midweek edition WEDNESDAY, MAY 19, 2010
Vol. 101 No. 40 • Established 1908 • East
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Spare the pod, spoil the nerd Oily hair disaster
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Squamish to develop eight acres under Burrard Bridge Band composed of 3,600 members Mike Howell Staff writer
Squamish Chief Gibby Jacob joked with Mayor Gregor Robertson at a signing ceremony Monday. photo Dan Toulgoet
The Squamish Nation plans to build a massive development on the band’s traditional land underneath the south end of the Burrard Bridge. Chief Gibby Jacob said the residential and commercial development will stretch over eight acres and cost “in the hundreds of millions of dollars.” “It’s not a small project,” said Jacob, noting more details will be made public in 10 months to a year. “We’ve got a long way to go yet. We still have to go back to our membership with a business plan.” The land is adjacent to the Molson Brewery on Burrard Street. It is bordered on the west side by
blackberry bushes and woodlands, and on the east by condominiums. The band, which has 3,600 members, hasn’t determined whether it will be an investor in the development or sell the lease rights. But Jacob has made his mind up on that question. “From my perspective, I’d like to maintain the majority of it for our own development,” he said. “It’s time that we move from leasing land to becoming a developer.” Jacob spoke to the Courier Monday after signing a memorandum of understanding and protocol agreement with the city, whose signing representative was Mayor Gregor Robertson. See MEMORANDUM on page 4
City manager, police chief top taxpayer-funded money makers Vision Vancouver councillor defends Vision-appointed manager’s $313,577 salary Mike Howell Staff writer
City manager Penny Ballem and Police Chief Jim Chu earned more than $300,000 each last year, according to city financial statements released last week. Ballem made $313,577 in what was her first year on the job af-
ter being hired in December 2008. Chu, who became chief in 2007, collected $303,602. Both their incomes put them way ahead of their senior staff, including the city’s director of legal services Francie Connell ($228,869) and general manager of business planning and services Ken Bayne ($217,817).
Deputy Chief Doug LePard earned $207,204 and Deputy Chief Bob Rolls, who retires at the end of this month, pulled in $207,897. The ruling Vision Vancouver council hired Ballem the same week that then-city manager Judy Rogers agreed to “a cessation of her duties,” said Mayor Gregor
Robertson at the time of the sudden change. Vision Coun. Geoff Meggs said Ballem is worth the money for several reasons, including leading the city through a review of the city’s services and how they can be better shared. Meggs pointed to balancing two budgets in one year, the success of the 2010
Winter Games and getting the Olympic Village financial mess in order as other reasons. “When you add all those things on top of the Olympics, you see it’s been a very, very busy period and she hit the ground running in December 2008 and we’ve come a long way in 18 months,” Meggs said. See COUNCILLOR on page 4
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