It was a family affair when Coun. Lorrie Williams married off one of her brothers in Queen’s Park.
Ken Hladun of Philadelphia and Jeannie Hunchak of Toronto recently flew west for their April 25 wedding in the Queen’s Park rose garden. Williams, a marriage commissioner, conducted the ceremony.
“It was lovely. I was honoured. They flew all the way out just so I could do it,” Williams told the Record. “They came here to get married and we all flew to Toronto for the reception.”
Before heading back east for the big reception, wedding goers enjoyed a post-ceremony dinner at La Spaghetteria on Sixth Street.
Williams wasn’t the only Royal City resident involved in the nuptials, as her brother Allan Greenwood and her Aunt Nadia Anderson also played a part in the couple’s special day.
“My other brother, Allan, who lives in town was the best man. My auntie, Nadia was the maid of honour. She’s from New West,” Williams said. “It was a real family affair.”
New West heritage homes to welcome visitors
Heritage homes from around the Royal City are opening their doors to looky-loos.
The New Westminster Heritage Preservation Society is holding its 36th annual Heritage Homes Tour and Tea on Sunday, May 31. Fourteen houses are featured on this year’s tour – including eight homes that have never been on the tour and homes that haven’t been on the tour for more than a decade.
“It promises to be a diverse, fascinating, route featuring venues in many of the city’s neighbourhoods including Sapperton, Downtown, Brow of the Hill, West End, Moody Park, Glenbrooke and Queen’s Park,” said an email from tour organizers. “The lineup includes a beautiful Sapperton river view home that has been transformed form its days as a boarding house into a stunning family retreat thanks to the design crew of the popular Love It or List It show.”
The tour also features a small Queen’s Park bungalow that’s been “let out at the seams" and renovated with loving care and attention to detail, as well as the 1926 Moody Park estate of Fred Hume, who was mayor of both New Westminster and Vancouver and helped transition the Vancouver Canucks from the Western Hockey League to the NHL.
“There are several homes that have fascinating historical pedigrees with ties to the ‘old families’ of New Westminster – Gifford, Burr, Johnston and Hoy,” stated organizers. “Another house promises to pay homage to the Royal Family. And two late Victorian beauties share the spotlight – one tastefully renovated and the other painstakingly restored. Rounding out the lineup is an elegant 1940 Queens Avenue home, the oldest surviving farm home in West End, a Moody Park bungalow designed by architect James B. Whitburn, St. Mary’s church celebrating its 150th anniversary, a re-energized Columbia Theatre and the historic Irving House.”
Tickets are $40 and include a light tea at the Justice Institute of B.C. Tickets are on sale at Champagne Taste, New Westminster Museum and Archives at Anvil Centre, Cadeaux Gifts and Home Embellishments, Royal City Colours and Mandeville GardenWorks.
For more information on the tour, go to www.newwestheritage.org.
Help Camp Kerry
An upcoming event aims to help a society that supports individuals and families who are coping with life-threatening illness and bereavement.
Since 2007, the Camp Kerry Society has been addressing the psycho, social, spiritual needs of individuals, families and professionals through a holistic approach to bereavement care. The society runs Kerry’s Boutique in Sapperton, which raises money for Camp Kerry.
A fundraiser being held on Sunday, May 24 at 6 p.m. at the Pipe Shop in North Vancouver will include a runway fashion show, hors d’oeuvres live entertainment and more. The society is also seeking sponsors for the event and welcomes items for the raffle or swag bags. For more information, visit www.campkerry.org. Tickets to the event are $15.79 and available at www.picatic.com/campkerry.
New West artist celebrated
A New Westminster native who went on to make his mark on the international art scene is being recognized in the gallery bearing his name.
The Massey Theatre is offering an exhibition in the Plaskett Gallery as part of the theatre’s 65th anniversary celebration. The exhibit features works by Joseph Plaskett from 1943 to 1958.
Born in New Westminster in 1918 and raised in Sapperton, Plaskett became a renowned international artist with studios in Paris and London. Still, he returned to New Westminster often to visit family and friends and to exhibit his work.
The exhibit will be running from May 5 to June 30 in the Plaskett Gallery. Massey Theatre is looking for volunteer host to introduce visitors to Joseph Plaskett and his work.
Did you know Plaskett? Do you love his work? Do you have stories to tell? Would you like to know more about this distinctive artist? If so, call Massey Theatre at 604-517-5900.
New West lawn bowling season underway
The New Westminster Lawn Bowling Club is on a roll.
The lawn bowling club held its opening day game and annual mayor’s luncheon on Saturday, April 25 at the clubhouse.
President Stephanie Vezina welcomed Mayor Jonathan Cote, who was accompanied by his daughter Renee, and councillors Bill Harper and Patrick Johnstone to the luncheon. While Cote had the honour of throwing out the first bowl to officially open the 2015 season, Renee also got to try her hand at lawn bowling.
The New Westminster Lawn Bowling Club followed up its season opening celebration with its 98th annual open house on Saturday, May 2.
Save the date
Things are getting a little hairy around the New Westminster Museum in Anvil Centre.
The museum’s latest exhibit is shining a spotlight on the city’s barbershops, salons and hairstyles, and the diversity of contemporary hairdressing in the city in its latest exhibit, Hair Apparent: A Hairy History of New Westminster. Several special events are planned as part of the exhibit:
* Thursday, May 14: Hair Apparent – unconventional stories, a program for folks aged 16 and up takes place in the Anvil Centre, 7 to 8 p.m. Admission is by donation. Registration is required (code 140563).
* Saturday, May 30: A Victorian Man’s Life, a program for kids aged five to seven, takes place at Anvil Centre from 10 a.m. to noon. Registration fee is $13.25 (code 140879).
* Saturday, June 13: Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow: A History of Hair. Fashion historian Ivan Sayers will give a presentation about hairstyles from the 1850s to the 1970s. It’s taking place in Anvil Centre from 2 to 3 p.m. Registration is $10 (code 140861).
To register for any of these programs, call 604-527-4640 or visit [email protected].
