[news] Eye In The Sky Exposes UBC Threat To Vancouver's Legacy

[Steve Kisby]

http://www.alternatives.com/prms/2004/wbps0503.pdf

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -- May 3, 2004

EAGLE TREE PARK
 NOT TOWERS --
MOTHER'S DAY DEMONSTRATION

6600 BLOCK OF NORTHWEST MARINE DRIVE BETWEEN AGRONOMY ROAD AND UBC GATE #6

Friday, April 30, the GVRD Board of Directors voted to send a letter to the UBC Board of Governors (BOG) asking them how proposed campus development such as the four, 20-storey Marine Residence towers "fit with the Cliff Erosion Management Plan (CEMP) for Pacific Spirit Regional Park," a plan that the BOG signed off on November 30, 2003.

With the GVRD Board of Directors asking that UBC's Board of Governors "take into consideration environmental sensitivities (of the cliffs within Pacific Spirit Regional Park) when they undertake planning of the towers," the pressure on UBC to relocate and drop the heights of the Marine Residence Towers is steadily increasing.

In the meanwhile, students, environmentalists, naturists, local neighbours, and Wreck Beach friends and supporters are planning a musical, peaceful protest against the towers for Sunday, May 9, Mother's Day, at high noon at the "Okay Corral" or location of proposed Tower #6, the tower closest to the cliff's edge. Beach musicians are enthusiastically writing original protest lyrics, and we plan to make a joyful noise for an hour on Mother's Day. We anticipate hundreds of demonstrators and will be unrolling banners reading: 
 
"EAGLE TREE PARK
 NOT TOWERS"

Support is expanding daily for the towers' relocation and for dropping of the heights by a minimum of 10 stories. Just last week, the People's artist, Joe Average, joined our cause. Find our online petition at http://www.wreckbeach.org or follow the link there or go directly to:  http://www.petitiononline.com/wreckbch/petition.html

Participants are invited to bring picnic lunches, Mom, children, musical instruments and pens to fill in the blanks on thousands of sample letters we will have available. Everyone is welcome in this massive show of solidarity. We'll also be accepting funds to help in this ongoing challenge with UBC. Parking is available at the Loonie Lot or at the Fraser Parkade.

UBC must understand when it comes to protecting the last unspoiled tree line and forested slopes by the sea in Vancouver except for Stanley Park, that people are united in their determination to not let UBC fulfill short-term goals at the expense of long-term park destruction!

Please note the artists' rendition of how these proposed towers would appear from the beach, river and sea. Thanks to photographer Bruce McPherson, and Glenn Stensrud, Mr. Eye in the Sky.
 
CONTACT INFO:
Judy Williams, Chair, WBPS: 604-856-9598 or 604-308-6336 / judyw at wreckbeach.org
Chris Rarinca, Vice-Chair WBPS: 604-420-4742
James Loewen, Public Relations, WBPS: 604-689-9697 / james3D at shaw.ca

LINKS: 
1.  Artists' Rendition of Proposed Towers From Wreck Beach (PDF)
    http://www.alternatives.com/skisby/towers/towers_superimposed_4-01-04.pdf

2.  Sunday, May 9, Mother's Day, Demonstration Poster (low & high resolution)
    http://www.alternatives.com/skisby/towers/towers_poster_5-04-04_color.jpg
    http://www.alternatives.com/skisby/towers/towers_poster_5-04-04_b&w_highres.jpg

3.  Petition Toward Relocation of Proposed Towers (PDF & Microsoft Word)
    http://www.alternatives.com/skisby/towers/towers_petition_4-26-04.pdf
    http://www.alternatives.com/skisby/towers/towers_petition_4-26-04.doc

4.  Sample Letter to UBC Board of Governors
    http://www.alternatives.com/skisby/towers/towers_sample_letter_to_ubc_bog.pdf
    http://www.alternatives.com/skisby/towers/towers_sample_letter_to_ubc_bog.doc