Royal City Record March 9 2011 by Glacier Community Publishing

N E W

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 9, 2011

W E S T M I N S T E R

INSIDE FEATURE: Riding the rails for youth ◗P3



NEWS,

SPORTS,

OPINION

ENTERTAINMENT

 www.royalcityrecord.com

◗ SELF ANNOINTED

Poetry capital of B.C.? Poets push for the title, but city’s manager of arts and culture, urges caution BY THERESA MCMANUS REPORTER tmcmanus@royalcityrecord.com

Port Moody may be known as the City of the Arts and B.C. may be the Greatest Place on Earth, but a movement is underway to have New Westminster declared as the Poetry Capital of British Columbia. Poetry New Westminster, a newly formed society that includes poet laureate emeritus Don Benson and current poet laureate Candice James, is seeking to have New Westminster dubbed the Poetry Capital of British Columbia. The group has sought support for the designation from the Arts Council of New Westminster and will be asking city council to endorse the proposal. Benson said the idea came about because poetry has “exploded” in New Westminster in the past decade. “We were the first community in British Columbia to have a poet laureate and the first, later on, to have a poet laureate emeritus,” he said. “There are a number of groups that have sprung up around town.” Benson, who was on a committee charged with selecting a new poet laureate and receives poetry submissions for a column from local poets, believes New

Larry Wright/THE RECORD

Century club: Kimiko Karpoff, the Hospitality Project’s interim program coordinator, says the service has grown a lot since being launched in December 2003. Shiloh Sixth Avenue United Church is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year.

Mixing hospitality and hope BY THERESA MCMANUS REPORTER tmcmanus@royalcityrecord.com

Shiloh Sixth Avenue United Church is using its 100th anniversary as a chance to support its Hospitality Project. The Universal Gospel Choir, a Vancouverbased, multi-faith, multicultural community choir, will be performing a benefit concert at the church on Saturday, March 12 at 7:30 p.m. The concert is part of the 100th anniversary celebrations that the church will be holding this year. Bringing the Universal Gospel Choir to Shiloh Sixth Avenue United Church for a benefit concert for the Hospitality Project has been a dream of Shannon Tennant’s for the

◗Benson Page 9

De De De De

Breakfast Brunch Lunch Licious

Columbia Square - 1035 Columbia St., New Westminster www.dedutch.com • 604.521.2288 M-F 7:30AM-3:00PM, S & S 8:00AM-3:00PM

past two years. “So much of the music that the choir sings is about the same themes of justice and hope and community that the Hospitality Project is based on that it seemed like a natural tie-in,” said Tennant, the church’s minister. “Besides, their music is amazing.” The Hospitality Project’s mission is to give people the dignity and the hope that comes from a helping hand and the opportunity to serve. Although the Hospitality Project has an advocate and triage receptionist who work Monday to Thursday helping people with their various needs, its busiest days are those the food bank is open. On those days, the church’s gym is filled with people drink-

CUSTOM PICTURE FRAMING

2004-2010

Simply the ﬁnest service, selection & quality

Advantage Each Office Independently Owned and Operated

ESTIMATES ALWAYS FREE! Master craftsman 35+years experience www.theframeshop.ca

121 Third Avenue, New Westminster

604-521-0930

By Appointment call Peter Berger

twitter .com/TheRecord

est. 1946

JOIN US ON FACEBOOK

ing coffee, visiting with friends, looking for clothes and books that are available at no cost and learning about various resources that are available in the community. Kimiko Karpoff, who is the Hospitality Project’s interim program coordinator, said the program has grown since it was launched in December 2003. “There was a number of goals we had,” said Karpoff, who helped launch the program. “One of them was people were lining up outside. One was to create an opportunity so people weren’t outside in the rain and snow.” In addition to sheltering people who were ◗Hospitality Page 4

Adam Lloyd

Buy or Sell with me and use my truck for FREE! 604-526-2888 www.adamlloyd.ca

facebook.com/RoyalCityRecord