14 — Sunday, August 22, 1993 - North Shore News SOCIAL PROFILE est Val and en prow IN THIS land where the daffodils bloom earlier, the breezes blow balmier and the sun beams more benevolently, there lives a group of people who are convinced that their corner of the Earth is just could be. if there is a cultural entity on the North Shore that could be recognized as distinct, the West Vancouverite is it, West Vancouverites have been immortalized by Len Norris in his cartoons, as big-nosed, pearl- twirling, pipe-smoking British transplants, living in rose-fes- tooned homes perched precariously on the steep slopes above ‘“Amblesnide’’ and ‘‘Tid- dlycove.”” Norris depicted the typical West Vancouverite as engaged primarily in leisure activities such as bird watching, gardening, entertaining one ancther and gazing down dis- dainfully. upon the Lions Gate Bridge and the doings across the Burrard — Inlet in between fighting to uphold the status quo. Although the British element exists in this community of char- ming lanes, winding roads, walk- ing trails and rose gardens, many ‘of West Vancouver’s early resi- dents were originally from Eastern - Canada and the U.S.A. : .. ‘They. were attracted to the “North Shore by its fish and timber . resources, Later, when Vancouverites beated over to holiday on West Vancouver’s beaches and. explore its picturesque coves, some became so accustomed to. the » leisurely lifestyle and beautiful setting that they never feft. ” ‘Tents became cottages,. and - cottages became year-round * homes. an The: rélative isolation. of West Vancouver from. the boomtown ‘ “atmosphere of its neighbor to the * east? was enhanced. by the occa- “sional washing away of the bridges “over the Capilano River. - West Vancouverites developed a “idrawbridge mentaiity that persists -, to this day. Many are convinced “that population growth. will ruin’ “whatever it is that makes the place - special. "While this cautious approach to . growth, has undoubtedly’ preserved ‘-many of the district’s more char- “ming qualities, it leads to a . monotonous habit of gripping the ., podium before West Vancouver ” District Council and decrying any ‘kind of improvement or alteration om be it the restoration of the ferry building or the co.version of -@.cottage into a teahouse near the , | seawalk., ; about the best place a body By Maureen Curtis Contributing Writer West Vancouverites have stood resolutely in the path of intrusions such as affordable seniors’ hous- ing in residential neighborhoods, a private school on unused public schoo] land, the towers at Taylor Way and Marine Drive and the golf course proposed for Cypress Bowl, -They don’t always win those battles, but they consistently con- duct their campaigns in an articu- late and civilized manner. Despite their efforts, Vancouver is changing. The cottages, many of them rotting into the rain-soaked earth, along with some perfectly good homes, are being replaced by monster houses — and some perfectly good homes. West Vancouverites resent the continual pressure to subdivide and overbuild. Redevelopment makes inroads on the large, idyllically landscaped lots that guarantee them the privacy they crave. : The principal concerns of resi- dents polled in a 1992 survey were overdevelopment and - housing issues, Appalied by the growth that has changed the Lower Mainland as irresolutely as. a high-speed glacier, West Vancouverites - are united in replying to these inroads with resistance, so that they can settle on well-designed develop- ments that at least promise to maintain neighborhood ambience. ” But there are changes from within the ranks. West In addition to a shifting ethnic . couverites: a uring folk that the subdivision of large old lots is discouraged. New subdivisions must maintain large lot sizes that only the wealthy can afford. These buyers are paying $S50C,000 to $1.5 miilion for lots that provide them with a view and the ability to build a 14,000- square-foot (1,260 sq. m) home, says Chapman. The most visible (if not totally accurate) impression of family life in West Vancouver is the double-income providers’ dash to the city, leaving a community of nannies with prettily dressed children in tow. But to West Vancouver's homegrown mayor, Mark Sager, the community that continues to evolve out of this mix of the old and new is still one that exhibits a tremendous spirit and pride in its municipality. ““We see it in the literally hun- dreds of volunteers we have here, in the participation at (the annual) community day and other events. You don’t have that in other municipalities,’ says Sager. It’s the same thing that has most impressed the new curator of the West Vancouer Museum (located in Gertrude Lawson House) and a relative newcomer, Jaquie Gijssen. “There is a sense of - place here... people love what they have here and they’re willing to work to keep it,’’ says Gijssen. mix, West Vancouver has an aging 4 population that is having increas- ing difficulty paying land-value- ‘based taxes. West Vancouver seniors - may not -be able to find alternative accommodation in the community in which they grew up. The number of young families who can afford to live in the municipality appears to be shrinking, and little is being done to halt the trend. Bill Chapman of Chapman and Chapman, a company that has designed subdivisions in West Vancouver since 1909, points out NV firm awarded contract ‘for Sea-Io-Sky Highway THE MINISTRY’ of Trans- portation and Highways has announced. a $271,702 pro- ject to repave almost one kilometre. of the Sea-to-Sky Highway in the Brunswick Pit area, 13 kilometres (8.07 miles) north of Horseshoe Bay.- ’ B.A. Blacktop Ltd. of North Vancouver has been awarded a $219,602 contract for the project. Costs also. include. engineering, supervision and materials supplied by the ministry. The announcement was’ made recently by highways minister Art Charbonneau. “The Sea-to-Sky Highway i is an important tourist, commuter and commercial route,’’ said Char- bonneau. . ~ “The repaving of this stretch of the highway will mean a safer, smoother ride for the travelling public.” Work on the project will be done between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday to Friday. Single-lane alternating traffic will be in effect and motorists should expect delays. Repaving will be done using the mill-and-fili method. This involves grinding and removing the top layer of pave- ment and replacing it with a new surface. Work will also include the in- stallation of precast concrete roadside barriers and reconstruc- tion of the highway shoulders. B.A. Blacktop submitted lowest of three tenders. Project work is scheduled to be completed by Sept. 15. the ond ctr Thermometer $547.89 plus tox Same features as 2000 Series plus 10,000 BTU range-type side bumer $939.89 ps fox GERMAN GIRL SEEKS HOME IN OUR COMMUNITY KATHRIN FROM GERMANY IS ANXIOUSLY AWAITING NEWS THAT THERE 1S A HOST FAMILY IN BRITISH COLUMBIA WHO WILL HELP FULFILL HER DREAM OF SPENDING A SCHOOL YEAR IN CANADA. KATHRIN ENJOYS BALLET, PAINTING, DRAWING, GYMNASTICS AND IS HOPING TO PURSUE SOME OF THESE iNTERESTS DUXING. HER EXCHANGE YEAR. 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