Burnaby's Nikki Forbes has something extra to feed all the cats she takes care of through her rescue society.
Van Pet Centre on Hastings teamed up with Nature's Variety (a pet food brand) to donate nearly 600 pounds of food to Nikki's group, Action for Animals in Distress Society. The food is worth more than $3,000.
Nikki was featured in the NOW last August, when we wrote about the special program she runs, where she matches elderly cats with seniors who could use a companion. Last year, Nikki helped house more than 1,250 animals through her society - mostly cats, but some dogs, too. Nikki tells us Van Pet has been very helpful over the years, and the pet store is one of her adoption centres that helps find cats homes.
Afghan rally
The Afghan Association of B.C., which is based in Burnaby, was one of the organizers at an April 6 rally in Vancouver.
The rally was timed to coincide with the presidential elections in Afghanistan, as a gesture of support for the democratic process and to express gratitude for Canadian efforts to bring stability and piece to the trouble region. The rally was to appeal to Canadians to not forget about Afghanistan, while demanding that the country's neighbours stop meddling in the nation's affairs. The rally was also calling for the Canadian government to formally declare Pakistan a state sponsor of terrorism.
The rally was held at the Vancouver Art Gallery, and roughly about 100 people came out, according to Burnaby resident Rahim Parwani, one of the organizers.
Rahim told the NOW that many people in the Lower Mainland's Afghan-Canadian community live in Burnaby.
Playground makeover
The playground at Confederation Park is getting a makeover. The city is renovating the play space and adding a rubberized ground cover. There will be two separate areas, including one for younger kids. The work should be done by the end of May or early June, and the play ground will reopen then. The playground is behind the McGill library branch, close to the sports track.
Looking for workers?
Training Innovations is hosting a hiring fair on Monday, April 28, from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Metrotown library branch. Training Innovations is an employment services company funded by the provincial and federal government, to help new Canadians to find jobs.
"It's a little different from a job fair," said organizer Eileen Wang. "The main feature is employers speak with job seekers about their qualification expectations for the openings," she said.
There will only be nine employers featured at the fair. SGS Canada (an import/export company for plants and animal products), Odenza (a travel agency), RBC and Organo Gold (coffee distribution) are a few of the attending employers, according to Wang.
Training Innovations is still looking for more employers to sign up, especially successful Burnaby-based businesses, and it's free. To register, contact 604-298-4720.
Attendance is also free, and while the fair is open to the general public, it's specifically targeted at getting new Canadians jobs.
