3 — Friday, July 17, 1998 — North Shore News north shore news VIEWPOINT Condo con UESS who gets to pay for all those leaky condos? If you’re looking. in the mirror you've got the answer. Municipal Affairs Minister Jenny Kwan’s plan to deal with the leaky condo issue, unveiled earlier this week, includes the promise of $75 million to initiate a fund for zero-interest loans for leaky condo owners and the estab- lishment of a Homeowner Protection Office. Kwan promised that the plan would cost taxpayers nothing. But already the leaks in that claim are as numerous as those in the defec- tive condos. The Barrett commission estimated that $250 million would be needed to help plug those condo leaks. Where’s the rest of the cash to come from? How about $75 million from the federal government (that’s you again reader) and another $90 million from the homebuilding industry. Are you kidding? Where do you think the homebuild- ing industry is going to get the money? That mirror is getting awfully fogged up, isn’t it. Of course it would be passed on to consumers in the form of higher hous- ing prices. A follow-up story in the daily press on Wednesday estimated an extra $3,000, minimum, on the cost of purchasing a home in B.C. So the responsibiiity for the whole condo fiasco has been placed on the shoulders of taxpayers everywhere. The builders, the local inspectors, none appear to be carrying the can on this. And the issue of buyer beware appears to have gone AWOL. And why not, whe you have a will- ing dupe of a taxpayer to foot the bill? mailbox _ A winning mix for N. Van waterfront : Dear Editor: “Thank you for your interest in and support of the idea of . developing @ major attraction to anchor any fucure develop- “ment on the old Burrard Shipyard site at the foot of . Lonsdale Avenue (Undersea Complex Proposed, June 19, * - News and DEEP Vision, June 24 News). _’ |. The projected retention of a cluster of heritage buildings vanda pier on the North Vancouver waterfront will result ia «a development that is much more respectful of our commu- nity’s history. chan what, for example, has happened on the south side of the inlet in Coal Harbour. . With North Vancouver City Council’s encouragement, the North Vancouver:Museum and Archives and the DEEP Foundation are looking forward to developing further our plans for a“winning mix of heritage and cutting edge tech- nology”. through a whole range of exhibits and programs that are attractive, engaging und informative. I need to point ‘ out, however, the distinction benveen exhibit halls and archives; the latter involves our large collection of commu- nity. and: municipal dotuments.and photographs, currently available. for viewing at Presentation House but hopefully soon to be relocated, not to the. waterfront as your articles imply, but to Lynn Valley as part of a new library building. . - The suggestion by the July 1 letter to the editor from _ ‘Mike Andrews that the Vancouver Maritime Museum and the St. Roch also be part of the complex is an interesting one - but the extra cost and the amount of space required would be enormous. However fitting it might be to have the St. Roch return to the site where she was built, there is much to be said for continuation of the presence of the ship, muse- um and harbor on Kits Point, where they have been for 40 years and where location- sensitive development is as practi- cal as it is desirable. '..- Robin Inglis, Director . : North Vancouver Museum and Archives . North Shore News, founded in 1969 as an independent suburban newspaper and quahfied under Schedule 111, Paragraph 111 cf the Excise Tax Act. is published each Wednesday Feitay and Sunday by North Shore Free Press Lid, and distributed to every door on the North ‘Shore. Canada Post Canadan Publications Mai ‘Sales Product Agreement No. 0087238. 9085-2931 (127) 1,562 (average circutation, Wechnesday, Fridzy & Sunday) A quiet little Hallelujah!, p' (No, not for West Van jab 's s dec. sion on the western community centre, Thar will have to wait.) Lions Bay doctor Scort Cornell has scored one for freedom from the we’re-from-the- government-we're-here-to- help crowd. Dr. Cornell doggedly challenged Statistics Canada and its bullying bureaucrats who threatened fines and jail last year to those who refused to fill out its nosy mandarory questionnaire, “Survey of Family Expenditures in 1996.” Dr. Cornell was among those who objected vigorously to this process ~~ an in-home interview by people StatsCan hired to conduct a 38-page quiz that even the bureaucrats said would take two and a half to three hours to answer. (A Vancouver dissident, Mary Mercier, said it would take far longer. Worse: indents didn’t see the questions betorchand — among them, questions on purchases of condom and sanitary napkins. Worse still: lurking at the end were ques- tions about the re: spondent’ 's income, mortgage payments, investments and even gifts. Yes, there were standard assurances of anonyrity, but we've scen those infringed in other matters, haven’t we?) Incidentally, and I think oddly, the B.C. Civil Liberties Association supported StatsCan’s need to gather this information — which is up for sale to private concerns — though it mildly suggested that i impris- onment for those who refuse to comply “is PETER SPECK Publisher 985-2131 {#01} Horan Resoutoes Manager 905-2121 (177) Stephoncen Classified Manager raphy Manager ‘906-8222 (282) Photog 995-215: 108) 985-2131 (133) Entire contents © +997 North Shose Free Press Lid. Ali rights reserved. simply too harsh a penalty.” Cornell might have treated the issue like a one-day wonder on the open-line shows. But he persisted. He complained to tederal privacy commissioner Bruce Phillips. And he won ons some sig- nificant points Phillips, bless hime ‘upheld as “well-founded” Cornell's argument that StatsCan had no right to imply. as it did with heavy and, that the question- naire had to be complered in the respandent’s home and with the interviewer present. StatsCan, in the face of Cornell's and others’ complaints, teat a broad retreat. [t agreed to get the consent of those selected. It has alse reduced the number of questions asked. Now, get this: There were 16,215 households selected for the survey that Dr. Cornell contested. Lo and behold, when the next survey was launched — sailing under the new name “Survey of ‘Household Spending in 1997” — Cornel was again “selected”! Commissioner Phillips drily noted: “I understand that despite the odds (of being selected two years in a row in a sampling of just 16,000-odd Canadian households), you were again selected to participate in this survey, but that arrangements were later made to have your name removed from the list.” Are bureaucrats vindictive? Perish the thought. aa Q Not having seen the George Cuff report, I won't comment on its criticism of —— Dr. snubs nosy StatsCan s sn al manag 1g: Allan which, I'm assured; is as sombr as indicated in News reporter Cat! Barr's scoop. What is impressive is the warmth of the support for Allan; zeal made on his watch, ‘Bure thi wrong. Sager could have’ tr forma words in praise of 2 by Ms. Barr, and, he Burt Sager’s He’s throwing x muich of a stretch Allan, whom he prai time this appears Sager may together an advertiser . OFS SU g Allan. i fubporing Prof Rod y, after 10 years on council: Said behind our (counci’s) back And , on. A rave review, All of which pil P sure on present councillo: ] sioned the Cuff report. Now. what! 900»: Next up: Ex to the proposed Inglewood Pie sion. Some Burley Drive residents ous that nothing about the plan h circulated in the neighborhood — began mobilizing last weekend when'a small ; News item caught a a ‘fesident’ 's eye LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Letters must include your name, full address & telephone number. 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