Vancouver Courier August 4 2010

midweek edition WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 4, 2010 Vol. 101 No. 62 • Established 1908 • East

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McCormack does Mamet NPA offerings

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Kingsway sex shop rubs residents the wrong way Fantasy Factory requires city approval Naoibh O’Connor Staff writer

The Fantasy Factory sex shop operates at the corner of Kingsway and Fraser Street.

photo Dan Toulgoet

A recently opened sex shop at 701 Kingsway is sparking objections from residents who’ve spent years trying to improve their neighbourhood. Fantasy Factory moved into a property at the corner of Kingsway and Fraser Street without city hall approval last November. The site previously housed a video store. Fantasy Factory’s exterior sign indicates it sells magazines, along with a “huge selection of adult toys.” A small sandwich board on the sidewalk lists toys, lingerie, performance-enhancers and lubricants for sale. “They moved in without approvals. Now they’re under enforcement because they’re in there without approvals, so

they’ve filed a development application to gain approval for the space,” explained John Greer, manager of the processing centre in the city’s development services. Greer said the owner should have obtained development, building and occupancy permits. On July 28, advisory letters were sent to more than 700 neighbouring homes as part of the development permit application. Residents have until Aug. 13 to submit responses. “We’re compiling them right now and we got a barrage over the weekend,” said Greer. “We still have to assess [the business] within the regulations and policies and guidelines, which talk about location and vicinity of daycares, schools and churches—that sort of thing.” See SEX on page 4

Fifty-year-old pool closes, large aquatic centre opens Hillcrest Park leisure pool includes accessible beach entry, ‘lazy river’ feature Sandra Thomas Staff writer

As residents of the Riley Park community gathered to bid a final farewell last Friday morning to the old Percy Norman Pool on its final day, across the street park board staff celebrated the completion of the city’s largest aquatic centre.

Judy Andersen, supervisor of recreation services for Riley Park, said the day was bittersweet for some people. Some regulars to the pool had brought treats to share with other longtime users. “They’re sad, but happy at the same time. That pool’s been open for a long time,” Andersen said of the Percy Norman, which opened in 1960.

The new aquatic centre at Hillcrest Park opened to the public Saturday. The main lap pool is 50metres long, while the dive pool is 12.5-metres deep with two diving boards and diving platform at staggered heights above the water. The leisure pool is 384 square metres and includes an accessible beach entry, water sprays and curtains,

jets and bubblers and a surprisingly fast “lazy river” feature. One section of the pool has a floor that can be lowered and heightened to control the water depth to accommodate children of different ages for lessons. The outdoor pool also includes water sprays and curtains, as well as a water cannon. White lounge chairs surround the outdoor

pool and cover much of the deck, which is bounded by grass. Inside is a hot tub that can accommodate 70 people, as well as a sauna and steam room. Peter Fox, aquatic supervisor for the park board, said the goal of the aquatic centre is to offer an experience worth repeating. See POOL on page 4

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