EAE ERED SRA EUR ITE Fed budget has litt ie or locals — politicians WEDNESDAY’S $122.6 billion federal budget has nothing for the North Shore or the West Coast, according to local politicians ans labor leaders. “But for thar matter, 1 don't think it has anything for anybody.’ North Vaneouver- Burnaby Conservative MP Chuck Cook said Thursday. ‘As a ciga- rette smoker I'm appalled, as a driver 1 don't think (the gas in- crease) is too much. As for the rest, UL othink its what (Finance Minister) Michael Wilson prom- ised,"’ Cook said the promise of tax reform in the spring and the NORTH VANCOUVER-Burnaby Conservative MP Chuck Cook...“‘5 don’t think (the budget) has anything for anybody.’’ removal af the imported book tar- iff wers cwo highlights that came out of Wednesday's budget speech. Inchided i+. announced budget measures are tax increases on gasoline and tobacco that will in- crease all gasoline and motor fuels by one cent per litre immediately and leaded gasoline another one third of a cent per litre on April | and add about three cents to the cost of a package of 25 cigarettes. In addition, all airline tickets bought in Canada will cost $4 more beginning May. Snack foods Stop Ski theft CST. DAVE Bingham, of the West By TIMOTHY RENSHAW News Reporter will also rise in price after their ex- emption from the 52 per cent fed- eral sales tax was removed Wed- nesday. The retail price of various pro- ducts including televisions, video recorders and microwave ovens will be affected to a thus far undetermined extent after the an- nouncement that sales tax will be applied for those products at the wholesale level. Beginning Jan. 1, 1988, large businesses will be required to send the federal government unemployment insurance deduc- tions twice per month instead of the current once per month. Vancouver & District Labour Council vice-president John Fitz- patrick .aid of the budget Thurs- day, ‘‘There’s absolutely nothing in it for the West Coast, nothing that will help create new jobs. Again, it caters to Central Canada and Quebec.’’ He said a 2.5 and 7.5 per cent tariff on imported foreign steel will help Eastern Canadian steel pro- ducers, but increase the price of steel for West Coast steel fabricators who buy steel from Japan. Wilson said Ottawa will meet this year’s deficit target of $32 billion and will aim for a further reduction of the deficit to $29.3 billion in the 1987-88 fiscal year. - He predicted Canada’s economic growth, which outpaced all major industrial countries in 1986 at 3.3 per cent, would be 2.8 per cent in 1987, Vancouver Police Bepartment, engraves Joanne Turner’s skis with an identify- ing number to help prevent a possible ski theft, The depart- ment’s Ski Watch program will be offered again this Saturday between noon and 4 p.m. Anyone interested in taking ad- vantage of the free program should come to Cypress Moun- j tain, near the ski check facili- ties. 3 - Friday, February 20, 1987 - North Shore News Weather: Friday, sunny with cloudy periods. Saturday, mostly cloudy with showers. Highs near 8° C. INDEX Business.......... 23 Classified Ads.......30 Doug Collins.........9 Editorial Page........6 Entertainment....... 26 Home & Garden.....15 Horoscopes ......... 28 Bob Hunter..........4 Lifestyles .......... 25 Mailbox.............7 Movie Listings......28 TV Listings.........29 What's Going On..... NEWS photo Stuart Davis gc NEWS photo Terry Petora BE PREPARED. Out to promote Scout and Guide Week, Feb. 15-22, are left to right, Edward Mulcahy, Margaret Robinson, Doug Alder- son, North Vancouver District Mayor Marilyn Baker and Larry Mar- shall, district scouting commissioner. Park Piaza club future THE PARK PLAZA Country Club will not be redeveloped until a study of its viability as a recreation facility has been conducted, according to a spokesman for the developer that won recent court approval to buy the 4.38 acre property. United Properties Ltd. president Victor Setton said to leave the club closed would serve no purpose for anyone. “We bought the property to redevelop it, yes, but a proper study must be conducted,’’ he said. “‘We want to find a solution that will satisfy the whole com- munity.”’ SOLUTIONS SOUGHT About 60 displaced members of the recently closed $1.4 million club met with Setton and repre- sentatives of Thorne, Ernst & Whinney, the club’s receiver- manager, Feb. 12 to discuss the future of the property. Chairman of the nine-member Save Park Plaza committee Alex Schatroph described the meeting as “divide and conquer. He wanted to find out how many were squash players and how many were tennis players. But we stuck together. We want to preserve the club as a rec- reational facility in the entity that presently exists. He (Setton) seems willing to give us a couple of squash courts but that’s about it.”” SALE APPROVED A B.C. Supreme Court decision Feb. 2 approved the club’s sale to United for $2.1 million. The decision had been delayed in three previous court adjournments made after two additional offers were tendered to purchase the property. United’s offer, which includes a $5,000 deposit, is contingent on North Vancouver District approv- By TIMOTHY RENSHAW News Reporter ing a development on the property within 30 days of court approval. Setton said his company origi- nally planned senior citizens hous- ing for the property ‘‘because the club has not been financially viable and there are a Jot of clubs in the area not doing well, and we believe there is a need for a seniors’ development in the area. But I don’t think the members should be ignored.”” MEMBERS COMPLAINED Displaced members have com- plained that the receiver-manager, by discontinuing Park Plaza club advertising in September and charging about half the market price for memberships, had not done enough to maintain Park Plaza as a health club. But a spokesman for Thorne, Ernst & Whinney said the club was just not financially viable .as a health facility. Schatroph has said that 1,200 of the club’s 1,500 members had been contacted by the committee and all had been opposed to any redevelopment of the property. Park Plaza, with its ice rink, swimming pool, 13 squash and racquetball courts and seven tennis courts, was used extensively by area schools, according to Schatroph. COUNCIL HEARING The committee, he added Wed- nesday, will now take its case to North Vancouver District Council.