| NV film industry | expansion pushed New studio proposals being considered | - Marcie Good Contributing Writer HOLLYWOOD North Vancouver District could be on its way, if ever thing sticks to the script of a staff report tabled Monday night. A film industry market study outlined the benefits of expanding opportunities and noted the competitive advantages the district promis- es. Those include: diverse filming sites of urban, waterfront and wilderness settings; a weak Canadian dollar that attracts foreign pro- ductions,; North Vancouver's proximity to Burnaby and Vancouver for post-production facilities; and suitable land for film studio development. In particular, the report identi- fied the Maplewood flats as an ideal location for a new studio. * . “Pm hoping that with initiatives such as this, Vancouver, including North Vancouver District, could vault into second place in North America (taking over New York City as second to Los Angeles),” said. Mayor Dor Bell. “Realistically that could happen in a very short time frame.” ° That bold prediction is already backed up by two separate proposals for a new film studio, currently under discussion between the inter- ested parties and district staff. : _ And, according to a May 26 letter to the dis- ict. mayor ‘from North Vancouver's World ribe marketing company, a letter of interest from one of the company’s clients is on fil2 with ancouver Port Authority regarding the devel- - opment of a film and television studio on a 39- “acre (16-hectare) Maplewood-ares site. : Poi “The details are: being kept confidential because of the competitive nature of the film »industry,”. said Bell. “But I’m hoping that we'll have something soon in which the expression - of interest can be more formally communicat- ed to council and to the public. So I think it’s quite exciting.” a. he -lands.on the north side of the Dollarton Highway in. the. 2400 block of Maplewood North have “good potential from both an industry market and community plan- ning perspective,” concluded the study com- pleted by district staff. The area, known as the Maplewood flats, is owned by the Vancouver Port Authority. While the Seymour Community Plain process is still under way, film industry devel- pment has been identified as a potential option for the vacant industrial property in Maplewood. Before the site could be devel- oped, several technical studies would b required, including environmental, geotechni- cal, enginecring, transportation /trattic, and financial cost/benefit. But members of council expressed much enthusiasm about the prospect. . “I have had lots of excited phone calls trom people in the Maplewood area,” said Coun. Doug, MacKay-Dunn. “I would hate to see the situation wait for an extended period.” - Coun. Janice Harris agreed that a film stu- dio would be an excellent opportunity. “What will follow naturally in its wake is a renewed and revitalized Maplewood,” she said. “I think it would be an economic legacy for our community to feel very proud about.” The site offers several advantages because its size would accommodate a large-scale rurpose- built studio and offer possible room for expan- sion. This type of studio, the report noted, is in high demand. Development of this site would generate an estimated 900 to 2,600 jobs and an annual © municipal tax revenue ranging from $1.1 mil- lion to $2.4 million. North Vancouver District already stars on the silver and the small screen: of 198 produc- tions shot in B.C. in 1999, 82 were filmed in the district. Those included 22 feature films, 52 television movies, and 10 television series. The report also noted that Capilano College is looking at options for expanding its : film studies program in order to mect the employment demands of the industry. While the college already has a close working rela- ; tionship with Lions Gate Studios, another stu- : dio would allow students to gain experience : and eventually provide employment. closes beach ollution closes Panorama for the second time this year THE North Shore Health Region (NSHR) has closed: Deep Cove’s Panoramia beach for the sec- nd time this.season due to high fecal coliform nincntal officer Paul Markey closed the each last: week when tests revealed the count to be 195 col- forms per: 100 millilitres of water. The NSHR closes beaches hen the coliform count reaches 200, said Markcy. None of the other four North Shore beaches that are regu- arly tested — Eagle Harbour, Ambleside, Dundarave and Cates Park = own signs of excessive coliforms. Markey said the NSHR is currendy trying to determine the source of the Deep Cove pollution. Panorama beach has suffered from chronic coliform poflu- ince the mid-1980s. here’s probably quite a few contributing factors,” he said. “The problem with Decp Cove is that it’s shallow and quite warm so the opportunity for bacterial multiplication is greater.” -Possible causes of the high coliform count include dog and geese feces and boaters releasing the contents of holding tanks nto Deep Cove harbour. The beach ‘was first closed on May 3} when the coliform countreached 225, Last summer the area was closed from June 28 until Aug. 6, when the count dropped to the low 130s. Health risks associated with swimming at the beach include astrochteritis, diarrhea and skin and eye irritation, said Markey. “Revised coliform counts are released every Thursday and are ailable by calling. NSHR at 983-6897. Eagle Harbo: Cates Park — 49 1 _ | NEWS photo Terry Peters NEWS photo Julie Iverson Hug and tug JACK Hilliard and nine-month-old son Beviin enjoyed Father's Day on Sunday aboard Theodore Tugbeat at Waterfront Park. : : a Lost NV youngster — found near highway — Jan-Christian Sorensen Contributing Writer eos A day late, North Vancouver’s Eddie Lee received |: the best Father’s Day present of all...) ee ts His nine-year-ald. son Dwight, missing for ;20: hours. in.” woods around the Squamish area, was returned safe and soun The pair, along with Dwight’s older brother Edward, were’ ~ returning from a fishing trip in the Petgill Lake area on Sunday.” _afternocn when Dwight ventured too far ahead on the trail. _ “Dwight usually sticks with us but had badly sprained my ankle on the way in and I guess our pace was pretty slow,” said « Eddie. ce ee ee When the Lees made it back to the parking lor, they realized thar Dwight didn’t make it out ahead, as they had thought. The Lees then contacted Squamish RCMP, who in turn’... called our search and rescue squads from as far away, as Surrey: and Coquitlam. : : ‘ “I was worried that he would panic. when darkness feil,”. ’- Eddie said. 7 : : ce! ; "See Boy page 8 : Boy dies in highrise fall A 10-year-old Pitt Meadows boy died on Sunday © after he fell from the 10th floor of a Seymour ighrise. ; ee ” According to the North Vancouver RCMP, the boy was vis-; iting his grandparents when he fell from a balcony in a highrise -. in the 900-block of Roche Point Drive. The highrise is located: near Parkgate Village Shopping Centre. Sipe t Police say the boy had recently talked about suicide and was on medication for depression. «He was taken to Lions Gate Hospital. where. he: was: pro- nounced dead. ps ’ An autopsy was performed on Monday. Autopsy results were not available. Following. notification of next of kin, the dead THE North Shore Health Region has, closed Deep boy was identified by police as Darcy Michael Glaeser. = ° ‘Cove's Panorama beach again this year. ; De _ |. oaAnna Marie D’. ' ’ '