NEWS photo Brad Ledwidge MARK Buckle of Island Towing helps deliver the fast ferry’s observation deck to the Catamaran Ferries international assembly shed on the North Vancouver waterfront last week. The deck began its journey from Sidney on Vancouver Islend. News Reporter tan@nsnews.cem PLAYERS in the North Vancouver shipbuilding industry say they’re inter- ~ ested in building ferries under a pri- vate-public partmership process announced this week. Vancouver Shipyards, Allied Shipyards and the Marine Workers and Boilermakeis Union Local i all say they will look at BC Ferrics request for interested parties to pay for, build and lease ships to BC Ferries to replace its aging fiect. «BC Ferries is trying to sell and lease back the three $74-million fast ferries being partially built and fully assembled in North Vancouver. - BC Ferries is also searching for interested par- ties to finance, build and lease to the Crown cor- poration seven ships over 10 vears. It’s imoortant to North Shore yards that thev get some of that work, BC Ferries is a major cus- tomer of North Shore shipbuilders. The corpora- tion has spent approximately $250 million locally on shipbuilding projects over the past two years. Said George MacPherson, president of the Marine Workers and Boilermakers Union Local 1: “We're happy to sec them moving along here and trying to put something together. At the end of the day, we don’t care whether we're involved with the bridge financing, What we really want to see them do is build ships.” His union worked extensively on the $21-mil-- Partnerships soughi to take on ferry costs and lease-back scheme lion Century class ferry built for BC Ferries at Allied’s North Vancouver yard. MacPherson said his union has forwarded a proposal ro BC Ferries to build more of the 100-car vessels, bur hasn't heard back trom the corporation. Under the proposal, MacPherson said his union and others would provide money for con- struction. At the end of construction, a large cor- poration would buy the ferry and lease it back to the ferry corporation. He expects future Century class ships would employ approximately 150 people for a one-year construction period. B.C. Ferries spokesman Clay Suddaby said that the ferry corporation is looking at two to three Century class ferrics, evo 60-car commuter-style ferries and two others to replace aging 138-car ferries. He added the ferry corporation does not have enough room to build the seven ships under its $730 million debt ceiling. “If we find the right partnership it would be’ the ideal solution, but I emphasize if. There’s no guarantce that we'll find the right partnerships.” Suddaby said chat for purposes of exploratory talks oniy, the ferry corporation has put a price tag of $75 million each on the three fast ferries. Deputy Premier Dan Miller said most trans- portation operators lease their capital ussezs, such as ferries. He said the average uge of BC Ferries’ vessels is 27 years, with some of the Crown corporation’s major vessels approaching 40 vears ok? — the average useful life of a ferry. “Clearly, it is vital that BC Ferries replace these ageing vessels in a timely and coordinated man- ner,” said Miller. Allen Fowlis, president of Washington Marine Division and responsible for Vancouver Shipyards, said his company is interested in the BC Ferries’ request. But he hasn’t had time to digest the information sent to his firm by BC Ferries. “We haven't had a chance to really analyze it yet,” he said. Allied Shipbuilders contracts manager Malcolm McLaren said times have changed when it comes to building ferries. When BC Ferries first built ferries 30 years ago it was simple: the gov- ernment had the money. Now, the sources of cash are financial conglomerates and pension funds. “The big piles of money aren’t where they used to be, they’ve shifted. What (BC. Ferries) are trying to do is try to find a way to pry open, to get one of the owners of big piles of money to start spending some and create new ferries, which they need,” he said. Those interested in buying the fast ferries must respond by March 25 The deadline for others wishing to build the seven ships is April 17. Proposals will be evaluated and BC Ferries may choose to begin negotiations directly with one or more proponents or issue a request for proposals. Car dealer socked for display Robert Galster News Reporter roberr@nsnews.com WHEN it comes to its sign bylaw North Vancouver District staff are in the habit of following the fetter of the Jaw. Regency GM gor a taste of the municipality's displeasure carlier this year when the district charged the auta dealer with several sign bylaw infractions. The dealer had its day in North Vancouver provincial court on Feb. + and escaped with a $1,500 tine. The amount sought by the district was $24,000 — the maximum fine total. “We had put some wind socks in front of the building and they wanr- ed us to take them down and we didn’t,” said Sunil Desai, Regency’s sales manager. Desai said Regenev placed the wind socks because its lot does not have sufficient exposure to Marine Drive. He said other dealers in the area have displayed flags on their buildings for some time. “I didn’t feel it was very fair of them to do that because wind socks and flags are pretty much the same,” said Desai. The district’s Gordon Ferguson, one of the municipality's owo prope:- ty use inspectors, agrees with Desai, saying flags are also nor allowed. “It comes down to a case of enforcement. You can’t catch every- body,” said Ferguson. As for the Regency case, he didn’t have much sympathy. “There were some wind sock signs and they were asked to remove them. They did and then pur them up again and got some charges,” said Ferguson. Although there are a variety of ways a sign bylaw infraction can come to the attention of a property use inspector, Regency needed no intermediary to land in the district’s bad books. “In this case I noticed them myself.” said Ferguson. He said the district usually han- dles approximately 50 infractions a year. Five to 10 end up in court. “Usually people comply,” said Ferguson. A “reasonable amount of time™ is granted to transgressors, he said. If they follow in the footsteps of Regency GM and don’t, the munici- pality charges the offenders under the district sign bylaw. Every day an offending sign is left up past the compliance date is considered a sepa- rate charge. The maximum fine for cach charge is $2,000. Alleged LGH service refusal investigated She also doubts whether the doctor who turned her father By Dan Hilbcrn Contributing Writer OFFICIALS wiih the North Shore health region are trying to find out why a doctor at Lions Gate Hospital (LGH) refused service to an 81-year-old Burnaby man with a broken leg last weekend. The incident, which was confirmed by officials at both the Ministry of Health in Victoria and the BC Ambulance Service, is a direct contravention of provincial guidelines, ministry com- munications officer Michelle Stewart said. “Tr shouldn’t have happened,” she said. “The physician who responded in that way has to be accountable for his actions.” The problem began after Ghela Bhai Solanski fell and broke his leg following religious services at a north Burnaby temple just after ] p.m., Feb. 15. When BC Ambulance personnel arrived at the scene. they followed standard procedures and determined which hospital had the shortest waiting period for treatment. At the time Lions Gate had no waiting period while both Burnaby and Royal Columbian Hospitals had two-hour waiting periods to enter emergency. But when Solanski arrived at Lions Gate, the emergency room physician identitied only as Dr. Warner refused admittance to the elderly man because he lived and was injured in Burnaby. A triage nurse alse refused to administer any pain medication to the patient. The incident outraged Solanski’s daughter. “Lions Gate cannot be an entity onto its own — they can’t pick and choose who they accept,” Kalpna Solanski said. “This just isn’t acceptable in our system.” The elderly Solanski was subsequently taken to Burnaby Hospital where his recovery is now expected to take several days longer than usual because of the initial delays in obtaining treat- ment. The refusal to admit Solanski is a direct contradiction of a ministry policy enacted last summer. It states that hospitals are responsible for any patient immediately after being brought to the feiliey by ambulance. Ina letter faxed to ministry and health board officials, the younger Solanski said her father’s lack of treatment at Lions Gate Hospital is more typical of the American medical system than Canada’s. down will ever face any repercussions. “No doctor has the right to turn a patient away, regardless of where they live,” Solanski said. “Even the attending emergency physician at Burnaby called up Dr. Warner to tell him he can’t do that. “Hopefully, with enough atrention to things like this, things might change.” Meanwhile, Stewart said the final decision, should any action be called for on the matter, will be left in the hands of the North Shore health board. “Under regionalization, the management of the system is really in the region’s hands. They govern the hospitals and man- age the hospitals while we are on the outside setting direction,” she said. “Our direction is that patients are the legal responsibil- ity of the hospitals once they arrive at the deor. LGH Chief Administrator Stewart Madill said a preliminary investigation by the hospital showed the doctor did an as ment of the patient and determined it would be safe to tra him back co Burnaby. Madill expects a full report of the situation from the doctor by Monday. - Dan Hiltorn is Asisane Editor at the Burnaly NOW newspaper