Author archive for: Briana Tomkinson
Lifestyle »
Some of you may have noticed that it’s been a while since I last wrote on Tenth to the Fraser, though thankfully I have had Jen’s prolific contributions to carry the torch while I’ve been quiet. Sometimes I get quiet because life gets too busy to blog, and sometimes I just need a bit of space alone with my thoughts. I am coming to accept that it’s just the way it is: there is a time to blog, and a time to step away from the blog and just live your life.
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New Westminster, Restaurants »
Battered & fried fish is usually a rare greasy indulgence for me. Cod can be rather flavourless, and often is more grease and crunch than fish. Not at The Crab Shop. The batter is crispy but not thick, and the cod tastes fresh and delicious. The fries are good too, and the homemade tartar sauce is divine. In fact, the fish & chips at River Market’s new Crab Shop is so good I couldn’t resist ordering it for lunch two days in a row.
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Arts & Culture »
The day Shelley Rothenberger came to sketch my portrait, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Like most of the subjects of the New West Artists Perfect Strangers show, I had never sat for a painter before. I was one of 25 New Westminster citizens, chosen to represent a broad cross-section of people, including the mayor, a local historian, and a barista. Each subject was randomly paired with a member of New West Artists, an upstart artist-run group supporting both career artists and emerging talent.
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Arts & Culture, Children, Uptown »
British Columbia tot pop stars Bobs & Lolo are coming to New Westminster for a free concert to kick off Royal City Centre’s Christmas activities this year.
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Hyack the Holidays, Issues, Lifestyle, New Westminster »
A drug-addicted single mother of a 10-year-old girl trying and failing to hold her life together. A father of two, the sole breadwinner in the family, laid off from his job and desperate for work. Families like these struggle to scrape together money for groceries, let alone presents. As evidenced by the long lines at Metro Vancouver’s largest food bank here in New Westminster, many local families need help. They need you and me to step forward and offer it.
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Arts & Culture, Events »
New Westminster author and nominee for the Governor General’s Literary Award JJ Lee will talk about his new book The Measure of a Man at the New Westminster Public Library on Thursday, December 1 at 7 pm.
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Politics »
Preliminary New Westminster election results are in, and the results are not entirely unexpected. As in the 2008 election, there is only one new face on City Council, but unlike last time, voters did opt for change on school board. And despite an energetic campaign by challenger James Crosty, incumbent mayor Wayne Wright won by a landslide.
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Politics »
Public endorsements of candidates are not uncontroversial. Pat Tracy, editor at the Record, has publicly come out against them, and those who do share their endorsements open themselves to criticism for their choices. Those of us on the ‘editorial board’ of Tenth to the Fraser, who do the daily work of writing for the site, soliciting & editing guest posts, approving comments and interacting with readers and Facebook and Twitter, debated whether or not to share our picks for this election, but in the end we decided we must.
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New Westminster, Politics »
![James Crosty: ‘there is a disconnect between residents and our elected officials’ [mayor]](http://www.tenthtothefraser.ca/wp-content/themes/arthemia/scripts/timthumb.php?src=//wp-content/uploads/2011/11/IMG_5640.jpg&w=150&h=150&zc=1&q=100)
Mayoral candidate James Crosty says he wants to see a “bottom up” approach to planning for neighbourhood amenities, with more input from residents’ associations to determine what citizens want.
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Politics »
![Reducing homelessness, improving Columbia St. on Wayne Wright’s agenda [mayor]](http://www.tenthtothefraser.ca/wp-content/themes/arthemia/scripts/timthumb.php?src=//wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Wright.jpg&w=150&h=150&zc=1&q=100)
Incumbent mayor Wayne Wright is known for attracting development to New Westminster, but the issue that is most personally meaningful to him is reducing homelessness in our city.
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Politics »
![François Nantel looks to ease traffic, boost local sports [mayor]](http://www.tenthtothefraser.ca/wp-content/themes/arthemia/scripts/timthumb.php?src=//wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Nantel.jpg&w=150&h=150&zc=1&q=100)
Mayoral candidate François Nantel dreams of promoting New Westminster venues for short track speed skating, drawing the Strong Men Competition downtown and hosting Little League championships at Moody Park.
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Politics »
![Vance McFadyen inspired by riverfront, maddened by traffic [mayor]](http://www.tenthtothefraser.ca/wp-content/themes/arthemia/scripts/timthumb.php?src=//wp-content/uploads/2011/11/IMG_5632.jpg&w=150&h=150&zc=1&q=100)
Inspired by our riverfront location and maddened by traffic, mayoral dark horse Vance McFadyen would divert truck routes to the city’s perimeter and dreams of connecting Front St. to the new Pier Park & Quay with a vehicle and pedestrian ramp, thus eliminating the need for train whistles in the most irritable location.
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Politics, Schools »
![Casey Cook: better planning needed to improve decision-making [school board]](http://www.tenthtothefraser.ca/wp-content/themes/arthemia/scripts/timthumb.php?src=//wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Cook.jpg&w=150&h=150&zc=1&q=100)
Incumbent trustee Casey Cook believes New Westminster is on track in terms of programs of choice and the number of support programs offered, however he believes more planning is needed to improve decision-making, including strategic, communications, performance management and transparent budget management plans.
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Politics, Schools »
![Reducing wait lists for popular programs, improving communication on James Pepa’s priority list [school board]](http://www.tenthtothefraser.ca/wp-content/themes/arthemia/scripts/timthumb.php?src=//wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Pepa.jpg&w=150&h=150&zc=1&q=100)
Improving communication with parent advisory councils, teachers and the community at large is a priority for trustee candidate James Pepa.
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Politics, Schools »
![Jonina Campbell wants to improve kids’ activity levels, expand community use of schools [school board]](http://www.tenthtothefraser.ca/wp-content/themes/arthemia/scripts/timthumb.php?src=//wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Campbell.jpg&w=150&h=150&zc=1&q=100)
If elected, trustee candidate Jonina Campbell says she would initiate a task force aimed at improving physical and mental wellness, which would include initiatives to get more children walking and biking to school.
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Politics, Schools »
![MaryAnn Mortensen: New West programs ‘provide many pathways to success’ [school board]](http://www.tenthtothefraser.ca/wp-content/themes/arthemia/scripts/timthumb.php?src=//wp-content/uploads/2011/11/IMG_5650.jpg&w=150&h=150&zc=1&q=100)
Trustee candidate MaryAnn Mortensen sees a lot to like in our school district, including a wide selection of programs of choice and many dedicated teachers and staff, but the biggest issue she sees is how decisions are made a the school board table.
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Politics, Schools »
![Jim Goring: ‘We need to make the right choices to attract and retain students and teachers’ [school board]](http://www.tenthtothefraser.ca/wp-content/themes/arthemia/scripts/timthumb.php?src=//wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Goring.jpg&w=150&h=150&zc=1&q=100)
Jim Goring wants to explore how New Westminster can better engage children and teachers in the future.
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Politics, Schools »
![Brenda McEachern Keen questions if business company is best use of school resources [school board]](http://www.tenthtothefraser.ca/wp-content/themes/arthemia/scripts/timthumb.php?src=//wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Brenda-Oct-2011.jpg&w=150&h=150&zc=1&q=100)
Brenda McEachern Keen would like to improve the structural readiness of our school district to improve its ability to take advantage of new opportunities for students. She’d also like to see improvements in project management of new school construction.
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Politics, Schools »
![David Phelan wants New West to be ‘leaders in education’ [school board]](http://www.tenthtothefraser.ca/wp-content/themes/arthemia/scripts/timthumb.php?src=//wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Phelan.jpg&w=150&h=150&zc=1&q=100)
David Phelan wants the New Westminster School Board to keep the focus on creating the best education system possible, protecting what we do well and being aware of emerging trends in education that can help us improve, such as the introduction of School Learning Gardens, partnerships with community organizations such as the Royal City Farmers Market and new technologies that can support learning.
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Politics, Schools »
![Glen Richmond wants to see more play space, fewer portables [school board]](http://www.tenthtothefraser.ca/wp-content/themes/arthemia/scripts/timthumb.php?src=//wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Richmond.jpg&w=150&h=150&zc=1&q=100)
Trustee candidate Glen Richmond would like to see more play space for students, fewer portables and a return of the School Liaison Officer program.
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Politics, Schools »
![Michael Ewen wants more choice, collaboration and communication [school board]](http://www.tenthtothefraser.ca/wp-content/themes/arthemia/scripts/timthumb.php?src=//wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Ewen.jpg&w=150&h=150&zc=1&q=100)
Communication with the public and respectful dialogue among trustees are two areas where our school board needs improvement, according to veteran trustee Michael Ewen.
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Politics, Schools »
![Choice in public education most important to James Janzen [school board]](http://www.tenthtothefraser.ca/wp-content/themes/arthemia/scripts/timthumb.php?src=//wp-content/uploads/2011/11/IMG_5394.jpg&w=150&h=150&zc=1&q=100)
School trustee candidate James Janzen was the first to respond to the first Tenth to the Fraser all-candidates trustee candidates survey. The most important education-related idea or issue to James is ensuring choice for children and parents in public education.
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Politics, Schools »
![Special needs issues close to Lisa Graham’s heart [school board]](http://www.tenthtothefraser.ca/wp-content/themes/arthemia/scripts/timthumb.php?src=//wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Graham.jpg&w=150&h=150&zc=1&q=100)
School trustee candidate Lisa Graham supports proactive public engagement to better inform stakeholders, believing “meaningful discussion is informed discussion.”
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Politics »
![Cal Donnelly wants a more livable, inclusive New West [council]](http://www.tenthtothefraser.ca/wp-content/themes/arthemia/scripts/timthumb.php?src=//wp-content/uploads/2011/09/IMG_5630.jpg&w=150&h=150&zc=1&q=100)
Improving livability in New West is one of Cal Donnelly’s priorities. Some of his ideas? Taking trucks off the Pattullo Bridge during daytime hours, upgrading recreational facilities and improving the City’s communication with citizens.
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Politics »
![Affordability, transportation and safe streets matter to Chuck Puchmayr [council]](http://www.tenthtothefraser.ca/wp-content/themes/arthemia/scripts/timthumb.php?src=//wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Puchmayr.jpg&w=150&h=150&zc=1&q=100)
Council candidate Chuck Puchmayr believes the best economic development is providing a safe, clean city – along with creative approaches to counter the impact of big box stores that hurt downtown cores.
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