6 - Wednesday, May 5 1999 - North Shore News

north shore news

VIEWPOINT

Bridge work

Vancouver business lead- ers have finished playing a good hand of bridge.

Through their diligence, which was spearheaded by the West Vancouver Chamber of Commerce, the number of night closures for Lions Gate Bridge upgrade work has been cut by over two-thirds — from: 150 to 40.

It’s work they could have been

had local politicians done their job and worked with the provincial government to come up with a real First Narrows crossing solution rather than the patch-up affair the North Shore and the rest of the Lower Mainland is faced with.

The trade-off in the reduced night bridge closures is an estimated 30% increase in the original $78 million project cost; expect that new $100 mil-

before the Lions Gate dust has settled.

But the nightly closures will be cut from every night to once or twice per week. The job, meanwhile, will stick to the same six-month schedule originally estimated. And if you weigh the increased project cost against the esti- mated multi-million-dollar toss of business faced on this side of Burrard Inlet under the previous upgrade plan, there is more good news than bad for the North Shore in this latest bridge announcement.

The best news in this story, howev- er, goes back to the work done by local residents to head off a commuter and business disaster. The bad news is that at the end of what will be a major engi- neering undertaking the North Shore will still be left with a three-lane bridge and no improvement to commuter

traffic flows,

lion pricetag to be adjusted again

mailbox

Raise voices now over bridge upgrade

Dear Editor: Open letter to North and West Van councils:

Re: City sticks with bridge choices, March 28 Nesvs.

Say it ain't so! My question of the day is: are the “s:ane running the asylum here? Almost 70% of North Shore resi- dents are prepared to pay a levy for “our bridge,” which hap- pens to be a world-famous landmark! Add it to nv home- owner’s property tax bill — money well and prudentiy invested.

Times have changed, thanks to the NDP goons having misrepresented the province of glorious B.C. now for almost eight years.

San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge charges tolls in (one) city direction, and everybody is comfortable about that. Money well spent for the upkcep of that world-fariicus landmark as well (structural and painting work every {curt

So councils, do not nonchalantly waste taxpayer's hard- earned dollars by blindly announcing, “there is no other choice.” It makes you shudder, while zooming by those endless sorry lincups, building up from Taylor Way and Capilano Road between 3 and 6 p.m. No wonder, there is that scenario called road rage!

We need a fourth lane (two in both directions); the causeway needs to be widened accordingly, while the same amount of traffic is now flowing onto West Georgia and vice

versa. . _ The Golden Gate Bridge was built in 1937 with great forethought. The Americans planned and built six lanes — three in cach direction.

Make the right decision now with totally positive or totally negative consequences for the next at least 50 years of North Shore living.

People, make your voices heard now! It’s just too impor- tant not to! .

G. Fernandes North Vancouver

north'shGre. & " Bx Shore Ne, founded 199925 an independent suburban newspaper and quaitied

ov, aK Gistribution Manager vs renespaper cots 586-1337 (124) repceniot

Creative Services Managet 985-2181 (127) 61,52 {average citeulation, Wednesday, Ferday & Sunday)

WELCOME To PARLIAMENT HILL

NOW SERVING NUMBERKIG) |

A tiny nation with much to love

THE Mediterranean island of Malta has just three natural resources ~- salt, limestone (which colours every building creamy yellow) and

its people. Ignore the salt and lime- stone.

For over 3,000 years the Maltese were ruled, in turn, by Phoenicians,

Carthaginians, Romans,

Arabs, Normans,

Castilians, the French-

dominated Knights of St.

John and — for 164

years — the British.

Qddly, perhaps, they've emerged with some highly attractive qualities: outstand- ing hospitality and friendliness to visitors, keen interest in the outside world and an admirable sense of humour.

A parliamentary democracy, they are currently governed by the right-wing Nationalists under Prime Minister Fenech Adami, with Labour in opposition. Present head of state is President Guido di Marco. Now seeking membership in the European Union, they have all the right political credentials.

Malta’s No.] industry is tourism, with other economic activity in shipyard repair work, clothing, textiles and food manu- facturing. Only about 20% self-sufficient in agriculture, it runs a trade deficit with its main trading partners — Germany, Britain, Italy and the U.S. — which only the skills of its population can eventually

_ correct. More than 50% of the labour

force already works in services, trade and

aaa Photography Manager ‘985-2131 (160) 986-6222 (202)

Classified Manager

tourism, such “people-oriented” activities being what the Maltese excel at.

The huge Hongkong & Shanghai Banking Corporation has just taken a major stake in the island by buying its

Mid-Med Bank, thus opening up the possi- bility of Malta as a Hongkong-style finan- cial centre. High tech opportunities are also being pursued with a new microchip opera- tion near Vailetra. But for the moment tourism remains the key and it’s clearly boom- ing. During our mid- April stay Valletta’s streets teemed with European visitors and the babel of different languages in our hotel dining room made it a branch office of the European Union — though we ourselves came across not a single other North American. If that’s typical, Americans and Canadians are missing out “on an awful lot.

American-standard hotels abound in the main tourist areas of Sliema, St. Julians, Paceville and Gzira —- a short bus or cab ride from historic Valletta. Malta at its widest points is about 29 km by 14 km, so nowhere is more than half an hour from the capital. The cvastline con- tains numerous sandy bathing beaches to die for, with their own modern resorts. Buses from Valletta’s central bus station serve every point on the island at 10, 15 or 30-minute intervals, and never more than 60 minutes. For the steel-nerved there are rent-a-cars. (Drive on the left and beware native drivers with attitude!)

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Letters must include your name, full address & telephone number.

VIA e-mail: trenshaw @ direct.ca

Managing Editor 965-2131 (116)

bts

be ‘Tell Agries Promotions Manager 908-2131 (218)

Entire contents @ 1999 North Shore Free Press Ltd. All rights reserved.

For the sec-it-all-fast visitor Thos. Cook on Valletta’s main drag, Republic Street, has day and half-day conducted tours of all main points of interest — including a visit by ferry to the tiny but fascinating sister island of Gozo off Maita’s northwest tip. We took four such tours. They were excelient.

Other things to know about Malta: Europc’s top sunshine record. Only 20 inches of rain a year, almost all in December and January. Hot summers (25-31 Celsius). Great in April (some 19 Celsius, sun all day). Language? Everyone speaks English. Money? A Maltese Lira is around $3.75 Canadian but many costs work out about the same as in Canada (our comfortable three-star hotel bill, seven days for two with breakfast, dinner and wine came to $122 per day). Taxis, however, cost the carth.

What else to say about Malta before collecting my fee from its tourist board? First, the board rejected me. Second, we fell in love with Malta and its people any- how. They offer much to fove.

o00

TREAT MOM to gifted North Van vio- linist Nancy Di Novo (VSO, Vancouver Opera Orchestra and UBC Music Faculty) starring in the North Shore Chamber Music Society's special Mother’s Day concert at 2:30 p.m., Sunday, May 9 at St. Catherine’s Church, 1058 Ridgewood — call 925-3834 for - info ... And wish happy 67th birthday today, May 5, to North Van's Jchn Leonard. :

Q00

WRIGHT OR WRONG: Speeches are like babies — easier to conceive than to deliver, ,

WOWST OPREAE AUS:

Aiministratien ©6995-2131

Display Adverticing

Reat Estate Adveriising

Classified Advrctising

Wastoom

. Ustribution

Display & Reel Estate Fax

Wewscoom Fax

Classificd, Accounting

& Main Office Fax

Michael Becker - News Editar

985-2138 (114)

. Anéirovs McCradie - Sporte/Comravnity Editor 985-2131 (147)

Vancouver, B.C., V7M 2H4

930-0511