THE WEDNESDAY
CANADIAN COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER AWARD 2012
TRI-CITY NEWS Are you feeling lucky?
Visual art, naturally
SEE LIFE, PAGE A18
SEE ARTS, PAGE A30
MARCH 28, 2012 www.tricitynews.com
INSIDE Tom Fletcher/A10 Letters/A11 A Good Read/A19 Sports/A34
Blonde clipped
Grace, beauty – and airtime – on the stage
Teacher withdraws, students decide musical can’t go on By Gary McKenna THE TRI-CITY NEWS
The show will not go on at Terry Fox secondary school. T h e Po r t C o q u i t l a m school’s production of the musical Legally Blonde has been cancelled due to the teachers’ job action after Dan Tilsley, the drama instructor co-ordinating the presentation, decided to withdraw from the play. Fox principal Heather Murphy said she understands the teacher’s decision and everyone is disappointed that the musical has been cancelled. “Considering Bill 22, he said he just could not do this, and I completely understand,” she said. “I know this would be an extremely difficult decision for him.” (Bill 22 was passed earlier
this month, essentially ending bargaining between the teachers and the provincial government for a new contract.) Putting on a production of this magnitude, she added, would likely involve the teacher spending every night at the school in the lead-up to the show. Administration staff had volunteered to step in and assist with the play but the students involved decided the show could not move forward without a director with specific theatre expertise. “We offered to help but none of us are drama teachers,” Murphy said. “The kids decided that if it wasn’t with this teacher, they couldn’t do it.” The Tri-City News contacted Tilsley but he declined to comment, saying all questions should be directed to the Coquitlam Teachers’ Association. see TEACHERS TEACHERS,, page A15
Lock up your car, PM police warn By Sarah Payne THE TRI-CITY NEWS
BOAZ JOSEPH/BLACK PRESS
Port Moody School of Dance’s Ria Girard performs a solo set ballet (age 16) on Saturday at the opening day of the Surrey Festival of Dance at the Surrey Arts Centre. The festival runs through April 26. For more arts coverage, see pages A30 to A33.
A recent spike in breakand-enters and thefts from vehicles has the Port Moody Police warning residents to be on alert for anything suspicious. In February, there were more than 20 thefts from vehicles and there have already been almost 30 this month — and there are likely more that haven’t been reported, said Const. Luke van Winkel. The thefts are happening throughout the city, from Glenayre and College Park
RELATED Police say bait cars are working: see page A3 to the St. Johns Street corridor, Ioco/Alderside, Newport Drive and Suter Brook. Many of the thefts have been in the early hours of the morning, between 3 and 5 a.m., with thieves targeting both locked and unlocked vehicles. see RESIDENTIAL RESIDENTIAL,, page A15