New Westminster Record March 4 2015

NEWS 3

Cop fired after investigation

FOR THE BEST LOCAL

COMMUNITY 9

Shirley Piper’s legacy lives on ENTERTAINMENT 11

Footloose wows the city

WEDNESDAY MARCH 4, 2015

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LOCAL NEWS – LOCAL MATTERS

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COVERAGE GO TO PAGE 15

E D I T I O N

Peering into the future Our City workshop helps gather feedback for community plan

ENVISIONING THE FUTURE Daniel Carreira, who will be moving to New Westminster in May, checks out the displays at the Our City neighbourhood visioning process held at the Anvil Centre on Saturday. PHOTO JENNIFER GAUTHIER

New Westminster citizens have been showing a lot of love for the update to the city’s official community plan.

Community members attended the Our City neighbourhood visioning process at Anvil Centre on Feb. 28, where they reviewed material created at the Feb. 14 Love Our City workshop.

The weekend’s workshop posed a number of questions for the community’s consideration:What do you think your neighbourhood and the city should be like in the future? What do you love about your neighbourhood and what’s missing? How can new housing and commercial growth appropriately fit into the neighbourhood? What are the “big moves” that would make New Westminster even greater and prepare the city for the future?

The City of New Westminster is in the midst of updating its official community plan. For more on the official community plan, visit www.newwestcity.ca.

– Theresa McManus

Is relief in sight for Alberta Street?

City hopes traffic diverter will help to alleviate the concerns of residents related to Brewery District access Theresa McManus

tmcmanus@newwestrecord.ca

A diverter is being installed at the foot of Alberta Street to tackle concerns about excessive traffic and speeding on the Sapperton street.

Alberta Street residents have voiced concerns about the increase in traffic volumes and speeds since a light was installed at Alberta and East Columbia streets as part of the improved access to the Brewery District development.

A staff report states that recent traffic counts found that traffic volumes and speeds are generally consistent with an urban local street but noted there is like-

ly some traffic from the lower Glenbrook South area that’s using Alberta Street to access East Columbia Street.

In response to concerns raised by Alberta Street residents, staff considered options to address the issue: changing the traffic signal at East Columbia and Alberta to a pedestrian-activated crossing to deter traffic from using the intersection to make left turns onto East Columbia or go straight through into the Brewery District; and installing a traffic diverter at Alberta Street at East Columbia, which only allows right-in/right out vehicle movements. Council has approved installation of the diverter on a trial basis.

Coun. Chuck Puchmayr said the city is “taking a bit of ownership” and trying to re-

mediate something it didn’t anticipate by According to Wat, the diverter can be inlocating a traffic light at the intersection of stalled very quickly because it is a tempoAlberta and East Columbia streets. rary device.

Coun. Patrick Johnstone thinks the diverCoun. Mary Trentadue said she appresion is a good Band-aid solution but sugciates how quickly staff came back with a gested a neighbourhood traffic recommendation, noting resiplan may be needed for the dents have only recently apWe need to analyze peared before council to upper Sapperton neighbourhood. how this is going express concerns. She ex“We need to analyze how pressed concern about trucks to impact the this is going to impact the adusing Alberta Street to access jacent streets,” he added. adjacent streets. the Brewery District.

Eugene Wat, the city’s manWat said it’s possible the ager of infrastructure plantrucks are using Alberta ning, said it’s possible the diStreet, rather than East Coverter could result in “some lumbia Street. displacement” of vehicles Wat said the city anticipates from Alberta Street to Keary and Simpson significant traffic changes in Sapperton, as streets. He said staff is recommending the the Brewery District is complete and the diverter be installed on a trial basis so the Sapperton Green development and hospital impacts can be monitored. expansion proceed.

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Up Front CITY NEWS

Record is up for excellence award And Julie MacLellan is in the running for arts writing honour

WHO’S MISSING? Former trustees Lisa Graham and David Phelan’s names were left off a commemorative plaque marking the opening of École Qayqayt Elementary School. Instead, new trustees Kelly Slade-Kerr and Mark Gifford’s names appear. PHOTO LARRY WRIGHT

Parent says policy unfair

Current board members’ names on plaque – not past members

By Niki Hope

editorial@newwestrecord.ca

They were part of the planning and the naming committee, and they were trustees when École QayQayt Elementary opened its doors, but Lisa Graham’s and David Phelan’s names were left off the school plaque.

Paul Johansen, a New Westminster parent, told the board last Tuesday night that the former trustess’ names should have been on the plaque commemorating the opening of the school.

“I just think this is so wrong,” Johansen told the Record before speaking at the meeting. “I’m upset because normally when you have a plaque policy, it’s the trustees that contributed and were around when you were building the schools, got it approved, and architecturally and everything else they were involved in the process.”

Johansen, a longtime school district critic, also took issue with the fact that trustees Kelly SladeKerr and Mark Gifford, who were elected in the November civic election, were named on the plaque.

“When you start putting trustees that weren’t even

Unfair: A local parent is upset the names of two former trustees were left off a plaque marking Qayqayt’s opening. PHOTO RECORD FILES

sitting trustees on plaques, when the school did get open, and omit the people that were there in the process of getting the school built, I think it’s fundamentally wrong.”

While the new elementary school opened last fall, the district held an official opening this month, where the plaque was presented.

Graham chaired the committee that helped come up with the name (a First Nations word that means “resting place”) of the school, and Phelan was a trustee representative on that committee.

“I heard about it from different staff and parents

that were down there looking at their school and looking at the plaque and were quite perplexed,” Johans-

It’s a complicated thing ...

en said. “We should honour the dedication that Phelan and Graham put into this district; they were sitting trustees when that school opened in September 2014.

The other trustees didn’t get sworn in until towards the end of the year.”

Superintendent John Gaiptman told the Record he made the decision to put current trustees’ names on the plaque.

“It has always been my practice to list the names of the elected officials as they are constituted at the time of the official opening of the school,” he said. “It certainly wasn’t my intention to exclude anybody, but my practice has always been to name the elected officials, be they trustees or the minister or the premier, as they are constituted at the time of the official opening.”

Gaiptman added that he will suggest to the school board that the district look at creating a policy regarding plaques commemorating the official opening of a school.

“It’s a complicated thing,” Gaiptman said.

“What do you do if the minister has changed?

Let’s look at what other districts do. People might think we’ve done the absolute correct thing, let’s talk about it.”

Meanwhile, Phelan didn’t return the Record’s request for comment, and Graham is dealing with a health-related issue with her family.

The Record is taking its place among the best in B.C. New Westminster’s hometown newspaper has earned two nominations in the 2015 Ma Murray Awards, which recognize the best work done by the 126 member newspapers of the B.C. Yukon Community Newspapers Association.

The Record has made the top three in Newspaper Excellence, which recognizes all-around excellence.

The other two finalists in its circulation category are the Parksville-Qualicum Beach News and the Yukon News.

The Newspaper Excellence Awards judge all facets of a newspaper: editorial content, photos, production, advertising and overall design and appearance.

Also earning a top-three nomination was Julie MacLellan, the Record’s assistant editor and arts reporter, in the Arts and Cultural Writing category. MacLellan is nominated for State of the Arts, a special three-part

report on the city’s theatre scene that ran in the Record in February 2014.

Julie MacLellan Arts writing recognized

She’s up against Angela Cowan of the Goldstream News Gazette and Andrea Klassen of Kamloops This Week.

Winners will be announced at an awards gala held at the River Rock Casino Resort on Saturday, April 25.

For a full list of awards nominees, see www.bccom munitynews.com.

City cop dismissed after investigation

By Cayley Dobie

cdobie@newwestrecord.ca

An eight-year veteran of the New Westminster Police Department has been fired following an internal theft investigation.

In a statement released by the police department Monday morning, the department noted it had “terminated the employment of one of its sworn members.”

The member in question had worked for the department for eight years and faces an undisclosed number of allegations related to offences against both the Police Act and Criminal Code, according to the release.

New Westminster police have yet to release the name of the dismissed member, and when the Record asked Sgt. Chad Johnston, spokesperson New Westminster police, he said he was unable to publicly name the member because the recom-

mended charges still need to be approved by Crown counsel.

“It’s an ongoing investigation so it hasn’t even been put forward at this point for approval or anything,” Johnston added.

When asked if it was premature to publicly announce the dismissal, Johnston said it’s all part of the department’s commitment to transparency.

“We wanted to make sure we were being open with the public and transparent with this type of situation because it is very rare,” he said.

In the release, New Westminster police Chief Const.

Dave Jones reiterates this and says that an important part of any police department “is to maintain public trust by acting with the utmost of integrity and ensuring a strong commitment to ethical behaviour by all of Continued on page 8

4 WEDNESDAY March 4, 2015 • New Westminster RECORD

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News

Money for Massey stays in city budget City’s share for replacement theatre is about $10 million Theresa McManus

tmcmanus@newwestrecord.ca

Money for Massey Theatre is back in the City of New Westminster’s 2015 budget.

During recent budget deliberations, council members asked staff to remove money for a new Massey Theatre from this year’s capital plan, as it was unlikely the project would proceed in 2015 and the budget should reflect realistic timeframes for projects getting underway.

At the following council meeting, Mayor Jonathan Cote suggested it would be “premature” to remove funding for Massey Theatre from the capital plan.

He said there are some “unknowns” about the project and recommended the city stick with the original plan considered by council.

“I would think it would be prudent for the city to have flexibility with this,” Cote said.

Some council members, however, were uncomfortable about including funds for Massey Theatre in this year’s capital plan, which prompted Cote to suggest council may need to go back into closed session to discuss the matter.

Gary Holowatiuk, the city’s director of finance and information technology, said there’s “no harm” in reinstating money in the plan, as the money stays in reserves if it doesn’t get spent.

Coun. Marry Trentatue said she’s comfortable leaving the money in the 2015 capital plan.

“I don’t want us to be caught without the funds we need to cover it,” she said.

In a 4-3 vote, council voted in favour of including

funds for Massey Theatre in this year’s capital plan.

According to budget documents, the city will be partnering with the New Westminster School District to reconstruct Massey Theatre as part of the New Westminster Secondary School replacement project.

“The city’s contribution to the project is about $10 million, with most of the costs likely to occur in the 2017/18 time frame,” stated budget documents. “The 2015 budget allocation has been reduced from $1 million to $0.4 million to fund the city’s design consultants.

The balance of the funds have been reallocated to 2017/18 to cover the city’s contribution to construction costs.”

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6 WEDNESDAY March 4, 2015 • New Westminster RECORD

Opinion OUR VIEW

The chequered road to civic power Is it time for the provincial government to crack down on municipal election spending?

It’s a question that’s being asked around the province since election spending reports were released last week.

In some cases, candidates vying for seats on municipal councils and school boards forked over some very big bucks in order to secure the seats they now hold.

Compounding that is-

sue is the fact that those very same bucks come in many cases from two funding sources that always raise controversy: labour and business.

Of course, it’s clear that spending big bucks doesn’t always equal a win.

In New Westminster, for instance, it was former mayor Wayne Wright who topped the spending charts, laying out some $72,102 on his campaign. He went down to defeat at the hands

of Jonathan Cote – who wasn’t exactly shy on the spending front either, with a $63,572 campaign.

Moreover, we’ll be the first to acknowledge that simply accepting a campaign donation does not create an automatic conflict of interest.

It’s perfectly possible for candidates, regardless of their political stripe, to accept money from a union or a corporation and still make sound, balanced judge-

ments about civic issues.

But the fact of the matter is, seeing large amounts of money flowing in to candidates’ campaigns from business and labour raises voters’ suspicions about just how fair the process is.

And in politics, as they say, perception is reality.

Runaway spending and lavish donations in civic election campaigns sully the discourse at the council table and erode public faith in the system.

Other areas of the country are already taking action to address these concerns.

Toronto outlaws business and union donations for municipal candidates.

Quebec and Manitoba cap spending in city elections based on the size of the population.

We would welcome a combination of either.

Local government should not become a hobby for the independently wealthy or a business expense for devel-

opers.

Of course, any new rules should come with watchdog power that provides Elections B.C. teeth to enforce them and to investigate complaints. Ultimately, we feel a community is best served by a council that reflects a diversity of ideas, values, expertise and backgrounds – and the best way to get that is to level the playing field for all.

MY VIEW KEITH BALDREY

Penny pinchers have the power Two issues have sprung to the fore in the opening weeks of the legislature that put the stingy (some would say miserly) ways of the B.C. Liberal government on full public display.

One of them is public education, while the other is another seemingly endless tale: how much funding the B.C. Ferries system should receive from taxpayers.

Let’s tackle the complex education system first.

In a classic case of giving with one hand, while taking with the other, the government has topped up a special learning fund by $23 million while at the same time cutting school board budgets by $29 million (followed by a further $25 million chop the following year). But while the public education system is being squeezed (yet again), the government has topped up the budget for independent schools by $30 million.

There have been howls of outrage from B.C. school trustees about these pending cuts, but Premier Christy Clark has characterized the cost-cutting exercise as merely going after “lowhanging fruit.”

That dismissive comment was like throwing oil on a long-simmering fire.

School districts have been grappling with rising, unfunded costs in the system for years.Things like inflation, pension improvements, rising MSP premiums and B.C. Hydro rates haven’t been covered by additional

funding for quite a while.

Nevertheless, the provincial government is convinced legitimate savings can be found, either through a greater emphasis on shared “services” between some school districts or simply eliminating spending waste. Still, one can’t help but wonder whether there is a hidden agenda at work here: a not-so-subtle push to get some school districts to amalgamate.

It’s a different case when it comes to forcing “savings” on the B.C. Ferries system.

B.C. Ferries has already gone through a significant round of cost-cutting and consolidation, as sailings on many routes have been eliminated.There’s not much more there to cut and B.C. Ferries does not have control over certain cost items.

For example, the size of crews on ships is mandated

by Transport Canada, not

by B.C. Ferries, and labour is a huge cost item.

B.C. taxpayers already generously fund B.C. Ferries, to the tune of about $190 million a year in subsidies. But without any increase to that subsidy, fares will undoubtedly continue to climb, as B.C. Ferries has limited power to deal with two big cost items: labour and fuel costs.

And so far, the pennypinching B.C. Liberals show no sign of even entertaining the idea of boosting that annual subsidy.

Keith Baldrey is chief political reporter for Global B.C.

’TWAS SAID THIS WEEK ...

OUR TEAM

This is an attempt to try and be fair to everyone in the city.

Jaimie McEvoy, city councillor

ALVIN BROUWER Publisher

abrouwer@newwestrecord.ca

PAT TRACY Editor

ptracy@newwestrecord.ca

ARCHIVE 2004

A soggy mess for residents Moody Park residents affected by flooding after heavy rains in November 2003 were encouraged to attend an emergency meeting at Century House, according to a Jan. 3 article in the Record. Representatives from the city were expected to outline the city’s thoughts on the flooding, what it had planned to address the problem and answer any questions from residents.

Initially, the city said it would not upgrade the sewer system but later it was decided the 2004 capital program to allow for improvements to the system.

LARA GRAHAM Associate Publisher

lgraham@newwestrecord.ca

2013

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New Westminster RECORD WEDNESDAY March 4, 2015 7

Opinion INBOX

TRENDING

Parkade is needed for residents’ good

Residents rally to save the parkade

Dear Editor Re: Residents rally to save the parkade, the Record, Feb. 27. I too agree the western portion of the parkade should be saved. As I sat in my car at Quayside Drive and Begbie Street waiting for hundreds of railway cars to pass, I noticed several pedestrians using the stairway over the tracks. Demolishing the west portion of the parkade will no longer give people this opportunity! I agree with both Quayside parking lots soon to be eliminated and replaced with highrises, this part of the parkade is essential for the future parking for downtown, the Quay and Pier Park.

The council’s decision to “beautify” this area, isn’t feasible, with the many semi-trailer trucks rumbling by along with the trains. In my opinion, this is a waste of our tax dollars, and we were not given the opportunity to voice our opinions before 2014 council made their decision. I have to wonder if there was an agreement made with the developer of the highrise currently being built on Columbia Street with river views facing Front Street?

Geraldine Harder-Anderson, New Westminster

City has been ‘bought’ by unions, developers Dear Editor How sad that unions and developers have bought lock stock and barrel our city council, as reported by the media. For you and I, it means higher taxes to give unions gold-plated wages, and developers can build highrises that take away our view of the water, sunsetting scenes, and our privacy in our own backyards.

We can add to this the approximately $2 million to be spent at the Anvil Centre, along with a $100,000 dishwasher; it seems all this was kept secret in our humble opinion before the election. Now we will pay the price. Where has the honesty and integrity gone in our political scene?

C. Der, New Westminster

TransLink needs to help low-income folks Dear Editor Restoring public confidence in TransLink calls for substantive new policies that have immediate, tangible effects, with benefits for average, and, in particular, lowincome Metro Vancouver residents.

What is needed? Some ideas: ! A clearly articulated TransLink program that would provide to low-income individuals/ families four-times-yearly refunds of the (upcoming referendum’s) proposed 0.5 per cent provincial sales tax increase; ! A significantly subsidized monthly bus pass program for minimum wage earners, lowincome families and impoverished groups to be in place by September 2015, if possible, with the provincial and federal governments contributing to its annual costs during the 2015-to-2025 period; Responsibility for funding the construction of vital infrastructure within B.C.’s primary economic engine, Metro Vancouver, should be co-shared by all of the province’s residents and businesses.

Roderick V. Lewis, by email

@lwrobins Who on earth would want to save that eyesore? @danaosiowy Hilarious cover on @ therecord “Residents rally to save parkade”. People will show up to the opening of an envelope!

Glory Favell Ewen The parkade is an eyesore and the whole thing should come down. Too many fight any change. Need to pick your battles and fight something worth saving Jenn Dewhurst Nash Pistone Be gone with it!!

Michelene Davies We don’t want new development down here however every time we walk along the parkade it feels like it is going to cave in.

Alejandro Alcantara I am with the mayor, the parkade is a 1950’s solution to 1950’s problems that forces the city to look away from the city and that disconnects the city from the waterfront (its greatest asset). Cities like Toronto, Boston, Buenos Aires and Washington, D.C. suffer from the same problem - ill conceived and unsightly structures that fracture the city ( e.g. Gardiner Freeway in Toronto). Sunlight will make Front street more attractive and will help showcase the beautiful historic buildings that have been hidden for that last 60 plus years. Once people realize the asset under their noses that they have been missing, there will be no turning back.

NewWest catches Footloose fever

$200,000

@erin_jeffery I cut loose. Footloose.

And kicked off my Sunday shoes. What a great show by @nwssmusic Go!!! #newwest #theshowneedsmorewillard @unbeweaveable Watching Footloose at @Masseytheatre in #newwest Intermission. Great first act @pfindling So impressed by cast and crew. Future of #newwest theatre is in good hands. @hungrytaurus Had a fabulous time at #footloose last night! If you haven’t seen it yet you have tonight and tomorrow to go! #newwest @nwssmusic @unbeweaveable NWSS Footloose twice today: 2 and 7. Haven’t seen it yet? Get a ticket. So much fun! @ nwssmusic #newwest @kellysladekerr .@juliemaclellan Loved your article on Footloose and the way programs offered at #sd40 have powerful impact on student’s lives #bced JOIN THE CONVERSATION

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THE NEW WESTMINSTER RECORD WELCOMES LETTERS TO THE EDITOR. We do, however, edit for taste, legality and length. Priority is given to letters written by residents of New Westminster and/or issues concerning New Westminster.

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8 WEDNESDAY March 4, 2015 • New Westminster RECORD

News

Officer ‘Gag limits’ raise resident’s concern city council says changes to delegation rules will fired But increase chances to get ‘balanced and fair’ feedback

Continued from page 3 its employees.”

“This allegation was taken very seriously from the outset, and I can assure the community that a significant amount of effort and resources were committed to this investigation to ensure that the information gathered was accurate and complete,” Chief Const.

Dave Jones said in the release.

The ongoing investigation is being conducted by the New Westminster Police Department, but the Office of the Police Complaints Commissioner has been notified, although its members are not investigating at this time.

The New Westminster Police Department would not comment further on this matter at this time as it continues to be investigated. More information is expected to be released when charges are approved.

Theresa McManus

tmcmanus@newwestrecord.ca

The public won’t be able to comment on issues once the City of New Westminster has set a public hearing date.

City clerk Jan Gibson has recommended council approve a procedure that restricts people from addressing council on matters after its public hearing date has been set. Instead of appearing before council, the city will implement an option for delegates to provide their contact information so staff can follow up on their concerns.

Until now, people have been able to appear as delegations and speak to council about matters that will be coming forward at future public hearings.

Sapperton resident Catherine Cartwright emailed council members a letter Monday morning urg-

ing them not to support the staff recommendation. She is “completely opposed” to the changes.

Cartwright said council candidates campaigned about more and better community engagement, something she said isn’t achieved by cutting off opportunities to be heard.

“What was the genesis of this recommended change?

Is this proposal not a retrograde step in your plan for a more open and transparent local government?” she said. “The proposal is plain wrong as it extends the delegation gag order by weeks and months and completely tilts the development process in favour of developers … as citizens will be forbidden from talking (at a council meeting) about their concerns with a project long before the public hearing.”

Cartwright appealed council not to accept the staff recommendations to

“expand the gag limits” on discussing proposed developments during delegation times, saying the policy unduly limits citizens’ rights to make public comments on proposed developments within New Westminster.

Coun. Lorrie Williams disagrees that the change will lead to less transparency at city hall.

“I think on the contrary,” she said. “It increases our opportunities to hear from the public in a balanced and fair way.”

Williams said “people who are well organized” seem to get more time to make their views known to council. She said the new policy gives council a chance to hear from all parties at one time.

Coun. Chuck Puchmayr said there have been cases where several people have appeared as delegations and represented one side of an issue prior to a public hear-

ing, while those having a different viewpoint didn’t attend because the item wasn’t on that meeting’s agenda.

“I think this is a good way of keeping the balance,” he said.

Coun. Jaimie McEvoy said one of the principles of public hearings is having a level playing field for everyone.

I think this is a good way of keeping the balance.

“This is an attempt to try and be fair to everyone in the city,” he said.

Coun. Mary Trentadue said the change isn’t intended on “shutting down” the public process, but is a way of helping to better organize information received by council from staff and

residents. She said it’s important for council to get that information at the same time, rather than having some people present information months before a public hearing.

Along with approving the new policy, council has also approved an amended delegation form that people must sign when they want to address council. It states that submission on land-use bylaws, such as official community plan amendments, rezonings, etc., aren’t permitted after a public hearing has been scheduled for the bylaw, unless the bylaw has either been adopted or defeated.

Trentadue asked that the city “be sensitive” to the change and recognize some people coming to council may not be aware of the change.

She doesn’t want them to be shut down and embarrassed if they come before council and are unaware of the new process.

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New Westminster RECORD WEDNESDAY March 4, 2015 9

Community Piper’s legacy helps patients at Royal Columbian Prize have continued to enrich community life beyond their initial pilot,” said River Market’s ONE Prize project lead Leslie Shieh.

As examples, she highlights PopLuck, a series of pop-up potluck picnics, and So Are We Creative, a community event collective. Both events were funded in the first year of the ONE Prize program and are still growing. Other winners include ArtStarts and the Festival of Trees, both of which included children’s programming and have received additional sources of funding.

“It shows that given seed money and support, a great idea and commitment to one’s community can really have an impact,” Shieh said.

In 2015, community members submitted 19 projects to ONE Prize, with winners including: Hammer and Saw, an organization founded by two technical education teachers who are committed to empowering youths through skills training and community engagement; Seniors Out N’ About, a program by the Seniors Services Society that prevents senior

Theresa McManus AROUND TOWN

tmcmanus@newwestrecord.ca

Shirley Piper’s legacy lives on in Royal Columbian Hospital.

Piper was a founding member of the Group of Five, a local non-profit that holds fundraisers to purchase items for Royal Columbian Hospital. After she passed away in April 2014, the Group of Five held an event in her honour.

“Shirley’s dream was to get a vital signs monitor into one of the operating rooms,” said Gerda Suess, who co-founded the Group of Five with Piper. “We did a tribute for Shirley at the Galbraith House last year.

We raised enough money to get this monitor.”

The Group of Five donated $4,713.50 to the Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation for a vital signs monitor.While the monitor will be used in the operating room, it’s portable so it can be used anywhere in the hospital.

Piper’s husband, local orthopedic surgeon Dr. Michael Piper and daughter Jordan-Anne recently joined Suess at Royal Columbian Hospital to see the equipment, which measures patients’ temperature, blood pressure, heart rate and more.

SEARCHING FOR THE ONE The hunt is on for innovative, community-based projects that could use a helping hand.

Applications are now open for the fourth year of ONE Prize, which provides support to communitybased projects.

“Many of the projects kick-started by the ONE

isolation in the community through organized outings; Seniors to the Market Shuttle Program, proposed by the Royal City Farmers Market, provides seniors door to door services to the farmers’ market to engage with local farmers and to shop for local produce.

Donald’s Market and River Market launched ONE Prize in 2012 as a community fund for New Westminster.When ONE members shop at Donald’s Market, the grocery store contributes one per cent of every dollar spent to the ONE Prize fund.The winners are decided by members who vote for their favourite projects from a shortlist of submitted proposals. Projects can be big or small but must contribute positively to living, working, or playing in New Westminster.

For 2015, ONE members have collectively raised $6,000 for the ONE Prize and the program will award three projects $2,000 each.

The project group can be a non-profit organization, a for-profit enterprise, a community group, or an individual.

According to a River

Market press release, ONE Prize’s aim is to kick-start new projects or strengthen existing ones, rather than fund a group’s ongoing operating costs.

Eric Siu, general manager of Donald’s Market, said the idea behind ONE Prize is a simple concept based on the power of community.

“It’s about investing in our own backyard,” he said

in a press release. “Through ONE Prize, we can support local projects that contribute to the place where we all live and work.”

The deadline for submission is March 22. More information and submission forms are available at www. rivermarket.ca/oneprize. After receiving submissions, River Market and Donald’s Market will shortlist

the projects and ask ONE members to vote. Prizes will be announced in early May. To contribute to the ONE Prize fund, shoppers can sign up for membership through a Donald’s Market cashier at River Market.

Send Around Town ideas to Theresa McManus, tmc manus@newwestrecord.ca, or find her on Twitter, @Theresa McManus.

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BOOK YOUR FREE CONSULTATION For Shirley: The Group of Five’s latest gift to Royal Columbian Hospital is in memory of member Shirley Piper. From left, Jeff Norris, president and CEO of the Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation, licensed practical nurse Moussa Ghadban, Group of Five member Gerda Suess, Dr. Michael Piper and Jordan-Anne Piper DuGas. PHOTO CONTRIBUTED

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10 WEDNESDAY March 4, 2015 • New Westminster RECORD

News Budget on the go The city’s proposed 2015 budget continues to be a work in progress.

This year’s budget process began with a starting point of a 2.75 to a 3.45 per cent increase to the tax rate and was later whittled down to 2.36 per cent.

Coun. Jaimie McEvoy recommended the city allocate 10 per cent of the bonus revenues from the digital sign revenue to the city’s affordable housing reserve – a move that had a slight impact on the budget.

“That’s the number we are going to be going out to the public with now,” Mayor Jonathan Cote said about the 2.42 per cent. “Council has done its preliminary discussion on these items, but now we are going to be waiting for the public consultation period and feedback before we do final approval. I wouldn’t be expecting any major changes moving forward.”

– Theresa McManus

Kudos, sad news, and a fond farewell District program,The Island Discovery, wins national award for innovation in teaching Niki Hope

CLASS ACT nhope@newwestrecord.ca

The Island Discovery, one of our New Westminster school district’s Distributed Learning programs, has won the Ken Spencer Award, a national excellence prize from the Canadian Education Association.

Island Discovery is a program, which began on Bowen Island 12 years ago and has now expanded throughout the province.

Eighty schools across Canada were considered for the award. Of these, 15 were shortlisted. Ultimately, seven schools were selected as winners – Island Discovery being one of them.

The Island Discovery programs operate as partnerships with the parent and students and teacher.

Children are invited to participate and are not forced

to participate or to “learn,” according to the group’s website.The learning community offers in-class learning experiences as well as home-learning opportunities.

The Ken Spencer Award for Innovation in Teaching and Learning was established with the generous contribution of Dr. Ken Spencer to recognize and publicize innovative work that is sustainable and has the potential of being taken up by others; to encourage a focus on transformative change in schools; and to provide a profile for classroom innovation within school districts, schools and the media.

THOUGHTS WITH FORMER TRUSTEE Our thoughts are with former school trustee Lisa Graham and her family.

Her 50-year-old husband, David Graham, is battling

pancreatic cancer. David and Lisa have two children, Julie, 19, and David, 24.

Lisa and David have known each other since they were nine years old, growing up in the same Massey Heights neighbourhood. It’s been a difficult few years for the family.The family has faced the loss of both sets of parents over the last four years.

Graham was a school trustee for 12 years and an advocate for support for students with special needs.

Her son David is on the autism spectrum.

CIAO BELLAS This is my final Class Act column, as I am leaving the Record.Well, by the time this is published, I will have left the Record. My last day was Thursday, Feb. 26.

I’ve had more than seven years at the paper for the community where I grew up. I live in East Vancouver

now, but New Westminster will always be my hometown.

The city I grew up in the 1980s in was a little sleepier, and it’s been interesting to come back as an adult and see the changes, but also how much it has stayed the same.

It’s the start of a new era ... the end of my time here

Driving down old streets, seeing my childhood home, I would be flooded with memories.

And now, as I leave this paper, I will take with me the memories of my time here. I have learned so much and will be forever

grateful for all of those lessons.

I take with me a greater respect for public education, for the many community volunteers who work tirelessly (and often, quietly, humbly) for the community and for the incredibly talented colleagues I worked with at the Record and our sister paper, Burnaby NOW. I also want to acknowledge the many sources, particularly on the school beat – parents who have told me their stories and shared their insights, the teachers (New West has incredible teachers) and support staff.

As a parent of two busy boys, I look forward to spending more time with them, while I freelance from home.

It’s the start of a new era in my family’s life, but the end of my time here. I won’t soon forget it.

New Westminster RECORD WEDNESDAY March 4, 2015 11

Arts & Entertainment

Students make magic at the Massey Julie MacLellan LIVELY CITY

jmaclellan@newwestrecord.ca

OK, Jolene Bernardino, I’ve got a bone to pick with you.

There I was, sitting perfectly dry-eyed in the theatre, enjoying myself immensely at Saturday night’s Footloose production – until you came along with that powerhouse rendition of CanYou Find It InYour Heart in Act 2. And then I lost it.

Yes, I cried. Not just a subtle little sniff but real, actual tears. (And was I carrying a Kleenex in my purse? No, of course not.Why would I need Kleenex at Footloose?)

So there I was desperately drying my eyes and my running nose and thinking, how does any teenager have the emotional maturity to pull that one off – and stay noteperfect while she’s at it?

Seriously.

Yes, I had the pleasure of being in the audience for the closing production of New Westminster Secondary School’s Footloose – and, wayward tears and all, I was blown away.

The talent level at NWSS is clearly outstanding, as performances like Jolene’s showed – she was featured as Vi Moore, wife of the

This is what education is all about.

pulpit-pounding preacher whose inability to cope with the death of his son has brought dancing to a halt in the small town of Bomont.

Jolene was among an outstanding group of performers who simply knocked it out of the park as far as performance was concerned.

They were led by the charming Noah Wright as the city boy who relocates with his mother to live with relatives in Bomont after his father leaves – and who makes it a mission to bring dancing back to town.Yes, Noah, you more than did justice to Kevin Bacon (in fact, I think we should alert Mr. Bacon that his time is over, and there’s a new Ren McCormack in town).

Noah was perfectly paired with Sarah Labrosse as his love interest, Ariel (daughter of the aforementioned preacher and wife),

with an easy chemistry and natural charm that made them a beautifully appealing couple. Both brought some outstanding vocal chops and, even more importantly, managed to create depth in their young characters and elevate them beyond musical theatre stereotype.

The talent that surrounded them was just as impressive.There was Howard Dai, with remarkable stage presence and maturity (not to mention more great vocals) as the Rev. Shaw Moore.There was Sophie Labrosse as the vulnerable-yet-strong single mother to Ren.There was the spoton trio of Keira Jang, Alyea Timleck and Caitlyn Beauregard as Ariel’s three sidekicks – their rendition of Somebody’s Eyes was easily a vocal highlight of the night.

There was Jordan Whittaker as bad-boy Chuck Cranston (all bad boys should sing so well) and Isaac McAndless-Davis as the lovable Willard (was I the only one who kinda wanted to adopt Willard by the end of the night?).

And on and on it went, this depth of talent, right to the back row of the largest group dance number, as strong vocals joined tight choreography and impressive emphasis on character development in even the supporting cast.

It was no accident that some of the best numbers of the night were the group numbers – the girls’ Holding Out for a Hero in Act 1, Let’s Hear It For the Boy (featuring the delightful Keira) in Act 2 and, of course, the showstopping Footloose finale.

Along the way, the cast managed to plumb some unexpected emotional depths, with songs such as Learning to be Silent (by Sophie, Sarah and Jolene) and Heaven Help Me (featuring Howard) tapping into a deeper and more mature side of the young performers.

It’s clear just how much effort went into the night, not just from the cast but from the crew – the staging, sets, lighting, costumes, hair and makeup team and more all combined to make one quality production.

And I’d be remiss not to mention the stellar playing of the band led by teacher Steve Clements. Together, Parker Elkins, Daniel Green, Haley Greenhalgh, Charles Li, Christina Qin, Xander Skelton

Cutting loose: Noah Wright and Sarah Labrosse starred in the NWSS production of Footloose, which played to packed and appreciative houses at the Massey Theatre last week. PHOTO LARRY WRIGHT

and Kirill Yurtsev created a tight, crisp sound that powered the production from opening note to closing chord.

Great credit goes to the production team – Clements, director Frances Monteleone, choreographers Lindsay Waldner and Peter Ha, vocal director Kelly Proznick, acting coaches Monteleone, Traci Cave and Gower Roberts, stage manager Juliet Brown and technical director Don Parman – for pulling together what can only be described as a firstclass show.

But even more impressive than the quality of the show was that final moment when every student involved in the production, cast and crew, poured onstage for final curtain calls. Seeing the sheer joy on every single one of those young faces made me more than a little teary-eyed (and I still didn’t have any Kleenex).

Witnessing that joy was one of those moments that made me say: This is what education is all about.

Footloose didn’t just entertain packed houses for its five performances.

It provided life-changing, potentially destiny-altering experiences for some 100

young people – and for who knows how many more in the audience who found inspiration in their talents.

Plus, it made at least one middle-aged critic cry.

You just can’t put a price tag on that kind of success.

erary types out there: First off, don’t forget that the Royal City Literary Arts Society is inviting submissions for its 2015 Write On! contest, which is open until March 15.

You can enter non-fiction or fiction of up to 1,500 PLAY WITH WORDS words, or poetry of up to Free your poetic heart one page single-spaced. with a little help from the There will be three cash Royal City Literary Arts So- prize winners in each catciety. egory, as well as The group holds honourable mena free monthtions, and the firstly drop-in series, place winners will WordPlay, that’s be invited to read designed to help at the Lit Fest participants generNew West gala ate poetry. showcase in April.

The session, Entry is $10 per guest hosted by entry for society Elaine Woo, offers members or $20 Prentice up writing prompts Margo per entry for nonopen mike host to help get writers members, and going on some first drafts. multiple entries are allowed.

It’s not a critique group – Check out www.rclas.com just bring your own writfor all the details, or email ing tools and paper, and get secretary@rclas.com. ready to let the words flow.

Second, don’t forget your The group next meets chance to share your work on Thursday, March 5 at with other word-lovers dur7 p.m. in the back room at ing the monthly Short Story Heritage Grill, 447 ColumOpen Mike sessions hosted bia St.

by Margo Prentice.

Check out www.rclas.com Writers are invited to for more details. drop in at Renaissance Bookstore, 43 Sixth St., MORE FOR THE WRITERS from 7 to 9 p.m. on the secHere are a couple more ond Wednesday of each for the wordsmiths and litmonth to share short sto-

ries or excerpts from books, journals or essays. Storytellers are also welcome.

The next session is Wednesday, March 11.

Or, if you prefer, you can turn out just to listen.

Refreshments will be available at the bookstore coffee bar.

Email secretary@rclas. com for details.

KALLISTO TRIO COMING TO QUEENS AVENUE Music lovers, take note – there are a couple of concerts coming to Queens Avenue United Church that you’ll want to check out.

Next up in the Music at Queens concert series is the Kallisto Trio, a female a cappella trio, offering up a concert tea, Messages From Home.

The March 14 concert will feature folk songs and favourites from Canada, the U.S. and Latin America. It’s set to start at 2 p.m., and refreshments will be included in the ticket price.

Tickets are $25 regular, $20 for students and seniors or $10 for children.

Then, on Saturday, March 21, you can enjoy the West Coast Symphony, under the baton of Bujar Llapaj.

Continued on page 12

12 WEDNESDAY March 4, 2015 • New Westminster RECORD

Arts & Entertainment Stump City Stories CD offers a legacy for the city

Continued from page 11 The 7:30 p.m. concert will feature the world premiere of Giorgio Magnanensi’s work White Colours, Spectral Orders.

Pianist Sarah Hagen will join the orchestra to perform Mendelssohn’s Piano Concerto No. 1.The program also includes Sibelius’s Karelia Suite and Richard Strauss’s Don Juan.

The concert is by donation.

Check out www.queens avenue.org for more on the concerts at Queens Avenue.

STUMP CITY CD IS A LEGACY FOR THE CITY It’s the history of New Westminster in song – and it’s being preserved as a legacy to the city.

City Stage New West held a launch party Jan. 21 at the Anvil Centre to celebrate the release of its new Stump City Stories CD – a recording of the original musical by George Ryan, commissioned by City Stage in 2009, that chronicles the history of New Westminster.

The CD was made possible thanks to a crowdsource funding campaign through Kickstarter.

Renee Bucciarelli, artistic director of City Stage New West, sent an email to let us know about the successful launch party. She noted that City Stage New West formally donated the rights of the CD to the City

of New Westminster, giving Rob McCullough (the city’s manager of cultural services) and the New Westminster Museum and Archives a “starter kit” of 50 CDs plus copies of the book and music signed by the author and cast.

On hand were local VIPs, including MP Peter Julian, who presented a certificate of congratulations to City Stage and thanked them for providing a cultural legacy to New Westminster.

Also joining in the celebrations were Bucciarelli, author-composer Ryan and City Stage treasurer Pansy Jang, plus performers Sean Allan, Dora Brooks, Jeremy Lowe and Damon Calderwood, Coun. Lorrie Williams and project partners Christine and Dennis Magrega, along with dozens of other supporters and donors.

The new CD features cover art by Kaitlyn Hunter.

Check out www.citystage newwest.org for more about the project.

HELP TELL THE MASSEY THEATRE’S STORY Are you a Massey Theatre kid?

If you have had any involvement with the Massey Theatre over the years – performing there, watching performances there, enjoying your grad ceremony there – or are just plain in-

but that aren’t yet part of the official record.

All the memorabilia and stories will be properly documented and saved in the city’s archives, to preserve the story of the theatre for future generations.

Email info@massey theatre.com.

A cultural legacy From left: Sean Allan, actor-singer; Renee Bucciarelli, artistic director; George Ryan, author-composer; Dora Brooks, actorsinger; Jeremy Lowe, actor-singer; Pansy Jang, City Stage treasurer; and MP Peter Julian celebrate at the Stump City Stories CD launch party. PHOTO DAMON CALDERWOOD, CONTRIBUTED

terested in its history and future, then be sure to get involved with the Massey Theatre’s 65th anniversary celebrations this year.

Join in the fun at www. facebook.com/massey theatrekid to stay updated about what’s happening all year long.

Among the upcoming events are a filmmaking competition, Action:Take 65!, which is seeking works inspired by or documenting the Massey Theatre. Submissions will be due March 31.

Later in the year, a homecoming performance – featuring favourite moments from the Massey stage – is set for June 14, while a

Great Pairings: Eyes on the Future event in October will pair senior and emerging performing artists.

Keep watching these pages as dates approach.

And, while you’re at it, keep an eye out in your own home for any Massey Theatre memorabilia you may have stowed away in a trunk or a shoebox.The Massey is welcoming donations of theatre-related mementoes – programs, ticket stubs, posters and the like – for the city’s archives.

They’re also looking for people who have stories to tell about the Massey over the years – anecdotes and personal tales that are part of the history of the theatre

GREEN ALLIGATORS AND LONG-NECKED GEESE If, like me, the Irish Rovers’ hit The Unicorn made an indelible mark on your childhood, then you’ll want to take note of this one.

The popular Irish-Canadian band is coming to Massey Theatre as part of its 50th anniversary world tour – and just in time for St. Patrick’s Day. The lads will be onstage on Friday, March 13 for a 7 p.m. show.Watch for more

in a future edition of the Record – or just buy your tickets now.

You can get them at www. ticketsnw.ca or call the Massey Theatre box office at 604-521-5050.

Do you have an item for Lively City? Send arts and entertainment ideas to Julie, jmaclellan@royalcityrecord. com, or find her on Twitter, @juliemaclellan.

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New Westminster RECORD WEDNESDAY March 4, 2015 13

Out & About

If there’s an event you would like to invite Suzy to, send her an email via spatrick@newwestrecord.ca

By Suzy Patrick

PLEASED TO MEET YOU ...

Some of you may have met me on the job in New Westminster and know me as one of the friendly sales reps at the Record newspaper.Well, I’m pleased to say that my role is expanding and I’m now also out and about armed with a camera, notepad and a passion for meeting the movers and shakers of the city as they work to make New West even better than it is now! If you’re in a group that’s helping to build our community in any way, then I’d love to attend one of your gatherings and spread the word about your work.Your group may be diving into some serious projects, or be all about networking and having fun – I’m interested in everything New West. Just email me!

BUSINESS NOT AS USUAL

Jason Campbell, consultant; Kendra Johnston, executive director of the BIA, and Patrick Johnstone, city councillor, pose for a pic at the AGM.

th Biz wie som buzz!

Don Kim and Aman Grewal enjoy a brew at the Downtown BIA’s AGM .

Don is director of business development for Active Watch. Aman is the pharmacy manager for Longevity Compounding Pharmacy.

Downtown NewWest BIA’ s AGM reflects a thriving area of the city

New Westminster’s manager of communications and economic development, Blair Fryer, poses with Gabe Savage of Rain City Juicery .

Free range power!

Downtown New West is abuzz with new folks and developments. Anyone who spent the last decade away from our city and then dropped back in would be astounded. So, it’s probably not surprising that the group that calls downtown home is also thriving. I dropped in to the BIA’s AGM on Tuesday night and met just some of the folks involved. Kendra Johnston, executive director, told me, “We were so happy with the turnout at the BIA AGM this year, lots of new faces and longtime downtown New West business owners and property owners represented. Great to see our membership get consistently more engaged!”

The AGM was held at Wild Rice, and I have to say the canapés were delicious!

A NATURAL KIND OF GATHERING

Royal City Farmers Market holds its annual general meeting on the river I attended a fantastic evening event on Feb. 16 when the Royal City Farmers Market held its annual general meeting at the Fraser River Discovery Centre. I met so many amazing people who are making a difference in the city of New Westminster. Rick Carswell was the MC along with Archie Miller, our local historian. Shannon King, the educator at Fraser River Discovery Centre, and Ken Knechtel, a Royal City Farmers Market vendor, were also there. Folks shared their different perspectives of the river, local food and agriculture.The Royal City Farmers Market focuses on sustainable food production by bringing locally grown and produced food to the community. For more information you can visit their website at rcfm.ca.

The Royal City Farmers Market held its AGM recently and elected its new board of directors. From left to right, are: Daniel McCash, Maureen Kirk, Kevin McConnell, Jen Arbo, Marcy Koopmans, Andrew Murray and Hennisea Hay. ALL PHOTOS BY SUZY PATRICK

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14 WEDNESDAY March 4, 2015 • New Westminster RECORD

Business

Circus school owner braves Dragons’ Den Niki Hope

editorial@newwestrecord.ca

A NewWestminsterbased circus business owner didn’t have all of the Dragons reaching into their pockets, but he did have some of them tearing up.

Travis Johnson’s moving story about the circus school he started a decade ago with his now-deceased dad, trampoline pioneer Aaron Johnson, garnered just one offer on the TV show Dragons’ Den, but plenty of accolades for his labour of love.

Johnson was asking for $200,000 for 20 per cent stake in his business, which includes theVancouver Circus School, which has 13 per cent net profit, and the more lucrative circus performance troupe, called Inner Ring, which brings in a net profit of 25 per cent.

The company’s total revenues were $775,000, Johnson said.

“Travis, I love what you are doing,” said Jim Treliving, co-owner of Boston Pizza and Mr. Lube. “I’ve heard of your family inVancouver.”

Treliving said he couldn’t

bring anything to Johnson’s business, but did say he’d love to have Inner Ring perform at an upcoming company convention.

During his pitch on CBC’s Dragons’ Den, a popular show that has entrepreneurs across the country pitching to a handful of savvy business pros in a bid to garner a financial investment, Johnson told theVancouver Circus School’s story.

He started the business when he was just 24 years old with his dad, who taught for Cirque du Soleil, was a Canadian national trampoline coach, and started the Family Services of Greater Vancouver’s detached youth program, which helped New Westminster young people. Johnson’s mom,Valerie, owns a stake in the circus company.The former Team Canada trampoline coach is also the founder of the wellknown local Shasta trampoline club.TheVancouver Circus School also has a location in NorthVancouver.

During Johnson’s Den visit, David Chilton, who wrote the Wealthy Barber books, loved the pitch, but

said the only way it would have any investment value for him is if it was a royalty payment.

Vancouver restaurateur VikramVij also praised the moving father-son story, but said, “I don’t think I’ll be the best partner.”

Marketing maven Arlene Dickinson, who dabbed tears from her eyes during the pitch, also praised Johnson for carrying on, but said she was “out” on the investment.

Banker MichaelWekerle was the only Dragon to make an offer.

“I will give you the $200K for one-third of your business,” he said.

When Johnson didn’t pounce on the offer, Dickinson piped in saying, “Travis if you don’t know him he is one of the most wellconnected humans I’ve ever met.”

Johnson stepped out of the room with two of his circus performers to talk about the offer.

“I’m just trying to figure out what my dad would want,” said Johnson, who maintained a stoic face during what was a tough pre-

Heartfelt tribute: Vancouver Circus School owner Travis Johnson’s told the Dragons about this dad, trampoline-pioneer Aaron Johnson, who died in November 2012. PHOTO CONTRIBUTED

sentation – especially given that his dad has passed just a year-and-a-half earlier.

Johnson took the deal on the show, but in the months that followed (the show taped last spring) nothing emerged from the deal.

Instead, Johnson received $85,000 from other investors since he appeared on the show.

The pitch is just one step in the process, which also involves a lengthy due diligence proceedings for the investor and the company.

In the end, the pitch garnered media attention for theVancouver Circus School, which pleased Johnson, who had never seen the TV show when he applied for a spot.

It was his girlfriend who encouraged him to go on Dragons’ Den. “My biggest concern was to make sure I represented my family (well),” he said.

His dad, Johnson believes, would have thought he did a good job, which probably meant more than the money.

‘I’ve never had so much fun being a grocer’ They’re having a wheelgood time at Save-onFoods.

The team at the Royal City Centre location, through the initiative of manager Stu Muir, is doing what it can to raise thousands of dollars for a variety of community groups, including many programs at New Westminster Secondary School.

“That’s what we are supposed to do,” a humble

Muir said when asked why they hold weekly fundraisers for various charities.

The store has re-ignited a previous fundraising tradition that died out years ago, but was picked back up when Save-On took over the former Safeway at Royal City Centre.

Muir and his team are all former Safeway employees who have stayed on with Save-On. Asked if the corporate

culture is different with the Overwaitee Group, which is owned by B.C. billionaire Jim Pattison, Muir laughed, saying, “quite a bit,” describing it as way more down to earth.

That change has allowed Muir and his team to spin the wheel every Saturday and offer prizes that include Save-On More points, gift cards and more.

Shoppers buy $2 tickets and take a spin to win. One

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of the more sucThis year marks cessful weekend a pivotal anniverfundraisers was for sary for Save-On – Hyacks football. It it’s the company’s was held over Eas100th birthday. ter 2014 weekend The store started and raised a whopin the Royal City ping $1,500. in 1915 and now The store also has three locations, has a goal to raise including Royal more than $8,000 Stu Muir City Centre. for B.C. Children’s Save-On Foods “(We are) really Hospital by May, excited this is our says Muir, who predicts birthday year,” Muir says. they may even hit 10K. “We are really excited about

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putting on some events for the community and about the community.”

The weekly fundraisers also include performances by the NWSS mariachi and jazz bands, along with other musical guests, which Saveon pays to perform.

For Muir, all of this giving back just makes his job that much better.

“I’ve never had so much fun being a grocer,” he says.

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New Westminster RECORD WEDNESDAY March 4, 2015 15

Sports

Sport to report? Contact Tom Berridge 604.444.3022 or tberridge@newwestrecord.ca

Girls lead Knights to three-peat STM wins B.C. wrestling banners Tom Berridge

tberridge@newwestrecord.ca

St.Thomas More did it again.

The small 10th Avenue independent high school topped the B.C. high school wrestling championships for a third consecutive year following last weekend’s provincial championships in Abbotsford.

Individual champions junior Caileen Corbett, fifthyear senior Nicole Depa and Livleen Sidhu, who started wrestling in Grade 9, led the lady Knights to a resounding defence of the aggregate girls’ banner, garnering a ladder-topping 83 total points, far outdistancing runner-up Ucluelet by more than 50 points.

The STM boys chipped in with 30 more team points to secure the program its third straight aggregate title.

“It’s a great feeling and a great feeling for (the team),” said STM wrestling coach Doug Corbett. “I told them, ‘Don’t let anyone take (the banner) away from you. All the girls wanted to do better than they did last year, and they did.

“It’s very difficult to do.

We have a good coaching staff and that makes a big difference. But we put in a lot of extra time as a group.

We’re lucky we got a lot of good support, but our kids buy into it.”

Caileen Corbett won at 40 kilograms, while Depa topped the field at 57kg and Sidhu earned gold at 69kg.

Ciara Corbett won a silver

medal at 51kg and Amanda Silveri was also a runner-up at 110kg for STM.Taylor McIntosh earned a bronze medal at 60kg.

Also making the podium were fifth-year Meagan Chow and Gabriela Chavez, fourth and sixth, respectively, at 43kg; and Natalie Nelson, who also placed fourth at 64kg.

The Knight boys also wrestled well, with Stephano Pozzolo and Joel Calica, who came back from a rib injury in December, placing second in their respective 45 and 48kg weight classes.

Daniel Alphonso was fourth at 51kg.

But the jewels in STM’s crown are the girls who, for the past decade, continue to place as a top-five team at the provincials.

“The team we had this year was pretty solid,” Corbett said. “It is perhaps the smallest team we’ve had, but the (wrestlers) we had were good.”

Notre Dame’s Serena Woldring won the girls’ 75kg gold, while teammate Toni Medeiros was third at 40kg.

Chelsea Coombes of Burnaby North won a bronze medal at 51kg and Mele Viklani of Burnaby Central was fifth at 75kg.

On the boys’ side, Jimmy Sidhu of South won at 130kg, while brother Sammy Sidhu, who wrestles with New Westminster Secondary, was fourth at 66kg.

TJ Cordoviz of NWSS placed third at 45kg, while Continued on page 16

Hands in the pie: EJ Mabone battles with a Sir Winston Churchill player during the Lower Mainland 4A high school boys’ basketball championship final in Richmond last Friday. PHOTO JENNIFER GAUTHIER

JV Hyacks tenth at provincials NewWest rallies from Day 1 loss; rattles off four straight victories Tom Berridge

tberridge@newwestrecord.ca

The New Westminster Hyacks jumped from 18th seed to claim 10th place at the B.C. high school junior boys’ basketball championships.

The JV Hyacks defeated Brentwood College 51-44 in the consolation round final at the Langley Events Centre on Saturday.

Player of the game Drew Dancey scored 13 points for the Hyacks.

New West led by as many as 14 points in the game,

but Brentwood rallied, tying the contest in the final two minutes of play.

Luka Cuk regained the lead for the Hyacks, cooly draining three free throws and then scoring on a layup following a turnover.

Francis Federipe ensured New West of the win with a late interception.

Federipe led all Hyacks with 17 points and was named a third team all-star following the game.

“We came down with a feeling that we could win. It was good for the kids, they had confidence to come

back,” said head coach Felix Gonzalez.

STM JVS PLACE SIXTH STM’s junior varsity basketball team wound up in sixth place at the B.C. high school boys’ championships in Langley.

The JV Knights went into the final quarter tied at 28 points apiece with Terry Fox, but it was the Ravens who emerged with a 49-42 win at the LEC on Saturday.

After a slow and mostly unproductive first three quarters by both teams,

Terry Fox started the final stanza with some added jump, racing off with an 11-4 start and never looking back.

Fox was led by Xavion Fleary, who scored all of his team-high 11 points in the second half.

“I knew the game was on the line, so I just played my hardest,” said Fleary, the player of the game.

STM’s Richard Galicia, a tournament second team all-star, led all scorers with 19 points.

Earlier, the Knights got Continued on page 16

Steeler D-man sinks Sockeyes with Game 7 pair Tom Berridge

tberridge@newwestrecord.ca

The Grandview Steelers moved into unfamiliar territory following a 3-2 victory over Richmond on Monday.

The junior B Steelers upset the Pacific Junior Hockey League runner-up on rookie defenceman Cameron Ginnetti’s late third-

period goal that sent the Grandview club into the conference final for the first time in eight seasons.

Ginnetti, who tied the game 2-2 on a slapshot on a power play late in the second period, wristed home the game winner with his second goal of the game after good forechecking by Lucas Santucci and Ian

Prevost freed up the puck in the Richmond zone.

“I’m really happy.These are the games you like to play in,” said the 16-yearold Ginnetti. “I just tried to get it on net and it went top shelf.”

Trailing 3-2 in the bestof-seven series, Grandview forced a seventh and final game, winning 6-2 on

Burnaby Winter Club home ice on Sunday.

“In Game 6 we played desperate and that’s exactly how we had to play to win,” Ginnetti said.

Timothy Chow, who was a game star in Grandview’s opening two wins over Richmond in the series, scored his playoff-leading eighth goal of the post

season to give the Steelers a 1-0 lead early in the middle period.

Richmond came back to take a take a 3-2 lead in the series, but Grandview wasn’t about to let history dictate another first-round loss to the Fishman, said Steelers’ head coach Aldo Bruno.

“Every year, it seems like

we come up against (Richmond). But the way the series went it allowed us to use all four lines and it kept us fresh,” said Bruno.

With the win, Grandview moved on to meet league champion North Vancouver Wolf Pack in the bestof-seven conference final.

Game 1 was played Tuesday (after Record deadlines).

16 WEDNESDAY March 4, 2015 • New Westminster RECORD

Sports

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So close: New Westminster’s Aiden Isbister, with ball, goes to the net in a 10-8 overtime loss to Claremont in the B.C. high school Tier 1 field lacrosse final at Mercer Stadium on Friday.

NWSS also fell to Claremont 10-6 in the Tier 1 junior final. PHOTO LARRY WRIGHT

Central boy wins silver Continued from page 15 Connor Pattison was fifth at 84kg and David Penalver was sixth at 51kg.

Aidan Labreche of Central earned a silver medal at 41kg. Central teammate Ansel Hait was fourth at 84kg.

Notre Dame’s Sira Santiago and Flix-

zl Reyes both placed fifth in their respective weight divisions.

Abbotsford Traditional topped the aggregate boys’ standings with 81 points.WJ Mouat finished third overall with 76 total points.

‘We just need the win’ Continued from page 15

by Fraser Heights and No. 9 MEI before getting bounced from the quarter-finals by top-ranked Kitsilano 55-50.

STM then defeated Rick Hansen to set up the fifth-place showdown with Fox. “We ran out of gas a little bit,” said STM coach Dominic Zimmermann. “Terry Fox is a very tough team. But I’m proud of these guys.We worked hard and surprised a lot of people.”

Seventh-seeded Killarney pulled off an upset in the JV final, defeating Kits 64-55 in the championship final.

AAA KNIGHTS THIRD St.Thomas More will enter the B.C. high school AAA boys’ basketball championships as the seventh seed following a thirdplace finish at the Lower Mainland championships.

The Knights bounced back from a double-digit loss to McMath in the semifinals to beat McNair 65-58 in the third and

fourth placement game at the Richmond Olympic Oval on Friday.

STM led by as many as 15 points in the first half, but trailed by a single point with four minutes left to play against the Richmond school.

“We go through these spells of lackluster play and being half asleep, and we’re still working on getting the kids to buy into the half court,” said STM head coach Aaron Mitchell.

“We needed to wake up,” said JJ DesLauriers, the Knights’ second team tournament all-star. “I think we put a lot of pressure on ourselves and we want to play too much out of our comfort zone.”

Grade 10 forward Cam Morris, who led the Knights with 18 points, was named to the tournament first all-star team.

“At the end of the day, we just needed the win,” Mitchell added.

The provincial AAA championships takes place at the Langley Events Centre from March 11 to 14.

McCalder earns honour Brian McCalder of Burnaby is the winner of Sport B.C.’s Daryl Thompson Award for his extraordinary contribution to B.C. athletics.

Following a career in coaching, McCalder has given 40 years of service to B.C. Athletics, helping de-

velop the association into a leader in Canada in track and field.

On a national level, McCadler was a longtime senior member of the Athletics Canada Branch Council and Athletics Canada planning committee. He was also a keen supporter of

Sport B.C. and a founding member of the organization’s leadership council.

The award will be presented at the Sport B.C. Athlete of theYear banquet at Fairmont Hotel Vancouver on Thursday, March 12.

For tickets, go to sportbc.com.

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18 WEDNESDAY March 4, 2015 • New Westminster RECORD

New Westminster RECORD WEDNESDAY March 4, 2015 19

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