weekend edition FRIDAY, JAN. 7, 2011
Vol. 102 No. 2 • Established 1908 • West
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Circus with a twist
Policing 2011
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Bike route infrastructure causes school chaos Congestion occurs during drop-off, pick-up Naoibh O’Connor Staff writer
Parents and children navigate traffic outside Dr. George Weir elementary in Killarney.
photo Dan Toulgoet
Vehicles jammed East 44th Avenue between Rupert and Killarney streets in front of Dr. George Weir elementary just before 9 a.m. Wednesday. Cars and SUVs travelled in both directions along the narrow road and struggled to pass one another alongside parked cars. Some were passing through the neighbourhood, but many were dropping children off at the school, which enrolls close to 500 students in kindergarten to Grade 7. A few drivers performed u-turns to avoid the congestion or honked their horns, while parents and students darted across the
street mid-block. Watching the morning ritual, with an equal dose of concern and frustration, was Ainslie Kwan, Weir’s parent advisory council chair. The congestion that occurs twice a day during student drop-off and pick-up largely arose after the city installed a traffic diverter on East 45th at Rupert on a trial basis last September. It’s aimed at calming traffic on the designated bike route, but as a result traffic volume has doubled on East 44th. “The street’s not wide enough to deal with the volume that’s now coming down the street due to the traffic diverter,” Kwan said. See CITY on page 4
Charitable donations save aboriginal drop-in centre Downtown Eastside facility hopes to net $40,000 from city hall Mike Howell
Staff writer
A nonprofit drop-in centre in the Downtown Eastside whose clients include a large number of homeless aboriginal people will remain open, despite fears last fall that it would close for at least
three months in the winter. Mona Woodward, executive director of the Aboriginal Front Door Society at 384 Main St., said several organizations including Metro Urban Vancouver Aboriginal Strategy have either given or will give money to the organization to keep its doors open for at
least three more months. “It’s looking good,” said Woodward, noting the Aboriginal Strategy committed to $17,000 and the Anglican Church of Canada to $10,000. “I’m so impressed with the community’s love and support.” In November, Woodward told
the Courier the society had to make up a $25,000 shortfall for the drop-in centre to remain open for January, February and March. The society is waiting on word from the Vancouver Foundation, Tides Canada and the United Way for grants and is working with Vancouver East NDP MP
Libby Davies’ office on a grant proposal to Heritage Canada. The society is also counting on a $40,000 grant from the city. City council will approve grants in April for various organizations, and has previously given money to the society. See ORGANIZATION on page 4
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