Crossing a Lions Gate cash could 62 handled by local players By fan Noble . News Reporter fan@nsnews.com ALTHOUGH West Vancouver Chamber of Commerce president John Clark doesn’t support tolling the Lions Gate, he’s come up with a toll-depen- dent idea anyway. Clark is calling for a local bridge authority he calls the First Narrows Crossing Authority. Clark agrees with North Shore mayors that the concept of user pay is unfair. “What the mayors aren’t creating is a situation where we are going to get a new bridge,” he said. Instead, they are creating a standoff with the provincial government. “But the minister has said unequivocally several times that the only way that anything more than a $70 million paint job is going to happen is with a toll,” he said. “If there must be a toll, then at least let it pay back the people who paid for it.” “The authority would involve all partics directly affected by the bridge including North Vancouver City and District, West Vancouver District, the Squamish Nation, and Vancouver and its park board. The crossing authority would arrange financing for the bridge, and a four-lane bridge with fand bridges through the Stanley Park causeway would be built. Costs for such a bridge run from an esti- mated $120 to $310 million, depending on the tunneling needed through Stanley Park. After construction, a toll would be placed on the Lions Gate. The roll would service the NEWS photo Paul McGrath JOHN Clark, the owner of a West Vancouver men's store and president of the West Van chamber, has floated a plan for a bridge authority to oversee construction of a four-lane Lions Gate Bridge. debr in the first half of the toll’s life and pay back residents in the second half. Clark said locals would pay a toll while the bridge is being paid off. But when it’s paid off, the tolls could be cut off for people such as West Vancouver commuters and others who reside in the area. Sunday, August 24, 1997 — Ni rity p The toll, however, would contin- ue to be charged to others to help pay back the people who paid for the bridge in the first place, said Clark. “The money will not be a refund bur it could certainly go back into the coffers to suppress future taxa- tion,” he said, adding the moncy could also provide amenities for the focal municipalitics and Squamish Nation. Clark’s proposal has the ear of the government. In a recent announcement, Transportation Minister Lois Boone said Victoria has decided to work toward the cre- ation of a non-profit authority to operate and manage the financing of the new crossing. “Details of the authority’s struc- ture have yet ro be worked out,” she said. In a letter to the News, Boone called Ciark’s idea a creative sugges- tion. “Without endorsing Mr. Clark’s proposal, I would like to thank him for taking a positive approach,” she said. Clark said his idea has the back- ing of the chamber. West Vancouver-Capilane MLA Jeremy Dalton said he discussed Clark’s idea with Clark briefly over coffee “The more local input the bet- ter,” said Dalton. “Quite frankly I really don’t want Lois Boone to be collecting the money because it’s ... going to be too much money for probably the wrong reasons. We can remember Forest Renewal B.C. and other raids that this government has conducted over tine.” He said the four North Shore Liberals srill oppose tolls. . Earthy convictions lead to prison cell "From: page obtained a court injunction banning all protesters from the site. When ~ protesters showed up anyway and then refused to sign a promise to stay away from the site in the future, they were arrested and charged with con- tempt of court. “For me the injustice from the government was neglecting its respon- sibility to our community, future generations, ancestors and other beings in the watershed,” wrote Carron in a statement from prison. “Water is a sacred gift, not a resource to be treated with disrespect.” He went further outside the system when he refused to divulge his legal name to the police upon his arrest, choosing to go by “Earth.” His protest partner also refused to cooperate with the arresting authorities and - provided only “River.” Eloise Charet is also imprisoned. She is being held at the Burnaby Correctional Centre for Women and, like the other protesters, is facing contempt of court charges. She is also on a hunger strike. The 46-year-old mother of five said she is treated well at the facility, and added she is more concerned about her younger hunger-strike comrades in the Kootenays. “I’m very concerned about the young ones because they tend to get picked on more,” said Charet, a one-time North Vancouver resident. “They’re all separated there, they’re not able to talk to one another.” To date Charet has lost about 20 pounds. “I’m starting to see my feet now, I was pretty chunky when I got here. I didn’t realize it was a long winter,” said Charet from her temporary Burnaby home behind bars. No stranger to causes, Charet’s first time in the spotlight came when she flew to Cambodia when she was 19 to save orphans stuck in the coun- try’s capital Phnom Penh as the Khmer Rouge marched into the city. Her mission was successful and more than 60 children were transported to “Canada for adoption. Since then she has lived in a variety of locales including North Van, where three of her children were born, Nepal and Bangladesh. She eventually settled in Silverton, a small Kootenay community. “J abide by their (jail) rules as much as I can because I’m not used to being in jail,” said Charet. “On the whole I’ve tried to keep my spirits up.” P Her convictions, however illegal the acts they lead to, seem to be infec- tious — even the hardened clement around her is lending its support. “The women in jail have signed a petition for me supporting my cause,” said Charet. “It’s kind of touching really.” No such relationships have been forged by Carron and company in the men’s prison. When Pam asked her son if he feels safe in the confines of the Kamloops Regional Corrections Centre, Bruce replied: “I have the other prisoners’ respect — I’m okay.” Carron’s involvement with the environmental movement started when he attended the University of Victoria after his graduation from Handsworth secondary school in 1992. Pam said her son was born with certain convictions. “He has always been very fond of Mother Earth,” she said. Vandals Brooksbank takes a beating this summer By Layne Christensen News Reporter layne@nsnews.com A North Vancouver parent group is fed up with a rash of vandalism that’s giving their school the appearance of a war zone. Maureen Grennan_ said the damage at her children’s school is especially bad. “The schools are just taking such a beating this summer. Ours looks like Beirut right now it’s so boarded up,” said the Brooksbank parent council president. The elemen school is located at 980 E. 13th St. Graffiti and window breakage have been ongoing since April, said Grennan. In May, parent volunteers arrived at the school to prepare for a garage sale only to find “somebody had ripped up all the plants at the front of the school. They were just all over the front area,” said Grennan. The lJatest vandalism to hit the schoo! is damage to new playground equipment, which the parent council had installed last March at a cost of $23,000. “Somebody’s taken a knife and cut through a part of it,” said Grennan, who spotted damage to the play set’s plastic slide last Tuesday evening. She’s riled by the apparent increase in vandalism. “It seems to have reached an all-time peak right now,” said Grennan. But according to North Vancouver RCMP spokesman Const. Tom Seaman, reports of vandalism are no higher this summer than in previous years. “Some schools get hit worse than others,” said Seaman. “Brooksbank is in the unfortunate position of being right on a ravine.” The police do regularly patrol school areas on foot, he said, but “catching kids in the act of committing vandalism is difficult.” When the RCMP do catch the culprits, there’s not ev - ne MEWS photo Brad Ledwkige BROOKSBANK parent council members (left to right) Maureen | Grennan, Susan Coe, Sheila Bartley and Ann Macisaze are ticked off at schoo! vandats who have smashed 27 windows. much that can be done, he said. “(With) the Young Offenders Act, there’s not a lot we can do other than, get them to the courts and then they put them on a diversion program. I don’t think the (offenders’) par- ents are made to pay too often.” One thing parents can do to help curb vandalism is organize a neighborhood watch. Said Seaman: “We don’t want anyone taking vigi- lante action. But a responsible, well organized neigh- borhood patrol ... that helps us all the more.” Bob Wilson, director of buildings and grounds for School District 44, said vandalism “rotates from school to school from year to year.” Vandalism at Brooksbank increased in May, right after trees were chopped along Rufus Drive to discour- age youths from partying in the area. Wilson thinks the youths may have taken offence to the action. “Call it retribution,” he said. This fall, Brooksbank’s parent council will install the second phase of playground equipment, for which they have raised $20,000. Grennan said the threat of future vandalism makes her wonder if it’s worth it. “Now you think, jeez. If they’re going to be out there purposely breaking it all the time, what are we doing this for?”