"District of North Vancouver Council Meeting Agenda February 17, 1997 -- 7:00 p.m. DELETE AS POT EAA ON Canadians not asked Dear Editor: Council Matters i. Economic Twinning Relationship - Pacific Rim countries North Vancouver Transportation Planning Advisory Committee - terms of reference, membership, budget Warren Yau asks what criteria Canada should require for new immigrants (Jan. 29 News). Canadians have never been consulted about their wishes for an immigration policy. No government has spelled it out as an election platform. Our current act was snuck in and that is why many Canadians detest it. A great number of Canadians have asked government to impose some of these criteria: 1. That immigrants be able to estab- lish themselves financially, culturally and linguistically without taxpayer help and that they be able to make a positive con- tribution to Canada. 2. That immigrants be heatthy, (Canada does not even test for AJDS) and that they have a trade or profession or a decent education suitable for our modern world. They should speak our language. 3. That immigrants do not have a cul- ture that dashes with the Judeo-Christian . values that have been supported here - Since the founding of this country. -4, Many Canadians wish debate, dis- cussion and study on whether continued . immigration of races who generaily : 4 choose never to assimilate is a good thing “ and will enrich Canadians, or, whether in “",100 years it will set up another Bosnia. °: This has never been discussed. Is it a . desirable policy or not? 5. With world over-population the biggest threat facing mankind, Canadians want this country to have a population policy. Can we support the number of Canadians we aow have without increas- ing our national debt, which is up anoth- er $70 billion since the last election? Our plains and mountain valleys are the only habitable part of Canada, a very narrow strip across Canada. Also, with each new immigrant costing the country $63,000 for the new infrastructure to support him: schools, hospitals, water, sewage, etc., can Canada aftord immigra- tion? The 300,000 immigrants per year require over $18 billion of new infra- structure each year. Government does not want us to know our costs for refugees, immigrants, welfare, ESL, or the immigration “indus- try” who hold all their policy meetings behind closed doors. Many thinking Canadians believe al! immigration should be stopped right now. What is the benefit to Canada of further immigration? Now almost the only criteria is family re-unification and refugees. Only five English-speaking nations and Israel have an open immigration pol- icy. With cach country in the western hemisphere populated by immigrants in “the last 500 years, why is it that Canada has to shoulder the load? Canada has sacrificed the employment hopes of millions of Canadians (a 10% unemployment rate, with a real unem- ployment rate over 20% for young adults) by allowing, on a per capita basis, our massive immigration. Canada’s wealth is mainly from extrac- tive industries and less people are required to fish, log, mine and farm. But we are depleting fish stocks, forests and top soils far faster than it can renew mere- ly to provide current jobs. Big is not beautiful. Some of the rich- est and most highly developed countries are small — Switzerland, Scandinavian countries. Poliution of our air and water is now a scandal and more people pollute more. Do we need more people? All the official stories to justify immigration have been .& proven false. None of these things has been addressed by our MPs whose major crite- ria is re-election, and do not upset the immigrant vote so don’t discuss it. Some people, such as Doug Collins, bring our attention to the larger insanities but nearly all Canadians, including peo- ple like Mr. Yau, duck the question. Immigration is the biggest determi- nant of Canada’s future in 50, 100, and 500 years from now yet we all put our heads in the sand less some idiot screams “racist.” The courage and resolve of the people who settled and built this country is, abs, not now a part of our national make-up. Neil Thompson West Vancouver . Lower Capilano Conmmunity Facilities - terms of reference "for Lower Capilano Community Facilities Commitee . Appointments ta the North Shore Arts Commission . Highway | at Westview Interchange - maintenance & signalization . B.C. Hydro’s Burrard Thermal Generating Plant - impact on Lower Mainland municipalities Note: For more information on any of these agenda items, please refer to the District's Web Page cr call the Clerks Office at 990-2211. “laeww.district.nortevansbe-ca. ¢. WESTERN aBRAKE & CLUTC H INC. A trusted name in auto parts for over 38 years is under new management. As a family owned and operated business, we . look forward to giving you the highest |” : level of service on a personal basis, providing high quality § parts at very competitive i UPPER Management cer || auvitiapies, CLERKS, & OTHER & . Dreaming MONS GBT DROPPED FROM economy. | Pert Frat vicinal ‘enlightens (a. | _>.. The Clark government has ‘3, decided on the First Narrows a “Crossing alternative. It is to repair the existing . -« Lions; Gate, widening the. prices. e BRAKES © CLUTCHES © STARTERS. " © ALTERNATORS © BEARINGS » AND MUCH, MUCH MORE! Attention Local Club Members: Show ‘us your. | Membership Card and get 25% off list price. oo. BCWE, RMEF, SEYMOUR ENHANCEMENT, WWF, NHRA, SCCBC... .: 154, West 3 rd St. =. : North: Varicouver a + three lanes ‘and includes walk- “s, way/bikeway outside the sus- < ‘pensions, both ways. There will be a roll. . The retrofit and its funding ~ will be in private hands, there- by. deflecting - accountability - from government. |. .. ‘This ‘decision is the most - correct. Any other would have been in support of freeways through the city and counter- ing the planning already in lace to make the downtown ivable. - Atoll, essentially on the vehicle-bonded and well-to- do West Vancouverite, will not “be unpopular in the rest of the province. This is also the least-cost alternative. Best of all howev- er, is that the choice of this alternative will now. direct attention to the Serond Narrows. - ' Indeed the government may. even become cognizant of the extravagant solution to murky water supplies on the North Shore. Maybe even to the extent of closing one or both the Capilano and the Seymour reservoirs in favor of the Coquitlam reservoir supplying all = Greater Vancouver Regional District require- “ments — B.C. Hydro’s water licence being made subordi- nate to potable water priori- ties, or required to sell its ener- py licence for one dollar. All in my dreams? Well, I was thinking of economy. Wayne Mulherin North Vancouver North Van District height bylaw short of sense Dear Editor: Regarding North Vancouver District bylaw No. 6645 which restricts the height of an addi- tion or a new house. This bylaw states thar a single-family residen- tial building shall only be added on to, altered or replaced if the addition, alteration or replace- ment building does not exceed the maximum building height and maximum eave height of the single-family residential building lawfully existing immediately prior to the date of application for any permit authorizing that addition, alteration or demolition and reconstruction. That means that even if your house is a single- story bungalow, you are not allowed to increase the height without first applying to council with a variance, This creates more work for the home- owner and the municipal staff and fess for the buiiders, renovators and developers. Most people are intimidated by the prospect of the time, the expense and the process of the variance applica- tion procedure. I must congratulate the new North Vancouver District council. By passing their new bylaw, they have taken a bad bylaw and expand- ed it into a new territory. Like true polincians, they ignored what the homeowners wanted. Most municipalities have a simple formula. They set a maximum height for single-family buildings that applies to all single-family build- ings. They don’t discriminate against those who have an existing house. Qur council, instead of addressing and deal- ing with the height issue with a common sense bylaw that has a simple formula, have set up a system with double standards. Is this an example of how an underpaid coun- cil operates? Perhaps if they were given the 50% increase in pay they wanted, they would have researched this new bylaw and the existing bylaws properly and come up with a solution. Bob Rasmus North Vancouver rjr@axionet.com Buy © or more blinds (uid receive an additional Of} off. Vertical Blinds. 1" Mini Blinds sists pie » Honeycomb Blinds 4.45 > Watch for our March drapery sa 4