UN Envoy Calls for Help in Fight Against AIDS

Ashley Heaslip, The Martlet (University of Victoria)

 

4 SPRING ISLAND, BC
(CUP)—Thete is. a stark contrast
between offices sitting empty and
hospitals overflowing with patients,
says Stephen Lewis, the United world where over 40 million people
Nations special envoy for HIV and are living with HIV, Lewis said proj-
AIDS in Africa. ects such as the World Health
_ On September 18 Lewis addressed ization’s “3 by 5 campaign” —
over 600 people on Salt Spring Island. rovide three million
: alling a trip to Lesotho, a small ess to life-prolonging
thern African country, Lewis iti-retrovirals, or ARVs,
conditions in one hospi- by 2005- e created a “real sense
L of breakthrough.”
But he stressed that it still wasn’t
jough. Worldwide, there are six mil-
n people—over four million in
Africa—who need ARV treatment to
survive. Currently, only 150,000 to

had most recently died,” he said.
Lewis spoke of “glimmers of

hope” that gave him inspiration in the

fight against HIV and AIDS. In a

 
  
 
 
 
  
  

  
      

 

parents lived for five or ten more
yeats because of access to ARV treat- According to Lewis, statistics show
ment, Lewis said. that $12 billion’ will be needed to deal

Lewis applauded Canada for being with the HIV and AIDS pandemic in
the largest donor country to th 05. If nothing is done, he said, that
WHO program, contributin: ber would rise to $20 billion by
million, and working to pass Bill 007. But the international communi-
The legislation would allow C: ty raised only $4.3 billion last year,
leading Lewis to question how gov-
ernments could fail so greatly when
ey are “providing the resources they
y provide for conflict and war.”
€ pointed out over $87 billion has
n been spent by the US administration
~ in its “war on terror” when “we could
be eo millions of lives for a frac-

as the best way to combat AIDS.

  
  
   
     
 
 
   
 
 
    
   

 
  
 

a year over the next five years to
and AIDS relief in Aftica, Lewis ques-

   

200,000

 

to the drugs. 2
1. ‘The 14 million AIDS orphans in’
” Aftica would be better off if their

 

    

ole in Africa have access

 

 

New West Waterfront to Get Face-Liff

Brandon Ferguson, News Editor

 

New Westminster’s downtown
waterfront will undergo a major
revitalization in coming years as a
development plan is underway
that will see five high-rise resi-
dential towers and_ three
townhouse complexes built on
the land between 8th and 6th
Streets.

The building rights belong to
Larco Investments Ltd., a West
Vancouver based real estate firm
working in conjunction with the
city of New Westminster to cre-
ate a pedestrian-friendly urban
centre. The five towers, intended
to hold up to 1,000 housing units,
‘will be built on an elevated plat-
form to mitigate the rail lines and
Front Street—used now primari-
ly by semi-trucks and speeders
fed up with Columbia’s idiotic
30km/hr speed limit.

The mandate posed by the city
and accepted by Larco is to
adhere to a guiding set of princi-

ples that calls for an improved
waterfront, increased green space
and walkways, a stronger connec-
tion between Columbia Street
and the waterfront, and main-
tained sightlines. With New
Westminster expected to grow
from a population of 60,000 to
90,000 over the next 25 years, it is
necessary to build up and not
out. The towers will diminish
many of the current residences’
“private though the
investment group is working to
maintain “public views”—sight-
lines from and down the street
corridors.

In the past, snake-oil salesmen
have pitched urban , centre
enhancement packages to munic-
ipalities, attempting to capitalize
on every small-town’s desire to be
something better. In Maple
Ridge, SmartGrowth BC has pre-
sented a 15-year plan that may
never see completion. Most

views,”

growing cities have some volume
of urban planning collecting dust
on their shelves somewhere. It’s
almost a badge of blunder for a
city.

However, this situation is dif-
ferent in that Larco already owns
the rights to build, and has been
well within its rights and city zon-
ing bylaws to do so _ since
1996. The cooperation being
demonstrated is simply for
the betterment of New
Westminster’s historic waterfront
area and the desperate need for a
well-thought-out plan to revital-
ize it. This project has teeth and
will likely be implemented sooner
rather than later, which is great
for the city. It just sucks for you if
you currently love your view.

For further information con-
tact the City of New Westminster
Planning Department at
604.527.4532.

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