PENINSULA Dakota Dave coming to town
Deep Cove Folk club hosts guitarist and storyteller Dave Hull this month, page 14
Black Press C O M M U N I T Y
N E W S
M E D I A
Friday, April 3, 2015
NEWS REVIEW
Soccer season starts
Parkland Secondary’s senior girls soccer team is young and building for the future, page 18
Watch for breaking news at www.peninsulanewsreview.com
Big day for arena B Day-long events at Panorama to await final Hockeyville announcement NORTH SAANICH — It’s party time at Panorama this Saturday, April 4. Hockeyville has hit the Peninsula in a big way, following last Saturday’s announcement that Panorama Recreation Centre’s Arena B was named one of two Kraft Hockeyvilles in Canada. That earned them $100,000 in arena upgrades — and the chance at winning an NHL preseason game. Voting for that lasted until this past Monday night and now the countdown begins again. An all-day celebration starts at 9 a.m. with the Central Saanich Lions pancake breakfast. From 1 to 5 p.m., Panorama hosts a familyfriendly tailgate party with barbecue, road hockey and more. The announcement of the big Hockeyville winner is expected during Hockey Night in Canada’s first game that afternoon. So be sure to cross your fingers, Saanich Peninsula!
Angela Cowan/News staff
Isabella Scognamiglio, left, Adrienne Ashby and Julia Scheuer take a peek through dozens of grad dresses at the Individual Learning Centre in Saanichton. Brought there by Elizabeth Surerus and the Magic Wand program, the dresses (and tuxes) are available for any student to borrow at no cost, shoes and accessories included.
Waving the magic wand at graduation Magic Wand Project lends formal dresses, tuxedos to grads throughout the region Angela Cowan News staff
Prom and graduation season is just around the corner, and with it comes a slew of expenses for teens and their parents. Dresses, tuxedo rentals, shoes and accessories, the list goes on, and can add up to hundreds of dollars for one night’s worth of festivities.
Those financial pressures can mean some kids forgo their graduation parties, rather than showing up underdressed, but thanks to the Magic Wand Project, no grad needs to miss out. Started up in 2001 by former teacher and counsellor Elizabeth Surerus, the Magic Wand Project lends out dresses and tuxedos, with all their accoutrements. “I was aware of the Cinderella Project in Van-
couver, and I knew we didn’t have anything like that for our grads,” says Surerus. “I started it for our students to have that opportunity.” Initially developed for students with financial difficulties, the only cost to the kids is a minimal charge for dry-cleaning. Please see: Boutique space at Saanichton centre, page 8