SUNDAY
Novernber 19, 1995

the news

Bveries

66 She made it
. through the cause-
wav fine... allof a
sudden she started
to lose it. BF

~~ BMW driver wreaks
havoc on Lions Gate
Bridge. See story page 5.

@ Christmas Calendar..4&
& Crossword... ys
@ N. Shore Alert 8
Talking Personals...50
BM TrAVEL ce cswseneere sree AZ
Hi TV Listings........
Weddings.

fashion
i Texture, pattern
‘head fail trends: = 19

@ Weekly fashion
' events calendar: 22

features

. & Drug Awareness
Week under way: 15

4 Festive Focus
takes stock: 36

[-“AAIDLAND WALWYN

THIN KING

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Post Referendum hwesting

West Vancouver Office 925-9210 |

announced

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NEWS photo Mike Wakefield

GRAEME ROBERTS (left) and James Ross inspect the moss and fungi growing on
a maple tree that will be cut down if plans to build North Van bail fields go ahead.

IF VICTORIA imposes a plan to
bind the North Shore’s two school
districts, it will create a “dog’s
breakfast” for budget planners, said
North Vancouver school board chair-
man Barb MacLellan.

By lan Noble

News Reporter

Her West Vancouver counterpart, Ken
Haycock, agreed an amalgamation plan
Friday by NDP Education
Minister Art Charbonneau presents budgeting
obstacles. :

But a majer concern for Haycock is that

Plan would unite
North and West
Van school districts

amalgamation will erode West) Vancouver's
control ever its own “unique” school system.

“The fabric of a community is tightly
woven, and the public schools are a part ol
that.” he said.

Charbonneau suid a fall-hack proposal to
reduce the number of school boards in BoC.
fronr 75 to 37 ain to deliver $20 million in
savings neat year and $30 million beeinning
in the 1997-98 school year,

Under the phn, the North and West

Monday: Sunny, cloudy periods
High 10°C, low 0°C.

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-Lynnmour residents
resist rec expansion

MAPLE TREES are at stake in a
$12.5-million plan to bring new ball
fields to the North Shore.

By jan Noble

News Reporter

Lynnmour resident Elise Robens said the
baseball field and soecer pitch proposal, if
implemented, would wipe out about two-thirds,
or 2.5 hectares (5.8 acres), of a “unique century-

. old maple forest.”

“Said Roberts: “We live in really cramped
high-density housing and without the forest for .
the kids to go to, it degrades the quality of life in

» this area.”

The forest is used for nature study, photogra-
phy. dog walking and cycling, said Robens, —
-North Vancouver District has approved in
principle a plan to build four baseball diamonds
and 11 soccer pitches in the Inter-River Park
area, locited on the southern periphery of Lynn
Canyon Park. 7 ;
The maples are rooted in an area earmarked
for four tennis courts, two soccer pitches and a

. baseball diamond.

The extensive sports development is the dis-

“ trict’s response to demand from focal recreation

groups for more sports fields.

Roberts and others helping her fight to save
the maples say they recognize the need for the
sports fields, but they don’t want the wees felled |_|.
to put in the pitches.

See Trees page 3

Vancouver schoo! boards will be antalgamat-
ed. Howe Sound, Sunshine Coast and Powell
River school boards also face amalgamation.

A. steering committee co-chaired by the:
Education Ministry and jthe B.C. Schoal
Trustees Association will assist in the resiruc:
turing.

The committee will consult.on ways to
reduce the number of school boards and costs
associated with school district addiinistration
and “governance,” said Charbonneau.

The committee is stated to submit a
restructuring plan by April 15, 1996, and
amalgamations will be implemented before
school board elections in November 1996,

If the cominitice is unable to propose solu-

See Board page 3