Weather

Monday: sunny with cloudy
periods,,windy High 7°C, low -2°C.
’,

SUNDAY
February 26, 1995

Home & Garden Show

is coming
Mon. March 6 to Sun. March 12

Tees
‘the news

4 Busines

@ Classifieds.....cccccun 36
BW CrosSWOFKd.cccseccinnn 4

Entertainment. .20
Municipal Affairs..............4
@ N. Shore Alert................10
a Sports. 14
a TRAV ON .eecssssecstcccsssnemnsarseennes

BRT Listings.........cccuce 24

NEWS photo Brad Ledwidge
B.C. FERRY Corp.'s Spirit of 8.C. has been at Vancouver Drydock on the North

Vancouver waterfront since Feb. 13 receiving minor repairs. The 167.5-metre (550-
foot) vessel is scheduled to Jeave on Feb. 28.

Spirit of B.C.

; F Vandals damage dis-

abled man’s van: 11

: @ North Van man fights
return to Iran: 3

fashion

‘Twenty fast and
.@asy tips to update
your wardrobe for
Springtime: 15

Critic Martin Millerchip’s
views on the North Shore
theatre community.

Report backs
Montroyal link

NORTH VANCOUVER District's con-
troversial Montroyal connector should
be built, according to an independent
consultants’ traffic study obtained by
the North Shore News.

By Martin Millerchip
Contributing Writer

And within 24 hours of the study’s publica-
lion, opposing groups of residents are already
arguing Whether funds for the road extension
should be included in the municipality's 1995
capital budget. .

The. plans to extend Montroyal Boulevard
eastwards to connect to Lonsdale and provide an
alternate easUwest traffic route above the Upper
Levels Highway have been on the drawing board
for years. :

The study by N.D. Lea Consultants Lid. not
yet presented to council, conctudes, “From a
technical ransportation viewpoint the Montroyal
Connector should be built.”

TBE RCLNICU ENE
] REACHING EVE

PROPOSED
LINK

LOSOALE | AVE.

Source. ND. Lea and Axsouates Lo.

NEWS graphic Linds Douglas

The report was commissioned by North
Vancouver District Council in September 1995 at
a cost af $18,500,

It was intended, in conjunction with planning
stalf reports, to provide the updated information
councillors said they needed to make a decision
on an is
tor years.

Council studied the consequences of pushing
Montroyal through to Rockland in 1984 when

sue that has set neighbor against neighbor

plans for the Braemar/Dempsey neighborhood
were being developed.

At that time it decided to approve the road link
of Braemar and Dempsey but placed the
Montroyal connector on hold, to be revisited if
needed.

Plans for the upcoming North Lonsdale
Official Community Plan (OCP) brought the
issue back to life last year because some state-
ment of intent on the Montroyal right-of-way will
be required in the OCP.

Mayor Murray Dykeman says the new report
wil] enable council to make a decision on the
Montroyal issue, But that study will likely prove
controversial.

Despite N.D. Lea’s conclusion, residents and
some councillors say the report can just as easily
be interpreted to support continued closure of
Montroyal.

“ts a-report that can dead you in two direc-
tions. Don't build the Montroyal connectar, Build
the Montreyal connector.” Coun, Janice Harris
told the News, “PE hive chosen the former path.
There is more information there that would lead
a thinking person to reject the connector.”

Ahmed Elneweihi, secretary of Montroyal
Ratepayers’ Association. also argues that the report
supports the view that the connector is not needed.

He fists a number of stutements contained in

See Connector page 5