| Some North Shore industri

NORTH Vancouver’s
industrial waterfront
is an unknown entity
to most North Shore
residents.

That’s disturbing.

The watertront is one of
the North Shore’s defining
characteristics.

Without it we wouldn’t
be much of anything. And
without it we wouldn’t be
enjoying our current quality
of lifestyle.

We'd also be paying more
municipal taxes.

A whole lot more.

Of course many people
would as soon clear the
waterfront of all that dus
noisy, distasteful industria!
bric-a-brac. Replace it per-
haps with some high-priced
residential, some nouveau
landscaping, a few cappucci-
no bars. Something a lot
more upscale a and chic.

Might be nice. Might
look nice. But reality is a lit-
tle fess forgiving. The urban
gentrification approach is
grounded in niceness not

. economics or other realities.

It also betrays a dearth of
knowledge about what
makes the North Shore tick.

mailbox

The results of a recent
North Shore Waterfront
Industrial Association
(NSWIA) Survey bear out
that widespread waterfront
industry ignorance.

The association was
established in mid-1999, in
part, to help educate the
masses about the contribu-
tions industry makes to the
local economy.

It also has a tale to tell
about the tax hits and other
penalties it takes from doing

usiness in these parts.

The survey, which was
conducted by Guidelines
Consulting, was aimed at
determining the depth of
public knowledge of all that

unsavoury waterfront enter-

prise.
Unfortunately there was-
n’t much depth to deter-

* mine. We're talking the shal-
low end of the public pool
of knowledge here, readers.

Try this on for size: the
companies involved in the
association have over 4,000
employees and carry an
annual payroll of approxi-
mately $200 million, but,
according to the survey,
only 39% of survey respon-
dents could name any North
Shore waterfront industry.

Knowledge of the contri-
bution to the local economy
from those industries was
likewise limited.

Approximately 80% of
survey respondents had little
or no information about
industrial tax rates, industrial
tax contributions to local
economies or industrial job
generation.

Their estimations on the
industrial-jobs-generated
front ranged from 200 to
22,000.

‘Such wild guesses are
understandable, I suppose.
Most people don’t include
monitoring industry statis-
tics at the top end of their
leisure hobby list.

But those same people
should be aware that the
North Shore handles about

the same tonnage as the
entire Port of Montreal.

In North Vancouver
District alone waterfront
industries annually generate
$186 million in wages and
salaries, $100 million in cor-
porate and personal taxes
and $9.3 million in taxes
and grants in lieu of taxes.

Those are some signifi-
cant numbers.

Take them away from the
local economy and some sig-
nificant tax pain would be
inflicted on the already ail-
ing residential taxpayers the
length and breadth of North
Vancouver.

That pain might even be
felt out west of the Capilano
River, where West
Vancouver District has no
industrial tax base to case
the tax burden on that
municipality’ 's residents.

So who's talking about
taking those industries away?

Being driven away would
be closer to the mark.

NSWIA representatives
will tell you that it’s been a
iong time since any kind of
welcome mat has been [aid
out for industry in North
Vancouver.

For example, NSWIA

chairman Jane Fleming
points out that the tax cate
for major industry way back
in 1983 was 1.45 times the
residential rate, but it’s now
10 times the residential rate.

Jacking up tax rates ten-
fold on the industrial front
is much easier on the politi-
cal health of municipal
councils than similarly jack-
ing up residential tax rates.
Industry doesn’t pack much
ofa punch at the ballot box.

It is, in effect, the victim
of taxation without repre-
sentation.

Little wonder that
municipal financial plans
rarely include consideration
of industry concerns or
needs.

So who cares? What's
industry going to do about
it? Move?

Could do. It’s far more
mobile than most people
think and will go where it
can be competitive.

And the port business is
nothing if not competitive.
U.S. ports like Seattle, for
example, start life with such
competitive advantages as
being the recipient of taxes
from surrounding counties
rather than the contributor

‘Elitist’ attitude Angered Council's friends r
Shocks. reader

‘Dear Bdttor:

‘Twas. shocked = and

= disappointed to see your cov-

erage‘ of the’ Dundarave pub .
application ‘on the front: page *
of your April 5 edition. ©" .
“St 18 of no. concern to me:
hether..- West .. Vancouver
council ° approves ‘a’ pub’ in
Dundiarave. However, for

nes pub woul { attract “drug
“dealers . and : foreigners | from *
North’; Vancouver": is’ clitist,
discriminatory and ridiculous, .
>It serves i Pe as_a divider

able for West Van residents to
come to North Van to have an
ale, shop or park their transit
vehicles. If residents in
’ Dundarave do not want a pub
in their neighbourhood, that’s
fine. Just don’t point fingers at

: North Van residents. .
. Since when do‘ North Van
residents qualify as foreigners °

_ anyway? What’s next? Perhaps
pit up a wall down the middle

“of Capilano Road’ with
lor (Allan) Williams -
leading * an ‘armed border

Counci

guard?

White they are at it, they
can: put. up some “No
Foreigners. Allowed” signs.

“That: ought to keep, all that

. fFraff out during | tourist sea-

ty...
“Stl we should all be:
up ro West. Vancouver

n-my-backyard” attitude *’ ancouver I

OF course it is accept:

‘son.

On the other hand it mi ht

‘be'a good | ided to keep all

marijuana in West Van where i it
-.belon

A.J. fohnk >
North Vasiouver District

The North Vancouver Ci hapter
}. of Canadian Parents for. .
French invites you.

‘o attend ¢ our annual

“Ross Road 5 School
hnell Place, North Vancouver .

y W. Van
attitude
to N. Van.

Dear Editor:
| Ta regards to the April 5
‘article “WV. Pub attempt
fails,” it stated that rezoning
for a Dundarave Pub would
attract “drug, dealers and
foreigners from North Van.”

I was extremely angry
reading this stercotypin
North Van citizens as
dealers. ;

In another article in that
same paper it stated that
West Van police have taken

rug

down 16*marijuana grow .
operations since the start of.

the year.

row up West Van and .

get off your pedestals.
Gosselin
North Vancouver

Dear Editor:

Ie’s political pay-back time
for district council.

The North Shore News hit
the mark in criticizing North
Vancouver District council's
shameful approval of two mas-
sive “variances” for waterfront
homes on Panorama Drive.

To those who have been
paying attention, however, this
council’s behaviour in reward-
ing its friends should come as
no surprise.

The — Liberal /waterfront
homeowner's council slate will
assuredly receive and approve
many more similar applications
for questionable . waterfront
variance permits and encroach
ments.

Yet_no conflict can arise
because to. pay for the slate’s
anonymous advertising | cam-
paign in last November's clec-
tion, contributions were laus-
dered d through a “citizens coali-
tion.”

- And council’s pay back off its

- Ol, Lube & Filter
21 pt. Safety check, 15 minutes - FAST! :
Includes up to 5 litres of 1O0w30 Quakerstate
1362 Marine Drive 960-915 .
Mon-Set &:00arn-600pm, Sun. 9:00an-5:00em Expires -pril 19/2000:

S. LAURSEN & SON”

{

ent Sroiny de Lower Me

& blinds Itd.

Serving the Lower Mainland fr over 28 years

, y & Bedspreads
Ask about our Seniors Discount) :
-For Free Estimate call
922-4975 or 987-2966
Dapery Labour $54.95, . Per r patiel lined. .”

friends continues with a pro-
posed $1.5-million all-weather
pling ig field. Although it was
arely mentioned during the
campaign, Mayor Don Bell
stated only four days after the
election that this project was
his No. 1 priority.

Prior to the election, every
candidate received a question-
naire from the Ne Shore
Youth Soccer Assaciation ask-
ing for a commitment to fund- :
ing an all-weather field “within
the first 12 months of your
mandate.” The NSYSA execu-
tive would then recommend a
slate of candidates to their
members.

Aithough supportable. in.
principle, I told the soccer folks
that I could not, in good con-

science, make such a dnancial

commitment as the public was |
certainly i in no mood fora large:

infetior? ita

‘Yel: 990-8222 .

of taxes to municipalities as
Canadian port facilities are.

Once gone that industry
won't be coming back.

Reclaiming industrial
land for residential and
other uses involves a host of
complications, not the least
of which is how that resi-
dential component fits in
with remaining industry.

The Versatile shipyard
property is a prime example.
Existing shipbuilding an
ship repair cilities will
remain in operation adjacent
to any residential that will
be incorporated in the

development.

Local heavy waterfront
industry is of course no
choir boy outfic. It has its
warts, blemishes and draw-
backs.

It’s not very sexy or
esthetically pleasing to the
eye or other senses. But it
plays a key sole in contribut-
ing to the local standard of
living.

The North Shore
Waterfront Industrial
Association is trying to win
it some respect.

Ic deserves much more
than it’s currently getting.

—trenshaw@nsnews.com

ewarded

increase, Needless to say, [
tmake their list, but I har-
0 regrets for my honesty...
“This courcil’s disgraceful,

iour’ in; rewarding its. °

friends appears to have “no
limit, iscwever. :

Dave Sadler