NEWS photo Paul McGrath DURING AN afternoon of perfect spring skiing on Cypress three skiers relax and take in the view across the strait. BC Tel’s caller ID questioned An invasion of privacy says N. Shore advocacy group BC TEL has been given the approval to introduce a con- troversial phone feature that, by identifying the phone numbers of incoming calls, could lead to a serious invasion of privacy, according to a North Shore advocacy group for battered women. North Shore residents will be among the users in 75 Lower Mainlan¢ telephone exchanges who will be able to subscribe to the call-display feature starting March 26 following interim ap- prova! of the feature by the Ca- nadian Radio-television and Telecommunication Commission (CRTC). Call-display users will pay 36 per month for the service and $3.95 for the rental of a CMS compatible display unit that allows users to see the number of incoming calls before they pick up the phone. People who wish to have their phone number blocked on outgoing calls must go through the operator and pay a $1 per-call fee or use another phone. Approximately 112,000 lines in B.C. have unlisted numbers. Shannon Taylor, BC Tel’s mar- keting manager for the new call- management service, said public reponse to call display has been By Elizabeth Caiiings News Reporter generally ‘‘favorable,"’ althought she said BC Tel has heard a ‘tsmall number of concerns’’ about the service. But the chairman of the North Shore Wife Assault Coordinating Comminee said the call-display feature will put some battered women and professionals working in that field in jeopardy. James Browning said batrered women often need to phone their former partners, but don’t want to reveal theiz location or phone number. “It's a matter of principle — why should they have to pay $1 just to maintain privacy?’’ said Browning, a = North Vancouver psychologist. Browning added that mental health professionals sometimes need to make calls from_ their home numbers to an abusive client or partner of a client, but do not want their phone numbers reveal- ed in case they become the subject of harassment. Carol Ward-Hall, program coordinator for Enniy Murphy Transition House, said the new service represents a security risk for women and their children who are Irying 10 escape an abusive relationship. The North Shore transition house provides shelter for 10 people for stays of up to one month at a confidential loca- tion. According to Taylor, callers from transition houses and shelters will be exempt from the $1 fee, but must go through the operator. However, Ward-Hall said the new service will still be an in- convenience for battered women in the transition house and make life more complicated for women who ate starting out independent- fy. Other features in BC Tel’s call-manugement service package are: © Call screeti, which routes up to 12 unwanted incoming numbers to a recorded message; e Call trace, which sends an automatic trace to BC Tel security who keep records of the calls; * Call again, which automatically See Expect page & Friday, March 15, 1991 — North Shore News - 3 hipyard workers’ morale down as Versatile deals with creditors THE MORALE of the few shipyard workers left at the North Vancouver yard of Versatile Pacific Shipyards Inc. (VPSI) has hit bottom as Versatile attempts to fend off bankruptcy. On Tuesday, VPSI obtained temporary protection from its creditors when the B.C. Supreme Court gave Versatile until July 15 to come up with a new business plan, The standstill order, issued under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act, gives VPSI un- ul July 15 to present a Plan of Arrangement to its creditors. The company said work will continue at its North Vancouver yard *'as resources permit.’* But the shipyard gates could close permanently if creditors are not satisfied with VPSI’s plan to restructure its finances after the July 15 grace period. VPS! chief executive officer Peter Quinn had little to say on the future of the North Vancouver shipyard when contacted by the News on Thursday. “} can’t really comment on it much...i’m getting tired of hear- ing the sound of my own voice," Quinn said. ‘*We're working very hard.”’ On Tuesday, Regional Econom- ic Development Minister Bud Smith said Versatile will close its North Varcouver yard. During the Second Worid War, Versatile, formerly Burrard Dry Docks and one of the largest shipyards on the West Coast, employed about 4,000 people. Today there are only about 50 people left working in its North Vancouver yard. Marine Workers and Boiler- makers Industrial Union president George MacPherson said Thurs- day he hopes VPS! can turn things around by July 15. He described the order granting Versatile temporary protection from its creditors as ‘some good news, I see it as a positive move for them to restructure their (fi- nancial) plan.”” He added that he has talked with some of the workers at the North Vancouver yard and morale is low. “Their still hanging in the balance. They don’t know where Versatile is coming from. Basical- ly, it's a wait and see situation right now,”* said MacPherson. In a press release issued Tues- day, Versatile said the company had planned to provide ‘‘generous separation packages for older workers’? and that in its new business plan it will submit to its creditors it will ‘‘make every ef- fort to restore these generous separation packages.”’ But MacPherson questioned how generous those separtion packages will be. ee By Surj Rattan News Reporter Renn “We haven't seen that plan for the older workers. IF it's not the same package as Ontario (ship- yards) then we will be very unhappy,"’ MacPherson said. Versatile said some of its North Vancouver and Esquimalt workers will help build a new $120-million superferry for the B.C. Ferry Corp. (BCFC). In Seprember, the provincial government awarded Versatile the superferry contract and agreed to underwrite a $7.5-million bank loan to the company. A formal contract was signed one month later between the BCFC and Integrated Ferry Con- structors Lid. (IFC), which was formed to oversee all of the sub- contract work on the vessel. North Vancouver's Allied Ship- builders Ltd. has already been awarded a $6-million subcontract for the ferry and a third North Vancouver shipyard, Vancouver Shipyards Co. Lid., is negotiating for subcontract work with IFC as well. {FC project executive Dave Longdale said the North Van- couver-based company will build the stern section of the superferry’s hull in Victoria using the workforce and leased facilities of VPSI. “The contract for the important main hull section was previously intended for VPS], but that com- pany’s prolonged financial prob- lems made it necessary for us to take other action,’’ said Longdale. “We have leased the Esquimalt shipyard from VPS! and put our own management in place to get on with the construction job by employing VPSI’s skilled employees. We are preparing the leased space for the start of con- struction,’’ added Longdale. The 470-vehicle superferry is scheduled to be delivered to the BCFC in early 1993. But Longdale said that VPSI's financial prob- lems and the complexity of the agreements needed to operate in- dependently ‘Shave cost us about three weeks on our schedule.”” Versatile has blamed its finan- cial problems on the federal gov- ernment’s cancellation last year of the $500-million Polar Class 8 icebreaker, a contract thai had been awarded to VPSI1. ft also criticized Ottawa for holding back on $22.5 million in funding under an agreement that pre-dated the Polar 8 project. a EE EY TE index B Automotives........... 43 WiHome & Garden .......13 W@ Classified Ads.......... 49 Trevor Lautens ........ a ® Ecolnfo............... 46 W@ Paul St. Pierre ......... 9 @ Editorial Page ......... 8 WM What's Going On ...... a2 Weather Saturday, pericds of rain, Sunday, cloudy with showers. Highs of 10°C, lows near 3°C. Second Class Registration Number 3885