Logging ban called for by North Van group By lan Noble News Reporter AN environmental group is trying to get Lower Mainland municipalities to follow North Vancouver District’s lead and oppose in principle all logging in the watersheds. North Vancouver-based Friends of the Watershed contends that watershed logging contributes to the brown-tinged drinking water that sometimes pours out of North Shore taps during rainy periods. The group’s adversary, the Greater Vancouver — Regional District (GVRD)}, contends that there’s no evidence to support such a link. Friends co-founder — Ross Muirhead said his group wants other municipalities, including North Vancouver City and West Vancouver, to adopt the following NEWS pheto Mike Wakofield LOBBYING to halt logging in the Seymour, Capilano and Coquitiam watersheds continues. Friends’ proactive approach, but “iCs irresponsible to jump up every time that somebody comes forward with a reaction. You can’t immedi- ately snap your fingers to get 3 response because it’s not in the best interests of them or the process. “My position on logging in any watershed ... is the first and utmost priority is the preservation of the water for the benefit of people who are using it,” he said. West Vancouver mayoral candi- date Pat Boname said she would support the fourth motion now, but would like to have representatives from Friends of the Watershed and the water district make presenta- tions to newly elected council mem- bers on watershed logging before a decision is made on whether West Vancouver would support. the motions. According to GVRD water com- mittee chair Jennifer Clarke, log- ging in the watershed since 1994 has been restricted to debris cleanup and removal of blown-down crees blocking watershed roads. The water district is currently perform- ing ecological inventories of che Capilano, Seymour and Coquitlam watersheds. The inventories will be used to develop management plans motions adopted by the district in November 1994: ban all logging of old-growth forest in the Seymour, Capilano and Coquitlam watersheds; @ stop road building in old-growth areas; @ exclude old-growth in the Seymour Demonstration Forest from logging; & oppose, in principle, all logging in the watersheds. The city adopted the first three recommendations on Oct. 7, but not the fourth. Instead, the council adopted a motion Oct. 7 saying “trees can be removed to remove porential fuels from areas that pose a high fire risk and to limit the damage donc by pests and disease.” But Muirhead said the city’s last motion continues the sta- tus quo. “That’s basically the rationale the water district uses for logging,” he said. Friends believes that if more councils adopt the motions, watershed logging will stop. . In the meantime, Friends is urging voters to ask municipal candidates if they support. the motion. The News posed the motions to four mayoral candidates in West Vancouver and North Vancouver City. North Vancouver candidate Dick Campbell said he would support the Friends’ motions if it came up for a vote before council. While acknowledging that he didn’t know ali the facts about Jogging in the watershed, he said: “Quality of water is more important than logging,” he said. Mayor Jack Loucks supported the motions passed by the city. He said he was not prepared to vote for a motion that didn’r have contingencies for emergencies. “1 felt there might be cases where there was some justification for {removing trees),” said Loucks. In West Vancouver, candidate Jim Hogan said he admires for each of the watersheds, said GVRD spokesman Bill Morrell. Clarke said the information provided in a Friends of the Watershed pamphlet incorrectly identifies watershed manage- ment practices as the source of turbidity in drinking water from the three watersheds. “Unsubstantiated claims such as the ones that appear in the | pamphlet only serve to unnecessarily alarm the public about the quality of their drinking water,” she said. In reply, Muirhead pointed to a 1995 landslide. in the Capilano in an area that he said was clearcut in the 1930s. “The area mav have been unstable before logging, yet com- mon sense should tell us that jogging and road building will heighten the risks of slope failure,” he said. Recently, a watershed for the city of Pordand, Oregon, was closed to loggers due to the risk posed to drinking water. @ Around Town Wi Books @ Bright Lights a Collins @ Crossword @ Mailbox North Share News, founded i (07 4s an imepernbort suburban aod quilified under Schodule 11, Poragraph 311 of the Excre Tax Act, is pubishol ech Woednestry, Friday and Sun by by Nuts Shore Free Press. Eat and distributed to evry dour on tte North Shore, Canab Pos Canadin Puliications Mail Sales Prodct Agrosment No, OOR 7238, Midling rics availinte on rapist. Coun. backs pub amendment Halloween fire tips point te if RCMP arson investigators kept hopping this year By Anna Marie D’Angelo News Reporter NORTH Vancouver RCMP arson investiga- tors arc following up three similar tips regarding a Nov. 1 fire at a Capilano-area home. Bonita and James Wright, in their 80s, had to flee their burning home in the 4400-block of Primrose Lane at 2 a.m. Investigators believe the blaze started when Hallowcen fireworks were tossed from a dark Honda car. “The consistent thing we are getting is the black Honda CRX,” said Cpl. Marlon Dawiskiba, of the North Vancouver RCMP fire investigation unit. The Primrose Lane fire caused extensive damage to the home’s exterior, a carport and a car. Police are still asking for the public’s assistance. Meanwhile about half of the approximate 10 suspi- reworks thrown irom Car cious fires that plagued North Vancouver City for two months in the summer are not believed to be related. Dawiskiba said twe of the brush fires were caused by a teenager with mental challenges. Dawiskiba said police will not be recommending arson charges against the youth. Police recommended the youth receive counselling. Police believe two groups of children under the age of 12 started a fire near an elementary school and one of two North Vancouver City Library fires. Dawiskiba said the children can't be charged. Their parents have been contacted. : One young offender was charged in the summer with arson after a portable toilet was set on fire on July 20 at Rrooksbank elementary’s playing field. The damage was estimated at $2,500. Still unsolved is a fire at a townhouse construction site on July 11 in the 200-block of West 19th Street. Thar fire caused an estimated $250,000 in damage. Dawiskiba said no accelerant could be determined at the fire location although plenty of constcuction materi- al fuelled the blaze. Anyone with information about the Primrose house fire or any of the unsolved summer fires is asked to call 985-1311 of Crime Stoppers at 669-8477. regulars smoke. Crown also supports the 30% amendment to the bylaw, saying he thinks the idea could, get enough support to snowball into a North Shore- From page \ the Square Rigger Pub, the Black Tusk Pub, and the Park Royal Hotel are included in the amend- ment request. The amendment received the endorsement of Coun. Rod Day at a recent council meeting, but due to procedural contusion could not be intro- duced, ; Day plans to reintroduce the amendrnent, He wants a more gradual non-smoking trinsition for pubs and cabarets. | *T don't think we should legislate businesses out of business,” he. said, adding West Vancouver pub business could go elsewhere. Under West Vancouver’s proposed bylaw, busi- nesses serving food and drink could continue to have smoking sections of up to half the establish- ment’s seats or space, as long as the smoking area is blocked off and airtight. But Dave Crewn, owner of the Troller Pub, said such a system would be expensive to institute. It would also bring up other issues, such as: B Where docs a second ventilation system go? B Would a new council again change bylaws? 8 Which employees must serve the smoking sec- don? In addition, Crown said that most pubs aren't designed so they can be easily oplit into smoking and non-smoking sections, However, he added that if push comes to shove he may have to divide his pub, because 70% of his wide agreement. Such an agreement had been a goal of the three local municipalities, bur it has proved elusive. North Vancouver District has proposed a 100% across-the-board sraoking ban, but the proposed bylaw has been deferred and criticized because it could hurt pub business in the district. North Vancouver City has put offa decision on the smoking ban issue unt the district’s direction is clear. The current bylaw proposal befor: council has been sent to the Ministry of Health for tentative approval vefure possible final adoption. West Vancouver municipal clerk Margaret Warwick said she hopes to have information on the bylaw’s status for council on Nov, 18 or 25, i 4 West Van truck death investigated By Robert Gaister News Reporter A West Vancouver Police Department investigation into a grisly trucking accident that left one man dead and two mere in hospital is continuing. The Sept. 27 accident occurred when an overloaded truck with malfunctioning brakes lost control while travel- ling southbound along 22nd Street in West Vancouver. The carnage included the death of Bjorn Bjornson, 58, who was killed in the mishap while Richmond resident Mo Yee Kwong, 40, suffered a bro- ken pelvis. . Vancouver resident Francine Haine also received minor injuries. According to West Vancou- ver Police spokesman Barry Nickerson the investigation is ongoing and investigators are hoping a decision on whether to recommend the laying of charges to Crown counsel is appropriate will be made in the next fwo weeks, “We haven’t put any time frame on it because you just don’t, know,” said Nickerson. He added that most criminal investigations tend to be deli- cate matters that require a lot time. Nickerson said that between 40 and 50 people have already been interviewed in connection with the accident.