Wednesday, August 5, 1998 — North Shore News - 3 NEWS photo Paul McGrath re Motor Vehicle Office manager lan Slade (right) processes an applicant yesterday morning under the newly- Graduated Licence . Program. More than 80,000 new drivers are licensed each year in B.C. licences hit stree' radi wated Lessing Param designed to improve quality of B.C. drivers YESTERDAY tuthered in a new driver's licensing era that th rovincial government says will make the streets safer. “B.C.’s new Graduate Licensing Program eiftcially took effect on Aug. 1, but yesterday wis the first day the actual clipes took effect. In ‘Tuesday morning at the North Shore’s ily Motor Vehicle Branch, Tan Slade at ew program invols'a lice more work for his t C en the waiting line. By 10 a.m. yesterday 20 line. Slade said the brar.ch was a fice busier than ry chor , a photo, before it used to be just a piece it will rake 15,20 seconds longer,” Slade said. staff include handing out tune-up manuals and with the learner licence, and a similar kit with the intermediate meet licence... ancouver's - Marisol Velasquez emerged from the East 13th hicle office clutching her new intermediate stage licence i ” sign (indicating her status as a novice driver). The 17- ¢ doesn’t mind the new program. ; B deal; It's better this way,” she said. “There won't be as See old Blythe Hart! th ill ~year-o) ¢ Hartly agrees, saying the new program wil ob: By produce better drivers. CPR on Vancouver resident Inez Levitz. “We gat her back out to hav- ing a heart beat, but she crashed probably cight times,” said “It’s good because you get more practice driving, but itis a bit ofa has- sle to come back to do the road test,” the North Vancouver teenager said as she waited with her mother to do her road test. “But there’s nothing really you can do about it.” As part of the program, two new classes of driver’s licences were intro- duced yesterday. New drivers now apply for the Class 7L licence, a six- month learner stage in which a number of restrictions apply. These include: B displaying a red “L” sign on the vehicle; B zero tolerance of alcohol consumption; Ba fully licenced adult over the age of 19 must accompany the new driver at all times; B only ovo passengers may be in the vehicle at one time; Bno driving benween midnight and 5 a.m. ; After six morths of safe driving (three if combined with an approved driver education course), to graduate to the Class 7 licence — the 18- month intermediate stage -—— the driver must pass a road rest. With this licence. the only carry-over restriction from the learner stage is the provi- sion that alcohol not be consumed. A green “N” sign must be displayed on the back of the vehicle. After the 18-month period, the driver takes an advanced road test to obtain a five-year Class 5 licence. One thing the graduated program won’t change is the nervousness rospective driver's fie! prior to their road test, Last weekend Hartley fin- ished second in the women’s 10-metre event at the Canadian national div- ing championships. “1 don’t know if | was more nervous diving as I am right now,” the world-class diver said. the emergency. He said a couple of ferry workers tied to calm down Levitz” distraught friend, Emily Rodger, 81. Rodger and Levitz had been foot passengers on a day's outing from Horseshoe Bay to Gibsons, * surmised Jarvis in the legist: tional first-aid ticket for nly three months when “on July 21 he was called down to a car deck to help an unconscious woman. : Smethurst, 31, grabbed his ‘first-aid kit and went “flying lown” to the 71-year-old voman as the vessel was docking (Horseshoe Bay shortly after 7 mn. P “When I got to her, she still “had a pulse and was breathing rapidly,” said Smethurst, a Gibsons resident. “She went into cardiac arrest in my hands,” said Smethurst. Two other ferry workers with occupational first-aid tickets, Shiloh Gregorchuck and Kevin “Conroy, assisted him. Other ferry staffand two passengers who were nurses also helped. Smethurst. “To tell you the truth, I didn’t think the lady was going to make it,” he said. Smethurst said the scnior’s heart stopped beating twice on the ferry workers and approxi- mately a half dozen times after ambulance paramedics got on the ferry and took over. Smethurst said the paramedics repeatedly used electrical shock to start the woman’s heart beating. It took more than 30 minutes before the woman was stable enough to be taken to hospital. Levitz was taken to Lions Gate Hospital. She is doing well in hos- ital. The senior doesn’t remem- r anything regarding her mas- sive heart attack and the few days following. Smethurst said there were no other passengers around during said Deborah Dykes, Horseshoe Bay terminal spokesman. As the Queen of Surrey head- ed into Horseshoe Bay, the two seniors went to the wrong deck to get off. The ferry’s chief officer told them to go to an upper deck and escorted the seniors to the eleva- tor. Near the clevator, Levitz told her friend that she had difficul breathing and felt faint. Levitz fe all back against the bulk head, hit her head and collapsed on the car deck. After Levitz was taken to hos- pital, an ups..: Rodger considered driving home from the ferry ter- minal, The assistant ferry terminal manager put her in a taxi which was paid for by BC Ferries. Hutchinson defends spending From page 1 The guidelines state that the board’s chair hair sign the expense reports filed by EO. Travel approvals are required to be pre-authorized by either the chair or vice-chair. Schamborzki’s apparently extensive travel itinerary when she headed the NSHR appears to be out of whack with her counterparts around the province. Fraser Valtey Health Region CEO Larry Tokarchuk said he attended one conference in 1997. “It’s a time thing with me as well,” said Tokarchuk. “From a professional standpoint you shculd attend some.” He added any international conferences he may like to attend have to first be cleared by the board, but none came up during 1997. “I don’t know about others, but I don’t find conferences very fun... they’re hard work no matter where they arc,” said Tokarchuk. —_- Capital Health Region CEO Ken Fyke like- wise attended one conference in 1997--in Aslanta. : Capital Health Region spokesman Lianne . Peterson said Fyke averages one conference per year. “He doesn't remember the last time he left North America,” added Peterson. Central Vancouver Island, Health Region | - CEO Grant: Roberge. was more. active: than either of his counterparts and attended seven conferences during 1997. Four- took place.in Vancouver and one each in Whistler, P. le and Calgary. ° “On-going education is important, espetial- ly since we’re in a changing environment,” said Roberge. “It is important to keep pace “with new and innovative ways to do things, I choose conferences that address these things and enhance my role as CEO.” All three declined to comment row, oick it up and take it our. Se f ho She’ over $13,000 a month. Certainly! . her own lease on it.” Priddy responded ‘she'll pass:.on ments to the NSHR which:o he compute equipment. “In cases where peopie in that, kind: position have" been. terminated. uncomnion to provide that kind of « for a certain period of time after for the pu of ‘job hunt’,” said Priddy. Schamborzki did. not return News calls to her West Van home. QUEEN of Surrey cook lan Smethurst r (right) used his occupati nal fir aid knowledge to help save a heart attack victim last mont ip staff who helped in the emergency included Carolyn Webb" (left, )chiet Steward Donna Payne, Pamela Copan, Amanda Payne, Cap ‘Cooney and Richard Fortier.