Ee era Dn ee MALO R tae) i ionster Dear Editor: “Twill not shed any tears’about the alleged difficulties of .the North Vancouver District: Planning depart- “Ment in connection with the monster : house i issue. “Hf there ‘is. insufficient staff. to “extend the policy to include the area east of Lynn-Creek as claimed then “this is Jargely of the planning depart- -ament's own doing. Still, | have a sug- ~ “gestion regarding: how-to ‘solve: the: planning department's dilemma, The’ purpose of Bylaws: 6644 and. ° 6645..is to, protect the character of s- existing neighborhoods, This: policy : “has been extremely successful." ‘Let's not forget, by the way, that. =the district planning department has been less than helpful in the past 10” years. in' coming to grips: with that contentious’ issue, It was only when they could not avoid the issue any “ tonger that they finally made some ~ constructive suggestions. Even then it- ‘was with considerable reluctance. ‘ Now they are saying these bylaws ° should not be extended cast of Lynn Creek because it would require addi- tional staff time. Nice try, ‘.. Tf ittakes too much staff time. it is : because of the department's refusal to “simplify the process. In fact, if] were’. a suspicious person, I might conclide | ~ that the “crocodile: tears” are geared to wring-out yet more money for this already bloated “d department, which i is now larger than the planning depar- ments of both the City of North Van and West Van combined. The height of rebuilt homes in an established - neighborhood is essen- tially a matier of negotiation between ~ neighbors. Tt makes sense that. if requested, a small house should be allowed to be rebuilt to the. same height as that of the adjoining neighbors. But it also makes sense that such a house should not be higher and be out of character either. Unless there is agreement that the whole neighborhood requires a new look, this policy is about as good as-it can get. Other than in an adviso- ry capacity at the time of the applica. tion, the planning department should stay clear. Applicants can negotiate with their neighbors. without help from planning, When the applicants ‘are ready, they can submit their applica- tion to council for a final decision. It is just prior to that stage that the planning department’ needs to get involved. A simple letter to the adjoining — residents asking them for a yes or no to the proposal will be sufficient. This simplified. method would ‘not’ only - Save staff time and tax dollars but it would also remove the aura of suspi- ‘cion-of the planning department by i affected. neighbors. ; Planning's “take the applicant by” the hand” approach is often interpret- ed as doing the applicant's bidding. Also, fam sure that, if necded, the area ratepayer associations or neigh- borhood councils would be quite willing to act as mediators between the applicant and surrounding neigh- bors if they were asked todo so. No need for the planning department to do that. Ernie Crist Councillor, District North — Vancouver improvement appreciation Dear Editor: Re: 2848 Bellevue Ave.,. West Vancouver. An article in’a recent issue of your paper prompted my. wife and | . lo write. We live in the immediae vicini- ty of the above property. For some time we have been walking our dogs past ‘this property two to four - times per day. We feel that the owner (and no, - we don’t know him) has improved both his property and the creek area tremendously. ' Mr. and Mrs. Ladner ° West Vancouver : Summer isa beautiful time ‘of the year in 1B. C. od we're out to keep it ‘at way. ‘in tl force. - oS The CounterAttack Program i is ‘putting the heat on this summer with Police Roadchecks against clinking ond diving, Drinking Driving CounterAtock, It’s never out of seasen. ° CounterAttack Roatchecks. - duly 6-December 7 DRINKING DRIVING " COUNTERATIACK “Recent ‘ besome Wednesday, July 26, 1995 - North Shore News 9. (ACROSS FROM MERCEDES BENZ) © CO) RY] COREE SEND A REN GK COT 980- 9115 4 ST. JOHNS | INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL "2 Small Class. Sizes: .« Structured, | Academic Environment * Caring. Qualified Teachers” . «School Uniforms * Computer Technology. * Secondary School : Graduation , For adrmission inquiries contact: 1088 Homer Street, Vancouver, B.C, V6B 2WY Phone (604) 683-4572 or Fax (G4) 683-4679 i AUGUST ESL SUMMER SCHOOL AVAILABLE AUG Ist -AUG 25th >. 2: Certifi ed by the Ministry af Education for British C olumbia : =Advertorial evenness -~ = ” Ted White, M.P.. a ie #302 1200 Lynn Valley. Rd. in North Vancouver” _ V7J 2A2 Telephone: 666-0585 Fax: 666-0509 “MULTICULTURALISM NEWS. Cn July 17, 1995 | recelved a letter from the ‘North Shore Multicultural... Society advising me that programs and persorinel have been Increased thanks to a grant from Citizenship : and Immigration Canada. : According. to the Press Release, “The settlement services at NSMS wil also be enhanced by the hiring of a Chinese Settlament Worker in August "1995... Funded ‘by 8.C. Settlement, Grants, the Chinese Settlement Worker will join Mostafa Tofanghi, ' the Iranian : Settlement Worker. Thus, with the addl- tion: of the new HOST program and. expansion of the Settlement program, NSMS will be able to offer fully integrat-- ed, comprehensive settlement services for newcomers to Ganada." When | called the Executive Director, Mohezin ‘Tejani, he assured me that a German ‘immigrant, for example, would still be - able to get referral: assistance: from NSMS but Chinese’ and Iranian immi-. ... grants are the dominant groups needing : assistance on the North Shore, | must admit to being a bit surprised = at the increased funding for NSMS con. ° sidering that. both immigration AND ~ Tefugee numbers have decreased in the -- benevolent - last. year, but © our Government § seems to have overlooked © this fact. ~ SUPPORT is WANING Liberal MP, John Nunziata, recently sent me a copy of a speech he gave to’ the Visible. Minorities Committee. of. CIDA on the issue of multiculturalism. He mentions in the covering letter that “polls . indicate that while Canadians are extremely proud of the culturally diverse nature ‘of , Canada, . public support for multiculturalism as a policy is waning. With more than two decaties of experience with official mul- ticulturalism, | believe we must begin to discuss and review the policy and its rel- evance in the Canada of the 1990s and beyond.” John goes on to state that mul- - ticulturalism . ghettoizes,. segregates, -marginalizes “and “forces: people . to Canadians : because it sets up an “us versus them” hyphenated “mentality, . : ‘Quoting - from - John’s speech : "Multiculturalism as a- policy.” has . become untouchable along with univer-.: sai health care and old age benefits. The : difference is that most Canadians want : universal health care and old age bene-’ fits ... the policy of mutticulturalism on. the other hand, is not wanted by most. ’ Canadians, and in my opinion, is doing a disservice to Canada by creating 8 » Society divided along ethnic lines. CANADA: DAY - A concern that” we: ate ‘possibly. encouraging a division of society along |. ethnic lines arose for me about a week. before Canada ‘Day when the North: Shore Iranian Canadian Society asked | “me to" attend their . Canada’ Day * Celebrations.’ When «| checked : my. “schedule for the day | found that the tim." * ing clashed with the official Canada Day an ceremonies as well-as with thé annual -.[ - cake cutting at Lions’ Gate: Hospital, pe - both of which are long standing event : ‘with no: specific ethnic’ theme. In my": feply to the society | included the follew- i ing suggestion: “Whilst it appears that 2 you have planned an interesting pro-. gram of events, ‘ft may be more practi: : cal. next “year. -for ‘the tranian Community to encourage participation ; “in the official Government of Canada: celebrations on duly 1st while organiz- ing a Separate tranian. ‘Culture Day on’ ‘a different date: That way there would - be a better chance of getting a good : attendance of the public, and officials like myself, at both functions,” 7 The North Shore Iranian Canadian - . Society received a $400 grant from the a eo Canada Day Committee to help finance -. its event and this may encourage other : hyphenated. Canadians to apply. for: : grants next year. Please let ’me ‘know of whether you support ,. moving towards othe funding of competing multiple ethnic . ‘group celebrations on Canada Day or: | whether we should try to restrict funding A “only to -the official : Government: : Canada event. : :