The planting of shrubs and other vegetation to stop Canada geese from wading into Como Lake will happen this year - and not over a three-year period, as previously recommended by Coquitlam staff.
On Monday, city council approved a request by Coun. Selina Robinson to expedite the shoreline planting to stop moulting Canada geese from polluting the park and lake during the summer.
The city receives a number of complaints about the geese, especially when they descend en masse in June, July and August to shed their feathers. The birds can be aggressive towards park users and can contaminate the water, city staff said. Last July, nearly 200 Canada geese were counted at the park.
Robinson also suggested the city install multi-language signs to remind people not to feed the birds.
This year, the city won't addle the geese's eggs but it will relocate the birds to a provincial wildlife sanctuary - a program that will cost about $6,000. It is expected the city will have to contract a wildlife expert annually to remove the geese until the overpopulation subsides, Kathy Reinheimer, Coquitlam's manager of parks and facilities, told council. "It'll be a few years before we deter migration," she said.
Other Coquitlam council news:
ROAD WORKS
Coquitlam residents whose homes border the Poirier Leisure and Sports Centre on the east side will get some relief from the overflow parking that has spilled onto their street over the past few years.
On Monday, city council approved extra road work for Laurentian Crescent that would include a new concrete curb, gutter and pathway on the western portion. The $100,000 project is in addition to the $215,000 repaving program already planned for this year, from Sargent Court to Elva Avenue.
In a report to council, engineering GM Bill Susak said while construction at the arena and Chimo Pool is complete, with 531 parking spots, "there are still issues reported by the neighbourhood," including parking on the gravel boulevard on the west of Laurentian that is "associated with inappropriate activity."
No-parking signs are also set to go up along that part of Laurentian, Susak wrote in his report.
Council also approved more road work for Poirier Street as part of its $265,000 repaving program. The collector road is to be narrowed from Smith to Foster avenues and a sidewalk will go in on the west side. The $110,000 upgrade is aimed at lining up Poirier with the rest of the street.
Coun. Linda Reimer said the improvements will make the neighbourhood more pedestrian-friendly.
NOTHIN' BUT 'NET
A high-speed internet provider that's leasing some fibre optic cables from the city expects to offer its services to 30 businesses and multi-family units in Coquitlam over the next 12 to 18 months.
Rick Adams, general manager of QNet - the Coquitlam Optical Network - said Uniserve's pricing will start at $9.95 a month and will be available for homes as well as businesses in Coquitlam.
In his annual report, released Monday, Adams said QNet, a wholly owned municipal corporation launched in 2008, has had a slow start-up due to the recession and road works in south Coquitlam.
But with Uniserve Communications, Bell Canada, Rogers Wireless and the district of Maple Ridge leasing its fibres (worth $55,000 annually in recurring revenue), QNet is now showing signs of success, Adams said, noting one business, the computer supply store NCIX, moved to the High Street specifically to tie into the QNet system. As well, as of March, QNet had connected seven more buildings - for a total of 12 - and issued service orders for 22 new leases, worth $158,000 a year.
Currently, all telecom services in municipal buildings have QNet, saving $300,000 a year, Adams said.
Coun. Lou Sekora criticized the city for competing against private businesses and at council for loaning $5 million for QNet's start-up. He also criticized QNet for not paying rent to run its operations.
"It just, to me, doesn't make sense," he said. "It's a money loser. It's the worst of its kind. It's a bad, bad, bad investment in taxpayers' money."
While QNet is outside the city's "natural range of business," Coun. Neal Nicholson said, the company is putting Coquitlam on the technology map.
"It's growth is likely going to be exponential," he said.
"I think we will be looking back on this and saying, 'What a great decision,'" Mayor Richard Stewart added.
