All Candidates Debate

Density and development heat up City of North Vancouver debate

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Written by: Jeremy Shepherd

A jam-packed Lucas Centre crowd watched the City of North Vancouver’s prospective mayors and councillors duel over density and development at an all-candidates debate Tuesday.

Mayor Darrell Mussatto touted his vision of a walkable community benefited by development. Mussatto urged the audience to support a public transit referendum scheduled for next year, which may lead to the first transit upgrades in the city since 2007.

Competing mayoralty candidates Kerry Morris and George Pringle both took aim at the mayor.

The pace and scale of densification is beyond what the city’s infrastructure can absorb, according to Morris.

“We’ve been growing because every developer that is walking in front of council is owed something, principally because they’ve made a magnificent donation to get members of council on council.”

During questions from the audience, Mussatto was asked if there were any development projects he’d opposed over the previous term.

“Off the top of my head I can’t think of too many that I haven’t supported,” he said, explaining applications go through a lot of work with staff before being presented to council.

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