_ Headquarters’
look to-reflect —
RCMP heritage

RIGHT NOW it's a noisy jum-
“ble of crumbled asphalt and a |
deepening pit of dirt, but in the,
eyes.of, North Vancouver
RCMP Insp. Jamie Graham it’s

,a new beginning.

By Michael Decker -
" News Editor

’ From a rooftop perch outside ‘a
meeting room: at police headquar-:
“tets-.on 13th Street in. North
‘Vancouver City, he has a clear view:
“of the construction site of the future-.
; $19 million police building vet
“) The final product, designed , by .
Waisman Dewar. Grout Carter Inc..”
‘will provide: more operating space.
‘reflect. Mountie - tradition, accom-
= modate contemporary approaches to
policing ;Service and -incorporate
some of the architectural cues pre-
sented by: ‘significant: structures sprinkled throughout North’
Vancouver City. :
‘a nod to RCMP tradition, a rounded dome facade i incor-'
porated in the new building -will pay tribute to the cylindrical ©
form of the RCMP musical ride.

Isewhere,” an angled bank of flagpoles 2t,the entry of the: ‘ground parking and they required some interesting shoring’

building will reinforce the theme. The Lonsdale Quay market,
‘with its rounded edges and off-white metal cladding, i is echoed *

in the new. building's exterior... .
vA} water. pond, set in’a small park adjacent to the building, -

1

“once was a parking lot beside the existing police headquarters.
Many nearby apartments and the neighboring Lions Gate.

Hospital are built on slabs, not foundations,

“On the northwest area of our site there's an apariment :

‘building’ where they did go down two floors to build: urider-

techniques,” Graham said. “We re going, deeper than anywhere
else around us has."

Digging down ‘two fall levels ona tight site in the high den-

, Sity area. such as the one in which construction for the new

takes’ its: ing iration from. the water area in a plaza near city - police building is taking place, resjuires sound shoring, The site

hall. :
Construction began, i in “eartiest. ‘about two weeks ago. The:
building ‘could be completed in approximately 15. months.

“Compl s-could | sh the Project's: ‘completion: to. 18

the Siiables in timing involve’ the * ‘unknowins”
uuried in the : proud in which workers are digging below what °

“have been on-her dock at the time of
the’ accident, but. for’ one réason or.
“another, none ‘of. them were. ;
Dallas’ said. a similar:: “necideni "
ccurred in 1993: at’ Bowen’ Island
‘Marina. The marina’s dock‘and the ae
65-foot ‘pleasure* craft ‘Wenderer’
“were struck by a ‘ferry, ¢ causing dam-
age.to the dock and extensive dam-
age to the Wanderer...’
«In that instance,” the: Queen. ‘of
“Capi

i

pproximately. 10 ‘minutes later; said Dallas.

“If you don’t learn the first time, you'd think - you certainly would the

‘second'time,”, she said.

“#2 Dallas said 14 boats were involved j in. the Nov. 7 incident. Seven boats
ere damaged and one was sunk. Damage estimates of the marina

-are still being ' determined.:

"Dallas said she wants the ferry terminal to be relocated to the south side

of Snug Cove, which would be safer for everyone, including marina users.
Dallas‘said she has been satisfied with BC Ferries response to the acci-

‘dent, but that opinion will change if something positive doesn’ {come out of:

the accident.
Rh
‘not ‘de

propulsion. without a.transfer of steerage. said. Rhodes.

The’ incomplete transfer can’be the result of operator error-or mechani- .
éal malfunction, The captain in the incident said the incomplete transfer was

Sh caused by mechanical malfunction, but testing failed to replicate the mal-
. . ! ! " Said Mitchell. “Mr Harcourt: and his ‘government

¢ £ ify, you don’ v7
“learn the first time,

you: d think you
certainly would the
second time. 9

=: "i = Morma Dallas
ano did not stop, but.did tur ==. :
arc‘and in Howe Sound and returned ° ae

s told those ‘attending the Snug Cove meeting that BC Ferries has
ined if operator or mechanical error caused the accident.

He said the Mayne Queen is propelled. by four drives, one at each comer

of the vessel. Each drive rotates completely, and provides thrust and steer-

age for the vessel. The internal i inquiry parte) determined the accident was

caused ‘by: an incomplete transfer ‘of control. resulting in-a transfer of
. a Schreek ‘said the’ polls ‘twere clear” that a Harcourt-

slim chance of re-clection, but
that the party's prospects of winning the next provincial

* must be cut straight up and down.

Graham’ is quick to apologize for noise - -caused by the

“pounding of metal piles. The steel defines the outer perimeter
of the construction site and provides the framework to shore up *

the excavation.

“They keep within the noise: bylaw and | noise levels,” he
- said. The pounding should end within a week or so. !

When complete, the building will be two floors down and
“three floors above g ground,

” Fr rom pee a

Schreck said he knew for sé sveral "

_ days ;before .the announcement that
Harcourt was considering resigning. »

Schreck, a backbencher and table!

‘ officer of the NDP. party, publicty! :
raised the. question ‘of an NDP leadet | .
ship-‘revue when Harcourt’s handling. _.
of the. Nanaimo | Commonwealth!

*. Holding Society (NCHS). affair!
recently came under fire. ,

Said» Schreck” on Wednesday, '
“There is a time when the role of a!
Jeader is to accept responsibility for!

ye the difficulties being faced and step,

aside in a statesman-like fashion.” |:
West Vancouver-Garibaldi

Independent MLA David Mitchell

said he believed for some time that 7

s dock

“would allow him to do that,” said Mitchell. j

alleged to have been funnelled to NDP sources:

missioned by the NDP g government,

led NDP would have

+

‘ election would improve with a new leader.

MLA SCHRECK.... knew
Harcourt was consider- :
ing resigning.

Harcourt would not lead the NDP inté another election.’
_ “I didn't believe that Mr. Harcourt would want to
face almost certain defeat..J didn’t believe that the NDP

“The timing did catch me off guard,” he added.’

The NCHS scandal broke in October with police
raids on NDP-affiliated offices. The bingo charity scan-
dal dates back {o the 1970s and carly 1980s and
involves NDP stalwart-Dave Stupich. Charity money is

Alleged wrongdoings were outlined months before
the police raid in the Ron Parks report; which was com

NEWS photo Mike Wakefield

NORTH VANCOUVER. RCMP
Const. Mare Boland surveys
the construction site. of. the”
new RCMP police: bullding.
Boland is one’ of more than.
- 200. RCMP. detachment: per-.

sonnel. anticipating ‘a future: .'

-move. away. from existing |
cramped quarters. ;

“As we build the parking lot‘and.."’
‘those two levels are built, we then 7
can occupy the parking lot.” ” :
“~. Graham said the move will save
the detachment. the ‘money. it now

. spends renting parking space at vars.

-jous locations scattered throughout .
the area “surrounding the “main ;

police building: « :

Vehicles’ are: now scattered in.

‘ concentric circles, with. ‘the: ‘police

‘headquarters ut ground zero.

Said Graham, “All the marked police vehicles are 2 close to
the site. Gur ERT (Emergency Response Team).vehicles. ar
' close to the site. As you go farther, our plain-clothes people are
near the. annex. We have’ the wsual concems where w

have to be concerned about the safety of our stall ” :
The present building will eventually be demolishe

really rocks. +
“Our cell block faces the a}
concerned when they first heard the pounding; but they ha’

. live with it the way.we do, 1 imagine the prisoners are jUdt as:

appreciative as.we are that when we niove,into the ne’
ty they'll have nicer accommodation he added,

. Schreck said Harcourt had taken a“;

4 Courageous : Step yin. resigning. : The
MLA .mentioned ‘a’.poll. conducte

over the weekend had been a “eon:

: sideration.” ies

~. Schreck said a new leader will not”
be burdened by. how ‘the premier’s °
office handled the NCHS issue over.
the last four years. -

-“Ethink that Mike has appreciated.

; that one of the most important and
burdensome jobs of leadership is rec- :
ognizing: when it’s. time to, make a/
decision to step aside in order that the ”
government and - the — party : ‘can
advanée.” said Schreck.

Mitchell said the NDP “are fooling themselves” if.
they think that switching leaders will help the party
regain its popularity. He used Kim Campbell's replace-
ment of Brian Mulroney and Rita Johnston's: replace-
ment of Bill Vander Zalm as examples of recent leader.
replacements that haven't worked.

Meanwhile, North Vancouver-Scymour ‘Liberal

‘ MLA Daniel Jarvis said Harcourt made the right deci- :

“'m | disappointed. in the sense that he his indicated :.
that he is leaving with a government in good stead,” said
_darvis. °° ‘a
* “There is more debt created by his govemmient than’.
all the prev governments in the history of B.C.” aa
_, Jarvis said it ‘doesn’ (matter who leads the NDP.)
“A NDP. te: adership convention will be held 3 in cither.
February or March. A ‘provincial election mist be called:
by next fall. 3 a