WEDNESDAY
January 17, 1996

the

iz cae peed

44 I’m going
to miss seeing all
the council mem-
bers squirm every

time this comes

before us. 9

-—~ North Vancouver City
councillor Bill Bell on the
sensitive subject of council
pay hikes. See story page 3.

B Bright Lights... 10
.@ Business...............23

& Classifieds.....................33

Lt ny J

& Croesword.....................37

i Inside Storiozs...............13

fi Insights...

Gi Maitbox..

@ NM. Shore Alert...

® Sports

@ Table Hopping.

@ TV Listings... 30

&@ Around town
listings of events:

food

@ Vivacious Vivace
open for business:

@ 265 ways to
work your wok:

Highlanders tread on Little Flowers

ad ce
ae

NEWS photo Terry Petero

WEST VANCOUVER'S Jamie Mohr (centre) goes hard to the basket during the
Hightencers’ 86-46 victory over Little Flower Academy at last weekend's 8th annu-
al North Shore Firefighter's Invitational. See page 28 for tournament results.

Weather

Thursday: Cloudy with showers
or flurries, High 5°C, low -5°C.

* cee]

Option open to
buy postal site

WEST VANCOUVER District
Council has secured an option te
purchase the Canada Post proper-
ty at 225 17th St. for possible
future use as an arts centre.

WEST VANCOUVER
DISTRICT COUNCIL

By Maureen Curtis

Ambleside Dundarave Ratepayer repre-
sentative Lione! Lewis questioned whether
there is a public demand for an arts centre.
Coun. Pat Boname said the need is well-
documented.

Mayor Mark Sager's announcement
Monday follows months of speculation
since it was learned that the postal building
in West Vancouver would be closing.

“We have been negotiating with Canada
Post for months,” Sager said.

Council has something like a 200-seat.
7,000 square foot theatre in mind for the
site, which sits in the heart of West
Vancouver's business district.

“It is a perfect spot. it will bring back
some of the activity that was lost when the
(Odeon) theatre closed down,” Boname
said.

Council’s goal is to establish a piivate-
public partnership to build a facility similar
to the Deep Cove theatre, at minimal cost
to the taxpayer.

“There will be a public proposal call

See Sayer page 8

Halt to forest fight sought

A PRESERVATION group has
launched a isbhying effort to prevent
Victoria and Ottawa from challenging
North Vancouver District and its deci-
sion to protect Mountain Forest.

By lan Noble
News Reporter

GUARD (Group United Around Responsible
Development) has urged its members and sup-
porters to lobby B.C. Minister of Environment,
Lunds and Parks Moe Sihota and federal Public
Works and Government Services Minister
David Dingwall.

Sibota has been targeted because his min-

Public money used
in lega! battle is a
waste, critic says

istry, through its parks arm, has a 25% interest
in the development of the Seymour lands.
Ministry bureaucrats back the legal challenge
from Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp.
(CMHC) to overturn the October rezoning of
Mountain Forest to Park, Recreation and Open
Spece from its former Urban Reserve status.
“that rezoning puts a halt to CMHC's plins
to develop 40 hectares (100 acres) of the 206
hectares (5 10 acres) it holds in Mountain Forest.

Dingwall is the minister responsible for
CMHC.

CMHC challenged the bylaws because they
converted privately owned lands to “essentially”
park use without compensation and infringed
upon the CMHC mandate to provide housing.

But GUARD director and Deep Cove resi-
dent Lisa Muri said CMHC is a public corpora-
tion, and therefore its lands are public.

She added that the legal challenge launched
with public money is a waste of taxpayers’
funds.

“We don't want this thing to go to trial.” she
said. “We want this thing dropped.”

“Clearly, this is not what the public wants.”

See Sihata page 3