FRIDAY
August 30, 1996

RE
Free Concerts at the Qu
Sundays & Holidays
2:00 pm_-.4:00 pra

truck loaded with jogs from a development in the Westhill area of West Van
21st on-ramp to the Trans-Canada Highway. The

oliad on Wednesday on the

illion Rockridge
liddle School, a few
bf the standbys have
rone by the wayside.
The e.are no chalkboards at
e “high-tech West Vancouver
thoolThere are no’ portable
CRs to cart around.
“An the new educational envi-
fonment of» Rockridge, such tra-
itions ‘are. redundant or worse,
armfub oy, .,
‘Chalk —a mainstay of instruc-
i through generations. and the
ne of the -after-school, clean-
gic-craser: crowd — emits dust
at is harmfiil to computers, The

Log roll closes 21si on-ramp

By Martin Millerchip
Contributing Writer

NORTH Vancouver District tax-
payers could be voting on the

* size of their own tax increase in
November as council struggles to

fund a'series of major capital
projects promised for a number

of years.

In order to fund projects sucti as the Parkgate
community centre, a Capilano community centre,
the Inter-River playing fields and a new Lynn
Valley library council is considering asking, voter
permis ign to borrow between $15 and $20 mil-
ion.

Repaid over 20 years, such a sum would cost
residential taxpayers approximately $60 each. per
annum.
“This is a means of addressing our previous
incomiperence with one single stroke,” said Coun.
Ernie. Crist. 5 ‘
“Everybody pays and the good times, the sub-

too fast for road conditions.

Borrowing fer major
capital projects cuuld |
go to referendum

sidies, are over.”

Crist maintains that taxpayers will be paying
for a previous “soft ride” because for many years
the district has funded a portion of its operational
budger out of its land sales.

However, it is unlikely that even $20 ‘million
will cover the capital costs of all: the projects on
council’s wish listiso council is cuirrently canvass-
ing a number of recreation and community
groups as to their preferences.

A motion by Coun, Janice Harris, originally
argued that the question of funding the, Parkgate
recreation centre should be put to the voters as

‘part of the municipal election in November. ,

But an in-camera staff report obtained by: the
News suggests’ that while. a loan-authorizauion
bylaw for the rec centre would be supported by
Seymour voters “the perceived benefits to those
living outside the Seymour area are likely to. be

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driver, 37, of Surrey, received minor injuries. He was charged with travelling

low with a correspondingly low percentage of
suppart for the project” from those areas.

“The probable resulfis a yes vote of less than
that required to adopt the loan authorization
bylaw,” writes administrator Fred Sigurjonsson.

The district: previously sought authority to
borrow to develop recreation facilities in 1972.

"With three projects in three major areas of the
district, (William) Griffin in Delbrook, Karen
Magnussen in Lynn Valley and Ron Andrews in
Seymour) 71.4% of the voters gave approval.

So both staff and council, members. favor
adding major capital projects from across the dis-
trict to any ballot thar might go to the taxpayers
in November.

Crist favors adding a new Lynn Valley library
and. the — often-mentioned-but-never-planned
Capilano community centre to any voters’ check
list.

“They don't have anything down there and
sooner or later we have to get to grips with that,”
said Crist.

Harris agrees with that philosophy and says she
cannot understand why the district is considering

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