MARCH 15, 2290 towgae Bright Lights = Business Pra Classifieds at Crossword Food Kids Pages see 20 Knight eve] Wright Table Hopping p37 Sports 944 Good tood par for the Saints march to B.C. course at Northlands basketball title recial spring, care feature in today’s News Auto p23 The Voice of North and West Vancouver since 1969 WWW.FSnHews.cOom = 4. FREE B.C. taxpayers stuck with $336M loss Katharine Hamer News Reporter khamer@usnews.com RUMOURS of fast ferry death have not been exaggerated. The BC Ferry Corporation has been hinting tor several months that the three vessels would be sold off upon completion — but the announcenient was made official on Monday by Ferries Minister Joy i. MicPhail and Finance Minister Paul Ramsey staged « Rierenee lO admit the PacifiCat project had been a failed “experiment,” and said it was “time to move on.” According toa BC Ferries press celease issued on Mendy, the a to sell the three fast: ferries was imade after “the corporation careiuily assessed concerns of customers, residents along the route, tourism: groups and the trucking industry.” Truckers were upset at being re-routed to Tsawwassen because the cia marans could not accommodate them on the Horseshoe Bay: Nanaine crossing, The province intends to take over BC Ferries’ $1.1 billion debt i what it's calling the “refinancing” of the Crown corporation, and pat the fast cats on the marker immediately tor S43 million cach. Taxpayers will adsorb the $336 nuliion lost through the discount sale of the boats. A permanent annual ferries’ subsidy of $72 million frons tuel taxes will also be established. Hailed as the key to a revitalized local shipbuilding industry when the project was announced in 1994, the fast fernes rapidly gained more j than cheers as construction costs ballooned and completion schedules fell by the wayside. . nal price tag of $210 million tor all three ferries has now risen Noe page § Probation for assaults Anna Marie D'Angeto News Reporter adangelo@nsnews.com A 16-year-old former Rockridge student received 18 months’ probation on Friday after being found guilty of nine crimes against three fenale Rockridge students. The convicted teenager, a Bowen Island resident, cannot not be named because that would contravene the Young Offenders Act. He was ft ual assault, three counts of assauic with aw See Bowen page § a A s Time for ceérshration FATEME Naemi celebrated the coming of Norooz at the Memorial recCentre Sunday in North Vancouver. The Persian New Year, the first day of spring, is cause for 13 days of festivities for North Shore franian-Canadians. Aid-e Shoma Mobarak — happy new year! 1989 MARINE DR 986-3487. AHR FETHES' ODWNIOWN | 681-323 OR HALF OFF INITIATION FEE - PAY AS YOU GO!