“ APRIL 28, 1999 sage: Bright Lights = Business Prt Classifieds Set Crossword ~ Humphreys , Neighdcurhoods ore 2 see tl] eve 4? woe 5h woe 2h Narrows dive warning issued Kevin Gilfies News Reporter THE underwater scenery is beautiful and the challenge exhilarating but the inherent danger is extreme. Before vou suit up to scuba diving under Lions Gate Bridge there are some important pots tu remember. “We're talking about the busiest) waterway on) Canada’s west coast,” said harbour master Christopher Badger, adding that 3,000 deep-sea vessels pass through the Burrard Inet chan- nef annually. “We don't allow recreational diving in’ the First Narrows, period.” Following the April 23 News story about the scuba dive across the inlet under Lions Gate Bridge by veteran divers George Kirke and Greg Osuch, the port authority is warning people that itis an ileal and very dangerous a ur biggest concern is that people will hear that this isa really wild dive and go out and doi tor reasons other than research oe scientific: reasons,” Badger said Monday. Bur North Shore divers sav the area is popular among locals. That areas dove all the time,” said Mike Krewenchuk of Canadian Diving Centre, who been diving for ewo vears. here's a owreck right under Lions Gate Bridge. “Actually when fF read that article about that dive and they were saving it's a big deal ar it’s never done, it kind of came asasu ¢ because that area's dove actually fairly often,” See Minimal pane 4 ly ge ton Play ball p43 Summer camps p47 Baseball and softball leagues in full swing SURGEON Anna Marie D'Angelo News Reporter dan; LIONS Gate Hospital neurosur- geons need more operating room. The lack of cleetive operating time available for the hospital's third neurosurgeon may contmbute to him being “lured” to another province or the United States. doctors tear. IW'we lose one of them, we will lose the whole service,” sad Dr. Paul Termansen, president of the medical stat¥ advisory committee. Chief of neurosurgery Dr. Brian Hunt said this ek that Lions Gate Hospital (GH ) needs three neurosurgeons to run a 24-hour, seven-day-a-week Ousnews.cont This ss Wor! the club courer,” TIME Magacine DOWNTOWN ‘VARCOUVER OE 8 DAVIE oman 617 681-3232 876-1009 24HR FITHESS Sms wo cepted 52 662-7714 The Voice of North and West Vancouver since 1969 threatens LGH neurosurgery GH neurosurgeons currently get 12 hours of operating room time tor elective brain surgeries. “It should be noted that the elective OR (oper- ating room) time is an inadequate amount so there has been a spillover of our services using emergency OR time,” said Hunt. Hunt has been a LGH neurosurgeon for 25 vears. He has seen patient access to LGH neuro- surgery reduced over the years. Hunt emphasized that all emergency neurosurgeries are handled For about a dollar a day... Membership will Change Your LifeStle/ “2 HORTH SHORE Dlereda’ 986-3437 GETS YOU STARTED PER MONTH Quarantecd tor 24 months SURREY (a2) 699 an. 538-1517 RICHMOND 270-3835 COQUITLAM 421-7999 Classifieds looks at the best places for kids sual is the name of the game Commercial Avenues p17 FREE NEWS photo Terry Peters r. Nick Marinatos (left) performs an operation in one of seven busy weekday operating rooms at Lions Gate Hospital. But patients needing clective neurosurgeries may experience permanent nerve damage dunng a pro- longed wait, said Hunt. “It is cntical that a neurosurgeon have the ade- wate OR time to make adjustments ... but we just don’t have that laxury of time,” said Hunt . Hunt said the accepted Canadian standard is 12 to 20 hours of elective surgery a week per neurosur- geon. Oo We are not even in the ball park,” said Hunt. The North Shore Health Region Board has asked the Health Ministry for $1.4 million additional 16 hours of elective neurosurgery operat: See Emergency pane 3 74n% LANGLEY 19915 wELDerEaOON be S233