Opinion

Some people will see the Charlie Hebdo shooting as a question of freedom of religion. But it’s not really that, although there is a bit of it at play.

The year has barely stepped out on the stage and we're already pondering our hopes for what it will deliver. Citizen engagement: We hope to see more ways for citizens to connect with their local government and get involved in 2015.

If you're like me, you are probably tired of reading or watching all those lists of the Top 10 news stories from the past year.

AUGUST New Westminster and Coquitlam bridge their difference in the ongoing Bailey bridge saga with an agreement that means a two-lane crossing in the Braid industrial area.

DECEMBER New Westminster’s new city council is sworn into office. Jonathan Cote, the city’s new mayor, is joined by incumbents Bill Harper, Jaimie McEvoy, Chuck Puchmayr and Lorrie Williams and newcomers Patrick Johnstone and Mary Trentadue.

NOVEMBER Three-term city councilor Jonathan Cote dethrones four-term mayor Wayne Wright to become New Westminster’s new mayor.

OCTOBER Crowds fill downtown New Westminster to watch the unveiling of the Wait for Me Daddy war memorial in Hyack Square. The monument is based on the photograph taken in the same location by Province newspaper photographer Claude Dettloff on Oct.

SEPTEMBER The New Westminster Chamber of Commerce, the Queen’s Park Residents’ Association and Royal City Youth Soccer come out in support of the pro soccer plan being proposed in New West.

JULY New Westminster signs a memorandum of understanding to work with Vancouver Whitecaps FC toward launching a United Soccer Leagues pro franchise at Queen’s Park Stadium starting in the 2015.

JUNE New Westminster MLA Judy Darcy, the NDP’s health critic, is joined by local youth who are calling for a provincial ban on flavoured tobacco products that come in a variety of fruit, ice cream and candy flavours.