Author archive for: Will Tomkinson
New Westminster, Politics »
In response to this question from the public, NDP candidate Dawn Black, the recently elected federal MP for the NDP references the illness of current NDP MLA Chuck Puchmayr as a driving force in her decision to leave federal politics and enter the Provincial race. This election posed too many important issues to allow the traditionally NDP riding to go to another party.
Green candidate Matt Laird had a zinger when he announced that he thought Ms. Black was doing a great job in Ottawa. He suggested she continue to do …
New Westminster »
Question from the public on BC Rail. When will we get some answers? What about Patrick Kinsella? What about the Premier’ s Promise?
Carole Millar offers the BC Liberal non-answer: “That is before the courts.” The hall erupts with jeering and cat calls. NDP’s Dawn Black enters the fray, strongly condemning the BC Liberals and reminding everyone that the Premier promised not to sell the railway: “This stinks and the Premier needs to come clean. ”
Agreeing, BC Green Party’s Matthew Laird states: “This cronyism is not new.” He offers a perfect …
New Westminster »
Now that the candidates are answering questions from the public, there is an exciting side show in the back of the auditorium
Complex ongoing negotiations are taking place at the party table. Reps from each campaign are eagerly debating what questions their candidates will debate. Along with the event organizers, they hold up questions and statements from the folks here at Douglas, anxiously horse trading with their counterparts. Somehow, the vetted questions make it down to the moderator.
New Westminster »
Just now, in room 2201 of Douglas College, just outside the doors of the library, the All Candidates Debate is beginning for BC Election 2009. THe crowd is jubilant and well mannered, as we would expect, and the room is full; approximately 200 people.
Already in attendance is Carole Millar, candidate for the BC Liberals and BC Green Party Candidate, Matthew Laird. BC NDP candidate and former NDP MP Dawn Black is not here yet. Mark Allison, our host has announced that she will be delayed (time now 7:11).
Chris Bryan from …
Politics »
During the 2009 BC Election Campaign, an opportunity has been provided to all election candidates in the riding to post a brief message to their constituents. These messages will not be edited.
In the guest post below, BC Green Party Candidate Matthew Laird has responded with a few words to the voters.
Matthew Laird is well known in New Westminster for his advocacy for a more liveable city. He has a strong record of service in this community and can always be seen volunteering at events around town. As a founder …
Read the full story »
Politics »
During the 2009 BC Election Campaign, an opportunity has been provided to all election candidates in the riding to post a brief message to their constituents. These messages will not be edited.
In the guest post below, BC Liberal Candidate Carole Millar has responded with a few words to the voters.
In these uncertain times New Westminster needs proven leadership focused on securing jobs and supporting our economy. Nobody is more qualified for that than Premier Gordon Campbell and the BC Liberal team.
I want to ensure our community continues to prosper by …
Politics »
During the 2009 BC Election Campaign, an opportunity has been provided to all election candidates in the riding to post a brief message to their constituents. These messages will not be edited.
In the guest post below, NDP Candidate Dawn Black has responded with a few words to the voters.
Dawn Black has been a strong advocate for New Westminster for years.
As a Member of Parliament, Dawn pushed for investment in public transit, a comprehensive anti-gang strategy, and keeping good, family-supporting jobs in our community.
Dawn has worked closely with seniors, parents and …
Read the full story »
New Westminster, Politics »
In the provincial election on May 12, everyone will be asked again to vote on electoral reform. Do we want to stay with the current First Past the Post or choose Single Transferable Vote?
Find out more about the proposed reform from some of the Citizen’s Assembly members who proposed it in 2006.
New Westminster Public Library. May 5, 2009 @ 7:00 p.m.
www.bc-stv.ca/
This issue has received scant attention in this campaign, in my opinion. Use this as an opportunity to bone up on the facts. Find out more on www.bc-stv.ca/ …
New Westminster »
A reliable source informs me that a property owner in the Connaught Heights area would like to see an area of land used as a community garden of sorts. In true Royal City style, this currently anonymous owner is offering the space for interested gardeners, free of charge.
If you are one of the many New Westminsterites out there hankering to till the soil and raise your own veggies, but you don’t have a plot to plant in, contact us and we will pass on the info!
Simply leave a comment on …
Events »
Plant a Row, Grow a Row, a non-profit agency that organizes the donation of high value garden produce to food banks and low-income families will be teaming up with St. Thomas More High School (Burnaby) for their 2009 programme and to kick things off, the school is hosting a Gardener’s Party on Thursday evening, March 26th featuring presentations and question and answer sessions with the regions top gardening gurus.
Potential guests are asked to bring items for the food bank. More information is listed below. Claude Ledoux, New Westminster Horticulture …
Growing up in NW, History, New Westminster »
Recently, commenter and contributor Ruth Seeley mentioned a link to Rick Springate’s website Go See TV, a website that contains fascinating old video footage of New Westminster events, converted into easy to view digital vignettes. This website is a rare treasure trove of nostalgia for all who have lived a life in the Royal City or who are interested in the way lives use to be lived here.
One page of Go See TV exclusively presents footage from most May Day celebrations from 1932 to 1963, all of which were …
Neighbourhoods, New Westminster, West End »
Image via Wikipedia
As I was walking my dog in the West end this evening, I crossed the 14th street side entrance of St. Aidan’s Presbyterian Church. Besides being painfully hard to spell, St. Aidan’s Presbyterian Church is
well known as a center for early childhood development. Indeed, the portico of the West entrance to the basement of the church is festooned with resources and contacts for public nursing, language arts, and general infant health. I thought I could work in the word entablature there somewhere but that will have to wait …
Bylaws, Issues, New Westminster, Real Estate »
I am one of the many home owners in New Westminster with a rented suite. We have a sunny, clean one bedroom that is rented to a lovely tenant. When we purchased our home, the suite allowed us to buy a home that we could truly live in, and we did not have to move to Surrey. Try as we might South of the Fraser, we could not find a neighbourhood that we were willing to live in. I was elated to find this house, with all of its heritage …
Read the full story »
Events, Shopping »
There was a hint of a congratulatory mood at tonight’s Annual General Meeting of the Royal City Farmer’ Market at the New Westminster Public Library. The meeting was well attended and a number of people renewed their membership or became members with their $10 donation. Tenthtothefraser.ca also became a member in a way as both Briana and myself joined the society.
Andrew Murray, founder, past president and a major spokesperson for the RCFM, reported that over the 16 market days of the 2008 season, more than 11,000 persons attended the market …
New Westminster »
I have been looking forward to tonight’s meeting of the New Westminster Historical Society. It is not so much that former New Westminster curator Archie Miller and the historical society’s organizer would be presenting commentary and images on the Hollywood Sanitarium and the New Westminster Mall (the mall replaced the hospital that was between 5th and 6th streets, uptown New West) and his usual photo groups of places and people throughout this cities 150 year history. I just missed being there.
I became a member of the group a little over …
Downtown, History, Issues, New Westminster »
New Westminster, the oldest city in western Canada, has much to offer the history buff. Yet our overstuffed museums struggle along piecemeal, cramming 150 years into nooks and crannies around the city. It does not do justice to the stories this city has to share. The New Westminster Museum is an artifact in itself yet the vast majority of the collection is not available for casual inspection. The cramped but fantastic Royal Westminster Regimental Museum screams for more space – but it is never open anyway, so no one knows …
Read the full story »
Events, Growing up in NW »
I really can not believe Miss 604 beat me to it!
New Westminster is a haven for snow sledding for the youthful and the young at heart. As any one who has walked uptown from the New Westminster Skytrain station can attest, we have got some hills in this fair city! While there are a good number of sledding sites around the Royal City and a notable one at the North East corner of Queen’s Park, perhaps the snowy hill most slid upon is the one on the South side of …
Schools »
Royal City Blogger Niki Hope, who excels at all things educational in her website, has recently posted that the Glenbrook Middle School Parent Advisory Council has passed a resolution that, while focusing on the need for a new High School, also calls for the use of Grimston Park as a school site for a middle school.
While the idea of a school on Grimston has been almost universally reviled by the West End community (see Facebook Page Here) and the need for a middle school is still hotly debated, I don’t …
New Westminster »
Driving along 7th St in the West End two nights ago, we were drawn towards the festive glow coming from one end of the street. We meandered over and there it was, a Christmas light display that just had to make it on to the Blog!
I took some pictures with my trusty cellular phone and as you can see, the effect is less than crystal clear but this is only a beginning. I sense a series coming on, highlighting some of the best and brightest Christmas light displays in the …
Politics, Schools »
Eagerly awaiting the last official results of the 2008 New Westminster civic elections, we are pleased to relay that the judicial recount for the position of school trustee has been completed. In a message this afternoon from New Westminster Deputy Chief Electoral Officer Doris Fassbender, the results were announced:
Following a two day judicial recount at the BC Provincial Court, New Westminster Registry, Judge Her Honour Alexander declared the results for the office of School Trustee for the 2008 General Local Election for the City of New …
Read the full story »
New Westminster, Politics »
Who really won the recent New Westminster 2008 municipal election? Not us, because we are a bunch of chumps that can’t make it to out to stuff a slip of paper into a box. Do we harbour some long hidden fears of elementary school gymnasiums? Terror at the nasty chance of an electoral paper cut?
Our manifest idiocy has not gone unnoticed by the scribbling classes. Even here, at Tenth to the Fraser, we have noted our past 26.2% participation lameness. Now, with renewed evidence of our callous disregard for our …
Politics »
As previously announced, we, as the authors of this blog, have decided to endorse a slate of candidates for Mayor, Council and School Trustee. We have tried to pay close attention to the political events and articles in the local paper but, we are ordinary citizens and we have no insider’s knowledge of the various alliances that our local candidates may have with each other. This is our endorsement as independent folks and this is our blog so… these are the endorsed candidates for Tenth to the Fraser:
Mayoral Candidate: Wayne …
Politics, Schools »
Taking a (web)page straight from the David Plouffe hand book, this local school trustee candidate has been kicking it Obama style by launching a polite and engaging army of telephone campaign staff on the voters of New Westminster.
Oh yes, after getting a call a week ago, my wife asked some questions about the “School on Grimston Park” controversy (against btw) and as a follow up, she asked further questions that the volunteer simply could not answer on Ms. Kaur’s behalf. “May I take your information and Kirpaul can get back …
Politics »
Several weeks ago, I contacted both candidates for mayor: Wayne Wright (independent incumbent) and Blair Armitage (Voice New Westminster) and invited them to reply to an email interview to discuss various topics and give voters a view into what they were both like as people. I say I contacted them but really I contacted Wayne Wright and a few gatekeepers for Mr. Armitage. After striving twice and half-heatedly feigning interest for a third time, I gave up on the possibility that Mr. Armitage would lend his ‘voice’ to this …
Read the full story »
Politics, Tenth To The Fraser »
Many newspapers and websites have chosen through history to forgo complete objectivity and endorse a candidate or candidates in an election. Often, the choice made is an illustration of that publication but it is often the intent of the endorsing journal to present a choice that, in their view, would be preferred by their readers. Such is the value of knowing ones audience. The New York Times, for example, first endorsed a presidential candidate with Republican Abraham Lincoln, who would later lead America in a war to emancipate the slaves …
Read the full story »