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Delivery 604-942-3081 • Saturday, February 26, 2011
LaLeggia wins double honour
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Your source for local sports, news, weather and entertainment! >> www.burnabynow.com EDUCATION
Big plans for helping gay youth District ratchets up antihomophobia work with new policy including having a contact person at each school Jennifer Moreau staff reporter
The school board passed a new policy to deal with homophobia and heterosexism in schools, and it goes far beyond dealing with simple complaints of discrimination. “It’s pretty comprehensive. It’s a good policy,” said Debra Sutherland, a school counsellor at Burnaby North Secondary who has been working with the district to bring in the policy for years. “This is just the beginning.” OUR VIEW The policy’s main objective The point: Pink is is to ensure all nice – but don’t lose school communisight of where it all ty members learn started – and why. to work together See page 6. in an atmosphere of respect and safety “free from homophobia, transphobia, antigay harassment and exclusion, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity.” The policy is to support students and employees who are (or are assumed to be) lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, transsexual, two-spirit or queer and also covers those who are questioning their sexual orientation or gender identity. The policy covers a wide range of things, such as helping staff be more fully aware of the impact and scope of discrimination against LGBTQ people and learning ways to challenge it. Teachers are also encouraged to embed and integrate LGBTQ issues into the curriculum, (when Schools Page 9
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Horse fight: From right, Christine Brandner, Laurie Brant, Helene Littmann, Amber Prince and Alice Arnold (with Pony
Starr) are all members of the Burnaby Horsemen’s Association who gathered to protest on Wednesday what they feel is unfair treatment by the association’s board.
Infighting plagues horse group Janaya Fuller-Evans staff reporter
All her life, Alice Arnold wanted a pony. Four or five years ago, she bought a rescue pony for her son, who was two at the time, she said. Her family leases two paddocks through the Burnaby Horsemen’s Association, a non-profit group that has a lease agreement with the city. But she says divisions within the organization have led to bullying of some members, including her. “It’s been ongoing since the day we arrived,” Arnold said. Arnold’s husband, Neil Paterson, is past
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president of the board and also a member. The family has two horses, Kiki and Starr. Arnold noted many instances of harassment, from board members directly confronting her over issues to moments where she felt threatened, including when her truck was vandalized while parked at the association’s barns. Things came to a head this week after Arnold received notice that the board was bringing in a contractor to dig out her paddock, in response to drainage issues at the facilities. However, Arnold, who is a landscaper and designed her own paddock, said this would put her horses’ health at risk, as it would put them in the mud. “No hoof, no horse,” Arnold said,
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explaining the common knowledge in equestrian circles that a horse’s health is directly linked to its hooves. Submersing the hooves in water can lead to a number of diseases, she added. Arnold’s paddocks are currently higher than some of the other paddocks at Barn One on the property, and the association’s board has said one is causing water to drain into paddocks with a lower ground level. Arnold has argued that she has a drainage pipe from her stall that is lower than the neighbouring paddock levels. On Wednesday, Arnold and eight supporters from the 140-member association gathered to prevent a contractor from digging out her paddock. Horses Page 12
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