New Westminster Record February 16 2023

Family Day Weekend

FEBRUARY 18 - 20, 2023

Register now for free activities to:

Get Creative:

• Family Day Frozen Adventure: Join princesses Anna and Elsa from Frozen to sing songs, listen to stories and take part in a winter-themed craft.

• Families Growing Together: Gather your family’s green thumbs and take part in a series of nature crafts and planting activities.

• Indigenous Cree Medicine Bag: Learn medicine wheel teachings from a Cree knowledge keeper, and work on a project to strengthen yourselves and your community.

Learn and Explore:

• Outside/In: Celebrate the art and culture of six regions of Canada, outside and in! February 18, find artisans, food vendors, musicians, a photo booth and more!

• Family Fun on the Fraser: Visit the Fraser River Discovery Centre to investigate the biodiversity hiding under the surface of the living, working Fraser River.

• Buffalo Circle: Celebrate the meaning of family through a unique mixture of Indigenous storytelling and interactive activities.

Be Active:

• Family Day Zumba: Take part in a Family Day dance party – Zumba style!

• Community Recreation Activities: Pickleball, indoor playland, and multisport.

• Sportsplex Activities: Gymnastics, trampoline, and more!

We gratefully acknowledge the support of the Province of British Columbia.

Can New West’s Q to Q Ferry remain viable?

The Q to Q Ferry service is almost back to its pre-pandemic sailing

– but the city is raising questions about its long-term financial viability New, extended hours are now in effect for the

ferry, which runs between the Queensborough and Quayside neighbourhoods and they’re longer than what’s been offered since the pandemic began

On weekdays, the Q to Q will leave Quayside every 30 minutes from 7 a m to 7:30 p m It will leave Queensborough every 30 minutes from 7:15

a

to 7:45 p m

The city wants to increase ridership on the ferry to help keep it running

“The Q to Q Ferry ser-

vice has required a significant ongoing investment from the city, and especially in the past few years,” Mike Anderson,

Up Front School district avoids registration lotteries

JulieMacLellan jmaclellan@newwestrecord ca

Families with children starting kindergarten in NewWestminster can breathe a sigh of relief: there won’t be any lotteries for placement this fall School District 40 had been eyeing the possibility of lotteries for enrolment at three particularly crowded elementary schools: École Qayqayt Elementary School in the downtown, Lord Kelvin Elementary School in the Moody Park neighbourhood, and Queen Elizabeth Elementary School in Queensborough

But good news came

Friday:The district has managed to find sufficient space at all three schools to accommodate all students who enrolled by the Jan 27 registration deadline, so lotteries won’t be needed after all

At Qayqayt, that enrolment feat was only made possible by the creation of two new classrooms at the school come September space that’s being converted from former community use by NewWest Family Place into classrooms

The district is also continuing to work on creating more classroom space at both Qayqayt and Fraser River Mid-

dle School by converting daycare rooms into classrooms

That plan has come with its own share of controversy, as downtown-area parents have raised concerns about their ability to access the daycares at the sites they’re being moved to:

F.W. Howay Elementary School in Massey-Victory Heights and LordTweedsmuir Elementary School in theWest End

“We are doing everything we can to think creatively about how we’re using our spaces, and we’re continuing discussions with the City of New Westminster about pos-

Why the purple lights? City hall marks key dates in 2023

If you recently passed by NewWestminster City Hall, you may have wondered why it had taken on a purple hue

In response to an inquiry from a local resident, the Record checked in with the City of NewWestminster to see why city hall was recently sporting purple lights As it turns out, city hall was decked out in purple lights from Feb 1 to 7 in recognition of Eating DisorderWeek in B.C., a week that works

to prevent and promote early intervention of eating disorders and to create awareness of the issue

Requests for illuminating city hall are considered on a first-come, first-approved basis Lighting requests are approved by the mayor.

Here’s a look at some days in 2023 when city hall is scheduled to be lit up, including the colour of lights and the reason city hall is being illuminated: Feb. 22 – blue: BC Girl

Guides Day

March 24 – red:World Tuberculosis Day

March 26 – purple: International Purple Day for Epilepsy Awareness

April 7 – green: Green Shirt Day (Canadian Transplant Association)

May 15 to 19 – blue and green:World Neurofibromatosis Awareness Day (May 17)

Sept. 18 – teal/blue: Big Brother and Big Sister Day

–Theresa McManus

sible new solutions,” the district said in a statement Friday

The space crunch is an ongoing challenge in New Westminster, where enrolment has soared thanks to rapid growth in the city and where most of the district’s school sites are too small to accommodate expansions or more portables

All of the district’s elementary and middle schools are full for the 2023/24 school year

No out-of-district students are being accepted this year, and out-ofcatchment transfers are only being considered in the case of siblings.

The district says space “continues to be tight,” and it can’t guarantee that any families who register between now and September will be accommodated at their neighbourhood school.

“We are continuing to work with our partners at all levels to create and build the new spaces we need to alleviate this pressure, as we’re committed to supporting students and families in the local communities they call home,” the statement said

NEW SCHOOL DELAYED

In the long term, the district is working towards a new elementary

school in the core of the city

But there’s still a long road ahead for that project. A proposed 600-student elementary school on the Fraser River Middle School site has been delayed out of the gate; SD40 had hoped to receive concept plan approval by March but has learned it will now be at least June

That plan still needs funding approval from the B C Ministry of Education, and the new school won’t open before 2027 leaving the school district continuing to scramble for space in the immediate future.

Financial viability of Q to Q Ferry called into question

Continued from page 1

the city’s manager of transportation, said in an email to the Record “With operating costs rising, it is important that we continue to see increased ridership going forward to ensure the long-term viability of the service ”

As part of the 2023 budget process, the engineering department is seeking a $100,000 enhancement to the Q to Q’s

budget to make up for an anticipated reduction in sponsorship revenue and an extra $50,000 to offset an anticipated lower-than-budgeted fare revenue.

Coun Nadine Nakagawa said the city needs to have a conversation with the community about what to do with the ferry service

“I know there’s people who are really passion-

ate and love that service and use it,” she said at a Jan. 30 budget workshop. “I think we have to have a conversation about financial viability of that service at some point.”

The city’s draft fiveyear capital plan also includes funds related to the Q to Q Ferry, including $216,950 for the completion of mobility-related studies, new mobility initiatives, and ongoing oper-

ational support ($76,950 in 2023, $45,000 in 2024, $45,000 in 2025, and $50,000 in 2026)

The draft plan also includes $1,275,300 in 2023 (and $25,000 annually in 2024, 2025, 2026 and 2027) for improvements to Q to Q Ferry docks and passenger facilities

Coun Ruby Campbell sought more information about that budget item, saying: “It’s a lot of

money”

Anderson told council the dock work is multifaceted and includes replacing the dock on the Quayside/downtown side with a concrete float (including pilings) and replacing the gangway on the Queensborough side to make it more accessible

“We’re also replacing the debris barrier on the Queensborough side and, depending on the fund-

ing, installing a passenger shelter on the Queensborough side,” he said. “So it’s a multifaceted project, all scheduled to happen this year ”

Anderson added the work is “highly dependent” on approvals from regulatory authorities who work in the river

For more on this issue, see extended coverage at www newwestrecord.ca.

Illumination: New West city hall was recently illuminated in purple lights Red, green and blue lights are coming up in the next few months Here’s why PHOTO THERESA MCMANUS

FOOD SECURITY ACTION PLAN UPDATE: PHASE 1FOOD JUSTICE

Food justice recognizes that our current food system is unfair; some people benefit more, while others face greater barriers or burdens to accessing food. We are collecting community perspectives on barriers to food justice and potential strategies to increase food security in our community We invite you to share your thoughts and experiences on Be Heard! beheardnewwest ca/food-security

RELOCATION OF RARE TREE

A rare loquat leaf oak (Quercus rysophylla) has been relocated from a traffic circle at Thirteenth Street and Seventh Avenue to the west entrance of Moody Park. Planted by the City nearly 10 years ago with the hunch it might be adaptive to our changing climate, the tree has nearly doubled in size and has proven to be resilient to long periods of hot, dry weather The relocation of this valuable tree was necessary due to underground works to improve critical utility infrastructure Read more at newwestcity.ca/parks-and-recreation

NOTICE OF DISPOSITION OF LAND

Whereas the Corporation of the City of New Westminster wishes to licence a building known as Queensborough Kids located on a 516 1 square metre parcel of land having a civic address of 490 Furness Street, New Westminster B.C., and which land and building is not available to the public for licensing; therefore, the Corporation of the City of New Westminster hereby gives notice subject to Section 26(3) and 94 of the Community Charter:

(a) The land is more particularly described as: Parcel Identifier: PID 030-654-548 Legal Description: LOT 2 DISTRICT LOT 757 GROUP 1 NEW WESTMINSTER PLAN EPP85642

(b) The City proposes to licence the above described property to: KOLUMBIA INN DAYCARE SOCIETY (K.I.D S.) (Society Number S-0020652), 236 Ross Drive, New Westminster, B.C., V3L 0B2

(c) The nature of the disposition: a non-exclusive licence for the purpose of carrying on a licensed child care facility from Monday to Friday between the hours of 6:00 am and 6:30 pm for three months commencing on March 1, 2023 and ending on May 31, 2023.

(d) The consideration for which the Licensee shall pay to the city is the sum of $1,650 monthly as the licence fee for a total of $4,950

For more information concerning this sale, please contact Tobi May, Manager, Civic Buildings and Properties, Department of Engineering Services, City of New Westminster at 604-527-4597 Jacque Killawee, City Clerk

CITYPAGE

THE LATEST NEWS AND EVENTS IN OUR CITY

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Monday, February 20 No Council Meeting

Tuesday, February 21

7:00 pm

Victoria Hill & Ginger Drive

Residents’ Association General Meeting

The Carpentry Hall

January – March

Outside/In

Hyack Square and Anvil Theatre

newwestcity.ca/outside-in

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED: 2023 HOMELESS COUNT IN NEW WESTMINSTER

The City is supporting the 2023 Homeless Count, an initiative of the Reaching Home Community Entity, Lu’ma Native Housing Society, and Community Advisory Board (CAB). It involves identifying people experiencing homelessness and conducting a survey with them, either on the street or in a shelter The data collected is used by government agencies, service providers, and community groups to develop programs that address homelessness. The initiative is looking for qualified volunteers to help conduct the survey March 7 - 8. Persons with lived experience of poverty and/or homelessness are eligible to apply for a paid position.

Visit our website for more information: newwestcity.ca/2023homelesscount

NOTICE OF PATIO APPLICATION WITH LIQUOR SERVICE

606 Twelfth Street

The Thirsty Duck, located at 606 Twelfth Street, is applying to the City of New Westminster and the Province’s Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch to operate a patio with liquor service directly in front of the pub Up to 40 people may be located in the patio and the total maximum occupancy of the business remains at 107 people. The proposed operating hours would be 12:00pm -10pm

Sunday to Saturday

Comments on this proposal are invited to be submitted by March 10, 2023 to: businesslicences@newwestcity ca or City of New Westminster Business Licensing 511 Royal Avenue New Westminster BC V3L 1H9

All comments received will be shared with City Council and LCRB. LCRB requires a name and address to be provided with comments in order to be considered. Names and addresses will be shared with LCRB. Petitions will not be considered.

A tool for democracy or a heavy workload for city staff?

NewWestminster city council tables a proposal to limit motions from councillors at meetings

TheresaMcManus

tmcmanus@newwestrecord ca

NewWestminster has avoided becoming the first city in the region to limit council members to presenting one motion at a meeting.

At the Jan 30 meeting, council approved a motion from councillors Daniel Fontaine and Paul Minhas to report back on the way the council procedure bylaw had been interpreted by the previous council and how it’s being handled by the current council.

Since the new council was sworn after the October 2022 election, motions have been presented to council at one meeting and considered at the following meeting; the previous council dealt with motions without requiring

advance notice

A report to council said the City of NewWestminster is challenged by “unprecedented” staff vacancies As a result, staff had recommended that the number of notice of motions introduced at each council meeting be limited to one per council member, as this would provide staff with adequate time to process the notice of motions.

Fontaine expressed concern there had been a “complete reformation” around the issue of notice of motions, compared to the motion he’d put forward on Jan 30 Lisa Spitale, the city’s chief administrative offi-

cer, said staff felt it was important to show how notices of motion impact staff’s work plan She said staff are struggling with the amount of time it takes to deal with the notices of motion

But Fontaine said that if council approved the policy, it would become the only city that limits elected officials to one motion per meeting

“A motion is an idea A motion is a directive A motion is part of leadership,” he said Fontaine said Community First NewWest has a majority on council, so if its members don’t like motions being put forward by NewWest Progressive

councillors (Fontaine and Minhas), they can vote against them.

“That’s the way democracy works,” he said If council approved the policy, Fontaine said New Westminster would be a leader in anti-democratic measures.

But Coun Tasha Henderson said the policy aligns with the conversations council has had about constraints with staffing resources

“Staff work plans are impacted by every motion,” she said Speaking “as someone who brought a fair number of motions last term,” Coun Nadine Nakagawa said motions are not the

only way to get work done at council, as there is committee work, task force work and other ways to provide input

“I do support this I don’t think that this is undemocratic,” she said “I think this is streamlining And I think this has been respectful to staff work plans.”

Mayor Patrick Johnstone said council has a role in managing the workload of the city staff He noted staff have to be prepared to answer questions related to every motion brought forward as a notice of motion, so there is a “significant impact” on their workload

“To imply that a notice

of motion is the only way that members of council can bring ideas before this body … or carry forward the wishes of the constituents who elected us is a gross misstatement of what this job is and what our role in this job is,” he said “It is one of many different ways that council can influence the policy and the direction of the city, and do it in a way and represent the interests of residents in the city”

Spitale said staff and council could continue the discussion in a collaborative workshop process, with the understanding that council consider the limitations on staff and keep the issue of staff resources “front and centre ”

Council unanimously supported a motion to table the report.

Daniel Fontaine city councillor

Patrick Johnstone mayor

MY VIEW KEITH BALDREY

Polls deliver surprisingly good news for Eby’s NDP

When David Eby became B C premier back in November, it was widely assumed he would have a hard time coming even close to the popularity levels enjoyed by his predecessor, John Horgan

However, two polls released last week indicate that (for now, anyway) Eby is doing just fine when it comes to job approval ratings

In fact, the polls one by Research Co and the other by Leger both suggest

Eby and his BC NDP government enjoy considerably more support among voters than either of the opposition parties

The Research Co poll pegs Eby’s approval rating at 59 per cent The Leger poll has it at 49 per cent Both are relatively high numbers

Despite the BC NDP government fending off controversy after controversy a lack of family doctors, crowded emergency rooms, closed ERs, public safety incidents, the ongoing toxic drug crisis the public ap-

pears to have little interest in any other party running the province

The Leger poll gives the ruling NDP a whopping 16-point lead over the BC Liberals among decided voters (47 per cent to 31 per cent) The Research Co showed a smaller gap of eight points, but still a significant lead for the NDP (44 per cent to 36 per cent)

All in all, the polls are encouraging news for the governing party and its new leader, and very discouraging findings for both the BC

Liberals and the BC Green Party

BC Liberal leader Kevin Falcon, in particular, must be disappointed and frustrated that Eby seems to be connecting with the public with greater success than his own efforts

Research Co asked respondents to rate the leaders on eight separate issues

Eby beat Falcon by small margins of four to six points on three issues: crime and public safety, energy and the economy and jobs

However, Eby scored

more decisive advantages (13 to 19 points) on five other issues, including two key ones (health care and housing/affordability)

The polls show the BC Liberals have considerable work ahead of them if they want to be competitive with the BC NDP The Research Co poll in particular shows the depth of the problem it gives the NDP a 13-point lead in the FraserValley region, usually an area of BC Liberal strength

Of course, polls are simply snapshots in time, and

the next election is not for a long time yet (currently set in law for October 2024 unless Eby calls an early one, which he has promised he will not do)

Eby has been leader for just three months, and lots can go wrong between now and the next vote

But for now, Eby and his crew must like what they see in these most recent measurements of public opinion

The new guy seems to be off to a surprisingly good start

Keith Baldrey is chief political reporter for Global BC

Letters

Stop the tax hikes and become more efficient

Editor: I am writing in response to the article “City eyes tough tax hike” that was published in the New Westminster Record on Feb 2, 2023 I have to say that I strongly disagree with yet another city tax hike.

Firstly, the proposed increase in taxes will have a disproportionate impact on low- and middle-income families who are already struggling to make ends meet. The last thing they need is a tax hike that will further strain their budgets

City council needs to consider generating revenue before resorting to a tax hike For example, they could explore opportunities to attract new businesses and industries to the area, which would result in increased economic activity and more tax revenue for the city.

Most importantly, though, city council needs to take a closer look at its spending patterns and identify areas where cuts can be made. Instead of increasing taxes, the city should focus on reducing its expenses and finding more efficient ways to operate

For example, removing the redundant New Westminster Commercial Vehicle Safety Authority, and parks could serve dual roles, such as gardening and cleaning the trash

along sidewalks Non-core roles that the city has taken on can be throttled back. Regarding the comments made by councillors Nakagawa and McEvoy: The statement “we cannot have it both ways” implies that there is a limited choice between reducing expenses or increasing taxes. Incorrect. It should be obvious that finding efficiencies should be a first priority (for the city and councillors who work for the citizens and taxpayers of New Westminster) before turning to taxpayers for more money

Ian Platts

Want to cut waste? Quit wasting city staff’s time

Editor: I read a recent letter suggesting that the city cut back on services, and I wanted to express my agreement for this idea There are ways to cut expenditures and meet long-term goals we just require a little bit of creative thinking

In order to meet our climate goals, the city should stop all road work Impassable roads will discourage drivers, thus reducing traffic and pollution We would require less road maintenance, see an opportunity to reallocate streets to more community-based uses, and ultimately have safer streets. After all, we’re all concerned about the safety of seniors and

children, aren’t we?

I concur that pet projects need to be set aside, as do redundant projects This is the work of council to consider the real cost implications of creating work for the sake of work with motions like asking an understaffed planning department to come up with pre-approved housing programs like it’s 1959 Lastly, we can reduce staff costs by limiting the amount of motions council can bring forward in any meeting. Senior staff are required to work those hours, and the longer the meeting goes, the more money is spent by council It’s simplistic to talk about freezing wages (I suspect the writer would never agree to missing a raise or taking a pay cut themselves), but if we look at real wasted time, we can find real savings

Mike LeBlanc

NewWest is missing the boat on public mooring

Editor: New Westminster is missing the boat on the ability to have an accessible mooring facility in the city.

Brownsville boat launch closed years back, and the closest launches are under the Port Mann or near the airport

New Westminster shouldn’t just be a driveby on the river but a place to launch, rest and

grab a snack

Before all the available land/waterfront has been consumed by developers putting in towers to make the river disappear, a spot should be preserved to recognize that New Westminster’s origin was because of the river, the commerce, employment and political hub it once was

R. Elkin

What NewWest Record readers are saying online

Re: Property tax increases and cutting waste at city hall

Let’s charge more for street parking too, and in more places bring some money in for the city which is still overly subsidizing car usage

You don’t own the road in front of your houses, as a reminder to the readers

“But wait no, not like that!” is what I imagine people calling for cutbacks would think of this Well, which projects are YOU proposing to cut then? And which city income sources would YOU be willing to pay for, if not income tax? Be clear, because handwaving about efficiency and cost reduction is yelling at the wind territory

Jan Tache, via newwestrecord.ca

FAMILY DAY WEEKEND FEB. 18 - 20

Piece together an adventure with your family! Suggested activities will provide a fun opportunity for families to create, discover, get active, and try something new There will be FREE activities for families of all shapes and sizes! Registration is now open at newwestcity.ca/familyday Highlights include:

Families Growing Together

Gather your family’s green thumbs and join us for a session of crafts and planting Staff will instruct you through a series of nature crafts and planting activities that your family can nurture together. Please dress for the weather and prepare to get a little dirty! At the Queen’s Park Greenhouse on Sunday, Feb. 19. Register for any of the time slots below:

11:00 – 11:30am, ID# 175729 11:30am – 12:00pm, ID# 175731 12:00 – 12:30pm, ID# 175732

Family Day Line Dancing

– 1:00pm, ID# 175733 1:00 – 1:30pm, ID# 175734

YOUTH AWARD NOMINATIONS

Do you know an outstanding New Westminster youth, 11 - 18 years old? Honour and celebrate their accomplishments, or an adult ally, by submitting a nomination in one of these categories:

• Leadership

• Community Service

• Athletics

– 3:00pm, ID# 175740

Learn a fun line dancing routine with easy-to-follow choreography at the Centennial Community Centre on Monday, Feb 20, 10:45 – 11:45 am. Registration ID# 174142

• Arts & Culture

• Sustainability

• Adult Ally

Nominations close March 24

For details visit newwestyouth.ca/youthawards

Arts & Entertainment

Classic fairy tale gets a contemporary spin

Experience the magic of Ballet Jörgen’s Cinderella at MasseyTheatre this weekend

Ballet aficionados and newcomers alike are invited to experience the magic of a familiar fairy tale onstage in NewWestminster.

Ballet Jörgen’s production of Cinderella is onstage at MasseyTheatre on Saturday, Feb 18.

create a more realistic and human look at Cinderella and her circumstances

Onstage

What: Ballet Jörgen’s Cinderella

Artistic director Bengt Jörgen has created an innovative take on the classic story, as a press release explains balancing its fairy-tale elements with a contemporary treatment of Cinderella, her family relationships and struggles, and her pursuit of true love

When: Saturday, Feb 18, 7:30 p.m.

Where: Massey Theatre, 735 Eighth Ave..

Tickets: $35 to $50. Buy through wwwticketsnw ca.

“Cinderella is one of Canada’s Ballet Jörgen’s most popular classical ballets and is one of my personal favourites,” Jörgen said in the release “Cinderella is a touching ballet, but also makes people laugh and has an uplifting quality to it Set to beautiful music by Sergei Prokofiev, it is the epitome of classical ballet ”

The cast includes 16 dancers

It combines classic ballet with modern twists to

Toronto-based Ballet Jörgen is one of Canada’s largest dance companies, with a mission to bring professional ballet to

ATTHEBALL: The Prince (Leandro Prado) and Cinderella (Momoka Matsui) find true love in the Ballet Jörgen production of Cinderella The Canadian company’s production, which is onstage at Massey Theatre this Saturday night, puts a contemporary spin on the classic fairytale PHOTO CASEY SPECTOR/COURTESY BALLET JÖRGEN

communities large and small, urban and rural across the country, partic-

ularly those that may not have access to professional ballet

Art Squared 2023 on now in New West

A “fun and funky”

downtown art space is playing host to the New West Artists’ latest show

The artist group is hosting its Art Squared 2023 show at Arrieta Art Studio on Front Street The show opened this past weekend and will be up at the studio until the end of the month

“We are thrilled to have a show at this fun and funky Front Street space,” wrote NewWest Artists’ Robbin Sheriland and Janet Kvammen in an email “Mishel (Arietta) is wonderful and was totally supportive of our idea of a group exhibit ”

The show features art in a 12”x12” square format

“It is a popular size to work with, and small enough to find a spot for it in your space,” the artists explain “Large artworks are fantastic, but not everyone has the wall space (or wallet) for them, so this size is great.”

WANTTO KNOW MORE?

Arrieta Art Studio, at

707 Front St , is open Thursdays to Sundays from 1 to 8 p m

For a full list of classes and events, check out www.arrietaart.ca.

You can find NewWest Artists at www newwest artists com, or get all the latest news at their Instagram, @newwestartists – Julie MacLellan

For more about the company, see www canadas balletjorgen.ca.

For more on the New Westminster show, see www masseytheatre.com

Arts & Entertainment

How New

NaveenaVijayan

nvijayan@newwestrecord ca

A new art gallery as wide as the length of a guitar and as deep as the height of a bread knife is the new hot spot for palm-sized art in New West

Located at 815 Edinburgh St , the 10-by-42inch gallery is free for anyone to browse through the smorgasbord of mini artworks and pick what they like

It’s much like the Little Free Libraries that dot the city, but for art, noted FultonTom, who launched FLAG (Free Little Art Gallery) around Christmas 2022 with a display of tiny snowflake ornaments as a “gift to the community”

It’s parked right outside

his house, “like an election lawn sign board,” andTom has seen people stop by to look in, take pieces of art, and also place their art inside

Unlike other art galleries where artworks are strictly curated and so often beyond one’s budget, this gallery follows a more laid-back approach where anyone hobby or professional artists can place their creations to be snapped up for free

“There are really no restrictions on sharing art other than the fact that the cabinet is quite small So, the art that goes in has to be fairly little,” saidTom, who manages the floating inventory often posting photos of new items that come in, on the gallery’s Instagram page

Tom came across the

tiniest art gallery came to be

concept by chance, when he was planning a vacation to California with his family in 2022. He had come across an article about a free little gallery when Googling for art galleries to visit in the city of Berkeley

“When I saw that, I thought, ‘Well, this is a fantastic idea,’” he said

“Before we set out on the trip, I brought some things that I’ve made in the past and some craft supplies to leave in the free art gallery,” added Tom, who has dabbled in stained glass and fibre arts, origami, cross-stitching and crochet

He found three such galleries in Berkeley

“As I looked more about these free little art galleries on the Internet, I realized that there

is a whole community of them,” he said, referring to a website called Find a Free Little Art Gallery that includes locations of such galleries around the world

“Most of them appeared during COVID I think it was a response to so-

cial distancing and the fact that museums and galleries were closed during the time Many artists had no way to visit galleries So, some of them installed a free little art gallery outside their home and used it as a way to engage the

community to share and see art ”

On their drive back from Berkeley,Tom and his family stopped at free little galleries in Seattle, Bainbridge Island and Bellingham inWashington State

By the time he got back home, he couldn’t wait to start one in NewWest

A “big proponent of reducing waste,” he got an old curio cabinet off Craigslist, separated the stand from a discarded kitchen table and fused them to build a functional little gallery One of his neighbours helped him cut an old door, also found on Craigslist, to be repurposed as a roof for the gallery.

“I’m pretty certain that my gallery is the first such

Continued on page 14

Tiny gallery: Fulton Tom and artist Merril Hall opened the Free Little Art Gallery in December 2022 PHOTO TRACEY MOI

Arts & Entertainment Outside/In returns with Family Day weekend fun

TheresaMcManus

tmcmanus@newwestrecord ca

An East Coast vibe is featured at this weekend’s Outside/In festivities in downtown NewWest

Community members are invited to celebrate the arts and culture of six regions of Canada at the six free Outside/In events, which include live performances and a variety of activities

This Saturday’s “outside” activities include a photo booth, live music featuring CollageTrad and the North Shore Celtic Ensemble, and a

visit from Salty’s Lobster Shack andTornado Potato FoodTruck The street social runs from 2 to 5 p m in Hyack Square

“The street socials have also been a great success with each week featuring local vendors, music, activities and giveaways,” said Lisa Kemp, the city’s program coordinator of special events

Mi’kmaq fiddler and singer MorganToney is performing inside the AnvilTheatre at 7:30 p m

As with all of the upcoming Outside/In theatre performances at Anvil Centre, online tickets are sold

out, but rush tickets will be available at the door

If you missed the Jan 21 (British Columbia) and Jan 28 (Prairies) events, you still have time to check out this Saturday’s (East Coast) event and the remaining events: Feb 25 – Northern

Canada. Outside events (2 to 5 p m in Hyack Square) include a gold panning activity and live music featuringTorben Brown In entertainment (7:30 to 8:30 p m at Anvil Theatre) will be provided by New North Collective March 11 – Ontario

Outside events include an art activity with Indigenous artist James Groening, live music featuring Norine Braun and a visit from the BeaverTail Food Truck Indoor entertainment at AnvilTheatre will be provided by OKAN March 18 – Quebec

Outside events include circus activities withVancouver Circus School and live music featuringWill Clements Indoor entertainment will be provided by Sinha Danse Details about all events can be found at www newwestcity ca/outside-in

FRIDAY, FEB. 17 TO MONDAY, FEB. 20

GUILTY AS SKIN

Head to the Gallery at Queen’s Park to see Crystal Noir’s Guilty as Skin exhibit Her artist statement notes that the exhibition, which was born from Noir’s own feelings of fear being a Black woman, was Noir’s personal call-to-action to end the unjust policing of minority and disenfranchised bodies, and state-sanctioned acts of violence used as a tool to oppress BIPOC communities in North America

On Sunday, Feb 19, the gallery will be hosting an artist talk and presentation with Noir from 1 to 3 p m Admission is free, but donations to support gallery operations are encouraged

WHEN: Exhibition runs until Feb. 26. Gallery open Wednesday to Sunday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Artist talk and presentation this Sunday, Feb. 19, 1 to 3 p.m.

WHERE: Gallery at Queen’s Park, in Centennial Lodge (near the bandshell)

INFO: See www.acnw.ca/galleryexhibit

The workshop is held on multiple dates from 10:30 a m to 1:30 p m and is priced at $79 for learning to make a candle holder, $106 for table lamp and $127 for a swan lamp

MORE: See mosaicartstudio.ca.

SATURDAY, FEB. 18

TRY BALL HOCKEY

email metrominorevents@gmail. com to sign up.

SUNDAY, FEB 19

PLANTING WORKSHOP

DISCOVERY CENTRE

FRIDAY, FEB. 17

MOSAIC ART

Unleash your creativity at a DIYTurkish mosaic lamp workshop with your friends or family.

You will learnTurkish mosaicmaking methods from experiencedTurkish instructors and piece together beautiful hand-cut glass and beads to create colourful household ornaments and traditional mosaic lamps at Mosaic Art Studio (332 Columbia St )

Give your girls an introduction to the sport of ball hockey by dropping by at the free Girls Only Try Ball Hockey event hosted byTeam Canada andTeam B C ball hockey players at the Queen’s Park Sportsplex on Saturday, Feb 18, from 11:30 a m to 1 p m It’s free, open to girls aged five to 19, and no experience is required

MORE: See www.tinyurl.com/ GirlsTryBallHockey for details or

NewWest Parks and Recreation is hosting a Families Growing Together crafts and planting session where you can get your hands dirty and learn through a series of nature crafts and planting activities that your family can enjoy together The registration is free and runs from 11 a m to 3 p m with multiple 30-minute slots during the period Slots are filling up early as there is a limit of maximum 20 people in the greenhouse at a time, so hurry up

MORE: See www.newwestcity ca/familyday

MONDAY, FEB. 20

Yes, Monday is Family Day, and the Fraser River Discovery Centre is hosting a series of activities (self-guided and facilitated) for families to investigate the biodiversity hiding under the surface of the living, working Fraser River The series runs from Feb. 18 to Feb 20, but admission for families on Feb 20 is free The activities start at 10 a m and run until 4 p m There is a mandatory mask requirement for anyone aged five and up

MORE: Find details at www fraserriverdiscovery.org.

– compiled by Abhinaya Natesh

There’s a host of other Family Day activities on offer through the City of NewWestminster Check out www newwestcity ca/familyday

Photo: courtesy Arts Council of New Westminster Artworks by Crystal Noir examine the oppression of and violence against BIPOC communities, stemming

Community Fraser River Discovery Centre marks Family Day

TheresaMcManus

tmcmanus@newwestrecord ca

Fraser River Discovery Centre is shining a spotlight on the critters that live in the Fraser River for Family Day

In celebration of B.C. Family Day, the centre is hosting a full weekend of activities focusing on the biodiversity of the Fraser River and its watershed “Families come in all shapes and sizes almost as many as the critters in the Fraser River estuary,” said Stephen Bruyneel, FRDC’s director of external relations and devel-

opment. “Join us for the 2023 Family Day long weekend to investigate the biodiversity hiding under the surface of the living, working Fraser River Colour a creature to add to a Fraser River habitat map, see what you can spot in the Fraser River, and join us for storytime.”

Located at 788 Quayside Dr on NewWestminster’s waterfront, the centre will be open from 10 a m to 4 p m Saturday, Sunday and Monday

This weekend’s activities include:

CREATE-A-CRITTER

Join educators from

Family Services hosts pop-up at New West library

AbhinayaNatesh

anatesh@burnabynow com

“You define family We support it ”

This is the simple message Family Services of GreaterVancouver (FSGV) has for families across MetroVancouver

To mark Family Day weekend, FSGV aims to address the challenges faced by all kinds of families and support them through hardships with a special pop-up at the New Westminster Public Library on Feb. 18.

The public library popup will help families seek support and guidance as they navigate through the daily challenges from affordability, food security and housing challenges to mental and physical health challenges and prepare for the future.

“Serving families, in all their many forms, is foundational work of the New Westminster Public Library,” said Rebekah Adams-Brush, supervisor for children and youth services at NewWestminster Public Library “We’re excited to partner with Family Services of Greater

theYear of the Salish Sea to discover the animals that inhabit the estuary, where the fresh water of the Fraser River meets the ocean

ANIMALARTIFACTS

Skulls and scat replicas let you get up close and

personal with some of the inhabitants of the Fraser River basin

STORYTIME

Listen to A Magical Sturgeon by Joseph Dandurand, and then meet George the sturgeon and his many amazing adap-

tations.

“Admission to the FRDC will be free on the Family Day Monday thanks to our sponsor Loren Nancke Chartered Professional Accountants,” Bruyneel said. “Regular prices will be in place for Saturday and Sunday, al-

though free for members. All activities will also meet the terms of our updated COVID-19 health and safety plan ”

For more information, including the timing of these activities and admission rates, visit www fraserriverdiscovery org

Vancouver to continue the conversation of helping families thrive in New Westminster and beyond.”

Anyone can drop by the NewWestminster Public Library on Saturday, Feb 18 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. to discuss the challenges faced by families today and receive support from FSGV The pop-up is free and open to the public

Those unable to attend the in-person pop-up can still access an at-home activity for the whole family to enjoy (you can download it from fsgv ca/ family-day)

In addition to the popup, throughout February, FSGV will update its website and social media channels with free resources exploring affordability, financial literacy, parenting supports, mental health, gender equity and other topics that are important to B.C. families.

Family Services of GreaterVancouver has been supporting the families in the GreaterVancouver community since 1928 There are community specific programs and support for families year-round

See www fsgv ca

Why Now is thePerfect Time for Seniors to Rent

With B.C real estate prices continually changing, it’s a good time to get ahead of the curve and sell. In fact, renting may be the best choice for your stage of life Here are six signs it’s time to think about renting in an independent seniors’ community

1. Your home maintenance is tougher than it used to be.

2. You wish you had more time to spend with family and friends.

3 It’s harder to get around than it used to be

4. You’re spending more and more time alone

5. You don’t feel as safe on your own.

6 You wish you had more cash on hand.

Learn more about renting at PARC, the Lower Mainland’s best active living community aging adults: parcliving.ca

Record reporter earns gold in national awards

Julie MacLellan was honoured for her opinion writing in Canadian Online Publishing Awards

NewWestminster

Record reporter Julie MacLellan has won gold in the 2022 Canadian Online Publishing Awards

MacLellan, a reporter and assistant editor of the combined NewWest Record/Burnaby NOW newsroom, was one of five finalists from across the country in the Best Blog/ Column/Podcast category.

She earned the nod for her opinion writing work in 2022, including two of the newsroom’s best-read pieces of the year: a satirical take on why women shouldn’t go grey, in the aftermath of the controversy over the firing of CTV News anchor Lisa

LaFlamme; and a deeply personal essay about COVID and grief in the wake of the death of her father.

Both pieces were published online in August 2022

The Canadian Online Publishing Awards (COPAs) was started in 2009 as an industry showcase of the best digital content creators in the magazine and newspaper industries

In 13 years, it has become the largest digital publishing awards program in Canada with four

divisions academic, business, consumer and media with a mandate to reflect Canada’s multicultural diversity whenever possible

The entries are reviewed by a “who’s who” of digital publishing in Canada, according to COPA

The panel has more than 90 judges including creative, digital, web, tech marketing, media and publishing experts Awards were announced during an event inToronto

Feb 9

in NewWestminster because I haven’t heard of anything like it around here,” saidTom

“There are a few inVancouver (as per Find a Free Little Art Gallery, there are five in B C ); and some of them are not publicized very broadly So it’s hard for people to find them ”

Already in its brief existence, the gallery has received anonymous donations of craft supplies, a neighbourhood small grant from theVancouver Foundation to hold a launch party and a grant from the City of New Westminster for social and cultural vibrancy

“It’s a grant for involvement The city is providing some funds which we are using to get a few craft

kits to put in the gallery,” Tom said

Tom also started a FLAG collective that includes artist Merril Hall, a nominee for the 2022 Artist of theYear at the Platinum Awards and a member of NewWest’s Garden Gals, and two students from NewWestminster Secondary School, besides himself, to discuss ideas to run it solo art shows and a block party with art demos are in the works

“We are also connecting with people who have little galleries in other areas,” said Hall “We had some art mailed to us fromWashington collage pieces from the owners of the free little gallery in Bellingham.”

“I’m hoping that as more people discover the

gallery, more residents will make little pieces of art to go into it,” addedTom

As someone who enjoys making art that’s not necessarily for sale,Tom finds the gallery especially useful to share his works. And having retired earlier this year as an economics instructor at Langara College,Tom is ready to make this “little” project his big priority

“After all, it’s these sort of little community initiatives that I think really make a city a wonderful place to live in,” he said

FIND THE GALLERY

NewWest’s Free Little Art Gallery is located at 815 Edinburgh St Follow the gallery’s Instagram page (@newwestflag) for updates on new artworks

Julie MacLellan reporter

Tony Parsons Former News Anchor

THECOLOUROFBELONGING: Students are invited to wear pink shirts to school to mark the annual Pink Shirt Day against bullying on Feb 22 PHOTO

HowPinkShirtDaybegan

It’s become a familiar sight in schools and in the wider community every February, as people don their pink shirts to take a stand against bullying.

But where did it all come from?

The annual Pink Shirt Day effort has its roots in an act of kindness in Berwick, Nova Scotia in 2007

As detailed on the Pink Shirt Day website, two students, David Shepherd andTravis Price, and their teenage friends organized

a high school campaign to wear pink as a show of solidarity with a boy who was being bullied for wearing a pink shirt

From there, the idea has grown each year last year alone, people in nearly 180 countries shared their support of Pink Shirt Day through social media posts and donations

Since 2008, CKNW Kids’ Fund’s Pink Shirt Day efforts have seen $2.55 million distributed to support youth anti-bul-

lying programs in B C and throughoutWestern Canada, the website says Money has helped a variety programs for youth, including:

Leave OutViolence Society (LOVE BC); Crisis Intervention and Suicide Prevention Centre of BC; BGC South Coast BC; Vancouver Out On Screen Film andVideo Society; and Stigma-Free Society

Donations are accepted at www pinkshirtday ca

If a child or teen in your life is coping with bullying, don’t let them struggle alone

The Pink Shirt Day website (pinkshirtday ca) offers resources to help Here are a few places to start

ONLINE RESOURCES

Tip sheet for those who are being bullied:

Download at www tinyurl com/IfYouAreBeingBullied

Tip sheet for dealing

with cyber bullying: See tinyurl com/IfYouAre BeingCyberBullied

Strategies for cyber safety: Download a tip sheet at www tinyurl com/ CyberSafetyStrategies

CALL FOR HELP

Call Kids Help Phone, 1-800-668-6868

TEXT FOR HELP

Text the I Am Someone Ending Bullying Society at 211

Text Kids Help Phone at 686868

CHAT ONLINE

You can access online chat from noon to 1 a m in B C andYukon via youthinbc.com

FIND MORE RESOURCES

Check out the government of British Columbia’s ERASE (Expect Respect and a Safe Education) site at tinyurl com/ ERASEBC2023

– www pinkshirtday ca

XAVIERARNAU/E+/GETTY IMAGES

REMEMBRANCES

Obituaries

BRAINERD, Carol Lillian (Gibbons)

December 8, 1929 - January 23, 2023

The youngest daughter of Lloyd and Emi y C ss e Gibbons, Carol was born in the St Charles ne ghbourhood of W nn peg, Man toba In 1946, the fami y moved to Vancouver and Caro met her husband Roy whom she marred on January 26, 1951

Caro loved sew ng, baking and garage sa es and had a specia talent and passion for kn tt ng, which she was able to do unt l very recently Carol and Roy loved trave l ng and spent many of the r ear y retirement years on trips around the wor d They were vo unteers n a w de range of community causes and when they cou d no longer part cipate n person, they supported the r favour te causes with generous financia contr butions

Caro was pre-deceased by her husband Roy of more than 71 years and her great-grandson River n 2022 Survived by her three ov ng daughters Susan (Ralph) Dawson, L nda (Barry) Chi d and Jayne (Jul an) Buchwa d, 7 grandch ldren, 11 greatgrandchi dren, sister Doreen Speers, and many nieces and nephews

Ce ebrat on of Life wi l be held n the D scovery Room at Burnaby V l age, 6501 Deer Lake Avenue, Burnaby on Sunday February 26 from 3:30-6:30 pm

In lieu of flowers p ease consider donat ng to a char ty of your cho ce

HOME SERVICES

RENOVATIONS