City to make Changes on e. 8th
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man with the City’s toughest job
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May 16 2014 www.newwestnewsleader.com
new west tells bC’s transportation minister they don’t need two bailey bridges. see Page a3
New design eyed for Quayside project Podium size, tower heights adjusted Grant Granger
ggranger@newwestnewsleader.com
Grant GranGer/newsLeader
John Robson elementary principal Karen Catherwood and secretary Kim Smith will be sad to leave behind the compass/alphabet ring built into the floor of kindergarten teacher Mimi Carillo’s classroom when the 1928 school is torn down to make way for a new middle school. Students and staff will be moving to the new Qayqayt elementary in September. Smith has worked at Robson for 28 years as a special education assistant, a librarian and a secretary while Catherwood has been principal for four years.
End of an era at John Robson school Staff, students get ready to leave venerable building full of memories for bright new school Grant Granger
ggranger@newwestnewsleader.com
When Kim Smith joined the New Westminster school district everyone told her, “don’t go to John Robson Elementary.” “It’s too tough,” they said. “You won’t last,” they warned her. But 28 years ago the district
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assigned her to Robson. And she’s still there. And it turns out she’ll outlast the school. Robson is on its deathbed. This summer, it will be demolished to make way for Fraser River Middle School. The official groundbreaking is Thursday, but work began during spring break so it can be open in time for the 2015-16 school year. Robson’s students will move to the new Qayqayt Elementary, scheduled to open its doors in September. According to local historian Single Vision Lenses with Frames Bifocal Vision Lenses with Frames Progressive Vision Lenses with Frames
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Archie Miller, the Robson building was constructed in 1928 to serve as the annex to the original T.J. Trapp Technical school next door. Trapp had been renovated from a jail to a school in 1919. When it was torn down, the annex became Trapp Tech. The original John Robson elementary was where the Royal Towers is now at Sixth Street and Royal Avenue. It later moved to Queen’s Avenue across from Olivet Baptist Church.
In 1955, Trapp closed when New Westminster secondary came along and the John Robson name migrated down the block to its current Eighth Street location. Smith was the school’s only special education assistant when she started. Its students were notorious for bad behaviour. To her, though, it felt like home. “This is where I felt I could affect the most change. I could make a difference here.” Please see Great, a5
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A Quayside development is still an imposing structure for one area resident, despite design changes. Bosa Properties wants to build twin towers at 1000 Quayside Dr., which is currently a parking lot in front of the Inn at the Quay. A preliminary proposal came to council in February. It called for two 26-storey highrises with a seven-storey podium, one of which is underground. It was to have nearly 600 residential units, including 48 for rental to take advantage of city incentives. But after city staff and residents expressed concerns, Bosa revised its plans. The developer now proposes a podium two storeys shorter and the height of one tower being 23 storeys and the other 28. The west tower has also been set back an additional 28 feet. “The intent is to create a more sculpted skyline than was previously proposed,” said city planner Jackie Teed. Please see revised, a3