‘CAPILANO SPORTSMEN’S Club members aren’t going to let their build- ing be converted into West Vancouver's youth drop-in centre without a fight. WEST VANCOUVER DISTRICT COUNCIL By Maureen Curtis . (President Lynn’ Coules told West .Vancouver District Counci! on Monday night that the club supports the municipality in its aim to provide more services to youth in West Vancouver. : _ But she opposed displacement of the club (originally a rod.and gun club) which has leased the Ambleside Park building for over 40 years. ; “Many people are not aware: that. the sportsmen’s club has been providing educa- tional and recreational activities for youth for half a century,” she said. * The club also shares its ‘facility with local ‘air cadet Corps. * i ' i oh \ 1 Drop-in centre to displace Capilano club West. Vancouver plans to use the club building to house the youth centre displaced by the closure of the YMCA/Inglewood school building. The facility would also be the centre of the youth outreach program. “We have to provide more facilities for our youth,” Coun. Diana Hutchinson, council rep- “resentative to the youth advisory group, told the News. Mayor Mark Sager said the municipality would not be displacing the spertsmen's club unless it was “absolutely essential.” “There is a critical shortage of space and facilities (in West Vancouver). We are obligat- ed to utilize public facilities to the best advan- / tage,” he said. The club’s municipally awned building is located in the caster part of Ambleside Park near the SPCA animal shelter, - Coules argued that the building is not suit- able for a youth drop-in: centre because it’s located in a secluded, wooded area near an open ditch and a railway crossing and the only access to it is. from Marine Drive along an | youth to benefit from ity WEST VANCOUVER youth look forward to moving ger faci nto spacious new drop-in digs to play: plan trips and. watch videos: By Jan Noble’ News Re; orter - games, meet, That’ $ the ‘spin 18- -year-old Jordan Hoar gives as he and*” other. youths nvolved . with the West Vancouver: Youth and tum-.over, its. 5,000-square- -foot (465 sq_m) ‘Ambleside Park building to the municipality’s' youth..." The. temporary.-56- sq... (600-square- foot). cabin the -youths now ‘occupy adjacent to the Capilano club building gets.crowded quickly and forces everyone. to ‘do the same thing ; at th same time, said Hoar. With the added space, more : ‘youths will be able to pursue a greater variety of activities. And, said Hoar, those programs benefit local youths j ina’ ‘number.of ways. - Hoar “said. the ‘ouiteach program gives. youth a. voice. Currently, the teens are working on a magazine and a film... about the broader meaning of violence. Hoar,’ who’ 's keen to pursue a film career, -said the film, unlit road. Her suggestion that gang-rapes and other crimes would occur in such a site drew groans from council. “It is safe for boy scouts and cadets to use the building, but not for other youth?” Sager asked later. Coules also complained that there was a Jack of consultation with the club, as well as fire. police and other authorities. The club members claim they used to own the building, originally a military installation, but had to deed it over to the municipality because it was located in a public park. But Sager said the building has been owned only by the military and the municipal- ity. “This is a private club in a public building.” he said. In September, the sportsmen were given - three months to vacate the building. They had had. a five-year lease “which expired five years ago A five-year option to renew the lease has ulso lapsed. Sager said that the club was told last May’ that council was considering not renewing the lease. The air cadets’ 525 Pathtinder Squadron: which shares the facility, is the oldest youth organization in West Vancouver, Coules said, “They keep teenagers off the streets and offer structure and discipline in their lives.” Sager said he has been trying to help find facilities for the cadets. He added that they can probably continue to use the club building when it becomes a youth centre. : The West Vancouver portion of the club's membership is less than 50. Couies claims a club membership of more. “than 200, including people taking mandatory instruction in gun safely, Hutchinson said it is difficult to terminate the relationship with the’ sportsmen's club after so many years. : “But the needs of the community have changed.” she said. oe She pointed to the’success of the youth out- reach program which will be -housed with three full-time staff members at the Ambleside . building. The sportsmen’s club. is seeking a: four- month lease extension. NEWS photo ‘Paut MeGrath YOUTH OUTREACH participant Jordan Hoar (left) and coordinator ira ‘Applebatim wait for spacious hore. : which he. wrote the screenplay for, gives him an opportunity, -hé Couldn't get anywhere else. “It gives me.a foot in the door in some way, * he said. A volunteer, fromthe Vancouver Film School. will use Hoar’ s ‘screenplay and work with Hoar in! ‘turning it into a For ‘Hour, the youth program ’s more than | a place to get a eg up on his career; he said his social life has also benefited. outh workers. build friendships with the youths, prevent- ing youth ‘from experiencing * ‘the whole youth- depression . type: “thing.” gram? * program He’ 's also enjoyed cainping trips to Manning Park, the B.C. Interior, Oregon and Seattle with his friends in the program. . Would he have experienced these trips without the pro- “| sériously doubt it.” he said. } Program coordinator Ira Applebaum told the News the lost its home. with the -closure of the YMCA/Inglewood building in West Vancouver. Now, with the nave to the Ambleside Beach cabin, the program has had to scale back to two or three functions, said Applebaum. There's a drop-in program, but no recreation He looks forw: ‘itd to the program continuing its. youth- drie ven, free-flowing character when more space will “Support more activities. Writing and recreation programs and sessions. with ‘drug and alcohol and career counsellors, North’ Shore ” Health. representatives’ and | social workers require added: room. 3 giving youth a safe place to'hang out, get-invalved and get’ guidance. Violence. petty crime and vandalism are. three ‘tes- limonials to young people being bored, he said. “The importance of the program, suid: Applebaum, lies in): Said: Hoar ““You know you have | sonicone to: talk to. ‘re ‘like your best friends.” hore cas GAMBLING ON North Shore “Indian veserves..could be one “step closer when the provincial government _ lifts a moratorium “on new charitable « casinos. Bob Mac in” Contributing | Writer’ : The B.C. ‘Gaming Commission J will call for ‘proposals - early in the “new year, Any, native or non-native . . group will be invited to bid. For the ‘first time, Opportunity to build“ casinos. on reserves Government Services ministry: ‘ spokesnian; Mike’ Hughes cautions athat there will be no “Las Vegas: le" casinos, . ‘ “They're! the same’ casinos that operating, right now, The “natives will have the” a 10% licensing fee: commission i is going to be looking at adding . more.” Hughes — said. “They're not larger casinos. There's no change to the gaming or betting limits.” The number of casino licences ta’ be awarded has not been determined. Hughes said he does not know how long the process will take, Successful First. Nations appli- cants will receive 50% of the pro- * eveds for casinos on their land, Casino management will keep . 40%, while the government will take First. Nations groups can also be managers, which makes them eligible to receive up lo 90% of profits. » . The split is the same as applies to ‘the current for-profit Charity casinos already operating in B.C., but a fund may be set up to disburse profits to -fatives on a provincee-wide basis. “Space, he said. atlas future, ‘releases the federal government of an Tsleil- Waututh (Burrard band) Chief Leonard George said his coun- cil will apply for a casino licence in January. “fs an area that we should look solution: to financing in the George / said. “Not that it its fiduciary ¢ responsibility, but instead of becoming. a debit, it has the potential of becoming a credit.” George suid money is flowing out of the community .to gambling operations | on reserves in washingion state. The newest, part of the Las/ Vegas- -based © Harrah's _ chain, opens Sunday north of Mount ¢ ‘Vernon! “We have our relatives right across the border, if we don't com- pete with them we're still going to be losing.” George. a former opponent of nos on horizon gambling, said negative social finpacts of gambling can be mini- mnized by operating casinos with a social conscience and ensuring prof- its benefit development of individu- als and the community as a whole. Squamish Nation land adminis- trator Chief Philip Joe welcomed the announcement, He is interested :in learning more about the new policy before commenting further. Last spring, Joe arnounced the Squamish Nation was. planning to build an “aboriginal tourist attrac- tion” somewhere on the North Shore or in the Squamish Valley, A news release said the develop- ment could include a heritage cen- tre, a hotel and a casino,similar to successful complexes run by natives jn Minnesota and Connecticut, Vancouver-Seymour. + Liberal ML. AD mnie! Jarvis said the North / "The $100,000 per year program includes three. full- -time . staff and two part-timers. | . i t bee RT: a a BURRARD BAND Chief, Leonard George .... Burrard: council wit! apply for a casi- no licence in January people of B.C, oppose gambling. “(Gambling)- is not the way’ (nalives) are going 10 become. self- sufficient.” Jarvis sade, Jarvis’ riding includes: parts of Squamish and Tsleil- Watituth lerri- tory.