loses

fight for new cultural centre

WV Odeon site no longer available for ACTION plan

THE GROUP fighting to save the West Vancouver Odeon Theatre lost its bid Friday to turn the facility into a cul-

tural centre.

James Hazell, who represents ACTION (Acknowledging Cre- ative Talent in Our Neighbour- hood), said the theatre property owner decided at the 1!th hour to withdraw from a meeting Friday with ACTION, the North Shore Arts Commission and West Van- couver municipal staff members.

The meeting had been organized to discuss the possibility of establishing a cultural/multi- media arts centre on the theatre site.

The bodies involved were trying to find out whether the owner would be willing to incorporate a cultural centre (or a version of it) with his plans for a financial cen- tre.

But Hazell said the site’s owner had said he had to reject the idea after banking groups involved with the proposed financial centre

‘

S 2 2s WV ALD. Pat Boname...‘‘when

I sald “Who pays?’ he stopped phoning." .

threatened to pull out if a deal .

with ACTION were to go through.

West Vancouver municipal manager Doug Allan said staff will present a full report to coun- cil explaining thet the site is no longer available for purchase.

Hazell, who has. been pushing to save the theatre since last summer, . said he is extremely disappointed and tired of fighting.

“It’s a lesson learned. This (fight) was never about money or power, it was abour the love of one’s community.

“I met a lot of people whe made me believe there are tremendous possibilities for West Vancouver, but we're so backward here sometimes I think it (a cul- tural/arts centre) will never hap- pen here,’’ he said.

Hazell added that dozens of in- dividuals and arts groups, many of whom worked long and fought hard for a cultura! centre in West Vancouver, are mourning the loss of the site.

ACTION had hoped to. reno-

By Evelyn Jacob News Reporter

vate the Odeon theatre and build, among other things, a live theatre and classic cinema.

The group appeared before council earlier this month with ideas on how their project could be realized, at which time council, acting on advice from the arts commission, suggested the group and municipal staff approach the property owner.

Hazell criticized West Van- couver Council for failing to take a stand on the issue.

“They are the most incredibly safe, most careful people I have ever met. It was like we were be- ing slapped on the wrist for even trying.”’

But Ald. Pat Boname dismissed Hazell’s charge, saying council “bent over backwards” to help the group.

“The trouble was, we were never really sure what ‘it’ was,”’ Boname said, referring to the proposed cultural centre.

‘*We never received a business plan. I spoke to Mr. Hazell once, and when I said ‘Who pays?’ he stopped phoning.”’

Hazell, meanwhile, said he has lodged a complaint with council over the way the issue was handl- ed by the North Shore Arts Commission’s cultural develop- ment officer, Brenda Berck.

- “IT was very angry with Brenda in the end,” said Hazell, who runs a Marine Drive business. ‘‘Instead of being appreciative that the community got involved with this, she kept insisting on her way. I don’t think she understands us. She felt threatened that the com- munity was out doing this when it was her job to do it.’”’

But Berck said it isn’t up to her _ to organize the Ambleside com-

munity.

“My job was to help them (ACTION), and I believe I did that. I suggested there were other ways to describe their plans to council and to the community because the feeling I got was that people were not hearing them.

“That’s what I think of as assistance. That it didn’t work is not my fault. It’s more likely it failed because they (ACTION) never talked to the owner about their plans. I’m sorry he (Hazell) is disappointed, but he’s looking for someone to blame, and I don’t think that’s useful.’’

- Berck added that the loss of the

Odeon site may be the end of a

particular project but not of an

idea.

Hazell said ACTION won’t let the idea for a cultural centre in West Vancouver die and will begin to look at other options.

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W North Shore Now

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Weather Thursday and Friday, mostly sunny. Highs 12°C, Lows 2°C. Second Class Registration Number 3885

THE SWEET Adelines and Sig Duck entertain at the finish of the Great Capilano Duck Race on Sunday as the crowd waits for the results. The grand prize winner was North Delta resident Heidi Mossman, who received a 17-day trip for two to Hong Kong and Australia. See page 12 for more

on the race.

N. Shore companies play large role in Globe ’92

International fair showcases depth of local environment technology

ENVIRONMENT-FRIENDLY North Shore com- panies constitute a major presence at the Globe °92 trade fair in Vancouver this week.

B.C. Environment Minister John Cashore was at B.C. Place on Monday to officially open the North Shore showcase pavilion organized by the North Shore Economic Devel- opment Commission.

Said Cashore of the local ef- fort, “I’m very impressed. Certainly sustainable develop- ment is the theme. Cooperation is necessary to achieve sus- tainable development.

“There is cooperation there so it’s very impressive. There’s just been a tremendous pro- gression that has taken place in business since Globe ’90.”’

The broad reach and range of North Shore companies at Globe ’92 runs the gamut from analytical lab services to waste water treatment companies.

Pyrotech Asphalt Equipment Manufacturing Co. Ltd. of North Vancouver dominates one edge of the trade fair floor with a massive piece of equip- ment designed to recycle asphalt roads.

On the other side of the dome, North Vancouver-based Principal Environmental Technologies Group Inc. features industrial waste filtra- tion equipment and ‘‘soil washing”? technology designed to remove toxic organic mate- rial from all types of soil.

Critics of the trade fair and conference question the net en- vironmental benefits derived from an event that is basically a corporate forum.

But said Cashore, ‘“‘I think we’ve learned from that, and we still have a way to go. We need to have more of a niche here for the environmental organizations that have done such a service to our society by alerting us to the concerns that are out there.

‘Therefore I take their criti- cism, although I would hope that they recognize that we’ve made some real strides. There’s

By Michael Becker News Reporter

a much more valid dialogue taking place around the issue of the environmental ethic, and we expect that to even be a deepening factor in Globe 794,"

In addition to a series of seminars, this year’s event in- cludes Enviro-Expo. Open to the general public, the fami- ly-oriented environmental event takes place at the Van- couver Trade and Convention Centre Friday through Sunday.

Meanwhile Cashore an- nounced Monday. at Globe ’92 four new solid waste programs

rr a ; L B.C. Environment Minister John Cashore at the open- ing of Globe ‘92.

involving the cooperation of government and private in- dustry:

¢ Beginning Sept. 1 all sellers of lubricating oil will have to accept used lubricating oil from their customers. Right now more than 20 millon litres of do-it-yourself used oil is

46 We have to recognize increasingly our mutual - responsibility for the global village. 99

— B.C. Environment. Minister John Cashore

poured into the’ environment each year.

© Several retail grocery chains working with the non-profit Environmentally Sound Packaging Coalition have committed themselves to focus public awareness on food packaging and encouraging manufacturers to reduce the

_ overpackaging of products.

@The Partners in Recycling program involves voluntary fi- nancia] support from private industry to help recycle pro- ducts. B.C. Tel has committed about $50,000 a year to sup- port the collection and recycl- ing of phone books.

¢The Science Council of B.C.-administered recycling research demonstration and development fund presents grants to B.C. companies in- volved in expanding the pro- vincial recycling industry.

Said Cashore, ‘‘I think that we have to operate on an ethic of hope and setting achievable goals and achieving them on time.

‘*We really have to look at consumerism and how our quality of life can be adjusted to be a true quality of life that isn’t based on all the demands of those of us in the more pro- sperous part of the world.

“We have to recognize in- creasingly our mutual respon- sibility for the global village.’’