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NEWS 3
Sleeping out for homeless kids ENTERTAINMENT 30
Theatre for kids and teens
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LOCAL NEWS – LOCAL MATTERS
THURSDAY APRIL 28, 2016
Y O U R
H O M E T O W N
There’s more online at
SEE PAGE 15
NewWestRecord.ca N E W S P A P E R
SHARING
FUN IN THE CITY
Memories of moms
Booze at the Pier?
City woman organizes a brunch for people to share their recollections of moms who have passed
NewWestminster council asks staff to see if alcohol could be served in the waterfront park
By Tereza Verenca
editorial@newwestrecord.ca
Valerie Malla remembers her mom as having a real thirst for life. She was a homemaker – the kind of person who loved to cook, do arts and crafts and constantly be in the company of family and friends. “Our neighbours would come over and have tea all the time,” Malla said of Mindy, who passed away of a heart condition at the age of 32 when her daughter was just eight years old. Growing up, Mindy’s passing was rarely discussed due to the hurt it caused. Mementos and keepsakes were stashed away, including a piece of art Mindy had made – a design of sequins on a piece of satin. “I wanted to keep it safe. I didn’t want anything to happen to it because it was my one thing of her, it was like a piece of her,” recalled Malla. For years, she couldn’t bear to celebrate Mother’s Day. “I just felt really alone and isolated on that particular day, even more so on Christmas,” she told the Record. In 2013, something “just clicked” for the SFU student. She realized even though her mother was gone, she could still honour her memory. “I thought, I do have a mother, everybody has a mother. She’s just not alive in the sense we on Earth determine people to be alive.” Continued on page 8
By Theresa McManus cdobie@newwestrecord.ca
Should Eats at the Pier include Drinks at the Pier? During council’s consideration of a staff report about the food services provided at Westminster Pier Park, Coun. Mary Trentadue put forward a motion to have staff investigate potential liquor sales at the park’s concession. Staff will report back to council on the request. While ice cream cones, Pier Park burgers and twisted potatoes are the signature items at Eats at the Pier,Trentadue thinks it’s worth exploring whether beer and wine can be served at the concession. “I can see that staff is trying to create something there that will pay for the services and the staff, and are trying to increase the services at the park,” she told the Record. “I thought, this is an awardwinning park, there are amazing things going on down there, maybe we should look at trying something completely different.” The provincial government has introduced a number of changes to liquor laws, so Trendatue thinks the city should investigate whether that includes the sale of liquor at concession stands in city parks. “It’s just a way to make the park more animated, more exciting to go down there, it’s something different. It’s not just French fries and hotdogs,” she said. “I also asked staff to look into different menu options, healthier options, not just the same old fried food that we get at a concession stand.” Last year was the first year the city offered a full season of Eats at the Pier from May to September on fair-weather days.
PRECIOUS WORK: Valerie Malla holds a framed piece of art her mother made, a design of sequins on a piece of satin fabric. The New West woman is hosting a Mother’s Day brunch for anyone who has lost their maternal parent or has an estranged relationship with them. PHOTO JENNIFER GAUTHIER
Continued on page 8
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