Coquitlam
Port Coquitlam
Port Moody
Broombusters tackles the invasive plant on Earth Day
Old bottles and pottery tell a story of city’s past
Soccer pitch at Inlet Park will finally get turf
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T H U R S D AY
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APRIL 21
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PAGE 11
2022
There’s more at
tricitynews.com
Special beer at PoCo brewery + Another COVID-19 outbreak at hospital + Coquitlam gymnasts vault to gold medals
YOUTH HELPING YOUTH
COQUITLAM PUBLIC LIBRARY
Books not balanced
After previous charitable efforts to help premature babies, Insiyah Dharsee, 14, is now reaching out to assist young people just a little older than herself. See the story on Page 19. MARIO BARTEL/THE TRI-CITY NEWS
The City of Coquitlam says the library got the money it asked for at budget time. The Coquitlam Public Library (CPL) contends not all of the money was received in 2021 and 2022. And now the library’s executive director, Todd Gnissios, says the consequences of two years of what he called underfunding are playing out with job cuts and reduced hours for librarians, and program cutbacks. Gnissios said the CPL is experiencing its first significant deficit since he took the role eight years ago and he blames grant shortfalls, as well as increased operational costs and loss of revenues during the past two years as contributing factors to the red ink. In an interview with the Tri-City News last week,
Gnissios said he raised the alarm with city managers and leaders of CUPE Local 561, which represents unionized staff at the two branches, in January, February and March to find solutions to a $177,000 hole. He suggested to the board that library hours be cut to save money; however, he said, the board turned him down and recommended a different approach via attrition. The result? Layoff notices to seven employees — effective May and June — and shift or hour change notices for up to 15 staff members who are also with the union local. “This is a fairly big change for us to try to make it so, at the end of the day, there will be very, very few people who SEE
LAYOFF NOTICES, PAGE 3
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