Clean up Dear Editor: Re: dumping in North Vancouver District parks. As a member of the North Vancouver District park advi- sory committee, 1] would like to thank the group of over 5Q volunteers and principal organizer Gerry Leering for the very successful June cleanup of McCartney Creek canyon and trails in Windridge Park. The material taken from the canyon slope, the creck bed and the park filled six dumpsters and included large quantities of yard waste; from leaves and grass cut- tings to tree branches and entire ornamental trees. This material was interlay- ered, with ordinary fhouse- hold garbage in biack plastic bags. One dumpster was filled with tires, another with metal objects including bicy- cles, a fridge and a Gestetner machine. Otker materials included . bundles of undelivered news- - papers and one damaged all- terrain vehicle. None of this material is bicdegradeble. Particularly serious is that deep and com- pacted. vegetable material _will not compost, nor will it “allow new growth to come - Build better N. Van bylaws Dear Editor: In connection with North ’ Vancouver District’s ongoing study. of the building bylaws for. the | Canyon - Heights/Forest Hills area, 1 ‘recently walked every street in that area. I paid attention ‘to évery house, its setting and yard, and the nature of the “ padividual streets. Then [ con- sidered their cumulative effect “as the character of the neigh- bourhood. _: What do you experience on almost any street in ‘this area? Greenery, tall ever- greens, beautiful “Lictle gar-- “dens, lawns, tranquility, space, mountains pressed against the sky, a sense of safety, quaint ‘homes -in the post-war style - “that nestle in their settings, + peacefulness, clean streets and -clean air. . - up through it, However, it will allow water to pass down through it causing crosion of the rootless soil beneath. Silt is easily moved down the steep slope into the stream where it impacts the insect larvae which are the food of the fish. What makes such dump- ing so obnoxious is thae it has taken place within a dis- trict park and within a stream drainage recognized as cco- logically endangered. Iegal dumping is not only ecotogically destructive, bur entirely unnecessary, as there are cost-free and con- venient ways of disposing of all the unwanted materials found in Windridge Park. As has been well pubir- cized, unlimited quantities of garden trimmings in clear plastic bags are collected on the same day as regular garbage collection. Perhaps not so well publi- cized ts thac larger-sized yard trimmings and untreated, unpainied wood, if limited to 100 kg (220 Ib.) per day, can be left free of chasse, at the North Shore Transter Staticit (NSTS) ar 30° Riverside Dyrive (three blocks south of Dollarton Highway and cast of the Second Narrows Bridge). What a jewel of a neigh- bourhood, surprisingly close to a vigorous city! I'm proud te live here, and [ feel very lucky to have purchased 2 home in this unique area. Occasionally, however, | noted very large, new houses dwarfing those around them, with roollines intruding inte their neighbours’ viewscapes of greenery, mountains and sky. Both the inappropriate size and incongruous style of these houses jarred my senses. T grew up in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, recently named 3 World Heritage Site because of its famous 19th century architecture, and perhaps that makes me sensitive to. the character of neighbourhoods. Tuis experience compels me to point out thar the area bounded by the Upper Levels local park north shore news ATE ROX NSTS will also take large appliances and mozor-oil fil- ters. The recycling — depor, opposite the NSTS, will rake cardboard, magazines, etc. More intormation regard- ing, waste removal can be obtained on North Vancouver District’s Web site or by calling 929.5471 (NSTS) or 981- 3124 (recycling depor). O.her illegal dumping sites no doubt exist through- out the district. One of these is also in Windridge Park: at the end of Windridge Drive (south side of the road and down the steep slope into the park). ‘The readers’ co-aperation in identifying further sites would be appreciated as other cleanups could be organized. For sites identified in district parks Gr greenspace areas please call the writer (924-0147 or 688-0044) or Kevin Bell, section man- ager, Natural Parkland, North Vancouver District (990-2800) oor North Vancouver District scnier park ranger Graham Knell (990-3812). David L. Cook North Vancouver Highway, Delbraok, Montroyal, and the Capilano River is a unique neighbour- heod of post-war architecture, of potential global significance — ifit can be maintained. If its character cam be pre- served, I telieve the neigh- bourhood 1 cy eventually be worthy of designation as. 3 World Heritage site. That does not mean, of course, that new houses can- not be built, nor old houses renovated. I suggest chat all construction ought to con- form: to the prevailing post- war scale and style. Let’s recognize and appre- ciate what we have by incor- porating this aim in the buila- ing bylaws for Canyon Heights/Forest Hills. Linda M. McDoneli Imecconell@netcom.ca Look at the new closet organizer ‘I got to fit all. my clothes! We have designed a closet organizer with a typical child’s needs in mind. There's a “home for al! their stuff,” whether it’s ten pairs of runners or ail their play dress-up clothes! ” YOODLINES CUSTOR BUILT FURNITURE FOR HOME OR OFFICE § Mon-Fri 9-5 ° Sat 10-4 Dear Editor: Re: Carolanne Reynolds Aug. 13 letter to the editor: ‘Vhree Cheers for West Van rec process, Although I didn’t get a look at the recreation facilities mas- ter plan. T have it on good authority that a proposal made as recendy as 1996 to have the Ambleside boat Jaunch ramp enhanced/expanded is not in the current plan and apparently never even made it to council. Nomithstanding that park- ing ts, anc will remain, a con- tentiows issue, failing che cze- ation of 2 close-in alternative site, Ambleside remains the smal) boaters’ primary access point to the Capilano coho run. And that is largely all we will get this year with the sockeye salmon fishing, closure. And yet West Vancouver Diswrict is apparently loathe to improve on this facility. I wonder how many readers realize that at the lower low rides, the ramp is unusable except for cartoppers that can be walked to and from the water across 2 coo shallow and too short lower ramp? Think about this: how would the West Vancouver Fire Department or other trailered emergen response boats access the water in time of need if they have to wait for the right tide? I wonder also how many people realize that the “finger” beside the ramp to the cast is too short, too narrow and too slippery much of the time to be safely relied upon for the user to walk his boat onto or off a trailer into rhe water when’ Fiidav, September 3, 1999 — North Shore News ~ $ water depth is otherwise ade- quate? Many of us have received an anwanted soaking and scrapes if not worse due to this haz- ardous situation. And all this begs the issue of the need fora wider ramp capa: ble of simultanceusly handling two beat crailers te meet the volume of current needs. Many boaters are presently forced to trailer ail the way over to the Vancouver facility near the planetarium by the Burrard Bridge because of the inade- quacy of launching facilities on- the North Shore. There is no public facility available for boar launching between Ambleside and Cates ¢ W. Van needs boat ramp Park on the cast, or berveen Ambleside and Herseshoe Bay to die west. Is it not time that West Van improved what we do have if an alternative location cannot be identified? This curely should be part of the current budget process as well as the master plat. Past pleas to the district appear to have fallen on deaf cars. How about it, Mayor Boname, isn’t it time that we accept reality and provide ade-’ quare facilities for all recre- ational users? Brian Coldwells President Lions Gate Anglers West Vancouver