NEWS photo Paui McGrath NORTH Vancouver District Coun. Ernie Crist is looking for a driving range aiid conference centre at Northiands. The golf course is not as profitable as politicians had originally hoped for. Conference centre pushed Golf course faces $71.8M debt Marcie Geod Contributing Writer A conference centre and a driving range should be considered as ways to help the Northlands golf course pay back its $11.8 mil- lion debt to North Vancouver District, council decided Monday night. The motion, brought for- ward by Coun. Ernie Crist, asked staff for a report on how the golf course could accom- modate the additions. During the planning stages of building the course, he said, council had been advised that in order to keep fees low and to pay back the money borrowed from the district’s heritage fund, Northlands needed a small con- vention centre and a driving range. Both ideas were dropped, and the course also shrunk from the desired 165 to 131 acres. Now, considering that the fee of $49.50 is the highest of public golf courses in British Columbia and that Northlands is struggling to pay the debt, Crist argued the district should took at how the facility could be improved. “I can assure you that it makes sound business sense because as any businessman knows, if you want to make moncy, you've got to invest money,” he said. “Then we can pay back the heritage fund and get rid of this present cross we bear, Northlands golf course.” According to an agreement with the district, the interest on the debt is to be paid for the first five years, at an annual rate of 5%. That means the golf course would make annual pay- ments of $590,000 to the her- itage fund. In 1999, Northlands was able to pay only $190,000. Revenues from green fees were far less than expected because of the poor weather early in the season. Tewin Torry, the district's SLEEP ON manager of community plan- ning, told council that both the driving range and convention centre options were dropped from the golf course plans for a variety of business and environ- mental reasons. The driving range ran into trouble in part because of required setbacks from crecks. Alter a market analysis that included looking ar the use of facilities at Seymour Golf Course and at the University Golf Club in Vancouver, staff concluded that a conference centre would nor be viable. But as Mayor Don Bell con firmed at Monday's meeting, no recent market analysis has been done. A staff report would include that information as well as options for locating the dii- ving range. In the past, those included: 3e ' 01078 AIL CHANGE $e y hd OFF Petro Canede ‘tow0 74 Blands owned by the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation to the west of the course; @ an area near the 4th hole, which would require adjusting the course; §@ a site on Anne Macdonald Way previously slated for a school if the area was devel- oped. Coun, Lisa Muri and Coun. Bill Denault voied against the motion. Muri agreed that a conference centre would be desirable and that there is a lack of such facilities in the district. But she said that the Seymour Official Community Plan process should be completed fore any other studies are begun on the area. n houses are bt ing held this week, and the plan is sched- uled for completion in the fall. But the process, she said, has already been interrupted too Many times, feos. « ¥iRh ites Coupon * For most vetuctes ' a Lonadale & 13th, N. Vancouver 885-1050 Sunday, April 9, 2000 — Nerth Shore News - 5 Van flips in highway crash A collision on the Upper Levels Highway Thursday morning sent the driver of a minivan to hospital. West Vancouver Police Sgt. Jim Almas said a woman was dn- ving easton the highway with her two young children at about 38:50 a.m, As the woman neared the Cypress Bow! exit she was blinded by the sun and lost control. The woman's vehicle fishtailed and struck a minivan that was eastbound in the neighbouring lane. The driver of the minivan then lost control and hit a concrete barner. The van flipped and rofled several times, before coming to a stop upside down with the female driver rapped inside. Almas said an off-duty West Vancouver Police officer happened to be wavelling past. The officer stopped and used a knife to cut the woman free from her van, She was transported by ambulance to Lions Gate Hospital. Almas said he did not know the extent of the woman's injunes burt said they were not life-threatening. There were no other injuries. Police are investigating the incident. — Katharine Hamer Rates would be effective May Fron: pane than suburbs Eke Surrey or Richmond, lower monthly rates were charged. According to Telus, 70 cents of this figure will go towards expanding the local calling area. North Shore cus- tomers will be able to call toll- free as far inland as Aldergrove and as far north as Lions Bay. Up till now, calls to such Lower Mainland locations as White Rock and Langley have logged as long-distance entries on North Shore phone bills. if approved, the proposed rates will be effective May 1. Be Jewelled We specialize in custom design Bees DESIGN. STUDIO] #2-2435 Marine Or., West Van 922-3014 coc taney C.L. 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