City and district

Wednesday, September 9, 1992 - North Shore News - 3

amalgamation unlikely

| NVC does not share NVD interest in united North Vancouver municipality

THE MUNICIPALITY OF
North Vancouver is a long
way from becoming a reali-

ty.

By Mariin Millerchip
Contributing Writer

And despite the claims of one
district councillor that an
amalgamation of the City and
District of North Yancouver
would save taxpayers money,
there is no agreement on the
merits of studying the issue.

The district recently agreed in-
camera that Mayor Murray
Dykeman should raise the matter
of amalgamation informally with
North Vancouver City Mayor
Jack Loucks after district Coun.

Quay concert

SHARI ULRICH performed at the Lonsdale Quay on Sunday with keyboardist Morry Stzarns in a
free outdcer concert as part of the summer eritertainment series. Ulrich has spent the last few
months touring the Canadian folk festival circuit and will head into the studio soon to record a

new album.

Joan Gadsby called for an in-
vestigation of the issue.

Dykeman confirmed with the
News that he has had private
discussions with Loucks.

Said Dykeman, ‘‘I told him we
would be interested in having
discussions and was told that they
(the city) were not at this point.’’

Dykeman said that while he
would be interested in looking at
the issue ‘‘any time’’ he was not
surprised at the city’s reaction.

“The neighborhood feeling that
I sense in many areas of the
district may be happening in the
city. That smallness is a good
thing,”’ concluded Dykeman.

But Gadsby maintains that
amalgamation would ‘‘result in
considerable financial savings
because of streamlining and less

duplication.’’

But several district councillors
have said that they see little
benefit to pushing for amalgama-
tion at this time.

City administrator Gerry Brewer
agrees.

Brewer told the News, ‘We're
really not interested in discussing
this further, but there seems to be
a continuing district interest in
raising the issue.

“They have been told we are
not interested, but they seem un-
willing or unable to consider the
intent behind the words.”’

And without the support of the
city, the province will not get in-
volved in any discussions about
arnalgamation, unlike 1967 when
then-Municipal Affairs Minister
Dan Campbel! stated that unless

NEWS photo Nell Lucente

| NV amalgamation issue has
long history on North Shore

TALKS, COMMITTEES,
_ Studies and two municipal
. votes are all part of the his-
. tory of amalgamation on
| the North Shore.

| By Martin Millerchip
" Contributing Writer

"Ever ‘since the city broke. away

from the district in 1907 there has-

. been discussion about returning to
the unified North Shore of 1891.

f The events listed here are just

some of the salient moments in an
ongoing debate. -

1963: North Vancouver Chamber
‘of Commerce (NVCC) and West

Vancouver Board of Trade in-

’ dicate “‘the necessity for a profes-
sional plan for amalgamation.”’
1965: West Vancouver supports
amalgamation of some municipal
services only. North Vancouver
City and District hire consultants
Ward and Associates.

” 4966: Ward study suggests unified
administration, eight-member
council and an annual savings of
more than $552,000.

© City hires Stevenson and Kellogg
Ltd. to comment on the Ward
report. The new study says annual
city cost of amalgamation would
be $156,000, while district would
save $135,000.
1967: Province threatens unilateral
referendum.
*Ciy conducts postcard ballot.
OF 5,835 ballots received, 53%
favor another amaigamation
study.
1967/8: Joint city/district
meetings on amalgamation at po-
litical and staff levels.
1968: Plebiscite bylaw drafted, but
city commissions Stevenson and
Kellog to report on new agree-
ment. Conclusions ambiguous.
“There is no clear cut, black
‘and white answer to amalgama-
tion. The taxpayer might pay an
initial price for amalgamation or
he might not. It will depend on
the policies aud effectiveness of
the amalgamated unit.’’
@NVCC urges residents to vote
“yes”? on amaigamation.
° City and district distribute sepa-
rate information leaflets because
they cannot agree on wording.
*® With almost a 50% voter turn-

out, ihe district votes: 90% in
favor of amalgamation. City resi-
dents vote 2,284 in favor, 2,283
oppcsed.

© Plebiscite fails as Municipal Act
required 60% majority in each
municipality.

1971: City accepts district invita-
tion for amalgamation talks. West
Vancouver declines.

* City alderman Jack Loucks
proposes straw ballot within city.
Mayor Tom Reid requires 55% of
city homeowners in favor to con-
tinue with amalgamation talks and
then writes to voters urging them
to vote ‘‘no.”’

® 2,167 vote in favor; 4,021 op-
pose.

1973: Municipal Act amended to
allow an overall majority to
decide amaigamation votes.

1974: Joint amalgamation com-
mittee formed. Joan Gadsby ap-
pointed.

1975: District agrees with NVCC
that Municipal Act
smaller city.

1976: District committee repre-
sentative Peter Powell recom-
mends against amalgamation.
Committee disbanded.

unfair to

the city and district initiated a
referendum the province would
act unilaterally.

Derek Trimmer, acting director
of the organizational policy
branch of the Ministry of
Municipal Affairs, Recreation and
Culture, confirmed that the pro-
vince has no interest in promoting
amalgamation.

“We are neutral, In many ways
it doesn’t matter to the province,”’
he said.

Trimmer said a referendum
would be required before a North
Shore amalgamation could take
place, but he noted that format
and approval percentage were no
longer contained within the
Municipal Act. ;

These would be set by the
minister upon the advice of the
affected municipalities and could
be based on approval in each
municipality or upon onc overall
vote.

But Trimmer noted, ‘‘Evern to
get to a vote requires a lot of
discussion, political approval in
effect.”” -

He said that both councils
would have to agree to jointly
study the implications of
amalgamation and appraise and
discuss with the public the politi-
cal and financial implications of
their findings before a vote could
be entertained.

Trimmer said the North Shore’s
situation was similar to White
Rock's proposal to join with a
portion of neighboring Surrey.

“Our minister has said he'd be
willing to look at it if Surrey was
willing to talk. Basically it’s the
same situation with North Van-
couver. There’s nothing there if
the city says no,’’ Trimmer said.

Distict Coun. Ernie Crist says
that amalgamation makes sense
but won’t happen until city coun-
cil starts to take the district
seriously.

“They feel the city is far more
efficiently run, and they are
tight,’’ said Crist. “I dan’t see
any outcry from the business
community, and if the citizens are
not interested what do you do?”’

Judi Ainsworth, managing and
business information officer for
the North Vancouver Chamber of

Commerce (NVCC), says the
chamber’s present position is that
amalgamation ‘‘is far more an
issue for the taxpayers and resi-
dents.”

Ainsworth told the News that
NVCC studies and recommenda-
tions made years ago ‘‘may or
may not be relevant anymore.’*

One such study, completed in
1963 in conjunction with the West
Vancouver Board of Trade, con-
cluded that the amalgamation of
all three North Shore
municipalities ‘‘would not only
provide more efficient utilization
of existing services, but also con-
siderable financial savings to the
taxpayers of these communities.”

Ainsworth refused further
comment, but she suggested that
the NVCC would be more inter-
ested in amalgamating city and
district business licensing and sign
bylaws.

“These are the two biggest
things that affect the business
community,”’ said Ainsworth.

District engineer John: Bremner
says any financial savings from
amalgamation are hard to quan-
tify, especially since union agrec-
ments would prevent job loss ex-
cept through attrition. .

But Bremner acknowledges that
there would be ‘‘a loss of duplica-
tioa and an economy of scale” as
well as a savings in senior staff
positions.

However, untess the city is will-
ing to come to the table, Gadsby’s-
vision of ‘‘an expanded
municipality right across the
North Shore’ is not. going .to
happen in the immediate future.

Perhaps the 1977 words of
district alderman Peter Powell are .
prophetic. .

Powell recommended against
amalgamation ‘‘on purely eco-
nomiz grounds,’’ but emphasized
that this was only a short-term
view.

He concluded, ‘I have never
looked on the matter of
amalgamation as any but a long-
term benefit and onc which in all
likelihood would not be realized in
my lifetime. ,

“I urge council to try to look to
the 2Jst century and_ let. their
imaginations loose."’

Decision in abduction
case expected Friday

NORTH VANCOUVER pro-
vincial court Judge Jerome
Paradis is scheduled to hand
down his decision Friday in the
case of a mar charged with
seven criminal offences, in-
cluding attempted murder .and
sexual assault with a weapon.
David Alexander Snow, 37,

had earlier pleaded not guilty
to one charge each of:

@ attempted murder; :
-@sexual assault with a
weapon; took

® sexual assault causing bodily
harm;

© overcoming resistance in the
commission of an offence:

@ misuse of a firearm;

® unlawful confinement;

.ous offender.

@ confinement against will.
Snow, from Orangeville, :
Ont., had pleaded guilty tol
charges laid against him, in-
cluding two counts of sexual
assault with a weapon, one
count: of sexual assault and ~

_four counts of armed robbery.

Snow was arrested July 12. at

-about 4 a.m. outside the Bridge.
-House restaurant on Capilano

Road in North Vancouver after -:'

‘the police found him standing ©
‘over a bound and gagged fe-.

male employee of the restau-
rant. | :
__-Crown. counsel Greg Weber .
has said he may attempt to
have Snow declared a danger-

®@ Budget Beaters... .
@ Business . .

@ Lifestyles
North Shore Now

@ TV Listings ........
@ What’s Going On

Weather
Thursday & Friday, mostly sunny. Highs 19°C, lows 10°C

Canadian Publications Mail Sales Product Agreement Number 0087238