Friday. October 22, 1999 — North Shore News ~— 2

ts centre site offered

Anna Marie D’Angelo

Swan said serious “geod faith” talks berween the school

News Reporter dangelo@nsnews.com

WEST Vancouver Schvol Board has endorsed the idea of building an arts centre on West Vancouver secondary land at 1735 Inglewood Ave.

A push to build an arts centre in West Vancouver has gone on for years without apparent ‘upport from a majority of coun- cil members, West Vancouver council rejected in May one of the Incest. proposed sites which would have used soccer field space at Ambleside Park near 13th Street and Marine Drive.

At the Oct. 12 West Vancouver school board meeting, trustees voted in favour of a public process that could result in using the Inglewood site for the arts centre.

West Vancouver school board endorses use of school land

a theatre and classroom space which would be used bv students and the community. said West Vancouver Arts Centre Trust co- chairman Scott Swan.

Swan said the potential cost of the using the school board land has not vet been discussed. Swan said the site was consid: ered two years ago and ranked highly in site preferences.

“Ir's all in the potential phase at the moment,” said Swan.

“We are not talking about adding some rooms to the high school and calling it an arts centre. This is a rorally independent structure, architecturally designed and built on a village seale,”

board and the West Vancouver Arts Centre Trust had been under way since the 13th Street and Marine Drive site was killed by council,

Swan said he preferred the Inglewood site over a proposal to integrate a new arts centre with the community centre on 22nd Street and Marine Drive. ‘That proposal involves expansion of the seniors and aquatic centres.

Meanwhile West Vancouver School Board chairman David Stevenson foresees a jointuse agreement between the arts trist and the school board. He said the matter needed to be explored with the public. Stevenson said the existing Inglewood site houses the lower campus and includes some portables and an alrernate high school program. Stevenson said the program could possibly be consolidated elsewhere in the district should

The arts centre, now called an “arts village,” would include

I-can ngs sch

meet

MUNICIPAL council and school board candi- ’ dates are vying for your vote on Nov. 20. In their race to power you have a chance to find out what makes them tick. . * The following all-candidate mectings are planned:

NORTH VANCOUVER DISTRICT

@ North Vancouver District mayor and council ‘candidates mecting, sponsored by Lynn Valley Seniors Association: Oct. 26, 10-11:30 a.m., Kiwanis Lynn: Manor Auditorium, 2555 Whictely Crt.;

@ -North Vancouver District all-candidates meeting, sponsored by District Residents tor

Direct Democracy: Oct. 27, 7:30-9:30 p.tn., -

Hon. Valley. United Church, 3201 Mounain a North, Vancouver District mayor and counist carididates meeting, sponsored by Lions Ga Neighbourhood Association, Lower Capilan:

‘Community Residents Association, Norga

Community “Association: Nov. 4, 7 p.m..\:

Norgate clemenitary school, 1295 Sowden St; & North Vancouver District mayor and counci! candidates meeting, sponsored by ‘Seymour Community Association. and Blueridge ~ Community Association: Nov. 9, 7-10 p.m., Parkgate Community Centre, 3625 Banff ‘Cre: ; @ North Vancouver District mayor and council ' candidates meeting, sponsored by North Shore «Public Golf. Course Society: Nov. 10, 7 p.m.,

Seymour Golf & Country “Club, 3723 Mount ;

© Seymour Parkway; : B® North Vancouver District school trustees candidates tmectings sponsored by Districr 44 * Band ‘and Strings Parents Association: Nov. 15, «8 p.m.; Carson Graham secondary school band roam; 2145 Jones Ave.; B North Vancouver District mayor ‘and council

CAMPAIGN

he said.

idates culed

Community Association and Handsworth secondary schook Nov. 16, 7-9 p.m., Highlands United Church, 3255 Edgemont Blvd.

WEST VANCOUVER

@ West Vancouver school trustees candidates mecting, sponsured by West Vancouver Chamber of Commerce: Nov. 2, 7:30 p.m., West Vancouver secondary school, 1750 Mathers Ave.; @ West Vancouver municipal council candidate meeting, sponsored by the West Vancouver Chamber of Commerce: Nov. 3, 7:30 p.m., West Vancouver secondary schoo}, 1750 Mathers Ave; Bf West Vancouver mayoral candidate meeting, sponsored by West Vancouver Chamber of Commerce: Nov. 4, 7:30 p.m., West Vancouver secondary school, 1750 Mathers Ave; WI West Vancouver school trustees candidate mecting, sponsored by West Vancouver Chamber of Commerce: Nov. 9, 7:30 p.m., Rockridge middle school, 5350 Headland Dr.; 8 West Vancouver municipal council candidates meeting, sponsored by West Vancouver Chamber of Commerce: Nov. 10, 7:30 p.m., Rockridge middie school, 5350 Headland Dr;

@ West Vancouver municipal mayoral candidate . Inceting,

sponsored by West Vancouver Chamber of Commerce: Nov. 12, 7:30 p.m.,

“ Rockridge middle school, 5350 Headland Dr;

{8 West Vancouver all-candidate meeting: Nov. 16, 7:30 p.m., St. David’s Church, 1525 Taylor Way, British Properties

NORTH VANCOUVER CiTY @ vo all-candidate meetings for council and majer seats were planned to Thursday. press

time LIONS BAY S all-candidate meeting on Tuesday evening, Nov. Dat the village hall. . BOWEN ISLAND @ali-candidate meeting on Sunday, Nov. 7 at} p.m. at the schocl gym.

the arts village be Jocated at the Inglewood site.

NORTH Vancouver District diversity committee. co-chairman Jeffrey McPeanne ig. upset over council's response to his committee’s report. oe ;

* Council objections sa

candidate meeting, sponsored _ by, Edgemont

a Wriee

NORTH Vancouver ity council voted :

night to join th Porest Alliance of British Columbia as an ‘associate donor.

In. a letter. to, council, Forest Alliance president Tom Teviin asked that the city con- tribute $100 to join its net- work of citizens, organizations and: other_municipalities “to provide educational programs and community-rciated activi- “ties ‘that demonswrate ... how competing - environmental, economic and social interests can be, and are being, bal-

“anced in British Columbia’s forests.”

Joc Foy, campaign coordi- nator for the Western Canada Wilderness Committee, calls

the Forest Alliance a “mouth-

pisce | of the timber corpora- cers” that “sneaks into these micetings in a green cloak, as a citizens’ based activist group.”

Jack Munro, chairman of the Forest Alliance, said

alliance membership is inade ’

up of large forest companies and 10,000 individuals. Munro reviewed the ailiance’s position on some issues important to the North Shore. Munro said the Forest Alliance supports logging, in the watershed “with. proper management and with a con- cern for the environment” and

clearcutting in some. areas where “it is the best way to log.” .

Munro also said the alliance is against the proposal to establish = Stolrmann National Park because it gous against a local ‘agreement put in place through a process managed’ by the provincial government to set aside 14%

of land in the area.

A national park would

push the amount set aside above the 14%, The proposal has been introduced: in the House of Commons in a pri- vate member’s bill put for- ward by Liberal MP Charles Cacia.

To find out more. about the Forest Alliance, check its website at <www.forestal- liance.org>.

Fram page \

One of the most contentious issues in the policy was a recommendation that would have

staf}: “promote zero tolerance of discrimination .

throughout the North Vancouver District com- munity.”

Other objectives set out in the proposed pol- icy were: . B to develop, maintain and share knowledge about the diversity of the North Vancouver District communi to promote understanding of the community’s diversity among council, staff' and the public; A to foster positive * perceptions. of diversity ‘and demonstrate how div strength.

Coun. Trevor Carolan called the policy a

nade” that would restrict freedom of speech,

se eral counciliors argued that the recommenda- tion to have staff “consider the needs: of the diverse community when recruiting for munici- pal job positions, “could lead to shining minorities over other qualified candidates.”

Mayor Don Bell said council was looking tor a more “positive” report. But the diversity policy was designed to promote a “gencral spirit” of inclusion, not to enforce any stringent rules, said McPeanne. Rather, the policy, he said, would be in place in case of any ‘Complaint of discrimina-

iversity builds community |

tion, and it could be used as a ‘guide: Ina rapid. ly changing multicutcural area, McPeanne said t it, was simply a welcome mat. oo

“It's like saying ‘good morning’ to someone | you work with,” os said. “That's all ic is, it’s: a recognition of divessity.”

McPeanne also objected .to Coun. Emic a

Crist’s contention that the licy should deal with “the real nuts and eke issues”. such ‘as transportation, jobs, and housing. iicPeanne | said those issues were not what the committee; which included representatives from: the -recre-*

ation commission, the public fidrary, and the dis- trict, was mandated to look at.

He also pointed out that many other munic- ipalities have similar diversity policics, The dis- trict’s own corporate business Plan reads; “We believe chat open and responsive | local govern- |

ment occurs t hrough decision- making Processes .:. °°

that recognize the: diversity of backgrounds, interests, and views in our community...

Even though council has no plans to look at another policy, McPeanne said two years of : monthly committee meetings were Hot in vain. :

“To me, 1 enjoyed the committee — inter- acting, creating the policy and. meeting other people in the community,” he’ said. “It (the absence of a policy) will come back to: haunt: them sometime i athe future. Ie’ s their loss rathe

othan our loss.”..