New Westminster Record October 27 2022

HAUNTED:

TheresaMcManus tmcmanus@newwestrecord ca

The NewWestminster Police Depart ment is facing “unprecedented” staffing challenges with all divisions short on staff

Deputy Chief Const Paul Hyland, speaking at the September police board meeting, said the NWPD is budgeted for 114 FTEs (full time equivalents) and is currently sitting at about 111 But, in ad dition to those three “hard vacancies,” he said the department often has 20 or more FTEs who are considered “soft vacancies” and aren’t working at any given time including recruits who are still in training and officers who are on parental leaves.

“That brings us down into the low 90s, so most of the units in the organization are running with vacancies,” he told the board “Patrol, as it stands today, is down about seven bodies ”

The NWPD’s patrol division has about 40 employees, so being short seven con stables is “significant,” Hyland said

“This is kind of across the board in po licing, certainly in this province,” he said. “It’s very challenging if you have mem bers leave the organization to replace them in a short period of time ”

UpFront

Student featured at Autism Canada conference

Eight year old Skwo:wech Elementary student steps into the national spotlight with his autism story

JulieMacLellan jmaclellan@newwestrecord ca

When Desmond Dick decided he wanted to help his classmates to understand how his brain works, he had no idea he would end up speaking to a national audience about autism

The eight year old Skwo:wech Elementary School student was one of the featured speakers at Autism Canada’s Au Some Conference this past Saturday (Oct 22)

Desmond shared a pre recorded video presentation that originally came to be last year, when he was in Grade 2

“I wanted to share my story,” he explained. He wanted his classmates to understand “how I’m unique and special” why he has a helper in the classroom, and why he sometimes needs to go outside to take breaks

So, with help from his mom, Sara, Desmond put together a presentation about himself: how his brain works, why his amyg dala sometimes goes into a high alert state and what happens to his hippocampus when that hap pens

It helped his classmates to un derstand what they should do when Desmond’s “amygdala alarm” goes off: how they should give him space, help him to take some deep breaths and get an adult for help

Importantly, too, it helped to shine a light on all the things Desmond and his classmates have in common simple kid things, like the fact that he likes swimming and skateboarding, and that he doesn’t like spiders, bread, pizza or being teased.

“It felt very powerful being in the classroom; the understand

ing and the respect the lit tle things, like, he wants to have friends, just like any other kid wants friends He doesn’t like being teased, just like everyone doesn’t like being teased There was such a strong sense of simi larity through it,” Sara said.

Desmond and Sara also came up with the idea of creating flower bouquets with tissue pa per flowers, with different co lours of flowers designated to represent different aspects of kids’ personalities; building their bouquets together, the kids again discovered they had more in common than not

During the presentation, Des mond and Sara presented the students with some gifts: books courtesy of the Canucks Au tism Network and pop it fidget toys from Autism Canada It was Sara’s request to Autism Canada for the fidget toys that brought Desmond’s presentation to their attention and, eventually, to recorded video format for use at this weekend’s conference.

He’ll continue working with the organization as an advocate

PERSONALJOURNEY

For Desmond’s parents, Sara and Graeme, seeing their son so confident and ready to share his own personal autism story is a reminder of just how far they’ve come over the past few years

It was July 2019, just be fore Desmond started kinder garten, when they first received a diagnosis of ADHD.Then the COVID 19 pandemic hit, schools shut down, and life was turned upside down and Des mond’s challenges with extreme anxiety proved to be the catalyst for his autism diagnosis in the summer of 2020.

“We didn’t know how to sup port him, but we saw him des perately needing support,” Sara said. “And he wasn’t the confi dent kid you see today; he was struggling to figure out how to be in this world ”

Both Sara and Graeme credit the team of people who’ve helped them navigate the jour ney since, starting with their first connection to a psychiatrist at B C Children’s Hospital

They’re also overflowing with gratitude for the school com munity at Skwo:wech that has supported Desmond, and the whole family, every step of the way: all his teachers in the Mon tessori program; the EAs, re source teachers and behaviour support workers who’ve been

part of his learning journey.

For Sara, that’s all part of the inclusive school commu nity that’s being fostered by vice principal Darren Elves and principal Kathleen Chad

“We’ve never had a bad teacher experience which, when you’re in the ADHD and autistic community, is not heard of You see the Facebook groups, and they fill you with terror of going into schools,” Sara said

“And yet we’ve walked into the school, and from Day 1, through all the rough moments, I’ve never felt anything but a bear hug like just, ‘We’ve got your back, we’ll take care of this You’re good ’”

Just the other day, out of

the blue, Desmond asked his mom whether she could send an email to Mr Elves and Ms Chad “and tell them that I love them and I love going to school because they’re there,” Sara re counted with a smile

Now, having a chance to share his story on the national stage and in his local news paper gives Desmond a chance to feel celebrated and supported by the world he works so hard to be part of

“He just feels this empower ment of, ‘You know, there are a lot of things in life that are diffi cult But I’m taking something that makes me a little different and creating a power around it,’” Sara said “And it’s really beautiful to see.”

Child-care centres face move out of downtown schools

JulieMacLellan jmaclellan@newwestrecord ca

Finding a downtown lo cation for two child care centres that are facing displacement from New Westminster schools is a priority for the school dis trict

School District 40 su

perintendent Karim Hachlaf made that pledge to parents atTuesday night’s school board meet ing, after trustees heard from parents upset about a plan to move two in fant toddler daycare cent res out of downtown area schools.

Purpose Society cur

rently runs the two centres at École Qayqayt Elemen tary School and Fraser River Middle School, pro viding spaces for 72 chil dren

The future of the two centres has come into doubt as the School Dis trict 40 board grapples with a space crunch at its

schools, particularly those in the city’s fast grow ing core.To try to free up more classroom space, the district has suggested it could move the two day cares to two different sites and convert the daycare space into classrooms in stead

One of the ideas floated

by the district was a pro posal to move the day cares to its two largest school sites: LordTweeds muir Elementary School in theWest End and F.W. Howay Elementary School in MasseyVictory Heights

But that idea isn’t sitting well with parents, who say

the move out of the down town core would make the daycares inaccessible for families

“The child care being provided by the Purpose Society is not a privilege or nice to have Seven ty two families use these spaces because they need

TELLINGHISSTORY: Desmond Dick, left, pictured with brother Lloyd and parents Sara and Graeme, shared his story at Autism Canada’s Au Some Conference this past weekend PHOTO CONTRIBUTED

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Monday, November 7

7:00 pm

Inaugural Council Meeting Council Chamber, City Hall Public welcome to attend or watch online at newwestcity.ca/council

HALLOWEEN HAPPENINGS

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED:

• Glenbrook

•

ADOPT-A-CATCH BASIN PROGRAM

Help reduce the risk of localized flooding this winter by adopting a catch basin in your neighbourhood. Your job is easy; throughout the year, you’ll clear the catch basin and surrounding area of any leaves, debris, litter, and snow that might prevent it from properly draining rainwater As a catch basin caretaker, you’ll also get to name the basin, which will show up on the catch basin map. Learn more and get started at newwestcity.ca/adopt-a-catch-basin

HALLOWEEN AND FIREWORKS SAFETY

New Westminster Fire and Rescue Services wants to remind everyone of some rules and precautions that should be followed on Halloween.

Due to the anticipated rainfall for the end of October, at this time a fireworks ban has not been issued. Per Fire Protection Bylaw 6940, 2004, low hazard fireworks may be set off in New Westminster by those 18 years or older on private property (with the owner ’ s consent) 4:00 pm to midnight on Oct 31. Roman candles are not permitted. Keep fireworks a minimum of three feet away from any fire risks, and do not aim them at anyone, animals, buildings, or vehicles. Review the full bylaw at newwestcity.ca/bylaws.

Children trick-or treating should stay on the sidewalk or path when walking from house to house Costumes should be flame retardant, light in colour or have reflective tape, and easy to walk in to avoid tripping Children going out without a parent should go in a group and carry a flashlight Parents should inspect all candy before children enjoy them.

Final reminder to everyone: Blow out

when leaving them

and drive slowly when going

neighbourhoods.

child care to participate in the work force,” Laura Kwong told trustees Kwong said current waitlists for daycare spaces in the downtown core range from 18 months to four years or to just plain “no.” She said that, if the board opts to move the daycares without suf ficient time for parents to find alternatives, some par ents could be forced out of the workforce or fami lies might have to leave the community altogether

James Plett said his fam ily chose the Qayqayt day care for his daughter be cause they liked the fact that it would be her day care and then her elemen tary school

He said he understands the district’s need for more space for classrooms but called the idea of mov ing the child care centres “short sighted.”

“I feel for the elemen tary kids who should be going to a local school, but this is just pitting parents against parents,” he said.

Secretary treasurer Bet tina Ketcham said the dis trict’s schools are already running at 110 per cent capacity, and enrolment is continuing to grow Now, she noted, it needs to find ways to house students for the next five years until it’s able get a new, 600 student elementary school funded and built at the Fraser River Middle School site.

“There is no magic solu tion,” she said “We are trying to do our very best with the capacity that we have ”

Board chair Gurveen Dhaliwal said the district is in a “crisis situation ” But she assured parents the district is actively looking at possible downtown loca tions for the daycares and

that there will be consul tation with families along the way

Hachlaf told parents the district has heard their pleas to find a downtown location for the two child care centres.

“The board, staff and families are united with that ideal goal We will not right now at this point give up on that goal, so please hear that,” Hachlaf said “That’s our commitment.”

Hachlaf promised par ents the district would be transparent about its plans for all aspects of its short term capacity review which includes not just the child care centres but also a review of programs of choice (French immersion, Montessori and Home Learners).

More information will be presented at the Nov 8 operations committee meeting, including a work plan and timelines

Topic: Let kids be kids on Halloween

“It’s about the tradition Have fun, let kids do their thing, and if teens seem too old, be glad they still want to participate I always enjoy seeing excited kids, and most of them are very thankful ”

“When teens come to my door and they’re not in costume, I ask for a trick I love it, I’ve had singing, jokes and even dancing. So much fun, and if they’re shy, they still get a treat

MY VIEW KEITH BALDREY

Straying from the ‘centrist left’ could be disastrous for Eby

Incoming B.C.premier designate David Eby would be wise to stick to his predecessor’s style of governing, which means not embarking down paths favoured by activists of all stripes who right now are rather vocal within his party

Outgoing Premier John Horgan told me early on in his first term that it was important for his party to drop the activist ways that characterized its time in Opposition Forming gov ernment raised the stakes and forced the party more to the political centre and away from the more fringe activist elements

The first indication the BC NDP had actually done that was its decision to finish the Site C dam, which the

party firmly opposed before forming government. It also backed the LNG industry, which it mocked while on the other side of the House

When he was in Opposition indeed, even before he entered politics Eby carved out a reputation as an activist lawyer who championed civil liberties, the homeless and opposed a number of police actions

When he became attor ney general in 2017, there was speculation he would continue with his activist approach, but, much to the dismay of his opponents, he did not do that

The BC NDP attracts a broad range of liberals, unionists, and social and environmental activists. The party’s recent leadership

“race” revived in some ways the age old debate that exists within parties like the NDP: is it better to adopt public policies that are not popular yet satisfy ideological prefer ences? Or is it better to com promise on some of those beliefs in order to achieve real political power in order to actually implement some of those policies?

Horgan and his caucus have obviously opted for the latter approach, much to the dismay of disqualified NDP leadership candidate Anjali Appadurai and her support ers

Eby says he intends to take action on a number of fronts in his first 100 days of office They include health care, street crime, old growth log ging, climate action and, of

course, housing affordability. I will be surprised, how ever, if he proposes to do anything radical on any of those issues His outgoing predecessor led his party to an impressive majority in the 2020 election by governing from the middle, with a def inite shift to the progressive side of the political ledger

Straying from this “centrist left” approach could prove disastrous for the BC NDP at the ballot box come the next election

Going down the activist road is not a path towards forming government and staying in government We shall see if Eby sticks to Horgan’s largely successful script I am betting he will Keith Baldrey is chief po litical reporter for Global BC.

LastWeek

Are you happy with the results of the New Westminster local election?

ThisWeek

Do you think voting should be mandatory?

Donna Gordon Pike via Facebook Lowka Barbara via Facebook

Lara Graham

Mark

Vicki

What NewWest’s bike lane critics are forgetting

Editor: I just need to point out the utter lack of perspective which has caused some people to become enraged about the new bike lane on Sixth. This bike lane takes up one and a half blocks, or about 450 metres of roadspace There are literally hundreds of kilometres of road space dedicated to drivers in this city, and the outrage over having to share a tiny fraction of it is wildly disproportionate

The arguments these folks put forth are completely without merit No consultation? There were two rounds, to say nothing of the election we just had No one uses them? As of today they are not even completed Nowhere to park? There is still parking on the west side, as well as plenty of off street parking in the area. Dangerous? The fact that the bump outs and curbs make people pay attention and drive more slowly actually makes the road safer

The other thing I need to point out is that this cycle has been repeated in literally every city in the world where these types of lanes go in Lane goes in, people get outraged, the apocalypse doesn’t come to pass, and people

move on with their lives, albeit a bit more safely for people outside of cars. The same thing will be true of New West

Christian Sampaleanu

Johnstone’s win was not a‘clear mandate’

Editor: Too often politicians politicize election outcomes Unfortunately, mayor elect Patrick Johnstone falls into this trap by seemingly misconstruing the electorate’s wholehearted endorsement of his pre election platform

While Johnstone won the election, which was good for him, with his receiving only 41 9 per cent of the votes, he did not even receive a majority of the votes cast

Digging a bit further, the 15,923 total votes cast only represents 27 3 per cent of New West’s eligible voters.

For Mr Johnstone, whom I hope for the future of New West does well, the total votes cast for him only represents 11 4 per cent of New West’s total eligible voters, which is a far cry from espousing his agenda is a “clear man date” (as quoted in The Province, Oct 16)

Ian Callaway, New Westminster

THE NEW WESTMINSTER RECORD WELCOMES LETTERS TO THE EDITOR We edit for taste, legality and length Please include a contact phone number Send letters to: The Editor, #201A 3430 Brighton Ave , Burnaby, B C , V5A 3H4, email to: editorial@newwestrecord ca (no attachments please) or fax to: 604 439 2694 Letters to the editor and columns may be reproduced on the New West Record website, www newwestrecord ca

Chief Const Dave Jansen said staffing is an issue that the police board will be working on closely in 2023 In an interview with the Record, Jansen said the ongoing staffing challenges in the police department are unprece dented during his nearly 33 years on the job.

“I’ve never seen any thing like it,” he said “Maybe we did have some periods of time where that did occur, but not a situ ation like this, where it’s

just continual And it’s been this way for a while ”

Jansen said the staff ing challenges are due to a combination of many dif ferent issues According to Jansen, about 13 or 14 of fices have left the NWPD to take jobs with Surrey’s new municipal police de partment

“We’re losing officers to Surrey; we’re losing of ficers to other jobs, like out of policing,” he said “And then there’s the time it takes to train a re cruit; it’s not quite a year,

but it’s almost a year from the time you hire them until you can actually de ploy them on the road by themselves ”

Jansen noted the NWPD currently has 10 police officers in various stages of training at the Justice Institute of B.C. Although they’re all in cluded in the depart ment’s allocated strength and are on the payroll, they’re not deployable as police officers until their training is complete.

A younger department,

for police:

the NWPD also has about six officers who are on pa rental leaves.

Jansen said the police board will be discussing how to build capacity in ternally so it’s able to fill some of these gaps He said the staffing challenges have affected all areas, from the traffic unit (which was down to one officer) to patrol He said the department that feels the brunt of it most is the patrol division the “frontline officers” where the department is

usually running at its min imum levels

Compounding the problem is the fact that the demand for police isn’t declining “Calls aren’t going down, generally speaking, and they’re certainly more complex,” Jansen said.

Hyland said NewWest minster’s overall Crime Severity Index (which in cludes all Criminal Code violations) rose in 2021, as did the city’s violent crime index, which went up 28 per cent in 2021

He said those types of calls take time for officers to investigate.

Plus, Hyland said, po lice work is much differ ent now than it was 25 years ago.

“You go to the calls now, a lot of them, a good percentage of the calls, they’re socially based calls And it’s challenging work,” he said

“They are put into sit uations where people, for a variety of reasons, are in crisis. And they do an amazing job ”

Death, dying and grief in focus at four-day event

NewWest Hospice Society hosts Dialogue on Death and Dying with poetry,performances and info

TheresaMcManus tmcmanus@newwestrecord ca

The NewWest Hospice Society is hard at work on initiatives aimed at nor malizing conversations about death and dying

The society named NewWestminster’s Not For Profit of theYear at the 2017 Platinum Awards was created in 2016 Its ultimate goal is to create a physical hospice in New Westminster.

“We’re one of the only cities that does not have a physical hospice,” said Rani MacInnes, the soci ety’s volunteer program manager “Currently, peo ple that are living in our community of NewWest minster, they have to leave their community and have to go somewhere else ”

Not only do NewWest residents in need of hos pice care have to go to fa cilities in other cities, but their family and friends have to travel to those communities to visit them

“It’s better to serve our own community with a hospice,” MacInnes said.

People go into hospice care on the recommenda tion of a physician or palli ative team

“It’s set up completely for people who are end of life,” MacInnes said. “When you go to hos pice, you don’t know how

long you’re going to be there; you could be there for months So it’s like be ing in your own space, and having people come to visit you Plus, they have medical staff that are there who would administer any kind of medical attention that they would need ”

The NewWest Hospice Society is hard at work on doing more events and programs, after losing some traction with the on set of the COVID 19 pan demic

“A lot of people in the

community don’t really know that we are here,” MacInnes said “There are a lot of people ‘Oh, wow, we have a hospice?’ No, we don’t have a physical hospice, we have a hos pice society this is what we do.”

Aside from the ultimate goal of creating a hospice in NewWest, the society aims to normalize discus sions around death and dying, grief and bereave ment.

“Right now, it’s a bit of a taboo subject Peo

ple don’t normally want to talk about death, or they’re kind of uncomfort able about it,” MacInnes said. “It’s one of our mis sions to actually talk about it and to demystify it, to make it more of a thing that you don’t have to be fearful or afraid of We can actually talk about death, dying and grief and be reavement ”

That’s just what’s hap pening at the Dialogue on Death and Dying event being presented by the NewWest Hospice Society

On the agenda

What’s it all about? Events at the Dialogue on Death and Dying, all taking place at Century House (620 Eighth St.) include:

Poetry Night, featuring New West poet laureate Elliott Slinn, poet laureate emeritus Candice James and open mic from the Royal City Literary Arts Society It’s on Wednesday, Nov. 2 from 7 to 8:30 p.m.

PEACH Night, featuring a presentation by Dr Naheed Dosani, a palliative care physician and founder of the Palliative Education and Care for the Homeless (PEACH) Dosani will join the in person audience via Zoom. It’s on Thursday, Nov 3 from 7 to 9 p m Free but register at www.eventbrite.ca (search for PEACH).

Performance Night, featuring Elliott Slinn, Jane Slemon and Friends, and The Cat Murphy Band with Kaitlyn Deavy, who will be singing and reflecting about death and dying with words and music. It’s on Friday, Nov 4 from 7 to 8:30 p m

Prose Night will have Dr. Susan Breiddal reading from her book, In the Shadows of Angels Local seniors will share their stories on death and dying, and audience members will be given an opportunity to discuss their reactions to the readings. It’s on Saturday, Nov. 5 from 7 to 8:30 p m

Daytime events taking place at Century House will include assorted topics: advance care planning; MAID medical assistance in dying; the 38 minute film Dance to the End of Love; death care options and planning; death conversation starters; volunteer with the New West Hospice Society and the Century House Association; and what is an end of life doula? For more information, contact programs@newwesthospice ca or call Century House at 604 519 1066.

For details and links to all the events, see the website at www.newwesthospice.ca.

and Century House from Nov 2 to 5 It features a variety of daytime and nighttime events at Cen tury House

“This is really just to let people know more about who we are,” MacInnes

said “It’s free Totally free ”

MORE PROGRAMS

For more on programs offered by the society, check out page 19 of this edition

OUTREACH: Rani MacInnes, left, and Yuri Larsson of the New West Hospice Society The organization is hosting a four day Dialogue on Death and Dying Nov 2 to 5 PHOTO THERESA MCMANUS

Arts & Entertainment

The Royal City Liter ary Arts Society is inviting you to take a journey into B C’s haunted history

The NewWestmin ster group is hosting its next virtualTellers of ShortTales night tonight (Thursday, Oct 27) The featured author is Gina Armstrong of Haunted

History B C , co author of Evenings and Avenues: Hauntings in the Outskirts. Armstrong and co author/ historianVictoriaVancek are dedicated to sharing B C heritage, hauntings, legends and folklore while helping to preserve Cana da’s history.

Tellers of ShortTales

also includes an open mic session, so you’re invited to share your own stories. The session runs from 6 to 8 p m via Zoom, and it’s free to attend To get the Zoom link, email secretary@rclas com or RSVP to the Facebook event (search forTellers of ShortTales)

A sci fi horror film by David Cronenberg is coming to NewWest minster for the next Last Monday at the Movies of fering

The Arts Council of NewWestminster’s film series continues on Oct. 31 with a screening of Crimes of the Future

It’s on at the Anvil Cen

treTheatre (777 Colum bia St.) starting at 7 p.m., with doors opening at 6:30 p m

The movie is set in a time where the human species is adapting to a synthetic environment and the human body is under going new transformations and mutations It follows celebrity performance art

ist SaulTenser (Viggo Mortensen), who pub licly showcases the meta morphosis of his organs in avant garde performances, along with partner Ca price (Léa Seydoux)

Tickets are $10 general, or $9 for students and se niors Pay cash at the door or buy online in advance through ticketsnw ca

SUNDAY,

SATURDAY, OCT. 29

BIRDHOUSE BUILDING

Always wanted to make a home for that little sparrow that sits by your window sill?

VancouverWooden Boat Society (60 East Columbia St., in the building at Sapperton Landing Park) is organizing a birdhouse building class for kids that will not only give them a sense of accomplishment of build ing a house, no matter how small a house, but also teach the basics of carpentry All

the materials and tools will be provided to the participants for the class that’s sched uled between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Registra tion fee is $40 per person.

MORE: See www.vancouverwoodenboat. com.

SATURDAY, OCT. 29

PAINT NIGHT

Imagine the silhouette of a tree in a quiet moonlit night now imagine being able to draw the same on a canvas and flaunt it on

THE DOG WHO SAVED HALLOWEEN

Have you decided on a Halloween costume for your pooch? If not, now is the time to make a run to Bosley’s, PetSmart or Party City and get some clothes that’ll have everyone stopping Fido for a snap And if you are proud of your pet fashion choice, then be sure to sign up forWonderpup Academy’s (9 Sixth St ) movie night, where you can sit back and watch The DogWho Saved Halloween, while your pupper goes around gathering compliments.

WHEN: Sunday, Oct. 30, 6 p.m.

WHERE: Wonderpup Academy, 9 Sixth St. (downtown)

See www.downtownnewwest.ca. You need to save a space; contact team@wonderpupacademy.com to sign up in advance.

a wall at your home At Arrieta Art Studio (707 Front St ), you can follow a step by step drawing process, while also clinking a glass of booze with your neighbour, and end up with a stunning piece of home décor If you are over 19 years old, join the BYOB paint night session between 5 and 8 p m , for a price of $40 each All materials will be provided MORE: See arrietaart.ca.

SATURDAY, OCT 29 & SUNDAY, OCT 30

HALLOWEEKEND

You may love horror movies, but do you dare to enter a haunted house? Fraser River Discovery Centre’s (788 Quayside Dr ) Haunted House will give you a blood cur dling account of what lurks underneath the surface of Fraser River You may never look at the Mighty Fraser the same way again The two day event will also answer your all important question: what happens to all the jack o lanterns after Halloween night? Tickets are priced at $6 per adult; and are available at discounted rates for kids and seniors

MORE: See fraserriverdiscovery.org.

SUNDAY, OCT. 30

HALLOWEEN PARTY

Are you someone who goes beyond a witch’s hat and a wizard’s wand when dressing up for Halloween?This might be your moment to shine.TheTerminal Pub (115 12th St ) is hosting a Halloween party complete with a photobooth, a DJ, food and drinks, and a costume contest You get a chance to take home a $100 gift voucher MORE: See downtownnewwest.ca.

ONGOING

RECALLED

Award winning photographer Paul Gravett has turned old anonymous por traits into contemporary artworks for his exhibition Recalled To see how Gravett has transformed them using his photography skills, check out the show at the Anvil Cen tre (777 Columbia St , third floor) between 10 a m and 5 p m daily

NewWest residents re invited to bring their furry friends to Queen’s Park for the Happy Campers fund raiser for animal welfare

The event features hot dogs, drinks, treats and free tips on training It’s taking place in the Queen’s Park south picnic shelter this Saturday, Oct. 29 at 1 p m

All proceeds will go to the SPCA Champions for Animals foundation, which invites animal lovers to raise money for the BC SPCA’s work in protecting and enhancing the quality of life for animals in B C

Valerie Prudencio, who runs Happy Campers Dog Training and Daycare in NewWest with her hus band James, is hosting the fundraiser

You can make a dona tion at the event or online at www tinyurl com/Happy CampersFundraiser

SAVE THE DATE

PechaKucha NewWest Volume 30 Rise Up is on the horizon.

It’s being presented in association with the BC Farmer’s Market Confer ence that’s taking place in NewWestminster next week Catch it on Friday, Nov. 4 at MasseyTheatre (735 Eighth Ave )

Attendees will be en gaged, entertained and in spired by speakers shar ing presentations (showing 20 images for 20 seconds each) about their passions.

The doors and bar will open at 7 p m and the presentations begin at 8 p m Tickets are $10 and available online through ticketsnw ca

The conference, mean while, is set to run from Thursday, Nov 3 to Sat urday, Nov. 5 at the Inn at the Quay Find out more at bcfarmersmarket org

CELEBRATING BUSINESS EXCELLENCE

The NewWestminster Chamber of Commerce

will once again host the Platinum Awards, a cele bration of business excel lence

Awards will be handed out in a number of cate gories: Service Excellence; Community Spirit Award; Bernie Legge Cultural Award; Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Champion Award; Not For Profit of theYear; Environmental Leadership Award; Artist of theYear; Female Iden tifying Business Leader of theYear; Manufacturing Business of theYear; Cit

izen/Business of theYear; Top Entrepreneur Under 40; New Business of the Year; andTourism Based Business of theYear

Unlike last year’s on line event, this year’s event will be in person It’s tak ing place at the AnvilThe atre onThursday, Nov 24 at 6 p m

Tickets are available at www.eventbrite.ca (search for 2022 Platinum Awards)

Got an item for Around Town? Email tmcmanus@ newwestrecord ca

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Theresa McManus

How do you know when it’s time to reline dentures?

If the dentures no longer fit as well as they once did, you may need to have a procedure done to refit the base of the denture, called a“reline”

Registered Education Savings Plans (RESP) are a great

for

child’s

especially when combined with the Canada Education Savings Grant which pays 20% on the first $2,500 contributed each year until the child is 17. That’s up to $500 for post-secondary education each year you contribute to a maximum of $7,200, regardless of household income Provincial grants like the BC Training and Education Savings Grant offers up to $1,200 for children ages 6-9. The great part about this grant is you don’t have to make a contribution to receive it, you just have qualify However, not all RESP providers offer it, so feel free to reach out to us if you want some help opening a qualifying account for your child

Check with your Denturist to see if your dentures can be relined It is best not to reline your dentures with over-the counter reline kits This procedure, which can be done by your Denturist, will enable your dentures to have a tighter, better fit A new impression will be taken to ensure the proper landmark and a new base will be cured to the underside of your existing denture

Can I eat normally with dentures?

Most patients need to learn how to use dentures properly and as a result, it takes a little time to get used to them. After a while, you should be able to eat fairly normally, but it may take more time to get comfortable with harder foods or sticky foods. Using a small amount of denture adhesive (no more than three or four pea-sized dabs on each denture) may help stabilize the dentures and help hold them in place while you learn how to get comfortable with them and may make the learning process easier

Chewing gum: Dentures and chewing gum do not usually work well together, no matter which brand of chewing gum you decide to try The gum typically sticks to the acrylic plastic in the denture and may break a seal on the dentures, which will loosen them as a result Gum may remain stuck to the denture and eventually harden and discolor Ultimately, if you wear dentures, you should avoid chewing gum.

What happens if I break or chip my dentures?

The best solution is to return to the Denturist who made your dentures and have the cracked denture repaired professionally It may seem easy to fix, but it is important that the repair is done correctly to prevent problems with chewing and to avoid any sore spots The Denturist also needs to check the denture and adjust it after it is repaired The denture may be too old and may no longer fit closely to your gums, and you may need a new denture Do not try to glue it together yourself, it can be toxic as well it can displace your bite if done incorrectly

Quan Gifford R.D Owner & Operator

Dentureworks

(604) 553-1222

522 Seventh Street #270, New Westminster, BC V3M 5T5

hazards for your kids and pets All the while, providing style and flare to your room décor All Budget Blinds window coverings are custom fit to your windows We do it all for you from measuring, to installation so you can sit back and relax.

If you are looking into making your home safer, call us today for a free In Home consultation.

Why should you care about the major changes to family law since 2013?

You can save stress and money if you are proactive and ask for legal advice before there is an active conflict In addition to us solving disputes, we like to help spouses and parents plan their future to reduce if not prevent conflict with the other spouse or parent

Since 2013 there have been major changes to both the Provincial Family Law Act and the Federal Divorce Act because of the changes in our society Our laws reflect our social values so our laws change as society changes

For example, common-law marriage is respected the same as a marriage confirmed by a marriage certificate, whether same-sex or not, so if there is a question about a child, property division or alimony etc then family law applies Further, to reduce conflict, power words like custody are not used so the focus is on the child not parental conflict We support mediation to resolve issues. WeCanHelp@seatoskylaw.com 778-728-0208.

You can book an appointment online: www.SAPPERTONlaw.ca then complete with our Administrator the Law Society pre-requisites like ID: 778-728-0208.

Denture EXPERT

in Hydrant Cup

TheresaMcManus tmcmanus@newwestrecord ca

NewWestminster fire fighters are thrilled to be returning to Queen’s Park Arena to take on theVan couver Canucks Alumni team in the Hydrant Cup Normally held every two years, the game is re turning to Queen’s Park Arena on Friday, Nov 4, after being derailed by the COVID 19 pandemic

“We’re going to do the game again this year for the first time in four years, so we’re pretty excited about that,” said firefighter Ryan Heaven. “We haven’t done it since 2018 ”

Along with the on ice action, the event includes a game featuring youngsters with NewWestminster Mi nor Hockey during the first intermission, a Fris bee toss during the second intermission and an auc

tion or raffle in the arena’s lobby. Kids’ activities will include balloon twisting and hockey themed glitter tattoos

Steel & Oak will have a beer garden on site, the Reel Mac and Cheese food truck will be on hand, and the arena’s concession stand will also be open

Piva Modern Italian is hosting an autograph ses sion with Canucks alumni from 5:30 to 6 p m in the lobby of Queen’s Park Arena Some members of the NLL’sVancouverWar riors professional box la crosse team Brandon Goodwin, Brett Mydske and Justin Salt will also be at the game to sign au tographs

“It’s a family event that you can bring your whole family to and have a cheaper night out at the hockey rink and watch, what we hope to

be, a good quality hockey game,” Heaven said. “But more importantly, it’s an opportunity to maybe even catch up with some peo ple that you haven’t seen in a couple of years due to COVID”

Doors open at 5:15 for the pre game fun, and the puck drops at 7 p m

Players lacing up the skates for theVancou ver Canucks Alumni team include Kirk MacLean, Dave Babych, Jannik Han sen and professional poker player Greg Mueller, who once played professional hockey in Europe Former Canucks Gino Odjick and Darcy Rota will be on the bench as coaches.

Heaven and his older brother Clayton grew up in NewWest and played hockey with the NewWestminster Minor Hockey Association Hav ing attended the Hydrant

Cup as kids, the broth ers now both members of NewWestminster Fire and Rescue Services are stoked about return ing to Queen’s Park Arena and playing against the Canucks Alumni “I remember growing up as a kid coming to the game and thinking that it was just such a fantas

tic thing,” said Ryan, who started working with the department in June 2020.

“It’s going to be really cool ”

The NewWestminster firefighters’ team is part of a morning firefighters’ league that plays against other Lower Mainland de partments on Monday mornings in Burnaby

“I think we have one of our most competitive teams,” Heaven said.

Tickets for the Hydrant Cup are $5 for children and $10 for adults.They’re available at the Queen’s Park and Moody Park are nas, the Glenbrook Fire Hall (1 East Sixth Ave.) and G&F Financial (760 Sixth St )

Game on: New West firefighters Clayton Heaven, Capt Bruno Morin, Cory Wright and Ryan Heaven, are looking forward to the return of the Hydrant Cup

PHOTO

Though the weather spent many weeks telling us another story seem ingly endless sunshine, and warmer weather than most mid Octobers the winter will be here before we know it

I heard a rumour that it is going to be a wet, cold winter In preparation for the colder, rainier months, there is a lot we can do to prepare

The number one strat egy, in my view, is get ting your flu and pneu monia shots and your next COVID booster. Last year, in the October 2021 edition of On Health, an article said that “Ex perts expect that the flu will make a comeback this winter circulating along

with other seasonal respi ratory viruses as well as the coronavirus.”

I think it will be the same this year Because of a more relaxed attitude to COVID 19, many peo ple are not masking up or keeping their distance from one another, so this could provide added risks for contacting the viruses I feel like I was blessed over the last two years mercifully, no colds or flus

During the winter, re spiratory diseases can dis proportionately affect older people Many people do not realize vital respi ratory health is related to aging well Keeping your respiratory system healthy can improve your qual ity of life and help you live longer

However, immune func tion naturally decreases

with age, because as we grow older, our immune system becomes slower to respond to outside in fluences and causes us to be more susceptible to re spiratory illnesses. In fact, older adults have a far higher risk of contract ing infections like colds, flus, and pneumonia than younger people

So, what can we do? Ex perts say we should con sider vaccinations as a first line of defence

If we get vaccinated, we may avoid getting these three diseases our selves and we also prevent spreading these diseases to other more immune com promised people, pregnant women, and those who don’t or won’t get vacci nated

Most importantly,

MargaretCoates contributor

AS WE AGE Celebrating Seniors

Stayconnectedwithfriends,neighbours

17

research has shown that if after being vaccinated you do contract flu, pneumo nia, or COVID 19, your risk of a serious, lengthy illness or hospitalization is reduced

Aside from getting your shots and staying con nected, we can also stay healthy through exercise, eating well, getting enough sleep, getting outdoors, and staying hydrated

STAY CONNECTED

Every winter, house bound seniors are also at an increased risk of de pression, isolation, and other health related issues Research has shown the health risks of social iso lation include the follow ing: increased chance of premature death; reduced sense of well being; dis

ability from chronic dis eases; poor mental health; increased use of health and support services; caregiver burden; and an increased number of falls

Like the use of vaccina tions as a first line of de fence in keeping our re spiratory systems safe, staying connected to fam ily, friends and community is perhaps the best strategy to keep from getting de pressed and isolated in the cold, rainy months ahead

What can you do to stay connected?You could try visiting your friends and neighbours regularly now that the COVID restric tions have been reduced Try chatting with friends on the phone or invite friends to take a walk with you Try volunteering this gives you an oppor tunity to give back to the

community and will in crease your own sense of well being.

You can also get out to seniors’ centres and other organizations to get your social needs met.

Programs can run the gamut from exercise (yoga, dancing, osteofit) and brain games (bridge, com

puter classes) to work shops (travel to an exotic place), classes and so on

TAKE CARE IN WINTER WEATHER

While we usually do not experience the cold weather that our friends farther north do, we can have some cold weather

snaps bringing snow or freezing rain and ice that we need to prepare for

If you want to get out doors more, some prac tical suggestions include: dress appropriately, be careful getting out of your car, avoid taking shortcuts when out walking, take ex tra time preparing to go out, pay attention on slip pery sidewalks, and try not to get distracted.

Keep your driveway and walkways salted and clear, and prepare your house, car, and yourself for the cold and rainy months

Always be prepared, say the Boy Scouts. So let’s follow their example Margaret Coates is the co ordinator of Lionsview Seniors’ Planning Society and a regular columnist for AsWe Age.

Reach out

Want to volunteer or connect with other older adults? Here are some New West resources:

SENIORS SERVICES SOCIETY

The society is a New Westminster based group that offers pro grams and services to support vulnera ble older adults it also welcomes volunteers See seniorsservices society.ca or call 604 521 6621

CENTURY HOUSE

The seniors cen tre in Moody Park (620 Eighth St.) offers an ar ray of social and edu cational programs for adults 50+. See www. centuryhouseassoci ation com or call 604 519 1066

Social ties: Staying connected with family and friends is key in combating isolation. PHOTO ALDOMURILLO/E+/GETTY IMAGES

New West Hospice Society programs are there to help

If you or a loved one are dealing with death, dying or grief, there’s help

The NewWest Hospice Society is currently run ning a number of com munity programs and working on others

Rani MacInnes, the so ciety’s volunteer program manager, said the pro grams are intended to support the community, raise awareness about the society and help in its goal of creating a hospice.

“A compassionate com munity is about help ing each other,” she said. “And how do we help each other?Well, we do it through all these different types of events.They’re all free ”

COMPASSIONATE CITY

Because New Westminster does not have a physical hospice, the NewWest Hospice Society developed the Compassionate City Crew Created in conjunction with Fraser Health, the program trains volunteers to go into people’s homes and help them with cer tain tasks, including meals, laundry, light housekeep ing, gardening and com panionship all to help people stay in their own homes longer

Fraser Health’s pallia tive care team refers cli ents to the society

COMPASSIONATE CAFÉ

This monthly fundraiser

takes place on a Sun day afternoon at Begbie’s pub, where musicians will be performing and 50/50 tickets will be sold or raf fles held It’s free to at tend, but donations are encouraged

Upcoming Compas sionate Café events are taking place at Begbie’s pub, 609 Columbia St., on Sunday, Nov 27 and Dec 18 from 3 to 5 p m

GOOD GRIEF UPCYCLE STORE

The NewWest Hospice Society is raising funds for its endeavours through the Good Grief Upcycle Store, a kiosk inside River Market.The volunteer run store accepts donations from the community that can be upcycled and sold in the store

Storefronts are costly, so the society has started out by offering a kiosk space at River Market Good Grief Upcycle Store carries a se lection of curated items that have been donated, including jewelry, small antique items and house wares.

The shop is currently operating on a pop up basis.Volunteers, who would go through a two hour training session, are needed

WALK & TALK

This is an eight week bereavement walking program, led by a facilitator, that takes place

on Saturday mornings

Participants meet by theTin Solider on the waterfront and go for a walk together to the end of the boardwalk and sit down afterwards and have a gentle discussion about the different stages of grieving

“People can participate or not, they can listen to the facilitator and just lis ten They don’t have to stay for the talk They can just leave. It’s very flexible and gentle It’s kind,” Ma cInnes said “It’s a place where people can be with other like minded people, because often, grieving can be isolating ”

Many hospice societies have walking groups, Ma cInnes said, but this one includes a discussion com ponent for those who want to talk about grief

“It doesn’t have to be recent. It can be years old,” she said “There is no timeline for grief ”

ARTTHERAPY

A bereavement art ther apy program for children and families in NewWest is in the planning stages and will be launched in 2023.

“The idea is to support children and their families and adults through their grief and bereavement us ing art, so expressing their grief through art,” Mac Innes said. “So it’s not counselling in the tradi tional sense of counselling,

it’s more of expressing yourself through art.”

BOOK CLUB

The NewWest Hos pice Society is working on plans to launch a “book club” in late 2022 or early 2023. Led by a facilitator,

participants (who don’t have to have lost some one to participate) will meet monthly to discuss topics around death, dy ing and grief in all forms of literature and film It will include a variety of art forms: kids’ books, poetry,

even movies

WANTTO KNOW MORE? Contact programs@ newwesthospice.ca.

See page 9 of this edition for a feature story about the society’s Dialogue on Death and Dying event.

DrNobahari

Douglas Lovely

Dr. Chantal Thériault

Stephen

Memorial Funeral Service for ALLEN, Shirley Maud

Shir ey Maud A len (née Corbou d), age 98, passed away peacefuly n Duncan B C on October 21st, 2020 She was born in 1922 in New Westminster, B C , where she lived a most cont nuously for 93 years

During WW2 she worked for 2 years as a secretary for the A uminum Company of Canada n Montrea Starting in 1944 she stud ed languages at UBC and obta ned her BA (Honours) degree n 1947 She married Ernest Al en in 1948 and stayed home to ra se two sons Volunteering was an important part of her l fe She was past Pres dent of the Un versity Women s Club, acted as secretary of the St Barnabas Anglican Church Committee for 14 years, worked with the CNIB for 32 years, and was a member of the PEO Sisterhood for 50 years

She played tennis nto her m d eighties, was an avid reader (in any of four languages) and a pass onate animal lover There were only a few years of her life when she d d not have a dog as a companion

Fami y was real y the focus of her l fe and her greatest joy Her ove and devotion w l be missed She s predeceased by her husband of 56 years, Ernest Al en, her e dest son, Kenneth Donn Al en, and by her three brothers Gordon Donovan and Kenneth Corbould She s surv ved by her son, Gordon Allen her daughters n law Shir ey Imada and Jan Christie, and her grandchi dren Jeni Chr st e and Yarrow, Rachael, and Graeme Allen

Mom’s ashes have been nterred n the Church of England section of the Fraser Cemetery in New Westminster

There will be a Memorial Funeral