12 - Friday, Januury 17, 1986 - North Shore News. Stoker site considered for seniors housing THE STOKER farm property might yet be developed. IT'S A DOG eat nt dog world. So the Variety Club has decided to make the best of "the City of North Van- couver granted permission to the Variety Club Monday to hold a Dog-a-thon at Mahon Track. The event will be part of the club’s 1986 Telethon fund-raising efforts. The dog-a-thon involves elementary school students from the North Shore taking their favorite canine friend for a walk around the track at Mahon Track. The dog-a-thon is from 10 a.m, until noon and the stu- dents will be collecting pledges for laps walked. | Prizes will be awarded ‘for the dog that does the most laps, the: dog raising the most money, the biggest dog, the smallest dog, the fluffiest dog and the best dressed dog. Proceeds go to the Variety Club. NORTH SHORE athletes and good Samaritans raised almost $4,400 for needy families ‘during the December Sue Hills relay race. j * Eight tearns of eight com- peted in the eight-mile relay race held at Park Royal and Ambleside Park Dec. 21. Each team contributed $400 for the pleasure of com- peting, and additional dona- tions came through a Christmas grab bag draw. Superstar Athletic Footwear won the race with a time of 56 minutes 20 se- conds,' but organizer Sue Hills of Sue Hills Fitness said winning wasn't the im- portant thing. “Winning was absolutely incidental,”’ said Hills. ‘‘The philosophy behind the race was to get everybody coo- perating for a good cause.”’ Proving the point was the North Shore News’ team, which confused the competi- tion by running the course backwards. “The highlight of the event was the reception at Earls Tin Palace,’’ Hills said. , Winner of the grab bag . grand prize, a trip for two to 108 Mile Hills Ski Resort was May McDonald, wife of a News team member. The property, located at 2801 Lonsdale Avenue, has withstood numerous al- tempts to be developed into residential housing. But North Vancouver City Council forwarded a pro- posal to the advisory plann- ing commission Monday for a senior. housing develop- ment on the site. The development, propos- ed by Polygon Propertie=, calls for 121 units, designed for the exclusive use of seniors, The proposal includes an indoor common area with health club, workshop, games room, music room and an outdoor common area for landscaping and recreation. The farm property was the residence of the Stoker fami- ly for 60 years prior to 1980. In 1980 the city's official community plan designated the property for attached housing density. Attempts by the North Vancouver Arts Council to have the area proclaimed a Heritage site failed. And a request by the District of North Vancouver to have the arca rezoned for park use also failed. Two previous attempts to develop the site resulted in applications 10 council. In 1981 Hartford Holdings proposed a 32-unit luxury condominium development that never materialized due to the real estate slump of 1981/82, And in April, 1985, coun- cil rejected an application by MacLean Management to rezone the property to allow 43 non-profit fami- ly-oriented housing units, A Polygon market survey indicated 13,698 people over age 55 live in a 3.5 km radius, and 9,780 people are between the ages of 55 and 69. In a report to council, city planner Richard White said there is little to accoummo- date senior households in the city other than four feder- ally-financed service-club developed projects such as Twin Towers and Kiwanis. White said city staff believes the project has a good chance of attracting purchasers, but he indicated the density proposed, which exceeds council allowances, may prove a stumbling block to council approval, acom Today, more British Columbians insure their homes, businesses and personal property with us than any other insurance company headquartered in this province. No wonder. Because today, more independent agents in B.C. represent us than they do any other ti pany ley’ve never even insurance company doing business in this province. Canadian Northern Shield Insurance Company PO, Box 12133, 1800 - 555 West Hastings Street, Vancouver, B.C. V6B 4N6 Tel: (G04) 662-2911 It's time we introduced ourselves. Formerly ICBC General Insurance.