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◗ COURTS
HST petition is legal
Judge says petition should be sent to the B.C. legislature BY ALFIE LAU REPORTER alau@royalcityrecord.com
It took less than a week for the next stage of the HST fight to play out in B.C. Supreme Court. Chief Justice Robert Bauman ruled on Friday morning that the anti-HST petition and its accompanying law extinguishing the act are legal. Bauman dismissed the big business challenge of the petition in a 13-page ruling that celebrated the grassroots democracy at the heart of the tax revolt. Quoting Premier Gordon Campbell saying the petition was “a victory for democracy,” Bauman said the petition should be sent to the provincial legislature. He said the petition’s supporters so far had been denied the fruits of their “victory for democracy.” Bauman dismissed all of the arguments raised by the coalition of industry and business groups that included the Council of Forest Industries, the Mining Association of B.C., the Independent Contractors and Businesses Association, the Western Convenience Stores Association, the Coast Forest Products Association and the B.C. Chamber of Commerce. The groups had argued that a provincial law could not overturn the HST because the tax was enacted federally. ◗HST Page 8
Jason Lang/THE RECORD
Touching up: Lisa Yon does some final cleanup in the new New Westminster Youth Centre. The city is expected to gain occupancy of the building next week, and youth services staff expect to start moving in soon.
Youth centre gets set to open BY THERESA MCMANUS REPORTER tmcmanus@royalcityrecord.com
The New Westminster Youth Centre will soon start filling up with furnishings, equipment and people. Construction of the new youth centre at the rear of Century House got underway in October 2009. The city is expected to gain occupancy of the building next week. “The youth services staff will start moving in,” said Joanne Edey-Nicoll, the city’s assistant director of parks, culture and recreation. “They will set up the offices. All of our furniture will be arriving for the youth.” Equipment such as foosball machines and ping-pong tables will then be moved into the new youth centre that’s located in Moody Park. The building will include a kitchen, lounge, fitness centre and office space.
Jay Young, a recreation programmer for own. “There is a real buzz,” she said. “There is a the city, said all of the furnishings and equipment have been ordered. The items haven’t real excitement about the centre opening.” A soft opening of the youth centre will been delivered because there had been no place to store them while the centre was precede the formal opening celebration that’s scheduled for Sept. 15 at 3:30 under construction. p.m. The Youth Centre at Moody “There’s a little bit here,” he ◗ RELATED STORY Park kickoff party will include said. “The VANOC stuff is here. Get ready to celebrate: a ribbon cutting, donor recogniWe got some couches, tables, Plans are well underway tion, entertainment and youthchairs.” for the Aug. 29 Kraft focused activities. Young said youth and seniors Celebration Tour’s stop in In addition to building the are “very excited” about the new youth centre at the rear of facility, which will provide access the Royal City. Century House, the City of New to facilities such as a computer See page 5 Westminster also received fundlab and fitness room. Because it will be co-located in Century House, the ing to build new park washrooms at Moody building will provide opportunities for inter- Park and to renovate the parking lot and reroof Century House. The entire project had a generational programming. Edey-Nicoll said the city recognizes it’s budget of $3 million, which includes federal important for youth to have a place of their and provincial grant funding.
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