Latest news with #Burnaby
CTV News
a day ago
- CTV News
Suspect sought after woman groped in Burnaby park
This undated photo shows an RCMP officer on patrol in Burnaby's Central Park. Mounties in Burnaby are asking witnesses to come forward after a man allegedly sexually assaulted a woman in Central Park last weekend. Police say they responded to a report from the victim around 9 p.m. Sunday. 'The victim was walking in the park when an unknown man ran up and inappropriately touched her buttocks and lower back area,' a Tuesday news release from the detachment reads. 'The woman, who suffered no physical injuries as a result, was able to get away and report the incident to police.' Mounties describe the suspect, who ran away after the incident, as a 'possibly Caucasian' man between 20 and 30 years old with medium-length brown or blond curly hair. At the time, he was wearing dark clothes, including a long-sleeved shirt and baseball hat. Police ask anyone with information to call the Burnaby RCMP at 604-646-9999.
CBC
a day ago
- Sport
- CBC
After salvaging career, DeBues-Stafford betting on herself to run world 1,500 and 5,000m double
Social Sharing It was June 2024 and Gabriela DeBues-Stafford had arrived in Burnaby, B.C., for the Harry Jerome Track Classic. Her hopes to run the 1,500 metres at the Paris Olympics that summer were "dead in the water" but remained alive in the 5,000. About one hour before the women's 5,000, DeBues-Stafford had a meltdown and felt she couldn't take the start line at Swangard Stadium. After talking with her husband and then-new coach Rowan DeBues, a former assistant with the University of Victoria cross-country and track team, she decided to compete. Late in the race, DeBues-Stafford trailed Alma Cortez by nearly 30 metres but delivered an "insane" final lap, DeBues recalled, blowing past her Mexican opponent and winning by one second in 15 minutes 17.48 seconds. "She knew if she wanted a chance at [qualifying for Paris] she had to go sub-15:20 and win because of the bonus points for winning," he recalled in a recent interview with CBC Sports as DeBues-Stafford prepared for this week's Canadian Track and Field Championships in Ottawa. But coming off two injury-marred seasons, the Toronto native failed to qualify for her second Olympics and first since 2021 in Tokyo by one world ranking point, the equivalent of 0.3 seconds across [her best] three 5,000m [qualifying races]. Six days later, she ran 4:19.38 for ninth place in the 1,500 at the Montreal Classic and was prepared to leave competitive racing. DeBues-Stafford had clocked 4:23.48 five weeks earlier, a long way from her 3:56.12 Canadian record that has stood since 2019. "I felt confused, broken and fell out of love with the sport. I wasn't enjoying it," she remembered. "It's not an easy sport, even when you're fit and healthy. I was very close to [retiring] last June." "In the moment it feels like you're giving up when it reality I don't think I had the fitness to be a factor in the kind of races I needed to be running and the times I needed to be running to be at the level I wanted to be at." DeBues-Stafford felt she owed it to herself to finish the season and ended on a positive note by winning the 5,000 on June 27 at the national championships in Montreal. "It was very difficult when I didn't feel I had any confidence. I gritted my way through it," she told CBC Sports. "[I figured] if I finished the season and did OK, that [gave me] the potential to continue to [receive funding from Nike] for another year and a shot to see if the next year can be better." In July or August, DeBues-Stafford set a goal to race the 1,500 and 5,000 for the first time at a major championship, and the former Bowerman Track Club is on track to do so at the Sept. 13-21 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo. WATCH | Sprinters Blake, Leduc, McCreath among storylines entering Canadian championships: What to expect from Canadian Track & Field championships 2 days ago Nearing 4-minute barrier in 1,500m DeBues-Stafford, who placed fifth in the 2021 Olympic 1,500 final, first met the automatic entry standard in the 5,000 for worlds, running 14:47.83 in her first race in the distance this season on June 7 in France. She qualified for the 1,500 three weeks ago, going 4:01.19 at the Morton Games in Dublin. "It's been a bit of a surprise to be so close to my old form," DeBues-Stafford said. "It's tempting to compare myself to the 2019 and 2021 Gabriela, but I have to keep perspective of where I'm coming from and not get too greedy." Having achieved standard, DeBues can secure her spot at worlds with victories in each event this week. The senior women's 5,000 is Thursday evening at Terry Fox Athletic Facility, with the 1,500 semifinals slated for Saturday at 6:48 p.m. ET. The final is Sunday at 11:56 a.m. DeBues stills marvels at his wife's performance at the Harry Jerome Track Classic, wondering if DeBues-Stafford had found more races and an extra week to spare before the qualifying window closed if she would have found the extra ranking points to secure a spot for Paris. The fact she emptied [the tank] in a no-hope situation and pulled out [the win]. She's psychologically tough," he said. "When I saw her [comeback], I knew the fight was there." Looking back, DeBues-Stafford added: "I think Harry Jerome was the race that I realized I still have it in me to be able to race, to want to race, to want to put myself through a lot of pain in order to try to win. It was a slow regaining of trust that I could still be good." Surviving the 2024 summer season of racing, the 29-year-old pointed out, gave her a chance to salvage her career. "When I didn't make the [Paris] Olympics, I was annoyed about it. It showed me I still wanted it," said DeBues-Stafford, who holds Canadian indoor/outdoor marks in the 1,500, mile and 5,000, along with the indoor 3,000. She returned to training last fall at Athletics Canada's West Hub in Victoria, where she lived, working with Mark Rowland, a renowned middle-distance coach in Oregon the previous two decades. DeBues-Stafford cut short her 2022 season due to a stress reaction in her sacrum, a single bone comprised of five separate vertebrae located at the bottom of the spinal column, connecting it to the pelvis. 'Bad running mechanics and patterns' An MRI simultaneously diagnosed her with osteitis pubis, an inflammatory condition of the joint between the left and right pelvic bone. "Mark is very good with form and drills," DeBues-Stafford said of Rowland, who left AC last November to become head of endurance running at the University of Edinburgh in his native United Kingdom. In March, the Canadian runner joined him and moved back to Scotland, where she lived from 2019 to 2020. "With the osteitis pubis and sacrum, I got into bad running mechanics and patterns," said DeBues-Stafford. "I couldn't muscle my way through working hard the way I had been able to previously." DeBues-Stafford added Rowland has a wealth of experience working with older athletes returning from injury who need to relearn good habits such as opening their stride, "We did some running drills and hurdles," she said. "We continued that process when we got to Edinburgh, and it led to speed sessions. The difference in my form from the fall versus now is night and day. "If you can work on your top speed, then your stride becomes more efficient at all the speeds down. I hadn't been healthy enough to work on my top speed in several years." There have been hiccups along the way, including a right Achilles tendon injury that limited DeBues-Stafford to fewer than 20 kilometres a week in training runs early in her recovery. She also lost a lot of weight from food poisoning or a bacterial infection in South Africa that sidelined her from running for a week. These days, DeBues-Stafford is back averaging around 100 km a week, feeling close to her prior form and excited about worlds. "Fingers crossed. I still need to be named to the [Canadian] team, but I'm feeling good about my odds," said DeBues-Stafford, who is planning to train at altitude following nationals in in the Pyrenees mountains in southwestern Europe. "I feel a lot more connected with my body, feeling a lot more fluid on the track. "The 1,500 on the women's side is way, way, way deeper [than at the 2021 Olympics]. I fancy my odds at getting into the [world] semifinals. If I can get into the final in the 1,500, I feel that would be the biggest coup ever." DeBues believes his wife enters this week's competition with pressure and a target on her back. "All the other women could say, 'Well, I'm not the Canadian record holder,'" he said. "They get to think of themselves as the underdog, even though it was Gabriela who missed being on the [Olympic] team last year. "I risk speaking for her, but I think this year has shown she's not thinking of retirement anymore. Given where we came from last year and how bad January was this year with her health, we've still had a pretty good season.
CTV News
2 days ago
- Politics
- CTV News
Katrina Chen's kids' book tells of gender-based violence. It's a story she knows well
Former British Columbia MLA Katrina Chen poses for a photograph, in Burnaby, B.C., on Monday, July 21, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck BURNABY — Former British Columbia legislator Katrina Chen sits on a couch in her Burnaby home, reading aloud from the children's book she's co-written. ''Maybe,' Mommy tells me, 'It's time for a stronger house. We leave everything behind. And we go.'' The mother and son in the story, 'A Stronger Home,' co-written with Elaine Su, turn their backs on a scene of domestic turmoil: a broken vase, furniture overturned, sofa cushions in disarray. 'I wrote this book as a survivor of gender-based violence with personal experiences about how violence has touched and impacted my whole life,' said Chen, B.C.'s former minister of state for child care. She considers the scene by artist Delphie Coté-Lacroix, showing the mother and son's exit, to be among the most powerful in the book — having the courage and strength to leave a violent situation is not easy, she said. Chen, who also has a young son, sees the problem as an urgent one, pointing to a recent spate of alleged intimate partner violence in B.C. This month alone, there has been the killing of an 80-year-old Abbotsford woman and the death of her husband in what police consider a murder-suicide; the killing in a Richmond apartment of a 51-year-old woman whose partner has been charged with second-degree murder; and the death of Bailey McCourt, allegedly beaten to death in a Kelowna parking lot by her estranged husband, James Plover, also charged with second-degree murder. Chen said it was 'totally heartbreaking and unacceptable' to hear of such tragedies, and society needed to see the violence as an emergency. She and other advocates want changes to the legal and social justice systems to prevent it from continuing. 'Gender-based violence is a form of violence that's the most pervasive and most persistent,' said Chen. 'It's the longest human rights violation throughout human history.' Chen, who represented the riding of Burnaby-Lougheed until last year, was best known in B.C. as an advocate for the NDP government's $10-a-day childcare program, as well as co-chairing Premier David Eby's campaign to lead the party. But in 2022, Chen announced she was taking herself out of contention for a new ministerial position, revealing she wanted 'time and space to heal' from the trauma of gender-based violence. 'I have long-term trauma that has yet to be fully unpacked,' she said at the time. Chen said in a recent interview that she was a victim of gender-based violence during her childhood, but she never talked about the trauma until she was hurt again in her late 30s. 'I started realizing that the impact of violence can really impact a whole person's career, your life choices,' said Chen. She said it was important to break the cycle of violence from generation to generation. But opening up isn't easy — revealing emotional scars came with misunderstanding, judgment, and stigma, said Chen. 'I was very little when I was first touched by gender-based violence, and as I was growing up and realizing what was happening to me, I questioned myself, I judged myself,' said Chen. 'A safer way to live' It's a feeling that Sarah Sherman has struggled with, too. In 2004, her husband, Jeff Bethell, attacked her in her Nanaimo, B.C., home, tied her up, and tried to kill her. She freed herself and alerted police, but when Bethell saw a police car, he crashed his own vehicle, killing himself and a four-year-old boy in a car he struck. Sherman said she lived with 'shame and guilt for many years,' relocating to New Brunswick to escape the past and be 'invisible' again. 'Some people were critically injured. They lost their child. How do I ever make up for that?' said a tearful Sherman, 'I can't, I can't, and that is the most heartbreaking part.' Sherman is the founder of charity We're Here for You, which provides comfort kits to survivors of intimate partner violence. She believes sharing can empower other victims. 'When we share truthfully and authentically, we give other people hope, possibly inspire them to find a better way or a safer way to live.' On the legal front, there has been some progress. Last year, B.C. Attorney General Niki Sharma appointed lawyer Kim Stanton to conduct an independent review of the B.C. legal system's treatment of intimate partner violence and sexual violence. Stanton said she found numerous barriers to action and made nine recommendations to help survivors, including an increased focus on prevention, reform in the courts, and legal aid funding for family law services. Chen called it a good start. She also said the reform process could not involve a better person than Sharma, who supported her personally while she was struggling with violence. 'But we need actions,' said Chen. She would like to see all the proposals in Stanton's report enacted, she said. Sharma said 'the work is underway,' and a team within ministries, including hers, was looking at how to implement the recommendations. 'I've seen that there are gaps in the justice system that we need to change,' she said. Sharma said she pressed for changes to the Criminal Code to improve risk assessments when she attended last month's first minister's meeting in place of Eby, who was overseas. 'In particular, what I'm asking to see changed is changing it so after the person's convicted, the bail conditions are looked at so they are held based on the risk that they pose, instead of them being released until sentencing,' said Sharma, adding that this period is usually 'the riskiest time' for the victim. The killing of McCourt in Kelowna had occurred a few hours after Plover was convicted of a separate assault; there was no discussion of keeping him in custody, a recording of the hearing revealed. Eby said last week that he had delivered a letter from McCourt's family to Prime Minister Mark Carney, who had committed to bail reform 'on multiple occasions.' Sharma said she plans to meet with Justice Minister Sean Fraser soon to continue such conversations. 'I think that anybody who has known somebody who's been the victim of intimate partner violence, or anybody who's been a victim themselves, understands that the system doesn't take the crime as seriously as it should,' said Sharma. 'And that makes me angry.' Chen, who is now president of An Xin Community Savings Credit Union in Richmond, said her recovery journey isn't easy, but she is grateful for community support. 'It took me a while to understand how important it is to find my own sense of self and reflect on what I truly want in life — rather than simply reacting to what has happened to me, like constantly feel angry, hurt or sad.' she said. 'With the support of family, friends, counselling and coaching — and knowing I am not alone — I began to focus on my own well-being.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 29, 2025. Nono Shen, The Canadian Press
Vancouver Sun
5 days ago
- Sport
- Vancouver Sun
B.C. comes back golden from World Police and Fire Games
Seven first responders from the Lower Mainland's paramedics services helped represent Canada at the recent World Police and Fire Games in Birmingham, Ala., earlier this month. The Olympic-style competition has more than 60 events, and draws thousands of paramedics, law enforcement officers, firefighters, and border protection officers from across the world come together every two years. The 2023 games in Winnipeg marked the first time paramedics and EMTs were invited to compete. Vancouver's Sabrina Porreca, who swam collegiately for SFU, cleaned up in the pool, medalling in all nine events she entered. She finished with three gold, four silvers, and two bronzes. 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. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Delta's Troy Derish helped The Beavers — a team comprised of Toronto Fire and RCMP members — defend their gold medal in dodge ball from 2023, going undefeated through round robin and playoffs against 15 other teams. Abbotsford's Shadia Chen-Campbell competing in bench press and push-pull events, placing first in the women's unlimited 84 kilometre bench press with a new competition record of 265 pounds, then bettered that in the unlimited push-pull event (270.1 lbs.), finishing second overall in that discipline with a 688.94 lbs. total. The B.C. members who played sevens rugby — Randi Bowman (Vancouver); Shelby Turnbull (Burnaby); Kate O'Reilly (Burnaby) and Sarah Paget (Richmond) — were part of Team Canada Blue, which finished fifth overall. Canada East took first in the event.
CTV News
5 days ago
- Politics
- CTV News
Korean War Veterans Day marked with ceremony at Burnaby memorial
The Ambassador of Peace Korean War Memorial is seen during the ceremony in Burnaby Saturday. (CTV News) More than 100 people gathered at the Korean War memorial in Burnaby's Central Park Saturday morning to mark the 72nd anniversary of the armistice that ended the conflict. The wreath-laying ceremony also marked the 12th annual Korean War Veterans Day, which was designated a day of remembrance via an act of Parliament in 2013. MPs, MLAs, local politicians, active-duty members of the Canadian Forces, veterans, police, firefighters and community members all turned out for Saturday's ceremony at the Ambassador of Peace Korean War Memorial. In addition to the wreath-laying, attendees at Saturday's event took in Korean choir and drum performances. 'We just want to commemorate and honour the Korean War veterans,' said Michael Chang, president of the Western Canada chapter of the Korean Veterans Association. Among the United Nations forces, Canada sent the third-most troops of any nation, with more than 26,000 deployed, nearly a third of the country's military at the time. 'They sent 30 per cent of all forces to Korea,' Chang said. 'In 1950, I think nobody even knew where Korea was.' While Saturday was the 72nd anniversary of the armistice, this year is the 75th since the war began. Veterans of the conflict are now typically in their 90s, if they're still alive, said Chang. 'That means, you know, a lot of them, sadly, pass away every year,' he said. 'So, every year has kind of a special meaning for the veterans.'
