NVD helps
fund science
centre

NORTH VANCOUVER
District homeowners may be
hit with an additional tax
after district council recently
agreed to contribute to a $1
muiilion regional grant for
Science World.

By EVELYN JACOB
Contributing Writer

Although council supported the
proposal, a decision on whether to
provide the grant will be made by
the Greater Vancouver Regional
District Board. The district’s por-
tion would come to $84,550.

Council’s decision to support the
centre means homeowners will
shell out an approximate extra $2
per $100,000 home, and that has
angered some aldermen.

“This comes at a time when our
sesidents are still trying to come
out from under,’’ Ald. Joan
Gadsby told council members, who
voted to support the proposal by a
slim 4-3 margin.

Gadsby and other councillors
say that approving such a grant
sets a dangerous precedent because
it paves the way for other cultural
groups, such as the Vancouver
Symphony Orchestra, to apply for
funds from municipalities outside
their districts. :

“They (the VSO) might think

that reas were discriminating against

(by . supporting the pro-
oa, » said Ald. Mary Segal.

At present, individual: organizz-
tions seeking funding assistance
must seck grants from . individual

municipalities. The Science Centre |

would be an exception to GVRD

Aki. Bill Redgers, who voted
against the proposal, said the
GVRD should not be able to
“control tax dollars’? no matter

_ how “admirable the objective."’
He said if council favors the
co” project “it: should consider pro-
. bern funding from its municipal

ene way industries get off tax
‘free: The whole thing falls on the
homeowner,” said Rodgers.
Bat Ald. Murray Dykeman said
the only way to raise money for
“ projects like the Science Centre is
through the GVRD.
“If we leave it up to each
muDicipality to decide, we may not
.be able to raise the money we
 need,’? he said.
-, The $17.3 million Science Cen-
. tre, located on the old Expo site,
has already received funding from
the federal and provincial gov-
emments, and over $1 million
. from the private sector.-
If the $1 million regional grant is
‘ approved, a tax op homeowners
would be levied over’ a taree-year

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