November 3, 1991

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ee. D3

52 pages

Classifieds 986-6222

Office, Editorial 985-2131

David Schreck gets
down to business

High Profiles: 22

Display Advertising 980-0517

Distribution 986-1337

News photo Nell Lucente

KEN BASSAM puts the finishing touches on a seven-foot scale replica of the Empress of Japan. The ocean liner, launched in
December of 1929, was part of the CPR’s Pacific fleet. Valued at over $160,600,the model took four years to complete and is com-
.pletely handcratted. Technical information was from original line drawings suppiied by the C.P. Steamship Co. The model will be
‘presented to the Maritime Museum of B.C. in a ceremony at Victoria’s Empress Hotel.

WV company seeks damages in
dust-up over Powder Mountain

suit.

A WEST Vancouver company is suing several prominent
Social Credit party members over an application to develop
a dowsahill ski operation in the Powder Mountain and
Callaghan Valley area 12 kilometres southwest of Whistler.

Among the 1! defendants nam-
ed in Powder Mountain Resorts’
(PMR) statement of claim «are
former premier Bill Vander Zalm,
his then-principal secretary David
Poole, former cabinet minister
Grace McCarthy, outgoing B.C.
Premier Rita Johnston, former
West Vancouver-Howe Sound
MLA John Reynolds, former

By Elizabeth Collings
News Reporter

Lands and Parks mirister Dave
Parker, and former attorney gen-
eral Russ Fraser.

Three civil servants and the
province are also named in the

Powder Mountain Resorts prin-

cipals Nan Hartwick and her
daughter Dianne Hartwick of
West Vancouver have been seek-
ing government approval to de-
velop the resort since the early
1980s.

According to PMR lawyer
Stuart Hankinson, the company
has participated in and won ail
three public proposal calls and
spent more than $2 million in the
process.

PMR’s statement of claim

outlines the chain of events alleg-
ed to have led up to the rejection
of the PMR proposal:

@ During February and March of
1987, PMR and the attorney gen-
eral’s office had reached an eighth
and final draft interim lease
agreement before then-forestry
minister Jack Kempf allegedly
received a memo from Poole that
he was to ‘‘cease and desist from
assisting the Hartwicks as the
premier had a friend who wished
to submit a proposal;"’

@ In September ~° 1987, PMR
was then told their »roposal was
pulled on the basis that it did not
meet the province’s commercial
alpine ski policy;

@ Also in September of i987,
Callaghan Resorts Inc., another
West Vancouver-based company,
was chosen to investigate the de-

wm

velopment of Callaghan Valley.

@ In March of this year, PMR
was told vy the government that
its proposal was turned down
because it was primarily a real
estate opportunity with little or no
economic benefits for the pro-
vince.

Last May, the government call-
ed for new proposals to develop
the resort.

Hankinson said that Callaghan
Valley has been unsucessful in its
attempts to develop the area and
has since ‘tabandoned’’ the pro-
ject. PMR, which has its financial
backing in place, has never been
told which guidelines it failed to
conform with, he said.

Hankinson said PMR is seeking
indeterminate damages, including
the recovery of development pro-
posal costs equal to $2 million.

REACHING EVERY DOOR ON THE NORTH SHORE SINCE 1969