Ga CC And Ri BEE 24 Ne ‘ FEDERAL FINANCE Minister Michael Wilse;i (left) served up last week’s budget for breakfast at a North and West Vancouver Chambers of Commerce morning meeting Thursday at tize North Shore Winter Club. Meanwhile (right) just outside, angry shipyard workers gave voice Distribution $86-1337 92 pages 25¢ 2 an wee ody fo their anger over the decision to cancel the $689-million Polar 8 icebreaker contract. Feeling lucky? Win $100 worth of free gas N PAGE 21 MICHAEL WILSON SPEAKS TO NORTH SHCRE BUSINESS LEADERS | Finance Minister greeted by angry NV shipworkers FEDERAL FINANCE Minister Michael Wilson was forced to run a gantlet of angry marine industry workers Thursday when he arrived on the North Shore to sell his tough sixth budget to local business leaders. By MICHAEL BECKER News Reporter While Wilson shared thoughts on wrestling the defi- cit and reversing an upward nudging inflation rate with the breakfast crowd inside a North Shore Winter Club meeting room, moods were angry and soured outside the chamber of commerce gathcring. Said B.C. Federation of Labour vice-president Don Garcia 10 a group of about 50 placard-carrying marsine workers, ‘‘It’s a pretty sad day that we're out here — sad and tragic. We know what the Conservatives promised the shipworkers. Now they've not only dismantied the Polar 8, they’ve dismantled the ship- yard workers. They've given us hollow promises — they’re treasonable. ! hope they enjoy their breakfast. I hope they choke on their God damned break fast."” Garcia calted for construction of the $689-million Polar 8 icebreaker, which was cancelled in Wilson's Feb. 20 budget, and a rebuilding of the Canadian merchant marine. Protesting shipyard workers also expressed anger ano despair at the loss of the Polar 8. Versatiie Pacific Shipyards Inc. welder Sam Spurrell was laid off in November and has spent most of the past three years unemployed. The 36-year-old Spurrell, who was initially hired by Versatile in 1974, has been able to secure the odd small job at shops throughout the Lower Maintand. But his hopes for a sustained period of work rested with the Polar &. PAROS TORT tal eT AEB PSE ARTES FLEA Aa ERG FM EAN ERED 2S CEL TFS AS STE ETAT “It's like anything,”’ he said outside Thursday mor- ning’s meeting. ‘‘When you’re given hope about some- thing, you’re thrown a Life jacket, you grab for it. You’re thrown a straw, you grab for it.’’ Spurrell holds out little hope for a government reversal on its decision to sink the Polar 8 contract: “They've been talking about it for so long. And any- thing that gets talked about for a long time gets drop- ped. The momentum is gone, so they just let it pass.” But he added, ‘‘It's hurt many people economically and in other ways. Long periods of unemployment put a strain on your life in many aspects. When they ratule your cage so much, you get a little annoyed.*’ North Vancouver resident Eric Waugh, 67, retired from his job at Versatile seven years ago. He first worked at the snipyard in [941 as a crane driver. Said Waugh, ‘‘ht (Versatile) was a big deal then. And we'd like to see it that way again. Shipbuilding See Wilson Page 2 NEWS photos Terry Peters ERENT 65 cpt A MALMO et Fae eon ree SPE terre ai ES RoE i ih