Less Poop in Streets + BC Minimum Wage Increase

  Inside this New West Spotlight Newsletter…

 🌧️ New West Weather - Cloudy with Showers

 Rain Riddle - 🦁 Why are lions the best meteorologists in animal kingdom? 😼 
 
 (Answer at the bottom of the newsletter)

🗓️ New West Events - Variety

🕵️‍♂️ New West Local News - Less Poop in Streets + BC Minimum Wage Increase

 😀 Viral Meme

 📰 Advertise with New West Spotlight - Buy One, Get One Free

Read New West Spotlight Online

We’ve got two free tickets to the New West Rotary Club Bevies & Bites event on February 22, 2025. Entering the draw is super quick and easy!

Click Here to Enter the Draw

February 17, 2025

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Family Day Weekend – Registration Opens at 10:00 AM

🎨 Family Day Storytime with Arts + Crafts – 10:00 AM

👨‍👩‍👦 Spectrum Strong Parents – 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM

🧘 Peace, Be Still Monday Meditation – 10:30 AM to 11:15 AM

👶 Mom + Baby Meet Up at Cove Indoor Play – 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM

💃 Weekly Bellydance Classes with Katarina and Juliana – 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Family Day Island Vibes – 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM

💘 Love is in the Air! – 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM

🍦 Family Day Ice Cream Sundae Party – 1:00 PM to 3:30 PM

🧩 Puzzle Mondays at Steel and Oak – Starts at 5:00 PM

🧵 Needle Felting Workshop – 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM

🎙️ Begbie's Open Mic – 7:00 PM to 11:00 PM

🎭️ Vagabond Players Presents A Nice Indian Boy – 8:00 PM

🏈 Sunday and Monday Night Football – at the Terminal Pub

February 18, 2025

🗣️ English Conversation Circles – Tuesday Mornings – 9:30 AM to 11:30 AM

📖 Storytime (3-5 years) – 10:30 AM to 11:00 AM

💃 Weekly Bellydance Classes with Katarina and Juliana – 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM

🗣️ English Conversation Circles – Tuesday Afternoons – 12:30 PM to 2:30 PM

💻️ Tech Café – 1:00 PM to 2:30 PM

📚️ Young Readers Book Club (9-12 years) – 3:45 PM to 4:45 PM

🎨 Acrylic Pouring – 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM

🍺 🎲 Beer and Board Games – 5:00 PM to 10:00 PM

👮 Police Board Meeting – 6:00 PM

🎷 Jazz at the Anvil: Frazey Ford – 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM

❓️ Trivia Tuesdays at Howe Sound New West – 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM

🎭️ Trivia Tuesdays at Notorious Grey Fox – 7:00 PM

🧘 Yang Tai Chi 24 form – 5:00 PM

🎭️ Vagabond Players Presents A Nice Indian Boy – 8:00 PM

🎭️ Road House Comedy – 8:00 PM

💰️ Heart of the Matter online AUCTION (Feb 15 to Mar 09) – Royal City Rotary Club

February 19, 2025

💰️ Financial Aid (Welfare) Worker at NWPL – 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM

🎨 Lino Cutting – 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM

✏️ CRA & Service Canada Drop-in Clinic – 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM

👶 Mom + Baby Meet Up at Cove Indoor Play – 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM

👶 Babytime (0-23 months) – 11:30 AM to 12:00 PM

🖥️ Work BC Employment Services Drop-In – 1:00 PM to 2:30 PM

⛑️ Crises Response Team Outreach Worker Drop-ins at the Library – 1:30 PM to 2:30 PM

🎒 After-School Drop-In (5-12 years) – 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM

📚️ Reading Buddies (6-9 years) – 3:30 PM to 4:30 PM

🎤 Razzle Dazzle Divas – 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM

📖 Pyjama Storytime (all ages) – 6:30 PM to 7:00 PM

❓️ Trivia Night at Georgie's Local  – 7:00 PM

🏃 Run Club  – 7:00 PM

🎭️ Drag Trivia hosted by Scarlett Rosé – 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM

👦👧 Connect Youth (13+) – 7:00 PM to 9:30 PM

🎤 Open Mic Jam at Bully’s Studio – 7:00 PM to 11:00 PM

❓️ Trivia Night at Frankie G’s – 7:30 PM

🎭️ Vagabond Players Presents A Nice Indian Boy – 8:00 PM

🧘 TWILIGHT & TEA Sound Bath Meditation – 8:00 PM to 9:30 PM

 💩 New Westminster’s Sanitation Trailer Helps Reduce Human Waste in City

A sanitation trailer on Front Street is making a noticeable impact in reducing human waste in New Westminster, according to the city’s senior social planner.

The facility, located near the nightly shelter, provides two toilets, two sinks, and two showers, with funding entirely covered by BC Housing. A full-time attendant oversees the site, which receives approximately 1,300 visits per month.

City staff recently updated the council on New Westminster’s crisis response pilot project, a five-year initiative aimed at addressing homelessness, mental health challenges, and substance use. As part of this effort, the city is developing a public toilet strategy to improve access to sanitation, particularly for unhoused individuals who struggle to find facilities during late-night and early-morning hours.

Public toilet access has been a contentious issue in New Westminster. Last summer, the council approved a permanent toilet on Begbie Street, but pushback from local residents led to the project being put on hold. In response, the council directed staff to create a citywide public toilet strategy, which was formally approved in September 2024.

Despite early challenges, the sanitation trailer has proven effective. In August alone, it recorded 1,745 visits, showing strong demand for such facilities. City staff hope that the initiative will continue to reduce waste in public spaces while supporting the needs of vulnerable populations!

Read the Full Article Here

 💵 B.C. Minimum Wage Rising to $17.85 in June to Keep Up with Inflation

B.C.’s lowest-paid workers will receive a 2.6% wage increase on June 1, 2025, as the province continues its policy of annual minimum wage adjustments to keep up with inflation.

The general minimum wage will rise from $17.40 to $17.85 per hour. This increase follows legislative changes made in the spring of 2024 that tied minimum wage hikes to the cost of living. The adjustment aims to help low-income workers manage rising expenses for essentials like groceries, rent, and fuel.

The 2.6% increase will also apply to residential caretakers, live-in home-support workers, camp leaders, and workers in app-based ride-hailing and delivery services. Additionally, on December 31, 2025, minimum piece rates for 15 hand-harvested crops will rise by the same percentage to avoid disruptions during the harvest season.

Supporters of the wage increase argue that fair wages benefit both workers and businesses. Employers, including restaurant owners and business advocates, have praised the move, stating that higher wages contribute to better employee morale, productivity, and lower turnover rates.

The B.C. government sees the wage increase as part of a broader strategy to combat poverty, improve affordability, and create a more equitable economy..

Read the Full Story Here

⛈️ Rain Joke of the Day 🌧️ 

🦁 Why are lions the best meteorologists in the animal kingdom? 😼 

😼 Because they always make accurate fur-casts. 😼

Meme of the Day

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