Progress Report

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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22, 2022

NORTH SHORE PROGRESS REPORT

A dynamic community full of cultural, business, entertainment, and recreational opportunities, the North Shore continues to be a leading choice for business leaders, investors and influencers. Get to know the local businesses that have participated in this feature, and learn more about the three different municipalities and the two First Nations that make up our beautiful North Shore.

CNV’s The Shipyards shine – page B5 Making waves in West Van – page B9 First Nations deeply rooted – page B10 DNV takes a village approach – page B11

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B2 | WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22, 2022

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Park Royal New shops and a new living community mark exciting growth for Park Royal.

Despite the challenges of the pandemic, West Vancouver’s popular shopping destination is more vibrant than ever.

Park Royal has been a favourite shopping and leisure destination for visitors from throughout Greater Vancouver – and beyond – for more than 70 years. (Did you know it first opened in 1950, at which time it was Canada’s first and only enclosed shopping centre?)

Nevertheless, Park Royal was able to keep its doors open throughout that time, fulfilling the needs of local residents who have come to rely on it for essential products and services, including groceries, clothing, financial and medical services, and much more.

Thanks to your unwavering support, Park Royal is now better than ever – with scores of new tenants and many more coming soon, plus exciting news about a long-awaited residential development of rental homes opening this summer.

As restrictions continue to ease, Park Royal’s goal is to continue providing a welcoming space for visitors of all ages. Here’s the latest news.

More to shop Despite the obstacles of the pandemic, Park Royal welcomed a wide variety of new retail tenants in 2020 and 2021, spanning the gamut of fashion (Athleta, Levi’s, Talbots), fitness (Peloton, Pedalheads SWIM), electronics (Mobile Klinik, Shaw), dining (Tractor, Zubu Ramen), and Scholars & Steamoji, both dedicated to kids’ education.

More recently, in 2022, yet more world-class shops and services joined the Park Royal family. They include Aerie (women’s fashions), Aesop (beauty and personal care products), LensCrafters and Specsavers (eyewear and optical services), Persis Clinic (family medicine), Sharetea (bubble tea) and Thule (outdoor recreational gear). The Hand Car Wash has reopened and is now located at ground level in Park Royal South, behind Simons.

And in the coming months, Park Royal will welcome new dining destinations Angus T

Park Royal welcomed a wide variety of new retail tenants in 2020 and 2021

(bakery and café) and Hello Nori (sushi and whisky bar); gold, silver and precious-jewel specialists LFX Jewelry; CEFA Early Learning (a school for children aged 1 to 5); and electric-vehicle dealership VinFast.

PHOTOS PROVIDED BY PARK ROYAL

Park Royal has experienced many changes and its share of challenges throughout the past seven decades. But perhaps no challenges were greater than those of the past couple of years, when the COVID-19 pandemic understandably made many of us reluctant to spend time in shared public spaces.

Live at Park Royal Gateway Residences Park Royal development is located close to transit, the shops and services of Park Royal.

At long last, the highly anticipated Gateway Residences Park Royal is opening this summer.

This mixed-use, pet-friendly development, located at the corner of Marine Drive and Taylor Way, is a vibrant new community offering a perfect blend of lifestyle amenities, urban living and nature.

Each 1-, 2- and 3-bedroom rental suite boasts floor-to-ceiling double-glazed windows and efficient heating, Energy Star stainless-steel appliances, full-sized in-suite washer and dryer, and much more. Building amenities include concierge services, lounge area, and available vehicle parking and bike storage. Plus, of course, Park Royal’s more than 200 shops, services and restaurants are right at your doorstep.

Pre-leasing is available now. To learn more and to view floor plans, visit gatewayresidencespr.com.

What’s next?

As well as the arrival of many more unique and popular retail tenants in the months ahead, an application has been made to redevelop the vacant lots north of the Clyde Avenue parkade into 201 small studio units – a unique and innovative way to provide much-needed attainable and affordable housing in West Vancouver.

These rental “micro-units” will set a new standard

Park Royal will soon welcome new dining destinations

for small rental accommodations in West Vancouver, and will include amenities with unique features to make them attractive and liveable.

The high-performance wood-frame building will be designed to meet high sustainability requirements, and each unit will be heated and cooled. Located close to transit and shopping, these units will be part of the compact, walkable neighbourhood of Park Royal.

For more information on the Clyde Avenue development, visit westvancouver.ca. To discover more about Park Royal, including a complete directory of shops and services, visit parkroyal.ca.

2002 Park Royal S West Vancouver 604.922.3211 parkroyal.ca

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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22, 2022

The North Shore is a vibrant community with a full array of business, entertainment, cultural and recreational opportunities in a relatively compact area. Our diversified business community includes major port terminals, ship repair facilities, a vibrant industrial area and waterfront business parks, along with an impressive mix of integral small businesses composed of retail, not-for-profits and professional services.

The balance of these businesses and the area’s infrastructure benefits all members of the community, so it can provide a positive climate for business growth, housing and long-term economic sustainability, all while keeping the community’s greatest asset intact – its natural beauty.

The North Shore News is pleased to publish our Progress Report, highlighting an inside look into these businesses and our community. We look at how our community was shaped and why these businesses are an important part of our economy and what their plans are for the future.

Matt Blair

Publisher

Proud partners in British Columbia’s thriving creative economy

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Elite Auto Group Supplying comprehensive auto body repairs through its Elite Body Shop, Elite Xpress, and Ok Tire services, and is now a Tesla EVdesignated service shop.

Being considered simply good at something is good enough for some, and there’s little shame in that.

However, true mastery – an elite-level designation – is what separates those who aspire to greatness from the rest. This ethos that guides every function carried out by the staff at the Elite Auto Group. Across all facets of the business – customer service, continued training, and more – it is this mindset that moves the needle daily.

It’s this approach that led the all-in-one auto industry leader to pursue what only a handful of other repair shops in Metro Vancouver have attained – a Tesla EV certification.

The Elite Auto Group Staff outside CSN Elite Xpress, in North Vancouver

In simple terms, this highly-sought after designation allows Elite Auto Group staff to service and repair any Tesla vehicle that comes to them.

parking lot, or a shopping cart runs away and hits your door,” Jameson continues.

“If you’re not Tesla certified, Tesla won’t sell you parts, so you can’t actually repair any vehicles,” explains Elite Auto Group operations manager Connor Jameson.

Not only can Elite Auto Group staff get your Tesla back in running order, but the same holds true with other electric vehicle players in the automotive world, such as Ford, Toyota, Honda, Kia, Hyundai, and more.

“If you’re a facility that’s fixing a Tesla and their car is on your lot, and you put it into service mode, Tesla will actually shut down their vehicle; then you’ll have to explain to the owner why they’ve been essentially shut out of the vehicle.”

Jameson and his staff aren’t in the business of saying no. If a family has a traditional gas-powered vehicle but decides to also go electric, that could mean having to turn business away.

Not so with the Tesla EV certification.

“For a relationship to end because we can’t fix one of your vehicles wasn’t something we wanted to consider,” Jameson says. “We want to be able to fix your vehicles forever, and that way, we don’t have to send it off to anybody else. We don’t want to have to say no to existing customers or future customers.”

The range of repairs now offered by the Elite Auto Group runs the full spectrum, from minor fixes to intensive bodywork.

“It’s everything from the in-depth issues with all the sensors a Tesla has right down to the everyday annoyances – somebody bangs into you in the

“Anything from those incidents up to a full-on structural repair, we have the equipment to fix it.”

Attaining the Tesla EV designation is the latest in a long run of wins for the Elite Auto Group, a truly remarkable feat considering the many hardships businesses have faced due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Since opening in 1966, Elite Body Shop has built a reputation for quality and honest collision repairs.

With a rapidly growing client base, they expanded in 2002, opening CSN Elite Xpress. In 2020, they grew again, acquiring OK Tire North Shore, and rounding out the Elite Auto Group

changing that stereotype,” Jameson explains.

“If you’re coming to us, you’ve either been in an accident, you’ve hit something, or something’s (probably) broken. It’s a negative state of mind.

We’ve committed to doing everything possible to turn it into a positive. Everything from the physical offices – clean, modern, and pretty – to the industry leading customer service side, we’re committed to providing a safe, positive space for all our clients.

Elite Auto Group is a one-stop shop for all your auto body needs by offering collision and body repair, scratch and dent repair, windshield and glass repair, and more through its comprehensive Elite Body Shop, Elite Xpress, and Ok Tire services.

To learn more about Elite Body Shop’s services, or to book an appointment, visit www.elitebodyshop.ca.

But repairs are only part of the equation. Getting vehicles serviced or repaired are rarely enjoyable experiences, though Jameson’s team takes care of that part of the equation, as well.

Sometimes a smile, or an expert offering assurance, can go a long way.

“When you say the words ‘body shop’ or ‘mechanic shop,’ a lot of people would associate that with negative connotations, that it’s in some dirty office and whoever is sitting behind the desk is trying to rip you off. We really committed to

860 West 1st Street North Vancouver 604.987.2033 www.elitebodyshop.ca

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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22, 2022

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CITY OF NORTH VANCOUVER

The Shipyards District is North Shore’s cool urban jewel JANE SEYD

jseyd@nsnews.com

At the geographic centre of the North Shore, the City of North Vancouver brings a dose of urban cool to the scenic backdrop of the North Shore Mountains and a working harbour.

An economic and cultural hub, the city has seen significant transformation in recent years.

Long gone are the pawn and head shops and vacant lots of decades past in Lower Lonsdale. In their place: a vibrant cultural and pedestrian heart of the city, along with an ever-expanding mix of housing options.

Fun in all four seasons If you’re looking for the younger, hipper version of the North Shore, you’ll find them in the city. Whether that’s attending a festival at the revitalized Shipyards District, enjoying a pint in the growing brewery district or stopping to take in an exhibit at the breathtaking Polygon Gallery or brand new MONOVA: Museum of North Vancouver, the city brings a dose of modern spice to the North Shore’s laid-back vibe.

With its glittering views across Burrard Inlet as a backdrop, the city’s Shipyards District is the jewel in its Lower Lonsdale crown. Built on the site of the former Versatile Pacific Shipyard, since its opening three years ago the pedestrian-friendly district at the foot of Lonsdale Avenue has successfully mixed crowd-pleasing eateries, a regular night market, and venues for both public and private events. In summer, music festivals, concerts and outdoor movie nights add to the happening scene, while families can cool off in the splash park.

This September saw the Shipyards Festival go ahead with a killer band lineup.

In winter, the outdoor skating rink has also proved a popular destination. Cool weather this year saw the extension of the skating rink’s regular season past its usual February closing date until after spring break. In April, the Shipyards also played host to the popular national Rogers Hometown Hockey celebration.

Future improvements, funded by the province, will include efforts to turn The Shipyards into a true four-season destination.

In the cultural realm, the photography-based Polygon Gallery offers a visually stunning entrance to the Shipyards District that has netted it three architectural awards in the past year.

December also marked the opening of the new Museum of North Vancouver (or MONOVA, as it prefers to be known), after decades of planning for a new home.

Unlike museums of previous generations, however, this museum isn’t just about the past. It’s also very much about how the past informs and shapes the present.

The city is the smallest municipality on the North Shore, but it packs a punch. It’s the most densely populated area, packing in about 10 times the population density of its more suburban neighbours.

Compared to the rest of the North Shore,

in the works for Upper Lonsdale and Mosquito Creek.

And 27 families moved into the city’s second-ever co-housing project in the past year, in a project aimed at creating “social sustainability and resilience.”

As well as increased housing options, the City of North Vancouver has long advocated for better North Shore transportation. The city, along with other North Shore municipalities, has been pushing TransLink for better rapid transit, including the Marine Drive RapidBus service. It’s also been a strong proponent of more “active transportation,” including the all-ages bike network.

In 2021, the North In the span of a couple decades, the City of North Vancouver has taken what was literally an industrial Shore’s e-bike sharing wasteland and transformed it into a thriving urban hot spot. MIKE WAKEFIELD / NSN program launched in the the City of North Vancouver’s population a number of decades, to when the city sold city, hitting the streets with e-bike sharing is also growing at a much faster rate. The provider Lime deploying a fleet of 200 elecoff land it owned in the Lower Lonsdale area population grew about 10 per cent – from for development, jump-starting the highrise tric-assist bikes for rent. about 53,000 people to 58,000 between 2016 trend and also boosting city coffers. More On the horizon for the future: a plan to and 2021. recently, the city has focused efforts on redeadd a significant chunk of active transporPeople living in the city are also younger. tation infrastructure through a proposed velopment of key urban areas of Lower and Millennials – those aged 25 to 40 – make greenway north of the Upper Levels Highway, Central Lonsdale to keep up with housing up just 10.8 per cent of West Vancouver’s through the Westview and Tempe neighbourdemand. “Gentle density” is being added to population but comprise 25 per cent of the hoods. If all that talk of biking, walking and previously single-family neighbourhoods population in the city. running around has got you thirsty, you’re in some central areas of the city, through In the past decade, the number of chilin luck! approvals of zoning for duplexes and row The City of North Vancouver’s brewery houses. dren living in the city has also increased 17 district on East Esplanade is growing by Making space for affordable housing also per cent. leaps and bounds. Originals like Beere continues to be a focus. Earlier this year, tenPart of the reason for the city’s robust Brewing and House of Funk have quickly population growth is its varied housing ants moved in to a new affordable housing been joined by other craft brewers like stock. Far fewer people live in single-family project on East 20th in Central Lonsdale that Shaketown Brewing, Copperpenny Distillery, homes in the city than in neighbouring areas boasts 85 below-market rentals after over a Windfall Cider, Streetcar, North Point and of the North Shore. In fact, the majority of decade in development. newcomer Braggot Brewing. Breweries and people live in apartments. distilleries in the area now number over a Not surprisingly, some areas of the city Racing to add rapid transit dozen – perfect for your next pub crawl. have been growing faster than others. The Other purpose-built rental apartment More food trucks and carts are also blocks around the bustling Lower Lonsdale projects, including a portion that is to be being welcomed across the City of North have been among the fastest growing areas, kept at below-market rates, are currently Vancouver this summer in while Central Lonsdale, the designated spots, under a pilot new developments around program.

Moodyville and Park & It’s a lot of activity to pack Tilford have all experienced a into a limited geographic space, recent boost. but the city isn’t resting on its Like the rest of the North laurels. On tap for the future, a Shore, living in the City of plan to revitalize a new destinaNorth Vancouver does not come cheap. Assessed values tion in the city’s Harbourfront on condos rose an average area, including a new public of 10 per cent between 2021 plaza at the foot of Fell Avenue, and 2022, hiking a condo a children’s play area, shoreline worth $690,000 last year to habitat improvement and an a value of $762,000 this year. off-leash dog area as part of the More recently, the median Kings Mill Walk Park master selling price of a “benchplan.

The other big project mark” North Vancouver underway: the rebuild of the condo was over $800,000. city’s Harry Jerome Community The City of North Recreation Centre in Upper Vancouver’s roots as a Lonsdale, scheduled to open burgeoning highrise heaven There’s plenty to see on the North Van waterfront. MIKE WAKEFIELD / NSN in 2025. for urban-dwellers goes back

B6 | WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22, 2022

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British Pacific Properties Bridging Community and Nature Past, present, and future — the story of British Pacific Properties is interwoven with the growth of West Vancouver and the North Shore, but it goes far beyond housing development.

The company has always believed building community is much more than bricks and mortar.

It requires a commitment to the people and places that make up the fabric of the community. Since 1931, the company has been a driving force for business, sustainability, and community.

“We have been rooted in West Vancouver for more than 90 years and long-committed to its success through community-building on many levels. Our culture is one of understanding and responding to community needs and reinvesting to create meaningful impact where we build,” says Geoff Croll, the president of British Pacific Properties.

Monumental milestones British Pacific Properties has been committed to community building at a high level from its inception.

In the 1930s, the company sought out experts – the Olmsted Brothers, landscape architects renowned for New York’s Central Park and Montreal’s Mount Royal — to take on the design of the 1,000-acre expanse of the original British Properties. They also enlisted Stanley F. Thomson, one of North America’s premier golf course architects, to design the Capilano Golf Course, which quickly became a crown jewel of the original British Properties.

The 1938 opening of the Lions Gate Bridge — designed, constructed, and financed by the company — established a vital connection between Vancouver and the North Shore, creating enhanced accessibility and a catalyst for the development of neighbourhoods and businesses.

It also provided much-needed construction jobs during the Great Depression, with the bridge coming to symbolize a link to the future and better times.

In anticipation of the post-war wave of homeowners, the company opened Park Royal Shopping Centre in 1950 — Canada’s first covered shopping centre.

Construction by design British Pacific Properties has a reputation for

Trestle Bridge

quality construction and craftsmanship and has created many of the districts’ most well-known neighbourhoods.

In 2008, a community-based working group led a unique engagement process, resulting in the 215-acre Rodgers Creek Area Development Plan. Uplands, the newest neighbourhood in this master-planned community, is woven into the hillside of the British Properties, offering a new and diverse range of housing options.

In Uplands, British Pacific Properties has assembled many of this generation’s renowned architects – Olson Kundig, Saunders Architecture, Ramsay Worden and BattersbyHowat – to create a diverse range of West Coast Modern homes. These homes carry the tradition of Arthur Erickson, Ned Pratt, Ron Thom and Fred Hollingsworth, who were the vanguards of this architectural movement which blossomed in West Vancouver. In that same vein, they’re continuing to emphasize building in harmony with the natural elements on the Pacific Coast.

to provide current residents and those looking to make West Vancouver their home. This includes more housing choices, including rental apartments below market prices, duplexes, triplexes, townhouses, condominiums and singlefamily homes.

“We know that aging in place, returning “home” or having an option to live close to work is important to many people,” says Croll.

In April, the District of West Vancouver released its draft Area Development Plan (ADP) for Cypress Village as part of the third and final stage in the Upper Lands process, after years of careful planning and consultation. The next step in this process will be council approval.

It takes a village At the heart of the master-planned community is a future mixed-use village – Cypress Village. Envisioned as a vibrant and inclusive mountainside village above the Upper Levels Highway, Cypress Village will include a diverse range of housing, community amenities, commercial services, and transit with unparalleled access to nature and recreation.

Central to the creation of Cypress Village is its focus on creating a full range of housing options

Cypress Pop-Up - Bike Wash

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Cypress Pop-Up Village View Shot

Partnerships Partnerships go far beyond sponsorship and the investment of dollars.

British Pacific Properties digs deep regarding community involvement, such as constructing a fish ladder on Hadden Creek, stream enhancements on McDonald Creek, providing funding for the extension of the West Vancouver Memorial Library, and pedalling up Cypress Mountain in the Rotary Ride for Rescue.

For almost a century, British Pacific Properties has proudly supported the passionate people and non-profit organizations that drive life on the North Shore. The list of communitybased organizations is long and storied – British Properties Area Homeowners Association, Capilano University Foundation, Coho Society of the North Shore, Hollyburn Community Services Society, West Vancouver Historical Society, West Vancouver Art Museum, Kay Meek Centre for the Performing Arts, Lions Gate Hospital Foundation, West Vancouver Streamkeeper Society and West Vancouver Foundation to name just a few.

each facet of their craft through thoughtful decision-making, community planning, repurposing natural material, wildfire prevention and striving to be on the leading edge of sustainable building and planning.

Courtenay, a condominium residence nestled in Mulgrave Park, will have the largest solar array in West Vancouver when it’s completed this winter. Similarly, The Collection and Hawksley in Uplands will feature solar farms that will make British Pacific Properties one of the largest installers of solar power on the North Shore.

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We have been rooted in West Vancouver for more than 90 years and long-committed to its success through community-building on many levels.

”

Since 1931, the company has dedicated more than 220 acres as community parkland — an area larger than the beloved 182-acre Lighthouse Park.

Lions Gate Bridge Opening 1938

Reverence for nature British Pacific Properties is conscious of its responsibility to the 2,000 acres of land under its stewardship, including its relationship to the existing community below, the recreational playground above, and the complex network of streams and wetlands that wind across the mountainside. They weave this philosophy into

has been built with accessibility in mind — opening up this one-of-a-kind landscape to all. The winding Mountain Path trail system will connect the neighbourhoods of Rodgers Creek and ultimately lead to the future Cypress Village.

When Cypress Village moves ahead, British Pacific Properties will dedicate another 260-acres of land at Eagleridge adjacent to Whyte Lake Park and Nelson Canyon Park to the over 100 acres of park within the Cypress Village area.

Bridging community and nature As part of their commitment to improving access to the outdoors, British Pacific Properties has been designing and building infrastructure that enhances the recreational experience on the lands that respects the natural surroundings.

The Mountain Path, a five-kilometre, multi-use paved trail system that winds through the forest and leads to various recreational opportunities,

Cypress Village Rendering

Last December, they unveiled a 200-metre-long, sustainably built, timber trestle bridge as part of a publicly accessible pathway on the mountain slopes of West Vancouver. Fashioned after the majestic wooden structures that supported Canada’s original railway system, the trestle was envisioned, designed, and built to allow a mountainside pathway to cross a riparian area with a light touch, reducing the environmental impact. It has quickly captured the imagination of locals who have been flocking to the site for hiking, biking, dog-walking and even a few proposals.

The Cypress Pop-Up Village, located at the first switchback on Cypress Bowl Road, has become a highly used community and recreational amenity since opening in 2021. It features a grass field, The Shed and the recently completed LookOut to provide visitors with unobstructed views of the ocean, Lower Mainland and beyond.

The British Pacific Properties story is still being written, but the company will continue to maintain its commitment to this remarkable community while planning for future generations to ensure the livability and viability of West Vancouver.

www.britishproperties.com

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Seaspan Shipyards CEO of Seaspan Shipyards Mark Lamarre on how his company helps strengthen connections in the North Shore community North Vancouver’s Shipyards District is a vibrant hub of activity where a diverse, urban neighbourhood coexists alongside a thriving, industrial waterfront.

As someone who has spent my entire life in and around shipyards, the physical, economic and social connections we have in North Vancouver between the community and the marine industry are both unique and exciting.

The North Shore has long played an integral role in the safe and efficient movement of goods and people through Canada’s largest port, with century-old roots in shipbuilding and ship repair.

The revitalization of the on-shore business and residential community in Lower Lonsdale has brought renewed attention and awareness to our shipbuilding heritage.

What many North Vancouver residents may not have seen is that, over the past decade, Seaspan has been growing and revitalizing the shipbuilding industry in our region and across the country.

Kickstarted by the National Shipbuilding Strategy and some significant investments in our facilities, the shipbuilding portion of Seaspan’s business has grown to more than 1,200 employees from just ten years ago. Seaspan Shipyards has quietly become one of North America’s most modern shipyards— critical to the local economy and the broader marine sector.

Seaspan has a thriving marine transportation and commercial ferry business along with three shipyards locations in B.C., two of them in North Vancouver. Along with being the hub of our marine operations, the shipyards at the foot of Pemberton Avenue is our primary facility for our work under Canada’s National Shipbuilding Strategy, where our team working in trades, engineering, innovation and environment are working to deliver 23 new vessels for the Canadian Coast Guard and Navy over the next 15 plus years.

Our drydock facility at the foot of St. Georges Avenue is our repair and maintenance shipyard, where we work on more than 50 projects a year on vessels ranging from tugs to freighters to barges for customers including BC Ferries, TransLink and Canada’s Coast Guard. The drydock is an important part of the West Coast marine industry servicing the vessels we all rely on for transportation, safety and the movement of

“

Seaspan strives to be an engaged, supportive company, committed to our employees and community.

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goods. We have the enviable challenge of being in high demand from our customers both for newbuilds and the refit and repair of vessels.

The future for Seaspan’s business in North Vancouver is bright but isn’t without its challenges.

The heart of our operations is skilled trades, and the competition for talent is fierce.

We have a strong apprenticeship program and are committed to reducing barriers for underrepresented groups, such as Indigenous students, to start a career in the marine sector.

But now more than ever, we need more young people to choose trades as a career.

As North Vancouver has transformed into a more vibrant community over the years, we also face pressure on our land and water spaces.

Industrial operations like ours—building and repairing ships—take space and equipment.

We have a shrinking amount of industrial land and water space in the Lower Mainland, and in fact, we have been turning away work at our drydock location for years—work that has been going to the U.S. instead. As our community becomes increasingly urban, we are doing our best to plan for sustainable growth that makes the best use of our North Vancouver sites.

Like many at Seaspan, I live in the Shipyards District. It is truly a special place, a busy mix of new uses and industrial operations on the waterfront. Seaspan strives to be an engaged, supportive company, committed to our employees and community. Our donation to Lions Gate Hospital in 2021 to support critical care and virtual care and annual support of the Polygon Gallery’s Kids First Saturdays are just two examples of ways we help to make our community a better place to live.

The economic diversity across North Vancouver— from the industrial waterfront to small businesses to the arts community—is our strength. Seaspan, like North Vancouver, has an exciting future ahead and I look forward to us continuing to contribute to its long-term sustainability and success.

Mark Lamarre, CEO of Seaspan Shipyards

www.seaspan.com

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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22, 2022

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DISTRICT OF WEST VANCOUVER

Making waves in the North Shore’s ‘seaside village’ BRENT RICHTER

brichter@nsnews.com

The affluent community of West Vancouver, 10 minutes from downtown Vancouver, prides itself on its seaside village-like atmosphere, sprawling parks and trails, and access to the mountains.

And over the decades its residents have striven to keep it that way.

Who’s who?

The census shows West Vancouver to be a Lower Mainland outlier in many respects. It has one of the highest reported household incomes in the country.

Demographically, its residents have the third oldest average age compared to other Metro Vancouver municipalities, and young people are particularly underrepresented.

Housing is an exclusive affair in West Van. In 2021, the average assessment for a single-family home was $3.7 million, while the average assessment for a condo was $1.6 million. The vacancy rate for rental apartments was last pegged by the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corp. at a mere one per cent. In Ambleside, where half of the population are renters, 97 per cent of the purpose-built rental apartments were built in the 1960s and ’70s.

The municipality is also unique in that it is one of the only in B.C. that has no industrial zoning. There may be towering red cedars on the waterfront instead of towering smokestacks or grain terminals, but without valuable industrial land, it means West Vancouver residential property owners shoulder a disproportionately high share of the tax burden compared to their neighbours around the region.

About half of the people living in Ambleside, the district’s main commercial/ residential hub, are over the age of 65.

But, this isn’t to say the sun is setting on West Van (though the sunsets are lovely to see there, particularly from Lighthouse Park or the Hi View Lookout on Cypress Bowl Road).

Future plans The Ambleside and Dundarave Business Improvement Association has been taking on some ambitious planning and beautification projects to inject some excitement and commerce back into the sleepy village.

On their advice, council recently approved plans to allow breweries, distilleries, and wineries to set up shop in certain business areas. It’s a fitting move, as the very first craft brewery in B.C. got its start in Horseshoe Bay in the early 1980s.

The ADBIA also commissioned some stunning murals on otherwise blank walls, and recently led a visioning process generating some enthusiasm for revitalization of the neighbourhood.

The municipality has completed two local area plans that will allow for future redevelopment at the Taylor Way and

The innate beauty of West Vancouver is always on display at Ambleside Beach, a hub of activity every summer.

MIKE WAKEFIELD / NSN

envisioned to be a complete community with dense residential, business and services within walking distance of each other.

Public art pieces punctuate a revitalized urban core in West Vancouver.

Marine Drive area (near Park Royal), as well as in Horseshoe Bay. And the Ambleside area plan is next on the list.

District staff say it should add another 1,000 to 1,200 net new homes, planned in such a way that they help maintain the

MIKE WAKEFIELD / NSN

seaside village feel of the area but also address the district’s challenges in demographics and aging housing stock.

At higher elevations, the municipality is also seeing through a plan for Cypress Village, a new mountainside village centre

Innate beauty The district’s plans for more housing options and demographic shifts will likely be a work in progress for years to come, but West Vancouver will remain loaded with both natural and cultural gems. The district is home to the wildly popular Cypress Provincial Park, and the Cypress Mountain ski resort within it. On the slopes of Hollyburn Mountain and in Lighthouse Park, you can find some of the last stands of old-growth trees bordering civilization in Metro Vancouver. And scuba divers come from all over to explore the floor of Howe Sound off Whytecliff Park.

West Van’s waterfront parks play host to some very well attended festivals, including the Bridge Festival each June, Harmony Arts Festival in July and August, and the annual Ambleside Music Festival in August, which in years past has drawn artists such as Sarah McLachlan, Sheryl Crow and Neil Young.

And Horseshoe Bay, the village of cottages and hub for BC Ferries routes to Nanaimo, Bowen Island and the Sunshine Coast, remains the most picturesque place in the Lower Mainland to sit and enjoy a basket of fish ’n’ chips.

B10 | WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22, 2022

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TSLEIL-WAUTUTH NATION

Inlet protectors have lived here for thousands of years NICK LABA

nlaba@nsnews.com

As the “People of the Inlet,” members of Tsleil-Waututh Nation thrived around the pristine waters of the səl̓ilw̓ət, also called the Burrard Inlet, for thousands of years.

In 2022, they continue traditions of land stewardship, sustainable economic growth and cultural preservation.

While the traditional territory of the Tsleil-Waututh Nation spans over 1,800 square kilometres around and north of the Burrard Inlet, the majority of its members today live on reserve land or in North Vancouver.

According to oral history, the First Nation was once about 10,000 strong, but its population was decimated by European settlers by way of disease and racist policy.

TWN now has around 600 members, an increase of more than 200 per cent over the past 30 years. Its population is relatively young, and continues to grow.

Before his death in 2018, 12-year chief Leonard George used his business savvy to pave the way for the creation of Takaya Developments and the Raven Woods community. Due to George’s efforts, employment opportunities within the First Nation grew from a tiny administrative staff to over 150 people.

The Tsleil-Waututh Nation’s innovative administration and health centre is located on Alder Court in North Vancouver. PAUL MCGRATH / NSN As a celebrated leader and environmental advocate, his legacies endure.

Toward the end of 2020, TWN started generating electricity from its massive solar project, the largest in the Metro Vancouver area. The 341 solar panels are clustered in five south-facing arrays at the

nation’s administrative building at 3178 Alder Court in North Van. The project was designed to generate 134 kilowatts of electricity, enough to supply all the building’s power needs.

The First Nations school on TWN land actively teaches youth about land

stewardship. Schooling there offers hands on, culturally immersed programming that aims to decolonize education strategies.

TWN is growing its economy with several projects.

With Takaya Developments, the nation has been building high-end condos and townhomes for nearly 25 years, and now partners with Aquilini Development Group.

This year, TWN started showing townhouses at its Seymour Village development on Raven Woods Drive. According to the nation, around 500 units sold out during presale. When that project is complete, Takaya will have built 1,550 units in total.

In 2019, the Tsleil-Waututh applied to Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada to add 45 acres of land in the Maplewood area to their reserve. The property at 2420 Dollarton Hwy. is owned through a 50-50 partnership of Darwin Construction and TWN. The application was intended to move the community toward self-sufficiency and sovereignty.

In 2020, TWN got a $2.8-million boost from the federal government to build a new commercial plaza and road connecting Mount Seymour Parkway to Dollarton Highway, at Apex Drive. The nation said the project would create 44 full-time jobs and one spinoff business, generating economic benefits of close to $43 million over eight years.

SQUAMISH NATION

Significant housing plans build on deep roots in the land NICK LABA

nlaba@nsnews.com

Traditionally, the Squamish People are the Indigenous Peoples who speak the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh sníchim language.

While that language has become critically endangered, the large and sprawling Squamish Nation is making strong efforts to revitalize its mother tongue, and bring members back onto reserve land.

Total Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation) traditional territory is more than 6,700 square kilometres. Today, the nation is made up of 23 villages over 28.3 square kilometres on land parcels scattered from Vancouver to Gibsons Landing, north of Howe Sound.

Squamish Nation has a deep history in the region, with the oldest archaeological site in the territory, in Porteau Cove, dating back 8,600 years.

The modern era of the nation began in 1923, when a majority of Squamish people who were eligible voters requested several different Indian bands amalgamate into a single entity.

Now, the majority of its roughly 4,300 members live on the North Shore of Vancouver, and around 10 per cent of its population live in communities along the Squamish River in Squamish, B.C. A number of efforts are underway to

create a bright future for the Squamish people.

In 2021, the Squamish Nation put significant updates to its election process into effect, and revitalized its council. Before then, election laws hadn’t changed since 1981.

An ongoing initiative for Squamish Nation councillors has been to “bring their people home,” by creating diverse, affordable on-reserve housing options. Currently, over half of members live away from reserve land, and a waiting list for housing is 1,000-members long.

Last year, members voted to approve a plan to build three affordable housing projects designed to provide hundreds of new homes exclusively for the First Nation. Two of the sites are in North Vancouver communities, and the third is in Squamish.

The plan to house Squamish Nation members made more strides this year, after receiving a $32.3-million grant from the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corp.’s Rapid Housing Initiative, which will have 80 new units built by the middle of 2023, with construction to start this coming summer. estítkw place (a safe place) will have 50 units, on Capilano Road.

The Squamish Nation’s most ambitious development project yet also sets aside a number of apartments for members, but is

Squamish Nation culture has been traced back more than 8,600 years. focused on the economic boost of building a major site in an urban area.

In May, the First Nation signed a memorandum of understanding with the City of Vancouver for a service agreement, intended to provide utilities to a planned 6,000-unit housing development on reserve land near Burrard Street Bridge. Twohundred and fifty of the apartments are slated for members.

MIKE WAKEFIELD / NSN

Central to Squamish Nation’s mission to preserve and reinvigorate use of its language, a new Language Commission is being set up this year. Five nominated members will play a vital role in guiding language programming for the nation.

The commission will oversee the use, health and promotion of the language, while also taking steps to make Sḵwx̱wú7mesh sníchim the nation’s official language.

north shore news nsnews.com

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22, 2022

| B11

DISTRICT OF NORTH VANCOUVER

It takes a village, or five villages, to grow a district ANDY PREST

aprest@nsnews.com

The District of North Vancouver is a municipality surrounded by some of the most stunning natural scenery you’ll find anywhere in the world.

For tourists and residents of nearby cities, DNV is the gateway to wild wonders of the North Shore Mountains, highlighted by attractions Grouse Mountain, Capilano Suspension Bridge, Seymour Provincial Park, Lynn Canyon and the mountain-meets-sea splendour of Deep Cove.

For residents lucky enough to live in the district, those stunning green spaces are right on their doorsteps. But life in the district also comes with unique challenges to go along with that unique beauty. DNV’s development has been shaped by the odd fact the area’s urban core was chopped out in 1907 to become the City of North Vancouver.

That left the District of North Vancouver as a bit of an awkward shape, wrapped around the city like a neck pillow. It’s like the district is a delicious jelly doughnut but someone has taken a bite out of it, chomping out much of the really tasty bit in the middle.

That geographical challenge has guided the development of the district for decades, with the predominant pattern being suburban single-family homes sprawling up and out from the dense urban core found in the city. That pattern, however, has changed in recent years thanks to a concerted effort undertaken by the district, guided by a new official community plan that was developed in 2011, following years of community consultation.

One of the OCP’s central tenets was the establishment of a network of connected “town and village centres” to act a hubs for future growth in the district. Each centre is meant to be a focal point for development, serving to support effective transit, walking and cycling options, and promote healthy living and social interaction, while limiting urban sprawl into the district’s abundant green space.

And growth is necessary for the district.

According to the latest census data from Statistics Canada, millennials – those aged 25 to 40 – make up just 15 per cent of the district’s population, compared to 25 per cent in the City of North Vancouver, or 23.1 per cent of Metro Vancouver as a whole. In raw numbers, there are fewer children newborn to age 14 living in district now (14,565) than there were in 2001 (16,065).

Building villages Changing those trends is part of the district’s “village centre” plan, which aims to provide a variety of housing options aside from the single-family homes which make up 49 per cent of the district’s housing stock now, according to StatCan. There are currently five centres targeted by the district to serve as central hubs: Edgemont Village Centre, Lynn Valley Town Centre, Lynn Creek Town Centre, Lions Gate Village, and Maplewood Village Centre. All of the centres are in different stages of the development

The Lynn Creek area of the District of North Vancouver has seen major growth and development in recent years.

MIKE WAKEFIELD / NSN

timeline, offering a unique perspective of aging Maplewood Gardens complex on Old The district’s other central hubs tell their what has happened in the district, where Dollarton Road and the adjacent industrial own stories of growth and change. Both things are now, and what is coming in the buildings on Front Street.

Edgemont Village Centre and Lynn Valley future.

Town Centre are well-established neighbourThe Lynn Creek Town Centre – loosely Getting out of gridlock hoods that have grown – mostly vertically bordered by Lynn Creek to the west and But there is other growth and renewal – in recent years to welcome more residents, the Highway 1 approach to Ironworkers happening around the district. Ecole making good use of nearby amenities.

Memorial Second Narrows Crossing to the Handsworth Secondary and Ecole Argyle Lions Gate Village is another neighbournorth and east – offers an interesting look at Secondary, the district’s two biggest high hood that is set for major growth. A major how the district’s plans are working. schools, have both been completely rebuilt piece of the puzzle fell into place earlier A decade ago that area was populated in the past two years, while plans have been this year with the opening of the Lions Gate by mostly older single-family homes and approved at Capilano University for on-camCommunity Recreation Centre. According to light-industrial commercial space alongside the 2021 census, there were about 600 people pus residences to finally be built. an old rec centre and overgrown, underused living in the burgeoning Lions Gate neighConnecting all the dots, however, is park. Some of those features remain today, still a challenge, as traffic remains one bourhood last year, but the OCP foresees but the park has received a major makeover of the main concerns across the district. about 5,000 people living there by 2030. and now boasts an inviting community space After years of planning and heavy conThe one town centre that is slower to complete with a creek trail, skate park and plant its roots is the Maplewood Village struction work, the $200-million Lower open green space. And something else new to Centre. Plans have been percolating for Lynn Improvement Project was completed the neighbourhood has popped up in the last years, but in December of 2021, DNV council in late 2021, relieving some of the traffic decade: residential towers. shot down a major redevelopment proposal bottleneck pressure that builds in the area That inviting park space is now surthat sought to build more than 500 resisurrounding Ironworkers Memorial Second Narrows Crossing, while also providing rounded by developments, along with a fancy dential units plus commercial space at the upgrades for alternative modes of new community centre under transportation. construction. And more residenMore hope may be arriving tial units are likely on the way. A in TransLink’s newest 10-year proposal for a 420-unit mixed-use plan, unveiled in April. A new development billed as “the heart bus rapid transit line linking of Lynn Creek” is up for final adopMetrotown in Burnaby to Park tion soon, having already received Royal in West Vancouver via the endorsement of the majority the Ironworkers is among the of district council at second and priorities in the next round of third readings. The proposal transit improvement. That link – includes a number of residential which is listed for “immediate” buildings ranging from seven to 24 planning and design work, with storeys tall, as well as commercial completion in the second half of space that includes a grocery the 10-year plan – would connect store and child-care centre. It’s one district residents to the east and more major step in a comprehenwest, and offer another fast and sive plan to turn the Lynn Creek efficient transit option for getting neighbourhood into a thriving and Lions Gate Village has a new recreation centre. MIKE WAKEFIELD / NSN across Burrard Inlet. self-sufficient community hub.

B12 | WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22, 2022

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NORTH SHORE PROGRESS REPORT

Kiwanis North Shore Housing Society Working tirelessly to provide some of the area’s most vulnerable seniors with affordable rental housing.

But at the society’s core is a commitment to dignity, ensuring no senior gets left behind in a white-hot housing market that’s seemingly shrinking by the day.

“You meet these people and the first thing you think about is your parents,” explains Kiwanis board member Francis Caouette. “My parents have passed away some time ago, but I would meet these people and I would say, ‘There is my mom sitting there, doing a puzzle, reading a book or sitting with her friends.’ It comes home and becomes personal very quickly. I think that’s one of things that’s really part of the appeal in terms of the work we do - it is very personal.”

Kiwanis has been operating in North and West Vancouver for 70 years and represents an amalgam of housing operations across the North Shore. The society embodies a long-term effort to provide non-profit and affordable housing principally to local seniors: the age requirement is 60 years and older for most of the society’s buildings and 65-plus for Lynn Woods and Lynn Manor.

Over time, Kiwanis has been able to slowly acquire properties, operate them and develop a small surplus, which is retained and re-invested in upgrades, new builds or whatever else the society can accomplish. The new building in Lynn Valley is a testament to their success and community contribution.

Those accomplishments have been simultaneously vast and lifechanging.

In the past decade, the society has added three new buildings to its portfolio and now operates a

“

This type of housing provides these people with longterm security for their home – that’s fundamental to being able to live a successful life.

”

total of 744 rental apartments across the North Shore. The society’s newest property, Lynn Woods, is completed in the summer of 2022, and Kiwanis is accepting applications.

Simply put, that’s 744 examples of long-term tenure, piece of mind and most critically, a place to call home.

“One of the most important things we provide is security,” Caouette says. “This type of housing provides these people with long-term security for their home – that’s fundamental to being able to live a successful life.”

On the North Shore, like everywhere across Metro Vancouver, land is the key - specifically getting access to land and at a decent price.

Most of the society’s buildings operate under housing agreements with municipalities; clauses are included to specify for accommodations for those aged 60 and up who fall within certain income and asset levels. Kiwanis also partners

PHOTO BY KIWANIS NORTH SHORE HOUSING SOCIETY

At the heart of every decision they make comes a simple, yet universal question rooted in compassion and empathy: what can I do to make mom or dad’s golden years the best they can possibly be? On the surface, the Kiwanis North Shore Housing Society is an affordable rental housing provider: staff and volunteers are work hard to find the right accommodations for seniors, run and maintain the buildings and look after any issues that arise in a residential portfolio. Kiwanis properties are clean, modern and well taken care of.

with BC Housing to assist in the leasing of properties.

“We work very hard to maintain the properties well,” says Caouette, who chairs the society’s building committee. “That sense of commitment that Kiwanis delivers, that reverberates throughout the building: people see it, they understand it, they respect it and I think that goes a long way towards supporting that sense of dignity.”

And while the term “affordable housing” may carry certain connotations, Caouette maintains that the society’s buildings speak for themselves.

For more information, visit kiwanisnorthshorehousing.org.

2555 Whiteley Court North Vancouver 604.834.8988 kiwanisnorthshorehousing.org