased to see we’re focusing on the bread and butter, with lots (of the budget) for the safety of the public,” said Coun.
Bill McNulty at Monday’s finance committee meeting. Fifty-nine per cent, or $39 million, of the budget will be spent on infrastructure, such as roads, drainage and sanitary pump stations. Almost $3 million will be spent on an interim Lansdowne Road extension from Alderbridge Way to Minoru Boulevard and $1.8 million on Nelson Road improvements. While upgrading the Bath Slough pump station will cost $4.2 million. Almost $2 million each will be needed to repair the building envelope at the West Richmond Community Centre next year and for the planned Railway Avenue Green Corridor. Coun. Harold Steves questioned the proposal to pave the four-metre wide Railway Avenue corridor and poked the $500,000 that was requested for Olympic oval precinct’s public art program (which was not included in the draft capi-
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Stars of B.C.’s athletics world, including medal winners Ashleigh McIvor, left, (ski cross) and Karina LeBlanc (soccer) were at the oval to inspire a younger generation of athletes.
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Alive and kicking
Hugh Boyd Trojans not only came up with enough players to save their season, they won their conference and will be among the teams to beat in the junior varsity football playoffs.
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Index
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tal budget). “I’m hoping (the paving) is not on the railway right of way, we should be reserving that for future railway use,” said Steves, suggesting a gravel path would be better, pointing out that miles of asphalt would have to be ripped up if a railway ever re-materialized on the route. “…and I think the art that’s on show (at the oval) is horrendous; I support public art, but not what’s there. Who makes those decisions?” City staff informed Steves the public art concept at the oval was approved by city council. “Not by me it wasn’t, I must have voted against that,” joked Steves. McNulty asked for $100,000 to be added to the budget to keep Hugh Boyd turf up to scratch, adding he’d hate to see the surface suffer for the sake of $100,000. ❚ Full story at www.richmondnews.com.
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