16- — Wednesday, May 7, 1997 ~ North Shore News seenuyes shore [TTT4 LOOK FOR US ON Tie LOOK FOR US ON Tyik INTERNET Cail (or crossing candor Sse By fan Noble News Reporter ian@nsnews.com AN MLA took the government to task Tuesday after learning a 1996 report said the deteriorat- ing Lions Gate Bridge needs a major rehabilitation or replace- ment by the year 2000. North Vancouver-Lonsdale Liberal -MLA Katherine Whittred said the report shows the government should have moved quicker to reach a conclusion on the Lions xe Bridge project first announced in “T think that there has been less than candor from the government about deteri- . oration on the bridge,” she said. “This is not something the government just learned yesterday. It’s something that they should have acted on five years ago,” said Whittred. After repeated broken promises by the government on a short list of options for the crossing, Transportation Minister Lois Boone announced last month a decision will be made January 1998. Whittred’s comments came after Ministry of Transportation officials briefed Liberals in Victoria on the state of bridge repairs and the bridge’s deterioration. They presented the opposition party with a report dated July 31 by Buckland and Taylor. The report states the roadway deck sys- tem is effectively at the end of its useful life and will require increasing inspection and maintenance. “Extensive temporary repairs to the floor system have already been made, more are already required and the repairs are only temporary at best,” said the North Vancouver-based structural engi- neers. In the last 22 years, said the report, at least $40 million in 1996 dollars has been spent on the bridge. Added the report: “Maintenance costs in the next 10 years are estimated to be in the range of $12 million to $28 million.in 1996 dollars, with the upper end of the range being the most likely.” In the next five years, painting of the towers and seismic upgrading are the high- est priorities, said the report. In 1977, the paint system was estimat- ed to not have any life remaining. There is no paint on any of the “critical” areas along joints and stiffeners, leading to increasing cracks and corroding, said the engineers. Repairs to the deck system will increase exponentially and be particularly dominant if the bridge is allowed to remain in service after the year 2000, which engineers don’t recommend. LACROSSE CLUS NORTH VANCOUVER'S NORTH SHORE INDIANS ARE BACK FOR 1997 STRONGER THAN EVER! Tragic dive claimed three From page 1 pened during the 21-minute _ dive at 5 p.m. ona drizzly Sunday, =. - \ After Shuibin saw w the pan- icking divers he - grabbed onto his diving buddy Nikkel _- with - one - hand. Nikkel o. grabbed ‘onto. Shubin with both hands and the tvo were “face te ‘face ‘as: Nikkel was - “kicking hard.” Nikkel had ‘ho air in his buoyancy com- pensator ’ device. jacket. They were Sinkin| : a Shubin’ Aiea up his buoy- ‘“aficy compénsator:to try to * take, care -of both of. them. They, starte . ‘faster and. faster. “At about 215 feet (65 metres) the pair broke apart and Nikkel went straight down. Shubin made a rapid ascent .to the surface. le came up about 50 feet (15 metres) from a marker on the ocean side of the marine park. Shubin’s wrist-mounted dive computer recorded the ‘depths of the dive. Within a couple of minutes of Shubin’s eer Benjamin “popped up” ni yarain had so much air in his diving equipment that he looked tke ~ the “Michelin man, ‘He was conscious at that point and asked Shubin to take him to shore. : Shubin towed Benjamin and, with the help of two people on the beach, 9-1-1 was called and CPR ‘started on Benjamin. A search was launched for - the missing divers. The. next. day, Peters’ - body was recovered on an underwater ledge at 307 fect (94 metres) by a remotely operated machine. Nikkel and Peters were the least experienced of the divers. They were paired with Shubin and Benjamin. All four had diver certifications. The surviving diver briefly knew Nikkel before going on the’ outing. Nikkel was - friends ©. with Peters and Benjamin. -The two more: experi- enced divers and the ones who made it to the surface wore dry suits. Nikkel and eters had rented wet suits. The pre-dive plan was to dive to 90 to 110 feet (27 to 34 metres) and then signal to end the dive when there was about 500 p.s.i. (pounds per square inch) | left of air in each their tanks. A full tank is about 3,000 p.s.i., according to Giesbrecht. Detective Giesbrecht said that all the recovered divers’ equipment was in proper working order and air was left in the tanks. Whytecliff Park is a popu- lar spot for scuba divers, The park is located off Marine Drive near Horseshoe Bay. The inquest is scheduled for three days before a three- men, two-women jury. “If you have to convert. your. “-RRSPs this year, you owe it to. yourself to meet with one of our. experienced retirement advisors ’ and try the new Scotia Lifetime _- Financial Guide. It's a computerized service that projects ‘your personal financial situation ~ throughout your retirement years. You _ will receive a free, personalized and confidential report of your best reticement income strategies. 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