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Turning purple to end domestic abuse

Her last name might be Green, but these days she's all about going purple, to show that domestic violence has no place in her community.

Dogs helped Dawn find a new life

Murphy, Amber and Izzy lay on mattresses, cuddled up in blankets, resting after a long morning walk.

Grandmother keeps up social justice fight

Years ago when I was a wide-eyed reporter starting my journalism career, I met Jennifer Wade. My recollection of our meeting is dim, but I know it centred on social activism. How could it not? Since the early 1960s when Wade became involved in the civil rights movement in the U.S. state of Georgia, where she also taught writing at Emory University, Wade has devoted her life to human rights and social justice. Her work has included: co-founding the Vancouver chapter of Amnesty International in the early 1970s; sitting on the boards of the Elizabeth Fry Society and SOS Children's Villages; ongoing Amnesty cases including that of Leonard Pelletier, a Native American man serving what has now become a 37-year-prison term for two murders Amnesty believes he didn't commit; and the imprisonment of Dr. Wang Bingzhang, a founder of the Chinese overseas democracy movement who was convicted in 2002 of terrorism and espionage in a closed-door, one-day trial without legal representation. Bingzhang, who earned a PhD in pathology at McGill, also has the backing of Liberal MP Irwin Cotler who started a petition in 2010 to secure his release from a Chinese prison.

Evacuation order for slum condo

More than a dozen low-income tenants have been evacuated from a slum condo building in Abbotsford after the owners consistently failed to maintain minimum safety requirements demanded by the city.

Grass is greener in South Surrey

I never thought the day would come when I would say out loud that I envy the fine citizens of Surrey - but that day arrived on Sunday morning.

New Westminster resident Bonnie Westergaard

New Westminster shops step up to help out

Kudos to local businesses that sought to help those less fortunate during the recent holiday season.

Task force seeks support

The Burnaby Task Force on Homelessness is looking for endorsements from community members to support the group's efforts to expand services and housing for local citizens living outdoors.

In the headlines: looking back on 2012

Another year done - and with it, plenty of news headlines in the Royal City. The Record takes a look back at the year that's passed:

Sometimes common good wins

Reading letters to the editor in the local press over the last month, one might think all of New Westminster was up in arms over city council's support for the Elizabeth Fry Society's expansion plans. Last week, Gerald Sommers in one particular letter argued that "this council, with the exception of Betty McIntosh, does not care about local neighbourhoods."

EFry gets third reading - one city councillor opposed

Lower Sapperton residents are concerned about parking and process issues related to the Elizabeth Fry Society's controversial rezoning application, but council supports the project because of the social benefits it will offer the community as a whole.