NEWS photo Cindy Gocdman

POLICE ARE investigating a fire which gutted a two-bedroom apartment in the 500-bik. of
Lonsdale Ave. on Friday evening. More than four litres of flammable methy! hydrate was found

in the sulte.

Three injured in NVC blaze

Methyl hydrate suspected as cause of apartment fire

BURNING METHYL
hydrate. fuelled an apart-

ment. fire in. the Lower’:

Lonsdale area Friday.

"By Anna Marie D'Angelo -
‘ News Reporter |’

; cA two-bedroom apartment
* was gutted. :

A 19-year-old male and a ju-.

‘venile male were in a rented suite
in’ the. 500-bIk. Lonsdale. Ave.

- when’ the blaze broke out at

40:30 pom. om
~The’ adult. was. hospitalized

4 with minor burns and released to.

» police ‘custody. He’. was subse-
-juana, were tossed from ‘above

as the fire broke out. |

“quently released - from - police

The. police investigation con-
tinues.

According to a North Van-
couver: City. Fire Department
spokesman, flammable . methyl

- hydrate ignited after being spilt

on a stove. More than four litres
of the fire accelerant were in the
apartment,

Methyl hydrate is commonly
used in the process of making
hashish oi! from marijuana
leaves, according to. a police
spokesman.

-. Meanwhile a ground-floor te-
nant of the building told a. fire

investigator at the scene that two
garbage bags, which were subse-

quently found to contain mari-

! 2 WEST. “Vancouver? s Hillside | middle school is
demolished ‘to make: way for a residential subdivision, the
local neighborhood will also lose tennis courts and playing

fields...” .
‘+. Loss - of. the recreational facili
ties was‘ greeted with dismay at a
public hearing held April 5 at the
West™ ‘Vancouver.
“municipal hall, °° a
'. Many ‘ attending . the’. meeting
urged ., West. Vancouver . District -
Council to address the issue prior
to approving the . development
permit . for a: 30-lot. subdivision
> planned to replace the school.
The proposed subdivision ‘would
‘generate. money. to . build: a new
school on the Caulfeild Plateau.
~The subdivision ; ‘site does not”
require rezoning.
‘But: because some of the terrain
: includes slopes of more than 35%,
the subdivision must be subiect. to
a'development permit process that
' includes public hearings.
eae The slope... was artificially
engineered in the 1950s when the
school was built. _ : ;
But local residents had nothing
to say about slopes. ..
‘Dr. Erica: Bell-Louther pointed
out that Hillside’ school is the only
“site in upper’ Dundarave that in-
cludes, recreational facilities. _.
The developer of the subdivi-
sion is required to donate 5% of
the'site to the municipality for use
‘as local park.” :
| But. West: Vancouver parks and
*. tecreation director Kevin Pike has
: recommended that a 21,000 sq. ft

‘now, so it
» municipality’s best interest to take
the money (cash in lieu of park),”

‘opportunities out

” By Maureen Curtis

: Contribute Writer
-Distri ct 7

. ;

, 951 sq.m) park would .be too
small.

“We can’t replace what i is’ there
would .be in the

said Pike.

But the Parks and Recreation
Advisory Commission, a citizens’
group, has recommended taking
the land instead of the money.

Mary Foley, who is lobbying
for recreational facilities to

‘replace those lost at Eagle Harbor

school, advised council to take the
opportunity to make money

- without taxation. Foley said the
money can be put towards capital

expenditures.

While Hillside residents rejected
the idea’ of  ‘‘robbing -. Peter’
(themselves) to ‘‘pay Paul,’’ (resi-
dents in western West Vancouver)

Cynthia Ott-Hamilton said that:
“Hillside residents have a recreation

centre at the bottom of the hill.
“We have nothing. We need the
west that
everyone here has enjoyed: for a
long time,” said Ott-Hamilton, a

“Hillside graduate. -_
Meanwhile,.some Hillside area’

Thirteen North Vancouver Ci-
ty firefighters were able to con-
tain the fire to the fifth-floor
suite.

A kitchen in a suite above was
also damaged by fire as the bur-
ning. apartment’s windows blew

‘out and flames shot up. Cabinets

in the sixth-floor apartment
were also damaged. :
Fourth-floor apartments were
damaged by water.
Two other people were treated
for i injuries.

The building manager experi-
enced chest pains and was hospi-
talized: during the’ spectacular
blaze. ‘Another occupant of. the
nine-storey highrise also suffered.
chest pains.

are VANCOUVER -
DISTRICT COUNCIL.

residents are worried that . large
‘houses will be built in the subdivi-

_sion. They fear that such devel-.
~ opment - will drive prices up’ in

. their neighborhood and that old
trees will come down.
Attacking the land switch, some

- warned there could be a signifi- :
cant shortfall between the money.

6 We have nothing. We need the opportunities :

ings,
‘asset in buildings... ...
Derrick. Hawkins - “suggested a

Wednesday, Apri! 14, 1993 — North Shore News - 3

AIRCARE

bid for contract

Seeking wage hike in line with
$14-an-hour liquor store clerks

TWENTY-FIVE AirCare workers picketed

the North

Vancouver AirCare testing station Tuesday, April 13, as

part of escalating job action.

BC Government Employees’
Union (BCGEU) spokesman Soren
Bech said more than 300 AirCare
workers are seeking a first con-
tract.

“There is no question that this
is going to inconvenience the
public some, but it’s still possible
to get’ air testing done,’ said
Bech. :

‘*People may have to drive a
little further. They may have to
wait in line,’’ said Bech.

He said North Vancouver Air-
Care workers will be off the job
until at least Friday.

Bech said the bargaining team
will decide what it will do then.

AirCare stations in South Van-
couver, Langley, Maple Ridge and
Chilliwack will also be on strike
this week.

The BCGEU workers, called
lane inspectors, earn approximate-

- ly $7.25. an hour.. Bech said they

want an increase to $14 an hour,
about the wage of a liquor store
clerk.

“Nobody can live on $7 an

hour,’ added Bech. *

He said lane inspectors’jobs, are
tougher than liquor store clerks’
because they:

. @ require some technical know-
. ledge;

© basicality work outside;

-® breathe car fumes; aw

© have to deal with customers who

‘“are occasionally somewhat irate

when’ their vehicles haven't pass-’
ed. we

BCGEU AirCare workers are
not negotiating with the provincial

get a first-rate school into: the
district and some minor return on
the taxes paid to Victoria.”

! Ron. Baidry,; who has par-
ticipated in a 1,750-name petition
calling for a referendum on the
issue, cautioned council:on giving
up an appreciating asset’ in land
and a depreciating asset in: build-
for. another depreciating

comparison between the ‘Hillside

out west that everyone here has enjoyed for a

long

"raised in development and the cost
of the new school —:a shortfall
taxpayers would foot.

But Linda Mitchell, chairperson
of a Caulfeild parents’ assacia-
tion, said, ‘It is an opportunity to

3] Budget Beaters
Business .......
Bi Classified Ads...

time. 99
Resident cynthia Ott-Hamilton

-Jand. switch and West Vancouver's _
sale of its. upper lands to British .

Pacific Properties in the 1930s —
a move that saved the municipali-
ty from bankruptcy.:

Former West Vancouver mayor —

Lifestyles: ... .
§§ North Shore Now ..

“TV Listings:.....
‘#9 What’s Going On...

By Anna Marie D’ Angelo
News Reporter

government, but with a ‘company.
called Ebco-Hamilton Partners.
The company was awarded the
AirCare contract by the former
provincial government.

Ebco-Hamilton Partners
bargaining spokesman John Nixon
said there was a fundamental dif-
ference in the perception of the
lane-inspector job.
' “We take the position that it is,
entry-level work,”’ said Nixon.

‘Much of: it is ‘part-time
(work)... It is work well suited for
people interested in combining
work with schoo! or family or
other activities where they. want. to
work paft time,"’ said Nixon. .,

He said lane inspectors only: re-
quire a driver's licence - and ‘are

‘trained on the job.

“The work | is fairly easy’ to
do,” said Nixon, =.”

Ebco-Hamilton Partners have.
offered’ the. AirCare. lane - inspec
tors an 18% increase over three’

- years , bringing wages ‘up to $7. 87.

an hour. ote a
“We feel those wages are’ com-

_ parable with wages ipeople. would
earn if they were ‘doing: similar.’
work in gas stations or oil-change -

service facilities: or “fast. food: res-
taurants..or...those” kinds . of.

° places,’? said Nixon. | -.

* AirCare workers: were on strike
in . Bast’ Vancouver, : Richmond, a
Surrey ai and | Matsqui ee week. .

Derrick Humphreys’. ‘said the:
~ Hillside - building’ could - -continue : .
its usefulness. by: being offered to.”
‘Capilano™ College or: other”.
organizations...” He | ‘recommerided:
‘that council not: approve the de-.

is velopment permit."

‘Council agreed that: it- ‘must’ not.
.overstep . its. jurisdicition . by’
“debating . the: _ wisdom - of school :
" district plans. 3
. “Our:principal duty. is ‘to look.
at the application as we would the
application: of “ any, developer,”
said Mayor Mark Sager.

But the proposal’s effect. on
recreation , falls ~ within municipal
jurisdiction. j

Adjourning the public meeting
‘until Monday, - April 26, . council
members ‘requested further staff.
input on some of the unresolved
parks and recreation issues involv .
ing the Hillside site. ! | v

“T get the feeling that | people
want to see some recreational: fa- °
cilities left behind if ‘Hillside is to;

be destroyed,”’ said ; Coun. Andy A
‘ |

'

Weather
Thursday, Friday and .
: Saturday, rain...
| Highs 14°C. Lows 6°C.

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