Back to the future
The main headline in the North Shore News on Wednesday, Jan. 7, 1981 read in all caps “ONLY THE WEALTHY CAN AFFORD N. SHORE HOMES.” The subhead added “Cheapest WV ‘shack’ costs $160,000.” The market would slow down in 1981, noted reporter Gill Shaw, but prices were not expected to drop.
Marshall McLuhan
Page 2 columnist Bob Hunter was astonished at how little attention was paid to the death of Canadian philosopher/media futurist Marshall McLuhan on Dec. 31, 1980: “. . . the passing of punk rocker Sid Vicious generated more coverage than the passing of our country’s most memorable intellect.”
Language no barrier for whales
North Vancouver UBC doctoral student John Ford disputed Greenpeace head Patrick Moore’s claim that two recent female killer whale arrivals, Finni and Bjossa, would speak a different language than the Vancouver Aquarium’s Hyak. Ford, who would become the Aquarium’s first permanent marine mammal scientist and conduct ground-breaking research into the acoustic behaviour of killer whales, said that the pair’s North Atlantic sounds would only be slightly different.
Alderman walks out on council in a huff
North Vancouver City alderman Stella Jo Dean stormed out of a Monday night council meeting after arguing with Mayor Jack Loucks and fellow alderman Frank Marciano. Dean objected to rehiring the City’s lawyers because she thought the City was paying too much in legal fees. Marciano said Dean’s figures, “scrawled on a piece of paper,” were unsubstantiated. Alderman Ralph Hall also opposed the motion because the District used the same law firm.
Annoying noises can continue
Dillingham Construction was granted one final exemption from North Vancouver City’s noise control bylaw to continue pile driving work on the new Burrard Yarrows dock facilities.
Elvis Costello
Long before he became a West Vancouver resident, Elvis Costello and his band the Attractions played a show just after New Year’s at UBC’s War Memorial Gym. The Living Section ran an Ian Smith photo on the C section front noting “that there were some complaints about the sound system and the number of unfamiliar songs,” but generally a good time was had by all.
