Tha ARGENT Smet NSH aye RET Sees AUGUST 12, 1998 Bright Lights Business Classifieds Crossword i Food i North Shore Alert Sports Table Hopping Shep Frege Re, Oretae Benue Caradar Ftacatans Ma; ert te. KEES 44 Pages Native dispute festers Robert Gatster_ News Reporter robert@nsnews.com A Squamish Nation dis- pute is threatening the future of one of the most successful and oldest native-run busi- nesses on the North Shore. The band council cently refused ta issue a 10-year permit to the operators of Capilano Mobile and RV Park, even though they are band membe Both the Capilano Atobile Park and its neighboring RV Park have cccupied a site nestled between Park Royal mall and the Lions Gate Bridge for 32 years. It was started by Dan Baker who secured a permit from the band council to turn the then-undeveloped land into an RV Park. “When our father started this he See Rand pane 3 —_—_——__——__—__—. Taking Andrew McCredie Editor andrew@nsnews.com WILL Reform MP Ted White take a federal pension? Stay caned, he won’r be making the decision himself, White has put the question to his North Vancouver riding members. In 1993 the Reform Party made the pension plan a high: pro file platform item as candidates vowed to not accept federal pen sions. In Juse the federal government passed an MP Pay and Benefits Bill (C-47) which aloss Reform Members of Parliament to opt into a pension plan. A provision in the Bill allows MPs who opted out of the pension plan to June 18 by paying retroactive contributions for the entire period since the 1993 election (approximately $31,000). ; Harmony Arts p12 Annual West Van festival — Ar gets off to fabulous start FANS awarts p20 3ld Shives, Norman Tait to be honored Focus on 1400-block Bellevue Avenue Commercial Aventies p15 goin the scheme within 90 days of North Van MP Ted White asks his constituents if he should accept a pension White is among a handtul of pea-term Retorm MPs who arc considering taking up the offer. As he hay done three times since being elected to office five years azo, White has taken the issue to his constituents in the form of a householder survey. Parliament mailed ovt 40,000 surveys ro residents last month. He will release the results of his Bill C-47 houscholder survey next Tuesday morning ata downtown Vancouver Hotel. As of yesterday, White said his constituency office had received “close to 1,000" completed surveys. He added the findings have y Final ‘98 inventory Liquidation on now! The North Vancouver Membe. of NEWS photo Mike Wakefield PAMELA and Frank Baker don’t want to see 32 years of their family’s work go down the drain. As co-owners of the Capilano RV and Mobile Park, they are fighting the Squamish council's refusal to issue them a 10-year permit to continue operating the business on native land. the v ters remained consistent since the first ones came in. “The pattern was set in the first nwo w and we haven’r scen it change,” White said of the results. He would not, however, divulge those findings. “Youll find that out next Tuesday morn- ing. Long a supporter of a “direct democracy” model for decision making, White said the MP pension question is an ideal one to be determined by his constituents. “Tm sorry we didn't track public opinion on this issue when it was first raised,” said White of the 1993 election. Then, Reform leader Preston: Manning pointed to the MP pension plan as an example of excessive government spending. His MPs, he told vot- ers, would have no part of it. “There was no doubt a strong fecling in the community back then about the issue,” White said. MP page 5