MAIL Box-——

Get Renshaw into the Gi

Dear Editor:
Re: “Get Out a Bit.7
On behalf of the residents, staf? and
council of North Vancouver City, | wish to
object to the recent Timothy Renshaw
column entitled, “Kick-start NV City
development” (Sept. 27). Had the author
of this piece taken a 10-minute stroll! down
the hill trony your offices, he would have
noted the following:
@ Since 1996 over 470 dwelling units and
approximately 56,000 square feet of com-
mercial floor space have been built in the
Lower Lonsdale area where you say the
city should “get on with it.”
@ Since cariv 1998 when the city adopted
changes to our plan for Lower Lonsdale,
the city has agreed to self or lease two sites
which were wholly or principally owned by
the city. One site on the north side of the
100-block West Ist. Street currently is
under construction with a 12-storey apart-
_ ment building with retail at street level. A
- second site on the north side of the 100-
block West 2nd Street is being prepared
for construction ofa four-storey, non-mar-
é ‘ketre rental apartment building.
garding the old Hollyburn Lumber
- mes on B00. Brock West Esplanade, the city
recently concluded :a detailed review of
~, Proposals to buy this large site, and we are

presently in negotiation with a consortium
of developers te allow the rezoning of this
250,000 square foot plus development
site. Council hopes to provide a 30,000
square foot centre for recreational purpose
as part of this development. This proposal
and the city’s plans fora new museum and
media arts gallery site have been the sub-
ject of considerable public discussion and
input, some of which was covered by your
own paper, “The Voice of North
Vancouver.”
B The city has also acquired, at no cost to
city taxpayers, a community art gallery
space ins the Metropolitan at) 3rd and
Lonsdale in which we also propose to pro
vide offices for the North Vancouver
Communit Arts Council and North
Shore Arts Commission, community arts
organizations which represent and advo-
cate for artists living across the North
Shore.

B The city is sensitive to the concerns of

ting residents and businesses in Lower
Lonsdale. who have asked that redevelop-
ment be staged in a manner that is least
disruptive to existing members of the
Lower Lonsdale community. For this rea-
son and also to. avoid concerns about
reducing existing private. redevelopment
potential, the city is moving forward with

ty

developments in a methodical and man-
aved fashion.
@ The city is interested in the redevelop-
ment of both the privately owned Versatile
site and the Vancouver Port Authority far-
ther to the cast, but we have no ability to
increase the pace at which they will make
this happen. fn the case of the Versatile
Shipyard site, the city took the unprece-
dented: step of subsidizing the planning
study for these private lands in order to get
something moving on this derelict proper-
Ww
On a final note, the city is making 3 sig-
nificant investment in renewing the intra-
structure of this historic part of our city.
Well over $2 million will be spent: to
upgrade city services. A major part of this
servicing, will aid in the creation of a large
urban plaza in the 100-block of West Ist
Street. This plaza is currently under con-
struction and is named “Jack Loucks
Court” in honour of our former mayor.
If your writer got out.a bit, he would
have the opportunity to sce and comment
on these and other city initiatives, rather
than bemoaning the apparent lack of
progress as viewed from your editorial
boardroom.
Barbara A. Sharp, Mayor,
North Vancouver City

Caprice closure was ‘snobbism’

Sunday, October 15, 2000 — Nerth Shore News - 9

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Dear Editor:
.. Caprice Royal Theatres are
‘ closing. down, as we are
informed.
It is rather shocking to me.
» This is a second movie theatre
“closed... .down West
Vancouver’ (first that one on
"Marine Drive, between 15th
and ° 16th) many years ago.
; How is this possible in one of
the. most famous, the richest -
+ and ‘sophisticated’ districts in
 the.whole country?
‘The. reasons stated for the.
x. Sad affair are mainly: the lack
° of i interest, low. audience vol-
ume. ... because the place is
old and not: ‘o the modern .
standards! -. e
- Well, what does that mean?’
‘is more’: important,
‘good. film or the real leather.
eat in the theatre? Does: it.
mean that the people of West:
Vancouver are more interested
inthe interior. of the movie

house than in the films shown;

here? In’ the artistic aspects?
Yes, they apparently are!’ -

me, .the reper-

sof: th Caprice Royal

Cinema in West Van did offer

jot only the car chases and a ..

Iét. of shooting” without _rea-
sons, but also numercus qual-.

cording to some reports
‘there’is: over $14 billion of ©
“excess : tax. money sloshing
bout : in’. Ottawa.. Yet ‘the
Honourable Paul Martin con-
tinues to “claw. back” 54.5%
of my Old Age Pension ‘and .

TransLink wants to impose a.

= further tax of about $75. q
; °
k* should gO"
Ortawa. and. engage in hon-
ourable,’ “claw . back.” He

should remember this admo-

“Get your. hands‘ on .
the joney. Don’ tcome home
without it!” -*

ity films.
Looks like the most mod-
ern big, fantastic, overwhelm-

ing interior of the cinema _

house is much more impor-
tant for the prosperity of such
a house...

That is very disappointing
to me. And it may confirm for
what this part of B.C is often
blamed... snobbism. I often
disagreed with such an accusa-
tion. I was, probably, wrong. |

The citizens of West Van
rejected (so far successfully)
the change of Park Royal facil-
itics for the conglomerate of

_the big stores such as Home
Depot and other. monstrosi- ;

ties. But the closure of cinema
house probably won't bother
them.

’ The best and most valuable
culture is not always enclosed
by the most sophisticated
place where it. is shown.
Sometimes the real art is born
in. the flousiest’ conditions.
About that, the residents of
West Van seems to have a little
clue. Unfortunately.

= So, welcome you, my
friends, to, McDonalds or
other stores of South. or
Noyth Park Royal Shopping

_ Cenire instead of to the s

by seats of Caprice Theatre.

: And don't forget to buy a dia- -

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