The new year is here – and, for those of us in the newsroom, what better time to pause, reflect and remember all that’s happened in New Westminster in 2017.
When it comes to news headlines, New Westminster is never short of things to write about. Earlier this month, the Record editorial team sat down to discuss the top stories of the year. Our collection of awards, honours and special mentions include the Newsmaker of the Year and several other awards in this edition.
Our choices are obviously subjective. How does one judge the relative merits of the city’s political leadership as it struggles with demographic changes versus parents’ concerns for the safety of their kids in seismically unsafe schools? It’s really not possible.
We also don’t pretend these “awards” can possibly touch on everything important that happened this year – but they do cover many of the highlights.
And, of course, there’s the News Story of the Year award. We’ve saved that special one for our Jan. 4 edition just to keep the suspense going.
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The ‘Still waiting after all these years’ award
Sapperton school still on shaky ground
The lives of students at Richard McBride Elementary continue to hang in the balance as the school district awaits provincial approval for a replacement for the aging school.
Since the New Westminster Secondary School replacement project was given the green light in June 2016, the New Westminster school board has turned its attention to its new number 1 priority – replacing the 88-year-old Richard McBride Elementary School.
Parts of the Sapperton school, located at Richmond and Hospital streets, have been deemed a high risk of structural failure during an earthquake. That includes classroom blocks built in 1929 and the gymnasium.
McBride is the district’s oldest operating school and was built in 1929 after a fire destroyed the original school that same year.
In 2016, the school district and the Ministry of Education went back and forth over whether the school should undergo seismic upgrades or be replaced outright. Initially, the district asked for funding – an estimated $18 million – to upgrade the school.
“We believe the cost to do a seismic upgrade is so close in costs that why not just give us a brand new school?” district superintendent Pat Duncan said in October 2016, adding the district would build a new McBride on the existing site, so no new land would be needed.
At the time, Richard McBride was one of 42 seismic projects across the province under review by the Ministry of Education, according to the province.
“Once the ministry’s budget is approved next spring, we will notify school districts about which priority projects have funding and what the next steps are,” read a statement from the education ministry.
But spring 2017 came and went and so did the B.C. Liberal government.
In the summer, the New Westminster school district submitted a project definition report for McBride’s replacement, and in December, the ministry asked the school district to update its report to reflect any changes in enrollment.
This has given the district a chance to include any changes to the project prompted by the 2016 Supreme Court of Canada decision that sided with B.C. teachers over language in their contract regarding class size and composition.
The district anticipates the changes mean a new McBride will have three more classrooms than originally thought.
But when funding will be announced is anyone’s guess. The district is not kept abreast of where and at what stage the project is within the ministry. Senior district staff, at a recent school board meeting, told trustees they’re hoping for an announcement early in the new year.
Maybe it’s time we start crossing our toes as well as our fingers.
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The ‘I say May Day, you say no day’ award
Tradition or colonialism? The debate rages on
What’s been called a colonial insult to First Nations and a proud tradition, and is the source of a never-ending debate in the Royal City?
If you guessed May Day, you’d be right.
The debate over the future of May Day is the epitome of #OnlyinNewWest. The 147-year-old tradition (the longest May Day celebration in the Commonwealth, in fact) that brings school children from across the city to Queen’s Park Stadium every spring to dance around may poles and crown a May Queen is beloved by some and hated by others.
Last January, the school district, which is mainly responsible for the planning and execution of the event, decided it could no longer run the May Day event as it had in past years after some of the key community volunteers dropped out. This left the bulk of the planning to now-retired associate superintendent Janet Grant.
In order to keep the event manageable, changes were made to make the kids a bigger part of the day-of festivities. Members of the incoming Royal Suite would emcee and introduce speakers, local dignitaries and the dances.
But the real brouhaha began when the school district dared to ditch the May Queen Suite’s traditional white gowns and capes in favour of off-the-rack floral dresses and boleros. This ignited a backlash like no other.
At the March school board meeting, about 20 people packed the room to plead with trustees to reverse the district’s decision and let the girls wear the gowns that had been part of the event since 1870.
“Both my daughter and I share our shock at the announcement at the parent meeting that the school district has eliminated the traditional white attire for the girls this year. My daughter was very upset and disappointed as were the majority of the girls in the suite,” said Christina Black, whose daughter Samantha was part of the 2017 Royal Suite.
Grant and the district backtracked, admitting they had not expected such backlash over the dresses.
The most recent May Day back-and-forth started over a set of recommendations made by the task force and presented to the school board in October.
The recommendations suggested the district make May Day a school-based event and eliminate the Queen’s Park Stadium festivities starting in 2018.
Some in the community were outraged, arguing the event is a special New Westminster tradition that must continue, especially as it nears its 150th anniversary.
The district, as it had planned all along, sent out a survey asking parents, students, residents and non-residents what they thought of the recommendations. The results were about as divided as they could be. There was no clear answer to whether or not the event should go on.
So, trustees voted to hold off on any changes for the 2018 event so more consultation could happen with the community and the City of New Westminster.
At a recent board meeting, senior admin told trustees they would have to hire a staff person to plan and run the 2018 event, given Grant’s retirement. Sounds like the staffer will be hired as soon as possible to give them enough time to get things going.
What this means for next year’s May Day and the future of May Day is anyone’s guess. The district seems opposed to bearing the bulk of the work, given how much time it takes staff to plan and prepare for the event, but May Day supporters in the community are a strong bunch and there’s no way they’re going to let it die without a fight.
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The ‘Back to the Future’ award
City looks at heritage, growth
The Back to the Future award goes out to two city processes that struggled to balance the needs of the future with a desire to respect the city’s past – the Queen’s Park heritage conservation area and official community plan.
With the OCP, city officials tackled the need to provide a greater range of housing choice for residents, and, at the same time, respect the wishes of residents wanting to retain single-family homes as the land use in their neighbourhoods.
On the heritage front, the city adopted a heritage conservation area for the Queen’s Park neighbourhood – much to the delight of heritage advocates but to the dismay of homeowners who feel the city is taking away their property rights and jeopardizing their property values. Councillors adopted the plan after a public hearing that saw more than 70 delegations make pitches both for and against the plan (47 in favour, 26 opposed).
“There is definitely something really unique and special about the large number of heritage homes in Queen’s Park,” said Mayor Jonathan Cote.
While both processes were approved in 2017, the work has just begun as the city will be implementing and reviewing the plans in the years ahead.
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The ‘thinking outside the box’ award
Yurt for the win
The Thinking Outside the Box award goes to a Glenbrook North resident who approached city council about erecting a pre-fabricated yurt on the rear of her property.
Unlike the tent-like structures once used by herdsmen in Mongolia, modern-day yurts can be outfitted with all the comforts of home – including fireplaces, kitchens and multiple rooms.
Treva Zilm had plans for the “best-looking yurt in Canada.”
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The hometown heroes award
Salmonbellies stole our hearts with a heroic run
The Hometown Heroes award goes to the New Westminster Senior Salmonbellies who battled hard for the 2017 Mann Cup.
The Mann Cup championship drew more than 13,000 fans to Queen’s Park Arena over six nights, kindling a deep passion for the game and the hometown New West Salmonbellies.
While the B.C. champion ’Bellies won the first two games, Peterborough made the necessary adjustments to capture the next four games – including three in consecutive nights – to grab the gold-plated cup for their own.
Despite the Game 6 loss, the ’Bellies provided lacrosse fans with some amazing action on the wooden floor – and renewed hope for a Mann Cup in the years ahead.
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The community builder award
Arts council marked the big 5-0
Search for “arts council” in our newsroom archive and you’ll find more than 50 stories for the year 2017 – which pretty much means the Arts Council of New Westminster makes it into the Record’s print edition every single week.
And that’s no surprise to anyone who follows the arts in New West.
The Arts Council of New Westminster, which was born in a meeting room at the New Westminster Public Library in 1967, marked its 50th anniversary in November with a party and reception at its headquarters at Centennial Lodge in Queen’s Park.
We’ll continue the party by saluting this great group of folks, once again, for their efforts to build and promote the arts and cultural community of New Westminster.
Whether we’re talking about the Gallery at Queen’s Park, the Music by the River series, the Uptown Unplugged performances, the ArtsToGo workshops around the community, the Last Mondays at the Movies or events like the Analog: Pop Up Vinyl Shop, this organization reaches out to every corner of the city to bring together people from all backgrounds and walks of life to celebrate all things artistic.
They’re never content to rest on their laurels, always creating new events and partnering with other organizations to bring even more folks into the “arts and culture” fold.
To the arts council, its executive director Stephen O’Shea, its president Leanne Ewen, its board of directors and every single one of its hard-working volunteers, we extend our thanks.
New West wouldn’t be the same without you.
May you live long and prosper – and may we all celebrate again in 2067, when you turn 100.
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The ‘work hard, play hard’ award
Not just another walk in the park
The Work Hard Play Hard award goes to Mayor Jonathan Cote who spent a sunny Sunday in August walking, biking and driving to all 44 parks in New Westminster, posting photos and comments on social media about many of the stops along the way.
His goal was to showcase the variety of park offerings in New West.
He started his day at 8 a.m. at Albert Crescent Park and finished at 9 p.m. at Sapperton Landing Park, clocking 26,000 steps along the way.
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The ‘thorniest delegation’ award
Prickly problem
The Thorniest Council Delegation award goes to John Unger, who urged the city to remove five acacia trees growing on the city’s boulevard in the 1400 block of Dublin Street. Armed with a box of roots with large thorns, he told council the “dangerous” roots were travelling underground and popping up on his property – making it so his grandchildren couldn’t even play in the front yard.
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The ‘human snowflake’ award
Letter writer got Record readers really, really riled
Every now and then, a letter to the editor takes on a life of its own.
Such was the case in October, when local resident and reader Shelley Fralic wrote in about the traffic chaos that plagues the streets around the school across the street from her home.
That alone likely wouldn’t have stirred up a controversy, but Fralic’s letter included such sentences as “And when did parenting become an exercise in sheltering human snowflakes, instead of preparing the next generation to become independent, courteous, civic-minded young adults” and “Parents, get a grip. You are failing your kids.”
Well … to say that New West parents found the letter a tad off-putting might be an understatement.
Fralic’s missive prompted a flurry of response on social media – both from supporters who cheered her sentiments and from parents who felt offended and judged. It even provoked one of our own staffers, assistant editor Julie MacLellan, to write a blog post about the perils of parenting in today’s world.
To Fralic, for prompting one of the most entertaining debates we saw this year, we extend our thanks – and this nod in our year-end awards.
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The ‘big man, bigger heart’ award
Wrestler loves New West
The Big Man, Bigger Heart award goes to New West resident Rish Koya, whose alter ego Mister India is the heavyweight champion with All Star Wrestling.
In an effort to bring wrestling to New West in a big way – and promote local businesses along the way – he launched Royal City Wrestling in 2017 and held events in the centre court of Royal City Centre in July and November.
Both events were well attended and attracted crowds to the mall for the spectacle.
Koya even managed to get Mayor Jonathan Cote into the act by getting him to be a referee at the Royal City Takeover in July and Mister India’s manager at the Royal City Rumble in November.
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The ‘jump ship’ award
School trustee turned Green
When election time comes around, speculating who will throw their hat in the ring is often a topic of conversation in newsrooms.
Most often, the incumbents come forward, but sometimes there’s a surprise or two. For the May 2017 provincial election, the Royal City’s Jonina Campbell was that surprise.
The two-term school trustee told the Record “an opportunity presented itself” and that she was running for the B.C. Green Party. This came as a shock to some local folks because Campbell was previously endorsed by the NDP-affiliated New Westminster and District Labour Council alongside other “progressive” candidates and had a long tradition of voting NDP.
Campbell, while admitting she hadn’t chosen an easy path, said the Green platform was one that was comprehensive, compassionate and sustainable, with emphases on education, health and the environment.
At the time, she said her decision to run was not a criticism of the work done by NDP MLA Judy Darcy – someone she considers to be an exceptionally hardworking MLA.
“My decision to put my name forth as a candidate for the Green Party is about the party. This is a political decision about what I think is the best policy for New West and for B.C.,” she said.
For breaking the mould, we give Campbell our Jump Ship Award.
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The ‘only in new west’ award
A New West love story
The Only in New West award (a.k.a. New West Love Affair award) goes to Jennifer Wolowic and Simon Le Pine, whose October wedding day had a distinctly New West flair.
After saying their I Do’s at a ceremony in the mayor’s office officiated by Coun. Lorrie Williams, the couple, accompanied by their New West-based photographer, Oren and Jones Photography, visited spots around the city including Friendship Gardens, Old Crow Coffee company, Steel & Oak (where they had their first dance), el Santo and friends’ homes.
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The ‘stairway to nowhere’ award
Emergency staircase has become a downtown oddity
The Stairway to Nowhere award goes to a structure on Front Street that caused a few raised eyebrows in the summer.
When the city decided to demolish part of the Front Street parkade, it had to build a new emergency staircase in front of a building at 649 Front St. The only problem was the $200,000 staircase didn’t connect to the building, which became apparent when folks flocked to the new Front Street Mews in the summer for Fridays on Front gatherings.
In the fall, council debated whether to keep the massive staircase or work with the building owner on an alternative emergency exit, ultimately deciding to keep the structure and try to enhance its appearance with public art.
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The ‘no surprises here’ award
City streets are cracking up
The No Surprises Here award goes to the city roads, after a city staff report revealed that 12.9 per cent of New Westminster’s “minor roads” have cracking – compared to 5.6 per cent in 2006 and a regional average of seven per cent.
Acknowledging that the number of cracked roads in New West is “a bit higher than the surrounding municipalities,” staff said plans are afoot to increase the pavement management budget to accelerate paving but more money is needed to get the “all cracked area” up to eight per cent.
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The politics as usual USUAL – or not – award
There’s a new party in town
Daniel Fontaine launched a new poltical group in New Westminster – The New Westminster Progressive Electors Coalition – and is shooting to field a slate of candidates for the Oct. 20, 2018 civic election.
Hoping to succeed where others have failed, Fontaine wants to offer an alternative to the traditional NDP/District Labour Council stronghold on council and school board. With new campaign finance rules in play during this election, pundits are predicting Fontaine’s new coalition might be able to break the left-leaning leadership and squeak a newbie into the mix. But it will take a lot more than new finance rules to change New West politics.
