THE WEDNESDAY
CANADIAN COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER AWARD 2012
TRI-CITY NEWS
DEC. 11, 2013 www.tricitynews.com
CANADIAN COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER AWARD 2012
Digging into Cent. past
Kids sing with Bublé
SEE LIFE, PAGE A16
SEE ARTS, PAGE A20
INSIDE
Tom Fletcher/A10 A Good Read/A17 Community Calendar/A18 Sports/A23
Big $$ paid out in SD43: SOFI More money paid out to district’s higher earners By Diane Strandberg THE TRI-CITY NEWS
An image of a papal medal like that stolen from a Port Moody woman’s house last month.
She wants her medal from the pope back By Gary McKenna THE TRI-CITY NEWS
Of all the things that were stolen during a break-in at Barb Dowding’s Port Moody home, the item she wants back the most has little monetary value. A Pa p a l M e d a l Benemerenti she received from the Vatican in 2010 for her work with the Catholic Archdiocese of Vancouver was one of her most prized possessions and was taken during last month’s robbery. While the medal looked like it was made of gold, the only real value it had was the recognition it represented. Dowding has been involved in the Catholic Women’s League up to the national level and has been a prominent member of her church community. “ I t i s a n awa r d from the Holy Father,” Dowding said. “You can’t just go out and buy one. It is not replaceable.” see JEWELRY, page A8
DIANE STRANDBERG/THE TRI-CITY NEWS
Students at Port Coquitlam’s Westwood elementary school spent part of their morning Monday decorating liquor store bags with the message “Don’t drink and drive,” as part of the Think of Me campaign by Coquitlam RCMP and ICBC. The bags, approximately 3,000 of them decorated by School District 43 students, were to be distributed to government liquor stores in Coquitlam and Port Coquitlam this week. Above, Henry Boudreau, a kindergarten student, shows off the bag he decorated with Mario figures from the popular video game. For more info, see page A6.
How well did School District 43 do in containing its costs last year? Those answers can be found in the latest Statement of Financial Information (SOFI) released to the public this week. According to the SOFI report for 2012/’13, SD43 struggled to keep salaries and expenses down, meeting with only partial success in cost-cutting measures to avoid worsening a deficit that was eventually pegged at $10 million. Among the costs were higher salaries for elected trustees and more money paid out to higher wage earners — those making more than $75,000 — according to the SOFI report. For employees making $75,000 or less, however, wage totals dropped, according to the statements. see EXTRA $12M, page A4
A step closer to Jan. shelter ‘Good Neighbour’ agreement for a shelter in PoCo By Gary McKenna THE TRI-CITY NEWS
It’s said good fences make good neighbours. But how about a homeless shelter? Port Coquitlam coun-
Coquitlam council approves 2014 budget, including a raise: page A3 cil approved a Good Neighbour Agreement Monday that it hopes will ease tensions between residents near Grace Church and the operator of a homeless shelter in the church.
The document includes a stipulation that members of the Hope for Freedom Society (HFFS) meet with neighbours weekly in January, when the organization will run a shel-
ter at the Kingsw a y Av e n u e church. A letter is also b e i n g FORREST sent to area residents that will include contact information for HFFS officials and key city staff. Coun. Mike Forrest
said he believes the agreement shows the city is willing to work with residents. “I hope the community can understand there is an attempt here to try and involve them,” he said. “I would hope these things can proceed.” Forrest cautioned residents to be careful not to blame the shelter for all
of the neighbourhood’s problems, noting that there will likely still be issues along Kingsway and in the area. Coun. Glenn Pollock concurred with Forrest, noting residents cannot “hold the shelter responsible for everything that goes on in that neighbourhood.” see PEOPLE, page A7