6 - Sunday, July 10, 1988 -— West Vancouver Villager Big Brother earn FOR BRITISH Properties resident Martin Thompson, being a Big Brother is his way of giving something back to society. By PEGGY WHITTAKER Villager Reporter “y consider myself to be fortu- nate,’ says the 37-year- -old Van- couver attorney, ‘and it’s a way of paying my dues to society in trying || to make some litle guy’s life a lite, tle bit better.” Thompson was awarded a five- year service pin — his second — at a Big Brothers award night held at Lonsdale Quay Hotel last month. Thompson says that the Big Brothers of Greater Vancouver don’t know it, but he had already received a five-year pin in Win- nipeg 10 years ago. . Today, Thompson is with his third Little Brother, 14-year-old Adrian Armstrong. In the four years they have been together, Thompson his watched Adrian grow up and feels he is now well ‘ton his way to becoming a young man.”” The pair spend about three hours a week in each other’s com- pany,, on the beach, watching movies, or playing sports. In urging others to make the commitment to be a Big Brother, Thompson says he has learned that the most important thing is to be a friend that can be trusted. “It’s a matter of adjusting and adapting .... I’ve had no game plan, other than to be his friend, | think it’s a mistake to have a preconceived idea...of what ac- complishments you can achieve.’’ Dave Fraser, Big Brother counsellor for the North Shore, says there are currentiy 49 matched pairs on the North Shore, with 18 boys on the waiting list. ‘*There’s never enough Big Brothers,’’ says Fraser, ‘*I could probably have 50 on the waiting list if 1 opened the floodgates.’* The waiting list, hov-ever, is five-yeai = T ser vice NEWS photo Cindy Bellamy MARTIN THOMPSON, a British Properties resident who was recently. awarded a five-year service pin for his work with the Big Brothers organization, borses around with his Little Brother, 14-year-old Adrian Armstrong, on their, way (o see a movie. kept to 20, which gives the organization a ‘‘reasonably good chance’? of matching them within one year. . Potential Big. Brothers, who must. be over 19 and willing to make a minimum one-year com- mitment, are invited to an initial information night. They must be - able to provide four personal ref- “the counsellor, erences (from a doctor, employer, family member and friend) and come up ‘‘squeaky clean’’. in a police computer check. : ¢Then applicants must go through an in-depth interview with who delves into their backgrounds, values and at- See More Page 7 Most merchants favor plan Fram page 2 The curbing and paving of 18th Street north to the Legion will also be done as part of Phase I] of the revitalization project. Phase JI will begin next year and will include underground installa- tion of Hydro, B.C. Telephone and television cable. The remain- ‘ing cross streets will be repaved and developed, with interlocking pavers signifying the 13th and 19th Street entrances to the area and adding a pedestrian emphasis to the character of Clyde Ave. “The lanes will see a dramatic improvement with interlocking pavers and carriage lights, in con- junction with private landscaping. Local merchants will also be en- couraged to provide better linkage, mid-block, between the streets and lanes. Bellevue, between 13th and 18th, is due to see the same kind of im- provements as those seen on Marine Drive. The Ambleside Revitalization project 'is perhaps one of the most ambitious such schemes to be un- dertaken, supported by a majority of local merchants. “Ninety-two percent of the mer- chants on Marine Dr. were in favor of the plan, as well as almost © everyone on Bellevue and. about 80 per cent of the people on Clyde,” Irwin said. | Irwin is also proud of the designing and decision-making process, overseen by landscape ar- chitect Don Vaughan, allowed for a lot of local input. | which’ ; ““We received the viewpoints of more than 300 people,” Irwin noted. The financial drain expected by individual Ambleside merchants was recently reduced with the an- nouncement of a $1.2 million ¢c tribution from the provincial ge ernment. Some .$568,000 will be drawn from the lottery fund to cover Phase [, with another $600,000 for Phase II. The cost of the project is being shared between the merchants and the municipality on a 75 per cent/ 25 per cent basis. 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