Publish Date: 4-Mar-2004 Georgia Straight
Newspaper, Vancouver, Canada
By Charlie Smith
Aquarium Rapped
The Coalition for No Whales in Captivity has written a letter to
Vancouver park board Comm. Eva Riccius, objecting to a claim that
the Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Centre has run without operating
subsidies from any level of government.
Riccius chairs the planning and environment committee. According
to its January 13 meeting minutes, the aquarium hasn't received
operating subsidies since it opened in 1956.
"This is a brazen misrepresentation at best," coalition
director Annelise Sorg wrote. "Municipal, provincial and federal
governments each gave $100,000 of taxpayers' money to construct
the aquarium building in 1955; and again in the 1960s the three
levels of government each gave $250,000 to expand the aquarium facility
and build the whale exhibits."
In addition, Sorg claimed the park board continues to subsidize
the facility. She noted that the aquarium paid $1 per year in rent
for the first 40 years. Now the aquarium pays $40,000 a year in
rent or the equivalent in joint projects, which works out to $5.62
per square foot every year.
According to the January 13 meeting minutes, the aquarium has submitted
a development-permit application to the city to enlarge its research
wing by adding a partial second storey.
"In subsequent years, partly depending on funding, they plan
to revitalize the Tropic Zone, the Wild Coast (former killer whale
pool), parts of Arctic Canada, and service infrastructure throughout,"
the minutes stated. "Because the Aquarium receives no government
operating subsidies, increased operating costs must be matched by
increased earned revenues. Some of the funds will come from the
Aquarium's own reserves, but the Aquarium will need assistance from
private and corporate donors and from the public sector."
Sorg demanded that the board delete from the minutes the claim
that the aquarium doesn't receive government subsidies. "The
aquarium also presented a proposal to expand underground outside
their park footprint," she added. "I don't think I have
to tell you that the proposal is unacceptable."
----------------------------- ACTION ALERT ------------------------------
Please write a letter to the editor asking that the park board
do the right thing and stop the aquarium from turning Stanley Park
into another SeaWorld!
Editor letters@straight.com
Thanks.
Annelise Sorg, COALITION FOR NO WHALES IN CAPTIVITY
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