Royal City Musical Theatre + Help Restore Vital Digital Memorial

Issue #147

Author

Carla McNeil
February 20, 2025

Inside the New West Spotlight

 🌧️ Weather - Cloudy with Showers

 😜 Rain Joke - What do you say to a friend who’s feeling blue on a rainy day? 😭

 🔦 Business Spotlight - Metro Van Nature

 💝 Testimonials - Thank You, Nancy S.!

 🗓️ New West Events - Variety

 🗞️ New West Local News - Royal City Musical Theatre + Help Restore Vital Digital Memorial

 📰 Advertise with New West Spotlight - Buy One, Get One Free

Local New Westminster Weather

Historical Records for today - Record high 10.2 2016 - Record low -4.3 2018

Thank you, Nancy - you are so sweet!

🌲 Metro Van Nature 🌳 

From Nature to Nurture: The Birth of Metro Van Nature Cards

After years in a demanding corporate career that consumed weekends and evenings, Jessi Gillis found herself yearning for a simpler path. Her own experiences with anxiety and depression had taught her the profound healing power of nature. Through her personal journeys exploring Metro Vancouver's abundant green spaces, she discovered that being surrounded by fresh air, greenery, birds, animals, and water had an energizing and therapeutic effect on her well-being.

The inspiration for Metro Van Nature Cards came from Gillis's own challenges in planning outdoor adventures. She often found herself spending precious time scrolling through Google Maps, trying to decide where to explore next. That's when a simple yet brilliant idea struck her: What if there was an easier way to discover new walks? What if people could simply shuffle a deck of cards, pick one, and head out on an adventure?

This spark of inspiration led her to create a carefully curated collection of 60 different walks across the Metro Vancouver area. Each card features a specific location, complete with helpful details about the trail on the back, including whether it's dog-friendly - a feature important to Gillis as a dog owner herself. The cards are designed to take the stress out of decision-making and make nature exploration effortless and spontaneous.

Launched just last Friday, Metro Van Nature Cards represents more than just a business venture for Gillis - it's her way of helping others discover the mental wellness benefits of nature. As someone with deep roots in the area - her Italian immigrant grandparents settled here in the 1950s - she brings an authentic love for the region to her project.

"It's really about the well-being of people," Gillis explains. "Making decisions can be stressful and cause anxiety. These cards take the thinking out of it - you just pick a card and go explore and have fun." Her vision extends beyond just selling cards; she aims to educate people about nature, climate change, and the unique beauty of Metro Vancouver's temperate rainforest environment.

Starting small but dreaming big, Gillis is currently hand-crafting each set using cardstock and lamination. She offers them for $14.99 with free delivery throughout the Metro Vancouver area. Through her growing social media presence and commitment to environmental education, she's building not just a business but a community of nature enthusiasts who share her passion for outdoor exploration and mental wellness.

UPDATE: We now have two pairs of tickets!

We’ve got two free tickets to the New West Rotary Club Bevies & Bites event on February 22, 2025. Entering the draw is super quick and easy!

Check out all of our local New Westminster Events

February 20, 2025

👶 Babytime (0-12 months) – 10:30 AM to 11:00 AM

🍼 Baby Social (0-23 months) – 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM

📖 Tigrinya Storytime – 1:30 PM to 2:30 PM

🍵 Sweetheart Tea – 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM

🧵 Rug Tufting – 2:00 PM to 7:00 PM

🚺️ Empower ME - Women's Health and Wellness Event – 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM

🎙️ Table 29 Karaoke – 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM

📚️ Drop-in Wildfires Bookshop – 5:45 PM

🧑‍🌾 Gardening: Common Garden Mistakes – 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM

🎙️ Karaoke Night at Georgie's – 7:00 PM

🎤 Razzle Dazzle Divas – 7:00 PM

🎹 Dueling Pianos – 7:00 PM

📕 ESL Class – 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM

🎨 Bee's Knee's Burlesque – 7:00 PM to 9:30 PM

🎙️ Colossal Thursdays Karaoke at The Terminal Pub – 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM

🎤 Open Mic Jam at Notorious Grey Fox – 7:00 PM to 11:00 PM

🎭️ Vagabond Players Presents A Nice Indian Boy – 8:00 PM - Cancelled due to illness

🧘 FREE Strength & Stretch Yoga @ Vista Royale – 8:00 PM to 9:00 PM

 💰️ Heart of the Matter online AUCTION (Feb 15 to Mar 09) – Royal City Rotary Club

February 21, 2025

 Toddler Time (12-36 months) – 10:30 AM to 11:00 AM

🍔 Between 2 Buns – 3:00 PM to 9:00 PM

📚️ French Reading Buddies (6-9 years) – 3:30 PM to 4:30 PM

🎨 Oil Pastels – 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM

🎲 Friendsday Night Board Games – Doors open at 6:00 PM

🕌 Join Us For A Pre-Ramadan Halaqa – 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM

🖌️ Brush Hour Paint Night - Alpine Campfire – 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM

🎭️ Baddies N Boujee – 6:30 PM to 11:00 PM

🎸 New West Ska Punk Fest! TWO! – 7:00 PM at Bully’s Studio

🔮 Mystical Friday – 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM

🎸 Live Music at The Terminal - Mike Van Eyes – 8:30 PM to 11:30 PM

🎙️ Karaoke Friday Nights at Notorious Grey Fox – 9:00 PM until Close

🎲 Board Night Game – Phantom Alley

February 22, 2025

🥎 Pickleball Doubles League 2025 Winter Season – 9:00 AM to 11:30 AM

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 S.U.C.C.E.S.S. Settlement Service Drop-In – 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM

🗣️ English Conversation Circles – Saturday Sessions – 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM

🧶 Knitting and Crocheting Circle – 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM

🧵 Rug Tufting – 12:00 PM to 5:00 PM

🍩 B2B + Donuts – 1:00 PM to 8:00 PM

🥐 Perogies for Peace! – 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM

📖 Ukrainian Storytime (all ages) – 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM

🚲️ Youth Cycle Express: $2 Drop-in for Youth – (For youth ages 13 - 18) 4:00 PM to 4:45 PM

🎟️ Membership Draw – 5:30 PM

🍽️ A Seat At Our Table – 5:30 PM to 8:00 PM

🎲 Music Bingo – 5:45 PM, 6:30 PM and 7:15 PM

🎸 New West Ska Punk Fest! TWO! – 7:00 PM at Bully’s Studio

🎭️ Ring of Fire – 7:30 PM at Anvil Theatre

🍪 Rotary Bevies and Bites (19+) – 7:30 PM to 10:00 PM

🕺 Saturday Dance Party at Georgie's – 10:00 PM to 1:00 AM

🕹️ Fighting Game Night – Phantom Alley

Royal City Musical Theatre is looking for enthusiastic volunteers to help promote its upcoming production of Dolly Parton's 9 to 5: The Musical! The organization is hosting a Poster Party on Saturday, February 22nd, at 11:00 AM at Massey Theatre in New Westminster.

Volunteers will pick up posters at the theatre before heading out to display them in key locations around the city. The event is open to families and groups of friends who want to support the show while spending time together. Tape will be provided—participants just need to bring comfortable shoes and plenty of enthusiasm.

Those interested can sign up online or reach out via email at [email protected] or phone at 778-883-8110 for more information.

West Coast artist Michael de Courcy is raising funds to rebuild a crucial online resource dedicated to the Woodlands Cemetery in New Westminster. Since 2009, his independently produced website, part of the public art and social justice project “DEAD AND BURIED, What became of the cemetery at Woodlands?”, served as a vital tool for families searching for loved ones buried there.

The cemetery, once the final resting place for 3,065 individuals, was located on the grounds of the former Woodlands School (1950–1996) and provincial asylum (1878–1950). In 1978, the provincial government removed the headstones, effectively erasing individual grave markers and leaving behind what many consider a mass grave. De Courcy’s website aimed to restore dignity by digitally mapping each burial site, allowing visitors to locate specific graves and access historical details.

However, with advancements in technology and changes to Google Maps, the website’s mapping system is no longer functional, breaking links that connect users to the deceased. The fundraising effort seeks to hire a professional web designer to rebuild the interactive platform, ensuring it remains a lasting resource for families, researchers, and the broader community.

Those interested in supporting the project can learn more or contribute to the cause through the fundraising campaign.

⛈️ Rain Joke of the Day 🌧️ 

😭 What do you say to a friend who’s feeling blue on a rainy day? 

🌦️ Just let it rain, and you’ll shine! ☀️ 

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