“From page 1 direction, but it’s probably not going to make any impact,” said North Vancouver Commerce chairman Doug Smith, adding thar most of the cuts are promises and are deferred to the future. “I think the personal income tax reductions, which again are in the future, clear- ly that is positive. The average consumer in the province ‘should be relatively happy With the budget,” said Smith. Average | consumers may “be unless they smoke cigars because: the rolled tobacco -product was hit hard by the *. budget. f° The provincial tax rate on _ cigars will remain at 77% but = anew maximum per-cigar tax of $5 was also enacted. The previous maximum was $2.50 . per: cigar. . West’ Vancouver’s . Canadian’ Cigar: Co. owner Darryl Rawlings isn’t relish- ‘ing: charging his customers . for the purpose of filling gov- ernment coffers, “°“D-think’ it?s ‘Consistent with everything this govern: Chamber. of DOUG Smith... little. good news for business. ment has done,” ‘said Rawlings. “I don’t think it'll affect business. Quite honest- ly people thar live here are, used to it.” Beyond. = the: rhetoric, several key breaks and incentives are bound to help several sectors with a strong presence on the North Shore. _ Chief ariiong these is the governmeny’s recognition of the importance “0! the, film political | DARRYL Rawlings we premium cigars hit hard by provincial budget. industry and further incen- tives to keep it vibrant. These include — Film Incentive B.C.,a $15 million annual tax credit announced last October to assist local productions and officially incorporated in the budget. Further consultation with industry officials is aimed at bringing future announce- ments to censure B.C. temains an attractive loca- tion for production compa- nies around the. world, said MacPhail. Ironically the announce- - ments come on the heels of news The X-Files, easily Vancouver's highest profilr. production, is moving south after five years of shooting in B.C. The government. also announced the formation ofa business advocate and a small business task force to look at ways to streamline regulatory JEREMY Daiton ... budget - a contradiction in terms. processes and increase com- petitiveness. “They're actually going to set up a commissar of cutting ted tape which is a joke because, of course, ‘that means another bureaucracy to, guess what, cut bureau-- ”: said West Vancouver- MLA Jeremy cracy, Capilano Dalton. “That's actually a contra diction, That’s what they call an oxymoron.” : -QuoTes EVERYONE had some- thing to say about * Monday’s budget. Here’s ° a sampling of clips culled from North Shore News interviews: “Nathing dus chauned except prople are heading to Alberta.” i _ -— West Vancouver-Capilano | MILA Jeremy Dalton : Qa0 ' *Thev’re trying to focus on’ decreasing taxes, but the revennes are decreasing and the expendi tures are increasing. We're not gaining anything, we're losing.” _— North Vancou: e-Seymour MILA Daniel Jarvis H : 209 "There is nothing there that is i going to create jobs this war.” — North Vancouver. © Lonsdale MLA Katherine ; Whittred : OnG “The consumer I think srasild be relatively pleased, business will be disappointed. Anyone interested — in the debt and deficit will be gross ly disappointed.” = North Vancouver Chamber of Commerce chair! man Doug Smith. : i o00 {| "The type of cigars Gi Glen Clark smokes like Colts aren't going to be C’s Minister of Finance Joy MacPhail : ached. the province’s 1998-99 budget On: ‘Monday. Its highlights include: MA projected. deficit of $95 million, excluding Crown ° corporations, increasing the Province’ s debt to $31.2 billion; = M Reduction of the personal income tax rate by 2 points to. 49. 5% of federal tax due effective Jan. 1, 1999;) MA eduction in the: ie top marginal income tax rate Anna Marie D'Angelo News Reporter dangelo@nsnews.com -old North Vancouver woman has been charged in connection with her alleged: involvement in sending: razor blade laden mail to about 28 people in Canada. ‘Rebecca Rubin is charged with possessing an explo- re substance. She is charged along with David Nathan Barbarash, - 34; of Vancouver. : "Barbarash - and Darren Todd Thurston, 28, of : Edmonton, are jointly charged with 27 counts of mail- ing an explosive or a dangerous item with the intent to do bodily harm. . The: charges ‘relate to alleged. incidents that occurred in December 1995 and January 1996 in Vancouver and elsewhere. ‘The. charges were laid after’a three-year investiga- ion by the Vancouver based national security section of the RCMP. Barbarash is also charged with possessing a prohib- ~ fred weapon, a “Thunder Blaster H” stun gun. Thurston is charged with impersonating Kelly John Whyte with intent to enter the United States on May 4, 1996 in Victoria. - Vancouver RCMP Sgt. Russ Grabb declined to dis- cuss the: motive or other details regarding the charges and i investigation. The case is before the courts. .. @ According to 27 of the charges, a razor blade was 4 taped to’a card in an envelope and sent in the: mail to hurt specific people. «1, Grabb’ said ‘on Monday that Rubin, the North Vancouver woman facing charges, has yet to make a > court appearance in the case. Barbarash and ‘Thurston were released from police ‘ custody. after making court appearances in Vancouver ‘ provincial court.: from 54.2% to $2.7% in 1999 and 49.9% i in 2001. The top marginal tax rate applies to those earning $80,000 or more and encompasses the sum of federal and provincial tax in addition to provincial surtaxes; @ Elimination of corporation capital tax for 10,000 of B.C.'s smallest businesses starting Jan. 1, 1999; @ Reduction of the small business tax rate from 9% to 8% over two years; B Reduction in Medical Services Plan premiums for 80,000 lowest income British Columbians; Bi Revitalization of tis ; province's traditional industries _ Ocana Lercester ‘News Reporte deana@nsnens.com ALMOST 260 seniors will soon be moving into a long-awaited Seymour-area care centre in North ‘ Vancouver District. Monica Hopwood. old who has lived in Kiwanis Lynn Manor since 1976, cut the ribbon to officially open the 192-bed Kiwanis Care Centre on Saturday. Planning for the project began in 1989 when the .the. North Vancouver Kiwanis Care“ Homes: Society first approached the gow ernment for finding. The multi-level Seymour Parkway near Berkley Avenue, cost approximately $3 million to build and was primarily funded by the province. Residents will be accepted into ' a 99-year- affected (by a ‘cigar tax. hike). _ Artually he probably smokes realiy expensive cigars (he receives free of charge) .. . yeah, TU give hint: one cigar. I'm just Hot sure where! I’m going to put it.” : --~ West Vancouver’s Caria dian Cigar Co. owner Darryl Rawlings 900 “They just don’e get it. They're not foing to Seyeray “anything except animosity.” 4 —W.V Chamber of fi ’, as forestry and. natural + resources, including a reduced stuinpage fee schedule and the furure intro- duction of a new exploration code; : ; @ An extension of freezes on ICBC and B.C. Hydro rates as well as a freeze on post-secondary instirution tuition fees; @ A 3.3% increase in the Ministry of Health budget bringing it to $7.2 billion; @ Ministry of Education’s s budger rises by 2.8% to $4.3 billion. j — Robert Galster — Robert re care centre," ” located on the south side of Mount the centre at an intermediate care. § level. ity. will be able to meet them. The centre is equipped to pro- vide extended care for its residents. Ge. Saturday, the three North Shore. mayors joined Helmut Giesbrecht, Skeena MLA and Ministry of Health parliamentary: secretary, to celebrate the opening of the building. Residents trom Lynn Manor and West Vancouver’ 's. Kiwanis Lodge, which will both be closing soon, are‘ expected to fill the beds at the end of April, after the new Kiwanis building has been stocked. . Mac Chappell, executive director of the society, said there: is If their needs increase, the facil-" Parkway last Saturday... already a a waiting list, for the. new centre. . “We expected it,” he.added. “There is always a waiting list.” The centre also has space for an adult daycare’and a conimu-: mectings or. events. Commerce president’ John Clark... =: ART Weseen, the board chairman of the North Vanc uver Kiwa ‘s. ‘Care Homes : Society, and Monica’ Hopwood, a 22-year Kiwanis resident: who is turning 100° this year, cut the ribbon to open the Kiwan S Care Centre ‘on Mount Seymour nity room, which can be booked by seniors in the community for: