ike Wekalield SIGNS OF protest and ‘despair. were displayed Friday afternoon al a parking fot across from Versatile Pacific Shipyards Inc. as approx- | imately..15G tradesmen from the 11 unions employed at Versatile’s North Vancouver yerd rallied to protest what they believe is the im- | : pending closure of the. cyard's shipbullding facility. Protesters later | marched ‘on the offices’ of North _Yancouver-Burnaby MP Chuck -Cook.: : : ap 3 - Sunday, April 17, 1944 - North Shore News PROPOSED THREE-S TOREY COMMERCIAL BUILDING | Extra Ambleside storey causes WV controversy A PROPOSED three-storey commercial building for a. two-storey zoned area of Ambleside has delighted some West Vancouver merchants and infuriated others. While the one storey over puildings. | “A lot of other merchants would like to go another storey — I would like to get my view back,’' / submitted Joc Greenwood of | Clyde Avenue at Monday night's; West Vancouver public hearing for the proposal. Numerous residents and several local businessmen pointed out that they had purchased Ytheir view properties, at great expense, only after consulting the existing zoning for the area. They feared. that a three-storey building would . jnot only’ reduce their property values, but also destroy the character/ and a ‘Labor Broblomis threaten | ‘and fay second. unionized “ ‘concrete: iret company are. , threatening to’ ‘shut down. another’ North Shore. concrete _‘Teamster Local’ “23 president Don McGill, said’ earlier, this week ; approximately pei 2’ Ocean Construction Supplies including -the.. company’s ‘North Vancouver ‘yard, on ‘April 25/if a... tentative’ contract’ agreement jwith:, the company is. not reached by that .” imately. . the: company’ 8 a ready-mix Operation. ° : “that company negotiators | | would not be. available until two. days be- fore -the April °24. negotiation deadline set by mediator Don Cott. - But Ocean spokesman Ben Han- son’ ‘said | Thursday, he was op-- “timistic a meeting could be arrang- : - ed before the 21st...‘ : "Spokesman Rod » Ainsworth. has said would be ‘more flexibility"? in» employee work scheduling. . The Lafarge / shutdown . vaffects: about 15 company iployees ” at ‘Approx- 10/ Teamsters work at : Ocean's North Shore plant)... L 1 mergency.. Health |Servicés Com $54 4 million, ‘ile: c on Don" Doerksen,. business . agent. ; ‘efor. Local 213, ‘said, Ocean wants to. © ‘reduce, from. one’ month to one day’ pared“ with’.$17.50 ‘per’: hour’ that ; the: notice’ given, to Teamsters for their’ daily starting assignments and - North Shore. - sHe said the company: ‘wanted lo" reduce the eight-hour ‘guarantee so Ocean ‘could avoid having: drivers «sitting around with nothing to do" :.on days when weather, conditions Anterrupted concreté pouritig. ost “The: company,” ‘Hanson said, hopes to have a contract settlement ‘before April 25; Lf Teamsters working’ at “Ocean make. an “average $17, 15- hourly: rate under their old contract com- Lafarge pays its Teamsters.) “Union contracts at both concre companies expired Dec.’ 31, 1987,): Lafarge and Ocean’operate ap- its ‘proximately . 50° per gent: of the. ‘Teamsiers. Teamsters . had also "complained: ab vincial health care ‘budget. m mbulance user pays: $28 per retur trip call for the first *- additional kilometre’ up.to.a max- imum charge of $180.: In ‘Calgary ‘patients are charged $138 each way * with a private service. -Earnshaw. ‘said private operators. > would have! to’ charge more. than $28 a trip to make-a profit.’ Sete P But Gibson'said the ministry has’. “already ” been using. private’ com; i t i f = panies for. ‘the transfer of : non- . emergency’ patients: for more than, Emsrgency Services: Subsidiz ambulance hea : Lower. Mainland’s unionized "ready-mix concrete ee ° ‘équipment..” : “4 : "Said Earnshaw:."*The two major ‘ private contractors:in B. Cc! are do ‘ing some ‘transfers such as DOAS | at .the scene, , but. they, ‘are ‘not! “ficensed ‘to treat patients | “because ° they. have minimal training: Jf our. -} system. everyone, is trained’ i inal: areas .and. some JTight- up" »vanced life’: ‘support " said, the training i Voften : crucial : when a‘ routine ‘patient: transfer , . turns into a critical situation: he provincial ambulance : Service; _ North Vancouver City and. District : architec- |. turally-interesting building pro- posed for the middie of the 1400- block Bellevue Avenue will bring in ‘new businesses’ and about 25 employees, there is great concern over the potential loss of views and the precedent set by letting it rise neighboring » Earnshaw:. ambiance of Ambleside. But Bill Irwin, of the Ambleside Merchants Association, spoke en- thusiastically about the proposal. “I would like to sce something other than dust and garbage down there fos the remaining years of my life,’* block Marine Drive for nearly 40 years. The proposed © building will be the head office for Chuck Walker, who presently houses his manufac. turing, insurance and ser- vice-related operations in -Van- couver, Architect Jim Sproute «said Walker. was, not interested in-a conforming two-storey block of a building. : The .. alternative proposed’ ‘by Sproule adds a. third-storey pen-, et Byte y.to consid said the 78-year-old Ir-/ /win, who has lived in the 1400- safter st i re thouse which takes up only 60 per cent of the frontage. There is no addition in square footage to the building, explained West, Vancouver planning director Steve Nicholls, because footage has ‘been removed from the first floor, Irwin pcinted out that Walker will provide 17 surface parking spots, which are worth $50,000 each in potential business (in addi- tion to underground parking), and has agreed to contribute to the future underground electrical wir- ing of Ambleside. Bill Howard, another proponent of the plan, said that he would like - to see more three-storey buildings: | want to see Ambleside go for- ward"* But Clyde Avenue resident Pete Siddons urged council not to underestimate the ‘‘grey power"’ of the residents who have invested their, retirement’ money in the community. Municipal council adjourned the - hearing jand called for a. staff report on the Proposal.