lartial arts plan angers fish fans | Mosquito Creek rally held BY IAN NOSLE News Reporter MOSQUITO CREEK saimon and trout are on the menu at North Vancouver City Hall Monday night. Area residents, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO), and a cou- ple of councillors say a habitat-encroaching development proposal will harm the city’s finned residents. But consultants hired by develop- er Daniel Lo believe they can enhance the environment for fish and wildlife with a development at Third and Fell. According to a North Shore telephone directory advertisement, Lo plans to build Canada’s largest martial arts training centre on what is presently a city-owned site. The rezoning application to obtain a commercial designation for the what is now designated for public use and assembly will be heard Monday. The site is designated for industrial use in the official community plan. Michael Kingsley, who helped organize a small rally against the development proposal at the site Thursday, said it boils down to an issue between the environment and money. The city, he said, wants the money, but the environment is more important. ; ‘ “There’s no way they will be able ~ to develop this without damaging the habitat," he said. If approved, the martial arts centre would sit on a slim parcel of land between Fell Avenue and Mosquito Creek. A tire store is beside the site. A business park is being constructed across from it.. But Kingsley doesn’t let the industrial nature of the area deter him from his objective of saving the grassy and treed piece of Sand. The area was developed a long time ago, when residents were not as envi- ’ ronmentally awWare as they are now, he said. He believes the development can still bé stopped; noting the development was sent to public hearing by a close ~ 4-3 vote. *” - The. DFO said its preferred stream setback from an industrial or commer- * cial site is 30 metres (100 feet). The entire Fell site is 15 metres (50 feet) wide. The DFO wants to see the area replanted to maintain or enhance the salmon producing capacity of the creek. Lo's _Sonsulting biologist Tim Bekhuys, of Pottinger Gaherty Whittred wins in riding challenge BY ROBERT GALSTER : Contributing Writer - KATHERINE WHITTRED, Liberal nominee for North Vancouver- . Lonsdale, has weathered her first political storm. But the challenge didn't come from the riding's incumbent NDP MLA David Schreck or any other opponent — it came from within the ranks of her own Libeial party. Last Tuesday night, only hours after the elec- tion call, a nondescript motel in Richmond served as the setting for the Liberal party’s appeals committee. On its agenda were three appeals, including two chal- _ fenging the — North Vancouver-Lonsdale riding nomination. Dr. Esfandiar Pournadeali and Sid = Mishashemy launched ‘their appeals fol- lowing ~ Whittred’s nomina- tion at a seven-hour, four-ballot nomination meet- ' ing on April 21. Both appeals were heard together. However, the committee and other prominent Liberals present, among them party president Sonja t, , FISHERIES MINISTER Fred Mitflin (jeft) announced fund- ing for the Saymour Hatchery Friday. Volunteers fought to save the hatchery fram a pro- gressively sharper federal budget axe. Meznwhile, resi- denis (above, left to right) Toby Fan, Simon Pidgeon, Sasha Mucalov, Steve Hong and Aaron Andrews campaign for Mosquitc Creek salmon. Environmental Consultants Ltd., said measures to be taken will provide _ better habitat for fisheries and wildlife. — The two-storey building's config- NEWS photoTerry Peters urction will not affect the treed fringe, he said. Developers would avoid taking down trees, although one or two may be affected. To improve the area, trees will be planted within and north of the site ata fairly substantial cost, said Bekhuys. Funding will be set aside for other measures, such as a fish ladder, to enhance the environment, he added. Bekhuys said environmental consultants’ worked on the project from the beginning and would monitor the construction. Council members are of two minds. Coun. Bill Bell said approving the development would be hypocritical in light of council's efforts to save the Seymour hatchery from federal budget cuts. i “You can't put money before parks and fisheries,” he said. . However, Mayor Jack Loucks said the DFO and other opponents can’t sub- stantiate their claims. “I don’t think it’s going to eacanger the fish,” said Loucks. membership list and the conduct of the nomination meeting officials. “These concems ... raise ethical questions and present an image of the riding and party that is not positive and ‘above board’, something that above all I feel we must have in order to avoid the process we now find ourselves going through.” he concluded. Poumadeali summed up his presentation witha request for Whittred’s disqualification as. aominee and his own appointment. “Katherine Whittred did not win the nomina- tion; we lost it in an unfavorable environment. And this with the evidence before you, is an indis- putable fact,” said Pournadeali. Mirhasheniy’s appeal focused on many of the same issues in addition to an alleged conflict of _ interest that arose when the riding executive's sec- retary served as Whittred’s campaign manager. Brad McTavish's dual role clearly contravened the contents of a Liberal pany memorandum which states that “those -who are members of a Constituency Executive can not be either candi- dates or campaign managers for a candidate.” In dismissing the charge, however, the appeal commitiee concluded that the contravention did hot constitute sufficient grounds for an appeal. “It is the board's opinion that the failure to fol- tow the direction did not amount to an irregularity affecting the candidate selection meeting,” said committee chairman Karen Sharlow. Sanguinetti, clearly had other things on their minds — a factor that didn't stop the appeal from drag- ging on for more than three hours. However, the length of the two appeals didn’t sway the committee. After a mere 15 minutes of private deliberations it announced that both appeals were dismissed. During the hearing Pournadeali told the com- mittee his appeal centred around three grievances: WA lack of organization and informative measures "at the nomination meeting; Bi Excessive harassment of voters; phots - FAILED LIBERAL. ‘candidate Or. Esfandlar Pournadeali feels cheated by the party's nomination process. @ Omission of eligible voters from the membership list. Pournadeali’s complaints received unexpected support from a report prepared by. Mark Freedman, a member of the riding association's Credentials Committee. In an extensive document, Freedman outlined various improprietics in the preparation of the Further, it concluded that although names of constituents omitted from the lists were supplied, their presence was necessary to have constituted sufficient evidence. The appellants’ reactions were less than enthu- siastic following the appeal, Both said the hearing was “unfair”. with Mirhashemy throwing his support behind Whitrred. “The committee came to a decision and if they have decided that she (Whittred) would be the Liberal candidate, 1 will support all the Liberal can- didates," said Mirhashemy. MEWS photo Cindy Goodman . ~ Seymour salmen to continue From page 4 River system would no longer have coho or steelhead if it weren't for the Seymour hatchery. He also criticized the original decision to close the hatchery, saying it was made too quickly and without adequate con- sideration. ; “Hopefully. this will have an, impact on how decisions are made in the future,” he said. He added the hatchery provides values that can’t be quantified. including its educa- tional role. The hatchery was originally built ‘on the dammed Seymour River to rebuild salmon populations, conserve - threatened stocks, raise public aware- ness, generate economic benefits and improve scientific understanding. ‘of _ salmon populations. The Seymour hatchery is holding - an open house and barbecue. today y rain-or-shine from 10 a.m. to 4pm. _ Call 980-9893. ; a Faso. nied enon 8 Horoecopec.............. 87. @ Hot Mouse. 6 B Talking Personais.54 . ITV Listings............44 features M Flavors...........0..cccc00d Wd Port Day... nnn & Tee Time.....................48 oo wo. hotline @ The North, ‘Shore News | wants your input in the current ‘| | election campaign. The news- - paper has set up a_ special Election ‘96 hotline to find out what North Shore residents think are the real issues facing British Coivrabians. Call 985-2131 and select the political hotline option. Then tell us what issue is of most importance to you in the cur- rent election campaign. Be as brief as possible, and leave your name, phone num- ber, age and area of residence.