New Westminster Record January 19 2023

tmcmanus@newwestrecord ca

The new peer assisted care team (PACT) is up and running in New Westminster, and it has already responded to its first call

After months of preparatory work, the mobile team made up of a mental health worker and a peer support worker launched earlier in January The team is designed to respond to the needs of people impacted by mental health issues and substance use, especially those who are marginalized and/or at higher risk of experiencing distress or criminalization from police contact.

“We’re out there So far, it’s been pretty quiet; we’re just slowly kind of doing our outreach,” said Nicole Sto Tomas, coordinator of the local PACT program. “But we did actually get our first call on Friday, so that was exciting ”

The team’s first call came via New Westminster Fire and Rescue Services, whose members had responded

NewWestminster police are searching for a blue Pontiac Sunfire that’s believed to be connected to a brutal assault just before Christmas

The NewWestminster Police Department is also appealing for witnesses and dash-

cam footage connected to the incident, in which a man was found unconscious and suffering from serious injuries near Begbie and Carnarvon streets Police say the man was sent to hospital and treated for “life-altering injuries” fol-

lowing the attack, which happened on Friday, Dec 23, 2022 at about 11:15 p m

Police say the man, who’s in his 50s, was assaulted by someone who was with two other people The group left the area in a car, which police

describe as a blue, four-door Pontiac Sunfire with black rims

Anyone with information is asked to call the NWPD’s major crime tip line at 604-5292430 or email mcucrimetips@ nwpolice org

GONGHEIFATCHOY:Seven-year-oldAliceWangofBurnabyworksonaskylanternwithhergrandmother,LucyWu Theywereamongthefolks whoattendedaJan 15workshopatAnvilCentre,partofthecity’sLunarNewYearcelebrations Seepage13

PHOTO JENNIFERGAUTHIER

TheresaMcManus

Up Front

‘Snow summit’ fails to win council support

TheresaMcManus tmcmanus@newwestrecord ca

A motion calling for a “snow summit” received a chilly reception at the New Westminster city council table

NewWestminster city councillors Daniel Fontaine and Paul Minhas put forward a motion calling for a “snow summit” in MetroVancouver to review the impacts of recent events particularly the Nov. 29 snowstorm that resulted in gridlock on many roads and bridges in the Lower Mainland.

The proposed summit would have involved

representatives from the Ministry ofTransportation, MetroVancouver, BC Ambulance,TransLink, ICBC, Mainland Contracting and senior officials from municipalities in the region

The call for a snow summit was defeated in a 4-2 vote, with only Minhas and Fontaine supporting the motion

Mayor Patrick Johnstone and councillors Ruby Campbell,Tasha Henderson and Jaimie McEvoy voted in opposition

Fontaine said Lower Mainland municipalities did their best to keep

their roads clear, but he along with Surrey councillor Linda Annis believes a “snow summit” is needed to consider exactly what happened and why.

“We thought, perhaps, that given the significant impacts to our economy, to our citizens, that it would be a no-brainer to bring everyone under one roof to find out what went wrong, and are there policy or procedural changes that need to happen to prevent another Snowmageddon?”

The Record checked in with Lisa Leblanc, the city’s director of the engineering, to see what dis-

Morethan500treeschipped atfirefighters’charityevent

Hundreds of chippedup Christmas trees will help support a variety of programs in NewWest this year

The NewWestminster Firefighters’ Charitable Society held its annual tree-chipping fundraiser on Jan 7 and Jan 8 at city hall

“This year we chipped over 500 trees, which are all used within the city in a multitude of ways such as mulch and for surface coverage,” said Alasdair Dunbar, president of

the charitable society “All the trees were collected and chipped by donation, which all get returned to members and groups within NewWest who are less fortunate ”

Dunbar said the city supports the charitable society by allowing it to operate the event at city hall

The city’s arborists chip trees that are dropped off at the drive-thru event

“We had a fantastic turnout from the community and off-duty firefighters to collect the trees and

donations,” he said

The charitable society holds a variety of fundraisers, including a charity hockey game and the annual tree-chipping event, to raise money that helps support a variety of groups and programs in New Westminster

“Next up is our shreda-thon, which happens shortly after tax season,” Dunbar said “Watch our website www.NWFCS. ca and the NewWest City Pages ” –Theresa McManus

cussions have been happening locally regarding the Nov. 29 snow event.

Leblanc said the city’s operational teams already have connections to other teams around the region, to B C Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure officials and to the ministry’s road contractor.

Leblanc said Gabe Beliveau, the city’s manager of engineering operations, is good about encouraging an improved response when things

don’t go well She said the city’s transportation manager, Mike Anderson, is also connected to a network of transportation managers and directors from around the region.

Because the City of New Westminster activated its emergency operations centre on Nov. 29, Leblanc said the city’s emergency management staff have also been having conversations with their counterparts around the region about readiness

for and response to snow events

As the city’s engineering director, Leblanc said she’s been in contact with ministry officials.

Leblanc said city staff “felt heard by the province” in regards to their feedback related to the Nov 29 event She said the region fared better a few weeks later, in the snow and ice event that occurred just before Christmas

“So, you know, we’re feeling better, because at least we didn’t see a repeat of the Nov 29 experience in December,” she told the Record

Mobile team offers crisis support

to a call from a woman experiencing some physical health symptoms.

“When they had gone there, it sounds like they had concerns around her wellness,” said StoTomas “The neighbours noted that she wasn’t eating. She’s experiencing a lot of anxiety She lives alone and doesn’t have any community supports So they told us about this woman, and they said, ‘She’s been

cleared medically, but it seems like she has a lot of unmet needs, that a community crisis service like PACT could support with ’”

StoTomas said the PACT team went to the woman’s home and provided her with some supports around food programs, because that was one of her big concerns They also left PACT contact information so she could call the team for as-

sistance if she’s in a crisis in the future.

“She really just appreciated us coming in to do a general wellness check,” she said “So overall, it was a really great first call and a kind of a perfect example of what our team hopes to do with this program It’s to be that kind of support that folks can call on when they’re in a crisis, but a 911 response is not necessarily what they need.”

StoTomas noted that

people in crisis need to consent to receiving support from the team

“Luckily, she was open to our team going in and meeting with her,” she said, “and they had a nice chat ”

The Lower Mainland Purpose Society was selected as the operator of the local program, and the PACT mobile team is based out of the society’s office in downtown New West

How PACT works

Wondering when and how to contact the Peer Assisted Crisis Team?

PACT services are offered to callers aged 13 and up who live in New Westminster

To reach the PACT, which operates from noon to 8 p m seven days a week, call 778-727-3909 (It’s a landline, so you can’t text this number.)

If you or someone you know is in any type of immediate danger, call 911.

When should you call the PACT? Some examples: when someone is in distress due to challenges around their mental health or family issues; when they’re feeling isolated and alone and are in need of some supports; when they’re struggling with substance use and want some support and knowledge around that; or when they’re dealing with grief and loss that has become a crisis situation.

Seasonender:VolunteershelpunloadatreeattheNewWestminsterFirefighters’CharitableSociety tree-chippingfundraiserheldJan 7and8atcityhall PHOTO JENNIFERGAUTHIER

DanielFontaine councillor

LUNAR NEW YEAR COOKING (6 - 12 YEARS)

Learn to cook a flavorful and delicious meal to celebrate Lunar New Year at Queensborough Community Centre! Visit newwestcity ca/shinebright to register. Saturday,

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Decorate a snowflake with

MONDAY, JANUARY 30, 2023 AT 6:00 PM Meeting held electronically and open to public attendance in Council Chamber, City Hall

Designation Bylaw No. 8381, 2023 for 109 Third Avenue

WHAT HOUSING MEANS TO ME: A PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBIT

Explore the importance of housing through the lens of affordable housing residents This exhibit will be at the Community Art Gallery at the Anvil Centre (3rd floor, near the Theatre entrance) and runs Jan. 5 – 24, 2023. For more information, visit anvilcentre.com/community-art-gallery

FAMILY DAY WEEKEND

NEW ITEMS ACCEPTED FOR RECYCLING

HOW DO I GET MORE INFORMATION?

OUTSIDE/IN: BRITISH COLUMBIA

•

par le gouvernement du Canada.

Heritage

An application has been received to voluntarily protect the G.R. Speck House, built in 1911, with a Heritage Designation Bylaw This means that any future changes to the exterior of the house and specifically listed interior features would require a heritage permit and further development would require approval from the City No zoning or development changes to the property are being considered at this time

Three schools could see registration lotteries

School District 40 is keeping a close eye on space at Qayqayt,Lord Kelvin and Queen Elizabeth

JulieMacLellan jmaclellan@newwestrecord ca

The NewWestminster school district is warning that three of its eight elementary schools may end up assigning spaces by lottery this fall

Families wanting to enrol students in École Qayqayt, Lord Kelvin or Queen Elizabeth elementary schools could find themselves facing a lottery for space if demand continues over the next couple of weeks

The regular registration period for School District 40 ends Jan 27

After that date, the district will be assessing the number of new registrations for schools com-

pared to the space available and, for three already overcrowded elementary schools, that could pose a particular challenge

“Our district is facing significant capacity issues, due to growing enrolment and limited space,” the district warns on its registration website. “While we continue to work to place every new student we can into their catchment or preferred school, we will not always be able to do so”

The district says it’s “closely monitoring” the situation at three schools in fast-growing neighbourhoods: Qayqayt, in the downtown core; Lord Kelvin, in the Moody Park/

Brow of the Hill neighbourhood; and Queen Elizabeth, in Queensborough

All families living within the catchments at those schools should still register their children for kindergarten at their local school but with the warning that their registration is considered an “application” for space A randomized lottery will be used to determine placement based on all the applications received by the Jan 27 deadline

Any student that doesn’t make the lottery cut will be added to a waitlist for the catchment school and offered a spot at the closest available school

The school district has

been taking steps this year to help combat its space crisis, including controversial decisions to convert community spaces at Qayqayt and Fraser River

Middle School into classrooms displacing two Purpose Society daycares and NewWestminster Family Place in the process.

The district has received early concept approval for a new elementary school in the central core of the city, which it plans to build on the Fraser River Middle School site next to the middle school. However, the plan has not yet received funding from the B C Ministry of Education, though the district is hoping for funding approval this year

The new school, however, wouldn’t be ready until 2027 at best leaving the district strapped for space in the meantime.

In Queensborough, meanwhile, an expansion for Queen Elizabeth Elementary School is underway, but that’s not expected to open until 2024

MY VIEW KEITH BALDREY

B.C. government signals priorities for $6B surplus

Last week provided the first major example of what the BC NDP government intends to do with the roughly $6-billion surplus it is sitting on Premier David Eby announced the creation of a new $500-million rental protection fund aimed at protecting renters and preserving rental homes

Now, a half-billion dollars is an enormous amount of money, but the government’s financial pockets are so deep right now it can afford it

The last quarterly financial update projected the budget surplus for the current fiscal year to be more than $5 7 billion On top of that is a $300-million forecast allowance that likely won’t be used plus more than $2 billion in contingencies and unallocated spending

By provincial law, any excess revenue not spent by the end of the fiscal year, which is March 31, is applied to pay down taxpayer-supported provincial debt (expected to reach $62

billion this year)

While fiscal conservatives may laud paying down the debt, it doesn’t provide a government much a political bang for your buck

There are not a lot of details about the rental protection fund yet It will be operated by an independent board, and it is a one-time bit of funding, so it won’t necessarily be re-established every year

It is also unclear how big an impact the fund will have on the rental situation Eby says “thousands” of renters

will be protected from eviction if a corporation buys a housing complex and wants to forcibly evict people, but he was unable to provide a more precise figure

The fund will allow nonprofit agencies to access capital to protect existing, older housing facilities But again, no details have been provided on exactly how that will work

And how far does $500 million even go when it comes to MetroVancouver’s still-hot housing market? That’s a question raised by

BC Liberal housing critic Karin Kirkpatrick, who doubts this will make much of a dent in the overall scheme of things

Finally, no business plan for the fund or its operators has been released yet

Still, it’s probably worth it for the government to take a shot here Why not throw something at the housing affordability wall and see if it sticks?

More housing announcements await, although Eby says B C is not ready yet to match Quebec’s “first re-

fusal” law for non-profits to head the line when it comes to purchases

And there will likely be more spending announcements flowing from that massive surplus I’ve speculated before what shape they could take: one-time grants for non-profits and community organizations, research and development etc

The government has a little more than two months to kick a lot more dollars out the door Stay tuned

Keith Baldrey is chief political reporter for Global BC

summit’would be a waste of

time

Editor: A“snowsummit”isacompletewaste oftimeandenergy Wedon’tneedasummittodeterminetheobvious MostLower Mainlanddriversdonothavetheskillsto driveinthesnow;mostdon’thavesnowtires, includingdeliverytrucks;semitruckdrivers didn’tputtheirchainson;andevenourbuses arenotequipped.

Driversdidnotheedthewarningandleave theirvehiclesathome Finally,mostdrivers arenotaccustomedtotheseextremeconditions.Thesolutionistoaddresstheaforementionedproblemsthatcreatedgridlockwith enforcement

Marcel Marsolais

Snow response deserved council consideration

Editor:I’msomewhatdisappointedinthe mayorandhisslateoncouncilwhocannot seemtomakeroomforideasotherthantheir own.

ThemayortalksaboutNewWestminster beingaleadingvoiceintransportationinthe LowerMainland,and,asIrecall,thiswasone ofthebasisforhisvoicebeingnecessaryon

theMetroVancouverboard(I’msureitwasn’t theaddedpaycheque)

However,whencouncillorsDanielFontaine andPaulMinhassuggestedthatNewWestminstertakealeadershiproleinattempting tosetupabroaderconversationwithother municipalitiesabouttheLowerMainland’s responsetosnow,itwasdismissedwithout commentorconsideration

Ithinkifwearegoingtotalkaboutbeing aleadingvoice,weneedtoputavoiceout there UnfortunatelyforNewWestminster,it seemstheonlyvoicethemayorwantstohear ishisown.

J Silvester

These neighbours have a citizens’snow plan

Editor:Thereisamplediscussionrecently regardingsnowplans Despitethepleasant weatherlately,theoddsaregoodthatwewill againhavesnow.

TheFourthStreetneighbourhoodis readyandhasbeenforafewyearswitha citizens’snowplan Afewyearsback,my neighbourDarrengotanOMGhorsepower, triple-stageredsnowchuckerandputus otherstoshamebyclearingthesidewalks ontheblockforeveryonebeforethesunhad crestedthehorizononthemorningafter I feltchallengedandbroughtintheultimate orangeSwedish-engineeredsnowmachine thatcouldsendthewhitestufftoRichmond withasqueezeofthethrottle

Itwasofnouse,forIsoondiscoveredthat theearlybirdgotthethrill Darrenleftmein thepowderashewasalwaysupagoodhour beforeme

Steppingoutoftheshowerinthemorning andhearinghisengineroaringwouldcause metoshakeafistintheairandmutter,“Curse you,RedBaron”

Thepointis,todealwithsnowitisimportanttohavetherightequipment,getup earlierthanyourneighbour,anddon’texpect anythinginreturnbecauseclearingtheside-

walkisalandowner’sjob

IwanttothankDarrenforbeingthesnow angel Also,Iwanttoapologizetothefellowinthe blueshoesImettoday Sorryformyunkind remark,andletmebuyyouaStarbucksone day

Social media said

Definitelyshouldhavereceivedconsideration

Weareacitywithapushtousemoretransit OurmainbusfeederistheNewWeststation. Peopletryingtousebusesthatcan’tgetup thehillsandendupblockingthetrafficisn’t acceptable Ourwintersaregettingcolder againandthisshouldbeatleastlookedat. Ourtransitsystemisn’tjustusedforresidents ofNewWest Weareahubtoothercities

Rocky Suffron, via Facebook

Wedonotneeda“snowsummit”forsomethingthatinconveniencesusonceortwice ayear,foroneortwodays Thesnowwas forecastaweekbeforetheevent,andeveryonehadtimetoprepare,makealternateplans andconsiderdifferenttransportationoptions Maybecarpoolwiththepersonwhoequips theirvehiclewithsnowtires!

Debbie Cooke, via Facebook

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

‘Snow

Gordon Hobbis

NaveenaVijayan nvijayan@newwestrecord ca

Four world-famous musicians, each with a starkly different style, are coming together to celebrate their common passion: the guitar

Canadian guitarist and composer Itamar Erez, Canadian jazz guitarist and vocalist Jocelyn Gould, Spanish guitarist Jesús Guerrero and Germany-based soloist and chamber musician Stephanie Jones will be part of the annual International Guitar Night at Massey Theatre on Jan 28

“Each one comes from a different background, different tradition And they each introduce their way of playing the guitar,” said Erez about the event

While 2021 Juno Award winner Gould’s work is influenced by jazz guitar greats such asWes Montgomery and Grant Green, Jones specializes in classical guitar performance, and Guerrero in flamenco guitar.

As for Erez, his music blends jazz, flamenco and Middle Eastern music.

Born in Israel, Erez got his first exposure to jazz when he was about 12 years old.

“My father would bring a lot of eclectic music

home,” he recollected.

Over the years, he drew from different styles: “My music is a coming together of many influences I was brought up studying classical music At the same time, I was also listening to a lot of jazz and world music, including East Indian, Brazilian and avantgarde music,” he said

“In my career, I have collaborated with a lot of artists through whom I learned about different cultures I toured with Sufi musician Omar Faruk Tekbilek and learned about Middle Eastern music Arabic andTurkish music.”

At the event, Erez and the other participating artists will perform solo for about 15 minutes; those performances will be followed by duets and a few quartets, he said.

“It’s really a fun evening with lots of enjoyable mu-

sic virtuosic and intimate

“It’s usually sold out,” he added

The tour was started in the early 1990s by guitarist and composer Brian Gore as a private concert series in California Over the years, it expanded to over 30 venues in North America as an event that facilitates cultural exchange

“Each one is at the top of the game,” said Erez of the participating artists “I’m really looking forward to meeting them, and spending time with them because when you tour, you basically are together a lot You get up in the morning, you get in the car, and you travel together On a personal and professional level, I am hoping to learn some new things, some new repertoire ”

The 23rd International Guitar Night tour kicks off in Florida on Jan 19, then moves to B.C. before heading back to the U S Erez will be part of the Canadian leg

“We are now preparing pieces for the show And we will actually only meet in person the day before our first show inVictoria (on Jan 25) So far, all our communication has been through Zoom,WhatsApp

and emails.”

Erez will be performing songs from his albums such as Mi Alegria and Hommage.

“My music is quite emotional,” he said During the pandemic, Erez brought out an album about “coming out of a dark period into light into spring,” and called it May Song

“There are some pieces in the album that are more dark and searching, and some that are very optimistic and moving ”

Erez also took to doing virtual concerts and teaching at theVancouver Symphony Orchestra School of Music, during the early days of the pandemic. Since then, he has been on a concert tour in Israel

and worked on an album with Persian percussionist Hamin Honari

What keeps Erez inspired to create new music?

“One of my role models is Bach Almost every day, I play some of his music

“Just listening and playing music of great composers is what inspires me ”

Arts & Entertainment

AbhinayaNatesh anatesh@burnabynow com

Do you enjoy live music but find that going to concerts is hard on your wallet?

From Jan 21 to March 18, the Anvil Centre is offering relief by hosting six days of free performances for visitors, featuring musicians from six regions across Canada

The Outside/In concert series is a celebration of arts and culture, bringing together the community for a strong lineup of live performing arts

“In” performances will feature nationally renowned performing artists from different parts of Canada over the six days The performances will happen every Saturday from January to March starting at 7:30 p.m.

The first performance,

by BCWorld Music Collective, is slated for Saturday, Jan. 21, and will feature musicians from Cuba, Mexico, Brazil, Africa, the U K and Canada

The second weekend will feature the New Dance Horizons dance company, and musicians Farhad Khosravi and Daniel Stadnicki from the Prairies

The Regina-based New Dance Horizons will present RE-Tangled, a remix of a duet dance and dance on film creation entitled Tangled, and Flowers, an ode to the beginning and ending of life, followed by Khosravi and Stadnicki performing contemporary music.

On Feb 18, Mi’kmaq fiddler and singer MorganToney from the East Coast will bring together the fiddling of Cape Breton Island with the old

songs of the Mi’kmaq People

Ensemble performers New North Collective from theYukon and NorthwestTerritories will deliver their contemporary-meets-traditional musical performance on Feb 25.

The final two weekends will feature Ontario and Quebec performers OKAN, a women-led ensemble that fuses Afro-Cuban roots with jazz, folk and global rhythms in songs about immigration, courage and love, and Sinha Danse, delivering a scintillating contemporary dance showcase inspired by Indian culture.

The Outside is an outdoor street festival happening at Hyack Square from 2 to 5 p.m. on the scheduled performance days The street festi-

val will feature local musicians, artisans, vendors and activities, where festival-goers can experience activities like interactive Indigenous storytelling

and hands-on planting.

Visitors can also enjoy giveaways like fortune cookies in celebration of Lunar NewYear on Jan 21 and free hot choc-

olate by Serious Coffee Company on Jan 28

For more information and tickets, visit the website at www anvilcentre com/anvil-centre-events

Onstage:SinhaDansebringsacontemporarydanceshowcase,inspiredbyIndianculture,tothestage aspartoftheOutside/Inperformanceseries onMarch18 PHOTO CONTRIBUTED

THURSDAY, JAN. 19 TO SUNDAY, JAN. 22

LUNAR NEW YEAR BUFFET

Gong hei fat choy not only is this the way Cantonese speakers wish each other a happy and prosperous new year, but it’s also the theme for the special buffet at Starlight Casino (350 Gifford St ) this weekend If you are visualizing a year filled with good food and drinks, here’s how you can take the first step: by enjoying a $29.99 Lunar NewYear buffet. (Note that you must be 19 years and older to join in.)

WHEN: Friday, Jan 20 to Sunday, Jan 22.

WHERE: Starlight Casino, 350 Gifford St.

INFO: See www.starlightcasino.ca/category/eat-drink

seen Mintz make an appearance in many of the popular talk shows such as Late Show with David Letterman, Jimmy Kimmel Live or Late Night with Conan O’Brien, to mention a few Mintz is performing at Rick Bronson’s House of Comedy (530 Columbia St ) at 7:30 p m on Jan 19, 7:30 and 9:45 p m on Jan 20, and 7 p m on Jan. 21.Tickets are priced from $25.

MORE: bc.houseofcomedy.net

SATURDAY, JAN. 21

they are from and how they got to British Columbia Intrigued? Check out the free show at 7:30 p m

MORE: See www.anvilcentre.com/ anvil-centre-events

SATURDAY, JAN. 21

CONVERSATION CIRCLE

THURSDAY, JAN. 19

LUNAR NEW YEAR COOKING

Make this Lunar NewYear all about good food and wide smiles, or combine both by making fried sesame smiley balls. At the event Culinary Heritage: Cooking for LunarYear, you will get to explore Chinese heritage through food, while also learning how to make the cheerful-sounding dish.The event will be held at Olivet Baptist Church community kitchen (613 Queens Ave.) between 6:30 and 8 p.m. It’s offered by the City of NewWestminster in

partnership with Family Services of Greater Vancouver

MORE: To register (code 165751), call 604-527-4640.

THURSDAY, JAN. 19

TO SATURDAY, JAN. 21

HOUSE OF COMEDY

If you are a fan of the American show Bob’s Burgers, you probably know stand-up comedian Dan Mintz as the voice of one of the characters in it the awkward teenagerTina Belcher Others might have

OUTSIDE/IN

Here’s how you can soak in a multicultural experience without having to cough up a lot of money in travel A total of 13 musicians from countries including Cuba, Mexico, Brazil, Africa, the U K and Canada are coming together on one stage to create a unique musical experience at the Anvil Centre (777 Columbia St ) At the event which is part of the threemonth-long Outside/In Festival (see story on page 10) the group of musicians will be performing together, while singing their own songs, and telling the stories of where

Always wanted to build your speaking confidence but didn’t know how? Immigrant Services Society of B C is organizing an in-person Conversation Circle where you can improve your English conversation skills, while also learning more about Canadian culture, and making new connections The free class will be held at the NewWestminster Public Library (716 Sixth Ave.) between 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p m , and sessions run Saturdays until March 18 Register through bit ly/ VCPLearnEnglish

MORE: See www.tinyurl.com/ NWPLConversationCircle for a full list of in-person and virtual options and a link to registration.

– compiled by Naveena Vijayan

Photo:

Best WishesBest Wishes

LunarNewYear programsahit

Families celebrated the Year of the Rabbit at a variety of Lunar NewYear events in NewWest.

The City of NewWestminster hosted several activities in celebration of the Lunar NewYear, including cooking and crafting workshops

On Sunday, Jan. 15, families took part in the Fortune inYour Hands workshop at Centennial Community Centre, where they created their own unique “fortune” banner decoration.

At Anvil Centre, community members gathered for a family sky lantern workshop, where they decorated their own sky lanterns (with instruction provided by the Asian-Ca-

nadian Special Events Association) and enjoyed storytelling celebrating the Year of the Rabbit.

The city’s Lunar New Year offerings also include two cooking programs

“We were very pleased with the response for the Lunar NewYear events,” said Lisa Kemp, the city’s program coordinator of special events

“Several community members commented that they appreciated the opportunity to learn while doing an activity. Attendance was also very high at all events ”

The Lunar NewYear is this Sunday, Jan 22 marking the beginning of theYear of the Rabbit –Theresa McManus

Gongheifatchoy:ChristinaHe,WilsonYouandAriaMoemakealanternataworkshop,ledbytheAsian-CanadianSpecialEvents Association,attheAnvilCentreonSunday PHOTO JENNIFERGAUTHIER

Arts & Entertainment

JulieMacLellan jmaclellan@newwestrecord ca

NewWestminster performers are among the nominees for this year’s Ovation! Awards

The awards are presented annually to recognize the best musical theatre in the Lower Mainland in 15 categories covering performance, direction, choreography and design.

The 2023 awards ceremony, honouring the best in musical theatre in 2022, is set for Sunday, Jan 22 at 7 p m at the Vancouver Academy of Music.

The Arts ClubTheatre Company’s production of Kinky Boots, which ran at the Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage in June and July, snagged 10 nominations, including Outstanding Production Profes-

sional

Its other nominees include multiple NewWest connections NewWestminster’s Sayer Roberts is up for Outstanding Lead Performance, while his fellow NewWestie and castmate Kelli Ogmundson is up for Outstanding Supporting Performance BarbaraTomasic, originally from NewWestminster, is up for Outstanding Direction

A double nominee this year is theVagabond Players and CapricornTheatre Productions’ Confessions of a Grocery Clerk, which is up for Best New Work and for Outstanding Newcomer, for lead performer Grace Hight. (Hight also appeared in Anything Goes with Fraser Valley MusicalTheatre.)

Confessions of a Grocery Clerk ran at the Bernie LeggeTheatre in Queen’s

Park in December

Daniel Curalli, who grew up on the border of Burnaby and NewWest, is up for Outstanding Supportive Performance for his work as Shakespeare inTheatre Under the Stars’ Something Rotten

You can also find some local connections among the productions up for Audience Choice Awards.

In the Outstanding Panto category, one of the contenders is The Snow Queen:A Frozen Adventure, the Royal Canadian Theatre Company outing that played this past holiday season in Surrey and at NewWestminster’s MasseyTheatre

In the Outstanding Non-Juried Production/ Cabaret/Revue/Concert or Special Event category, you can also find some NewWestminster contenders: Bear Grease,

Arts & Entertainment

Piva Presents jazz series supports NWSS music

A local concert series is making a difference for music programs at New Westminster Secondary School.

Launched in September 2022, Piva Presents: Jazz at the Anvil features monthly performances –with 100 per cent of the

proceeds from each show being given to the music department at NWSS to enrich the lives of the students and provide new opportunities for them to explore music

At the December performance, organizers presented a $5,000 cheque to

the school.

JAZZ AT THE ANVIL

Here are the upcoming performances in the Piva Presents: Jazz at the Anvil series: Tuesday, Jan. 24: A Night in Rio by Tom Keenlyside, a Juno Award

winner and nominee who has a star on the BC EntertainmentWalk of Fame

Tuesday, Feb. 14: A Night in Havana by Jack Duncan, featuring a musician who has appeared on numerous soundtracks, including the Grammy

and Oscar award-winning Disney/Pixar animated movie Ratatouille Tuesday, March 21: A Night in New Orleans by Doc Fingers, a piano player who has played with musicians including Chuck Berry, John Lee Hooker, Mississippi John

Hurt and Lee Oscar. Shows are at 7 p m , with doors opening at 6 p m

Tickets prices range from $35 to $55 (plus service charges) and are available at www.ticketsnw ca

–Theresa McManus

Calling all word nerds, book lovers and storytellers in NewWestminster.

The Royal City Literary Arts Society is kicking off a new year of public programs, and you’re invited to take part

Some highlights:

IN THEIR WORDS

Tonight (Thursday, Jan 19) from 7 to 9 p m , you can enjoy the next virtual session of InTheirWords, where local writers give presentations about their own favourite authors Their presentations include commentary about the author and a selection of readings that exemplify just what it is they love about that person’s work.

This month’s session features JaneneWhite presenting the word of iconic Canadian writer Farley Mowat, Franci Louann sharing the work of British poet-comedian-songwriter Pam Ayres, and SylviaTaylor presenting the work of Canadian artist and writer Emily Carr

TELLERS OF SHORTTALES

OnThursday, Jan. 26, you can join in this virtual session dedicated to short stories This month’s featured writer isWinona Kent, an award-winning NewWestminster novelist who’s the author of 10 books, as well as being a screenwriter, editor and the B C rep and vice-chair of the CrimeWriters of Canada

There’s also an open mic where you can share your own work, if you’re so

inclined It runs from 6 to 8 p m For the Zoom link, email secretary@rclas. com

POETRYWORKSHOP

Is home a state of mind or a place?What does it mean to be at home or to not have a place to call home?

You can explore those ideas in poetic form at an upcoming workshop with a former NewWestminster poet laureate

The Royal City Literary Arts Society is hosting a poetry workshop on the theme ofWhat Does Home Mean toYou?, led by Alan Hill It’s taking place in person on Sunday, Jan. 29 from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Anvil Centre (777 Columbia St ), in Room 417

You’ll learn how to structure a poem, practise presenting your work in an intimate setting, and walk away with valuable tips and tricks from a published poet

Alan Hill was the poet laureate of the City of NewWestminster from 2017 to 2020 He was the editor and curator of A Poetry of Place: Journeys Across NewWestminster, published in partnership with New Westminster Arts Services His writing has been published internationally, and his book InThe Blood was published by Caitlin Press in 2022

The workshop is free for RCLAS members, and $15 for non-members Space is limited, and pre-registration is required. See www rclas com

ROTARY IN ACTION

For the past two years we have hosted an online auction and 50/50 Raffle

LocalscaptureHerbHousegold

The NewWest Royals U13 A1 team captured gold at the recent Herb House MemorialTournament in NewWestminster The team went undefeated through the whole tournament, ultimately beating Burnaby 4-0 in the final at Queen’s Park Arena Nigel Creightney is the team’s head coach and

BryanTasaka is assistant coach

“The kids came out flying from the get go and they brought the confidence that they gained along the way to win a close final gold-medal game against a Burnaby team that played a very strong and hard-fought game,” Creightney said

The NewWest Royals team is composed of: Maxim Hunchuk; Gage Whitfield; CarterWelters; James Ramsay; Jack Davison; Julian Marcus; Carson Creightney; Luca Pazurik; Logan Hwang; Marcus Formigoni;Theo Tasaka; FinleyToth; and Connor Beattie –Theresa McManus

Champions: TheNew WestRoyals U13A1team celebrates its gold-medal winatthe HerbHouse Memorial Tournament PHOTO CONTRIBUTED

Takingaim:TheNewWestminsterSalmonbellies’MylesGiffordfiresashotongoalasthe ’BelliesU-18teamtakesonthePoCoSaintsinplayoffactionatQueen’sParkSunday The Salmonbellieswon,11-5 PHOTO JENNIFERGAUTHIER

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March 14, 1943

December 30, 2022

Norm died peacefully at home in the early morning hours of December 30, 2022. He is survived by loving partner Kathy Ford; brother Paul (Theresa); children Brad, Sarah and Dawn and their families.

Norm was known for his free spirit and boundless energy. He enjoyed a successfu career in the trucking industry, eventually ending up in the Justice Institute teaching program for emergency vehicle operators. On the personal side, Norm had a lifelong passion for cars and boats. In later life, his overriding hobby became photography, in which he was very accomplished.

No service is planned at Norm’s request, but if desired, donations may be made to Parkinson Society BC or the charity of your choice.

With incredibly heavy hearts, we announce the passing of our mother, Deb Hall she is finally at peace, dancing with Elvis. She was our best friend and the world’s best nonna. Deb is survived by her daughters, mother, grandbabies and everyone else whose lives she touched. She will be greatly

CORIDOR, Norman D.

HALL, Debera L.

February 19, 1957 December 18, 2022