Latest news with #PortCoquitlam
CBC
a day ago
- CBC
Inmate charged with 1st-degree murder in death of serial killer Robert Pickton
A federal inmate has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of serial killer Robert Pickton last year. Martin Charest, 52, was charged on July 3 for allegedly attacking Pickton at Quebec's Port-Cartier maximum security prison. Pickton died in hospital on May 31, 2024, 12 days after he was assaulted, but no charges were laid at the time. An investigation report released earlier this month revealed Pickton was assaulted by a fellow inmate who broke a broom handle and thrust it into his face, and a separate report by an independent observer named Charest as the suspect. Pickton was convicted in 2007 on six counts of second-degree murder but was suspected of killing dozens more women at his pig farm in Port Coquitlam, B.C. Charest will appear in court on Thursday.
CBC
4 days ago
- Business
- CBC
Proposed affordable rental building in Port Coquitlam sees delays over parking
A proposed affordable-rental building for people living with disabilities in Port Coquitlam is sitting at a standstill. As our Michelle Morton reports, B.C. Housing and the city can't agree on the project's terms, largely because of parking.
CTV News
5 days ago
- Business
- CTV News
Port Coquitlam sends affordable housing project back to drawing board over parking and operator concerns
Port Coquitlam city council says it's in need of more information before approving an affordable housing project for people in need of mental health supports. The 74-unit project is owned by BC Housing and operated by New View Society, and is slated to be built at 2365 and 2371 Kelly Ave. At a recent council meeting, councillors pointed to the number of parking spaces at the building, and if the building's usage were to change in the future, how that would impact the site's parking. Proposal sent to committee Coun. Glenn Pollock said he lives near the site, and that parking is already an issue in the neighbourhood. He added that typically, a building with 74 units would require the same number of parking stalls. Pollock said by the project not providing the maximum number of stalls, the parking variance would amount to about $2.5 million. Council ultimately voted to send the report back to a committee meeting. 'We didn't turn down the application,' he said. 'It's going to move forward, I'm sure. It's just we need to hear from BC Housing whether they'll grant New View a longer operating contract, or if they'll add a bit of extra parking to allay those fears of future uses.' 'Disappointing' Chantelle Burga, the executive director of New View Society, said the project has been in the works since 2021. 'We're four years in and we haven't broken ground, which is really disappointing,' she said. Burga said the site is proposing 18 parking stalls comprised of resident, guest and staff parking. She added that most of New View's clients don't own vehicles. 'It's expensive to drive, and people are living on a limited income,' she said. Burga said the organization was hoping to break ground on the project in the fall. She said this decision could put the project four to six months behind. 'This decision from city council is really unfortunate and disappointing, because at the end of the day, it doesn't impact you or I, or even them,' she said. 'The people that really are impacted are the people that need the housing, that are struggling with housing instability, and that instability is impacting their mental health.' Province weighs in Ravi Kahlon, B.C.'s Minister of Housing and Municipal Affairs, said he was also disappointed with city council. 'I would prefer them to just say no if they're not interested in affordable housing, instead of using parking and other different rules to try to delay and increase the cost of this project,' he said. Kahlon added he hopes Port Coquitlam's mayor and council will approve the project. 'If communities want to ensure that there's no more encampments, that people are not struggling, the best way to do it is to have more affordable housing so we can catch people before they find themselves vulnerable,' he said. Coun. Pollock said he disagreed with Kahlon, pointing to a number of affordable projects the city is building, such as one on Kingsway Avenue and another at Welcher Avenue. 'I think we're hitting above our weight as far as affordable housing is concerned,' he said. Signs posted On Wednesday, signs asking people to contact the city and province about the site had been posted around the development. The signs made claims that people 'involved with criminal justice systems' would be living at the Kelly Avenue Housing Project. Coun. Pollock dispelled some of the misinformation in the letter, calling those claims 'entirely untrue.'
CBC
5 days ago
- Business
- CBC
Affordable rental project in Port Coquitlam, B.C., on hold as city council raises concerns
New B.C. housing minister is 'disappointed but not surprised' with delay Image | B.C. Housing development in Port Coquitlam Caption: A B.C. Housing development in Port Coquitlam has been put on pause after the mayor and city council had concerns with parking and the length of leasing terms. (Submitted by New View Society) Plans for a new affordable apartment building reserved for people with mental illness have been paused after Port Coquitlam's mayor and city council raised concerns about the number of parking spaces at the development and the length of leasing terms. The proposed B.C. Housing development at 2365 and 2371 Kelly Avenue includes 74 rental units with 18 parking spaces. Port Coquitlam Mayor Brad West said the lack of parking spaces in the proposal conflicts with local bylaws, which state one parking space must be allocated per rental unit. B.C. Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon said he's "disappointed but not surprised" with the development being held up while West said that if B.C. Housing could offer longer leasing terms, city council would likely support the project. West said the province has asked the city to waive the parking in-lieu fee, which allows developers to pay the city instead of providing the required number of off-street parking spaces. In this case it amounts to about $2.5 million. "You're asking to be forgiven a $2.5 million payment to the city," West said. "The least you can do is provide housing security for those people for a much longer term, you know, something like 20 years or 30 years." Image | Brad West Caption: Port Coquitlam Mayor Brad West said the proposed agreement guarantees people housing for five years. He said he would like to see a longer term in the range of 20 to 30 years. (Martin Diotte/Radio-Canada) Open Image in New Tab The proposed agreement guarantees people housing for five years, an improvement from the original three years proposed by B.C. Housing, West said. Still, he says that five years is not long enough. B.C. HousingHub program touting 'affordable rentals' under fire At a Port Coquitlam city council meeting on June 24, the housing proposal was sent back to B.C. Housing with a request for more information on parking and what the long-term plans are if the building sees a new operator. Housing minister disappointed B.C. Housing has partnered with New View Society, a charity in Port Coquitlam, to be the operator at the site. Chantelle Burga, executive director of New View Society, said the operating agreement between the society and B.C. Housing is five years to ensure that proper maintenance is being done and that the building is being used to full capacity. She said parking is less needed at the site because people who are low income tend to take public transit, cycle, or find other means of transportation. "The residents that would be living here would be individuals who reside within the Tri-Cities who are living with a mental illness and often are on limited income," she said. "Due to that limited income, they often don't drive and they will utilize local transit that might be available to them." Kahlon said he hopes city council will reconsider and support the project. "If the community doesn't want it, I would rather them just say no," he said. "There are a lot of communities that do want affordable housing and we are happy to move the resources there."
CTV News
09-07-2025
- CTV News
Aggravated assault charges laid after 3-year investigation into Port Coquitlam stabbing
Central Elementary School in Port Coquitlam is seen in this file photo. (CTV News) Two people have been charged with weapons offences more than three years after a stabbing near a Port Coquitlam elementary school. Shane Aston Gero and a youth – who cannot be named because the Youth Criminal Justice Act protects the minor's identity – are each facing three charges stemming from a stabbing that occurred around 1 a.m. on June 4, 2022 near Central Elementary School, Coquitlam RCMP said in a news release Friday. Gero and the youth are each charged with aggravated assault, assault with a weapon and possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, police said. Both of the accused are Port Coquitlam residents, according to police, who said Gero is now 23 years old, meaning he would have been 20, at the oldest, at the time of the stabbing. CTV News reached out to police to inquire whether the youth – whose gender police did not specify – is currently under 18 or is considered a youth because the offence they're accused of committing occurred when they were under that age. A spokesperson declined to answer the question, claiming that commenting on the youth's 'current age status' could help reveal their identity. At the time of the incident, police said the victim had been stabbed by a 'group of unknown assailants' in an 'isolated incident' that did not appear to be connected to the school or any of its students, despite occurring on school grounds. The charges against Gero and the youth were laid on June 25, and police arrested both suspects on July 2, according to Coquitlam RCMP. Gero remained in custody as of Wednesday, while the youth has been released with 'various court-imposed conditions,' police said. Coquitlam RCMP Acting Sgt. John Graham said the charges were the result of 'a complex and thorough investigation.' 'Members of the Coquitlam RCMP work proactively every day to help ensure our communities and neighborhoods are free of violence, but when such incidents do occur we work tirelessly to bring those responsible to our courts,' Graham said in the release. 'The result of this protracted investigation is a testament to the dedicated operational and investigative police efforts of our team.' Online court records indicate Gero is scheduled to make his next appearance on July 14 in Port Coquitlam provincial court.
