METROTOWN STATION RENOS UNDERWAY
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STIFFER BUS DRIVER ASSAULT LAW
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SOME MUSIC WITH YOUR LUNCH?
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WEDNESDAY
FEBRUARY 25 2015 www.burnabynewsleader.com
All aboard for renovations: Construction to begin on Metrotown SkyTrain station. See Page A5
Stalemate in fire contract talks City of Burnaby and firefighters to go to arbitration Wanda Chow
wchow@burnabynewsleader.com
MARIO BARTEL / NEWSLEADER
EYES ON THE PRIZE
Frid Lederer takes in the view of Burnaby Lake and the North Shore mountains after taking his kayak for a paddle on Tuesday.
B.C. won’t help with $1M policing tab Attorney general turns down request for financial help for policing Trans Mountain pipeline protests Wanda Chow
wchow@burnabynewsleader.com
Don’t look to the provincial government to help Burnaby cover the costs of policing the protests on Burnaby Mountain last fall. A rough estimate pegged the costs at $1 million to police the area last fall as people protested and rallied against Kinder Morgan’s drilling and survey work in the park for its Trans Mountain pipeline expansion
proposal. But B.C. Attorney General Suzanne Anton said in a letter to Burnaby council that it’s the city’s responsibility. “Given the legislation, and the agreements and arrangements made to police the City of Burnaby, the city is responsible for the costs of policing required to maintain law and order in the municipality,” Anton wrote. “This includes paying costs
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associated with externally provided resources and expertise. At this time, there is no intention to provide provincial funding for these costs.” That didn’t sit well with council. Coun. Nick Volkow questioned whether Anton’s stance means that if a major disaster were to hit Burnaby “that no help will be forthcoming?” Mayor Derek Corrigan said it’s “perfectly clear” that while the provincial government is interested in
any money or jobs that might come from the pipeline project, it doesn’t want any responsibilities that may result. Corrigan took the letter as a sign of the province’s response to any potential problems with the project if it goes ahead, saying, “it does not bode well for Burnaby, we will be left on our own.”
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Mediation settled nothing in contract negotiations between the City of Burnaby and its firefighters so it’s on to the next step in the process: Arbitration. That has Rob Lamoureux, president of the Burnaby Firefighters Association IAFF local 323, frustrated. So far, 15 B.C. municipalities have settled their contracts with firefighters. Of those, Vancouver and Prince George came through arbitration, said Lamoureux. Those contracts were each for four years with wage increases of 2.5 per cent per year. “Term and wages were never an issue for us,” he said, explaining the firefighters proposed the same arbitrated four-years and wage hikes. “The city still said no.” Please see UNION, CITY, A3