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Serving Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, Port Moody, Anmore and Belcarra since 1984
WEDNESDAY
September 29, 2010
22
The Coquitlam Express toast their homecoming with a big win.
Your source for local news, sports, weather and entertainment. www.thenownews.com
New lead in Sunday stabbing Simone Blais sblais@thenownews.com
An attempted purse snatching offers investigators new clues in a stabbing that played out in a PoCo McDonald’s last weekend. Coquitlam RCMP were called to the Ottawa Street restaurant around 9 a.m. Sunday, and officers arrived to find a man suffering from stab wounds. The 36-year-old PoCo resident had been eating breakfast with his family when the attack occurred. The victim had gone to the washroom, where he was allegedly robbed. Police say the attack spilled out into the main part of the restaurant, where a man stabbed the victim three times in the abdomen. A witness intervened, and the suspect ran away. “There were patrons in the restaurant, but it was not overly busy at the time,” said RCMP Cpl. Bert Paquet. “There were witnesses to the incident, and it’s unknown whether the victim’s family witnessed the attack — but they were definitely with him after he had been stabbed.” The victim was reportedly in serious yet stable condition when taken to hospital. “[Monday] he was still in the hospital and walking about and feeling better,” Paquet said. “It’s a very lucky outcome, and we expect him to be just fine.” Investigators believe the suspect is linked to a silvercoloured Dodge pickup truck reported stolen from Surrey the night before, and as details of the vehicle became CONT. ON PAGE 4, see PURSE.
Paul vanPeenen/NOW
Photos
NOW
Visit www.thenownews.com for a gallery of Cops for Cancer photos.
ON THE MOVE: Cops for Cancer Tour de Coast riders are greeted with applause during a stop at the RCMP detachment in Coquitlam Tuesday morning, part of a ride through Coquitlam and Port Moody. The group also made stops at the Coast Capital Savings branch on Johnson Street, Scott Creek Middle School and the Port Moody Police Department. Cops for Cancer participants raise funds to support research into childhood cancer, as well as support services like Camp Goodtimes. Each fall, more than 100 members of law enforcement and emergency services cycle up to two weeks across four areas of B.C. to support the cause. To see more photos, visit www.thenownews.com.
Group home changes worry family Opposition says BC Liberals plan to make $22 million worth of cuts John Kurucz jkurucz@thenownews.com Devastating, drastic and depressing. Those are just a few of the words that come to Andrew Latta’s mind when he considers the life his mentally disabled sister could face if a series of rumoured provincial budget cuts take effect in group homes across B.C. Andrew’s 48-year-old sister Susan has Down syndrome and other challenges related to her ability
to communicate. She’s lived in a supported group home on Rochester Avenue in Coquitlam for almost 20 years, and it’s through that setting that she’s made tangible strides towards successfully integrating into the community. However, Andrew and others in his family fear that those tenets of independence, trust and comfort will disappear should a series of provincial funding cuts close down the home Susan and two others live in. “Susan’s been living there for almost 20 years; she’s very, very happy, very well served and she
wouldn’t be doing as well as she would without the services and supports that she’s getting,” he told The NOW. “What the government is about to do is kick her out of her home, take away all those services — and it’s going to be devastating to her life.” Andrew was reacting to news that Community Living BC (CLBC) is in the process of conducting a “service level redesign,” meant to address a six-percent growth in demand for services this year. “Redesigning service delivery to be cost-effective CONTINUED ON PAGE 3, see NDP SAYS CHANGES.