You may have read the news that New Westminster is moving to a new system of garbage collection. The old “Oscar the Grouch” garbage cans are out, and an automated garbage collection , with dedicated bins provided by the city, are in! What you may not have realized is how big those bins are going to be, and this is a matter of potential concern to the NWEP. Please refer to the official city page on proposed automated collection.

October 26, 2009

An open letter to the New Westminster Mayor, council, provincial & federal elected official and candidates seeking election in the current by-election:

As you all are aware, last Thursday New Westminster Environmental Partners held a screening of the critically acclaimed film The Age of Stupid. We were glad to see a number of your there and wish more of you could have made it out.

NWEP is proud to be hosting a screening of The Age of Stupid, the only Metro Vancouver screening outside of the Vancouver International Film Festival.

We've sold 100 of 130 tickets for the event, and to prevent accidental over selling will now only be selling the remaining tickets at the door.

Douglas College (New Westminster campus), Room 1614
Thursday, October 22nd, 7:30pm
$5 in advance or $6 at the door

New Westminster Environmental Partners will be holding its first AGM on Tuesday, October 13th in the New Westminster Library auditorium. Registration will begin at 6:30 with the meeting beginning promptly at 7pm.

The topic for the evening’s discussions will centre on the upcoming United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, and raising awareness about this important international meeting.

Meeting Minutes, September 15, 2009

Sorry for the delay in getting these out.

David Maidman gave a brief introduction and background of the process we have been using to come up with the PowerPoint/video presentation we had developed.

He then introduced Betina Ali and Cynthia Barros who went through the presentation and fielded the audience's questions.

We then broke down into smaller groups based on our neighbourhoods to discuss

• Why do you want to be a part of a community garden

This is a collection of documents and information from other Community Gardens. It will act as a resource for the committee that will be drafting the bylaws and constitution for the Royal City Community Garden Society and allow them to develop a set of best practices that we can adopt.

I am starting off with some information from the Colony Farms Community Garden.

Link to Stratcona/Cottonwood garden's guidelines:

http://strathconagardens.ca/how/expectations.php

One from the US that has bylaws, guidelines and even minutes online:

Here is a survey about our New Westminster Community Garden Initiative

Click Here to take survey

Steering Committee Meeting

Thursday, September 3, 7:00 p.m.
New Westminster Public Library
Plaskett Room (upstairs)

To discuss grant applications, society status and prepare for our public meeting on September 15. For anyone interested in becoming more involved.

Public Meeting and Presentation

Tuesday, September 15, 7:00 p.m.
CAW Union Hall, 326 12th Street

For all those interested in forming a community garden and local food security. Come and enjoy our presentation and bring your questions and enthusiasm.

Please download and distribute the form to sign up people who are interested in a community garden plot. We are trying to have as many names as possible by September 17. You can email the completed form to nwcommunitygarden@gmail.com or mail them to New Westminster Community Garden Initiative, P.O. Box 283, 720 6th Street, New Westminster, BC V3L 3C5 or give them to anyone involved in the project. Let's make this a reality.

I spent last weekend visiting my sister in Victoria and on Saturday we went to the Organic Islands Festival & Sustainability Expo. This was held at the Glendale Gardens and Woodlands. If you are looking for a tranquil place to visit in Victoria I would suggest you check out this spot.