Here we are at Sunday night again — and the last Sunday of February, at that.
For those who may have forgotten (like me), March does, in fact, start this week. And it looks set to be another busy week in New Westminster. So, without further ado, let's get to some highlights of the coming week:
For weather watchers: Winter returns
Sigh. Yes, it's that time of year again when we're all oh-so-ready for spring, but we keep getting winter back. In fairness, I'm writing this ahead of the weekend, so who knows whether the promised heavy snowfall will have come to pass. I'll assume that it has, that you're all staying safe on the roads and that we are, in the fact, in the midst of some "mixed precipitation." We can expect that mixed precipitation to continue, with some light rain in the forecast for Monday and mixed snow and rain again on Tuesday. The Arctic air has largely passed, however, as we're looking at highs of 5 C most of the week — and a mixed bag of sun, cloud and precipitation. So — wear layers and have an umbrella handy, I guess.
For city hall watchers: Monday meetings
It's another busy week at city hall, as New Westminster city council meets again starting at 9 a.m. on Monday for more budget deliberations. There's also a regular council meeting starting at 6 p.m., and it looks like another busy agenda. Among some items to watch for: a heritage revitalization agreement for a property at Eighth Street and Eighth Avenue; a look at the city council code of conduct; a construction noise bylaw exemption at 22nd Street SkyTrain station; a discussion on extending school zone hours — and a whole bunch more.
You can find all the meeting details, agendas and information about attending at the City of New Westminster website.
For theatre lovers: Shrek the Musical
- Shrek the Musical: Yes, the New Westminster Secondary School musical theatre program is back at Massey Theatre (735 Eighth Ave.), with its first full-scale musical production of the COVID-19 era (the last one, Beauty and the Beast, closed at the end of February 2020). The productions are always an absolute joy, and you can expect the usual larger-than-life, energetic and always polished production from the big student cast and crew, led by a team of the most caring teachers you could hope to meet. I met some wonderful cast and crew this week to bring you a preview story, and I can't wait to go on Thursday. It's on Wednesday, March 1 through Saturday, March 4, with evening shows at 7 p.m. and a Saturday matinee at 2 p.m. Get your tickets online.
For art lovers: Plaskett, Queen's Park galleries
- Plaskett Gallery: Pop in to the gallery at Massey Theatre this Tuesday for your last chance to see a showcase of young and emerging talent, with this all-grade exhibition of work by NWSS students, ongoing until Feb. 28. It features work in a variety of forms and media, representing a cross-section of contemporary art and design. The gallery is open Tuesdays to Fridays from 1 to 4 p.m. and during shows at the theatre — or you can make an appointment for a visit at another time by calling 604-517-5900.
- Gallery at Queen's Park: A new exhibition of work by Victoria Mitchell, Common Threads, runs from March 1 to 26 at the gallery in Centennial Lodge. It's open Wednesdays through Sundays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. It's free, but feel free to make a donation towards the gallery's ongoing operations.
For dance lovers: Indigenous festival
- Coastal Dance Festival: Dancers of Damelahamid, in partnership with the Anvil Theatre, presents its 16th annual Coastal Dance Festival. The festival is a celebration of the stories, songs and dances of the Indigenous peoples of the Northwest Coast, with guest national and international artists. You can catch ticketed evening performances on Thursday, March 2 and Friday, March 3, with by-donation afternoon performances at the Anvil Centre (777 Columbia St.) on Saturday and Sunday. Find a full schedule and all the details at the Coastal Dance Festival website.
For school board watchers: No meeting this week
It's a down week for school board meetings, so mark your calendar for next week — Tuesday, March 7 will see a full open board meeting, held via Zoom. It's the only meeting in March, so be prepared for a packed agenda. Stay tuned for more next week.
Got a New Westminster happening you'd like to share? Email Julie MacLellan.
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