Friday, November 12, 2010 Love stands the test of time for Second World War newlyweds…
Page A29
ary Annivers 1985-2010
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Maple Ridge council
Prayer debate lively
Sue Dunn is a bar manager at The Billy Miner pub.
Despite the emotion apparent at Tuesday’s council meeting, the change to the bylaw passed first reading. by Maria Rantanen mrantanen@mrtimes.com
Emotions were running high at Tuesday night’s Maple Ridge council meeting when the subject of removing the opening prayer was debated. A notice of motion to remove prayers from the beginning of Maple Ridge council meetings, put forward by Councillor Linda King, morphed into a motion to have a moment of reflection instead – but there were various interpretations around the council table about what that would mean. In the end, council voted to pass first reading on a motion to replace the prayer with a moment of reflection and seek further input from the public. King said prayers at council meetings no longer seem “suitable in the multicultural and multifaith community that Maple Ridge has become” and that “council chambers should be a welcoming place for all.” The latest statistics she could find were from 2001 and showed that one-third of Maple Ridge citizens don’t identify with any religious affiliation. Councillor Mike Morden said when he became a councillor, he didn’t expect this issue to come up. He also pointed out that something like this would usually be “complaint driven” or “issue driven,” but removing the prayer wasn’t.
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Troy Landreville/TIMES
Heritage buildings
Billy Miner seeks protection A tentative agreement has been reached to protect the historical building in exchange for bylaw relaxation. by Maria Rantanen
mrantanen@mrtimes.com
Billy Miner Pub and the old Bank of Montreal next door might finally be designated historical buildings, if an agreement between the new owner and District of Maple Ridge is finalized. When the Mission Springs company bought the building in the spring, they went to meet District staff to discuss the property and its potential. One option presented to them was to enter a heritage revitalization agreement guaranteeing the owner would preserve the building but giving them some leeway in municipal bylaws and regulations. “We thought it was pretty beneficial for the District to maintain that building,” said Brock Rodgers, a manager of Mission Springs. The heritage revitalization agreement supersedes some municipal bylaws and regulations and in this case it will mean the pub can allow parking on the lot east of the building zoned industrial, which normally doesn’t allow for parking. The site with the new cafe/restaurant
would normally require 27 parking stalls good thing. The building was recognized as – there are only 19 now – but this agreea heritage site before, but that didn’t have ment would allow them to only keep the any legal implications. current number. A municipality can’t impose a heritage Mission Springs, which also owns the designation on a building; rather, there Witch, Houston’s and restaurants around has to be a “cooperative venture” with the the Lower Mainland, bought the Billy Miner owner, Patenaude said. Pub in the spring. Last year a similar agreement was “We’re kind of partial to things that are drawn up for the Charles Miller house in old,” Rodgers said, and the Billy Miner pub Whonnock, Patenaude said. seemed to fit in with their overall business The province used to impose heritage model. designations on buildings which were very Over the summer, Rodgers saw families restrictive, but now only municipalities hanging around the pier and realenter agreements with owners ized there was no place for them of heritage buildings to preserve to stop and have a bite to eat. them. The new cafe/bistro in the former The only other way to protect a Bank of Montreal building won’t building, Patenaude said, is for the be a liquor primary establishment municipality to buy it. and therefore will allow children. There are other buildings in The kitchen and bathrooms Maple Ridge that have herithave been renovated in the Billy age value but they are often Billy Miner Miner Pub and the company plans very expensive to maintain, for to build a patio between the pub example, the Wharfinger’s office and the cafe with a view of the river. on the Port Haney wharf, Patenaude said. “We’ve had a remarkable turnaround The heritage society would like to keep it since we took it over,” Rodgers said. and have it used for something, but because A public hearing for the “Heritage it isn’t actively used, it’s costing the society Designation and Revitalization and Tax a lot of money to maintain. Agreement Bylaw” will be held at Nov. 16’s “Is this building worth keeping just council meeting. because it’s cute?” Patenaude said, adding Maple Ridge Museum director Val that when considering preserving heritage Patenaude said getting a heritage designabuildings, “if an adaptable reuse can be tion for the Billy Miner Pub would be a found, it’s worth fighting for.”
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