BENNIE'S TRAIL
A Port Moody trail got a new name this week to honour a Noons Creek hatchery volunteer and his late father. Bennie's Trail recognizes the environmental work of Dave and Doug Bennie, who spent countless hours with the Port Moody Ecological Society. Dave Bennie, Brian Wormald and other volunteers with TD Tree Days and the Evergreen Foundation recently spruced up the trail and surrounding hatchery area with about $2,000 worth of native trees and shrubs. The city plans to officially open the interpretive trail on May 3 at 11 a.m. during the Noons Creek fingerling festival.
BOOKWORMS
Three Grade 8 students at Port Coquitlam's Citadel middle were named champions this month of the School District 43 Battle of the Books. Casper Yu, Tahir Nathani and Andrew Yun took the top prize in the Port Moody Public Library-sponsored annual event, which was held April 2 in the Inlet Theatre with 12 participating middle schools vying for the title.
REMEMBERING ALEXA
Port Moody police constables Jenn Ohashi, Manj Kaila and Eric Ludeman were recognized this month for helping to get 80 drunk drivers off the road last year. The three officers were on the 2013 Alexa's Team, named after four-year-old Alexa Middelaer who was killed by a drunk driver in 2008 in Ladner. Her family challenged police and the provincial government to reduce the number of deaths caused by drunk drivers by 35% by the end of 2013 - the year Alexa would have turned 10. In total, the 313 officers assigned to the 2013 Alexa Team decreased alcohol-related motor vehicle deaths by 52%. They also stopped 231 drug-impaired drivers.
TEEN JOB CLUB
Staff at the Vancity Maillardville branch helped to deposit $7,500 into a neighbourhood community centre this month. Place Maillardville got the money for its Vancity Job Club, a free program for teens to get employment skills as well as learn emergency First Aid. Run by Diane Morrison and supervised by Ashley Woollacott, the club is now accepting applications for this fall.
POP POP
Popcorn sales at Rona in Coquitlam produced a $880 donation to the Crossroads Hospice Society this month.
MOVIE NIGHT
An international national charitywill get more than $2,000 from Port Coquitlam's Ecole Maple Creek middle to help build schools in developing countries. Last week, the school added $850 to its Me To We Club efforts through a movie night fundraiser for Free The Children. School parent Allison Barton Youssef donated a big screen from Fresh Air Cinema and 50 meals from Triple O's she had won in a contest.
AWARD TAPPED
A consulting firm last week won an accolade for its conceptual design of the Coquitlam UV Disinfection plant. Ausenco Engineering Canada took the prize at the the 25th annual Awards for Engineering Excellence gala in Vancouver. The facility was recently upgraded to meet new requirements by Health Canada for drinking water. The building is located in the Coquitlam watershed and is operated by Metro Vancouver. As well, the Association of Consulting Engineering Companies (ACEC-BC) handed the Lieutenant Governor's Award for Engineering Excellence to H5M for its onshore work on the Port Mann/Highway 1 improvement project, which runs through Coquitlam.
KIDS CARDS
Three youth were recognized this month by the Coquitlam Public Library for their designs in a card contest. Natalie Vance beat out more than 500 submissions for first place - and the $100 prize - while Janelle Feng took second place and Sophia Guan won the third spot. The new children's library card will be available soon; the 10 shortlisted designs will be on display at the City Centre and Poirier branches this month.
YES WE CAN
Leadership students from Port Coquitlam's Hazel Trembath elementary recently wrapped up their annual Canucks Autism Network (CAN) jersey campaign. Over the past two years, the team has collected more than $700 for the cause. The school has a family with three autistic children - one of whom is a leadership student.
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