Weather: Thursday. A FLOOD of objec- tions arose in North Vancouver District Council chambers Monday over a recre- ational vehicle (RV) park proposed for the Maplewood mud flats. The Vancouver Natural History Society (VNHS) and local residents came out to express their concern about the effect a temporary RV park would have on the deli- cate ecosystem of the North Shore's Jast remaining natu- ral salt water marsh. They also said the park would disturb neighbors and cause traffic snarls. Residents fear if the RV park is allowed, al!—terrain vehicles (ATV) and dogs would do irreparable ‘dam- age to the 130 hectares of land and water which are hone to dozens of species of resident and migratory birds. While the public hearing was called only to discuss a new temporary use zoning bylaw made possible by re- cent changes to the pro- vince’s municipal act, it was precipitated by Edward Epp and Associates’ RV park proposal for 2606 Dollarton Highway. The company plans to lease the foreshore land from the Port of Vancouver and construct a 263-stall RV park for Expo. See Residents Page 13 Sunny Wednesday. Highs near 4° €. Mostly sunny Lifestyles: 41 Local boys sing for charity. Residents oppose RV park Lifestyles...........41 Mailbox.............7 Sports.............17 Woo... What's Going Gn.....61 Business........... Classifieds Ads... Entertainment .... ceeeee ee OO Sh, SoS ea Se / 3 NEWS photo Stuart Davis VOLUNTEERS spent hours recently cleaning up the Maplewood mud flats and salt marsh. The workers were from Katimavik and the Vancouver Naturst History Society, and were sponsored by the B.C. Public Conservation Fund. Mud fiats cleaned up THE MAPLEWOOD mud flats, home to over 150 species of resident and migratory birds, have received a winter cleaning. The Vancouver Natural History Society (VNHS) and a crew of Katimavik volun- teers recently cleared away a generation of industrial debris. With help from North Vancouver District, the Port of Vancouver and a provin- cial Public Conservation Assistance Fund grant, 40 people removed everything from an old iron water heat- er and car parts to log boom chains and concrete slabs. The volunteers worked for eight hours, carrying gar- bage off the flats located near the Dollarton Highway, about one mile from the Se- cond Narrows Bridge, and loading it into a large gar- bage container. The VNHS wishes to preserve the flats not only because they sustain such a diversity of birds, but because they make up the last natural marsh and mud flat area on the North Shore, the rest having been filled in for industrial use. “Cs a very important area for all bird species,” said VNHS_ spokesman Kevin Belt. While the volunteers were successful in removing most of the large debris, the snow cover prevented a thorough collection of smaller items, Bell said. About 30 14-foot cable reels were also left behind, he said. Riddled with bolts, the discarded wooden reels were impossible to move or cut up. The volunteers also work- ed to improve the path that accesses the flats, crushing some of the recovered con- crete and using it for fill, Bell explained. The district supplied the volunteers with a garbage container, a backhoe and operator, and fil! for the path, Bell says the VNHS is planning another clean-up day on the flats in the near future. 3 Threats made towards woman A NORTH Shore woman watched as thieves stole her car and purse Sunday night. While warming her car at the ferry parking lot in Horseshoe Bay, the woman was threatened by a man and a woman with aclub. A FOUR-year-old girl was lucky to escape inju- ty Friday after she lit some bedding on fire. A spokesman for the City of North Vancouver Fire Department said the incident Friday morning at 419 EB, 3rd Street oc- curred when the girl ig- nited a paper bag in a bedroom. The bag was dropped on the floor and the bed- ding ignited. The fire department spokesman said parents were alerted by the smoke THREE men face a total of 24 charges after con- fining and robbing a West Vancouver family of five. The robbers broke into a British Properties home Friday morning and held the unidentified family at knife point. After removing a wallet, a fur coat and some silver, the thieves let the family go unharmed. They were arrested Alarm Girl starts bed on fire They forced her to give up her purse then drove off in her ce: . She reported the inci- dent to West Vancouver Police, but they have not yet been able to locate either the culprits or the car. and moved the bed and bedding outside where they extinguished the fire themselves. The spokesman warned parents not to leave smoking materials in the reach of children and to alert the fire department immediately when a fire is detected, ‘‘When there is a fire,"” he said, ‘the best course of action is to get out of the house and stay out.” And he warned smoke and fire detectors should be installed in all households. Confinement charges laid soon after by West Van- couver Police. Douglas John Urrey, 26, Robert David Carlgren, 24, and Garry Williamson Allan Camp- bell, 22, are each charg- ed with confinement, robbery, break and enter with intent to steal, wilful damage, assault, theft, possession of stolen property and possession of weapons. All three are listed as having no fixed address. placed improperly AN IMPROPERLY placed smoke alarm con- tributed to the death of a North Vancouver man, fire investigators have determined. Richard Bready, 30, died Nov. 24, in a house fire at 122 West Kings Road. Fire officials from the District of North Van- couver say if the smoke alarm, which was discovered on the top of a dishwasher, had been in- stalled properly, Bready may have survived the fire. Officials speculate a candle which was not ex- tinguished before Bready went to bed, may have caused the fire that caus- ed extensive damage to the basement suite of the house. The candle had been lit during a power failure that evening. The fire depariment warns residents to ensure smoke alarms are proper- ly installed and maintain- ed. Residents are also warned to place candles in holders away from combustible materials. Fire officials urge fam- ilies to have escape plans in case of fire and are en- couraged to install sprinkler systems in addi- tion to smoke alarms.