IF GERRY Brewer ever needs to be rescued, it won’t be due to a lack of prepara- tion. North Vancouver Ci- ty’s administrator, who recently retired, has spent most of his 38 years as a city employee planning for the community’s future. , By Stephen Wisenthai | Contributing Writer .- A map in his office, the North Shore covered in scores of Xs, is a testament to other people’s lack of preparation. Each X marks the site of a mountain rescue he has participated in during his 28 years with the North Shore Rescue Team. “There are $,200-foot walis on the north side of Goat Mountain, and I’ve got the scars to prove it from a couple of rescue opera- tions,’’ he says. Details and planning matter to Brewer, whether he is on a mountain, or closer to -sea level. When he learned that the city’s drain grates doubled as traps for unwary cyclists, he had them replaced. The cost — $8,000 — was nothing compared to the im- provement in safety, he says. But his contribution to. the ‘community has not just been bet- ter drain grates. When he surveys the city, he can take general pride. He started working for the city. ‘at age 24 in 1955 as a junior draughtsman. Back then, prob- lems included bears wandering in from the wilderness, and persistent flooding. Brewer remembers when the in- tersection of 15th Street and Lonsdale Avenue was under a foot (30 cm) of water. Later, as purchasing agent for the city, Brewer worked ito solve the flooding problem. He tells how the city “focused its meagre ‘resources’: on. building storm sewers, buying 300 or 400, feet (100 or:130 m), of pipe each year : with any money left in the budget. ‘The pipe would ‘sit by the:,road until, the city had the money to = install it.” The: high-quality: ‘pipe bought then means no bills to pay for ‘replacement now — and ‘no ‘floods, either. Brewer is of a rare breed, born on the North Shore.— in the old hospital on’.the 100-block East 12th Street. ° -When he was. growing: up i in the city, the district was rural.. People kept flocks ‘of turkeys, and chickens. He had a paper route, delivering to farms’ in the area which is. now the Seymour Dzmonstration Forest. Most streets were flanked by ditches. Bridges crossed to houses. Before he joined the city’s staff, Daughter of THE: COLPITTS, one of West -Vancouver’s — earliest pioneer families, recently lost the youngest of six daughters. Elia Colpitts, struggling against Lou Gehrig’s disease for over two ‘years; passed away peacefully on May 10. Ella, known to her friends as Billie, was the youngest daughter of F. Payson and Janet Colpitts’ eight-child family. Both parents moved to West Vancouver from New Brunswick in 1910. At that time there were 12 houses in West Vancouver. ‘The. eldest Colpitts daughter, Helen, still resides at the family’s Fulton Avenue home. NEWS photo Brad Lectwidge GERRY BREWER and wife Margaret e! last week’s retirement dinner for the North Vancouver City administrator. Brewer worked on the Trans- Mountain pipeline with Canadian Bechtel. ‘‘That gave me the bug to become an engineer.’? But he couldn’t afford to train for engineering, so he began a fruitful career with the city instead. When he- joined the staff in 1955, the city employed about 170 people. Now it has twice that many. During his career, he has seen some things go full circle. For ex- ample, the ferry service to the foot of Lonsdale was discontinued in 1958, only to be revived. as the SeaBus nearly 20 years later. Streetcars are being considered on Lonsdale Avenue again. Brewer says streetcars may not be the best solution, but establishing better transport corridors through the North Shore is an important challenge. The east-west linkages for public transit are particularly bad, he says. After a few years with the city, “Brewer took charge of ‘the con- Structic:i department to supervise ‘a. 125-person team building sewers, water connections, side- walks and roads. In 1964, he became purchasing agent. In subsequent years he ad- ded responsibility for the property department and land section as well as bylaw enforcement and insurance programs. In 1982, Brewer became deputy city ad- ministrator, under Ed Raymond. In March 1987, he took over the ‘top job. Since then, he has been “business manager for the city, seeing that the policies of the city are carried out.’”’ He also attends afl council meetings, and reviews all reports going to counci! ‘‘not only for conclusions, but also for information and alternatives nec- essary for council to make a deci- sion. “The public sometimes feel staff are pushing forward silly op- .tions, but their obligation is to put forward all reasonable possibilities,”’ says Brewer. He maintains the current rap- port between the council and city staff is excellent, benefitting from the three-year terms for coun- -cillors. ‘“They develop a relation- ship so members of council un- derstand the big picture,’’ he says. He adds: ‘“‘We need for: the conimunity and city hall to learn to communicate in a way that facilitates a better understanding _ of the individual in the community . and the needs of the community.” Efforts to achieve this goal have included an open house at city hail, and the establishment of various. advisory bodies, but “‘public apathy still leaves a gap,"’ says Brewer. He says the city’s finances are in good shape, with interest on the $28-million land sale reserve fund used to “buffer? the tax rate. And that reserve fund will get a boost of about $25 million when the city’s extensive land holdings in Lower Lonsdale are sold off. As for amalgamation with the district, ‘‘1 don’t believe there is any reason for serious considera- tion of the issue,’’ says Brewer. He suggests, however, that there is room for enhancements in joint services. Some such as emergency planning, recreation and the police are already coordinated. Challenges for the city in the WV pioneers remembered |< Billie spent a happy childhood in West Vancouver and graduated from Inglewood High School: be- fore working as a secretary in Vancouver. In 1946 she married Edward Stann and spent almost 25 years with him in the Royal Canadian Air Force, living in places from Ramstein, Germany to Fort Nelson, B.C. and many in be- tween. After her husband's retirement they settled in West Vancouver. Although she had seen all four corners of the world, Billie had no... desire to live anywhere but her birthplace. She spent her time as a volunteer with the Ladies’ Aux- iliary at Lions Gate Hospital for several years. Her family, many friends and ‘ ELLA COLPITTS former neighbors deeply regret her untimely passing. future include building a new police station for the city and district, and marketing the Lower Lonsdaie lands. The Lonsdale’ sale will provide money for the city, and extend the vitality of the area, but it also needs to benefit the ex- isting neighbors, says Brewer. Climbing is Brewer’s major hobby. In his office, he proudly displays a photo on the wall of Mount Robson on a cloudless day, tracing the precarious route he once took up to the peak. Nothing compares with the feeling of ‘“‘shaking hands with some good friends on the top of the mountain and not being sure if we would see each other at the bottom,” he says. When he’s not climbing, he uses — ae 887 min wide Stitch wa Script and Block Alphabet with Lower Case 97 Buttonholes #4 Sm Bragrant® Ahabet for Monoarerving #2 432 Stitches with Updatable Cassettes 1 Guick-FiT" Snap-on Soles £96 Memories with Recall on Command ga Horizontal and Vertical Mirror image m2 Stitch Length and Width Displayed automaticaly && When he learned thai the city’s drain grates doubled as traps for unwary cyclists, he had them replaced. 9? his holidays ‘working: with dif- .- ferent people to see what probiems they have.’? He once spent a cou- ple of days on a cross-Canadz: transport truck. Other ‘adventures - - have included working on a fish- ing boat and joining entomology .. groups on the Queen, Charlotte © Islands. Work-related accomplishments he is proud of include helping de- velop an enhanced 9-1-1 system. for region, representing. BC municipalities in the RCMP feder- ” al/ provincial contract’ negotiations and participating in the planning for five new fireboats for the waterfront communities. Brewer has been on’ the board ; of directors of the North Shore - Credit’ Union since 1984, ‘for. the .: last three years as vice-chairman. Recently, he has also been: ap-.”.’ pointed to the board of the Pacific. © Marine Training Institute... -. ’ With’ all that activity (on: his.’ plate, it is safe to say that while“ Gerry Brewer may. be retired after: August 16, he won’t be retiring... If he’s not. at-home, you might find him on a mountain. peak ee well prepared. . A Computer SO easy, SO fun. fit makes sewing child's play! COME IN AND MEET Ce por HoPKo The Elna factory rep will be offering Special Factory prices _ FOR ONE DAY ONLY! SAT. AUG. 21/93 10AM-4PM Fantastic Savings on Elna Sergers and basic sewing machines too!