Burnaby’s first and favourite information source
Delivery 604-942-3081 • Saturday, December 18, 2010
Athlete with ‘heart’ is our 2010 winner
MP Bill Siksay calls it quits
PAGE 27
PAGE 3
Your source for local sports, news, weather and entertainment! >> www.burnabynow.com TAX HIKE SPARKS CRITICISM
Budget is too rich, says Evans Former city councillor is ‘convinced the city of Burnaby is overstaffed’ Janaya Fuller-Evans staff reporter
The city’s proposed property tax increase of 3.95 per cent is unreasonable, according to former TEAM councillor Garth Evans. “I always voted against (Mayor Derek) Corrigan’s budgets when I was on council,” he said, adding he thinks cuts need to be made to bring the tax down. He didn’t specify what should be cut but said if he was mayor he would have the director of finance prepare a comprehensive financial assessment. Evans did suggest staff might be one place where cuts could be made. “I am convinced the City of Burnaby is overstaffed,” he said. The municipality’s priority is protecting unions, he added, including ensuring contractors pay their workers union-level wages, even if the company is non-union. Staff recently negotiated a new contract, and the Burnaby firefighters and RCMP have seen increases in salary levels and wages through contract negotiations this year. This is while “lots of other people are taking pay cuts and losing jobs,” he said. “We have overpriced government in Burnaby,” he said, adding there’s not enough done with the money that is brought in. “The city’s record respecting homelessness and low-income housing is a disgrace,” Evans said. He pointed out that even though Mayor Page 3
Free Delivery
P
I
Z
Z
A
Marine & Byrne Road 7515 Market Crossing
Unit #170, Burnaby
T: 604-454-0388
Online Ordering www.!yingwedge.com
Larry Wright/burnaby now
Santa’s helpers: Eileen Miyanaga, David Roberts, Fay Roberts and Peggy Selinger are members of Deer Lake United Church. They’re helping out local seniors through the Burnaby Christmas Bureau’s hamper program – which helps to provide food and gifts for families and seniors in need at Christmastime.
It’s not just about toys and kids
Christmas Bureau delivers compassion and muchneeded help to city’s seniors Jennifer Moreau staff reporter
Eileen Miyanaga recalls one of the seniors her church helped through the Burnaby Christmas Bureau’s hamper program – an elderly man with cancer, nearing the end of his life.
Any
Classic Piz $12.95 *Pick-up on
ly
Happy Hou
za
3-4pm & 9
-1
r!
Any Wed0gpm e $2 .99
*Valid only at specified location
“He was very sick. By the time we got to see him at Christmas, he was almost bedridden,” she says. “It was hard. He couldn’t get out, he couldn’t drive anymore.” The ailing man was living in poverty and couldn’t even leave home to get groceries to feed himself. Through the hamper program, church members got connected to the senior through the bureau. They found out what he preferred to eat for the holidays and then did all the shopping and presented
the goods before Christmas. Miyanaga remembers meeting the man, who despite everything, kept his countenance. “He was very kind. He did his best to be cheerful, and I was amazed at how brave he was,” Miyanaga says. “These people are in need, but they are amazing,” Deer Lake United Church often helps the bureau by supplying families with food and toys for Christmas, but over the past three years, the members have gotten involved with the seniors’ hampers, a Seniors Page 4
Season’s Greetings from
Any Two
Your Burnaby Realtor
Classic Piz $24.95 *Pick-up on
ly
BRIAN VIDAS
zas
604.671.5259
3010 Boundary Road, Burnaby
BrianVidas.com
www.
centre realty