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Delivery 604-942-3081 • Wednesday, December 4, 2013
Reinterpreting the Christmas story
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Hydro hike sucks bucks from schools Jennifer Moreau staff reporter
B.C. Hydro’s 28 per cent rate increase will cost the Burnaby school district a decent chunk of change. B.C. Hydro is planning to increase electricity rates by 28 per cent over the next five years for all customers. The hike is part of a 10-year plan for B.C. Hydro to invest in aging assets and new infrastructure, while trying to keep rates as low as possible. Secretary-treasurer Greg Frank said the rate hikes would cost the Burnaby school district $32,000 for this budget year, which ends in June 2014, and about $144,000 the following fiscal year. “Currently we spend about $1.2 million a year, so it’s a fairly significant increase,” he said. Frank outlined a number of measures the district has undertaken to reduce electricity costs already, including lighting upgrades, installing devices that shut down idle computers, and bringing teams into schools to find new ways to reduce energy consumption. “We’ve done a lot, and we continue to work in that area and look for new ideas, and feel there’s still room for improvement,” he said. Frank said the Burnaby school district is the only organization in the public or private sector that’s been in the top 10 “Power Smart” performing companies three years in row. For school board chair Baljinder Narang, the hikes are an added cost when times are already tight. “With a hike like that, we are really challenged on how we are going to find more funding to cover this cost. The important thing is we always have other budgetary costs we have to cover as well, so next year will be extremely challenging for the board,” she said. “We need to be funded adequately, and I’m wondering if that’s ever going to happen.” All school districts must balance their budgets, so added cost pressures have to be dealt with by finding savings elsewhere.
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A jolly tradition: Burnaby resident Dave Kettler has an annual tradition of volunteering to count the proceeds from photos with Santa at Metropolis at Metrotown. All the money goes to the Burnaby Christmas Bureau.
Santa snaps help city kids Jennifer Moreau staff reporter
It’s a holiday tradition and a major fundraiser for the Burnaby Christmas Bureau. When children at Metropolis at Metrotown sit in Santa’s lap for a photo and tell the man in red what they want for Christmas, they are helping other children’s wishes come true. Every year, Metropolis at Metrotown hosts Santa’s Castle, where children can have their picture taken with Santa for a minimum donation of $2. The proceeds go to the Burnaby Christmas Bureau, which provides toys to children from low-income families and hampers to seniors.
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“It’s fun. It’s a tradition you don’t mess with much,” said Anne Blaine, manager of special events at Metropolis at Metrotown. This year, the mall has gone digital, so people can receive their photos by email, and so far, the service has been in high demand. In the first three days, there were 2,249 pictures taken with Santa. Last year, the mall raised $42,000 and shot 19,000 photos. According to Blaine, Metropolis has raised nearly $500,000 over 21 years – all for the bureau. Once the money is collected, Burnaby resident Dave Kettler volunteers to count the cash. “It’s just something to do. I look forward to doing it very year. It just puts me in the Christmas mood, I guess,”
he said, with a laugh. “I look forward to it every Christmas. You just want to do it.” Santa’s Castle is in the Grand Court, near Toys “R” Us, and is open Monday to Saturday, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., then 2 to 5 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m. On Sunday, opening hours are 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., and 3 to 6 p.m. Since there is only one Santa, lineups can be long, and Blaine suggests coming early in the week and earlier in the day. The photos will be available till Dec. 24. “Please don’t wait till then, because it’s not pretty,” Blaine added. For more on the Christmas Bureau, go to www.burnabycommunity connections.com.
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