It's the best kind of Sunday night in New Westminster — the one where Monday is a holiday.
Yes, tomorrow is Family Day, so if you're a parent, you're reminded to not send your kids to school tomorrow.
What should you do instead? Here are some highlights for the week ahead to help you plan:
For weather watchers: Snow and cold
Shhh, we don't talk about winter. But, if we did, we might note that there's a polar vortex heading our way, and the entire Lower Mainland is expected to see some plunging temperatures come Tuesday or so. And if we did talk about winter, we might also note that there's a chance of snow when the weather starts to turn (though the Weather Network has pushed its snow forecast back from earlier in the week to later — stay tuned). But since we don't talk about winter, we're just not going to talk about that. Move along, nothing to see here.
For city hall watchers: Monday holiday
It's been a busy couple of weeks on the city council front, and it's been keeping our city hall reporter, Theresa McManus, running reporting on the Q to Q Ferry, air quality in Queensborough, the city's riverfront vision and a host of other issues. This week, however, is that above-mentioned Family Day holiday, so there's no council meeting on Monday. There will be an advisory planning commission meeting Tuesday and an affordable housing and child-care committee meeting on Wednesday, though.
You can find all the meeting details, agendas and information about attending at the City of New Westminster website.
You can also join councillors Daniel Fontaine and Paul Minhas for their Councillor Café, Queensborough edition — meet them between 9 and 11 a.m. at Take the Cake in Queensborough on Saturday, Feb. 25.
For school board watchers: Meeting Tuesday
School trustees don't get the week off from meetings — there's a full board meeting this Tuesday, Feb. 21 at 7 p.m. You can find the agenda and details about attending (virtually) at the School District 40 website.
For music lovers: Outside/In
- Outside/In: The North represents at this weekend’s edition of the cross-Canada festival that’s running inside at Anvil Centre and outside at Hyack Square on Saturday, Feb. 25. Inside, you can catch the New North Collective, an ensemble of performers from the Yukon and Northwest Territories, at 7:30 p.m. (it's officially booked up, but rush tickets will be available at the door — they're free). Outside, enjoy a free street festival in Hyack Square from 2 to 5 p.m., with artisans, musicians, family activities and more.
For art lovers: Plaskett, Queen's Park, New Media galleries
- Fleeting Moments: Check out work from Julia Di Sano and Victoria Klassen at the Anvil Centre Community Art Gallery (third floor at 777 Columbia St.). Both artists “explore the mystery of brief moments in time, of fragmented and fleeting memories that are translated to the canvas as an expression of emotion,” as a show write-up says. Admission is free.
- Plaskett Gallery: Check out a showcase of young and emerging talent in the gallery at Massey Theatre (735 Eighth Ave.) with this all-grade exhibition of work by NWSS students, ongoing until Feb. 28. It features work in a variety of forms and media, representing a cross-section of contemporary art and design. The gallery is open Tuesdays to Fridays from 1 to 4 p.m. and during shows at the theatre — or you can make an appointment for a visit at another time by calling 604-517-5900.
- At the Gallery at Queen’s Park, you can find the work of Crystal Noir in Guilty As Skin, an exploration of the oppression of BIPOC people and communities. It continues until Feb. 26, with gallery hours Wednesdays through Sundays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
- Meanwhile, at the New Media Gallery (at Anvil Centre, 777 Columbia St.), you can catch the much-talked-about new exhibition aBIOTIC. Get a sneak peek with some amazing photos from photographer Jennifer Gauthier.
For families: Family Day fun
Searching for things to do with that day off tomorrow?
- City of New Westminster: You can enjoy a variety of drop-in activities, including Family Printmaking at Anvil Centre, a family fun drop-in at Queensborough Community Centre, and an Art and Technology Lab open house at Anvil Centre. Check the city's Family Day webpage for full listings.
- Fraser River Discovery Centre: Meet George the Sturgeon and other river critters with free Family Day programming at the Fraser River Discovery Centre.
Got a New Westminster happening you'd like to share? Email Julie MacLellan.
Follow Julie MacLellan on Twitter @juliemaclellan.
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