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Maple Ridge mayor ‘still not comfortable’ after threats

Coun. Corisa Bell planning return to work.
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Facebook Maple Ridge Coun. Corisa Bell posted in social media that she has a “note” to return to work in June. She has been absent since Nov. 15. Maple Ridge city councillor Corisa Bell posted in social media that she can return to work in June.

Maple Ridge Mayor Nicole Read returned to work last week, but then missed Tuesday’s council meeting.

Coun. Tyler Shymkiw was again the acting mayor.

Read said she has been conducting other duties as mayor, but is “still not comfortable” chairing a meeting in council chambers, and said city hall is developing a safety and security plan.

Read said she is more aware of her vulnerability after what she described as “a real, serious threat, that had nothing to do with social media.”

Read has not spoken about the nature of the threat, except to say that it is under investigation by the RCMP.

She did want to refute public speculation that her absence was due to harrassment in social media.

Read missed about five weeks of council business due to the threat.

Coun. Corisa Bell has been away from council for a longer period of time due to illness, but posted some optimism on her Facebook account about returning soon.

“Wishing everyone a wonderful long weekend full of fun and love! Everyday I’m getting stronger and I have … in my possession … a note to return to work in June! I can’t stop smiling!” said Bell’s post on May 20.

She has been away from council since Nov. 15.

Bell has not returned calls regarding her absence.



Neil Corbett

About the Author: Neil Corbett

I have been a journalist for more than 30 years, the past decade with the Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows News.
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