Mi FON Z Soon, MEWS phote alike Last North Vancouver Sawmill to shut down By lan Noble News Reporter NORTH Vancouver’s Tolko sawinill wili close and 150 employees will be out of work in March due to a supply-and-demand squeeze at the waterfront business. Tolko area manager Vern Parkstrom said Tolko is still trying to keep the plant open, but it’s very unlikely that will happen. “We are taking one last-ditch attempt, but I don’t want to get anybody’s hopes up,” he said Tuesday, four days after the announcement Friday that the 50-year-old plant will close. IWA Local 217 resident Gary obayashi said the outlook = for union members wanting to stay in the belea- guered forest industry is bleak. ‘It’s next to frankly,” ke said. “There area’t any new jobs being created and there will be some downsizing yet.” Workers laid off at North Shore mills in the past could look for work at other mills, but Totko's is the last mill left in a North Vancouver lumbering, history that stretches back tu 1863 Kobayashi said unemployed workers, who were pulling in an average of $22 or $23 an hour plus pension and benefits, will be elrgi- ble for tuition and income sup- port. But what matte there is employment available, he said. Kobayashi sdded that for every job in primary lumber production, more than 3.5 other jobs will be impossibie, affected. Tolko, which does not have a coastal forest licence and must buy its logs on the open mar- ket, blamed the closure on che short supply of coastal cedar logs and an inadequate export quota under the Canada-U.S. softwood lumber agreement. Parkstrom said reductions in the annual allowable cut and the increase in land set aside for parks means there are fewer logs for sawmills that buy logs on the open market. He added that B.C. producers were badly disadvantaged when they were given export quotas under the softwood lumber agree- ment with the United States. Tolko, which exports 62% of its “There aren’t any new jobs being created and there will be some downsizing yet.” — IWA Local 217 president Gary Kobayashi products to the United States, will fight for increased quotas, but an increased quota would be useless without more fibre supply, Parkstrom said. The softwood — agreement kicked in in Aprii 1996, This agreement and the lack of Io forced ‘Totke to lay off 58 of 150 employees at the time, he said. “Now it’s just as hard to source tiore for one shift as it used to be tor two, And we don’t see it get- ting anv better.” Parkstrom said. The plane manufactures prod- ucts such as decking, siding and paneling, Approximately 25% of production goes to other remanu- facturing plants in B.C. Kobayashi said there will be dis- cussions with the provincial gov- ernment to try to find solutions to Tolko’s timber supply problem. He said a small business enter- prise program set up to provide logs to small businesses without their own fog supplies could be tappe:| by Tolko. Tolko has not qualified for the wood because the Vernen-based compaity has timber supplies for its {ntenor milis, said Kobayashi. “That's a technicality they haven’t been able to overcome,” he said. Joint partnerships are another possibility, he added. Calls to Forest Minister David Zirnhelt were not returned by Tuesday press time. But Zirnhelt has been quoted as saying that not much could be done to help Tolko remain open and that it’s regrettable, bur more wood can’t be made. Parkstrom and Kobayashi agreed more sawmill closures could be in che cards on the coast. “The mere they have to buy in che mar- ket the worse off they will be,” said Parkstrom. Tolko bought the plane in 1988, when it was unprofitable, said Parkstroin. Tolko curned the | sawmill around and it turned a profit in 1992 and 1993. Bur in 1994 the log supply oroblem started eatch- ing up to Tolko and ic fell into she ted thar vear, said Parkstrom. Tolko also owns five B.C. lum- ber and plywood manufacturing facilities and an -orievited strand board (OSB) plant in Alberta. Parkstrom said ‘Tolko has tried to sell the plant bur it’s well: known that there is a primary man- ufacturing, overcapacity on the coast so manufacturing plants without a source of fibre attached aren't worth very much. _ REAL estate agent Joe Lioyd likes the view from the living room in a 12-foot-wide home being built on East - 2nd Street. The house is on a 17-foot lot, the smallest lot with its own structure in North Vancouver City. Wednesday, December 18, 1996 — North Shore News — S 12-ft.-wide house sits on a 17-ft.-wide sirip of iand in city By lan Noble , News Reporter AN East 2nd Strect house has alt of the amenities that make a North Shore home pupular: 12-foot vaulted ccilings, patio, balcony, skylights and a view to B.C. Place and the water. What sets this North Vancouver home apart, however, is the facr that it is squeezed into a 12-foot-wide (3.6 m) structure on a 17-foot-wide (5.2 m) lat. It has the distinction of being the skinniest lot in North Vancouver City with its own house, said « city planner. The two-bedroom, 42-foot-tong (12.8 m) 444 East 2nd home is now being built and is on the market for $299,900. “ve been doing this for 25 years and it’s the smallest Ove ever sold,” said real estate agent Joe Lloyd of Crest Realty. He expects the buyer to be someone who wants land and maintenance-free fiving, but doesn’t want the compromises of a townhome. Those compromises include maintenance fees and being told whar owners can and can’t do with their own property. Although the city has been trying to encourage smaller lots to boost affordability in an area of expensive housing, the small- Set lot created has been 30 feet (9 m), said city planner Richard ite. Until the owners came forward with a development propos- al on the 17-foot lot, the city thought a heritage home at 442 East 2nd sat on 2 50-foor (15.2 m) fot. Instead, ir sits on a 17- foot lor and a 33-fout (10 m) lor. Up until the early post-war period, lots as small as 17 feet weren’t prohibired, White said. White said owners of the property could have knocked down their heritage house on the 33-foot Jot and built a duplex by combining the lots. But they decided to keep the heritage home and sell the 17-foot parcel. Council agreed to the request and provided relaxations to the five-foot (1.5 m) setback usually required, on condition that owners upgrade the heritage home. 6/4S winner Gary Trot! has always flashed a million-dollar smite. Visit to Vegas pondered From page 1 storm. However, the most stressful part of the well-publicized day came from holding the nearly $14- million ducat, he said. “You just want to get rid of it as fast as possible,” he said. Gary said he’s lucky — lucky to have good friends, goed family and a good business. Gary’s wife Carol agreed that life won't change much for the two. She said the couple have had the big house and the big car. “Now we live in a cottage close to our kids and grandchildren, we drive a truck and we're happy She added, however, that the jackpot smeans eternal peace of mind. Gary said he’s done lots of trav- lidex & Bu.tiness. @ Collins. fm Crossword... & Food... | ®& Lite. W North Shore Alert... elling so exotic destinations are no longersso exotic. “The nicest place in the world is Horseshoe Bay,” he said. He added there’s one place he wants to go: Las Vegas. , He already goes there twice a year, but feels the itch for another visit. Gary said there's lots to do in the glittery city other then gamble, The well-known restaurateur said he's not much of a gambler, bur buys lottery tickets because they are fun and he intends to keep buying them. ‘Trolls has been in the ‘Froll fam- ily for three generations. The restaurant was founded by Gary's father, Jor Troll, who died in September at the age of 7 Troils celebrated its 50th anniver- sary this year. i Sports BTabieHopping..... 2... Worth Shore Stews, founda in 144 nan iniepemicnt suburhan newspaper amd qualified under Schedule 651, Paragraph 111 of the Excise Tax Act ib qublshed cah Wetneway, Friday and Suaday by Neath Shure Free Prem fad, and duinbund jo ewsy dae ie te North Shure, Canada Post Canadian Poblnatiews Mart Sales Pradkat Aprement No, QOFTIIS. Masling rcs available on reyuest,