EN FRANCAIS
Six Tri-City students walked away from a provincial French-speaking competition this month with top awards.
Sponsored by the Canadian Parents for French BC and Yukon chapter, the local medal winners of the Concourse d'art oratoire are: Laetitia Khaled Feghali (Ecole des pinniers) Sanela Habibovic (Banting middle); Shi Nan Feng (Maple Creek middle); Alyssa Emery (Kwayhquitlum middle); Elena Brunea (Banting middle); and Emma Fischer (Riverside secondary).
GOOD HIKE
Coquitlam councillors Bonita Zarrillo and Terry O'Neill were joined by walkers and joggers last Saturday for the city's official opening of the renovated Coquitlam Crunch.
The event, timed to coincide with Move for Health Day, saw participants climb the 440 new timber steps. The Coquitlam Crunch is a popular and somewhat challenging trail in the BC Hydro corridor, running from Guildford Way up to the top of Westwood Plateau at Eagle Mountain Drive.
During the 2.2 km hike, the trail gains 242 metres in elevation - approximately 81 storeys.
HELPING HANDS
Volunteers recently rolled up their sleeves to transform the Community Venture Society new head office.
Among those who took part were representatives from Keller Williams Realty, which has an office in Port Coquitlam.
HELPING KIDS
The nominees and finalists for the 5th annual Tri-Cities Champions for Young Children awards of excellence were named this month.
Sponsored by the the Tri-Cities Early Childhood Development Committee, the event honours individuals, groups, businesses, people working with children with special needs and volunteers.
The finalists are: Martine Cutbill, Mireya Hyvarinen, Eunju Kim, Nadika Nadi, Cindy O'Neill, Luc Picard, Port Moody School of Dance, Ranch Park Kids Place, Sheehan Plumbing and Heating, Noah Shukyn, Linda Siew, SUCCESS Multicultural Early Childhood Development Program, Vancouver Tumblebus, Karen Vey and World of Wonder.
And those who were nominated are: Megan Canter, Drop-in Team at Place Maillardville, Holly Green, Mehdi Hadjoudja, Kelly Jones, Karina from YMCA Little Scholars, Korean Mothers Group, Port Coquitlam Daycare Society, SHARE - Early Intervention Services, SHARE - Mountain View Family Resource Centre, Amy Sung, Leah Sooyeon Sung, Tom Lee Music and Leanne Twaddle.
The winners will be announced at a banquet next Thursday at the Westwood Plateau Golf and Country Club in Coquitlam, with the keynote address delivered by Andrea Lemire from the Society for Children and Youth.
RCH CASH
Stan, Carol, Norman and Mike Weismiller of Winvan Paving Ltd. rolled in a $15,000 donation to the Royal Columbian Hospital, which serves the Tri-Cities.
The New Westminster company's latest gift will help to purchase a Giraffe Omnibed incubator for the hospital's Variety Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Winvan has supported RCH since 1998.
