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December 22, 2010
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Your source for local news, sports, weather and entertainment. www.thenownews.com
Homeless man dies in PoCo John Kurucz jkurucz@thenownews.com
Police have ruled out foul play in the death of a 43-yearold homeless man, whose body was found Sunday in Port Coquitlam. Coquitlam RCMP Const. Kristina Biro said the man’s body was found by a passerby on a pathway near Lougheed Highway and Shaughnessy Street at about 8:15 a.m. “We don’t have any reason to suspect at this point that this is a suspicious death,” Biro said, adding that police are not releasing the man’s name until members of his family have been notified. “The coroner also attended the scene and they’re continuing their investigation at this point, and an autopsy has been ordered.” Though police aren’t releasing a name, Hope For Freedom Society executive director Rob Thiessen identified the man as Irvin Wickens, whom Thiessen and other homeless outreach workers had consistent contact with over the past four years. “I initially didn’t know who it was when I first got wind of it,” Thiessen told The NOW. “I guessed at the time that it was probably Irvin. I made the unfortunate prediction a week ago, basically saying Irvin would be the next guy to die out there. It was just the way things were going for him — he looked like a man who was in a fairly serious decline. It wasn’t just me. The outreach team also believed if things continued the way they were, he wasn’t long for this world.” Media reports suggested Wickens’s death could be attributed to the cold weather or a lack of shelter space. However, both Thiessen and CONT. ON PAGE 3, see ‘THIS.’
Pennies donations lower than in ’09 Simone Blais sblais@thenownews.com
There never seems to be enough to go around at this time of year. Days away from Christmas, TriCities residents know how much the holidays can cost a family. Between toys and gifts and goodies for all, a dollar can go quickly — let alone those one-cent coins. But pennies can pack a lot of power when donated to The NOW’s Pennies for Presents campaign.
The fundraiser, in its 21st year, helps the SHARE Family & Community Services Society buy gifts for tweens and teens who might otherwise go without at this time of year. While a penny may not seem like much, the donations add up. The Pennies brigade brought in the latest round of buckets to Boulevard Casino for counting, and came away with two batches worth $887.44 and $1,241.16.
That brings the total to $4,920.95 — well below last year’s record-busting $18,000. Everyone here at The NOW encourages Tri-Cities residents to donate what they can — even if it’s a single copper — to Pennies for Presents, which wraps up on Dec. 31. Here is a list of drop-off locations throughout the Tri-Cities that will take pennies, nickels, dimes, quarters, loonies, toonies and any bills residents
have to donate:
Coquitlam
• Coquitlam Fire Hall No. 1, 1300 Pinetree Way • RCMP detachment, 2986 Guildford Way • Ridgeway Community Police Station, 1059 Ridgeway Ave. • Burquitlam Community Police Station, 560 Clarke Rd. • The Bay, Coquitlam Centre (customer service desk) CONT. ON PAGE 3, see PENNIES.
Teryn Lee/NOW
Photos
NOW
Visit www.thenownews.com for a gallery of holiday train photos.
WAITING ON A TRAIN: April checks out a gingerbread cookie while waiting for the Canadian Pacific Holiday Train to arrive in Port Moody. The rolling fundraiser, which collects donations for food banks, ended its three-week cross-continent journey in the Tri-Cities on Friday. A large crowd of people turned out to see alternative rockers The Odds, as well as take in local entertainers and enjoy a bonfire lit by Port Moody firefighters. Now in its 12th year, the holiday train fundraiser has collected more than $5 million for food banks across North America. In the Tri-Cities, proceeds go to the SHARE Family & Community Services Society.