DON LANSKAIL
SAYS HE’LL
CALL IT QUITS

F ALL the piaces in

West Vancouver the one

where you’re most likely
to find Don Lanskail in his free
time is on the seawalk.

The public pathway that hugs
the shoreline — from Dundarave
to Ambleside’s business communi-
ty — is the West Vancouver
mayor’s greatest achievement, a
monument to 28 years in civic pol-
itics.

“Of everything I’ve done it gives
me the most personal satisfac-
tion,’’ he says of the walkway,
beaming with pride. ‘‘1 get a
tremendous charge walking along
it. It’s a real sense of satisfaction
seeing so many people enjoy some-
thing you’ve accomplished.”’

Accomplishments are what the
72-year-old mayor is in the mood
to talk about.

Never one to dwell on the nega-
tive, the cheery Lanskail en-
thusiasticaily lists off his life
achievements — which include a
series of key positions held over
three decades with one of this pro-
vince’s largest industries, the forest
industry.

Lanskail vaulted to the pinnacle
of the Council of Forest Industries
and remained there for eight years.
He takes particular delight in
retelling how he was able to stave
off the first U.S. countervailing
duty on Canadian lumber, in effect
saving the industry hundreds of
millions of dollars.

And he sees no need whatsoever
to de humble about it. ‘You're
not asking me to be modest now,"”
he says, with a twinkle in his eye.

Since becoming mayor of
Canada’s wealthiest community in
1986 Lanskail has overseen a host
of projects and has been more ac-
tive in the Greater Vancouver
Regional District than any
previous West Vancouver mayor.

But if all of this sounds like he’s
stumping for re-election, think
again.

Although he hasn’t made if of-
ficial yet, Lanskail isn’t planning
to seek another term.

university studies.

April 30, 1990.

32 - Sunday, Apzil 8, 1990 - North Shore News

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MAYOR DON Laaskail knows West Vancouver better than just about anyone.

2INFLUENCE

for 28 years. Here, he poses in front of his predecessors, portraits that hang outside his municipal hall office.

“I agreed when I ran for mayor
in 1986 that I would do it for four
years and that’s exactly what I in-
tend to do,”’ he says firmly.

And it’s not because of criticism
from his opponents or the tedious
hours spent hammering out policy
at council meetings that has led to
his decision. It’s a four-year-old
promise.

“It’s an understanding I’ve had
with my wife all along,’’ he ex-
plains.

Although he describes the past
four years as mostly rosy — ‘‘On a
scale of 10 it’s still about cight
with occasional dips to seven-
and-a-half’’ — it hasn't been
without thorns.

A number of prickly issues have
plagued his council, like the fiery
320 Taylor Way controversy and
the Collingwood School dispute.

y of learn-

Tree-topping and squabbles over
what some residents see as the
out-of-control development of
West Vancouver have raised the
shackles of local groups, and the
sometimes abusive outcry from
certain outspoken individuals dur-
ing council meetings have all
weighed heavily on Lanskail’s pa-
tience.

“I don’t like some of the carp-
ing you hear sometimes at council
meetings,’’ he admits frankly,

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“‘Nobody enjoys that.’’

But Lanskail isn’t the least bit
bitter: he takes it all in his stride.
“I’m a pretty tough old bird,’’ he
says grinning.

The son of a Prairie immigrant,
Lanskail’s career has been one
smooth ride since he graduated
from UBC law school in the ’50s.

After a stint as a practising
junior lawyer (Lanskail worked on
a number of major criminal cases)
he quickly shot up through the

"BQ
Wwreten

Nooretunds or exchanges «

NEWS photo Weil Lucente

The spry mayor has been involved in West Vancouver civic politics

ranks to become chief executive
officer for the Forest Industrial
Relations, the Pulp and Paper In-
dustrial Relations Bureau and the
Council of Forest Industries.

A sparkling political career
began in 1962 when Lanskail was
elected alderman the first time he
ran. In 1980, together with Bob
Hicks and John Humphries, he
was elected to West Vancouver

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Page 33

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