12 officers leave RCMP detachment Anna Marie D'Angelo News Reporter dangelo@nsnews.com TWELVE North Vancouver RCMP aux- iliary officers officially quit their jobs late last month. The move comes with the North Vancanver RCMP understated by 18 officers and the summer police boat program cut because of understaffing. A. shortage of approxi- mately 400 Mounties in the province has caused RCMP detachments throughour the Lower Mainland to cur ser- vices and operate at below mininwam staff levels. North Vancouver RCMP auxiliary spokesman Nick Buyan said he left his “super” volunteer job of 22 vears with disappointment. “They were stripping us of everything. We were going to be glorified parking let atten- dants,” said Buyan, 58. The North Vancouver res- ident is 3 scffemployed con- tractor. Bayan was one of 12 auxil- iarics honored at a “retire: ment” dinner late last month sponsored by the North Vancouver RCMP auxiliary program. Eight auxiliary North Vancouver Mounties. includ- ing two wonten, remain in the program. In April 1998, the provin- cial government unexpectedly anrounced that the RCMP auxiliary officers would no longer be allowed to carry guns. Auniliaries are sworn trained peace officers required to do 160 hours of volunteer work a year under the direct supervision of regular RCMP officers, While armed, auxiliaries would some- times function as the cover or backup officer on patrol. Auxiliary Mounties were under the jurisdiction of the provincial Police Act. The program’s main funding, originally came from the provincial government. But Victoria has since “downloaded” the cost of the auxiliary rogram to municipal governments. The provincial government lee it up to RCMP management to decide whether auxiliaries carry guns. The RCMP decided to disarm the auxiliaries and focus auxiliary officers’ efforts on community policing or non- frontline police work. The decision, in part, was based on liabil- ity concerns. One of the North Vancouver auxiliary officers who decided to stay on is Guy Louie, 41. Like Buyan, Louie has been an auxiliary North Van Mountie for 22 years. Louie decided to stay because of a personal com- mitment to serve 25 years. He made the commitment when he took his oath in 1977. “When I joined I was one of about three people of Chinese Poll Katharine Hamer Contributing Writer uit LU : oe me NEWS photo Terry Patirs FORMER North Vancouver auxiliary Mounties David Balshaw (left) and Nick Buyzn pian to continue in community volunteer work. The auxillary peace officer prograin was part of their lives. They have yet to be told why it was dramatically changed background that joined the RCMP auxiliary to serve the com munity,” ssid Louie. “That’s what [’m doing regardless of all the garbage going on with the RCMP and attorney general’s decision.” The Pitr Meadows resident focused on craffic police work over the years. For his own safety, he has decided to work main- ly with the CounterAttack program and traffic security during arades. P Louie noted that in some Lower Mainland detachments few auxiliaries have resigned, He said there was still auxiliary liabili- ty issues to address. Auxiliaries are still allowed to drive police cars, but it is questionable whether they would be insured in a car accident. He said that if an auxiliary was shot at during a police incident, a fircarms-trained auxiliary may be caught in a “Catch 22” situation if he needed to defend himself. Mcanwhile the North Vancouver RCMP auxiliaries who had left their volunteer jobs by the end of June include: David Balshaw (start date 1989), Colin Bridge (1992), Norm Brown (1987), Peter Castell (1987), Ken Coats (1989), Dean English (1989), Terry Hawes (1992), Scott MacKenzic (1987), Mike O'Neill (1983), Roa Ward (1992) and Tony Wilson (1993). ution keeps Panorama beach c! Source of high coliform counis remains a mystery Friday, July 23, 1999 — North Shore News ~ 3 Local BCAA workers seek decertification Bob Mackin News Reporter A group of B.C. Automobile Association employees may appeal a provincial Labour Relations Board decision thwarting a bid to Jeave a striking union. Local 378 of the Office and Professional Employees International Union represents employees at 10 of 24 BCAA insuraiice and travel service centres, including Park and Tiltord in North Vancouver and Park Roval in West Vancouver. The unten went on strike in February when ir failed to get a Sest contract tor ity 185 members. It wants a fairer pay system for its members and anti-harassment clauses in the contract. Both North Shore locations remain open, despite picketing. The dissident group, called Certain Emplovees of BCAA, appeared betore the LRB with BCAA in mid-June. The Certain Employees contend the union has fost its mandate because a majority of cmplosees at the North Shore outlets aren’t partici- pating in the strike. The three-member LRB panel denicd the Certain Employees” application fuly 16 beesuse grating partial decertifieation during a strike could interfere with the ecilective bargaining process. “Denying the application for partial decertitication will not affect the Certain Employees’ right to continue working during the labour dispute,” said the decision. “On the other hand, it would remove the right of employees who sill wish union repre- sentation to engage in strike and picketing activity.” BCAA travel consultant: Nicholas Floward is one of 26 employees tinding a battle against the union. “There is a sense of frustration we can’t do anything about it. Four of the peopie who were initially in (the union) aren't even in the office anymore.” He said only one Park and Tilford employee remains on strike. A majority of those at Park Royai cross the picket line. The Certain Emplovees claim to have endured being called scabs, having their phorographs taken and having one union rep- resentative continuously sing the labour anthem “Solidarity Forever” outside a closed: door. OPEIU spokesman Paula Stromberg said no negotiations are planned. The union has sent a list of dates it’s available to meet, but hasn‘e heard from BCAA's negotiating team. Stromberg said employees are paid as [ow as $1 1-an-hour and aren't recognized for long-term service. Meanwhile, BCAA’s 85 emergency road service employees tuned down a mediatoz’s recommended sertlement Monday and are threatening to strike this summer. NV schools applaud joint-use agreement Katharine Hamer Contributing Writer RIDGEWAY Annex and Queensbury elementary schools will be the first beneficiaries of a joint-use agreement signed on Monday by North Vancouver City and North Vancouver School District 44. The two schools will receive new playground equipment, with the cost split evenly between the city and the schools’ par- ent advisory councils. Each will contribute $66,347. The joint use agreement is the first specific agreement to be Sez Sports page § osed In the summer of 1989, coliform Jevels in Deep Cove as high as 492 per million closed Panorama beach for a month. The year before SUMMER on the North Shore: sun- shine — sometimes — relaxation, and spiralling beach pollution levels. Once again, the beach at Panorama Park in Deep Cove has been closed to swimmers by the North Shore Health Region because of a high fecal coliform count. . Water is thought to be unsafe for swimming when coliform levels reach a level of 200 parts per million. The current coliform level at Panorama beach is 230. “It’s a pretty regular occurrence (the clo- sure of Panorama),” said NSHR medical health officer Dr. Brian O’Connor, whose job it is to oversee beach closures. “It’s been going on for years, and no one really knows what causes it.” Eagle Harbour Beach in West Vancouver, which has in the past also been subject to clo- sure, has the second highest coliform count of North Shore beaches at 138. O’Connor said that both beaches are more at risk of high counts because they're “flask- shaped” areas. “There isn’t the potential for the same sort of wash in a closed-in area,” he said, “so any discharge doesn’t have the oppor- tunity to be removed.” Speculation on causes of the high fecal counts at Panorama and Eagle Harbour have taken into consideration the fact that both beaches are adjacent to marinas, with the pos- sibility of discharge from moored vessels and a high concentration of marine wildlife. “They're high traffic marine arcas,” O’Connor said. “I don’t think that boaters are using their bilges when they’re stationary. They shouldn’r be flushing their heads (toilets) there. But gosh, who knows what pcople do when they’re there overnight or for a couple of days.” Coliform levels are constantly monitored at beaches across the Lower Mainland, said O’Connor. Whenever levels at any North Shore beaches are getting towards the 200 raark, he is alerted and may decide to post warning signs advising the public against swim- ming there. O’Connor said he didn’t know when Panorama would be re-opened. “It’s very much a ‘wait and see’ sort of thing,” he said. “Invariably, once the weather cools down, the fevels will go down. But I’ve been here for 12 years, and this has been a problem every year.” that, the levels reached 600, cutting off swim- mers for 47 days. An investigation of area sew- ers and pumps at the time found nothing remiss. O’Connor said studies of the probiem are ongoing, but so far no one has come up with a solution or a clearly identifiable culprit for rhe increased coliform levels. Although O’Connor said that infections . thar can be picked up by swimming in water with high coliform levels are “nor dreadfully serious,” he added that they include superficial skin intections and gastrointestinal disorders. Coliform counts at other North Shore beaches to press time Thursday: Ambleside (70); Dundarave (45); and Cates Park (89). So far, Panorama is the only beach closed to swim- mers.