20 - Friday, May 29, 1992 - North Shore News ENVIRONMENT The road less travelled A FEW weeks ago I told you I would be marking En- vironment Week by leaving my car at home from June 1. to 5. I’ve since made the momentous decision to leave it parked permanently as of the end of the month, Call me bold. Call me a oo —_—- 46 Choosing to give up a vehicle — one of society's foremost symbols of heroine. Or, more accurately, call p eggy Trendell- Whittaker me broke and unable to afford a thousand bucks for the insurance costs. Choosing to give up a vehicle — one of our society’s foremost symbols of freedom and _ in- dependence — requires some soul-searching. — Having recently undertaken said searching, I’m all the more im- pressed with the efforts of the many people around town who are changing their commuting habits to curb air pollution and global warming. Lauren St. John of VanCity Credit Union is one of 52 people who have undertaken B.C. Tran- sit’s ETA (Employee Transporta- tion Administrator) course since the seminar was launched last fall. VanCity was the first company to take the ETA course and file a subsequent transportation action plan with the Greater Vancouver Regional District (GVRD). St. John has distributed trans- portation and commuting~ ques- tionnaires to the company’s 800 employees and received over 70%. back. Using the survey results, the company has developed certain targets that will be announced on June I. One of its goals is to decrease the number of daily commutes by 97, or 485 per week. “If we can do that, we can con- tribute quite significantly to im- proving air quality,’ said St. ~ John. Starting July f is a competition between VanCity’s five regions, with employees from each at- tempting to make their region the “‘greenest”’ in terms of commuting practices. The company helps by offering tidematching though the company newsletter and promoting van- pooling. ECOINFO Employees can earn ‘‘wellness’’ points for such actions as carpool- ing or walking to work, which can be accumulated and cashed in for incentives. The wheels are also in action out at CP Airlines. Margaret Banfield, who took the ETA course, is currently buried under a stack of 3,500 commuting questionnaires that she distributed to the company’s 5,200 employees. According to the returns, 75% of the respondents would like to make changes to their mode of travel, and Banfield will use the information on the questionnaires to make up carpools and van- pools. ‘Carpools currently get preferen- tial parking right next to the building, and four vanpools (covering 32 employees} are up and running successfully. Closer to home, Lions Gate Hospital is concentrating on air pollution as its theme for its En- vironment Week activities. Information and displays will be A Classic Value In The Heart Of Downtown Seattle. Treat yourself to an exciting weekend of shopping, dining & dancing in Then retreat to the in- eled WestCoast just $69 anightCa- take the weekend youhowtoliveitup 4 nadian at par. So off! We'll show = in downtown Seattle. Call today for reservations 1-800-426-0670. $69.00 Can. at Par WestCoast ¢ Vance Hotel 620 Stewart Street Seattle, WA 98101 (206) 441-4200 Subject to availability. Not valid with other offers. Expires 7/31/92 freedom and independence — requires some soul-searching. 99 on show in the main lobby from Monday, June I to Friday, June 5, showcasing organizations such as B.C. Transit and Easy Rider carpooling software program, the North Shore Recyciing Program, B.C. Gas, the Sage Foundation, the hospital’s own environment committee, various manufacturers and the provincial AirCare pro- gram, which will be showing a video from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Monday and Wednesday. On Wednesday, June 3, the GVRD will bring MAMU — their Mobile Air Monitoring Unit — to the hospital’s upper parking lot and check out the local air quaiity all day. An ambient air analyst will be on hand to answer questions about the process. Keep your ears peeled and watch the papers for other En- vironment Week events happening around town (don’t forget the mixed paper recycling drop-off on June 7!), and stay tuned for reports on how yours truly is far- ing with her new state of vehiclelessness. And speaking about the mixed paper recycling drop-off, I once again managed toe mix up left and right in the directions I published in last week’s column. The West Van SPCA turn-off is the first RIGHT if you're trav- elling east on Marine Drive from 13th Street. Sorry. A big tip of the hat goes to everyone who was invoived in last weekend's $25 composter distribu- tion at the North Van City Works Yard. Very ably organized by Bryn Johns of the North Shore Recycl- ing program, the two-day event ran like clockwork (desnite the Saturday earlybirds!} as about 1,800 people drove through to pick up their pre-ordered com- posters. Many thanks to the’ Green Team volunteers and the North Van City employees who sweitered cheerfully in the hot sun — the result was many happy customers. The recycling program will try to offer the composter sale again in the fall for those people who missed out this time, but it de- pends on government approval as fhe composters are heavily sub- sidized. Watch this space in late semmer or call the recycling program at 984-9730 for an update. stationsty ° cards Jeweiry © Gifts Papermaking kits - ete. PAPER-GO-ROUND 9 Lonsdale, (close to Quay) 988-9932 Why not-step u fra FroMy. _ Cappuamo and a homemade WEDNESOAY NIGHTS 2 SUNDAY BRONCH A) GTARIST- THUESDAY, FRIDAY : 4 SATURDAY NIGHTS ; 4427 mARWeE pki NOT ICE TO MOTORISTS PORTEAU BLUFFS ROCK SCALING PROJECT SEATO-SKY HIGHWAY 99 The Ministry of Transportation and Highways advises that there will be morn- ing and afternoon closures on the Sea-to-Sky Highway at Porteau Bluffs, 25 km north of Horseshoe Bay, from June 1-4 and June 8-11, 1992. The delays are needed for blasting, rock scaling, trimming and bolting work and are scheduled as follows: Monday to Thursday 10:00 AM — 12:30 PM 1:30 PM - 4:00 PM There will be no scheduled delays on Fridays or weekends. Note: Morning and afternoon closures will also be in éffect on Wednesday June 24 and Thursday June 25. For further information, please contact the Ministry of Transportation and Highways 24-Hour Road Report at 525-4997 (Greater Vancouver); 988-4997 (Whistler); 855-4997 (Abbotsford); 371-4997 (Kamloops); 860-4997 (Kelowna); 380-4997 (Greater Victoria); *4997 (BC Cellular/Cantel). In all other areas, please call 1-800-663-4997. , Province of British Columbia i