A new team is leading the New Westminster Hyack Festival Association’s board of directors.
Longtime New West resident David Brett is the association’s president for 2017. The board of directors and executive team were recently confirmed at the organization’s Jan. 11 annual general meeting.
Brett and first lady Lorraine Brett succeeded outgoing president Alan Wardle and first lady Debbie Wardle. Bryn Ward was appointed president-elect, while Gloria Munro was confirmed as treasurer, Debora Sutherland was confirmed as secretary and Sean Della Vedova continues as vice-president. Hyack’s directors at large for 2017 are Alan Wardle, Ryan Ferrer, Brenda Adam, Gerda Suess, David MacGrotty and Lili De Capite.
Each year, the Hyack president selects a theme for the festival. Brett’s theme is First Nations, First Cities: Telling Our Story, Together.
Talking child care
New Westminster MLA Judy Darcy wants to have a chat about childcare.
Darcy is hosting two events to get input about child care in New Westminster: Sunday, Jan. 29, 3 to 5 p.m. – Old Crow Coffee Co., 655 Front St.; and Saturday, Feb. 4. 1 to 3 p.m. – TMFox Incubator, 1190 Eighth Ave. (Coun. Mary Trentadue is co-hosting this event.)
“The cost is incredibly high, the wait lists are really long,” she said. “It’s an issue I have heard a lot about the last few years.”
While people often discuss the high cost of housing, Darcy said it’s expected that housing is everyone’s top expense.
“If you have a young child in full-time childcare, it’s your second highest cost. If you have two kids in childcare it can be your highest cost,” she said. “I’ve been chatting with various parents, mainly moms, in New West about the issue and decided we would organize a series of round tables just to hear from parents in New West about childcare and how it affects them.”
Darcy expects to host more sessions in other neighbourhoods, like Sapperton, but dates haven’t been confirmed.
