CONSTRUCTION TRAFFIC REROUTED
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BLOY GIVES FINAL SPEECH IN VICTORIA
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REBELS OUTSCORE TITANS AT AAA
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WEDNESDAY
MARCH 20 2013 www.burnabynewsleader.com
Christophe Bonzon is creating chocolate masterpiece sculptures in his new chocolaterie and patisserie, Chez Christophe, in North Burnaby. Page A3
School district considers new AP program Wanda Chow
wchow@burnabynewsleader.com
MARIO BARTEL/NEWSLEADER
The Zanotto family of North Burnaby, including Tina, Franco, and their three children Moreno, Giuliana and Tatiana, could become the subject of a new reality show if the pilot produced by a local company is picked up for a full series.
Famiglia ‘normal but entertaining’ North Burnaby family subject of reality TV pilot Wanda Chow
wchow@burnabynewsleader.com
A Vancouver studio’s first foray into TV could soon be a reality show about a North Burnaby family if its pilot gets picked up. Life Studios Inc. has previously focused on commercial work and weddings but was looking into a new venture for television when they were approached by a friend with an interesting family that could fit the bill for a reality show, said producer
Jacob Wasef. He was convinced after meeting the Zanotto family and determining theirs was a story “worth telling.” The show will be called La Famiglia. Wasef cited the family members’ diverse personalities as one of their selling points. For instance, he noted, 25-yearold son Moreno is an “extreme environmentalist” who refuses to drive a car, while eldest child Giuliana, 27, drives an H1 Hummer. The father, Franco, drives his own Hummer, runs a successful commercial painting business and
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has a black belt in karate. Mom Tina Zanotto has made NewsLeader headlines in the past for writing and performing the Italian version of Celine Dion’s hit My Heart Will Go On during the height of the Titanic movie craze. She’s now focusing her show business efforts on youngest child Tatiana, 16, an aspiring pop star who hopes to follow in her mom’s footsteps. “The amazing thing that kind of got our attention was how no matter what, they always have breakfast together and they always have dinner
together, every single day,” Wasef said, adding the kids are “filled with pride to live at home.” He said the company wasn’t sure at first that they wanted their first TV project to be a reality show, simply because most of the shows they see showcase “weird” and “eccentric” families. “Whereas the Zanottos, they are normal, but yet they’re extremely interesting and entertaining to watch and see what they actually go through day in and day out,” said Wasef. Please see REALITY TV, A17
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Burnaby school district is considering offering a new program for advanced students that’s so new it’s only being piloted at one Canadian school. Ironically, the move comes while the district is reviewing the feasibility of bringing the International Baccalaureate (IB) program back to Burnaby. It was during that process the school board’s education committee learned of the Advanced Placement Cambridge Capstone and Credential Program currently only being offered in one school in Canada, in Edmonton, and 18 schools worldwide. The two-year program promotes a “critical questioning approach to information and develops disciplined and scholarly research skills,” according to minutes of the committee’s meeting last week. The committee directed district staff to start the process of trying to get Burnaby district selected as one of the sites for the larger rollout of the program in September 2014. Please see EXTENSION, A4