As always, there were a few stories and people that clearly grabbed the headlines and earned the distinction of being our news story and newsmaker of the year.
But they weren't the only ones that stuck in our minds when we looked back on the year that was.
So The Record editorial staff put their heads together and came up with this list of other "awards" to bestow upon the moments and the people who made our jobs - and our lives - just that much more interesting in 2013.
In no particular order, we present our winners. (Drum roll, please ...)
* The Send Them Back to Kindergarten to Learn To Place Nice Award:
This one, hands down, goes to the New Westminster school board. (Yes, Michael Ewen and Casey Cook, we're looking at you.) The folks who are setting the course for education of our future generations certainly aren't always setting a good example on the "learn to share and cooperate" front. We totally get, and respect, the need for differences of opinion, and we don't take issue with those. But we do take issue with the constant sniping and the black-and-white, my-way-or-the-highway approach being taken by some of the parties in question. We'll all get enough family dysfunction this Christmas; we don't need it at the school board table, too.
Our Christmas wish for you: A sprinkling of magic fairy dust, because nothing else is gonna solve this problem. Oh, and maybe some cupcakes. No one can be cross and nasty while eating cupcakes, can they?
Honourable mention: To councillors Chuck Puchmayr and Betty McIntosh.
* The Best Candidate For a Reality Show Award:
In any other year, the New Westminster school board might well have qualified for this one too. But this year, they were outwitted, outplayed and outlasted by the folks of the Hyack Festival Association board and the crazy, seesaw, back-and-forth battles surrounding the he's gone-he's back-he's gone again executive director Douglas Smith.
The saga of meetings called, meetings cancelled, board members voted out, board members voted in is enough to make your head spin, and the whole thing has had more plot twist than an episode of Survivor. Who'll emerge the hero? Who's the villain? Who'll be back for the all-stars edition? Stay tuned to the Hyack story to find out. Which brings us to ...
* The Sham-Wow Award - But Wait, There's More!:
Just like those wonderful TV infomercials that keep offering you more bonuses if only you just order the first magical cleaning cloth, the Hyack Festival Association just kept it coming. First, you get a happy press release (about another award for the Hyack Festival Float, or perhaps the success of the Uptown Unplugged busking series). But wait! There's more. What's that you say, executive director Douglas Smith is being fired? But wait! There's more ... now he's back! But wait! There's more ... now everyone on the board wants to fire everyone else on the board? But wait! There's more ... now the city is demanding a review of the association and taking over the Santa Claus Parade? But wait ... well, you get the idea. And we're pretty sure this particular infomercial ain't over yet ...
* The Most Prophetic Quote Award:
Soon after taking the helm of the Hyack Festival Association, Douglas Smith told a Record reporter "That s**t's gotta go," when discussing some of the vendor-oriented activities accompanying events like FraserFest and the Uptown Street Fair. After leading an overhaul of some of the city's festivals and introducing new-and-improved events like Uptown Live as the association's executive director, it Smith who had to go - at least according to some members of the Hyack Festival Association. Be careful what you say when the fates are listening.
* The Best Cameo Appearance Award:
Hollywood couldn't have arranged it better. Dust clouds (presumably from lentils) billowed over the Fraser River when barges when being loaded onto barges at Fraser Surrey Docks - while hundreds gathered at Westminster Quay to protest a proposed coal facility across the river. Ironically, many people are concerned the proposed coal transfer facility could generate coal dust and are worried about its impact on health and the environment. And, on a related note, that brings us to our next award ...
* The Let Them Breathe Coal Dust Award:
We award this to Fraser Surrey Docks and SNC-Lavalin, for the dubious environmental assessment process surrounding the proposed coal transfer facility. Said assessment didn't calm the fears of anyone who objects to the proposal and, in fact, managed to raise more questions than it answered. Critics were not satisfied by the conclusion that: "The assessment provides answers to the majority of the questions that have been raised and concludes that the product will not cause significant adverse environmental, socio-economic or health effects." There's something in the air that's turning us all into skeptics - and we're pretty sure that "something" is coal dust.
* The Ten Lords A-Leaping Award:
This one goes to a story that could only ever have arisen in the Royal City. Yes, we mean the heated debate over the Royal Lancers and their role in the May Day celebrations - and whether in fact it's appropriate for the gentlemen members of the Lancers to dance with the young girls who are part of the May Queen suite. On the one side we have those defenders of tradition who tout the Lancers' role in the history of the city; on the other, those who question the seemliness of the older-man/young-girl interaction. Throw in a whole lot of New Westminster politics and a fair bit of under-the-surface tension stemming from old feuds and grudges, and you've got a story that just won't quit. Only in New West, you say? So do we (and see our Only in New West Hall of Fame for more on that!)
* The Social Media Whiz Award:
We're not entirely sure who lies behind the name, but we have to salute our friend @HULKPARKADE for a year's worth of entertaining, informative tweets about the view from the downtown parkade. Part city news, part social commentary, part silliness and all so much fun.
Remember this one? Of the fire: AARRRGGHH! @HULKPARKADE LOSE MANY GOOD NEIGHBORS LAST NIGHT! @HULKPARKADE SAD! SMASH! SMASH! SMASH!
We're just sad that old Hulk seems to be taking a hiatus, as s/he hasn't tweeted since Oct. 23.
(And it was a good one, too, for you lovers of Hyack Festival humor: SOMEONE LEAVE LONE CRYING MAN IN PLAID JACKET BEHIND COLUMBIA THEARE LAST NIGHT. PLEASE PICK UP. MAKING @HULKPARKADE SAD!!!)
Where are you, Hulk old buddy? We want you back!
* The Social Media Odd Couple Award:
Ah, the bickering. Ah, the baiting. Ah, the give-and-take, the back-and-forth of the two mismatched souls who don't belong together but who just can't seem to let each other go. There are a few candidates for this one in our fair city, but in the end, we settled on @NWimby and @Crostyca, who just can't stop baiting each other on Twitter when controversial New Westminster issues come up. Don't stop, guys: You keep the debate lively, and you keep interesting issues in the public view. Plus, we just have fun getting sidetracked by your tweets when we ought to be doing something else. Like, say, writing a year-end wrap-up story for New Westminster.
Honourable mention: To @msewen and @MaryAnnM_NW.
* The No Passport Required Award:
It was, in many ways, one of the year's most perplexing stories. By its very name, New Westminster Citizen of the Year implies the recipient is a citizen of the city. However, the New Westminster Chamber of Commerce quietly changed the criteria for its Citizen of the Year award - opening it up to non-citizens (although the Bernie Legge
Cultural Award recipient was still required to live in New Westminster). We understand there are many non-residents of the city who do good things here. But we also know how many actual residents of the city are out there quietly serving the community in which they live. And seriously, people, it says it right there: CITIZEN of the Year. We're still scratching our heads about this one.
* The Will We Ever Know The Truth Award:
On a more serious note, this one still troubles us. What happened to two escorts who died almost exactly two weeks apart in a 11th Street apartment in August? That's the question we continue to ask. Jill Lyons and Karen Nabors were found dead in their apartments in August. IHIT immediately took over the investigation but have yet to release the findings - or even confirm the women, who worked as online escorts, were murdered.
A toxicology report remains outstanding, and the last time The Record spoke with IHIT we were told they take "time." At the time there was much outcry from the community and women's groups about the police investigation. People questioned why police waited until the second woman had died before issuing a warning to women in the area. We hope for answers in 2014.
* The We Haven't Heard The Last of This One Award:
On another serious note, if there's one issue that we believe is only just starting to bubble to the surface, it's the debate over "safe rooms" in New Westminster schools. There's already been fairly significant coverage of the issue, which centres around the school district's handling of "isolation rooms" - rooms where students with particular special needs can go to decompress or take "time-outs" from the stimulation of the classroom.
No one is disputing but the rooms have a good and useful function, but controversy is brewing over when and how the rooms are being used and whether students are being confined in them inappropriately. With Mary-Ellen Turpel-Lafond, B.C.'s representative for children and youth, saying she is willing to conduct a review, if asked, you know that this one is only going to get bigger. Watch for it to be THE top story in early 2014.
* Groundbreaking Of The Year Award:
Enough of the controversial, let's take a moment to salute the positive: the new Qayqayt Elementary School, which broke ground in April. The school will be built on the site of the former St. Mary's Hospital, and its name pays homage to the Qayqayt First Nation, New Westminster's original first people. It's the first step in a three-part school plan for the city that will also include a new middle school and high school. The $23.2 million elementary school will have 23 classrooms and space for more than 500 students. It will also feature a Neighbourhood Learning Centre with a daycare and multi-purpose space, and it's going to be designed to LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) gold standard. What's not to like about all that?
* The If Everyone Were Like Them, The World Would Be a Better Place Award:
Every year, we hear about those people who are out there doing things to change their community. Sometimes they're well-known movers and shakers; other times they're just ordinary folks quietly doing their own thing and making a difference. The Royal City is packed full of people who deserve this award, but this year we're shining the spotlight on three of them: Dorothy Beach, Keila Stark and Oliver Marstaeller. For those who have forgotten these lovely people, a recap:
* Dorothy: You often hear of people winning awards for "lifetime" achievement. When you win one on your 100th birthday, you can be pretty sure it really does mean "lifetime." In May, marking her 100th birthday, Beach received the Harold Steves Award for lifetime dedication to the preservation of farmland. It's one of innumerable awards she's received in her life for her environmental efforts, including a Life Achievement Award from the B.C. Provincial Council of Women, the Burns Bog Spirit of the Cranes award and a Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal. She told reporter Theresa McManus in February (at the age of only 99) that she has secret plans to retire in a few years - specifically, at the age of 106, which is the age two of her mother's sisters lived to be. "Inspirational" is an overused word - but in Dorothy's case, it's certainly true.
* Keila: The New Westminster Secondary School student was named Junior Citizen of the Year at the city's Platinum Awards on Nov. 21. She was recognized for her leadership work with the school's environmental club, and she's the living embodiment of the much-recited phrase, "Think globally, act locally." Plenty of people talk about saving the planet; Keila does something about it.
* Oliver: The 10-year-old Richard McBride student used his birthday money toward an anti-bullying campaign after he heard about the tragic death of cyberbullied teen Amanda Todd. He bought each student at his school a Stop A Bully wristband and performed a rap song with his classmate Matthew Pineda at a school assembly, touching on the theme of self-esteem. With kids like Oliver taking up the cause, the world can only become a kinder place.
* The Headline of the Year Award:
Aw, shucks, yes, sometimes we've just gotta acknowledge our own work. In this case, the award goes to editor Pat Tracy for her inspired "poop and chips" concoction, as in "Poop and chip energy plan proposed for RCH." The city of New Westminster is considering a district energy plant in Sapperton that could potentially see wood chips or sewage used to generate energy. Interesting? Yes. But we're betting a headline that said "district energy plant" wouldn't have caught anyone's attention. "Poop and chips," on the other hand, certainly set Twitter talking!
* Video of the Year:
Once again, we must award one to ourselves. But we can't help it, because the video by photographer Jason Lang of NWSS principal Phil Cookson getting duct-taped to the school wall was pretty darn entertaining. It's not every day you get to see a high school principal swarmed by students eager to hang him high! But never fear, it was all in good fun: it was a fundraiser for Doctors Without Borders, put on by the school's Interact club. See www.tinyurl.com/DuctTapeCookson to read the story and view the video for yourself.
