The air up there DARREN “Hollywood” Grant of the Capilano rugby team is head and shoulders above the crowd during action last Saturday at Friday, January 17, 1997 — Nortn Shore News — 3 ed Klahannie Park as the North Vancouver ciub hosted a touring side from New Zealand. From page “We think it is worthwhile for the workers to have an involvement in this thing and investing in their future,” said MacPherson. “Jr’s a fairly creative proposal ther we've put forward. I believe it can be profitable. | think it could be a win- win for everybody — for the province and for the workers as well.” He thinks a conclusion to the dis- cussion can be ‘reached within the next month or so. For any agreement 0 go ahead, it needs the blessing of the B.C. Ferry Co: hich reported Jong-term debt of year. Referring to the proj Investment Minister Dan Miller said the workers and company have put forward a fairly creative pro “We'll examine their plan very carefully and if it’s something we think makes sense and move forward on it then it would be nice to get 2 second vessel,” he said. Miller, the minister responsible for B.C. Ferries, believes the ferry corpo. ration needs to build more vessels like the Century Class boats, which are designed for short commuter routes. Union worker Darcy Nichols also hopes the green light for a new Century Class ferry 1s flashing, soon. Otherwise, he said, workers at the Allied yard will be dependent on ship repairs, “which are far and few benvecen.” Aled management said more than 100 workers will be laid off berween December and Febnuary. Twenty workers lost their jobs Wednesday. . “It’s sad to see some of the guys vou work with have to go home and not come back to work on Friday,” said Nichols, an eight-year yard veter- an. Nichols has enough seniority to remain working on the vessel through the boat's sea trials. The $21-million, (360-foor) long vessel be delivered to B.C. Fi few weeks. 110-metre expected to ries within a a IL .5 million last . NEVES photo Mike Wakefield GAYLE Ballard, Investment Minister Dan Miller's wife, performs the champagne blessing for a 100- vehicie ferry launched Thursday at Allied Shipbuilders’ North Vancouver site. Miller vows ihat second and third fast ferries will be built INVESTMENT Minister Dan Miller had a few encouraging words for shipyard workers building the much-vaunted but often-delayed fast ferrics in North Vancouver shipyards. Unfortunately for taxpayers, that good ne cost a little more than the $210-million tab initially estimated for three Nanaimo-to-Herseshoe Buy cata- marans. Financing for the second and third vessels is now part of a government-ordered capital spending review. But they will be built. “Absolute Iter said Thursday. The first ferry is under construction. Miller expects it to be launched fate this year or early in 1998. Miller said the fast-ferry construction program should extend to somewhere around 2002 When construction started in April, B.C. Ferries said the first vessel would enter service for the 1997 season and the second and third ships would follow in 1998. Still, Miller said on Thursday, the fast ferries are “not essentially behind schedule.” “tt was a litte slow getting started and we have determined that the three-year time-frame for the three vessels was too quick so that will be extended,” he said. And, he added, costs are slightly over what was expected. But he said those costs are not finalized, The ferries were initially estimated to cost $70 mil- tion cach. i Ambulance crews caught in LGH jam By Michael Becker and Anna Marie D'Angelo FIVE ambulance crews were stuck waiting at Lions Gate Hospital on Jan. 9 when they should have been wait- ing for emergency calls. One ambulance crew was delayed more than one hour as Lions Gate Hospital (LGH) emer- gency department staff attempted to get beds for patients, according to Tim Jones, unit chief for B.C. Ambulance Service in orth Vancouver. “There was a major delay,” said Jones. “This is unprecedented in North Van. It’s the first time that Ive seen this happen.” Jones said that ambulance para- medics usually “divert” to other hospitals if the closest hospital is busy. But on Jan. 9, all the other hospitals were busy too. LGH spokesman Dr. Stew Madill confirmed that five ambu- lances were “stacked up” at the hos- pital on that particular Thursday, but said the crews waited not more than 30 minutes before leaving. He said the five ambulances were waiting some time between 10 a.m and 2 p.m. LGH’s emergency ward was full of patients at the time. “None of the five (ambulance -patients) waiting were life-threaten- ing cases,” said Madill, vice-presi- dent of medical and diagnostic ser- vices at LGH. Madill said that things were set up so that one of the ambulances could leave the hospital immediately for an emergency call. And if neces- sary, the emergency department's trauma room could accept two peo- ple for immediate emergency care such as resuscitation. Ar the time the ambulances were waiting, four patients from emer- gency were being admitted into the hospital and there was a delay in having the hospital beds ready for them, said Madill. He added that one of the waiting ambulances came from Vancouver. The ambulance transported a ‘patient who had a North Vancouver doctor. Another ambulance brought in a pauent from a Burnaby call. Madill said that the last time ambulances were stacked up waiting” at the LGH was on Dec. 27 during a snow storm. - _- “Those are probably the only two times we can think of in the last few months. It’s a pretty rare occur- rence,” said Madill. Maa‘ll said LGH’s emergency department has been busy in recent with increased nur patients with the flu. He said many of the flu sufferers were seniors. wi Lautens... @ Mitchel! gi North Shore Alert mw Real Estate wi Talking Personals... Korth Shore Naws, founded in 14 2s an imicpenicnt suburban newspapes and qualifeed unics Schedule £11, Paraysaphs 21 of the Exact fan Act. as pubkshed cach Wedneway, Finlay amd Sunday by Noth Shore Hee fess Lad and desintuted to every dene on the Nosh Shore Cana Mint Canadian Publication Mait Sales Praha tAgrcement So HURTS Mailing tates available on ieyest pee eee ee a,