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INSIDE: Festival du Bois special section [pages 15-22] / TC Sports [page 32] WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 2016 Your community. Your stories.
TRI-CITY
NEWS
Coq. SAR is seeking six new searchers SARAH PAYNE
The Tri-CiTy News
If you enjoy hiking, know a bit about navigation and have a flexible schedule, maybe you can join the Coquitlam Search and Rescue team. The group is recruiting up to six new members to assist in an average of 30 to 40 missions each year in the Tri-Cities, Burnaby and New Westminster, ranging from Pitt Lake to Indian Arm and from the Fraser River to Garibaldi Park. And while the team is looking for potential recruits to have at least a basic fitness level and some experience in the outdoors, the biggest factor is the ability to make a significant time commitment. “You could be the highest skilled rescue person in the world but if you can’t make it to the searches or training, you’re not much use,” said Coquitlam SAR spokesperson Michael Coyle, noting the group is looking for applicants from the Tri-Cities, Burnaby, New West and Vancouver. Once accepted to the team, members can expect weekly training sessions of two to three hours and a monthly full-day session. The ground-level SAR training program is 80 hours but more advanced training in first aid, rope rescue or other tracks will add to that.
see 300 HOURS, page 10
JANIS WARREN/THE TRI-CITY NEWS
Ryan Hobenshield, Linda Richardson, Andrea Kloegman, Eric Westwood and Joey Baranec say their neighbourhood trail has been ruined after the city of Port Coquitlam spread recycled asphalt on the path leading to Sun Valley Park.
PORT COQUITLAM
Residents slam city trail work Neighbours don’t want path with crushed asphalt JANIS WARREN
The Tri-CiTy News
Ground-up asphalt full of wires and debris from past roadwork projects now covers
a neighbourhood path leading to a Port Coquitlam park. And area homeowners say the cherished trail they’ve used for years to walk their kids and dogs won’t be busy again. The 330 m path runs from the north end of Fremont Street and Handley Crescent, working its way up to Patricia Avenue to Sun Valley Park at Lincoln Avenue. A blueberry
farm is on the east side while a wide, deep culvert is on the other, bordering residential backyards. Homeowners had asked the city to update the path to reduce mud and potholes, and to clear fallen tree branches. “Just a basic upkeep, with loose rocks on the ground or bark mulch,” area resident Linda Richardson said.
Last Thursday, some homeowners say city crews “dumped” a thin layer of asphalt millings along the path, a decision that has infuriated them because of the rough surface and the potential environmental impacts. But Kristen Meersman, the city’s engineering director, said the use of recycled pavement isn’t new in PoCo.
It has been used in other city trail sections, such as behind Amazon Court in Cascara Park as well as in lanes and other maintenance jobs. It allows for better drainage and, unlike gravel, doesn’t wash away, Meersman said. Instead, the material gets stronger the more it’s used. see ASPHALT ON TRAIL, page 6
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