The Burnaby Firefighters' Charitable Society donated $1,261 to help wild animals in distress. The Wildlife Rescue Association of B.C. is using the money to buy a new air filtration system and specialized vet equipment to help its mammalian patients. The association, located close to Burnaby Lake, admits an annual average of 3,000 animals that are damaged by pollution or injured or orphaned. The group has helped more than 70,000 animals since 1979.
LIONS SPONSOR DOG
The Burnaby Lougheed Lions raised enough money to pay for a dog to help someone with autism.
The Lions collected $7,500 to cover the costs of a canine from Pacific Assistance Dogs Society, a non-profit that raises and trains dogs to help people with disabilities and hearing impairments. This is the third dog the Lions have sponsored.
This year, the group has donated $30,000 to various community causes.
LABOUR AWARD
Burnaby-Edmonds MLA Raj Chouhan is flying back east soon for a special ceremony where he'll receive a César Chavez Black Eagle Award for his efforts to organize farm workers.
"I was quite surprised," said Chouhan, founding president of the Canadian Farmworkers' Union. Chouhan worked with Chavez, head of the National Farm Workers Association. "César Chavez, he was my mentor, he was the one who taught me how to organize farmworkers."
Chavez's association joined forces with the Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee to form the United Farm Workers of America. The award, from the United Food and Commercial Workers and the Agricultural Workers Alliance, recognizes people and organizations that have made exceptional contributions to the fight for justice in Canada's agricultural industry. The awards ceremony is on Nov. 2 in Toronto.
MEMORIAL BENCH
Members of the Stoney Creek Environment Committee are gathering in November to dedicate a city bench to the memory of fellow volunteer Jennifer Atchison, who passed away last year. Atchison's bench is north of Stoney Creek Elementary, overlooking the creek she helped restore. She was one of the founding members of the committee, which has worked to bring salmon back to Stoney Creek.
The dedication, timed to coincide with the salmon spawning season, will be on Sunday, Nov. 6, from 1 to 2: 30 p.m. RSVP by calling Vivian Sorensen at 604-837-1474 or email vivi [email protected].
FREE BOOKS
The books keep arriving at the Burnaby NOW office, and the latest giveaway is a review copy of The Works-Shallow Waters, a poetry anthology by "the world's most famous unknown poet Gregorius Franciscus Rivuli."
Here's an excerpt from The Room, circa 1977: I DO NOT KNOW THIS PLACE I'M IN, I'VE NOT BEEN HERE BEFORE.
THERE ARE STRIPS OF CARPET ON THE WALLS AND PICTURES ON THE FLOOR."
The first person to email me with The Works in the subject line gets the book, which can be picked up at our office, Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. I have three more books to give away, so keep an eye on this column for more.
Send Here & Now ideas to [email protected].
