New Westminster wants to contribute to efforts to prevent the sexual abuse of children and youth in the sex trade.
Council recently received a request to appoint a member to serve on the Burnaby-New Westminster Task Force on Sexually Exploited and At-Risk Youth.
“The purpose of the task force is to increase awareness of youth sexual exploitation, identify gaps in services and advocate for needed at-risk youth services and programs, and stay up-to-date on trends relating to youth sexual exploitation in Burnaby and New Westminster,” said task force chair Maita Santiago, a Burnaby city councillor, in a letter to New West council.
According to Santiago, task force members share information and trends, such as recruitment activities, age of recruitment, geographic instances of recruitment, etc. – in an effort to prevent sexual exploitation and to identify intervention methods to support at-risk youth.
New Westminster city council appointed Coun. Tasha Henderson as its representative to the committee.
A community planner, Henderson has extensive professional experience in working on this issue.
“I would be delighted to sit on the task force,” she said. “I have a weirdly specific background that lends to and interest, passion and years of experience around this topic, so I would be happy to represent the city on this.”
Noise variances approved
New West city council has approved noise variances for two projects in the downtown.
Traylor Aecon General Partnership, a contractor working on behalf of Metro Vancouver, applied for an exemption to the construction noise bylaw, as part of its work on the Annacis water supply tunnel.
The noise exemption for 1031 Quebec St. allows work to be done from Oct. 16 to Dec. 21, 2023 and from March 1 to May 31, 2024 on weekdays from 8 to 11 p.m. an on Saturdays from 7 to 9 a.m. and from 6 to 9 p.m. (Council had previously approved a noise exemption for this project, which is be used to deliver clean drinking water to the south side of the Fraser River.)
“The work was delayed due to required equipment not arriving in a timely manner and unanticipated complications of the scope of work,” said a staff report. “This has resulted in the project taking longer than expected and a later completion date.”
An exemption to the construction noise bylaw has also been granted to TransLink, as part of its work at the New Westminster SkyTrain station. It’s demolishing and restoring original walkways, installing new maintenance walkways and making operational equipment modifications to the station.
In March, council granted a noise exemption that would allow this work to be done outside of regular construction hours from May 1 to Oct. 31.
“The work was delayed for a few reasons: staffing posed a challenge as TransLink requires specialized personnel on the energized rail; longer lead time was required for critical materials; and some developments too longer than expected,” said a staff report. “This has resulted in the project taking longer than expected and a later completion date than first anticipated.”
As part of the latest exemption approved by council, work can be done from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. from Oct. 31 to Feb. 28, 2024, including Saturdays and intermittent Sundays. Work can’t be done on statutory holidays.
Grants dispersed
New Westminster has provided close to a million dollars in grants and in-kind services as part of its 2023 community grant program.
Staff recently provide council with a summary of the 2023 highlights of this year’s community grant program. The report noted 81 grants were awarded in 2023.
“The city awarded $807,294 in cash awards and $207,105 in city services,” said the report. “The cash awards are actual money for the organizations to spend. The city services are awards of venue rentals and, critically for festivals, road closures, police support, and garage collection. City services are a critical part of making the city vibrant.”
Some of this year’s recipients include: Don’t Go Hungry – St. Aidan’s ($37,625 for the food program); New Westminster Environmental Partners ($5,000 for enhancement of Glenbrook Ravine); Pacific Immigrant Resources Society ($15,000 for a community English class for immigrant and refugee women); Family Services of Greater Vancouver ($35,000 for its programs); New Westminster Homelessness Coalition Society ($16,500 for its services); Seniors Services Society of BC ($75,000 for administration).
