Litile squirts NEWS photo Paui McGrath HOSE Reel Festiva! fire chiefs (left to right} Caitlyn, Dayle and Joshua George had some fun at Mahon Park last week in North Vancouver. Public trees cut with council OK at Whitby ‘Catherine Barr Contributing Writer LOSS of trees on municipal land at Whitby Estates was ‘inevitable according to a West Vancouver councillor. “There are no rules to stop people from cutting down trees in West Vancorver,” said Coun. Victor Durman. “So to save the other trees it was better to take our trees down to save the. rest.” Durman’s statement came in direct response’ to coun- ci’s recent in-camera deci- sion to allow British Pacific Properties (BPP) to remove several trees from municipally owned land. The !and in question falls within the BPP’s proposed 104 acre Whitby Estates development. In total, the municipality owns approximately seven acres in the proposed subdi- vision. BPP has been actively seeking purchase of this land but a decision is still pending. The proposed single-tami- ly and multi-family Whitby development, which has been valued at $100. inillion, is located just north of the Upper Levels Highway and west of the Westhii! area. Durman explained that BPP is entitled to-cur down as many trees as it wants boundaries of because there are no rules regarding tree cutting on pri- vately owned property in West Vancouver. He says there has been ralk about adopting a tree cutting bylaw for privately owned, undevel- oped land, but that nothing is currently in the works. He said BPP “gave their word” approximately two years ago that they would not clear cut trees in the pro- posed Whitby arca. But according to Durman, BPP found itsel? in a position where it would have had to break its word if the municipal trees were not removed. According to Mayor Pat Boname, the issue involved another BPP development to the cast where lots were sold as “view lots.” The municipal trees were obstructing the views and BPP wanted them removed. “They did the right thing coming to us,” Durman said. “We cut our trees instead of them (clear) cutting theirs.” When asked if this will prevent BPP from. cutting down any more trees on its property, Durman © said: “They have the legal right to cut the trees dowa (but) they have kept their word (and) their word is good enough for West Vancouver. “Remember that BPP has a long-standing relationshi with the municipalicy, whic! I perceive to be a good rela- drimking clrivers THE following people recently appeared in North Vancouver court in connec- tion with drinking and dri- ving related offences: Robert James Merilees, 21, of North Vancouver, was fined $500 and had his driver's licence suspended 12 months afer he was found guiliy of having a blood alcohol level greater than .08. eee Mark Stuart Shackleton, in his “carly 30s, of Tofino, was fined $680 and had his dri- ver’s licence suspended for 12 months after he pleaded guilty eee net to impaired driving. eoee Kelly Jean Callaghan, 37, of North Vancouver, was fined $300 and had her driver's licence suspended for 12 months after she pleaded guilty to having a blood alee hol level greater than .08. ere Robert Henry Willgren, 34, of Vancouver, was fined $500 and had his driver’s licence suspended for nine months after he pleaded guilty to impaired driving. — Anna Marie D’Angelo tionship, which at times is adversarial.” Before being allowed to proceed with development, bPP must satisfy a long list of conditions recommended by the municipality’s planning commitree, including special provisions for the protection of a rare species of frog found to exist within the riparian zones surrounding creek areas. Including: Hardtop, Centre’s program expands From paze 16 She feels othe regular schools have overlooked some of the hardships these children face. “Its eretty hard to teach a child the times tables when they haven’t had breakfast or Sunday, May 17, 1998 — North Shore News — 21 gone home the sight before.” And. she said, teaching the children and adults their own culture will allow them “to have a pencil in one hand and a feather in the other.” Jina Johnston, a First Nations support worker at the centre, hopes by the time her two-vear-old son is old enough the centre will have grown into a full-time First Nations school, “Right now the grade rights come here for classes in the morning and go to Carson Graham in the afternoon. They'd preter to come here for the full day.” Johnston said, — the a long way in Bar, centre has come a seven vears. “We've gone fram) one class in the basement to six dif- ferent programs ranging from reading readiness program tor elementary students entering Grade 2 to GED completion for adults.” She said the centre is tund- ed by the Squamish Nation and staffed by cight school board teachers and aides plus numerous support staff And alter bouncing around from one dead-end job to another, Vern Joseph is just glad the school is there. IT'S THE PAINT THAT LASTS AT ADTICETHAT WON'T \ V- ‘ — oP | Accolade’ | INTEFAOR VEWVE! | Xo EON ve soundbar, tire package, am/fm cassette, sidesteps, center console & much, much more!! ONLY $20,888! . All prices net of factory incentives with mail-in rebate on Prast & Lambert Accolade ~ the best formulated 100% acrylic paint. (Both interior and exterior house paints available.) 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