ALDERGROVE S STAR STAR Your Hometown Community Newspaper for over 54 Years
| Thursday, February 14, 2013
| Thursday, February 14, 2013 A Stylish Musical HitsA Poppy StylishStage! Musical Poppy Stage PAGEHits 7
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Page 3: A Colourful ‘Lunar New Year’
Page 3: A Colourful ‘Lunar New Year’ Family Day Fun in Aldergrove
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Be realistic about rec centre plans The Star’s editor weighs in on proposed plans for Aldergrove’s new community centre — and other Township facilities. By KURT LANGMANN Aldergrove Star
Years of negotiations have finally resulted in the successful conclusion of Aldergrove Elks club’s aim to be part of the planned new Aldergrove community centre in the former Aldergrove Elementary School site. Last week the Aldergrove Elks received the keys to the historic 1912 heritage school building. In exchange for a substantial financial contribution from the Elks, consisting of a portion of the money the Elks received from the sale of their former hall, the Elks will have the lower floor of the old school for their use in the years to come, as well as naming rights for a portion of the planned recreational development. “I’ve been talking to, lobbying the Township, MLA Rich Coleman, the education ministry for four years about doing this. It’s good to see it finally happen,” said John Jackman, the past leader of the Elks, last week. This news should serve as a timely lesson for the rest of us, especially the armchair critics who are currently arguing that the planned facility is happening too quickly or too slowly, or that it is being done at the expense of others. The fact is that the Township has acquired the former school property, deemed surplus by
the education ministry, in a fashion no different than any others in the past. The Township used the same funding sources to purchase the land that it used to purchase other properties — such as the Fort to Fort Trail, the Langley Events Centre, the Aldergrove Athletic Park, the Walnut Grove Aquatic Centre, and so on. The same funding sources also provided the Township’s $700,000 contribution to the 163acre West Creek Wetlands purchase, a Metro Vancouver Parks facility valued at $3.5 million when it was acquired in 2007. The funding source for all these acquisitions is a time-honoured mix of capital from the Township’s development cost charges reserves and sales of surplus properties from the Township’s extensive portfolio of land in Langley. The Township also works with Langley School District to provide properties for new schools at the best prices and optimal locations for the education ministry. The Township places its municipal parks adjacent to these schools, whenever possible. It is intelligent and co-operative planning, with the best interests of the community foremost in mind. And in the case of the former Aldergrove Elementary site, the school district is reciprocating by selling it to the Township on
SEE: Page 2
HARRY HUNT PHOTO
The Mazur family were among the happy families who packed Aldergrove Arena’s first ever “Family Day” public skate session on Monday, Feb. 11.
Profile of proposed new Aldergrove recreation centre.
SUBMITTED PHOTO
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