NEWS photo Cindy Goodman Sunshine Girl ICE SKATING, swimming and modeling are some of Marie’s favorite hobbies. She likes Italian food and sentimental music. Places traveiied include Singapore, Japan, Hong Kong and Malaysia. NVD daycare closes after operating grant rejected AFTER operation, Trail Plunket (Daycare) Society closed its doors for good on Tuesday. 18 YEARS of the Lillooet By Surj Rattan News Reporter Society chairman Kathleen Watson said the daycare was forced to. shut down after North Vancouver District re- jected its application for an $18,000 operating grant for one -year. She added that this was the first time in the society’s histo- ty that it had to ask for a grant. The non-profit society’s operating costs are generally covered by daycare fees paid by parents and from communi- ty contributions. The daycare accommodated up to 15 children. Watson said that while the society applied for an $18,000 grant, the district only offered it $1,000. “I find it very discouraging when they (district) say daycares should be kept open and then this happens. | talked with Mayor (Murray) Dykeman last Christmas and the. district basically left us on the back burner,” said Watson. “He said we should apply for a grant and we did,’’ she added, - She said that the $18,000 grant was to cover the cost of rent and to increase teachers’ salaries, most of whom, she said, only make about $6 a hour. Watson said there has been one person who has taught at the daycare for 17 years and that after taxes ‘‘she is proba- bly making less money than a welfare recipient.’’ “It’s very disheartening. The bottom part of Lillooet will now be without a daycare. We're definitely not happy but what can we do? Everybody is screaming about the lack of daycares and here’s one that is shutting down,”’ said Watson. She added that she told Dykeman he should investigate the process of how people are appointed by the district . to determine if grants should be approved, ““My understanding is that the lady who came out to in- terview us is connected with an organization that has also ap- pled for a grant and to me that is a conflict of interest," said Watson. “ft don’t think a non-profit society can make it today. You really don’t have the communi- ty interest anymore,’’ she said. Bykernan said the district’s policy is to provide non-profit organizations with the physical space to operate but that it is not involved with the operating | costs of any group. “*| was sorry to hear that area (Liliooet) wasn’t able to maintain it (daycare) but there are other areas that are able to maintain daycares. I gather the directors (of the society) are not prepared to continue,”’ said Dykeman. “The ability of people (parents) te pay is also a fac- tor. It’s a shame that it has to close,’’ he said. Dykeman, council! and _ staff were in attendance at the third in a series of ‘town hall meetings’’ promised during the last municipal election campaign as one way of improving access to council. Previous meetings have taken place in Norgate and East Seymour. The farge crowd had a chance to meet with planning and engineering staff, police and firefighters and to talk irectly with council members. Paul Hovan, representing the North Lonsdale Ratepayers Association (NLRA), referred to Dykeman’s birthday and asked, “Not a senior, are you? If so, we might have some housing for you.”’ Hovan’s tongue-in-cheek remark referred to zoning desig- nation of higher density for seniors’ housing that could be contained in the upcoming North Lonsdale Official Community Plan. Hovan suggested that only two or three sites should be designated at this time. Due to be presented in November this year, the North Lonsdale OCP will define the shape of development within the community for the next five years. “And it has been in the making for at least that long,’’ said Hovan ruefully. He urged the residents to get — involved in the planning process and described the typical com- munity plan as having ‘‘a basic motherhood and apple pie tone.”’ Hovan said the plan should contain tighter controls on such things as monster houses, infill development and = environmental damage. “The intentions are there, but the specifics are not protected,’’ : said Hovan. : He suggested that developers should be required to post a per- formance bond that would be forfeited for damages created by the building process. Ald. Janice Harris later told the meeting that she had initiated just such a request for a bylaw. Hovan and several other speakers took pride in the historic district centred around East Queens Road and St. Kilda Avenue. “Forty per cent of the heritage homes in North Vancouver are located here,’’ said Hovan. He suggested that building guidelines should be incorporated | into the OCP to preserve the neighborhood’s character in the event of renovation or redevelop- ment. Hovan’s question about whether Montroyal should be opened through to Lonsdale drew obvious support from the residents. Ron Cleven, a resident of Ven- tura Crescent, told council that it was time the district plan for opening the street, which has been on the book ince 1958, was im- plemented. He described hundreds of cars a day traversing a switchback systems of side roads ‘‘that some people call the Burma Road’’ to . get to and from Lonsdale. “There is a lot of dissatisfac- tion, and we are organizing,”’ Cleven warned council. Larry Crosby told the meeting that there were five illegal second- ary suites -on the 400-block of West Kings where he lived. “There's no community on these kinds of streets with people moving all the time. Bums on skid row are not the sort of people you want living next door to you,” said Crosby. Several speakers told council Sunday, July 5, 1992 — North Shore News ~ ft Seniors? housing, development issues raised at NVD meeting MAYOR MURRAY Dykeman spent his birthday evening in a meeting with the rest of North Vancouver District Council and over 100 North Lonsdale residents on June 17 but happily described the experience as ‘‘rewarding.’’ By Martin Millerchip Contributing Writer that they approved of efforts to create a seawalk of some sort to benefit residents throughout the district. Said Henry Belthouse, ‘Plan for it. Now is the time to do it.” Aldermen Joan Gadsby and Ernie Crist Sater commented favorably on the seawalk concept, but Ald. Janice Harris told the meeting that it was going to cost $30,000 to pave just two blocks of her neighborhood this year. ‘A seawalk in an environmen- tally sensitive area we are not go- ing to afford,’’ she said. Ald. Rick Buchols added, ‘We also have Grouse Mountain, Lynn Canyon etc. Other people come to our attractions and we go to theirs. We don’t all have to have seawalls.”” Umeeda Switlow asked council for a clear statement of vision for the North Lonsdale area ‘then we can comment on it.”” Switlow also asked council what it was going to do about the lack of parks in the area. She asked for a creative SC NORTH VANCOUVER DISTRICT COUNCIL response to the heavily contoured area and suggested a tobogganing and cross-country ski park as well as a reservoir for angling. Switlow concluded by referring to a display on environmental risk management and creek protection. Referring to the district's track tecord on creek protection she See Fourth page 12 to your future! § ~ D. Brent Eilers . For personal attention to wm €6 every detail, givemeacall... You'll be SOLD] on my service! ” 925-3696 H. ; 926-6233 O. MAJOR PERSONAL INJURY Free Initial Consultation 988-6321 310-145 Chadwick Court. N. Vancouver (Lonsdale Quay Plaza) North Vancouver Recreation Commission Lifeguards will be on duty at Panorama Park and Cates Park beaches on the following days and times: PANORAMA PARK Daily 12:00pm-6:00pm XY CATES PARK Sat, Sun, Holidays 12:00pm-6:09pm in the event of inclement weather or beach closure please phone 987-PLAY for further information. This schedule is effective June 29-Sepi 7, 1992.