------------------------------
The Coalition to Save
Eagleridge Bluffs at Horseshoe Bay West Vancouver, BC
Immediate Release -Monday, May 15, 2006
MEDIA CONFERENCE
When: 9:00 AM, Tuesday, May 16, 2006
Where: Eagleridge Bluffs Parking Lot, Exit #2, Highway
1
What: Uncovering the truth about the highway costs AND the
preferred options: the tunnel and the third lane
The Coalition is trying to uncover the THE TRUTH about these
costs. The decision-making process and the bidding [were] deficient
and Minister of Transportation Kevin Falcon's statements have left
the public confused and very suspicious.
This is the third in a series of press conferences sponsored by
the Coalition. Each time we are focusing on an issue related to the
destructive overland highway route at Eagleridge Bluffs versus more
viable, safer options: the four-lane divided tunnel or a third lane
added to the existing highway.
After all, the highway narrows from four lanes to two lanes north
of Lions Bay. This choke point will not change for 15 years. Do we
really need six lanes at Eagleridge Bluffs?
If we do, let's go for the best long-term option. When all
costs are accounted for, the tunnel is by far the least expensive
option.
Backgrounder will be posted on our website tomorrow.
-END-
About the Coalition to Save Eagleridge Bluffs at Horseshoe
Bay
The Coalition consolidates public support for protecting the
ecosystems that will be destroyed with an overland highway route,
while working to inform the provincial government that viable
alternatives would save irreplaceable natural environments while
meeting all criteria for function, longevity, safety, and cost.
For more information visit: http://www.eagleridgebluffs.ca
=== HERITAGE in VANCOUVER
==============
Recently I was fortunate enough to attend a most interesting
lecture by Larry Beasley of Vancouver's Planning Dept. What a
lot I learned. How much we owe him for his work and ideas.
Here's what he said, printed with his permission:
"A
Retrospective on Heritage in Vancouver: 1976-2006"
Remarks by Larry
Beasley, C.M.
to Heritage Vancouver,
April 26, 2006 [given at the Vancouver Museum]
This lecture is
dedicated to Jane Jacobs, who passed away earlier this
week.
Tonight I will
talk to you about looking both backwards and forwards regarding
heritage -- because I've been here a long time (30 years) and
because I'm now leaving government in September. Note that I
am not retiring, I am just transitioning into a new phase of my
planning career.
The announcement
for the event said I would make a "lively and humorous presentation"
-- I can do "lively" but is heritage "humorous"? Probably
not.
I took over
heritage management about ten years ago -- there was quite a history
of people before me: Ann McAfee, Ray Spaxman, Jacquie Forbes-Roberts
(who did much to set us in our current direction, including the
heritage inventory with Marta Farevaag), Jeannette Hlavach (who did a
lot of the pioneering work on heritage policy), and most of all,
Robert Lemon (who provided the deep content and progressive policy for
heritage). And now Gerry McGeough is working with me and
carrying a high, contemporary heritage agenda.
I'm a little
vague about the heritage history of Vancouver - actually, I'm a
little vague about all memories because I'm becoming heritage
myself! But, we all remember the defining moments; they seem
somewhat nostalgic in light of our current efforts:
= Remember those
mass designations without compensation in the early 1970s? That was a
heady time.
= Remember the
creation of the Gastown and Chinatown heritage districts by the
Province? They could not trust us to manage our heritage and
then turned over the management of it to us lock, stock, and barrel.
That was an early case of "downloading"!
= Remember the
first inventory? The windshield survey where we were trying to
go out among the thousands of buildings to identify the ones with
heritage? And then the "battle of the isolated 'C's --
because people were so leery of the liabilities of heritage that they
wanted to avoid being on our list, using any excuse
possible.
= Remember the
heritage legislation that straight-jacketed our powers with the "no
designation without compensation" philosophy - to get us back in
line?
How many people
have said to you through the years, "You mean to tell me you can't
just designate an important heritage building if it merits that, [as]
they do in Europe?......how backward."
And then remember
the great leap forward when we put in place the "heritage bonus and
transfer of density" provisions and started to work that up into a
program to offer compensation in the absence of municipal cash to
cover compensation?
This story is
best told by Robert Lemon. It was the turning point in my
opinion: HB vs. HA: "heritage as burden" vs "heritage
as asset". We started to turn heritage into an opportunity
which helped people meet other development objectives by employing the
magic of the "quid pro quo", as Ray Spaxman used to
say.
Remember how our
competence grew as a community? From the time when we glued a fa=E7ade
onto a new building at Hastings/Burrard ("heritage as wallpaper")
to the experimentation of Tudor Manor to the desperation of the
Scotiabank Dance Centre. From the extraordinary revival of a
whole district in Yaletown (a little told story) to the amazing
interface of old and new in the Segal Graduate School of Business at
SFU and the remarkable rediscovery of so much at Christ Church
Cathedral (I used to go home and pray, after some of those meetings,
for divine intervention -- which then did happen through the person
of Charlotte Murray). And, from the transfiguration of Chinatown from
people against heritage, seeing it as a barrier to revitalisation to
now embracing heritage as a key strength of
revitalisation.
There was a time
when we went more on instinct. I had my own experience with this
as a heritage owner. At some point the owners of the building,
concerned about building security issues, decided to install
ornamental wrought iron gates in front of the exterior entrances to
the ground level suites fronting Beach Avenue. The building owners
designed the gates to complement the heritage architecture of the
building. They designed them so well, that when the City was assessing
the building for heritage designation, they thought the gates were
original and insisted that they be included in the designation! We
said 'absolutely, we agree, the gates must be included in the
designation!' And that's how it was.
Of course, some of our more sophisticated contemporary activities,
with all our smart thinking, can still have us running around in
circles. Think about the propositions for Burrard Bridge or a
particularly zany moment when in SEFC, we had the proposal to move all
the heritage buildings around like toys to create a "heritage
village".
Ah, as Eleanor of
Aquitaine said to King Henry in Lion in Winter, "we have had
our ups and downs."
And now, I think
we're in a definite and sustained upswing for heritage in Vancouver
-- we can be optimistic.
The Heritage
Incentive Program in Gastown and Chinatown is going like gang-busters:
we now have nine projects approved and 16 projects in the applications
stream. Within 18 months we will start to see results on the ground
and these areas will shift (they are already shifting). And now
Victory Square and Hastings Street have been added into the incentive
equation.
The Woodward's
project portends to be a big success -- it shows the consumer
confidence in the heritage district.
The Jameson House
project will show us the state of the art for heritage in a context of
new, sustainable construction.
And the amazing
accomplishment of rescuing the Evergreen Building from the brink of
disaster (although I am having trouble coping with the fact that I'm
so old that heritage designated buildings are younger than
me).
But we must pay
attention to the dark clouds that could shadow these successes.
These matters are giving Gerry McGeough his challenges:
= The growth
of the density bank (this represents the dialectic of success).
We are monitoring this carefully and will report soon on a
strategy to give us more security.
= The future of
the Burrard Bridge - the best policy is to leave it more or less
alone. This shows how vital your list of "endangered
buildings" is -- so keep up the good work.
= The impacts of
the proposed soccer stadium on Gastown. We have to be very clear
about this before we move forward.
= The pressures
now being put on our historic schools by changing educational needs,
seismic anxieties, and just plain old age. We must have a
proactive strategy with the School Board and the Ministry of Education
to preserve and revitalize these schools. Fortunately the School Board
understands the issue and is working hard to find solutions. This is a
big area for you to monitor closely.
Let this be the
"winter of our discontent", as the famous [bard] put it. As we
move forward, we will address these anxieties because we now have the
confidence, the tools, and the credibility to do so. But we will
have to do so as a community, through a coherent collaboration and
alliance among all heritage interests groups. And you must
remain vigilant because with every building taken out of harm's way,
another building becomes endangered. It's a never-ending
process.
I have great
expectations for the upgrade of the heritage register that Council has
called for. This could help us stabilize the seemingly
random quality of our management program for heritage and help us have
an "early warning system" for endangered resources. I hope
we are comprehensive about this. Let's try to get as much
heritage as possible identified.
I hope we are
creative about this. Let's go beyond an inventory to start
seeing and identifying heritage [as] a question of urban fabric and
ensembles rather than just a list of individual
resources.
And, I hope we
are progressive about this. I want us to add the dimension of
"cultural landscapes" into the picture to get beyond just direct
experience into meaning.
But, here again,
that dark cloud is out there. With all the budget drama at City Hall,
the money to do the work is always at stake. Council has
committed the funding for the project to start in 2007 and [that] is
very positive. But, we need your help in emphasizing to Council on an
ongoing basis the importance of this work.
As we move to the
future, there is more to be done to build on the positive culture we
now have for heritage. This will be the message that I communicate to
the new Director of Planning. In our current 'HA' world, we
can make more strides if we try hard enough.
We have to dream
about heritage conservation legislation that has more teeth and more
imperatives. While the compensation principle is important, we need
the power to insist on preservation if the community value of a
building is high enough.
We have to dream
about bringing more senior government resources into the heritage
sector. The current federal offering is good as far as it goes,
but it needs to go so much further. The expansion of the federal
grants program is vital, but the American tax credits program is much
more potent. We're also now starting to explore the
potential of TIFs -- tax increment financing for a pervasive program
of public and private space enhancements.
We have to dream
about taking the Heritage Foundation to a new level. Diane
Switzer and the board have done a brilliant job with such limited
resources, but they need access to more resources and more tools to
generate resources. I'm thinking of the success of the heritage
preservation organization in Savannah with their "revolving fund"
approach which led to over 1000 buildings going through the revolving
process and been thereby preserved and protected.
We have to dream
about some form of civic "Emergency Fund" for heritage.
Think of the struggle for the Joy Kogawa house. Just as the City
has a housing fund, it should also have a heritage fund replenished
from operating budgets, capital budgets, and community amenity
contributions.
I think we also
have to find a way to celebrate the people that are making the
heritage agenda sing. We have a great awards program for projects but
maybe we need a similar program for people. I am thinking of the
concept of "national treasures" that is applied in Japan to
artists and craftsmen who create and sustain Japanese culture. I
would like to see a similar recognition for Vancouver's heritage
warriors.
At the beginning,
I dedicated my lecture to Jane Jacobs. I think if Jane were here
tonight she would be egging all of us on to not accept the status quo
of heritage conservation in our city. She would remind us of the
humanity that is wrapped up in historic buildings and places. She
would remind us that conservation of historic fabric is a matter of
high sustainability. She would remind us that in a world
overwhelmed by globalization and the homogenization that goes with
that, historic buildings and districts, with all their uniqueness
and character, help to differentiate our city and give it a
competitive edge -- that heritage is a matter of economic
development. She would remind us that heritage engenders
diversity, her guideword for great urbanism. She would remind us
that every heritage building is valuable and that we continue
to lose too many of these buildings in the frantic pace of development
that characterizes Vancouver.
So, in the spirit
of Jane Jacobs, let's dare to dream of a heritage agenda for
Vancouver that will offer our children those glimpses of their past
that give them roots and stability and pride of place. And let's not
settle for anything less than those dreams.
Thank you.
[Reprinted with permission; Your Editor attended the talk, most
informative and enjoyable, as it was to meet others first met ~ 20
years ago on the Vancouver Cmnty Arts Ccl's Heritage Cmte!
Heritage types have longevity!]
=== Tidbits from May 8th Ccl Mtg
========= (may have =
more
later)
Ccl mtg from (just before 7pm) to just after 10:30.
Ccl will have another mtg Wed 9am (why they didn't know until
Monday night is a mystery) and have decided to have a mtg on May
29th.
The offer to lease and lease agreement have been signed by
someone at the VCHA according to staff so John Clark asked when Ccl wd
get to see it. He said what I was thinking b/c I'd asked last
week if the public wd get to see it before it was signed -- it never
had occurred to me that Ccl wdn't see it either. Maybe it's just
someone at Coastal Health agreeing to some of the conditions now for
Ccl to agree. Wd have been better if the draft had been made
public so we knew what the arrangement was. Cmnty Ctr will be on
the agenda May 15th. (And will be discussed at DAC Tuesday at
4:30.)
As WVM12 said, cuts of some millions of dollars to the plans
for the cmnty ctr have been made (joining Srs' Ctr to Cmnty Ctr is
one) b/c costs have gone up since the $40m estimate last year.
John Clark was incredulous seeing that some of the items cut were fire
places (outside, I think) and balconies outside staff offices.
He wondered what other items there were like this.
{The bubble over my head also had a ? with $$ when Jeanie said
construction costs going up 1% a month -- her reason for building it
all now. Rod reported a mtg he went to said health will be 72%
of the budget by 2017. Comment made we need the activities for a
healthy aging popn lowering costs....}
Even though Five-Year Capital Plan and Budget 2006 on agenda,
guess what? Over an hour listening to the pros and cons of the
new dogwalking bylaw wch was then deferred. See a pattern
stifling budget comment? At last mtg a resident interrupted b/c
of Youth Ccl mtg on agenda to start soon; at mtg before that another
resident cut off after the parking on Bellevue in Dundarave was given
an hour and a half. A minute left at this meeting. From my
point of view, that's three strikes so they're out.
Anyway you'll hear Mike venting again at so little time for
budget issues. (Does the Purchasing Dept really cost $500K?)
Vivian brings up some good points too -- if WV residents affluent
enough for the tax increase not to be a problem (av home of $1m it
means $90, not counting water/sewer, etc), why subsidize rec
activities? And a resident wanted to know why some activities
were subsidized and others weren't.
The good news is that they all agree on having the Fiscal
Sustainability Task Force, or Task Farce as a resident calls it.
Well, it'll be what they make it -- unless they're refused budget info
as FAC was. I did mention that computer information I'd
requested had still not been received. OTOH, I ascertained that
even with passing the Five-Year and the Budget, minor adjustments cd
be made.
=== AGENDA with NOTES of May 15th CCL
MTG ============
COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE
1.
CALL TO ORDER
2.
APPROVAL OF AGENDA
3.
REPORTS
3.1
Community Centre at the Civic Site - Cost and Strategy Update
(File: 3002?04)
This item was deferred from the May 10, 2006 Council
Meeting.
RECOMMENDED:
THAT the report dated April 28, 2006 from the Director of Parks &
Community Services re Community Centre at the Civic Site - Cost and
Strategy Update be received.
4.
PUBLIC QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS
5.
ADJOURNMENT
************************
May have more on this mtg in a later issue.
Although the meeting started at 7pm, I didn't arrive until
8pm still coming out of a general anaesthetic. Heard Mike ask
about the parking -- now only 87 extra spaces? No doubt this
will not be enough b/c as a member of the Civic Site Advisory Group
(also before the Gleneagles Ctr was built, more on that later), we
were told it wd need ~464 parking spaces -- and that was with one gym
and before they found out the Aquatic Ctr wd get three times the
usage/visitors than anticipated. All that and an atrium with
concerts/events means we need far more parking and they're planning
less! We asked what measures were being taken to prevent
overflow parking crowding the residential nbrhds. Let's see what
they can come up with.
Sop rightly asked about sub-leasing -- we await that info,
and if the WV Youth Band, wch has committed to raising $1.6m for their
space, wd get to keep money they get from renting their
space.
This had a confusing reply so seeking clarification.
It seems the WVYB gets so many nights and can rent out if not
using it. IMO that money shd go to Parks and not considered part
of the $1.6m.
Bill Vaughan asked even if committed to this amount, $40m,
what wd they do if it went over since being done in stages. Not
clear on the answer.
Ray Richards asked that even if the province/Coastal Health
is leasing the second floor (and part of the first floor), what about
payment for use of that expensive land? One answer was that it
is the same pocket/taxpayer.
ANYWAY, in spite of the criticisms, the lack of planning,
costing, parking, etc., Ccl passed the $39.7m new cmnty
ctr.
************************
SPECIAL REGULAR COUNCIL
AGENDA
(immediately following Committee of the Whole
meeting)
1.
CALL TO ORDER
2.
APPROVAL OF AGENDA
3.
RECOMMENDATIONS FROM MAY 15, 2006 COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE
MEETING
RECOMMENDED:
THAT the recommendations from the May 15, 2006 Committee of the Whole
meeting be ratified.
4.
ADOPTION OF MINUTES
4.1
Special Regular Council Meeting Minutes, May 01,
2006
To
be provided on table.
RECOMMENDED: THAT the Minutes of the Special Regular Council Meeting
May 01 be adopted.
*****
{The minutes were withdrawn! what's the problem?
Clerk's used to have the minutes the next week and now we can't even
get them two weeks later!!!}
*****
5.
REPORTS
5.1
Development Permit Application No. 06?008 (1426 / 16 Inglewood Avenue)
(File: 1010?20?06?008)
At
the April 24, 2006 meeting, Council received the report dated April
07, 2006 from the Community Planner titled "Development Permit
06?008 (1426 / 16 Inglewood Avenue", a copy of which is attached for
reference.
RECOMMENDED:
THAT all written and verbal submissions,
regarding Development Permit Application up to and including the
Council Meeting held on May 15, 2006, be received.
If Council wishes a further staff report,
then
RECOMMENDED:
THAT Staff report back to Council regarding submissions received at
the May 15, 2006 meeting to allow Council to make a determination on
Development Permit Application No. 06?008.
or
RECOMMENDED:
THAT Council
approve the Development Permit Application No. 06?008, which
provides for the development of the site consistent with the
Development Permit guidelines to protect and enhance watercourses,
including variances to front yard setback, highest building face and
garage setback as presented in the April 7, 2006 report from the
Assistant Planner titled "Development Permit 06?008
(1426 / 16 Inglewood Avenue)".
*****
Sop questioned what was being done to the creek and why
changing the original route. Ccl approved this. I'm
looking into the condition of the watercourse b/c this approval
results in changes; and I want to find out if WV Streamkeepers was
warned, b/c I hadn't seen at a board mtg.}
*****
5.2 2006
Community Shuttle Operating Agreement - Lions Bay/Caulfeild
(File: 3294-01)
RECOMMENDED: THAT
1.
The report dated April 17, 2006 from the Transit Manager regarding the
2006 Community Shuttle Operating Agreement for transit services
between Lions Bay and Caulfeild Village be
received;
2.
The Mayor and the Municipal Clerk be authorized to execute the
Agreement covering the period January 01, 2006 to Dec 31,
2006.
START OF CONSENT AGENDA
ITEMS
6.
CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS
The following Consent Agenda items may be considered separately or in
one recommendation.
7.
OTHER ITEMS
7.1 CORRESPONDENCE
7.1 CORRESPONDENCE
Correspondence items 7.1.1 to 7.1.4 be approved for action as
indicated; and correspondence items 7.1.5 to 7.1.13 be received for
information.
Delegation Requests
7.1(a)
M. Pattenaude, Chair, Advisory Committee on Disability Issues,
regarding request for delegation to appear before Council
Action Required
7.1.1
G. Fromme, May 09, 2006, regarding John Wallace House for sale in 1957
(File: 2585-03)
Referred to Director of
Planning, Lands and Permits for consideration and
response.
7.1.2
A. Nixon, Councillor, District of North Vancouver, May 01, 2006,
regarding Family Court and Youth Justice Committee
Referred to Mayor and
Council for consideration and response.
7.1.3
[van der Sande], May 02, 2006, regarding Tree removal and replacement
(File: 2190-01)
Referred to Director of
Parks and Community Services for consideration and
response.
7.1.4
D. Korbin, Chair, Board of Directors, E-Comm, April 28, 2006,
regarding Annual General Meeting on May 25, 2006
Referred to Mayor and
Council for consideration and response.
No Action Required (receipt
only)
7.1.5
Committee and Board Meeting Minutes
(a) Engineering Advisory Committee
Minutes, January 17, 2006
(File: 0115?20?EAC01)
(b) North Shore Advisory Committee
on Disability Issues Minutes, February 23, 2006
(c) North Shore Advisory Committee
on Disability Issues Minutes, March 30, 2006
7.1.6 P.
& H. Scholefield, May 09, 2006, regarding [Barbecue] at
Eagleridge Bluffs (File: 0050?06)
(previously distributed due to timing of
event)
7.1.7 J.
Hylands, April 29, 2006, regarding Development Permit 06-008
(1426/1416 Inglewood
Avenue) 7.1.8
K. Higgs, May 03, 2006, regarding "Switchboard in the Sky"
(File: 0055?01)
7.1.9
Residents of Eagle Harbour Road, undated, regarding Eagle Harbour Road
traffic calming measures
7.1.10 525
Pathfinder Squadron, undated, regarding Annual Review
(File: 0050?06)
7.1.11 D.
Cave, May 07, 2006, regarding 2006 Budget
(File: 0860?01)
7.1.12 A.
Lynch, May 02, 2006, regarding Recycling Media Release
(File: 0190?09)
Responses to
Correspondence
7.1.13 P.
Goldsmith-Jones, Mayor, to West Vancouver Fire Fighters Union IAFF
Local 1525, April 28, 2006, regarding 2009 World Police and Fire
Games
7.1.14 D.
Trussler, Fire Chief to D. Smaller, May 01, 2006, regarding Archive,
Storage and Restoration Building
Responses to Questions in Question
Period -- None.
8.
REPORTS FROM MAYOR AND COUNCILLORS
9.
PUBLIC QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS
//
10. ADJOURNMENT
************************
{There was discussion about Hollyburn Ridge Cabin (re
improvements, loss of lease b/c not done), an item added to the agenda
however at time of this printing the District website, after kindly
replacing the blue for links when I pointed out they were gone and
items cd not be accessed, has put the sp reg ccl mtg agenda in both
slots, ie the one for the Cmte of the Whole as well (and it had been
up before!).
Vivian reported that the Lower Mainland Municipal Association
(LMMA) has changed its name to LMLGA (Local Govt Assn) and is
recommending a four-year term for councillors.
Some of you may know that the term used to be two years --
for my part I'm against a four year term unless staggered elections
b/c it's important the public have a say at least every two years --
otherwise it's a dictatorship they have little control over until the
fourth year when bread and circuses can be offered.}
*************************
=== TANKA and HAIKU - 2006 May 7
==============
Jubilate! Choir performance
After speaking with the Conductor, Scott Goble who asked me if I
had synaesthesia (if I were a synaesthete), I said no, I didn't see
the sounds in colour, but I then added two lines, making it a
tanka:
At the end of the piece about bells, the last note/sound was
really like the resonance of a bell or a gong. It was a
memorable sound and a magical moment; the resonance akin to my Tibetan
singing bowl, not like voices at all.
My first reaction was:
the resonance shivers and fades
the sustained resonance of a gong
then silence
=== QUOTATION ===========
====
Clarence Edwin Ayres (1891 - 1972) was born in Lowell,
Massachusetts, on 6 May 1891. He received his PhD in philosophy
from the U of Chicago in 1917. He taught at the U of Chicago for
three years before moving on to Amherst College and Reed College, and
then he joined the Dept of Economics at the University.
"A little inaccuracy saves a world of
explanation."
Add'l Mtgs/Info
After WVM13 went out found out about Cypress walk [1], got a
notice about the Hay Park mtg -- have managed to put it in the
printed/distributed version but of course without any details (see [2]
below).
Also
there's more information on the WVHS AGM with speaker next week
[3] and the Cmnty History Ctr Open House at NV M&A [4] as
well as update on Eagleridge [6], plus a heritage walk on Bowen Island
([5] cuz it's short).
---1----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Spring at Cypress Provincial Park
Vancouver Natural History Society is hosting a walk with
Katherine Steig through the Hollyburn Ridge and Yew Lake areas on
Sunday May 21st. Car pool from McDonald's in Park Royal at
9:20 am, or meet at the Hollyburn Ridge cross-country parking lot at
10am. Info: 737 3074 or www.naturalhistory.bc.ca.
---2----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hay Park Community
Meeting
Wednesday May 24th, 4 - pm
at Hay Park, 1900 block Inglewood
Avenue
As discussed at the Hay Park Community Meeting
on April 5th, you are invited to a follow-up Community Information
Meeting about Hay Park on Wednesday, May 24th. Drop in anytime
between 4 PM and 6 PM.
Several comment forms, emails, and letters
have been received, representing a spectrum of views about the park,
recent and planned trail work, re-vegetation and stewardship, the
creek, trees, and general park maintenance.
Thank you to all who took the time to
respond. We received some truly helpful suggestions which we
will bring to the meeting on May 24th.
Further information about Hay Park is
available on the municipal website at www.westvancouver.ca; or
call the Parks Department at (604) 925-7138.
If you are unable to attend the meeting on May
24th, but would like to comment, please call (604) 925-7138,
email parks@westvancouver.ca, or
write to the Parks Department at 3755 Cypress Bowl Road, West
Vancouver, BC V7S 3E7.
See you there!
Yours truly,
Doug Leavers, Manager
Parks/Environment
---3----------------------------------------------------------------------------
WEST VANCOUVER HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Our Annual General Meeting will be held on Wednesday May 24th
at 7pm at West Van Seniors' Centre
Speaker: Isaac Van der Horst
Topic: The Last Tack: Disappearing BC Salmon
Trollers
A look at the unique, fading subculture of our province's coastal
fishing industry: the BC salmon troller. Through a serious of historic
photographs, artifacts, and a number of engaging stories, the
presentation will chronicle the history of the men and women who once
roamed our coast in pretty little boats in search of the elusive
Spring and Coho salmon.
---4----------------------------------------------------------------------------
North Vancouver Museum and Archives
Community History Centre Open House
Join us on Saturday, May 27th from 11am to 3pm at the
District of North Vancouver's newest public building, the Community
History Centre, 3203 Institute Road, Lynn Valley, North
Vancouver.
This Centre, located in the former stone and brick 1920s' Lynn
Valley Elementary School (next door to the 2004 school), this Centre
is the new home of the North Vancouver Museum and Archives Commission
and the Archives Research Room.
Enjoy some cake at noon, meet our Museum and Archives staff, and
see some of the behind-the-scenes spaces and the treasures they
hold.
For more information, please call 604.990.3700
---5---------------------------------------------------------------------------
ALSO SATURDAY, May 27
In other regional spring fun, boaters enjoy the natural beauty of
Bowen Island's Snug Cove in the 1920s, as pictured in the photo
below. [NSNews, May 17, p42.]
The island's geological history will be the focus of an
upcoming heritage tour offered by the WV Museum & Archives.
Join geologist and biologist David Cook on a walking tour of the
beaches and trails of the island's southwest coast and discover rock
formations created up to 400m years ago. The tour takes
place May 27, 10am - 2pm. The cost is $12. For more
information or to register, call 925 7295.
---6----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Tue, 16 May 2006 21:55:17 -0400 (EDT)
From: Eagleridge Bluffs Coalition
<info@eagleridgebluffs.ca>
To: Editor, West Van Matters
Subject: Eagleridge Bluffs - We Haven't Lost the War
Dear Supporters of Eagleridge
Bluffs:
Dennis Perry's response to the BC
Supreme Court's decision to grant an injunction to Kiewit to keep
protesters clear of construction says it all : "We
have lost a battle but we haven't lost the
war".
The Coalition will file an appeal of the
ruling. It has also requested that the government establish a 60-day
cooling off period during which time the Ministry of Transport could
get bids for the four-lane tunnel and third lane options.
This fight is far from over and we have had a
huge influx of support from individuals and organizations since the
occupation began one month ago. At this morning's press conference at
the bluffs, Squamish Nation hereditary chief, Chief Capilano and
Squamish elder Harriet Nahanee formally announced their opposition to
the destruction of this land and their plan to stand in solidarity
with Eagleridge Bluffs supporters.
Please continue your support, we need you more
than ever! An enforcement order of the injunction is expected later
this week and we need all of you present when this happens. If you
have not already signed up so that we can call you to come out, please
do so now at additions@eagleridgebluffs.ca (please
provide your phone number and indicate that you are volunteering for
"first response").
The outcome of the Eagleridge Bluffs battle
will speak volumes about what value we place on our most important
resource - and what Canada is famous for worldwide. Stand up and save
our incredible natural environment while keeping Canada's promise to
the world of a sustainable olympic games!
Please read Mark Hume's article in today's
Globe and Mail for more details on yesterday's court
ruling.
GLOBE AND MAIL: MAY 16, pg.1 BC section, pg. 8
national edition
B.C. court orders protesters off
bluffs
MARK HUME
VANCOUVER -- Protesters who have been blocking a highway
right-of-way at Eagleridge Bluffs in West Vancouver for nearly one
month remained defiant yesterday despite a Supreme Court of British
Columbia order that they clear the way for construction crews.
"We have lost a battle, but we haven't lost the war,"
Dennis Perry, president of the Coalition to Save Eagleridge Bluffs,
said after the court issued an injunction against the
protesters.
Under the ruling, protesters have to stay off Crown and private
lands along the right-of-way for a project that will blast a route for
the Sea-to-Sky Highway right through the middle of Eagleridge Bluffs,
a popular hiking spot in West Vancouver.
Peter [Kiewit &] Sons Co., the contractors who are
trying to build the road, have to give 24-hours' notice of blasting
and tree-cutting activities and post a map showing the out-of-bound
areas before they can proceed. Once that is done, protesters will have
to stay between 25 metres and 300 metres away from the right-of-way,
Mr. Justice William Grist of the Supreme Court said.
Judge Grist said the order restricts the protesters "from
physically impeding or otherwise interfering with" the
construction crews. Included in the no-go zone for protesters are two
public parking lots adjacent to the construction right-of-way and
private lands that for years have been used by hikers.
Judge Grist said protesters, who established a "tent city"
on the right-of-way on April 17 could continue to demonstrate on Crown
land at some distance from the site.
"I have judged safety concerns to be paramount," he
said, in explaining why a buffer zone of up to 300 metres was being
established.
Defying a court injunction could lead to arrest for contempt of
court. However, immediately after the reading of the judgment in
court, protesters did not sound as if they were in any mood to fold
their tents.
"It's not over," Mr. Perry said.
He said the coalition would file an appeal of the ruling and, in
the meantime, will look for other ways to continue its fight to stop
the project and to convince the government to accept an alternate
route.
The Coalition to Save Eagleridge Bluffs has proposed a tunnel
under the site or a third-lane addition to the existing highway, which
is being expanded in a $600-million project to improve safety and
travel time between Vancouver and Whistler in time for the 2010
Olympic Winter Games.
Mr. Perry called on the provincial government to establish a
60-day cooling-off period, during which time he said the Ministry of
Transportation could get firm bids for the two alternative
proposals.
He refused to say what the protesters would do if construction
crews show up, but he hinted that some protesters may be prepared to
defy the courts and face arrest.
"I think you can see the resolve is very much here . . . and
that just doesn't disappear over night," he said outside court,
where about 50 protesters cheered his statements to the media.
"We're not giving up in our battle to save the bluffs,"
coalition member John Bannister said. "What we'd do next is not
totally clear. But today's ruling is an insult to us. All the court
gave us is a position from which we're supposed to watch our bluffs
destroyed."
Mr. Bannister said the Coalition to Save Eagleridge Bluffs will
probably escalate its efforts to put pressure on the provincial
government by doing more to link the controversial development to the
Olympic Games.
"We've just started the Olympic war," he said.
The protesters have already written to the International Olympic
Committee raising concerns, and have been contacting the news media in
Europe, hoping to embarrass the B.C. government.
Mr. Bannister said the next step may be to have coalition
representatives go to IOC offices in Lausanne, Switzerland.
The Sea-to-Sky Highway upgrade was not part of B.C.'s bid for the
Olympic Games, but it was promised by the provincial government after
IOC officials mentioned concerns about the travel time between
Whistler and Vancouver.
In 2001, Jack Poole, who spearheaded B.C.'s bid for the Olympics,
said it was unlikely the games would be awarded to Canada unless the
Sea-to-Sky Highway was improved. That prompted government officials,
by the fall of 2002, to promise a major upgrade of the highway.
The project has not generated any controversy -- except for the
small section that would cut through the middle of Eagleridge Bluffs.
"There is no other part of the Sea-to-Sky Highway that is
destroying eco-sensitive lands," Mr. Bannister said.
WVM Update 13.75 (Sultan/ChComm/Eagleridge)
Well, after WVM13 came out, sent out a notice 13.5 with some
events [1 - 6] I got notice of later.
So, now an update -- Release 13.75?
This time there's a notice about MLA Ralph Sultan on Shaw May
20th [7], then updates on the Chamber's dinner [8] and Eagleridge
[9].
Meanwhile ~ ~ ~
---7--------------------------------------------------
PROVINCIAL MATTERS on TV
Subject: Ralph Sultan Constituency Report
on May 20
Ralph Sultan, MLA to appear
on Constituency Report
Tune in to
Constituency Report with MLA Ralph Sultan for the latest
news and views on West Vancouver-Capilano on Shaw Cable TV this
Saturday, May 20 at 8.30 a.m. and again at 5.30
p.m.
Get the latest
updates on the Taylor Way/Marine Drive traffic engineering study.
Find out what's happening with BC's white hot economy and
more
Who: Ralph Sultan, MLA West
Vancouver-Capilano
What:
Interview on Constituency Report
Where: Shaw
Cable TV
When:
Saturday, May 20 at 8:30 am and 5:30 pm
For more information
on the West Vancouver-Capilano Constituency, check out the Ralph
Sultan Report: www.ralphsultan.com
---8--------------------------------------------------
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
President's Dinner and Business Excellence Awards
RSVP Deadline Tuesday May 23rd at Noon - 926 6614
Please join us
for our annual spring gala and awards dinner next week on
Thursday, May 25th at the Capilano Golf and Country Club. This
year, awards will be given out in five categories: Corporate Business
of the Year, sponsored by GTM Group of Companies; Retail
Business of the Year, sponsored by the North Shore News;
Service Business of the Year, sponsored by Loren & Company,
CGAs; Community Service Citation, sponsored by the North Shore
Outlook; and the Citizen of the Year.
In addition,
we will be honouring West Vancouver member businesses that have
been in operation for 75 plus years. These firms will receive one
of the new "President's Awards of Distinction".
Councillor Michael Smith will present these awards to the recipients
at the gala event.
The evening
will begin with a no-host bar at 6:30pm with live music by
pianist Sean Baynton. A hot and cold buffet will follow. At 9pm we
will hold a live auction.
There will be a trip for two to Whistler on the new Whistler
Mountaineer; a fabulous evening for four that will include a lovely
dinner provided by the Boathouse Restaurant in Horseshoe Bay, followed
by a Sewell's Marina Sea Safari outing to the Fireworks on Wednesday,
July 26th, 2006. Also, local renowned artist Sol Maya, of Solart
Studios, has generously provided a piece of his original glass artwork
for the live auction.
The Awards ceremony will commence at 9:15pm.
Cypress Mountain has also generously donated a terrific door
prize.... The Cypress Mountain Prize Pack....including two winter lift
tickets, two tubing tickets, two cross-country tickets with a logo
fleece vest and logo cap.... but you have to be present to win!
Tickets are $75.00 per person and include GST. This event
is for members and non-members alike. Everyone is
welcome!
Community Affairs Committee Meets Wed. May 24th
The Community Affairs committee, consisting of representatives
from our local business associations and groups and other
interested individuals, will be meeting this Wednesday at noon to
discuss signage issues. Brent Dozzi, Manager of Public Works and
Transportation at the District of West Vancouver will be our guest. If
you are interested in attending this important session please contact
kathleen@westvanchamber.com
---9--------------------------------------------------
EAGLERIDGE BLUFFS
Date: Fri, 19 May 2006 12:51:04 -0400 (EDT)
From: Eagleridge Bluffs Coalition
<info@eagleridgebluffs.ca>
To: Carolanne Reynolds, Editor WVM
Subject: Eagleridge Update - Injunction Served
INJUNCTION HAS
BEEN SERVED
WE NEED YOUR
CONTINUED SUPPORT
At approximately 5:00pm Thursday,
May 18 Eagleridge Bluffs supporters at both the Eagleridge
and Black Mountain camps were served with an
injunction. Maps have been posted delineating
areas that are "out of bounds" for protesting.
A few hours ago (Friday morning),
Kiewit representatives requested access to the site, but not
surprisingly protesters did not budge.While we are uncertain about the
timing of the enforcement order we expect that it could be as early as
Friday afternoon, or possibly on Tuesday following the long
weekend.
Many of you have volunteered to be
part of our "first response" effort and be at the camp
as soon as we get word of the enforcement order. We can't stress
enough how important it is that we have a strong showing for this
event. This is our last chance to make an impact. Please be on alert
today and come to the camp as soon as you are phoned or hear of it.
Remember that we are not asking anyone to get arrested (although there
are many who have indicated a willingness to do so). We simply
need your presence there en masse.
With your support we will
stop this madness!
Thank
you!
The Coalition to Save Eagleridge
Bluffs
PS: Thank you to those
people who have been dropping off flowers at the entrance of the
camps in support of the continuing protest -- [your] sign of
encouragement and support is appreciated.. We welcome others who may
wish to do the same. Remember, the battle is not
over!
WVM 13.8: Taxation and Eagleridge
First, CKNW Monday, then Bluffs BBQ and Update
--- UPDATE 10 --- "Talking Taxes"
-----------------------
David Marley (who made some presentations re DWV Budget 2006) and
Ed DesRoches, co-chairman of the Vancouver Fair Tax Coalition, will
be "talking property taxes" on the Bill Good Show Monday,
May 22nd, from 9 - 10am on CKNW, 980. (You can listen to the
show later by going to CKNW's audio-vault on the InterNet.)
--- UPDATE 11 --- Eagleridge Enforcement Order Hearing
Delayed / BBQ Tues -----------
UPDATE FROM THE
BLUFFS -- ENFORCEMENT
ORDER HEARING - MAY 24
We have just been informed that the hearing
for the enforcement order will take place on Wednesday, May 24. This
means that if the enforcement order is granted, the earliest we can
expect to see it served at our camps is midday on
Wednesday.
We were in the court of appeal today
(Friday) and expect a decision on the appeal early next week. Of
course depending on the outcome, this will affect the
injunction/enforcement order.
We encourage everyone to "stay on
alert" but know that there will not be a threat of enforcement
over the long weekend. We hope that you will take the opportunity to
come to the bluffs this weekend, enjoy a peaceful hike, and support
the many volunteers who are now into DAY 33 at tent city.
SALMON BARBECUE - TUESDAY
MAY 23
Please bring your friends and family to
another wonderful "wild salmon" BBQ at the bluffs beginning
at 5:30 pm on May 23. Only $5/person for a delicious meal
amidst the most spectacular scenery in the world (donations of course
are gratefully accepted). Bring your chairs or blanket and enjoy a
break from cooking while supporting all of our efforts in saving
Eagleridge Bluffs!
This is a critical time and as we've
witnessed over the last few days events change quickly. Please check
your email and our website frequently!
WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR YOUR
SUPPORT!
The Coalition to Save
Eagleridge Bluffs
www.eagleridgebluffs.ca http://www.eagleridgebluffs.ca/