LocaL woman finds her faith
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poverty of poLitics continues
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teacher cLeared of sex charges
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friday
NOVEMBER 30 2012 www.burnabynewsleader.com
donated photos capture the unique atmosphere of the Lougheed drive-in swap meet, circa 1978. See Page A3
Water, sewer rates to rise six per cent Wanda Chow
wchow@burnabynewsleader.com
MARIO BARTEL/NEWSLEADER
isabel Kolic, of the Burnaby heights merchants association, and Jack Kuyer of valley Bakery and KJ eom of regent fish, are concerned proposed changes to the community shuttle bus that serves the area will make it more difficult for residents to get to local shops on Hastings Street.
Shuttle plans spark frustration Changes to route, frequency subject of info meeting Dec. 12
However, it would no longer travel on Hastings Street between Willingdon and Gilmore avenues, coverage in Capitol Hill would be Wanda Chow reduced and the shuttle’s frequency wchow@burnabynewsleader.com would drop from once every 30 A TransLink proposal to change minutes to every hour. the community shuttle routes in It’s part of TransLink’s service North Burnaby will impact Heights optimization program, where it’s merchants, seniors and people with trying to do more with existing disabilities, and encourage more resources, reallocating them from people to drive, says area residents. low-ridership areas to those with The proposal would see the C1 higher demand, according to a press and C2 routes merged and extended release on the TransLink website. to the Kensington shopping and A map the proposed changes 4x1.25_small_appliances_ad_final.pdf 1 of 12-03-05 1:20 PM recreation area. says currently, the C1 and C2 routes
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“are among the lowest performing routes in the transit system, generating average loads of 2-3 passengers per trip.” Isabel Kolic, executive director of the Heights Merchants Association, suspects those numbers are an average of the entire day’s ridership between (6 a.m. and 10 p.m.) since the shuttles are often packed during rush hour periods. The proposed route would likely help businesses around Kensington but at the expense of the Heights commercial district and people who use it, Kolic said, adding she
only learned of the plan by word of mouth. “So we’re making it harder for our local Heights people to use our neighbourhood on foot, but making it easier for them to access other parts of the city rather than shop close to home.” Seniors or people with mobility issues will be particularly affected by the proposed route but anyone who might be carrying a heavy load of groceries or dealing with nasty weather will also be impacted. please see ShuTTLE, A4
YOUR LOCAL AGENT
BRiAN VidAs 604.671.5259
2009 - 2011
Brian Vidas Personal Real Estate Corporation 3010 Boundary Road, Burnaby
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3 Bed, 2 Bath Renovated 3 Level Burnaby Home $649,800 3 Bed, 3 Bath 3 Level Brentwood 1640SF Townhome $649,900
Burnaby taxpayers will see jumps in their utility bills after council approved six per cent increases in their water and sewer rates for 2013. The six per cent water rate hike reflects a six per cent increase in what the Greater Vancouver Water District charges the city to supply water as well as the cost of replacing aging infrastructure and maintenance programs, said a city staff report. Burnaby city hall sets its water rates to cover the cost of renewing infrastructure without having to borrow funds, it said. The city’s current priority is to replace remaining asbestos cement watermains which are at the end of their useful life, and the replacement of aging pumping stations to meet current and future demand due to expected population growth the next 10 years. Burnaby’s water rates have risen significantly in recent years, going up by 11 per cent in 2008, 12 per cent in 2009, 14 per cent in 2010, 11 per cent in 2011 and six per cent this year. see AVERAgE BILL, A5