Wastewater Plant Costs Soar

Cathy Kuzel

Currently, every North Vancouver taxpayer is now facing an unprecedented $21,000 tax bill due to cost overruns on the new wastewater treatment plant.

Councillor Pope is advocating for a public inquiry to investigate how this Metro Vancouver project spiraled to six times over budget and to ensure this kind of mismanagement doesn’t happen again.

If you’re concerned about the handling of this project and support the call for a public inquiry, we encourage you to make your voice heard. Please send your thoughts by emailing: council@dnv.org

We have stated our concerns at the September 23rd Council Meeting.

The letter as follows:

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

September 23, 2024

Good Evening Mayor and Council

Lynn Valley Community Association asks that Council immediately requests a public inquiry into the North Shore Wastewater Treatment Plant fiasco. 

We had originally intended to speak in support of Councillor Pope’s motion requesting a public inquiry but we are frustrated to learn that this motion has been deferred until November 4th.   

Meanwhile, seven local city councillors representing five different cities have penned an open letter calling on B.C.’s auditor general to conduct an independent review of the facility’s finances. These Councillors are actively working to request transparency and accountability from Metro Vancouver, SPECIFICALLY regarding the North Shore Wastewater Treatment Plant project. Why then, is the District of North Vancouver silent?

Metro Vancouver has appointed John J.L. Hunter, a former judge, who will perform an “independent audit”.   Such an audit is typically NOT a public document, and Metro Vancouver is NOT required to make it public. 

Every North Shore taxpayer is facing a massive and unprecedented $21,000 tax bill to pay for this boondoggle and Metro Vancouver’s incompetence.  North Shore taxpayers did not vote for this project, the entire Metro Vancouver board did.  Why then are North Shore taxpayers alone responsible for the cost over runs?  Why are all Metro Vancouver members not sharing the cost of this project?   

The project was to have been completed in 2020 at a cost of $500 million; it is now stalled and is more than 6 times over budget.

Still we have no idea how or when this project will be completed.

Questions that need to be answered by a full public inquiry include:

  • Why did Metro Vancouver award a full “Design and Build” contract to Acciona instead of doing a proper design project first before issuing a completely separate contract to build the facility?
  • Why was Metro Vancouver not aware of all the site issues before the design and build contract was awarded?
  • Why wasn’t Metro Vancouver monitoring Acciona’s progress before things got so far out of Metro Vancouver’s control?
  • Is the current “estimate” of $3.8 billion to complete this project, including out of court settlements, accurate?   Or will Metro Vancouver reveal more cost overruns and court settlements?

Clearly, Metro Vancouver’s Board and staff have mismanaged this project, leaving North Shore taxpayers on the financial hook, with no accountability for those responsible for the mismanagement.

This is not acceptable.  Only a full public inquiry is acceptable to determine how and why this project was so badly mismanaged and to ensure such incompetence is not repeated. 

A public inquiry needs to happen now.  North Shore taxpayers need Council to act now. 

The other municipalities and organizations that constitute Metro Vancouver need to know how badly Metro Vancouver has failed.  They too should demand a public inquiry into this fiasco.   Their municipality could be next. 

We request Council petition for a public inquiry IMMEDIATELY. 

Gillian Konst

President, Lynn Valley Community Association

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2024 All Candidates Meeting Oct. 7th

LVCA

All Candidates Meeting
Monday, October 7th at 7:00 – 9:30pm
Hillside Baptist Church, 870 Lynn Valley Road

Mark your calendars for the All Candidates Meeting ahead of the Provincial election on October 19th! This is your chance to hear directly from the candidates, ask questions, and learn more about their platforms. No need to register—just show up and join the discussion. It’s a great opportunity to get informed and have your voice heard before election day!

What is an All-Candidates Meeting?
At an All-Candidates Meeting, residents have a chance to hear from the candidates, evaluate
political platforms, and ask questions about current issues. All nominees running for MP in a
particular district are invited to gather and share their views. These events are non-partisan,
meaning all political parties are invited and attendees get to hear about the issues from many
different perspectives. The focus may be broad and cover a range of issues, or be focused on
an issue of particular importance to the hosting group.

25th Annual Arts in the Garden

LVCA

Arts in the Garden hosted by North Van Arts is an annual outdoor community event based on the North Shore. A perennial favourite for art and garden lovers everywhere. Gardens and all variety of artists will be positively blooming and workshops will help everyone to grow their talents!

This year it takes place this coming Saturday, May 25 and Sunday, May 26, bringing visual artists, musicians, performers, and workshops to ten outdoor spaces across the North Shore.

This event is an encounter of people and is in its 25th year running. Hosted on the last weekend of May, Arts in the Garden has been bringing arts to garden spaces across the North Shore since 1999. The event has been expanding and changing ever since its creation, gradually adding a minimum of two visual artists in each garden, and live music throughout the full event weekend. In 2021, the online event expanded to include performance arts, engagement activities, and workshops. Each of these elements were brought into 2022’s in-person event, along with Feathers and Fungi, a workshop series hosted at Maplewood Flats in partnership with Wild Bird Trust of BC.

All Arts in the Garden locations are listed on the webpage panels linked in the menu, or through the ‘read the event guide’ tab below. Garden pages include parking and transporation information.

The Event Guide: https://issuu.com/katherinegc335/docs/aig2024-brochure-single It is online only.

Most garden spaces have an entry fee of $5 cash. West Vancouver Memorial Library, Harmony Garden, Loutet Farm and Maplewood Flats have entrance by donation. Children under the age of 12 can enter for free.

$35 Garden Passes are available for purchase online or at CityScape Community ArtSpace (335 Lonsdale Avenue, North Vancouver) in advance of the event, or at each garden venue during the event weekend. North Van Arts members get a 10$ discount on the garden pass. Call 604-988-6844 for more information.

PREPARE FOR THE WEEKEND

Bring Cash: Garden entry fees and donations are cash only! Some artists and performers will be selling their work at the event, so bring cash and your card so that you are prepared to make a purchase.

Look for Signage: Each garden will be marked by a tent hosting one or two volunteers ready to greet you.

Locations and ticket details here:
https://northvanarts.ca/events-exhibitions/arts-in-the-garden-2024-2/

We’re on Instagram!

LVCA

ANNOUNCEMENT
LVCA is on Instagram!

Follow us and see more of what we do at here at Lynn Valley Community Association.
We’ll have exciting posts to share with you, so make sure you won’t miss out on anything.

Click the link below and check it out! Don’t forget to follow 😉

https://www.instagram.com/lynnvalleyca

We’re also on Facebook so make sure you like our page to keep up to date with events and news in our community. https://www.facebook.com/lynnvalleycommunityassociation/

As you know, LVCA is a volunteer run organization so there might be a learning curve. *smile* If you’re proficient at social media and know your way around, we’d love to have you on the team.

#OurLynnValleyCommunity #patience #volunteersalwaysneeded

Eggs-citing Easter Fun! Saturday, March 30th

Cathy Kuzel

Hop along to the Lynn Valley Village on Saturday, March 30th, between 10am and 12pm for some Eggs-cellent Easter Fun with the Lynn Valley Community Association.

LVCA invites you to join us for some free family fun and games.  Put your best sleuthing skills to work and ‘get cracking’ with a scavenger hunt… prizes for all! 

Colour an Easter card that will be collected and distributed to a senior in our community.  Take home an Easter craft and be amazed by our roving magic show!

Arrive early for a special Easter storytime starting at 10:15am in the Community Room.

Come chick it out!

And the 2023 Winner is …

Cathy Kuzel
With the last ornament packed away. lights wrapped, carpets rolled up and the stands and sand bags tucked away for another year, we finally get down to the challenging task of counting the ballots and announcing a winner for Best Overall Tree. This year we introduced an online voting option. As with everything ‘new’, there’s always a learning curve so thank you so much for your patience! The Parade of Trees once again extended onto the plaza at Lynn Valley Centre and we were thrilled to welcome new participants! We know you’ve been eagerly awaiting the results so without further ado, here they are . . . *drumroll please* Best Tree Overall:  Sitka Coast Construction Honorable Mention: Silver Harbour Seniors Activity Center Best School Tree: Boundary Elementary School And a special mention to St. Clements with their ‘Building Community Spirit’ Theme. Your theme encapsulated what LVCA is all about. A special thank you once again to our Partners: (click on the name to be directed to their websites)

Twin Lions Contracting

Great Canadian Landscaping Company

North Vancouver Recreation and Culture

District of North Vancouver

Lynn Valley Centre

RONA: BH Allen Building Center Ltd.

Lynn Valley Village Absolute Landscaping And to you, our “You + One” Shining Stars, your generosity is duly noted and so appreciated!

We were thrilled to support the Spectrum Mothers Support Society  and the work they do in our community.

Our thanks to this great team who stepped up to chip up the trees onsite with our donation going to Scouts Canada. Davey Tree Expert Company, we love you!

A special thank you to Gillian Konst and Stefanie Donohoe for their dedication, tireless energy and incredible positive energy for making it all come together. And a big thank you to all of you who pitched in to make this event come together – our sponsors and volunteers. It takes a community to make events like this a success. PS Let us know if you want us to save you a tree for next year!

Vote for Your Favourite Tree!

LVCA

It’s that time again! LVCA and over 70 sponsors have transformed Lynn Valley Village and the Bear Plaza into a magical display of lights and decorations!

This year we have our voting online. It’s a simple google form with the businesses, organizations and individuals that have sponsored a tree in the LVCA 13th Annual Parade of Trees listed for you to vote. 

The trees are listed in alphabetical order with their corresponding number. Choose that ONE tree that you feel captures the holiday spirit.

For your vote to count, you need to submit your name and a valid email address. PLEASE only vote once.

Visit the Parade of Trees, explore the creative decorations and themes and from now until December 24th, you can vote for your fave. We’ll be announcing the winners in the new year so stay tuned!

Voting Link: https://lvca.ca/2023-parade-of-trees-voting-form/

Kids! Want a fun activity? Download our “Parade of Trees Scavenger Hunt Activity Sheet” and follow the clues to find the tree that matches.

Dogs, People and Parks

LVCA

In keeping with the guidance in the Parks and Open Spaces Strategic Plan 2012, the North Vancouver District is working to continue developing guidelines for parks and trail planning that promote safety and enjoyment for all.

They have heard many comments and requests from the community that relate to dogs in District Parks. Along with a desire to create new opportunities to recreate with dogs in parks, they also hear about conflicts relating to interactions with dogs, waste management, environmental concerns and more.

The District wants to hear from you whether you are a dog owner or not.

This survey will take about 15 minutes to complete all sections. Most questions are optional so you don’t have to answer every question, however, click through to the end of the survey to ensure your responses are submitted.

Deadline DECEMBER 5TH.

https://www.dnv.org/parks-trails-recreation/dog-plan