-$1.35m basin to’
ease flood fears
for Cap residents

By tan Noble
‘News Reporter

A $1.35-million debris basin
approved Tuesday night will
ease the anxiety of North
‘Vancouver District residents
worried about personal
injury and property damage
from flooding and debris
flows. re
“However, district council’s
“urgent push te construct the basin
for MacKay Creek will’ also’ wash
away funding for some 1996 capital

projects,

Erica Norman’s house was one of

many Upper. Capilano homes dam-
aged by debris on Nov. 23, 1995,

‘- Her home suffered an’ estimated
$47,000 damage to a retaining wall
and carport, a flooded. basement and
ruined | landscaping after debris
blocked a ‘culvert and water, mud,

rocks and tre parts: washed across -

Ranger Avenue and into her drive-
way'and home. | os
he told ‘the four. council mem-

at ‘Tuesday’s hastily called meet- ©

ing that the. debris -basin inust_ be

you:to pass this,” she said: ™.
t- Want. to “spend. another.

winter fearing for my life.”

District: councillors Ernie Crist,
Jim Cuthbert, and Don Bell
approved the project. Mayor Murray
Bykeman was also present.

The basin will be built above the
area hit by the Nov. 23 debris flow.

The steel and concrete structure
will be flanked by earthen berms that
will be as high as 10 metres (33
feet). The basin will stretch 75 to 80
metres (262 feet) along a hydro
right-of-way and extend 50 metres
(164 feet) below the right-of-way.

-The debris basin will hold 13,000
cubic metres of debris. Consultants
said it would handle a debris flow of
10,000 cubic metres on the. west
branch of MacKay Creek occurring
at the same time as a debris flow of
3,000. cubic ‘metres on the east
branch. Such an event would be

“expected to occur every 100 to 506

years. -

Last’ November’s east- branch
debris flow, which caused extensive
property damage, totalled 7,000

cubic metres.

- A July 17 staff report said that if
council and environmental approval
for the project was obtained by the
end cf July, the basin can be built by

- Oct. 31.:

Council approval has been given.

However, the ‘district still needs’

approval :.-from’.. the “| federal

‘Department of Fisheries and Oceans.
‘to

gin the project. a

_ (+ District: public works ‘manager
“Bob. West-Sells’ said the. district.”
hoped to get_DFO approval. yester-

eans other 1996 cap-

),000; .

al — $25,000;

t

$32,000;

it.’ for» Rockland Road : and: St. Albans —
"4347-Glencarlyon Dr.

$40,000.

ligtiment: project — $280,000... 2

vill. be:

takes Chats

aken fro

the-Pr ’

‘
a

ler distr

-sure project.” 7
; A district staff report said it’s imperative landfill projects receive fund-:
“sing in. 1997... foo . oh _

er Street landfill clo-.

day or today:

At Tuesday night’s council meet-
ing, West-Sells said basin construc:
tion faces two major time con-
straints,

Creek work has to be completed
before Sept. 15, while spawning fish
are not in the creek. He added that
the district wants the debris basin
completed by the end of October,
before traditional periods of high
rainfall raise the risk of debris flow.

The debris basin project will suck
fands from other projects because
the process to borrow money or take
cash from the Heritage Fund for the
basin project wauld force too long a
delay.

The capital contingency fund will
contribute $400,000 to the project
and $915,000 will come from post-
poned 1996 capital projects.

Staff said $5,000 a year would
pay for basin maintenance, with
costs reaching $30,000 if a small
debit flow occurs. ; ;

But not everyone agrees with the
district’s approach to debris flow
mitigation. District resident Michael

Cowan said the expensive debris’

basin is overkill and a taxpayer ripoff.

Cowan, a geological engineer,
said he’s walked the two branches of
MacKay Creek above Ranger
Avenue, He said the east branch —
where debris that caused flooding in
November originated — has been
scoured clean and does not present
the threat consultants say it does.
The «stream profile of ‘the west

* brancle:is different from the cast

Friday, August 2, 1996 — North Shore News r 3

Proposed MacKay. Creek. Debri

.. [PROPOSED
.. | DEBRIS BASIN

PROSPECT AVE,

NORTH Vancouver District approved a.

newe Tiitieon Powell
$1.35-milllon debris

basin for MacKay Creek to prevent a replay of November floods.

branch, loweting the risk, he said.
More grates in the stream bed
above the Ranger culvert and con-
crete retaining walls would have
been ample, he said.
He acknowledges his information
could be wrong, but he’s frosted

because councillors did not pursue .

his concerns, “I’ve put a lot of time,
effort and emotion into this and it’s
absolutely wasted,”: Cowan. said,
calling the promise of public input

garbage.

Cowan addressed council. rwice
for. two minutes each time. He
added the basin will impinge on

parkland and trees will have to'come -

the: -

down. .
Coun. Ernie Crist. used
opportunity to press his point that
land sale money should not be used
for what he calls operating expenses.

“The Dollarton funds were originally supposed tobe. taken’ from ‘a

Braemar Land Development Project. However, that would have required -
an amendment to a bylaw. With the district under time constraints to get.

the work done, the fuhds will be taken from. the Dollarton project.

Surplus Braemar funds will be returned to the Heritage Fund and be ~

available for reallocation to the Dollarton project in' 1997,’

At Tuesday’s meeting, councillors asked the district manager to report
on funding alternatives for the debris basin project and the implications
of deferring. recommended capital projects ti a

I

11997, °-

/ North Vancouver District. parks.:department
Handles all requests by the public to name parks |
and facilities atter notable locals. For exam le, the
-hew field house at McCartney Creek Park 3s to be :

named the Keith Millar Pavilion in honor of the,
jlong-time soccer leagué ‘supporter who passed ||

away in December. :

According to North Vancouver District parks.

“evices, said B

Water, water '

everywhere. |

ALTHOUGH North Vancouver
District has. begun. to alleviate’
debris torrent concerns in-upper
MacKay Creek, there’s ‘water
running down steep mountain-. |:
‘sides. throughout’ the North,’
‘Shore. , aa a
Ata district council mecting

‘called-to’ approve funding for 2

MacKay Creek debris basin; dis-.’
trict director of parks and ‘engi- |.
neering John Bremner’ said ‘one
of the next tasks On the district’s-]
plate-is an overview of. local :|-
creeks ‘to determine if they are .| .:
susceptible to” similar .debris*
flows. : rere ©
Creeks: found. to be’ at high
risk will be studied.to determin
what can’be done to:ensuré the |:
‘safety of residents ‘in areas‘ o
potential flooding.” .. 2:
Pointing to. the |: MacKay:
a

Creek ‘situation,’ Bremner. sa
B.C. Hydro right-of-way pro
ed an opportunity .to.con
debris basins “10 0

oy E Norman, a’: Ranger’
Avenue’ resident ‘ whose® home
was. damaged . extensively.’ by
Mooding“in “November, said: she:
hopes :the district: gets ‘on: with
the studies. eee
r od don’t want: to sce other.
people go

she said. a

-{' manager Cameron Cairncross, the idea of namin

now ‘a‘-petition is circulating
g the ‘trails and in the, coffee shops of the
North’ Shore onor: the accomplishments of

ympic silver medallist Alison Sydor. ae

And ifthe North Shore’s his::ty is any indica-
ion, something — a trail, a school, a highway, a
tion facility. — will be named after the unas-
uming world champion. :
eem improbable?
Consider ‘the ‘exploits and subsequent. honors
stowed upon Karen Magnussen, a silver medal-

tii’ figure ‘skating at the 1972 Olympics in.

apporo, Japan. A generation of North Shore kids
ave ‘learned ‘to. skate, swim and have fun in a
ecreation’ centre. named to '-. recognize
Magnussen’s accomplishment... - .

Then: there’s ‘Nancy Greene, a gold and silver’ ;

iedallist’ at’; the 1968 Olympics in Grenoble,

The road-to Grouse Mountain is named Nancy
if . : "

-Greene!-Way, perhaps. to’ inspire; most likely to

ALISON. Sydor :.. A local riding’ trail

_named after the Olympic silver medallist
“would inspire young mountain bikers. |

remind, young skiers and snowboarders that any-
one can do anything they ser their mind to.
Likewise, .a trail dedicated to. two-time world

_champion and silver medallist Alison Sydor would
. remind young mountain-bike riders that they’re

an the same path used by a world champion. With
mountain biking capturing the world stage at the
Adanta Olympics, coupled with Sydor’s success in
the event, North Shore trails will be teeming with

young riders pedaling visions of Olympic gold.

' a trail after Svdor is a distinct possibility. The dif-
ficulty could just be in figuring our which trail ‘to
naine.

“In the case of Alison, there may be ones

(trailz) that she rides frequently or simply ones

that are. better known by the public,” said
Cairncross,

He added that the process to name a district
landmark or building begins with a letter from a
resident requesting just that. As of yesterday
morning no such request had arrived,

Considering Sydor’s’ penchant for playing ice.

‘ hockey —< she’s a- regular during the winter
y

months in afternoon pick-up games, at Lonsdale, -

Arena —- perhaps an‘ice rink could lend itself ro
her honor, ; :
Few North Shore trails are named: after indi-
viduals. The best known of these, the Baden-
Powell trail, honors the British Army officer who
' founded the Boy Scouts: in 1907. (Notably, Sir
Richard never won an Olympic medal).
Write North Vancouver District with your pro-
: posal c/o North Vancouver - District, Parks

Department, Box 86218, North Vancouver, V7L

4K].

a CrOssWOFK... incon LoS
a Inquiring Reporter...

a Lautens... ve

@ Mitchell