oer! ree ”-\"Second Class Registration Number 3885 | . ‘and. trout. release, 3. Wednesday, @ E March 16, P1984 - Narth Shore News PROGRAMS to bolster further the strength of regions and municipalities were included in Tuesday’s throne speech from the Bill Vander Zalm government. Delivered by Lt. Gov. Robert Rogers, the speech to open the se- cond session of the 34th Parlia- ment called for ‘a continuing commitment to increase deci- sion-making at the community levels ... and a program of regional development,’* thus continuing the decentralization program. The speech also promised new Auto................. 38 Business.............. 36 ‘Classified Ads......... 45 “Doug Collins.......... § Gomies...:.......2..2 44 Dr. Ruth............05, Editorial Page.... Food.............2-- Bob Hunter............4 Lifestyles............. 47 Mailbox...............7 Sports ............22..95 TV Listings.. .. 38 What's Going Gn....... 40 : Wednesday, mostly sunny. . Highs near 13°C. Thurséey, = sunny with cloudy periods, By JOHN PIFER From Victoria policies 10 open up ‘back-country recreationa] opportunitics,’* and to adopt a long-term program to develop new markets and products for the agriculture industry. Lt. Gov. Rogers spelled out the Vander Zalm government's general plaas and policy for the next year. The specifics of haw they will be funded will be unveiled next week in the budget, due March 24. Other highlights included: *Sctting up shelters for women facing unwanted pregnancies © A new Family Support initia- tive, to include a marriage preparation program, and inereas- ed flexibility in adoption e Increased enforcement of fam- ily maintenance orders *A community-based, in- tegraicd system ‘‘to deliver health care, particularly to senior citi- zens."' A pilot project for Greater Victoria will revise the operation of hospitals, and setting up of senior health care centres. It also will work to reduce doctors’ fees, which will then be uscd as a pro- totype for the rest of the province * A total of an additional $175 million for school districe operating budgets * A ‘substantial investment’ to bring computers into the classroom « Mandatory vehicle safety in- spections ® Legislation to place commer- cial river rafting under provincial control ¢ A new provincial Parole Act © Legislation to protect farmers from ‘‘frivolous nuisance legal ac- tions that hinder their ability to operate’ within the Agricultural Land Reserve *A promise to be ‘fair but firm’? in public and private sector union contracts due this year. NEWS prolo Cindy Bellamy REALLY IN the . picture, 23-year-old Darrell Shibley. soaks up some late winter sunshitie. in front of a wild graphic mural. The painting adorns a. wall that fences off a West Vancouver Marine Drive demolition site. $100, 000.0 VERHAUL NEAR COMPLE TIGN -Volunteer- ‘un hatchery releases first fish ‘THE INVESTMENT of . community volunteer spirit in . Seymour River’s fish hatchery revival paid its first big divi- Seymour Salmonid Society (SSS) “chairman Don McDermid said . Friday release of the fish was a : Major event for the non-profit s organization because it was the ‘first significant release from. the “- hatchery since’ its operation was voluntarily taken over by North Shove -residents concerned about ": the possible demise of the facility. “It’s very exciting,’’ McDermid - said. “It will benefit sport fish- ermen primarily, but we are all go- ing .to benefit from:it in some In addition to Monday’ s salmon the hatchery, which was established in 1977 by BCIT with a $23,500 federal gov- e@rmment loan, is currently releasing 100,000 pink ‘salmon fry and, later this month, will release approx- imately 88,000 chum salmon. -SSS, formerly the Fisheries «dend Monday as 45,000 coho and 28,000 steelhead two- _vyear-old. smolts were released into the North Vancouver “river, | By TIMOTHY RENSHAW News Reporter Enhancement Society on the North Shore, has also made application to run two of three saltwater chinook-rearing pen operations announced for Deep Cove, Porteau Cove and Indian Arm as part of Federal Fisheries Minister Tom Siddon’s plan to rebuild severely depleted Georgia Strait chinook salmon stccks. The society has applied to operate the Deep Cove and Porteau Cove pens, where approx- imately 1.3 million chinook will be reared. A further 1.5 million will be raised in pens near Indian Arm’s Wigwam Inn. The fish released Monday by SSS were from 1986 brood stock and would have been released by Fisheries and Oceans Canada in -ed at a June 24, August with the expiration of the former, hatchery operators’ con- tract and seriously low water levels at the hatchery, but SSS arranged to get extra water from the Greater _ Vancouver Regional District and thereby delay the release until the optimum March date. McDermid said the March release would give the fish a sur-, vival rate six-times greater than what could have been expected had they been released earlier. The. project to revitalize the Seymour hatchery as a com- munity-run operation was conceiv- 1987 public meeting organized by Fisheries and Oceans Canada and has since flourished with the combined co- operation of the federal depart- ment and the GVRD. The meeting followed News stories chronicling the hatchery’s production problems and the pos- sibility of its closure in the face of federal government budget cuts. Fisheries and Oceans has since committed $183,000 to a three- phase hatchery overhaul. . Maurice Coulter-Boisvert, pro- ject coordinator, with the fisheries department’s community economic development program, said the ‘vital $100,000 first phase is sched- uled to be completed by the end of March. Approximately $80,000 is being used to connect the hatchery to a badly-needed new GVRD water supply. Remaining funds will be used to relocate fish-rearing troughs and install a new aeration tower, which will remove excess nitrogen from hatchery water. Two subsequent hatchery overhaul phases, costing an estimated $150,000, will include construction of a second fish-rear- ing channel, a new hatchery building and storage facilities and improved hatchery security. Phase one completion, Coulter-Boisvert said, will allow the hatchery to begin its return to regular fish production. Approximately 200,000 chinook and coho fry will be returned to the Seymour hatchery from the Capilano hatchery once the new water supply has been corinected. The hatchery will also get 75,000 .summer-run steelhead cutthroat trout eggs, 80,000 winter-run steelhead trout eggs, 125,000 coho, 75,000 to’ 100,000 chinook eggs and 100,000 chum salmon eggs for 1988 rearing and 100,000 pink salmon eggs for rearing in 1989. In the past 10 years, the hatch- ery has reared and released ap- proximately 1.1 .million salmon andtrout. | . He has, in the past, credited both Fisheries and Oceans and the GVRD with being instrumental in providing the expertise and coop- eration vital to the success of the hatchery overhaul project. But Coulter-Boisvert said the involvement of SSS volunteers has been just as vital in resurrecting the Seymour facility. An SSS membership drive is currently underway. Individual memberships are $1. For information call 929-5124, 581-8202 or 929-2167.