NV City seek Jan-Christian Sorensen een Sorensen Contributing Writer NORTH Vancouver City couneil wants the feder- al and provincial governments to do their fair share in helping to combat homelessness on the North Shore. Council passed a motion Monday night to press the senior fev: els of government for funding to establish an emergency sheltes within the community. —_ No such facility currently exists on the North Shore, although a number of other organizations such as the Salvation Army, North Shore Neighbourhood House and Harvest Project provide daily assistance to the homeless. ; Council was responding to an intenm report of the North Shore Homelessness Survey, which is due to be completed this summer. The survey, distributed through health and social agencies within the area, aims to gain a better understanding of the needs OF people without appropriate shelter in the community and ree- ommend strategies to assist them. s funds Council to lobby Victoria, Ottawa to establish emergency shelter Of the homeless that completed the survey between last fuly and December, 80% identified adequate shelter as the service they would most lik: to see developed on the North Shore, far exceed ing shared katchen fauilities, a resource centre or laundry and show - erfa Ss Recause there is no North Shore shelter, area weltare ottices currently place m.ny homeless people in motels in East Vancouver, But Coun. Bil! Bell said that many of those people ope net to make the trek downtown, either because they dot have the trans- portation or dowt wish to face the often dangerous East Vancouver environment. “Going (to East Vancouver) is nor an alternative for some peo- ple because thev’re very atraid of entering that reals of drugs and alcohol,” he said. “That's why quite a few of them stay in North Vancouver. | think that’s tragic and it’s seincthing that we as a community shouldn't stand for. for Chapters looks at North Shore Layne Christensen News Reporter ichristensen@nsnewscom WEST Vancouver may soon be opening a new chapter in book selling. Following rumours of a Chapters opening in West Vancouver, the owner of the Hollyburn Medical Centre confirmed Monday that the mega-store is being consid- ered for the site. “Tam in negotiations with Chapters and E expect that I will be able to come to an agreement with them,” said Greg Rogers, vice-president of Toronto-based Trustcan Property Corp., the develop- ment arm of Canada Trust. The bank has a branch at the site, between l6th and [7th streets on the north side of Marine Drive. The addition of Chapters would effectively subsidize the rebuilding oof | the Hollyburn Medical Centre, a structure that docs not mect seismic codes, said Rogers. “They are a component of a larger project that ultimate- ly enables a new medical cen- tre to replace the other one that’s there.” Rogers said the develop- ment, which has yet to go before council, would be a phased project, with no inter- ruption of medical services during construction of the new medical centre. Building would begin next fall, if approved. Paul Merrick is project architect. “There are going to be four components to_ this building, all of which con- jures very significant public benefit,” said Rogers. Meanwhile, a 26,000 square-foot Chapters remains a key component of a propos- al to redevelop the Avalon Hotel property on Marine Drive in North Vancouver. The Avalon site is the only confirmed opening for a Chapters store in B.C. this year, said the company’s director of public relations Helena Aalto. The property’s owner, Mark Tames Group, will hold an information meeting at the site on Tuesday, March 28 at 7 p.m. Emergency io retire Bob Mackin News Reporter bmackin@nsnews.com FOR 11 years Ross Peterson has worked to prepare the North Shore for major emergencies. Now he's preparing for retirement. Peterson announced March 9 that he will leave his post as coordinator of the North and West Vancouver Emergency Program June I. Peterson has organized the development of emergency and disaster plans for the City of North Vancouver, District of North Vancouver and District of West Vancouver since 1989. He has also ted public education to prepare for the unexpected — like an earthquake. “The area [look back on with the greatest fondness and pride is the growing role of our volunteer groups that provide community ser- vice in emergency areas, emergency social ser- Mall musie QUEENSBURY, Ridgeway and Brooksbank school bands combined to create x 67-piece band March 10 at Park Royal shopping centre. Steve Toren conducted the session in West Vancouver. Itorth Vancouver bands played over a two-day period at the mall. eater vices, search and rescue, amateur radio conmmu- nications and our growing number of neighbor- hood and personal preparedness instructors.” Peterson said. Peterson was hired after working as a volun- teer with North Shore Rescue. “T felt there was enough similarities to the type of volunteering I was doing through the rescue team and what I felt the job required here as coordinator.” He was a member of NSR while working as a resource management consultant to the federal and provincial governments in the areas of fish- eries and wildlite. Peterson earned a masters” of science degree at the University of B.C. in 1965 and majored in zoology. “Fortunately we've not had major emergen- cies on the North Shore, but we've certainly learned a great deal by having council's blessing See Peterson page Wednesday. March 15, 2000 — North Shore News - 3 ESS “We should be pressing the ministry of social services to find some sort oF emergency housing for all the people in the North Shore.” Coun. Bob Fearnley expressed disappomumnent that shelter has- n't been provided vet for the homeless. “Td like to urge both council and staff to not let another sin- ter go by without providing some temporary shelter of some kind.” he said. Coun. Darrell Mussatto said that most common reason for homelessness identified in the report — the inability to pay rent —- highlighted the need for more attordable housing in North Vancouver, where the average monthly rent is $600, “The higher the rents yo, the more we're going to see the homeless,” he said. “Ht isn’t just dealing with people who are on the streets now but making sure thar po more people end up there.” Coun. Bell also fingered the province for turning the mentally challenged out of care facilities without having the proper social safety net in place to support them. “We need the province to properly deal with this issue,” he said. “If they did then we would have fess of the severe type of homelessness that we have.” NEWS photo Mike Waketieid NEWS photo Julie tverson THE North Shore’s emergency preparedness czar Ross Peterson is retiring at the end of May.