Girl Guides of New Westminster District’s 51st annual International Fair will celebrate the international sisterhood of Guiding in 145 nations around the world.
The upcoming event includes displays, a concession stand, a bake sale and a colour party and formal presentation at 11 a.m. The event runs on Saturday, Feb. 27 from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Lord Tweedsmuir Elementary School gym, 1714 Eighth Ave.
RSVP by Feb. 22 by contacting Dona Lajeunesse at 604-833-3590 or dona@mylajeunesse.ca.
Getting kids off to a good start
New Westminster will be home to one of 21 new early years centres opening in B.C.
The Lower Mainland Purpose Society will be operating a B.C. early years centre that will allow parents with children aged zero to six to access services such as child drop-in play group programs, StrongStart B.C. programs, public health clinics, advice and referrals and parent education programs under one roof.
“We know that for those with young children it can be hard enough just to get out of the house some days – that’s why we are committed to expanding our network of early years centres to make it easier for parents to make connections, build relationships and access supports that will help their children reach their full potential,” Stephanie Cadieux, minister of children and family development, said in a press release.
Dawn Embree, executive director of the Purpose Society, said she hopes the centre will be open by April or May. A number of agencies will attend and provide programing for two-and-a-half hours a day, five days a week, with one of those sessions taking place in the evening.
“It’s awesome, absolutely awesome,” she said. “I think the province was quite receptive to having them in schools. The ability to do them at Ecole Qayqayt Elementary School with the Neighbourhoods of Learning centre was a real plus to them.”
Stay informed
New Westminster residents have a new way of staying in the loop about proposed land-use changes in their neighbourhood.
Vancouver-based PlaceSpeak is making city information about development applications more accessibility by monitoring changes and delivering updates to nearby residents. People who register with Place-Speak will receive notifications about projects planned for their neighbourhood, and they can also post comments and participate on an online notice board.
“Keeping residents informed is the first step towards a more engaged community,” said Colleen Hardwick, founder and CEO of PlaceSpeak. “People are always complaining that they have not been notified or consulted about relevant issues in their neighbourhoods. PlaceSpeak changes all that with its citizens-centric approach, allowing residents to choose how and when they are notified online.”
See www.placespeak.com for more information or to sign up.
