Stories from Tri-City News headlines of decades past is a recurring feature as the publication marks its 40th anniversary in 2024.
Don’t mess with the street basketball players on Port Coquitlam’s Homesteader Court.
After being ordered by city council in the spring of 1993 to remove the net they’d set up at the end of their cul-de-sac in the Citadel Heights neighbourhood, the young players and their families rallied community support to keep the game going.
A petition gathered more than 40 names and parent Jan Green said she planned to appear before council to plead the players’ case.
“It seems that kids are undervalued because they can’t vote,” she said, adding the net is located on a public right-of-way and the nearest park is seven blocks away.
But Green’s presentation was countered by another resident who also spoke to council.
June Robinson said senior citizens in the neighbourhood shouldn’t be subjected to the noise created by the basketball players.
The contretemps prompted Port Coquitlam Mayor Len Traboulay to call for cooler heads as councillors agreed to a 60-day reprieve for the hoop even as they expressed concerns about the city’s liability if it was allowed to remain.
In that time, members of the parks and recreation committee were expected to report back to council with recommendations for a policy on street games and the erection of basketball nets in parks.
Don Green said the issue is bigger than just one net on one dead-end street.
“The hoop is a symbol,” he said. “The real issue is facilities for older kids and youths.”
The Tri-City News has covered civic affairs, local crime, festivals, events, personalities, sports and arts in Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam and Port Moody since 1983. Bound back issues of the paper are available at the Coquitlam Archives, while digital versions of several past years can be found at issuu.com.
