St Val West Coast masterpiece Layne Christetisen News Reporter layne@nsnews.com WHEN B.C. Binning built his wartime home on Mathers Crescent in West Vancouver, the house was so unusual that people flocked to its front door. “My husband just ler them in and T just grumbled,” recalls his widow, Jessie Binning, who resides in the home co this day. _ With its flat roof and post-and-beam structure, the Binning residence is one of the foremost examples of West Coast design during the Modern era. Last year it was declared a national historic site. , For Bert Binning, one of Canada’s leading promor- ers of Modernist ideology, the house was an explo- ration of the union of art and architecture. fts design took an innovative approach to postwar housing rhat was economical in its constraction and sensitive to its setting. [t was designed to maximize the potential of its sloping site, as well as take advantage of natural light and views. Recalls Jessie Binning of her husband’s pioneering, spirit: “When we decided to build this home, he wished to show what we could do with inexpensive (building) materials.” Those materials included cedar V-joint boards for exterior and interior walls, fieldstone for the fireplace and fir plywood for bathroom and kitchen cabinets. Built-in furniture, including shelves, beds and a desk, was made by locai artisans and ensured the most efficient use of space. The house was completed in 1941 at a cost of $5,000. fc was designed by Binning and constructed in collaboration with young architects C.E. Pratt and R.A.D. Berwick. Binning, who founded UBC's department of fine arts and taught at the School of Architecture, was later co further explore the union of art and architecture through the design and execution of murals for other Thompson Berwick Pratt and Partners projects: the BC Electric Building and the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce among them. Binning home Miche! Comte Contributing Writer THE Binning Residence at 2968 Mathers Crescent was designated a heritage site by West Vancouver Council on Monday. The 59-year-old house will be the first mod- ern architectural house in Canada and only the third property in West Vancouver to be desig- nated a heritage site. The Gertrude Lawson house and Ferry building are the other wo. “This is a very special house,” Tyke Babalos, chairman of the heritage committee, North Vance Katharine Hamer Contributing Writer THE retirement of long-time North Vancouver City Mayor Jack Loucks leaves the field wide open for the November municipal election. attributes, The latest contenders to step into the ring are incumbent Coun. Barbara Sharp and former city councillor Rod Clark. Former city councillor Bill Bell is also stepping up to the plate in a bid to win back a council seat. ; Bel! served on city council from 1987 101996, before tak- ing a hiatus to spend more time with his family. Now, he says, it’s his children who are encouraging him to run again. “TF don’t know what ir says about my parcnting skills,” he said. “Jack Loucks and Stella Jo Dean were very stabilizing forces on council with a tremendous amount of experience,” said Bell. “If Pm elected I believe } can fill some of the yap- ing hole they will be leaving behind.” . ; Bell said he has always admired the “healthy cynicism” dis- played by Stella Jo Dean. ; . Like her, he believes councillors should treat municipal funds “as if it was our own money.” He sees development plans for the Versatile Shipyard site in Lower Lonsdale as a positive addition to the city, but emphasizes the importance of balancing the fiscal and social needs of the areca. “We could wake up in 10 years with a wonderful tax base, but a community no one wants to live in,” he said. Rod Clark said he’s upset because over the last 10 years, JESSIE Binning stands inside the West Vancouver house designed by her late hus- band B.C. Binning. The home is a heritage site. protected told councillors. “In the back bedroom, you see the art on the wall and you feel like the whole house should be protected,” he said, giving an example of the home’s many unique The house was designed and built in 1940 by famed artist B.C. Binning with the help of architects CLE, Pratt and R.A.D. Berwick. It is one of the first West Coast post and beam homes and is in vietually original condition. Earlier this year, Heritage Canada declared it a national historic site. Because the federal declaration gives no protection to the house, West Vancouver decided to give it municipal protection. uver City mayoralty race on ay BARBARA Sharp: envi- ronment Is key issue. ROD Clark: “I don’t want the NDP in city hail.” the city’s tax bills have “risen at a rate greater than the Consumer Price Index.” The bone that really sticks in his craw, though, is the new social housing development planned for Lower Lonsdale — which he says will cost taxpayers over a million dollars and make sccial housing 4.5% of total households in the city. Clark is adamant that “we simply can’t afford this left-wing NDP agenda. “My philosophy is that public land is one of the most valu- able resources the city has,” he said, “and it should be for the betterment of all people, not just a special interest group. I want to get in (as mayor) and put the kibosh to it right now.” He feels there is a big difference between himself — a self- confessed “centre-right” politician — and Barbara Sharp, who THE Binning Residence is a rare example of pro- gressive residential design of the Modern era in Canada. !t continues to have an important impact on the work of artists and architects across the country. iga LNG —,| tan takes heat Bob Mackin News Reporter GAS the tank. That's the message Howe Sound and Sunshine Coast residents are delivering to the Sunshine Coast Regional District, said Lions Bay Mayor Brenda Broughton. Broughton is leading opposition to a proposed lig- ucfied natural gas storage tank on the east side of Howe Sound in the McNab Creek Vailey. The $130-million project would see an 85-millien cubic metre tank built and ready to serve customers of Westcoast. Energy subsidiary Centra Gas by late 2003 or carly 2004. The proposal passed the provincial government's environmental assessment review last spring and is now before the SCRD for rezon- ing froin rural to industrial. Westcoa:t competitor BC Gas received approval in June for its southern crossing pipeline tram Yak to Oliver in the Interior. Broughton said there were big sighs of relief then because Westcoast had stated publicly it would scrap its project. Westevast project manager Doug ‘Thorneycroft even told the News in April “If the Southern Crossing is approved, we would not pro- ceed with the LNG project.” Now he says the company is going ahead because the BC Gas project will add little natural gas supply to the pop- ulous Lower Mainland mar- ket. He said the Centra Gas aank will be a Fey fink in the Coquitlam to Vancouver [stand pipeline. The tank would be for residential and commercial customers in the Lower Mainland, not for NEWS photo Mike Wakefield NEWS photo Mike Waketield See LNG next page he calls a “trade unionist NDP supporter.” “That's not acceptable in this climate,” he said. “I don’t want to see the NDP in control of city hall.” But Sharp said there's no piace for party polities in city hall — especially not where the mayor is concerned. “He may be right,” she said, “but I'm in the middle.” “It’s not about one issue,” she said. “It’s about a whol: bunch of issues. You have to see the big picture. You don’t want to be penny-wise and pound-foolish. There's always an impact (arising from the decisions made by council), and you have to be careful to see the impact.” In addition to the development of Lower Lonsdale, the issues which concern Sharp include the environment, trans- portation, public safety, and finding “the right kinds of busi- ness” for the city. With a background as a labour relations mediater, Sharp sees herself’ as someone who can consider all sides, “I'm young,” she said. “I have a lot of energy to do things. And besides, | think it’s time for a woman.” Speculation has been rife, meanwhile, as to whether city Coun, John Braithwaite will also be running for mayor. Braithwaite said he had not yet made a decision, but that entering the mayoral race was “a big decision” he was “con- templating.” However, even if Braithwaite opts not to run for the posi- tion of mayor, he said he would still be seeking re-clection as a councillor. He expects to make an announcement sometime in October. . Afl candidates must formaily announce their intention to run by Oct. 15. Municipal elections are scheduled for Nov. 20.