MAIL Box

Waterfront plan
needs overhaul

Dear Editor:

Open fetter to North Vancouver District mayor and
council and Waterfront Task Force:

We are writing this letter to express some of our concerns
relating to the study presently being done by the Waterfront
Task Foree.

We fail to understand how the municipality is seriously
thinking of taking over the management of the foreshore when
it is having difficuley maintaining the community facilities it
presently owns. One look at the grounds around Ron Andrews
Pool and its many public right-of-ways would demonstrate a
lack of attention, Surely the present property owners are berter
able to safeguard an environmentally vital area such as the fore-
shore.

We were also shocked to hear thar the district is considering
not renewing the Deep Cove Yacht Club’s lease. The yacht club
is interesting and tasteful as well as historical and dear to the
hearts of past and present Deep Cove residents. It makes a won-
derful contribution to the area, providing a marine theme
which is unique in an area so near to a major city. It is enjoyed
by more than Deep Cove residents and yacht clubs members as
people using Panorama Park enjoy watching the activity there.

As Indian Arm residents, our docks are often used to rescue
stranded boaters, including windsurters and kayakers. Sea birds
teed on the mussels that grow in the docks as well as otters that
use the protection of the floats when having their young. For
those who have only one road into their homes, the docks pro-
vide an escape route in the event of an emergency, ic. earth-
quake.

We would also be concerned about opening up an area to
the criminal element as well as midnight lantern fishermen who
already have a foothold in these areas. How would the district
be able to provide policing tor such a long stretch of beach, 24
hours a dav?

Cost has to be considered — nor only in picking up land
parcels as they come on the market, but the expense of mainte-
nance, storm cleanup (which is significant in this area), lighting,
policing, ete. The council should go back to the drawing board
on this one. Surely our hard-earned tay dollars could be better
spent than on a walkway thar will allow a few people a litle
stroll on the few dry days that occur in this rainforest area.

D. Lynne Matheson and Earl R. Matheson
North Vancouver

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THE MILLENNIUM BUREAU OF CANADA |

An almost unbelievable binge of
questionable spending is underway at
The Millennium Bureau of Canada, and
despite the Bureau's apparent pride at
how it is spending $145 million of your
tax dollars, it would surprise me if you
approve of the extravagance. Many of
the projects have only a vague
connection to the start of the new
millennium, and most make no
reference whatsoever to the true start
of the 21st century, which is midnight
on December 31, 2000, and not, as
many believe, at midnight on December
31, 1999.

FROM WILLOWS
TO LIFESHIPS

There are literally hundreds of projects
listed in a recently released summary of
Projects approved by the Millennium
Bureau. Included are such impressive
undertakings as $15,000 to detail the
experiences of garment workers in
Canada, $300,000 for concerts
featuring a separatist singer,

i $15,183 for the Apple and Cider

Interpretation Centre in Quebec,
and $5,333 to build two giant
mastodons in Carroll's Corner,

| Nova Scotia. A quick scan of the entire

list leaves me with the impression that the

¥ Millennium Bureau is approving almost

any proposa! simply so it can shovel
money out the door as fast as possible.
Here are some more detailed examples
from BC and Ontario, any of which, as

| stand-alone projects, may be desirable
— or worthwhile. ft is a stretch of the

imagination though, to portray them as

| “millennium” projects:

%* McDonald's Corners/Elphin Recreation
and Arts will receive $2,003 to help
organize the building of a labyrinth
on the grounds of the 1868
McDonald’s Corners schoolhouse.
According to the project description. “it will

f be constructed of willow bushes, which

grow about two metres annuaily, allowing
them to be harvested for use by local
artisans” and “This living labyrinth with its
roots in earlier millennia will provide
lasting effects in the new age.” (Frankly, |
would be surprised if the ‘local artisans”
remember to “hafvest" the bushes every
year, so more grants will be needed for
ongoing care of the project.)

*“The Canadian Canoe Museum will
steer unersingly into the next millennium,”
says the Mittennium Bureau, with
$1,057,933 te develop a new
15,000 sq. ft. exhibit in the
Canadian Canoe Museum in
Peterborough, Ontario. The project
summary further states that, “The
travelling and educational exhibits will
focus on the canoe as a unifying national
symbol that brings Canadians together as
they enter the new millennium.”

%* The Friends of the Ruins of St Raphael's
will spend their grant of $146,000 oa
ensuring that the fire gutted ruins
of St Raphael's church survive as
an interpretative site well into the
new millennium. The project
description does not explain why the
church, which burned down approximately
thirty years ago, has never been rebuilt,
but an enthusiastic group of “friends” have
managed to convince the Millennium
Bureau that preserving the ruins is worth

Wednesday, April 28, 1999 - North Shore News - 9

advertorial. April 28/1999

the money. Why not take a look next time
you are in Charlottenburgh. Ontario?

* The Waterfront Trail Artists of Etobicoke
are guaranteed not to have any problem
with bird droppings on their project. The
Flight of the Pass2nger Pigeons,
thanks to a $13,614 grant from the
Millennium Bureau, involves only
birds made of paper maché! Project
organizers hope to convince 2,000
students from 13 area schools to make
life-sized replicas of the extinct passenger
pigeon for display in their schools and

public places. In addition, “those too |

young to sculpt will draw their passenger
pigeons and have their messages
attached to the sculptures, bringing the
total number of messages to 4,000. The
replicas will remind people of the fragility
of our environment and the importance of
nurturing it in the next millennium.”

* Three new Guinness World Records wil!
be broken with the Vancouver
Symphony Orchestra’s grant of
$129,667. it will amass the world’s
largest collection of musicians to
perform O Canada; Beethoven's
9th Symphony, and a new work
which will reflect the music of the
future. According to the project
description, “The orchestra, along with
more than 21,006 students - and possib'y
as many as 40,000 — from throughout
British Columbia, will enjoy a once in a
millennium experience.” In addition, “it will
increase their appreciation for music and
their self-esteem and, over the long term,
discourage crime, drug abuse, and
participation in gang violence — a worthy
legacy for a new millennium.” (Music doth
tame the savage beast?)

* Also in BS, the Leadership Initiative for
Earth (LIFE) will use $599,514 to help
finance the building and sailing of
a sustainable “Lifeship 2000" tall
ship. The “life story of every tree used in
its construction will be documented” and
when the ship finally sets sail with a crew
of young people on board, “these future
leaders will learn the importance of
working together to preserve a sustainable

environment in order to stay on the right |

course over the next millennium.”

AN EXCUSE ~
TO SPEND MONEY

As mentioned above, any one of the |

above may be worthwhile as a stand-
alone project, but it is a stretch of the
imagination to list them as “millennium”
projects. They could have been started at
any time, using money raised by, and
from, interested supporters, instead of
from taxpayers via the Millennium Fund.

The Finance Minister though, couldn't |

bear the thought of returning the
budgetary surplus to you as a meaningful
tax decrease — so he used the Millennium

Bureau as an excuse to give some of it |

away. Special interest groups from coast
to coast have been the beneficiaries.

(Footnote: In a rare display of |

common sense, the Millennium
Bureau actually turned down a
“Multicultural Mask” project
submitted by Earth Muffin
Productions of North Vancouver,
mainly because the proposal “did
not demonstrate a sufficient level
of support from the community or
other financial partners.)

Ted White, M.P. , #302-1200 Lynn Valley Road, North Vancouver, B.C. V7) 2A2
Tel: 666-0585 Fax: 666-0509, Internet: http://www. reform.ca/white-t/

‘C= Capilano
‘Ce College

AT CAP

“2+ Textile arts exhibition

The Textile Arts progeam
will ke holding ats annual
studenc exhibition trom
Tuesday, May 4 to
Thurday, May 27 this
year. The exhibition will
be held at the Community
Arts Council located at
837 Davie Street in
Vancouver. There will also
be an information meeting
for those interested in the
two-year diploma program
or one-year advanced
certificate program in
Textile Arts. It will be
held on Thursday, May 13
at 6:30 p.m. at the
Community Arts Council.
For more information, call

984-4911.

f> Make the Latin
American com:ection

Capilano College is
introducing its new Latin
Armerican Management
program graduate diploma
this September. The
Program consists of a one-
year academic program in
Canada, followed by a
one-year, full-time co-op
internship in Latin
America. Students will
acquire advanced
management skills, and
receive language,
‘communications and
tegional context/crass-
cultural sensitivity
training. For more
information, call
990-7881 or visit their
Website at
seww.capcollege.be.ca/lamp.

> Computer technology
testing centre

_ Interested in writinga ... -
computer technology
accreditation exam?
Capilano College's new
testing centre offers all
Sylvan prometric exams,
including Microsoft
certifications MCSE and
MCSD. Novell, A+ and
IBM accreditations are also
offered, along with
Microsoft Office User
Specialist exams such as
Excel, Power Point, Access
and Word. For more
information, call
990-7871.

> information mestings

The Applied Information
Technology program is
hasting an information
meeting on Manday, May 3
ac? pam. in the Arbutus
building, room 116. For
more information, call.
984-1727. There will also
be an information meeting
for the Legal Assistant
program on Wednesday,
May 12 at 6:30 p.m. in the
Fir building, room 206.
Cail 983-7594 to reserve
Your seat.

CAPILANO
COLLEGE

2055 Purcell Way
North Vancouver