Members of city council weren’t short on words of praise for the city’s poet laureate, whose role has come to an end after two terms.
Mayor Jonathan Cote said New Westminster has been fortunate to have had Candice James as its poet laureate for the past six years, saying she provided “incredible work and service” to the city during her two terms.
“I think your work and your presence has become synonymous with so many different community events that we have each year,” Cote said. “You have managed to, through your poetry and through your work, really capture the history, the spirit, the community – everything that it means to be New Westminster. You have done such an incredible job through your artistic work to be able to do that.”
Coun. Chuck Puchmayr thanked James for all the work she did as poet laureate – as well as all the other literary endeavours that went “above and beyond” what was required as part of the position, including her work with the Royal City Literary Arts Society.
“I think you have really put New Westminster on the map,” he said. “You have really brought out a lot of creative people that normally weren’t public about what they were doing…. It’s just amazing what you have done for the literary arts and for poetry in New West.”
Coun. Bill Harper said she “made the city bigger” by going outside of New Westminster with her many literary endeavours.
James appreciates the support she’s received from the city and the public during her tenure as New Westminster’s poet laureate.
“It’s been one of the highlights of my life,” she said. “I am very pleased I had the opportunity to serve the city I was born in. I actually learned more about it by being poet laureate than I did by living here. It’s been a wonderful adventure. I have enjoyed it thoroughly.”
New Westminster’s third poet laureate, James filled a position previously held by poet laureate emeritus Don Benson (1999 to 2006) and poet laureate emerita Edna Anderson (1998 to 1999).
Gibson gets President’s Award
The B.C. Recreation and Parks Association has high praise for the efforts of New Westminster’s director of parks and recreation.
Ron Higo, board director and national director of the B.C. Recreation and Parks Association, attended city council’s July 4 meeting to present Dean Gibson with its President’s Award. The award is given to someone who shows exceptional involvement, sustained contributions and great promise of lifelong commitment to the association and the parks and recreation sector.
Higo said Gibson is a former board member of the association, who has now made his mark at the national level as the Canadian Parks and Recreation Association’s president. He said Gibson has been “integral” to the evolution of the Canadian Parks and Recreation Association.
“Dean is well known and appreciated in B.C. as a professional who is dedicated, reliable, forward-thinking and one who possesses strong communication and leadership skills,” Higo said. “Dean’s strong attributes as a civic leader, planner, critical thinker and team builder continue to be valuable assets for both the City of New Westminster, the CPRA and the BCRPA and he is certainly deserving as the recipient of the 2016 President’s Award.”
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