New business service opens 1n Coquitlam

> Business LinQ is intended to help companies off the ground

Colten Kamlade Staff Reporter

f you have ever wanted to start

up a business, but were unsure of where to begin, then you may want to visit Business LinQ.

Business LinQ is a resource located in Coquitlam City Hall, near the Guildford Way entrance. According to the City of Coquitlam website, Business LinQ will give you the knowledge to start and operate a business in Coquitlam. They will provide you with information on permits and regulatory processes— which includes such things as licensing, zoning, inspections, and building, plumbing, and sign permits—and programs that support local businesses.

According to the City of Coquitlam website, Business LinQ will help improve businesses that seek their help.

“The idea is to provide more personalized assistance to help Coquitlam business owners save time, avoid costly mistakes, and get the information they need to thrive,” the website says.

According to Aaron Hilgerdenaar, business services liaison for the City of Coquitlam, the service is open to any interested entrepreneur.

“The Business LinQ is an accessible resource for anyone. It isa resource centre for businesses looking to set up in Coquitlam. We provide referral services to business support services and provide information on Coquitlam specific permitting and licensing requirements,” he said in

an interview with the Other Press. “The City decided to add this service as a customer service enhancement for businesses looking to set up, to provide them extra assistance navigating City processes.” Hilgerdenaar also mentioned that the City grants thousands of new business permits every year. “We licence more than 6,600

1

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—— City Hall

3000 Guildford Way

businesses on an annual basis,” he said. If you can’t make the trip to city hall, there are alternative methods to get in touch with staff. It is possible to get advice over phone, email, and through video-chat appointments. The service is expected to improve over time, as the city collects data from local entrepreneurs. “Information collected by Business

Analysis: The Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympics are game-changing

> Unified Korean team could ease tensions

Jerrison Oracion Senior Columnist

he International Olympic Committee has announced that both South Korea

and North Korea will be on the same team in the 2018 Winter Olympic games, which will be held in Pyeongchang, Korea.

Instead of athletes from the two countries being in two separate teams, both countries will be under a unified flag and they will be called Korea. Also, their women’s hockey team will consist of players from both South Korea and North Korea. If an athlete in the team gets a medal, it will be a win for both countries, which could reduce tensions between the countries. Korea has a lot of great athletes and they could even get the most gold medals during the games.

Pyeongchang wanted to host the winter Olympic games and they had three attempts to get them. Their first two attempts were in 2003 and 2007, but they were beaten by Vancouver and Sochi, respectively. Now the Olympics are coming back to South Korea since they hosted the summer Olympic games in Seoul in 1988.

In 2003, North Korea was

beginning to develop a nuclear missile and have made significant progress towards that goal since then, causing tensions most noteably between North Korea and America. Also, the South Korean athletes are starting to get along with the North Korean athletes and it shows the spirit of the Olympics, which prioritizes people from different nations coming together and bonding over shared passion for sports. While this could help calm the situation, the United States is watching closely. Donald Trump's use of the words “fire and fury” and his denouncement of North Korea during his recent state-of-the-union speech are still fresh in everyone’s minds. Russian athletes will be in the games this year, though they will be under the Olympic flag because of the country being banned from the games due to a doping scandal. While at least 400 Russian athletes will be part of the games after strict drug testing, the chairman of Olympic Broadcasting Services, Richard Pound, thinks that the IOC should do more to prevent Russia from doping in another Olympic games, according to a report by CBC News.

According to CBC News, Russian speed skater Olaf Graf will not be going to the games because most of her teammates are not allowed to go with her.

The Canadian Olympic Team will likely get a lot of medals during the games as well. Many of the athletes on the Canadian team will retire this year including bobsledder Kaillie Humphries, figure skaters Tessa Virtue, Scott Moir, and Patrick Chan, and short track speed skater Marianne St-Gelais. The Canadian

LinQ—such as user data, business trends, and impacts of policies

and City practices—will be used to enhance services to businesses over time and to drive future evidence- based decision-making,” the

Metro Vancouver website says.

The Business LinQ resource centre is on the main floor of City

Hall near the stairs, and is open Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

men’s hockey team will consist of former NHL players and hockey players that are in other leagues because NHL players cannot go to the games this year. Something to watch for in curling is mixed doubles curling which is one of the new winter sports in the games this year. Kaitlyn Lawes and John Morris will act as heads of the Canadian team. One of the local athletes that is in the team this year is Coquitlam’s Larkyn Austman in women’s figure skating.

Photo by Analyn Cuarto

Photo via ‘The Japan Times’