It's time for spring cleaning, so Tire Stewardship B.C. and OK Tire have partnered up for the rubber removal event, Tire Round-Ups.
For the first time ever, the event is being held in Burnaby, New Westminster and Vancouver on Saturday, May 11. Residents are encouraged to bring all their old tires, on or off the rim, to one of the roundup locations.
"At each location on May 11, visitors can drop off their old car tires so they don't end up in landfills," said Mike Hennessy, Tire Stewardship B.C. executive director, in a media release. "It's an easy way to get that spring cleaning done, while helping the environment and giving back to your community."
The program started in 1991, and more than 60 million tires have been recycled since. Most of the 37,000 tonnes of scrap tires collected each year are recycled into products such as playground surfacing, running tracks, garden stones and more.
Tire Stewardship B.C. also provides grants to not-for-profit organizations that use recycled rubber in their products. The grant program kept about 1.5 million pounds of rubber out of the landfills, according to the press release.
"The demand for environmentally friendly disposal options is increasing in cities, and the response to these events has been incredible," Hennessy said.
Bring any tires from the ditch or still on the rim between 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. to OK Tire at 6092 Kingsway in Burnaby.
Photog awarded
Burnaby has the best portrait photographer in the country, according to a national organization.
David Custodio was recently named 2013's portrait photographer of the year by Professional Photographers of Canada.
Custodio of Custodio Photographers Ltd. is based at 3-609 Hastings St. in Burnaby Heights.
According to the organization's website, Custodio received a trophy with his name on it but said it will be shared with his team.
"I'm very lucky to have a talented brother who is Ok with sharing a business with, . without him, I'm not up on stage accepting this award," Custodio said.
Custodio also received his Craftsman of Photographic Arts.
Hastings Timbits
Soap suds for rainbow sprinkles is the potential tradeoff coming soon to Hastings Street.
The car wash at 6123 Hastings St. is in a rezoning process to make way for a new Tim Hortons in the city. There are about 14 already across Burnaby.
The developer is seeking a rezoning to allow a broader range of service and commercial uses, including retail sales. The proposal for the site will demolish the car wash facility and replace it with a one-storey building and parking area.
The rezoning bylaw heard first reading at council's May 6 meeting, and it will go to public hearing on May 28 at 7 p.m. in city hall's council chambers.
Tweet fundraiser
Last weekend, COBS donated 50 cents from every scone purchase to Big Brothers Big Sisters Canada.
COBS sold 45,000 scones on May 4 and 5, and raised more than $23,000 for Big Brothers Big Sisters mentoring programs.
"We were pleased with the outcome of our Big Brothers Big Sisters fundraising weekend," Debbie Roque, COBS Bread marketing manager, told the Burnaby NOW. "The outpour of support received from communities, such as Burnaby, exceeded our expectations."
Roque said the donation amount will continue to rise in the next few weeks as more donations will come through other initiatives such as the tin canister drive.
Fifty cents for every Facebook and Twitter share or retweet of the COBS and charity's image was also donated.
It's the fourth year in a row COBS has teamed up with Big Brothers Big Sisters Canada to help fund the charity's initiatives to recruit volunteers and reach more children.
"It's very difficult to overstate the importance of these types of relationships," said Valerie Lambert, executive director of Big Brothers of Greater Vancouver, in a press release. "Not only does COBS help us with general community awareness, they also truly are an integral part of our funding, and we simply could not bring our programs to the community without the support of organizations like COBS."
For more information, visit www.bigbrothersbig sisters.ca.
Trade Expo
The Burnaby Board of Trade is putting on this year's Burnaby Business Day Tradeshow and Expo on May 23.
The one-day event showcases Burnaby's diverse business community with something to interest everyone.
More than 50 exhibitors are expected to participate, with samples products and new services at hand.
The expo also includes a seminar stage where attendees will get the chance to learn skills from the presenters.
The event is free at the Delta Burnaby Hotel and Conference Centre from 12: 30 to 4: 30 p.m. on May 23.
For more information, visit bbot.ca.
