ONLY THE sign remains to mark the spot once occupied by the Canyon Gardens Restaurant. Crews demotsked the landmark Nerth Shore restaurant to make way for an 82-unit, six-building apartment com- plex. The restaurant was originally opened in 1948 as a 40-seat coffee shop.

GVRD urged to stop watershed ciearcutting

From page 1 taken from the Capilano water- shed.

According to the GVRD report, an aerial survey of the watershed confirmed that no new slides had occurred in the area.

In addition, the report stated, that the slide area ‘thas never been logged by the district and, fur- thermore, iies within the 61 per cent area of watershed designated Bot to be logged.””

As to what evidence the GVRD would accept from the WCWC, Eisie said the board would con- sider ‘‘whatever they’ve got.’’

He reiterated that the WCWC press release was ‘‘irresponsible”’ and the claims made were “totally ludicrous."

But Wareing said Wednesday, the GVRD didn't find the mudslide because ‘‘they went to the w7ong place."”

He said he stands by his original claim and will be sending the GVRD and all board members let- ters and photographs, along with the GVRD’s own data, showing November water turbidity levels twice the allowable national max- imum.

The photographs, according to the WCWC, show ongoing soil

erosion from slides and gully runoff entering Healmond Creek.

in its information sent March 2 to the GVRD's water ad- ministrator, the WCWC quotes GVRD data showing water tur- bidity exceeding Canadian Drink- ing Water Quality Guidelines eight days in a row last November.

Turbidity from manmade and natural sources, according to the WCWC statement, ‘‘turns the Capilano reservoir the color of cloudy pea soup after heavy rains or even the color of a chocolate milkshake after heavy storms....’’

While the WCWC stated that it is not against ‘‘careful selective Jogging in most parts of the water- shed,”’ it urges the GVRD to stop clear-cut logging in the watersheds before expensive water filtration systems have to be installed.

Wareing also complained that he had been unable to collect further evidence because the GVRD had given him no access to the water- shed area.

Though he conceded that access to watershed areas is restricted, Elsie said Wareing should ap- proach the GVRD board if he ! 1s he is not getting access to public information.

“| think if he wanted to get in

there (the watershed) for one day to look around that's fine,’’ Elsie said, ‘‘but I think it would be real- ly unreasonable to tie up our of- ficials for three to four days. It's just not practical.’’

Though clear-cut logging is car- ried out in areas of the GVRD’s Capilano, Seymour and Coquitlam watersheds, GVRD watershed ad- ministrator Ed Hamaguchi has said it is done only in 10-acre pat- ches.

The GVRD report refuting WCWC claims cites UBC associate professor of forestry Douglas Golding's statement that murky water in the watershed results from the soils and geological makeup of the area and the natural instability of the steep sSJopes associated with glaciated regions.

Timber harvesting practices, ac- cording to the GVRD report, are designed to minimize erosion and maintain water quality as a top priority.

At present, 61 per cent of the total 143,189-acre area of the three watersheds is designated watershed reserve and has been deleted from the area harvested under the GVRD’s watershed forest management program, which began in 1960.

3 - Wednesday, March 8, 1989 - North Shore News

N. Vancouver municipalities

reject GVRI

police scheme

NORTH VANCOUVER’S two municipalities both rejected a recommendation made in a Greater Vancouver Regional District (GVRD) discussion paper calling for the immediate development of a $175,000 contingency plan for a Lower

Mainland regional police force.

The larger police force would replace the current system of indi- vidual RCMP and municipal police detachments. The discussion paper was drawn up to prepare for the possibility of the RCMP not renewing its contracts with the province for GVRD_ municipal policing services beyond March 31, 1991, when the contracts expire.

But said Solicitor-General Angus Ree: ‘‘Any regional police force for the GVRD would real- istically be a way down the road.”’ Ree said he has had no indication of an intended RCMP pullout of

“If we’re paying the shot, we should be at the table.’”’ —North Vancouver District Mayor Marilyn Baker

a services. But a 1977-78 federal task force report raised the possibility of the RCMP withdrawing from contracted services to large municipalities.

Said North Vancouver City Mayor Jack Loucks: *‘The rumor of a pullout of RCMP services in 1991 has been floating around a while. But it seems they are as in- terested in maintaining regional policing as ever."”

Meanwhile, North Vancouver District Mayor and president of the Union of B.C. Municipalities Marilyn Baker is pushing for the initiation of contract negotiations between the province and the RCMP to renew municipal polic- ing contracts.

“We're urging the federal gov- ernment to undertake contract discussions with the province and we want the municipalities at the table. If we're paying the shot, we should be at the table,’’ Baker said.

Both North Vancouver municipalities have forwarded staff reporis addressing the polic- ing issue to the GVRD.

The regional organization's new Development Services Committee is expected to deal with the various municipal and police commission responses to the discussion paper at a meeting April 12.

North Vancouver District Coun- cil received a joint staff report Jan. 23 from municipal manager Mel Palmer and assistant manager Fred Sigurjonsson. Said Palmer in the report: ‘‘At the presert time 1! cannot find a compelling reason in favor of regional policing as I do not believe we can be better served than we already are.’*

North Vancouver City Council endorsed recommendations Feb. 20 made in a report to council by city administrator Gerry Brewer, which rejected the regional polic- ing plan.

Instead, Brewer called for the establishment of a task force of representatives of GVYRD municipal policing jurisdictions to examine areas where coordinated or cooperative improvements could be made between police detach- ments.

Said Brewer in the report: ‘‘The concept that a regional police ser- vice will improve effectiveness and efficiency may be valid; however, I

MICHAEL BECK News Reporter

believe that by the creation of a large police structure, the costs for providing this service in a given community are not likely to reduce, but are in fact more likely to increase. In addition, regional policing will likely result in the loss of local autonomy,”*

In West Vancouver, the GVRD discussion paper has been referred to the municipality’s police board. Although West Vancouver is not policed by the RCMP, West Van- couver Mayor and West Van- couver Police Board Chairman Don Lanskail sees room for im- proved regional police coordina- tion.

Said Lanskail: ‘I think there could be some kind of compromise between doing nothing and creating a homogenous police force. We think that it is very im- portant to maintain a police force that is familiar with the communi- ty and has a good working rela- tionship with the community.

“Pm not being critical of the RCMP, but because they move their people around a lot, they lose

WEST Vancouver Mayor Don Lanskall ...RCMP ‘lose familiazi- ty.””

that familiarity. I’m against a homogenous approach to policing, but there is room for a better coordination of regional services. For example fraud investigation or an [.D. bureau. Another obvious one is the integration of com- munications.’’

In a letter to GVRD Chairman Gil Blair, North Vancouver RCMP Supt. Jack Morton points out much GVRD policing activity is already regional in scope. Accord- ing to Morton, possible economy-of-scale advantages to be gained by a more organized regional approach include, ‘‘a higher quality of expertise to those major crimes when needed, and also a greater number of officers available for emergencies, signifi- cant events, and more advanced planning of the patro! function.*’

North Vancouver City’s policing cost for 1986 was $3,624,910 for a police coverage of one officer per 654 residents. North ‘/ancouver District paid $4,423,07:. for a coverage of one officer per 936 residents for the same year. West Vancouver paid $4,187,000 for a coverage of one municipal police officer per 594 residents in 1986. For the period of 1988-89, the North Vancouver municipalities pay 66 per cent of RCMP policing costs while the federal government pays 34 per cent.