pal elections in Novembér?: =

EITHER there are an awful lot of good intentions out
there, or many of you are growing bigger noses even as
you read this. Seventy-six percent of you told us in our
telephone survey that you will be voting in the munici-
pal elections November 20. Certainly the local elections
are uniformly interesting this year with the mayor's
chair being contested in all three municipalities. A may-
oralty race always boosts interest at the polls. But statis-
tically 4 76% turnout just doesn’t seem likely. The high-
est turnout in the last 25 years was in West Vancouver
in 1990 when 50.4% of those eligible to vote actually
did so. In the same time span, West Vancouver has flirted with that 50% figure on a
couple of other occasions and it is certainly true that a larger proportion of its voters
consistently participate in municipal elections than either North Vancouver District or
North Vancouver City. In fact, both the city and district hold the dubious distinction
of dipping into single digit percentages on one occasion each. That may have been 20
years ago, but the 1996 voting record was nothing to write home about: 18.79% in
North Vancouver City, 27.89% in North Vancouver District and 33.92% in West
Vancouver. The one arena in which an individual voter can reasonably be expected to
exert influence after an election is municipal politics. Why not take the responsibility
for who you will be talking to after November 20? Live up to your good intentions.

NORTH SHORE DEMOGRAPHICS

inguiring
reporter

Alex McDonald
West Vancouver
Yes, probably. I took politi-

Della Zedérayko ;
North Vancouver
Sometimes I do, sometime

Brandi Pratt
juitlam
Yes. I voted before.

Dundarave/Ambieside

YES

85%

NO NO DON’T
OPINION KNOW

Horseshoe Bay 85% 10% 0%
9% %

5%

Why? Because I don’t want
my voice not to count.

cal science at university bit I
don’t follow it closely. —~.
I guess it’s up to people to
pay attention.

IT don’t. It. depends onthe
candidates. I..don’t know.
them all, but we.usually“do
vote...

I’m surprised to hear

15%
68%
10%
74%
13%
78% .
13%

‘ British Properties
Norgate/Pemberton Heights
Capilano/Deibrook Highiand:

:LowerLonsdale .. - -
Central and Upper Lonsdale
Lynn Valicy :
Blueridge/Deep Co 7
COMBINED AVERAGE .......

15%

14%

11% |
"44%

13%

76%

1% 10%

many. told you ‘th

vote: People | d

through . on - that-'comm

BO VOU HAVE A GUESTIGN FOR THE INQUIRING REPORTER? E-mail your comments or question idéas to:. martin@nsnew.

District’s $6 mil

ting the existing bridge?”
“ The: dollar figure will be
--left-out of the question, said
Coun... Trevor”. Carolan,

because it has yet to be deter-

mined.

Council is requesting fund-:.

-ing from TransLink and the
“provincial ° Ministry .. of
._... Transpertation and Highways.
If.” those :. sources .
‘through, the bridge could cost
local taxpayers $3 million.

~ “If. you say $6. million or. .
ion, what happens if it’s

$2 milli
not the right figure,” Carolan
said: “If-you're talking about

money’ you better be exact or”

* Jeave it alone.” ;

If the: project’.is approved -

the’ referendum, . funding

may come. from the, district’s | -

ritage fund..."
oy Other: possible
include’ the. sale: of lots. near

Northlands ' Golf Course, or.

come .

sources

development cost. charges
from new industries in the
business park. planried by
CanOxy on Amherst Avenue
in Maplewood. .
“For me that’s the key,”
said Carolan. “Here’s a tratfic
solution that’ can be built
without. ‘a property. tax
increase.” |” oo .
At. council’s: Sept. . 20
mecting, it voted 5-] in favour
of two. bylaws which approved
the wording of the ‘referen-
duin question and. approved
the removal of a portion. of
Cutter Island Park from: park
dedication to facilitate: the

_ bridge construction. ;.

Coun: Ernie. Crist ‘voted

Coun. Lisa Muri

lion question

solve the traffic problems I
would vote for it,” said Crist
after the meeting: “But the

bridge in itself is only a small’.

picce of the bottleneck in the
whole area. Where will those
cars go?” -
. He said council should
look at bigger solutions to
traffic problems, such as pub-
lic transit. «~ a
A’. referendum. question

that does not include’a dollar.’

figure, he. said, also’: gives
council “carte .blanche” when

itcomes to fiinding the ‘pro-...;

-against .the bylaws,’ while .
whe : has:

opposed, the.” project: in: the |”

past, was absent.

“If T would believe in my"
“mind ‘that this bridge ‘will -

July 25, 1]

a day in court

THE following people -

Vancouver provincial .
court to face various -
Before Judg me
Paradis on May 4:5
Craig ‘ Alexander” McKee, :
39, of North Vancouver, was

jailed 30 days and fined $600 -

‘after he: pleaded. guilty, ta

f driving while pro:

4

Highway.in North: Vancouve

“District;

@ Oct."10/.199

eKinlay,

e
+)

“woman: on: Ma

have appeared:in North —