THE CONCEPT of a seawalk linking Cates Park to Panorama Park in Deep Cove remains a contentious issue for North Vancouver District Council. But despite staff and advisory committee pressure to continue consideration of the seawalk, the district’s standing committee on planning and development decided on Monday night to reconfirm an earlier recommendation to termi- nate any further discussion of the seawalk component of the pro- posed District Walk. On Feb. 24, council approved in principle the establishment of a walk that would traverse the district from the Cleveland Dam area on the Capilano River to In- dian Arm. But approximately 200 East Seymour residents packed a March 25 townhall meeting to unanimously condemn any con- structed walkway linking Cates Park to Deep Cove. Council’s planning and devel- opment committee then endorsed an April 6 motion from Ald. Jim Cuthbert that recommended end- ing further discussion about the seawalk because it ‘raises serious concerns regarding costs and possible compromise of the natu- tal foreshore environment and character of the adjacent residen- tial area.”’ But when that motion arrived at council for discussion on April 13, planning staff recommended deferring any decision. That staff report characterized the seawaik opposition as origi- nating from ‘‘a large number of waterfront owners.”’ It rerninded council that one of the objectives of the Official Community Plan is ‘‘to preserve and create, for the benefit of present and future generations, public access opportunities to the district’s waterfron?.’* Council, however, refused to defer its decision and endorsed the recommendation of the standing committee that the scawalk be dropped from future discussions. By Martin Millerchip Contributing Writer The parks advisory committee subsequently expressed ‘‘grave concern’’ over council’s decision. It asked council to reconsider ‘in the light of its responsibility to the needs of all the residents of the district, not only those who live on the waterfront in Deep Cove and enjoy the highest stand- ard of parks and private amenities in the entire district.’ Several of the East Seymour residents who first protested the seawalk concept at the March 25 townhall meeting attended Mon- day night’s committee meeting. While they all continued to op- pose the seawalk, some expressed anger at the wording of the mo- tion on the agenda which they said could pit neighbor against neighbor. : Many speakers noted that they did not have waterfront addresses. Said one speaker, ‘‘The im- plication is really insulting that somehow the water residents are restricting access to the water.’’ Parkside Lane resident Ted Bergen said, ‘‘It seems obvious that staff did not like council's decision. Perhaps this is the time for council to remind staff that no means no.” Charles Wilkinson of Beachview Drive reinforced an earlier sugges- tion by Ald. Jim Cuthbert that other beach access points could be investigated and improved, but Wilkinson asked that Cates Park be teft as it is. ‘Save yourselves a fot of money. Don’t plant any more tulips, don’t make anymore trails. Just leave it alone,”’ said Witkin- son. . ° But Derek Andrews, repre- senting the Lynn Valley Com- NORTH VANCOUVER DISTRICT COUNCIL munity Association, said he was “really appalled by the com- ments’’ opposed to the seawalk. Andrews said he spoke for the largest community association on the North Shore, who, for the most part, have no direct water access other than West Vancouver and small bits of Seymour. He suggested that while a seawalk might appear expensive in Sunday, May 10, 1992 - North Shore News - 3 Cates seawalk concept hits dead end NVD committee recommends against waterfront component to District Walk long-term those of the short term, the benefits cotle match Stanley Park. But Andrews was unable to sway the committee. All three council members on the committee were opposed to the seawalk. “My opinion has not changed that this is too rich an undertak- ing in the immediate or near future,’’ said Ald. Rick Buchols. Said Cuthbert, *‘I support the -oncept of more access to the waterfront, but I don’t believe that a continuous walkway be- tween Cates Park and Panorama is the way to go.”” Ald. Janice Harris suggested a field trip for staff and council to investigate waterfront access on site. **This motion does not prevent council from improving access to the foreshore,’’ said Harris. Mayor Murray Dykeman said on Monday that he felt council had already expressed its choice on April 13. “I want to see the park main- tained, and the position that council has taken is very clear- cut,’” said Dykeman. NEWS photo Terry Peters . | WEST VANCOUVER Mayor Mark Sager was on hand Thursday for the delivery of the first of ‘ : nine new West Vancouver Blue Buses. The Orion buses, manufactured in Ontario, will begin service in West Vancouver on Monday. They are the first to be used in the Vancouver Regional Transit System and are equipped to accommodate the physically disabled. The West Van- ecouver transit system is celebrating 80 years of service. The system has eperated longer than any other municipally-operated bus service in western Canada. ; $40M Cypress Bowl expansion plans unveiled BRAD McCANNELL can’t ski on North Shore moun- tains. But he'd like to. By Chery! Ziola Contributing Writer A car accident nearly 12 years ago left McCannell, 38, in a wheelchair. McCannell is now anticipating skiing the slopes of Cypress Bow! in West Vancouver if the provin- cial environment ministry ap- proves an expansion proposal from the private company that operates the Cypress Bow! ski fa- cilities. The expansion would make the mountain accessible to handi- capped people. “I’m anxious to get out of the city,’ said McCannell. ‘‘And this isn’t just about going skiing. This is about access to a recreation area... for persons with disabilities. Such a thing doesn’t exist,"’ he said, explaining that the other mountains have no accessi- . ble facilities or are priced out of his budget. The $40 million private- ly-funded Cypress Bow! expansion proposal was unveiled at a public open house Wednesday at Van- couver’s Robson Square Media Centre. Architects, planners, Cypress Bowl Recreations Lid. (CBRL) owners and administration were on hand to answer questions. LEGEND C-+2 > *,] Existing CBR Leases CILIA "tension areas Park Boundary \KE>- *-WEST.LA Graphic Lorraine Wareham THE CYPRESS Bowl expansion proposal was unveiled at a public open house Wednesday at Vancouver's Robson Square Media Centre. But B.C. Parks, which will make recommendations about the expansion to the provincial en- vironinent ministry, did not attend the open house. CBRL’s two owners, Wayne Booth and Milan Hich, want to replace ali the company’s existing and overcrowded Cypress Bowl trailers with barrier-free West Coast-style log buildiags. Their plans also call for: @ more high-speed chairlifts; @ 1,000 parking spots added to the current 840; @ seven additional kilometres of ski trails, which would double the current skiing capacity. One of the new trails would have sonic sounders for blind people to ski with ‘‘buddy’’ guides included in the price of a ticket. And CBRL plans to purchase special rental skis to enable other disabled skiers to integrate with non-disabled skiers on regular slopes. But CBRL’s plans hinge on en- vironment ministry approval because the company wants to ex- pand outside. its 600-hectare per- mit area into Cypress Provincial Park. CBRL was issued its current permit after the Social Credit government put the provincially operated ski facility up for private tender in 1984. The company was issued a 50- year lease with a 50-year renewal option. CBRL now wants the minitry to approve an additional 100 hec- tares on Hollyburn Ridge and Black Mountain for new ski trails, including the sonic loop trail. The plan would include logging some old-growth trees on Hollyburr Mountain, which is the only one of the three mountains in the Cypress Bow! recreational area that remains undeveloped. CBRL’s plan also requires a full sewer hook up with West Van- couver municipality. An environment ministry deci- sion is expected in the fall. But an environmental group ob- jects to any expansions outside CBRL’s permit area. Friends of Cypress spokesman Elaine Fonseca said CBRL owners are ‘tusing disabled people as a selling tool. Everybody is being given little plums."’ “If they want to do that they can put it in their (current) permit - area, We don't like the en- croachment into Baden-Powell Trail (in Hollyburn Ridge)?’ But CBRL spokesman Denise Broderick said the company could not justify any facility upgrading if the ministry rejects an expan- sion outside CBRL's permit area. “The only way we get more tevenues is from downhill skiers. They pay for all other seasonal activities. We need the extra ca- pacity to sel! more tickets,” she said. Booth added that environmental groups have misrepresented the expansion as clearcutting. “I's a very small expansion with very selective cutting,’’ he said. “Besides, it’s a provincial park. It’s not the private domain of some vocal citizens” group in West Vancouver.” He challenged Friends of Cypress to provide a ‘‘reasonable solution’ to the recreation area’s overcrowding problems and substandard buildings. “‘What would their plans be? So far they’ve said no, no, no, but we haven’t heard anything con- structive. Maybe they’ should recommend financing.’”