From page 1 ongoing with the Ministry of Energy and Mines and the Hon. Dan Miller, Mivister responsible for Northen Affaire. But negotiarions over who should pay for repairs appears to be stalled. “No decision has been made about if'and when,” said Dever, Ted White, M® for North Vancouver, finds it sinister that dis- M8 are Ongoing and a decision has not yet been made. “What's the problem with jast repairing it?7 he asked. The problem appears to be money and who should provide it, Katherine Whitred, MLA for North Vancouver-Lonsdale, queried Miller in the house last June. At that time his response was that repairs Were tox costly fora very old Jocomotive and thst the gov “ernivent was more interested in new rail opportunities like the Cariboo Prospector, In August 2000, Richard Tones, special assistant to Miller, suggested x hat the government was of the opinion that any repairs should come out of BC Rail’s budget. ‘To date, the minister has not been available for further comment. Locomotive 2860, while run by BC Rail, is registered as an artifact at the provincial museum and as such is “owned” by taxpayers. . The engine's bevefit w the tourism industry has been huge. North Vaneouver District Mayor Don Bell said, “I would be __ Shocked and surprised if the provincial government didn’t recog-—_collir head of the train doesn’t matter.” Bat the Reyal Hudson 2860 is more than another piece of caer woman he ee NEWS photo Terry Peters OUT. of steam: the Royal Hudson is parked on a siding in North Vancouver while BC Rall and the provincial government debate who, if anyone, will foot the bill for a needed $900,000-repair job. ng stock, tourists.” to the states of Washington, Oregon and Coliternia betore embarking en the “Roval Hudson Discover British Colambta ‘Tour 1978.7 ‘The engine's image has been used offen in tourist promotions since then and is still in-use on various Web sites ike and wine. vaticouvertoday.com>, Even BC Rail’s own Web site reserves a page for the Royal Hudson (including a tink to “The Unofiicial Homepage of the Royal Hudson”) although the text stares, “The Royal Hudson steam locomo- Be tive 2860 is ont Of service for this season.” ‘The News has learned, however, that even if the provincial govern- ment and BC Rail come to an immediate agreement to put the engine back into working condition, the necessary repairs would take another year to complete, leaving the even alder steam engi ne, 3716, tu service the popular North Vancouver to Squamish run. No announcement has yet been made about the Royal Hudson. missing another tourist season, Nor have agencies like Tourism B.C. and Tourism Vancouver been officially notified that the locomative won't be operational next summer. “We haven't scen anything yet from BCR,” said Judas, And Ray Leblond, Tourism B.C. marketing director, said, “We haven't been advised of the wain being non- operational, but it’s an important icon in Southern B.C. and greatly enioved by — nize the importance of the Reval Hudson to tourism.” He continued, “The steam train is just tike the Lions Gate Bridge, the Capilano Suspension Bridge, Grouse Mountain and ~ any of the other geographical identities of the ares in tourist pro- . Motions,” . Walt Judas of Tourism Vancouver agreed that, “The Royal Hudson is a fairly significant part of the tourist product in Vancouver. It's a part of the whele of the things to do i in - Vancouver but some people core just to ride the ain.” Jeremy Dalton, MLA West Vancouver Capilano suggested that “The gove emmment ems to Jake the view v that what's at the The lecomotive has been associated with the tontism industry in British Columbia for a long time. Following a restoration that involved rebuilding the boiler, the steam engine returned to duty on June 20, 1974. The coat of arms of the Province of British ‘Columbia was placed front and centre above the headlight and on each side of her tender and a plaque with the words* British Columbia” went above the coweatcher on the front of the locomotive. The province was proud of its steam locomotive. in the late °70s, when Grace McCarthy was the minister responsible for tourism, the steam train made ambassadorial trips ~ So will one of B.C.’s most popular attractions be shunted off to a siding for good? Or will the provincial government and BC Rail recognize that the spin-off benefits to tourism, culture and education are too important to lose? Coming in Sunday Focus SUNDAY Focus returns to this space next week when reporter Julie Crawford talks to two ‘West Vancouver sur- vivors of Hurricane Mitch. Prominent politicians ‘support candidacy bid” Martin Millerchip ' Asistant Newsroom Editor muillerc.7; CWS.COTE BILL Bell knows he has a fight on his “hands in the federal riding of North — “Vancouver if he is going to unseat incum- ‘bent Alliance MP Ted White.: But first he has to win the Liberal Party nomina-. “tion, f 2. And to that end he has some key local politicians + © lining. up in his corner. : Perhaps it is no surprise that fellow North Vancouver City councillor Barbara Perrault is co- -chairing Bell’s election committee. She is after all a “seamless Liberal since I was 20 or 21.” 2” Perrault says she has known Bell’s family for three ~ generations and “seen him grow in the ten years I'v NEWS photo Terry Peters. . BILL Bell is hoping to win the Liberal ncmination for North | Vancouver and take on MP Ted White in the next federal election, strongly rumoured for tate November. nomination “We're lucky we have such high calibre people who : do run.” Current North Van City mayor ‘Barbara Sharp has been at pains to maintain her political neutrality in light of her labour connections. But even she says she’ would be prepared to join the Federal Liberal Party if Bell is opposed in his bid to seek the riding, nomi- nation. “Yes, 'm_ still neutral, but if he is the one who i is going to fight for us in Ottawa then he is the one I ‘am going to support. We really have to have a repre- sentative who is prepared to fight for the North Shore. [ have to do whatever is best for the City of North Vancouver,” said Sharp. . Bell says he left the provincial NDP party just after Ujjal Dosanjh won the party leadership, citing his * dissatisfaction with the way the party was being run. But his NDP background will contribute to what he sees as a strong centre-left coalition building around his nomination bid and ke says he is’* “overwhelmed with the amount of support.” He says he is not concerned with the party’s central office “parachuting” a candidate into the riding as happened last election with Warren Kinsella’s nomi- nation. “I think die central office would. be well : worked with him.” Bell was fizst elected to city council in 1987. Former city mayor Jack Loucks’ connection to local civic politics goes back a lot longer that — 22 years as mayor and three more as an alder- man. And for ail that time Loucks says he never joined'a provincial ar fed- _cral party “because I believed I shouldn’t if 1 was to be seen as neutral. “I'm conservative in some things and not in others. T guess I’m sort of “Loucks says he joined the provincial Liberal party after he stepped “dawn as mayor and has now added his name to the federal party's mem- ~. bership list. “| gave them my money,” he told the News with a smile Wednesday. : “1 figured the best way to support him (Bell) was to join the federal party.” Loucks acknowledges that White will be a tough opponent to beat if * Bell gains the local nomination..“I may not agree with some of the things that Ted espouses, but I have a great deal of respect for him’ as a person, ° “He'll be hard to beat but Bill has the best chance of anyone to do it.” And Loucks doesn’t hold White's acceptance of the MP pension plan inst him. “Any MP wauld have been foolish not to take i it. People don’t under- alm how hard the job is on people who live out here i in B. Cs how hard ° ‘the travelling and the family separation i is. : aware of local concerns after last time around. It would be very difficult to parachute a local candidate into the riding this time.” As to the timing of the election, Bell said the fall may be a good time nationally for the party, while a spring clection would allow “other candi- dates to come forward in the constituency and for there to be a good run off” = Ifone of the candidates to step forward was North Vancouver lawyer Jay Straith, Bell said he would withdraw his nomination. But Straith says that is not going to happen. “This is going to be a ‘come as you are’ elec- tion that will be over on Nov, 27 and I can’t suddenly drop a busy law practice. Besides, if you win, you get to spend winter in Ottawa!” -If his nomination gocs forward and he takes un White, Bell promiscs _ to leave personalities out of the campaign. However, according to Bell, White might be vulnerable to attack on his “style of representation, where he has tet | his policies get in the way of being a good constituency repre- sentative.” Bell points to White’s failure to endorse local student summer job grant applications as an example and his lack of support for the push to save part of the Cape Breton as an historical museum exhibit. ~ — Bell also views White’s acceptance of the MP pension scheme and his decision to run for a third term as “the Prealang of what I consider a sacred trust to his constituents.”. ; mh White says Alliance ahead ( of Liberais in polls From page t : ogy - Although no definite date will be pewgeid for * the election until the prime minister makes a for--- mal announcement in the House of Commons, - White said a fall date had seemed likely since MPs " returned to Ortawa after the summer recess. os White said a lor of legislation had been rushed *: through quickly after the summer, and pointed . out that Chrétien had: recently made several: : patronage appointments. He did not think the. prime minister's likely election scheduling repre- sented any attempt to ride the wave of mourning over: Pierre Trudeau. However, referring to the “momentum of. the Alliance Party > under - Stockwell Day,” he said the ciming was “definitely ° no coincidence. 1 would call. an election if, I was him too.” White and Reynolds said their party had done very well agaiast, the Liberals ire-recent polls, with the latest Angus Reid poll showing the Alliance Party ahead of the government for the «first! time. Said Reynolds, “If we're ahead of the govern- : ment before the election, we should do very well.” . White said his party — formerly known as the - Reform Party of Canada — had gone into the 9%. A ~~ Chrétien was in town this week to attend an = annual fundraising dinner at the Bayshore Inn: He also toured Capilano Suspension Bridge and Park “on _a.photocall Friday morning with around 80. children from Coquitlam’ 's James Park elementary. .- . The prime ‘minister did not. make any‘ cot ments about a forthcoming election. Clad in’a.” West Coast-style outdoor vest, and looking a little; shaky after crossing the: bridge, he ‘nonetheless * : gamely fed some rainbow trout if a pond-and examined a 450-foot Douglas Fir-tree. oe ‘: “How old is he?” he asked the tour guide, - When told the tree was 300 } years © ald, Chrétien * said, “so I feel very young.” : 1997 federal election with a popularity rating of ee