Package delivery issues

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NOTE: The following are my thoughts on package theft. They DO NOT reflect official strata council policy.

I meant to write about this a few months ago when one of our neighbours down the hall had a package go missing from outside their door. I’ve also seen mention of this on the Facebook group, so now seems a good time to cover it.

The problem: Packages go missing

Packages delivered by couriers and online retailers (UPS, Purolator, Amazon, etc.) can sometimes go missing. The usual suspected reason is theft.

How this happens: Most people are not home when a package is delivered. Couriers and Amazon do not have access to the building–they have no fobs or keys, unlike letter carriers. If no one is home, they often try a different unit so they can leave the package:

  • In the building lobby, typically under the mailboxes.
  • By the door of the unit, if they can get to it (the first floor, plus whatever floor of the unit that buzzed them in).

While the lobbies have cameras, they are otherwise not supervised, so someone can scoop up anything they find there–and this has happened multiple times.

What can you do?

As with any theft, you can report it to the New Westminster Police Department and they will get you a file number. Petty theft is a type of crime that is typically difficult to solve, as the goods may be sold off shortly after the theft, and the perpetrator(s) may never be identified, even with camera footage (bad angle, etc.)

A few steps to help reduce theft:

  • Remember to never let anyone into the building who you don’t recognize.
  • Make sure the lobby door securely shuts behind you. If it doesn’t, report the issue ASAP so the door can be adjusted to close properly.
  • Try to be home when you are expecting a delivery.
  • If you can’t be home for delivery, check for the package as soon as you are able.
  • Alternately, see if a neighbour can receive the package for you.

Some steps to prevent theft:

  • If you are ordering from Amazon, there is a locker and a pickup location, both within a few blocks of Copperstone:
    • Amazon locker: TD Canada, 280 E Columbia St, New Westminster, BC V3L 0E3. This is next to Save On Foods.
    • Amazon pickup: Canada Post outlet, 288 E Columbia St, New Westminster, BC V3L 1C0 (inside Shoppers Drug Mart)
  • If you have a choice of delivery options, choose Canada Post. We have a secure Canada Post locker in the lobby of each building that can handle larger-than-normal packages.
  • If delivery is being made by a courier (DHL, UPS, etc.) they can sometimes arrange to have the package sent to one of their depots or pickup locations. This is obviously less convenient, but more secure.

Butt patrol, June 19, 2025 and a reminder: cigarettes can start fires!

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Another butt patrol completed today. My dustbin went missing, so I used a bucket from under the kitchen sink, where most buckets naturally live.

Butts, bills, and other bits.

Remember, there is no smoking on Copperstone property. In theory, that means my butt patrol should always come up empty, but sadly that never happens.

It’s even more important now to not leave butts on the ground. We’re entering the dry season, and a cigarette butt tossed onto dry grass could smoulder and potentially start a fire. This can be unsightly at best and dangerous at worst.

My advice is to quit smoking. It’s hard, I know! But think of the benefits:

  • You’ll save a lot of money
  • You’ll be healthier, feel better and probably live longer
  • You’ll smell nicer

Also, butt-adjacent: Please don’t leave litter on the property. Take pride in your home and put litter in a trash receptacle.

The unexpectedly long cigarette butt patrol

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I noticed a collection of cigarette butts had once again accumulated on the drain at the top of the stairs leading to Allen Street, so I got the picker and dustbin and headed out for a quick clean-up.

While out, I noticed the landscaping company had cut down the wild grass growing along the property on Brunette Avenue. We’d done a pretty thorough clean-up of this area during the May 10 community cleanup, but I figured the cut grass would reveal more “treasures”, so I headed over to have a look.

I was right! Among the cigarette butts, I found:

  • Paper and plastic cups (someone really liked Super Slurpees)
  • An old sign
  • Glass and plastic bottles
  • Wrappers of all sorts
  • Cardboard
  • Creamers. Apparently someone stood in the shade of one of the trees and drank coffee with a lot of cream in it.
  • Styrofoam food containers
  • An empty asparagus (!) box
  • And, as they say, so much more

There was so much stuff I filled the dust bin twice, then upgraded to a crate and filled it up, too. There are probably more bits of stuff stuck in the piles of cut grass now, but definitely less than before.

Photos:

Dust bin #1. This is when I figured it might take more than a few minutes.
Dust bin #2.
The crate.

Copperstone Community Cleanup Day (May 10, 2025): Success!

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The morning of May 10th was gray and drizzly, but that didn’t stop a good turnout of Copperstone residents, including three council members, for the first Copperstone Community Cleanup Day. You can see the notice for the event below.

Copperstone Community Clean Up Day Poster-2Download

After assembling and gathering our tongs, pickers, brooms and buckets, we split off into several groups and worked our way around and through the Copperstone complex, picking up assorted bits of trash, cigarette butts, as well as some more unusual items like old advertising signs, chunks of metal and more. In the end, we filled multiple buckets with garbage, leaving the complex and surrounding area much tidier than before.

Thanks to everyone who took part and to council member Ben who spearheaded the idea, and took part. The only improvements for next time would be:

  • More photos! Everyone was too busy cleaning. There are worse problems, I suppose. 🙂
  • More notice! We actually had good turnout with the relatively short notice, but more notice is better.
  • Agree on a rendezvous point at the end, so we can get everyone in the group photo. Next time!
Just some of the residents who took part, celebrating their victory in cleaning up the area. Council member Desiree is on the left, organizer and council member Ben is second from the right. Not seen: Me, because I took the photo.

Council member Jeff spent his time fixing the corner of one of the courtyard planters that had faced the back (or front) end of one too many vehicles.

The after shot, with the stones back in place.

Ironically, Jeff fixed it again exactly one week later when it got run into again. It now has a pole next to it with reflective tape. Hopefully this helps!

Take two, with the stones back in place again! And now a pole with reflective tape.

Cleaning up the stairs (possibly for the first time!)

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Now that the path along the hospital lane is open again, Jeff thought it was a good time to take some brooms and a hose to the concrete stairs that connect from the path down to Copperstone.

It took quite a bit of work to clear off the years of accumulated dirt, twigs and other junk, but now the stairs are clean, and our plan is to keep them that way going forward.

Here’s a small gallery showing the results, with the first shot being before the big hose-down began.