NEWS photo Nell Lucente A BUSFUL of toys made its rounds on December 16 to pick up donations of toys from the Toys for Tots boxes, which were set up at all Lower Mainland transit centres early this month. The charitable program is coordinated by BC Transit employees, who donated their time for needy children and their families. Four- year-old April Eccleston (above) looks over the loot. SEA-TO-SKY PATROLS Police step up highway enforcement HOTDOG DRIVERS trying to make time to Whistler be warned: police have stepped up traffic enforcement along the Squamish Highway in an attempt to reduce motor vehi- cle accidents along the tricky road. On Saturday, provincial motor vehicle inspectors, West Vancouver Police and Squamish RCMP man- ned a roadblock from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. along the highway near Sunset Beach. The roadblock resulted in numerous fines and warnings being: issued to motorists for infractions ranging from seatbelt violations and disobeying traffic control devices to driving with worn tires and cracked wind- By MICHAEL BECKER News Reporter shields. Said West Vancouver Police traffic section head Sgt. Gunter Wahl: “It's part of our effort in the Sea-to-Sky traffic safety en- forcement. We all realize it is a problem highway and we're trying to pay more attention to that NEW YEAR'S EVE PARTY AT WORTH SHORE STUDIOS Bash to go ahead despite NV council! condemnation NORTH VANCOUVER City council has threatened to im- pose fines of up to $2,000 on organizers of North Shore Studio’s New Year’s Eve bash over improper use of city zoning bylaws, but party planners say they will proceed with the event despite the warning. Zee Batel of Sunset Caterers, who has invested $40,000 of his own money in the gala event, said he has no intention of bailing out now. “We just want to have inis par- ty, do it, get it over with, and that’s the end of it,” said Batel. Batel pleaded for bylaw leniency Monday night but the city told him the studio’s industrial zoning could not be used for commercial pur- poses. They warned him he could receive fines or a court order if the affair goes ahead. “We don’t break our bylaws for some poor soul in an illegal suite. (We won't) for someone in a pow- erful or public position,’’ said Ald. Barbara Sharp. City administrative coordinator Francis Caouette said ‘‘There has been no decision as to what en- forcement, if any, will be taken.” Batel originally planned the New Year’s Eve party as a private affair but later decided to enlarge it with Canadian blues rock star Colin James. in his haste, he forgot to check city zoning bylaws. “It was a mistake,’’ he said, “The last thing we thought about was zoning. We were working on By CORINNE BJORGE and EVELVN JACOB NORTH Vancouver City Ald. Barbara Sharp ...‘*we don’t break bylaws."' the safety and health aspect — no- body even thought about zoning.”’ Batel also forgot to check liquor licensing, and has since been in- formed by the Burnaby Liquor Control Board that he cannot sell drinks for profit. He said council was concerned abeut the amouni of profit he will make from the event, but noted he'll be happy if he breaks even. highway.”’ While the West Vancouver Police Department has not added officers to its traffic detachment to deal specifically with West Van- couver’s five-kilometre stretch of the highway, Wahl said highway enforcement will be beefed up. Four provincial highway patrol members cover the highway from the northern boundary of West Vancouver to the southern bound- ary of Squamish and from the nor- thern boundary of Squamish at Culliton Creek, north to Pember- ton. The 32-kilometre stretch of highway within the municipal 3 - Friday, December 22, 1989 - North Shore News NV council pushes for new rental zones NORTH VANCOUVER City is urging the provincial gov- ernment to extend the power of municipalities to zone for rental housing in council’s continued fight against the city rental housing crisis. The move was accompanied by a unanimously supported proposal to involve the public. the devel- opment industry, and members of the provincial government in a meeting in fate January to address the present crisis. Ald. Frank Morris said it was important for council to take posi- tive action in addition to actions such as the demolition ban. “This proposes a response that would create rental housing or a form of rental housing,’ said Morris. “*It has been demonstrated that on private property no developer is going to develop rentai housing, or very minimal rental housing,’’ said Morris. But Ald. Stella Jo Dean said she was worried that rental zoning would ‘‘ghettoize certain social housing,’’ and that the move was boundaries of Squamish is covered by Squamish RCMP. Squamish RCMP recently brought its traffic section up to speed by taking on a fourth member. Said Squamish RCMP Sgt. Rod Derouin: ‘‘During the winter months it’s a joint effort to establish road blocks and be very, very visible during the ski season. A person could conceivably en- counter two or three police vehicles during a trip along the highway. We have put a greater emphasis on the enforcement of the Motor Vehicle Act on Highway 99."” The highway traffic enforcement By CORINNE BIORGE Contributing Writer unnecessary because ‘we can al- ready put it anywhere.”’ Sharp said the city routinely zones areas for certain types of development. “I don't see the ability to zone a particular area as a ghetto. We're not ghettoizing commercial (devel- opment),”’ said Sharp. Sharp said a rental zoriing area would give renters a feeling of permanency. ‘‘There’s nothing worse than someone living in something they call their home, and then losing it,’’ she said. “The city has such a high per- centage of renters, roughly 63 per cent. We were elected to look after the people in our municipality," said Sharp. effort is beefed up from time to time with the deployment of a spotter plane used to track speeders along the road. In a submission made to the provincial government’s Traffic Safety Directorate earlier this year, a North Shore-based group of doc- tors called for a doubling of the number of police patrolling the highway. Deaths along the 145-kilometre stretch of highway, from Horse- shoe Bay to Pemberton, more than doubled from 1987 to 1988, jump- ing from six to 16. ‘photo Mike Waket OUT WITH the old — an apartment building on 8th and Chesterfield Streets in North Vancouver stated for demolition topples to make way for new development. Classified Ads.. Editorial Page Home & Garden.........11 Mailbox .... seneee 7 What's Going On........17 WEATHER Friday and Saturday, periods of rain. Highs near 11°C. Second Class Registration Number 3885