In keeping with tradition, The Record would like to bestow some year-end awards related to some of the stories we’ve covered in 2021. And the winners are …
The What’s That Noise? Award goes to … take your pick. New West is a city where folks have long complained about noise (train noise, anyone?) but 2021 seemed to be an exceptionally loud year – or maybe folks were more vocal about their concerns or were spending more time at home so it was more noticeable.
Pile driving noise from downtown developments and the Pattullo Bridge replacement project was a real pain in the ears for many residents (who could hear it in neighbourhoods across the city) in 2021.
In the summer, complaints about loud emission vehicles really revved up – with the New Westminster police board fielding a number of complaints from residents seeking relief from noisy exhaust vehicles. (When this story published, the Record heard from residents from White Rock to Vancouver who shared concerns about loud vehicles, so clearly we haven’t captured the market on noisy vehicles.)
The Making an Entrance Award goes to the black bear that captivated downtown and Quayside residents when it meandered into town on a sunny Sunday afternoon in May. Onlookers watched as the bear traipsed along the train tracks along Quayside Drive and ventured into the ICBC yard on Stewardson Way.
It wasn’t long before police and B.C. Conservation Officer Services captured the bear, who was transported to a more suitable location.
Phil Greene, a bylaw officer with the City of New Westminster, said the bear was about one to one-and-a-half years of age.
“He’s going to be of the age where he had probably left mom,” he said. “Mom didn’t tell him to stay away from inhabited areas.”
The They Should Have Seen That Coming Award goes to the city, which announced (via a staff report and a press release) that the city would be relocating gym equipment from Canada Games Pool’s fitness area to the gym at Centennial Community Centre – meaning new venues would be found for the decades-old group Fitness New West program would be relocated to other locations.
Faster than the fancy footwork needed in a step aerobics class, Fitness New West’s loyal fans began emailing city hall and gathering names on a petition urging the city to let the classes remain at their longtime home. As 2021 came to a close, we’ve yet to hear exactly where Fitness New West will land in 2022.
The Man of the People Award goes to New West resident Elliott Slinn, who was named as New Westminster’s 2021 to 2024 poet laureate. He participated in a variety of cultural events around town and also took to the streets for some impromptu poetry writing. Armed with his trusty typewriter, he composed poetry on-the-spot for folks.
“I want to show that poetry doesn’t have to be about rhyme or form or structure. I think poetry is just an expression. I think a lot of people have this idea that there is this barrier – like they have to find a word that rhymes with orange or something,” he says. “For me, it’s just about the emotion. If you can put your emotion into it, I think that’s the most important thing. I just want to champion that and make it more accessible for people.”
The Oprah of New West Award goes to New Westminster-Burnaby MP Peter Julian, who gave away all sorts of goodies in 2021, including hundreds of oranges (quite fitting for a New Democrat, don’t you think?) and apples to health-care workers, sporting goods to schools, fans to seniors and toys to kids, sometimes in collaboration with groups like the New Westminster Firefighters’ Charitable Society and the Gurdwara Sahib Sukh Sagar. In 2021, he also teamed up with other New West politicians to donate thousands of facemasks to five First Nations communities throughout B.C.
On a more serious note, the six-term member of Parliament (who cruised to a seventh term in Ottawa in September’s federal election) is also the recipient of the One of the Hardest Working Folks in Town Award, having championed a variety of issues in 2021. These included supporting a Green New Deal for Canada, urging the federal government to introduce a public universal Pharmacare program, introducing legislation that takes aim at hate symbols and hate crimes, starting a petition against the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion and calling for a halt to that project. Julian isn’t considered one of the hardest-working politicians in the region without good reason.
The Paint it Red Award goes to the New Westminster Senior Salmonbellies who returned to Queen’s Park Arena play three-game exhibition with XLL (Extreme Lacrosse League) in August. Though the Bellies lost all three games, it was just what local lacrosse fans needed after the 2020 and 2021 seasons were cancelled because of COVID-19. We’ve got our fingers crossed they’ll hit the wooden floor for the 2022 season this summer.
The Most Ironic Name of the Year Award goes to the Together New West Electors Society, which selected Together New West as the name of a new civic party that was announced in early December. The only trouble was the Downtown New Westminster Business Improvement Association had launched a #togethernewwest campaign in the spring of 2020 to inspire the community during the pandemic.
The society and the BIA weren’t at all together on the party’s plans – and Mayor Jonathan Cote (a member of the party) even issued a statement apologizing to the BIA and expressing disappointment that the party executive had decided not to work with the BIA to fully address the legitimate concerns they’d raised. We can only imagine how that went over behind closed doors with the party’s executive.
As the year came to a close, the society stated said it would not be endorsing or supporting an elector organization called Together New West in 2022 and noted its directors are communicating with members and establishing next steps. Stay tuned.
This award is closely related to The Buckle Up – It’s Going to be a Wild Ride Award, which goes to New West residents who will undoubtedly be bombarded with all kinds of wackiness in the lead-up to the Oct. 15, 2022 civic election. If December 2021 is any indication, it could be a nasty year. Brace yourselves.
Follow Theresa McManus on Twitter @TheresaMcManus
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