In the report, we speak with Const. Annie Linteau of the RCMP, the Coroner’s Office, and local radio personality Jim Goddard.

Today, there was a new development in the case: a new 7th foot has been found.

A New Balance runner apparently containing human remains was found in Finn Slough in the south arm of the Fraser, near the end of Garden City Road. If the remains are confirmed to be human, this is the seventh foot to have been found on the south coast, from Georgia Strait to the northwestern tip of Washington State, since August 2007.

Former MLA and Richmond city council candidate Ken Johnston found the shoe while walking with his wife along the banks of the Fraser River. “I poked it with a stick,” he said.

While it’s too early to tell if the shoe was forcibly removed, the RCMP was quick to note all the previous severed feet were the result of “disarticulation.”

For now the mystery continues.

It’s a wonder it didn’t come sooner – but citizen journalism has finally landed in way that’s accessible and even…dare I say…revolutionary?

Here’s the official word from the press release:

VancouverIAM.com is a unique online platform and new destination for people who want to know what’s going on in Vancouver. It provides Vancouverites with the tools and support to become video journalists, Internet TV and film producers, and active commentators on local politics and everyday issues about life in Vancouver.

You be asking yourself, how is that different from someone creating your own website and using Youtube as your distribution platform? Why would you need to get involved with VancouverIAM? Well here’s a few reasons:

For Viewers

Those who have used Youtube (and other general video sharing sites) over the last few years, have probably noticed the decline in quality and the rise of…noise. There’s simply too much crap online that it’s much harder to dig through the heaps and find the gems that are relevant to you. This is especially true for local content.

VancouverIAM brings together the best bloggers, columnists, podcasts, and video producers all in one place. This saves the viewer time, and builds a community around an engaging alternative news portal.

For Content Producers

As a producer, you probably have your own website to promote your podcast, blog, or news segments. There’s a chance it also might be fairly popular on it’s own. But adding your content to VancouverIAM immediately widens your audience to include interested viewers who may never have found your work.

A perfect example is the show This City Rocks, a vodcast I found while browsing the site, and probably wouldn’t have found on my own. Other great content like original shorts from the Vancouver Film School now have a venue outside their institution.

For Me

I’ve created 3 original news segments for the website, including:

• The Truth About Conscious Consumerism
• What s wrong with Vancouver s local music scene?
• Should Vancouverites Boycott the 2008 Bejiing Olympics?

Aside from being fun to make, the segments were also an excuse to engage in meaningful conversation with some interesting people. And I don’t know about you, but that fires me up.

I wouldn’t doubt if VancouverIAM has a bright future ahead of it.

What do you think about the rise of citizen journalism? How does it compliment traditional media and reporting?