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News 985-2131 lassified 986-62 22 Distribution 986- _ 36 pages 25¢

IN A surprise move Monday night, North Vancouver City
Council reversed its previous decision to proceed with clos-

ing down secondary suites.

Council voted to defer action on
the closure of secondary suites on
the 200 block of West 6th Avenue,
despite a majority of council
members voting against a year-
long moratorium on suite closures
last November,

Ald. John Braithwaite cited the
escalating rental crisis as the
reason behind the switch.

““‘We don't want to turn anyone
out on the street,’’ said
Braithwaite.

Instead, it is likely that council
will defer action on illegal suites
for several months.

**We instructed staff not to close
down the suites until such time as
council had dealt with the issue of
secondary suites,’’ said Ald. Bill
Bell.

Ald. Rod Clark voted in favor
of deferring action. ‘*(Secondary
suites) are providing low-cost
housing,’’ he said.

*“*l would like to see a
neighborhood by neighborhood
review of the illegal suite policy by
the city,’’ said Clark.

The suites were discovered du7-
ing a city inspection of the

premises for a business licence ap-
plication.

Under similar circumstances in
the past, the city has required
non-conforming suites to be shut
down.

But in a letter to council, owner
John Henderson argued against
the closure of the suites.

“No complaints have been
received regarding the present
use,’ said Henderson.

Henderson said shutting down
the suites would eliminate some of
the affordable housing in the city.

“Replacing four moderately
priced suites with two expensive
suites runs counter to recently
stated objectives of council,’’ said
Henderson.

He also said that shutting down
the suites would be unfair to the
tenants.

“Evicting existing tenants on 30
day's notice will be a hardship
because of the current shortage of
affordable rentals,’ said Hender-
son.

NV CITY CALLS FOR RENTALSMAN
Municipalities asked

to support lobby effort

AFTER MONTHS of lobbying the provincial government
to return the rentalsman’s office to B.C., North Vancouver

City Council
municipaiities for help.

City council voted Monday
night to call for an emergency
meeting of the municipalities to
approach the province as a group
and ask for a reinstatement of the
rentailsman at the next sitting of
the legislature.

“The intent is to try and get the
impact of all the municipalities
looking at unfair reni increases,"
said Ald. John Braithwaite.

Ald. Rod Clark said he had ‘‘no
quarrel with the rentalsman’s of-
fice if it were only there to ad-
judicate and act on behalf of the
tenants.""

But he said he was concerned
that bringing in the rentalsman

Rae ses

is turning to other Greater Vancouver

By CORINNE BJORGE
Contributing Writer

would also bring in rent controls.

“Rent controls have been
proven economically not to work.
Construction tails off, and rent in-
creases,’’ said Clark. ‘In the long
run, tenants suffer.”’

Braithwaite said the rentalsman
and rent controls were two sepa-
rate issues.

‘Rent review is first and
foremost so that tenants have a
process they can use. Right now
they have nothing,’’ said
Braithwaite.

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NEWS photo Terry Patlers

NURSES AT Lions Gate Hospital are marking National Non-Smoking Week by distributing special bibs
to bakies born on Weedless Wednesday, January 24. Inscribed ‘I’m a born non-smoker,'’ the bibs make §
the point that everyone is born free of the smoking habit, and it pays to stay that way. Here, Terry §
Methven’s (left) daughter Jessica — born on Tuesday — models the bib. RN Marion Cameron (cight) 2
watches on. LGH will have a display at the hospital this week to encourage people to quit smoking. :