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Court staff ‘insufficient for case demands

Inadequate legal-aid funding leads people to represent themselves

m= By NATALIA BUENDIA CALVILLO

? “4he Richmond provincial family and youth court is not meeting the demands

of the city’s legal cases and an in-

creasing number of people with no legal training are representing themselves.

Those were some of the findings of the Richmond family and youth court committee, whose chairper- son Heather McDonald told city council Feb. 26 that more pressure needs to be put on the provincial and federal governments to address the concerns.

“We've known of a growing number of backlogged cases and unreasonable delays in the provin- cial justice system in the Richmond provincial court,” McDonald said. “In our view, the numbers of family court judges, family court counsel- ors, registry staff, and duty counsel appear to be wholly insufficient to meet the demands of a number of cases before the courts in Rich- mond.”

“Many people...do | not have the vaguest idea of how the

court functions” — GARY W.D. ABRAMS, LAWYER

Lawyer Gary W.D. Abrams, an advisor to the committee, wants to see the courts run more efficiently.

He said people forced to repre- sent themselves are doing so be- cause of insufficient legal aid. The lack of aid also affects people expe- riencing family problems and fac- ing criminal charges, he said, noting non-English speakers are also at a disadvantage.

“We have a large number in Richmond that do not have a grasp for English, and many people in- cluding some of the same who do not have the vaguest idea of how the court functions,” Abrams said.

‘The committee planned to send a letter to Attorney General David Eby and Deputy Attorney General Richard Fyfe outlining the report's recommendations for changes to the Richmond courts.

A spokesperson from Eby's office said they had not yet received a let- ter from the committee, and would not be providing comment unless one was received.

RICHMOND COURT

550 cases

Average number of cases

heard annually in the Richmond provincial youth and family court between 2007-2012.

774 hours

Average number of volunteer hours per year contributed to the Richmond provincial youth and family court between 2008-2012.

SOURCE: RICHMOND.CA

THURSDAY, MARCH 8, 2018 |

EDITOR PERRIN GRAUER

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A development plan for 2601 Lonsdale Ave., a site gutted by fire last year, has residents in the area rallying against a public hearing. Loss of green space and the closure of a laneway are the community's primary concerns. MYRA DIONNE PHOTO

Tear down causing dustup

Locals fear public hearing wont change development plans

= By MYRA DIONNE

esidents opposed to a proposed six-storey 44- unit development on an Upper Lonsdale building site gutted by fire over a year ago are worried their concerns will not be resolved at a public hearing.

The City of North Vancouver city council will vote March 12 on a motion to move Pezzente Holdings Inc.’s application to rezone 2601 Lonsdale Ave. to a public hearing.

Marilyn Biddle and several resi-

dents in the area say their concerns have not been addressed, despite signing peti- tions requesting the city and de- veloper consider modifying the roposal.

“It's really dif- ficult because I've lived here a long time and I've seen the highway come along,” said Biddle, who is con-

Darrell Mussatto MAYOR, CITY OF NORTH VANCOUVER

cerned about the building’s height and effect on parking and traffic. “We used to be able to park on Lonsdale then, you wouldn't dare park on Lonsdale now.”

Council voted 3-2 at a Feb. 5 meeting to send the proposal back to staff for changes, instead of moving it to a public hearing. Two councillors were absent for the vote.

That prompted Mayor Darrell Mussatto to use a subsection of the community charter and council procedure bylaw to bring back the

item for a second vote next week.

Alfonso Pezzente, the project's applicant, said he’s complied with every change city staff requested. If his proposal is rejected, he added, he will have to rebuild the existing structure on the site, which was se- verely damaged by fire in 2017.

"IT can't fight city hall and the neighbours for the next two or three years—I'm just not going to do that," he said. "It's a financial and an emotional stress. I told them right from the beginning, I didn't want to be the bad guy against the neighbours."

Old ‘hood

Burnaby group says EV chargers ‘important ele- ment missing” from area

= By LINDSEY LLOYD

he executive director of a North Burnaby busi- ness advocacy group has

requested the city install electric vehicle charging stations in the Heights neighbourhood to attract more people who drive zero emis- sion vehicles.

calls for modern technology

Isabel Kolic of the Burnaby Heights Merchants’ Association presented a letter Feb. 6 to the city’s sustainability committee noting the area doesn't offer options for driv- ers who want to charge their cars while shopping.

“There has been a re-investment in our community, attractive new places to live and do business in and more diverse housing options but there is one important element missing: there are no electric ve-

hicle charging stations anywhere,”

Kolic said in her letter.

She said large-scale develop- ments installed charging stations in other parts of the city, including Brentwood Town Centre, which is a requirement under city policy.

Burnaby has 100 free charging

stations operated by private busi-

nesses but only one public station near Deer Lake.

Resident Vicki Rasmussen also wrote to council requesting sta- tions for the northern part of the city, including the Heights, which is located north of East Hastings

Street between Boundary Road ;

and Gamma Avenue.

“We are considering purchas- ing an EV but I don't see many spots for charging in the north Burnaby area,” Rasmussen said in her Jan. 16 letter to council.

Lise Townsend, the city’s eco- system planner, said the city is currently gathering public feed- back on requirements for install- ing private and public stations at private developments.

Resident Randy Rinaldo, a Amelectronic vehicle member of Vancouver's Electric charging station.

Vehicle Association, | said private business- es in Burnaby have been pretty good about supplying EV charging stations.

“A lot of private _. developers are tak- bing initiative and b installing it them- selves without a bylaw,” —_ Rinaldo said. “They can see it coming.”

An Insurance Corporation of » B.C. report from

2016 said Burnaby had 222 registered electric vehicles, up from 12 in 2012.