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THINGS TO DO THIS WEEKEND FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 25, 2015
LOCAL NEWS – LOCAL MATTERS
There’s more at Burnabynow.com
SEE PAGE 15
RECREATION BEEF
‘Locked up’ at Bonsor
Senior citizens wait more than 10 hours to register for badminton group By Tereza Verenca
editorial@burnabynow.com
A Vancouver resident is coming forward after experiencing what she calls senior abuse at the Bonsor Recreation Complex last week. Monica Tam has been a member of the Bonsor 55+ Society for more than five years and has taken advantage of the many activities on offer. She was a Burnaby resident for more than 20 years prior to moving to Vancouver in 2003 (the rec centre is about a 10-minute drive from her home). On Sept. 18, she and nearly 100 others gathered at the complex to register for the 2016 seniors’ badminton season.The program, according to the city’s registration guidelines, guaranteed 189 spots for Burnaby residents and 81 spots for non-locals, all given out on a first-come-first-serve basis. Registration, meanwhile, didn’t open until 4 p.m. that Friday afternoon. Due to the sport’s popularity, however, about 15 peo-
FED UP Monica Tam had an ‘unpleasant experience’ at the Bonsor Recreation Complex when she and other seniors had to wait for more than 10 hours to register for badminton. She said it was ‘elder abuse’. PHOTO TEREZA VERENCA
ple lined up overnight,Tam told the NOW. The piano teacher arrived at the recreation complex around 8 a.m., had her information taken down – her name, her 55+ membership card number, and her proof of age and residence – and was told to sit tight
in a designated waiting room on the second floor. Out of the 81 spots, she was number 77. “I was told that once inside, we had to stay inside.There were two Bonsor staff literally guarding the floor, making sure no
one leaves, or be punished by immediately losing their spot,” she said. “People could not go outside for any reason – not to get their medication, their laptop charger, or Continued on page 5
$4.9-million shortfall turns into surplus By Cornelia Naylor
cnaylor@burnabynow.com
The Burnaby school district took in more money and spent less in 2014/15 than anticipated, according to audited financial statements presented at a public meeting Tuesday. The district had predicted a nearly $4.9-million operating shortfall last year, which it planned to cover with accumulated
surpluses from years past, but local schools actually ended the year with a more than half-million-dollar surplus. “I think the news really is we finished the year in a strong position, and we’re sitting well for next year’s budget process,” secretary-treasurer Greg Frank told the NOW. The nearly $5.4-million difference between the budget approved last February and the final numbers came from higher than expected revenues, including nearly $1
million more than anticipated in provincial grants, $1.1 million more in international student tuition, and about $185,000 extra in rental revenues and investment income. The district also spent $800,000 less than anticipated on salary and benefits and $500,000 less on energy, thanks to a warm winter and ongoing energy management efforts in the district. The final numbers show the district carrying forward nearly $10 million in accu-
mulated surpluses, with nearly $6.3 million in restricted accounts and a nearly $3.7-million unrestricted surplus. The district’s financial statements are scrutinized annually by a third-party auditor. PricewaterhouseCoopers issued this year’s audit report.
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