WEDNESDAY MARCH 15 2023
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FULLERTON AVENUE
Investigation underway into sewage leak on Capilano River NICK LABA
nlaba@nsnews.com
As a flow of raw, reeking sewage leaked into the Capilano River for at least a week, a leader from Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation) is questioning why the firm managing the adjacent apartment complex wasn’t quicker to respond to the issue.
According to the Ministry of Environment, the District of North Vancouver reported on March 6 that sewage was leaving a private property and entering the river through a storm drain outfall pipe. “We learned on Friday that … communication with the Woodcroft property managers wasn’t that efficient,” said elected council member Sxwíxwtn (Wilson Williams). “But I think the most important thing to us, Squamish Nation, is that we wanted to get the sewage leak mitigated.” The Woodcroft Estates apartments are in North Continued on page 20
Squamish Nation elected council member Sxwíxwtn (Wilson Williams) stands in front of the site of a sewage leak on the Capilano River Monday. The steam in the air is related to attempts to find the source of the leak. PAUL MCGRATH / NSN
PUSHING FOR ‘PLAN B’
Soccer fields, Spirit Trail back in proposed DNV budget MINA KERR-LAZENBY
MKerrLazenby@nsnews.com Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
District of North Vancouver council is adding artificial turf fields and the Spirit Trial to Deep Cove back into the 2023 budget and pushing the proposed municipal tax increase to 5.25
per cent.
Following strong criticism from the public on the District of North Vancouver’s proposed 2023 budget, staff have put forward a new “Plan B” budget that incorporates previously omitted projects. Projects now deemed by staff as having a “relatively high probability of success,” include the
completion of up to six artificial turf sports fields at Handsworth Secondary and Inter River Park, plus others not yet determined, and the construction of the Spirit Trail connection between Maplewood and Deep Cove. At a public input meeting last week, council spent hours getting an earful from
the local soccer and cycling communities, expressing their dismay of long-promised projects being left out of the budget for another year. “Public input has been higher than usual,” Rick Danyluk, deputy chief financial officer, told council Monday. “After receiving Continued on page 29