i-G’s ferry report wel Katharine Hamer News Reporter katharinc@usnews.com FAR from cowering in the wake of Auditor General George Morfitt’s critical report on the fast ferry project, BC Ferries has welcomed the review with open arms. “There was nothing in the report pertaining to BC Ferries or CFE (Catamaran Ferries International) that surprised nie,” said BC Ferries president and CEO Bob Lingwood. In a statement released immediately after the report fast Thursday, Lingwoad said, “this report by Mr. Morfitr will help our efforts. BC Ferries has already made major improvements since February of this year. These improvements have dealt with both the fast ferry construction project at Catamaran Ferries International and necessary management and financial changes at BC Ferries.” Published on Oct. 28, the Auditor General’s review was a scathing analysis of BC Ferries’ management of the project, citing poor research, a Jack of preparation and a rushed sched- ule, The project has overrun its original budget by about $200 million since it was first announced in 1994. Non-lethal bear conirol pian outlined Anna-Louise Pentland Contributing Writer ‘IT. was standing room only when Stephen Searles came to talk about non-lethal bear management - methods at North Vancouver District council ' chambers last Friday night. “Let’s get something straight — I believe in shooting black bears. People come before a black bear. I won’t cross that line tonight,” he said, to open the three-hour presentation. ' Searles described the experience he had in Mammoth Lakes .” Catifornia, where he works as a wildlife research management con- sultant for the police department. Bears became conditioned to eating garbage and, when they lost their fear of people and start- ed coming, a little too close, they were often shot. * Since 1995, when the town started using Searles’ methods, fone of the 100 bears that live near the town have been shot, Part of Searles’ strategy is to educate the public, but the other part involves teaching the bear. - Mammoth Lakes receives an influx of tourists every weekend, * making the education of people less effective than with a more sta- ble population. - “Ye didnn’r take me long to figure out I was working with some See Educating page % ‘Membership in church dropping Cinta ce | £O Shut down termi From page 1. he (Faris) knew how many are writing ::. to agree with his points,” said Graham. “He added that the decisivn: to change or use the new $65 service book will. be made in April by the Bob Mackin . Labour i Horseshoe Bay ferry foes say analysis confirms the obvious From an ccononiic perspective, Lingwood said, the report was similar in tere to independent financial consultant Hugh Gordon's findings in Feb; vary of this year. Since that time, BC Fervies has undergone a management restructuring, process, permanently eliminating 65 staff posi- tions as part of a $5 millon “reduction in corporate overhead costs.” Lingwood himself was appointed as part of the restructur- ing process. In his report, Morfitt recommended the provincial govern- ment should keep a tight rein on the accountability of Crown corporations and make use of “proven project management practices.” Said Horseshoe Bay resident and CAFTE (Citizens Against Ferry Traffic Expansion) member John Moonen, “We're a microcosm of thar report. “Ir's consistent with what we've been saying all along -— they have no plan. Aad even if they did, they don‘e have the right peaple to carry it out. It’s obvious these people are not Peacefil, together | particularly protessional.” Moonen said thar BC Ferries and CFI were responsible for “one goot-up after another. Weve been talking abour this for wo years, Now finally people sce the sewage, they sce the Auditor General’s report, they see the wasted money.” Moonen will have an opportunity to address BC Ferries management directly when Lingwood appears before West Vancouver council Nov. 8. CAFTE is supporting West Vancouver council’s resolution to ask for the removal of Vancouver Island services from Horseshoe Bay and minimize BC Ferries’ expansion plans for the area. Meanwhile, following the release of Morfitt’s report, the provincial opposition swiftly moved in with their own critique. Liberal leader Gordon Campbell referred to the fast ferry project as a “boondoggle” representing “a devastating chron- ticle of mind-boggling incompetence, mismanagement and political interference.” “It was the NDP government that drove this debacle,” Campbell declared, “and every member of the Cabinet was complicit.” Meanwhile tomorrcsy, BC Ferries Minister Gordon Wilson will be in North Vancouver to commission the second fast ferry, the PacifiCar Discovery, NEWS photo Mike Walallekd iA TOGETHER Against Viotence chairman Pal Heal, ieft, and Kim Collett, executive director of North Shore Community Services, pin West Van Mayor Pat Boname in recognition of the beginning of a month of anti-vio- fence activities on the North Shere. West Van firefighters Chad Smith and Steve Gye raised the banner. B.C. Maritime Empioyers Association issues lockout notice — ing firms that have absolutely nothing to do with our’ spute thre : | Rail : church’s generaj council executive in Toronto. .Graham said that since 1980, the United Church of Canada has had = official policy of “inclusive language for ; human’ beings and broadening the images for God.” ». Graham said the service book warns that if the new wording of the Baptismal . formula is used, other churches might not recognize the bap- * tism. ; » The United Church of Canada has 700,000 members and is the iargest Protestant denomination in the coun- try. Faris said the church membership has declined over the fast 35 years from _ 1.1 million. He said the decline is attributed to a movement away from an evangelical, biblically based Trinitarian theology. He said a lot of United ‘Churches have. become social centres or community centres, instead of places where the Gospel is spread. News Reporter PORTS along the West Coast, including North Shore terminals, could be shut down Sunday at 4:30 p.m. unless longshoremen vote on a contract offer from employers. Tae B.C. Maritime Employers’ Association issued 72- hour lockout notice Thursday morning. The umbrelia group for 70 portside companics from New Westminster to Prince Rupert says it has been negotiating for a years with the International Longshore and Warchouse Union. BCMEA president Bob Wilds said a “pretty rich and competitive” final offer was tabled Monday, but the longshoremen walked away from the bargaining table. The longshoremen, Wilds said, are still bitter because Port Moody’s Sultran awarded a non-union testing and sampling company a contract. Wilds said Suttran is not a BCMEA member, but Sultran does own Pacific Coast Terminals, which is a BCMEA member. Wilds said there’s no reason for the Port Moody mat- ter to be affecting talks. “These are legal contracts between shippers and test- collective agreement,” Wilds said. “We cannot and will not interfere between shippers and their contracts, nor between contractors and their employees.” ILWU spokesman Tom Dufresne did not return - phone calls from the News. ; Wilds said almost 4,000 longshoremen are employed by coastal companies. On the North Shore, affected ter- minals include Vancouver Wharves, Fibreco, Seaboard, Neptune and Lynnterm. “Jt will not affect the grain elevators,” Wilds said. “We will continue to serve the grain elevators as we're required under the amended Canada Labour Code.” Wilds said the offer included a pay raise of $2.40 over the four-year contract for the base hourly rate $25.36, retroactive to Jan. 1, 1999. Pension benefits wouid be increased, as would a lump sum retirement allowance. It currently stands at $27,000, but would jump substantial- ly to $47,500 after the third year of the contract. “No one wants to sce a disruption,” said Alan Dever, spokesman for BCR Group of Companies, the provincial rown corporation which owns Vancouver Wharves and Canadian Stevedoring Co. ; “If goods are being diverted to Tacoma and Seattle, nobody’s benefiting here.” _ unionized employees were in mecliated talks Thursday. _- aimed at keeping the Crown corporation on track, The company’s. seven unions have been without “a contract since the end of 1997. They’re represented . by the Council of Trade: Unions on BC Rai} and > they’re warning communi- ties and suppliers’ served by BC Rail. of a possible labour disruption. “We do not want to jeopardize -° BC Rail’s record of good service:.to communities and suppliers See Revenue pageS: | a