Coquitlam Search and Rescue (CSAR) says its team members’ gear was stolen on Friday The team was involved in the rescue mission of a seven-year-old girl from Chilliwack In a Facebook post the non-profit organization says that the theft happened when the volunteers were assisting in the search The CSAR says that the majority of the gear is self-funded and needs to be replaced to take on future tasks A GoFundMe has been set up to help the rescuers and has raised over eight thousand dollars since being posted Friday evening The young girl was reported missing Thursday afternoon the Chilliwack RCMP announced that the girl had been found Numerous search and rescue groups and emergency responders were involved in the search on Thursday and Friday The accused person in the deadly car attack at the Lapu-Lapu Day block party in Vancouver on April 26th appeared at the provincial Court of British Columbia 30-year-old Kai Ji Adam Lo appeared via video in court The Chilliwack RCMP says it has found a young girl who was reported missing Thursday afternoon Four people remain in critical condition in hospital and another two remain in serious condition five days after the deadly attack at the Lapu-Lapu Day festival in Vancouver on April 26 Jack Rabb has more on the efforts to support the victims 11 high school lacrosse players in New York have been charged over an alleged hazing incident involving five younger teammates Laura Aguierre looks at the disturbing allegations and the role the suspects' ages might play in what happens next Legislature Thursday preceded a scheduled court appearance Friday for the man suspected of the deadly vehicle-ramming attack in Vancouver that left 11 people dead and dozens more injured Listen to NewsRadio Vancouver live anytime and get up-to-the-minute breaking-news alerts weather and video from CityNews Vancouver anywhere you are – across all Android and iOS devices You will also start receiving the Star's free morning newsletter Coquitlam—Port Coquitlam 2025 federal election live results. Browse live results for all 343 ridings 256 of 256 polls are reporting as of 4:22 p.m. Follow our full coverage of the 2025 federal election 256 of 256 polls are reporting as of 4:22 p.m. Follow our full coverage of the 2025 federal election is projected to be re-elected in Coquitlam—Port Coquitlam McKinnon has 27,299 of 57,649 votes (47.35%) is in second place with 24,778 votes (42.98%) and Laura Dupont McKinnon has represented the riding since 2015 21,147 voters cast ballots at advance polls Looking for another riding? Here are the full results for the 2025 federal election. The Liberals have 169 races called in their favour. They have 8,535,128 votes and 43.69 per cent of the popular vote. The Conservatives have 144 races called in their favour. They have 8,059,938 votes and 41.26 per cent of the popular vote. The Bloc Québécois have 22 races called in their favour. They have 1,232,095 votes and 6.31 per cent of the popular vote. The New Democrats have seven races called in their favour. They have 1,231,198 votes and 6.3 per cent of the popular vote. The Greens have one race called in their favour. They have 243,471 votes and 1.25 per cent of the popular vote. At Parliament’s dissolution, the Liberals held 152 seats, the Conservatives 120, the Bloc Québécois 33, the NDP 24 and the Greens two. There were three independents and four vacancies in the 338-seat Commons. Because of population increases, the Commons has grown by five ridings starting with this election. This article was automatically generated using data provided by Canadian Press and will update as riding results become available. Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: Account processing issue - the email address may already exist Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in. Invalid password or account does not exist Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password. An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account. Join the conversation You can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account Voters in the three ridings covering most of the Tri-Cities of Metro Vancouver likely gained a Liberal kept a Conservative and definitely lost an NDP incumbent in the federal election Monday night Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience We apologize, but this video has failed to load.Try refreshing your browser, ortap here to see other videos from our team.Play VideoArticle contentCoquitlam-Port CoquitlamArticle contentAlthough as few as 325 votes at one point separated Liberal incumbent Ron McKinnon from the Conservative runner-up McKinnon appeared to be heading for victory late last night McKinnon had about a 2,300 vote lead over Black Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox Interested in more newsletters? McKinnon has held the riding in three elections since the Conservatives last won the riding in 2011 when Stephen Harper’s Conservatives were turfed from government McKinnon won the riding with 18,178 votes and on Monday night had more than 26,660 votes with one poll still to come an increase of several thousand from those cast for the Conservative candidate in 2021 Both their vote totals came at the expense of the NDP’s Laura Dupont That was almost 10,000 fewer than the 13,000-plus votes she received in 2021 which was reflective of the plummeting support for the NDP across Canada Libertarian Lewis Clarke Dahlby had 776 votes late Monday while the Greens’ Michael Peter Glenister trailed with 510 McKinnon in 2015 beat the previous Conservative second-place finisher by just under 300 votes but that gap widened to more than 3,700 votes against a different Conservative candidate in 2019 in the riding that covers the urban condo towers of Coquitlam and the downtown of Port Coquitlam as well as the rural dwellers who live north of there Voter turnout in the riding was about 61 per cent historically a toss-up between Conservatives and NDP With just one poll still be counted late Monday night NDP incumbent Bonita Zarrillo is headed for a loss Lambert was in second with more than 24,806 — 1,779 votes behind Royer who had beaten the Conservative candidate by more than 3,000 votes in 2021 — with the Liberal candidate not far behind — had 9,197 votes on Monday night having lost to the Conservative candidate in 2019 by 153 votes Also running is Nash Milani for the Green party Vladimir Dedovic of the People’s Party of Canada has withdrawn and Roland Verrier of the Marxist-Leninist Party of Canada was recently added said young people are discouraged about the future because of how society and the economy has changed Conservatives had planned to lower income taxes encourage home building and curb immigration And he wanted to seek federal funding to expand Eagle Ridge Hospital facing nine-hour ER waits and a staff shortages Royer said she wanted to bring back rebates for zero-emission vehicles and phase out fossil fuels in federal buildings by 2030 The Green party’s Milani doesn’t buy the Liberals’ plan for the environment and wanted to keep climate change and clean energy on the public agenda And the Greens had planned to build more government co-op housing meaning that 61,216 of 88,418 eligible voters voted Monday Conservative Marc Dalton will likely hang on to his seat The recent redrawing of the riding boundaries since 2021 to include a part of Mission made it harder to predict an outcome based on the previous election with the Liberals capturing the seat in 2015 under a different candidate All outcomes were within 5,000 votes each year Also running this year is Daniel Hydenrych for the NDP Chris Lehner for the People’s Party of Canada (417) and Peter Buddle for the Rhinoceros Party (278) The Green party had dropped its candidate at the last minute The riding includes the urban areas of Pitt Meadows and Maple Ridge and rural areas northward up to and including parts of urban Mission The number of voters is around 100,000 and at a recent candidates debate the tough labour market and housing supply slazaruk@postmedia.com transmission or republication strictly prohibited This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy You can manage saved articles in your account Sign In Subscribe Now Fraser Health issued an overdose alert Friday (May 1) for drugs that are being sold in Coquitlam "Blueish/ greenish granules sold as Down in Coquitlam tested positive for high levels of xylazine (Tranq) in combination with nifoxipam (benzodiazepine analog) and fentanyl," reads the release. “If someone overdoses: call 9-1-1 and stay with them Please look out for each other,” it continued "Combining multiple depressants can lead to complex overdoses Naloxone will reverse the effects of opioids but it does not reverse the effects of benzodiazepines and tranquilizers Individuals may not regain consciousness and require longer monitoring Monitor breathing before administering more naloxone Nifoxipam is a designer drug in the benzodiazepine class It is described as highly potent with a long action duration effects lasting up to 24 hours or more." The warning also listed tips for safe drug use as well as links to local harm reduction services and how to get your drugs checked The alert was posted online and sent via text using the Toxic Drug and Health Alerts System which is managed by BC Centre for Disease Control Text notifications are sent to subscribers who want timely information about illicit substances and increases in toxic drug poisonings in their region Dialogue and debate are integral to a free society and we welcome and encourage you to share your views on the issues of the day. We ask that you be respectful of others and their points of view, refrain from personal attacks and stay on topic. To learn about our commenting policies and how our community-based moderation works, please read our Community Guidelines Sign In Register Strollers around Coquitlam’s Lafarge Lake Monday were able to enjoy the bright sunshine blossoming trees and gardens alive with colourful daffodils and tulips But the harbingers of spring were tempered by the sobering symbolism of 1,500 purple flags planted along the perimiter path The flags were placed by volunteers from the Tri-Cities Community Action Team to commemorate lives lost to British Columbia’s toxic drug crisis the provincial government declared the situation a public health emergency an average of 4.9 deaths due to the toxicity of the illicit drug supply have occurred every day the estimated number of death from toxic drugs is up 38 per cent from 2024 the program coordinator for the action team that works to build awareness of the toxic drug crisis said the display of purple flags around the park make for an “impactful experience.” representatives from several community organizations were available Monday afternoon to share information about local resources and create space for visitors to connect and understand “Community engagement and understanding are essential for saving lives,” said Saxon 📣 Got an opinion on this story or any others in the Tri-Cities? Send us a letter or email your thoughts or story tips to [email protected] Your adblocker might be preventing hyperlinked text from appearing If it was up to them, the City of Coquitlam would likely prefer to keep things the way they were but it's not and the City is now set to introduce a new amenity cost charges (ACCs) program at a time when there is growing concern about government fees getting in the way of new housing being constructed The City is introducing the new fee program in response to Bill 46 the Housing Statutes (Development Financing) Amendment Act which the Province brought forth in November 2023 The legislation revised how development cost charges (DCCs) can be used and was aimed at eliminating community amenity contributions (CACs) all of which are fees that governments collect in order to provide amenities for residents or pay for infrastructure needed to support growth "ACCs allow local governments to collect funds through development for growth-related amenities such as community centres, recreation or athletic facilities, libraries, childcare facilities, public squares or other amenities that provide social, cultural, heritage, recreational or environment benefits to a community," said the City in a recent council report the City would be reliant primarily on government grants and property taxes to fund new amenities." these types of amenities are largely funded via the City's density bonus program and CACs program local governments have had to change their development financing frameworks and introduce ACCs ACCs will be charged either per unit or per sq Proposed rates for Coquitlam's amenity cost charges (ACCs) program low-rise residential includes single-detached homes and multiplexes; mid-rise apartments are buildings up to 12 storeys and high-rise apartments are buildings over 12 storeys ACCs cannot be levied on affordable housing required as part of municipal inclusionary zoning bylaws but the City of Coquitlam is opting to set standard city-wide rates Like the City's existing density bonus and CACs program commercial developments are exempt under the new ACC program The proposed rates were determined by factors such as growth projections for Coquitlam and the costs of capital projects the City believes it will need the proposed ACC program is based on a 10-year timeframe where capital projects total to $387 million the population grows by approximately 31,000 people The estimated splits of those totals are as follows: Population growth and housing needs projections for Coquitlam between 2025-2034 The City says that a core consideration of the program is to not deter new development and they believe their proposed rates are "not excessive." Very few municipalities have an approved ACCs program at the moment, but one that does is Burnaby whose ACC program is higher for low-density residential charged by unit for medium-density and high-density development and applies to some commercial development This new proposed ACCs program is on the agenda for tonight's council meeting with Council set to green light the public consultation process which will include both the general public and the development industry (via the Urban Development Institute) a formal bylaw will then be brought forward to Council for approval with the goal being to implement the new program by June 30 a planned new multi-site development in Coquitlam is getting closer to reality with the impending debut of its community and sales hub "Pavilion" that will feature two new locations (including a new concept) from two acclaimed Vancouver food spots located at 2968 Christmas Way in Coquitlam will offer a "living preview" of its forthcoming TriCity Central development by way of a 12,000-square-foot space that includes its sales centre along with two dining destinations Hot on the heels of this year's launch in Surrey Central and with its acclaimed coffee and pastry programs Nemesis is ready for a fifth location in an impressive 2,300-square-foot space at TriCity Pavilion Guests can expect top-notch coffee beverages phenom baked goods from its Dope Bakehouse brand Nemesis TriCity will have 50 seats and an on-site pastry kitchen to ensure fresh goodies and it will be the second in the local empire to feature cocktails We’re excited to continue our pursuit of ‘coffee creating culture’ in the Tri-Cities," said Nemesis founder and CEO Jess Reno in a media release Joining Nemesis will be a new offshoot concept from Vancouver's Kitchen Table Group and its ever-expanding "Luigi" family of Italian restaurants and cafés and Italian wine on a menu created by Culinary Director Chanthy Yen and Head Chef Lloyd Taganahan we’re bringing the same heart and hospitality that our Vancouver restaurants are known for to the Tri-Cities,” said Jennifer Rossi TriCity Central is a Marcon Quadreal Lands project at the southeastern corner of the Lougheed and Barnet highways on assembled properties that had previously been a dealership and an industrial area the development will see several towers go up with condos with Nemesis and Gigi's by Ask For Luigi New designated parking stalls improve connections to transit services COQUITLAM, BC – TransLink and the City of Coquitlam are partnering to launch mobility hubs for customers using shared e-bikes and e-scooters at Coquitlam Central Station Located outside the fare gates of both the SkyTrain and West Coast Express stations the hubs make it easier for riders to connect to transit using micromobility options The designated parking areas are clearly marked with designs similar to other e-scooter parking zones throughout the City of Coquitlam Riders are required to end their trips within these areas Shared e-bikes and e-scooters must be docked inside the mobility hub and are not permitted inside the Fare Paid Zone or on board the SkyTrain or West Coast Express This new mobility hub will make it more convenient for customers to seamlessly connect to transit services Mobility hubs support TransLink’s goal of creating convenient choices for everyone, as laid out in Transport 2050 and the Access For Everyone plan The mobility hub will be in place until December 2025 after which the collected data will be analyzed to evaluate its success and inform future decisions including the feasibility of implementing similar approaches at other transit hubs in Metro Vancouver Port Moody—Coquitlam 2025 federal election live results. Browse live results for all 343 ridings 220 of 220 polls are reporting as of 4:22 p.m. Follow our full coverage of the 2025 federal election 220 of 220 polls are reporting as of 4:22 p.m. Follow our full coverage of the 2025 federal election is projected to win in Port Moody—Coquitlam is in second place with 25,127 votes (40.37%) and incumbent Bonita Zarrillo Zarrillo has represented the riding since 2021 29,055 voters cast ballots at advance polls It looks like another battleground campaign in the federal swing riding of Port Moody-Coquitlam historically a toss up between the Conservatives and the NDP We apologize, but this video has failed to load.Try refreshing your browser, ortap here to see other videos from our team.Play VideoArticle contentFor the past two federal elections the candidates have been in a tight three-way contest with the Liberals although the party hasn’t held a seat in this area since the late 1990s But experts say a popularity surge for Liberal leader Mark Carney combined with a drop in support for the NDP could mean the Liberals gain a seat It was one of the closest watched races in the country in 2021 and likely will be again this year The riding will be a fight for recently acclaimed Liberal candidate Zoe Royer a former Port Moody city councillor and school trustee “I do expect it to be close,” said Mike McDonald who co-hosts the political podcast Hotel Pacifico with Kate Hammer and Geoff Meggs McDonald said he wouldn’t be surprised if party leaders make campaign stops in this riding before the election given that red momentum could mean a swing from NDP to Liberal for left-leaning voters there is value to incumbency … Zarrillo has been in politics a long time,” he added Also entering the race is Nash Milani for the Green party which hasn’t had a candidate on the ballot since 2019 Vladimir Dedovic of the People’s Party of Canada has withdrawn from the race “This is probably good news for the Conservatives,” said McDonald since the right-leaning PPC garnered about three and a half per cent of the vote in the last election “The Greens could peel off some of the (Liberal or NDP) votes.” Roland Verrier was also recently added to the ballot for the Marxist-Leninist Party of Canada who unsuccessfully ran for the Liberals in the 2021 election while Lambert is taking over the candidacy from Nelly Shin Zarrillo said she’s not worried about the Liberal competition “Port Moody-Coquitlam has always been a blue and orange fight,” she said “What I’m concerned about is the Conservatives The majority of residents don’t want a Conservative in office They don’t want U.S.-style health care or our natural resources just taken for their own.” She said the top issues for the riding are the ones facing most of the country: U.S tariffs and standing up to President Donald Trump; housing prices; soaring grocery costs; health care; and climate change Zarrillo said affordability “is really top of mind here.” a business consultant who works with entrepreneurs starting new businesses said: “I think young people see how the structure of our economy and society have changed They are discouraged thinking about the future He cited the Conservatives’ plan to lower income taxes and “be more responsible with federal government spending” to bring down inflation Lambert said Conservatives will encourage home building for more supply and curb immigration but our population growth has been so high the past 10 years That’s another part of why housing supply and demand are so out of balance.” “So this could mean there’s an opportunity for the Liberals or the Conservatives to pick up a seat,” said McDonald along with several other swing ridings in B.C the race was close between Zarrillo and Shin with Zarrillo winning over 36 per cent of the vote compared with Shin’s 32 per cent The Liberals’ Will Davis trailed third with 27 per cent of the vote who took a run at federal politics for the NDP in 2008 in the old electoral district known as Port Moody–Westwood–Port Coquitlam says she was moved to run because of Carney “I was super excited to watch the leadership race I couldn’t be more pleased when Mark Carney was chosen as Liberal leader I just have so much hope in the work that he’s doing,” she said ” Carney is committed to trying to reduce prices on consumer goods by 15 per cent and if anybody can do it In an electoral district surrounded by mountains Royer said she wants to work on environmental policies She’d like to bring back rebates for zero-emission vehicles and phase out fossil fuels in federal buildings by 2030 Although Royer has served the community in various roles she began her career in the health care field was one of Canada’s first female obstetrician gynecologists in Canada and a major contributor to the feminist movement and for women’s rights she has taken an unpaid leave of absence while she campaigns The Green party’s Milani doesn’t buy the Liberal’s plan for the environment and said he thinks voters wanted a Green candidate back on the ballot While the polls may not favour a Green win Milani believes this is a chance to talk about climate change back and transitioning to clean energy an issue that seems to have taken a back seat to the housing and affordability crises and the tension with the U.S “I just wish that there were more candidates talking about bringing us closer to Europe and the nations that are similar to us and what is possible for our Canadian economy because right now we are really oil and gas dependent We’re really dependent on America,” he said “But there are other examples of countries with vast forests and oil and gas reserves that have taken care of their people first and have reinvested them the money earned into the greener economy.” He agreed with other candidates that housing supply is a big issue in the Tri-Cities and pointed to the Green party’s plan to build more government co-op housing After speaking with many women in her circle of friends Port Moody resident Krista Dennett felt like there was a lot of misunderstanding about what it means to vote Conservative So she hosted a women’s forum at a local wine bar to ask Lambert questions “Many women had questions about whether the party would take away women’s rights and it’s just not going to happen,” she said As a divorced mom of three and small business owner the cost of living has been her main issue in going blue She believes the party aligns “with the values of an entrepreneur and the risk that we take with small business.” Formerly known as the riding of Port Moody—Coquitlam—Port Coquitlam the new electoral district of Port Moody-Coquitlam has 85,819 registered voters out of a population of 115,367 from Port Moody and part of Coquitlam (the latter covers more than one electoral district.) As bears start to wake up and other wildlife peek out this spring Coquitlam Mounties are reminding residents to be alert and to lock up their garbage The detachment is advising homeowners and tenants to secure their trash and not to put out compost recycling or garbage bins until collection day RCMP is asking the public not to feed wild animals as they’ll become habituated and will return for more — placing danger in neighbourhoods coyotes and wolves) will face a fine of up to $575 under the B.C some residents on Coquitlam’s Burke Mountain gave watermelon and other food to an injured bear; the bruin was later destroyed “It’s always a treat to see a bear family wandering along a community tree line or a group of deer nibbling on your neighbour’s petunias,” said A/Sgt John Graham in a news release from the Coquitlam RCMP. “However getting too close to these majestic creatures can be dangerous for several reasons Please enjoy their presence from a safe and respectful distance.” Coquitlam’s manager of environmental education and enforcement said the city has already fielded several reports of bears this year According to B.C.'s Conservation Officer Service there have been 60 calls so far this year (no bears were dispatched or euthanized): The springtime is when female bears are teaching their cubs how and where to hunt for food; skunk cabbage is a favourite at this time of the year they’ll head for the trash or organics cans that are out for pickup “Bears have been seen across the city from north to south and are most common in neighbourhoods adjacent to natural areas including parks and ravines,” she told the Tri-City News “Bear activity is not confined to any day or time but in some cases may have been linked to garbage collection day.” To report an aggressive bear or a human–wildlife conflict, call B.C.’s Conservation Officer Service 24-hour hotline at 1-877-952-7277 Fans of South Korea's popular coffee chain TheVenti will be happy to know the brand is already growing its presence in Metro Vancouver with the addition of a second location TheVenti Coffee's new Coquitlam location is welcoming guests (in soft-opening mode) as of Friday Located at 2972 Glen Dr, TheVenti Coquitlam Centre is opening just weeks after the coffee spot made its international debut in Richmond TheVenti in Coquitlam features the brand's signature purple; the Canadian shops are designed to align with the cafés back in South Korea TheVenti Canada's general manager tells V.I.A While the chain's menu offers the traditional coffee and tea drinks like Americano, matcha latte it also has a "Canada-only menu" featuring a Maple Deep Latte, Harmony Chai Latte Customers will also find peach iced tea, yuzu apple blending tea TheVenti Coffee first opened in 2014 in Busan describing itself as a "value-focused" coffee chain The new Coquitlam TheVenti Coffee is now open daily from 8 a.m Construction Policy Coquitlam Cities Real Estate News British Columbia / Alberta FeaturedTrueCoquitlam City Hall When is the right time to advance the project Lately, many of those considerations have been pushed aside and developers are just locked in on getting their permits in place ahead of March 21, 2025, when protection for in-stream projects ends and projects become subjected to substantially higher rates for the development cost charges (DCCs) collected by the Metro Vancouver Regional District (MVRD) "Staff are seeing significant pressure on the Building Division from applicants to review and issue full Building Permits in advance of this deadline despite many applicants not intending to begin construction in the near-term given sluggish pre-sales," a recent City of Coquitlam staff report noted In the report, General Manager of Planning & Development Andrew Merrill made an official recommendation for Council to allow applicants to pay DCCs at either the excavation the collection of DCCs is required to take place when the building permit is issued many local governments take a staged approach to building permits issuing separate building permits for excavation and foundation work The Local Government Act does not account for this leaving it to the municipalities to determine the stage when DCCs are collected DCC payment is due just prior to the full building permit being issued — the final building permit stage This means that when there is a looming deadline such as the current one for DCC increases applicants who want to remain on the previous fee schedule — all applicants presumably — have to rush through those various stages Allowing DCC payment at any of the earlier building permit stages would thus reduce the deadline rush Merrill cited this as one of two reasons behind the aforementioned report saying that he wants the Building Division to be working on a "nice and constant pace rather than with these peaks and valleys." "Once we get to the end of the one-year grace period that's allowed for in-stream applications to be grandparented under the old fee structure [there's] a lot of pressure on the Building Division," Merrill said "It's really hard to manage workloads because it meant that the Building Division had these periods of intense work with lots of overtime trying to crank out permits so our customers can get the lower rates they thought they were gonna get The applicants hound staff with phone calls and emails What's the timeline?' That was causing a lot of angst among staff." Merrill says the Building Division consists of about 45 people split relatively evenly between the approvals team and the inspections team The approvals team is the one that is feeling the pressure from applicants as they are the ones that review the building drawings and issue the building permits he has brought staff in to work on Saturdays so they can work without having to answer phone calls or emails These rushes occur whenever there is this kind of deadline recalling that the City issued well over 1,000 units worth of permits ahead of a deadline last year many of which still have not broken ground the City has seen around a 200% increase in permit volume while the complexity of projects has simultaneously increased who has been with the City for nearly 17 years the permits were split relatively evenly between what is referred to as "Part 9" buildings under the BC Building Code — small low-density housing — and "Part 3" projects — the medium-density and high-density projects Various regulations have also gotten more complex meaning more work goes into reviewing applications The second reason he made the recommendation was to recognize the concerns of the development industry, who banded together last fall in a letter-writing campaign to the MVRD ahead of the DCC increases that came into effect on January 1 (Further increases are set for January 1 of 2026 and 2027.) We don't meet our housing targets if developers don't build." "Applicants definitely have to regularly rush projects through the system to have them hit stages to avoid regular fee increase or code changes," Brad Jones Chief Development Officer at Wesgroup Properties "I think this demonstrates how challenging the regulatory environment is where there are so many fee increases and policy changes that projects have to be rushed to try to stay in the regulatory environment that they were started in We regularly experience fee increases year over year that are significant and major code changes that have significant impacts of the design and cost of buildings The new housing sector operates in an environment where government changes fees and regulations so regularly that it destabilizes the environment in which we operate." In addition to the flexibility for DCC payments Merrill also recommended Council bring back the two-stage security payment plan that was introduced in early-2020 in light of the COVID-19 pandemic The City collects securities from developers to ensure they fulfill various development obligations developers could pay 25% upon final adoption and 85% upon building permit issuance — these kind of securities are usually valued at 110% of the estimated cost of the obligation — rather than 110% at once upon final adoption "Both of those are fairly easy for us to do but they help out both the [City] staffing side as well as the developer proforma side," said Merrill Coquitlam City Council supported and approved both changes which has brought immediate relief to the Building Division "We've had a flood of applicants now coming in to take advantage of that saying 'Don't worry about our full application we just want an excavation [permit] as this point and we'll pay DCCs early.' And a number of applicants also want to take advantage of the two-stage security — both ones that have already paid securities and want a bit of a refund Council also proposed an update to the City's own DCC program which is pending approval from the Province and includes an average increase of 3% — an inflationary increase the legislation the Province introduced to change DCCs and replace community amenity contributions (CACs) with newly-created amenity contribution charges (ACCs) The legislation redefined the kinds of amenities that can be funded by DCCs such as adding fire protection facilities and recycling facilities Many local governments (and developers) have been frustrated with Bill 16 but Coquitlam has been particularly vocal about it with members of Council regularly voicing displeasure — in direct comments or subtle jabs — during meetings The Province's intention was to get rid of CACs because they are usually negotiated by the City and the developer and the Province wanted to increase transparency and certainty the City of Coquitlam's frustrations are understandable as Coquitlam was one of the rare ones that used set rates for CACs "We felt that we had a very successful and transparent system under our existing DCCs and density bonus [programs]," said Merrill "All three used set rates that were published they could put them into their proformas early before they even bought land — unlike in other places like Burnaby or Vancouver where the CACs or density bonuses are a negotiated thing that can take years." The proposed increases to the City of Coquitlam's DCC rates (The Province hasn't even published the comprehensive guidance for local governments yet.) Merrill suggests there is a reasonable fix the Province can make "Part of the problem [is] the one-year grace period for in-stream applications is under the Local Government Act which is the majority of what Coquitlam builds and what the region builds 12 months is no longer a realistic timeframe for somebody to get their building permit Because these projects are so big and so complex I think the provincial legislation hasn't kept up with the change in development forms and timelines that projects take these days." As we said up top, you can forget location for the moment, right now it's all about timing, timing, timing. A Port Coquitlam teen is clinging to life after tumbling down the side of a mountain in a ski accident near the Cypress ski resort last weekend was out skiing with friends on Mount Strachan on Sunday when he tried to help a friend retrieve an errant ski slipped and fell down what rescue crews described as “a tremendous distance.” He eventually came to a stop Storey hasn’t regained consciousness and remains in intensive care “It’s all so heartbreaking,” said a family friend hit his head during the fall and had multiple injuries His injuries were so severe that he was airlifted directly from the mountain to Vancouver General Hospital A subsequent MRI scan showed evidence of a traumatic brain injury Carson will likely require lifelong support with fears of a new brain bleed overnight that prompted another CT scan “The family keeps being told by the medical professionals to prepare for the worst but are trying hard to be optimistic,” said Smith who organized an online fundraiser to help cover costs associated with Storey’s hospitalization and future rehabilitation Smith expressed gratitude to donors and everyone who has offered help and words of support “It really does mean the world to us all to know how many people care,” she said Storey’s accident was one of five involving slips and falls that North Shore Rescue responded to over the weekend It said sunshine and warm conditions in the city masked treacherous icy conditions in the mountains that caused people to slip and slide down steep terrain you rapidly pick up speed on the steep slick surface with the only way of stopping typically being impact with large immovable objects,” said the organization in a social-media post Storey was in the Christmas Gully area on the north and west aspects of Mount Strachan and slid down a slope for quite a distance tried to climb down to where Storey stopped Storey’s family and loved ones are devastated by the accident His older brother Kyle and girlfriend Diana have been a constant at Storey’s bedside She said Storey is a “kind and wonderful” kid who graduated from Riverside Secondary School last year He enjoys camping and concerts and several sports He is captain of the U-18 Port Coquitlam Pirates and coaches an U-13 team in Coquitlam Storey is young and strong with a zest for life “We all know stories of people who have made remarkable recoveries and survived horrific ordeals,” she said “The hockey community and people everywhere are praying hard that Carson will also be someone who can survive this nightmare and continue to be an inspiration for others.” chchan@postmedia.com Tri-City voters can hear about federal politics and policies at two all-candidates’ forums this month TROPICA will host an event featuring Port Moody–Coquitlam contenders at Old Orchard Hall (646 Bentley Rd. The meeting will be moderated by Robert Simons and refreshments will be served April 23 — after advance polling — the Tri-City candidates running for a House of Commons’ seat will speak at the Tri-Cities Chamber of Commerce gathering at the Evergreen Cultural Centre (1205 Pinetree Way There is no cost to attend and pre-registration is not required; doors open at 6:30 p.m Audience questions will be presented via the online platform Slido Here are the candidates confirmed by Elections Canada for the Tri-Cities’ three ridings (asterisk denotes incumbent): Coquitlam’s Lafarge Lake will be awash in purple on Monday The walking path surrounding the city’s iconic body of water will be lined with 1,500 little purple flags They’re a memorial to the lives impacted by and lost to British Columbia’s toxic drug crisis; each flag represents 10 deaths It’s also the ninth anniversary of the province’s declaration of a public health emergency on April 14 Since then an average of 4.9 deaths due to the toxicity of the illicit drug supply have occurred every day the estimated number of deaths from toxic drugs in Coquitlam this year is up 38 per cent over 2024 “This gathering offers a space for connection and understanding as we unite to address this crisis,” said Roxanne Saxon the program coordinator for the Tri-Cities Community Action Team that is organizing the flag display She said moving the display to the walking path around Lafarge Lake from its previous locations alongside busy roads like St Johns Street in Port Moody as well as the Barnet and Lougheed highways in Coquitlam and Port Coquitlam will make for “a more impactful experience.” Visitors will be able to write the names of loved ones lost to toxic drugs on the flags we can collaborate to mitigate its devastating impact,” Saxon said “Community engagement and understanding are essential for saving lives.” The Port Coquitlam woman lost her 24-year-old son, Reno to poisoned drugs in 2019 and organizes an annual cleanup of the city’s riverbanks in his honour you have to try to talk about it to try to save somebody’s life.” service providers will be available to share resources and space for visitors to connect and understand 📣 Got an opinion on this story or any others in the Tri-Cities? Send us a letter or email your thoughts or story tips to [email protected] Special shuttle running hourly in Port Coquitlam for Nowruz Bazaar this weekend BC – TransLink is encouraging customers to take transit to Persian New Year’s (Nowruz) celebrations in the Tri-Cities — including the Nowruz Bazaar at the Port Coquitlam Community Centre on March 15 and 16 and the Chaharshanbeh Suri fire festival at Coquitlam Town Centre Park on March 18 TransLink is proud to partner with the Tri-City Iranian Cultural Society to help support these events Nowruz Bazaar is the largest seasonal market for the Persian community in Canada March 16 at the Port Coquitlam Community Centre A special shuttle will run hourly between Coquitlam Central Station and the Port Coquitlam Community Centre on both days is a cultural celebration marking the eve of the last Wednesday in the Persian calendar year March 18 at Coquitlam Town Centre Park will feature live music and a variety of family-friendly activities The TransLink Community Outreach bus will be on-site with prizes and giveaways TransLink Service for Nowruz in the Tri-Cities: customers can call during operating hours and request assistance in their preferred language The man who was wanted earlier Tuesday has been arrested The RCMP thanked the media and public for their assistance Canada Day celebrations will likely have a big turnout Coquitlam council said this week as city staff start to form a long-term festival and events strategy Craig Hodge said if the weather on July 1 is good the municipality can expect to see more than 100,000 people flock to Town Centre Park for the city-run party to recognize the country’s birthday and to show patriotism in the wake of U.S President Donald Trump’s tariffs and threats of annexation “If you just look at what is happening in our country and our community people are wearing Canadian flags year-round now,” Hodge said at the April 8 strategic priorities standing committee “I just think of what’s taking place south of the border [shows] that people are coming together in Canada.” “This year is going to be extremely well-attended,” Coun Their comments about Canada Day came as Heidi Hughes Coquitlam’s manager of tourism and visitor economy spoke about the need to develop a festival and events roadmap as the population swells over the next decade The city will hire a consultant and form an internal working group to get a draft strategy before council next spring; however the framework will not include sports tourism as that component will be a different report the city sets aside about $580,000 for city-led festivals and events of which $450,000 comes from tax dollars and $130,000 is from sponsors council OK’d a $402,000 bump from casino revenues this year to boost Festival du Bois; Charshanbe Suri (fire festival); ScotFest BC: The BC Highland Games; BC Dumpling Fest; Caribbean Days Festival; and HollyDaze in the Heights The city also hosts about 35 small- to mid-sized community events in parks a year Hughes said festivals and events build connections and draw in visitors and the city recently hired a community events and partnership supervisor to work with the organizing nonprofits and find ways to share civic information “We have lots of opportunities […] to build on the successes that we have,” Hodge said Towner said attendance numbers may not always be the best to measure success when guests can spend two hours in a line up to get food Towner wants the new strategy to ensure that community-led events are financially sustainable and don’t rely on the city for cash hand-outs Dennis Marsden said he doesn’t want to over-program parks as they “are for our residents,” and called for improved traffic flows and access points Marsden also urged staff to step back from getting too involved in organizing asking the city to “turn it over to professionals” rather than taking the lead to pay for festivals and events in Coquitlam instead of taxpayers footing the bill Steve Kim also spoke about the lack of area hotels with out-of-towners staying overnight in Burnaby (Marcon and QuadReal are building a hotel on a former car dealership site at Lougheed and Barnet highways while TransLink submitted a pre-application last December for its parking lot at Coquitlam Central 3,400 residential units and combined hotel and office tower.) With Coquitlam being north of the Fraser River and having a SkyTrain line “We want to avoid Town Centre Park from being booked up every weekend,” he said “or we are going to be victims of our own success.” 📣 Got an opinion on this story or any others in the Tri-Cities? Send us a letter or email your thoughts or story tips to [email protected] 📲 Want to stay updated on Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, Port Moody, Anmore and Belcarra news? Sign up for our free daily newsletter. Residents in a Port Coquitlam subdivision below the Mary Hill Bypass are keeping a wary eye on the hillside above them after a landslide Sunday afternoon deposited mud debris and snapped trees close to several backyards the vice-president of The Quarry strata at the east end of Argue Street said her phone started “lighting up” between 1 and 2 p.m Sunday with calls from nervous neighbours after a section of the bluff gave way during heavy rains that fell through the weekend Ray said emergency services attended the scene as well as officials from the City of Port Coquitlam Ministry of Transportation and Transit and a geotechnical engineer A ministry spokesperson confirmed the slide occurred on its property, adding its maintenance contractor also attended and performed a coordinated assessment of the site with the city and its engineer “The ministry and its maintenance contractor is monitoring the area closely,” said the spokesperson Port Coquitlam's director of engineering and public works said there was actually two separate slides within 20 minutes of each other They affected an area about 50-60 metres wide and the debris field came within five metres of the back fence at one property He said the city's mobile emergency operations centre was activated to support its response "The city continues to monitor the situation closely and will provide further updates to the residents as they become available," said Frederick Ray said residents were reassured the risk of further landslide activity was “low to moderate,” adding “we’re not sure if more is still coming down city work crews were erecting screens along a culvert at the foot of the hillside to protect it from silt Ray said residents of the strata have always kept watch on the cliff “waiting for something to happen.” More rain is expected through the week 📣 Got an opinion on this story or any others in the Tri-Cities? Send us a letter or email your thoughts or story tips to [email protected] The City of Coquitlam is starting to upgrade a section of a major City Centre road where Metro Vancouver has put in a new water main The municipality recently awarded the construction work to Key-West Asphalt to finish the update along Pipeline Road — from Guildford Way to David Avenue — to improve road safety and accessibility; the city project will last about a year BC Hydro will also place new hydro poles on the western side of Pipeline Road while the city’s contractor will install new traffic poles at Trevor Wingrove Way and Gabriola Drive Metro Vancouver’s construction on Pipeline Road is expected to wrap up next year before it moves to its next phases Coquitlam has a dozen major active projects on the go by third-party utility agencies of which at least three are being led by Metro Vancouver: Metro Vancouver’s Stoney Creek Sewer Upgrade FortisBC has its Eagle Mountain Woodfibre Gas Pipeline project BC Hydro is upgrading its underground distribution lines on Mariner Way and Chilko Drive and TransLink is constructing its SkyTrain Operation and Maintenance Centre No (for the Broadway Subway Expansion Project) elected officials spoke about the clear and consistent messaging needed from the third-party agencies and the city to help commuters with the upcoming traffic tie-ups told council that officials with third-party agencies “understand our concerns with affecting major roadways” and have given city staff a chance to review the project materials and ensure their communications are aligned “It’s critically important that our public is made aware of what is going on,” Coun Steve Kim suggested that impacted businesses also be notified in advance of the work Metro Vancouver vowed that as their projects progress “staff and contractors will remain in close contact with the affected municipalities and regularly provide updates to residents and businesses through several channels “Community liaisons have been assigned to each project to address any questions or comments from residents. Members of the public can reach out to Metro Vancouver’s Info Centre at [email protected] or 604-432-6200.” 📣 Got an opinion on this story or any others in the Tri-Cities? Send us a letter or email your thoughts or story tips to [email protected] What federal roles have you held in the past four years how will you ensure you are available to constituents The Tri-City News will be closing no later than May 21 How will you and your party work to strengthen or change the Online News Act to ensure Canadians in communities of all sizes continue to have access to independent How are you and your party preparing for future pandemics How are you and your party implementing the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Calls to Action Municipalities are struggling with growth orders from senior levels of government How will you and your party address the needs for more/upgraded infrastructure How will you and your party improve income support for seniors and people with disabilities do you and your party support an increase in defence spending Canada's overdose epidemic is a national crisis What will you and your party do to ensure that harm reduction services and safer supply programs are more available 📣 Got an opinion on this story or any others in the Tri-Cities? Send us a letter or email your thoughts or story tips to [email protected] A 56-year-old Coquitlam man has been released on bail after being charged in connection with a Burnaby bank robbery and a series of crashes on Highway 1 Tuesday Burnaby RCMP responded to reports of a robbery at a bank in the 6700-block of Hastings Street just before noon but the suspect had fled the area before officers arrived As officers were in the early stages of the investigation an erratic driver matching the description of the bank robbery suspect was then allegedly involved in several collisions on Highway 1 eastbound between Gaglardi Way and Brunette Avenue "When the damaged vehicle came to a stop on the highway the driver reportedly abandoned the vehicle and ran across the highway towards a retaining wall surrounded by thick brush," stated the release Police said the suspect didn't comply with their commands and officers deployed "non-lethal rounds" in an attempt to take him into custody but the man continued to ignore their commands He was eventually arrested with help from a police dog and taken to hospital to be treated for "minor injuries," according to the release "This was a dynamic and dangerous situation on Highway 1 which had significant impacts on traffic through the afternoon," Burnaby RCMP Cpl Trevor Deucheff Kennedy has now been charged with robbery and failing to stop after an accident according to the Vancouver provincial court registry He was released following a bail hearing Wednesday he is not allowed to enter a financial institution without permission from his bail supervisor and he is banned from possessing weapons and from being in the driver’s seat of any motor vehicle His next court appearance is scheduled for April 16 A major piece in the revitalization of Port Coquitlam’s downtown will reopen next month And a party to celebrate the update of Leigh Square — a gathering space next to city hall — will be held on Friday to welcome the community to the modernized hub the square update is part of an $11.85-million revisioning of the civic centre that also includes changes to McAllister Avenue Donald Pathway and Veterans Park (in front of city hall) and follows the rebuild of the Port Coquitlam Community Centre that opened in late 2021 the new Leigh Square will include such features as: a playground will also be installed in the future the council liaison for downtown projects said the Leigh Square update will be an economic driver as the space will host special events and bring the community together “Leigh Square is now a true community hub designed to bring people together at all times,” added Mayor Brad West in the news release “This revitalized space has many new which will give residents more reasons to visit regularly Not only will Leigh Square be able to host more community events it also will be a great place to connect with our community any day of the week.” The money for the downtown transformation came from the federal and provincial governments As for the April 4 reopening of Leigh Square family-friendly fun in The Outlet at 7 p.m 📣 Got an opinion on this story or any others in the Tri-Cities? Send us a letter or email your thoughts or story tips to [email protected] Coquitlam city council will fire a letter off to the provincial government — with the mayor’s signature — to call for a three-year extension on housing reforms council unanimously approved the letter that proposes the deadline for the use of bonus density to continue until June 30 Density bonus is a planning tool that incentivizes developers to build at a higher density than permitted in exchange for money in order for the municipality to build local amenities like affordable housing Coquitlam’s general manger for planning and development the city currently has several in-stream applications that involve density bonuses as well as community amenity contributions (CAC) and the provision of rental or affordable housing that represent up to $500 million of revenue for community amenities and about 10,000 market rental and 2,000 below- and non-market rental units Merrill said Coquitlam needs more time to restructure its financial systems to transition to the province’s new amenity cost charges (ACC) program; the provincial deadline to change to the new funding framework is June 30 who moved the motion to send the council letter to Housing and Municipal Affairs Minister Ravi Kahlon said he’s heard from the development industry about the lack of certainty with the new housing mandates and financial programs available And he took aim at Kahlon for cutting the density bonus model and replacing it with ACC and density “benefits” despite Kahlon publicly acknowledging Coquitlam's system has worked well deadline to comply with the new regulations and policies to build homes faster is an “arbitrary date that was plucked from the sky” and poses major problems for developers building in phases or within Transit-Oriented Areas (TOA) — that is around transit stations and along corridors Coquitlam has 67 TOA bids impacted by the changes for minimum densities and heights while repeatedly noting the lack of clarity and guidance from housing ministry staff “Given the amount of work that goes into developing a complete project application shifting a project from one set of rules and expectations to another mid-term is neither reasonable nor fair,” he wrote “It is evident that the current deadline is not sufficient for most projects in the TOA to complete.” Mayor Richard Stewart said the growth has slowed because of the new rules “It’s important that we not pause,” Stewart said “The challenge is we are going to see less housing because the province wants it sped up.” ministry staff told the Tri-City News they’re now reviewing the timeline for B.C municipalities to implement the changes to the density bonus system and we will take their feedback into consideration We are committed to working with local governments throughout the province to implement these changes and create more upfront planning processes to build homes for people faster.” the province will bring forward a regulation to set the date that all existing density bonus bylaws must comply with the new legislative requirements.” The City of Burnaby adopted its ACC bylaw last July 📣 Got an opinion on this story or any others in the Tri-Cities? Send us a letter or email your thoughts or story tips to [email protected] Coquitlam’s first community kitchen will help local struggling families put nutritious low-cost food on their dinner tables and in their refrigerators It will also help the city move closer toward becoming a zero food waste community the Food Link Society officially opened the kitchen facility at 107-17 Fawcett Rd that will allow volunteers and professional staff to transform imperfect vegetables and fruit as well as other staples nearing their best before date appetizers and snacks to be distributed to families in need along with other items recovered from local grocery stores said the kitchen is the next logical evolution of the society’s mission to help ease some of the challenges faced by many immigrants struggling to find their feet in a new country while also reducing the amount of perfectly edible food that finds its way into landfills because the yogurt on the grocery store shelf is a day out from its best before date or a bunch of apples may have some bruises It’s a goal borne from the personal experience of five immigrants themselves who met in an English class and decided to join forces eight years ago to help make a difference in their new environs Food Link’s efforts have expanded to 11 communities and 29 distribution points across the Lower Mainland its 420 volunteers rescued a million kilograms of food and prevented 2.5 million kilograms of carbon emissions from food items ending up in landfills Cassie Neigum has seen some of those benefits play out first hand The Coquitlam middle school where she teaches — and asked not to be named — has expanded its number of families who receive assistance from the Food Link program from 32 to 52 in just the past year Neigum said ensuring parents have the means to provide their families with nutritious meals pays off in the classroom “You can’t teach kids if they’re hungry,” she said “Kids can’t learn in class if they’re concerned about where their next meal is coming from.” like the threat of a trade war with the United States leading to higher prices for many foods and other items almost certainly means more families will soon be struggling Intercepting and repurposing or distributing food grocery stores no longer want to sell before it hits the dumpster can be part of the solution “Food waste happens in such a huge scale,” Bjelac said “It’s a good place to begin.” said Canada has a bit of a reputation for wasting perfectly edible food because it doesn’t meet aesthetic standards “We have to embrace this idea that we can be a zero food waste community,” Stewart said “It can make a real difference.” who is on Food Link’s board of directors said the new kitchen will also allow him to conduct workshops for local immigrant families on low-cost meal preparation using rescued ingredients “Making nutritious food at a low cost is important,” said Soofi who recently retired from his longtime restaurant “You just have to know how to cook it properly.” 📣 Got an opinion on this story or any others in the Tri-Cities? Send us a letter or email your thoughts or story tips to [email protected] The City of Port Coquitlam will get $10.3 million from the federal government to speed up home building in the fast-growing municipality Coquitlam-Port Coquitlam MP Ron McKinnon announced the money for Port Coquitlam which comes a year after the City of Coquitlam received $25 million from the Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF) program and five months after PoCo Mayor Brad West along with the mayors of Maple Ridge and Langley Township openly criticized the senior government for bypassing their cities At Tuesday’s press conference in front of PoCo City Hall West made a point of thanking McKinnon for working with civic staff to get the HAF cash that will be used to help accelerate 287 new homes — many of them affordable “We are not just building housing units we are building a community,” said McKinnon who told the Tri-City News the city now has 25 per cent of the money with the remainder to be doled out “over the next several years.” The Liberal MP said the city and federal government have a contract for the funding that will be in place “no matter who is in government.” sent a letter to Coquitlam Mayor Richard Stewart warning about the possible loss of its HAF funding as Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has indicated he would cut the program if his party formed government) McKinnon said the HAF money is aimed at getting more shovels in the ground as Canada struggles with an affordable housing crisis the money will be used to help update civic development policies after the provincial government implemented the Homes for People Housing Action Plan in November 2023 Port Coquitlam has been given a housing target by the province to increase its housing stock; PoCo’s order is a five-year goal to have 2,279 new homes up by July 31 At this afternoon's committee meeting at PoCo City Hall council is expected to review the six-month progress report that will be sent to B.C.’s Housing Ministry The net increase has been “modest,” wrote Bruce Irvine “There is a substantial number of units anticipated to be approved constructed and/or delivered in the coming year,” the report reads the city has initiated or completed a number of actions that are intended to help increase the supply of new housing units in the community.” Here’s the city's annual breakdown to meet its housing target: McKinnon said the aim of the HAF is to fund initiatives that will cut the red tape around home building like allowing parking reductions pre-approved designs and pre-zoning areas with potential for more residential density This includes locations around public transit stations and post-secondary institutions the federal government hopes its $4.4-billion HAF will fast-track 112,000 new homes across the country to meet demand 📣 Got an opinion on this story or any others in the Tri-Cities? Send us a letter or email your thoughts or story tips to [email protected] The Tri-City News will be closing no later than May 21 How will you and your party work to strengthen or change the Online News Act to ensure Canadians in communities of all sizes continue to have access to independent How are you and your party preparing for future pandemics How are you and your party implementing the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Calls to Action do you and your party support an increase in defense spending 📣 Got an opinion on this story or any others in the Tri-Cities? Send us a letter or email your thoughts or story tips to [email protected] Climate Action & Clean Energy Investments Middle-Class Tax Cut & Affordability for All 📣 Got an opinion on this story or any others in the Tri-Cities? Send us a letter or email your thoughts or story tips to [email protected] Five occupants of a Coquitlam home escaped unharmed when it caught fire Thursday night Coquitlam Fire and Rescue deputy chief Chris Fox said the upper levels and attic space of the three-level home in the 1800-block of Lemax Avenue was engulfed in flames and heavy smoke when crews arrived at around 9:30 p.m Fox said firefighters began working inside to knock the fire down but had to withdraw because of a risk the home’s roof could collapse He said it took 23 firefighters and one chief officer until 3 a.m before the blaze was extinguished and salvage and overhaul operations were completed Fox said the occupants were home when they smelled smoked and called 911 He said they immediately evacuated and had a place to spend the night Fox said the cause of the fire is still undetermined but investigators were on site Friday morning 📣 Got an opinion on this story or any others in the Tri-Cities? Send us a letter or email your thoughts or story tips to [email protected] For the first time in 10 games this BC Hockey League season between the Coquitlam Express and Victoria Grizzlies it happened at the Poirier Sport and Leisure Complex The Grizzlies defeated the Express 5-1 Sunday to win their best-of-seven opening round playoff series four games to two After a scoreless first period in which both teams fired 14 shots Victoria took control with a pair of goals by Chase Pirtle and another by Reagan Hiscock The visitors also outshot the Express 23-8 Thomas Molson extended the Grizzlies’ lead to 4-0 seven minutes into the third period before the home team finally answered when Carson McGinley scored on a power play at 8:33 A desperate attempt by Coquitlam coach Jeff Wagner to get his team back into the game by pulling Express goalie Andrew Ness for an extra attacker with more than six minutes left in regulation time failed to pay dividends when Tobias Pitka made it 5-1 by firing the puck into the empty net at 15:12 while Coquitlam fired 37 shots at Victoria goalie Oliver Auyeung-Ashton The Express were missing several key players because of injury including the team’s leading scorer in the regular season The Grizzlies now await the winner of the series between the Chilliwack Chiefs and Prince George Spruce Kings which only squeaked into the post-season on the last day of the regular season forced a game seven in Chilliwack Tuesday night when it defeated the Chiefs 2-0 Sunday in Prince George to tie their series 📣 Got an opinion on this story or any others in the Tri-Cities? Send us a letter or email your thoughts or story tips to [email protected] A familiar face is running for the federal Liberal party in the riding of Port Moody–Coquitlam in the upcoming federal election Former Port Moody councillor Zoe Royer secured the party’s nomination last Friday Royer is a Port Moody trustee for School District 43 (SD43) but is taking an unpaid leave of absence until the results are finalized Royer told the Tri-City News this afternoon that she would not trigger a school byelection and would continue with the unpaid leave The last school byelection was held in February 2025 in Coquitlam and gained a 1.15 per cent voter turnout A post shared by Zoe Royer (@zoeroyer) Royer was first elected to Port Moody council in 2011 where she was a vocal supporter of the city’s arts community But she chose not to seek re-election in the 2022 municipal vote. Royer ran for a seat on Coquitlam council as well as school board trustee Royer is not entirely new to the federal political scene She previously ran as the NDP candidate in the old riding of Port Moody–Westwood–Port Coquitlam in the 2008 general election She finished second behind Conservative James Moore Port Moody–Coquitlam is currently represented by NDP incumbent Bonita Zarrillo who was first elected to the House of Commons in 2021 Paul Lambert is running for the federal Conservative party Vladimir Dedovic is the candidate for the People’s Party of Canada and Nash Milani who recently failed in his attempt to be elected as a Coquitlam SD43 trustee in a byelection held Feb NDP MP Peter Julian opened his campaign office in the riding of New Westminster–Burnaby–Mallardville last Saturday at 518 Agnes St. 📣 Got an opinion on this story or any others in the Tri-Cities? Send us a letter or email your thoughts or story tips to [email protected] says incidents like this will not be tolerated in the community "This brazen daytime shooting is concerning,” he says Coquitlam RCMP responded to multiple 911 calls around 9:10 a.m for a shooting and found an adult suffering gunshot wounds The individual was transported to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries A crash occurred near the shooting and police say no significant injuries were sustained "Police believe this is a targeted incident and that there is no ongoing risk to the public,” says a spokesperson with Coquitlam RCMP A vehicle fire in Burnaby was discovered a short time after the shooting Investigators are working closely to determine if the two incidents are connected Police will remain in the area during the initial stages of the investigation “We take these reckless acts of violence seriously and we are committed to bringing those responsible before the courts to be held accountable so our communities we serve remain safe,” says Carr Anyone with dash-camera footage between 7:30 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. on Feb. 10 is asked to contact Coquitlam RCMP at 604-945-1550 on Monday in the area of Lea Avenue and Lea Place. BC Emergency Health Services (BCEHS) confirmed paramedics were called to the scene at 9:12 a.m and transported one person to the hospital in stable condition BCEHS responded to a nearby motor vehicle incident in the 600-block of Lea Place and transported a second person to the hospital It's not clear what their injuries are or the extent of them Coquitlam RCMP requested the public avoid the area near Lea Avenue and Dogwood Street in the Burquitlam neighbourhood due to the "unfolding incident." and a torched vehicle was found 6.6 kilometres away off Aubrey Street in Burnaby according to video obtained by the Tri-City News. The Tri-City News contacted Coquitlam RCMP and was informed at 11:42 a.m 📣 Got an opinion on this story or any others in the Tri-Cities? Send us a letter or email your thoughts or story tips to [email protected] 📲 Want to stay updated on Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, Port Moody, Anmore and Belcarra news? Sign up for our free daily newsletter. A new interactive digital gaming facility in Coquitlam puts you in the game Winnipeg-based Activate Games has opened its first British Columbia location at 108-1090 Lougheed Hwy gaming centre features 10 game rooms equipped with lasers as well as light walls and floors The rooms allow players aged six and older to be fully immersed in the challenges as they jump climb and solve problems through various adventures Each game lasts one to three minutes and players can track their progress with an electronic wristband as they accumulate points and work their way up through difficulty levels giving you the ability to create a custom action-packed pursuit,” said a statement on the company’s website Activate already operates nearly 40 locations worldwide Dubai, and at the O2 complex in London There’s also gaming centres in Alberta Nova Scotia and several in the Toronto area A post shared by Activate UK (@activategames.uk) “We’re beyond excited to see Coquitlam dive into this one-of-a-kind high-octane experience,” said Activate CEO Adam Schmidt in a news release “This is more than gaming — it’s an electrifying fusion of advanced technology and physical adventure designed to create unforgettable moments for families Activate’s Coquitlam location opened Jan 17 but players will be able to try it for free from Jan 📣 Got an opinion on this story or any others in the Tri-Cities? Send us a letter or email your thoughts or story tips to [email protected] A sister restaurant to the Cactus Club is expected to open close to its Coquitlam Centre mall eatery city council will consider a development permit proposal from Morguard Investments — the manager of the Barnet Highway mall — to build a new restaurant for King Taps the site west of the Cactus Club restaurant is used for mall parking the city cancelled the Coquitlam Centre master plan in July 2024 “due to lack of response and activity by the applicant.” Morguard is proposing a restaurant plus a seasonal outdoor patio an enclosed four-season patio and customer parking The seasonal patio will have a retractable roof over a BC Hydro right-of-way and, as a result Morguard is seeking a variance from council to increase the building height by four feet to accommodate the power path A sign about the planned restaurant went up last November but Jarvie said the city didn’t get any public feedback the project will bring in $89,000 in development cost charges and $211 for the transportation-demand monitoring fund for the city Known for its rotating beer taps and pizza one in Kelowna and two more opening in Langley’s Willoughbrook neighbourhood and at the Longsdale Quay in North Vancouver the Fuller family bought full control of the Cactus Club chain from Richard Jaffray; the family also owns Earls and Joey restaurants A request for comment from the Cactus Club was not immediately returned while Morguard declined to comment on the restaurant plans The Cactus Club restaurant at Coquitlam Centre opened in January 2023 with a 335-seat dining room and lounge 📣 Got an opinion on this story or any others in the Tri-Cities? Send us a letter or email your thoughts or story tips to [email protected] Bids to build 86 more homes in two Coquitlam neighbourhoods already busy with construction are before city council tonight second and third readings to rezone properties at 831 Edgar Ave. west of Blue Mountain Street and south of Stewart Avenue plans to change the site owned by Maziar Kompaanizare and Lamme Zarei for a nine-unit multiplex over three buildings the plan could be impacted by upcoming zoning updates made to city policies in response to the provincial government’s new housing rules Coquitlam’s director of development services the development would generate for the city: Everglade Development wants to build 77 townhouses in five buildings over a parkade along Thompson Avenue in the booming Oakdale neighbourhood; the lots are owned by a shell company Because the site is within Tier 3 of the Burquitlam Transit-Oriented Area the project could go as high as eight storeys — without any residential parking — under the province’s new rules But Everglade has given a letter stating it wants to build under the city’s current policies for a three-level development that will also include 102 new trees plus sculptural gardens The city council meeting starts at 7 p.m. at Coquitlam City Hall (3000 Guildford Way). To tune in online, visit the city website and click on View Event 📣 Got an opinion on this story or any others in the Tri-Cities? Send us a letter or email your thoughts or story tips to [email protected] A popular Vancouver institution beloved for its sweet confections is coming to Coquitlam which has been satisfying sweet cravings and sticking fingers at Granville Island since 1979 is opening a special pop-up shop at Coquitlam Centre on March 1 The venture will operate near the food court until Aug all the shop’s signature favourites like honey dip “Our team is excited to serve our beloved flavours and create new memories with our customers,” said a statement And if the prospect of a Saturday morning sugar rush isn’t enticing enough anyone who purchases a half dozen donuts on opening day will get a seventh donut for free The pop-up shop will operate the same as the mall’s opening hours Along with the original shop in the public market at Granville Island that was started by Allan and Betty-Ann Lee Lee’s Donuts has several other locations around Vancouver 📣 Got an opinion on this story or any others in the Tri-Cities? Send us a letter or email your thoughts or story tips to [email protected] Just in time to make room for the paperwork required for this tax season Rotary Club of Coquitlam is holding its annual fundraising shred-a-thon on March 29 The drive-thru event at the Canadian Tire parking lot on Lougheed Highway and King Edward is by donation with the money going to support Rotary’s local projects Those include weekly Starfish food hampers bursaries for high school students as well as SHARE Family and Community Services All documents are shredded securely on site Coquitlam Rotary launched its shredding efforts in 2021 after many of its usual community events like whisky tasting and beer festivals had been curtailed by the COVID-19 pandemic Rotary’s Steve Niven said while the shredding company reports the volume of paper it shreds continues to decline slightly every year as more and more financial and business transactions are done online last year’s event still filled one-and-a-half trucks Donations can be made by cash or credit card 📣 Got an opinion on this story or any others in the Tri-Cities? Send us a letter or email your thoughts or story tips to [email protected] Coquitlam is checking off boxes to fast-track home construction the city’s council-in-committee OK’d a progress report from civic staff outlining how they’re speeding up partnerships with non-profit groups to get non-market housing up The changes come after Coquitlam–Port Coquitlam MP Ron McKinnon announced $25 million to the municipality last year through the Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF); another $2.4 million was added last month Coquitlam’s director of urban planning and design told the committee the non-market component is one of eight HAF pieces that Coquitlam needs to complete for Ottawa And the new model for non-market housing on city lands will follow its S.U.C.C.E.S.S with the help of the city to pre-zone and relax parking restrictions early clinched money under BC Housing’s Community Housing Fund to get their projects going The new guide for non-profit housing partnerships is expected to cut wait times by about 32 per cent — from concept to the project award stage Coquitlam’s general manager of planning and development the city is in the middle of creating a Priority Application Review Policy for non-profits to cut costs and time and to attract more affordable housing proposals (priority projects are defined as those where all of the residential component is owned/operated by a non-profit housing provider like Robert Nicklin Place at 3011 Ozada Dr. and Hoy Creek Zones 1 and 2 at 2905 and 2901 Glen Dr.) City hall plans to boost its staff support to help non-profits with their bids and to waive fees for inquiry meetings said he’s happy to see the S.U.C.C.E.S.S Dennis Marsden raised concern some projects — on city or privately owned lands — that have rental and non-market units in the same building may not qualify for senior government money The HAF is a federal program for municipalities that’s designed to ease the housing crisis across Canada the City of Port Coquitlam also received $10.3 million from McKinnon Brent Asmundson was not at Monday’s committee meeting 📣 Got an opinion on this story or any others in the Tri-Cities? Send us a letter or email your thoughts or story tips to [email protected] the leader of Canada’s Conservative Party made an election stop at a Coquitlam business today Pierre Poilievre surrounded himself with unionized workers at Apollo Sheet Metal as well as a diverse group of supporters and three area Tory candidates to outline his plans should he be voted in as prime minister on April 28 President Donald Trump for imposing tariffs on Canadian goods and threatening to annex Canada he focused on the newly sworn-in Liberal Prime Minister Mark Carney for moving his assets off-shore and failing to disclose his investments publicly after criticizing the two politicians and their parties’ economic policies he touted a Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA) top-up that he says will “bring home investment” to put Canada first Poilievre said a Conservative government will “reward patriotic Canadians” who invest in Canada by increasing the TFSA limit by an extra $5,000 a year the election plank was overshadowed by Poilievre’s rhetoric about Trump and Carney — both of whom he claims are threats to the Canadian way of life ‘Knock it off,’” Poilievre said “Stop attacking America’s friends Start trading so that we can once again become richer stronger and more secure on both sides of the border.” “We will never be the 51st state but we can be friends with the United States if the president reverses course on these disastrous tariff threats.” Poilievre warned if Trump continues to go further with tariffs “but we will fight back and we will build back Canada will be completely rebuilt” by not being economically reliant on the U.S “The world needs our resources and our expertise don’t want them then the rest of the world does.” he questioned if Canadians want a fourth Liberal mandate and a leader who moves money outside of the country to “avoid paying tax.” “Carney claims that it’s just because he knows how the world works What he knows is how to work the world’s system against our people here in Canada taxes are something that the little people have to worry about while globalist elites like him can always escape the bill.” Asked by the Tri-City News about municipal pressures to pay for new infrastructure as a result of growth imposed by the B.C Poilievre commented on the amount of red tape to get projects done municipalities are swimming in bureaucracy to get major projects approved,” he responded “I will incentivize municipalities to speed up permits free up land and cut development charges to build 15 per cent more per year and their federal infrastructure allotment will go up the more federal transfers they will get.” 📣 Got an opinion on this story or any others in the Tri-Cities? Send us a letter or email your thoughts or story tips to [email protected] A property owner in northern Port Coquitlam wants to split their lot in two which came before the city’s committee of council on March 11 and will advance to council next month the existing house will be demolished for the two new homes that will have vehicular access from the back lane in the largely single-family home neighbourhood Located on the southern side of Jensen Avenue between York and Wellington streets the property is designated in the Official Community Plan (OCP) as Small Lot Residential The requested rezoning for RS4 is part of the province’s new Small-Scale Multi-Unit Housing legislation Two trees will be removed for the development as the bid is compliant with the city’s OCP there will be no public hearing as per the provincial government’s new housing mandates PoCo’s committee also forwarded to council a one-year extension proposal to rezone 4070 Sefton St. The delay will allow the applicant more time to satisfy the rezoning conditions 📣 Got an opinion on this story or any others in the Tri-Cities? Send us a letter or email your thoughts or story tips to [email protected] 📲 Want to stay updated on Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, Port Moody, Anmore and Belcarra news? Sign up for our free daily newsletter. Some top U18 hockey players will be in Coquitlam beginning Sunday to play for the provincial Tier 1 championship The tournament features eight teams from every corner of British Columbia Coquitlam Minor Hockey will be represented by its A1 Comets team The host Comets finished tenth in its flight in the Pacific Coast Amateur Hockey Association regular season standings winning five of 22 games and tying two others Games begin March 16 at 10 a.m The gold medal game will be played at 8 p.m All games are at the Poirier Sport and Leisure Complex the U15 Comets will be in Kamloops to play for the Tier 1 provincial championship in its age bracket That tournament also runs from March 16-19 with all games at the McArthur Island Sport and Event Centre 📣 Got an opinion on this story or any others in the Tri-Cities? Send us a letter or email your thoughts or story tips to [email protected]