BLINDED BY SCIENCE
Two Tri-City science whizzes have returned home from a national fair with hardware, cash and university tuition. Janice Pang, a Grade 9 student at Coquitlam's Pinetree secondary, and Kelvin Zhang, a Grade 7 student at Port Coquitlam's Maple Creek middle, were part of Team BC that headed to the Canada-wide Science Fair in Lethbridge, AB, last week. Pang took the gold medal in the intermediate (Grade 9/10) category; the top intermediate health award; the Statistical Society of Canada and Biostatistics Section Award; and $4,000 entrance scholarship to Western University. Zhang reaped the silver medal in the junior (Grade 7/8) category; the Top Junior Information Award; the CSSE Engineering Innovation Award; and a Western University entrance scholarship, worth $2,000.
A ROYAL MEETING
Some Coquitlam kids got to meet royalty last Saturday. Thomas MacKerricher, Antalya Popatia, Kungjun Lee, Kavya Shah and Cameron Herberts received the The Duke of Edinburgh's Award during a presentation by Prince Andrew at Government House in Victoria. The Duke of Edinburgh's Award is an international youth award for participants between the ages of 14 and 25 years. More than 40,000 Canadian young people are currently participating in the award program, either as independents or members of organized groups such as Boy Scouts Girl Guides, cadets, community centres, churches or schools.
THE FUTURE IS ART
Several Tri-City secondary students were awarded with $500 from a Coquitlam high-rise builder for entering an art contest on their vision for the future. Cressey Development recently handed out the cash prizes for the winning artists - all of whom incorporated rapid transit as part of their designs. The winners are Hani Lammam, Grace Yu, Caitlin Finnigan, Andrea Ho, Jinny Won and Travis Anderson. Won took the top accolade and earned a $3,000 grant.
LET'S GET PHYSICAL
Three Western Canadian companies - including one from Port Coquitlam - were recognized last week for keeping their employees fit. Benefits by Design received the GoodLife Fitness Health & Wellness Leadership Award with FGL Sports and Devon Energy Canada. Last year, Benefits by Design sponsored an employee-wellness challenge with the goal of getting 60% of its 87 workers to exercise three to four times each week for 12 weeks.
TOP B.C. JOB
Ron Higo, Port Moody's general manager of community services, has been named the president-elect of the BC Recreation and Parks Association for 2013/14. He will take over as president for a year starting in April 2014. Higo served as regional fitness director for the organization from 1985 to 1987 and was provincial director from 1995 to 1997. He has worked in the parks and recreation sector for more than 30 years, with past roles including with the BC Lions, Hollyburn Country Club, YMCA and the city of Burnaby. Higo has also been serving on the BCRPA board and is looking forward to is job as president-elect, noting in a press release that in a time of scarce resources, there is a "critical role for the association to play in the areas of advocacy, communication, education and resource management."
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