Paul McGrath WEST VANCOUVER Mayor Mark Sager addresses the crowd during Sunday’s opening cere- ‘mony of the Bob Spray Rugby Field at Kiahanie Park. Seated behind Sager is Graham Baldwin (left), headmaster of Collingwood School; Gary Fumano, former Canadian rugby team member, and John Olmstead, president of the Capilano Rugby Club. Waterfront plan released $34M upgrade for Ambleside to Dundarave THE WEST Vancouver Waterfront Directions Study, prepared for the West Vancouver Parks and Recreation Department by consultants and released to the public in January, provides West Vancouver with a masterplan for the upgrade of the waterfront area from Ambleside to Dundarave Implementation of the study’s * proposals, which call for approx- imately $3« million worth of im- provement:, could take place over & period of 10 to 15 years. [t is proposed tliat as each component of the plan comes up for devel- opment cousideration, residents will have th: opportunity to pro- vide input. The plan divides the study area into various ‘‘precincts:"’ © Ambleside Park: Improvements include a tree-iiaed promenade adjacent to park drive; more water play facilities in the PROPONENTS OF- an extended West Vancouver beachfront seawalk link- ing the Centennial Seawalk at 18th Street and the Ambleside walkway at 14th Street will be strolling ‘‘infor- mal’’ waterfront pathways if recently released parks and recre- ation study proposals are implemented. By Michael Becker News Reporter The West Vancouver Water- front Directions Study pro- poses a ‘‘Kid’s Camp’’ for the waterfront area between 18th and 17th streets and retention of the John Lawson House. John Lawson Park would also be improved. Eastward to 14th Street, in an area the report calls ‘“*Argyle Village,’’ the municipality would selectively restore some of the houses it has bought south of Argyle Avenue ‘to develop a village- like atmosphere in the area and allow for community use.”’ The municipality would By Micheel Becker News Reporter children’s play area; more benches and drinking fountains, beach volleyball, basketball and badmin- ton facilities. Estimated cost: $4,425,200. *Boat Basin: Among the im- provements recommended are new seawalk construction, yacht club improvements, new fencing and landscaping. Estimated cost: $431,250. Dunderave Park © Ambleside Landing: The area could see a new public washroom, a sedesigned plaza, new fur- nishings, landscaping and lighting. Estimated cost: $339,250. © Argyle Village: Major compo- nents here include the renovation of about six municipally-owned houses at a cost of $630,000, the paving of Argyle Avenue with in- terlocking paving stones, extensive landscaping, beach creation and a plaza at 15th Street. Estimated cost: $2,121,750. ¢ Jobn Lawson Park: The park is slated to get a new washroom, a new pier, beach and landscaping improvements, new paving at 16th Street and a beach walk. Estimated cost: $971,750. © Kid's Camp: This site could see major lindscaping; the renovation See Input page 5 . Ravvy Jack Point Wednesday, April 1, 1992 - North Shore News - 3 One killed, wo injured in NV crash High-speed chase ends in tragedy ONE MAN was killed and two others were sent to hospi- tal in critical condition early Saturday following a high- speed motor vehicle crash in North Vancouver. The fatal accident occurred as Vancouver police were purruing a stolen Toyota van. According to a Vancouver police spokesman, the van was taken from the 800-block East 6th Avenue some time overnight be- tween Friday and Saturday. The police were called after the van was observed driving on a sidewaix in east Vancouver. Oc- cupants of the vehicle were tossing botties out the windows. The van was chased across the Second Narrows Bridge where it went out of control in North Vancouver. A North Vancouver RCMP traffic analyst determined that the van was travelling over 150 km/h at the time of the crash. North Vancouver District Ald. Rick Buchots, whe was on his way to play golf at about 6 a.m., saw the van tumbling towards him on the rasdway near the Coach House Inn. + ‘As I raised my eyes, there’s chis white van coming over the hill sideways, rolling side over side toward me. It all happened so fast. The thing was spinning towards me and bodies were liter- ally flying out of the thing,” Buchols said. He saw three men catapulted from the vehicle. Herbert Martin Hanuse, died at the scene. The 17-year-old driver and 19-year-old Raymond Wadhams were thrown out and ahead of the van. “They're bouncing along the pavernent, and the van keeps on coming and rolls right over top of them and comes to rest on top of 2i, By Michael Becker News Reporter them on its side. Unbelievabiy, the back door opens up, and this guy Staggers out and starts running away,” he said. Passengers Ivan Hackett and Richard Valischuk, both 2! and. both of Vancouver, sustained minor injuries. Meanwhile Buchols pulled his vehicle over as the van came to a stop. “ft thought, ‘Jesus, should I see how they are or do I go get an ambulance?’ About 15 to 30 se- conds after the thing came to a stop all these police cars came over the hill,’’ he said. " Buchols and some police of- ficers lifted the van off tie tvo crushed men. ‘*Honest to God, | thought there was no way those guys would be alive,"’ he said. : The accident has !eft shaken. “it’s horrific. [t’s not a pretty sight. I1 churns your stomach to ‘watch something like that. I sell get a little choked up when I start telling the story. The police, to their credit, came over on Satur- day, and they got me in touch with their counsellor,’’ he said. The Vancouver police are recommending charges of theft over $1,000, possession of stolen property over $1,000, dangerous driving, criminal negligence caus- ing death and initiating a police pursuit be laid against the 17- year-old driver. Buchols THE West Vancouver masterplan calls for approximately $34 million worth of improvements to the waterfront area. Avenue’s shared street fur- ‘“‘enhance Argyle character as a automobile-pedestrian with pavers, plantings, nishings and parking.’* As planned, Argyle Village fronts onto Argyle. Pathways link the strip between 18th and 14th streets. The area would incorporate publiz access points to the beach. Said Ambleside Merchants Organization chairman Robert Harrington, ‘‘The completion of the seawalk between 18th Street and Ambleside Beach has been long awaited by the residents of West Vancouver. For many years the enjoyment of the walk has been hampered by the necessity to detour along Argyle Avenue. ‘*] was disappointed to see that in the new plan, the seawalk still does not continue along the seashore. In fact, the sea view is obstructed by struc- tures the municipality intends to retain.” ” West Vancouver has been buying up waterfront propercy between 14th Street and 18th Street since 1977. The municipality has thus far pur- shased 21 properties in the area. In one case last year, the municipality spent $1.2 million for a single property in the 1700-block of Argyle. Said West Vancouver direc- tor of parks and recreation Kevin Pike, ‘‘We have been | paying in the region of a millon dollars a piece. With the latest ones, we have made ar- tangement for life tenancies so people can remain there as long as they live. And for that there is a lesser paying price.”’ West Vancouver plans to buy 10 more properties in the area. Pike confirmed that the municipality intends to retain some of the waterfront houses bought. Said Pike, ‘‘The study did not determine which houses will stay and which will go — we haven’t got to that point yet. We've been taking them down. We will evaluate each one as we do it."” But said West Vancouver resident Gerry Harrington, “They were originally going to demolish them all and make a park with a seawall. “Now they want to retain some of the. houses and lease them out for different uses and not put the seawall along the waterfront. I think they are - trying to fudge this through.”” Meanwhile, Ambleside and Dundarave Ratepayers Association vice-president Lionel Lewis also questions the plan to retain some of the houses bought by the municipality along the Argyle waterfront. “What is the point in buying the houses and retaining the houses? It should be open ground all the way along as much as possibie,”’ he said.