¥ Alberta to raise minimum wage to $15 per hour ( Influx of bears visiting Coquitlam (¥ Spotlight: Dance your heart out And more! Rapidly approaching the next station > Evergreen Line set for early opening —— Mercedes Deutscher News Editor Te users in Coquitlam are getting an early Christmas present this year, as TransLink announced on September 8 that the Evergreen Line will now be open before Christmas, instead of the previously projected opening for Spring 2017. The Evergreen Line has experienced a lot of delays in its construction. Originally set for a Summer 2016 opening, problems that arose during the construction phases—such as sinkholes and tunnel boring— delayed the opening to Fall 2016, and then to Spring 2017. However, Transportation Minister Todd Stone said ina news release that the project was now go per cent complete. While the exact date of the opening has yet to be announced, TransLink is already rolling out new information about how the line will affect the transit network. Evergreen Line will operate beyond Lougheed-Town Centre station in Burnaby, through Burquitlam and Port Moody, to its terminus station of Lafarge Lake-Douglas, located near the David Lam campus. As a result, the 97 B-Line will cease its operation, and its buses will be sent to service other areas around Metro Vancouver. The opening of the Evergreen Line will also change the boundaries of both the Expo and Millennium Lines. The Millennium Line will no longer operate from Waterfront. Health and wellness > Former bodybuilder struggles to pay for rent and supplements Aaron Guillen Staff Reporter magine having to decide between your health and your home. Shaun Balint, a Burnaby resident, has come face-to-face with this tough decision. Over the past year, Balint dropped from 275 to 131 pounds—due to severe allergies, according to dieticians. In a mysterious turn of events, doctors couldn't figure out what was the issue, only hypothesizing that he had a growing allergic reaction list. Now, with dwindling food options, Balint has turned to protein bars, as recommended by dieticians. “His current diet of only protein bars and shakes has been around six months,” commented Laura Balint, Shaun’s wife. “Before that, he wasn’t eating much at all. He has slowly taken types of foods out one by one. For example, one day, he can eat beef, then the next day his face and throat will swell up after two bites. I believe [the protein supplements] will sustain his current poor health but to improve he needs more [than his current situation]. Until we find a meal replacement we will take this option. Our fear is that one day he will react to the protein bars.” According to CBC News, the Balints have already received one eviction notice after failing to pay last month’s rent—and a future that includes a roof over their heads doesn’t look too bright with Laura missing shifts to aid her ill husband. “The emotional journey has been just as hard—if not harder—than the physical journey,” Laura admitted. “Trying to get funding for the supplements needed just to survive is very stressful. The decision every month to pay rent or buy his supplements makes Instead, it will operate between VCC-Clark and Lougheed- Town Centre. As a result of this change, the Expo Line will now have two terminus stations— its original terminus at King George, but a new terminus at Production Way- University. Dual service will run between Production Way- University and Lougheed Town Centre. When the Evergreen Line me sick. I could not imagine saying no to the supplements, but | also couldn’t imagine making the decision to not have a home. I know he feels very alone sometimes because the government and the doctors have basically left him to die.” With doctors unable to provide any conclusive answers, the couple hopes to find solutions with a Naturopathic Doctor (ND). With Shaun’s health on the line and their home teetering on an eviction notice, Laura has turned to the community—and they have responded. “Since the first story came out the community has been very generous,” Laura shared. “We have gotten a large donation of shakes from the maker of Magnum Quattro. Popeye’s Burnaby and Coquitlam have donated cases of bars and fish oils. We have also started a Go Fund Me page, ‘Shaun’s Food Supplement Help, where the Image via www.cknw.com opens, Metro Vancouver will be host to the longest automated rapid-transit system in the world. “This milestone achievement is to be celebrated not only for the transportation needs it meets, but also for providing the necessary support to enable the growth of affordable, interconnected, and sustainable communities in the region,” said Peter Fassbender, Minister of over house and home? community has been generously donating. We are very grateful for all that has been donated, but the unfortunate part is that what we have raised will only last a couple of months—then we will be back to where we started. We would appreciate any donations that would help us have more time to come up with a solution to his health or to the financial Community Sport and Cultural Development, in a press release. The opening of the Evergreen Line will have a major impact on those living in Coquitlam and beyond. “This vital public transportation improvement project will make the City of Coquitlam a more inclusive and sustainable city. It is thanks to projects like the one being celebrated today that Canadian communities will remain among the best places in the world to live, work, and raise a family,” expressed Minister of Infrastructure and Communities Amarjeet Sohi in a press release. For one, the line will make Douglas College more accessible than ever before, and will make it easier for students to take classes at both campuses. As well, more people can be expected to leave their cars at home and opt to take transit instead. Along with announcing a closer opening, the provincial government announced that it would be investing an addition $5 million towards more parking spaces around the new stations, mainly at Lafarge Lake-Douglas. Shaun Balint via globalnews.ca problems that it creates. If donations are not possible, we are also looking for pressure on the government to make changes to policies that would allow a case- by-case flexibility policy. It costs $1,500 each day to have Shaun in the hospital, but only $900 a month for his supplements. Things need to change.”