elly fi

Cancer Society fundraiser eh pool to splash around in

Andrew McCredie Editor andrew@nsnews.com

IF Pat Ricardi can’t find a pool soon, Belly Splash °98 will be a real flop.

The North Vancouver man has had no luck finding un our- door pool — complete with diving board — zo hold tie com- petitive belly flop fundraise

Previous North Shore sites for the well-atrended eve: t have included the Coach House Inn and the North Shore ‘Vinter Club. The Coach House is being torn down.

The winter club deesn’t want anything to do with this year’s event, which will raise monev for the Canadian Cancer Society.

“The management there at the time were great,” Ricardi said of the previous North Shore Winter Club regime. “Ir drew sevcral thousand spectators, and | had people come uj: to me after saying it was the best event ever held at the club.”

Under new management, the club told Ricardi this vear, in not so many words, to get wet.

“I sent them a three page proposal back in January, didn’t hear back froni. them for ages, then finally got an answer,” Ricardi said. “The reason [ really wanted it there was because it’s a great site.”

According to general manager Bruce Marks, the club refused Ricardi's request for a couple of reasons.

“Our members had some objections to an event we held :

here dast year,” said Marks. “And there are no memvers involved with the (Belly Splosk}.*

Marks said that since the club hosts a week-long public wim meetin the summer, he is reluctant to close off the pool tu members for any more summer days.

The door isn’t all the way closed on Ricardi’s bid, however.

“He has been invited to bring club members forward to endorse the event,” Marks said. To date no such member- endorsed proposal has come forward.

Past Belly Splashes featured an opening ceremony with sky-

divers landing in the pool, celebrity judges and thousands of

spectators. Ricardi, 2 North Vancouver Canada Post letter car- rier, has been involved in the fundraising event for a decade.

“Tt used to he called the Beer Belly Splash, but we rook the ‘Beer’ out of the title a few years back,” Ricardi said.

Ironically, while the Belly Splash furure flounders, the event could be making big waves south of the border. A U.S.-based television show, RealTV, has asked Ricardi for raw footage trom earlier Belly Splash events.

“I sent them a tape a while ago and they seem really keen to air it soon,” Ricardi sald.

The logistics of organizing the Belly Splash means that Ricardi needs to find a pool soon.

“I'm looking at the first week of July or the end of July,” he said. “I’m running out of time:”

Ricardi can be contacted by mail at PR. Productions, PO Box 38765, Lower Lonsdale RPO, North Vancouver, B.C., V7. 477,

" NEWS file photo THE ‘big men made a big spiash back in'1995 at the... Coach House inn in North Vancouver.” 7

North Van City turns down Harvest Project bid to build up fund

Robert Galster

News Reporter robert@nusnews.com

: NORTH Vancouver City’s Harvest ‘Project will not be sewing the seeds of

its future at the city’s expense. Last. week city councillors turned down a Harvest request to have its. already-subsidized “rent at 166,West Esplanade waived entirely, ”. “The. Lower, Lonsdale charitable. organization has been operated by founder David Foster and * his: wife:/Emiko since 1993, The Harvest’s self- ‘proclaimed mission is to help individuals “break “the: welfare cycle” by teaching its patrons work skills and providing them with food and cloth- in: a "tag the development of Lower Lonsdale con- - tinues we wanted to: put aside some money into a‘ developmental find,” said Foster: - The building that houses the charitable orga- ‘nization is owned by the city and will eventually

be- torn down ‘to _make room for development :

sweeping through the area.

Foster’s lease stipulates that the municipality will give him at least six months’ notice when the building is to be demolished, but he worries a mere haifa year may not be enough time to find suitable replacement digs.

“We don’t want to be sitting here when the wrecking ball comes througti,” said Foster.

The city agrees and has directed its Jands divi- sion staff to meet with Foster to discuss a new location. But it also refused to waive the month- ly rent of $1,386.16, and passed a resolution to have the Harvest include the city as a financial sponsor in all of its promotional materials.

While Foster doesn’t have a problem listing the city as a sponsor, he regrets council's deci- sion not to waive his rent.

“We brought it (the Harvest building) up to the standards of the rest of the Lower Lonsdale area... because it was just a rickety warchouse

type building,” said Fe:ster.

North Vancouver City lands division manager Margot MacFadyen dviended her department's recommendation which council later adopted and

. said it stems from long: sanding city policies.

“It’s unfortunate he thinks the lands division is the bad guy,” said. \facFadyen. “As David knows, and hopefully uncierstands, our mandate is co get the best return for the city’s assets.”

She said her staff’s reports will always leave

room tor council ro stray from the recommenda- tions if a political reason over-rides the existing criteria.

“So, in fatt, the recommendation we put to council we were carefi:l to to put into the body of the report other options,” said MacFadyen.

But council chose the recommended option of refusing Foster's request.: Coun. Darrell Mussatto defended the decision, saying the city already supports the Harvest and will likely find it a new location when the time comes.

“We support you, we ‘ll contivive co support you but we just can’t keep giving to you guys and not anyone else,” said Mussatto, who was absent during the vote but agrees with its out- come. Coun. Stella Jo Dean cast the sole vote in support of waiving the facility’s rent.

The Harvest Project serves about 2,000 indi- viduals per year, 70% of which are from the city.

In addition to Foster and his wife it employs two other part-time employees and relies on a pool of 70 volunteers, Its toral 1997 budget. was $140,000, donated by the community.

“It’s not about David Foster or the Harvest it’s about the people we're serving,” said Foster in conclusion. “We plan to be in the community for a long time unless there’s no more need and

eak on rent denied (zon

Drocess crawls —

Martin ‘Millerchip:

News Reporter miller@nsnews.com

NEIGHBORHOOD zoning west of Lynn. || Creek will take 11 years; to complete at the pre- sent rate of progress. | | North Vancouver District planning staff sav the process” can be reduced co three and: a half years by adding two consul- | tants to work solely on the zon-

_ing process.

The tab for such an acceler tion is estimated at $315,000 plus “associated e -disburse- ments.”

Council agreed last week to

See NVD page § an

we'll be out of business.”

Non-profits and charities to be ~ reduced to grant applications

“[ didn’t think there was anything wrong with the system before. It looks like we are all going to ‘have to go. back to grant! wtiting.

"From page

the charity will get from gambling proceeds. Under the new policy, volunteers do not work the casinos. Casino moncy collected goes into a “charity trust,” from which autho. rized charities get their casino proceeds. A

_ charity group is given a cheque related to its

NEWS photo Terry Peters

THIS 3 1994 Mazda MX3 was rear-end d on Aprit: 7 while travelling east on the Upper Levels: Highway near the Lynn Valley Road turnoff. The drivers of both vehicles were taken to hospital. Port Mann RCMP Highway Patrol continue to investigate.

“certificate of entitlement” for the casino night at the end of the month,

The gaming government official said that the province has increased casino hours, increased betting limits and is allowing slot machines at casinos.

He explained that in simple numbers that

where before a charity would get 50% of

$1,000 from a casino night, it will now receive a third of $5,000 raised (S1 666.)

The government will also draw more money out of casinos with the increased cash flow. The new casino money going to the gov- ernment will be spent on health care and edu- cation, according to the government official.

According to a government press release, the charities’ cur trom gambling will go up from $118 million this year to $125 million next year.

North Shore Family Services’ Caren Reynolds said the province ‘appears to be removing the incentive for charities to become involved in casino fundraising.

Government takes control of it,” said Reynolds, director of fund development for the agency. She said the agency raised approx- imately $20,000 from a recent casino night. The money supports counselling programs.

North Shore Neighborhood House, a non-profit community centre, received a three-night casino licence this year and raised about $19,000 -nightly...In 1997, about $23,000 was netted by the agency over two nights.

The money pays for- programs, sports equipment and capital expenditures.

Susan Carson, co-chairman of the Parent.

Advisory Council for North’. Vancouver District 44, said thar casino nights account for a significant portion of school fundraising. She said that cach school’s parent group has raised from, $20,000:to about $50,000 this year to help pay for items such as comput- ers. “I don’t think that tinkering, with gaming policies is going to improve the funding situa-

tion for schools, and really there should be suf-:

ficient funding for education,” said Carson,

Meanwhile North. Vancouver | District’ is making moves to stop casinos, stot machines and bingo operations from springing upin the municipality.