Friday, March 2

YOUNG SINGERS
The annual CDMF Performing Arts Festival concludes this weekend with the vocal competition, held at the Trinity United Church (2211 Prairie Ave., Port Coquitlam): today and Saturday until 5 p.m., and Sunday from 1:30 to 5 p.m. Winners have a chance to earn a spot at the honours concert on April 8 and, possibly, the provincials. Admission is free; however, donations are accepted for entry. Visit cdmffestival.ca.

TROY, GABRIELLA
Gareth Magel plays Troy Bolton and Christine Joy Orcullo is Gabriella Montez in the Archbishop Carney regional secondary school production of High School Musical, taking place tonight and Saturday at the Terry Fox Theatre (1260 Riverwood Gate, Port Coquitlam). Email tickets@acrss.org for seats at $15 each.

SHOW ADDED
Riverside secondary gives the SD43 premiere of RENT: School Edition — with direction by Nicole Roberge, Glenda Ottens and Krista Wallace — at the Port Coquitlam school (2215 Reeve St.) tonight and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. Tickets to the musical are $12/$10 at the door. Call 604-941-6053 or visit brownpapertickets.com.

GREAT BIG SEA
Great Big Sea founder Séan McCann plays a solo concert at the Evergreen Cultural Centre (1205 Pinetree Way, Coquitlam) at 8 p.m. Some extra tickets were released by the venue this week. Call the box office at 604-927-6555 or visit evergreenculturalcentre.ca.
 

Saturday, March 3

TREASURE TROVE
Volunteers with the Eagle Ridge Hospital Auxiliary mark the fifth year of its thrift store (2811B Shaughnessy St., Port Coquitlam) with a customer appreciation sale and celebration. The store is open today from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Call 604-469-3338.

NEW ART
The Art Gallery at Evergreen (1205 Pinetree Way, Coquitlam) opens a new ceramics installation by artist Gailan Ngan titled Chronicles. The display runs until April 22. The gallery is open Wednesday to Saturday from noon to 5 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. Visit evergreenculturalcentre.ca.

STRUM IT
Ukulele instructor Patrice from Paliatsky Music Lessons is at the Terry Fox Library (2470 Mary Hill Rd., Port Coquitlam) to teach beginners how to play the instrument, in a four-week course that starts today at 2 p.m. Admission is free; however, registration is required. Visit fvrl.ca.

SET HER FREE
A fundraiser for the Talitha Koum Society, a charity empowering women with addictions, the annual Set Her Free gala takes place at the All Saints Parish Hall (1405 Como Lake Ave., Coquitlam) with a dinner starting at 7:15 p.m. The event, sponsored by The Tri-City News, Harmony Properties, Beedie and Vancity, includes a silent auction and entertainment. Tickets are $60 per person (tax receipt provided). Visit talithakoumsociety.org.

SWINGIN’ WITH REMI
Montreal jazz saxophonist Rémi Bolduc and his band will be at the Evergreen Cultural Centre (1205 Pinetree Way, Coquitlam) to make up for their cancelled Feb. 3 performance, playing a tribute to the late Canadian pianist and composer Oscar Peterson in an 8 p.m. show titled Swingin’ with Oscar. Tickets are between $15 and $29 for the concert, which is part of Evergreen’s TD Music Series. Call 604-927-6555 or visit evergreenculturalcentre.ca.

JUST DANCE
The Hot Salsa Dance Zone leads another weekly party in the rehearsal hall at the Evergreen Cultural Centre (1205 Pinetree Way, Coquitlam) with a merengue lesson at 8 p.m. Instructor and DJ Alberto Gonzalez lights up the dance floor with salsa and Latin tunes from 9 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. Admission is $10 at the door or visit hotsalsadancezone.com.

Sunday, March 4

FRESH FOOD
Tour the Port Moody recreation complex (300 Ioco Rd.) between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. as Metro Vancouver vendors sell their produce and wares at the Port Moody Winter Farmers Market. Visit makebakegrow.com.

FASHION SHOW
Dress up in your vintage fashion faux pas for a show at 2 p.m. with Ivan Sayers, a benefit for the Port Moody Heritage Society. The renowned Vancouver fashion historian will host his fun fashion-bloopers event called I Can’t Believe She Wore That! featuring disaster outfits from 1900 to 2000. First and second prizes will be awarded to the worst dressed in the audience, at Inlet Theatre (100 Newport Dr., Port Moody). Tickets at $28 include refreshments ($3 discount if paid with cash or cheque), available at the Port Moody Station Museum (2734 Murray St.). Call 604-939-1648 or visit portmoodymuseum.org.

Port Moody residents may want to prepare themselves for a hefty property tax bill this summer.

Taxes are currently set to go up by 4.6 per cent, and with two more deliberations on the city’s five-year financial plan yet to come, the city’s finance committee is struggling to lessen the hit.

“We’ve got a very high number as a tax increase this year, and I don’t feel we’ve done all we can to make that lower,” Mayor Mike Clay told last Tuesday’s meeting of the committee.

But acting city manager Paul Rockwood said any further paring of the budget would mean cutting services or eliminating some new positions, such as a fire prevention officer, that have already been approved. He said staff wages are the biggest driver of the tax increase, accounting for 2.83 per cent of the boost.

Coun. Zoe Royer said residents have become accustomed to a certain level of service from the city and cutting any services would be a tough sell.

“I think we have many pressures from a city that is on the verge of some significant growth,” Royer said. “I don’t know that we can aggressively cut this budget.”

Clay said economies need to be found.

“In an organization as big as this, if we said we need to shave one per cent off our budget, we could do it,” he said.

The proposed budget for 2018 also includes a .75% increase for the city’s police department as well as a 1% levy to fund the city’s master transportation plan.

Staff will now prepare the bylaws to implement the financial plan for further deliberations by the finance committee April 3 and 17 before they’re referred to council for first reading at its meeting on April 24.