Local news roundup: Week of February 23

Donations for fire victims, new Kinder Morgan drill site

By Angela Espinoza, News Editor

Coquitlam

Victims of the February 16 fire that destroyed a four-storey apartment complex have received an outpouring of donations from the public.

Roughly 100 people have been left homeless since the complex burnt down. CBC reported that some of the tenants did not have insurance, while all victims of the incident are able to benefit from aid from the public. CBC also wrote that “more than 40,000 pounds” of basic need items such as food, clothes, and shoes had been donated thus far.

“Just the sheer magnitude of this is incredible,” said Coquitlam Fire Victims volunteer Dennis Marsden to CBC.

Donations are still being taken by Eagle Ridge United Church and under the name “Coquitlam Fire Victims” at Coast Capital Savings.

High-risk sex offender John Sebela plead guilty to charges of sexual assault on February 26.

According to the Now, the assault took place on November 24, 2014 when Sebela confronted a teenaged girl at the Lougheed Town Centre bus loop. Sebela harassed the girl at the bus loop before boarding a bus with her, where he proceeded to sexually assault her.

The Now writes that Sebela “has been in custody since this arrest,” and will be sentenced on March 25. Sebela has a long history of crimes related and unrelated to sexual assault, and according to the Vancouver Sun, is considered “likely to hurt or kill.”

New Westminster

A Kinder Morgan drilling site located between Coquitlam and New Westminster has garnered the attention of protestors in the past week.

The drilling site is a continuation of the earlier Burnaby Mountain survey as crews continue to seek potential areas for the Trans Mountain pipeline in the Lower Mainland. The current site is located on Highway 1 near Brunette River.

Sapperton Fish and Game Club member Elmer Rudolph told TriCity News, “There should be special care taken in building that section of the route,” as the area of drilling near a river could be dangerous to the environment and crews.

Drilling sites will continue occurring throughout BC as locations for the pipeline are being determined.

New Westminster is amongst several BC cities that are being considered for this year’s 55+ BC Games.

The games serve as a seniors’ multi-sport event that provides an opportunity for older athletes to perform and compete against each other. While New West has yet to formally apply, the New West Record wrote that the city’s Parks, Culture, and Recreation board will discuss the possibility of hosting the games.

Were New West to apply and receive approval, the city would host the games from now until 2019.