Steve Nicholls Retires after 30 Years Serving West Vancouver

Thursday, January 15, 2009

West Vancouver, BC:  The District of West Vancouver would like to congratulate Steve Nicholls, former Director of Planning, Lands and Permits and recent Associate Director, Major Projects, as he retires on January 16th after 30 years of serving the citizens of West Vancouver.

Steve Nicholls’s career started in Toronto, where he obtained a business degree then worked in finance as a real estate investment analyst for North American Life.  He became fascinated by politics and cities and went back to university to earn a Master's degree in planning.  Nicholls then joined the City of Toronto for six years, first as an inner city neighbourhood planner and then as a manager of neighbourhood planning.  After a two-year hiatus to travel the world, Nicholls arrived in West Vancouver in 1978 as Senior Planner and became Director in the mid-1980s – a combined period of 30 years.

Nicholls notes that his biggest accomplishment during the past 30 years is his marriage to his wife, Janet, but he has also served 13 different Councils.  “The staff I have worked with at all levels of the organization have been remarkable, and the commitment and talent of the community is extraordinary – the diversity of experiences has been personally rewarding,” says Nicholls.  Some of Nicholls’s accomplishments include implementing plans to protect unique neighbourhoods; initiating two reviews and re-writes of West Vancouver’s OCP; leasing land for Taylor Way towers which created an Endowment Fund for recreation centre redevelopments; creating a commercial area in Caulfeild; acquisition of BC Rail properties for Seaview Walk, Gleneagles Community Centre and Fire Hall; creating plans for and negotiating purchase of waterfront properties on Argyle; and leading the revitalization of Dundarave and Ambleside commercial areas.

“Steve Nicholls has made an incredible contribution. He has developed personal relationships with many dedicated residents and business people, and he always met the challenge of maintaining excellence in the District’s Planning Division,” says Grant McRadu, CAO.

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Media Contact:       
Patricia Leslie
Communications Manager
604-925-4736