YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER SINCE 1969 | January 9, 1987) News 985-2131 NORTH VANCOUVER'S Park Plaza Country Club will close Jan. 16 leaving 11 employees without work and 660 members without a club. News Reporier Park Plaza general manager Az Ansari said loss of the $1.4 million facility was ‘tvery upsetting. And not because of any financial reasons, but because of the children who use the facility.” Ansari said the club’s closure will sink the Park Plaza’s suc- cessful junior figure skating, squash and tennis programs and leave the many North Shore schools that use the club without racquet sports facilities. PARK PLAZA general manager Az Ansari..."‘very upsetting.”” Ansari said he feared the recre- ation facilities, once sold, will be replaced by a townhouse or similar development. Formerly the Capilano Winter Club and the Courthouse West racquetball club, the Park Plaza was placed in receivership June 13, 1986 following a court order that appointed the Thorne Riddell ac- counting firm (now Thorne, Ernst & Whinney) the property's receiver-manager. On July 31, Canada Trustco Mortgage Co., which holds the property's mortgage and, accor- ding to court documents, is owed about $2 million by Park Plaza, applied to the courts to allow Thorne Riddell permission to sell the 4.38-acre property. But a Nov. 12 B.C. Supreme News takes you to the movies THE NORTH shore News is cow publishing focal und) Vanecousee mavse listing advertisements from Cineples Odeon aad Famous Players. You can check the mosie ads every Fridays in the News’ Entertainment section for easy access to the latest feature films plasiog at Cheatres in the communaiQy, Look for todas 's listings on page 15, Classified 986-6222 Distribution 986-1337 68 papes 25¢ a Court decision ruled against an application by Thorne Riddell to close the club. The decision upheld AACK Enterprise Ltd.’s Jease, which for- bade Park Plaza to do anything that would jeopardize AACR’s li- quor ficence at the club. AACR operated the club's bar and banquet facilities when . it became the Courthouse West in 1979, prior to Canada Trustco assuming the property's mortgage. Before Dec. 17, any sale of the club would have been subject to continuation of AACR’s lease, but a Dec. 17 court decision ruled that Canada Trustco, as the mortgager, had priority over AACR and its lease, and consequently could sell the property free of any encum- brances. A subsequent court order to close the club was handed down two days later. AACR plans to appeal the Dec. 17 decision. After 3 p.m. Jan. 16 only the Park Plaza’s ice rink and bar and banquet facilities will be open. The club’s six squash, seven racquetball and seven tennis courts, aiong with its weight train- ing room, sauna, pool, jacuzzi and aerobic exercise facilities, will all be closed. Ansari said people who pur- chased Park Plaza memberships prior to June 13 will get no refund. Those who bought memberships after the club went into receiver- ship, he said, will be charged up to Jan. 16 and then be reimbursed any monies remaining on their memberships thereafter. He said he did not know why the decision to close the club had been made. “Figures showed that our membership was growing,”’ Ansari said. ‘‘In July, we had 84 new members, in August, 90. and September, 98. After that they (ownership) stopped advertising in the paper and things dropped off immediately. The club only started losing money when it stopped advertising.” But Robert Cobb, a spokesman for the receiver, said efforts to raise club membership to a level that would have made it a viable Operation were unsuccessful. North Vancouver District Mayor Marilyn Baker said no zoning changes were planned for the Park Plaza property and any new development would be considered very carefully because of traffic flow concerns in the busy Canilano Road area. all Ron Zalko has said he will offer Park Plaza menibers one month's free use of his Vancouver or North tres, Vancouver fitness cen- NEWS photo Mike Wakelleld ‘FIREFIGHTERS CLIMB to the second floor of a vacant house at 518 Lonsdale to put out a blaze that broke out around 6 p.m. Monday. An investigation is continuing to discover the cause of the fire, which resulted in extensive damage to the structure’s front room. Officials say. the owner secured the house against unauthorized entry, as required by North Vancouver's fire bylaw. Sa A SCs