jundarave Gafe becomes The rit No pub licence but WV restaurant adds pub feei Katharine Hamer News Reporter khamer@usnews.com JOHN Wicechold isn’t going to let his lack of a pub licence get in the way of his customers having. a good time. - The owner of the Dundarave Cate had his hoped-for pub licence scuppered by West Vancouver council back in’ March. During a public hearing at municipal hall that stretched across two successive meetings, a number of vociferous opponents to the notion of a neighbourhood pub spoke out against council approving the licence. The Friends of Dundarave Improvement Society and its supporters expressed concern about excessive noise levels, traffic, and: misbe- . haviour on the part of pub patrons from out- _ side the area. ‘.. The restaurant's proyimity to Irwin Park “school was also cited as a reason not to grant a . pub licence. . However Wicchold insists that “95% of people in West Vancouver supported a neigh- aurhood pub. Council listened to the 5% who didn't.” “Wiechold has-now gone into partnership with Chris Bradley, the owner of The Brit Restaurant on Lonsdale Ave. The Dundarave Cafe willbe rechristened. The Brit, with a relaunch taking place at 6 p.m. tonight. The intention is to make the establishment “as much like a pub as possible without being ub,” There will be live music from Thursday to Sunday, says Wiechold — with a variety of bands playing everything from easy listening to Top 40. : He says the restauran: does not need coun: es approval for the renaming or the added entertainment — and says he has not been approached by any neighbours concerned about the new venture, “Hyon were to stand out on the boulevard, you wouldn't be able to bear music blaring from inside the restauraat.” At its Sept. 25 meeting, West Vancouver . council debated a motion to support Wiechald’s application to the Liquor Controt and Livencing Branch te add a patron partict- pation entertainment endorsement to his crist- ing Class *B" Dining Room ficence. Council deferred voting for a week atter neighbours of the restaurant came forward to ask what “patron participation entertainment” included. One expressed concern in a letter that the endorsement would make way for “noisy Irish style and British-style pubs with sing-alongs” where the emphasis is on “alcohol rather than food.” When he appeared before council on Oct. 2 Wiechold said | he’ “d had fiarp and piano music in the restaurant for years and sometimes patrons wished co dance, “and it’s not allowed under my licence.” Alongside the current continental menu, the new Brit will feature such traditional cui- sine as steak and kidney pie, fish and chips, and mushy peas, Wiechold promises Kilkenny, Guinness, Tetleys and Caffreys on tap, as well as a special “Brir ale.” “Chris is from Manchester, and I've got an Englishman, a Scotsman, and a Welshman working on the renovation. I'm learning all sorts of trivia about Britain by osmosis,” he grins. From | paige 1 The “NVRC receives money from both the city and the district. In 1999, the nw ommission — including administration costs, facilities, and pro; ns — to the une of $6,061,736, Public recreation centres don’t.“pay municipal |property - cs, municipal utilities levies, or for a. business licence. As well, the buildings,’ facilities and land used by the rec centres “gre owned by the municipalities. ° ‘In contrast, the Baumgartners pay 60,000 in property taxes to the City of larch Vancouver, the cost for their util- ies went up last year, plus they're pay. ing interest on the capital expenditures "- incurred to opén the gym and buy new. uipment. Smill wonder, said Roy, that c centres can cilarge lower member- ‘ship fees. He said he can trace losses in . his client. base and revenues back to the competition. provided: by the publicly- funded rec centres. “NVRC director Gary Young agreed that the commission has spent a lot of money” on’ its fitness centres in recent and ‘he. said he appreciates t ‘the garters’ position. tely understand. But we've done detailed studies and there’s a high demand from the public for, recreation“ Issue one of publ “municipalities subsidized the - ZA : - NEWS photo Mike Wakefield ROY and Wade S2umgartner ~ (left to right) worry that compe-. tition from public rec centres wilt put Gold's out of business. services: The people wi ho live here are looking to their municipalities for that — they elect councils that make recre- ‘ation a priority.” © . The NVRC currently has- about ; the North Shore. According to Young About 1,000 of the recreation commis- 11,000 members, while Gold's between! 4,000 to 5,000. aac ‘a health issue,” Roy pointed out that if it was any other type of business: a-restaurant, or an auto mechanic, for example, it wouldn’r be allowed. “But this isn’t a restaurant issue, it’s said Young. He pointed out that the North Shore was recently chosen as the healthiest. region in : Canada by Maclean’s magazine. “That's the culture of the North Shore — the fitness levels are very high. ‘Actually, we're hearing the opposite from our members, they want greater levels of subsidy and lower fees.” Roy’ said that could mean a death .. knell for the private clubs. “What [ can see happening eventual- ly is that private health clubs, places that: offer Kickboxing, or anything to do with fitness wen’t be able to compete with these huge monolithic public recreation centres .., So I'm paying taxes to fund direct competition against myself — ’m paging to put myself out of business.” That’s why the Baumgartners are joining a growing movement, which. began in the United States, to fight gov- ernment-subsidized health clubs. : It would be different, he’ said, if the municipalities were only providing free recreation for iow-income residents of sion’s members took advantage of its financial assistance program last year. “To the rest of its members, the NVRC is “selling fitness,” ‘said Roy.. “It's a commercial activity.” And he’s not impressed by the way thev’re doing it either, A recent brochure published by the rec commission ta explain fee increases included a chart comparing its fes to those of private health clubs, including Gold’s. |. “When you think about it, it’s ridicu- lous: the same’ body that we pay our - taxes to, and is determining that our costs should go up, is competing against. “us, and is publishing our rates in their: advertising saying, ‘Look at us . + We're cheaper’.” Although many. of his concerns are’ self-motivated he pointed out that municipal taxpayers should be con- cerned too, “Less than 10% of the pop: ulation of North Vancouver are_mem- . bers, but they’re all paying for it. ° “You read ift the papers all the time about how the district has no money for . © fields, no funding for artificial turf, “that the gymnastics club doesn’t have ade- quate space and the hockey arenas and the swimming pools need upgrading ...: that’s where the: recreation money | should be going, not a million’ dollars : on fitness equipment.” dealt -: * Environment NEWS onoto Cindy Goodman NEW partners Chris Bradiey {left) end John Wiechold at the former Dundarave | Cafe, now known as The Brit, will offer live entertainment and traditional fars. : ic health says ree director Bear officer ote _ Keith Lowe Contributing Writer; “ YOU can scare.a bear, but scaring up cash is a different matter. : So while North Vancouver . District council supports the idea of hiring a seasonal con ” servation “officer, ‘it. is: depending on the province foot the bills.. “Monday.” nigh voted © unanimously ‘to ‘sup: port the hiring of a conserva- tion. * officer ‘~ ffom “June: through September to handi all bear complaints con’ the? 2. North Shore.” In ‘approving the motion’: yy. Coun. “Janice *: however, i amended: the section” that with .. ‘cost‘sharing : between ., three : ‘North » voted to ne the provinci Ministry . “assum: financial responsibility for the hiring. : Harris commented that 36 bears were killed last’ year on fy-run ‘the North Shore and fel Thieves steal boy’ S$ hudr Catherine Barr" Contributing Writer | ELEVEN-year-: THE story”. jn the ' North Shore. News - Sunday, Oct. 8 edition headed “Chrétien *~ visits Capilano” mis-attributed a comment made .. by.” MP John. Reynolds (West © Vancouver-Sunshine Coast) ‘and: made. it appear. that ‘the infermation was also. sup- ta by MP Ted White (North Vancouver). The. ‘paragraph: that began “White .and Reynolds said their party...”.should have said: “Reynolds ‘said their. party_had“done' very well’ against the Liberals: in ‘recent. poils, with the latest: Angus Reid poll showing the Alliance Party’ ahead: of the gov roment t for the’ first “some deaths, “incltiding ‘the latest RCMP shooting; would have been preventable. had a ’ ‘conservation officer been pre- close to two years to complete. ‘Travis and his dad 9 spent ; hours installing the engine, and sanding and painting it - -in preparation for fun-filled water sports. - ~”. But now those dreams are over and the family i is: appealing to the public for help... oe . . “J went fora bike ride looking for it when’ I heard i it. was stolen,” said young Travis. “I couldn’t find it.” ‘Travis and his family are - devastated by the loss and have even offered a reward for its safe return::: The hydroplane was mounted on top of a tent trail-’ ‘er in the backyard and-secured tightly: with » ropes in preparation for a weekend at the lake. cee, ae -old Travis Kingston got : as horrible sinking feeling when he learned «- that someone stole his homemade hydroplane. “The 600 Ib, sin - from the Kingston The resolution wiil now be forwarded to the. Miniser .. Environment for their consi Doug MacKa' “Dunn ‘also expressed interes’ in ‘receiving: a report on. th _ status of the Dear-xits that had wed boat” was taken Vancouver backyard somewhere between I] a.m. and J. p.m. on Tuesday "September 26, And despite all their efforts to find it, no _.Clues have surfaed. ss 2 The %¢ hydropiane was a father-son project. thar. took : le person “s ily’s No The News : regrets any inconveni nce e the a error. ma have caused anyone.