NV firm turns
gov't losses to

_rail tour profits

ALL ABOARD is a‘call being
cheeded: more and more for
Rocky Mountaineer Railtours, a
: scenic rail trip. plying ‘world-
famous routes « through’ the:
Rockies. |

By lan Noble
News Reporter -

»since North Vancouver-based
Great Canadian Railtour Company
» Lid, received the rights to the money-
“losing Rocky Mountaineer from the

federal government's VIA Rail. i

‘1990, ridership. has jumped from
“a [1,534 to an expected 30.000 this

: year. ’

- After’ losing. money: ‘in the first
: three’ seasons Great Canadian ran the”
“trains, the. 130-employee company is
“now on-a‘ firmer track. The service
. has become, profitable and, revenues
“are just shy of $25 million. | ;
: Company. - president - and. ‘chief

executive, officer : Peter Armstrong credits the:
ummaround %o customer service, ; ma

-“That’s where-we have been concentrating

‘our “efforts, and it’s paid enormous dividends for

us,” he said.

That attention to service is: reflected. in ‘the |
omnpariy’ 's GoldLeaf service, available for pas-

sengers in the new $2.8 million dome car.‘

-Perks include’ preferred baggage handling,”

re-boarding, and an exclusive dining area.’
Other passengers receive; the company’s

ignature service, which includes all meals on-
“way to selling itself...
The © Rocky Mountaineer i is a two-day day- :

‘board, transportation and hotel costs, and trans-

fers‘ to the hotel. “Armstrong added marketing .

TIONS. east of Lynn Creek will.
have the ‘opportunity to discuss
the “implications "of"

Vancouver’. District. bylaw. that’
limits: ‘the. height: of. Febuilding

has also played a vital role i in filling seats.
Marketing representatives from the compa’

ny are often on the road drumming up business *

in European .and-Asian countries and New
Zealand, Australia, and the United States.
“You have:to work very hard to. casure you
success,” Armstrong said.
Still, any historic. train wip. that showcases..

‘the eye-grabbing delights ofthe Rocky. .

Mountains, Banff and Jasper national parks, and |
the Thompson and Fraser river canyons — and _
may include wildlife sightings ,- — Boes a long

NEWS photo Mike Wakefield

: |
GREAT. CANADIAN Raiitour president Peter’ ‘Armstrong points to service and marketing as the:
engines that drive the North Vancouver firm” ‘s\efforts to keep the Rocky Mountaineer thriving. ;

light railtour that retraces the historic routes of

Canada’s first’ transcontinental | railways

seween Vancouver and Calgary through’ the

opular tourist town of Banff.
The Rocky» Mountaincer’s 17° passenger
coaches and new dome coach also run between

“3: Vancouver and Jasper. An overnight stay is pro- -

- vided in Kamloops. Great Canadian Railtour:
‘ Company Ltd. started running the business after’.
“getting the nod over 19 competitors for the route. -

when VIA Rail spun it off in 1990.0 on

While a partner in tour-bus firm Grayline of

"Vancouver, Armstrong: rode on the inaugural
‘Rocky Mountaineer in May 1988.

THE B. c. government intro-

“| duced -

A ° Ministry | of -

id there were about:

: n- B.C. who were
; billing their patients fees above. at

“ Tegislation. . on
~ Thursday. ‘that.will cut out -
|. extra billing ¢ by any doctor in.
the province.

: ‘By Anna Marie D ‘Angelo
} News Reporter . :

Health

‘1 the amount set out in the Medical

° Services Plan (MSP). ; 4 :
yo Said North Vancouver . Lonsdale ‘MLA’ David

6G We are taking al 7
different approach :
a | than Alberta. tLe I

~ ‘viewed as extra: billing: ‘and will
| also be Prohibited by the legisla. ‘

nk a se Schreck |

“Lwent on it, fell in Jove with the ©
concept and two years Jater when the:
government decided to privatize it.
sold my interest in Grayline and con-
centrated on acquiring the rights to
the Rocky Mountaineer.”

A rmstrong himseif is caught up in
the mystique of train travel.

“Something magical happens on a
train.” he said. :

There’s lots. of leg room, people
can walk around, and they talk to one.
another, he added.” “

You never know: who's sitting ji in
the seat behind you or in front of you
but you soon find out,” he said.-

However it-was more than magic
that lured Armstrong to the company.

Although VIA was losing money

“on the run, Armstrong, the company’s
founder, believed that with better >
marketing and cost. control and by. _
increasing volume, money could be
made onthe line. :

‘With “the” business now in: the:

‘ black, Great, Canadian will ‘start

”. offering ‘charter tours.to destinations
- suchas Whistler to expand business

and use the cars outside, of the May-.”. oe

to-October Rocky. Mountaineer sea-

rail travel, Armstrong said times are
exciting for tourisny in B.C, :.
‘He said the recent open-skies' deal. with the a

United States allows people from all pars: of the ane

U.S. to travel to Vancouver easily...

“We're now seeing a... surge of new busi-
“ness because’ of the easy, air. connections,” he
said. ss i

He also points to the low Canadian dollar, a ‘
“new tourism training institute and a° govern:
ment-funded but’ private- sector driven Canadian |
: Tourism Commission as reasons. for optimism :
‘for “B.C. tourism... Other ‘investors in .Great
~ Canadian include;West Vancouver. resident Jim!
Houston, the Working Opportunity Fund, and .. |
Neneap Equities (Albena) Lida es

you etry to find patients. who want’;
to pay the whole bill, not the dif-
ference between ‘the ‘public ‘plan ~
‘and your! extra” billing.”” said"
x Schreck: ve :
=. * Meanwhile « the” Wwidespréa
practice of: doctors’ : charging"
patients .“tray fees” relating: to
‘certain procedures is . being’;

tion. :

Said: Schreck. “Tray: fees are

. legitimized by the fact that a pro-

_ cedure is performed. inian office :
and, “some? medical kitis

son. in addition to a bright future for - © ‘s

‘But at the s same ‘time! staff will be

Preparing amendments fo ithe same j"

Bylaw. 6645, passed May’ 1994, a
presently, applies: to single-family |:
~ homes in the western half of the dis-"

trict.

of ‘any. renovation or rebuild to the:

height of the’ existing home unless a:
e can" be obtained -

building’. vari
from council.

posed variance plays a major role i in

‘ouncil’s determination.”

“4 Designed to limit the block-bist-, ‘
‘ing: effects: of so. called ‘monster,
-houses,”. the bylaw’ limits the height °

A MOTION. by Coun. Ernie’
Crist to extend bylaw east of ©

Lynn Creek deferred.

One year ago when the bylaw ¥ was

passed council also asked for prepa-,
< ration” of ‘ the” necessary, bylaw. to. .
extend the same restrictions to single-- * j
| family. residential areas east of Lynn ”

(Creck.
But: planning staff argued fora

~ chance to first assess the impact of a

See 1 ND, nage 5 k

: Schreck, “We are taking a different approach ‘than
“f- Alberta. We endorse the principles of the Canada
~ Health Act.” ‘

North Vantouver general practitioner Leon Bard,

who extra. bills his patients, declinéd to comment
‘until he reads the legislation. ! iv

Schreck said the legislation will prohibit MSP
from paying for any portion of a doctor's fee that is

higher.than the MSP rate.

Extra billing charges will therefore have to be paid

- by patients.

Schreck said doctors who have opted’ out of MSP
can. rejoin. ata new doctor level. In the. Lower

J. Mainland,. that’. means the doctor will be paid 50%
- less. said Schreck. : 7
oT. essentially says that as : physicians it you ‘want
to practice privatelyand bill whatever you want, then | ,

. required." a

“dostors:
-tesolved,* said Schreck. Peg

Doctors. pay, fo for the. medical kits'and charge’ tray
fees (“suture fees,” |“facility: fees”): because they”.

- argue that MSP does not cover the kits’ overhéad.'

Schreck said “it is open to argument’: whether the
cost of the medical kits has been worked into the fees. -,
But he said the. government was negotiating with,

the doctors in adjusting fees for procedures tha at Use:

medical supplies, - "
“This, from our point of view, is not ‘taking on the. :
» Doctors. want. this. (tray fees) issue |

British Columbia Medical Association president’
Victor. Diente! d was unavailable for comment.”

A health ministry spokesman said that the federal ..
government. has given the provinces until October to
remove extra piting charges dnd comply: with! the?

‘ Canada Health Act.