WV’s chamber Friday, October 2, 1992 - North Shore News - 3 searching for home Chamber of commerce operating homeless in Canada’s richest community THE RICHEST community in Canada has a chamber of commerce with no fixed address. By A.P. McCredie News Reporter Since its inception in the 1930s, the West Vancouver Chamber of Commerce has never had a home to call its own. The closest the chamber has ever come to feeling safe about unpacking all its boxes was when it resided in the Sharp Realty of- fice on Marine Drive in the 1950s. The chamber has had three dif- ferent addresses in the past five years. During the Second World War the chamiber closed. Following the war it was brought back to life by West Vancouver Reeve Russel Richards. The cirrent address of the three-person operation is in the old Odeon Theatre building on Marine Drive, but with that build- ing’s impending demolition, the chamber is in the familiar position of scouting out new digs. “We currently have a proposal in front of West Vancouver Council that would have the chamber take up permanent resi- dence in a residential property recently purchased by the municipality,’’ chamber president Gordon Pearmain said. Since the chamber is currently on a month-to-month lease, an eviction notice — expected any Opposition to NVD annexation could lead to referendum From page 1 but are generally more accessible and more visible to the public than the huge (62.5 square miles) Greater Vancouver waicr supply atea, GVRD director Bill Lewis told the meeting, ‘‘If the ‘municipality wants to come in there has to be a carrot there. Don’t just give yourself away.”’ But he acknowledged that the area was subject to change with more substantial properties. look- ing for increased services in fire protection, garbage disposal and clean water. Somers was not impressed. “*I don’t think I’ve heard any- thing that I would, consider a substantive plus. My taxes will go up 20%, but the services will stay the same. They are not going to mun a water iine seven miles for 11! properties,”’ said Somers. Municipal .planner Jim Master- ton told the News that the issue was ‘‘essentially one of en- vironmental protection’ for the area. He added that the district would be able_to extend its award-win- ning-Alpine Area Official Com- munity Plan northwards. One owner said she was reas- sured‘ to hear that annexation was not a precursor to a major devel- opment in the region, but she asked whether the municipality - eould prevent road access through indian Arm towards Whistler. GVRD director of services Bili Brown told the meeting that if the provincial municipal affairs minister was made aware of ' SLADTOR AREA) | AREA OF STUDY Etactorai Area B Components: 1. Grantor Vencouver Water Supply Avsa (62.5 sq. rrsies) 2, Lynn Headwaters Regional Park (¢ 3 sq miles) 3 Seymour Demonstration Forest (5.5 39. miles) 4. Crown Provincial Land (12.2 aq. miles) S, Mount Seymour Provincial Park (4 2 6). miles) 6. Private land (3.5 sq. rules) “substantial opposition in the area to be annexed’’ he could require a referendum in that area. - Brown suggested that opposi- tion from six out of 11 residential preperty owners might be suffi- cient to force a referendum. . Larger company holdings would hold no advantage in such a ref- erendum, because each property owner would get one vote. The district would be required ta hold a municipal referendum on the annexation only if at ieast 10% of the electors petitioned for one. Approximately 5,000 signatures would be required. Index 25 31 @ Automotive * | GB Classified Ads 19 $s @ Home & Garden .... ® Trevor Lautens @ Kids’ Stuff @ Paul St. Pierre 8 What's Going On Saturday, mostly cloudy, high 17°C, low 9°C. Sunday, sunny, high 15°C, low 8°C. Canadian Publications Mail Sales Product Agreement Number 0087238 day now — would mean the chamber would have only 30 days to find a new home. ‘We never unpacked from our last move from our Bellevue loca- tion, so we are ahead of the game in that respect,’ said Pearmain. The office the chamber used at * Bellevue and 14th was scheduled for demolition, but is stilt stand- ing. . West Vancouver Mayor Mark Sager wants to help the chamber find a home, but he said the lack of spaces for community services in West Vancouver is a difficult problem to overcome. “I’ve read the proposal from the chamber with regards to the newly acquired property on iSth, and | think there is real merit to it,”’ said Sager. . There are several reasons why the 245-member West Vancouver Chamber of Commerce has had difficulty in funding a permanent residence. ‘*Though there are many business people who reside in West Vancouver, the vast majority of them work in downtown Van- couver and therefore belong to the Vancouver Board of Trade,"’ said chamber past-president Ed Boyce. “Also, the fact that West Van- couver has no industrial businesses doesn’t help the chamber’s cause.”* The only real source of revenue for the chamber’s operation comes from membership dues, and with the economy fluctuating over the past decade, Boyce said some businesses are shying away from joining. The constant uprooting is not only hard on the chamber’s per- sonnel and equipment, but has also been confusing for people from outside the community mak- ing inquiries about the business scene in West Vancouver. “This (the lack of a permanent address) has complicated the pro- cess of running our InfoCentre as well as the general operation,’’ said manager Joan Foster. **Given some permanent base of operation, the chamber would be able to manage some fundraising and enlarge its membership base with a little room for volunteers."” Sager said he hoped council would deal with the chamber’s proposal at its next meeting. ~ in EWS photo Mika Wakefield NORTH SHORE Neighbourhood House (NSNH) and Mickey McDougal! gym are sponsoring drop-in volleyball sessions through the fall: Sundays at NSNH and noon hour at the gym on Tuesdays and Thursdays until Dec. 13. 30-year park expansion plan criticized by environmentalist Says provincial addition to Lynn Headwaters should be permanent A NORTH Shore environmentalist has attacked a provin- cial government plan to add 3,000 hectares of wilderness land to Lynn Headwaters Regional Park in North Van- couver District. The addition would triple the size of the local park. . The plan calls for the provincial government to turn over 3,000-hectare addition to the Greater Vancouver Regional District (GVRD) for 30 years. But North Shore resident Paul Hundal, vice-president of the Society Promoting Environmental Conservation (SPEC), said the land should be added to Lynn Headwaters Regional Park per- manently, not just fer 30 years. Hundal said he believes the provincial government will allow the 3,000 hectares of park to be logged after the 30-year period is up. “It contains the largest western cedars outside of the Lower Mainland watersheds. “In 30 years the forest industry will have cut every giant red cedar that we have and then there will the - By Surj Rattan News Reporter be big pressure on the forest in- dustry to cash in on this,’’ said Hundal. “If any park should be made permanent, it should be this one. We feel this is an excellent place to have a wilderness park.”’ A B.C. Lands spokesman said that current legislation does not allow the province to grant wilderness jands larger than 520 acres. . But Hundal said. ‘The legal argument they gave is ridiculous.’’ North Vancouver-Lonsdale NDP° MLA David Schreck said that while he did not have all the details on the plan, he believes the provincial government has made a positive move for creating more 4 It contains the largest western cedars outside of the Lower Mainland watersheds. ¥¥ —Paul Hundal, SPEC vice-president parkland. He also questioned how Hundal knows the area would be logged after 30 years. ‘“*How Mr. Hundal has a crystal ball to say what happens after 30 years amazes me. The statement attributed to Paul Hundal is a classic example of biting the hand that feeds. “If nothing was done on this, then there would not have been any negative comments. | think it’s a step in the right direction. It’s better than logging it,’’ said Schreck. penne