Fast ferry
troubles
mount

Frem pane 1

Jaunched -— hes already spent
weeks in dry dock for 3 myriad
of problems. Most recently. its
plumbing system) collapsed

under the weight of a wealth of

Paper towels, leaving cus-
tomers stranded at the end of &
sailing from Nanaimo.

“tt merely supports our
contention that the fast ferries
were neither needed nor able
to perfornit,” said Richard
Goth of Bowen Island-based
Ferry

Users for Re-establishing
Equity).
“They were the

thing to build and we
ed halfa billion dollars of pub-
lic money. Think bow many
public health issues could be
resolved if we spent half a bil-
lien dollars on them!”

The conventional vessel will
be based at Horseshoe Bay,
with the fast ferries relocated to
Departure Bay, “where they
will be alternated for a
smoother introduction into
active service,” according te
the news release.

“Our customers’ patience
has worn too thin,” said BC
Ferries communications coor-
dinator Joanne Whittier, “and
the level of confidence in the
fast ferries’ ability is down. We
need to give everyone some
breathing space.”

Whittier said the reshuffle
of ferries would give the corpo-
ration more tinte to sort out
the PacitiCats’ “reething prob-
lems.

“All new vessels have
quirks,” she said, “but we've
got some we. haven't experi-
enced before.”

Vessels sucking in logs at
Horseshoe Bay and heavy wake
near residential areas are
among the problems caused by
the cats.

“The PacifiCats are new
technology,” Lingwood said.
“Our experience to date shows
we need to give them more
time to be adequately phased
in.”

Tony Cox, one of Wilson’s
advisors, said the minister was
satisfied that any problems
were now being addressed.

“The cat will continue to
run,” said Cox.

When asked if another year
would be enough time to
remediate the fast ferry glitch-
es, Whittier replied, “the jury’s
stil] out on that one.”

aids dar, any time
Fi Epon Mon, >

CURE (Coalition of

Katharine Hamer

News Reporter
hhamer@nsnews.cam

LINDA Morgan is so
affected by the impact
of UN sanctions in
Iraq that she has
turned her attempts to
end them into a full-
time occupation.

As reported ina News story
Jast vear, the North Vancouver
resident travelled to the middle
eastern country in April with
the charity Physicians for Social
Responsibility,

At the rime, Linda and hus-
band David visited schools and
hospitals in both Baghdad and
outying towas, distributing
basic supplies and talking to
local people.

Moved by what she
encountered in Trag, Morgan
has spent the last few months
spreading the word about the
conditions endured by ordi-
nary fraqis as a result of the
sanctions.

She recently embarked on a
cross-Canada_ speaking teur,
linking up with peace groups
and activists across the country.

“Our mission was to fet tel-
low Canadians know what was
being done in their name,” said
Morgan of the 13-city tour. “It
is uur belief that when enough
caring Canadians know and are
demanding justice, our govern-
ment will be forced to with-
draw their support for this
genocide, and demand that the
sanctions be lifted.”

“We told (people) of the lit-
tle girl who died of meningitis
while we were in hee ward
because her doctor did not
have a 50€ piece of tubing nec-
essary to save her life. There is
no pay for nurses or cleaning
stall, and doctors receive about
$3 a month.

Sanctions against [rags -—
imposed following the coun-
trv’s Gulf War defeat — have
been iu place for close to 10
years now, as Saddam Hussein
attempts to keep UN weapons
inspectors Gut of the country.

Few supplies can get
through, according to Morgan,
because they “might have mili-
tary uses. They’ re denied pen-
cils because the UN says they
can use the graphite for mili-
tary purposes.”

Morgan said she received a
letter from Foreign Affairs
Minister Lioyd Axworthy in
which he stated that the sanc-
tions were “regrettable but
necessary,” and that “Saddam

Hussein could put a stop to

reserve early to avoid disappointment ‘some

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NEWS photo Cindy Goodman

LINDA Morgan, left, and Irene Macinnes with just a handful of the dolls collected
to help create awareness of children dying in Iraq because of UN sanctions.

them any time he wants to.”

“That's like saving that
Churchill could have ended the
bombing ef London just by
letting Hitler in,” said an indip-
nant Morgan.

“ft's all abour control of the
oli”

Morgan said that though
most Iraqi citizens were not
able to speak freely during her
visit, they were rallying round
their leader and appeared fo lay
the blame for their misfortune
squarely at America’s doorstep.

As part of her tour, Morgan

and travelling companion Irene

Macinnes delivered a letter of

apology “tram the Canadian
people to the Eragi people” io
the [radi embassy tn Ortawa.

They also attempted to
meet with Axworthy in Ottawa
and give him 25 dolls —- repre-
senting the “250 children who
every day in Iraq under a
policy that (the Canadian gov-
ernment) supports.”

Their request for an audi-
ence with the minister was
denied.

Instead,

Morgan — and

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MacInnes took the dolls to
Axworthy’s Winnipeg con-
stituency office, where their
arrival was documented on the
local six o'clock news,

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Campaign to End Sanctions
Ageinst the Peopie of Iraq, the
Morgans are helping to orga-
nize a number of high-profile
events across Canada on Jan.
16 — the anniversary of the
bombing of Baghdad in 1997.

“In Halifax, thewre going
to have cottins,” said Morgan,
“in Winnipeg they're going, to
have a candlelight: procession
to Lloyd Axworthe’s office,
aed in’ Peterborough and
Edmonton there will be tables
set up ina small chat shows the
everyday items denied unde!
sanctions.”

An evening with Burnaby-
Douglas MP Svend Robinson,
who having made contact with
Linda Morgan is now travelling
through iraq, is scheduled for
Jan. 15 at Heritage Hall on
Vancouver's Main Street.

On Sunday Jan. 16, an
afternoon vigil will also be held
outside th: Vancouver Art
Gallery in support of the Iraqi
peuple.

And on Jan. 17, the group
is arranging for calls to be made
to the offices of the prime
ister and Foreign Affairs minis-
ter “every wo minutes, all day
long, to register their objec-
tions.”

Morgan, who once worked
at North Shore women’s shel-
ter SAGE House, has no
regrets about giving up her job
in order to help raise awareness
about the Iraqi situation.

“Just the idea chat 250 chil-
dren are dying every day is so
compelling,” she said. “1 have
no option.”

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