Dear Editor:
The City of North Vancouver council decided this week to proceed with scrapping the stern of the Flamborough Head. Only two councillors, Pam Bookham and Don Bell, voted against the recommendation put forward by city staff.
This time, the vote was at least taken in public - unlike the first vote behind closed doors that caused so much controversy. But council provided little time for the public to review the staff report and did not provide a formal opportunity for comment or input on the stern's place in the waterfront's future. Instead it left that decision to an American branding consultant whose plan for an amusement park was already conceived before he was handed the responsibility of determining the stern's placement on the waterfront.
What is council afraid of? Yes, there will be costs to keep the stern, but what about the benefits its retention as an iconic landmark, tourist attraction and memorial to the shipbuilders and merchant seaman would bring to development of the waterfront? It seems the council continues to focus only on the costs. Is it possible that council is afraid the money they got from the provincial government and sale of land in Lower Lonsdale would actually have to be spent on the preservation of maritime heritage, rather than the installation of a skating rink and splash pad? Where is council's vision? In our opinion, the stern is not scrap metal. As the last of the Second World War ships built at the shipyards, it is symbolic of North Vancouver's and Canada's fight for democracy - and of those who gave their lives in that fight. It is surprising, disappointing - and ironic - that council would choose to ride roughshod over those democratic rights in its determination to dispose of that symbol.
The Save Our Stern Campaign believes city staff overstated the past expenses in keeping the stern and did not account for the financial benefits it might bring. While the city had a decade to consider the stern, we had only a few weeks to prepare our proposal, including potential fundraising efforts.
Regardless, we wish to thank the community for its strong support for our campaign and for caring about the heritage of North Vancouver. Remember, this is an election year!
Peter Miller
Chair, SOS Campaign
