Rescue a group gets 2 boat Anna Marie D’Angelo News Reporter dangclo@nsnews.com If you need a water rescue, the North Shore Lifeboat Society has got the boat for you. An 8.5-metre aluminum boat the’ was used by federal parks work- ers in the Queen Charlottes was recently bought by the lifeboat soci- ety. The vessel, Deep Cove II Lifeboat, was officially christened earlier this month at a ceremony at the Deep Cove Yacht Club. North Shore Lifeboat Society vice-president Bruce Falkins saw the boat for sale in a Crown assets list- ing. . “We were looking for a boat. And we knew that is often a place . where you could get good value,” said Falkins. The boat cost $25,500 and $17,000 was spent to rewire and refurbish it and put in new electron- ics, said Fatkins. Ten years ago, the federal gov- ernment paid $80,000 for the boat. Today a similar new vessel would be $110,000, said Falkins. He said the lifeboat society expects to keep the boat for at least 15 ears. ’ The federal government replaced the boat with a larger vessel. The lifeboat society’s old vessel was an cight-metre fiberglass boat. Falkins said that about two years ago the lifeboat soci- ety was called to help after a boat hit some ice and was sinking at the north end of Indian Arm. “It’s the first time in B.C where they had a boat sink - striking ice,” said Falkins. Falkins said the old lifeboat society vessel couldn’t go in and help because it was made of fiberglass, which would be punctured by the ice. Falkins said that is why the society decided to get a metal boat that could cut through thin ice during rescues. He said the top end of Indian Arm experiences four- kilometre ice sheets made up of river water frozen over the arm’s salt water. In the case of the sinking boat, an aluminum firebuat went in and rescued the boaters. The North Shore Lifeboat Society vessel will be used for rescues from First Narrows to Indian Arm and in Port Moody-area waters. The lifeboat socicty’s vessel responds to about 20 to 25 rescue calls annually. There Allegations NEWS photo Paul McGrath NORTH Shcre Lifeboat Society members Clark Peters (left) Jimmy Watt, Robin Overbye and Michelle Abramson pose with the volunteer group’s new vessel on its christening day, Nov. 8. are a similar number of training sessions with the vessel each year. In Indian Arm’s small communities, the North Shore Lifeboat Society is asked by B.C. Ambulance to assist in transporting patients who can’t be accessed by land. Ambulance calls have included bee sting shock, a dislo- cated shoulder and a head cut after a fight. Marine emergencies have included boat collisions, water ski accidents, boat fires and a possible downed air- craft in Indian Arm. The North Shore Lifeboat Society helps North Shore Rescue team members on Mount Seymour. The mountain backs onto Indian Arm. During those searches, lifeboat society members transport rescue team personnel and conduct shoreline searches for lost hikers on Mount Seymour. The North Shore Lifeboat Sociery has 24 volunteer members. The Canadian Coast Guard auxiliary unit runs the vessel, said Falkins. Funding for the society comes from the Canadian Coast Auxiliary, municipal grants, business contributions and fundraising. The North Shore Lifeboat Society has another boat in Fisherman’s Cove. Anyone wanting more information may write to the North Shore Lifeboat Society, P.O. Box’91369, West Van, V7V 3P1. eave WV d Sunday, November 16, 1997 — North Shore News — 3 Pipeline to Alberta Fram page 1 customers. Up to 300 million cubic feet of gas will flow into the Vancouver island Pipeline daily trom the facility. The company is sceking to rezone the MeNab Creek site from raral to industnal use. Westcoast has abo sought permission to use an existing torestry road to provide access to Howe Sound. The company presented a plan Vhursday to enlarge an existing dock. Project Manager Doug ‘Phorneveroit said that Westcoast’s intention was 10 provide a competitive alternative to the BC Gas Southern Crossing, project. BC Gas plans to build a pipeline hook up to Alberta gas for B.C, cus- tomers. According to Thorneveroft, the inital costs for the Westevast Energy facility are projected in the neighborhood of $120 million. The BC Gas project would cost approximately $500 million. Thorneyeroft said the Westcoast proposal would meet the needs of res- idential and commercial customers. He assured those attending the meeting that Westcoast has no inten- tion of using the facility tor off-shore shipping or export. ‘Thorneycroft scrambled to address an onslaught of questions and con- cerns from Lions Bay residents. Concern was expressed about the placement of a massive gas storage facility on seismically unsound ground. Resident Jan Schneider drew attention to a number of previous pipeline and gas storage facility accidents and called for the company to change the site to one less likely to be severely shaken in an earthquake. Wayne Soper, Westcoast vice-president of environment, was met with catealls when he said that the site would be built to withstand an earth- quake. He said the tremor that shook Howe Sound on June 24 was an anomaly. Residents raised other concerns about the project, including: Bits safery, Bits overall environmental impact; Wand the precedent it would set in attracting further industrial develop- ment to the Howe Sound area. Lions Bay Mayor Brenda Broughton gave an impassioned plea against the project. She called all citizens of the province to unite to keep Howe Sound the “jewel of British Columbia” and support its current industries of recreation and tourism. Broughton called the project a money grab for the sharcholders and executive of Westcoast. She said Westcoast Energy and BC Gas are fighting a war for protit and asked that they move their battleground out of Howe Sound. Nos, ab wl Ne an ”, ARTIST Michaet Tickner (lefi} and Lions Bay Mayor Brenda Broughton are ticked off about a natural gas tank plan. J li | |. Achong appealed the Supreme Court deci- Sexual misconduct charges hang over psychiatrist’s head By lan Noble News Reporter san@nsnews.com A West Vancouver psychiatrist remains in limbo, waiting to find out if the B.C. College of Physicians and Surgeons will let him continue to practise in B.C. The wicertainty is due to allegations of sex- ual misconduct in the 1980s that have came back to bite Dr. Eamon Achong. The college’s first answer on Nov. 15, 1996, was no, Achong’s licence to practise in B.C. would not be renewed. But Dr. Achong’s appeal to the B.C. Court of Appeal directed the college to take a second look at his case. The answer could come as soon as the end of November when the college’s council, which has the responsibility for disciplinary matters involving physicians, meets. Meanwhile, Achong continues to practise in Maple Ridge. Although Achong denies the allegations, neither he nor a lawyer acting on his behalf appeared to tight the allegations ata 1995 hearing in Montreal, where Achong practised from 1966 to 1985. Instead, court documents show Achong did not attend because he believed thar the charges would be found “not credible” without input from him and he had “a feeling of being ashamed.” The complainant said she was a vulnerable, troubled woman who had consulted Achong as a result of a sexually dysfunctional relationship. The College de Medecins du Quebee concluded that explicit sexual acts, culminating, in consen- sual intercourse, had taken place during a thera- peutic relationship for which Achong had received compensation trom the Quebee gov- ernment. The incidents took place in Montreal from January 1982 te June 1985. The complaint was launched in 1993. After the college found Achong guilty and he had exhausted his appeals, the Quebee college on Oct. 25, 1995. tined Achong $7,000, ordered him to pay the costs Gt the hearing and barred him: trom practising in Quebee for tive years. In 1985, Achong moved to B.C. Because he had not completed an exam required to place him on the B.C, college’s permanent register, Achong applied for and received a place on the temporary register so he could practise in B.C. He must apply each year for a place on the tem- porary register. But in 1996, after the B.C. College became aware of the Quebec allegations, the college refused to grant Achong a position on ihe tem- porary register, Ina Dee. 3 letter, the college said to Achong: “While (the college’s) Council recognized the strength of the testimonials and the evidence of vour character witnesses, it was not satistied that these outweighed the finding in Quebec and the conduct at issue in that finding. ... You have not upheld the honor and dignity of the protession. We have, therefore, denied your application for renewal of vour temporary registration.” The college added thar Achong’s lack of can- dor in. not disclosing to colleagues the allega- tions “is inconsistent with the high moral and ethical standards required of our profession.” B.C, Supreme Court Justice H. Lee Skipp upheld the college’s decision, saving the col- lege’s opinion thar Achong was unfit for regis- tration was reasonable. sion and won a partial reprieve. Appeal court judges said the B.C. college failed to: B consider the evidence of a serious breach of ethical and professional conduct as occurring 12 years previously; @ weigh in the balance evidence of the ethical and protessional conduct of Achong in the inter- vening period, The appeal court sent the case back to the college council to reconsider Achong’s applica- tion for a one-year temporary registration. College deputy registrar Dr. Morris Vanandel said the college's council will meer again later this month. He expects “some progress or fur- ther discussions” on Achong’s case at the November meeting. However, Vanandel’s not sare that the couneil will be able te resolve the issue at this month’s meeting. Council meets again in January. “TP don’t know when if will be completed,” Vanandel said. “The college council has been asked to review certain aspects of the whole very complex problem, which f can’t discuss in any more detail at this point.” Achong did not return numerous News phone calls over a week-long period