Royal City Record December 8 2010

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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2010

W E S T M I N S T E R

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◗ ENVIRONMENT

Going up, not down City’s greenhouse gas emissions rising despite reduction plan BY THERESA MCMANUS REPORTER tmcmanus@royalcityrecord.com

The City of New Westminster is finding it’s no easy feat to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In 2008, the city adopted a corporate energy and greenhouse gas emissions reduction plan. It set a goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 15 per cent in 10 years. “Relative to the 2007 base year, the city’s total greenhouse gas emissions quantity has increased by one per cent, or 57 tonnes,” said a staff report. “The largest change of greenhouse gas emissions occurred in the vehicle fleet sector with a increase of 58 tonnes or four per cent. The buildings sector was the only sector which showed a slight decrease in emissions.” Coun. Jonathan Cote said there are a number of reasons for the overall increase in emissions. He said the city launched a new “clean green” pickup service last year, which keeps yard waste from going to the landfill, but it also required the addition of a truck in the city’s fleet. “There are more trucks driving around,” he explained. The staff report stated that factors such as building renovations, operating hours, service levels and weather conditions ◗Report Page 8

Larry Wright/THE RECORD

Let’s make a deal: Rebecca Partaik with Chloe, 10 and Owen, 8, at Lord Kelvin Community School. The school hosts a sale every year where kids can afford to buy Christmas presents for loved ones.

The price is always right

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xcitement filled the Lord Kelvin Community School gymnasium as students selected gifts for the special people in their lives. Each year, the school hosts the Kelvin Gift Company, where kids can buy Christmas gifts for their loved ones. A former principal initiated the project a few years MY NEIGHBORHOOD back. Theresa McManus “It was started as a way for children to be able to buy gifts for their parents and families,” said Rebecca Partaik, president of the school’s parent advisory council. “It is gently used donations from families in

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the school. Each class gets to come in and do their Christmas shopping. They are very excited to come in.” That was evident by the smiles around the room as the kids purchased their gifts and showed their purchases to their friends. “Look at this!” said one Grade 2 student. “I got this for my mom, this for my dad and this for my grandma.” Students were able to select three items on Day 1 of the Kelvin Gift Company and purchase additional items on Day 2. “My mom and dad and sister will like me,” said one Grade 2 boy, who was pleased with the items he’d selected. “They will thank me.” Parents who volunteered at the event helped students select items and tally up

their purchases. “I have just had my first tearjerker,” Partaik said shortly after the event got underway. “A little girl who doesn’t speak English didn’t understand she was supposed to bring money. She had no money.” At the Kelvin Gift Company, no child leaves empty-handed even if they don’t have much or any money. A handful of pennies has the same financial clout as a $5 bill. “I had someone say, ‘How much is this?’ I said, $1,” Partaik recalled. “She said, ‘I only have 35 cents.’ I said, ‘It’s 30 cents.” As Partaik staffs the till, she tries to see how much money students have before she tells them the price of their purchases. ◗Kelvin Page 9

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