THE CHAIRMAN of North
Vancouver's Sports and
Recreation Advisory Council
(SRAC) has drafted a letter of
resignation because North
Vancouver District Council has
committed to spending over
$200,000 on an outdoor, multi-
purpose sports court.

NORTH VANCOUVER
DISTRICT COUNCIL
By Martin Millerchip

A. council commitment to fund a
new sports facility would usually be
cause for celebration, but Jan Cousins
is furious with district: council for
failing to heed the advice of its own
advisory councils, as well as staff and
the recreation conunission itself.

"T believe council failed to listen
toits advisory bodies, failed to adhere
to process,” Cousins told the News
Monday night.

“f've been invalidated, All of our
work for the last three years has been
invalidated.”

Inaclose 4-3 vote, the majority of
council had just supported Coun, Jim
_ Cuthbert’s motion to commit an esti-
mated $222,528 in 1996 to a lacrosse
box, skateboard and basketball facili-
ty at the Karen Magnussen Arena.

But the move came at the expense

of the Ross. Road Lacrosse Box,
located on the grounds of Ross Road.
* elementary school.

The box has been the subject of
many complaints from Iccal neigh-

bors who claim some of the teen and -

young adult use’ of the. facility dis-
~ Tupls the neighborhood.

However, the box predates many
of the closest houses and some local

on sparks
lacrosse box brouhaha

$11 million to $20 million for a crys-
tal palace (town hall) it perhaps isn’t,
but in terms of sports and recreation
$15,000 worth of safety issues from
our prioritizing process were turned
down fast year by council because
they did no: have enough money,

“Suddenly we can come up with
$200,000 plus to build a new facility
at Karen Magnussen when we have
an existing facility that the communi-
ty is happy to use,”

But Harris is now planning to

“residents say that teens will still hang ~. A

out on'the adjacent wooded trails i in
any Svent.,

“If you knock this facility, ‘down
you; may as well get rid of the 7-
Eleven, the Dairy Queen and the mali

-Teenagers*are always going to

find a place to hang out.

“Do you remove an existing

sports. facility that:is- well. used :

“because of a few bad apples?” asked
Kathy Fitch, parent of two young

y teens, who use the Ross Road box for
in-line skating.

But according

removed and responsibility will be

turned over to North Vancouver.

School District 44.

The Parents Advisory Council of _

the school has already told both coun-
cil and scligol board that it would like

‘to redevelop the site into a more

diversified play area for the school
children.
“To me this is not a question of

“ Josing a lacrosse box, but gaining a
~ better playing area for the children of
“Ross Road school,” said Coun. Ernie

Crist in support of the motion. ©
‘Mayor Murray Dykeman told

council he didn’t believe outdoor:

lacrosse was played very. much and
that the: new court site at Karen
Magnussen was a viable alternative
without being a major capital invest-
ment.

But Coun. Pam ‘Goldsmith-Jones
, argued that another facility was a scp-
carate -issue: “Is this issue worth a
quarter of a million dollars to the tax-
payers?”

But; when Coun. Janice Harris

‘changed her mind during debate only
and, Pat.

Councillors’ Don Bell
Munroe voted “no” with her.
Cousins said the council decision

‘was based on passion rather than
process and ignored the work: of.

SRAC and the ree commission in
developing priorities for capital fund-
ing requests,

“We heard’ a mayor this evening,

say that $200,000 is not a major cap-

ital cost. 1 suppose that as opposed to £

to Cuthbert’s *
‘motion the box will have its boards

revisit the lacrosse box decision at
Monday's council meeting.

She told the News Wednesday, “I
thought everyone would follow me
to Karen Magnussen arena, but much
of the conununity sd wants the
Ross Road facility for pickup
games.”

Cousins is hoping diat this time
council will fisten to its advisory
bodies and allocate capital sports
funding based on recommended pri-
orities.

Mame: Maurice Joseph Fitzpatrick
Age: 32

Offence: Failing to: comply with a
court order

Call North Yan RCMP, 985-1311.

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