School Expansion Hope + Federal Election Info

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 🗞️ New West Local News - School Expansion Hope + Federal Election Info

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March 25, 2025

🔎 Spring Discovery Days – 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM

🔍️ New Westminster Scavenger Hunt – 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM

🕹️ Dungeons and Dragons: How to Run a Game (All Ages) – 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM

🧘 Yang Tai Chi 24 form – 5:00 PM

🍺 🎲 Beer and Board Games – 5:00 PM to 10:00 PM

❓️ Trivia Tuesdays at Howe Sound New West – 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM

🎭️ Trivia Tuesdays at Notorious Grey Fox – 7:00 PM

🎸 Georgie's Local Tuesday Night Jam Session – 7:00 PM

🎶 Brasileira with Jennifer Scott – 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM

🎩 The Magic Festival: Cabaret of Wonders – at Hidden Wonders

March 26, 2025

💰️ Financial Aid (Welfare) Worker at NWPL – 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM

🔎 Spring Discovery Days – 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM

🤰 Minminigal | Fireflies Pregnancy & Infant Loss Support Group – 10:30 AM to 12:00 PM

👶 Mom + Baby Meet Up at Cove Indoor Play – 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM

🔍️ New Westminster Scavenger Hunt – 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM

🪄 The Magic Festival: Crafty Kids Magic Class – 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM

⛑️ Crises Response Team Outreach Worker Drop-ins at the Library – 1:30 PM to 2:30 PM

⭕️ Crafternoon: Button Making (All Ages) – 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM

🎲 Family Building Free Play (All Ages) – 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM

🎩 The Magic Festival: Mystery Magic and Dinner – 6:30 PM at Stefanos Lounge and Restaurant

❓️ Trivia Night at Georgie's Local  – 7:00 PM

🏃 Run Club  – 7:00 PM

👦👧 Connect Youth (13+) – 7:00 PM to 9:30 PM

🎤 Open Mic Jam at Bully’s Studio – 7:00 PM to 11:00 PM

❓️ Trivia Night at Frankie G’s – 7:30 PM

March 27, 2025

🔎 Spring Discovery Days – 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM

🔍️ New Westminster Scavenger Hunt – 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM

💑 City LOVE Scavenger Hunt Date Night For Couples - New Westminster Area – 1:00 PM

🧶 Crafternoon: Beginner Cross Stitch (Ages 6+) – 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM

🛍️ Season Opener Block Party – 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM

💀 Death Café – 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM

📚️ Drop-in Wildfires Bookshop – 5:45 PM

🎸 Ukulele 101 (Ages 8+) – 6:30 PM to 7:30 PM

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

🎩 The Magic Festival: An Evening of Magic – 7:00 PM at Rick Bronson's House of Comedy

🎙️ 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

🎭️ 20th Annual The Donspiel (2025) – Royal City Curling Club

🎸 Led Zep Again – Massey Theatre

 🥳 Hope on the Horizon? Province Signals Support for New Westminster School Expansion

Parents in New Westminster are expressing frustration over the lack of space in local schools as the city’s rapid population growth outpaces school infrastructure. At École Qayqayt Elementary, gym access for physical education has been reduced to just 30 minutes a week per child, and playground areas have shrunk due to the placement of portable classrooms. To compensate, parents have taken matters into their own hands, fundraising to buy wagons and equipment so children can play off school grounds.

The city, now home to 92,000 residents, has seen a 28% population increase since 2001, making it the second most densely populated region in Canada. This growth has placed immense strain on the local school system.

On March 15, concerned parents and advocates gathered outside the office of New Westminster MLA Jennifer Whiteside, calling for immediate action. They argued that the district is in a state of crisis, with the highest priority being the construction of a new elementary school in the downtown area.

While an official funding announcement is still pending, there are signs of progress. The provincial Minister of Infrastructure recently confirmed that funds have been set aside for the construction of Simcoe Elementary School within the current fiscal year. School board chair Maya Russell expressed cautious optimism about the news.

In addition to the elementary school, the school board is also advocating for the acquisition of land for a new middle school. Russell remains hopeful that approval for this project will follow soon.

The Queensborough neighborhood is already seeing expansion, with a 13-classroom addition at Queen Elizabeth Elementary underway. However, concerns persist over rising construction costs, exacerbated by tariffs on materials.

Despite a new secondary school opening in 2021, which now serves 2,500 students, calls for a second high school are growing. Queensborough resident Tony Chee, who has three children in the district, launched a petition pushing for a secondary school to serve the Queensborough and Hamilton areas.

School board officials highlighted the challenges of securing land for new schools, adding that 11 of the district’s 12 schools currently fall below provincial standards for classroom and play area sizes. Every time a portable is added to a school, recreational space diminishes further.

With the province’s recent shift in school infrastructure management to the Ministry of Infrastructure, there is hope that streamlined processes and collaborative planning will accelerate school construction projects. Parents, however, emphasize that urgent action is needed to prevent students from enduring years in overcrowded schools.🍁

Read the full article here.

 ☑️ New Westminster Election Update: How to Register and Vote

📅 Federal Election Date: April 28th
🗳 Riding Name: New Westminster–Burnaby–Maillardville (Note: Boundaries have been redrawn, so your polling station may have changed!)

Elections Canada Voting Information

Elections Canada is your go-to resource for:

• Voter registration

• Polling locations

• Candidate information

• Updated riding boundaries

🔎 Need a Mail-in Ballot?
This will be a fast-moving election. If you require a mail-in ballot, register ASAP at Elections Canada.

You should check Elections Canada’s website if:
✅ You’ve moved since the last federal election.
✅ You didn’t receive polling station reminders in the mail.
✅ You’re unsure if your polling station changed due to the boundary redraft.
✅ You want information about registered candidates and early voting.
✅ You prefer to avoid long lines by voting early.
✅ You’re confused by conflicting information from different sources.

🕖 Deadline to Register to Vote: April 7th
While you can still register at your polling station on election day, advance registration will make the process quicker and easier.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

⛈️ Rain Joke of the Day 🌧️ 

💧 Why do raindrops always know where to go? 🌧️ 

Because they follow the “flow”! ↗️↘️ 

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