ardware store fire destroys

Sunday, May 23, 1993 - North Shore News — 3

'V landmark

Arson suspected in May 18 biaze that gutted historic Hollyburn theatre site

THE FIRE that destroyed the Home Hardware store at 1750 Marine Dr., West Vancouver, on Tuesday morning

also destroyed a hidden social Jandmark.

The hardware store was located in West Vancouver's old Hollyburn theatre building.

Howard Fletcher had his fa- ther-in-law AlSbert Snider build the theatre in 1925 for the then- princely sum of $30,000.

Snider’s credits include the Vancouver court house, which is now the Vancouver Art Gallery, and the Lost Lagoon fountain in Stanley Park.

The theatre building tater hous- ed the Fashionwise women’s clothing store,- Simpson’s Hard- ware and finally Home Hardware.

A gala community celebration marked the theatre’s opening day

’ in May 1926.

The theatre boasted 800 seats, with 250 in the balcony, and:a design provision for 1,200.

Oldtimers fondly recall the 10- cent days, although Fletcher let Depression-era inoviegoers in for free.

Roll-pianos provided the score before the silent picture age died.

With five-cent matinees, the

MAPLEWOOD FLATS VOLUNTEERS WILL make a clean sweep of the Maplewood Marsh area in North Vancouver District on Saturday, June 5.

The key to the cleanup’s success is community support, according to Kevin Bell, chief naturalist for the municipality.

‘ "We've always had a contingent - of dedicated volunteers out for

- this: annual event. We'd welcome

some new faces,”’ Bell said. . Volunteers should come equip-

ped with work gloves, boots and .

oid clothes. :

Bell. said there,are rewards ‘for ~ participants: as well as”-the en- vironment.

By Brent Mudry Contributing Writer

young crowd dubbed the movic- house the ‘‘Beanery,”’ although the nickname’s origin is a mystery.

Fletcher aided the war effort with Sunday night Red Cross benefits at the theatre and was named the first ‘Good Citizen’ in 1943 by the West Vancouver Chamber of Commerce.

Fletcher’s five-theatre Lower Mainland chain never recovered from the Depression, and he sold the Hollyburn in 1947 to a Texan named Barnes.

The local audience didn't share Barnes’ obsession with cowboy movies, and the building was later remodelled as Fashionwise.

Howard Fletcher was elected as West Vancouver mayor in 1951, and stayed active in community affairs until he died in 1983 at the age of 93.

' Photo eubmitied

THE HOLLYBURN (shown circa 1960) was built by Albert Snider in 1925 for the then-princely sum |

of $30,000.

to restore Salt-water marsh

Maplena0d.

‘There’s an opportunity to play «J

_ an important ‘part in-a.community

effort to’ restore prime fish, bird .

and wildlife habitat, as well as

enhancing one of. the district’s —

matural assets°—- the largest re--

maining salt-water marsh on the North Shore,’’ he said.

The cleanup; campaign, set for 10. a.m. to 2.p.m., will include the . installation - of nesting‘ bexes for purple martins, an endangered "Species. :

Following ‘the cleanup, Bell will

lead: a nature walk through the area. « "To sign up » for the cleanup or to - find” out more about it, call the _Lynn: Canyon Ecology Centre at 987-5922.

CLEAN UP SITE

neogommpogg,

Sanoonooge

. LEGEND

. | © Deciduous Forest Ge Mixed Forest 33. Rough Grassland 2 Wot Meadows

+— Willow Hardhack Swamp

sssss Fresh Water (cat-tail) Swamp Brackish Water Marsh

Mudflats :

vex Salt Marsh

«Zit Intertidal Mudflats *€7 Intermittent Pond & Pond

F Greek

ZG Industral or Commercial Land

On Residential Land +> Nature Trail == Dirt Read

am Fenca

~} Access Points

MAPLEWOOD FLATS

- The event is supervised by ‘pat en- ©:

‘and Mel Kotyk, district vironmental protection officer.

It is the first stage of a municipal environmental initiative for the area. The initiative will eventually benefit local fisheries, wildlife and migratory bird popu-

NEWS grephic Jecqueting Johneon

lations.

The second stage of the project involves the removal of larger debris such as logs.

+ The third stage will. see replan- ting and protection of the area.

Bell said that the full capacity of ecological productivity could be

reached within five years of marsh restoration.

The total cost of the project is estimated at $63,419. The district has allocated $33,019 in its 1993 budget.

It is also secking $30,400 from the Burrard Inlet Environmental Action Program to complete the vork,

The Vancouver Port Corp., the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Environment Canada, the provincial Ministry of Environment and the Greater Vancouver Regional District are represented in the program.

The action program was found- ed about two years ago to monitor development in the Burrard Inlet area. ,

The marsh is located at the south end. of Park Street, the western edge of the Maplewood Mudflats.

The tidal portion of the marsh covers 7.4 acres (three hectares) and is bordered on the north by a fresh water acres (two hectares), on the west by Tolko Lumber, and on the east by the lands owned by the. Van- couver Port Corp. called Maplewood Flats. !

The federal land is the subject of an Environment Canada study to determine its viability as a potential location. for a Tesearch laboratory.

Study clears sewage plant discharge levels

A TWO-YEAR study has” ~ found that dioxin and furan ‘levels at Greater.’ “Vancouver - wastewater. treatment plants ‘do not: produce any: known environmental harm.

«The study tested. various waste ‘streams and residual solids from four. Greater Vancouver Regional

District (GVRD) treatment plants: , lona™ Istand,. Lulu ‘

_ Lions. Gate, : Island and Annacis Island. The most toxic form of dioxin

. significance,’?

was not detected in any of the samples.

‘In summary, based on present knowledge, the dioxin and furan levels found in the treatment plant

’ wastewater flows and ‘sludges do

not result in any. known en-

‘vironmental harm and are of no

known-environmental states the report.

|. Study . data shows that the ‘treatment plants do not manufac- ture .thé contaminants in any treatment process and that what

levels ‘could be detected’ were al- ready in the waste received at the

plants.

In May 1992, the federal gov- ernment’ closed Burrard Inlet ‘to crab harvesting between First and Second Narrows | following the

discovery of dioxins and furans in—

surface sediments. - At the same time it advised the GVRD to monitor wastewater and

sludge from the North Shore’s -

Lions Gate plant. as-a_ possible source of the contaminants.

’ The GVRD- had started a study of dioxin and furan levels at all of | its treatment plants in 1989 as part of its ongoing operations. |

A report on the study’s findings

‘was presented to the’ GVRD’s sewerage and drainage committee .

on Tuesday, May 18, and will be

submitted. to the board of direc-.

tors on Wednesday, May 26..- Copies :of the full, . detailed

report will be available for view-"’

ing at the GVRD library, 4330 Kingsway, Burnaby.

marsh of about five °

Ex-PMTI

principal

files suit against school

THE FORMER prin- cipal and chief executive officer of the North Vancouver-based Pacific Marine Training Institute is: suing the school for wrongful dismissal.

By Brent Mudry Contributing Writer

Joseph Cyril Braconnier, 5". 57, was dismissed from his - [’ job on Thursday, April 8.

But in. a B.C, Supreme Court suit filed on Wednes- day, May .19, . Braconnier. claims that his ‘dismissal was ; handled in’ a. ‘‘high-handed and callous manner’’ and was without cause.

The suit claims general, ! punitive and specific dam- '

‘ages, and a declaration that !

his removal from office i is inj valid. Hl - Braconnier states that. stitute chairman Herbert Buchanan placed him on paid feave on March 9 at the board’s discretion, ‘‘to assess his. qualifications and other issues.” A March 31 deadline

was set, for resolution: of the matter,

The ‘suit states” ‘that:

‘ Braconnier- was - advised -/ on . March * would be extended to April 7.

17, that’ the leave .

Braconnier: claims that~ he

“galled Buchanan .on April 8.-

and was informed that he had been .. terminated: effective immediately.

A courier letter confi irming the fact was delivered | later that day. °

The. 12-year ; institute veteran was appointed as

. principal and: CEO in: 1987.

Braconnier rose to the rank, of naval commander . during his 29-year career - with: the Canadian Armed Forces.’ :