We’re set to have music in the streets of our city with Uptown Live, an event to take place on multiple stages in uptown New Westminster on May 26, from 12PM to 5PM.

The performances will take place an on four sponsored stages, free to the public. This includes a “kid zone”, making this a family event for children and adult music fans alike. Entertainers Gary Oliver of Cinemazoo, Gina Marie Frazier, Clare Brett, and Keith Bennett will be on hand on the VanCity Kids Stage from 1-4PM.

On three other stages, nine Vancouver-based acts will entertain crowds with music that spans the pop/rock spectrum. This is a chance to discover some of the incredible and versatile talent this region has to offer. Check the Uptown Live map to see where the stages are to be set up.

Many local vendors and businesses will be out on the street too. This is a great chance to show local business your support as you take in the music.

Besides the wheres and whens of the event, I thought I’d take this opportunity to talk about the acts you’ll be seeing during Uptown Live, and to provide some links so you can preview some of the music you’ll be hearing, and plan out your day to catch each act.

Who: Dan Moxon Trio (1PM, CIBC Main Stage; 3PM River’s Reach Stage)

What kind of music is it?: folk rock, baroque pop

Being a side project from his other musical outlet Bend Sinister, Dan Moxon Trio represents an earthy and melancholic side to Moxon’s songwriting, with a decidedly acoustic approach. Think Iron & Wine, and Elliott Smith for musical reference points here, and be prepared for a crystalline acoustic sound that will catch your ear for the unassuming, yet compelling melody.

Listen/buy: “The Corner”

***

Who: Earlstown Winter (2PM, CIBC Main Stage; 4:30PM River’s Reach Stage)

What kind of music is it?: roots rock, country rock

Loose, free, and easy country-influenced rock which is not a million miles away from Blue Rodeo or Ryan Adams is what you can expect to hear from Earlstown Winter. The music suggests road trips taken in order to forget lost love, or the quest for one yet to be found.

Listen/buy: “Porch Lights”

***

Who: The Gay Nineties (3PM, CIBC Main Stage; 5:15 ,River’s Reach Stage)

What kind of music is it?: post-punk, power pop

If you hear something of a Hot Hot Heat-style spiky-yet-sunny nu-new wave in The Gay Nineties, then it may be because this band follows a similar stylistic path. This is influenced in part by ex-HHHeater Parker Bossley who plays guitar and sings in this band, adding some joyous spiky sunshine that is unique to them.

Listen/buy: “Favourite Game”

***

Who: No Sinner (4PM, CIBC Main Stage)

What kind of music is it?: classic R&B , rock n’ soul

Sweet soul music mixed with rock sounds has been a potent brew for decades. No Sinner continues the sacred tradition with a phenomenal handle on the kind of music that is perfectly suited for open air performance; funky, physical, primal. Fans of Etta James, Susan Tedeschi, and Bonnie Riatt take note.

Listen/buy: “Call My Name”

***

Who: We Are The City (5PM, CIBC Main Stage)

What kind of music is it?: art rock, cinematic pop

We Are The City adds cinematic scope to texturally varied rock music along the lines of the Flaming Lips and Mercury Rev. The music from this band is in places hypnotic, lyrical, spacious, epic-scale, and is sublime all-around.

Listen/buy: “Mourning Song”

***

Who: The New Values ( 1:30PM, Safeway Main Stage; 3:45, River’s Reach Stage)

What kind of music is it?: punk

Named (presumably) after an Iggy Pop record, this is the sound of energetic punk rock that changes direction at any moment, infused with the vigour  and spirit of early West Coast punk traditions for which this region is famous. The New Values continue in that tradition proudly, despite any misleading biographical information you might have heard about this band online.

Listen/buy: : “Axe On Your Doorstep”

***

Who: Fine Times (2:30PM, Safeway Main Stage )

What kind of music is it?: post-punk, new wave

There is something of ’80s post punk to be found in the music of Fine Times, mixing electronics, with jagged guitar, with big drums in the spirit of Echo & The Bunnymen, and Psychedelic Furs. Sonic contrast between light and dark will keep your musical ears interested.

Listen/buy: “Lions”

***

Who: The Left (3:30PM, Safeway Main Stage; 6PM, River’s Reach Stage)

What kind of music is it?: radio rock, anthemic pop

If you crave big, radio-friendly hooks on an epic scale to shout along to, then the Left will deliver. Taking their cues from classic traditions of melodically-driven pop tunes in a rock vein made for heavy radio-play, this band is ready to become a part of your mainstream.

Listen/buy: “Love Don’t Work”

***

Who: The Zolas (4:30PM, Safeway Main Stage)

What kind of music is it?: art pop

The Zolas musical home is held up by similar foundations to that of The Shins, mixed with the poptastic groove of Franz Ferdinand. A sort of Ray Daviesesque approach to songwriting that is laced with sumptuous irony are only one of the treasures to be found in the music of this band.

Listen/buy: “Cultured Man”

***

Music is an essential part of being human. It doesn’t matter who you are; you enjoy some form of music. It’s a necessity to life. Spiritually speaking, it’s how we nourish ourselves, and how we bring our communities together in celebration.

Music in the streets is how things should be, friends.

For more information about Uptown Live and the artists who will be playing, check out the Uptown Live official website. Also, don’t forget to investigate the individual sites of the artists above, and seek out their work to buy online!

See you all in the streets on May 26th!

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Rainbow-spotting in New Westminster's West End. Photo: Briana Tomkinson

One of the things I love about New Westminster is that there is a very strong sense of community here. At times, local events almost feel like church revival meetings as we all come together to reaffirm our friendship and faith in The Church of New Westminster. We have been saved from the anonymous hell of suburban living, and escaped the perilous prices of downtown. Our congregation is diverse and evangelical, and will enthusiastically preach the gospel of community.

As I was walking through the West End on a recent sunny Sunday I felt again the deep pleasure and conviction that *here* is a good place to live. I felt grateful for the quiet, tree-lined streets, the children riding their bikes, the people walking their dogs and the pack of children I would find back on my block, deep in raucous front-yard play. It got me thinking about the elements of community. What builds community? And why is New West so successful at this, more so than any other city I’ve lived in?

New Westminster was planned in a time when people’s lives were not so independent and anonymous. The smaller city footprint, with its older homes and narrow streets gives us an environment that is more conducive to building community than some newer parts of Metro Vancouver.

Many parts of New Westminster are dominated by older homes. Mine was built at the end of the 1940s and many of the homes on my block are even older. There are a few ways I think older-style homes improve the sense of community:

• The garages suck. They are inadequately small, tumbledown affairs stuck at the back of most older homes. It’s often more convenient to just park on the street in front and use the garage to store all the random crap that homeowners accumulate. Instead of entering and exiting your home encapsulated in your car, neighbours encounter each other as they go to and from their homes. You know when your neighbours are home or if someone’s home sick when their car is parked out front. I never realized how much this matters until we moved into our home with its dangerously leaning garage and awkward back gate.
• There are few driveways in front of homes. Related to the first point, but offering a different suite of benefits. No driveways means safer, more walkable streets. When I go walking with my kids in my neighbourhood I can let them run ahead on the sidewalk for long stretches without having to worry that a driver will back in or out without seeing that there’s someone there. No driveways also means greener streets. Instead of a concrete pad and the faceless door of a garage, we see green grass, leafy trees, front stoops and flower beds.
• Older homes need a lot of maintenance. Not so awesome for your wallet, but home repairs are great conversation-starters with the neighbours. We’ve swapped advice with our neighbours on roofing, landscaping, window replacement, plumbing, drain tile and more. When your house is new and shiny (or at least not falling apart) this stuff isn’t on your radar yet. Interior cosmetic repairs have less neighbourly conversation value: we see the outsides of each other’s homes more than the insides.
• Porches. Sadly, my home has no front porch, but many of my neighbours do. Porches contribute to a front-yard culture of informal conversation, and add eyes to the street, improving safety.

Pedestrian-friendly streets are another huge factor in building community. When people pass each other face-to-face, each little nod and smile builds familiarity over time. This doesn’t happen when you pass another driver in a car. Several factors impact how pedestrian-friendly a street is:

• Short blocks. In older cities like New West, blocks are short. For pedestrians, this means that you feel progress when you’re walking – long blocks *feel* long. It also provides more options to vary your route, which makes walking more interesting and allows more ways to avoid walking on busy streets.
• Small city footprint. It doesn’t take that long to walk or bike from the West End uptown or down the hill to the edge of downtown, from downtown to Queen’s Park, from Glenbrooke to Sapperton. In most parts of the city, it’s only a short walk to get to a business district to buy milk, indulge a craving for sweets, meet a friend for coffee or select fresh vegetables.
• Frequent, (mostly) reliable public transit. In our wee city we have five SkyTrain stations. For most trips, the wait to catch a bus is 15 minutes or less. Our system is not perfect. There are dead zones in the city that are awkward to access via transit and I know some there have been problems with some community shuttles serving the Quay. Still, it is easier to take the bus or SkyTrain in New West than anywhere else save Vancouver’s downtown core.
• Green boulevards. Maybe not all our streets are as green as they could be, but New Westminster’s network of beautiful streets covers a huge part of the city. On most walks, sections of ugly streets don’t last long.

Aside from the city’s physical traits, I think there are a few other elements that help connect us:

• A single high school. Almost all the children who reach their teenage years in New Westminster end up at NWSS. Grads who choose to raise their own families in New West end up with a large network of local friends and acquaintances.
• Twitter. Holy cow, what a network. Vast groups of New Westies have met and formed new social groups over Twitter. If you’re not there yet, check out the #NewWest hashtag to meet some new friends.
• NEXT New West. It’s a new group, but is a very powerful way for younger adults to make new social connections in the city and explore new things to see and do. It’s awesome.
• Kids. Through school PACs, activity programs and organizations like Little League and Scouts, parents get to know each other through their kids. After a few playdates, the parents make friends too.
• Dogs. Almost as good as kids for helping their ‘parents’ make friends. Particularly in neighbourhoods like the Quay, where most dogs are walked along a single route (such as the Quay boardwalk), dogs can be a great boon to community. You get to know the other dog owners in your neighbourhood over time.

And, of course, you can’t forget the diverse efforts of individual community boosters. There are a ton of them in New West, managing clubs, creating events, volunteering to run festivals, blogging about different aspects of city life, and organizing events to bring people together, from pub crawls to art shows to house parties. New Westminster is lucky to have more than its share of people actively working to make our city a better place to live.

What do you think contributes to New Westminster’s strong sense of community?

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“We’ve got a recorder consort playing replicas of Renaissance recorders,” says Rahn, whose enthusiasm for the “These are made of wood, and have wonderful, rich sound – it’s not loud, but it’s incredibly rich. They are of varying sizes, the longest is 8 feet long. And the musicians joining us are extremely talented. It’s quite inspiring to hear them play, especially on these period instruments.”

Doubling the unique program are the sounds produced by female voices singing madrigals. “They weren’t written for women, really,” admits Rahn. “We’ve got some wonderful arrangements, and listening to the pieces develop, I’m thinking, wow, we’ve got something special here.”

So what is a madrigal? I’m glad you asked. Madrigal is a form of romantic balladry that saw increasing popularity in Europe through the middle ages. In the late 16th and early 17th centuries, England experienced greater freedoms for the average person, allowing for populist entertainment to emerge. Prior to this, nearly all music performed by choirs was sacred in nature – madrigals explored themes of everyday work, play, love and life. Most commonly, they mined the excitement and depth of young love.

In fact, the earliest madrigals (usually agreed to have appeared in Italy in the 1300s) were love poems composed by young lovers as they wooed the ladies of the land. (Hey, it’s Italy – what else would they be singing, right?) The evolution of the form intertwined harmonies and independent melodies over several movements to complicate the storylines and heighten aural appeal.

Enter the French, who transformed these chaptered pieces into shorter pieces called chansons, what we would translate as songs. In other words, madrigals were the hit radio of the 17th century. If Lady Gaga had lived in 1682, she might have written a madrigal about Romeo and Juliet. (Or, more likely, about one of the supporting characters, Benvolio or Mercutio – but I digress, and you get the idea.)

“It’s fun to do music from this period,” says Rahn, who insists the themes of heartache and loss are not as heavy as you might think. “The melodies are lovely, and the composers had a lot of fun writing these. We’re talking about young love here, much like some of the music we hear on popular radio today. It’s a joyful concert to be a part of.”

The Lyric Singers present Madrigalia at the Holy Trinity Cathedral in New Westminster on Saturday, May 12. For more information, call 604-340-4353 or visit www.lyricsingers.ca.

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An emergency kit should contain enough food, water and medical supplies to last 72 hours.

May 6-12 is Emergency Preparedness Week in Canada, which makes it a great time to put some thought into the not-so-fun-to-think-about topic of getting your family ready for the unexpected.

The Canadian Government and all emergency planning agencies specify that citizens should be prepared to take care of themselves in an emergency for a minimum of 72 hours – the time it takes for emergency personnel and services to mobilize in the event of a disaster. Most people on the West Coast think about emergencies in terms of earthquakes, which are a very real possibility, but there are all kinds of disasters that everyone should be prepared for, even here in the Royal City. Just a few short years ago, the spring freshet brought the Fraser River to peak levels, creating threats of flooding in the waterfront parts of our city and in Queensborough. Thankfully, New Westminster’s Emergency Planning Team and volunteers have plans in place for these scenarios, but they suggest all citizens prepare to be self-sufficient.

Cory McLaren, Emergency Planning Assistant at City Hall, suggests that all residents visit the City’s Emergency Planning website and sign up for public safety bulletins. The City also has a Facebook page. Both pages provide information on how to prepare, as well as provide updates and information during a disaster. New Westminster also has a dedicated Emergency Public Radio Station at 88.7FM which can be tested from the City’s website and goes live in the event of an emergency, and the Emergency Planning department is able to provide preparedness seminars to groups upon request.

So what does it take to be prepared?

1. Know the Risks – fire, flood, earthquake, power outages, etc.
2. Make a Plan – for your family, your work, getting kids from school or daycare, etc.
3. Get a Kit – build your own or buy one, but make sure you have supplies for everyone for a minimum of 72 hours.

My business, Beesafe Solutions, specializes in 72 Hour Kits for households, schools, daycares and small businesses. I suggest that everyone have a “stay in place” kit as well as a “grab and go” kit. Your Stay in Place kit should have things like canned food, jugs of water, candles, flashlights, extra clothes, and toileting items that could sustain your family for several weeks. In your Grab and Go Kit it’s best to have essentials for 72 hours in case you had to evacuate your home on foot – if you do end up at an emergency shelter, you will be better equipped to take care of your family as the shelter’s resources are likely to be maximized.

Your kit should have items for food and water, shelter, rescue, communication, heat, light and first aid, as well as copies of insurance papers and photos of family members, in an easy-to-carry bag. Keep this kit by an exit door or outside in your shed or a garbage bin. Don’t forget about pets and kids, either! A leash, food bowl, waste bags, tether stake and food are important for pets. Most emergency shelters don’t accept pets, so be sure to make an alternate plan for them. Babies and children require special attention as well when planning – be sure to include diapers, wipes, formula, hand sanitizer and a few items for fun & comfort in your kit. Anyone with special needs or medication should keep a two-week supply in their kit. Practice your plan with your family and review your plan and kit once a year.

I spoke to Carolyn Sinclair with New Westminster Police’s Emergency Services, who stressed the importance of having a plan and being self-sufficient at home for at least a week. She also suggested having cash on hand (smaller bills and change) and in your kit as bank machines may not be available during an emergency. Be sure to also have a designated “out-of-area” contact person that everyone in your family can report to and check in with, in case you are separated.

It’s a lot to think about, but it’s important – like practical insurance for your family.

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An image of the Salient Group's Trapp & Holbrook redevelopment in downtown New Westminster. Photo provided by the Salient Group.

It’s an exciting time for Downtown New Westminster. Metro Vancouverites are starting to realize what New West residents have known all along: that the Royal City is a great place to live, and the downtown is a cool and urban place, alive with the promise of a vibrant future.

Local businesses are taking notice. Media is also paying attention, as demonstrated by the recent Georgia Straight feature about New West.

I was initially attracted to the history and urban character of downtown New Westminster and by the potential of the area. What I saw was a beautiful large building that had been vacant for decades — a terrible “lost opportunity” to the economy of the downtown. We saw a chance to help bolster an economic revitalization by investing in and redeveloping a section of the lower mainland’s most important commercial centres. And, at the same time, to provide great homes at affordable pricing in a city that has the most accessible transit connections in the Lower Mainland.

Aesthetically, I was also attracted to the handsome historic Columbia Street buildings. The Trapp Block façade is among the most beautiful in our region.
As I’ve mentioned in a recent Royal City Record interview, the resurgence of downtown New Westminster is not unlike that of Vancouver’s historic Gastown. There’s always a few “early adopters” who choose to work and live in re-emerging districts. These people appreciate character and differentiation. They want something special and affordable. They also know that in an emerging area there is a strong potential for their investment in home or business will grow. New Westminster is on track for a similar experience to Gastown.

After years of neglect and dormancy, a huge commitment by the City is attracting new investment to the downtown. In turn, hip new retailers and residents have woken up to the amazing potential of downtown New Westminster. The new River Market is a great example of this energy and change. It’s thrilling to see exciting businesses like Wild Rice, Re-Up BBQ (which recently took home the VanMag Award for Best Food Cart), and The Network Hub establish a lively presence in New West.

Cities evolve, and Downtown New Westminster is on a strong upswing and headed for a period of strong growth. For current residents, new businesses will bring goods and services, and generate employment opportunities.

It is my firm belief that new home developments do more than just provide condos. Investments from these developments bring new people, who in turn bring pride of ownership to the community. Commercial demand follows. New homes need and attract necessities such as shops and amenities. A positive snowball effect occurs when critical mass of activity encourages further economic growth.

People ask me what should change about New Westminster. New West is already a vibrant city, and it is not our intention to change it. Rather, we hope to assist in changing some peoples’ perceptions about New West. We think that the Trapp + Holbrook redevelopment will go a long way towards demonstrating why both the history and the future of downtown New West are among the most exciting in Metro Vancouver.

I truly believe that in 10 years, downtown New West will be one of the most popular destinations in Metro Vancouver for living and shopping. It’s an exciting time for this historic city by the river, and I thank many of you for warmly welcoming the Salient Group to the community.

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River Market's ONE Prize will give three winners a total of $5,000 to fund community initiatives in New West.

Three community-building ideas in New Westminster will get a boost from Donald’s Market and River Market, winning cash and publicity from the inaugural ONE Prize. Funded through a customer appreciation program that allocates 1% of member sales to community projects, five shortlisted projects will vie for votes in hopes of winning a portion of the $5,000 in this year’s pot.

This year’s diverse ideas include initiatives related to food, art, social media, volunteering and entrepreneurship.

The finalists this year are:

• ARTISTS IN THE MARKET - Local artists of diverse practices showcase the fruits of their labour at River Market for everyone to enjoy!
• NEW WE.ST CAREFULLY CURATED - Carefully curated local feeds and searches mixed with crowd sourced events, links, pictures, and conversation.
• POPLUCK - A series of pop up dinners in open-air public spaces across the city that combine an element of surprise with a love of well-prepared, fresh, and local food.
• SOCIAL GENERATION AWARD - What happens when we encourage young people to let their imagination go and give them seed money to get it going?
• THANKSGIVING IN JULY - Seniors Services Society says “Thanks” to their volunteers for all that they give with a special Thanksgiving luncheon in July.

The winners will be chosen by ONE Members via online voting. The top three vote-getters will win funding for their idea, $3,000 for the most popular project and $1,000 each for the two runners-up.

If you’re not a member of the ONE Program, you can sign up at Donald’s Market.

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Despite a host of great amenities contributing to a strong quality of life, a mixture of heritage and modern architecture and a beautiful location along the Fraser, New West doesn’t distinguish its own distinct identity, independent of being a suburb of Vancouver as well as it could. For many unaware of the new New West, the city is still synonymous with bridal shops, sketchy transit stations, a love affair with its own history and rough pubs. As a proud resident of New West, I often find myself explaining what life is actually like here, giving friends an idea of what brand Nouveau West stands for. Few are aware of the transformation that has been underway for some time and are astonished to hear about a waterfront park, busy market, improved culinary landscape and diverse population.

Much of this misguided perception is due in part to a tug of war mentality between what New West was – a quaint mill city with royal roots – and what it has become – a dense, diverse and increasingly more interesting place to live. In many ways, New West’s reinvention is similar to that of many smaller rust belt cities in the states that have used their industrial pasts to attract young diverse population of entrepreneurs, artists and others in the creative industry.

Though almost three times as big as New West, Chattanooga, the fourth largest city in the state of Tennessee, is using its look to improve its brand – the look of its communications that is. For just over a year, local typeface designers Robbie de Villiers and Jeremy Dooley have been developing Chatype, a font developed in Chattanooga for Chattanooga.

Both established and accomplished designers, the pair felt that the time was right for Chattanooga to have its own font, to improve its branding and to help convey the energy in the city. Not wanting to ignore the city’s past, de Villiers and Dooley consulted with historians to consider important historical influences on the design of the font. In Chatype, they incorporated aspects of Chattanooga’s industrial past, while giving it clean lines and a modern touch that allude to the city’s creative future.

While the font is still in development, it has garnered much support from the local and international community. The city itself hopes to use it in their communications – from bike lanes and streets signs, to city memos and other documents. Local businesses as well will have the opportunity to use the font for their own signage, bringing visual continuity to streets across the city. Internationally, branding and marketing experts with Monocle magazine and Wink Creative, have applauded the work of the pair and think that it could have a strong impact on the city’s future.

Though New West might not need its own font per say, it will certainly benefit from similar small-scale resident driven initiatives that convey a message about our city, what we think about it and us as a group of people. With the River Market supporting local initiatives through their ONE program, it is possible for just about anyone to get a tiny idea off the ground. Whether it be greening a small patch of a neighborhood, creating a small public art project, or supporting local businesses, the more unique ideas we put together that transform the city, the stronger the sense of what this city of ours is and what it means to live here will be.

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Then I planted mint in my garden. I love mint, so I was pleased to see how fast it grew! Until it began to take over. Along with the dandelions and morning glory. Thankfully, we have no blackberries!

So, now I know, not every plant that can grow in a place should grow there.

A couple of weeks ago, on April 14, the City of New Westminster began work with a crew of volunteers to help re-habitat Lower Hume Park by replacing invasive species with native species. A second rain or shine work bee is planned for this Saturday, April 28th, and they’ve put out a call for more volunteers to help.

Invasive plants are spread through illegal dumping of garden waste and seeds or dispersal by wildlife and wind, causing ecological destruction. This project will help prevent and control the spread of invasive plants while protecting the ecological integrity of our parks. Good boots, comfortable clothing and registration (at the office) are required.

What to know if you want to go:

• WHEN: Saturday April 28th (Rain or Shine)
• TIME: 1pm – 4pm
• WHERE: Lower Hume Park, New Westminster
• WHAT: Celebrate Earth Day: Invasive Plant Removal and Native Replanting. In Intergenerational Event
• WHO: New Westminster residents age 13+
• REGISTRATION: Call 604-519-1066 Pre registration is mandatory. This is a free event.

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The event will allow McBride mothers to enjoy a relaxing evening, enjoying other Mothers’ company. It is from 7-9:30pm at Richard McBride Elementary on Richmond Street in New Westminster.  During the event, they hope to offer a wide selection of products from some of their own parents’ home based businesses as well as some from the local community. Funds will be raised by raffling off items donated and admission fees.

Right now they are seeking donations from the business community - items that can be enjoyed by the mothers at the event such as a platter of food, refreshments etc, or that can be raffled off. They plan to recognize businesses who support the event and allow them to provide literature to handout.

They are also seeking at least 20 local vendors/home-based businesses to occupy tables on the night and feel it is a great opportunity to sell/show off products and businesses to McBride Moms and the local community. Being that it is a Mom’s event, the organizers would prefer businesses with products and services that appeal to women. Participating vendors are asked to donate a gift basket (which will be raffled off) and/or a percentage of sales made on the night.

If you are able to support McBride School by contributing to this event, please contact Lisa Crozier me at 604-527-9519 or ljb466@yahoo.ca to arrange for pick up of donated items.

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I asked Cote how he chose to write a term paper about saving purpose built rental housing.

“Finding inspiration for my term paper on housing was not a difficult task,” he said.

“All I needed to do was look out my living room window to see a purpose built rental building being torn down on Royal Avenue. I am not trying to single out the developer on this project; given the economic situation, the property owner made a very rational development decision. The existing rental building was aging and facing expensive maintenance issues and the market was ready for a condo project in this neighbourhood.”

I lived in the very apartment Cote refers to. In its place a six storey wood frame building has been approved for construction. This is significant for a few reasons – six storey wood frame buildings were previously not permitted within the BC Building Code, but the code was altered in 2009 to allow for it after studies demonstrated they were safe in earthquakes. Secondly, this is the first one to be approved for construction in New Westminster and I think it is a sign of things to come.

New Westminster is such a tight, dense, and compact city. This is great for walkability (except someone really needs to do something about the hills) and for getting around without a car. We have lots of transit access points with five Skytrain stations in the city. But we’re out of land, and if you can’t build out, the only place to build is up.

By comparison, I visited Calgary about five years ago, and my brother and I checked out a new housing subdivision on the very outskirts of town. I went back only few years later, and discovered the City of Calgary had crept another 100 kilometers from the centre of the city with another 20 new subdivisions with made up names and cookie cutter houses. What had been sold as “on the edge of it all” was now billed as “easy commute to downtown”.

I don’t recall how many units exactly were in the now-demolished Royal Avenue apartments. I want to say about 40-50 altogether. The new building is approved for 118 units, which no matter how poorly I’ve estimated, is at least double. But here’s the big difference – these units will be individually owned as a strata building, and although the strata bylaws will likely allow for owners to rent out some of the units, this still represents a loss of rental housing.

Councillor Cote says this is a concern. “As I began to research the challenges facing purpose built rental units it became very clear that market rental developments cannot compete with market condo projects. Given the important role rental housing plays in housing low and moderate income earners in our region, this should be cause for concern. Our rental stock is aging and the economics simply do not work for the development of new purpose built rental buildings.”

With the recent news that New Westminster has been selected as a community the provincial government with pilot a poverty reduction program, Cote’s report is timely.

“As I continued my research I realized that there was no easy solution and a variety of policy tools would need to be implemented to change the economics of rental housing.”

So what does Cote suggest?

“We need to create incentives for developers to consider rental housing as a sound investment, and parallel that with more restrictive land use policies. We need to create an entirely separate housing market for rental housing. Only by addressing this issue will the region be able to ensure that low and moderate income earners have a place in Metro Vancouver’s housing system.”

Cote plans to present his term paper to City Council and also other municipalities. You can read the full report here.

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Pattullo Bridge. Photo: Pat Johnstone

TransLink has proposed replacing the 75-year-old Pattullo Bridge with one designed to last 100 years. Unfortunately, after attending their open house in New Westminster last Feb, I walked away feeling that they had missed a crucial opportunity.

First, I did not see how TransLink’s own established 2040 vision to reduce emissions fits into their plans for an expanded Pattullo bridge. Their diagrams excluded any noticeable collaboration with other planners about provincial, municipal and federal roads. Also, I did not see any evidence that TransLink planners were encouraged to investigate other ways of efficiently and affordably moving people and goods that are already in use or being developed around the world. It seems by focusing on bridge placement, they failed to create a broad and visionary linked transportation network for the entire region—that includes not just planning with municipalities and the province, but also the ports and railroads about the important challenges we face in evolving our transportation and energy systems.

When I asked a TransLink planner if the models for future traffic volumes included the increasing costs of oil and gas as a factor, he regretted that they had not.

I understand that the end of cheap petroleum can change our economy. If we do not start to transition soon, even a temporary economic downturn can affect tax revenues available for large projects. I believe that no time is more important than now for clarity, collaboration and constant citizen participation. So before assigning today’s precious tax dollars to another expensive new bridge across the Fraser River, there is an urgency to get it right. And that got me wondering…

…how can we think outside the box that can constrain consultants and civil servants who are, without a doubt, restricted by a particular mandate that has been set out for them?

When thinking about transportation, we all need to develop our visionary capacity so that every project goes beyond short-term local issues. We have to learn to be visionaries and remember that citizens’ ideas about transportation are crucial.

Questions for us:

1.) During your travels, what kinds of low-emission transportation, for people or goods, have you seen that could be considered for the Vancouver region?

2.) When a lot of us are over 70 years old, what kind of transportation do you think we can rely upon for our daily needs?

Questions for planners:

3) When the Port Mann Bridge becomes tolled and cars and trucks divert to the un-tolled Pattullo Bridge, what are the projected impacts of pollution, traffic congestion, and bridge safety?

4) If tolling has undermined the reasoning behind expanding the Port Mann Bridge, is focusing on building bigger bridges going to solve our transportation issues with our best future in mind?

5) What ideas can be put into place, now and into the future, to avoid increased traffic flow through New Westminster’s 3 main corridors—McBride to 10th Ave., Royal Ave. to Stewardson Way, and East Columbia to Brunette?

6) As fuel prices continue to rise, what effect will that factor have on car and truck use on the Pattullo Bridge?

7) Since types of transportation and location of corridors determine the location of new development, what network is envisioned for guiding density for the next 100 years?

How can we protect our current green zones (parks, ecological reserves, forests, bog lands, tree farms, Agricultural Land Reserve and non-ALR agricultural use, etc.) as we accommodate changes over the next 100 years?

9) How does our region need to plan for the projected impact of Climate Change?

When it comes to the Pattullo Bridge, I am concerned that TransLink’s vision is too narrow. After all, road designers and bridge builders, when asked to address a problem, will always try to solve it by designing more roads and building more bridges. The result is that we, the users and funders, will not get what we need for our rapidly changing future.

Fortunately, the City wants the people of New Westminster to have a stronger voice in the TransLink bridge discussions, and you can help them have it by attending New Westminster’s open houses on The Master Transportation Plan on Thurs, May 3 at Century House from 2-4pm and the Justice Institute from 6-9pm. Even if you don’t have an opinion yet, your presence is important to inspire discussion in the region and build our shared vision.

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Poster for Grandma's Attic New & Used Sale

I’ll be the first to admit I shouldn’t really be let loose near a secondhand store or garage sale. I tend to go a little overboard taking in all the amazing things people have cast off. So I’m already practically salivating in anticipation of the Royal City Gogos’ Grandma’s Attic New and Used Sale, which is coming up on Saturday, April 28 from 11 am– 4 pm at the CAW Hall, 326 Twelfth Street, New Westminster.

In case you’re not familiar with the Royal City Gogos from their numerous other community events, including Scrabble tournaments and art shows, they’re an organization founded by local grandmothers, who raise funds to assist African Grandmothers who are caring for some of the 14.8 million children orphaned in sub-Saharan Africa by the HIV/AIDS pandemic through the Stephen Lewis Foundation’s Grandmothers to Grandmothers Campaign.

According to event organizers, the sale on the 28th will be “huge”, including six specialty areas:

• Grandma’s Attic: quality used house wares, collectibles and décor items.
• Grandma’s Bookshelf: Current, gently read books for $2!
• Grandma’s Garden: get a head start on spring with sunflowers, bedding plants and perennials
• Grandma’s an Expert: Grandma offers her skills in a service auction lessons on making perfect scones, designing a family photo book online, or knitting a scarf — in your home or at grandma’s house. Grandpa offers a morning of bird watching, handyman skills
• Grandma’s Got Style: Grandma makes stunning gift items and fashion accessories locally and in fair trade workshops in Africa
• Grandma’s Tea Shop: Grandma is serving tea and pastries to hungry shoppers.

“African grandmothers, having buried their own children, have stepped into the breach to parent again with few resources,” says local Gogo Janine Reid, “The Stephen Lewis Foundation directs the funds to community-level organizations that provide necessities and help to turn the tide of AIDS in Africa.”

Entry to the marketplace is free and open to the public. Only cash or cheques will be accepted.

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The preschool has had many evolutions over the years. When QPP opened its doors in 1965 it cost only $12 a month to send a child to the Preschool and the Preschool had to have its own bus that would pick up the students for class, as at the time most moms didn’t drive. The parents who were part of this first year worked hard and became involved in charity work, and started a group called ‘Self Aid Never Ends’ this group eventually became the Fraserside Community Services Society. QPP has been participating in supporting the community of New Westminster ever since.
As part of its educational philosophy, QPP helps the preschoolers to understand that they are part of a much larger community. Annually each class participates in the Fraserside Community Services Adopt-a-Family program, the Preschool regularly donates needed items to Family Place, QPP provides scholarships to graduating students of New Westminster Secondary School and the Preschool brings in Practicum Students participating in Early Childhood Education.

This was my family’s first time through the Preschool. Many of the families my son is at school with have gone through QPP two, three, even four times! And for some families it is now the second generation going through the Preschool. My son is turning five this summer and will be off to ‘big boy school’ in September. Which has me looking back on my experience in being a part of a parent participation preschool, and quite truly I would do it again in a heartbeat, and I will be doing it again in two years when my daughter turns three!

I am going to miss the time I got to spend with my son at the school. All too soon he will not want his mom around, let alone play with him and his school buddies. When he was going through the three year old class I was working full time and the days that I was in the school were special for me and him. This year, as he has been through the four year old class I have been on maternity leave and again the days I spend with him at school have become even more important as they are treasured times for just the two of us that don’t involve his baby sister.

Another wonderful part of the Parent Participation program are the monthly educational sessions for the parents, which I have found to be incredibly helpful as a first time parent of a preschooler. Topics have covered everything from time management, the importance of laughter, sex education, and mental and physical development. These lectures really make you feel like everything is going to be okay, your child is normal and if you need help, help is really out there.

Inside the classroom, because QPP is Parent Participation and the parents are in the class to help with activities, art and play, the teachers are provided the opportunity to really teach to every child and give them the best start to an education. Whether they have additional needs or not, because there is so much help in the classroom, the teachers can focus on what each child needs each and every day.

There are two amazing teachers in each class. In the three year old class there are Barb and Eleanor. They could not be more suited to teaching three year olds. They are two very kind, nurturing, caring ladies who really help transition these new little students from being in the home, to being in a classroom for the first time. It is like going to school and having two more moms! I have watched them as they have helped the kids learn to share (some for the first time), use their language to express themselves whether they are sad, angry or happy, and bring the very shyest of children out of their shell so that they could find what they love to do and were comfortable in a room full of busy children their own age.

In the four year old class there are Jessica and Jenny and they are perfectly suited for teaching four years olds. They bring so much energy and excitement to this age group. Since the four years olds are comfortable with the school and at this age can adapt more easily, they instinctively have more energy and these two ladies know how to channel it into productive and imaginative play. They really show the preschoolers that school and learning is fun, it is really interesting and sometimes it can be very, very messy.

Queen’s Park Preschool with its rich history, amazing teachers, fantastic facility, play-based philosophy and gorgeous location is a perfect place to start your child’s lifelong love of learning. There is an Open House this coming Saturday, April 14, from 9:00am to 11:00am, come for a visit, meet the teachers and find out what PPP is all about!

There are still openings available in the 3 PM class for the upcoming 2012-2013 school year. Please contact the Preschool at 604.526.1153 or visit their website at www.qpps.ca for more information.

Queen’s Park Preschool offers two $500 scholarships to graduates of New Westminster Secondary School. If you are a graduating this year and are an alumni of Queen’s Park Preschool, or if you are graduating this year and are looking to enter the field of Early Childhood Education you may qualify for one of these scholarships. The application Deadline is the end of May. Please contact the Queen’s Park Preschool for applications or further information.

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The Naramata area is on my to-do list of getaway weekends. I’ve not been there as an adult, but the reviews my fellow wine-loving friends bring back tell me I’m totally missing out.

From Discover Naramata: “founded in 1907 as a prime agricultural area, Naramata was also known in its early years as a cultural centre. People from across the Okanagan would arrive by boat for concerts, plays, operas and regattas. Paddlewheelers regularly stopped at the local wharf carrying freight and passengers up and down Okanagan Lake. In 1914, Naramata received a new link with the rest of Canada when the Kettle Valley Railway was completed on the hillside above the village. Due to the intense volume of rock work it gained the reputation as one of the most difficult stretches of KVR construction.”

Fortunately for me, though, the hassle and expense of a roadtrip to the area has been postponed!

Coming up on April 24, from 6:30 – 9:00pm, Naramata on the River, a special evening in the River Market at  Westminster Quay in support of the BC Cultural Crawl, will feature Spring Release wines from the Naramata Bench, along with culinary offerings from some of Vancouver’s finest restaurants and River Market delights.

In addition to being the first to taste the new Naramata wines‚ attendees will meet winemakers from Naramata‚ and have the opportunity to bid on a silent auction of fine wines‚ Canadian artwork‚ and exclusive packages. Live entertainment throughout the evening will be provided by the Sarah Kennedy jazz trio and singer/songwriter Gillian Hobbs.

For Tix ($85 and includes tastings from 21 wineries) and Info: 1-800-663-1900 or on-line. For more information about BC Cultural Crawl – www.bcculturalcrawl.com/.

Contest: We’ve drawn the winner of two tickets to the event using a random number generator, and the winner is Jorden! 

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I think most of us remember the opening of the 2010 Olympics and Shane Koyczan’s We Are More:

Although this wasn’t my first experience with a poetry slam, this was one of the few I have seen elevated to enormous proportions and is one that many people use to describe what a slam is. New Westminster has a group, Slam Central, that meets every Thursday at the Heritage Grill.  During the Lit Fest New West, a special version, a Dead Poet’s Slam,  is happening April 12 at the Heritage Grill.

From Lit Fest New West’s website: “A poetry slam is a competition at which poets read or recite original work but at a Dead Poet’s Slam poets read a Dead Poet’s poetry and sometimes dressed in costume to resemble the Dead Poet. Performances are judged by five randomly selected members of the audience. Before the competition begins, the host will often bring up a “sacrificial poet”, whom the judges will score in order to calibrate their judging.”

Dead Poet’s Slam hosted by Reese McBeth. $5 admission at the door. Doors 7:15 PM. Slam Signup 7:30 – 7:55 PM. Slam starts at 8:00 PM The top three winners of Thursday’s Slam will slam off on Saturday April 14th to close out the Lit Fest New West Show Case on the mainstage at Douglas College.

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For families with kids with special needs, help is available. Thanks to help from New Westminster's Public Health services and the New Westminster Children's Centre, Linda's son is a happy and well-adjusted three-year-old.

I moved to New Westminster in December of 2008, when my older son was just three months old. I didn’t know at the time that I was mom to a child with special needs. Luckily, there are many resources here in New West for my son and our family. I want to share my experiences with you, so that if you have concerns about your child’s development, you’ll know that there are people here who can help. Because I didn’t know. Not at first.

From the time that he was born, my son was different from other babies. He cried constantly, rarely slept for more than half an hour at a time and had problems with feeding. As he got older, he hit many milestones early, but he had no interest in learning to talk. He also avoided eye contact, he melted down during story time at the library and the concept of pointing eluded him. I started taking him to doctors, but couldn’t seem to get anywhere.

When he was 19 months old, his little brother was born. When I took the baby to visit the Public Health Nurse at the Public Health Unit, I mentioned the concerns I had about my older child. She listened with empathy and then, in a move that forever improved the life of my firstborn, she referred him to the Fraser Health Speech and Hearing Clinic and to the Infant Development Program at the New Westminster Children’s Centre.

The Speech and Hearing Clinic warned me that the waitlist for treatment was nearly a year long, but an assessment could be arranged fairly quickly. It was during the assessment that, for the first time, someone else echoed what I had secretly suspected for months. The Speech Pathologist noticed that my son was displaying many symptoms associated with autism.

The Infant Development Consultant contacted me within a few days as well and immediately set up a home appointment to do an assessment. She arrived with no judgment about my unwashed dishes or piles of laundry. She enquired about the challenges my son and I faced, made observations, interacted with him in a variety of activities and took pages of notes. She pointed out several areas where he was not only meeting developmental expectations, but exceeding them. However, it was clear that he was dramatically developmentally delayed and immediate intervention was needed.
Our Infant Development Consultant came to our home regularly. She gave me easy, accessible activities to do with my son to try to coax him out of his world and into ours. She arranged for play dates at the Children’s Centre with other kids, referred him to occupational therapy and got him seen by a physical therapist.

The official diagnosis of autism came just before my son’s third birthday. A ‘Child and Youth with Special Needs’ Social Worker from the Ministry of Children and Families, located at the Children’s Centre, came to my home during nap time and helped guide me through the daunting task of filling out government forms and selecting appropriate therapy. When a clerical error at the funding unit in Victoria caused delays, she intervened and had the problem resolved immediately.

Around the same time, my son graduated from Infant Development and began working with a Supported Child Development Consultant. She helped find him a spot at a wonderful daycare and arranged for funding for a support worker to help him with the daily challenges he faces.

Because of the many resources that are available here in New Westminster, my son is a happy and well-adjusted three-year-old. His advanced understanding of letters and numbers leaves me in awe and he is now learning to interact with his peers and the world. Because of the support he gets, I no longer fear for his future. It’s looking brighter every day.

The New Westminster Children’s Centre is located at 811 Royal Avenue. They take referrals not just from medical professionals, but from parents themselves. If you have concerns about your child’s development, call them at 604.521.8078 local 318 and ask for either Infant Development (0-3 years) or Supported Child Development (3+ years). They will help you determine if your child meets the criteria to be eligible for services.

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