15 YEARS AGO... (Sept. 12-18, 1995)
Coquitlam commuter rail plans unveiled
A commuter rail line running from downtown Vancouver to Coquitlam formed the centrepiece of a $2-billion transit improvement package unveiled by Premier Mike Harcourt this week.
The plan calls for a light rail transit line from Granville Street along the Broadway-Lougheed Highway corridor to Lougheed Mall, where it will split into two spurs, one terminating at Coquitlam Centre, the other linking up with the Expo Line at New Westminster.
Mr. Harcourt said the Coquitlam Centre line will be completed by 2005, while the Lougheed Mall to New Westminster section isn't slated to open until 2008.
The ground-level line will be modelled on Calgary's driver-operated electric trains and include train-activated traffic signals, he said.
Port Coquitlam Mayor Len Traboulay said the government deserves "some credit for a 10-year plan for getting people into buses and light rapid transit."
However, Coquitlam Mayor Lou Sekora boycotted Thursday's announcement, complaining that Burnaby will reap the benefits of the new transit line at his community's expense.
Flash forward: Switched from light rail to a SkyTrain-like design, the so-called Millennium Line to New Westminster was completed in 2002. The Coquitlam spur, now known as the Evergreen Line, is slated to open in 2014.
25 YEARS AGO... (Sept. 12-18, 1985)
Garlic oil blamed in botulism outbreak
A brand of liquid garlic used in the beef dip at White Spot restaurants was blamed for a bizarre botulism outbreak that affected dozens of customers.
Vancouver's chief medical officer, John Blatherwick, said on Thursday that 21 cases of food poisoning had been confirmed so far, with another half-dozen people showing symptoms of the illness.
All but one of the victims had beef dips containing the garlic oil at the White Spot's Georgia-and-Cardero location between Aug. 29 and Sept. 10, said Dr. Blatherwick, adding that health officials suspect the product was not properly refrigerated.
Since officials were unable to find any evidence the garlic oil had been mishandled between its Toronto distribution centre and the restaurant, the investigators are focusing on the company's actions, he said.
After initially blaming a single bottle of tainted garlic oil for the outbreak, federal officials on Tuesday ordered suppliers to stop distributing the product.
Five of the 21 victims remained on respirators on Thursday; however, all were expected to survive, Dr. Blatherwick said.
Flash forward: The outbreak, which affected a total of 37 people, prompted Health Canada to recommend that all manufacturers of garlic in oil products add preservatives to prevent botulism.
Special to The Globe and Mail