“FOUR TEENAGERS are lucky to be alive after a - spectacular ~ single-car crash on Wednesday in North Vancouver. By Anna Marie D ‘Angelo _News Reporter }. --. Police say, the’ 16-year-old | - driver of a 1990 Honda Prelude ‘was: speeding when she lost control of the car on a straight, dry part of Larson Road near . Westview Drives » |. “The car was heavily dam- “aged after. it hit a telephone | pole, said a North, Vancouver q RCMP spokesman.’ “>.” Two passengers were taken ‘to Lions Gate Hospital shortly after the accident. But -rescue crews took | two: hours © to" _ remove the driver and a passen- "ber in the back seat. . The:“jaws’ of life” were used: to” get them. out of the crushed’ car. A North y . Vancouver RCMP. traffic. sec- tion. investigator. said. speed . appeared to be the only: factor _in the ‘accident, The. North Vancouver driver had received ‘her licence-in May. “It’s frustrating for us to see that the message. that speeding - is, dangerous is not getting © through in cases,” said North Vancouver , RCMP Const.. Wednesday. B.C.s. Children’s News Reporter NORTH VANCOUVER RCMP. Const. Karen Sims talked to line- men after the death of a B.C. Hydro subcontractor on: INnners su TWO HUG 3B banners with messages of support « were rolled’ out on Wednesday. at Hospital for two. critically injured North Vancouver youngsters. : By Anna Marie D'Angelo Joshua Caouette, 14, and his sis-’ Man electrocuted near Edgemont AN ABBOTSFORD man working for a B.C. Hydro con- s tractor § was. killed —. on - Wednesday after being electro- cuted in the 2700-block of Crescentview. Drive near Edgemont ‘Village in’ North - Vancouver District. By Anna: Marie D ‘Angelo News Reporter Russell. Edward Minshull, was’ killed instantly by. 7,200 volts of electricity, according to « North * Vancouver RCMP spokesman. Emergency crews worked’ 30 “minutes trying to revive: the man. said police. Minshull was replacing a hydro _ NEWS photo Brad Ledwidge he pole at 10:30 a.m. when he made, : battere ki is love from all of si! contact with alive hydro wire while. | he was on the pole, said police. Another, man was on the pole at the sume time, He was not injured, according to" police. Minshull worked for Cz inline, a Chilliwack-based company. Canline does electrical contract work for B.C. Hydro. - B.C. Hydro spokesman - Verne . Prior said the ‘last time a person - working for a.contractor of BC. Hydro was electrocuted and was in October 1992. : The last. time: a. B.C Hydro’ employee died of electrocution on - the job was in 1984.. Prior said B.C, Hydro was inves- tigating the fatality. The RCMP ‘are waiting for’ ‘autopsy results in their i investigation of the death. , ‘including the following: = . : = Dear Danielle: This’ is ¢ - Guide Company’ Bw: .@- Dear*Josh: Our prayers ‘and thoughts are with: “you! always: - Please get we @ Be Brave: and get well soon. BW Please get’all better soon ... We | are all thinking of you! With ‘lots of. ‘ Stewart said she got t the. idea to ue make banners for the/children alter ~ Catherine Galliford. She said the driver was the most injured of. the “teens. "involved. The driver had a bro- . ken leg: and torn ligaments. », Police say ‘she was; travelling 700 kin-h in a 50 kin-h residen-. tia: area” before. the accident. *:} ~The’ driver. has been. charged “with excessive speeding. ter, Danielle, 11, were: in critical * condition and on life support sys- tems after receiving brutal;. head injuries on July 13 at their estranged father’s home in Lower Lonsdale. “We believe in miracles, All we can do is pray and hope,” said Debra. she noticed neighbors and their chil- dren were. ‘staying inside, their homeés after the tragedy. ©. “It struck me that everybody was ~stuck.. behind their doors becaus » they were grieving.” said Stewart. were created ina Stewan, a friend and Bowron Court CRITICALLY INJURED siblings, Danielle Caouette (left), 11, and y ‘driveway on Sunday where neigh- neighbor of the children and their Joshua Caouette, 14, were attacked on duly 13 in North Van.:: mother, Diana Caouette. Police had not released her , “name to Press tl time, ; An unfurling ceremony. for the colorful ban- “ners, one/for each child, took place on a lawn sent. near the hospital i in Vancouver, Twenty people, including media members, : “NCC backs court battle against new Election Act :, PREDICTIONS BY. three North Shore MLAs that the a " NDP’s controversial Election Act will be challenged i in " court have proved correct, By fan Noble’: News Reporter : “Stepping up to take his swings at the g goverment’ s legislative ‘ pitch j is 46-year-old Vancouver accountant Bob Foret, who says ‘he’s fed up with governments chipping away at his freedoms. ° 8, “A Nerit and statement of claim were filed in B.C. Supreme ~ Court Monday, | naming the attorney general of B.C.,as the defen- dant. =. In. the’. statément of. claim, Foret said 26 sections of the weighty. ; act. are’ unconstitutional, invalid or!inconsistent with provisions | in the Canadian Charter of Ri ghts and Freedoms. Foret told the News the Election Acti is offensive and unrea- onable:. “There's no reason 1 for these types of rules and regulations.” said Foret. : “[ don't see why ...the elected politicians — —the serv ants have. the right to tell the masters how to get involved in the pr ocess.” he added, ; Foret is not the only one who thinks the legislation i is : heavy- 4 handed. During Bili 28's s bumpy ride through the House, it was , referred to as a gag law by the media and the political opposi-~ - tion, Said Foret: “1 think it's just throwing so many roadblocks in the way of the average individual that wants to get involved in the process.” ‘He singled out sections setting 3 spending limit of $5,000 on clection advertising for special contempt, | . Foret said government has no right to tell people how much ; money they can spend on election advertising. | Advertisers spending more than the regulated amount are liable to “horrendous” fines equal to 10 times the joverexpend ture, Foret said. Also, members of unincorporated organizations that overs spend are jointly liable for paying the fine, Foret said. Under those circumstances, how mriny people will be willing to donate to causes they support? he asked... ; Under the act, advertisers must be registered and those spend- ing more than $500 must file disclosure statements, * Foret said filling out the forms to abide by those laws will be onerous. Although he supports some controversial regulations that: ._Stipulate media outlets must report eight particulars of polls dur- “ing election campaigns, he questioned the government's right to put such legislation into place. “What's the next step?” he wondered, referring to govern-:: ment’ $s limits On press freedoms. hospital: staff and hospital volunteers Were .pre- The banners each measured more than 31 metres (100 feet) and contained sentiments “came out and expressed their feel- ings of support for the childrens oo. “Meanwhile B.C.'s- Children’ © Hospital Foret is not going into his battle alone: He is being : “ed by the National Citize ‘Coalition, which bills. itself as: “Canarla’s foremost organization for the defense of our basic political and economic freedoms.” The NCC launched two successful challenges to federal elec: tion “gag laws” in’1984 and 1994, ; _ _» The second victory is now being appealed by the federal Bove emment. : The bill in. question in ‘that case — Bill Cl 4 —_ _ threatened -fines and imprisonment to citizens’ who independently” spent more than $1,000 to support or oppose candidates or parti dur- ing federal campaigns;:said the NCC. The B.C. Election Act, the NCC believes. violates freedoms , bors, friends and other well-wishers “See Basiners page @ of speech and association and the right to an informed vote. :":"" ’ The provincial legislation, passed last week, has’ been casti- gated by West Vancouver-Capilano MLA and Liberal attorney: general critic Jeremy Dalton ‘as + unconstitutional and cumber- some. =. North Vancouver-Lonsdale NDP MEA David “Sc reck. defended the bill, saying it puts reasonable ‘limits ‘on election spending, Regulations on reporting polls during election cam- paigns will ensure the public receives complete information said Schreck. “independent West Vancouver-Garibaldi MEA David Mitchell” : supported some of the bill's provisions, including the: polling regulations, limits to campaign spending, and full disclosure for. campaign | spending. But he agreed the Election Act is a gag law. the time the next provincial election j is called. Foret hopes to haveé the court case successfully completed by.