Shortening receSS not a Solution
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What ailS the nDP? Plenty
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icbc goeS after cuP rioterS
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WeDneSDay
June 19 2013 www.newwestnewsleader.com
She may be a newcomer in the legislature, but new West Mla Judy Darcy is more than ready to be the nDP health critic. See page A4
Two options for ’boro bridge Swing option ‘could be winner’ critic says Chris Bryan
editor@newwestnewsleader.com
The City of New Westminster is exploring two options for a pedestrian bridge between the Quayside boardwalk on the mainland and Port Royal in Queensborough. Both bridges would have less impact than options considered in the past and, based on consultants’ estimates, significantly less cost. Both options are low-level crossings, and were developed by Southern Railway of BC (SRY), which owns the rail bridge in the area, in consultation with the city. SRY’s first option is to add decking connected to the existing rail bridge, designed to swing as part of the bridge. And the second span option would be a drawbridge parallel to SRY’s bridge and at about the same height. Both options have potential to provide an “accessible, lowlevel route with high availability and low community impact,” states a staff report, which city council was to consider at its Monday meeting. Please see COST, A3
MARIO BARTeL/neWSLeADeR
the railway company that owns the train swing bridge linking new Westminster’s waterfront to Queensborough has put forward two new proposals that would add a pedestrian crossing.
NWSS one of ‘most improved’ schools Fraser Institute report card shows school is trending upward Grant Granger
ggranger@newwestnewsleader.com
The Fraser Institute noted New Westminster secondary as one of the most improved high schools in the province in 2012, but despite the accolade school board chair Michael Ewen is not impressed. Using data mined from provincial exams, graduation rates and grade-
to-grade transition rates, the public province that was trending upward. policy think tank gave NWSS a “It would be lovely if it would be rating of 7.2 out of 10 as part meaningful,” said Ewen. of its annual report card. “I have trouble with the Last year the school was 7.0 Fraser Institute rankings and it had been as low as 6.5 because it’s incredibly in 2009. disrespectful to rank schools This year’s score tied it for because there are so many 57th in the overall rankings factors they don’t take into MORTenSen out of 284 schools. In the account.” past five years, NWSS had an The Fraser Institute also average ranking of 80th out of 260. releases an annual report card on In a press release, the institute elementary school performance, said it was one of 26 schools in the based largely upon results from the
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Ministry of Education’s Foundation Skills Assessment given to children in grades 4 and 7. Ewen, who teaches at an elementary in Surrey, said he recalls talking to Premier Christy Clark in her days as education minister over a decade ago about the rankings. He told her it frustrated him as an educator and trustee that a student of his began Grade 6 reading at a Grade 2 level, but by the end of the year was at a Grade 5 level.
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