6 - North Shore News — Sunday, November 14, 1999 Short-ter! U have to wonder how BC fer- ries ever manage to find Vancouver Island. The compa- ny’s senior planning staff have their collective heads so far in the sand it’s more likely that Australia is on the horizon. On Monday night, BC Ferries’ pres- ident. Bob Lingwood unveiled the troubled corporation’s latest version of its plan to cover Horseshoe Bay in con- crete. Instead of the $10-million plan shelved a year’ ago, Bay-side residents are promised a $27-million terminal . ion that includes a $12-million __ holding compound, a $7-million three- storey parkade on the existing parking lot, a $5. 5- million ticket and adminis- tration - building, and a $2.8-million “maintenance facility next to Berth 3. It’s true that the new, improved and three-times-as-costly terminal / expan Lo resident and founding member of the Northwest - Wildlife ‘Preservation Society Tony Webb, on the nced to bears that venture into urban arcas of the North Shore, (From a Nev. 5 News story.) seek alternatives to shootin re naan during : ier A that includes a garage ‘av. 7. News stary. ) ue West Var couver parent: Richard’ Ki ion.to sit-on a:task fore es .taxon money +f: vom a Nor.7 News story), ar, ON a pron ficial n PST. Kinar ixing protests against. che’ impo: arcnts for school « sion plan does not call for commercial and retail space to compete with the community’s own merchants, but that appears fo be the extent of the listening done by BC Ferries’ management. Horseshoe Bay residents have been asking BC Ferries for years to take . responsibility for the traffic woes that ferry-bound cars create in and around the area. However, we don’t believe that biasting a hole in the hillside and covering it in concrete and asphalt at enormous expense was precisely what they had in mind. Where exactly is this company’s ong-range plan? What level of com- muter. misery is required before the Iona Island ferry terminal is built? And why can’t the money for Horseshoe Bay and Iona be put towards a toll bridge to Vancouver Island? Is anyone looking to the future, or just Australia? Low turnouts mean happy c WONDERING how to vote next Saturday? Join the club. _ Municipal elections, often democracy, ares often its most con- . fusing — and dis- appointing. In the three North Shore municipalities this year there are 33 vacan- cies for mayors, councils” and school boards. - ; Competing for them are a total of 82 candidates, vo-thifds of them: :. .. “unknown even by name... to newspaper-reading North Shoie v voters until a couple of weeks ago. ‘of alist of propose no single one 35: ition “of -- _ questions. -By contrast, of course; every munici- pality does have its small hard core of cit- praised as thé purest form of Adding ta the confusion in North - Van District is‘ 19-question referendum “seeking yes/no answers to the dedication - ed parks. Since likely ‘direct: concern. to /. Mare than at mast” 10%, of the district . ps ulation — afd in the absence:oa the | lot of any cost: factors’ — it’s hardto. | | __See hew the majority of district electors ean possibly vote intelligently on ail 19° onesenescovescesossoeensssaceoorconassovescene smail percentage of eligible voters who * bother to cast their ballots at all —in 1996 an overall North Shore average of «' * 27%, ranging, from West Van's 34% to - - North Van City’s pathetic 19%. ITS A PROLIFER. HE WANTS To STAND VIGIL BESIDE OUR Pm MEPICINE ‘a \ CABINET NY relative ¢ to - tion, day'si “most ef efore we wring our i hands too hard, how- ever, over these figures, let’s face the main rea- - son for. theni: by and : large, most municipal ties operate too oan smoothly to get, many __ of their eligible voters “ina lather-about cle pressing items ont “personal agendas. : “We re talking often about.wage-earn ing’ ‘dads and moms with jobs to worry : - about, commuting problems to battle, mortgages to mect, kids to look ‘after, household chores to de, lawns to mov and, when possible, a littl enjoyable : time-out with themselves or friends to | Squeeze in. What these busy, busy folks need of city.hall is to be safe and comfortabl "their homes and on their-roads, to ave : schools, neighbourhood parks and ational facilitics available — ai! affordable pric : Which is precisely what the great ican taxes are usually held:r¢ property, vali “In short, municipali iraply. for. being, in ent, of all ‘three levels Of gov “2 Meanwhile, every ‘mari brings decisions. that- MUST: . the next three years. or. the many; Mayors or: thei must be chosen. Ret school trustees ep] referendum issucs res sat ing council - ae ant except I'm ant ft room ‘and the ° i jews. ie he influence of ndes.on the municipality's politics.’(Froin a ‘Nov. 12 Inquiring ‘Re, parter Feature ", Mtb Shore News, founded in 1963 a5 an” independant sulatan tewespapte ane quatderd unde Schedde 114, Paragsaph 111 of the ase Tet Act. s pysiahed each Wednesday, Friday ane Sunday by HR Pubsications Company and destrivuted to avery door on the 2 - Month Shors. Cvtada Post Consdian Pubieshaes. Mai Sates Pioduct Agreement No. 0967238. “izens who attend weekly council meet- “ings, read their local newspaper avidly, attend all- candidates. rallies, meet'the _contenders in shopping’ malls, study the, “brochures; and thus, vote and: conviction But these‘are ‘the heroic exceptions, They | make UP. most of the miserzbly Classified Manager -- : 906-5222 (787) . Entire contents @ 1999 UCN Publications Company. All ws reserved. vith. knowledge - majority of municipalities provide, mostly x -. problem-free. ‘ ‘Water flows, sewers wor! * garbage j is edllected; streets are paved, lighted, oh mes for the elderly.are maintained; | ~ served: by buses and patrolled by police; ation centres, playing fields and : espite periodic Ups'3 and downs, oa awill, there Pe ative? cow ef gt -' LETTERS TO THE EDITOR . Letters must inclixte your name, "adress & telephone number. WA email wanshaw @ dlvsctca ~ Managing Editor . 1 “aks Whitinon = _ Display Advetising Manager 880-0511 (317)