tax exemption

WEST VANCOUVER-Garibaldi
MLA David Mitchell vows he will
lobby to do away with BC Rail's
property tax exemption.

By Maureen Curtis
Contributing Writer

Concemed about negative pub-
lic reaction to the BC Ruil-pro-
posed subdivision development of
_ ancasement in the Gleneagies arca

of West Vancouver, Mitchell said
“he intends to introduce a private

“member's bill in the provincial leg-

islature to amend the Railway Act.

The property tax exemption has
its beginnings in the 1920s. It was
intended to help railways develop
needed facilities in B.C.

. “There is no modem-day ratio-
nale (for the 2xemption),” said
Mitchell.

BC Rail Propertics senior com-
munications officer Hilary
Thomson agrees that railway
“resources are already. well devel-
oped on the North Shore.

“But for the majority of our rail
‘line, (the exemption and the need to

‘develop the railway) is still valid,” -

-:, She said.

°: But Mitchell questions. BC
Rait’s practice of taking tax-exempt
land and developing it for real

“estate value.

BC Rail Properties i is planning
to develop a 27-acre (11 hectare)
easement in West Vancouver that it
“no longer requires. ;

A 40-lot subdivision proposal
-has been ‘submitted for land cur-
. Tendly Ieased to the municipality for
‘use_as park, a playing fi field and
-overflow ferry parking: .” :
>) MAs areal estate developer, they
‘are often‘in conflict with communi-*

ies,” said Mitchell.
“He accuses BC Rail of not being
. “good corporate citizeris” and not-

“having “ ‘a lot of concern” for the’

“coramunities it docs business in.
“3. But-Thomson defends the cor-
poration’s venture into real estaic.
“We have long been charged

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with the responsibility of making a
profit... being compelilive and
commercially viable,” she said.

Thomson points out that profits
earned by BC Rail are returned to
the provincial government, and
thercfore, to the taxpayer.

While Mitchell accuses BC Rail
of “giving nothing back” to the
communities it does business in,
Thomson notes the corporation
employs 2,400 employces through-
out the province — about 650 of
them in the Lower Mainland.

Within West Vancouver, BC
Rail has donated the land for Wells
Park at the foot of 19th Street and
proposes to cede 14 acres (5.6
hectares) of the 27-acre casement in
Gleneagles to the municipality to
preserve the Seaview Walk.

Thomson maintains that BC
Rail has followed through with a
consultative approach towards the
Gleneagles development by holding
numerous public. meetings.

“We have done our best not to
be in conflict with the needs of the
community,” she said.

_ Mitchell, who says he has
received numerous calls from resi-
dents upset about the development
proposal, accuses BC Rail of a

“cavalier approach.”

“People recognized that these
were not real consultations. They

-were phony. BC Rail had their view

... and this was big time public rela-
tions and lobbying — only it was a
government agency doing il,” said
Mitchell.

Thomson agrees that BC Rail

has wanted to develop the West

Vancouver easement for its real
estate value.

“Our mandate is to develop our
holdings,” she said. .

BC Rail Properties’ subdivision
application is currently before the
West Vancouver approving officer.

West. Vancouver. District
Council has applied to have the
property rezoned to a density com-
mon to an area which already sup-

’ ports larger residential lots.

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Hot cars set ablaz

TWO STOLEN cars were lorch-
ed recently in North Vancouver
District.

The first car urson was
reported carly Jan, 29 at the
west end of Plymoatly clemen-
tary school, 919 Palicross Rd.

The fire is believed to have
started in the passenger area of
the 1990 Chevrolet Cavalier,

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The owner of the car lives near
the school,

The second suspicious car
fire occurred on Jan. 30 on
Indian River Drive. The torched
1991 Nissan Sentra belonged to
a Surrey owner,

Information about the arsons
may be forwarded to the North
Vancouver RCME at 9R5-131.

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1529 MARINE DR.
WEST VAN
925-3177
FAX 925-0177

992 MARINE DR
NORTH VAN
985-7673
FAX 985-7808

1347A PEMBERTON AVE
SQUAMISH
_ §92-9082
FAX 892-9083

Ted White, M.P.
Suite 302

‘1200 Lynn Valley Rd.
North Vancouver
VII 2A2

Telephone: 666-0585
Fax: 666-0509

‘TRANSFER PAYMENTS

You have probably noticed that the
provincial premiers are lobbying the
Federal Minister of Finance not to make
any cuts to transfer payments in the
upcoming budget. They argue that this
would be downloading deficit control
responsinilities to the Provinces. So just
what are these transfer payments and
how much money do they represent? -

REDISTRIBUTION

A major role of the federal govern-
ment is to redistribute the money i col-
tects through taxes. In the 1993-1994
budget, estimated at $161.1 billion,
spending was allocated as follows:

* Transfer Payments + £2%
* Debt Servicing 25%
* Operations and Capital 20%
* Crown Corporations + 3%

It is fairly clear from these figures
that any serious moves to balance the
budget are going to have to involve
reductions in transfer payments since
they make up mare than half of ail
spending. The next largest category,
debt servicing, now consumes more
than 25 cents of every dollar and will
continue to grow with ongoing deficits
and any increase in interest rates.

HOW MUCH MONEY?

Of the approximately $84 billion in
transters, almost $43 billion was in trans-
fers to individuals, and close to $29 bil-
lion was in transfers to provinces.

Transiers to individuals, that enor-
mous sum of $43 billion, is made up of
pensions, unemployment insurance pay-
ments and other social programs
financed directly by the federal govern-
ment.

Transfers to the provinces include
funding for health care and post sec-
ondary education ~ items which have

“already been cut back in recent times..

Between 1985 and 1994 it is estimated

that $22 billion was withdrawn from

* these transfers. Should this trend contin-

ue, we will likely need to have serious
discussions about the universality of
health care and other social programs
within the next few years.

EQUALIZATION

Equalization payments are also part
of ths transfers to Provinces from the
Federal Government. The theory behind
equalization according to Finance
Canada is “to enabie provincial govern-
ments to provide to their residents rea-
sonably comparable fevels of public ser-
vices at reasonably comparable levels of
taxation.” in other words, an attempt is
made to average out the standard of
public services by transferring money
from richer provinces to poorer
provinces.

A complex formula is used to deter-
mine the ability of a province to raise a

. certain amount of tax per capita —

presently $4,800 per year. If actual per

capita tax revenue tor a province is less .

than this figure, equalization transfers
are used to make up the difference.

Seven provinces currently share $8
billion in equalization payments but noth-
ing goes to British Columbia, Alberta or
Ontario. The figures for 1994/95 are:
Quebec $3.9 billion, Newfoundland $964
million, New Brunswick $948 million,
Nova Scotia $934 mitlion, Manitoba
$918 million, Saskatchewan $605 mil-
tion, P.E.1. $190 million,

Quebec receives the largest total,
equivalent to about $500 per capita.
Newfoundland, on the other hand,
receives around $1600 per capita in
equalization payments.

Equalization payments are expected
to grow to $10.4 billion by the 1998/89
fiscal year under a new 5 year term
recently agreed to by the provinces.

AT CAP

,, Art Extravaganza
Tonight

The College's talented Art
faculty highlight their programs
in Artists on Art, a free
presentation of che President's
Lecture Series. Get a taste of
theatre, see a fashion design
showcase, hear the award-
winning vocal jazz group Nite
Cap, and experience unique
approaches to art. This free event
takes place tonight, Feb. 9, at
7:50-9 pm, in room 148 of the
"C" Building.

;,, Careers | in the
* Asia Pacific

Tsepare yourself for an exciting
career overseas. The post:
graduate Asia Pacific
Management Cooperative
Program includes nine months of
business studies and a 12-month
work term in Asia. For details or
to attend an information meeting,
please contact 984-4981, or fax
984-4992.

pear froma
CIDA Expert

Capilano College celebrates
International Development
Week with an information forum
on rural development issues,
featuring Norman S. Cook, of the
Canadian Intemational
Development Agency. How
Together We Can Change Our
World takes place Friday, Feb. 11,
12:30-2:30 pm in room 148 of the
“C” Building. Admission is free.

Free Concert

Join the Bachelor of Music

* Transfer Program for a Guest
Recital. Featured are soprano
Erica Northcott and pianist Winn
Rompf. This free concert takes
place Tuesday, Feb. 22, from
1-2 pm in room 113 of the “H”
Building.

r»-Media Careers

Learn how to get started in the
creative field of media
production. The Media
Resources Program will hold an
Information Meeting on Tuesday,
Feb. 22 at 7 pm in room 145 of
the Capilano College “B”
Building.

First Aid Training |
Capilano College is now licensed °
Bey the Workers Compensation
Board to teach Occupational
First Aid. A 70-hour, two-week
course in Level 3 certification
(formerly Industrial First Aid)
begins Feb. 21. A one-day session
in Emergency First Aid for Child
Care will be held Saturday, Feb.
26. Call Extension Programs at
984-4901 for information and
registration.

CAPILANO
COLLEGE

2055 Purcell Way
North Vancouver
British Columbia

986-1911