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Donnelly blasts feds
City politicians say changes to census process will impact planning and services BY ANDREW FLEMING REPORTER afleming@royalcityrecord.com
NDP Member of Parliament Fin Donnelly and city councillor Bill Harper are sounding the alarm over the federal government’s proposed changes to the mandatory long form census in the wake of the resignation of Statistics Canada chief Munir Sheikh. The two believe changing the census to a voluntary process would cause irreparable harm to the federal agency. “The long form census collects important information used by all levels of government, on issues such as affordable housing, health care, public transit and other essential services”, said Donnelly. “As a former city councillor and now as a Member of Parliament, I recognize the importance this data has in informing governance deci◗OUR VIEW sions at both the federal and local It’s time for the Prime levels.” Minister to admit the cenSheikh sus plan is a mistake and resigned July fix it. See page 6 21 over the contentious changes to StatsCan by the Harper government announced at the end of June. The move has been met with criticism from community and religious groups, think-tanks and academics, who worry results will skew municipal, provincial and federal funding allocations which use the census to determine population needs. “The City of New Westminster relies heavily on statistics for planning purposes, allocation of funds and determination of services,” said Coun. Harper. “Scrapping the mandatory long form census will impede our ability to properly conduct city business.” In an effort to find out what led to the controversial change, the Official Oppostion filed a request under the Access to Information Act last week to receive all documents relating to the Conservatives’ decision.
Jason Lang/THE RECORD
Inspired swim: Elise Niessen of New Westminster is raising money to help babies with serious health conditions. She’ll be doing laps at the Canada Games Pool.
Doing laps for the babies BY JENNIFER MOREAU REPORTER jmoreau@royalcityrecord.com
New Westminster resident Elise Niessen is planning a four-hour stretch of laps in the pool to raise money for babies born premature or with serious health conditions. Inspired by her cousin’s baby, who was born with holes in her heart, the Burnaby lifeguard decided to do something to help. “She’s my inspiration,” said Niessen. “What better way to support our community by helping out the next genera-
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tion – all the little babies that are born premature.” The 27-year-old is planning to swim, for four hours straight, on Friday, Aug.13, from noon to 4 p.m. at Canada Games Pool in New Westminster. Niessen is hoping to raise $2,500 for the neonatal intensive care unit at B.C. Children’s Hospital. She’s already raised $1,275, thanks to family and friends who’ve supported the cause. Niessen’s confident she can handle four hours of laps in the pool. “I’ve never swum for four hours, not since I was 12,” she said. “I’m not
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nervous to pull it off because I’m just so inspired by my cousin and shocked by how much the community has supported (me).” Not only does Niessen lifeguard and teach water aerobics in Burnaby, she’s a full-time UBC student. B.C. Children’s Hospital helped by setting up a web page for Niessen to outline her fundraising plan and the story on how she was inspired to act. “My cousin’s little baby, who I got to meet for the first time at my grandparents’ funeral, was a little piece of ◗Swim Page 5
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