NEWS photo Mike Wakefield RETIRED IRONWGRKER Bill Stroud looks at the site of the biggest disaster in Vancouver's his- tory. Stroud was working on the Second Narrows Bridge when it collapsed on June 17, 1958. Ironworkers Bridge is orn over 2nd Narrows Name change is a memorial to construction workers BILL STROUD flips through the scrapbook full of yellowed clippings. The pages flutter in the breeze off the Burrard inlet. By Kate Zimmerman News Reporter The retired ironworker is stand- ing in the shadow of the bridge best known as Second Narrows, which 36 years ago crumpled and took the lives of 18 of his friends. Stroud’s scrapbook functions as ‘a private memorial to Vancouver's biggest disaster. Last week, the province finally rade the bridge itself a public memorial to the workers who died during its con- struction. Ironworkers Memorial Second Narrows Bridge was offi- cially dedicated by Premier Mike Harcourt on the anniversary of the bridge’s collapse, June 17. Stroud, who spent 46 years as an ironworker, made a speech at the ceremony. “Over the years I’ve felt more should have been done in the mem- ory of all the workers who lost their lives at work,” he said, emphasizing that the bridge commemorates not only those who died in the Second Narrows accident but those whe have died on construction jobs all over B.C, “When we hear the name ‘Ironworkers Bridge’ we will think of the hazards and the tough work- ing conditions that all construction workers face every day.” Stroud revisited the scene of the disaster this week to explain the impact of the bridge collapse. He recalled that on June 17, 1958, he picked up a carload of fel- low workers, just as he did every day. By that evening, all his regular passengers were either dead or seri- ously injured. One of his friends | SUMMER SPECIALS! | “PROPANE FRIDGES, STOVES & LIGHTS’ (NEW & USED) 8 * New Fridges ~ Test Fired & Checked y * Tanks ~ Tubing - Fittings * Instant Hot Water Tanks $299 * Propane Tanks Re-dated * Propane Repairs + Servel Fridge Parts & Repair PROPANE GPPLIANCES : f & WOSBSTOVES LTD. 1 2671 Me. 2 Ed, Sichnoxd 2 tnoeth end ot Nod Ra) 2 4 was decapitated. Stroud himself fell 100 feet (30 m) into the water, breaking a rib, cutting his hand, losing some tecth and fracturing two vertebrae in his spine. The soles were knocked right off his workboots. : At the time, Stroud. gave his account of the accident to the Vancouver Sun. The clipping is included in his scrapbook. “| heard the bridge give a loud click,” he said from his hospital bed. “Jt moved about 6 inches and I knew it was going. I was starting to look for a place to jump when the whole thing went down and 1 was in the water.” When he surfaced, he was grate- ful for the buoyancy jacket he had been forced to wear. Some of the men were handicapped by the 40-Ib. tool belts slung around their waists. Eventually, the city coroner's office decided that three of the dead men had drowned; the rest were killed by injuries which occurred before they hit the water. A Royal Commission investigat- ed the collapse and discovered ‘that an inadequate support had buckled the hat/-constructed span. This support platform, also known as the griliage, was appar- ently designed by Dominion Bridge Co. Ltd., contractors for the bridge _ steelwork. Two of the men who died were the engineers responsible for the error. Dominion Bridge was never penalized. AS 4 matter of fact, Stroud said the company even docked the pay of the workers who were on the job when disaster struck. The bridge went down at 3:40 p.m. and the shift was supposed to last until 4:30 p.m. When Stroud got his last pay- cheque he discovered that since he had been flailing about in the inlet during that last hour and not buiid- ing the bridge, his pay had been adjusted accordingly. Before the collapse, four work- ers had already died in the yard; a diver was lost in the salvage opera- tion several days later. They, too, are honored by the memorial. For Senior Citizens E (NORTH VANCOUVER) - i Hearing tests will be given at the BR Beltone Hearing Aid Centre on A Monday to Thursday from # 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. 7 Anyone who has trouble R hearing is welcome to have the m test. Many people with hearing H problems don’t need hearing B aids. But only a modern hearing test like the one now being f Offered by Beltone can really w tell for sure. Everyone should have a hearing test at least once a year. - even people now wearing a hearing aid or those who have been told nothing could § be done for them. Only a § hearing test can determine if § modern methods of hearing % amplification can help them hear better. The hearing tests will be given Monday to Thursday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. in North Vancouver. In-home testing is # also available. ; Please phone. for an appointment. DVA TAPS CARDS ACCEPTED OUNOS OF LIFE Call: 988-4477 #217-1940 Lonsdale NORTH VANCOUVER (Next to London Drugs) Govt. Licensed Hearing Instrument Specialists and Audiologist Registered Under the Hearing Aid Act 8.C. fs or Dry This coupon is worth $5.00 off any Cleaning order of $30 or more. or (lacomi(eiy orders ordi - Vell anu ful Sb /aed CARLTON CLEANERS 987-6013 14TH ST. (NEXT TO SAFEWAY) GIANT SAT. JUNE 25TH 1994 100 CAPILANO ROAD N. VANCOUVER $75,000.00 IN PRIZE MONEY FIVE SESSIONS ¢ $35.00 PER SESSION GAMES START AT 12 NOON. DOORS OPEN AT 10:30 AM 16 games per session including progressive game. Purchase tickets through TICKET MASTER ai 280-4444 or at the door. FOR INFORMATION CALL 980-4553 A LIC. 790750 PG RUI ES Weil. APPL Advertorial Ted White, M.P. #302 1260 Lynn Valley Rd. North Vancouver W7I 2A2 Telephone: 666-0585 Fax: 666-0509 ¥ Hi We know that many Canadians have become very cynical about politics but statistics indicate that i young people are especially less ikely to vote in an election than any other age group. The lack of participation by young people in the political process is a big concern tor those of us who believe that young peo- ple should be using whatever politi- i cai clout they have to protect their J interests as the "inheritors" of Canada. WHAT'S AT STAKE? There are many vital govern- Fment activities that young Canadians have a direct stake in j protecting and advancing. These include education funding, student loans, job training, and the building of infrastructure. But the single § most important issue facing youth is i the financial state of the country they will inherit. Young people need to know that the federal government is spending | much more money every year than it takes in through taxation and that this is heading us into a debt and taxation crisis. By next year Canada will owe about $550 billion j to its creditors - $20,000 for every } person in Canada. ‘And approxi- mately $40 billion more is being added to the national debt each year. Deficit spending is of critical importance to young Canadians because when the government bor- rows to pay for today's services, it | is picking their pockets. Older gen- erations get the bulk of the benefits and today's ycung people will get the bulk of the bills. They will have to pay mare taxes than their parents did because they will be forced to pay interest on the debt long after those | who incurred it - my own generation - are gone. But because more tax dollars will go to feed the debi, § there will be fewer benatits and ser- vices from government, Canada Pension Plan may be bankrupt long before today's young people are ¢ old enough to collect and many other government services may be available only to the very poorest in society. | Today's high tax burdens are | already holding back company | expansion and job creation and dri- § ving businesses out of Canada. If I the trend is not reversed, things will @ get much worse. Survey after sur- 3 vey indicates that high taxation is the single biggest disincentive to job creation for the small business- | es which create most of our jobs. GET INVOLVED If you are a young Canadian you may want to write to the Prime Minister to tell him that you are con- cerned about this intergenerational transfer of wealth and that you would like to see it stopped as soon § as possible. Tell him that you don't want higher taxes, and you don’t want your job prospects, your take home pay, and your health care } system pul in jeopardy by deficit spending. Tell him that you don't § want to be left with the bills for this generation's uncontrolled borrow: § ing. : It you are between 18 and 24 years oid ,virtually the entire $500 billion debt has been incurred dur- f ing your lifetime! Your government ¢ has been mortgaging your future without your permission and without tetling you that is happening. Remember. your snare ts already $20,000 and growing.