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NEWS photo Terry Peters

PETER ARMSTRONG, left, and Mac Norris of North Vancouver-based Great Canadian Railtour Co.

itd. have received high marks for their Rocky Mountaineer train trip.

Report calls for better
industrycouncil ties

Survey of 51 N. Shore companies
undertaken to promote waterfront

BETTER communication is needed between North Shore
waterfront industries and the area’s three municipal coun-
cils and business-related organizations, a recently-released
report on the industrial waterfront has found.

Independent consultant Bruce
Wallace was hired ty the Norih
Shore Economic Levelopment
Commission (EDC) to produce the
Waterfront Industry on the North
Shore report, a survey of North
Shore waterfront industries.

The survey’s objective was to
recommend ways to promote the
waterfront industries by examining
the trends, needs and concerns be-
ing raised by those who work in
the North Shore’s industrial sec-
tor.

And while Wallace said the
waterfront industry is ‘‘healthy
and planning for expansion," he
hinted that the ailing operations
of Versatile Pacific Shipyards Inc.
(¥YPSI) have tainted some people’s
perceptions on just how healthy
the North Shore waterfront in-
dustries are.

VPSI, which is trying to stave
off bankruptcy, has said it will
close its seven-hectare North Van-
couver shipyard.

“‘Little information exists on

By Surj Rattan
News Reporter

present waterfront usage in quan-
titative terms across the North
Shore as well as in Greater Van-
couver. This survey will provide a
small amount of base informa-
tion, but more is needed,”’
Wallace stated in his report.

“It is also clear that the public’s
perceptions about the health of
waterfront business have been
somewhat colored by the ill health
of one significant firm.”

The report's recommendations
are broken into three areas:

* enchanced communications;
® economic impact measurement;
¢ and Jand-use planning issues.

One of the main findings of the
report is the need for better com-
munications between the water-
front industry and North Shore
municipal councils and the EDC.

The survey also calls for ‘‘better

understanding between West Van-
couver businesses and residents,
who do not always see a connec-
tion to issues on North Van-
couver’s waterfront.

“Since we share the waterf-snt
and many West Va couver
businesses have clear economic
connections to North Vancouver,
the EDC must ensure that these
increased communication oppor-
tunities extend to include the
whole North Shore.”’

The report also recommends:
© creating an industry association
to inform people about North
Shore waterfront issues;

*having the three North Shore
municipal councils arrange for
tours of the industrial waterfront
for visiting delegations;

ehaving the councils produce a
package on the municipal regula-
tions that affect the waterfront
industries;

e having the EDC ‘‘encourage the
maintenance of an_ industrial-
zoned waterfront’’;

ehaving better public access to
the waterfront;

* researching the feasibility of a
maritime industrial park;

* having the EDC continue to en-
courage North Shore-based com-
panies to buy their supplies local-

ty.
See Approx. page 5

te

trip picked
as one of
world’s best

US-based magazine praises
Rocky Mountaineer operation

A NORTH Vancouver company runs one of the three best
railway sightseeing trips in the world and the best one in
Canada, according io the editors of a United States-based

railway magazine.

The International Railway
Traveler, a magazine based in
Louisville, Kentucky,and aimed at
railway enthusiasts and industry
tour operators, recently compiled
a list of the 20 best railway trips
in the world.

In terms cf classic Western rail
trips, it ranks the Rocky Moun-
taineer train, operated by North
Vancouver-based Great Canadian
Railtour Co. Ltd., as one of the
three beste in the world and the
best in Canada.

The company’s two trips take
passengers from Vancouver to
Jasper or from Vancouver to
Banff or Calgary. Both trips stop
overnight in Kamloops.

The service was originally
operated by Via Rail, but was
bought by Great Canadian
Railtour when Via cut 50% of its
passenger service two years ago.

“There are all sorts of extraor-
dinary train rides in the world,
but the Rocky Mountaineer is a
special way to get to a special
area,”’ said Anthony Peel, the In-
ternational Railway Traveler’s
Toronto-based North American
editor who rode the train.

“We felt it was important in
our choices to have a_ classic
Western train ride. It’s the most
scenic route in North America."

The Rocky Mountaineer, Peel
said, .urrently scores an eight out
of 10 on the magazine’s rating
scale. He added that the train’s
rating would be higher if the
North Vancouver campany
decides to purchase omed obser-
vation cars.

‘Hopefully it can get the fi-
nances together and buy some new
observation cars, but I don’t think
that will happen for about two or
three years,”’ said Peel.

In the magazine article, Peel
wrote:

“In our hemisphere, we must
forgo the patriotism of recent
weeks and select a Canadian route
as the ultimate rail trip across the
Rockies.

“The privately operated Rocky

Bu Surj Rattan
News Reporter

Mountaineer, as the former Via
Rail Canada train is now known,
may not have the best cars for
scenery, but this route offers the
ideal western mountain train ride,
far superior to crossings south of
the Canadian border.

“Train travel is between Van-
couver and Jasper or Vancouver
and Banff or Calgary. Should this
train ever be equipped with proper
sightseeing cars, it would rank as
pechaps the world’s top moun-
tain-crossing trip.*”

Great Canadian Railtour Co.
president Peter Armstrong said he
was surprised at the ranking the
train trip received trom the [Enter-
national Railway Traveler.

“*We're very pleased. It reflecis
very well on our operations. |
think being ranked eight out of 10
is great,’’ said Armstrong.

But he added that the company
has no immediate plans to pur-
chase domed observation cars
because cf a lack of finances.

“Right now -‘ve’re looking at
how we can upgride our fleet, but
we’re a fledgling operation and we
do have to watch our finances.
But hopefully we can expand in
the future.”

Armstrong's company has been
running the train trip for two
years under private ownership; the
trip is operated between May 26
and Oct. 6. The company employs
about 70 people.

Armstrong said the Great Ca-
nadian Railtour’s employees are
the key to the company’s success.

“Our strength is our people.
The trains run from the CN centre
in Vancouver, but we’ve been
based in North Vancouver since
March 1," said Armstrong. ‘‘I
find North Vancouver to be a
good working environment and
laid back. It lets us get our work
done.”’

Index
M8 Budgct Beaters......... 54 Wr. Ruth.............. 50
@ Business .............. 47 Sports ................ 713
@ Classified Ads.......... 3S MTV Listings ........... 37
@ Lifestyles........0..0.. 49 @ What's Going On ...... 32
@ North Shore Now ...... 230 @ Frugal Gourmet........ 53
Weather
Thursday and Friday, mostly cloudy with 70% chance of showers.
Highs 22°C.

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